a look There is no need of an Arm a word and a look of Omnipotency will be efficacious both for the one and the other one Royal Edict from him will perform it Psal 44.4 Thou art my King command deliverance for Jacob. He hath Authority as a King Engagement as the Churches King As he hath right of Dominion so he hath an Office of Protection which the Church of right may claim and is it Jacob that wants deliverance be not afraid but sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himself Isa 8.12 13. To trust in his Power is to sanctifie his name and regard him as the Soveraign of all creatures and the Lord of Hosts If we sanctifie his name by relying on his Power he will sanctifie his name by engaging his Power 7. To this end study the Promises God hath made to his Church and what Predictions are upon Record 'T is a title of the faithful that they are such as keep the sayings of the Book of the Revelation Rev. 22.9 The Angel that came to John owns himself his fellow-servant and of the Prophets and those that keep the sayings of that Book See God's Bond and behold his witness compare the promise the prophecy and performance See his mercy in making them his truth in performing them let these be as the Hur and Aaron to support the glory of God in our Souls This will be a matter of praise and furnish us with Arguments to spread before God Daniel first looked into the Book for the set time of the Jews return from Babylon Dan. 9.2 and took his rise for pleas from thence You may have need of this food a Divine Promise is the best Cordial at a Stake or Gibbet or when a Sword is at your breast 8. When a time of straits comes wait patiently upon God Let not hope sink when reason is non-plust by storms and sees nothing but wracks Wait upon God in the way of his Judgments Isa 26.8 in his storms as well as calms God waits to be gracious and therefore we should wait to be gratified Not to wait is to be partners in that sin which brought destruction upon the Churches Enemies viz. pride It concerns God more in point of his glory to hasten deliverance in its due time than us in point of security but there is as much danger in coming too soon as too late By waiting we imitate the highest pattern who waits with patience for the Reformation of his Enemies and Christ who waits for the total Victory The longer God keeps the Church at any time under the Enemies Chains the sweeter will be his mercy to the one and the severer his Justice on the other The Israelites waited and God followed Pharaoh with Plagues as he followed them with burdens and took his time to cut off their Oppressors with most glory to himself and most comfort to them The Vision hath its appointed time Impatience will not make God break the Chains of his Resolves but Patience will bring down the blessing with great success and big with noble Births God is not out of the way of his wisdom and grace and we can never keep in our way but by patience in waiting By this we give him the honour of his wisdom by too much hastiness we check and controul him and will not let him be the Master and Conductor of his own blessings We many times get more good by waiting than we do by enjoying a mercy Such a posture keeps the Soul humble and believing whereas many times when we receive a mercy too hastily with one hand we let go faith and humility with the other Sincere Souls have the strongest and most heavenly raptures in a time of waiting Isa 40.31 They mount up with wings like Eagles 9. In times of such straits Be found only in a way of duty If our straits should ever prove as hard as the Israelites at the red Sea i. e. have something of a resemblance to their case let us follow Moses his counsel to them Exod. 14.13 Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Let us not anticipate Gods gracious designs if we will have our finger where God only will have his arm God may withdraw this arm and leave us to the weakness of our own fingers Let them that want a God to relieve them use sinful and unworthy shifts for their deliverance If any success be found out of the way of duty it may be attended with a curse and want that favour of God which only can Sanctify it We may purchase a present deliverance with a more durable plague at the end of it because we forfeit that favour which only can work a real freedom Sinful ways do not glorify God but disparage him our actions at such a time particularly should adorn the gospel not discredit it for it is by the Sword of his mouth that such enemies will be destroyed and every Sword cuts best when it is sharpest and cleanest not when it is blunt and rusty Not but that lawful means may nay they must be used Noah though he went into the ark by Gods command and was not to stir out without his order yet he sets open the windows and sends forth a Raven and a Dove to bring him notice when the waters were dryed up 'T is a foolish thing to offend God who only can help us in our straits and by our sin to hold his Sword in his sheath which upon our obedience would be drawn for our relief We know not how soon we may need him and our distress be such that none but he can bring Salvation let no sin be a bar in the way 10. Be much in prayer Israel cryed unto the Lord before God did relieve Exod. 14.10 The persecuted Church cryed travelling in birth and found a security both for her self and her off-spring Rev. 12.2 c. The distress of the time is an argument to be used Psal 123.34 Have mercy upon us Lord for we are exceedingly filled with Contempt When Enemies are high and access to God free 't is an high contempt of God not to use the priviledge he allows us and 't is to trust in an arm of flesh rather than an arm of Omnipotence to think him either inexorable or unable And for encouragement consider you have Christ arm'd against his Spouses Enemies and provided with merit to make her prayers successful Our prayers may at last be turned into praises And we may say with David Psa 9.6 Oh thou enemy destructions are come to a perpetual end A DISCOURSE OF Delight in Prayer Psal 37.4 Delight thy self also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart THis Psalm in the beginning is a heap of Instructions The great Lesson intended in it is plac'd in verse 1. Fret not thy self because of evil doers neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity 'T is resum'd verse 7 8. where many Reasons are alledged to enforce it Fret not 1.
he was their Saviour It seems to refer to the deliverance from Aegypt Shall I have so little regard to the League I have entred into with their Fathers as to be unconcern'd in their misery There is hope in Israel till God forgets his Covenant and Christ strip himself of the name of a Saviour Christ hath his Priestly habit in Heaven for his People but Eyes as flames of fire quick and piercing to consume the very hearts of his Enemies and Feet like fine Brass to trample upon them Rev. 1.13 14 15. He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah to tear his Enemies as well as a Lamb slain to expiate the sins of his People He hath meekness for his Friends and terrible Majesty for his Enemies Psal 45.4 In thy Majesty ride prosperously because of meekness His kindness to his People makes him ride in Majesty against the others God will not be at rest till he hath revenged the Cause of his People Aegypt will be drowned Babylon will fall Rev. 18.2 Christ can have no satisfaction without it The Executioners of his Judgments in the North Country which was Babylon lying Northward from Jerusalem do quiet his Spirit both as tending to the glory of his Justice and the manifestation of his Mercy to his People Zach. 6.3 Christ will stain his garments in the blood of Edom and Bozra Isa 63.2 3. Edom the Posterity of Esau Bozra a City of Moab Types of the Churches Enemies The Jewish Doctors by Edom in the Prophets understand Rome Christ sits in Heaven till his Enemies be made his footstool All the time of his sitting God is acting and preparing things for a final Issue There is a strong cry of Blood and a file of Prayers the one will be revenged and the other will be answer'd Their own pride and cruelty witness against them God hath a noise of Petitions every day for a full end a combin'd importunity will prevail But clouds now hang over us a gloomy storm seems to threaten us God may indeed blow over the cloud Our Saviour hath the command of the storms and winds in Heaven as well as he had upon the Earth the Pillar of the cloud which hath hitherto conducted us may be our Guardian in the Rear to defend us But yet if he doth suffer them to prevail they shall be but as Whisks to brush off the dust wisps of Straw to cleanse the filthy Pot. You know what is to be done with them when their work is done Their Language indeed is Let Sion be defiled but they understand not the counsel of the Lord who in time will make the Horn of Sion Iron and her Hoofs Brass Micah 4.11 Though the Beasts that ascend out of the bottomless Pit do kill God's People Rev. 11.7 yet even in this Victory of theirs Satan himself shall be overcome As when Christ was taken out from among the living by Satans means it was but for a time but himself was cast out for ever so after this Victory the Church shall overcome Rev. 11. and God shall break the head of the Leviathan in the waters and when he doth by his wisdom contrive waies of salvation he will by his power execute them and save in such a way as may most glorifie himself and witness that the salvation was the immediate work of his arm Hos 2.7 I will save them by the Lord their God 2. Remember former deliverances in time of straits In our plenty of mercies we should not be unmindful how near we were to the Pit nor let the impression of God's power wisdom and mercy wear off from our hearts The Israelites were apt to forget the most signal mercies though they had seen them and had more sensibly tasted the sweetness of them than their Posterity God therefore often puts them in mind of them The Lord that brought them out of the Land of Aegypt out of the Iron Furnace Deut. 4.20 Hos 12.9 I the Lord your God from the Land of Aegypt Ezek. 23.3 It was the more fit to be remembred by them because many of them were fitter subjects for God's wrath with the Aegyptians than for his delivering-kindness since she committed whoredoms in Aegypt in her youth i. e. had been guilty of the Aegyptian Idolatry Unmindfulness of former experiences may make you hopeless of future deliverances The remembrance of former mercies is a ground of confidence in God for the like mercies for the future God recalls to his Peoples minds in their afflictions the memorable defeat of the Moabites by his sole power in the time of Jehoshaphat's Reign they should from that deliverance hope for as great from the hands of God in their straits And Zech. 10.11 God would have them consider their deliverance at the Red Sea as a ground of hope in the time of their distress 3. Thankfully remember former deliverances If we have not some praise for God we may suspect our selves * Lightfoot Temple cap. 3. p. 9. 'T is observed that the City Shushan the Royal seat of the Persian Monarchy was pourtrayed upon the east gate of the temple not because of the Persian command or because of their fear of that King as some think but to have a thankful remembrance of the wonderful deliverance of Purim which was wrought in Shushan Esth 9.26 If it had been only by the Persians command it would have been defaced after the fall of that Monarchy which held but thirty four years after the building of the second Temple The 136. Psalm is a good Copy where is a threefold exhortation to thankfulness in the beginning and one at the end and in the record of every mercy the burden of every verse is his mercy endureth for ever How should we imitate the Psalmist He broke the teeth of the invincible Leviathan in 88 and sent a strong wind to disperse the Fleet for his mercy endureth for ever God prevented the dreadful blast of Gun-powder for his mercy endureth for ever God sent the light of the Gospel into England and freed it from the yoke of Antichrists tyranny for his mercy endures for ever God hath been a wall of fire about Ireland in the protection of it for his mercy endureth for ever Let mercy receive the praise of what our own wisdom and power could not effect The way to overcome the same Enemies we fear is to praise God for what he hath before acted against them The strength of a people consists in praises as well as praying Psa 8.2 Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength In the Evangelist thou hast perfected praise Mat. 21.16 The more Hallelujahs we put up the more occasion God may give us for them If we have any fears of the overflowing deluge God formerly delivered us from our non-improvement of those deliverances the fruits whereof we enjoy this day may strengthen our fears When Israel was Idolatrous in Jeroboams reign yet God delivered them from the Syrians because he
punishment Psal 22.1 But thou art holy when he expostulates with God why he had forsaken him justifies Gods holiness Howsoever thou dealest with me thou art holy in all thy waies Thou dost me no wrong why should I complain when holiness and hatred of sin guides thee in all those actings with me 4. How earnest should we be to get rid of sin By pardon by Sanctification Guilt is the sting of punishment Sin only embitters trouble The Remission and Mortification of sin is the health of the Soul If the arrows head be out of a wound the cure will be more easy Look upon my affliction and my pain and forgive all my sin saith the Psalmist Psal 25.8 forgiveness of sin would mitigate the sharpness of his pain 5. How should we act faith on God in Christ before and under such a condition of punishment As we can never love God too much because he is the highest good so we can never trust God too much because he is one of immutable truth when we are in straits it is not for want of faithfulness in God but for want of Faith in us that we are many times not preserved We distrust God and this is the cause we fall into many distresses which otherwise would not come upon us or be quickly removed from us Did we grasp the promises closely and plead them earnestly we should often find the deliverance we desire We pray but we pray not in Faith we cry for deliverance but not with confidence we plead Gods power but forget his promise Many temporal promises are not perform'd to us not for want of truth in God but for want of faith in us Particular fiduciary acts will draw out the riches of a promise for want of which we remain poor in the midst of abundance Some think that the promise made to Josiah of his dying in peace which phrase is usually meant in Scripture of a peacable death upon the bed was not performed because Josiah was out of the way against the precept of God and therefore could not act faith requisite to the fulfilling of that promise for faith is much dampt in its actings under present contracted guilt †Tho. Goodwin This Faith in promises for outward preservation is not an absolute infallible assurance that God will bestow such outward things because the promises themselves are not absolute but it is rather an indefinite act of recumbency and submission referring it to his good pleasure towards us But it is certain we are very much defective in acting Faith upon promises for temporal mercies because it is an Epidemical distemper in us to trust God with our Souls rather than with our bodies and outward concerns 1. Exercise Faith before such a time Furnish your selves with the comforts of the Covenant and the efficacy of the death of Christ In bodily distempers our minds are discomposed and we cannot have that Freedom of thoughts and spiritual reflections This is the way to engage God who is the best assistant a very present help in time of trouble 2. Exercise it in the use of spiritual means God never Commanded us to trust him but in his own methods That is not trust in God which is attended with any wilful Omissions If we be careful in doing our duty God will be careful in doing what belongs to him Prayer is the best means for Faith to exercise it self in A spirit of Prayer before-hand is a sign of good success When the heart is drawn out to cry it is a sign God stands ready with the mercy in his hand Times of distress are times of calling upon God Psal 18.6 In my distress I called upon the Lord and he heard my cry God is to be acknowledged in all our ways Prov. 3.6 In the beginning by prayer for his direction in the end by praises for the success We are usually more earnest in trouble We have not at all times an equal fervency Christ himself some say had not for when he was in his agony he prayed more earnestly than before Luke 22.44 3. Act Faith upon the Relation God bears to you He is our Father We trust earthly Fathers and are confident they will not abuse us How much more ought we to trust our heavenly Father and not doubt of his sincerity towards us The greater the trouble the more we should plead Gods relation to us Our Saviour in the garden Mat. 26.39 42. at his entrance into his passion for us prays to God by the title of my Father whereas at other times he calls God Father without that appropriation But now he would excite his confidence and trust in God and those promises he had made him to assist him in that hour 4. Act Faith upon the attributes of God There is nothing in God can affright a believer There is not an attribute but seems fixed in God to encourage our dependance on him in any strait wisdom mercy truth omniscience power justice too for what comfort could we have to trust in an unjust God All which attributes are promised to be assistant to a believer in any case of need in the Covenant of grace where God makes himself over to us as our God and therefore all that God hath and is is promised there for our good Upon the Power of God Gods Omnipotence was the ground of our Saviours prayer to him in his distress and that which the Apostle seems to intimate his eyeing of Heb. 5.7 He offered up prayers unto him that was able to save him from death And Psal 16.1 The Psalmist or rather Christ pleads the power of God Preserve me O Lord for in thee do I put my trust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aquila renders it strong Plead the truth of God in his promise The promise that preceded the threatning viz. The bruising the Serpents head the defeating all his plots and designs whereof this was one to bring man into a state of punishment There is a promise which hath been especially tryed and made good though all in the book of God have been found true Psal 18.30 The Word of the Lord is tryed Not one word but the truth of it hath been tryed but especially this word That God is a buckler to them that trust in him i. e. That he will preserve and defend depending believers 5. Act Faith upon Christ Hath God delivered Christ to death It must be for some glorious end not for destruction of the Creature that might have been done without the death of his Son but for remission if so there is sufficient ground to trust him for every thing else We have a merciful high Priest which encourageth us to make our addresses to him He cannot but be touched with the feeling of our infirmities our penal infirmities which he suffered our sinful infirmities for which he suffered Where can he shew his mercy but in our misery Are we under Gods strokes Christ himself felt them that he might the better pity us
foundation There may be joy in a title as well as in possession 3. In contemplation The consideration and serious thoughts of heaven do affect a gracious heart and fill it with pleasure tho it self be as if in a wilderness The near appproach to a desired good doth much affect the heart Moses was surely more pleased with the sight of Canaan from Pisgah than with the hopes of it in the desert A travellers delight is more raised when he is nearest his journeys end and a hungry stomach hath a greater joy when he sees the meat approaching which must satisfy the appetite As the Union with the object is nearer so the delight is stronger Now this delight the Soul hath in duty is not a delight of fruition but of desire hope or contemplation Gaudium viae not patriae 1. We may consider delight as Active or Passive 1. Active which is an act of our Souls in our approaches to God When the heart like the Sun rouzeth up itself as a Gyant to run a spiritual race 2. Passive Which is Gods dispensation in approaches to us and often met with in our chearful addresses to God Isa 64.5 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and works righteousness When we delightfully clasp about the Throne of grace God doth often cast his arms about our necks Especially when chearful prayer is accompanyed with a chearful obedience This joy is when Christ meets us in prayer with a be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven thy request granted The active delight is the health of the Soul the passive is the good complexion of the Soul The one is mans duty the other Gods peculiar gift The one is the inseparable property of the new birth the other a separable priviledge There may be a joy in God when there is little joy from God There may be Gold in the Mine when no flowers on the surface 2. We may consider delight as setled or transient As Spiritual or Sensitive 1. A setled delight In strong and grown Christians when prayer proceeds out of a thankfulness to God a judicious knowledg and apprehension of God The nearer to God the more delight As the motion of a stone is most speedy when nearest its Center 2. A Sensitive delight As in persons troubled in mind there may be a kind of delight in prayer because there is some sense of ease in the very venting itself And in some because of the novelty of a duty they were not accustom'd to before Many prayers may be put up by persons in necessity without any Spiritual delight in them As crazy persons take more Physick than those that are healthful and observe the Spring and Fall yet they delight not in that Physick The Pharisee could pray longer and perhaps with some delight too but upon a sensual ground with a proud and a vaunting kind of chearfulness a delight in himself When the Publican had a more spiritual delight Though a humble sorrow in the consideration of his own vileness yet a delight in the consideration of Gods mercy This sensitive delight may be more sensible in a young than in a grown Christian There is a more sensible affection at the first meeting of friends though more solid after some converse As there is a love which is called the love of the espousals As it is in sorrow for sin so in this delight A young convert hath a greater torrent a grown Christian a more constant stream As at the first conversion of a sinner there is an overflowing joy among the Angels which we read not of after though without question there is a settled joy in them at the growth of a Christian An elder son may have a delight in his Fathers presence more rooted firm and rational than a younger child that clings more about him with affectionate expressions As sincerity is the Soul of all graces and duties so this delight is the lustre and embroydery of them Now this Delight in Prayer 1. 'T is an inward and hearty delight As to the subject of it it is seated in the heart A man in prayer may have a chearful countenance and a drowsy spirit The Spirit of God dwells in the heart and love and joy are the first-fruits of it Gal. 5.22 Love to duty and joy in it joy as a grace not as a meer comfort As God is hearty in offering mercy so is the Soul in petitioning for it There is a harmony between God and the heart Where there is delight there is great pains taken with the heart a gracious heart strikes it self again and again As Moses did the rock twice Those ends which God hath in giving are a Christians ends in asking Now the more of our hearts in the requests the more of Gods heart in the grants The Emphasis of mercy is Gods whole heart and whole Soul in it Jer. 22.41 So the Emphasis of duty is our whole Heart and whole Soul As without Gods chearful answering a gracious Soul would not rellish a mercy so without our hearty asking God doth not rellish our prayer 2. 'T is a delight in God who is the Object of Prayer The glory of God communion with him enjoyment of him is the great end of a believer in his Supplications That delight which is in prayer is chiefly in it as a means conducing to such an end and is but a spark of that delight which the Soul hath in the object of prayer God is the Center wherein the Soul rests and the end which the Soul aims at According to our apprehensions of God are our desires for him when we apprehend him as the chiefest good we shall desire him and delight in him as the chiefest good There must first be a delight in God before there can be a spiritual delight or a permanency in duty Job 27.10 Will he delight himself in the Almighty will he always call upon God Delight is a grace and as faith desire and love have God for their object so hath this And according to the strength of our delight in the object or end is the strength of our delight in the means of attainment When we delight in God as glorious we shall delight to honour him when we regard him as good we shall delight to pursue and enjoy him and delight in that which brings us to an intercourse with him He that rejoyces in God will rejoyce in every approach to him The joy of the Lord is our strength Neh. 8.10 The more joy in God the more strength to come to him The want of this is the reason of our Snail-like motion to him Men have no sweet thoughts of God and therefore no mind to converse with him We cannot judg our delight in prayer to be right if we have not a delight in God for natural men may have a delight in prayer when they have corrupt and selfish ends they may have a delight in a duty as it is a means according to their apprehensions to gain
such an end As Balaam and Balak offered their Sacrifice chearfully hoping to ingratiate themselves with God and to have liberty to curse his people 3. A delight in the precepts and promises of God which are the ground and rules of Prayer First David delights in Gods testimonies and then calls upon him with his whole heart A gracious heart must first delight in precepts and promises before it can turn them into prayers For prayer is nothing else but a presenting God with his own promise desiring to work that in us and for us which he hath promised to us None was more chearful in prayer than David because none was more rejoycing in the statutes of God Gods statutes were his Songs Psa 119.54 And the divine Word was sweeter to him than the hony and hony-comb If our hearts leap not at divine promises we are like to have but drowsy Souls in desiring them If our eye be not upon the dainties God sets before us our desires cannot be strong for him If we have no delight in the great charters of heaven the rich legacies of God how can we sue for them If we delight not in the covenant of grace we shall not delight in prayers for grace It was the hopes of reward made Moses so valiant in suffering and the joy set before Christ in a promise made him so chearful in enduring the shame Heb. 12.1.2 4. A delight in prayer itself A Christians heart is in secret ravisht into heaven There is a delight in coming near God and warming the soul by the fire of his love The Angels are chearful in the act of praise their work is their glory A holy Soul doth so delight in this duty that if there were no command to engage him no promise to encourage him he would be stepping into Gods Courts He thinks it not a good day that passeth without some intercourse with God David would have taken up his lodgings in the Courts of God and regards it as the only blessedness Psalm 65.4 And so great a delight he had in being in Gods presence that he envies the birds the happiness of building their nests near his Tabernacle A delight there is in the holiness of Prayer a natural man under some troubles may delight in Gods comforting and easing presence but not in his sanctifying presence He may delight to pray to God as a storehouse to supply his wants but not as a refiners fire to purge away his dross Prayer as Praise is a melody to God in the heart Eph. 5.19 And the Soul loves to be fingering the instrument and touching the strings 5. A delight in the things askt This heavenly chearfulness is most in heavenly things What delight others have in asking worldly goods that a gracious heart hath in begging the light of Gods countenance That soul cannot be dull in prayer that seriously considers he prays for no less than heaven and happiness no less than the glory of the great God A gracious man is never weary of spiritual things as men are never weary of the Sun but though it is enjoyed every day yet long for the rising of it again From this delight in the matter of prayer it is that the Saints have redoubled and repeated their Petitions and often double the Amen at the end of Prayer to manifest the great affections to those things they have askt The Soul loves to think of those things the heart is set upon and frequent thoughts express a delight 6. A delight in those graces and affections which are Exercised in Prayer A gracious heart is most delighted with that prayer wherein grace hath been more stirring and gracious affections have been boyling over The Soul desires not only to speak to God but to make melody to God the heart is the instrument but graces are the strings and prayer the touching them and therefore he is more displeased with the flagging of his graces than with missing an answer There may be a delight in gifts in a mans own gifts in the gifts of another in the pomp and varnish of devotion But a delight in exercising spiritual graces is an ingredient in this true delight The Pharisees are markt by Christ to make long prayers vaunting in an outward bravery of words as if they were playing the Courtiers with God and complementing him But the Publican had a short prayer but more grace Lord be merciful to me a sinner There is relyance and humility A gracious heart labours to bring flaming affections and if he cannot bring flaming grace he will bring smoaking grace he desires the preparation of his heart as well as the answer of his prayer Psalm 10.17 2. Whence this delight springs 1. From the Spirit of God Not a spark of fire upon our own hearth that is able to kindle this Spiritual delight 'T is the holy Ghost that breaths such an heavenly heat into our affections The Spirit is the fire that kindles the Soul the spring that moves the watch the wind that drives the ship The swiftest ship with spread sails will be but sluggish in its motion unless the wind fills its sails without this Spirit we are but in a weak and sickly condition our breath but short a heavy and troublesome Asthma is upon us Psal 138.3 When I cryed unto thee thou didst strengthen me with strength in my Soul As prayer is the work of the Spirit in the heart so doth delight in prayer owe itself to the same author God will make them joyful in his house of prayer Isa 56.7 2. From grace The Spirit kindles but gives us the Oyl of grace to make the lamp burn clear There must not only be wind to drive but sails to catch it a prayer without grace is a a prayer without wings There must be grace to begin it A dead man cannot rejoice in his Land Money or Food he cannot act and therefore cannot be chearful in action Chearfulness supposeth life dead men cannot perform a duty Psal 115.17 the dead praise not the Lord nor dead souls a chearful duty There must not only be grace infused but grace actuated No man in a sleep or swoon can rejoice There must not only be a living principle but a lively operation If the sap lurk only in the root the branches can bring forth no fruit our best prayers without the sap of grace diffusing itself will be but as withered branches Grace actuated puts heat into performances without which they are but benum'd and frozen * Reynolds Rusty grace as a rusty Key will not unlock will not enlarge the heart There must be grace to maintain it There is not only need of fire to kindle the lamp but of Oyl to preserve the flame natural men may have their affections kindled in a way of common working but they will presently faint and dye as the flame of cotton will dimm and vanish if there be no Oyl to nourish it There is a temporary joy in hearing the word
sensual hinder knowledge stiffle conviction Page 464. 599. Philosophy never wrought such changes as the Gospel Page 235. Power remaining in natural men what a Page 175. ad 180. to be used by them Page 203 4. Vid. Impotence Power of God seen in Regeneration Page 215. manifested in Christ Page 344. 512. known by the Creatures Page 479. disparaged by unbelief Page 620. engaged to preserve Saints from Apostacy Page 1326. 1352. given Christ for Believers Page 1332. Vid. Fulness of Christ seen in the ruine of the Churches Enemies Page 47 †in pardon Page 105 †Praise a duty in heaven Page 40. discouraged by the Patrons of free-will Page 160 199. for grace received the way to have more Page 1322. Prayer a means of the new-birth Page 62. 136. 204. a renewed man can't neglect Page 121. discouraged by the Patrons of free-will Page 160. 199 natural men can perform Page 184 5. what pleas to be used in it Page 229. 270. 304 5. 385. always should attend the Word Page 239. omissions of it unworthy Page 354. 1149. adoption a ground of confidence in it Page 384. must not be chilld by assurance of having what we want Page 384. the glory of God must be chiefly minded in it Page 384. a means of Divine knowledge Page 466 7 8. neglecters or formal performers of it are unbelievers Page 726. thoughts of Christ's exaltation would encourage in it Page 1107. of Christ in the Garden and on the Cross Page 879. 1131 2. Christ's Intercession a comfort in it Page 1152. a means of perseverance Page 1373. a means to suppress bad thoughts Page 17 †for the Church hath excellent grounds Page 37 †excited by delays of deliverance Page 48 †should be frequent in a time of trouble Page 55 †delight in it Vid. Delight Preaching Eloquent not most successful Page 200. Christ's why not more successful Page 210. 232. 718. how it ought to be Page 238. 834 5. Predictions of Christ's Death a Page 944. ad 947. Preparation want of it makes a Man an unworthy receiver Page 818. Preparations to Grace a Page 148. ad 156. from the Spirit Page 569. Pride natural to fallen man Page 198. the Devils sin Vid. Devil a hindrance of conversion and knowledge Page 216. 466. oft in professors Page 666. the spring of the Churches calamity ibid. thoughts of God's soveraignty will check it Page 667. of reason the cause of unbelief Page 733. 4 5. appears in humbled ones Page 735 6. of the Churches Enemies the time of their ruine Page 45 †Priesthood of Christ required his Death Page 861 2 3. 942. and Exaltation Page 1084 5 6. intercession a part of it Page 1117. perpetual Page 1134. secures the Church and every Believer Page 34 †1354. Principles actions are according to them Page 21 2. a change of them in Regeneration Page 78 9. a vital one infused in it Page 84 5. Priviledges only don 't intitle to Gods favour or Heaven Page 30. 48. relyance on them a cause of unbelief Page 736 7. Profane ones far enough from Regeneration Page 105. are unbelievers Page 723. Profession not sufficient to salvation Page 47. is not Faith Page 798. Professors little evidence of Regeneration among them Page 105 6. oft overborn with Pride and Passion Page 798. many of them unbelievers Page 7â—2 disobedient are inexcusable Page 1218. Promises God vindicated in making them notwithstanding man's impotence Page 190. ad 194. made by God to Christ a Page 277. ad 281. 1077 8. to be pleaded by Christ Page 277. unbelief would frustrate them Page 615. pride hinders humbled ones from taking hold of them Page 735 6. can 't be delivered without Faith in Christ Page 118â— frustrated if the Saints Apostacy be possible Page 1351. of God to his Church to be studyed Page 54 †meditation on them causes delight in Prayer Page 63 †Prophesie its great end Page 261. fulfilling them prove Christ sent from God Page 656 7. Vid. Predictions Prophetical Office of Christ to be submitted to gain divine knowledge Page 519. Christ fitted for Page 671. required his Death and Exaltation Page 943. 1082 3. 4. secures Believers and the Church Page 1354. 23 †Prosperity no argument of God's love or pardon Page 1283. 114 †of the Churches Enemies before their ruine Page 45 †Punishments why Eternal Page 313. afflictions of Believers whether they are so Page 1196. 78 9. †God and Christ intended not in this Life to remove them Page 79 80 †the curse of them taken away from a Believer Page 80 †103 †their nature alter'd as to them Page 80 †prejudice not their Salvation Page 81. why continued Page 81 2 3 †103 †forbearance of it no argument of pardon Page 114 †Purgatory groundless Page 1202 3. Purity of heart a means of divine knowledge Page 471 2. Q. QVickning the regenerate need Page 174. to be sought of God Page 224. R. REacting sin how hainous Page 5 †8 †Reason would perswade to seek Regeneration Page 134. insufficient without Revelation Page 513 4. to submit to it Page 515. can 't convince of Unbelief Page 602 3 pride of it an enemy to Faith and cause of unbelief Page 715 734. Reconciliation twofold Page 241 2. of men to God how to be understood Page 243 4. the foundation of Regeneration Page 245. the Father the authour of it Page 245. 258. ad 262. what it implies Page 246 7. actual not before Faith nor from Eternity Page 249 250. by Christ necessary Page 250 1. none but the Father could be the author of it a Page 251 ad 258. the agency of the Father in Christ in it a Page 262 ad 338. by Christ only Page 355. with God comfortable a Page 363 ad 372. motives to accept it a Page 372 ad 376 the duties consequent on it Page 377. ad 380. daily to be sought of God in Christ Page 379. more difficult than Creation Page 646. to be valued Page 952. Redemption Vid. Reconciliation Reformation outward alone not sufficient Page 46 662. whence it springs Page 46 1317. Vid. Morality Reformations the word the only rule of them Page 747 1294. Regeneration its necessity explained a Page 9. ad 19. proved a Page 19 ad 44. a 45 ad 49. 134. ignorance of it to be lamented Page 44 5. misery of those that want it Page 49 50 51. comfort to those that have it Page 51 2. a 112 ad 118. 1356 7. 225. evidences of it to be cleared up why and how Page 52 3 4. to be sought of God Page 54 5. 228 132 3 4. 218. to be sought presently and why a Page 57. ad 62. how obtained Page 62 3 4. 229 135 6. 203 4. 238 9 40. difficult to describe it Page 69. 217. its difference from conversion justification adoption and sanctification Page 70. 1 2. described Page 70. what it is not Page 68. a 72. ad 75. a 106. ad 110. 't is a change and