meditation and particular application and I hope and my hearts desire is that through the Grace of God some word or other may leave such deep impressions upon your heart both for instruction and consolation as that you may be better for them all your days Sect. 15. Duty 2. Be much in heartstudying 2. Be much conversant in the studying of your own heart It 's very needful to be well acquainted at home For this self-acquaintance and knowledg of a mans own heart is a very necessary knowledge and a profitable acquaintance This is a great business and an useful imployment for every one to busie himself in searching of his own heart and he that is thus imployed and makes it his business to know and understand himself will know more evil by himself than all the world can tell him of I have read of Heraclitus a weeping Philosopher who being askt what he studied he answered To know himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And it was the saying of one of the wise men of Greece Know thy self And this knowledg we shall never attain unto unless we study our own hearts This was the resolution of the Church though at that time under hatches Let us search and try Jer. 3. 40. our ways and turn again to the Lord. First there must be searching and trying and then follows a turning to God And in this turning there are two terms one is from what we Terminus à quo terminus ad quem turn and this is from sin and the other is to whom we should turn and this is to God The heart is exceeding filthy and defiled and therefore frequent washings and cleansings are required So runs the word of command O Jerusalem wash thy heart Jer. 4. 14 from wickedness that thou maist be saved How long shall thy vain thoughts lodg within thee In the Levitical Law when a beast was slain for sacrifice there was a special command for the washing of the inwards and the legs Lev. 1. 9. These washings were typical and put us in remembrance of washing of our hearts and lives For both inward and outward pollution ought to be avoided and we ought to cleanse our selves from both For 2 Cor. 7. 1. saith the Apostle having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God And both outward and inward purity ought to be endeavoured after It 's the Apostles command Let us draw near Heb. 10. 22. with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed wiâ—h pure water Now let the heart be washt first then the conversation will be purified The heart may be compared to a fountain if that be pure the conversation as so many streams flowing from that fountain will be pure The more we search our hearts the more pollution we shall find in them We shall find them to be a cage of unclean birds and a cinque of all manner of impurity Wherefore above all keepings we ought to keep our hearts for so saith the Wiseman Keep thy heart with all diligence for Prov. 4. 23. out of it are the issues of life Let it be therefore your greatest care and endeavour to approve your heart unto God in sincerity and in truth Sincerity is that which constitutes a Christian and distinguisheth a child of God from an hypocrite Look then especially to the inclination vergency frame and propension of your heart whether it tend directly towards God or obliquely toward the world The difference upon Scripture-record is very great between Asa and Amaziah although neither one nor other were without their failings Asa fail'd in several things yet the root of the matter was in him for his heart was upright toward God so it 's evidenced in the Scripture Nevertheless the heart of 2 Chron. 15. 17. Asa was perfect all his days As for Amaziah though he went a great way yet he came far short of the main thing requir'd for this brand of infamy is left upon record And he did that which was right in 2. Chron. 25. 2. the sight of â—â—â— Lord but not with a perfect heart It 's the common lot of Gods dearest children to have Infirmities yet notwithstanding they can take comfort in the integrity of their hearts So the Spouse confest I sleep but my heart waketh Cant. 5. 2. The sleeping of the Spouse imply'd that she had her Infirmities but her heart waking declar'd her sincerity Sect. 16. Duty 3. Be frequent and fervent in secret prayer Prov. 18. 1. 3. Be frequent and fervent in secret prayer Though separation from the Assemblies of Saints is unwarrantable yet there is a warrantable separation of which the Wiseman makes mention Through desire a man having separated himself seeketh and intermedleth with all wisdom There is a time for retiredness into our Closets of this our Saviour speaks But thou when thou prayest Mat. 6. 6. enter into thy closet and when thou hast shut thy door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly For this retirement God Isa 26. 20. calls upon his people Come my people enter thou into thy chambers and shut thy doors about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment until the indignation be over-past Wherefore in your short recesses and retirements which you must take frequently pour out your heart unto God and when you are remotest from company and from the hearing of men then be more earnest in wrestling with God in prayer and supplication Sometimes you may find a listlesness and indisposedness upon your spirit and by reason of such dulness and deadness you may be afraid of venturing upon any holy duty yet you must take heed of neglecting any duty For dulness deadness and indisposedness of spirit are no warrants to neglect any duty but you ought the rather to be more sollicitous unto the throne of Grace for quickning-vertue that God would raise and dispose your heart for his service Although at some time you may be so straitned in your spirit as you may not be able to utter a word yet you may sigh and mourn and groan and breathe after God and these sighings breathings groanings and mournings are all known to God and as for the compunctions of the heart God takes notice of them all We read that the Lord said unto Moses Why cryest thou unto me The Exod. 14. 15. time that Moses thus cryed was when Pharoah and his host pursued the Children of Israel A potent furious Enemy was behind them and the Red-sea before them and whether they went forward or backward their danger was exceeding great either to be drown'd in the Water or slain with the Sword of the Enemy It 's worth our observation that there is no particular word
working prayer a heart-prayer inditâ—d by the Spirit of God Go 〈◊〉 to God in the name of Christ and be an importunate beggar at your Fathers dore Resolve not to be driven from your Fâ—thers dore nor to take any repulse Though God seems not to hear you must cry the louder though he forbears to open you must knock the harder It was an hâ—roiâ—al resolution of Queen Hester in a good cause I also and my maidens will fast likewise and so will go in unto the King which is not according to the law and if I perish I perish Resolve through the strength of God to go on in your duty and if you perish you will perish in the arms of Christ And in his arms there 's security Resolve I will go on in Prayer though I meet with many repulses Jacob was a gainer by his wrestlings for notwithstanding his lameness and halting he obtain'd a blessing which made amends It was an excellent resolution of Job Though Job 13. 15 he slay me yet will I trust in him Consider your interest in adoption and this consideration will set the spirit of prayer a working And because Gal. 4. 6. ye are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying Abba Father Go to God as a Child to a Father and cry earnestly for grace and mercy God is a tender and compassionate Father and he will open his bowels and regard the cryes of his Children 5. Always remember that what 5. Prayer must be according to Gods Will. you pray for must be according to Gods will Consider therefore in your most serious and deliberate thoughts whether you pray for lawful things such as God commands you to pray for and promiseth to grant them For there 's no promise of hearing and accepting of any Prayer unless it be according to the Will of God And this saith the 1 Joh. 5. 14. Apostle is the confidence that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us Many things we ask for which would be a judgment if they were granted As for instance we ask for satisfyings of our carnal lusts and sensual appetites or when we ask for satisfaction of our pride malice revenge and inordinate passions and for superfluities and things unnecessary and inconvenient it 's just with God that we should miss and be frustrated of such things which we desire and expect when we ask amiss For saith the Apostle ye Jam. 4 3. ask and receive not because ye ask amiss that you may consume it upon your lusts Our duty is to study the revealed Will of God in the Holy Scriptures and accordingly we must frame our petitions submitting our wills in all things unto the Will of God The matter of our Prayer must be lawful things the manner of our praying must be with faith and fervency and the end must be for the Glory of God and the eternal good of our precious and immortal Souls and the time of answering of our prayers we must wholly refer unto the Will of God for he knows what is better for us than we know for our selves and he will do abundantly for us more than we can ask and think 6. And Lastly You must pray 6. Prayer must be with perseverance with perseverance As it 's your duty to pray so you must hold out and persevere in Prayer Concerning the Hypocrite Job saith Will he delight Job 27. 10 himself in the Almighty will he always call upon God Wherefore be sure that you omit not secret Prayer though you find your heart disordered dull and indisposed yet you must pray that God would set your heart in order and quicken and dispose your heart for his service Notwithstanding that you are perplexed with tumultuous perturbations and fluctuating thoughts and variety of fancies which are a grief and vexation unto your spirit it 's a good sign and character that your heart is right with God when through the Grace of God you continue praying and although at present your desires are not answered yet you have good ground for hope that God intends good to you because he keeps your heart in a praying-frame You must not only pray but continue instant in prayer for so saith the Apostle Continuing instant in prayer The Rom. 12. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thess 5. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 original word implies strength and valour Neither must we pray by fits and starts but we must pray without ceasing i. e. We must readily embrace all opportunities of praying and be in a praying-disposition Sect. 18. 4. Duty Keep close to all Gods Ordinances A fourth particular duty is To. keep close unto all the Ordinances of God As I have insisted in the last particular on the Duty of Prayer which is a choice Ordinance and is both the priviledg and duty of Gods Children so I shall mention other Ordinances which you ought conscientiously to observe Three only I shall instance in not excluding any other Ordinance And they are Hearing of the Word receiving of the Lords supper and the strict observation of the Sabbath 1. You must be swift to hear the 1. Be swift to hear the Word of God Word of God preached You must not content your self with reading of Gods Word in your Closet but you must stir abroad to hear the word faithfully preached this is the arm of the Lord revealed and it Isa 53. 1. Rom. 1. 16 is the power of God unto salvation Attend therefore at the Posts of Wisdoms gate Lie in this way where Christ comes by wait as the impotent creeple did at the Pool of Bethesda multitudes of impotent folk Joh. 5. 4. lay there waiting for the moving of the water for an Angel went down at a certain season into the Pool and troubled the water whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had Neglect not therefore the diligent hearing of faithful Ministers whose endeavours are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to divide the word aright and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to walk rightly From such as are sound in Doctrine and holy in life and conversation absent not your self the word preached and delivered viva voce with warm affections and in the demonstration of the spirit and power mirabiles effectus habet for it 's instrumental to humble the proud heart to soften the hard heart and to level mountains as low as the valleys now every instrumental-cause must be reduced unto its efficient cause It was not Elijah's Mantle that parted the waters of Jordan but the Lord God of Elijah Elisha took up the 2 King 2. 13 14. mantle of Elijah that fâ—ll from him and went back and stood by the bank of Jordan and smote the waters and said where is the Lord God of Elijah So it 's the powerful operation of the Spirit of God which
sinners viz. impenitent and penitent sinners You dare not say after deliberate and composed thoughts upon heart-examination that you would not repent neither that you would not endeavour to repent neither that you do not beg of God grace to repent Your sensibleness of your sins and mourning for them and complaining against your self and your praying with the Apostle to be delivered Rom. 7. 24. from the body of sin plainly evidenceth that you are not an impenitent sinner And only impenitent sinners who live and dye in their sins shall perish for so saith our Saviour Except ye repent ye Luke 13. 3. shall all likewise perish But as for penitent broken-hearted sinners such as are affected with compunction of heart and godly sorrow for sin and are poor in spirit and sensible of their lost and undone condition as in themselves these have a peculiar invitation to come unto Jesus Christ Matt. 9. 13. For saith he * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Eos qui sibi justi videntur quibus opponuntur peccatores i. e. qui suorum peccatoruÌ„ sensu vulnerati ad unam Dei misericordiam confugiunt Bulling in loc I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Comfort your self with the serious meditation of those grounds of comfort before mentioned and make particular application of them to your own soul And now for a close of all I shall be your remembrancer of some select Scriptures suitable to your condition and O! that God would write them in the Tables of your heart which through riches of mercy have been my comfort and support and I hope that through the blessing of God they may be a support and comfort unto you One Scripture is Rom. 8. 5 But Rom. 8. 5. God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us A Second Scripture is Matt. 12. 20 Matt. 12. 20. A bruised reed shall he not break and smoaking flax shall he not quench till he send forth judgment unto victory A Third Scripture is Rom. 3. Rom. 3. 24 25. 24 25 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God A Fourth Scripture is Heb. 7. 25 Heb. 7. 25. Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them A Fifth Scripture with which I 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. shall conclude is 1 Joh. 2. 1 2 If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous And he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world These precious Truths of God ought to be digested by Prayer Meditation and particular Application and they will be through the grace of God as a stay and a staff to your afflicted spirit Remember though you use the means to look above means and beg help of God As the Ancients used to hold the Plough and pray so you must apply your self to the means prescribed in the Word of God and keep close to Gods Ordinances but above all you must beg help from the God of the Ordinances Be conscientious and diligent in the use of the means but look through the means and above the means unto God Persevere in your duty leave the success unto God who in his own time and that 's best can speak comfort to you Thus you see what design I drive at even in prescribing to you such Directions as may be for the setling and quieting of your spirit My hearts desire and prayer to God for you is That God in mercy and love to your Soul and to any other in the like case would imprint these things upon your heart by the effectual operation of his holy Spirit I Remain yours in the service of your Faith H. W. FINIS Books Printed for and are to be sold by Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside ONE hundred of Select Sermons By Tho Horton Sermons on the whole Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians By Mr. J Daille Translated into English by F. S. with Dr. Thomas Goodwin's and Dr. John Owen's Epistles Recommendatory An Exposition of Christs Temptation on Mat. 4. and Peter's Sermon to Cornelius and circumspect walking By Dr. Tho. Taylor A compleat Martyrology with Lives By Sam. Clark Books Quarto The Door of Salvation opened by the Key of Regeneration By George Swinnock M. A. Dr. â—ollins Sermons on the Canticl An Exposition on the six first Chapters of the Revelation By Ch. Phelps The Saints Triumph over the last enemy in a Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. James Janeway By Nat Vincent The vanity of man in his best estate in a discourse on Psal 39. 5. at the Funeral of the Lady Susanna Keate By Richard Kidder M. A. The Morning-Lecture against Popery or the principal errors of the Church of Rome detected and confuted in a Morning-Lecture Preached by several Ministers of the Gospel in or near London Dr. Wilds Letter of Thanks and Poems The Intercourse of Divine Love between Christ and the Church or the particular Believing soul in several Lectures on the whole second Chapter of Canticles By John Collins D. D. Octavo's Reading and Spelling made easie By Tho. Lye Captives bound in Chains made free by Christ their Surety By T. Doolittle Eighteen Sermons preached upon several Texts of Scripture By William Whitaker The Saints care for Church-Communion declared in sundry Sermons preached at St. James Dukes place By Zach. Crofton Cases of Conscience practically resolved By John Norman The godly mans Ark or a City of Refuge in the day of his distress in five Sermons with Mrs. Moors Evidences for Heaven By Edmund Calamy The Almost Christian discovered or 〈◊〉 Professor tried and cast By 〈…〉
should have been a Watchman slept upon his watch a Commander slew him saying I found him dead Mortuum inveni mortutum reliqui Mat. 2 5. 13. Mark 13. 36 37. and left him dead There 's a necessity that you should stand upon your watch Our Saviour frequently presseth this duty of Watchfulness and the Apostle Paul presseth watchfulness Watch ye stand fast in the faith quit you like men be strong And the Apostle Peter lays a special charge Be sober be vigilant because 1 Cor. 16. 13. 1 Pet. 5. 8. your adversary the Devil as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour More particularly watch over your thoughts the thoughts may be compared to Reuben the first-born yet as he was so are thoughts they are unstable as water We must Gen. 49. 3 4. not give any lodging to vain thoughts Though they are apt to croud in upon us yet we must not give any entertainment to nor approbation of them you must likewise watch over your words and labour to reduce Davids resolution into practice I said I will Psal 39. 1. i. e. That I sin not or miss not By a Bridle the untamedness of the tongue is noted which must by force and watchfulness be restrained Ainsw Phil. 1. 27. 1 Thes 2. 12. take heed to my ways that I sin not with my tongue I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me And you must watch over your whole life and conversation and labour to walk as becomes the Gospel and to walk worthy of God 2. Be furnished with spiritual 2. Be furnished with spiritual Armour Armour you had need be well provided and appointed with every piece of that Divine Panoply mentioned by the Apostle And in an especial manner the shield of faith is a defensive weapon to ward off Satans fiery darts for so saith the Apostle Above all taking the shield of faith Eph. 6. 16. wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked And the same Apostle chargeth us to put Eph. 6. 11. on the whole armour of God that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil Faith is a principal piece of this spiritual Armour and if we be stedfast in the faith we take a ready course to resist him Whom resist stedfast 1 Pet. 5. 9. in the faith knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world Themistocles when a Battel was lost askt Whether his Buckler was safe Faith is both a Shield and a Buckler for defence Amidst variety of losses if we keep Faith for our Shield and Bucklar there 's strong encouragement left notwithstanding other losses 3. Another Preparative against 3. Resist the first onset and assault of Satan Satans Temptations is to be careful to resist the first onset and assault of Satan We say in Proverbs Nip bad fruit in the very bud and crush the cockatrice in the egg And Physicians Obsta Principiis say Resist beginnings In an especial manner let 's resist this old Serpent Satan in his first attempts As a Serpent if he can get in his head he will soon wind in his whole body so Satan if he be admitted at the first and be not repulsed in his first motions he will proceed more and more to do greater mischiefs Wherefore when Satan injects wandring vain and unbelieving thoughts resist them presently and hold no compliance with Satan nor carnal reasonings but as the the Apostle 2 Cor. 10. 5. exhorts Casting down * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Intelligit de consilio ratiocinationis humanae non sincerae sed corruptae Musc imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledg of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Sect. 11. 2. Imped 2. A misrepresentation by a false glass A second Impediment to be removed is a misrepresentation of your self by a false glass and so making a judgment upon your self according to your own misrepresentations your own fancies conjectures and imaginations are all as so many false glasses for you to look in You may peradventure think that you have no faith at all because you want feeling whereas feeling is an afterthing In whom saith the Apostle Eph. 1. 13. ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of your Salvation In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise It 's the saying of Reverend Mr. Greenham That we Greenham's Works hold Christ by faith and not by feeling Likewise you may imagine that you have no faith at all because you have not so strong a faith as some other Christians have But you must know that there are good Christians and good Scholars in Christs School who all are not of the same form some may be higher and some may be lower and yet Christ may own them for his Disciples Abraham had a faith hardly to be parallel'd He staggered not at the promise of Rom. c. 20. God through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God He had full assurance of faith But the man in the Gospel partly between saith and doubting crys out Lord I believe Mark 9. 24. help thou mine unbelief Yet this man had a true faith A little piece of Gold may be precious Gold though as to the quantity less than many others But he that hath a little saith if this be true labours for a farther augmentation of it as not satisfied with what he hath attain'd unto Take heed then as on one hand of judging too well so on the other hand of judging too ill of your self Your grand duty is to give up your self to the rule and guidance of the Word of God and to relye and depend on Christ alone Who is the true light which lighteth Joh. 1. 9. every man that cometh into the world No light shines clear and directs aright save that only which is inlightned by the Lamp of the Sanctuary which is the Word of God Sect. 12. Object Object To come nearer to your particular case your complaints are often repeated That you cannot pray and that you hear and read the Word of God and yet you cannot profit and that Exhortations are lost upon you and that your memory cannot retain what you have either heard or read hence you conclude that the Promises belong not to you Answ Answ For answer to these surmises of your misgiving heart I ask you Whether you do not love the duty of Prayer and whether you do not desire the Grace as well as the gift of Prayer And whether it be not the desire of your soul to pour out your heart before the Lord And doth not your soul pant and breathe after God And do not you sigh and mourn for every sin And are not you sorry that you can
be no more sorry for your sins If this be your condition as my hope it is you can pray better than you are aware of For saith the Apostle the Rom. 8. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Onus vicissim attollit ex altera parte ne sub eo fatiscamus Beza spirit helpeth our infirmities The Original word is very Emphatical It follows For we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Herein consists the great duty to be importunate with God for the assistance of his holy Spirit and to apply the promises That God will give Mat. 7. 11. good things to them that ask him And what 's that good thing even the best of all things is promised Your heaven Luk. 11. 13 ly Father shall give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Object Object And whereas you complain of your barrenness and unprofitableness under the means of Grace and of your slippery and failing memory Answ Answ I answer that it 's a good sign to be sensible of your failings and to bewail them It 's a grand Duty incumbent on you to be heedful and vigilant It 's the Apostles caution Therefore we ought to give Heb. 2. 1. the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip or as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Original implys let them run out as leaking vessels do and let out precious liquor as soon as it is poured into them At for your unprofitableness if we all in particular reflect upon our selves all our faces will gather blackness and we have all cause to complain that when we have Luk. 17. 10. done all that we can we are unprofitable servants Wherefore being conscious to our selves of our great unfruitfulness under the means of Grace and notwithstanding fatning Ordinances we have lean souls let 's supplicate Isa 48. 17. unto the Throne of Grace Thus saith the Lord thy Redeemer the holy one of Israel I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit which leadeth thee by the way which thou shouldest go Object And whereas your misgiving heart injects many fears unto you as if none of the Promises appertain'd unto you Answ Answ I answer That it 's more than you know For a poor doubting trembling Christian may have the root of the matter in him and a right to the promises though at present he may want the manifestation of those consolations which the promises afford But do not you judg your self unworthy of eternal life Cast not away the Anchor of your hope let not go your hold on the Promises for they are a stay and a staff for you to support your soul upon when you apprehend your self even in a tottering condition Are you thirsty after Christ Apply your self to the Promises for they are as so many Wells of Salvation Therefore with joy shall Isa 12. 3. ye draw water out of the wells of salvation Do you desire a word of comfort to be spoken to your Soul Make hast to the Promises for they are the breasts of consolation which Isa 66. 11. can satisfie you Sect. 13. A few Questions I propound unto you and after your most serious and composed thoughts I expect your Answer Do not you love God Q. You cannot say but you do A. Then the Promise is your portion And we know that all things work Rom. 8. 28 Qui dicit omnia excipit nihil together for good to them that love God Observe that all things are promised and nothing is excepted Your present troubles of mind though for a time they may be grievous yet in Gods good time shall all work together for your good Do not you hate the ways of sin Q. and love the ways of holiness If so as I have no reason to think A. otherways then you are in a hopeful condition The Psalmist professeth his love to the Law of God and his utter hatred and abhorrency of every false way and especially lays down an evidence of his uprightness by keeping himself from bosom-sins for said he I was also upright Psâ— 18. 23. before him and I kept my self from mine iniquity Another Question I shall only propound to you Do not you love the Q. Children of God You dare not say otherways for those are the company with whom you converse and delight Hence you may evidence that you A. â—oh 13. 35 are a Disciple of Jesus Christ By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another This is an evidence of regeneration to love the Brethren We know saith 1 John 3. 14. the Apostle that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren he that loveth not his brother abideth in death I knew one upon his death-bed who took great comfort in this evidence of loving the Children of God A Third Impediment to be avoided 3. Imped Too much retiredness and respectiveness is too much retiredness and reservedness Do not feed and nourish a melancholly humour by separating your self from the society of such who would gladly administer comfort to you The society of experienced Christians and frequent conference with them may be of great advantage to you for the establishment of your heart by giving seasonable and suitable Answers to those doubts which trouble you One Coal may inkindle another and one Iron may sharpen another and so one Christian may be instrumental both for inkindling and quickning the Graces of Gods Spirit in another I advise you to be very seldom alone during your Troubles and Temptations unless in two special cases As first when God is speaking to you in his Word when you read the Word of God and faithful Writers and Expositors thereof Which read you must labour to digest by Prayer and Meditation and make of all particular application unto your own Soul And secondly When you are speaking to God in Prayer and Supplication then is a fit season to be alone and in your secret recesses to pour out your heart unto the Lord. My further advice unto you in love is That you would beware of idleness and sloth Although I suspect you not nor can accuse you yet in love to your precious soul I cannot but premonish you both to avoid the sin of idleness and the miserable consequences thereof For if the Devil can prevail by his temptations to gain you to idleness and sluggishness and to the neglect of your duties which concern both your general and particular calling then he will get ground of you and lay his Snares and Gins to intrap you and so go away Conqueror That therefore you may prevent the mischievous designs of Satan I counsel you to be industrious in your particular calling and imployment with diligence and care provided that you above all
specified that Moses spake but the crying mention'd there was the cry of the heart which came up to Heaven and the Lord gave a gracious answer unto his cry When none sees you but God and none hears you but God only then be in an especial manner an importunate supplicant and beggar That the Lord in mercy would subdue your corruptions and strengthen you by his grace to mortify sin and quicken you unto holy duties Amidst all the clouds and darkness and gloominess that are incident unto yon be earnest with God that he would smile on you This is that saving real good to be desired principally There be many that say who will Psal 4. 6. 7. shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us Thou that hast put gladness in my heart more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased Likewise you must be informed farther That as you ought to pray so you ought not to use prayer only as a duty commanded but likewise you ought to use Prayer as a means to obtain a blessing Neither should you only desire the gift of Prayer but especially the grace of Prayer The gift of Prayer may be acquired by study memory and strength of parts and a faculty of expressing of your self in fit and proper words it to be much desired but principally you must look after and search your heart whether you have the grace of Prayer This is promised and this should be begg'd of God And Zech. 12. 10. I will pour upon the house of David * Longe excellentius est effundit in nos spiritum gratiae quam gratiam ipsam quia nisi spiritus gratiae penetret in animos nostros instillet nobis sensum gratiae erit inutilisâ— Calv. and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and supplications And where this gracious and praying spirit is there it 's accompanied with godly sorrow for sin for it followeth in the same verse And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first-born Sect. 17. Further That you may so pour out your heart to God in Prayer as you may have a sure ground of hope to obtain acceptance with God I shall prescribe to you as I have the Scripture-warrant these six ensuing qualifications 1. You must pray in humility 1. Pray in humility We are all poor blind miserable and naked even dust and ashes and shall dust and ashes be proud We are all beggars to God and shall beggars be proud It 's a saying that deserves a remark to be set upon it That there is nothing worse than Nihil est superba mendicitate deterius Qui sibi vilis est Deo charus est Bern. proud beggary When we have to deal with God we can never be humble enough And the more vile a man is in his own eyes the more he is esteemed of in the eyes of God When Abraham interceded for Sodom he acknowledged himself but dust and ashes and Jacob acknowledged Gen. 18. 27. Gen. 32. 10. Psal 22. 6. Cum sis kumi limus cur non es humillimus Bern. himself not worthy of the least of the mercies of God And David accounted himself a worm and no man When we lye low and are vile in our own eyes and pray in humility we are the more capable of receiving a blessing 2. You must prefer all your supplications 2. All Prayers must be put up in the name of Jesus Christ Mat. 3. 17. Act. 4. 12. prayers and requests to God the Father in the Name of Jesus Christ For of Christ a voice came from heaven saying this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased There is no other name but the name of Jesus for salvation Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven whereby we must be saved The promise which Christ made unto his Disciples is And whatsoever Joh. 14. 13. you shall ask in my name that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the son Luther makes mention of Non solum periculosuÌ„ est sed horribile de Deo extra Christum Cogitare Luth. Loc. Com. 3. Prayer must be made in Faith Matt. 21. 22. the danger and horror of thinking of God without Christ For God without Christ is a consuming fire but with Christ he is a gracious and merciful Father 3. You must pray in faith To such who pray in faith the promise belongs and only to them And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believing ye shall receive There is no coming unto God the Father without Christ for he is the only Mediator neither is there any coming unto Christ without Faith For saith the Apostle without faith Heb. 11. 6. it is impossible to please God It 's storied of the Persians that when they had offended their King they brought his Son in their arms and so obtained favour we have all offended God and we must present Christ unto the Father in the arms of faith and by him we shall obtain acceptance and remission of all our sins 4. You must add fervency to the 4. Prayer must be made with fervency Gen. 32. 24. Filius Dei luctator fuit v. 25. v. 26. frequency of your Prayers This fervency the Scripture represents by wrestling for of Jacob we read And there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day And though the hollow of Jacobs Thigh was out of joynt yet he continued wrestling with the Angel The Angel said Let me go for the day breaks And he said unto him I will not let thee go except thou bless me Whether Jacobs wrestling was a corporal or a spiritual wrestling only I shall not peremptorily determine For the latter the Scripture is express And though this may be eminenter in a more eminent manner yet non exclusive not excluding a corporal wrestling Read what the Prophet Hoseah saith Yea he had power over Hos 12. 4. the Angel and prevail'd he wept and made supplication unto him This servent Prayer is as it were a besieging and storming of Heaven and taking it by violence And from the Matt. 11. 12. days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force And this holy violence and importunity in Prayer is acceptable unto God What 's that Prayer which avails much It 's an effectual servent Prayer For so â—ith the Apostle The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous Jam. 5. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quasi dioas deluosam i. e. ardentem assiduam oppoâ—i puvanâ— perfuâ—â—oriae Bâ—zâ— Esthâ—â—â— 16. man availeth much This is aâ— the word imports an inwrought an inward
Isa 26. 16. they visited thee they poured out a prayer when thy chastâ—ing was upon them Go on then O Christian and persevere in thy duty in frequent and fervent prayer though at present God who knows all and hears all seems not to hear yet be thou more earnest in Prayer and cry the louder and though God forbears to open yet thou must knock the harder If when God knocks thou readily opens the door of thy heart Christ himself will be thy guest and he is the best of all and thou shalt be his guest both active and passive For so saith the Angel of the Church of Laodicea Behold I stand at the door Rev. 3. 20. and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me David makes mention of the Generation Psal 24. 6 7. of them that seek the face of God And what 's their great Duty and Priviledg is specified Lift up your heads O ye gates and he ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in This as a learned Author observes Ainsworth in loc may be refer'd to Christian men which are the true Temple of God 1 Cor. 3. 17. at the door of whose heart Christ knocketh to have entrance and by the King of glory or glorious King is meant Christ who is call'd the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2. 8. 3. Notwithstanding Desertions be 3. Keep fast your hold sure that you keep your hold fast and the anchor of your hope firm and stedfast Though God hides his face from you yet you must cleave fast to him and depend wholly upon him as your God and comforter for so the Church confesseth Verily Isa 45. 15. thou art a God that hidest thy self O God of Israel the saviour I was inform'd by a worthy Son of * Mr. Dod who wrote on the Commandments an eminently worthy father that one in great distress came to him and told him of his great perplexities and desertion saying that there was none like unto him and that he thought never was any one in such a forlorn and miserable condition as himself for by reason of his desertions he concluded that he had no evidence at all for his salvation To whom Mr. Dod that good old Disciple and Servant of Jesus Christ answered thus What think you of Jesus Christ For of him these dying words are recorded My God my God why hast Matt. 27. 47. thou forsaken me And yet notwithstanding that desertion there was a plain evidence by his appropriating God unto himself when he said My God my God Sometimes there may be a faith of recumbence though faith of evidence may be wanting Both sorts of faith are worth the labouring for though in the absence of the one the presence of the other may be a strong ground of supportation and consolation It 's storyed of Synagirus by an ancient Historian Instar rabidae ferae mortu navem detinuit Just Hist that when he was cast over Ship-board he held one part of the Ship with both his hands the enemy cut off one hand yet he held by the other presently that hand was cut off and then he held the Ship by his Teeth Let this Story be thus applied That we should never let go our hold and dependance upon God but whatever our troubles be though never so numerous yet let us resolve with that holy man Job Though he slay me yet will I trust Job 13. 15. in him but I will maintain mine own ways before him 4. Act Faith on Promises For the 4. Act Faith on Promises Promises are the stay and support of your soul God's Promises are his Bond and though men on earth will not take it well to be sued upon their Bonds yet God will take it well and he likes us the better for suing him upon his Bond. God speaks comfort to his people in his promises and not one tittle of the word of God shall fail God hath said it and therefore we must believe it Say to the righteous it shall be Isa 3. 10. well with him for they shall eat the fruit of their doings Solomon likewise assures us That though a sinner Eccles 8. 12. do evil an hundred times and his days be prolonged yet surely I know it shall be well with them that fear God which fear before him Hereunto we add that great and weighty promise full of comfort up to the brim But unto Mal. 4. 2. you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings Great things the Lord promiseth to his people Then will I Ezek. 36. 25 26 27. sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgments and do them These are precious Promises and they both have been fulfill'd as many can experimentally acknowledg and they shall be further fulfill'd to the people of God in his appointed time However God expects and requires that his people should make their addresses to the Throne of Grace for though God questionless will perform them and will not in the least be worse than his word yet his children are obliged to make their applications and supplications to God for the performance of them Thus saith the Lord God I will yet Ezek. 36. 37. for this be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them Sect. 23. 5. Ground of Comfort Now in the last place to conclude lest that I should exceed the bounds of an Epistle To what hath been said I 'le add some grounds of comfort which through the Grace of God may serve instead of Restoratives and Cordials to strengthen you And especially have before your eyes and upon your heart the counsel given by Christ unto the Angel of the Church of Sardis Be watchful and Rev. 3. 2. strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die Amongst others which might be mention'd I shall insist only on four principal grounds of comfort which all true Believers should apply unto themselves and stay and relye upon them The first ground of Comfort is 1. Ground of Comfort from the Divine Attributes drawn from the Divine Attributes Consider that you are a poor weak frail and feeble creature yet the Lord God whom you serve is the only omnipotent Lord God and his strength will be perfected in your weakness Your extremity will be Gods opportunity which he will in mercy improve for your succour and consolation It 's the comfort of all Gods children That there is help laid Psal 89. 19. upon one that is mighty You complain that you are subject to variety of changes
your case is not alone An ancient and learned Author â—aith That every created thing is subject to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damasc change Consider that all the changes here below are ordered and disposed of by the wisdom of God and yet they make no change in God for he is unchangeable For I am the Mal. 3. 6. Lord I change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed And the Lord Jesus as he is an all-sufficient Saviour so he is unchangeable Jesus Heb. 13. 8. Christ is the same yesterday to day and the same for ever And the Covenant which God makes with his people doth not change with our changes but is ordered and sure and unchangeable What was a strong ground of consolation to David you should apply in particular to your own soul * Deus obligavit se aeterno faedere ideo non claudetur tenebris Pet. Mart. in loc Although my house be not 2 Sam. 23. 5. so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow You complain that you want Wisdom you must consider that God is a God of Wisdom and blessed are all they that wait on him You are so bewildred and involv'd in many perplexities of spirit as you know not how to extricate your self out of them O! make haste to God and beg Wisdom of him For saith Jam. 1. 5. the Apostle If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him But you complain that you want the sense of the pardon of your sins For answer you may have a pardon though at present you may not apprehend it For there may be a pardon in the Court of the Judg although that pardon for a time when a Christian is in a dark condition be not manifested in the Court of the Conscience Therefore apply these Attributes for your stay support and comfort The Lord the Exod. 34. 6 7. Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Plead these Attributes as your strong-hold and likewise beg of God that not only your sins may be pardoned but that they may be subdued also Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Micah 7. 18. iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy As then you beg mercy to pardon you so you must beg mercy to purge and sanctifie you and as you pray that the guilt and punishment of your sins may be took away so you must pray that the filthiness of them may be took away and what God promiseth you must with a sincere heart pray that it may be perform'd to you in particular Then will I Ezek. 36. 25. sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you Now to be earnest in prayer with God that you may be sanctified as well as pardoned and that your sins may be subdued and conquer'd this is an evident sign of a sincere heart A second ground of comfort is to 2. Ground of Comfort from the divine â—â—omises 2 Pet. 1. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be had in the Divine Promises Of the Promises I shall add somewhat though little by way of supplement to what I mention'd before The Promises are great and precious Promises And all the Promises are in Christ Yea and Amen Gods Promises are not off and on sometimes faster sometimes looser as mens Promises are but they are sure and certain and infallible That I may write what I conceive most proper and suitable for your condition I 'le lay down this Distinction There are two sorts of Promises viz. promises to Grace and promises of Grace 1. For Promises to Grace one is 1. Promises to Grace Joh. 3. 16. Joh. 6. 35. Whosoever believeth on him shall not perish but shall have everlasting life Another is He that cometh to me shall never hunger he that believeth in me shall never thirst A third promise is All that the Father giveth me Vers 37. shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out A fourth Promise is He that hath my Joh. 14. 2â— commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Q. But it 's probable that you Q. will say That you question whether you have faith in God and love to God I answer Is it not the sincere desire A. and endeavour of your soul to love Christ and to believe in his name And are not you grieved for want of faith and love If so then Secondly I will add for your comfort 2. Promises of Grace that as I shewed before as there are Promises to Grace so there are Promises of Grace i. e. what God requireth of you however you come short of your duty he will in mercy give it to you As for instance there is a word of Command Circumcise your selves and take away the foreskins Jer. 4. 3. of your hearts You may be apt to plead the impossibility of your performing of that great thing commanded Therefore apply to your comfort that special good word of promise And the Lord thy God will Deut. 30. 6. circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul that thou maist live Likewise God commands Make you a new heart and a new spirit You will be ready Ezek. 18. 31. to object that it is not in your own power to make your heart new I answer though it be not in your own power neither can you by your own strength change your heart yet you are obliged to confer your utmost endeavours to wash and cleanse your heart for so the command runs O Jer. 4. 14. Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou maist be saved How long shall thy vain thoughts long within thee And your duty is to apply the Promise A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put Ezek. 36. 26 27. within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgments and do them What God commands of us he promiseth to give unto us Sect. 24. 3. Ground of Comfort from many Invitations Isa 55. 1. A third ground of comfort wherewith you may support your self is founded