impression upon his Spirit That though Christ suffered only in his Human Nature and though therefore all his sufferings were but finite yet because the Human Nature was United in one Person to the Divine Nature hence what the Human Nature did suffer though but for a time was of sufficient value to ransome from Eternal death In such a case nothing else could have done it Nothing else can support any Soul in such a condition But this may and this will if believed and wrought upon the heart that the Lord hath laid help upon one that is mighty Psal 89.19 2. Consider Christ in his Offices 1. In his Priestly Office He is a great High-Priest Heb. 4.14 Great both in respect of his Satisfaction and of his Intercession which are the two special parts of his Priestly Office From both which much Spiritual Food for the nourishment of the Soul unto the highest degree of prosperity it is capable of may be received 1. From the satisfaction he hath made to the justice of God for all the wrong that sin hath done him by the sacrifice which he offered which was Himself unto death With this God was well pleased Eph. 5.2 And for this he shall see the Souls of all his Seed to prosper Isa 53.10 Hereby his flesh became meat indeed and his blood drink indeed This clearly manifests that Christ is such an object for Faith to rest upon as we may safely adventure our Eternal state upon For let any Man conceive himself in as sad a condition as the fears of an awakened Conscience can suggest Suppose he sees the guilt of all his sins before him with all their aggravating circumstances and apprehends God coming out against him to require satisfaction to his justice for them all This is a dreadful sight but in the midst of all the heighth and depth of that terrour which this may impress upon his Spirit if God give in a sight of Christ as the great High-Priest as he made his Soul an Offering for sin this is enough to draw forth an hearty act of dependence upon him as able to save to the uttermost This supported David when he was in great depths that he had a sight of him that in the Lord was plenteous Redemption Psal 30.1 2. with vers 6 7. This was the relief of the hunger-bitten Prodigal That in his Father's house was bread enough Luk. 15.17 And it was the speech of a gracious Woman of whom I have heard not long since that upon her Death-bed being under great uncertainties as to her Eternal condition Did not ye tell me said she to those that stood by her that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sins And with that her Spirit Revived and she slept sweetly in the Lord. This indeed may well satisfie Conscience for it satisfies God himself yea so far satisfie Conscience as to go boldly to the Throne of Grace for what grace or mercy soever is necessary for the life and health well-fare and prosperity of the Soul Heb. 4.16 Let us therefore come boldly to the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need 2. As from Christs satisfaction which he made to the justice of God whilst he was upon Earth so from the other act of his Priestly Office his Intercession which he makes in Heaven for sinners much Spiritual Food for the nourishment of our Souls may be had What should hinder the receiving of it but our daily repeated failings and often renewed infirmities But against the guilt of these Christ's appearing in Heaven for us prevails that even when the Law is broken the Covenant is not broken so that what Food for our Souls may be had from the Covenant and there it is all to be had 1 Joh. 2.1 2 If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father even Jesus Christ the righteous And he is the propitiation for our sins His intercession is as effectual as his satisfaction for he intercedes in the merits of his blood Heb. 12.24 The blood of Christ speaketh 2. To shew further That all in Christ is for the food and nourishment of the Soul much yea very much may be said of that which his Kingly Office affords and likewise his Prophetical Office For his Kingly Office he hath an absolute Soveraignty over all both Men and Devils Eph. 1.21 22. Far above all Principalities and Powers c. He hath all things under his feet He is head over all things to his Church Understand it of the Invisible Church especially which is his Mystical Body whereof he is the head Eph. 5.23 For the Husband is the head of the Wife even as Christ is the head of the Church And he is the Saviour of the Body This is full of Spiritual Food I will instance only in three things by which the prosperity of the Soul is exceedingly farthered 1. As he hath power over Satan This affords great relief to a conflicting Soul that he both can and will break the Serpents head and tread him under foot Rom. 16.20 That in Manlius is memorable to this purpose Satan as he tells the story appeared to a godly Man that was sick in the habit of a Priest with Pen Ink and Paper in his hands and told him that he must confess all his Sins to him he would write them down and then he would absolve him The Sick Man was stricken with fear and no marvel but recollecting himself and perceiving who he was If thou wilt write saith he write this first The seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head and with that the Devil vanished 2. As he hath Soveraignty over the Heart He can take away the heart of stone and give an heart of flesh Ezek. 36.26 A great relief this when the Soul is mourning over the hardness of his heart to remember that Christ is exalted to be a Prince to give Repentance Act. 5.31 3. As he hath the Keys of Hell and Death Rev. 1.18 A great relief to a troubled Soul that is under the fear first of Death and then of dropping into Hell when he is dead Those that have obeyed the call and are still obeying the call of Christ they shall none of them dye till it be better for them to dye then to live for death is theirs 1 Cor. 3.22 And for dropping into Hell Christ hath secured them against that Joh. 6.39 40. Every one that believeth on him shall have Everlasting life and Christ will raise him up at the last day 3. The Prophetical Office of Christ is likewise a fruitful food-bearing Office He is engaged by Office to make all his Seed wise unto Salvation Isa 54.13 All thy Children shall be taught of God And he is faithful who hath promised it 1 Joh. 2.27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any Man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and
to his Chamber because he believes that he doth it out of love and care for his health And surely those Souls who when they are under the lash of Divine Rods and are tossed with storms and tempests perhaps more then any they know of can thus exercise their faith and find satisfaction in the promises of God so as to rejoice in tribulation in hope of a good issue surely they are prosperous Souls Thus the Soul of Habakkuk prospered when he exemplified his own Doctrine That the just should live by faith in the time of the Invasion of the Babylonians by his own practice Hab. 3.17 18 Although the Fig-tree shall not blossom c. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation It is observable what I have read to this purpose Magdeburg Cent. 5. cap. 10. that when Attila King of the Huns came into France Lupus Bishop of Troges met him and asked him who he was that made such spoil and devastations in the World He answered Dei se esse flagellum That he was the scourge of God whereupon he commanded the City-Gates to be set open unto him and welcomed him with these words Faustè ingrediatur flagellum Dei Whilst the Rod is in Gods hand there is no danger If this were so as it related by good Authors the Mans heart was in a good frame his faith was above his fears This is the third Particular 4. The Soul prospers when grace is so exercised that it grows more and more clear in point of Covenant-interest Observe here these two things 1. When it grows into such a well-grounded hope and comfortable apprehension thereof as ordinarily it prevails over fears and doubts though it doth not wholly silence them nor free the Soul from them This is that which the Apostle calls The joy of Faith Phil. 1.25 Arising from the solid satisfaction which the heart receives by a firm adhering to Christ in whom all fullness dwells for perfecting the work of Redemption and Salvation who is a faithful and merciful High Priest and able to save to the uttermost all those that come to God by him This is surely Soul prosperity 2. Much more when the joy of faith grows into the joy of spiritual Sense which is called Full joy Joh. 16.24 Ask and ye shall receive that you joy may be full 1 Joh. 1.4 These things write we unto you that your joy may be full When the love of God is shed abroad in the heart as Rom. 5.5 When the spirit doth tell us a thing in the Ear as the expression is 1 Sam. 9.15 It is said there The Lord told Samuel in his Ear. that we are sealed to the day of Redemption witnessing unto us our Adoption so as the Soul knows it is no delusion but the very voice of the Spirit of God as Abraham knew that it was God himself that spake to him and commanded him to go and sacrifice his Son and no temptation from Satan so as the Soul can say as Psal 116.7 Return to thy rest O my Soul the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Now I see the invisible God is my God All the Greatness and Goodness all the Truth and Faithfulness all the Power and Wisdom yea all the Holyness and Justice of the Eternal and Ever-living God are the things which are the portion of my Soul Now I see that all the Eternal counsels of God wrought from all Eternity to make me Eternally happy Now I know that Jesus Christ came from the bosom of the Father for me and my Salvation That my sins are put upon his account and his righteousness is put upon my account Now I know my place where I shall stand in the great day of the Lord even at the right hand of my Saviour and hear that joyful sentence Matth. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father This is in some sense I think the uttermost hight of the Souls prosperity For when ever the Soul is thus high in point of Comfort it is as high in point of Holiness Whilst this continues the Soul can do and suffer any thing for God which he calls unto As the believing Hebrews whilst they knew their interest in the enduring substance Heb. 10.34 Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your Goods knowing in your selves that ye have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance The heart being thus enlarged it goes not a foot-pace but runs the way of Gods Commandments Psal 119.32 I will run the way of thy Commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart That which we have Ephes 3.17 18 19. is clear to this purpose The Apostle prays on their behalf that they might know the breadth and length and depth and highth of the love of God And why did he pray so It was that they might be filled with all the fullness of God according to the uttermost measure attainable in this life and in full and absolute perfection in the life to come Thus I have given you all that I shall say concerning those things which particularly demonstrate the truth and reality of the Souls prosperity Only I desire to leave these two things with you in the conclusion to prevent mistakes 1. That none ought to argue against themselves that their Souls do not prosper because as yet they come short it may be at sometimes altogether short of what hath been laid down in this fifth and last particular They are seldom so clear in point of their Covenant interest as to feel the joy of Faith much less the joy of Sense To endeavour to be clear in this matter is every ones duty 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure To attain it is part of our Reward But when it is not attained yet the Soul may be thriving and prospering for all that Moses his face did shine and he did not know it Exod. 34.19 This was at his second being with God in the Mount We read of no such thing at the first time We may see by this that God doth not communicate himself in the same measure at all times alike to any of his Servants It hath been so of old and is so now Many partake much of the quickening presence of God when they have but little or none at all of the comforting presence of God Isa 50.10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his Servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light c. Hence it is that they oftentimes as sadly complain as Zion did but all without cause Isa 49.14 But Zion said the Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me q. d. I am cast out of his love not only forsaken but forgotten when it was neither so nor so as ye see vers 15 Can a Woman forsake her sucking Child c. They may forget yet will I not forget thee 2. Though all that hath been hitherto said
to Eternal Life But this the Law cannot do by reason of Man's weakness being utterly unable to fulfil it so that it is become a killing Letter the ministration of death and condemnation 2 Cor. 3.6 7. Now Jesus Christ by his obedience hath brought about this perfection of the Law perfectly fulfilling the Righteousness which the Law required for love is the fulfilling of the Law Now Jesus Christ loved the Lord with all his heart and with all his might and his neighbour as himself He failed not in the least of what was due either to the one or the other This he did and none but he could do it For though one sinful act in thought in word or deed did break the Law yet it is not fulfilled but by perfect conformity unto it and such a conformity there was in the obedience of Christ Joh. 8.29 I do always those things that please him This is the first Particular The Materials whereof this garment of Righteousness is made with which if the Soul be not clothed it cannot prosper as we shall see by and by 2. The Soul that is not clothed with this Righteousness cannot while it remains so possibly ever be in a capacity of prospering For sin hath made such a dreadful breach between God and Sinners that he stands upon this That though he will have mercy upon whom he will have mercy the motive is only from the good pleasure of his own Will Eternal Life with all that is antecedent to it and preparative for it is his own gift Yet I say God is absolutely resolved upon this that he will have his Justice satisfied for all the wrong that sin hath done him He hath also magnified his Law and made it honourable Isa 42.21 Therefore he will have all the demands of the Law fully answered and obedience thereunto perfectly fulfilled else no spiritual good shall be given forth to any Soul so as to make it live much less to prosper Isa 59.2 Your iniquities have separated between you and your God Jer. 5.25 your sins have with-holden good things from you Now this is done by Christ's Righteousness alone Therefore it is of absolute necessity that it be put on else the Soul cannot prosper 3. The Garment of Righteousness is put on only by a believing Soul Rom. 3.22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe 1. Upon every believing Soul that being acquainted with the way of God in bringing Sinners into a state of grace and mercy and knowing that God is just and Righteous as well as Merciful knows that he cannot find acceptance with God but he must be righteous Hab. 1.13 Thou art of purer eyes then to behold evil 2. Upon every Soul that knows that every righteousness will not serve the turn but it must be such as the pure eyes of the glorious Majesty of God can see no defect in Gal. 3.11 That no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God it is evident 3. Upon every Soul that knows and bewails the imperfection of his own righteousness and knows he hath reason to do so though he were sure he had as much of all the graces that accompany Salvation as ever Abraham or Isaac or Jacob had If this were all this Soul knows it would not avail him to stand before the Righteous God No his infinite wrath would come upon him for all that and confume him Job 15.14 What is Man that he should be clean or he that is born of a Woman that he should be righteous 1 Sam. 6.20 Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God 4. A Soul that knows all this in some measure and that the Righteousnes is such a Righteousness as God will accept of and so adventures his Eternal state upon the merits thereof resolving however Christ deal with him in his strength to keep fast his hold there and to live and dye adhering unto and depending upon him This Righteousness is upon every such a believing Soul This Faith though it may be more then a believing Soul knows hath put on this righteousness therefore it is called The righteousness of faith Phil. 3.9 The sins of a Believer are put upon Christ's account and Christ's righteousness upon his 2 Cor. 5.21 Faith being the only grace that receives it as being peculiarly fitted for it for no Man was ever accepted as righteous before God for that which he did himself but by receiving that which Christ did for him And Faith is the only receiving grace Love lays out but Faith receives Joh. 1.12 To as many as received him c. 4. The clothing of the Soul with this Righteousness hath a great influence into Soul prosperity For consider 1. This is that Righteousness alone that answers all doubts and fears for want of such a righteousness as might give acceptance with God as to Eternal Life so as to that how vile soever they have judged themselves yet being clothed with it they stand without blame before God Col. 1.22 In the Body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight This alone satisfies Conscience and well it may for it satisfies God himself In this all the Scripture-Saints in all Ages have rested being clothed with it Abraham before the Law Rom. 4. David under the Law Psal 32. And Paul under the Gospel Phil. 3.9 2. This is that garment alone in which there may be access with boldness into the presence of God even at the last day 1 Joh. 2.28 And now little Children abide in him that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming Therefore much more in this day Eph. 3.12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him For this is a Righteousness wherewith we may warrantably say so God is more highly pleased and which of the two finds more acceptance in Heaven then the righteousness of the blessed Angels that never sinned For their's is but the righteousness of a Creature This is the Righteousness of God Jer. 23.6 This is his Name whereby he shall be called The Lord our Righteousness 3. This is Everlasting righteousness Dan. 9.24 In this Christ ever hath appeared and ever will appear in Heaven in behalf of all those that come to God by him and remains still of the same Eternal efficacy for the applying and forth-giving of all the price of his Blood all that thereby is purchased for the health well-fare perfect and Eternal prosperity of the Soul 1 Joh. 2.2 And he is the propitiation for our sins c. Now lay all these together and let them be well weighed and it will be granted because it will be found that when once the Soul comes to have any degree of good hope through grace of its interest in it and that it is clothed with it that Soul will experimentally find
manifestation of his love to him till to his daily prayer he added extraordinary prayer with fasting Dan. 9.3 compared with vers 23. And it was so with Cornelius as ye may see Act. 10.39 Thus we see the encouragement is great to take up every duty in its Season Experience tells us that the efficacy of co-ordinate means is in conjunction As for the preservation of bodily health there must be both Food and Raiment and Rest and the use of Physick sometimes as the matter requireth no one of these is sufficient So it is here Let none think his Soul will prosper though he use this or that Duty if any one known to be a Duty be willingly neglected in the season thereof It is the policy of Satan to separate one duty from another that so we may not be uniform in our endeavours Few are so bad as to use no means at all and few are so faithful to God and their own Souls as conscienciously to use All. This half-doing proves many a Souls undoing Therefore as we desire that our Souls should prosper we should as Caleb follow fully after God And in all as Psal 63.8 Follow hard after God As thriving Children do suck and draw hard sometimes at one Breast and sometimes at another 2. As we ought to exercise our selves in them all so we ought to exercise the principles of godliness in them all A few words to this 1. In general thus The principles of godliness ought to be exercised in them all so far as God's gracious ends and purposes in and by them so far as they are revealed to us may be answered and attained I shall instance in these two 1. This God hath revealed as one great end to be carried on in and by them all that this holy and blessed name may be sanctified in them all Lev. 10.3 This is done when the inward frame of our hearts is such when we address our selves unto God as that God himself may thereby see that we believe him to be a great God a gracious God a God in all respects infinitely glorious This is due unto him Psal 89.7 God is greatly to be feared in the Assembly of the Saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him And this David resolves upon Psal 5.7 But as for me I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy Temple So far as our hearts attain this temper so far we answer God's end This is to serve him acceptably Heb. 12.28 2. This likewise God hath revealed as his intent and purpose that thereby he may communicate unto the people of his choice those spiritual gifts and graces whereby they may be enabled to that work he hath appointed them and be prepared for that happiness he hath promised them Exod. 20.24 In all places where I record my Name I will come unto thee and I will bless thee Psal 133.3 For there the Lord commanded the blessing and life for ever-more The attainment of this end should be so deeply engraven upon our hearts that as the Bee moves from one flower to another to gather materials for Honey So should we from one Duty to another for supplies of grace suitable to our present necessities This was David's end Psal 63.1 2 3 O God thou art my God early will I seek thee c. For this end principles of godliness should be exercised to attain the fore-mentioned end And if so we are so much the more likely to attain this end the more grace we bring in exercise to a duty the more grace we are like to receive in and by that duty Matth. 25.29 Vnto every one that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance Thus in general 2. As we desire our Souls should prosper principles of grace should be exercised in all the fore-mentioned duties I will instance only in one and that is the duty of Prayer both because that is and ought to be our every days work We ought in every thing both great and small to make known our requests to God believing his universal Providence that as there is nothing so great that is above his Power so there is nothing so little that is below his Care This we are injoined Phil. 4.6 Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God And also because the better this duty is performed the better all other duties will be performed It hath an influence upon them all and is often put for the whole worship of God Rom. 10.12 13 Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved And besides all the Providences of the day are sanctified by it 1 Tim. 4.5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and Prayer But then we must know this that if we desire prayer may be a sanctifying duty to us our hearts must be sanctified for it and grace must be exercised in it I shall not mention now what graces must be exercised but only in general so that the heart may be wrought off from all evil frames and composed and fixed the inward thought thereof gathered in and the affections raised so as feelingly and awfully believingly fervently and sincerely we may powre out our desires unto God and be able to say as Lam. 2.18 Their heart cryed unto the Lord. And Psal 119.145 I cryed with my whole heart hear me O Lord. This is one thing intended in that expression of Praying in the spirit Eph. 6.18 The spirit of a Man is an active thing and whatever it doth good or bad it doth to purpose Such gracious workings of the Soul in prayer are the very Soul of prayer and then the Soul prospers by prayer Jude vers 20 And ye Beloved building up your Souls in your most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost Then are our Souls edified when we thus pray in the exercise of the graces of the Holy Ghost This is all I shall say to the former of the two last things proposed That in order to Soul-prosperity grace ought to be exercised in all the External Duties of Religion I now proceed to the latter As ever we desire our Souls should prosper the principles of godliness ought to be exercised in all other things wherein the visible part of Religion so far as it may be made visible to Men doth consist And here I shall only speak a little to three particulars 1. In all Providences It is seldom or never seen that any of the people of God continue in the same condition as to the things of this World any long time without some alteration more or less God is pleased many times to bestow many good things upon them which he never intended they should always enjoy Psal 102.10 Thou hast lifted me up and cast me down Now as we desire our Souls should prosper principles of godliness should
day to day To set our selves under the actual consideration of God's All-seeing eye who hath absolute Soveraignty over us to whom alone we must stand or fall who can tell us all our thoughts and will render to every Man according to his works and therefore hath a Book of remembrance for those that think upon him and fear his name Mal. 3.16 And hath a bag for iniquity wherein he doth as it were seal up mens sins to bring them forth as Evidences and charge them upon every one as the matter requires And as God is said to have a Book and a Bag so he is said to have a Bottle Psal 56.8 Put my tears into thy bottle are they not in thy book This I say we should charge upon our hearts and renew this charge from day to day till we have some power over them For though it be true that God alone hath the Soveraignty over and is the great disposer of our hearts yet under him we may do much What Man is there whose conscience will not tell him if he consult with it that when his heart is flat and dead alienated from all serious thoughts of the presence of God with him that this is his own neglect his own willful neglect for he knows that when he hath a business to manage of any considerable concernment for his outward estate he can easily command his heart to think on it yea and cannot put it out of his mind when he would so that The abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep Eccl. 5.12 Therefore let us not neglect any longer to exercise that authority which God hath given us over our hearts if we desire our Souls should continue to prosper We must serve him in righteousness and holiness all our days and every day But all we do will come very far short not only of what it ought to be but of what it might be unless we do what we do before him as in his sight Luk. 1.75 Thus of the Second Direction 3. Spiritualize the Providences of every day I mean improve them to some spiritual advantage so as thereby some gracious impressions may be wrought upon your hearts that thereby the duties of the day may be better performed principles of godliness more seasonably exercised and the workings and stirrings of corruption more timely checkt and throughly mortified This will exceedingly help scarce any thing more to preserve the Soul in its thriving and prospering frame Consider then that every day in respect of the Providences of God it is filled up withal is either one of those two days mentioned Eccles 7.14 Either a day of Prosperity or a day of Adversity Or else like that day mentioned Zech. 14.6 Neither clear nor dark but mixt mercies given in one part of the day and crosses taking their turn in the other Now it hath been experienced to be a great means of promoting and preserving Soul-prosperity to spiritualize both the one and the other 1. If the day be a day of Prosperity i. e. if no evil befalls us but that according to the promise Psal 121.7 8 The Lord shall preserve thee from evil The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in When God blesseth the beginning and ending of what we undertake this hath enough in it to raise up in our hearts high thoughts of God that he should load us with benefits Psal 68.19 Such as may be very effectual to keep us under those obligations which his bounty and goodness lays upon us Thus it wrought in David Psal 116. He is reckoning up the mercies of God toward him Then ver 5. He exalteth God in his heart And ver 7. His Soul retires into God and takes up its rest and satisfaction in him alone And ver 9. He heightens his resolution Thus it was with David and thus it may be with us Especially when the thriving prospering Soul hath ground and reason enough to see the present mercies of what kind soever they be as having relation unto and being pledges of Eternal mercies This sweetens them and heightens them how little soever how common soever they be that they may say as David 2 Sam. 7.18 Who am I and what is my father's house This makes them more heart-melting more heart-obliging then otherwise they would be or possibly can be to any Soul that is either dead in sin or in a dying withering languishing condition Six pence received only as a six pence doth not affect the heart like that which is received as an earnest of a greater Sum which shall certainly upon such a day be given to us so it is here when we can conclude that he who kept us this day from evil that it hath not grieved us as Jabes prayed 1 Chron. 4.10 and hath given us quiet and comfortable rest this night can and certainly will keep us by his mighty power through faith unto salvation and this night's rest is a pledge unto us of Eternal rest in those heavenly mansions above in our Father's house And this conclusion though no Man else can yet thriving and prospering Souls may make 2. If the day be a day of Adversity a day filled up with sad tidings or sad events yet the Providences of such a day may be spiritualized to the spiritual advantage of the Soul By a believing consideration from what hand they come as Job did ch 1. ver 21 The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away For what cause A man for the punishment of his sin Lam. 3.39 What God aims at therein sc our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness From what principle David believed that it was in faithfulness to the interest of his Soul that God afflicted him Psal 119.75 A believing consideration I say of these things in such a sad and dark day will conduce to preserve the Soul in a prospering frame By melting down the will into the will of God and by raising up the heart in the exercise of faith hope and patience quietly to wait for support under benefit by and in due time such a deliverance from them all as they shall be able to say to the praise of God's free grace truth and faithfulness as Jacob notwithstanding all his troubles in his life-time which were neither few nor small did on his Death-bed That the Lord delivered him from all evil Gen. 48.16 3. If the day be a mixt day as most days are some comforts some crosses some things going for us and some things against us these parti-coloured Providences may be spiritualized for our Souls advantage and be unto us as the side-wind to the Ship that best fills all the Sails variety of gracious principles may be exercised In such a day we find enough to humble us enough to make us thankful and thoughtful what to render unto the Lord. That it is no worse That it is so well as the King of Spain said when he heard of the miscarriage of