he will quickly come and speak Peace to thy soul and list up the light of his Countenance on thee I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself saith the Lord Is Ephraim my dear Son Is he a pleasant Child For since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my Bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy on him Jer. 31.18 19 20. DIRECTION III. Call to mind and improve the Soul sorrows and Agonies of thy Saviour and Surety who bore the Wrath of God in his soul for thee that thy poor Pensive soul might be comforted and delivered from the Terrors of God His Soul was heavy and sorrowful to the Death yea he was surrounded and environ'd with sorrow and amazement of Spirit and cryed out bitterly on the Cross My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matth. 27.46 And in the days of his Flesh He offered up Prayers and Supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from Death and was heard in that he feared Heb. 5.7 Now tell God humbly and believingly that he hath laid thy Sin Guilt Curse upon his Son and in the fierceness of his Wrath fell upon him standing in thy stead and room that he might set thee free who is not in the least able to wrestle with the Terrors of God say to him that his own blessed Son hath drank off the Cup of Divine Wrath to the bottom even the very dreggs of it and therefore why should thy poor soul which is redeemed by the precious Blood of thy Saviour tast any part of this bitter Cup Did God withdraw the comforts of his Spirit from the humane Nature of Christ and fill it with sadness and sorrow for thy sake that thou mightest obtain Spiritual peace and comfort O then why should'st not thou earnestly pray for and expect the fruits of Christ's Agony and Death in having thy soul revived and filled with spiritual peace and joy DIRECTION IV. Renew thy Faith and Repentance in good earnest as if thou had'st never done it before Suppose it be suggested to thee by Satan that thou did'st never as yet truly believe and repent of thy sins Thou maist Answer thus Well I will not question that now but resolve by the Grace of God forth-with to Repent heartily of my Sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Some Christians are apt to look back altogether on what they have done and if that do not afford them comfort then they are ready to give up all for losk and to sink under discouragement But though a Christian may sometimes look back and reflect on his former evidences and experiences yet certainly to cast thy self at present by a direct act of Faith upon the free Grace of God in the Gospel-promise is the shortest cut and the readiest way to silence thy doubts and Satans suggestions as sometimes it falls out that a Man may with as little charge and trouble obtain a new Lease as prove the old one good and Authentical Be peremptory and resolute therefore in believing and casting thy self on a Crucified Jesus and say with Esther I will go to the King and if I Perish I Perish Esther 4.16 and with Job Though he Kill me yet will I trust in him Job 13.15 Venture thy Soul upon him as one that 's ready to sink when the Bladders are taken from him will yet venture to swim without Bladders And as the four Lepers said one to another Why sit we here until we dye If we enter into the City the famine is there and we shall dye and if we sit still here we shall dye also Therefore let us fall into the Host of the Syrians if they save us alive we shall live and if they Kill us we shall but dye 2 King 7.3 4. So resolve to throw your self upon Christ and if ye must dye then dye at his feet But this is so far from being the way to Perish that it is the direct way to true Peace Comfort and Happiness DIRECTION V. Trust in the Name of God Jehovah for Comfort and Salvation He that walks in darkness and sees no light let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay himself upon his God Isa 50.10 * Vid. Mr. Goodwins Child of light walking in darkness the consideration of the Sweet Gratious Merciful Nature and Name of God will support and keep the soul from sinking The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower the Righteous runeth to it and is safe Prov. 18.10 There is enough in the Name of God to Answer all our Objections and resolve all our doubts as this name was proclaimed to Moses The Lord the God merciful and gratious long-suffering and abundant in Goodness and Truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin Exod. 34.6 7. This Name of God is to be found and is revealed in and by Christ to poor Sinners Hearken to him and obey his Voyce saith the Lord for my Name is in him Exod. 23.21 God was in Christ Reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their Trespasses unto them 2 Cor. 5.19 This is the Name where-with he shall be called the Lord our Righteousness Jer. 23.6 And his Name shall be Jesus for he shall save his People from their sins Matth. 1.21 When we see nothing in our selves to rest upon as in the case of desertion no sight of Graces no light of comfort there-from as in Pauls Voyage by Sea for many days together neither the light of the Sun nor Stars appeared Act. 27.20 Yet then the Name of God will stay and bear up the drooping spirit of a Christian My flesh and my heart faileth saith David but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Psal 73.26 And though my House be not so with God i. e. as the tender Grass springing out of the Earth by the clear shining of the Sun after Rain 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 2 Sam. 23.5 DIRECTION VI. On which I shall a little inlarge Furnish thy self with fit matter out of the holy Scriptures for Heavenly thoughts and meditations that thy heart may endite and meditate a good matter and thy Tongue may be as the Pen of a ready Writer Psal 45.1 The Lord help thee poor Soul not only to read these Divine writings but to meditate therein day and night to hide them and lay them up in thy heart as a divine Cordial to revive and comfort thee as a divine Lamp to guide and direct thee Psal 119.92 105. and as part of the spiritual Armour to enable thee to vanquish thy spiritual Enemies in the Hour of Temptation Eph. 6.13 David even in those dark times before the Incarnation of Christ professeth of himself that the Word of God was in the mid'st of his Bowels Psal 40.8 And
Distress prayed often and earnestly Luk. 22.44 Is any among you Afflicted saith the Apostle Jam. 5.13 let him Pray This Direction may be drawn out and improved in five Particulars 1. Suppose thy Case be as sad as Jobs was Cap. 10. v. 15 16 17. thou art full of Distraction and Confusion the Lord hunts thee as a fierce Lyon and increaseth his Indignation upon thee contending still with thee as if he were thy greatest Enemy Yet now fall down and Prostrate thy self humbly at his Feet as a poor silly helpless Lamb and if thou must needs dye and perish yet dye at His Feet mourning and bleeding out thy-Heart in Sighs and Tears Take heed of a fretting murmuring Spirit which is exceeding offensive to God Be still and quiet not a word put thy Mouth in the Dust It is good that a Man should hope and quietly wait on God Lam. 3.26 29. I will bear the Indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against Him saith the Church Mic. 7.9 Kiss the Rod as a submissive Child and acknowledge that it is of the Lord's Mercy that thou art not consumed 2. When God seems to pursue thee hard and to bend his Bow and shoot his Arrows against thee desire him humbly to Remember the Thoughts of Love and Peace which he had to poor Sinners from Eternity These Thoughts he delights in they are more than can be numbered Psal 40.5 and what Are they restrained in Him Hath God forgotten to be Gratious Hath He for ever shut up his tender Mercies Surely He hath not Psal 77.9 Put him in mind of that infinite All-sufficient Righteousness and Merit which is in Christ whereof Himself hath no need no nor the Blessed Angels that never sinned But it is reserved for poor sinful Men and Women such as thou art If thou sayest Thou art unworthy yea but He loves freely Hos 14.4 If the greatness of thy Sins be objected against thee tell him That there is plenteous Redemption for thee in and with Christ Psal 130.7 Art thou ungodly and wicked in thy self the Scripture saith That he Justifies the ungodly Rom. 4.5 and that Christ received Gifts for Sinners yea for the Rebellious that the Lord God might dwell with them Psal 68.18 Art thou no better than a Dogg Yea but the Doggs they eat the Crumbs that fall from their Master's Table Christ hath reserved some Crumbs of Mercy and Comfort for thee Math. 15.27 3. If he still pursue thee in his Anger and set thee as a Mark to shoot at so that thou art a Burthen to thy self Job 7.20 Ask him humbly with Tears in thy Eyes What he aimes at Is it to have the Victory over thee that he might be justifyed in his Sayings and might over-come when he is Judged Rom. 3.4 Tell him freely Thou wilt yeild to him as a poor Captive and stand out with him in nothing and that he shall need no other Judge or Jury to condemn thee but thy self Thou art very willing to justifie him in all things and to sentence and condemn thy self only beseech him to consider what Victory what Honour it will be to so Great and Infinite a God as He is to pursue a little dry Stubble to break a poor Leaf that is bruis'd already and crumbles under his Fingers if he do but touch it Job 13.25 Say to Him Thou art Impar Congressus Thou art far from being an equal Match to Him and He is so Noble so Generous as not to set Himself against a Worm against a poor weak Leaf that yeilds and falls under His hand having said That He will not contend for ever lest the Spirit should utterly fail before him Isa 57.19 4. If it should be hinted to thee as if God would glorify Himself in thy Eternal Destruction and Condemnation tell him 'T is true he may But yet before he thrust his Sword in thee desire Him with Reverence and Submission to consider That he first sheathed it in the Blood of His Son and what profit will there be in thy Blood and Destruction If Satisfaction to Divine Justice be his end and designe He may have that in and from the Propitiatory-Sacrifice and Death of Christ and so be no loser And as for thy Salvation it will be more for his Glory than thy Condemnation If he require more Ojbedience of thee Alas this is not the way to perform it when thy poor Soul is distracted with his Terrors and thou art as a Man that hath no Strength numbred amongst the Dead as Heman speaks Psal 88.4 5 15. The more Spiritual Peace and Joy and Soul hath the more Service and Obedience it will be able to perform to God who loves a chearful Giver The Joy of the Lord is the Strength of the Soul Nehem. 8.10 If it be suggested to thee That if thou hadst more Assurance Joy and Inlargement thou wouldst abuse it and grow wanton Tell God humbly That he may also prevent that if He please by the Power of His Grace and by writing the Law of Love in thy Heart by his Spirit which will constraine thee to love Him and to live to Him 2 Cor. 5.14 And Love is as strong as Death Many Waters cannot quench it neither can the Floods drown it Cant. 8.6 7. And though thou hast a froward and stubborn Heart which thou canst not chuse but sadly complain of yet so had he whom the Prophet speaks of Isa 57.17 18. God hid his Face from him was wrath and smote him and he went on frowardly in the way of his Heart Yet for all this saith the Lord I have seen his wayes and will heal him and restore Comforts to him 5. If thy Temptation be so great and thy Condition so sad as if there were no other Remedy but God and thou must part yet labour notwithstanding to have good thoughts of God and to bless Him for those glorious Attributes and excellencies of Mercy Truth Wisdom Holiness that are in him Bless Him for his mercy and goodness to others and for enabling them to serve him with chearfulness and success Bless him for the good things which thou hast formerly received from Him and if thou hast done or suffered any thing for God in thy time wish with all thy soul it had been a thousand times more And confess thy self unworthy lesser than the least of those Mercies he hath bestowed on thee and that thou art infinitly ingaged to Him for what is past if He should cast thee off for time to come and never smile upon thee again Desire Him only that He would preserve and maintain in thee good and honourable thoughts of His Majesty that thou maist not in the least derogate from His Honour or Blaspheme his Holy Name however he is pleased to deal with thee as to Spiritual Peace and Comfort And who knows but whilst thou art thus bemoaning thy self as Ephraim did though the Lord at present seem to look Stern and to speak Angerly to thee yet
I shewed it and he attended further than I read I not knowing what followed But it followed Him that is weak in the Faith receive ye Rom. 14.1 which he applyed to himself and opened unto me But by this Admonition he was Confirmed and without all turbulent delay was conjoyned in a good Pleasure and purpose most congruous to his Manners wherein he long ago excelled me Thereupon we go in to my Mother tell her She rejoyceth We declare how it was done She exults and Tryumphs and blesseth Thee who art able to do above All that we are to ask or think Because she saw that thou hadst granted her far more concerning me than she was wont with her miserable and lamentable Groans to ask of Thee Thus far Augustine Who would not now delight to read and understand the Divine Scriptures whereby Augustine and Alipius were thus Converted and Comforted Mr. Fox in his Acts and Monuments tells us That Mr. Bilney the blessed Martyr having been long under great Doubts and Fears in his Soul whil'st he adhered to the Popish Doctrines at length opening the New-Testament he light on that Text 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful Saying and worthy of all acceptation That Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am chief which God so blessed to him that thereby his doubts and Fears were dispell'd and he received much spiritual Peace and Comfort in the Assurance of the love of God from this free promise of Grace Bishop Latimer that Godly Martyr standing at the Stake ready to shed his blood for the Truth lifting up his Eyes to Heaven with an amiable and chearful Countenance comforted himself with that Scripture Faithful is God who will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able 1 Cor. 10.13 Alice Benden Martyr being kept in Prison nine weeks with Bread and Water and Sequestered from her Companions was in great heaviness and Soul distress till on a Night as she was in her sorrowful Supplications rehearsing those words Why art thou cast down O my Soul c. And again The Right Hand of the most High can change all this she received much comfort Mr. Midgeley Minister at Ratchdale in Yorkshire oppressed with melancholly thoughts and temptations to Self-murther and going down to the Water-side to Drown himself having the New-Testament in his Pocket it came into his thoughts before he flung himself in to read a little in his Testament and opening the same he happily cast his Eye upon that precious word of Grace Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you Rest Matth. 11.28 29. Whereupon this poor tempted Soul was much revived and broke forth into these words Say'st thou so then I will not down my self 'T is well observed by a Godly Writer that we had better want Meat Drink the light of the Sun Aire Earth and all the Elements yea Life it self than that one sweet Sentence of our Saviour Come unto me c. Mrs. Katherine Brettergh who was wont to task her self to the reading at least eight Chapters of Scripture every day in her Sickness before her Death * Vid. Mr. Will. Leigh's Souls-Solace against sorrow she fell into great distress and anguish of Spirit sometimes she would cast her Bible from her and say it was indeed the Book of Life but she had read the same unprofitably and therefore feared it was become to her the Book of Death Sometimes she would say her sins had made her a prey to Satan a spectacle to the World a disgrace to Religion and a shame to her Husband Kindred and all true Christians And here she would weep most bitterly she wished she had never been Born or that she had been any other Creature rather than a Woman She would often cry out Woe Woe Woe c. a weak a woful a wretched a forsaken Woman and utter such like pittiful Complaints against her self with Tears continually trickling down her Cheeks But at last before her death she was raised up to unspeakable joys and comforts by applying Scripture-promises Oh said she my soul hath been compassed about with terrors of Death fear within and fear without the sorrows of Hell were upon me and a roaring Wilderness of Woe was within me which she repeated again and again But Blessed Blessed Blessed be the Lord my God who hath not left me Comfortless One time she took her Bible in her hand and looking up towards Heaven she said O Lord it is good for me that I have been Afflicted that I might learn thy Statutes the Word of the Lord is better to me than thousands of Gold and Silver She desired her Husband to read some part of Scripture to her he read that excellent Chapter John 17. and as he read v. 9. she interrupted him saying O Lord Jesus dost thou indeed pray for me O Blessed and Sweet Saviour how wonderful how wonderful how wonderful are thy Mercies When he came to v. 24. Father I will that they whom thou hast given me c. Stay said she and let me meditate on the goodness of the Lord for now I perceive and feel the Countenance of Christ my Redeemer is turned towards me and the bright shining Beams of his Mercy are spread over me Oh happy am I that ever I was Born to see this Blessed day Praise praise Oh praise the Lord for his Mercies for He hath brought me out of darkness and the shadow of death O my sweet Saviour shall I be one with thee as thou art one with thy Father and wilt thou Glorifie me with that Glory which thou had'st with the Father before the World was And dost thou so love me that am but Dust and Ashes as to make me partaker of Glory with Christ What am I poor Wretch that thou art so mindful of me Oh how wonderful how wonderful how wonderful is thy Love To a Christian Friend that came to see her wondering at her joys she said O the joys the joys the joys that I feel in my soul they be wonderful they be wonderful they be wonderful Thus she was ravished in Spirit and tryumphed in the praises of God At last with a sweet Countenance and still Voyce she said My Warfare is accomplished and mine Iniquities are pardoned Lord whom have I in Heaven but thee And I have none on Earth but thee My Flesh faileth and my Heart also but God is the strength of mine Heart and my Portion for ever He that preserveth Jacob and defendeth his Israel he is my God and will guide me unto Death Guide me O Lord my God and suffer me not to faint but keep my soul in safety and with that she presently fell asleep in the Lord. Mr. John Holland an eminent Saint and Preacher of the Gospel did wonderfully raise and comfort himself with the holy Scriptures even in the Valley of the Shaddow of Death his Heart was replenished with Heavenly Thoughts and Delights