himself Before the day pass as the chaff that is very swiftly suddenly like chaff the day is passing away therefore whiles ye have time yet before the day that runs and wears away so fast does bring forth the Decree produce and make appear what God hath decreed against you O Nation undesirable search your selves yea search your selves very narrowly whiles the heat of the Lords wrath doth not yet come upon you whiles the day of the Lords wrath doth not yet take hold of you This is further inculcated and prest by the Lord in the Prophesie of the Prophet Haggai chap. 1.5 7. Is it a time for you O ye to dwell in your ceiled houses that is in your stately and sumptuous houses for pleasure and delight and this house lye waste or desolate meaning the Lords house Now therefore thus saith the Lord of of Hosts Consider your ways Or which is more agreeable to the Original Set your heart upon your ways Observe and consider well how it fares with you by reason of your sins Had they considered or set their hearts aright upon their ways this might have prevented the execution of Gods judgements mentioned the 9 10 and 11 verses thereof For want of this the Lord by the Prophet Isaiah ch 1. takes up a bitter lamentation and complaint Hear O Heavens and give ear O Earth for the Lord hath spoken I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me The Ox knoweth his ower and the Ass his masters scrib but Israel doth not know my people saith he doth not consider They were more brutish and void of understanding then the beasts or brute creatures For want of this consideration it was that every one turned to his course of sin as the horse rusheth into the battel breaking and running through like a water flood as the word is properly used And why Because no man said What have I done And the Lord complaineth further That the Stork in the Heaven knew her appointed times and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow did observe the time of their coming but his people knew not the judgement of the Lord Jer. 8.6 7. This is that consideration which we ought to have of our selves But what strangers are most men and women to their own hearts who enters into such a serious thought as to say What have I done Seneca reporteth of Sexius how every night before he slept he asked his own heart What evil this day hast thou amended what vice hast thou resisted in what part art thou bettered Surely such a course as this would prevent the fearless and heedless running into many gross enormities and sins and so prevent the ruine and destruction of many a poor sinful soul This course the Church took in the Lamentations Wherefore doth the living man complain a man for the punishment of his sins Let us search and try our ways and turn again unto the Lord Lam. 3.39 40. Fall then in good earnest upon this work of self-examination and think it better to know thine own infirmites and thy soul-sicknesses and sores then to know the whole world and all the wonders thereof It is one of the best parts of wisdom to know thy self This will beat down thy pride and keep the humble and lead thee to the true knowledge of God It will cast out and keep out sin and preserve thee from many temptations It is the beginning and foundation of grace and repentance Lam. 3.40 And will prevent the severe stroak of Gods judgements as in that of Zephany 2.1 2. And saith the Apostle If we will judge our selves we shall not be judged of the Lord Surely did we but know what the heart of man is while unregenerate and in its natural estate what a sink a sea of sin and filthiness it is how deceitful above all things and desperately wicked as Jeremy hath it Jer. 17.9 what infinite intricate windings and turnings there are in the dark laborinths of mans heart what a multitude of vain thoughts do lodge within it Jer. 4 14. What swarms of lusts and uncleaness issue out from this corrupt and putrified fountain Mat. 12.34 comp with chap. 15.18 19 verses What a deal of self-sophistry and imposture is wrapt up there by which millions of souls are inwraped in the snares and shackels of Satan I say did we rightly know and were not strangers to these things it might put us on with all seriousness and readiness this so weighty and profitable a work But O where is the man almost that knows or sets himself in good earnest for to know and find out the Plague of his own heart O what a many of Plague-sores and running issues are in the hearts of men and women at this day and yet they are insensible of them Every one almost is sensible of the Plague-tokens or sores when they seize upon the body and most people fear and dread this contagious disease because of the loathsomness of it but for the Plague of the Heart the Soul-sickness and sores O where is there any knowledge or discerning of it where is there any sense of the loathsomness and infectiousness of it And yet without this how can we expect a healing and the removal of this severe stroke of the Lord according to Solomons prayer at the dedication of the Temple 1 King 8.37 38 39. If there be in the land famine if there be pestilence c. whatsoever plague whatsoever sickness there be what prayer and supplication soever be made by any man or by all the people Israel and mark what follows which shall know every man the plague of his own heart and spread forth his hands towards this house Then hear thou in Heaven thy dwelling place and forgive and do and give to every man according to his ways whose heart thou knowest for thou even thou onely knowest the hearts of the children of men Now this prayer of Solomon had its confirmation from the Lord 1 King 9.3 So that this knowledge of the Plague of the heart is a necessary qualification or ingredient to go along with that prayer which shall be prevailing with the Lord for the removal of the Pestilence out of the land or Nation wherein it is But if the men of this generaration are still unacquainted with the plagues or sores of their own heart if they be still as vain as proud as oppressing as Superstitious as Idolatrous as Adulterous as Murderous as Blasphemous as Rebellious and Disobedient against the Lord and his commands as reviling and persecuting the way of truth and holiness as ever can it be expected that the hand of the Lord should be removed or the fire of his his indignation which now burns so very hot among us should be quenched Set thy self then in good earnest upon this heart-searching work whoever thou art that would escape this severe stroke of the Lord. And if thou knowest not how to deal with thy heart it is so
as Snow And he calls to back sliding Israel to return and promises to heal their back-slidings and love them freely Jerem. 3.14 comp with Hosea 14.4 So in pangs of the New-birth spiritual infancy weakness of Faith Prayer Godly sorrow and other graces let such cordial refreshing Promises as these dwell upon thy heart Rev. 21.6 Mat. 5.6 Isa 42.3 and 57.15 and 40.11 which import How God will satisfie the hungry soul tender the weak and feeble soul dwel with the humble soul yea the exercise of faith also in the promises is of singular use in all kinds and varieties of temptations spiritual desertions deep almost despairing apprehensions of thine extreme vileness and nothingness in grace in which dark dismal and disconsolate estate let thy faith be exercised on such precious soul-supporting promises as these 1 Cor. 10.13 Jam. 1.2 Isa 30.18 and Isa 43.25 Which speaks to this effect That God is faithful and will not suffer us to be tempted above our strength That we should count it all joy when we fall into divers temptations That all they are blessed that wait for the Lord. So that if thou eiest in this waiting state thou shalt be certainly saved for the holy spirit pronounceth thee blessed And further for the exceeding great comfort and support of thy soul that it is the Lord and he onely that blotteth out thy transgressions for his own sake and will not remember thy sins So in the Hail-storms of slanderous Arrows and empoysoned Darts of disgrace how should thy Faith be fixt upon such pretious Promises as these 1 Pet. 4.18 Mat. 5.11 Yea in the valley of the shadow of death by an assurance of Gods merciful omnipotent presence Psa 23.4 And in the extremity and depth of such desperate distresses and perplexities wherein in thy present feeling thou canst see and find no possibility of help from Heaven or Earth God or man but art both helpless and hopeless as the Church complains Lam. 3.18 Let thy meditations dwell upon such like precious promises as these Isa 33.9 10. 2 Chron. 20.12 Exod. 14.13 Psal 78.65 66. Gen. 22.14 All which import that in the Mount of the greatest difficulties God will be seen Well in every thing or any thing that shall or can possibly befall thee prosperity or poverty cross or comfort calmness of conscience or tempests of terror life or death thou maist by Faith extract abundance of unconquerable patience and peace of soul from those three heavenly golden conduits of sweetest comfort Rom. 8.18 and 28.32 to wit That the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us 2. That all things shall work together for good to them that love God 3. That he that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Object But may I act faith in the Promises for things temporal as for spiritual Yea for godliness hath the Promise of the life that now is as of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Yet consider withal that temporal things are not promised absolutely but conditionally 1. With limitation to expediency 2. By way of commutation and compensation with spiritual If he gives thee not peace he will give thee patience if not wealth yet contentment which may be far better 3. With exception of the Cross Houses and Brethren and Sisters and Lands with persecution Mark 10.30 So then we may believe we shall have temporal blessings which God hath promised conditionally so far forth as will stand with these conditions his own glory our spiritual good and everlasting salvation This life is but via advitam the way to life and whatsoever God promiseth us in the way is but to help us to the end of our journey There is no temporal thing of this life falls within the compass of Gods promise but so far forth as it shall be a help and furtherance unto us as to our eternal life I shall therefore present unto thy view a few of those Promises which are of a temporal concernment as having reference to long Life Children Lands Riches Honour and external Peace and Plenty See to this purpose Gen. 22.17 and 49.15 Leâ— 25.18 19 21. and 26.4 5 6 c. Deut. 5.16 and 28.4 11 13. Psa 112.3 and 128.2 3 4. and many such like which are propounded upon the diligent and exact observation of Gods Law and the fear of the Lord. So for the duties and works of thy particular calling which if by prayer thou dost conscienciously and diligently discharge thou mayest go on with comfort contentment and freedom from carking cares and racking torturing thoughtfulness and leave the success issue and event of all thy labours and undertakings unto the Lord whatsoever it may be resting sweetly and ever relying upon this gratious promise Heb. 13.5 I will not fail thee nor forsake thee The like in ordering and guiding the affairs of thy Family depend by faith upon Gods blessing the strength and sinew of all sound comfort and true contentation that way Psa 127. So in the loss of outward things for thy love and service unto God by beleiving that Man of God 2 Chron. 25.9 The Lord is able to give thee much more then this yea in the loss of all earthly things in every kind by applying that promise in Hab. 3.17 18. And that of Jobs patient blessing of God upon the surprise of all his substance and the concurrence of an universal misery should not pass without a serious consideration if God should exercise thee with the like condition Job 1.21 But I shall forbear to enlarge further and recommend to thy consideration some of those promises for thy faith to be exercised in which have a special relation as to the present visitation of the Lord as Exod. 23.5 Ye shall serve the Lord your God c. And I will take sickness away from the midst of thee So Deut. 7.12 15. If ye hearken to these judgements and keep and do them the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the Covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy Fathers And he will love thee and bless thee and multiply thee And in the 15. vers The Lord will take away from thee all sickness and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt upon thee but will lay them upon all them that hate thee So in the Prayer that Solomon made at the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple 1 King 8.37 38 39. If there be in the Land Famine if there be Pestilence c. Whatsoever Plague whatsoever sickness there be what prayer and supplication soever be made by any man which shall know the plague of his own heart Then hear thou in Heaven thy dwelling place and forgive and do and give to every man according to his ways whose heart thou knowest And the Lord graciously promised that he would do according to his prayer
sacrifice is it not evil and if ye offer the lame and sick is it not evil Offer it unto thy Governour will he be pleased with thee or accept thy person Mal. 1.8 God requires to be served with the mind Matth. 22.37 We must therefore know the will of God as he hath revealed it unto us by his commandments promises threatnings the approved practices of the Saints and that we must desire and pray for and onely so as we know Gods word doth warrant us This is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us 1 Joh. 5.14 And whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight 1 John 3.22 So said the blind man that had his sight restored to him again Now we know that God heareth not sinners but if any man be a worshipper of God and doth his will him he heareth Joh. 9.31 Again We must pray with a feeling of our wants Christs invitation to come unto him is to all that labour and are heavy laden Matth. 11.28 In prayer we should feel sin as a burden and mourn under the sensibility of our want of grace So Ephraim bemoued himself Jer. 31.18 And the Church Isa 63.17 O Lord why hast thou made us to err from thy ways and hardned our heart from thy fear return for thy servants sake the Tribes of thine inheritance So David being made very sensible of his great fall after what manner is his spirit led forth in prayer Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit Psal 51.10 11 12. Now this ariseth from the consideration of Gods judgements due to sin and of the necessity of saving grace So Ezra O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee my God for our iniquities are encreased over our heads and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens Ez. 9.6 And the Apostles being sensible of the imbicility and weakness of their faith pray unto the Lord for the increase of it And for this thing said Paul I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me So sensible was he of the thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan that buffeted him 2 Cor. 12.7 8. Again our Prayer must be accompanied with a spirit of love and forgiveness Mark 11.25 And when ye stand praying forgive if ye have ought against any man that your Father also which is in Heaven may forgive you your trespasses For if ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your father forgive your trespasses Mat. 6.14 15. And as we must forgive our enemies and such as have offended us so must we bear a hearty affection to the Children of God Ephes 4.32 and Collos 3.12 13. Again our Prayer must be accompanied with fear and reverence in respect of the purity and Majesty of that presence we come into So saith Solomon Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in Heaven and thou upon earth therefore let thy words be few Eccles 5.2 And we are to serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Heb. 12.28 Surely did we seriously consider Gods most excellent Majesty we should not rashly conceive or utter any thing before him but with reverence So Abraham Behold said he I have now taken upon me to speak unto the Lord which am but dust and ashes Gen. 18.27 This reverential fear is an unfeigned abasement of the mind proceeding from a consideration of Gods divine Majesty and our own indignity So the Prodigal Father I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy Son Luk. 15.21 So Jacob I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant Gen. 32.10 Job abhorred himself and repented in dust and ashes Job 42.6 The Prophet Isaiah cries out he is undone woe unto him for his eyes had seen the King the Lord of Hosts Isa 6.5 and Ezra also he did blush and was ashamed to lift up his face to God for that their iniquities were encreased and their trespasse grown up unto the heavens Ezra 9.6 Lastly our Prayer must be with perseverance without ceasing 1 Thes 5.17 The Parable concerning the importunate Widow was to this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint Luk. 18.1 That is that we should be constant and earnest in prayer use all importunity with the Lord and not to faint this is that which will distinguish us from being Hypocrites and false-hearted before the Lord For what is the hope of the Hypocrite though he hath gained when God taketh away his soul will God hear his cry when trouble commeth upon him Will he delight himself in the Almighty will he always call upon God No he will not Job 27.8 9 10. But the gracious soul loves to draw nigh to God and takes delight always in his approaching to him Thus having spoken of the several ingredients that will make up an acceptable Prayer unto the Lord I shall speak a little as to the singular worth excellency and efficacy of it and the worth and excellency of it appears in this Because it is a sweet priviledge which Christ hath purchased of the Father for us Ephes 2.18 It is through him that we have an access unto the Father so as to come with boldness unto the throne of his grace Heb. 4.16 Hereby we do and may continually commune with the Lord after a familiar manner and lay open our griefs into his bosome As David Who am I O Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto And is this the manner of man O Lord God 2 Sam. 7.18 So again From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee when my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the Rock that is higher then I for thou hast been a shelter for me and a strong Tower from the enemy Psa 61.2 3. Hereby we testifie our dutiful affection to him as the Prodigal to his Father Luk. 15.18 And become helpers to others Rom. 15.30 Phil. 1.19 Col. 4.12 2 Thes 3.1 This adds strength to our faith and gives life to the graces of God that are in us By it we obtain at the hand of God whatever good we stand in need of Mat. 7.7 Isa 65.24 And do grow into a better acquaintance with God As Abraham Gen. 18.23 27. For such is the Promise that if we draw nigh to God he will draw nigh to us Jam. 4.8 By it we fight manfully against our in bred
forgive and do c. 1 King 8.37 38 39. And the Lord gave approbation to this prayer of his as you have heard Thus you see in what way the Lord hath usually been found for the diverting of his judgments and in which he hath ingaged himself to hear and to be entreated Shall we consider a little then what is the general spirit of the Nation at this time now that the hand of God lies so heavy upon it Is there any preparation now of meeting God in this way of humble and faithful supplication O England where are thy tears where are thy strong crys unto unto the Lord Will not the King of Nineveh rise up in judgment against thee and condemn thee He commanded that Man and Beast should be covered with sackcloth and cry mightily unto God and turn every one from his evil way and from the violence that was in their hand and God was entreated and turned away from his fierce anger that they perished not What thinkest thou O England of thy sins Have they not been crying sins May not the Lord speak unto thee and say as unto Cain Who slew his Brother what hast thou done The voice of thy Brothers blood cryeth unto me from the ground Gen. 4.10 Or as James in his time to the rich ungodly men of that generation Behold the hire of the Labourers which have reaped down your fields which is of you kept back by fraud cryeth and the cries of them which have reaped are entred into the ears of the Lord of Sabboth Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth and been wanton ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter Ye have condemned and killed the just and be doth not resist you James 5.4 5 6. May it not be said of thy sins as is said of the sins of Babylon That her sins have reached unto heaven and God hath remembred her iniquities Rev. 18.5 Surely thy sins have been crying sins they have entred into the ears of the Lord they have reached unto heaven God hath heard thy hideous Oaths thy new hellish invented Oaths thy horrid execrations and cursings thy revilings and blaspemings But whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high may it not be said of thee as of railing Rabshekah Even against the holy one of Israel And if thy sins have cryed so loud mayst thou not think that thy tears and crys for pardon should found as loud in the ears of God But where are thy repentings and mournings where are thy weepings and supplications Surely I tremble to think what still mine ears do hear and mine eyes see how few of those sins are left which cause the Land to mourn and the Lord to have a controversie with the inhabitants thereof May it not be laid to thy charge even now when thousands are swept away by this destroying judgement that when God calls to weeping and mourning to fasting and praying behold joy and gladness slaying oxen and killing sheep eating flesh and drinking wine playing and gaming ranting and roaring cursing and swearing pride and voluptuous living And what said the Lord Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye dye Isa 22.12 13 14. Nay is it not most sad and lamentable to consider as it is very credibly reported that some under the hand of Gods visitation do dye swearing and cursing in a most dreadful and desperate manner Well then consider this ye that forget God lest he tear you in peices and there be none to deliver before the whole land be devoured by the fire of his jealousie and that he make a speedy riddance of all such as dwell in the land But for you who have received an anointing from the holy one and are acquainted with the divine art of prayer and holy conference and familiarity with God be much in the exercise of this heavenly skill be now improving to the utmost your interest in God lift up your voice with strength stir up your selves and take hold of him And if your consciences tell you you have fallen by your iniquities even in the late Apostacy Take with you words and turn unto the Lord say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously Say unto him Ashur shall not save us we will not ride upon horses neither will we say any more to the work of our hands ye are our gods Hosea 14.1 2 3. Say unto him O Lord though our iniquities testifie against us do thou it for thy names sake for our back-slidings are many we have sinned against thee O the hope of Israel the Saviour thereof in time of trouble why shouldst thou be as a stranger in the land and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night Why shouldst thou be as a man astonished as a mighty man that cannot save yet thou O Lord art in the midst of us and we are called by thy name leave us not Jer. 14.7 8 9. Say We are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousness are as filthy raggs and we all do fade as a leaf and our iniquities like the wind have taken us away But yet O Lord thou art our Father we are the clay and thou our potter and we all are the work of thy hand Be not wroth very sore O Lord neither remember iniquity for ever behold see we beseech thee we are thy people Isa 64.6 8 9. Thine enemies roar in the midst of the Congregation they set up their ensigns for signs They have east fire into thy Sanctuary they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground They said in their hearts let us destroy them together O God how long shall the Adversary reproach shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever Why withdrawest thou thy hand even thy right hand pluck it out of thy bosome Wilt thou refrain thy self for these things O Lord wilt thou hold thy peace and afflict us very sore Psal 74. And let the Preists the Ministers of the Lord weep between the Porch and the Altar and let them say Spare thy people O Lord and give not thy heritage to reproach that the heathen should rule over them wherefore should they say among the people Where is their God Then will the Lord be jealous for his land and pity his people Joel 2.17 18. Yea let the Lords Watchmen whom God hath set upon the Walls of Jerusalem never hold their peace day nor night even those who make mention of the Lord and are the Lords remembrancers let them not keep silence And give him no rest till he establish and make his Jerusalem a praise in the earth Isa 62.6 7. Till the heavens drop down from above and the skies pour down righteousness and the earth open and bring forth salvation and righteousness spring up together Isa 45.8 Till the Lord of Hosts be exalted in judgement and God
and supplication that he had made 1 King 9.3 So Psa 41. Blessed is he that considereth the poor the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive and he shall be blessed upon the Earth and thou wilt not deliver him into the will of his enemies The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness So Psa 91.3 6 7 10. Surely he shall deliver thee from the noysom Pestilence Thou shalt not be afraid of the â—estilence that walketh in darkness nor for the destruction that wasteth at noon-day A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee Art thou sick then apply The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing Tbou wilt make all his bed in his sickness Art thou there where the sick are apply I will take away all sickness from the midst of thee Fearest thou the Pestilence I will deliver thee saith the Lord from the noysome Pestilence So that of Eliphaz to Job He shall deliver thee in six troubles yea in seven there shall no evil touch thee in Famine he shall redeem thee from death and in War from the power of the Sword Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the Tongue neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh c. And thou shalt know that thy Tabernacle shall be in peace Job 5.19.20 21 24. So in Isa 43.2 The Lord promiseth he will be with us in the fire and in the water the waters shall not overflow us nor the fire devour us And in Heb. 13.5 he hath promised likewise that he will never leave thee nor forsake thee The labour of the Olive may fail as Habakkuk speaks our nearest and dearest friends and relations may fail our eyes may fail our tongue may fail our strength may fail our flesh and heart may fail our spirits may fail yet saith the Lord I will be with thee I will not fail thee nor forsake thee When the poor and the needy seek water and there is none and their tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will hear them I the God of Israel will not forsake them Isa 41.17 What can be more refreshing and supporting to the poor languishing fainting sinking soul Thus in any trouble of soul body good name outward state present or to come thou maist by the soveraign power of saith working upon the word of his promise not only draw out the sting and expell the poison of it but also procure a great deal of comfort to thy truly humbled soul and maintain it in despight of all mortal or infernal opposition in a constant spiritual gladness Considering that all those Promises whereupon thy heavy and disconsolate heart in such cases may repose and refresh it self have their being and confirmation from the blessed name Jehovah it self see Exod. 6.3 and therefore as sure as God himself they are sealed with the bloody sufferrings of his only Son and therefore as true as Truth it self and if thou art in Christ are all as certainly thine as the heart in thy body or blood that runs in thy veins Nay and a little more for thy comfort the glory of Gods Truth is mightily advanced and himself extraordinarily pleased by thy more resolute stedfast and triumphant cleaving unto them What a blessed sweet and heavenly life then is the Life of Faith as it is exercised in the Promises of God O then be encouraged to be acting Faith in the Promises and to be storing up a good stock of Promises every day They are of excellent use in all estates in all conditions in all kind of distresses whatsoever By beleiving the Promises we shall prosper by beleiving and applying of them we shall come to participate of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 And therefore they are called exceeding great and precious promises That by these saith the Apostle you might be partakers of the Divine Nature not of the substance but of the quality Non transformatione naturae humanae in divinam sed participatione donorum quibus conformes efficimur divinae naturae as one distinguisheth very well not by the transformation of the humane nature into the divine but by the participation of gifts whereby we are made conformable to the Divine Nature And so it notes a fellowship with God in his holiness and a fellowship with God in his blessedness that is in the beatifical vision and brightness of glory upon which account as to the excellent use and nature of them one terms them a Christians Catholicon a general purging Medicine a Salve for every sore being a help to all duties a quickner of all graces and a comfort in all distresses And like a well-fill'd Apothacaries shop there is contained in them heavenly receipts of all sorts wholesome physick of every kind for expelling and curing all sorts of diseases and sicknesses incident to Saints and for the corroborating and strengthening of the new nature and keeping the spiritual man in a good healthful constitution lusty and strong able for Gods Service and for working out his own salvation with fear and trembling Wouldst thou then have thy faith like the Light in the Lords Sanctuary never to go out then acquaint thy self with Gods Promises know them well meditate on them confer about them let them be continually in thy mind memory heart and tongue Satan laboureth in nothing more then to keep us in unbeleif especially of particular promises for he knows if we beleive them we shall in all things have the victory Come before God with boldness carry peace in our own bosomes to our graves and do and suffer any thing for God Oh the abundance of sweet cordial comfort which all humble beleiving souls draw by faith out of every promise And these precious promises our breasts of consolation whereupon our comfort and happiness so much depend lye hid in the holy Scriptures as veins of gold in the earth How then should we be searching into those rich mines that bring to light such heavenly treasures and how should it stir us up to go to God in prayer for the accomplishment of them unto us and waiting in the diligent use of all means for the gaining of them you shall find God not only making you heirs of Promises but you shall be comfortable possessors of those many good things which God hath promised to beleivers And the more you meditate and the oftner you pray upon them the more good will you see in them and find to flow from them And this leads me to the next Spiritual Receipt and Soveraign Antidote and that is Prayer The Fourth Spiritual Receit 4ly The fourth special Receit and preservative against this contagious disease or which may be of excellent force and efficacy for the removal of it is faithful and fervent Prayer This is a tried receipt an approved remedy of which