the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually Others referre it to the answer of Moses vvhen his servant Jashua brought him a complaint against Eldad and Medad for prophesying in the Camp desiring his Lord Moses to forbid them Enviest thou for my sake Numb 11. 29. Whether this or that vvas the speciall text is doubtfull of this vve are sure the Scripture yeelds us this position The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy What spirit is this And how doth it lust Some take it for the corrupt spirit of man and so the sense is Hath not the Scripture cause to say that the sinfull spirit of man lusts to envie or is envious at the power and greatnesse of others and is desirous to grasp all to it self Hath the Scripture spoken this without cause Doe you not finde such a spirit acting and striving in you Doth not the experience you have of your own hearts unlesse you be strangers at home justifie this charge The spirit that dwels in you lusteth to envy Others take the spirit for the Spirit of God Doe ye thinke that the Scripture saith in vain that the Spirit of God dwelling in the Saints or that spirituall principle given in regeneration lusteth to envy And then the sense is this Ye are such as professe ye have received the Spirit of God ye are a people scattered by persecution for the profession of the Gospel and bearing the fruits of the Spirit Doe ye thinke the Scripture saith in vain the spirit that dwelleth in you lusteth to envie That is that the best having yet the seed and remains of every sinne in them and so of envie the spirituall part in you or the spirit dwelling in you is put to continuall work and warre by strivings and lustings to keep in the motions of your hearts from these sins For as there is a sinfull lusting of the flesh against the Spirit So there is a gracious lusting of the Spirit against the flesh Gal. 5. 17. one worke whereof there named by the Apostle is envying vers 21. with all it's attendants According to this interpretation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to envy hath the sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Against envy which is an allowed signification of the Greek preposition And so to lust notes that hostile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pugâ—are contra aliquem opposition vvhich the holy Ghost raises in the Saints against envie implying that even they are subject to envie as vvell as others M. Calvin renders the text interrogatively Doth the spirit that dwelleth in us lust to envy Ye speak of the Spirit of God and ye say ye have the Spirit is this a work that looks like the vvorking of the Spirit What is the Spirit of God that dwels in you or which you pretend dwels in you a spirit of envie Nothing lesse the Spirit of God breaths other thoughts and teacheth other lessons That Spirit which is truly liberall cannot be envious He that giveth freely to all would not have us envie those to whom he gives more freely then to our selves Or he that giveth us more doth not envie us for what we have v. 7. But he giveth more grace If any receive not more from him it is because they are unfit to receive not because he is unwilling to give God indeed resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble A proud man would have all to himself he thinks the vvhole vvorld must serve his ends and therefore God opposeth him in his vvay Submit your selves therefore to God be sure you pray under God and not above him Many a man when his bodie lies low before God hath his spirit above God He that seeks himself in prayer to God sets himself above God to vvhom he praies A thought of vvhich was the devils first entertainment His first suggestion was Ye shall be as gods Nothing makes us so unlike creatures especially so unlike new creatures as a desire of such likenesse unto God And vvhile we would be nigh him in making our own way or in being our own end vve depart furthest from him Be carefull then to resist this devil of self-seeking and resist him most when ye are seeking unto God Resist this devil by fleeing from your selves and he will flee from you Having thus put the devil to flight you may draw nigh to God with this confidence that he will draw nigh to you That 's the second point proposed the promise of mercy or the fruit of our drawing nigh to God Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you I will not handle this later part doctrinally but onely as an argument to provoke your spirits to draw nigh to God upon his gracious condiscention to draw nigh to you There is much oratory in this promise vvho can expresse how drawing and attractive it is to hear that God will draw nigh unto us God will draw nigh What 's that We may interpret it by what he spake before Ye ask and receive not If God draw nigh you shall ask and receive you shall have your petition So it is expounded Deut. 4. 7. What Nation is there so great that hath God so nigh to them as the Lord our God is in all things we call upon him for That is he readily gives us all things we call upon him for On the contrary The not hearing of prayer is the departure of God So the complaint of Saul teaches us 1 Sam. 28. 15. God is departed from me and answereth me no more neither by Prophets nor by dreams When God puts out and acts mercie or power for us he draws nigh unto us Ps 75. 1. For that thy Name is neer thy wondrous works declare Gods works speak where he is when we see some wickednesse acted we may say It is a sign who hath been here we may see such have been here by the spoil they have made we may read the Agents names upon their actions So when we see great noble and glorious works though all men should be silent yet such vvorks have a voice to proclaim their Authour The finger of God is here I might shew you how every topick yeelds us a perswasive argument to desire this presence of God with us First A necessario from the necessity of it We have no need of many creatures they are but conveniencies to us We have no absolute need of any creature God can be now as he will be hereafter All in all unto us God is enough to us without any creature but no creature can be any thing to us without God God and all that he hath made is not more then God without any thing which he hath made Secondly Ab utili All our profit comes in vvith God He that hath the fountain hath the stream He that hath the Sun cannot want light He that ows the silver and golden mines cannot want treasure God is fountain sunne and mine
prayer Communion with God is better then all things for which we have communion with him Prayer is better then any worldly thing we pray for This means is better then the end and God to whom we pray is better then any spirituall thing we pray for This object is better then any end It is the highest reward the very wages which the Saints look for in these duties to finde God in them Psal 65. 4. Blessed is the man whom thou chusest and causest to approach unto thee Where were these approaches made The next words shew us where That he may dwell in thy Courts we shall be satisfied with the goodnesse of thy house even of thy holy Temple We shall be satisfied Is it any wonder to see a man delight in satisfying goodnesse What is it that any man desires but satisfaction What is heaven but satisfaction The reason why the world is so much desired is because it gives so little satisfaction Men still hope for further satisfaction And the reason why holy things are desired is because they give so much satisfaction The Saints never think they have enough of them because they ever finde enough in them In heaven and heavenly things satisfaction and appetite are perpetually interchangeable We shall be satisfied with the goodnesse of thy house even of thy holy Temple Unlesse carnall men finde satisfaction in their own houses they finde none in Gods Temple-comforts please them not unlesse they may have their fill of Kitchin-comforts And here 's the reason why carnall men and hypocrites who formally approach unto God in these duties are so soon weary of them for unles they receive some outward sensible it may be sensuall advantage some present pay unles they thrive in worldly things they thinke their labour lost and their time too To what purpose is this waste They know not what you mean by the goodnesse of Gods House they understand not this language Hence that cry Isa 58. 2. Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not What was it that troubled them What that God was not neer them No but because creature-comforts and successes were not neer them Prayer brought no money into their purses nor peace into their State Now the Saints are never weary of prayer and fasting though they pine and starve at them because they finde God in them in whom they are feasted with sweet wine and various dishes of delight when the world yeelds them not a cup of cold water or a bit of bread God alone is enough and all him they finde vvhen they finde nothing These heavenly Epicures feed fat and full on Christ and drinke large draughts of the wine of his consolation when they have no more in the creature then Dives had in hell not a drop of vvater to cool their tongues Thirdly If these duties be a drawing nigh to God I beseech you consider whether you intend them so or no. Doe you draw nigh to God when you pray and hear Have you been nigh to God this day We are in the exercise of the point we are speaking of It would be sad if any soul should be farre from God in that duty where the whole businesse is to draw nigh to God It is ill to be absent from God at any time but then worst vvhen vve seem to come into his presence It is possible to have God in our mouths and not at all in our thoughts to have God at our tongues end and our hearts at the vvorlds end A man may be as farre from God at a prayer as at a play As farre from God at a holy fast as at a drunken feast Thus the Lord charged his ancient people Isa 29. 13. This people draw neer me with their mouth and with their lips they doe honour me but have removed their heart far from me So the Prophet Jer. 12. 2. Lord thou art nigh in their mouth but thou art farre from their reins O that such might be awakened out of this sinfull sleep as Jacob out of his naturall and forced to cry out as he Surely God is in this place and we knew it not Gen. 28. 16. If it shall be asked How may vve draw nigh to God I vvould answer these three things about it 1. We must have a right vvay 2. We must have a right staff of strength 3. We must have the right steps to draw neer to God Your vvay your staffe your steps must be considered First If you would draw nigh to God look to your vvay and exercise faith about it The way is Jesus Christ I saith he am the way the truth and the life no man commeth unto the Father but by me Joh. 14. 6. There is no choice of waies to God if we misse one we have missed all The Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did by the which we draw nigh unto God Heb. 7. 19. What is that better hope Christ the object hoped for is this hope our hope depends so much on him for the best things that he is our better hope by which with assurance we may draw nigh unto God That 's the Apostles encouragement Heb. 10. 19. Having therefore brethren boldnesse to enter into the holiest by the bloud of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us thorow the vail that is to say his flesh Let us draw neer with true hearts Secondly The staffe of â—â—rength by which vve draw nigh to God is the holy Ghost Edifie your selves in your most holy faith Jude v. 20. Praying in the holy Ghost so we translate others thus Praying by the holy Ghost that is by the power of the holy Ghost For Rom. 8. We know not what to pray as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercesâ—ion for us with groans that cannot be uttered As it is the office of Christ to intercede with God for us So it is the office of the holy Ghost to make those intercessions in us which vve put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Particula 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad nos laborantes resertur quorum tamen vis omnis ab eâ— spiritu proficiscitur qui ficut nos penitus collapsos erexit ita etiam erectos regit ideoque diciâ—ur ipse vicissim onâ—â— attollere ex altera parte ne sub eo satiscamus Beza up to God All the prayers which prevail with God are formed vvrought and fashioned in our hearts by the Spirit of God There are no prayers in our hearts The prayers vvhich goe to God come from him The burden of prayer as well as that of sin is too heavy for us to bear Therefore it is said in the beginning of the verse The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities The Greek word signifies to help as a nurse helpeth the little childe upholding it by the arm or as a weak decrepid old man is upholden by his staff Or rather The Spirit helpeth together for so much the composition of the
Of a challenge and so the Prophet doth as it were dare those people to whom he speaks in the Name of the Lord. The Lord will doe thus unto thee and seeing he will doe so prepare to meet thy God muster thy forces and gather all thy strength harden thy heart and set thy face against God see how thou canst make thy part good against him In that sense the word is used Luk. 14. 31. What King going to make warre against another King sitteth not down first and consideretâ— whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that commeth against him with twenty thousand To meet him is to fight with him to undertake him in the field So saith the Prophet God hath gathered his Army he is comming against you see now if you be able to fight a battell with him Dare you meet him in the field Thus it speaks a challenge It is likewise the language of an humble supplication so most interpret that place seeing the Lord will doe thus O Israel Prepare to meet thy God put on thy mourning weeds take up a lamentation get thy petition ready go forth upon thy knee and beseech him to spare thee So Abigail met David when he marched with a resolution to destroy Nabal and his Family the noble spirited woman came forth and met David what to doe Not to contend with him but to supplicate him 1 Sam. 25. 23 24. Praying is such a meeting with God When Saul prevailed in battell against the Philistinâ—s he had thoughts to prosecute his victorie and attempt them a second time Let us goe down saith he after the Philistines by night and spoyl them and let us not leave a man of them Let us rally again and rout them quite the people answer Doe whatsoever seems good unto thee renew the battell if thou pleasest Stay saith the Priest be not too hasty it is good to aske counsell and a blessing of God before we venture Then said the Priest let us draw neer hither unto God that is let us pray and by Vrim and Thummim enquire of the Lord what his minde is in this thing he expresses that dutie of advising with God under this notion of drawing neer unto God Hence it is that ordinances of worship are called the face or presence of God Cursed Cain complains in such a language Gen. 4. 14. Behold thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth that is from the society of men and from thy face shall I be hid that is I shall not be admitted to offer sacrifice with hope of acceptance any more Hence it is said at the 16. verse that Cain went out from the presence of the Lord that is he went like a man excommunicated and banished from the Church of God and the meetings of his publike worship The worship of the Jews is called an appearing before God Exod. 23. 17. David breathes out his desires in the same expression When shall I come and appear before God Psal 42. 2. And in his song of thanksgiving his spirit rises to this strain 1 Chron. 16. 29. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his Name Bring an offering and come before him worship the Lord in the beauty of holinesse And if so we see first that is a priviledge which most account a burthen Holy duties are lifted at as burthens and the carnall heart cries out What a wearinesse Mal. 1. 13. They are burdens indeed but upon no other true account then as honour is a burden When we pray we draw nigh to God Is it no honour to draw nigh to great Princes and to be admitted into the presence of a King Will any reckon this a wearinesse Were our hearts spiritualized every time we pray we would look upon our selves as admitted into the presence chamber of the King of Heaven and we should say as Jacob at Bethel of every place we pray in This is no other neither better nor worse then the house of God this is the gate of heaven Gen. 28. 17. Prayer is the true Jacobs ladder set upon the earth and the top of it reaching Heaven by which we ascend to God and God descends to us The Queen of Sheba counted it a high favour to stand before Solomon and she envied his servants whose attendance gave them that priviledge When the Apostle had said that circumcision which is outward in the flesh was nothing a Question is started in the next words What then is the advantage of the Jew And what is the profit of circumcision He answers Much every way chiefly Because to them were committed the Oracles of God The Jews kept the records they were Masters of those Rolls which God sent from heaven these occasion'd their frequent recourses to God and advisings with him this made them a people nigh to God this was the chief advantage of the Jew the profit of circumcision Christ saith Mat. 11. 27. that Capernaum was a City exalted upto heaven Why lifted up to heaven The Gospel was preached there which might have drawne them nigh to God this was their exaltation to heaven to be exalted to heaven is the greatest exaltation When that ambitions Monarch Isa 14. 13. would let out his spirit of pride to the utmost and shew the very head of that monster heresolves thus I will ascend to heaven I will exalt my throne above the starres of God Mortall man could not imagine higher then heaven Capernaum was exalted up to heaven she had more then any worldly honour by the enjoyment of that ordinance the preaching of the Gospel While God vouchsafeth any people such meetings as these he exalts them to heaven O take heed your hearts be not found groveling upon the earth take heed you doe not thinke it a hell a pain a vexation to be in God-approaching and man-exalting duties I know wearinesses will be upon the flesh there are weaknesses and distempers there but chide them away entertain them not number it among your choisest priviledges to converse with God Secondly Learne whence it is that the Saints so highly prize and delight in these duties The world wonders what they finde in them where the sweetnesse what the comfort is what secret golden mines they finde in these diggings when themselves finde nothing but burdensome stones and clay The reason is because the Saints draw nigh to God in these duties and they that draw nigh to God cannot but finde great treasures they that meet with God meet with all delights Davids soul was a thirst for God for the living God not for a Kingdome Psal 42. 2. And the one thing which he desired of the Lord was that he might dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of his life It was good being there Why What because of any incomes from the world No this is it That I may behold the beauty of the Lord. If a soul gets a sight of God in prayer it hath enough in
vvord implies And then it is a Metaphor taken from one who is to lift a weight too heavie for him and therefore cals another to lend him his hand Thus the holy Ghost lends us his hand or is as a staff in our hand to uphold and strengthen us in this weighty worke in this heavenly walke of our souls towards God Thirdly Look to the steps There are seven steps and you shall have them almost in so many words by which we draw neer to God 1. The sense of our own vvants We never come neer the fulnesse of God till we know our owne emptinesse He that is full lâ—atheth a honey-comb and he vvho thinks he is full though none are so empty as he shall never have his emptinesse filled He filleth the hungry with good things and sendeth the rich empty away The vvhole have no need of a Physician and though none have so much need as they vvho say they are vvhole yet these shall not be healed The second step is a sense of our own utter inability to supply our vvants yea and of the inability of all the creatures under heaven and in heaven too vvithout God Psal 73. 25 26. Whom have I in heaven but thee And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever David having thus protested against the expectation of help from any creature in heaven or earth vvithout or vvithin himself and laid all his help upon him that is mighty findes his soul in a fit frame to approach to God v. 28. It is good for me to draw neer to God The third step is a sense of our unworthinesse that God should supply our vvants or give us any help When Jacob vvas so nigh God that he had him by the shoulders and wrestling with him held him so fast that he vvould not let goe his hold till he had a blessing yet he had quite let goe any hold yea or opinion of his own worthinesse to receive a blessing 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. or Iam lesse then the least of all thy mercies Then we are fit to receive great things from God when we are little in our own eyes We cannot come neer the high God but with low thoughts of our selves The proud he beholdeth afar off and they are afar off The fourth step is an acknowledgement of the power and alsufficiency of God to help us We cannot draw nigh to God without such actings of faith towards God Heb. 11. 6. He that commeth to God must believe that God is What 's that Is it only this that God hath a being No it is this That God hath his being in himself That God is God that is that God can doe what he pleaseth that God hath an all-sufficiency in himself for himself and an all-sufficiency for us He needs no creature and he is enough for every creature The fifth step is That the Lord is willing and ready to help us God cannot bear it that any should come before him with doubtfull thoughts of him either in regard of his power or of his willingnesse We honour him most when we expect most from him He that commeth to God must believe that God is and what else That he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him He hath not said to the seed of Jacob seek ye me in vain The sixth step is to believe not only that there is a willingnesse in God to help his people but that he is willing to help in that particular case we petition him about That 's the Apostles meaning Heb. 10. 27. Let us draw neer to God with a true heart and full assurance of faith In what assurance Even in this That we shall be answered in what we ask As faith must mingle with every word of command or promise which God speaks to us else it will not profit us So faith must mingle with every word of prayer which we speak to God or else it will not profit us The Apostle James puts a particular instance Chap. 1. 5 6. If any of you lack wisdome let him ask of God c. and it shall be given him but let him ask in faith nothing wavering The seventh step is Boldnesse or freedome of speech with God Holy boldnesse is the highest act of faith and the highest step of the soul When we are come to this step we are at Gods side as I may speak with reverence and we stand as it were at his elbow The Favourites place then we speak with God as God spake with Moses Exod. 23. 11. Face to face as a man speaketh to his friend This the Apostle invites us to doe Heb. 4. 16. Let us come boldly to the throne of grace Boldnesse would not sute well at any throne but a throne of grace And when we are come thither and come boldly thither grace can step no higher our next step is into glory Thus I have briefly opened who the way is what the staff and vvhich be the steps by vvhich vve draw nigh to God Give me leave now to shew you vvhat the effects of such drawing nigh to God will be It cannot be vve should draw nigh to God by Christ the way by the holy Ghost our staff by such steps as these the sense of our vvants of our vveaknes of our unworthinesse the sight of the power of God and of his vvillingnes to give vvith faith that he vvill give and boldnesse to ask but great effects vvill be vvrought in us and appear upon us I shall give you an account of four 1. If any draw thus nigh to God their neernesse to him vvill cause their likenesse to him A soul cannot stand so nigh a holy God vvithout receiving stamps and tinctures of holinesse Till vve have somewhat of the image of God upon us vve cannot come at all to him and vvhen vve come vve receive more of that image In every ordinance vve may have a vision of God by faith Vision here assimulates as well as in heaven The Apostle treating of Gospel-ordinances concludes this 2 Cor. 3. 18. We all as in a glasse with open face beholding the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. It is impossible to look on God and not be like him Jacobs sheep conceived according to the colour of the Rods that lay in the troughs our conceptions vvill be like our visions So then if in these duties you see God and know vvho God is vvith vvhom you have to doe in them you vvill be holy as God is holy pure as he is pure and just as he is just in all manner of conversation This is a proof to purpose that you have prayed and fasted Moses vvas nigh God
of all good things Each creature in it's best estate is but a particular good All creatures are not an universall good The One-most God is all good Thirdly Ab honesto nothing so honourable to man as his relation to God It is an honour to a mean man when a great Prince vvho is but a man in a greater letter will be pleased to visit and draw nigh to him Is it a small matter that the Prince of the Kings of the earth visits us and will dwell with us in our smoaky cottages Fourthly A jucundo It is joy and delight unspeakable to have God neer us The joy of heaven as was toucht before is this the presence of God look how much you have of the drawings nigh of God upon earth so much you have of heaven upon earth The grace of glorie is this We shall ever be with the Lord The glorie of grace is this that God will ever be with us that 's the promise I will never leave thee nor forsake thee I vvill stick as close to thee as thy cloathes to thy back or as thy skin to thy flesh Take the weight and blessing of this priviledge a little more distinctly and enlargedly 1. Consider who draws nigh to you when God draws nigh to you His descriptions to help faith are made to our senses He is a sun and a shield a strong tower and a deliverer Then comfort and protection draw nigh us when God draws nigh us He is the God of battell for our Armies in the field and he is the God of wisdome for our counsels at home Whatsoever the creature is or wants God is and hath eminently All the world will be nothing to us or against us if we have and know we have God nigh us For as when God looks into himself he speaks of the vvhole vvorld though the work of his own hands as vanity or as nothing All Nations before him are as nothing and they are counted to him lesse then nothing and vanity Isa 40. 17. What was the Lord six daies about nothing or did he make a peece of vanity Emptinesse and vanitie vvas the state of the Chaos before God fashioned and moulded it up into this beautifull fabrick wherein we breathe How unlike is this account to that first account which God made of the world who casting up the severall parcels makes this totall sum Gen. 1. 3â— And God saw every thing which he had made and behold it was very good True so it was as it came out of his hands and so it is still excepting only those cracks and flaws made by the sin of man but yet when the Lord looks upon his own infinite perfections then he saith of all his works They are nothing and lesse then nothing vanity The greatest works of God are nothing to the great God Now as God himself in the contemplation of and reflection upon his own greatnesse nothings the whole world So vvhen our souls are raised up to contemplate who God is and can get into the treasures of that glorie and excellencie vvhich are in God the vvorld is nothing in our eyes and though vve have to do in tansacting the greatest affairs and be advanced to the greatest dignities of the vvorld yet after our thoughts have been a vvhile vvith God vve thinke vve have been but pedling all the while about vanities and nothings When the great God is neer us the greatest things are little to us When those unbelieving Israelites vvho were sent to espy and search the land of Canaan saw the sons of Anak those mighty Giants they looked on themselves but as Grashoppers in their sight What Grashoppers vvill the highest of believing mankinde thinke themselves when the mighty God stands by them And the true reason why the vvorld is great in our eyes is because God is so little vve usually frame up mean notions of God we make God a poor God and vve frame high notions of the vvorld vve make the vvorld a rich vvorld Labour to know vvho God is and the vvorld vvill be to you as it is and be esteem'd by you as it deserves a vanity a nothing Secondly When God draws nigh to you all good draws nigh to you Good cannot stay behinde if God come his presence is the grant of all your holy petitions You have as much in God as your thoughts can grasp and there is infinitely more in him then your thoughts can grasp Further unlesse God draw nigh to you what ever good draws nigh to or clings about you will prove an evil to you Though all creatures hang about you and offer you their service they can doe you no good except God be with you in the enjoyment of them The cleaving and clinging of creatures to you vvill be but as the clinging and cleaving of the Ivie to the Oak to draw out your sap and strength it can be no otherwise though they hug and imbrace you heartily Armies cannot help you without God your own armies cannot no nor the armies of your Brethren and Confederates Not only shall not Armies of Egyptian help you vvithout God but Armies of Israelites shall not Yea though they be armies of the best strain of Israelites every one a Nathanael an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile Your owne Counsels cannot help vvithout God no nor your fasts and praiers The Covenant cannot help you without God no nor the very Gospel What is it to have the Gospel preached and God not in the Gospel Can vvords alone convert you Can vvords comfort you The meer letter of the Gospel kils as vvell as of the Law The Spirit quickens in both If then God draw not nigh to you go weep over all creature-helps vveep over your Armies over your confederacies over your counsels yea vveep over your fasts your prayers your Covenant your Gospel if God should not draw nigh miserable comforts helplesse helpers are they all Thirdly If God do not draw nigh to you all manner of evils will you vvill be encompast vvith snares and fears round about It is said of Saul 1 Sam. 16. that vvhen the Spirit of God departed from him an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him When the good God and his good Spirit depart from us evil spirits will rush in and throng upon us the spirit of envie and of malice the spirit of division and distraction the spirit of jealousie and suspition the spirit of profanenesse and contempt of holy things Such spirits vvill put all out of order and trouble all It vvas most sad to Saul when God left him vve read him going to consult vvith a vvitch vvhen God vvas gone 1 Sam. 28. Man must have somewhat beyond himself man cannot rest upon his own center vvhen God is departed he vvill to the devil because he thinks the devil above himself in wisdome and in power therefore Saul vvill hear vvhat a vvitch an oracle of hell can say and how vvofull a complaint doth