shews the vanity of this hope in that rich man in Hell Luke 16. 25. and by telling us that it is that they shall be destroyed for ever Psal 92. 7. Gods end in prospering such in the world is like Hesters end in feasting Haman Another grounds his hope that he shall have heaven hereafter because he hath had his Hell through afflictions in this life But such consider not what the Word saith concerning Sodom and Gomorrah Jude 7. Suffering the vengeance of eternal fire What misery wicked impenitent sinners suffer here is but a beginning and pledge to them of Hell hereafter Another grounds his hope upon his Christian priviledges and performances But this is plentifully refuted in Scripture by Johns speech to the Pharisees Mat. 3. 9. and Pauls to the Romans Rom. 2. 28. and concerning himself Phil. 3. 7. Others ground their hope upon Gods mercy though they continue in their sins This indeed is a good reason for hope in those that confesse and forsake their sin Prov. 28. 13. But for those that abuse this mercy to the hardning of themselves in sin by it see how the Lord thunders against such in Deut. 29. 19 20. Others ground their hope upon their own self-flattering and self-deceiving thoughts of themselves Such may see their own folly and madnesse by what the Scripture saith in Prov. 28. 26. and Gal. 6. 3. Let all such and the like renounce their ungrounded hope which like that broken reed of Aegypt Isa 36. 6. will at once both fail them and ruin them Till you have an interest in God and Christ as your portion you are without hope Eph. 2. 12. Therefore the first work of the Spirit in the soul by the Gospel and one great end of the ministry thereof is to make way for true faith and hope by casting down those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reasonings and bringing into Captivity every thought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every sophistical reasoning to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 5. Vse 2. For Exhortation to believers being under temptations and afflictions whether outward or inward to improve the reasons which faith supplieth for the quickening and strengthening of their hope in God For in such times faith is put to it to use reasons Indeed the soul needeth not that help so much when it is in a clear and quiet state for upon its close and sweet communion with God in Christ and from some likenesse between the renewed soul and God it presently and without praevious discourse runneth to God as by a supernatural instinct as by natural instinct the child runneth to his natural parents in danger and distresse with confidence But in dark times of great afflictions and temptations faith is put to use Arguments and reasons to quicken and strengthen hope Accordingly study the grounds of hope and improve them for your help 1. Such as may be supplied from the inward store laid up in the soul as the Church did in my Text. 2. Such as are or may be suggested by others Harken and yield to them and close with them For thus you will shew that you have a frame of spirit suitable to any holy and comfortable truth that shall be presented and applied to it There is a principle in every renewed spirit that closeth with whatever commeth from Gods spirit that readily claimes acquaintance and kindred with it as comming from the same blessed spring the holy Spirit When Asaph found the contrary in himself that his soul refused comfort and he remembred God and was troubled Psal 77. 23. he saw and said this is mine infirmity ver 10. He saw that it arose from a sicknesse a spiritual disease and distemper in his soul While passion and temptation disturbe the soul they hinder the exercise of spiritual reason As we see in David who said in his haste all men are liars Psal 116. 10 11. This he saw afterward when his spiritual reason had recovered it self which before by his distemper was hindred in its working then he admired God for his benefits toward him notwithstanding his provocation of him to have taken a contrary course with him ver 12. Labour therefore 1. That your mind which is the seat of principles be well furnished with divine and spiritual truths For false principles can never produce true comforts As onely truth sanctifieth Joh. 17. 17. So truth onely truly comforteth There is the same reason of both For it is the peculiar office of the Holy Spirit both to sanctifie and to comfort And the Holy spirit is the Spirit of Truth Ioh. 16. 13. Therefore he will not work by a falshood but onely by Truth either sanctification or consolation 2. See that your understanding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the dianoetical discoursing faculty which is the seat of conclusions be used to deduce from spiritual principles such spiritual conclusions as they are apt to beget For by false reasonings in times of affliction and temptation 1. Believers hinder their faith and hope when they reason too much from sense and present feeling Isa 40. 27. and 49. 14. Ezek. 33. 10. 2. Others have false comforts from the light of a fire kindled by themselves Isa 50. 11. But if renouncing such reasonings you flie to Christ and his righteousnesse alone for your acceptance with God through faith in his blood with true repentance then you may reason with God Isa 1. 18. though not in your own strength or worth Iob 9. 14 15. yet you may reason with him in faithful fervent prayer in Gen. 2. 10 11. 12. whereby he prevailed and got both a new blessing and a new name ver 28. Fervent prayers are strong reasonings with God in Christs strength and for his sake This will be well pleasing to God For as when God cals for our obedience he adds perswasives to his precepts and reasoneth with us as well as commandeth us so he allowed us in prayer to add perswasions to our petitions and to reason with him as well as intreat him Onely it must be our care that we reason from right Topicks and heads of Arguments Such as these 1. From the infinitenesse and freenesse of Gods merccy and grace 2. From the immutable firmnesse of his Covenant and promises in Christ 3. From our indigence and dependance upon him 4. From the concernments of his glory and our necessary good In such reasonings of faith and hope the spirit strength and life of prayer consisteth Such pleadings in the name of Christ God approveth and requireth Isa 43. 26. 3. See that the heart which is the seat of practical knowledge be fitted to order the conversation and practice by sound principles in the mind and right conclusions in the understanding that mental discourse may not vanish in meer empty speculation As in my Text The Lord is my portion is the principle laid up in their mind saith my soul is the proof it the conclusion to be from thence inferred is Therefore it is my duty to hope
God amiable to man who were enemies before by the sin of man 4. That God in Christ is fatherly towards believers in all his Attributes whereby he is described in Exod. 34. 6 7. and other Texts of Scripture all which are in God essential and therefore eternal and infinite 5. That God acteth all these his excellencies by his fatherly providence governing and ordering all things for the good of his people so powerfully that Satan and his instruments in seeking to crosse his revealed will shall and do fulfil his secret will to their own confusion This providence extends as far as the creation all things even the most casual and most disordered things sins and the most free actings of men are ordered by it so that God doth sometimes great things by weak means disabling more likely means Eccles 9. 11. Sometimes without means and sometimes crossing the course of means And when evil is intended God either wholly averts it or limits and bounds it in regard of measure Psal 129. 3. 4. or of continuance Psal 125. 3. Hereby also he causeth and ordereth a cessation of actions that some shall not favour us and others shall want wisdom and ability to help us from Gods with-drawing his concurrence who hath sufficient reason as well not to do what he doth not as to do what he doth The right knowledge of God in his Being is necessary to the well-laying the ground-work of this hope as conducing unto the preparatory purposes and uses 1. To silence all disputes and murmurrings This made Aaron hold his peace Lev. 10. 2 3. And David not to open his mouth Psal 39. 9. 2. To cause the soul to resigne up a mans self to the will of God who worketh all things according to the counsel of his will Eph. 1. 11. So it wrought in Ely 1 Sam. 3. 18. in David 2 Sam. 15. 26. and in the Saints Acts 21. 14. 3. To quicken us to inure our selves to do Gods will that we may be fit to suffer it For passive obedience springs from active Then are mens wills in right order when as God is the highest so his will hath the highest place in our hearts when they are willing to do what God commands to suffer what God inflicts and to be at Gods dispose when this stayeth our hearts in all events that they are in covenant with him who sits at the Stern and hath committed all power to our Redeemer who hath our names in his brest-plate and on his shoulders The second principle to be looked at in God that our hope may be well built on him is a principle of knowing This principle is the written Word whereby God makes himself and his will known unto us without which we have no good ground or warrant to build our hope upon God But that his people may thus hope in him with strong encouragement He gives us his Word that thereby we may know his good thoughts and purposes towards us which is a sufficient ground of hope it being the Word of him that cannot lie and not onely his bare Word but a binding Word his promises which are free expressions of his love with engagement of it unto us nor onely Promises but his Covenant founded upon a full satisfaction made to his justice by our Redeemer as the head of the Covenant and thereunto hath added his Oath Hob. 6. 18. and Seals both outward Rom. 4. 11. and inward Eph. 1. 13. and all this he hath done that our hope might be built upon a strong foundation that believers might be supported in all tempests Isa 54. 9. 10 11. 2. Having such a strong foundation well laid our next duty is to build strongly upon it Which that you may do attend to these directions 1. See that you trust and hope in God by light and strength received from himself 1. By divine light not by meer humane reasons For none can so know God in his truth and goodnesse as to trust and hope in him but by his own light revealing himself to the soul by his Word and Spirit as none can see the Sun but by its own light Psal 36. 9. 2. The divine power must accompany this light For neither education nor examples of others nor our own resolutions can settle our hearts upon God till we find an inward power and authority causing divine truths to shine into our hearts and subduing all our reasonings and thoughts unto the obedience of faith onely that soul which hath found the efficacy of the spirit by the Word in casting it down and raising it up and renewing it can hope in God aright for things of God them and not before a man chooseth God for his portion and cleaveth to him as his chief good then and not before the sweetnesse of Gods love is let into the soul and rellished by it which draweth the whole soul to trust and hope in him Psal 9. 10. 3. Suit the Promises to your several conditions For what ever condition of life any believer is or can be in he hath Promises in the Word suitable to it whether present or possible 1. At present what ever difficulties or impossibilities as to second causes and means appear to sense or reason faith lifteth up the soul above them all to look unto the Promises and power of God and thereby quickneth and strengthenth our hope in him Rom. 4. 19 20 21. Heb. 11. 27. 2. Possible The Saints have found great help to their faith and hope by putting cases and answering their own hearts therein from Gods all-sufficiencies So David Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear none evil for thou art with me Psal 23. 4. Again Though an Host should encampe against me my heart should not fear Psal 27. 3. Again God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble therefore we will not fear though the earth be removed and though the Mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea though the Waters thereof roar Psal 46. 1 2 3. Paul excellently puts other cases of an higher nature than these and triumphs over them all in the unchangeablenesse of Gods love to believers in Christ Rom. 8. 38 39. 3. When your hope is quickened by the Promises look unto God with a single eye trusting and hoping in him alone To trust upon two props of which one is sound the other rotten is the ready way to fall Make use of all helps which God gives you but hope in him alone For hoping in God is a part of that natural worship of God injoyned in the first Commandement which belongs to God alone Mat. 4. 20. and thus to have our eyes towards God alone is the proper effect of true conversion Isa 17. 7 8. 4. See that the dispositions of your spirits be answerable to the relations you have to God when he becomes your portion and the object of your hope He hath 1. The relation of a faithful Creator and
THE SAINTS ANCHOR-HOLD IN ALL Storms and Tempests Preached in Sundry SERMONS And Published for the Support and Comfort of Gods People in all times of Tryal By John Davenport B. D. sometime Minister of Stephens Coleman-street London and now Pastor of the Church of Christ in New-Haven in New-England Heb. 6. 18. Lay hold upon the Hope set before us 19. Which hope we have as an Anchor of the soul both sure and steadfast and which entreth into that within the vail 20. Whither the forerunner is for us entred even Jesus made an High-Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedech LONDON Printed by W. L. for Geo. Hurlock and are to be sold at his Shop at Magnus Church corner in Thames-street 1661. The PREFACE To the Christian Reader AS the whole Creation hath groaned ever since its original subjection unto Vanity earnestly expecting the manifestation of the Sons of God so more especially in these latter dayes the travelling pains thereof have encreased as presages of its approaching Deliverance The vanity of it hath alwayes been great but the Experimental Discoveries thereof never more than now In this case it is the wisdome of a Christian to secure to himself an Interest in a Portion as sufficient and permanent as Jehovah that never changeth A greater than which cannot be procured This may and a less will never satisfie By this men live indeed and in this is the Life of a Christian That the Lord's Portion are his People addeth nothing to him that is alsufficient to himself but that the Lord is their Portion is all in all to them And this is the foundation of their Hope and Comfort For here we are all embarqued in a Vessel sometimes caught with Windes sometimes covered with Waves and should soon be at our wits end but for this sure and steadfast ancre which entreth into that within the Vail Now that Portion and this Hope grounded on it are the Churches and a Christians support in the midst of their lamentations For the Church at this time was driven from Jerusalem Zion Temple Temple-Ordinances and native Place of residence greatly afflicted and tossed with Tempests This is only remaining that she hath God for her portion and Hope for her Anchor never to be taken from her And both these are the Subject of the ensuing Discourse seasonable and suitable at all times especially in these last moments of the last Dayes in which God is shaking Heaven Earth and Sea in order to the appearance of the Desire of all Nations As touching the Author of this Treatise in whose heart the Text was written by the finger of God befor the Discourse was penned by his own hand His Piety Learning Gravity Experience Judgment do not more commend him to all that know him than this Work of his may commend it self to them that read it And the consideration of the two hindges on which the Text turneth Faith and Hope their near cognation concomitance usefulness necessity power comfort the first exciting the second the one commensurate with the other is enough to procure from thee the expence of a little time to see and weigh what is here spoken of these most necesâ—ary Helps to Eternall Happiness which will never relinquish the Believer till they have resigned him up to the glorious Vision and fruition of the Objects believed in and hoped for there leâ—â—ing the Soul to the everlasting exercise of never failing Love to God and the Saints in Glory That this holy Faith and Hope in God together with fervent Love to God and one to another may dayly flourish and be confirmed in the hearts and lives of all the Saints on earth till they enter upon their purchased Possession which is the end of their Faith and Hope to the praise of the Glory of God in Glory is the hearty desire and Prayer of Thy Fellow-Brethren in this Faith and Hope William Hooke Joseph Caryl Errata Page 19. Lines 12 and 13. read Causally p. 66. l. ult r. him p. 76. l. 26. r. resolved p. 126. l. 13. r. quietnesse p. 130. l. ult r. grounds p. 134. l. 24. r. There p. 145. l. 18. r. brought p. 151. l. 16. r. notice p. 164. l. 25. r. lust p. 204. l. 4. thereof The Saints ANCHOR-HOLD Lam. 3. 24. The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope in him THis Book is according to the judgment of a godly learned Writer an Abridgment of all Jeremies Sermons from the 13th year of Josias unto the 4th of Joakim and that Book which God commanded Ieremy to write and to cause Baruch to read it publikely upon the day of a Fast kept in the ninth moneth of the fifth year of Iehojakim which afterward Iehudi read unto the King sitting by a fire in his winter house who was so far from repenting that when he had read three or four leaves of it he cut it with a penknife and cast it into the fire till all was consumed and rejected the intercession of some of his Princes that he would not burn it and he commanded to lay hold upon Ieremy and Baruch But God hid them Whereupon the Lord commanded Ieremy to write the Book again with Additions which the same Writer thinks was this Chapter which consisteth of a threefold Alphabet in the Hebrew The Prophet having discharged his offices in labouring to convince the Jews of their sins and to bring them to repentance when he found not the successe he desired he fals to lamenting and weeping for their pride and obstinacy in sin and teacheth them also how to lament their own misery in Captivity and because there was among them a basket of good figges he teacheth them how to exercise faith and hope in the middest of their sorrows Among other passages my Text hath a tendency thereunto which admits a double consideration 1. As a part of a Lamentation 2. As an expression of a free spirit Accordingly I shall handle it first as a part of a Lamentation In verse 17 18. you may see their deep dejection and despondency I said my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord. In vers 19 20 21. you may see how from the good fruit of their affliction in humbling them they gather hope In vers 22 23. they can see mercy in God towards them in their Affliction In my Text they are as men that find rest after their dangers and tossings at Sea by casting Anchor upon firme ground in a safe Harbour The Doctrinal note I collect from the words so considered is this Doct. Though it may be the case of true believers to be greatly dejected for a time yet even then God doth support their spirits and quicken their faith and hope in him To clear this point we must prove two things 1. That it may be the case of true believers to be greatly dejected for a time This may be abundantly confirmed both by the Scriptures in the examples of Iob
from God and from the souls knowing its interest in him as his portion are good and strong reasons for our hoping in him and such are the reasons which the Church in my Text gives of their hoping in God They considered Gods All-sufficiency in himself and to every one that hath him for his portion and what interest themselves had in him through faith in Christ and thereupon conclude therefore will I hope in him So may all believers R. 1. From the inseparable connection of hope with faith Faith believes in Christ and in God through Christ upon Gods authority in his word and what faith believes hope expects The reasons for a believers hoping in God are as good and strong as for his believing in him For as naturally beams come from the Sun and branches from the root so by spiritual discourse one truth issueth from another and as the Sun and its beams the roots and branches are all of one nature so the grounds of comfortable truths and reasons taken from those grounds are both of the same divine authority in themselves Though in us discourse is apt to be so troubled in times of Temptation that we cannot see how one truth ariseth upon another yet so far as faith sees God to be our portion the soul sees good and strong reason for our hoping in him for all good that may suit all our needs in the best season R. 2. From the convincing light which the spirit of God bringeth into the soul when he worketh faith and hope in it It is the office and work of the spirit to convince and by convincing to comfort Joh. 16. 7 8. Conviction is a clear and infallible demonstration and comfort is a demonstration with application unto us of better and stronger reasons to raise us up then those are which tend to cast down our souls When the spirit convinceth he bringeth such a full and powerful light into the soul as silenceth all disputes and cavils and causeth the soul to yeeld as overcome by the evidence and authority of the light and truth brought into it Light hath a convincing property and force in it When we see the light of the Sun we know it is day and will not believe those that shall deny it though they were ten thousands because the convinction hereof is undeniable it is an unreasonable thing to deny it So the spirit of God brings an undeniable light into the soul which discovers the vanity of those windings and turnings whereof mens deceitful hearts are so full that there can be no thorough conviction and effectual to salvation without the efficacy of the Holy Spirit A common conviction there may be by the light of nature or of a natural conscience or of some common transient work of the Holy Spirit but that is but weak For either it discovers but little as a little spark shews little light not enough to lighten the room by overcomming the darknesse and turning it into light or the light which it shews it shews but weakly like a flash of lightning or a blaze in straw that is soon out again But saving convinction is a greater and stronger light like the light of the Sun which is a full and powerful light This is onely from the sanctifying spirit of God This light shewes the evil of sin and the good of the contrary in their spiritual nature and compasse and drawes the will answerably from the one to the other by converting grace Acts 26. 18. This light is abiding in the renewed soul Thus the Church in my Text was convinced and comforted in their great distresse by the spirit and word of God so as they could hold forth good and strong reasons whereupon their hope was strengthened and their hearts were comforted in sad houres Vse 1. For Instruction two-fold 1. Learn hence to examine and trie the reasons whereby you are moved to act whether they they be good or not good reason is a beam of Gods light What comes from God carrieth the soul to God Therefore that which drawes the soul from God cannot be a good reason it is not right reason but falsely called reason it is not from faith but from unbelief not good but evil Heb. 3. 12. Hence no good reason can be given for any sâ—nâ— What ever reasons are pretended for it they are not according to Gods Logick but the Devils Sophistrie Jam. 1. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They deceive themselves with false Syllogismes You may find in Jam. 3. 15. three Topicks from whence all such arguings are fetcht the World the Flesh and the Devil the three great enemies of Gods glory and of Christs Kingdom in us yet they will pretend their good intention for Gods honour when they seek no themselves worldly profits by disobeying Gods commandement So did Saul but Samuel refuted all his false pleas 1. Sam. 15. 21 22 23. See how the Scripture reproves such as encourage themselves to do evil that good may come thereon Rom. 3. 7 8. Job sharply took up his friends for this in Job 13. 7. Will you speak wickedly for God and talk deceitfully for him yet thus the Devill deceiveâ—â— his active instruments against Christ the time commeth saith Christ in Joh. 16. 2. that whosoever killeth you will think be doth God service There are that argue from worldly advantages to encourage men to sin Prov. 1. 13. But Christ shews the pernicious delusion of such reasonings in Mat. 16. 26. others from the pleasure of carnal liberty but Peter shews the falsenesse of that plea in 2 Pet. 2. 19. others from worldly preferment of wicked men Mal. 3. 15. which the Prophet confuteth in verse 18. Some from Gods patience which God himself answereth in Psal 50. 21 22. Such as these are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the reasonings of natural men Rom. 1. 21. which should warn all men to deny their carnal wisdom which is enmity against God Rom. 8. 7. 2. Learn hence to examine and try the goodnesse and strength of the reasons whereupon it is grounded remembring that rule in 1 Pet. 3. 15. Be ready alwayes to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you You say you hope in God If you have no reason for it it s a foolish unreasonable hope If you have but slight reasons it s a vain hope And such is hope of the most one grounds his hope of salvation upon his creation saying I am Gods creature and he hath not made me to damne me Therefore I hope he will save me See the delusion of this plea 1. Are not the Devils Gods creatures yet they are damned 2. Though Gods end in making you was not to damne you yet your impenitency in sin and unbelief will damne you 3. See the Lords own refutation of this plea in Isa 27. 11. Another grounds his hope of blessednesse upon Gods blessing him as he calls it with worldly successe and prosperity But Christ
father sees it to be in â—â—â—dient at that time to grant his request But he will send him a letter a 〈◊〉 a messenger or some friend to visit him he shall see him in them not in his person So God deals many times with his children who desire to see his face to have sensiâ—le demonstrations of his favour and love to them They shall see him in his letters the Scriptures and the Promises or in some token of his love some strength in their souls Psal 138. 3. or in some messenger Job 33. 23. whom he sends to comfort them and his spirit to quicken and strengthen them to wait upon him Object But where the Spirit is there are the fruits of the Spirit and among the rest joy Gal. 5. 22. which I want Answ 1. Take a believer at the worst he hath that joy which he would not part with in exchange for the jocondnesse of worldly men 2. He hath true joy through faith even when he is in heavinesse for a time 1 Pet. 1. 8. he hath it in the root when it doth not sprout forth in leaves because it is winter with him He who desires spiritual joy and grives for the want of it hath true joy in some degree as that man from faith bewailed his unbelief Mark 9. 24. The second way whereby this hope boundeth and moderateth sorrow is by strengthening the soul to stick to right gâ—ounds of true comfort to maintain their joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ as their portion not yielding up their purse to every thief nor suffering themselves to be wrangled out of their right in it If excessive sorrow begins to seize upon the soul of a believer this hope will 1. Quicken him to examine its commission by parlying with his soul and enquiring whether there be good reason a sufficient cause for it or not as David did in Psal 42. 5. 11. and 43. 5. Why art thou cast down O my soul c. For sometimes your sorrow is causelesse and groundlesse and commonly it is so 1. When it is boundlesse For reason will set bounds unto grief but mistakes and mis-apprehensions know no bounds 2. When it is plea-lesse being tried at the bar of right reason or of the judgment of those who are godly-wise Job in a passion challenged God himself to dispute and gives him his choise whether he will oppose or answer he will be for him and fill his mouth with Arguments and doubts not that he shall carry the cause But when God appeared and spake to him Jobs passion vanished and his courage failed and he confessed that he had spoken foolishly and would now lay his hand upon his mouth Compare Job 23. 3 4 5. with Chap. 40. 4 5. and Ch. 42. 2 3 4 5 6. So sometimes a dejected discouraged Christian thinks he hath so much to say against his comfort as will put to silence the best and ablest Ministers But when any judicious Minister or experienced Christian comes to him he hath either nothing to say or nothing of weight but what is full of errour and mistakes Say therefore to your felves in this case as God did to Ionah Doest thou well to be angry Do I well to be thus dejected 2. If there be cause for sorrow 1. Examine whether it be sufficient to justifie such a measure or degree of sorrow or not That sorrow which drives the soul from God which indisposeth it to prayer thanks-giving to the duties of his calling to works of mercy and love that makes him lumpish harsh passionate that sowres and distempers his spirit is excessive and immoderate 2. Examine from what Topicks the Arguments are fetched that are used to justifie such a degree of sorrow The soul of man should not be subjected to sense and feeling or to any way of reasoning but that which is from and according to the Word of God To argue that you have no faith because you are full of doubting that you have no grace because you have strong corruptions is to offend against the generation of Gods children Psal 73. 15. the vanity whereof Asaph saw when he went into the Sanctuary of God So will you if you consult the Scriptures 3. Fly to the God of all comfort 2 Cor. 1. 3. First issue that great question Am I Gods Child or not If not rest not in that state but hasten out of it If yea and thou art so if thou hast his Image then set faith on work 1. Upon Gods all sufficiency and fetch all from heaven which thou wantest on earth 2. Upon his Efficiency 1. Recal to mind what he hath done for thee in times past as Asaph did in Psal 77. 5 6. 2. For the future rest on his bare word and promise which shewes what he will do Account that to be thine which thou hast in grant by the promise as David did Psal 60. 7. God hath spoken in his holinesse I will rejoice c. Gilead is mine c. Thus apply what Christ saith in Mat. 5. 3 4. 5. and the Scripture every where 3. For the present consider what God doth for thee Doth he support thee that thou sinkest not under despair Doth he keep thee in patience and submission to his will by 〈◊〉 Doth he quicken thee to use all good means with waiting upon him Give him the glory of his grace and be encouraged to spread before him in prayer all thy doubts thy feaâ—s thy temptations and wants Phil 4. 6. and with prayer joyn hoping in him and waiting on him Say â—here is mercy in him to pity and power in him to help though I find no comfort yet I hope I shall though my prayers be not yet answered I hope they will be in the best season and I will wait on God till he doth answer them If yet comfort come not improve the communion of Saints and the publick Ordinances as David I will hearken what at God the Lord will speak Psal 85. 8. use men and means but let your hope be fixed upon God onely look to him for comfort who creates the fruits of the lips peace Isa 57. 19. use the communion of the Saints in private also but so as waiting for his manifesting himself to your soul as the Church found he did in Cant. 5. 8. and 6. 3. And if thou canst not find out what particular hinders thy comfort do as men use to do for their bodies when the distemper is general who make an issue to draw the matter to some head pitch upon some particular sin to which thou art most subject by natural inclination or by thy calling or company or the condition of the times and let out the corruption that may Begin repentance there and joyn with it faith in the blood of Christ and so seek reconciliation with God and comfort thereby In thus doing wait on God till he satisfie thy thirsty soul who hath promised that they who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength