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<DATE>2013-05-15</DATE>
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<NAME>Geremy Carnes</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM> x * Review overall document structure and hierarchy, including GROUP TEXT FRONT BODY BACK DIVs x * Proof title page(s). x * Observe divtop and divbottom material marking beginnings and ends of divisions, check that they are correctly tagged as HEADS, HEADNOTE, CLOSER, OPENER, TRAILER, ARGUMENT, EPIGRAPH, SIGNED, DATELINE, BYLINE, etc. x * Look for unobtrusive numerations and other occult signs of structure. x * Add TYPEs to DIVs in order to validate, making sure that the @type structure makes sense as a navigational aide, and that each type makes sense wrt to the one above it. x * Survey book for troublesome formats of all kinds, including lists, illustrations, tables, music, math, end-notes, and parallel texts and quasi-tabular arrangments. Make sure that it was correctly tagged. Decide how much is worth changing. x * Assess marginalia. Notes? Running summaries? Multiple series? Are any of them milestones, headings, or labels? x * Look for FIGUREs, make sure that usable text within them has been captured and correctly tagged (especially: head, q, l, lg, byline). x * Check for GAPs and ABBRs. x * Watch for any part of the book in a diff language. Use appropriate lang attributes. x * Check for "q;" x * Check for ="", ^, I / J, ae / oe, abq, _, LB, --, &amp;c., @, # x * If appropriate, check for yoghs. x * If appropriate, check for units of measure, symbols (alchemical, astronomical, etc.) and the like. x * Do cursory check of completeness of page breaks (and placement relative to DIVs) x * Correct the errors found during proofing. x * Survey the illegibles. decide whether resolving them is feasible or even possible. Use the 100 rule only as a rule of thumb. Resolve those you can. Check &punc; x * Run 'skint' x * Run 'check' x * Run "v' (again) DONE.</ITEM>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
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<P>THE Helmet of Hope, Di&s;tingui&s;hed from the Hope of Hypocrites.</P>
<P>And Publi&s;hed To prevent the danger of Fal&s;e Hope, and to promote the Duty of Living in true Hope of Glory.</P>
<P>WITH An Appendix of the Grounds of Hope, Col|lected in a Catalogue of Promi&s;es and Ex|periences.</P>
<P>By <HI>A. B.</HI> A Mini&s;ter of the Go&s;pel.</P>
<Q><L>The Hypocrite with Hope is vainly Fed,</L>
<L>His Hope's no Helmet, but a Spiders Web.</L>
<L>But Converts know, it is no Idle Story,</L>
<L>That Chri&s;t within, is the true Hope of Glory.</L></Q>
<P><HI>London,</HI> Printed by <HI>J. A.</HI> for <HI>Thomas Parkhur&s;t</HI> at the <HI>Bible</HI> and <HI>Three Crowns</HI> in <HI>Cheap&s;ide</HI> near <HI>Mercers</HI>-Chappel. And are to be Sold by <HI>Obed. Smith</HI> at <HI>Da|ventry</HI> in <HI>Warwick&s;hire,</HI> 1694.</P>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="author to the reader">
<PB REF="3">
<PB REF="3">
<HEAD>THE EPISTLE TO THE READER.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Dear Friend,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>THIS little Book now come to thy Hand, calls for entertainment both for thy Saviours &s;ake, who hath provided Salvation for thee at his own co&s;t; and for thy Souls &s;ake, which therein is much concerned both in Point of Safety and Comfort. Enquire not after the Author, but Study the needful Matter it pre&s;ents unto thee. Though it come in a plain Dre&s;s, without either Top-knot or Ruffles, yet it's Grave and Serious, and may contribute much towards both thy Temporal and Eternal welfare. It was not de&s;igned for Pub|lick &V;&s;e when compo&s;ed, but proved &s;o Sweet in the Meditation, and &s;o acceptable in the Mini|&s;tration, that thereby I was encouraged to &s;end it abroad, to warn the &s;ecure World again&s;t tho&s;e fal&s;e Hopes, that lull Sinners a&s;leep in Security: And to invite all that meet with it to look after
<PB REF="4">that Helmet, that is of &s;o great u&s;e for all Soul|diers that fight under the Banner of the Captain of our Salvation Chri&s;t Je&s;us. And if thou be one of this number, and ha&s;t any skill in the Spiritual warfare; thou wilt in thy own Experience, ac|knowledge the account here given of this piece of our Spiritual Armour. Thou art &s;o well acquaint|ted therewith, and finds in thy &s;elf the fore|thoughts of Glory, made thereby the Joy and De|light of thy Soul: That thou wilt &s;ee, that thou ha&s;t met with an old Fellow-Souldier, that hath been in many a Battle, and &s;till found his Hel|met of Hope his Safeguard, and &s;o admires and valueth it, that he would not part with it for <HI>Paris.</HI> Let me entreat thee to take thy Helmet into thy Hand, and compare it with the Helmet here treated of, and then Mind the &V;&s;e and Ad|vantage of the Helmet of Hope, and if it rai&s;e in thy Heart high thoughts of this great Grace, and more Diligence in the Exerci&s;e of it, I have obtained my end, and Chri&s;t his Glory, who is the Object, Author and offspring of this Hope, with whom we Hope to live in Glory, <HI>Rom. 15.13.</HI> Now that the God of Hope may fill thee and me, with all Joy and Peace in believing, that we may abound in Hope through the Power of the Holy Gho&s;t, is the earne&s;t Prayer of,</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><HI>Daventry,</HI> <DATE>May 21&s;t. 1694.</DATE></DATELINE>
<SIGNED>Thy Fellow Soul|dier and Servant, <HI>AND. BARNET.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
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<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="5" REF="4">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>COL. 1.27. latter end of the <HI>Ver.</HI></BIBL>
<P>&mdash; Chri&s;t within, the Hope of Glory.</P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_THere is a va&s;t difference be|twixt the Effects of Common Providence, and the Fruits of Chri&s;ts Pre&s;ence.</P>
<P N="1">1. The Effects of Common Providence extend to the ju&s;t and to the unju&s;t: We in this Nation have long lived under the Go&s;pel, and hereupon come to be acquainted with the things that be|long to our Peace; 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1.10. for Life and Immortality are brought to Light by the Go|&s;pel: And the Light of the Go&s;pel &s;hining &s;o long among&s;t us by the good Providence of God, hath enlightned the under&s;tandings of many with the common Notions of Chri&s;ti|anity, and the Will following the Dictates of the Under&s;tanding, it hence comes to pa&s;s that a vi&s;ible outward Profe&s;&s;ion of Religion a|bounds among&s;t us. And great numbers there are of Profe&s;&s;ors, that walk in a Track of Du|ty, and Conform to the External part of the true Religion, and have Hope in them&s;elves that all is well with them, and that they &s;hall inherit Glory, when all this is but the Effect
<PB N="6" REF="5">of Common Providence, and they are &s;till of the number of the Fooli&s;h Virgins, that though Virgins, vaunted in their outward Behavior, yet had not a Grain of the Oyl of Grace in the Soul.</P>
<P N="2">2. The Fruits of Chri&s;t his own Pre&s;ence are enjoyed by few, and are the peculiar Pri|viledges of the Ve&s;&s;els of Honour, that Chri&s;t hath Redeemed by his Bloody Sacrifice, <HI>John</HI> 17.2. ver. 6. The&s;e that the Father gave him, are they, to whom he gives Eternal Life: He gave his Life for them, and gives him&s;elf to them: He opens their hearts by his Spirit, and comes in, and takes up his abode with them. And having ca&s;t out the &s;trong Man armed, and &s;et up his own Kingdom in their Souls, that Kingdom that con&s;i&s;ts not in Word, but in Power; and ruling in their Hearts by his Grace and Spirit, they hereby come to enjoy in them&s;elves &s;ure and certain Hopes of Glory. This is called in the Text a Mi&s;tery made ma|nife&s;t to the Saints; its a mi&s;tery in it &s;elf, and to all carnal unregenerated Per&s;ons, but made manife&s;t to the Saints: They and none but they, under&s;tand the meaning of it; and know not only who Chri&s;t is, and what are his Of|fices, and the Benefits thereof; but al&s;o what it is to have Chri&s;t in them, and to live in the enjoyment of &s;o great a Ble&s;&s;ing: And this it is, that is the Ground of their Hope of Glory, to them God hath made known what is the Ri|ches of the Glory of this Mi&s;tery among&s;t the
<PB N="7" REF="5"><HI>Gentiles,</HI> which is <HI>Chri&s;t in them, the Hope of Glory.</HI> Its the Clau&s;e of the&s;e Words that I have cho&s;e to be the Subject of my en&s;uing Di&s;cour&s;e. <HI>Chri&s;t in you, the Hope of Glory.</HI> Wherein we may note,</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>(1.) The Characteri&s;tical Qualification of the Per&s;ons here &s;poke of, <HI>viz. Chri&s;t within.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>(2.) The Con&s;equent Con&s;olation thence ari&s;ing, <HI>viz. The Hope of Glory.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P N="1">1. The Characteri&s;tical Qualification of the Per&s;ons &s;poken of, <HI>viz. Chri&s;t within,</HI> this is the Motto of the true Chri&s;tian; and that that denominates him, not only a Chri&s;tian by Name, but a Chri&s;tian indeed. A true <HI>Na|thanael in whom there is no guile,</HI> a true <HI>I&s;rae|lite,</HI> one by whom Chri&s;t is not only profe&s;|&s;ed, but al&s;o po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed. Chri&s;t is formed in him, and he conformed to him. Its not Chri&s;t without that will &s;erve the turn, but we mu&s;t have Chri&s;t within, living and reigning in our Souls by his Grace and Spirit: Its not Chri&s;t in Heaven, but Chri&s;t in the Heart that con&s;ti|tutes us true Chri&s;tians: Its not talking of Chri&s;t, but entertaining Chri&s;t as King, Prie&s;t and Prophet, that we mu&s;t come up to, if we will become true Chri&s;tians.</P>
<P N="2">2. The Con&s;equen<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> Con&s;olation hence ari|&s;ing, <HI>viz. The Hope of Glory.</HI> Its Chri&s;t in the Soul, that puts the Soul in &s;o hopeful a Condition, and is the true and main ground of the Souls Hope of Glory. And this ground of
<PB N="6" REF="6">
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<PB N="8" REF="7">Hope all &s;uch have, that have Chri&s;t in them; I do not &s;ay, that all &s;uch are a&s;&s;ured of Glory; but this I &s;ay, that all &s;uch are &s;ure of Glory, and ought to live in &s;ure and certain Hope of Glory: In this Ca&s;e, Chri&s;t him&s;elf is the Object and Original of all true Hope of Glo|ry: But its Chri&s;t in the Soul, both in re&s;pect of Union and Communion, that is the off|&s;pring of this Hope of Glory; and Chri&s;t in us, becomes our Hope of Glory two ways: By way of Influence, and by way of Evidence.</P>
<P N="1">(1.) By way of Influence, as when the Soul comes into the Body, it animates it, and by its influence cau&s;eth &s;uch Motions as do a&s;&s;ure the Mother that &s;he is quick with Child, and may live in Hope of being a glad Mother. So when Chri&s;t comes into the Soul by his Spirit, it &s;o influenceth the Soul, and changeth it, that thereby the Soul comes to know and under|&s;tand, that it is a member of Chri&s;t, and an Heir of Glory, and therefore lives in &s;ure and certain Hope of Glory.</P>
<P N="2">(2.) By way of Evidence, the Spirit of Chri&s;t in the Soul, is the Souls Evidence for Heaven, and as great an Evidence as can be had on this &s;ide Heaven, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.9. <HI>Ye are not in the Fle&s;h, but in the Spirit, if &s;o be the Spi|rit of God dwell in you: Now if any Man have not the Spirit of Chri&s;t, he is none of his:</HI> You &s;ee, that the Spirit of Chri&s;t in the Soul, doth Evidence the Souls Intere&s;t in Chri&s;t, and a&s;|&s;ures it, that he is Chri&s;ts, and Chri&s;t is his;
<PB N="9" REF="7">and this Evidence is &s;o Evident, that it fills the Soul with Hopes of Glory: The Soul thus ar|gues with it &s;elf, Chri&s;t in the Soul, is the Souls Hope of Glory: Now I find Chri&s;t in my Soul, and therefore, Oh my Soul, live thou in &s;ure and certain Hope of Glory.</P>
<P>Having now divided and unfolded the Words, I extract thence the&s;e two Doctrines.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>Doct. 1. <HI>That every true Chri&s;tian hath Chri&s;t within him.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>Doct. 2. <HI>Its Chri&s;t within us, that is our Hopes of Glory.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="doctrine">
<HEAD>1. Doct.</HEAD>
<P>Every &s;incere Chri&s;tian hath Chri&s;t within him, <HI>John</HI> 14.20. <HI>At that day, ye &s;hall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you,</HI> Gal. 2.20. <HI>I live, yet not I, but Chri&s;t liveth in me.</HI> 1 John 3. la&s;t. <HI>He that keepeth his Commandments dwelleth in him, and He in him: And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.</HI> Rev. 3.20. <HI>If any Man hear my Voice and open the Door, I will come in to him.</HI></P>
<P>To prevent mi&s;takes, and clear up this great Truth, let us enquire how and in what Sen&s;e this is to be under&s;tood? when and in what manner doth Chri&s;t take Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of the Hearts of his Elect? why and for what cau&s;e and end is it, that he abideth in them? And how may we know the Spirit of Chri&s;t from the Spirit of Antichri&s;t?</P>
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="question">
<PB N="10" REF="8">
<HEAD><HI>Que&s;t. 1.</HI> How, and in what &s;en&s;e, is this Doctrine to be under&s;tood?</HEAD>
<P><LABEL>An&s;w. 1.</LABEL> Negatively: It's not to be under|&s;tood of his per&s;onal bodily Pre&s;ence, his Body is now a Glorified Body and abideth in Heaven, and there is to abide 'till he come to Judgment. The Romani&s;t tell us, that Sacramental bread is changed into his Body, and after Con&s;ecration, every Wafer is the Body of Chri&s;t, and is not to be eat|en but to be &s;wallowed, and upon &s;wal|lowing it, Chri&s;t is within them: but if <HI>Paul</HI> had been of their mind, he would not have tould us that after Con&s;ecration it remains &s;till bread; and that it's bread that we eat, and not the very body of Chri&s;t, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.26.27. And our &s;en&s;es a&s;&s;ure us it is bread, we &s;ee, feel and ta&s;te bread; and yet they are &s;o &s;en&s;ele&s;s as they will not believe their own eyes. Nor is it to be under&s;tood of the Pro|vidential pre&s;ence of Chri&s;t; it is true, that Chri&s;t is with us by the pre&s;ence of his Pro|vidence, ordering our affairs, and di&s;po&s;ing of us and our concerns according to the Coun|cel of his good Will and Plea&s;ure, but the In-being here &s;poken of is of another Na|ture, therefore I an&s;wer:</P>
<P N="2">2. Affirmatively: That it is to be under|&s;tood of his Spiritual pre&s;ence, <HI>viz.</HI> that Chri&s;t is in his Spou&s;e, and in every particular Mem|ber that belongs unto him, by his Spirit and Grace, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.9, 10. <HI>If any man have not
<PB N="11" REF="8">the Spirit of Chri&s;t he is none his, and if that Chri&s;t be in you the body is dead becau&s;e of &s;in: viz.</HI> If by his Spirit he be in you. It im|plies the Mi&s;tical union that is betwixt Chri&s;t and his Members. A Mi&s;tery that is too won|derful to be made manife&s;t to Mortals: And it &s;ignifies to us our dependance upon Chrii&s;t for Light and Life: What the Soul is to the body, that Chri&s;t is to the Soul, he abides in it by his &s;pirit to &s;upply its needs: And is all in all to the Soul: And all things el&s;e are ju&s;t nothing to the Soul, for they can afford it no &s;atisfaction, nor any one &s;upply of its needs: Alas, what relief can Honour or Riches afford a Chri&s;tle&s;s Soul? none at all: They oft prove &s;nares to the Soul, but never give any &s;uccour to it; but Chri&s;t by his Spirit is in every true Chri&s;tian, and this is his Happine&s;s, and his hope of Glory.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="question">
<HEAD><HI>Que&s;t. 2.</HI> When and in what manner doth Chri&s;t take po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of the hearts of his E|lect.</HEAD>
<P><LABEL>An&s;w.</LABEL> In this great tran&s;action betwixt Chri&s;t and the Soul, it is certain that Chri&s;t him&s;elf is the Author, and the Spirit his Agent, and his Word his u&s;ual and ordinary in&s;tru|ment, and Faith his appointed method and means, and the Work is wholly &s;upernatural: But the <HI>Modus rei,</HI> the cour&s;e and order that the Spirit makes u&s;e of in this great affair, its intricate, and hereby hath occa&s;ioned &s;ome difference in the apprehen&s;ions of the
<PB N="12" REF="9">Learned: In my weak Judgment they are in the right that di&s;tingui&s;h betwixt,</P>
<P N="1">1. The qualifying Antecedents or Prerequi|&s;ites, that di&s;po&s;e, prepare and fit the Soul for &s;o great a Gue&s;t, <HI>viz.</HI> the Grace that Chri&s;t by his Spirit conveys into the Soul, in or|der to his entrance, called the fir&s;t preventing Grace, this is the &s;eed of Faith, and a holy principle of Life, Light and Love, infu&s;ed in|to the Soul as a holy Root, and cau&s;e of all actual holine&s;s, and precedes it, and puts the Soul into a capacity to put forth future acts of holine&s;s: This initial holine&s;s &s;anctifies the Soul, and halloweth it, and makes it meet for the indwelling of the holy Spirit: And till the Soul be thus &s;ea&s;oned, I cannot &s;ee how the Holy Gho&s;t can take up its Habitation in it: What Communion can light have with dark|ne&s;s.</P>
<P N="2">2. The conveying Concomitants that u&s;her Chri&s;t into the Soul, and accompany the po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion that the Spirit takes of the Soul, is called &s;ub&s;equent Grace, or the Influence of the Spirit, cau&s;ing the Soul freely to reduce the &s;aid &s;eed and principle into Act, and when it actually repents, and believes through grace received, then it is actually ju&s;tified up|on the account of Chri&s;t's &s;atisfactorial merito|rious Righteou&s;ne&s;s imputed to it, and receiv|ed by Faith; and now being in a ju&s;tified re|conciled E&s;tate, is at that very &s;ame Moment committed to the Conduct of the holy Spi|rit:
<PB N="13" REF="9">And then and thus it is that Chri&s;t takes po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of the Souls of his Elect by his Spi|rit, and comes in to abide with them for ever: And thus a Soul becomes a Habitation of Chri&s;t through his Spirit, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 2. la&s;t, <HI>and the Temple of God,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.16. <HI>And Chri&s;t is &s;aid to dwell in the heart by Faith, Ephe&s;.</HI> 3.17.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="question">
<HEAD><HI>Que&s;t. 3.</HI> The <HI>3d.</HI> Que&s;tion is, Why and for what cau&s;e or end doth Chri&s;t by his Spi|rit abide and dwell in his People?</HEAD>
<P><LABEL>An&s;w.</LABEL> For &s;everal Rea&s;ons, and upon &s;eve|ral gracious de&s;igns: As,</P>
<P N="1">1. As he is Captain of their Salvation, and engaged to defend and &s;ecure them again&s;t all oppo&s;ition: He fought out our Salvation, and obtained it by Conque&s;t, and he main|tains it al&s;o by Conque&s;t: The World, the Devil and the Fle&s;h, are the profe&s;&s;ed Ene|of Chri&s;t and all his Subjects, and &s;tand up in oppo&s;ition again&s;t his Kingdom, and &s;eek to Damn tho&s;e that he &s;eeks to Save, and of who&s;e Salvation he is the Captain: And as the Captain of their Salvation he abides in them to protect them: It's for his honour and in|tere&s;t to &s;afeguard them again&s;t his and their Enemies: And his abode in them for this end and purpo&s;e, is their &s;afety. The Captain of their Salvation is not only in Heaven per&s;o|nally, but in their hearts Spiritually, to be ready at hand in all their dangers to look af|ter them, and to aid and defend them: It's
<PB N="14" REF="10">Chri&s;t in us that is our hope of Glory, for his abode in us is our &s;ecurity from all pe|ril and danger.</P>
<P N="2">2. As he is Con&s;ummator of the Work of Grace that is begun in their Souls: He is not only the Author but the fini&s;her of the Faith, <HI>Heb.</HI> 12.2. And the work that he hath be|gun, he will perform, that is, he will fini&s;h it, <HI>Col.</HI> 1.6. He is both able and willing to fini&s;h it, and is al&s;o re&s;olved and engaged to fini&s;h it, and is in them for this end and pur|po&s;e to carry on his work of Grace in their Souls from one degree to another, till it have attained it's gradual perfection, and be con|summated in Glory: Our hearts are like Watches, many times out of order, and he &s;ets his Spirit in us to keep our hearts in order: To &s;ee how they go, and to keep them in repair: It's our duty, I confe&s;s, to tend our hearts dilligently, but we are &s;o remi&s;s in our Duty that if Chri&s;t did not look after us better than we our &s;elves, we &s;hould un|do our &s;elves, and be undone by the Deceit|fullne&s;s of our own hearts.</P>
<P N="3">3. As he is Comforter, and the only Com|forter of a comfortle&s;s Soul: The People of God are oft in a drooping and dejected Con|dition, ca&s;t down with a deep &s;en&s;e of Sin and &s;ight of wrath: Unbelief oft prevails, and Satan is &s;uch an Enemy to their welfare, that when he cannot keep them from Grace,
<PB N="15" REF="10">he will do all that he can to keep them from Comfort: But Chri&s;t abides in their hearts by his Spirit the Comforter, to di&s;per&s;e the Clouds of carnal di&s;couragements that dark|en the Comforts of their Souls, and to mi|ni&s;ter Comfort &s;ea&s;onably to them, <HI>John,</HI> 14.16. <HI>He will give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.</HI> And <HI>v.</HI> 17. <HI>He dwelleth in you, and &s;hall be in you. I will not leave you Comfortle&s;s, q. d.</HI> I know you will meet with many di&s;comforts in this trouble&s;om World, but I will not leave you Comfortle&s;s, but will come and abide in you by my Spirit, on purpo&s;e to &s;upport you un|der your di&s;comforts, and to remove the cau|&s;es of them; and to fill your hearts with the &s;weet Comforts of my Spirit: He is the Comforter, when none can Comfort he can Comfort. Others may &s;peak Comfortably to you, but yet fail in giving any Comfort to you: But he is the Comforter that never fails in giving Comfort, and he &s;hall abide in you for your Comforter. You will not only meet with Di&s;comforts from your &s;ins, but from &s;inners, they will be pouring con|tempt upon you, and reproaching and per|&s;ecuting you; and from your &s;eeming friends, they will prove fal&s;e-hearted and deceitful; but be of good Chear, you have a Comfor|ter alway at hand, and his Comforts are the be&s;t of Comforts, the &s;weete&s;t, and mo&s;t &s;atisfactory Comforts: They are Comforts
<PB N="16" REF="11">that delight the Soul with joys un&s;peakable and full of Glory: And now you &s;ee that the indwelling of Chri&s;t in your Souls is for your great advantage: Chri&s;t in you is your help in all difficult ca&s;es here, and your hope of Glory hereafter.</P>
<P N="4">4. As he is Coun&s;ellor, and the be&s;t of Coun|&s;ellors: The People of God meet oft with &s;uch windings and turnings in the di&s;pen&s;ations of Gods Providences towards them, as put them to a &s;tand, that they know not what to do, and which way to take; but Chri&s;t by his Spirit abides in them, to guide, coun&s;el and direct them in all &s;uch difficult ca&s;es. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 11.2. The Spirit of Chri&s;t is called a Spirit of Coun&s;el, and Wi&s;dom: So that he that hath the Spirit in him, finds a&s;&s;i&s;tance in many in|tricate ca&s;es from the Coun&s;el of his Spirit, whereby they are guided &s;ometimes &s;trangely, and directed by &s;pecial Providence to their great advantage. How was <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> in <HI>Egypt,</HI> enabled by the Spirit of God, to wind him|&s;elf out of one trouble after another?</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="4" TYPE="question">
<HEAD><HI>Que&s;t.</HI> The <HI>4th.</HI> and la&s;t que&s;tion is, How may we know the Spirit of Chri&s;t from the &s;pirit of Satan, or of Antichri&s;t?</HEAD>
<P>In An&s;wer to this que&s;tion, I will give you both the Rea&s;ons of the que&s;tion, and the Re|&s;olution of it.</P>
<P N="1">(1.) The rea&s;ons of the que&s;tion: I have put this que&s;tion for the&s;e rea&s;ons.</P>
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e of the prediction &s;poken of,
<PB N="17" REF="11">1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4.1. <HI>In the latter times,</HI> there &s;hall be <HI>&s;educing Spirits:</HI> Yea, in <HI>Pauls</HI> time <HI>Satan transformed him&s;elf into an Angel of Light.</HI> 2 Cor. 11.14. and there were fal&s;e Apo&s;tles that boa&s;ted of the Spirit, and deceived ma|ny.</P>
<P N="2">2. Becau&s;e of the precept we all lie un|der of trying the Spirit, 1 <HI>John</HI> 4.1. which implies that there are evil Spirits that go un|der the Name of the Spirit of Chri&s;t, and therefore we are Commanded to try the Spi|rits, le&s;t we take fal&s;e Spirits for the true Spirit.</P>
<P N="3">3. Becau&s;e of the Pretences of many in our dayes to the Spirit of Chri&s;t, who certainly have not the Spirit. There is a Generation of men among&s;t us, that tell us, that Chri&s;t is in them, and that they act and &s;peak by the Spirit, and that all others be&s;ides them|&s;elves, are led by the Devil, and in the Road-way to De&s;truction: Now for the&s;e rea&s;ons, I have put it to the Que&s;tion, How the Spirit of Chri&s;t may be known from the Spirit of Error. And,</P>
<P N="2">(2.) The Re&s;olution of the Que&s;tion, is ea&s;ie.</P>
<P>For the Spirit of Chri&s;t; is known by its Na|ture and by its Nurture.</P>
<P N="1">1. By its Nature&punc; It's a Holy Spirit, and therefore called the Holy Gho&s;t; they then
<PB N="18" REF="12">that are carnal and &s;en&s;ual, <HI>have not the Spi|rit,</HI> Jude 19. And the Spirit of God is a humble and meek Spirit, they then that are haughty and lofty, and de&s;pi&s;e and contemn the Righteous, they want the Spirit.</P>
<P N="2">2. By its Nurture, it Nurtures and trains up the Soul in the fear of God, and in the Faith of the Go&s;pel, <HI>John</HI> 16.13. <HI>When the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth:</HI> That Spirit then that leads men into Errour cannot be the Spirit of God: Now that Spirit that cries down Chri&s;ts Or|dinances, and his Amba&s;&s;adors, leads into Er|rour: The Word of God is the Dictates of the Spirit and the Standard of Truth, and that Spirit that contradicts the written Word, cannot be the Spirit of Chri&s;t, for the Spi|rit of Chri&s;t cannot Contradict it &s;elf, in con|tradicting any one part of that word that it was dictator of: You mu&s;t then judge of the Spirit by the Word: That Spirit that doth not train up, conduct and lead according to the Scriptures, is a fal&s;e Spirit, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 8.20. <HI>If they &s;peak not according to this, word, it is becau&s;e there is no light in them.</HI> Gal. 1.8, 9. Such as preach another Go&s;pel are accur|&s;ed: And &s;uch as preach contrary to the Go&s;|pel, &s;et up another Go&s;pel. Thus far I have &s;poke to the Doctrinal part, now let us pro|ceed to the practical part of the Doctrine: Is the Spirit of Chri&s;t in every &s;incere Chri|&s;tian? Then,</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="application">
<PB N="19" REF="12">
<HEAD>1 &V;&s;e,</HEAD>
<P>Shall be of Terror to &s;uch as live without Chri&s;t in the World, be they pro|phane Per&s;ons, or Profe&s;&s;ors. God hath pro|vided an al&s;ufficient Saviour for us, that can &s;av<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> to the utmo&s;t, and there is no Salva|tion in any other Per&s;on or thing to be ex|pected: And none can be &s;aved by him but &s;uch as receive and admit him into their hearts by Faith; and how few are they that have Chri&s;t in them? Oh you that do make account to be &s;aved by Chri&s;t at death, and yet &s;hut your hearts again&s;t Chri&s;t, and have not embraced him as freely offered in the Go&s;pel, know, that you do but deceive your &s;elves: If you keep Chri&s;t out of your hearts, Chri&s;t will keep you out of Heaven. A Chri&s;tle&s;s Soul is a wretched Soul: Oh now whil&s;t it is &s;aid to day, it concerns you above all things in the World to con&s;ider your danger, the dreadfulne&s;s of your danger, and the de&s;perate Madne&s;s of &s;uch as &s;it down contented under their danger. I pray you to con&s;ider,</P>
<P N="1">(1.) Your Danger.</P>
<P>If Chri&s;t be not in you, you cannot be in &s;afety: Your condition mu&s;t needs be a pe|rilous condition, you &s;tand upon the Margin of Death and De&s;truction. For,</P>
<P N="1">1. You are under the Captivity of Satan, and in the &s;nares of the Devil, and are car|ried Captive by him at his will and plea&s;ure. 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. la&s;t: Satan po&s;&s;e&s;&s;es the Soul of all
<PB N="20" REF="13">that continue in the &s;tate of Nature, 'till Chri&s;t comes and di&s;po&s;&s;e&s;&s;eth him. <HI>Eph.</HI> 2.2. <HI>Sa|tan is the Spirit that worketh in the Children of Di&s;obedience:</HI> And you are the Children of Di&s;obedience, and di&s;obey the Calls of the Go&s;pel, and the Commands of Chri&s;t in the Go&s;pel: He Commands you to believe, and to repent, and to obey his Go&s;pel, but you di&s;obey him, and therefore the Spirit that dwells in you is Satan; and it's he that works in you; and Oh what &s;ad work doth he make with your precious Souls! how doth he in&s;nare and en&s;lave them! what Tyranny doth he exerci&s;e on them! it's high time for you to con&s;ider it.</P>
<P N="2">2. You are under the Cur&s;e of the Law, and under the Condemnation of the Go&s;pel, and therefore you are in as much danger of Damnation, as a condemned Per&s;on is of Exe|cution: Oh what dreadful Cur&s;es are the Cur&s;es of God, and how certain in the Exe|cution, if Repentance do not intervene! And the&s;e Cur&s;es of God hang over your heads like a Hurricane or violent Tempe&s;t, that is ready to fall down upon you: There is a Cur&s;e upony our Ble&s;&s;ings, a Cur&s;e upon your bodies: A Cur&s;e upon your &s;ub&s;tance, and a Cur&s;e upon your Soul; And if this Cur&s;e be not removed, it will certainly light upon you: Your &s;ins will find you out, &s;urely then you are in danger: Now Con&s;ider,</P>
<PB N="21" REF="13">
<P N="2">(2.) The Dreadfulne&s;s of this danger that you are under.</P>
<P>The greatne&s;s of this danger lies in the&s;e in&s;tances: I will lay them before you in cou|ples for the help of your Memories: The dreadfulne&s;s of this your danger lies in</P>
<P N="1">1. The Unavoidablene&s;s and Univer&s;ality of this danger. (1.) It's an unavoidable dan|ger. I mean, under your Circum&s;tances <HI>(re|bus &s;ic &s;tantibus)</HI> as the ca&s;e is now with you. A man may be in danger, and he may fore&s;ee it; and avoid it: <HI>David</HI> was in danger of <HI>Saul,</HI> and hid him&s;elf in a cave and &s;o avoided it: But in the ca&s;e you are in, the danger is unavoidable; not that it is &s;o in it &s;elf, but you make it &s;o to your &s;elves; there is one way, and but one way to avoid it, and this way is by Chri&s;t: Now this way you reject, and <HI>how can ye e&s;cape if ye neglect &s;o great Salvation?</HI> It's impo&s;&s;ible for you to e&s;cape any other way, and this way you do not, and will not be per&s;waded to take, and &s;o go about to make your danger unavoida|ble. (2.) Its an univer&s;al danger, a dan|ger of a va&s;t extent, your [All] is in dan|ger; your le&s;&s;er and greater Concerns, your E&s;tates, your Lives, your Bodies and Souls: Your All is under a Cur&s;e, and therefore your <HI>All</HI> is in danger, and is it not time to look a|bout you when fire is got in the thatch, and all your goods are in danger, how are you Concerned! your ca&s;e is much wor&s;e,
<PB N="20" REF="14">
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<PB N="22" REF="15">your danger far greater, and will you be un|concerned?</P>
<P N="2">2. The Dreadfulne&s;s of your danger lies in the Proximity and Perpetuity of the Evils you &s;tand in danger of. (1.) In their Prox|imity. The Judge &s;tands at the door, your danger is not a remote but a pre&s;ent dan|ger, you are now and alway in danger, you may lo&s;e your Souls in a minute; you know the uncertainty of Life, that it is but a Va|pour, a Bubble, that may bur&s;t and vani&s;h in a moment: So that upon this account you are daily and con&s;tantly in danger: Now Life is &s;o uncertain, that in Temporal matters you will &s;ecure your &s;elves becau&s;e all men are mortal, and will you run &s;uch a hazzard as we are now &s;peaking of, and not &s;tudy your &s;afety? will you be penny wi&s;e and pound fooli&s;h? &s;ecure a little Siver, and let your Souls lie in &s;uch danger? (2) In their Per|petuity, the danger is not only pre&s;ent, but the evils you &s;tand in danger of are ever|la&s;ting: You are in danger to lo&s;e your Souls, and to lo&s;e Heaven, and the&s;e are, irrevocable lo&s;&s;es, and &s;uch lo&s;&s;es as will I re|main to all eternity; and your are in danger of Hell and of eternal Death, and if the danger be not removed, but it once overtake you, and you fall into it, you are utterly undone for ever. Your eternal State will be wofully Wretched and mi&s;erable, and will ye not make your e&s;cape from everla&s;ting Wo? Oh dreadful!</P>
<PB N="23" REF="15">
<P N="3">3. The Dreadfulne&s;s of your danger lies in the Certainty and Sen&s;ele&s;ne&s;s of your dan|ger. (1.) In the Certainty of it, there are fictitious dangers, feigned; but your danger is certain, as &s;ure as the Sun is in the Fir|mament, &s;o &s;ure is it that you are in ex|tream danger: I confe&s;s many a Child of God think they are in their dangers, and in them it's only imaginary; but you that live without Chri&s;t are certainly in danger: I have prov|ed it to you out of Gods Word, and it's as certain as Death it &s;elf is, or as Judgment is, and you will find it &s;o in the end. (2.) In the Sen&s;le&s;ne&s;s of it: This Con&s;ummates the dreadfulne&s;s of your danger, you do not &s;ee, nor will you be brought to believe your own danger; you are told oft, and it is proved to you out of the infal|lible Word of God, and yet you will not be convinced of it: The con&s;ideration of this, brought Tears from the eyes of <HI>Paul, Phil.</HI> 3.18. He could not &s;peak of it with dry eyes; that men &s;hould be &s;o &s;tupid, as to conti|nue their Emnity again&s;t Chri&s;t and Chri&s;ti|anity, when the end thereof is de&s;truction, and cannot be made apprehen&s;ive of their own dreadful danger. There is no hope of Glory for &s;uch as have not Chri&s;t in them, and yet thou&s;ands that have not Chri&s;t in in them hope for Glory in a Chri&s;tle&s;s con|dition, and conclude that they are &s;afe and out of all danger, and will not be per&s;waded
<PB N="22" REF="16">
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<PB N="24" REF="17">otherwi&s;e. This, this Beloved; fixeth you to your dangerous E&s;tate, ye are in great dan|ger, and like to continue &s;o, becau&s;e you will not yield that you are in any danger. Now con&s;ider,</P>
<P N="3">3ly. The de&s;perate Madne&s;s of &s;itting down contented under this dreadful danger.</P>
<P>You have heard your Danger, and the dread|fulne&s;s of your danger; and now if you concern not your &s;elves about getting out of this dan|ger, I mu&s;t &s;ay to you as <HI>Paul</HI> did to the <HI>Ga|lathians,</HI> Gal. 3.1. <HI>O fooli&s;h Galathians, who hath bewitched you?</HI> Surely ye are infatuated, be&s;otted Fools, de&s;perate Mad-men; the World and the Devil have bewitched you, <HI>Mat.</HI> 3.7. Many came to <HI>Johns</HI> Bapti&s;m, con|fe&s;&s;ing their Sins and pretending amendment; and among&s;t other many <HI>Phari&s;ees</HI> and <HI>Saddu|ces,</HI> and <HI>John</HI> &s;aid unto them, <HI>O Generation of Vipers, who hath warned you to flie from the wrath to come?</HI> q. d. It is certain, that there is a dreadful wrath to come, and that all that are under the guilt of their Sins are in danger of it, and that it's their great concern to flie with &s;peed and ha&s;t from the wrath to come. And you <HI>Phari&s;ees</HI> &s;eem to be aware of this, and pretend to endeavour to flie from the wrath to come, but will not part with your Sins; if you would e&s;cape the danger you are under, it mu&s;t be by &s;incere Repentance, and not by pretended Repentance, you mu&s;t bring forth Fruit meet for Repentance. Oh con&s;ider, what
<PB N="25" REF="17">de&s;perate madne&s;s it is for Sinners to &s;tand in danger of the wrath to come, and yet to &s;it down under this danger, and not flie from the wrath to come, and u&s;e their utmo&s;t endea|vours to make their e&s;cape! would you not account that Man a Mad-man, that having run him&s;elf into &s;ome un&s;een danger, and is called to by others that &s;ee and know his Danger; Friend, Friend, &s;tay, turn back or you are a gone man; yet takes no warning, but runs headlong upon his own ruine: This is your Ca&s;e, God and Man call to you, <HI>Turn ye, Turn ye, why will ye die?</HI> The way you are in leads to Hell and De&s;truction, ha&s;ten out of it or you are undone for ever: And ye will take no warning, but run on in your &s;elf-de&s;tructive Cour&s;es: Now you are told of your Danger, of the dreadfulne&s;s of it, and of the de&s;perate Madne&s;s of &s;uch as &s;it down contentedly under this danger. And now what will you do? what do you re&s;olve upon in this Ca&s;e? what will ye do as ye do, and be as you are, and &s;tand to the venture? God forbid, that the Devil &s;hould &s;o be&s;ot you: What in danger, and in &s;o <HI>great</HI> danger, and will you continue in it, and take no warning? Oh far be it from you: I am loth to leave you unconvinced, and therefore entreat you &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider,</P>
<P N="1">1. What an Uncharitable thing it is, and how unrea&s;onable in you, to &s;top your Ears un|der this pre&s;ent warning: How far is it below Men of common under&s;tanding, how unmanly
<PB N="26" REF="18">a part, to refu&s;e &s;uch Coun&s;el as &s;o much con|cerns your own Intere&s;t: Is it not to act like an Ideot, or a Frantick Per&s;on, that regard no advice for their own good? What, is it not your own concern, your greate&s;t concern? And will you be uncharitable to your &s;elves? Will you act again&s;t your own Welfare? Will you &s;hew no Charity to your Selves? Have ye no Love for your own Souls? Will ye not be di&s;&s;waded from de&s;troying your &s;elves?</P>
<P N="2">2. What an unaccountable thing it is! How unexcu&s;able! What can you &s;ay for your &s;elves, when Chri&s;t &s;hall charge it upon you at the grea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> day? When he &s;hall &s;ay, Were not ye warned by &s;uch and &s;uch? Such a time, and &s;uch a time? Why did you not take warning? What Plea can you make? &s;urely none! And will you turn your back upon Coun&s;el, when you have nothing to &s;ay again&s;t it? will you condemn your &s;elves in the things you allow?</P>
<P N="3">3. What an unkind, ungrateful and un&s;uf|ferable a thing it is? <HI>Rom.</HI> 2.4, 5. <HI>De&s;pi&s;e&s;t thou the Riches of his Goodne&s;s:</HI> It's a Mercy, and a rich Mercy in God to acquaint you with your danger, and to call upon you to make your e&s;cape, and to &s;hew you the City of Re|fuge, where you may live in Safety, <HI>viz.</HI> Chri&s;t Je&s;us. And what a &s;leight do you put upon his Mercy? What an abu&s;e upon his Goodne&s;s? <HI>Do ye thus requite the Lord?</HI> Is it fair betwixt Man and Man, to take advice and
<PB N="27" REF="18">have good advice given, and to turn the back upon it? do you not in &s;uch a Ca&s;e u&s;e to &s;ay, I will be no more concerned with &s;uch a Man, he is uncoun&s;ellable: And may not God ju&s;tly deal &s;o with you, and &s;ay, there is no good to be done with &s;uch and &s;uch, they will not be coun&s;elled; I'll be no more concerned with them? Oh my Word let them alone, and thou my Spirit let them alone! And if you bring the matter to this pa&s;s, then there is no help for you; ye are lo&s;t Creatures, and will peri&s;h in your Sins.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="application">
<HEAD>2. &V;&s;e,</HEAD>
<P>Of Tryal: <HI>Examine your &s;elves whether you be in the Faith, prove your own &s;elves, know ye not that Chri&s;t is in you, ex|cept ye be Reprobates?</HI> 2 Cor. 13.5. It highly concerns us all to turn our Eyes inward, and to make a diligent In&s;pection into our &s;elves, to &s;ee how matters &s;tand betwixt God and our Souls in this great Point: Whether we lie under the afore&s;aid danger, or have made our e&s;cape out of it: the Determination of this depends upon the indwelling of Chri&s;t in the Soul: Let us then put it to the Que&s;tion, Is Chri&s;t in us or no? And if we would &s;atisfie our &s;elves herein, we mu&s;t &s;earch,</P>
<P N="1">1 . What Freedoms we enjoy (by Chri&s;t his in-being) in our &s;elves, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.17. <HI>Where the Spirit of God is, there is Liberty:</HI> If Chri&s;t be in us by his Spirit, he hath &s;et our Souls at Liberty, There is a &s;ort of Liberty peculiar to the People of God, <HI>John</HI> 8.36. <HI>If</HI>
<PB N="26" REF="19">
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<PB N="27" REF="19">
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<PB N="28" REF="20"><HI>the Son make you free, ye &s;hall be free indeed.</HI> This Freedom is Demon&s;trative that Chri&s;t is in us, and by his Spirit hath &s;et us free. Now there is a twofold Freedom that the Spirit gives to all in whom it dwells, <HI>viz.</HI> Freedom of Speech, and Freedom of Spirit, (1.) Free|dom of Speech, whereby e&s;pecially in Secret they are enabled to pour our the de&s;ires of their Souls unto the Lord with much enlargedne&s;s of Heart. I &s;ay, e&s;pecially in Secret, to di&s;tin|gui&s;h the&s;e enlargements from enlargements in Publick Exerci&s;es, drawn out by outward incouragements. A Hypocrite praying in his Family, or with the Church, whereof he is a Member, for O&s;tentation &s;ake, and Affectation of applau&s;e, puts forth his Parts to the utmo&s;t, and is oft much enlarged: But he is &s;eldom in Clo&s;et Prayer, and commonly flat and with little Life; but the Children of God find their Secret Enlargements exceed their Publick En|largements: It's in Secret that Chri&s;t and his Spou&s;e have the &s;weete&s;t embraces.</P>
<P N="2">(2.) Freedom of Spirit, <HI>viz.</HI> From the Bondage of Sin, and Captivity of Satan, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.9. <HI>Ye are not in the Fle&s;h, &mdash; if the Spirit dwell in you;</HI> that is, ye are not in a Carnal E&s;tate, and under the Dominion of the Fle&s;h; the Spi|rit of God is a pure and Powerful Spirit, and will overcome the Fle&s;h, and keep it in Subje|ction; that though Sin remain, yet it doth not Reign: It's a &s;ubdued Rebel, and kept under by the Spirit, yet will be rai&s;ing up new Re|bellions
<PB N="29" REF="20">in the Soul: The Fle&s;h will be Lu&s;ting again&s;t the Spirit, but in the main the Spirit is the prevailing Principle, and doth enable the Soul <HI>more and more to die unto Sin, and live to Righteou&s;ne&s;s.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2ly. What Fellow&s;hip we have with Chri&s;t in his Ordinances: The natural Man hath no Fellow&s;hip with Chri&s;t in his Ordinances, but the Children of God have. Men in the State of Nature are Strangers to Communion with God, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 94.20. <HI>Shall the Throne of Iniquity have Fellow&s;hip with thee?</HI> No, no, They have no Fellow&s;hip with thee: 1 <HI>John</HI> 1.6. <HI>If we &s;ay we have Fellow&s;hip with him, and walk in dark|ne&s;s, we lie:</HI> Such as have Fellow&s;hip with the unfruitful works of Darkne&s;s, have no Fellow|&s;hip with Chri&s;t: But it's the Priviledge of the Children of God to live in Fellow&s;hip with the Trinity, 1 <HI>John</HI> 1.3. <HI>Truely our Fellow|&s;hip is with the Father, and the Son:</HI> It's an A&s;|&s;ertion with an A&s;&s;everation, Chri&s;tians are no &s;ooner Effectually called, but they are admit|ted into this Fellow&s;hip, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.9. <HI>God is Faithful by whom we were called unto the Fellow|&s;hip of his Son Je&s;us Chri&s;t our Lord.</HI> Chri&s;t dwelling in the Soul doth verifie the Truth of this; can Chri&s;t and a Chri&s;tian live together, and not have Communion together? No, if Chri&s;t be in us, there will be Communion be|twixt Chri&s;t and Us. And this Communion is a Manife&s;tation of his abode in us: Now then let us examine our &s;elves hereby, do we
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<PB N="30" REF="22">experimentally know what this Mi&s;tery of Communion betwixt Chri&s;t and the Soul mean|eth? Do we feel and find it in our &s;elves? Have we a Receptive Participation from God in our &s;elves, that Dilates, Revives, and Re|fre&s;heth the Soul, above what any &s;en&s;ible &s;ub|lunary thing doth or can do; and leaves be|hind it a reli&s;h which rai&s;eth in us a &s;ingular Love to and Delight in the Ordinances? how Familiarly doth God &s;ometimes carry it to|wards his People! he takes them into his Ban|quetting-Hou&s;e, and his Banner over them is Love, he Dandles them upon his Knees, embraceth them in the Arms of his Love, and &s;peaks comfortably to them; &s;ometimes he gives in &s;uch a Sen&s;e of Sin, as makes them weep with Grief and Godly Sorrow, and di&s;|&s;olves their Souls into Penitential Tears: And &s;ometimes &s;uch a &s;ight of Grace, and &s;uch &s;ymp|toms of Love, as makes them weep for Joy and Solace: If it hath been thus with us at any time, it proceeds from the influence of the Spirit in us, and is demon&s;trative of the Pre|&s;ence of Chri&s;t in our Souls?</P>
<P N="3">3ly. What fir&s;t Fruits of the Spirit is there in us? A natural Heart is barren ground, de&s;ti|tute of the Fruits of the Spirit; but when Chri&s;t comes into the Soul, he changeth the Soil and makes it fruitful: And all the good Fruit that it brings forth, are the Fruits of the Spirit, and di&s;cover the State of the Soul, and declare the goodne&s;s of the Tree: Now the Fruits of
<PB N="31" REF="22">the Spirit are divided into Fir&s;t-Fruits and After-Fruits. Though the Graces of the Spirit are linkt together, and are all <HI>in &s;emine,</HI> in the Seed, in the Soul of a Child of God; yet &s;ome of the&s;e Seeds &s;pring up before others, and are called the Fir&s;t-Fruits of the Spirit, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.23. <HI>We our &s;elves have the fir&s;t Fruits of the Spirit.</HI> Though the Spirit it &s;elf be the fir&s;t Fruit of Glory, yet here &s;omething more mu&s;t be un|der&s;tood than the Spirit it &s;elf, becau&s;e he &s;peaks not of the fir&s;t Fruit of Glory in the &s;ingular number, but of the fir&s;t Fruits of the Spirit in the Plural number; and therefore the fir&s;t Fruits of the Spirit mu&s;t be under&s;tood of &s;uch Fruits as the Spirit cau&s;es to &s;pring up in the Soul, and there make the fir&s;t vi&s;ible Appearance, &s;uch as &s;aving Knowledge, Evan|gelical Repentance, Faith and Love: The&s;e two la&s;t include the two fir&s;t; for there is no true Repentance without Faith, nor any true Love without Light to di&s;cover the Loveline&s;s of the Object: Therefore I'll confine my &s;elf at this Time to the two fir&s;t Fruits of &s;aving Faith in, and &s;incere Love to Chri&s;t Je&s;us our Lord. Let us Examine then,</P>
<P N="1">(1.) Our Faith, whether it be &s;aving Faith. This is the uniting Grace, that knits Chri&s;t and the Soul together; and all that truely believe &s;hall be &s;aved: For &s;aving Faith, though it may be &s;haken, yet it cannot be lo&s;t and ex|tingui&s;hed: It's a &s;park that never goes out, a durable Dye that cannot be wa&s;hed away.
<PB N="32" REF="23">And if we have any Faith (though in the lea&s;t Degree) that is of a &s;aving Nature, then for &s;ure Chri&s;t is in us, and we may Hope for Glory. Now <HI>Paul</HI> tells us, <HI>Heb.</HI> 11.1, 2. what this Faith is; he doth not define it, but de&s;cribe it, by its Excellency and Efficacy. (1.) By its Excellency, <HI>It's the Sub&s;tance of things Hoped for.</HI> The Word <GAP DESC="foreign"> is a Word of that force that no Language can fully expre&s;s: It's u&s;ed in <HI>Heb.</HI> 3.14. and there Tran&s;lated Confidence: <HI>Faith is a Confident and &s;tedfa&s;t Expectation of Things promi&s;ed:</HI> It apprehends the Promi&s;e and adheres to it, and a&s;&s;ures the Soul of the Accompli&s;hment of it, and cau&s;eth the Soul to live in Expectation thereof: It realizeth the Promi&s;es, and &s;hews the Soul how &s;ub&s;tantial they are; that the things promi&s;ed are no Trifles or feigned things, but things of Sub&s;tance, weight and worth, really &s;ub&s;i&s;ting, and certainly to be enjoyed, and enables the Soul confidently to expect them: Thus it's the Sub&s;tance of the things Hoped for. And it's the Evidence of things not &s;een. Things not &s;een, either becau&s;e fu|ture, or becau&s;e invi&s;ible, Faith repre&s;ents to the Mind as &s;ure and certain. The Eye of Faith beholds Chri&s;t with all his Excellencies, the Immortality of the Soul, and the Glory of Heaven, as evidently as the Eye of the Body doth vi&s;ible things. Now <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">et us reduce this to practice; can we experimentally &s;ub&s;cribe to this De&s;cription of Faith? Do we &s;ee a rea|lity
<PB N="33" REF="23">in the un&s;een things? it is evident to our Souls that God is the chief Good, and Chri&s;t the fountain of Grace, and chief of ten Thou&s;ands, and that all his promi&s;es are certain and infallible, and do we depend up|on them, and live in &s;ure and certain Hope of the accompli&s;hment of them? then we have the faith which is called the Faith of the E|lect, <HI>Tit.</HI> 1.1. becau&s;e it's peculiar to them, and to none but them. Yet further, <HI>Paul</HI> here de&s;cribes faith not only by its Excellency, but al&s;o by its Efficacy.</P>
<P N="2">2. By its Efficacy. <HI>v.</HI> 2. <HI>By it the Elders obtained a good report,</HI> and they are famous to this day, for the Te&s;timony that God gives of the efficacy of their faith: Faith wrought in them &s;uch works as were &s;uch evidences of the Truth of their Faith. It's their works of Faith that makes their memory &s;o Ho|nourable. Faith without works (&s;aith <HI>James</HI>) is dead, it is of no more worth than a dead Dog. It's our works that do &s;hew what our faith is. A working Faith is a &s;aving Faith: Let us then examine our Faith by our works; are our works the works of Faith? do we pray in Faith, and hear in Faith, and live by Faith? thus much for the Trial of our &s;a|ving Faith: Come we to our Love, let us ex|amine</P>
<P N="2">2. Our Love to Chri&s;t, whether it be &s;in|cere, 1 <HI>John</HI> 4.16. <HI>He that dwelleth in Love, dwelleth in God, and God in him.</HI> True Love
<PB N="34" REF="24">you &s;ee is demon&s;trative of Gods dwelling by his Spirit in the Soul: Let us then try our Love, (1.) By its Mea&s;ure. Do we love Chri&s;t mo&s;t and be&s;t? We love many Crea|tures, and it's allowed us; Parents are to love their Chidren, and Husbands their Wives, but what is it that lies next our hearts, and hath the large&s;t mea&s;ure of our Love? I am &s;ure Chri&s;t de&s;erves mo&s;t love from us, for he hath done mo&s;t for us, but do we Love him above all? is Chri&s;t a Pearl in our Eyes? can we &s;ay with the Spou&s;e, in our Eyes he is altogether Lovely? we have other Loves, but none that lies &s;o near our Hearts as Chri&s;t; he is our Beloved, and our be&s;t Beloved. (2.) By the Motive that moves us &s;o to love Chri&s;t. What is it that hath &s;o endeared us to Chri&s;t? is it the gain we expect from him, or the good we &s;ee in him? <HI>Cant.</HI> 5.10. The Church profe&s;&s;eth much Love to Chri&s;t, and tells the cau&s;e thereof, it was the Beauty and Excellency of Chri&s;t that had gained her heart, this was the attra|ctive of her Love; is it &s;o with us? is it Chri&s;ts Love to Souls, and his Loveline&s;s, that draws out your Love towards him? Then there is &s;incerity and not &s;elfi&s;hne&s;s in your Love to Chri&s;t. (3.) By the Might and &s;trength of your Love to Chri&s;t; Love is of a con&s;training Nature, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.14. Now do you find your Love to Chri&s;t con&s;train you? doth it con&s;train you to vindicate the
<PB N="35" REF="24">Honour of Chri&s;t, again&s;t all that ca&s;t open contempt upon him? doth it con&s;train you to value the Ordinances above worldly wealth and dignity? doth it con&s;train you to venture all for Chri&s;t in &s;uffering and trying times? doth it con&s;train you to avoid every thing (as far as you can) that is offen&s;ive to Chri&s;t? what influence hath your Love to Chri&s;t upon your Hearts and Lives? doth it con&s;train you to carry it dutifully towards Chri&s;t, and to ca&s;t off your beloved Lu&s;ts becau&s;e they di&s;honour Chri&s;t, and to conform to the Laws of Hea|ven, becau&s;e they are the Yoke of Chri&s;t? are the things of Chri&s;t become precious to you? Oh deal faithfully with your Souls.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="application">
<HEAD>3 &V;&s;e,</HEAD>
<P>Of Entreaty, both to &s;uch as have not Chri&s;t in them, and to &s;uch as have him in them.</P>
<P N="1">(1.) You that have <HI>not</HI> Chri&s;t as yet in you, Be entreated and per&s;waded to live no longer without Chri&s;t in the World: you have heard your danger, and the dreadfulne&s;s of your danger, and the de&s;parate Madne&s;s of &s;uch as do &s;it down in &s;o dangerous a Con|dition: And now in the Name of Chri&s;t I earne&s;tly be&s;eech and entreat you to take the matter into &s;erious Con&s;ideration. The Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t the great Mediator of the Covenant, and victorious Captain of our Sal|vation, makes as it were an Ho, Yes, <HI>Rev.</HI> 3.20. <HI>Behold I &s;tand at the door and knock, if any man open the door, I will come
<PB N="36" REF="25">in and Sup with him, and he with me.</HI> And he is now knocking at the door of your Heart, and craving admi&s;&s;ion, and tendering him&s;elf and the Riches of his Grace and Mercy un|to you, upon condition that you will re|ceive and entertain him, and accept of him as your Lord and Saviour, and con&s;ent and &s;ubmit to the gracious Terms of the Go&s;pel: Oh comply with his gracious offer, and open to him and let him in! Put off Chri&s;t no longer, expect not Salvation by Chri&s;t with|out giving your &s;elves up to Chri&s;t, to be Governed by him according to the Go&s;pel. What &s;hall I now &s;ay, to per&s;wade you to be over entreated to get Chri&s;t into your Souls, and not to &s;it down &s;till in a Chri&s;tle&s;s con|dition? the bu&s;ine&s;s is of great importance, and I &s;tand here in Chri&s;ts &s;tead to be&s;eech you to be reconciled to God, and to u&s;e your utmo&s;t endeavour to make &s;ure of Chri&s;t, and would gladly prevail with you for your own good to &s;et about this great concern; to this end pre&s;s the&s;e following per&s;wa&s;ives up|on your own Spirits, and that with the &s;eriou&s;|ne&s;s as the weightine&s;s of the matter requires.</P>
<P N="1">1. The ca&s;e you are in, calls for &s;pee|dy Help, You live without Chri&s;t in the World; this is your ca&s;e, and it is a ca&s;e that you can neither live nor die in with &s;afety or comfort. As long as you live thus, you live under the guilt of all your Sins, and under the wrath of God; and if you die
<PB N="37" REF="25">thus, you die in your Sins, and to Hell you mu&s;t go: And is this a Ca&s;e to be neglected and di&s;regarded? were your E&s;tates and Lives in danger, you would be concerned, and be|&s;tir you to &s;ave your &s;elves; you would cry out for help, and be thankful to any one that would tell you how to e&s;cape your dan|ger: Now in your ca&s;e your Souls are in Danger, and in pre&s;ent Danger, and in great Danger, and will you not be per&s;waded to &s;eek to &s;ave your &s;elves.</P>
<P N="2">2. The Cure pre&s;cribed is a proper Cure: Chri&s;t <HI>within</HI> is the Cure, and this is a &s;uit|able Cure: Your Di&s;ea&s;e is inward, to wit, the Plague of the Heart, and outward Appli|cations cannot reach it; it calls for an in|ward Remedy. Nay more: Chri&s;t within, is not only a &s;uitable Cure, but al&s;o a Sove|raign Cure, that will certainly and infallibly Cure you: Yea, this is the only Cure, all other remedies are vain and in&s;ufficient, and will you reject &s;uch a remedy? It's a re|medy of Gods own pre&s;cription, and cures all that make u&s;e of it, and will you not u&s;e it? will you chu&s;e Death before Life, Damnation before Salvation? Oh then! what will you do in the end thereof?</P>
<P N="3">3. The Co&s;t of the Cure now offered, is di&s;charged, and now freely offered: It is a Co&s;tly Cure, the price paid down for it is beyond Value: Who can reckon up the value of the Cro&s;s of Chri&s;t? <HI>Heb.</HI> 2.10. He was
<PB N="38" REF="26">made <HI>Perfect through &s;ufferings;</HI> There is a twofold perfection imputed to Chri&s;t. (1.) <HI>Per|fectio Per&s;onae:</HI> His Per&s;on was perfectly qua|lifyed for his Offices: He was perfectly San|ctified, and &s;o he was a perfect High-Prie&s;t. (2.) <HI>Perfectio Operis,</HI> the Work of Re|demption was con&s;ummated by his per|fect Obedience and meritorious Sufferings: He became a perfect Saviour thereby, and per|fected the Work of Redemption, that he might be a Soveraign Redemy, and &s;ave to the utmo&s;t all &s;uch as came to him. He made plenary &s;atisfaction to Divine Ju&s;tice, for the Sins of &s;uch as he was to Save: And it co&s;t him dear to become an infallible Cure for peri&s;hing Souls, it co&s;t him his Life; he par|ted with his precious Blood; he bore the weight of Gods Wrath, and underwent the &s;hameful and painful Death of the Cro&s;s; it co&s;t him many a dreadful Pang, and will you &s;leight &s;o co&s;tly a Cure? do ye account the Blood of Chri&s;t a vain thing? hath he been at the co&s;t of the Cure, and at &s;o great co&s;t, and will you refu&s;e &s;o co&s;tly a Cure freely offered? can ye put a greater Indig|nity upon Chri&s;t, than to tell him to his Face, that you account him a Phy&s;ician of no Value, and will have nothing to do with him, nor with the Cure he offereth you? is this your kindne&s;s to &s;uch a Friend?</P>
<P N="4">4. The Cour&s;e you take is fatal and dead|ly. You refu&s;e to let Chri&s;t into your hearts,
<PB N="39" REF="26">and bolt the door again&s;t him, and this will be your ruin, if per&s;i&s;ted in without Repen|tance. You reject the remedy at your own Pe|ril, and your de&s;truction will be of your &s;elves, and you will know hereafter what it is to reject your own Salvation. Can you that re|fu&s;e &s;uch rich Mercy, think to e&s;cape Divine Vengance? Oh how dreadful are the fore|thoughts of your Condemnation, and what then will the Execution be? will you not be di&s;&s;waded from turning your backs upon your Ble&s;&s;ed Saviour, when he is offering and tendering Salvation to you? will ye bring the Blood of Chri&s;t, and the Blood of your own Souls upon your heads? and wilful|ly run on in Rebellion again&s;t Chri&s;t, 'till the Wrath of the Lord go out again&s;t you, and there be no remedy? then (I &s;ay) of all men you are mo&s;t mi&s;erable: It had been better for you, you had never been born, or had been made Moles in&s;tead of Men; but I would per&s;wade my &s;elf of better things of you, and &s;uch as accompany Salvation. Con&s;ider,</P>
<P N="5">5. The Change for the better, that Chri&s;t in the heart will make in you, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6.11. <HI>Such were &s;ome of you, but ye are wa&s;hed, ye are &s;anctified, ye are ju&s;tified in the Name of the Lord Je&s;us, and by the Spirit of our God.</HI> See here, (1.) The Agent in this change, <HI>the Spirit</HI> in them. (2.) The Ad|vantage of the change, it was a change for
<PB N="40" REF="27">the better, that of bad made them good, of unclean clean, and brought them out of Dan|ger into &s;afety, out of a State of Condem|nation, into a State of Ju&s;tification; out of a State of Sin into a State of Sanctity, a ble&s;|&s;ed Change: And Chri&s;t in the Heart will make &s;uch a Change in you: He will change your Hearts and Lives, and fit you to live and fit you to dy: And let me tell you for your Encouragment, that the change will be &s;o Sweet to your &s;elves, that you will find &s;uch a &s;trange unexpected content and &s;ati&s;|faction in it, that you would not be what you now are for a World. Little do you know the Comforts that accompany &s;uch a change: Oh be per&s;waded to live, and you will never re|pent thereof, but enjoy &s;uch a Happine&s;s in your &s;elf as the World cannot afford.</P>
<P N="2">2. You that have Chri&s;t in you,</P>
<P>Be you entreated to live as &s;uch as have Chri&s;t in you. <HI>Col.</HI> 2.4. <HI>As ye have received Chri&s;t, &s;o walk in him.</HI> See that your words and works favour of Chri&s;t: Live not below your &s;elves. Is it for &s;uch as have Chri&s;t in them to mind earthly things, and to make a God of the World? is it for &s;uch as have Chri&s;t in them, to maintain Pride in their Habi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">s and Behaviours, and to wear the Flags of <HI>Luci|fer,</HI> and the Dre&s;s of <HI>Flora?</HI> is it for &s;uch as have Chri&s;t in them, to mu&s;ter up the Spi|rit of Contention, and to ca&s;t Squibs one at another? <HI>are ye not carnal</HI> herein, and <HI>walk
<PB N="41" REF="27">as Men,</HI> as <HI>Paul</HI> doth Phra&s;e it? that is, as meer Men, that have nothing of the Spirit of Chri&s;t in them. Is it for &s;uch as have Chri&s;t in them to manage Religious Exerci&s;es carnal|ly and deceitfully? To be Time-&s;ervers and Men-plea&s;ers, and to &s;erve God no further than it will &s;tand with Self-intere&s;t? Oh Sirs! <HI>What manner of Per&s;ons &s;hould you be, in all holy Conver&s;ation and Godline&s;s?</HI> 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.11. How &s;hould you &s;trive to conform your &s;elves to Chri&s;t, and not to the World, and to live ac|cording to the Laws of Heaven, and not accord|ing to the vain Cu&s;toms of wicked Men! How &s;hould you let others &s;ee, that Chri&s;t within hath changed you and made you Go&s;pel proof; that neither Profit, Example nor Honour can turn you from the Principles and Precepts of the Go&s;pel; if Chri&s;t be in you, be ye follow|ers of Chri&s;t as Dear Children.</P>
<P N="1">1. And &s;ee that you live Circum&s;pectly, <HI>Eph.</HI> 5.15. <HI>See that you walk circum&s;pectly, not as Fools, but as Wi&s;e:</HI> It will be your Wi&s;dom to keep up your &s;piritual Watch, and to Watch carefully; though Chri&s;t be in you, yet there is much Corruption within you, and the Fle&s;h will be Lu&s;ting again&s;t the Spirit, and if it prevail it will grieve the Spirit, and occa&s;ion it's withdrawings as to Sen&s;e and Apprehen&s;i|on, and cau&s;e Chri&s;t to hide his Face from you, and to &s;tand behind the Curtain, and when he hides his Face you will be troubled. Oh what Lo&s;&s;es and Sorrow do Chri&s;tians create to them|&s;elves
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<PB N="42" REF="29">by their Carnal Security! Oh re&s;olve a|gain&s;t it, and take warning from others, and walk very circum&s;pectly, left Satan get an Advantage again&s;t you; he that lets down his Watch gives place to the Devil.</P>
<P N="2">2. See that you live Cha&s;tly, 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 4.12. <HI>Walk, hone&s;tly,</HI> that is, not in the Lu&s;t of Con|cupi&s;cence; and the Rea&s;on is given in the 7th. and 8th. <HI>Ver&s;es, God hath not called us to &V;ncleanne&s;s, but to Holine&s;s, and given us his Holy Spirit.</HI> And therefore it is not for us to be carnally Minded, but to be Cha&s;t and Ho|ne&s;t, and Sober even in the U&s;e of lawful De|lights: That is a notable Pa&s;&s;age in 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 4.6. <HI>The Go&s;pel was preached to them that are Dead,</HI> that is, to the Martyrs, <HI>that they may be judged according to Men in the Fle&s;h; but live accord|ing to God in the Spirit:</HI> You cannot &s;top the Mouths of Men, they will be Judging and Con|demning you, and &s;ay you are fle&s;hly given, and live in Uncleanne&s;s, but you need not re|gard their Calumnies as long as you live ac|cording to God in the Spirit, clean&s;ing your &s;elves from all filthine&s;s both of the Fle&s;h and Spirit.</P>
<P N="3">3. See that you live Charitably, in Peace and Love, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 13.11. <HI>Live in Peace, and the God of Love and Peace &s;hall be with you:</HI> It's great Matter of Lamentation, that &s;uch as have Chri&s;t in them, &s;hould live &s;o Uncharitably and Contentiou&s;ly, and all through &s;mall differences about Words, and Ge&s;tures; and that the&s;e
<PB N="43" REF="29">Minute things &s;hould cau&s;e &s;uch di&s;tances, e|&s;trangements, and unkindne&s;&s;es among&s;t them. I am &s;ure this ought not &s;o to be: Tho&s;e that are right in the main, ought to hold Commu|nion one with another, and that in Peace and Love, bearing one with another in things wherein they differ, <HI>Phil.</HI> 3.15, 16. <HI>Rom.</HI> 14. <HI>begin.</HI> And it's certain al&s;o, that Chri&s;t makes it one of the Characters of a true Chri&s;tian, <HI>to Love the Brethren,</HI> 1 John 3.14. And that Love is full of Charity, and Kindne&s;s and For|bearance, and hides many faults. And why &s;hould there not be a fair Corre&s;pondency, where there is a vital In&s;piration by the &s;elf &s;ame Spirit?</P>
<P N="4">4. See that you live Contentedly, <HI>Heb.</HI> 13.5. <HI>Let your Conver&s;ation be without Covetou&s;|ne&s;s, and be Content with &s;uch things as you have.</HI> q.d. Keep your Hearts free from the Love of the World, and the Gares, Fears and Discon|tents that thence ari&s;e, and be Content with Gods allowance; for God is with you, and <HI>will never leave you, nor for&s;ake you;</HI> if Chri&s;t be in and with you by his Spirit, then the Comforter is at hand in all &s;ad Ca&s;es to Com|fort and Support you, and this &s;hould Still, Quiet and Content our Spirits, and pre&s;erve you from Di&s;contentedne&s;s; if Chri&s;t his Being in the Soul will not Content him, &s;urely nothing will do it, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.8. <HI>We are troubled on eve|ry &s;ide, yet not Di&s;tre&s;&s;ed.</HI> And how comes this to pa&s;s? &s;ee <HI>ver.</HI> 9, <HI>That the Life of Je&s;us
<PB N="44" REF="30">may, be manife&s;ted in our Body;</HI> that is, that our Lives may be conformable to his Life in &s;ubmi&s;&s;ive Sufferings, and that it may be ma|nife&s;t, that the Life that we live is the Life of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, that he lives in us, and that by him we live, and that contentedly under all our Calamities.</P>
<P N="5">5. See that you live Comfortably and Cheer|fully, in the Con&s;ideration that Chri&s;t lives in and with you A Melancholly drooping Life is a great Reflection upon Religion, and upon Chri&s;t him&s;elf, and an occa&s;ion of &s;tumbling unto many. And will you carry it &s;o, as if you &s;erved a hard Ma&s;ter? none have more Rea&s;on to live Chearfully and Joyfully, than you that have <HI>Chri&s;t in you, the Hope of Glory:</HI> Such as you are called upon by God him&s;elf to re|joice in the Lord always, and to be of good Comfort, and that under the troubles of the World; you need not to be troubled at your troubles, but may and ought under your Cro&s;|&s;es to Comfort your &s;elves in Chri&s;t, in your Union with him, in your Intere&s;t in him, and in your Enjoyment of him: and that becau&s;e he is in you Ince&s;&s;antly, Interce&s;&s;ively, In&s;epara|bly and Incumbently: He is in you,</P>
<P N="1">(1.) Ince&s;&s;antly, in you and alway in you, when you perceive it not, when he hides his Face, and &s;eems to be withdrawn, and you conclude be is quite departed from you; yet then he is with you, <HI>John</HI> 14.16. <HI>The Spirit abideth with you, and &s;hall abide with you for
<PB N="45" REF="30">ever:</HI> As a vital principle to pre&s;erve and keep you from Apo&s;tacy; and is not this Comforta|ble, and a &s;ure Hope of Glory?</P>
<P N="2">(2.) Interce&s;&s;ively: Chri&s;t in Heaven is your Interce&s;&s;our with God the Father, and his Spirit within you is your Interce&s;&s;our betwixt Chri&s;t and your Souls, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.26, 27. The Spirit pleads Chri&s;ts cau&s;e with us, and &s;tands up for Chri&s;t again&s;t the Fle&s;h; and it pleads our cau&s;e in Prayer with Chri&s;t and the Father. The Spirit then is in you a Spirit of Prayer and Supplication, and the Spirit of Adoption, ena|bling you to go to God boldly as to a reconci|led Father in Chri&s;t, and to pour out your Souls to him: It's Chri&s;t his Spirit in you that is the Spring of all your Holy De&s;ires and Mo|tions God-ward: And that only that comes from the Spirit in you finds Acceptance with God, for the Spirit moves you to ask what is agreeable to Gods Will, and with a Submi&s;&s;i|on to his Will: And you receive An&s;wers of Prayers in your &s;pirits oft, in inward Strength and Con&s;olation from the Spirit of God within you. Such as cry down the Spirit of Prayer, have need to take heed they do not de&s;pite to the Spirit of Grace.</P>
<P N="3">(3.) In&s;eparably; nothing can &s;ever Chri&s;t and your Souls, <HI>John</HI> 14.16. <HI>The Spirit &s;hall abide with you for ever.</HI> And <HI>Ver.</HI> 17. <HI>He dwelleth in you, and &s;hall be in you;</HI> he &s;hall be in you in de&s;pite of all Oppo&s;ition: All the De|vils in Hell cannot with all their Exorci&s;ms ca&s;t
<PB N="46" REF="31">the Spirit of God out of the Souls of his People: Satan may be di&s;po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed, but the Holy Gho&s;t cannot be di&s;po&s;&s;e&s;t. <HI>He is in you, and &s;hall be in you:</HI> Ble&s;&s;ed be God for this Promi&s;e; he is in you not as a Gue&s;t in an Inn to &s;tay but for a Night, but as an Inhabitant to abide in you, and he will &s;ecure his Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion. And what a &s;trong Con&s;o|lation is this, once Chri&s;ts, and always Chri&s;ts! If Chri&s;t be in you, he will never depart from you; he may in &s;ome Ca&s;es withdraw his vi&s;i|ble Communion, but not his Union: And as to Communion, he departs in the Souls Appre|hen&s;ion, but that is no real departure.</P>
<P N="4">(4.) Incumbently; as one in Office to over|&s;ee your Souls, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. <HI>la&s;t. Ye were as Sheep going a&s;tray, but are now returned to the Shep|berd and Bi&s;hop of your Souls.</HI> Chri&s;t is the great Archbi&s;hop of the Soul, and he is no Non-re&s;ident, but Incumbent in the Soul, as a Bi&s;hop is in his Dioce&s;s to rule and govern the &s;ame, or as a Pilot in a Ship to guide it, or as the Soul in the Body to actuate and animate it. It's his Office to Coun&s;el, Conduct, Confirm and Comfort his People, and he is faithful in his Office: You &s;ee what Com|forts you may &s;uck out of this Honycomb: Oh Mind them much, that you may live com|fortably upon them in this bad World. Do not pore too much upon your Troubles, but oft call to Mind the Comforts that belong to you, and live joyfully in Hope of Glory.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="doctrine">
<PB N="47" REF="31">
<HEAD>2. Doct.</HEAD>
<P><HI>It is Chri&s;t within us, that is our Hope of Glory:</HI> 1 John 5.12. <HI>He that hath the Son hath Life, and he that hath not the Son, hath not Life. Vitam gratiae in re, &amp; Vitam gloriae in &s;pe.</HI> He that hath Chri&s;t, hath the Life of Grace in reality, and the Life of Glory in Hope. In the Doctrinal part, for the Infor|mation of your Judgments, and Illu&s;tration of this great Truth, I &s;hall give a brief Account of the Glory here &s;poken of, <HI>the Hope of Glo|ry,</HI> and then prove that it's <HI>Chri&s;t in us that is our Hope of Glory.</HI></P>
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="question">
<HEAD><HI>Que&s;t. 1.</HI> What Glory is this here &s;poken of?</HEAD>
<P><LABEL>An&s;w.</LABEL> There is the Glory of the World, and that is Fading and Tran&s;itory: And there is the uncreated Glory of the mo&s;t High, and that is incomprehen&s;ible: And there is the Glo|ry of the Saints in Heaven, and that is in Ri|ches invaluable; but this is the Glory that I am now to &s;peak of. And who can give an ac|count of this &s;o great and amazing Glory? A full account cannot be expected, yet there is a Glimp&s;e and but a Glimp&s;e thereof given us in the Go&s;pel: And as far as it is revealed, &s;o far we may endeavour a Di&s;covery. And in the Go&s;pel, it is &s;et forth in its Properties and Priviledges. And of</P>
<P N="1">(1.) The Properties of this Glory. The Term Property if &s;trictly taken, is unapt and
<PB N="48" REF="32">improper; and if you plea&s;e, you may lay it a&s;ide, and in&s;tead thereof put the Prai&s;es that are given by God to this Glory: It is called an Un&s;earchable, Unchangeable, Unconceivable, and an Uncorruptible Glory.</P>
<P N="1">1. It's an Un&s;earchable Glory, <HI>Job</HI> 5.9. <HI>God doth great things and un&s;earchable.</HI> And his Glorifying &s;uch worthle&s;s worms as the Children of Men are, is one of the great un|&s;earchable things that he doth for the Glory of his great Name. Alas! where &s;hall we &s;earch for a full di&s;covery of the Glory of the Saints in Heaven? The Book of Nature, and the Book of the Scripture, give but a Dim and Dark account of it. And were we admitted to take a view in the Court of Heaven, and enabled to bear it, it might dazle our Eyes and ravi&s;h our Hearts, but we could not &s;ee into its Nature, nor &s;earch out its Splendour, nor utter what we &s;aw of this un&s;earchable Glory.</P>
<P N="2">2. It's an Unchangeable Glory, the Glory of the Sun may be Eclip&s;ed, and the Glory of Princes ob&s;cured; but the Glory of the Saints in Heaven cannot be changed: 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.24. <HI>The Glory of Man is as the Flower of Gra&s;s:</HI> That if it be not nipt before ripe, yet then it withers and drops off into the Portion of Weeds; but the Word of the Lord endureth for ever, and the Glory of Heaven is e&s;tabli&s;h|ed by an Immutable, Irrevocable Decree of the Lord of Ho&s;ts.</P>
<PB N="49" REF="32">
<P N="3">3. It's an Unconceiveable Glory, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2.9. <HI>Eye hath not &s;een, nor Ear heard, neither have entered into the Heart of Man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.</HI> The Glory that is prepared in Heaven for the Elect, is beyond the reach of a finite Under|&s;tanding: The Saints in Heaven, that have Glory in Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion, do wonder at their own Glory, as not being able to comprehend the Ri|ches of it; the lea&s;t Jewel that belongs to a|ny Crown of Glory is invaluable. Oh the dif|ference that is betwixt the Glory of the Crowns of Earthly Kings, and the Glory of a Crown of Glory: All the Glory of the World united together is but a bauble, or a &s;ingle Chaff, if compared to it.</P>
<P N="4">4. It's an Incorruptable Glory, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 9.25. <HI>They &s;trive for Ma&s;tery to obtain a corruptible Crown, but we an incorruptible.</HI> All Worldly Glory is fading, this never fades; nay, this Fading corruptible Body of a Saint mu&s;t at the Re&s;urrection put on Incorruption, and be Glo|rified according to the Pattern of Chri&s;t his <HI>Glorious Body,</HI> Phil. 3. la&s;t. And both Soul and Body united, live for ever in Glory: And what an Excellency doth this Word Eter|nity put upon this Glory; to live in Glory for the Term of a whole and long Life is ex|traordinary: But to live in &s;uch Glory to all Eternity; Oh how Excellent is this! Surely the Glory we are &s;peaking of is not to be &s;light|ed; e&s;pecially if we further con&s;ider,</P>
<PB N="48" REF="33">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="49" REF="33">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="50" REF="34">
<P N="2">(2.) The Priviledges of it:</P>
<P>The Prerogatives of the Crown of Glory are mo&s;t Rich and Royal Prerogatives. Eve|ry Crown hath its Prerogatives, but the Pre|rogatives of the Crown of Glory are extraor|dinary precious Prerogatives, and all the Saints enjoy them, and that without any encroach|ment, hazard or forfeiture. Let us take notice of &s;ome of them:</P>
<P N="1">1. Great Changes both in the Form and Fa|&s;hion of the Body, and al&s;o in the Frame and Faculties of the Soul, beyond our pre&s;ent Ap|prehen&s;ions, 1 <HI>John</HI> 3.2. <HI>It doth not appear what we &s;hall be,</HI> viz. Neither by Rea&s;on nor Revelation; but though this great change that will be made in glorified Saints doth not fully appear, either to our Sight or Knowledge, yet it appears that it will be &s;uch a State of Per|fection both of Body and Soul, as will make us like our glorified Head, and will make us capable of &s;eeing and holding Communion with him: We know (&s;ays he) <HI>That when Chri&s;t &s;hall appear, we &s;hall be like him, for we &s;hall &s;ee him as he is.</HI> And by this it appears, that the Body of the Saints mu&s;t be greatly refined and &s;piritualized to be fitted for glorified Souls: The&s;e earthly Tabernacles that now are but Pri&s;ons to our Souls, and by the &s;traitne&s;s of the Organous render the Soul uncapable of putting forth &s;uch Operations as their noble Natures are capable of; and by their feeble|ne&s;s cannot bear an expre&s;s of Joy without
<PB N="51" REF="34">overcoming the Vital Spirits, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.54. The&s;e Frail Bodies (I &s;ay) will then be made Immortal and Incorruptible, and &s;o Active and Powerful as to be able to bear &s;uch Impre&s;&s;ions as now they are wholly unable to bear: And al&s;o the natural Faculties of the Soul will be won|derfully enlarged: That &s;o in Union with the Body they may be made meet for an Eternity of Prai&s;es, and for tho&s;e beatifical Vi&s;ions which they mu&s;t alway behold: And both Soul and Body then united, will be covered with &s;uch a Mantle of Glory, as will make them not only amiable, but as will exceed the Sun in its Splendor; <HI>Mat.</HI> 28.3. It's &s;aid the Angel that appeared at the Re&s;urrection of Chri&s;t, <HI>Had a Countenance like the Lightning:</HI> And &s;piritual glorified Bodies are to be like Angels, <HI>Mark</HI> 12.25.</P>
<P N="2">2. The next Priviledge of &s;uch as are glori|fied, is Gladne&s;s and triumphant Joy without intermi&s;&s;ion, interruption or diminution: They &s;hall enjoy fulne&s;s of Joy. All the Joys that they enjoy on this &s;ide Heaven are but a ta&s;te of that full Cup of Con&s;olation that they &s;hall there be always drinking of. Some on this &s;ide Heaven enjoy Joys un&s;peakable and full of Glory, as much as frail Nature can bear; and &s;o much as for the pre&s;ent weakens them, in &s;o much as they are ready to &s;ink under them; but the&s;e foreta&s;tes of Heaven are but as drops compared to the Fountain, when com|pared with the Joys of Heaven. The Joys of
<PB N="52" REF="35">Heaven are &s;o great, that Heaven is called Joy it &s;elf, <HI>Mat.</HI> 25.21. <HI>Enter into the Joy of thy Lord.</HI> Heaven is Joy in the ab&s;tract, and &s;uch as go to Heaven enter into Joy: As he that enters into a Bath is pre&s;ently compa&s;&s;ed with Water: So is he that enters into Heaven &s;ur|rounded with Joy; yea filled with Joy: As a Ve&s;&s;el that is put into a Fountain is pre&s;ently top full of Water. Whil&s;t on Earth the Peo|ple of God have much &s;orrow, and but little Joy many times, but in Heaven they &s;hall have no Sorrow but all Joy: What then is Earth to Heaven? What is this Valley of Tears to that Palace of Joy?</P>
<P N="3">3. Grace without the lea&s;t Imperfection. Here the People of God are daily complaining of their Sins, the &s;trength of Sin and the weakne&s;s of Grace fill them full of Complaints: But there will be no occa&s;ion of the&s;e complaints in Heaven, there is no Sin but perfect Holi|ne&s;s; <HI>The Spirits of ju&s;t Men are there made perfect,</HI> Heb. 12.23. And Oh how &s;weet mu&s;t tho&s;e Prai&s;es be, in which there is no mixture of Sin! And in what a &s;teady frame mu&s;t the Souls of tho&s;e be in that are in a &s;in|le&s;s Condition, and partake of &s;uch a mea&s;ure of the Spirit, that ca&s;ts and keeps out all Sin! How exact, &s;piritual, lively and Joyful mu&s;t &s;uch be in all their Services! How Concor|dant and Delightful will their Conver&s;e and Communion be one with another! What man|ner of Per&s;ons are glorified Saints, that enjoy
<PB N="53" REF="35">the fear of God, and the Love of God in Per|fection? what rare Services, and with what enlarged Hearts do they always perform them? No Wearine&s;s, no Di&s;tractions, no Di&s;com|po&s;edne&s;s at all in their Souls, but always full of Life and Delight in their heavenly employ|ments!</P>
<P N="4">4. God, Chri&s;t, and the Spirit in Vi&s;ion and Fruition, without the lea&s;t Interpo&s;ition or In|termi&s;&s;ion: This is the riche&s;t Jewel that be|longs to the Crown of Glory, and that which Crowns their Glory; and how &s;weet and de|licate mu&s;t this needs be? Oh what Ble&s;&s;ed &s;ights are always beheld in Glory, that delight the Eyes and ravi&s;h the Hearts of all Behold|ers! Oh what a &s;ort of Communion will the Communion of Saints in Heaven be, both with them&s;elves and with the Trinity! What Poor things are the Plea&s;ures of the World, compa|red to the delights of Heaven! What a dull thing is it to be in the Courts of Princes towards what it is to be in the Court of Heaven! God is the Center and Felicity of the Soul, and for the Soul to live for ever in the full Fruition of God and Chri&s;t, how &s;weet mu&s;t it be! Chri&s;t in the Heart is comfortable, but Chri&s;t in Hea|ven is be&s;t of all, yea all in all. Thus I have given you a Glimp&s;e of Heaven, and though it be but a Glimp&s;e, yet it's enough to &s;et an Edge upon our Affections, and to beget in us a longing after this heavenly Inheritance.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="question">
<PB N="54" REF="36">
<HEAD><HI>Que&s;t. 2.</HI> What is this Hope of Glory here &s;poken of?</HEAD>
<P><LABEL>An&s;w.</LABEL> I will give you an Account both of the Nature, and of the Nece&s;&s;ity of this Hope of Glory; that you may be the better acquaint|ed both with the Grace and with the u&s;eful|ne&s;s of it. And</P>
<P N="1">(1.) Of the Nature of it.</P>
<P>This I will lay before you in two Couples, to help your Memories the better to retain them.</P>
<P N="1">1. This Hope of Glory is a &s;till and a &s;ted|fa&s;t Hope. (1.) A &s;till Hope under delays of Mercy; it's quiet and &s;till, and &s;uppre&s;&s;eth in|ward fretting and vexing at the&s;e delays; when the Soul begins to be di&s;quiet, it checks it and &s;tills it, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 42. <HI>la&s;t. Why art thou ca&s;t down, O my Soul, Hope in God!</HI> Art thou in Hope of Glory? De&s;pond not then at the troubles of this Life, it will not be long but all thy trou|ble will be over; and a time or rather an Eter|nity of Triumph will come: Therefore be &s;till, do not murmur nor fret, (2.) A &s;ted|fa&s;t Hope, hence it's called the Anchor of the Soul, <HI>Heb.</HI> 6.19. <HI>Which Hope we have as an Anchor of the Soul, both &s;ure and &s;tedfa&s;t:</HI> When the Soul is be&s;tormed and in danger of Shipwrack, to&s;t upon the Waves of Trouble and Temptation, it cleaves to the Promi&s;e, and pre&s;erves the Soul from being da&s;ht again&s;t the Rock of Di&s;tru&s;t and De&s;pair. The Anchor doth not adhere to the Water, but to the Earth under the Water: So this Hope is not content
<PB N="55" REF="36">with vi&s;ible things, but penetrates further, and laies hold on God and Chri&s;t, and Coele&s;tial Things, and &s;ticks and adheres unto them.</P>
<P N="2">2. This Hope of Glory is a Lively and La&s;ting Hope. (1.) A lively Hope, and is &s;o called 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.3. It makes the Soul Active and Lively in Duty; it's not a dead Hope, but a living Hope that lives in the Soul, as a Vital Principle to animate it again&s;t the Di&s;a&s;ters of this frail Life. It lives by Faith upon the Pro|mi&s;es of the Life to come; the Objects of this Hope are not the good things of this Life, but of the Life to come: The&s;e the Eye of Faith makes vi&s;ible to the Soul, and Hope lives in Expectation of, and the Soul through Hope puts forth lively Operations, and &s;erves the Lord with Life and Vigour. (2.) A La&s;ting Hope, it continues hoping, and holds on, and holds out to the end; it meets with di&s;courage|ments from Sin and Satan, which &s;ometimes oppre&s;s it and keep it under, that it makes no vi&s;ible appearance in the Soul; but it like the Sun di&s;per&s;eth the&s;e Clouds, and di&s;covers a|gain its radiant Beams, by ca&s;ting it's Eye up|on the faithfulne&s;s of God, and calling to Mind former Experiences; and thus this Hope up|holds it &s;elf, and keeps its ground again&s;t all encounters, and remains firm to the End, <HI>Heb.</HI> 3.6.</P>
<P N="2">(2.) Of the Nece&s;&s;ity of this Hope. It's a u&s;eful and needful Grace, that a Chri&s;tian can|not live without; it is very nece&s;&s;ary:</P>
<PB N="56" REF="37">
<P N="1">1. To help us in our work, for it mightily farthers and promotes it. We have much work to do in the World, weighty work that is not to be neglected. We are to work out our Salvation with Fear and Trembling; and there is the work of Faith, and the works of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and all the works of our general Calling to be done by us: And he that works not in Hope makes but poor work of it, he will be quickly weary of his work; its the Hope of a good Crop that makes the Husbandman Labour hard in Seed time; he Plows and Sow|eth in Hope, and its Hope that Spurs him on, and encourageth him in his Work. So it is the Hope of Glory that carries a Chri&s;tian through his Work, <HI>Acts</HI> 24.16. <HI>Herein do I exerci&s;e my &s;elf,</HI> &s;ays <HI>Paul:</HI> Wherein was it that he was &s;o diligent in Religious Exerci&s;es? why it was in Hopes of a joyful Re&s;urrection, <HI>ver.</HI> 15. <HI>I have Hope towards God of the joyful Re|&s;urrection of the Ju&s;t:</HI> And in Hope thereof I endeavour to be of that number, exerci&s;ing my &s;elf in works of Holine&s;s and Righteou&s;ne&s;s, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15. <HI>la&s;t. Abound in the Works of the Lord, fora&s;much as you know that your Labour is not in vain in the Lord;</HI> q. d. You know your Labour &s;hall be rewarded, and live in Hope of Glory; and is it for you to Loiter? No, no, your Hopes of Glory is given you to help on your Labour, that you may abound in the Works of the Lord.</P>
<P N="2">2. To help us in our Warfare; for it forti|fies
<PB N="57" REF="37">the Soul, and is as needful as Arms are for Souldiers. We are all Souldiers under Chri&s;t the Captain of our Salvation, and fight again&s;t his Enemies: And this Hope is one of our &s;piritual Weapons: It's our Helmet, 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 5.8. <HI>Put on for a helmet the hope of Salva|tion:</HI> It hath both the U&s;e and Force of a Helmet. As a Helmet &s;aves the Head and Heart, and &s;tands betwixt them and danger: So our Hope of Glory doth in the time of Temptation &s;tand betwixt the Soul and the danger, and put by the &s;trokes of the Temptation. When the Soul is a&s;&s;aulted, its An&s;wer to the Temptation is; No, no, if I yeild I &s;hall da&s;h my Hope of Glory: God hath promi&s;ed Glory to &s;uch as hold out again&s;t Temptations, and I live in Hope of Glory, and prize my Hope of Glory, and will not for the Plea&s;ures of Sin that are but for a moment hazzard the lo&s;s of this Glory: I am Chri&s;ts Souldier, and &s;hall I fight again&s;t my own Captain, and him with whom I hope to live in Glory; away Satan, its not for one that lives in Hope of Glory, and finds and feels the &s;weetne&s;s thereof, in his own Soul, to have any fellow&s;hip with the unfruitful works of Darkne&s;s.</P>
<P N="3">3. To help us in our Wants, for it fits us for &s;upplies: We are needy Creatures, alway in want, and God hath made plentiful provi|&s;ion for the &s;upply of our wants if we hope in him, and promi&s;ed &s;uch to &s;upply all their need,
<PB N="58" REF="38">according to his Riches in Glory by Chri&s;t Je|&s;us, <HI>P&s;a.</HI> 31. la&s;t, <HI>Be of good Courage, and he &s;hall &s;trengthen your hearts, all ye that hope in the Lord:</HI> Though ye be weak and need &s;treng|thening, and lie under heavey Burthens, and want &s;trength to bear them; yet be of good Courage, God will &s;trengthen your hearts, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 147 12. <HI>The Lord takes plea|&s;ure in tho&s;e that hope in his mercy:</HI> And are they the Objects of his Delight? then &s;ure|ly he will look after them, and take notice of their needs, and give them &s;ea&s;onable &s;up|plies, and hear and an&s;wer the Prayers that they put up for the&s;e &s;upplies. Such as pray in hope are &s;ure to &s;peed, for hope redownds much to the Glory of God: It implies an ac|knowledment of his faithfulne&s;s and al&s;uffici|ency, and it puts the Soul in a waiting Frame, and meets mercy with a thankful Heart; and therefore God doth take Plea&s;ure in &s;uch, and in &s;hewing mercy to &s;uch. Now lay the&s;e things together, and you will &s;ee both what hope God expects from you, and why you are to exerci&s;e Hope, and of what u&s;e this precious Grace is: God expects that your hope be of the right kind, a &s;till and &s;tedfa&s;t Hope, a lively and la&s;ting Hope, grounded up|on the indwelling of Chri&s;t in the Soul and his faithfulne&s;s in his Promi&s;es made to &s;uch Souls, and &s;uch a hope as this, is a mighty great help to the Soul both in its Work, in its War|fare, and in all its Wants. And now I pro|ceed
<PB N="59" REF="38">to the Proof of the Doctrine.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="question">
<HEAD><HI>3 Que&s;t.</HI> How doth it appear that Chri&s;t in us is our Hope of Glory?</HEAD>
<P><LABEL>An&s;w.</LABEL> Though few mind it, yet all &s;hall know at the great Day, that this Doctrine is a great Truth; and if we will &s;ubmit our judgments to the Standard of Truth, the in|fallible Word of God, it will convince us and clearly inform us, that it's Chri&s;t in us that is our Hope of Glory.</P>
<P N="1">1. The Provi&s;oes we find in the Acts of Oblivion recorded in the Word, exempt all &s;uch from mercy as receive not Chri&s;t by Faith into their Souls, and &s;o excludes them from all Hope of Glory. There are Acts of Grace in the Go&s;pel that grant pardon, and promi&s;e Glory to all penitent Believers that receive Chri&s;t by Faith into their Souls, and con&s;ent and &s;ubmit to his Scepter: And upon the&s;e Acts of Grace our Hope of Glory is built as upon a Foundation: But the&s;e Acts of Grace have Provi&s;oes that exempt out of mercy and favour &s;uch as continue in im|penitence and unbelief, and in di&s;obedience to the Go&s;pel, and tell &s;uch that it is in vain for them (whil&s;t &s;uch) to Hope for Glory: But in that E&s;tate, they can expect no mer|cy, for God hath exempted them in the Acts of Grace, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6.9, 10. <HI>Be not deceived, nither fornicators, nor Idolaters,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>&s;hall in|herit the Kingdom of Heaven.</HI> Glory is pro|mi&s;ed to &s;ome, but gro&s;s Sinners are exempt|ed
<PB N="60" REF="39">The Apo&s;tle thus Treats the <HI>Corinthians;</HI> If any among&s;t you lead wicked Lives, and hope to go to Heaven in their Sins, be it known to them that they are deceived, they do but deceive them&s;elves by thus hoping, &s;uch &s;hall not inherit the Kingdom of Hea|ven: if they live and dye in their Sins, they live and die without an Intere&s;t in Chri&s;t, and &s;hall be &s;hut out of Heaven, but if any have been &s;uch, and are changed and converted from Sin to Chri&s;t, let &s;uch live in Hope of Glory: Such as do continue in a State of Sin, and are neither Ju&s;tified nor Sanctified, do vainly expect to be Glorified.</P>
<P N="2">2. The Promi&s;es that we find in the &s;aid Acts of Grace, and the per&s;ons to whom the&s;e Promi&s;es are made, do prove the truth of this Doctrine: We find a grant of mer|cy in the Acts of Grace, and Chri&s;t promi|&s;ing to Save &s;ome from the Wrath to come, and to receive them into Glory: But who are the Per&s;ons concerned in this Grant, that are the &s;ubjects of this Grace, and to whom the Promi&s;e is made? it is not to all Sinners, nor to Sinners as Sinners, but to Penitent Sinners, to &s;uch Sinners, and to all &s;uch, and to none but &s;uch as come to Chri&s;t in the path of the Promi&s;e with penitent Hearts, and accept of him upon his own Terms, and receive him by Faith into their Souls, to dwell with them by his Grace and Spirit, and reign in and over them; to all the&s;e he
<PB N="61" REF="39">promi&s;es Pardon here, and Glory hereafter. And &s;uch as are of this Number ought to live in Hope of Glory, becau&s;e they find the conditions of the Promi&s;es in them&s;elves, and have Chri&s;t in them, who&s;e inbeing in the Soul is the ground of all true Hope of Glo|ry. True Hope mu&s;t have a word of Pro|mi&s;e from God for its Foundation, <HI>P&s;a.</HI> 130. 5. <HI>I. wait for the Lord, my Soul doth wait, and in his Word do I hope:</HI> To hope for that which we have no Promi&s;e from God for, is an Act of pre&s;umtion, we mu&s;t be able to give an account of the rea&s;on of our Hope, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.15. and he can give no rea&s;on of his Hope that cannot produce a Promi&s;e for what he hopes for, and prove his Title to that Promi&s;e, and he cannot prove his Title to the Promi&s;e any other way than by making out the perform|ance of the Condition of the Promi&s;e.</P>
<P N="3">3. The practi&s;e and method that God takes in &s;aving Souls by Chri&s;t proves the Doctrine, <HI>Phil.</HI> 4.19. <HI>My God &s;hall &s;upply all your wants, according to his riches in Glory, by Chri&s;t.</HI> Our Souls are by nature very needy, they need Light, and Life, and Liberty: Now God by Chri&s;t &s;upplies all their need, and this is the way appointed by him, and the method he u&s;eth in &s;aving Souls: It's by Chri&s;t that he &s;upplies all their need, they need Ju&s;tification, Adoption and Sanctification, in order to Sal|vation, all the&s;e needs he &s;upplies by Chri&s;t; they need his Spirit, to Sanctify, Solace,
<PB N="62" REF="40">Support, and to Guard and Guide them in the way to Heaven: Chri&s;t by his Spirit comes and takes po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of their Souls, and there dwells to &s;upply their Need: He then that wants the Spirit, hath not his need, &s;upplied, but remains under &s;uch Needs as mu&s;t needs be &s;upplied in order to Salvation; and un|der the&s;e Needs cannot live in true Hope of Glory. If he hope for Glory in this his needy Condition, he hopes in vain: God will &s;ave none but in his own appointed way, and he that will not be &s;o Saved, is &s;ure to go without it.</P>
<P N="4">4. The Product of all true Hope proves this Doctrine, if we con&s;ider, whence this hope &s;prings, how it is wrought, and from whence it proceeds, let us Trace this Hope to the Spring-head where it ari&s;eth, and then it will clearly appear to us that it's Chri&s;t in the Soul that is the Hope of Glory: Tho' Chri&s;t be the Object of Chri&s;tian Hope, and his Hope of Glory proceed from his Recon|ciliation with God by Chri&s;t, yet it's Chri&s;t in a Chri&s;tian that is the evidence of his re|conciled E&s;tate, and the &s;en&s;e and manife&s;ta|tion of this to the Soul a&s;&s;ures him that it is not in vain that he hopes for Glory. In a word: It's this that with a&s;&s;urance enables to live in Hope of Glory; <HI>Heb.</HI> 6.11. <HI>We de&s;ire that every one of you &s;hew the &s;ame diligence to the full a&s;&s;urance of Hope:</HI> Here is Hope, and the a&s;&s;urance of Hope, and the
<PB N="63" REF="40">full a&s;&s;urance of Hope, and all the&s;e attaina|ble by him that enjoys Chri&s;t in him&s;elf: It's upon evidence of this, that he a&s;&s;uredly hopes for Glory.</P>
<P N="1">1. This &s;ilenceth all the fears and doubts of the Soul, about its eternal E&s;tate. The Spi|rits fir&s;t work is to convince of Sin, and by conviction to awaken the Con&s;cience, and cau&s;e it to charge Sin home upon the Soul, to make the Soul apprehen&s;ive of its dan|ger, and to fear and tremble: Them the Spi|rit converts the Soul from Sin, and per&s;wades and enables it to embrace Chri&s;t freely offer|ed in the Go&s;pel, and hereupon Chri&s;t by his Spirit takes up his abode in the Soul, and after &s;om time lets the Soul &s;ee the change it hath wrought in him, and the Foot|&s;teps of Chri&s;t in his own Soul, whereupon all fear and doubts vani&s;h: And as <HI>Paul</HI> &s;ays, <HI>Heb.</HI> 10.2. <HI>They have no more Con&s;cience of Sin;</HI> Con&s;cience is pacified, and cea&s;eth from accu&s;ing and condemning them of their Sins.</P>
<P N="2">2. This &s;et up hope in the Soul, and the Soul &s;ees it &s;elf in a hopeful Conditi|on, and rejoyceth in Hope of Glory, <HI>Rom.</HI> 5.2. And <HI>Paul</HI> tells us, <HI>v.</HI> 4. How this comes to pa&s;s, and what breeds this joyful Hope, and whence it Springs. It's experience that breeds this Hope; the experience that the Soul hath in it &s;elf of Gods goodne&s;s in &s;et|ting up Chri&s;ts Kingdom in the Soul: He
<PB N="64" REF="41">finds &s;omething of Chri&s;t in him&s;elf, &s;ome work of his Spirit that hath brought him out of Darkne&s;s into Light, and from hating and oppo&s;ing Godline&s;s to Love and embrace it, and to pant after Chri&s;t above all; and it's this that breeds this lively Hope, whereby the Soul lives in &s;ure and certain Hope of Glory.</P>
<P N="3">3. This &s;atisfies him that he is in a ju&s;tified E&s;tate, acquired from Sin, and ingratiated by Chri&s;t into the favour of God: And he is &s;ure that the golden Chain cannot be broken, but that whom God thus <HI>calleth,</HI> he <HI>ju&s;tifi|eth,</HI> and whom he <HI>ju&s;tifies</HI> them he <HI>glorifies, Rom.</HI> 8.30. He finds 'em him&s;elf, the To|kens of Gods &s;pecial Love, and is &s;ure that God is immutable, and whom he loves once he loves to the end; he feels his heart endear|ed to Chri&s;t and Chri&s;tianity, and that it's Chri&s;t by his Spirit in his heart that hath made this change in him&s;elf, and hence &s;prings this Hope of Glory.</P>
<P N="4">4. This &s;hews him his Intere&s;t in the Pro|mi&s;es. The&s;e Promi&s;es he knows are &s;ecure and infallible, and he that is an Heir of the Promi&s;e is an Heir of Heaven; and now argues thus with him&s;elf: If I am an Heir of the Promi&s;e, I am an Heir of Hea|ven: Now I am an Heir of the Promi&s;e, for I have the Condition of the Prom&s;es in my &s;elf: Chri&s;t is formed in me, and therefore I may live in Hope of Glory. I &s;ee now
<PB N="65" REF="41">my former doubts were cau&s;ele&s;s, and will cheri&s;h them no more, but live hereafter in &s;ure and certain Hope of Glory. Thus I have cleared up this Doctrine to you, and Oh that it may prove as &s;weet to you in the reception as it was to me in my Medi|ations, and that &s;ome doubting Souls may re|ceive a &s;ight of Chri&s;t in him&s;elf attended with Hope of Glory.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="1" TYPE="application">
<HEAD>1. &V;&s;e,</HEAD>
<P>Of Information. This Doctrine plainly &s;hews two Truths of great concern to us, <HI>viz.</HI> That all Hopes of Glory are not true Hopes; and that all hearts in whom Chri&s;t dwells ought to live in Hope of Glo|ry. I will &s;peak to both the&s;e de&s;ignedly, to beat down fal&s;e hopes that ruin thou&s;ands, and to advance true hope in the hearts of Gods People, for their Comfort in this wick|ed World.</P>
<P N="1">1. All Hopes of Glory are not true hopes.</P>
<P>How many have we among&s;t us in <HI>England</HI> that live in Hope of Glory, that have no true hope in them&s;elves, nor any ground for their Hopes of Glory: I'le apply my &s;elf to two &s;orts of People.</P>
<P N="1">1. To Profe&s;&s;ors, that profe&s;s Chri&s;tianity with a &s;eeming integrity and &s;eriou&s;ne&s;s, but all in hypocri&s;ie. Lea&s;t doubting &s;incere Souls &s;hould fallely apply this to them&s;elves, and &s;o aggrivate their di&s;couragements, I &s;hall fir&s;t de&s;cribe the Hypocrite, and then lay open
<PB N="66" REF="42">the fal&s;ne&s;s of his Hope. That Profe&s;&s;or is an Hypocrite that for &s;elf-intere&s;t conforms to the outward exerci&s;es of Chri&s;tianity, and walks in the tract of the duties thereof, but is a &s;tranger to the inwards of duty, <HI>viz.</HI> the enjoyment of Chri&s;t, and the exerci&s;e of Grace therein; hath no regard to the inward man, hath nothing of the Image of Chri&s;t in the Soul, is wholly carnal and &s;en&s;ual, not ha|ving the Spirit, is altogether de&s;titute of &s;a|ving Grace: And as for his gifts, he u&s;eth them for by ends, to quiet his Con&s;cience, to keep up his Name and Credit among&s;t Chri&s;tians, or to curry favour with &s;ome that he hath a de|pendance upon. As for &s;uch as labour under a trembling fear of hypocri&s;ie, and bewail that partial hypocri&s;ie they find in them&s;elves, and fight and pray again&s;t it, they hereby give &s;uch an evidence of their &s;incerity, as de|clares that they are of the number of true Chri&s;tians, and cannot be ranked among&s;t Hypocrites, and their Fault lies not in ho|ping, but in the weakne&s;s of their Hope, and oft in rejecting the Hope of Glory: But the Hypocrite, tho' he be not in a hope|ful condition, yet he is commonly full of confidence, and cheri&s;heth fal&s;e hope in him|&s;elf; but this Doctrine overthrows his hope: <HI>Si tollitur cau&s;a tollitur effectus;</HI> Take away the Cau&s;e, and the Effect cea&s;eth: Now in the&s;e the experience of the &s;aving work of Grace in the heart is wanting, Chri&s;t was ne|ver
<PB N="67" REF="42">formed in them, and therefore there can be no &s;uch thing in them as any true Hope of Glory: And hence it is the Spirit of God in the Word cries down the hope of the Hypocrite, and tells him that it is not to be tru&s;ted to, but that in vain they hope for Glory: <HI>Job</HI> 8.13, 14. <HI>The Hypocrites Hope &s;hall peri&s;h &mdash; His tru&s;t &s;hall be a Spiders Web;</HI> Spun out of a fal&s;e conceit of their own brains, and when the be&s;om of de&s;truction comes, it fails and proves a Spiders Web; for weakne&s;s, and worth, and durance, it proves of no value; <HI>Job</HI> 27.8. <HI>What is the Hope of the Hypocrite when God taketh away his Soul?</HI> Then where is his hope? Alas, he then finds his hope turned into de&s;pair, and he that hoped for Heaven is ca&s;t down into Hell! Oh the&s;e fal&s;e Hopes, how do they vani&s;h under the greate&s;t needs of the Soul? &s;uch come before God, like men to a Market, with Money enough in their Pocket that they took for good, but proves counterfeit and will not pa&s;s, and &s;o they cannot &s;upply any of their need with it: So the&s;e hopes fails them when they mo&s;t need them, and will not pa&s;s for currant; their hopes of Glory have not <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 word"> grain of good in them, they are counter|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">eit Coin, away with them.</P>
<P N="2">2. To prophane Wretches, that live &s;can|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">alous Lives, wallow in wickedne&s;s, that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ne would think that they could not pretend <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 word"> any hopes of Glory; and yet I have met
<PB N="68" REF="43">with many of the&s;e that feed them&s;elves with hopes of Glory: Though the&s;e hopes are the Childrens bread, yet the&s;e Dogs &s;natch at them; and they that are Po&s;ting towards Hell will not be brought to &s;ee their Danger, but think they are going to Hea|ven. Oh you that live prophane Lives, and yet hope for Glory, hear what is &s;aid of your hope, <HI>Job</HI> 11.20. <HI>The Hope of the wic|ked &s;hall be as the giving up of the Gho&s;t;</HI> that is, He that is &s;eized with Death, and his Soul ready to expire, may as well hope to Live, as &s;uch hope for Heaven in the State they are in: Or their <HI>Hope</HI> is as the <HI>giving up of the Gho&s;t,</HI> that is, as a puff of breath, like the la&s;t puff of breath that a dying man puffeth when he leaves the World, that vani&s;h|eth in a moment: It's no more to be regarded, no more to be relied upon then &s;uch a puff. And when the Wicked puff out their la&s;t breath, their breath and hope will vani&s;h together: Then adieu to Breath, and adieu to Hope. Oh ye that live in notorious Wickedne&s;s, and yet hope for Mercy from God (in this State of Sin) at your Death, give me leave to expo&s;tulate with you a little about your hopes.</P>
<P N="1">(1.) What rea&s;on can you give for this hope that is in you? what Word of God have you met with to ground your hope on? Alas, alas, that you &s;hould take up a hope that hath not one Word of God for its &s;up|port,
<PB N="69" REF="43">but much again&s;t it in the Scripture: Nay, let me tell you, your hope is fal&s;e, or God him&s;elf fal&s;e in his Word; reconcile your hope if you can to the&s;e Scriptures, <HI>P&s;a.</HI> 9.17. <HI>The wicked &s;hall be turned into Hell. Job.</HI> 19.7. <HI>He &s;hall peri&s;h for ever like his own Dung:</HI> I&s;a. 3.11. <HI>Wo to the wicked, it &s;hall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands &s;hall be given him.</HI> I&s;a. 27.11. <HI>He that made them &s;hall not have mercy on them, and he that formed them &s;hall &s;hew them no favour.</HI> Rom. 2.9. <HI>Tribulation and Angui&s;h upon every Soul that doth evil.</HI> 2 The&s;. 1.7.8.9. <HI>The Lord Je&s;us &s;hall be revealed from Heaven &mdash; ta-Vengance on them that know not God, and o|bey not the Go&s;pel of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, who &s;hall be puni&s;hed with everla&s;ting De&s;tructi|on.</HI></P>
<P N="2">(2.) What Right can you claim to Chri&s;t, and to Salvation by him? he is a Saviour of the believer, and of none but believers; if you &s;ay you believe, and therefore he is your Saviour, then hear what <HI>James</HI> &s;ays to you, <HI>James</HI> 2.18, 19, 20. Thy Faith is a dead Faith, and profits nothing, and this he proves thus, <HI>Faith without works is dead;</HI> thy Faith is &s;uch a Faith, and therefore but a dead Faith.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="objection and answer">
<HEAD><HI>Obj.</HI> This Doctrine tends to de&s;pair, and leaves a Sinner without Hope, and therefore a dangerous Doctrine.</HEAD>
<P><LABEL>An&s;w.</LABEL> It's the Doctrine of the Go&s;pel,
<PB N="70" REF="44">and tells you that there is no hope for you in a State of Sin; and yet there is Hope; no Hope, and yet Hope: No Hope whil&s;t you cleave to your Sins, and prefer your Sins be|fore your Salvation: And yet Hope, if you turn true penitent Believers, <HI>Ezra</HI> 10.2. <HI>There is hope in I&s;rael:</HI> viz. For Sinners in ca&s;e of Repentance: <HI>Ezek.</HI> 18.30. <HI>Turn you from all your Iniquity, &s;o Iniquity &s;hall not be your ruin,</HI> otherwi&s;e it will certainly ruin you; &s;o that Life and Death are &s;et before you, Salvation and Damnation; Salvation in ca&s;e of Repentance, but Damnation in ca&s;e you live and die without true Repentance. Now what will ye do in this Ca&s;e? will you be as you are, and do as you do? then you remain hopele&s;s; but if you will turn from all your Sins to God, and accept of Salvation by Chri&s;t in Gods appointed way, then you may live in Hope of Glory, <HI>Heb.</HI> 6.18. <HI>Who have fled for Refuge to lay hold upon the hope &s;et before us:</HI> You &s;ee there is a Refuge for you to flie to, a Pre&s;ent, Patent, Potent and permanent Re|fuge; and God is this Refuge, to him you mu&s;t flie, and that with &s;peed, by Faith and Repentance, and in this way you may lay hold of this Hope; whil&s;t you neglect or refu&s;e flying to this Refuge, you have nothing to do to lay hold of this Hope of Glory. I have now done with the fir&s;t great truth that this Doctrine informs us of, and enter up|on the Second.</P>
<PB N="71" REF="44">
<P N="2">2. All hearts in whom Chri&s;t dwells, ought to live in Hope of Glory.</P>
<P>It's their Sin and &s;hame that their Hope of Glory is &s;o low and little, and their fears and doubts &s;o many and great; and there|fore I &s;hall expo&s;tulate the ca&s;e with the&s;e, to convince them of their Sin in cheri&s;hing Un|belief, and to encourage them to &s;ure and certain Hopes of Glory.</P>
<P N="1">1. Are not you under the Commands of God, and his Sworn Subjects? how dare you then live in the daily breach of his expre&s;s Precepts? you dare not Swear, nor Lie, nor commit Adultery, becau&s;e the&s;e are Acts of di&s;obedience to the Lord your God, how then comes it to pa&s;s that you dare refu&s;e to hope in God, and to Act Faith in Chri&s;t? are not the&s;e commanded Duties? <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 121. la&s;t, <HI>Let I&s;rael hope in the Lord from hence|forth and for ever.</HI> 1 John 3.23. <HI>This is his Commandment, that we &s;hould believe.</HI> Now judge in your &s;elves, ought you not to give an univer&s;al Obedience to the Commands of God? and is not a Command from God a &s;ufficient Warrant again&s;t Pre&s;umption? why then do you exempt your &s;elves from yielding Obedience to the Commands of Faith and Hope?</P>
<P N="2">2. Are you not under the Covenant of Grace? and was it not made and Sealed on purpo&s;e to &s;trengthen your Hope? and doth it not An&s;wer all Objections again&s;t Hope?
<PB N="72" REF="45">1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.21. Chri&s;t was rai&s;ed and Glorified, that your Hope might be in God. The Re|&s;urrection and Glorification of Chri&s;t proves the Con&s;ummation of the work of Redem|ption, and that our Reconciliation with God was accompli&s;hed, and the Covenant of Grace ratified, and this calls upon Believers to hope in God, and declares that their doubts and fears are groundle&s;s.</P>
<P N="3">3. Are you not under the Cu&s;tody of Chri&s;t, and your Salvation &s;ecured by him, and your Life hid with him in God, <HI>Col.</HI> 3.3. and can you doubt of his Love that lov|ed you to Death? can ye que&s;tion his Pow|er that commanded all things out of nothing? can ye be Jealous over his Truth, that hath alway been true to his word, and is truth it &s;elf. What can you &s;ay for your &s;elves? did Chri&s;t die for you, and doth he now dwell in you, and will ye account your Con|dition hopele&s;s? &s;urely this is a piece of great weakne&s;s, and very blame-worthy in &s;uch as you.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="objection and answer">
<HEAD><HI>Obj.</HI> It is blame-worthy in &s;uch as have Chri&s;t within them, but that is not our Ca&s;e, we had him in us, and had Communion with him, and lived in high Hopes of Glory; but are now left without any Hope or ground of Hope; we have Sinned him and all our Hope of Glory away, and are ju&s;tly ca&s;t off by him.</HEAD>
<P><LABEL>An&s;w.</LABEL> This Objection an&s;wers its &s;elfs: The Conce&s;&s;ion in the former Part contra|dicts
<PB N="73" REF="45">the Conclu&s;ion in the latter Part: Such as have enjoyed Chri&s;t cannot be ca&s;t off by Chri&s;t, and therefore I &s;hall endeavour to make out the&s;e things for the &s;atisfaction of &s;uch.</P>
<P N="1">(1.) That they are &s;tated in a State of &s;afety.</P>
<P N="2">(2.) That they &s;tand under the Obligati|on of this Duty of hoping in God.</P>
<P N="3">(3.) That they are &s;tockt and &s;tor'd with vital Principles that a&s;&s;ure us of their recove|ry.</P>
<P N="1">1. They are &s;tated in a &s;tate of &s;afety. The &s;afety of the Soul doth not depend upon their hopes of Glory, but upon its Union with Chri&s;t: Its Hope of Glory may be in|terrupted, but its Union with Chri&s;t can ne|ver be di&s;&s;olved; once in Chri&s;t and alway in Chri&s;t: Under the want of a&s;&s;urance, the &s;afe|ty of the Soul continues: The immutability of the Covenant of Grace, the Eternity of Gods Electing Love, and the Efficacy of Chri&s;ts continual Interce&s;&s;ion, and the Excel|lency of the State of Grace, do a&s;&s;ure the true Believer that his Salvation cannot mi&s;carry, and that though he may by the violence of a Temptation fall, yet he cannot fall away: It's one of the great Priviledges of the Sons of God, that they are Heirs of Heaven, and that their heavenly Inheritance is &s;o firmly intailed upon them, that they cannot fall &s;hort of it. Grace enters the Soul into an Everla&s;t|ing
<PB N="74" REF="46">State of Happine&s;s, and if an Everla&s;t|ing State could be lo&s;t, then it were not Ever|la&s;ting: And that Grace is an Everla&s;ting E&s;tate we are a&s;&s;ured from 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 5.11, 12, 13. <HI>This is the record, that God hath given us, Eternal Life, and this Life is in his Son: He that hath the Son, hath Life &mdash; The&s;e things have I wrote to you that believe &mdash; That ye may know that you have eternal Life.</HI> John 3. la&s;t. <HI>He that beliveth on the Son, hath ever|la&s;ting Life.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. They &s;tand under the Obligation of this Duty of living in Hope of Glory: Under their pre&s;ent Circum&s;tances, the Cloud that co|vers their Hope doth not di&s;charge them from the Duty of Hope: They are to Hope again&s;t Hope, and to keep up Hope, when the ground of Hope doth di&s;appear; for, the ground of Hope remains though it be as a &s;park under the A&s;hes, or as the Sun in an Eclip&s;e, out of pre&s;ent fight; the Soul in this Ca&s;e is to call to mind the days of Old, and the Love that heretofore it received from Chri&s;t, and to conclude thus, my beloved hath withdrawn him&s;elf, and now &s;tands behind the Curtains to try my Faith, Patience, and Sincerity, and to &s;ee whether I will &s;erve him without a Pawn.: I hope he will return, and will in hope wait for his return: It's but an Eclip&s;e, the interpo&s;ition will be removed, and the Sun of Righteou&s;ne&s;s will &s;hine again upon my Soul. Oh my Soul, Satan is now aware
<PB N="75" REF="46">that there is a di&s;tance betwixt Chri&s;t and thee, and Tempts thee to De&s;pair, but hark|en to the Voice of my Beloved, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 50.10. <HI>Who is among&s;t you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the Voice of his Servant, that walketh in darkne&s;s, and hath no Light? let him tru&s;t in the Name of the Lord, and &s;tay him&s;elf up|on his God.</HI> See then, that under Darkne&s;s thou expect Light, for this is thy Duty, and wilt thou &s;uffer Satan to baffle the out of thy Duty? is not the Voice of Chri&s;t to be regarded before the Voice of Satan? and doth not not he &s;ay, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 54.8. <HI>In a little wrath I hid my &s;elf for a moment, but with everla&s;t|ing kindne&s;s will I have mercy on thee, &s;a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">th the Lord thy Redeemer.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. They are Stockt and Stored with vital-Principles that will prevail at la&s;t again&s;t the pre&s;ent Temptation. The Root of the Mat|ter, the Seed of Grace remains in the Soul, that they cannot Sin unto Death, nor with a full and free con&s;ent of Will, 1 <HI>John</HI> 3.2. The force, of the pre&s;ent Temptation may &s;uppre&s;s Grace for a time, and Satan may give them a Martial fall, but the end of the Encounter will be the beating of Satan out of the Field, the recovery of the Soul to its pri&s;tine Liberty, and renewed &s;weet mutual embraces betwixt Chri&s;t and the Soul, <HI>Cant.</HI> 2.8. <HI>Behold, he cometh leaping upon the Moun|tains, skipping upon the Hills:</HI> The greate&s;t Mountains cannot keep Chri&s;t and his Peo|ple
<PB N="76" REF="47">a&s;under: The Mountains that &s;tand in his way cannot impede his return, but droop|ing Souls &s;hall with admiration behold the re|turn of their beloved, returning with &s;peed and joy to the Beloved Habitation of their Souls, <HI>Jer.</HI> 31.20. <HI>Is Ephraim my dear &s;on? is he a plea&s;ant Child? for &s;ince I &s;pake again&s;t him, I do earne&s;tly remember him &s;till, there|fore my bowels are troubled for him; I will &s;urely have mercy upon him, &s;aith the Lord.</HI> The Sons of God have &s;uch an Intere&s;t in the heart of their heavenly Father, and are &s;o dear to him, that though their provocations &s;ome|times occa&s;ion his frowns, yet &s;till he hath them in remembrance, and exerci&s;eth Bowels of Compa&s;&s;ion towards them, and for their Com|fort, gives them full a&s;&s;urance of Releif from him. <HI>Surely, I will have Mercy upon him, &s;aith the Lord;</HI> in which words there is (1.) An A&s;&s;ertion, I will have mercy on him; he th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="2 letters">ks that he is quite ca&s;t out of Favour, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 span"> to de&s;pare of my mercy, but this is his mi&s;take, I will have mercy upon him; his wickedne&s;s and unworthine&s;s &s;hall not hin|der it, I will take away his Sin, and have mercy upon his Soul. (2.) An A&s;&s;everati|on, <HI>Surely</HI> I will do it: I do not only &s;ay it, but will &s;urely do it: He doubts of it, but he &s;hall be &s;ure of it, as &s;ure as if it were done already. Oh the gracious Conde&s;cention of our God! He knows what unbelieving hearts we have, and to encourage us in ho|ping
<PB N="77" REF="47">and believing, he backs his Promi&s;es with &s;uch Confirmations as do put them be|yond all doubt and que&s;tion.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="2" TYPE="application">
<HEAD>2. &V;&s;e,</HEAD>
<P>Of In&s;truction, to three &s;orts of Per|&s;ons, <HI>viz.</HI> To &s;uch as are wallowing in their Sins; to &s;uch as are weak in their Faith and Hope; and to &s;uch as are waiting in Hope for the Glory of Heaven.</P>
<P N="1">(1.) To &s;uch as are Wallowing in their Sins.</P>
<P>Oh all ye that live in Uncleanne&s;s, Drun|kenne&s;s, Ungodline&s;s and Unrighteou&s;ne&s;s, and Con&s;equently live without Chri&s;t and true Hope in the World, be In&s;tructed from this Doctrine to take notice of &s;ome great Truths that much concern you. As,</P>
<P N="1">1. Ob&s;erve the Happine&s;s of &s;uch as do Believe and Cordially Embrace the Go&s;pel, and change your Thoughts of them: You ac|count them &s;imple contemptible People, and think that they are more preci&s;e than wi&s;e; but con&s;ider, is it not better to enjoy Chri&s;t in Grace, and a&s;&s;ured hopes of enjoying him in Glory, than to live Vitiou&s;ly without any re|gard to Glory? I appeal to your own Con|&s;ciences, and de&s;ire you to take the an&s;wer that your Con&s;ciences will give you to this que&s;tion, Whether they are in the better Condition that live under guilt, and in con&s;tant danger of eternal Death and Damnation, or they that by Faith and Repentance are uni|ted to, and in Communion with their Ble&s;|&s;ed
<PB N="78" REF="48">Redemer, and live in &s;ure and certain Hope of Glory.</P>
<P N="2">2. Ob&s;erve the High-way to obtain both the Hope of Glory here, and the enjoym<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">nt of Glory hereafter: And this you &s;ee is not the profe&s;&s;ing Chri&s;t with the Mouth, but po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ing him in the Heart: Not the owning of Chri&s;t by the Soul, but the admitting Chri&s;t into the Soul. It's this that is the appointed way to Glory, and to the Hope of Glory; and if you fall &s;hort of this, you will certainly fall &s;hort of Glo|ry: Alas, you talk of living in Hope of Glo|ry, and have hopes in your &s;elves, but they are fal&s;e Hopes, and pernitious Hopes, that make you &s;ecure and carele&s;s in the mid&s;t of the mo&s;t dreadful Danger; and take heed lea&s;t that Threatning be executed upon you, 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 5.3. <HI>When they &s;hall &s;ay peace and &s;afety, then &s;uddain de&s;truction cometh on them, as tra|vel upon a Woman with child, and they &s;hall not e&s;cape.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. Ob&s;erve the Hatefulne&s;s of the Sin of Unbelief, and the rea&s;on why there is &s;o much &s;aid again&s;t it in the Go&s;pel: Here lies the vilene&s;s of this Sin, where it Reigns it vitiates the Heart, and keeps Chri&s;t and the Soul a&s;under, and &s;o fru&s;trates the Death of Chri&s;t to the Soul. And this is your Ca&s;e: You are oft told of your Mi&s;ery, and pre&s;|&s;ed to flie to the City of Refuge, but you be|lieve
<PB N="79" REF="48">not our Report of your Ca&s;e, but by Unbelief bolt the Door of your Hearts a|gain&s;t the Voice of the Go&s;pel, and this makes your Ca&s;e &s;o hopele&s;s: Your Unbelief is that which &s;o much endangers your Ruin. Did you beileve the account that God him&s;elf gives of your Ca&s;e in his Holy Word, you could not feed your &s;elves with the&s;e fal&s;e Hopes that keep you from Repentance.</P>
<P N="4">4. Ob&s;erve the Holine&s;s of this Glory, that this Doctrine &s;peaks of, and your unmeet|ne&s;s for the &s;ame, <HI>Col.</HI> 1.12. <HI>Giving thanks to the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the &s;aints in light.</HI> This Inheritance is a heavenly Inhe|ritance, and the Inheritance of none but Saints, and the&s;e Saints are made meet for it before they are received into it. If then you would be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints, you mu&s;t be made meet for it. Can you imagin that &s;uch filthy Hearts as yours are meet for Heaven? what &s;hould &s;uch as you do in Hea|ven? were it po&s;&s;ible for &s;uch as you to get in|to Heaven, Heaven would be a Hell to you. You that are now tyred &s;o much with an hour or two &s;pent in the Service of your Maker, how could you brook the Holine&s;s of Heaven, and the heavenly Imployments of Saints and Angels?</P>
<P N="5">5. Ob&s;erve the Hopele&s;ne&s;s of a Chri&s;tle&s;s Con|dition: The Hopes of Glory are incon&s;i&s;tent
<PB N="80" REF="49">with a Chri&s;tle&s;s Condition. Such as live with|out Chri&s;t in the World mu&s;t needs live with|out Hope of Glory al&s;o, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 2.12. <HI>Ye were without Chri&s;t &mdash; Having no hope, and without God in the world:</HI> I pray you mind what the Lord &s;ays of your Condition: You &s;ay you have Hope, but God &s;ays that your Condition is a hopele&s;s Condition, and that you have not Hope: Alas your Hope is no Hope in Gods Account, for it is no well-grounded Hope, no true Hope: It's pre|&s;umption and not Hope; it's &s;aid, <HI>Rom.</HI> 5.5. <HI>Hope maketh not a&s;hamed:</HI> That is, Di|vine Hope is certain and infallible, and doth not &s;hame &s;uch as enjoy it by way of Fru|&s;tration: But what &s;hame will your Hope expo&s;e you to! what confu&s;ion will it put you to when it fails, and you mi&s;s of your vain Glorious Hope! how many are there now in Hell, that on Earth boa&s;ted of their Hopes of Heaven! Now &s;hall I beg of you, that you would commune with your &s;elves about the&s;e things, and take them into &s;e|rious Con&s;ideration, and pre&s;s them upon your own Spirits, that they may awaken you, and convince you of your need of Chri&s;t, and provoke you to &s;ubmit to the Go&s;pel, and to the way that God therein hath appointed for your Salvation, and &s;o by degrees brings you to live in &s;ure and certain Hope of Glo|ry.</P>
<P N="2">2. To &s;uch as are weak in Faith and Hope.</P>
<PB N="81" REF="49">
<P>There are many precious Souls that have Chri&s;t in them, and yet are weak in Faith and full of doubting, and enjoy little Hope in them&s;elves of Glory; and I would wil|lingly contribute &s;omething towards the en|crea&s;e of their Hope of Glory: And in or|der thereunto &s;hall propound to &s;uch, &s;ome means and helps that tend to the &s;trengthen|ing of the Hope of Glory, and be&s;eech them diligently to employ them&s;elves in the u&s;e of them.</P>
<P N="1">1. See that you prai&s;e God heartily for the mercies you have already received, <HI>Col.</HI> 3.15. <HI>Be ye thankful:</HI> You are full of Complaints of your wants, you want Peace, and Joy, and A&s;&s;urance: But are ye thankful for what you have? thankfulne&s;s for what you enjoy, is the way to obtain a &s;peedy &s;upply of what you want: The thankful Soul is a Soul fitted for mercy: And God will be the more ready to give, when he knows that what he gives will be thankfully received: Were we more thank|full, he would open his hand the &s;ooner and wider when we come to him for new &s;up|plies, but when enjoyed mercies are under|valued, and God wants his prai&s;e for them, then it's no wonder that he delays to give more mercies; he will make you wait the longer, to teach you more thankfulne&s;s. A mite of Grace is of more worth than a Moun|tain of Gold: And you have Grace, and much Grace, but becau&s;e you want Comfort, you
<PB N="82" REF="50">overlook your Graces, and do not own them with thankfulne&s;s, and God is offended here|at, and takes an effectual cour&s;e to make you more thankful.</P>
<P N="2">2. See that you proceed in the exerci&s;e of what grace you have. A Babe in time may become a &s;trong Man, and weak beginnings may have large endings: A &s;mall Tallent may be doubled by good u&s;age, <HI>Mat.</HI> 13.12. <HI>He that hath, to him &s;hall be given, and he &s;hall have abundance;</HI> alway, provided that he hus|band well what he hath: Therefore what Faith and Hope you have, (though it be weak) yet exerci&s;e with Dilligence: Repetition of Acts beget habits, and diligent endeavors are at|tended with a Ble&s;&s;ing, and &s;o you may come to have abundance, <HI>Prov.</HI> 11.25.). <HI>The di|ligent Soul &s;hall be made fat:</HI> You complain of leanne&s;s of Soul, take heed that your lean|ne&s;s be not the effect of your own negligence; exerci&s;e more diligence in the u&s;e of what Grace you have, and your diligence will be ble&s;&s;ed with fatne&s;s.</P>
<P N="3">3. See that you plead the Promi&s;es at the Throne of Grace: This was good <HI>David</HI> his frequent Practi&s;e, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119.25. <HI>Quicken thou me according thy Word:</HI> v. 28. <HI>Strengthen thou me according to thy Word:</HI> v. 41. <HI>Let thy mercy come unto me, O Lord, even thy Salva|tion, according to thy Word.</HI> In this one <HI>P&s;alm</HI> he u&s;eth this Plea very oft, no le&s;s then ele|ven times. Its no pre&s;umptious, but a pro|fitable
<PB N="83" REF="50">Plea, to urge God with his Word of Promi&s;e, and it is our Wi&s;dom to reduce it to Practi&s;e: Its much in u&s;e betwixt Man and Man; You promi&s;ed me to do &s;o and &s;o, when will you perform it? let us u&s;e the &s;ame Plea betwixt God and us: It is thy promi&s;e, be it according thy word. It's the Plea of Faith, it is as if the Soul &s;hould &s;ay, Lord, thy promi&s;es are faithful Promi&s;es, and here I &s;pread one of thy Promi&s;es before thee, and tru&s;t to thee for the accompli&s;h|ment of it; be it according to thy Word.</P>
<P N="4">4. See that you pre&s;s the Commands of Faith and Hope upon your own Spirits: This Cour&s;e <HI>David</HI> took, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 43. la&s;t, <HI>Why art thou ca&s;t down, Oh my Soul &mdash; hope in God.</HI> It's ill done, O my Soul, to ca&s;t a&s;ide thy Hope, and to give way to di&s;pondency; it's thy Duty to tru&s;t in God, and &s;ee that thou hope in God. Hoping in God is an indi&s;pen|&s;ible Duty that God requires from thee, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.13. <HI>Be &s;ober, and hope to the end.</HI> And it's a very acceptable Duty, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 157.11. <HI>The Lord takes plea&s;ure in tho&s;e that fear him, in tho&s;e that hope for his mercy:</HI> And wilt thou, O my Soul, ca&s;t of thy Duty, a Duty that God takes Plea&s;ure in! O far be it from thee! Oh my Soul, hope thou in God! thus pre&s;s it upon your Souls.</P>
<P N="5">5. See that you Parley not with Satan about the great concerns of your own Souls, have nothing to do with him: He is an open Ene|my
<PB N="84" REF="51">to Chri&s;t and Chri&s;tianity, and you have renounced him in your Bapti&s;m, therefore reject his Temptations for Sin, as well as his Temptation to Sin: Enter not into di&s;pute with him, he is too crafty a Sophi&s;ter to be di&s;puted with by weak Chri&s;tians; it will be your wi&s;dom therefore to take the cour&s;e that <HI>Paul</HI> took, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.7, 8. <HI>There was given me a thorn in the fle&s;h, the Me&s;&s;enger of Sa|tan to buffet me &mdash; For this thing I be|&s;ought the Lord thrice.</HI> Note, (1.) The Ca&s;e that <HI>Paul</HI> was now in: There was given him a Thorn in the fle&s;h, <HI>viz.</HI> Satan was per|mitted to buffet him; <GAP DESC="foreign">, the evil Angel Satan, not a Men&s;&s;enger of Satan, but Satan him&s;elf. And this is added exegeti|cally, to explain what his Thorn in the fle&s;h was, <HI>viz.,</HI> The buffets of Satan, his immedi|ate Sugge&s;tions darted into his Soul, which com|monly are unnatural in kind, &s;uddain in moti|on, and violent in pro&s;ecution. (2.) The Cour&s;e he took in this ca&s;e, he betook him|&s;elf to God by Prayer: <HI>Paul</HI> had much Grace, and much of the Spirit, yet declines di&s;pu|ting with the Devil, and flies to God for re|fuge again&s;t him, and herein is an example for us to follow: We mu&s;t decline Di&s;putes with the Devil, and Pray him down, and were this cour&s;e well followed, Satan could not get &s;uch advantage again&s;t Chri&s;tians as oft he doth. I'le conclude this matter with the Prayer of <HI>Paul, Rom</HI> 15.13. <HI>The God of
<PB N="85" REF="51">hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the Power of the Holy Gho&s;t:</HI> Its not the words of Man that per&s;wade the heart to live in hope, but the Power of the Holy Gho&s;t, and his Power can make you abound in hope, and rai&s;e your feeble hope to a full a&s;&s;urance of hope. Now I pa&s;s to the third &s;ort.</P>
<P N="3">3. To &s;uch as are waiting in hope for the Glory of Heaven.</P>
<P>There are &s;ome, yea many, that through Free-Grace are brought to wait in hope for the glory of Heaven; my In&s;tructions to the&s;e follow:</P>
<P N="1">1. Confine your Hopes to the limits of the Go&s;pel: The Go&s;pel allows you to wait up|on God in hopes of Glory in the World to come, this I am &s;ure is your Duty; but as for &s;uch as extend their hopes according to their fancies, and wait Night and Day, and that in a Triumphant manner, with &s;uch Jol|lities, Mirth, Mu&s;ick, Dancing, Clapping of hands for joy, as was never practi&s;ed a|mong&s;t &s;ober Chri&s;tians, in expectation of a &s;peedy Midnight Cry, and a Tran&s;portation to <HI>Jeru&s;alem:</HI> Let me entreat you to look upon them as under a Satanical delu&s;ion, and have nothing to do with that hope that will certain|ly end in &s;hame. Keep your hope within the compa&s;s of the Promi&s;es, and a&s;pire not to hopes that are of &s;uch a Phanta&s;tical Na|ture.</P>
<PB N="86" REF="52">
<P N="2">2. Confe&s;s oft your unworthine&s;s of this great Mercy: It's a high Attainment, and it's a hard matter to keep the Heart low, un|der high Attainments. High hopes of Glory are apt to lift up the Heart with high thoughts of it &s;elf: To have &s;uch high hopes, and yet to have low Spirits, is rare and extraordinary. <HI>Paul</HI> indeed was high in Gifts and high in Grace; high in excellencies, and high in ex|pectation of Glory, and yet low and hum|ble in Spirit; do you labour to be like him: And to this end, mind your unworthine&s;s of the mercy, and a&s;cribe all your hopes of Glory to Free Grace: You are in danger of Pride in this ca&s;e, watch again&s;t it, and pray again&s;t it, and beat down every bubble of Pride that ari|&s;eth in your Hearts, lea&s;t you grow High-mind|ed, and &s;o provoke God to bereave you of your hope of Glory: <HI>Rom.</HI> 11.20. <HI>Be not high-mind|ed but fear:</HI> Think not highly of your &s;elves, but &s;ear, lea&s;t your Hearts &s;hould grow haugh|ty, and beware of it. Pride is a great Sin, e&s;pecially when it is about tho&s;e things which are freely given us of God, for the good of out Souls.</P>
<P N="3">3. Confute your cau&s;ele&s;s and carnal Fears by the&s;e your &s;ure and certain Hopes of Glo|ry. You are incident in this Life to frauds from men and frowns from God, to Sin and Sorrow, and to Trials and Temptations, and the&s;e cau&s;e fears, yea great and terrible fears: Good <HI>David</HI> was &s;urrounded with
<PB N="87" REF="52">them, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 31.13. <HI>Fear was on every &s;ide:</HI> And none are free from the&s;e fears, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 24.17. <HI>Fear, the pit, and the &s;nare, are upon thee, O In|habitant of the Earth:</HI> There is not an Inha|bitant upon the Earth, but he is &s;ometimes haunted with the&s;e fears, and the&s;e exceedinly di&s;compo&s;e and disjoint the Soul, and unfit it for the Service of God: Now God hath gi|ven you Hope of Glory for an Antidote again&s;t this Poy&s;on, to cure you of your fears; imploy your hopes again&s;t your fears, and confute your fears with your hopes. (1.) Argue <HI>a Minore ad majus,</HI> from the le&s;s to the greater: Doth the fear of Hell and Dam|nation &s;eize you? confute it thus, he that hath a &s;ure certain Hope of Glory, &s;hall en|joy the end of his hope, <HI>viz.</HI> The Salvation of his Soul, otherwi&s;e this hope were in vain; and God hath given me &s;uch a hope: Away then thou fear, it's not for him that lives in hopes of Glory to torment him&s;elf with &s;uch need|le&s;s fears: Thus by your Hope ca&s;t out your Fears. (2.) Argue <HI>majore ad minus,</HI> from the greater to the le&s;s, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.32. <HI>Shall he not with him freely give us all things?</HI> hath he given me Chri&s;t, and the Hope of Glory, and &s;hall I fear want? no &s;urely, he will &s;ee to my needs, and &s;upply me with all nece&s;&s;aries, and what need I more? <HI>Phil.</HI> 4.19. <HI>My God &s;hall &s;upply all your wants, according to his Riches in Glory by Chri&s;t;</HI> he hath &s;upplied the wants of my Soul, and &s;hall I fear want
<PB N="88" REF="53">of &s;upplies for my body, when I have a pro|mi&s;e of the &s;upply of all my need? No, no, as I hope for Glory, &s;o will I hope in God for bodily &s;upplies, and ca&s;t my care upon him, that alway hath taken care for my &s;up|ply.</P>
<P N="4">4. Conform your &s;elves to Chri&s;t, with whom you hope to live in Glory: Conform to his Precepts and to his Pattern, do his Will on Earth as it's done in Heaven. See that your Hopes of Glory influence your Heart, and excite Heavenly-mindedne&s;s: You that hope to live with Chri&s;t in Glory, what manner of per&s;ons ought ye to be, how exact in your daily walk, how lively in every Duty, how re|gular in all your actions? you &s;hould make your hopes of Glory a &s;trong Argument again&s;t Sin; it's not for one that hopes to live with Chri&s;t in Glory to mind earthly things, 1 <HI>John</HI> 3.3. <HI>Every man that hath this hope in him|&s;elf, purifies him&s;elf, as he is pure:</HI> He Argues thus with him&s;elf; Chri&s;t is pure and holy, and I hope to live with him in Glory, and therefore it concerns me above others to &s;hun all uncleanne&s;s, and to keep my &s;elf un&s;potted from the World.</P>
<P N="5">5. Confirm your hope of Glory more and more. Strong hopes of Glory would add much &s;trength to your Soul. (1.) Your patience would be much &s;trengthned by it; &s;teady, firm, and a&s;&s;ured hopes of Glory would enable you to po&s;&s;e&s;s your &s;ouls in Patience, under the
<PB N="89" REF="53">&s;ade&s;t Circum&s;tances that can befall you, 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 1.3. <HI>Remembring your patience of Hope:</HI> Patience is the product of hope, and hope the Mother of patience; the &s;tronger your hope, the greater your patience; Hope therefore mu&s;t be &s;trength|ned for the increa&s;e of patience: <HI>You have need of Patience, Heb.</HI> 10.36. It's needful to help you to wait for mercy under long delays of Mercy, and to help you to bear ad|ver&s;ity without De&s;pondency. High Hopes of Glory heigthen Patience, and patience ea&s;eth the Burden of Oppre&s;&s;ion. (2) Your Prai&s;es would be much &s;weetned by it. A Heart filled with Hope of Glory is a joy|ful heart, and Prai&s;es God melodiou&s;ly and joyfully, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 16.9. <HI>Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth, my fle&s;h al&s;o &s;hall re&s;t in hope;</HI> or according to the <HI>Hebrew,</HI> dwell con|fidently, and I hope to enjoy everla&s;ting re&s;t in Glory, and this makes my heart glad, and my glory rejoyce, when with my glory or tongue I glorifie God in trumpeting out his Prai&s;e, my heart rejoyceth in me. Strong hopes fill the heart with &s;trong Con&s;olations, <HI>Heb.</HI> 6.18. and &s;trong Con&s;olations enlarge the heart in Prai&s;es. Confirmed hope quickens and corroborates the Soul, and makes the prai|&s;es of God very delightful to a Chri&s;tian.</P>
<P N="6">6. Comfort your &s;elves under all Di&s;com|forts, Di&s;appointments and Di&s;couragements with your hopes of Glory: You are &s;ure whil&s;t you are in this envious World to meet with
<PB N="90" REF="54">Troubles, but be of good Comfort, Chri&s;t within you, and your hope of Glory will &s;upport you in your Trouble, and animate you under them; you need not to be troub|led at your troubles, they will quickly be over. Con&s;ider for your Comfort that the&s;e Troubles are,</P>
<P N="1">1. Pa&s;&s;ages to Glory, <HI>Acts.</HI> 14.22. <HI>We mu&s;t through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.</HI> The way to Glory is a thorny way, and you mu&s;t expect in your Pa&s;|&s;age Tribulation, and much Tribulation, and mu&s;t pa&s;s through it. Mariners and Merchants pa&s;s through many a &s;torm, and if they come well home richly laden, they think well of the Voyage. And though your pa&s;&s;age to glory be tempe&s;tuous and &s;tormy, yet glo|ry will make amends for all.</P>
<P N="2">(2.) Petty matters if compared to glory, not worthy to be compared to it: <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.18. Poor, incon&s;iderable things to glory, and why then &s;hould you make &s;uch adoe about them? who will be concerned about a &s;oul &s;tep or two in his way, that is going to take po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of a Crown?</P>
<P N="3">(3.) Preparatives for Glory, <HI>Heb.</HI> 12.11. <HI>They yield the peaceable fruit of righteou&s;ne&s;s;</HI> they make the Soul fruitful, and that in good fruits: And the more of the&s;e fruits we bring forth, the more meet and fit we are for Glo|ry.</P>
<P N="4">(4.) Productive of a richer degree of Glory,
<PB N="91" REF="54">2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.17. not only &s;uffering for Chri&s;t, but bodily afflictions are not only momen|tary but gainful, and means appointed to ob|tain a more weighty Crown of Glory. Now mind the&s;e things, and con&s;ider it will be but a while, but all your Troubles will be over, and in the mean time your condition is com|fortable.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="3" TYPE="application">
<HEAD>3 &V;&s;e.</HEAD>
<P>Of Direction how to attain to a well-grounded hope of Glory. Would you live under &s;ure and certain hope of Glory, and not deceive your &s;elves with vain pre&s;umptuous hopes of glory, then you mu&s;t get Chri&s;t into your hearts, that Chri&s;t in you may be your hope of glory. You that live either without Chri&s;t, or again&s;t Chri&s;t in the world, and flatter your &s;elves in vain with hopes of glory, know that you are mi&s;taken in your own e&s;tate, and do but put a cheat upon your own Souls: Your pre&s;ent Condition is a hopele&s;s Condi|tion, there is no hope of glory growing in the Garden of your Souls: There is hope of Glo|ry attainable, but not in the ca&s;e you are in: You mu&s;t make &s;ure of Chri&s;t, or I am &s;ure you cannot be &s;aved: Your hopes will cer|tainly be fru&s;trated; and therefore expect not Heaven under the guilt and &s;tate of &s;in, but fly to the City of Refuge, put on Chri&s;t, be|come his Di&s;ciples, take his Yoke upon you, that Chri&s;t may become your Hope of Glo|ry. It is not &s;o ea&s;ie a matter to get to Hea|ven as you take it to be, nor to get a well
<PB N="92" REF="55">grounded Hope of Glory. Such a hope is (I confe&s;s) worth your utmo&s;t diligence in &s;eeking after it; it's an excellent thing, and &s;uch as enjoy it are excellent men, and Oh that you would look diligently after it. In hope that &s;ome are willing to get in this hope|ful Condition, I &s;hall direct you how it is to be obtained, and what is required in order thereunto. Would you get a fure and certain Hope of Glory? then it mu&s;t be by Union and Communion with Chri&s;t; and this cannot be had but from Chri&s;t him&s;elf: And if you would have it from Chri&s;t, he requires on your part, &s;erious Con&s;ideration, &s;incere Con&s;ent, and &s;a|cred Compliance.</P>
<P N="1">(1.) Serious Con&s;ideration; <HI>Ezek.</HI> 18.28. <HI>Becau&s;e he con&s;idereth and turneth away from all his wickedne&s;s that he hath committed, he &s;hall &s;urely live, and he &s;hall not die.</HI> You &s;ee Con|ver&s;ion preceeds Salvation, and Con&s;idera|tion preceeds Conver&s;ion. Continuance in Sin proceeds for want of due Consideration: You will never be brought to turn away from your wickedne&s;s 'till you be brought to con&s;i|der, <HI>Hag.</HI> 1.7. <HI>Thus &s;aith the Lord of Ho&s;ts, con|&s;ider your ways.</HI> God puts the Sinner in order to his Conver&s;ion upon &s;erious Con&s;ideration, and calls upon him to Con&s;ider: Oh then, take the matter into &s;erious Con&s;ideration, commune with your own Hearts, and con&s;ider &s;eriou&s;ly.</P>
<P N="1">1. The Woes as are denounced by God again&s;t impenitent Sinners, <HI>I&s;a,</HI> 3.11. <HI>Woe
<PB N="93" REF="55">to the wicked:</HI> Joh. 10.15. <HI>If I be wicked, Woe unto me:</HI> I&s;a. 5.18, 19, 20. <HI>Wo to them that draw Iniquity with the cords of Vanity &mdash; Woe to them that call evil good, and good evil; that &s;ay concerning evil, it is good;</HI> Now con&s;ider the&s;e Woes are dreadful, and that you are they that lie under the&s;e Woes, and &s;tand in danger of their Execution, <HI>P&s;a.</HI> 50.22. <HI>Now con&s;ider this, ye that forget God lea&s;t I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver:</HI> When God is putting his Woes in Execution, then there is no way to e&s;cape; he like a Lyon tears in pieces, and there is none to deliver. Con&s;ider then that if the Execution of the Woes of God be not pre|vented by true Repentance, you are certain|ly undone for ever; they are denounced a|gain&s;t you, and if they fall upon you, your condition will be woeful to all Eternity.</P>
<P N="2">2. The way to e&s;cape the Woes you lie under is only by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, <HI>John</HI> 14.6. <HI>I am the way:</HI> There is Salvation in no other: You cannot &s;ave your &s;elves from the&s;e Woes by any thing you can do or &s;uffer, it's your Sins have brought you under the&s;e Woes, and &s;atisfaction mu&s;t be made to Di|vine Ju&s;tice for your Sins, and this is done by Chri&s;t, and by the plenary Satisfaction that he made for Sin; he is become and pro|claimed to be a mighty and all &s;ufficient Savi|our, and all are invited to come to him for Salvation. So that you &s;ee, he is the way:
<PB N="94" REF="56">Therefore con&s;ider, that as yet ye are out of Chri&s;t, and &s;o out of the way to Glory: And what hope can you have of Glory, that are not in the way to Glory; <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119.176. Like lo&s;t &s;heep you are gone a&s;tray, and are wandring out of the way. There is but one way to Heaven, and that is by Chri&s;t, and as yet you are out of this way: So that if you continue as you are, you cannot have any &s;ure Hope of Glory. And con&s;ider al|&s;o,</P>
<P N="3">3. The wants that remain in you un&s;up|plied in this your Chri&s;tle&s;s Condition, you want Pardon of Sin, Peace of Con&s;cience, Poverty and Purity of Heart, and the Spi|rit of Grace and Supplication; all which are requi&s;ite to make you meet for Heaven, and to make way for &s;ure and certain hopes of Glory, <HI>Phil.</HI> 4.19. <HI>My God &s;hall &s;upply all your wants, according to his Riches in Glory by Chri&s;t Je&s;us:</HI> It is by Chri&s;t that God &s;upplies the&s;e wants; and when Chri&s;t comes into a Soul, he brings &s;uch &s;upplies along with him as &s;upply all the need of the Soul. As long as you continue without Chri&s;t, your needs con|tinue un&s;upplied: In Chri&s;t all fulne&s;s dwells, fulne&s;s of Might, fulne&s;s of Merit, and ful|ne&s;s of Mercy: And of his fulne&s;s &s;uch as are &s;a|ved by Chri&s;t receive Grace for Grace, <HI>Job</HI> 1.16. Oh then con&s;ider the need that you &s;tand in of Chri&s;t to &s;upply your need. Your needs are great, they cannot be &s;upplied from the
<PB N="95" REF="56">World, it affords not one &s;upply of the needs of your Soul, nor can they be &s;upplyed from your &s;elves: It's you that are needy, and want &s;upplies of your need: It's Chri&s;t and him alone that &s;upplies the need of the Soul, and all its need. Oh &s;tand &s;till a while, and fix your eyes upon Chri&s;t: And now you are up|on Con&s;ideration, con&s;ider him that de&s;erves your mo&s;t Serious and Solemn Con&s;ideration, <HI>Heb.</HI> 3.1. <HI>Con&s;ider the Apo&s;tle and High-Prie&s;t of our profe&s;&s;ion, Chri&s;t Je&s;us.</HI> Heb. 12.3. <HI>Con&s;ider him that endured &s;uch contradiction of Sinners again&s;t him&s;elf:</HI> You have been con|&s;idering your &s;elves, your Woes, your Wan|derings and your Wants. Now con&s;ider the Apo&s;tle and High-Prei&s;t of our Profe&s;&s;ion, Chri&s;t Je&s;us. Con&s;ider what he is in him|&s;elf, the Son of God, the great Mediator of the Covenant; and Con&s;ider what he is to &s;uch as receive him, he is their Apo&s;tle and High-Prei&s;t, and their Advocate with the Fa|ther, and &s;o their Hope of Glory: Con&s;i|der,</P>
<P N="1">(1.) His fullne&s;s and all-&s;ufficiency: Though your di&s;ea&s;e is Heritary and Mortal, yet his Blood hath Vertue and Efficacy enough in it to recover you: Though your need is &s;o great, that the Riches of the World cannot &s;upply it, yet he is &s;o Rich and All-&s;uffici|ent that he &s;upplies all the wants of all that come to him: He is wonderful, the Wonder of the World, and the Wonder of Heaven,
<PB N="96" REF="57">not only for his greatne&s;s but for his good|ne&s;s. How amazing is it to con&s;ider, all the rich &s;upplies wherewith he &s;upplies his Peo|ple?</P>
<P N="2">(2.) His faithfulne&s;s: As the fulne&s;s of his Per&s;on, &s;o the faithfulne&s;s of his Promi|&s;es is very con&s;iderable, <HI>Heb.</HI> 10.23. <HI>Faith|ful is he that promi&s;ed:</HI> He hath promi&s;ed to entertain all that come to him, and to ca&s;t off none that come, <HI>John.</HI> 6.37. But to &s;upply all their wants, and to &s;ave them from the wrath to come, and great is his faithfulne&s;s, and continues to all Generations, that it's be|yond all doubt that all &s;uch &s;hall be &s;aved, and may live in &s;ure and certain hope of Glo|ry. Now you &s;ee what con&s;iderations are required from you, and if you con&s;ider the&s;e things, you will find that they will con|vince you of your Mi&s;ery by nature, and incline you to make u&s;e of your Remedy: But then Remember what Con&s;iderations they mu&s;t be; they mu&s;t be &s;erious Con|&s;iderations. Some are incon&s;iderate, and do not mind things of this Nature; others con&s;ider them &s;lightly, and not &s;eriou&s;ly, and this keeps them off from the benefit of &s;uch Con|&s;iderations; they do not weigh Matters, nor mind the great importance of them, nor con&s;i|der them&s;elves, how much they them&s;elves are concerned in the Matter; and hence it is that their Con&s;iderations work no Convictions nor Conver&s;ions in them. You mu&s;t &s;o Con&s;ider, as
<PB N="97" REF="57">that your Con&s;iderations may make deep im|pre&s;&s;ions upon your Souls: Your Con&s;iderations mu&s;t be fiducial Con&s;iderations, and frequent Con&s;iderations, and affectionate Con&s;iderati|ons, dwelling upon the matters pondered, and driving them home to the Con&s;cience, 'till you find your Souls much concerned about them: And then from Con&s;ideration proceed to Con&s;ent, and &s;o I come to the &s;econd thing required from you, <HI>viz.</HI></P>
<P N="2">(2.) Sincere Con&s;ent: Follow on with Con&s;ideration 'till the Soul freely Con&s;ent.</P>
<P>And your Con&s;ent mu&s;t be real and Re|ligious; it mu&s;t be a willing voluntary Con|&s;ent, without con&s;traint and compul&s;ion, giv|en out of choice, as a matter that is mo&s;t eli|gable, rational and u&s;eful: It mu&s;t be an upright, &s;incere and cordial Con&s;ent, without Hypocri&s;ie, &s;yni&s;ter Ends, or worldly Re|&s;pects, as to a matter purely Religious and of a Divine Nature: And it mu&s;t be an Uni|ver&s;al, Impartial and Catholick Con&s;ent, with|out Re&s;ervation, Limitation, or &s;ecret Ex|ception to all the Terms of the Go&s;pel. This Con&s;ent mu&s;t be given,</P>
<P N="1">1. To the Covenant of Grace, as to the <HI>Mag|na Charta</HI> of all your Chri&s;tian Rights and Priviledges: You mu&s;t con&s;ent to the matter of it as Gracious, Immutable, Royal, Irre|vocable and Fundamental: And you mu&s;t con|&s;ent to the main end of it, as it's a &s;tanding Monument of Free-Grace, and be&s;peaks God
<PB N="98" REF="58">reconciled by Chri&s;t to all faithful Con&s;ent|ers: And as it's a &s;pecial Pledge of his infi|nite Love to his Elect, and the Confirmati|on of their Faith, and their &s;ealed Indenture for Glory.</P>
<P N="2">2. To Chri&s;t the great Mediator of the Co|venant, as to the Per&s;on from whom you ex|pect all the ble&s;&s;ings of the Covenant, and up|on whom you wholly depend for Salvation, and for all the Mercies that accompany Sal|vation; you mu&s;t con&s;ent to his Offices, and to the exerci&s;e of all his Offices in and over you. You mu&s;t con&s;ent to his Yoke of Go|vernment, to &s;ubmit to his Laws, and to his Sovereignty: You mu&s;t con&s;ent to his Cro&s;s, to partake with him in Suffering, and pa&s;s through much Tribulation to the King|dom of Heaven, and mu&s;t take him for bet|ter and wor&s;e, to be true and faithful to him to the Death.</P>
<P N="3">3. To the Conditions of the Covenant, be they never &s;o hard to fle&s;h and blood. He con&s;ents not only to &s;uch Conditions of the Covenant as may con&s;i&s;t with his Profits and Reputation, ea&s;e and &s;afety, but with &s;uch as are incon&s;i&s;tent with the &s;ame, as he con|&s;ents.</P>
<P N="1">(1.) To part with all his Sins, be they never &s;o plea&s;ant and profitable to him, be it as his right Hand or right Eye; you mu&s;t be willing to part with them, and con&s;ent to be divorced from them. As <HI>Abraham</HI> con&s;ent|ed
<PB N="99" REF="58">to the Sacrificing of his dear Son <HI>I&s;aac,</HI> and God accepted the Will for the Deed, and his intention is accounted his Action, <HI>Heb.</HI> 11.17. So you mu&s;t con&s;ent to the Crucifying of your beloved Sins, and wil|lingne&s;s to part with them all will find acceptance with God, though they be not wholly put to Death in you in this Life.</P>
<P N="2">(2.) To practice all the Duties of Reli|gion at all times, and under the greate&s;t Haz|zards; even then when the Laws of men contradict the Laws of God, and make it penal to obey them, you mu&s;t con&s;ent to all matters of Faith and Obedience, becau&s;e en|joyned by God, and oblidging to Con&s;cience, though thereby you expo&s;e your &s;elves to the Scorn and Malice of wicked and unrea&s;ona|ble Men; you mu&s;t con&s;ent to live to Chri&s;t as well as to be &s;aved by Chri&s;t, and all that you do for God mu&s;t be done out of Love, Thankfulne&s;s and Obedience.</P>
<P N="3">(3.) To place all your hope in Chri&s;t, with|out re&s;pect to any Merit that is in your own good Works: You mu&s;t con&s;ent to the doing of good Works with all diligence, as they are the Paths in which you are to walk, and the evi|dences of your Faith, and the Comforts of your Lives, and the works that belong to your gene|ral Calling: But as for your Faith and Hope, they mu&s;t be fixed on Chri&s;t, and you mu&s;t con&s;ent to take him for your only Saviour,
<PB N="100" REF="59">and to hope in his Word, and to tru&s;t to his faithfulne&s;s for the &s;upply of all your wants. And from a &s;incere Con&s;ent you mu&s;t proceed to a &s;acred Complyance. There is required from you,</P>
<P N="3">(3.) Sacred Compliance: Your &s;incere Con&s;ent mu&s;t be &s;econded with a holy Com|pliance.</P>
<P>When you are come up to a free and full Con&s;ent, do not &s;tick there, but follow it with a heavenly Compliance; fall to the work that you have con&s;ented to, and put good Inten|tions into godly Actions: He that gives his A&s;&s;ent and Con&s;ent to what in his Con&s;cience he di&s;allows, and in his practi&s;e he re&s;olves not to perform, is condemned in him&s;elf. See that you demon&s;trate the &s;incerity of your con&s;ent by a holy compliance with Chri&s;t your Saviour. In every branch of your Chri|&s;tian Con&s;ent make an open profe&s;&s;ion of your Con&s;ent by a cordial compliance with the Rules of the Go&s;pel, and herein follow your own Con&s;ent, and not the cu&s;tom of others: Remember your Con&s;ent is to the Vitals of your Religion, and your Compliance is your indi&s;pen&s;ible Duty, and let not the Exam|ple of &s;elfi&s;h men mi&s;guide you in your work. Your Compliance mu&s;t carry a cor|re&s;pondence with your Con&s;ent, and a confor|mity to Chri&s;t your Saviour; and if the An|gry World frown at you for your preci&s;ene&s;s, be not di&s;couraged, Chri&s;t him&s;elf endured
<PB N="101" REF="59">&s;uch contradiction of Sinners; mind you your work, and let your compliance be &s;uch as is blamele&s;s, and &s;et light by the Cen&s;ures of &s;uch as are Strangers to &s;ure and certain Hope of Glory. Let your main care be that your Compliance be according to the Go&s;pel, and in compliance with Chri&s;t and your Chri&s;tian Con&s;ent. (1.) Clo&s;e with Chri&s;t, coming up to the Terms that you have con&s;ented to. Set your &s;elves as in his Pre&s;ence, and renew your Bapti&s;mal Covenant. Renounce the World, the Devil and the Fle&s;h, and devote your &s;elves to Chri&s;t and to his Service, with penitent Hearts for your by-pa&s;t Breaches of your Covenant, and importunate Prayers for help from Heaven, and Strength to keep clo&s;e unto God for time to come. Thus e&s;pou&s;e your &s;elves to Chri&s;t in Covenant, with full purpo&s;e of Heart to be faithful there|in.</P>
<P N="2">2. Choo&s;e a faithful Guide for your Souls, to help you in your work, and quicken you in your Duty: The Lord that be&s;t knows your Need, hath appointed by his &s;tanding Ordinance &s;uch Guides in his Church, and (Ble&s;&s;ed be his Name) hath provided &s;uch for you, and require you to honour and obey them, and to attend upon their Mini&s;try, and by his Ble&s;&s;ing upon their Labours and your faithful endeavours in the right&punc; u&s;e of his Or|dinances admini&s;tred by them, your Souls may come to be built up in the holy Faith, and
<PB N="102" REF="60">&s;o &s;trengthened in believing as to live in &s;ure and certain Hope of Glory.</P>
<P N="3">3. Cheri&s;h your good beginnings, with &s;ecret Devotions, and daily Supplications for the Spirit of Adoption: Secret Prayer is a great help again&s;t &s;ecret Sins; and when put up by a broken and contrite Spirit, then it is a &s;pecial means for the obtaining &s;ure and certain Hopes of Glory. Under the &s;ecret Humiliations of the Soul before the Lord, the Lord oft vi&s;its the Soul in kindne&s;s, and Communicates unto it &s;uch hints of his Love, as &s;trengthen Hope and give a&s;&s;urance of Glo|ry. Oh make Con&s;cience of Secret Prayer, and make it your daily Practi&s;e, and be &s;e|rious and devout therein, and you will at la&s;t arrive at the Haven of Re&s;t; for &s;o Chri&s;t giveth the Soul of his Beloved re&s;t; re&s;t from it's fears and doubts, and quiets it with &s;ure and certain Hopes of Glory.</P>
<P N="4">4. Chear up your Souls with &s;uch Tokens of Love as you receive from Chri&s;t in your Com|pliance with him: If you be cordial in your Compliance, and &s;incere in your Obedience, you will find that your Labour is not in vain, P&s;al. 19.11. <HI>In keeping his Commandments there is great Reward:</HI> Not only for keep|ing them, but in keeping them: It's in keep|ing them that Gods People have fellow&s;hip with the Trinity: It's in keeping them that they receive new &s;upplies of Grace and Mer|cy, and &s;uch manife&s;tations of Gods Love as
<PB N="103" REF="60">fill their Souls with high Hopes of Glory: Be then encouraged to carry on your Compli|ance with Chri&s;t, and that with care and faith|fulne&s;s, 'till you attain to &s;ure and certain Hope of Glory.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 N="4" TYPE="application">
<HEAD>4. &V;&s;e,</HEAD>
<P>Of Caution: To prevent mi&s;takes and mi&s;apprehen&s;ions about this Doctrine: I &s;hall conclude with &s;ome Cautions.</P>
<DIV4 N="1" TYPE="caution">
<HEAD>1 Caution.</HEAD>
<P>Take heed of concluding again&s;t your &s;elves, that becau&s;e your hopes of Glory are &s;o low and doubtful, and not &s;ure and certain hopes, that therefore you live without Chri&s;t in the World, and have no hope, nor any ground of Hope of Glory: I would not di&s;courage any Babe in Chri&s;t, nor encrea&s;e the doubts of poor doubting Souls, and therefore leave with you this Caution: And that you may avoid this Snare, &s;hall lay down &s;ome Propo&s;itions to clear up your under&s;tanding in this mat|ter.</P>
<P N="1"><LABEL>1. Propo&s;ition.</LABEL> It's the manife&s;tation of Chri&s;ts Pre&s;ence in the Soul that breeds and feeds our Hope of Glory; and when this mani|fe&s;tation is ob&s;cure, the Souls Hope of Glory mu&s;t need be dim and doubtful, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2.12. <HI>We have received the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given us of God.</HI> Here <HI>Paul</HI> di&s;tingui&s;heth betwixt Mercies freely given us of God, and the manife&s;tation of the giving them to the
<PB N="104" REF="61">Soul: Many have Grace and Mercy giv|en, but know it not: The Spirit fir&s;t gives Grace, and afterwards gives the Soul to know and under&s;tand that it hath Grace given to it: Now though Grace lie in the Soul, yet the Soul &s;eeth it not, nor doth it know the Grace that it hath received, till the Spirit of God make it known to the Soul, and when the Spirit makes it known to the Soul, then the Mani|fe&s;tation of it to the Soul puts the Soul into a hopeful condition, and it hopes for Glory: Now if hope of Glory depends upon the Manife&s;ta|tion of Grace to the Soul, then there may be Grace, and yet little or no hope: Becau&s;e there may be Grace not manife&s;ted, but yet unknown to the Soul: So that none can unfaint them&s;elves or others from doubts about Grace.</P>
<P N="2"><LABEL>2 Propo&s;ition.</LABEL> It's the Manner and Method of God in his Dealings with his People, &s;ome|times to withhold &s;ure and certain hope of Glory from them a long time, for gracious Ends and Purpo&s;es, that tend to their great advan|tage; as. (1.) To put a great Value upon the Mercy, that it may be more precious and wel|come when it comes; like Health after Sick|ne&s;s, when they lye long under the want of it, they &s;ee the worth of it, and &s;o come to have a higher e&s;teem of it, and to prize it more when they have it. (2.) To prove and exerci&s;e their Faith and Patience in waiting, and their Obedience in &s;eeking after it, un|der &s;uch long delays of giving it. God delights
<PB N="105" REF="61">to &s;ee his People &s;hewing their &s;incerity un|der their Trials. (3.) To pre&s;eve it for a more opportune &s;ea&s;on: Phy&s;itians re&s;erve their Cordials again&s;t fainting Fits, and &s;o doth God his Comforts: Sure and Certain Hopes of Glory is a rich Cordial, and he oft delays the giving of it till he &s;ees a fainting fit approach|ing, and then to &s;upport the Soul under a Cri|&s;is, or under a Qualm he gives it. (4.) To prevent Pride and Unthankfulne&s;s: He keeps the Soul under delays of Mercy to humble it, that it may bear it humbly, and entertain it thankfully.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="2" TYPE="caution">
<HEAD>2 Caution.</HEAD>
<P>Take heed of Complaining for want of high hopes, for the Fault lies in your &s;elves; <HI>Lam.</HI> 3.39. <HI>Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the puni&s;hment of his &s;ins:</HI> Your want of High Hope is <HI>pena damni,</HI> a puni&s;hment of lo&s;s, you loo&s;e much Comfort by it: But its the puni&s;hment of your &s;in. (1) You hearken to the Voice of the Devil, and &s;top your ears at the Voice of God, and &s;o let the Devil baf|fle you out of the choice&s;t Comforts of your lives, and then complain. (2.) You harbour the &s;in of Unbelief, as if it were a harmle&s;s thing, whenas it is a provoking &s;in: Complain as long as you plea&s;e, you will never attain to high hopes as long as you do: Let none expect high hope of Glory till the&s;e things be wrought in their Souls.</P>
<PB N="106" REF="62">
<P N="1">1. Till the League betwixt the Soul and Sin be broken, and the heart be quite out with &s;in, as it's an Enemy both to Chri&s;t and the Soul; whil&s;t the Heart is indulgent to &s;in, and deals favourably with it, it cannot have any &s;ure hope of Glory, but when its become weary of it, and is willing to part with it, then the Soul is under that Promi&s;e, <HI>Mat.</HI> 11. <HI>la&s;t.</HI> and in a fair way to hopes of Glory.</P>
<P N="2">2. Till the Letts that keep Chri&s;t and the Soul a&s;under be removed: Re&s;ting in our own Righteou&s;ne&s;s, rejecting the command of Faith, and regarding the objections of Unbelief; yea, retaining and cheri&s;hing the Sin of Unbelief as a harmle&s;s thing, and fit Companion for the Soul, are all impediments that mu&s;t be re|moved, before hope can triumph in the Soul.</P>
<P N="3">3. Till the Life of Faith be &s;et up and kept up in the Soul, Unbelief mu&s;t not only be &s;uppre&s;&s;ed, but Faith mu&s;t be exerci&s;ed and kept to its work in the &s;oul: <HI>Gal.</HI> 3.14. <HI>We receive the promi&s;e of the Spirit through faith.</HI> And its the Acts and Operations of Faith to de|mon&s;trate to the Soul that it hath received the Spirit, and therefore a faithle&s;s Soul can|not live in true Hope of Glory.</P>
<P N="4">4. Till the Love of God be &s;hed abroad in the Soul, <HI>Rom.</HI> 5.4, 5. <HI>Experience works Hope; viz.</HI> The Experience of the Love of God to the &s;oul: When his Love is &s;hed abroad in the heart, and his Love-tokens appear in the &s;oul, and the Spirit gives the &s;oul a &s;ight
<PB N="107" REF="62">of the Demon&s;trations of God's Love; eve|ry Grace is a drop of Divine Love, and the more of the&s;e drops are &s;hed in the Soul, the more vi&s;ible it is to the Soul that Chri&s;t is in it; and the greater &s;atisfaction that the Soul hath herein, the greater are its hope of Glo|ry.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="3" TYPE="caution">
<HEAD>3 Caution.</HEAD>
<P>Take heed of conceited cau&s;ele&s;s hopes of Glory: There are &s;ome (whether in Chri&s;t or out of Chri&s;t I am not to determine) that pretend to high hopes of Glory, from an high opinion that they have of Free-Grace, though they want the manife&s;tation of true Grace in them&s;elves: That Free-grace is to be admired, I grant, and would not derrogate from the honour of Free-grace for a world: Yet I po&s;i|tively affirm that its not Free-grace, <HI>quia gra|tis datur,</HI> but <HI>quia nobis datur;</HI> not becau&s;e it's freely given, but becau&s;e its given to us, and abideth in us, and &s;hews to us that Chri&s;t is in us, and we by him in a &s;tate of Reconci|liation with God, that is the Spring of all true hope of Glory.</P>
<P N="1">(1.) Becau&s;e this hope of Glory is one of the Priviledges of the Sons of God, and no common mercy; whereas if it came from Grace as free, and not as in us, and from a high opi|nion of Free-grace, and not from the fruiti|on of Free-grace, then it's a common mercy, and may be found in any hypocrite that hath &s;uch an opinion in him&s;elf.</P>
<PB N="108" REF="63">
<P N="2">(2.) Becau&s;e this Hope of Glory is one of the Products of effectual Vocation, and a Benefit that floweth from it: <HI>Col.</HI> 3.15. <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4.4. and therefore pre&s;uppo&s;eth effectual Vocati|on: We mu&s;t expect nothing from Free-grace but what comes in Gods own appointed way, and not create to our &s;elves fooli&s;h fancies for hopes of Glory.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="4" TYPE="caution">
<HEAD>4 Caution.</HEAD>
<P>Take heed of Clouding your Hope of Glo|ry by dangerous Relap&s;es into &s;in. Do you live in &s;ure hopes of Glory? prize your priviledge, but beware of ob&s;curing it: You find the &s;weetne&s;s of it, and &s;hould make much of it, and avoid every thing that E|clip&s;eth this Hope of Glory, <HI>P&s;.</HI> 85.8. <HI>God will &s;peak peace to his people, but let them not return again to folly.</HI> q. d. I returned to Folly after I received Peace, and I have &s;marted for it; I broke my Peace, and lo&s;t my &s;en&s;ible hope, and would have the world to take war|ning by me, and to take heed of Relap&s;es into &s;in, for Relap&s;es into &s;in are returns un|to Folly: Let us all take warning by <HI>David,</HI> and &s;tand upon our Guard, and with&s;tand &s;in in its fir&s;t motion, le&s;t it get advantage, and we come to return to Folly, and &s;o we loo&s;e the a&s;&s;urance of Hope: It's a doleful lo&s;s, and depre&s;&s;eth the Soul with much Fear and Angui&s;h; and it's difficult and hard to regain it, and therefore it will be our Wi&s;dom to
<PB N="109" REF="63">&s;eek to prevent, and to fly &s;in, as we would fly from a Serpent; for &s;in deals with the &s;in|ners, as the Theives did by the Per&s;on of him that is &s;poken of, <HI>Luke</HI> 10.30. <HI>They &s;tript and wounded him:</HI> It &s;trips the Soul of us Peace, and Hope, and Joy, and wounds the Con&s;cience; it is like the fiery Serpents in the Wilderne&s;s, that &s;tung and mortally wound|ed the <HI>I&s;raelites;</HI> and the wounds of Sin are not ea&s;ily healed: And they are painful wounds; they made <HI>David,</HI> as &s;tout a Warriour as he was, to roar out, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 38.8. When hope is clouded by the du&s;t of &s;in, the poor &s;oul lan|gui&s;hes, and lives very uncomfortable, and that which aggravates its mi&s;ery, is the &s;tate from whence it is fallen. To fall from hope into De&s;pair, from Joy into Sorrow, adds much to the greatne&s;s of the Grief.</P>
</DIV4>
<DIV4 N="5" TYPE="caution">
<HEAD>5 Caution.</HEAD>
<P>Take heed of cheri&s;hing Fears of future out|ward Calamities, and falling into bad times: Under high hopes of Glory I find a great Con&s;ternation in many about approaching e|vils, and all hope of future good to the Chur|ches of Chri&s;t in the&s;e Nations ca&s;t off by them. I have read the pre&s;ent <HI>Dilemma</HI> of the&s;e Nations of <HI>England, Scotland</HI> and <HI>Ireland,</HI> con&s;idered, argued and improved, that hath ju&s;tly alarmed us, and am under the &s;ame apprehen&s;ions with that Learned and Reve|rend Author: But think that timorous Per|&s;ons
<PB N="110" REF="64">abu&s;e the Author, by awakening their di&s;tru&s;tful fears, and &s;uppre&s;&s;ing their hopes and Faith in Gods Faithfulne&s;s and All &s;uffici|ency under our &s;ad Circum&s;tances: All the great experiences of Gods goodne&s;s, and the provi&s;ion that he hath made for our future &s;upply, ought not to be overlooked, but re|main as food for Faith and Hope to feed upon: Nay, were our ca&s;e much wor&s;e than it is, it is our duty with <HI>David</HI> to encou|rage our &s;elves in the Lord our God, and to exerci&s;e an univer&s;al tru&s;t in him, not on|ly in the concerns of our Souls, but in and about the Concerns of <HI>Sion.</HI> And though I have di&s;covered my thoughts to many of an approaching violent &s;torm, yet I look upon it as a &s;torm in mercy to the People of God, as the great De&s;ign of Providence, to u&s;her in thereby the greate&s;t Favours that ever were conferred upon the Churches of Chri&s;t; and have that Scripture much in my mind, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 20.37, 38. <HI>I will cau&s;e you to pa&s;s under the Rod, and will bring you into the bond of the Covenant: And I will purge out from among&s;t you the Rebels, and them that tran&s;gre&s;s again&s;t me:</HI> The&s;e Rebels mu&s;t be purged out that oppo&s;e the work of the Lord, and hinder what he is about to do for his people: And we mu&s;t be brought again into the Bond of the Covenant, and pa&s;s under the Rod, in order to this great Mer|cy; and this Rod therefore is not to be fear|ed,
<PB N="111" REF="64">nor to weaken, but to heighten our hope: And I am not wholly without hope that I my &s;elf (tho' aged) may yet live to &s;ee the &s;torm over,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Now <HI>67.</HI></NOTE> and the Rebels there|by purged out, and the Bond of the Cove|nant renewed, and the People of God united, and the Kingdom of Chri&s;t advanced, and his faithful Amba&s;&s;adors promoted, in &s;uch a me|thod of Providence, as &s;hall add &s;uch Lu&s;tre to the Mercy, and &s;uch clear Evidence that it is the Lords work, that the very Enemies thereof &s;hall be put to perpetual Silence. And I entreat my Brethren, and all that fear the Lord, to hope in the Lord, not only for glo|ry, but for great and glorious things from God, as the return of many Prayers of Faith, and the i&s;&s;ue of all the great things that our good God hath already wrought for us. The &s;ins of the Nation cannot hinder the accom|pli&s;hment of ab&s;olute promi&s;es: The promi&s;e of the <HI>Me&s;&s;iah</HI> was an ab&s;olute promi&s;e; and though its accompli&s;hment was long delayed, yet in the fulne&s;s of the appointed time he came, and the degenerated &s;tate of the Church could not hinder it. The Promi&s;e of the De|liverance of the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> out of <HI>Egypt</HI> was an ab&s;olute Promi&s;e, and fulfilled exactly, not|with&s;tanding the great &s;ins that then abound|ed. Provoking &s;ins cannot nullifie nor fru&s;trate ab&s;olute Promi&s;es: Now the Promi&s;es of the Downfall of <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> and of the Calling of the <HI>Jews,</HI> and of the fullne&s;s of the <HI>Gentiles,</HI> are
<PB N="112" REF="65">ab&s;olute promi&s;es yet unfulfilled; and the time though concealed from us, yet cannot be afar off, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 10.25. <HI>Yet a very little time and the indignation &s;hall cea&s;e, and mine anger in their de&s;truction:</HI> Gods anger towards his People ends in the de&s;troying of their Enemies, <HI>Hag.</HI> 2.3. Though it tarry, wait for it, becau&s;e it will &s;urely come, it will not tarry. The accompli&s;h|ment of ab&s;olute Promi&s;es tarry till the appoint|ed time of their accompli&s;hment, and then it &s;urely comes, and will not tarry; Satan, &s;in|ners, nor &s;in abounding, can cau&s;e it to tarry any longer, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 46. <HI>la&s;t. It &s;hall not be far off; and my &s;alvation &s;hall not ta<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ry, and I will place &s;alvation in Sion for I&s;rael my Glory:</HI> Salvation is provided for and placed near to the Church of Chri&s;t, ready to come forth at the appointed time, till then it mu&s;t tarry in its appointed place, and then it &s;hall not tar|ry; then &s;in may abound, but though &s;in a|bound then, yet it &s;hall not tarry. The Intere&s;t of Chri&s;t in the world (I con|fe&s;s) is very low, and many of the Reform|ed Churches near to ruin: <HI>P&s;.</HI> 12.5. <HI>But for the oppre&s;&s;ion of the poor and the &s;ighing of the needy, now will I ari&s;e, (&s;aith the Lord) I will &s;et him in &s;afety from him that puffeth at him.</HI> Mans extremity is Gods opportunity to &s;hew mercy in. And to me the low e&s;tate of the Churches is an Encouragment, as it is demon&s;tra|tive that the appointed time draws nigh, which is u&s;ually &s;uch a time as will add a great Lu&s;tre
<PB N="113" REF="65">to the Deliverance. Now I expect that &s;torm to ari&s;e that will fall upon the Enemies of Chri&s;t, lead forth the workers of iniquity, that peace may be upon <HI>Sion,</HI> by the remo|val of the Di&s;turbers of her peace. And be|cau&s;e it will be terrible, it concerns us all to &s;trengthen our Souls again&s;t the Fears and Ter|rors that mu&s;t needs accompany it, with high hopes of Glory, and al&s;o of a good I&s;&s;ue: Let us make God our Refuge, and in him let us hope: Though it darken the sky that no light appear, yet let us tru&s;t in the Name of the Lord, and &s;tay our &s;elves upon our God, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 50.10. Let us mind our then pre&s;ent duty, and &s;tick clo&s;e to the Lord our God, in hope that he will bring Light out of Darkne&s;s, and turn all to the furtherance of the Go&s;pel. Let us humble our &s;elves for our &s;ins and the &s;ins of the Land; but let us not de&s;pair becau&s;e of &s;in, but live in Expectation of the Accompli&s;hment of the Promi&s;es both for this Life and the Life to come. Let us wait for a good I&s;&s;ue, and let us wait in Hope: Let us quit our &s;elves like men, like men of Courage, like men that live in hopes of Glory: Let us be &s;trong in the Lord, relying on him for Support and Comfort, and Supplies of all our need in that needful time of Trouble: Let us not hang down the Head, as men without hope, nor give any cau&s;e by our Fears and De&s;pondencies to the Enemies of Chri&s;t to triumph over us: But let us fly to the Promi&s;es, and &s;et Faith and Hope on
<PB N="114" REF="66">work, that by our Faith we may further the work of the Lord: Let us pray in Faith then, and not give way to the evil heart of Unbelief: And as a help herein, let us make u&s;e of that Catalogue of Promi&s;es and Experi|ences that is annexed to this &s;mall Treati&s;e: It hath been by me this many years, and I have met with many great Troubles, and have u&s;ed it all along with advantage, and now &s;end it abroad for the good of others. The Prayer of <HI>Paul</HI> for the <HI>Romans</HI> &s;hall be my Conclusi|on, <HI>Rom.</HI> 15.13. <HI>Now the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Gho&s;t.</HI></P>
<CLOSER>Amen, Amen.</CLOSER>
</DIV4>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="66">
<P>THE APPENDIX.</P>
<P>THE Promi&s;es of GOD Verified in the Experiences of the Godly.</P>
<P>Collected by <HI>A. B.</HI> for his private U&s;e, and now Publi&s;hed for the Benefit of others.</P>
<Q><L>God is not Man that he &s;hould tell a Lye,</L>
<L>Experience doth his Promi&s;e verifie;</L>
<L>When of Experience I did take a View,</L>
<L>I found his Promi&s;es faithful and true.</L>
<L>Thy faithfulne&s;s, O Lord, I do adore,</L>
<L>And pray that I may doubt of it no more.</L></Q>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed in the Year 1694.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="preface">
<PB REF="67">
<PB N="117" REF="67">
<HEAD>THE PREFACE to the <HI>Catalogue.</HI></HEAD>
<P>WHen I drew up this Catalogue of Promi&s;es and Experiences for my own private U&s;e, I prefixt this Preface to &s;tir up my &s;elf to the Exerci&s;e of Faith in the Promi&s;es, and not then intending to make them publick, I made u&s;e of a Trea|ti&s;e wrote again&s;t Fear, by that Pious and Ex|cellent Divine Mr, <HI>Flavel,</HI> Methodizing and adding Meditations of my own, and thereby modelling it into a &s;uitable form for my own U&s;e, and have continued it, and Publi&s;hed it for the good of others; and hereby give the World notice thereof, to do Ju&s;tice to that Fa|mous Man, and to free my &s;elf from the Cen|&s;ure of &s;uch as may accu&s;e me of decitfulne&s;s herein: It was my own good that I then aim|ed at, and the good of others that I now aim at; and had I laid it by, the en&s;uing Cata|logue would not have been &s;o u&s;eful to the Rea|der. But, Gentle Reader, make u&s;e of this Po&s;ie, and plea&s;e thy &s;elf in the &s;weetne&s;s of it, and with the Bee &s;uck out the Honey, and give God the Glory. And if thou art one of the faithful Servants of Chri&s;t, thou ha&s;t an In|tere&s;t
<PB N="118" REF="68">in the Promi&s;es, and may'&s;t, yea, mu&s;t improve them upon all Occa&s;ions, for the con|firmation of thy Soul in the holy Faith, and for the &s;uppre&s;&s;ing of thy di&s;tru&s;tful Fears, and &s;trengthening of thy Hope, that thereby thou may'&s;t live chearfully and comfortably in this trouble&s;ome World. To &s;erve the Lord with joy and gladne&s;s is our indi&s;pen&s;ible Duty, and nothing can afford us more help therein then acquainting our &s;elves with, and contemplating oft on the rich and precious Pro|mi&s;es, adding thereto the Exerci&s;e of Faith. To live by Faith upon the Promi&s;es, and by Faith to &s;uck the &s;weetne&s;s out of the Brea&s;ts of Con&s;olation, is one of the excellencies of a &s;incere Chri&s;tian, and that from which he re|ceives profit and comfort in abundance; and he that is much exerci&s;ed herein lives con|tentedly, yea, comfortably, under all world|ly di&s;comforts and di&s;couragements, and is freed from tho&s;e Doubts, Fears and De&s;pon|dencies that many labour under, to the di&s;|honour and di&s;paragement of true Religion: If therefore we would pa&s;s away our Pilgrimage on Earth with a calm and quiet Spirit, and carry it under our Cro&s;&s;es with chearfulne&s;s and alacrity, to the Honour of the Go&s;pel; then we mu&s;t &s;ometimes, yea, &s;pend much time in peru&s;ing the Promi&s;es of God and the godly, and ponder them in our Hearts, 'till we find and feel our Souls rai&s;ed and refre&s;hed thereby; this would be a means to keep our
<PB N="119" REF="68">Love to God warm, and to make us lively in the Service of our Ma&s;ter, and to make the &s;aid Service Ea&s;ie and Delightful to us; and for our encouragement herein, let us ob&s;erve the fruitfulne&s;s of the Promi&s;es and the faith|fulne&s;s of him that is the Promi&s;e-maker.</P>
<P N="1">(1.) The fruitfulne&s;s of the Promises: The Promi&s;es are our <HI>Magna Charta</HI> for Heaven, and entitle us to many choice Priviledges; they are a rich Garden full of &s;weet Flowers, they are called, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.4. <HI>Exceeding great and precious Promi&s;es:</HI> Great, yea, exceeding great, containing matters of great price and of great import, rich Promi&s;es, and fruitful Promi&s;es, full of choice Fruits: For,</P>
<P N="1">1. They the are the Food of Faith, and there is enough in them for Faith to feed on, and the more Faith feeds on them the &s;tronger it groweth; and the rea&s;on why many are &s;o weak in Faith, is becau&s;e they do make little u&s;e of the Promi&s;es, and &s;o Starve, Fami&s;h and Enfeeble their Faith.</P>
<P N="2">2. They are the Fort that the Soul is to flie to in ill times, and in all ca&s;es of danger pre&s;erve it in &s;afety; thither it is that the Soul is to flie for refuge, and there it finds &s;afe|ty.</P>
<P N="3">3. They are the fire that warms and heats our Love to God: Our Love to God is but a reflexion of Gods Love to us. Gods Love to us it is that kindles and quickens our Love to him: And the Promi&s;es are &s;o many Ex|pre&s;&s;ions
<PB N="120" REF="69">of Love to his People: His Pre|cepts are the manife&s;tations of his Will to them, and the Promi&s;es the Tokens and Te|&s;timonies of his Love to them; his Precepts are to excite their fear of God, and his Promi|&s;es to excite their Love of God.</P>
<P N="4">4. They are the Flaggons of Wine where|with he treats and entertains his Spou&s;e, 2 <HI>Cant.</HI> 5. <HI>Stay me with Elaggons:</HI> That is, &s;upport and comfort me with the Cordi|als of the Promi&s;es; they are the Rivers the Streams whereof do make glad the City of God; and the more we bath in the&s;e Ri|vers, and drink of the&s;e of &s;treams, the more we are refre&s;hed. Ob&s;erve al&s;o,</P>
<P N="2">2. The faithfulne&s;s of God in his Promi&s;es, <HI>Heb.</HI> 10.33. <HI>Faithful is he that hath promi|&s;ed:</HI> And if God be God, it is not po&s;&s;ible for him to be unfaithful, for unfaithfulne&s;s is a great imperfection, and therefore incon&s;i&s;tent with his Deity. To acknowledge God to be God, and yet deny his faithfulne&s;s, is a con|tradiction; and this is one thing that makes Unbelief &s;o exceeding Sinful, becau&s;e it de|nyeth his faithfulne&s;s, and thereby goes about to de&s;troy him; it chargeth God with fal&s;|hood, and &s;o Bla&s;phemeth him; but there can be no defect in his Nature, who is infinite in Truth and Holine&s;s, great is his faithfulne&s;s. The experience of the People of God in all Ages doth witne&s;s to the World that the faith|fulne&s;s of God in his Promi&s;es is &s;potle&s;s and
<PB N="121" REF="69">un&s;tained, <HI>Jo&s;.</HI> 23.14. <HI>Of all the good things which the Lord &s;pake concerning you, not one thing hath failed:</HI> P&s;a.146.5. <HI>Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his Refuge &mdash; Who keepeth Truth for ever.</HI> Such is his faith|fulne&s;s in his Promi&s;es, that he hath perfor|med &s;uch Promi&s;es as to &s;en&s;e and rea&s;on were improbable, if not impo&s;&s;ible. As,</P>
<P N="1">1. Such Promi&s;es as have Cro&s;&s;ed the cour&s;e of Nature, <HI>Gen.</HI> 18.10. <HI>Sarah thy Wife &s;hall have a Son:</HI> This Promi&s;e was cro&s;s to the cour&s;e of Nature. <HI>Sarah</HI> was barren when Young, and now &s;he was Old, and it cea&s;ed to be with her after the manner of Women, &s;o that the Promi&s;e was impo&s;&s;ible to &s;en&s;e and rea&s;on, and yet it was acompli&s;hed.</P>
<P N="2">2. Such Promi&s;es as have cla&s;hed with pre|&s;ent Providences. Providence doth &s;ometimes &s;tand cro&s;s to the Promi&s;es, and looketh up all ways that lead towards the accompli&s;hment of them, yet in this ca&s;e, God out of faithfulne&s;s hath performed &s;uch Promi&s;es, without fail|ing &s;o much as in a circum&s;tance. The <HI>I&s;ra|lites</HI> were to continue in <HI>Egypt</HI> 430 Years, and were promi&s;ed deliverance at the expiration of tho&s;e Years: Now <HI>Exod.</HI> 12.41. God was &s;o exact in his faithfulne&s;s that he kept day with them, though when the day of deliverance came, Providence &s;tood oppo&s;ite to the Pro|mi&s;e, their bondage being then at the highe&s;t, and all vi&s;ible ways of deliverance lockt up.</P>
<PB N="122" REF="70">
<P N="3">3. Such promi&s;es as have continued &s;everal Ages unaccompli&s;hed: As the promi&s;e of the Me&s;&s;iah continued many Ages unaccompli&s;hed, yet when the fullne&s;s of time was come, God &s;ent his Son according to Promi&s;e, <HI>Gal.</HI> 4.4. The mo&s;t ancient Promi&s;es have been fulfilled. God never broke day with his People, &s;o faith|ful is he that hath promi&s;ed: Delays of Accom|pli&s;hment do not nullifie nor fru&s;trate Gods Pro|mi&s;e, but under great and long delays they con|tinue in full Force, Power and Vertue; and when the appointed time prefixt by God for their per|formance, then deliverance comes, and doth not, nor can it tarry: Oh that we could make u&s;e of this faithfulne&s;s of God in his promises to our own advantage; and the U&s;e that we are to make of it is as followeth.</P>
<P N="1">1. The faithfulne&s;s of God in his Promi&s;es &s;erves to keep up the Credit of the Promi&s;es: We &s;hould account the Promi&s;es our choice&s;t Trea&s;ure, and &s;et a great value upon them, both becau&s;e of the &s;uperexcellency of the things Promi&s;ed, and becau&s;e of the infallibi|lity of him that promi&s;ed them: He that made the&s;e Promi&s;es is God and not man, and there being no impotency nor incon&s;tancy in him, the Promi&s;es mu&s;t needs prove certain and un|failable.</P>
<P N="2">2. The faithfulne&s;s of God in his promi|&s;es &s;erves to check and condemn the fears and jealou&s;ies that ari&s;e in us, from the fore&s;ight of future troubles: Whence &s;pring all the&s;e
<PB N="123" REF="70">di&s;tracting thoughts that croud our Souls but from Unbelief? did we live by Faith upon the Promi&s;es, it were not po&s;&s;ible for us to be overwhelmed with fears, <HI>Matth.</HI> 8.26. <HI>Why are ye fearful, oh ye of little faith?</HI> have we &s;uch precious Promi&s;es? and is he faithful that hath promi&s;ed? then why are we &s;o fearful? our fears &s;urely are groundle&s;s fears, they pro|ceed not from any ju&s;t cau&s;e, but from our di&s;tru&s;ting the faithfulne&s;s of God in his Pro|mi&s;es: Had we more Faith, we &s;hould have le&s;s fear; Faith would &s;catter our fears by fetching in relief from the Promi&s;es, if would chide out &s;lavi&s;h fear, as it did in <HI>David, P&s;al.</HI> 42. la&s;t, <HI>Why are thou ca&s;t down, Oh my Soul! hope thou in God.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3&punc; The faithfulne&s;s of God in his Promi|&s;es &s;erves to Create in us an ardent Love to our Gracious Lord and Ma&s;ter: Who would not Love &s;uch a kind and faithful Friend? as we &s;hould fear him for his Greatne&s;s, &s;o &s;hould we love him for his Goodne&s;s. How good hath God been to us, in giving &s;uch a large &s;tock of rich Promi&s;es unto us, and therein in|tailing &s;o large an inheritance upon us! how &s;ad and forlorn would our condition be, were it not for the&s;e precious Promi&s;es! what would poor per&s;ecuted, reproached and de&s;pi|&s;ed Chri&s;tians do, were they not &s;upported by the&s;e Promi&s;es! and what would poor doubting Chri&s;tians do, but for the&s;e Promi|&s;es! how many under the di&s;tre&s;&s;es of their
<PB N="124" REF="71">Souls have recived comfort from the Promi|&s;es! that Ble&s;&s;ed Martyr Mr. <HI>Bilney,</HI> being wounded in Con&s;cience for renouncing the Profe&s;&s;ion of his Faith, and &s;ub&s;cribing the Popi&s;h Errors, was at la&s;t comforted with that Promi&s;e, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 26.3. <HI>Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace who&s;e mind is &s;tayed on thee.</HI> A Young maid went Triumphantly to Hea|ven by the refre&s;hment &s;he found in that Pro|mi&s;e, <HI>Matth.</HI> 11.28. <HI>Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you re&s;t:</HI> Many drooping Spirits have been comfort|ed from the&s;e words, 1 <HI>John</HI> 3.14. <HI>We know that we have pa&s;&s;ed from death to life, becau&s;e we love the Brethren:</HI> I know one that hath lived comfortably many Years upon that Pro|mi&s;e, <HI>Phil.</HI> 4.19. <HI>My God &s;hall &s;upply all your wants, according to his riches in glory by Chri&s;t:</HI> Oh what comforts have many received from the Promi&s;es: God expre&s;&s;eth his Love to his People in the&s;e Promi&s;es, and they &s;hould expre&s;s their Love to him in their thankful|ne&s;s for the Promi&s;es.</P>
<P N="4">4. The Faithfulne&s;s of God in his Promi&s;es &s;erves to confirm our Faith in the Promi&s;es. Is he faithful that hath Promi&s;ed? why then &s;hould we doubt of the truth of the Promi&s;es? Chri&s;t (&s;ays one) is the Vine, and the Promi&s;es are a Clu&s;ter of Grapes growing upon this Vine, and Faith pre&s;&s;eth the Wine of comfort and con|tentment out of the clu&s;ter of the Promi&s;es. Why do we not make more improvement and advan|tage
<PB N="125" REF="71">of the Promi&s;es, and live more upon them? doth not the Faithfulne&s;s of God &s;ilence all our doubts, and challenge from us more &s;trenuous Acts of Faith? is God true to his Word? then &s;urely we &s;hould patiently wait for, and a&s;&s;uredly expect the accompli&s;hment of the Promi&s;es, and that when the Stream of Pro|vidence runs another way, God &s;aith, <HI>Jer.</HI> 32. 42. <HI>I will bring upon them all the good that I have promi&s;ed them:</HI> And if we would receive the good contained in the Promi&s;es, then we mu&s;t act Faith in the Promi&s;es: Faith takes this for granted, that God will be as good as his Word, and by reflecting upon Gods Faithfulne&s;s, Faith is &s;trengthened and confirm|ed.</P>
<P N="5">5. The Faithfulne&s;s of God in his Promi&s;es &s;erves to clear the Promi&s;es from all charges of mi&s;carrying. The Promi&s;es are not alway per|formed to all that claim an intere&s;t in them, but this is not to be charged on God as a piece of unfaithfulne&s;s: For,</P>
<P N="1">(1.) Delays in performing Promi&s;es are no breaches of Promi&s;e, if the time of perfor|mance be not limited in the Promi&s;e, <HI>P&s;.</HI> 77.8. <HI>Doth his promi&s;e fail for evermore:</HI> No, No, that cannot be; it may fail for a time, but not for ever: God will make his word good one time or other: Though he may delay the performance, yet he cannot break the Pro|mi&s;e, and therefore its good to wait quietly for the &s;alvation of the Lord.</P>
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<P N="2">(2.) Di&s;charges from Promi&s;es di&s;charge from the performance, and in conditional promi&s;es the non-ob&s;ervation of the condition di&s;charges from the performance: And many of Gods promi|&s;es are conditional, and &s;uch as keep not the Condition do ju&s;tly mi&s;s of the Accompli&s;h|ment of the promi&s;e, and yet he is faithful that promi&s;ed: 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 15.2. <HI>The Lord is with you whil&s;t you are with him, but if you for&s;ake him, he will for&s;ake you.</HI></P>
<P N="3">(3.) Doing more for a per&s;on then the pro|mi&s;e amounts to, though not the &s;ame, but in another kind, is no breach of Promi&s;e, but a performance of it with advantage. As, if I promi&s;e to another 100 <HI>l.</HI> and in&s;tead there|of give him a Jewel worth 200 <HI>l.</HI> then I am as good and better then my word to him. So it God promi&s;e Deliverance and do not deliver, but gives Strength, Comfort and &s;piritual Ad|vantage to a per&s;on in his Trouble, he is as good and better than his word to him. When he gives eternal life in&s;tead of temporal life, the promi&s;e doth not fail, but &s;till he is faithful that promi&s;ed.</P>
<P N="6">6. The Faithfulne&s;s of God in his Promi&s;es &s;erves to quicken us to all Diligence in look|ing out after an Intere&s;t in the Promi&s;es. Though there are many precious promi&s;es, and he is faithful that promi&s;ed, yet what are we the better if we be none of tho&s;e to whom the promi&s;e belongs? if we be in the &s;tate of Nature, we are under the Law, and not un|der Grace; under the Cur&s;es of the Law, and
<PB N="127" REF="72">not under the Promi&s;es of the Go&s;pel. Study therefore under your Peace and Liberty your intere&s;t in the Promi&s;es, that you may apply them to your &s;elves without Pre&s;umption when you fall into Adver&s;ity. If you ask how you may di&s;cover your intere&s;t in the Promi&s;es: I an&s;wer, (1.) You mu&s;t clean&s;e your &s;elves from all Pollutions, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 7. <HI>beg. Having the&s;e Promi&s;es let us clean&s;e our &s;elves,</HI> &amp;c. He that will comfortably apply the Promi&s;es, mu&s;t apply him&s;elf diligently to the Conditions of the pro|mi&s;e, he mu&s;t clean&s;e him&s;elf, that he may be capable to receive the Ble&s;&s;ings promi&s;ed, and live alway under the influence of the Promi&s;e, and be able ju&s;tly to challenge an intere&s;t in the promi&s;e. Such as have filthy polluted Souls have no Intere&s;t in the Promi&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">(2.) You mu&s;t clo&s;e with the Promi&s;e, and accept of it with its Condition annexed, &s;tri|ving for the Qualifications upon which the Obligation of the Promi&s;e dependeth, and act|ing tho&s;e Graces &s;o &s;trongly, that you may be &s;atisfied in your &s;elves that the Habits of tho&s;e Graces are within you, and then the Door of the Promi&s;e will &s;tand open to you, and you may enter into it with &s;atisfaction upon all occa&s;ions. The more clearly Grace darteth forth its Beams in your Souls, the more manife&s;t will your intere&s;t in the promi&s;es appear.</P>
<P N="7">7. The Faithfulne&s;s of God in his promi&s;es &s;erves to convince us of the wretchedne&s;s of &s;uch as have no Intere&s;t in the Promi&s;es: Alas, alas,
<PB N="128" REF="73">what will formal Hypocrites do in an evil day? whether will they fly for refuge? if they run to the promi&s;e, it will afford them no &s;uc|cour, not becau&s;e the Promi&s;e faileth, but be|cau&s;e it belongs not to them: They are none of the Heirs of the promi&s;e: The promi&s;e is the Heritage of the Righteous: Faithful is he that hath promi&s;ed: But to the&s;e he hath made no promi&s;es; his Threatnings, not his Promi&s;es, belong unto them. Its no wonder that formal Hypocrites fall from their profe&s;&s;ion in a time of Per&s;ecution, they being not under the pro|mi&s;es, but under danger of being left to them|&s;elves for impri&s;oning the Truth in unrighteou&s;|ne&s;s; 2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 2.10. Such as receive not the Love of the Truth, &s;hall be given up to &s;trong Delu|&s;ions. Godline&s;s is profitable to all things, ha|ving the Promi&s;e of this Life and the Life that is to come: The promi&s;es appertain to God|line&s;s, and neither the promi&s;es of this life nor of the life to come belong to ungodline&s;s. The Godly are the Children of the Pro|mi&s;e, but the ungodly the Children of Wrath, and have nothing to do with the promi&s;e. And how woful is their condition that have no In|tere&s;t in the promi&s;es.</P>
<P N="8">8. The Faithfulne&s;s of God in his Promi&s;es &s;erves to comfort Chri&s;tians under all the evils that may befal them in this wicked World: They may comfort them&s;elves, (1.) In the fullne&s;s of the Promi&s;e: There is a &s;upply of all their wants laid up for them in the Pro|mi&s;e;
<PB N="129" REF="73">and what&s;oever they need, they may fetch from the Fountain of the Promi&s;e; want they Comfort or Council, Support or Strength, the&s;e and much more are laid up for them in the Promi&s;es. (2.) They may al&s;o comfort them&s;elves in the Faithfulne&s;s of the Promi&s;es: They are firm and infallible Promi&s;es, and can deceive none that rely upon them. Sup|po&s;e they fall into Poverty, God hath promi|&s;ed not to &s;uffer them to lack, and to repair their Lo&s;&s;es; and faithful is he that hath promi&s;|ed. Suppo&s;e they be ca&s;t into Pri&s;on, God hath promi&s;ed them his Pre&s;enee, Power, Peace, and his Spirit, and the&s;e will turn a Pri&s;on in|to a Pallace; and faithful is he that hath promi&s;ed. Suppo&s;e they be put to Death in the cau&s;e of the Go&s;pel, it doth but ha&s;ten them to Hea|ven, and God hath promi&s;ed to be with them in the fire, and to reward them with a more weighty Crown of Glory; and faithful is he that hath promi&s;ed: Suppo&s;e through the vio|lence of a Temptation they be overcome, and fall into &s;ome hainous &s;in, they &s;hall not die in that &s;in, but recover by renewed Repen|tance, for God hath promi&s;ed to heal their back|&s;liding; and faithful is he that hath promi&s;ed.</P>
<P N="9">9. The Faithfulne&s;s of God in his Promi|&s;es &s;erves to encourage us to Con&s;tancy and Stedfa&s;tne&s;s in the profe&s;&s;ion of the Faith: The Promi&s;es are faithful Friends to &s;uch faithful Servants as are not only in the Faith, and &s;ted|fa&s;t in the Faith, but al&s;o &s;tedfa&s;t in the open
<PB N="130" REF="74">Profe&s;&s;ion of their Faith, How do the Pro|mi&s;es embolden, animate, and encourage them to Con&s;tancy and Per&s;everance in this their Pro|fe&s;&s;ion, in &s;tormy and perilous times, <HI>Heb.</HI> 10.23. <HI>Let us hold fa&s;t our profe&s;&s;ion without wa|vering, faithful is he that hath promi&s;ed:</HI> And is he faithful that hath promi&s;ed? then why &s;hould we waver and let go our profe&s;&s;ion of our Faith: Is not Gods Faithfulne&s;s a &s;trong Encouragement to us to &s;tick clo&s;e to our Pro|fe&s;&s;ion? Surely it is, for it an&s;wers all objecti|ons that carnal rea&s;on objects agan&s;t &s;tedfa&s;t|ne&s;s in our Profe&s;&s;ion, and a&s;&s;ures us of all &s;up|plies that we &s;tand in need of, to help us to hold fa&s;t our Profe&s;&s;ion without wavering.</P>
<P N="1">(1.) It an&s;wers all Objections that Carnal Rea&s;on objects again&s;t this &s;tedfa&s;tne&s;s in our Profe&s;&s;ion. Doth carnal rea&s;on object Pover|ty, &s;aying, if thou &s;tick now in &s;uch times as the&s;e to thy profe&s;&s;ion, thou wilt be undone, and bring thy &s;elf and thy Family to Beggary: The An&s;wer is, The Earth is the Lords and the fulne&s;s thereof; he feeds the Fowls of the Air, and provided <HI>Manna</HI> for the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> in the Wilderne&s;s, and he hath promi&s;ed that there &s;hall be no lack to them that fear him, <HI>P&s;.</HI> 34.9. and faithful is he that hath promi&s;ed. Doth carnal rea&s;on object impotency and di&s;|ability, &s;aying, alas thou art a weak, frail and fearful Creature, and wilt never be able to hold out, and hold fa&s;t thy profe&s;&s;ion to the end of the &s;torm; the Severities of unrea&s;o|nable
<PB N="131" REF="74">Men, and the Cruelties they will ex|po&s;e thee to, will prove too hard for thee; its to no purpo&s;e to &s;trive again&s;t &s;o violent a &s;tream; better yield at fir&s;t, than to &s;tand out a while, and then be forced to a di&s;hono|rable Retreat. The An&s;wer is this, When my fle&s;h and my heart faileth me, God is the &s;trength of my Heart: Though I am weak, yet God is &s;trong, and he hath promi&s;ed to be my Shield and Refuge; and faithful is he that hath promi&s;ed; When <HI>Paul</HI> was in Trou|ble, God &s;tood by him and &s;trengthned him, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4.16. <HI>Heb.</HI> 11.34. And in the primitive Per&s;ecutions the Chri&s;tians out of weakne&s;s were made &s;trong, why then &s;hould I be di&s;|couraged? I will tru&s;t to Gods Faithfulne&s;s, which never failed. Doth carnal rea&s;on ob|ject the perfidiou&s;ne&s;s of Friends, &s;aying, all will for&s;ake you, and frown on you, and you will have none to &s;tand by you, and to look after you in your troubles: The An&s;wer is, I have a faithful Friend that hath promi&s;ed to &s;tick clo&s;e to me, that can and will help me: The Lord of Ho&s;t hath promi&s;ed to be with me, and to help me, and faithful is he that hath promi&s;ed: He was faithful to <HI>Paul,</HI> and to <HI>Jacob,</HI> and to <HI>Jo&s;eph,</HI> and though they had many and great troubles, and their worldly Friends failed them, yet he befriended them all along, and why &s;hould I di&s;tru&s;t &s;o faithful a Friend that never fal&s;ified his promi&s;e? thus the Faithfulne&s;s of God an&s;wers all carnal obje|ctions. And,</P>
<PB N="132" REF="75">
<P N="2">2. It a&s;&s;ures as of all &s;orts of &s;upplies that we &s;tand in need of, to help us to hold fa&s;t our profe&s;&s;ion without wavering: <HI>Phil.</HI> 4.19. <HI>My God &s;hall &s;upply all your need, according to his riches in glory by Chri&s;t.</HI> He &s;hall do it, &s;aith <HI>Paul;</HI> And how could <HI>Paul</HI> a&s;&s;ure of all nece&s;|&s;ary &s;upplies? why he knew that God was engaged by promi&s;e to do it, and that he was faithful that had promi&s;ed: And therefore he confidently concludes, my God &s;hall &s;upply all your need. What do we need to carry us through the Tryals and Troubles of this life? why we need,</P>
<P N="1">(1.) Grace to help us again&s;t our Fears, Doubts and Di&s;couragements: And this is &s;e|cured to us in the Promi&s;es, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 84.4. <HI>The Lord will give Grace and Glory, and no good thing will he withold from tho&s;e that walk up|rightly:</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.9. <HI>My Grace is &s;ufficient for thee:</HI> And thou &s;halt have &s;ufficient Grace to carry thee through thy Tryals and Trouble: He will proportion the mea&s;ure of thy Grace to thy nece&s;&s;ity: If he lay great Troubles on thee, and thou do&s;t meet with &s;trong Temp|tations, &s;tronger than that mea&s;ure of Grace that thou ha&s;t received can bear up again&s;t, then he will come in with new &s;upplies of Grace, enough to &s;upply this thy great need.</P>
<P N="2">(2.) God to go along with you, to help, &s;up|port, a&s;&s;i&s;t and comfort you, and this need|ful &s;upply is &s;ecured to you in the Promi|&s;es, <HI>John</HI> 14.23. <HI>We will come to him, and
<PB N="133" REF="75">make our abode with him:</HI> I&s;a. 41.10. <HI>Fear not, I am with thee, and will help thee, I will uphold thee:</HI> And if God be with us, we need not to fear, he will help and uphold us: He abides with us for this end and purpo&s;e, to &s;ee to our need and to &s;upply it.</P>
<P N="3">(3.) Guides to direct you what to &s;ay and what to do, and how to carry it under your Tryals and Troubles, and this is &s;ecured to you in the Promi&s;es; you &s;hall not want gui|dance, he hath promi&s;ed that the Word &s;hall guide you, <HI>Luke</HI> 1.79. And that his Spirit &s;hall guide you, <HI>John</HI> 16.13. And that he him|&s;elf will be a guide unto you, <HI>P&s;a.</HI> 48.14. And that unto Death, as long as you live in the World you &s;hall not want a Guide, a Faithful Guide, an all-&s;ufficient Guide, Wi&s;dom it &s;elf will be your Guide.</P>
<P>Thus you &s;ee all your needs are provi|ded for, and infallibly &s;ecured in the pro|mi&s;es, upon the account of the Faithfulne&s;s of him that hath promi&s;ed; and that the pro|mi&s;es may be tru&s;ted to, becau&s;e they are in|failable: And all the great and good things lodged up in the Promi&s;e &s;hall certainly be received by Believers, either in kind or equi|valence. What then remains, but that all you that are true Believers do make much u&s;e of the Promi&s;es, and lay them up in your hearts, as Jewels in your Cabinets, and reckon them among&s;t your choice&s;t Trea&s;ures, and exer|ci&s;e your Faith in tru&s;ting unto them: And
<PB N="134" REF="76">under all your Trials and Temptations, fly to them for refuge, pleading them in your Prayers, and applying them by Faith to your &s;elves for your Support and Comfort: And to afford you &s;ome aid herein, I have made a Catalogue of the choice&s;t Promi&s;es, and added thereto the Saints Experiences: I did it for my own private u&s;e, and have found it &s;o u&s;e|ful that I thought my &s;elf bound to cau&s;e it to be recorded for publick u&s;e; and com|mend it to the Chri&s;tian World as an Anti|dote again&s;t di&s;tru&s;tful Fears, and Cordial a|gain&s;t fainting Fits; and a&s;&s;ure &s;uch as faithful|ly make u&s;e of it, that their Labour will not be in vain the Lord; but that if they by Faith &s;uck tho&s;e Brea&s;ts of Con&s;olation, they will af|ford them much Sweetne&s;s and Soul Refre&s;h|ment.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="collection of quotations">
<PB N="135" REF="76">
<HEAD>A CATALOGUE of ma|ny choice Promi&s;es of God, verifyed in the Experiences of the Godly: Publi&s;hed for the U&s;e of Beleivers, to &s;upport their Faith, and &s;uppre&s;s their Fears in the days of their Pil|grimage.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>THe brea&s;ts of Con&s;olation</L>
<L>Are full, had we but skill</L>
<L>To tug and &s;uck, our precious Souls</L>
<L>With Comfort they would fill:</L>
<L>Di&s;tru&s;t be gone, let Faith come on,</L>
<L>And play its skilful part;</L>
<L>The Promi&s;es of God are his</L>
<L>That tru&s;ts him in his heart.</L>
<L>Phy&s;ick and Food, and all that's Good,</L>
<L>The Promi&s;es contain,</L>
<L>Faith, play thy Part, and u&s;e thy Art,</L>
<L>That I this good may gain.</L>
</LG>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="promises">
<PB N="136" REF="77">
<HEAD><HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> Promi&s;es of Provi&s;ion for the Supply of the Body.</HEAD>
<Q>Oh fear the Lord, ye his Saints, for there is no lack, to them that fear him: The Lyons lack and &s;uffer hunger, but they that &s;eek the Lord &s;hall not want any good thing, <BIBL>P&s;a. 34.9, 10.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>When the Poor and needy &s;eek water, and there is none, and their Tongue faileth for thir&s;t, I the Lord will hear them &mdash; I will make the Wilderne&s;s a pool of Water, <BIBL>I&s;a. 41.17.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Behold the fouls of the Air, for they neither &s;ow nor reap, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them, are ye not much better then they? <BIBL>Mat. 6.26.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Take no thought, &s;aying what &s;hall we eat, or what &s;hall we drink, or wherewith &s;hall we be cloathed, for your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all the&s;e things.</Q>
<Q>Seek fir&s;t the Kingdom of God, and all the&s;e things &s;hall be added to you, <BIBL>v. 31, 32.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>My God &s;hall &s;upply all your needs, according to his riches in Glory by Chri&s;t Je&s;us, <BIBL>Phil. 4.19.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>I will feed them in a good Pa&s;ture &mdash; in a fat pa&s;ture &s;hall they feed; I will feed my flock, and I will cau&s;e them to lie down? &s;aith the Lord, <BIBL>Ezekiel 34.14, 15.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Ble&s;&s;ed &s;hall be thy basket and thy &s;tore, <BIBL>Deut. 28.5.</BIBL></Q>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="experiences">
<PB N="137" REF="77">
<HEAD>Experiences of the Provi&s;ion made for the Body, verifying the Promi&s;es.</HEAD>
<Q>He knoweth thy walking through the great Wilderne&s;s this <HI>40</HI> Years, the Lord thy God hath been with thee, thou ha&s;t lacked nothing, <BIBL>Deut. 2.7.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Who brought thee forth Water out of the Rock of flint, who fed thee in the Wilderne&s;s with Manna, <BIBL>Deut. 8.15.16.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>The Ravens brought <HI>Eli&s;ha</HI> bread, and fle&s;h in the Morning and in the Evening, <BIBL>1 <HI>Kings</HI> 17.6.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Thou prepare&s;t a Table before me, in the pre|&s;ence of my Enemies my cup runneth over: Sure|ly goodne&s;s and mercy &s;hall follow me all the days of my Life, <BIBL>P&s;al. 23.5.6.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>He hath given meat to them that fear him, he will ever be mindful of his Covenant, <BIBL>P&s;a. 111.5.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>And he &s;aid unto them, when I &s;ent you out without pur&s;e, or &s;crip, or &s;hoes, lacked ye any thing? and they &s;aid nothing, <BIBL>Luke 22.35.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Neither was there any among&s;t them that lacked, <BIBL>Acts 4.34.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>I have been young and now am old, yet have I not &s;een the Righteous for&s;aken, nor his &s;eed begging bread, <BIBL>P&s;a. 37.25.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>The God which fed me all my life long unto this day &mdash; ble&s;s the lads &mdash; He did good, and he gave us rain from Heaven, and fruit|ful &s;ea&s;ons, filling our hearts with food and with gladne&s;s, <BIBL>Acts 14.17.</BIBL></Q>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="promises">
<PB N="138" REF="78">
<HEAD><HI>Second.</HI> Promi&s;es of Protection.</HEAD>
<Q>The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the Almightys arms, <BIBL>Deut. 33.27.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>The Lord will be a refuge for the oppre&s;&s;ed, a refuge in times of trouble, <BIBL>P&s;a. 9.9.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>I the Lord do keep it, I will keep it night and day, <BIBL>I&s;a. 27.3.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Fear not, Abraham, I am thy &s;heild, <BIBL>Gen. 15.1.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Ye that fear the Lord, tru&s;t in the Lord, he is their help and their &s;heild, <BIBL>P&s;a. 115.11.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Ble&s;&s;ed is he that con&s;idereth the poor &mdash; The Lord will pre&s;erve and keep him alive, and will not deliver him unto the will of his enemies, <BIBL>P&s;a. 41. beg.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>He &s;hall give his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways, <BIBL>P&s;a. 91.11.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>The Lord &s;hall pre&s;erve thee from all evil &mdash; the Lord &s;hall pre&s;erve thy going out and thy coming in, <BIBL>P&s;a. 121.7, 8.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Thou &s;halt hide them in the &s;ecret of thy pre|&s;ence from the pride of man, thou &s;halt keep them &s;ecretly in a pavilion from the &s;trife of tongues, <BIBL>P&s;a. 31.20.</BIBL></Q>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="experiences">
<PB N="139" REF="78">
<HEAD>Experiences of Protection, veri|fying the Promi&s;es.</HEAD>
<Q>Thou ha&s;t been a &s;trength to the Poor, a re|fuge from the &s;torm, when the bla&s;t of the ter|rible ones was as a &s;torm again&s;t the wall, <BIBL>I&s;a. 25.4.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>My help cometh from the Lord, he that keep|eth thee will not &s;lumber, <BIBL>P&s;al. 121.2, 3.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>The Lord is my Shield, my heart tru&s;ted in him, and I am helped, <BIBL>P&s;al. 28.7.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>He it is that brought our Fathers out of the land of Egypt, and pre&s;erved us in all the way wherein we went, and among&s;t all the People through whom we pa&s;&s;ed, <BIBL>Jo&s;hu 24.17.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Thus the Lord pre&s;erved David whither &s;oe|ver he went, <BIBL>1 Cron. 18.13.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Two Angels came to Sodom, and when morn|ing aro&s;e they ha&s;tned Lot, and when he lin|gred, they laid hold upon his hand and brought him forth, <BIBL>Gen. 19.15.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>My God hath &s;ent his Angels, and hath &s;hut the Lyons mouths, that they have not hurt me, &mdash; Daniel was taken out of the Den, and no manner of hurt was found on him, <BIBL>Dan. 6.22, 23.</BIBL></Q>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="promises">
<PB N="140" REF="79">
<HEAD><HI>Thirdly,</HI> Promi&s;es of Profiting by Afflictions.</HEAD>
<Q>All things work together for good to them that love God: <HI>Troubles may come upon &s;uch by troops, many together, but are as Ingredi|ents in a Soveraign Medicine, that all work together for the good of the Patient.</HI> <BIBL><HI>Rom.</HI> 8.28.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>By this &s;hall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit, to take away his &s;in, <BIBL>I&s;a. 27.9.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as Silver is refined, <BIBL>Zac. 13.9.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>He cha&s;ti&s;eth us for our profit, that we might be partakers of holine&s;s, <BIBL>Heb. 12.10.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Like the&s;e good fruits will I acknowledge them that are carried away Captive of Judah &mdash; into the land of the Caldeans for their good. <BIBL>Jer. 24.5.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>I will cau&s;e you to pa&s;s under the rod, and will bring you into the bond of the Cove|nant, <BIBL>Ezekiel 20.37, 38.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Thou &s;halt confider in thy heart that as a man cha&s;teneth his &s;on, &s;o the Lord thy God cha&s;teneth thee, <HI>viz. For thy good, and out of love, to reform and reclaim thee.</HI> <BIBL><HI>Deut.</HI> 8.5.</BIBL></Q>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="experiences">
<PB N="141" REF="79">
<HEAD>Experiences of the Profit of Afflictions.</HEAD>
<Q>Before I was afflicted I went a&s;tray, but now have I kept thy law. &mdash; It's good for me that I have been afflicted: <HI>I have got good by it.</HI> <BIBL>P&s;a. 119.67, 71.</BIBL></Q>
<Q><HI>The Prodigal was in want, and fed upon husks with Swine, and he &s;aid,</HI> My Fathers Servants have bread enough &mdash; I will ari&s;e and go to my Father, <BIBL>Luke 15.14, 15.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>We glory in tribulations, knowing (viz. <HI>ex|perientially</HI>) that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope, <BIBL>Rom. 5.3, 4.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>The things which happened to me have fal|len out to the furtherance of the Go&s;pel: God turned his impri&s;ment to good. <BIBL>Phil. 1.12, 13, 14.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Be not greived nor angry with your &s;elves that you &s;old me hither, for God &s;ent me before, you to pre&s;erve life, <BIBL>Gen. 45.5.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his Youth: <HI>It's found to be &s;o by Experi|ence, and appears to be &s;o by the Promi&s;e, and the performance of the Promi&s;e to thou&s;ands.</HI> <BIBL><HI>Lam.</HI> 3.27.</BIBL></Q>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="promises">
<PB N="142" REF="80">
<HEAD><HI>Fourthly,</HI> Promi&s;es of Pre&s;ervati|on in, and Deliverances out of Afflictions.</HEAD>
<Q>The beloved of the Lord &s;hall dwell in &s;afe|ty by him, the Lord &s;hall cover him all the day long, <BIBL>Deut. 33.12.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou &s;halt glorify me, <BIBL>P&s;al. 50.15.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>He will cover thee with his feathers &mdash; I will be with him in trouble, and I will deliver him, and honour him, <BIBL>P&s;al. 91.4, 15.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Alas, for that day is great, &s;o that none is like it, it's the time of Jacobs trouble, but ye &s;hall be &s;aved out of it &mdash; I am with thee to &s;ave thee, <BIBL>Jer. 3.7, 11.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Who&s;oever &s;hall call upon the Name of the Lord &s;hall be delivered, <BIBL>Joel 2. la&s;t.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>He will hear the de&s;ire of them that fear him, he al&s;o will hear their cry and &s;ave them, <BIBL>P&s;al. 145.19.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>They &s;hall cry unto the Lord, becau&s;e of the oppre&s;&s;ors, and he &s;hall &s;end them a Saviour, and a great one, and he &s;hall deliver them, <BIBL>I&s;a. 19.20.</BIBL></Q>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="experiences">
<PB N="143" REF="80">
<HEAD>Experiences of Pre&s;ervation in, and Deliverances out of Affli|ctions.</HEAD>
<Q>This I recall to mind, therefore have I hope, it's of the Lords mercy that we are not con&s;umed, <BIBL>Lam. 3.21, 23.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Then they cryed unto the Lord, and he de|livered them out of their di&s;tre&s;&s;es: <HI>This is oft repeated in this P&s;alm,</HI> <BIBL><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 107.6.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Thou ha&s;t known my per&s;ecutions and afflicti|ons that came to me at Antioch, Iconium and Ly|&s;tra &mdash; but out of them all the Lord de|vered me, <BIBL>2 Tim. 3.11.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Thou ha&s;t &s;aved us from out enemies, and ha&s;t put them to &s;hame that hated us, <BIBL>P&s;al. 44.7.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Neverthele&s;s he &s;aved them for his Name &s;ake, that he might make his mighty power to be known, <BIBL>P&s;a. 106.8.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>The Lord delivered us from &s;o great a death, and doth deliver, in whom we tru&s;t that he will yet deliver us, <BIBL>2 Cor. 1.9, 10.</BIBL></Q>
<P>The deliverance of the <HI>Jews</HI> out of <HI>Egypt,</HI> out of <HI>Babilon,</HI> and out of the Hand of <HI>Haman,</HI> and the per&s;onal deliverance of <HI>David, Daniel, Jonah, &amp;c.</HI> are in&s;tance of the verity of the Promi&s;e.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="promises">
<PB N="144" REF="81">
<HEAD><HI>Fifthly,</HI> Promi&s;es of pre&s;ent Sup|port and Help to bear Affli|ctions.</HEAD>
<Q>A man (viz. <HI>the man Chri&s;t</HI>) &s;hall be as a hiding place from the wind, as a Covert from the Tempe&s;t, as rivers of water in a dry place, <BIBL>I&s;a. 32.2.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Then will I vi&s;it their tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions with a rod: Neverthele&s;s my loving kindne&s;s will I not utterly take from him, nor &s;uffer my Faithful|ne&s;s to fail, <BIBL>P&s;a. 89.33, 34.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everla&s;ting, Arms, <BIBL>Deut. 33.27.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>But the Lord is Faithful, who will &s;tabli&s;h you, and keep you from evil, <HI>viz. in evil times, and when in the hands of ill men.</HI> <BIBL>2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 3.3.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>My Grace is &s;ufficient for thee, for my &s;trength is made perfect in weakne&s;s, <BIBL>2 Cor. 12.9.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Though he fall, he &s;hall not be utterly ca&s;t down, for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand, <BIBL>P&s;a, 37.24.</BIBL></Q>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="experiences">
<PB N="145" REF="81">
<HEAD>Experiences of pre&s;ent Support and Help to bear Afflictions.</HEAD>
<Q>At my fir&s;t an&s;wer all men for&s;ook me. &mdash; Notwith&s;tanding the Lord &s;tood with me and &s;trengthned me, <BIBL>2 Tim. 16.17.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>The Lord is my refuge and my &s;trength, a very pre&s;ent help in trouble, <BIBL>P&s;. 46.1.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Let them that &s;uffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their &s;ouls to him in well doing, as to a faithful Creator. <HI>viz. to God who hath alway been faithful to &s;uch as commit them&s;elves to him.</HI> <BIBL>1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 4.19.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>For which cau&s;e we faint not, but though our outward man peri&s;h, yet the inward man is re|newed day by day, <BIBL>2 Cor. 4.16.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Troubled on every &s;ide, yet not di&s;tre&s;&s;ed, per|&s;ecuted, but not in de&s;pair, <BIBL>2 Cor. 4.9.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Having obtained help from God, I continue unto this day, <BIBL>Acts 26.22.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Out of Weakne&s;s were made &s;trong, <BIBL>Heb. 11.34.</BIBL></Q>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="6" TYPE="promises">
<PB N="146" REF="82">
<HEAD><HI>Sixthly,</HI> Promi&s;es of Peace and Comfort in all Conditions.</HEAD>
<Q>Thou &s;halt keep him in perfect peace who&s;e mind is &s;tayed on thee, becau&s;e he tru&s;teth in thee, <BIBL>I&s;a. 26.3.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Ask for the good old way, and walk therein, and you &s;hall find re&s;t to your &s;ouls, <BIBL>Jer. 6.16.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>I will pray the Father, and he will give you another comforter, that he may abide with you for ever, <BIBL>John 14.16.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>The Peace of God that pa&s;&s;eth all under|&s;tanding &s;hall keep your hearts and minds: <HI>viz. from inward di&s;tractions under outward afflicti|ons,</HI> <BIBL><HI>Phil.</HI> 4.7.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>The Lord will comfort Zion, Joy and Glad|ne&s;s &s;hall be found therein, thank&s;giving and the voice of melody, <BIBL>I&s;a. 51.3.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>I will extend peace to thee like a River &mdash; as one whom his mother comforteth, &s;o will I com|fort you, and you &s;hall be comforted, <BIBL>I&s;a. 66.12, 13.</BIBL></Q>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="6" TYPE="experiences">
<PB N="147" REF="82">
<HEAD>Experiences of Peace and Com|fort in all Conditions.</HEAD>
<Q>I laid me down and &s;lept: viz. <HI>in his flight from his Son</HI> Ab&s;olon. <BIBL>P&s;. 3.5.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my &s;oul, <BIBL>P&s;. 94.19.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>As the Sufferings of Chri&s;t abound in us, &s;o al&s;o our Con&s;olations by Chri&s;t abound, <BIBL>2 Cor. 1.5.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>As &s;orrowful, yet alway rejoycing, <BIBL>2 Cor. 6.5.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Who comforteth us in all our Tribulations, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our &s;elves are comforted of the Lord, <BIBL>2 Cor. 1.4.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>So Hannah went away and did eat, and her Countenance was &s;ad no more, <BIBL>1 Sam. 1.18.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>They continued daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from hou&s;e to hou&s;e did eat their meat with Gladne&s;s and &s;inglene&s;s of heart, <BIBL>Acts 20.46.</BIBL></Q>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="7" TYPE="promises">
<PB N="148" REF="83">
<HEAD><HI>Seventhly,</HI> Promi&s;es of the Pre|valency and Acceptance of Prayer.</HEAD>
<Q>He &s;hall call upon me, and I will an&s;wer him, <BIBL>P&s;al. 91.28.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Before they call I will an&s;wer, and while they are yet &s;peaking, I will hear, <BIBL>I&s;a. 65.4.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>I am the Lord their God, and will hear them, <BIBL>Zecha. 10.6.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>All things what&s;oever ye &s;hall ask in prayer, believing, ye &s;hall receive, <BIBL>Mat. 21.21.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>The effectual fervent Prayer of the righteous a|vaileth very much, <BIBL>James 5.16.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Ask and it &s;hall given you, &s;eek and ye &s;hall find, knock and it &s;hall be opened to you, <BIBL>Mat. 7.7.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>The Lord is far from the Wicked, but he heareth the Prayer of the Righteous, <BIBL>Prov. 15.29.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>The Eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his Ears are open to their Prayers, <BIBL>1 Pet. 3.12.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Lord, thou ha&s;t heard the de&s;ires of the hum|ble, thou wilt prepare their hearts, thou wilt cau&s;e thine Ears to hear. <BIBL>P&s;al. 10.17.</BIBL></Q>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="7" TYPE="experiences">
<PB N="149" REF="83">
<HEAD>Experiences of the Prevalence and Acceptance of Prayer.</HEAD>
<Q>He <HI>(viz. Jacob)</HI> had power over the An|gel and prevailed, <BIBL>Ho&s;. 12.4.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>I cried by rea&s;on of my afflictions, to the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of Hell cri|ed I, and thou heard&s;t my voice, <BIBL>Jonah 2.2.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Thou heard&s;t the voice of my &s;upplication when I cried to thee, <BIBL>P&s;. 31.22.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Our Fathers cried to thee and were delivered: They tru&s;ted in thee and were not confounded, <BIBL>P&s;. 22.5.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Verily God hath heard me, he hath attend|ed to the voice of my Prayer: Ble&s;&s;ed be God who hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me, <BIBL>P&s;. 66. lat.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thy Alms are had in remembrance in the &s;ight of God, <BIBL>Acts 10.31.</BIBL></Q>
<Q><P>Elias was a man &s;ubject to like pa&s;&s;ions as we are: And he prayed earne&s;tly that it might not rain, and it rained not on the earth for the &s;pace of three years and &s;ix Months:</P>
<P>And he prayed again, and the Heavens gave Rain and the Earth brought forth her fruit, <BIBL>James 5.17, 18.</BIBL></P></Q>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="8" TYPE="promises">
<PB N="150" REF="84">
<HEAD><HI>Eighthly,</HI> Promi&s;es of the Pardon of Sin.</HEAD>
<Q>If we confe&s;s our &s;ins he is faithful to for|give us our &s;ins, and to clean&s;e us from all un|righteou&s;ne&s;s, <BIBL>1 John 1.9.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>I will he merciful to their &V;nrighteou&s;ne&s;s, and their &s;ins and iniquities will I remember no more, <BIBL>Heb. 8.10.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Let the wicked for&s;ake his way, and the un|righteous Man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, and he will abundantly pardon, <BIBL>I&s;a. 55.7.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>To him gave the Prophets witne&s;s, that through his Name who&s;oever believeth &s;hall receive remi&s;&s;ion of &s;in, <BIBL>Acts 10.43.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>I will forgive their iniquities, and I will re|member their &s;ins no more, <BIBL>Jer. 31.34.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>All manner of &s;in and Bla&s;phemy &s;hall be for|given to men. <HI>viz. upon repentance, but the &s;in again&s;t the Holy Gho&s;t.</HI> <BIBL><HI>Mat.</HI> 12.31.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>If ye forgive men their tre&s;pa&s;&s;es, your hea|venly Father will forgive you your tre&s;pa&s;&s;es, <BIBL>Mat. 6.14.</BIBL></Q>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="8" TYPE="experiences">
<PB N="151" REF="84">
<HEAD>Experiences of the Pardon of Sin.</HEAD>
<Q>I acknowledge my &s;in unto thee, I &s;aid I will confe&s;s my tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions to the Lord, and thou for|gave&s;t the iniquity of my &s;in. Selah, <BIBL>P&s;. 32.5.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>He being full of Compa&s;&s;ion forgave their ini|quities, and de&s;troyed them not, <BIBL>P&s;. 78.38.</BIBL></Q>
<Q><HI>Chri&s;t &s;aith of</HI> Mary Magdalen, her &s;ins which were many are forgiven, <BIBL>Luke 7.47.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Who hath delivered us from the power of dark|ne&s;s, and tran&s;lated us into the kingdom of his Son, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgivene&s;s of &s;ins, <BIBL>Col. 1.13.14.</BIBL></Q>
<Q><P>Ble&s;s the Lord, O my &s;oul, and forget not all his Benefits:</P>
<P>Who forgiveth all thy iniquities and healeth all thy Di&s;ea&s;es, <BIBL>P&s;. 103.2, 3.</BIBL></P></Q>
<Q>Forgive one another, as God for Chri&s;t &s;ake hath forgiven you your &s;ins, <BIBL>Ephe. 4. la&s;t.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>He &s;aid to the &s;ick of the pal&s;ie, &s;on, thy &s;ins be forgiven thee, <BIBL>Mar. 2.5.</BIBL></Q>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="9" TYPE="promises">
<PB N="152" REF="85">
<HEAD><HI>Ninthly,</HI> Promi&s;es of Power a|gain&s;t Sin, and Growth of Grace.</HEAD>
<Q>Sin &s;hall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the Law but under Grace, <BIBL>Rom. 6.14.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Then will I &s;prinkle clean water upon you, and you &s;hall be clean, from all your filthine&s;s will I clean&s;e you. &mdash; I will put my &s;pirit with|in you, and cau&s;e you to walk in my way, <BIBL>Ezek, 36.25, 26, 27.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>He will turn again, he will have compa&s;&s;ion on us, he will &s;ubdue our Iniquities, <BIBL>Mic. 7.19.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>My grace is &s;ufficient for thee, for my &s;trength is made perfect in Weakne&s;s, <BIBL>2 Cor. 12.0.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Return ye back&s;liding Children, and I will heal your back&s;liding, <BIBL>Jer. 3.22.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth that it may bring forth more fruity, <BIBL>John 15.2.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>They &s;hall &s;till bring forth fruit in old age, they &s;hall be fat and flouri&s;hing; to &s;hew that the Lord is upright. <BIBL>P&s;al. 92.14, 15.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>I will be as the dew to I&s;rael, he &s;hall grow as the Lilly. &mdash; They &s;hall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine, <BIBL>Ho&s;. 14.5, 7.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>My God &s;hall &s;upply all your need, according to his riches in glory by Chri&s;t; <HI>you need more grace, more &s;trength and all your need &s;hall be &s;upplied</HI> <BIBL><HI>Phil.</HI> 4.19.</BIBL></Q>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="9" TYPE="experiences">
<PB N="153" REF="85">
<HEAD>Experiences of Power again&s;t Sin and Growth in Grace.</HEAD>
<Q>Such were &s;ome of you, but now are ye wa&s;hed, now are you &s;anctified. &mdash; In the name of the Lord Je&s;us, and by the Spirit of our God, <BIBL>1 Cor. 6.11.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Now being made free from &s;in, and become &s;er|vants of God, ye have your fruit unto holine&s;s, and the end everla&s;ting life, <BIBL>Rom. 6.22.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>O wretched man that I am, who &s;hall deliver me from the body of this Death? I thank God through Je&s;us Chri&s;t our Lord, <BIBL>Rom. 7.24.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>In all the&s;e things we are more then Conque|rours through him that loved us, <BIBL>Rom. 8.37.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Jo&s;eph refu&s;ed to ly with his Mi&s;tre&s;s, &s;aying, how can I do this great &s;in, and &s;in again&s;t God, <BIBL>Gen. 39.8.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>We are bound to give thanks to God alway for you &mdash; Becau&s;e your faith groweth exceed|ingly, <BIBL>2 The&s;. 1.3.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>The path of the ju&s;t is as the &s;hining light, that &s;hineth more and more to the perfect day, <BIBL>Prov. 4.18.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Which (Go&s;pel) is come unto you, as it is in all the world, and bringeth forth fruit as it doth al&s;o in you, <BIBL>Col. 1.6.</BIBL></Q>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="10" TYPE="promises">
<PB N="154" REF="86">
<HEAD><HI>Tenthly,</HI> Promi&s;es of the Pre&s;ence of God and of his Spirit.</HEAD>
<Q>Fear not, for I am with thee, I am thy God, I will &s;trengthen thee, yea I will help thee, yea I will uphold thee, <BIBL>I&s;a. 41.10.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Fear not, O I&s;rael, thou art mine, when thou pa&s;&s;e&s;t through the waters I will be with thee, they &s;hall not overflow thee; when thou walke&s;t thro' the fire thou &s;halt not be burnt, <BIBL>I&s;a. 43. beg.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Be content with &s;uch things as ye have, for he hath &s;aid, I will never leave thee nor for&s;ake thee, <BIBL>Heb. 13.5.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>If a man love me he will keep my words, and my father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him, <BIBL>John 14.23.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Turn you at my reproof, behold I will pour out my Spirit into you, <BIBL>Prov. 1.23.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>It is convenient for you that I go away, for if I go not away the Comforter will not come, but if I depart I will &s;end him to you, <BIBL>John 16.7.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>If ye being evil know how to give good Gifts to to your Children, how much more &s;hall your hea|venly father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him, <BIBL>Luke 11.13.</BIBL></Q>
<Q><P>I will pray to the Father, and he &s;hall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.</P>
<P>I will not leave you comfortle&s;s, I will come to you, <BIBL>John 14.16, 18.</BIBL></P></Q>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="10" TYPE="experiences">
<PB N="155" REF="86">
<HEAD>Experiences of the Pre&s;ence of the Spirit of God.</HEAD>
<Q>Though I walk through the valley of the &s;had|dow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, <BIBL>P&s;a. 23.4.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Jo&s;eph was &s;old into Egypt, but the Lord was with Jo&s;eph, and he &s;hewed him mercy, <BIBL>Gen. 39.21.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Lo, I &s;ee four men loo&s;e, walking in the mid&s;t of the fire, and they have no hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the &s;on God, <BIBL>Dan. 3.25.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Solomon was &s;trengthened in his Kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him, and mag|nified him exceedingly, <BIBL>2 Chron. 1.1.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Hereby we know that we dwell in him, and he in us, becau&s;e he hath given us of his Spi|rit, <BIBL>1 <HI>John</HI> 4.3.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>God which knoweth the hearts, bear them witne&s;s <HI>(viz. the Gentiles)</HI> giving them his &s;pirit, even as he did to us, <BIBL>Acts 15.8.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>The Holy Gho&s;t fell on them which heard the word, <BIBL>Acts 10.44.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Barnabas was a good man, and full of the Holy Gho&s;t and of faith, <BIBL>Acts 11.24.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>The di&s;ciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Gho&s;t, <BIBL>Acts 13. la&s;t,</BIBL></Q>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="11" TYPE="promises">
<PB N="156" REF="87">
<HEAD><HI>Eleventhly,</HI> Promi&s;es of Per&s;eve|rance.</HEAD>
<Q>I will make an Everla&s;ting Covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them to do them good, but I will put my fear into their hearts that they &s;hall not depart from me, <BIBL>Jer. 32.40.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>I will give them everla&s;ting Life, and they &s;hall never peri&s;h, neither &s;hall any man pluck them out of my hand, <BIBL>John 10.28.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>One thing is needful, Mary hath cho&s;en the better part, which &s;hall never be taken from her, <BIBL>Luke 10. la&s;t.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Who will confirm you to the end that you may be blamele&s;s in the day of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, <BIBL>1 Cor. 1.8.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>I pray God that your whole &s;pirit and &s;oul and body be pre&s;erved blamele&s;s, unto the coming of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t; faithful is he that hath called you, who will al&s;o do it, <BIBL>1 The&s;&s;. 5.23, 24.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>The Gifts and calling of God are without re|pentance, <BIBL>Rom. 11.29.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Being confident of this thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, <BIBL>Phil. 1.6.</BIBL></Q>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="11" TYPE="experiences">
<PB N="157" REF="87">
<HEAD>Experiences of Per&s;everance.</HEAD>
<Q>The high places were not removed, never|thele&s;s A&s;a his heart was perfect with the Lord all his days. <BIBL>1 King 15.14.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>I have fought the good fight, I have fini&s;hed my cour&s;e, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteou&s;ne&s;s, <BIBL>2 Tim. 4.7, 8.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Lord, now lette&s;t thou thy &s;ervant depart in peace, for I have &s;een thy &s;alvation, <BIBL>Luke 2.29.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>The hou&s;e built upon the rock, though the rain de&s;cended, and the flood came, and the winds blew, yet kept his &s;tanding, <BIBL>Mat. 7. lat.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>The&s;e all dyed in the faith, <BIBL>Heb. 11.13.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto &s;alvation, <BIBL>1 Pet. 1.5.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>I have been young and now am old, yet have not &s;een the righteous for&s;aken, <BIBL>P&s;al. 37.25.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>My fle&s;h and my heart faileth me, but God is the &s;trength of my heart and my portion for ever, <BIBL>P&s;al, 73.26.</BIBL></Q>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="12" TYPE="promises">
<PB N="158" REF="88">
<HEAD><HI>Twelfthly,</HI> Promi&s;es of the Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;i|on of Heaven.</HEAD>
<Q>Fear not, little flock, it is your Fathers good will to give a Kingdom, <BIBL>Luke. 12.32.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Eye hath not &s;een, ear hath not heard, nor hath it entred into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. <BIBL>1 Cor. 2.9.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Ble&s;&s;ed is the man that endureth temptati|on, for when he is tried he &s;hall receive the crown of Life, which the Lord hath promi&s;ed to them that love him, <BIBL>James. 1.12.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>When the chief &s;hepherd &s;hall appear, ye &s;hall receive a Crown of Glory that faideth not way, <BIBL>1 Pet. 5.4.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Fear none of the&s;e things which thou &s;halt &s;uffer, ye &s;hall have tribulation <HI>10</HI> days, be faithful unto death, and I will give thee a Crown of Life, <BIBL>Rev. 2.10.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>You have your fruit unto holine&s;s, and the end everla&s;ting Life, <BIBL>Rom. 6.22.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Of the Lord ye &s;hall receive the reward of the inheritance, for ye &s;erve the Lord Chri&s;t, <BIBL>Col. 3.24.</BIBL></Q>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="12" TYPE="experiences">
<PB N="159" REF="88">
<HEAD>Experiences of the Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of Heaven.</HEAD>
<Q>Be ye followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the Promi&s;es, <BIBL>Heb. 6.12.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Lazarus dyed, and was carried by the Angels into Abraham's bo&s;om, <BIBL>Luke 16.2.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Then talked with him two men which were Mo|&s;es and Elias who appeared in glory, <BIBL>Luke 9.30.21.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>The Spirits of ju&s;t men made perfect, <BIBL>Heb. 12.23.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Heaven is called the inheritance of the Saints, becau&s;e they do inherit it, <BIBL>Col. 1.12.</BIBL></Q>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="poem">
<PB N="160" REF="89">
<HEAD>A Song of Prai&s;e.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>THe World's a toy, let me imploy</L>
<L>My Soul in higher things,</L>
<L>Than upon tho&s;e that create woes,</L>
<L>And carry cruel Stings.</L>
<L>My Fears are great, Sorrow my Meat,</L>
<L>And humane Faith is gone</L>
<L>On Pilgrimage, for in this Age</L>
<L>Among&s;t us there is none.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Thy faithfulne&s;s, O God, I ble&s;s,</L>
<L>And cannot but admire,</L>
<L>That Love is cold, and yet behold</L>
<L>None warm it at this Fire.</L>
<L>But, O my Soul, do not condole,</L>
<L>But Triumph thou in Prai&s;e;</L>
<L>Greatly rejoice with Hearts and Voice,</L>
<L>Let Joy thy Spirits rai&s;e.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Mind not the Rod, rejoice in God,</L>
<L>That never failed thee;</L>
<L>Thou knowe&s;t this, faithful he is,</L>
<L>And &s;o will ever be.</L>
<L>Thou ha&s;t been Low, and now art &s;o,</L>
<L>And God hath alway been</L>
<L>A Sun and Shield, that &s;uccour yield,</L>
<L>As thou ha&s;t often &s;een.</L>
</LG>
<PB N="161" REF="89">
<LG>
<L>His Word is &s;ure, and doth endure</L>
<L>For ever and for aye:</L>
<L>Witne&s;s thou can to every Man,</L>
<L>All's true that he doth &s;ay.</L>
<L>If this be &s;o, come let us go</L>
<L>To God, and on him &s;tay:</L>
<L>It's not ab&s;ur'd, to plead his Word,</L>
<L>To it he ne'er &s;ays nay.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>His Word applaud, his Name with Laud</L>
<L>And Prai&s;es celebrate:</L>
<L>Let not thy Love to God above</L>
<L>In any thing abate.</L>
<L>And now, O Lord, for thy &s;ure Word</L>
<L>Of Promi&s;e, I thee ble&s;s:</L>
<L>And whil&s;t I live will Glory give</L>
<L>To thee, not to the Fle&s;h.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Prai&s;e is thy due, thy Word is true,</L>
<L>Thy Promi&s;es our &s;tore,</L>
<L>And full (though wide) from &s;ide to &s;ide,</L>
<L>Prai&s;ed be God therefore.</L>
<L>A full &s;upply in Mi&s;ery</L>
<L>I &s;ee it doth afford:</L>
<L>O let it be, now unto me,</L>
<L>According to thy Word.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Let Faith be fed, and by it led,</L>
<L>To live on Thee alone:</L>
<L>Help me to tru&s;t in the mo&s;t Ju&s;t,</L>
<L>Faithful and Righteous One.</L>
<PB N="162" REF="90">
<L>My Doubts expel, let Hope excell,</L>
<L>Let Prai&s;es be my Trade:</L>
<L>Let me rejoice with Heart and Voice,</L>
<L>In all that thou ha&s;t &s;aid.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Let none de&s;pair, the news is rare,</L>
<L>The Promi&s;es revealed,</L>
<L>Are high and great without deceit:</L>
<L>Records mo&s;t firmly Sealed.</L>
<L>Oh prai&s;ed be thy Maje&s;ty,</L>
<L>For Promi&s;es of Grace:</L>
<L>All the Elect, may hear expect</L>
<L>Supplies in every Ca&s;e.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="poem">
<HEAD>Another Song of Praise.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>MY Soul give Prai&s;e unto the Lord,</L>
<L>With Joy his Prai&s;es Sing:</L>
<L>To Prai&s;e the Name of God thy Lord</L>
<L>Is a mo&s;t plea&s;ant thing.</L>
<L>His Promi&s;es rich Jewels are,</L>
<L>The&s;e Jewels are thy own:</L>
<L>Though thou art Poor, yet very rich</L>
<L>In Promi&s;es alone.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Thy Faithful God will certainly</L>
<L>His Promi&s;es perform:</L>
<L>Fear not, O Soul, the frowns of Men,</L>
<L>Fear not the greate&s;t Storm.</L>
<PB N="163" REF="90">
<L>Rejoice in God, and in his Word</L>
<L>Of Promi&s;e made to thee:</L>
<L>His Promi&s;es mo&s;t precious,</L>
<L>Certain and faithful be.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Though thou art Poor, God will provide,</L>
<L>Supplies he will afford:</L>
<L>Yea, &s;uch &s;upplies as &s;hall &s;uffice,</L>
<L>According to his Word.</L>
<L>Though thou art weak, his Arms &s;upport,</L>
<L>What need is there to fear:</L>
<L>Above, beneath, and round about,</L>
<L>His mighty Arms appear.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>When Troubles like a Hurrican</L>
<L>Do compa&s;s thee about</L>
<L>Its for thy good, this Phy&s;ick thou</L>
<L>Can&s;t not be well without.</L>
<L>Yea, &s;afety in, and &s;ure &s;upport,</L>
<L>And all that needful be;</L>
<L>For aid and help in this &s;ad Ca&s;e,</L>
<L>Are promi&s;ed to thee.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Thy Sins though great are pardoned,</L>
<L>Thy Enemies are &s;trong;</L>
<L>But cannot hurt, becau&s;e to thee</L>
<L>The Promi&s;es belong.</L>
<L>Such guards and aids the Promi&s;es,</L>
<L>In readine&s;s &s;till have:</L>
<L>And will be granted unto thee,</L>
<L>When thou for them do&s;t crave.</L>
</LG>
<PB N="164" REF="91">
<LG>
<L>Oh Ble&s;&s;ed be the Lords of Ho&s;ts,</L>
<L>My dear and faithful Friend:</L>
<L>According to his Promi&s;es,</L>
<L>He help and aid doth &s;end.</L>
<L>His Promi&s;es never do fail,</L>
<L>They are mo&s;t firm and &s;ure:</L>
<L>His faithfulne&s;s is va&s;tly great,</L>
<L>And ever &s;hall endure.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>My Soul exalt the living Lord,</L>
<L>For Gracious is he:</L>
<L>His Mercy now and evermore,</L>
<L>He will extend to thee.</L>
<L>Awake my Glory, glorifie</L>
<L>And Prai&s;e the Lord of Ho&s;t:</L>
<L>And of his precious Promi&s;es,</L>
<L>Make thou thy daily boa&s;t.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>The World is full of Wickedne&s;s,</L>
<L>Envy, debate and &s;trife:</L>
<L>But <HI>the&s;e</HI> are the <HI>great</HI> Cordials</L>
<L>That do &s;upport my Life.</L>
<L>Thy Pre&s;ence and thy Promi&s;es</L>
<L>Are rare and precious things;</L>
<L>And all along unto my Soul,</L>
<L>The greate&s;t Comfort brings.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</GROUP>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="publisher's advertisement">
<PB REF="91">
<HEAD>Books Printed for <HI>Tho. Parkhur&s;t,</HI> at the <HI>Bible</HI> and <HI>Three Crowns</HI> at the lower end of <HI>Cheap-&s;ide</HI> near <HI>Mercers-Chappel.</HI></HEAD>
<P>A Body of Practical Divinity, con&s;i&s;ting of above One Hundred Sermons on the Le&s;&s;er Catechi&s;m of the Reverend A&s;&s;embly of Divines at <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter;</HI> with a Supplement of &s;ome Sermons on &s;everal Texts of Scripture. By <HI>Tho. Wat&s;on,</HI> formerly Mini&s;ter of St. <HI>Ste|phens Walbrook.</HI></P>
<P>A Di&s;cour&s;e of Spiritual mindedne&s;s.</P>
<P>Per&s;on of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>On the 130th. <HI>P&s;alm.</HI></P>
<P>The Doctrine of the Trinity.</P>
<P>Of <HI>Mortification of Sin</HI> in Believers.</P>
<P>An humble Te&s;timony concerning the Good|ne&s;s and Severity of God in Dealing with &s;in|ful Churches and Nations.</P>
<P>A Treati&s;e of Temptation.</P>
<P>E&s;hcol, or Rules of Fellow&s;hip. The&s;e Eight la&s;t by <HI>John Owen,</HI> D. D.</P>
<P><HI>Heywood</HI>'s Bapti&s;mal Bonds renewed.</P>
<P><HI>Grotius</HI> of Chri&s;t's Satisfaction, in <HI>English.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Hur&s;ts</HI> Revival of Grace, <HI>i.e.</HI> on the Sacra|ment.</P>
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<PB REF="92">
<P>The Vi&s;ion of the Wheels, in three Ser|mons.</P>
<P>Spiritual Wi&s;dom improved again&s;t Temp|tation.</P>
<P>The Almo&s;t Chri&s;tian di&s;covered. All Five by <HI>Mat. Mead.</HI></P>
<P>Con&s;olation for the afflicted, at the Funeral of Mr. <HI>Edward Rede.</HI> By <HI>Tim. Rogers,</HI> M. A.</P>
<P><HI>Calamy</HI>'s Godly Mans Ark, in five Sermons, his Art of Divine Meditation.</P>
<P>Redemption of Time, the Wi&s;dom and Du|ty of Chri&s;tians in Evil Days. By <HI>John Wade,</HI> Mini&s;ter at <HI>Hamer&s;mith.</HI></P>
<P>Intercour&s;es of Divine Love betwixt Chri&s;t and his Church, being Sermons on the 1st. and 2d. Chapters of the <HI>Canticles,</HI> or the <HI>Song of Songs.</HI></P>
<P>Several Di&s;cour&s;e of actual Providence, in three Parts. The&s;e two la&s;t by <HI>John Collings,</HI> D. D.</P>
<P>Spiritual Songs, or Songs of prai&s;e to Al|mighty God on &s;everal Occa&s;ions, with thirty penitential Crys; with a Poem al&s;o of <HI>Dives</HI> and <HI>Lazarus.</HI></P>
<P>The Midnight Cry, a Sermon. The&s;e two by <HI>John Ma&s;on.</HI></P>
<P>Mr. <HI>Corberts</HI> Self-Employment in Secret.</P>
<P>A Treati&s;e of the Day of Judgment: By Mr. <HI>Sam. Lee</HI> Mini&s;ter.</P>
<P>Husbandry Spiritualized.</P>
<P>A Saint indeed.</P>
<PB REF="92">
<P>A Token for Mourners. All the&s;e three by Mr. <HI>John Flavel</HI> Mini&s;ter of the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P>Satan &s;ifting, or the Oyl of Joy for the Spi|rit of Sadne&s;s.</P>
<P><HI>Whites</HI> Little Book for Little Children.</P>
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<P>An Earne&s;t Call to Family Duties being the &s;ub&s;tance of Eighteen Sermons by <HI>Sam. Sla|ter.</HI></P>
<P>Hymns for the Sacrament, compo&s;ed mo&s;tly out of the New Te&s;tament.</P>
<P>Theological Di&s;cour&s;es and Sermons on &s;e|veral Occa&s;ions. By <HI>John Wallis,</HI> D. D.</P>
<P>The True&s;t and Large&s;t account of the late Earthquake in <HI>Jamaica, June</HI> 7. 1692. from a Reverend Divine there, to his Friend in <HI>Lon|don.</HI></P>
<P>The be&s;t way to mend the world by per|&s;wading the Ri&s;ing Generation to an early and Serious Practice of Piety. Both by <HI>Samuel Peck,</HI> Lecturer of <HI>Ip&s;wich.</HI></P>
<P>A Sermon preach'd at the Funeral of the Re|verend Mr. <HI>Tho &s;hewell,</HI> M. A. and Mini&s;ter of the Go&s;pel in <HI>Coventry.</HI> The&s;e two la&s;t by <HI>William Tongue,</HI> Mini&s;ter, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>A Di&s;cour&s;e concerning Old Age, tending to the In&s;truction, Caution, and Comfort of Aged Per&s;ons. By <HI>Richard Steel</HI> M. A.</P>
<P>A Sermon at the Funeral of the Wor&s;hip|ful <HI>John Symonds,</HI> late of <HI>Great Yeldham</HI> in
<PB REF="93"><HI>E&s;&s;ex,</HI> E&s;q. by <HI>John Brooke,</HI> M. A. and Re|ctor there,</P>
<P>A Vindication of the Church of <HI>Scotland,</HI> be|ing an An&s;wer to five Pamphlets; by Dr. <HI>Rule.</HI></P>
<P>A Sermon of the ab&s;olute Nece&s;&s;ity of Fami|ly Duties, Preached to the United Pari&s;hes of St. <HI>Mary-Woolnoth,</HI> and St. <HI>Mary Wool-Church-Haw,</HI> in <HI>Lombard-Street.</HI></P>
<P>His <HI>Farewel-Sermon.</HI> The&s;e Two by <HI>Da|vid Jones,</HI> Student of <HI>Chri&s;t-Church, Oxon.</HI></P>
<P>A brief on the 7th. Commandment, where|in is di&s;covered the Cau&s;e of all our Contro|ver&s;ies about the <HI>Sabbath-Day</HI> and the means of Reconciling them. Recommended by the Reverend Dr. <HI>Bates,</HI> and Mr. <HI>John How.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Convivium Caele&s;te:</HI> A plain and familiar Di&s;cour&s;e concerning the Lords Supper, &s;hew|ing at once the Nature of that Sacrament; as al&s;o the right way of preparing our &s;elves for the receiving of it: In which are al&s;o con|&s;idered tho&s;e Exceptions which men u&s;ually bring to excu&s;e their not partaking of it.</P>
<P>A Sermon preached before the King and Queen at <HI>White-Hall,</HI> Nov. 5.1692. The&s;e Two by <HI>Richard</HI> Lord Bi&s;hop of <HI>Bath</HI> and <HI>Wells.</HI></P>
<P>The Confirming Work of Religion, and its great things made plain by their prima|ry Evidences and Demon&s;trations; whereby the meane&s;t in the Church may &s;oon be made a|ble to render a Rational Account of their Faith.</P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
