HOly Iob, poor now, even to a Proverb, and miserable to a Prodigy, perceiving his friends Discour­ses were fuller of Re­proaches then Consolations, neglects to answer them, & resolves to get him to [Page 2]God, the only Support and Refuge of the miserable.

And thus he entertains himself in the second verse, even to day, after all that hath been said, Drusius in loc. Exasperatio est querelae meae, the bitterness of my complaint is rather increased then al­layed; wherefore no wonder my mouth is alwaies open to breath out complaints; and the more I com­plain, the more I suffer from you, (so some) or rather from God himself, Grot. in lo. quò magis queror, eò a vobis magis vapulo. whose hand I acknowledge in all these stroaks; and let me complain as long as I will my tongue is not so e­loquent in complaining as his hand is heavy that strikes me; my stroak is heavier then my groaning.

And yet for all this, verse 3. he sighes after a Treaty, after a nea­rer access and approach unto him that smites him; he quits his seeming friends to make after his seeming Ene­my, and is willing to make this E­nemy his Iudge, and to refer all to him.

And then, verse 4. he thinks with himself how he would manage [Page 3]his matters, how he would bestir him­self, and not lose his cause for want of pleading, could he but get a day of hearing; I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with Arguments.

Some think he wishes for a Guide, a Friend to help him to such an op­portunity. Quis det nossem (saith Dru­sius) quis mihi tribuat ut cognoscam (saith the Vulgar) quis dabit scirem (saith Montanus) quis est qui possit facere ut valeam accedere (saith the Syriac) he would fain find an Angel to con­duct him to the Throne of God (saith Senault) or rather the Angel of the Covenant to afford him that [...], In his Para­phrase upon the place. that Manuduction which the Apostle speaks of, as the known priviledge of all Believers, who through him have an access by one Spirit unto the Fa­ther, Eph. 2.18.

But not to darken the words in­stead of explaining them, by giving the various readings and opinions of Interpreters, I will draw out some observations, and hasten to that I de­sire to insist on.

Observa. 1. The sorest stroaks can­not drive away good souls from God, but rather draw them nearer to him, my stroak is heavier then my groan­ing; yet O that I knew where I might find him!

2. God himself, even for his own sake, is the great Object of a Saints seekings. O that I knew where I might find him! not this or that to be gotten by him.

3. Pretious souls that have a large Interest in God, are sometimes at a loss, as to his sweet and sensible Pre­sence; The great God hath his un­known Retreats, whether his best friends cannot sollow him. So verse 8.9. Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot per­ceive him; on the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him; he hideth himself on the right hand that I cannot see him. So holy David, Psal. 63.1. O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee. You see his Interest is clear; he can say Thou art my God, and yet he had but little enjoyment of him: his soul thirsteth, longeth, followeth hard [Page 5]after him, ver. 8. Such another sigh ye have, Psal. 101.2. O when wilt thou come unto me? do not conclude ye have no interest, because ye have little enjoyment, no Union, because ye want Vision.

4. A gracious heart seldom or ne­ver thinks it self near enough unto God, its Sun and Sheild, and Cen­ter: O that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat!

5. Gods Judgement-seat where he sits to hear and determine causes, is not terrible or unapproachable to a Believer, who knows it to be a Throne of Mercy, as Iob here did; for says he, verse 6. how would he use me, if he had me there? would he overwhelm me with his greatness? will he plead against me with his ab­solute Power; No, but he would put strength in me: Happy are all that can say so, for me must all appear there, 2 Cor. 5.10, 11. and it will be terrible to all those that do not often resort thither afore-hand.

6. A poor afflicted creature often [Page 6]thinks he hath a great deal to say un­to God, if he could but get an hear­ing; he thinks how he would order and argue ont the matter: what a story he would tell him, if he could but get his ear, gain access and audi­ence from him.

7. 'Tis good to have our hearts and mouths fil'd with Arguments when we come to plead and expostulate, and reason out our great concernments with out God.

This is the point I pitch on, to ex­pell that spirit of slumber, which hath so much weakned the spirit of Prayer in our days, that comparatively they are but little enriched by it, who trade to Heaven with it, where God hath all good things lying ready by him, and waiting only for Prayer to come and fetch them away.

When Christ himself would give us a perfect Pattern of Prayer, both fot matter and manner, he winds & wraps up all with a conclusion, Mat. 6.13. consisting of certain reasons to per­swade God to hear our prayers, or at least to perswade & assure our selves, [Page 7]that he doth & will hear them: the rea­sons have an influence into all and every one of the Petitions; Thine is the Kingdom; and therefore we expect that as a good King thou shoulst re­ceive and answer our Petitions: Psal. 72.12, 13, 14, 15. it is thy concernment as a King to have thine honour advanced, therefore hallow thine one name, glorifie it in the Church, let thy Kingdom come to it, advance thy Will in it, sustain us thy Subjects, pardon our sins, keep and defend us from Evils.

So Thine is the Power, which Kings oftentimes want; 2 Kin. 6.26, 27. but thou art able to exalt thine own name, to extend thy Kingdom over all, to fit us to do thy will; to minister to our necessities, to pardon our sins, to preserve us from all Evils.

And thine is the Glory; The hallow­ing of thy Name is the chief part of thy glory; thy Kingdom the prime place of thy glory; herein art thou glorified, when we obey thy Will, when thou providest for thy people, forgivest their sins, preservest and de­liverest them from their Enemies; [Page 8]therefore do thou all these things for us; therefore do we trust & hope that thou wilt do all these thing for us.

Thus our blessed Saviour doth di­rect us, and thus the blessed Saints have practised in all Ages.

When the people of Israel had made the molten Calf, and committed Ido­latry with it, and God was about to destroy them for it, see how Moses in his prayer for them layes hold on the avenging hand of God, and stays it by reasoning and arguing, from the dishonour that would redound unto God if he should destroy them; and from the Covenant that he had made with their fathers, Exod. 32.11, 12, 13, &c. And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy peo­ple which thou hast brought forth out of the Land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? (thou art now greatly engaged in the busi­ness) the Egyptians will slander thy gracious intentions, and say it was for mischief with a purpose to slay and consume them. Remember Abraham, [Page 9]Isaac and Israel thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self that thou wouldst deal otherwise with their Posterity: and see how he pre­vails vers. 14. The Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. So when he would have destroyed them for murmuring, Mo­ses interposeth again for a pardon, and fills his mouth with arguments, Num, 14.13, &c. The Egyptians will hear it, and they'l tell stories of thee to the Inhabitants of this Land, and they'l slander thy Power, and say, be­cause thou wert not able to carry them any further, thou didst rid thy hands of them in the Wilderness; Now therefore I beseech thee, shew what thou canst do, put forth the greatness of thy power in pardoning, as thou hast spoken of thy self, and as thou hast practised hitherto in for­giving this people stom Egypt even untill now. And see how he carries it again, vers. 20. The Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word.

So Abraham, before him, Gen. 18. [Page 10]23, 24, 25. wilt thou also destroy the Righteous with the wicked? that be far from thee to do; after this manner to slay (pell mell) the righteous with the wicked, and that the righteous should be as the wicked; that be far from thee; shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? And you know how he shrunk up and narrowed the num­ber, till he thought he had got within the verge of Lots Family, and expect­ed that should afford so many righte­ous persons as he named; but he was out in his charitable conjecture; other­wise he had not faild in what he plea­ded for. He gained ground at every advance, and God yielded till Abra­bram thought he had Enough, and so pressed him no further.

Thus Joshua when the people were smitten at Ai, Josh. 7.7, 8, 9. Alass, O Lord God, sayes he, Wherefore hast thou brought us at all over Jordan? or was it our ambition and covetousness that brought us over? would to God we had been content and dwelt on the other side Jordan. O Lord God, what shall I say when Israel (that us'd [Page 11]to be victorious) turneth their backs before their enemies! and now they'l all hear of it, and environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth; and if that were the worst, it were no great matter; but what wilt thou do unto thy great Name? that will hardly swim if ours sink, they are so twisted toge­ther, so imbarqued in the same bot­tom; and though ours be vile, thats precious; though ours deserve to rot, what hath that deseved? and think what thou art about to do to thy great Name. thus Hezekiah in his sickness, Isa. 38.2, 3. Remember now O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth: I have had an honest heart towards thee, thou knowest it; and must I now be cut off untimely? When all things are so unsetled, now or never is the time for thee to give Testimony to my sincerity, and you know he had a Reprieve presently brought him.

Thus he argues in his distress be­cause of Senacherib, 2, King. 19.15. &c. They have indeed made work with the gods of the Nations, and cast them into the fire, because they were no Gods; but [Page 12]now that they come to meddle with thee and thy people, let them find it too hot for them, and let all the Kingdoms of the earth know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only.

Thus Asa, 2 Chron. 14.11. O Lord our God, we rest on thee, thou art our God, let not man prevail against thee.

Thus Jehosaphat, 2 Chr. 20.6 &c.

Thus Daniel, Chap. 9 to the 20. ver &c. Thus Amos Chap. 7. ver. 2, 3, 5, 6.

Thus the Apostles, Act. 4. ver. 24. to 31.

Not that God stands in need of our informing him concerning our necessi­ties, which He knows better then we; but because hereby we give some proof that we are not altogether stran­gers at home (as many careless ones are) but know something of our selves, and our own cases, and of Him and his dealings towards us: but I will give no other grounds for the point, then those of Jobs resolution for this pra­ctice; and they are these.

1. Upon earnest arguing God will undoubtedly answer some way or [Page 13]other; that's implyed, vers. 5. I would know the words that he would an­swer me, and understand what be would say unto me. An answer I may be sure of when I fill my mouth with argu­ments; he will not sit still and say no­thing; he will not sit like an Image, like a dumb Idol, as the Abominati­ons of the Heathens, their Dii Sterco­rei, Tremel. their dunghil-Gods (as they are called, Deut. 29.17.) must of necessi­ty do; they can do no otherwise, though men fill their mouthes with ar­guments, and empty their veins of their blood before them, 1 King. 18.28.

No sayes Job, he will undoubtedly answer, could I but have my fill of pleading; and I might guess at his de­signs by his anwers (which are now too wonderfull for me) I might under­stand what meaneth the heat of this great Burning, and wherefore he con­tendeth with me, and what he means and intends towards his poor creature.

Arguments then in prayer are not likely to go unanswered, and praying souls find it so.

Sometimes he answers gloriously [Page 14]from his secret place of Thunder, yet not in Thunder but in Lightning, in some glorious irradiation, in some precious melting Promise born in up­on the heart with a strong hand, and there Engraven in indelible Chara­cters by an irresistible power, whereof gracious souls in our dayes have had abundant experience.

Sometimes he answers in some se­cret support only, as Hannah after her arguing and pouring forth her sor­rowful soul into his bosom, when she had left her petition in his hand, or but laid it down at his feet; though she had no other Fiat then what was written on her heart by an invisible finger, yet she went her way well apaid, and fell to her meat, and her counte­nance was no more sad, 1 Sam. 1.18.

And surely one or the other of these made David close up so many Psalms with praises and rejoycings, which he had begun with tears and mourning; an obvious observation, and clear evi­dence, that even whilst he was on his knees before the Lord, the wind came about and blew upon him out of a [Page 15]warm corner, and made all his spices flow.

Sometimes God answers in some providential dispensations, which both gratifie us for the present, and might instruct us for the future; for many, very many Providences are Propheti­cal, and do fore-shew things to come; but the language of Prophecies is for the most part obscure, and we seldom understand it, till God interpret it in the accomplishment; an Instance whereof we have in Acts 7.25. Moses his defending the Israelite, and aveng­ing him that was oppressed, and smi­ting the Egyptian, had a further reath and drift, and scope in it then barely, that present vindication, for he suppo­sed his Brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them, but they under stood not: no more do we many times the full Extent and Im­port of a dispensation which ecchoes to Prayer; yet for the most part we pick something out of it to stay the sto­mack, and to afford Support; if not sa­tisfaction.

Plead then, and fill your mouths [Page 16]with arguments; for when ever you do so, beyond all perdventure God will answer.

Secondly, There's no fear that he will interpret this sawciness and pre­sumption in thee, and so answer thee with his Fists about thine ears, or with his foot to kick thee out of his pre­sence; there is no fear that he will smother thee under the weight of his greatness, or dazle thee with his beams, or burn thee with his flames, or drive thee from the Judgement-seat (as Gallio did the Jews, Act. 18.26.) No, he never beats his people lower then their knees, and thence suffers them, yea helps them to rise again; nay he will lay his hand upon thy head; yea under thy feet to do thee good; he will stroke rather then strike a pleading soul; he will strengthen thee; and put mettle into thee; this is lobs consideration in the sixth verse, Will he plead against me with his great and absolute Power, by which he may do what he pleaseth with his poor Creatures? Will he serve me so; No, but he would put strength in [Page 17]me, thus he dealt with Daiel, chap. 10.19.

Thirdly, There the Righteous may plead and dispute with him, even at the Bar of Equity and Justice, yea and the Judge cannot but pronounce and pass sentence in their favour; tha's his en­couragement, verse 7. there the Righ­teous may plead with him, and so shall I be delivered for ever from my Judge, never more dread him as a Judge, but so as withal to love him, and live with him as a Father.

There righteous Ieremy pleads with him, Ier. 12.1. &c. Righteous art thou O Lord when I plead with thee (there's no question to be made of that, that admits of no dispute (yet let me talk with thee of thy Judgements.

There he invites his people to come and plead freely, Isa. 43.26. put me in remembrance, let us plead together, declare thou that thou mayest be justi­fied; if thou hast any thing to say for thy self, say on.

Nay even Idolaters shall have this fair play, permission to plead for themselves, and for their dumb [Page 18]Idols too, if they have any thing to say for them, Isa. 41.21. Pro­duce your cause saith the Lord, bring forth your strong Reasons, saith the King of Iacob. Have Idolaters this Liberty, and not the true Worship­pers that worship in Spirit and Truth? The Wicked shall they have it, and not the Righteous? Yes doubtless, this is that [...], (translated boldness of speech, Ephe. 3.12. He. 4.16. Accedaqmus cum loquendi uber­tate ad thro­num gratia. Bez. 2. Cor. 7.4.) mentioned as the great priviledge of the Saints, especially now under the New Testament, Heb. 10.19. &c. [...], having therefore boldness to enter in­to the holiest by the blood of Jesus, (a Right and Freedom to enter in our persons hereafter, and now by our prayers) let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of Faith.

Object. 1 But may some say, There the righte­ous indeed may plead with him, and not be cast in their suit; But where are those righteous Ones? And who are they; for it is not so with me: God be mercifull to me a grie­vour sinner; I dare not be so bold with [Page 19]him; Iniquity must stip her mouth.

Answ. I answer, Every one that hath a share in, yea a sincere desire after the right­teousness of Christ, is righteous before him, and may in that righteousness plead and prevail, and as a Prince have Power with God; for this is his own Righteousness of his own contrivance and appointment: The Righteous­ness which is of God by Faith, Phil. 3.8, 9. A Righteousness spun and woven out of his own bowels, & the obedience of his dear Son; a better then ever came upon the back of Angels, for which the personal and legal Righte­ousness of a Paul, of an Angel, is to be abandoned; Evangelical being far bet­ter then angelical Righteousness, 'Tis said, when Pilate appeared in Christs Garment which he had got from the Soldiers, Caesar could never be angry with him; 'tis certain thou canst not miss a Blessing in hi garments, who is not ashamed to be called thine el­der Brother, who came to change cloaths & places with thee, and to take all upon himself, that thou mightest esape. The Father cannot but be [Page 20]well pleased with the smell of his Sons raiment; and he sits too upon a seat of Indgement, and must do thee right; and Justice it self (which will not be twice paid) is as much for thee, as much thy freind as Mercy, Rom. 3 26. He is just, and yet (nay therefore) a justifier of him that believeth on Iesus. So that if thou art not utterly shut up in unbelief, if there be but the least spark of true faith alive in thy heart, thou maist plead and prosper.

Object. 2 But I have nothing to say for my self my heart is dryed up like a Pot­seard, and withered like grass. I have sind away all arguments, and must ne­ver open my mouth any more before him.

Answ. 1 True, not to boast, but to plead thou mayest.

And hast thou nothing to offer? not a sigh? not the groanings of thy soul? this was Iobs preface, ver. 2. my stroke is heavier then my groaning. O that I knew where I might find him! where the heart is full as Iobs was (you may perceive it by his sighing) the mouth will not be empty; a full heart will fill the mouth some way or other; if [Page 21]the heart be full of affection, the mouth will be full of arguments; they deceive their own souls who say their hearts are as good as the best (they thank God) though they make no shew, when neither OGd nor men can hear ought that's good come from them. Psal. 37.30. The mouth of the Righteous speaketh Wisdom, and his Tongue talketh of Judgement; why so? ver. 31. The Law of his God is in his heart; that sets his tongue a going the right way; and on the contrary, some mens stinking breath bewraies their in­ward parts to be very rottenness; they have not so much sweet breath as to make a sigh of; if the want of words were all, it were a small matter; that inarticulate Language of sighs and groans is powerfull Rhetorique: Let the sighing of the Prisoners come be­fore thee (saith David, Psal. 79.11.) according to the Greatness of thy Po­wer preserve thou them that are ap­pointed to die: and for the oppression of the poor, and for the sighing of the needy, now will I axise, (saith the Lord himself, Psal. 12.5.) I will ser him [Page 22]in safety from him that puffeth at him; we own help from the Spirit, when we are enlarged. Paul saith, he helps us, even when we are streightned; like­wise the Spirit also helpeth our infir­mities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; (no not Paul and the Apostles) but the Spirit it self maketh Intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered, Rom. 8.26. [...] with unutterable straitnings; our enlarge­ments may be but the flowings of the Gifts of the Spirit; but our inward pinchings and coarctations may be the Intercession of the Spirit it self; the more immediate operations of the Spirit. And we forget that their is such a Prompter hebind the hangings; such an Interpreter (as his Title signi­fies, Joh. 14.26. Ille suggeret vobu omnia. vid. Cameron­ed Mat. 19.3. [...] as well as Comforter; yea there­fore a Comforter; because an Inter­preter) to make known the mind of God to us, and ours to him; and as he betrales the secrets of God to the Saint, so he rips up their hearts be­fore God (without doing any wrong, either in the one or other) and tis he [Page 23]who fills their mouths not only with windy words, but weighty Argu­ments.

Hast thou nothing to complain of to thy Iudge? no Sin, no Devil, no Diabolical Temptations, no superdia­bolical corruption, no spititual Plun­derers, no Egyptian Task-masters, no cruel Bondage that makesthy life bit­ter to thee? no Enemy coming in as a flood to oppress and do thee wrong? no Iron-yoak that gals thy shoulders? no Violence and Spoil to cry out and complain of? Sure thou hast not studied thine own case; thou hast not ordered thy cause aright, if this fountain fail thee.

But will this be admitted? nay the poor soul say; all Complaints are trou­blesom, men cannot endure them. I Answer, God will. Out of the abun­dance of my Complaint and Grief have I spoken hitherto, says Hannah, 1 Sam. 1.16. and you know how she sped. Correptionibus. Mont. Lite, Syr.

Nay the word rendred Arguments, I find by the Latin Interpreters ren­dred Redargutionibus, Increpationibus. lob in some case is Defendant, as to the [Page 24]charges drawn up against him by his friends; but here he is Plaintiffe also; could I come near the Bar, (sayes he) I would make my moan: the whole Court of heaven should Ring out and be made sensible of my sufferings.

But we are well enough with our English translation of the word, Sane argumen­ta qua utrin (que), proseruntur à partibus in lite pro causa sua, [...] D [...]usi and it is warranted by the best Criticks; the word signifying all proceedings, all arguments, and reasons used in a cause, by either party, and contains all that can be alledged or urged by a poor creature any way in his own defence, or for his advantage.

4. There are some Arguments yet in Archivis, in the Rolls and Records of heaven which were never yet imbez­led; they lie in the Ark of the Cove­nant, hid wth Christ in God, (under double lock and key,) where neither moth nor rust can come to corrupt, nor thief break through to steal; yea, they lie (many of them) in the very heart and bosome, and being God of him­self. I hope we shall meet with some of them anon, and that they may meet with the very case of thy soul, and [Page 25]that thy soul may meet with God in the making use of them.

Object. 3 But what will Arguments work up­on God? that King Eternal is not swayed but by eternal considerations; He knows no motives but his own bowels; and the Merits and Mediati­on on of his Son and Spirit.

Answ. 1 Tis true, and well for thee and me that tis so; otherwise Time-accidents and Time-exacerbations, had long ere this hurried us into a woful Eternity! past all relief by way of Argumentati­on; hell, not Heaven, had been filled with our complainings!

2. Hath he not given thee those two great friends of his for thine Advo­cates? the one at his own right hand in Heaven moving and negotiating, and alwayes appearing for thee; the other seated in thy breast, (though once a Cage for every unclean and hatefull Birds;) the Dove alights and abides upon that dunghil, and will not be frayed away: and the voyce of that Turtle is heard in our Land; yea the Fathers own heart is full of love, brim full and running over upon thee; and [Page 26]this continually pleads for thee, and makes all thine arrows which fly up­wards, inevitable, not one is shot in vain.

3. Good arguments in prayer do shew the necesity of prayer, and great equity for the obtaining of the things prayed for; and so do very much confirm our Faith, and fire our affe­ctions, and enable a man to break through many Discouragements, which Satan or his own heart may cast in to hinder Prayer: and certain­ly though there be no need of Argu­ments to work upon God, there is to work upon us; though not to move his love, yet to remove our unbe­lief; though not to prevail upon him to give, yet to perpare our selves to receive Mercy.

Ʋse. The only use I shall make of the Point, shall be to press all to make use of it, to put it in practice daily; it will please your Heavenly Father ve­ry well, he loves to hear his children Reason it out with him, and he doth of set purpose delay to grant their Requests sometimes, because he loves [Page 27]to hear often from them, Can. 2.14. to hear their Voyces, and see their Faces; he loves to hear what they can say for them­selves: so he dealt with the woman of Canaan; he first seemed not to hear her, then did deny her suit, and then gave a very sharp and cutting Reason of his denial, because she was but a Dog, she was none of the Israelites who were his Children; but when Christ hears her wise answer to his objection: Truth Lord, but the dogs eat of the crums that fall from their Masters table, (which was a strong piece of Logick,) she received an high commendation of her faith, and A Grant that would be sure to please her, Her will; O woman great is thy faith, be it unto thee even as thou wilt, Mat. 15.21, 22. &c. She Retorts his own weapon upon him, and he yields and gives her whats dangerous, if not good, her own Will.

My purpose is, (leaving all other wayes of application or enlargement) to speak to some principal cases of greatest concernment and most fre­quent occurrency in our lives: and I [Page 28]shall only break the ice in each case, (for facile est invent is addere) to set your wits a work, which men, which Christians makes least use of in their greatest occasions; we trifle in seri­ous things, and are serious only in trifles, or rather to rouz up your Gra­ces in the holy Apostles phrase, [...], 2 tim. 1.6. to stir up the fire which lyes raked up and buried under the ashes of sloth and supine oscitancy, or rather indeed to Jog the spirit of Prayer which lies dormant in many bosomes, and doth them little service; I would but set that Plough a going which too many cast in the hegdge as almost use­less: which yet if well managed, would fill your Garners with all manner of store: and to which whosoever puts his hand without (too often) looking back, shall be fit for the Kingdom of God.

First then, I Case Unacquaint­edness with the Lord. Is unacquaintedness with God, thy Misery, the matter of thy moan and mourning: is this thy complaint (as tis of the most know­ing) that so little a portion is heard of Him? that neither the Thunder of his [Page 29]power, nor the Charms of his Love are sufficiently understood by thee; we rather are known of him, then that we can say, we know him, Gal. 4.9. and where, or who is he hath no need to plead in this particular? some make this to be Jobs case, in this very text; for thus they render it, Ʋtinam nossem Deum & invenirem eum: Apud drusi. O that I knew God, then I should find him. He that knows God, hath found him; and he shall never find him who never knows him. His friend that spake last had advised him, Chap. 22. v. 21 Acquaint now thy self with him, and be peace, &c. and it may be 'tis thereunto that he answers: O that I knew him, O that I knew where I might find him to be better acquainted with him; is this thy case? go order thy cause before Him, and fill thy mouth with Arguments.

Ask him (with an humble and holy boldness) if he be not willing to be known? though he cover himself with darkness, (but he is too big and too bright for a covering) though he make darkness his Pavilion round about him: and if so; then

2ly, Why hath he mad eIntellec­tual Beings capable of knowing him; and eternally miserable if they know him not! Ioh. 17.3. thy soul is so for certain.

3ly, Why hath he so many ways issued forth and made out Himself? why hath he written such admirable Comments in the things which are seen, upon the invisible things of God? Rom. 1.20. his eternal power and God­head!

Why hath he sparkled forth such glorious Discoveries in the sacied Scriptures, in the face of Jesus Christ! in the births and breathings, the hints and whispers of his Spirit; in the wayes and workings of his Providence, in the experience of all his Saints; yea in thine own heart, mind and soul, dark and dolesome though it be for the most part, so that thou canst not order thy speech by reason of Darkness!

Fourthyly, why hath he so often laid his Commands upon poor sinners to seek him, if he mean not to be found? shew him his own hand for it; thus saith the Lord to the house of Is­rael, [Page 31]Seek ye me and ye shall live, Amos 5.4. Seek the Lord, and ye shall live, ver. 6. and yet again, verse 8. Seek him that maketh the seven stars and orion, and turneth the shadow of Death into the morning: What meaneth all this earnestness, if he mean not to be found? or saith he these things to Israel only to Israel after the flesh, and saith he not the same to all Nations? Nay is not his the very end why he giveth to all, Life and Breath, and all things that they should seek the Lord, if hap­ly they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us, Act. 17.27. and he never said to the seed of Iacob (who wrestle with him) seek ye me in vain, Isa. 45. 19. And thou hopest thou art one of them, though the weakest of all those spiritual Wrastlers.

Nay shew him his Warrant directed to those who have plowed wicked­ness and reaped Iniquity, and eaten the fruit of lyes, Hos. 10.12, 13. why then shouldst thou be excluded?

Fisthly, Ask him if he have nor been found of many a soul that [Page 32]sought him not? Did not he prevent them and ofter himself, and say, Behold me, Behold me! Isa. 65.1. Is there a soul with him now in Heaven, whose name is not sought out? Isa. 62.12 And will he now hide himself. from one that seeks him?

6ly. Ask him whence is it, that thou hast an heart now to seek him; Is it not because he hath found thee, and means to be found of thee? Ier. 29.12, 13, 14. &c. and he knows that thy whole heart is, or would fain be engaged in this work.

Seventhly, Why doth he allow so long a time to seek him in? all the time of this life as some think; at least till the Decree bring forth, Zeph. 2.1, 2. till he swear in his wrath, till the heart be ju­dicially hardened, which yet is not thy case (through infinite Mercy) thou art not yet free amongst the dead, nor bound among the damned.

8ly. Tell him (if thou canst say so tru­ly) that it is in order to practise, that thou wouldst be aquainted with him, not meerly to gratifie a natural itch after knowledge; not meerly that thou [Page 33]mightst talk of him; but walk with him, and love him, and fear him, and obey him in all thing; and even in natural things, Manus est causa sci­entiae, the hand contributes more to knowledge then the Brain: Anaxagnras. those things we learn to do, we learn by do­ing them; and as to Spirituals, Christ hath past his word for it, John 7.17. If any man will do his Will, he shall know of the Doctrine.

9. Lastly, Tell him tis not in a pang, in a fit, in an humour of new­fangledness, that thou art thus cove­tous, thus ambitious of his acquain­tance: but (though late, though too too lite thou begannest this enqui­ry) he knows thou hast been of this mind for many a day, thou hast (though weakly) followed on to know him and now thou expectest that good word of his should be made good un­to thy soul, Hos. 6.3. Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord; his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the later and former rain unto the earth; press these things upon [Page 34]him and his Love and Truth will let him hide no longer.

Secondly, Case 2. Unworthiness ever to be ac­quainted with God. Doth the sense of thy more then ordinary unworthiness op­press thee? Doth the horridness and beynousness of thy sins lie as a moun­tain of lead upon thy soul, and stiflle all the movings and mountings of thy Spirit upward? Doth this nip all the buddings and bloomings of faith and hope, and force thee often to sigh out in secret, It is impossible for me to be saved, I shall certainly at last prove a Reprobate! Is this thy case? Go order thy cause before him, and sill thy mouth with Arguments; in all hu­mility ask him if he did not (before the foundations of the world were laid) chuse voluntarily, absolutely and immutably, what company he would have with him to all Eternity: Eph. 1.4.2. Tlm. 1.9. some­times thou thinkest he would never chuse thee; there now lies a secret Bar in thy way; study the point a little, and get it removed.

He was under no necessity to chuse any; no not Christ himself to be the head of the Church, for he might have [Page 35]chosen whether ever there should have been such a body yea or no: God the Father begets the Son ne­cessarily, not arbitrarily; that is, from his Nature, not from his good pleasure; but he chooseth him to be the head and root, and Representative of the Church, arbitrarily, not necessarily; Col. 1.19. this is from his good pleasure, not from his Nature; How free is he then in all his other Elections?

He chose in deed in Christ, but not for Christ; as in the natural birth, See Mr. Nor­ton Orthod. Evang. p. 225. &c. so here first the head comes forth, and then the Members; Christ is the cause of the Salvation of the Elect, but not of Election to Salvation. Christ is the meritorious cause of the application of all good not of Gods volition or decreeing that good; Election is God himself electing: and there can be no cause of God; God cannot be an ef­fect: Christ indeed was by, but had not the naming of the Blect; this was the Fathers part and gives him primi­tively and Originally and interest in them; as Christ himself acknowledg­eth, John 17.6. Thine they were, and [Page 36]thou gavest them unto me. Christ himself did not propound sollicite for this or that person; much less any foreseen qualifications, which are the effects, but could not be the causes of that Love or choise; and if there was none by to move him, was there any to manacle him, to prescribe Laws and limits to him? to say unto him, You may not chuse such or such a scar­let sinner: to set bounds and banks to those great deeps of electing Love, and to say unto them, Hitherto may ye go, and no further, and here must your precious waves be stayed.

He chose indeed not immediately to Salvation, (that was too great a stride at once) but to Sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience, 2 Thess. 2. 13.1 Pet. 1.2. not because, he fore­saw some would be holy, but that they might be so, Eph, 1.4. The great plot was how to conform sinfull, wo­full Creatures to the Image of his Son, Rom. 8.29. and this thy soul likes passing well; go then and put him to it: ask him if he will own this Doc­trine, and seal it upon thy heart: (it [Page 37]matters not how many men disown it) and tell him thou canst not by any thing thou discernest therein con­clude thy self to be excluded, though thou yieldest thy self to be the chiefest of finners, and that thy case is reser­ved only for his cognisance; for thou canst not fully utter it to any creature living.

Secondly, tell him it condemning he glorifies but one or two of his At­tributes, Justice and Soveraignity; but in saving he will magnifie them all.

Thirdly, Mind him how often he hath already sacrificed to his Justice, by punishing such Offenders as thou hast been; Hell is full of Instances, full of those sacrifices; and yet the suffer­ings of his Son do more set off the Glory of his holiness then them all, then all the everlasting torments of the damned.

Fourthly, Ask him if Heaven will not afford plenty of Precedents for the like mercy thou now needest and beggest of him: Ask if Manas­ses and Mary Magdalene, and many such [Page 38]like be not there with him.

Fifthly, If he never met the like since the beginning of his Creation (for so sometimes thou thinkest) ask him if he mean to let slip such an oppor­tunity to set forth the Greatness and Transcendency of his Grace and Mercy in all its Pomp and Power, Oriency and Lustre; and fill thy heart and mouth with this Argument: 'Tis like Goliah's sword to David, there is none like it: see how David himself weilds it, Psal. 25.11. For thy names sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity, for it is great; if this be a good argument, thou dost not want one, it seems David thought so, and so did Moses, Exod. 32 31. Oh this people have sinned a great sin! but here's work now for the Greatness of Gods Power in pardoning, which in those cases he flies to, Num. 14.17 and now I beseech thee let the Power of my Lord be great according ar thou hast spoken.

God to honour his Son in recon­ciling us to himself, Dr. Th. Good­win. Christ the universal Peace-maker. pag. 15. permits the great­est sins and enmities to be in the hearts and lives of those he intends to save, [Page 39](saith a precious servant of his) and thou mayest well hope God will not be wanting to the Glory of his own Grace: and of his Sons Me­rits; for the illustrating and mani­festing whereof, the pardoning of so great and grievous sins will serve abundantly; such an over-grown sinner doth Ansam praebere, give him a fair occasion, and he will not loose it. Cranmer a little before his going to the stake, relieves his sor­rowfull Spirit after his sinful Re­cantation with this consideration: Magnum illud mysterium, &c. Sure­ly that great Mystery of Gods Incar­nation was never contrived for the pardon only of lesser offences; 'Tis the Top of all thy Saviours Glory, that he is able to save to the utmost them that come unto God by Him, Heb. 7.25.

Nay, If upon strong grounds thou concludest thy self (all things considered) A None such: Ask him how he will come off from that Ob­ligation, of drawing all men (that is, some of all sorts) unto himself, Joh. [Page 40]12.32. if thine iron heart feel not the attractive power and vertue of this Loadstone, there will be ne­ver a sinner of thy sort, size and kind, to adorn his triumph at the day of his appearing! Those sanguine sinners against the Holy Ghost (the only rank and file of sinners exclu­ded, Matth, 12.32.) have no mind to plead as thou hast, and thou art none of their number.

Sixthly, Tell him he shall be more admired and loved for such a Miracle of Matchless Mercy, then for all his curious Works of Creation or dreadfull Acts of Vengeance.

Seventhly, Tell him it must be no small matter, no easie, no ordinary thing that must beget Eternal Tran­ces; and Extasies, and Admirations; the greatest wonders of this world, last but a little while, those of the next must last for ever; and the par­doning, and purifying, the sanctify­ing and saving of such a sinner will Eternally yield Oyl to such a flame.

Eighthly, Tell him no soul in Hea­ven shall admire or love him more [Page 41]then thou, (though now thou comest in the Rear of all his Adorers!) and thou mayest venture to say so, if that of Christ be true (as certain­ly it is,) Luke 7.47. that he to whom much is forgiven, will love much.

9. Lastly, Tell him that the won­der shall not be confined to thy person, but run through heaven and affect all men, and Angels, and that (in all like­lihood) many shall wonder more for his grace to thee then to themselves, who never sin'd up to the height, nor after the similitude of thy transgres­sions: especially Angels that never sin'd, and such as died in infancy, or lived in innocency in comparison of thee; how should they know the ex­tent of Grace, were it not for such superlative sinners? and thats one of his great Designs to be admired! 2 Thes. 1.10. and he knows that in thee he cannot miss of it.

The end of Philosophy is said to be to admire nothing; but the end and scope of Divinity, is to make us ad­mire God in every thing; in this thing especially, the eternal salvation of [Page 42]the greatest sinners.

Thirdly, Case 3. Jealousie as to Christ. Hast thou any secret fears that this Lord Jesus Christ whom thou hast heard (and talked it may be) so often of, takes no notice of thee, has no mind to do any thing for thee; is this, (it may be when thou art most retired into thy self, and most serious) thy cause be­fore him, an fill thy mouth with Arguments; Remember thy distance, and then,

First, Ask him what made him take so great a Journey? what brought him down from Heaven to Earth? was it not to seek and to save such lost stray creatures as thou art, who all fall to the Lord of the soyl? if thou art not, hast not been lost eve­ry way, even in thine own sence and apprehension, let him skip over thee and leave thee out,

Secondly, Mat. 11.28.1 John. 3.23. John 3. ult. Ask him why doth he invite all weary burdened poor souls to come unto him; why doth he command them to cast themselves up­on him? threaten those that do not, [Page 43]with the utmost perill and punish­ment, if he be not willing to bid those that come welcome? the great quarrel between him and sinners is this, ye will not come unto me that ye might have life. Joh. 5. v. 40.

Thirdly, Tell him thou verily believest he never yet cast out any one soul that came unto him accord­ing to that blessed Word of his, Joh. 6.37. All that the Father giveth me, shall come unto me, and him that com­eth come I will in no wise cast out: (A text that hath been a Sanctuary to many a troubled soul) Ask him now if he mean to begin with thee? if thou shalt be the first that ever was refused by him?

Fourthly, Tell him he knows all things, he knows that thou dost not come unto him for fashion sake, be­cause 'tis the custom, and they are in no request with whom Christ is in none, at least in pretence and sem­blance.

Fifthly, He knows thou dost not follow him for loaves, for outward advantage and accommodations, be­cause [Page 44]preferment waits upon profes­sion.

Sixthly, Tell him 'tis true in­deed, 'tis necessity inforceth thee to come unto him, because otherwise thou art lost and ruin'd to all Eter­nity; and yet he knows what a va­lue thy soul has for him, that thou lookest on an interest in him as thy great conernment; the one thing needfull, the more excellent way; that all thy treasures, pleasures, ho­nors, yea, thy very Relations (which are as so many parts and pieces of thy self) are as if they were not, in comparison to him; are to thee (as all Nations are to him) as a drop of the Bucket, neither here nor there, if in competition or comparison with Him. Phil. 3.9.

Seventhly, Lastly, thou canst say to him that though 'tis out of Ne­cessity, 'tis out of choyce too that thou comest to him; were it possible for thee to be saved any other way, thou wouldst chuse this rather; there was a time indeed when thy heart gadded about strangely so oft to change thy way; thou wouldst have gone to any [Page 45]door for relief rather then his; but since thou hast had some little glan­ces and glimmerings of Him, though but in a transient way, though but in a Glass, or at a Window, or thorow the Latice, since thou hast tasted some small drops of his sweetness, 1 Cor. 13.12. Cant 2.9. he knows thy heart is so taken there with, yea with that glorious and most gracious contrivance of His underta­king for thee (the wicked being deli­vered, and the Righteous coming in his stead) yea, with the love and lovely person of a Savious, that these are now become more with thee, then Salvation it self, if that were only deliverance from wrath to come; canst thou plead thus? Surely, a full Reward shall be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust, though thou art but a stranger, and thy soul in her own eyes not like to one of his hand-maindens. Ruth 2.10, 12, 13. to allude thereunto.

But it may be thou art pretty well satisfied concerning the freeness and forwardness of Christ to help thee; Case 4. Iealousie con­cerning God the Father. [Page 46]He hath done and suffered enough in all conscience to convince thee: and thou hast very soft and sweet thou hts of him, but terrible ones concerning the Father, thou look­est upon him as an Angry God, an incensed Judge, and enraged ene­my, with his Hand alwayes up and ready to strike, but that Christ steps in and wards the blow; Vld. Dr. Good­win, Encou­ragements to Faith, p. 7. &c. or at least thou suspectest him to be no such hearty friend to thee as Christ is: that the whole Treaty of Peace tendered to thee by him through his Son is but an Ambushment layd to catch thee, and to conclude thee under the greater condemnati­on, because the Father stands much out of play, and thou knowest not what to think of him; is this thy sad case now and then upon mis­givings and tremblings of thy heart about the great business of Eternity? Go order thy cause before him and fill thy mouth with Arguments.

First, Ask him if that sweet Son of his (whom the World once was so happy as to see, though so un­happy [Page 47]as not to know him) if he be not just such another for all the world as himself; See Dr. Iak­son 11. book, chap. 28. pag. 3372. &c. He that can­not look upon the Sun In Its strength at Noon day, may take the model of It in the water, or In the moon at full: so we that cannot behold the glory of Di­vine Majesty in the God­head, or in God the Fa­ther only, may safely behold the map or Model of his Incomprehen­sible goodness in the man Christ Jesus. the brightness of his Glory and the express Image of his person, Heb. 1.3.

And sure Christ the sinners friend (as some sinners censured him) was affable enough, kind enough, com­passionate enough, shewed love e­nough to poor sinners, in his car­riage and Conversation: in his abasements and condescentions, in his Life, in his Death; if not, where and who is he that will come and shew more: Why but saith Christ, my Father is Just such ano­ther as I am to an hairs breadth: his heart as full of love and tender­ness as mine every whit: know one, know both, John 10.30. I and my Father are one: and John 12.44.45. Jesus cryed and said, He that belie­veth on me, believeth not on me but on him that sent me; and he that seeth me, seeth him that sent me; and John 14.9. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me Phi­lip? [Page 48] he that hath seen me hath seen the Father, and how sayest thou then, shew us the Father? and I came out of his bosome on purpose to declare him, [...] Exposuit, Bex. John 1.18. to be his Exegesis, (that's the word) to expound him as a clear Comment tells us whats in a dark text; and if this be confirmed to thee by the Father, if he will own it, (as certainly he will) thou art well enough; but thou mayest go further and ask him.

Secondly, If he had not the first hand in the whole Design of Love and Life to poor sinners, (for there is a priority of Order, and origination, though not of time) And to believe this, there are grounds sufficient to in­duce thee: for

First, Isa. 40.14. Heb. 6.17. Eph. 1.11. Isa. 25.1. and 01 46 Prov. 19.21. Was it not He who first summoned that great Council held by all the Persons in Elohim! when neither man nor Angel existed, nor had been worthy to have been ad­mitted there, if they had then exist­ed; there he sat in consultation with his Wisdom and Love, his Word and Spirit, de arduis regni, de arca­nis [Page 49]imperii; and especially about mans Salvation, and can that bles­sed womb miscarry with any of its conceptions? Surely no,

Secondly, Was it not He who first pitched upon the Son, and laid him as the foundation to the whole Fabrick; one able to bear up the weight of all the work; 1 Pet. 1.20. Isa. 28.16. Ioh. 10.36. though thy Load alone be enough to crack the Axeltree of Heaven and earth: to break the back of the whole Crea­tion, to bear down any other foun­dation before it into Hell: Psal. 89.19. Isa. 63.1. yet here's help laid upon one that is mighty, mighty to save? And if the Angels shouted for Joy to see the corner­stone of the earth laid, Iob 38.7. shall not the Saints with delight see the corner stone of their Salvation laid by the hand of the Father? and ask of this be nothing unto thee; if thou art to have no place in this building? however bless him for laying such a foundation.

Thirdly, Was it not He who then took particular cognisance of things and persons, which is called in Scri­pture [Page 50]Gods foreknowledge, Rom. 8. 29. and 11.1.2. &c. Enough to overwhelm a poor sinner when he comes to get an inkling of it, that he was then minded; what, me Lord? Didst thou then think of me? and dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, Iob. 14.3.

Fourthyly, Was it not He who then picked and chose out of An­gels and men, The Messiah and the Righ­teous are amongst those seven things; which the Jews say, were be­fore this world was created: that is, as Mer­cer expounds them, quae in mente divinâ essent ab [...]aeter­n [...], Merc. on Vent. 1. whom he would have confirmed amongst the An­gels, called called therefore the Elect An­gels, 1 Tim. 5.21. and though they were never out of favour, yet they are said to be reconciled, Col. 1.20. confirmation being that to them, which Reconciliation is to us; and they had it by renouncing their standing upon their own single bottom, and running under the wing of Christ; accepting and owning him as their Head, Col. 2.10. God would not keep an Angel in Heaven, that would not be be­holding to his Son for it: And amongst men he chose whom he would have recovered, Rom. 9.11. [Page 51]13. Ask how thou mayest make thy calling and election sure; and never turn this Grace into wanton­ness: for to abuse this Doctrine is one of the blackest badges and sad­dest signs of Reprobation, Iude, v. 4.

Fifthly, Was it not He who rati­fied his choyse by a solemn Decree, called the Purpose of God according to Election, Rom. 9.11. The Myste­ry of his Will according to the good pleasure, which he had purposed in himself, Ephes. 1.9. the Eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord, Eph. 3.11. And yet there is no unrighteousness with God (which Paul foresaw some would charge him with.) Rom. 9. 14. No cruelty, no Dissimulati­on, no Tyranny; and if the Lord hath purposed. who shall dissanul its Isa. 14.24. & ver. 27.

Sixthly, Was it not He who called for the Books, and caused all the Re­solves to be entered, Heb. 10.5. even to the very names written in the Lambs Book of Life, Rev. 13.8. & 21.27. with the Golden Letters [Page 52]of Love, with indellible Charac­ters in his blood; (we read of no black Book of Death, and there­fore I meddle not with it) but hadst thou ever any help to read thy name written in Heaven, this is matter of more joy then if thou coldst cast our Devils, and work wonders, Luke 10.20. if not yet, all in good time, go to the Father and he will help thee to spell thy name there by his Spirit of Adoption, who was, and is, a member of this Coun­cel, and well acquainted with all that passed there.

Seventhly, Was it not He who then ordered all other things in a way of subordination and subser­viency to the Sanctification and Salvation of the Elect; Act. 15.18. & 17.26. good works then received his Seal, Jer. 33.25. Ephes. 2.10. Evil ones (by a just Analogy) a Brand, Job 28.26. & 38.10, &c. He then drew up the Ordi­nances of Heaven: Passed a Decree for the Sea, and for the Rain, and for the opening of the Eye-lids of the morning; Psal 119 91. to cause the day-spring to know its place, and the Sun his [Page 53]going down. unless forbidden, as in the dayes of Joshua. He then appointed natural Agents to act necessarily; the Sun to shine, the fire to burn, the Sea to run in its course: yet be set them not a go­ing with such an irresistable swing, but that be can stop them at his pleasure.

Free Agents to act freely, the will of man to be alwayes free in all its acts, if not Quoad speeifica­tionem, to do good or evil at his pleasure, yet quoad exercitium, he need never do evil, unless he pleas­eth: so that he is lest without ex­cuse.

And all other things were or­dered as scaffolds to this build­ing; now who but a mad man would lay his bed on the scaffold and say, thats accommodation good enough; and so take up with that, no matter for the building; beg that he would never leave thee to that mandness, but lead thee to things, spiritual and eternal, by all exter­nals, and that all things may work [Page 54]together for thy good, according to this ancient appointment.

We give this reason for it, because the Father was di­rectly offend­ed, by sins mar­ring his work of Creation, & other reasons are given for the Sons in­catnation, Himmelius Disput. 12. Thes. 14. P. 130. Eighthly, Was it not by an A­greement between his Son and him, that he should sit as Creditor in hea­ven, and the Son come down to be responsible to Justice? otherwise there was love enough in his heart, to have let the Son sit. Creditor in Heaven, and to have come down himself as Debtor and dyed for thee: and therefore saith Christ; though I should not pray for you, the Fa­ther himself loveth you, Iohn 16.27. Nay, he loves you so well that he doth therefore love me, because I lay down my life for you, Iohn 10.17. what a strange expression of love is this?

Ninthly, Did not He draw up all the Sons Articles and Instructi­ons, as

1. That he must begin his work in deepest humiliation and abase­ment.

2. That he must pawn his Glo­ry to go through-stich with it, which he Redeems, and Rede­mands [Page 55]upon his performance, Ioh. 17.4, 5.

3. That he must run the Gaunt­lop in that nature he would Re­deem, and be content that every one should have a fling at him 'tis Hillaries allusion, nature nostra con­tumelias transcurrit.

4. That his Godhead must be eclipsed and vail'd, and he made like unto his Brethren in their na­tural necessities, sinless infirmities, live by faith, get every thing by prayer: not do his own will, but his that sent him, and so fulfill all Righteousness; and why was he thus conformed unto us, but that we might be made conformable unto him?

Fifthly, That he must in they days of his flesh orally and personally declare his Fathers Name and love unto his Brethren: and afterwards depute and substitute some to do it to the end of the world; and so long as his Leiger Embassadors re­side in any place uncalled home, not sent for away: the Treaty of Peace [Page 56]holds and continues, and their work is not only to declare Christ, but the Father also: and this was the sweetest promise that Christ could chear up his Disciples with, Ioh. 16.25. The time cometh when I shall no more speak unto you in Proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father: and thats a most sweet and satisfying object, Iohn 14.8. Lord, shew us the Father and it sufficeth us.

Sixthly, Act. 2.23. & 4 20. That he must dye a bloody, painful; shameful accuresed death to pay the debts of his peo­ple, Heb. 9.8. and then rise again from the dead, and bring up his blood with him into the Holiest of Holies, and there exercise and execute the office of his everlasting I riesthood; if he would have his death which was of infinite value in it self to be of in­finite vertue & efficacy unto others; and is not all this performed exact­ly, and hath he not herein com­mended his love unto us with a witness. Rom. 58 &c.

Seventhly, That whatever was gi­ven him, he must presently give of [Page 57]the same to his members, Act. 2.33. & 5.31. to fit them for that glorious fellowship, where­unto they are ordained; what he receives with one hand, he must give with the other; and we see what David cals receiving, Psalm 68.18. Paul cals Giving, Eph. 4.12. as if these were one and the same thing with Christ, and thou desirest no more of Christ then what the Fa­ther hath ordered out by him.

Tenthly, After the Father (whose motion and project this was) had wrought of the Son to undertake it, Isa. 42.6. and 50.9. did not he then engage to stand by him and to supply him with all necessaries: a body to suffer in, Heb. 10.5. and a spirit to that body without measure, Ioh. 3.34. and 6.37, 44, 5, 17.8.29. and to bring those into him in time by retail, Ier. 31.3. whom he had given to him in the Lump, before time was, he doth more then invite (as saith Ar­minius) he doth effectually draw by an omnipotent sweetness; & Christ must not scruple to entertain the most Leprous loathsome sinner whom the Father is pleased to bring unto him; Ay and the Father must [Page 58]help to keep them also, whom he hath brought in, Ioh. 10.28, 29. (a pretious Cordial in Apostatizing times,) and all this being done ac­cording to an antient complot and agreement, Socinus cannot from these supplies or dependencies infer the Sons inferiority to the Father; and the poor believing sinner may press him with all these engage­ments.

11. Over and aboye all this, Did he not put forth his paternal Au­thority, and lay his Commands upon his Son, to engage in this great ser­vice, John 10.18. and 12.9, 20. as Pharoah to express a Pleonasm of Love, commands Joseph to be kind to his nearest and dearest Re­lations; which one would think, little needed, Gen. 45.19. Go look God in the face, and say as David doth, Psal. 71.3. Thou hast given Commandment to save me; And to to whom? To Man or Angels? No: to me, says Christ: This Commandment have I received of my Father. If Christ fail, there is not [Page 59]only breach of Articles, but Diso­bedience too. Thou canst not be­lieve that Christ loves thee so well, as to lay down his Life for thee: But canst thou believe he loves the Father? tha's easie; there's no doubt of that: Why (says Christ, when he was going to die) that the world may know how I love the Father as the Father hath given me Com­mandment, even so do I, John 14.31.

12. Yet again to make all sure, Psa;, 110.1. &c. least the humane nature of Christ upon its affumption, Phil 2.8. &c. should shrink at the approach of sufferings: Heb. 12.2. Doth not the Father engage to reward him plentifully, to give him a Royal and an Everlasting Priesthood, a name above every Name, appoints unto him a Kingdom, Luke 22.29. and above all, assures him of the Salvation of those he died for, ac­cording to this agrement, Isa. 53. 11. without which nothing could ever have satisfied him, so that as the assumption of the humane na­ture is the highest instance of free [Page 60]mercy; so is the rewarding thereof in its state of exaltation, the highest instance of remunerative Justice.

All this needed not to engage Christ to the work, so much as to engage us to believe that the Fa­ther was first in willing, as he is in subsisting, the Son second to him therein; but not in heartiness of good Will, for therein they are both equal; they must needs be one in Will, who are so in Nature and Being: but still the Father is first in Love, Joh. 3.16. For God so love the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting Life. and 1 John 4. 9, 10. In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him; here in is Love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the Propitiation for our sins; and therefore love is laid at his door by the Apostle, 2 Cor. ult. [Page 61]The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. The Grace of christ makes way for our enjoying the love of God; but we had never known the Grace of Christ, had it not been first for the love of God, who therefore is called our Saviour, 1 Tim. 1.1.

13. And as ifas all this were not enough; Did not the Father seal his Son a Comission, to give life to lost sinners, John 6.27. and there­fore Christ so often mentions the Father as sending him, and furnish­ing him with miracles, his letters Credential where ever he came.

14. Nay more, If suffering for our sakes be a sign of Love (as who can deny or doubt it) to speak after the manner of men: Had not the Father his share of suffer­ings as well as the Son? Was it nothing for him to part with his Son? such a Son, an only Son, the delight of his heart and eyes, and that not amongst friends, but ene­mies? [Page 62]Who would seek and suck his blood in this sense to spare him, Rom. 8.32. and yet in another not to spare him, Isa. 53.10. but to bruise him, an take pleasure in so doing? Is all this nothing? Mat. 11. 27, & 28, 18. He may seem indeed to have an easie part to sit in Hea­ven and receive satis faction: but you see it cost him something too, nay more; He denies himself, and dis­appears, and gives up the immediate management of all affairs into the hands of his Son: That part the Son took was sharper but shorter, lasted not much above three and thirty years, but from the time of Christs resurrection: 'Tis along aevum before that God come again to be all in all, 1 Cor. 15.24. and 28. and he in a manner remains hid till the day of Judgement, now Christ is all in all, Col. 3.12. The Son transacts all by the Spirit, till the last day, and the Father worketh now only in and through the Son: Thus you see the Father veiling and eclipsing his Glory, to make it shine the more hereafter, and in the [Page 63]mean time his love that shines forth herein gloriously.

15. Hath not the Father (as well as Christ) an hand in sending the Holy Ghost, Ioh. 14.16. & 15.26. to make a discovery and application of all these things? yea he is called the Promise of the Father, which Christ had often hinted to his Disciples, as the best news he could bring them from hea­ven, Act. 1.4. which (saith he) ye have heard of me.

16. Lastly, Was it not he that wrapt up all this in a glorious Cove­nant, a Covenant of Grace, Life and Peace, of which I may say as John of the Commandment of Love, 1 Ioh. 2.7, 8. 'Tis both the New and Old Covenant; the first and last and everlasting Covenant, Heb. 13.20. Sententiam sa­pè mutat Deus, Concilium nun­quàm. Greg. cal'd a Promise, (lest the word Co­venant should scare us, and make us think there's more required of us, by way of restipulation, then we can reach unto,) Tit. 1.2 1 Ioh. 2.25. Covenants of Promise, Eph. 2.12. and while we are alto­gether, strangers thereunto we are [Page 64]without Hope. The other Cove­nant was contrived and given forth chiefly to make way and welcome for this, and 'tis this Covennant the precious things whereof are seal­ed up unto us in the Sacra­ments: This is that secret of the Lord which is with them that fear him, Psal. 25.13. to make them know, the Covenant he is ever mindfull of it, and therefore sent Redemption unto his People: He hath commanded this Covenant for ever, Holy and Reverend is his Name, Psal. 111.5, 9. &c. and tis this will afford, Death-bed Com­fort, 2 Sam. 23.5. Although my, house be so not with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant, ordered in all things and sure, for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.

Now then though all these things are phrased in the Language of men, yet not without warrant from the Holy Ghost, who con­descends thus to lisp out the miste­ries [Page 65]of Salvation, else we could not un­derstand, or take in any thing of them; and though they are all but one act in God, as all his Attributes are but one Divine Excellency and Glory, the Divine Essence it self: but this is too big to come in all at once into our narrow hearts, therefore God lets out himself by degrees, by drops & beams as we may bear it; 'tis so in the disco­very of himself, and 'tis so in the dis­covery of his Councill, and opera­tions concerning us in Christ Jesus.

And though the operations ad extra are undivided, but (according to an ancient agreement between them) the operation is attributed to that person: the manner of whose subsisting appears most in it, beginning work to the Father, carrying on to the Son, finishing to the Holy Ghost.

Yea though many disown and dis­like these things, yet now go, and put them home to God: and if he will own them; and bear his witness to them, and seal them upon thy heart, it will be sufficient for thee, to shame thee for all thy hard thoughts of him, [Page 66]and to secure thee from the like tor­menting menting fears for time to come, and (I know it) he will work wonders (if thy Spirit be stirred up to put him to it) rather then be wanting in his witness to so great a Truth as this, and so shalt thou be (as, Iob speaks) delivered for ever from thy Judge, from all fright­full Ideas and Apprehensions of him, as an angry severe Judge and enabled to walk with him all thy days, as with a most indulgent and tender hearted Father. But what is all this to me (may a poor soul say, Case 5 Fear of unbe­lief.) though I assent unto it, and think I believe it? if my Faith prove a false blaze of Fancy, Presum­ption, vain Hope; and thou hast cause to fear and suspect it, because it hath not the vertue and operation of that plant of Paradise, The Faith of the ope­ration of God, Col. 2.12. the Faith of Gods Elect: Is this thy case many times? Tit. 1.1. go, order thy cause before him, & fill thy mouth with Arguments; go, bow thy knees unto the God & Father of our Lord Jesus:

And 1. Tell him, he knows how thy heart is carried forth towards him, on­ly according to the terms & tenour of [Page 67]a Covenant of Grace, and not of works, thou canst not by any means away with that, that he should deal and do by thee as thou dost by him; no thou canst not find the life of thine hand, as 'tis said of some, Isa. 57.10. thine hands are not sufficient for thee, as 'tis said of Iudah, Deut. 33.7. And will he trample upon worm that would fain creep towards him, only in that way which he himself hath chalked out, and is so pleasing to him.

Secondly, He knows that the sole ground of thy confidence is the preci­ous and plentious Grace of the glori­ous Gospel of Jesus Christ, which tels thee that Christ dyed for sinners, ene­mies, ungodly, impotent ones: and ask him, Rom. 5.6, 8. if he have ever a soul with him in Glory that was not once such an one? Mat. 20.28. and 26.28. that many are ransomed and pardoned by Christ; Mar. 10.45. but not how many, Why maist not thou be one of those many?

That Salvation is neither of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth: but of God that sheweth mercy, Rom. 9.16. even to the prisoners of unbelief, Rom. 11.32. these and a thousand such like [Page 68]precious things the Gospel uttereth.

Ask him now if thou must be asham­ed of the Gospel, as thou hast been of the Law, Icr. 2.36, 37. of thy looking for life by it? and if he will reject this confidence also, so that thou must not prosper in it.

Thirdly, Ask him if there be not a double reconciliation plainly taught in the Doctrine of the Gospel? Rom. 5.9, 10, 11. the one actually purchased by the death of Jesus Christ, 2 Cor. 5.18. &c. and acknowledged by God at that time; the other at the con­version of a sinner, when he lays down his arms and enmities, and the know­ledge of the one is the means to the other: Hath God then stirred up all his wrath again, and will not suffer a poor soul to come near him, who would fain receive the attonement, and be made friends with him?

Fourthly, Ask him wherefore hath this Gospel been brought to thine ears, to thine heart; but that thou shouldest trust in it, and that perfectly, ( [...])even to the end, 1 Pet. 1.13. Did he not call thee to Repentance, and will he now repent of his Calling, [Page 69]that cannot be for his gifts and calling are without Repentance, Rom. 11.29.

Did he not bid thee come unto him upon those waters of the Sanctuary; And must thou now sink and perish to allude to that of Peter, Mat. 14.30.

Fifthly, Tell him he knows how fully, how thankfully thy soul submits to that Righteousness which is revealed of offered in the Gospel: and none perish in unbelief, but they who are ignorant thereof, or submit not there­unto; Rom. 10.3. Phil. 3.8, 9.2 Pet. 1.1. [...] Once indeed thou wert proud of thine own poor pollut­ed Rags, but hast now cast them all away, and said unto them with detes­tation, get ye hence; and wilt never gather them together again, but bles­sest him with all thy heart and soul, for that better provision made in the Gospel, and wouldst fain appear daily, continually before him, cloathed with that righteousness which Christ came on purpose to bring into the world, Dan. 9.24.

Sixthly, He knows thy heart closeth with Christ for sanctification as well as Righteousness to justifie thy Faith, 1 Cot. 1.30. as [Page 70]that must justifie thy person, it closeth with the whole Gospel, with whole Christ in all his offices; and that there is nothing more desireable to thine eye, then that holiness which the Gospel requireth, promiseth and pro­moteth. How fain would thy soul be his Glass, wherein he might view all his own Gloties, Vertues, Beauties, Graces by reflection; And will he break this glass in pieces?

Seventhly and lastly, 1 Pet. 2.9. [...] Ask him if he will but stand to that one good word, spoken in his name by his servant Rom 5.20. where sin abounded, Grace did much more abound; this is not the spawn or spume of thy fancy, nor hast thou met with this saying in some good book, whose Author might be mistaken, but if God will make it good (as thou thinkest him bound to do, even for the Glory of his Grace, Wisdom and Truth,) thou canst tell where there are superfluities of naugh­tiness, Iam 1.21. and he can tell where there are super-aboundings, over-flowings of Grace and Mercy; and if he will draw up the sluces, thou shalt not only ho­nour [Page 71]him by believing, but be encou­raged to look for more then ordinary favours from him, even because sin hath so abounded: And is not this the faith that should come? or must thou look for another? or if this be it, why then is not thy heart purified, heart and life sactified by it? Why is it not unto his servant according to his word? Act. 15.9. & 26.18. Plead and press this hard upon him, and (my soul for thine) he will not deny thee, he will not say thee nay: you may take not mine but the Apostle Peters word for it, that this is the true Grace of God wherein ye stand, 1 Pet. 5.12.

But there is a damp upon thy Spirit, Case 6. Fear of Hypo­crisie. a great discouragement which takes off thy boldness before him: thou fear­est that though thou dost (as thou thinkest) believe and rejoyce for a sea­son in the Grace believed, yet 'tis not likely to last alwayes, thou shalt not be able to hold the rejoycing of thy con­fidence firm unto the end thou shalt prove but a temporary; a dung-hill co­vered with snow; which will melt away, thou findest so much hypo­crisie [Page 72]in whatever thou goest about, thou hast done much evil without the mixture of any good, but never any good without the mixture of much evil, and the hypocrite is justly hated of God and man; the world hates him because he seems good, and God ab­hors him because he only seems, and is not truly such: and this sometimes thou fearest will be thy portion, and canst not discover the bottom of thy misery to any flesh living, and this ere long will put an end to thy pleading; thou fearest, that both the Gift, and Grace, and spirit of Prayer (if ever thou hadst it) will leave thee, accord­ing to that in, Iob 27.8.9, 10. For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul, will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him, will he delight himself in the Almighty: will he alwayes call upon God? Well, go to God in this case however, Go order thy cause before him, and fill thy mouth with Arguments.

I. Tell him He, and He alone knows whether thou aymest not at entireness of heart before him, both as to the sub­ject, [Page 73]the whole heart which thou wouldst have kept even from thine ini­quity, Psalm 18.23. Psalm. 119.6. and ver. 140. and as to the object: all his Com­mandments thou knowest not one of them, which thy spirit balks or boggles at, but the more pure his word is, the more thy soul loveth it.

And also as to the means of Grace, they are all dear and pretious to thee, and thou wouldst be found in the use of all his appointments, bid him name that thing which he requires, & which thou knowingly and purposely decli­nest: and is this the guise or way of an hypocrite? only be sure thy heart reproach thee not.

Secondly, He knows that is the se­cret end of thy living, & why thou art desirous or so much as content to conti­nue in this world, not to share in the pleasures or profits or honors thereof, (the worlds Trinity which it adores & serves, 1 Joh. 2.16. These three are the worlds All. and sacrificeth it self unto) but to be receiving or doing some good in thy station and generation; and can it be thus with an hypocrite?

Thirdly, He knows that thou chusest rather to be sickly or poor, or disgra­ced, [Page 74]and to walk close with him, then in health, wealth, or honour to wander from him, or to lie out at a great di­stance from communion with him, yea rather to be following hard after Him, though thou shouldst never enjoy his glorious, ravishing transporting pre­sence, while thou livest, then to swim in abundance of carnal enjoyments, and to have a heart careless of him, estranged from him: and is it thus with any hypocrite in the world?

Fourthly, Tell him thou hadst rather he should know all thy secret sinnings against him, Mat. 6.6 then that he should not know all thy secret sighings and la­mentations after him, the world hath seen and stumbled at many of thy mis­carriages, but hath not seen nor reco­vered by thy secret mournings; but he seeth in secret: and therefore tell him,

Fifthly, It will not be for his honour to reject thee, for all must out: all thy secret sobbings and pantings and pur­suings after him, must be know one day: and what would Angels and men think to see such a mourner in se­cret cast off to all eternity?

Lastly, Appeal unto him, He knows thou hast been usually as earnest with him for Holiness in time of prosperity, as in time of straits and adversity: and is this the manner of hypocrites? Surely no; Ʋzziah was marvellously helped till he was strong; but when he was strong his heart was lifted up to his destructi­on: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, 2 Chr. 4, 5. & 14.15. It was not so with Iehosaphat, he sought the Lord God of his Fathers, and walked in his Commandements, and not after the doings of (backsliding) Israel, 2 Chron. 17.4, 5, 6. Therefore the Lord stablishied the Kingdom in his hand, and all Judah brought him Pre­sents, and he had riches and honour in abundance; And his heart was lifted up in the wayes of the Lord. Piety procures a settlement, and that brings off the people to an acknowledgement of their Magistrate; and to a love unto Him, and that ushers in plenty and abundance, and an honest heart in the midst of it all, is carried higher and nearer to God, as the waters bear up the Ark, and lifted it nearer Heaven.

If it be thus with thee, in thy mea­sure, [Page 76]there may be and will be some Leaven of hypocrisie, which may somewhat four thy performances which yet upon thy humiliaton shall be pardoned: and thy Judge himself and his Deputy in thine own bosom will pronounce that thou art no hypo­crite.

Peradventure thou mayest reply, Case 7. Fear of being acted only by fear.though I may prove no hypocrite, yet I shall prove little better then a slave. I fear I am awed and acted only by a spirit of fear, Rom. 8.15. and this is far from a Gospel-spirit, 2 Tim. 1.7. from a spirit of Adopti­on; they are set as adversaries and An­tipodies one against another: and if there were not a dread of God upon my spirit, if destruction from God were not a terrour unto me, I know not what would become of me, nor whether Satan and my corruptions would hurry me. Well, yet go and order thy cause before him, and fill thy mouth with Arguments.

Ask him if He have not observed ordinarily thy spirit to be more mel­ted and humbled when he hath filled thy heart with joy, and thy mouth [Page 77]with Prayses, then by any evil felt or feared, then by the sense or approach of any evil whatsoever, and is this the frame of a slave, or of a child?

Secondly, Tell him 'tis true, thou fearest him (and so do all the Saints and Angels in Heaven) but 'tis with such a fear as enlargeth thy heart to­wards him, and doth not straiten it; Isa. 60.5. such a fear as is an helper of thy Ioy, Psalm 2.11. not an enemy to it; Acts 9.31. such a fear as furthers the Comforts of the Holy Ghost; 1 Ioh. 4.18. such a fear as hath no torment in it: and therefore love though perfected shall never cast it our, and thou didst never see good day till this took hold of thee; dost never enjoy good hour when this doth not over-rule thee. 'Tis a bitter thing to thee that ever thou wert without it, Ier. 2.19.

Thirdly, Hos. 3.5. Tell Him it is Him and his goodness that thou fearest, Psalm 28.1. his frown, his absence, his silence, Cant. 1.2. are now more dreaded by thee then all his Darts and Thunders used to be formerly; the loss of a smile, of a kiss, a kindness, is that thou most fearest, and this thou takest to be a [Page 78]spirit of ingenuity, not of slavery.

Fourthly, He knows thy voyce, and can tell whether he hear any of his own Language from thee or no, how badly and brokenly soever it be pronounced; though thou chat­terest like a Crane, or a Swallow, or mournest like a Dove, as Hezekiah speaks of himself, Isa. 38.14.

Every creature conveys its sound, its tone and tune to the young ones, and none of his children are still born; the Spirit unties their tongues, and sets them a crying Abba Father; and he knows thou dost cry some­times: not coldly tender him some dead prayers, but cry, and not as a thief at a Bar to a Judge whom he neither loves nor hath any con­fidence in, but as a poor child when in distress who daily asks his Fathers blessing.

Fifthly, Desire him that he would feel thee as Isaac did Jacob; Gen. 27, 21.22. the de­sire of thy soul is not only to have a smooth voyce, but hands also so far from roughness; that he may for ever own thee as one of the seed of Ja­cob, [Page 79]thy heart is against a Cove­nant of works, but for all the works of the Covenant.

Oh, Case 8. Sence of back­flidings. but the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously; thy Revoltings have been multiplied, and thy back-sli­dings are many, and how shall He pardon thee for this? In puts God himself to a pawse, to a stand, to demur upon it, Fer. 5.7. and chap. 3.19. How shall I put thee among the children? Nay, Chap. 2.29 He seemeth to put a stop to all fur­ther pleading; Wherefore will ye plead with me, ye all have transgres­sed against me, saith the Lord: Nay, which is worst of all, the Holy Spi­rit of God being hereby grieved; where haft thou now another friend to speak a good word for thee? when the Father is offended, there's the Son to mediate for thee: and when Chirst is disobliged, yet there is the Spirit to intercede for thee, but when the Spirit is vexed and quenched, there's never a fourth [Page 80]Person in the Trinity to make up the breach to comprimise the diffe­rence; who shall now put words in­to thy mouth, or fill thy mouth with with Arguments? yet even in this case try him, if he will not help thee at this dead lift, and prove an Ad­vocate for thee; for he himself hath pen'd a form of prayer for one in thy case, Hos 14.1, 2, 3. Go then even to this holy Spirit, and fill thy mouth with Arguments.

First, Tell him thou hast read or heard of his goodness, Psal. 143.10. and of his Love, Rom. 15.30. Not only that which he begets in the Saints, but that which he bears to them, all the world hath had expe­rience of it, the Church especially; and thou art not altogether a stran­ger to it, and hast now occasion further to try it; and hopest to find it, no whit inferiour either to that of the Father in giving his Son, or that of the Son in giving himself for thee; though He hath not been equally loved and honoured with then, but wofully neglected and forgotten.

Secondly, Ask him if it be possible for thee to be in a worse plight then when he first had to do with thee; and did he then fall to work upon thee when he might have abhord to foul his fingers with thee, and will he now forsake the work of his own hands; Psal. 138.8.

Thirdly, Thou hopest he will dwell in thy dust when death hath done its worst unto thee, and raise than again, according to Rom. 8.11. and will he now forsake thy soul and not raise that again, now that sin and the devil have done their worst against it; for worse then what hath been thou thinkest can­not befall thee.

Fourthly, Have not the most emi­nent Saints that ever he dwelt in, had their backslidings, and finned even a­gainst that grace wherein lay their ex­cellency, were they all restored by him, and shalt thou only be abandoned?

Fifthly, Were not all those gracious tenders to backsliders, framed, and filed, and recorded by him? Fer. 3.22. Re­turn ye backfliding children and I will heat your backflidings: Behold ive come [Page 82]unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God, Hosea 14.4. I will heal their backsli­dings, I will love them freely, for mine anger is turned away from him; and in many other places; and beg he would teach thee experimentally to know what is meant by Gods healing backslidings.

Sixthly, He knows that nothing in the world ever so wounded thee or went so near thy heart, as thy tempting and grieving of him hath done; and thou art resolved never to forgive thy self, though he do, no (as sometimes thou thinkest) not in Hea­ven.

Seaventhly, He knows that thou art to this day wailing, and wondring, and waiting, to know wherefore thou wert so left unto they self, and that thou art far from wipeing thy mouth and slighting of it; thou canst not but think that God hath some design upon thee therein as he had upon Hezekiah, 2 Chron. 32.31. God left him to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart: and little didst thou think when God first turned thy heart unto [Page 83]himself, there had been that in it which since hath broken forth from it, nor was ever any so deceived in thee as thou hast been in thy self, Prov. 28.26. but art resol­ved now against that folly of trusting in thine own heart any more.

Eighthly, Ask him upon what termes he first entred upon thy heart; Was it not with a Commission there to stay, how ill soever treated or en­tertained? So saies Christ, it was a­greed on, Joh, 14.16. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you ano­ther Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.

Thou wouldst not for a world have him only upon the same account. The first Adam had him in his state of innocency, concurring meerly as a third Person in the Trinity, but by vertue of a relation to the second; and then he must never leave thee, he must not only alight but abide also, as upon the head, so upon the Members, Joh. 1.32, 33.

Ninthly, Say to him, hereby shalt thou know that he is God indeed, equall to the Father and the Sonne, [Page 84]and that though all the world should conspire against him to un-God him, yet shall his invincible patience, and insuperable good will, raise an ever­lasting piller of witness in thy bosome, let who will cast him off, he shall be thy God for ever; Who is a God like unto thee, pardoning iniquities, Micah 7.18. is equally true of Father, Son, and holy Spirit.

But still thy heart akes and is di­quieted, 9 ^th Case. Sence of Cor­ruption. to think that what's said of a man of great wrath, Prov. 19.19. is also most true of thee, such an one must needs suffer punishment; for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again, he'le ever and anon bring himself into the bryers; and this is thy case, though the sweet Spirit of God be willing to forgive thee former offences, and to fetch thee off from thy imbroylments, yet is he likely to have an heavy hand with thee, considering thy corruptions and temptations; thou art likely to run upon a new score, to run into new re­bellions, and there will be no end of all his labour; yet in this case go and order thy cause before God the Father [Page 85]and our Lord Jesus Christ, and fill thy mouth with Arguments.

1. Ask Him, Math. 4.23. Mind him how long thou hast lain and lan­guished of this disease. lo these eighteen it may be eight and thirty years, or lon­ger. Was not this one great end why our nature was taken into personall union with the divine, that the diseases of the one might be healed by the infinite vertue an durity and efficacy of the other? did Christ come only to cure the sicknesses of the body? Rom. 6.6. or were not all these cures the types and representations of those he came to work upon the souls of sin­ners? sure such as touch him by faith, shall have their bloody issues stopped, and all other inward distempers cured: in the dales of his flesh he went about doing good, and healing all that were op­pressed of the devil, Acts 10.38. and lamentable were our loss by his remo­vall to Heaven, if from thence his ver­tue could not reach us; and if he were now on earth, thou art verily perswaded thou mightst have help from him; why not from Heaven?

2. Did He not die that sin might die and be destroyed? he was not only cloathed with our nature, but strip'd by the seperation of soul and body [Page 36](though not of the Godhead from ei­ther) that sin and our souls might be seperated: why doth sin live, seeing Christ died?

3. Demand even of Justice, if Christ hath not fully paid thy ransome? why then art thou kept in bonds? holden with the cords of thy sin? the worst usage which the worst of men in this world are threatned with; Prov. 5.22. his own iniquities shall take the wic­ked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins; the vilest dungeon to this, without this, is a pleasant pal­lace, a delightfull garden, as was said by some if the blessed Martyrs of their prisons.

4. Complain that these corruptions do wrong, defile and outrage that na­ture which Christ now wears in Hea­ven, and hath exalted far above the brightest Cherub; for He and his are all of piece, Heb. 2.11. and this is a thousand shames and pities.

5. If there be any seed of God, any beginning of that everlasting work of sanctification in thee, thou art not be­come A member of his body, of his flesh and [Page 37]of his bones, Eph. 5.30. (for Christ never took any but sanctified upon him) and how then can he hide himself from his own flesh? he would not have us do so, Isa. 58.7. how can he indure to see his own flesh so shamefully abu­sed?

He who made a Law a man should not hide himself when he saw his ene­mies beast sink down under his bur­den, the Ass of one who hated him, Exod. 23.5. Doth he take care for Oxen and for Asses? and can he him­self forbear to help up the soul of one that loves him? and will he not help with him? or if thou art afraid to say thou lovest him, because thy heart is so little with him, yet to be sure there's a poor sould down, and will he not help it up? will he not help it? and that against those oppressors which are as well the enemies of his praise and glory as of thy peace and safety.

And surely these Cananites are left in the Land, as it was in the figure.

To keep down pride, Deut. 7.22.

To try whether we will follow the Lord or our lusts, Judg. 2.23.

To reach us war, and to exercise our graces, Judg. 3.1.

To make us to keep more above, upon the mountains, Judg. 1.34

To become tributaries and do our drudgery, 1 King. 10.21. God makes our corruptions do us some service, which our graces cannot do without them.

But peradventure thou maist think with thy self, 10 ^th Case. Fear of affli­ction. that through grace (whereunto nothing is impossible) thou maist be both pardoned and purified too in time, but it will cost thee dear first, a world of afflictions must be expected where there hath been such a world of provocations, and yet remains such a mass of corruption; and these fears of what may come, take thee off from enjoying what is present: Go with this complaint to thy Judg, that these fears may be disarmed, and bound over, no more to molest thee; go fill thy mouth with arguments, for who can say his mountain is strong he shall never be moved? or who can fore-tell or fore-see the things that may befall him; 2 Sam 12. ver 13, 14. even pardoning mercy it [Page 89]self is no sence against this flail of af­fliction. Psal. 99.8.

1. Tell Him whatever comes, 'tis thy disire to bear his indignation, be­cause thou hast sinned against him, Severa discipli­uae misericordia. Heb. 12.6, 7. Cato chose rather not to be rewarded when he did well, then not to be punised when he did amiss. Plut. in viz. Mich 7.9. and that thy stubborn un­circumcised heart may accept of the punishment of thine iniquity, because even because thou hast despised his judgments, and carried it as if thy soul had abhorred his statutes, Lev. 26.43. Nay

2. Tell him that thou hadst rather be under the schooling of his children, then the cockering of his castawayes, under the severe mercy of his disci­pline (as Augustin speaks of that of the Church) then under the impunity of those desperate lost creatures whom God hath thrown up as a lost case, and will not be at the cost to bestow ano­ther rod upon them, even his corre­cting rod as well as his supporting staff shall be a comfort to thee, Psal. 23.4. no punishment like impunity.

3. Though it be infinitely more eligible that way to be humbled and reformed then not at all, yet tell him, [Page 40]if he will be pleased to spare thee, 'twill be more for his honour to do it in the midst of prosperity, because this is more difficult and more unusuall: Jer. 22.21. I spake unto thee in thy prospe­rity, but thou saidst I will not hear, this hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice. Now what a glory will it be to him, to bore thine ear in the midst of thy prospe­rity.

4. As this will be more glorious for Him, so more usefull to others, the examples of such a convert is much more conspicuous and illustrious; in miserable ones 'tis hard to distinguish between a devastation and a reforma­tion, between their trouble for sin, and for suffering, in persons not humbled and yet humble, outwardly happy and yet weaned from the breasts of sinfull pleasures, 'tis very visible that 'tis not absence but abstinence; that they do not make a vertue of necessity, that 'tis voluntary not extorted; and be­sided men are far more forward to imi­tate the happy then the wretched and miserable, to write after a fair copy [Page 41]then one all blotted and blurd, soyld and sullied by the tears and swent of affliction, the examples only of such as are some way happy or eminent carry compulsion in them, Gal. 2.14.

5. Tell Him however so he will go with thee through fire and water, ac­cording to his gracious promise, Isa. 43. 2. thou art not afraid to venture, thou wilt interpret it to be his affection as well as his faithfullness, his magnifying of thee, his setting his heart upon thee, Job 7.17, 18. His utmost kindness un­to thee, seeing he himself stiles it so. Cardan de subt. lib. 67. Mountebanks make use of this experi­ment. Jer. 9.7. Behold I will melt them and try them, for what else small I do, what more can I do for the daughter of my people? Some affirm, if a knife or needle be touched with a Loadstone of an iron colour, it will cut or enter into a mans body without any sence of pain at all: 'tis true of afflictions well touched with the Loadstone of divine Love. Blessed is the man whom thon chastenest O Lord, and teachest him out of thy Law, that thou maist give him rest from the days of adversity, Psal. 94.12, 13. This then is a blessed conditon, when correction [Page 92]and instruction are linked together and thou canst not be happy without it, Job 5.17. Prov. 3.12. nor hast thou been over-eager after deli­verance, when in affliction thou hast en­joyed his precious presence.

But 'tis hard to keep in this minde when it comes to the tryall, 11 ^th Case. Sence of pain. especially when God puts forth his hand and toucheth to the quick, when he touch­eth the bone and the flesh, the (saith the devil of Job) he will never en­dure that, he will curse thee to thy face, Job 2.5.

In extremity of pain when thy spirit is ready to fail before him, and the soul which he hath made; art apt to say in thine heart, where is all that sweetness and tenderness thou madst thy boast of? Job 4.6. where is now thy fear, thy confi­dence, the uprightness of thy ways and thy hope? and this may be thy case, how strong, how healthfull soever thou hast been hitherto.

Yet even then labour to order thy cause before him, and fill thy mouth with arguments, and if our hearts re­proach us not, if they condemn us not for secret Atheists and notorious dis­semblers, [Page 93]we may have boldness and freedom of speech in all these cases, 1 Joh. 3.21. and in this case it is a shamefull thing for a professed Chri­stian, to know no other way of com­plaint or cure then a beast doth, Hos. 7. 14. A beast when in pain will cry, and may be cured by time and remedies; a Christian indeed hath a spirituall way of complaining, which affords more ease then the naturall: In case of pain. therefore in case of pain,

1. Justifie him, Job 11.6. and tell him thou knowest that he exacteth of thee less then thine iniquity deserveth; tell him those parts that feel the pain, have deserved infinitely more then they feel; call to minde those very times and places wherein they have provo­ked the eyes of his glory; the wicked devices of thy head, the wretched de­sires of thy heart, the pollutions of thy hands, the swiftness of thy feet to do evil (only take heed of repeating those sins by any cursed titilation or delight in the remembrance of them,) confess the whole body hath deserved to be laid upon the rack in hell, and never let [Page 94]down to all eternity. Yet

2. Make bold to minde him how utterly unusefull thou now art unto him, unless he will fill and furnish thee with strength and patience to glorifie him in suffering, now that he is not pleased to imploy thee in doing; and if so, though thou lye in hell, there shall be never a devil in it to torment thee.

3. Ask him if he can take any plea­sure in thy pain? if that be agreeable to the incomparable sweetness of his only good nature? if that can be sui­table to the bowels and compassions of those relations wherewith he hath condescended to aray himself? did ever the harshest parent beat a child (how bad soever) all the day long, and all the night, or so long together with­out intermission? thus Hezekiah rea­soneth from day even to night, wilt thou make an end of me? I reckoned till morning (I thought then he would give over,) Psal. 30.5. I thought though sorrow may endure for a night, yet joy cometh in the morning, but as a Lion, so will he break all my bones, from day even [Page 95]to night wilt thou make an end of me, Isa. 38.12, 13.

Can this severity be consistent with the sweerest relations? and what are the bowels of all the relations in the world to Gods, but flints and ada­mants?

Ask him then with this complaint Job, Is it good to thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands? Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about, yet thou dost destroy me: Remem­ber I be seech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay, and wilt thou bring me into dust again? (wilt thou pound me into powder before my time?) Job 10.3, 8, 9, &c. Or if that could be his plea­sure and his pastime (which sure it is not,) yet ask him if thou art a fit match or mark for him? Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me? Job 7.12. there's a pride and a power worthy of his curbing and co­ping with, Job 40. 18, &c. some Leviathan or Behe­moth, may be a fit subject for him that made him, to make his sword ap­proach unto, his bones are as strong [Page 96]peices of brasse, his bones are like bars of iron; Job 6.12. but mine are not so, Is my strength the strength of stones, or is my flesh of brass? alas no, he knows the contrary, hath he not powred me out as milk and cruddled me like cheese? which will soone crumble under his fin­gers, wherefore then hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy, wilt thou break a poore leafe driven to and fro, Job 13.24. and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble? for thou writest bitter things a­gainst me, Job 10.10. and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth; cease from me, and let me alone, that I may take com­fort alittle.

And will he not be intreated? mind him that he himself hath told thee, that he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the Children of men, to crush under his feet all the prisoners of the Earth, Lam. 3.33, 34. not the children of men, much lesse then the Children of god, his own Children; and thou hopest thou dost looke like one of them, yea, that thou art one of them.

Not the prisoners of the earth, and will he crush either with his foot or his [Page 97]hand the free born Citizens of Heaven, Gal. 4.26. those whom the Son hath made free, Ioh. 8.36. and so are free indeed; Zech. 9.12. and if thou art a prisoner, thou art a prisoner of hope; Isa. 49.9. & 61.1. thou hast sometimes thought, that he hath loosed thy bands, and said unto thy soul, go forth and thou canst not yet cast away thy confidence.

Fourthly. Isa. 53.10. Ask Him, Why did he take peasure in the pains of his deare Sonne, Jer 9.24. in crushing and bruising of him as in a wine presse; Mic. 7.18. sure that work in it self was no such pleasing work unto Him, but only as it made way and gave vent to that which is his pleasure, the exercise of love and mercy; that was but a medium to this end, and in it self a bitter one to God Himself, save only as this sweetned it,

Now why did he put him to grief if he received no satisfaction thereby? were not his head, and heart, and hands, and feet, and sides tormented, that thine might be spared? surely the sinnes of all believers were punished and paid for to the full, in and by their Surety, and are only corrected in themselves, though therefore thou hast cause to bewaile [Page 98]and to be amazed at the naughtinesse of that heart which calls for such rods; yet it cannot but be a chearing to thee that God is not reckoning with thee, as if he meant to fetch his peny-worths, his compensations to his Justice out of thy smartings.

Lastly, Ask Him if He Himself smart not in thy sufferings? if Christ Himself do not suffer and bleed afresh? if his compassion do not almost renew and repeat His Passion, has lost his old wont else; In all the afflictions of His People He was wont to be afflict­ed, (even before His Incarnation, when He had not those Bowels of a Man that now He hath,) Isa. 63.9. And though no pain can have any place in Heaven, yet love in its perfection feels some­thing by way of Simpathy, not only analogous and proportionable, but in­finitely more high and generous then we can think of.

Though therefore there be a farre greater height of love expressed in his afflicting, then in his cockering and carking, yet beg he would either mo­derate or withdraw His hand, consider­ing [Page 99]whereof thou art made, and remem­bring thou art but dust, and thou shalt either have ease and deliverance, or that which is farre better, Heb. 12.10, 11, 12.2 Cor. 1.17. an ample par­ticipation in his holiness, and a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of Glory.

But may some poore soul say; 12 ^th Case. Desertion, felt, or feared. 'twere well if I might escape with the smart­ings and sufferings of the outward man, with the pain of the body which is but the body of pain; the sorrow of the soul is the soul of sorrow, and either I feele or feare desertion; having found Him whom my soul loveth, Cant. 3 4. I would faine have held him and not have let him go, I would not let him go with­out a blessing, nay, I would have the blessing and keep him too, his presence being the best of blessings, but woe unto me when he departs from me.

Now though this be the most dark­some and dolesome condition that can befall thee, yet 'tis neither desperate nor unusuall; go therefore even in this case and order thy cause before him, and fill thy mouth with Arguments.

1. Tell Him, 'tis but fit indeed that [Page 100]he should assert his own soveraignty, by coming or going when he pleaseth; but why should he take a pleasure to be a hiding God, Isa. 45.15. where he is a Saviour, to be a stranger in his own land, in Im­manuels land, and to be at his own house, as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night, seeing he a­lone is the hope thereof, and the Savi­our thereof in the time of trouble? yet thou O Lord art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name, leave us not, thus Jeremiah pleads, chap. 14.8, 9.

2. Make bold to minde his blessed Majesty of those many engagements made by Himself and Sonne, never to leave thee nor forsake thee: Shew him those promises, Joh. 14.21. he that loveth me shall be loved of my Fa­ther, and I will love him and will mani­fest my self unto him: and ver. 23. my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him, judge; Lord thou knowest all things, [Page 101]thou knowest that I love thee, Joh. 21.17. Nay, hath He not said, that He will not cast off his People, no not for all that they have done against Him, Jer. 31.37. and if not for what they have done, what is there else that they need feare, 1 Sam. 12.20, &c. Fear not, ye have done all this wickednesse, yet turn not aside from following the Lord; for the Lord will not forsake His People, seeing it bath pleased the Lord to make you His People; He can nei­ther be inconstant in His Love, nor so mistaken in His Choice as to repent thereof.

3. Tell the Sonne of Righteousnesse, 'tis true, thou canst neither beare His Shinings, nor Eclipses, but much lesse these, then those; thou hadst much ra­ther chuse to be burnt up by his flames and imbraceings, then to be frozne up and starv'd in the shadow of his absence and withdrawings, thou hadst rather gaze out thine own eyes, then weep them out, Deut. 34.5. So Moses died at the mouth of the Lord. Super or Domi­ni mons. wouldst rather chuse to dye with Mases at the mouth of the Lord, have thy soul suckt out by a kisse (as some say his was) then to pine away [Page 102]from day to day, through the hidings of his face and withholdings of his favour.

4. Tell Him, If thou hadst never known Him, thou couldst have been without Him, at least without any pre­sent sence of sorrow for his absence; but now having tasted that he is gracious, in his favour is thy life, and his loving kindnesse is better then life, Psal. 30.5. & 63.3. and thou canst not make a shift to be one day without him.

5 Tell Him, If the losse were to­tall and finall, 'twere perfect Hell, and the worst of Hell, the punishment of losse being concluded to be far greater then that of sence; and if it be but par­tiall and for a time, for a moment (as he calls it, Isa. 54.7, 8. a small moment, though thou thinkest it an age) yet who can be content to be in Hell, in an Hell above ground, though but for a mo­ment.

6. Tell Him, He had as good re­turn at first as at last, for as till then thou art sure to have no rest thy self, so he is likely to have but little; Heaven is like to Ring out, and thou hast a [Page 103]warrant under His own hand, to beare thee out in such a restlesse importuni­ty; not only watchmen set upon the Walls of Jerusalem, are never to hold their peace day nor night, but all ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, and give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth, Isaiah 62. 6, 7.

7. Ask him, Why was Christ for­saken by him, but that Christians might never be so: Christ himself expostu­lated the case, and put the question up­on the Crosse, Math. 27.46 My God my God, why hast thou for saken me? and thou hopest those living words of His dying Sonne have made so deep an impression that they will never out of his mind, shall ne­ver be forgotten.

Yet may some complain and say, 13 ^th Case. Exercised in friends, relati­ons, name or estate. God is pleased indeed to spare me both as to souland body, but yet his hand is out against me, and lies sore upon me in my relations, friends, name, estate, which are no mean ingredients, either as to the sweetning or imbittering of my cup: yet in this case go to him, [Page 104]order thy cause before Him, and fill thy mouth with Arguments.

1. Doth He threaten the removall of some neare and deare relations tell Him, they are pieces of they self; and is he now about to rend the cawle of thine heart, and hath not fitted thee for resignation?

2. He knows that the last corrupti­on mortified in His Children, is inordi­natenesse of affection to relations; when they come to dye themselves, and are already dead to all things else in the world, yet still the heart hankers after these, this is next to the soul, as the shift is to the body, and is last put off: and is it so difficult to dye to relati­ons, when we our selves are dying, putting off from the shoare of this world, and launching into the deeps of eternity: have we so much a doe then to shake hands and bid farewell to our friends? what is it then when we see them pluckt from us, when the life of all passions and affections is whole and strong in us, scarce deaded at all to our enemies, to those things we ought to hate, much lesse to our friends, to those [Page 105]persons whom we ought to love; beg him to consider and pitty thee in this difficulty.

3. Tell Him, He knows thou took­est them as tokens and pleadges of his love, and wer't wont to speak of them in thine heart in the language of Jacob, Gen. 35.5. These are the friends, the children; the comforts, which God hath graciously given His Servant; and thou fearest now that he is about to take them away in anger, and the significati­on of the stroke is that which disquiets thee, Dan. 5.5, 6. (like the hand-writing upon the wall) much more then the stroke it self.

4. Tell Him (when they are gone or going) thou art resolved never to recruit with Creatures; Ask Him if He will be pleased to stand in the breach and to fill up the gapp Him­self, [...] he saies he offers Himself thereun­to, Heb. 12.7. courting thee to accept of His company and supply; and if he will make good his offer, he shall be better unto thee then ten of those re­lations, friends, comforts, yea, then ten thousand such things as He first [Page 106]lent thee or put into thy hand to hold for him, and now hath seen it meet to call for, away from thee.

5. Tell Him, As fro thy Name 'tis in his keeping, must have a resurrection as well as thy body, though the one deserve to rot as well as the other; and if his name were not concerned in it, thou wouldest neither trouble him, nor thy self about it, 1 Cor. 4.3. with me it is a very small thing to be judged of men.

6. He knows that though thy li­quoricenesse after Creatures hath cost thee deare, yet it hath been the endea­vour of thy soul to live upon Him alone, in the midst of all other comforts, to make Him thy All, above All, with All, who shall hereafter be All, without All; and that in the mean time, thou mightest live upon him without other things; If it should please him to strip thee of them, as knowing that there was a worme at the root of those gourds, which would one day deprive thee of their refreshing shadow, and he knows that sometimes when friends have failed, though at first thou wert [Page 107]amazed, yet upon recollection thou hast rejoyced to find thy self laid at his dore alone for help, and thou hast found Him alone All-sufficient for thee, and He hath done that alone which he would not do in consort with second causes.

Lastly, He knows how often thou hast offered Him (if He would send thee) to go after those ancient ser­vants and sufferers for His Name, Heb. 11.37, 38. to wander about in sheep­skin and goat-skins, so that leathern outside might be well lined with divine love; to wander in mountains, so thou mightest be nearer to Him, in desarts so He would not desert thee, so He would not be a wildernesse or a land of dark­nesse to thee; in dens and caves of the earth, so they might be furnished and beautified, guilded and glorified with His Presence, His precious All-suffice­ing Presence;

And he makes but a bad bargin, who takes more of what is lest, and is con­tent to be put off with lesse of what is most, which thou wilt never be (through his Grace) while thou livest.

Yet thou maist proceed and say, 14 ^th Case. Disquietment from cross pro­vidences. though he spare the main branches, I am often affraid of lopping by some par­ticular unexpected providences; a little Center of fear or trouble, soone darkens the whole circumference of Joy and Pleasure, and on a sudden, many times the whole Heaven is black with clouds and wind, when at first no­thing appeared but a little cloud. Sicut vola hominis, like a mans hand, which one would have thought would easily have been blown over (as Athanasius said of the Arrian Heresie, Nubecula est cito pertransit) but it proves far other­wise, and who can say at all times as Solomon once did to Hiram, 1 Kin. 5.4. Now the Lord my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evill occurrent; if not now yet thou knowest not how soon thou maist meet with many adversaries, ma­ny evill occurrents? yet in this case go unto thy God, order thy cause before Him and fill thy mouth with Argu­ments.

Ask Him if thy dependance be not on him alone, for direction, for suc­cess [Page 109]in all thine undertakings and con­cernments: He knows thou hast no other friend to rely on for counsell or assistance, and with him the friendless and fatherlss use to finde mercy: be­cause our faith honours him, Hos. 14.3. he useth to honour it: Psal. 62.1, 2, 5, 6. The King trusteth in the Lord, and through the mercy of the most high he shall not miscarry, Psal. 21.7. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose minde is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee, Isa. 26.3.

Nay he is pleased somtimes to make our faith the rule of his favour, and as it were to give himself captive into the hands of our faith, to be such unto us as we would have him to be: Matth. 8.13. Go thy way (faith Christ to the Centurion) and according as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. Beg him to say so unto thee; he knows for what thou hast believed on him.

2. Hath it not been thy manner to go to him, and beg him to go along with thee even in thine ordinary and smallest matters (unlesse thou hast been surprized, and in these it is that men for [Page 110]the most part miscarry and sometimes stumble fatally, 1 King. 2.20.23. as Adonijah did in ask­ing of Abshag, Isa. 39.4, 6. and Hezekiah in shew­ing his treasures; men are jealous and timerous in great matters and dare not but carry them to God, but think that small ones are within their own maste­ry, they need not trouble him about them, and that ruines them, but it is not wont to be so with thee.

3. Thou dost not use after vowes to make enquiry; Jer. 42. 5, 6, 20, 21. ver. to come to him with all thoughts made up before hand, ful­ly resolved what course thou wilt steare, as the Jews did about their journey into Egypt, no, but in an equi­librious frame of Spirit, he may turn the scale with a touch of his finger which way he pleaseth; dost thou use to let thy Father chuse for thee, as be­ing unable, unfit to chuse for thy self, and can he chuse amisse?

4. Ask Him if thou didst not cast thy self upon Him, beg mercy and di­rection in that very thing which hangs now like a thick cloud over thine head, and threatens thee with stormes and tempests; even Saul is affraid to engage [Page 111]without first arming himself by Sacri­fice and solemn supplication, 1 Sam. 13.12. but the soul takes it ill to mis­carry when it hath done so: not force­ing it self, (as Saul did,) but acting in a spirit of ingenuity, it then expo­stulates with the Lord, as the Shunamite with the Prophet, 2 King. 4.28. Did I desire a Son of my Lord? did I not say do not deceive me?

5. Didst not thou think at first that the thing was from the Lord, and that he gave thee incouragement therein as Jacob pleads with him in this very case, Gen. 32.9, 12. Thou saidst unto me return and I will deal well with thee, thou saidst thou wouldest do me good, and wilt thou now suffer my brother to come to smite me (as I fear he will do) and the Mother with the Children?

Nay, didst thou not begin to rejoyce in that providence, in that relation, in that businesse as dropt from a Father's hand? Ask Him if he must now be ashamed of thy hopes, and repent of thy rejoycings and the good thoughts thou hadst conceived of Him? shalt thou find a stone instead of bread, and [Page 112]instead of a fish a Serpent? No, one who knows him better then so, hath as­sured thee of the contrary, Luk. 11.10, 11, &c. and therefore at the worst it shall but prove an advantagious afflicti­on to thee, it can never prove a curse.

But what will it availe me (may some sad soul say) that no rod touch­eth me in any of my outward concern­ments, 15 ^th Case. Dread of spiri­tuall judge­ments. if in the mean time I lye under the lash of spirituall judgments, much blindnesse of mind, hardnesse of heart, deadnesse, coldnesse, distractions, in­sensiblenesse of spirit in holy duties, under Heavenly Ordinances, barren­nesse, unprofitablenesse, unsuitablenesse to all the cost and care and pains that God bestows upon me. This is a case indeed wherein thou hast need to bestir thy self, to order thy cause before Him and to fill thy mouth with Arguments. Go tel Him,

1. That of all judgements he knows that spirituall ones are the most dread­full though least sensible, these though judgements from Him are sins in us, and sin is the worst of evils, nay, the only evill; These lay load upon the soul, [Page 113]the most noble and precious part, no matter if the carcass, the cabinet were defaced so the Jewel were preser­ved.

These are arguments of the highest indignation, 2 Thes. 2.12. the saddest symptomes, the most fearfull earnest of damnation.

These do evidence that there's no union with Christ, Rom. 7.4. the end whereof is fruitfulness, no skreen betwixt the soul and wrath, for the earth which (though it drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it) which beareth thorns and bry­ers is rejected and is nigh unto cursing, Ezek. 15.6. whose end is to be burned, Heb. 6.7, 8. They who are not for fruit must be for fewell, if not for bearing for burning.

Plead therefore as for life, that (un­less he meant to damn thee eternally,) he would make all his Ordinances help­full, sweet, succesfull, precious and pro­fitable unto thee.

2. Ask Him who poured the oyl of consecration upon their heads, whose appointments are they? whose Image and superscription do they bear? and urge, that it is not for his honour that they should prove ineffectuall, [Page 114]that thou shouldst go and come from the place of the holy and yet remain unholy; Eccles. 8.10. that thou shoudst weary thy self with lugging at dry brests, which hath occasioned so many in our dayes, (through their proud impatiency) to lift up their heels against them; No: let unesefullness be found written up­on all Antichrists inventions, not upon any of Christs institutions.

3. Minde Him, Gassendus in vitapeirest. pag. 72. that in the visible Creation, all light is a kinde of flame, though very thin and exceeding subtle; 'tis undeniably true of the light of the Sunne, 1 Thes. 5.5. which being contracted and thickned in a glass, is wont to burn; now why is it not so in the new Crea­tion? art thou not a childe of the day? is not the Sun of righteousness risen upon thee? why is there not heate proportionable to all the light that thou enjoyest? why should thy hard­ness of heart be encreased thereby, ra­ther then abated? as the earth is in a frosty night, though the Moon then walketh about it in all her bright­ness.

4. Make bold to minde Him, that [Page 115]such is the energy and efficacy of his Law of nature, that all spirits do move and stir in their appointed seasons; wine in the vessel is wont to work when the vine trees flourish; Id. ibid. page. 86, 87. the cha­racters of some fruits imprited on children, at the time when the same fruits are in season, are of a more lively red then at other times, and in some persons do rise, and swell, and grow big like the fruit it self, Mulberries or the like; yea the stains thereof in lin­nen, are said at that time to come forth, and not before: Gaffarel. our. page 144. the cause is (be­sides the power of resemblance) the disposition of the ayre at that season, which by the power of Gods appoint­ment, is fitly inclined to raise up the like spirits wherever they are.

And hath he not made a powerfull Laws in matters of the invisible crea­tion as of the visible? are there no spirits in his spirituall appointments? no Law to make our spirits move and stirre in those seasons of love and grace? Why do the wonders of nature remain, when those of grace seems to cease? yea we our selves finde our [Page 116]spirits move and stirre with a wonder­full titilation and delight, at our near approach to some dear relations; why should not our souls feel the same, when we draw nigh to our best friends? our dearest Father, sweetest Saviour, only comforter? David felt it so, Psal. 122.1, 2. I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord, our feet shall stand within thy gates O Je­rusalem.

5. Minde him that 'tis one of his Crown-Jewels, his peculiar preroga­tive, to teach his people so as to profit, Isa. 38.17. Cathedram habet in caelis qui corda docet; He who speaks to the heart speaks from Heaven, Luk. 16.31. hath his pulpit there, one from the dead cannot do it, an Angel from Heaven cannot do it, Rev. 3.7. [...] if he be not opening) though he do nothing to shut) no man can open.

But if he will be the teacher, it mat­ters not what the schollar be; he hath no felllow at it, who teacheth like him? faith Elihu, Job 36.22.

6. Minde him of his promise, not only that he will teach, but passively [Page 117]that his people shall be taught, Joh. 6.45. especially the humble; and it may be thou canst say upon thine own observa­tion, I never was proud of any thing, never boasted of any good expected, but I mist it, of any good enjoyed, but I lost it; God will not suffer thee to be proud upon any termes, he will rather have thee humbled by thy sins, then proud of thy grace; and seeing he hath laid thee and keeps thee so low, will he not teach thee?

7. Minde him of his practise all along from the creation to this day; which of all his Saints could not say as well as David, Thou O God hast taught me from my youth up until now, Psal. 71. 17. Nay he teacheth the husbandman, Isa. 28.26. For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him: now put him to it and say, Lord, art thou the plowmans God? and dost thou teach him? and wilt thou not be my God to teach and to instruct me? to make me wise to salvation? for this also (if any thing) must come from him who is wonderfull in counsels and excel­lent in working.

8. His goodness puts another argu­ment into thy mouth; Psal. 119.68. Thou art good and dost good (and if ever thou wouldst do me a good turn) O teach me thy statutes.

9. Appeal unto him if it be not thy practice (as knowing the unfitness and unsuitableness of thine heart to any holy service) to cast it into his hand and thence to expect it (when the duty calls for it) of another tincture, put in kelter, Prov. 16.1. and fitted thereby for spiritual motion?

10. He knows it is the devil, and his agents and factors thy corruptions, which do distract and disturb thee, and would any parent endure that his slave should abuse his childe before his face, when he is upon his knee for a blessing, or comes to receive his commands? Ask him how he can indure to see his execrable slave insult over thee before his face? and doth not rate away that curre, and pluck him off, and fling him down to hell from whence he came? why will he not do it? It is the re­proach of Senacheribs Idoll, that they who came out of his bowels slew him [Page 119]there, 2 Chron. 32.21. in the house of his God, under his Idols nose, in the very act of worshiping, 2 King. 19.37. and he could not protect him: Tell the Lord thy God, the only true God, the living God, it will not be for his honour that thou shouldst be continual­ly bafled and abused by Satan, and those that come forth out of thine ownbow­els, when thou settest thy self to wor­ship him, he looking on, who alone is able to rescue and relieve thee, whose glory the devil strikes at herein, as well as at thy peace ad safety.

11. Tell Him, if he will allow thee nothing at present, but the comfort of obedience to sweeten thy attendance upon him, yet that shall not discourage thee, that shall not rid him of a cu­stomer; his work on earth as well as in Heaven, is both work and wages; not only for, but in keeping his Com­mandements there is great reward, Psal. 19.11. It is joy to the just to do judg­ment, Prov. 21.15. and through grace it is so in some measure to thy poor soul.

12. Lastly, When at any time thou art [Page 120]afraid to go away from an Ordinance utterly unregarded, from a Sermon, from a Sacrament, from off praying ground, and no notice taken of thee: say secretly in thy heart, Lord I am here; thy poor client whom thou know­est so well, lo here am I; not one word? not one look? not one touch this day in this duty?

Say with her in Judg. 1.15. Give me a blessing, for thou hast given me a South land, a dry land, give me also springs of water, Note: place=marg" Isa. 63.1. and thy Father will be as liberall as hers was, Isa. 32.2. he will give thee the upper springs and the nether springs; 'tis well he findes thee there, though thou dost not yet finde him, thou shalt in conclusion be no loser by it.

But all these pleadings (may some doubting soul say, 16 ^th Case. Fear that pray­er is not beard.) for ought I know may prove in vain, for I have thoughts and oppressing fears sometimes, that a God so high, holy, and happy, is not at all concerned, minds not the addresses of a worm so wofull, so sinfull, so full of distresses and distractions, no more then a man minds the movings or [Page 121]murmurings of flies or bees, which moves swiftest or hums sweetest, for we are infinitely lesse to Him then they are compared with us; and sometimes I find no answer at all, or so strange and contrary, that my fears are strength­ned and confirmed.

Now though this temptation cannot prevaile far upon thee(at least not final­ly,) if thou art a constant pleader with God, yet it is neefull when it doth but shew it self to go and order thy cause before him, and fill thy mouth with Arguments against it.

1 Call to mind how god Himself hath affirmed the contrary, and tell him thou darest not question the truth of his ingagements, Psal. 138.6. Though the Lord be high yet hath he re­gard unto the lowly, he doth not at all forget himself when he remembers thee; Nay, he sets forth himself in all his Sublimity and Glory, when he professeth the greatest kindnesse and condescension to those who judg them­selves least capable of it, Isa. 57.15. Thus saith the high and lofty one that in­habiteth eternity, whose Name is Holy, I [Page 122]dewll in the high and holy place, here's enough to make all the Creatures that should hear it exceedingly to feare and quake (as 'tis said of Moses, Heb. 12. 21.) and yet what follows? what a soft still voice after all this thunder? I dwell also with him that is of a broken and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones, so that he who is brought below the condition of a Crea­ture broken and crumbled to nothing, may yet be a companion for this high and holy One: so in Isa. 66.2. though Heaven be my Throne, and the Earth my Footstool; yet to this man will I look that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word: Ask him now, whether this be the presump­tion, the device of any Creature, or his own discovery which he hath made of himself, and tell him with an holy plainness and boldness, that he hath now ensnared himself (if thou maist with re­verence say so) with the words of his mouth, he cannot go back, and thou hast no reason to think he hath any in­clination so to do; Lord thou hast [Page 123]heard the desire of the humble, Psal. 10.17. Ay and he will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer, Psal. 102.17.

2. Tell Him 'tis true the distance is vast, and wide, and infinite, far above that betwixt thee and the silliest flie, which thou can fillip to death at thy pleasure, yet he hath given thee a ca­pacity of Communion with Him, which those insectae have not with us; and thou dost often observe, that a parent is more taken with his little ones lisping and offering at words, then with all fluent Ortor in the words, then with all the Rhetorique of the most florid and fluent Orator in the world, Psal. 103.13. and like as a Father hath bowels of tendernesse to­wards his Children, so, yea infinitely more then so, hath the Lord towards them that fear Him; plead then with Nehemiah, chap. 1.11. O Lord I be­seech thee let now thine eare be atten­tive to the prayer of thy Servant, and to the prayer of thy Servants, who de­sire to fear thy name.

3. Tell Him thy conscience, thine own Books as weel as his, (the Scrip­ture) assures thee, he takes notice e­very [Page 124]time thou sinnest against him, why not every time thou prayest and sighest after him, Psal. 139.5, first verses, O Lord thou hast searched me and known me, &c. Hear what a great writer af­firmeth, Dr Jackson 11. Christ even as man with his humane eyes sees all the wrongs we do or suffer, Book p. 33.23. heares all our prayers with his ears, records all our doings; because the hottest fire on earth cannot impart its heat to bodies ten miles distant, can­not the Sun to bodies more then ten hundred thousand miles didstant? Christs glorified humane nature, having perso­nall union with the Son of God, may not be measured or bounded by other mens faculties or perfections, The Man Christ Jesus is Mediator, 1 Tim. 2.5. and shall be Judg, Act. 17.31. And if the man Christ Jesus hear thee, will he not answer graciously? if he were on earth thou wouldest expect it.

4. Tell Him, that most men are quick of hearing, when any thing is said that pleaseth them and ask him whe­ther he be more forward to mind what's most contrary then what's most agree­able [Page 125]to him? that which gives occassion to execute vengeance, his strange act, Isa. 28.21. or to exercise mercy, his delight and pleasure, Mic. 7.18. he professeth to listen and hearken after the language of repentance, Jer. 8.6. after holy conference, Mal. 3.16. The Lord harkened and heard it, and thou hast no reason in the the world to doubt it, 1 Joh. 5.14, 15. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will 0 he heareth us, and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we de­sired of him, Isa. 59.1. Behold the Lords Hands is not shortned that it can­not save, neither his eare heavy that it cannot hear; but there's a great objecti­on ver. 2. Your iniquities have separat­ed between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. Well yet,

5. Tell Him, thou must not only go contrary to thy conscience but to thy experience also to suspect him: for thou canst not but acknowledg that many a time thy prayers have been nearer unto [Page 125] [...]him I King. 8.59. (as Lettes are stuck in the window which we intend to answer) many a time hath he been nigh unto thee in all the things thou hast called on him for, Deut. 4.7. ne­ver hadst thou more sensible answers from a man then thou hadst from thy God; thou canst point to many a mer­cy as shee did to her child, I Sam. 1.27. and say, for this mercy I prayed and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him, many a time hast thou had that great priviledge to be one of those that are near unto him, Psal. 148.14. and this nearnesse to God in pray­er when thou hast come to thank him for mercies, it hath renewed their sweet­nesse, it hath exceeded it, when to beg mercies spirituall, it hath been a pledg of them, a part of them? temporall, it hath been an evidence of a grant of them, or of what's as good, yea, it selfe hath been better; This ex­perience thou hast had of nearnesse to God in Prayer, and it is not the sin­committing, but the sin-regarding sin­ner whose prayer the Lord will not hear; but verily God had heard me, he [Page 126]hath attended to the voice of my prayer, and therefore I hope I am not such an one in his account and estimation, Psal. 66.18, 19. it may be thou canst say, in the day when I cryed thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul, Psal. 138. 3. and that's the best experience of answer to prayer, and therefore thou canst not call his hear­ing in question, unlesse thou wouldest say with this complaynant (in the worst sence that can be put upon these words) Joh 9.16. If I had called and he had answered, yet would I not beleeve that he had answered to my voice, it looks indeed like the language of a most ob­stinate and invincible unbelief; as when a man will not beleeve his petition granted, though he see it granted, but it is rather the language of submission and self-deniall, though I speed never so well in my pleading, in my prayers, yet I will never believe that 'tis for any wor­thinesse in me or them, no 'tis not to my voice, but to the voice of a good Friend of mine, my Mediatour that God hearkens, See Mr Carill upon the place. and for his sake it is that he so graciously answers; wait [Page 128]therefore patiently for the Lord, and he will incline unto thee and hear thy cry, Psal. 40.1. He never yet pre­pared any heart to pray, but he also caus­ed his eare to hear, Psal. 10.17.

Yet may the beleeving sinner find cause of complaining and say, 17 ^th Case Fear that God cannot delight in such a sinner. things may and do run smooth, and God is many wayes kind unto me, yet it can take no place in my heart, that ever he can take any speciall delight in one that hath been so stayned, so corrupt; Sure Christ Himself after such pollutions, provocations, prevarications, abuse of so much light and love, will never look nor speak so kindly as formerly, or as he would have done, had it not been for these dis-servies and dis-ob­ligements which I have put upon him, yet try him and order thy cause before him: Go fill thy mouth with Arguments, in all humility.

1. Ask the Lord Jesus if it be not his work to reconcile, and is the recon­ciler himself so hard to be reconcileds is the wrath of a Lamb so terrible? in­deed when the great day of his wrath is come it will be so, Rev. 6.16, 15. and who then shall [Page 129]be able to abide it? but this is not thy case yet? mind him, that the wisdom which is from above is gentle and easie to be intreated, Jam. 3.17. and shalt thou not find the essentiall wisdom of the Father to be so? is it so where there is but a drop, & not so where there is the whole Ocean? 'tis the sickly child that most need of being dandled upon the knee, Isa. 66.12. The heart of Christ is as fit a receptacle for our sorrows of all sorts, as the eye is of colours, (as one saith) and is it shut up in endlesse displeasure against thee on­ly, can any dregs of wrath settle there, unlesse towards the vessels of wrath? but Zeph. 3.17. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty: he will save, he will rejoyce over thee with joy: he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. And what more can be said to assure thee of his delight­ing in the thee.

2. Doth not the sweet savour of Christs sacrifice, the odour of his in­tercession, so diffuse it self and fill Hea­ven, Lev. 16.13. Eph. 5. [...]. that the stench of thy sins cannot enter? surely were it not for that per­fume, [Page 130]God could never indure the stinking dunghill of this world so near him, to be as a smoak in his nostrils all the day.

3. Plead what Christ himself puts into thy mouth, Matth. 18.13. that the owner of the flock, looks with more joy, and pleasure, and delight, upon a poor stray sheep that is recovered, then upon the whole flock that never ran that hazard; Isa. 40.11. and hath not Christ a long time had thee in his armes, Luk. 15.5. in his bosome, upon his shoulder, to bring thee back to his fold and favour? 'Tis a recovering Church and people which Christ is so taken with, and terms a­lone for delights, Cant. 7.6. one that had been forsaken and desolate whom the Lord is said to delight in, Isa. 62.4. Thou shalt no more be termed for­saken and desolate, but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, for the Lord delight­eth in thee; 'Tis to a reforming people, that the Lord engageth, that all Nati­ons shall call them blessed, for ye shall be a delightsome land saith the Lord, Mal. 3.12. And is not reformation that which thy soul laboureth and longeth after.

'Tis a repaired a re-edified Temple, that the Lord promiseth to take pleasure in, Hag. 1.8. And is not this the work which his Spirit is about in thee, to raise up the Tabernacle of David that is fal­len down.

'Tis certain he taketh no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, surely then he taketh pleasure in the life of him, who through his abundant rich grace in Christ Jesus recovereth, Ezek. 33.10, 11. Therefore O thou Son of Man, speak unto the house of Israel, Thus ye spake, saying, If our transgressions and our sinnes be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, Turn ye from your evill wayes, for why will ye dye O house of Israel.

4. Ask whether thou art looked on as in thy self, or as in Christ, 2. Cor. 5.17. in thy surety, thy second self, thy head, thy husband? and a faire face gives the de­nomination of beautifull to the whole person and so makes it a delightsome [Page 132]Object: Ezek. 16.14. 'Tis only his comelinesse put upon thee must make thee lovely.

5. Ask whether he look on thee as in thy present state and station, or as he shall see thee, (after a little while) to all eternity? for to him who sits in that hight Tower of Eternity, there's no­thing past nor to come, but all things are alike in one perpetuall now, present before him; now within a while Christ will present to Himself (that he may take a full view of her,) and then to His Father, a glorius Church not having spot or wrinkle, nor any such thing, but holy and without blemish, Eph. 5.27. and if now he view thee in that eter­nall glasse, Cant. 4.7. he may well say, thou art all fair my love, there is no spot in thee.

6. A Supper, a feast is for delight and cheerfulnesse, and even till Sup­per time doth Christ wait to be gra­cious, till the shadowes of the evening be stretched out, till his head be wet with the dew, and his locks with the drops of night, Rev. 3.20. Behold, I stand at the doore and knock: if a­ny man heare my voyce, and open [Page 133]the doore, I will come in to him, and will suppe with him, and he with me. Now wouldest thou not fain have such a guest who alwayes brings his cost with him? who is both guest and entertainment? Doth not thy soul cry out to him, Gen. 24.31. Come in thou blessed of the Lord, wherefore standest thou without? Yea, if thou canst not get open the doore, art thou not unfeign­edly desirous that he who hath the key of David would open it? nay, rather then fail break it open, that so the King of Glory might come in and Supp with him.

7. Tell Him, 'tis infinite mercy that now and then thou feelest his quickning, though thou shouldst never enjoy his comforting, his ravishing presence any more while thou livest in the world; Nay, there's alwayes some comfort in the sence of his quickning presence; Nay, he knowes the posture of thy soul to be in some measure the same with that of Davids, 2 Sam. 15.26. If he thus say, I have no delight in thee, (though that word break thy heart,) yet here am I absolutly at his dispose, he [Page 134]can do me no wrong, let him do with me as seemeth good unto him. God must be weary of delighting in himself, Son and Spirit, when he delights not in this frame, which is the work thereof; If the Heaven above were brass, sure the earth below would be iron, if there were no yieldings in his heart towards thee, sure there would be none in thy heart towards him, thou couldst never de­light thy self in the Almighty, if he took no delight in thee; they draw back unto perdition in whom his soul takes no pleasure, Heb. 10.38, 39. my soul saith, he loathed them, and their soul abhorred me, Zech. 11.8.

And yet a generous a noble minded Christian may be ready to say; 18 ^th Case. Fear of unser­viceableness! all this cannot, ought not, fully to satisfie me, though the Lord admit me to much sweet secret communion with him, (for which I can never be sufficiently thank­full) yet if he will not honour me so as to use me, and make me some way ser­viceable in my generation, this is for a lamentation and ought to be so unto me; and this is that I fear, that I shall prove but a dry tree, an empty vine, [Page 135]bring forth no fruit, do no good, neither find God working with me, nor be ad­mitted to work with God, as 'tis said of Jonathan, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he hath wrought with God this day, 1 Sam. 14.4. so doth every good Warriour, every good Magistrate, and thats his greatest comfort, glory, and safety, that he works with God, and God with them.

So Paul speaks of himself and his fellow-labourers in the Ministry; we then as workers together with him, 2 Cor. 6.1. But I fear I must never have the honour of that Title whatever my cal­ling or capacity be, for it was not only his way in the Old Testament, in the old Temple, but 'tis threatned in that Gospell-vision, Ezek. 44.10, 11, 12, &c. That they who have strayed far from him in times of temptation and e­pidemicall apostacy, shall bear their iniquity, their shame, and their abomi­nations, that is, some sad reward and remembrancer thereof) and though admitted to the injoyment of many precious priviledges, yet must be ba­nished [Page 136]from the nearest approaches, and highest services, 'tis exprest in the strain and stile of the Old Testament; but is intended and calculated for the Meridian of the new, and reaches not only Ministers but all Professors, all those who are now the royall Priest­hood, 1 Pet. 2.5, 9. Rev. 1.5. and even amongst good people, where is the man that is able to beare, being laid aside and cast off at the end of the stage, and to see fresh instru­ments chosen? See a sad in­stance. 2 Cor. 25.10.13. ver. what is it else imbitters so many spirits? and how shouldst thou be able to bear such a tryall, either to fall from thy standing, or do no good though continued in it, which of the two is the worst by farre: if ever this be thy case, go order thy cause before him and fill thy mouth with Arguments. Though guilty of many strayings from him.

1. Tell Him, thou perceivest it is not his will to destroy thee; if the Lord were pleased to kill thee, Judg. 13.23. he would not have accepted an offring at thine hand, neither would he have shewed thee all these things, which he [Page 137]locks up from so many thousands, and yet hath acquainted thee with them; thou canst look him in the face, and say with the Prophet, Hab. 1.12. Art not thou from everlasting O Lord my God, mine holy one, I shall not die: Thou art the King eternall, and swayed not by time-accidents, but by eternal conside-rations, thou changest not, and there­fore I am not, I shall not be consumed. Mal. 3.6. Now then

2. Plead upon this ground and tell him, it is not so much for his honour only to keep thee alive and make no use of thee; to preserve thy soul, only as salt to preserve the body, but do no service; and if thou hadst help to do all that is commanded or can be expe­cted of thee in thy place, is not thy soul prepared to say, thou art but an unprofitable servant, Luk. 17.10. and never open thy mouth more by way of boasting.

3. Minde him, that through his grace some sad sinners have proved most shining Saints, as in Scripture the children of women long barren have proved most eminent instruments in [Page 138]Church and Commonwealth, of Sarah, Isaac; of Rachel, Joseph; of Hannah, Samuel; of Manoahs wife Sampson; of Elizabeth, John the Baptist; so amongst sinners, some that came in late into the vineyard, have plied their hands, and laboured more abundantly then they who were admitted before them: Ahi­maaz out-runs Cushi (though he set out after him) and comes to David before him 1 Cor. 15.9, 10. and if ever soul had need to re­deem the time, and fetch up what hath been lost, thou much more; and it will be to the praise of the glory of his grace if he will help thee so to do.

4. He knows that thou art now in a way of purgation and purification, and therefore it will be no dishonour, to him, now to use and imploy thee; nay he hath published it by the pen of his Apostle, that if a man purge himself from these (from the pollutions where­with he hath been defiled) he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified and made meet for the masters use, and prepared unto every good work, (and thou askest no more,) 2 Tim. 2.21. They who will not be reduced and made better, are [Page 139]often against their wills reduced and made lower, if not utterly cashiered and dismissed from further service, but he that can plead the former may scape the later, as having now (through grace) prevented the Lord, and saved him a labour.

5. Ask him, if he did not call thee and lead thee to thy present station, and will he now leave thee, to wither like a bulrush in the mire, and to vanish away in utter unserviceableness? Who in a way of God can take unto himself the honour of Magistracy or Ministry, or any other way of usefullness, but he that is called of God thereunto, as was Aaron, Heb. 5.4. and yet thou desirest to be prepared to justifie him, though he proceed with thee as with Eli's house, 1 Sam. 2.30. Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said in­deed that thy house, and the house of thy fathers should walk before me: but now the Lord saith, be it farre from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteem­ed; and thou hast been too too often guilty of despising him.

6. Ask if he remember not how thou didst often beg him never to trust thee with advantages, with opportu­nities; unless withall he would give thee an heart to be faithfull and fruit­full in the improvement of them? Hast thou not prayed (upon these termes) even against power and riches? lest thou shouldst be full and deny him, and say, Prov. 30.8, 8. who is the Lord? hast thou not been in this regard more afraid of ri­ches, honour, greatness, then their con­traries? yea sometimes more afraid to live, then to die; fearing lest thou shouldst not live unto him and to his service? loath therefore hast thou been to launch into the world again, after thou hast been laid up by some sick­ness.

7. How often hast thou desired since thou camest into the road of op­portunities (in sence and fear of un­answerableness) rather to be removed then to fill up a room, and cumber the ground, and keep out others that might be more usefull? and will he neither remove thee nor improve thee? niether cut thee down nor make thee fruitfull?

Lastly, Tell him plainly that pas­sage in Rom. 5.20. Where sin abounded grace did much more abound, makes thee (being now found of him in away of faith and repentance) not only not to fear extraordinary judgments, but even to look for extraordinary favours; more love unto him, more humility, more holiness, more watchfulness; and by these, more then ordinary use­fullness and serviceableness in thy ge­neration, let him put or place thee where he pleaseth: it is not his dispo­sition to upbraid, Jam. 1.5. and there­fore thou expectest he should give li­berally of that wisdome to thee, which may make thee serviceable in thy sta­tion.

After all this there may yet be a se­cret Achan in the Camp, 19 ^th Case. Fear of being cast of at last. which will be fingring the accursed thing (unbelief,) a Jonah in the ship, which will be rai­sing new tempests, and that is a fear lest God at last should turn his back upon thee, and thou be found amongst those that are deceivers of their own souls, being turned into hell, Psal. 9.17. when it seems their looks (though nothing else) [Page 142]were towards Heaven; if ever this be thy case, hye thee to God presently, go fill thy mouth with Arguments.

1. Complain against thine own heart, so farre as there is any mixture of unbelief in this fear; confess that as to God it is an unworthy jealousie, and thou hast need with Gideon to cry him mercy, Judg. 6.39. to pray that his anger may not wax hot against thee, for asking him so many signs, considering how often the fleece hath been wet and the floor dry already to give thee satisfaction.

Yet when thou lookest downward there is misery enough, and matter e­nough to justifie all thy fears, and to move him to pardon, yea to sanctifie them unto thee, especially considering that thy All is at the stake, and that it is Eternity, Eternity, Eternity that is be­fore thee; that vast gulf of eternity; and if thou art mistaken in thy confi­dence, thou art lost irrecoverably to all eternity: this may move him to pity rather then to anger; and to say to them that are of a fearfull heart; be strong, fear not, behold your God will come and save you, Isa. 35.4.

2. For thy further establishment ask him if he have not made all as sure as grace can make it: yea, it is there­fore all of grace, 2 Sam. 23.5. that the promise might be sure to all the seed, Rom. 4.16. as sure as infinite love, infinite wisdome, infinite power, can make it, and thou dreadest it as thou dost Hell it self, to make the God of all Grace and Truth a Liar, 1 Io. 5.10 to add to all thy other e­vils that grand abomination of unbelief, which puts more affronts and scorn up­on him then all other sins whatsoever.

3. Ask if all the spirits of just men now made perfect will not confess the mercies of Christ to be sure mercies, Act. 13.34. and that he (as Boaz saith of Ruth) shew­ed them more kindness in the latter end, Ruth. 3.10. then at the beginning, Joh. 13.1. and that having loved his own which were in the world he loved them to the end, and reserved the best wine for the last, the last grapes (especially in Chrifts vineyard) yeild the sweetest wine; David makes it obvious to any mans observation, Psal. 37.37. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: (he goes current for a perfect man) for the end of that man is peace. [Page 144]And even a Balaam is forced to acknow­ledg it, and there is a desirableness in the death, in the later end of the righous, Numb. 23.10. Let me dye the death of the Righteous, and let my later end be like his.

4. If yet thou fearest as to thine own particular, ask if the holy Ghost (who makes it his trade to help infirmi­ties, Rom. 8.86. and hath helped thee in thine all thy life long) ask if he will not then help thee when thou art most infirm; nothing but a lump of infirmity and weakness; surely then, in thy greatest need he will not fail thee.

Lastly, Tell him, he knows why thou wouldst so fain be with him in his Heaven, not because thou fanciest it a Turkish Paradise, or a Paganish Elisium, abounding with carnal or corporal plea­sures; not only because thou wouldst escape everlasting burnings (though he himself cannot blame thee for aym­ing at this, Act. 2.40.2 Pet. 1.10. seeing he commands thee by all means possible to endeavour it;) But thy soul longs incessantly to go to Heaven, because Heaven is the Land of Hallelujahs, and thou wouldst [Page 145]fain be thankfull, really thankfull?

Heaven is the Land of Love, and thou wouldst fain take thy fill of love, in loving and being beloved; in loving as thou art loved, without intermission, without interruption, enternally, and so be ever with Chirst, which is by much farre better, Phil. 1.23. All these meet daily with a thousand hindrances and incum­brances, which make thee sick of earth, and sigh for Heaven, groaning within thy self with that blessed Apostle (who had once been there) 2 Cor. 5.2. For in this we groan earnestly, desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from Heaven.

Hinderances and Imcombrances, which make a Hell above ground, not to be endured by any honest heart, and how much more intollerable then is the nethermost Hell, for there is never a nooke, never a corner in it, where a poore sinner might weep eternally, without blaspheming, without hearing blasphemies, without hating of God, without sinning against him: He knows how often thou hast told him, if there were, how much more quietly thou [Page 146]couldst accept of the punishment of thine iniquity there, and there justifie him, and there bewaile thy folly and madness, and lament the loss of him for evermore. But to lose him and all love to him, and to be sinning agaist him eternally, this cannot be consented to, but by a Creature damned already, though above ground, nothing there­fore short of Heaven can satisfie thee or ought so to do, and if upon these terms thou canst not be admitted into his rest, sure he will have but little, John 14.2, 3 who went thither to prepare a place for thee.

This hope then we have as an An­chor of the soul both sure and stedfast, and which entreth into that within the vaile, whither the fore-runner is for us entred, even Jesus made an High Priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedee, Heb. 6.19, 20. thus building up your selves on your most holy faith, and pray­ing in the holy Ghost, keep your selves in the Love of God, looking for the mer­cy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternall life, 20th Case. hate cossion for others., Jude 20, 21. ver.

But hast thou not a good mind (before [Page 147]parting) to speak a good word for others also? this hath been constantly the way of the spirit of adoption, when David came before the Lord upon the saddest occasion that ever his soul was acquainted with, when he was most full of his own concernments, and had most cause of fear that his appearing for o­thers might do harm rather then good, yet then he ventures to frop a word for Sion, and remembers Jerusalem amidst his greatest grief, as well as he prefers her before his chiefest joy; Psal. 137.6. do good in thy good pleasure unto Sion, Psal. 51.18. build thou the walls of Jeresalem. What his sinnes had weakened and attempted to ruine, he endeavours to strengthen and repair by his prayers, and seldome do ye see him rise from of his knees before he had pleaded the Churches cause, and often­times he makes that his only errand, as you may find by severall Psalms, pend for no other purpose.

Nay many times the best pleaders feel not their hearts warm in the work, till they come out of the narrow circle of their own personall concernments, and launch into the business of the body [Page 148]of Christ, and then are their hearts fix­ed 06 by the spirit of grace and supplicati­on, the great soul of that body.

But now adaies many praying per­sons can find little to say, unless by way of complaint concerning the publick; Be it so, you were told at the first that the word here translated Arguments signifies complains also; if then thou canst make the cause of the publick thine own (as thou oughtest to do,) Go order thy cause before him, and fill thy mouth with Arguments.

1. Plead for his poore persecuted peo­ple all the world over, ask if it be no­thing to him to see the blood of the Martyrs of Jesus Christ, spilt like wa­ter upon the ground even to this day, in Piedmont, Poland and other places? are not the eyes of his glory weary of such sad spectacles? ask if there be not with them, even with them sinnes against the Lord, and if the rage wherewith they have slain his servants reach not up to Heaven, 2 Chron. 28.9. it was wont so to do in former times? Com­plain that their bones are scattered at the graves mouth, as when one cuteth [Page 149]and cleaveth wood upon the earth, Isa. 26.21. Psal. 141.7. and ask if he look not on to re­quire it? when shall the earth disclose her blood, and no more cover her slain?

2. Complain, that there's nothing visible towards a reckoning with that drunken beast, Rev. 11.2. Though the thousand years, Rev. 20.2. were grant­ed to begin at the time of Constautines de­gree, An. do. 311. and to expire, at the rising of the Ottoman Fami­ly, An. 13 10. and the Devill then let loose again, yet must he have no long time to play reekes in the world, as appears by comparing, Rev. 20.7. with the 10. ver. see D'Hainend in Loc. which makes it self drunk with the blood of the Saints as with sweet wine; nay he seems of late to blow upon some enterprises le­veld at them, and to shine upon the counsels of the wicked. Ask him when shall those fourty and two moneths be expired (for men miss it in their cal­culations and conjectures) when shall the mountains flow down at his pre­sence (and the seaven hills amongst the rest) when shall the powers of the earth melt like wax before the fire, at the presence of the Lord, at the pre­sence of the God of the whole earth? why is his Charet so long a coming, why tarry the wheels of his Charet? Minde him that the harvest of the earth is not only ripe, but even dried up and wi­thered, [...], Rev. 14.15. compared with Math. 13.6. [Page 150]and 21, 19. a wonderfull expression of His Patience; but how long Lord ho­ly and true? when, oh when shall it yet once be! Ask Him if His soul takes any pleasure in them, Rom. 11.26 that he thus long continues them.

3. Cut scores with the poor Jewes, we are many a prayer behind hand with them; Pasal. 74.3. when shall the Redeemer come unto Sion, Ezek, 38.8. and turn away ungodliness from Jacob? Rom. 11.15. when will he lift up his feet to those perpetuall desolations, Bzek. 37.7. to the mountains that have laid alwaies wast (he speaks one would think, as if he himself thought the time very long) when shall the receiving of them be as life from the dead? tell him, we hear as yet of no noise, no shaking at all in the valley of dry bones, no coming together of the bones, bone to his bone; and yet how much of the Glory of God, and good of men; how much of the trea­sure is imbarqued in this bottome? when shall Saints and Nations be Sy­nonymâs and Termini convertiblies, [...] as is implied, Rev. 15.3. King of Nati­ons, and yet 'tis translated, King of Saints, as if at that time Saints [Page 151]and Nations should be of an equall ex­tent and latitude.

4. Begge a watering upon his plan­tations abroad; there are many pre­tious soules worthy of the remem­brance, many poore souls that need it, many praying souls to whom thou owest it, many pleading souls who will repay it; therefore you that have escaped the miseries that have befalen others, remember the Lord (his con­cernments and people) afar off, and let Jerusalem come into your mind, Jer. 51.50. Many have friends and relations with whom they enjoy lit­tle Communion in this world, pray ye may meet at the right hand of Christ, never to part in the next.

5. Complain unto Him of that spirit of prophannesse, which yet do­mineers in our Lands, and over the generallity of our Nation, though he hath loved our Nation, and hath wrought such Salvations for us, as can no where be matched, save in the story of Israel; he hath given some into our hands, others under our feet, (I need not name them,) sure of all [Page 152]the world English men are under the most powerfull obligations unto ho­liness; but alas, how ill do we re­quite the Lord, like a foolish peo­ple and unwise: Oh pray that Christ may indeed sprinkle many Nations, and ours among the rest in a speciall manner, with His Blood and Spirit, that we may yet become a peculiar peo­ple zealous of good works.

6. Press Him to cast out that un­thankfull spirit, wherewith so many are possessed even to a strang degree of distemper that hath befallen us, which is said of Egypt, the Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst of us, which causeth us to erre in e­very work as a drunken man stag­ereth in his vomit, Isa. 19.14. We are ready to reel and dash one against another continually, many abusing, many dispising all their present mer­cies, thought but a few years agoe, the crums of that loathed Manna, which now fall from our tables would have relished as most precious privi­ledges, worthy to be purchased at the rate of the utmost hazards and [Page 153]hardships, peevishness keeps many from praying for their Magistrates, and how can they look for good by them who sin in ceasing to pray for them, 1 Tim. 2.1, 2. what would that blessed man if now alive say unto us, who so exhorted in Nero's time, and because he knew men would be back­ward, he backes his commands with Arguments from the benefit, that redounds to the Church and from the acceptableness of this practice to God, making supplications, prayers, in­tercessions and giving of thanks for all men, for Kings and for all that are in authority.

7. Ask when that unclean spirit of error, blasphemy and delusion, shall have its pass (according to his promise, Zach. 13.2), and be sent packing out of our Lands: Some, not of the worst people, simple souls ( [...], as the A­postle calls them) have been mislead hereby; and he hath said, They that erred in spirit shall come to understand­ing, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine, Isa. 29.24: they that erred, and they that murmured, the holy [Page 154]Ghost ranks them together, as being of one feather; it seems there is no small affinity between the erroneous and the murmurers; but pity and pray for those, who like Absoloms two hun­dred, follow their leaders in the sim­plicity of their hearts.

8. Bewail before Him, that wofull, wilfull, affected, soul-murdering igno­rance, which as a vail covers so many hearts and faces, notwithstanding all the means of light afforded us: there are indeed too too many dark places even in all the three Nations (in Ire­land especially) which are full of cru­elty; but alas how many are there in the midst of our Goshens without Christ, without God in the world, meer Atheists, as the Apostle calls them, Ephes. 2.12. [...], without any inward appretiative ac­quaintance with God, without any pow­erfull, experimentall, practicall know­ledg at all.

When shall the day dawn, Isa. 29.18. wherein the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind see out of ob­scurity, and out of darkness? when will [Page 155]the Lord again make bare his holy arm? and spread forth his hands in the midst of our Congregations (to pull in souls unto himself,) as he that swimeth stretcheth forth his hands to swim?

When will He smell in our assem­blies a savour of rest, Isa. 49.4. and take pleasure in our solemn meetings, as in the dayes of old? how long shall all his poor Mi­nisters complain, that Conversion work hath a stop put on it every wheren?

9. Deal earnestly with Him about the compounding and comprimising of our differences, distances and divisions, which have given such a wound to Re­ligion, opened such a gap to Satan, which every one complains of, and yet helps to widen; begge that all the chil­dren of light may walk more in the light as he is in the light, and then shall we have fellowship one with another, I Foh. 1.7.

Beg He would put it into the hearts of all His People, to imitate that good pattern, Fudg. 1.1, 2, &c. which doubtless waits for a spirituall accom­plishment as well as all other things which happened to them in figure. [Page 156] Judah hath the priority given him, Jure divino, by an oracle from Hea­ven, Judah should go up first, Behold I have delivered the land into his hand, and yet hereupon he despiseth not the aid and assistance of his brethren, but invites Simion his brother to engage with him against the common adver­sary and promiseth the like assistance unto him, and speeds never a whit thy worse for it, but the better; God is so farre from being offended with this practise that he blesseth it exceed­ingly, and delivered up the common enemy into their hands; thus would he deal by us as to our spirituall ene­mies, could we unite to engage against them, and leave our pickeerings and carnall contendings, to overtop and supplant and impose upon one ano­ther.

10. Lastly, Preferre one bill of complaint more in a case which few think of, notwithstanding all our boastings and pretensions to a through reformation, and that's this: Few men now adaies do honour the Lord with their substances, Prov. 3.9, 10. few look at this as a [Page 157]duty to consecrate any part of their gain unto the Lord, Donum est into­gritas animi. God by exact­ing this tri­bute tries the sincerity of our love, faith, obe­dience, when the Israclices would not en­dure the sight of him, who came to de­mand the Tri­bute, is was a sure sign of their totall and final revolt and defection, it was then high time for Rehoboam to get him gone. or of their sub­stance to the Lord of the whole earth, but carry it as if they were turn'd Inde­pendents indeed, and did not depend, no not upon God Himself, or as it God Himself had lost his propriety, and there were now not rent-penny, no acknowledgment due unto him, save such an one as costs us nothing; Sure­ly God from the beginning reserved and claimed a part due to himself, who gave the whole, and whatever there was besides; this also was in the Sacri­fices of Cain and Abel, an acknow­ledgment that God hath a right in every mans goods; afterwards he pub­lisht and put in his claim more peremp­torily, Exod. 22.29. Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits and of thy liquors: the first born of thy sonnes shalt thou give unto me. Non tardabis. Thou shalt not delay, this no new thing, but a Law of con­firmation, and yet this was before the Levitical institution, Lev. 27.30. And all the tythe of the land, whether of [Page 158]the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lords: it is holy unto the Lord, It is the Lords, it is his alreadly, and had been so from the beginning of the world, and he now appoints the Le­vite, the stranger, the widow, and the fatherless, 1 King. 12.18. And 'tis obser­ved, that Christ though he re­proved all sins, punished none, but that of Sa­criledg and prophanation of holy thing; what will he do, when he comes as a judg to call us to an account for all our re­ceipts and re­turns. to be his rent-gatherers or receivers generall, Deut. 26.12, 13. When thou hast made an end of tything all the tythes of thine increase, the third yeere, which is the yeere of ty­thing, and hast given it unto the Le­vite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled.

Then thou shalt say before the Lord thy God, I have brought away the hal­lowed things out of mine house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the father­less, and to the widow, according to all thy Commandements, which thou hast commanded me: I have not transgressed thy Commandements, neither have I forgotten them.

'Tis due to Him, quasi regale verti­gal, as a royall revenue, and he doth proprio jure credere, (saith Calvin) [Page 159]when he thus disposeth of it? But where's the defect, the default (may some say,) where's the irregularity to be complained of? I wish triall were made whether it may not be prov­ed (if the point were well studied, but I shall only hint it) that the tenth part (or other proportion) of every mans increase, acquisitions, im­provements, and incoms is due unto the Lord even to this day: Unusquisque de qualtingenio aut artificio vivit, de ipso decimam Deo in pauperi­bus vol in Ec­clesils dones, Aug. de rect. Cathol. couvers. To. 9. Fol. 250. Thus did the primitive Christians, Modicam unus­que stipem appo­nit, &c. I am farre from thinking or saying that it is due unto the Ministry or to any sort of men, but that it is due and ought to be dedicated to God, and to the everlasting Priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ, by way of thank­full acknowledgement to God for the same, a tenth which even the Ministers and the Glebe it self ought to pay, and so ought to be expended in the supporting of publick worship, in the relieving of the poore at home and abroad, under the rage of persecu­tion in other Countries, and in the education of poore Children, the ad­vancement of Learning (that inestima­ble Jewell) and other pious uses, and [Page 160]would every man that abounds make such a purse and account it depositum pietatis, Haec quasi depo sita pietatis sunt, nam inde nou epulis, &c. sed egenis alen­dis, humandisq, & pueris ac pu­ellis ve ac paren­tibus destitutis, naufragis, &c Ter. Apolog. Quicquid cleri­ci babent, pau­perum est, Hie [...] In case of ne­cessity, of ex­tremity, Gods command makes relief due unto o­thers, makes them owners, masters, of our superfluities, not that they may take it by force, but that we must give freely, Trappe on Pro. 13.27. as a sacred treasury or Cor­ban not to be opened but for pious uses; how many necessitous parents, perishing orphans, poore aged people, persons ruined by fire, shipwrack, or the like, might speedily be releived? there is no pious person but judges, something due this way, and the ho­ly Ghost calls even a mans charity due debt, Prov. 3.27. Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. Say not unto thy neighbour, Go and come again, and to morrow I will give, when thou hast it by thee, verse 28. What we call giving, God calls pay­ing; what we call charity, He counts due debt; all the question is about the quantum, how much ought thus to be dedicated to God, and to fix it upon the tenth part; is neither Popish nor Legall, or Jewish, but a known truth, or duty long before the oldest of these was heard of in the world; this was no naturall but an adoptive Child of Moses, nor was it a Type or Cere­mony [Page 161]as sacrificing was (which was also before the Law) for then there must be some spirituall substance tiped out by it, but it was practised by the light of nature and law of reason, mo­rall Law, and Law of Nations every where. Why else did Abraham Gen. 14.20. Pay tythes to Melchisedec, the great Representee of Christ, who is brought upon the stage like a man dropt out of the Clouds, only to shadow out Christ, as if he had neither Father nor Mother, birth nor death, Heb. 7.2.

And that they were paid as a due to the Priesthood of Christ (sustained then in a figure by Melchisedec) the 7 ^th Chap. to the Hebrews proves abun­dantly, Heb. 7.6. [...] He tythed A­braham, which shewes he had authority to take tythes, and seems to sub­ject Abraham, to a necessity of paying of them. Abraham gave [...] the very top and chiefest part of all, Heb. 7.4. and that Levi himself who took Tythes, here paid them, and that Levi had only a Commission pro tem­pore) to be Gods rent-gatherer, and receiver; they mistake that think the payment of the tenth part, was then first set on foot to defray the charges of that costly worship, it was paid long before; Abraham is a full instance, four hundred and thirty years before the [Page 162]Law (as the Apostle observes upon another occasion, Gal. 3.17.) and I would know whether that were will-worship in him, or what Law he hath observed, what rule he walked by therein? Abraham would not take a thred or a shooe latchet to himself, Cain like a churle gives the carrion, the lean stuffe, he brought of his fruits. Abel like a Prince, his first fruits, the best and fattest, Gen. 4.5, 4. and then returned the rest (though now become his by conquest) to the former owner, but if he gave the tythe only by courtesie, and not divine authority, it proves not the thing in hand, the exellency of Melchisedec's Priesthod above the Leviticall, for surely that had authority to take them, sAdam began this acknow­ledgment in the Sacrifices, with the skins of which God cloathed him, Gen. 3.21. and so had Melchisedec paid then the tenth part was long before the Law, and Levi had only a Commandement to warrant his taking of the tythes, Heb. 7.5. The jus decimandi being long before vested in another Priest­hood, and only protempore, lent to that of Levi.

But this was only a tenth of the spoiles taken in war may some say? what say ye then to that engagement of Jacob, Gen. 28.22. Of all that [Page 163]thou shalt give unto me I will surely give the tenth unto, Et hoc tam pro se quam pro posteris suis vovet, he binds his posteritie hereunto as well as himself saith, Mercer in Loc. Methinks he speaks of it as a duty that he had been Catechised and trained up in the knowledg of. This duty was corrupted by Cain, reformed by Abel, pra­ctised by No­ah, Job, &c. He had the direction of the spirit for it, saith Calvin, and why not also the in­struction of his Ancestors? The answer to Mr Seldens History of tythes, endea vours to prove that Abraham gave the tenth, not of the spoils only, but of all he had, howe­ver it is a good precedent for Souldiers and for Jacob, he had ssome suf­ficient warrant for his resolu­tion. For A­braham practised it before him: And yet this good man though he pro­mised it so surely, was not so carefull and punctuall in his performance as he should have been, and his omissi­on of it at his return, (when hasting to pacifie his brother, he pluck away a good fleece from his estate, before the decimation thereof according to his vow) seems to be the cause why the Angel contended so sore with him, that he put him to his tears and pray­ers, as Hosea tells us, Non quod suo arbitrio Deum colueris nam di­rect to spiritus vice legisseripta fuit. Cal. Chap. 12.4. And though he blest him, yet he sent him limping to his grave, Gen. 35.1. God calls him to perform his vow, and whether he paid it into the hands of He­ber, [Page 164]or Isaac the head or the family, vel potius consecrarit in usus sacros, set it a part for pious uses, tis all one to us, here's something belonging to the Law of nature, or morall Law for our instruction, and imitation, nor doth he engage upon condition, the particle [...] rendered, if ver. 20. untill ver. 15. when Numb. 36. surely Prov. 3.34. This takes away the great ob­jection if it were a duty according to the morall Law, or Law of nature, he would have engaged absolutely, and so you see he did notwithstanding, that If the Text. Thus is was before the Law Ceremoniall, and Christ approves it, Matth. 23.23. and affirms that de­dicating a part to charitable uses, sancti­fies the whole, as the first fruit sancti­fied the lump, Luk. 11.41, 42. & 12.33. And finds no fault with the Pha­risee for his practice, Luk. 18.12. for his giving up of a tenth part to all that he possessed to pious uses, but for his trusting in it, nor were the tenths all of them consumed by Christs Consu­matum est, but he teacheth us even to the end of the world, to give unto [Page 165]God the things that are Gods, Marke 12 17. and both we and all that we have are his, I Cor. 29.14. though he is pleased to accept a small part in lien of the whole.

And plain it it, Sacrum Deo uon fine in signi in cum injurià ad profanos usus applicatur, Cal. instus. l. 3. c. 7. S. 1. that there is such a thing as sacriledg, now in the daies of the Gospell, all I fear many more are guilty thereof then are aware of it; nay, well were it, if they were not most guilty, who seem most to abhor Idols thou that Abhorest Idols, Id successit in corum decima­rum, Grotius in Loc. dost thou com­mit sacriledg, Rom. 2.22. Concedi­mus Deo, saies Magna Charta, Origan who flourished an. Chr. 227. when it speaks of seperating the tenth part to holy uses which part was called by the Antients, Dei censes, Gods Rent, Mentions the payment of the tenth part, re­called by Ʋrban, which was as soon as anyhad a propriety of estare, till them beleivers in many places had a commu­nity of goods, because of the rage of perse­cution, but not in places where they were more free. nor hath God forfeited his Right, because of mans abuse or superstition. I think also there must be some rule of propor­tion for that laying by in store com­manded by the apostle, 1 Cor. 16.2. Upon the first day of the week, let e­very one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come, (accord­ing to Deut. 16.10. According as the Lord thy God hath blessed thee in [Page 166]some due proportion. Now if there be no rule for the quantity, a large heart may lay by too much and de­fraud his relations or other occasions, a narrow heart will be sure to lay by too little, and so be guilty of sacri­ledg by alienating that which is due to God, to whom Jure Coronae, be­sides homage and fealty, service ad fidelity, we owe an honorary tribute, though no subsidiary Rent, for that he needeth not: But this he re­quireth, and little comfort shall they have who deny it to him.

This (though far too little for the point) may seem too much in this place, The poore, the persecuted, the widow, father­less, and stand­ger, these are. Gods publi­cans, to gather this ret, reve­nue, custom due unto him, his collectors; and porrers to carry it into his treasury of Heaven, and there you'l find it, Luk. 16.9., but if the Lord would set on the sence of this duty upon the hearts and consciences of prosessors, and take them off from their subterfu­ges, and cavils, and evasions, how soon would there be a sacred bank, a stock raised, a Temple-treasury fil­led, to answer all religious occasions, to give a speedy relief to the necessi­ties of Saints abroad, at home, who starve many times while the grass is growing, while the alms are a gathering.

How would this rowle away our reproach of being Solifidians, and make the Gospell cry for fruitfull­ness in good works, with Popish cha­rity and blind devotiion, Tit. 3.8. let them who have believed in God, be carefull to maintain good works. How would it cut off occasions from the flesh, which craves and cals for all, and consumes more upon some one lust, then all a mans graces ever cost him: How would it bring a bles­sing and prove a hedg about all the rest of the estate, like Hannahs loaf which was lent to God, I Sam. 2. 20, 21. He gave her back five for one, and so will he do by every one that ventures with him will ye prove him, Mal. 3.10. do but try me saith he in this one particular, An ancient Professor, aster he had heard this point pres­sed in publike told me, it had been his pra­ctise above 30. years, and that by the advice of the renown­ed Dr. Ʋsher. but it is a snare for a man to devour that which is san­ctified, Prov. 20.25. that which is and ought to be separated from com­mon uses: men rob God, Mal. 3.8. and put him to strain for his own, and he doth it many to their sorrow, Hos. 2.8, 9. For shee did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oyl, [Page 168]and multiplied ber silver and gold which they preared for Baal, Dr Ʋsher. And that he found much ease in giving, having alwayes some­thing by him which he look­ed on as none of his own, Decima quaeque veteres diis suis offerchant. Pau­lus, Diacon. A­bridgm, Fest. All Nations by the instinct of nature, have practised it, or, they learned it first from the people of God. They did rite dividere, though not rectè offere, they admitted it as concluded on by an uni­versall Parlia­ment, though things are much varied by carrying far and long con­tinuance, not answering to the Prototype and originall. they wasted all upon their lusts. There­fore will I return and take away my corn in the time thereof; and my wine in the season thereof, and will reco­ver my wooll, and my flax, (given) to cover ber nakedness. Si tu deci­mam non dederis, tu ad decimam revo­ceris, (Aug. de temp. Serm. 219.) Because rich men will not give the tenth to God, God many times brings them to the tenth of what they had: God requires a seventh part of our time, because we have that meerly from his bounty without our in dustry, but a tenth of our estate making a de­falcation or allowance for our pains, and if he gives no increase he looks for nothing, now both as to the se­venth part of our time, and the tenth part of our estate, the Ceremoniall and Levitical part being abolished, the morall use and equity remains to the worlds end, all piety, justice, grati­tude requireing it, no Popish abuse ought to take away the use, and all Nations in all ages, practising this [Page 169]duty, See instance in Sr H.sp.and arguments from the New Testament in Dr Garlton, Dr Sclater, Mr Ro­berts, Mr Bag­shaw, which proves the du­ty here pleaded for more strongly then the due they contended for: Thought if God faile of his due, his ser­vants cannot want theirs. will rise up in judgement and condemn us, if we who have the right way neg­lect it.

And who would repent his obedi­ence hereunto when he comes to dye and to be torn away from all his out­ward enjoyments? then it is that mens consciences wring them, and make them fling away apace what the can grasp no longer. Oh, Then it is that their hearts dye away with an­guish and astonishment, to behold all the black Items of their expences, to think how they have served the Devill with their estates and not God, to whom they are now a going to give an ac­count of their stewardship when he will trust them no longer, they now feel the hooke which they hae swallow­ed, and would fain disgorge that which they are afraid to digest in Hell.

But alas, we have gotten a cheap Religion, and therefore like it because it saves our purses, though not our souls; what praying heart feels not cause to bewaile it, to go to God a­bout it, and to fill his mouth with [Page 170] Arguments. If we hold our peace mens land will cry against them, and the furrows thereof complain, Job 31.38. The rust of their riches shall be a witness against them, Jam. 5.3.

I have only offered hints to help on this blessed work of pleading and striving, and wrestling with God (with the arms of his own Spirit,) in Prayer, the decay and abatement whereof in our dayes is looked on as a sad symptome, and justly be­wailed by the most spiritual profes­sors. But alas, how few stir up them­selves to take hold of God, Isai. 64.7. Now it must needs be grant­ed, that the spirit of adoption is the best Logician, the only One, both for invention and judgement, it was he that taught Aristotle and others to reason with men, as well as Job and Jeremy and the rest of the Saints, to reason out the case with. God.

When He hath formed the pre­positions according to his own Ca­nons and principles of truth laid down [Page 171]in the Scriptures, and made the as­sumption according to his office, which is to beare witness, 1 John 5.6. and so hath made application of the proposition to the person, to the poore solicatous soul. He will thence clearly and strongly inferre the conclu­sion.

Yea, All Hiss Arguments are highly Satisfactory, his demonstration irrefra­gable, his dilemmas unavoidable; So that he convinces of righteousness as well as of sin, and subdues the soul to the obedience of faith, it cannot turn from him; and in like manner doth he raise and refresh it when it is weary? If we admit that distincti­on of a Mediation and Reconciliati­on, and of intercession, as that be­longs to Christ, so this to the spirit, not exclusively as to Christ, but as to Angels and Saints departed, Rom. 8.26. The spirit it self maketh inter­cession for us.

And without breach of Charity I dare be bold to say, he hath none of that spi­rit within him, who can find no help by the consciencious and constant use [Page 172]of this way of pleading, if it be not to suppose an impossibility that any can conscientiously use it without him? Nay, I dare say these considerations here hinted cannot miss if rightly u­sed? Only I would advise every one that would do any good on't, Benè oravisse est, penè studuisse gravias egisse est plus quam legis se, Alsted, The­saur. arils me­mor. to pick out and select something out of e­very Sermon they hear, to be repeat­ed upon the knees in secret, which posture I judge best, both for repeat­ing and studying any thing of this nature.

And let me add, If God will not heare thee, and answer thee up­on these terms; If he do not put strength into thee, if he be not content that faith should overcome, then be thou bold to say, that all the Ministers of His holy Gospel are sadly mistaken in it and him, Heb. 10.35. Cast not away there­fore this confidence, this priviledg of speaking freely and pleading with your God, which hath great recompence of reward. He who so graciously answers pious ejaculations, Nehem. 2.4. will undoubtedly answer the [Page 173]powerfull expostulations of faith and pleadings of his spirit: Forget not therefore how he calls his people to leave of their reasonings with Satan, with flesh and blood, and with their own evill hearts, and to come and reason out the matter with him, and what he promiseth shall ensue thereon, Isaiah 1.18. Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sinnes be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wooll. And such are many of our sinnes, sinnes of a deep dye, of a double tin­cture, relapses are so.

But for those who live not with­in the lines of this Communication, who come not within any of the qualifications here mentioned, who cannot own any of these Arguments, (if it be possible any such should have the leisure and the patience to read them,) The Lord have mercy upon them, they cannot pleade and will be pressed to death, for want of it.

Thus have I brought you, to peep through the key-hole, through the hole of the doore into the Tower of David, builded for an Armory, wherein there hang a thousand buck­lers, all shields of mighty men; and if you have felt your beloved, putting in his hand by the hole of the doore and touching your hearts, your Bowells have been moved for him and will be more and more? you'l not be at rest till you have been ar­guing out the matter with him in secret daily; And so the pour­ing in a dishfull of water, may help to set the pumpe a going, and cause a pouring out to your hearts to some purpose, this poore thing may serve to do the work of a Gibeonite, help to hew wood and draw water for the Tabernacle and the Altar, it may help you with those Israelites that la­mented after the Lord, to draw wa­ter and to poure it out before the Lord. 1 Sam 7.2.

And let me say assuredly that ex­ercise will infinitely surpass in sweet­ness all sports and pastimes, all the [Page 175]treasures and glories of this world, all the delights of the sons of men, for 'tis the delight of the Sons of God; 'tis Heaven on Earth, Heaven on this side Heaven, and will undoubtedly convey you at last into the Heaven of Heavens, there to be extasied with joy and glory for evermore.