and forfake him in the Defert? Wouldst thou follow him only while the Loaves do laft, and abandon him when he wants Bread for the Multitude? Wouldst thou own him only when Men cry Hofanna, and run away from him, when they cry out Crucifie him? Wilt thou eat of the fame Bread he doth, and not drink of his Cup too? God would fave thee by that burthen which lies upon thee; and doft thou prefer a little Froth before an eternal weight of Bleffednefs? Hadft thou rather enjoy thy good things here, than lie with Lazarus in Abraham's Bofom? God fees thou canft not be happy without this Affliction; and wilt thou prefer living delicioufly for a few days, before the rich Banquet God hath prepared for his favourites in Paradife? O my Soul, it's but a little while yet, and thy Prison will be changed into a Palace, thy Poverty into Eternal Riches, thy Bondage into perfect Liberty, thy Perfecution into endless Joys, thy Mourning Songs into Hallelujahs, thy Sorrow into Rivers of Delight. Alas! What is a Prifon? God's Prefence can make it a Heaven? Walls cannot keep out the Smiles and Glory of the Highest. What is Poverty? It may confift with being God's Jewel; and he that hath nothing in this World to boast of, may have an incorruptible Crown to lay hold of, and be really richer than the wealthieft of Mankind. What are Slanders and Reproaches? They cannot hurt the Soul, whatever injury they may do the Body; they come fometimes from Man, whofe Tongue is no flander; and, while thou art innocent in

the

the fight of God, thou art a Crown of Glory in the band of the Lord, and a Royal Diadem in the hand of thy God; and iffo, how little need'ft thou matter the good Opinion and Esteem of Men, especially when thy Innocence shall be proclaim'd one day in the Ears of the whole World? What is Perfecution? A Cloud which foon paffes away, and he that chearfully endures it, great is his reward in Heaven. Despair not, O my Soul, thou hast to deal with a God, who will lay no more upon thee than thou art able to bear, but with the temptation will make thee a way to escape, that thou may't be able to bear it; one that doth not afflict the Children of Men willingly; one that will certainly, if thou obftruct not his Operation by thy unbelief, fo order thy Winter, that a moft glorious Spring and Summer fhall follow it.

May be thy troubles are altogether Spiritual, and thou doft not complain fo much, because thou art deftitute of outward Conveniences, as because thy God is departed from thee: A deep sense of thy Sins afflicts thee, thou feel the Wrath of God hovering over thee, and God hides his Face from thee; thou art afraid thou doft not belong to him; thou feeft not thy former Tokens, nor feeleit those gracious Influences, which formerly watered and enriched all thy Faculties: But haft thou fuch low conceits of the everlasting Kindness of thy God, O my Soul! Why fhouldst thou believe he hath forfaken thee, when he doth give thee daily Teftimonies of his Love? What greater affurance canft thou have of God's Love to thee, and of

Chrift's

Chrift's kind Thoughts towards thee, than thy wearinefs of Sin? Haft not thou heard thy Saviour call, Come to me, all ye that are weary and heavy loaden, and I will give ye reft? Art not thou weary of Iniquity? Hadít not thou rather be rid of that Burthen than keep it? If thou art not heartily refolved to part with it, why doft thou complain? What makes thee cry out, O wretched creature that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? What makes thee wish, that what thou haft done against God, were undone? What makes thee afraid of offending God? Why dost thou weep? Why dost thou watch against thy Corruptions? What makes thee angry with thy felf for dif pleafing God? What makes thee breathe and pant after Christ, as the wounded Hart pants after the Water Brooks? What makes Chrift fo fweet, and Sin fo bitter to thee? What makes thee afham'd of looking up to Heaven? Whence is it, that all the Preferment and Riches of this World cannot tempt thee to fin wilfully? Whence is it that thou delightest not in the Company of finners, but thy delight is chiefly in them that fear the Lord? If these be not figns of Grace, what Character of Merey wouldst thou have? Hath not thy God faid, that he'll love those that do love him? If thou loveft him not, why art thou restless till thou enjoyeft him? If thou loveft him not, why doft thou defire him? Why art thou willing to follow him through Mifery, and the greatest troubles, to be for ever with him? Thou haft infirmities to wrestle withal, but hath not thy God pro

mifed thee, that he'll bruise Satan under thy feet fhortly? Thou canst not totally mafter fuch a corruption, but doft not thou fight against it? Thou meeteft with temptations, but doft not thou grapple with them? Satan follows thee, but doft not thou resist him? Thy Conscience terrifies thee, but haft not thou the Crofs of Chrift to flie to? If God had a Mind to kill thee, would he have fhewn thee all these things? If God were gone from thee, would not his Spirit be gone too? If thou haft not the Spirit of God, what mean thy longings after God? What means thy Love to a Spiritual Life? Why doft thou pray fo earnestly for the Fruit of the Spirit? Why art thou altogether for a clean Heart, and for renewing of a right Spirit within thee? Are they not the figns of God's Spirit, that warms thy Affections, and makes interceffion for thee with groanings that cannot be utter'd? God feems to go away, that thou may'ft cry more earnestly after him, and clouds his comforts, that thou may'st fue for them with greater importunity; he lets thee fink a little, that thou may'ft cry with a louder Voice, Lord fave me, or else I perish; and falls afleep in the Ship, that thou may'ft take the greater pains to wake him. He fees thou groweft weary of his Favour, he therefore darkens it, that thou may'ft be at some trouble to recover it, and having recovered it, set a greater price upon it; he withdraws himself for a while, that at his return thy Joy may be fuller; and bids his gracious influences ftop a while, that when they flow in upon thee again, they may

fill all thy Faculties with greater gladnefs; thou canst not perform thy Duties with that alacrity and chearfulness thou defireft, but haft not thou reafon to bless God, that thou doft in good earnest defire to do better? Was Heaven purchased in a moment, or Sin conquered in an Hour? Is not the way to Life a race, where Men must run on till they reach the Mark? Go on, O my Soul, go on; the farther thou proceedeft in God's ways, the fweeter thou wilt find them; the more thou ftriveft, the more thou❜lt conquer; and the oftener thou doft addrefs thy felf to God, the more thy dullness and wearinefs will vanish; and the more thou lookeft upon the everlasting Recompence, the greater mind thou wilt have to go on from Strength to Strength. O my Soul, hope in God, for I fhall yet praise him, who is the health of my Countenance, and my God."

IV. It difpofes a Man to be a worthy receiver of the Lord's Supper. Indeed I do not fee, how, without it, a Man can receive any benefit by that Bleffed Sacrament; for it being an Ordinance defigned chiefly to impregnate the Soul with very ftrong longings and breathings after a Crucified Saviour, with a deep fenfe of the incomprehenfible Love of God in Chrift Jefus, and with earneft Resolutions to Love and Obey him, before all the dictates of Flesh and Blood, and of our carnal Intereft, it is not to be conceived, which way the Soul shall arrive to all this, without confidering the End, Nature, and Advantages of