sensible apprehension of wrath and horror; for "perfect love casteth out fear." And the humiliation which God requires is, to "break the bands of wickedness," Isa. lviii. 6; otherwise the damned should have most repentance; 2 Cor. vii. 10, "Godly sorrow worketh not death." Do not think thou wantest repentance, though thou wantest horror.

5. That the spirit of bondage, and horrors, and law-work, did in themselves produce evil effects, weakened the hands, drove from the Lord, and were evil in themselves, and contrary to the commands of God, "Fear not, cast out the bond-woman ;" contrary to Christ's ends, "These things have I spoken that ye might have peace;" contrary to Christ's allowance, "Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear:" and therefore desire not a law-work or horrors, much less think not yourselves not sincere though ye want it and are kindly dealt with, but be rather thankful. It is true, the Lord by accidents doth good by this legal spirit. It is well distinguished by one, who distinguishes betwixt the event of a thing, and the effect of a thing.

6. There may be sincerity in the heart, and love to God, when the Lord heareth not prayer, hides his face, and frowns, afflicts, and crosses, and smites in all the labour of the hand: we see, saints complained of this before. The Father is still a father when he chastises, yea, will chastise because he is a father, Amos iii. 2, Be more holy, and please God, and he will be a father to you. These may be trials; when thou therefore findest these things, conclude not that the Lord is thine enemy.

7. The quality, and nature, and sincerity of actions and graces, are rather to be looked into than the measure. Christ notices the widow's mite, and cup of cold water, and the grain of mustardseed. Consider not then how much, as what

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grace and mercy

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here is but the earnest of glory. You will not gain because of the quantity of the earnest. Be then thankful and rejoice in little mercies; the Lord's people are a poor and needy people. Hast thou love, faith, humility, or knowledge? Then question not your state, though they run low.

8. By powerfully persuading me that it is the duty of all to believe on Christ, to come to him; yea, both good and bad, humbled and unhumbled, are to rest on him. It is true, none will believe but humbled sinners; and therefore are ministers bound to show them their misery, that they may seek to the physician. But it is the duty of all to believe; it is a moral duty that glorifies God, enjoined to the ignorant Jews, John vi. 28, 29, and the wicked are damned for want of this. And, therefore, though I find not these qualifications in me, I am not to stay away from Christ, but rather to come; for Christ as a Saviour is declared to save sinners immediately. Though unhumbled, yet it is thy duty to believe, as well as to sanctify a Sabbath.

9. Evils, such as afflictions, desertions, tentations, sins, plagues of heart, though in themselves they be evil, yet are in their end and destination from love and for good. The physician doth not hate because he makes the patient sick, nor doth the parent abhor because he correcteth. Hag. ii. 17, " Smiting in all the labour of the hands" is, that they may turn. Hos. v. 15, The Lord's leaving of a land, and hiding of his face, is, that they may acknowledge their iniquities: the rod is, Isa. xxvii. 9, to "purge away sin." The messenger indeed is hard-favoured and unpleasant to behold, but he hath a love-letter from God, and a sweet message; God therefore may love me, though I be trysted with these evils.

10. Prayers unanswered are not a sign of hatred. God hears, accepts, and loves the prayer, which he presently, to sense, directly answers not. 1mo, The beloved people of God complained of this. 2do, Unnecessary and needless petitions are only denied, such as great measures of grace, extraordinary raptures. 3tio, We ask what is not good for us; God will not give a knife to cut our hands. 4to, God never denies his people without a reason, and sometimes shows the reason, 2 Cor. xii. 8, 9. 5to, God answers materially and equivalently, though not in our way, fancy, and notion. 6to, Christ's answers are oftentimes mysterious, and we uptake them not; when he really answers, it is we that hear not, because Christ opens his mouth in dark sayings. 7mo, They are

but suspended and not rejected, and shall be answered. 8vo, Thou art the better of prayer, it is blessed to thee: what though thou get not what thou goest to court for? yet the Lord gives thee what bears thy charges coming and going, and bids thee come again. 9mo, Thou gettest a promise of answer.

11. The love of God to a soul doth vent itself more in humbling, strengthening, and sanctifying the soul, than in comforting it with extraordinary raptures. They are not the strongest nor the best beloved Christians, whose sense is most indulged; "Blessed are they who see not, and believe." Believing Mary is prohibited to touch Christ, and unbelieving Thomas is commanded to put his hands in his side. I have seen some, that have had great raptures of joy, prove but stark naught. The greatest mercy is holiness and grace to honour him; if God bestow that, doubt not of his love, he will come again in heaven, and vent his love to thee.

12. The love of God doth vent itself to a gracious soul, not always in the channel which the soul cuts out to it to run in; it vents itself under any trouble, rather in supporting and comforting the soul under trouble, than in removing it. When the bush burns, the Lord's love manifests itself, not in quenching the fire altogether, but in keeping the bush unconsumed. Rejoice, therefore, if comforted, supported, and sanctified under trouble, though not delivered from it.

13. Our happiness, and Christ's love to us, doth appear and is more in the promise, in himself, and by what he will give, than by what saints have received or presently feel. "Our life is hid with Christ; and we know not what we shall be." We have now but the earnest; 66 ear hath not heard, eye hath not seen, what is prepared." Here is sorrow, labour, pain, and wants. Ye will never love Christ, nor rejoice in your portion, if you look not above your receivings, and to what you have in heaven; "Fear not, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

14. A gracious frame doth not always last. True grace, as to the being, never perishes, though as to the disposition and exercise it may and doth. When the Lord hath visited a soul, and made

the heart tender, and shined upon it, and then drawn a veil, and the soul findeth itself dead and heartless, it secretly thinketh all that it had formerly to be delusions, and so is unthankful and discouraged; why? because it is perished, and so at best it is but common. But a thing may remain in its root (" his seed abideth in him") though the leaves fall; yea, it must be so, that thou mightest repair to the fountain, Christ, to fill thy empty bottles in: see it in saints; "All flesh is grass." The meat ye eat in the morning will not serve at night.

15. By considering that the Lord, and his grace, mercy, and truth, is the ground of our hope, rejoicing, and glorying, our life, our light and consolation; he is "the confidence of all the ends of the earth," 1 Cor. i. 31. Therefore our sins or shortcomings, weakness, blindness, should not discourage us, or make us doubt of heaven, or any mercy; because our title is not founded on these, but on the Lord Jesus himself, and our hopes should be proportioned to the grounds of our hope. "In the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength," therefore is there never ground of doubting.

16. As Christ in the days of his flesh, and appearance in the world, was growing up " as a plant out of a dry ground," and that his "kingdom came not with observation;" so may the Lord come quietly without noise or din into a soul, and they not know it. It is a mistake to think, as many do, that when this Lord Jesus and King of glory shall come to the soul, heaven shall be, as it were, opened, and some glorious rapture, as the Jews did dream of his outward coming: no; he may come to the soul in a very poor and despicable condition, and ordinarily he is in the still small voice. Think not therefore that Christ came not to thy soul, because thou hast not seen him in pomp and glory.

17. The Lord's dealings and method with others are not our rule. It is the cause of much doubting and disquietness, that persons, reading unattentively in books the Lord's way to others, hence cut out this channel to themselves, and think, Thus and thus I must be dealt with, or else not at all, and hence seek; and if the Lord truly come, yet if not in their model, they care not,

believe not. 2 Kings v. 11, Because the prophet would not cure Naaman in the way he proposed, he is offended. Let God tutor you. This is a "limiting of the Holy One." The Lord may really come, and yet never in that way thou chalkest out to him.

18. By making me consider and seriously ponder, that there is flesh and an unrenewed part, which inclineth to all evil, and leadeth captive to death, as well as there is a new man. And hence be not disquieted, as many are, though ye find carnality, pride, and opposition to every good way; if thou find a renewed part fighting against this, loathing thyself for and mourning under this; but cast the saddle on the right horse; attribute all thy evil to the flesh, and thy good to the Spirit.

19. Times should be distinguished. If in winter ye see neither leaves nor fruit on trees, ye wonder not: this is a winter, a day of famine; and, therefore, though the Lord never wholly leave his people, yet are there certain seasons when all the saints' life and glory may be in the root; this is a day of famine, and of wrath and desolation. The righteous "bring forth fruit in their season." 20. Faith is the most profitable duty to ourselves, most pleasing to God; and, on the contrary, I have found unbelief most hateful and dishonourable to God, and most prejudicial to myself, and therefore by all means to be shunned.

21. Neither books, nor providences, nor suggestions, are our rule to judge ourselves by, nor to be credited absolutely; but the Scripture is our rule, and we are to judge of all things by it, and to fall and stand to this master. And every spirit, suggestion, and apprehension, ere it be admitted, is to be tried by Scripture; and if according to the Scripture ye be found sincere, then let books, suggestions, and all say what they will. And truly, most men's fears and doubts proceed from mistaken marks given in books, or dumb suggestions, I think; but saith the Scripture so? Isa.

viii. 20.

22. Look not so much on the beginning of a Christian's life or exercise, as to the end; God's dealings begin with tragedies, and