[ C] THE INTRODUCTION.

§. 1. WEll might David be called the sweet Singer of Israel,* whose Heart was more divinely musical then his Harp, and the harmony of whose devout Soul did outvie that of his [ D] composed Song: His whole life, what was it but a continued Antheme? His several failings, through the indulgent mercy of his God, being made as so many stops of time, to add more grace and sweetness to the musick.

§. 2. This his Book of Psalms, it is aptly called the Epitome of the whole Bible, and the Anatomie of the Spiritual man; yea, we may rightly entitle it, the Register of sacred History, the Ephemeris of [ E] the Churches Prophecies, the Library of Divine Doctrine, the Store-house of Spiritual Comforts, and the Treasury of holy Devotion; And that Devotion either Penitentiary, Invocatory, or Eucharistical: Penitenitary, in deep contrition, humble confession, and passionate lamentation; Invocatory, in fervent supplication, earnest deprecation, and pious intercession; Eucharistical, in gratulatory thanksgivings, laudatory oblations, and triumphal songs.

Page  2*§. 3. Here amidst so large a store, choice is made of a Penetential Psalm (though none of the seven commonly called the Penetentials) fitted in its devotion to the sacred solemnity of the blessed Eucharist; and could we attain Davids frame of spirit when he composed this Psalm of Penitence, O how well, how well would it become this holy Sacrament!

§. 4. If any inquire a reason why choice is made of this present Psalm for the constant celebrations of the Lords Supper; know, I have observed a secret vigor of devotion to diffuse it self into the [ A] soul, when exercised in prayer or meditation, making use of Davids Psalms to draw heat from his flame, and administer heavenly matter for so holy an exercise; and upon this reason (O ye humble suppli∣ants) I thought it an apt and profitable service, to give at once a pattern whereby to frame your private devotions in your Closet, and an help to compose your souls to an higher pitch of devotion in the publick solemnities of the holy Eucharist. [ B]

§. 5. Besides, the mystery and benefits of this blessed Sacrament, they are so many and so various, that no one single verse, or small portion of Scripture, may be a Text large enough for so copious a subject; where∣fore, that many souls might receive something of instruction and devotion, see here I have chosen an whole Psalm, which divided in∣to parts, like those loaves in the Gospel broken into peeces, it will so increase in the explication,* as those did in their distribution; that whereas this Psalm, like one of those loaves, may seem in the whole, [ C] to be but sufficient for one person, yet shall it, by a blessing of grace, like as that, by a miracle of power, be in its divided parts, sufficient for many fifties.

§. 6. That this Psalm is of more then ordinary excellency and worth, as penned by a more then ordinary diligence and zeal, appears by the Alphabetical order of the Hebrew Letter,* beginning each verse; The Psalm it self, is a mixture of various, yet devout affections, for that here the Psalmist moved with the sence of his sin, and the violence [ D] of his Enemies, he sues to God, for the remission of the former, and protection from the latter, and at last salvation, in respect of both, even to himself and the Church of God; this he does supported by faith and hope, of which hope and faith he gives a sure testimo∣ny, in the commemoration he makes of Gods abundant mercy, and faithful promises; And in the profession he declares of his sincere confidence in those promises, and his firm expectation of that mercy. [ E]

Page  3§. 7. The Analysis of the Psalm.

The whole Psalm con∣sists of Four parts.

• 1. The Preface, vers. 1. Unto thee, O Lord do I lift up my soul.
• 2. The Prayer
  • [ A] 1. Deprecation, vers. 2. to 4. O my God I trust in thee, let me not be ashamed, &c.
  • 2. Petition, vers. 4. to v. 8. Shew me thy ways, O Lord, teach me thy paths &c.
• 3. The Medi∣tation
  • [ B] 1. Laudatory, vers. 8. to v. 11. Good and upright is the Lord, &c.
  • 2. Consolatory, vers. 12. to v. 6. What man is he that feareth the Lord, &c.
• 4. The Con∣clusion
  • [ C] 1. Supplication, vers. 16. to v. 23. Turn thee unto me, and have mer∣cy upon me, &c.
  • 2. Intercession, vers. 22. Redeem Israel O God, out of all his troubles.

[ D] §. 8. Now (O ye devout souls!) that we may inlarge upon this of Davids Psalm, with the inlargement of Davids spirit, whilst I shall pass through the several parts in an explicatory application of the particu∣lar words and phrases, let me revive and raise your sincere devotion, as the Prophet did the Shunamites child;* as the Prophet laid his mouth to the childs mouth, his hands to the childs hands; so let me lay Davids mouth to your mouth, his hands to your hands; that is, I me•n, make his prayers your prayers, his meditations your meditations; [ E] And having the same devotion with David, we shall find a like accep∣tance with God; whose ear is still open to our prayers, whilst our hearts are laid open in his presence, the Throne of grace being the on∣ly refuge of an humble penitence.

§. 1. BUt, O my Soul! hast thou not been lift up against the Lord in thy sinful rebellion? how then canst thou lift up thy self unto him in a sincere devotion? True, I have been long dead in sin, long buried in the grave of customary iniquity: [ A] yet I have heard the voice of the Son of God,* in his Word, in his Sacraments; this a quickening, a reviving voice: And therefore unto him that calleth me, unto him that quickeneth me, unto my God, unto my Jesus, even unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

§. 2. And though heretofore, in the state of darkness, sin and death, though then I have lift up my soul against thee in pride and profaneness, the high-way to hell; yet now let me lift up my soul [ B] unto thee in humility and devotion, the high-way to heaven. Pride and profaneness, they cast me from thee, then which what can be low∣er? But humility and devotion, they subject me to thee, then which what can be higher? Thus then raise me by humbling me; lay me low in my self, and this shall lift me up to thee.

§. 3. Oh, how does Sin and Sathan, the flesh and the world, even the whole Powers of darkness, how do they with violence pursue after me?* Oh give me then the wings of a Dove, that I may flee away [ C] and be at rest? Haste, haste, O my Soul, for thy escape; hie thee to the holes of the rock, to the wounds of thy Jesus; and for this shelter and succor, for this protection and safety, Oh see, unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul: Unto thee in the fulness of thy merits, unto thee in the riches of thy grace; unto thee in the embraces of thy love, and comforts of thy Spirit; unto thee, that thy thorns may be my crown, thy blood my balsom, thy curse my blessing, thy death my life,* thy cross my triumph. Thus is my life hid with Christ in God; [ D] and if so, then where should be my soul, but where is my life? And therefore unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

§. 4. I lift up my soul unto thee at thy Table, who hast been thy self lift up for me on thy Cross; thou hast been lift up for me in a propitiatory sacrifice, and therefore I here offer my self to thee in a gratulatory oblation;* thou madest thy soul an offering for sin, and here I make my soul an offering of thankfulness: In this Eucharist then accept my 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, mine oblation of praise and thanksgiving, [ E] in which, O Lord, it is, that I lift up my soul unto thee.

§. 5. Unto thee, O Lord, thy flesh, thy blood; not unto the out∣ward elements, the bread, the wine; unto thee and thy fulness, as the inward grace, not unto thee and their use, as the outward sign: My soul dwells not on those earthly symbols; but by them, as by a ladder, it ascends and lifts up it self unto thy heavenly riches: And thus Page  5 whilst my body feeds on consecrated food, oh let my soul be filled with thy consecrating fulness; whilst my body tastes their wholsom sweetness, let my soul be satisfied with thy saving goodness. And to this end it is, that unto thee, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

§. 6. Unto thee, O Lord! Oh make good thy name of Lord unto me; as Lord rebuke Satan, and restrain all earthly and carnal affecti∣ons, that they do not once dare to whisper a temptation to my soul, [ A] a distraction to my thoughts, whilst I am in communion with thee, in prayer at thine holy ordinance: Do thou as Lord rule me by thy grace, govern me by thy Spirit, defend me by thy power, and crown me with thy salvation. Thou Lord, the Preserver of heaven and earth, thou openest thine hand,*and satisfiest the desire of every living thing; Oh open now thine hand, thy bosom, thy bounty, thy love, and satisfie the desires of my longing soul, which I here lift up unto thee.

[ B] §. 7. Thou Lord givest bread to man from the earth, thou gavest Manna to Israel from heaven; give, oh give thy self unto me in this Sacrament, as the true bread, the heavenly Manna, the life-giving food of thy Church. Thou Lord art now reigning in heaven; oh do thou now also set up thy throne in my heart: Thou art exalted in heavenly glory, oh manifest thy self in thy gracious presence: In thy heavenly glory thou art the joy of holy Angels and blessed Saints; in thy gra∣cious presence be thou now the reviving of devout souls and humble [ C] Penitents. O my love, my joy, my Jesus, my Lord! be thou pre∣sent with me in thy Sacrament, present more then by inspiration, and make me present with thee, and that more then by meditation; even lift up my soul unto thee in a spiritual, real, and eternal com∣munion.

§. 8. Oh how does this blessed Sacrament add wings to devout souls, and wrap them up with S. Paul, unto the third heaven,* in an ex∣tasie of contemplation and love! And what, shall my soul now lie [ D] groveling on the earth, hiding it self with Saul amongst the stuff,* clogg'd and deprest with worldly thoughts; with earthly and carnal affections? No, it may not, it must not; Christ is risen,* and there∣fore sursum corda, my heart, my spirit, that shall rise too, and seek those things which are above; even unto thee, O Lord, my Jesus, do I lift up my soul.

§. 9. My soul; but how shall I call it mine, seeing it is thine, thine by purchase, thine, having bought it with thy blood? yea, is it not [ E] thy Spouse, whom thou hast wedded to thy self by thy Spirit through faith? And is not this holy Sacrament the Marriage-feast? If so, sure then, my Jesus, I was lost in my self, till found in thee; and therefore my soul is now, and not till now, truly mine, in being wholly thine; so that I can say with confidence, I lift up my soul unto thee.

§. 10. I lift up! Oh the load of my sins! the burden of my flesh! Page  6 so heavy, that I cannot of my self lift up my head, how shall I then lift up my soul? Wherefore, O my Savior, do thou add thy strength to my weakness, thy supporting grace to my fainting spirit, and then I will run after thee; and lift up not onely my hands, but my heart, not onely my eies but my soul unto thee.

§. 11. My soul; For it is not indeed the eye, or the tongue, or the hand, or the knee, but the soul, which makes the acceptable service in prayer and praises unto God; the devotion of the soul, that is the [ A] very soul of devotion; Wherefore that I may present my self a living sacrifice at Christs table,* my best part shall be my first oblation, and therefore in the very preparation and entrance of this sacred solemnity, See, O see, unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul.

§. 1. O My God I trust in thee, &c. My prayer O Lord is found∣ed upon faith, my faith upon thy promises, so that be∣cause thou art my God, therefore I trust in thee, yea because I trust [ C] in thee therefore thou art my God; My God, otherwise, O Christ thou wert not my Jesus, but O my Jesus, who savest me by thy blood,* in this thy Sacrament thou art set forth crucified, and I be∣hold thy wounds, from whence, by the hand of faith, I pluck forth these comfortable words of life, My Lord and my God.

*§. 2. My God; mine, for thou hast partook of my humane na∣ture,* and thou hast made me to partake of thy divine nature; thou hast taken upon thee my flesh, and thou hast communicated unto [ D] me of thy Spirit; yea, in this thy Sacrament thou communicates body and blood, flesh and spirit, thy whole Manhood, yea thy very Godhead too, thy whole self as Mediator; therefore thou art my God, and I trust in thee.

§. 3. I trust in thee to make good my right, to the Covenant of Grace, to make good my claim to the heavenly inheritance, yea, even to make good my communion with thee in all thy fulness; a [ E] communion so firm that the Bread and Wine I eat and drink is not more really my food, then thou my Jesus, in whom I beleeve and trust, art my God. And for this so great a blessing of thy love, for this so great a benefit of thy grace it is, that I trust in thee; not in my self, not in mine own righteousness, who am not worthy thou shouldest come under my roof,* or that I should crawl-under thy Page  7 table; not worthy to gather the crums, not to pick up the scraps, much less to partake of the riches, the fulness of thy bounty, thy love.

§. 4. It is not that I trust in mine own faith, but in thy faithful∣ness; not in mine own repentance, but in thy pardon; not in mine own preparation, but in thine acceptance; in thee, and in thy merits, in thy mercies do I trust, Let me not then be ashamed, let me not be [ A] disappointed of my hope, deprived of thy blessing: I trust in thee, by this Sacrament to be filled with good things, Oh let me not then be ashamed of my trust, in being sent empty away! I trust in thee, as the rock of my salvation; even a firm rock, Oh let me not be ashamed of my trust, as if I had leaned upon a deceitful reed, or rested upon a broken staff! as if I had followed mine own devices, and not attended thine Ordinance.

§. 5. Thou my God hast promised, that whosoever trusteth in [ B] thee shall not be confounded,* Be it then unto me according to thy Word; and seeing thou O God mayst as soon not be, as be unfaith∣ful, make my trust as firm, as thy promise is sure, and so shall I not be confounded; not confounded, as if I had taken a wrong course to be saved, when I run to thee for salvation; or as if I had done foolishly in seeking thy grace, by trusting to thy promise; and attend∣ing thy Sacraments, for the obtaining thy blessing; Let me not thus be ashamed.

[ C] §. 6. Neither let mine enemies triumph' over me, my homebred Enemies, my lusts, my passions, when I return from thine Ordinance, let them not thus triumph over me, saying, Vain man, what hast thou gotten by all thy fastings and prayers? what hast thou profit∣ed by all thy siftings and winnowings, thy confessions and humili∣ations? what hast thou benefitted by all thy vows, thy resolutions and renewed resignations? we are not yet abandoned, we are not yet cast out; we still live, and are as mighty in power, yea, as ma∣ny [ D] in number, as ever we were; and thou as feeble, and as impo∣tent to resist and quell us, as ever thou wast. O let not mine Ene∣mies, my lusts, my passions, thus triumph over me; rather let thy cross be to me, what thou hast made it to thy self, a Triumphant Cha∣riot; by the efficacie of thy death,* mortifying all my corrupt affecti∣ons, and bringing into captivity every imagination that exalts it self against the power of thy grace.

§. 7. Yea, not onely I, but many others also with me, here wait [ E] on thee at thine Ordinance, in obedience to thy command, and confidence of thy blessing; let not, Oh let not me, nor them who thus wait on thee, have so ill success, and fruitless labour, as if we came to gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles; knock at the wrong door for mercy. We come, and at thy call we come,* as heavy laden to obtain rest, as spiritually sick to recover health, as secretly mournful to receive comfort; we come, and at thine invita∣tionPage  8 we come, as thirsty to be refreshed, as hungring to be satisfied, as poor to be enriched. We come, and at thy Command we come, as weak to be strengthened, as fainting to be revived, as wavering to be established. For this, for this it is we come to thine ordinance, we wait at thy table: Oh let none that thus come unto thee, that thus wait upon thee, let none of them be ashamed; let none frustrate of their hope, return from thy Sacrament, as empty, and as dry, as sorrowful, and as fainting, as poor and as weak, as when they [ A] came.

§. 8. Rather let them be ashamed which transgress without cause; even they, who not prizing thy love, despise thine ordinance, and causelesly absent themselves from thy table; as if a morsel of bread and a sup of wine were all the bounty and blessing of thy Sacrament. Yea, let them be ashamed who carelesly presume, or causelesly despair at thy table: They who carelesly presume, as if all Sinners were welcome, though ne'r so unprepared; or causelesly despair, as if no [ B] Sinners were accepted, though ne'r so penitent.

This the Explicatory Application of what David hath put up in prayer by way of Deprecation, saying, O my God, I trust in thee, let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me: yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed; let them be ashamed which trans∣gress without cause.

§. 1. OBserve how the devout Communicant thus bespeaks his [ D] God, his Saviour: O my Lord, what is my hope? what is the blessing I long and pray for by this holy Sacrament? what is it but the blessing and hope of a Pilgrim, of a waifaring man? I have left Egypt, but am not yet in Canaan: I am still in the wilderness; and whilst my face is towards Jerusalem, the heavenly habitation of thy Saints, this is the object of my hope, this is the subject of my prayer, that thou wilt shew me thy waies, teach me thy paths, and lead me in thy truth. [ E]

§. 2. There are the waies of men, and the waies of God; the paths of sin,* and the paths of righteousness: There are thy waies, and there are my waies; thine the waies of truth, mine the waies of error; thine which are good in thine eies, and mine which are good in mine eies; thine which lead to heaven, mine which lead to hell: Where∣fore shew me thy waies, O Lord, teach me thy paths, lest I mistake mine Page  9 own waies for thine; yea, lead me in thy truth and teach me, lest I turn out of thy waies into mine own: shew me thy waies, by the mi∣nistry of thy word; teach me thy paths, in the guidance of thy Spirit; lead me in thy truth, by the assistance of thy grace.

§. 3. Oh how have I been blinded in my Judgment, not dis∣cerning the light of thy truth, through the thick mist of mine own wilfulness and pride! But now thou hast convinc'd me of my wander∣ings, [ A] shew me thy waies; now Lord especially shew me thy waies, now so many and so diverse, yea, so cross and contrary are the waies of men and of the world, though all pretending the paths of God, and leading to the heavenly Jerusalem of peace and life.* Thou Lord who searchest the heart and tryest the reins, who understandest our thoughts afar off; thou, even thou knowest the secret trouble of my Closet-thoughts, the private anguish of my souls distractions; in that, viewing the waies of men and of the world, I see thy holy Name [ B] made to mask the face of wickedness; and under the most signal judgments of thy displeasure, men plead signal testimonies of thine acceptance, even in what thy soul hates, thy Word condemns, and thy wrath pursues.

§. 4. Whilst I see Covenants and Engagements entred with a seeming zeal, but broken with open perjurie; whilst I see Sacriledge possess, yea demolish thy Temples, and yet Hypocrisie pretend a pro∣pagating thy Gospel; whilst I see injustice in the seat of Judgment, [ C] Profaneness invade Devotion, and Violence suppress what is sacred and religious; sure these waies of the world are none other then the waies of deceit, and lead into the chambers of death: But thy waies,* O Lord, are waies of truth, and lead in the paths of life; wherefore shew me thy waies, and teach me thy paths.*

§. 5. Do thou shew me, and do thou teach me. While others take up∣on them to shew me thy waies, they teach me to throw off the sacred Order thou hast establishe in thy Church, as wicked and antichristian; [ D] they teach me to desert thy publick Worship, as Popery and Super∣stition; yea, they teach me Heresie, and pretend it is thy Word; they teach me Blasphemie, and pretend it is saving Doctrine; they teach me Schism, and pretend it is the Communion of Saints; they teach me to prophane thine Ordinances,* and pretend it is to worship thee in Spirit. Wherefore do thou, thou Lord, shew me; do thou teach me; as shew me thy waies in thy Word, so teach me thy paths by thy Spirit; yea, lead me in thy truth and teach me; make me to [ E] learn by practising; let the experiences thou givest me of thy sanctifying grace, confirm my soul in the sincere profession of thy saving truth.

§. 6. But O my Jesus, behold me here, another poor Bartimaeus; so blind, that to shew me thy waies, thou must not only point them out, but also give me eyes to see. Yea, I here present my self at thy Table, as another impotent Cripple in the Temple;* so that to lead •e Page  10 in thy truth, thou must not onely go before me, but give me feet also to run after thee. And that thou my Jesus (who art the same yesterday today and for ever) wilt now by a miraculous power of thy grace and truth,* even cure my spiritual lameness, and ignorant blindness, this is the ground of my hopes, thy Promises; this is my encouragement• thy Sacrament; in which Sacrament and Promises thou art exhibited unto my soul, as the God of my salvation. In thy word thou hast given the promise, and in thy Sacrament that [ A] promise is sealed; that thou wilt save me from the pathes of death, and lead me in the way of everlasting life, and so faithful art thou who hast promised that safer it is for my soul to be as low as Hell with a promise,* then to be as high as Heaven without it, though as low as hell, yet would hope bear me up, and though as high as heaven yet would presumption throw me down.

*§. 7. Thou, O God, who art my trust, art my salvation, my trust is not in the arm of flesh, that, like Jeroboams hand doth suddenly [ B] wither; my trust is not in humane power, or policie, that, I see by daily experiments,* proves like Jonas Gourd, when the Sun beats hottest, when trouble and dis••ess is the the greatest, then doth it va∣nish and come to nothing, what then is my trust? Truly Lord my trust is even in thee,*who hast made heaven and earth; whose Wis∣dom will find out the way, and Power effect the means of my sal∣vation, notwithstanding all the present difficulties, and seeming im∣possibilities of deliverance. [ C]

§. 8. Yea, thou O Lord, my joy, my Jesus, thou art the God of my salvation; Oh transcendent love! Oh rich mercy! Oh in∣comprehensible goodness! the God of my salvation! Blessed Sa∣viour, had the efficacie of thy merits extended no further to the race of mankind, then mine own self; yet wouldst thou glory and make me rejoyce in being the God of my salvation. And Oh firm salva∣tion! which is founded upon the Grace, Wisdom, Power and Faith∣fulness of my God! in all which attributes my God, my Jesus com∣municates [ D] himself unto me in this his Ordinance, sealing me the salvation of my God: and giving me a communion with the God of my salvation, in this holy Sacrament.

§. 9. O how willingly could my soul dwel upon this Mount, and build Tabernacles for this contemplation of my Saviours love? how do I behold him through faith, communicating himself unto me in all his fulness? Which fulness is in his Church, and in his chosen, as the soul is in the body, and in the members; whole in [ E] the whole, and whole in every part. So that though he gives sal∣vation unto all, yet does he communicate himself unto my soul, in that fulness of his merits, and grace, as if I were saved alone. And Oh that my soul could imitate my Savior! Oh that my heart might return like love! in giving my self, my whole self unto my Jesus, even in that fervor of affection and ravishment of spirit, as if Page  11 I alone were wholly to possess him, joying in him, and enjoyed by h m, as the one and onely God of my salvation.

§. 10. Seeing then, thou art the God of my salvation, on thee do I wait all the day; so that, If I find not present comfort in thy blessed Sacrament, yet on thee will I wait; the husbandman doth not sow his seed and reap his crop in a day, wherefore if thou art pleased to defer thy salvation, for the trial of my faith, and love; [ A] yet on thee will I wait, in a constant use of those sacred means thou hast ordained, and the continued practise of those holy duties thou hast enjoyned; and though this be all my daies; Oh let not my faith faint, seeing I cannot wait too long for the grace I so much desire, and which am assured I shall at last obtain,* seeing he who indures to the end shall be saved.

§. 11. On thee do I wait; on thee, whose hand of bountie, whose bo om of love, yea, whose bowels of mercy are not onely opened [ B] but inlarged to all humble penitents; on thee do I wait, wait to hear the secret voice of thy Spirit speaking peace unto my conscience, wait to feel the reviving v•gor of thy grace, quickning mine obedi∣ence; wait to see the subduing power of thy holy Spirit quelling my rebellious sin; wait to feel the chearing vertue of thy heavenly comforts, refreshing my fainting soul; for all these thy blessings, O thou God of my salvation, on thee do I wait all the day. All the day; being never so satisfied with thy goodness, as not more eager∣ly [ C] to long after thy heavenly fu•ness; wherefore now refresh my faintings, quench not my desires; but the more freely thou gives, let me the more eagerly covet; the more sweet is thy mercy, let be the more eager my longings, that so my whole life on earth may be a continued breathing after that eternal fellowship and communion with thee in Heaven; thus, thus, let me wait, even all my life, all the day.

§ 1. O My God▪ thy former mercies are pledges to me of thy future grace. Wherefore, remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies, and thy loving kindnesses, which have been ever of old,* exhibited by thy Spirit in this Sacrament; Are not thy mercies O Lord, like thy self, from everlasting to everlasting? thy mercies they Page  12 have been ever of old, and sure the streams cannot fail, where the fountain is inexhaustible, and such is thy good goodness.

§. 2. But how is it then that my soul dwels in darkness, if thou be light? how is that I remain disconsolate and miserable, if thou Lord art so gracious and merciful? thou lovest to be importuned in prayer,* and thereby, as it were, minded of thy mercy, not that that thou art forgetful of thy love, but that thou wouldst have us sensible of our wants. Wherefore, least thou shouldst do as my sins [ A] have deserved, cast me out of thy thoughts, let my humble suit mind thee of thy mercies; Thy tender mercies, for it is no ordinarie medicine that will cure my soar, no mean mercy that will save my soul; the sadness of my affl ctions requires the tenderness of thy compassions, wherefore Remember, O Lord, thy tender mer∣cies.

*§. 3. Mercies; O how does one deep call upon another? the depth of my multipli'd miseries, calls, loudly calls upon the depth of thy [ B] manifold mercies; even that mercy, whereby thou dost pardon my sin and help mine infirmities; that mercy, whereby thou dost sanctifie me by thy Grace, and comfort me by thy Spirit; that mercy, whereby thou dost quicken me with life, and preserve me from death; that mercy, whereby thou dost deliver me from Hell, and possess me of Heaven. Remember, O Lord, all those thy mercies, thy tender mercies, which as they have been of old unto thy Saints, so now seal them unto thy servant, in this blessed Sacra¦ment. [ C]

§. 4. And as thou seals me thy tender mercies, so convey unto me thy loving kindnesses, even those enligthning gifts, those beautifi∣ing graces, those refreshing comforts, those divine manifestations of thy presence, those secret aspirings of the soul, those devout raptures of the Spirit, those divine meltings of the heart; that peace of con∣science, that joy in the holy Ghost, all these thy loving kindnesses, let me in some proportion of measure taste, if not in some measure [ D] of fulness enjoy, in a blessed communion with thee my Jesus, in this sacred solemnity.

§. 5. Thy Saints of old, how have they come from this thy Table satisfied with good things? and like Giants refreshed with wine,* furnished to every good work, and strong to resist the temp∣tations of Satan? having been made partakers of thy precious blood, which thou shedest for them; how have they been animated in the profession of faith, to shed their dearest blood for thee? Yea, re∣member [ E] those thy former mercies to mine own soul; when I have come with sorrow and returned with joy, come trembling in fear, and returned exulting through faith; come fainting and weak, re∣turned strengthened and confirmed. And what Lord! hath thy Table been so sweet a refreshing, and shall it not be so still to my soul? if I come the oftner, shall I return the sadder? and by how much Page  13 I am the more eager in my desires, wilt thou be the further off in thy fulness?

§. 6. This indeed my sins have deserved; but thy mercies they are tender, and will not deal with me according to my deserts; wherefore remember then thy old mercies, not my old sins, thy tender compassions not my present transgrssions; call not to mind the sins of my youth, to visit them upon the years of my riper age; wean me from my youthful sins, and give me not over by a just [ A] judgement upon their provocation, to more manly, more stub∣born impieties. Just it were that the sins of my greener years should deprive me of thy blessing in my riper age; but whilst my sins move thee to wrath, let thy compassions move thee to mercy; that so my former unworthiness with-hold not from me the blessing, and grace of thy present Ordinance, remember thou me in this according to thy mercy, for thy goodness sake, O Lord.

§. 7. According to thy mercy, not mine, for I have forsaken those [ B] mercies thou madest mine own, in being cruel to my self by my sin;* through distrust of thy promise, upon presumptions in thy mercy; yea let it be, for thy goodness sake not mine, for in me,* that is in my flesh dwelleth no manner of thing that is good; let thy goodness then be the motive, thy mercy the rule of all that grace, and of all those blessings, thou vouchsafest unto my soul.

§. 1. GOod and upright is the Lord, therefore will he teach sinners in the way; The true knowledge then, O God, of thy will is the gracious manifestation of thy goodness, Good is the Lord in the graciousness of his promises, upright is the Lord in the tru•h of his performances; and this grace and truth which is the habitation of [ E] his Throne, is the refuge of the sinner, the sanctuary of the penitent; whom he teacheth in the way, even the way of truth, the way of ho∣liness, the way of life.

§. 2. The Lord is good; And where Oh my soul canst thou bet∣ter tast the goodness of the Lord, then in this blessed Eucharist,* the sacred feast of the Lords goodness? and as his goodness doth invite thee, so let his uprightness encourage thee; for that, faithful is he Page  14 who hath p omised, faithful to give according to his promise, heal∣ing for thy wounds, strengthning for thy weakness, comfort for thy sorrow, yea, give that which is the compendium of all spiritual good things,*Peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost.

§ 3. Why art thou so heavy O my soul? and why art thou so cast down within me?* Is it because thou hast broken the Covenant of thy God, even the Covenant of reconciliation sealed thee by the Sacrament, and that thus, by thy sin, thou art become at enmi∣tie [ A] with thy maker? Be it so, yet will not the Lord who is good, be as gracious to his Enemies, as he requires us to be to ours? It is his own Law, If thou meet thine enemies Ox or his Ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again;* Now God meets us sinners,* and all sinners, as such are his Enemies; he meets us stray∣ing-like the beast without understanding; and what? will he not bring us again unto himself, the sole proprietarie by that first right of Creation, and that more firm right of Redemption. [ B]

§ 4. Our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus blessed for ever, he comes to seek those that are lost, to raise those that are faln; yea, read his Commission, Luk. 4.18. he comes to preach the Gospel to the poor, to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, to recover sight to the blind, and to set at liberty them that are bruised,* to this, to all this is he sealed of the Father, and that he will do it he seals unto us in the Sacrament; so that as sure as the Lord is good and upright, merciful and faithful, so sure it is he will [ C] not cast off the penitent, he will not reject the humble, but will teach even sinners in the way.

§. 5. The way,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, By an excellencie above all the waies of men and of the world, in respect of the Author that prescribes it,* it is the way of the Lord; in respect of the hand that points it out, it is the way of truth;* in respect of the passengers which read it, it is the way of the just;* and in respect of the end to which it brings us, it is the way of life;* but as to the proper nature and essential be∣ing [ D] of this way,* this, the way; it is the obedience of faith; the obedi∣ence of faith, that Gospel-path, in which we have Christ for our leader, the Saints for our fellow-travellers;* and the Word of God for a light unto our feet, and the blessed Sacrament our best Viaticum, the choicest provision for our spiritual journey, in this our earthly pilgrimage to the heavenly Canaan.

§. 6. Be it so then, that when now my soul would raise it self on the wing of prayer, and approach the Throne of Grace in this bles∣sed [ E] Ordinance; be it so that my accusing conscience tells me, I am a sinner, and therefore not worthy the knowledge of God, or the quicknings of his grace, not worthy a communion with Christ, a participation of his fulness; yet to this shall my afflicted soul reply, in the returns of faith, God even teacheth sinners in the way, so they be humble, penitent sinners; and from hence know I, that the Page  15 Lord teacheth sinners, even from hence, that he is good and up∣right, Good and upright is the Lord, therefore will he teach sinners in the way.

§. 7. Further yet, The meek he will guid in judgement, and the meek will he teach his way; the humble and meek God will en∣lighten and instruct, to a right discerning the waies of his provi∣dence. and the misteries of his truth; he will not suffer them to be lead away with the error of the wicked,* but amidst the many secular [ A] changes, and seducing heresies, he gives them the Spirit of VVisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him;* and thus the eye of their un∣derstanding being enlightned, whatsoever is the condition of their temporal being, they know what is the hope of their spiritual calling, even the glorious riches of an heavenly inheritance.

§. 8. Thus then does God give grace to the humble, to the humble not so properly said to the humbled; for humbled we may be, when prest down under the weight of punishment; but humble we cannot [ B] be unless laid low in the sence of sin, without this sence of sin, we shall be as far from being humble, as from having grace. But Oh the languishings of my soul under the weight of my sin!*My sins are gone over my head, and are become a sore burden too hea∣vy for me to bear; too heavy not onely in their punishment and wrath, but even in their pollution and guilt: If so, yet, though humbled, be not dejected, O my soul, but rather comfort, O com∣fort thy self in this holy Sacrament of thy Jesus, through faith in the [ C] promises of his grace; for that by how much the more thou art humbled for thy sin, by so much the more do those promises of grace and glory belong to thee in the Gospel; which are peculiar∣ly made of God in Christ, and by Christ conveyed in his Sacrament to the meek and lowly in heart.*

§. 9. To such, to such it is, Christ here calls, with a venite ad me, Come unto me; And all those who thus come unto Christ, even unto [ D] Christ in this his Ordinance, they shall find rest unto their souls,* to whom belongs the promise here, that he will guid them in judgement, and learn them his ways, whereby they became 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, taught of God; he will so judge them, as to guid them in judgement; so correct them, as that their corrections shall draw them to him, not drive them from him, their 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 shall be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, their cor∣rections shall be their instructions, they shall teach them his waies.

[ E] §. 10. If God then teach sinners, they must be such as are humbled for their sin, and in their humiliation become meek and lowly in heart; and well might the Apostle say of a meek spirit,* that it is in the sight, that is in the judgement and approbation of God, of great price, of much value; when here the whole work of sanctification is comprised in the one grace of meekness; and no wonder then, if so few know the waies of God, when so many are inraged with pas∣sion, Page  16 filled with envy, swoln with malice; to be far from meekness is to be far from God, far from holiness, far from truth; for it is the meek that he will guide in judgement; it is the meek that he will teach his waies.

§. 11. But further yet, All the pathes of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his Covenant and his Testimonies. It is the mournful complaint of the devout soul, saying, Since I came last to this Table of the Lord, and entred anew into covenant wi h my God, oh! how have I broken my sacred vows, by my sinful relapses? [ A] Yea notwithstanding mine often sincere desires, and seemingly firm resolutions, yet how weak have been my holy endeavors, and much more imperfect my spiritual performances? To this sad complaint of mournful penitence, the Word of God returns this gracious answer of divine comforts, that all his paths are mercy and truth; mercy goes before his face to prepare a way, to make plain a path for the access of languishing souls to his Throne of Grace; yea this [ B] blessed Sacrament is the very Mercy-seat of our God, where Jesus Christ is exhibited to the Father, as the propitiation and atonement for the faithful.

*§. 12. Where then there is faith and repentance; it is not our fail∣ing, that shall make Gods truth to fail; not our defects which shall make his promises of none effect; no, though justice, exact justice, doth require a perfection of our obedience, yet mercy, indulgent mercy will vouchsafe acceptance through Christ; through Christ, in whom [ C] mercy and truth are met together,* on purpose that righteousness and peace may kiss each other; even in him our blessed Mediator, in him do meet all the paths of God, in which he brings salvation to his Church; and those paths are now become beaten roads, right viae Regiae, the King of Heavens high-waies, in which we have our pas∣sage from sin and death, to righteousness and life; from guilt and misery, to holiness and glory; and these paths of our God, what are they but his Mercy and Truth in Christ Jesus? [ D]

§. 13. But O my soul, that the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, it is to them that keep his Covenant and his testimonies; seeing then thou hast broken his Covenant, and transgrest his Testimonies, how canst thou expect the acceptance of mercy, and the blessings of truth? True, I have sinned, and through my sin, mine obedience is become imperfect; but what, is not the Covenant of my God a Covenant of Grace;* where mercy rejoyceth, yea triumpheth a∣gainst judgment? yea, is not the Covenant of my God, that Co∣venant [ E] made with Abraham, confirmed by Christ, and sealed by this holy Sacrament, a part of which Covenant is the remission of sins? if so, then shall faith and repentance be accepted through Christ, and all my imperfections made up with the righteousness of his most perfect obedience.

§. 14. Indeed, were our obedience perfect, what need should we Page  17 have of Christ, to justifie and save us? though Truth and Justice then may blame, and condemn our failings, in the keeping of Gods testimonies; yet grace and mercy go before, to vail all with the robe of Christs righteousness, to a pardoning our infirmities,* an accepting our persons, and a rewarding our services▪ though we cannot then keep the Covenant and Testimonies of our God in an Angelical pu∣rity, yet may we do it in an Evangelical sinceritie; though not in a [ A] full perfection, yet in a sincere endeavor of holy obedience,* and blessed is that soul which shall witness the saving comfort of this sa∣cred doctrine, that all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth un∣to such as keep, even thus keep his Covenant and his Testimo∣nies.

§. 1. THe very best of Gods Saints do not so perfectly keep the Covenant and Testimonies of their God, but that in thoughts of his Covenant, they may well have a sense of their sin; in the meditation of his Testimonies, they may well have an appre∣hension [ C] of their transgressions; and this is that which put David here upon this emphatical ejaculation of fervent prayer, For thy names sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity for it is great.

§. 2. Thou Lord, not only art good and gracious, but thou wilt also be so acknowledged, so declared; yea, as such worshipped and adored, that thy name then be not dishonored, let me though a sinner be accepted; pardon mine iniquity, that it be not said, thou ever rejectedst a poor penitent, and thereby lose the glory of thy name, whose name is [ D] merciful. A merciful clemency is a royal vertue,* and honorable in every Soveraign Majesty; thou then, O Lord,* who art the King of Glory make this thy holy Sacrament to be the broad Seal to my pardon; and this, for thy names sake, even for thy mercy sake, by which thou art as well known, as any man can be by his own name.

§. 3. I plead not, Lord, my merits, who am less then the least of thy mercies, and as I look not upon my merit, so nor do thou [ E] look upon my demerit; as I do not view my worthiness, so nor do thou view my unworthiness; but thou who art called the God of mercy, be unto me what thou art called; make good the glory of thine own name in being merciful unto my sin; of which, I cannot say as Lot of Zoar, is it not a little one? no, it is great,* for that it is against thee so great a God and so good to me; Great, for that my place, my office, my calling is great; the Sun, the higher it is, the Page  18 less it seems but my sins, the higher I am, the greater they are, even in thine, and others eyes.

§. 4. Great, for that my knowledge of thee and thy waies is great, I knew thy will, and yet did it not; my conscience check'd me, and yet I obeyed not; thy Spirit moved me, and yet I yeelded not; Mine iniquity is great for that I have greatly multiplied and increased it, so that it is become great in quality and in quantity; great in weight and in number; very heinous, very numerous; yea the number of my [ A] sins is numberless, those I know and confess, are few in comparison of what are unknown and hidden from me.*

§. 5. Yet further, mine iniquity is great, for that mine apprehensi∣on of it is so great, that I know more ill by my self then by any other; each man best feels his own burden, and the burden of my sins is such as is too heavy for me to bear: Lastly, mine iniquity is great, for that, it is such a debt, as I am no way able in the least part to make satisfaction; And even a little debt is great, to him who hath no∣thing [ B] to pay. Wherefore, O Lord! hide not thy great mercy from me, who hide not my great sins from thee; and the greater is the guilt of my sin, the greater shall be the glory of thy mercy to par∣don it; let it be the glory of thy mercy then to pass by mine offences, so shall the greatness of my sins make the glory of thy mercies more conspicuous, for that where sin hath abounded, there grace doth much more abound.*

§. 6. And thus, though I went against mine own knowledge in [ C] sinning, yet do not thou Lord go against thine own nature in punish∣ing, who hast promised, if we beleeve and repent thou wilt forgive; and now,* as my sins teach them that stand to take heed least they fall, so let thy pardon of my sins, teach them that are faln, upon their repentance, not to doubt of thy mercy and forgiveness; which mercy and forgiveness do thou seal unto my soul, and to each humble penitent, through Jesus Christ, in a return of peace unto our consci∣ences by this blessed Sacrament. [ D]

§. 7. In the close, observe the strange, yet strong argument of faith and repentance; Pardon mine iniquity for it is great, what! does the humble penitent pray and plead for pardon, from the hei∣nousness of the offence, and the multitude of the sins? yea, and an inforcing plea it is too, when uttered from a broken heart and con∣trite spirit; for that then, even then, is God most affected with mer∣cy, when he sees man most afflicted with misery. This cry then of the humble penitent unto God, pardon my iniquity for it is great, is [ E] like that of the languishing patient unto the Phisitian, help me for I am dangerously sick; this we are sure, the greater the sense of sin, the greater the sincerity of repentance; where then there is true peni∣tence, it will be a good argument, to pray, as David here does: For thy name sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity for it is great.

[ A] §. 1. OH the water-floods of ungodliness! which over-flow the world, as another deluge, in a general apostacy from truth and righteousness; yet who is it, that fears drowning? who is it that in sense of sin, and remorse of soul, fears, humbly and contrite∣ly fears, the just wrath and vengeance of God? Many there are in deed, who plead for Reformation, and pretend the fear of the Lord, but what do they but cast out Devils by Beelzebub? cast out prodigality, by covetousness; superstition, by prophaneness; Pope∣ry [ B] by Atheism, and the like? Yea, as the Psalmist speaks, whilst the vilest of men are exalted; exalted to Moses Chair, and Aarons Altar, needs must it follow, that the wicked walk on every side,*am∣bulant in circuitu (as the vulgar Translation reads it) they walk about in a circle; pursuing their worldly interest, they tread a large circumference of sins, of which Hell it self is the Center.

§. 2. See their character from the pen of an Apostle, Rom. 3.13. [ C] Their throat is an open sepulchre, with their tongues they have used de∣ceipt, the poison of Asps is under their lips. And what is the true orginal, as well as the high aggravation of all this wickedness? what but that vers. 18. There is no fear of God before their eyes. So that, in wonder at the rarity of a person, truely religious, we may well say, Quis ille vir? What man is he that feareth the Lord? But it is not onely the rarity, but more especially the excellency of the truly religious that David here in devout meditations so much [ D] admires.

§. 3. He had said vers. 10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies, and now reflecting upon himself he seems to make this the meaning of his here registred meditation; Oh how does my conscience accuse me, and my sin testifie against me, that mine iniquity is great, so that though all the waies of God be mercy and truth,* yet seeing it is to them that keep his covenant and his testimonies. I cannot find [ E] comfort in his promises whilst I continue in my sins; I cannot joy in his mercy, whilst I languish in my guilt; but as for him who hath God always before his face, to over-aw his soul from trangressing his commands,* thereby injoying him in his love, and the light of his countenance, thereby preserving intire his claim to the promises of grace and life, his hope of glory and blessedness; Oh the excellencie and greatness! Oh the beauty and loveliness! Oh the bliss and happiness of such a Page  20 soul of such a Saint! O quis ille vir; what a man is he, he who thus feareth the Lord?

§. 4. Whilst others fear those who kill the body, the truly re∣ligious fears him who can kill both body and soul,* and kill not only as wicked oppressors per modum potentiae, by way of power, but as a righteous Judge per modum justitiae, by way of justice. Many there are obstinately wicked, who yet fear when they have offended, struck with the horror of their guilt; but it is the devout∣ly [ A] religious who fear to offend, struck with the hatred of the sin. It is one thing to fear because we have sinned, another thing not to sin because we fear: The former is oftentimes from the earth, earthly; the latter is alwaies from heaven, heavenly; the former does arise oft-times from the love of our selves, the latter only from the love of God.

*§. 5. Fear is the Spouses myrrh; which, when it is lest we of∣fend, like the myrrh flowing of its own inclination, it is much the [ B] better; but when it is because we have offended, like the myrrh of the second flowing, which comes not without incision, some smart and anguish upon the soul; the former is the preservative, the latter is the plaister; the former prevents the malady, the latter helps to the cure. Of both we may say by way of excellencie, though of the former in the greater excellencie, What man is he that thus feareth the Lord? Feareth for what? why, not so much for his judgments as his mercies: To fear him for his judgments, that is servile; to fear [ C] him for his mercies, that is true filial fear. When his Judgments of wrath are upon us,* who is it that will not fear? It was of old, There∣after as a man feareth, so is thy displeasure: But now the tables are turn'd, and it is the direct contrary; Thereafter as is thy displeasure, so is mans fear.

§. 6. Gods judgments and mans fear (unless it be with those desperately wicked, who are even fearless of Gods judgments) they keep pace? If he severely inflict his wrath, then a seemingly devout [ D] fear is upon us; but if he take off his rod, we presently cast off our fear: whereas the devout and truly pious soul will say as the Psalm∣ist does,*There is mercy w•th thee, O Lord, therefore shalt thou be feared. Indeed, to the Godly, all the ways of God are mercy; so that we can∣not tread the path of holiness, but we must set foot in the way of mercy, especially when we come to Gods house, and approach the Lords table; there, there the Lord receives us into Covenant, con∣firming to us his grace; both the grace of Justification in the remis∣sion [ E] of sins, and the grace of Sanctification by the spirit of holiness; yea, here he communicates the fulness of his benefits, the riches of his blessings, the sweetness of his love; here he strengthens us in spiritual life, and gives us the pledge of eternal glory: And who is it that will not fear, lest by unworthiness he deprive himself of all this mercy? or by unthankfulness sin against all this love?

Page  21§. 7. What man is he then that feareth the Lord? that feareth to be absent from this holy Table, this blessed Sacrament, yet feareth to come unprepared to it? That man shall be as blessed in his coming, as he is rare to find. Blessed shall he be, 1. in the sacred knowledg of Christs will; Him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. 2. Blessed shall he be in the quiet peace of a good conscience; his soul shall dwell at ease. 3. Blessed he shall be in the [ A] present comfort of an hopeful progenie; his seed shall inherit the earth.

§. 8. (1.) Blessed in the knowledg of Christs will; him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. He that feareth the Lord, let him in this Sacrament commit his way unto the Lord,* as for the bles∣sings of his Providence, so for the instruction of his Spirit, and the guidance of his hand; that so the way which he shall walk, may not be so much of his own, as of Gods choice; and not so much of his [ B] election, as of Gods approbation. So shall the Lord teach him in the way; not only direct him to find it in the knowledg of his Word, but also enable him to walk in it, in a conformity to his will; sancti∣fying him throughout, the understanding to discern, the will to em∣brace, the affections to pursue, the whole man to act what is holy, and just, and good.

§. 9. And thus we know then, which is the right way (amidst the many now Cross-paths of Heresie and Schism) we know, which [ C] is the right way of truth and holiness, not that which we devise, but which God doth choose: for it is God alone who must prescribe the rule, by which we are to square our lives; the form, by which we are to order his Worship. And therefore the Church from the be∣ginning hath still worshipp'd God according to Divine revelation, not humane discretion, acknowledging as one true God, so one true manner of Worship, of which God himself is the Author; the Au∣thor in his Word, his Word of truth, the glass of his Divinity; [ D] from which Word (declared in his holy Gospel) and by his Spirit conveyed in the blessed Sacrament) he that feareth the Lord shall be taught in the way that he shall choose, to the making him blessed in the saving knowledg of his sacred will.

§. 10. (2.) Blessed in the quiet peace of a good conscience, His soul shall dwell at ease, His soul: happily he may, with S. Paul,*bear in his body the marks of the Lord Iesus, in his sufferings for his name; his person imprisoned, his estate seised, his name defamed, [ E] yet his soul enjoys its peace, its ease, its rest. And when the World shall curse and condemn, O the blessed peace of that mans soul, whose conscience in the name of God shall acquit and absolve! Sweet peace! the peculiar blessing of the truly sanctified, yea, the special bene∣fit of this blessed Sacrament, which as it seals the Covenant of grace, so of peace, in a perfect reconciliation with God by Christ.

Page  22§. 11. In this peace of conscience, sure we are, to find ease of soul; yea, pernoctabit anima, the soul shall dwell, or lodge all night in rest, all the night of the Churches distress, the dark and doleful night of heresies and schisms, of oppression and violence; the soul that is at peace with God, being instructed in his truth, and sancti∣fied with his grace, shall have its light in darkness, its easeful rest of spiritual comforts, amidst the tumultuous changes of temporal troubles. Yea, pernoctabit in bono; when with others, either their [ A] designs of mischief, or their horror of guilt, shall keep them waking, the holy innocence of him that feareth the Lord shall have its bed of rest.

§. 12. And it is not worldly calamity that shall so dismay his soul, as to fright him, from the profession of a true faith; no, the holy fear of God shall destroy all such sinful fears of men, even as Moses's Serpent devoured all those Serpents of the Magicians; efficit timor Dei, ut caetera non possint timeri, the fear of God hath this good [ B] effect, that it makes other things not to be feared; so that the soul of him who feareth the Lord doth dwell, as in rest, so in goodness; as in peace, so in patience; till this moment of time be swallowed up in the fulness of eternity, and he change his earthly dwelling, for an heavenly Mansion; and his spiritual peace, for an everlasting blessed∣ness. And when he that feareth the Lord shall be translated to that eternal bliss, of which spiritual peace is the earnest, and the blessed Sacrament the pledge; that God whom he feared, shall take care [ C] of his children, that they, by the blessing of his Providence, as his seed shall inherit the earth, which is the third blessedness, the present comfort of an hopeful progeny.

§. 13. His seed; so near and dear are children, especially good children, to their parents, that they are their very seed, as if them∣selves were but as chaff or straw without them; and to them as well as unto the Parents, belong the promises; for so saith God to Abraham,*I will be thy God and the God of thy seed after thee; true [ D] it is, temporal promises were the reward of legal obedience, but now spiritual and eternal mercies are the incouragements of our E∣vangelical righteousness; yea Canaan being a type of Heaven, the temporal promises under the Law, were the typical figures of those spiritual blessings given us in promise under the Gospel. So that, though the generation of the righteous shall be blessed,* yet may a righ∣teous generation lose the inheritance of their fathers; their just possessions, by unjust violence; and this without breach of this pro∣mise, [ E] that the seed of those who fear the Lord shall inherit the earth.

§. 14. For that, to inherit the earth, as spoken of Canaan in the type, doth represent us the Evangelical promise of inheriting Heaven, as the thing typified; of which heavenly inheritance they cannot be deprived, by an earthly violence, who are the righteous seed of him Page  23who feares the Lord: Thus have we seen the blessedness of him that feareth the Lord, blessed in the saving knowledge of Christs sacred will; in the quiet peace of a good conscience; and in the pre∣sent comfort of a hopeful progeny; all which is implied when Da∣vid here says, VVhat man is he that feareth the Lord, him shall he teach in the way that he shall chuse, his soul shall dwell at ease, and his seed shall inherit the earth.

[ A] §. 15. To sum up all then, what man is he that feareth the Lord? that feareth lest he offend, and feareth till he obtain pardon of his offences? And therefore now, that mercy comes down from heaven in this blessed Sacrament, and rests upon this Ordinance as a sacred Mercy-seat; he does not, with Adam in the garden, withdraw and hide himself in a distrustful fear; but as Aaron in the Temple,* he draws near in an awful reverence with the incense of prayer,* to be received to mercy, and obtain attonement for his sin.

[ B] §. 16. Blessed shall this man be, blessed in his imployments abroad, and in his retirements at home, in himself and in his issue; blessed in his imployments abroad; for that, whereas the way of man is not in himself, it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps,* when he is in a strait, and knows not what to chuse, the Lord shall guide him in his choyce, and put upon him a good course; so that whatsoe∣ver he taketh in hand it shall prosper: Prosper,* if not to his temporal advantage, yet to his spiritual benefit; in respect of which spiritual [ C] benefit it is, that Rom. 8.28. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, all things work toge∣ther for good, for good, to them that love, and to them that fear God.

§. 17, And as thus blessed in his imployments abroad, so second∣ly, in his retirements at home; when his soul drawn abroad by worldly affairs, and publick imployments, shall retire home into his own breast, in his reflective self-examining meditations, how does it then dwell at ease, within his own doors? no Shrew there to bate [ D] him, no accusing guilt like a hellish fury to vex and disquiet him, but all is still, and at rest, in the quiet peace of a good conscience. Yea further, blessed, not onely in himself, but also in his Issue, in his Chil∣dren, those pledges of love, and hopes of his family, whom with di∣ligent care he instructs to the possession of the best intail, the fear of the Lord; not so much solicitous, that as his children, they may pos∣sess his temporal estate; as that being Gods children, they may be joynt possessors with him of the heavenly inheritance; of which [ E] heavenly inheritance, as Canaan was the type, so are the promises of the Gospel the conveyances, the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the seal; and the Spirit of Grace, the sure earnest and pledge.

§. 1. HEre we have Davids Argument to prove Gods blessing upon them that fear him, and he makes use of a twofold medium; The first, from the operations of his grace. The second from the manifestations of his love. 1. The operations of his grace, •he secret of the Lord is with them that fear him. 2. The mani∣festations [ B] of his love, He will shew them his Covenant. 1. Medium, Davids Argument drawn from the operations of Gods grace, the secret of the Lord, &c. the secret, even that St. Peter calls 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the hidden man of the heart; The new man regenerate by the spirit of grace. Which new birth is set forth unto us in Scripture, by the womb and dew of the morning; the birth of the regenerate,* like that of the morning dew, it is heaven∣ly and secret; the vapor exhaled by the Sun, is of an earthly sub∣stance: [ C] which, by a celestial operation is changed into an airy dew; thus the earthly minds of natural men, raised and renewed by the power of grace, are converted into a spiritual frame and hea∣venly temper.

§. 2. Further, the birth of the dew is secret and undiscerned; when it is faln we see what it is, but know not how it is made; thus the new man, we discern when it is formed, but cannot discover the point of time, or manner of action, when and how it is wrought. [ D] As of our natural generation, so much more of our spiritual regene∣ration;*We are fearfully and wonderfully made; the womb is not so secret a Work-House of nature, for the generation of the body; as the heart is of grace, for the regeneration of the soul.

§. 3. The effectual vocation whereby we are called unto Christ it is vocatione altâ (So St. Aug.) by a secret and deep call, which speaks to the heart of the most desperate sinner, in that Is. 30.21. there saith God, of the Christian Convert, Thou shalt hear a voyce [ E] behinde thee saying, this is the way, walk in it; a voyce behind thee, not onely to denote unto us Gods indulgent mercy, that when we fl•e, and even turn our backs upon him, he then calls unto us to turn unto him; but a voyce behind thee, to shew that the call of the Spi∣rit is secret and undiscerned.* Thus the voluntary breathings and free accesses of the Spirit unto the soul, in the operations of grace, as Page  25 they are actively powerful, so are they indisernably secret; which secret operations of grace, that they infallibly and inseparably accom∣pany the fear of the Lord, will appear by a short view of those Theo∣logical Vertues, Faith, Hope, and Charity; the very vital parts of the new man.

§. 4. Observe we then, how the Antients compare our Christian hope to the Shop and Store-house of blood, the Liver; and there∣fore [ A] Clemens of Alexandria, calls hope very aptly, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the blood of faith, which carrieth the very life of Religion in it; so that as hope wasteth, so faith decaies, and religion it self faints. Now if Faith be the Heart, and Hope the Liver of the new man, then is Fear metaphorically the Lungs: which with a gentle breath, of aw∣fulness and reverence, fans and cools them both keeping Faith and Hope in an healthful temper; which otherwise would soon have their heats and heights, to the indangering the eternal welfare of the whole [ B] man. For that, too sad experience tels us, how many by denying the Saints can sin, and so excluding fear, have been by Satan cast down headlong, from the high top of presumption, into the lowest pit of despair.

§. 5. Yea, how many puft up with the fancied conceit of their fellowship with Christ, forget that he is their Lord?* and so casting off their awful fear, become so far transported with the Gospels priviledges, that they lay themselves open to Satans temptations, [ C] especially the temptations most dangerous and destructive, spiritual pride, and a careless security. Wheras that Rabbinical note may be well worth our Christian observation upon Gen. 31.42. where Jacob calls the Lord the God of Abraham then deceased, but the fear of Isaac, then surviving; to shew, that whilst we live we ought to fear, and though we stand, lest we fall; for the way to be secure of mercy, is to beware of security, and to confirm our hope of possessing, do we still nourish our fear of losing Heaven; for certain it is, an holy fear [ D] is well consisting with a firm hope, which holy fear, as well as hope of future blessedness, is a good means to be blessed.

§. 6. And as thus the fear of the Lord is accompanied with Faith and Hope, so also with Love. True it is, St. John he tells us, perfect love, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, casteth out fear, foras ejicit,* casteth it out of doors; but it is that fear which disturbs, not that which preserves the quiet of the house, the peace of the soul; that which does extinguish, not that which does inflame our charity; that which is a servile, not [ E] that which is a filial fear. To fear because we have sinned against God as an avenging Iudge, this servile fear, love quiet casts out of doors; but not to sin because we fear offending God, as a gracious Father; this filial fear, it is so far from being cast out, that it is loves dearest inmate, the one mutually sustaining the other; so that we may well pray, as the Church hath well taught us,*Lord make us to have a perpetual fear and love of thy holy name.

Page  26§. 7. However then the external profession of the truly religious, may be imitated by that artificial sanctity of the formal hypocrite; yet who is't, that can draw out the lineaments of life, sense, and mo∣tion? Who can counterfeit the internal forms and active principles of grace? secrets, not visible to the eye, but sensible to the soul; from whence we draw an infallible argument of Gods blessing, to say with David, The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will shew them his Covenant. [ A]

§. 8. The second Medium, the manifestations of his love; He will shew them his Covenant;* the natural man knoweth not the things of the Spirit of God; and no wonder, for he is blind, at least 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,* as St. Peter speaks non procul videns, one sand-blind, that cannot see a far off the good things of Gods Covenant and grace they are deep, and in their depth have too much of misterious dark∣ness; they are high, and in their height, have too much of glorious brightness, for the purblind eye of the earthly soul, and carnal man, [ B] to search and apprehend. And O the refreshings of divine love to the truely penitent! when God by his word discovers their sin, then by his spirit he withal manifests his grace, he shews them his Covenant, even life and salvation by Jesus Christ. And by this we may know, whe∣ther the discovery of sin be a temptation or an humiliation, whe∣ther it be from Satan to tempt to despair, or from God to humble in repentance.

§. 9. The spirit of grace and truth laies open sin in the soul as a [ C] careful Chyrurgeon doth a wound in the body, in a warm room, a∣mong tender friends, and with suppleing remedies; his end not be¦ing to torture, but to heal; not to make soar, but to make whole; but now the spirit of error and wickedness laies open sin, as the mis∣cheivous murderer does the wound, in the open air, and the soul drawn away from Christ, and his promises; on purpose to torment, and kill, not to cure and save. The promises, priviledges, and blessings then of Gods Covenant, they are not known in their saving truth, but by [ D] the humble soul; even by those who fear the Lord: for that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, so the Sept. to them the Lord will declare and make known his Covenant, even his Covenant of Crace, in which are concentred all the promises of the Gospel; and this Covenant he will shew to them that fear him, especially in that which is the firm foundation of their comforts, as to the immutability of his love, and the sta∣bility of his promise.

§. 10. First, The immutability of his love; the grace and love [ E] of God as the Agent, is not founded upon any motives or reasons in man, as the object, as if merit or worth in man, did either beget or continue favor and love in God;* no, he justifies us when ungodly, he reconciles us when enemies, he quickens us when dead; and therefore must it be that we are freely justified, and so eternally saved by his grace, through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ. Now Page  27 if when enemies by wicked works,* we were reconciled by the death of Christ; if when dead in sins, we were were quickened by the Spirit of grace; how much more being quickened, being reconciled, shall our infirmities be pardoned, our falls repaired, our persons accepted, and our services rewarded? If when we were enemies, Gods grace did prevent us to make us his children, how much more being Gods children, shall the same grace preserve us from becoming his [ A] enemies?

§. 11. The love of God in his Covenant of grace,* it is an ever∣lasting love; which everlasting love, sure, cannot end in an eternal hate. So that though we are unworthy, yet does he continue graci∣ous; though we deserve his wrath, yet will he bestow his love; his love unchangeable like himself, for God is love; and as Mal. 3.6. I am the Lord, I change not, therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

[ B] §. 12. (2.) The stability of his promise. In Jer. 32.40. God tells us, he will make an everlasting Covenant with his people: And how is •t everlasting? why, says God, I will not turn away from them to do them good. But though God be immutable in his grace, un∣changeable in his love, and so, constant in his promise, yet what if his people through humane frailty fall from him, and so make void the Covenant of the Almighty? To this God himself gives answer, v. 40. for the comfort of all the faithful; I will put my fear into [ C] their hearts, saith the Lord, that they shall not depart from me. Thus does God give the promise, and strengthens man to the con∣dition of his Covenant: so that they who are begotten to a lively hope by Jesus Christ,* are kept by the power of God through faith to salvation. And thus our holiness depends upon Gods promise, not Gods promise upon our holiness. Deus facit ut nos faciamus quae praecepit, nos non facimus ut ille faciat quae promisit; (so S. Aug.) God makes us to do what he hath commanded, we do not make [ D] God to do what he hath promised: But as remission of sins is from his grace, even his gracious favor accepting; so is the obedience of faith from his grace too, even the grace of his Spirit sancti∣fying.

§. 13. So that all our comfort of soul and peace of conscience is firmly fixt upon this sure Basis, this firm foundation, the immuta∣bility of Gods love, and the stability of his promise. For so, Heb. 6.17. God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise [ E] the immutability of his counsel, (and in that his love) he confirm'd it by an oath: And wherefore? Was it to make his obligation more firm? No, but to make our consolation more full: For so, v. 18. it was, that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lye, we might have strong consolation. Gods covenant is not made the more firm or sure by oath then by promise; for that his truth, as his nature, it is without variableness or shadow of turning:*Page  28 And it is not any thing that can add to its immutability; for as to infinity in respect of extension, so to immutability in respect of firmness, there can be no accession of parts, nor addition of degrees.

§. 14. Wherefore, as mans oath adds not to the truth of his word, so nor Gods oath to the certainty of his promise: So that, meerly to shew unto the faithful,*the heirs of promise, the immutability of his counsel, he confirmed it by an oath; which was for the greater [ A] testimony of his love, in the stronger assurance of our faith, being fixt upon the firm stability of his promise; from which stability of p•omise, we draw an infallible argument, to prove the blessing of God upon them that fear him, He will shew them his covenant. Who is it now that feareth the Lord, and in that fear approacheth a communion with Christ in his ordinance, his holy Sacrament? that God may now acquaint him with his Covenant, in the manifestations of his love, let him first see to this, that he be acquainted with his secret [ B] in the operations of his grace.

§. 15. And here, that we rest not on moral principles, or on a formal sanctity, do we examine the operations of grace in a real holi∣ness, such as meer morality cannot reach, nor formal hypocrisie counterfeit.

See we then what is the secret of the Lord with them that fear him, in the operations of grace: 1. In respect of their contritions and humiliations: 2. In respect of their hungrings and thirstings after [ C] righteousness: 3. In respect of their holy purposes and godly reso∣lutions: 4. In respect of their earnest prayers and fervent suppli∣cations: 5. In respect of their humble assurance of Gods love and acceptance through Christ.

§. 16. (1.) Their contritions and humiliations; in which their sight and sense of sin is not only in respect of the general corruption of their nature, but also the particular and more enormous trans∣gressions of their life; yea, they view sin, not so much in its horror [ D] of guilt,* as in its pollution of filth; not so much as exposing to wrath and hell, as setting at enmity with God, and estranging the soul from Christ. And thus doth Christs grace work upon their hearts, with the Laws threatnings tempered with the Gospels promises; thereby bruising and breaking them in contritions of soul, mollifying and melting them in languishings of spirit: Oh this the secret of the Lord, these the operations of grace in Contritions and Humi∣liations! [ E]

§. 17. (2.) In hungrings and thirstings after righteousness, which arise in the soul from faith in the promises of Christ; those of Justification by his Blood, and those of Sanctification by his Spirit: yea, that knowledg of God and of Christ which they had formerly, being speculative, now becomes practical; and they find those Scri∣ptures true in experience and trial, which before they viewed only in Page  29 fancy and notion.* So that nothing appears more beautiful to their sou•s, then the worship and service of their God; nothing more joyous then communion with Christ, and fellowship with his Saints. And therefore do they breath forth their longings after righteous∣ness, with holy David; Oh that our ways were made so direct,* that we might keep thy statutes! And as they have no comfort in their souls, till God speaks peace unto their consciences; so nor have they [ A] quiet in their consciences, till God give further grace unto their souls, that grace of sanctification whereby they may perfect holiness in the fear of God.*

§. 18. (3.) Holy purposes and godly resolutions; which resoluti∣ons of their souls are conformable to the admonition of the Apostle, Act. 11.23. even with purpose of heart to cleave unto the Lord. And whereas the purposes of the Hypocrite, they are ab extra, from without, from Gods judgments, or mans perswasions; their holy [ B] purposes, they are ab infra, from within, from the sense of Gods mercy and Christs love, which does so powerfully aff•ct their souls, that they are with David at a Juravi, I have sworne,*and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments. They make it their solemn vow and sincere resolution to observe the Law of their God, and the precepts of their Redeemer. And according to the sincerity of their holy resolutions, so do they order the integrity of their holy obedience, even in an universal and impartial respect to [ C] all Gods commandments; not allowing, not approving, yea,* not ex∣cusing or indulging themselves in the commission of the least evil, of which their conscience is convinc'd, that it is a sin against their just and holy God, their good and gracious Father.

§. 19. (4.) Earnest prayers, and fervent supplications. How many, oh how many are the deep sighs, how many the mournful groans, how many the secret wishes, how many the pantings and longings which they feel in their souls, as so many ebullitions of grace, [ D] so many breathings of the Spirit! And all these oft-times before they can in affiance of faith gain wing in prayer, to present and enlarge themselves in supplications before the Throne of grace? In which supplications they are not more earnest and importunate for justifi∣cation, then they are for sanctification; for remission of sins, then for newness of life: yea, they sue with as much fervency and importunity for holiness, as for happiness; for grace, as for glory.

[ E] §. 20. (5.) Their humble assurance of Gods love, and acceptance through Christ. And for this know, that the Spirit of supplication which gives them words to put up their prayer unto God through Christ, the same Spirit doth often bring back word unto their souls, that their prayer so put up is accepted; whereby with David they taste and see, that is,* experimentally find and feel that the Lord is God; receiving even whilst they are praying, an answer of their Page  30 prayers returned into their bosom, by a secret contentation of soul, wrought by a sweet illapse of the Spirit. And thus their souls become even transported with a divine joy and heavenly delight; the spiritual communion they obtain with God through Christ in humble prayer, being an earnest of that eternal communion they expect with God and with Christ in the heavenly presence.* Of which eternal communion, and heavenly presence, this blessed Eucharist is the Sacramental seals and pledge, confirming unto us the truth and comfort of this doctrine, [ A] and Text, That, the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will shew them his Covenant.

§. 1. HIs guards are strong, his fence is sure, whose salvation is Christ; which salvation is communicated to us in the promises of grace, exhibited in the ministry of the Word, and more plentifully conveyed, yea more effectually confirmed in the mini∣stration of the Sacraments. Now, to spoil us of the treasure, to rob us of the comfort of this salvation, is Satans grand design in his temptations unto sin, and his suggestions of distrust; for by these he [ C] labors to withdraw us from our God, and deprive us of commu∣nion with Christ, who is our love and our life. But when the bird is mounted on the wing, it is safe from the Fowlers net; and the soul raised in communion with Christ is preserved from Satans snare: And if through infirmity the soul flag and fall to the earth, and so become intangled in carnal and worldly affections; yet keeping the eye fixt upon Christ, looking to him in his Ordinances, to rece ve the quickening power of his grace; though corrupt affections may in∣tangle,* [ D] yet shall they not inthral the soul; which becomes restored by the power of Christs Spirit, a Spirit of life and liberty, a Spirit of Grace and holiness, delivering from the power of Satan and from the dominion of sin.

§. 2. And this, this is Davids practise and experience, registred here by the Holy Ghost, for our pattern and comfort; when to the me∣ditation of Gods promise, and the manifestations of his love, he joyns this profession of faith, saying, Mine eyes are ever towards the [ E] Lord, &c. In which profession of Davids faith we have two particulars, 1. Its firm affiance. 2. Its comfortable assurance. 1. Its firm af∣fiance, Mine eyes are ever towards the Lord. 2. Its comfortable assurance, For he shall pluck my feet out of the net.

§. 3. First, The firm affiance of Davids faith, Mine eyes are ever towards the Lord. Mine eyes, so general and sovereign an influ∣ence Page  31 hath faith into the actual exercise of the divine graces, that it does supply the office of the choycest members, in the spiritual man; therefore is Faith the legs that support, the hand that receives, the arms that imbrace, the pallate that tastes, the eye that beholds, yea, it is the heart of the inward man, the seat of spiritual life; for so says [ A] the Apostle, the just shall live by faith; and again, I live,*yet not I, but Christ that liveth in me, and the life that I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God. And very apt is this metaphor of faith, that it is the eye of the soul, whereby it discerns those things which are invisible, invisible to the eye of sence, and the eye of reason,* yet made evident and visible by an enlightning power of the Spirit to the eye of faith; and therefore is faith called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,* a sacred evi∣dence and divine demonstration of the truth of those things, which neither sence nor reason can apprehend.

§. 4. Many indeed there are eminent in Caldean learning, and [ B] Mathematical science, who in the height of their knowledge, and with the eye of reason pierce the clouds, discern the coelest•al moti∣ons of the heavenly bodies, the inclining, not necessitating, influence of the Stars and Constellations, yet how far short is all this of that Philo calls fides oculata, an illuminated Faith, the eye of the sancti∣fied soul? whereby it pierceth within the vail,* looks into the holy of holies, the most sacred and secret mysteries of grace and glory. This is that Eagles eye, which can receive the Rays of the Sun of [ C] righteousness, being ever towards the Lord, in the sweetness of his love, and the riches of his fulness; By this piercing eye of faith it is, that Abraham through a bleeding sword, and a sacrificed son, does see a posterity numerous as the stars in heaven; by this piercing eye of faith it is, that Israel through a red Sea, and a barren Wil∣derness, does see a land of promise, a Canaan of rest; By this pier∣cing eye of faith it is, that David through a despised Crown, and a broken Scepter, does see a glorious Throne and famous Govern∣ment; [ D] yea, by this peircing eye of faith it is, that Jerusalem, a type of the Church, through a night of distress, and a grave of cap∣captivity, does see a resurrection of peace, and a full Noon of glory,

§. 5. An enlightned faith is not discouraged with difficulties,* nor dampt with dangers, knowing well, that God oftentimes so orders the administrations of his Providence, as that he works his own ends, even by contrary means: So that man is at a stand to determine, whe∣ther is greater, the wonder or the mercy of his Churches deliver∣ance, [ E] Now where lies the strength of faith? why know, not in the habit, but in the object, even in the Lord; the creatures, the Word, the Sacraments they are good mediums, but no full objects, we must look thorow them, as thorow a glass, by which we be∣hold God and Christ, as the full and final object, whereon to fix the the eye of faith, and wherewith to terminate the sight of the soul.

Page  32§. 6. Yea, the blessings of providence, and the graces of the spirit they are but the streams; the Lord, the Lord, he is the fountain; so that when all outward hopes fail, and all inward comforts faint; when there is a perfect vacuum in the creatures, a seeming emptiness in the Or∣dinances, even then the poor soul and afflicted Saint▪ doth find rest and comfort in the Lord.* In him faith sees an Almighty power, and an omniscient wisdom; an infinite grace, and an all-sufficient merit; yea, an all-compassionating mercy. So that were there indeed [ A] no life in the Ordinances, no comfort in the Promises, yet would faith, by Christs assistance, fetch both life and comfort from this fountain of the Lords fulness.

§. 7. Who art thou then, O thou afflicted soul, who in thy spi∣ritual desertions walkest in darkness clouded with sorrows? Oh in thy greatest dejections lift up thine eyes unto the Lord,* that when the rising Sun appears thou mayst see his refreshing light; and how∣ever now by reason of thy present anguish, thou canst not serve God [ B] in alacrity of performance, yet do it in sincerity of obedience; and this, this will be a cranny to convey some beams of light, even in the lowest dungeon of thy spiritual distress. Wait upon the Lord, having thy eye of faith still towards him;* and so shall comforts be redoubled, in a life recovered; and thy difficulties of obtaining, shall the more sweeten thy delights of injoying, even of injoying God and Christ in the refreshing comforts of the Spirit, conveyed and confirmed in his blessed Sacrament. In which blessed Sacrament [ C] especially, let thine eyes be still towards the Lord, in his merits, in his grace, in his benefits, in his love; let him have thy fixed heart, and thine intent eye, yea, let him have thy whole man, for to this end it is that he here gives thee his whole self.

§. 8. And Oh the sweet converses of the devout soul when the divine presence of Christ shall fill its Tabernacle, possess the heart, and so the eye of faith become fixt upon the Lord, in devout con∣templations of his grace and love! So fixt, that with holy David, [ D] When we awake we are still with him; yea, VVe set the Lord always before our face,* he the continual object of our eye, as being the one¦ly object of our love, of our joy, of our delight. Indeed, where should be our hearts, but where is our joy? where our eye, but where our love? and whilst our eyes are on the Lord, the Lords eyes will be on us, so that lifting up our eyes to him above, we shall not fear the snares of our feet beneath; but in all our affairs of life, in all our conditions of being, in all the publick calamities of the Church, [ E] in all the various changes of the World, our firm affiance may have its comfortable assurance, that our eyes being ever towards the Lord, he shall pluck our feet out of the net.

§. 9. Secondly, The comfortable assurance of Davids faith, he shall pluck my feet out of the Net; that is, he shall deliver me from the sinful temptations of Satan, the world and the flesh, which are Page  33 as a net to intangle and insnare the soul. First, such is Satans ma∣lice to the sanctified soul, that not being able by his temptations to deprive of grace, he will not cease his suggestions to rob of comfort; so that as Hercules in his cradle, so the faithful in his infancy of the new man, he does incounter the winding serpent, whom he over∣comes by the blood of the Lamb, through faith in the Lord Jesus.

§. 10. And when Satan thus repulst and beat off, departs from [ A] him, it is but as he did from our Saviour for a while; yea, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, for a season, even till a fitter opportunity to return;* so that again and again does Satan encounter the humble penitent, renewing his terrors to destroy his comforts, and if possible, to overthrow his faith: Oh how does he by subtle insinuations, make the soul to argue against it self, in many needless scruples, and groundless doubtings, intermixt with distrustful fears! But such is the wisedom and mercy of his God, that Satans Wiles they are repelled by Christs truth, [ B] whose gracious promises do silence his doubtful cavellings, and a re∣newed vigor of grace, damp his suggestions of fear; so that the soul rests in peace, receiving some testimonies of divine love, by the Spi∣rit, obtained in fervent prayer.

§. 11. And as thus we have seen something of the combate the faithful have with Satan, so see, Secondly, something of the encounter he has with the world; in which there is a secret antipathy against the spiritual man, as it is observed by our Saviour when he tells his [ C] Disciples, that if they were of the world, the world would love them,* even as the Mother loves her own Children but because he had called them out of the world, therefore did the world hate them. Thus then, the faithful man, in the world, and from the world, he meets with hatred, yea, that hatred sharpened with contempt, derision, and slanders; ay, mens malice doth increase with his goodness, their fury with his piety; so that he meets with loss of liberty, spoil of goods; yea the threatnings, if not execution [ D] of death, and that made more dreadful and formidable, through cru∣elty and tortures.

§. 12. Sometimes again, the world turns her violence into allure∣ments▪ her threathings and fury, into fawnings and flattery; she pre∣sents profit, proffers pleasure, tenders honor, and all to allure and deceive; and the faithful mans danger, is greater from the plausible fairness of the worlds allurements, then from the apparent fierce•ess of her threatnings. But such is the power of divine grace, that [ E] Christ plucks his feet out of the net,* making him by faith to over∣come the world; a sincere faith in the apprehension of Gods love, and the assurance of Christs Kingdom, will powerfully, yea, victorious∣ly repulse the world, in all her incounters of feat, or of favour.

§. 13. As we have seen something of the spiritual conflict which the faithful man has with Satan and the World; So thirdly, see now something of that he hath with the Flesh; which though it be an enemy Page  34 less violent, yet is it more dangerous; whose insinuations being se∣cret, they are the more hurtful, because the less discernable; in this conflict with the flesh, the sanctified person, he feels the bent of nature strugling against the dictates of the Spirit; corrupt disposi∣tions, against gracious inclinations; carnal lusts, against spiritual de∣sires; earthly affections, against heavenly motions; thus he feels the spirit lusting against the flesh,*and the flesh lusting against the spirit; in which domestick War he receives many secret blows, and some [ A] deeply wounding, making him to cry out with St. Paul, Oh wretched man that I am!*who shall deliver me from this body of death? This body of death, in which the inward man is divided against the outward man, the old man against the new man, that is, the same man against himself.

§. 14. And yet, O happy soul which is truly sensible of this spi∣ritual war! it shall assuredly rest in an eternal peace. These several Combates then and conflicts, which the faithful have against Satan, the World, and the Flesh, though they often discourage, yet do [ B] they not quite destroy their holy resolutions; though they do for a while damp and discomfort, yet do they afterwards much quicken and further, their godly conversation. Did not indeed the powerful assistance of Christs Spirit, give strength to their fainting souls those many assaults of their spiritual enemies, would assuredly beat them back, from their holy course; but being by the same spirit strengthned, by which they are sanctified, notwithstanding all the oppositions of the World, or the Flesh, they go forwards in holiness; And no•∣withstanding [ C] all the suggestions of Satan they resolve, and will en∣deavour to live godly in Christ Jesus; being ready in firm affiance and a comfortable assurance, to subscribe this profession of Davids faith. Mine eyes are ever towards the Lord, for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.

§. 15. But now, how may we best fortifie our souls against the sin∣ful temptations of the World and Satan? Answer, By mortifying the corrupt affections of the flesh; For that, most certain it is, Satan [ D] holds intelligence with our lusts; and by their treachery does surprize the Cittadel of the heart. Satan may tempt, but he cannot force the will; So that it is not his tempting but our consenting, which brings guilt upon the soul;* properly then indeed every man is tempt∣ed, when he is drawn away with his own lust, and enticed. Satan he subtly proportions his sinful temptations to our corrupt dispositi∣ons, and therefore where he sees the heart set upon covetousness, he tempts Balaam with the wages of iniquity,* to curse Israel; he [ E] tempts Judas with horrid treason to betray his Master,* he tempts Annanias,* with cursed sacriledge, to alineate to his own use, what he had dedicated to Gods service; Thus also when he sees the heart set upon ambition,* he tempts Corah with desperate rebel∣lion; he tempts Absolon with unnatural treason;* he tempts Arrius with blasphemous Heresie; he tempts Julian with horrid Apostacy.

Page  35§. 16. But now, on the contrary, as an Arrow shot against a Rock may be broken, but cannot enter; thus temptation to the soul▪ it shall be repell'd, where no lust is within to give admittance. Where∣fore, though Satan tempt our Saviour, yet are the darts of his temp∣tations shot in vain: He finds nothing in him;* nothing in Christ of carnal or earthly affection, whereon his temptation might fasten it self. In us then, it is the treacherous correspondencie of the flesh [ A] with Satan and the World, which betrays our souls to their assaults: So that, to fortifie the soul against their sinful temptations, the surest means is, to mortifie the flesh in its corrupt affections.*

§. 17. Now when the solemnity of the holy Eucharist is cele∣brated,* it is a day when the sons of God come to present themselves before the Lord, and we may be sure Satan will also come among them, not only to accuse every unworthy Receiver, but even to tempt the worthiest that receives; tempt him with wandring and [ B] worldly thoughts, with flat and dull affections, yea, it may be with spiritual pride, with formal hypocrisie, or impure imaginations.

Wherefore it will be a second Case seasonably proposed, How we may best attend this sacred solemnity, that we be not entangled in Satans net? Answer, By having our eyes ever towards the Lord, our souls fixt and intent upon Christ in the sufferings of his Passion, the power of his Resurrection, the glory of his Ascension, and the benefit of his Intercession. And this, with the enlargements of contrition, [ C] of faith, of love, of prayer, and of praises.

§. 18. This a fit exercise for the whole solemnity of Administring; but especially in the very act of receiving, when the Minister comes towards thee, (O thou devoted soul!) with the Sacramental pledges of Christs body and blood, raise thy self in this, or the like ejacula∣tion of fervent prayer: O my Jesus, thou boundless mercy and glorious purity, by thy Spirit pierce into every faculty of my soul, cleanse out every corner of my heart, and so sanctifie and enlarge me, that I may [ D] become a fit temple, an holy habitation for thee the Lord of life and Prince of glory. This done, when the sacred bread is administred to thee with a Take, eat, the body of our Lord Jesus Christ; then in thy silent meditations, by a commemoration of faith, behold Christ in the garden,* and see him in his anguish of soul and agony of blood prest under the weight of mans sin and Gods wrath. This being over, behold him betrayed by Judas, apprehended by the Jews, and dragged away to the High-Priests palace, where,* in thy commemorations of [ E] faith, behold him spit upon, blindfolded and buffeted; and after that hurried away to Pilate's Judgment-hall, where being falsely accused, see him unjustly condemned, and after he is scourged with whips,* crown'd with thorns, and sceptred with a reed, mock'd and despight∣fully used; behold him in thy meditations, bearing his cross till he faints under it.

§. 19. At last coming to Mount Calvary, see his limbs stretcht Page  36 and violently distorted, his hands and feet digg'd and bor'd, and at length his precious body nail'd to his Cross; where fix thy medi∣tations of faith in an exercise of contrition and love; that as S. Paul thou mayest become crucified with Christ;* and with good Ignatius in a Pathos of devotion cry out, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; Oh my love, and therein my life, my joy, my Jesus, he is crucified! And in this melting extasie of contrition and love, continue till the Cup be pre∣sented thee, with a Drink this, the blood of our Lord Lord Jesus Christ; [ A] which thou receiving as from Christ in an awful and devout reverence, in a renewed contrition of heart, and devotion of love, renew thy meditations of faith; and in them, whilst thou beholdest thy Saviour hanging upon his Cross, seeing thou canst not conceive his 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, his unknown sufferings, as the Greek Church calls them; seeing thou canst not conceive the Sea of sorrows which overwhelmed his soul, see, oh see those Rivers of blood which overflowed his body; And life flowing out with the blood, see him seal a Consummatum [ B] est to his Passion and our Redemption, with a giving up the ghost.

§. 20. And here say within thy self, Who is it (in a challenge to the Law, and Sin, and Satan) who is it that condemns, seeing it is Christ that dyed?* my Surety, my Saviour, who thus offers up him∣self a sacrifice for my sins? And therefore presenting thy self in the presence of thy God and his holy Angels, raise thy soul in this ap∣prehension of faith; That whatsoever is the guilt of Sin, the accu∣sation [ C] of Satan, or the curse of the Law, all is taken away, cancelled, and abolish'd by the merit of Christs passion. And therefore in thy meditation of holy faith, send forth this ejaculation of fervent prayer: Look down, oh look down, heavenly Father, from thy celestial sanctu∣ary, and behold the sacred Hoast, the death, the passion of my crucified Saviour; whose blood of sprinkling speaks better things then that of Abel's, even things of grace and mercy, of pardon and peace.

*§. 21. And here from the Passion of thy Saviour, proceed in thy [ D] meditations of faith to his Ressurection, and behold him leading Captivity captive, triumphing gloriously over sin and Satan, death and hell. From his Resurrection follow him to his Ascension, and raised by faith,* behold him at the right hand of the Father in glory, where He ever lives to make intercession for us. And therefore presenting thy self before the Throne of grace, powre out thy soul in prayer, in the mediation of Christ Jesus, that God would make good to thee the institution of this holy Sacrament, as the seal of his [ E] Covenant of grace, giving thee a communion with the Lord Jesus in all his benefits; that so, the pardon of thy sins being sealed, a supply of grace exhibited, and the earnest of glory confirmed, thy whole man may be further sanctified, and eternally blessed. And now let the close of all be lauds and praises, even Halleluiah, salvation be unto our God, and unto the Lamb for ever.*

[ A] §. 1. GOD being an Infinite Good, as he hath his being from him∣self, so hath he his contentment in himself: He hath his Paradise in his own bosom, his perfect bliss in the eternity of his own fulness. And O the immensity of Gods love unto man! in ordaining him no other felicity then himself enjoys, giving himself to be mans end, mans happiness! This then is the comfortable rest of mans soul, Communion with God in Christ; which yet in this life is neither full nor fixt, the godly mans comforts being always sweet, yet often [ B] short; his communion with God having its frequent interruption,* though not a total dissolution.

§. 2. So that, did we lay our ears to the devout mans closet, how might we hear the Turtle-moans of his sobbing sorrows, the deep sighs of his broken heart? Oh how are his prayers bedewed with tears, which drop from the bleeding wounds of his anguisht soul! His sad complaint, how is it often that of mournful Sion;*The Lord hath forsaken me, my God hath forgotten me? Every word hath its [ C] accent of woe, and emphasis of sorrow: The Lord, rich in his good∣ness, dear in his love; the Lord, infinite in his power, glorious in his majesty, faithful in his truth; even the Lord my God, my God by covenant and communion, the stay and strength of my soul, the desire and delight of my heart, the life of my joy, and the joy of my life, He hath forsaken me.

§. 3. Yea, he hath not only cast me out of his arms, but also out of his heart; he hath not only taken away his hand, but hath also hid [ D] his face. I am no more his love, I am no more his care, He hath for∣gotten me. Now this state of spiritual desertion, though excluding comforts, yet is it consisting with grace. And therefore the devout Saint of God, notwithstanding his languishments of sorrow, does not lie down in distrust, but raised by faith, he powres forth his com∣plaint unto God in prayer. Thus holy David; Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me, for I am desolate and afflicted: the troubles of my heart are enlarged, oh bring thou me out of my distresses.

[ E] §. 4. Here we have the Case and the Cure of a deserted soul; the Case rightly stated in a mournful complaint, and the Cure fitly applied in a fervent prayer. The Case rightly stated in a mournful complaint, (1.) In its spiritual dereliction, I am desolate. (2.) Its secret anguish, I am afflicted. (3.) Its high aggravation, The troubles of my heart are enlarged. In the Cure fitly applied in fervent prayer, (1.) To the Spiritual dereliction is applied the manifestation of Divine love, Page  38Turn thee unto me. (2.) To the secret anguish is applied a soveraign balm, Have mercy upon me. (3.) To the high aggravation is applied a full deliverance; Oh bring thou me out of my distresses! Thus turn thee unto me, and have mercy, upon me, for I am desolate and af∣flicted, &c.

§. 5. (1.) The case of a deserted soul rightly stated, in its spiritual dereliction, I am desolate. The devout soul in its neer approaches unto God through Christ,* oftentimes tastes and sees much of heaven∣ly [ A] sweetness and divine love; yet those comforts, though of heaven∣ly stock, like plants carried out of their native soil and proper climate, they keep not their sweetness in a continued strength; God oft-times withdrawing himself from his dearest Saints, in the comforting in∣fluence of his grace and love. The cheering vigor then of Grace in its triumphant power over sin, and the satisfying peace of consci∣ence in the cleer testimony of the Spirit, they are not always the portion of the truly sanctified. Grace and Peace, indeed, they [ B] are happy Mates,* but not inseparable companions: Grace may be without Peace, though Peace cannot be without Grace. The soul then is often desolate and forsaken of God, in the re∣freshing influence of peace and comfort, when yet he is most intimately present with the soul, in the quickening power of life and grace.

§. 6. Now the spiritual dereliction we here speak of, it is none other then a stop of that gracious effusion of Gods love, a shutting [ C] up those streams of sweet refreshments, which were wont to flow forth from the fountain of Christs fulness upon the soul. A truth this so well known by sad experience to Gods Saints, that who is he that hath drunk of the waters of life, that hath not tasted those waters of Marah? that hath not tasted at least some drops of that full cup of Christ, when in bitter anguish of soul he cryed out upon the Cross,*My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? This then of Gods withdrawing himself in the comforts of his Spirit, it is [ D] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in the language of the Apostle, a temptation common to men,* the best of men, even to men of the divinest tempers and devoutest souls.

§. 7. Yet these spiritual derelictions of the godly, though they are real, they are not total, not final; for that, God is faithful in his promise, whose promise is full and emphatical, Heb. 13.5. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.*Est negationis conduplicatio, ut sit vehementior [ E] pollicitatio; The promise is doubled in the expression, that our faith might be confirmed in its assurance. Yea, here are five Negatives, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; which is as if God had said, I will not, no, I will not, no, most assuredly I will not, for ever leave thee, for ever for∣sake thee; his compassions may be restrained, but cannot be ex∣tinguished.

Page  39§. 8. Know then, in the spiritual desertions of comfort, Gods love is not interrupted in him, but the acts of his love intermitted to us; he withdraws himself indeed in his love, but it is not amor be∣nevolentiae but amor beneficentiae; (as the School speaks) his love of benevolence wherewith he loveth us in Christ, this love like himself it is unchangeable; but now the actings of this love, which is the love of beneficence, that is often suspended in its [ A] measure and degrees, according to Gods wisdom and will; this love of benevolence and beneficence may aptly be illustrated by lux and lumen, the inherent and the radiant light of the Sun; Gods love of benevolence like the Suns inherent light it varies not; but his love of beneficence, like the Suns radiant light, it is often clouded, yet not totally eclipsed; And when Gods love is clouded, his face hid, then is the soul desolate; which dereliction brings not onely a sudden fit of heaviness, but very often, a continued estate of dis∣comforts, [ B] sharpened and imbittered with inward afflictions; for so saith David in his desertion; I am desolate and afflicted.

§. 9. (2) The secret anguish, I am afflicted; Indeed what soul can be desolate and not be afflicted? Psal. 30.6. Thou Lord didst hide thy face, and I was troubled: Certainly, his absence cannot but be lamented with greatest greif, whose presence the soul prize•h above all earthly joy; when the evidence of salvation is obscured, the light of Gods countenance darkned, the comforts of the Spirit detained, [ C] then the heavens appear not so clear, the promises taste not so sweet, the Ordinances prove not so lively, yea, the clouds which hang over the soul they gather blackness, doubts arise, fears over-flow, ter∣rors increase, troubles inlarge, and the soul becomes languishingly afflicted, even with all variety of disquietments.

§. 10. Oh how does the experience of former happiness sharpen the sence of present misery! Every evil after the experience of the op∣posite good, becomes the greater evil;* when the soul then calls to [ D] mind; how it hath been inlarged in its devout accesses to the Throne of grace, and found no solace like that of communion with God through Christ; and withall, now sees its communion cut off, and the comforts vanished, the spring stop'd and the streams ceast, O how great must needs be the bitterness of her grief! miserum est fuisse felicem, we commonly say, it is a miserable thing to have been happy; it is the souls trouble, that she is without Christ; but it is the increase of her trouble, the sharpning of her affliction, that [ E] she hath lost him; him whose presence was once so sweet, that it makes his absence to be most bitter.

§. 11. Many indeed there are, well enough as to present sorrow without Christ, because they never injoyed him; but what soul ever injoyed Christ, that can injoy it self and want him? without Christ, that soul may see her wounds, but cannot see her cure; she may see her danger, but cannot see her refuge; and when God shall Page  40 conceal his love and reveal our guilt, hide his face and discover our sin, what can be more greivous and afflicting? So that well might David joyn his spiritual dereliction, and his secret anguish, saying, I am desolate and afflicted.

§. 12. (3) The high aggravation, the troubles of my heart are inlarged; the heart of man is the greatest Tyrant, the cruellest persecutor to him∣self; he needs none other fury who hath that of an accusing spirit; this, this alone will be Accuser and Witness, Law and Judge, Executi∣oner [ A] and Punishment, the very rack and gibbet of the soul; Oh the piercing sting! Oh the loud clamors of an accusing conscience! this, this alone doth make a hell upon earth; distracting, direful, and ac∣cusing thoughts, are worse then chains, then stripes, then death; needs must that mans troubles be inlarged, his anguish increased, when his soul, left to its own darkness and unbelief, with Saul, it falls up∣on its own sword, becomes its own executioner. Witness those dreadful complaints of a deserted soul and wounded conscience in [ B] that 88.* Psalm. For, a wounded spirit, saith Solomon, Who can bear? And a wounded spirit who can declare? its troubles, its distresses, they are as unexpressible, as they are insupportable; especially when the soul is in desertion.

§ 13. When the humble Penitent, apprehending the vastness of eternity, both as to heavens joys, and hells misery, hath labored under the pressing weight of sins guilt, and the laws curse; And when in this Agony, the soul hath thrown it self upon God in Christ, [ C] and felt a sweet peace in the assurance of pardon and love; after all this, for him to be in so great darkness, as to doubt whether Christ will own him, whether God will regard him what can this dark∣ness be but the very valley and shadow of death?* O how does a man in desertion, through distrust, fight against himself? if we go about to bind up his wounds, he rends them wider; give supply∣ing oyle, and healing balm, and he will make it a very corrosive to his bleeding soul; he will fetch misery out of mercy, and hell out [ D] of heaven; for if to comfort his afflicted soul we tell him of Gods fatherly compassion and mercy, his riches of grace and love, O how does he thus reason against himself? this, this the accent of my misery, to die in the midst of life, to perish in the midst of salva∣tion.

§. 14. Surely, God is a Father, and were I his child his bowels would not be restrained; he is infinitely gracious, and were I at all in his heart, in his love, he that receives millions, would not reject me. [ E] he is so mercifull,* that he is found of them that seek him not, and sure if his displeasure were not irreconcileable, I that so carefully seek him, should at last find him; God is goodness it self, and sure my evil must needs be great, that goodness cast me off; nothing then can heal me, but that which has wounded me; I have lost the pre∣sence of my God, I have lost the embraces of my Jesus, and nothing Page  41 but that presence, and those embraces can bring comfort to my soul; but whilst I am desolate I shall be afflicted, and the troubles of mine heart will be enlarged. This the Case rightly stated in a mournful complaint; I am desolate and aflicted, the troubles of my heart are enlarged.

§. 15. (2.) The Cure fitly applied; and (1.) To the spiritual de∣reliction, the manifestation of Divine love, Turn thou unto me. In desertions of comfort, God does not cease to be present, but to [ A] be manifest: He withdraws himself, not by departing from the soul, but by not manifesting himself to the soul: By hiding his face,*God departs; and by manifesting his favor, he returns. And therefore saith David, Turn thee unto me. The freest fountain yields the fullest stream, and the best good the greatest comfort. And the best good is God, who being the Object as well as the Author of our com∣fort, the measure of our joy must needs be according to the degree of our enjoyment. In heaven we enjoy him fully, and therefore [ B] have a fulness of joy; but on earth having an imperfect possession,* we have but an imperfect consolation. So that it is when God turns his face to us, that we can say with David, Return unto thy rest, O my soul. He alone who gives life, can give comfort;* He alone who gives grace, can give peace: The Spirit of sanctification, is the Spirit of consolation.

§. 16. Indeed, that which can satisfie the soul, must be the bounty of a soveraign goodness; such as is pardon of sin, deliverance from [ C] hell, conquest over Satan, hope of glory, and the like. Yea, who, or what can quiet the terrors of Conscience, but he who is the Prince of peace, and greater then the Conscience? When the soul like Hagar languisheth,* it's the Spirit of grace and truth that can open the eye, enlighten the understanding, and discover the •rue well of life, and waters of comfort. Darkness of mind is the womb of doubts, and the shop of fears; but the Light of the Spirit brings comfort of soul in a discovery of Gods love in Christ, which discovery be∣ing [ D] permanent, our comforts shall not be transient: Whereas cur∣sory views and passing glances of divine objects leave the heart un∣satisfied, being more troubled for their absence, then pleased with their sweetness. It is the rising then of the Sun of righteousness,* which gives day to the inward man, and his continued beams bring the soul its renewed joys. Wherefore then let the deserted soul present its self in all its languishings, and thus bespeak God and Christ in this blessed Sacrament: O my God! my soul seeks what [ E] it has lost; oh let it find what it seeks, even comfortable communion with thee in the Lord Jesus! For this, for this it is that I here call and cry, Turn thee unto me.

§. 17. (2.) To the secret anguish, is applied a soveraign balm: Have mercy upon me! Such are the wounds of an afflicted soul, as no balm can cure but that of a compassionating mercy; Miseri∣cordia Page  36〈1 page duplicate〉Page  37〈1 page duplicate〉Page  38〈1 page duplicate〉Page  39〈1 page duplicate〉Page  40〈1 page duplicate〉Page  41〈1 page duplicate〉Page  42•elia•uata, mercy which melts to supple and to heal. Though then the deserted soul, hath the same promises, the same Mediator, the same God, which it had before its desertion, yet it does not find comfort, till it have the same mercy. And therefore does St. Paul happily joyn the Father of mercies and the God of all conso∣lations:* For that indeed, God were not the God of consolation, were he not the Father of mercies; all remission of sins, all power of grace, all manifestations of love, yea, the earnest of glory, are all the [ A] of-spring of mercy, brought forth of her womb, brought up in her lap, yea, nourished with the milk of her breasts, and cherished with the warmth of her bosom.

§. 18. Who art thou now that languishest in desertions? Know, the door of mercy is not shut, because thou shouldst not enter, but because thou shouldst knock; if thou wouldst obtain mercy then, it must be by prayer, and that through Faith in the promise; Faith, I say in the promise, for how know we Gods good will, but by his [ B] holy Word? So that, the truth of his promise presents us the sweet∣ness of his mercy; and seeing the fathers mercies melts at the Sons mediation,* go unto God by Christ, by Christ as a merciful and faithful High Priest, a merciful High Priest, compassi• cum impos∣sibilitate perdurat, though Christ be now gloriously imp•ssible, yet is he still graciously compassionate; yea, he is one that proportions his pitty to our misery,* his compassion to our affliction; such compas∣sion as is a Soveraign balm to cure the secret anguish of a deserted [ C] soul, applied here by David, when he cries unto God in prayer, Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me, for I am desolate and afflicted, the troubles of my heart are inlarged, &c.

§. 19. (3) To the high aggravation is applied a full deliverance, O bring thou me out of my distresses. Now the soul begins to reco∣ver her former taste of heavenly sweetness; now she begins to feel the warmth of those sweet imbraces, from the everlasting arms of her dearest Jesus; And therefore does she pursue this begun re∣covery, [ D] to a full deliverance, even a deliverance from all her distresses, of doubts, and fears, and terros; which deliverance from those distresses, is by the sacred testimony of Christs spirit, evidencing the sincerity and truth of grace, and thereby a personal interest in the promises of life and love.

*§. 20. To make it appear how the Spirit is the Comforter, and by his testimony to the soul free's it, from its distress; observe this gra∣dation. 1. The Gospel proposeth salvation through Christ in the [ E] free promise; and now press this grape, examine this truth, and the wine of comfort is no more but this, that salvation may be mine, if I beleeve. But then, 2. A further progress is made by faith, in casting the soul upon Christ for salvation according to this promise, and in this, the foundation of comfort is laid firm, the root is fixt, yet the fruit is not grown; this is sufficient to life and salvation in the Page  43 end, but is not effectual yet to peace and consolation in the way; wherefore to all this, that salvation through Christ is offered in the promise, and that the promise of Christ for salvation is received through faith; to all this, must be added this testimony of the Spirit, that, that faith is sincere, and so, that salvation sure: And this testi∣mony it is, that confirms the souls peace, and gives inlargement to its sweetest comforts.

§. 21. Thus Faith in the habit it is medium incognitum (say [ A] the Schools) it is often hid in the soul, and the quickenings of the Spirit it is, which bring it into act. And by the actings of faith come the renewings of comfort, thorow communion with Christ. When the Sun of righteousness then appears with healing in his wings,* the clouds of fears are scattered, the storms of terrors cease, the night of unbelief doth vanish; yea,* when Christ the King of glory sets up his Throne in the heart, and rules with the golden Scepter of his grace, then do proud lusts stoop, then do the powers of darkness [ B] fly, and so the deserted and afflicted soul is brought out of all its di∣stresses. Thus have we seen the case and the cure of a deserted soul, the case rightly stated, and the cure fitly applied; the case rightly stated, I am desolate and afflicted, the troubles of mine heart are inlar∣ged; the cure fitly applied. Turn thee unto me, have mercy upon me, O bring thou me out of my distresses.

§. 22. Who art thou now that looks upon what is said of spiri∣tual desertion as strange doctrine? Let me tell thee thou hast had [ C] little acquaintance with God, if thou knowest not yet, what it is to lose him, to lose him in the comforts of his Spirit; thou hast room, I question not, for profit, for pleasure, for sin, for Satan, but no room for God, for Christ; and so not having injoyed the com∣forts of the divine presence, thou knowest not the discomfort of his absence; O what is it that we see daily? some men lose their Estates, and they grieve heavily; some men lose their Friends, and they go mournfully; some men lose their Health, and live sadly; [ D] But how many lose their God, their Saviour, their soules, and yet neither grieve, nor mourn, nor are heavy for it! Oh ye who are guil∣ty of this self and soul-murder, did the day break upon your souls,* the Spirit of truth enlighten and awaken your consciences, Oh how would amazement seize you, and the terrors of death fall upon you!

§. 23. But who is it, that having Sions sorrow in his heart, and her tears in his eyes, comes unto me with her complaint in his mouth, [ E] Oh, my God hath forsaken me,* he hath withdrawn himself in the com∣forts of his Spirit from me, so that I am desolate and afflicted, the troubles of my heart are enlarged? For thy comfort and direction, (1.• Know, Comfort is not of the necessary being, but of the happy well-being of the Saints; it is rather a partial reward, then a particu∣lar grace; an earnest of glorification, rather then a part of sanctifi∣cation. Page  44 It is the light, not the heat of the Sun that makes the day; and it is the grace, not the comfort of the Spirit, that makes a Saint. (2.) For thy direction, (1.) Be zealous to find out the Achan, to discover the cursed thing (if any there be) which hath caused or oc∣casioned this desertion; and having found it, be humbled in repent∣ance; for commonly, Spiritual comforts take their first rise from Penitential sorrow.

§. 24. (2.) After humiliation, enquire of God in the means of [ A] grace, press near to him in his ordinances, especially this of the blessed Eucharist: And in this holy Sacrament, hear Christs Venite ad me, his Come unto me,* extending it self to the hungry, that they come and be satisfied; to the thirsty, that they come and be refreshed; to the weary, that they come and be eased; to the weak, that they come and be strengthened; to the sick, that they come and be healed; to the fainting, that they come and be revived; to them that are fallen, that they come and be restored; yea, to all that have faith and re∣pentance, [ B] that they come and be saved. Here the treasury of heaven, here the fountain of life, here the storehouse of comforts are all set wide open: Here, O ye afflicted souls, here you are at the right door, knock, and knock hard, be not answered without admittance; God loves an holy importunity; and know, the Lord is here, Christ is here, life is here, salvation is here, here dwells everlasting mercy, here dwells eternal peace: Oh look in, look in, with all reverence and faith, into these sacred mysteries of grace and love; and see, see there [ C] the delights of Paradise, and rivers of joy feeding them: Oh how the Angels sing, whilst devout souls exult, at this blessed Feast of the Lord of life, and Prince of peace!

§. 25. (3.) To preserve the comforts of the Spirit, when received of God in Christ, be faithful in the exercise of grace. For God im∣prints his love upon the heart in the characters of grace; which the more large, the better read: yea, Grace is Gods seal; and the more visible the stamp, the more evident the assurance; the more evident [ D] is our assurance, the more full will be our comforts. Further know, the wayes of holiness are as beds of spices,* the more we walk in them, the more they requite the soul with their sweet delight and spiritual refreshments. Thus must mans obedience be conformable to his devotion, his conversation to his supplication; not doing that which may drive God from him in justice, whilst he would have God turn to him in mercy; Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me, &c. [ E]

§. 1. AFfliction is the proper object of compassion, misery the proper object of mercy: And therefore we read how [ A] Pilate, willing to release Jesus, he brings him forth, having his back furrowed with the whips, his head harrowed with the thorns, and his derisive purple stained, yea, drencht with blood; and presents him thus ghastly a spectacle to the Jews, with an Ecce homo,*behold the man; supposing so sad a sight would have moved malice to mercy, and envy it self to compassion. Now, what Pilate did to the Jews with Christ, Christ in a fit resemblance and apt allusion does with the Penitent to his Father; he brings him forth in the Court of Con∣science, [ B] having his heart wounded with sorrow, his spirit broken in contrition, and his soul fainting in languishments of repentance, and presents him so sad a spectacle to the Father with an Ecce homo, Behold the man.

§. 2. Behold the man, once so lofty in his pride, now so lowly in his penitence; once so hardened in his rebellion, now so humbled in his contrition; once so obstinate a sinner, now so pittiful a penitent. And oh! whilst this man of sorrows mourns in affliction, how does the [ C] Father of mercies melt in compassion? When the wounded sinner is presented by the wounded Son, and the Penitents tears cry aloud with the Mediators blood, how must the Fathers compassion needs melt into sins remission? Of which sacred truth, and heavenly com∣fort, was David well assured; when in this his Psalm of penitence he makes this prayer of faith, Vide afflictionem, Look upon mine af∣fliction and my pain, and forgive all my sins.

§. 3. Observe we in these words two particulars. 1. The proper [ D] object of Divine mercy. 2. The firm ground of the Souls peace. 1. The proper object of Divine mercy, it is affliction and pain: Look upon my affliction and my pain. 2. The firm ground of the Souls peace, it is sins forgiveness; Forgive me all my sins.

§. 4. (1.) The proper object of Divine mercy: Look upon mine affliction and my pain. This affliction and pain is either that of the penitent Sinner, or that of the devout Saint. That of the penitent Sinner, who having withdrawn himself from the world, and retired [ E] into the secret closet of his Conscience,* how does he with Hezekiah even Recogitare annos in amaritudine animae, Overturn the Annals of his life in the bitterness of his soul? And after a strict survey, having faithfully observed the sins which he hath committed, and the several circumstances by which they are aggravated, he then sums them up into a Catalogue, which is no sooner in his eye, but sorrow is in his heart, endeavoring to blot out those letters of guilt Page  46 with his tears of repentance, through faith in the blood of Christ.

§. 5. And whilst he sets his sins in order before him, Oh how does a secret affrightment chill his blood, and make his heart to tremble, in the apprehension of their loathsome filth and dreadful curse! yea, he beholding himself under the heavy sentence of the laws condem∣nation, Oh how, how, is he wholly encompassed with terror and a∣mazement! When he looks within him, Oh the terrors of an ac∣cusing [ A] conscience, and a killing guilt! When he looks without him, Oh the horror of a deserved death, and a tormenting Hell! When he looks above him, Oh the dread, the dread of an offended Majesty, and an avenging Judge! Oh whither, whither then shall this poor penitent fly for succour? Where, oh where shall his affrighted and afflicted soul seek for shelter? Where, but at the cross of his Re∣deemer?

§. 6. And when Christ, so full of pitty, so full of love, when he [ B] beholds the humble suppliant, and sincere penitent, in the lowest depth of his humiliations, pouring out his complaint at the foot of his cross; when he hears his mournful sighs, his painful groans, the earnest messengers of his afflicted soul, it is then as possible for Christ, to forget the passions of sorrow which he suffered, as not to com∣passionate this poor penitent sinner for whom he suffered; he who stopped not his ears at the Jews blasphemies, will certainly not stop his ear at the penitents complaints; he that turned not away his face from [ C] his enemies buffettings, will not turn away his eyes from the sup∣pliants tears; though the Devil hath bereaved the sinner of his puri∣ty, yet can he not deprive his Saviour of his pitty; Christ doth not, Christ cannot so remember the sins that man hath committed, that he forget the soul which himself hath purchast; his eye, and nothing indeed else can do it, but his eye of mercy, that looks through the guilt of sin, to behold the sorrow of the sinner; and that affliction moves his compassion; so that the penitents prayer is [ D] rightly formed, when it takes in Davids petition, Look upon mine af∣fliction and my pain, &c.

*§. 7. Thus then, sin brings forth sorrow, and the Daughter devours the Mother, sorrow doth destroy sin; as the worm hath its original from the wood, and the wood its decay from the worm; but this sorrow here of affliction and pain in the penitent sinner, that it does become destructive of sin, is not from any proper vertue in its self, but from that power it receives from the love of God, and faith in [ E] the blood of Christ. (1.) From the love of God; A servile fear, and a mercenary hope, a servile fear in the dread of hell, and a mer∣cenary hope in the desire of Heaven, are the common motives to repentance, which yet are then onely to be approved as good and holy, when they exclude not the love of God and of Christ. For as St. Paul, in 1 Cor. 13.3. Though I bestow all my goods to feed the Page  47 poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. I am nothing. So again, though we dissolve our eyes into tears, and break our hearts with mourning, and have not charity, all will be as nothing, nothing available to eternal life.

§. 8. The will (we say) simply embracing good, is good; yet if it so embrace the less, as to reject the greater good, the will becomes inordinate; not that the less is accepted, but that the better is repulst; [ A] to repent then, with pain of soul, that we may avoid the pains of Hell, and obtain the bliss of Heaven, is certainly good in it self, yet if excluding and repulsing the sincere love of God and of Christ, it becomes an inordinate act, and its self so far from true repentance, that it is a sin to be repented of: Observe, the love of God and of Christ is the perfection of all the graces,* and is therefore called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, The bond of perfectness.

§. 9. Now observe then further, the beginning, the progress, and [ B] the end of practical vertues, have all their due measure, though not their equal degrees of goodness; fear that is servile, and hope that is mercinary, are good in the beginning of Christian discipline, and e∣vangelical holiness; But then they must have their progress to that end which gives perfection, even the grace and exercise of love; wherefore know we, that repentance and affliction of mind which does exclude the love of God, is infernal, that of the damned in Hell, That repentance and affliction of mind, which does not ex∣press, [ C] Though it does not exclude the love of God that is legal, from the spirit of bondage; but that repentance and affliction of mind,* which does not onely express, but also arise from the love of God, that is truly Evangelical, from the Spirit of adoption; which alone can give salvation, by vertue of the promise, he that repenteth and beleeveth shall be saved.

§. 10. This the second particular, that the sorrow of affliction and pain in the penitent, becomes destructive of sin, through the power [ D] of faith in the blood of Christ; for that,* God he will be sanctified in all them that come nigh unto him; And therefore he being a con∣suming fire in the fury of his vengeance;* when we humble our selves before him, though with the deepest of afflictions, unless it be by faith in Jesus Christ, as the Mediator, God will be a just Judge to condemn, rather then a merciful Father to forgive; for it is not our tears without Christs blood, not our sorrows without his sufferings, not our affliction without his passion, that can quench the [ E] fire of Gods wrath, satisfie the severity of Gods Justice, and move the tenderness of his mercy. When therefore acted by love, and strengthened by faith, we pour out our complaints unto our God, in a sincere repentance, our affliction and pain shall become the proper object of his divine mercy and grace; so that we may pray with con∣fidence as holy David, Look upon mine affliction and my pain, and forgive all my sins.

Page  48§. 11. (2) The affliction and pain, which is that of the devout Saint, especially, either in the meditations of Christs sufferings, or in the exercise of fervent prayer, or in the sence of their own infirmities. (1) In the meditation of Christs sufferings; here I shall shew you a mystery, a mystery of godliness known onely to the devout Saint; that the meditation of Christs sufferings, it afflicts by compassion, and delights by complacence, and so is a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a bitter sweet; to see the sorrows of death seize the soul of life, yea, the soul of him, [ A] whom the devout Saint loves better then life; how, Oh how must this needs be bitter! But now, to see the fire of love drink up this sea of sorrows, and all in tenderness of endeared affection to his be∣loved Spouse, the penitent soul; Oh how, how must this needs be sweet! How can the devout Saint meditate upon his crucified Savi∣our, but with unspeakable anguish, and yet with incomparable de∣light; Beholding amidst the excess of his love, the pangs of his sorrows?

§. 12. Whilst the devout soul then meditates upon Christs pas∣sion, [ B] this or the like Soliloquy is a part of her devotion; O my cru∣cified Jesus, how grievous is his sorrow, how gracious is his love! he loves his torments, and takes pleasure in his sufferings; he dies with joy, that he may dye with grief for me; O love ecstatical! Wherefore as I cannot but grieve in his grief, so I cannot but joy in his love; that's mine anguish, this my ravishment; so that as I sor∣row with him as my beloved, so I glory in him as my Saviour. Thus [ C] is the devotion of the godly, in the meditation of Christs sufferings, a mystical Benjamin, a child of grief and love, in an amorous com∣passion, and a dolorous complacence of the soul with Christ, which amidst its joy and delights, says as David, Look upon my affliction and my pain.

§. 13. (2) In the exercise of fervent prayer, whose voyce is louder from the heart, then from the mouth; louder from the eye, then from the tongue; sighs and tears are the best Rhetorick of the devout mans [ D] prayers. The right gift of prayer; and true grace of supplication, not being (as many fondly fancy it) in the ready or large expressi∣on of words,*but in sighs and groans which cannot be exprest. O then, then are we most fervent in prayer, when our troubled souls become big with desires, which cannot be uttered; and therefore the tongue being unable to declare them in words, they force their pas∣sage at the eyes in a flood of tears. Thus, thus pray we for the Church of Christ, for the chosen of God, that in a sympathy of their [ E] sufferings we may say with David, Behold mine affliction and my pain.

§. 14. (3) In the sense of their many infirmities. The Saints of God exercised with ecstatical devotions, in the holy excess of di∣vine love,* as St. Paul, They live, yet not they, but Christ that liveth in them,* and their life is hid with Christ in God, even as the starsPage  49 without losing their light, they shine not in the presence of the Sun, but the Sun shines in them, and their light is hid in the light of the Sun: thus the Soul, without losing its life, it lives not, being ec∣statically swallowed up in Christ; but Christ, he lives in the soul, and the souls life is hid in the life of Christ. But now, after the soul is descended from the Mount Tabor of her divine ecstasies, how does she find herself in the Valley of Tears, by reason of her humane in∣firmities? [ A] And when the heart is wounded with the dart of love, and the desire is not accomplisht in the enjoyment of its beloved, what can be more afflicting? As hope deferred makes the heart faint,* so desires not satisfied make the soul languish. Thus the Psalmist;*As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so longeth my soul after thee O God; my soul is athirst for God, for thee the living God, &c.

§. 15. Oh when the devout soul would fain take wing, and flie away to her sweet repose in the bosom of her beloved; oh the secret [ B] trouble and anguish of spirit, to find it self clogg'd and chain'd to the servile miseries of this mortal life, yea the impure motions of corrupt affections! So that the devout Saint cries out with the blessed Apostle, Wretched man that I am,*who shall deliver me from this body of sin and of death! There is certainly no pleasure like that of pleasing God; no joy like that of enjoying Christ: And now for such a person as hath placed his liberty in Gods service, his life in Gods love, his comfort in Gods favor; for such a person to be so [ C] infested with carnal, earthly, and corrupt affections, that he calls in question his faith as false, his hope as vain, his service as fruitless, who can conceive the Convulsion-fits of his spiritual anguish, the laboring throes of his souls perplexities? in which he cries out, Vide afflictionem, Behold my affliction and my pain.

§. 16. (2.) The firm ground of the souls peace, Sins forgiven us; Forgive all my sins. Rom. 5.1. there says the Apostle, Being justi∣fied by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. [ D] Here we see plainly, that Peace of conscience, it is the fruit of Justi∣fication: So that, the root from whence springs this blessed fruit, it is this; an humble assurance of Gods love in Christ, in the free and full pardon of our sins. We may observe, that till Christ had re∣concil'd the Fa•her by his sufferings and death, and had given an as∣surance thereof unto his Church by his Resurrection, the Holy Ghost the Comforter did not come down upon the Apostles; so now,* till we be reconciled unto God by Christ in the remission of our sins, [ E] and have some assurance hereof wrought in our hearts through faith, the Comforter the Holy Ghost does not fill our souls with his divine consolations; He does not refresh our spirits with his heavenly dew and sacred influence, Peace of Conscience.

§. 17. Therefore, Isa. 57.21. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked; their worm of conscience is still gnawing in the midst of outward jollities, fretting their souls with inward tortures: So that Page  50 the wicked flee when no man pursueth;* no man pursueth without, yet there is that pursueth within, even the stinging guilt of an evil conscience: So that seeing he every where carries with him his tor∣mentor, no wonder this, if he can no way flie to escape his torment; impossible it is he should flie from his misery, since he cannot flie from himself; his guilty conscience, that makes his wound incurable, his plague unavoidable. But now, when God speaks comfort unto his people,* it is ad Cor, Comfort to the heart; making the good [ A] Conscience to be a continual feast, a feast furnished with those dainties of Christs banquetting-house,* laid up in store for his Spouse, the humble and penitent soul. Let not then the heart that is drowned in worldly pleasure, think to partake of those heavenly delights: Let not the soul which is in the gall of bitterness, think to participate of this divine sweetness, this hidden Manna, as our Saviour calls it, Rev. 2.17. hidden to the world, and the men of the world; for that the blessedness of comfort which is in this sweet peace of conscience, [ B] no man knows but he that tastes.

§. 18. The better to represent by some measure of proportion, what the comforts of the soul are in the peace of Conscience, after its languishing under the terror of sin; let those men give a shadow of it, who from the safe and quiet port, do behold the waves and billows of that raging sea, in which they themselves were even now overwhelmed, and by a miracle of providence are happily escaped; or let those women in some sort declare it, who after their bitter [ C] throes and laboring pangs, have enjoyed the quiet ease of a bed of rest; for such is the Peace of Conscience to the mournful Penitent, after the terrors of sin and his horrors of soul, as is the safe Port to the shipwrackt Mariner after the raging tempest, or as the easeful bed to the laboring woman, after her painful travel.

§. 19. These may give us the shadow; but as for the substance, such is the excellencie of that (as S. Paul tells us) it passeth all under∣standing;* so that we can never rightly conceive it by description [ D] from others, till we truly know it by experience in our selves. Which of us can conceive, that has not felt, what is the blessed com∣fort of that mans soul, who in the peace of his conscience can see him∣self delivered from the chains of sin, the bondage of Satan, the powers of darkness, and the flames of hell; who, in the peace of his conscience, can see himself made partaker of the merits of Christs death, and the benefits of his intercession; can see himself admitted into a covenant of grace with the Lord of life and King of glory, re∣ceived [ E] into favor with the God of heaven and earth; and so, as to be made his child, and entituled to the kingdom and the glory of his onely Son? Which of us can conceive, that has not felt, what is the comfort of those thoughts, of those meditations, in that sweet peace of conscience which the faithful have, being reconciled unto God through Christ, in the remission of their sins?

Page  51§. 20. Let us now joyn together the penitent sinner, and the de∣vout Saint, in this one exhortation, that they approach the Table of the Lord with a secret affliction of soul, and that, being raised by faith and enlarged by prayer. (1) A secret affliction of soul, in this consideration, that their sins have been the cause of Christs sufferings.* The Jews cried out of Christ, crucifie him, crucifie him, such was the greatness of their malice, that if possible, they would have had him [ A] twice crucified; but yet is not their desire too unhappily fulfilled? they crucifying him once with their hands, and we, even we crucify∣ing him again by our sins? Who art thou then that comes to Christ without floods of tears, when he comes to thee in streams of blood? Who art thou who canst worthily meditate on his wounded body, without a wounded soul? or view his pierced side, without a pierced heart? in which our Saviour gives us our true devotion, bespeaking us as well as the daughters of Jerusalem, Weep not for me, but for [ B] your selves: weep not for me or my sufferings,* in a fruitless com∣passion; but weep for your selves and your sins in an hearty con∣trition.

§. 21. Thus affected with contrition, (2) Let our hearts be raised by faith, that so whatsoever is our affliction and pain, we may find an heal∣ing vertue in the blood of Christ, which is this Sacramental administra∣tion, is none other then Gileads balm to cure, Hermons dew to refresh, and Aarons ointment to revive all wounded, distressed, and drooping [ C] souls. And as we approach this holy Ordinance with hearts raised by faith; So (3) Hearts enlarged in prayer; and such prayer, as by the paths of its devotion, may speak the anguish of our affliction; as in the sence of our grosser enormities, so of our humane infirmities; that so, for every sinful distemper in us, we may receive an healing ver∣tue from Christ; and in our prayers for our selves, forget we not the afflictions of the Church, the calamities of the Nation; and seeing our God pursues us with his judgments, send we forth legationem [ D] lachrymarum, in the language of St. Ambrose, send we forth an Ambas∣sage of tears, to sue for peace; And doubt we not but received in∣to the Court of Heaven, they shall have their access to the throne of grace, and obtain a gracious audience; if not for a publick deliver∣ance, yet for our particular salvation; having our remission of sins, and our peace of conscience confirmed unto our souls, by his bles∣sed Sacrament, as the seal of grace and the pledge of glory; to which glory, he preserve us by his mercy, who hath purchast it by [ E] his merits, Jesus Christ the Righteous. Amen.

§. 1. WHat confidence and comfort can there be in pardon of sin, when there is not a conscience and care to prevent [ A] sin? upon humiliation indeed, sin forgiven becomes stingless, tooth∣less sin, the venome and guilt removed; but after humiliation, sin reacted, becomes the most deeply wounding, the most closely gnaw∣ing sin, more wounding then the Serpent, more gnawing then the worm. Wherefore holy David here, having made it his complaint unto God in prayer (vers. 18.) Look upon my affliction and pain, and forgive all my sins; knowing the number and force, eying the mul∣titude and rage of his spiritual enemies, his sinful lusts; he joyns to [ B] that fervent prayer, this further petition, Consider mine enemies, for they are many, and they hate me with a cruel hatred, O keep my soul and deliver me.

§. 2. To give the sence of our present interpretation, together with the sum of our intended discourse, take it in this paraphrase up∣on the words: Consider mine enemies; and thine enemies, O God, are mine; thy greatest enemy is sin, and my greatest enemies then must be my lusts; Oh consider those mine enemies, for they are ma∣ny, [ C] a whole host warring against my soul; they besiege me closely, and assault me fiercely; they hate, and fight against thy good spirit in me; and to hate that, is to hate me, and the good of my soul; yea, their hate is cruel, it is a tyrannous hatred; though I never wil∣lingly suffer them to rule over me, yet too too often they over-rule me:* Though I never let them command me as a King, yet they of∣ten compel me as a Tyrant. Now Lord, whereas many in the daies of trial, and of trouble, beseech thee to keep their bodies, their estates; [ D] their bodies from imprisonment, their estates from spoil; to me sin is worse then bonds, then beggery, yea, then death, then hell; where∣fore I beseech thee to keep my soul; the salvation of it is dearest, of more price then all the world;* my good name, my health, my life, my friends, my estate, all may be lost, and I safe; But oh, my soul is my self; to cast away it, is to cast away me; to keep it, is to deliver me, O then keep my soul and deliver me.

§. 3. Observe in the words two general parts; the Subject, and [ E] the method of Davids prayer; The Subject with its description, and the method in its gradation. (1) The Subject, with its description, Davids enemies described, from the greatness of their number, they are many; and the violence of their hate, it is cruel; for they are many, and they hate me with a cruel hatred. (2.) The Method, in its grada∣tion; which gradation hath its three steps, Consider mine enemies, Keep my soul, and Deliver me.

Page  53§. 4. (1.) The Subject, with its description, Davids enemies de∣scribed from the greatness of their number, they are many; consider mine enemies, for they are many. No man may resolve his sins into any other original, then his own lusts; as for Satan, though it be he that tempts, it's we that act; and therefore when we commit any wickedness, and sin against God, though it be by Satans instigation, our tongues may not smite him, but our hearts must smite our selves, [ A] as Davids did, in 2 Sam. 24.10. We may not accuse the tempter, but our selves, who let in the temptation;* for that the Devil cannot impose upon the will a force and necessity, but propose to the will an object and opportunity of sinning. It is by confederacie with the Traitor in our bosom, by conspiracie with our Rebel-lusts, that Satan doth seise the Citadel of our hearts, and surprise the strong∣est Fort and tower of our wills.

§. 5: Again, as for the World, her temptations and allurements, [ B] they are without us; but it is the enemy within that destroys us: The causes of corruption and guilt are not in our allurements,*but in our lusts; not in the world, but in our hearts. And therefore, We overcome the enemies that are without us, by subduing the enemies that are within us, even our lusts, by whose treachery and violence Satan and the world bear sway in our hearts,*and send forth their imperial edicts, and command the soul. A mans enemies then are those of his own house, his own heart, even his own lusts: And of these we may [ C] complain with David, in the greatness of their number, they are many; many streams from one fountain, many branches from one root, many lustful Affections from one original Concupi∣scence.

§. 6. Which concupiscence is in the Scripture called, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. the sin that dwelleth in us; The sin〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,* in an eminencie of evil, as having in it the seed of all sins. And therefore the Author of the Book De duplici martyrio, (attributed to S. Cypr.) [ D] he gives us the quaint and experienc'd truth, that plus est tollere peccatum quàm peccata; it is a matter of greater difficulty to mortifie this one sin, then to subdue all other sins. We may say of original concupiscence, strengthened and heightned by customary transgres∣sions, its name is Legeon, for it is many: Hydra-like, it is a body with many heads; and when we cut off one head, one enormous im∣piety, there presently sprouts up another of like monstrous nature, like venemous guilt. From the womb then it is of original sin, and [ E] sinful custom, as from the belly of the Trojan horse, there does issue forth an whole Army of unclean lusts, to surround the soul in all its faculties, and the body too in all its members.

§. 7. As for the faculties of the soul view we the Understanding, and how do we see it surrounded with fleshly wisdom, carnal reason∣ings, humane inventions, curious enquiries, vain imaginations earthly contrivances? View we the Conscience, and how do we see it sur∣rounded Page  54 with erroneous principles, misguided zeal, false accusations, and as false excuses, groundless fears, and a fearless stupidity? The like might be said of the Memory, and of the Will, of the Heart, and of the affections. But pass we from the Faculties of the Soul to the Members of the Body; and in them we see the Eyes surrounded with envy, covetousness, and adultery; the Tongue with deceit, revilings, blasphemies, and corrupt communications; the Ears with slanders, Heresies, and false doctrines; the Hands and Feet with theft, mur∣der, [ A] violence, and oppressions.

§. 8. Yea, from the particular members of the Body, pass we to the several conditions of life; And in them, see, how divers lusts not onely attend, but pursue us; if young, intemperance; if aged, cove∣tousness; if rich, vain confidence; if poor, murmurings; if ignorant, blind zeal; if learned, vain-glory; if honourable, pride; if mean, envy: Lastly, from our several conditions pass we to our best Im∣ployments; and we find, how, even in holy duties, as in Tamar's [ B] womb,*Zarah first thrusts out the hand, but Pharez crowds him by, and first gets forth the body; thus in holy duties how often is it, that the Spirit begins the work, but the Flesh crowds forth into the acti∣on? See it in Prayer, when the soul quickened in devotion, and raised by faith, doth take wing and fly aloft, in some gracious inlarge∣ments; even then, how doe worldly and carnal thoughts intrude themselves into the Closet of the heart; and by their earthly weight, pull down the soul from its heavenly height? or else, how do some [ C] suggestions of spiritual pride, cast water upon the fire of the Sanctu∣ary, quench the heavenly flame, the enlarged devotion of the pi∣ous soul? Again, in the attending of the worship of God, and the mi∣nistry of his Word; when the soul becomes affected with the beau∣ty of holiness,* and begins to relish the sweetness of the Gospels promises, yea, to be inlarged in spiritual desires, after a nearer com∣munion with God and Christ in his Ordinances; even then, how do fleshly lusts oppose their carnal reasonings, framing arguments of dis∣swasion [ D] and discouragement from worldly interests, erroneous prin∣ciples, and prejudicate opinions?

§. 9. Yea, in the solemn ministration of the blessed Eucharist, when the longings of the the soul are enlarged, its fervour of devoti∣on heightned, its very joy in communion with Christ encreased, even then, how do worldly and carnal suggestions, or else nice and needless scruples, or dark & cloudy imaginations, how do they too too often damp our faith, dead our devotions, perplex our thoughts; and [ E] if possible, hinder the gracious fruit and comfortable benefit of the most sacred service, and most blessed Ordinance? And now, if the least atome of sin do spot the soul, and the smallest transgressions qua∣lifie for death, and hell; what shall we do, whilst we behold an infi∣nite swarm of corrupt desires, an whole Army of lustful affectio•s surrounding us, in all the faculties of the soul and members of the Page  55 body, in our several conditions, and even in our best imployments? what shall we do, but fly to the Lord for succour? even to the Lord of hosts, the Captain of our salvation, Christ Jesus blessed for ever:* and cry we unto him as David here does, Consider mine enemies for they are many, and they hate me with a cruel hatred, O keep my soul, and deliver me.

§. 10. (2.) The violence of their hate, they hate me with a cruel [ A] hatred. From that, Rom. 6.12. we observe that Sin hath the power of a King, even to reign over them who cast off Kingly power; and from Rom. 7.23. we observe, Sin hath the force of a Law, to command them who bear down all Law by force; they whom no Law of God or man can bind, the Law of Sin holds fast; the most licentious and lawless, are to their lusts the greatest captives and slaves. This for the power; but see further the violence and rage of Lust: when once it steps into the royal chariot of soveraign command, how [ B] does it Jehu-like drive furiously,* though it be upon the very preci∣pice of death and hell? The wickedness of the ungodly, the Prophet calls a breaking forth; Eruperunt instar diluvii,* They have broken forth as a flood. So violent are the water-floods of ungodliness, as no bounds of Law or Equity, civil or divine, can keep them in; thereby men become 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, such as no bounds of Oaths or Covenants can restrain; but what is most sacred,* by the rage of mens lusts is vio∣lated.

[ C] §. 11. Many, at their first contrivances of Ambition, and Pride, or the like predominant lusts, they set bounds to their desires, so far to pursue their profit, or their pleasure, or their preferment, and no fur∣ther. But experience tels us, that the actings of sin are like the flow∣ings of a River, which the further it runs, the wider is the channel, and the fiercer is the stream. Hab. 2.6. Wo to him that loadeth him∣self with thick clay! The covetous man may heap up enough to load, but ne'r lay up enough to fill; he may load his house, yea his [ D] heart, but never fill his hell, his lust; he may have enough to sink his soul, but not to satisfie his desires. He then who prescribes his lusts their limits, and resolves after so much gain, or honor, or pleasure, to take up, as having had his fill; he shall find, that the pursuits of lusts are more violent and fierce in their conquest then in their assault, in their after-desires then in their first motions.

§. 12. When ever yet did Ambition or Covetousness, or the like bottomless and boundless lusts find a centre to rest in, any Hercules [ E] pillars, a Ne plus ultra to confine them? Elijah's Cloud no bigger then a hand at first, yet after a while it spreads and covers the whole face of the heavens: And why? it riseth from the sea,* and is driven with the wind. Thus our lusts at first of lesser size, spread themselves after a while to a larger extent, to a covering the whole heaven, a clouding all righteousness: And why? they arise from a sea of con∣cupiscence, and are driven with the wind of Satans temptations. Page  56 But further yet, in the very Saints of God, when lust breaks forth, there is in it this fierce and intemperate rage. See it in those two remarkable Examples, so eminent for sanctity and sin, Jonah and Peter; Jonah a Prophet, and Peter an Apostle.

§. 13. Jonah, though an holy Prophet, so eminent in grace and office, yet when a lustful passion breaks loose, a greater tempest and rage then that of the Sea swells his breast; so that in pursuit of his own vain glory, lest he should be accounted a false Prophet, he is [ A] angry with the Almighty Lord, because he is a merciful God; yea, exceeding angry. And see the contumacious impudence of Lust: Gods argument and expostulation is answered, yea, outfac'd with a daring reply of an — I do well to be angry,*even unto death. Aga•n, S. Peter, so eminent in the profession of Christ the Messias, and so confident in the opinion of his own faithfulness, yet how does the breath of a woman shake this rock? that against the very evidences of his own heart and bosom, the consciousness of his own promise [ B] and profession, he denies his Master; and when now the lust of self-love and fear had stept into the throne of the heart, and snatcht the scepter, see its tyranny and rage; the denial swells into an oath, and that oath multiplies into execrations,* so that he does 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, even renounce Christ with direful imprecations upon himself, (ac∣cording to the •xposition of the learned Diodate.)

§. 14. Thus Lust, like a River when stopt in its current, it swells and fomes, and if it force a passage, its violence and rage is the greater. [ C] The habitual malice of sin is great in the heart of the wicked, which are under its dominion and power; but its actual malice is greater far in the souls of the sanctified, who have dispossest it of its throne, and broken its scepter; for that the malice of lust is excited by the opposition of grace, and so like the Enemy in the battel, it is more violent and fierce: In which battel and spiritual confl ct, if lust pre∣vail, so cruel is its hate, that no opposition can put stop to its fury, but the Spirit of Christ. And therefore in all our contests with sin, [ D] and combates with our lusts, David here presents us with a pattern for our practice, even to flie unto our God with th s complaint and prayer in our mouths; Consider mine enemies, for they are many, and they hate me with a cruel hatred; O keep my soul and deliver me.

§. 15. Second General; the Method in its gradation, the first step or ascent; Consider mine enemies. Consider how they are fur∣nished with policie and power, with number and mal•ce, with pro∣visions [ E] and arms, with all the auxiliary succors that principalities and powers,*and spiritual wickednesses, even the gates of hell can con∣tribute to supply;* and what shall I, weak I, a worm and no man, what shall I do against so great a force? how shall I conquer or withstand so huge an host, who am not able to master, not to mortifie the smallest lust! Oh consider, Lord, in this cause, in this combate, thy Page  57 glory is engaged; and in my weakness,* in mine insufficiencie thy strength is perfected; Thou art the Captain of my salvation, and the service I am upon is thine: wherefore so consider the multitude and violence of mine enemies, that through the succor and supplies of thy grace, I faint not and perish.

§. 16. But know, as we would have God to consider our enemies, so God would have us to consider his Saints, that as they were men [ A] of like passions with us, so that we be men of like patience with them;* and as of like humble patience, so of like faithful practice: See we that Cloud of witnesses, the Church of the first-born,* those Saints of Christ, with palms in their hands, as tokens of victory:* And consider we aright, that as we have the same combate, so if we faint not, we shall have the same conquest, yea and the same crown; only then we must fight with the same weapons, faith, love, meekness, patience, hope, and the like; yea, with the same importunity of supplications, [ B] sincerity of humiliations, and exercise of all holy devotions, especially the frequent solemnity of the blessed Eucharist. And when thus we consider Gods Saints to imitate them, God will consider our enemies to subdue them.

§. 17. But (2.) O keep my soul; my soul so precious, as no price save that of the blood of the Son of God could make its purchase.*Wherefore, Lord, amidst the worlds changes and thy Churches trials, howsoever thou disposest of my body or of my goods, of my liberty or of my life, O keep my soul; for that in holding faith and a good con∣science, though I lose all things else, I have enough, if I save my soul; and in deserting faith and a good conscience, if I lose my soul, I have nothing, though I save all things else. But further, O keep my soul; yet not so properly mine, as in a more peculiar right of propriety thine; thine, O blessed Jesu, by right of donation from thy Father, who hath made thee Lord and Christ, and hath given me to thee,* as thou art Head over all things unto thy Church. Thine by right of [ D] purchase, thou having bought us with a price, and given thy self 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a Ransom, yea, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a Ransom in kind,* even thine own soul and body, to redeem unto thy self the souls and bodies of the faithful.

§. 18. Further, thine by right of conquest, in which thou hast made us free from the law of sin and of death; having for our sake,* and in our name, spoil'd principalities and powers,*triumphing over them. Further yet, thine by right of Covenant, in which thou hast [ E] promised thy self to be our God, and we to be thy people. Lastly,* thine by right of Communion; for that, all we are, and all we have, are from thy fulness; our life, our love, our joy, our holiness, our happi∣ness, all is in thee and from thee. Thus I am thine, my body thine, my soul thine, thine in the nearest relation, in the strictest union, and in the dearest affection. True it is, all is thine; the Devils are thine, thy vassals; the wicked are thine, thy prisoners; the Angels are Page  58 thine, thy subjects; the Creatures are thine, thy servants: But only the sanctified are thine, thy brethren, thy members; yea, the faithful are thy treasure, thy jewels, thy jewels of ornament and delight. Thus, oh thus keep my soul, as one of thy jewels, a part of thy treasure.

§. 19. (3.) Deliver me. The propriety Christ hath in us, is a strong engagement of his care over us, as it is with his children in general,* so with each of his chosen in particular: Though Christs [ A] Church be full of enemies, yet seeing it is his own house, he will raise and repair it; though it be black, yet seeing it is his own Spouse, he will pitty and cherish it;* though it bring forth wild grapes, yet being his own Vine, he will fence and prune it; though it wander from his truth,* yet because it is his own Flock, he will watch and gather it. This then is the argument of faith, which the devout soul makes unto Christ: Because I am thy purchase, O do thou Lord preserve me; because I am of thy houshold, do thou provide [ B] for me;* because I am one of thine whom thou ownest, O keep my soul and deliver me. Deliver me not only from the conquest, but also from the conflict of sin: For that, Conflictus licet non fit dam∣nabilis, quia non perficit iniquitatem, miserabilis tamen quia non habet pacem:* Though our conflict with our lusts is not damnable, because the act of sin is not perfected; yet is it miserable, because the peace of the soul is disturbed.

§. 20. This very conflict with sin it was, which put S. Paul to [ C] his exclamation,*Wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death! Which complaint he answers with this profession, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord; for that the grace of Christ doth weaken the strength, the blood of Christ doth pardon the guilt, and the glory of Christ shall annihilate the being of sin. In rena∣scentibus remittitur,*in proficientibus minuitur, & in resurgentibus tollitur: Sin in justification through Christ is remitted, in sanctifi∣cation by Christ is weakened, and in glorification with Christ shall [ D] be destroyed; in which glorification the deliverance of Christs Church and chosen is perfected; and till that perfecting be accom∣plish'd, this will be the continued complaint and mournful prayer of Gods holiest Saints: Consider mine enemies, for they are many, and they hate me with a cruel hatred; O keep my soul and deliver me.

§. 21. Thus being in conflict then with our lusts, how may we best order our lives as to the safety and peace of our souls? I answer [ E] in several rules of direction. (1.) Be we the more fervent, the more importunate in our prayers, by how much our lusts are the more eager, the more vehement in their desires. For this we have S. Pauls example for our imitation,* when he proportions the vehemencie of his devotion to the violence of his temptation; and by how much the Messenger of Satan doth the more furiously reiterate his buffet∣ings, Page  59 by so much the Apostle of the Gentiles doth the more zealous∣ly renew his prayers; and at length he receives this comfortable answer to his sorrowful complaint, My grace is sufficient for thee; sufficient to pardon thy guilt, sufficient to cure thy wound, suffici∣ent to strengthen thy weakness, sufficient to perfect thy deliver∣ance.

§. 22. (2.) Entertain we no parley, no treaty with our lusts, have [ A] no commerce or company with them; silence their suggestions, or if they will needs be suggesting, give them not the ear, lest they make that the passage to the heart. Qui deliberant desciverunt; so Tacit. We betray our selves to sin, whensoever we treat with our lusts; conference with them, is the way to be ensnared by them. We must flie sin as a serpent; not let in the head, lest it draw in its body; not yield to the first motion, lest we be engaged in its full com∣mission.

[ B] §. 23. (3.) Set we up the Law of the Spirit and life in our hearts;* and by how much the Law of Sin will be stirring in our thoughts, by so much the more let this royal law of Christs spirit & life bear sway in our souls. And to that end, especially now in the solemnity of the blessed Eucharist, renew we our purposes, our vows, our covenants; renew we our self-denial, our total resignation, thereby to obtain a further quickening in grace, a further strengthening of the inward man;* and all by a nearer communion with Christ in his fulness. Thus this [ C] holy Sacrament shall seal unto our hearts the comfort of this assurance, that God so considers our enemies which are many, and hate us with a cruel hatred, that He will keep our souls and deliver us.

§. 1. THE Creatures were made subject to change by the law of their creation; which mutability hath been much improved [ E] by the sin of man; whose guilt, as Lord of the creatures, hath re∣dounded to the misery and mortality of all his retinue; yea, the womb of sin hath added, as one iniquity, so one mortality to another, making the best of earthly beings to be momentany and vanishing: That alone which gives fixedness and permanencie, is trusts in God. However then the Stars may sometimes be eclipsed, yet have they a fixed and permanent subsistencie in their own heavenly Orbs: Page  60 whereas Comets which rise with a greater train, and stream of light, at last vanish into ashes, and are seen no more. Thus the Saints of God, however clouded or eclipsed as to a worldly splendor, yet have they a fixed estate of peace and rest in their own heavenly souls: whereas the wicked, which flourish in a greater pomp of outward glory, are at last covered with shame, and buried in everlasting ignominy.

§. 2. To give a particular instance of this truth, see it in the am∣bitious [ A] man, and the humble Saint: The ambitious man, when he hath outclimb'd the modest designs of his first wishes, he then mounts his aim higher, and ventures to break down every hedg of Property and Right which stops his way, and force many a gap through Law and Conscience to shorten his passage: But when now he hath ob∣tained the height of his hearts desire, the Imperial crown of all his hope, how does he find his promised fruition seised with an un∣expected ruine?* his person, name, and family, as stain'd with blood, [ B] so covered with dishonor, and cloathed with confusion? But as for the humble Saint, which hath made God his stay, his trust; what∣soever are his temporal changes,* his soul is fixt upon an eternal rest, his integrity and uprightness shall preserve him, that so, neither shame nor confusion overtake him. For however he lose an earthly, yet does he hold fast an heavenly crown; however disgrace amongst men may be his affliction, yet a Diadem of glory in the hand of God and of Christ, and in the sight of Angels and of Saints, shall be his reward, [ C] and the reward of all those who in the integrity of their hearts put their trust in the Lord,*and wait for his salvation. And therefore is David right in his prayer, when he makes supplication unto his God, saying, Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in thee, &c.

§. 3. As if the Psalmist had said; O my God! that I profess, is thy truth; that I maintain, is thy cause; and my trust is in thee, that by the wisdom and power of thy providence, the cause I maintain thou wilt defend, and the truth I profess thou wilt justifie; so shall [ D] not the scorn of men,* or the reproach of sinners make me ashamed, but that still with faith and confidence I will hold fast mine integrity and uprightness, in a sincere aim at thy glory and thy Churches good. And oh let this integrity of my heart,* and uprightness of my cause preserve me; which is that I expect by hope, and wait for with pati∣ence: And oh let not my patience be disappointed of its hope, seeing I wait on thee; on thee, whose wisdom can find out the way, and whose power can effect the means of my salvation, notwithstanding [ E] all the difficulties and seeming impossibilities of my deliverance. Thus let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in thee, &c.

§. 4. Or, to give the paraphrase of the words according to the subject matter of our ensuing discourse, holding conformity with the order of our former method, and the solemnity of the blessed Eucharist. O my God and Saviour! I put my trust in thee, I build Page  61 my salvation upon the sure rock of thy saving merits, let me not be ashamed, as if I had builded it on the sandy foundation of mine own works: I cannot plead for my self a perfection of holiness;* but this I can plead through thy grace, an integrity and uprightness; my faith and repentance, though they are not full and perfect, yet are they sound and sincere: Let then mine integrity and uprightness beg by prayer, what it cannot challenge as debt, the preservation of [ A] my soul; this is that I wait for in the longings of hope, and the ex∣pectations of patience: And I thus wait on thee, who as thou findest me vessels, so also powre in oil; as thou makest me capable of sal∣vation by integrity and uprightness, so make me to be saved in thy goodness and love. Thus let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in thee; let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait on thee.

§. 5. In the words we observe a twofold Petition of prayer, set on [ B] with a twofold Argument of faith. The former Petition is this; Let me not be ashamed: The Argument of faith, For I put my trust in thee. The latter Petition, Let integrity and uprightness preserve me: The Argument of faith, For I wait on thee.

§. 6. The former Petition; Let me not be ashamed. Sin is the mother of shame; for that our first parents in their primitive state of integrity, when they had none other clothing save that of Innocencie, they were no less void of shame then sin: For see Gen. 2. v. ult. [ C] They were both naked, and were not ashamed. The Chaldee para∣phrase is very expressive and emphatical, They knew not what shame was. Shame (saith the Philosopher) it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the fear of ignominy or disgrace; which could not possibly befall man, so noble and soveraign a creature, whilst he preserved entire the glori∣ous image and likeness of his Maker: for within, his soul was arrayed with that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that splendent robe of perfect righteousness;*without, his body was deckt with an admirable beauty and exact [ D] harmony, both of parts and composition: And thus whilst man was without stain of sin, he was without spot of deformity, and so with∣out blush of shame.

§. 7. Yer, as for the shame of the Cross which Christ did despise,* S. Paul makes it his glory, and we must bear it with patience, yea with joyfulness, having fellowship with Christ in his sufferings. But, that shame which is the consequent of guilt, the effect of sin, when the conscience checks the soul for deserting the faith of Christ, for [ E] transgressing his law, or apostatizing from the truth of God; this, this is the shame which every true Saint abhorrs and dreads; and against this David here prays, Let me not be ashamed.

§. 8. (2.) The Argument; For I put my trust in thee. A wicked man deprived of worldly comforts, is wholly at a loss and amaz'd in himself, as a naked man in a storm, or an unarm'd man in the battel, he has no shelter, no defence; but the godly man, when spoil'd of all Page  62 earthly succors, finds then a shelter to flie to, a defence to trust in, a God to rely on; when all temporal supplies fail, and all humane help is gone, then does the religious heart see a fulness and allsufficiencie in its God.*To put our trust in God, is an act and exercise of faith, whereby we take our souls off from all carnal and worldly props, and devolve them upon God through Christ, to obtain present support and future salvation. And we thus devolve our souls upon God through Christ, in his Word of promise, and in his Works of provi∣dence. [ A] (1) In his Word of promise, without which neither the good∣ness of God, nor the fulness of Christ would administer firm rest and solid comfort to the soul of man; for that, we can no further extend our faith, then God reveals his will, nor draw our line of hope be∣yond his rule of promise.

*§. 9. Now the sure foundation of all the promises, is the love of God in Christ: So that, in their nature, they are free and gracious, in their vertue, quickening and purifying; in their value, rich and [ B] precious. Yea, the all-glorious Majesty, in a gracious condescend∣ment of mercy, hath obliged himself unto his creature; He hath past his word, not only promissory, but also federal: He hath made his word, a word of promise; his promise, the promise of a covenant; his covenant, a covenant confirmed by oath; that oath and covenant sealed with blood, even the blood of the Lamb, yea of the Son of God; and that word, promise, covenant, oath, blood, and all, we have confirmed, yea sealed over again in the blessed Sacrament. And [ C] wherefore is all this, but that, with David, we may with the greater confidence of faith put our trust in him? (2) His works of provi∣dence;* in which he is powerfully present by an immediate and inti∣mate operation, at all times, and in all places, with all things.

§. 10. For that, God does not do with the World, as the Workman with a Watch; that is, when by the divine art of his all-powerful hand he hath finished each wheel, and fitted each part, then to winde it up by a Law of Nature, and set it by him, to observe how the time [ D] spends, how the ages pass; no, Gods providence is not a bare and naked view, but an actual and efficacious administration; so that rather he does with the World, as David with his Harp, when arti∣ficially made and accurately strung, he tunes the Creatures as so many strings unto an unisone consent of divine harmony, by an obe∣diential power to his holy will. And then, by his hand of providence, he strikes each string in its due place, whereby it hath a particular Note in the universal Melody of the Worlds Hallelujah.* [ E]

§. 11. Now, our trust in God, as to his works of providence, is an act of faith, eyeing that infinite power and wisdom, whereby he pre∣serves and governs all things, in order to his glorious mercy and justice. And hence it is, that no extremity of danger or of distress can nonplus the Saints faith in establishing their trust, because they know nothing can pose Gods wisdom,* or puzzle his power, to Page  63accomplish their deliverance; for that either by an absolute power he can create succors out of nothing, or by a wonderful wisdom of his providence he can bring light out of darkness,* comforts out of discomforts, life out of death, salvation out of destruction. As in the Red sea, he can make the swelling waves a fencing wall,* and the swallowing Deep a Champian plain: In the fiery furnace,* he can make the consuming flames a refreshing heat; and in the raging [ A] Ocean, a devouring Whale a safe Port. This, this the wisdom and power of his providence,* who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working.

§. 12. Now that God doth work oftentimes without means, and oftentimes against means, it is to teach us to trust in him, even when we see no means; for that, hereby as God declares his soveraignty, so does he exercise our dependance, and encourage our faith; en∣courage (I say) our faith, this being the chief Basis of all our comfort, [ B] that Gods powerful providence serves his gracious purpose, even his purpose in Christ of saving us;* so that all things work together for good to them that fear him; all things, all gifts and graces, all bles∣sings and benefits, yea, all crosses and calamities, all afflictions and per∣secutions; and to go further, all their infirmities and failings, Satan and his instruments, all are awed and ordered, all are overswayed and overruled by the wisdom and power of Gods providence, to further his intendment of grace and love unto his Saints.

[ C] §. 13. Thus faith overlooks the Creatures, and fixeth it self purely and perfectly, wholly and solely upon the Creator. And this is the reason, that in all changes, in all extremities, in the deepest of the worlds distress, and of worldly mens despair, the Saint and Servant of God, he hath his heart fixed trusting in the Lord, trusting in him,* in his word of promise, and in his works of providence. Wherefore now, O God, let the mercy and truth of thy promise, let the wisdom and power of thy providence attract the force, and quicken the vigor [ D] of my faith; that when I see nothing in the Creature for temporal safety, nothing in my self for eternal salvation I may then see all things in thee and thy Christ for both: And thus shall my faith be the more pure and firm, and thy glory the more perfect and full.

§. 14. Wherefore, make we God the object of our trust,* God the great Jehovah who hath his being from himself, and himself gives being unto all things: He, a God gracious and merciful, just and holy, [ E] powerful and wise, wonderful and glorious; and that which is in∣communicable even to the best of creatures, he is eternally, infinitely, and immutably such. God alone then is the fit object of our trust; earthly objects have no proportion with the heavenly soul: As soon may the chest be filled with grace, as the heart be satisfied with wealth; and assoon may we fat the belly with •ir, as fill the soul with honor. Indeed we may not trust in the Creature, which is none otherwise Page  64 good, then in not being trusted in. Nothing (we say) can act beyond its sphere; what then can outward comforts of the world do, to solace spiritual griefs of the soul?

§. 15. Yea, look we inward to the gifts of Nature, and those streams (we find) can ascend no higher then their Spring-head; and as for the gifts of Grace, take the whole New creature, yet it is but a creature, and therefore no fit object of our trust. God alone then, who is the Author of our life, is fit to be the object of our trust, as [ A] being the fountain and fulness of all our comfort and strength, all our grace and holiness, all our glory and happiness. Wherefore, O my God,*in thee do I trust; in thee, as a Creator to sustain me, as a Lord to govern me, as a Guide to direct me, as a Rock to defend me, as a Father to succor me: All which relations thou hast taken upon thee in a merciful regard to my weakness and wants, that thou mightest the more manifestly declare thy goodness and love; which goodness and love, now seal unto my soul, by a Communion with thee in the Lord [ B] Jesus.

§. 16. But how may we best strengthen our trust in God, that we faint not in these dayes of trial? Ans. We strengthen our trust by renewing our resignation; and when can we more seasonably re∣new our resignation,* then at our receiving the blessed Sacrament? in which we have exhibited the fulness of Christs merits, as the propiti∣atory sacrifice and attonement for our souls, by whom we have access unto the Father, to receive a blessing of pardon and of peace, of life [ C] and salvation from him. Do we then in all humble devotion make this sincere resignation at the Table of the Lord, even offer and pre∣sent unto God from our hearts, as we profess with our tongues, offer and present our selves, our souls and bodies, as a reasonable, holy, and lively sacrifice unto him,* casting our selves upon him in the mercy and truth of his promise, in the wisdom and power of his provi∣dence.

§. 17. And upon this total resignation, he seals us this assurance, [ D] that he will exercise those his properties, imploy those his attributes for our comfort and protection, for our support and salvation; and this, beyond what our wits can design, our wishes can desire, or our thoughts conceive: And let not any penitent, though languishing soul, be discouraged from this holy Sacrament of the Eucharist; there to renew his resignation,* and strengthen his trust; for that, here we have set forth Christ our righteousness, and that name imprinted on him which was proclaimed before Moses,*The Lord, the Lord God, [ E] merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin.* This that name of God, whereof David speaks, saying, They, Lord, that know thy name, will trust in thee. Yea, this is that Solomon speaks of,* when he says, The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous runneth into it, and is safe; safe from the Page  65 guilt of Sin, from the rage of Satan, and from the fear of Hell.

§. 18. Wherefore for the instruction and comfort of the de∣jected, we will spell every letter of this Name, we will view every turret in this Tower; The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, &c. Here then, art thou frighted (O thou languishing soul!) art thou frighted at the [ A] vast armies of thy lusts, and the potent powers of hell, which come against thee? why, here's thy refuge, thy tower, the Lord, the Lord Jehovah, the mighty God, the Lord of hosts, he will defend thee, he will deliver thee. True, (says the dejected Penitent) I question not his power, but his will: Why hear then, he is the Lord merciful; as the Lord, to assure thee he is able, so merciful, to give thee as full an assurance that he is willing. Ah! but I am so wretched and so worth-less a creature, that I have nothing to move his mercy. Why [ B] yes sure, for misery is the object of mercy; and besides, thy God, as he is merciful, so he is gracious; his riches of mercy are free, not expecting merit to move, but faith to receive.

§. 19. Ah! but God hath been often rejected by me, how shall I then be accepted of him? Why, know, his name will still answer thy moans; as he is gracious to receive freely, so he is long-suffering to wait patiently, even that he may be gracious. Ah!* but my sins are numerous and hainous, great in number and in weight: Why, but [ C] he who is long-suffering in patience to bear, is also abundant in good∣ness to pardon. Ay! but I have been false unto God, often, very often returning, and yet as often revolting: I have broken my resolutions, my vows, my covenants, and how then shall I hope for pardon? Why, though thou hast been unfaithful unto God, yet will God be faithful unto thee; as he is abundant in goodness to forgive thy sin, so is he abundant also in truth to make good his promise, his promise of grace and salvation to the believing Penitent.

[ D] §. 20. Oh! but my hainous guilt strikes terror into my wounded conscience; I have sinned wilfully, presumptuously, with many ag∣gravating circumstances of guilt, and of horror. Why, but see his Name, and see it written too upon his Saints, A God forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin; sins of all sorts and sizes, of all kinds and degrees, the most hainous, and the most numerous. Ay, but this is mercy vouchsafed but few! Yes, it is mercy vouchsafed to thou∣sands, and a mercy not exhausted, but still renewed; He hath a whole [ E] treasure full of it, and as a treasure he keeps it, He keeps mercy for thousands.

§. 21. And here th•s treasury is open; in this blessed Sacrament, come and receive of this mercy of thy God, this pardoning, this heal∣ing, this comforting, this saving mercy of thy God, dispensed by the bountiful hand of thy Jesus, who with that mercy gives his merits, his benefits, his spirit, his whole fulness, his whole self.* Wherefore Page  66 rouse up thy soul to receive the bounty of thy God, and of thy Sa∣viour; with an humble, a thankful, and a devout heart. And a∣mongst other parts of thy devotion, remember Davids petition, Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in thee.

Verse 21. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me [ A] for I wait on thee.

§. 1. SIn and shame, guilt and punishment, they are inseparable in their conjunction, unless a timely repentance sue out a di∣vorce, and the blood of Christ make the separation. In the prosecu∣tion of sin, nothing more hardens in impenitence, then the prospe∣rous success of impiety; And in the execution of punishment, no∣thing [ B] more confounds with shame, then the unexpected disappoint∣ment of hope; for instance, when sacrilegious men have enrich'd themselves with the Churches spoils, and raised themselves upon her ruines, going on, for a while, successfully in their wickedness, They think God altogether such an one as themselves; one that approves of their sin,* in prospering their designs, and hereby they become hardned in their impiety, not willing to take the bitter pil of penitence and godly sorrow, whilst they are chewing the sweet morsel of profit [ C] and worldly gain; But oh! when they think to digest the morsel they have swallowed, when they think to enjoy the Houses and Lands they have seized;* how doth the Churches portion prove a cup of poison, making them to vomit up not only the meat they have swal∣lowed, but their own bowels also, even bring ruine upon themselves and their posterities?

§. 2. And now, Oh what shame and confusion shall be upon the soul! when this guilt flies in the face, and men find by sad experi∣ence,* [ D] that though with Edom they have made their nest among the stars,* and become in the language of the Prophet, speaking of Tyre, tanquam Cherub extentus & protegens, as a Cherub spreading their wing and enlarging their power and protection, over People and Nations; yet having Tyres guilt, they meet with Tyres doom, their great glory does consume to ashes, and their ruine's sealed with a non eris in perpetuum,*Thou shalt not be any more for ever. Wherefore when we behold Riches heaped up by oppression, and sacriledge; [ E] Honor founded upon usurpation and violence; worldly glory built upon the sandy foundation of a successful impiety, then say we with Jacob,*My soul come not thou into their secret; And with David, Let me not eat of their dainties, lest partaking of their sin and guilt, we partake with them in their shame and punishment. Yea, as the best guard of the soul, against the suggestions of Satan, and seducti∣ons Page  67 of men, make we Davids prayer our petition, invocating God in all fervor of devotion, as the Psalmist here does, Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in thee; Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait on thee.

§ 3. This the second part of Davids petition, Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; Integrity of heart, like Elisha's salt, it purgeth the spring, and purifieth the streams; it seasons our duties, [ A] and keeps the soul sound under all its infirmities and failings. The least grace sincere and saving, it is like seed of a growing and an in∣creasing nature; and though hid under a heap of corruptions, yet does it spring up to everlasting life.* Take we a view of this up∣rightness and integrity, as to its subject, its end, and its object. 1. The subject, the inward man; without which, all outward performances they are Pharisaical obedience; for God is a Spirit,* and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth. And thus the [ B] Apostle, I delight in the law of God after the inward man.* In reli∣gious services then, the integrity is that of the heart, so that in what the heart does not act, God does not accept;* the performance of the outward duty, without the concurrence of the inward man, being as a body without a soul; and meet formal professors, though they wear Christs livery, yet do they serve themselves.

§. 4. (2.) The end, the principal and ultimate is Gods glory; to which there are many subordinate and subservient, as the good of [ C] his Church, the salvation of our souls, the welfare of our Country, the benefit of our families, and the like. But now we must observe, it is too low a judgment of integrity, to take its measure from the more near and immediate ends of actions; we must eye therefore the principal and ultimate end, the glory of God.* A sincere aim at which sacred end does lay the soul level and eaven in its desires, which otherwise would warp and bend, according to the sway of some base lusts and vile affections. But notwithstanding this pure [ D] aim at Gods glory,* seeing Moses hath a respect to the recompense of reward;* and our Saviour himself had an eye to the joy that was set before him: It will be no hypo•ritical affection, but a devout en∣couragement, to quicken our pace in the way of holiness, from this Scripture-motive, our own salvation and happiness; I call it a Scripture-motive, then which nothing is more frequently urged in sacred Scripture.

§. 5. And indeed, whether Gods glory, or Mans happiness be con∣sidered, [ E] as co-ordinate one with another, or as subordinate one to another, sure I am, they are inseparable one from another; no man can rightly aim at his own happiness, without a respect to Gods glo∣ry; nor yet aim at Gods glory, without a respect to his own hap∣piness: For what is it to attain happiness, but fully to enjoy God?* and what is it fully to enjoy God, but to attain happiness? So then, Gods glory is mans felicity, and mans felicity is Gods glory; true Page  62〈1 page duplicate〉Page  63〈1 page duplicate〉Page  64〈1 page duplicate〉Page  65〈1 page duplicate〉Page  66〈1 page duplicate〉Page  67〈1 page duplicate〉Page  68 it is, some pious souls, and learned pens have made it a note of inte∣grity, to love God, though the•e were no heaven: But, besides the nicety of the Metaphysical abstraction, if rightly considered, it implies a contradiction;* for seeing God is love, what is there in heaven, which is not contained in the love of God? And whereas hereby they think to cleer pure love from the stain of being mercenary, it is but a needless attempt; for that, omnis amor mer∣cedis non est mercinarius,* all love of reward is not mercenary love; [ A] for that, God who is our portion, is our reward; and if so, to love our reward, is to love God.

§. 6. (3) The object, whatsoever God commands; which is to be done, ut mandavit, & quia mandavit, according to his will, and be∣cause of his soveraignty. To do what, but not as God commands, is disobedience;* as with Saul in the case of Amalek. Again, to do as God commands, but not because he commands, is hypocrisie; as with Jehu in the case of Baal; Jehu,* he is zealous in reforming, yet [ B] not to advance Gods glory, but his own greatness. But further, of those things which God hath commanded, Integrity respects the credenda, as well as the agenda, the doctrines of faith, as well as the duties of obedience. For it is easie to observe, how the Apostles in their several Epistles are as zealous in their reproofs, and as hot in their zeal against evil doctrines, as against evil lives; against false Teachers, as against lewd Livers: yea, and accordingly in their ex∣hortations and instructions, they join the necessity of a true faith [ C] with that of a good conscience.

§. 7. To practise holiness, and profess heresie; and to profess truth, but practise prophaneness, are both opposite to Davids integrity and uprightness; for sincere faith can no more dispense with any doctrines revealed, then holy life with any precepts declared in Gods word. Yea,* ask the Apostles, and they will tell us, Heresies as well as Pro∣phanenesses, they are works of the flesh, they are damnable, yea, bring swift damnation; False teachers, as well as lewd livers, they deny [ D] the Lord that bought them,* and are prepared of old to destruction. Wherefore a holding fast the true faith, and a keeping firm a good conscience, is that Integrity and uprightness which shall preserve us; preserve us, by fixing us upon God in Christ, as the Rock of our salvation.

§. 8. A Rock this is so deep, that no floods can undermine it; so high, that no waves can overtop; so strong, that no storms can shatter it: when the Soul is set upon this Rock, it views the swelling [ E] waves, how they some, and break themselves, but neither hurt nor hazard it; and therefore does the Soul, raised by faith, triumphantly conclude, that neither height nor depth, neither the height of wicked violence, nor the depth of worldly troubles, shall separate it from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.* Whereas then, amidst the worlds changes, and worldlings violences, the upright man seems Page  69 likeliest to be lost, yet shall his Integrity preserve him: For that, this Maxim of sure truth, Piety is the best Policy, shall confound all Machiavels Principles in the end:* So f••m is that sacred word of promise, The Lord will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance; but Judgment shall return into Righteousness, and all the upright in heart shall follow it.

§. 9. (2) The Argument of faith, wherewith David backs his [ A] Petition; For I wait on thee. As preservation is a continued creati∣on, so is waiting a continued trusting; for, what Trust believes by faith, it waits for by hope; and thus is Trust a Compound of both. When we trust in God, we look to the Word of promise, and in that,* to the authority of him that speaks the word; and this is the act of faith. Again, we look to the object of the promise, and in that to the goodness of the object; and this is the act of hope. Yea further, when we trust in God, we rely upon his promise, as from him who is [ B] the first Truth; and this is faith. And we wait for the promise,* as from him who is the chief Good; and this is hope. Now that God oftentimes suspends the blessings we desire, it is to try the trust we profess; and if our trust be upright, it will be constant; the re∣liance of faith, and the expectance of hope make our trust perfect; so that the same grace which casts our souls upon God to trust in him, will sustain our souls to wait till we enjoy him.*

§ 10. The truth of faith, the sincerity of our trust, and the inte∣grity [ C] of our hope, is never more evident then when help is deferred; for if any unruliness of passion, if any corruption of self love, if any base interest of a temporal end, if any such thing have tainted our trust, our faith, our hope, it will then appear, and our shame will ac∣company our sin, the deserting a good cause by reason of great cala∣mities, will manifest to the world our hearts were not upright,* how∣ever our professions seemed zealous. Hereby shall it appear then that we truly trust God, when we firmly rest in him: Disquiet of mind [ D] discovers weakness of trust; and a distracting fear argues a disturbed faith.

§. 11. If with integrity we trust God, we shall in piety and pru∣dence commit our way to him;* we shall wait patiently the success of our faith, and the effects of his providence. Thus when the three Children had committed themselves to God,* they are not careful to answer Nebuchadnezar; they know their duty, and let God work his will. Indeed it is grace in act, more then in habit, in function [ E] more then in affection, in use more then in stock, that does quicken, strengthen, support, and save. And therefore the waiting Saint hath a waking soul, his graces are not dormant, slugg'd with security, presumption, or sloth; no, but still exercised in the duties of holy devotion, and a sincere obedience, in an active vigor of life and strength.

Page  70§. 12. As in nature, so in grace, motion is the preservat•ve of pu∣rity, and the incentive of heat; even life it self, is the more lively by action. God (say the Schools) is a pure act, and every crea∣ture hath the greater excellency of being, by how much it hath the greater perfection of working;*the heavenly bodies have their rest in motion, and the heavenly Saints their blessedness in operation; the more holy the soul is, the more heavenly; a•d the more heavenly, the more active. It is then in the exercise of grace and duties of obedi∣ence, [ A] that we wait for the accomplishment of Gods promise his promise of deliverance in time of trouble; upon which promise, Da∣vid founds his prayer,* and fixeth his faith, when he thus bespeaks God, saying, Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait on thee.

§. 13. Oh what is the best temper of soul then? what the best exercise of grace? what the best duties of devotion, w•en in pub¦lick calamities, or private distresses, we wait for the salv tion of [ B] God? (1.) What the best temper of soul? Answ. When compos'd to a holy frame of divine patience; this resolution we have from our Saviour, when he gives the admonition to his chosen, amidst the afflictions of his Church, that, in their patience they possess their souls;* which words, compared with the cont•x•, admit this Para∣phrase; As if our Saviour had said, though such shall be the persecuti∣on of my Church, that men rob you of your goods, by oppression; rob you of your liberty, by imprisonment; rob you of your lives, [ C] by cruelty; yet let them not rob you of what is more dear and pre∣cious then ten thousand worlds, your souls, and that by sin, through impatience of spirit, apostatizing from God. But in your patience possess your souls,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, possess them, so as to preserve them, preserve them as your best of treasure, even in the profession of faith, and a good conscience, which is still accompanied with peace and rest in the inward man. So that the heart of the upright, like the center of the earth, amidst all the storms, tempests▪ and commo∣t ons [ D] of the world,* it remains unmoveable from its stedfastness, it is still fixed, trusting in the Lord.

§. 14. (2.) What the best exercise of grace? Answ. The exer∣cise of humility, of faith, and of hope. First humility, t•is that dispels all secret murmurings, at the publick order of Gods providence; prompting the soul to an acknowledgment of his Justice, and an ad∣vancement of his Mercy; an acknowledgment of his Justice, thus Daniel,*O Lord righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confu∣sion [ E] of face, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inha∣bitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the Countries whither thou hast driven them, be∣cause of their trespass, that they have trespassed against thee. O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of f ce, to our Kings, to our Princes, and to our Fathers, because we have sinned against thee. Yea, hu∣mility Page  71 prompteth the soul, in the midst of Gods judgments, to an advancement of his mercy. Thus the Psalmist,*He hath not dealt with us according to our sins, neither hath he rewarded us according to our iniquities; and it is the humble acknowledgment of Gods Church, in her lamentations of sorrow, saying,*It is of the Lords mercy that we are not consumed.

§. 15. (2.) Faith, the Apostle calls faith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as the sub∣stance,* [ A] so the subsistence of things hoped for; the subsistence, make∣ing that glory and blessedness, that salvation and deliverance, to have a present subsistence with us, which we look upon through hope, as in their future existence to us. Wherefore then is it that the con∣scientious confesso•s of Christs truth, so calmly, so patiently, yea so chearfully suffer the disgrace of the world, and the violence of the wicked? is it not because they see by faith, that, to suffer for righte∣ousness, truely makes them, what Turtullian elegantly stiles them, [ B] Coelestis gloriae candidatos, Candidates of the celestial glory? have∣ing received the earnest of the spirit, the seal of their redemption,*the first fruits of glory, they see by faith, that whilst men load them with injuries, they heap up their rewards; whilst they spoil their earthly goods, they encrease their heavenly treasure; yea, each scornful reproach, they see by faith, it does but add a flower to their garland; each violent act, a jewel to their Crown;* all their light af∣fliction which is but for a moment, they see by faith how it works for [ C] them a far more exceeding, and eternal weight of glory.

§. 16. (3.) Hope; such as that of Davids, which he commends unto the Church upon his own experience of good success,*Let Is∣rael hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plentious redempteon. Wherefore when the Church mourneth and the gates of Zion languish, this the hope, which strengthens the patience, and comforts the souls of Gods Saints; that he will either vouchsafe them a temporal deliverance, or crown their sufferings with [ D] an eternal salvation; this that hope, of which saith the Apostle,*〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, non confundit (so the vulg.) it brings no shame of face, no confusion of soul; it fears no deficiency on Gods part, and preserves from Apostacy on mans part; and so becomes a right, what the Apostle stiles it, the Anchor of the soul,* both sure and stedfast.

§. 17. (3.) What the best duties of devotion? Answ. Solemn humiliation, fervent prayer, and a worthy receiving the blessed Eucha∣rist. [ E] (1.) solemn humiliation; solemn for time, for measure, and the manner of performance; for time, some day in the week, or at least in the moneth, set apart and dedicated to this service; For measure, not the dropping of a tear, the breathing of a sigh, and so away;* no, we must offer unto God, the Sacrifice of a broken heart, and a contrite spirit; the sorrows of our contrition must be like that of one mourning for the dead, a funeral sorrow, the deepest of mourn∣ings; Page  72 yea,* like that of one mourning for her onely Son, the saddest of Funerals. Indeed the Church, by our sins is laid in the depth of calamities; fit it is, that we for our sin, lie down in the deepest of hu∣miliations: For manner of performance; confessing the guilt of sin, bewailing the bitterness of distress, deprecating Gods wrath, and im∣ploring his mercy.

§. 18. To affect our souls with the greater relentings of contriti∣on, and meltings of compassion, see, oh see we, how this Church [ A] our Mother,* sits as a disconsolate widow, mourning in her distress! her hair dishevel'd, her beauty defac'd, her garments rent, her body wounded, her blood flowing, her spirits fainting; yea see, see a flood of tears overtakes her streams of blood, her sorrow accompanies her pain, and her mourning her affliction. And yet how do too too ma∣ny (who boast themselves her Sons) Oh! how do they by their oaths, their drunkenness, their whoredoms, and other their abomi∣nable pollutions, how do they even drag this their Mother, by that [ B] hair which sorrow hath dishevel'd? How do they trample upon her whilst she sits in the dust? how do they widen her wounds, sharpen her pains, imbitter her sorrows, and every way aggravate her misery? Wherefore, as many as are affected with the Churches deep affliction, and wait upon God for her gracious restauration; let them thus wait, even in this sacred duty of holy devotion, Solemn humi∣liation.

*§. 19. (2.) Fervent prayer; this is St. James's Catholicon, his [ C] general remedy for all spiritual distempers; If any man among you be afflicted let let him pray? the Original is very emphatical, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, where the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 taken in the large sence, as here most proper, we may thus paraphrase the words of the Apostle. Doth any among you suffer any evill of body or of mind? as the readiest means of his redress and succour, let him pray; and in our prayers do we prescribe to our selves some solemn service of devotion, more peculiarly appropriate to this sacred blessing,* the Churches restau∣ration [ D] and peace. Thus did Nehemiah, thus did Daniel, and (Psal. 137.) the faithful are so zealous for Jerusalem (the type of the Church) that they seal the resolution of earnest prayer, with this 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, this dreadful imprecation,* that if they remember her not, their tongues may cleave to the roof of their mouthes; intimating this zealous w•sh, that they may never have tongues to pray for themselves, if they for∣get to pray for Jerusalem.

§. 20. (3.) The blessed Eucharist; here we have an unmoveable [ E] center to rest on; God our portion, Christ our fulness, an object lar∣ger then the heavens. Oh that our faith were now suitable to its ob∣ject! the firmness of our trust, to the fulness of our God, our Jesus! had the widow of Sarepta prepared more vessels, she had received more oil;* and that we receive less, in the supplies of grace, and the bounties of love, from God and Christ; it is because we are Page  73 straitned in our faith, not God or Christ straitned in his bounty; we less capable to receive, not he less willing or able to give; the Wi∣dows vessels were all filled, and here each humble soul shall be reple∣nish'd, according to the measure of their capacity, not the riches of Christs fulness; who, as the Sea can fill the vessels, though never so large; and therefore where the measure is but little, there the ves∣sels are but small. Enlarge we then the thirsting desires of our soul, [ A] that the fountain of Christs fulness, here set open in this Ordinance,* may satisfie and fill them; here behold the promises of life sealed, here feel the riches of grace communicated, here see the earnest of salvation and glory confirmed: yea, here shall the soul find Davids double petition of prayer accepted, and his twofold argument of faith approved; O let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in thee; Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait on thee.

Vers. ult. Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.

§. 1. AS there is no greater incentive of divine wrath then sin, so [ C] nor is there any greater obstructive of devout prayer, in re∣moving that wrath, then impenitence; impenitence clogs, yea, clips the wing of devotion, so that it cannot mount aloft, it cannot reach the Throne of Grace, and of this David himself gives us his profession, from his experience saying,*If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me; Quantum à praeceptis, tantum ab auribus Dei longè summ. (So Tertul.) Look how far our lives are from Gods precepts, to obey them; so far are Gods ears from our [ D] prayers, to hearken to them. The person then must be accepted be∣fore the petition; and so a sincere penitent, is the best suppliant; for that, our Lord Jesus Christ being the Priest that offers,* and the Altar that sanctifies all our services, there can be no acceptation, without his mediation; and sure I am, he will not be our Advocate, unless he be our Lord, he will not be our Priest, unless he be our King; he will not present God our prayers, unless we present him our persons; and whom faith and repentance consecrates through the spi∣rit, [ E] him grace and mercy accepts through Christ.

§. 2. Very aptly then doth David, in his penitence, as put up supplications for himself, so make intercession for the Church; the guilt of his transgressions, he knew well, did add to the heap of the Churches afflictions; and therefore when he bewails his sin with pe¦nitent tears, he remembers her trouble in a compassionate sorrow: And that he might make the Church some amends; whereas his Page  74 guilt did help to the heighten•ng her distress, his prayers shall con∣tribute to the hastening her deliverance; and for this reason, doth he close this penitential Psalm with this pathetical petition, Deliver Israel, O God, out of all his troubles. Which words are Davids inter∣cession for Gods Church: And in them we have, first, the subject matter of his intercession, Israels deliverance; deliver Israel; which deliv rance is set forth in its Author, and its extent; its Author, God; and its extent, out of all trouble; Redeem, or deliver Israel, O God out [ A] of all his troubles.

§. 3. (1.) The subject matter, Israels deliverance, deliver Israel. God in a gracious vouchsafement of love, will have h•s Saints to be his Remembrancers,* by the importunity of their prayers, minding him of his promises; Not giving him rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem, even his Church, a praise in the earth. And therefore hear the Prophets zealous devotion, well worthy our devoutest imitation; For Zions sake will I not hold my peace,*and for Jerusalems sake I will [ B] not rest, untill the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth; even made visible and glori∣ous, in the sight of m•n and of Angels.

§. 4. But what, in the Churches, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in her fixt season, and determined method of deliverance, is not the decree past,* and the time set: And so, as that we cannot hasten the time, nor alter the decree by our prayers? and if so, to what purpose is it to importune God for the Churches deliverance? I answer, True it [ C] is, that Gods will being immutable in its determinations, his provi∣dence must needs be infallible in its administrations; yet neither the deliberations of councels, the industry of endeavours, nor the im∣portunity of prayers are taken away, or made void; but rather con∣firmed and made good, by the infallibility of God providence, in the determinations of his will. For that, God determining the end, doth also order the means, means proportionable and agreeable to that end: which maketh much for the strengthning our faith, quicken∣ing [ D] our obedience, and confirming our hope; hope of obtaining the end, as determined by Gods will, when we observe the means as ap∣pointed in Gods word.

§. 5. So that, to establish the means, and deny the providence of God determining the end, is a part of Atheism; to establish the pro∣vidence of God determining the end, and despise the means, is great prophaneness; but to use the means, so, as withall to trust and attend Gods providence for obtaning the end,* this, this is the way of truth, [ E] and a work of righteousness; knowing this, that prayers, and councels, and endevours, they are appointed of God, not whereby we should alter his Will, but perform it; not whereby we should change his Decree, but fulfill it; and in what we, as yet, obtain not our desires, we testifie our obedience. Wherefore, God having past the Decree and given the promise of his Churches deliverance; through his will Page  75 be unchangeable, and his Decrees immutable,* yet are not our prayers fruitless, our supplications needless; for that the Decrees of Gods counsel, and the Prayers of Gods chosen, they are subordinate; and we say, Subordinata non inter se pugnant, Things subordinate in their being, oppose not each other in their working. The w•mb of all Gods blessings to his Church, it is his gracious Decree; and the Mid∣wife to bring them forth, is the Prayer of the faithful.

[ A] §. 6. Further yet; whereas God hath given many promises of deliverance to his Church, we must know, that his promises to us, they are the very ground of our prayers to him. Thus, Dan. 9. and thus, Psal. 102. Yea, God having given the Promise, it is an implied Condition, that we ask by Prayer; thereby testifying that his Pro∣mises are of free grace, not of due debt; of mercy in him, not of merit in us: Yea, as we subscribe to the acknowledgment of his mercy and goodness in giving the Promise, so we submit to the dispose [ B] of his wisdom and power in ordering the performance. And thus, whatsoever blessing it is, of life, of grace, or of glory, of supply, of support, or of deliverance, upon our selves in particular, or upon the Church in general, whatsoever blessing (I say) it is which we receive from Gods hand, it must be on our knees, as an effect of his Promise, so a fruit of our Prayer.

§. 7. Thus, God having promised to build the ruin'd places,*and to plant the desolate, he tels the house of Israel, that for this he will [ C] be enquired of to do it for them. And again, hear the promise God makes unto Israel by the Prophet Jeremy: Thus saith the Lord, After seventy years be accomplished at Babylon, I will visit you,*and perform my good word towards you, in causing you to return to this place: For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. But how shall this gracious Promise be brought to full performance? Why, it is by fervent prayer; for so saith God,*Then shall ye call [ D] upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you, and ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart; and I will be found of you, saith the Lord, and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord, and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive. This then emboldens the confidence, and enlargeth the comfort of our prayers, that what we ask, is according to Gods [ E] will, made ours in the promise, by which we have a right of grace from our God, and may thereby make good our claim by faith in Christ, in whom all the Promises are Yea and Amen,* most sure and firm.

§. 8. And thus, whether we look upon the purposes of Gods will or the promises of Gods word; this is a requisite condition and means of their execution and performance, even our prayers. Where∣fore Page  76 though the Decree be past, and the time be set for the Churches deliverance; yet not to alter, to execute that decree; not to shotten, but to accomplish that time, we must be instant in our prayers; and then most instant in our prayers, when most earnest in our penitence; interceding for the Church, as David here does, when he closeth his devotion with the fervor of this Petition, Deliver Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.

§. 9. (2) The Author of Israels deliverance, God; Deliver [ A] Israel, O God. As we acknowledg none other Mediator of inter∣cession, but Christ; none other Master of our requests, but the Spirit; so, none other Author of salvation, but God, who alone is all sufficient to save.* Thus the Prophet; Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains; truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel. Where, by hills and multitude of mountains, is meant in an Allegory, the strongest de∣fence and surest protection; which shall certainly betray us to ruine, [ B] unless Gods strength make that protection strong, and his power give safety to that defence. O the inconstancy, solly, weakness and vanity of all worldly supports and carnal succors, without God, whether it be for salvation temporal or eternal!

§. 10. (1) Salvation temporal. O the inconstancy of Popular esteems, various as the wind! To day, Hosanna; to morrow Crucifige. O the folly of Carnal wisdom! whilst the subtilest Achitophelt clash in their counsels,* and become puzzel'd with intricacies hamper'd in different [ C] designs and divers interests! O the weakness of worldly force! The strongest Armies having Reubens sate and character unstable as the water;* they have their tide and ebbe, they sometimes flow to an inundation, and then again sink away to nothing. And O the vanity of the vastest Treasures! more matter of prey to the mighty, then means of help to the miserable; they betray to ruine, rather then protect from danger. As all men, so all creatures in themselves are lyers;* Lyers either through impotencie, or through imposture; [ D] either through imposture deceiving in what they promise, or through impotencie failing in what they undertake. This the insufficiencie of all the Creatures, for salvation temporal.

§. 11. And (2) much more insufficient are they for salvation eter∣nal. Sure we are, he who cannot span his own length, shall never be able to grasp the heavens: He who cannot with Sampson bear away the Gates of Gaza,* shall never be able with Atlas to support the Universe. If the Creatures (I mean) be all insufficient to work that [ E] salvation which is temporal, they shall never be able to effect that which is eternal.* It is not then the wealth of worldlings, nor the merits of Saints, no, nor the power of Angels, that can save a sinner. Wherefore when we make the deliverance the Church the subject of our prayers, it must be to him who is stiled, The God that heareth prayers,* and who alone can command deliverances for his Church.

Page  77§. 12. But here, some may say; Alas, I have often prayed for the deliverance of the Church; but God either hears not, or he answers not: yea, he rather contradicts by his providence, what I importune by prayer; involving his Church in greater distress, rather then de∣livering it out of all its troubles. But to this I answer; The stay of our faith, and so the ground or our prayer, is the word of Gods promise; which word of promise is most certain, though the means of per∣formance [ A] is not so evident. And to measure the truth of Gods word by the strength of our reason, is to wrong his power and debase his wisdom. And therefore when we eye God in his promises or deli∣verance to his Church, we must look beyond all secendary causes, and view his wisdom infinite in contriving, and his power omnipo∣tent in effecting the execution of his will, and performance of his word.

§. 13. The unbelief of the Churches restauration, and the Bodies [ B] resurrection, are both from one and the same principle of error and misapprehension, even a not knowing the Scriptures and power of God.* And therefore we observe how aptly God speaks concerning Israels deliverance from Babylons Captivity: Israel had said, that by reason of their desperate estate, their bones were, dryed, their hope lost, and they cut off for their parts: But now, Thus saith the Lord God,*Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel,*and then [ C] ye shall know that I am the Lord. Ye shall know it; how? why, in the experience of mine omnipotent power.

§. 14. Wherefore, what St. Augustine speaks concerning the re∣surrection of the body, we may apply to the restauration of the Church: Considera Authorem, & tolle Dubitationem; Consider the Author, to whom nothing is impossible and this will take away all doubting of what seems incredible. Consider the Author, it is the Lord Jehovah, He is the Original of all being; who not only does [ D] work, but also can command; and not only does command, but also can create deliverance for his people; yea, he can bring light and sal∣vation out of darkness and desolation; no estate so miserable, and no misery to desperate, which can either pose his wisdom, or puzzle his power, to effect a deliverance; but as his counsel is unsearchable,* so his strength is everlasting, and this strength is made perfect in weakness. Wherefore when we pray, if God does not answer, it is not because he does not hear, but that we should farther •mportune: [ E] Ostium coeli propterea clausum, ut tu fortiùs pulses; The gate of heaven is shut, not that entrance is denied, but that thou shouldst knock the harder; even with more faith and more servor, more patience and more importunity; praying again and again, Deliver Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.

§. 15. (3) The extent of Israels deliverance, out of all trouble; Deliver Israel, O God, out of all his troubles. Many there are whose Page  78 seared consciences have made them obdurate hearts; they are be∣come 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, men void of all relenting affections, wholly insensible of the Churches sufferings: So they can raise themselves upon her ruines, and enrich themselves with her spoils, they care not to see her lie in the dust, yea, wallow in her blood, torne with Schism, and de∣filed with profanenesses. But most certain it is, the Good Heart can never be without trouble, whilst the Church continues in her distress, still preferring Jerusalems peace before its chief joy. [ A]

*§. 16. Yea, our sad experience (we know) will subscribe the acknowledgment of this truth, that the present waters of the Churches affliction, like the former oil of her sacred unction, it hath run down from the crown of the head to the skirts of the garments,* from the highest Prince to the lowest Peasant. And now then, let Compassion be the mother of devotion, and by how much our sense of her sorrows is the more deep, by so much let the fervor of our prayers be the more zealous, that God would deliver her out of all her [ B] troubles.* But what? deliver Israel out of all his troubles! Israel, Gods [ B] first-born, his peculiar treasure, his chosen nation, is he in trouble, and in many troubles too? Yes, it is so: Let not then any place plead priviledge, nor any person, no, not the most Sacred on earth any prerogative, to exempt or acquit them from the chastising scourge of the most high God.

*§. 17. All flesh (saith God) have corrupted themselves before me: And if all flesh be corrupted, all flesh must suffer the Chyrurgions [ C] hand, either ad sanandum, or ad excindendum, either for the curing, or for the cutting off. Even he who was the Son of God, taking up∣on him the flesh of man, though he was without sin, yet was he not without suffering. Wonder not then, that Gods first-born Israel, whilst the onely-begotten of the Father, Christ Jesus, suffers affliction: for, Non decet sub spinoso capite corpus esse delicatum; It is not comely that the head being crown'd with pricking thorns, the body be clothed with delicate purple. The Spouse must share in her Hus∣bands [ D] lot; the Church have fellowship with Christ in his sufferings: And it is his promise,*if we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him; in which triumphant estate alone it is, that the Church shall have her full freedom from all miseries, her full deliverance out of all troubles.

§. 18. Here, to represent the Troubles of our Israel, and then to mind us of the fit season and service, to pray for Israels deliverance, even the celebration of the blessed Eucharist. 1. To represent us [ E] the troubles of out Israel; A sum whereof we have so exactly set down by S. Paul, (in 2 Tim. 3.) that he seems not only to have aim'd at our times, but also to have pointed at our Land: For, what was his sure prophesie, hath been our sad experience; and it is but changing the tense, to make his Prophetical prediction an historical narration, even that (as v. 2.) Men are become lovers of their own selves; from Page  79 which unclean fountain of self love, do issue those filthy streams, of all the following imp•eties, which give so fit a character of our Apostate times; in which men are become through self-love, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful unholy. All which evils, they are set down by the Apostle, and are plainly to be discerned by us, to be the adulterate b•ood and bastard brats of Heresie and Schism.

[ A] §. 19. By whose venom and fury, see, oh see the Tragical Scene of tumults and wars, of rapines and spoils, of treachery and violence! See a Nation sick and fainting, a Church ruin'd and in the dust, a People in fatuated and divided! Oh see Justice despised, and Truth rejected! yea, see the Ministry, ordinances, and worship of God violated & invaded, Priests being made of the lowest of the people, and who will,* putting himself into the Sacred function; the least fitted being best accepted, and most approved; Men, women, and boys step from the shop, [ B] from the stall, from the kirchin, almost from the cradle to the Pulpit; and these undertake the dispensing of the Word, and the administring of the Ordinances, as if the Church were another Capitol — or our days those of Jereboam, to worship Calves.

§. 20. Indeed Zeal and the Spirit is pretended; yet we know well enough it is the Clusters of grapes which invite the Foxes into the vin•yard; the Revenues of the Church, that draws Faction into the Ministry. And by these intruders, see, oh see how the greatest testi∣monies [ C] of Christs presence and the dearest pledges of his love, his blessed Sacraments, they are either quite removed, or impiously pro∣san'd. Yea, see weak men, and silly women suffer their precious souls to be vainly seduc'd; and through fond pretences of piety, yea some in open professions of blasphemy, make shipwrack of their faith.*O God! in what a maze of perplexities and labyrinth of miseries are we involv'd! such as no hand save that of thine extraordinary providence can lead us out.

[ D] §. 21. And oh the hainousness of our sins through our impenitence, which stand as a thick cloud betwixt us and our God, that our prayer,*cannot pass through! And thus our continuing in sin is the prolong∣ing of his Judgments; and whilst we thus lie wallowing in our lusts, restless in our malice, and helpless in our misery, God, he hides his face in anger, end our enemies look on with scorn; God, he goes on in his wrath farther to afflict us, and our Enemies continue in their hatred still to deride and mock us:*This (say they) this is the day we [ E] looked for; now Gods vengeance hath overtaken them, and his fury seizd upon them. In the thoughts of these sad troubles and deep distresses, quis temperet à lachrymis? who can refrain from tears of mourning? who can refrain his sorrows of compassion? And who is't that feelingly compassionates the troubles of our Israel, that will not servently implore its deliverance? And when, when more season∣ably help the Church with our prayers, then now when her Prayers are violently wrested from the Church?

Page  80§. 22. But more especially (2) to mind us of the fit season, and service to pray for Israels deliverance, even the celebration of the blessed Eucharist. Seeing so great wrath is come upon us from the Almighty, do we this day lay hold on the horns of the Altar; do we in the celebration of this blessed Sacrament, deeply sigh and contritely mourn for all the abominations that are committed in the Land; that so,* with those Penitentiaries in Ezekiel, we may receive our mark, even that blood of Christ upon out souls, that so the destroying [ A] Angel may yet pass over us; and in the behalf of this our Israel, do we in our most enlarged devotions, make this or the like intercession unto God in the holy Eucharist.

§. 23. And here, let the outward distractions of our Israel, minde us of the inward distempers of our hearts; the great profanations in the Church, prompt us to a strict purifying of our Consciences; yea, our longing desires after better days, quicken our holy endeavours after better lives: So shall we find by an happy experience, God [ C] who did watch for our deliverance when we knew not our danger,* he will not sleep now we know our danger, and pray for our deliver∣ance. No, as for the Enemies of Sion, evil shall fall upon them, and sudden desolation;*& nescient ortum ejus, they shall not know from whence it ariseth. But as for the Israel of God, he shall deliver them as a bird out of the Fowlers net,* and as a prey out of the Lyons teeth: at once making it the praise of our faith, then to believe, when our trust seems to be against hope;* and the glory of his power, then to [ D] save when our condition seems to be past succor. And thus for the share, we have in the sorrow of Israels troubles, we shall have our portion in the joy of Israels deliverance;* if not whilst the Church is militant on earth, yet most assuredly then when triumphant in heaven, of which this blessed Sacrament is the seal and pledge, confirming the Royal grant of this humble Petition to every faithful soul, that prays with David; Deliver Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.