First, I begin with the Narrative, and take this Account of my self under no other power of Christianity than the effect of Religious Edu­cation: One Born within the Pale of the Church, instructed in the knowledge of the True Principles of the Christian Religion, and enabled to discourse of them; with the Cha­racter of knowing the Things of God, (tho' but Notionally then;) Trained up with the continued Example of performing all the Duties of Hearing, Reading, and Praying, with that powerful influence, that publick or private De­votion were seldom neglected, but not diligent and serious in the perusal of the Scriptures; Besides, all this under the advantage of Religious Conversation and Holy Practice, was so power­fully impressing, that in the course of my Life, never one single act of the common Vices of Drinking, Swearing, or Uncleanness, tainted my Conversation: Yea, the impression con­tinued so strong, as after my departure from under this strictness of instruction and exam­ple, still the same exactness in Duties and Conversation remain'd, tho' Youthful Tempta­tions surrounded me. God's restraining Grace was my preservative; and my natural desire to be in Business was a means of preventing the impression of Temptations; yet still I was in the dark as to the saving knowledge of True Christianity, or the inward power of Grace sen­sibly acting in the Soul; my natural disposition [Page 3] inclining me more to Observation, than to much Talk in Conversation, led me not only to observe the Discourse and Actions of others, but even to remark the Events attending my Life, with Reflections thereupon, without any regard to it as Duty, or productive of the knowledge of Divine Things, but purely as the effect of natural Curiosity, inducing me both to observe and to record them with great plea­sure in reviewing them; and finding the more I observ'd, the greater and more numerous things were presented to me, I became stricter in ob­serving things of great and smaller moment. While I continued in this practice, a Dispensati­on of Providence occurr'd, that induced me not to trust in my self, or second Causes, but by a siducial assent to the Being of a God in his full governing Power, as to Persons and Things, with a full desire of being interested in the fa­vour of this Great and Omnipotent God, to live in an entire dependance upon Him.

The Providence was as follows: Being call'd to attempt a matter of great concern, (that ma­ny far excelling me in Age, rational Judgment, and natural Activity, had endeavour'd, though unsuccessfully, to bring about) I brought the Business, and that in a very few days, to all seeming probability of success; but being ob­liged by a Providential Occasion to be absent, and to appear where those that had try'd their endeavour to no effect did usually reside, I found the progress I had already made, with [Page 4] the prospect of perfecting the matter, had so increased the esteem of my self, that disparaging of those, was the Game I then exercised my self withal; but returning to the place where the Business was to be performed, matters were altogether chang'd for the worst; and upon enquiry of the time this change happen'd, (my custom of Observation having brought me to some more than ordinary curiosity in it) I found it exactly answering the time my Lust of Pride put forth its Tyranny in my Conver­sation; and stepping from the Floor to my Bed, that very night, this Suggestion suddenly and strongly darted into my Mind; That by my ill return to God's Kindness, affording such hopes of success, in detracting from Him the Praise that was entirely due for such an eminent Pro­vidence, and in not retaining an humble Sense of my own Unworthiness and Insufficiency, I had provoked the Lord thus to turn the course of the Affair, immediately convincing me who it was that had made me to differ from others of more promising Abilities than I, and impressing my Mind with great seriousness of Thought, and force to Prayer, begging Pardon from Him, and His further assistance in the matter, with a full resolution of looking to God, extolling Him, and debasing my self in the success. My Prayer was immediately return'd, evident by the great alteration that immediately happened, as a sweet Condescention of God to train a poor Creature to the Knowledge of Himself, and to delight in [Page 5] Him; but in a weeks time more, being call'd to the same place as before, I found the same Self-applause return: This was a full conviction to me of the great need of continued supplies of Heaven after the greatest confirmations of God's Love to preserve us from forgetting his Mercies, or repeating failures; and correspon­dent to this, the same unsuccessful turn hap­pened in the affair, which was so powerfully bore home upon my Soul, that I could not but see God with favour in one hand and punish­ment in another; marvellous Mercy in bring­ing me to the sense of my failure, and the re­petition of my Address to Heaven; Punishment in withholding his assistance, the just merit of my forgetfulness, and of my repeated failure: Upon Address to God by serious and sincere Prayer, with unfeign'd Confession, the Business turn'd again with a favourable aspect of success; suitable to the Psalmist, I confessed my Sin, and thou forgavest the Iniquity, or Punishment, of my Sin; And at last by his Divine Assistance, attain'd a final and perfect success, though between my first undertaking and this final Issue, there was four turns of Providence exactly answering my Soul's posture.

From hence I date my first sence of inward serious thoughtfulness of passages of Divine Providence; of minding God in all under­takings, with an entire dependance upon him for conduct to the right use of means, and for a Divine Blessing to make them successful, of the [Page 6] certainty of access to him; for this very end, with a distrust of self-sufficiency, all which met as it were in a moment in my Soul, by the Spi­rit of God's bearing home this passage upon me: But from the Observation of God's further me­thod of outward Providence and inward Work­ings of his Spirit, I have found that these were but little glimmerings of light, an Eye begin­ning to be open'd after a sound and secure sleep. God having marvellously enlightn'd my Eyes since, and made me to see what before I knew only in the notion, enabling me to discourse thereof; but what now, I hope, I may say I have felt, and am well assured of, even the truth of an inward change upon the Soul, putting it self forth with such power, as to hinder Thought, Words and Actions to run in the same course from the same principle, or towards the same end as before, but to tread according to a Rule, not of self, but of God's Will.

I could subjoin many circumstances of this Providence here related, that might marvellously affect the Reader; yea, other Providences, con­cerning the Lord's first exciting designs, as well as his method in bringing them successfully a­bout, were it not that I am unwilling to be known to the World, and that for these Rea­sons.

First, That Mockers at, and Unbelievers of these great things experimental Religion has made known to my Soul, may not prejudice themselves by imagining show, self-commen­dation [Page 7] and applause at the bottom of this design, the faithful aim thereof being to bring men off their reliance upon notional Religion, and their trusting to their rational conclusions, as fittest means to inform them of Christianity, or to their own strength as sufficient help to the right per­formance of Gospel Duties; and to lead them to the vital part of Christianity, experiences therein, not to be maintain'd by notional know­ledge or quarrelling Debates, but by a serious and strict use of means God commonly imparts the experience of himself and his Word by; The Lord has given forth great Truths to be tryed and experienced in the Christian Soul, but we are not at the pains either to observe them, or by mutual converse to confirm one another in the truth of them.

A Second Reason is, Lest it prove Temptati­on to my self, exciting a corrupt Principle with­in to puffing up, whereas great Humility is the companion of such Experiences when first felt in the Soul, and ought to be preserv'd in im­parting them to others, lest we our selves be exalted above measure, or ingage others to think of us above what we are.

Again, this change wrought in my Soul, is the Lord's own doing; let it therefore in its declaration glorifie him by Confirming some, and Instructing others, without any knowledge of my self therein, but with full discovery of the actings of a Divine Spirit.

[Page 8]This Seriousness brought forth by the means of so remarkable an outward Providence in the Hand of God, was soon accompanied with some sensible Changes never felt formerly, but then so visible as forced me to commit them to a Diary; some whereof were as follows.

First, An Eye to God in all Things, a Pe­titioning of Him for all Things, with some be­ginnings of Resignation to his Will in all events. It was not as before, a trusting to nothing but what was sensible, a distraction of Thoughts to find out this or the other instrument to bring a­bout such an event; but now I could hope in things unseen; and instead of hurrying of Thoughts to find out means to bring about an event, I began the pursuit of a design with seri­ous address to Heaven, for conduct to my self in the use of means, and for a Blessing to the event according to his Pleasure; enlargement in Prayer was not at this time understood, only when an endeavour in the use of means and with address to God, was made successful, I could not but observe it, with some excitings to love this God that had given me my Heart's Desire, and that in answer to Prayer; which brought me,

Secondly, To some Trust to God; Sense begun to be out of favour, whereas formerly I could encourage my self in nothing but what was either in possession, or in all probability certain; now there were some sparklings of Trust to God, and Love to Him I had been so obliged [Page 9] to by his Blessings, Endeavours, and answering of Prayers, which would often raise that re­flection in my Thoughts, how gratefully and dutifully I ought to endeavour the pleasing of him, whose Strength was my Assistance, whose Ear was so open to my address, which prov'd a sensible mean of bringing me,

Thirdly, To a diligent search of the Scriptures, therein to know his Will, and by endeavouring conformity thereto, to please him who had made himself to be observ'd thus loving, where­as formerly with Historical delight only the Scriptures were made use of by me; my Thoughts then run pleasantly after the Pra­ctical meaning, as well as the Notional Know­ledge of them; at which time the 15th Psalm throughout greatly accompanied my Thoughts, and enclin'd me for some considerable time to breathe forth continual Petitions for practical Conformity to it.

Fourthly, Great exercise of Hatred to those Sins that usually did beset me. While under the impression of Education, and Religious Exam­ple, and sober Society, my outward life was free from single acts of common Vice; yet up­on the sense and feeling of an inward change, a long roll of inward Corruptions I disco­ver'd, that the World and I were not judges of, tho' then they offer'd themselves fully to my view.

Fifthly, An inward seriousness of Thoughts, as well as outward gravity in performance of Du­ties, [Page 10] aiming then at pleasing God in the parts of his Worship.

Sixthly, A serious free affection towards Ho­ly Christians, the least degree whereof I never had formerly any evidence, their Conversation in Christianity having often prov'd confinement and burthensome, unless where Relation and Friendship made it less tiresome: The first sensi­ble evidence whereof discover'd it self in my Carriage towards some who had falsly reproach'd me with an Aspersion base in its Nature, and likely to be injurious to one against whom I had determin'd Prosecution; but this inward change happening in the mean while, both my malice and resolution of Revenge ceased at once, with some uneasiness of mind, till I had discoursed the thing with themselves, and given them my own sense of its ill management, they having been bound in conformity to God's Divine Word to have imparted the reproach first to my self, by doing whereof its falshood would have been known, and their spreading of a false reproach to the injury of others might have been preven­ted; a caution to all Religious Professors giving too great heed to common Reproaches, and too great way to their spreading them in Conver­sation. My Malice and resolved Revenge were turn'd into affectionate Inclinations and good Actions; after which instant, a delight in Con­verse with Christians, though mean in outward circumstances, was more pleasing to me than all the hurrying joy of Companions abroad, [Page 11] when at any time oblig'd to be witness there­to.

Seventhly, A surprising compassion towards the Poor, with continual Ejaculatory Praise, that my Station was otherwise than theirs; e­ven when going along the Streets or Roads, if objects of Charity presented themselves, this frame of praising God was immediately upon me, blessing him for my being in other Cir­cumstances than theirs, of want or bodily Im­perfections; with a watch over my self, lest in my Charity desire of applause, or any degree of un­willingness had appear'd. Charity to be seen of men receives its reward when view'd by men; unwillingness therein spoils it in its nature, and takes off all expectation of a reward.

Eighthly, A clearer sense of the Work of Re­demption, and of Christ the Redeemer. Tho' I had the Notional Knowledge, and Historical Faith of both, yet in Prayer or Meditation, my admiring Thoughts of free Grace, and my words of Praise for its effects upon the Soul, would continually center upon God the Father; yea, in Prayer there always would appear a constraint from giving any distinct Worship to Christ, for his adorable love in the Work of Redemption, and that for some time after the sensible evidence of this inward Charge, which was an opportunity to Satan, to argue against the Deity of Christ, if God's restraining Power had not chain'd his Malice from tramp­ling upon that tender Plant of Grace, beginning [Page 12] to bud forth; and tho' Satan was under con­straint as to any Assault or Victory of this kind; yet I found an uneasiness and dissatisfaction in my self for not being enabled to give Admira­tion and Prayers, centering upon God the Son, as well as upon God the Father, which made me impart my concern of Mind to several Ministers of eminent Gifts, but had Instruction from none, save one, who thus answer'd me out.

No wonder (says he) our Love and Ad­miration, our Prayers and Praises run most towards God the Father, these being as a natu­ral Tribute, which in nature we allow to God as Creator and Preserver of us. Whereas a sa­ving Eye to Christ as Redeemer, or as God, in Worship seems more the effect of the Blessed and Divine Spirit. Which answer was accom­panied at the time with some satisfaction of Mind; but soon after this inward Change put forth such strong and numerous evidences with heart-service in the parts of Divine Worship, as well as outward Gravity therein, that self-sufficiency was laid aside, and hope entirely de­pendent upon Christ's Satisfaction as the Foun­tain of all Gospel Priviledges, was raised, with a clear apprehension of Christ's Satisfaction, and with a distinct Worship of him in Prayer; from whence I was easily confirm'd, that under the incapacity of Worshipping Christ as God, I was not under the saving sensible power of Christi­anity; [Page 13] but that now under this saving change of Soul, producing, among other things, a clear view of Christ, the foundation of our rich Pri­vileges, I could perform a distinct worship of Christ in Prayer, and do hope that I am under the instruction and inward power of that Divine Spirit, whom he has promised should guide us unto all Truth in the use of his means; John 14.26. What is a guide otherwise in Nature and way of power upon the Soul, than that the product only of religious Education, and of the Notional Knowledge of Christianity?

As by the word of Truth, with a frequent use of the Sacrament, so by this very experience, I have been wonderfully established in the truth of the Godhead of Christ, against all the Socinia­nism falsehoods of the men of this Age; in that Duty of the Holy Sacrament I have often been so ravish'd with the Contemplation of Christ's Love in himself as God and Man, that at the very time I have been in great exercise of pity towards those poor Creatures who deny his God­head; and have oft thought with my self, that unacquaintance with themselves on God's own word, experience in their Soul, was the occa­sion of their distrust of Christ as God. How weak are the Socinian Arguments against our Blessed Redeemer as God? And tho they be prevalent upon some unacquainted with God's word, at least not experimentally felt as truth upon their Souls, yet they are easily to be re­pell'd by the Scriptural discovery of Christ's [Page 14] Two distinct Natures in One Person for ever. And how much more weak will they appear at that blessed day of Resurrection, when they shall see him in his perfect Glory, as God-Man, Redeemer of lost Man, and the Judge of them that would not comprehend him as a Glorious God.

What is more plain than that Scriptural evi­dence of the Godhead of Christ in the First Epistle of John, chap. 5. v. 20? And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us understanding that we might know him that is true; and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Christ Jesus; this is the true God, and eternal life; if we are in him, ingrasted by the operation of his Divine Spirit, we shall draw forth such know­ledge of him both as certainly come, against all the Jews on Earth; and as God, and Eter­nal Life, against all the Socinians at this day; from my own experience. I desire to put my poor Seal to this Scripture-truth, discoverable in what I have already laid before you. I do be­lieve, That the Professor of Christianity turn­ing Socinian, never knew Christ any other way than by a notional Knowledge, pleasing to its self, but never feeling that saving-knowledge of him by the work of a Divine Spirit in the use of means, planting or watring Grace in the Soul.

John c. 1. v. 3. All things were made by him, and in v 10. The world was made by him, and it knew him not, undoubtedly therefore he made [Page 15] up one of them, Gen. 1.26. who said, Let us make man; one in Nature, though three Persons distinct; Is not the Soul a Man? One in Es­sence, tho' different in its Faculties, of Judg­ment, Will and Affections.

Colos. ch. 1. v. 14, 15, 16. By him, to wit, the Son that Redeemed us, the Image of God, the first born from the Dead, all things were Created, he was before all things, and all things consist by him, which are never applicable to Christ unless he be God as well as Man.

Again, God's attribute of Omnipotence could never be appropriated to him, if he were not God as well as Man. John 2.24. But Jesus did not commit himself to them, because he knew all Men. John 6.64. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believ'd not, and who should betray him. In the sixth verse of the same Chapter, it is said, That Jesus knew he had been a long time in that case.

Isaiah 8.13. Sanctifie the Lord of Host, let him be your fear and dread, he shall be for a san­ctuary; but for a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence to both houses of Israel: Who is this Lord of Hosts that is to be a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence? It is express'd in the ninth Chapter of the Romans and 32 Verse, They stum­bled at the stumbling-stone.

Isaiah, c. 6. Who can read it throughout and compare it with the 12th chapter of John v. 38. and not be convinced of the Deity of Christ? therefore they could not believe because Isaiah [Page 16] said, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts, that they should not see and be con­verted, as is set down in the latter part of that 6th Chapter of Isaiah; and in the 41st verse of the same chapter of John, it is express'd, These things said Isaiah when he saw his glory, and spake of him, as in the former part of that 6th chapter he did express it, Sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, his train filling the temple, Seraphims standing above it, crying one to another, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory; by the comparing of both Chapters its plain, that it was Christ that is thus described; and whether such a description be applicable to meer man, I leave it to any Chri­stian to judge of.

Withour further running over the Scriptures attesting the Divinity of Christ, or further en­larging upon the personal experience of free­ness of worship to him in Prayer, and other Du­ties, in that change of Soul wherein Faith to Christ was implanted, I'll only add one Scripture more, not only accusing of Socinians themselves, but these of Christ's Flock, who encourage their Erroneous Doctrine by too familiar converse with their persons: It is the 2d Epistle of John, the 9th and 10th verses, Who abides not in the Doctrine of Christ, hath not God; and if that of his being God, but now made out, be not one great part of the Doctrine of Christ, I know not how we shall understand his satisfaction of God as is described in his word: In the 10th verse [Page 17] it is said, If any deceivers come unto you and bring not this Doctrine, receive them not in your house, neither bid them speed; both being an argument of Familliarity, but justly reproving those who are so far from giving such discou­ragement to Deceivers, that if by them can be diverted Splenetick Vapours by acuteness of their Wit and diverting Conversation, they shall have as great, if not greater room in their So­ciety or Houses, as those whose delight is to communicate and discourse the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Grace. By this means we hug the tools of spreading Errors in our Bosoms.

To proceed in the Narrative of God's fur­ther method of carrying on this great inward change in the use of his usual means, I shall First of all lay before you the Experiences of the cer­tainty of the Souls access to God in Prayer, of the seriousness of frame therein, that the pro­phane and meer Professor, though never so out­wardly Religious, are altogether unacquainted with; the experiences of the certainty of Christ's Spirit interceding in us in Prayer, and of the correspondency thereof to God's return.

Secondly, Experiences of God's method of working sensibly, and fructifying Faith and Re­liance upon himself.

Thirdly, Experiences of the with-holding Di­vine Influences in Prayer.

[Page 18] Fourthly, Experiences of God's method of training the Soul to right hearing of the Word, and participation of the Lord's Supper.

Experiences of the First, take in the follow­ing Order.

My First Experience leading me to the cer­tainty of what is express'd above, was, That when providentially call'd to the undertaking of any matter of great concern and difficulty, that then, according to the fervency and power­fulness of Soul carrying me forth to supplicate, so encouragement has accompanied the ma­nagement of such an Affair; and when endea­vour has been to be continued in, according to the continuance or intermission of this frame, so encouragement or discouragement has ap­peared; some instances whereof I have experi­enced in the following method, where the en­deavour has been of three days duration. The first day I have been Heavenlily carried out in Prayer; the next two days this frame has been remov'd, and the matter either neglected in Prayer, or superficially given up to God; And upon the examination of the success of Means throughout those three days, I have sound emi­nent success the companion of the first days En­deavour; but in the use of the two following days Endeavour, a perfect discouragement, and that exactly answering the two different po­stures of Soul that Prayer in these different days was put up to Heaven in.

[Page 19]A Second Experience was, when in one Prayer I have Petition'd the Lord concerning two dif­ferent matters; and Pleading for the one, my Thoughts have been ravishingly carried forth; but supplicating for the other, a damp has been upon my mind, and neither life or vigour in its frame, nor freedom of words in utterance con­cerning it; Praying then no otherwise than while under the power of Education, and ignorant of any inward change of Soul by the power of a Divine Spirit; and in the enquiry have found, that the design and desire Spiritually given up to God's Divine conduct, has been successful­ly brought about; but that the other was without imminent probability, or real and cer­tain success.

A Third Experience was, When my frame of Mind has been cold, listless and lazy, con­tinuing thus throughout a Prayer, excepting one Petition that suddenly has seized my Thoughts, and has been in sweet Heavenliness of frame put up, yea, so seriously and powerfully put up to God, unconceivable by any unacquainted with fellowship with God in Prayer, the Petitions before and after having been askt of God with great coldness of frame, and constraint of words; but this to which God was to return an answer, and for which strength was conveyed to Petiti­on, corresponded a visible and eminent return of Prayer, without the least measure of answer to the other parts of Prayer thus coldly given up to God.

[Page 20]Many instances of these Experiences I could bring forth, and that fully discovering the nature of them more plainly; but fear of being known, confining me, I shall only lay before you one, which was marvellous in my eyes at the time, and has often been repeated in my Experience since.

Having been for some days engaged in en­deavouring to obtain a design of great moment, in the diligent use of all visible means, that only excepted of giving it up to Heaven by Prayer; I resolved one afternoon to go abroad on pur­pose to know the success of means made use of; but after walking down one pair of Stairs, there suddenly seiz'd me an unexpressible force to re­turn, that I might first Petition the Lord con­cerning it; and bowing my Knees, a sweet se­rious frame seiz'd my Mind, and my Thoughts were carried forth with great warmth and free­dom of utterance concerning the matter: After this Address to God, and going forth, I found that the least degree or shadow of success had never appeared till that very time, in which I was under so undesign'd and sudden a force to Prayer, and with so Heavenly a frame therein; the times of both so exactly answer'd one ano­ther, that I was under a meaning Meditation of the thing, clearly evincing of a Power above ones self.

The circumstances in this instance most re­markable, were, first, sudden and prevalent force to Prayer, undesign'd by previous Medi­tation, [Page 21] and altogether different from that of a sudden remembrance of any thing forgot, but very suitable to the exciting-methods of Christ's Spirit, and quickning Influences upon the Soul, raising it out of a dead frame, or exciting it to Duties omitted or carelesly performed. Psal. 65.4. Blessed is the man whom thou causest to approach unto thee; and if this was not causing me to approach him, never any motion was; visible by the sudden and strong excitement to that Duty formerly omitted, and by imparting Di­vine Strength to petition concerning it, in Prayer, and to resist the corrupted reluctancy to it.

A Second Thing remarkable in the instance, was, the struggle in my self at the first excite­ment to Prayer, between an inclination and aversion to returning, with the victorious strength of Divine influence, bringing me to a willing performance of the Duty; which circumstance prov'd amongst the first, to confirm my Faith in the reality of there being a law in the Members warring against that law of the Mind.

A Third Circumstance in the instance, was, The exact correspondency of the time of Ex­citement, and Heavenliness in Prayer, to the time of the real, tho' unexpected success; a circumstance greatly discovering Self-insuffici­ency in the use of means, without Divine con­duct therein, and Trust to God for the Event.

[Page 22]The Fourth Experience concerning Prayer, was, when any failure observ'd in Thought, Word or Action, and accompanied with con­cern of Mind, and great Spirituality in Prayer in acknowledging it to God; that then I have found, as its immediate concommitant, the un­easiness and concern perfectly gone off, with full quiet possessing my Thoughts, and the ex­ercise of greater watch its consequent, con­firming the truth of the 6th and 7th verses of the 4th chapter of Philippians; never experien­cing either ease of Mind, as to events, giving up to Divine conduct, as to concern for sinful failures, but when carried forth heavenlily in Prayer for either.

I must subjoyn hereto an experienced cir­cumstance, That according to the greatness of my fear as to any event, leading me the more frequently to Heaven by Prayer, and the less to confidence in outward means, the more un­expectedly eminent the return has been, disco­vering the excellency of the Psalmist's method, What time we are afraid, we will trust in the Lord; with the use of that Blessed means of serious Prayer, I have oft experienced, that Trust to an outward instrument for the bring­ing about any design, with a resting therein without frequent and fervent Prayers for the same end, has made the mean that was success­ful in the hands of others, or that is in its self tending naturally to a successful event, of none effect to me.

[Page 23]A Fifth Experience, was in the Lord's afford­ing me heavenliness of frame, and the interces­sion of his Divine Spirit for an event in Prayer, when all hopes from any thing else had been remov'd, and no ground of hope left but what was drawn from this frame of Soul in Prayer, and the full quiet of mind concerning the event, brought forth by the same Divine Hand: I could set down numerous instances of the im­minency of Death to Friends and Acquain­tances, where nothing of probable hope was left, but what was draw [...] from this experience of the Spirit of God interceding with me, by carrying me out to ask in a manner far above my self, for their Recovery; and then against all probable expectation, the recovery has fol­lowed: Yea, at this very time, I can instance, a Child, who for some time was laid out as Dead, but in my humble hope, Alive; and that purely from the sensible power given me to ask its life of the Lord, Who knows the things of God, but the Spirit of God? as the Spirit of Man alone knows the secret Thoughts and Will of Man; and if the Spirit of God know the Mind of God, and his design of bestowing an event unknown to our selves, it is not so strange that unexpectedly and suddenly, in the use of that blessed Duty of Prayer, Christ's Spirit should breathe upon us strength to ask, what we designed not, but what he knew would be, through that method discovering the reality of a Divine Spirit, who is to help our Infirmities, [Page 24] who neither know what to ask, nor how to ask of our selves, only by keeping in the Obe­dience of God's Will to Prayer, and thereby lay our selves in God's road to receive Divine Direction, both to ask what we did not pre­meditate, and in a manner above our own na­tural corrupted capacity. If the Spirit of God know the Will of God against an event, no won­der he draws his Divine influence from the Soul in Petitioning to obtain it, and no other warmth in Prayer appears than what is the product of self, and the great desire of obtaining it, far differing from that seriousness that is the effect of a Divine Spirit, the right observation where­of greatly helps the Christian to distinguish the one and the other.

I know that great care is here to be taken, not to entertain hopes of obtaining every Peti­tion, that God has not absolutely promised; or by Petitioning without Resignation to his Will; but from experience of God's condescending-way of training up Babes in Christianity, I hope I may say, that the Spirit of God never intercedes with us in Prayer to God for any thing that is not to be obtain'd, or without Re­signation to his Blessed Will; and any mistake herein must slow from either of these two Rea­sons: First, From an ignorance when Christ's Spirit does intercede with us in Prayer: A na­tural tender affectionate Constitution, and an ardent desire after the thing pray'd for, im­poses a likeness thereof in some, and continu­al [Page 25] thoughtfulness of Mind; or a sweet Tone and way of Expression brings sometimes others to a likeness of this frame; Whereas the ob­serving Christian, from care therein, finds this Prayer come suddenly upon him, and with full gale of Strength, far above his own, drawing himself forth with that filial Boldness, and near Familiarity and approach to God, and with that quiet of Mind concerning the matter, as if its answer was already return'd: The observ'd experience whereof helps the Soul to answer all such cautionary Objections, and discovers to its experience, That Resignation to God's Will goes along with the Heavenliness of Frame, to make up the evidence of Christ's Spirit, help­ing us to ask, without either of which, the evi­dence seems cloudy, dull, and uncertain.

Or Secondly, Mistakes may come by mis­applying the return of Prayer, through too soon judging of the Prayers return'd, or by applying Prayer to somewhat else than is the real return of the Prayer; the effect whereof has been oft so evil, that even many gracious Children of God have been led into Darkness, kept from that sense of intimacy that really they had, judging their Prayers unreturn'd, or at least bringing them under great Thoughtfulness; though their Faith was fix'd upon God's Word, yet how to reconcile former experiences to this of a Divine Spirit's intercedings for them, and yet unreturn'd.

[Page 26]My great help against such mistakes, has been an exact observation of my different Ut­terance, as well as my different Frames in Prayer, and to set down the very Word ex­press'd therein. If the Spirit of God give and help the Utterance of Ministers, as well as Spi­ritualize their Mind in Preaching, that being recommended by Paul as a fit Petition upon his account, and experienced as Truth by the worthiest of his Ministers; Why not to give and to help Utterance in Prayer, as well as a Heavenly Frame therein? Whatever others ima­gine or ridicule concerning familiarity of Stile in Spiritual Prayer, I can truly say, That when my Frame of Soul has been thus suddenly chang'd from Lifelesness to great Spirituality, I have then been in a maze to experience an unusual freeness of expression, wondring at the Words themselves express'd, and the nearness to God that I have thought my Soul approached to: And upon some patient waiting before judging the return of the Prayer, and comparing the parts and circumstances of the event to the words I was enabled to utter, and had afterwards set down, I found so much correspondency as is between a Seal and its impression. I know those far ex­celling my self in Grace and Experience with God, losing the sight of the return from God, by misapplying the return not to the Words utter'd in Prayer, but to what they so mighti­ly desired. I remember an instance in my self, concerning a Servant's parting from me, and [Page 27] Petitioning Heaven for his conduct to the use of means for another, I found comfortable Di­vine Strength in Prayer; and in some hours af­ter happening in the company of one, who formerly had recommended a Servant in most things acceptable, he inform'd me of another, with a Character far exceeding the first; to which Providence I immediately implying Prayer, express'd it at its return, but afterward found disappointment as to them, and difficul­ty in finding any other seemingly evidence of Prayer without Divine Strength put up, and unaccepted by God; but soon after, by some special passages of Providence, this Servant begg'd leave to stay, tho' they had confidently despis'd my place, and given warning to pro­vide another in their room, which prov'd bet­ter than changing at that time, tho' a good one had fallen in my way, which was a return ex­actly suiting the Utterance in Prayer, confirm'd by the comparison of the latter Event to the Utterance set down.

As this was a plain instance of too hasty a judging the return of Prayer, taking one Pro­vidential passage for return, begun only by it, and carried on by other passages adjoyn'd thereto; so I shall lay before you another in­stance of misapplying the return to the thing desired, and not to the Utterance in the Prayer Spiritually perform'd, and that by as eminent a Saint as ever liv'd on Earth, tho' now gone off the stage of time, without the sight of its [Page 28] return, yet died in the Faith of my seeing its return, but still his Thoughts was upon what he so mightily prest for, in his own desire.

Providentially happening to design a matter of great concern, and imparting the design, with some passages of Providence exciting me first thereto, to this Saint then on Earth; he desired some time to think upon the matter ere he return'd his Advice, which I found was on purpose to lay the whole affair before the Throne of Grace, by repeated Addresses thereto; After which he advis'd my undertaking the de­sign from his sense of God's laying it in my way by special conduct of Providence, and from his sense of his Petition accepted, for Divine Assi­stance in it, and marvellous Effects from it, from which I engag'd in the endeavour, but all attempts prov'd unsuccessful: In the inte­rim of which endeavour, my Thoughts in Prayer never fixt to any one Petition concern­ing it, besides Divine conduct in the use of means, and Resignation to his Divine Will; this endea­vour between hopes from this Prayer accepted, and discouragement from the unsuccessfulness of attempt, continued for many months, yet still easie, and with amazing Resignation to God's Will, till at last such a circumstance fell out as did unalterably obstruct the matter, and the return that he applied his Prayer unto; not­withstanding of which, amongst his last words to me on Earth, long after this disappointment, he utter'd this Sentence with great exercise of [Page 29] Faith, That I should meet with a full discove­ry of God's design therein, and that in answer to his Prayer. Prayer accepted, and the inti­mation thereof given, will never want its re­turn, clearly verified from comparing his Let­ters and Words to the Events that have atten­ded my life since; tho' the disappointment seemed an evidence of his Prayers lost, yet re­ally has led into such things as plainly appear his Prayer's return, his mistake appearing to be fixing his Spirituality in Prayer, with his other evidences of its acceptation, to what he so much desir'd, to wit, the success of an outward endeavour, whereas if his Utterance had been recorded, reflected upon, and compared with Events, that even I begun to find from God in my self, and did discover to him, the mistake might have been prevented.

In one of his Letters he expresses himself thus: It is becoming me with much humble sobriety to speak as to any impression on my Spirit, with respect to your business, though often I dare say I have had some special assurance from the Lord of his Gracious respect to you, so as I could not question, the evidence where­of was so full and clear, and of so great testi­mony; yet to you hereof in the way of Provi­dence, and am at the furthest of persuasion, that such a breaking up of Light shall occur, as shall be matter both of Joy and farther E­stablishment; and if after such unusual and eminent Evidences he has given of his Respect [Page 30] and Favour to you, beyond most in this day, would it be strange or grievous, if in so great a concern, he should take a new trial of your Love and Resignation to him, by giving it en­tirely up to his blessed disposal? I know you have settled your Reliance on his Hand, in or­dering the present matter, who has been your God, and the God of your youth hitherto.

In another Letter, his Words were: You shall see the design of the Lord in this affair, however dark it at present appear, with that evidence as shall tend to a higher establishment of you in his Way and Truth, and clear all for­mer dark steps; the greatest experiments of Trust has been most obtain'd in the greatest ex­tremities of his Peoples case.

In another Letter his Words were: Tho' it is not easie to write at such a distance, yet I have confidence to say, That one day rarely passes without some serious remembrance of you. My last acquaintance with you has been amongst the most sweet remarks of my being in England, especially as to the blessed way of God round you, therein you have been a fur­ther strength to my Faith; I know not how that matter is with you, but I hope I may adventure to say, That if ever I knew converse with Heaven here, I have often had, yea, in some special way, an answer of Peace and Assu­rance about the Lord's Gracious Design of Grace for you, and of his further testifying the same to your Soul: I hope you are gaining [Page 31] new ground of a nearer acquaintance with the way of the Lord, by which you will find, that by the greatest tryals he takes of his followers here, he then designs the greater tryal of him­self and his Truth.

Now comparing the Words of this Saint, express'd, concerning the difficulty I was then under, to my own experience of Divine Provi­dence round me, and to the Workings of Christ's Spirit in me, since that time; I cannot but con­firm his Sense and Faith of Prayer accepted, and witness its return to my self.

By the very words of his Letters, the cur­rent of his Petitions, and seeming Assurance, run upon God's witnessing his special favour to me in the way of Providence, and that such breaking up of Light should occur as might establish my Faith in God, which blessed be his Name, has been the real effect of God's disappointing my desire and endeavour after this outward thing; yea, has been a mean in God's hand to discover his special Love to my self, in affording me a better Mercy in its room, and establishing me thereby in a Trust to God as to all things else.

Besides, since these outward attempts, since those Letters receiv'd, such marvellous occur­rences of Providence I have enjoyed, with such inward sensible workings of a Divine Spirit, informing and comforting my Soul, and ma­king progress in that rich Grace of Faith, and actual reliance upon God in all things, both as [Page 32] to Soul and Body, for conduct in the use of means, and events following, which makes out his Prayer accepted, and that his assurance was firmly founded, his failure being the misapply­ing the Prayer thus sweetly put up, to a return of what he desired, and not to the return exact­ly answering the Utterance of his Soul when Christ's Spirit breath'd upon his Petitions to God, concerning the Lord's Gracious design, and testimony thereof to my Soul, I have had wonderful establishment, no more amazing; and assured to him in his actual strength to Petition it, than to me in its enjoyment, by way of his Prayers return'd.

It is conceivable by none but those who are strict observers of God's Ways, How freely Words fly out of the Mouth of a Soul under a Heavenly ravishing in Prayer; How familiarly they are express'd, and with what quiet of Mind as to the return, that if the Soul out of this frame would desire and do all that his own strength could afford, yet he shall not attain that height of free utterance, so Heavenly a Style, or so familiar and near an approach to God in Prayer, as sometimes suddenly in the twinkling of an Eye he shall be brought to, and that by the blowings afresh of Christ's Di­vine Influences.

I have my self, while under no other power than that of Education, stood in a maze to hear Ministers express Communion with God in Duties, the Influences of Christ's Spirit, and [Page 33] the like, imagining these as words chosen to set off Religion, and to make it the more ami­able to Souls, till experience discover'd the re­ality thereof; and since the discovery thereof to my self, I have often with great concern of Soul, heard Christ's Spirit mockt at, Emanati­ons and Influences from him so ridiculed, that I could not but exercise Compassion, comparing their Words to my own Thoughts while un­der the same circumstance of ignorance of Ex­perimental Religion, and the inward power of Christianity; no less instruction being capable of illuminating such dark Minds, than what is an emanation and influence of that Spirit so re­vil'd and set at nought in their Thoughts; such a one, and the Creature setting Christ in his Divine Nature at nought, I place in the same Categorical line.

To this Fifth Experience, I subjoin the fol­lowing instance of an Undertaking, where the Eyes, Hands, and Wishes of many were against me, and no probable hope of success in a rati­onal way, but what I had from the marvellous frame of Soul, and near access to God, concern­ing it, and like a Miracle, the use of means obtain'd, and the desired end was brought forth.

Here I subjoin the Experience of humble Awe and Fear, always attending the clearest Heavenly frame and most satisfied quiet of Mind I ever had concerning any one thing; confidence looking to me too much ominous [Page 34] of somewhat of Satan, and commonly proves a mean of security, and of less diligence in pe­titioning Heaven, and depending upon God, than when the Soul has an humble Awe, going along with its erperience of God's approach to its Soul.

A Sixth Experience of God's Spirit carrying forth the Soul to Petition, according to what God was to bestow, was not only by changing of the Souls frame concerning any one Event, but even by changing the verbal Petitions in the change of circumstances in the same thing: As for instance; At the first discovery of my inward change, my words in Prayer for any undertaking would run upon its success, and hardly upon the use of means, to which the condescention of my Heavenly Father com­plied by numerous and continual returns of success, tho' my endeavours at my first acquain­tance with, and observation of God's Ways, were not so exact; but upon further knowledge of his ways, and greater progress and reliance upon God for conduct to the use and right use of means, then my words were chang'd, run­ning out in Prayer after Divine Assistance in the performance of Duty, resigning the issue to his Will; answerable to which, a more diligent watch over my self in the use of means, and the less anxiety concerning the event, appeared; an experience greatly helping the Soul against mistaking God or themselves, when his Ways run not in the same stream towards them, their [Page 35] advancement in strength being gradual; and many times according to the different steps of growth in Grace, so God walks in different steps round them, requiring a constant observation of his ways, admiring their variety, and bring­ing forth suitable improvement of knowledge of God, love to him, and dependance upon him: How infinite therefore is the Wisdom of our Blessed God, who knows the various Constitu­tions, and the things their Thoughts are most fixt to, that his breathing Divine Influence thereupon may be his readier mean to bring them to a serious discovery of God and their selves thereby!

How infinite is the Wisdom, Love and Ten­derness of our blessed Husband-man, in the gra­dual growth of all the young tender Branches in his Vineyard, and in training up his Babes in the first knowledge of him, feeding the one with Milk, and the other with Meat, knowing well what each stand in need of, and can bear, either of his Smiles, or correcting Stripes, or­dering each by degrees to the perfecting of Grace in the Soul, and making it mete for Eternal Glory!

The Experience whereof helps the Soul to answer the Objection of some serious Christians, but not exact Observers, who will reply upon imparting a particular method of God with a Soul by way of caution; You must be careful not to depend upon that particular way God acts with you in, lest Satan make it a tempta­tion [Page 36] to unbelief and distrust of God, and your selves, when he shall please to walk in another road with your Soul; but general and strict Observers find God's Ways to be thus: That according to the infancy or manhood of the Soul in Christianity, or according to the diffe­rent steps of advancing the Soul towards this Manhood, so God's Ways to be various; and according to his different ends, so his courses leading thereto usually to be different; marvel­lous argument indeed of infinite Wisdom, Love and Compassion in our great God! instruction enough to make us stand off from prescribing methods according to our Inclinations or Ex­pectations, but instruction to keep our selves close in the observation of his Ways, in conti­nual Prayer for a sight of his design, and the obtaining the establishment of Faith, tho' the method of God be never so various with us.

Hereto relates my Experience of God with my own Soul, that according to the beginnings and progress of my Faith of Reliance, so God's Method has varied; for while in the beginning of this Trust to God, I think I may say, That never a Prayer Spiritually perform'd, wanted its return immediately, and that exactly suita­ble to my words in Prayer; but upon further strength of this Grace of Reliance upon God, I have found the return of my Prayer longer defer'd; yea, sometimes to the last pinch of extremity, but still answerable to the frame of [Page 37] Soul and Words utter'd in Prayer, when this frame and utterance were above my own strength thorough Divine Influence; argument enough of Divine Wisdom adapting his various Ways to the various Circumstances of his Chil­drens weakness and strength; of Divine Love, establishing their Trust to himself, and trying their Reliance upon him, as a comfortable evi­dence of that strength of Grace, and thereby to lead them to the Sacrifice of continual Praise, Admiration and Love to him.

How different was Christ's carriage to the Leper, from his acting with the Woman of Canaan, whose Faith far exceeded the other? The Leper, much weaker in Faith, had the return of his Prayer immediately; but she, much stronger in Faith, has the return greatly defer'd, with the intermixture of many trying passages of Christ, with his own silence to her own Petition, and with his calling her a Dog, as if she were unworthy to be taken notice of, much less to receive of his Children's food, Mer­cies in answer to Prayer: The Lord knew her strength, and adapted his way of tryal thereto, which issued in Honour to him, and evidence to her self of the greatness of her Faith.

When Christ saw Peter's Faith as a Rock to build his Church upon, he then tells him of the Sufferings to attend him, and all that would follow after Christ, his Faith being gradually brought up to such a strength, enabled him to bear this report, which perhaps in the begin­ning [Page 38] might have discouraged him to follow Christ or his Rules; when therefore we are as Moses, we may be kept six days on the Mount before the answer of Prayer comes, Gen. c. 24. Let us therefore admire God's Wisdom and Love, in first planting or further carrying on Grace in the Soul: Let us be instructed, not to limit God to any one way in converting or further perfecting a gracious Soul; but let us keep in the use of all God's means, with the observation of his various ways of Providence and Spirit, established upon his Divine Word, and experience in our Souls, that so we may be confirm'd in the depth, the length, and height of the Love of God, not only by a Faith wrought and kept in the Soul, but by an evi­dent sense thereof, experimentally felt, not yielding to that lazy excuse of the danger of fathoming him; tho' we cannot find God out to Perfection, yet we may comprehend much more of his ways than we do, to keep us in continual admiration and praise of his Love, making our life the nearer to resemble the work of Saints above, not suffering his Ways to lie still in the depth without Record thereof, or Reflection thereupon; a method which might greatly prevent the many Fears that many gra­cious Souls meet with in their way, and by which they dishonour God before the Wicked, that by knowing their own Wants, and God's Method of supplying them, might be remedi'd.

[Page 39]A Sixth Experience of the Spirit of God's breathing upon the Soul in Prayer, and of its correspondency to the certain return thereof, was, That according to my Morning's frame in giving up my self, so has my frame continued thorough the day, but most remarkably thus on a Sabbath-Day, wherein I have found that my frame in hearing a Sermon has greatly an­swer'd to the frame of my Morning's private Address to Heaven, with that exactness, that I could never observe or set it upon record with­out great amazement: Herein mistake me not, as if I passed my day without any other Ad­dress, resting upon the comfortable experience of good frame in my Morning's Prayer; but upon all occurrences throughout the day, my supplication has been repeated, my method being never to attempt any Service, Civil or Spiritual, without Address to God for conduct therein; and when opportunity of set Prayer is deny'd, the same Spirituality in Ejaculati­on, and that correspondent to return, is ex­perienc'd, confirming the truth of God's ac­ceptance of the Spirit's helping the Soul to groans not to be utter'd, when the Soul in Meditation is under such a Heavenly Thought­fulness to God as is impossible for it to utter.

I could set down numerous instances of God's acceptance of Prayer put up before entring in­to Company, with freedom from Quarrel or Disquiet; and when Disquiet of any kind has accompanied me, I have found it at such a time [Page 40] when my Soul has been out of frame, or my Addresses to God before my entring the So­ciety has been neglected: Who would not therefore advise me to rest upon God, and to Petition him for all things, and to have all things conveyed to me, with a sight of his spe­cial Providence in it, and as a return to Prayer for it, that when my passage through this Wil­derness is at end, I may not enter unto an un­known God, who has been a Father by his spe­cial conduct of Providence, a Husbandman by the workings of his Divine Spirit; my alone Friend to whom I have put up all my Requests, and from whom I have receiv'd all the supplies of wants, and that in a way of Communion with him; neither to an unknown work, but that of which I have had some foretaste, in the use of Observation, Prayer solemn and ejacu­latory, and Meditation, admiring of God ma­nifested, and praising his Name for the experi­enc'd discovery of himself.

A Seventh Experience of Christ's Spirit ex­citing to Prayer, and interceding with us in Prayer, with the certain correspondency there­of, by a return of that Prayer thus perform'd to God, has been by putting words in my Mouth, as well as Spirituality in the frame of my Mind, and that suddenly, unpremeditated, yea some­times contrary to matter and words design'd. To clear this Experience, I will give you a­mongst many instances, the following one con­cerning a Friend's Distraction in a Fever, for [Page 41] whom my design was to Petition God for his recovery, but was carried out in Prayer, and that powerfully too, altogether for the return of their Reason, without ever being able to ask one Petition for the abatement and removal of their Fever; upon inquiry I found their Distra­ction gone off, but the Fever remaining the same, the return of their Reason exactly an­swering the time of the Supplication for it.

Another instance of this Experience, was, Concerning another Friend, for whose H [...]alth I had design'd to Petition God, but found my Words in my Address to God, strongly diverted from Petition to Praise, blessing his Name for what he had done, and that without any fore­knowledge of amendment, or probable reason to expect it, but what I had from this power­ful, sudden, and undesign'd utterance in Prayer. Another instance of the same kind I very lately had concerning a Friend's beloved and only Child, for whom I found in my self great and amazing freedom of Utterance, and that by way of Praise, tho' my design was to Petition God concerning it, having all humane probability to expect its Death: After the Experience of this Utterance in Prayer, I was kept in the dark till at least ten days, and then had the account of its recovery, yea, of its great amend­ment answerable to the time of the Utterance of Praising, being strictly curious in the obser­vation of the circumstance of time, that none of these marvellous Experiences might afford the [Page 42] least doubting in their enjoyment, but obtain a clear reception thereof, and produce the greater establishment therein in the Soul.

Another instance of the Seventh Experience, was, Concerning some with whom I have had to do in matters of concern, but at a distance from me, and without any other opportunity of hearing the proceedings or success of endea­vours than by Letter; I have found, that tho' I have design'd before the coming in of the Post, to supplicate for a good account; yet have not been able to say any thing at all concerning the matter, answerable to which no Letter has come, or other Petitions and Words concerning the matter has been Spiritually darted up to Heaven, than was design'd, correspondent to which, the account receiv'd has exactly answer'd the Peti­tions, and Utterance actually put forth, and not to them only design'd to be express'd in Prayer.

A Ninth Experience of certainty of access to God, and of his Spirit's breathing power on the Soul to ask what he knew was to be re­turn'd, has been concerning a design of three different endeavours at one time, and Prayer for guidance, a mean made use of; I have found all shadow of Spiritual enlargement in Prayer con­cerning it, strongly withheld, and so indeed has the least degree of successful endea­vour; but for the second, enlargement only once, suitable to which successful endeavour in one circumstance thereof, and at that very [Page 43] time did occur; and for the third, such Heaven­liness of frame in Petitioning not only once, but all along continued upon the Soul, and so suc­cessful endeavour without one cloud, prov'd the issue: Plainer expression I cannot well use, and instances I must forbear, left it occasion the discovery of my self.

A Tenth Experience of the Lord's exciting and preparing to ask what he was in his good pleasure to return, was, That of his exciting and powerfully strengthening of my Soul for a continued time to Pray for self-abasement, when at the same time no outward Temptation has been my motive thereto, though soon after has appeared some outward advancement, and correspondent to the Divine Wisdom and loving care of Christ's Spirit, enabling me to ask the exercise of Humility, Self-loathing has always accompanied such outward smiles; yea, from observation of this Experience, I have imagin'd a smiling Providence eminent, from the fre­quency of this suit to the Lord undesign'd, but greatly assisted to Petition it.

I have often experienced, That when my Soul has not been thus carried out to Petition lowness of Mind, either before or in the en­joyment of outward advancement, that either security therein has fallen out afterward, imbit­tering my Thoughts, or some circumstances in the thing enjoy'd that has imbittered its sweet­ness, or remov'd its satisfaction, nothing being more satisfactory to a Christian Soul, as the re­ception [Page 44] of an outward favour by special steps of Providence; argument of Divine favour, ac­companied with such strength of a Divine Spi­rit, as enables the Soul to improve it, with the exercise of Love, and Reliance upon the Be­stower, and to keep the Souls satisfaction there­in in its true Bounds, more upon the discovery of God's Love thereby, than upon the thing it self enjoyed.

As the Experiences already laid before you re­late to outward Enjoyments, so now I shall give you some Experiences respecting Spiritual En­joyments, answerable to Christ's Spirit breath­ing influencing-strength to Petition them.

A First Experience thereof, was, When Spi­ritually carried out to ask for Humility, pre­vious to any Spiritual Improvement, as well as before any Temporal Enjoyment; and when security, accompanied with the intermission of the means of Grace, has followed any inward advancement, then has a cloudying of what was an inward comforting evidence to the Soul, issued; but when the Soul has been carried forth to ask it before hand, or in the time, by way of return thereto, the Soul's posture has been in the exercise of self-debasement, and exultation of, and dependance upon Christ's Spirit for producing such a marvellous change in the Soul, without the least exalting thought of self.

[Page 45]I remember that one day in Conversation with that Holy Saint mentioned before, I ex­press'd my self concern'd to know the reality of my Grace; to which he humbly reply'd, I have not had the least Cloud as to my interest in Heaven, but should rejoyce to experience that measure of confirming passages of God's special love, as I know you have enjoy'd, the effect whereof I found some quiet of Mind; but by the wise over-ruling hand of God, was fol­low'd with such cloudy darkness of Mind, lest Satan had excited self-exultation or sinful secu­rity, till in the following Evening-Prayer, God carrying me forth to bless his Name for the evi­dences of his Love, and to Petition Humillity in their enjoyment, the darkness disappear'd, and his discourse was bore home, with the alone effect of quiet of Mind, Love to, and Reliance upon God, and that with humble Thoughts of self.

Secondly, I have found, that previous to any victory over some particular Sins, I have been help'd wonderfully to plead with God on this very account, in a most near and sensible ap­proach to him, for Conquest over Sin, that Scripture being at the time often and comfor­table in my Thoughts, Nay more than Conque­rors through him that loved us; answerable to which Temptations to these, has occur'd Sins, but victory of them has been my Mercy, both as a return to the Prayer Christ's Spirit helpt me to ask, and as an evidence of such, a change [Page 46] in my Soul, as bespoke my interest in Christ, by the evident supplies of his strength, enabling me to be victor of those Sins that formerly I gave way to.

Thirdly, When God has been to afford me the evidence of great supply of strength, to suppress wandering Thoughts in Duties sudden­ly and powerfully for some time; ardent de­sire and great spirituality in Petitioning God has seiz'd me; answerable to which, marvellous free­dom from wandering Thoughts has occur'd, and that in all the Duties I have been exer­cised in.

A remarkable instance of this Experience, was, When at a certain time my Petitions run out for strength to overcome wandring in Duty, with full assistance of God's Spirit to supplicate, and by a passage of Providence establishing my comfort, though wandrings, prevail'd, and a mean of helping forward my victory there­in.

The passage of Providence was thus; Being one Sabbath-morning hinder'd from my ordi­nary place of Hearing, and having an oppor­tunity of hearing Sermon in the afternoon, I found my desire with a const [...]aining force to­wards another place and Minister, which was so strong, without any rational Motives there­to, that I would not be hinder'd, though seve­ral difficulties occur'd in my way; in the hear­ing of which Sermon, my disposition was so spiritual, that my Thoughts had full flight thi­ther, [Page 47] and I in the exercise of low esteem of the Earth, with all its Allurements; but which was the Circumstance most remarkable, is a Que­stion a Minister was desir'd to answer to, What should be done to help wandring thoughts in Duties? Which was the very thing my mind was hurried withal then, the thing Christ's Spirit was helping me to petition strength a­gainst, and to which he was giving return with sensible Supplies; and with this passage of Providence quieting my mind, and as a help to forward my endeavour and victory over it; his word was, That it is a Complaint common to all Believers; so long as there is a sense and concern for it, the Christian is not overcome by it; go therefore on, not only striving against it, but begging the Lord's aid to vanquish it.

Fourthly, Previous to a sensible change in my self as to watchfulness in Conversation a­gainst reproaching of others suddenly and un­designedly; and for some continued time my Soul was carri'd powerfully to pray for strength to resist the temptations of reproaching others, either through the natural tendency thereto, the common example of others, or out of the tempting-design of self-applause, in the dispa­ragement of others; and answerable hereto mar­vellous strength of Christ's Spirit was afforded me, with special Providences discovering this spiritual strength, accompanied with the bear­ing home upon my thoughts that of St. Mat­thew, chap. 7. ver. 12. All things whatsoever you [Page 48] would that men should do unto you, do you even so with them; That then I could not but ob­serve my self, against my own corrupted incli­nation, and others example, preserv'd from this too natural and common Vice even of lazy and professing Christians, who by the actual re­membrance of this very passage, might be an excellent means to preserve them from the ma­lignant infection of reproaching others.

Fifthly, I experienc'd a wonderful strength to pray for a continued sense of God's All-see­ing Eye, as well in Conversation, as in the per­formance of Religious Duties; suitable to which, not only awful thoughts of his Majesty ap­proach'd in Duties, preventing Distraction there­in, seiz'd me, but even a powerful awe of God affected me in common and private Actions, always considering any Circumstance in the Action as might destroy God's accepting there­of; especially as to Acts of Charity, wherein I have found such a watch over my self, as I could not have been satisfied without strict enquiry, Whether unwillingliness was not in the action? Whether some desire of applause, or only pity and natural tenderness were not the Motives of this charitable action? and nothing then has been more pleasing, than to find, that a wil­lingliness to obey God's Command, on purpose to please him, in the compassionate relief of others, a chearfulness without the least inter­mixture of reluctancy; a sincerity without the least desire of its being known, were the [Page 49] ingredients of the Duty. I desire to witness the difficulty of thus performing actions, with­out great and actual influences of strength from above, the reception whereof is often obtain'd by that blessed means of solemn or ejaculatory Prayer, wherein the Spirit of Christ intercedes for his People. The same Spirit of Prayer im­prest upon me a sense of God's all-seeing Eye, and that Scripture was continually in my Thoughts, Of doing all things as unto the Lord; the constant remembrance whereof I have found greatly advancing that Gospel-perfection of an unfeigned sincerity, both in converse with God in Holy Duties, and with one another in com­mon Actions and Discourses.

Sixthly, I can tell you, that at another time I have been powerfully helpt to Petition for the exercise of love to God; and answerable to this, I have been helpt in Prayer, and in worldly Bu­siness, to draw forth kindlers of Love to God from all sensible circumstances of my self and others, even from the poor in the Streets, both as to their poverty and imperfections of Body, blessing the Lord, with sweet exercise of Love to him; yea, this Grace of Love to God has been excited from the observation of fulness and pro­sperity in some, but with great emptiness of the inward comfort of the experiencing Christian's Soul; for sensual pleasures divert their Thoughts from the observation and enjoyment of what is much more to be valued in their Nature, and lasting in their Duration.

[Page 50]At this very time happening to be alone in a Coach, remarking such kindlers of Love, from circumstances of others appearing in the streets, suddenly and strongly this suggestion forc'd it self upon my mind: How was it, That God did show such special favour to me beyond others, yea, to make me differ so much from my self in former times! with amazing Thoughts of the change upon my Soul; and immediately that Scripture over-awed me from corrupt rational arguing, or from Satan's darkening or deviate­ing me from right Conceptions of God and his Ways; I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy; I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion; from whence happened such quiet of Mind, as has by the blessing of God still'd my Thoughts perfectly as to that great point of Election, which is the great effect of free unmerited Mercy, and in the use of means brings the children of Mercy safely to salvation. This warmly excited my Love to God, having an evidence of my share in his Electing Mercy, by the inseparable effects of it, the work of Grace begun in me, and preparing me for the Heavenly Glory.

A Seventh Experience was, When alto­gether insensible of the growth of Faith, and when the Lord by a marvellous method was to establish it in my Soul, even then I observ'd for some considerable time, that I was carried out in Prayer and Meditation with zealous Affecti­on, that the Lord would turn my Eye and [Page 51] trust from sensible things, to a trust and reli­ance upon God himself as to all outward things, and as to the inward advancement of H [...]liness, as a mean tending to future Salvation; answer­able to which, God has discovered himself mar­vellously in the steps of outward Providential Dispensations, and by the inward workings of his Spirit, as means of founding and establish­ing this Grace of Reliance in my Soul, which I hope shall be increasing in the use of means, till Faith obtain its perfect end, the Fruition of God in Glory. And tho' I hope I may say in Humility, that my Soul is raised above sen­sible things, to look to things unseen, and to set my Esteem and Reliance with comfort and satisfaction upon them, independently upon worldly things; yet I am asham'd for the small growth of Reliance in me, and that greater improvement therein has not been the fruit of the infinitely wise and condescending method of God's goodness in training me to live by Faith in his Promises and Perfections.

CHristianity, as is described in the Gos­pel, is Experienc'd in the Souls of Real Christians, in different degrees of Know­ledge and Power; but the most who are Chri­stians in Profession, are strangers to its vital Efficacy.

The reason of this diversity is, Because the most rest in the speculative Notion of the Christian Religion, and are contented with the external Character of others; others are clean­sed and changed by the Truths of the Gospel, and are inward Christians.

Among Christians in Title there are various Divisions and contrary Sentiments, according [Page 125] to the Principles of the Education, which often cause violent Contentions among them.

Among real Christians there are Differences, but not of so deep a nature; Some Christians are weaker by damping of this powerful Prin­ciple of Regeneration, through too long omis­sion of the means of Grace, or by too deep mixing the Thoughts and Affections in the Business of the World; or by a levity of Mind in their indulging too free a use of sensitive Pleasures that are innocent in their nature. And from these Reasons it is, that spiritual In­fluences are obstructed, and the Divine Nature in Christians is not so lively and vigorous as in others, who regard their Souls, and inter­nal things, with great application and diligence, sometimes carnal Pride insinuates into those who are real Christians; and to maintain their Parties, and to be distinguish'd from others, will with Heat contend for their Opinions in things that are not clear, nor of great moment, as if they were Fundamental Doctrines.

There are some Christians that have not only the life of Grace planted in them, but the liveliness of Grace; they are working and watchful to prevent any impression and taint of Evil from the Contagion of the World where­with they are encompast; And they are watch­ful unto Good, they are ready to exercise eve­ry Grace in its season, and by a continual De­rivation of strength from Christ, they are pre­served from sinful Errors and irregular Passions.

[Page 126]Our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ has paid the price of our Redemption, and that we may have an interest therein, and enjoy the Privi­ledges thereof, as evidence and earnest of Heaven God has appointed means whereby we may obtain this Blessed end; means that are suitable in their use to rational and lapsed Creatures, in their human capacity, such as exclude boasting in ourselves, and of Presumption, Licentiousness, and security in a carnal Conversation; these means are prescrib'd in the Gospel, as Prayer, Meditation, Hearing, and the Participation of the Lord's Supper.

These are the Sphere of the Holy Spirit's Activity, in these we draw near to God, and he draws near us; By these means Christ with all his saving Benefits is applied to Souls; By these they are revived from the Death of Sin, and restored to the favour and Image of God; They live in Communion with him, and are confirmed thereby against the Temptations of the Evil Spirit, who rules the World.

Those who neglect the holy and constant use of these means, whether from the delusion of their Minds, or the corruption of their Hearts, will find, that Darkness is their guide, and the issue of their way will be fatal and de­structive.

Let me therefore apply the foregoing Nar­rative thus: There are some Professors that have knowledge in an eminent degree, and are of a fair unblemisht Conversation, by the ad­vantage [Page 127] and impression of Education, but are strangers to the inward power of Godliness as ignorant Heathens: Let such duly consider the Case, and neither despair, for the Divine Spi­rit can quicken them; nor delay the serious and diligent use of means which God has made effectual for the Conversion and Salvation of others: Let them observe both the outward Providences of God, and the inward Workings of his Spirit, and apply themselves to God in the Ordinances, both private and publick, that they may receive renewing Grace of God, and be preserved from destructive Evils.

If a Notional Knowledge of God's Word, and an unblemish'd outward Conversation, be no real Christianity, no certain Testimony of Real and Saving Grace, How utterly void of it are the Prophane? To them I would give this Counsel, Not to be averse from Serious and Real Religion, upon the account of some Pro­fessors who have only a name to live, but are dead; or from a conceit that the Christian Religion is so extremely rigorous, as to de­prive us of all Natural Comforts; or upon the account of different Opinions in the Chri­stian World; but to remove all Prejudices, and to endeavour to understand the Gospel, to believe the Doctrines, to obey the Pre­cepts of it, and then they will find Christia­nity to be more than an outward Professi­on, a serious Divine Principle, regulating the Heart and Life; and that it is to be ob­tained [Page 128] of God by every sincere Seeker of it; and that it allows the temperate Use of Natural Comforts, and only forbids the licentious Abuse of them, whereby men become most unlike God, and are like the beasts that perish: And the lawful sober Enjoyments of Nature are con­sistent with the Joy of the Holy Ghost in the hearts of the Saints; which is infinitely more satisfying and lasting than all the Pleasures of Sense, for which so many lose Heaven, and are condemned to Eternal Torments.

If Christianity and its Power may be really felt in the Soul, and yet damp'd by the too long intermission of the Means of Grace, and clouded by the admixture of too much of self, producing a kind of Christians lazy in the ob­taining the continued Power of Christ's Spirit in their Souls, and so are in danger both of long intermissions of fellowship with God, and breaking of fellowship one to another; more dishonouring God than either the mere Pro­fessor, or Prophane, who never experienc'd the Reality and Comfort of True Christianity:

To such I would apply this Exhortation, Not only to be in the Right Use of Means, but in the more Continued Right Use, than ever for­merly; for undoubtedly, if the Means of Grace be the ways by which he walks, and by which he communicates to Believers, (to the truth whereof all experiencing Christians will put their Seal), then the oftner Christians walk in those ways, the oftner and the more they receive both [Page 129] of Knowledge and Comfort from God; which undoubtedly is the reason why some real Chri­stians go beyond others in the knowledge of his ways, and are in the more close walking accord­ing to the Rule of his Word, with more inward Fellowship with God, both in the Means of Grace, and common Conversation.

That therefore the Word of God (the doubting whereof being one great occasion of Error and Vice) may be experienc'd as Truth, and the means leading thereto given forth, I shall previously lay down Two Propositions, the first Instructive, the other Cautionary.

The first is, That all the Children of God in their Pilgrimage-state are under Three sorts of Conducts.

The first is that of God's Word, the Foun­dation of our Faith, and the Infallible Rule by which we are to judge of all Doctrines, of all our Experiences, and all the Passages of Provi­dence.

The second is that of the Divine Spirit, who according to the Promise of Christ, instructs us in all Saving Truth by the Word, and brings it to our remembrance to guide us safely to Heaven.

The third is that of Divine Providence, some­times enlightning what seemed dark in the Word of God, and in the Actings of Christ's Spirit, but founded upon his Word of Truth, and agreeable to both, though the dispensations of [Page 130] Providence are no Certificate of God's special love to men; yet we are assured by the Scri­ptures, that there is a peculiar tender Provi­dence of God, that regards his Children, which is declarative of his special Love; and by a se­rious observation of it, their Duty and Comfort will be encouraged and improved.

Secondly, Cautionary; Not to limit the Spirit of God to any particular way or time of working in the Soul, either in planting of Grace, or its further growth. Though by observation of outward Providences God was pleased to bring me to the first serious sense of my self, and to a dependance upon God for Life and for Sal­vation; and by marvellous steps of his outward dispensations, joined with the inward Workings of his Spirit, he has begun and increased a gra­cious Change in my Soul; yet he has used va­rious methods in the Conversion and Sanctifica­tion of others; which whether External or In­ternal, if observed and remembred, would seal to Souls the Truth of Christianity, in op­position to all its Opposers. There is a clear discovery of the Divine Wisdom, Power, and Goodness, in the different means that God is pleased to use for the saving of Souls; all which are to be considered with Reverence, and to be complied with by Obedience; the end of all being our Holiness, as preparatory to Eternal Happiness.

The first Duty or Means I would have you apply your selves to, is that of observation of [Page 131] outward Providences; this having been so ef­fectual in me, I earnestly recommend it to the serious practice of all concern'd for their sal­vation; but that you may know in what me­thod rightly to observe, I will give its Characters in the parts I have found so advantageous to my self.

First, You must observe all sorts of outward Providences; great and more remarkable, lesser and not so palpable.

Secondly, You must observe all Circumstan­ces that attend such Providences, and set them upon Record, on purpose to reflect and com­pare one with the other; many confirming Pro­vidences have lost their favour and establishing effect, as much by missing some Circumstances thereof, as by forgetting of the whole: By this neglect some have had misapprehensions of God, and false conceits of themselves. The Circum­stance of time wherein that Nobleman's Son was recovered, John 4.52. exactly answering the hour when Christ said unto him, Thy Son liveth; was the convincing-proof that the Cure was performed by Christ, and consequently of the truth of his being sent from God. In like manner, the observation of the return of my Prayers, with Success answerable to the fervency of my desires, and Unsuccessfulness of Prayer when I have been cold, and not duly affected in that Duty, has confirmed my belief, That it was from the Excitation of Christ's Spirit that [Page 132] enabled me to pray, and from his excellent Goodness the return of my Prayer.

Thirdly, You must observe outward Provi­dences with improvement: The Lord's design in laying passages of Providence before you, is not only to view them, but to see Him in them, and thereby to understand his Being, with the glorious Attributes of his Wisdom, Power, and loving-kindness to Man, and that with the sui­table Improvement of Eying him in all things, seeking to him for guidance in Means, and hap­py Events of all things.

Observation unimproved, serve not God's Honour on Earth, and will serve your selves no other way than by heaping up Aggravati­ons to your Accusation before the great Judge's Tribunal, for neglecting to improve his pre­cious Talents by Reliance upon him, and Glo­rifying his Love.

To excite your Observation under these three Characters, I'll lay before you the following Motives.

First, God's own encouragement to it, Psal. 109.43. Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. If in God's account Ob­servation be Wisdom, and accompanied with the blessed discovery of his loving-kindness, can you blame my Friendship in pressing you to make use thereof to obtain a Wisdom to dis­cover and baffle the falshood and errours of the [Page 133] Foolish, (though Wise in their own Eyes) and to enjoy a sense of God's Divine Favour?

The Psalmist is giving an account of some remarkable outward Providences attending Na­tions, Churches, and particular Persons, and then concludes, That who is so wise to observe such things, shall learn the knowledge of God, and his loving kindness to their Souls. If Christians of our Age had but been exact in the observation of National Church-Providences, our Wisdom had more shin'd in the times of the Gospel, Scriptural Fulfillings had been more clear, and Errours respecting such things had less aboun­ded than they do in our days. What a little proportion of Care does the publick Men of our Age bear in recording the marvellous steps of Providences, concerning the Nations and Churches of the Earth, to that Care of God's publick Officers under the Old and New Te­stam [...]? Our Civil Records abound from one year to another, with all Testimonies that advance the Honour of Princes and People; but where is the Record of a Di­vine Hand in the wonderful Works of Pro­vidence, respecting Churches, Nations, and particular Christians, for the vindicating of his Honour, and the discovery of our infinite Obligations to him, that his Authority may be born up on Earth, and those discountenan­ced who refuse the Lord to reign over them. What more clouds the discovery of God than the unmindfulness of Divine Providences? In [Page 134] the room whereof, the conduct of Chance, the agency of natural Wit and Policy, has taken place in our Observation, Admiration and Dependance; and God has been neglected in his Dispensations; and trusting with a boast­ing in our selves for the bringing about Events encouraged.

If publick Providences concerning our Na­tions and Church, since our late Revolution, had been with all their Circumstances strictly remarkt, and set upon Record, there are none of us but who could own God's agency in them, and make the words of the Psalmist ours, They get not the land in possession by their own swords, neither did their own arm save, but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance going along with them.

I hope, tho' Marvellous and National Pro­vidences have not had place in any of our Pub­lick Records, for fixing the Faith of a Deity, and his Divine Providence; yet the Private Re­cords of Particular Christians are fill'd there­with. I say again, His God been so visible in the outgoings of his Providence since, and at the late Revolution, and are we still attributing the Events that have fallen out for us, to Na­tional Strength of Policy, Treasure and Cou­rage? How often has God turned the most Po­litick Methods of the Wise, to lay bare and open its Insufficiency? And how has the Instru­ments of War, adorned with Courage, been swept off? That from Nations so abounding [Page 135] therewith, How few appear at this day? How near is our Treasure to be exhausted, by vast Expence of War, and by Scarcity of Current Money? Has this no Language? Or has its Voice never entred the Ears and Hearts of the People of the Nations? It is the black Sign to me, the little Sight of God in his Providence, though he has been so Visible; and the little Improvement thereof, by dependance upon him in the use of Means: Though our Means were fewer, and of less strength, it should not afford me so dismal a Prospect of things to come, as the disregard of God in all our Enjoy­ments, the little dependance we shew upon God, by our solemn and serious Addresses to him, and by our Endeavours to please him, in walking conform to his Will. Did ever Error and Vice abound more in our Reformed Na­tions? Were Christians ever more lazy than in our days, spending their time in the full Excess of Riot of all those things that God, in conde­scending Love, has bestowed upon us, and there­by distinguishing us from other Nations? How many times does God bring private Christians, yea, Nations and Churches, to great imminent Dangers, before he pours out his Smiles, on purpose to make us sensible of that regard of God we ought to have in his Providences round us, of our Duty to cry unto him in Publick and Closet-Addresses? And if these were the Ef­fects of our Troubles at this day, if we were brought to far greater Pinches of Extremity [Page 136] than we are or can be at, I should not doubt but to behold the Returns of Providential Smiles upon our outward things, and spiritual Influen­ces upon our Souls with Riches, and inward Peace amongst Christians yet in our Land.

It was but this Summer, when God provi­dentially, by the great and continued Rains, threatned Scarcity of Bread, and in merciful Condescention suffer'd it to fall out, when a Fast was appointed to be kept for Success to our KING: that at the same time, by the Rains visible before us, we might join in Prayers to Go [...] for the one as well as the other: other­wise we might, perhaps, have been brought nearer to an Extremity. Before we had publick­ly [...]ought God on that account, an additional st [...]p [...] the other, was in God's [...] Rains immediately, as [...] very Evening of the [...] weather. By [...] thus with us [...] see God in his P [...]ovi [...] [...] in the use of [...] such [...] the follow­ing [...] for not going [...] [Page 137] we may know what that blessed Duty of De­pendance upon God means, and may taste of its blessed fruits both upon Souls and Bodies.

In this discovery of a Divine Hand in the out-going of P [...]ovidences, a fair reproof arises, First, To the Prophane, who reject the im­pression of a Divine Providence, and will not observe his ways of it, lest they be brought to a Sense of the just Power above, and be un­der terrour for despising his Laws that are not pleasing to the Carnal Appetites.

Secondly, To the meer Professor and lazy Christian, who would limit God in his Pro­vidence to matters of great moment, and not extend it to all events, tho' the Scripture, as well as Christian Experience, bears sufficient Testimony thereto.

The Scripture tells us, Matthew 10.30. Luk. 12.7. That the very hairs of our heads are all numbred, and that consequently his Divine Providence influenceth the most minute things, by upholding and ordering the world. If this be true, as to a general Providence over the whole Earth, How is it much more clear as to a special Providence, respecting his own Children in their Pilgrimage and Warfare here below? even then that as it's said by our Sa­viour, Luk 21.18 One hair of his Disciples heads should not perish.

[Page 138]Christian Experience confirms this Truth, That in the most mean Events, God's over-ruling Hand is greatly discover'd, and Prayers put up for small matters are return'd with such full discovery of him in the bringing them a­bout, that the observation thereof afford greater inward Comfort in the enjoyment of the out­ward benefit; were this more firmly rooted in the Hearts of professing Christians, we should have less talk of Fortune and Chance, and less Trust to Humane Endeavours, distinct from a Divine Influence.

Secondly, By the Observation of outward Providences, you may not only discover God therein, but even from thence be led to a De­pendance upon, and a Trust to him, and that for matters of great moment, and also for your smallest concern on Earth, you will say with the Psalmist, Thy right hand saved us; and as in the 6th verse, I will therefore not trust in bow; and as in the 8th verse, I will boast in God all the day long, and praise his name for ever.

You wont with the Prophane, confine the acknowledgment of God; your Address to him, and Reliance upon him to pinches of extremity, when Evils seem nigh at hand, forcing the Creature by the very light of Na­ture to cry out for help from God, or to de­sire those they have formerly mockt at as Re­ligious, to supplicate Heaven to withhold the [Page 139] Evil, or that God would have Mercy upon them in it.

You wont, with the meer Professor, express only your trust to God's over-ruling Provi­dence in Words, censuring those that deny it, and yet live as without the sense of a God therein, by doing Evil privately, without con­sidering his All-seeing Eye, or endeavour to obtain things desired in the use of ill means, without considering his over-ruling Power in the bringing forth of all Events.

You wont, with the lazy Christian, limit his governing-hand, but clearly know the ex­tension of his Power towards all things, de­termining small Events in the lawful use of means, as well as greater; and that God's conduct of his Children in their small concerns, as much honours his condescending Goodness, as his regard of them in their most difficult concerns glorifies his Power and Godhead. The exact Observers of his special Providence, find as truly his Compassionate Care in an­swering their Requests for smaller things, as in the greatest concerns of their Life: Yea, that when matteas of small moment has been manag'd in the use of means, with Dependance and Resignation to him, they have then had both a better Event, than if the whole strength of humane Power and Policy had been trusted to, or ill means made use of for its obtain­ing: And that the honouring of God so faith­fully in the diligent use of means, and true [Page 140] Reliance upon him for the Event of a small concern, has been encourag'd by God's laying a greater matter in their way, and greatly Honouring them therein.

It is therefore your Duty, to trust God in all circumstances, afflicting or smiling in your Souls, and in small as well as greater things that concern our Temporal State, and give up the least concern of your life to his conduct, ad­dress him for his Guidance in it, and depend upon him for the Events. This is to be re­commended to all; To the Prophane, who mind not God in the goings forth of his Pro­vidence; and to the meer Professor, who ac­knowledge him in Word, but in Action deny his over-ruling Power; and even to the lazy Christian, who minds not God in matters of small concern, and gives not God the same Tribute of real Reliance for such things, as for matters of weighty concern; and this many times causes a slight and formal performance of our Duties to God, which is a dishonouring of God as truly as the more visible Sins of those who are Strangers to the Covenant.

Thirdly, By the observation of outward Pro­vidences, and of God therein, with a reliance upon him, you are in the way of obtaining a discovery of the inward workings of Christ's Spirit in the Soul, an enjoyment making you sensible of what formerly you could not give credit to, though exactly describ'd in his Word, [Page 141] and making you bless his Name, that he ever put it in your thoughts to practise that excellent and greatly neglected Duty of observation, that is, the promise of Christ, To him that hath shall be given. The conscientious regard of external Providences, will lead us to a discovery of greater things more marvellous in their nature, more dignifying our Souls, and more comfor­tably establishing our Faith in God's Word, than a Series of outward Events: The freeing of the Soul from the power of Original Corruption by the sweet dominion of Grace, the degrees of spiritual growth in the use of means ap­pointed by God for that blessed end, will be of excellent advantage to encrease in the Soul light and joy, and establishment.

An Observer of such things is enabled to see good, where others discover nothing but evil; and evil, where others think all is good. He is arrived to the eminent degrees of those Chri­stians, who in the 5th Chapter of the Hebrews, and the 14th, are said to be such, who by reason of use, have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil; who by habitual observation of God's ways by his Spirit and Providence con­cerning them, are enabled to see the design and end of Providence, not mistaking the merciful Methods of God's dealings with them as the effects of Anger, nor the trial of their Grace for a punishment for want of it, and thereby dishonour God, and sink under despondency; they can rejoice in tribulation, the blessed privi­ledge [Page 142] of those who are in a state of favour with God, Rom. 5. and feel a power above themselves supporting them in all Troubles.

It is therefore to be lamented, That such in­structing and comforting things are laid in our way to observe, and yet that so many with their Circumstances should pass without Record and Improvement. Though Christians are assu­red that God's Gifts are without Repentance; that they have the evidences of Grace in their Souls, and are kept stedfast in that Grace God has freely bestow'd: yet by their not observing God's Means working, and the proportion'd advancement of Grace to such Means, they are not so duly affected with the infinite Mercy of God, nor so comfortably sensible of his graci­ous dealings with them, nor so firmly establish'd in the hope that he will not cease his working in them, till they are made mete for the inheri­tance of the Saints in light. The observing-Christians have the priviledge of the Angels, though in a lower degree, to see the Face of God, they have the enjoyment of Heaven by the assurance of it; they live in the exercise of Divine Love, Joy and Praise, which is the Life of Heaven.

I would from hence reprove those Profes­sors, who by their neglect, coldness, and long intermissions from Holy Duties, are justly deprived of the sweetness of commu­nion with God, and are apt to censure others who are more spiritual and heavenly in [Page 143] their Conversation, as phantastick and enthusi­astical, an Instance whereof I had, by an Asper­sion of some Ministers upon the Writings of a Saint now triumphant in Heaven, whose Life was employ'd in Study, to understand God's Word, and the actings of Christ's Spirit in the Soul; by which Holy Care, and the Divine Fa­vour, he obtain'd the precious Jewel of Assu­rance, and for many Years was possest of it.

The Aspersion run against him as a thought­ful melancholy person; of the latter he had very little, but of the former much more, I do believe, than his Aspersers, and what was be­coming the weight of the matter his thoughts run mostly upon, often bemoaning the trifling, superficial thoughts of the Christians of our Times concerning Gospel-Mysteries, Christiani­ty experienc'd, our passage hence, and concern­ing another state in its certainty and eternity. The Aspersion also run against him for laying stress upon enlargement in Prayer; and that concerning inward Religion his Discourses were unintelligible.

In answer to the first part of the Censure, I can from my own blessed Experience declare, That I have had the Promise verified to me of the Holy Spirit's helping our Infirmities, di­recting me in the things to be pray'd for, and inflaming my desires in the Duty, and strength­ning my Faith in the power and love of God; and the Returns of my Prayers have been most [Page 144] convincing and comforting evidence, that God's Spirit was the Indicter of that Prayer of which God was the Fulfiller.

To the other part of the Censure, I shall on­ly say, That the Communications of God to the Soul, are more convincingly felt than ex­prest: The peace of God passes all understanding; and the comfortable sense of it cannot be fully set forth by human Language, but the real en­joyment is far distant from Enthusiasm. The sincere Christian knows, that communion with God is a Heaven on earth, though some who have only Notional Divinity, think it's meerly imagination without reality; our communion with God and Christ in the use of Divine Ordi­nances, is the best preservative from the Illusions of Satan, and the distempered Mind.

Having given Reproof, Let me advise all such, (who expose the high Attainments of Christianity experienc'd) to reflect upon their by-past life, if exactness of Observation of all past between God and their Souls, either as means, or the end, lie by them upon Record in their Diaries; and whether they have not rested upon the use of means as Duty, with­out observing and recording the Enjoyments therein, and their advancing-effects upon their Soul, and have not rested upon Evidences with­out ever observing by what means and method of God they were first made sensible of them, [Page 145] or had them further established. Has there never a step of outward Providence, round you, past your Observation, and search for God therein, or as a return to Prayer for that blessed end of crushing a Corruption, and exciting a Grace? In short, Has all the steps of God, in training you to the Sense of Conversion, and Graces after growth, been remarkt by you? If you can witness this, I am confident you have attain'd to the Experience of such things as will keep you off from Censuring others, and engage you to bear Seal to the Truth of what Christ bears sensibly on the Christian's Soul; but if upon Reflection, you have been out of this road, my Compassion is greatly towards you, even though you are Christians indeed; and that because of the great Com­fort withheld from you, it being punishment enough to want the Comfort that strict Obser­vers enjoy in this life: And generally there lodges at the bottom of such Censurers, either Ignorance of the same enjoyments from Heaven, an unwillingness to have any in greater esteem than your selves, or prejudices from their being of another Party, Opinion, or the like. All which I would greatly advise to serious obser­vation of themselves, before their Censures be put forth against others; for my own part I have often found from some instructing and establishing passages, such amazing discovery of God and my self, that I have thought nothing more could be added thereto; but soon after I [Page 146] have had a further knowledge and establish­ment in the same thing, and that by another passage, caution enough to suppress disparage­ment of others, but from their example to be­stir thy self more than ever in the use of Means, if a Soul therefore were to live Thousands of years on earth, it attains not to know so much; but upon strict observation in the continued use of Means, more and more Mysteries would be imparted. No wonder the Apostle's different Christians grown from others by a capacity of discerning good and evil, and that by the ha­bitual use of observation, and experiencing God's ways with the Soul; if therefore you find others express what you have not felt, ac­cuse not them, but censure your own neglect: especially, if upon the review of your life, you have not been acting with an exact observation and improvement of knowledge of God in his Word, outward Providences, and inward work­ings of his Spirit.

I think it not amiss to subjoin to this Reproof and Advice, an Experience concerning my self, and the very Saint thus reproached. I once be­ing importuned to assist in a particular matter, a more than ordinary willingness to it seiz'd me; in the undertaking whereof a successful Issue occur'd, and great benefit to the person that importuned, whose Poverty and Goodness I had no discovery of, though greatly known to others, but was under a surprizing force to re­fuse [Page 147] their grateful Acknowledgment. And hap­ning about an hour after to unbosom my self to this Saint, amongst other things I imparted this Passage, with a wondring at the meaning of such a surprizing willingness to the action, and unwillingness to accept of reward, though Duty oblig'd me to it, when no other Motives to the contrary appear'd. To which he grave­ly answer'd, You shall receive it as a reward of this action sixty-fold, by God's imparting him­self to your Soul this day; but be not con­cern'd, though a disquiet follow it before you sleep. This then, in my account, run like Pro­phecy, especially after its fulfilling; our Dis­course being about eleven in the forenoon: About two in the afternoon, in a Chamber all alone, such enlargement of Soul, such sudden ravishing, and heavenly affections, with an un­expressible delight seiz'd me, with amazement in my self, to observe the first part of his Asser­tion made out: But about nine at night, there came a Penny-post Letter to my hands from one whose Malice prompts them with false Ac­cusations to asperse me, and that express'd in such bitterness, that it greatly did disquiet me; and going immediately with it to him, he with Modesty and Concern repli'd, That the Devil had been at the penning thereof. His foresight of these two such different Effects consequen­tial to this action, was neither by Prophecy nor Revelation, but purely from his strict and con­stant observation of God's ways round himself [Page 148] in the like case, and though then it seemed strange to me, hardly being able to forbear from thinking of something prophetical in it; yet since by observation I may say often or never falls out a voluntary lively Act of Cha­rity without the least of self, and much of God in it, but great spirituality of frame has fol­lowed, and after this, one disquiet or other has fallen out; yea often, I may say always as yet, at the time of this fellowship, an appre­hension of some succeeding disquiet is in my thoughts.

Those that have reproach'd his Writings, would have been as ready to have reproach'd this Experience of him as Melancholy, unless they had been strict observers of God's ways with themselves.

I do believe that every Christian had not met my passage with the same return, and that none but those who by use are made discerning of good and evil, had been capable of what I find he was.

Be humbled therefore, lazy Christians, and think of others better than your selves, and not of your selves above what you are, by as­persing each other: You encourage those who know nothing of inward Religion, to keep out from trying its Enjoyments, and others to mock at Experimental Christianity. Alas! Is so much of the depth of God's Ways to be known by years Observation, and this time [Page 149] made use of to rack Thoughts to explicate Events notionally, altho' the Psalmist himself found it too painful for him to explicate the inequality of Providence without God's Word; yet our Land abounds with such Deists, who, to destroy the Being or necessity of Revealed Re­ligion, or of a Holy Spirit, as helps in the use of means, exalt Reason alone, and expunge all things incomprehensible by it, as Fancy or Chimera; as well as the Christian treated of; expunge Injoyments obtain'd beyond others, in a constant and close walking with God as Enthusiastical.

Some, I am apt to believe, affect this way of high Pretensions to Rationality, when at the same time they are greatly distant from its Exercise, either to obtain a Character of being Learn'd, or a liking in Society, by Rhe­torical Conversation, or to draw Followers after their Notions, and they to appear as Pri­mate thereof. You that have rational Souls, im­prove your Reason more for God's Service and your own Interest; the more Rational, the more capable of improvement with the blessed helps of God's Divine Word, Providence and Spirit: Place your Knowledge in Divine Things, upon his Word as the foundation, and learn to establish it by the observation of his Providence and Spirit confirming it to you; and then I dare say, there will need neither Rhe­torick nor Division to keep up the Christian Religion in its Power amongst its Professors. [Page 150] You are too weak to comprehend the Myste­ries of the Gospel, put forth never such acute­ness of Judgment, without the powerful In­fluences of Christ's Spirit opening the Eyes of your Understanding, and fixing your Faith therein by your Experiencing its Truth in your Souls, such clear knowledge and establishment appears, as resists all the fanciful and errone­ous Notions of others; yea, such unspotted Conversations, as may engage others to your way, and to be Members of Christ's Mystical Body here on Earth. I have with great con­cern, known some Christians weak in Learn­ing, but strong in the knowledge of Experi­mental Religion, clearly understanding an Event of Providence; yea, rejoycing in an Event outwardly afflicting, when a Learned Wit could neither comprehend the meaning of the one, nor free himself from disquiet under the other. How often may you hear some un­acquainted with Experimental Religion, but greatly knowing in Notional Divinity, mighti­ly applauding a Sermon, itching their Ears with a Rhetorical style, and Philosophical arguing: And others, mean in Learning and worldly Repu­tation, but well acquainted with inward Reli­gion, esteeming this same Sermon an empty noise, and the Preacher a feeder of his Flock with airy Notions, that have neither solidity nor comfort in their relish, and will lead them in no other Path than that of a meer Notional Knowledge, as a Bate to be catch'd by the Er­rors of this Age.

[Page 151]If Ministers and People were more close to the use of means, whereby God's Truths might be Experimentally felt, both would see far less need of adjoyning the high flight of Notions in Pulpits, or in Conversation, for its establish­ment in their Souls. I think it in our day a more advantageous Sermon, and a more neces­sary Book, that leads Christians to the use of such means, by which much of God's Spirit may be communicated to their Souls, and thereby God's Word experienc'd as certain, and their Reliance upon it as the foundation of their Faith, evidently to themselves and others brought forth: Such I say, seem more neces­sary, than the Sermon or Book inlarging upon a Divine Truth, with such fine Oratorical and Philosophical Style, as may itch the Ear of the Christian with establishment of its own Noti­ons in Religious Theory; and of the illiterate, with an opinion of the Preacher or Writer's great and learned Gifts, indangering both, through obtain'd applause, not only of Pride, but of keeping Reason out of its due place; and if this has not brought forth many un­neccessary Heats at this day, I am greatly mi­staken: Reason is that noble Principle distin­guishing us from all other inferiour Creatures, and tho' Corrupted, yet capable of being re­stor'd to greater Perfection and Stability, than when Man was Created at first perfect, but ca­pable of falling: God has made provision of suitable helps to advance, and to bring forth [Page 152] this Perfection; but the Pride of Corrupted Man is such, that as at first it prompted him to affect an Equality with God; so now it prompts him to the vain imagination of himself, as suf­ficient without Divine helps to regain his per­fect State, and obtain by his own knowledge the understanding of all necessary Divine Truths, and by his own strength the performance of all necessary Duties; And if this has not brought forth the undervaluing of Reveal'd Religion by the Deists, the undervaluing of Christ by the Socinians, and the undervaluing of a Divine Spirit exposing him as no help, neither his Spi­ritual Influences as strength to work out our Salvation by, I am as much mistaken.

Experimental Religion cuts off all these dif­ficulties; For the more a Christian observes of himself in his experienced failures; the less room and lower station self-strength obtains in his Affections, the more he finds of Christ's Spirit unexpectedly and powerfully bearing home Scripture-Truths to his personal experi­ence, formerly unacquainted with, tho' often Notionally heard of; the lower esteem Reason must have, as by its self incapable rightly to understand Gospel Mysteries: And tho' in our day, we have some so openly confident, as in Print to tell us, That nothing is Mysterious in the Gospel, against God's own Word, the Seals of Martyrdom, and against the Experience of all the Saints of the Earth, endeavouring thereby to act Factorship for Satan, by whose [Page 153] pleasing suggestion of Mans Reason and Strength in himself to be relied on, without any other help to believe or to do what is necessary for the obtaining Heaven hereafter, and a secure undisturb'd quiet of Mind here. I must believe, that that Creature has never yet been under any other discovery of Gospel-Truth, than what was the effect of notional Knowledge; and that continuing in the same State, he can hardly expect to be a Member of that Tri­umphant Society, whose Eternity will be taken up in the Admiration and the Praise of that Mysterious method of Redeeming Man from a state of Corruption and Misery, to a state of Perfection and Glory above; the prospect whereof we only now enjoy darkly through a Glass, and yet the views thereof that upon this Earth we sometimes experimentally have, are known by all Experiencing Christians, both to be Mysterious, far above Nature's foresight or enjoyment through it self, and rendring the Creature unexpressible astonishment in its ap­proach upon the Soul; though the Protestant Nations abound with such Errors, yet they neither derogate from God and his Word, or afford darkness to Christian Professors, who have experienc'd the reality of both upon their Souls, but expose themselves to them as Christi­ans certainly ignorant of God and his Word, whatever fine Notional Flourishes in Print or Dis­course they express, and also draw forth Christi­ans pity towards them, and help Believers to ad­vance [Page 154] their praising God, who has made them in the use of means to differ from others.

Experimental Religion makes us become as little Children, and esteem our selves so low as to lay all our depraved Faculties at God's Footstool, and using them not alone by way of Reliance, but with the help of God's Divine Spirit in the use of means: We have for ma­ny years enjoyed so much of the Gospel, but alas in Notion only, that I have stood in a maze to hear the Discourse of some illiterate People, concerning the Notions of Christianity; and to see their Zeal, debating their Preachers No­tions with that hear, as if they had been throw­ing Fire-Balls one to another, till Fire has been kindled amongst Assemblies of Professors, when at the same time, experimental Religion has never been called in, as a help to unloose their difficulties. At the time of hearing some such differences, my own Experience in Chri­stianity has made me discover, that either their Debates could be resolv'd in various Words; or that if means made use of by God, as helps to the People or Preachers Soul, for their experiencing of Divine Mysteries, had been more prest upon the People, with that enlargement which their own Experience might have afforded, no such Debates would have risen, and People and Preachers should be bet­ter known in our day; and whether God's Ho­nour, the establishment of his Truth, self-ap­plause, or outward Interest, were at the foun­dation of such hot Zeal.

[Page 155]When once in the use of means, a Christian finds the evidences of Sanctification, he shall then make the current of his Zeal run towards further evidence of its reality and further growth in it, advising others not to debate whether Justification or Sanctification precede, whether certain Conditions must precede qua­lifying to be united to Christ, or union to Christ, before any thing of Holiness in our na­ture appear; but to walk in the use of God's means, and in them to obtain the application of Christ, and all his Priviledges, by the help of his blessed Spirit, and so both Conditions them­selves, and a renew'd State by your Union to Christ may sensibly appear at the same time: By the observation of the means thus blessed, and the steps of advancement in this newness of Nature, is brought forth not only establishment to themselves, but a capacity of instructing and comfirming others upon surer ground, than that of stretch of Wit and Notional Theory.

Our Debates concerning Free-Grace and Works, carry along with them too much of Self, and too little of Divine Experience, and I'm sure, too much of fiery Constitution; the ex­perienc'd Christian finds enough in himself to keep both in their just Bounds, according to Scripture Rule; and imagines the Debates un­neccessary, and bringing forth of no other Fruit, than that of Faction, Dishonouring God, and exposing Christianity as uncertain to those that are ignorant thereof. The Experiencing [Page 156] Christian finds that the more of the Free-Grace of God in Christ appear in his Experience, the more love to God is kindled in his Soul, the more of true Sanctified Love, the greater de­sire he finds to please and to obey him in all his preceptive Commands, and that his Expe­rience of Free-Grace no ways tend to a Licen­tious Life: Whatever the Notional Knowledge of Free-Grace may do amongst those who know nothing of a real Faith, and experience of God's Grace in their Soul, and where unstrictness and unholiness of life appears in the greatest Zea­lot for Free Grace, it savours of nothing more than its Notion in their Brain. Again, the Experiencing Christian finds, that when he sets himself to be most diligent to perform Good Works and Religious Duties, yet in the first he is often overtaken with faults, and in the latter constant failures [...]ur, wandering Thoughts therein, discomposure of Mind from some disquiet falling in before, or some sug­gestion from Satan, or corruption within, ri­sing up at the time, which forces the Soul to lay by trust to Self-sufficiency, and to have re­course to the Free-Grace of God in Christ; that through his Divine Spirit, supplies may be conveyed, enabling of us to do Works, though our own, yet perform'd by Christ's supplies en­abling of us; and accepted from us thorough his Merits perfuming them, that being our alone argument to obtain both, for the sake of the multitude of his tender Mercies, the opening [Page 157] and pouring forth of which we owe to our Blessed Redeemer, who has remov'd the fla­ming Sword, and given us access to the Throne of Free-Grace, but still in the use of the blessed mean of Prayer: And I think it more a Soul's concern, to try the Truth of access to the Throne of Grace by Prayer, in our own en­deavour and observation, if return'd, (that be­ing a mean of obtaining of Prayer in Christ's Strength) than before the trial of Prayer, to pursue first the Knowledge, whether Justifi­cation be previously necessary before access to this Grace, as is set down in the first verse of the fifth chapter of the Romans. Alas! While we are a striving which things go first, we are in danger of missing all; while we are debating about the Notions of Religion, we suffer the Truths of God in their Experience to drop. Oh that our Debates were more at home with our inward Corrup­tion, sighting it with the continued use of means capable by Christ's Strength meeting us in them, to overcome it, and to fructifie Grace in its room, and less with our fellow Christians, unless in point of strict and Holy Lives: Christianity needs no other bul­wark from us, than the true plain meaning of Scripture-truth, and putting Souls in the use of such Means as God conveys the expe­rience in; and where the power of Christianity is felt, let him be Church of England, or Dis­senter, under all its Subdivisions, he becomes the Object of my love, because of the Impres­sion [Page 158] the Divine Spirit seems to have stamp'd upon him. Of their being such, we may easily have discovery in discourse one with another, and that without any extraordinary gift of dis­cerning. However others think of this Gospel-priviledge, there is such a difference between the Nature of Notional and Experienc'd Chri­stianity, between the way and words of a meer Notional Professor, though never so outwardly strict, and of an experiencing Christian, that to my self I find not the least difficulty: And it is greatly suitable to the forecited Text in the Hebrews, where it is said, That it is the privi­ledge of grown Christians to discern good and evil; and these Christians are such, who have grown thereto by use and experience. And where I can discover nothing of this, whatever Party he is of, let his Notions and Zeal in spreading them fly never so high, I am always afraid that the Motive of Self bears too much room in his witnessing for God and his Truth: Let all therefore be reprov'd, who set up Vari­ance with those that bear Christ's Image upon their Hearts and Lives, and only differ in their Notions and Conceptions about the Truths of God. Let Holy Lives and Acquaintance in Con­versation, with their experiencing Christianity in their Souls, be the Touchstone of trying and esteeming them. By the denying familiari­ty with such upon such differences, you pinch the great evidence of loving the Brethren, and shew to the world that such an one is laid [Page 159] aside, or introduc'd to your Favour, from ha­ving a name of being one of such a Party; and so give occasion of producing Proselites in pro­fession to such a Party to obtain interest, and encourage thereby others to ridicule Chri­stianity because of such Professors blemishes, through the want of Christianity's power in their Souls; though these inward enjoyments (into which observation of outward Providen­ces lead as a mean) are incomprehensible by the prophane and meer Professor while in that state, yet they are outward passages greatly dis­covering God, bringing forth good where all evil is ominous, if observ'd by meer Profes­sors.

It is experimentally known, that a passage of Providence dark and afflicting in its first ap­proach, has many times had in its bosom a rich mercy. There is a known passage of one who broke his Leg in his Journey to go a Ship­board; a dark and afflicting Providence, both by reason of his breaking his Leg, and the dis­appointment of his Voyage; but in its bosom was that great mercy of saving his life, the Ship being lost in which he was to have gone. It is not long ago since a Wind hindring our Fleet to go forth was afflicting, but in it was that great mercy of the preventing of a French Invasion; such passages the prophane and meer Professor cannot dive into, and if each were but observant of such like, they would be reckon'd by Millions round Nations and People, and all [Page 160] with a discovery of God, the Governor of all things, and would help us against repining for disappointments, and advance a reliance upon him in all things, by committing them to a Divine Conduct by Prayer, and diligently using means providentially laid in our ways.

Again, Is it not known with experimental Christians, that the Lord many times intro­duces a rich spiritual mercy by a dark Provi­dence, a spiritual instruction for their establish­ment, by an afflicting Providence? It has oft been their experience to be brought under an outward disquiet on purpose to free them from a cold, lazy frame of mind, and to introduce a sweet heavenly posture of Soul, who therefore from continued observation of this experience, will not forbear repining, and exercise patience, till the discovery of God's design therein ap­pears; yea, work together with him for the same end, by addressing the Lord for strength to stand firm in the exercise of reliance and love to him, which greatly establishes the Soul in the exercise of these Graces, and therein ho­nours God, and is even met many times with a visible reward suited to that particular Action, tho' performed by his own Divine strength, the observation whereof has oft brought that Scrip­ture to my thoughts, Psal. 31. Great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee, which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men; either by hiding them in the se­cret of thy presence from the pride of man, or [Page 161] keeping them secretly from the strife of Tongues; and what establishment hereto the personal experience of an observing Christian would give, is more fit for filling up of sheets, than a few lines: Mark the 10th Chapter, ver. 29. None has left house, &c. for my sake, but he shall even in this life receive an hundred fold, and eternal life in the world to come.

Is it not the personal experience of Chri­stians to be disappointed of the designed and desired issue of an endeavour to introduce the success of another and better? the constant ob­servation whereof must needs bring the Soul to a greater measure of patience under a disap­pointment, to a sooner and better sight of the Providence than the other, who, though under his disappointment, is strengthned to rely by Divine influence perhaps in return to Prayer, pe­titioning strength to honour God therein, yet he must needs be under more sinking Fears, through the course of the passages of such dis­appointments; the other Christian having these supporting helps, the reflecting upon God's for­mer ways of the same kind observ'd, and upon record, with the instructing and establishing ef­fects such ways had then upon the Soul, and the better event brought forth in a way of Provi­dence, than what was expected, together with Prayer put up, and strengthning supplies of grace received; however dark this may seem to the Notional Christian, yet this, I hope, will receive many Seals in its perusal by observing Christians.

[Page 162]Is it not the experience of Christians to be led into a pinch of extremity, on purpose to see the more of God, and the less of means in an event, and to stir up the greater reliance upon God with means, and the less upon means with­out his Divine Hand accompanying? How often are lawful, diligent using of means dis­appointed to Christians, till they be brought to serious and often Prayer for Heaven's conduct and blessing thereto? The observation whereof keeps the Soul safe between means, and a Di­vine Hand, affording each his due place, without presumption towards God, or Idolatry towards the other; if therefore the Christian Observer is enabled to discover good and evil, where others not so used thereto, are uncapable even in these more common Experiences; how far less capable are some Christians to discover more secret and adorable methods of God, ob­serv'd by others? Either they were never expe­rienced by them through the long intermissions of fellowship with God, or at least never ob­serv'd, reflected upon, or improven by them to the end of further knowledge of God in the depth. There is therefore not only in the sight and enjoyment of spiritual things, a dif­ference between Christians and meer Professors, but even between Christian and Christian, and that without either a Gift of Prophecy, or an extraordinary Gift of Discerning, but with such Gifts as are communicated to the Soul in the use of common means; only with this dif­ference, [Page 163] that these means are more continually and in greater heavenliness perform'd, and the enjoyments of God therein, either for comfort or instruction more carefully remarkt in all its Circumstances, and laid up in record for this very end of improvement, the greater know­ledge of Christianity, and of God's more ex­traordinary steps therein. Thou therefore, O Christian, that has necessary occasion of busi­ness, and of lawful diversion, greatly admixt with thy Religious Duties, as a mean of hin­dering such fellowship with God as those do en­joy, whose life does run in a stream of actual heavenly mindedness; reproach not, I say, these other Christians with melancholy Fancy or Enthusiasm, either of which bear their di­stinct marks from that knowledge of God ob­tain'd in the constant use of means, and by Di­vine fellowship therein, in continual and serious recesses of Soul with God; but bemoan your Circumstances thus involv'd in the necessary occasions of the world, when compar'd with some others, and do more with the opportuni­ties you have, than ever yet you have done, and that according to the means treated of, and blessed by God to others.

In the hope therefore of passing from com­mon Providences in your observation, to special ones round your self, yea, to the steps and workings of Christ's Spirit in your Soul, exact­ly correspondent to his Word, affording you such knowledge thereof, as expose the Conten­tions [Page 164] and Errors of the Earth to your Pity, and keep you safe from the discouraging Blemishes, and infectious Failures of Christians. In hope, I say, of this, let me press you to this great and experienced Duty of Observation, and I am hopeful your expectations will not fail, but a mysterious discovery of the reality of his Di­vine Word shall be unfolded, such as could never have been forethought, or foreseen by you.

It is not to be supposed that ever the most refin'd Wit on earth could have made up such a System of Mystery as is contained in the Scri­ptures, and is experimentally felt in the Soul. Is it supposable that the Wits of our Age (who pretend their Reason as their Guide) could fore­see, contrive, or rightly comprehend the Work of Christ's Spirit in renewing the Soul? Or is it supposable, that the most rational man on earth, unacquainted with experimental Christianity, can imagine the work of Christ's Spirit in rai­sing the Soul to a heavenly Frame, and the state of the Soul at that time? Is it imaginable, that by the will and power of man, such a Frame by which we are admitted to fellowship with the Godhead, can be retained without a Divine Influence? when though that this Divine Work is declar'd in the Scripture, yet with their rea­son and light of God's Word without Divine Spiritual influences, (obtain'd by God's com­mon means) they are not able to comprehend it, and therefore is left unknown to some of them, [Page 165] and mockt at by others of them; yea, the Word of God made the occasion of Errors on earth, the prevention of all which comes in by the right and continued use of these means God commonly affords the sensible experience of himself according to his Divine Records.

Some Christians excel one another in Faith of Reliance hereby, that if there be no assurance going along, yet their Hope is without shock, and that in the use of Reflection upon former Experiences, which in the 5th chap. of the Ro­mans and the 5th and 6th ver. is said, to bring forth hope, that maketh not ashamed; and cer­tainly found to do so in the Experiences of such Christians, if their Seals were given forth to the World.

Let us imagine the judgment of any meer Professor under never so rational a Conviction of any one Scripture-truth, yet without the power of Christ's Spirit bearing it home as Truth upon the Soul, you will hardly see (as the certain effect of this) saving Faith therein, either commenced or so sixt, but that it may give way to a succeeding Error, if it have a fairer appearance to his rational Comprehensi­on than the other. I don't therefore much wonder at the prophane or meer Professors, who have no other sense of Divine Things than what is Notionally imparted and comprehended by them: My greater admiration, is, That Chri­stians indeed, who feel the certainty of what others have but heard of Notionally, and much [Page 166] more than can be exprest by any, should not be more endeavouring the witnessing for God's Truth in Preaching, Printing, and Conversa­tion; and less for the setting forth of their own Parts, or Notional Controversies, not so material in our day, where the Truth of God's Word is so much exposed and struck at.

A Third Motive to this Duty of Observa­tion, is, That it is no hindrance to your world­ly Business, or lawful Pleasures, but rather by fixing your Thoughts upon an adjutant to your ordinary means, even a Divine Hand, and Blessing, you may conform to his Will, and receive the reward of such a Duty: The Experience of Christians discover, that a lay­ing aside anxiety of Mind, and hurry of Body, and a laying the matter before God, with the diligent use of means occuring in their way, obtains more business, better success, and greater Peace and Comfort, both in the way of ob­taining it, and its after-enjoyment, than when they ey'd nothing else, besides natural Contri­vances, which when mightily made use of, is apt to lead a Man beyond true sincere Up­rightness, and their diligent lawful Industry, un­less for some special end of cutting down a Cor­ruption, or for some differences of the temper of the Mind: God's Method differs with the Soul; but whatever difference be in his Me­thod, it will end in the same delight, easie en­deavour, and discovery of Mystery. I add no­thing more to this Motive, being it belongs [Page 167] also to the other means to be mentioned, which tho' commonly talkt of, yet not so Experimentally treated of, nor Practised in such a manner as bring in Knowledge of God and themselves, or afford that inward Comfort that might be attained thereby.

Let therefore your observation be general, as to all the steps of God's Providences round your Bodies and Soul, and you will see God in all, and may be brought to rely upon him for all, and have discovered such a Mysterious Work, as the implanting and growing of Grace in your Souls; yea, you may be led to more than ordinary fellowship with the Godhead, with the discovery of such steps, as even other Christians have never been admitted to, or have let slip in their reflection and improve­ment of, and thereby be made more capable of witnessing for God than others, and better judges of meetness for Heaven than otherwise you should have been; and all this, without hindering your lawful Business, but rather with less anxiety of Mind, and hurry of Body; yea, with greater success, and more inward comfort, without confining you from Pleasure, unless it run to an extream, either of being Sin it self, or the occasion endangering you to Sin.

The Second mean you are desir'd to be in the use of, to bring you into the knowledge of Experimental Relig [...]on, and thereby the cer­tainty of God's Word, and of his Ways with [Page 168] the Soul against Errors abroad, and Darkness within, is that of Prayer.

In this very Duty did I first understand the meaning of Fellowship and Communion with God, of Divine Influences, Spiritual Emana­tions, spirituality and heavenliness of Frame, which are words mockt at by the Prophane in our days; and was unintelligible to my self, while only under the instruction and power of Education, and must be incomprehensible to all others, under the meer profession of Chri­stianity, let their outward Behaviour be never so innocent, and their Duties never so grave­ly perform'd to the obtaining a name on Earth.

While I was under the power of Education, I seldom miss'd my set times of Prayer, with as grave a gesture as now at this day, and my concern us'd to be more for neglect of Prayer, than for not performing it aright; but after the Eying of God in all things, by the mean of observation of outward Providences, I began to think, that if I would have God's favour act­ing and shining in any passage concerning me, I ought to ask it, and in asking by Prayer, to do it with a real design and desire of obtaining it. First of all, I found a seriousness therein like unto the sincerity and unwanderings of one Man's speaking to another to obtain any favour; but soon after I was carried beyond this, with an awful Sense of the Majesty of God, who behov'd to be of great Might, to bring forth [Page 169] all Things, and to act in all Things, so visibly as I had observ'd, and with such height of sin­cerity and heavenliness of Mind, that my Thoughts darted upwards, as with Wings, the same time my Words were exprest; and that with such pleasure of Mind, as I had never observed before in Prayer; all my delight for­merly having been, that I performed, and not miss'd my times of Prayer, but according to my usual time and way, had the satisfaction of doing it; and so from this went on as I have descri­bed in the Experiences concerning Prayer.

I know there are many prophane Creatures, whose Education perhaps has not been Religi­ous, and so this Duty of Prayer has never been enforced upon them: They live without the sight of God in his common Providences, and therefore are the less mov'd to call upon him by Prayer for his favour in them, unless in a pinch of extremity, where, by the very light of Nature, and the power of their Conscience, they are forced to lift up a Petition to him, but perhaps without any apprehension of God at the time, or concern of seeing their request brought forth in a discovery of him in passages of Providence, bringing it about, or in a way of return to that Petition, their concern chief­ly running upon the Deliverance, whatever way it come.

But alas there are others, amongst whom I was, and for whom I am now under great concern, and for whose sake I have so par­ticularly [Page 170] exprest the steps of going off from formality in Prayer to its spiritual and right performance; and from my Soul I wish, have, and shall beg of God, that what I am to say concerning Prayer, might influence their Minds with a sense of their State, and a desire to be out of it, in the right use of these few means; They are such, who have had Religi­ous Education, who profess the Christian Re­ligion even in a stricter way than others, who perform all outward acts of Worship with out­ward Gravity, who are free from known Vice; and still from no other Principle than either that of Parents instruction and example, fear of offending them, or of reproach from others, but void of inward seriousness of Mind in the Service of God; yea, in hearing Ministers or Christians express in Duty, or out of Duty, Communion with God, Divine Emanations, and the like, apprehend the Words without any inward sense of their meaning, and as lit­tle desire after it, or mock at such words, as too familiar and inconsistent with the greatness of that Majesty we approach unto in Prayer; not knowing experimentally the Mercy of God, as well as his Power; the Wisdom of God in expressing his own Mysterious Truths by Words inferiour to the Mysteries, but proportioned to our weaknesses, as well as the condescending steps of God with a poor guilty Creature, in first planting Grace in the Soul; and I am confident, not knowing experimentally what a [Page 171] heavenly frame in Prayer is; for then when the Soul is in a ravishing spiritual posture, words of this kind are forc'd to drop from their Mouths, and there is more satisfaction in the Soul, and greater acceptance with God from a familiar style to him, influenc'd by his Divine Spirit, than from a whole Prayer of another, where distance appears, either from the words, fine style therein, or length of Prayer, but un­spiritually perform'd: Yea, from this very principle of Education, there are some who have an outward sincerity, and from thence an inward satisfaction in their Profession, with a resting in their knowledge and practice, as all the Religion to be obtain'd, with good hopes of their state for Heaven, without ever doubt­ing either their profession or security for Heaven. There are others under the power of Education alone, who tho' unspiritual in their Minds in Prayer, yet upon any failure of their set times, are really uneasie and dissatisfied, especially the breach of their continued custom.

And as it is for these my concern is greatly put forth, so it is with those that many times greatest difficulty is to reclaim. It is well known how deeply are fixt the Impressions of Education, and that nothing but a spiritual working of Christ's Spirit is able to blot them out, or to impress them a-new; upon which very ac­count, Childrens Education, with true Noti­ons of the Christian Religion, can never enough pay their Obligation to such Instructors; it [Page 172] being an excellent preparation for renewing the practical impressions of the same Notions up­on their Hearts, as well as upon their Brains: In a word, Religion is between God and the Soul, and according to the heavenliness or un­heavenliness of the Temper, and frame of the Soul; so a thought, word, or action, in Du­ties, or out of Duties, is either acceptable or unacceptable to God.

Before therefore you leave off the Errors of Education, to a right notion and performance of Prayer, you are first of all to be convinced of what is Erroneous, and then of what is True and Right.

First, Therefore a laying too great a weight upon a particular place for the performance of Prayer, is an error of Education: I know there are some so strictly addicted to Prayer in a Church, that neither earliness nor lateness will obstruct their Custom herein, as if it were a circumstance material in God's account. It is not against Prayer in a Church that I set my self to oppose, but the great stress some from Education are pleas'd to lay upon it: I do be­lieve, that if others were as painful to bring their Minds into a serious posture, as these are (by retrenching their natural Rest in a morn­ing, retiring themselves from Diversion through a day, or at an evening) to have their Bodies in the Church at the times, Prayer would be bet­ter known, and much more pursued in its [Page 173] right performance, than at this day. For my own part, if my Soul be right with God, it is neither to House or Church I affix my self, but the place I can be most private in, either from the diverting sight of others, or their dis­composing noise; and if I have opportunity of choice, no place is more grateful to me than that in which I have had greatest enjoyments of God in Prayer. Privacy I greatly value, from an unwillingness to expose my self to the Censure of Shew and Applause, or a Prayer ac­ceptably performed to the mocking of some, finding it impossible to restrain my self from more than ordinary flood of words, and from a more than ordinary audible voice, when the LORD is pleas'd to raise my affections above my ordinary frame. The reason of chusing a place favour'd with God's presence to my Soul, is, that the memorial thereof may excite the greater endeavour after it, and former Expe­riences may be one of my pleading Arguments for it. This is abundantly suitable to the ex­ample of David, who would often say, Psal. 42.6. That he remembred the hill Hermon-Mis­sar, and other places, which were remarkable to him, from the rich entertainment of God's presence in them; from all which, I drive only thither, to make you know how little the consi­deration of Place, Prayer is performed in, avails in God's account, or comforts the Christian's Soul within, whatever customary performance, or outward applause afford.

[Page 174]Privacy is recommended from Christ's own example, who would retire to the Fields on that very account; yea, part then from his own Disciples, and constant Companions: And tru­ly the more serious a Soul is, the more willing to be from all, and to center all his thoughts upon his dear God. If therefore any labour un­der this failure of Education, let me advise against it, unless on the account of better per­formance of Prayer; and because I hope there are some who on this very account give strict example thereof, let me advise all from censu­ring such an Action; the doing of it for a greater meetness, for fellowship with God in Prayer, makes it a Circumstance congruous to a well-perform'd Duty; but the Circumstance of pleading for it in Conversation, and fixing it upon others, from a liking of the way, argues it rather an Error of Education, than a Circum­stance experienc'd in themselves, helping for­ward their seriousness with God: for though to some it may have this advantage, yet to my self it could not have; the seeing of any before or with me in any performance of private Prayer, proving many times visible hindrances.

Secondly, A laying too great weight upon punctual keeping of set-times to pray, is an Er­ror of Education. There are many in no other state of Christianity, than that of its meer Profession, and outward Acts of Worship, who with marvellous strictness perform the set-times of Morning and Evening-Prayer, purely from [Page 175] the Rule of Education; but still at a loss what communion and fellowship with God in Prayer means: I accuse not their praying at set-times, but Professors confidence therein, as evidence of their religious state, or their Prayers right per­formance. David's set-times of Prayer are in­stanced in his Book of Psalms, and I hope there is not any experiencing Christian on earth at this day, who slights their appointed seasons of private Prayer, to supplicate the Lord's conduct from morning till night, and from evening to morning; yea, by observation of continued Mercies through the day, are kept in a posture of Soul fitted to ejaculate Praise; and by ob­servation of continual Wants, fitted to ejacu­late Supplication throughout the whole course of the day, and so kept in obedience to that Di­vine Command, of praying without ceasing, even amidst diligent endeavours in business, and out­ward lawful pleasures, as well as in the per­formance of morning, noon, and evening Sa­crifices. My Challenge therefore takes place, when exactness in that Circumstance proceeds from no other foundation than that of Educa­tion, or guided by no other Rule than that of others Example, and tending towards no other ends than Applause, or pleasing themselves by their Customariness therein. The former ex­perience of my self under the alone power of Education, and now under the power of Chri­stianity, gave me occasion to reprehend this Error, having then found my self more uneasy [Page 176] at the neglect of a set-time of Prayer than I am at this day, when a lawful occurrence falls in my way to hinder my performance of Prayer at my usual set-time, then I have found my self still under anxiety for the omission only; but blessed be the Lord, my experience is such, that a heavenly Frame (the continual desire of my Soul) is neither confin'd to set-words, nor set-times of Prayer, and follow'd with as evident returns when put forth in Ejaculation, as when in Solemn Prayer.

Thirdly, A laying too great a weight upon the performance of Prayer in form, or extem­porary, is an Error of Education; the frame and posture of the Soul in Prayer, is the touch­stone of its right performance, and therefore either of which the Christian finds most raising a spiritual frame, that I think safest for a Chri­stian to stick to.

For my own part, without regard to the opinion and way either of the Church of Eng­land, or Dissenter, but purely to personal expe­rience, founded I hope upon Scripture-Revela­tion, I must say, that when in Closet or Family-Prayer, my frame of mind has been rais'd to great spirituality and heavenliness, my words then have run from me with an amazing free­dom and current, and in a most affecting way to my self and others; from whence I must imagine, that the Soul confining himself to words in a form of Prayer, gives an occasional [Page 177] hindrance of this spiritual frame, by confinement to what is design'd to be utter'd, and so keeping off such Divine Influences, which we are uncapa­ble of bounding either in the frame of the Soul, or in the Christian's outward expression.

Again, There is a mighty difference between a Christian's seriousness, when nothing else is sensibly productive thereof, but the strength of the Creature's self, by the means either of think­ing upon God's All seeing Eye, upon the great­ness of the Majesty approach'd to, or by the means of drawing off the thoughts from di­stracting things: There is vast difference, I say, between this serious frame, and a spiritual hea­venly frame sensibly, suddenly, and powerfully influencing the Soul without any thing of Self, unless as in the use of Prayer, but sensibly rais'd from a higher hand, to thoughts and words far beyond the other. I bless the Lord without the latter I am never satisfi'd; and I know the first may be perform'd, and yet without sensible fel­lowship with God, but perhaps real fellowship with him by his strengthning influences, and no­thing more, fixes the thoughts from diversion, or discovers Self, and Christ's spiritual Influen­ces; and carries the Soul more out of Self, to cry and depend on Christ's Supplies, than such extemporary Prayer with observation. But if this Experience can be opposed by others, who, for any thing I know, may find less distraction, and greater heavenliness of frame in a form'd Prayer, whatever their opinion be, I shall never [Page 178] offer my Censure against the Circumstance of formed or extemporary Prayer, being only to be accused, when either it's perform'd, stuck to, and pleaded for, because of Education, and not by reason of the one or the other's being a better mean towards performing of Prayer in a more heavenly and spiritual manner; if our Concern run more upon the observation of the Soul's frame in the performance of Duties, than upon the various methods of their outward per­formance, the common distinction of opinions and quarrellings about needless Circumstances would soon be abandon'd. I dissent from all, tho' of my own opinion, who lay weight upon any Circumstance, but in so far as it contributes to greater spirituality in Prayer; and shall never censure those of another opinion, who stick fast to some Circumstances, and thereby differ from me, purely because such Circumstances are more serviceable to their Souls, in raising their frames to greater spirituality than when otherwise perform'd: But to be strict in their use, and to plead for them in conversation, purely because of being educated with them, without trying the contrary way, pleaded for, and experienc'd by others, seems to me the pro­duct of Self, rather than the Spirit of God.

Again, I am of the opinion, that Children educated with Forms of Prayer, are led to greater laziness in their more grown years, and often proves a mean of rendring them secure with­out fellowship with God in Duties: Not as if I [Page 179] confin'd God's spiritual Influences to an extem­porary Prayer, or that there were never a spi­ritual frame in praying with Form; but that the latter more consines the Soul with its thoughts in the Duty, and so fits the Soul far less to receive spiritual breathings, than an ex­temporary Prayer. And when a Soul in the use of Form in Prayer is raised by Christ's Spi­rit to a heavenly frame, I think I may say, that then the Soul goes beyond the path of Form it begun the Prayer in, and reaches further in ex­pression, than what his Soul design'd by his usual Form.

Fourthly, A laying too great a weight upon the Circumstance of Length in Prayer, is ano­ther Error of Education, especially amongst the Youth of Dissenters, who are as much pleas'd herewith, as those of the Church of England are with Form in Prayer. Length in Prayer I accuse not absolutely; for if the Soul be in a heavenly frame, and admitted to near approach to God in Prayer, its delight therein is such, that it is unwilling to, yea, can hardly give over; but when Length in Prayer proceeds from no other foundation than Education or Custom, it is a Circumstance no ways promoting the Soul's heavenliness in it, or God's acceptance of it. There are many, who from being train'd up in the way of extemporary Prayer, can with strength of memory, judgment, and readiness of expression, lengthen out Prayer to their own [Page 180] conceit and satisfaction, and with applause from others, and yet never know at the same time the meaning of access to God in Prayer; it is a Con­sideration that has often moved me to concern for some under good Education, and religious Character, but altogether unacquainted with inward Religion. The meaning of outward Worship to God, is to honour him on earth amongst our selves; and the service that is pro­portion'd to God, is spiritual in the Soul; ex­pression being no acceptable Sacrifice to him, un­less upon that account of spiritual Worship; it's that which assimilates a man most to God, and brings a man sooner to the knowledge and ad­miration of God, and to a meetness for that Heaven wherein in all his Childrens Servants shall be spiritual and heavenly. A Prayer spiritual­ly perform'd, seems to fly with wings by the gale of Christ's Spirit blowing upon the Soul, making it sail towards God with such words and thoughts as appear more the fruit of a Di­vine Spirit, than of great memory and judg­ment. Let us but make observation of one man's Prayer at one time and another, when the judgment [...] are left only at the helm, how [...] and faintly does his words drop, though never [...]o fine; but when God breathes suddenly and freely upon the Soul, his frame is visibly chang'd, is more affecting to the hearer, and is admitted to plead with God in greater familiarity, with greater power, and readier expression. It is experimentally known [Page 181] how much more pleasing and affecting a spiri­tual Prayer is, though perform'd by an illiterate hand, than the Prayer perform'd by the most ingenious but unspiritual. There needs no other way to converse with the experienced Christi­ans, but by bringing Experiences to their me­mories; but for others unacquainted with ex­perimental Christianity, I hope the use of the means treated of, will bring you to the same Ex­perience, and then your arguings upon Air will vanish, and they'll find the Christian Religion solid and true, and filled with all solid comfort and establishment to your Souls.

Abandon therefore Circumstantial Niceties as evidential of your right-perform'd Prayer, restrict your self to no place, in performing the Duty, or in debating concerning Prayer, but where you find most privacy, and greatest as­sistance towards a good frame of Soul; confine your self not to morning or evening Prayer only, but throughout the whole day, upon any occur­rency of affair, or company you are call'd to, di­strust your self, without begging God's con­duct therein; and if under constraint from Set-Prayer, endeavour after a good frame of mind in ejaculating a Petition to God, which will issue in as sweet and remarkable a return, by which means the frame of your mind is kept in a con­tinual seriousness to answer that Command of praying without ceasing, as was said before, and as a mean to repel forgetfulness of God. And [Page 182] to hinder the danger of running to an ex­treme in lawful diversion, which at this day is an occasion leading to much evil, even a­mongst real Christians, lengthen out your Prayer according to your Suits you find you stand in need of, or are sensible of at the time; and if you are heavenly, you will lengthen it out with pleasure; use form or extemporari­ness; not because you have been so educated, or because those of your Party do, and plead for it, but try both, and then use what you find most serviceable towards a good frame of Soul.

These Errors being remov'd, I come to give you my Experience of right perform'd Prayer; not by Philosophical Definition or Distinctions, there being sufficiency thereof by excellent hands already in Print, but by Enlargement, according to my method of experiencing the gradual steps of knowledge God was pleas'd to afford concerning Prayer in the performance and continuance of it. In general therefore, judge of your right performance in Prayer by the following marks, which were the two I was first of all made sensible of, tho' afterward others (of which you shall hear in the repetition of the same two, with the addition of others) occur'd: But I chose rather to keep them in the method of time as well as matter that they were experien­ced in; not so much for grown Christians who have experienced the same with my self, and [Page 183] therefore may be comfortably established there­by; but for the sake of the illiterate and meer Professors, though notionally learned, that they, and all unacquainted with Experience, may be led step by step to the right knowledge and per­formance thereof.

First, You may judge of your right per­formance of Prayer by the frame of your mind in it, if spiritual and heavenly, if your thoughts are carri'd upwards with sincerity and ferven­cy, the same time your words pass your lips; the power of Instruction, Custom or Applause having small room as Motives thereto; but the obedience of God's Command, the sense of your need of, and insufficiency to bring about what you ask. The sense of power in God, and of his willingness to bestow, if for your good, moving you to address him, after the ex­perience whereof, and strict continuance in the use of set and ejaculatory Prayer, with obser­vation of what occurs therein, you will find more knowledge and enjoyment creep upon you, than all the Divines on earth that ever I have met with has been able to express or im­part.

Secondly, You may judge of your right and acceptable performance, by returns to your Prayers. Such objections, that a return may come to a Prayer, and the Christian not know it to be the return; or that a return may be so long [Page 184] deferr'd, as when it comes in, the Prayer that Petition'd it being out of the Christians Thoughts, he is in danger of mistake, by ima­gining the Prayers not being spiritually per­form'd, not accepted of God, or return'd by him, when the Prayer has been perform'd a­right, God pleased with it, and yet answer'd: Such Objections shall fully be answer'd in fur­ther discoursing concerning Prayer: Only give me leave to say, that when a return comes to a Prayer, and the return not known to be such, it is certain argument to me, of laziness in that Christian, and that a general and exact obser­vation of the Enjoyments accompanying spi­ritual and continued Prayer, has not been the practice of that Soul, and that that Prayer has not at first been remarkt; God's ways between the Praying, and its return, not exactly observ'd, and reflected upon, and consequently the return given i [...], not compar'd, but unsuitably applied to notion and fancy; the neglect of the obser­vation of this, God's common method, extream­ly hinders the knowledge of a Prayer right per­form'd, and really return'd, and is the true and often [...]sion of false and erroneous Thoughts both of God and our selves:

Again, It has [...] been my own Experi­ence, [...] the return of a Prayer has been to [...] that at the time of the performance I have had an [...] p [...]werful sense of God's ac­ceptance thereof, [...] it was God's work, and not my own, from its sudden and powerful [Page 185] fixedness in my Soul; neither the work of Satan or inward Corruption, by reason of its effect in the Soul afterward abiding, even full pleasedness and quiet of Mind concerning the Event, tho' the return was deferred; neither any repine, but continued exercise of Resignation, Love to, and Reliance upon God, which clearly discovers the power of a Divine Spirit; these going along takes off the Thoughts of Prayers being un­spiritual, unacceptable, or not to be return'd, tho' the return be deferr'd.

There are many at this day under no other ad­vancement in Christianity than its meer Profes­sion, who are constant to their Duty of Prayer; but either reflect not, or in reflecting upon their Duty perform'd, never seriously question in them­selves, whither any other thing than there petition of words in such serious a manner as the strength of Education, and others discourse concerning God's greatness, had brought them to, was either necessary or actually in their Prayers, or ever examin'd after Prayer was over, whether it had return or not; How this way of living should train a Soul to the experience and knowledge of access to, and enjoyments with God in Prayer, I know not, speaking as to God's com­mon way of bestowing such comfortable pri­viledges purchased by Christ for us.

To instruct you therefore, (from the Expe­rience of God with my self) O prophane and meer professing Christians, I would with much sincerity and love [...] [...]ur selves, beg your steps in the following [...].

[Page 186]When you are designing any matter, or en­deavouring the interest of this or the other mean, to bring forth your purposed end, re­solve to address the Lord by Prayer for his guidance of you to the use of right means, and his blessing the means to bring about your de­sign, unless inconsistent with his Honour and your Interest; And if you are hinder'd from solemn Address, make use of your Thoughts, and dart them up to him with the same Petitions: Mind not only the words in your solemn Prayer, and your thoughts in Ejaculation, but consider the frame of your Mind in both, whether se­rious or not; if as serious, as when speaking to this or the other help to carry on your design, (at your first enterance I suppose not your ac­quaintance with spirituality of frame) and if your frame be thus serious, mind the issue of your affair; if it be according to your Desire and Prayer, impute not your success altoge­ther to your outward help of this mean, and the other, but let Heaven's Blessing, accom­panying your diligent use of means, have room in your Thoughts, if not as chief, yet as ne­cessary; and therefore you will improve this passage thus observ'd, with a resolution to ad­dress God more seriously than ever, in your next undertaking; and accordingly perform your serious Prayer to him for his Divine As­sistance, which meeting with a sensible return, you will improve with a more fixedness in your resolution to Petition him in all your after-concerns, [Page 187] and with giving of him now the place of principal Agent with your means, which will lay a foundation, not only for a resoluti­on and performance of Prayer, and that seri­ously to God in all Occurrences, but make a fair step towards the founding a Faith of Reli­ance upon God; yea, an endeavour of plea­sing God, to interest your selves in his favour, and a perusal of the Scriptures, to know the Will of God, and the way of doing it; and go­ing on in this way of Prayer and Observation, with such suitable improvement, you know not, neither is it in the power of the greatest exer­cise of a rational Soul, to foresee or imagin afore­hand, what great and mysterious things may be laid before you to observe; to wit, of a Christian's advancement from the first step of Seriousness, to a Reliance upon God as the alone power to be trusted to, with such means he allows of, and has witnessed his pleasure in, by working with them for the bringing about such Events as are sought from natural strength by others, but by them in Petitioning the Agency of his Power: I don't mean by repeating of Words, by way of Form and Rule given you in your Education, but thorough a sense of the great advantage of his favour, and a sincere desire to obtain it; a carrying out of your desire with thoughts and words suitable to the present height of your longings, which lays you in the way of meet­ing with the breathings of Christ's Spirit [Page 188] to help your infirmities, and to raise your frame to such a posture of heavenliness as you never knew before, unless by the hearing of the ear, and will soon unfold what a dark state you have been in; that all the seriousness you had in Prayer, was no other than the strength of edu­cation, and that there is something else in the Christian Religion you have never yet been sen­ble of, more suitable to the feeling of the Soul, than to the utterance of the greatest Orator on earth. The Spirit of God has express'd in the Scriptures these Mysteries in a stile suited to our understanding; but when the same Spirit bears them home to the sensible feeling of a Christian, what addition is given to the Chri­stian's understanding of them, and true Faith in them! I go not therefore about to express these experienced Mysteries in a better stile for your understanding, but to put you in a way of obtaining their experience upon your Souls, by the working of a Divine Spirit in the use of common means. You lose your labour in en­deavouring to understand them in their saving efficacy by your natural reason, without the help of a Divine Spirit, and his internal Reve­lation. What can better unfold or express the breathings of Christ's Spirit upon a Soul in its holy frame and performance of any Religious Duty, than its resemblance to the blowing of the wind upon our Bodies, which, though sen­sibly felt, yet is mysterious as to the parts of the Heavens from whence it blows, or the way of [Page 189] its blowing upon us. In like manner, though the Spirit of God, breathing upon a Soul in praying to God, comes often suddenly like a gale of wind, refreshing the Soul's dead frame with a ravishing heavenly life and power; thoughts, desires, and all the affections being then carri'd heavenward, like a Ship towards its Harbour, with sweet delight therein, and an actual undervaluing of the richest treasures and pleasures on earth, in the balance with this com­fortable sweetness for the time enjoy'd, the con­tinuance whereof would afford the Soul a Hea­ven on earth; yet the Spirit of God, in the ex­cellency of his Divine Nature, and in his me­thod of thus changing the frame of the Soul, is incomprehensible by the reach of human rea­son; and to the experienc'd Soul there is but a discovery of him in his blessed effects and ope­rations, and a sight of him through a Glass darkly, till that blessed change pass upon them, and they obtain a perfect meetness to see and to understand him as he is.

No wonder therefore the prophane, or meer professing Christian, attempting to compre­hend God's Word as to the work of the Spirit of God in planting Grace, or watering it with constant influences to keep it in exercise, find themselves at a loss how to understand it; and therefore never feeling its effects upon their Souls, either look upon it as Chimaera, and the Being of the Spirit of God, or his blessed ope­rations [Page 190] of converting and spiritualizing a Soul, to be only Notions of a melancholy Brain. How many are there at this day who mock at the Spirit of God, and the Divinity of our Blessed Redeemer, and ridicule expressions of fellow­ship with him as canting discourse; for they never receiv'd the precious benefits which the Son of God purchas'd, and the Spirit applies to the Souls of unfeigned Believers. Is it pos­sible that one in a violent hot Countrey unac­quainted with the blowing of Wind? Is it pos­sible that one that never tasted Honey? Is it possible, I say, that the first and latter, from the description either of the blowing of the Wind, or of the nature of Honey, in the most perspi­cuous words, can so well understand, or so firmly believe the blowing and refreshing effects of the Wind, or the nature and the sweetness of the Honey, as those who have enjoy'd of the first, and tasted of the latter? This is a true resemblance of their condition, who are void of the real inward knowledge of Religion; and their slighting and disbelief of the spiri­tual efficacy of the Ordinances, cannot weaken the Faith of Believers, who have experienced the reality thereof upon their Souls; but give them greater establishment, and afford them matter of repeated exercise of love to him, who past by some, and calls others, and advances them to a further reliance upon him, in the due use of means, for the obtaining a richer abundance of the communications of the Holy [Page 191] Spirit. When the Errors of the prophane and meerly professing Christians endanger the stag­gering of any real and true Christian, it is often my fear least that Christian has been too careless of his Duties, and has not improved the pure motions and assistance of the Spirit within, and the advantage of the external means of Grace; for else he would be above the im­pression of the objections of carnal persons against his own feeling. Is it possible that force of the most powerful Argument of the greatest Rationalist, covered with the finest dress of words against the sweetness of Honey, can shake the Faith of any one that has tasted thereof? perhaps he cannot discover the So­phistry of the Allegation, but he knows it's false; like the poor Woman, when oppos'd by the enemies of Truth, her Faith was firm in her Saviour, and she answered all Arguments with these words, I cannot dispute for Christ, but I can die for him. A sincere Christian can say, I cannot perhaps demonstrate with ra­tional arguing, the Being of the Spirit of God, and his effects of renewing the Soul, conform­ing it to Christ's Image, and spiritualizing its frame in Duties, but I am well assured of it against all the Infidels on earth. Let what I have said move thee, O prophane and meer professing Christian, to the use of observation and right performance of Prayer, as helps by which you may experience the reality of in­ward Christian Religion; yea, let it move you, [Page 192] O lazy Christian, who know not so much of God in the Soul, and of inward Religion, as is attainable by you, be more serious and constant in converse with God, in the use of his means, that you may enjoy what others have been ac­quainted with: The wise and serious observer of Gods dealings with his Soul, who frequently reflects upon them, will better understand the harmonious agreement between the revelation of God in the Scripture, the workings of the Ho­ly Spirit, and the divine disposals of things in this low life, than another sincere Christian who does not acquaint himself so intimately with God, by a constant application of himself to him in all the ways wherein he draws near to us. It is the hand of the diligent, in the use of means, that makes rich; so is it the mind of the diligent Christian, in the use of means, that is fill'd with knowledge. God's private Coun­cils are not to be div'd into, but what is sui­table to his Word is to be sought after, and may be found out. It's the trial of his Word that brings Experience, and Experience brings hope; and it is the not trying the Truths of God, that makes so many doubtings and sha­kings in a Christian's Faith, and so much of unsetled hope of their inheritance above.

I return from the lazy Christian again, to the meer Professor and Prophane, and beg you'd be entreated to join the easy and advan­tageous Duty of Prayer to all your endeavours, [Page 193] not contenting your selves with the cold forms of words, but mixing holy affections, which are the life of Prayer, and observing the gra­cious return of Prayer, when perform'd by the assistance of the Spirit of Grace. This is a Pri­viledge provided for you, and to be obtain'd by you in the use, and continued use of right means; the reason you miss the Divine Boun­ty is, because you don't present your self in God's way. If a Beggar expects the Alms of a Prince, he will endeavour to be in the same street he passes thorough, and as near him as ever is possible; he will neither go to a con­trary street, nor to the opposite side of the same street; neither will he plead his Poverty alone, but express all his Wants one after another, as so many Motives to move charitable Compas­sion. All Beggars keep not to the same form of words, but open their Cries differently, according to the different Sore, Lameness, Blind­ness, or the like, wherewithal they are afflict­ed sensibly with. Prayer is God's way where­in a poor Creature may draw near to him without hindrance of this or the other diver­sion between his Soul and his King; and when a Christian is once sensible of his Wants, and of the All-sufficiency and Condescention that is in God, it is not Form or fine words, but fervent serious pouring out the desires, that moves the compassionate Father in Christ. A Closet-Prayer is oftentimes the opportunity of receiving great mercies from God, and is many [Page 194] times the setling of a disquieted mind, and the change of a carnal earthly frame, to a spiritual heavenly one. It allays our Sorrows, and gives peace under sharp Afflictions. This Duty spi­ritually and constantly perform'd, will make you happy by Experience, and to resolve with the Psalmist, It's good for me to draw near to God.

But to discourse more particularly concern­ing Prayer spiritually perform'd, be pleas'd to re­member the many Experiences in the forepart of this Discourse, concerning spirituality in Prayer, as evidential of its right performance; yea, God's acceptance thereof, and of God's returning what was askt therein. I hope with an humble rejoicing I may say, that since ever I begun to experience a real heavenly frame in Prayer, when my Soul therein has been carri'd forth to God with high spirituality concerning any one particular Event, with full quiet of mind, and sensible exercise of resignation at the time con­cerning it, a return to that Address has never as yet failed me; and that when my desire has been in exercise towards any one thing that God would not bestow, I found my self by the strictest observation under a constraint from this spiritual frame; yea, sometimes from words to utter any Petition: or when words have been utter'd, it has been in the same man­ner as when I was altogether unacquainted with inward Religion.

These and other Experiences are built upon no slenderer a foundation than God's own [Page 195] Word in Psal. 10.17. according to the expres­sion of the Psalmist, Thou wilt prepare their heart, to wit, the hearts of the humble, and of God's own Children, and thou wilt cause thine ear to hear.

Is there any thing more plain or more fully experienc'd by observing Christians, than that when God enclines his Ear to hear a Petition from a Child of his own, that he prepares his heart aforehand to ask it. He prepares the heart to ask by the influence of his Divine Spirit, one part of whose work is said to be to help our infirmities, and that infirmity of our not knowing what or how to ask, by making intercession with us in Prayer for what God is to return, as well as exciting us to ask what we should not have otherways done, though really standing in need thereof. As the spirit of a man knows the things of a man, so the Spirit of God knows the mind of God; and is it to be imagin'd that this Spirit knowing the mind of God concerning what he will re­turn, will raise a Christian's Soul to a hea­venliness of frame, and thereby prepare his heart to ask of God for an Event, when he knows God will not return it? A spiri­tual heavenly frame is not the fruit of Self-power, otherwise a Christian would be capa­ble of getting and retaining it when and as long as he pleas'd, which from its sweetness in enjoyment would be desir'd for ever; but it is the certain operation of the Divine Spirit in­fluencing [Page 196] a Christian's Soul commonly in the use of means, and extraordinarily without means, for the end of letting the Soul experi­ence the sweetness of nearness of fellowship with, and access to God in Prayer, as a foretaste and earnest of more intimate and lasting com­munion with him in Heaven; and for the end of helping him to pray in such a manner as may be acceptable to God, and return'd by him. It is as, yea more, insupposable that the Spirit of God would help the Soul to plead with God for a thing contrary to his secret Will, (not a Secret to him) as to help him to ask any thing contrary to his revealed Word and Will, where his assistance is given to ask, it is assuredly for the obtaining of what he knows God will be­stow; however the return be deferred, and and Christians lose its sight by the intermission of observing of passages between the addressing God, and God's giving in a return thereto.

Preparation to ask of God in Prayer, obtain'd through the sensible comforting Influences of his Divine Spirit, and preparations to petition the Lord, obtain'd without any other sensible help than outward endeavour in the use of means, are easily distinguished in their present sense, and after-effects; the one is sensibly the intercession of a Divine Spirit, with the blessed effect of inward delight, resignation of mind, and return to the Prayer; the other has no­thing else apparent besides the Creature's own strength, without that inward comfort or re­turn [Page 197] following it, but the latter is often the means of obtaining the first. I have often found, and to be sure other observing Christians the same, that when I have design'd and desir'd to lay a Petition before God in as serious a manner as possibly I could, my preparatory means has been to bring my Mind in compo­sure, and my Body in gravity of gesture; to read a Scripture again and again, to fix my Thoughts with seriousness, and to meditate up­on the All-seeing Eye of God, to whom I was to address, on purpose to over-awe me from levity of mind in my Prayer: But when I have been actually ingag'd in the Prayer thus prepared for, the desir'd and design'd petition has never been mention'd; either my Thoughts have been carry'd upon somewhat else unde­sign'd, which I have with earnest affections and submission prayed for, and has sensibly had it afterward return'd; or if the desir'd and design'd petition has been exprest, it has been in such a manner, tho' sincere and unfeign'd; yet sen­sibly a Prayer perform'd with Self preparation, and greatly wanting heavenly supplies to enliven and spiritualize it; and as spiritual and heavenly strength preparing to ask was with-held, so was the return: Yea, besides the experience of cor­respondency, of heavenliness of frame in Prayer, the true comforting preparation of Christ's Spirit to that Prayer's return, I hope I may sincerely witness that in the enjoyment of such a heavenly frame in Prayer, words of Praise [Page 198] concerning the thing I design'd to petition for, without the least fore-knowledge of the mercy obtain'd, has been given in. Who observes not these things at the time, and lays them not up in their Diary till the Explicatory passage appear, such lose the comfort of such enjoyments; the Knowledge of God's deep ways, and their Ca­pacity of witnessing for him as others.

Some real sincere Christians may here per­haps advise, and wisely too, to have a care lest by God's changing this method, observ'd as certain, the ill consequence of darkness and Faith's staggering occur not, leading to mis­doubt both former experiences, and the new methods of experience God gives in.

To which, I say, that any mistake concerning the Spirit of Christ interceding for any one thing in Prayer, and the return thereof as certain, is not because that ever it otherways has been, or shall fall out; God's word being true, and the certain Foundation of this experience, but by reason of some failure on the Christian's part thorough laziness in observation.

Again; This Objection is evidence to me, that thou, O Christian, art not in the way of Observation, otherwise thou wouldest have known from experience God's infinite conde­scention to be such as to suit his Dispensations according to the State of the Soul in its Con­version, and in its progress in Christianity. To a new Convert the experiences of God are so marvellous and plain, either in their Nature, or by [Page 199] God's continuing to repeat them, till the Chri­stian understands them plainly. If he apprehend not one, he may others; if he cannot see some­what of a Divine Power in a common serious frame brought forth by the Soul's own strength, and sincere endeavour; yet he may in a rais'd, ravishing, heavenly, delightful frame, coming suddenly, and that again and again, with re­turns to the latter, and not to the first; that the one may be the more distinguisht from the other, and the ardently sought after. The Leper weak in Faith had his Prayer immedi­ately return'd; but the Woman in Canaan great in Faith had the return of her petition deferred, with the intermixture of many trying passa­ges. Thus by Observation of God's ways with my self, I have found that my Prayers sin­cerely perform'd, when first sensible of an in­ward change, were immediately return'd; that I had not time to lose sight of God and his condescending love in them: But so soon as the Faith of the certainty of access to God in Prayer, was established in me, and Faith of re­liance upon him was stronger, then his returns of such Prayers were greatly defer'd: And as a condescending help to prevent desponding anxiety, quiet of mind concerning the return to be defer'd, always accompanied my sup­plication, and the Lord left me not to the Do­minion of corrupt nature, or of Satan's sugge­stion: Or if either had assaulted me, the Di­vine strength raising me to an actual resigna­tion to his Will at the time, fortified me against them.

[Page 200]Again; An Observing Christian sees so much of the depth of Wisdom in God's ways con­cerning them, that it must be strange if he presum'd to confine God to one method, when the variousness, yea the contrariness of me­thods to bring about the same end, is one great evidence of the Excellency of his Wisdom. An observing Believer knows, that God tries the strength of Christians various ways in order to their Establishment: Not because he is igno­rant of the exact measure of their growth in Christianity, but from love to them, that by their faithful continuance in Prayer deferr'd as to its return, the Graces of the Spirit may be excited, and exercised, both to the honour of God, and their inward Comfort: For what can be more reviving than to find corruptions weaken'd, and grace strengthened, which is the sweet issue of many grievous afflictions, that are not removed upon our renewed Peti­tions, till we are purified by them.

Hereafter may some say, Since spirituality in Prayer is the Spirit of God's gift, and it un­expectedly comes, we may lay by Prayer with our own Endeavours, and wait as the Quakers say, till the Spirit move, and then to Pray. To this I say, Spirituality in Prayer is the alone Gift of Christ's Spirit, and it comes when he pleases; but by sincere Prayer, we obtain this blessed Gift: It is not the usual way of God to bestow it in more excellent degrees, with­out our sincere asking it in the humble sense of [Page 201] our need of it. The Quakers acknowledge, as from converse with some of them I have heard, they have an innate Spirit, by which they are acted, and according to its inward striving, so they move in Duties. I know in us all there is that innate Principle of Corruption, which reigning, makes our faculties of Soul and mem­bers of Body move as it listeth to evil; but a principle of Grace that inspires us with new life in our Duties, comes from Heaven, and is obtain'd in the use of his Ordinances. This does not in the least obscure the Glory of God's Free-Grace; for his Spirit excites us to Duties, and supplies us with strength to perform them; but it directs us to seek God in the ways ap­pointed, that we may find him.

That therefore Christians may rightly judge of this heavenly frame, and intercession of the Divine Spirit preparing them to ask from God what he is to return, (Errors herein proceeding either from mistaking the work of Christ's Spi­rit helping them to ask, or from applying the return to what they ought not,) I shall give the following marks accompanying such a Prayer, and that observ'd from my own per­sonal Experience.

First, A heighth of spiritual Thoughts and Affections throughout in Prayer, or in one particular Petition thereof, far beyond common seriousness, which tho' by words it be almost inexplicable, so as to make the unexperiencing [Page 202] Christian comprehend it, yet it is easily per­ceiv'd by the experiencing Christian. In this rais'd frame of the Soul, either in solemn or ejaculatory Prayer, there is such heavenliness of Thought, as if the Soul were already in Heaven's Enjoyment: And for the comfort of young Observers, I must acknowledge, that my spirituality of frame in Prayer, the real pre­paration of Christ's Spirit to ask, and certain­ly evidential of God's return, was at first ob­serv'd to be much less in degree, tho' the same in nature, than now it is; one degree of expe­rimental Knowledge, preparing for farther de­grees. This brings to my Thoughts the gra­dual rise of Christians meetness for Heaven, by Christ's Spirit in his common way of working by the use of means, of which observing Chri­stians are sweetly sensible.

Secondly, Another mark of Christ's Spirit's intercession in Prayer, as token of God's ac­ceptance thereof, and his return thereto, is, when with an Address so spiritually perform'd, goes along a comfortable quiet of mind con­cerning the Event, tho' the praying-Believer be encompast with Afflictions. A calm com­posure of mind in our trust upon the gracious Will and Wisdom of God to dispose of all things concerning us, is our Duty, but 'tis the Gift and Work of the Holy Spirit, who is stiled the Comforter. We must observe in the Word of God, what he Commands us to do, he pro­mises [Page 203] to enable us to do: He Commands us, That Sin should not reign in our mortal bodies; and he has Promised, That Sin shall not have dominion over us: In like manner, God Com­mands us, To be careful for nothing, but by sup­plication to lay our requests before God: And cer­tainly freedom from anxiety and disquiet, and a full possession of the Soul in Patience, con­cerning any thing, in commending our Affairs to God by Prayer, is the product of the Di­vine Spirit, and not from the natural temper and stayedness of the Mind: And where the Christian actually experiences it in Prayer, he may safely conclude himself influenc'd by a Divine Spirit, not only in raising his frame to ask, but leaving it at God's footstool as to the Event, and that as presaging of God's return­ing favour, and introductive of his blessing. The Promise of God is the foundation of this Trust; Psal. 37.5. Commit thy way unto the Lord, and he shall bring it to pass: The habit of Resignation may be in the Soul, but 'tis drawn forth into exercise by the renewed in­fluences of the Spirit.

Thirdly, You may judge of the intercession of Christ's Spirit in your Souls, in addres­sing God by Prayer, by the passages of Provi­dence that bring about the return of this Prayer. In the Observation whereof, the spe­ciality of a Divine Hand in the Providences bringing the return about, is as discoverable, [Page 204] as immediateness of a Divine Spirit influencing the Soul to ask with calm and resign'd sub­mission, as to the Event. The observing Christians do often see these two joyned toge­ther, and each illustrating one another, where others do not, or hardly are at the pains to observe the one or the other; And what the Psalmist in the first ver. of the 116th Psal. in the fifth ver. of the 118th Psalm, and in the 121st Psalm, finds that Prayers return observ'd, and the passages of Providence discovering or bringing it about, is powerful in bringing his Soul to the actual exercise of love to Reliance upon Admiration and Praise of God: I love the Lord because he has heard my supplication; I called to the Lord and he heard me, therefore shall I see my desire; and he is now my strength and my song; I will praise thee, for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation: The unobserving Christian therefore of Prayer's re­turn, and of the method bringing it about, loses thereby the actual excitement of the ex­cellent Graces, and so miss of much comfort and light that others enjoy.

Fourthly, You may judge of the interces­sion of Christ's Spirit in your Prayer, by the never-failing correspondency between a Prayer perform'd as is exprest, and a return thereto: This is according to God's own Word, and the Experience of diligent, true, observing Chri­stians; And if it were not so, I doubt not but [Page 205] amongst thousands of Experiences training me to the knowledge thereof, and establishment therein, I should have met with one contradict­ing it. I know I have met with many passages upon my advancement in the knowledge of God's ways, that at first view seem'd greatly op­posing of this; and if a strict observation had been intermitted, the shaking of my Faith, or mistake therein, had been the consequence; but keeping strict to observation of Providences pre­sent, and reflection upon past ones, with patient waiting the full sight of the return to Prayer appear'd, with that improvement of being more serious and considerate in the observation, and comparing God's ways of Providence, and in­ward workings of his Spirit, according to his re­vealed Will. I would subjoin to these few marks of Prayer with the intercession of Christ's Spi­rit, some things you are to beware of, as occa­sions of mistaking this Prayer, and deluding you with a false resemblance of it; and something I would advise your observation of, that may be a means to lead you into the performance of Prayer aright, and thereby an opportunity of obtaining Christ's Spiritual influences therein.

I begin with the latter; First, Be advised to enter upon private Prayer without any dis­composure of Spirit from the things Temporal that pleasantly affect us: The thoughts of them will be ready to rush themselves upon your remembrance: I could easily set down [Page 206] the many Prayers I have had spoil'd by such things rushing upon my thoughts at the time; but circumstances will not permit.

Secondly, Without any vexation upon your Spirit, unless you use Prayer in such a circum­stance, as a help to quiet your mind, and to suppress the further rise of corrupt motions; for which end I dare recommend private Prayer as a healing means.

Thirdly, Have your thoughts as free of worldly Persons and Things as possibly you can; otherways passing immediately from Conver­sation with the world, you will be apt to cast a lingring look back upon the world, and to have thoughts stealing into you, which will hin­der the Spirit's assistance to pray, in the man­ner before charecteriz'd.

Fourthly, Do not cursorily perform the Du­ty of Prayer to satisfie your mind that you have discharg'd the Duty, and till night you are not to return to it; but consider, that Prayer is not only a Duty, but a heavenly Priviledge, wherein we may with a filial freedom address our selves to the Lord Almighty as our Father, who from the infinite treasures of his love will supply all our wants, and satisfie all our regular desires: Therefore let us be li­beral in the time for that Duty. By con­tinuance in Prayer, our Hearts are more fully possest with God; and by wrestling with [Page 207] him, we get a holy heat of Affection, tho' in our entrance into the Duty we were but cold­ly affected.

These are some of the hindrances which a Christian is to watch against; and there are many other which the observing Christian will discover, and endeavour to prevent.

Concerning the other, to wit, the occa­sions of mistaking the natural workings of the Affections, for the Spirit's work in Prayer, I shall first in general say, That the not con­sidering the state of the Soul, first designing to Pray, in Praying, and after Prayer, leads in­to many mistakes: According to the inward and habitual frame of the Soul, such is the exercise of the Affections in that Duty, and usually such are the influences of the Holy Spirit.

Secondly, The judging that common seri­ousness in Christian Duties, is all the spiritua­lity that is necessary or attainable, may be an occasion of mistake: For this will make them content, without seeking for supernatural influences, and without the perception of them. Close walking with God in the often use of Prayer, is the best help to train this Soul in the further knowledge of the Breathings of Christ's Spirit.

[Page 208]Thirdly, A more than ordinary seriousness, from the ardent desire of obtaining the thing petition'd for, may impose upon some with its resemblance to spirituality; as also a Christian's indifferency in obtaining a thing pray'd for, may impose a resemblance to the Souls of straitning in Prayer thorough Christ's with­drawings.

Fourthly, The rational hope of obtaining our Petitions, or the rational improbability of obtaining, may sometimes impose a resemblance of spirituality and constraint in Prayer.

An Experience whereof I have had concern­ing Friends dangerously Ill, who in my thoughts, and in the judgment of their Physitians, have been Dying, from which seeming certainty of their Dying, I have had an unwillingness, as being altogether needless to pray for them.

I remember of a Child, who was dange­rously Ill, without sensible pulse, cold as clay, and in the opinion of all, Dying or Dead; which rational conjecture so imprest me, as to restrain me from Prayer concerning it: But next morning in my Closet Prayers, not de­signing a Petition for the Child, supposing it then assuredly Dead, a sudden seriousness and spirituality seized me, carrying me forth in Prayer for this Child, which at first astonish'd my Thoughts, till sending to know if alive, I heard of its life and great amendment.

[Page 209]To the praise of the infinite condescention of God, I shall mention two directions as pre­ventive of Error and Mistakes in the obser­vation of Prayer, and the enjoyments accom­panying it, and that as an encouragement to weak Christians, to use these means without fear, or doubting of God's wise and loving con­duct of them, to preserve them from Error, unless God's permission thereof be for the Chri­stian's good, taking that way to establish Grace stronger in the Soul.

First, His impressing me at the time with the true state of the matter, that never to my re­membrance was I under false resemblances of spirituality or constraint in Prayer, but at the time I had some discovery of it.

Secondly, Such dangers never occur'd to my Experience, till God had establish'd my right knowledge both of spirituality and con­straint in Prayer; and that by Experiences in abundance, a part of which is laid down in the Historical part of this Discourse: I say this, as a witness for God's Condescension and Wisdom in training the sincere diligent Christian groan­ing after the true knowledge of God's ways in the right use of means; yet I say it not to en­courage laziness, either in the beginning or more grown Christian, but excite them to more serious and strict observation of their Souls, that they may not be deceived.

[Page 210]I find it more common with private Chri­stians than formerly, to observe enlargement in Prayer, and constraint therein, as forerunners of their injoying or not injoying what is Peti­tion'd from God; but in Conversation, I find their observation as too narrow and confined, looking upon that that may be a Christian's common Food in the close continuance in the means of Grace, as an extraordinary Feast, and minding it mostly concerning the recovery, or the dying of Friends, and not extending it to all things, hoping the life, or fearing the death of one, from a Minister's pouring forth his Soul, or from a private Christian's fervent address to God, or the constraint of both: It makes me remember how extraordinarily a­mazing and delightful such Experiences were, when at first observ'd by me in the more tender days of my Knowledge in Experimental Christi­anity; and makes me greatly afraid, that however notional Knowledge abound amongst Ministers and People that have liv'd so many years un­der Gospel Instruction; yet Heart-Service to God in the performance of Duties, or at least strict continuance therein, especially this de­lightful Duty of private Prayer, is not so com­mon, and so the Enjoyments that follow, are less and seldomer experienc'd: But to this real and comfortable Experience of Enlargement in Prayer, concerning the recovery of Friends, that is more observ'd by Christians, let me give you two cautionary Instructions from my [Page 211] own Experience therein, and of which some observing Christians are not at the pains to remark, concerning this Enlargement in Prayer.

First of all, Not peremptorily to hope the reco­very of a Friend from once observing your selves, or others, carried out in a heavenly manner, in Prayer concerning them; and tho' answerable to this once observ'd spirituality, appear some real amendment at the time; yet often with­out the continuance of Prayer, thus spiri­tual, their amendment falls off, and suit­able to their omission of further Praying thus, their Friend Dies, unless God act in a stream of more than ordinarily condescention to weak Christians. I know not but the Reliance upon the Evidence of one Prayer spiritually put up for a Person's Recovery, may occasion carelesness in the Duty afterward, and so hin­der the obtaining the blessing that was thought to be coming to us. I remember a Holy Christian, who was in great Thoughtfulness concerning the Recovery of his Wife, for whom he had so near access to God in Prayer, that he had great hopes of her life; but she dying, gave him some more concern of Thought, that he should hope on so good ground, and yet be mistaken; whereas his near access to God in Prayer was but once experienc'd, his Eye was upon the frame of his Soul in Prayer, and not upon the Words utter'd, while under this Divine Influence: His omission of conti­nuing thus to Pray, hindered him from clearer [Page 212] discovery of God's Ways: His missing the ob­servation of his Words, rendered him incapa­ble of applying the return to what God helped him to Ask; to wit, God's love to her Soul greatly manifested in her passage hence. At this very time I can instance in a Child for whom I found great spirituality in Prayer, but without the least appearance of amend­ment for a fourth night's time, which seem'd to oppose all former Experience, and might have occasion'd great mistake if I had not re­corded my words, as well as frame in Prayer spiritually perform'd, which were centered in one Petition, without the least deviating from it throughout the whole fourth night, That the Lord would spare his life, and that his life might be precious in his sight, without the least inter-mixture of desire or word in Prayer for Health or Recovery. When a Prayer spiritually put up, is remarkt as such, and corresponded with a return of amendment, but followed with after-laziness and forbearance of the same diligence, no wonder the return stopt, and a contrary effect to what was desir'd, or immi­nent appear; If therefore your heavenly frame in petitioning Health or the like, be once observ'd and continued in, I never knew such petitions return to fail; but if this frame be obtain'd but once, and afterward it go off, you'll undoubtedly find amendment answerable to the time of having strength spiritually to petition it; but such a frame going off, either [Page 213] thorough the intermission of your own en­deavour after, or God's with-holding it, no­thing else but disappointment to your expe­ctation and desire, and justly to your depen­dance upon once experiencing the frame, falls out: It is laziness in the right performance of means, and not continuing therein, that keeps off the many experiences of inward Religion, or occasions the mistakes that abounds concerning the great things of inward Religion; however some satisfie themselves with the ill usage of that Proposition, God's ways are in the depth. It is from multitudes of instances experi­enc'd, that if the Soul be carried forth in Prayer for any Friend ill, that suitable thereto there is many times visible hopes; but if this frame is not continu'd in, the Friend does decline and die. I know that once feeling this hopeful frame has made some Christians lazy and secure, and not by serious Address afterward, lay themselves in God's way to obtain the conti­nuance of this frame, and so their Health and Life has gone: To conclude thence, That re­turn is not always suited to spirituality of frame, is mistake and erroneous, and evidence of your lazy unexactness in observation of God with the Soul: Right observation hereof would dis­cover condescending Mercy in God, on purpose to keep the Christian continually holding on that Duty of Prayer till the final determina­tion, issu'd, which meets commonly with great reward, tho' the continuance and spiri­tuality [Page 214] of Prayer continued in, be his own work in the Soul.

A second Cautionary Instruction, is, Not to be peremptory in judging the spirituality of ano­ther man's Frame, or an Event answerable thereto; but to be strict and diligent in judg­ing your own Frame, and Events consequential to it.

I would advise great carefulness in judging another man's spirituality in Prayer, as presa­ging of certain return answerable to the spiri­tuality supposed in his Frame.

1. First, Because of the difficulty of judg­ing another man's heart in Prayer: It re­quires exactness of Observation to raise a Chri­stian to the capacity of knowing his own Frame when spiritual, or to raise him to an establish­ment in the reality of Correspondency between his Prayer's spirituality, and its certain return; but how can we be sure of another man's hea­venliness? I have known many under no other knowledge of Christianity than what is No­tional, acquainted with no other power in per­forming Duties, than that of Education, and Self-strength, and yet pray with that sense, di­stinctness, and outwardly appearing heavenli­ness, that the Hearers have been affected with a good hope of the person, and a delightful thought of their spiritual seriousness in Prayer; yea, the strength of natural parts in the exer­cise [Page 215] of Prayer, may heat the affections, and may persuade a person and others that he prays in the Holy Ghost. If therefore you may hear a Prayer from a meer Professor, so near resem­bling a Christian's Prayer, influenced by Christ's Spirit, then to be sure a real Christian seriously performing a Prayer with a natural affecting way of expression, may make a near resem­blance to a heavenly Frame, like unto that sen­sible preparation given in by a Divine Spirit to ask what God is to return. Now to judge ei­ther of these Prayers seemingly put up in spiri­tuality as really spiritual, and to expect from thence the health and life of your Friend, upon that sure foundation of God's Word, telling us that he prepares the Christian to ask when he is to encline his ear, and yet the person does not re­cover, may greatly tend to make them mistake, when they judge it from the ignorance of their minds, and the delusion of Satan, a failure in God's truth, rather than a failure in themselves, in judg­ing that Prayer spiritual, and presaging a gracious return, which really bore no evidence of either. But if you observe the Prayer of a Minister, or other Christian in publick, put up spiritually, and judge it as God's Token given you for good; You that are concern'd, and really ac­quainted with experimental Christianity, do not only find a sense and impression at the time of this Prayer, as its being God's evidence of good, but retiring your selves to your private Prayer, you'll find the same Frame upon your [Page 216] own Soul, as evidence both of God's returning it, and of the other's performing it spiritually; and that your judgement therefore was right, when a return is in God's design; though his Spirit be one, yet he influences many at the same time to ask the same thing of God. Thus there are more Witnesses to his mercy, and its greatness appears the more, and he is the more honoured thereby.

Both Cautions I'll endeavour to explain by a late Instance of my own Experience amongst many I could produce, which for Brevity I must omit, that thereby you may know how many times a Christian is help'd by a Divine Spirit to ask of God for a Friend's Recovery, and yet unless continued thorough the whole Illness, the Recovery has not issu'd; thereby you may also know the right judging of another's spiritual frame in prayer. The Instance is concerning a Friend of my own, for whom the Lord was in a solemn manner addrest to by some Ministers, who set apart some time for this very purpose; they seemingly were wonderfully carri'd out in Prayer, answerable to which there was a pre­sent Relief appear'd, but went off soon after, and continued not. Throughout the course of their Illness, I found in my self in Prayer a per­fect driness as to the frame of my mind, and words in Prayer for them, which made me con­tinually express my self with fear of their death, excepting one Prayer in an evening in [Page 217] my Closet, which upon discourse with other Friends. I found to be the very exact time of others being united to pray, and the time of there being some hopes; of which joint and so­lemn Prayer I knew nothing at the time of my own observation which I had set down in my Diary, till afterward in discourse with Friends; and I had set it down with special Remark; but excepting that one Prayer, I found them lost in all my other Petitions, and proclaim'd my fears, when their Physicians had great hopes, and their symptoms had some abatement, with the wondring of Friends what could be my rea­son moving me to think this.

If any should ask me, after what has been said concerning Spirituality in Prayer, and its answerableness to return, Whether Returns from God are only to such Petitions breath'd upon sensibly by Christ's Spirit, and raising them to greater heavenliness of thought and word, than commonly; or if extended to Prayers perform'd with no other sensible seriousness than the sin­cere endeavour of a Christian's self?

Before the Answer, I shall first lay down the difference between strengthning and comfort­ing Influences of Christ's Spirit; David had his withdrawings of comfortable Influences to such a degree, and to such a time, as made him cry out, Psal. 77.7. Is his mercy clean gone? will he be favourable no more? And in ver. 8. Does [Page 218] his promise fail for evermore? And yet at the same time, though insensible then thereof, he was under the strengthning Divine Influences of Christ's Spirit; for when David comes to himself, after he had said, I have cleans'd my heart in vain; and returning thence to the enjoyment of comforting Influences, he says in ver. 22, 23. Though I was so foolish, and carried my self as a beast before thee, nevertheless thou hast holden me up by my right hand. From whence I draw a Caution to dejected Christians, Not to think that tho' God withdraw his com­forting breathings formerly experienced, and that for holy ends of Reproof for not better enter­taining them formerly enjoy'd, or of excitation to prize them more when they return, and to keep closer and stricter, and more continually to the use of means to obtain, and to retain them; that therefore they have lost the grace they had once the sensible evidence of, by Christ's comforting Influences, and so give Satan op­portunity of following this thought with his suggestion of Apostacy, and danger of damnati­on, and the being no advantage in the further use of means; whereas the continuance therein, is evidence of spiritual supporting power, and of God's holding them up from falling, however unsensible they are of his comforting Influences.

Secondly, There is a difference between spi­ritual Influences strengthning the Soul to the continued use of sincere Prayer, and between [Page 219] spiritual Influences, making the other comfor­tably sensible, and carrying the Soul out there­by with more fervency and joy than at other times.

Thirdly, That shorter Intermissions of Du­ties, and sincere endeavours therein, contri­bute greatly to the drawing down of con­tinued comfortable Influences, and that the more close we walk with God in the use of means, the more clear comfortable delightful enjoyments occur.

I answer therefore first, That a Return is cer­tain to that Prayer that is directed by the Holy Spirit to God, for obtaining a blessing for us; and an evidence of this direction is, by the hea­venly frame of mind, and more than ordinary freedom of utterance in the Duty.

Secondly, That often God returns a Prayer perform'd with spiritual Influences, though they are without that delightful evidence at the time of Prayer; the Spirit of God exciting and strengthning the Soul to ask, carries him to no­thing but what is suitable to God's Word, and with Resignation in the Christian's self, whether this heavenliness of frame be sensible at the time of Prayer, or not; and therefore if God's Spirit be helping the Soul really, tho' insensibly to the Christian, or really and sensibly too, a re­turn certainly follows that Prayer, but with [Page 220] this difference, that under heavenliness of frame he enjoys the Comfort of the return afore­hand, and under strengthning influences, he is not so certain of the spirituality of its per­formance or its acceptance with God, till the return make it manifest.

Thirdly, That such a comfortable sense of spiritual Supplies to ask, is many times the re­ward of serious self-denying Christians, and truly depending upon God in Prayer; and that the other is the allowance of real Christians, but less watchful, and not searching into, and desirous of the knowledge of God's ways, and therefore have not that assurance of present acceptance and after-return, as the serious ob­serving Christians have.

Fourthly, That comforting Influences are more experienc'd as the portion of beginning Christians, and training up to the knowledge of God, of tender hearted Christians, and of those who walk continually with God in their thoughts by ejaculation.

Fifthly, The evidence of supporting Influences without the other, is continuance in serious use of means, notwithstanding God with-holds its comfort, which must evidence a power above the carnal nature.

[Page 221]My Advice therefore is, To begin the use of serious Prayer, as well as of observation of outward Providences, that you may have fel­lowship with the Godhead even on earth, and come to the knowledge of God's ways without the fear of mistake, because of the in­finite wisdom and tender love that is in your Guide and Conductor, leading you in the right way, unless you stand still, and walk not fur­ther on in the use of means, or walk in them inadvertently. Pray the Lord to prepare you to ask the things which he has declar'd in his Word, he is ready to give, and in his time you shall obtain them. This humble, constant, and affectionate continuance in Prayer, will be an excellent means to make you understand the method of God's bestowing mercies, as the cer­tain sign of his Favour.

By this Duty of Prayer, and observation therein, you'll be able to expose all the Errors of the Age; you'll see Arminianism at the root of our new-sprung Errors: for if they cannot defend Self-sufficiency to will and chuse spiritual things, and to comply with saving means, they must look to Christ, and acknowledge that conver­sion from its beginning to its perfection, is to be ascribed to Divine Grace. Others deny the Deity of Christ, and think him as meer Man like themselves; inferior to the Devils, who acknowledged him the Son of God, his power over them, by begging he would not torment [Page 222] them, but finding the Doctrine of Jesus Christ's being God so clearly asserted in the Scriptures, they turn Deists, and deny all re­vealed Religion, that so we may have nothing above our own Reason and Self-sufficiency to recur to, for the obtaining the Favour of God here, and of Heaven hereafter. God believ'd as Creator, and men living in the practice of publick moral Vertue, though private Vices are allowed, is sufficient, in the opinion of some, for their present peace and esteem, and their future happiness: But the Scripture and Expe­rience does strongly refute those Arminian Er­rors, in that first Chapter of John, and the 13th verse, We are not born of the will of man, but of God. And in the second Chapter of the Philippians, ver. 13. It is God which works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. These Texts are confirmed by the experience of all sincere Christians, who feel the grace of God, in turning them from the love of Sin, to the love of Holiness; and carrying them thro' a tempting World, to the eternal Kingdom; exposing both, with the embracers of their Er­rors, in their true Colours? Their growth is no marvel to me; their not being more is a greater wonder. Prophaneness in Practice, Christiani­ty in meer Profession, Experimental Religion discouraged by some, and neglected too much in the Conversation of God's own Children, with their divisions and unnecessary [...]eats be­ing the great Nourishers of such wild Grapes. [Page 223] I do believe I may, without the breach of Cha­rity, say, That if Arminians in this Age are understanding in God's Word, their knowledge thereof is meerly Notional, with Self-Paraphra­ses thereupon, but ignorant of its reality from the experience thereof in their own Soul.

That what I say may not seem Censure, but what has true ground for suggesting, I'll call forth all the experienced Christians on earth to witness, If any one of them was ever able to bring themselves by their own strength, and when they would, to a heavenly frame of Soul in Prayer; yea, though God has given forth means to obtain this frame. I appeal to their experience, whether their reliance upon these means, has not often obstructed this Gift of Christ's Spirit influencing the Soul depending thereupon in the use of means.

We have Millions of Instances, and I believe I could produce thousands from my own perso­nal experience, of being out of a heavenly frame of mind, and that suddenly and unex­pectedly a ravishing heavenly frame has seized me, without any previous working my self therein, only suddenly this frame has seized my Soul like a sudden Gale of Wind, filling the Sails of the Faculties of the Soul, and driving the Ship towards the heavenly Harbour of God's Throne.

[Page 224]We have also multitudes of Experiences of the same power of Christ's Spirit suddenly, un­designedly, and powerfully working, with a verse of a Chapter read, and with a sentence of a Sermon preached, both the conversion of Christians, and also the spiritualizing of their frames, without the least design or fore­thought in the Creature's self, and without any other strength of man than laying himself in God's Road, and Highway of Duties, in which he commonly walks, and by which he acts when and how he pleases.

My Argument is from lesser to greater: If a Christian cannot bring forth nor retain a spiritual frame in the Soul when or as long as he will, how much less is an Unbeliever ca­pable of chusing and working Grace in his Soul when he will? Where is that Instance of a Christian that dare pretend, when he is in a hea­venly frame, to be able so to keep himself? I dare say any that ever had it in reality and power, would desire no other lot on earth, but to be kept in this Heaven on earth.

If thou therefore, O Arminian, art uncapable of believing without a Divine Power, or to ex­ercise a heavenly frame in Prayer when thou wouldest, or to retain a spiritual frame when thou art in its enjoyment, lay by Self, and forge no more lying delusions for thy Bulwark, all [Page 225] experiencing Christians find out thy falshood, and bemoan thy misery. I should rejoice if God should honour me as an Instrument to pre­vail with thee to walk in those means in the method mentioned, that with a Divine Spirit accompanying them, you might be led to a discovery of your Errors through blindness, and the evil of broaching and fructifying them on earth.

Apprehend with your selves how unmeet you'll be to admire the Infiniteness of Mercy, in providing these blessed helps of Divine Re­velation, Divine Providence, and Divine Spi­rit; and how unfit to praise his Name for ei­ther, when now you derogate from all, to af­fix it upon Self. Let not matters unexperien­ced, and capable of being experienced in the use of few and easy means, be debated first, but rather let your arguings succeed to your expe­rience, unless they be such Mysteries as are meerly to be credited according to Divine Reve­lation, and uncapable of man's comprehension in this life; and then in God's method of work­ing and watering Grace, you'll obtain a full dis­covery of Self-insufficiency, the need of a Re­deemer to look to, and depend upon God's re­vealed Word in conjunction with his Divine Spirit, as your chief helps hereto.

An Arminian, to plead his own power, is like the prophane and meer Professor, mocking and doubting of fellowship with God in Prayer. It is the Arminian's want of Grace, or at least the want [Page 226] of the observation of steps, that has led to their Grace and its growth, that keeps them still exal­ting of Self; and it's the others never experien­cing communion with God in Prayer, that make them ridicule it. Put Self to the tryal, Ar­minian, whether you can in your strength work Grace? try it, and do not delay till a dying hour. And if you find you can't, then bring to the tryal another strength, even that of a Divine Spirit in the use of means recorded in this applicatory part, and then you'll follow Christ's Command, and become as a little Child, obedient in the use of God's means to help forward the right knowledge of him and your selves, and shall be enabled to get out of Self-confidence, into a reliance upon a more Divine Foundation, even Christ's Spirit, the Gift given to the Christians in the world, upon Christ's leaving the Earth, and his Ascension to Heaven.

By Prayer, and Observation therewith, you will soon discover Socinianisms Falshood, as it has sprung from Arminianism, by so much ex­alting Self; so the discovery of the vanity of the latter, soon lays open in Christian experi­ence the delusion of the former. Let a Chri­stian but observe the difficulty of laying aside Self-trust, even after God's most establish­ing Experiences dethroning it, and the prone­ness of his mind to admix Self in Duties rightly perform'd. The difficulty of putting on Self-denial, and of being cloath'd with that [Page 227] glorious Grace of Faith; yea, the means made use of by God to uncloath us of the one, and to adorn us with the other. The Observation I say of all these in a Christian, will soon con­vince us of our insufficiency, and encline us to exalt Christ as the Object of the Soul's trust and adoration, for the destroying of that branch of Socinianism, even the denial of the Godhead of our blessed Redeemer. Besides Scripture plainness, the attributing to Christ all the un­communicable perfections of the Deity is proof against them. Will all the Socinians Sophistry on earth make me disbelieve his Godhead, when I have experienc'd that in the worship and adoration of Christ, the Grace of God that has converted me from Sin to Holiness is then in exercise? GOD is a jealous GOD, and will not part with that Prerogative of Adora­tion, no more to meer man than to vain Images; and yet, Who are the sanctified ones in Christ? who are the Persons Paul judg'd meet to write unto, in his first v. of his first ch. of his first E­pistle to the Corinthians, even such who call up­on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord not nomi­nally so, but such a Lord as is made the object of Adoration in the Gospel Churches; none else being fit Members to make up a Christian Church, and all denying Christ's Godhead and this Adoration due to his Name, exclude them­selves from being fit matter for a Gospel Church. My Adoration of Christ as God, I observe most solemn and with an intire trust in him, when I [Page 228] am in a heavenly frame of Soul in private Prayer, being then certain that the exercise of Adoration to Christ is the true effect of God's Divine Spirit influencing my Soul. Often in meditation in par­ticipating the Lord's Supper, the admiration and adoration of Christ as God blessed for ever, has been kept up with great warmth and spirituali­ty in the Soul. To the Socinians I would put this Question, If ever in a private Prayer to God, in participation of the Lord's Supper, or upon a sick, and in appearance dying Bed, they experienced a heavenly ravishing frame of Soul? and if they have, what exercise of thought in either of these three Circumstances concerning Christ and themselves then seiz'd them? I dare answer, That if really influenced with a hea­venly frame, Arminius with honour to Self, and Socinus with his disparagement of Christ, were low as the dust in their Opinion then.

How unsuitable are those who deny Christ this Tribute on earth, to reign with him in Heaven, when the Mystery of the Trinity, the Mystery of Redemption by God the Son, and the Mystery of Conversion by God the Spirit, shall be perfectly unfolded; when the admira­tion and adoration of God, for his infinitely wise and condescending Mercy in delivering man, must be in frequent exercise: This is the most excellent, beneficial and comfortable ob­ject of a Christian's Faith, Contemplation and Affection. We can only see it here through a Glass darkly; in the full sight is the perfection [Page 229] and felicity of the Saints in Glory: But the se­rious thoughts of redeeming love in our pre­sent state, fills the Soul with a Joy unspeak­able and glorious.

God constituted man at first with all the necessary faculties of Body and Mind, and with their beautiful Ornaments, that man by consi­dering the excellent Goodness of his Maker, might Glorifie him, and not meerly please him­self in his own Perfections, and the fruition of Paradise: In like manner, a gracious Soul is renewed to Christ's Image in Conversion, not that the doing of it may be proclaim'd as his own work and Glory thereby derogated from the Godhead of Christ and his Blessed Spirit; Man is made meet for Heaven by Grace grow­ing in his Soul on Earth; And does he pass that perfecting change at the day of Judgment? and is he admitted to these glorious Visions in Heaven for the admiration of himself? No; He will know, that as the Creation of Man was the product of the Counsel and Power of the Deity, as it's declared in these words, Let us make man; so the Conversion of man from the power of Sin to Holiness, is the sole effect of the free Mercy and Power of God, and for the honour of his Grace. Pride first discover'd it self in our fatal fall, and has continued to show it self in arrogating to our selves what is en­tirely due to God; but the perfected Spirits of Just men, know how unworthy and unprepared they were to see God in his full Glory: They [Page 230] continually pay the humble Homage of Praise to him that sits upon the Throne, whose Spi­rit sanctified them, and to the Lamb, by whose Sacrifice and Satisfaction Heaven was opened to them. Can a meer man receive the Halle­lujahs above, and rob the Father of the Praise of the Triumphant Saints in Heaven? With what faces will those who deny the Deity of Christ, look upon a Redeemer glorified as God and Man in one Person, when such a view of him will force their remembrance of denying him in their Minds and Hearts, the Adoration due to him as God, equal with the Father, tho' he humbled himself that we might be exalted, and might in Heaven see his Glory, and be transform'd into his Glorious Likeness? It will be righteous, that those who vilified the Re­deemer, should not reign with him; and since they deny, that he washt away the guilt of their Sins with his Blood, it's righteous that their guilt should remain on them for ever. He that feels the power of Christ strengthen­ing him, will notwithstanding the subtil Ca­vils of others, glorifie him as the incarnate Son of God, who purchas'd Grace and Glory for him by his Humiliation, and confers it in his Ex­altation.

As for Deists, who deny all Reveal'd Reli­gion, their Error is brought for the support of Socinianism; for in the Scripture there is so full a proof of the Eternal Deity of the Son of God, and of the Holy Spirit, which is a Do­ctrine [Page 231] supernatural and incomprehensible by our narrow minds, that they will rather return to Heathenism, than receive the Gospel: Besides, the purity and perfection of the Gospel in its Commands they will not obey, and therefore will only follow the dim light of Nature, that discovers not many Sins which they love, nor some Duties from which they are averse.

You therefore under this Character; Let me invite you to the trial of God's Word, and if you find in your Experience any one thing that was incomprehensible to natural Reason, but sensibly felt in your Souls, it will lead you to the desire and endeavour of Experiencing more. If in Prayer you come to understand a strength above your own, even that of a Divine Spirit according to Scripture Revelation thereof, you'll desire to comprehend many other Christian Priviledges and Changes of the Soul by Grace, of which you never formerly had any true Idea: If once you come in the use of means to be­lieve and trust things unseen, which to a faith­less Creature is a Mysterious Doctrine, but of Scripture Revelation, and certainly experienc'd as Truth by Holy Souls.

To what purpose, O Deist, should I trou­ble my self to argue the case of there being a spiritual heavenly frame in Prayer, of there being a trust to a thing unseen, more strong and durable than a trust to an object before the Eyes; the one being supported by the Divine Truth and Power, the other by a weak mu­table [Page 232] Creature. All the Argumentation and Oratory on Earth cannot make a sincere Chri­stian doubt of the Truth of the Gospel, which he has felt to be the power of God to save him from Sin and Hell: A superficial assent to the Doctrine of the Gospel may be easily chang'd; but when the Truth of it is fixt in the Soul by deep Experience, a Christian is as stable as the Center against the strongest storms of opposition: You may as well suppose a ra­tional Soul to be without thinking, as when it's convinc'd by over-powering light, and an inward real sense of the Truth of Religion Re­veal'd from Heaven, he should be apt to change his Faith, and like a Drunken Man reel from one Opinion to another.

I therefore earnestly recommend the endea­vour after an Experimental Sense of the Truth of the Gospel in the use of all Ordinances, as the best preservative from Unbelief.

But now I come to the third and last mean of bringing Creatures into the certainty of God's Word and inward Religion, and that is a right reading of the Scriptures, not a super­ficial reading of them in Obedience to Parents, or out of Custom, a Chapter morning and evening, without ever one thought reflective upon what is read; but such a reading as may lay you in the way of the influence of a Di­vine Spirit, who communicates light unto us in this Duty, as well as in that of spiritual Observation and Prayer; we must fix it in our [Page 233] thoughts as the Rule of our Life, and particu­larly observe what may be directive in those Duties that belong to us, and may serve for Comfort in disquieting Afflictions to which we may be expos'd; Mr. Pool's Annotations are use­ful in our Reading. This method was mar­vellously blessed to me in the practice of it with Observation and Prayer; I soon saw the worth of God's Word, the benefit of using it in this manner, and my Soul was ardently and con­stantly desirous of Divine Grace to conform me entirely to the Precepts and Examples of Ho­liness set down in it.

The method I us'd at first, was, To Read a Chapter of the Old Testament, a Psalm, and a Chapter of the New, with Pool's Annotati­ons upon each; and this sincere endeavour af­ter the Knowledge of God in his Precepts, was soon accompanied with the inward workings of a Divine Spirit, influencing me with a desire after, and, in some measure, Conformity thereto.

Psal. 119. How shall a young man cleanse his ways? It is by taking heed thereto accord­ing to God's Word: Those that read not his Word, or read it in a customary way, obtain no knowledge thereof, or at least what is only notional to discourse of; How can a Christian cleanse his Heart and Ways, or be in the means of obtaining Christ's Spirit helping forward this work, but by comparing considerately his Ways and Thoughts to God's Divine Truths, as he goes on in the reading of them; [Page 234] and nothing more fixes the Thoughts to this, than a reading with Annotations, and many times in comparing Scripture to Annotation, a comparison of ones self to Scripture, either for instruction, or comfort occurs; reading with Thoughtfulness is a mean God many times blesses with sweet success that way.

Reading with reflecting the light of the Word upon the Soul, warms it, meets the Affections, and makes them receptive of hea­venly impressions.

The meer Professor, Religious only from Education, I greatly compassionate for this neglect; it being for the serious, a probable mean of affording establishment in their right notional Knowledge wherewith they have been imprest, thorough the instruction of Educa­tion; and applicative Reading the Scriptures, is the means, with the Spirit's blessing, of esta­blishing us on that Divine Foundation of Faith and Obedience.

This Advice of Reading the Scriptures with Pool's Annotations, is not to be limited to those only in younger years, but necessarily to be extended to Persons of more mature Age.

First, I advise the younger, That they would not rest satisfied to answer their Parents Instru­ction, or in the customary method of reading [Page 235] so many Chapters a day, and that at their usu­al times; but to consider what degrees of know­ledge of the Word, and Conformity to it, they are advanc'd to by it, that by right Conceptions of God and his Holy Will, they be preserv'd from youthful Lusts, from the Erroneous Opinions and vicious and contagious Examples of others: Let the first Principles of Religion in this way, be deeply set in them, before they read Con­troversies in Religion: I do really acknowledge, that from reading a Chapter, with Mr. Pool's Annotations concerning a point, I have had more clear knowledge and confirmation than by reading Controversial Books; And I do believe it one of the most common failures of Youth under Religious Education, not reading the Scriptures with Annotations, which great­ly fixes the Thoughts upon ones self, and God's Divine Rule, if conform unto it either in Heart or Life.

Be advised therefore, to begin your know­ledge of Spiritual Things right, and not to end where you should have begun; and to read but one Chapter with Annotations and Obser­vation, rather than many slightly; remarking that part of Scripture your Thoughts at the time of reading mostly fix to, and observe the method of Providence afterward appearing, and perhaps you may discover its correspon­dency to the matter remarkt, either as In­struction or Comfort.

[Page 236]Secondly, I advise grown Professors, who busie themselves with Controversies, and with Books Eloquently written, or of high Notions, but still are without an affectionate vital knowledge of Divine Truths, and in danger of being infected with this or the other new-sprung Error: I say to such, That I am afraid the advice given to younger Persons has not been follow'd by them; I therefore earnestly exhort them to read the Scriptures with a design to be enlightned and sanctified by them, and with the assistance of a sound Expositor, that their imperfect and unsetled Concepti­ons of Divine Things may be rectified, and strongly imprest within them, and the power of them may be visible in their lives.

If you cannot enjoy full measure of time once a day, do it by parts. Many sit in their Shops waiting for their Customers, and Reading of Books of no value, or thinking upon what they can give no account of af­terward, that have great opportunity of using this method: Many might detract from their great time spent in Dressings and Visitings, and thereby might have more leisure for this profitable and [...]ounding work: I am hopeful, if this method was once in use, there might be an excellent foundation laid for your Know­ledge of God the Lawgiver, and of your own Loyalty and Duty to him in Heart and Life. [Page 237] The delight the Soul would taste in Reading the Word, would cause us to disrelish all other Books, tho' never so pleasing to the carnal Fancy and Desires that govern the unrenewed part of Mankind. I have often thought upon the fancy so delighted with variety, and have pitied some such who would be taken with every new thing, but did not Experimentally know the varieties of things in the Scriptures greatly alluring, worth the reading and the con­templating, and the varieties of impressions affecting the mind in reading the same Scripture at various times.

But I have observ'd, the better the Duty is, the more instruction and comfort abound therein, inward corruption and Satan keeps the Soul the more backward from it: And let any experi­encing Christian reflect upon the days of their Ignorance, and the Beginnings of their spiri­tual Knowledge, they'll find, When Hearing and Prayer has been practised by them, yet serious Reading was greatly neglected, espe­cially with an Expositor: A Duty establishing and comforting a Christian, is the Duty Satan loses most by; to Read matter indifferent, overcomes neither Satan nor Corruption, but Scripture-Revelation discovers both in their na­tural Colours, and a way to escape the Ty­ranny of either. I remember the neglect of Reading the Scripture while only under the power of Religious Education, kept me in [Page 238] darkness and security for not bringing the false hopes of the goodness of my spiritual State to the Touch; I presum'd that I was in a safe condition, but by serious Reading the Scripture I had a true discovery of God and my self, and I delighted in the discovery and the blessed means of it: That which before was so unpleasant to the corrupt Nature, was sweeter than the Honey-Comb; This is the usual Reward that is joyn'd with our Obedience to the Divine Com­mand, Of searching the Scriptures.

I am afraid the neglect of this Duty keeps not only prophane and meer professing Chri­stians from a change to a state of real Chri­stianity, but even real Christians in a careless neglect of their Conversations; The se­rious Reading a Chapter in the morning would so fix the matter upon the Christian's Thoughts, that now and then he would be reflecting, whether he has stept aside from Conformity to what he had Read in the morning, and would make him watchful against Temptations that surrounded him, lest he be surprised by them. How sad is the carelesness even of real Chri­stians, with respect to the inward frame of their Souls, and their outward Conversation, which I do believe may in some measure pro­ceed from the neglect, or at least the unserious performance of this Duty, and the not consi­dering that God sees them in their Companies, in their Families, in their Closets, and in their [Page 239] Hearts, and their neglect of serious yielding themselves to the conduct of the Holy Spirit thorough the day? I remember a passage I heard of a Minister, who had neglected his serious morning-Prayer before his going forth upon that Sacred Work of Preaching; and after Reading his Text, was stopt, that he could go on no further, and another was forc'd to supply in his room; and upon review, found that his neglect of Praying for Divine Assistance, and dependance upon it, was the cause why he was so deserted. If Christians were more con­cerned to have their morning Duties strictly perform'd, their Conversations would be strict and spiritual thorough the day, they would not disparage their Profession, and dishonour God by so many blemishes in their Actions; they would not so harden the prophane and meer titular Christians in their sinful state; whereas Prayer joyn'd with the Reading the Word in the morning, is a blessed means to maintain our Communion with God in all the business and lawful refreshments of the day.

If innocent Recreations, by fixing our thoughts upon them, or by reason of the length of time we are in them, lessen our seriousness, we should be less frequent and shorter in them; let the Conversation be never so innocent, and the Company never so dear, they must not de­prive us of communion with Heaven, we must so use the world as we may enjoy God▪ I think [Page 240] visiting of Friends a Duty, as well as di­version; but prolonged to a day, or an after­noon, meddling in others affairs, censuring some, and commending others, perhaps without rea­son, is grieving to a spiritual-minded Christian, unless where he may either do or receive some spiritual good. The serious exercise of our minds upon spiritual things, and discourse of them, preserves the sacred fire burning in our breasts. Spiritual Conversation is as rare a­mongst Christians as it's profitable; it's the be­ginning of Heaven, and reduces friendship to the state of Paradise: But we are so sadly de­clin'd, that unless he is a person of eminent ho­liness and gravity that interposes divine dis­course in Conversation, it's entertained very coldly, or with contempt and derision.

As to Recreations doubtful amongst Christi­ans, playing at Cards, and the like, whether lawful or unlawful, I think it is best to keep the judgment free from entangling Scruples, but to restrain our practice, and accordingly I desire to order my Conversation, and that for these three Reasons.

1. Because since nothing in Christ's Commands or Example, or of the Apostles, is express here­in, I judge it best to regulate my practice by the example of the most holy and heavenly Christians, who I know have abstained from Recreations of a suspected nature.

[Page 241]A second Reason to me is, That Recreations, though seeming innocent, have often been, and are dangerous snares to men. How many have resolved to spend an hour in a Recreation, and have spent many, to the irreparable loss of pre­cious time! How many have begun with Pence, and ended with Pounds, to the wasting their Estates, and impoverishing of Families! The perfect forbearance from such allurements, is our security and happiness; and that others who allow themselves in such things are not overcome, is from restraining Grace, and not from corrupt Nature.

Thirdly, Because to my own experience such things wither a heavenly spiritual frame of Soul, by drawing off the thoughts from seriousness, to a little levity, and from less to more, till a heavenly frame be gone. The heavenly-minded Christian is the only Judge of this matter, the prophane and meer Professor never having had a heavenly frame, can hardly be said to judge of, or be concern'd for its decay or removal; neither the lazy, though real Christian, who if serious in his morning or evening duties, mat­ter not the want of a heavenly, serious frame of Soul throughout the day in his business and pleasures, of the number whereof too many abound in our Age, by reason whereof while under afflictions, or in their dying hours, when their evidences should shine not only with light [Page 242] to themselves, but as witnesses for God to o­thers, they appear more dark and clouded than in those whose life has been a continued enjoy­ment of God. How many real Christians have bitterly lamented their time mis-spent in Vani­ties, and when near Eternity, have had gloomy thoughts, and distracting doubts of the Eter­nal State; when those who have used the world with indifferent affections, and have been se­rious in working out their salvation, have re­joiced in the Lord. In short, a heavenly frame of Spirit, is the best Antidote against the in­fection of sensual pleasures.

The main Reasons to press Christians strict­ness of Conversation in doubtful things, are from pity to the prophane and meer Professor, and to prevent the drying up of spiritual se­riousness of frame in real Christians; the lat­ter sort, I hope, thorough the exercise of Grace, may limit their pleasures and diversions from being inductive of Sin: but the carnal are hard­ned in their profuse wasting time, and their in­dulging their sensual desires, even by Saints innocent Recreation of themselves in them, pleading for themselves by such a Question, Does not such an one do so and so?

Ministers, of all other Christians, should be very diligent to prevent a taking occasion and encouragement from their example, to Li­centiousness in things of this kind; they have the best opportunity to spiritualize Conversa­tion with their People, and improving time [Page 243] to the most excellent advantage; that is, to in­crease their knowledge, holiness and comfort. This was the practice of Paul, who was so great a Lover of Christ and Souls; this pra­ctice would refel the double Accusation of Mi­nisters in our days.

First, That they are so much seen in the Af­fairs of the world, and are so little at home conversing with God and themselves, and sel­dom with their People, unless in outward en­joyments, and without spiritual profit to them.

Secondly, The other Accusation, is their igno­rance of their Peoples spiritual state, and their more applying themselves to maintain such Do­ctrines as are the Characters of their Party, than to preach Truths suitable to the Case of the Congregations. Some Preachers are called Legal, others Evangelical, and according to the different opinions and affections of the Hea­rers, are censured or commended; but a Mini­ster of the Gospel defames and pollutes his Pro­fession, who does not make it his sole end to glorify Christ, and save Souls; and for that end the Law is to be preached, discovering the un­done condition of Sinners, that they may come weary and heavy-laden to our compassionate Saviour, making him appear the more lovely to their view, that they may with unfeign'd willingness walk in those means wherein his Spi­rit may be found, to apply Christ with all his Be­nefits to the needy Soul.

[Page 244]I cannot but mention what I have observ'd in my self, that upon any stirring of corrupt nature, tending to puff me up after enjoy'd communion with God, or leaving a kind of security in the following Duties, what need I have had of re­flecting upon the Law, shewing thereby to my self how insufficient I was to give full obedi­ence thereto, or to perform any one part there­of aright, unless by the continued assistance of a Divine Spirit to be obtain'd in the use of means; and therefore it is Duty to be in the close work of using means, and to ascribe be­nefit obtained therein to the free and powerful Grace of God, and not to any dispositions or strength of our own: Therefore the meditation of Law and Grace must be join'd, the first leads to the other, and greatly discovers the ef­ficacy thereof; yea, more than that, contem­plated alone, shall I see the precious excellency of Christ, and not see my lost, corrupted, de­prav'd state? Shall I see the need of a Divine Power in working and planting Grace, not see­ing my own insufficiency to act without it? A­gain, before the close of the same evening, I have been brought under such concern for one failure or other, that the necessity and excel­lency of the free-grace of God in Christ has convincingly and comfortably by serious re­flection wanted to have been appli'd to my Soul, shall therefore one Christian need the bear­ing home of both the Law of God and the Free-grace of God in Christ in one day, how much [Page 245] more shall a Congregation made up of Christi­ans, whereof some are secure, and others tender and self-condemning, stand in need of Sermons of both sorts, or of a Sermon made up of both.

It is therefore the great Duty of Ministers to be frequent and fervent in their Prayers to God, that by Divine influence they may be directed in the choice of fit Subjects, and assisted in their preparatory Studies, and in their preaching the Word, in demonstration of the Spirit, 1 Cor. 2.4. Not with enticing words only of man's wis­dom, that it may be beneficial and saving to their Hearers; the neglect of this method may occasion the choice of an unsuitable Subject, and its delivery to be unsavoury, unless to the meer Notional Christian. A Minister of eminent Holiness told me, That Converse with God in Prayer was his best preparation for preaching; and that according to his frame in Prayer in the Lord's-day morning, such was the frame of his heart in preaching. I have my self found, that according to the holy exercise of my af­fections in my Closet-Prayer, such has been my enjoyment of God in publick Ordinances, and especially in receiving the Sacrament.

The Professors of serious Religion, but espe­cially Ministers, are more in the view of the world, and more obvious to Censure, therefore they should be very regular in their Conversa­tions, and watchful to prevent reproach upon Religion.

[Page 246]If a Divine Spirit once meet you in the use of these three means, you will find that whereas you have formerly enjoyed the good things of this world without thankful thoughts of the bestower of them, and of his rich mer­cy distinguishing you from others in a lower con­dition; and without serious consideration that they are Talents committed to your trust, to be improved for his honour, and for which a strict account must be given; you will, by the ob­servation of God's general and special Provi­dence, acknowledge him to be the Fountain of all your blessings, and depend upon his conde­scending care of you in the use of due means, and employ his benefits for his glory; a sweet effect of observation!

You that pray'd, because by Parents you were instructed, commanded, and had their example to move you to it, will find that now you pray in obedience to God's Command, as the blessed mean of acquaintance and fellow­ship with him; and that if you express your self with never so free and learned utterance, you are uneasy, unless the frame of your minds has been serious, and your affections heavenly and spiritual; and you have some hope that he is pleased with your performance, and has evi­denced his acceptance. There are not only ma­ny who are not at the pains to use means to come to such a comfortable knowledge, but who will hardly observe whether ever they [Page 247] enjoyed the return of such a Prayer, unless the return has come in soon after, or in such a re­markable way, that they could not but see it was a return to that Prayer, by reason of which negligence God is sometimes pleased to defer a desired return; but at last, in compassion to his Children, gives a remarkable Answer that deep­ly affects them, and is for their great advan­tage.

You that read the Scriptures, because your Parents led you into the road of a Chapter morning or evening, or for the historical part thereof, or to be knowing in the Notion of it for Conversation, now find that your use of it is a mean for the right knowledge of God, the comprehension of his Divine Truths, and as a Directory to your life, and as a help to your evidences, in comparing your life to it, and as a preservative from infectious Errors.

You that heard Sermons, and appear'd seri­ous all the while for fear of Reproach, or to obtain a good Name, without any thoughtful­ness of the matter discours'd, unless to pass a judgment of the ingeniousness or dulness of the Preacher, and to entertain Company with Re­flections upon the matter or manner of his Preaching, find now such an inward change, that every Sermon is transmitted to your hearts thorough your ear, producing a Reflection up­on it, and a comparing it with your own ex­perience. [Page 248] I think nothing can be more plea­sing than in hearing a Minister, or in reading a Chapter, to be able to seal the truth of ei­ther from our experience. Instead of exami­ning the words of a Sermon as to the Rheto­rick, you now mind the matter it self, not so much if learnedly manag'd, as to consider whether you have experienced its Truths, which will he a comfortable evidence to the Soul; or if you have not felt its efficacy, it will excite earnest Prayer to God that he would make the instruction powerful in you.

O how reproving is this of the Prophane, who slight the constant attending to the preach­ing of the Word, it being unknown to them when and how God may work by it upon their hearts, the neglect of a Sermon may be the loss of an eternal Blessing.

You that before converst about Religion in the Letter and Notion, speak now your own experience; You that aim'd at Reputation for your knowledge in Divine Things, now design Honour to God, and the Confirmation of the reality of revealed Religion; You that aimed at worldly Interest, now you aim at the enlarging of Christ's Kingdom; where greatest S [...]nc [...]rity reigns, Self applause is least valued, and greatest privacy sought for, unless where God may be publickly honour'd. The great and solemn judgment at the last day, will pass [Page 249] sentence of Condemnation upon many, whose character on earth was not disputed, and were reputed holy, and will acquit those whose fel­lowship on earth was with God, and yet tradu­ced as Hypocrites.

You that before ript open the Faults of o­thers, either from a corrupt Principle of re­proaching, inherent in the very nature of some more than others, or from a desire of raising your Reputation by the depressing others, you'll compassionately bear with the infirmities of o­thers, knowing your own frailty.

You, who before affected only such Profes­sors as were of your own Opinion, will now extend your Charity to all who believe the great Truths of the Gospel, and live accord­ingly.

Can the World imagine otherwise, but that those who press hard after strictness of Con­versation, by avoiding all liberty that may be an occasion to Sin, have not the same natural corrupted Inclinations and Principles as others, but they are cleansed and changed by power from above. A rational Principle, produces a rational Action. A sensitive Principle, produces a sensitive Action. A corrupted Principle, pro­duces a corrupted Action. A gracious Prin­ciple, produces a gracious Action; according therefore to the dominion of the inward Prin­ciple, [Page 250] so the outward Action is, or at least the Inclination towards it. The Soul formerly un­der a Principle of Sin was enclin'd to sin; and upon the occurrence of any Object to set this a moving, the Soul was acted; but now under the dominion of a Principle of Grace upon the occurrence of any good Object, the gra­cious Inclination is active, and with greater pleasure, than under the power of the carnal Principle. Prophane persons, and strangers to the life of God, are utterly mistaken to think that the Actions of the spiritual life are not mixt with the sweetest and most satisfying de­light. The outward Acts of Religion, if they are not produced from a Principle of Life, are without relish, and toilsom to the carnal Na­ture; but [...]lowing from an inward and real Prin­ciple, they are productive of the most solid and purest pleasure in the present exercise, and in the joyful reflection, and are the beginnings of heavenly fruition.

I have thought, that to represent this with the greatest illustration, is of no force with­out a method proposed to bring it to men's Experience; that Proverb reigning amongst prophane and meer Professors, That seeing is believing; let therefore feeling in the Soul be believing: The days have been, when in all the outward parts of God's Worship I have made a specious show, but from no other prin­ciple than that of Education, being altogether [Page 251] ignorant of any inward Comfort in Duties, and without longing after it, imagining it to be more talkt of than really enjoy'd; This can­not have been my case alone, but I dare say, the case of many professing Christians who have had Religious Education; and therefore my method has been, not only to show the evidences of a Change, but the steps of God's way thereto, and the few easie means made use of by my self, and successfully blessed by the Divine Spirit: And if this be not the fruit of my labour, to bring you to the use of these means, that you may lay your self in the way of receiving Divine Influences, my Experience will make but small impression; but if the Lord accompany your sincere endeavour in these few means, believe me, the internal sweetness of inward Religion, of fellowship with God in Prayer, of Reading the Scriptures with improvement, of observing God's Dispen­sations, with Reliance upon him for all things, will so affect you, that you will need no other motive to persevere in the use of means, and you will abstain from all carnal Diversions that alienate the Heart from Communion with God. The preserving a spiritual frame in the Soul every day keeps us watchful, lest Temptations should break in, and Corruptions break out. This affords us a foretaste of Heaven, and an assurance of it; who can doubt of the Hell that is reveal'd in Scripture, who feels the tormenting fire of guilt, and extends his Fears [Page 252] to Eternity? These are the beginnings of Sor­row. Who can doubt of the Heaven reveal'd in the Gospel, who has felt in his Soul a Joy un­speakable and glorious, and differing from the Joy in Heaven only in the degree, and the manner of Divine Fruition?

I do believe, the Conceptions of prophane stupid Sinners, concerning spiritual Comfort in the Soul, and concerning inward Agonies for Sin, are as doubtful as they are of the reality of Heaven and Hell in the future State. Oh! Therefore let not Christians be discouraged by the Atheism, the Infidelity, and Wickedness of this Age, but let them pray and labour to ob­tain a more full experimental sense of things reveal'd by the Word of God, which will be a powerful preservative from the Errors and Vices of the infectious World, and will make them admire Divine Grace that distinguishes them from others, and will make them com­passionate those who are careless of things that concern their precious and immortal Souls: And to preserve a spiritual frame in its liveli­ness and vigour, let those be our chosen and intimate Friends in whom the Image of God shines, who partake of a Divine Nature that declares it self in spiritual Communion, where we may be confirm'd and comforted in the serious practice of Godliness, and prepared for the Joy that flows from the Divine presence above, to the blessed Celestial Society.

[Page 253]Besides these three means, of right Observa­tion, right Prayer, and right Reading of the Scriptures, there are other means of God's own appointment; such as the Hearing of God's Word, the Participation of the Lord's Supper, and Communion with Saints; but I have confin'd my self to these three upon the following Accounts.

First, Because Observation was the means of my own sensible Conversion, and the other two the special means of further growth in Grace.

Secondly, By reason of the Christian's ten­dency to the right and continued performance of the other means, when excited and allured by the Enjoyments that attend the right per­formance of those three.

Thirdly, That my invitation to the pro­phane and meer professing Christian may meet the sooner with successful acceptance, the ap­prehension of the difficulty, and of the bur­then of real Christianity, as if it were incon­sistent with natural pleasant enjoyments, frights many from the acceptance of the Gospel, and Obedience to it; the falshood whereof I have endeavoured to shew, in that spiritual Religion allows a modest temperate use of sensitive Plea­sures; and Religion when seriously practised, [Page 254] sweetens those Duties which to Carnalists are so uneasie; for when the Soul is cleans'd from sinful Affections, and chang'd into the Divine likeness, the suitableness between the Duties of Religion and the Soul, causes the purest plea­sure: Since our Redeemer had reconciled God by his Meritorious Sufferings and Mediation, and has obtain'd such precious privileges for all that will accept of him, our present Par­don and future Glory, Holiness and Happiness in perfection; How can reasonable Creatures neglect the great Salvation so dearly bought, and so freely offered to them in the use of so easie and few means? Methinks we should hear convinc'd and alarm'd Sinners cry out, What shall we do to be saved? and apply themselves to the Redeemer, to obtain spiritual and eternal Life by him: The Pearl of Price is offered to all that sincerely accept of it.

To press the Duties of Christianity upon a prophane and meer professing Christian, is as if Food was offered to a Dead Body to receive and digest, as if the carrying of heavy Bur­thens were recommended in exchange with an easie, quiet, and pleasant course of life. The prophane Creature is Dead in Sin; though his Ear be open as the effect of natural Life, yet his Soul is shut from the reception of spiri­tual Truths, as the effect of a spiritual Death.

[Page 255]Now to shut up all, I'll give you my re­peated Exhortation, with some Reflections an­nexed to it, respecting the foregoing Dis­course.

Be exhorted therefore, O prophane, meer professor and careless Christian, to walk in the use of the three means mention'd, and take an estimate of your performance, from the ex­tensiveness of your observing the passages of Providence, from the spirituality of your Prayer, solemn or ejaculatory, from the strictness of your conformity to God's Word, the Rule of Obedience, and you will obtain the first life of Grace, and an experimental encrease of Holiness and Joy.

The world is blinded and secure, from Lusts that darken the Mind, and from tempting ob­jects in the world that divert from the serious thoughts of the righteous God, who is terri­ble against Rebellious Sinners: Now the ob­serving of visible Vengeance that often falls upon the wicked, will strike men with the fear of God, which is the first motive to fly to his Mercy.

Or men are blinded and secure upon the account of external profession and outward performance of Christian Duties, and a no­tional Knowledge of the Gospel. The remedy of this destructive delusion, is the frequent [Page 256] and serious addressing to God by Prayer, to obtain a living principle of Holiness that will be permanent and powerful in the Soul.

There are real Christians, who by neglect of their Duty, decline from God, and dispa­rage their Profession; Let such be excited to a constant and serious use of those means whereby Grace is convey'd into our Souls. If they will observe God in all his ways more strictly, and pray more frequently and fer­vently, and read and hear the Word with more application, they will feel the power of God­liness reviving in their Souls, and will shew forth the beauty of Holiness in their Conver­sation, which will be convincing of others, that Religion is a Divine disposition produ­ctive of fruits suitable to it; A holy habit of Soul may be preserv'd in the business and diversions of the world, by our constant con­verse with Heaven every day.

You have two excellent motives to this Exhortation:

First, Because it may be done without any hindrance to your business and lawful diver­sions: How easie is it in the morning, be­fore you enter into worldly Affairs, to read a Chapter with Pool's Annotations, and to give your selves and all your concerns by Prayer to the conduct of a Divine Hand to direct and succeed your lawful Endeavours? How easie is [Page 257] it thorough the day, while in the midst and course of your lawful business, to direct an ejaculatory desire, Lord, Let my endeavour be according to Duty on my part, and ac­companied with a discovery of Mercy in the Event; and according to the many endeavours you are active in throughout a day, so many Ejaculatory Petitions in a serious frame to be repeated, which you'll observe to issue in great inward Knowledge, and perhaps great success to business, as an occasion of turning your many and various Ejaculatory Petitions to one solemn Duty of Praise in the evening.

How easy is it in an evening in your Shops or Closets to record, that in such an endea­vour you were kept serious with God in your thoughts, and you were blest accordingly! The remembrance whereof will make you ready in all your Affairs to pray for the Divine Blessing, and depend upon God in doing your Duty, and thankful for his succeeding your endea­vours.

The second is, That this constant looking to God in Prayer ejaculatory or solemn, with the use of means, will enable us to perform the works of our ordinary Callings with less trouble to our Mind, and toil to our Bodies: This will cure the anxiety of our Minds concerning the Event, and consequently make us more moderate and orderly in the use of means. It is the anxious desire of obtaining an Event, the great fear of lo­sing it, that sets peoples minds on the rack to con­trive means, and their Bodies on the hurry to [Page 258] use these means, and how often does unsuc­cessfulness accompany both? Whereas by Ob­servation of God, the Governor of all things, access to him for his favour in any thing is discovered to the Soul, and that the dutiful use of means is successful by his favour, when the eager pursuit of a desir'd thing has been ineffe­ctual. This has been verified to all by many Experiences, and therefore shall add this Ad­vice as the sum of all.

To use means with the same diligence, as if by them alone, without a Divine Hand, Events were to be obtain'd.

To eye God with a reliance upon him for Events, as much as if they were to be brought forth by him without the use of means.

By which Rule I would reprove the Censures against God's Children, who from their dutiful diligence in business, without the intermixture of pleasure in fear of losing providential opportuni­ties in it, are reputed Covetous; And advise others to judge themselves by their inward aims, if conform to God's Will; and whatever be the Censure of Men, they thereby prevent the condemning sentence of Christ the Re­deemer and Judge. It is neither the Chara­cter or Censure of any, that ought to bound our Endeavours, but the being in Duty or out of Duty, and the regarding of the Lord in all our ways.