the grace which is in him, that he may show it to himself. I say, he may do it, if he give his mind to it. Else, St. Paul made a question to no purpose, "Know ye not that ye are the temples of the Holy Ghost, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?"m I deny not but the devil hath a way to fetch it about, to make you misknow, and take no heed of that you do perceive, if he did not stagger you with delusions. This is the first lesson that he reads out of his morals, "That distrust is a high point of wisdom; and be not over-reached with opinion: you are sure of that you see, and of no more." But to meet with this fallacy: Is nothing certain, or at least so certain as that which may be seen? Why, the wind will blow away this objection, the air will confute it. What can you make up so close that the air and the wind will not get into it? Yet you see it not, you know not whence it comes, it is an invisible messenger: "So is every one that is born of the Spirit." " Breath is an imperceptible expiration; therefore, Christ breathed on his apostles, and said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." Some gales of western winds, in the spring, make the earth glad with their gentle blast, and open the buds and flowers: so there is a breath of omnipotent virtue, which fans the heart that was hot in sin, with its coolness, which carries away the caterpillars that eat up the tender leaf of our first greenness which widens our blossoms to make their expectation show itself openly which perfume the evil scents of scandals that annoy us, as it is express to that intent in the mystical song. "Awake, thou north wind; and come, thou south; and blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out." P I bring the case again to be examined: Is no witness so competent to depose for truth, unless it be sensible, and chiefly discerned by the eye? then what ail all sects of philosophers to say, "That the sun, and all the stars above, work upon these bodies below by heat and light, and likewise by influence ?" An invisible virtue that doth enter into the production of many effects; which seems to have God's approbation with his own voice, who mentions there "the sweet influences of Pleiades, and the bands of Orion." And can the constellations of the firmament drop down good upon minerals and plants, upon man and beast, and by a secret derivation? What an error, or rather what a madness, is it then, to scruple whether he that made the heavens, can dart celestial beams into man's soul, without a sensible perception! And this is all I will say more unto it; Is not the soul of man above a material apprehension? Pliny, or Galen, or whosoever unadvisedly deny the immortality of it, will yield there is a soul in our composition, that holds all the parts of the body together, and moves and acts in them; yet they can as soon take a pencil, and paint an echo, as describe the intelligible nature of a soul, by species drawn out in our sensitive fancy. Therefore, it concerns us, in maintenance of the dignity of our own nature, to say, that the Spirit of God can inform our soul, as well as our soul can inform our body. I know not what temptation may rise to gainsay the truth, that the soul is known by her powers and operations, that it justifies itself to be an immaterial substance, a spark kindled in us by God from reason, and will, and memory. But what evidence is there that there is a Divine cause that worketh in, and is more than, these natural faculties? It is requisite to work close unto this question: and I answer, first, because the bounds of nature are known, beyond which, nature cannot reach forth itself: as it works in its own sphere to preserve itself in being, and in well-being, in health, in wealth, in fame and glory, in extending ourselves unto ages to come by leaving a posterity, in preserving our country where we are born, and the like. But to have our conversation in heaven, at this present in heaven, to ascend thither in our desires, and in the tendencies of all our actions, to aspire to live in blessedness for ever, to long to be at that rest, where there is no sin; to look for a church which hath neither spot nor wrinkle this could not enter into us to prosecute it all industriously, constantly, cheerfully, but by a supernatural elevation far above the vigour of a soul pressed down by a corruptible body, that is, by the power of the Holy Ghost. Secondly; I feel the pulse of that Divine Spirit beating in me, by "delighting in tribulations" for Christ's sake, and "taking pleasure in infirmities" upon the same score. And again, "I am filled with consolation, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulations.” s An obstinate pagan might arm himself with patience and resolution, to vex his persecutors, and rather fall into them, than decline them, out of spite and contumacy. But self-love being spun out of our bowels, bred in the bone; who could rejoice to endure anguish upon anguish, that God might be glorified, but by strength which we are not born unto, but which is given us because we are born again of the Spirit? Go farther yet. How much is the content of a natural man laid aside, when a good christian in his deliberate thoughts sometimes prays to have the rebellions of his heart kept under by some expedient cross? wisheth for wholesome correction to beat down the rankness of his sins? expects God's fan to winnow the chaff from the wheat? For he knows that as too much light dazzles the eyes, so too much prosperity surfeits the mind. Therefore, a good practitioner in repentance perceives there is no better way to bring him in from his wanderings, than to be scourged home with the gentle hand of God. To which, some expositors say, the spouse alludes, (reading one word as it is right in our margin,) “Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have puffed me up." If we be puffed up, it is time to pray that the eye of God's outward mercy be for a little turned from us. But where had nature learned that lesson, if the Holy Ghost had never taught it ? Thirdly; as the apostle says, "No man hates his own flesh." Every man, not overcome with a frenzy of melancholy, loves his own being, and would preserve his life. The devil, that cannot die, knows how.loth we are to die: "All that a man hath, will he give for his life." u But how many saints have undergone, how many more are willing to undergo the fiery trial, and offer up their bodies for the testimony of the Lord Jesus! not to be cried up in popularity; not to be enrolled in the fame of a history, as there was such a sprinkling among the heathen. But they have died like lambs in the midst of wolves, when they have been hated, and evil spoken of in excess, because they would die for the truth of the gospel, which their prosecutors accounted to be blasphemy against the gods which they worshipped. If parents, or wives, or children, hung upon their arms, and besought them with tears to spare themselves, they threw them off as Christ did Peter, "Get thee behind me, Satan, thou art an offence unto To see a martyr at the point of death feel no horror in his fleshly nature, but to be raised up as high as the third heavens with zeal; what human power could bring him to it? nothing but the Holy Ghost did, as I may say, lure his soul out of the body, with the bait of a crown of glory. me. Fourthly; "The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, goodness, faith, temperance," &c. Is not the tree known by the fruit? Such a cluster hanging all together, growing constantly, and being fair and sound, (Tota, in toto tempore, cum toto corde,) it is not possible they should grow like a bulrush out of the mud of corrupt nature. "No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost," z that is, say it effectually, and from true allegiance to serve him as a Lord; for else Christ will say, 'Why call you me Lord, Lord, and do not the thing which I say ?” a This is the Spirit that acts not Even in the Old Testament, 66 only in prophecies and miraculous gifts, but in every child of God. "Thou gavest thy good Spirit to instruct them :" "them," that is, those that were led out of Egypt by Moses, and hearkened to him. And much more in the state of the New Testament; "The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us." c This might be extended into a great length, that the Holy Ghost is the Comforter, called so by appropriation, though it belong to every person of the Holy Trinity, and is well expressed in the first Divine Song, which is printed before the Psalms of David in metre : "Thou art the very Comforter Which no tongue can express." This is "the unction, which we have from the Holy One;"d"the anointing which we have received of him that abideth in you;"e anointing oil is an oil to cure the sick : "an oil of gladness :" a foment ation to mitigate aches and torments in the bones, and in the heart. r 66 2. And can the fruits choose but be answerable to the root? they must needs partake of it. First, because all that we do to the honour of God, must be done with gladness, willingly, and cheerfully: else it comes not from the spirit of sons, but either from the spirit of bondage, or rather from the spirit of the world. The new disciples received the word gladly, and were baptized. They continued with one accord daily in the temple, "with gladness, and simplicity of heart."i "I was glad when they said unto me, We will go into the house of the Lord." k "Sing psalms, make a joyful noise unto God." 1 "Let us come with assurance in our supplications that we shall be heard praying with faith in the Holy Ghost."m" And then the prayer of the upright shall be God's delight;"" and why God's delight, but because his servants delight in prayer? "He that showeth mercy, let him do it with cheerfulness." " And he that giveth, offereth a blemished sacrifice, if he do it grudgingly : "For God loveth a cheerful giver." P Not so much but our losses and tribulations must be sustained with gladness. "Thy rod and thy staff do comfort me." q Enter into the combat willingly, and the continuance will be a pleasure. Our consolation aboundeth by Christ: for "as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation." Therefore the apostles did change the name of a famous disciple, called Joses, into a notion of this theme, and called him Barnabas, which is, being interpreted, "The son of consolation." s The rabbies of the Jews hold themselves very close to this doctrine, and would have it observed, that "the merrier the heart is in the Lord, the more capable it is of the Spirit of God:" partly, because Miriam, when she prophesied of the mighty acts of Jehovah, took a timbrel in her hand and danced:* partly, because that Samuel, after he had anointed Saul to be king over Israel, told Saul, "Thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place, with a psaltery, a tabret, a pipe, and a harp; and they shall prophesy, and the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.” u More emphatically, when Jehoshaphat called for Elisha to inquire of the Lord; says Elisha," Bring me a minstrel: and it came to pass when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him;" that by the ravishing strains of music, his mind might be exalted into heavenly contemplations. Which is a great check to that drowsy dulness in devotion, which our late reformers have brought in, and have excluded the solemn melody of the organ, and the raptures of warbling and sweet voices out of the cathedral choirs. They that miss that harmony, can best tell how it was wont to raise up their spirit, and, as it were, to carry it out of them to the choir in heaven. And beside, cheerfulness is not only an adjunct, or companion with all the works of grace, in that time they are bringing forth; but being done and finished, that which is "post nate," the after-birth, as I may call it, comes with such a gleam gliding over all the soul, with such serenity and peace of mind as cannot be expressed; our conscience bearing us witness that we have been conversant in doing the pleasure of the Lord, as it is, "For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, we have had our conversation in the world." y Here I shall find work to heal the broken in heart, who look upon the fruits of their lives with no content in themselves, but are unsolaced, and cast down, because neither in number nor in weight have they brought in that which the Lord required: they look on their ways, and they find them crooked they look on their heart, and they find it is not constant to good purposes. To whom I rejoin; if this proceed from penitence, from quick sense of sin, from humility, which is opposite to a self-justifying, they have cause to praise God, that they are thus affected. Let them look narrowly if this gold (for it may prove no worse) be current, when it is brought to the touch-stone; then they may lift up their eyes, and look cheerfully towards Christ; for it is no flattery to say, they are under his grace and mercy. Deal clearly, that you are astonished at your frailties, because you think you can never work enough, never shun sin enough; and though your conscience condemn you, God will afford you equity against the rigour of conscience; for He that searcheth the heart, "knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit." We are conceived in sin, and it is so intimate unto us, that we have no promise to be so spiritualized in this life, that we shall not often trespass. "God hath concluded all in sin, all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all." a But it is one thing to fall into sin, another thing to run into it. One thing to be carried away by the passions of it, another to covet, and desire it. thing to be overtaken in a fault, another thing to abide in it without repentance. And great odds between those that are given over to please themselves in filthiness, and between them that labour and desire to please God, though many times they attain not to perfect that willingness. The scope of the seventh chapter to the Romans, as I apprehend the mind of the apostle, is, to refresh our guilty consciences, that a regenerate man is not obnoxious to condemnation, though his flesh, upon some temptations, make him the servant of sin, because still in his mind he serves the law of God. And I am confirmed in that sense, because without all contradiction he teacheth the like doctrine: "The flesh and the spirit are contrary one to another, so that we cannot do the thing that we would." e с One And will the righteous God require more of a sick and feeble servant, than his best endeavour? Will not Christ accept from us the same that he did from Mary, that broke the box of ointment over his head; "She hath done what she could ?" Let a contrite heart, that would fain be righteous, remember the prayer of Nehemiah: "Let thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name:" or the protestation of St. Paul; "We trust we have a good conscience, in all things, willing to live honestly." But this desire and willingness must be without hypocrisy; not like iron that is gilded, base metal within, and rich without: it must be steady, industrious, instant to perform. Vehement holy desire is a great degree to perfection in our state; "For the beginning of wisdom is the desire of discipline," but a lazy careless desire is a great token of imperfection. "The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing;" and again, "the desire of the slothful killeth him, for his hands refuse to labour;"h like vagabonds, that when an officer catcheth them, will feign that they desire a service, and to be set at work: but take them at their word, and they will run away, that they may live in loitering, and upon other men's labours. St. Paul, provoking both rich and poor to liberality, according to their respective abilities, frames a rule upon that occasion, which is applicable to all good works. "If there be a willing mind, it is accepted according to that which a man hath, and not according to that which he hath not."i Yea, in some cases, when I desire a good thing, I am at my furthest. I desire the appearance of the Lord Jesus at the great day. Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. I can do no more. I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ. I must do no more; for I must not attempt my own dissolution. I wish for the conversion of the Jews to the faith; I must not compel them. This holds in a few things. In the most willingness must show some practice; as in the same chapter: Now, therefore, perform the doing of it: that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also of that which you have.” But to desire to do, and to do little, is a sign that there was little desire. This hath overthrown many, that they desire not to reach high. But we know that God gives his grace by talents, and not in petty sums, yet a lukewarm professor can be content with mites. Could such a one get a moderate competency of righteousness, knowing that "without holiness no man shall see God," then he would sit down, and let others strive, if they like it, to be tallest cedars in the house of the Lord. There are many such indifferent disciples, that would be always babes, and never come to a manly growth; wrap themselves about with as many fig-leaves as would cover their shame, and think they want no more apparel. These, if they knew what it were to a dram, that would serve them to attain salvation, they would reach so far if the grace of God would assist them; but would put themselves to no trouble to purify their body and spirit any further. Here is a pretence of desire to serve God, He would but with so much laziness, with so much lethargy, that the Lord disdains it as dead carrion. serve God, and he would serve mammon. He approves much prayer, but he cannot attend it. He would not for all the world but be a christian; yet a small share in profit, or a snap at a little pleasure, will pervert him to be a dishonest christian. But real and holy desire stands up for much, though it cannot do so much honour to God as he would like the disease "ephialtes," that oppresseth us in the night, between sleeping and waking, we would turn to the other side of the bed, and cannot. But to shake off this "incubus," it listens after all the noble exploits that the saints of God have done, and would exactly follow them; or, if it were possible, run before them: if not, it will be heartily sorry that frailty makes it come short of the best. It would compound for no less than to pay all, if it were able. Then you shall find the heart pant often with these inward yearnings: "Sweet Saviour, should any of thy servants love thee better than I? should any of thy disciples be more obedient than I? No, Lord for none of thine are so much indebted to thy passion, because none had so many sins to be forgiven. How amiable are thy commandments, O Lord of hosts! my soul thirsteth to be the nearest of them that shall stand before the presence of the living God. Lord, let me love thee as Peter did; Lord, let me love thee more than these!" So I have revealed the first comforts flowing from the Holy Ghost, by his inhabitation and inward testimony: and the next comforts by the fruits of righteousness, and those sincere desires of godliness, which, by Christ's merciful interpretation, supply our failings. All which I conclude out of our churchsong made to the Holy Ghost. "Visit our minds, and into us Thy heavenly grace inspire, CHAPTER IV. Prayer is the great Instrument of a Christian's Comfort. Concerning Prayer, three things to be considered; I. The Substance or Matter of Prayer, in three Heads; 1. Thanksgivings; 2. Supplications; 3. Intercessions: II. The Qualifications of them that pray: III. The Fitness of Time for Prayer. a THE order laid down in the beginning, carries me to the fourth part of christian consolation,—the heavenly delight of prayer. It is the lively expression of faith, the ambassador which hope sends to God, the comfort of love, the fellowship of the Spirit, our advocate unto our Advocate Christ Jesus; our incense, whose smoke ascends up, and is sweet in the nostrils of the Most High; which promiseth such abundant success, that humility had rather conceive than utter it, lest we should seem to boast. A lowly supplicant to God never rose up from his knees, without some stirrings of gracious expectation, nor without a prophetical instinct that the mercy of the Lord was nigh at hand. Which fortunate presage Isaiah confirms unto us, "I will make them joyful in my house of prayer." And how readily may we use this mighty ordinance of God! how soon it may be done, if we have a mind to it! What freedom have we (no man can deny it) to utter a brief prayer, and very often, if we will, in the greatest toil and business! "The tongue of the stammerer shall be ready to speak elegantly." b It is so facile a part of religion, as he that hath a tongue can scarce miss it. It is as easy to say, "Our Father, which art in heaven," as to see heaven, which is always in our eye. Every sect of pagans and idolaters were taught by instinct to fly unto it "ex tempore ;" as the heathen mariners cried every man to his god. An atheist, falling into a sudden danger, as suppose a pistol were put to his breast, would cry out as soon to God to help him as any true believer. And he that, upon deliberation, did say there was no God, will break out into a confession, before he is aware, that there is a God, by natural impulsion. A poor whelp hath found a way to lick its own sores whole with its tongue; so when we are oppressed with misery, whether the evil of sin or the evil of punishment, we are prompted, by the natural notions of our soul, to lick the sore with our tongue; that is, to call for help from heaven. That soul which God did breathe into man, cannot shake off this principle, that all succour comes from above, for which it must breathe out itself unto God. No creature among beasts but, being smitten, will fall upon the way to relieve itself, except a blind, incogitant sinner. Such as have written upon their sagacity in that kind, tell us, that the fishes in the fresh water, being struck with a tool of iron, will rub themselves upon the glutinous skin of the tench to be cured. The hart, wounded with an arrow, runs to the herb dittany to bite it, that the shaft may fall out that stuck in his body. The swallow will seek out the green tetterwort, to recover the eyes of her young ones, when they are blinded. Only a stupid sinner forgets how to redintegrate his miserable estate, by throwing himself down prostrate before God Chap. lvi. 7, a b Isaiah xxxii. 4. c Jonah i. 5. in humble petition. He walks forward, lost to himself, lost to his right wits, because he hath no knowledge, or no good opinion, of the comfort of prayer. Which is my purpose to make him learn, by that which follows, looking upon, I. The substance or matter of prayer: II. The qualification of him that prayeth and, III. The fitness of time when prayer is to be made. I. The "matter of prayer" is as copious as all occasions that can be named; it will suffice for my purpose to treat of three heads: "Glorifications with thanksgivings, Supplications, and Intercessions." I. The first is bent to magnify the Almighty, to extol his name, to praise him for his goodness. This is the Hallelujah of David, and of the saints in heaven; that is, Give glory to Jah, or the great Jehovah; which is followed with a rare variety in the song of the three children : "O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord, praise him, and magnify him for ever!" It is a ditty that is balsamed all over with a profusion of delight, to praise God from all things that he hath made, from the centre of the earth to the top of heaven. And this is most divinely expressed in that which is called St. Ambrose's hymn in our common prayer: "We praise thee, O God, we acknowledge thee to be the Lord." And let the servant of God that will listen to me, repeat it often and often: for it is a piece of devotion so sweetly spread out into the branches of heavenly praise, confession of faith, and devout petitions, that the like did never come forth since the time it was penned. Let me speak to others out of the sense of my own heart, and I may safely profess, that in the service and worship of God, I find nothing so delightful as to continue in the praise and honour of the Lord. If another contradict it, and say, that there are some means more aptly calculated, as I may speak, for the high meridian of comfort; he is he, and I am I, and I appeal from him to myself, what I find in my own motions and feelings. And "what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of a man which is in him ?" d And observe that in the prudent institution of our church, to hold forth the consolation we have in Christ, after the participation of his body and blood in the blessed sacrament, it teacheth us to break out altogether in a jubilee, “Glory be to God on high; we praise thee, we bless thee, we glorify thee," &c. For when we are full of that holy feast, and have eaten angels' food, we fall into the tune of angels, and signify immediately, before we depart, how much our spirit rejoiceth in God our Saviour. But who knew better the mind of the Lord than the Spirit itself, in those admirable ecstasies of David?"Sing praises unto God; for it is pleasant." e "Sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant, and praise is comely."f "Sing aloud unto God our strength; make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob." Every furrow in the book of the Psalms is sown with such seeds. I know nothing more certain, more constant, to expel the sadness of the world, than to sound out the praises of the Lord as with a trumpet: and when the heart is cast down, it will make it rebound from earth to heaven. This was the wisdom of the holy church throughout all the world, (till distempers put us out of the right way not long since,) to solemnize the praise of our Saviour upon the feast of Christmas, Easter, &c.; that we might celebrate the great works which God hath done for us, "with the voice of joy, and praise, and with a multitude that kept holiday." O give thanks unto the Lord, by telling of his mercy and salvation from day to day: Give thanks unto him with cheerfulness, for a joyful and pleasant thing it is to be thankful. Who is a just man, and fair conditioned, that would not pay a debt, and be exonerated of it? He that can say he hath paid what he owed, is it not quietness to his mind to be discharged? And the gratuitum which God gives, is a thousand-fold This is proposed to them that will fly high from the pinhallowed be thy name." It goes further a great deal, and brings more advantage, when we offer up the sacrifice of retribution, the incense of thanksgiving unto the Lord; for we draw on more benefits, when we declare the goodness of the Lord upon the receipt of the old. greater than the present which we bring. nacle of the Lord's prayer, the first petition, 2. Neither let them faint, that stoop low in supplication: for mercy will embrace them on every side. Two things being put together are of much weight: we pray with God's Spirit, and by his word. He invites us in his word to pray, and he gives the gift with which we pray. "I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplications." Did he pour upon us his grace? and have we received a commandment, the outward sign of his will? and can we suspect, after all this, that he will put us off, and deny us? Is his grace given in vain? or hath he sent his word to delude us? He hath kindled a fire in our breasts, and it is a heavenly flame that burns within us. "Lord, though we are vile and despicable, thou canst not despise the acting of thine own Spirit, nor frustrate thine own operations. Or do we come unbidden, when we cast ourselves down in thy presence? Nay, Lord, thou hast beckoned and called us: "Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden." Hold fast to these two, and who can forbid us to be comforted? The Lord bids us pray, and he gives us a heart to pray. For it is not strange to his mercy (perhaps it is strange to man's conceit) to give us strength to bring forth that obedience, both to will and to do, which himself hath commanded :—as he gave the blessed Virgin strength to bring forth the babe, who was conceived and formed in her womb by the Holy Ghost. This I do the rather enforce, because we can see no comfort in ourselves: therefore, as I derive all the virtue and spirituality that is in prayer, from the efficacy of grace-so I refer all the success to Christ, in whom "we are blessed with all spiritual blessings."k "Whatsoever ye ask the Father in 41 Cor. ii. 11. e Psalm cxxxv. 3. Psalm cxlvii. 1. 8 Psalm lxxxi. 1. h Psalm xlii. 4. Zech, xii, 10. k Eph. i. 3 |