and that discovery hath wrought a distrust of themselves, and that distrust hath taught them faith in God; then the Lord hath reached his end on them, and will change his way with them.

3dly, Grace can revive the decayed state of a believer : Psal. xxiii. 3. He restoreth my soul. He reneweth their strength, Isa. xl. 31. Thy youth is renewed like the eagles, Psal. ciii. 5. This is impossible in nature, and as to our bodies; but as to our souls, and the work of God in them, it is what is promised, and often done. Old people may, and do often, in their folly and vanity, counterfeit youth; but all their arts cannot make themselves one hour younger. But the Lord can renew the youth of the new creature, and make it better with him than ever it was. David prays for it, Psal. li. 10. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within Peter got a new conversion, Luke xxii. 32. They both had been converted and renewed before; but they fell under a sad decay, and needed this restoring grace, and got it.

So much of the second time of need. I proceed to a third,

not so common.

III. A time of special enjoyments, is a time of special need of God's helping grace. You may think it strange, but it is true, that they that receive most of the Lord's gracious bounty, stand in most need of grace to guide it well. Concerning this season, I would speak in five particulars.

1. Most Christians know what those enjoyments are by experience, although in various measures. It is very suspicious, that that person is an hypocrite, that is always in the same frame, let him pretend it to be never so good. The true Christian's sky is never long clear, and without clouds. Change of weather and ways, is usually found by travellers to heaven. It is to be suspected, that he is not right who hath no changes, Psal lv. 19. These special enjoyments are of several sorts.

1st, There is some special nearness to God enjoyed by Christians at some times. We are not at all to be offended at, but rather confirmed by the reproaches of the ungodly, that are utter strangers to such enjoyments, and cannot endure nor understand the scripture-names of such blessings that they

themselves are unacquained with. What is more frequent in the word, than this nearness to God? What is better known in the experience of saints than this nearness? He makes gracious approaches to mens spirits, and causeth them to approach to him, Psal. lxv. 4. They find it good for them, Psal. lxxiii. 28. The first gracious change wrought on a soul, is by bringing a distant sinner near to God: Eph. ii. 13. But noru in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ, "Whenever the virtue of that blood came upon you by the Spirit of Christ, God came near to you, and you were brought near to God." But besides this nearness that is begun in the first application of grace, and changeth their state; there is more nearness given by the Lord, and enjoyed by his people, for the cheering of their hearts, and bettering of their frame. Exercised Christians are able to give a distinct account of their having of this nearness at some times, and of their want of it at other times. How much of both are in the Psalms of David? And such as can under stand the nearness to, and distance from God, so frequently mentioned there, as only the psalmist's sense of God's favourable or cross providence towards him in outward things, are to be pitied for their ungodly ignorance, and despised for their expounding the words of a man after God's heart according to the carnal sentiments of their own.

2dly, There are effusions of the Spirit spoke of in the word, and found by Christians, which are special enjoyments. Sometimes they are found in the performance of spiritual duties of worship; sometimes in the exercise of grace. Grace should be acted in all duties of worship; but it may be, and should be acted out of any formal duty. You should never and love on Christ.

pray, but there should be acting of faith But, God be thanked, you may act faith and love when ye do not pray, when you are about no settled spiritual duty of worship. There is a being in the fear of the Lord all the day long, Prov. xxiii. 17. A walking up and down in the name of the Lord, Zech. x. 12. A doing of every thing in the name of the Lord Jesus, Col. iii. 17. Every believer hath the Spirit of Christ: If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of kis, Rom. viii. 9. But there are some singular pourings out

of this Spirit promised and bestowed, and well known by believers? and they are precious enjoyments. This Spirit the world cannot receive; because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you, as Christ saith, John xiv. 17.

3dly, There is communion and fellowship with God much spoke of in the word, well known by believers, 1 John i. 3. But I shall name no more of these enjoyments.

2. As all Christians know what these special enjoyments are, so all of them do greatly desire them. This is so sure, that many do over-desire them. This desire ariseth,

1st, From the genius and instinct of the new nature. What' is more natural to the new creature, than kindly breathing after heaven? When a poor soul hath got of the water of life from Christ, it becomes in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life, John iv. 14. Immediately the soul saith, "What shall I do to be saved? when shall I be saved?” Now, if desires of heaven be the native breathing of the new creature, surely breathing after much of heaven upon earth must be so too for the highest enjoyments of God on earth, are far short of what is reserved for heaven.

2dly, Experience of first love, and of the first gracious welcome he gave to the believer, when he first fled to the city of refuge, makes them desire more of those enjoyments.

3. These special enjoyments are very profitable, as well as pleasing. They are given for profit, and do usually profit. 1st, They are supported under tribulation: In the multitude of my thoughts within me, (and doubtless they were sad ones), thy comforts delight my soul, Psalm xciv. 19. Usually much affliction, and joy of the Holy Ghost, are together, 1 Thess. i. 6. The promises are fitted for distress, and the performance of them given to Christians under it. Some distresses are so great, that nothing can bear up under them, but a special appearance of divine grace; and in that case such blessings may be more importunately begged.

2dly, Special enjoyments do fit and strengthen for work and service. There is a joy of the Lord that is the believer's strength, Neh. viii. 10. Elijah's double meal was to strength. en him for a forty days journey in the wilderness; and the

extraordinary manifestation he had of God, was to fit him for his translation, 1 Kings xix. Many saints have found this so often in their experience, that they do with fear receive singular enjoyments of God, because they have so oft found them followed with some special trial and difficulty.

4. Although most Christians have somewhat of these special enjoyments, and all desire them, and they be profitable in themselves; yet special spiritual enjoyments are dangerous, and render a man very needy of the helping grace of God.

1st, Because they do usually expose to special temptations. Satan is a constant enemy to all Christians. But there are two times especially that he would fainest assault the believer; when he is at his worst, and when he is at his best. Let believers be never so low, if Satan get his will, he would bring them lower. No man is as low as the devil would have him, but he that is in hell; but thither he cannot bring a believer. If a Christian be never so high, if the devil be let loose upon him, he will quickly bring him down. Do not think, that the devil will fear to engage a believer, even when in his best state. He that had the boldness to fall on sinless Adam in paradise, will think it an easy matter to deal with any sinful man in this wilderness. He that had the impudence to tempt our almighty sinless Saviour, will he have either modesty or fear in tempting a feeble believer? You whom the Lord makes at any time to ride on your high places, bless him, and yet fear your adversary.

2dly, There are some special corruptions that are apt to grow under special enjoyments, as weeds by warm sunshine. If there were any such enjoyment of God to be found in this life as would remove corruption altogether out of the heart, there would be no fear of abusing it: but now, when the greatest enjoyments that can be had in this life, are given to them that have a body of death dwelling in them, there are some workings of that remaining corruption that are very ready to appear in this case. As,

(1.) Pride of heart; spiritual pride. All pride is a spiritual sin; but pride that riseth on spiritual blessings received, is specially spiritual pride. Pride on the account of

beauty of body, or strength, or riches, is a carnal foolish pride. If it rise on the account of gifts and endowments of the mind, it grows yet a worse pride. But if the gifts of God be yet of a more high and noble kind, as his special love, and the precious fruits of that love, in begun conformity to Christ, and communion with him; if pride rise on such grounds, it is yet the worst of all sorts of pride. For the more gracious the gifts of God be, and the more eminently they be of free distinguishing grace, and the more plainly the design of God in giving those gifts be to glorify the grace of the giver, and to save the receiver, to the praise of that grace; pride of heart on the account of such gifts, is yet the worst of all pride. Now, that such a corruption may grow under special enjoyments of God, is past all doubt. 2 Cor. xii. Paul speaks of his being lifted up unto heaven, like a man that had not fully recovered himself: I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether out of the body, or in the body, I know not: God knoweth ), ver. 2. It was a long while since; but in the time of the enjoyment, and fourteen years after it, he could not tell whether he was in or out of the body. He never speaks plainly of it, till he came to speak of his infirmities, ver. 7. Lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. Where we may perceive plainly, that whatever was in that extraordinary enjoyment Paul had in that vision from heaven, or in that visit to heaven, that was allowed him; when he came back, he found the same heart he had formerly felt, and the same body of death he so often had groaned under before. Although we know not what Paul enjoyed in that time, nor what the nature of that exercise by Satan was that he was put to: yet the Lord's design, and Paul's danger, is plain. It is indeed a marvellous passage. Such an extraordinary person as Paul was, the chief of the apostles, and most eminent saint in all the New Testament, after such a great revelation, must be exercised with hell, to prevent harm by his being in heaven, before he was fully ready and fit for heaven.

(2.) Contentedness with a present good condition, and dul