but that we must come for it, if we would have it. Is there any so unreasonable, as to find fault with this order? Is it not fair and easy, Ask and have? Would any have grace to help them, unsought? If you would have it, you are asking it. Is it not fit then to come for it, and tell Christ you would have it? If you would not have it, you are praying against it. And wicked are those prayers, that are in aversion from the grace of Christ? Every believer will find his heart reconciled to this order. They know, that there is a blessing in coming, as well as a blessing to be got by coming. And most Christians, I am apt to think, continue their approaches to the throne of grace, as much, if not more, from the delight they find in coming, as from the profit they find by coming; though these two are not inconsistent. He that delights not himself in the Lord, will not always call upon God, Job xxvii. 10. So much for this general exhortation.

Exhort. 2. In the next place, I would speak somewhat to them that are not acquainted with the grace of God, nor with the throne of grace. Graceless people is so bad a name, that few will own it, though many deserve it. Such fill up much room in most assemblies, and sometimes may step up into the pulpit, in the name of ministers of that grace of God they never knew but in a book. But God calls all by their right names, and only can make men answer to those names. these four things enter into such folks thoughts :

Let

1. Unavoidably a time of need will come, that the grace of God can only help in. None but a great atheist can make any doubt of this. Dost thou believe there is a God? that thou art a mortal man, whom a few days more will turn out of this world? Dost thou believe that thou hast an mortal soul, that must be for ever? (and how much a beast is that man, and worse than a beast, that doubts of any of these?) If thou believe these plain principles, canst thou doubt but a time of need will come, wherein nothing can stand thee in any stead, but only this God's mercy and grace?

2. This present time you have, is the only time given you for preparing for the time of need that must come. How little is that precious golden talent, time, laid out for that the Lord gives it for? Can men think that God gives them time,

to spend it in the ways they spend it? That must be ill-spent time, that is spent so, as men know they must either repent of, or perish by. We are bid redeem the time, Eph. v. 16. But most men throw it away, or sell it to sin and Satan, as if they had no use for it. The best use of time, is to spend it in preparing for eternity: All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come, Job xiv. 14. These are wellspent days. But how few of the hours of your days are thus spent?

3. There can be no greater folly, than to neglect this present only season of preparing for an unavoidable time of extremity. Our Lord, in the parable, calls the five negligent virgins, foolish, Matth. xxv. 2. If a man throw away his estate in folly and vanity, the world will brand him with the name of a fool, and justly. If a man throws away his health and life, there is folly in that too. But for a man to throw away his soul, and all his hopes of well-being for eternity, is the rankest of all folly: yet is the world so full of such fools, that very few give it its true name. He must be greatly plagued with blindness and stupidity, that is not convinced, that that is the greatest folly that shuts a man eternally out of heaven, and locks him up in hell.

4. There can be no reflection and remorse more sad and bitter than that that ariseth on the review and sense of this folly, when it is remediless. We read of the worm that dieth not, Mark ix. 44, 46, 48. This is commonly understood of conscience. Conscience stings two ways; and one way more dreadfully than the other. Conscience stings for sin, as it is an offence against God, a breach of his holy law, and as it exposeth the sinner to God's dreadful anger. But conscience stings more dreadfully, for neglecting the remedy for sin provided in Christ, and revealed to men in the gospel. Therefore our Lord lays the condemnation of the world that perisheth under the gospel, on this, John iii. 9. It is not laid on the evil of their deeds: but on this, that their love to their deeds made them hate the light that discovered them, and the grace that only can pardon and heal them. Men perish not under the gospel, because they are sinners against God's law, (though the least sin deserves hell; and

they that have not the light of the gospel, are justly judged by the law); but because they believe not in Jesus Christ, John iii. 18. And believers in Christ are not saved because they are holy, (though all that believe are holy); but because they are in Christ by faith; that the glory of salvation may be Christ's entirely, and the blame of mens perdition under the gospel may be their own entirely.

Let men therefore prevent this dreadful ruin, by giving an ear to him that calleth them. Christ offers you salvation from a throne of grace: come and take it. Come and put forth your hand, and take and eat of the tree of life, and live for ever. You must all shortly stand before Christ's throne, when it will be no more a throne of grace: 2 Cor. v. 10. We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ. That will be a time of great need; and none can stand with peace before that throne, but they that have been acquainted with this throne of grace in my text. Christ on the throne of grace, and Christ on the judgment-seat, is the same Christ. Christ in the gospel, and Christ in the clouds, is the same Christ. Yet we must distinguish. Christ on the throne of grace is no judge; and Christ on the judgment-seat hath no grace to dispense. Now is his time of dispensing grace; then will be the day of his punishing the despisers of grace, and of giving the crown of glory to the receivers of his grace.

In the last place, I would give a few directions unto real Christians, in order to your providing of grace to help in time of need.

1. Lay the foundation sure. A time of need will try it, 1 Cor. iii. 11. Other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. The Father hath laid Christ for a foundation: Isa. xxviii. 16. Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth, shall not make haste. Applied to Christ, 1 Peter ii. 6. The faithful ministers of the gospel lay Christ for a foundation; 1 Cor. iii. 10. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master-builder I have laid the foundation. But how can a poor sinner lay Christ for a foundation to himself? Turn

but the words, and the question is answered: Thy laying of Christ for a foundation, is thy laying thyself upon Christ. for a foundation; and it is neither more nor less, nor any thing else. Cast yourselves, and all your concerns about salvation, on Christ alone. Let him bear all. He only can, and calls for this from you. One of the first questions that ariseth in the mind of a Christian in a time of need, is this: Is the foundation right laid? am I founded on Christ? The storm will try the foundation. It were great wisdom to secure that before the storm come.

2. Clear up your evidences against a time of need. The evidences of a Christian are not his charters for heaven, (the covenant of grace contains them); but they are as light, by which a Christian reads his charters. Evidences are of great use in a time of need. They stand in God's work in us. Our faith stands on God's word of promise to us, and on Christ's work for us; the evidences of believers stand in God's gracious working in, and on, and by them. These four words I would give about your evidences: (1.) When you cannot perceive them, search for them; 2 Cor. xiii. 5. Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own. selves: know ye not your ownselves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates, or disapproved? The exhortation is so delivered, as to persuade us, that very narrow and exact searching is called for in this work. May not that Christian's heart condemn him, who is daily complaining of his ignorance of his state, when he knows that serious self-examination is neglected by him? (2.) If upon searching you cannot yet find, beg the help of the Spirit of God to discover his own work in you: 1 Cor. ii. 12. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God. The illumination of the Holy Ghost is not only simply needful, to give us a saving knowledge of the mystery of the gospel; but is so also to give us a right knowledge of the mystery of his grace in us, Eph. i. 17, 18, 19. where the apostle prays for the Spirit, for both these ends. David prays for the Lord's help in his examining of himself, Psalm cxxxix. 23, 24. A heart laid open to God's search, a heart willing to have all in it viewed

and discovered by the Lord, is an upright sincere heart. Whoever is willing to know his worst, is not stark naught: yet he that seeth but the least half of his badness, will judge himself to be very bad. (3.) If you cannot yet find your evidences, make them presently. Many Christians need this advice. They formerly had evidences of their interest in Christ; they had a clear sight of the truth and fruits of their faith, and love, and repentance: this refreshing sight is gone. and they mourn as without the sun, as Job speaks, chap. xxx. 28. Let such take this course. Act afresh that grace, when you are doubtful whether you ever acted it before. See you at present no clear evidences of your former believing? Act faith presently. There are few things more evident, than strong believing is in the very acting of it. And if the acting of faith on Jesus Christ, as speaking in righteousness, and mighty to save, Isaiah Ixiii. 1. be evident to thee, thou hast the best evidence for eternal life that is in all the Bible. Most of the promises run this way. Whoever believeth on the Son of God, hath everlasting life, John iii. 15, 16, 17. It is the gracious and wise constitution of the Lord, that no grace can be ordinarily evident to a man in whom it is; so, as in and by the exercise and acting of it. (4.) When you find evidences of God's work in you, bless the worker and discoverer of them, and believe more and more. Say with David, Psalm lxxi. 14. I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more. It is just with God, and merciful too, that darkness should come upon that man's evidences, who sits down upon them, and blesseth himself in them, more than he doth God for them; and pleaseth himself in a life of sense, with neglecting the life of faith.

3. Make good use of your former experiences of the mercy and grace of God, helping you in former times of need. The Lord's kindness is not shown to us for the present time only, but for the time to come. It is not given to us, to play or please ourselves with at present, but for good and needful uses; for strengthening of our faith, exciting of praise, and directing and encouraging us to come to the same door we were formerly relieved at. It is a part of the work of faith, to look back on formerly-bestowed mercy and grace, as well