if it be not from this principle, it is neither acceptable to God, nor available to himself, 1 Cor. xiii. 3.

But now nothing more inflames and quickens the Christian's love to God, than the knowledge of his intereft in him, and the fenfible perception and tafte of his love to the foul Our love to God is but a reflection of his own love; and the more powerful the ftroke of the direct beam is, the more is that of the reflex beam alfo. Never doth that flame of Jah burn with a more vehement heat, than when the soul hath the moft clear manifestations of its intereft in Christ and his benefits, Luke vii. 47.

2. It must needs be of fingular ufe to a fuffering faint, because it takes out the finking weight of affliction. That which finks and breaks the fpirit, is the conjunction and meeting of inward and outward troubles together; then if the Lord do not strangely and extraordinarily fupport the foul, it is wreckt and overwhelmed, as the ship in which Paul failed was, when it fell into a place where two feas met, Acts xxvii. 41. O how tempestuous a fea doth that soul fail in, that hath fightings without, and fears within! how muft that poor Chriftian's heart tremble and meditate terror, that when he retires from troubles without, for fome comfort and fupport within, fhall find a fad addition to his troubles from whence he expected relief against them! hence it was that Jeremy fo earneftly deprecates fuch a mifery, "Be not thou a terror to me, thou art "my hope in the day of evil," Jer. xvii. 17. This is prevented by this means: if a man have a clear breast, and all be quiet within, he is like one that hath a good roof over his head when the form falls. "We glory in tribulation, because the "love of God is thed abroad in our hearts," Rom. v. 3, 5.

3. It is a fountain of joy and comfort in the darkest and faddeft hour. Hence the glorious triumphs of faints in their affictions, Rom. v. 5. And in the Chriftian's joy in the Lord, lies much of his ftrength for sufferings, Neh. viii. 10. If once the spirit droop and fink, the man is in a bad case to fuffer: Holy joy, is the oil that makes the chariot-wheels of the fou! free to follow, the Lord, Non tardat uncta rota. To fuffer with joyfulness for Chrift is a qualification that God's eye is much upon in his fuffering fervants, Col. i. 11. How did the famous worthies that went before us magnify Christ, and glorify religion by the holy triumphs of their faith and joy under tribulation one kifs'd the apparitor that brought him news of his condemnation, and was like a man tranfported with an. excefs of joy: Another upon the pronouncing of the fentenca

kneels down, and with hands and eyes lifted up, folemnly' bleffes God for fuch a day as that. Oh how is Chrift magnified by this! and this cannot be until interest be cleared. It is true, the faith of recumbency gives the foul a fecret fupport, and enables the Chriftian to live; but the faith of evidence keeps him lively, and prevents all thofe uncomfortable and uncomely finkings and defpondencies of fpirit, 2 Cor. iv. 16, 17. and therefore cannot but be of a fingular use to a foul at fuch a time.

4. And, lastly, It is of special ufe to a Chriftian under sufferings, inafmuch as it enables him to repel the temptations that attend upon fufferings. Nothing fets a keener edge upon his indignation against unworthy compliances, than this.

Indeed

a poor cloudy and dubious Christian will be apt to catch at deliverance, though upon terms difhonourable to Chrift; but he that is clear in point of intereft, abhors compofitions and capitulations upon unworthy terms and conditions, Heb. xi. 35. and x. 34. He that fees the gain and reward of suffering, will think he is offered to his lofs, when life and deliverance are fet before him upon fuch hard terms as fin is.

And thus you fee what influence it hath into a fuffering condition.

III. In the next place I promised to prescribe some rules for the attaining of this evidence, and the difpelling of those doubts by which it is ufually clouded in the fouls of believers. And oh, that by the faithful use of them you may attain it, against a fuffering day come upon you.

1. Rule. And the first rule I fhall give you is this, make it your business to improve grace more; for the more vigorous it is, the more evidential it must needs be, 2 Pet. i. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. Oh how much time have many Christians spent in inquiring after the loweft figns of fincerity, and what may confift with grace? Which had they spent in the diligent improvement of the means of grace, for the increafing of it, they would have found it a shorter cut to peace and comfort by much.

2. Rule. Miftake not the rule by which you are to try yourfelves, left you give a falfe judgment upon yourfelves. Some are apt to make thofe things figns of grace, which are not; and when the falfeness of them is detected, how is that poor foul plunged into doubts and fears, that leaned upon them? As now, if a man should conclude his fincerity from his diligence in attending on the word preached; this is but a paralogifm, (as the apoftle calls it), Jam. i. 22. By which a man

deceiveth his own foul: For that which is note or mark, must be proper to the thing notified, and not common to any thing elfe. There are divers forts of marks; fome are exclufive, the principal ufe of which is to convince bold pretenders, and dif cover hypocrites; fuch is that, 1 Cor. ix. 9. It is a moft certain fign where these are, there is no grace; but yet it will not follow on the contrary, that where these are not, there is grace. See Luke xviii. 11. Others are inclufive, the use of which is not fo much for trying of the truth, as the strength and degrees of grace. As now, when faith is defcribed by the radi ancy of it, or by fome of its heroic acts, and promifes made to fome raised degrees and operations of it; as that, Eph. iii. 12. &c. here a mistake is eafily made. Befides thefe, or ra ther betwixt thefe, are another fort of marks, which are called pofitive marks; and thefe agreeing to the lowest degree of grace, are for the trial of the truth and fincerity of it. Such are thefe, John iv. 13. 1 John ii. 3. Matth. v. 3. Be fure to try by a proper mark.

3. Rule. Take heed of fuch fins as violate and wafte the confcience; for thefe will quickly raife a mift, and involve the foul in clouds and darkness, Pfal. li. 8. &c. Such are fins a gainft light, and the reclamations of confcience.

4. Rule. Labour to fhun thofe common mistakes that Chriftians make in judging of their state; amongst which I fhall felect thefe five as principal ones.

1. Call not your condition into question upon every failing and involuntary lapfe into fin. Iniquities prevail against me, as for our tranfgreffions, thou fhalt purge them away," Pfal. lxv. 3. In fhort, thou needeft not call thy condition into queftion, provided thou find thy fpirit working as Paul's did under the furprizals of temptation: viz. If, (1.) Thou do approve of and delight in the law, though thou fall fhort of it in thy practice, Rom. vii. 12, 14. (2.) If thy failings be involuntary, and against the refolution and bent of thy foul, ver. 15, 18, 19. (3.) If it be the load and burden of thy foul, ver. 24. (4.) If the thoughts of deliverance comfort thee, ver. 25.

2. Question not the truth of thy grace, because it was not wrought in the fame way and manner in thee, as in others: For there is a great variety, as to the circumftances of time and manner, betwixt the Spirit's operations upon one and another. Compare the hiftory of Paul's converfion with that of the Jai lor, Zacheus, or Lydia, and fee the variety of circumstances. 3. Conclude not that have no grace, you because you not thofe tranfports and ravishing joys that other Chriftians

feel

fpeak of. If thou canst not fay as Paul doth, Rom. viii. 38. yet blefs God, if thou canft but breathe forth fuch language as that, Mark ix. 24. "Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief."

4. Say not thou haft no grace, because of the high attainments of fome hypocrites, who in fome things may excel thee. When fome perfons read the fixth chapter to the Hebrews, they are ftartled to fee to what a glorious height the hypocrite may foar; not confidering that there are these three things wherein they excel the most glorious hypocrite in the world. (1.) That self was never dethroned in hypocrites, as it is in them. All that an hypocrite doth is for himself. (2.) The hypocrite never hated every fin, as he doth; but hath ftill fome Agag, Rimmon, or Delilah. (3.) That the hypocrite never acted in duty from the bent and inclination of a new nature, taking delight in heavenly employment, but is moved rather as a clock by the weight and poises of some external motives and advantages. 5. Conclude not you have no grace, because you grow not fo fenfibly as fome other Chriftians do. You may be divers ways mistaken about this. (1.) You may measure your growth by your defires, and then it appears nothing; for the Chriftian aims high, and grafps at all. (2.) Or by comparing yourfelves with fuch as have larger capacities, time, and advantages, than you. (3.) Or by comparing your graces with other mens gifts, which you mistake for their graces. (4.) Or by thinking that all growth is upward in joy, peace, and comfort; whereas you may grow in mortification and humility, which is as true a growth as the former. Oh! take heed of these mistakes; they have been very prejudicial to the peace of many Christians. 5. Rule. Laftly, Decline not fufferings when God gives you a fair call to them. Oh! the Chriftian's fuffering time is commonly his clearest and most comfortable time. "Then "the Spirit of God and glory refteth on them," 1 Pet. iv. 14. That which hath been in fufpence for fome years, is decided and cleared in a fuffering hour. And thus I have fhewed you how to attain this neceffary qualification aljo.

С НА Р. VIII.

I

Difcovering the neceffity of an improved faith for the right management of fufferings, and directing to fome special means for the improvement thereof.

HE next thing conducing to our actual readiness for fufferings, is the improvement of faith to fome confi

derable degree of ftrength. This is the grace that must do the main service in such an hour; and hath the principal hand in fupporting the Christian under every burden. This is the grace that crowns our heads with victory in the day of battle, Eph. vi. 16. “ Above all taking the shield of faith." It is true, every grace is of use, and contributes affistance: Suffering faints have been beholding to them all. But of this we may fay, as Solomon of the virtuous woman; "Though many graces have "done excellently, yet this excels them all." In this grace Paul was very eminent; it was the life he daily lived, Gal. ii. 20. Oh! it is a precious grace, 2 Pet. i. 1. So precious, that Christ, who seldom admired at any thing, yet wondered at this, Matth. viii. 10. A victorious grace it is that overcomes all difficulties, Mark ix. 23. By this fword it was that all those famous heroes, Heb. xi. atchieved all thofe glorious conquests; and in every distress it may say to the foul, as Chrift to the dif ciples, John xv. 5. "Without me ye can do nothing." This is that /word that hath obtained fo many victories over the world, 1 John v. 4. And that trusty shield that hath quenched so mamy deadly darts of temptation, which have been levelled at the very heart of a Chriftian in the day of battle. By it a Chrifti an lives, when all outward fenfible comforts die, Hab. ii. 4. It is the ground upon which the Chriftian fixes his foot, and never fails under him, 2 Cor. i. 24. The neceffity of it will more clearly appear, by confidering how many ways it relieves the foul in trouble, and disburdens the heart of all its finking loads and preffures: There are two things that fink a man's fpirit when under fufferings; viz. The greatness of the trou bles, and the weakness of the foul to bear them; against both which faith relieves the foul, viz. by making a weak soul strong, and heavy troubles light.

First, It makes a weak foul ftrong and able to bear; and this it doth divers ways.

1. By purging out of the foul thofe enfeebling and weakning distempers; not only guilt in general, which is to the foul as a wound upon the bearing shoulder, Rom. v. 1. The removal whereof enables the foul to bear any other burden, Ifa. xxxiii. 24. But it also removes fear, that tyrant paffion, that cuts the nerves of the foul. For as faith comes in, fo fear goes out: Look in what degree the fear of God is afcendant in the foul, proportionably the finful fear of the creature declines and vanisheth, Ifa. viii. 12, 13. This fear extinguishes that, as the fun-fhine puts out fire, "The righteous is bold as a lion," Prov. xxviii. 1. The word a fignifies a young lion in