Chap.n. SeCl:.3 a fire of affeCtion ; the affetlions arc lifted up , they can~ot. be altered and changed f[al ~~ s. ~{led only by an outward'principle, not by a\'OU}ward and imvard pritlciple alfo, both by the Spirit of God, and fuitablenefs of affeCtion to that which is good: it w.iis other– wtfc wirll David, I ddight tv dv thy wtll, 0 God; yta, thy law iJ withirJ my heart:. an(( Jk m. 7• .,, otherwife with Paul, I deltght"' the law ofGod after the inwardma11; till the law of God be within u;, we cannot from within tafl:e the fweenefs of Gods Ordinances..: in' true and folid delight,there mull be a fuitablenefs betwixt the heart and the Ordinances< Frn;. > t • • s. therefore, faith the Wife man, It iJ joy to the juft to dv judgment : The Jujlice that i~ in him, is fuitable to the judgment to be done by him, and this makes the joy. Hence it followes,that fo much grace,fo much delight: were we moreholy; fpiritpa!, heavenly, as the Ordmances are, we ihould be more affeCted therewith. Thus It IS not in the Q!!cil:. 2. .Anfw. r £!!:eft. .Anfw. wiclwl, ihey have no fuch delight. . why iJ the word f obrimfull of comfort to the dear SaintJ ofGod? Becaufe)n the word they have communion with God, who is the God ofall Con : folation; and with the Spirit ofGod, who is called the Comforter: Now asamati that walks amongfl: Perfumes,mufl: needs fmell of the Perfume', fo they that converfe with the God of •ll joy, mufl: needs be filled with all joy; and therefore David calL< God his exceeding joy. The Saints go to the word, as one that goes.to hear news of :i friend ; they look upon the Ordinances, as that whereby they have to do with God, and therefore it is precious and fweet to them. No wonder, can a man who is cold, come to the fire and not be warmed.' Can he that is in the d'\rk,come intu the open oir. and not be inlightned? Gocf is the fpring of all comfort, and therefore fure their hearts mufl: needs be comforted, that meet with God in the Ordinances; on the contrary, i( they meet not with God, if they milfe of their comnaunioQ with the Lord Jefus Chriit, then is comfort afar off: But we mull: not argue againO: a general truth, from a particular temptation. The P<Yfition will itand, That Gods \Vord is brim-fulf of comfort to Gods people, though every experiment comes not up to' it. . 8. That we hear the Lord fpeak in the Word, many hear the Word of God fp«: ken, but they never hear the Lord fpeaking that VVord. 0 this isthe maine Dutytd hear -the Lords voyce in the VVord : It is a wonder to confider what alteration th~ Saints find 'in themfelves when ,they come to hear, as fometimes their hearts are quickned, fed, cherifhed, healed and comforted ; and fometinaes again they are deact and fenflefs, heavy and hardened, nay whicb is more, the very fame truth whicll they hear at one tinte it may be affects them, and at another time it cloth not; the rea-, fon is, they heard the VVord of God fpoken at one time, and they heard the Lord fpeaking that fame VVord at another time; the Lord is in his word at one rime, and the VVord goes alone at another time. But how /hall we difccrn and know the effeCtual voy'ce of Cod in the VVord? VVe may difccrne it by thefe three degrees, which we mufl: take joyntly. As · 1. ThevoyceofGod in the Word finglesamanout, and(though it be generally' writteh, or fpokcn by the Minifl:er) it fpeaks particularly to the very heart of a man, . with a marvellous kinde of majefl:y, and glory of God itampr upon it,and ihining in it i hence it is that one man is wrought on in a fermon, another is not; God hath fingled out ope man, bufnot another th~tday. Take a manunhumbled, he hears many things, and it may be. underllan~s not, or ifhe underfl:and, yet they concerne him not, or i{ they do, and confcience is ltirrcd, yet he thinks the Minifl:er fpeaks them by hap, and others are as bad as he, and his trouble is not much; at lafl: God fpeaks, and then, c' he hears his fccret thoughts and fins difcovered, all his life is made known, yea the 1 or. ' 4 • •S· fecrets of his heart are made manifeil: : fo, take a man humbled, he hears of the free offer of grace, he rcfufeth the offers, he hears ofthe promifes of Chrill, and cal1s all by, as things generally fpoken, and applyed by man; but when the Lord comes, he cloth fo meet with his objeCtions, that he thinks, this ;, tbr l,-ord, and thiJ ;, to me. z. The voycc of,the Lotd prryes unto, and centers in Chrifl:; thus )aith Chril1 ;: J obn 6. 4S·. they Jhallbe all tar<ffht ofGod:' every man therefore that hath heard, a!ld httth iMrned •f the Fmher, comerh 0 unto me: lf the Law humbl.s them, it is fuch an humbling as drives them to Chrill; if the Word gives·peace to them, it is fuch a pra<e, which at the laft they find onely'in Ch>·ij/; if they"Ii've holily, they live unto Chrifl:: IV< ;udt,e, thllt .if l!.pb. 2 • 14. ifwe were dead, and Chrij/ dyed for'"' we jhq11ld thm live unto hrm : 1f Chnft be not · · mcnttoned,
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