Alii 21, 28 Phil. 4 14 Jam, S·IJ I[a. 27. s Pfai.J2• S 1/a. 2!.16 .{i)atnts fuffcttngs. Chap. 16.Secr. 3_ 3· Enquire at the mouth of God b.y )'rayer an~ humi-liation', as David did, 2 Smn ·21. r. ancl-as ]obdid,· ]ob. 10. 2. a?a as thofe 1~ ]e-remiph did, Jer. 16. 10, 11 • ' ~. -fleark.eh.to the voyce of confCJence ; that ts God3 officer is our fouls; efpecia]) after humthattOn and fcekmg ofGod , then hlten to the voyce of confcience for as {c is with an officer whom you woufd have _fearch the Records, if you would ha;e him di– li~ent indeed in thcf~~rch, yot:mufrg1ve him ~is fee., elfe he will do the work but fl 1ghtly; So we mutl gtve confc1cnc~, .Gods.Rq~tfrer hts fee; ( i. e.) we mult let con. fcience have much prayer and humthatton whtch tt calls for,and then it will tell us Gods minde more fully. 4 : When we have found out our li~&, Let us, l. ~akc notice of Gods difplcafure agathlt us. 2. Let' us be humbled font. 3. Let us lbr up our hearts a:gainlt it with indignation. This is lhat which hath ca~tfed me allthi• woe, that bath brought upon me a// this trouble and[mart. As. the Jews took hold on Past! crying, M~n of Jftael help, thi,s i< the man that tcacheth every where againft the people : So lhould we take hold on our fin that we have found out, and cry to the Lord; Help 0 Lord, this is th~ttfin that barb made the breach, this is that fin that bath been the t·aufe of fo much evil unto mee. As we read of Amonius, after ]11/ius Ctfar was murthered, he brought forth his coat,all bloody and cut, :~nd laid it before the people: Look_here (fayes he) )'OH have your Emperours ,·oat thw bloody and torne. Whereupon rhe people were prefently in an uproar, and cryedo~t to flay thofe murtherers; thus the looking upon our affiit'tions,and confidering what mtfchtcf fin hath done us, our hearts lhould be ratfed to fly upon our fin with in– dignation , and not be fatislied without the deltruction of that which would have defiroyed us. 5· L~tus promife and covenant Reformation,and begin the work while the affiiftion is on us. Do fomcthin.g now prefently, do not put offall till the f•ffering be over, till we be recovered, or dcltv.ered, and thmk, then I will do it. There is much deceit of the heart this way; many mifcarry in their vows to God upon this ground,becaufe they put offall rill they be out of their affiiftion: for by that time, the imprc!l'!on that was upon their fpirits is abated, their hearts are cooled, and fo the duty is neglected. Wherefore do fomething prefently , and be alwayes in doing , till that which was vowed be fully performed. 6. Let every affiicHon drive us much to God in prayer. Is any man ajJliiltd, let him pray. It is a fimilitude of Chryfoftome; As clouds dark.fn the heavent, and caufe lo1vering weather , but being dijfilled into ,drops, thrnfweet fm-jbine, andfair weather follows; So farrows and cares in the foul clo11d the foul,till they be diftilled in prayer into tears, and poured forth brfore the L~rd, bm then thefweet beams of Godsgrace comes in, and m11ch blrJling follows. 7· Let us not ceafe to fcek and fue till we have fomc alfurance that we have made our peace with God ; This is that the Lord looks for at our hands in all our crolfes,and the chief end he aymes at in affiicting his children, to caufe them to feck him more di– ligently, and to get better alfurance ofhis favour; Lnhim take hold ofmy ftrengrlr (faith God) that he may rn~k.! peace with me, and ht fo.. ll mak.f peAce with me. This is done thcfe three waies. r. By acknowledging un~.o God freely our manifold fins, and fo jultifying him in his judgements, as David did , I [•id I will confefs my tr~nfgrejfionsumo the Lord, and thouforgaveft the iniquity ofmy fin. Sel~h. 2. By praying for, and feeking alfurance ofhis favour in the pardon ofour fins. Lord, in trouble have ·they vifited thee, they poured out 4 prayer when thy chaftening lV•J upon thon. 3· By f'orfakmg our fin whereby we had provoked him. By this ]hall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit to tak.! aw,zy hisfin. It is good that we praftifc all thcfc three wayes , and never ccafe pradtfing, till God hath affured us that he 1S at peace with us. 8. Let us now (if ever) try, exercife, "nd improve our faith, wifdome,z.usl;patience, and all other graces ofthe Spirit. . . 1. Let us try ourgraccs: What graces? 1. Our Fa1th; Ittsancaliematterto truft God when our barncs and coffers are full, and to llty, Give'" our d11ily bread,when we have it in our cup-boards; but when we have nothing, whe~ w.c know not hownN whence to get any thing in the world., then to .depend upon an tn~tliblc bounty, thts.IS a true and .noble act of Faith. 2. Our Wifdome: Plato being demanded how he-knew · a wife man?- Anfwered; when being rebuked , he would not be angry, and being praifed,he would not be proud . our difpofition is never well known to our felvcs,untdl ' we
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