42 The MORTIFICATION i;efs it was due from him, his confcience is perplexed, his foul wounded, he hath no quiet in his bones by reafon of his fin he applies himfelf for healing and finds peace. Yet in the meantime perhaps worldlinefs, or pride, or fome otherfolly, wherewith the fpirit of God is exceedingly grieved, may lye in the bofom pf that man, and they neither diflurb him, nor he them. Let rot that man think that any of his peace is from God. Then (hall it be well with men when they have an equal refped to all God's commandments. God will juftify us from our fins, but he will not jußify the leaft fin in us; he it a God of purer eyes, than to be- hold iniquity. q. When men of themfelves fpeak peace to their conlciences, it is fldom that God fpeaks humiliation to their fouls; God's peace is humbling peace, melting peace, as it was in the cafe of David (a); never fuch deep humiliation as when Nathan brought him the tidings of his pardon. But you will fay, when may we take the comfort of a promife as our own, in relation to fome peculiar wound for the quieting the heart. 1.) In general, when God fpeaks it, be it when it will, fanner or later. I told you before, he may do it in the very inftant of the fin its felf, and that with fuch irrefi{ible power, that the foul mutt needs receive his mind in it. Sometimes he will make us wait longer; but when he (peaks, be it fooner or later, be it when we we are finning or repenting, be the condition of our fouls what they pleafe, if God fpeak, he muß be received. There is not any thing, that in our communion with him, the Lord is more troubled with us for, if I may fo fay, than our unbelieving that keep us off from receiving that {song confolationwhich he is fo willing to give to us. But you will fay, we are where we were ; when God fpeaks it, we muß re- ceive it, that is true, but how !hall we know when he fpeaks? I would we could all praaically come up to this, to receive peace when we are convinced that God fpeaks it, and that it is our duty to receive it ; But a. There is, ifI may fo fay, a fecret inflin£t in faith, whereby it knows the voice of Chriß, when he fpeaks indeed; as the babe leaped in the womb, when ,the bleffed virgin came to Elizabeth ; leaps in the heart when Chriß indeed draws nigh to it; My flseep, fays Chriß, know my voice, John x. 14. they know my voice, they are ufed to the found of it and they know when his lips are opened to them, and are full of Grace. The fpoufe was in a fad condition, Cant. v. 2. Weep in fecurity, but yet as foon as Chriß fpeaks, the cries, It it the voice of. my beloved that fpeaks; (he knew his voice, and was fo acquainted with communion with him, that in{antly (he difcovers him, and fo will you alto ; if you exercife your (elves to acquaintance and communion with him, you will enti- ty difcern between his voice and the voice of a {ranger. And take this n uáts,i with you ; when he cloth fpeak, he fpeaks as never man fpake ; he fpeaks with power, and one way or other will make your hearts burn within you, as he did to the difciples, Luk xxii. he doth it by putting in his hand at the hole of the door, Con, v. 4. his fpirit into your hearts to felze on you. a.) Ifthe word of the Lord doth goodto your foulshe fpeaks it. If it humble, if it cleanfe and be ufeful for thofe ends, for which promifes- are given : viz. to endear, to cleanfe, to melt and bind to obedience, to felf-emptinefs, &c. But this is not my bufinefs: nor (hall I farther divert in the purfuit of this direfrion; without the obfervation of it, fin will have great advantages towards the harden- ing of the heart. (a) Pfal. C H A P.
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