If David, a man after God's own heart, intreats that he would be pleased to sanctify the words of his mouth and the meditations of his heart, Psal. xv, if the prophet Daniel, whom the Holy Spirit styles a man greatly beloved. Dan. ix, who spent the days and nights in devotion, seeks how to make his prayers acceptable to God; if the prophet Isaiah had need that his lips shouldbe purified with a burning coal taken from the altar, Isa. vi. Who will wonder if the meditations of the devoutest souls be so often interrupted? If their prayers be so cold and luke-warm, who can think it strange, that we are not able to pray as we ought? Rom. viii. And that we had need to desire God's Holy Spirit of prayer and supplication, who prays and intercedes for us with sighs and groans which cannot be expressed, Zech. xiii. Rom. viii.

That which afflicts most the true believers, is, that when they imagine that they have attained to some kind of perfection in the exercises of piety, they find many times, to their unspeakable sorrow, that they are but beginners, and that they have made no progress at all. For as the stone cast into the air falls down of its own accord by reason of its natural weight; and as the water often heated, becomes so often cold and frozen, because cold is a property belonging to it; likewise our souls, that mount up to God in holy meditations, and zealous prayers, fall down again to these earthly vanities; they become cold and heavy; for these are their natural properties. If God refused the sacrifices of such beasts as were lame and sickly, how will he accept of us, or our devotions, if he should treat us with severity, who are faint in his service, and cannot walk in his ways without halting and stumbling every moment? For these consid

erations I may apply to the spiritual joy, what was said of the earthly and worldly mirth, Joy is cut off by sadness, Isa. lxv. For when we have felt in our breasts this unspeakable joy of the Holy Ghost, and it begins afterwards to abate, it seems to us as if it had taken its flight to heaven, as the smoke of Manoah's sacrifice; then as great a sorrow seizeth upon our souls; therefore we may complain and cry out as David, Will the Lord cast me off for ever, and will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? Doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in his anger shut up his tender mercies? Psal lxxvii. And pray in the language of Isaiah, Lord, awaken thy jealousy, and the stirring of thy bowels that are shut up to me. Finally, if after all the exercises of devotion, if after a serious and settled meditation upon God's holy word, if after fasting and mortification, and prayers and tears, and a constant attendance in the duties of religion, we find any good progress in piety, we may then also perceive vice to proceed out of our most glorious virtues, and perfectest graces. For as the moth enters soonest into the richest stuffs and cloths; thus pride creeps into the noblest souls, and breeds in the most enlightened understandings. As a primitive doctor of the christian church hath very well observed, all vices are begot by corruption, and by other vices; only pride and presumption proceed from virtue. O how hard a task is it for a man enabled with gifts and perfections that raise him above the vulgar, not to be puffed up with pride, nor deceived with a fond conceit of himself! As the beautiful bird looks upon and admires the dainty and various colours of its wings; thus we behold and admire ourselves, we are in love with our own

beauty, and idolize our virtues. Therefore as the nurse leaves the child sometimes to its legs, and suffers it to fall, that it might know its own strength, and learn to hold fast by the hand; thus God withdraws from us the assistance of his grace to humble us, and to cause us to implore most earnestly the help, and favourable succours of his Holy Spirit. When St. Peter felt the sacred flames of that holy zeal that was kindled in his heart, and that sincere love that he had for Christ, he rejoiced and imagined himself to be strong enough to resist all the powers of hell, and to frustrate all the fiery darts of the devil. This good opinion that he had of himself, and of his own ability, transports him to that confidence, as to contradict our Saviour Christ, and to protest, Although all should be offended in thee, yet will I not be offended; though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. This was he that trembled at the voice of a damsel, whose fall and apostacy was as remarkable as his confidence was great; so that he, who thinketh he standeth, should take heed lest he fall, Rom. xi.

There is no good-natured child, but is vexed to live amongst such as curse and reproach its parents; and if it should happen to be concerned unawares in the of fence, or to occasion the death of him from whom it had its being, it will feel an eternal displeasure. Now, it is certain, that whilst we live in this world, we must spend our time amongst those that blaspheme the holy name of God, and abuse the glory of his eternal Godhead.-Moreover, vice and corruption are so universal; that we ourselves offend this father of mercies and compassions; we add sin to sin, and complete the measure of our iniquities.

Let us therefore conclude from hence, believing souls.

that death is not to be feared as an evil, or a calamity, but that it is rather desirable as an advantage, and a blessing. For seeing that it is to be longed for, because it frees us from all the mischiefs and sufferings of the world; we are rather to seek it with God's good leave, because it closeth our eyes, and conveys out of our sight all the sins and abominations that are in the world; and because it stops our ears, and binders us from hearing the impieties, and the filthy discourses, that infect the air. Since death is to be embraced with joy, because it delivers our bodies from the discases that torment them, and our minds from the cares and displeasures that vex and afflict them, it deserves to be welcomed with greater expressions of gladness, because it delivers us from all remains of sin, and puts a period to our natural corruption: So that it is to be esteemed, and looked upon, as the death and destruction of the old man, rather than the death of a true believer.

Samson rejoiced in his death, because he knew, that in dying, his mortal enemies should die also, and be destroyed with him. We have more cause to rejoice at our death, and to give God thanks at that time; since in our dying, or rather in passing from death to life, we may see the destruction of all the dangerous enemies of our salvation, who are more dreadful to us than the Philistines were to Samson. All the most cruel and barbarous men of the world are not so much to be feared. as the lusts of our filthy flesh, that put out the eyes of our understanding, that cause us to be the devil's sport, and to worship many false gods.

We commonly run out with haste from a place infected with the plague: And should we not make as much speed by our vows and prayers, to get out of the

world, since vice is so infectious and universal all over it, that so many thousand souls are therewith miserably spoiled; since the world is a Babylon, where all manner of debauchery, vice, and folly, are mixed together; where injustice and impiety reign? Have you not greater cause to be transported with joy, when God delivers us from our woeful captivity, than the children of Israel had when it pleased him to call them out of Babylon? Should they not sing to him, when the Lord brought them back, and restored them to Zion, who came from their captivity, we were as those that dream; then our mouths were full of laughter, and our tongues with songs of triumph?

In short, as the Lord Jesus, when he had restored Lazarus to life, and taken him out of his

compassion on him, and could not see him

grave, had

any longer wrapped up in his winding sheet, and tied with a napkin; therefore he commanded, Loose him and let him go. Thus this merciful Lord, who hath made us to be partakers of the first resurrection, and called our souls out of the noisome grave of our lusts, is moved with compassion for us, when he sees these wretched souls drag about them the relicts of sin, and some remains of that corruption in which they were wrapped. Therefore he will cause them to hear his sweet and comfortable voice, Loose them, and let them go. Let them go to the eternal mansions, to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, to the glorious companies of angels, and to the church and congregation of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven.

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