much affurance of a comfortable iffue of their obedience, of a bleffed end of their labours and duties, of their purifying their hearts, and preffing after univerfal renovation of mind and life, as may make them chearful in them, as may give love and delight in the purait of what they are engaged in, is needful for the faints, and they do not often go without it; and where this is, there is gofpel affurance. To run as men uncertain, to fight as thofe that beat the air, to travel as not any way perfwaded of a comfortable entertainment or refreshment at the journey's end, is a state and condition that God doth not frequently leave his people unto. And when he doth, it is a feafon wherein he receives very little of glory from them, and they very little of increase of grace in themselves. Many things, as hath been fhewed, do interpofe, many doubts arise, and intangling perplexities, but still there is a comfortable perfwafion kept alive, that there is a reft provided, which makes them willing unto, and chearful in their moft difficult duties. This prevaileth in them, that their labour in the Lord, their watchings, praying, fuffering, alms, mortification, fighting against temptation, crucifying the flesh with the lufts thereof, fhall not be in vain. This gives them fuch a delight in their most difficult duties, as men have in a hard journey towards a defirable home, or a place of rest.

2dly, It cafts out fear, tormenting fear, fuch as fills the foul with perplexing uncertainties, hard thoughts of God, and dreadful apprehenfions of wrath to come : There are three things fpoken concerning that fear, which is confiftent with the affurance of forgiveness (1.) With refpect unto its principle, it is from a fpirit of bondage, Rom. viii. 25. We have not received the fpirit of bondage again to fear: It is not fuch a fear as makes an occafional incurfion upon the mind or foul; fuch as is excited and occafioned by incident darkness and temptation, fuch as the beft and perfons of the highest affurance, are liable and obnoxious unto; but it is fuch as hath a complete abiding principle in the foul, even a

fpirit of bondage, a prevailing frame conftantly inclining it to fear, or dreadful apprehenfions of God and its own condition. (2.) That it tends to bondage, it brings the foul into bondage, Heb. ii. 14, 15. He died to deliver them, who by fear of death were in bondage all their days. Fear of death as penal, as it lies in the curfe, which is that fear that proceeds from a spirit of bondage, brings the perfons in whom it is into bondage, that is, it adds wearinefs, trouble, and anxiety of mind unto fear, and puts them upon all ways and means imaginable, unduly and diforderly to feek for a remedy or relief. (3.) It hath torment; fear hath torment, 1 John iv. 18. It gives no reft, no quietnefs unto the mind; now, this is fo caft out with gospel affurance of forgivenefs, that though it may affault the foul, it fhall not poffefs it; though it make incurfions upon it, it shall dwell, abide and prevail in it.

3dly, It gives the foul an hope and expectation of the glory, that shall be revealed, and secretly stirs it up and enlivens it unto a fupportment in fufferings, trials and temptations. This is the hope which makes not ashamed, Rom. v. 5. and that because it will never expose the foul unto disappointment. Wherever there is the root of affurance, there will be this fruit of hope. The proper object of it is things abfent, invifible, eternal; the promised reward in all the notions, respects, and concernments of it. This hope goes out unto, in diftreffes, temptations, failings, and under a fense of the guilt and power of fin. Hence arifes a fpring of fecret relief in the foul, fomething that calms the heart, and quiets the fpirit in the midst of many a ftorm. Now, as wherever affurance is, there will be this hope; fo, wherever this fecret relieving hope is, it grows on no root, but a living perfuafion of a perfonal interest in the things hoped for.

4thly, As it will do many other things; fo that I may give one comprehenfive inftance, it will carry them out, in whom it is, to die for Chrift. Death unto men who faw not one step beyond it, was esteemed of all

things most terrible. The way and means of its approach add unto its terror; but this is nothing, in comparifon of what it is unto them who look through it as a paffage into enfuing eternity. For a man then to chufe death rather than life, in the most terrible manner of its approach, expecting an eternity to enfue, it argues a comfortable perfuafion of a good state and condition after death. Now, I am perfuaded that there are hun dreds, who, upon gospel faving accounts, would embrace a ftake for the teftimony of Jefus, who yet know not at all that they have the affurance we fpeak of, and yet nothing elfe would enable them thereunto. But thefe things befides the main of my intendment, I fhall purfue them no further; only the rule is of ufe. Let the foul be fure to be well acquainted with the nature of that which it feeks after, and confeffeth a fenfe of the want of.

RULE III.

Continuance in waiting neceffary unto peace and confolation.------The fourth rule;

Remove the hindrances of believing by a searching out of fin.------Rules and directions for that duty.

Whatever your condition be, and your apprehenfion of it; yet continue waiting for a better iffue, and give not over through wearinefs or impatience. This rule contains the fum of the great example given us in this Pfalm. Forgiveness in God being discovered, though no fenfe of a particular interest therein as yet obtained; that which the foul applies itself unto, is diligent, careful, conftant, perfevering, waiting; which is variously expreffed in the 5th and 6th verfes. The Holy Ghost tells us, that light is fown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart, Pfal. xcvii. 11. Light and gladnefs are the things now required after. Deliverance from darkness, mifapprehenfions of God, hard and

mifgiving thoughts of his own condition, is that which a foul in its depths reacheth towards. Now, faith the Holy Ghoft, Thefe things are fown for the righteous. Doth the husband-man, after he cafts his feed into the earth, immediately the next day, the next week, expect that it will be harveft? Doth he think to reap fo foon as he hath fown? Or doth he immediately fay, 1 have laboured in vain, here is no return, I will pull up the hedge of this field, and lay it wafte; or, I fee a little grafs in the blade, but no corn, I will give it to the beasts to devour it? No; his God, as the prophet fpeaks, inftructs him unto difcretion, and teacheth him, namely, what he must do, and how he must look for things in their feafon: And fhall not we be inftructed by him? Behold, the husbandman, faith James, waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and bath long patience for it, until he receive the early and the latter rain, James v. 7. And is light fown for them that are in darknefs, and fhall they stifle the feed under the clods, or spoil the tender blade that is fpringing up, or refuse the watering and dews of the Spirit, that may bring it forth to perfection; Waiting is the only way to establishment and affurance; we cannot fpeed by our hafte; yea, nothing puts the end fo far away, as making too much hafte and speed in our journey. The ground hereof is, that a fenfe of a special intereft in forgiveness and acceptance, is given into the foul by a mere act of fovereignty. It is not, it will not be obtained by or upon any rational conclufions or deductions that we can make; all that we can do, is but to apply ourselves to the removal of hindrances. For the peace and reft fought for, come from mere prerogative. When he giveth quietness, who can make trouble? and when he hidetb his face, who can behold him? Job xxxiv. 29. Now, what is the way to receive that which comes from mere fovereignty and prerogative? Doth not the nature of the thing require humble waiting? If then, either impatience caft the foul into frowardness, or weariness make it flothful, which are the two ways whereby wait

ing is ruined; let not fuch an one expect any comfortable iffue of his contending for deliverance out of his depths; and let not any think to make out their difficulties any other way; their own reafonings will not bring them to any establishing conclufions; for they may lay down propofitions and have no confiderable objections to lay against either of them, and yet be far enough from that fweet confolation, joy and affurance, which is the product of the conclufion, when God is pleased to give it in; yea a man may fometimes gather up confo lation to himself upon fuch terms, but it will not abide : So did David, Pfal. xxx. 6, 7. He thus argues with himself, "He whofe mountain is made ftrong, to whom "God is a defence, he fhall never be moved, nor be "fhaken; but I am thus fettled of God, therefore I "fhall not be moved;" And therein he rejoiceth. It is an expreffion of exultation that he useth; but what is the iffue of it? In the midst of these pleafing thoughts of his, God hides his face, and he is troubled; he cannot any longer draw out the fweetnefs of the conclufion mentioned. It was in him before from the fhines of God's countenance, and not from any arguings of his own.

No difappointment then, no tedioufnefs or wearinefs fhould make the foul leave waiting on God, if it intend to attain confolation and establishment. So dealeth the church, Lam. iii. 21. This I recal to mind, therefore have I hope: What is it that he calls to mind? This, that it is of the Lord's mercy that we are not confumed, because his compaffions fail not, verfe 22. I will yet hope, I will yet continue in my expectation upon the account of never-failing compaffion; of endlefs mercies in him, whatever thy prefent condition be. And thence the makes a bleffed conclufion, verfe 26. It is good that a man fhould both hope, and quietly wait for the falvation of the Lord. And this is our third rule. It is good to hope and wait whatever your prefent condition be, and not to give over, if we would not be fure to fail; whereunto I fpeak