it in vaine for him to pray or look up, and therefore is ready (in a fit of temptation) to lay afide the work, yet he cannot but pray, but then the knee is bended with fuch fufpitions and conclufions, perhaps this (hall be but to harden me more, and God will not heare me; or if the foul can gather any degrees of better confidence, that it fhall finde fome grace, and acceptance, then inftantly it queftions all this, and /pects even the very grants, and answers, as well as its own heart and petitions; conje&uring them to be rather, the deluding favcies of à deceitful heart, wishing well to it felf, then the fincere refolutions and fatisfallions of a good and gracious God, who beareth prayer.

And thus is the weak believer (for a long time ) kept in bitterneffe, he canrot taste the goodne je of God, which he defires to embrace, nor relish thofe promifes which he defires to apply; but in all communions with God, either dis- heartens his way before, or difplaceth his comforts afterwards,either he is not fit to pray or elfe not fit to enjoy, either he cannot defire what is good, or elfe ftill he is questioning what is true. So that oft-times even the wayes of his own comfort, are uncomfortable to him, and the very method of peace, is his ufual trouble and vex

ation.

The reafons of all which may be,

Not only the nature of unbelief, which is an uncomforting ins gredient, and difquieting impedient to the foul in all holy com munion; But alfo the properties of this unbelief,causing the fool to look more on it felf then God, and raising more feares for prefent want, then hopes for affured and promifed helpes, befides the limittings of God to prefent fatisfaction, or elfe concluding, no intereft in his favour and gracious intentions; befides, forgetting ufually the mediation and interceffion of Chrift, in whom alone the foule and petitions are worthy. 4.The weak believer hath not that fuccesfulnesse in communion with God as the ftrong believer bath.

For all doubtings do prejudice our fuits: There is not a more fure and compendious way to non-fuit our fuits,then by delivering them out of an unbelieving heart: No faith may be fure of denial, and he who delivers up his requests to God with an hand, and an hand, with an hand of faith, and a hand of doubting; either he hath a longer or else a fhorteranfwer. According to thy

King, 13.18,

faith be it unto thee,faid Chrift; ftrong faith brings God much
glory, and doth fetch in much good to the foul, but the leffer
faith, the leffer good; as according to the largeneffe of the vef-
fel or ftrength of the hand, &c. The higher the Sun is the more
light is in the Horizon, fo the greater the faith is in our requests,
the fooner and the larger fhall be our promised answers, You
remember what Elisha laid unto foafh King of Ifrael, take the ar
rowes and he took them, and he said, fmite upon the ground, and he
Smote thrice, and stayed. And the man of God was wrath with
him, and faid, thou shouldst have (mitten five or fix times, then hadft 19.
thou fmitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it, whereas now thou
balt (mite Syria but thrice. Prayer is the arrow of the foul, it is
the swift meffenger fent up to heaven, and faith is the band
which difpatcheth it, now according to the strength of faith is the
greatneffe of prayer in fucceffe. Thou didst pray (though) with
much weaknefle of faith, and haft got a little comfort, why didft
thou not fmire the ground fix times? why didst thou not double
thy ftrength in believing thou fhouldft then have had comfort?
like a river, whereas now thou haft only the smaller drops. Thou
haft prayed, though) with much weakneffe of faith, and haft
got a little power over thy finful and rebellious heart, why
didft not thou fmite the ground fix times? why didft thou not
abound in more believing? for then thou shouldft have had a
fuller victory over thy corrupt lufts and inclinations. Herein
hath ftrong faith the preeminence of weak that the one hath not
that full speed at heaven as the other; not that God will not an-
fwer the faith that is weak, but that its anfwers are not fo full,
because it is accompanied with doubtings. This we finde ex-
perimentally, that our helpes (much of them) yet ftick behinde
in heaven, and our corruptions (much of them) yet infultbelow
in our hearts, not that we do not hate them, not that we do not
pray against them, but because our faith is new or weak, we ra-
ther think that God will not help, then that he will indeed an-
fwer or do us good.

5. The weak believer is more under the power of the creacure then the strong. My meaning is this,that his heart is more apt to fink, and faile, and perplex, and difquiet him in the changes of outward things; a croffe cannot come but he startles, and if the affliction be close, he can hardly hold up: if be

hath

4

hath not fome friends to fmooth and cherish him, fome calme eftate to maintaine and uphold him: If the tyde comes not in, if the winde doth not blow, if the fig tree doth not bloome, if God puts him uponan unufual way,if he toucheth him in his Name, cafe, advantage, any neer outward fupport,if the crosse be long, now lam cuft off, I shall perish, what shall Leate, what Shall I drink, what shall I put on? we and curs are undone, there's none cares for my body, as David spake for his foule. The heart gathers into many agonies, many prognoftications, many challenges of God, many impatient vexations, perhaps murmurings, repinings, and difcontents, and diftempers; yea, and hath fometimes vile and inglorious thoughts of the fruit leffeness of ferving God, &c. I think there is fcarce any one of thefe, which the weak believer doth not fenfibly feel in the times of his ftraits and exigences, (which may exceedingly humble and abafe his foul therefore:) But the frong beleever is a better Sea-man, his foul is more quiet in the absence, because more loosened by faith in the prefence, of the creature. a faire day God was much better;though others break with joy in the fruition of wine and oyle; yet Lord, faith David, lift thos up the light of thy countenance upon me. As if he should fay; I prize and joy in that more then in any thing else.

ed

ир

In

In a Faft day God is enough, Pfal. 23.1. The Lord is my Shep. herd, I shall not want. Verle 4. Though I walk through the val ley of the shaddow of death I will feare none evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Verle 6. Surely goodnese and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life. So Pfalm. 93.3. The floods have lifted up O Lord, the floods have Lifttheir voice, the floods lift up their waves. Pfalm. 93. 4. The Lord on high is mightier then the noise of many waters, yea then the mighty waves of the Sea. So Pfalme 118.6. The Lord is on my fide, I will not fear what man can do unto me. Ver. 10. A Nations compassed me about, but in the Name of the Lord will 1 deftroy them. Ver. 11. They compassed me about, yea they compaffed me about, but,&c. Ver.12. They compaffed me about like Bees they are quenched as the fire of thornes, for in the Name of the Lord, &c. So Pfal.48.14. This God is our God for ever and eever, he will be our guide even unto death.

(Sin is a greater trouble, and the world is a greater burden to the weak, then to the ftrong believer.)

6. The weak beleever cannot bring God fo much glory as the Arong believer.

God hath Glory from us many wayes.

Glory to God

By acquitting bis fidelity, and truth, and power, and other at- three way es. tributes, Rom.4.20.

By a bearing, and fruitful heart and life, John 15.8.

By thankful praifes and acknowledgements, Pfal.50.23. Now the weak believer he doth not acquit God fo in his Attributes; It is often with him, will the Lord caft off for ever? will he be gracious, or will be be favourable no more?or if thou wilt thou canst do this for me: It doth not fo clearly juftifie God in the greatneffe of his power, in the readineffe of his mercy, in the Immutability of his truth.

He is not fo fruitful: for where the root is weak, there the branches are not so strong, or full; the fruitfulneffe of the beart confifts in the rich increase of all graces, and in the enlarged heavenlineffe of the affections, and the fruitfulneffe of the life depends upon the inward inriching of the heart, as the ftreames on the Spring, or the beames on the Sun, and the fruitfulneffe of both depends upon the richnesse of faith..

Though the babits of grace depends immediately on Gods Spirit, and not on faith, yet the measures of grace depend (inftrumentally) very much on faith, it being the Conduit pipe, that which draws grace for grace from Chrift. A weak believer cannot have fuch a ftrength of affection, nor vigor of actions as the ftrong.

He is not fo thankful; you fhall for ever finde this to be true, that what is a weakening to faith, that is a leffening to thanks. No mans tongue is more in praise then he whose heart is filled with perfwafion: God hath but cold thanks from him, who is yet difputing and questioning his receipts; where the mercy is fully cleared, there the heart is exceeding ly enlarged But till the foul fees it felf indeed a debter, it will prove but an ill and flow pay-mafter; How can I fully thank God, that he hath expreffed that Mirandum of love, to X

give

give Chrift to me, when yet I do in my foul fufpect and question whether this be fo or no?

How can I fully bleffe and praife God for his rich mercy in the pardon of my finnes, whiles my foul doth yet fufpect that the book is uncroffed, and the controverfie of guilt is not yet taken up 'twixt God and me? But where faith is ftrong,there praife is great; when the Moon is fulleft of light,then the tydes are higher in their returnes; fo the more clear apprehenfions of Gods love to us in Chrift even raifeth affions to a greater flow of thankful retributions. Pfal.103.1. Bleffe the Lord O my foul, and all that is within me bleffe his holy Name. Ver. 2. Bleffe the Lord O my soul, and forget not all his benefits; See how he chargeth and rechargeth his foul to prai'e; but why? Ver.3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities. Ver. 4. Who crowneth thee with loving kindneffe and mercies.

7. The weak Beleever will be more puzled to die then the ftrong believer. It is with the strong believer as with Simeon, who held Chrift in his armes, Now (faid he ) leiteft thon thy fervant depart in peace, for mine eyes have feen thy falvation: He may eafily defire death to let him out of a mi erable world, who hath affuredly got, and hath Chrift, the Authour of a bet ter life. Or as with Paul, having a defire to depart and to be with Chrift, which is far better, 2 Cor.5.1. We know if our earthly house, &c. We have a building of God. For the ftrong believer knows, that Chrift is to him in life and death advantage; By him we fhall go to the God of all mercies, and to the Father of all confolations. He fhall go to that manfion which his Sa viour hath provided, and there have a glorious uniɔ with God, and fociety with Saints for ever. But the weak beleever will perhaps ftagger, and his heart will divide it felf, I would not yet die, if I muft, what shall I do? Chrift is he whom I have loved and ferved, but I am not fure that he is mine; Heavenly glory is the wages for our service,but I am not fure that I fhall go into it, matters are yet doubtful, and my heart is yet fearful, I know not whether fuch finnes are yet taken off, and how will God look upon me if Ldie, of whofe loving favour I have not been affured,whiles I have lived?I hope the beft,and yet I fee cause to fear; death may do me good, yet I had rather live to clear accounts 'twixt God and my foul,that fo then I might give up, &c.

8.The