the feveral fteps of men's exercife under it are very dif cernable. It would draw a great length to enlarge every ftep of it; we fhall touch the most obfervable things in it.

ft. The Lord layeth fiege to men, who, it may be, have often refufed to yield to him, offering himself in the ordinances; and by fome word preached, read, or borne in on the mind, or by fome providence leading in unto the word, he doth affault the houfe kept peaceably by the strong man the devil; and thus Chrift, who is the ftronger man, cometh upon him, and by the spirit of truth, doth faften the word on the man, in which God's curfe is denounced against fuch and fuch fins, whereof the man knoweth himself guilty. The spirit convinceth the man, and bindeth it upon him, that he is the fame perfon against whom the word of God doth fpeak, because he is guilty of fuch fins; and from fome fins the man is led on to fee more, until ordinarily he come to fee the fins of his youth, fins of omiffion, &c. yea, he is led on, until he fee himfelf guilty almoft of the breach of the whole law; he feeth "innumerable evils compaffing him," as David fpeaketh in a fit of exercise. A man fometimes will fee ugly fights of fin in this cafe, and is fharp-fighted to reckon an affinity to almoft every fin. Thus "the fpirit cometh and convinceth of fin."

The

2dly. The Lord fhaketh a special ftrong hold in the garrifon, a refuge of lies, to which the man betaketh himself when his fins are thus difcovered to him. poor man pretendeth to faith in Chrift, whereby he thinks his burden is taken off him, as the Pharifees faid, "We have one father, even God," they pretend to a special relation to God as a common Lord. The fpirit of God beats the man from this by the truth of the fcriptures, proving that he hath no true faith, and to no intereft in Chrift, nor any true faving grace; fhewing clear differences between the true grace and the counterfeit fancies which the man hath in him; and between him and the truly godly, as Chrift laboreth to do to those in John viii. 42, 44. "If God were your father, ye

would love me. Ye are of the devil, for ye do the lufts of fuch a father." So, "fear furprifeth the hypocrite in heart," especially when the Lord difcovereth to him conditions in many of thefe promises wherein he trusted moft not eafily attainable; he now feeth grace and faith another thing than once he judged them to be. We may in fome refpect apply that word here, "The fpirit convinceth him of fin, because he hath not believed on the fon :" he is particularly convinced of unbelief, he feeth now a huge distance between himself and the godly, who he thought before outstripped him only in fome unneceffary, proud, hateful precifenefs: he now feeth himself deluded, and in the broad way with the perifhing multitude; and fo in this fight of his mifery, coucheth down under his own burden, which, before this time, he thought Chrift did bear for him; he now beginneth to fear at the promises, becaufe of that and fuch other words, "What haft thou to do to take my cove nant in thy mouth."

3dly. The man becometh careful about his falvation, and beginneth to take it to heart, as the one thing néceffary; he is brought to this with the Jailor, "What fhall I do to be faved ?" His falvation becometh the leading thing with him. It was leaft in his thoughts before, but now it prevaileth, and other things are much mifregarded by him. Since his foul is ready to perifh, "what fhall it profit him to gain the world, if he lofe his foul ?". Some here are much puzzled with the thoughts of an irrevocable decree to their prejudice, and with the fears of uncertain death, which may attack them before they get matters put to a point; and fome are vexed with apprehenfions that they are guilty of the fin againft the Holy Ghoft, which is unpardonable, and fo are driven a dangerous length, Satan ftill cafting up to them many fad examples of people who have dolefully put an end to their own exercife: but they are in the hand of one who "knoweth how to fuccour them that are tempted."

4thly. When a man is thus in hazard of mifcarrying, the Lord ufeth a work of preventing mercy towards

him, quietly and under-hand fupporting him; and this is by bearing in upon his mind the poffibility of his falvation, leading the man to the remembrance of pregnant proofs of God's free and rich grace, pardoning grofs tranfgreffors, such as Manaffeh, who was a bloody idolatrous man, and had correfpondence with the devil, and yet obtained mercy, and other Scriptures bearing offers of grace and favor indifferently to all who will yield to Chrift, whatsoever they have been formerly; fo as the man is brought again to this, "What fhall I do to be faved?" which doth fuppofe that he apprehendeth a poffibility of being faved, elfe he would not propound the queftion. He applieth that or the like word to himself, "It may be ye fhall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger. He findeth nothing excluding him from mercy now, if he have a heart for the thing. Although here, it may be, the man doth not perceive that it is the Lord who upholdeth, yet afterwards he can tell, that "when his foot was flipping, God's mercy held him up;" as the Pfalmift fpeaketh in another cafe. And he will afterwards fay, when he "was as a beaft, and a fool, in many refpects, God held him by the hand.

5thly. After this difcovery of a poffibility to be faved, there is a work of defire quickened in the foul; which is clear in that fame expreffion, "What fhall I do to be faved ?" But fometimes this defire is directed amifs, whilft it goeth out thus, "What fhall I do that I may work the works of God ?" In which cafe the man, formerly perplexed with fear and care about his falvation, would be at fome work of his own to extricate himself; and here he fuddenly refolveth to do all that is commanded, and to forego every evil way (yet neglecting Chrift Jefus) and fo beginneth to take fome courage to himfelf again," establishing his own righteousness, but not fubmitting unto the righteoufnefs of God." Whereupon the Lord maketh a new affault on him, intending the difcovery of his abfolutely broken ftate in himself, that fo room may be made for the cautioner; as Jofhua did to the people, when he found them fo bold in their un

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dertakings, "Ye cannot ferve the Lord," faith he, " for he is a holy God, a jealous God," &c. In this new affault the Lord, 1. bends up against the man the fpirituality of the law; the commandment cometh with a new charge in the spiritual meaning of it, "The law came,' faith Paul, viz. in the fpiritual meaning of it: Paul had never feen fuch a fight of the law before. 2. God moft holily doth loose the reftraining bonds which he had laid upon the man's corruption, and fuffereth it not only to boil and fwell within, but to threaten to break out in all the outward members. Thus fin groweth bold, and kicketh at the law, becoming exceeding finful," but fin, taking occafion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupifcence. For without the law fin was dead. For I was alive without the law once; but, when the commandment came, fin revived, and I died. Was then that which is good made death unto me ?God forbid. But fin, that it might appear fin, working death in me by that which is good; that fin by the commandment might become exceeding finful." 3. The Lord doth difcover to the man, more now than ever before, the uncleannefs of his righteoufnefs, and what spots are in his best things. These things kill the man, and he dieth in his own conceit, and defpaireth of relief in himfelf, if it come not from above.

6thly. After many ups and downs here, ordinarily the man refolveth fome retirement; he defireth to be alone, he cannot keep company as before. Like thofe in a be

fieged city, who, when they fee they cannot hold out, and would be glad of any good condition from the befieging enemy, go to a council, that they may refolve fomewhat; fo the man here retireth, that he may speak with himself. This is like that "communing with our own heart," Thus God leadeth to the wildernefs, that he may fpeak to the heart." When the perfon is retired, the thoughts of his heart, which were fcattered in former fteps of the exercife, do more obfervably throng in here. We fhall reduce them into this method. (1.) The man thinks of his unhappy folly in bearing arms againft God;

and here there be large thoughts of former ways, with a blufhing countenance and felf-loathing: "Then fhall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and fhall loathe yourfelves in your own fight," like that of Pfal. li. 3. "His fin is ever before him." (2.) Then he remembereth how many fair opportunities of yielding to God he hath bafely loft: his fpirit is like to faint when he remembereth that, as is said in another cafe, "When I remember these things I pour out my foul in me. O my God, my foul is caft down within me. Deep calleth unto deep, all thy waves are gone over me." (3.) He now thinks of many Chriftians whom he mocked and defpifed in his heart, perfuading himself now that they are happy, as having chofen the better part; he thinks of the condition of those who wait on Chrift, as the Queen of Sheba did of Solomon's fervants; "Happy are thy fervants," faith fhe, "who ftand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom," "Bleffed are they that dwell in thy houfe:" He witheth to be one of the meaneft who have any relation to God; as the prodigal fon doth fpeak, he would be as "one of the Father's hired fervants." (4.) Then he calleth to mind the good report that is gone abroad of God, according to that eftimony-The prophet knew that God was a gracious God and merciful, flow to anger, and of great kindness," &c. The free and large promifes and offers of grace come in here; and the glarious practices which have paft upon finners of all forts, according to the fame of God in Scripture, (5) He thinks with himself, Why hath God fpared me fo long? and why have I got fuch a fight of my fin? and why hath he kept me from breaking prifon at my own hand, in chufing fome unhappy outgate ? why hath he made ?.. this ftrange change on me? It may be it is in his heart to do me good; O that it may be fo!-Although all thefe thoughts be not in the preparatory work of every one, yet they are with many, and very promifing where they are.

7thly. Upon all these thoughts and meditations the