doth both confirm our Faith in general, which is a help to us in each particular cafe; and alfo it directh us to Chrift as the means, in whose name we are to ask all things of the Father; and affareth us, that it is for his fake that God doth fulfil thofe particular promifes to us. 2. And prayer in his Name, is the condition, way or means of the fulfilling them.

It is a very common errour among many praying perfons, to think that if they can but prove it their duty to ask fuch a thing, this promife telleth them, that they shall have it: But you fee there is more neceffary to the understanding of it than fo.

Direct. 10. Think not that God prom feth you all that you do believe that you shall receive, when you ask it; though it be with never fo confident an expectation,

This is a more common errour than the former: Many think that if the thing be but lawful which they pray for, much more if it be their duty to pray for it, then a particular belief that they shall receive it, is the condition of the promife, and therefore that they hall certainly receive it. As if they pray for the recovery of one that is fick, or for the converfion of one that is unconverted, and can but beLieve that it shall be done, they think God is then obliged by promife to do it, Mark 9. 23. If thou cant believe, allthings are poffible. And 11. 23, 24. Whosoever shall fay to this Mountain, Be thou removed, &c. and shall not doubt in bis beart, but believe, c. Therefore Ifay unto you, what things foever ye defire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Anfw. The reafon of this was, because they had a special promife of the gift of miracles, as is expreft, Mark 16. 17, 18. And even this text is fuch a particular promife: For the fpirit of miracles was then given to confirm the Gospel, and gather the first Churches, and Faith was the condition of them: Or the Spirit, when ever he would work a miracle, would firft work an extraordinary Faith to prepare for it. And yet if you examine well the particular texts, which speak of this fubject, you shall find that as it was the doubt of the divine Autbarity of Chrifts teftimony, and of his own real power. which was the unbelief of thofe times; fo it was the belief of his Authority and Power, which was the Faith required: and

thiss

this is oftener expreffed than the belief of the event is extolled, it is because the belief of Chrifts Power is contained in it. [If thou canst believe, all things are possible, Mark 9. 23. Not Call things shall come to pass] Mat. 9. 28. The blind men came to bim, ard Jefus faid, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They faid unto him, yea Lord: Then touched be their eyes, faying, according to your faith be it unto you. So the Centurions faith is defcribed as a belief of Chrifts Power, Mat. 8. 7, 8,9,10. So is it in many other inftances.

So that this text is no exception from the general Rule; but the meaning of it is, What foever promised thing you ask, not doubting, ye fhall receive it: Or doubt not of my enabling power, and you shall receive whatever you ask, which I have promised you; and miracles themfelves fhall be done by

you.

Object. But what if they had only doubted of Chrifts Wall? Anfw. If they had doubted of his will in cafes where he never expreft his will, they could not indeed have been certain of the event (for that is contrary to the doubt.) But they could not have charged Chrift with any breach of promife; and therefore could not themselves have been charged with any unbelief. (For it is no unbelief to doubt of that will which never was revealed.) But if they had doubted of his revealed will concerning the event, they had then charged him with falfhood, and had finned against him, as ill as thofe who deny his power.

And the large experience of this our age,confuteth this forefaid errour of a particular belief: For we have abundance of inftances of good people who were thus miftaken, and have ventured thereupon to conclude with confidence, that such a fick perfon fhall be healed, and such a thing shall come to pass; when over and over the event hath proved contrary, and brought fuch confidence into contempt, upon the failing

of it.

Dire&. 11. Think not that because fome ftrong imagination bringeth fome promife to your minds, that therefore it belongetb unto you, unless upon tryal, the true meaning of it do extend to you.

Many and many an honeft, ignorant, melancholy woman,

hath

hath told me what abundance of fudden comfort they have had, because such a text was brought to their minds, and fuch a promife was fuddenly fet upon their hearts; when as they miftook the very fenfe of the promife, and upon true enquiry, it was nothing to their purpofe. Yet it is beft not rather to contradict thofe miftaken and ungrounded comforts of fuch perfons: Because when they are godly, and have true right to founder comforts, but cannot fee it; it is better that they fupport themselves a while with fuch mistakes, than that they fink into defpair. For though we may not offer them fuch mistakes, nor comfort them by a lie; yet we may permit that which we may not do (as God himself doth.) It is not at all times that we are bound to rectifie other mens mistakes, viz. not when it will do them more harm than good.

Many an occafion may bring a text to our remembrance which concerneth us not, without the Spirit of God. Our own imaginations may do much that way of themselves. Try there fore what is the true fenfe of the text, before you build your conclufions on it.

But yet if indeed God bring to your minds any pertinent promife, I would not have you to neglect the comfort

of it.

Dirc. 12. Think not that God hath promised to all Chrifians the fame degrees of grace; and therefore that you may expect as much as any others have.

Object. But shall not all at løft be perfc&? and what can there be added to perfection?

Anfw. The perfection of a creature is to be advanced to the highest degree, which his own specifical and individual nature are capable of: A beaft may be perfect, and yet not be a man: and a man may be perfeЯ, and yet not be an Angel. And Lazarus may be perfect, and yet not reach the degree of Abraham. For there is, no doubt, a gradual difference between the capacities of feveral individual fouls, of the fame fpecies: As there is of feveral veffels of the fame metal, though not by fuch difference of corporal extenfion. And there is no great probability that all the difference in the degrees of wit from the Ideot to Achitophel, is founded only in the bodily organs; and not at all in the fouls. And it is certain, that there are

Ii

various

various degrees of glory in Heaven, and yet that every one there is perfect.

But if this were not fo, yet it is in this life only that we are now telling you, that all Chriftians have not a promise of the fame degrees.

Object. But is not additional grace given by way of reward ? And then have not all a promise of the fame degree which the beft attain, conditionally if they do as much as they for it?

Anfw. O yes, obječtive; but not subjective; because all have not the fame natural capacity, nor are bound to the fame degree of duty as to the condition it felf. As perfection in Heaven is given by way of reward, and yet all fhall not have the fame degree of perfection; fo is it as to the degrees of grace on carth. 2. All have not the fame degrees of the first preventing grace given them; and therefore it is most certain that all will not use the fame degree of industry for more: Some have but one talent, and fome two, when fome have five,and therefore gain ten talents in the improvement, Mat. 25.

All muft ftrive for the highest measure: and all the fincere may at last expect their own perfection: But God breaketh no promife, if he give them not all as much as fome have.

Direct. 13. Much less bath God promifed the fame degree of common gifts to all.

If you never attain to the fame measure of acuteness, learning, memory, utterance, do not think that God breaketh promife with you: Nor do not call your prefumption by the name of Faith, if you have fuch expectations. See I Cor. 12. throughout.

Diret. 14. God often promifeth the thing it felf, when be promifeth the time of giving it: Therefore do not take it to be an act of Faith, to believe a fet time, where God barb fet no time at all.

Many are the troubles of the righteous, but God will deliver sbem out of all, Pfal. 37. But he hath not fet them juft the time. Chrift hath promifed to come again and take us to himJelf, Johi 14. 1,2.3. But of that day and bour knoweth no man. God will give neceffary comfort to his fervants; but he best knoweth when it is neceffary: and therefore they must not et him a time, and fay, Let it be now, or thou breakeft thy

word.

word. Patient waiting Gods own time, is as needful as believing Yea he that believeth, will not make hafte, Ifa, 28. 16. Rom. 2. 7. 2 Thef. 3. 5. James 5. 7,8. Heb. 6. 12. & 10. 36. & 12. 1. James 5. 7. Revel. 13. 10. & 14. 12. 1 Tbef. 1. 3, 11.

Direa. 15. God often promifeth the thing, when be promiseth not ciber in what manner, or by what inftrument he will do it.

He may deliver his Church, and may deliver particular perfons out of trouble; and yet do it in a way, and by fuch means as they never dreamed of. Sometimes he foretelleth us his means, when it is we that in duty are to use them. And fometimes he keepeth them unknown to us, when they are only to be used by himself. In the Mount will the Lord be feens bat yet Abrabam thought not of the Ram in the Thicket. The Ifraelites knew not that God would deliver them by the hand of Mofes, A&s 7.25.

Direct. 16. Take not the premises proper to one time or age of the Church, as if they were common to all, or unto us.

There were many promises to the Ifraelites, which belong not to us, as well as many precepts: The increase of their feed, and the notable profperity in the world which was promifed them, was partly because that the motive fhould be fuited to the ceremonial duties, and partly because the eternal things being not then fo fully brought to light as now, they were the more to be moved with the prefent outward tokens of Gods Love. And fo the gift of the Spirit of Miracles, and Infallibility, for writing and confirming Scriptures, was promifed to the first age, which is not promifed to us.

Dired. 17. Take not any good mans obfervation in those times for an univerfal promife of God.

For inftance, David faith, Pfal. 73. I have been young, and now am old; yet did I never fee the righteous forfaken, nor bis feed begging their bread. But if he had lived in Gospel times, where God giveth greater heavenly bleffings and comforts,and calleth men to higher degrees of patience and mortification, and contempt of the world, he might have feen many both of the righteous and their feed begging their bread, though not forfaken, yea Chrift himself asking for water of a woman, Fobn 4. Ii a Dirc&.