manner he works in us when we are in ordinances. Why now is he (I hope) riding with triumph in the midst of the assembly; now is he in his chariot; in his throne; in the hearts of his people: and therefore away, away with all buyers and sellers out of that temple of the Holy Ghost.2. The presence of Christ is the presence of his angels; as a king is where his court is, so is Christ the King of kings, especially present where his blessed angels pitch their tents. And the presence of angels is worthy (O my soul) of thy consideration. Certainly they are ministering spirits, that have a work to do upon thy inward man: I grant the Spirit of Christ can only enlighten the understanding, and determine the will effectually; it is he only can bend and turn, and form the mind which way soever he pleaseth; but the angels can speak also to thy spiritual parts; and though the spirit only determine, yet their speaking carries a power with it.

By way of digression, it is a fine skill to know how the angels can speak to us, and how we may know when they speak, and how we may discern what is spoken by the immediate inspiration of the Spirit, and what by the mediation of the angels.

1. How do the angels speak to us? We must conceive if we understand this, 1. That the images, or phantasms of things received by the outward senses, are kept and preserved by the inward senses, as the species of sounds, of shapes, or whatsoever else. 2. That the images or phantasms so kept, may be so moved by our spirits, or humors, or some extrinsical things, as that they may move the fancy, and provoke it to represent, and conceive such things as neither appear, nor are at that time perceived by any outward sense at all. This appears, 1. In our ordinary course, as we can sit in the dark, where we hear and sce nothing, and yet there we can multiply a fancy in infinitum by an act of our own will. 2. This appears in our dreams, when though we hear or see nothing, yet the humor can stir up the memory of things, and provoke our fancies to the apprehension of this or that. 3. This appears also in sickness, which altereth the body, and the humors, and so troubling the fancy, it begets strange fancies, and makes dreadful and fearful representations unto us. Now, this we must know, that whatsoever an inferior power can do, that a superior power can do much more, whatsoever an act of our own will, or natural dreams, or preternatural sickness can do, that the angels can do more orderly and efficaciously: they know exactly how the spirits and humors must be moved, that the images or phantasms may be applied to such or such conceptions or apprehensions, most accommodated and fitted for the knowledge of what truth they would suggest. So that to me here is the difference between the converse of men and angels; men can speak to our understandings, by the mediation of our external senses, but angels go a nearer way to work, and speak to the internals first of all; they do no more but come into the memory, (the treasurer of all our phantasms and imaginations) and there make such and such compositions, even as they please; and then the understanding takes them off and reads what is written, without more ado. 2. How may we know when the angels speak to us? I confess it is a hard question, and easily it cannot be solved; only some conjecture we may have, as in a case of evil; thou art in a way of sin, and near to fall into it; it may be on a sudden thou hearest within thee some contrary whisperings, which also are above the whisperings of a natural conscience, common to the wicked: or in case of good, it may be on a sudden thou hearest within thee, some independent supernatural persuasions and reasonings to this or that good, or to this or that object, which may more easi ly lead thee to choose the good. In these cases thou mayest conjectural

ly think that these whisperings or motions are of the angels of God. Bodin tells a story of one who desired of God a guidance and assistance of an angel; and accordingly he had sensible manifestations of a spirit that assisted him, and followed him till his death; if in company he spake any unwary words, he was sure to be advertised and reproved for it by a dream in the night; or if he read any book that was not good, the angel would strike upon the book, to cause him to leave it.

3. But how should we discern what is spoken by the immediate inspira. tion of the Spirit, and what by the mediation of the angels? Here indeed we are at a stand, and therefore my best resolution is that of Calvin, "That in such secrets we should keep one rule of modesty and sobriety, and that we should neither speak, nor think, nor yet desire to know any other thing than such as hath been taught us by God's word." I know not any great use there may be of this question, and therefore I shall not amuse myself in giving any account of it, only these remain as sure truths. 1. That the things communicated to our inward man, (I mean those inward motions and suggestions to holiness and obedience) are frequently and usually by the administration of angels. 2. That the same things communicated to our inward man, are ever originally and primarily from the Spirit of Christ; and hence it is, that commonly we put them all on that score, we give them all to Christ's Spirit. 3. That it is proper to the Spirit to enlighten the understanding, and to determine the will effectual. ly: the angels are but cisterns, the Spirit is the fountain; the angels may speak and move us to our duties, but the blessing, the efficacy is of the Spirit; and in this respect, we leave to Christ and his Spirit the all in all. Well, then, O my soul, consider (especially in church assemblies, and in the enjoyment of ordinances) the especial presence of Christ, in the presence of his Spirit, and in the presence of his angels: What, dost thou feel any stirrings, actings, movings in thy spirit? Dost thou feel any quicken. ing, warming, feeding, cherishing, healing, mollifying, melting, comfort ing, strengthening in thy inward parts? Say then, "Surely the Lord is in this place," Gen. 28:16,17. "This is none other but the house of God, this is the gate of heaven." O here is the Spirit, and here are the angels, ascending and descending; and therefore avoid Satan! avoid all profane thoughts, and earthly mindedness! avoid dulness, deadness, drowsiness! avoid looseness, lasciviousness, and all irreverence, "Because of the an gels," 1 Cor. 11:10. And because of the Spirit; and because of the espe cial presence of Christ, which includes them both.

6. Consider the preaching of Christ. O the admirable sermons of this great prophet! The spouse tells us, Cant. 5:13. "His lips like lilies dropped sweet smelling myrrh." His doctrine was sweet as the lilies, and sound as the myrrh. "His lips were like lilies that cast forth a sweet smelling savor." They were full of heavenly grace and sweetness. Grace, saith the Psalmist "was poured into his lips, and they dropped sweet smelling myrrh," Psal. 45:2. The nature of this herb, is to keep from putrefaction: as it is sound itself, so it makes other things sound: error is of a putrefying nature, corrupting and defiling the soul; but the doctrine of Christ keeps the soul sound; it is the soul's preservative, it keeps the soul free from all corruption and defilement. See here the prophetical office of Christ held forth in similitudes, his lips were ever dropping, distilling, publishing sweet and sound truths.-Read and peruse those sermons he hath left on record, yea, ruminate and meditate on them in order to piety and an holy life. How sweet was the first sermon of Christ, Matth. 4:17. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand?"

and how spiritual was that sermon of Christ, John 3:8. Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God? It may be thou art a doc. tor, a master of Israel, thou art a learned scholar, thou art a man of parts and abilities in other things: it may be thou hast read so long in the Bi ble, thou hast heard so many, and so many sermons, &c. .But, ah, misera. ble soul, it may be all the work is to do still within. Come, say this ser Inon of Christ unto thine own soul, "Unless I be born again, I cannot enter into heaven. Born again! O Lord, what is that? Was ever such a thing done upon me? Was ever I cast into the pangs of a new birth? And continued I in those pangs until Christ Jesus was formed in me? Are old things done away, and are all things now become new? Is the old man, the old lusts, the old conversation quite abandoned and left? Are my prin. ciples new? My aims and ends new? My life and conversation new!" Thus I might paraphrase on all the sermons, but I intend brevity: only consider, O my soul, as if this sermon and all the rest had been preached to thee: relish Christ standing by thee, and opening his mouth, and teaching thee, thus and thus: surely there is a speaking of Christ from heaven, Heb. 12: 25. "See that ye refuse not hin (saith the apostle) that speaketh from heaven." And besides, he hath his ministers here on earth, and they are daily preaching over these sermons of Christ, again and again; they preach such things as were "first spoken by the Lord himself," Heb. 2:3. "They beseech, and pray thee in Christ's stead," 2 Cor. 5:20. O then, "Meditate on these things, and give thyself wholly to them, that thy profit. ing may appear to all," 1 Tim. 4:15.

7. Consider the miracles of Christ in pursuance of the doctrines deliv. ered in his blessed sermons. Here is a world of matter to run over; such miracles were done by Christ as never man did before. Moses indeed smote the rock, and the waters gushed out, but he could not turn the water into wine, Elisha raised a child that was dead to life; but Jesus raised one that had been dead four days, yea, who was buried and corrupted: Elias and Samuel, and all the prophets, and the succession of the high priests in both the temples, put all together, never did so many, and so great miracles as Jesus did: he turned water into wine: he healed the nobleman's son even at the point of death; he cured the lepers by his touch; he made the lame man to walk; and the crooked limbs to become straight: he made habitual diseases, and inveterate of eighteen years' continuance, and one of thirty-eight years, to disappear at his speaking, even as darkness at the brightness of the sun; he fed thousands of people with two small fishes and five loaves: he cast out devils, and commanded them whithersoever he pleased: he restored sight to the blind. In a word, he did such miracles as no man else ever did; and the poor blind man proved it by an instance of himself, John 9:23. "It was never heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind." O my soul consider of these miracles, and believe that doctrine which was ratified with arguments from above! how shouldst thou but assent to all those mysterious truths which were so strongly confirmed by an almighty hand?-What, dost thou think a meditation needless in this respect? Art thou fully satisfied of the truth of the scriptures? It is well: I hope thou art; and yet who knows how soon thou mayest be put to it by an enemy, or a strong temptation? One can tell us in print, "Some are now talking of a toleration of all religions; and some desire that the Jews may have a free commerce amongst us; it is good therefore to be well armed at this point; and the best argument to prove the verity of the gospel, next to the inward testi

mony of the Spirit, is this demonstration or common place of the miracles of Christ.

8. Consider Christ's ordination of his apostles, Luke 6:13. "He chose twelve, whom he named apostles:" and what was the office of these apostles, but "to go and teach all nations," Matth. 28:19. The gospel was first preached in Jewry, but afterwards the sound of it came unto us, Micah 4:2. "Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." Gildas affirms plainly, "That Britain received the gospel in the time of Tiberius, under whom Christ suffered: and that Joseph of Arimathea, after the dispersion of the Jews, was sent of Philip the apostle from France to Britain, and here remained in this land all his time. Nicephorus adds, (Niceph. 1. 2. c. 40.) That Simon Zelotes did spread the gospel of Christ to the west ocean, and brought the same into the isles of Britain." Howsoever it was brought hither, of this we are sure; that Christ was first discovered to his apostles, and from the apostles was discovered to our forefathers, and from them unto us, and from us will be the discovery to others to the end of the world. O the goodness of God in Christ! What? That "repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name beginning at Jerusalem, and afterwards among all nations," Luke 24:47. Of what near concernment, O my soul, is this to thee? What art thou but a sinner of the Gentiles? Understand that term; when the apostle would express the greatest sinners that the world had, he calls them "sinners of the Gentiles," Gal. 2:15. Why? The Gentiles knew not God, the Gentiles were unacquainted with Christ, the Gentiles walked in nothing but sin; O then what a love is this, that God should ever have a thought of good will towards thee? Surely this is one of "the great mysteries of godliness, God manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles," 1 Tim. 3:16 What? That sinners, and the worst of sinners, should be made the subjects of the utmost discovery of Christ and of the gospel of Christ? This is a mystery indeed; had Christ sent his apostles to proclaim the riches of his grace to some Jews only, or to some unspotted souls among the Gentiles (if any such were) whose hearts might presently have fallen down before it; this had been something suitable, but, that sinners of the Gentiles, that children of wrath should be the subject of this great design, O the mystery! q. d. "Go, my apostles into all the nations of the world, and amongst them all go into Britain, into that corner of the world Er gland, and there open the mystery of Christ, there preach life, and reconciliation, and redemption, and glorification to those poor souls; lay you (or at least some of you) the foundation of the Christian faith amongst those heathens, those sinners of the Gentiles; and after you, I will raise up some other ministers of the gospel to confirm the same: yea, in the last times, I will raise up many worthies, as Jewel, Usher, Downham, Perkins, Hooker, Rogers, Shepherd, Bolton, Ash, Whittaker, &c. who shall be as bright stars in the firmament of that church; and after them will I raise up others to discover this great design to their generations amongst whom shall live such and such men, such and such women." (And herein, O my soul, think of thyself, and, if thou wilt, of thy own family and relations)" for I owe a good will towards England; it shall be said of England, as sometimes of Zion, Out of England, the perfection of beauty, hath God shined," Psal. 1:2. O my soul, how shouldst thou be ravished in this one meditation! What? That Christ should cause the Sun of his gospel to come into this zodiac, and that now in these latter times (when that Sun is set in Zion, where it first arose) it shall make a noon with us, and shine more bright.

ly here (for aught I know, or can yet learn) than in any other nation, country, kingdom, throughout all the world, Rom. 11:33. "Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and counsel of God: how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!"

9. Consider Christ's reception of sinners. He sent forth his apostles to call them in, and if they would but come, how ready was he to receive them? This was Christ's errand from heaven, this was the work he came down to do, John 6:38,39. "I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing." He must receive all his Father gives him, but he must lose none; Christ must give an account to God the Father of all which he hath given him, and this will be his account, John 17:12. "Those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lust." Ah, poor soul! Why shouldst thou despair because of sin? Look on Christ as spreading out both his arms to receive thee to him; look on the gracious nature and disposition that is in Christ; look on the office of Christ: it is an office of saving, and shewing mercy, that Christ hath undertaken; it is an office to receive sinners, yea, to "seek and to save that which was lost," Luke 19:10. To bring home straying souls to God, to be the great Peace-maker between God and man; to reconcile God to man, and man to God, and so to be the Head and Husband of his people. Certainly the devil strangely wrongeth many a poor troubled soul, that he can bring them to have hard thoughts and suspicious thoughts of Jesus Christ. How can they more contradict the office of Christ? How can they more contradict the gospel description of Christ, than to think him a destroyer of his creatures, one that watcheth for their haltings, and one that hath more mind to hurt than help them? Away, away with all prejudicate opinions! Resolve, O my soul, to throw thyself on him for life and salvation; why, if thou wilt but come, he hath promised freely to make thee welcome: all the day long he stretcheth out his arms, and would fain gather thee and others into his sweet embraces.

10. Consider the easiness of his yoke, and the lightness of his burden. Many a one is willing to take Jesus as their Saviour, but they are unwilling to take him on his own sweet terms: Oh, they imagine it an hard task, and an heavy burden, "Who may endure it?" It was otherwise with Christ, Psal. 40:8. "I do delight to do thy will, O my God;" and it is otherwise with Christians, for "his commandments are not grievous," saith John, 1 John 5:3. And therefore David calls on others to try this truth, Psal. 34:8. "Oh, taste, and see how good the Lord is.". It is said of Mr. Sanders, that a little before his death, and martyrdom, he told his wife, "That he had no riches to leave her, but that treasure of tasting how sweet Christ is to hungry consciences: and of that, (said he) as I feel some part, and I would feel more, so I bequeath it unto thee, and to the rest of my beloved in Christ," Act. & Mon. Folio 1361. O my soul, if thou canst but taste, thou will find a world of sweetness in Christ's ways; there is sweetness in the word, Psal. 119:103. "How sweet are thy words to my taste, yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth?" There is sweetness in prayer. Hast thou not known the time that thou hast touched the hem of Christ's garment, and tasted of the joys of heaven in prayer? Hast thou not seen heaven cleft, and Christ sitting at God's right hand? Rom. 10:11. "Surely the Lord is rich to all them that call upon him." There is sweetness in meditation: some call this very duty, the saints' pastime, which recreates and perfumes the tired spirits: Now, O