it: But one thing feems very ftrange to me; that the Lord fhould give out a promife firft a promife given out,and then comes the fentence of death upon the mercy, and upon the means that do lead unto it. What should be the meaning of this? why does the Lord deal thus,give out a promise first? A promife is given out twice. At the firft, before we do ¦ Anfw. 1. ufe the means, to encourage usthereunto. Afterwards upon fome encouragements that we do meet with in the ufe of

means.

When the Lord does first give out the promise, a sentence of death then paffes, that he may fhew you where the mercy lies. As the mother does deal by her child; shows the child where the meat ftands: child, thou art not yet fit for it, thou shalt have it in due time, look, here it ftands. Or as a father that shows the child where the money lies: child, time is not yet, but there the money lies, there's the bag it's in, none fhall take it from thee. So does God do: you think that the Mercy lies in the second caufe; No, faies God, here, here's the bag that it lies in. Therefore he does firft give out the Promife, that he may tell the foul where the Mercy lies, show the foul where it is.

And then again. God does therefore give out the Promife, notwithstanding the fentence of death; because he intends nos to give the Mercy prefently. You think it may be, that as foon as you have a Promife fet on upon your heart, you shall presently enjoy the Mercy: Nay, but God does therefore give you a Promife, because you fhall not have it prefently.

As for example: If I would pay a man my money down prefently, I would not give him a bond? but my very giving him a bond, argues, I am not to pay him prefently. So the Lord, he gives out a Promife, and you think now, you must have it prefently: No, (faies the Lord) but because a fentence of death is to come, and thou shalt not have it prefently; therefore I give out the Promife.

Again thirdly, God does therefore give out the Promife, notwithstanding his fentence of death: that your hearts

may

2.

3.

Applic.

Pfal.116

may be born up against all difcouragements, when the womb of the fecond Caufe fhall be dead. God fees that his Child, or fervant is going to a great ftorm: there's fuch a child of mine (faies God) he is going into a great form, and his Faith will be put to a great ftrefs; therefore I will furnish him with Cables, and good Anchors; l'le throw him out a Promife. You think, becaufe God gives you a Promife, because God gives you Cables, because God gives you Anchors, therefore you fhall come to land prefently: the Lord does therefore give you a Promife, because he does fee that a ftorm is coming: you mistake the way of God in his Promife, this is Gods way, he gives out a Promife, and then causes the sentence of death to pafs upon the business, and upon all the means that do lead unto it.

I come unto the Application.

Whilst I ftand upon this truch, me thinks I fee matter of great, and everlasting encouragement to all the Saints and People of God: be not difcouraged, but rather keep filence wait, and ftay upon God when the darkest times go over your head: when the fentence of death is put upon the mer cy,& bleffing which you do moft delire This is Gods way, when he intends any great mercy to any of his children, he puts a fentence of death firft upon it. Oh! when death fits upon the means, then we conclude all's dead, the mercy dead, al's gone, & we are very apt to have despairing thoughts & to make defpondent conclufions. I fuid in my haft (laies he) all men are lyars: Samuel laies,I fhal have a Kingdom: the fentence of death is put upon the bufinefs; All men are lyars. Pfal. 31. So in another place: I faid in my haft, I am caft out of thy fight: fhall I fee the face of God? nothing but death upon all the Ifa.38. means; I am caft out of thy fight. So with Hezekiah, Ifaid (faies he) Ifbal be caft out of the Land of the living. And fo now adaies: I thought indeed we should have had a Reformation; but now nothing but fadDivifion: I thought we fhould have had free enjoyment of al theOrdinances but now the fentence of death put upon all. I had thought I should have had Aj furance, & never doubted again; but now death put upon it,

II.

22.

11.

and

and upon all the means that do lead unto it: all's dead,al's gone: Oh! we are very apt to be much difcouraged, and to make ftrange conclufions when death comes upon the means: 'tis a hard thing to keep from fach conclufions: For the bufines comes to a Vote(as it were)it comes to a Vote before the foul. The Question is (faith the foul) whether I fhall be faved or no? As many as are for the Affirmative, fay, I: I, faies the Promife. As many as are for the Negative, fay, No: No, faies Threatnings; and, No, faies guilty Confcience; No, no, no, faies a thousand Sins. The Queftion is, whether I fhall be delivered or no? I am in fuch an Affliction, and ftraitnefs; the Question is, whether I fhall be delivered or no? As many as are for the Affirmative, fay, I: I, faies the Promife. As many as are for the Negative, fay, No: No, faies Providence; No, fay all fecond Caufes, and all the means round about; No, no, no, fay a thoufand Sins. Now my beloved, it's a hard thing for a poor foul to give an Affirmative with the bare Promife, when all elfe gives a Nega tive: but the reason is, because this truth that now I am upon, is not by you; were but this truth by you, it were ea fie to give an Affirmative with the bare Promife, when death fits upon all the means. As for example: Suppose our Army be in the Field, engaged with the Enemy; a Troop routed, a Regiment routed, a Wing routed; Come, (laies a carnal Soldier) fellow Soldiers, fhift for your lives, for we are all undone and fpoll'd: Nay, not fo, ftay (laies the beleeving Soldier) this is Gods way; when God intends any great Mercy to his People, he does first of all put the fentence of death upon It, and upon all the means that do lead unto it: and therefore, come, fall on, fall on, brave hearts, fall on; for this is Gods way: and fo it proves many times.

Or foppofe a man be in fome perfonal fruit or affiiction: the Devil, the Tempter he comes; ye fee in what ftrait ye are; there's no means at all for your deliverance, you had as good take fuch and fuch an indirect courfe; why should you wait any longer? Nay, faies the foul, but I have

learned

Quest.

Anfw.

learned otherwife: when God intends any great Mercy to his Children, he does first of all put the fentence of death upon it, and upon all the means that do lead unto it: and therefore I will wait on God ftill, I may be in Gods way, this may be Gods way; it may be the Lord is in a way to give me a greater mercy than ever I had in all my daies. Oh! my Beloved, that you would but gird this truth upon your thigh, how might you cut off all difcouragements as they rife upon you.

You will fay, How does this cut off difcouragements? Some things there are that die,and never rife again, as Beafi: fome things there are that die, and do rife again, as Men: The fentence of death is upon the mercy that I do much de fire; and did I know indeed, that it should rife again, it were a matter of great Incouragement to me, but that I do not know.

For Answer, I fhall only fay thus much to it: A may be of Mercy, is a fufficient ground for our reliance and fupport of the foul upon God. Mark, there is two acts of Faith; the Faith of Reliance, and the Faith of Affurance: Affurance, that caufes Joy; Reliance that caufes Quietneß: Accordingly there are two Objects of Faith; A fhall be of Mercy, that is the Object of Affurance; A may be of Mercy, that is the Obje&t of Reliance. Ye shall obferve therefore, that when the Lord would call out his people to an a& of Reliance upon him, he holds out a may be of mercy to Zeph.2.3 them; Seek the Lord, ye meek of the Earth; Seek righ teousness, feek meekness; it may be ye shall be bid in the day of the Lords anger; ye know the place in Zephaniah; And if you look into the 1 Samuel, the 14. Chapter, ye fhall find, that this may be was that encouraged Jonathan (at the 6. verfe) Jonathan faid to the yong man that bore his Ar mour: Come, and let us go over unto the Garrison of thefe uncircumcifed: it may be that the Lord will work for us; for there is no restraint with the Lord to fave by many, or by few. It may be the Lord will work for us, for there is no restraint with the Lord, to fave by many or by few. This encouraged Jena

than,

than, and hereby he incourages his Armour-bearer. So, when a man can fay thus: it may be the Lord wil fhow mercy to me in fuch a work, or in fuch a bufinefs; there is no reftraint with him; it caufes the foul to rely on God. Now this Do&rine, it holds forth a may be to you, a may be of mercy to you; though you have not an Affurance that this mercy that hath the fentence of death upon it, will certainly rife again; yet notwithstanding, feeing it is Gods way, this is Gods way with the Children of Abraham; when he intends to give a special mercy, he does put a fentence of death upon it. This holds forth a may be unto you, a may be of mercy this Doctrine holds forth unto you. Why therfore (my beloved) fhould we not relie upon God, when the fentence of death is put upon the means, upon all the means that does lead unto the mercy that you most de fire?

But you will fay unto me; Is there no way, no means Queft. to fpy out Gods meaning in this particular? Oh! that I did but know, whether this mercy that hath the fentence of death upon it, fhall rife again: how fhall one know that? are there no means to know it? whether a mercy fhall rise again, when the fentence of death is, upon

it?

I fhall fpeak but two things unto that, briefly.

:

A Chriftian may have fome perfwafion of the Refurrection Anfw. 1. of his mercy when the fentence of death is pnt upon it; by the frequent vifitings of the Promife; mark, when God intends any special mercy to his People, he gives out a Promife; then comes the fentence of death but if he intends to fulfill the Promife; he does caufe the Promise frequently to vifit the Soul, even when the fentence of death is upon the bufinefs; often to knock at the door of the fonl. When there is Good will between two yong people kept from marrying by their Parents, and the yong man often is at the houfe, ye fay, furely, if the Parents were but dead, there would be a marriage quickly, by the frequent vifitings. So now, when the Promife does frequent

Y

ly