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combat willingly, and the continuance will be a pleasure. Our consolation aboundeth by Christ: for as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation." Therefore the Apostles did change the name of a famous disciple, called Joses, into a notion of this theme, and called him Barnabas, which is, being interpreted, "The son of consolation.' The rabbies of the Jews hold themselves very close to this doctrine, and would have it observed, that 'the merrier the heart is in the Lord, the more capable it is of the Spirit of God:' partly, because Miriam, when she prophesied of the mighty acts of Jehovah, took a timbrel in her hand, and danced: partly, because that Samuel, after he had anointed Saul to be king over Israel, told Saul, "Thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place, with a psaltery, a tabret, a pipe, and a harp; and they shall prophesy, and the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man. More emphatically, when Jehoshaphat called for Elisha to inquire of the Lord; says Elisha, "Bring me a minstrel: and it came to pass when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him;" 5 that by the ravishing strains of music, his mind might be exalted into heavenly contemplations. Which is a great check to that drowsy dulness in devotion, which our late reformers have brought in, and have excluded the solemn melody of the organ, and the raptures of warbling and sweet voices, out of cathedral choirs. They that miss that harmony, can best tell, how it was wont to raise up their spirit, and, as it were, to carry it out of them to the choir in heaven. And beside, cheerfulness is not only an adjunct, or companion with all the works of 1 2 Cor. i. 7. 2 Acts iv. 36. 3 Exod. xv. 20. 4 Sam. x. 5, 6.

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52 Kings iii. 15.

grace, in that time they are bringing forth; but, being done and finished, that which is ". post-nate," the after-birth, as I may call it, comes with such a gleam, gliding over all the soul, with such serenity and peace of mind as cannot be expressed; our conscience bearing us witness that we have been conversant in doing the pleasure of the Lord, as it is, "For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the world." 1

Here I shall find work to heal the broken in heart, who look upon the fruits of their lives with no content in themselves, but are unsolaced, and cast down, because neither in number, nor in weight, have they brought in that which the Lord required: they look on their ways, and they find them crooked: they look on their heart, and they find it is not constant to good purposes. To whom I rejoin; if this proceed from penitence, from quick sense of sin, from humility, which is opposite to a self-justifying, they have cause to praise God, that they are thus affected. Let them look narrowly if this gold (for it may prove no worse) be current, when it is brought to the touchstone; then they may lift up their eyes, and look cheerfully towards Christ; for it is no flattery to say, they are under his grace and mercy. Deal clearly, that you are astonished at your frailties, because you think that you can never work enough, never shun sin enough; and though your conscience condemn you, God will afford you equity against the rigour of conscience: for "he that searcheth the heart, knoweth what is the mind of the spirit." We are conceived in sin, and it is so intimate unto us, that we have no promise to be so spiritualized in this life, that we shall not often trespass. "God hath concluded all in sin, all in unbe

1 2 Cor. i. 12. 2 Rom. viii. 27.

lief, that he might have mercy upon all." But it is one thing to fall into sin, another thing to run into it. One thing to be carried away by the passions of it, another to covet, and desire it. One thing to be overtaken in a fault, another thing to abide in it without repentance. And great odds between those that are given over to please themselves in filthiness, and between them that labour and desire to please God, though many times they attain not to perfect that willingness. The scope of the seventh chapter to the Romans, as I apprehend the mind of the apostle, is, to refresh our guilty consciences, that a regenerate man is not obnoxious to condemnation, though his flesh, upon some temptations, make him the servant of sin, because still in his mind he serves the law of God. And I am confirmed in that sense, because without all contradiction he teacheth the like doctrine: "The flesh and the spirit are contrary one to another, so that we cannot do the thing that we would."

And will the righteous God require more of a sick and feeble servant, than his best endeavour? Will not Christ accept from us the same that he did from Mary, that broke the box of ointment over his head? "She hath done what she could." Let a contrite heart, that would fain be righteous, remember the prayer of Nehemiah; "Let thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: or the protestation of St. Paul; "We trust we have a good conscience, in all things, willing to live honestly." But this desire and willingness must be without hypocrisy; not like iron that is gilded, base metal within, and rich without; it must be steady, industrious, instant to perform. Vehement holy desire is a great degree to perfection in our

om. xi. 32.
4 Nehem.

2 Gal. v. 17.
11.

3 Mark xiv. 8.

5 Heb. xiii. 18.

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state; "For the beginning of wisdom is the desire of discipline, " but a lazy careless desire is a great token of imperfection. "The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing; and again, the desire of the slothful killeth him, for his hands refuse to labour; like vagabonds, that when an officer catcheth them, will feign that they desire a service, and to be set at work; but, take them at their word, and they will run away, that they may live in loitering, and upon other men's labours. St. Paul, provoking both rich and poor to liberality, according to their respective abilities, frames a rule upon that occasion, which is applicable to all good works. "If there be a willing mind, it is accepted according to that which a man hath, and not according to that which he hath not." 4 Yea, in some cases, when I desire a good thing, I am at my furthest. I desire the appearance of the Lord Jesus at the great day! Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. I can do no more. I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ. I must do no more; for I must not attempt my own dissolution. I wish for the conversion of the Jews to the faith; I must not compel them. This holds in a few things. In the most, willingness must show some practice; as in the same chapter: "Now, therefore, perform the doing of it: that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also of that which you have." But to desire to do, and to do little, is a sign that there was little desire. This hath overthrown many, that they desire not to reach high. But we know that God gives his grace by talents, and not in petty sums; yet a lukewarm professor can be content with mites. Could such a one get a moderate competency of righteousness, knowing that

1 Wisd. vi. 17. 2 Prov. xiii. 4.
4 2 Cor. viii. 12.

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3 Prov. xxi. 25. Verse 11.

"without holiness no man shall see God," then he would sit down, and let others strive, if they like it, to be the tallest cedars in the house of the Lord.

There are many such indifferent disciples, that would be always babes, and never come to a manly growth; wrap themselves about with as many fig leaves as would cover their shame, and think they want no more apparel. These, if they knew what it were to a drachm, that would serve them to attain salvation, they would reach so far if the grace of God would assist them; but would put themselves to no trouble to purify their body and spirit any further. Here's a pretence of desire to serve God, but with so much laziness, with so much lethargy, that the Lord disdains it as dead carrion. He would serve God, and he would serve Mammon. He approves much prayer, but he cannot attend it. He would not for all the world but be a Christian; yet a small share in profit, or a snap at a little pleasure, will pervert him to be a dishonest Christian. But real and holy desire stands up for much, though it cannot do so much honour to God as he would: like the disease 'ephialtes,' that oppresseth us in the night, between sleeping and waking, we would turn to the other side of the bed, and cannot. But to shake off this incubus,' it listens after all the noble exploits that the saints of God have done, and would exactly follow them; or, if it were possible, run before them: if not, it will be heartily sorry that frailty makes it come short of the best. It would compound for no less than to pay all, if it were able. Then you shall find the heart pant often with these inward yearnings: 'Sweet Saviour, should any of thy servants love thee better than I? should any of thy disciples be more obedient than I? No, Lord, for none of thine are so much indebted to thy passion, because none had so many sins to be forgiven. How amiable are thy commandments, O Lord of hosts!