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́it, O God, that thou promisest to give us, as the reward of our victory? even the Hidden Manna: surely, were not this gift exceeding precious, thou wouldest not reserve it, for the remuneration of so glorious a conquest. Behold that material and visible manna, which thou sentest down from heaven, to stop the mouth of murmuring Israel, perished in their use; and, if it were reserved but to the next day, putrefied; and, instead of nourishing, annoyed them: but the hidden manna, that was laid up in the ark, was incorruptible; as a lasting monument of thy power and mercy to thy people. But now, alas, what is become both of that manna, and that ark? Both are vanished, having passed through the devouring jaws of time, into mere forgetfulness. It is the true Spiritual Manna, that came down from the highest heaven, and, ascending thither again, is hidden there, in the glorious ark of eternity, that thou wilt give to thy conqueror: that is it, which, being participated of here below, nourisheth us to eternal life; and, being communicated to us above, is the full consummation of that blessed life and glory. Oh, give me so to fight, that I may overcome; that so overcoming, I may be feasted with this manna. Thou, that art, and hast given me thyself, the Spiritual Manna, which I have fed on by faith; and the Symbolical Manna, whereof I have eaten sacramentally; give me of that Heavenly Manna, whereof I shall partake in glory. It is yet a Hidden Manna, hid from the eyes of the world; yea, in a sort, from our own; hid, in light inaccessible: for, Our life is hid with Christ in God; Col. iii. 3. but shall then be fully revealed: for it shall then not only cover the face of the earth round about the tents of Israel, but spread itself over the face of the whole heaven; yea, fill both heaven and earth. I well thought, O my God, that if heaven could afford any thing more precious than other, thou wouldest lay it up for thy victor for it is a hard service, that thy poor infantry here upon earth are put unto, to conflict with so mighty, so malicious, so indefatigable enemies; and therefore the reward must be so much the greater, as the warfare is more difficult. Oh, do thou, who art the great Lord of Hosts, give me courage to fight, perseverance in fighting, and power to overcome all my spiritual enemies; that I may receive from thee this Hidden Manna, that my soul may live for ever, and may for ever bless thee.

LVII.

THE HEART'S TREASURE.

It is a sure word of thine, O Saviour, that where our treasure is, there our hearts will be also; neither can we easily know, where to find our hearts, if our treasure did not discover them. Now, Lord, where is my treasure? Surely, I am not worthy

to be owned of thee, if my treasure be any where, but in heaven: my lumber and luggage may be here on earth; but my treasure is above: there thou hast laid up for me the richest of thy mercies, even my eternal salvation. Yea, Lord, what is my richest treasure, but thyself; in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, yea of infinite glory are laid up, for all thine? All things, that this world can afford me, are but mere pelf, in comparison of this treasure; or, if the earth could yield ought that is precious, yet I cannot call that treasure. Treasure implies both price, and store of the dearest commodities: never so great abundance of base things cannot make a treasure; neither can some few pieces of the richest metals be so accounted; but where there is a large congestion of precious jewels and metals, there only is treasure. If any at all, surely very little and mean is the wealth, which I can promise myself here: perhaps, some brass farthing, or light and counterfeit coin; mere earthly dross, which may load, but cannot enrich my soul. My only true riches are above, with thee; and, where then should my heart be, but there? My hand and my brain too, must necessarily be sometimes here below; but my heart shall be still with my treasure in heaven. It is wont to be said, that, however the memory of old age is short, yet that no old man ever forgot where he laid up his treasure. O God, let not that Celestial Treasure, which thou hast laid up for me, be at any time out of my thoughts: let my eye be ever upon it; let my heart long for the full possession of it; and so joy in the assured expectation of it, that it may disrelish all the contentments, and contemn all the crosses, which this world can afford me.

LVIII.

THE NARROW WAY.

O SAVIOUR, I hear thee say, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; and yet again, thou, who art Truth itself, tellest me, that the way is narrow, and the gate strait, that leadeth unto life. Surely, thou, who art the living Way, art exceeding large; so wide, that all the world of believers enter into life by thee only but the way of our walk towards thee is strait and narrow, Not, but that thy commandment in itself is exceeding broad; Psalm cxix. 96: for, Lord, how fully omprehensive it is of all moral and holy duties! and what gracious latitude hast thou given us in it, of our obedience! and how favourable indulgence and remission, in case of our failings! but narrow, in respect of the weakness and insufficiency of our obedience it is our wretched infirmity, that straitens our way to thee. Lo, heaven, which is thy all-glorious mansion, when we are once entered into it, how infinitely large and spacious it

is! even this lower contignation of it, at how marvellous distance it archeth in this globe of air, and earth, and waters! and how is that again surrounded, with several heights of those lightsome regions, unmeasurable for their glorious dimensions! But, the heaven of heavens, the seat of the blessed, is yet so much larger; as it is higher in place, and more eminent in glory: yet, thou wouldest have the way to it narrow, and the gate of it strait. And even thus it pleaseth thee to ordain, in the dispensation of all thine inferior blessings: learning dwells far within; but the entrance is strait through study, watching, bending of brains, wearing of spirits: the house of honour is sumptuous and goodly within; but the gate is strait, that leads into it; which is through danger, attendance, plots of emulation: wealth hath large elbow-room of lodging; but the gate is strait; hard labour, careful thrift, racking of thoughts, painful adventures. How much more wouldest thou have it thus, in the best of all blessings, the eternal fruition of heaven! And why is this way narrow, but because it is untracked and untrodden? If I may not rather say, the way is untracked and found by few, because it is narrow, and not easy to tread in. Surely, grace is the way to glory; and that path is not for every foot: the straiter and narrower it is, O my God, the more let me strive and shoulder to enter into it. What vain quarrels do we daily hear of, for the way; but, Lord, enable me to strive for this way, even to blood. And, if thou hast been pleased to set me a deep way, or a rough way, through many tribulations, to that happy and eternal life, let me pass it with all cheerful resolution. How oft have I not grudged to go a foul way to a friend's house, where I knew my entertainment kind and cordial! Oh, let me not think much to come to those thy everlasting mansions of bliss, through tears and blood: the end shall make an abundant amends for the way: if I suffer with thee, I shall reign with thee.

LIX.

GOD'S VARIOUS PROCEEdings.

WHAT strange varieties do I find, in the workings of God with man! one where, I find him gently and plausibly inviting men to their conversion; another where, I find him frightening some others to heaven: some, he trains up in a goodly education, and, without any eminent change, calls them forth to an exemplary profession of his name; some others, he chuseth out of a life notoriously lewd, to be the great patterns of a sudden reformation: one, that was only formal in his devotion without any true life of grace, is, upon a grievous sickness, brought to a lively sense of godliness; another comes to God's house with a purpose to sleep or scoff, and, through the secret

operation of God's Spirit working with his word, returns full of true compunction of heart, with tears in his eyes, and resolutions of present amendment of life: one, that was proud of his own righteousness, is suffered to fall into some foul sin, which shames him before men, and is thus brought down to an humble acknowledgment of his own frailty; another, that was cast down with a sad despair of God's mercy, is raised up by the fall of an unbroken glass, or by some comfortable dream, or by the seasonable word of a cheerful friend: one is called at the sixth hour; another, not till the eleventh one, by fair and probable means; another, by contraries; so as even the work of Satan himself hath been made the occasion of the conversion of his soul. O God, thy ways are infinite, and past finding out. It is not for us to prescribe thee what to do, but humbly to adore thee in what thou doest. Far be it from me, so to cast myself upon thy all-working Providence as to neglect the ordinary means of my salvation. Enable me cheerfully to endeavour what thou requirest, and then take what way thou pleasest; so that thou bringest me to the end of my hope, the salvation of my soul.

LX.

THE WAKING GUARDIAN.

IT is a true word, which the Psalmist said of thee, O God: Thou, that keepest Israel, neither slumberest, nor sleepest; Psalm cxxi. 4. Fond tyrants think that thou winkest at their cruel persecutions of thy Church, because thou dost not speedily execute vengeance upon them; whereas, if the fault were not in their eyes, they should see thine wide open, and bent upon them for their just destruction: only, thou thinkest fit to hold thy hand, for a time, from the infliction of judgment, till the measure of their iniquity be full; and then, they shall feel to their cost, that thou sawest all their secret plots and conspiracies against thine Israel. The time was, O Saviour, when, in the days of thy human infirmity, thou sleptest in the stern of the ship, on a pillow, when the tempest raged and the waves swelled; yet even then, when thy disciples awoke thee, and said, Lord, save us, we perish, thou rebukedst them sharply with, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Matth. viii. 24-26. Mark iv. 37-40. Luke viii. 23-25. Their danger was apparently great: but yet thou tellest them their fear was causeless; and their faith weak, that they could not assure themselves, that thy presence, though sleeping, was a sufficient preservative against the fury of winds and waters: how much more now, that being in the height of thy heavenly glory, and ever intentively vigilant for the safeguard of thy chosen ones, may we rest secure of thy blessed protection, and our sure in

demnity! O God, do thou keep my eyes ever open, that I may still wait upon thee, for thy gracious tuition, and the merciful accomplishment of thy salvation. Thou seest I have to do with those enemies, that are never but waking, never but seeking all advantages against my soul: what can they do, when thine eye is ever over me for good? Oh, then, let mine eyes be ever unto thee, O God my Lord: in thee let me still put my trust: so shalt thou keep me from the snares that they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity; Psalm cxli. 8, 9.

LXI.

THE STING OF GUILTINESS.

GUILTINESS can never think itself sure, if there were no fiends to torment it: like a bosom-devil, it would ever torment itself: no guard can be so sure, no fort so strong, as to secure it from terrors. The first murderer, after his bloody fratricide, when there is no mention of any man, beside his father, upon earth; yet can say, It shall come to pass, that every one, that findeth me, shall slay me; Gen. iv. 14: and I marvel, that he added not, "If none else will do it, I shall do that deadly office to myself." He was sure he could meet with none, but brethren or nephews; and even the face of those was now dreadful to him: he, that had been so cruel, to him, that had lain in the same womb with himself, fears, that no nearness of blood can shield him, from the violence of the next man. Conscience, when once exasperated, needs not stay for an accuser, a witness, a solicitor to enforce the evidence, a judge; but itself alone acts all these parts; and, ofttimes also, the executioner's, to boot. It was a just question of the wisest of men, A wounded spirit who can bear? but, there are divers and different degrees of the wounds of spirit: all are painful, some mortal. As, in the body, there may be some wounds in the outward and fleshly part, which have more pain than peril; but those of the principal and vital parts are not more dolorous than dangerous, and often deadly so it is in the soul; there are wounds of the inferior and affective faculties, as grief for crosses, vexation for disappointment of hopes, pangs of anger for wrongs received, which may be cured with seasonable remedies; but the wounds of conscience, inflicted by the sting of some heinous sin, which lies belking within us, carries in it horror, despair, death. O God, keep me from blood-guiltiness, and from all crying and presumptuous sins; but, if ever my frailty should be so foully tainted, do thou so work upon my soul, as that my repentance may walk in equal paces with my sin, ere it can aggravate itself by continuance. Apply thy

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