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soul; for the prison-doors to be broken open, and a poor captive set at liberty; to have all the chains and fetters beaten off, and to be brought into a marvelous light; to have all the balmof Gilead pour'd into him,Evangelical fruitions and cordials prepar'd for him,aad which is the very extra&tion and quinteffence of all, the love of a Saviour fhed into his heart. Whac ftrong impressions of joy, think you, muft there be in such a soul? What precious infusions of spiritual sweetness ? What secret springings and elevations of Spirit? What triumphs, what Jubilees, what love-raptures ? I am my Beloved's, and my Beloved is mine. I must appeal to your breafts that have found this great and heavenly work wrought upon your souls ; 'tis you only that have tafted ihe joy of the Holy Ghost, that is glorious and unspeakable. And do you tell us, had not ye then the firit relish of the hidden Manna ? was not it very sweet and delicious ? hadft not chou then the first glimpse of the White Stone ? and was not is very bright and orient? hadit not thou then the Spouses kiss, and was not it precious and more worsh than a world? didft noc thou then first hear the soft language and whisperings of the Spirit, and was not his vioce lovely and pleasant ? I know your Couls dance within you, with the very recalling of so happy and golden a time, and you pant and breath after more of this com: munion with a Saviour, and truly he deserves an Anathema, that does not preferre the very posfibility of having of it before all the: world. Hosea 11. 1. W ben Israel was a child, then I lov'd him; I

; taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms, in'2277 I taught him to foot it on the wages of Religion, op.sorodiv; I drop ihem with the cords of a man, all gentle and perswafive sollicitations, with bands of love, I was to them as they that take off ihe yske on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them. The yoke of bondage the soul was under, God freed the soul, brought him to an eafie, pleasant yoke, to an Evangelical yoke. God has a special care of sender plants; when Israel was a tender vine, then he fenc'd it, and hedg'dit,aod (hone out upon it,&c.

Now Chrift is thus pleald to reveal his love to unbosome himrelf unto the souls of yo ing Converés, for their greater encourages ment in the wayes of Grace: Ar the first ftep'to heaven, he gives themi a viaticum. lfafter the soul had been steept in legal'hymiliation, and poffeft with fears and terroursand amázemenis.

Compass’t with clouds, and now at laft it has been drawn by a
mighty work to receive a Saviour; if after all chis it should have
no Sun-fhine , 'twould droop and languish, and be ready to pine
away ; 'woold be very unfit and upserviceable, the wheels of
the soul would move heavily: God therefore oiles the wheels,
pours the Oile of gladness into the soul. And now it moves like
the chariots of Aminadab, with a nimble spontaneity.Chrift be:
gins to flourish through the Lattices, lets in some of his love in-
to the soul; 1, and gives it a sense of his love too, and this con-
ftrains it co obed ence; and (ers the soul a longing for more of
this love, and for more sense of this love; and so it will never
leave longing, till it have a full fruition of it in heaven. This is
Gods method this is the usual progress of grace in the
foul.

And hence you may fee why young Converts are usually so as
dive in the ways of Religion, fo forward and vehement, O, they
have frelh apprehensions of the love of a Saviour ; what an emi-
nent alteration he has wrought in them; how they are rais'd
from death to life? (), they can tell you long stories of his good-
ness; what great things he hath done for their soul. So that
their affe&ions are raised; there's a futh of joy, the foul runs o.
ver, and knows no bariks, no bounds. Thus God does many
times seal up the work of grace in the soul, and gives a satisfying
light at the firft converfion : but yet I cannot say that this is al-
wayes (o, for there are diversities of workings, and grace fome-
times wrought in the soul after a more fill' and undiscerna-
ble manor; as we shall have occalion to speak more here-
after.

2. Sacrament-times, are fealing times. I speak of the Sacram ment of the Lords Supper ; for as for those secret breathings of the Spirit upon rifants in that other Sacrament of Baptisme, chey are alcogeiher unsearchable, and past finding ont. Now in the Lords Supfer you have the New Covenant fead up unto the soul; the fool has got only his graces increased, but they are printed clearer; that seal of the Spirits does Print a Chriftians evidences with a clearer ftamp. You have plain and visible representations of the love of a Savionr; and you have the sense of his love pour'd out into you. A Chriftian feeds not only upon Sacramental bread, but upon hidden Manna too, and has caftes 02

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of that love that is sweeter than wine. Here's a feast; of fat things The soul is satisfied as with marrow and sweetnesse; spiritual refreihments like fat things, they are sweet, and they are filling too ; yet not like other fat things, that have a cloying fulsomeness in

a them; no, these carry a delicious relish with them, such as the soul takes present complacency in them, and has a longing appe. tite for them. The soul never nauseats-the feast of fat things; but the more it feeds upon them, the more it hungers after them. Now the two grind ends of this Sacrament in reference to a Christian, are (1) Growth of Grace. (2.) Sense of Grace 'Tis a Sacrament of Augmentation by which a new-born-infant-sout may grow up to its ful proportion and ful ftature in Jesus Chrift; and 'cis a Sacrament evidencing this his condition of the roul. Christians come hither ad corroborandum Titulum; the smoaking flax comes hither to have fume light, and the bruised reed comes hither to have some ftrengih ; the worm Jacob crawls into the presence of a Saviour, and is sent away with an encouraging voice, Fear not, ibou worm Jacob. Many a tender babe in Chrift, has frecht outils weak and crembling hand, to lay hold of a Savi: our, and has found virtue coming out from him. Many a thir. fy soul has come breathing and paniing after streams of waseri'i has open' his mouth wide, and he has hill dit. The long. ing and affe&ionale soul has come with vehement and enlarg'd delires, and has found full expressions and manifestations of his love towards her. Many a cloudy soul has come bicher to ee if Le could spy out any beam, and has been-sent away brighter than the Sun in all its glory. You that come hither with the most am. ple and capacious souls ; tell us whether you ben fi!'J up to the brim, whether your cup doni'r overflow?. O what heavenly en. tercourse is there between you and a Saviour; what pleasant aBeets? what mutual love-glunces?. whu smiles and blandithments ? don't you find in your own souls, a full Paraphrase upon the book of Canticles, ihat book of Loves ? He comes with an earthly and droslie soul, that is not rais’d and advanc't wich such glorious mysteries.

And yet my meaning is not as if every true Chriftian that had received this Sacrament, must needs have Assurance ; No, we know, BuiltBelievers themse'ves may receive unworthily, as the Chri. 10

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ttian Corinthians, ( when Paul tells them ) they came together for the worse, and not for the belier, he speaks it of fuch as were truly in the face of grace. Thus he concludes his discourse, You. are chastened of the Lord, that you might not be conden.ned with the world. And thus the soul may go from a Sacrament with less comfort then it brought thither.

2. Many that have much joy and sweetness from a Sacrament, real and spirituall joy, I and frength and vigour 100, yet it may be have it not in so great a proportion, in so high a measure;cheir cup is not so brimful, as that it should reach to assurance. All that do truly parcake of these heavenly delicacies, yet don't go away equally satisfied. Some have but a tast which is enough to cherish them, others a full draught which does mightily enliven them. So then, all we say is this ,th. se Chriftians that have af surance, have it ufalat ihese times, and some Chriftians that have wanted assurance, yer here have found it, which should strongly engage all to come hither with great and solemn pre. , paration, quickening and exciting their graces, improving all present ftrength, breathing and longing after these pleasant ftreams, widening and enlarging their affe&ions, opening their mouths like a dry and thirsty land that waits for some facisfying. showers, and would fain be áll’d.

3. Times of imployment are sealing times. When God intends a Chriftian fur great and eminent service, he first makes his. goodness pass before him, he sheds some of his love into his heart, which does bo:h conftrain him to obedience, and encou. rage him in it; his smile makes the foulgo cheerfully about his work, his presence gives life, and vigour io a performance. The servants of God wait on him, fix their eyes upon him, look whether he gives them a propitious glance, they walk in the light of his countenance,ihey follow the dire&ions of his eye;they won't move unless he breach on them. Moses wen’i ftir without Alfurance of his presence. All the clufters of Canaan Thall not entice him, he had rather dwell with briers and thorns in the wilderness, with the good will of him that dwells in the bush : He hid rather to be in barren, and desolate,and howling wilderness, than in a pleasant and fruitful land, in a delicious land without the presence of his God. He knows there's no sweetness in Cenaan without him; there's more fting chan honey in the land of

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Promise , unless he be there ; and Canaan it self will prove a wilderness if he with-draw himself, The beams of his gracious Presence , chese gild a place, they can turn a desert into a para. dise, and can make a prison glorious. The love of God in Chrift Stis attra&ive and magnetical, and draws the cool along when 'tis once toucht with ir, this will draw Moses to the land of Promte, this will carry him through all difficulties. God sheds some of this love into Moses his heart, and then he goes on wich cheerfulness and a lacrity. And so was with his Succeffor JoShua, God calls him to an honourable employment, to be the Shepherd of this little flock, to guide and govern his People Ifrael. Now how does he prepare bim for so great a work? why, he strengthens him, and heartens him with a Promise of himself with affurance of his love; Fear not, but be of courage, I an with thee, Thou haft my presence, thou shalt have my blefling; I have done much for thee, and I will do more for thee; be faithful in my service, and be couragious, and don't doubt of the love of God cowards thee. Thus God when he called Abraham to that great expression of obedience in the facrificing of his Isaac, he Brit warms his heart with his love, and seals up the covenant of Grace to him : he spreads before him ample and comprehensive Promises I am thy God Allisufficient;I am thy Buckler,and thine exs ceeding great reward; and this will beare up and support Abrabam, though the stafe of his old age be taken away, and by his own hands caft into the fire.

And this was his usual dealing with the Prophers, when he sent them with great and weighty messages. He firft reveals his goodness to them, before he reveals his ro'nd by them; he alsures them of dire ding mercy, of prote ding mercy that shall bear them company, that shall go along with them; and this poes generous undauntedness upon them, that they fear nat ibe frowns of men, nor the threainings of men, nor of ihe g eatest of men ; this makes Jeremy to set his face like a fint, and Esay to lift up his voice like a Trumpet, to tell Ifrael their sins, and Judah their transgressions.

And this is that which prepares the Martyrs for their fuffer. ings. God tempers and allayes chat Cup, he drops some of his goodness into it, and sweetens it to them. He first sers his seal to their Couls, before they set their seal to his truth; he diets