cleanfed my heart in vain, and washed my bands in innocence. He was upon the point of repenting, that ever he had repented. This is not to be marvelled at, though it be to be lamented; as (if the Lord will I may fhew in the Application of the point, That it is a rare fight, and feldom, or never feen, that any Man's Soul profperity is always alike. Thus much of the firft Particular.

2. When the matter is out of doubt, and as bad, or worfe, then what we feared is come upon us, yet that Soul is in a profperous frame, that can even then, in that dark, and fad hour, find fufficient fatisfaction in the exercise of faith, in the promises of God, as Hab.2.4, but the just fhall live by his faith. Then, even then, when the fpirits of other Men, in the like cafe with him, fail and fink, and even dye within them, he is upheld in comfort: When his faith is unto him, like the Cork that is upon the Net; though the Lead on the one fide, fink it down, yet the Cork on the other fide, keeps it up. When the eye of faith looks upward, and fees the hand of the only-wife God, in all that befalls him, who makes eyery thing beautiful in his time; a righteous God, and can do no wrong; a good God, and will do no harm, when faith believes all this, that it is but to humble him, and try him, and to do him good in the latter end:

As

As Deut. 8. 16. And fees love, and faithfulnefs in all, and hopes to find, what David found, and thankfully acknowledged, Pfal 119.75, I know that thy judgments are right, and that thou, in faithfulness, haft afflicted me. That in all the trouble that came upon him, God was therein faithful to the interest of his Soul, (a thing, which without much difficulty may be obtained of reafon) to bear up under all, whilft we are perfwaded, that all is done, in love, and faithfulness for our good. As for inftance, though it troubles a Man to be in a Town, and forced to stay there, when it is befieged by a potent Enemy, yet the fame Man can be content, when need requires,that his Physician should confine him to his Chamber,because he believes, that he doth it out of love and care for his health. And furely, those Souls, who when they are under the lash of Divine Rods, and are toffed with ftorms, and tempefts (perhaps more then any they know of) can thus exercife their faith, and find fatisfaction in the promises of God, fo as to rejoice in tribulation, in hope of a good iffue, furely they are profperous Souls. Thus the Soul of Ha bakkuk profpered, when he exemplified his own Doctrine, That the juft fhould live by faith, in the time of the Invafion of the Baby lonians, by his own practice, Hab. 3. 17, 18, Although the Fig-tree shall not bloffom, &c.

Tet

Tet I will rejoice in the Lord, Iwill joy in the God of my Salvation. It is obfervable, what I have read to this purpose (Magdeburg. Cent. 5. cap. 10.) that when Attila King of the Huns, came into France, Lupus Bishop of Troges, met him, and asked him who he was, that made fuch spoil, and devastations in the World: He answered, Dei fe effe flagellum; That he was the fcourge of God, whereupon he commanded the City-Gates to be fet open unto him, and welcomed him with thefe words, Fauftè ingrediatur flagellum Dei, Whilft the Rod is in Gods hand, there is no danger. If this were fo (as it related by good Authors) the Mans heart was in a good frame his faith was above his fears: This is the third Particular.

:

4. The Soul profpers, when grace is fo exercifed, that it grows more and more clear in point of Covenant interest.

Obferve here, these two things.

(1.) When it grows into fuch a wellgrounded hope, and comfortable apprehenfion thereof, as, ordinarily, it prevails over fears, and doubts, though it doth not wholly filence them, nor free the Soul from them. This is that, which the Apostle calls, The joy of Faith, Phil. 1. 25. Arifing from the folid fatisfaction, which the heart receives, by a firm adhering to Chrift, in whom all full. ness dwells, for perfecting the work of Re

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demption, and Salvation, who is a faithful, and merciful High Prieft, and able to fave, to the uttermoit, all thofe that come to God by him. This is furely Soul profperity.

(2.) Much more when the joy of faith, grows into the joy of spiritual Sense, which is called, Full joy, Joh. 16.24-Ask, and ye fhall receive, that your joy may be full. 1 Joh. 1.4, Thefe things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. When the love of God is fhed abroad in the heart, as Rom. 5.5. When the fpirit doth tell us a thing in the Ear (as the expreffion is 1 Sam.9.15. It is faid there, The Lord told Samuel in his Ear.) that we are fealed to the day of Redemption, witnef fing unto us our Adoption; fo as the Soul knows it is no delufion, but the very voice of the Spirit of God; as Abraham knew that it was God himself, that fpake to him, and commanded him, to go and facrifice his Son, and no temptation from Satan; fo as the Soul can fay, as Pfal. 116.7. Return to thy reft, O my Soul, the Lord hath dealt bounti fully with thee. Now I fee, the invisible God is my God. All the Greatness and Goodness, all the Truth and Faithfulness, all the Power and Wisdom, yea all the Holy nefs and Juftice of the Eternal and Ever-li ving God, are the things which are the por tion of my Soul. Now I fee that all the Eternal

Eternal counfels of God, wrought from all Eternity, to make me Eternally happy. Now I know that Jefus Chrift came from the bofom of the Father for me, and my Salvation. That my fins are put upon his account; and his righteousness is put upon my account. Now I know my place, where I fhall ftand, in the great day of the Lord; even at the right hand of my Saviour, and hear that joyful fentence, Matth. 25. 34, Come, ye bleffed of my Father. This is, in fome fenfe, I think, the uttermoft hight of the Souls profperity,

For when ever the Soul is thus high, in point of Comfort, it is as high in point of Holiness. Whilft this continues, the Soul can do, and fuffer any thing for God, which he calls unto. As the believing Hebrews whilft they knew their intereft in the en during fubftance, Heb. 10. 34,-Te took joyfully the Spoiling of your Goods, knowing in your felves, that ye have in Heaven, a better, and an enduring fubftance. The heart being thus enlarged, it goes not a foot-pace, but runs the way of Gods Commandments, Pfal 119.32, I will run the way of thy Commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart. That which we have Ephef. 3. 17, 18, 19, is clear to this purpofe. The Apoftle prays, on their behalf, that they might know the breadth, and length, and depth, and highth of the