Chapter 10

CHAP. X.

1. Sovereignty in actings of grace, 2. We are not to seek influences, but such as are suitable to the Word. 3. Of divers influences. 4. How we complain of want of influences, and how we may suit them. 5. We are to act under indispositions. 6. How we are to pray continually. 7. Not to act duties while we feel breathings of the Spirit is an unsafe rule. 8. Preparations before duties. 9. To wait on breathings before we act duties, how lawful, how not.

Let it be further considered in these particulars, how unjust we are, and how free the Lord is.

Whoever complains of the want of grace and yet remains in the state of nature, does close with his want of grace.

For 1. The renewed man's complaining of the want of grace, is neither in sense or godly feeling, nor in faith and humble believing. Nature can no more complain of the want of grace with any spiritual and godly sense, than a sucking child can weep, because he is not an understanding man of thirty years old; for darkness cannot seek after the sun light, for so it should desire its own destruction; nor can cold desire heat, nor Satan be divided against Satan, and therefore these are but feigned and counterfeit bemoanings. For the actings of sinful nature with delight say, that the man hates grace, which he professes, he so much desires; for only grace can thirst after, and long for grace. John 15:24. "If I had not done among them the works which no other man did, they had not had sin: but now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father." Such a hatred of the fulness of grace, Jesus Christ, cannot consist with a lively desire of grace.

Prop. 2. It is a right rule, not to separate sovereignty from the Word, or the omnipotency of grace from the promise, otherwise we make a sort of idol of omnipotency; seek we them and pray for influences of grace not peremptorily hic & nunc to every single acting, Psalms 119:2. "My soul cleaves to the dust: quicken you me according to your word." Ver. 28. "My soul melts for heaviness: strengthen you me according to your word." Ver. 107. "I am afflicted very much, quicken you me according to your word," v. 154.

For 1. A gracious heart seeks no other out-lettings of grace to this or that duty, but according to the promise; now the promise is not contrary to the sovereign dispensation; and there is no such sovereignty, but that there are many withdrawings of God, from where follows deadness and the soul's melting for heaviness; nor is there either promise or dispensation, that the believer shall, in every moment of time, be lively and vigorous, and have the heart lifted up in the ways of God; except we would say, earth is heaven, and we are not for a time in heaviness, if need be.

2. There is a bastard literal heat and vigor of going about duties that comes not from the Word; no bastard heat comes from the Word, but by accident; for the Spirit that speaks in the Word, speaks his own spiritual and lively comforts and actings; not that which may flow from a letter, which is common to Seneca and other humane writers, and the Prophets, though even the style, liveliness, majesty and divinity that may be seen in the letter of the Scripture are eminently above the like in other writers. The Spirit immediately inspiring, and the Spirit quickening in the Word, are both the same Spirit that Christ promised to send (John 16), of which Christ, ver. 14. "He shall glorify me, he shall receive of mine (a word most mysterious) and shall show it to you;" and believers are afraid that their hearts receive some other quickening between the sound of the Word, and the actings of the Lord upon their hearts, which causes them to pray for no quickening, but according to the Word.

The like may 3. be said of the salvation of the Lord, Psalms 91:16. "I will show him my salvation." Isaiah 12:2. "For the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song, he also is become my salvation." Psalms 119:170. "Let my supplication come before you, deliver me according to your word;" for we are apt to seek strange and whorish influences; the like whereof the Lord bestows not upon his people, Psalms 119:132. "Look you upon me and be merciful to me, as you use to do to those that love your name." Psalms 106:4. "Remember me, O Lord, with the favor that you bear to your people: O visit me with your salvation:" V. 5. "That I may see the good of your chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation: that I may glory with your inheritance." It is cold comfort we reap without the Word; it is true, his omnipotency was eternal before there was a Word or promise made to us, but now the Lord will have the Word or promise to be the officina the work-house of his Spirit and of the quickening influences thereof.

5. As also there is a salvation and escape out of prison by keys of our own making, and by putting out the hand to iniquity (Psalms 125), and the heart is much for the bulk of a deliverance from hell: and for the body and lump of a mercy, were it heaven, and Balaam's paradise, or the end of the righteous, whether it be purchased by the ransom of Christ's blood, or no, and faith laying hold thereon, or no.

6. And we love to have the remission and the righteousness of Christ in his blood, the separated from holiness and sanctification: but the Scripture conjoins them (1 Corinthians 1:30; Galatians 1:4; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 10:10; Hebrews 13:12, 13; 1 Peter 2:24). Yes, a holy justification (to speak so) is the cleanly, kindly, sure absolution of the sinner; for Christ loves not and washes not in his blood, but such as he makes kings and priests to God (Revelation 1:5). In so saying, I honor good works more than Mr. Baxter does, who makes them as good as Christ's blood, even the price of pardon (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14).

Yes, and 7. we could be satisfied with dumb and scrupulous influences and inspirations contrary to, and separated from the Word, as Eve (Genesis 3:4, 5, 6; 1 Kings 13:18; Matthew 4:3, 6, 8, 9).

8. What could the powerful influences of God Creator separated from Christ the treasure-house of love and mercy do to us? And if Omnipotency were separated from the promises of the Gospel, could it save us, in the Lord's way? Through the blood of Christ; for power in God cannot (to speak so) save men, but by the Name of Jesus Christ, the only saving Name under Heaven (Acts 4:12). Nor can Omnipotency work a redemption now in this Gospel-dispensation, but that which is by blood (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:13). And that which is to declare the righteousness of God for the remission of sins. Power acts by way of complete satisfaction, as the exceeding greatness of God's power to us-ward who believe, is of the same size with the mighty power which raised Christ from the dead, and set him on the right-hand of God in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:14, 20). The power of translating a sinner from Satan's kingdom to the kingdom of the Son of his love works as acted (as it were) and set on work to act righteously to translate no man, but the person for whom a ransom of blood is given to justice, as the Prince's right power is only for the good of free and legal subjects (Colossians 1:11, 12, 13). And that all power in Heaven and Earth to save (Matthew 28:18; John 17:2; Matthew 11:27), and that kingly and royal power to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins (Acts 5:31), to forgive sins (Matthew 9:6), to raise and quicken the dead (John 5:26, 28, 29), is a power (in a way) purchased by the blood of atonement (Romans 14:9). For to this end Christ both died and rose, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. And by the way, it is a righteous power over all flesh and in Heaven and Earth, though he died not for all flesh, and for all the Angels in Heaven, and all the men on Earth; it were strange to say Christ died for the reprobate, and not for their sins and final unbelief and rejecting of Christ, to obtain a power to pardon some of their sins, and not all, and to give them repentance from some dead works, and not from all dead works; and to purge them from some, but not from all their sins.

3. It is most unjust to lay the blame of our sinful omissions, upon holy sovereignty, because he withdraws influences. For 1. That is to reproach God, this is like the malcontentedness of Satan and of Hell: for the damned complain that ever they were born, and that they cannot be annihilated, and that hills and mountains cover them not quick in soul and body; yes, they storm and rage because God gives them a being capable of eternal woe. 2. The wakened consciences of men out of Christ often fall upon this recrimination; the gnawing of conscience of Judas, is, I have sinned; and of the young man (Proverbs 5:12), How have I hated instruction? And my heart despised reproof? Yet it is a more commendable complaining and more hopeful to complain of sinful neglect of means, than of divine permissive providence of sin upon the Lord's withdrawing of gracious influences, but conscience in its kindly acting is the tormenting worm that eats self. No devil alleges this; it is true, Satan bites at providence; God hedges about a hypocrite, Job, and God commends him (says he). Christ torments us before the time: Satan trembles and frets at the existence of God, and that God is above him (John 1:9, 10; Matthew 8:29; James 2:19), and so all his words to Christ speak a barking at providence (Matthew 4). It is wrong that the Son of God should want bread; it is a useless providence that the man Christ go down stairs; for God (says he) should save him though he throw himself down headlong. Satan is a better Master, who gives all the kingdoms of the World to his worshippers, than God, who denies bread to his own well-beloved Son; thus does Satan, but in another kind, fret. So Genesis 3, it is a bad providence that Adam and Eve are not as knowing as God, and Luke 5:34, What have we to do with Christ? But may not conscience accuse providence in the Lord's withdrawing of grace, especially being wakened?

Ans. The conscience of devils and the damned is awakened either penally or sinfully; these may be distinguished here; the conscience as penally wakened by the Judge, primarily gnaws and torments itself for sin as punished; I have sinned says Judas, and he casts down the seven pieces, feeling the worm. But as the conscience is sinfully wakened by itself in blaspheming the God of Heaven (Revelation 16:9, 11), because of pain, it also frets against providence, but is not pained for the want of saving grace and holy influences which might have prevented sin. Yes, their blasphemings of God eternally, is a seal and a closing with the state of unrenewed nature which is never moved for sin, but wrestles against the providence which sometime did permit sin, which now has such tormenting consequences though the conscience in the mean time being taken with the lustre and apparent good in sin, did also close with the opportunity of sin, and with providence opening the way to temptations (Proverbs 7:15), and seek such a providence (Genesis 39:11, 12), and embrace it (Mark 14:10, 11). Yet is there saving good in a regulated spiritual complaining of the want of saving influences.

So as 1. They be not looked on as misdeeds of providence, and we say not the Lord might have lent me the influence to such a self-denying death as Abraham's journey in aiming to sacrifice his only son for God, but he would not.

2. It is good if there be a holy submissive complaining of the want of gracious influences, as terminated upon duties (Isaiah 63:17), O Lord, why have you made us to err from your ways? And hardened our hearts from your fear? And not looked on, as withdrawings of mere providence. Though there be a holy clambering to God, ver. 19, we are yours; yet we are so yours, as your grace is sovereign; you never bear rule over them, they were not called by your name, and yet no praise or thanks to Israel that they were called by his Name rather than the Heathen.

3. We may pray for, and so earnestly suit and desire influences, as Draw me; quicken me, incline my heart, to your testimonies. Therefore we may pray against withdrawings of influences, as sad privations of dreadful consequents; and so much is held forth in that Petition lead us not to temptation.

Yet so, as there is no deserving in us of having eyes to see, and spiritual influences to see, to hear, to perceive with a new heart (Deuteronomy 29:2, 3), as it is not the merit of one part of the Earth, the South, that it lie nearer the Sun than another Northern part; nor the good deserving of one Horse that he wear a golden Saddle and a silken Bridle, rather than another: this would be minded; What am I Lord? As it was Christ's mind to cry down works in point of salvation, yet not to cry down all actings by way of duty in the New-covenant way. Therefore, since grace may be desired (and all gracious influences are grace), so is there a conformity between the believers will suiting influences, and the revealed and approving will of God (I say not his high decree and ordaining will); for sure New-Testament or New-Covenant prayers, new oil, and new supply of grace, do import a fresh supply and watering of influences, to be furnished to believers; and especially since we may pray, Hallowed be your Name in me, your Kingdom come to me; your will be done (by me) in the Earth, as it is in Heaven.

We may and ought to suit of God what the Lord promises in the Covenant of Grace; but the Lord promises to bestow predeterminating grace in this Covenant, as after shall be cleared. Now the faultiness of this, I will not pray, until the Spirit act upon me, and move me to pray, is seen in that it imports that the moral ground of praying is not, the command of God, pray continually, and that command (call upon me in the day of trouble) which is most false; for another warrant for all moral obedience, than precept, promise or practice, can no man give. Yes, it supposes that the warrant of prayer is the influence of grace; now the influence of grace is the efficient helping cause, not the rule, not the objective cause of either our praying or any acts of our obedience. Yes, it is the way of Enthusiasts to make divine impulsions, and not the word of precept the rule of our obedience.

This (I will not pray until the Spirit first act upon me) must have either this sense, I will not pray until the Lord first give a praying disposition, or, until the Lord first actually breathe upon me. This latter says indeed, I will not pray until I pray; for the Lord's actual influence includes praying. The former cannot be said; for there is no warrant to disobey the command (pray continually) until I get a new disposition from Heaven; for then might all praying of the renewed be shifted, and the three Disciples in the garden might have said to Christ, our Master bids us pray, but we are heavy with sleep and indisposed, and cannot pray, and so must we be excused.

Upon the same account, Magus (Acts 8:21) and other unrenewed men should shift the command of praying; for while we be translated, out of nature to the Kingdom of grace, we want the habit of grace and spirit of adoption by which only we can pray acceptably.

How unsavory shall this be? A man falls over a Bridge and is a drowning, another is going to the place of Execution to die, another is sick to death, all of them may by this shift say, we must not pray lest we take the Name of God in vain, until the Spirit breathe upon us heavenly impressions, of speaking in the Spirit to God.

This shift cannot stand to suspend praying, until the Spirit breathe from on high; for we are to pray for the Spirit's breathing, and for teaching, quickening, enlarging of heart that we may pray and praise (Psalm 51:15; Psalm 119:36, 37, 40, 48). Wind fetches wind here, and fire begets fire, as cold flint creates hot fire: so the Atheists, let them pray that can pray; I am no Minister; but it has this, I am ready to pray, but the blame of my not praying, is to be laid on the Spirit, for the wind blows not; but this is but witty laziness, as when the Seaman will sleep and attempt no Sea-voyage, and lay the blame, which is his fall, upon the wind which blows not after his mind; it appears he is but a sleeper; not a Husbandman who forbears plowing and sowing upon the account only that he finds not a season so desirable as he craves, and that he is indisposed to plow spiritually as a Christian. He who observes the wind shall not sow: and he that regards the clouds shall not reap (Ecclesiastes 11:4). So are we to refer to his holy sovereignty the flowings of the Spirit, and to set about holy duties, as if these flowings were in our power. We are to know that the command and precept of spiritual duties is laid on us, as we are reasonable creatures as hearers of the Gospel, not under the reduplication as spiritually or not spiritually disposed; as the Creditor and the Law charge men to pay their just debts, not as they are poor, or rich, but as they are debtors. Yes, precepts from the Lord bind the creature as the creature, and moral precepts bind Men and Angels as capable to obey, though not fit and disposed. Therefore must we here distinguish between nature capable or having at any time power to obey; and the real, or (as it were) the physical aptitude and fitting disposition to obey. The latter takes not away the obligation to pray or believe. David's being overclouded with a temptation is not an excuse of adultery and murder; nor is he thereby freed from praying; Lord, lead me not into temptation.

As 1. Under indispositions moral we rejoyce, that sinful indispositions do befriend us, and smile upon us to promote sin; as some love them well who counsel them, and joyn with them in drunkenness, and are their brethren in iniquity: so do we foment indispositions, and welcome and fatten them, and do not violence to our corruption, and deadness, and heardness; and some expone false light, to be God's secret and virtual approving will they should commit the sin; as Evah saw the fruit that it was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise (Genesis 3:6). Here Evah substitutes the tentation in place of the precept, and false light fosters and cherisheth a sinful lust and a wicked disposition to sin. It is a sort of tempting of the tempting disposition, whereas it were good to complain under a sinful disposition as under the bondage of a part of the body of sin, as Paul does (Romans 7), for a sinful disposition is but a branch and bud of the body of sin which we are to wrestle against, as a most dangerous opposite to spiritual obedience. Indeed sometime a spiritual disposition to pray or praise, or hope, goes along with the command. Now the obligation of the command to praise is ever one, and it is good when the man can say, My heart is fixed, I will praise (Psalm 57), and the command to wait on the Lord lies ever on; it is a rich mercy when the disposition goes along with the command; as Psalm 25:15, Mine eyes are ever (in the habit and holy disposition) toward the Lord; and Psalm 130:6, My soul waiteth for the Lord, more than they that watch for the morning. Farther not to pray till the Spirit move us, and simply to abstain from praying or any other spiritual duty upon simple ignorance that we are not obliged to pray except the Spirit move us, is weakness in some godly, who may be overtaken with that error, but in knowing and judicious men who are Libertines, it is wickedness, and somewhat more than weakness; for it is to abstain from spiritual duties though not considering or without religious weighing the Commandment, pray continually: and is a making of the Spirit's acting our Bible, and to confound the Scripture and the Spirit, as Libertines did; so Calvin says of them, and so do others.

2. The sense of this, pray continually, cannot be pray assiduously at all occasions, except the Spirit withdraw his influences; for here three things are considerable.

If 1. The providential call of God to pray, suppose that sickness, incursions of Divels, or extreme suffering be on.

If 2. A more special supernatural providence of a heavenly fervor and stirring of the Spirit be on.

If 3. Only the obligation of a command be on to pray upon all occasions, Christian prudence directing to obey affirmative precepts.

Now as to the First.

Ass. 1. Suppose there be some seeming contradiction between extreme pain and absence or withdrawings; yet a seeming contradiction only and not real it is, and the man is called to an habitual praying disposition, because what commands obligeth us to be renewed in the spirit of our mind (Ephesians 4:23), lays a tie on us to do it without delay (Isaiah 55:6; Psalm 55:7, 8; Joel 2:12), and consequenter ever to be in a savoury disposition and to savour of the things of the Spirit, whether the Spirit actually heat the soul with such savoriness; for otherwise our Savior rebukes the disciples on no just ground when they were sleepy, for want of an actual heavenly disposition to pray; Could you not watch with me one hour. The physical indisposition to pray does not take away the moral obligation to pray then. 2. Though pain and extreme soul-heaviness that the man cannot speak (Psalm 77:4), and Hezekiah can but chatter as a crane or a swallow (Isaiah 38:14), and the Church can scarce breath out a word of prayer (Lamentations 3:36), yet does not the Lord in sending on a physical or judicial indisposition, contradict his own moral tie, which he has laid on, by his command to pray at all times.

Ass. 2. If a more spiritual heat of Spirit, enclining to pray, or prophecy, or preach, or praise be on David (Psalm 39:1, 2, 3), on Ezekiel (chap. 3:14), on Paul (Acts 17:16, 17, 22, &c.), on the same Royal Prophet (Psalm 57:7, 8, 9, 10; Psalm 45:1, 2), then two fires being stirred should flame more vehemently, when to this fire there is a command added; now though oars be laid aside as useless, when the wind is fair, and favourable on the sails, and it be not possible that a man can both ride on a spirited nimble horse, and also walk the same time on foot; yet here by no means, must the word or conscience of the command of God be laid aside; for as the physical facility comes from the Spirit's holy impulsion, and spiritual warmness that is on; so the savoury and gracious morality flows from the considered and believed precept, and the sanctified heart would close sweetly both with the one and the other; for specially the moral or obediential part is from the command, and the most genuine and kindly obedience comes from the Word. It is the real and physical part that comes from the Spirit, and that is only so far good and morally lawful, as the Spirit and Word go along together.

Ass. 3. It must be holden that duty as duty is a moral motive we are to be led withal, and we to look with fear and trembling to the command, whatever withdrawing of the Spirit or of his influences there be. It is true, what promises of a richer dispensation of grace are made in the Messiah (Zechariah 12:10; Ezekiel 11:19, 20; Isaiah 55:11, 12; Isaiah 44:1, 2, 3, 4, &c.) are to be considered by us. But yet so, no Scripture says, Stand still and act no duties until the Spirit of grace first strongly breathe upon the heart; that is, to say no obeying of God is to be gone about, until feeling of the breathings of the Spirit go before faith, and praying, and all duties. And what is this but a tying of the Spirit to our spiritual senses? Men then cannot be accused nor condemned for not calling upon God, and not believing, because natural men truly can say, we could not walk before on our Guide, nor sail without our steersman the Spirit. Now the Spirit's drawings we never felt, and this were to render the Word of God useless. It is enough to us, the command cries to the conscience, the voice of the Lord sounds in the Word, and none can allege any contrary actings of the Spirit. As also how shall the feelings of the Spirit be known but by the Word? And the Spirit not simply, but the Spirit with the Word is the only Guide, since we are bidden, try the spirits whether they are of God, or not (1 John 4:1). And as hard it were to put converted ones to such a method; it were to render duties suspicious and dangerous, and to condemn Scripture-light, as guilty of darkness.

2. We are now after Scripture is closed, and the complete canon given to us, to follow no duty but what is warranted by the Word, and that the Spirit alone works not by the Word, it must then be wild-corn, and no part of the Lord's husbandry, and so not from the Lord. That we are not to pray, while first we feel the actings of the Spirit, for that position is both beside, and contrary to the Word. Something might be said for this, we are not to eat while we feel hunger, nor to sleep while we feel drowsiness, though if eating and sleeping be looked on as duties, it cannot bear the weight of Scriptural truth. Yet to look to feelings, as a rule before we obey a command of God, and to make the feelings of breathings our rule has no color of truth.

Ass. 4. It may be looked on as another extremity to look to no actings, nor dispositions of the heart before we pray. For though the disposition of the heart be no rule morally obliging us, yet to fall upon duties looking only to the rule, knowing the duty is a duty and suitable to the rule, and no more but to fly to acting in our own strength is not good.

For 1. It is required, that beside it be an uncontroverted duty, other spiritual and evangelical circumstances would be considered, as whether Jehu intend the honor of God in killing the priests of Baal; whether the intended honor of God breathe upon Pharisees, in praying, and in alms-giving, or if only a thirst to be seen of men, do blow the trumpet and encourage men to the work.

2. The frame of the heart in doing would be looked to, as we suppose Elisha did right in that he would not prophesy, while as a passion of anger was upon him, and therefore called for a minstrel to sing a Psalm, and then the Spirit of the Lord acted upon him. And whether, while wrath is on, pure hands can be lifted up to God, see (1 Timothy 2:8). Possible out of eager opposition to enthusiasts and Libertines we run on another extreme, that we rush on duties upon no other account, but only the Scripture is clear, Do this in remembrance of me; and that warranted us to eat at the Lord's Supper prepared or not prepared, but to rush on the duty while some preparation or self-examination go before is clear against another command of God, Let a man try and examine himself and so let him eat. Some duties are of that nature, that ex natura rei of themselves they require fixed preparations, as the priests' sanctifying of themselves, and these who offered before they came to the altar (Psalm 26:6; Exodus 40:31). But whether this may warrant none to pray, while they first prepare themselves to pray, before they pray, by praying, and so that prayer which is preparatory must be prepared by another preparatory prayer; and so, without end, spiritual preparations must in infinitum go on before spiritual preparations is another question. A fixed and set preparation before every duty is not requisite; but sure a preparing of the heart to seek the Lord, should go before solemn actions (1 Samuel 7:3; Job 11:13; 1 Chronicles 29:18; 2 Chronicles 12:13). And beyond all controversy, we sin against God, and stumble many in headlong rushing upon duties, not looking to a spiritual frame of heart, in coming to the house of God, and not taking heed to the feet, and in yoking the cart before the horse. When we first sacrifice, and then hear (Ecclesiastes 5:1), godly prudence which dwells with wisdom says both a fool's bolt is soon shot, and a fool's sacrifice is soon offered. Some receive the word [illegible] suddenly (Mark 4:16). 1. Sailing is more safely delayed in the time of an extreme storm, and sowing when the wind is mighty, than attempted; and if the affections be raveled, and the heart smoking with some fiery disorders, that distemper would be mourned for and prayed against. Headlong and precipitate duties done in haste argue great profaneness and irreverence to the holy Lord whom we serve and worship. 2. They speak an irreverent not eying of God. 3. Want of bendedness of heart in holy duties. I speak not this, as if praying either set, or instructed, or ejaculatory suits, were to be delayed.

Ass. 5. To wait upon the flowings of the Spirit, has not one single meaning. Libertines' waiting on the actings of the Spirit, and their professed feriation and abstinence from praying, hearing, is a sad delusion.

1. It is a hardening of the heart, while it is today, and then the foolish virgins had good reason to be foolish, and to neglect the market, and buy no oil while the market of mercy was gone and over, why? The Spirit blew never fair for their spiritual trading; and therefore they are to be excused in that they slept all their life.

2. It is a confounding of the rule, the Word of God, and of the Spirit which quickens the Word, and makes it effectual.

3. It is to excuse all wicked men, and to loose them from the law of God; we can do no better, blame the Spirit, (say they) which blows not; and many other absurdities hence follow.

2. To wait on the Spirit's flowings, that is with a less measure of the spirit to fetch more, and by two talents to gain four, is so lawful a waiting for the breathings of the spirit, as to plow and wait patiently for the harvest, to sail and wait till the jewels and gold come home, and the ship land, is commendable; this is to bring forth fruit with patience, [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉].

3. To wait upon the flowings of the Spirit, which out of holy sovereignty comes in a larger measure, than is ordinary, as an high spring-tide; as my heart is confirmed or prepared, my heart is confirmed or prepared. Is 1. To welcome and adore the Lord in these high manifestations, and wisdom requires that the soul which is taken into the king's chamber, and finds many outlettings, and sweet and rich access in praying, should multiply bills, and being heard for his own pardon as David was (Psalm 51), should put in a bill for building of the walls of Zion, and so should the soul being in a higher strain, and admitted to a more than ordinary feast of fat things, eat and drink more abundantly (Canticles 5:1), as Esther finding the king on a strain of graciousness to her; Esther, what is your petition? Follows her suit, and lays hold on the opportunity, and her suit is not for the safety of one single man, but for the lives of the whole Church of God, even all the Jews. 2. To leave off wrestling too soon is a sort of violence done, and a damming up of the mighty flowings of the Spirit; no doubt a lazy pursuing of the victory, when we prevail with God, is a mighty neglect.

4. So to wait for the Spirit's high manifestation, as to set bounds to him, and to look, this shall be a great feast, and the instruments are eminent, is a limiting of God; hope of that kind would be humble and submissive: there being no word of promise, as concerning the quantity and measure of the emanations and outlettings of the Spirit; for that is his own sovereignty to do with his own as he thinks good; we would be more careful, to receive, and believe, and praise, than to widen hope, in order to instruments, to wit, such a shining prophet, beyond what is revealed; sure believing his word is better than censuring sovereignty. Idolatry is here crafty and subtle.

Ass. 6. If we speak of preparations, going before the real and physical stirrings of saving grace, there are not any upon our part, except we say with Pelagians, that we begin and the Spirit follows.