posing; if any of these can be useful to him, the believer is to forego them, else he falsifies that communion, and declares himself, in so far, unworthy of Christ; "If any man come to me, and hate not his father-yea, and his life also, he cannot be my disciple."

3. By virtue of this communion, there should be much intimacy and familiarity between God and the believer. The Lord may interfere with any thing which belongs to the believer, and do unto him what seemeth good to him; and the man is not to mistake, or say unto God, "What dost thou?" except in so far as concerns his duty; yea, he is still to say, in every case, "Good is the word and will of the Lord." On the other part, the believer may, in a humble way, be homely and familiar with God in Christ; he may "come with boldness to the throne of grace," and not use a number of compliments in his addresses unto God; for "he is no more a stranger unto God," so that he needs not speak unto God as one who has acquaintance to make every hour, as many professors do; which makes a great inconsistency in their religion.

The believer also may lay open all his heart unto God: "I have poured out my soul before the Lord," and impart all his secrets unto him, and all his temptations, without fear of a mistake. The believer also may inquire into what God doth, in so far as may concern his own duty, or in so far as may ward off mistakes respecting the Lord's way, and reconcile it with his words; so Job says, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him; but I will maintain

mine own ways before him."

The believer is a friend in this respect, as "knowing what the Master doth."

The believer also may be homely with God, to go to him daily with his failings, and seek repentance, pardon, and peace, through Christ's advocacy: "Him hath God exalted with his right hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins:" "If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." O how often in one day may the believer plead pardon, if he intend not to mock God, or to turn grace into licentiousness! The Lord hath commanded men to " forgive seventy times seven times in one day;" and has intimated there in the parable," of a King who took account of his servants," how much more the Master will forgive.

The believer also may be homely to intrust God with all his outward concerns, for he doth care for these things: "If God so clothe the grass of the field-shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat; or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things:" "Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you." Yea, the believer may humbly require of God to be forthcoming to him in all such cases as beseemeth, and to help him to suitable fruit 66 every season, even grace in time of need." Yea, how great things may believers seek from him in Christ Jesus, both for themselves and others!

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we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:" "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do:" "Ask of me things to come concerning my sons; and concerning the work of my hands command ye me." It is the shame and great prejudice of his people, that they do not improve that communion with God more than they do: Christ may justly upbraid them, "that they ask nothing in his

name."

By what is said, it appears of how great consequence this duty of believing is, by which a man closes with Christ Jesus, whom the Father hath sealed, and given for a covenant to the people. It is so honourable to God, answering his very design, and serving his interest in the whole contrivance and manifestation of the gospel; and it is so advantageous to men, that Satan and an evil heart of unbelief do mightily oppose it, by moving objections against I shall hint some of the most common.

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CHAP. III.

Objections taken from a Man's Unworthiness, and the heinousness of his Sin, answered.

Object. I AM so base, worthless, and weak of myself, that I think it were high presumption for me to meddle with Christ Jesus, or the salvation purchased with the price of his blood.

Answ. It is true, all the children of Adam are base and wicked before him, "who chargeth his angels with folly:" "All nations are less than nothing, and vanity before him." There is such a disproportion between God and men, that unless he himself had devised that covenant, and of his own freewill had offered so to transact with men, it had been high treason for men or angels to have imagined that God should have humbled himself, and become a servant, and have taken on our nature, and have united it by a personal union to the blessed Godhead; and that he should have subjected himself to the shameful death of the cross; and all this, that men, who were rebels, should be reconciled unto God, and be made eternally happy, by being in his holy company for ever.

But I say, all this was his own device and free choice: yea, moreover, if God had not sovereignly commanded men so to close with him in and through Christ, no man durst have made use of that device of his "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to

the waters, and he that hath no money: come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." "And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ." So then, although with Abigail I may say, "Let me be but a servant, to wash the feet of the servants of my lord," yet, since he hath in his holy wisdom devised that way, and knows how to be richly glorified in it: "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints." All mine are

thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them;" and he hath commanded me, as I shall be answerable in the great day, to close with him in Christ as I have stated, I dare not disobey, nor inquire into the reasons of his contrivances and commands, but must comply with the command, as I would not be found to "frustrate the grace of God," and in a manner disappoint the gospel, and falsify "the record which God hath borne of his Son, that there is life enough in him for men," and so "make God a liar," and add that rebellion to all my former transgressions.

Object. I am a person singularly sinful, beyond any I know; therefore I dare not presume to go near to Christ Jesus, or look after that salvation which is through his righteousness.

Answ. Is your sin beyond the drunkenness and incest of Lot; adultery covered with murder in David; idolatry and horrid apostacy in Solomon; idolatry, murder, and witchcraft in Manasseh; anger