So when the servant of Elisha saw the place where they were compassed with a host, both horses and chariots, that came to take them, he cried out for fear, "Alas! my master, how shall we do?" But upon the prayer of the prophet, the Lord opening the eyes of the young man, to see the heavenly guard that he had sent to him, "the mountain being full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha," his fear and trouble departed. And when, in the like extremity, God opens the eye of faith to behold his glorious presence, we shall no more be afraid of the dread of men. Herein did the holy martyrs triumph of old, and even despised their bloody persecutors. Our Saviour him

self made it the ground of his support on the like occasion: "Behold," saith he to his disciples, his only friends, "the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered every one to his own, and leave me alone, and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me." Could we but possess our souls with the apprehension, that when we are left alone in our trials and dangers, from any countenance of friends, or help of men, yet that indeed we are "not alone, because the Father is with us," it will support us under our despondencies, and enable us to perform our duties. 4. Especial providential warnings call for thoughts of God's omnipresence and omniscience. So Jacob, in his nightly vision, instantly made this conclusion: "God is in this place, and I knew it not." We have frequently such warnings given us. Sometimes we

have them in the things that are esteemed accidental, from which it may be we are strangely delivered; sometimes we have them in the things which we see befal others, by thunder, lightning, storms at sea or land. For all the works of God, especially those that are rare and strange, have a voice by which he speaks to us. The first thing suggested to a spiritual mind in such seasons, will be, "God is in this place;" he is present that liveth and seeth, as Hagar confessed on the like occasion: "And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?"

Yet few believe
Indeed, to be-

Thirdly, Have frequent thoughts of God's omnipotency, or his almighty power. To this, most men suppose, they need not much exhortation; for none ever doubted of it. Who does not grant it on all occasions? Men grant it, indeed, in general; for eternal power is inseparable from the first notion of the divine Being. So are they conjoined by the apostle : "His eternal power and Godhead.” it for themselves, and as they ought. lieve the almighty power of God, with reference to ourselves, and all our concerns, temporal and eternal, is one of the highest and most noble acts of faith, which includes all others in it. For this is that which God at first proposed alone as the proper object of our faith, in our entrance into covenant with him: "I am God Almighty." That to which Job arrived, after his long exercise and trial: "I know," saith he, "thou canst do every thing, and no thought of thine can be hindered." "God hath spoken once," saith the Psalmist, "twice have I heard this, that power belongeth unto God." It was that in which God saw it necessary frequently to instruct him; for we are ready to be affected with the appearances of present power in creatures, and to suppose that all things will go according to their wills, because of their power. But it is quite otherwise: all creatures are poor feeble ciphers, that can do nothing. Power belongs unto God; it is a flower of his crown imperial, which he will suffer none to usurp; if the proudest of them go beyond the bounds and limits of his present permission, he will send worms to eat them up, as he did to Herod.

It is utterly impossible we should walk before God, to his glory, or with any real peace, comfort, or satisfaction in our own souls, unless our minds are continually exercised with thoughts of his almighty power. Every thing that befals us, every thing that we hear of, which hath the least of danger in it, will discompose our minds, and either make us tremble like the leaves of the forest, that are shaken with the wind, or betake ourselves to foolish or sinful relief, unless we are firmly established in the faith hereof. Consider

the promises of God to the church, which are upon record, and as yet unaccomplished ;-consider the present state of the church in the world, with all that belong to it, in all the fears and dangers to which they are exposed, in all the evils with which they are exercised; and we shall quickly find, that unless this sheetanchor be well fixed, we shall be tossed up and down at all uncertainties, and exposed to most violent temptations. To this trust are we called by God himself, in his answer unto the despondent complaints of the church, in its greatest dangers and calamities: "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

Take one instance, which is the continual concern of us all. We are obnoxious to death every moment. It is not the farther from any one of us, because we think not of it as we ought. This will lay our bodies in the dust, from whence they will have no more disposition nor power in themselves to rise again, than any other part of the mould of the earth. Their recovery must be an act of external almighty power, when God shall have a desire to the work of his hands; when he shall call, and we shall answer him out of the dust. And it will transmit the soul into an invisible world, putting a final end to all relations, enjoyments, and circumstances here below. I speak not of those who are stout-hearted, and far from righteousness, who live and die like beasts, or under the power of horrible presumption, without any due thoughts of their future and eternal state. But to others, what comfort or satisfaction can any man have in his life, on which his all depends, and which is passing from

him every moment, unless he hath continual thoughts of the mighty power of God, whereby he is able to receive his departing soul, and to raise his body out of the dust?

Not to insist on more particulars; thus it is with them who are spiritually minded; thus must it be with us all, if we pretend a title to that privilege. They are filled with thoughts of God, in opposition to that character of wicked men, that "God is not in all their thoughts." And it is greatly to be feared, that many of us, when we come to be weighed in this balance, will be found too light. Men may be in the performance of outward duties; they may hear the word with some delight, and do many things gladly; they may escape "the pollutions that are in the world through lust," and not run out into the same excess and riot with other men; yet may they be strangers to inward thoughts of delight and complacency in God. I cannot understand how it can be otherwise with those whose minds are over-filled with earthly things, however they may satisfy themselves with pretences of their callings and lawful enjoyments, or not inordinately set on the pleasures or profits of the world.

To walk with God, to live to him, is not merely to be found in an abstinence from outward sins, and in the performance of outward duties, though with diligence in the multiplication of them. All this may be

done upon such principles, for such ends, with such a frame of heart, as to find no acceptance with God. It is our hearts that he requires, and we can no way give them to him, but by our affections, and holy thoughts of him with delight; this it is to be spiritually minded; this it is to walk with God. Let no man deceive himself; unless he thus abound in holy thoughts of God, unless our meditation of him be sweet unto us, all that we else pretend to, will fail us in the day of our trial.

This is the first thing wherein we may evidence ourselves to ourselves, to be under the conduct of the minding of the Spirit, or to be spiritually minded.

And I have insisted the longer on it, because it contains the first sensible egress of the spring of living waters in us, the first acting of spiritual life to our own experience. I should now proceed to the consideration of our affections, of whose frame and state these thoughts are the only genuine exposition. But as there may be some who are sensible of their own weakness and deficiency in the discharge of that part of this duty of being spiritually minded, which we have expounded, and may fall under discouragements thereon, we must follow him as we are able, who will not "quench the smoking flax, nor break the bruised reed," by offering something to the relief of those that are sincere, under the sense of their own weakness.

CHAPTER X.

Sundry things tendered to such as complain that they know not how they are not able to abide in holy thoughts of God, and Spiritual or Heavenly things; for their relief, instruction, and direction. Rules concerning stated Spiritual Meditation.

SOME will say, yea, many on all occasions do say, that there is not any thing in all their duty towards God in which they are more at a loss than in this, of fixing or exercising their thoughts or meditations on heavenly or spiritual things. They acknowledge it a duty; they see an excellency in it, with inexpressible usefulness: but although they often try and attempt it, they cannot attain to any thing but what makes them ashamed both of it and themselves. Their minds, they find, are unsteady, apt to rove and wander, or give entertainment to other things, and not to abide on the object which they design as their meditation. Their abilities are small, their invention barren, their memories frail, and their judgments to dispose of things into right order, weak and unable. They know not what to think on for the most part;