before us. Our judging things by the rules of sense is a great cause of our discouragements. We conclude, that according to the appearance of things will be their issues. In all these things Satan carries a design upon us. Hence he takes occasion to suggest hard thoughts of God, and to beat off our souls from all confidence in him, and expectations from him; and his suggestions gain the more credit with us because they are confirmed and attested by sense and feeling.

To assist the soul in this difficulty, I shall offer some farther help, beside what has been already given under the first caution, in the following considerations. -Though Providence do not yet perform the mercies you wait for, yet you have no ground to entertain hard thoughts of God; for it is possible God never gave you any ground for your expectation of these things from him. It may be you have no promise to found your hope upon; and if so, why shall God be suspected and dishonoured by you in a case wherein his truth and faithfulness were never engaged to you? If we are crossed in our outward concerns, and see our

expectations of prosperity dashed; if we see such or such an outward comfort removed, from which we promised ourselves much; why must God be accused for this? These things you promised yourselves; but where did God promise you prosperity and the continuance of those comfortable things to you? Produce his promise, and show wherein he hath broken it. It is not enough for you to say, there is a general promise in the scripture, that "God will withhold no. good thing," for that promise has its limitations, it is expressly limited to such "walk uprightly." It concerns you then to examine whether you have done so, before you quarrel with Providence for non-performance of it. Ah! friend, search thine own heart; reflect upon thine own ways. Seest thou not so many flaws in thine integrity, so many turnings aside from God, both in heart and life, that may justify God not only in withholding what thou lookest for, but in removing all that thou enjoyest? And besides this limitation as to the object, this promise is limited in the matters or things promised, by the wisdom and will of God, which is

as

the only rule by which they are measured out to men in this world; that is, such mercies, in such proportions as he sees needful and most conducive to your good; and these given out in such times and seasons as are of his own appointment, not yours. God never came under an absolute, unlimited tie for outward comforts to any of us; and if we are disappointed, we can blame none but ourselves. Who bid us expect rest, ease, delight, in this world? He has never told us we shall be rich, healthy, and at ease in our habitations; but, on the contrary, he has often told us, that we must expect troubles in the world, and that through much tribulations we must enter into his kingdom. All that he stands bound to us by promise for, is to be with us in trouble; and to sanctify all his providences to our good at last. But if you say you have long waited upon God for spiritual mercies, and still those mercies are deferred, and your eyes fail whilst you look for them; I would desire you seriously to consider of what kind those spiritual mercies are, for which you have so long waited upon God. Spiritual mercies are

of two sorts; such as belong to the essence, the very being of the new creature, without which it must fail; or its wellbeing, and the comfort of the inner man, without which you cannot live so cheerfully as you would. The mercies of the former kind are absolutely necessary, and therefore put into absolute promises; but for the rest they are dispensed to us in such measures, and at such seasons as the Lord sees fit, and many of his own people live for a long time without them. The gift and continuance of the Spirit to quicken, sanctify, and unite us with Christ, is necessary; but his joys and comforts not so. A child of light may walk in darkness. He lives by faith, and not by feeling. You complain, that Providence delays to perform to you the mercies you have prayed and waited for; but have you right ends in your desires after these mercies? The want of a good aim is the reason why we want good success in our prayers. It may be that we pray for prosperity, and our end is to please the flesh; we beg and wait for deliverance from such a trouble or affliction, not that we may be the more prepared for

obedience, but freed from what is grievous to us, and destroys our pleasure in the world. You wait for good, and it comes not; but is your will brought to a due submission to the will of God about it? Certainly God will have you come to this before you enjoy your desires. Enjoyment of your desires is the thing that will please you, but resignation of your wills is that which is pleasing to God. If your hearts cannot come to this, mercies cannot come to you. Your betters have waited long upon God for mercy, and why should not you? David waited till his eyes failed, Psal. Ixix. 3. Are you better than all the saints that are gone before you? They have quietly waited, and why should not you ?—Shall you lose any thing by patient waiting upon God Certainly not; yea, this will turn to a double advantage to you; for though you do not yet enjoy the good you wait for, yet all this while you are exercising your grace; and it is more excellent to exercise grace than to enjoy comfort. And whenever the desired mercy comes, it will be so much the sweeter to you. Are not the mercies you expect

for mercies?

P