ful in that which is least, is faithful also in much; | would be apt to cast away fragments, if God should and he that is unjust in the least, is unjust also in give them every day a new dish. So then God much.' And if ye have not been faithful in that will grant the desires of the righteous in that way which is another man's, who shall give you that which will be most for their advantage. And that which is your own?' Lu. xvi. 10, 12. See here an ob- is, when they have made the best of the old store. jection made against a further supply, or rather 1 Ki. xix. 4-8. If God should give us two or three against such a supply as some would have, because harvests in a year, we should incline to feed our they have misspent, or been unfaithful in what they horse and hogs with wheat; but being as it is, we have already had. If thou, therefore, hast been learn better to husband the matter. faulty here, go, humble thyself to thy friend, and beg pardon for thy faults that are past, when thou art desiring of him more grace. 3. When God gives to his the grant of their desires, he doth it so as may be best for our advantage; now there are times wherein the giving of grace may be best to our advantage; as, (1.) Just before a temptation comes, then, if it rains grace on thee from heaven, it may be most for thy advantage. This is like God's sending of plenty in Egypt just before the years of famine came. (2.) For God to restrain that which thou desirest, even till the spirit of prayer is in a manner spent, may be further to inform thee, that though prayer and desires are a duty, and such also to which the promise is made; yet God sees those imperfections in both thy prayers and desires, as would utterly bind his hands, did he not act towards thee merely from motives drawn from his own bowels and compassion, rather than from any deserving that he sees in thy prayers. Christians, even righteous men, are apt to lean too much to their own doings; and God, to wean them from them, ofttimes defers to do what they by doing expect, even until in doing their spirits are spent, and they as to doing can do no longer. When they that cried for water had cried till their spirits failed, and their tongue clave to the roof of their mouth for thirst; then the Lord did hear, and then the God of Israel did give them their desire. Also when Jonas his soul fainted under the consideration of all the evils that he had brought upon himself; then his prayer came unto God into his holy temple. Jonah ii. 7. Is. xli. 17, 18. The righteous would be too light in asking, and would too much overprize their works, if their God should not sometimes deal in this manner with them. (3.) It is also to the advantage of the righteous, that they be kept and led in that way which will best improve grace already received, and that is, when they spin it out and use it to the utmost; when they do with it as the prophet did with that meal's meat that he ate under the juniper-tree, he went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights, even to the mount of God.' 1 Ki. xix. 8. Or when they do as the widow did, spend upon their handful of flour in the barrel, and upon that little oil in the cruse, till God shall send more plenty. 1 Ki. xvii. 9–16. The righteous are apt to be like well fed children, too wanton, if God should not appoint them some fasting days. Or they VOL. I. * By this means, we are also made to see, that there is virtue sufficient in our old store of grace to keep us with God in the way of our duty, longer than we could imagine it would. I myself have cried out I can stand no longer, hold out no longer, without a further supply of grace; and yet I have by my old grace been kept even after this, days, and weeks, and months, in a way of waiting on God. A little true grace will go a great way, yea, and do more wonders than we are aware of. If we have but grace enough to keep us groaning after God, it is not all the world that can destroy us. 4. Perhaps thou mayest be mistaken. The grace thou prayest for, may in great measure be come unto thee. Thou hast been desiring of God, thou sayest, more grace; but hast it not. But how, if whilst thou lookest for it to come to thee at one door, it should come to thee in at another? And that we may a little inquire into the truth of this, let us a little consider what are the effects of grace in its coming to the soul, and then see if it has not been coming unto thee almost ever since thou hast set upon this fresh desire after it. (1.) Grace, in the general effect of it, is to mend the soul, and to make it better disposed. when it comes, it brings convincing light along with it, by which a man sees more of his baseness than at other times. More, I say, of his inward baseness. It is through the shinings of the Spirit of grace that those cobwebs and stinks that yet remain in thee are discovered: 'In thy light shall we see light.' And again, whatsoever makes manifest is light. If then thou seest thyself more vile than formerly, grace by its coming to thee has done this for thee. (2.) Grace, when it comes, breaks and crumbles the heart, in the sense and sight of its vileness. A man stands amazed and confounded in himself; breaks and falls down on his face before God; is ashamed to lift up so much as his face to God, at the sight and apprehension of how wicked he is. (3.) Grace, when it comes, shows to a man more of the holiness and patience of God; his holiness to make us wonder at his patience, and his patience to make us wonder Hence *We have here an additional section to the Grace Abound ing to the Chief of Sinners. The result of long experience convinced him that if he possessed a spark of grace which impelled him to groan after God, all the powers of earth and hell could not destroy him.—ED. 5 E Blessed at his mercy, that yet, even yet, such a vile one | Wait, therefore, wait, I say, on the Lord. Ps. xxvii. 14. as I am, should be admitted to breathe in the land Wait therefore with David, wait patiently; bid thy of the living, yea more, suffered to come to the soul cheer up, and wait. Ps. xxxvii. 7; lxii. 5. throne of grace. (4.) Grace is of a heart-humbling are all they that wait for him.' Is. xxx. 18. nature: it will make a man count himself the most (2.) Thou must consider, that great grace is reunworthy of anything, of all saints. It will make served for great service; thou desirest abundance a man put all others afore him, and be glad too, of grace, thou dost well, and thou shalt have what if he may be one beloved, though least beloved, shall qualify and fit thee for the service that God because most unworthy. It will make him with has for thee to do for him, and for his name in the gladness accept of the lowest room, as counting world. The apostles themselves were to stay for all saints more worthy of exaltation than him- great grace until the time of their work was come. self. (5.) Grace will make a man prize other Ac. i. 4-8; iv. 33. I will not allot thy service, but men's graces and gracious actions above his own. assure thyself, when thy desire cometh, thou wilt As he thinks every man's candle burns brighter have occasion for it; new work, new trials, new than his, every man improves grace better than he, sufferings, or something that will call for the power every good man does more sincerely his duty than and virtue of all the grace thou shalt have to keep he. And if these be not some of the effects of the thy spirit even, and thy feet from slipping, while renewings of grace, I will confess I have taken thou art exercised in new engagements. Assure my mark amiss. (6.) Renewings of grace beget thyself, thy God will not give thee straw, but he renewed self-bemoanings, self-condemnation, self-will expect brick: For unto whomsoever much is abhorrences. And say thou prayest for communion with, and the presence of God. God can have communion with thee, and grant thee his presence, and all this shall, instead of comforting of thee at present, more confound thee, and make thee see thy wickedness. Is. vi. 1-5. Some people think they never have the presence and the renewings of God's grace upon them but when they are comforted, and when they are cheered up; when, alas! God may be richly with them, while they cry out, By these visions my sorrows are multiplied; or, because I have seen God, I shall die. Da. x. 8-17. Ju. xiii. 22. And tell me now, all these things considered, has not grace, even the grace of God, which thou hast so much desired, been coming to thee, and working in thee in all these hidden methods? And so doing, has it not also accommodated thee with all the aforenamed conveniences? The which when thou | considerest, I know thou wouldest not be without for all the good of the world. Thus, therefore, thy desire is accomplishing; and when it is accomplished, will be sweet to thy soul. Pr. xiii. 19. 5. But we will follow thee a little in the way of thy heart. Thou sayest thou desirest, and desirest grace, yea, hast been a thousand times upon thy knees before God for more grace, and yet thou canst not attain. I answer, (1.) It may be the grace which thou prayest for, is worth thy being upon thy knees yet a thousand times more. We find, that usually they that go to king's courts for preferment, are there at great expenses; yea, and wait a great while, even until they have spent their whole estates, and worn out their patience too. Yet they at last prevail, and the thing desired comes. Yea, and when it is come, it sets them up anew, and makes them better men-though they did spend all that they had to obtain it-than ever they were before. given, of him shall be much required; and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.' Lu. xii. 48. Wherefore, as thou art busy in desiring more grace, be also desirous that wis dom to manage it with faithfulness may also be granted unto thee. Thou wilt say, Grace, if I had it, will do all this for me. It will, and will not. It will, if thou watch and be sober; it will not, if thou be foolish and remiss. Men of great grace may grow consumptive in grace, and idleness may turn him that wears a plush jacket into rags. David was once a man of great grace, but his sin made the grace which he had to shrink up, and dwindle away, as to make him cry out, O! 'take not thy holy spirit' utterly 'from me.' Ps. li. 11; cxix. 8. Or, perhaps God withholds what thou wouldest have, that it may be the more prized by thee when it comes: Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.' rr. xiii. 12. 6. Lastly, but dost thou think that thy more grace will exempt thee from temptations? Alas! the more grace, as was hinted, the greater trials. Thou must be, for all that, like the ship of which thou readest, sometimes high, sometimes low; sometimes steady, sometimes staggering; some times in, and sometimes even at the end of thy very wits. For 'so he brings us to our desired haven.' Ps. cvii, 23–80. Yet grace is the gold and preciousness of the righteous man: yea, and herein ap pears the uprightness of his soul, in that though all As it is in temporal things, so it is in spiritual. If new discoveries of Divine love lead to want of watchfulness, trial and sorrow must ensue. About sixty years ago a next door neighbour, a hatter, gained a prize in the lottery of ten thousand pounds-he became intoxicated with his wealth, moved to the fashionable end of London, went into a large way of business, dissipated his fortune, and died in a workhouse! Christian, if you have unexpected enjoyments, be watchfal; it is to tit you for trials.-ED. these things attend the grace of God in him, yet he chooseth grace here above all, for that it makes him the more like God and his Christ, and for that it seasons his heart best to his own content; and also for that it capacitates him to glorify God in the world. THE CONCLUSION. Is it so? Is this the sum of all, namely, That 'the fear of the wicked it shall come upon him,' and that the desire of the righteous shall be granted?' Then this shows us what is determined concerning both. Concerning the wicked, that all his hopes shall not bring him to heaven; and concerning the righteous, that all his fears shall not bring him to hell. But what a sad thing is it for one to be a wicked man! Nothing can help him, his wickedness is too strong for him: His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.' Pr. v. 22. He may twist and twine, and seek to work himself from under the sentence passed upon him; but all will do him no pleasure: The wicked is driven away in his wickedness. But the righteous hath hope in his death.' Pr. xiv. 32. Loth he is to be righteous now; and as loth he will be to be found in his sins at the dreadful day of doom. But so it must be: Upon the wicked God shall rain snares, fire, and brimstone, and a horrible' burning tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.' Ps. xi. 6. 6 Wo unto the wicked' therefore: it shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him.' Is. iii. 10. The just God will recompense both the righteous and the wicked, even according to their works. And yet for all this the wicked will not hear! When I read God's Word, and see how the wicked follow their sins, yea, dance in the ways of their own destruction, it is astonishing to me. Their actions declare them, though not Atheists in principle, yet such in practice. What do all their acts declare, but this, that they either know not God, or fear not what he can do unto them? But, O! how will they change their note, when they see what will become of them! How wan will they look! Yea, the hair of their heads will stand on end for fear; for their fear is their portion; nor can their fears, nor their prayers, nor their entreaties, nor their wishes, nor their repentings, help them in this day. And thus have I showed you what are the desires of the righteous,' and that the 'fear of the wicked shall come upon him, but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.' * This is one of the most decisive proofs of the awfully debelieve, that this life is but a span in comparison with eternity graded state of human nature. Men believe, or pretend to that there is a heaven to reward the righteous and a hell to receive the unconverted sinner; and yet make no personal born again to newness of life, or whether they remain in their inquiry at the holy oracles of God whether they have been sius. The great mass of mankind prefer paying their pence to a priest to mislead them to destruction, than to trouble themselves with God's holy Word. O for the outpouring of and slavery, and enter upon the happy glorious liberty of the the Holy Spirit, that men may be released from such bondage sons of God.-ED. 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