bound to his Father's call: like some echo, that answers what is spoken twice or thrice over, thus, when his Father speaks to him to undertake the work of saving poor lost man, he doth not give a bare assent to the call but trebles it: "I come, I delight to do thy will, yea thy law is in my heart." He was so ready, that before his enemies laid hands on him, he, as it were, laid hands on himself, in the instituting of the Lord's supper, and there did sacramentally rend the flesh of his own body, and broach his own heart, to fill that cup with his precious blood, which with his own hand he gave them, that they might not look upon his death now at hand but as a mere butchery from the hand of man's violence, but rather as a sacrifice, wherein he did freely offer up himself to God for them and all believers. And when the time was come that the sad tragedy should be acted, he, knowing the very place whither the traitor with his black guard would come, goes out and marcheth into the very mouth of them. O what a shame were it that we should be unwilling to go a mile or two of rugged way to bear so sweet a Saviour company in his sufferings? "Could ye not watch with me one hour?" said Christ to Peter, Matt. xxvi. 40. Not with me, who am now going to meet with death itself, and ready to bid the bitterest pangs of it welcome for your sakes? not with me!

Secondly, Christ deserves this readiness to meet any suffering he lays out in his providence for us, if we consider his tender care over his saints, when he calls them into a suffering condition. Kind masters may well expect cheerful servants. The more tender the captain is over his soldiers, the more prodigal they are of their own lives at his command. And it were strange, if Christ's care, which deserves more, should meet with less ingenuousness in a saint. Now Christ's care appears,

First, In proportioning the burthen to the back he lays it on. That which overloads one ship, and would hazard to sink her, is but just balance for another of greater burthen. Those sufferings which one Christian cannot bear, another sails trim and even under. The weaker shoulder is sure to have the lighter carriage. As Paul burthened some churches, which he knew more able, to

spare others, so Christ, to ease the weaker Christian, lays more weight on the stronger. "Paul laboured more abundantly than them all," he tells us, 1 Cor. xv. 10. But why did Christ so unequally divide the work? Observe the place, and you shall find that it was but necessary to employ that abundant grace he had given him. "His grace (saith he) which was bestowed on me, was not in vain, but I laboured more," &c. There was so much grace poured into him, that some of it would have been in vain, if God had not found him more to do and suffer than the rest. Christ hath a perfect rate by him of every saint's spiritual estate, and according to this all are assessed, and so none are oppressed. The rich in grace can as easily pay his pound, as the poor his penny. Paul laid down his head on the block for the cause of Christ, as freely as some (and those true but weak Christians) would have done a few pounds out of their purse. He endured death with less trouble than some could have done reproach for Christ. All have not a martyr's faith, nor all the martyr's fire. This forlorn consists of a few files picked out of the whole army of saints.

Secondly, The consolations he gives them then above other of their brethren, that are not called out to such hard service. That part of an army which is upon action in the field is sure to have their pay (if their masters have any money in their purse or care of them); yea, sometimes, when their fellows left in their quarters are made to stay. I am sure there is more gold and silver (spiritual joy I mean, and comfort) to be found in Christ's camp, among his suffering ones, than their brethren at home in peace and prosperity ordinarily can shew. What are the promises, but vessels of cordial wine, tunned on purpose against a groaning hour, when God usually broacheth them? "Call upon me (saith God) in the day of trouble;" Psal. I. 15. and may we not do so in the day of peace? yes, but he would have us most bold with him in the day of trouble. None find such quick dispatch at the throne of grace as suffering saints. "In the day that I cried, (saith David) thou answerest me, and gavest me strength in my soul;" Psal. cxxxviii. 3. he

was now at a strait, and God comes in haste to him. Though we may make a well friend stay (that sends for us) yet we will give a sick friend leave to call us up at midnight. In such extremities we usually go with the messenger that comes for us, and so doth God with the prayer: Peter knocked at their gate (who were assembled to seek God for him) almost as soon as their prayer knocked at Heaven's-gate in his behalf. And truly it is no more than needs, if we consider the temptations of an afflicted condition; we are prone then to be suspicious our best friends forget us, and to think every stay a delay and neglect of us; therefore God chuseth to shew himself most kind at such a time: "As the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation aboundeth also by Christ." 2 Cor. i. 5. As man laid on trouble, so Christ laid in consolation: both tides rose and fell together; when it was spring-tide with him in affliction, it was so with him in his joy; we relieve the poor as their charge increaseth, so Christ comforts his people as their troubles multiply. And now, Christian, tell me, doth not thy dear Lord deserve a ready spirit in thee to meet any suffering with, for, or from him, who gives his sweetest comforts where his people use to expect their saddest sorrows? Well may the servant do his work cheerfully, when his master is so careful of him, as with his own hands to bring him his breakfast into the fields. The Christian stays not till he come to Heaven for all his comfort. There indeed shall be the full supper; but there is a breakfast, Christian, of previous joys, which Christ brings to thee into the field, and shall be eaten on the place where thou endurest thy hardship.

Thirdly, In the seasonable succours which Christ sends to bring them off safe. He doth not only comfort them in, but helps them out of all their troubles. There is ever a door more than the Christian sees in his prison, by which Christ can with a turn of his hand, open a way for his saints' escape. And what can we desire more? all is well that ends well. And what better security can we desire for this, than the promise of the great God, with whom to lie is impossible? And I hope the credit which God hath in his people's hearts, is not so low,

but a bill under his hand will be accepted at first sight, by them in exchange of what is dearest to them, life itself not excepted. Look to thyself when thou hast to do with others: none so firm, but may crack under thee, if thou layest too much weight on them. One would have thought so worthy a captain as Uriah was might have trusted his general, yea his prince; (and he so holy a man as David was) but he was unworthily betrayed by them both into the hands of death. Man may, the devil to be sure will, leave all in the lurch that do his work. But if God sets thee on, he will bring thee off; never fear a "look thee to that," from his lips, when thy faithfulness to him hath brought thee into the briars. He that would work a wonder rather than let a runaway prophet perish in his sinful voyage (because a good man in the main), will heap miracle upon miracle, rather than thou shalt miscarry and sink in thy duty; only be not troubled if thou art cast overboard (like Jonah) before thou seest the provision which God makes for thy safety; it is ever at hand, but sometimes lies close, and out of the creature's sight, like Jonah's whale (sent of God to ferry him to shore) under water, and the prophet in its belly before he knew where he was; that which thou thinkest comes to devour thee, may be the messenger that God sends to bring thee safe to land. Is not thy shoe, Christian, yet on? art thou not yet ready to march? canst fear any stone now can hurt thy foot through so thick a sole?

CHAP. XV.

THE SECOND REASON OF THE POINT, TAKEN FROM THE EXCELLENCY OF THIS FRAME OF SPIRIT.

Reas. 2. The second reason of the point, is taken from the excellency of this frame of spirit; which will appear in divers particulars.

SECT. I.

First, This readiness of heart to stoop to the cross evidenceth a gracious heart; and a gracious spirit (I am sure) is an excellent spirit; flesh and blood never made any willing to suffer either for God or from God, he that can do this hath that "other spirit" with Caleb, Numb. xiv. 24. which proves him of a higher descent than this world. A carnal heart can neither act nor suffer freely; voluntas libera, in quantum liberata. Luther. The will is no more free than it is made free by grace. So much flesh as is left in a saint, so much awkwardness and unwillingness to come to God's foot; and therefore where there is nothing but flesh, there can be nothing but unwillingness. He that can find his heart following God in his command or providence cheerfully, may know who hath been there (as one said of the famous Grecian limner). This is a line that none but God could draw on thy soul. The midwives said of the Israelitish women, they were not like the Egyptian in bringing forth their children, "for they were lively, and delivered, ere the midwives could come at them." Exod. i. 19. Truly thus lively and ready is the gracious heart in any thing it is called to do or suffer. It is not delivered with so much difficulty of a duty as a carnal heart, which must have the help and midwifery of some carnal arguments, or else it sticks in the birth; but the gracious heart has done before these come to lend their helping hand. Pure love to God, obedience to the call of his command, and faith on the security of his promise, facilitate the work, that be it never so burthensome to to the flesh, yet it is not grievous to their spirit; that is ever ready to say, "Thy will be done, and not mine." The Apostle makes this free submission to the disposal of God's afflicting hand to evidence a son's spirit, Heb. xii. 7. "If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons. Observe, he doth not say,. "If you be chastened," but, "if you endure chastening." Naked suffering doth not prove sonship, but to endure it so as not to sink in our courage, or shrink from under the burthen God lays on, but readily to offer our shoulder to it, and

VOL. II.

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