good to them that walk uprightly, and doth certainly take place in the experience of every ferious and diligent Chriftian

8. This is not the teftimony of a few, but the record of all the faints fince the beginning, whofe experience doth almoft harmonioufly agree, and bear one witness that he is faithful who hath promifed, and it is not that which a Chriftian hath found once or twice in his life, but the daily food of fuch as live by faith.

9. This doth put a strong obligation on the godly man to the word for the time to come, for these who have tried it often may with much confidence truft it in the day of their ftrait.

10. The experience which the godly hath of the real performance of the promises is a moft convincing evidence of his ftate in Chrift, it is the earnest and pledge of the inheritance, and full accomplishment of that which remaineth, that the Lord will make perfect what concerneth him, who hath been his help hitherto, and will be his exceeding great reward in the end, who hath made him find fo much of the gain of godlinefs here by the way.

Now having premitted thefe things, I fhall here inftance fome particular promifes, wherein the Chriftians' most usual trade and commerce doth lie, and to which they give in their feal and witnefs; I confefs, if all thefe proofs which the faints have had of the fulfilling of the promises could be gathered together, we might make ufe of that divine hyperbole, The world could not contain the books that should be written thereof.. O! what an admirable volume, what an excellent commentary and copy fhould this be of the Scripture, to fee it thus turned over into the experience of every Chrif tian, it would be fome way as eafy to number the drops of rain and dew fince the creation, as to reckon all thefe precious drops and emanations of love, the fenfible returns and out-makings of the promife, which they have had in their experience; I truely think it could hardly be believed, though it were told, what fome of the godly here have

found in the way of the word, but it is fufficient to anfwer the defign of this work, to fhew that there is a fenfible demonftration and performance of Scripture promifes, concerning which the experience of the faints in all ages doth agree, that by many confirmations the Lord hath often fealed the truth thereof to their fouls.

There are ten fpecial promifes held forth to the godly in the word, which I fhall here inftance, and therewith hold forth what a clear teftimony their experience can give of the undoubted truth and accomplishment of the fame.

Firft infance, Is that promise given to believing, to fuch who credit the naked word, when there is no probable appearance of its cut-making, and thus give God the glory of his faithfulness, which we have exprefly held out, 1 Chron. xx. 20. Pfal. cxii. 7, 8. John i. 50.

To clear the accomplishment of this promife, I shall but appeal to that teftimony the faints in all ages have left thereof, yea, to the present experience of the godly at this day, if they have not certainly found it fo.

1. That when in a particular they have trufted God therewith, and got their spirit quiet in a recumbency on him, he hath dealt with them according to his word, yea, if then from clear convincing returns of the promise they have not been made to fay, it did never repent them that they gave. more credit to the teftimony of God than of their own hearts.

2. That they have not found a more fweet and obfervable iffue, than when their help lay moft immediately on the word alone; never a more fenfible outgate than when least of fenfe, and moft of faith was in carrying them through, when little of the creature, and much of God appeared in their mercy, and where they were at the loweft, no way of efcape, but to throw themfelves on the promife; they have then had the best retreat, yea, their fupply as fenfibly felt as their need and burden had formerly been.

3. That their greatest difficulties and fiakings anent the promise have helped to their further confirming and esta

blishment, so as they can fay, the Lord's way, by brangling them first, yea, to their sense, loofing their grip hath helped to fasten it better, and that which for the time did speak their cafe most helpless, hath made way for his more eminent appearance, and manifesting of himself,

4. That their greatest venture and giving most out hath ufually had the richest income, the moft eminent experiences of their life have followed the most adventurous acts of their faith, yea, upon an after-reckoning they have oft found, that their adventuring of life, eftate, and credit on the promife of God, even in these things, hath very obfervably been their up-making.

5. That where they have most been a friend to their faith, there hath faith also been most a friend to them, in their ftanding to the credit of the promife, over the belly of greateft objections and false reports raised thereof, they have found a very evident mark of God's refpect to the fame, caufing them to fee, that he will honour fuch who thus honour him. And it is indeed worthy of a remark, what we have of Caleb upon record, that he took part with the promise of God against that discouraging report which then was raised of the Anakims and their walled cities; and therefore the inheritance of the children of Anak was given to Caleb and his fons, in their lot, from the Lord.

6. That believing doth always make way for fenfe, and in their clofing with the naked word of promife, they have not wanted the feal of the spirit of promise, but have found a fweet calm, their burden fenfibly eased, when once they got it laid on the word, which they can fay hath been their first resting place, like the very fixing of the motion of the needle towards its right point, when their spirit had been restless, and in greatest agitation.

7. That these greateft difappointments, which their hope in the word feemed to have, they have found afterwards moft to their advantage, when their returns have not only been according to their faith, but have often exceeded their adventure, and been far beyond what they believed, yea,

that from frequent experience they may fay, the iffue of trusting the word, how long fo ever they thought it deferred, yet, came always in season, was never too late and out of time.

8. That this did never occafion bitter reflections, or was their upcast before the world, that they trusted God in a day of strait and were not helped; but this teftimony have all fuch left, who have moft credited it in a difmal hour, that none fhould fear after them to hazard upon fuch a hand, and venture on the promife, for their faith hath oft taken them well and comfortably through, where both fense, and reafon have been ready to fink.

Second Inftance, Whereby we may see the performance of the promise in Chriftian experience is this, That God truely heareth prayer, is near unto his people in what they call upon him, agreeable to his word, and will anfwer their dcfires, we have this promise most exprefs, Phil. iv. ver. 6. Pfal. xxxii. ver. 16. Pfal. lxv. 2. Pfal. xci. 15.

Now the accomplishment of this piece of Scripture is so very clear, that I can atteft the experience of all the generation of the righteous, fince the beginning, what frequent and unanswerable confirmations they have got of this truth in their Christian walk, fo that I am fure, no man ever was in earnest in the matter of religion, and a stranger to this; yea, that he was never more certainly perfuaded of any thing, than of this that God doth hear prayer. O if men's fouls were but in their foul's ftead whose evening wrestlings, and tears, the Lord hath often turned into a morning song, they fhould know this is no delufion. I fhall here touch fomething of that experience which by many proofs the faints can give as a witness to this promise.

1. That when they have oft with Hannah, gone in before the Lord in the bitterness of their spirit, they have been made to return with a fenfible and marvellous change in their cafe; yea, when in going about prayer, they have been put to wrestle with much diftemper and deadnefs, they have oft feen the wind difcernably change, and therewith their spirits

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lightened from under that burden, an obfervable calm and ferenity, after much inward perturbation, yea, they can say, that they have found their hearts thawed and put in a flush of tenderness, upon the back of a moft fenfible restraint.

2. That access and liberty to pour forth their fouls to God when he hath filled their mouth with arguments, and enabled them both to wrestle and wait, they have found a favourable crifis and begun out-gate, yea, the very turn of a fad cafe, which they have got from the Lord, as the pledge of a further anfwer, and that when he' thus prepareth the heart, he doth caufe his ear to hear.

3. That when they have been under a most dark cloud, they have found their sky clear, have got a very fenfible taste of God's acceptation in prayer and of his taking their suit off their hand, even while the matter was ftill in dependance before him, yea, that they have oft had fuch a fatisfying . impreffion of God's mind, and perfuafion of his answering their defire, as hath helped them cheerfully to wait, yea, fometimes to fing the triumph before the victory.

4. That when they had been much in prayer, they muft alfo fay, it hath been the time wherein the spirit hath flourished, was most lively, yea, then they had their best days, then, the candle of the Lord fhined upon their paths, and his dew lay all night upon their branches, and they have found there is an evident, and proportionable abatement of their fpiritual life, and encouragement in God, according to their wearing out in the exercise of this duty.

5. They have many times found, that when there was nothing left them, but to return into God, and they knew of no other way to come through but to pray and look up, they never found a more sweet and seasonable out-gate, so that most obfervable times of prayer, hath been alfo the most obfervable times of their experience, and they can say from many proofs, it is no hopeless bufinefs, which is put over upon God by prayer, though there be fmall outward appearance.

6. That it is not in vain to follow out a fuit before the