the people of God, who after they have believed have doubts and scruples raised in them about their title. Nothing is more common, than for the devil and their own unbelief to raise objections against their interest in Christ and the covenant of promise. These are potent adversaries, and maintain long debates with the gracious soul, and reason so cunningly and sophistically with it, that it can by no means extricate and satisfy itself.

3. All the while that a suit is depending about your title, you have but little comfort from your estate, for fear you should lose it at last. And thus stands the case with doubting Christians; they have little comfort from the most comfortable promises, little benefit from the sweetest duties and ordinances. They say, If we were sure that all this were ours, we would then rejoice in it; but, alas! our title is dubious. Christ is a precious Christ; the promises are comfortable things; but what, if they be none of ours? O how little does the doubting Christian make of his large and rich inheritance?

4. You dare not trust your own judgments in such cases, but state your case to such as are learned in the laws. So poor doubting Christians carry their cases from Christian to Christian, and from minister to minister; and if they all agree that the case is good, yet they cannot be satisfied till God says so too, and confirms the word of his servants; and therefore they carry the case often before him in such words as these, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me."

5. You will not make the best of your condition, when you state your case to a faithful counsellor; neither will they, but oftentimes they make it much worse than it is: charge themselves with that which God never charged them with, though this be neither their wisdom, nor their duty.

6. When your title is cleared, your hearts are eased; yea, not only eased, but overjoyed; though not in that degree, nor with the same kind of joy, with which the hearts of Christians are overflowed, when the Lord speaks peace to their souls. O welcome the sweet morning light after a tedious night of darkness! Now they can

eat their bread with comfort, and drink their wine, yea, or their water, with a merry heart.

Reflections. The careless soul's reflection. O how has my spirit been tossed and hurried, when I have met with troubles about my estate! But as for spiritual troubles, and those soul-perplexing cases that Christians speak of, I understand but little of them. I never called my everlasting state in question, nor lost an hour's sleep on any such account. Ah, my supine and careless soul, little hast thou regarded how matters stand in reference to eternity!

The doubting soul's reflection. I have heard how some have been perplexed by litigious adversaries; but I believe none have been so tost with fears and distracted with doubts, as I have been about the state of my soul. Lord, what shall I do? I have often carried my doubts and scruples to thine ordinances, waiting for satisfaction to be spoken there. I have carried them to those I have judged skilful and faithful, begging their help, but nothing will succeed. Still my fears are daily renewed. O my God, do thou decide my case. Tell me how the state stands betwixt thee and me. My days consume in trouble; I can neither do nor enjoy any good, whilst things are thus with me; all my earthly enjoyments are dry and uncomfortable things; yea, which is much worse, all my duties and thine ordinances prove so too, by reason of the troubles of my heart. I am no ornament to my profession; nay, I am a discouragement and stumbling-block to others, "I will hearken and hear what God the Lord will speak:" O that it might be peace! If thou do not speak it, none can; and when thou dost, keep thy servant from returning again to folly, lest I make fresh work for an accusing conscience, and give new matter to the adversary of my soul.

The assured Christian's reflection. But thou, my soul, enjoyest a double mercy from thy bountiful God, who has not only given thee a sound title, but also the clear evidence and knowledge thereof. Lord, thou hast set my soul upon her high-places; but let me not exalt myself, because thou hast exalted me.

OCCASIONAL MEDITATIONS.

MEDITATIONS ON BIRDS.

MEDITATION 1.

On the Singing of a Nightingale.

WHO that hears such various and exquisite melody, would imagine the bird that makes it, to be of so small a body and mean a feather? Her charming voice not only engaged mine attentive ear, but led my feet also to make a nearer approach to the shady bush in which the excellent musician sat veiled, and the nearer I came, the sweeter the melody still seemed to be; but when I had descried the bird herself, I found her to be but little bigger, and no better feathered, than a sparrow.

This bird seems to me the lively emblem of the formal hypocrite, in that she is more in sound than substance, a loud and excellent voice, but a little despicable body. It recalled to my thoughts the story of Plutarch, who, hearing a nightingale, desired to have one killed, not questioning but that she would please the palate as well as the ear; but when the nightingale was brought him, and he saw what a poor little creature it was, "Truly," said he, "thou art a mere voice, and nothing else." So is the hypocrite: Does a man hear him sometimes in public duties, he says, What an excellent man is this! What a choice and rare spirit is he of! but follow him home, observe him in his private conversation and retirements, and then you will judge Plutarch's remark to be as applicable to him as the nightingale.

This bird is observed to charm most sweetly, when she perceives she has engaged attention. So does the hypocrite, who feeds on the applause of his admirers, and praise from men. He is little pleased with a silent melody and private pleasure betwixt God and his own soul. He is more for the theatre than the closet; and of such Christ says, "Verily they have their reward."

MEDITATION II.

On the Sight of many small Birds chirping about a dead Hawk.

Hearing a whole choir of birds chirping together, it engaged my curiosity to enquire a little into the occasion; and I perceived a dead hawk in the bush about which they made such a noise, seeming to triumph in the death of their enemy. This bird, which living was so formidable, being dead, the poorest wren or titmouse fears not to chirp or hop over. This brings to my thoughts the base and ignoble end of the greatest tyrants, of whom whilst living men were more afraid, than birds are of a hawk, but who when dead became objects of contempt and scorn. "When the wicked perish, there is shouting."

For my own part, I hope that I may so order my conversation in the world, that I may live, when I am dead, in the affections of the best, and leave an honorable testimony in the consciences of the worst; that I may oppress none, do good to all, and say when I die, as good Ambrose did, "I am neither ashamed to live, nor afraid to die."

MEDITATION III.

On the Sight of a Blackbird taking Sanctuary in a Bush from a pursuing Hawk.

When I saw how hardly the poor bird was put to it to save herself from her enemy, who hovered just over the bush in which she was fluttering, I could not but hasten to relieve her, pity and succour being a due debt to the distressed; which when I had done, the bird would not depart from the bush, though her enemy were gone. This act of kindness was abundantly repaid by the meditation with which I returned to my walk. My soul, like this bird, was once distressed, pursued, yea, seized by Satan, who had certainly made a prey of it, had not Jesus Christ been a sanctuary to it in that hour of danger. How readily did I find him to receive my poor soul into his pro

tection! Then did he make good that sweet promise to my experience," Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out." It called to my mind that pretty story of the philosopher. While walking in the fields, a bird, pursued by a hawk, flew into his bosom; he took her out, and said, "Poor bird, I will neither wrong thee, nor expose thee to thine enemy, since thou camest to me for refuge." So tender, and more than so tender, is the Lord Jesus to distressed souls. Blessed Jesus, how should I love and praise thee, glorify and admire thee, for that great salvation thou hast wrought for me! If this bird had fallen into the claws of her enemy, she had been torn to pieces indeed and devoured, but then a few minutes had dispatched her, and ended all her pain and misery: but had my soul fallen into the hands of Satan, there had been no end of its misery.

Would not this scared bird be driven out of the bush that secured her, though I had chased away her enemy? And wilt thou, O my soul ever be enticed from Christ, thy refuge? O let this for ever engage thee to keep close to Christ, and make thee say, with Ezra, "And now, O Lord, since thou hast given me such a deliverance as this, should I again break thy commandments?"

MEDITATION IV.

On the Sight of divers Goldfinches intermingling with a Flock of Sparrows.

Methinks these birds resemble the gaudy courtiers and the plain peasants. How spruce and richly adorned with shining and various colored feathers, like scarlet richly laid with gold and silver lace, are those! how plainly clad in a home-spun country russet, are these! Fine feathers, says the proverb, make proud birds; and yet the feathers of the sparrow are as useful and beneficial both for warmth and flight, though not so gay and ornamental, as the others; and if both were stript out of their feathers, the sparrow would prove the better bird of the two. By this I see, that the greatest worth doth not always lie under the finest clothes. Little would a man think what rich Div. No. XVI.

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