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for us, John xiv. 5, 6. Thomas faith unto Jefus, Lord we know not whether thou goeft, and how can we know the way? Jefus faith unto him, I am the way, no man cometh unto the Father but by me. That way which we had of going unto God at our creation, is quite fhut up by fin. The fword of the law which hath fire put into it by fin, turns every way to ftop all paffages unto communion with God. Jefus Chrift hath confecrated a new and living way, for the faints, through the vail, that is to Jay the flesh, Heb. x. 20. He hath confecrated and fet it apart, for belivers, and for them alone. Others pretend to go to God with their prayers, but they come not nigh him. How can they poffibly come to the end, who go not in the way? Christ only is the way to the throne of grace, none comes to God but by him. By him we have an access in one Spirit unto the Father, Eph. ii. 18. These two things. then the faints have for the opening of their hearts at the throne of grace, affiftance and a way. The affiftance of the Spirit, without which they are nothing, and the way of Chrift's mediation, without which God is not to be approached unto.

3. Boldnefs to go unto God. The voice of finners in themselves, if once acquainted with the terror of the Lord is, Who amongst us fall dwell with the devouring fire? who among ft us shall inhabit with everlasting burnings? 1fa. xxxiii. 14. And no marvel; fhame and trembling before God are the proper iffues of fin. God will revenge that carnal, atheistical boldness which finners out of Christ do ufe towards him. But we have now, boldness to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus: by a new and living way which he hath confecrated for us through the vail, that is to fay his flesh, and having

a high Priest over the house of God, we may draw near with a true heart in full affsurance of faith, Heb. x. 9, 20. The truth is, fuch is the glory and terror of the Lord, fuch the infinite perfection of his holiness, that on clear fight of it, it will make the foul conclude, that of its felf, it cannot ferve him, nor will it be to any advantage, but add to the fierceness of his deftruction, once to draw nigh to him. It is in Chrift alone, and on the account alone of his oblation and interceffion, that we have any boldness to approach unto him. And these three advantages have the faints of communicating their minds unto the Lord Chrift, which he hath provided for them because he delights in them.

To touch a little by the way, because this is of great importance, I will inftance in one of thefe, as I might in every one, that you may fee the difference between a fpiritual revealing of our minds unto Chrift, in this acceptable manner, and that praying upon conviction which others practice; and this fhall be from the first, viz. the affistance we have by the Spirit.

1. The Spirit of Chrift reveals to us our own wants, that we may reveal them unto him, we know not what, Rom. viii. 26. no teachings under those of the Spirit of God are able to make our fouls acquainted with their own wants, its burdens, its temptations. For a foul to know its wants, its infirmities, is a heavenly difcovery. He that hath this affiftance, his prayer is more then half made before he begins to pray. His confcience is affec-ted with what he hath to do: his mind and fpirit contend within him, there efpecially where he finds himfelf moft ftrcightned. He brings his burden on his fhoulders, and unloads himself on the Lord

Chrift. He finds not by a perplexing conviction, but an holy fenfe and wearinefs of fin where he is dead, where dull and cold, wherein unbelieving, wherein tempted above all his ftrength, where the light of Gods countenance is wanting. And ali thefe the foul hath a fenfe of, by the Spirit, an unexpreffible sense and experience. Without this, prayer is not prayer; mens voices may be heard but they speak not in their hearts. Senfe of want, is the spring of defire: natural of natural; fpiritual of fpiritual. Without this fenfe given by the Holy Ghoft, their is neither defire nor prayer.

2. The expreffions, or the words of fuch perfons, come exceeding fhort of the labouring of their hearts; and therefore in, and after their fupplications, the Spirit makes interceffion with fighs and groans that cannot be uttered. Some mens words go exceedingly beyond their hearts. Did their fpirits come up to their expreffions, it were well. He that hath this affiftance, can provide no cloathing that is large and broad enough to fet forth the defires of his heart; and therefore in the clofe of his best and most fervent fupplications, fuch a perfon finds a double diffatisfaction in them. First, that they are not a righteoufnefs to be rested on; that if God fhould mark what is in them amifs, they could not abide the trial. Secondly, That his heart in them is not powered out, nor delivered in any portion to the holy defires and labourings that were conceived therein; though they may in Christ have great refreshment by them. The more they speak, the more they find they have left unspoken.

3. The interceffion of the faints thus affifted, is according to the mind of God; that is, they are guided by the Spirit to make requests for those things

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unto God, which it is his will they fhould defire: which he knows to be good for them, useful and fuitable to them, in the condition wherein they were. There are many ways, whereby we may know when we make our fupplications according to the will of God: I fhall inftance only in one; that is, when we do it according to the promife. When our prayers are regulated by the promife, we make them according to the will of God, fo David, Pfal. cxix. 49. Remember the words wherein thou hast caused me to put my trust. He prays, and regulates his defire by the word of promife, wherein he had trusted. But yet, men may ask that which is in the promife. and yet not have their prayers regulated by the promife; they may pray for what is in the promife, but not as it is in the promife, fo James fays, fome ak and receive not, because they afk amifs, to spend it on their lufts, Chap. iv. 3. though the things which God would have us afk, be requested, yet if not according as he would have us do it, we ask amifs.

Two things are required, that we may pray for the things in the promise, as they are in the promife.

1. That we look upon them as promised, and promised in Chrift; that is, that all the reason we have, whence we hope for attaining the things we afk for, is from the mediation and purchase of Christ, in whom all the promifes are yea and amen. This it is, to afk the Father in Chrift's name; God as a Father, the Fountain, and Chrift as the procurer of them.

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2. That we ask for them for the end of the mife. not to spend on our luft, when we ask pardon for fin, with fecret referves in our hearts to conti

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nue in fin, we ask the choiceft mercy of the cove. nant, to spend it on our lufts. The end of the promife the apostle tells us, 2 Cor. vii. 1. Having thofe promifes, let us cleanfe ourselves from all pollution of flesh and fpirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. When we ask what is in the promife, as it is in the promife, to this end of the promise, our fupplications are according to the will of God. And this is the first conjugal affection that Christ exerciseth towards believers; he delights in them; which that he doth is evident, as upon other confiderations innumerable, fo from the inftance given.

In return hereunto, for the carrying on of the communion between them, the faints delight in Chrift, he is their joy, their crown, their rejoicing, their life, food, health, ftrength, defire, righteousness, falvation, bleffedness; without him they have nothing, in him they find all things, Gal. vi. 14. God forbid that I should rejoice, fave in the cross of Christ. He hath from the foundation of the world, been the hopes, expectation, defire, and delight of all believers. The promise of him was all, (and it was enough) that God gave Adam in his unexpreffible diftrefs, to relieve and comfort him, Gen. iii. 15. Eve perhaps fuppofed that the promised feed had been born in her firft born, when the faid, I have gotten a man from the Lord, so most properly denoting the fourth cafe; and this was the matter of her joy, Gen. iv. 1. Lamech having Noah given to him as a type of Chrift, and falvation by him, cries out, This fame fhall comfort us concerning our work, and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath curfed, Gen. v. 29. he rejoices in him who was to take away the curfe, by being made a curfe for us. When Abraham was in the heigh

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