offered their pleasures in this his comfortless fituation, if by any means they might gain a little loft favour, be a prefent prop, or lend a little prefent affiftance toward lengthening of his tranquillity.

This bait was not altogether unfeasonable. Darkness and bondage in prayer; the fame in study; the fame in company; the fame in the pulpit,—made, him catch at comfort from any quarter. Carnal comforts are never reprefented to an heaven-born foul is fo delufive a garb, as when divine confolatic re fled. When the good man is not at home, but on a long journey, and hath taken the bag of money with him; then it is that the world comes with ber much fair Speech, and flattering lips, in order to caufe us to yield. Prov. vii. 19, 20, 21.

of

Now was the time for Satan to work; and as he found that all divine comforts were gone, by the groaning petitions of Prodigalis; and that many his former befetting fins began to gain upon his affections, and to meet with a little indulgence, though it was but in thought; yet the devil drew him, before ever he was aware, to the court of conscience, and made his appeal to the heart, the thoughts, and even to the very confcience of Prodigalis.

First, the Plaintiff fhewed, That his heart was got cold to the work, worship, people, and ways of God; which the Defendant could not deny: for as he had met with nothing but frowns of late, in the ways of God, and as all divine comforts had left

him, he could not deny but that earthly comforts had been indulged and embraced by him, as a rival to the God of all comfort.

Secondly, The Plaintiff fhewed, that the life of a real christian was fuch, as never to offend either God, confcience, or men; that the real faint was one that exercised himself day and night, always to bave a confcience void of offence both toward God and towards men. Acts xxiv. 16.:

Thirdly, That Prodigalis had left his first love, Rev. ii. 4; that as iniquity bad abounded, bis love bad waxed cold; and therefore he had apoftatifed in heart from his God. Nor could he be deemed one of the number of them that perfevere; for he that endureth to the end [in his firft love] fhall be faved.

The plaintiff farther fhewed, That the thoughts of Prodigalis were often very carnal; and that inftead of having every thought brought into captivity to the obedience of Chrift, at certain feafons he had not a thought for Chrift.

Fourthly, That Prodigalis not only allowed thefe wanderings of heart, but at times really encouraged them, and feemed to be entertained by them, efpecially when the presence of his Lord was gone; and therefore he could not fay, I hate vain thoughts, but thy law do I love.

Fifthly, The Plaintiff fhewed, That he not only indulged these vain thoughts that lodged within him; but that in the hours of fenfible defertion he had endeavoured to fuck comfort from them.

Sixthly,

Sixthly, That in fome of his peevish fits he had even envied the happiness of the wicked, who are not in trouble as other men, nor plagued like other folks.

Seventhly, That he had gone fo far in this his peevishness as to call the proud happy, whom God refifteth and in his deep poverty he had called the covetous bleffed, whom the Lord abborreth.

Eighthly, The Plaintiff further fhewed, That Prodigalis had not only given in to them in heart and word, but that he had been brought into cap tivity to the law of fin that is in his members.

Ninthly, The Plaintiff appealed to the heart, thoughts, and confcience of Prodigalis for confir mation; and asked if he could fay, That his rejoicing was in the teftimony of a good confcience, as Paul did? Could he fay, Happy is the man that condemneth not himself in the thing which he alloweth? Rom. xiv. 22. Nay, faid the P aintiff, you are fo far from this, that thy own thoughts condemn thee. Therefore thou canít, not lay thine hand upon thy heart and say, in an holy triumph, In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my foul. Pfalm xciv. 19. The Plaintiff added, He that is born of God finneth not.

Abimaaz. Why, the devil fticks to his old text, Cufbi. Yes; and he will stick to it, until the poor believer either find out the reai meaning of it, or else fall into error, or defpondency under the devil's temptations about it. Satan threw down

Adam

Adam with a text of fcripture, and took the fame method when he tempted the Son of God.

Abimaaz. I think this is one of the moft puzzling trials that ever Prodigalis had. It is a dreadful. thing to a foul that is quickened, humbled, and bleffed with a tender feeling of the evil of fin, and with a filial fear of God, and an heart bent to honour him, for fuch an one to be fo left of God, as for his old wretched cuftoms to be pursuing his mind, and entangling his thoughts, after he has fo forely fuffered under the fight and sense of them. But, as poor Job fays, Such poffefs the iniquity of their youth, even in that fenfe, though not the guilt of them.

For my part, I have often wifhed that God had took me to himself in my first love; or else had granted me a refidence where I might never fee man, woman, or child; yea, neither fun, moon, nor ftars. For the world is full of nothing but evil; look which way you will, fin presents itself and if that fteals on the heart, then my comforts die; I wifh either for heaven, or for the lonely cot of a hermit.

Cufbi. If you had died in your first love, how could you have ferved your generation? and if you were shut up like a hermit, how could you let your light fhine before men, that they may fee your good

works?

Your first requeft favours of a diftruft of God's power to keep you; and the laft favours of cow

ardice,

ardice, and of a narrow fpirit: juft as if the devil was to be left fole ranger of the world, because he has spread the earth with traps. No; it well becomes the faints, as good foldiers of Jefus Chrift, to seek the welfare of the children of Ifrael, and the kingdom of their ever bleffed Lord; to oppose the devil's reign, and expofe the devil's works also; and fo to weaken his intereft as much as poffible. And though we find it a perilous work, and are in imminent danger at it, yet the battle is the Lord's; the cause of truth is the Lord's cause; and his truth is our armour; and the promise of victory is fure to all the feed. The Lord tells us to quit ourselves like men, instead of creeping into holes: and we may depend upon it, that his strength will be made perfect in our weakness, because he hath promised it. And when he comes to fay, in the great day, Well done, good and faithful fervant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord, that will pay for all.

Abimaaz. Pray how long did Prodigalis labour under this trial?

Cufbi. For many months; yet no man could hate fin more; no man mourned over it, ftruggled with it, or prayed against it, more than he did; but notwithstanding all his efforts, he found himfelf to be a man burdened with the body of fin and death, which, God knows, he forely groaned under. Befides his fituation was none of the most pleasing; he had a large flock to feed, whether his own foul was flourishing or barren; he had many enemies in

the