while, and experimental sight and feeling shall tell you what this receiving is, when we receive the end of our faith, the salvation of our souls.

Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and troubled himself, and said, where have ye laid him?-John xi. 32-34.

SOMETHING he hath intimated to us, by groaning in spirit and troubling himself. For who indeed could trouble him, but himself? Therefore, my brethren, in the first place mark here his power, and then inquire the signification. Thou art troubled, against thy will; Christ, because he willed to be troubled. Jesus hungered, it is true, but because he willed it: Jesus was sorrowful, it is true, but because he willed it: Jesus died, it is true, but because he willed it: it rested in his power to be thus and thus affected or not affected. For the Word took soul and flesh, fitting to itself the nature of whole man in the Unity of Person. Thus the apostle's soul also was enlightened by the Word, Peter's soul was enlightened by the Word, Paul's soul, the souls of the other apostles, of the holy prophets, all were by the Word enlightened but of none of them is it said, The Word was made flesh; of none is it said, I and the Father are one. Soul and flesh of Christ with the Word of God is one person, is one Christ. And consequently, where supreme power is, there the weakness is handled according to the sovereign pleasure of the will: this is the meaning of, Troubled himself.

I have spoken of the power, now mark the signification. That person is an heinous sinner, whom the four days death and that burial betoken. What meaneth it then, that Christ troubled himself, but to betoken to thee how thou oughtest to be troubled when thou art weighed and pressed down by so huge a load of sin? For thou hast taken note of thyself, hast seen thyself to be guilty, hast taken account with thyself: "This have I done, and God spared me: I heard the gospel and despised it this

have I committed, and he forbore me: I was washed, and fell back again to the same wickedness: what am I to do? whither to go? which way to escape? While thou thus speakest, it is even Christ that groans in indignation within thee, because it is the groan of faith. In that groan of displeasure it is shown that there is hope of resurrection. If faith itself be within, in it Christ groaneth: if faith in us, Christ in us. For what else saith the apostle, That Christ may dwell by faith in your hearts? Consequently, thy faith concerning Christ is Christ in thy heart. Of a piece with this, is that incident of his sleeping in the ship: when the disciples were in jeopardy, at the very point of being shipwrecked, they came to him and awaked him: Christ arose and rebuked the winds and the waves, and there was a great calm. So fares it also with thee. The winds enter thy heart, wherein thou art on a voyage, wherein thou art passing this life, like as it were a stormy and perilous sea: the winds enter, they stir up the waves, they trouble the ship. What are the winds? Thou hast been reproached, thou art angry; the reproach is the wind, thine anger the waves: thou art in jeopardy, art setting thyself to answer, setting thyself to render railing for railing; even now the ship is nigh to be wrecked: wake the sleeping Christ! For the reason why thou art tossed with waves, and preparing to render evil for evil, is, that Christ is asleep in the ship. To wit, that Christ is asleep in thy heart, is, thy forgetfulness of thy faith. For if thou wake Christ, that is, recollect thy faith, then when Christ as it were awaketh in thy heart, what saith he? "To me they said, Thou hast a devil, and I prayed for them: the Lord is reviled and suffereth it; the servant is reviled, and is indignant! But thou wouldst be avenged. What? Am I avenged?" When thy faith saith these things to thee, it is as it were a command given to the winds and waves, and there is a great calm. As then to wake Christ in the ship, is, to wake up thy faith; so, in the heart of a man who is pressed by a great load and custom of sin, in the heart of a man who hath transgressed even the holy gospel, who hath set at naught eternal punishments, let Christ groan indignantly, let the man rebuke himself. Hear yet more: Christ wept, let the man weep for himself. For why did Christ weep, but to teach man to weep? Wherefore did he groan for indignation and trouble himself, but to show that the faith of a man who has good cause to be dis

pleased with himself ought to groan, as one may say, indignantly, in self-accusation for his evil works, that so the custom of sinning may be forced to give way to the violence of repentance.

I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred. My heart was hot within me; while I was musing, the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue.-Psalm xxxix. 2, 3.

Ir is a very useful and profitable thing to observe the motions and deportments of the spirits of wise and holy men, in all the various postures and conditions they are in. It is for that purpose they are drawn out to us in the Scriptures. There are some graces that are more proper, and come more in action, in times of ease and prosperity, such as temperance, moderation of mind, humility, and compassion. Others are more proper for times of distress, as faith, fortitude, patience, and resignation. It is very expedient, if not necessary, that affliction have its turns, and frequently, in the lives of the children of God; it is the tempest, that gives evidence of the pilot's skill. And as the Lord delighteth in all his works, looks on the frame and conduct of all things with pleasure, so he is delighted to look on this part, on this low sea of troubles, to see his champions meet with hard and pressing trials, such as sometimes do not only make them feel them, but do often make the conflict dubious to them, so that they seem to be almost foiled, yet do they acquit themselves, and come off with honor. It is not the excellency of grace, to be insensible in trouble, (as some philosophers would have their wise men,) but to overcome and be victorious.

Among the rest of this holy man's troubles, this was one, that the wicked did reproach him. This is a sharp arrow that flies thick in the world. It is one of the sharpest stings of poverty, that, as it is pinched with wants at home, so it is met with scorn abroad. It is reckoned among the sharp suffering, of holy men, Heb. xi. 36, that they suffered bitter mockings. Now, men commonly return these in the same, that is by the tongue, whereof David is here aware. He refrains himself even from good; not only from his just defence, but even from good and pious discourses. We do so easily exceed in our words, that it is better

to be sometimes wholly silent, than to speak that which is good: for our good borders so near upon evil and so easy is the transition from the one to the other, that though we begin to speak of God and good things with a good intention, yet how quickly run we into another channel! Passion and self having stolen in, turn us quite from the first design of our speech. And this chiefly in disputes and debates about religion, wherein, though we begin with zeal for God, yet ofttimes in the end, we justify nothing but our own passion; and sometimes we do lie one against another in defence of what we call the truth.

It can not be denied that to a holy heart, it is a great violence to be shut up altogether from the speech of God. It burns within, especially in the time of affliction, as was the case of Jeremiah: Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name: but his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and could not stay. Jer. xx. 9. So it is here with David, therefore he breaks out the fire burns upward, and he speaks to God.

Let this be our way, when we can not find ease among men, to seek it in God. He knows the language of his children, and will not mistake it; yea, where there may be somewhat of weakness and distemper, he will bear with it. In all your distresses, in all your moanings, go to him, pour out your tears to him. Not only fire, but even water, where it wants a vent, will break upward. These tears drop not in our own lap, but they fall on his, and he hath a bottle to put them in: if ye empty them there, they will return in wine of strong consolation.

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.-John xiv. 16.

THE disciples were greatly distressed at the prospect of losing the personal presence of their Master. But he cheered their down-cast spirits with the assurance, that, although he was going away from them, they should not be left orphans. Another comforter should come to supply his place, and abide with them for ever. This comforter is the Holy Spirit.

First. The Spirit is a comforter by applying and representing

Christ absent unto the soul again. For, 1. The Spirit carries a Christian heart up to Christ in heavenly affections and conversation. As a piece of earth, when it is out of its place, doth ever move to the whole earth; so a sparkle of Christ's Spirit will naturally move upward unto him, who hath "the fullness" in him. A stone though broken all to pieces in the motion, will yet, through all that peril and violence, move to the centre: so though the nature of man abhor, and would of itself decline the passages of death, yet the apostle desired "to be dissolved, and to be taken asunder, that by any means he might be with Christ," who is the centre of every Christian's desire. 2. The Spirit brings Christ down to a Christian, forms him in his heart, evidences him, and the virtue of his passion, and resurrection, to the conscience, in the powerful dispensation of his holy ordinances. Therefore when our Saviour speaks of sending the Holy Spirit, he adds, "I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you;-when the world seeth me not, yet ye see me." This notes the presence of Christ by his Spirit with the church but there is more than a presence, there is an inhabitation "At that time ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you."

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Secondly. The Spirit is a comforter by a work of sweet and fruitful illumination, not only giving the knowledge, but the love and comfort of the truth to a Christian; making him " with open face behold, as in a glass, the glory of God," and thereby "transforming him into the same image from glory to glory." light of other sciences is like the light of a candle, nothing but light but the knowledge of Christ by the Spirit, is like the light of the sun, which hath influences and virtues in it. And this is that which the apostle calls "the Spirit of revelation, in the knowledge of God:" for though there be no prophetical, nor extraordinary revelations by dreams, visions, ecstacies, or enthusiasms; yet, according to the measure of spiritual acuteness of vision, and diligent observation of Holy Scriptures, there are still manifold revelations or manifestations of Christ to the soul. The secret and intimate acquaintance of the soul with God, the heavings, aspirings, and harmony of the heart with Christ, the sweet illapses and flashes of heavenly light upon the soul, the knowledge of the depths of God, and of Satan, of the whole armor of God, and the strong man, of conflicts of Spirit, pro