now taken away thofe lufcious Joys, which heretofore accompanied our religious Endeavours, yet it is not out of any Unkindness to us. Something he faw, that we did not; which made it highly reasonable and expedient for us, that he should thus deal with us. Either they were not proper for our State, or we fhould be apt to furfeit of them, and put them to a bad Üfe. They might prove the Incentives of Pride, and Contempt of others. They might hinder the Purity and Sincerity of our Love to God: Or they might make us careless or negligent in our Pursuit after the most useful and manly Virtues; and, for these Causes, God in pure Compaffion and Tenderness to us, deprived us of them.

But, when a Time comes, that it will be reasonable and fit we should have them again; as for Inftance, when we are called out to fome unusual Trial, or are exposed to some imminent Danger or Temptation, where our Faith and Virtue will need these extraordinary Supports: In this Cafe, we need not doubt, but God will reftore them to us with Advantage. Thus ufually God strengthens Martyrs and dying Chriftians, giving them fuch a Senfe of his Favours, and fo invigorating their Minds, that the greatest Dangers, and the most painful Death, cannot discompose them; and thus, without doubt, he will fhew himself to every honest Heart, in every Emergency, where there is need of fuch a Manifeftation of his Prefence For

God

God is faithful, and will never fuffer any of his Servants to be tempted above what they are able; but will with the Temptation make a Way to escape out of it, that they may able to bear it.

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But, Thirdly, Another Thing that deferves feriously to be confidered by these Perfons whofe Cafe I am fpeaking to, is this: That that Vigour and Life, and those fenfible Pleafures and Comforts, which they were wont to experience in holy Duties, and of the Lofs of which they complain, did not, in the leaft, recommend them more to God whilft they enjoyed them: Tho' they did much tend to the fweetening their Duty, and rendering the Performance of it more fatif factory to themselves; yet did they not, in the leaft, render it more acceptable to God; for, neither did they ferve God really better; while they were full of thefe Comforts, nor do they ferve him worfe, now that they are without them: Always fuppofing, they continue their Endeavours, and do not flag in their Refolutions of living a holy Life. Nay, fo far are their Duties from being lefs accep table to God upon this Account, that they are not accompanied with fuch Sprightlinefs of Affections, and Overflowings of Joy, as they were wont, but are performed droopingly and heavily that, on the contrary, I fcru ple not to fay, they are a great deal more. He that finds no Pleasure and Delight in the Ways of God, and yet, notwithstanding, doth

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ftill walk in them, and continues refolved fo to do, in spite of all Difcouragements he meets with, doth certainly exprefs a greater Virtue, and fhews a truer Love to God, and confequently is better accepted by him, than if he had I know not what Spurs of fenfible Delight to prick him forwards. He that, when his Mind is dull and heavy, and the cannot raise up his Affections fo nimbly to wards God, yet ftill makes a Confcience of faying his Prayers, and prays as heartily as he can, tho' not fo delightfully as he would, nor fo paffionately as he was won't; I fay, fuch Prayers, as they proceed from a purer Senfe of his Duty, fo, without doubt, they will be more effectual with God, for the obtaining what he really ftands in need of, than if they were accompanied even with ecftatical Tranf ports of Fervour and Joy.

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God measures our Services by the inward Sincerity of the Heart, and the Honefty of the Mind, with which they are tender'd; and not by the Fluttering of the fenfible Paffions, that go along with them, or the extrinsical Supports, which, in our Efteem, do give them Advantage. He that is in Love with his Duty, only fo long as he receives great Joy and Satisfaction in it, or from it, shews (as fome of our Divines ufe to exprefs it) that he loves Chrift Jefus, more for the Loaves he used to bestow upon him, than for his own Goodnéfs and Excellence. We then truly ferve God, when we chearfully obey

him for Confcience-fake: But, whether that Obedience be delightful or troublesome, pleafing or difpleafing to ourselves, hath no other Place in the Efteem or Acceptance of God, fave only this, that the greater the Difficulties and Difcouragements are that we lie under, the more valuable are our Services to him, and the more highly shall they be rewarded.

Lift up thy Head therefore, O drooping Soul! Be not dejected, that thy former Joys have forfaken thee; that the Light, that hath fometimes fhined into thy Mind, is intercepted by thick Clouds that encompass thee; and that, instead of the green and pleasant Paftures in which thy Way hath hitherto lain, thou art come into a barren and dry Wilderness Think not that this Change was meant thee, for any Hurt, but rather for thy exceeding Good. Thou haft now an Opportunity put into thy Hands, of fhewing the Sincerity of thy Affections to God, of expreffing thy Courage and Refolution in his Service: If, notwithstanding these Discouragements, thou purfueft thy Course, and doft not treacherously fall back, affure thyfelf, tho' thou doft not ferve God fo much to thy own Satisfaction, as thou waft wont, yet thy Service is much better; and he is more delighted to fee thee follow him in these rugged Paths, and under thefe Difcouragements, than when thy Way was most pleasant and fmooth, and thou waft carried

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on with the brifkeft Gales of Affection and Joy.

But, Fourthly and Laftly, to conclude: If these Perfons, whofe Cafe I am fpeaking. to, do really defire to find a perfect Cure of those Grievances they groan under; the best Advice (as may appear from all that has been faid) that can be given them, is, not to defire nor covet these fenfible Joys and Smitings in Religion: But, on the contrary, to bring themselves, if it be poffible, to fuch a State of Mind, that they can live contentedly and comfortably without them. We have feen what an Influence the Temper of our Bodies most commonly hath, in the producing these kinds of Effects; which Temper we cannot, with our utmost Care, preferve always in a ftable uniform Tenor: We have feen likewife, that what God is pleafed fometimes, in an extraordinary Way, to contribute to these Effects by his Spirit, is not always to be expected, because the Thing is often unreasonable, and no way fitting to be done. If therefore the Comfort and Happiness of our Lives depend upon having thefe Joys and Smitings, it is certain it will never be conftant, but we fhall be as often in a miferable dejected Condition, as we are in a comfortable and happy one. What then muft we do? Why, let us not value those Things; let us not hanker after them, but feek our Happiness and Comfort from fomething elfe, fomething that is built upon a more folid Foundation, fome