THE Anchor of HOPE, FOR Gods tossed one's. OR, Mercies thoughts for the vessels of mercy under misery. OR, God's bowels let out opened, proclaimed to afflicted Saints. In a little Treatise on the 29. of Jer. 11. verse. By JOHN WELLES Pastor, lately Preacher of the Word at Watton in Hertfordshire.  
Who so is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord  Psal. 107. last 
O taste and consider that the Lord is good: Blessed is the man that trusteth in him.  Psal. 34.8. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  
London, Printed by I. Coe, for Henry Overton. 1645.   

To the Right Honourable, and truly Noble, the Lord SAY and SEAL, the Author desireth all the good of Jesus CHRIST.  
RIGHT HON:  
HE wrongs not this age, that speaks of it, either in a Poetical strain, and so calls it 〈◊〉 iron one; or in the spirits ●●●aguage and so calls it an ●●amantine, or self-loving one ●●●ly 'tis sad to see, how men writ themselves (too too 〈◊〉 gibly) lovers of themselves and how men speak the●● selves rocks in their practice: there is much fight but little sighing; m●● blood, but little bleed 〈◊〉 Nay, is not the Lords 〈◊〉 an outcast still with mo●● Who seeks after her? W●● is sorry to hear her cries, 〈◊〉 see the throes, and pangs, 〈◊〉 be upon her? The heart 〈◊〉 men upon the earth are havened against her, whilst sh●● in travail, whilst she p●● to be delivered from 〈◊〉 that is Rome, 
Reve. 12.2 Filius masculus, a Son, a man, and that even at the birth, here is the wonder.  and sin; 〈◊〉 enjoy, all that is truth 〈◊〉 Christ: even a blessed Re●●●mation; which may be 〈◊〉 named (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a male 〈◊〉 man child) and at 〈◊〉 birth all the members of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ may greatly re●●●ce, because such a one is ●●●rne into the world. But ●●●at do I speak of this age? 〈◊〉 me to the Saints, these ●●●urne indeed, but is it not 〈◊〉 sparingly, weakly, dry●●● and too too carnally, that ●●●ies in it much of a mix●●●e of dust, of an outward 〈◊〉 estate, as well as the pure 〈◊〉 of sin, or a strong faith 〈◊〉 the blessed love, and in the ●●●cious promises of the 〈◊〉 their God: I would I ●●●uld say, that Saints themselves were not too too ●●●ch, guilty of mourning, 〈◊〉 without ground and ●●●hout hope in these trying 〈◊〉: sometimes we appre●●●nd sin under such a colourable notion, that it even ●●●rks us to much senselessness and carnal security 〈◊〉 sometimes again we apprehend sin, the Sword, 〈◊〉 the sore pressures of 〈◊〉 Kingdom, under such 〈◊〉 black, such a dark notion that we are even hopeless and begin to look upon 〈◊〉 selves, as fuel for the fire 〈◊〉 the Swords wastings and 〈◊〉 solations: against this latte● this small treatise bends 〈◊〉 self, the very drift of it b●●ing this, to present before 〈◊〉 believers eyes, the merciful purposes, the tender and 〈◊〉 thoughts of their God, towards his people in ev●● times: and to speak 〈◊〉 thoughts, there are no apprehensions, more likely, m●● sure, more powerful, to le●● us to that blessed Rock 〈◊〉 staying ourselves upon Go● ●r into that glorious light of ●●rong consolation in him; then ●●o eye our God in his merciful thoughts towards us, when we be at lowest: upon these thoughts we may well ●●itch, when so many bloody and malicious thoughts, ●re all pursuing to take hold ●●on us: Surely these will (Jesus Christ giving a blessing) ●ead us out of the Confusion of these days, into the admiration of this God: That of chrysostom is both witty and holy: Dominum ipsum admiramur quidem miracula facientem, sed amplius admiramur miserantem, & longanimiter sustinentem: When the Lord works miracles we wonder, But more when he shows mercy, when he exercises his love and patience: and may we not add one Amplius to 〈◊〉 and say, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  Amplius admiram●● Dominum sic cogitantem bon●● We wonder most of all 〈◊〉 that God who purpose good, and so much good to●● Oh these Machsceboth Sch●lom, in the Text, these cogitationes pacis, these thought of peace in our God, an●● from him; these should ta●● up our hearts, in the mid●● of all our troubles and heart breaking miseries! 'tis th●● only way to be out of th●● storms, to dwell in the lo●● of our God: Oh 'tis pleasant 〈◊〉 'tis sweeter than honey to th●● soul's mouth! and have w●● not need of such sweetness i●● these sour, in these bitte● times? have we not need 〈◊〉 such a name now as Jehova● is, and of such love as God himself is, and shows unto ●is chosen ones? I have ●one, only this, why I pre●●nt it to your honour; My ●●eep engagements they bid ●●e make bold to come with 〈◊〉 handful of my first fruits, ●●d present my thankfulness 〈◊〉 you, though narrow and comprised in a little room: specially knowing the nobleness of your spirit, to re●ive the things of Jesus Christ: I grant they be nuda ●●de, plain truths, and mean●● disht out; yet to a good ●●omack these will be hearty welcome, now the Lord himself send out his best mer●●es upon your honour, and ●●ur noble family, and give a ●●essing along with his ●●uths, to the glorious advantage of souls in Christ so he desires and prays who is,  
Your Honour's i●● the service of th● Lord Jesus Christ: JOHN WELLES   

To the READER.  
READER:  
EXpect not that I should say much, the tract itself speaks but little, though it speak of great things, if thou inquire why the Author shows himself in the press: I can tell thee, 'tis out of a desire to do thee good in print. The matter and subject I know is very seasonable in these evil times for a good soul to chew upon, that I dare commend unto thee: for the manner of the handling of it I will say but this, it is according to the talon God hath lent me: If thou gain any light, any growth, any comfort, any quickening in thy faith; bless God; and think of me, as one, that hath obtained mercy at the hands of jesus Christ: and as one, that (were he not compassed about with such a weight of infirmities, he would do (thorough the grace of Christ) most exactly as he writes. Reader, say what thou wilt of me, but be sure to speak well of God of Christ, of his love, of his promises: be ashamed to sown, sink, or fall, when God, when Christ, puts under so many hands to keep thee up: Live in God, thou wilt live no where else: Stay thyself upon this Rock, who purposes to be such a sure one to ●●ee: Let not thine ears al●aies be filled with the sad out●●ies, and doleful clamours of ●ood and misery: turn thy ●●res towards God, listen what 〈◊〉 says: the voice of misery ●●ings us to bemoan ourselves; 〈◊〉 to cry, alas what shall we do? ●●ut the voice of the Merciful ●oughts of our God speaks to ●●ch Saint as the Angels to Mary, Why weepest thou? Or 〈◊〉 our Saviour to that woman, ●e healed of a bloody issue, 
joh. 20.13 Luk. 8.48. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ferendum & sperandun est: We must bear and yet be patiented and full of hope to.  be 〈◊〉 good comfort: believe, and ●ll shall be well: weep not: stay ●our selves upon my bowels 〈◊〉 says God) you shall not miscarry. What remains then, ●ut this? Love the light thou ●eest: practise the truths thou readest, be a follower of God, that purposes, and bostowes su●● love, and be on earnest suitor 〈◊〉 that God for one who desires 〈◊〉 be a friend of the Bridegroom● a friend of truth, and a friend of thine.  
john Welles.   

Mercies-Thoughts, For the Vessels of Mercy under Misery.  JEREM. 29.11. 
For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  
THe words are a piece of a Letter sent from Jerusalem, by the Prophet jeremiah, to the Jews, both Elders, Priests and Prophets, all captivated in Babylon: the same God, that to fallen man vouchsafed to send his scriptures, he is pleased now by his Prophet to send a Letter to his poor fallen, broken, people of the Jews: he that permitted them to be in the darkness of Captivity, could not endure to see them in the darkness of sin: they shall have light sent after them, though they were removed out of Canaan; our God may as soon cease to love himself, as cease to bring forth love tokens from himself, to, and for his people, though in sad afflictions: His people were now in Babylon, yet they shall be differenced from the Heathens of Babylon. They may live together in the same place, they shall not enjoy the same mercy: God will have the desolate Jews written to, whilst the flourishing Babylonians shall be overlookt: God's people when they be at worst, at lowest, enjoy such privileges, as the Wicked Babylonians when they be at highest shall not so much as taste of. Our God is love, but 'tis to his own: 
1 john. 4.16. Deus noster in relatione ad fideles est mer● charitas, sic enim intelligenda est illa Phrasis, & non de Deo absolute considerato. Ames. de Cons. cas.  towards the world of the wicked ●e is a consuming fire.  
This letter was occasioned by ●he dreams, and the lies of the ●lse prophets, who speaking to ●is captivated people, did go ●bout to deceive them in re●ect of the continuance of their Captivity, they prophesy lies, ●●d dream dreams in the ●ame of the Lord, telling them ●●ey should not be long in Babylon: This is cleared: First by ●●e very voice of the false prophet's, which was this, within too full years (says Hananiah ●penly, and it was the vote of all ●he other false Prophets) Says ●●e Lord of Hosts the God of israel, will I bring again into this 〈◊〉 lace all the vessels of the Lords House etc. for I will break the ●oke of the King of Babylon, jer. 〈◊〉 8 1.5.  
Secondly, 'tis cleared, that this was the drift of the false prophets by jerimiahs' own letter, that he sends to them: and that these particulars touching th● letter will easily discover. First the prophets Charge to th● jews in Babylon of building houses and dwelling in them; 
jer. 29.4, 8.  o● planting gardens and eating th● fruit of them: of taking wive● and begetting sons and daughters: of taking wives to their sons: of giving their daughter's t● husbands, that they may beasons, and daughters: of seeking the peace of the City, when they were captives; and praying for it, in all which he give them to know, that their captivity should not be so so soon ended, but it should last long and they took it so, 
28. v.  for thus i● their writing back to the people and priests at jerusalem they testify that jeremia had se● unto them in Babylon, saying the captivity was long, build y●● houses, etc. Oh this stung them that the prophet jeremiah should flatly contradict their false prophets; that he should cry down, what they cried up; and and so give them the lie:  
Secondly, the Prophet's caution, 
8. and 9  he gives them warning (from the mouth of the Lord) saying let not your prophets and your diviners (they be yours, they be none of mine, says God) that be in the midst of you, deceive you, etc. for they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them saith the Lord: no disciaifie, them, he tells them, by this, thus much plainly, they do not say as I say; they be of another mind, concerning your captivity, than I am.  
Thirdly, the reason brought in, in the 10: verse. for to prove these prophesied falsely, and that they did deceive the people: for thus saith the Lord (whatever your Dreamers say) after 70. years be accomplished in Babylon, I will visit you and perform, my good word towards you: he says not after two years, but after 70. wherein the Lord proclaims thus much, that their false prophets knew not his mind, spoke not his will, declared not his Message, but all was from their own hearts.  
Fourthly, 
jer. 25.30.  because jeremiah must be reproved, stocked, and imprisoned for sending such a message to them in Babylon, this is Shemajabs' will, and the rest in captivity, sent in writing to the people and priests at jerusalem, especially to Zephaniah the priest. Truth will not down with them that are given to lies: this is an hard saying, 
john 6.60 Doctrina vora est carni a mara aegrèque digeritur.  who can hear it: 'twas spoken of his doctrine, who spoke, as never man spoke.  
By this time we may easily see what put jeremiah upon writing to the jews in Babylon: their Prophets deceived them concerning the time of their Captivity, and he writes to undeceive them again, (if it were possible) true Prophets will take any pains, use any good means, to preserve a people from erring or to recall them from their wander; jeremiahs' zeal will not let him rest to see a people (though now in Babylon) to miscarry.  
First, observe; These false Prophets deceived them before they were in captivity and now they do no better: times and troubles will not mend false Prophets, they can find the way to lie in Babylon as well as in Judaea Coelu● non animum mutant. They are in another Country, but not of another mind: Surely these were resolved concerning lying, as he was concerning Philosophying, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  who said he would never cease as long as he lived.  
2 Israel was now in captivity, yet he was ready to be carried away from God still: nay more, they themselves caused the dreams of the false Prophet's to be dreamt, as it's said, vers. 8. Corrupt man can easily be naught be deceived, be carried away from God, yea run after lies even under the afflicting hand o● God.  
3 These false Prophet's ha● caused them to err, and so lea● them into captivity; yet they have not done Israel harm enough; they will spoil them farther in their afflictions: Satan's instruments are ever working, till they have fully and utterly cast away a people: they will not leave their work a● halves; and should God's instruments do so then?  
4 These false prophets could no● but see (one would think) tha● they had spoken lies, in speaking of peace, before the war, th● judgement, the captivity cam● to this people: the Lord had by his divine hand of justice give● them the lie; yet these will o● in their lying trade; and put o● a bold and impudent face on i● too: the Devil himself may 〈◊〉 soon put off himself, his lying nature, and lie not; as corrupt man can (of himself) cease from ●hat sin: even in this regard they may be well styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Di●els they are, 
2 Tim. 3.3.  not only in their falseness of accusing, but of deceiving and lying.  
5 These false Prophets, no question, were in some danger of ●osing their lives, when the Enemy came so terribly against Je●usalem; yet they are preserved whilst better than themselves are ●aken off: God hath his own ●imes for the judging of Wicked ●en: they shall escape and live, ●●ill he sees them fully ripe for ●udgement, and then woe unto ●hem: these shall die in Babylon, ●hough they fall not in Judaea: ●hese are not so much preserved, ●s reserved.  
6 Israel had suffered much by harkening to these false Prophets: Gods judgements were ●ut, they were now in captivity; yet these false Prophets are still loved, and the people are eager to follow them: Ungodly men once bewitched by fal●● Prophets, they will after them though they drink nothing but damage by them: they will stick to them, though they dy● with them, and by them, by their poison, dreams, deceits.  
The occasion of the words i● clear, and being so, it gives light enough to the drift of the spiri●● it shows what is aimed at in th● Text, and in 4. verses more 〈◊〉 namely from the 10. to the 15.  
First, the Spirit of God by jeremiah goes about to pro●● their Prophet's Liars, of whom they said the Lord had raised them up Prophets in Babylo●● and that in a glorying way too vers. 15. However an ungodly seduced people will highly advance and foolishly extol their seducers; yet God he give them their own, and will disown those of whom they blindly brag that God had sent them God loves not that false Prophets should get them a name by false titles, or win authority from the hearts of others by ●are pretence, of Gods sending them.  
2 For the Comforting of ●hose, that were willing to hear●en to God, who, when they ●ad heard all these false Prophets with one consent, even ●fter two years, the yoke of ●he King of Babylon should be ●roken, and the Captivity over, were ready to inquire with the ●ood King, (as being altogether unsatisfied, and not perwaded, that what they spoke was truth) is their not a Prophet more? jeremiah he comes 〈◊〉, and tells these, that this is the Word of the Lord, after 70 years' 〈◊〉 not after two, or a few, that ●as false) be accomplished, at Ba●●lon he would visit them, and perform his good word toward ●●em, and cause them to return 〈◊〉 Jerusalem: and was not this a sweet word too? the Lord himself tells them their captiv●● shall end, though he is determined for a longer time than t●● false Prophets talked off.  
These five verses point 〈◊〉 these four special things: whe●● in we may see the very substance and marrow of them.  
1 That God would not certainly put an end to their Captivity, after seventy year's 〈◊〉 would visit them to purpo●● he would so come, that th●● captivity should not stay: 〈◊〉 would draw out his good w●● of deliverance into act, and 〈◊〉 promise should fall into a ble●●● Performance.  
2 The proof of this endi●● of their captivity, in this 〈◊〉 verse, and it is drawn fr●● God's thoughts and determi●●tions to do such a thing for 〈◊〉 people, he hath pitched upon 〈◊〉 and who can alter him?  
3 The means which 〈◊〉 will have his people use, to 〈◊〉 delivered by: the instances in one, and that is prayer, earnest prayer, continued prayer, prayer, that should hold out, till the thing prayed for be obtained: then (says God in the 12.13 vers. shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and ye shall seek me, and search for me, with all your heart: then, that is, when this 70 years be even out, and the time of the fulfilling of the promise draws ●igh, this shall be a praying time with them: now their hearts shall be hot for deliverance, ●ow their spirit shall hunger to be out of captivity, more than ordinary: now they shall call upon God, nay they shall take pains to do it, they shall go and ●ray, they shall flock together to pray, they shall go to heaven by faith, and pray as they that are both restless without this mercy, and also confident that God would give ●t them: nay they shall seek, and search after God, with 〈◊〉 their hearts: none but God w●● serve their turn now: they wi●● have none of Idols: they wi●● not seek themselves most i● their prayers, but God mo●● they will now search after Pr●mises and Gods time (as Dan●● did in this case Cap. 9 beg● their hearts now begin to e●quire after God, and to ask where is he? How may we fi●● him? what is it, the parts betwixt us and him? now th●● search after him for communi●● with him and blessed enjoyment of him: here is prayer, a●● diligence, and self denial, a●● love and confidence, and constancy of Spirit towards G●● all meeting in one, all together in these poor souls, now t●● time of their delivery drew sneer: the most wise God th●● fits his means, his ends m●● sweetly together, he makes th●● to be when he stirs in th●● hearts at his season, and ro●● spouses up a dull people, to look ●fter him, for their promised deliverance: when the spiritual ●nd blessed means of the Saints deliverances are once set on foot ●y the Spirit of God, in the ●eart of his people, insomuch ●hat faith goes out much and prayer is held up without ceasing, and there is great search a●●er God, know ye that their di●iverance is very near it is even ●t the doors: the Jews Captivity ●asts not, it is soon off when once they do thus bestir themselves at God's throne, misery cannot stand up long against prayers, it will vanish like a mist ●efore the Sun: Then, and not ●ill then will deliverance appear, then and no longer, will God stay, but Salvation shall ●ome unto them.  
4. The prevailing of this means, it shall do the deed: God will answer them, his loving ●eart will pity them, his Gracious hand will work for them: this the spirit delivers in th● 12.13, and 14. verses, and h● speaks it thrice for failing, h● will be sure to speak full in th● thing: I will hearken unto you (says God) now they shall have the listening ear of God● he hears and observes now● what they say, as one glad t● hear them make such request●● to him: they shall find me (sai●● God) I will not hid myself from them now: they shall find● me in my mercy, find me in 〈◊〉 might, find me in my wisdom find mein my countenance, the● shall find me to be for the● to save, to comfort them: I wi●● be found of you, saith the Lord and will turn away your Captivity, etc. This is a finding indeed, to some purpose: now th● Lord would be seen in answering them, they should find him, and he would be found 〈◊〉 them: that is, look wherein and for what, they did seek ●●to him, God would answer them, and say, behold, here am I; what is your request, it shall be granted? You shall have to the full what you beg for, and so desire to have: however heretofore I have hid my face from you, now I intent to appear for you: you shall see me again to your joy, you shall find me again to your full content: What can God say more? how can he speak sweeter and more to the heart of his people then thus.  
In this verse the Lord brings proof of what he had spoken before, concerning his recovering Israel out of Captivity at the 70. year's end: wherein we may see the Lord guiding of his Saints even to know the great deep of his own purpose, as touching their coming out of Babylon: his purpose indeed was revealed in his promise, made in the former verse, but this will not suffice the Lord to say, I will visit you, I will cause you to return to this place; but he will give in ground for it: for I know the thoughts that I think towards you, etc. We seldom read of a promise thus backed: usually God delivers his promises without such a bottom as this: when God told Abraham he would be his God, and the God of his seed: 
Gen. 17 7, 8.  he gives no such reason there as this; he does not say for I know my thoughts towards thee Abraham: I remember not in all the Scripture the like instance, that God should give a reason, and such a reason as this, why he would visit his people with love, with salvation. Certainly there is somewhat in it more than ordinary, it is not because Gods bare word of promise is not sufficient for the faith of his people: neither is it because God would now cherish or satisfy any curiosity o● niceness, that might be in the hearts of his people, touching prying into his own secrets 〈◊〉 but God does this most freely and lovingly; 'tis his mercy to his people, that makes him give in this overplus to his promise, and heaps up to them this great measure, good, pressed down, and running over into their bosoms. The Lord does this,  
1 Because he would the more affront, beat down, and show himself openly and directly against those lying Prophets, who did belie the Lord, and tell the people, that this was not God's mind, that they should stay so long in captivity, but the Lords thoughts, his mind was for two years only: 'tis for more (says God) I know my thoughts, they do not: believe me, not them.  
2 Because he would the more ascertain the thing in the eyes and to the hearts of his people, he brings in an evidence most clear, and that which none else was able to produce: my thoughts have pitched upon your release, your deliverance, this I am sure of, says God, for I know the● do not doubt my people of you returning back, because you a●● to abide in Babylon so long, an● to build and plant there, at su●● a time I will visit you, believe i● I have already concluded upon it, my thoughts are immovable set upon your release; therefore what ever mountains be in the way, believe, they shall be di●● down, rather than their standing shall hinder the accomplishment of my will in this thing: G●● shows them here not only 〈◊〉 promise of salvation under h●● broad Seal (thus saith the Lord but he shows them his very heart and mind, even the very original and root of the thing and says, thus the Lord thinks thus he purposes towards you did God ever lay open his heart his counsels more? Did he eve● more sweetly go to work, t● prop up the weak faith of hi● people, or to stop the mouthe● of his Enemies, that they might be silent, and leave objecting.  
1 Says God, you shall come out then, for my thoughts are already pitched upon it, my purposes are for it, and who can alter them?  
2 You shall come out then, says God, for my thoughts be towards you, they be loving, they be full of mercy, they be not against you for evil, they be for you for good: I love your souls, your persons, your bodies, your peace; you have my thoughts, my intentions, my considerations at work for you.  
3 Says God, you shall come out then, for my thoughts be peaceable and bountiful thoughts, thoughts of peace, thoughts to give, and to give you an accepted end: They be not thoughts of will, of pain, of trouble, of adversity: I think not how to do you an ill turn, how to watch over you for evil; but how to give, and to give you somewhat that shall be worth receiving, an happy end of your troubles: to give you that which you so much, so earnestly expect, an end, and epxectation, both a● once: you shall have such an end, as you desire, expect, wish for● wait for.  
4 You shall come out the● says God, for I know my thoughts are thus towards you: thus peaceable, thus merciful, thus bountifuull, thus to give, thus to reward, thus to let you have double, twice as much mercy as ever you had: the thoughts I have towards you I can easily understand, clearly see, quickly read them every one: 'tis impossible for meeither to be unacquainted with my own vows, with the holy move of my own mind; or not to approve of my own thoughts: I cannot either be ignorant of them, or deceived by them: you men think you know not what sometimes, your thoughts be gone from you as Nebuchdnezzars dream was gone from him, he could not tell it, no more can ye many times, but I know every thought of my heart, every motion of my mind? My thoughts (says God) as they be neither vain, nor light in themselves, so they be not dark to me: I fully know who I pitch upon, to what end, upon what grounds: they be not thoughts against, my will, such as I cannot consent to: the Motions of my heart, as they are guided by the perfection of my Wisdom, so are they filled with the strength of my affection, of my love: I know my thoughts towards you: I love you, therefore do I mule, cast in mind, purpose for your good: and these purposes, these thoughts are also dear unto me, as the issues of mine own love.  
This text speaks thus much, even the blessed language of the tender bowels of God towards his own, it holds forth m●●● sweetly the tender thoughts 〈◊〉 the merciful God towards hi● people in evil times: here are the thoughts of God, set out to open view, in a most lovely way, they are set out to life, and bespangled with most rare and precious jewels. God hath thoughts, thoughts of his own thoughts, that he knows, thoughts towards his people, that way their faces look, thoughts of peace, not of troubles: thoughts to give, not to take away: thoughts to give out a full good, mercy, full big enough for their expectation: thoughts of seasonable, speedy, and welcome mercy, to give his an expected end.  
These words we might branch forth particularly, and then, see what fruit every branch would bear: but we will not take them in sunder: that which we will do, is, to gather thus much in the gross, as the main that lies in the text, under which most of the particulars will kindly come in, and it is thus much.  
That our God, 
Doct.  even when his people be in an evil condition under sore pressures, hath precious purposes full of mercy and good towards them, busy and thinking thoughts to give out that deliverance and Salvation, his people stand in need of: or thus: Our God hath his thoughts of mercy for vessels of mercy under misery; 
Micah. 4.9, 13.  when Zion was in Pangs and cried out, when Israel was in Babylon, when she dwelled in the fields when she was in the enemy's hand, when many nations were gathered against her to undo her, and longed to see her defiled that their eye might look upon Zion: God pesently comes in and gives a cooler to the malicious flame of the enemy: but they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they his council: those poor creatures bloody enemies to God's People, they knew not how God did think, did devise or purpose, either for his people o● against them: what his intentions were, and his purposes in letting them run on in their malice against his, they looked not at; they knew not at what God did drive in all their projects against Zion: this wholly takes them up, how to vnd● Zion, how to trample her in the dirt: but this takes up God's thoughts, how to deliver, to save his, and to pay them.  
When a poor soul is in Spiritual distresses, and cannot be persuaded that God will pardon him, and yet he forsakes his wicked way, and his unrighteous thoughts (either concerning his own righteousness, as if that would stead him for his justification: or concerning the righteousness of Christ, as if either it could not be his, or being his it could not be enough, 
Isa. 55.7, 8, 9  and returns to the Lord, and resolves to get the Mercy of God in Christ for a pardon; But yet still he is beaten bacl, and knocked down with unbelieving thoughts, and harps upon this string, I cannot think I shall be pardoned: it will not enter into my heart yet, it will not sound well with me: Oh says God of such a one, My thoughts are not like that man's thoughts: He thinks he shall not be pardoned, my purpose is, he shall: His thoughts are, it is impossible, mine are; it is easy for me, not only to pardon, but abundantly to parden, to multibly pardon: his thoughts be ●ow, and base, concerning me: mine be high, and such as become myself, such as suits with the very nature of a merciful God: How can God speak more in a few words, to show what his thoughts be towards a distressed conscience? How does God strive with a poor sin to bring him out of the snare?  
1. He tells him, that he think thoughts against his thoughts and beyond the poor creature apprehension.  
2 He tells the poor broke heart what his whole mind is and what he conceives toward him in his own bowels.  
3 He tells him he must no● compare his thoughts, wit● Gods, being there is no proportion betwixt them; and withal sweetly employs, that he takes 〈◊〉 as an infinite disparagement, 〈◊〉 put his bowels and his thought in the same balance with man● as is if there were no such difference, but they might be we weighed together.  
4 He tells him in and by a● this, the sweetness of his own purposes, the graciousness of h● own bowels, the unspeakable tenderness of his heart, that cannot look on and see a poo● soul miserable, and yet say nothing, or do nothing; but he must, he will come in for the rescue; God here speaks of his thoughts so highly, to kill the thoughts of a poor creature, which were ready to kill him: the wound was made, is kept fore and widened, by man's own thoughts: God comes with his thoughts, to heal him: ●e sets thoughts against thoughts, to set man free: God ●ere hath a great disease in hand, when he brings in his own thoughts and purposes, for a ●ure of it: and yet this will our God do, this secret concerning his own good pleasure will God make known, rather than see a  sinner perish, or pass his days without the secret or solid comfort of the Almighty. Hence the faithful soul is a proclaiming this so freely, after he was brought out of an horrible pit, after his feet were set upon a Rock, when his soul was strengthened, 
Psal. 40.  and his go established: 
Psal. 40.2, 5.  many (says he, and he spakes it, as one wonderfully admiring it) O Lord my God are thy wonderful worke● which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us ward, they cannot be reckoned up i● order to thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they a●● more than can be numbered, a● if the soul should say, what purposes of good hadst thou towards us, when we were in the mire and clay? how many thoughts of Good: and how fruitful and effectual have tho●● thoughts been, which have brought out so many wonder full works, for our peace, f●● our comfort, for our salvation. Oh those thoughts of God 〈◊〉 these the poor soul eyes 〈◊〉 these take up the heart of a believer: how precious are thy thoughts unto me, O God: how great is the sum of them? if I would count them, they are more in number then the sand: David's soul did most highly honour these thoughts of God: 
Psal. 139.17.18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Precious Glorious  Oh they were most honourable and glorious in his eyes: of great value, very sumptuous and stately; he looks upon them with more admiration than ever the disciples did upon the building of the temple: they cry master, what Godly stones be here? David cries, O how precious are thy thought O God unto me? there were three things especially that made David so wonder at these thoughts.  
1 In that they were so precious in themselves:  
2 So many in their number, the grains of sand upon the Seashore, were not so many, and all these so precious too:  
3 In that all these many precious thoughts of God were so to him towards him, and for him: there was not one thought amongst all these numerous, yea numerable thoughts of God that was against him, that was for his hurt, of which David could say, he was the worse f●● all these thoughts, thine in David's eye, are pleasant to David heart, and all bring profit in 〈◊〉 David's spirit. David could 〈◊〉 could not express what the were to him: what they did f● him; and therefore he deliver it thus, How precious are t● thoughts.  
In the farther handling of the truth, for the better order, 〈◊〉 the more fruit, we must explain the terms in the Text.  
2 Bring in the argument rationally to prove the conclu●● on or Doctrine observed.  
3 Gather up the special Use that arise thence for our spirit●● learning, and blessed advantage.  
First, for the terms in 〈◊〉 Text: those that are to be 〈◊〉 folded are these four.  
1 What Gods thoughts are. 1 Peaceable thoughts, thoughts of peace. 2 How these said to be towards his people. 2 Pure thoughts, thoughts of mere mercy, not of evil. 3 How God is said to know these thoughts of his. 3 Bountiful thoughts, thoughts, to give. 4 What these thoughts of God pitch upon in regrard of the people, and these are 4 Satisfying thoughts, thoughts to give an end and expectation to.  
In the laying open of all these we shall see the goodliness, the glory of all these thoughts of our God, how precious they are, as being Gods own thoughts, as being thoughts towards Gods own people alone: as being so known and approved of by God himself, that cannot be deceived, that tries out upon man's thoughts ●ow vain they be: Precious thoughts, as bearing for● such precious fruit of peace, 〈◊〉 bounty, of satisfaction unto h●● poor servants, so that they sha●● say, they have enough by th● time God hath brought for● all his thoughts of mercy, and put them forth into act fo● them.  
For the first term, what do●● God mean, when he says, th● thoughts I think: how is God said to think thoughts? T● this we answer,  
First, we must not imagi●● God thinks thoughts as m●● does: For,  
1. The thoughts of man 〈◊〉 succescive, he being a finite creature, he thinks of one thing after another, so as he hath ne● thoughts come into his hea● that he never had before, and 〈◊〉 thoughts increase daily: God thinks not so, all his thought are at once, they receive no addition by time, or by the appre●● hensions of new objects, or 〈◊〉 any occasion whatever. God's thoughts were ever as full as they be now, were ever the same and will be so still without any ●●teration.  
Secondly, man's thoughts be ●●allow: 
1 Cor. 2.10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. The profundities, heights, depths.  he cannot reach high ●●ings: there be deep things of ●●od that he cannot dive into: 〈◊〉 an cannot think what glory 〈◊〉: what it is to be in heaven: ●hat it is to see God face to ●●ce: there be deep things of the gospel which teaches the only ●ay to glory which are hidden 〈◊〉 him: he cannot tell how to ●●d out this narrow way that ●●ds to life, he thinks any way ●●ll serve as well as this, and ●●at there be more ways than ●●e, to be saved by, more doors ●●en one to glory: he thinks a ●●ty will save him, or some ●●tward privilege will stead ●●m, or some moral acts of ●●uity or mercy will do the ●●ed. There be deep things of ●●n that he cannot behold: another man's thoughts are hidden to him, another man's hear is as a deep Well to him, he cannot reach the bottom, there 〈◊〉 the depths of Satan: 
Rom. 2.24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Rev. 12.9.  these, ma● cannot discern; with these 〈◊〉 can deceive the whole wor●● he can lead men astray, a●● they not ware of it: he c●● turn himself into an Angel 〈◊〉 light, and go for one too in t●● world's eye. Man's thoughts 〈◊〉 soon overmatcht, even as t●● eye is quickly dazzled, beat●● out, and blinded, by any int●● looking upon the clear a●● bright body of the Sun: God thoughts can never be so: 〈◊〉 Spirit searcheth all things, 
1 Cor. 2.10.  y●● the deep things of God: th●● depths, that be depths, beyond all depths, in comparison 〈◊〉 which no other deserves 〈◊〉 name of a depth, these the ●●rit searcheth: therefore obsess the Apostles gradation: he se●● ch all things, yea more th●● all things that are or be d●● here below, more than what Satan, sin, the world, or the heart of man can do, more than all these depths: he searcheth the deep things of God, he hath such a reach with him: as this ●he spirits eye hath every thing above and below in view: that which is dark cannot be hid from him, nor that which is most bright cannot dazzle him  
Thirdly, man's thoughts be ●ain, foolish, frothy, the Lord ●nows they be so: Gods thoughts be most pure, holy, 
Psa. 139.17.  ●ise, heavenly, glorious. David ●ould say of these, how precious ●e they? they are thoughts, like ●●e pure streams of the fountain ●f life, thoughts that arise from ●●e purity and holiness of the nature of God, full of beauty, ●●ey shine with God, as it were: ●●ans thoughts be all vain, and ●●nking, as coming from the rottenness of his own sinful ●eart, the Lord said he saw that ●hat ever went out of the heart of man, 
Gen. 6.5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  all the imaginations purposes, and desires of the thoughts of his heart, they we●● only evil, and every day so● he had never a good day: these evil thoughts were not like th● tertian or quartan ague, that comes now and then, and leave● well days betwixt: but like a● ill and poisoned fountain tha● sends forth her streams continually: man's thoughts are not good now and then, and i'll no● and then, but they be ill, an● only ill: vain, and only vai● foolish, and never wise, the thoughts of man are so vile, and the thoughts of God are as glorious.  
4. Man's thoughts they b● temporal: man thinks not before he is, before he lives, before he acts understanding: 
Psal. 146.4.  and his thoughts perish when he die● the thoughts of God's heart and from eternity to eternity: from Generation to Generation: the Counsel of the Lord standeth for ever: 
Psa. 33.11.  the thoughts of his heart to all Generations: to generation and generation (as the Hebrew hath it) never was there a Generation in the world, but God's thoughts were either for, or against the men of that Generation, and still all his thoughts and his Counsels stood: they took place, what ever was thrown down: they stood, what ever fell.  
Secondly, these thoughts that God hath towards his people, what are they, but the eternal move of God's mind towards and for the good of his people? To clear them yet more what they be, consider these five things touching these thoughts of God:  
1. Consider the bottom of them: this we shall find to be the infinitely loving, gracious, and tender bowels of God: those are they that work upon God, and make him cast in his mind, what to do for his people, whom he so loves: had our God no bowels of love towards his, he would think no thoughts towards them.  
2. The blessed issue of these movings of God's mind: and these are his wise, strong, gracious,  purposes and decrees of God, what he will most certainly do for his people.  
3. The fruits of these movings and purposes of God: these are his heavenly care, his holy plots, his blessed devises, his divine inventions: how, by what way and means to do his people good: 
1 Pet. 5.7.  he careth for you (says Peter) and with such a care that is full and alsufficient, so that his children need not, must not take up some, and leave the rest to him: but they must cast all their care upon him: 
2 Thess. 3.16.  God gives peace to his people by all means, who is himself the Lord and Prince of peace.  
3. 
Deut. 32.20.  He finds his people when they be in a wilderness: he sees them, in all their desolate conditions: their broken walls, 
Isa. 49.16.  their cracked estates, their broken power, is continually before their God.  
4. He leads them, he takes his people by the hand in the wilderness, 
Deut. 32.20.  he will not suffer them to wander out of the way in their straits: these shall be taught by him, whilst they are chastised by him: these are bettered, whilst they are scourged.  
5. He compasses them about, to be a sure defence to them, he keeps them, and that in his own hand, and so, as the apple of his own eye.  
Fourthly, there are the sweet companions of these blessed thoughts of God towards his: As,  
1. The admirable delight God takes in these thoughts of his, and in the exercise of them: the Lord had a delight in thy fathers, 
Deut. 20.15.  to love them (says Moses to Israel) he took pleasure in loving Israel: in bestowing his own mercy, he himself tasted as much sweetness in giving, as they in receiving: if they delighted in enjoying God's love (as well they might) so did God himself in giving out his love; the Nurse that gives out the milk to the child upon the breast, she finds pleasure as well as the child nourishment. Mercy pleases him (says Micah) he wils, desires, mercy, grace; he longs (as it were) to show his bounty; 
Micah. 7.18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ipse est volens de amans desiderans benignitatem, misericordiam, gratiam. Isa. 30.18.  he waits to be gracious (says Isaiah) that Phrase implies and couches in it. 1. God's infinite desire to be gracious: 2. His most perfect wisdom, so as, he will not bestow his love out of season; he will stay, till he may best do it: he will wait for the best opportunity in his eye.  
2. As there is a blessed delight going along with these thoughts of God towards his, so there is a most wise, settled, and firm constancy in these thoughts of God towards his people: he is of one mind (says Job) who can turn him? God is not as the son of man, that he should repent, 
Numb. 23.19. Job. 17.7, 11.  (says Balaam) Job complains, that all his thoughts were as a shadow; and that his purposes were broken off, even the thoughts of his heart: Gods thoughts be so far from being as a shadow, that they have not so much as a shadow of turning in them, who can break off God's purposes? who can unsettle these thoughts of God? who can part or divide betwixt these thoughts of God, and the people of God? who shall separate from the love of God (saith the Apostle) and may it not as well be asked, who shall separate from God's purposes of love? not man, nor devil; not any sin, nor any unworthiness, in the people of God. The very nature of the blessed God must be destroyed, the very fountain of love dried, the most quick and the tender bowels of his grace deadned, before these purposes of God can be made unconstant that there should be yea, and nay with them, that they should be for and against in a short space; the Apostle will not suffer this imputation to be ca●● upon him, 
2 Cor. 1.17.  that the things h● did purpose, he purposed according to the flesh, that with him there should be yea, yea, and nay, nay: that he should be (p●● and con) as we use to say: and will our God endure, that thi● should lie upon him, that the● is yea and nay in his purposes no, no: Gods purposes hold o● and stand, and never vary, bu● still show the unchangeableness of that nature, from whence they flow.  
3. There are glorious aim of God, mixed as it were with these thoughts of God towards his. As, 1. To make himself a glorious name by them: when he lead his people out of Egypt, compassed them about in the wilderness, brought them into Canaan, the Spirit testifies, 'twas to make himself a glorious name, a name of ornament, a name that might become God himself, 
Isai. 63.14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nomen ornatus, gloriae, decoris.  a name of glory (faies the text) a name that might proclaim God to be the highest, the greatest, the wisest, the fullest of mercy.  
2. To give his people rest: the Spirit of the Lord caused Israel to rest (says the same Prophet in the same place) 'twas a blessed rest indeed which the Spirit of God caused: Israel was in many troubles, he went thorough many brakes, but at last the Spirit of God set him down, placed him, and planted him in that land of rest All indeed was not over in a moment, Israel must be in a wasting and howling wilderness for a time: and all this while the Spirit lead him, and his purposes were that Israel should rest; let his people but follow him, he will cause Israel to rest at last: he will prepare a Land for him room for him, a seat for him an happy possession of the Land of Canaan, and there he shall feed and rest. God's thought rest not in pitching upon half mercies: 'tis Israel's rest his thoughts reach unto: and what God determined, he effected by a mighty hand, and when he saw his time, he gave Israel to sit down, and enjoy that good Land of rest, purposed and promised long before.  
Fifthly, the declaration and manifestation of these thoughts of God in their visible fruits: When Gods thoughts come abroad, as it were, when they shine forth in the eye of the world, when God's decree, bring forth, when that which lay in the womb of his purposes is born, there is a time, and a set time too, when the Lords decree brings forth (as the Prophet Zephaniah tells us; 
Zeph. 2.2.  & thereupon calls upon the people of God to gather themselves together, to seek meekness and righteousness, ere the decree brings forth, ere the day of the Lords anger come upon them: These two the Prophet makes to be one, the coming of the day of God's anger, and the bringing forth of the Decree: For, as soon as the decree of justice comes forth, the day of anger is broke, it appears: so his purposes and thoughts of anger towards the wicked, makes anger at length to go forth; these send forth his wrath in strokes, terrible wound, deadly consume: These thoughts of wrath, break forth in the face of God by frowns, in the hand of God by blows. Moreover, this execution of his thoughts of justices holds proportion with his Decree, is all out as full as his thoughts were: every blow he determins to strike, hewil strike, he will not spare them a jot: The anger of the Lord (says Jer.) shall not return till he hath executed, 
Jer. 23.20.  and till he hath performed the thoughts of his heart. In these Divine purposes, God doth, as it were, secretly bind himself, promise to himself, to his own justice, so much satisfaction upon those that provoke it, according as it requires: now God performing this to the full, and the anger of the Lord will not return till it hath executed thus far: he will never call back his anger from the pursuit of such, until it hath pursued them long enough, far enough. So his purposes of good towards his people, they bring forth as plentifully: look what our God promises to his own grace, to his own bowels, that he will perform to the full: look what good he purposes concerning his people, that, to a grain, they shall have from his gracious hand: he works freely in a way of mercy, till he hath performed the thoughts of his heart, that is, all his thoughts towards them, till there be a thought of God towards them, but bears his fruit, and brings it forth to them, and for them, till it be seen that there is not a thought of God barren towards them: never shall the purposes and thoughts of God return, till all this be done. The thoughts of God are like Solomon's Flock of Sheep, 
Sol. Song 4.2.  every one bears twins, and none is barren among them: Our God who hates barren thoughts in his people, will not, cannot have them in his own heart: his purposes will all out in their time, and his hand will perform what he hath pitched upon in his own thoughts: if his thoughts be for deliverance of his people, delivered they shall be, what ever opposes, these purposes of God will carry it away, these will bear all down before them, and make a plain way even amongst mountains, for their due and glorious performance.  
The second term to be unfolded, is to have the next place, and it is this, [The thoughts I think towards you] wherein this question must be resolved, How and why the thoughts of God are said to be towards his people. For satisfaction in this thing, know first, the Spirit of God means that they were thoughts of love, of mercy, of peace, of good, as he expresses afterwards: In Scripture sense, this word [towards] when it is referred to Gods will, mind, thoughts, 
Jer. 15.1.  it always notes mercy: as in that place, If Moses and Samuel (says God) stood before me, yet my mind could not be towards this people: that is, I could not love them, I could not accept of them, I could not forbear them, I could not hold an hand of Justice from them: And the word (against) joined with God's face, or will, notes divine justice: as in that place, 
Psa. 34.16.  The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth: the meaning is, these evil doers shall have and see and feel the terrible face of God's justice: God will appear to them as one against them, as an enemy, and as an enemy most justly enraged by their sin, whose very nature puts him upon their destruction: Our God is a consuming fire: 
Heb. 12.29.  'Tis more then to say, Our God consumes and devours up the wicked: For it notes this, that ●he very nature of God is a consumer of his enemies, he is ●he fire himself. When the mercy of God is expressed in the highest strain, it is said, God i● Love: he is Mercy itself as we●● as hath mercy: 'Tis infinitely more than to say, he doth love So here, to say God is a consuming fire, is infinitely mor● then to say, God doth consume so much is the face of the Lor● against his enemies, that hi● very nature is against them and their consumption shall be such as the very just nature 〈◊〉 God shall lay upon them.  
Secondly, the Spirit mea● such thoughts as were toward none but his: these alo●● had the smiling face of the thoughts, they were not towards wicked men at all: th● adequate and full object of the● thoughts were the people 〈◊〉 God: 'Tis as much as if Go● should say, towards you 〈◊〉 people, my redeemed ones.  
Thirdly, such thoughts 〈◊〉 naturally and most freely d●● stream towards his: God w●● not compelled by any cause out of himself: who did ever move God, or counsel him, or bid him think such thoughts towards his: he sets his own thoughts to work by his own nature. This is for the (How) ●ow for the (Why) the thoughts of God are said to be towards his.  
First, because every thought of God's heart is full of good will towards his: it is for their advantage, for their profit: it ●arries in it a full blessing: it is ●●ke the Cluster of Grapes in Esay, 
Isa. 65.8.  ●here is new wine in it: new wine found in it, new wine ●ound to be good too: a blessing was in it: So we may say ●f every thought of God towards his people, there is wine, ●ew wine, and such new wine 〈◊〉 hath a blessing in it: oh, it ●●es down sweetly! it feeds, 
Sol. Song 7.9.  ●●crishes, makes glad the soul 〈◊〉 a poor creature: These ●oughts being towards them, they are then for their prosperity, their peace, their sanctification, their salvation: the● are towards them for their exaltation, deliverance, and consolation: Who can name th●● blessing that these bring not i●● when they come & visit a po●● soul? who ever was in that ev●condition, straight temptation● that was not delivered in enjoying the blessed fruits of the● thoughts? These they co●● clothed with salvation: 
Luke 2.14.  the● tune out the Angel's song in t●● ears of God's people, Glory 〈◊〉 God in the highest, on earth pea●● good will towards men: the bless●●● expressions of these though●● what do they prove less to h●● then mercies, embracement on every side? The Lord thi●● a man good, thinks a man a 〈◊〉 leever, thinks him a penitent thinks him yielding and obedient: for when he manifest his thoughts of good to hi●● the man is a new creature, he● thus, he is all this, and more than this. A man in a sinful condition he hath an ill eye towards himself, ill thoughts against his own soul in all he does: he is a self-destroyer, 
Psal. 85.8.  these are the fruits of his own thoughts: but God's thoughts they are all for good, for life, for peace to a poor soul: He that speaks peace to his people, purposes peace first, thinks thoughts of peace towards his before: Gods good pleasure of his will which he purposes in himself, 
Eph. 1.9.  goes before the saving revelation of the mystery of his will to his.  
Secondly, his thoughts may well be said to be towards them, because they tend so much to advance and honour them: My heart (says Deborah) 〈◊〉 towards the Governors of Israel, 
Judg. 5.9.  that offered themselves willingly among the people: as if she had said, Oh! how I love and honour such? Oh my heart is much taken with them! Oh● what commendations do the● deserve? Oh these be nob●● Governors indeed! So wh●● God says, My thoughts are towards my people, it is as muc● as if he should say, These a●● they that I intent to honour yea, delight to honour: if a● my purposes of good will do i● they shall have it: if all 〈◊〉 merciful thoughts will 〈◊〉 them up, they shall be advanced: Now they are base, mea● in captivity under the hands 〈◊〉 their cruel enemies, but I wi●● set them aloft again: 〈◊〉 thoughts run for their recovery, for the regaining of their name, for to make them 〈◊〉 name, and a praise: they shal● be the head, and not the tail: 〈◊〉 have set my heart upon them 〈◊〉 deliver, redeem them, crow● them.  
Thirdly, because in these thoughts of God, there was 〈◊〉 mixture of the evil of punishment, they were only, they were purely for good: thoughts not of evil, not of afflictions, (says the Text) these thoughts were wholly made up of mer●y: they be all towards you, (says God) none against you.  
Fourthly, because these lo●ing thoughts of God, were ●eer the birth: when few years (viz. 70.) were over, they would break forth and shine, and scatter away the darkness of their condition: these thoughts were coming directly towards ●hem, and that apace too.  
Fifthly, because all these thoughts of God towards his, were united (as it were) for ●his one thing, even to deliver ●hem: Gods thoughts were not divided, they did not set themselves one against another: some thoughts were not for them, and some against them; ●ut all went this one way, and not with a major vote, but with a general one, cried up the prosperity of God's people: they all agreed in one (nemine contradicente) as we use to say, not a thought gainsaying.  
Sixthly, because all these thoughts of God towards hi● people, continue so: they remain fresh and strong and lively in the breast of God: these are not like Ephraim's goodness which was like the morning dew: these pass not away, b●● they abide in God's heart, ti●● they bring forth their good● My thoughts towards yo●● that is, so, as that they will never turn their faces from you: shall think still towards you, til● I work fully according to my own thought, according to th● purpose of my own will: they be so towards you, that the● will come to you in the fullness of their blessings: my heart i● so on you, that I shall not re●● till I am at work for you.  
Seventhly, because in these thoughts God aimed at this, what mercy to give them: he (that by his own perfect wisdom, knew most exactly, the fittest mercy to bestowed) now says, my thoughts are towards you: as if he should say, I am thinking, yea I have already in my thought what mercy, what kind of mercies, how many mercies, and at what season, I shall bestow them: I will fit you with right mercies, help you with saving mercies: come to you with seasonable mercies: fill you with satisfactory mercies.  
8. Because that in all these thought, God next unto him-●imselfe aimed at them, at their ●ood: God thought what mer●y to give, but that was not all, ●or the main of all: my thoughts (says God) be towards, you: ●he thing I aim at is, that you ●ay be blessed, that you may be ●riched, that you may be com●rted: you are in my thoughts, in my eye, above, more, than all the gifts I give: 'tis for your sakes I think thus: my thoughts are towards you: He that thinks what to give to one he loves, his thoughts be not so much towards the gift, as towards the person to whom he intends to give, and for whose sake he hath such thought-contrivings: so God he thinks indeed what to do for his own people, but hi● thoughts be alone towards these for whom he so thinks, upon thi● on the thoughts of God centre, and they rest not, thy are not towards any blessing, so as to wa●● those whom he loves to bless.  
Thirdly, for the unfolding 〈◊〉 the next term: I know th● thoughts I think towards you the Spirit of God in this Phra● speaks much, & most excellently for the consolation of his servants, to make them assured, th●● this was his determination, th●● these were his thoughts indeed towards them: for I know th● thoughts I think towards, you: That is,  
1. No man can tell my thoughts, but myself: Who can search into my decerees, my purposes? Cheer up yourselves my people, your own hearts may rise, and tell you, this is ●ot, this cannot be God's mind, God's thoughts towards you: do ●ot you see the sad pressures you ●re under? the cloud over you is ●arke, and when is the storm ●ke to blow over? Well, well, (says God) comfort yourselves ●oore hearts: flesh and blood ●nowes not my thoughts: Corruption is none of my Counsellors, is not acquainted with my ●inde: a fleshly mind is without light, it understands not my counsel: it is enough for you; ●hat I know my own thoughts ●●wards you: tell your corruptions, ye take too much upon ●ou: cheer up yourselves my people: your enemies may in●●t over you, as a lost, an undone people, and run to gaze upon your misery with joy, yea, to sharpen their eyes upon you, as such as bless themselves in your sorrows: they may think we● shall now have our will upon them, now we shall have o●● lusts satisfied, 
Micah. 4.12.  and our mali● pleased: no (says God) th●● shall not: fear not my people 〈◊〉 they know not the thoughts 〈◊〉 the Lord, they understand n●● his Counsel: these speak without book: they utter the dream and deceits of their own hearts I sent them not: they are no●● of my privy Counsel: I inte●● not as as they: I think not 〈◊〉 they: my thoughts are of another nature, run or other end● to other purposes: and I wi●● make way, and work for 〈◊〉 own ends; to shape things persons and actions to my ow● mind.  
Secondly, I know 〈◊〉 thoughts: that is, I understand myself, my secrets, and all 〈◊〉 ways perfectly: I can read in this secret book of my Counsels, which is sealed up, and to deep for finite creatures to reach unto: I can, not only inquire after the Consultations, and the determinations of my own bowels; but I can, and do most fully know what I have there set down to a tittle: the same Lord that searched David's heart, 
Psal. 139.1, 2, 3.  and knew it, and that so, that he understood all his thoughts afar off, and was acquainted perfectly with all his ways; he is ignorant of none of his own ways: the Lord writes not in this book of remembrance such strange Characters, 
Mal. 31.16.  that he cannot understand himself, that he cannot read them, when he comes to look them over: God is light, and he that is light itself, what can be dark to him.  
Thirdly, I know my thoughts, that is, I look over them: all I peruse every leaf of this book, every word, tittle, syllable of this writing: I lay not this book of mine by me: I let it not lie, and gather dust: I am still a reading still cying, what I have purposed, what I have promised to do for my people.  
Fourthly, I know my thoughts: that is, I acknowledge my thoughts are towards you: I prove and try them, an● still I so confess, yea am glad, that this is my mind: it is unchangeable, it is one and th● same towards you: yo●● thoughts are so foolish, so variable, you are of so many minds that you do not know you own minds: but I know my thoughts, they are united, they run one way: you may be disstracted in your thoughts, I cannot in mine: you may be deceived in yours, I cannot be 〈◊〉 in mine.  
4. The fourth, thing is what the thoughts of God pitch upon, as they be towards, and loo● towards his people: this the spirit of God sets down in four heads.  
1 They are thoughts of peace:  
2 They are purely and only so: not of evil: that is, not of such an evil that is opposed to peace, not of the evil of trouble, war, misery; and therefore are all peace.  
3 They are bountiful thoughts: thoughts to give: and therefore are both loving and enriching.  
4 They are bountiful to satisfaction: satisfying thoughts: thoughts to give an end, and a most welcome one too: an end, and expectation too, (says the Text) that is such an end, that shall answer all their long, and expectations of good: their desire shall come, as well as an end shall come; and when that comes 'tis as a tree of life, for sweetness to the taste; 
Pro. 13.1.  for beauty to the eye: for joy to the heart: for life to the spirit: O how sweet  God doth breath out mercy! Here his very thoughts be (as it were) turned into peace, here be no thoughts of evil, trouble, pain, misery: not of evil (says God) what then? These thoughts of mine (says God) are all for mercy: they have no mixture of evil in them.  
I am all upon giving good: upon answering prayers; fulfilling desires; sending deliverances to my people: here is nothing sounded out, but the language of mercy: never did the bowels of God appear more fruitful, more render, or make a greater show than now: Our God is now in a few words, teaching his people the fullness, the tenderness of his own bowels: he calls to the pit to them; and tells such poor souls now deep in distress, what he thinks towards them, that they might both mortify their own thoughts, and know how to look upon Gods.  
You think (says God) but you do but think so; thoughts of trouble, of pain, of punishment: Oh (say you) we shall never see good day more: 
Object.  nothing but sorrow may we look for: we are in so that we shall never get out: we think it impossible to be delivered.  
Yea, 
Answ.  but you deceive yourselves (says God) I have thoughts of peace towards you.  
Yea, 
Object.  but thou hast had thoughts of evil heretofore, and we still lie under the smart of the fruits of those thoughts.  
Yea, 
Answ.  but I have laid down these thoughts, (says God) they are come to an end, and I have taken up thoughts of peace towards you.  
Yea; but we lack so much, 
Object.  our wants be unspeakable, our pressures exceeding burdensome, and unless this and that evil be removed, and our wants supplied, we shall still be in pain. 
Answ.   
I will give you (says God) do you want this, & want that to make you prosperous, and your condition comfortable? le● not that cast you down, yo● shall have from me, from my fullness: and would you have this and that evil removed? 〈◊〉 shall be done, they shall not trouble you long.  
Yea; 
Object.  but we have large expectations, wide desires.  
What if you have; 
Answ.  yet I can I will satisfy you (says the Lord) you shall have your expection to the full: I will fill you, though your mouths be opened wide.  
Yea, 
Object.  but we have expected 〈◊〉 great while already, and no good comes: we have looked for light and behold darkness; for peace, and behold trouble.  
Why yet tarry (says God): 
Answ.  will come in its appointed time you shall have your end and expectation too: my thoughts o● peace will speak at last; nay they will speak by working, by bringing forth peace unto you: Let a poor soul raise up carnal Objections as fast as it can for its own disconlation: why here is answer enough to stop their mouths; water enough to quench their fire; virtue enough to take away their stings: and reason enough to silence all of them: the very language of these expressions of the love of God, it carries this voice in it: be silent, 
Zac. 2.13  O all flesh, before the Lord: What can flesh and blood speak but here it is answered, and its mouth stopped: let us take asunder the particular expressions, wherein God sets forth the beauty & the sweetness of these thoughts of his, and we shall the more clearly see which way these thoughts tend; and what God himself intends to do for his own people.  
First (says God) they be thoughts of peace: he that said before, he knew his own thoughts; now he shows that he would have his people to know them: and for the unfolding of his own thoughts, for the revealing and laying open of his own bosom, he calls them thoughts of peace.  
Here two things must be enquired into. First, what is meant by peace. Secondly, what by thoughts of peace: 
Phil. 4.7.  for the first, peace is a sweet word, and a sweater thing, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  it comes from God; 'tis the peace of God: it is more sweet, excellent, and glorious, then man's mind can reach to, it is above the mind, above the capacity of any man: It hath more in it then the largest understanding can behold: the word used by the Apostle, notes a having more, when a man hath gone farthest, when he hath apprehended most, still he comes short in knowing what this peace is: it denotes all the blessings God gives to his people: He will bless his people with peace (says the Prophet David) that is, 
Psa. 29.11  with all that is good: When the Lord Christ is setting out his Name, his Love, his mercy to his Saints, in a pure Gospel's way, (like as God proclaims his Name to Moses under the Law) he calls himself the Prince of Peace; 
Isa. 9.6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  and styles his Government, the government of Peace: and (observe it) this title of Prince of Peace, is the last title and the sweetest, the very sum and quintessence of all the rest: in this Title Christ discovers the very life of his gracious Name: and whither his Name Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, do all tend: and what he aims at in all these Titles he puts upon himself, they even run all at last into this one, the Prince of Peace; they all set him up upon the throne, as the Prince of Peace, and proclaim his government to be full of Peace, as flowing from the wisdom and heart of him that is the wonderful Counsellor, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace: for as the Prince is, so is his government: as his heart is, so is his reign: this peace is that which as it is freely given, so it is rarely; every one hath it not, nor shall have: the voice of God to the wicked is like jehues' voice to the messenger of that wicked King, What hast thou to do with peace? Let the wicked inquire and ask after peace; there is no peace for thee (says God) never dream of it, 
Isa. 5.7.21 Psal 11.6.  do not deceive thyself; thy portion is fire and brimstone, storm and tempest, this is thy cup: I will rain down snares: I will rain down troubles: I will rain down destruction upon thee. This peace is a large thing, it reaches fare. The Hebrew word is wide, yet it is narrower than peace itself. It notes, first quiet. 2. safety. 3. Liberty. 4. Plenty, Prosperity. 5. Strength, Soundness, entireness, wholeness. 6. Freshness and flourishing: put all these together, they will make a brave peace, a full one indeed: and we shall see what the Lord means by thoughts of peace, that is, he intended to make them a quiet people, holily secure: a safe people, fully protected from fears and enemies: a free people, full of liberty: a prosperous people, full of plenty: an able people, full of strength: a beautiful people, full of freshness, sweetly flourishing. 
1. Inward peace.  This peace it looks two ways; either to the inside, or to the outside of a man: the first we call peace of Conscience; this is the peace indeed: a peace full of glory: to make up this peace, the soul must first live in CHRIST: souls dead in sins cannot have a dram of this peace, which alone is the gift of Jesus Christ, the Prince of peace. 2. The soul must be set in order by the spirit of God, ere this peace can come: there must be a frame of holiness, ere there can be the joy of peace. 3. The soul must have living and right-grounded apprehensions of the total removal of all the guilt of his sin, and the full purchase of the favour of God by the blood of Jesus Christ: the guilt of sin must be taken off from burdening the Conscience ere this can be: for the guilt of sin will let fly in the face of the soul, and cause such troubles, such terrors, that there can be no rest till these devils be laid, till they be cried down in the soul by the loud voice of the blood of Jesus Christ. Hence the vote and the voice of all the souls that knew peace, is this, Christ is our peace. Lastly, where this peace is, there is power, and a ruling power too: 
Eph 2.14 Col. 3.1.  Let the peace of God (says the Apostle) trule in your hearts: The word notes a chiefdome, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  aruling by absolute Conquest: let it carry away the victory, bear away the Bell: let it overcome all your unbelief, your disquietments, your troubles, all that party Satan and sin make in you, or raise against you: let this peace in you be chief, and fit at the stern, all will be well then: things will go in the soul of a Believer in such a way as may make for the soul's peace, as may feed that, increase that. Hence it is, that when the peace rules, such a soul cannot sinne as he did, he will not, the the seed of God (and this seed of his peace amongst the rest) remains in him; 
1 joh. 3.9  and that in such power, 
This peace ruled in Moses his heart, and put him upon that blessed choice. Heb. 11.25.  that he will not exchange the sweetness of this peace for all the gain, pleasures, profits of sin: nay more, this blessed peace always sits Sentinel in a holy watchfulness, lest the soul should both trouble & grieve both his Father and himself; dishonour his God, and interrupt his own peace. Now the Lords thoughts towards his own, are chiefly and mainly for this peace, this inward, l●ving, ruling, comforting peace. You shall have that peace (say● God) that is mine, that peace that suits with my thoughts that goes beyond yo●● thoughts, the reach of yo●● minds, of your understanding This peace which is my peace, think to give to you: nay, o● Saviour says more, 
joh. 14.27  I do gi●● to you.  
Secondly, 
2. Outward peace. jer. 30.21 Is. 33.20. jer. 30.10 Zech. 1.17  for the outward peace: this is a freedom fro● oppression: they shall be 〈◊〉 themselves, and no slaves to others, says God, a freedoms from troubles and disquiet ments: they shall be in a quiet condition, and in peaceable habitations; a freedom from w●● and danger, they shall be in safety, they shall lie down safely, 〈◊〉 none shall make them afraid: 〈◊〉 freedom from want and penury, they shall be in prosperity and enjoy abundance. Th●● (says God) shall be the outward portion of my people: it ●s in my thoughts thus to deal with them, thus to change their condition, and bring them forth ●nto light; yea to be a light myself unto them. I do not intent (says God) that my people shall always be in captivity, always be under oppressing hands; but I will break those ●oaks and bring them out, I will save, I will deliver them, they shall flourish by me, and I will be glorified by them: look how fare peace can reach, extend it to the utmost, my people shall enjoy all that, and more than can be uttered: such a peace God speaks of here.  
Secondly, by thoughts of peace, he means the firm and settled determination of God, touching the giving of this peace in its season, to his people, 'tis as much, as if God should say, my decree is this, this is my purpose, to bestow these blessings upon my people after so many years.  
For the second thing concerning these thoughts, as they are set down in a negative way; thoughts not of evil: he means not of the evil of misery: my thoughts (says God) are not to show my justice towards this people, to put them to pain, to make a voice of trembling, of fear, 
jer. 30.5.  and not of peace amongst them; to increase their troubles, or to continue them, beyond my appointed time: in this Phrase God doth first answer what his people might object, and lay in against their own Comforts; as thus, why Lord, might they say, hast thou not brought evil upon us all this while? we have been under sufferings, under enemies, under captivity thus long: thy thoughts, have been thoughts of evil towards us, and little else these many years. 'tis true (says God) but now I have thoughts not of evil; cheer up yourselves under all your smart; I think for your good, and not not for your evil: for your good, to save you, and not for your evil to plague you.  
Secondly, God doth most sweetly set forth what his merciful go amongst his people shall be when his time shall come: it imports mercy without mixture of sorrows: it does (in a sense) exclude afflictions: they shall have mercy (says God) and nothing but Mercy: peace, and nothing but peace: comfort and nothing but comfort: there be three special things the spirit points at in this phrase, all tending to give a glorious lustre to this love of God unto his people.  
1 The pureness of his mercy, how clear the stream of love should run from the fountain of mercy, there should be no mud, but it should be a pure Rive of water of life, 
Reve. 22.  clear as Crystal (like that which was showed to john in his Revelation) it should be mercy of that nature, of that beauty, of that purity, as should show its originaall, ' it's proceeding out of the Throne of God, and of the Lamb.  
2 It sets forth the clearness of his mercy: 
Isa. 33.20.  'tis mercy that shall be seen: mercy that a man may see the very face of God in: Look, says God, Thine eyes shall see jerusalem a quiet Habitation, a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down, etc. Oh this was mercy indeed! Oh this was 〈◊〉 goodly sight! Oh this was visible mercy! 
21. v.  Mercy, set upon a hill by the Lords own hand, that could not be hid: now, God does speak plainly, sweetly (by the workings of his love, by the exercise of his kindness) that his people, are a people beloved of him, 
Mich. 7.10 9  that he is their Judge to plead for them; their Lawgiver, to guide them; their King to save them: Then they that be the enemies of God, and of his people shall see the mercies they ●ave; these shall, and do carry ●●ch a light in with them, and in ●hem, that the faithful ones do ●●ll them by no other name but ●ight, and Righteousness, so ●●eere, so visible, that they are confident, yea they conclude upon it, that they shall behold it, ●nd the Enemy shall behold it ●oo.  
3 It presents to our view, 
joh. 16. ●●  the fullness of mercy: ye shall have ●our bellies full of peace: you ●hall have comforts suiting to ●our desires; you shall have ●he exercise of my love alone, ●ny hand of grace alone stretched ●ut for you, to bring you in all good: my aim is, that your joy ●ay be full: that your peace ●ay be perfect: that all storms ●ay be over and you may be ●aved.  
For the three things, they are thoughts to give: they are full of bounty: God opens his hand ●nd gives, and what follows? he fils and satisfies the desire o● every living thing: 
Psal. 145.16.  the Spirit o● God couples with an (and) God giving, and the creature filling; yea Every creatures satisfaction: he opens his hand, that is his giving; and fills, their is the plenty, there is the store● he fills the desire too, there is th● infiniteness of his good: ye● of every living thing; there i● the reach of his giving, and th● blessed fruit of it too: He by his gifts can satisfy that, which of all, is most hard to be filled the soul of man: He makes this (though an insatiable thing) say it is enough, I have enough, I am filled, I have all, I abounds Thus he gives, and so satisfies: now God hath this in his heart first, He hath giving thoughts ere he hath a giving hand: h●● heart is full of his bounty, ere th● expressions of his hands show his bounty; and ever in this world the thoughts of God towards his people, are richer, are fuller than his hands: Gods thoughts, be thoughts to give: ●he Devil and sin, they think too, but it is to take away, it is ●o deceive, it is to kill steal & to destroy (like the thief in the Gospel) it is how to blind, 
john 10.10.  how to ●arden, how to make a soul ●oose itself, lose its glory. Man needs and (though ready ●o perish by them) scarce thinks upon his greatest needs: God ●ees, and sees all his wants, and thinks to give, and to give a ●ull supply to all his wants: man most what in his needs hath scarce thoughts to ask (hitherto ye have asked nothing, 
john. 16.24.  you ●now to whom it was spoken) ●et God hath thoughts to give: God intends not that all (nay ●hat any of his love) should be, should live and die in bare ●ords: He hath thoughts to give ●ood, as well as to speak good: God, that would have man give, ●nd give himself to him: 
Psalm 84.11.  he hath thought in himself towards his to give himself, & then he thinks to withhold no good: here behold, the reality, & fullness of love (both at once) Gods thoughts are not to dissenmble with man, to make him believe, to keep him in hand, and there is all: to make many professions of love, and yet let all vanish away, and fall to the ground, without real expressions of any kindness, but this blessed sap of mercy is God, will bud blossom and bear forth fruit too: This living spring will always run, and and will not fail: God delights not only in the thoughts of his mercy, 
jer. 9.24.  but in the exercise of his mercy, too.  
Secondly, see here the fruitfulness of his love: This is to be noted, the womb of God● thought never have false Conceptions: 
Sol. Song. 4.2.  they never prove barren: they all bear twins (〈◊〉 'tis said of the sheep of Christ and none is barren among them: 
Isa. 62.3.  Gods thoughts run out i● to gifts, and most rich ones too. all that enjoy these, are made by these, as a royal Diadem and a Crown of glory in the hand of their God.  
Thirdly, the freeness of these thoughts of God is here noted: God thinks to give, where he sees no good, before he gives, to those he thinks to give, in whom he sees no deservings, and from whom he might have withheld his mercy without wrong to them, had his will and pleasure been so: God, where he blesses, he blesses by giving: whom he rewards, he rewards by giving: the soul that is made gracious, that believes, that is patiented, 
Phil. 1.29  it is given to him, he hath it this way, and no way else: a soul that is rewarded 'tis by way of gift: 
Revel. 22.12.  Behold my reward is with me (saith Christ) to give to every man according as his work, shall be: when mercy rewards and saves, it is a gift: and when Justice rewards and damns, 'tis a gift of justice, or of debt that is due to evil workers, and that God does freely, of his own mind.  
For the fourth thing: they are thoughts to give an end, and expectation: satisfying thoughts: you shall have (says God) what mercy you do, will, or can expect: God means this:  
1 That they should have an end put to all their miseries: the dark cloud should be blown over: their sufferings should have a blessed end, God himself would put a full period to them.  
2 Such an end, an end so gracious, that it should answer their living and large expectations: 
jam. 5.11.  that it should satisfy all their long: such an end as blessed, JOB had in his afflictions: the end of the Lord was gracious to him: the Lord did show even in him, and by him, that he was very pitiful, and of tender mercy: so as the Lord might well instance in JOB, for to prove what tender bowels he had: he might well say to his children, go to JOB and see whether I am not gracious and of tender mercy: JOBS example may learn us both the graciousness, that God shows, & the patience that Saints should show. JOB had an end, and expectation too, so gracious was God to him, and so good will God be to his people now: I can show the like again (says God) I can do as much for you, and so I purpose, my thought are for to walk in the same way of mercy towards you: you shall have as much as an end and expectation will come too (that is as good an end as you can wish, desire, or long for) now to make the mercy thus complete, there must be in it these in gredients.  
First, there must be a powerful bringing them bacl from their Captivity, and an happy deliverance of them from all afflictions: 
jer. 30.10  God must save his Israel from afar, and his seed from the land of their captivity: jacob must return, be in rest, and be quiet, and none make him afraid.  
2 A full performance of all the promises of the Lord to them: God must give them according to his promises, or else he could not give occording to their expectations.  
3 A blessed giving in of spiritual graces, with spiritual enlargements for grace received, for the abounding of thanks giving to wards God.  
4 The shining of God's face upon them again, which brings with it sweet and spiritual peace: This the faithful expected.  
5 All this must be done seasonably, in the best, in the fittest time: when they were ready when the full work of God was done upon their hearts, when their expectations and want were at highest; 
Zech. 9.1.  when they look most; when their eyes were most intentively pitched upon God: When comes the burden upon- Hadrach, and the rests, upon Damascus, that is upon the cruel enemies of Israel, and the inflicters of all their miseries? but then, when the eyes of all Israel are as one man towards the Lord: and then comes all other mercies too that they needed, even a full supply from the Lord their God.  
For the second thing, the Arguments to prove the truth now in hand: we may reason thus.  
1 Because God is Love, and this is much more than to say (God loves, 
1 john 4.8, 16.  it notes thus much that it is the very Essence and nature of God: Man may properly be said to love, but cannot be said to be love: God is so, 'tis affirmed from his own mouth: when this was said, 'twas a piece of Gods own mind, and 'tis recorded twice in one chapter, 'twas a sweet argument it seems, the Apostle was now upon: he is encouraging Saints to love, and love so, as to dwell in it, and therefore he mentions this, that God is love, 
joh. 3.16. Rom. 5.8.  if they would look so high (as 'tis most fit they should) they might easily see a most glorious pattere of love, that they could never reach and that was love itself: we read of Gods so loving the world, etc. And of Gods commending his love to us: but we read not (as I remember) of this phrase, that God is love, but in this place: Now the servants of Christ (having not only heard him, and seen him, and tasted him, but enjoyed abundance of glorious fellowship with him, wherein by most certain and sweet experience, they had been so oft, so much satisfied with this River of his good pleasure) they come up to the highest expression that can be to set out the love of God, when they say, God is love: surely those glorious Saints in heaven, that are at the Wel-head of happiness (as it were) and enjoy the fullness of love in the highest degree, could not have spoken more gloriously of this love, then to say, God is love: now if he be so; God will, First, be pitying his: Secondly, he will be contriving for his, and Thirdly, he will be overlooking all the unworthiness of his.  
1 He will be full of pity: as a father pities, so the Lord will (says David) God's bowels could not but be troubled for his repenting Ephraim, 
jer. 31.20.  and so troubled too, that God takes up this resolution, that he will surely have mercy upon him: God could quickly find bowels, when Ephraim found his sins, and his mercy says now, Ephraim is a dear son, Ephraim is a pleasant child all is forgot already, that Ephraim hath done his former Idolatry, his former profaneness, his former stubbornness, it is all covered all drowned already in the sea of his mercy: here behold bowels of compassion indeed: here is pity that is infinitely tender: shining in the very carriage and language of God towards poor creatures full of sins, and full of troubles, both at once: this is the very way of God's bowels, let his children be in danger, in troubles, under sorrows and sufferings, the heart of God cannot rest, it will bubble, it will be hot, it will boil up 'twill run over to his afflicted children.  
2 This love that is God itself, Gods own nature, 'twill be a contriving: thoughts of love will flow from it: God is all act (purus actus) and so is this love, it is busy, hard at work, plotting for, and pitching upon, some great good for those whom he delights to choose, to love, to honour: I will surely have mercy (says God) I will surely do such a poor soul good: his sold shall bless me: his conscience shall enjoy me: his spirit shall rejoice in me: his heart shallbe filled with my peac, with my comforts, with my blessings.  
3 This love of God can tell how to overlook all the unworthiness of his people: God stands not upon the poor creatures worthiness: I will have mercy, upon whom I will have mercy, this is the voice of God's bowels: to love freely, this is his way: 
Rom. 9.15 It was spoken to MOSES, yet it was all Gospel.  he will therefore think thoughts of good, because he is good, not because the creature is good: if God bear good will to a poor soul, he will show it, though it be to a raging, to a persecuting Saul; whiles he is a kill, God is a saving, whilst he is making havoc of the church, God is bringing him in: Who more profane than the Prodigal? who wasted mercies more basely than he? And yet the Love of the Father can call in such a whretch, can embrace him in his return, can pour out itself most sweetly into his bosom, Give him the title of this my Son, 
Luk. 15.24.  and he hath all the welcome home, that mercy itself can make for him. Who more Idolatrous than Ephraim? he was joined to Idols (so God testifies) his case was desperate: let him alone says God: Yet the Love of God darts upon Epraims' heart, and then he bemeanes himself, than he prays, Turn me, thou art the Lord my God: 
Hos. 14.17.  then he reputes and smites upon his thigh for very shame and indignation: and what does God now when he sees and hears thus, 
jer. 31.18.  of the work of grace upon Ephraim's heart? Why, the next news we here is this, Ephraim is called a dear son, and a pleasant child: who more unworthy: and yet who wore gladly received, who more surely blest, than Ephraim was?  
2. Because the Lord by these thoughts of his does so set up his own name: 'tis no less than infinite glory that shines forth, and redounds to God by these purposes of his.  
David, 
Psal. 33.1, 2, 3.  when he carges the righteous to rejoice in the Lord, and to praise him, mark upon what grounds and why he would have this duty done: he gives three special reasons.  
1. The word of the Lord is right, 
4. v.  therefore rejoice in him and bless him.  
2. The works of the Lord they are such, so great, and all done in truth: therefore bless him. 
11. v.   
3 The counsel of the Lord stands for ever: the thoughts of his heart to all generations: 
10. v.  He that brings the counsel of the Heathen to nought, that makes the devices of the people (he means that are against him, his cause and people, for such were the counsels of the Heathen) of none effect: Yet he makes his own Counsel to stand, and his own thoughts to endure and take place, none shall frustrate them: therefore the righteous must to work, to bless the Lord: these thoughts of his heart must work the same effect in them, as they did upon himself, when he cried, 
Psal 139.17.  How precious are thy thoughts unto me, O God: How great is the sum of them? These were exceeding honourable in his eyes: these took up his mind: these drew his heart even up to as high as admiration: and well they might, for what does God himself commend to man, so much as his love, and what are these thoughts, but thoughts of love?  
Thirdly, because the Saint stand in such need of these thoughts of love towards them.  
1 Else they should have no mercy to save or comfort them: where there is no conception there can be no birth looked for: God thinks first, and works afterwards: he never gave any mercy to his, but he thought them that mercy first: What God does to, and for his, 
Ephes. 1.90.  'tis according to the good pleasure of his goodness which he purposed in himself.  
2 Else what bottom would there be for the Saints comforts? How could they read before hand (so as they do) how gracious God will be to them, if there were no promises made? And where would promises of good be from God, if there were not purposes of good in God first? What are the Lords promises, but his speaking thoughts of love, his proclamations of that grace, which is in the breast and heart of God to poor believers? Now if no promises, no props of faith, no grounds of encouragement, no not to saints themselves: take away then these thoughts from God, and what will there remain to support a saint? How can a soul look either for promises from God, or for faithfulness in those promises, if God hath no thoughts of love towards his?  
Thirdly, else what foundation can there be of the Saints waiting? What do Saints wait for, 
Lam. 3.26  but to see God bring out these thoughts of his to light (which they call the Salvation of the Lord, the very fruits that these blessed thoughts of God bear) if God have no purposes, 'tis in vine to wait; 'tis but lost time, and it could not be good for any man so to do: Now the Lord enjoins waiting: he tells his peopls (in the midst of all their troubles) 'tis good to wait, and upon this ground too, because there is Salvation of God to come for his people: 
Psal. 130.7.8.  because, with the Lord there is mercy, (that fills his heart, there be his thoughts of love, that he always poscesses) and with him is plenteous redemption, and he shall redeem Israel, etc. 
Psal. 130.7, 8.  Their is the exercise and blessed fruit of ●is love: if God hath not done ●t as yet, yet he intends to do it: shaell is not yet redeemed, that ●s confessed: God will redeem Is●srael, that is professed: if any man ●●y, Israel is in trouble: that is ●anted: if any will say, Israel ●all not come out: that is de●ed: their is ground enough ●●en for the patiented waiting of ●e soul upon God, yea to lift 〈◊〉 the soul's eyes (and that ●ost earnestly, 
Psal. 123.  with those holy ●●es, even under the sorest trou●es) unto him that dwells in 〈◊〉 heavens: and if Saints may, 〈◊〉 must wait, God hath naughts of love towards them, ●ich he intends to manifest to ●●m, and for which he would ●●e them wait.  
We have now run thorough the Doctrinal part of this tru● and text: the Applicatory no● follows: wherein we are 〈◊〉 show what inferences may we be drawn hence for the spirit● all Prophet of poor sou●● God's thoughts being thus 〈◊〉 wards his people in evil time●  
Use. 1 1 It falls heavy upon the 〈◊〉 who have evil thoughts, a●● evil eyes to wards God's de●● one's in the time of their adv●● sities: The Spirit of God, 〈◊〉 David tells us the garb, 
Psal. 36.4.  wa● and fashions of a Wicked ma● heart and how 'tis exercise when he testifies, that he de●● seth mischeiefe upon his bed, 〈◊〉 sets himself in a way that is 〈◊〉 good: he spends his thought● so many evil arrows, to sh●● them up to the head, in 〈◊〉 hearts lives, estates, names, 〈◊〉 posterities of the people of G●● Oh thinks the wicked o●● how may I do such a 〈◊〉 harm, 
Dan. 6.4, 5.  how may I give hi●● blow that he may never 〈◊〉 ●ore? How may I both accuse ●●n and condemn him too? ●ake as those wretches, those ●●godly great ones sought to ●●de occasion against Daniel, 
Dan. 6.4, 5  to 〈◊〉 stroy him) When shall he die, ●●d his name perish, was both the ●●quiry, and also the malicious hanging of the ungodly, concerning David? 
Psal. 41.5.  they thought it ●●ng, ere his life, name, posteri●● was rooted out: ere all his ●●od were gone, dead and rot●●: And was not this the very ●●ult of the Atheists counsels 'gainst jeremiah? 
jer. 18.8.  Come let us ●●ite him with the tongue (or for ●●e tongue) because he will not ●●ld his peace, but prophecy ●●ainst them and their evil ●●aies; they will smite him, and ●●ite him down; they will go 〈◊〉 it with Club-law rather than 〈◊〉 Prophet shall be suffered to ●●nd:  
If travelling with iniquity; 〈◊〉 conceiving mischief; if ●●nging forth falsehood; will be the overthrow of the servants 〈◊〉 Christ; 
Psal. 7.14.  they shall down: the malicious mischievous though●● of wicked men, they are thoughts of evil not of good: thoughts 〈◊〉 hatred, not of love: thoughts 〈◊〉 trouble, not of peace: the thoughts are how to disturb●● how to discourage, how to 〈◊〉 voure and to destroy, may 〈◊〉 God say to these as he did 〈◊〉 those murmurers in the Parab●● are your eyes, your thought● evil, because mine be good what do ye mean, to make Pits to destroy where 〈◊〉 make promises to save! wl●● have I here, 
jer. 52.5.  that my people 〈◊〉 taken away for naught, even 〈◊〉 your thoughts, in your imag● nations? what is this yo●● works, your way, your w●● to employ your thoughts in s●● a way? woe to you that devisesu● iniquity, 
Mich. 2.1.  and work such ev●● upon your beds, the God th●● sees and loathes it) speaks 〈◊〉 And he that speaks it, will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he says, will make good his ●●ord to the full: such thoughts 〈◊〉 you thinike (says God) I ●●nnot endure: and such punishment as I inflict you shall not ●●dure: oh that Persecutors had ●●t eyes to see this truth! might ●●ey not here read themselves petrary to God, and God con●●y to them? these are they, ●●t bear up their heads high ●●he world: oh how lofty are ●●ir hearts, eyes, and ways! 〈◊〉 what will their end be, 〈◊〉 will they come down, ●●en the almighty hand of di●● justice shall give them the 〈◊〉 throw?  
Secondly, are not they much 〈◊〉 who dream that there is 〈◊〉 God to look after his peony when they be cast down? 〈◊〉 (say the wicked) God hath ●●ken them, we shall have our 〈◊〉 let us be upon the bones of 〈◊〉, now shall they be bread 〈◊〉 and a prey to us, persecute ●●ake them, there is none to deliver: the day is our own, 〈◊〉 field is won, let us arise up 〈◊〉 the prey, let us devour, ro●● is the time, and thus they erc●●rage one another in an e●●● matter, and 'tis a jolly time w●●● them now, to think that 〈◊〉 david's be down, and shall ●●●ver rise more: 
Reve. 11.10.  Now they m●●● merry together, like these 〈◊〉 dwelled upon the earth, when 〈◊〉 two witnesses of Jesus Ch●● was slain; then they reioy●● over them, as thinking wha● brave world 'twas now 〈◊〉 them. 
jor. 30.17.  Sick Zion, Bruised Z●● Wounded Zion, spoiled Z●● here's no better from wi●● men than the title of Out-edge They call her says the Prop●● an Out-cast, saying, This is Z●● (in scorn and derision, po●●ing at her with the fing●● contempt) whom no man ●●●eth after: Now Zion in 〈◊〉 apprehensions hath never friend: she is cast out of favour of God and men (as thi●●inke) who seeks after her? 〈◊〉 who cares for her? who looks ●●●ter her welfare? why God ●●●oes, ye wicked ones: he is ●●●ying her condition, he is grieu●●d for her aflictions: he is con-ceiving for her deliverance: he ●●●urposes her salvation: I will ●●●store heatlh unto thee, and I 〈◊〉 will heal thee of thy wounds; ●●●aith the Lord: oh what a voice 〈◊〉 this? this is the voice of my unbeloved, may the poor soul ●●●ey: this is none other but the ●●●oice of my Father: and this is 〈◊〉 the gate of heaven unto me: 〈◊〉 Oh methinks now I am in bereaven! Now (me thinks) I ●●●ould tread down with con●●●empt all the spite and rage of ●●●ell: Now (me thinks) I could ●●●ay with the Church, speak 〈◊〉 with her confidence, mine ene●●●nie shall see my happiness, and 〈◊〉 name shall cover her which said, ●●●nto me, 
Mic 7.10  Where is the Lord thy 〈◊〉 God? Mine eyes shall be hold her, 〈◊〉 that is in a way of triumph, as one fallen to the ground) now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets: here is your portion may Zion say: this is the reward you shall have: you beheld me with proud scornful eyes, and with glad hearts when I was in misery; mine eye shall behold you cut down with a thankful heart: you shall have treading dow, for treading down: Nay you shall to the mire, (whereas I when at worst, was upon a Rock) you shall be trodden as the mire of the streets: Who will pity you, when you fall? Who will lament when you are destroyed? and you are never in your place till ye be thus trodden down: Where should mire go but to the mire? and where should mire be, but under feet? you that dream, wish, and long for, Gods forsaking of his own servants; what thoughts have you of God, and against God the the while, but such as deny him such as make him a liar? Woe ●o you when blindness and deceitfulness thus leads you, you may love it, you shall one day ●●ue for it.  
Thirdly, see hence the unchangeableness and blessed constancy that runs parallel with the infinite, the precious, the dearest love of God towards his, through all conditions: Gods love parts not from those 〈◊〉 loves, what ever go away, ●his stays: God hath thoughts of peace for his in captivity, for his in Babylon: In this ever ●o be admired love of God, ●here is not (saith the Apostle) ●ny shadow of turning; 
Jam. 1.17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  it is so ●ne and the same, that there is ●ot any colour or likeness, not ●o much as any think obscurely ●●sembling the least variableness in God; with God there 〈◊〉 not so much as the rude ●ranght of turning, (so the ●ord notes) not so much as ●●y give the least ground for man to say, that God is in any degree variable or unconstant in this his glorious love, or i● the blessed gifts and fruits of it● When once the face of God's love is towards a people, 'tis and 'twill be, ever so: it is like the living creatures in Ezekiel, 
Ezek. 1.12  it turns not, but goes forward in most sweet expressions of itself: it runs and streams through all the sad conditions of his people: it is as the tree of life, 
Rev. 22.  it bears forth fruit, and that of all kinds, and that every month too; upon every occasion, in every trouble, sorrow, temptation, the love of God is nigh, his salvation is nigh them that fear him, s● the Saints profess: and what saves but the love of God? tha● is nigh first, and that is the cause that brings forth salvation: the love of God it f●● hard at study (as it were) 〈◊〉 muses and plots for good, when the people of his love a●● brought exceeding low: it is a framing and devising how to save, when the ungodly are plotting how to kill: Creatures may look strange, they● may stand a far off (like Jobs friends) they may prove miserable comforters (as he spoke of them, as much as if he should have said, increasers of his misery, rather than easers of him) but yet God will not: therefore is that expostulation of the Prophet, Why standest thou so far off, O Lord? 
Psal. 10.1.  Why bidest thou thyself in times of trouble? This breeds even wonder in a Saint, to see God a fare off; so much as to apprehend God forsaking: as if God were not now in his place, where he would be, where he uses to be, where he hath promised to be. In times of trouble for God to be fare off, for God to hid his face, it is more than a wonder, since he hath promised to be cheerest then: Creatures they do but their kind, when they prove fickle and forsake: vain things may be allowed to show their vanity: they work but from their own nature when they fail: but for God to be variable, for this love to change it is impossible, it is against the very nature of God, & of this love which is no less than himself: God can tell how to love, respect, and remember his people in a low estate: An Iron furnace in Egypt cannot put Gods love out of its way, Egyptian bondage, pharao's tyranny, Israel's slavery, drudgery, poverty, quenches not one spark of this fire of God's love towards them: God will see for all this, how they be used: he will pity them, respect & hear them, come down, 
Exod. 3.7.8, 9  deliver them; all their afflictions shall not damn up against his purpose of love, nor alter his course of kindness towards them, no not when wicked men say, Zion is cast off: nor when Zion herself says, The Lord, even Jehovah, hath forsaken me, My Lord hath forgotten me. 
Isa. 49.14.  God complains of wrong, pleads with her, draws Arguments from natural affection, and that in a mother too, (usual the tenderest lover) yet all this is not high enough, the Lord grants, that a mother may forget her child; yea, all mothers may do so; for it is possible they may put off nature in that thing and be without natural affection, as the Lord foretells of some,) but yet God says, it is impossible he should: he does not, nor cannot, he wills against forgetting of his people; and can that come to pass, that Gods will is against? who hath, or what can resist his will? Nothing in God will, nothing in the creature can: When he wils to love, to show mercy to a poor creature; this will of his will make its way, and have its way, what ever lie in the way, or opposes: The Prophet might well say, The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting to them that fear him: that is narrow enough, short enough, a low expression enough for God's love: time is no fit Channel to take up the mercy of God, it will not, it cannot hold it: his purposes and thoughts for his, they must not, they will not be straitened: they will have compass enough, roomth and length enough, if infiniteness, if from eternity to eternity, will give it them.  
In the fourth place, let us take notice and eye this, That the mercy's God gives to his, they are a contriving and framing in the bowels and thoughts of God, a long time; yea, from all eternity, before they are bestowed, or appear visible: our God carries mercies in his thoughts for them, he hath them written upon his breast, before the foundation of the world, and there he bears them in his heart till he brings them forth, and shows the good ●n his own season: God never did, nor never will do any thing for his on a sudden, (as I may say) that never came into his mind before: new mercies he may give, but what be these, but the bringing forth of old thoughts, the expressions of his eternal purposes of love? The Lord thought, yea, declared his mind to Abraham concerning delivering of Abraham's seed, and his Israel out of Egypt, four hundred years before hand, and many years before they were born, or in bondage in that Land: How long did the Lord purpose to send Jesus Christ, ere he was sent into the world? 'Twas in the Lords thoughts before all time, Christ was a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, 
1 Pet 1.20.  he was fore-ordained so, but was manifest (says the Apostle) in these last times for you. Jesus Christ was fore-ordained to be a Saviour before all time: he was promised presently after the beginning of time; and yet ere he was exhibited, 'twas thousands of years, (well-nigh four thousand, if not all out:) 'twas in the fullness of time that Christ comes in: the Apostle calls it (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) which notes not only the fullness of time, 
Gal. 4.4.  but the perfection of it too, the accomplishing also, or finishing of time: the meaning is, Christ came not till such a time, was made up, filled up, accomplished, which God himself had appointed. Fullness of time then, if we refer it to God, than the sense is this: A full time, that is, in God's account, will, decree, as it was foredetermined of God from all eternity. 2. Refer it to Scripture, and so 'twas a full time in Scripture account, wherein those prophecies concerning his coming, must needs be fulfilled. 3. Refer it to the Saints, and than 'twas a full time, in that the Saints were ready for this blessing now coming: 'twas the fullness of time in their faith, in their persuasions, in their waitings, who at that time are said in a special manner, to wait for redemption, and to wait for the consolation of Israel. 
Luke 2.25.38.  Now the Saints looked hard for the rising of this Sun, like Travellers tired out with darkness, (what from themselves and from the times) they long for the light: And thus even the holy ones of God, by their strong, raised, and raising expectations, did clearly and strongly point out to the world, the near approaching of the blessed light of that Sun of righteousness, by whose beams the blessed day of the Gospel did soon appear, and by the brightness of whose glory, the hearts of his did shine with heavenly light, & did rejoice with exceeding joy, and sound consolation. God thought all good for his people ere he promised any thing, and his promises each one have a fullness of time to show themselves in: God purposes all at once, he acts not so; he brings out his purposes by degrees: God determined at once before any time, to make a world; yet when he does it, he will take six days to do it: he will not finish it with one word, but will use many; he will not perfect it in one act, but he will do somewhat in every of the six days: Gods thoughts of sending his Son, were from all eternity: yet he is not promised till the world and time are, till man is made, and hath made himself a sinner too: and when is this promise made good? Not till the world is even an aged world: not till thousands of years were over and gone: he was promised in the first days of the world, and 'twas the last days ere he was born: Our God loves to show unto his servants, his unfadomable wisdom in his contrivances, his infinite power in his workings, his ancient & eternal love in all his compassionate passages towards his, & all these at once: the Lord intends to make them perfect, full, complete works of love, he hath them so long in the frame: the Lord intends the patiented, earnest, and long waiting of his people upon his bowels, purposes and promises of love, (although for the present, they are encompassed with nothing else but straits and miseries: the Lord intends to show what need his people have of faith and patience, that after they have done the will of God, they may inherit the promise: the Lord intends to make the fruit of his own bowels sweet enough, delicate and dainty to the taste of believers: the Lord intends to show how his mercies shall suit with his children's conditions, and how they shall fill up his people's wants.  
In the fifth place, see the glorious and ever blessed Spring from whence rivers and streams of mercy flow, 
Psal. 46.4.  to the wondrous gladding of the hearts of Saints: we wonder sometimes at all the mercy's Saints be clothed with, and are ready to make holy Elizabeth's enquiry, Whence is this, and whence is that? Yea, Saints themselves, who partake of the mercy, who are refreshed with these Rivers of God's good pleasure, are oft set at a stand, and with holy David, fall down, 
Psal. 31.19.  admire, and cry, O how great is thy goonesse! Yea, he may add this, and say, O how deep is thy goodness! The Prophet tells us in a certain place, that the judgements of God are as a great deep; the Apostle says more of love, he speaks of the breadth, length & height, as well as the depth of the love of Christ: 
Eph. 3.18.  and he speaks of all these dimensions as infinite: of such a length, of such a breadth, of such a depth, of such an height, as that which is incomprehensible, no mind able to reach this mystery of love: this is as deep, that it reaches as low as the grave, as fare as hell; as high as heaven; and is every way as unsearchable as the very heart of God: dost thou see a little purling stream of mercy running to a Saint, an outward deliverance given to a Saint? why this had its beginning in the very bowels and breast of God: trace it up to the head to the first rise; thou shalt see it first engraven in the breast of God, concluded upon in his heart, and stamped upon the very thoughts of God, lying and resting there first, and then bubbling out in God's season to them: dost thou see a soul called, justified, sanctified through grace, conformed to Jesus Christ by the power of his Spirit; why all this precious love of God lay in his electing thoughts, 'twas treasured, 
Rom. 8.29.30.  'twas cabinated up there first: he was predestinated, and fore-ordained to this mercy, to enjoy this love in Christ ere the world was: so the Apostle witnesses.  
In the sixth place observe the vast and infinite difference, betwixt God and Idols: the true God, and false ones: Idols, what thoughts have they or purposes of good towards their followers: can those determine or decree good, 
Rev. 9.20.  concerning whom the Spirit bears record, that they can neither see, nor hear, nor walk? can gold, silver, brass, stone, wood, the work of the crafts-man, decree good for those that trust in them? God, the true God, he is in the heavens, there he dwells, and there he rules, and there he blesses: Idols they lie in the bowels of the earth, 
Joh. 8.23.  from thence they come: they are from beneath as Christ speaks and that every way, both in their original, spiritual, as being from hell, and natural too, as being in and from the earth: God he makes man, and does whatsoever pleases him to man, and to all creatures: Idols, man's hand makes them, and a Devil's heart together; they make nothing, unless it be destruction; God hath a mouth to speak to, and for his people: he can, does, and will speak comfortably to them: but Idols have speechless mouths: mouths that be very cyphers that cannot speak. God hath eyes, and eyes that can see, and that are open and most vigilant to see all his people's wants, and what will supply them: Idols eyes, they are sightless eyes, eyes, and no eyes, eyes without light, and full of darkness: God, he hath ears to hear, Baal hath none, though Idolaters cry, O Baal hear us, and cry aloud, and long, yea cut and lance themselves too: God hath hands that can order his people, govern, protect, bless them: Idols hands they are withered hands, they can do nothing, they handle not, they have no use of them, and their followers shall have no comfort of them: they have no life, no strength, no motion in them: thus the faithful ones in the 115. 
Psal. 115.  Psalms do enter the lists with those Idolaters, and take this course to stop the mouths of these wretches (whose usual language unto the people of God in their affliction, was in this upbraiding way where is now your God?) by comparing together their God upbraided, and the Heathenish God served: what be your gods to our God (say his people) ours is in the heavens; where is yours? upon the dunghill, earth, dunghill gods, as they are (that answer is intimated by the faithful) our God, he is all eye, all ear, all power, all mercy, all act: yours cannot stir, move, see, hear, do aught for you, or for themselves: thus they lay their Idols flat, and their Dagons on the floor, and will neither suffer Idols to be praised, nor their God to be contemned: Oh let us have our eyes opened, and our hearts encouraged to stand up, and both openly and earnestly to protest for God, and against all false gods, and false ways: Oh let the consideration of this make our hearts speak truly and freely, and say, our God, with these holy ones! Let our hearts admire our God, own our God: plead for our God: stand for our God: let us not be ashamed to claim him: let us not be backward to exalt him: he is in the heavens, he is worthiest of all: he purposes good, speaks good, acts good, contrives and does, hears and delivers his, he is best of all: he lives for ever, and so shall his Saints in his glorious love, whilst Idols, and they that make them, and they that put their trust in them, are and shall be dashed one against another, and shall perish for ever like their own dung, this will be the end of these Gods, and these slaves; whilst the children of light enjoy for ever that God who dwells in light, and in that light that none can approach unto, or ever enjoy in any degree without the salvation of Jesus Christ: 
1 Tim. 6.16.  that God that hath immortality, hath all, and he only hath this: Idols have none, they must perish themselves: they can give none, their followers must to ruin too.  
Use. 2 In the second place, this truth is very persuasive, it bespeaks us many ways, it hath many voices, 
1 To the bad.  and calls us to do many duties: First it speaks to me● that are out with God, out of Christ, and in the rude sinful and dead lump of the world: and first it calls after them with David's voice, 
Psal. 4.2.  O ye sons of men how ●●ng will ye love vanity, and follow after lies? How long will ye both resist, and brand, the glorious ways of God, and the gracious ways of his people, with your pride, and with your hellish brands of malice? How long will ye seek after your own lies, your own wills, your own lusts? What do you mean to forsake a God so gracious, and to cleave ●o your own Idols so dunghie ●nd so vain? who deserves your heart's, if God do not? Weigh ●hings in a right balance; and ●ew yourselves men: bring ●●rth your reasons: produce ●our cause, your case, your way: ●et us see, what can the Idolater say for his ways? what ●●eas can Atheists, and drun●ards, or worldlings have? must ●●ey not needs confess, surely they are fools, what wisdom is in them? If they could see light, or speak truth; if sin would suffer them to open their mouths for God; surely they would soon join with the Prophet, and say, 
Jer. 8.9.  Lo, we have rejected God, lo we have rejected his Word, what wisdom is in us? How can we say we are wise? our counsels, our purposes, our practices, they all speak out our extreme folly: there is nothing makes the sinful souls forsaking of God, so unanswerable, as this infinite grace of God towards his: as God's love where it is bestowed, opens the heart, and unlooses the tongue towards God; so this love where it is refused, is such a stop mouth, that a soul cannot but be silenced, it is forced to say, I have nothing to plead for myself: there is not a wicked man in the world, who hears and refuses this rich grace of God, i● his purposes and gifts, but thi● will cast, and sink him one day, and would for the present silence him, had he but a right or true apprehension of what he does: let unbelievers therefore see, that though they depart from God, yet they have no cause: they transgress without cause (as David speaks) and although they follow sin, pursue it, cry it up, and live it up, yet they have no cause; but unbelievers be unreasonable, and no marvel, when pride and blindness sit at the stern to guide the soul: see then this truth puts down all carnal pleas, plucks up those hellish shifts, whereby sinners usually wave off all that ●s good: can a sinner now say I shall have no mercy, if I do come in to God, to Christ? can ●e now say I shall lose all, and ●e undone, if I harken; if I ●urn? can he now say I shall suffer so much, 'twill not be worth while to be one of Gods? ●an he now say my own choice is best, my own ways are best let me alone, I am well enough can he now go away sad from the blessed offers of Jesus Christ and the gracious arms of th● love of God stretched out ready to embrace him? can he now say God will leave me, if 〈◊〉 should follow him; God will give me up if I should trust him. God will fail, he will forsake! No, no, what ever souls may speak under sin, or under temptations; there will be no such language as this, if this blessed truth once take place: all quarrelings against God, all wranglings, all carnal pleas are now taken away, and the soul look● now upon God and his ways as without all exception, an● upon sinful nature and i● ways, as without all excuse and when once a soul comes 〈◊〉 be convinced and persuaded 〈◊〉 this; oh how it blames it se●● cries out upon, condemns 〈◊〉 self, and not God at all: it 〈◊〉 now a find-fault in its own ways, not in Gods: hence it is we never read of a Saint, as a Saint, picking quarrels against God's ways, what ever they might do through infirmity: when grace works, when faith acts, and sends forth its blessed Scouts, these bring in such a good report of the Land of Promise, of the way to it, and the giver of it; that a believers heart works another way, so that his spirit is enlarged, and his mouth is opened in speaking good of God, of Christ, and ill of himself, and of sin, however he spoke before this grace was given to him: and now may we not take up David's words to the wicked, O ye fools, when will ye be wise? when will you learn to know where to pitch, which way to go, what to choose to bring in good to yourselves? do not halt, be not froward: if Baal be God, follow him; if fin or the world be that God, that purposes love, shows love, saves by his love, then follow him; but if God be God; if he be only a rock, if he only do thus, then look after him; 'tis not for you to sleep, the Lord awake you: 'tis not for you to sit still, the Lord rouse you up out of your base security; 'tis not for you to love your own, and your old ways, you have done that too too long already: 'tis time to be honest, 'tis no season to say (with Solomon's sluggard) yet a little while, 
Prov. 6.10  I would yet be, as I have been, 
Heb. 10.37.  and do as I have done: God says yet a little while, and he will come: thy judgement lingers not, and wilt thou loiter? thy damnation sleeps not, and wilt thou sleep? 
2 Pet. 2.3.  nay wilt thou be fast asleep, dead asleep, when Divine Justice slumbers not, takes no nap at all? tell me unbelievers, is it not for you to know judgement, to know God in all his ways? 
Micah 3.  is it not for you (I do not say 'tis in you to seek after God, after Christ and grace? do not think to put off God so? the Sun will not be darkened, he that is light itself will not, 
Eze. 2 33.11.  cannot be blinded: he that is a most glorious Sovereign will not be baffled he cries to you, 
1 Sam. 24.25.26.27.  why will ye die? why do not you answer him, and say, Lord give us to live, why do not you melt in your hearts, and with tears say, is this thy voice O our Father? what hast thou so much mercy, such multitudes of bowels? dost thou cry after us why will ye die, when we chose such a death ourselves? oh thou hast rewarded us good, whereas we have rewarded thee evil: thou hast showed us this day, in, this voice of mercy, in these thoughts of mercy, how well thou dealest with all thine, and willest to save those, who have killed themselves: can God say more, then to cry return, return, my thoughts are towards you; come to me, my mercies shall be all yours, ah poor souls you have destroyed yourselves, yet there is help in me for destroyed creatures; you have killed yourselves, yet there is life in me for dead creatures; you have damned yourselves yet there is salvation in me, for such damned creatures as you are; you have sinned, and so have infinitely displeased me yet there is mercy enough in me to reconcile you to me, say you bring sin, yet I can take it away; say you multiply sin, yet I can tell how to multiply pardon, and so to forgive you all, 
Isa 55.7.  as well as some, is not this God's voice? does not God say thus much in effect by this gracious voice, if I did intent that sin should still part betwixt you and me, why do I call upon you, why do I proclaim this great mercy to you? my heart (says Christ) cannot rest, till those I died for, enjoy the fruit of my death: my love (saye● Father) will not keep in towards those I have purposed love unto: they shall have it (says God) I will be their God, I will be their portion, I will become their saviour. Oh that sinners had ears to hear his voice! Oh that they had such hearts in them that would believe! that would make them restless under all their false gods, and fly to the true.  
2. This truth calls upon unbelievers to come off from glorying over the people of God, when they are brought into a low condition by tyranny, oppression, or any sad hand of rebuke from God: it is usual with the world, then to trample upon the servants of Christ when they be afflicted one's: they will persecute where God smites, they will grieve those whom God wounds: The Church (in Micah) was no sooner down, but the world was glad, therefore she thus gives the enemy a fair warning, she thus puts in a prohibition, Rejoice not over me, O mine enemy, 
Micah. 7.8.  When I fall, I shall rise agine, when I sit in darkness the Lord will be a light unto me: She speaks of rising again on purpose to make her enemy to know, that he should fall, and never rise, which was not her case, nor never should; she grants she sits in the dark, but denies that this will be her condition still, the Lord will be a light unto me: She grants the worst, and believes the best: 'tis as much as if she should say, O mine enemy do I fall, Oh what a fall wilt thou have then? Does judgement begin at me, what then will thy end be? When I sit in the dark I have the Lord to be a light to me, but what Lord hast thou to bring thee into light? He that will raise me, will judge thee: he that will be a light to me for my comfort, will be a terror to thee for thy condemnation: She thus replies for herself against the ungodly, giving them to know of her rise and recovery, as well as fall; and clearly intimating their fall without recovery, their darkness without light, their judgement without mercy, which shall fall upon them, and grind them to powder: take heed than ye Wicked ones, tell not the people of God, they be outcasts, who seeks after them, who cares for them? they be now down, they shall never up more, now they be in miseries, there is an end of them, they shall never rise again: What, cannot Gods jonahs' live under the waves, and in the Whale's belly? What, must his daniel's needs be broken in pieces because they be in the Lion's den? shall an Iron furnace in Egypt consume all the Israel of God? or shall an oppressig Babylon still keep them under hatches? What, is there no sun rising? there is no deliverance coming? Be there no thoughts of peace in the heart of the great God toward his? Yes, yes, ye fools and blind, why then do you thus push with your horns? Why then do ye thus pride up yourselves (like Moab) and exalt yourselves against those whom God will exalt? 
jer. 48.26, 27.  you will have for your pride one day, divine justice will see you paid: hear what it is: make ye him drunken for he magnified himself against the Lord, etc. For was not Israel a derision to thee? Was he found among thiefs? thou didst use him as if he had been so, (even the very est villain upon earth) since thou spakest of him thou skippest for joy: Oh how glad was Moab that Israel was broken, Israel's affliction, was her melody; But Moab shall be broken for it: the horn of Moab (where with he pushed the people of God so) is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith the Lord: ye spiritual Philistines, ye may sport yourselves with the sorrows of Gods dear ones, it may be your mirth cannot go well forward, 
25. v.  till a blinded, imprisoned Samson is sent for in, but what will you gain, unless it be ruin to yourselves, the loss of your own souls, of your own lives, and all that is truly good.  
3. This truth may serve to call them in from persecution, from pursuing their bloody thoughts against the Saints: why boastest thou thyself in mischief O mighty man (says David to bloody Doeg) the goodness of God endureth continually: 
Psal. 54.1  Doeg thought he had done such a chare when he had told Saul where David was, Oh how he boasted! Oh how fast he went on in pursuing him in his mischievous ways! but David both heartens himself, & checks his enemy, with this, the goodness of God endureth continually: do what thou canst, thou hast not, thou canst not part either God from his goodness, or his goodness from me, or from his people: this will endure, this will last, when thy arrows be all spent, when thy breath is gone, when thy life is lost, and thou art drinking the very gall of thy most deserved portion: 'tis as much as if David should say to Doeg, O thou enemy how art thou besotted that thinkest thy ways will prosper: thy vain heart persuades thee, & thus thou sayest in thyself, now I shall have my lust and my will, I shall get the upper hand: Now now I shall see David & his fellow stumble shortly: now Saul will meet with him, and he shall never escape his hands yea but (says David) the goodness of God endures: thou forgettest thyself Doeg: our God hath purposes of love, he hath fruits of love: his goodness endures; in itself it is so constant, that it is unchangeable: it endures in regard of Gods own people, 'tis made over to them, God himself hath made it sure to them, 'tis so his, that 'tis theirs too in way of title, and they may challenge challenge the fruits and manifestations of it in Jesus Christ: do not thou think Doeg, that there is no more ado but kill and slay Saints at thy pleasure (what ever God hath permitted thee to do hitherto) the goodness of God endures, it is not as yet come to an end towards the Saints not never will: thou deceivest thyself, yet God is good to Israel; he is good to David, he is good to all Anointed one's: thus David cools persecuting Doeg: and certainly, if those that are thus bad against God and his people, could, were able, or would see God thus good unchangeably in himself, relatively towards his people, they would have little heart to persecute: it is a fond conceit of having the fill of their own desires upon the people of God, that flushes wicked men so, that puts such wicked motions in life against the Saints: it is a vain hope of success that claps them on the back, and bids them go on, and be desperately resolute.  
Secondly, let the Saints know, here is a glass for them to see many precious duties in.  
1 Ye that believe, ye that by faith are brought home to Jesus Christ, and have the blessed fruits of these thoughts of his love poured out upon you, fall a wondering, let it work you to admiration, and to blessed acknowledgements: such a view should you take of the sweet ways of God's love towards you: think not with yourselves we have mercies, and there is an end: Saints must not make such sinful stops: you must go abroad to see mercy, and neither house up, nor hoodwink yourselves.  
1 Does not God mind you when you are in your greate● straits, under the heaviest clouds. He hath an ear to hear your groaning, when oppression hath a● hand to make you groan: Isra●● though disrespected in Egypt, yet hath respect in heaven; when Saints have the harshest, vilest, bloodiest usage from a proud Pharaoh, they shall have tender mercy from their God: God that heard the voice of a perishing Ishmael, 
Gen. 21.17.  the bond-womans' son, will much more hear the voice of a living and a faithful Isaac the son of the freewoman: when tyrants be trampling Saints under feet, and writing their names in the dust, yet then are they graven upon the palms of God's hands, and their broken walls, their broken conditions, 
Isa 49.16.  are continually before him: there was never a time as long as time hath been; never a straight, as many as Saints have had, wherein God hath forgotten them: God ever yet walked with his children, though in the fiery furnace: he will be where they be when they be where he would have them to be: he will be with his mercy and his grace, where they be in their sorrows, and in their troubles: God hath many thoughts, and all precious thoughts of love towards them, what, do you think that God minds not his Saints in England, that could not, that would not, that was not unmindful of his Saints in Egypt? do you think, that these only are forgotten, or in this age alone God puts his people out of his mind? or do you think that God minds not the degree of their sufferings, how far they be gone, how low they be brought, the depth of their miseries; or the height of their extremities, or the rage of their adversaries? or will God now content himself with an everly look upon his people's case, with a cast of an eye, with a glance only towards them? no, no: he hath them always in his heart, upon his breast, he hath them always in his eye, he hath them always graven upon his hand: behold and wonder at such love: and yet this is not all:  
In the 2. place, he is a forecasting God for them, he purposes deliverances long before [even from all eternity] his thoughts be a contriving (as it were) the time, the best time: the way, the sweetest way: the end, the happiest end: the mercy, the greatest mercy for his own people to have: in this way he is now walking with his people in this land: his thoughts have been long at work upon these things, and now is our God a bringing forth his own purposes to light, a showing his own thoughts, now he is a telling his Saints in England that he is a God that can love, can contrive, can take care for his people, can tell how to send them good, to give them mercy, to work for their liberties, for their peace: bless our God ye Saints: cause the voice of his praise to be heard: publish and say, Who may be compared to our God? he alone is excellent in his thoughts, in his purposes, in his bowels, in his workings: there is none marvellous but him: there is none like unto him:  
And therefore yet more in the third place; these thoughts of our God, are they no full of wonders? do they not deserve to be sought out of all his Saints: see into this love that passes knowledge, that is so above the reach of the minds eye; see into the length and depth of this mercy of our God, which is so unfadomable: these purposes, these thoughts, they are the blessed issues of Gods own heart towards his: they are those pure and living streams, sweetly and immediately flowing from the fountain of life itself: and how can mercy be deeper set, then in the very nature, in the very heart of God? and can these be any other than mercies of a full length? how can they have less than an infinite, an eternal reach with them? are these like to end that had never any beginning in the thoughts of God? shall man give a measure, or time put a period to such a love? no, no: this mercy endures for ever and ever, and here is ground enough for Saints to praise; yea, to call upon others too, and say: O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever: yea to speak it over and over as David did: 
Psal. 136.1, 2, 3.26. verses.  who plies this thing so that he doubles and trebles it, yea four times he makes mention of it in that one Psalms: oh this pleads strongly for thanks, it cries mightily for an high strain of praise: his mercy enduring for ever, the Lords eternity of mercy puts on Saints hearts, sets them upon this heavenly tune; O give thanks unto the Lord.  
In the 4. and last place see, is not our God waiting to be gracious? is he not watching over his people for good, even to bestow good? 
Isa. 30.18.  he will not let one season pass: every mercy he gives shall have his own time: SALOMON tells us, man knows not his time, and therefore it is so ill with him: but God perfectly knows his time, and therefore it shall be well for those that fear God: we think, O if we had Peace now! O if we had a Reformation now! O how seasonable would it be? O if God would now send fire from heaven and consume his enemies! O if he would now put in the sharp shekel of his justice and reap them down! how well would it be with us? But stay, be not too hasty: God knows his time better than thou: wilt thou instruct God? art thou wiser than him? does not he know when to let out his love, when to bring forth his purposes, his thoughts? may not God say to thee, hast thou known my mind? canst thou instruct me? I tell thee God will not stay one hour too long, or come one hour too soon with any mercy: 
Psal. 1  he will take his own (now) now will I arise (says God) when it may be the poor oppressed ones thought God exceeding long ere he arose, and were ready to say God hath forgotten us, and so to cast away their confidence: God hath his (now) hundreds of years sometimes, after the beginnings of waitings, expectations and cries of his own people: Israel groans in Egypt hundreds of years ere Gods (now) comes, and yet it was not too late; it was soon enough; it was the best season of all: never then begrudge God his own time; admire him rather for his own unfadomable depth of wisdom, that so clearly shines forth in the very time he chooses, to bring forth his own thoughts of love in: be wise therefore ye Saints of the most high, bless God abundantly in that he will go his own way: in that he cannot, he will not learn any thing of any man: he would have men learne● all from him, and reason good: away then with those thoughts, now, it is too late: all is past recovery: if God would have dispatched the work in such an year, in such a month, we might have been reform; but now our case is desperate, now our strength is shut up and gone: and what then? Is not this the● time that the Lord says he will judge his people in, and repent himself for his servants: When he sees this that they have no● no hand, 
Deut. 32.36.  no power, no strength left, but all is shut up and gone, when they are quite spent, and are (as it were) breathing ou● their last breath; Now (says God) it reputes me for my servants: I can forbear no longer: I cannot see them in all this misery, and hold my peace: I cannot see them thus fare gone, an● withhold my help: I cannot see them dying, and not revive them: I cannot see them lost, and not recover them: I cannot see them in the fire, and not pluck them out: God will never lose one of his own opportunities, wherein he may work for the glorifying of himself and the comfort of his: O that Saints would see who is their best friend! he that is your Father knows not only how, and why, to let blessings fall from him; but when too: Let him ●ull the time, he will come when it is best: best, for his own glorious name: best for your own precious comforts.  
Secondly, Saints, see your stay, your trust, your Rock, 'tis the Lord jehovah in whose heart are these thoughts of love towards his: he is the Rock, 
Deu. 32.4.  his work is perfect (says Moses) and what are his thoughts purposes, and decrees then? are no● these perfect according to which the Lord's work is framed? when the Lord saves, he saves perfectly, he completes his Salvation so, that he brings it up to a full work: he leaves not his work in the midst at the half: all his ways are judgement, that is more than in judgement: they are judgement itself, they carry in them such a clear light, such excellency of order; such beauty and suitableness to the hand that works them, there is such a fullness of an infinite God upon them, 
Rev. 21.25.  that (as it is said of the new Jerusalem) there is no night there: man when he works his works are imperfect like himself, they fall from his hands half shaped or shapeless: and no marvel, for his very thoughts as well as his life, are dying things: they can die, they can perish, even under his hands ere he can finish and accomplsh them: 
Psa. 146.4  they breathe out their last, and so not only the work underhand is left and fallen, but even forgotten too: man's very thoughts te●ding to it are all dea● and gone: there is no trust ●herefore in man (says the Pro●he●● because his breath goeth ●orth, etc. his body dies, and ●is thoughts die too (he means ●is thoughts of love, his advancing & friend-pleasing thoughts, ●nd contrivances) these perish there is not one of them to be ●een: they are all winged by ●eath, they are fled and gone: ●ut, is it thus with our God? do ●is thoughts perish? is all dashed ●nd gone in a moment, what God hath been thinking to all eternity? Man indeed in one day ●y one stroke of death loses all ●is contriving thoughts about ●●e world, that have been working and plotting many years before: but our God will ever ●old up, & on his own thoughts: ●hee will not lose one of these. He who will not lose one of ●●is own Sheep, but mercy shall go for●b from his bowels to save him: will not lose one of his own thoughts, but power shall go forth from himself to proclaim them what they be: he●● will never leave remembering 〈◊〉 his till he hath fulfilld the good pleasure of his goodness towards them: till he hath brought all his thoughts of mercy into acts, and so made his work perfect: He is a Rock indeed to bottom upon, whose work i● thus perfect, whose wa●es ar● thus full of judgement: judgement is before him (says Eli●●● to job) therefore trust thou i● him: 
job 35.14  (as if he should have said) God knows most perfectly what he does, in what way h●● goes, how to quit a soul, or how to condemn it: there is n●● blinding of God, no daubing up of his eyes, no darkness to him but all is light before him: therefore trust in him, refer thyself to his mercy, let him honour that upon thee: Trust in him, he will do thee, no wrong, judgement i● before him: he is a God of truth● there is no iniquity in him. he 〈◊〉 a God of mercy, there is no oppression in any of his ways, ●e is without iniquity, just and ●ight is he: O the blessed, the strong engagements that lie up●● believers to settle here! to wittome and build upon this ●ock, to get above themselves, ●p to a God in Christ: Nay be●old yet more, if there is ground ●●ough of a (therefore trust in him) because judgement is before him; what ground is this ●●en, and how much faith doth ●his call for at our hands, in that mercy is before him; his thoughts of love are ever coming into his mind, and he is ever mindful of his Covenant, that his Love and Grace hath made: He says to a poor believer, O what shall I do unto thee? What shall I do for thee? What is thy desire, what is thy request; it shall be granted? what is thy need, it shall be suplied? Solomon tells us that the heart of an husband doth safely trust in ● virtuous wife, 
Pro. 31.11.12, 26.  for she will d●● him good and not evil and in her tongue is the law of kindness: and is this enough for such a trust? O then! may we no● much more say, the heart of a believer may, must and doth trust safely in God thorough Christ 〈◊〉 The heart of God is an heart o● kindness, as well as in his tongue is the law of kindness 〈◊〉 What hath not God? What i● there not in God? to allure the soul to repose itself in him, to be his disciple, to lie in his bosom, to lean upon his shoulders, to lie down full of joy in his love? a poor soul that hath such an husband as Christ is, may well (she hath ground enough) may without danger (there is safety enough) trust in him for all good, for all blessed dispensations of his Grace and power to enhappy it: if the Husband may well trust, a virtuous wife with family affaieres, how much more may the believing soul trust Christ with all spiritual affairs: let that God, that Saviour, (will the believing soul say) be my trust, who purposes such love, such mercy to my soul in evil times; who is a Winter's sun to my frozen heart, and a blessed springing shower to my chapped earth: I will trust him with my conscience: trust him with my family: trust him with my name: trust him with my estate: trust him with a Kingdom: trust him with glory, yea both mine and his own too: he will not fail me, that never failed any: he will not deceive me that cannot deceive one: he hath thoughts of peace towards me in all my sufferings: he hath a gracious end for me out of all my sufferings: the Lord my God hath a fullness of good for me, as well as I absolute need of his good: and he knows his own thoughts of love, better, infinitely better, than I the great want of his love: whither should my soul betake herself! but to this shelter: upon this ground I shall have firm footing: upon this Rock I shall have good building: in this bosom I shall have glorious refresh: under this shade I shall be received: by this hand I shall be delivered: O how excellent is that of David, who speaks experimentally too (for how did he stand unremoved against all saul's, 
Psal 125.1.  and Sata●● batteries) they that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever, a believer i● not removed, nay cannot (and it is more) for Mount Zion cannot, and such a one is like this mount: those that believe they be like not the world (alas, that changes every month (with the moon) it hath many new faces, strange changes: 
1 john. 2.17.  alas, that passes away) but like mount Zion: and what enemy so much as ever shaken this, much less removed it: believers they are like this ●●ount: they abide as long as the ●●ove of God himself abides, and ●●ey are as firm as the strength 〈◊〉 this love can make them: ●●erefore 'tis that David puts a betterness upon this trusting in ●●e Lord, and tells us 'tis better ●●en trusting in men; yea then ●o put confidence in Princes, 
Psal. 118.8.  (a ●●ing so excellent, so precious, 〈◊〉 practised in and by the word) ●nd yet that is as high as our ●ust can go, if it be placed in the world: what power is above ●●inces power, yea the conjoined power of all the Princes of ●he world together? and yet all ●his makes no rock at all: it is ●ut as an heap of sand, there is ●●o building upon it in any case: trusting in God is better: it is a wise and a sure way whatever the cause be: a man would think, if it were unsafe in any case, it were so in this: when a poor Soul walks in darkness, and hath no light: is full of terrors, and hath no Comforter● is in great straits of of spirit, and hath no ease: is full of trouble● within, and hath no peace: thi● poor creature thinks his case i● desperate, 
Isa 50.10.  and that he is a lo●● man: this is a straight: this is an● headlong condition indeed: ye● (says the Prophet) let that ma●● trust in the name of the Lord: let that poor soul stay upon hi● God: as desperate as his case seems to be; though in his own eye he is a damned man; though in the world's eye, he is irrecoverable; yet (says he) trusting i● the Lord, Staying upon his God will perfectly cure that man: he shall not miscarry in this case (as deadly, as it shows to be) if h● can cast himself upon his God● his God hath thought of peace's promises of peace, a covenant 〈◊〉 peace, blood of peace for him: God will raise up that soul; shin● into that soul: be a light to that soul: a Prince of peace, a father of mercy, and God of all comforts to him, and whensoever God does this, he does more, ●●en if he should remove our word, our miseries, our troubles, ●nd make all at peace in the Kingdom: O that God would ●ay the hearts of Christians here! 
Sol. Song. 2.14.  O that they were how in the clefts of this Rock (like Christ's Dove) was there ●ver a better time to rest in God ●hen now? O let the name of ●he Lord be precious to you! do not only try now, or taste what ●one, how good God is; but be confident what he will be to you: can your case be worse than to be killed, yea that God himself should do it, an that in anger too (as one would think) yet job will trust in him: 
job. 13.15.  he cannot trust in a living God, that cannot trust in a kill God; job had so learned a God in Christ: and great cause he had, for where he loves, nothing can remove his Love: he will have thoughts of peace, and he will have a desire to the work of hi● hands, 
job 14.15  and who shall let him 〈◊〉 the Enemy would, he shall not 〈◊〉 What shall be able to separate from this love, or so much as give a stop or check to the working of it.  
Use. 3 Thirdly, Saints, use your skill here are the wells of salvation draw out waters: here are the blessed breasts of Consolations suck at them, draw hard, milke● out and be delighted with the abundance of Christ's glorious mercies, 
Isa. 12.3.  God, even our God he hath merciful purposes, he hath thoughts of peace towards you● believers, behold your Father clothed with his own bowels, putting on his whole nature of love, conceiving for you, decreeing for you, and reaching out mercy with both hands (as it were) to you: what must you do? lo here is for you: 'tis no time to sit still: you must be doing: your work is before your eyes: draw out now, these water-pots be full to the bri, and full of excellent wine too: say what should hinder us, that we should not have the fruit of these merciful thoughts of our God in these days? shall we starve when there is bread to be had? shall we have this rock before us, and not suck any honey out of it? when joab perceived that the heart of David was toward rebellious and banished Absalon; mark, how he lays his train; how he plots, and projects to fetch out David's heart, to bring it above ground, 
2. Sam. 14  to make David's soul (that longed to go forth to Absalon) to go forth indeed: he fetches a wise woman from Tekoa, and she must insinuate herself, and mask over the matter with dark say, to get within David, and persawade him to fetch home his banished: and for this end, she hath her lesson from him; he puts words into her mouth, and all to fetch about the thing by such a form of speech as was like to be most prevailing: believers see a pattern for yourselves in this case: God he longs, and his Soul goes forth by longing, to his people, in their miseries, in their troubles, in their banishments, in this raging time of the sword; his Soul is grieved for their affliction, david's joabs', the Lords anointed are to take special notice of this: they are to send their Tekoas to their David, to use Gods own instituted means, to draw out these bowels of God, to make these thoughts visible, and to come abroad, did not once David long to fetch home his banished, and we not long to have these long forth: let not God, let not Christ have cause to say (as he sometimes spoke in the case of his sufferings) he looked, 
Isa. 62.5. and 64.7.  and there was none to help; he wondered that there was none to uphold: what none to stir in such a case? what none to stir up himself to take hold of Christ? what none to draw out the love of God in Christ towards his people? what none to power out their hearts, none to utter words before God, none to fetch this thing about, by the wisdom of the Spirit? where are our bowels of mercies which he (that hath put on such bowels himself towards us) calls us to put on? what shall we see a blessed treasury of divine love, and never go to the door or use the key to open it? oh draw out God's Soul, Christ's heart unto thee! get out these purposes of love, that they may come abroad, that they may dwell in thy heart, and in the Saints more plentifully: O yet enough to make thy Soul an habitation for thee to dwell in! 'tis the surest, the gloriousest habitation in the whole world! o if divine love, be a roof over thee, and a dwelling place for thee, who can enter in at these doors to harm thee? who can curse thee into woe, or thee from weal, from blessedness? who can cast thee out of thy house, when thou dwellest in God? who can keep thee from thy treasure of riches, 
Isa. 58.10  of honour, of Comfort and peace, when the purposes of thy God run for thy enjoyment of them all? some truths, and some necessities bespeaks us to draw out our souls towards others: this truth bespeaks our graces, our care, labour, endeavour, to draw out God's heart to us: when we do the first we see and hear the needs of others; when we do the latter, than God will see and hear, and his thoughts will act forth to the greatest advantage for us: let believers therefore put forth themselves and their graces for this purpose to draw out more of God of Christ, they shall be satisfied, the purposes of God's love will come, and shine, and shine forth too: see then believers your work in a storm: what excellent handed creatures, how useful in trying times you shoul be: how you should put on to work to do, that the thoughts of God towards you, may not only come to the birth, but may be borne, appear, and come abroad: and the better to guide you, harken to a few rules in this case which are the very high road, the straight way to from out these thoughts of love draw our God.  
First, longing souls after this merciful appearing of God unto his, these will never miscarry: 
Psal. 107.9. Psal. 141.19.  the Lord will satisfy the desire of every longing soul. God intends not that his Saints spiritual long shall kill them: he intends satisfaction, not confusion to them: he that gives these desires, will fulfil them: when the ways of a soul, is the way of God's fear, that way cannot do less than prosper, where God is Alpha, he will be Omega: where he gins, he will end: where he works to desire, there he will satisfy to delight: 
1 Chron. 11.17, 18.  When David longed for water from the well of Bethlehem, and said, Oh that one would give me to drink of it! His friends would rather venture their own lives, than he should not have his desire: they put their lives in jeopardy, they break thorough the host of the Philistines, and fetch him water, not regarding their own lives to supply him: Oh what will our God do, (may we well think to give) in the desires of his longing servants? surely he will break thorough all, to give them of the waters of the well of life: He will break thorough the Host of their unworthiness, through their enemies, through their lusts, through their unthankfulness, to fill them with good, to give them his refresh: it is not a Philistine shall stand in his way of mercy to his people: nor yet whole hosts of them: Who art thou O great Mountain says God in this case, when he intends to reform his people and to  them: in this case, 
Zech. 4.7.  when any thing comes in the way to withstand him, who art (says God) thou great Moun-great Mountain of unbelief, thou great Mountain of pride, thou great Mountain of impatiency? before my people you shall become a plain; you shall down: you shall be subdued. I will fulfil the desires of my people: I will replenish every hungry soul: I will satiate every weary soul: this is my will, 
jer. 31.25.  and this shall be done: Believers, long not so for peace, 
Psa. 101.2.  as for the God of peace: say with holy David: Oh, when will he come unto us? Oh when will his thoughts of mercy be brought forth? you may have peace with a Plague: plenty with a Plague; you may have outward mercies sauced (as the Israelites quails were) with vengeance: but you cannot have your God with a plague: you cannot have his face shining with such darkness clouding: one misery may sad, and another (it may be a fare worse) may begin, which may include in it a seventimes more, in respect of sorrow and burden: but if we long for the appearing of these merciful thoughts of God, and they come; there will be no such after claps: no such degrees or successions of evil: but this will be a sight worth seeing: this will be good worth enjoying: this will be rich mercy where ever it comes. Oh let it never be said, if we had longed for the gracious come of our God, they had been ours: our God would have come, and would not have kept silence: the Gospel would have come, and would not have been stopped: a Reformation would have come, and that a pure one too: Peace would have come, and a sweet one too: let not our God long to have us thus to long, and yet have cause to complain, and say, oh that mine had harkened! oh that mine had longed. What shall we not thus love when we may satisfy God's desire by our longing, and enjoy all the good we can desire too? The hungry after Christ shall be satisfied: he fills the hungry with good things (says Mary) they shall have enough, 
Luk. 1.53  for they shall be filled, and that not with wind neither but but with good things: she speaks this by blessed experience too: God had filled her hungry soul with infinite good: insomuch that she proclaims for joy, the usual and most gracious dealing of God with all that be his; and tells us God fills them with good that be hungry: and what do these hunger after? Surely for the coming of Christ: their desires cried: oh when shall our Saviour come? when shall he be born? when shall we see the consolation of Israel? And did these long in vain? did they hunger without filling? were they empty without satisfaction? No, no, he that sends the rich empty away, will not send the poor in spirit empty away: such as are full in themselves, such as have no such hungering in them, they shall not be filled with Messes from the Lords own Table, they shall be turned off with a (go to the Gods whom ye have served) let them fill you, that have had you: you like none of my dainties, and you shall taste none of my supper: but to the hungry (says God) come ye shall find food: come ye shall find rest: you shall have your laps full, your bellies full, your souls full, from the fullness of Jesus Christ: Christ loves to pour his water upon dry ground, to sow his seed upon good ground, to come where he is wished for, where he is earnestly desired; when the souls cry is, oh when will Christ come? he will quickly answer him and say, so I come: 
Isa. 58.9.  behold here am I: poor souls you shall have what you long for, what you are so earnest for at my hands: O thou longing soul, be it unto thee according to thy longing: this thou wouldst have, this thou shalt have, even my salvation: it is none of God's ways to send empty souls, empty away, either from his presence, from his hand, or from his doors: their long be his, therefore his satisfying mercies shall be theirs: Gods promise to such a soul is, open thy mouth full wide, and I will fill it: let it be never so wide opened, God knows what he can do: it is not out of his teach: it is in his power: it is his will: it is his love: it is his mind to fulfil such a soul.  
Secondly, ye that would draw waters out of these wells of salvation, ye that would have these merciful meanings of our God for yourselves and his, look to it that you strongly expect the appearance of these thoughts of his love: oh let your expectations be true, earnest, large: the Messiah, the Lords Christ, was long expected ere he was exhibited: and more mighty than ordinary were the expectations of the faithful, when the time drew nigh: their hearts were much more carried out after the consolation of Israel: 
Lu. 2.25.  Simeons' heart was not only hot in devotion, but in expectation too: and there were so many that looked for redemption of Jerusalem in Israel, that they made up (an all them) for Anna the Prophetess spoke of Christ (when he was brought to be presented to the Lord in the Temple) to all them that looked for redemption in Israel: Christ he was the desire of all nations, 
Hag. 2.7. Zach. 9.1.  as well as the Saviour of all that did so desire him: the eyes of all the true Israelites were waiting eyes this way: they their eyes were toward the Lord: and it was to behold their King coming unto them: and it was not long after that God said to the daughter of Zion, behold thy King cometh: within the compass of 8. verses God gives him in to her; so successful, so prosperous doth this way prove to the Saints of God: when does God in the way of his ordinary providence give unto his creatures? when doth he open his hand to them for their satisfaction, but even then, when the eyes of all things wait upon him? 
Psal. 145.15, 16. and 40.1.  when had Daiud his God so inclined to him, as to hear his cry, but when he waited patiently for the Lord? when David's soul was so strongly set upon the gracions answer that he should have from God, that he can wait in waiting, dwell upon the duty, double his patience, and never look off from the God he cried to, he shall quickly have the deliverance he cried for & be brought sweetly out of the miry clay, his feet shall be set upon a rock, and his go ordered: as he was ever looking towards the Lord, to give him the thing he wanted: to deliver him from the thing he felt or feared; so his God came accordingly: our God not only towards his, purposes an end, but an expectation too (as it is in the Text) an end in respect of their miseries: an expectation in respect of faith and his promises: it is as much, as if God should say, I will then put an end to all the afflictions of my people: I will then give deliverances, peace, and all good, when my people's expectations are strong for it: when they so expect, than I will do: when I give peace it shall be an expected peace: when I give good, it shall be an expected good: when I give an end, it shall be an expected end: our God intends to have his mercy welcome when it comes; and therefore he will make the hearts of Believers work after it, look for it, settle upon it, ere it comes: our God intends to have his given, to be kept on foot, to have some springing of that he hath already sown, ere the remainder of mercy laid up in his promises shall come: he will see how his children will trade with that stock alroady given, ere he will trust them with more: he that knows when is his season to give out his mercy, will never bestow it, till he can say, now it is seasonable: now is the right time: now behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me, etc. come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, 
Exod. 3.9.10.  that thou mayest bring forth my people out of Egypt: See God hath his now, ere the cry of the Israelites comes to him: his now, ere he hears their cry: his now, ere he comes down to deliver: his now, ere he sends Moses to Pharaoh upon this errand of deliverance: and this his now was not, till they had been under the Egyptian slavery many years: till all their male children had the black doom of death upon them: till their sighs and groans broke forth into cries, and their cries came up to God, which did therefore ascend so high, because they were mixed with so much faith & expectation, which spoke thus much in God's ears, that surely he that dwells in heaven, and was their God, would see their oppressions with a pitying eye, would hear their groans with a merciful heart, and come down with his love, and with his power, for to deliver them.  
Thirdly, Christians live by faith: put forth, and that to the life, this living grace: take need of despising promises, of staggering at, or of being beaten back from these sweet words and precious things of God, made and ratified, given and performed to us in JESUS CHRIST: hath our GOD said it, and will he not do it? hath he spoken any thing that he will let fall, and not bring to pass? What, are jehovahs' words but as wind? see to it that nothing beat you off from believing in God's purposes, in his thoughts, so sweetly revealed in his promises for you, and to you: if you will have God, (Now) come for deliverance, for Salvation, let God have his (Now) for believing: our God's voice is (Now) if ye can believe; (Now) if ye canrest upon me; 
Heb. 3.7.  To day if ye hear my voice of mercy, ye shall enter into my rest: the Israelites were brought into Canaan by faith, and unbelief shut the door against thousands of them, that they could never enter in: if we stand and say, 
Heb. 19 v.  there be Giants in the way to our peace: there be sons of Anack: there be walls: there be Wars: there be Enemies open and secret, betwixt us and our good: us and our Gospel: us and our peace: if we suffer ourselves to backslide from Christ (the Captain of our Salvation) to fly off from promises, to sink with discouragements, and to cry out in the midst we are all undone: we are past cure: we can never be reform: We can never have a right, a blessed peace: what is this, but to say, with the unbelieving Israelites, we shall never be able to overcome the Giants, to climb up the walls, to possess Canaan, and some indeed to shut the door of hope against ourselves, turn the fruitful Valley of Anchor (which the Lord would give us into the stony and barren wilderness of of our own unbelief? What is this but to stop up all, that might never enter in nor enjoy what God purposes for, and promises to these that do believe? Christians, if we can believe, we may conclude all things are possible; let us not clip our own wings, our wings of Faith especially, 
Isa. 40.41.  how shall we fly then? How shall we mount up as Eagles then, far above all below things, to Jesus Christ? How shall we be settled then, nay how shall we choose but hover & flutter up and down, upon the earth of our own hearts, and of the times? Christians, see to it, unbelief is a bloody thing: it knits more, it kills worse than any sword: unbelief is the greatest plunderer: it takes a way all: it leaves nothing, no not a promise of mercy, nor a God that promises it: do you not think the sword kills enough? do you not think the enemies of Christ plunder enough waste enough? Oh be not self destoyers by selfe-unbelieefe! Our greatest danger lies here: if ever we miscarry; if ever we be shut out of Canaan; if ever we be cut off and perish; the enemy and adversary is this Wicked Haman: this accursed unbelief: it sells us and all we have, first over to sin, and then to misery: it makes a forfeiture of all we have into the hands justice, ye and keeps off all good that is coming into our hands: Oh believe and and we shall prosper! believe, and the stream will be turned: God will be found: Israel will be saved: the Canaanites will be bread for us, & God himself will be a portion for us: we are now like to gain much, or lose much: if faith turn the Scales we are made; if unbelief turn the Scales, we are destroyed. Our God is now laying a foundation for many generations, a foundation of such good, that not only his servants in this present age, but the children that are yet unborn might bless him for these beginnings of such love, for the first stone laid in our days: Oh! let not us remove such a foundation, let us not roll away this stone with the accursed hands of unbelief: What, shall we cloud the Sun from ourselves, that it may not shine upon us? Shall we blast the blossoms and buds of mercy by the east-wind of our unbelief? shall we blow away the sweet showers of blessing, with the rough wind of our own lusts? God forbidden: believers this is all the burden the Spirit of God puts upon you: that which ye have (who have Christ, graces, light promises) hold fast till Christ comes: the zeal you have for the Lord God of Hosts, for Christ the Captain of Salvation and the King of Saints, against Rome, against sin, against the times, hold fast, the faith and confidence you have in Christ, in his promises, hold fast: the title you have to Christ to all good in him, hold fast: leave not a promise, no not the least title in a promise of a thousand worlds: deal with these (as job resolved and did with his integrity) hold them fast till ye die: let no enemy remove you from these; hold these, when ye cannot hold your estates: when you must leave creatures, resolve upon it to keep these: let not fears affright thee, or allurements entice thee to withdraw thyself, and to return from following after these: but say to promises (yea to Christ, who speaks in, and by them, to thee) as Ruth said to Naomi: 
Ruth. 1.16  where thou goest I will go: and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: I will be where Christ is: I will live, where Christ lives: I will walk where he walks: I will dwell were he dwells: Nothing shall persuade me to return from following after thee: from resting upon thy word: I will not live in the hopes of men: I will not live in the success of our Armies: I will not live in the overthrow of the Enemies: these things may alter, and the scales may soon turn: but I will live in the love, and in the light of my God: this turns not: this is unchangeable: Oh! who but he is blessed, who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is? Oh believers! Would you be planted by the waters of mercy? would you prosper? Would you spread out your viols by the River of his love? would you be still green, would you be fruitful, and not cease bearing? would you look well, & thrive in these years of drought? 
jer. 17.7, 8.  Why trust in jehovah: he can and will do all this, yea all things for you: well might the Apostle say, 
Heb. 10.38.  the just shall live by faith: and put a (Now) to it too: for it was in such a (Now) in such a time wherein reproaches, afflictions, and persecutions were so rife, so hot against the Saints: 'twas in such a (Now) wherein the saints were spoiled of their goods: 'twas in such a (now) wherein they were in a very fiery trial, and endured a great fight of afflictions, and wherein in all points (the Apostle saw) they had more than ordinary need of patience: Now (says he) when even all things are at such a sad point, thus desperate: Now, when the world is thus mad, thus up in arms against the people of God: Now live by faith, this can live, and never better than now: Now this grace drives an excellent trade: now it hath a time of it: faith is up when other things be down: it lifts up the head, is green and flourishes even in the dead of Winter: Believers see to it; as you have need of patience to bear your burdens; so you have need of faith to fetch off your burdens: believe, and you shall see sunshine thorough the clouds: liberties, thorough troubles: light thorough darkness: peace, thorough war: the Gospel, thorough Rome: unity thorough divisions: amity, thorough envy: and an happy reformation, thorough an unhappy confusion; if your faith fail not, God will be with you, he will not fail: blessings will come, they will not fail: Curses will be removed, they shall not stay.  
Fourtly, and lastly you must wrestle, and with a prevailing wrestling too, ere these thoughts of good of peace be like to come forth to you: God purposed to deliver jacob from his brother Esau that he should smile upon upon him, rather than rage, 
Gen. 32.9, etc. Hos. 12.4.  and smite the mother with the children; but jacob must pray, and with God for it first: he must weep and make supplication; he pleads the Covenant God made with his fathers, Abraham and Isaac, and say the God of my father Abraham, & the God of my father Isaac: he pleads the Commission he had from God to return to his Country, and to his kindred; he pleads that God had said, if he did return he would deal well with him; yea more, thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the Sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude; and now my brother Esau is coming, and I fear him lest he will come and smite me, and the Mother with the children; 
12. v.  jacob by his faith pitching upon the word of God's promise wrestles hard for deliverance: and ere he hath done, he hath a new name given him, and that so significant as tells him, that as a Prince he hath power with God and with men and hath prevailed: and upon this as God gives, jacob a new name, 
28. v.  so jacob gives the place a new name, and calls it it Peniel (the very face of God) for (says he) I have seen God face to face, 
30. v.  and my life is prescribed: Now jacoh hath such an answer; that he can say, he hath seen God: as well as that he hath sought God: and that his life is preserved though he hath so seen GOD, and that it shall be preserved when ever he sees his brother Esau: From the sight of his God he saw preservation, and did absolutely conclude upon a sweet deliverance from his brother's rage: 
Gen. 33.4.  Therefore when Esau mets jacob in such a way of love, when he runs to meet him: when he embraces him; falls on his neck and kisses him: 
10. v.  Oh (says JACOB) I have seen thy face as though I had seen the face of God; and thou wast pleased with me: (as if he should say) I read thus much concerning thy kindness to me, when I saw my God face to face: and now in this thy brotherly carriage I am put in mind of the fountain and bottom of it: 'tis not thy nature brother Esau: 'tis the face of my God towards me: I have prevailed with God: and he hath prevailed over thee: thy countenance was clouded, and thy heart enraged: but the face of my God shining upon me hath changed the fierceness of thy countenace against me: and turned it so, as thou art pleased with me; Believers know if ye can and do wrestle as jacob, you shall prevail as he: this you shall be sure of, to see Esaves, as if ye had seen the face of GOD: this you shall be sure of, to see the face of God in the sword, in the war: in all the troubles that befall us, and this will sweeten all, and give you to see yourselves, as more than conquerors, through him that loves you. Daniel sets his face to the Lord God, 
Dan. 9.3.  to seek by prayer and supplication, to have these thoughts of God, of good, drawn out to the poor captivated Jews: he goes to it with fasting and sackcloth and ashes, to get off the desolations of Jerusalem. Believers, know not God will be sought to, enquired, and looked after: if you expect an expected end; know also the Lord expects the means tending thereunto: what, have you no tears, no groans, no prayers to present the Lord withal? Have you no fire upon the Altars of your hearts for Christ, 
Rev. 8.5.  and against sin? how should Christ come then, and fill his censer, and cast it into the earth, and so cause voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake, that may shake, remove and destroy all his Enemies? Stand, ye Saints, 
Jer 6.16.  and see, and ask, which is the good old way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls: this hath been that good, that old way of drawing out purposes of love towards his people: believers, know, ye must thresh ere the end and expectation will come: 
Mic. 4.13.  the daughter of Zion must not now be delicate: she must blow, and sow, and break the clods, and expect with patience the former and the latter rain, and gather in her crop, & thresh too when she hath done: and all this too, ere the end and expectation can, or will come: ye must wrestle, ye must strive, it will not be else: oh be content, to be in many labours; in many agonyes, to travail with Zion: be content to endure hardness: much more to be oft with God: to be earnest with him: he hath bowels to pity: he hath an eye to see: he hath an hand to help: and therefore will have an ear to hear: hath our God given into our hands the blessed key of his own treasury of love, and will you hid it, or pack it up rather than open the door with it? what shall God, the same God, (who by his grace and Spirit makes the prayers, and makes them so prevailing, and perfectly knows that hidden strength of the prayers of faith) shall he come and tell us they prevail, and prevail much (and that in the lowest and saddest state of the Saints too) and shall we lay them aside? what, do we look, that either a Gospel reformation, or a merciful peace should be so given to us, as to be put into our mouths, whilst we are prayerless, sleeping, slothful? have we wrestled against God, like froward ones, and shall we not wrestle with God, like believers? have we given our hearts, our hands, our help, to make a land naked and waste, 
Col 3.12.  and shall we look after no covering, no clothing, no mercy for it? oh, put on bowels of mercy, and as the Elect of God too: natural compassions, or some piece of Spiritual mercies let not them serve your turn; but put on bowels in a way of love and tenderness; as you have put on Christ in a way of faith: 
Phil. 2.1.  if there be any consolation (yea salvation which is the cause of it) in Christ; if there be any comfort in love; if there be any fellowship of the spirit; if there be any bowels and mercies; fulfil the joy of God's people: answer their expectations: set in to GOD for them: (yea for yourselves) in these needful times: On let not a Land sink, becasue you will not pray: because your hearts sink from God Oh let not Amalek prevail, because you will not hold up your hand! Oh let not the Goliahs still boast, dare, and defy, because there be no David's to go forth against them! Why may not the prayers of Faith save a sick Land, a dying, a bleeding Kingdom, from the hurtful sword? Why may not God accept of tears in Christ, the powrings out of the soul in him? 
Job. 22.30.  Why may not the innocent (so are believers looked upon in Christ) deliver the Island? Who knows what a spirit of grace, and supplication can do, may do? He is faithful that hath promised, he will do what ever he hath said: the Lord make his people earnest in pleading, and faithful in applying his promises, faithful in suing to his throne by instant and incessant prayers: in working up and winding up their hearts to a strong, a patiented, a joyful dependence on him; and than if we perish we perish; we may then lose all lose-able things with comfort: and find all saving and eternal things in God: oh thou believing soul, do but think what solid consolation thou shalt reaped; when thou canst call the salvation of God (Naphtali) my wrestling: when the soul can call the downfall of Idolatry; my wrestling: a right Reformation; my wrestling: an happy execution; my wrestling: a putting up of the sword, and the come in of a sweet peace; my wrestling: and can say concerning Gods deliverances, his salvations (as Rachel said sometimes in another case) with great wrestlings have I wrestled with my God, and I have prevailed: for this, and for that, and the other mercy I prayed: 
1 Sam. 1.20.  and the Lord hath given me my petitions which I asked of him. Oh it will exceedingly rejoice the heart of a Believer! to see all his mercies: and all the faithful ones mercies too, to be as (so many samuel's) so many things asked of God; as well as given of him: Christians let me bespeak you with the words of the Prophet, 
Isa 62.6, 7.  and lay it close with the Lords own charge upon you. Ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence, and give him no rest, till he establish (for that our God will do) and till he make jerusalem a praise (though now it is made a prey) in the whole earth: You are not to keep silence now: you are not to sit still, sullen, cast down, or disquieted: you are not now to faint, but to bestir yourselves, to work that God may work: you cannot build Jerusalem, or establish it when it is built, or make it famous, make a praise whilst it stands: it is not in your power; but you know a God that can: you love a God that can: up to him then: wrestle, strive to enter into his bowels of love; get but him to work: get but his right hand to save: get but the arm of his strength, of his salvation to be made bare for us, and we shall be saved: Zion shall be comforted, and all her Enemies trodden down as the mire of the street.  
Use 4 In the last place, this truth shines bright, and reaches fare in way of consolation and divine encouragement for and to the Saints: it comes full of sweet joy and spiritual solace to the hearts of Believers, in these trying and troublous times: it answers many a sighing groaning burdened Saint (as the Lord answered the Angel (that is Christ) that talked with Zechariah) with good words and comfortable words: 
Zech. 1.13  we now have our ears filled with sad complaints: and how usually and freely, do men take on for their losses? Thus it is with me (says one) and thus it is with me (says another) call not me (Naomi) call not me pleasant, but call me Mara; for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me: I was full, 
Ruth 1.20  but now I am empty: I was worth so much within these few days, but now I have lost all; oh the Lord hath testified against me! oh the Almighty hath afflicted me! well grant all this, let there be even floods of misery abroad; say, man's day of darkness is begun; what then, is there no hope, no Saviour? 
Psal. 39.7.  may not the Saints turn themselves towards God, and say Lord our hope is even in thee? what do we wait for? what is all our hope, besides this hope? states, names, friends, an arm of flesh, carnal contrivances, worldly dependencies, are they not all Spider's webs? are they not suddenly and easily swept down? Truly our hope is in thee: in thy love: in thy fullness: in thy thoughts: in thy blessed purposes: here we can read peace in trouble: good, in evil, both things, and times: light in darkness: comfort in sorrows: Oh let us rejoice in these thoughts of our God: rejoice in the Lord ye righteous: and well they may, is there not cause? look not upon God through the false glass of the times: look not upon this Sun, as in an Eclipse: he is ri●ing, he is shining: he is warming those souls he looks and darts upon: who can make void, who can empty out God's purposes of ●ove: who can turn the course of the stream of his mercy? who can hinder God in the bringing forth of his own thoughts in his own time? who can make God either ignorant of what he knows, or forgetful of what he still remembers? he that knows the thoughts of peace he hath towards his people: knows also his people (all his sheep) for whom he hath these thoughts of his peace: rejoice in it ye Saints! it is a portion, a glorious and full one too; a portion peculiar to yourselves; there is not one shall share with you, but he that is like you; a child of this father as well as yourselves: Rejoice in it, ye Saints, it is as certain as God is; he hath as certainly such thoughts towards you, as he is love and hath the nature of a God in himself. Rejoice ye righteous; ye know not how soon these thoughts of peace may appear above ground; they have been sown long; yea and they will never die under the clod; they have been in the breast of God from all eternity; Here is light sown for the righteous, and do they not begin to peep forth? do you see no blade, no sign of such merciful thoughts abroad now? may we not tract the footsteps of these thoughts all along; through a Parliament in their proceed; through an Army, in their fightings; through Christ his Messengers and Members, in their Liberties? Stand up then by faith; lift up your hearts in the midst of troubles; if wrath be begun, yet mercy is begun too; if wrath be gone forth, yet thoughts of peace are abroad too: do not say I am under temptations, I have lost my friends, and my means, have me excused, I cannot rejoice:  
Obj. Who will excuse thee?  
Answ. I know none, but I know who will accuse thee, even this truth will, if thou do not rejoice.  
Obj. Yea, but Rome hath such bloody thoughts, her instruments are now abroad, and they are for war, plundering, spoiling, and cruelty.  
Answ. What then, look up to heaven, here be thoughts of mercy; here is a pitying Christ, whilst below here is a raging Antichrist: and although he may be permitted to make a sea of blood in the earth; yet God hath a sea of mercy in heaven, to drown all the miseries and sins of his servants in.  
Obj. Yea, but I do not know what I may suffer.  
Answ. What, suppose the worst: can these part betwixt thy God and thee? canst thou suffer the loss of him, or of the thoughts of his mercy? no, no●● who shall separate, in this case●● is the bold challenge of all be●● lievers? 
Rom. 8.35  why then gird up th●● loins of thy mind: there i●● hope and help enough: thou an● more happy than the world ca● make thee: and thou shalt neve● be miserable, let the world d● what it can to make thee so● there is grace to be revealed and brought to every believer by the hand and at the coming of Jesus Christ: 
1 Pet. 1.13.  this is enough to keep you above water, whatever your present condition be there be thoughts of peace, and of mercy, the Lord make thy heart close with himself; these will be brought out for the enriching and thy comfort in this day, and thy day, of his redemption. Suck in then thy own consolation thou believing soul, and rejoice in the Lord, whilst thou art sad and troubled in a sinful and perplexed Kingdom: and say in the Spirit, well all this storm will be over the Saints shall triumph: jesus Christ shall be on the throne: his enemies shall be disthroned and fall: for God hath thoughts of peace towards his people: he knows them all, and will bring them out, for he waits to be gracious: in the fullness of time then there will be a fullness of mercy: and in the mean time here remains a rest for the people of God to enter into: a blessed Sanctuary of merciful thoughts in the bosom of our God, for the succour of faithful ones: here take up thy rest, enter in, dwell, and delight for evermore.  
FINIS.