Shall I be fond of the company of a passenger that I travel with (yea, perhaps one that doth but meet me in the way, and goeth to a contrary place), and shall I not take more pleasure to remember home? I will not be so uncivil as to deny those I meet a short salute, or to be friendly with my fellow-travellers: but remember, O my soul, that thou dost not dwell, but travel here, and that it is thy Father's house where thou must abide for ever; yea, and he is nearer thee than man (though invisible), even in thy way. O see him then that is invisible; harken to him when he speaketh; obey his voice; observe his way; speak to him boldly, though humbly and reverently, as his child, about the great concernments of thy state: tell him what it is that aileth thee; and seeing all thy smart is the fruit of thy own sin, confess thy folly and unkindness, crave his forgiveness, and remember him what his Son hath suffered, and for what; treat with him about thy future course; desire his grace, and give up thyself to his conduct and his care: weep over in his ears the history of thy misdoings and unthankful course; tell it him with penitential tears and groans; but tell him also the advantage that he hath for the honouring of his grace, if it may now abound where sin aboundeth: tell him that thou art most offended with thyself, for that which he is most offended with; that thou art angry with thy disobedient, unthankful heart; that thou art even aweary of that heart that loveth him no more; and that it shall never please thee, till it love him better, and be more desirous to please him: tell him of thy enemies, and crave the protection of his love: tell him of thy frailties, infirmities and passions, and crave not only his tender forbearance, but his help; tell him that without him thou canst do nothing; and crave the grace that is sufficient for thee, that through him that strengtheneth thee thou mayst do all things: when thou fallest, despair not, but crave his helping hand to raise thee. Speak to him especially of the everlasting things, and thank him for his promises, and for thy hopes; for what thou shalt be, and have, and do among his holy ones for ever. Express thy joys in the promise of those joys; that thou must see his glory, and love him, and praise him better than thou canst now desire! begin those praises, and as thou walkest with him, take pleasure in the mention of his perfections; be thankful to him, and speak

good of his name: solace thyself in remembering what a God, what a defence and portion all believers have; and in considering whither he is now conducting thee, and what he will do with thee, and what use he will make of thee for ever speak with rejoicing of the glory of his works, and the righteousness of his judgments, and the holiness and evenness of his ways: sing forth his praises with a joyful heart, and pleasant and triumphing voice; and frown away all slavish fears, all importune, malicious suggestions and doubts, all peevish, hurtful, nipping griefs, that would mar or interrupt the melody; and would untune or unstring a raised well-composed soul. Thy Father loveth thy very moans and tears; but how much more doth he love thy thanks and praise! Or if indeed it be a winter-time, a stormy day with thee, and he seem to chide or hide his face because thou hast offended him, let the cloud that is gathered by thy folly come down in tears, and tell him, "Thou hast sinned against heaven, and before him, and art no more worthy to be called his son;" but yet fly not from him, but beg his pardon and the privilege of a servant; and thou wilt find embracements, when thou fearest condemnation; and find that he is merciful and ready to forgive: only return, and keep closer for the time to come. If the breach through thy neglect be gone so far, as that thou seemest to have lost thy God, and to be cast off, and left forsaken; despair not yet; for he doth but hide his face till thou repent: he doth not forsake thee, but only tell thee what it is to walk so carelessly as if thou wouldst forsake him: thou art faster and surer in his love and covenant than thou canst believe or apprehend. Thy Lord was as dear as ever to his Father, when he cried out, "My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" But yet neglect him not, and be not regardless of his withdrawings, and of thy loss: lift up thy voice and cry but Father; in despite of unbelief, cry out, My Father, my Saviour, my God, and thou shalt hear him answer thee at last, My child; cry out, O why dost thou hide thy face? and why hast thou forsaken me! O what shall I do here without thee! O leave me not, lose me not in this howling wilderness! Let me not be a prey to any ravening beast! to my sin, to Satan, to my foes and thine! Lift up thy voice and weep, and tell him, they are the tears and lamentations of

his child: O beg of him, that thy wanderings and childish folly, may not be taken as acts of enmity, or at least that they may be pardoned; and though he correct thee, that he will return and not forsake thee, but still take thee and use thee as his child, or if thou hast not words to pour out before him, at least smite upon thy breast, and though thou be ashamed or afraid to look up towards heaven, look down and say, "O Lord, be merciful to me a sinner," and he will take it for an acceptable suit, that tendeth to thy pardon and justification, and will number such a sentence with the prayers which he cannot deny. Or if thou cry and canst not hear of him, and hast long called out upon thy Father's name, and hearest not his voice and hast no return; inquire after him of those thou meetest: ask for him of them that know him, and are acquainted with his way; make thy moan unto the watchmen; and ask them, where thou mayst find thy Lord. And at last he will appear to thee, and find thee first, that thou mayst find him, and shew thee where it was that thou didst lose him, by losing thyself and turning from him! seek him and thou shalt find him; wait and he will appear in kindness; for he never faileth or forsaketh those that wait upon him.

This kind of converse, O my soul, thou hast to prosecute with thy God. Thou hast also the concernments of all his servants; his afflicted ones, to tell him of; tell him also of the concernments of his kingdom, the fury of his enemies, the dishonour they cast upon his name, the matters of his Gospel, cause, and interest in the world; but still let his righteous judgment be remembered, and all be terminated in the glorious, everlasting kingdom.

Is it not much better thus to converse with him that I must be with for ever, about the place, and the company, and work, and concernments of my perpetual abode, than to be taken up with strangers in my way, and detained by their impertinencies?

I have found myself so long in these meditations that I will but name the rest, and tell you what I had farther to have treated on, and leave the enlargement to your own meditations.

לי

8. I have no reason to be weary of converse with God, seeing it is that for which all human converse is regardable

Converse with man, is only so far desirable as it tendeth to our converse with God; and therefore the end must be preferred before the means.

9. It is the office of Christ, and the work of the Holy Ghost, and the use of all the means of grace, and of all creatures, mercies, and afflictions, to reduce our straying souls to God, that we may converse with him, and enjoy him.

10. Converse with God is most suitable to those that are so near death; it best prepareth for it; it is likest to the work that we are next to do. We had rather, when death comes, be found conversing with God, than with man ; it is God that a dying man hath principally to do with; it is his judgment that he is going to, and his mercy that he hath to trust upon; and therefore it concerneth us to draw near him now, and be no strangers to him, lest strangeness then should be our terror.

11. How wonderful a condescension is it that God should be willing to converse with me! with such a worm and sinful wretch; and therefore how inexcusable is my crime, if 1 refuse his company, and so great a mercy!

12. Lastly, Heaven itself is but our converse with God and his glorified ones (though in a more perfect manner than we can here perceive). And therefore our holy converse with him here is the state that is likest heaven, and that prepareth for it, and all the heaven that is on earth.

It remaineth now that I briefly tell you what you should do to attain and manage this converse with God, in the improvement of your solitude. (For directions in general for walking with God, I reserve for another place.) At present let these few suffice.

Direct. 1. If you would comfortably converse with God, make sure that you are reconciled to him in Christ, and that he is indeed your Friend and Father.' "Can two walk together except they be agreed?" Can you take pleasure in dwelling with the consuming fire? or conversing with the most dreadful enemy? Yet this I must add, that every doubting or self-accusing soul may not find a pretence to fly from God. 1. That God ceaseth not to be a Father whenever a fearful soul is drawn to question or deny it. 2. That in the universal love and grace of God to mis

erable sinners, and in the universal act of conditional pardon and oblivion, and in the offers of grace, and the readiness of God to receive the penitent, there is glad tidings that should exceedingly rejoice a sinner; and there is sufficient encouragement to draw the most guilty, miserable sinner to seek to God, and sue for mercy. But yet the sweetest converse is for children, and for those that have some assurance that they are children.

But perhaps you will say, that this is not easily attained. How shall we know that he is our Friend?

In brief, I answer, If you are unfeignedly friends to God, it is because he first loved you. Prefer him before all other friends, and all the wealth and vanity of the world; provoke him not by wilfulness or neglect; use him as your best Friend, and abuse him not by disobedience or ingratitude; own him before all, at the dearest rates, whenever you are called to it: Desire his presence; lament his absence: love him from the bottom of your hearts; think not hardly of him; suspect him not; misunderstand him not; hearken not to his enemies; receive not any false reports against him; take him to be really better for you, than all the world: Do these, and doubt not but you are friends with God, and God with you. In a word, Be but heartily willing to be friends to God, and that God should be your chiefest Friend, and you may be sure that it is so indeed, and that you are and have what you desire. And then how delightfully may you converse with God.

Direct. 2. Wholly depend on the mediation of Christ, the great Reconciler.' Without him there is no coming near to God; but in his Beloved you shall be accepted. Whatever fear of his displeasure shall surprise you, fly presently for safety unto Christ; whatever guilt shall look you in the face, commit yourself and cause to Christ, and desire him to answer you: when the doors of mercy seem to be shut against you, fly to him that bears the keys, and can at any time open to you and let let you in desire him to answer for you to God, to your own consciences, and against all accusers; by him alone you may boldly and comfortably converse with God; but God will not know you out of him.

Direct. 3. Take heed of bringing a particular guilt into the presence of God, if you would have sweet communion