Use. Exhortation to examine our desires, . Strong desires how to Imow when they are so, " Observation 8. Holy desires are to be turned into prayers, Eeason I. Thereby we maintain acquaintance with God, Keason 2. Thereby we manifest a good conscience Observation 4. Perseverance and importunity requisite in
prayer, .......
God doth not presently answer our desires and why- — because
he loves to hear us pray ; to keep us humble ; to exercise
our graces ; to make us prize his blessings ; to teach us to
use them better when we enjoy them. The having the spirit of prayer better than the enjojTnent of
particular blessings, ....
Assurance before we pray to receive what we pray for, no hin
drance to prayer, ..... God's house, what it is, .
Love of God's children, to good things, constant, Observation 5. God is beautiful in himself, . In his church, .....
Especially in Christ, ....
Christ most lovely in his greatest abasement, The church beautiful, ....
In regard of the angels, ....
In regard of the ordinances — the word preached ; the sacra
ments ; discipline ; joint semce of God, In regard of the evidences of God's love — protection ; effectual
calling ; justification ; sanctification ; inward peace and joy, The church of God a paradise, ....
Use. Exhortation to be in love with the beauty of God and
his house, ....
Carnal men see not this beauty, and why, True delight, wherein it consists, Happiness of man, what. How to come to see the beauty of God, Get spii'itual life, .... Beg the spirit of revelation, . . .
Labour to see our own deformity, . •
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232, 233
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238
CONTENTS.
xm
Consider Christ's relations to us, . . ,
A continual necessity of the ordinances,
Private duties must give way to pubhc,
Papists, their error in addition,
There hath alway been a church,
Marks of the true church, ....
Abuse of things takes not away their use,
What estate they are in that are cast out of the church,
Trials of om- love to the beauty of God's house,
How to come to see the beauty of God's house ; use God's
means ; come in faith, .... Compare the excellency of God's house with other things. Desire God to reveal himself in his ordinances, Motives to labour to see the beauty of God himself, and of his
house, ......
It makes us glorious.
Our souls are made for these things, . .
Lest God remove his ordinances, . .
Notes, ......
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248
THE EETUENING BACKSLIDEE;
Or, a Commentary upon Hosea XIV.
Prefatory Note, ...... 250
To the Reader, by John Hill, . . , .251
The sum of this Treatise —
The time when Hosea prophesied, . . . 252 The people of God are exhorted to repentance by many motives, 253
God's answer to their petitions, .... 253 God comes not suddenly upon his childi-en, but gives them
warning, ...... 254
V\Tiich ariseth from the goodness of his nature, . . 254
Spiritual means best for preventing judgments, . . 254
In returning to God, there must be a stop, . . 255
Humiliation, what it is, . . . . . 255
Resolution, what it is, . . . . . 255
How to know the truth of our humiliation, . . 256 Where there is a falling into sin there will be a faUing into
misery, ...... 256-258
God is willing to be at peace with us, . . . 259
In all om* distresses we must come to God in prayer, . 259, 260 Why we must bring words with us, though God knows our
mind, ....... 260
That words and purposes must concur in prayer, . . 260, 261
Confession, how it is to be made, .... 261
Why all iniquity is to be prayed against, . . . 261
The trial of a sound desu'e, .... 262
CONTENTS.
Page
Mercy begged above all, ..... 262
Whether we ought not to think of our former sins, . 263
How we may know our sins are forgiven, . . . 263, 264
The misery of those that have not their sins forgiven, . 264
God's favours are complete to his childi-en, . . 265
The loadstone of the soul is good, . . . 265
How we may know blessings come from the love of God, . 266, 267 The use of vows, ...... 268
The use of a broken heart, .... 269, 270
What the sacrifice of praise is, . . . . 270, 271
Why lips are mentioned for praise, . . . 271
Helps to praise God, ..... 271
Doubting kills thankfulness, .... 27^
Assurance is the nurse of thanksgiving, . . . 273
We should take advantage of our dispositions, . . 274
Encouragements to praise God, .... 274-276
How to know when praise is accepted, . . . 276
Reformation must be joined with prayer, . . . 277
True repentance is of the particular sin, . . . 277