A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically…

1. Be sure of intimate acquaintance with God. Can we presume that are but dust and ashes to go up into heaven and boldly to enter the presence-chamber and have no fellowship with the Father, or with the Son?^(a) Acquaint thy self with him and be at peace, &c. Then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty and lift up thy face unto God▪ thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee. ^(b)The decrees of thy heart shall be established to thee, and the light shall shine upon thy ways. First^(c) shining acquaintance, and then shining answers. Canst thou set thy face unto the Lord God, then thou mayest seek him by prayer. First Daniel sets and shows his face to God, and then seeks him by prayer and supplications. Does God know your face in prayer? do you often converse in your closets with him? Believe it, it must be the fruit of intimate acquaintance with God, to meet him in secret with delight. Can ye come familiarly as a child to a father, considering its own vileness, meanness, or unworthiness in comparison with his divine love, the love and bowels of a heavenly father? Such a father, the father of fathers, and the father of mercies.⁴ How sweetly does the Apostle join it, God is our Father because the Father of our Lord, and because his Father and so our Father, therefore the Father of mercies. Oh what generations of mercies flow from this paternity! But plead we must to that [Greek or Hebrew] that manuduction and access to this father through Christ by the spirit. We must be gradually acquainted with all three.⁵ First with the spirit, then with Christ, and last with the father; first God sends the spirit of his son into our hearts, and then through the son we cry Abba father. The bowels of mercy first wrought in the father to us, he chose us in Christ and then sends his spirit to draw us to Christ, and by Christ to himself. Have ye this access to God by the spirit, bosom-communion flows from bosom-affection. If your souls are truly in love with God, he will graciously say to your petitions, be it unto you according to your love.