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

6. Holy and humble appeals before the Lord in secret, when the soul can submissively and thankfully expose it self to divine searching about some measures of holiness and grace wrought in the heart.¹ The soul cannot bide by the presence of God under flashings of defilement, [neque agnosci poterit à spiritu sancto spiritus inquinatus,] neither will the holy spirit own a defiled soul. But when a person can humbly, modestly and reverently say, search me and try my reins, and if there be any way of wickedness in me, lead me in the everlasting way; it vvill be the means of the ebullitions and boilings up of joyful affections and meek confidence at the footstool of grace, especially in pleas of deliverance from wicked and proud enemies. When David can plead in comparison with, and in the case stated between his enemies and himself: For I am holy: ²It shows him a token for good: or when we plead against the assaults of Satan, can we be conscious, that we have watched and prayed against entering into temptation. When in the main we can wash our hands in Innocency,³ we may then comfortably compass God's altar about. In case of opposition and injustice. He rewarded me (says David in the point of Saul) according to my righteousness and the cleanness of my hands before him. Or about the truth of the love that is in the heart to God. Thou that knowest all things, ⁴says Peter, knowest that I love thee. As to zeal for the Worship and Ordinances of God, so did Nehemiah. As to the integrity of a well-spent life, so did Hezekiah: or if we cannot rise so high, yet as the Church did, The desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. Or lastly, when we can unfeignedly plead the usefulness of a mercy entreated, in order to the divine glory. As when a minister, or the Church of Christ for him, prays for such gifts and graces,⁵ such knowledge and utterance that he may win souls to Christ, and can appeal that it is his principal aim; this is glorious.