Tears and groans, and prayers will not do without Christ. Most, when they are convinced of sin, and are under fears of hell, reform something, and thus the wound is healed, and by this thousands fall short of heaven. For if we be not brought off from ourselves, and our righteousness as well as our sins, we are never like to be saved. We must see an absolute need of Christ, and give ourselves up to him, and count all but dung and dross in comparison of Christ’s righteousness. Look therefore for mercy only in Christ, for his sake rely upon God’s mercy. The terms of the gospel are, repent and believe; gracious terms! Mercy for fetching, nay, mercy for desiring, nay, for nothing but receiving. Dost thou desire mercy and grace? I know thou dost. Even this is the gift of God to desire, hunger after Christ; let desires put you upon endeavour, the work itself is sweet: yea, repentance and mourning itself hath more sweetness in it, than all the world’s comforts. Upon repentance and believing comes justification, after this sanctification, by the spirit dwelling in us. By this we come to be the children of God, to be made partakers of the divine nature, to have a suitableness to God.” CHAPTER III. _His great love to prayer._ HE was mighty in prayer, and his spirit was oftentimes so transported in it that he forgot the weakness of his own body. Indeed the acquaintance he had with God was so sweet, and his converse with him so frequent, that when he was engaged in duty, he scarce knew how to leave off. His constant course for some years was this. He prayed at least three times a day in secret, sometimes seven times, twice a day in the family or college. And he found the sweetness of it beyond imagination and enjoyed wonderful communion with God. He could say by experience, that the ways of wisdom were ways of pleasantness, and all her paths peace. He knew what it was to wrestle with God, and he could scarce come off his knees, without his blessing. He was used to converse with God, with a _holy familiarity_ as a _friend_, and would upon all occasions run to him for advice, and had many strange and immediate answers of prayer. One of which I think it not impertinent to give an account of. His father Mr. _William Janeway_, minister of _Kelshall_ in _Hertfordshire_, being sick, and under dark apprehensions as to the state of his soul, he would often say to his son _John_: “Oh! Son! This passing into eternity is a great thing, this dying is a solemn business, and enough to make one’s heart ake, that hath not his evidences for heaven clear. And truly, son, I am under no small fears, as to my own estate for another world. Oh! That God would clear his love! Oh! that I could say chearfully, I can upon good grounds be able to look death in the face, and venture upon eternity with well grounded peace and comfort.”