lashed with such knotted cords Thy Companions in sin as they now heighten thy pleasures so will they hereafter sharpen thy plagues Sinners comfort their hearts with this thought That if they be damned they shall have store of company but let them know That the fire of Hell will burn just so much the cooler for the multitudes that are there as the fire of their Chimney does for the store of fewell When thou art charmed with the roaring of thy Companions in the Ale-house think what musick their roaring with thee will make when you shall all meet in your eternal Prison Away from evil company you will remember hereafter when 't is too late how much and with how little success I have laboured with you in this thing 5. Bafflle not Conscience once more Awakened Sinner charm not thy Conscience into silence nor dash it out oâ— countenance Thy Conscience is the only Friend that God or thy Soul hath left within thee Thy will and thy affections and thine appetite are all gone the Devil hath stoln them away and hired them all against thee thou hast nothing but poor Conscience left Thy Conscience hath been often upon thee pleading with thee for God and for pity to thy Soul It hath warned thee reproved thee and often whisper'd thee in thine Ear What dost thou mean whither art thou going when wilt thou return Away with thy sins have done with thy Companions no more of this drunkenness this riot this covetousness Thou art a lost man thy Soul is lost if thou go on Thus Conscience hath warned thee and thou hast sometimes hearkned to it and spoken it fair The throbs and the paâ—gs and the wounds thou hast felt and received from it have wrung from thee now and then a promise Well through the Grace of God I 'le hearken to Conscience I 'le be a new man Away from me ye Sinners I will keep the Commandments of my God And yet shortly after when thy Temptations return thy Companion come all 's forgotâ—en and along thou goest as a fool to the Stocks or an Ox to the slaughter and this hath been thy way and thy manner from time to time Now and then Conscience draws a sigh or a tear from thee and by and by receives a kick or a stab Beware Sinner Conscience will not alwayes be thus us'd If ever it speak again say it not Nay Its next word may be its last if ever thou weariest it into perpetual silence then farewell all for ever Conscience is the only Friend thou hast left Convinced Soul How wilt thou bear the revenges of an awakened abused Conscience all thy bafflings of it here will be repeated over in eternity How will all this look when it shall meet thee before thy Judge Save thy self from that hour Baffle not Conscience once more 6. Let not the greatness of thy sins nor the difficulty of Christ's terms hinder or discourage thee from making a present close with Christ Say not his Yoke is too heavy his Cross is too grievous for me to bear or my sins are too great for him to bear Set the Throne against the Yoak the Crown against the Cross infinite Merit and Mercy against mighty sins and go unto Jesus cast thy self on his blood and bowells and put thy self under his Yoke and Scepter If he will give Life to thee be content that he give Laws to thee and as ever thou expectest to live by him be resolved to live to him and no longer to thy self Go to Jesus and when thou goest take with these two Scriptures Matth. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Take my yoke upon you and learn of me and you shall find rest unto your Souls Joh. 6. 37. Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out 7. Fall close to Duties and keep close to Ordinances 1. Let secret and Family Prayer be thy daily exercise Count not thy self a Christian till thou give thy self to prayer 2. Let not reading the Word Catechising c. be strangers in thy house 3. Prize improve and sanctifie Sabbaths The Lord on those dayes comes down upon eis Mount to meet thy Soul to commune with thee to bless thee to feed thee and fill thee with whatsoever thy Soul desireth or wanteth Get thee up to meet thy God But remember when thou goest leave thy stuff behind thee 4. View often and take an account of thy self of the in-come and success of all thy Duties What is all my praying reading hearing c. come to What is brought forth Is the work done for which all these are Are my Sins and my Soul parted Are my Companions in sin abandoned Is Christ and my Soul united Beware you never make Praying and Hearing to serve you instead of Believing and Repenting But to help you on to it Remember these Seven Words when I am gone 1. Get a deep Sense of thy dreadful state 2. Abandon presently every sin 3. Let not thy hope in Christ lessen thy fear of sin 4. Shake off every sinful Companion 5. Baffle not Conscience once more 6. Make a present Close with Christ 7. Fall close to Duties and keep close to Ordinances These things do and the God of Peace shall be with you But remember There 's no peace saith my God to the wicked 2. There are others that are near the Kingdome of God Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God There are some that are like Ephraim Hosea 7. 8. cakes half baked like Agrippa almost Christians Acts 26. 29. Almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou hast brought me within a little of Christianity They are come to the threshold of saving Faith within a step of sincere godliness They have been professing and praying and hoping and wishing themselves in and yet are short of it They have been enlightened in the knowledg of Christ have tasted of the heavenly gift have felt something of the sweetness of Christ have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost of many excellent and useful gifts have tasted of the good Word of God and the powers of the World to come They have set out after Christ have left the blind and prophane World much behind them have escaped much of the pollutions of this world left many sins taken up with many duties have a name among the Saints have suffered many things for the Name of Christ and notwithstanding all this here they stick they cannot give up themselves fully to Christ something or other either the World or their Companions or their pleasures or their ease or their sloth hath such hold on them that they cannot unreservedly resolvedly give themselves up to the dominion of Jesus Christ nay it may be they cannot tell wâ—y yet they cannot do it Though they can say I would be yet they cannot say I will be the Lord's these are near the Kingdom of God but
your God and his Gospel Read over your Priviledges Promises and Hopes feed more on that Bread of Life drink more freely of those Living Springs which are broken forth to you Prove more what Godliness hath in it Get out the sweetness and the pleasure of it none in the World live such a voluptuous Life as he that lives most with God get out the pleasure of Godliness lie more at the Breasts suck harder press the Clusters and the Wine and Milk will come make the most of Religion and you will have enough never blame it for empty or unsatisfactory while there is more to be hâ—d Gad not into other Pastures â—un not from Flower to Flower keep you Home Let not your God find you in another Field If you keep with God the less you have of Creature-vanities the more full will your Contentment be Christian Honour thy God and his Gospel let his Breasts satisfie thee and erre thou always in his Love Let the World read the Gospel-sufficiency in thy Souls pleasure and satisfaction with it alone 5. Let your Conversations answer the supports of the Gospel and its succours Live a patient life Jam. 5. 7. Be patient brethren unto the coming of the Lord. Patience is a Grace suited to our present Gospel state I may call it a Friend that 's born for the day of adversity If you are Christians you have need of Patience and if you have Patience you need no more Jam. 1. 4. Let Patience have her perfect work that you may be entire lacking nothing Patience is a submitting sedate and calm frame of spirit whereby a Christian from Gospel grounds is born up under all his Troubles and born througâ— all his Duties Betwixt Patience and Contentedness there is this difference Contentedness is the quiet of the heart and its satisfaction with its smallest portion of good things Patience is the quiet of the heart under the greatest pressure of evill things A patient spirit is a submitting spirit It 's heartily content that God should have his Will With whatsoever God is pleased it will not be displeased It 's the Lord let him do whatsoever seems good in his Eyes What seems good in God's eyes shall not seem evil in mine It is a Calm and quiet spirit It will not strive nor cry nor lift up its voice in the street it can mourn but it does not murmur it can feel but it will not fret at the hand of God A patient person is ever composmentis has the command and government of his spirit keeps it sober and in due order doth not rave and rage Impatience is a kind of frenzy such persons are besides themselves In our patience we possess and by our impatience we lose our Souls we lose the rule and government of them the peace and the use of them An impatient man is besides himself both as a Man and as a Christian 1. He is besides himself as a Man Impatience turns Reason out of doors and for the Affections they are all in an uproar and will know no command or government 2. He is besides himself as a Christian turned quite out of course Duties Comforts Experiences Hopes all are laid aside Keep you quiet keep the peace in your heart and you keep your heart In this calmness and quietness it bears up under troubles Patience hath Fortitude in it it neither frets nor faints under all its â—urâ—hens Christians must bear and patient Christians can bear any thing that comes on them The proper exercise of patience is enduring he endures not that suffers only but that can bear what he suffers It bears through its Duties The passion of a patient person doth not hinder his action He holds his course keeps on his way whatever load he hath in his back He runs with patience the race which is set before him he is not discouraged nor diverted from his holy course by any suffering it costs him And indeed Christian Patience stands not in a bare forced quiet in a biting in or keeping down our fretting aestuations from venting themselves in word or carriage or in a sullen silence or stupidity but in the maintaining such a tranquillity of spirit under all we suffer as that we can still both enjoy and serve the Lord. He is a patient Christian that is as much a Christian in a storm as in a calm that can pray believe love bless God follow God and keep his way when he smites as when he smiles Lastly in all this a Christian is upheld and carried on from Gospel grounds 'T is not a naturall hardiness apathy 't is not the spirit of a man that does sustain his infirmities 't is upon the everlasting Gospel that he stands There are three Things especially that bear him through His viewing The Hand of the Lord. The End of the Lord. The Help of the Lord. 1. He sees the Hand of the Lord in all that befalls him Whence was Davids patience Psal 39. 9. I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou Lord didst it Whence was Elie's patience 1 Sam. 3. It is the Lord let him do what seems him good Whence was Job's patience Job 1. 21. The Lord hath given the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. By the way Note That a godly man is not only patient under his afflictions but thankful He is not only thankful for Mercies but for Chastisements 'T is not only the Lord hath given blessed be his Name the Lord hath built me up the Lord hath filled me the Lord hath hedged me blessed be his Name but also the Lord hath taken away the Lord hath humbled me broken me undone me left me naked left me nothing blessed be the Name of the Lord. This by the way 2. He sees the End of the Lord that God intends his good by all that comes upon him He knowes that all things and therefore this which is upon him whatever it be shall work to him for good 3. He feels the Help of the Lord. When the hand of the Lord is upon him he feels also the hand of the Lord under him underneath the everlasting arms Deut. 32. 27. The Gospel as it hath allotted him many Tribulations so it hath allowed him mighty Supports A mighty God who is the rock of ages Isa 26. a merciful high Priest who being tempted himself is able also to succour those that are tempted Heb. 2. 18. pretious Promises 2 Pet. 1. gracious experiences Rom. 5. 4. patience worketh experience This last support experience hath all the rest in it Experience is the whole Gospel proved A patient experienced Christian hath proved all things what they are hath proved the World and what it is and the worst it can do hath proved the Word and what there is in it hath proved what God is what Christ is what grace and peace and a good Conscience are Tribulation often takes away God and his Gospel and we never so well prove what God
of Peace The greatest of Blessings is the Blessing of Peace Peace hath all blessings included in it It hath possession fruition and security it hath plenty pleasure and sâ—fety where there 's no peace there 's no security for the holding nor opportunity of enjoying what we have Whatewe have we have it as if we had it not Peace is the greatest of Blessings Peace with God is the most glorious of Peace What is there that 's excellent what is there that 's desirable that is not comprehended in this Peace with God Where there 's Peace there 's Pardon guilt cannot consist with this Peace being justified by Faith we have peace with God Where there 's Peace there 's Grace and holiness there 's no Peace saith my God to the wicked Where there 's Peace there 's Love and good will As love so peace is the union of hearts The God of Peace is with you signifies no less then this the Almighty God beares you good will These two peace and good will are Twins On Earth peace good will towards men Where there 's peace there 's life everlasting life Internall is the seed of eternall peace This peace is a Portion peace with God is our possession of the God of Peace This peace is a Sanctuary if the God of Peace be with us the Peace of God will keep our hearts Christians in the Woâ—ld you must have trouble suppose you have yet in him you shall have peace who hath overcome the World Isa 26. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace in peace peace 't is in the Originall whose mind is stayed on thee Psal 85. 8. I will hear what the Lord God will speak he will speak peace to the People and to his Saints What a clattering is there in the World what tumults and commotions are raised about the followers of Christ as if the World were falling about their ears The Devill speaks wrath evill men speak death and bonds to them breathing out threatnings reproaches persecutions against them In the midst of all this fearful noyse I le hearken saith the Psalmist what the Lord God will speak Whatsoever men or Devils speak I le hearken if the Lord God speak at the same rate Oh no he will speak peace to his Saints Let the Sons of contention do what they can the Sons of God shall be Sons of Peace they shall live in peace they shall dye in peace they shall dwell in peace for ever Isa 32. 17. 18. The work of Righteousness shall be Peace and the effect of Righteousness shall be quietness and assurance for ever And my people shall dwell in a peaceable Habitation and in sure dwellings and in quiet resting places Oh how great is the peace that they have who love thy Law Christians fear not to follow God let not that sad word nor the fulfilling of it scare you out of your duty All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution What if they do whâ—lest you are able to say I am persecuted but I have peace I am poor but I have peace in a Prison but I have peace in a Wilderness but I have peace though all the World be against me God is at peace my Soul is in peace what discouragement should all that be to you 2. He that is the God of peace is the God of power He promises peace and he promises no more then he can perform He can create peace he can make their enemies to be at peace with them He can make a league for them with the Beasts of the field with the Lions with the Wolves with the most brutish among the people He can say to the proud Winds and Waves peace be still and they obey him He can give them rest from the dayes of adversity he can give them rest in the dayes of adversity he can give his Beloved sleep upon the points of Swords and Spears 3. He that is the God of peace is the God of patience This is my great fear that though God gâ—ves yet I shall break my peace The God of peace with me oh this is he whom I dishonour and disoblige daily by my distrusts discontents impatiencies murmerings and what peace to such an heart what peace so long as such unbelief so much iniquity as I find daily within me remains upon me Will he with whom no iniquity can dwell dwell in that heart where there is so much iniquity by which he is provoked every day but he that is the God of peace is also the God of patience who though he will not bear the iniquities of his adversaries yet he will bear much with the infirmities of his People Psal 89. 30. c. If his Children forsake my Law and walk not in my Judgments if they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandements then will I visit their transgressions with a Rod and their iniquities with stripes Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail 4. He that is the God of peace is the God of hope I have no peace in possession whatever there be in the promise I live in the fire am born a man of contention What likelyhood is there that I should ever live to see a good day my comforts are broken my Estate is lost my liberty is gone friends I have none enemies I have many and mighty I dwell in Mesech I have my habitation in the Tents of Kedar I am for peace they are for War whither ever I look round about me before me behind me on the right hand or on the left all speaks trouble and errour to me I have no peace What nor no hope of peace neither where is thy God man hast thou a God in thee and yet no hope in thee the God of peace and yet no peace the God of hope and yet no hope the God of hope will yet fill thee with joy and peace in believing Rom. 15. 13. Why art thâ—u cast down oh my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Psal 43. 11. The God of hope will open a Window of hope in the darkest times a door of hope in the most desperate cases The God of hope will bear up the spirits of his Saints in hope against hope and this hope will never disappoint them It shall never be said there is no peace there is no hope till it can be said there is no God in Israel But how or in what sence is it to be understood that this God of peace will be with us I answer in 3. particulars 1. The heart of God will be with you Josephs blessing the good will of him that dwelt in the Bush will be thy portion Deut. 33. what was that Bush the Church or Israel of God What case was the Bush in 't was all on a light fire 't was all in
doubtless he will not be wanting in what 's absolutely necessary Psal 23. 1 2 3. The Lord is my Shâ—pheard I shall not want and so on throughout the Psalm Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life and I shall dwell in the House of the Lord for ever Here we have the Psalmists conclusion and it's foundation or his confidence and it's ground his foundation or ground is the Lord is my Shepheard his conclusion and confidence is I shall not want that is neither for Body nor Soul as appears by the following part of the Psalm If Davids Logick and his Faith too does not fail him the conclusion is firm let the Lord be his Shepheard and he shall not know Famine or want Gods relation to his people is their security for a sufficient provision in all times If the Lord be their Shepheard he must see them fed he must either find them those that shall or do it himself He must either find them Pastors or be their Pastor He must either provide them or be their Pasture If ordinary means fail he must find extraordinary if both fail he must be instead of means to them Here two things 1. That God stands engaged as the Shepheard of his people where ordinary means fail either to provide them extraordinary or to feed them more immediately from himself 2. That extraordinary means or no means when God brings his People to it will be better than their ordinary means 1. That God stands engaged as the Shepheard of his People where ordinary means fail either to provide them extraordinary or to feed them more immediately from himself Feed them he must or he cannot be faithful and if means fail he must supply that want one way or other Now God is faithful and will not see his Sheep to starve Isa 41. 17 18. When the poor and needy seek water and there is none and their Tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will hear them I the God of Israel will not forsake them I will open Rivers in high places and Fountains in the midst of the Vallies I will make the Wilderness a Poor of Water and the dry Land Springs of Water Oh what a good World is here for the poor Saints to live upon in hard times It is interpreted to have an immediate reference to the outward and yet a special respect also to the spiritual wants and distresses And it will appear if we compare it with the like expressions Chap. 44. 3. I will poure water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground I will poure my Spirit on thy Seed and my Blessing upon thine off-spring From the former Scriptures note 1. That the poor People of God may sometimes be as to the visible Soul-provisions but in a poor case Needy and hungry and thirsty their hearts fainting their tongues failing for thirst and their waters dryed up If they seek water and there be none 2. All the wants and straits of the Saints are before the Lord. I the Lord will hear Christians though those that should will not yet he that can will hear the cryes of your Souls all your faintings and pantings and longings for the water of life are before your eâ—es and come up into the eares of the Loâ—d of Sabbath 3. God hath more wayes than one to relieve the wants and refresh the bowels of his hungry ones He hath extraordinary means for extraordinaâ—y caâ—es If they can find no common Rivers he will open or make new Rivers 〈◊〉 high places the dry places the very Rock wilâ— yield a River when God commands it 4. Gods extraordinary Provisions shall not be scantâ— and penurious but rich and plentifull 'T is not some drops or now and then a draught a little to stay the longing or barely enough to keep them alive he prepares them Rivers Fountains Pools Springs of water I will open Rivers in the high places Fountains in the Vallies c. Whereever they be cast in the high places in the Vallies in the Wilderness in the dry Lands whereever they be cast I will cause Provision enough to meet them though they have neither Bag nor Bottle nor any thing to carry with them they shall not want the River shall meet them Springs shall arise and break forth to them 5. They are not the wanting but the thirsting the seeking Souls whom God will supply When the poor and needy seek water and there is none Oh Christians how many poor are there that sit down by their poverty who if they starve yet will not beg their emptiness hath taken away their Appetites These are sad Souls 't is a sad sight to behold a company of hunger-bitten Souls sit weeping and sighing seeking after the Bread and Water of life and finding none but to see empty and yet not hungry fainting and yet not panting Souls to see Souls even dying away for want and yet not desiring or craving a supply this is a much soreâ— spectacle A starveling thirstless Soul is next to a Ghost Well if ever such Souls find who never seek water 't is more than God hath promised them 'T is they that seek water to whom God will open a River 6. What ever difficulty there be to furnish the hungry Sainâ—s with a sufficiency of Provision yet one way or other it shall be done I the Lord will hear I the God of Israel will not forsaken them Upon me be all their wants I am God and can I am their God the God of Israel and will provide for them They must and shall be provided for whatever course I be put to take I must not see them starve The Lord will not be wanting to them if his Word be not heard his Works shall speak if Preachers cannot Providence shall preach to them if their fâ—iends cannot their enemies their stripes their wounds their rods shall instruct them Thy Rod and thy Staffe comfort me If they have no other the Sun Moon and Stars the Fouls of the Air the Beasts of the Field shall be their Prophets and Apostles If all should fail yet the Spirit of the Lord shall not fail to be their Teacher and Comforter 2. Extraordinary means have more in them than ordinary and no means more than means 1. Extraordinary meâ—ns when ordinary cannot be had are sweeter and better feeding for the Saints then ordinary would be The lâ—ss of the Creature the more of God the less of common Providence the more of special Grace Water out of the Rock was more pretious than out of the River the Manna of the Wilderness was to them that understood it better than the Milk of Canaan Elijah never made better meals than what he got out of the Ravens mouth I have heard of Woman in great distress of Soul who received comfort when the Word was brought her by the mouth of a child which she had failed of receiving from the mouths of many excellent Ministers 2. No
is as when we have him alone what grace is what a good Conscience is as when we have nothing else left us Our Religion never shews so much what is in it as when it 's most put to it When the Adversary hath gotten the greatest advantage of us of the Sun of the Wind of the Ground when he presseth with most violence with most fury upon us then we best know what the weapons of our Warfare are The comforts and supports of Religion are not known either of what strength or of what sweetness they are till they are thus proved Hezekiah had never such a taste of his integrity as when he received the Message of death Stephen had never such a sight of Heaven as through a storm of stones Christ is never so sweet in a Prison When God meets his Saints in a Wilderness then he speaks comfortably to them A patient Christian hath more or less experience of all this and hence is he supported keps quiet under all his sufferings and carried with courage on his way Be patient therefore Brethren unto the coming of the Lord. You have need of patience and no excuse for your impatience The sufferings of the Gospel call for patience and the supports of the Gospel will condemn your impatience If you will be godly count upon it that you have a great fight of afflictions to endure Venture not into the fight without your armour An impatient Creature is a naked Souldier How easily will Sathan destroy whom he hath once disarmed The more you can the less you shall suffer Secure your spirit and you save your self from harm There 's no Dart shall hurt you that does not hit your heart Keep your heart whole and the Devil loses all his shot Be patient and you possess your Souls keep your Souls and the Enemy loses the day Christians 't is of great consequence to you to be of a patient spirit and 't is a great Duty there 's much more in it than every eye observes When I perswade you to Patience know that 't is no smal thing that I am perswading you to 'T is no less than 1. To the whole of Christianity 2. To the height of Christianity 1. To the whole of Christianity To be truly Patient hath as much in it as to be a Christian To be hoâ—y humble meek mortified self-denying crucified to the World heavenly minded all this you must be or you cannot be patient Patient and proud patient and peevish patient and unmortified earthly-minded a self-seeker This is as great a contradiction as to be proud and humble fleshly and spiritual earthly and heavenly a Christian and no Christian If ever you will be possessours of this grace you must be partakers of all grace Get a believing broken self-denying heart get your spirits furnished with the love of Christ the hope of the Gospel the contempt of the World live above in the other World Let Christ Glory Honour Immortality be the portion of your Souls and the pleasure of your lives if ever you would be truly patient 2. To Christianity in the height of it In pressing you to Patience I am herein pressing you to get Assurance Without assurance though patience be possible yet you 'l find it both difficult and very impeâ—fect What Patience when I question whether my sins be forgiven whether God be reconciled and be not dealing with me as an enemy What Patience when I doubt whether my afflictions be not the pension of a bastard rather than the portion of a son when I am not sure but my present sufferings are sent to carry me down to eternal sufferings I am in misery and perpetual torments never a day without its evils I can see no end of it nor it may be never shall this or worse may last for ever Oh if I were sure it would be well at last I could be quiet but for ought I know the Furnace I am in may be the very mouth of Hell The diseases the wounds I am under may be sent to let out my Soul into everlâ—sting burnings how can I be patient under such doubts and fears Make God sure Christian make Heaven sure once and then thou may'st set thine Heart at rest then thou may'st almost as easily exercise as thine Enemies find thee Exercise of thy patience Christians if you will be patient you must be painful give diligence be diligent in making your Calling and Election sure be diligent in duty be vigilant against iniquity If you will be patient be impatient of sin and you will be patient of sorrow make sin sure get it slain by the cross and buried in the grave of your Lord sealing the stone and setting a watch have nothing to conflict with in the day of your affliction but your affliction beware of carrying guilt with you up upon the Cross Let not the gall of guilt be mingled with the vinegar of affliction A mortified spirit will deaden all our pain and a pure Conscience will bear all our burthens Till this be done I must tell you you will find suffering to be hard service 'T is an easie matter to talk of the sufferings of the Gospel and to boast great things afore-hand as you know who did once and what came of it Though I die with thee I will never deny thee But when it comes to the pinch when Troubles come upon us when the hand of the Lord touches us and touches where it 's most tender brings those calamities on us which are most contrary to us strips us of those comforts which are most dear to us takes away all from us and leaves us naked when we feel the smart of the rod when every stroke fetches blood when the feet are hurt in the Stocks and the Iron enters into the Soul when the vinegar and the gall comes when the thorns and the nails of the Cross are struck in when shame and reproach when scorn and contempt when hunger and thirst when cold and nakedness when bodily torment and pain are all measured to you for your portion and mingled in your cup If ever God should call you out to take your part with that Cloud of Witnesses Heb. 11. who were tortured had trialls of cruell mockings and scourgings of bonds and imprisonment who were stoned were sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the Sword wandring about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins being destiture afflicted and tormented wandring in deserts and mountains in dens and caves of the earth If ever this should be your case then you will know how much there is in Christian Patience and how necessary self-denyall mortification living in the faith and fellowship of God and the power of his spirit and assurance of his love are to your patient possessing of your Souls Believe iâ— Christians the Gospel hath not furnished us with such large provision of Graces Comforts Promises Hopes for nothing you will find need enough of them all Such amazing astonishing trialls you