love be When God had brought that great sickness upon Hezekiah and thus had dissolved and softned his heart he presently prints his love upon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou hast loved my soul from the Grave God does then most expresse his love when they have most need of it The white Stone sparkles most oriently in the darkest condition O how gloriously does God shine in upon the prisons of Martyrs what frequent visits does he give them it might even make men ambitious of their sufferings that they might have some such expressions of his love towards them 6. Times of Victory and Conquests over lusts and temptations are sealing times God after such victories will give his people a triumph This is exprest in that text of the Revelation Rev. 2.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden Mannah c. Thus when Saint Paul was wrastling with and conquering that great temptation whatever it was that is mentioned in 2 Corinthians 12. God then gives to eat of the hidden Mannah and strengthens him with this my grace is sufficient for thee He gives him the white Stone with that Motto graven in it my grace c. Thus that noble Christian and famous Convert of Italy Galeacius Caracciolus when he had scorned the pomp and lustre of the world and had trampled upon all relations for the love of a Saviour when Satan that cunning Angler of souls had spent all his baits upon him and he had refused them all O then what a deal of precious sweetnesse slides into his soul what rushings in of glorious joy he had never such joy at Naples as he had at Geneva You may hear him pronouncing an Anathema to all such as shall prefer all the gold and silver in the world before one dayes sweet Communion with Jesus Christ As none have more dregs of wrath then relapsing and apostatizing spirits Remember but Spira's case so none have sweeter and choicer mercy then the faithful Servants of the Lord Jesus that follow him in the houre of temptation Apostates are sealed up to a day of vengeance but these are sealed up to a day of Redemption Thus the mourners in Ezekiel that would not yield to the abominations of the times must have a seal set upon them Thus that Virgin-Company in the Reveiation that would not prostitute their souls to Antichristian folly have the seal of God in their foreheads This is the happiness of a Christian that he has a sweet satisfaction in self-denyal in denying sin in repulsing lust in conquering temptation in pulling out his right eye in cutting off his right hand in mortifyiug the body of death he has a sweet satisfaction in all these And thus you have seen those special sealing times when Christians have this high plerophory these riches of assurance we come now to speak of them in a more Applicatory way 1. Times of assurance they should be times of humility and dependance upon God When Moses had been so long in the Mount and had a lustre upon him by conversing with God himself presently at the foot of the Mount he meets with matter of humiliation The Israelites have made them a golden Calfe Thy people sayes God to Moses they have done this And the Apostle Paul when he had been rapt up into the third Heaven and had heard there some of Arcana Coeli things that neither could nor might be uttered for both are implyed in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there then comes a Messenger of Satan to buffet him he must be put in minde of himself by a thorn in the flesh and that least he should be exalted above measure with abundance of Revelations A creature can't 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little thing will puffe up a bubble a small happiness will swell up the Sons of men Pride as it twines about the choicest graces so it devoures the sweetest comforts But yet there is nothing tends more to the soul-abasement and self-exinanition then the beholding of Gods face then the seeing of his glory this will make the soul abhorre it self in dust and ashes The more God reveals himself unto the soul the more will the soul see that huge disproportion that is between it self and a Deity There 's none here below that ever saw more of Gods face then Moses and Paul had done and there were none that ever had lower apprehensions of themselves They knew well enough what the Sun-shine of his presence was what a glorious sight it was to behold his face and yet they had rather part with this then he should part with his glory They are like men amazed with the vastness and spaciousness of the Ocean and make nothing of a little inconsiderable drop of Being They that know not these treasures of love and sweetnesse those heaps of excellencies that are stored up in God these are the grand admirers of themselves But when the soul comes to have a prospect of Heaven and fixes its eye upon an object of the first magnitude the creature disappears self vanishes and loses it self in the fulness of God And if God do assure thee of this his love thou canst not but wonder at the greatness of his goodness especially when tho shalt recollect thy self and think upon thine own unworthiness Thou that didst not deserve a beam of his face what does he give thee a full Sun-shine Thou that couldst not look for the least taste of his love what does he give thee a whole cluster of Canaan Thou that didst not deserve the least crumb of the hidden Mannah does he fill thee an Omer full of it Nay yet higher Thou that didst deserve a brand from his Justice does he give thee a seal of his love he might have given thee gall and vinegar to drink and does he flow in upon thee with milk and hony he might have given thee the first flashes of Hell and does he give thee the first fruits of Heauen what couldst thou have lookt for but an eternal frown an ddost thou meet with so gracious a smile O then fall down and adore his goodness and let all that is within thee blesse his holy name Tell me now i◠there any ground for pride in such a soul doe◠not assurance bespeak humility and speak a meer dependance 2. Times of Assurance they should be time◠of trampling upon the creature and scorning of things below Dost thou now take care for corn and wine and oil when God lifts up the light of his countenance upon thee is this same Angels food this same hidden Mannah i◠it too light meat for thee Now thou art within the Land of promise feeding upon the grapes and pomegranates of the Land dost thou now long for the garlick and onions of Egypt Now thou art within thy Fathers house and the fatted Calf is slain wilt thou now still feed upon husks Art thou clothed with the Sun and canst not thou trample the
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I taught him to foot it on the wayes of Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I drew them with the cords of a man all gentle and perswasive sollicitations with bands of love I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws and I laid meat unto them The yoke of bondage the soul was under God freed the soul brought him to an easie pleasant yoke God has a special care of tender plants when Israel was a tender vine O then he fenced it and hedged it and shone out upon it c. Now Christ is thus pleased to reveal his love to unbosom himsel unto the souls of young Converts for their greater incouragement in the wayes of grace At the first step to heaven he gives them a viaticum If after the soul had been steept in legal humiliation and possest with fears and terrours and amazements compast with Clouds and now at last it has been drawn by a mighty work to receive a Saviour If after all this it should have no Sun-shine it would droop and languish and be ready to pine away it would be very unfit and unserviceable the wheels of the soul woud move heavily God therefore oils the wheels poures the Oil of gladnesse into the soul And now it moves like the Chariots of Aminadab with a nimble spontaneity Christ begins to flourish through the Lattices le ts in some of his love into the soul I and gives it a sense of this love too and this constrains it to obedience sets the soul a longing for more of this love and for more sence of this love so it will never leave longing til it have a full fruition of it in heaven this is Gods method this is the usual progress of grace in the soul And hence you may see why young Converts are usually so active in the wayes of Religion so forward and vehement O they have fresh apprehensions of the love of a Saviour what an eminent alteration he hath wrought in them how they are raised from death to life O they can tell you long stories of his goodness what great things he hath done for their soul So that their affections are raised there is a flush of joy the soul runs over and knowes no banks no bounds Thus God does many times seal up the work of grace in the soul and gives a satisfying light at the first conversion but yet I cannot say that this is alwayes so for there are diversities of workings and grace sometimes wrought in the soul after a more still and undiscernable manner as we shall have occasion to speak more hereafter 2. Sacrament-times are sealing times I speak of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper for as for those secret breathings of the spirit upon Infants in that other Sacrament of Baptisme they are altogether unsearchable and past finding out Now in the Lords Supper you have the new Covenant sealed up unto the soul the soul has not only his graces increased but they are printed clearer that seal of the spirits does print a Christians evidences with a clearer stamp You have plaIn and visible representations of the love of a Saviour and you have the sense of this love powred out into you A Christian feeds not only upon sacramental bread but upon hidden Manna too has tastes of that love that is sweeter then wine Here 's a feast of fat things The soul is satisfied as with marrow sweetnesse spiritual refreshments like fat things they are sweet and they are filling too yet not like the fat things that have a cloying fulsomness in them no these carry a delicious relish with them such as the soul takes present complacency in them and has a longing appetite for them The soul never nauseats the feast of fat things but the more it feeds upon them the more it hungers after them Now the two grand ends of this Sacrament in reference to a Christian are 1. Growth of Grace 2. Sens◠of Grace 'T is a Sacrament of Augmentation by which a new-born-infant-soul may grow up to its just proportion and full stature in Jesu◠Christ and 't is a Sacrament evidencing this hi◠condition to the soul Christians come hithe◠ad corroborandum Titulum the smoaking fla◠comes hither to have some light and the bruise◠Reed comes hither to have some strength th◠worm Jacob crawles into the presence of a Saviour and is sent away with an encouraging voice Fear not thou worm Jacob. Many a tender babe in Christ has stretcht out his weak and trembling hand to lay hold of a Saviour and has found vertue coming out from him Many a thirsty soul has come breathing and panting after the streams of water it has opened his mouth wide he has filled it The longing affectionate soul has come with vehement and enlarged desires has found full expressions manifestations of his love towards her Many acloudy soul has come hither to see if he could spie out one beam has bin sent away brighter then the Sun in all its glory You that come hither with the most ample and capacious souls tell us whether you be not filled up to the brim whether your cup don't overflow O what heavenly entercourse is there between you and a Saviour what pleasant aspects what mutual love-glances what smiles and blandishments Do not you finde in your own souls a full Paraphrase upon the book of the Canticles that book of Loves He comes with an earthy and drossie soul that is not raised and advanced with such glorious mysteries And yet my meaning is not as if every true Christian that had received this Sacrament must needs have assurance No we know 1. Beleevers themselves may receive unworthily as the Christian Corinthians when Paul tells them they came together for the worse and not for the better he speaks it of such as were truly in the state of grace Thus he concludes his discourse You are chastened of the Lord that you might not be condemned with the world And thus the soul may go from a Sacrament with lesse comfort then it brought thither 2. Many that have much joy and sweetness from a Sacrament real and spiritual joy I and strength and vigour too yet it may be have it not in so great a proportion in so high a measure their cup is not so brim full as that it should reach to assurance All that do truly partake of these heavenly delicacies yet don't go away equally satisfied Some have but a taste which is enough to cherish them others a full draught which doth mightily enliven them So then all we say is this those Christians that have assurance have it usual at these times and some Christians that have wanted assurance yet here have found it which should strongly engage all to come hither with great and solemn preparation quickening and exciting their graces improving all present strength breathing and longing after these pleasant streams
very spirits and quintessence of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 crop the very tops of all There will be in such a soul the constant returnings and reboundings of love 'T will retort the beams of heaven 't wil send back the stream of its affection into the Ocean So that now as the soul is assured of the love of God so God also has a most absolute certainty that the soul will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thus is compleated the sweet and perfect circle of Love Now there cannot be a more strong and a more mutual security then that which is thus founded And therefore nature chooses to maintain her self by these impressions We see this plainly in filial and conjugal relations where the sweetest and surest obedience flowes from principles of love And where is there more certainty then amongst friends where there is a borrowing lending of souls a mutual exchange and transmigration of souls Now you know all these Relations are clarified and refined in grace you are the friends of God nay you are the Sons of God you are the spouse of Christ And the Apostle John that speaks so much of assurance and tells you that a Christian can't sin consider but a while who he was Why he was the Beloved Disciple he that lay in the bosom of love and breathed out nothing but pure love I and his reason 't is founded in a relation of love He cannot sin because he is born of God He resolves it into the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that same impression of love that abides in him 3. Consult a while with your own experience and observation and then tell us whether ever you knew any to walk more accurately with their God then such as were assured of his love If you look up to heaven there you see glorious Angels and glorified Saints that have not only a full assurance but a full possession of the love of their God that are no longer taking a prospect of Canaan but are now feeding upon the fruits and clusters of the land of Promise that have not only some scattered and broken beams of glory but a constant and an eternal Sun-shine And O how do they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They have not only as we here below some drops and sprinklings of happiness but they are at the very Fountain and have fresh bubblings of joy full streamings out of sweetness and can swim in the Rivers of pleasure Surely these men will allow the Angels somewhat more then only to conjecture that they are happy What must glorified Saints still dispute about their Summum Bonum lest they be too secure and must Angels only be of opinion that they are in heaven must they only guesse at the face of God What will they clip the wings of the Cherubims too Where has God more chearful obedience then from these How joyfully do these ministring spirits run about their glorious errands how does he bid one Go and he goes another come and he comes And that which sets a fair glosse upon happiness it self is this that they are out of all possibility of displeasing their God And so they are held forth as patterns of obedience They will be done in harth as 't is in heaven Well but then if they tell us that there is more danger of frail men that dwell in houses of clay and carry the body of death about with them 1. We must bid them entertain honourable thoughts of the excellent ones of the earth for though it be true that they are not yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet God has made them little lower then the Angels and he has crowned them with glory and honour They walk with little Coronets upon their heads Though the most massy and brightest Crown be reserved for a day of Inauguration They now feed upon Angels food God steeps them in his own nature and in his own love he gradually prepares them for heaven They are Inceptors for happiness they are Probationers for glory 2. What though there be some unworthy dealings with their God yet these flow only from those reliques of slavish principles that remain in them some fragments of the old Leaven that was not throughly purged out And not by vertue of a Gospel Plerophory What does the knowing that they are Sons of light does this dispose them to works of darkness Does the knowing that they are the spouse of Christ does this bespeak adulterous glances 'T is true the Sons of God may provoke him but must they therefore do it under this very notion because they know they are his Sons nay must they do it the more for this This were the extreamest malice that were imaginable more malice then the Devils themselves are capable of What bold blasphemy then is this against the Sons of God and against the sealing spirit I and it involves a flat contradiction too it puts an esse and a non esse simul because they know they are friends therefore they 'l deal like enemies and because they know their Sons therefore they 'l deal like slaves O what fine repugnancies are these Thus would they not only veil and cloud but also spot and deface so beautiful a truth but that it shines out with such victorious and triumphant beams But if any can yet doubt whether assurance do advance obedience let them but a while compare men assured of their salvation 1. With others in the state of grace that want assurance or with themselves when once without it And then let them tell us whether they don't differ as much as a bruised Reed and a stately Cedar in Lebanon The doubting Christian does but smoak when the assured Christian flames What faintings and shiverings and paleness in the one what vigour and liveliness what a ruddy complexion of soul in the other How is the one left to the pleasure of a wave when as the other lies safe at anchor The one can scarce lift up his weak and trembling hands in prayer when the other is wrestling with Omnipotency The one comes behinde and touches the hem of his Fathers Garments when as the other is in his very arms and embraces The one dares scarce touch a promise scare cast an eye upon a promise when as the other claims it and grasps it and appropriates it The performances of the one are green and crude and unconcocted the others are ripened and mellowed with a stronger Sun-beam of Love The one like a Lute with his strings loose and languishing the other is tuned up to its just height of affection The one like a Bowe bent sends forth his Arrows very vigorously the other does but drop them and let them fall How does Satan wound the one with many fiery dart that the other quenches How does the one fear the roaring of the Lyon which the others trample under his feet 2. If you should compare them with men
in the world but their soul lies safe at Anchor 3. In the houre of death Thou knowest that providence then means only to break the shell that it may have the kernel Let them tremble at the knocking 's and approaches of death that know not what shall become of their precious souls Men who through the fear of death have been all their life-time subject unto bondage But thou may'st safely trample upon the Adder and play in the Cockatrices Den. The Martyrs you know did thus when they embraced the flames and complemented with Lions and devoured torments and came to them with an appetite Assurance of the love of God in Christ this and nothing but this pulls out the sting of death 'T is true that death has lost its sting in respect of all that are in Christ but yet such as know not that they are in Christ fear death still as if it had a sting Only an assured Christian triumphs over it O death where is thy sting 4. Assurance fills the soul with praise and thankfulness The real presence of a mercy is not enough but there must be the appearance of a mercy and the sense of it before it fill thy heart with joy and thy mouth with praise A doubting Christian is like a bird entangled and in a snare the soul has not its comfort nor God has not his praise But an assured Christian is like a Bird at liberty that flies aloft and sings most chearfully It begins those Hallelujahs in time that must last for ever It breaks out into the Psalmists language Blesse the Lord O my soul and all that is within me blesse his holy Name Observ 4. The fourth and last Observation which was propounded out of the Text was That the way to make our Election sure is first to make our Calling sure And this is sufficiently warranted from the just order and method of this Apostolical exhortation Make your Calling and Election sure First your Calling then your Election and by your Calling your Election Methodus Analytica best becoming Creatures Many have handled this point at large I shall do it very briefly and I shall give you all that I intend to speak to it in these six particulars 1. Election in it self is secret and mysterious For 1. it is from eternity and so there was none could know it but God alone none could know Election but he that made an Election A Being that is spanned by time cannot reach to what was done from everlasting You cannot imagine that non-entity should listen and hear what was whispered in the secret Councel of Heaven Thou goest only by the Clock of time but those decrees were written with an eternal Sun-beam thou turnest up thy houre-glasse of time but these were measured by an infinite duration Was it possible that Esau not born should see God frowning on him or that Jacob should perceive a smile Thou art as far from meriting Election as a non-ennity and thou art as far from knowing it as a non-entity 2. God has a minde to keep it secret and therefore he has set a seal upon it not only a seal of certainty but a seal of secrecy You know creatures themselves have their closet-determinations men have their thoughts under lock and key they have not windows into one anothers breasts much lesse into the breast of a Deity Thou canst not fathom sometimes a shallow creature and dost thou think to reach to the bottom of infinite depths Has God given thee secret springs of working has he made the wheels and motions of thy soul secret and undiscernable and may he not have the same priviledge himself So then if God has put a vail upon Election do'st thou think to see into it When he has shut and clasp't the book of Life do'st thou think to open it and read it II. Vocation comments upon Election Gods decrees that were set from everlasting do bud and blossom and bring forth fruit in time Election buds in a promise and blossoms in an offer of grace The Book was written before the foundations of the world were laid but it was not publisht till God himself gave it an Imprimatur The Letters was dated from eternity the Superscription was writ in time in Vocation Now you know though the Letter be writ first yet the Superscription is read first by him that receives the Letter 'T was decreed from eternity that Decrees should be known in time And the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fulness of time is the time when Gods decrees are fulfilled When the decrees of God are ripe then he lets the soul taste them and then they are sweetest Then thou perceivest that thou art a vessel of honour when God puts thee upon an honourable imployment That fountain of love which ran under ground for everlasting bubbles up and flowes to thee in time That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that was in Election becomes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Vocation Thus thoughts of men when they would appear they put on words they take wings to themselves and flie away III. There is a strict and an inseparable connexion betwixt Election and Vocation For who is there that can blast the decrees of Heaven or who can reverse the Seal of the Almighty Who can break one link of this golden chain To be sure 't is not in the power of created Beings to evacuate and annihilate the Counsels of God A creature as it had no influence upon Election so neither has it any power to alter it A shadow does not alter the Sun but rather shews you what time of the day it is And then to be sure God himself will not reverse his own seal Nulla est litura in decretis sapientum say the Stoicks A wise man will scorn to blot out any thing Nullae sunt liturae in libro vitae God is so full of light as that there is no shadow of change in him Therefore has God pickt thee out as a Jewel and laid thee up in a secret repository in the Cabinet of his secret counsel He will then bring thee out and shew thee in time he means to polish thee and put a lustre upon thee he means to set thee as a Diamond in his Ring and to put thee upon the hand of a Saviour Did God from all eternity resolve to set thee as a captive soul at liberty Truly then thou needest not doubt but that he will in time break open the prison-doors and beat off thy chains and thy fetters and give thee full inlargement God has been preparing a feast for thee from everlasting a feast of sweet and fat things and refined an Evangelical feast To be sure then he will invite thee in time he will stand at thy door and knock nay he will compel thee to come into it God glanced an eye of love upon thee when thou layest hid in the barren wombe of nothing to be sure then in time he
the Heathen could never content themselves with a fair probability only of summum bonum but did spin it out to an imaginary certainty The Stoiks would have a domestick Plerophory they must be unavoidably happy A meer certainty won't suffice them it must be condens'd into a necessity A wise man with them must irreversibly seal up himself to happiness And so though he were in Phalaris his Bull he must glory and triumph and sing Hallelujahs But the fairer Moralists were willing to depend more upon the bounty of heaven which yet they lookt upon as a sure and unquestionable thing nay they pleased themselves not only in a Plerophory but in a present possession For you know vertue with them was Praecox beatitudo as grace with us is glory not fully ripe And serenity of natural conscience was their hidden Manna their white Stone Thus were they fain to still their souls in some shadows and appearances of certainty This sweetned Socrates his Cicute and made him a chearful Martyr for Philosophy And all wicked men that go on merrily and securely in their wayes do frame some imaginary certainty to themselves which it may be they found upon sure principles but falsly applyed as this That God is merciful or the like All this I bring to shew that the soul does catch at certainty and assurance and will rest satisfied with nothing else For for men to apprehend themselves uncertain of happiness what is it else but to be for the present miserable Nay would not some do you think choose rather to be certain of a tolerable misery then to be in continual suspense of happiness And truly such men as have no assurance of obtaining this great end of their being they are of all Creatures most miserable The Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests and shall not the Sons of men have where to lay their heads Every being loves certainty How do Naturals combine together and unite their forces that they may secure themselves by an happy association Nature will have a Plerophory won't admit of a vacuum the least schisme and rupture would prove fatal and put it upon uncertainties Sir Francis Bacon spies this in those fallings down of water that thred and spin themselves into such slender stillicids that thus they may preserve their continuity and when they can reach no longer so then they fall in as plump and round a figure as they can And if every Being loves assurance then surely such a noble Being as the soul of man cannot be satiated with a changeable good it can't fix it self upon a moveable centre Immortality is neer a kin to immutability Besides if it were only this that the soul did doubt of happiness it were a lighteâ— burden but there is necessarily conjoyned with this a fear of extreamest misery Now for a soul to be perpetually hovering betwixt heaven and hell nay to have far more ground to fear the one then to hope for the other and so to tremble at the very thoughts of eternity is not this a piece of the gnawing worm must the soul live in this perpetual slavery Is there no redemption from it Did not Christ come to take away this sting amongst the rest Did not he come to draw thee to himself to quiet thee in his own bosom Return thee to thy rest O my soul Return to thine Ark O my Dove And look upon this Gospel-Plerophory as one of those great priviledges that were purchased for thee by a Saviour For 1. By this thy soul thy darling 't is fully provided for for eternity Thy lot is falne to thee in a fair ground and thou hast a goodly heritage could thy soul open its mouth any wider could thy soul desire any more then this to be sure of being for ever compleatly happy What would the damned in hell give for a possibility of happiness What would some wounded spirits give for good hopes and probabilities when as thou in the mean time hast an overflowing Plerophory What would the one give for a drop to cool their tongue What would the other give for a pure stream to wash their bleeding souls When as thou all the while art bathing in the Fountain art sailing in the Ocean art swimming in the Rivers of pleasure Thine understanding may well rest satisfied for 't is sure to fix its eye upon an eternal beauty upon the face of its God Thy will may rest it self in the embraces of its dearest object for 't is espoused to the fairest good and is sure to enjoy it with an indissoluble union Thy purer and more refined affections may sport themselves in the Sun-beams of heaven There may thy love warm and melt it self and there may thy joy dance and exult All that thou hast to do here below is this Thy Virgin-soul that is here assured and contracted must wait a while for the Nuptials for a full fruition of its God for a full consummation of its joy 2. This must needs sweeten all present conditions to thee Eat then thy bread with joy and drink thy wine with a merry heart for God accepts thy person and smells a sweet odour in thy sacrifice Are there any pearls in the Gospel thou may'st lay claim to them Is there any balm in Gilead thou hast a share in it Are there any Gospel-priviledges thou knowest they are thine and are intended for thee Does God bestow temporals upon thee thou knowest that he first dips them in love and sweetness Mount Gerizim is thy portion And how art thou above waves when as some are shipwrackt others are tossed and disquieted thou hast an happy protection in all thy wayes 1. Thou art secure against the frowns of the world for heaven smiles upon thee Thou may'st laugh at the false judging and esteems of men It may be the world brands I but the spirit seals It may be the seed of the Serpent hisses I but the holy Ghost breaths What though thou beest fourty years in a Wildernesse Nay what though thou beest seventy years in Babylon Won't Canaan and won't the new Jerusalem make amends for all 2. Thou art secure in times of judgement As Job speaks of the Leviathan The sword of him that layes at him cannot hold the speare the dart nor the habergeon The arrow cannot make him flee darts are counted as stubble he laughs at the shaking of the spear Who is like him upon the earth one that is made without fear When God thunders upon the men of the world he speaks but in a still voice to thee he darts lightening flashes in their faces but he lifts up the light of his countenance upon thee Judgements are intended for the sweeping away of Spiders webs not for the sweeping away of Gods own Jewels Or if they be envolved in a common calamity yet how is it â—olled up in sweetness to them when as the other can taste nothing but gall and wormwood Their body may be tossed a little