and Blood The * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greek word in its most genuine and immediate signification relates to the putting a Thing to one and so I conferred not is as much as I never put it to them as a Case fit to be decided by them We may have Carnal Acquaintants we must overcome before we acquaint our selves with God and must be at some War perhaps with Them before we can fully be at Peace with God Job 22.21 Having now shewn you that in coming at the call of God in the Invitation of Gospel-Grace there is a Terminus à Quo a Term from which we must begin our Steps I shall next briefly open the Terminus ad Quem Therefore Secondly The other Term we must come to or the Point in our Spiritual Compass we must arrive at when the Gospel-call prevails and enables us to come may be opened in Two Things that clear it particularly A Believing close with the Gospel-Invitation and an obedient accepting the Gospel-Entertainment 1. A Believing Close with the Gospel-Invitation When the Soul comes it is drawn with a Full consent to Christ the Understanding is enlightned the Will persuaded the Affections are drawn forth and the Soul doth not any longer draw back When the Snare is broken and the Cords that held it back are cut the Soul comes pressing forwards towards the High-calling of God Phil. 3.14 when 't is loosned of its wonted Hold it complies and begins a close with that Blessed Person of the Son of God that calls it Heb. 10.39 For we are not of them that draw back unto perdition but of them which believe unto the saving of the Soul When our more than a Threefold Cord is broken Eccles 4.12 then a call prevails and we are drawn in Bands of Love to Christ We can thro' Grace take hold of Christ when He hath loosned our Knots that ty'd us so close to other Things before Oh! if we come once to be like that Band of Men whose Hearts God had touched 1 Sam. 10.26 we shall be even prickt to the Heart we did not come sooner Acts 2.37 and be earnest to dispatch our close with Jesus Christ the faster We shall then to purpose sincerely mind his Calls and evince our Hearty closing with them not answering swering like that Second Son we read of that was bid to go work in the Vineyard but play'd the Hypocrite and never came there Matth. 21.30 Igo Sir and went not but like the First tho' obstinate a while yet at last obedient that afterwards repented and went v. 29. When the Soul closes it is glad of an Errand to come for any thing to Christ as before it was glad of a shift and sought an excuse to keep it off from him Lo now it will not be satisfied with a Call if the Soul but suspects it doth not come away Oh Blessed Sweet and Gracious Universal Change The Will consents unto the Invitation Rom. 10.9 with the Heart the Man believeth and with the Mouth the Poor Soul confesseth and lo a change wrought upon the Invited Sinner you may discern all over Oh! how does the Soul press after the mark when the Call of Jesus Christ prevails It is no sooner loosned from Prison and from Death but 't is joined unto the Lord in Free-hold I come Lord I come with my Soul I desire to bring my Body in also I renounce my Sins and now I seek a Saviour I throw off Satan and now I put on the Lord Jesus Christ I come out of my Self Lord whither shall I go I come to thee alone I flee from the World Psa 55.6 and with the Wings of a Dove by the Help of thy Spirit am fleeing in to thee Psa 119.30 I have chosen the way of Truth I have cast mine Eye my Feet are bent to thee I am resolv'd by the mighty Power of thy Grace to be taken off to be called away to be seized and stopt by none that calls by none that comes but Thee 2. It is an obedient accepting the Gospel-entertainment The Soul is willing to take the Provisions of the Gospel as they are Mat. 20.11 without any murmuring against the Good man of the House When the Soul comes to the Provisions of Christ it is pleas'd in his House delights in the entertainment and takes without a Reserve of any Dish he gives it The Soul comes when it will be at the Feast to meet with a Christ and to feed on a Christ at every Opportunity when Souls are brought to accept of Divine Provisions and cry out with an Holy Importunity Lord Joh. 6.34 evermore give us this Bread when the Soul takes up the very Fragments of the Bread of Life and would have nothing lost that is ready among the All Things To come is to accept of him that calls and accept of what he offers and comply with thy Lord who is ready to welcome and kindly accept of thee Lord I come here I am 1 Sam. 3.6 for thou calledst me as Samuel said to Eli and I never read thou sendst me back agen I think my self happy to be a Guest where the Master of the Feast that sent to call me will be sitting by to serve me Lord I am come to seek my Meat of thee I remember thy Kindness to call a poor Worm forth and lo here I am to eat of the Bread Prov. 9.3 and drink of the Wine which thou hast mingled This coming of the Soul at the Gospel-call to Christ is a Readiness thus to accept of the Glorious Things that are spoken of this Table where these All Things are spread for Glorious Things are spoken of the Supper as well as of the * Psa 87.3 City of our God The Provisions of Grace are wonderful as well as the Treasures that are laid up in Glory And the coming of the Soul is to accept of such as these untill it be filled with all the Varieties of the Word of the Kingdom Mat. 13.19 which God can bestow or man receive of him The Third Thing is to enforce it by Arguments III. and urge the necessity of man's coming at the Call unto these Holy Commons of the Gospel for there is a Communion of Saints held at this Table And in evincing why it must be so I would lay open the Necessity of the Thing these two wayes in General 1st Necessitate Praecepti as a Command 2dly Necessitate Medii as the Means appointed It is no matter of Indifferency other Things are convenient but this one Thing is needful Luk. 10.42 1. It is necessary necessitate Praecepti as the Master of the Feast requires it It is his command and that will render a compliance with it necessary God hath bid you to a Feast and it should not lye before you as a common slight indifferency if ye be disposed to go 1 Cor. 10.27 The Commandment saith Seek ye the
David's Guard to break first thrô an Host that encamps against us Psa 27.3 Joh. 4.28 This is a Well where we may leave our water-pot since when we have drank of the Water we carry a well away with us v. 14. It is the Lamb's Fountain and thou mayst wring more out of this Fleece than Gideon's a Judg. 638 Bowl full or Hagar's b Gen. 21.15 bottle or Elijah's four c 1 Kings 18.33 barrels of water This is none of the bitter water that causeth the d Num. 5 22. curse but a Blessing when it comes into the e Ps 109. â—â— Bowels like water Our other Drink is f Hos 4 1â— soâ—â—r but this is a Fountain that yieldeth sweet water g Jam. 3 11 This Precious Liquor this incomparable and true Aqua vitae was set abroach upon the Tree of the Cross when one of the Souldiers with a Spear pierc'd his side and there forthwith came out Blood and (h) Joh. 19.34 water And lo he continues still as a pure River of the water of life running plentifully down the Gospel by his Guests at the Table side In a word he is water to cleanse our Filth Rev. 22.1 and water to quench our Thirst besides 5. Flesh to eat When the mixed multitude in the Wilderness fell a lusting it was to eat Flesh Num. 11.4 insomuch that the Children of Israel wept again and said who shall give us Flesh to eat and can he provide Flesh for his People Psa 78.20 last words But lo he that commanded the Clouds rained down Flesh upon them as Dust and feathered Fowls like as the sand of the Sea v. 27. Who indeed would have looked for such a Shower for when they tempted God in the Desert one might rather have feared he should have turned them to grass with their Flocks and Herds than have rained Flesh out of the Clouds upon them Yet tho' they had provoked God in the day of Temptation in the wilderness he tells them on the morrow ye shall eat Flesh Num. 11.18 But alas what was their Flesh tho' the Flesh of Quails to the Flesh of Jesus Christ What was the Flesh he gave unto all this People in comparison of the Flesh of the Son of God which he gives the Soul to feed upon by Faith Jesus Christ yields a variety to the Faith of God's Elect Num. 21.5 and it doth not follow that their Soul like those Israelites doth loath him as light Bread because their Soul also longeth for his Flesh to eat But we may here lawfully put in that wish in Job Oh! Job 31.31 that we had of his Flesh God doth not call you to eat the Flesh of your Sons Jer. 19.9 but the Flesh of His nor the Flesh of your Friend Zech. 13 7 but the Flesh of the man that is his Fellow What strange Flesh was that which the Poor Woman in Samaria had when she boiled her own Son for meat 2 Kings 6.29 Isa 13.18 She parted with the Fruit of her Womb being stricken thrô for want of the Fruits of the Field Lam. 4.9 But 't is a more astonishing wonder that God parted with the Son of his Bosom that we might eat the Flesh of this Sacrifice And there is no fear of making our Brother to offend by eating this Flesh while the World standeth 1 Cor. 8 1â— This mysterious Delicate the Flesh of Christ contains the Benefits of the Gospel which make up this Royal Entertainment that he purchas'd by his Death and Sufferings in the Flesh when he was put to Death in the Flesh 1 Pet. 3.18 but quickned by the Spirit This Doctrine of the Flesh of Christ given for meat unto our Faith is a further Exposition of the True Bread Joh. 6.51 And the Bread that I will give is my Flesh Now God must be first manifest in the Flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 Rom. 8.3 and in the likeness of sinful Flesh and in this Flesh of ours die to prepare meat for us for as the Creatures that have Life die that we a while in our Bodies by their Death might live so it is the very Flesh of Christ and him crucified that must give Life unto our Souls His Flesh suffer'd his Flesh was pierc'd he was hung upon that Flesh book of the Cross when God gave him to be meat unto us His Flesh was powdered in the very Grave where other Things corrupt but his Flesh did not see Corruption Acts 2.31 to be made ready as a sweet and Dainty Morsel for us The wrath of God broke forth upon the Body he had prepared Heb. 10.5 and kindled a Fire in his Anger that even boil'd him as Flesh within the Caldron Mic. 3.3 and roasted him that his Flesh might be meat indeed for us Joh. 6.55 his Flesh was bor'd thro' and thro' tho' not a Bone of him should be broken Thus was he bruised for our Iniquities Isa 53.5 or there should no Flesh be saved Hence he hath spoken Matth. 24.22 Joh. 6.57 last words He that eateth me even he shall live by me This may serve to answer either the Jew's or the unbelieving Gentile's Question Joh. 6.52 How can this Man give us his Flesh to eat it being not to be understood of a Sacramental eating as the Rhemists gloss it but a spiritual by Faith alone Oh! how may we stand amaz'd at the Provisions in Him whose Name is VVonderful Isa 9.6 This is the Fifth Dish the Flesh of Jesus Christ 6. Blood to drink Perhaps our Ignorant squeazy old man may loath it as the Egyptians did to drink of the water of the River Exod. 7.18 after it was smitten with the Rod of Moses and turned into Blood but our New-man redeemed by Blood will take great Delight in it Alas we have sinn'd our selves into such a Feavour that our own common Drink inflames we have kindled a Burning which nothing but Blood the Blood of Christ will quench if man tryes to put the Fire out by any Works of Righteousness which he hath done Tit. 3.5 the sweat of his Brows will drop in and like Oil still increase the Flame Nay it is not VVater barely separate from Blood will quench our Anguish tho' we trusted that we could Job 40.23 with the Behemoth draw up Jordan into our mouths we must still have Blood to drink Oh! it requires great Faith in the Son of God to see it for otherwise Corruption will make us too nice to be entertain'd with Blood Faith and Faith alone is kept alive by it it cannot it needs not live upon a more Generous and Sprightly Liquor than this pure Blood of the Grape Deut 32.14 last words 1 Pet. 1.2 pâ—â—t it makes every Morsel of the Banquet Savoury that 't is sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus Christ Flesh as before and Blood now do include the whole Body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Reas 5 and therefore nothing less than All Things would serve us A Poor Soul that doth find it self to be in Temptations it may be more abundant in difficulties above measure 2 Cor. 11.23 in Afflictions more frequent in Deaths oft and tho' long brought up under the means of Grace yet perhaps that Soul is still ready to cry out I was almost in all evil in the midst of the Congregation and Assembly to allude to Prov. 5.14 tho' I have lived under Means yet still I need Mercy Now what would have prevailed to have done such a Soul good if all Grace had not abounded towards us You have seen before what a multitude of Cases meet some in one some in another many or them uniting and centring in the same Person Now God hath provided All Things that in our very dividing of the VVord 2 Tim. 2.15 we might have enough to give to every one a proper Portion and you might all find some In many things we offend all Jam. 3.2 and we had need of all Rom. 5.18 that Judgment might not pass upon all unto Condemnation We fell into all sorts of Misery and we had need of all sorts of Mercy 6. It is to procure all Happiness in God's Favour here Reas 6 and his Full Presence hereafter and therefore he provides all things accordingly To invest us in the Possession of all Good it was necessary there should be the Provision of all Good Things The Means must be correspondent to the End All Men indeed are not saved but yet the Gospel is as the Apostle said he became All Things 1 Cor. 9.22 that it might by all means save some As the Apostle tries to pull this way and that way and the other Zech. 3.2 if he might pluck a Brand out of the Fire and save it any ways from burning so the Gospel comes in with this and that and the other Provision even All Things ready if it might but with any of them save us Nothing must be excepted in the means if we attain the End of our Faith 1 Pet. 1.9 There must not be one Link of the Chain drop if we are drawn to Heaven There must be Election to Grace or there can be no Effectual Calling no Adoption no Justification no Sanctification no Perseverance in Grace I mean the State of it and there must be all these or no Glorification after So that All Things must be provided to begin our Happiness in God's Favour here and to perfect it in his full Presence hereafter The Gospel is to advance us and therefore the All Things are the many steps to it You can never ascend from the Bottom to the Top of Jacob's Ladder Gen. 28.12 if you do not pass thro' many Rounds between 7. God hath been always providing Reas 7 providing before Time providing in Time providing early providing late even to this moment and therefore in the issue we must needs have rich Pasture Prov. 4.7 It is impossible but with all his Gettings he should have got in all Things for us The Gospel-Blessings he hath brought to your Ears tho' of yesterday in the report are the result of his Counsels that were of old Job 8.9 Isa 25.1 The Ancient of Days was not idle Dan. 7.9 Job 38.4 before the Foundations of the world were laid but was employ'd in accomplishing our Happiness Heb. 3.4 after he had built all Things in time It was before the Sons of the Morning shouted Job 38.7 that he was making Supper ready Before the very VVorlds were frramed by the VVord of God Heb. 11.3 his Grace was a laying in of all Things in order The Apostle takes great Notice of the Antiquity and Eldership of Divine Grace Eph. 1.4 and carries up the Date of it into an Eternity a parte ante before the Foundations of the World Nature is young but Grace is the First-born of Heaven The great God was cutting out this work in Eternity which we see in Time made up into such a Coat of divers colours Gen. 37.3 It was an Eternal Purpose and therefore such full and various Preparations according to the Eternal Purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord Eph. 3.11 It is a Feast so large because so long a getting Reas 7 They are all Things that God's People may have enough without meddling with any Things forbidden Luk. 6.38 It is measure running over without a Grain from the Devil's Heap We have a Full Table from God that we might not Covet of any Dish he hates Gen. 2.16.17 of every Tree of the Garden thou mayst freely eat but of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil thou shalt not eat of it * Mr. Cooper Morn Exer. at Giles's in the Fields p. 84. He grants him a vast Latitude to eat of all freely that he need not be straitned to eat of that one Tree excepted So in the Gospel it is all lovely Grace that you might not cry after one Beloved Lust All the Milk and Honey Num. 13.27 the Spice and Balm the Fruits and Clusters that grow in Canaan v. 24. that your Mouths may never water after the Leeks Num. 11.5 and Garlick and stinking Onions the Diet of the old Man in Egypt He offers the Fatness of the Olive Rom. 11.17 that having tasted it we may never relish the Fruits of the wild Tree agen You shall have Bread enough and to spare Luk. 15.17 that you may not whine for Husks or cry out for the Trough to be fed among Swine You shall be provided with Grace and Glory Psal 84.11 Things here and Things in Heaven that you might not take up with or be delighted in things viler than the Earth 9. It is that all Men's mouths may be stopt Reas 9 Oh! it is a Silencing Argument that makes God's own People Dumb without a reply when he comes to reckon up his Mercies and their foul Miscarriages See it in David 2 Sam. 12.7 8 9. where God is reproving David by his Servant Nathan the Prophet for that scandalous Trespass after he had gone in to Bathsheba Thus saith the Lord God of Israel I anointed thee King over Israel and I delivered thee out of the Hand of Saul and I gave thee thy Master's House and thy Master's Wives into thy Bosom and gave thee the House of Israel and of Judah and if that had been too little I would moreover have given unto thee such and such Things wherefore hast thou despised the Commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight c. Now here David's mouth was stopt the Provision that God made in so many things silenc'd him He could not plead after God had graciously conferr'd so much upon him for the killing of Vriah the snatching away of Bathsheba and when God had given him the whole Flock of Israel to usurp and dress of the Poor Man's Ewe
not make an Application of the Promises because they know not by what Authority they can do these things chap. 11.23 They fear the Feast doth not belong to them but is appointed and decreed for others Mat. 20.23 for whom alone they think it is prepared A Saint may be ready to interpret Christ's words absolutely thou hast no part with me which yet he lays down no more than Conditionally If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me Joh. 13.8 They query what if they should be Dogs to whom it doth not appertain to take the Children's Bread Mat. 15.26 but alas why should this hinder or discourage you it did not the Woman of Canaan tho' Christ call'd her Dog expresly Matth. 15.26 It is not meet to take the Children's Bread and cast it to Dogs as if he had said the Bread of the House is too good for such a Dog as thee But this Woman still comes in with a reply of Faith and seeing good store of Provision in Christ tho' she were not a Jew by Birth but a Syro-phenician by Nation Mark 7.26 yet she would not give over or be content to lose all If she were a Dog she would plead with Christ for Crumbs and gather her Meat under his Table v. 27th and she said Judg. 7.1 Truth Lord yet the Dogs eat of the Crumbs which fall from their Master's Table insomuch that Jesus now tells her she was no Dog but a Daughter of the true Faith of Abraham v. 28. Then Jesus answered and said unto her O Woman great is thy Faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt As if he had said thou hast been sueing for Crumbs but now thou mayst take what Meat thou wilt 2. Vnacquaintedness with the True Notion of the Gospel They want Light and therefore walk in Darkness They look more to Qualifications for Christ than to Christ for Qualifications They would fain see more Works in themselves before they dare venture to rely on Him But my Brethren tho' we apprehend never so much unworthiness guilt pollution and misery in our selves yet our work is to come to Jesus Christ as we are that in him and from him we may be made better For if you try to place your own Obedience in the Front and Faith in Jesus Christ at the Foot of the account afterwards that is you would arrive to such a pitch of Holiness to such a measure of Sincerity to such a Degree of Brokenness to so much Fruitfulness in every good word and work Col. 1.10 and then you could safely rest on Christ alas this is to put a Nought in the first place and then a Figure in the next for it is impossible to arrive unto any Degree of acceptable Obedience 'till Faith closeth with him who is the ground of all acceptation This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Matth. 3.17 He hath made us accepted in the Beloved Eph. 1.6 There is by Faith an antecedent Union â—to and a Being in Christ as the Foundation of all our acceptance with the Father which I seriously profess was the sweet and prevailing Allurement when the Spirit of God enlightned me in this part of the Gospel and wrought with a Divine Power to bring me to give up my self as a Sinner to believe in him having been a long while deluded by this Fatal and pernicious Mistake that I must be first a Saint and then might set up for a Believer But let none from hence misunderstand me to plead for a vain Faith which never joyns with Holiness I speak only of the order to shew where Holiness must be plac'd not against the thing as prophane Libertines do to exclude it out of all place If we look first to Christ and then to Holiness we need not as some weak Believers are apt under Temptation and the Hidings of the Face of God to question our State while we bewail a Body of Death because our Justification as soon as by Faith we first received Christ brought us into a Compleat State tho' it hath not brought us nor will in this Life to perfect Degrees of Holiness But if we are preposterous and look first to such measures of Holiness and then in the second place look to Christ we overturn all the order of the Gospel which placeth Christ or Faith in Christ at the beginning and then Holiness immediately to be carrying on gradually to our last end It is as much Satan's Art on one Hand to trouble Souls that have been awakened by separating Christ from Holiness as it is the industrious Art of some Men to separate Holiness from Christ The Devil accuseth us because we are not perfect in our selves and become our own Saviours others accuse us because being perfect in a Saviour we will yet talk of pressing towards the Mark Phil. 3.14 2 Pet. 3.18 and growing in Grace and Holiness as if Men in Christ were to make the Church a Monster that is a Holy Head and prophane Filthy Members therefore say some who I am sure have not learnt the Truth as it is in Christ there is no need of an Evangelical Righteousness when we are found in Christ's Righteousness no need of our Obedience poor imperfect rotten because of Christ's which is absolutely compleat and spotless Alas this is no more than to tell us because we are not justifyed by Holiness therefore we must not labour after Holiness nor pray for Holiness nor look for Holiness nor preach up Holiness I would fain know why our Holiness on Earth should impair Christ's Righteousness more than our Holiness shall do in Heaven for we shall there in Person be Holy to Perfection and yet have nothing after we have been millions of Years thus Holy but all of it for and in Christ Now how can an incompleat Holiness that be sure must be justifyed it self by Christ injure Christ's Righteousness on Earth when our perfect and Angelical Obedience in Heaven shall not diminish or eclipse one Ray of this Sun of Righteousness to all Eternity But to return Mal. 4.2 and in a few words close this Hinderance to the Feast in reference to such as err about Holiness and Obedience in the misplacing it as I began the particular Let Christians take heed where they place Faith for if they do not begin with it they will put that and Christ's Merits and their own Obedience too all out of place It is an excellent Passage to this purpose which I have met with in a Divine that hath also wrote very soundly an entire Piece upon the Point of Justification saith he in another (y) Anthâ— Burgess Spiritual Befinings 1st part p. 249. Treatise As in the Holy of Holies every thing was Gold or covered with Gold so all that is accepted with God is either Christ or Duties covered with Christ Again that you may not entertain a wrong Notion of the Gospel take heed that in your view of
sin you do not spy out more in your own Iniquities than you do in the very Grace of God to receive you graciously Hos 14.2 4 and love you freely And beware that you do not fancy a deeper Red different from other Death-colours in your own Body of Death than is seen in the Blood of Jesus Christ An Unacquaintedness with the true Notion of the Gospel is a Hinderance to the Gospel-Feast 3. Remaining Vnbelief in the Actings of slavish Fear Reigning Unbelief indeed is the Property of Sinners but Remaining Unbelief is a great Hinderance hanging in the way of Saints There are Remnants of this Sin to bring you under spiritual Sickness and Infirmities when there be no Ruling Signs-that it is unto Death upon you There is much Fluctuation in our Hearts an unsteddy rolling too and fro like the Waves of the Sea sometimes carried out towards the Shore in Hope then driven back again to Sea in Fears whereas our Rock is the same for ever tho' we roll aside Oh! were our Faith says (z) Dr. Sibb◠Bruised Reed p. 23 24. one as firm as our State in Christ is secure what manner of Men should We be A Saint may be brought many ways low but he shall be brought no ways under Now by how much the less it is you live in the Exercise of Faith 〈◊〉 2.20 i. e. By the Faith of the Son of God by so much the less in your spiritual State will you thrive by Gospel-Grace As you want any measure of Faith to digest the Food of God's Word so much the less of Nourishment and Sweetness you will find in any Morsel of it Jesus said unto him if thou canst believe All Things are possible unto him that believeth Mark 9.23 If you have not Oh weak Christians a stronger Degree a higher Measure of Faith your Fears will make you jealous and suspect the Love of God every time you try to eat and drink in his Kingdom It is observed of Peter he never sank in the Waters 'till he sank first in Fears when he saw the Wind boisterous he was afraid and upon this followeth his beginning to sink Matth. 14.30 Fears will suggest nothing but such wrong and uncomfortable Thoughts as these Well this Feast of the Gospel is too great for such poor Dust and too good for so vile a Worm as I therefore it belongeth not to me But Oh! take heed of this let not Unbelief carry it without a check in thy Soul when it calls the Bread of Life Poyson or tells thee thou art damn'd if thou venturest so far as to meddle with it 4. Lastly Refusing to be Comforted God's People sometimes will not tho' we take his own words be satisfied The Consolations of God are so small with them Job 15.11 that they will not take this Cup of Consolation down Jer. 16.11 Psa 77.2 last words My Soul refused to be comforted let me hear what I would it was all one with me That was Good Asaph's case a while Now what will All Things avail when no thing shall be allow'd to comfort you but you will choose to go down into the Grave mourning Gen. 37.35 What signifies Moses to tell the Children of Israel that God had looked upon their Affliction and Bondage and to assure them of Deliverance that it was now even at the Door Mat. 24.33 whenas they hearkened not unto Moses for Anguish of Spirit and for cruel Bondage Exod. 6.9 It is observable indeed that at the first Newes of their Deliverance which Moses brought them from God they are hugely affected with it Chap. 4.31 The People believed and when they heard that the Lord had visited the Children of Israel and that he had looked upon their Affliction then they bowed their Heads and worshipped Oh! how glad and comforted do they seem that there comes any Relief to alter their Afflicted case at last Well but God will yet try their Patience under their Burdens and Adversity a little longer in the next Chapter Pharaoh comes and He multiplies their Burdens still more and more and lo now the Double Labour of their Bricks and the Stripes of their Task masters upon their Backs beat them quite out of Heart insomuch that at last Moses with all his Arguments and Perswasion could no ways still them for they are resolved to hear to wait to trust no longer they hearkened not c. Thus some of God's Children will seem to be born up notably when God comes first into their Souls with Comfort but alas if God to try them lays them again in the lowest Pit in Darkness Psa 88.6 in the Deeps immediately their Mountain is overturned their Sun is set and the Rainbow of the Covenant blotted out of Their Cloud They refuse to be comforted and seem loth to look out towards the Everlasting Hills again Psa 121.1 Now hence it is that the Gospel hath been very often in part ineffectual for a Time to some of God's own Children To conclude therefore in a word your Meat will not strengthen you to flee as a Bird to your Mountain Psa 11.1 so long as with Ephraim you remain a silly Dove without Heart Hos 7.11 And so much for the Doctrinal Part. The Ninth and last Thing propounded in the General method was the Application of this Doctrine IX The Vses I design to make by God's further Assistance are the Three following Information to discover such Truths Humiliation to bewail such Sins and Exhortation to beswade to such Duties as naturally flow from it First I. Vse by way of Information in these Thirteen Particulars 1. 1 Inf. We may learn the Fitness of Earthly Comparisons to bring down Heavenly Truths to our Capacities I say the Fitness of Earthly Comparisons for in this Body of Flesh we have more Earth than Spirit and need to put on Spectacles to help our weak Eyes It is a piece indeed of condescending Workmanship in our Maker to blow up the very Earth and the Things of it into a Glass and then shew us Heaven and the Things thereof thro' it which made the Apostle use the same Metaphor when he was comparing the Knowledge of Believers here with that perfect Sight they should have in Heaven 1 Cor. 13.12 Now we see thro' a Glass darkly but then Face to Face Thus the Holy Ghost declares I have used Similitudes by the Ministry of the Prophets Hos 12.10 (a) Deus se quodammodò transformat in verbo suo in quo non loquitur pro su◠Majestate sed prout congruere videt modulo nostro infirmitati Rivet in loc Vol. 2. p. 774. col 2. ultim Obs When God speaks to instruct us in his Word he doth as it were transform himself not speaking according to his own Essential Majesty but agreeably to the measure of our Frailty The Scripture often instructs us in Metaphors and sets forth our State Priviledges and Duty by