Redemption the work of his arm Luke 1. 5. In the Creation God gave us ourselves in the Redemption he gave us himself So that the Sabbath putting us in mind of our Redemption ought to be observed with the highest devotion Herein we must offer holy violence to our selves When this blessed day approacheth we should labour that as the day is sanctified so our hearts may be sanctified We must on this day rest from all the works of our calling As Abraham when he went to Sacrifice left his Servant and Ass at the bottom of the hill Gen. 22. 5. So when we are to worship God this day we must leave all secular business behind And as Joseph when he would speak with his Brethren thrust out the Egyptians so when we would have converse with God this day we must thrust out all earthly employments Though works of necessity may be done and works of charity for God will have mercy and not sacrifice yet in other cases we must cease from all worldly negotiations It is observable concerning Mary Magdalen that she refused to anoint Christ's dead body on the Sabbath day Luke 23. 56. She had before prepared her ointment but came not to the Sepulchre till the Sabbath was past She rested that day from civil work though it were a commendable and glorious work the anointing of Christ's dead body When this blessed day approacheth we must lift up our hearts in thankfulness to God that he hath put another price into our hands for the gaining of heavenly wisdom These are our spiritual harvest-daies now the wind of God's Spirit blows upon the sails of our affections and we may be much furthered on in our heavenly voyage Christian lift up thy heart to God in thankfulness that he hath given thee another golden season and be sure thou improve it it may be thy last Seasons of grace are not like the Tyde if a man misleth one tyde he may have another This day approaching we must in the morning dress and fit our souls for the receiving of the Word The people of Israel must wash their garments before the Law was delivered to them Our hearts must be washed by prayer and repentance the Oracles of God being to be delivered to us And being met together we must set our selves as in the presence of God with seriousness and delight to hear God's sacred Word Take heed of distractions which fly-blow our duties We must labour to be bettered by every Sabbath where the Lord laies out cost he looks for fruit Fresh anointings of God are to be thirsted after and new cubits to be added to our spiritual stature We must not be like the Salamander which lives in the fire but is never the hotter Christians should on these daies aspire after communion with God and endeavour to have the illapses of his Spirit and clearer discoveries of his love in Christ. In short we should do on a Sabbath as Moses he ascended the Mount that he might have a sight of God We must dedicate the whole day to God Under the Law a single Sacrifice was appointed for other daies of the week but two Lambs were to be offered upon the Sabbath All this day must be spent with God he must have worship in the publick and when we come home he must have family-worship Many leave all their Religion at Church as I have seen some do their Bibles not hallowing God's name in their own houses Mal. 3. 8. Will a man rob God When men pretend to Worship God in the Temple but cut him short of family and closet-closet-duties on a Sabbath this is to rob God and steal a part of his day from him Good reason we should consecrate the whole Sabbath to God and give him double devotion for God doubles his blessings upon us this day As the Manna did rain twice as much on the sixth day as any of the other daies so the Manna of spiritual blessings falls twice as much on the Sabbath day as any other We must rejoyce in this day as being a day wherein we enjoy much of God's presence John 8. 56. Abraham saw my day and rejoyced So when we see a Sabbath day coming we should rejoyce The Protestants in France called their Church Paradise because there they met with God The Jews called the Sabbath desiderium dierum the desire of daies Isa. 58. 13. Thou shalt call the Sabbath a delight This we should look upon as the best day as the Queen of daies crowned with a blessing Psal. 118. 24. This is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it He hath made all the daies but hath sanctified this We should look upon this day as a spiritual Mart for our souls wherein we have holy commerce and traffick with God This day of Rest is the beginning of an eternal rest This day God sets open the Pool of Bethesda in which those waters flow that refresh the broken in heart And shall not we call this day a delight The Jews on the Sabbath laid aside their Sackcloth and Mourning This is in a right manner to sanctifie a duty and it is a duty wherein Christians must excite and offer violence to themselves Above all others how well doth it become those into whose hands God hath-put the power of Magistracy to shew forth holy violence in causing the Lord's day to be strictly observed What a rare pattern hath Nehemiah set all good Magistrates Neh. 13. 15. In those daies saw I in Judah some treading wine-presses on the Sabbath and bringing in sheavs and all manner of burdens which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals Vers. 17. Then I contended with the Nobles of Judaâ—… and said unto them What evil thing is this that ye do and prophane the Sabbath day How dare ye infringe the command and make a false entry upon God's freehold My Lord your Proclamation for the pious observation of the Sabbath and your punitive acts upon some offenders have given a publick Testimoney of your zeal for this day The keeping up the honour of the Sabbath will much keep up your Magisterial honour The seventh Duty wherein we must offer violence to ourselves is holy conference and indeed we are backward enough to it therefore had need herein provoke our selves Mal. 3. 17. They that feared the Lord spake often one to another A gracious person hath not only Religion in his heart but in his tongue Psal. 37. 30. The Law of God is in his heart and his tongue talketh of Judgement he drops holy words as Pearls 'T is the fault of Christians that they do not in company provoke themselves to set good discourse on foot it is a sinfull modesty there is much visiting but they do not give one anothers souls a visit In worldly things their tongue is as the Pen of a ready
fire for its mollifying power Jer. 23. 29. If you are poysoned with sin here is an herb to expel it Look upon the Word as a soveraign Elixir to comfort you in distress it comforts you against all your sins temptations and afflictions What are the Promises but divine Cordials to revive fainting Souls A gracious heart goes feeding on a Promise as Sampson on the Hony-comb Judg. 14. 9. The word comforts against sickness and death 1 Cor. 15. 55. O death where is thy sting A Christian dies embracing the Promise as Simeon did Christ Heb. 11. 16. Read the Word as the last VVill and Testament of Christ. Here are many Legacies given to them that love him Pardon of sin Adoption Consolation this Will is in force being sealed in Christs Blood With what seriousness doth a Child read over the Will and Testament of his Father that he may see what is left him Read it as a Book by which you must be judged John 12. 48. The Word I have spoken shall judge him at the last day They who live according to the Rules of this Book shall be acquitted they who live contrary to them shall be condemned There are two Books God will go by the Book of Conscience and the Book of Scripture the one shall be the Witness and the other the Judge How should every Christian then provoke himself to read this Book of God with Care and Devotion This is that Book which God will proceed by at the last They who fly from the Word as a Guide shall be forced to submit to it as a Judge 2. The second Duty of Religion wherein we must provoke our selves is in Hearing of the Word We may bring our bodies to the Word with ease but not our hearts without offering violence to our selves When we come to the Word Preached we come about a business of the highest importance therefore should stir up our selves and hear with the greatest devotion Constantine the Emperour was noted for his reverend attention to the Word Luk. 19. 48. All the people were attentive to hear him In the Greek it is they hanged upon his lip When the Word is dispensed we are now to lift up the everlasting doors of our hearts that the King of glory may enter in How far are they from offering violence to themselves in hearing who scarce mind what is said as if they were not at all concerned in the business they come to Church more for custom than conscience Ezek. 33. 31. They come to thee as the people cometh and they sit before thee as my people and hear thywords but they will not do them If we could tell them of a rich purchase or of some place of preferment they would diligently attend but when the Word of Life is Preached they disregard it 2. How far are they from offering violence to themselves in hearing who come to the Word in a dull drowsie manner as if they came to Church to take a Receipt to make them sleep The Word is to feed it is strange to sleep at meat The Word judgeth men it is strange for a prisoner to fall asleep at the Bar. To such sleepy hearers God may say Sleep on He may suffer them to be so stupified that no Ordinance shall awaken them Mat. 13. 25. While men slept the enemy came and sowed Tares The Devil is never asleep but sows the tares of sin in a drowsie hearer That we may when we come to the Word offer violence to our selves and stir up our selves to hear with devotion consider 1. It is God that speaks to us If a Judge give a charge upon the bench all listen If a King speaks all give attention When we come to the Word we should think thus with our selves We are to hear God in this Preacher Therefore Christ is said Now to speak to us from Heaven Heb. 12. 25. Christ speaks in his Ministers as a King speaketh in the person of his Embassadour When Samuel knew it was the Lord that spake to him he lent an ear 2. Sam. 3. 5. Speak Lord thy Servant heareth They who slight God speaking in his Word shall hear him speaking in his wrath Psalm 2. 5. Then shall he speak to them in his wrath 2. Let us consider the weightiness of the matters delivered to us As Moses said to Israel Deut. 30. 19. I call Heaven and Earth to Record this day that I havâ—… set before you life and death We preach to men of Christ and the Eternal Recompences here are the magnalia Legis the weighty matters of the Law and doth not all this call for serious attention There is a great deal of difference between a Letter of news read to us and a Letter of special business wherein our whole Land and Estate is concerned In the Word preached our Salvation is concerned here we are instructed to the Kingdom of God and if ever we will be serious it should be now Deut. 32. 47. It is not a vain thing for you because it is your life 3. If the Word be not regarded it will not be remembred Many complain they cannot remember here is the reason God punisheth their carelesness in hearing with forgetfulness He suffers Satan to take away the Word from them Mat. 13. 4. The Fowls of the Air came and devoured the seed The Devil is no Recusant he comeâ—… to Church but it is not for any good intent he gets away the Word from men How many have been roâ—…ed of the Sermon and their souls both at once 4. It may be the last time that ever God will speak to us in his Word it may be the last Sermon that ever we shall hear and we may go from the place of hearing to the place of judgeing Did people think thus when they come into the Houseof God Perhaps this will be the last time that God will counsel us about our souls the last time that ever we shall see our Minister's face with what devotion would they come how would their affections be all on fire in hearing We give great attention to the last speeches of friends A Parents dying words are received as Oracles Oh let all this provoke us to diligence in hearing let us think this may be the last time that Aarons Bell shall sound in our ears and before another day we shall be in another World The third Duty wherein we are to offer violence to our selves is in Prayer Prayer is a duty which keeps the trade of Religlon agoing When we either joyn in prayer with others or pray alone we must use holy violence not eloquence in prayer but violence carries it Theodorus speaking of Luther Once saith he I over heard him in prayer but good God with what life and spirit did he pray It was with so much Reverence as if he were speaking to God yet with so much confidence as if he had been speaking to his friend
betook himself â—…o prayer at length rising off his knees he came out of his Closet triumphantly saying to his friends â—…cimus Vicimus We have overcome â—…e have overcome At which time it was obsoâ—…ved there came out a Proâ—…lamal â—…ion from Charles the Fifth that none should be further molested for the Profession of the Gospel How may this encourage us and make us hoise up the sails of prayer when others of the Saints have had such good returns from the holy Land That we may put forth this holy violence in prayer it is requisite there be a renewed principle of grace If the person be graceless no wonder the prayer is heartless The body while it is dead hath no heat in it while a man is dead in sin he can have no heat in duty 2. That we may be the more violent in prayer it is good to pray with a sense of our wants A begger that is pinched with want will be earnest in craving an alms Christian review thy wants thou wantest an humble spiritual frame of heart thou wantest the light of Gods countenance the sense of want will quicken prayer That man can never pray fervently that doth not pray feelingly How earnest was Sampson for water when he was ready to die Judg. 15. 18. I die for thirst 3. If we would be violent in prayer let us beg a violent wind The Spirit of God is resembled to a mighty rushing wind Acts 2. 2. Then we are violent when this blessed Wind fills our sails Jude v. 20. Praying in the Holy Ghost If any fire be in our Sacrifice it comes down from Heaven The fourth Duty wherein we must offer violence to our selves is Meditation a duty wherein the very heart and life-blood of Religion lies St. Bernard calls Meditation animae viaticum a bait by the way And another saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Meditation may be thus described It is an holy excercise of the mind whereby we bring the truths of God to remembrance and do seriously ponder upon them and apply them to our selves In meditation there are two things 1. A Christians retiring of himself a locking himself up from the world Meditation is a work which cannot be done in a croud 2. It is a serious thinking on God It is not a few transient thoughts that are quickly gone but a fixing and staying the mind upon heavenly objects This cannot be done without exciting all the powers of our souls and offering violence to our selves We are the more to provoke our selves to this duty because 1. Meditation is so cross to flesh and blood Naturally we shun holy meditation To meditate on worldly secular things if it were all day we can do it without any diversion But to have our thoughts fixed on God how hard do we find it how do our hearts quarrel with this duty what pleas and excuses have we to shift it off The natural averseness from this duty shews we are to offer violence to our selves in it 2. Satan doth what he can to hinder this duty He is an enemy to meditation The Devil cares not how much we hear nor how little we meditate Hearing begets knowledge but meditation begets devotion Meditation doth ballast the heart and make it serious and Satan labours to keep the heart from being serious What need therefore is there of offering violence to our selves in this duty But me-thinks I hear some say when they sit alone they know not what to meditate of I shall therefore surnish them with matter of meditation 1. Meditate seriously upon the corruption of your nature We have lost that pure quintessential frame of soul that once we had There is a Sea of sin in us Our nature is a source and seminary of all evil like Peter's sheet wherein were wild beasts and creeping things Acts 10. 12. This sin cleaves to us as a leprosie This original pollution makes us guilty before the Lord and though we should never commit actual sin this merits Hell The meditation of this would be a means to pull down our pride Nay even those that have grace have cause to walk humbly because they have more corruption in them than grace their dark side is broader than their light 2. Meditate seriously upon the death and passion of Christ His soul was over-cast with a cloud of sorrow when he was conflicting with his Fathers wrath and all this we should have suffered Isaâ—… 〈◊〉 5. He was wounded for our transgressions As David said Lo I have sinned but these sheep what have they done 2 Sam. 24. 17 So we have sinned but this Lamb of God what had he done 1. The serious meditation of this would produce Repentance How could we look upon him whom we have pierced and not mourn over him When we consider how dear our sins cost Christ how should we shed the blood of our sins which shed Christ's blood 2. The meditation of Christ's death would fire our hearts with love to Christ. What friend shall we love if not him who died for us His love to us made him cruel to himself As Rebecca said to Jacob Gen. 27. 13. Upon me upon me be the curse So said Christ Upon me be the curse that poor sinners may inherit the blessing 3. Meditate on your Evidences for Heaven What have you to shew for Heaven if you should die this night 1. Was your heart ever thorowly convinced of sin Did you ever see your self lost without Christ Conviction is the first step to conversion Joh. 8. 16. 2. Hath God ever made you willing to take Christ upon his own terms Zach. 6. 13. He shall be a Priest upon his Throne Are you as willing that Christ should be upon the Throne of your heart to rule as a Priest at the Altar to intercede Are you willing to renounce those sins to which the biass of your heart doth naturally incline Can you set those sins as Uriah in the forefront of the battel to be slain Are you wiling to take Christ for better for worse to take him with his Cross and to avouch Christ in the worst of times 3. Have you the indwelling-presence of the Spirit If you have what hath Gods Spirit done in you Hath it made you of another spirit meek mercifull humble Is it a transforming Spirit Hath it lest the impress of its own holiness upon you These are good evidences for Heaven By these as by a spiritual touch-stone you may know whether you have grace or no. Bewarâ—… of false Evidences None are further from having the true Pearl than they that content themselves with the counterfeit 4. Meditate upon the uncertainty of all sublunary comforts Creature-delights have their flux and reflux How oft doth the Sun of worldly pomp and grandure go down at noon Xerxes waâ—… forced to fly away in a small vessel who but a little before wanted Sea-room for his Navy We say every thing is
How confident are some of salvation yet never examine their title to Heaven 3. Men are not forward to examine themselves because they rest in the good opinion of others how vain is this Alas one may be Gold and Pearl in the eye of others yet God may judge him Reprobate Silver others may think him a Saint and God may write him down in his black-book Judas was looked upon by the rest of the Apostles as a true Believer they would have been ready to have given their hands to his certificate yet he was a Traitor Standers by can but see the outward carriage they cannot tell what evil is in the heart Fair streams may run on the top of a River but vermin may lie at the bottom 4. Men are hardly brought to examine themselves because they do not believe Scripture The Scripture saith The heart is deceitful above all things Jer. 17. 9. Solomon said there were four things too wonderful for him that he could not know Prov. 30. 19. He might have added a fifth The Way of mans heart The heart is the greatest Impostor it will be ready to put one off with seeming Grace instead of saving The heart will perswade that a slight tear is Repentance a lazy desire is Faith Now because the generality of people do not believe that there is such fallacy in their hearts therefore they are so slow to examine them This natural backwardness in us to self-reflection should cause us to offer the more violence to our selves in making a thorow disquisition and search of our hearts Oh that I might prevail with Christians to take pains with themselves in this great work of Examination Their salvation depends on it It is the note of an Harlot she is seldom at home Prov. 7. 11 12. Her feet abide not in her house now is she without now in the streets It is a sign of an Harlot Professor to be altogether abroad spying the faults of others but is never at home with his own heart Oh let us try our Hearts as we do Gold by the Touchstone Let us examine our sins and finding out this leven burn it Let us examine our Grace whether it be of the right kind One went into the field to gather herbs and he gathered wild gourds and then Death was in the Pot. 2 Kings 4. 40. So many think they have Grace the right Herb but it proves a wild gourd and brings death and damnation That we may offer violence to our selves in this great business of Examination let these few things be seriously weighed 1. Without self-examination we can never know how it is with us If we should die presently we cannot tell to what Coast we should sail whether to Hell or Heaven It is reported of Socrates when he was going out of the World he had this speech I am now to dye and the gods know whether I shall be happy or iniserable That man who is ignorant of the state of his Soul must needs heve the trembling at the heart as Cain had a shaking in his flesh By a serious serutiny of our hearts we come to know to what Prince we belong whether to the Prince of peace or the Prince of the aiâ—… 2. If we will not try our selves God will try us He will examine us as the chief Captain did Paul by scourging Act. 22. 24. He will ask that question as Christ Whose image â—…d superscription is this And if we cannot shew him his own image he will reject us 3. There is secret corruption within which will never be found out but by searching There are in the heart as Austin saith hidden pollutions When Pharaoh's Steward accused Joseph's Brethren of having the Cup they durst have sworn they had not the Cup in their sack Little doth a man know what Atheism Pride Uncleanness is in his heart till he searcheth 4. The great advantage which will accrew to us the benefit is great which way soever things turn If upon examination we find that we have not grace in truth then the mistake is discovered and the danger prevented If we find that we have grace we may take the comfort of it How glad was he that had found the Pearl of great priâ—…e He that upon search finds that he hath but the minimum quod sic the least degree of grace is like one that hath found his Box of Evidences he is Heir to all the Promises and in a state of Salvation And that we â—…ay go on the more successively in this work let us desire God to help us to find out our hearts Job 34. 32. That which I see not teach thou me Lord take off the vail shew me my heart let me not perish through mistake or go to Hell with hope of Heaven The sixth duty wherein we must offer violence to our selves is The Religious sanctifying of the Lords day That there should be a day of holy rest dedicated to God appears from the institution Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day Our Christian Sabbath comes in the room of the Jewish Sabbath it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. from Christ the Author of it Our Sabbath is altered by Christ's own appointment He arose this day out of the grave and appeared on it often to his Disciples 1 Cor. 16. 1. To intimate to them saith Athanasius that he transferred the Sabbath to the Lords day And St. Austin saith That by Christ's rising on the first day of the week it was consecrated to be the Christian Sabbath in remembrance of his Resurrection This day was antâ—…tly called Dies Lucis the day of Light as Junius observes The other days of the week would be dark were it not for the shining of the Sun of Righteousness on this day This day hath been called by the Antients Regind diâ—…rum the Queen of days And St. Hieroni preferrs this day above all solemn Festivals The Primitive Churâ—…h had this day in high veneration it was a great badge of their Religion for when the question was asked Servasti Dominicum Keepest thou the Sabbath the answer was made Christianus sum I am a Christian and dare not omit the celebration of the Lords day What great cause have we thankfully to remember this day As the benefit of Israel's deliverance from the Babylonish captivity was so great that it drowned the remembrance of their deliverance from Egypt Jer. 16. 14. So the benefit of our deliverance from Satan's captivity and the rising of Christ from finishing the glorious work of our Redemption was so famous that in respect of this his other benefits receive as it were a diminution Great was the work of Creation but greater the work of Redemption It cost more to redeem us than make us In the one there was only the speaking a word Psal. 148. 5 in the other the shedding of blood Heb. 9. 22. The Creation was the work of God's fingers Psal. 8. 3. the
willingly doth a man wade through a deep water that sees the dry Land before him and is sure to be crowned as soon as he comes at shore Every time you cast your eye up to Heaven think above that starry Heaven is the Empyraean Heaven I am striving for Thus did Moses the eye of his faith quickned the feet of his obedience Heb. 11. 26. He looked to the recompence of Reward When Christians lose their prospect of Heaven then they begin to slacken their pace in the way thither If you would be violent for the Kingdom accompany with such as are violent When we want fire we use to go to our neighbours hearth and fetch fire Often be among the godly and so you shall fetch some heat and quickning from them Psal. 119. 63. I am a companion of all them that fear thee Good company quickens The holy discourse and example of one Saint doth whet and sharpen another The Saints never go so fast to Heaven as when they go in company One Christian helps forward another In other Races that are run many times one hinders another but in this Race to Heaven one Christian helps forward another 1 Thes. 5. 11. Edifie one another even as also ye do O let not this Article of our Creed be forgotten The Communion of Saints If you would be violent never leave till you have the Spirit Desire of God to put forth the sweet violence of his Spirit the Spouse begg'd a gale of the Spirit Cant. 4. 16. Awake O North-wind blow a South When God's Spirit blows upon us now we go full sail to Heaven When the Spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels then they moved Ezek. 1. 21. The wheels of our endeavour move apace when the Spirit of God is in these wheels Seeing there are so many violent winds of temptation blowing us backward we had need have the violent wind of God's Spirit blowing us forward to Heaven Let this suffice to have spoken of the means for this holy violence But may some say we have used this violence for Heaven what remains for us to do As the people said to Christ Luke 1. 13. What shall we do You that have been violent for Heaven aged Christians let me beseech you still to keep alive this holy violence Not only keep up duty but violence in duty Remember you have that corruption within you which is ready to abate this blessed violence The brightest coal hath those ashes growing on it as is apt to choak the fire You have those inbred corruptions that like ashes are ready to choak the fire of your zeal How was Peter's grace cooled when he denied Christ The Church of Ephesus lost her keen edge of Religion Rev. 2. 4. Take heed of declining in your affections Be not like a body in an atrophy be most violent at last A stone the nearer it is to the center the more violent it is in its motion You have but a little time now to work for God therefore work the harder Be like the Church of Thyatira Her last works were more than her first Rev. 2. 19. Be as the Sun that shines brightest before its setting As the Swan that sings sweetest before its death Rom. 13. 11. Your salvation is nearer than when you believed If your salvation be nearer your violence should be greater How should you quicken your pace when you are within sight of the Kingdom He is an happy man of whom it may be said spiritually as of Moses literally before his death Deut. 34. 7. His eyes waxed not dim and his natural force was not abated So a Christian's force and violence for Heaven is not abated He keeps the best wine of his life till the last Here is strong consolation to the violent Christian thou art in the way to the Kingdom Though perhaps thou hast not a bunch of Grapes in the way I mean that joy which some meet with yet it is happy that thou art in the way Bless God that while some lye in the totâ—…l neglect of duty God hath given thee an heart to seek him Psal. 105. 3. Leâ—… the hearts of them rejoyce that seek the Lord. Nay God hath not only given thee an heart to do duty but to do duty mixed with love which makes it savoury meat and do duty stamped with fervency which makes it pass currant with God O bless God who hath raised thee off the bed of sloth and stirred up the zeal of thy soul for Heaven He who hath made thee violent will make thee victorious Wait awhile and thou shalt be possessed of a Kingdom When Moses went up to receive God's Commands he staid six daies on the Mount and on the seventh day God called to him Exod. 24. 16. Though we wait long and have not the thing waited for yet let us continue doing our duty shortly God will call us from Heaven Come up hither and we shall go from the Mount of Faith to the Mount of Vision and behold those glorious things which eye hath â—…ot seen nor can it enter into man's heart to conceive But may a child of God say I fear I am none of those violent ones that shall take Heaven I find such a deadness of heart in duty that I question whether I shall ever arrive at the Kingdom This deadness of the heart may arise from natural causes Weakness of body may occasion indisposition of mind Thy prayer may be weak because thy body is weak A Lute that is cracked cannot send forth so sweet a sound as if it were whole 2. This indisposition of soul perhaps is only casual and for a time it may be in a deep fit of melancholy or in desertion When the Sun is gone from our climate the earth is as it were in desertion and the trees are without blossom or fruit but this is only for a time Let but the Sun return again in Spring and now the herbs flourish and the trees put forth their fruit So when God hides his face there is a deadness upon a Christian's heart he prayes as if he prayed not But let the Sun of Righteousness return now he is divinely animated and is as vigorous and lively in his operation as ever he now recovers his first love Therefore thou weak Christian be not discouraged so long as thou dost not allow thy self in thy distemper a dead heart is thy burden look up to Christ thy High-Priest who is merciful to bear with thy infirmities and is mighty to help them THE HAPPINESS OF Drawing near to GOD. PSALM 73. 28. But it is good for me to draw near to God THis Psalm is no less elegant than sacred It is calculated for the Meridian of God's Church in all times but especially it is fit for the godly to meditate upon in times of calamity It is intitled a Psalm of Asaph Asaph was a man divinely inspired a Prophet as also one of the