no sadder sight in the World than to behold such a triste bidental such an Heaven-struck forlorn-Sinners grown blind by seeing the light and deaf as they that dwell near the out-falls of Nilus by hearing a more pleasing sound even the word of life more filthy for washing more barren or rather fruitful of poysonous weeds for watering and more desperately and irrecoverably sick by the best Physicians greater care of the Cure so that it cannot be written on his door The Lord be merciful to him It 's pity you say that fair weather should do any hurt but a thousand pities to see a miserably blinded sinner to go into everlasting darkness by the light of the Sun shine of the Gospel to see an unruly stray Sheep that would not be kept in the Shepherds Fold in the Wolfs or Lions mouth dragged through all mire and dirt into his Den and there to be devoured Seest thou this thou seest a miserable forlorn Sinner whom the good Shepherds Rod and Staff could not keep in to be fed in green pastures and led by still waters now forsaken of God like another Cain or Judas made sensless and obdurate in sin and dragged into the pit-fall of Hell to his everlasting destruction 3. Which is the third and last particular before mentioned that eternal wrath and judgment that irrecoverable loss which such Sinners in another World procure to themselves by their abuse of Ordinances when they have not gain'd Christ by them Of all others the Sinners in Sion shall be most afraid when it shall once come to dwelling with devouring fire and everlasting burnings Isa 33. 14. Then Capernaum that in enjoyment of Ordinances was once lifted up as high as heaven shall be thrown as low as hell Matth. 11. 23 24. nay to the lowest depths of it where Sodom and Gomorrha's fire shall be more tolerable this furnace being heated seven times hotter whilst the breath of the Lord as a stream of brimstone shall kindle it Isa 30. 33. Mark 9. 43. 45. that Tophet intolerable that fire unquenchable when the sometimes sweet breathings of the Gospel-Spirit and Word and Ministry shall blow it up and keep it burning to Eternity Oh! No Condemnation to Gospel-Condemnation No wrath so fierce as that when after grace turned into wantonness patience shall be turned into fury How low low will that for-ever-lost Soul be sunk that in those unsupportable torments shall everlastingly have time and cause to think and say How shall I ever escape that have neglected abused despised so great Salvation That of all other aggravates and perpetuates such mens damnation Gospel-Grace and Ordinances which are the Key to open Heaven to Believers lock up neglecters and despisers in the Prison of Hell and roul the heaviest stone upon the mouth of the bottomless pit the unsupportable weight whereof will not only prevent all removal or escape but above all things will pinch and press and sink them down to Eternity Then they will be fully convinced of the truth of the point in hand that all things are loss and dung in comparison of Christ when they shall sadly but unprofitably and despairingly say Oh of how much greater worth is Christ above all other comforts even best Ordinances when notwithstanding them for want of him we are now everlastingly lodged and tormented in Hell whereas had we by the enjoyment of them come to have gained and enjoyed him we had with him in Heaven been happy for ever Which in the Application of it should most seriously advise and Use perswade us in our due both estimate and abearance both to Christ and his Ordinances respectively 1. And first for Ordinances as the former part of the point called upon us highly to prize them and diligently and constantly to attend upon them so what hath been said in this latter should with all sadness warn us 1. Not to rely on or to rest in the bare enjoyment of them 1. They may do us no good therefore rest not in them for as we have heard as they may be so should we thus do certainly they will be empty and at best we shall get no good by them Circumcision is nothing 1 Cor. 7. 19. The Letter without the Spirit signifieth little and the best Ordinances without Christ as to our Salvation will prove just nothing They are indeed in themselves and by God's Institution Wells of Salvation but to us in the issue they will prove but dry empty Cisterns if this water of life be not conveyed to us by them and therefore in this our journeying to Heaven let us not take up and dwell in our Inne and although the way of Ordinances lead thither yet if we sit down in our way we shall never come to our journeys end In this therefore follow the Psalmists example Psal 121. who when in the first verse he had said I will lift up mine eyes to the Hills of Zion and Moriah the seat of God's Ordinances as Interpreters expound it from whence cometh my help as though he had said too much of them or any Ordinances that his help should come from them as it were correcting himself in the second verse he presently adds my help cometh from the Lord which hath made Vide Augustinum Tract â— in Joannem mox ab initie Heaven and Earth It 's God and Christ only who made Heaven and Earth that can create the fruit of the best Ministers lips to be peace to his people Isa 57. 19. and therefore some Expositors read that first verse of the Psalm interrogatorily should I lift up mine eyes to the Hills as though from them should come my help The lifting up of eyes and soul in Scripture-Phrase expresseth not only delight and desire but expectance and dependance and then although we should come to Ordinances with encouraging expectations of help from God in them yet should we thus lift up our Eyes to the Hills themselves to the highest towring Eloquence or most raised abilities or most sublime piety of the Ministers that we most admire so as to expect saving help from them No. Alas Either They or at least the Event will tell thee that they are but empty Cisterns and dry Breasts which cannot afford the least drop but what Christ the fountain hath put into them and it may be out of thy experience thou maist be able to say to thy self that thou never wentest away more empty and less satisfied than when not making out after Christ in way of a Carnal-Creature-confidence thou expectedst most from them Though thou beest therefore on the Mount of Transfiguration where Christ was Matth. 17. 4. transfigured but they were not Do not sit down with Peter and say It 's good to be here unless Christ be there and in such pure glasses thou seest the face of Christ and art changed from glory to 2 Cor. 3. 18. glory into the image of Christ by the spirit of Christ sit not down satisfied That
make a shift to shâ—ffle and ruffle it all his life by that day light yet God sometimes speaks of searching Zeph. 1. 12. with Candies And truly oft-times the watch-light by a Death-Bâ—d maketh great discoveries of him to others especially to himself when his hâ—pe proves then like the Spiders Web Job 8. 14 15. It and he give up the ghost together Job 11. 20. Or should he even then be asleep yet at the last bright morning he will be awakened and discovered to himself and all the World too for as strong-hearted as any of them can be yet fearfulness Isa 33. 14. will surprize and shake the Hypocrites when it once comes to everlasting burnings And our Saviour seems to make Hell fire the Hypocrites free hold and other sinners but as Inmates and Vnder-tenants Dignum hypocritis supplicium ut qui duplici sunt corde in duo dissecentur Boisius in locum to them Matth. 24. 51. where he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he shall cut or divide him asunder a fit punishment for a double divided heart and give him his portion with Hypocrites And may then all Pharisaical shews and professions of Religion come to this at last so vanish and come to nothing unless it be to greater sin and heavier punishment Then well may they be loss and dung to me may the believing Soul say in comparison of Christ who is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Hebr. 13. 8. who lives ever and is able to save me to the end to the uttermost Whos 's both grace and peace like solid gold retain their lustre and the more and longer rubbed or worn shine the brighter I shall be no loser if I lose all these at least all confidence in these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that I may gain Christ And so much for that Particular Only instead of further Application Vse let what hath been said be a double warning or caution First Is outward appearance and profession of grace and Religion of such use and worth and necessity as was said on the one part 1. Then fie on that profane soul mouth that will spit in the face of it I mean such profane Sinners that from their Souls hate with their mouths revile and with an hand of violence to their utmost might lay at any out-looking appearance of Jesus Christ in his people No greater eye-sore to an ungodly man than to see the first eye-lids of the morning most of all if a noon-day-brightness any lesser especially any greater appearances of Jesus Christ and his grace in his servants hearts and lives which if they cannot smite with their fist of wickedness yet they will be sure to malign in their heart and as Jeremiah's enemies would do him to smite it with their tongues calumniating it to be nothing but Jer. 18. 18. base dessembling and hypocrisy And no wonder if these men like some curse the Sun when the dog will bark at the Moon If the greater lustre of Christian graces trouble such fore eyes which were offended at the dimmer light of the Heathens moral vertues for so you may know whom you find complaining virtutes ipsas invertimus atque Hâ—r Sincerum cupimus vas incrustare No wonder I say if Christian Graces which are more distastful to a carnal heart meet with the like or worse measure as Hierom complains of the Heathens Ad Furiam as soon as ever they saw a Christian then statim illud de trivio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold a Greek Impostor which Nazianzen also much complained of in his time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orat. 14. p. 219. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Grace was counted but an artifice and a Christian must needs be an Hypocrite and every professor a masked Stage-player which how unreasonable it is he there shews And let all such know that as it is the Panthers hatred of the Man that makes it tear his picture so it 's their Enmity to Christ that makes them so fly at his image looking out in his people In so doing they Jew-like spit in the face of Christ And how will they be able to look him in the face one day Outward appearances and Professions of Religion are not such things as foul mouths should spit at 2. Nor secondly that holy hearts should be ashamed of though they do but should with our Saviour be able to say I hid not my face from shame and spitting Isa 50. 6. And David will be more vile though Michal say he shamelesly uncovers himself as a vain fellow 2 Sam. 6. 20 21. Although the inside of the Tabernacle and Temple was most glorious yet the very outside was a goodly sight The form of godliness is no such deformed thing that we need blush at it nor true Christianity so despicable a thing but that in worst times and companies we should dare nay we should glory in our both words and carriages to call and proclaim our selves to be Christians This on the one side because as we have shewn the outward appearance and profession of Godliness is of such worth and necessity But secondly on the other side Is it as we have seen in it self if without inward reality and in comparison of Christ of so little value then be we advised In all our shews and appearances of Piety and Religion take we care that they be of the right stamp of Gods own image and superscription and not our own invention There was much of the Pharisees devotion of their own devising and more of the Popish holy Churches Idolatrous superstitious will-worship of their own pageantry and too much it may be of false-hearted weaker Christians additions or Mimick affectations which in Solomons account is to be righteous over-much which because not from Eccles 7. 17. the word Christ will not own nor thank you for any thing you suffer for it and the very Devil will be ready to say to such Exorcists Jesus I know and Paul I know but who are ye or whose are Act. 19. 15. these Though they be of the right stamp and have Gods own image and superscription yet take heed of a too timely precocity The Stony ground 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immediately springing up was a bad Matth. 13. 5. v. 21. Omen and fore-runner of its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of its as hasty after-withering Such should have first made sure of depth of earth and stayed for faster rooting before their sudden flourishing So Elizabeth upon her Conception hid her self five months Luke 1. 24. not out of distruct and doubting in her self whether the thing were real for that she was sure of v. 25. but partly out of a shame-faced modesty that an aged woman should be with child and partly that she might by her concealing her self Calvin prevent mean-while profane mens cavils when now at the five months end the thing proved manifest and there might be the less wonder
the use of these and the like means our first duty is to endeavour to come to be partakers of this divine nature 2. And then secondly walk worthy of it and answerable to it that we shew forth the vertues of God as our Apostle exhorted chap. 2. v. 9. of the former Epistle that in our spirits and carriages more of God may appear than of our selves as in red-hot iron there is more fire seen than iron Otherwise whilst the As every thing in the first Creation brought forth fruit according to its kind Gen. 1. 11 12. so in this new Creation let us in our kind And as thorns bring not forth grapes nor thistles figs corrupt nature nothing that is good so let not the good fig-tree bring forth bad figs or the vine soure grapes but such as becomes its kind and Gods planting Sons of God walk like other children of men express as much corruption and as little grace whilst according to the Text we say and preach that they are partakers of the divine nature men will be ready to think that the Citizens of Zion and of Plato's Commonwealth are much a-kin if not the same but Ideas and fancies and like as the Painters pictures of Angels and the Papists of the Virgin Mary in which they intend not to make them like but only brave and beautiful so we say rather what they should be than what they are but it may be the quite contrary as Polydor Virgil observes that their Popes had usually names given them which were quite contrary to their temper and practice but although Art may paint yet Nature is real and therefore if thou sayest that thou art partaker of this divine Nature loquere ut videam say and then do and be what may really and substantially prove and manifest it otherwise an Ape will be an Ape though with a childs coat put upon it and as it is in the story will shew as much when almonds are cast before it Naturam expellas furcâ licèt c. Nature may be disguised and dissembled for a while and for ends and upon design thou maist mask and keep it in but it will out so will corrupt nature and so will the Divine too which we should labour what we can to exert and manifest and that so evidently and fully that both our selves and others may be convinced that what we are or do can proceed from no lower a principle By wallowing in sensual lusts and pleasures we take part with the beast to be proud envious blasphemous and malicious is to partake of the Devil that is brutish this devilish to be kind and courteous is indeed humanity but if there be no more it falleth exceeding short of the Divine Nature and our walking up to it and worthy of it That in general is a more full imitation of God and Christ and Imitatores Divinae bonitatis nam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vox ad Dei proprietates pertinet Grotius in Textum of his more peculiar properties When the same mind is in us as was in Christ Philip. 2. 5. When humble and meek as he was when spiritual and holy as God who hath called us is holy Christianismus est imitatio Divinae Naturae Nyssen adv Ennomium Christianity in its proper formality is nothing but the imitation of the Divine Nature and fully to imitate God and Christ is in the general both to be partakers of it and to walk worthy of it In particular I name only three things 1. Abound in those fruits of the spirit Love peace long-suffering gentleness goodness meekness c. Gal. 5. 22 23. for whereas the Apostle 1 John 4. 16. saith that God is love it telleth us that love is of his nature and that therefore he that abounds in love doth abundantly partake of it even dwelleth in God and God in him What they use to say of forma augusta of a goodly Majestick Personage is much more true of a loving heart and carriage multum de coelo trahit it hath much of Heaven in it and partakes much of God's Divine Nature and Majesty whereas on the contrary wrath strife envy and malice though sometimes miscalled ingenious the Apostle James assureth us if it be wisdom it is earthly sensual and devilish Chap. 3. 14 15 16. instead of Heavens serene light hath much of Hells smothered fire in it much of the Devil who since his fall is of all other of Gods Creatures the most troubled and discontented himself and is so mischievous thereupon that his main endeavour is to make others like him and in nothing more than in these hellish heats and these devilish sour distempers Have therefore and express much of this grace of love if we would evidence that we partake of the nature of God the God of love 2. Labour to get and keep above the World for Heaven is high above the Earth and God above the Creature were we aloft in Heaven what a poor little point would the Earth be in our eye To God it 's less than nothing and vanity Isa 40. 17. and were we more like God the World would have less both room and esteem in our heart and the greatest and goodliest enjoyments of it especially in compare with God in Christ would be exilia vilia poor little worthless nothings as he saith upon the Text Qui C. à Lapide semel se in Divinitatem immersit animus non nisi Deo Divinis pascitur Were we once as it were swallowed up in God we should not be so immersed in these miry puddles below if fed with this Heavenly Manna we should not surfeit on these Leeks and Onions of Egypt This one Meditation saith Calvin on the Text would abundantly suffice ut mundo renunciantes toti in coelum feramur to make us overlook and despise the World and to have eye and heart up to God and Heaven Were we partakers of the Divine Nature and so up in Heaven with God we should be far above the Earth and Worldly contentments 3. But far higher above Hell in sinful defilements which is the third particular of our worthy deportment answerable to so high a grandeur and exaltation This the words immediately following the Text hold out to us when having said that we are made partakers of the Divine Nature presently telling you wherein that consists and appears he adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Cum aufugeritis or as Pagnin rendreth it si refugeritis when you have escaped or if you shall flie from the corruption that is in the World through lust with the like speed and earnestness that you would fly from fire sword or pestilence as the word imports it and some interpret it Sin is strong and we are weak and therefore our safety is by flying That is one strong argument for us to fly but this we Fugiendo Victoria Estins now speak of is stronger Are we made partakers of the Divine Nature and
vigilia defendit he wakes that we may sleep his Head is filled with cares that ours may be quiet and his Heart sometimes with fears that ours may be more confident Nehemiah's a good Governour example in this kind is remarkable Chap. 6. 14 15. and justifieth An a good Common-wealths-man's answer to him that found fault with him for neglecting his own occasions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But I said he take care of my Country Thus Honorable Lords you have seen not so much your Duty as your Honour and Happiness your being just in making us happy And therefore for close what was said of Eliakim Isa 22. 20 21 22 c. let me apply to you and conclude You are our Eliakims as he under their Hezekiah so you under ours whom God and our King have Clothed with the Robe and strengthened with the Girdle have committed the Judicature to your hand and appointed for Fathers to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and the House of Judah ver 21. The Lord still fasten you as a Nail in a sure place as ver 23. that as it there followeth we may still and still ever safely hang upon you not only all the glory of your Fathers Houses but also our Off-spring and Issue all Vessels of small quantity from the Vessels of Cups even to all the Vessels of Flagons that the poor Man may come and hang his little Cup upon you in his petty matters and the great Man may come and hang his Flagon his greater Cause whether lesser or greater Matters yet all may hang safely on you whilst fastened as Nails in a sure place settled in your places but more settled in a course of Justice judging and ruling in Righteousness and Wisdom and Moderation and so prove a Hiding-place from the Wind and Covert from the Tempest c. meant of Christ fully as I said at first And therefore what I say now at last is with all humility as becomes my place and yet with all assurance of your Faithfulness in regard of yours to desire and hope that what you would now and at the last day have Christ to be to you you will still please to continue to be to God's and the King's People The Wind may blow and Flouds may come and beat against your Houses and greatest Princes strongest and highest Palaces and therefore you and they may then especially stand in great need of a Covert and Hiding-place in Christ Inward and Spiritual thirst and drought may betide those that water others with clear streams of Justice Sure at the last day when the whole World will be on fire then those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cooling days or days of refreshment Acts 3. 19. A River a Shade then would be welcome Christ both now is and then and ever will be all this to his and therefore I said what you would desire him to be to you then I promise my self you will continue to be to his People The Lord grant in Christ for his Mercies sake that still long and long our gracious King may reign in Righteousness and his Princes and Counsellors and Judges may rule in Judgment that He above them and they under Him may be as an Hiding-place from the Wind and a Covert from the storm as Rivers of water in a dry place and as the shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land Even so Amen Lord Jesus our everlasting Melchisedech SERMON XXVII ISA. 32. 1 2. II Sermon at Boston before Mr. Kirk and other Courtiers Behold a King shall Reign in Righteousness and Princes shall Rule in Judgment And a Man shall be as an hiding place from the Wind and a covert from the Tempest as Rivers of Water in a dry place and as the shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land ANd so we dispatched the Text as a Plat-form of other Kings and Princes in Hezekiah's Type but behold a greater than Hezekiah yea than Solomon is here the Lord Jesus Christ our Melchisedek the King of our righteousness and peace and so in this second brief view of the words as principally meant of him we have First Christs righteous Reign and Government ver 1. He that King who Reigns in Righteousness and his Apostles and Ministers those Princes that rule in Judgment Of which point because I have dilated on Psal 45. 6. on those words the Scepter of thy Kingdom is a right Scepter therefore I here now wholly forbear and only take a short view of the second part namely of the blessed and peaceable fruits of his Government ver 2. That God-Man whatever Hezekiah or best King is yet He above all is an Hiding-place from the wind and a Covert from the storm Rivers of waters c. From which we may observe briefly I. What Christ is to us and therein see his All-sufficiency II. What that cost him from whence we may more fully descry his Love 1. He is no less than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 3. 11. All and to all and so an All-sufficient both protection to his People in the two first comparisons A hiding-place from the Wind and a Covert from the storm And refreshment in the two latter Rivers of waters in a dry place and the shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land But that we may as it were more distinctly spell this blessed Truth take it asunder into these four 1. That he is able and ready to help when greatest Evils fall on us 2. Nay when all meet in us 3. And yet then be a full help 4. Most proper for our Malady and most seasonable for Time and Occasion Which all put together make up this full word of Comfort That when greatest Evils befal us and all evils do round about beset us yet then Christ protects and refresheth most fully and seasonably 1. When greatest Evils befal us For our blessed Eliakim is such a Nail so fastened in a sure place that we may not only hang on him Cups but Flagons Isa 22. 23 24. not only our lesser sins and miseries but if we have but an hand of working Faith to hang the greatest and heaviest in both kinds our Burdens Psal 55. 22. our burdens though so heavy as otherwise would sink our Bodies into the Grave and our Souls into Hell yet of him it 's said that not only Morbos nostros pertulit that he hath born our lesser Griefs but also Dolores nostros bajulavit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath carried the heaviest Burden of our Sorrows as the word signifieth Nor doth this first particular weigh down the weight of the words in the Text. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here holdeth out the most blustering Wind from which yet he hides us and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most violent Storm and Stream from which yet he covers us The dry place argueth extremity of Thirst which hath with it acutest Pain Which yet these Rivers quench and ease And this weary Land implieth the more weary sweltred Traveller which
and baseness but I mean in a way of Faith and Obedience to God and I am sure that he is strongest Neither is it cowardize in such a Storm to thrust the Head into such a Corner David was no Coward and yet as the weak fearful Chick he gets himself under the shadow of God's Wings till calamity be over-past Psal 57. 1. Till then because we may yet live to see and say as in the Verse before the Text Lo they are perished that are far from thee let every faithful Soul conclude in the words of the Text Therefore it is good for me to draw near to God And if so it is further matter 1. Of Comfort to some 2. Of Reproof and Humiliation to others 3. Of Instruction and Direction to us all Comfort to such as do draw near and keep close If it be so Vse 3 good how well may they be apaid with their condition whatever it is for the outward Man if for the inward God and they be not at a distance Though Enemies be near to accuse and condemn if Christ be but near to justifie and acquit us Isa 50. 8. though thou beest far from Peace if not far from God though others thrust us away as Isa 65. 5. and cast us out if Christ will but then draw near and find us as he did him John 9. 34 35. The Proclamation of old was Rejoyce greatly O Daughter of Zion shout O Daughter of Jerusalem Behold thy King cometh unto thee having Salvation lowy and riding upon an Ass Zech. 9. 9. May there be but an happy meeting of my Lord and King coming to me and of my Soul drawing and keeping close to him I 'le rejoyce and shout to see my Saviour so near to me though upon an Ass-Colt whatever outward Meanness or Wants yea or Dangers and Miseries these nearer approaches and interviews are accompanied with yet therein I do rejoyce yea and will rejoyce nay cannot but rejoyce saith the Experienced Christian that knows what this goodness of drawing and keeping near to God in the Text meaneth When he saith it 's Good he could not say a better word and when he adds to draw nigh to God he could not I am sure mention a better thing It 's Good spoken Indefinitely meant Universally It 's so only Good that nothing is good without it though the Torch-light be very great it 's Night till Sun-rise so universally Good that nothing with it can be ill or be things never so ill yet he is far from being ill who hath God so near him It was Israel's Comfort in a Wilderness Deut. 4. 7. The lamenting Church's Stay when sinking Lam. 3. 57. At the last Day when the whole World shall be on Fire we are even then bid lift up our Heads because our Salvation draweth nigh Luke 21. 28. 1 Thess 4. 17. When Christ cometh again to us and we shall be caught up into the Clouds to meet him and so for ever to be with the Lord. Visio amor gaudium you know make up Heavens Happiness but all arise from God's and Christ's nearest Union and Presence There indeed we shall come to nearest approaches and they so near as utterly for ever to drive all evils away as the Noon-day-Sun all Mists and Clouds That 's Heaven which we are not yet got into It 's well if we be so far on our way as to be in the Gate of Heaven if we that were afar off be made near by the Blood of Christ whilst we here walk by Faith and not by Sight Such Morning-Suns may admit of some over-cloudings but more Light than Darkness when the Sun is up and drawn so nigh I may in other respects be in a dry thirsty Wilderness But I shall not die for Thirst if I lie so near the Fountain Head I shall not be Heart-sick if I may come so near as to lay my aking Head in my Saviour's Bosome Joseph's encouragement to his famished Brethren was Gen. 45. 10 11. that they should be nigh to him in Goshen It shall be comfort enough to me if my Jesus will but tell me that I shall be nigh Him though it be in a Wilderness whilst cold Northern Climes because far from the Sun have a desolate horrid Aspect With what a virdant Flourish do those Countries smile and laugh and sing that are nearer and lie more directly under his Beams Let frozen-hearted Sinners that are far from the Sun of Righteousness be as far from Heart-melting joys but such as upon whom He hath Risen and have got so near as to be under his Wings let them get so much lively Warmth and Healing from them that where-ever you read those words a People near unto him the next word may be Halelujah as Psal 148. 14. Let God hear the Voice of Joy and Praise from them that are near about him Whilst uncomfortable Dejections would better beseem them that are estranged from him Such Sack-cloth becomes not the King of Heaven's Court nor them that are so near to him as to behold his Face and to be before him It 's an Aguish distemper if when near the Fire or in the warm Sun thou sittest shiverring Leave such kind of amazed Palsic-shakings to profane Cains that run out of God's Presence Gen. 4. 16. to Stranâ—â— and Enemies who know not how good it is to draw near to him and justly deserve the worst of all Evils for their foolish and froward withdrawing of themselves from him Which leads me To the next Application which speaks Terrour to some Jonah 2. 8. and Humiliation to us all that by following after lying Vanities and departing from the Living God we so much forsake our own Mercy If so good to draw near to God then it is an evil thing and bitter to forsake him Jer. 2. 19. This the fore-going Verse compared with the Text suggests to us there we read For loe they that are far from thee shall perish thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring 〈◊〉 â—â—ee And then the Text adds But it 's good for me to draw near to God Just so much Good as comes by our drawing near to him so much Evil and Mischief befals us by being far from him As much Warmth and Life Flourish and Fruitfulness as the Summers Sun brings in its drawing near to us so much Cold and barren Deadness doth it leave beind it when in Winter it with-draws it self from us Wo to you when I depart from you said God to Israel Hos 9. 12. And Lord wo to us say we that we should have such evil hearts of unbelief that we should so depart from thee For if so much Good follows upon such happy Approaches and Meetings then nothing less than utter Ruine can be the Consequent of a mutual Parting When thou leavest the Blessed God give a Longum vale and adieu for ever to thine own Happiness For just as far from the one as from the other And which is worst because