for the Name of Christ maketh way for a greater degree in Glory If we suffer with Him we shall also reigne with Him 2 Tim. 2 vers 12. If we suffer with Him we shall be glorified together Rom. 8 vers 17. There is a noble word to this purpose 2 Cor. 4 vers 17. For our light Affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory The Glory that our momentany Affliction worketh for us is eternal and the Weight of that Crown is eternally Weighty that can never be fully weighed Nay It cannot be told by Hyperbolee's heaped upon Hyperbolee's all these will come short of expressing the Weight thereof We finde in the Book of the Revel Chap. 7 veâ—…s 13 14 15 16 17. that there were some discernable from others and more remarkable having on a distinguishing rob as a peculiar livery in Glory They are said to have had White Robs and who were these Such as came out of great Tribulation They were made to wear on earth a red livery of bloud but now in glory they are shineing in white And it is added Vers. 15 c. Therefore are they before â—…he Throne of God and serve Him day and night in his Temple and He that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them They shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the Sun light on them any more for the Lamb which is in the midst of the Throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of Waters And shall wipe away all teares from their eyes We shall now come to speak something in order to the improvement of these Truthes which we have confirmed First The faith of these Truthes would give a check unto several evils that we are too ready to comply with in a day of trial and discover unto us several things for which we are to check and rebuke ourselves as 1. Do not some finde an Antipathy at the cross working and striving in them even when the Cross is yet far off Do they not finde some aversness of soul therefrom Now this evil would meet with a check if these Truthes were beleeved No beleever findeth any aversness from faith but he is still desaring more and more of it and praying Lord increase our faith for he knoweth how excellent and necessary it is And now seing the grace and gift of Suffering is as we have shown in several respects above and beyond faith should they be unwilling to receive it if God shall be pleased to honoure them with that Might not the beleever hence say to himself are there any of the Gifts of God to be refused or rejected Are not all His Graces and Gifts excellent and lovely Why doth my heart then so much stand out against this How is it that I am not more in love with the Glorious Cross of Christ Especially seing it is an honour that isnot conferred on every one and an honourable Gift purchased by the precious blood of Christ that hath purchased nothing that will harme us or nothing but what is excellent and desirable Why then am I so little in love with suffering for the sake of Christ Ought I not to be ashamed of and displeased with my self upon this account Ought I not to check this aversness 2. The faith of this would give a check unto our readiness to shift the Cross when we are called to make ready for it and when it seemeth to be at the door For would we say what Shall we devise meanes to shift suffering for the Cause of Christ when He is calling us to it What shall we meditate a way of shifting and putting away such an honourable Divine Gift more excellent than faith in several respects What unsutable unworthy carriage must this be Is it a gift of God and such a gift of God and a gift given in the behalfe of Christ as purchased by His Merites and Death and shall we thus sinfully basely and unworthily shift it by our door and rather sinne than embrace it and make it welcome What a shame were this 3. The faith of these things would give a check unto our fool-hardiness and too rash adventuring on sufferings without a due call and as if our strength were able to carry us thorow Too many are too confident and promise too much upon their own Ability Parts Resolution and Strength as if the stood in need of no more and as if this Suffering for the sake of Christ were not a pure gift of Grace that must come down from above from the Father of Lights through Jesus Christ. Now the faith of these Truthes would check these thoughts Any that know what true faith is would be dissatisfied with such as would talk of it as a thing in their power and which they could put in Act when they pleased because they would know that such boasted of what they had not and that faith was not in their Power but was the special and purchased gift of God So would the right thoughts of this put us from ever thinking to venture on suffering in our own strength put us to look to Him from whom every good gift and every perfect gift cometh through Jesus Christ and waite on Him for it 4. The faith of this would likewise rebuke our readiness to fainte when we aer called to suffer or engaged in it and put a check to our saying Alas we will never win thorow this Sea of Affliction one day or other we shall shamefully fall and betray the cause and so come off with disgrace and would put us to look off ourselves and to look up unto the giver who giveth freely and to the Purchaser who will receive all that He hath purchased Must we not thus carry in order to faith when we beginne to feare that it shall fail us Do we not comfort ourselves with this That faith is the free gift of God and is purchased by Christ and is not of ourselves And why should we not do so in order to suffering which is also the free gift of God and is purchased by Christ When we are like to be discouraged with the thoughts of our own weakness and unfitness to contend with Horsemen and with the swellings of Jordan should we not look upon it as the gift of God whereby He can make us strong even when we are weak to the Glory of His free Grace And when we are discouraged with the thoughts of our unworthiness and thereupon inferre that God will never honour us with bearing faithful Testimony unto His Truth should we not in humility and in the acknowledgment of our own Unworthiness and Provocations look to Him as the great and free giver who giveth nothing because of our merites He gave us faith freely notwithstanding of our former Provocations and great unworthiness and may He not also give us this gift when He calleth us to the duty freely through
Circumstances the time of Affliction may appear as nothing 6. This time of Affliction may appear to be short in respect of the Comfort and Support which the Lord may bestow upon them in the Affliction His Presence and Company may so sweeten the Lot that the time may as it were steal away and scarce be observed what is a whole Years Affliction when God is pleased to shine in love upon the soul dureing that time Good Company will make the Journay seem short and the way good which otherwayes would be tedious Now the Lord is pleased sometimes so to manifest Himself as to fill His People with Joy and this so sweetneth the trouble and cutteth the time short that many Years seem but a few dayes 7. The time may be accounted short in respect of the rich recompence of reward that is coming If we should lay this in the ballance with an hundred Years Bondage and Affliction what would all these Years of trouble seem to be but as the trouble of a moment when it is past Therefore when Paul taketh a view of the exceeding and eternal weight of Glory which was coming all the Afflictions in this earth appeared as nothing in his eyes the transcendent Glory incomprehensible Excellency of the one eateth away the duration of the other to a thing of nothing 2 Cor. 4 ver 17. It is with the Beleever in this case as it was with Iaeob when he was serving for Rachel Seven Years enduring of the cold frost by night and the heat by day seemed unto him but as a few dayes For the love he had to her Gen. 29 vers 20. The thoughts of the rich and upmaking reward that faithful Sufferers have to look-for will cause a long time of sad Affliction seem short 8. The time of Affliction is so short that it is as nothing in comparison of Eternity the exceeding and eternal weight of Glory will make the Afflictions light momentany What is the whole of time unto Eternity Is there any comparison betwixt what is finite what is Infinite Seing then the whole of time is not as a moment of time to all eternity what can the longest duration of Affliction be but as an inconsiderable part of that inconsiderable whole VVhat do those who are up before the Throne think of the many Years of their Trouble and Persecution here below Are they think we calculating it by Years or by Dayes or by Houres Oh no all of it is with them comprized within the Circle of a small inconsiderable point These and the like particulars being duely pondered and considered it will appear how the longest time of Affliction that we can have here is but short inconsiderable And it is our not weighing and laying of these things to heart which maketh our trouble seem so long Thirdly VVe come now to speak of the Christian and Edifying Improvement of this Consideration which is by fixing it in our heart as a sure truth that the time of Affliction is indeed but short And had we the faith hereof rooted in our souls we would be in case to carry Christianly under Afflictions For the faith hereof would produce several sweet and useful Effects in our hearts seasonable and profitable for such a time Such as these following 2. The fixed apprehension of this that the time of trouble is but short would fortifie the Soul of a Beleever against the false suggestions of the Devil which he maketh much use of at that time to disquiet their hearts and make their lives bitter He will laboure to perswade them that God looketh on them as Enemies otherwise He would not continue their heavy Affliction so long and thus tempt them to question their Interest in God But the faith of this truth would enable the Beleever to answere this Objection and to repel this Temptation by saying His anger is but for a moment His face will not alwayes be hid this blast will go over and therefore I have no cause to call my Interest in question upon this account 2. The fixed faith of this would keep the Beleever from questioning the promises upon the account that the Lords Dispensations did seem to threaten a long lasting trouble and a sad life of Affliction for a long time Temptation it is true will then say God hath forgotten to be gracious He will be favourable no more His faithfulness faileth for ever But the Soul beleeving this Conclusion will say what a poor insignificant ground is that for me whereupon to call the faithfulness of God in question If the trouble were lengthened out â—…et longer all the time is but short it will soon have an end 3. The faith of this will contribute much to hold up Hop 's Head When the afflicted Person through the Power of Temptation is made to cry-out O! This Trouble will never have an end this perplexity and exercise is but growing and what shall I do Then hope beginneth to fail and when hop faileth the soul sincketh But now when this Consideration is seriously thought upon and the soul is made to say all the time of Affliction which his Children meet with here is but short it will not alwayes last it is but for a moment yea and for a very short moment then hop is made to lift up its head for the man will be ashamed to quite his hop and despond who knoweth that the storme will quickly be over and be but like a may-shoure 4. The Faith of this will help unto the exercise of Patience when we look upon the trouble as that which will not end or must be of long continuance our courage departeth our spirits fail and we storme and grow Impatient But when we by faith look thorow the thick and black side of the dispensation and see the end of the calamity nigh at hand the moment posting away how sweetly will we lay our necks under the yoke and set our faces against the storme and hold on our Journay How patiently will we bear the Indignation of the Lord when we know that it will be over within a moment We will be ashamed to quarrel or complaine when we know that a period shall quickly be put thereunto The Apostle told the Hebrewes Heb. 10 36. that they had need of patience And to encourage them unto Patience he tels them that within a little while yea a very little while He that should come would come and would not tarry vers 37. 5 The faith of this will help unto Constancy and Stedfastness When we once conceive and apprehend that our trouble shall be of long endurance we grow weak and unable to stand out against temptations and are ready to say because this storme will not soon blow over it is best to row to a lee shore and comply with the sinful courses of the time Whereas did we see and beleeve that the storme would not endure long but be quickly gone we would be encouraged to ride it
the day of the most dismal and deep distresse whereby it is evident that the sweetest ferenitie of soul in the sadest most surprising of troubles is possible to him that beleeveth Thirdly That which doth commend Books and without an Epistle of of recommendation is an Epistle Commendatory sufficient makes all courting of the Reader to their perusal a superfluous complement an unprofitable waste of words yea a profuse expense of precious time is That what the Author writs be not onely upright and words of truth But that the truth treated of be pertinent to the present day the duty pressed be that which must be known that it may be practised when upon the real and right performance thereof depends in a particular manner more than the believers peace yea more than his soul and eternal happinesse can amount uuto Viz. the glorifying of God in the fires of fiery trials and the bringing up a good report upon his vvayes by a practical proof that there is a sufficiency of strength communicable whereby the weakest is made strong and a singularitie of sweetnesse experienced whereby a man otherwise of sorrows can sing in the wayes of the Lord even when his way lyes thorow fire water so that he who hath taken hold of the path of life needs neither faint in the way because of his own weaknesse there being everlasting armes underneath stronglie supporting nor yet turn aside out of it when there is a lyon in it neither wearie in going foreward through want of what is sweet and refreshing since there is a well spring of comfort insured unto the walker in these wayes so as in the greatest pinch and penurie of all outward things yea when put to the greatest pain he hath still everlasting consolation and can glory in tribulation and rejoyce not onely in the hope of the glory of God but sing as alreadie in the suburbs of heaven while under the shineings of his Masters face and the shedings abroad of his love in the heart And according to this rate and reckoning I may make bold to say the mater herein treated of is of that moment import present necessitie as to draw the eyes of all men towards it that their hearts may be cast into this mould and they put in case to practise accordingly for this was the happie Authors scope for this he wearied himself and was at this peece of pains amongst his other eminent singularly useful and assiduous labourings for the edification of the Church at home and abroad the care of all which lay upon him that thou mightest know how to finde ease safetie and refreshment when there seems nothing in thy life but sorrow and in thy cup but gall and wormewood In a word the Author hath written the first second part of the Life of Faith that the Reader may write the third part in his practise by making his life a transumpt of both in a day when most are making shipwrack of faith and a good conscience and many who once professed themselves Disciples are now turning back And Alas I am affraid it shall be observed and said of them they walked no more with him But for their turnings aside unto these croaked courses were led forth with the workers of iniquitie So that this is a word in season seeing besides the native and intrinsick beautie of truth that commends what is said to thy peruseal the adventitious beautie of seasonablenesse endears it to thee For he that writes it was a Preacher who sought to finde out acceptable words the tongue of the learned was given unto him For what he writs doth witnesse that his eare vvas vvakened to hear as the learned that so the might speak and vvrite as the learned But for a conclusion I must tell thee that the spiritually vvise and zealous Author vvas not only driven to treat of this subject because of the present pressurs of the poor remnant pressed out of measure and beyond strength though he had this also in prospect that so they might be quickened quieted encouraged and comforted under these crushing calamities and might be instructed hovv to glorifie God in this day of visitation and endure the vvorlds hatred and the vvorst that either enraged Adversaries or incensed friends can doe as seeing him vvho is invisible and as believing that all these shall vvork together for their good and as assured that they shall turn to their salvation through the intercession of the Mediator and the supplie of the Spirit of Jesus Christ But more particularly considering our vvay and our proceeding from evil to vvorse vvhat high affronts have been put upon our infinitly glorious Lord and Master hovv these have not only not been resented and vvitnessed against vvith a zeal a fervor of pure zeal proportioned to the furious fervidnesse and unhallovved heat of that opposition to Christ and hatred to the coming of his Kingdom in the World vvitnessed by the complex of the adversaries course and carriage But Alas to our shameful astonishing faint vvhen called to have been valiant for the truth and to have acquit ourselves as the good souldiers of Jesus Christ ambitious to have been sacrificed upon the Interest of our Royal Master's glorious Crovvn and Prerogative hath been added a drawing back Courses have been taken patronized and applauded partly in recto partly in obliquo And that by some vvhom least of all it became if I may say so from vvhose hand Christ might have exspected a heroick opposition to these hell-black driveings vvhereby a defection for in despite of all the palliatings and cunning plaisterings to hide this novv its manifest hath been and is novv carried on And there is no small rage vvitnessed against all vvho essay to discover our iniquitie to turn avvay our captivitie In a vvord vvhen he considered all the dispensations of God and took notice of the dispositions propensions of men not of the multitude but of Ministers and Professors even of these vvho vvould monopolize to themselves the repute of zealous according to knovvledge the onelie vvise men in the Church vvho knovv the times and vvhat the Israel of God ought to doe as if vvisdom vvere either to die vvith them or to live only with the persons of their principles and practises he fell under the apprehension and persuasion and who can escape it of a woful day coming upon the people of these practises however a great many have not only been puting far away the thoughts of this evil day but have been dreaming of a delivery ah how deep a delusion shall this be quickly found And therefore that the poor remnant who in some measure have escaped and have endeavoured to keep themselves pure frâ—…m the pollution of this defection may know what to doe and how to carry in that day of vengeance of our Godâ—… when he shall draw his wheted his glittering and furbished sword to avenge the quarrel of a
way alike May not the Lord hereby declare and preach forth his Infinite Wisdom in guiding so many Sones and Daughters to glory through so many several Kindes of Trials Exercises Afflictions and Temptations Will it not be much to His Glory when every one of the Redeemed shall beside their wondering at the gracious Work of Redemption common to them all have each something peculiar to himself raising his Admiration As it commends the wonderful Workmanshipe of God that among so many millions of faces of Men two shall hardly be found betwixt which no difference shall be discovered so may not this commend the Work of Gods Providence 4. And what if as to those Particulars wherein they think their owne case singular it be otherwayes indeed Have they had through acquaintance with all the Saints of God in all ages Why then do they speak so confidently 5. But be it so as they say yet they should know that they are in the hands of a well skilled Physician and of a tender Father who knoweth their Constitution their Distemper and their Strength and will make the Physick no stronger than He knoweth they can bear and will work and do them good And this should cause them forget their complaints 6. All that people say while under a distemper must not be taken for certaine Iob had many expressions while under the Affliction that he would not owne or approve of afterward As to the Second Head that we may come neerer their case what if it be found that even as to these same Particulars upon the account of which they account their case singular others of whom we read in Scripture have been in the like case before We shall therefore mentione some Particulars which people in Affliction use to aggravat their case from and because of look upon their case as singular 1. Some may think their case singular upon this account That they never knew much in experience what prosperity meant their Life hath been nothing but a Life of Exercises Temptations and Trouble Such would know that some therefore would possibly think they might bear Afflictions the better being so accustomed therewith and inured thereunto and trained up at that School But however they erre if they think that this case is singular or that none but they have been so exercised not to mention our Lord Jesus whose Life was a Life of bitterness as we saw above see one Instance of Heman Psalm 88 vers 15. I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up His Trouble and Affliction was not of Yesterday He was under it from his youth 2. Others it may be will complaine and think their Affliction so much the sadder that they have not been much enured with nor trained up at the School of Affliction that if they had been used with Trouble they would have thought this that now lyeth upon them the more light and easy to be born but now having been so long in prosperity and at ease the Affliction coming is more terrible and seemeth more insupportable Oh what is man that will thus abuse and pervert all things and can be satisfied with almost nothing Others would look upon this Dispensation as gentle and easie and as a great favour and yet what some would account a mitigating ingredient others will look upon as a great aggravation Some would say that such were not much to be pitied who have had such a long Summer-day of prosperity who would think much if a Shipe that hath for many dayes had a faire winde should towards the end of her Voyage meet with a contrary blast But the truth is so rebellious are our hearts that none of Gods Dispensations with us can satisfie us and every Body is better pleased with anothers Lot than with his owne and therefore we are so ready to choose any condition but what God is pleased to carve out unto us and we think every bodies Affliction is more easie than our owne and we could bear any Lot better than what we are called to bear May it not be thought that such as compleane upon this account would complaine much more if it were with them as it was with Asaph Psal. 73 v. 14. All the day long have I been plagued and chastenedevery morning However such as cry-out because after a long time of prosperity they meet with adversity would know that their case in this is not singular as Iobs instance can evince who was not much acquainted with adversity and affliction till Satan began to pursue him but dwelt at ease and in prosperity Iob. 16 12. I was at ease but He hath broken me asunder 3. Some possibly will look upon their case as sad and singular because the Crosse under which they stand seemeth so heavy that they see not how they shall be able to stand under it As if forsooth every one almost were not ready to say the same How few are there who look upon their own Affliction as the lightest and easiest David told us Psal. 6 vers 3 that his Soul was sore vexed and Psal. 55 vers 4. that his heart was sore pained within him Was not the Israelites case in Egypt hard when their lives were made bitter with hard bondage Exod 1 14. and they were made to sigh by reason of the bondage Exod. 2 21 Was it not sad with Paul and his Companions when he saith they were pressed out of measure and above strength in so much that they despaired even of life 2 Cor. 1 v. 8. We hear of some who have come out of great Tribulation Revelation 7 v. 14. 4. Some possiblie will account their condition singular in that it is not with one or two rodes that they are chastened but with many and with several sorts their Affliction is complicated and many are twisted together whence they are ready to say That none was ever so visited and afflicted as they are But the case of Iob is enough to confute this mistake Hath God taken away thy goods and made thee of a rich man a poor man So did He to Iob whose riches were great for he had Seven Thousand Sheep Thrâ—… Thousand Camels Five Hundred Yoke of Oxen Five Hundred She Asses Iob. 1 vers 3. Hath God taken away thy pleasant Children in whom thou tookest delight So did He take away Iob's Seven Sons and Three Daughters and that in one houre and that by an unusual manner he neither seeing them die nor getting one word of them before they died Read his book and see what a multitude of evils came upon him at once See a short summe Chap. 19 vers 8 21. He hath fenced up my way that I cannot passe and He hath set darkness in my Paths He hath stript me of my glory and taken the Crown from my Head He hath destroyed me on every side and I am gone and mine hope hath He removed like a tree He hath also kindled His wrath against me and He counteth me
expired for as long as the righteous are in hazard of putting forth their hands unto iniquity because of the continuance of the trouble we may eye this promise that the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon their lot this ground will alwayes endure and so the promise bearing this Ground and Reason in its bosome will continue likewise in force We must not then say that Afflictions on the Godly shall never have an end unless we would withall destroy this promise Therefore we may conclude that the People of the Lord shall not be the rest of the burden of the Word of the Lord as it is said of Damascus Zech. 9 1. 4. We are also told in Scripture That the Heaviness of Affliction is but for a Season 1 Pet. 1 6. wherein ye greatly rejoice though now for a Season if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations The word rendered for a Season in the original signifieth a little present now to show that this Season is but short a present now without any considerable duration If this were beleeved we could not be crying-out as we are too ready to do Oh will those dayes never be at an end we would see that the little inconsiderable present now or point of time would quickly be over See Revel 6 11. 5. The Scripture tels us of a little while Heb. 10 37. for yet a little while and He that shall come will come c. The expression is mostemphatick in the Original cannot well be rendered to the full as if he had said yet a little how little how little As if it could not be expressed how little the time was to be This little while or appointed time as it is called Habb 2 .3 will soon be over 6. The Scripture pointeth it out to be a very little while Esai 10 25. for yet a very little while and the Indignation shall cease c. In the Original there are two words both of them signifying a little time or a very little time and so it is as much as if he had said a very little little time Sure that time cannot be long which is so short that the shortness of it cannot be expressed Is it not then strange that when the Spirit of the Lord cannot to speak so get words to express the shortness of the duration of their trouble they on the contrary cannot get words sufficiently to express their sense of the length of the time 7. We finde it called by a definite number Ten dayes Revel 2 10. And ye shall have tribulation ten dayes Whereby the shortness of the duration of that tribulation is expressed not that the trouble was to continue just ten dayes but to signifie that it was not to continue long but a short inconsiderable time which the Lord had determined and limited punctually to a day Tribulation will not last alwayes Ten dayes will put a period to it 8. If this be too long we have it expressed as yet much shorter even a night which is no long time Psal. 30 5. Weeping may endure for a night c. The dark disconsolat weeping time will not endure long the few houres of a night will put an end to it It is but a night and a night that hath the dawning of a day following it We should be ashamed then to think or say that our Trouble and Affliction will alwayes last we never saw a night yet but it had a morning of a new day following it 9. If this should yet seem too long we have it denominated from a shorter time as an hour Revel 3 10. there is mention made of an hour of temptation that was to come on all the earth Our Lord sure would hereby confute our errour of construeing the time to be too long when He doth of purpose mention such short measures of time An hour will soon be at an end the few minuts thereof will swiftly post away 10. Nay if this should seem too long we have it expressed by a shorter duration viz. of a moment Ps. 30 5. for his anger endureth but a moment And what can be shorter than a moment Is there any measure of time shorter than a moment And yet by this is the duration of the Anger of God against His Children in afflicting of them expressed Why then should we account that an age which the Lord calleth but a moment So Esai 54 8. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment The word rendered moment signifieth cutting or dividing and so importeth the shortest cutting or division of time The Apostle speaketh thus of it also 2 Cor. 4 17. Our light Affliction which is bâ—…t for a moment The Apostles expression is singular there is a lightness of Affliction and that lightness is but a momentany lightness Now weightiness or lightness is not measured by time yet the Apostle in a most emphatick manner doth so here to shew us that all the weight of the Affliction in comparison of the glory that is coming is meer lightness or is so light that it cannot be measured with the least of weights and therefore he saith it is but a momentany thing like a feather falling on a mans hand and immediatly blown away againe It can be nothing then but shameless unbeleef that saith the time is long 11. Nay which is yet more as if this duration were yet too long it is expressed by a little moment Esai 26 vers 20. As if it were a little part of the least division of time if there be any moment less then another that is the right name of the duration of the Troubles and Afflictions of His People So Esai 54 vers 7. It is called a small moment And can we imagine how it can be less If the People of God had the measuring of the time of their trouble in their own hand could they give it any shorter duration than this Could they imagine a shorter When the Spirit of the Lord expresseth it thus We should be ashamed to think it too long But it will be objected and this is the Second thing I am to speak to That the Lords ordinary dispensation with His people in all ages seemeth to contradict this for ordinarily if not alwayes we see that the Afflictions of His People are of long continuance did not Israel wander Fourty Yeers in the Wilderness After they came into Canaan did they not serve the King of Mesopotamia Eight yeers Iudg. 3 8. and the King of Moab Eighteen vers 14. and the King of Canaan Twenty Yeers Iudg. 4 3. the King of Midian Seven Yeers Iudg. 6 vers 1 Were they not captives in Babylon Seventy Yeers not to mention their being now Non-churched above sixteen hundreth Yeers How then can this time be called and accounted so short For clearing of this we shall propose these few things following to Consideration 1. The time of the Affliction of His people may be accounted
and carrying it on to His glory to their good And this confirmeth their faith in His abiding the same whatever His dispensations be This should let us see as upon the one hand the great goodness and condescendency of God who will lout down and help his weak people who are desirous to fear him and to walk honestly before him in a dark day and will set a prospect to their eye whereby they may see as Moses did from the top of Pisgah the promised land and that great ground of Joy and rejoiceing that the Lord hath not forsaken His people so upon the other hand it should point-out our duty to wit to be living nigh God even while He is hiding Himself and pursuing after an hid God to the end He may lead us while we are in the dark and hold us by our right hand that we stagger not through unbeleef and fall but may be helped through his grace to a sight of Him as the God of His people even when He hideth himself whereby we should have many advantages As 1. This sight of God in such a day as it would set us with earnestness to pray so it would encourage us to continue instant in prayer knowing that the return would come in due time seing the Lords mind were not altered His affections remained the same His relation to Interest in His people was not changed therefore He would hear and helpe in due time 2. This sight would strengthen the child of God unto all Patience in waiting when he saw that the Lord would come and that the coming of the Lord drew nigh he would waite and stablish his heart in waiting as the husband man waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth Iam. 5 7 8. And by this patience as he would establish his heart as this place of Iames sheweth so he would possesse his soul Luk. 21 vers 19. 3. It would also strengthen fortifie confirme their hope for faith discovering this sight would make the soul stretch its hands thorow the dark cloud to grip the glorious promises lying hid in the other side and embrace them Those worthies mentioned Heb. 11. though they did not receive the promises yet having seen them a far off being perswaded of them they are said to have embraced them vers 13. 4. This would keep up their head and cause them sing in hope they would rejoice in the midst of their Affliction and notwithstanding of all the present and apparent impossibilities in the way of the Lords return of recovering his work they yet would rejoice with joy unspeakable full of Glory because they would see the Lord would come and subdue Nations and loose the loins of Kings and open the two leaved gates and break in pieces the gates of brasse and cut asunder the bars of yron Esai 45 1 2. But if it be said When the Lord is not pleased to lead poor beleevers into these secrets in a dark night nor grant them the use of such a lanterne whereby they may see their way nor such a discovery of the grounds of the immutability of this Relation what can poor beleevers do in that case The answere lyeth in that which we may Thirdly Observe from these words of the Prophet as pointing forth the duty of the people of God in such a case after the Prophets example seing for this end this is here set down to wit That in a day wherein the Lord is hiding Himself as to the way of bringing about the promised salvation and out-gate of His Church and People it is the duty of all beleevers to be asserting this Relation of the Lord 's to and interest in His Church and People as their God and Redeemer and to be closeing with Him and griping to Him as such let dispensations seem never so manifestly to speak out the contrary be never so discouraging to them in that adventure For we see the Prophet and doubtless this was left on record for our instruction in the like case and while under the same circumstances even while he is beholding and considering God as hiding Himself laying hold upon Him as Israels God and as the Saviour and asserting this as a Truth to which he would stand which he would owne let matters go as they would This doth include these things 1. That in such a day as this which was mentioned the People of the Lord should look upon it as their duty to Professe Declare and Avow that the Lord is Israels God keeping fast His Relation and Close with Him Grip to to Him Accept of Him and Adhere to Him as such 2. Thatin such a day specified they should certainly expect that he will answere that Relation and be indeed a Saviour And Salvation should be looked for from Him alone none else from no other airth Thou art the Saviour The first of these is manifest from these Particulars 1. That no dispensation we meet with will warrand His people to have mistaking thoughts of Him or to stand aback from laying hold on Him For they are not sent for that end but rather to drive them nigher to him and to urge them to a more firme and fixed adhering to Him Windy blasts will not cause us hold a more careless grip of our cloaks but rather cause us hold them faster 2. The darker the dispensation be our need of holding Him fast is the greater and so our call the more loud 3. This is the way to get the sanctified use of such Dispensations and to win to the right improvement of them And without this we cannot carry aright under these and the like dispensations 4. This is the proper season for Faith to bud and appear in and to bring forth Fruit And this is the native and kindly exercise of Faith in such a day 5. This is the only way to get a right frame of Spirit under such a dispensation and to carry as beleevers ought to do 6. This is the only way to be keeped stedfast faithful and unmovable in that day of darkness and without this the soul is exposed to all the tempestuous on sets blasts of the Enemie Hereby noly is the beleever keeped fast anchored on the rock that will not fail The second Note is likewise clear upon these grounds 1. Because in such a dark day Faith should be exercised and that is the proper season wherein faith should appear and should grow that is as it were the soil wherein faith should bring forth fruit When the knife was at the throat of Isaak the Son of the promise and the first and only sprout and appearance of that seed in whom all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed yet Abraham the father of the faithful beleeved that God was Faithful and True and would be his Salvation 2. Thus the Lord is glorified when blow stormes as they will and temptations to a despareing desponding of heart be never