we shall die to morrow then let us hold a hearty house to day Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die and as their sin was desperate so also was their Judgment for their contempr for the Prophet adds It was revealed in mine eares by the Lord of Hosts Surely or if I be to be trusted who am the unchangeable God this iniquity that is so presumptuously committed shall not be purged from ye till ye die and so he subscribes their sentence Thus saith the Lord God of hosts So I say there is ground to affirm that it shall be a wonder if ever the world shall see your repentance if there be any such here so we leave you to the great dreadful God to take you in his own hand to take order with you to purpose But the persons I am speaking against here are your 4 hour Professors who would expect some part of comfort with the Church of God when she shall see you again when he shall visit Jacob's tents and have mercy upon his dwelling places and yet take all their up-chearing at the Wine or Ale-house and seek not this precious Cordial the assurance of Christs return to hold up their hearts Oh oh is it a time for you to do so if there be any such here I say unto you believe it the storm shall lay you by and you shall not be invited to rejoyce with Jerusalem when Christ shall see her again and shall give her the fresh sweet milk of pure Ordinances again for only they that mourn with her are invited to rejoyce with her and they that So love her will the Lord invite to suck out of the breasts of pure Gospel-ordinances the sweet milk of Gospel-consolations wherewith he feedeth and nourisheth his children when he sees them again and no part of that Joy shall be unto you but ye shall grow worse and worse for those that profit not by a tryal they shall grow worse as Paul saith 2 Tim. 3. 13. Evil men as well as seducers shall wax worse and worse therefore all of you try your selves what Cordials you take for the people of the Lords choicest Cordial against their present heart-faintings now at Christs departure is the assurance of his return Obj. 1. But I know some will be ready to object at this and to say there is no ground to think Christ is going away and therefore what needs such pressing us to this only Cordial why may we not take our other encouragements Ans I shall say first in answer to this objection I wish there were no ground to fear that Christ will go away but I must also say what heart can he have to stay amongst us and not retire himself for a time out of our sight And is not his glory already gone to the tops of the Mountains howbeit we also hope that some of his dear children get afar-off-look of him from thence But I shall speak to four things that may speak out his going away and that he can have no heart to stay amongst us Evidence 1. The first evidence of his approaching departure is the many Proclamations of his mind as to this he hath sent forth his faithful Ministers proclaming this upon the mountain of his visible Church they did foresee this stroak and lifted up their voice and cryed and yet notwithstanding their giving such allarms of the Lords departure especially since the dreadful stroak at Dunbar O how small hath the success been for though indeed many have been converted since that time in mercy to their souls yet O how little reviving hath been upon the hearts of Professors few have been stirred up to more seriousness notwithstanding all these allarms It does not affright the hearts of many that Christ is going away they think if he will go away who can hold him and if he will not stay who can help it hee 'l take his own will and so their moan is ended and O how sad is it that they will neither take hold of him to keep him nor will they put on a mourning robe for him and is there not ground then to fear his going away seeing so few care for his abiding and what heart can he have to stay amongst us Evid 2. The second Evidence of his going away is our treacherous dealing with him and our unfaithfulness to him for as a Wife treacherously departeth from her Husband so have we departed from him and have altogether lost our credit at his hand for neither Word nor Write nor Oath nor Covenant will bind us And when he can neither believe the word that we speak nor the oath we swear what expectation can he have of us that we will be servants unto him we did swear away our selves to be a holy people unto him in our Covenant and have we not broken our Covenant and so said upon the matter that we will not be a holy people and so have lost all credit at his hand and what heart can he have to stay amongst us and is there not ground to fear his going away when he cannot believe the word that we speak nor the oath that we swear Evid 3. The third evidence that we shall name that may give us sad ground of fear that he will go away is the tolleration of ungodliness and all sort of wickedness in the Land and we need goe no farther than this the Mother City of our Nation which sendeth forth a dark smoak and cloud of profanity through all the Land These abominations take their beginning here and doe overspread and defile the whole Land Our heart hath been like to bleed when we have been sitting in some Lodging Houses by the way-side as the Lord called us to be on our way in some parts of the Land where we heard numbers of Travellers as they returned from Edenburgh singing over the most profane and ungodly Songs that could be devised tending only to the stirring up of corruption in all unregenerate and unmortified hearts who heard the same and one of them saying to another This is the most common or chiefest Song that is now in fashion in Edenburgh for almost there is no other Song to be heard in the Streets This is a known truth and would not such abominable things make Christians ears abhor to hear them or a sanctified mind to record the same in memory if necessity did not require for reproving such unfruitfull works of darkness Ye know that this is no secret for have not most of your own ears heard these profane Songs on your Streets Nightly and Dayly which is yet tollerated unto this day and never curbed or punished by these that are in Authority which speaks out great indifferency and want of zeal for our dear Lord Jesus Christ And O is it not sad to see our Mother City wherein righteousness did dwell become such a Mother of prophanity and ungodliness And may not all this give us too ground to
wife which is indeed the thing they aim at for though they say it is with something in the contract they are dissatisfied as not drawn up according to their mind yet indeed it is with the marriage that they are displeased for their butt holiness whereunto the marriage contract obligeth and so the renting off their double of the contract whereunto formerly they gave their consent will not make him give up with our Land and scatter his family again Likewise it will be clear from the second Psalm That the Lord will not give up with Scotland for there you will find the present case of our Land clearly set down for there is plotting against the Lord and his anointed and it is not with the Heathens only that the Lord is expostulating but also he is reproving a people who have formerly professed service to him and that have been under bonds and tyes unto him for they say Let us break their bands asunder and cast their cords away from us now if they had been Heathens then had they been under no bonds to him as they were yea the phrase is very emphatick and very significant for they say their bands implying that they would esteem Gods bands to be nothing else but the bands and cords of men that hurt them therefore they say their bands whereas they should say his bands And then the Lord begins to plead Christs right and shews that it is not by way of set tack for so many years that Christ should have these lands but in possession are they given unto him for he saith Ask of me and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession Now it is concluded by all that Scotland is the uttermost part and corner of the world and therefore it was given to Christ and that not for a set time of lett but as a sure and everlasting possession so our Land being given to Christ and that as an inheritance and possession whereof the second Psalm and 8. verse is his standing Charter in the Bible we must not think that he will quit his possession but will keep his right and inheritance and therefore we declare our Land a married Land unto the Lord and a sure and on given unto Christ and therefore there being a standing evidence and charter for his inheritance and possession and a standing marriage contract and the marriage relation continuing betwixt him and our Land he will not put away his married Church no storm shall take his possession from him nor be able to keep him away from his married Church but in spite of all impediments he shall see us again Smile O Heavens at this and be Ioyful O Earth let all things break forth into singing before him rejoyce greatly in the Lord O our souls and let all that is within us bless his holy name let the redeemed of the Lord be joyful in their King who hath married our Land unto himself and given unto us thereby sufficient ground for assurance of this that he will certainly and without all doubt See us again So we come unto another Doctrine from the words which is from the time when he did thus comfort his Disciples viz. before they entred into the heat of the fernace Whence observe Obs 2. That before the Lord enters his people into a hot furnace of affliction he useth to send them a comfortable word for incouraging their hearts in order to thoron-bearing and a blessed out-gate We see it clear in the words ere they meet with the heat of the furnace he tellls he will see them again and their hearts shall rejoyce this is clear also from divers other Scriptures before the Church go into captivity he tells them that at the end of 70 years they should teturn again and before his honest Prophet met with persecution from enemies he told him that he had made him an iron pillar and brasen walls against them Jer. 2. 18. therefore though they would fight against him yet they should not prevaile against him It was also the practice of the Apostles to comfort the people of God 1 Pet. 4. 2. Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is only to try not to destroy you Jam. chap. 1. 2. My brethren count it all joy when you fall into divers tentations viz. in suffering for they would get no hurt thereby and fear none of these things shall come upon thee saith the Lord to his people Rev. 2. for though the Devil cast some of you into prison yet afterwards it shall be well with thee be faithful therefore to the death and I shall give thee a crown of life there is a sad trial coming Isa 3. 10. but he sends a comforting word to his people Say ye to the righteous it shall be well with him Daniel 12. a sad storm c. a time of trouble such as they never saw since a nation and yet tells them at that none such ill time deliverance shall come and blessed shall they be that shall see the compleat delivery So you see the point clear viz. That the Lord useth to comfort his people e're he enter them into a hot furnace of affliction or persecution for his name Many reasons might be given why the Lord does thus comfort his people e're they enter into a hot furnace for his sake but we shall not touch them here but shall bring them in with some of the uses for the saving of time Vse 1. This lets us see what the blessed and tender disposition of Christs heart is who before he enter his people in the heat of a furnace will give them something to refresh and bear up their hearts while in it Vse 2. Secondly it lets us see that it is the duty of Ministers of the Gospel even of all that bear his name before his people to comfort them when they are like to meet with a stormy trial for his sake they should imitate their Lord and his Apostles who comforted the Church in a day of trial in the hope of a gracious out-gate Therefore let us exhort so many of you as are here whom the Lord calls to speak from his word unto his people not only Ministers who have this great work lying on them but also young men who must be faithful in the little if so we may call it labour to imitate your blessed Master in this see you a dark cloud coming upon the Church and people of God O then comfort them against the present distress tell them that they shall get a blessed out-gate and that there shall be a blessed light after the present darkness And I shall give you a few reasons by way of motive for incouraging you to comfort the people of God to whom he sends you to speak in his name 1. Motive First comfort the people of God for it is your duty upon any hazard whatsoever Isa 3. 1â— Say ye to the
A COMFORTING Farewel-Word TO THE LORDS Trembling-Hearted People AT THE Removal of the Cloud of his Glory from the Sanctuary applyed as a present Cordiall against their heart saintings Act. 14. 22. We must thorow much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God Zach. 14. 7. It shall come to passe that at the evening time it shall be light Zach. 8. 6 If it be marvelous in the eyes of this People in these Dayes should it be also marvelous in mine eye saith the Lord of Hosts Printed in the Year 1664. TO THE READER WHen the Children of Israel departed out of Egypt they met with many sad difficulties in their way before they entered into the land of Canaan they had the Red Sea before them the Armies of the Egyptians behind and Rocks upon every hand thus they were in very evil case and when the Lord had manifested his power and goodness in pathing a way for them on the face of the deeps so that his Redeemed did walk thorow as upon dry land even then their troubles were not ended for their faith had great tryals in the Wilderness where they wandered fourty years sometimes fleeing before her enemies sometimes wanting Water sometimes hungry sometimes sting'd with Serpents yea and that after they were at the very border of the land of Promise so that they met with many afflicting dispensations in their way yea and at last there is a raging Jordan when they are at the very entry into that Land wherein they were to rest And it s very clear that Egypt was a Figure of that spiritual bondage wherein we are by nature under the oppression of the great Pharaoh Satan and sin whereunto even the Elect are servants before Conversion and the place whereunto they went viz. Canaan which was a type of Heaven whereunto Believers do go and wherein they are to rest and therefore by the long wearisome journey thorow the wast bowling Wilderness and the many difficulties wherewith they did meet in their march to Canaan must shadow forth these many sad and afflicting dispensations and disappointments wherewith Believers are exercise from the day of their conversion from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God till the day of their passing from the miseries of time and entering into that glorious and blessed Rest that waiteth for the people of God Heb. 4. whereof Canaan was but a figure And as tossed Israel attained to that rest thorow the goodness of God sending the pillar of the cloud to direct them by day and the pillar of fire to lead them in the dark night and inclining them to follow the same so also shall Believers come to that blessed Rest thorow the goodness of our God who sendeth these two precious pillars of his word and providence between which there is so sweet a concord and so pleasant a harmony to direct our way Canaan is before us therefore we ought not to be weary though we be sometimes walking in the deep and miry Clay the rest that is before us will sufficiently make up all our losses and pains in walking thither therefore let us not give way to sinkings of bea rt which may occasion wearying in the way its good taking a view of the land that is afar off that so by looking beyond the things that are seen being temporal unto the things that are not seen being spiritual and eternal we may esteem our afflictions light and of short continuance being delighted with the forehand conceptions of that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory and may be encouraged thereby to indure unto the end and be saved surely there 's good ground so to do seeing that there can no sader dispensation befall the Church then that wch the cloud of witnesses have travelled thorow Heb. 11. and we are commanded to walk by the foot steps of the flock in dayes of tribulation and astonishment and it is most safe for us so to do and to make our blessed Lord Jesus our hiding place from the wind storm rain and tempest Isa 32. 2. for he hath a real fellow feeling and simpathy with his people and hath learned from his own bitter sufferings to succour them that are tempted Heb. 2. 18. and also there is some comfortable dispensations also wherewith the Lord refresheth weary Israel there 's a path thorow the Red Sea there 's a brasen Serpent to cure the stings of the fiery Serpent in the Desart there 's an Elim as well as a Marah Numb 33. 9. where are twelve fountaines of Water and threescore and ten Palm Trees where weary Israel may be refreshed the Lord dealeth not with his people as if they were briers and thornes ranked in his way Isa 27. 4. but as with his Vineyard Vers 8. contending in measure there for removeing corrupt buddings forth staying his North wind in the day of his East wind some breathings he giveth his people some fair blinks after tempestuous storms so much the Scripture alloweth his people to look for and that which followeth doth tend somewhat to the encouragement of the Lords people to look for his goodness as to this in the land of the living Times and seasons are known to our God and we are only to look to his word as our rule and to admit of no comfort nor comforter but is according unto this unerring rule viz. the Scriptures This Sermon going abroad thorow many hands cannot be expected to be so full as it hath been at the first yet nothing is rendered here but what was then delivered there may also be found divers Erratas and possibly some Tautologies which may be easily helped if the Author shall upon notice or sight hereof be perswaded to revise it himself in the mean time let the Discreet Reader amend or candidly passe over what he finds not so distinct nor sounding so well as in another case might be expected Farewell A Comforting Farewell Word to the Lords Trembling Hearted People at the removal of the Cloud of his Glory from the Sanctuary as a present Cordial against their Heart-faintings Text JOHN 16. 22. But I will see you again and your Heart shall rejoyce OF all the people that are in the VVorld the people of the Lord who have dedicated and given away themselves to him have most yea and only reasons to be joyfull in their blessed King and there are none that have solid ground of consolation but they alone for albeit they have their times of heaviness when need requires they and only they have also that which may hear up their spirits under the heavy pressures of such sad and bitter Dispensations and howbeit their lot may be to fit low for a time and with the Church Lamen 1. 13. to interline this melancholious meditation among the rest of their sad Complaints From above hath he sent a fire into my bones and it prevaileth against them The yoak of my transgressions is bound by his hand they are wreathed
fear that our dear Lord Jesus is like to goe away and leave us And beside this there hath been many other dreadful abominations committed by night and day which would make Christian ears abhor to hear or tongues relate O but this is not all will you but hear a little farther and we will tell you of a greater abomination than this though little minded or laid to heart by many and that is the turning over of this holy Book into Stage-playes What is the holy Bible but the Eternal Gods Love-letter to his Church wherein his mind is written Yet is it turned over into Stage-playes For will you but walk down to the Nether-Bow and you shall there almost every night see some part thereof turn'd over into a Stage-play is not this a horrid blasphemy Yet this is not done in a corner they openly avow the same for while they stand at the Close-head calling in Passengers they proclame their wickedness saying Walk in Gentlemen walk in and you shall see a choice piece of Art and what is this choice piece of Art You shall see Adam and Eve Cain and Abel all walking in a lively manner to see how they were created naked and then deceived by the Serpent and how Cain slew Abel Oh Oh was it not this began all our miseries and woes did not this begin all our sorrow and lamentation and shall this be turned over into a Stage-play and sport to make people laugh and be merry O that some would cause plead for their Mother that that order might be taken with such abominations These things we could not but mention being so abominable in the sight of God And may not this say that he can have little heart to stay amongst us seeing we give so little esteem of his blessed Word that you see there is ground to fear his departure and going away from amongst us Evid 4. The fourth evidence of the Lords departure which we shall name is the corrupting of his Worship and overturning the comly order of his House in a violent way the setting up a few vain self-seeking men over the Inheritance of the Lord who have on the matter renounced their Ministers as not of God And if such men be fit for ruling the house of God let the Bible and unbiassed people of God be Judge of the matter This way was never blessed of God in our land formerly as to the conversion of souls and much less is it to be now expected that he will bless the same O how unbeseeming a title would Paul have thought it for him if any had come to him and called him your Lordship or your Lordships grace and how would he have abhorred himself if he had seen Prelats Mytre upon his own head and their syd robe upon him and some bearing up his taile no ground in the Bible for this yet it is done let this neither he looked upon as matter of Laughter to strangers nor of affrightment to friends being necessity constrains us to speak of these things unto you Now may not all this give sad ground of fear that the Lord will go away and leave us seeing such abominations are set up amongst us Vse 2. Now we would in the next place desire you that are the people of God to encourage your selves in him ye see as we have cleared That the assurance of Christs return is the choice only sufficient cordial against the heart faintings of the sorrowful soules of his people at his departure O therefore make use of this Cordial against the present distress and faintings of your heart in this hour of affliction because of Christs departure this is your present condition your hearts are sorrowful because your dear Lord is now shortly to be taken from you but let this hold up your hearts He will see us again therefore we say make use of this Cordial for you that are his people have no less to hold up your fainting discoveraged hearts then his Disciples got and that is the assurance of his return he will visit our land and so see us again Object But some of the Lords affrighted trembling-hearted people will here object alas that is the great thing in question and ye have spoken so much of his going away that we can hardly think he will return to us again and besides all he hath not tyed himself to any particular Church and therefore no particular Church can apply this promise to themselves and so what ground hath Scotland to apply this promise as a present cordial Vse 2. Though we have spoken much of his going yet we have not said that he will not come again and we spoke to somethings the last day for making it appear that he will come again As first our faithful Reformers Mr. Welsh Mr. Wishart Mr. Knox Mr. Hamilton c. others asserted that how be it Christ shall be crucified in Scotland yet glorious shall his Resurrection be and may we not make use of this as a cordial against our present heart-faintings 2. There are very many precious young men Students of Divinity whom the Lord hath fitted as polished shafts for the work of the Gospel and of whom he hath never as yet made use therein and shall we think that he will now lay them by and not imploy them in his service haveing been at great pains to fit them for the same 3. A faithful service of our Lord Jesus Christ who had this testimony that he feared God did lately amongst us before many thousand witnesses at his death openly declare his confidence as to this That how be it our cloud may be long and dark yet the Lord shall shine once more with the glorious light of his Gospel upon these Lands and shall we think that the Lord would have suffered his faithful servant to have brought himself under the imputation of a deceived Prophet at his death being in so great a strait for him if he had not had a mind to fulfill his servants word in seeing us again And we say now unto you that the Lord had never more precious people in Scotland then he hath now though there be many hypocrites neither hath ever had so many faithful Ministers in a suffering time for serving in the work of the Gospel as now he hath though there be also many that are unfaithful and we must think he will not lay them altogether byas useless but rather that he hath work for them and therefore we may take this as a ground of incouragement to confirme our hope of his seeing us again Object 2 But the Lord did cast of the seven Churches of Asia when in a very flourishing condition and did never visit them again with the Gospel and why then may he not also go away from us and never return nor see us again Ans There were never such a formal marriage contract passed betwixt God and the seven Churches of Asia in their most flourishing condition as heath passed
between God and Scotland the Lord did formally and openly marry our Land unto himself in the marriage contract of our Covenant Scotland hath this privilege beyond all the Nations or Churches in the World except the Jewes only our Land is long ago a married land unto the Lord and so there being a standing marriage contract between God and our Land in our Covenant we most conclude that how be it he go away yet he will see us again Object 3. But here it is objected our Covenant was not so cleare a marriage contract for we heard no audible voice from Heaven at the making of it as Abraham heard at the making the Covenant with him for his seed and therefore seeing we heard no voice how shall we know whether he gave his consent unto or sealed and subscribed the same Ans We answer how be it audible voices be ceased yet must we conclude that God speaks as really now from Heaven as he did then otherwise the Church were in a worse condition now then under the Law which cannot be granted therefore if he made it appear by his word and his providence we most conclude that he did really subscribe that marriage contract and this we shall labour to make appear unto you First that he gave his consent unto and subscribed our Covenant as the marriage contract between him and our Land will appear from the frame of great tenderness was upon the spirits of his people at the making of it they were marrying away themselves unto him to be a holy people and he did set home a lively frame of tenderness of spirit upon them which is well known to these did see it as a part of his sealand subscription to the marriage contract and therefore we may conclude that he did own it as the marriage contract and therefore that our Land is married unto him Secondly his subscriping of the Covenant as the marriage contract between him and our Land will appear from his after carriage to his Church in that he did attend the same with blessed effects suitable to a standing mar-marriage relatfon for when our Fathers had married away our Land unto him he did begin to extend his husbandly care towards his Church therein and to do the duties becoming such a married husband for after the subscribing the marriage contract with our Land he took up house therein and began to beget Children by his new married Church for holding up his family in our Land for it 's known that there were never so many converted and born again as were after the making of that Covenant and Marriage contract and have we not ground to take this as his subscription to the Marriage contract and his formal marrying our Land therein and may not this assure us that he will see us again seeing our Land is so formally and clearly marryed unto him therefore make use of this your cordial against your heart-faintings Object 4. But some affrighted heart will object and say our Land hath rent the Marriage contract between God and us and therefore we are no more a Married Land having given up with God and therefore have no ground 〈◊〉 encourage our selves from the hope of his â—â—â—ing us again Ans In answer to this we altogether deny it to be in the power of any now to disanull or make of none effect that Marriage contract for it is with our Land as with the bond servants after the year of Jubile or release ye know that the bond servant under the Law had his choice to stay with or go away from his Master when the years of jubile came but if the servant having in his choice to go or stay did say I desire to serve my Master for I am well with him therefore I will not go away from him then he was brought unto the door post and his ear was nailed thereunto after which time he had never liberty thereafter to go away from his Master but behoved to serve him for ever and if he did run away then his Master having a more lasting right in him then formerly might pursue after him and bring him back again So is it with our Land our Fathers served God a while then the year of the Covenant was as the year of Jubile for then it was put in our Lands choice to Covenant with and marry themselves unto God or not do it and because our Fathers found that it was good serving him therefore they would not go away from him nor continue free as they were but entered into Covenant with him to be his servants 〈◊〉 ever which was the nailing of our Lands 〈◊〉 to the Lords post and wherein we were tyed to him for ever So that how be it our Land should go away from him yet now hath a mutual Covenant right in us and may follow and bring us back again unto him And his subscribing of the Covenant as its everlasting answereth all other doubts of mind for our Fathers did not only Covenant and marry themselves away unto God but also and mainlie as the representative of his Church in Scotland for it was an everlasting Covenant never to be forgotten but that our Land should remain a married Land for ever and that from Generation to Generation he should have a Church and people therein to serve him and God did subscribe this Marriage contract as everlasting for in evidence of his subscribing that marriage contract both as to the matter and duration thereof he did take up house in our Land and did begin to extend his Husbandly care towards his Church in providing for her and begeting Children by her which cleares that he did not only subscribe the Covenant but also as it is everlasting So that it is not in the power of any now to make void or disanull that contract when so perfected Neither have the Lords people who are chiefly interested given their consent to the riveing of the Marriage contract between God and our Land it is against their heart and how ridiculous a thing would it be thought by a husband is his wifes friends who had formerly given their consent unto and subscribed the Marriage contract if they would come after that he hath taken up house with her continued with her in a married state and begotten Children by her I say if they would come and rive their double of the contract and say they would not have marriage to stand would he stand to that would he satisfie their desire and put away his wife who desires not to leave him and scatter his family again even after she has brought forth children to him surely not he would rather cover her faults as being more concerned in her than her friends are and would keep house with her and such indeed is the case betwixt God and Scotland God hath taken up house with his Church in our Land and therefore he will not satisfie her former friends desire in putting away his married
righteous it shall be well with him c. I command you speak comfortably to them though it should cost you never so dear and may not this perswade you to it seeing it is his command therefore set about it 2 Motive You run a great hazard if you comfort them not Ezek. 3. 17. Thou shalt hear the word at my mouth and give them warning from me when I say to the wicked thou shalt die say thou so and surely speaking freely against the wicked makes much for the strengthening of the godly It may cost you dear your life may be in hazard for speaking freely against them and to comfort the godly But if you do it not their blood will I require at your hand 3 Mot. Comfort the people of God against the storm and you shall imitate your blessed Master who comforted his Disciples when going away with this I will see you again 4 Mot. If you do not comfort the people of God e're they enter in the furnace it will be more difficult to get comfort born in upon them when their hearts are down and they in the heat and bitterness of their affliction their present sorrow will not let them admit of comfort Christ knew this well for he saith let these sayings sink down into your hearts ground your comfort well now else ye will be very incapable of hearing comfort when I am taken from you and slain And in the Text he comforted them because he knew they would not hear of comfort in the furnace and may not this stir you up to this duty of comforting the Lords people now e're they enter the furnace that it will be a hard work to get them comforted when in the hot furnace of affliction 5 Mot. Comfort the people of God e're they enter to the heat of the furnace for ye know not if ye shall be near unto them when they shall have most need of comfort from you if a persecution for Christ did send away faithful Ministers and their people into one shlp when banished or to thrust them into one prison together ye might suspend your comforting them till you were sent into banishment or prison together but the nature of a persecution for Christ is to smite the shepherd and to scatter the flock he is either thrust into prison or banished out of the land or out of the world and the flock is scattered so that he cannot have opportunity to speak comfortably unto them and what trouble may he have in that case if he hear of any thing falling wrong in them if they faint in the furnance his heart must challenge him for not comforting and strengthening them when he had opportunity And may not this encourage you to your duty O therefore to your work while you have opportunity 6 Mot. O comfort the people of God and strengthen them for the storm and ye shall have great peace when taken from them Christ had this to say John 17. that he had given them his fathers word And this was Paul's great encouragement in his last discourse at Miletus Acts 20. 26. that he had told them the whole counsel of God and so was free from the blood of all men O how great an encouragement is this when a godly Minister is thrust from his charge or is a dying if he can say now I am put away from my work but blessed be God I never withheld any thing from them might tend to their encouragement or edification There is not one sentence in my mind that ever I refused to speak nor is there one text of Scripture in my mind that the Lord bid me to preach from unto them tending to their instruction or encouragement that ever I refused to preach from upon the greatest hazard and therefore I have no more ado for my work is ended with my opportunity as I am to have no more liberty to labour among them so also I have no more work to do I laboured while I had opportunity and so now my work and opportunity are ended at once O how great peace may this give and may not this incourage you to comfort the people of God e're they enter the heat of the Furnace 7. Mot. There shall not a hair of your head perish for your faithfulness they are all numbred and your time is in Gods hand Rev. 11. the two Witnesses cannot be killed nor put from their work till they have finished their Testitmony and prophecyed unto the end of the dayes appointed them of God ye can neither be slain nor put from your worke as long as blasteth though all the World should oppose you therefore with all peace and safety you may go about your work of comforting the Godly as being in his blessed hand who can preserve his people though amongst the midst of adversaries therefore encourage the people of God for this your sure preservation while he has work for you is undoubted Vse 3. Is it so that the Lord Jesus useth to send a word of comfort to his people e're he enter them into the furnace for his name then they should imbrace the same good word that is sent unto them though it be far off I say they should make use of the expectation of future comforts for their present distress You see Christ give his people a promise the sweetness of which they were not to enjoy till after the storm yet he wills them to draw incouragement from it for bearing up their fainting and discouraged hearts It was also Davids practicn Psal 27. I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living It was but a far of look of comfort my faith got all that I could come at was the hope of seeing his goodness in the land of the Living once e're I should go off this World yet though it was far of I was glad to grip to it I durst not put it away but laid hold on it and so incouraged my self by it against my present faintings of heart Therefore we say unto you that are here you see this is your duty to comfort your selves in the expectation of future consolation yea it is for this very end that Christs sends it O therefore make it practicall when God sends a word of consolation unto you close with it for your comfort it is your duty so to do especially when it it is conveyed to you with danger hazard and so I shall say no more unto you but leave it on you for you will have enough to do with all your comfort far off or near to you when ye meet with the storme therefore let not a word fall to the ground when he sends it for yout comfort I come to the last note which is the blessed effect should flow unto them upon his return which is joy of heart I will see you again and your heart shall rejoyce Obs That the time of our Lord Jesus return after