of the Dispensations of GOD AND OF The pertinent Duties and Comforts of His PEOPLE in these Times WITH A Preface of the fulness of Scriptur sufficiency for Answering all Cases Hosea 9. 10 I found Israel like Grapes in the Wilderness Jer. 2 2. I Remember thee the kindness of thy youth the love of thine espousals when thou wantest after me in the Wilderness in a Land that was not sowen Numb 33 1. These are the journeyes of the Children of Israel which went forth out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron 2 Verse And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeyes by the Commandment of the Lord and these are their journeyes according to their goings out 1 Epistle of John 1 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you Written in the Wilderness Edinburgh Printed by George Mosman and are to be Sold at his Shop in the Parliament-Close Anno Dom. 1692. THE PREFACE THE Jews have a Tradition of that Manna wherewith God fed Israel in the Wilderness fourtie years that the taste thereof was such and so various that it answered every mans Appetit and tasted to him of whatsoever food his soul desired And look how uncertain is that Jewish Tradition of the materiall Manna that was gathered off the Earth for the space of fourty years in the Wilderness of the land of Egypt So certain is this Christian Truth of the Spiritual Manna the word of God that bread of Heaven that Angels food wherewith God feeds his Church in all ages successively and every Child of his House the Israelite indeed respectively throughout the whole course of their life and travel in the World which is the great Wilderness that it hath in it a real supply of all their necessities and hath always in it a word in season to all persons at all times and in every condition To the Dead it is life to the living it is health to the weary it is refreshment to the weak it is strength to Babes it is milk to strong men it is meat to the hungry it is bread to the thirsty it is waters To the drooping soul and sorrowful heart it is wine to the faint it is apples and Pomegranats cinnamon safron spiknard Calamus and all spices of the merchant To such who love dainties it is marrow and fatness honey of the rock and droping from the honey-comb to the wounded it is the balme of Gilead to the blind and weak sighted it is eye salve and oyntment to annoint the eyes To such neat souls as love to be all Glorious within and to keep clean Garments it is a Crown chains of the neck braceless ear-rings pendents and Ornaments of all sorts and if they like to be in fashion and to go fyne in the court of a Heavenly Conversation and communion with God it presents them a bright large glass whereat they may dayly adorn themselves to purpose This Glass is no falsifying nor multiplying Glass but a just discovering and directing one here are also discovered not only all the obliquities of gesture and faults of feature and all spots upon the face or cloaths but likwise the very in most thoughts and intents of the heart with the most subtile imaginations of the mind are here manifested Here ye are directed to sit all your Soul-ornament in the fynest spiritual fashion and to compose your gestur and order your motion so as you may be able to stand in the presence of him who is greater than Solomon This large bright Glass doth stand in King Solomons bed-Chamber in the Pook of Canticles and in it you may see your self from head to foot There ye see the head beautiful with locks Cantic 4 There ye see the sweet comly Countenance of the Saint which the Lord is so much in love with that he is in continual desire to see it there you see those eyes that ravish his heart and so throughout even to the feet that are very beautiful with shooes Chap. 7. 1. For such as are destitute and unprovided the word of God is a portion to the poor it is Riches of treasure of choice Silver and fine Gold Here is that which dispelleth darkness cleareth doubts dissolveth hardness dissappointeth fears dischargeth cares solaceth sorrows and satisfieth desires Here is counsel and strength for peace and war Here is daily intelligence from Heaven And in a word here is the best Companion that ever a soul did choose And blessed they who can spiritually tone that short but high note Psal. 119. 98. Thy Commandments are ever with me And that they are not with the soul as a burden of idle attendants are with a man see what good offices they perform by their presence Prov. 6. 22. 23. They are as Hobab to Israel and David to Nabal Eyes and a Guard to us in the Wilderness In the World and chiefly in this World we change seats and Societies we shift conditions and habitations we go thorow the Wilderness of Baca from troop to troop we are driven from Temple Altar and Oracle and we are divided from our relations and dearest acquaintance whom we loved as our own Soul we are spoiled of our Companions with whom we took sweet counsel and went into the house of God But blessed that Soul who in all this can say I am not alone my good old friend the word of God the Bible the guide of my Youth hath not yet forsaken me it is with me yea it is in me in the midst of my heart and I bear about me daily a living coppy of those livly Oracles and they are more near me than my very self for my heart is within me and they are within my heart I may be separated from my self by death that parts the dearest Friends my heart may be pluckt from my breast and my Soul dislodged of my Body but my Companion the word of God and me shall nothing part Prosperity shall not cause me forget it And adversity will not cause it forget me I will never forget thy Precepts for with them thou hast quickned me Psal. 119. 93. As those who live upon the shoar have a very just diall of the measure and motion of the water which they can make use of without the sun so are the ebbings and flowings of our affections to the word of God the surest most universall and constant witnesses of our daily condition for albeit the darkness that is upon the face of our Souls may pretend that it is night with us yet if it be full sea in our affection to the word of God we may be sure it is noon day and when it is low water in our affection to the word sure then it is mid night and the sun was never seen at mid night Be sure it is ill with that Soul that is out of conceit with the word of God Now to say nothing of the malignant qualities of gross ignorants prophane
he held his peace to wit whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not Moreover 5. in some Dispensations the Lord uses a Holy simulation and makes as if he would do that which he hath no mind to do Sometimes he makes to take leave of his People before he tell his Erand Let me go says he to Jacob when Iacob was but yet beginning to know that it was he and ere ever there was a word of the blessing which he came to leave with Iacob for his encouragement in his encounter with his Brother And Christ made as if he would have passed by his Disciples at Sea and the like semblance he made Luke 24 28. Now if we can have the patience to observe we will sometimes see the Issue of Dispensations other than it appeared And for patient Observation of Dispensations 1. respice finem a good advice Behold the end Psal. 37 37. It is the end that we are bidden mark and behold aâ— I said above We must not conclude of Dispensations neither by appearances nor parts We must wait till we see every part do its part for all works together Rom. 8. 28. And 2 respice usque finem Behold or observe to the end is an other direction necessary to the practice of the former whose would see the end must behold with patience to the end Daniel 12 8. enquires concerning the end of things and he observes till the time of the end he looks thorow all interveening times of the accomplishment of these events manifested to him so albeit none of us hath a prophetical Spirit to lead us thorow future times yet the Faith and Patience of Saints teaches us to wait all our appointed time In our patient Observation of Dispensations we must be like the Prophet Isai 21 8. where he saith I stand continually upon the watch tower in the day and I am set in my ward whole nights My soul waits for the Lord sayes David more than the watch waits for the morning Psal. 130. 6. I say more than they that wait for the morning and by such patient Observation he had seen many a foul night have a fair morning Sorrow may be at night but joy comes in the morning Psal 30 5. 3dly We should observe the Lords Dispensations with Search and Secrutiny Psal. 77. 6. my spirit made diligent search 1. We should search the Lord's affection in Dispensations and whether they be in mercy or in wrath many get their will and asking in wrath Psal. 78. 30. 31. some are rebuked and chastened but not in wrath nor displeasure as David Prayes for himself Psal. 6 1. Therefore the question would be Ier. 14. 19. hast thou rejected â—udah hath they soul loathed Zion 2dly We would search the Reasons and procuring causes of sad Dispensations Iob 10 2. shew me wherefore thou conâ—endest with me 3dly We would search and inquire â—nent the event of Dispensations wilt thou not revive us again that thy People may rejoice in thee Psal. 85. 6. We are allowed likwise 4thy to search and enquire anent the continuance of Dispensations to this purpose we read in Scripture many a how long Lord In sad Dispensations likwise 5ly we should search for solid grounds of comfort and for this we should remember bygone times and remember the kindness we have tasted of in them Psal. 89. 49. Lord where are thy former loving kindnesses Psal 77. 10. I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high But in the Observation of Dispensations our search would be 6ly chiefly about our Duty our main question would be Lord what wilt thou have me to do Act 9 6. And our great Petition with David must be lead me O Lord in they righteousnes because of mine enemies make thy way straight before my face Psal. 5. 8. teach me thy way O Lord and I will walk in thy truth unite my heart to fear thy name Psal. 86. 11. 4. We should observe the Dispensations of God with Regard the challenge is Isai 5. 12 that they regard not the work of the Lord. This Regard is a due judgment and estimation of the works of God with reverence becoming the Majesty worth and excellency of the worker and the works and that leaves an impression of Piety and Religion upon the heart of the Observer according to that pathetick exclamation Rev. 15 4. who shall not not fear thee O Lord and glorify they name for thou art Holy for all nations shall come and worship before thee for thy judgments are made manifest Due Observation of the works of God is a great curb to Atheisme and Prophanity and Atheisme and Prophanity are as great enemies to due Observation of divine Dispensations Put men in fear O Lord that they may seek thy name 5ly We should observe the Lord Dispensations with Affection Lament 3 51. mine eye affecteth mine heart the Prophet's Observation of Dispensations made him cry my bowels my bowels my heart is pained within me Jer. 4. 19. I reckon him a savage person and one that hath vicera fera triplex circa pectus robur the bowels of a tygar or bear and that his heart is brass oak or stones who is not affected with the Dispensations of our times who grieves not for the afflictions of Joseph Amos6 6. and who cryes not alas for the day for none is like it It is the day of Jacob's trouble Jer. 30. 7. 6. We should observe the Lords works with Memory in our Observations of things present we should reflect upon these that are past in former times I remember the days of old Psal. 153. 5. And likwise we would lay up in memory our present Observations for the time to come Psal. 48. 12 13. Mark ye well that ye may tell it to the generation following We have both joined together Psal 78 3 4. that which we have heard and known and our fathers have told us we will not hide from their children â—hewing to the generations to come the praises of the Lord and his strength and his wonderfull works that he hath â—one The Psalmist says Psal. 111. 4. The Lord hath made his wonderful works to be remembred O! then â—t not the memory of the Lords Works go down â—n our days Let us comfort our selves with what â—s remembred and let us transmit the memory of the Lords Works to succeeding Generations that they may share of the same comforts And I believe the People of God in this time have much to â—o with their memory we hear not what we were wont to hear nor see what we were wont to see We are now left to gather up the Fragments of former enjoyments by the hand of a Sanctified memory One says O I shall still think well of Christ He shall be to me as the Apple tree alongst the trees of the Wood for the day was then I sat down under his shaddow and his fruit â—as sweet to my taste Cant. 2. 3. Another
says O â—ut I love the house of God well And O when shall I come and appear there before God! for the â—ay was when I saw the Lords Glory and his power in â—â— sanctuary Psal. 63 2. And O when shall I see â—e like again O how shall that be Then make â—e of thy Memory and remember that David â—â—m the Wilderness returned and dwelt in the â—use of the Lord all the days of his life Remember likewise Isai 64. 3. that God did for his People terrible things which they looked not for â—he came down and the mountains flowed down at his presence and this they build their hope upon in their present case Conclude thou then with David 2 Sam. 15 25. That if thou hast found favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring thee again and shew the both his Ark and his Habitation This Scripture hath long lodged in my thoughts and while minâ— own heart like Sarah behind the Tent door laught and says shall these things be In reproach â—â— scornful unbelief I thus both use and please to reason Those who find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring them again and shew them both his Ark and his Habitation to wit the Sanctuary But the many wandering Saints and out-cast Ministers and People of these Nations find favour in the eyes of the Lord Therefore they shall be brought back to see the Ark of the Lord and his Habitation Let unbelief answer the first proposition Leâ— even their enemies answer the second and theâ—â— who shall deny the Conclusion 7. We would observe the Works of God and his Dispensations with Use the useful Observe is the good Observer of divine Dispensations anâ— this is that which before in Scripture phrase wâ—â— called a harkening to the Lords Voice in his Dispensations and a discerning of their Tune There no Work of God but it hath a Voice and it hath a Use and the Works of God are of so universal â—â— that hardly is their any truth in the Word of God but we are taught it by some Work of God It â—t pertinent nor take I pleasure here to enlarge general of the proper uses of the several â—orks of God But having above supposed as â—e truth is that to any who hath an ear to discern The voice of present dispensations to the â—hurch in these Nations is beyond all dispute a â—urnful one I shall therefore shortly hint at the â—oper uses of such Mournful Dispensations and shall direct them all from the third chapter of the Lmentations The first Use of present Dispensations is for Lamentation Verses 48 49 51. Mine eye â—ine eye mine eye mine eye runneth down with â—vers of Waters Mine eye trickleth down and â—â—seth not without any intermission mine eye affectâ—â— mine heart O Call all that are skilful to Mourn and let them raise up a Lamentation But â—hough neither our Eyes weep nor our Voice Laâ—ent yet even our Condition it self doth weep and Mourn to God Jer. 12. 10 11. Many Pastors have destroyed my vtneyard they have troden my portion unâ—â—r foot they have made my pleasant portion a desolate Wilderness they have made it desolate and being desoâ—â—e it Mourneth unto me the whole land is made deâ—â—ate and no man layeth it to heart Come then and â—â—t up a Lamentation together all that are sorrowful for the Solemn Assemblies Lament smitten â—epherds Lament scattered flocks Lament hungry and thristy Souls Lament desolate Congregations Lament poor doubting disconsolate Christians Lament closed Churches Lament empty â—â—ulpits Lament silent Sabbaths turn your joy into Mourning O our blessed Communion-time Lament Cities Lament Burrows Lament ye dâ— Villages and my soul shall Mourn in secret places cause the Lords flock is carryed away Jer. 13. 17. say it is a Lamentation and shall be for a Lamentation We never saw the like since Popish â—â—terdictions so many Glorious lights obscured these Nations And if an enemy had done thâ— then might we have born it if Pope if Turk Pagan But thou O a friend a Protestant Prince of the Covenant What thing shall I taâ—â— to Witness for this But because the Apostle bids us Mourn as those thâ— have hope The 2d Use of present Dispensations shâ— be to Hope verse 21. This I recal to my mâ—â— therefore have I hope verse 24. in him will I hope verse 26. it is good that a man should both hopâ— and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord Isai 8. 17. I will wait upon the Lord that hides his face from the house of Jacob and I will looâ— for him It is wonderful to see how contrarâ— conclusions Faith and Unbelief will draw from the same premisses The Lord is wroth and hides hâ—â— face then say believing Isai and Jeremy we wiâ—â— hope in him and wait for him yea but set unbelieving Joram to it and he will tell you shortly why should I wait any longer for him 2 Kings 〈◊〉 32. And if he must know why Jeremy Lament 3. 26. can tell him it is good and if he ask what good is in it Isai will tell him more particularly Chap. 30. 18. The Lord is a God of iudgment 〈◊〉 blessed are all they that wait for him Psal. 52 9. will wait on thy name for it is good before thy Saints â—here we see it is the judgment of all the Saints â—at it is still good to wait on God O then let us â—ait on him that hideth his face from the house 〈◊〉 Jacob for surely there is hope But where is â—ur hope our hope is in God that saveth the upâ—â—ght he is the hope of Israel and the Saviour thereâ—â— in time of trouble Jer. 14 8. So long as he is God 〈◊〉 long is their hope and to say there were no hope were to say there were no God and they â—ob God of his Glory and Title who fail in their hope The 3d Use of present Dispensations is Submission verses 27 28 29 30. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth he sitteth alone and keepeth silence because he hath born it upon him he puteth his mouth in the dust if so be there may be hope he gives his cheeks to him that smiteth him he is filled with reproach and verse 39. wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sins What ever be the Lords Dispensations is our part to submit And because Submission 〈◊〉 Gods Dispensations is a hard duty to our Rebellious corrupt hearts I find the lamenting Prophet tacitly insisting to perswade submission upon â—hese grounds 1. From the mitigation of Dispensations the Lord punishes not as we deserve â—â—e are living men and are not consumed and that â—his mercy renewed every morning And indeed that is less than Hell to a sinner is mercy unâ—â—served verse 22 23 2dly from the good that may be expected of the saddest Dispensations verse 27. It is good that a man bear the yoke in hâ—
as thou livest and as thy soul liveth I will not do this thing It is time our loins were girded our shoes were on our sect our staff in our hand and our stuff and provision upon our shoulder for we must to the Wilderness and what if we go out in haste It is good to be in good Company it is better if Moses had any skill to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Heb. 11. 25. They who will not suffer with the people of God may suffer with worse Company They who will not go forth with Lot unto the mountains may possibly sit still till they get brimstone and fire from Heaven and the smoak of Sodom about their ears for he that will save his life unlawfully shall loss it unhappily and he that will loss his life in Resolution may find it in Reality Even as a man doth in stepping of a Ditch with any thing that is either of weight or worth to him his Clock his Case of letters or Papers of concernment his heavy purse or the like lest he loss and indamnage himself and them both he casts all over before him and so coming over with the less trouble he lifts all again upon the other side and so losses nothing of that which he cast away but that he might keep it and himself both whereas if he had kept all about him he might have lost himself and all together but all is not ost that is in peril Let us then with chearfulness turn our face towards the Wilderness The second Use shall be for Information to all such of the Lords People as are either upon their way to the Wilderness or are already arrived there they would not think strange of such a condition it has been it is and it will be the lot of the Lords Children Cant. 8. 5. the high way to Christs mountain of Myrrh and hill of frankincense lyes thorow the Wilderness and there he comes forth to meet them and leads them up in his bosome leaning upon his own arms There doth no strange thing befall the Saints when the Lord brings them into the Wilderness for even as Moses Exod. 3. 1. led his flocks into the backside of the desart and was not that a presage of what followed when he led Israel as a flock through the Wilderness so doth the Lord oft times with his People albeit the Wilderness is a solitary unfrequented place where no foot of man cometh yet in it you may take up and trace the footsteps of the Lords flock who through much tribulation have entred into the Kingdome of God and there ye may follow them who through faith and patience have inherited the promises The Saints will find the footsteps of the flock in their greatest Wilderness and may be helped with the light of precedent Examples in their greatest darkness For now that the Lord through so many ages hath led his Saints to Heaven by so many different paths of Dispensations for there is but one common road of Religion the Kings high Way I doubt there is any untroden path remaining to be discovered by this Generation I only fear one difference which makes indeed a great odds in lots be found betwixt our case and the case of those that have gone before us and it is this That they were better men in as ill times for worse I would none But in that I pray whom shall we blame and know we not how that should be helped See that ye walk circumspectly as wise and not as fools redeeming the time because the days are evil Eph. 5. 15 16. If ill times find no good men let ill times make good men and good men will make good times or els bad times shall make good men better But of the Parity of cases I said much in the Preface The Third Use of the point shall be for Direction bsince the People of God may thus expect to be rought into the Wilderness it concerns them to take their directions for the Wilderness for our direction in such a condition I shall without insisting briefly hint at some things I to be avoided 2 dly some things to be endeavoured Things to be avoided by such as are brought into the Wilderness are I Unbelief Psal. 78. 22 23. the Israelites believed not God in the Wilderness and therefore he was provoked Heb. 3. 18 19. the Apostle tells us expresly that those who believed not their carcasses fell in the Wilderness and for their unbelief they could not exter into the land of promise 2 Discouragment would be avoided Numb 14. 1. the People through Discouragment cryed and weept for the report that the spyes gave them and frequently els-where they expressed their Discouragement upon the emergency of every new difficulty their cry was always that they should die in the Wilderness and in that they read their own fortune Numb 14. 28. for the Lord was provoked for their unbelief and other sins to do to them as they had said Beware of Unbeliefs bode-words for like the Devil's responses their accomplishments are always evil to those that take them In all the World I know no such ready way to Apostacy and utter forsaking of God as Discouragment Experience hath said so much to confirme this that I shall not need to bring reason into the field But this I must say have the experience of Discouragment who will they have it to their expences And if I were to die I would leave Discouragment this testimony that it is dear bought misery 3. Avoid Murmuring fretting discontentment with the Lords Dispensations with complaints of his unkindness Numb 14 2. all the Children of Israel murmured and Chap. 6 42. they murmured against Moses and Aaron But Moses could tell them what are we that ye speak against us nay but your words are against the Lord yea and Numb 21. 5. it is expresly said the People spoke against God and against Moses And still their tune was wâ—y have ye brought us up out of Egypt Just like many in our Generation why say they your Reâ—ormation your Covenant and your Ministers have served you well but verily their words are against the Lord for we owne his name in these and glorify him whom they dishonour When the Children of Israel murmured in the Wilderness they had forgotten how once they groaned because of their oppression in Egypt and in that they may be more excusable than we for the Red sea had ridd perpetual marches betwixt them and their oppressours but we get not leave to forget our oppression in the times of our former subjection to them who derive their power from her who is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt Revel n. 8. I mean Prelats who are indeed the house of the Elder brother but fallen back for that they have come short of the blessing and now hold of the Pope the younger who hath supplanted them handsomely and got betiwxt
they be spiritual sanctuary mercies that we miss then remember Ezek. 11. 16. Although I have scattered them among the Countreys yet will I be to them a little Sanctuary in the Countreys where they shall come Remember and sing 84 Psal. already cited with Psal. 63. and 42. If they be remporal earthly mercies that we desiderat then remember Psal 24. above cited with Deut. 8. 2 3. the Lord led thee through the Wilderness and humbled thee with hunger and gave thee Manna that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live I leave it to every one to try what is in God and in the blessing of God And in the mean time let us learn to take more upon trust with God There is no waste ground in God meet his People with scant where they will they will meet with none in him Jer. 2. 31. have I been a Wilderness unto Israel sayes God they could not say he had Even as Christ said to his Disciples Luk. 22. 35. when I sent you without purse and scrip and shoes lacked ye any thing and they said nothing why many truely of the Saints and servants of God in these times who cannot boast of much wealth yet do not speak of want many wonder how they live and yet they are both living and Life-like And for one I shall say that first and last once and again God hath cast my lot more to satisfaction than I could have chosen with most deliberation hereby teaching me that which I have taken for my Lesson and till I can say it perfectly by his grace I shall still be learning to choose nothing for my self and though I shall not say with Leah Gen. 30. 18. God hath given me my hire yet I may be excused to think that God hath given me a hire for albeit Moses's respect to the recompence of reward Heb. 11. 26. and it may be not that either but rather a free love and respect to the name of God hallowed be that great and precious Name Rev. 2 3 give the chief determination in all an upright Mans most serious deliberations nor would he as he shall not be reckoned with those men Math. 6. 2. who have their reward yet my present satisfaction with my condition outvyeth till it is envyed of the lot of those who have sought a fortune by moe turnes Let Ravens hunt and catch and rugg and Prey and croack over what they have gotten and cry from more I judge him happy Cui Deus obtulit Farcà quod satis est manu That hath enough and finds no want Tho his allowance be but scant And I have learned 2 Kings 5. 26. that this is not a time to receive Money and to receive Garments and olive-yards and vineyards and sheep and oxen and men servants and maid servants I fear something worse than the Leprosie of Naâ—nian cleave to the Gehazi's of this time If God will give me my life for a prey in all places whither I go by his grace I shall not seek great things for my self for I fear he will bring evil upon all flesh and will break down what he hath built and pluck up what he hath planted even the whole land Ier. 45. 4 5. I love tacitus pasci a morsel be it of green herbs with quietness and I hope I have learned Philip. 4. 11. in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content Yea and I am the more content that I find my case somewhat common in the time To confirme it I give you a story A vapouring Time-divine who hath changed his gang twice already and possessed two honest mens Churches one after another seeking a fatter Pasture lately met accidentally with an honest deprived Minister of his old acquaintance and seeing him in case better than wont asked confidently ha sir how is it that you look so well upon it in this World The other a Notable Man gave him a Notable Answer why thus it comes said he we go in God's common Gods common is better pasture than the Worlds inclosure and what wonder if we who go iâ— Gods common look better on 't than you who go in the Devils inclosure At this the petulant man kept silence and iniquity stopt her mouth I Remember it is said Psal. 112. 10 the wicked shall see it that which befalls the righteous to his satisfaction and honour and be grieved he shall gnash his teeth and melt away the desires of the wicked shall perish Now as we would by faith take God for all things els in the Wilderness so in the case of fainting and weariness which as I shewed in the description is the last and not the least evil of a Wilderness-condition we would take him for our strength Psal. 48. 5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee Psal. 73. 26. my flesh and heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart Cant. 8. 5. The Church coming up out of the Wilderness lâ—aneth upon her beloved Isai. 12 2 The Lord Iehovah is my strength and my song Isai. 33. 2. be thou their arm every morning Haback 3. 19. the Lord God is my strength and he will make my feet like hindes feet and he will make me to walk upon my high places to the chief singer on my stringed instruments if strength quite fail and be exhausted he makes the weary to renew their strength if strength be weak and the Soul drives heavily and comes up with a slow pace in Duty then he shall run if when they winn to that they fear it shall not last nor they be able to continue at that rate then they run and weary not they walk and do not faint Isai. 40. 31. 10. And lastly In the Wilderness we would long and haste much to be through and press with importunity for a delivery This we see in David Psal. 42. Psal. 63. Psal. 84. and Psal. 107 6. those who wandered in a Wilderness cryed unto the Lord in their trouble And Moses who had been long in the Wilderness was very earnest to have gone over Jordan to see the good Land though for his fault at Meribah it was denyed him Deut 3. 25. 26. This direction is nothing so strange as is the disposition of those to whom it is meant For I begin to observe many who have seen the Lords Glory and Power in the Sanctuary but too modest not to say worse be it from desponcency or from some worse quality in their Suits for a restoration of these Mercies Either the length of our affliction hath put us so far out of memory or the deepth of it hath put us so far out of hope of better dayes that as if there had never been nor never should be better dayes we content our selves with the present Truly it astonishes me to see such a Spirit of slackness possess many as if the Lord had said