in sickness and in health in peace and in trouble in all Adversity and in all Prosperity The Lord be with you with all kind of Aids Helps and Assistances variety of Aids and Assistances we need This is the sence and meaning of this vale dictory Prayer the Lord be with you all The observation that I shall commend to you is this Doct. God with us is a priviledge greatly to be desired and much to be prayed for The Apostle makes this Prayer for the Thessalonians whom he dearly loved who were his hope and joy and Crown of Rejoycing 1 Thes. 2. 19. Could he have thought of a greater mercy he would have wisht it to them In speaking to this great Truth I shall shew 1. That there is a presence of God with his people 2. That this presence of God is a great priviledge 3. That this great priviledge is much to be desired and prayed for 4. The reasons of it 5. And after this apply it 1. There is a presence of God with his people I speak not of the general presence of God whereby he is not far from every one of us Act. 17. 27. For in him we live move and have our being v. 28. not only as we had our being from him at first but we have our being in him as the Beam has its Being in the Sun Of this presence of God you read Psal. 139. from which there is no fleeing v. 7. he is every where v. 8 9 I fill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord Jer. 23. 24. and Isa. 66. 1. Thus saith the Lord Heaven is my Throne and the Earth my foot stool This general presence of God if seriously considered and believingly apprehended would be of great use But 't is the special presence of God that I am to speak to his favourable and gracious presence such as that wished and desired by Aaron and his Sons of old Num. 6. 24 25 26. The Lord bless thee and keep thee the Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his Countenance upon thee and give thee peace This blessing is saith Ainsworth expounded by the Apostle 2 Cor. 13. 14. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Thus the first branch of the blessing v. 24. The Lord bless thee and keep thee implieth the love of the Father The second branch v. 25. The Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee implieth the grace of the Son And the third branch The Lord lift up his Countenance upon thee and give thee peace implieth the communion with the Holy Ghost Now this Loving Gracious Communicative presence of Jehovah Father Son a 〈…〉 Holy Ghost is that Presence of the Lord which is so great a priviledge and so much to be desired The Lords presence with us to bless us with all Spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Eph. 1. 3. And to keep us from evil Joh. 17. 15. And to make his face shine upon us that we may be saved Psal. 80. 3. 7 19. And to be gracious to us through Christ Jesus Eph. 2. 7. And to lift up his countenance upon us that Gladness may be in our hearts Psal. 4. 8. And to give us peace that peace which passeth all understanding and that which may guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus Phil. 4. 7. This this is the presence of God which is so desireable and of which I am to treat That there is such a presence of God with his people appears thus 1. God Asserts it 2. Promises it 3. Hath evidenced it 4. Gods people have acknowledged it 1. God Asserts that there is such a presence of His with his people Isa. 41. 10. Fear thou not saith God for I am with thee And Ezek. 48. 35. The name of the City from that day shall be The Lord is there 2. God hath promised it Ezek. 26. 11 12. I will set my Tabernacle among you and my Soul shall not abhor you And I will walk among you and will be your God and ye shall be my people 3. God hath evidenced it by Preservations Assistances Deliverances and Suâ—cesses vouchsafed to his people What a mighty Gracious pardoning presence oâ— God was with Moses and the Children of Israel in bringing them out of Egypt through the Red Sea and through the Wilderness into Canaan Read the story of it in the Book of Exodus especially the Song of Moses Exod. 15. What a presence of God was with David Spiâ—iting Prospering and Preserving him when hunted like a Partridge upon the Mountains Whence was it that he was not Caught there were Skilful Hunters yet he escaped the Snare for the Lord was with him What a mighty presence of God was there with Daniel He will pray that he will though he be torn in pieces for it He will not cease to make his Supplications to God three times a day though there were a Law made against it Daniel would not fail to be with God and God would not fail to be with Daniel VVhat would Daniel be with God to the Hazard of his life Yes And was not God with him for his Preservation Daniel is cast into the Den of Lions Was he torn or hurt by them No The Lions were muzled their Mouths were shut God shut them Dan. 6. 22. My God saith Daniel hath sent his Angel and hath shut the Lions mouthes that they shall not hurt me Though men will not be obedient yet Lions will touch not my Servant Daniel saith God to the Lions and they are as quiet as Lambs Touch not mine anointed saith God to men and do my Prophets no harm yet men will not obey What a presence of God was there with those three noble Jews when threatned if they would not bow they should burn They will bow to none but God Dan 3. 17 18. They will not loose their interest in God to gain an Interest in the greatest Then the King commanded that they should be bound and cast into the Fiery Furnace v. 20. being cast into it the Fire burned their executioners and the bonds wherewith they were bound but had no Power on their Bodies nor was there a Hair of their Head singed neither were their Coats changed nor had the smell of Fire passed on them Dan. 3. 27. and how came this to pass God was with them What a presence of God had Paul with him At my first Answer saith he no man stood with me but all men forsook me I pray God that it may not be laid to their Charge notwithstanding the Lord stood with me and strengthened me and I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion 2 Tim. 4. 16 17. What a presence of God was there with those that had trial of cruel Mockings and Scourgings of Bonds and Imprisonments of Stoning and Sawing asunder of wandering Wants Afflictions and Torments
Psal. 7. 12. 50. 21 22. 68. 21. Reason Gods Honour Holiness Justice and Truth requires it 1. Gods Honour If God spare such it will be thought that he favours them Psalm 50. 21. Mat. 2. 17. 2. His Holiness Habak 1. 13. 3. His Justice Zeph. 3. 5. Psal. 11 ult Justice must render to every one according to c. 4. His Truth See Jer. 4. 28. Use 1. Sad then is the case of such as will not be purged from their filthiness Is it not sad when God will cause his fury to rest upon them when he is so resolved as you see v. 14. This People in the Text might think and so possibly may you God would not be so severe as the Prophet had told them They might say or think Jeremiah this is but your saying and you may speak it out of Humor and Discontent Nay sayes God I the Lord have spoken it I Jehovah who can and will give being and life to my threats to what I have spoken They might say but saying and doing are two things It may never come to pass though God has spoken it Nay sayes God it shall come to pass as certainly as I have spoken it They might say you threaten us with Nebuchadnezar but Nebuchadnezar and his Forces are but men and may fail and never be able to perform their enterprize But sayes God I will do it and I am not Man but God They might say but sure God will not lay waste Hierusalem his own City where his Temple and Worship is To this God answers True But thy scum is in thee and thy filthiness and in thy filthiness is lewdness obstinacy therefore I will not go back from my word of threatening Thou doest not retract and therefore I will not Thou hast gone backward Jer. 15. 6 therefore I will not go back See also Jer 4. 28. They might say but God is pittiful and his compassions fail not But sayes God I will not pitty nâ— spare nor have mercy Jer. 13. 14. They might say but God will repent of the evil threatned according to Jer. 18 8. Ezek. 20. 8. 9 13 14 17 22. No sayes God neither will I repenâ— you repent not therefore I will not repent See Jer. 15. 6. They might say then surely God will deal hardly with us No sayes God I deal justly according to thy wayes I will judge thee What then is there no avoiding of this fury No They shall not be able to escape Jer. 11. 11. Evil shall hunt you Psal. 140. 11. And find you out Numb 32. 23. As the blood hound the Thief as sure as he sets his foot on the ground Nor no resisting No Can stubble resist fire Why then I hope I shall be able to bear it No It will be intollerable Ezek. 22. 14. Can thy heart endure No. Why then I hope it will have an end No neither if you dye in your filthiness it shall rest upon you 'T will be everlasting fire and burning Isa. 33. 14. Why then I hope if it will have no end it will be long before it have a beginning No It may have a beginning before you are aware 'T is to be feared that your iniquities are near full and ripe for we are come to that pass now 1. That I think we are shameless in sinning and if so see Jer. 3. 3. 6. 15. 2. Graceless in Profession and Luke-warm in Religion and if so see 2 Tim. 3. 1 to 6. Rev. 3. 15 16. 2. 4 5. Amos 8. 5 11 12. 3. Regardless of Christ nay abusive of Christs Gospel and Ministers and if so see Matth. 21. 35 36 38 41. Luke 13. 34 35. 2 Chron. 36. 16. 1 King 18. 4. with 19. 14. 2 Chron. 11. 14. 4. Fruitless under the means of grace and if so see Matth. 21. 43. Luke 13. 6 to 10. Act. 13. 45 46. Isa. 5. begin Heb. 6. 6. 5. Incorrigible under the rod and if so see Isa. 9. 13 14. Amos 4. 6 8 9 10 11 12. 6. Fearless of punishment as they Jer. 17. 15. that said Where is the word of the Lord let it come now And as they that said Isa. 5. 19. Let him make speed and hasten his work that we may see it and let the counsel of the holy One of Israel draw nigh and come that we may know it And this is but according to what was foretold by our Saviour Luke 17. 26 27. And as it was in the dayes of Noe so shall it be also in the dayes of the Son of man They did eat they drank they married wives c. till the flood came And by St. Peter 2 Pet. 3. 3. There shall come in the last dayes scoffers walking after their own lusts and sure they are come Saying Where is the promise of his coming Things continue as they were But when we put far away the evil day Amos 6. 3. and say peace and safety Then sudden destruction cometh as Travel upon a woman with child and we shall not escape 1 Thes. 5. 3. God will punish the men that are setled upon the Lees That say in their Hearts The Lord will not do good neither will he do evil Zeph. 1. 12. God grant our goods may not become a booty God grant our houses may not become a desolation God grant that they who have built houses may inhabit them and that they who have planted viâ—eyards may drink the wine thereof But sure if in our filthiness there shall be lewdness if we shall continue unpurged notwithstanding all the means used for our purging The great day of the Lord is near it is near and hasteth greatly even the voyce of the day of the Lord the mighty man shall cry there bitterly That day is a day of wrath a day of trouble and distress a day of wasteness and desolation a day of darkness and gloominess a day of clouds and thick darkness A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced Cities and against the high Towers God will bring distress upon men that they shall walk like blind men because they have sinned against the Lord and their blood shall be poured out as the dust and their flesh as the dung Neither their Silve nor their Gold shall be able to deliver them is the day of Gods wrath but the whole La 〈…〉 shall be devoured by the fire of his jealous 〈…〉 for he shall make even a speedy riddance of a 〈…〉 them that dwell in the Land Zeph. 1. 13 14 15 16 17 18. This is the rejoycing City that dwelt carelesly that said in her heart I am a 〈…〉 there is none beside me how is she become 〈◊〉 desolation a place for beasts to lye down in 〈…〉 every one that passeth by her shall hiss anâ— wag the hand Zeph. 2. 15. This is spoken of Nineveh ver 13. And if we sin as Nineveh did may not we expect to suffer as she suffered Yet I fear we have many that say as Babilon I
derided by them about you Psal. 44. 13. Tears may be given you to drink in great measure Psal. 80. 5. Vile accounted c. Lam. 3. 45. Even as a scum 1 Cor. 4. 13. Wild beasts and boars out of the wood may waste you c. Psal. 80. 13. Seeing this is so will you take the course prescribed that if possible none of these things may come upon you or if they should that your eternal estate may be secured First What can you object against it 1. Is it not the course that God hath prescribed That it is has been proved before therefore you can't object 't is not required you cannot say Who hath required this for you have heard that God does 2. Is there any unreasonableness or unrighteousness in the prescribing of it Can you object against it as being unreasonable and unrighteous nay is it not most reasonable and righteous that having sinned and provoked God you should consider confess humble c. 3. Is it not that course that others with success have used as Nineveh and 2 Chron. 12. 7 12. Can you object and say others have taken this course to no purpose Ahabs external humiliation was not without some success The judgment was deferred upon it 1 King 21. 29. 4. Have not others perished for want of taking this course See 2 Chron. 36. 12. of Zedâ—kiâ— to 18. Dan. 5. 22 to 29. of Belâ—hazar Can you now object and say others have neglected this course and done well enough Thus you see you cannot object against this course Secondly Can you think of a better a safer course Can you or you or you c. speak if you can by your silence I take it for granted that you cannot Thirdly If you cannot are you resolved upon this To consider confess c. Fourthly If you be not resolved on this course as yet must I dismiss you unresolved and desperate as they Jer. 44. will you say as they ver 16. 18. 12. FINIS GODS Gracious Presence THE SAINTS Great Priviledge 2 Thes. 3. 16. Now the Lord of Peace himself give you Peace alwayes by all means The Lord be with you all YOU have Peace Blessed be God long may it last it is not like to be long-lived unless God work wonderfully Application therefore should be made to him that he who is the God of Peace would be pleased to give it alwayes and by all means The close of the Verse is that which I intend to say something unto as the Lord shall enable me The Lord be with you All. This is Pauls Valediction to the Thessalonians and shall be mine to you In this Valediction you have 1. Pauls wish and desire the Lord be with you 2. The extent of it The Lord be with you All. He leaves out none of them he wisheth well to them all and that which he wisheth is the Presence of the Lord with them All their welfare standing therein The Lord God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost we must not leave out any of the Three for we cannot be without the Presence of any one of them nor can you have the Presence of the one without the Presence of the other for these three are one and where One is All are Of the Fathers and of the Sons and of the Holy Ghosts coming to be with his People You read Joh. 14. Jesus said if a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him O for faith to believe this that the Father and the Son will come and make their abode with such Whosoever goes from you you may be sure the Father and Son will come if you love him and keep his words See verse 23. And for the coming of the Holy Ghost See Joh. 15. 16. I will pray the Father saith Christ Here 's a praying friend and praying friends we use to say are our best friends and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth verse 17. That he may abide with you for ever mark that when he comes he will not be like a wayfaring man that comes for a night and then is gon but he will abide for ever when I came down from Heaven I came with a purpose to return again when I had done my work here but this Comforter my Spirit shall abide with you for ever Well then the Lord be with you the Father Son and Holy Spirit be with you the eternal Jehovah who hath his being of himself and gives being to all things else even the being of performance to his promises This Lord be with you Be with your whole man This Lord be with your Bodies This Lord be with your Souls This Lord be with every part of your Bodies and with every Power of your Souls The Apostle in his former epistle praying for these Thessalonians 1 Thes. 5. 23. Prayes thus The very God of Peace sanctify you wholly and I pray God your whole Spirit and Soul and Body be preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. So then the Apostle would have the Lord â—o be with their whole man not with a part of it not with their Souls and Spirits only or Bodies only but with their Spirit Soul and Body and the same Apostle praying for Timothy prayes The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy Spirit 2 Tim. 4. 22. It matters not who are absent so Christ be present his presence is more then the presence of the nearest and dearest relations The Lord be with you all not only with a part of you I know not which of you to leave out of my Prayers For you all have need of Gods presence whether you be Saints or Sinners If Sinners you have need of the Lord to be with you to convince you and convert you And as for those that are Saints I know none that have so much grace that they need no more the Lord therefore be with them to establish confirm and encrease grace in them the Lord be with you at all times If God be absent at any time we know not what to do Some of you have had experience that when God hath withdrawn never so little your case hath been bad enough The Lord be with you in all places We can be secure and safe in no place without his presence The Lord be with you in all conditions in all estates for if you be in the most prosperous estate you cannot tell how to be without God Jehosaphat thought so 2. Chron. 20. 12. In the fulness of a mans sufficiency he may be in straights Job 20. 22. You cannot be any where in any estate a minute without him You believe it to be a Truth that in him you live move and have your being Act. 17. 28. not naturally only but spiritually too The Lord therefore be with you at all times in all conditions