Maranatha Oh let it not for shame be said that we love not the Lord Jesus Christ Oh cursed is that man that loves not Jesus Christ who comes to bring blessedness to him we should love Jesus Christ because he is altogether lovely white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand Cant. 5.10 none can save us but he Then again the conexion of the words is very remarkable the Apostle doth not say our Lord Christ himself nor our Jesus himself but our Lord Jesus he joyns Lord and Jesus both together and what the Scripture joyns together we must not put asunder from whence we may raise this Doctrine Doct. They whose Jesus is he is their Lord or if you please thus They to whom Christ is a Jesus he is a Lord or Whom Christ saves them he rules To whom Christ is a Saviour to them he is a Governour Christ 〈…〉 be our Jesus he is our Lord if we mistake here we are undone for ever Act. 5.31 The Apostle speaking of Jesus Christ he faith thus Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour c. he hath exalted him to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel not only a Saviour but a Prince they go both together where Christ is a Saviour there he is a Prince where Christ gives remission of sins he giveth power over sin Rom. 6.14 saith the Apostle Sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under grace you that are under the saving grace of the Gospel of Iesus Christ you are set free from sin not but that you may fall into sin but it doth not bear sway in your soul it cannot have it's full command you cannot be led captive to sin Vse Now this may be for a use of trial to try whether Christ be our Saviour yea or no examine your selves be faithful to your own souls would you know whether Christ be your Iesus or no ask your selves this question is he your Lord or no is he your Governour he is the King of Saints as well as the Saviour of his people if you follow your lusts and live in sin knowingly and willingly walk after the sinful desires of your own hearts Christ will profit you nothing you shall find what I say to be true one day I wish you find it not by sad experience if you will not be subject to the holy commands of Christ do not so much as expect mercy from Iesus Christ for Iesus Christ tells you himself if you will not be rulâ—d by him he will not save you if you will not obey his Gospel he will be a destroyer and not a Saviour to you remember what he hath said Luk. 19.27 if you refuse obedience to him look not for any favour from him As for those mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them bring hither and slay them before me That man that would have his lusts reign and not me rule over him bring that soul before me I will throw him into Hell Many shall flatter themselves as in that 13. of Luk. 25. and come with confidence saying Lord Lord open unto us c. let us go into Heaven but he shall answer Lord why call you me Lord I know you not whence ye are but then they shall begin to make apology and say we have heard thou art a Jesus we have eaten and drunk in thy presence we have been at thy Ordinances at thy Word and Sacraments thou hast taught in our streets but he shall say ver 27. I tell you I know you not you are strangers to me I never remember you kept my commands I tell you I will not take notice of you depart from me all ye workers of iniquity if you will not take one answer there 's a second depart from me all ye workers of iniquity Oh how sad will it be then therefore now take the advise of our Saviour ver 24. Strive to enter in at the straight gate for many shall seek to enter but shall not be able Christ will save only those that obey him therefore I beseech you let me put this question to you for I would fain not have you go to Hell pray ask your own hearts alone in secret is there no known sin committed is there no known sin I delight in if thy heart make known to thee that there is if thou wilt not leave this sin it is a sign that Christ is none of thine Rom. 8.2 The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin c. those that Christ saves he hath said Sin shall not have dominion over them Paul that great admirer of Iesus Christ he tells the people plainly that they may not flatter themselves Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ and least they should mistake he saith that walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit c. who though they have their sins and their failings yet their desire is to walk not after the lusts of their Hearts but after the Spirit for for all Christ died for sinners yet if they live and dye in their sins Christ will not save them if we live after the flesh we shall dye Rom. 8.13 and though it be true and this be a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation That Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners yet know this on the other hand Jesus Christ did never intend to save those that remain impenitent hard-hearted and stubborn sinners that live and dye in wickedness they shall find no mercy Job professeth his Faith in the Redeemer yet if he were not his Lord and Governour woe to him the Prophet Isa 3.11 saith Woe to the wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hands it shall be given him remember this We shall as surely go to Hell for all Christ dyed as if he had never dyed if we live and dye in sin therefore if thou wouldest have Christ a Saviour make conscience of obeying Christ Blessed are the undefiled in the way saith the Psalmist Psal 119.1 who walk in the Law of the Lord. ver 8. I will keep thy statutes oh forsake me not utterly If thou wil't keep Gods statutes thou mayest expect to be kept safe and vers 11. Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee I then may we hope to do well ver 30. I have chosen the way of truth thy judgments have I laid before me ver 31. I have stuck unto thy testimonies Oh Lord put me not to shame and again ver 101. I have refrained my feet from every evil way that I might keep thy word 102. I have not departed from thy judgments for thou hast taught me ver 162. I rejoyce in thy word as one that findeth great spoyles ver 163. I hate und abhor lying but thy law do I love ver
166. Lord I have hoped for thy salvation and done thy commandments Then indeed if we make it our business design and endeavour to keep the commandments of Christ we may then hope to see the salvation of God then and not till then 2 Titus 11. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared ver 12. mark Teaching us to deny ungodlyness and worldly lusts and that we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world ver 13. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ ver 14. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Now this is as well the command of Christ that they make conscience of their duty to him as well as to look for salvation from him therefore if you would have Christ for your Jesus be sure that he be your Lord that you do him homage observe his Laws and reverence his Name not by bowing at the name Jesus bowing is a note of subjection and sheweth that all creatures are subject to Jesus Christ unto the authority of Christ have respect to all his commands if people will not but walk after their lusts will do wickedly remember this that instead of salvation you must expect or how ever you will find destruction and perdition as it 's call'd 1 Tim. 6.9 and Psal 11.6 Vpon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest c. For God is angry with the wicked every day Psal 7. ver 11. Christ hath plainly told people he will be no Saviour to them that refuse obedience to him Mat. 13.41 Christ tells you what he will do The Son of man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them which do iniquity and shall cast them into a furnace of fire c. Oh that sinners would believe what they shall one day feel that they would now fear and tremble that they may then be delivered from wrath to come therefore though thy sins be never so pleasing and delightful to thee cast it from thee Mar. 9.43 It is better for thee to enter into life maimed then to bo cast into Hell c. Oh let us be wise for our salvation willing to part with our most pleasing sins rather then to have our souls destroyed and cast into Hell into everlasting burnings think not that Jesus Christ will save you unless you turn from sin and therefore pray earnestly that you may be converted and have your sins blotted out the 73. Psal 24. Oh let this be our earnest prayer That we may be guided by Gods counsel that Jesus Christ may be ours Joh. 17.6 Thine they were and thou gavest them me and they have kept my word then may you be sure he hath promised and prayed for you ver 22 24. Father I will that those whom thou hast given me those that have kept my word may be where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me c. If Christ be our Lord he will be our Jesus but not else Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father who hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace comfort your hearts and stablish you in every good word and work Afternoon Sermon The 2 of the Thessalonians 2. Cap. 16 17. Vers 16. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace 17. Comfort your hearts and stablish you in every good word and work YOU may Remember in the morning we took notice of four things first the Persons praying Paul Silvanus and Timotheus secondly the Persons prayed for c. thirdly the Persons prayed to and that 's first God the Son and secondly God the Father whose love we have first asserted and secondly declared fourthly the blessings prayed for and the first is Consolation secondly Confirmation We made entrance on the first Person prayed to Our Lord Jesus Christ not the Lord Jesus but our Lord Jesus Doct. I. Faith applies Jesus Christ to it self Doct. II. Again Christ is our Jesus And from the connexion Our Lord Jesus we noted that Doct. III. To whom Christ is a Jesus to them he is a Lord. Whom Christ saves them he Rules To proceed and God even our Father God is often call'd as here so in other places frequently our Father not only of Paul Silvanus and Timotheus but yours and ours together you that are Saints thence note this point Doct. God is the Father of the righteous or He is the Father of the Saints God is the Father of all that are truly religious Persons of all the Disciples of Jesus Christ Christ after his resurrection in 20. of Joh. 17. saith to Mary go to my Brethren and say I ascend to my Father and to your Father the Father of our Lord Jesus and our Father Object But how shall I know whether God be my Father or no Answ By these two marks or signs by our Repentance and by our Faith God is the Father of repenting believing sinners though he be the Father of all in respect of creation and common mercies yet God is only the Father through Iesus Christ of those that repent 2 Cor. 6.17 Come out from amongst them and be you separate saith the Lord and touch none unclean thing c. And I will be a Father unto you and you shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord God Almighty They that leave their sins and cleave to God with full purpose of heart have just ground to call God Father Secondly To them that believe Joh. 1.12 To as many as received him he gave power to become the Sons of God even to as many as believe on his name Gal. 3.26 ver For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus thou that hast an heart to repent of sins and to believe in the Lord Iesus may'st have comfort to go to God as thy Father Vse I. But to apply this if this be so then we may see first the Saints dignity 1 Sam. 18.23 David speaks of this as a great priviledge that he was related to the King and what do you take no notice of it seemeth it a small thing to you that I call the King Father Oh then what priviledge is it to be the adopted Sons and Daughters of the King of Kings Secondly We may see the Saints safety consider what God is and then we shall see what cause of comfort they have that are Gods people Consider first he is of great power Job 42.2 ver He can do any thing though never so difficult nothing is too hard for the Lord he is the mighty Potentate he doth whatsoever he pleases he is mighty in strength
more then he ought to do And Fifthly the works must be Proportionable to the happiness he expects But First no man can do good for we are born evil Secondly not only good for in many things we offend all Thirdly we are not sufficient of our selves Fourthly if we could do what we should yet not more then we are bound for we have but done our duty Luk. 17.7.8.9.10 Read it at your leasure doth the Master thank is servant c. I trow not c. Fiftly if he could do more then God requires of him his work could never be so good as to call for such a reward of everlasting happiness ther 's no Proportion between the little good we Creatures can do and that happiness God hath laid up for them that fear him it is an Opinion that hath neither Religion nor reason in it and such as some of the Papists themselves have been ashamed of Comfort your hearts whereas the Apostle prays for these blessings we may observe this Doctrine Doct. God's people have need of Comfort in this World as well as grace I say not as much need mistake me not not so much need and that in two respects First they may serve God without Comfort but cannot serve him without grace they may serve God though God hide his face and thereby excercising their patience Secondly they have not so much need because they may be saved without Comfort but they cannot without grace it is not said the Mourners shall be destroyed but the Transgressours Psal 37. vers 38. Without Holyness none shall see the Lord but he saith not without Comfort none shall see God it is possible though not usual for a Child of God to live and die without comfort that is without any manifestation of the love of God to him God may hide his face from him all his daies Heman complains that holy and wise man that he had been afflicted with terrors from his youth and so Job and David how long lay they under afflictions without comfort Saith one that was upon his Death-bed and could find no Comfort did you ever read of any one that upon his Death-bed had no comfort if he were the Child of God that God hid his face from and he was answered yes saith he one he had and that was the Son of God himself who when he was ready to give up the Ghost cried out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me But they have need of comfort in two respects first because they will have much trouble in the world Psal 34. vers 19. Many are the troubles of the Righteous 1. Cor. 15.19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ we were of all men most miserable 2. Tim. 3.11.12 And all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer Persecution Secondly without comfort their hearts will be ready to fail them Gods peoples natural strength is but like to that of other mens therefore if they have not strength given them from above having more troubles then others they were never able to bear up Joh 16.33 when Christ tells them he is going out of the world he gives them a Cordial before hand to prevent their fainting In the World you shall have trouble but be of good cheer I have overcome the World and in the 14. 15. 16. Chapters are several Cordials which he gave them to support their hearts as seeing he left them in a troublesome World and therefore he promiseth them that when he was gone he would send them a comforter Joh. 14.16 And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter even the Spirit of Truth c. the Second Doctrine from hence in that he prays that God would Comfort their hearts is this Doct. II. Christians in time of trouble ought to pray to God to comfort them Reason I. And that First because none else can comfort them Reason II. Secondly because God hath comforted his People when they have been in trouble my flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Psal 73.26 and Psal 94.17 Vnless the Lord had been mine help my soul had long since dwell't in silence and vers 18. 19. 22. when I said my foot slippeth thy mercy oh Lord held me up in the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts refresh my soule but the Lord is my defence and my God is the Rock of my refuge Reason III. Thirdly pray to God for comfort for as he hath comforted his people in the old so in the new Testament 2. Cor. 1.3 Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all Comfort ver 4. 5. who comforteth us in all our Tribulations that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble with the same Comforts wherewith we our selves are comforted of God for as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our Consolation also aboundeth by Christ And again God hath promised he will still comfort his people he will suite comforts according to the troubles his people are in Isa 66.13 As one whom his Mother Comforteth so will I comfort you c. as a tender Parent her Child if but little faith weak in grace God will comfort his according to their trouble Joh. 14.18 I will not leave you Orphans so the word signifies now that we may have comfort in trouble let us repent those sins that are the cause of our trouble he that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall have mercy God doth not willingly afflict his people let us therefore be humbled for our sins and for the sins of others for the sins of the Nation for our Sodome sins Pride Idlness and fullness of Bread let 's be humbled for our earthly mindedness luxury carnal security for our not prising the Gospel abusing the Gospel turning the grace of God into wantonness let us be humbled for our own sins the sins of our Relations of our families that we have not loved the Simplicity of the Gospel that we could not indure plain powerfull Practical Preaching of the Word if not curiously Cook't and finely drest the food of our Souls would not down with us Oh! let us be humbled for all our sins that is the way to have comfort take the Councel of the Apostle James Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up Jam. 4. ver 10. and then we may expect these three Cordials to comfort us First God will be with us in all our troubles Secondly God will do us good by them And lastly he will bring us out of them First if we humble and repent us of our sins God will be with us in our troubles who ever thou art and what condition soever thou art in Isa 43. vers 2. When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the Rivers they shall not overflow thee when
small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee In a little wrath I hid my self from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer A little wrath but a great deal of Love a little while a moment God hides himself but eternally will he manifest himself and his love to his people Beloved the mercy and compassion of God is such that he will provide a way for his peoples deliverance out of their troubles As God will not himself more immediately afflict his people always so neither will he suffer others to afflict his people but he will be sure not to suffer The rod of the wicked to rest upon the back of the righteous Why Least the righteous put forth his hand to iniquity least their temptations be too strong for them and so saith the Apostle God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able but will with the temptation make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it You shall have such troubles as may sometimes afflict and humble you but you shall not have such troubles as shall quite deject and cause your spirits to fail before him that is the first Reason because of the mercifulness of God II. Because of the faithfulness of God God hath said he will deliver his people and he will be as good as his word though men break God will keep his Covenant he is a God of truth he hath methods to deliver his people out of temptation he will make a way to escape Now God hath made I cannot stand to shew God hath made many pretious promises for the redeeming of his people out of their adversity he will shew kindness to them though he may be angry yet he will not always chide and though he may afflict them yet he will not forsake them c. Now as Solomon said in regard of his Father David What thou hast spoken with thy mouth thou hast fulfilled it with thine hand as it is this day and so it is true of all persons that fear God what God speaks he will fulfil Heaven and Earth shall pass away but not one jot or title of Gods Word shall pass away unfulfilled as Gods threatning of Judgment against the wicked shall be made good so certainly shall the promises of mercy made to the righteous All the promises of God are yea and amen in Christ Jesus Applicat Now then to apply this in a word If this be so as we hear the temptations of the godly the afflictions and troubles they meet with will be but for a season Let this quiet our hearts under sufferings viz. the consideration of this That they will be but for a season they will be but for a short time they will not be always are we afflicted remember the time is coming we shall be comforted hath God laid any trouble upon us as to our inward or outward man upon our persons or relations in private or other respects it will not be always so these troubles they shall be but for a season and this season will not last always let us not be troubled or though we be troubled let this keep us from being overtroubled let this quiet our spirits under trouble the consideration of this truth That they will be but for a short time for a season Two things may quiet our Spirits under the greatest of miseries and crosses in this World if we consider either how just they are or how short they be First If we consider the equity of them all the troubles we meet with in the World they are very just upon us God doth not afflict us but there is a cause for it there is need of it and cause for it God is never displeased but we have provoked him he never hides his face but we have given him cause for it nay God is never so angry with his people as he might be we may all say with the Psalmist Psal 103.10 ver He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities What ever sad condition we are in besure it is not so sad as we deserve is God angry with us why he might manifest his hot displeasure against us is he very angry why truly he might be more angry then ever he shews himself in this World to any of his people God might to the best of men render his anger with fury and his rebukes with flames of fire Ezra speaking of the calamities of the Jews which were very great Ezra 9.13 ver saith he Thou O God hast punished us less then our iniquities deserve How did God cut of thousands of them how many perished by the Sword Plague and other Judgments and those that were left alive were carried into captivity we were punished I but not so as we deserve our troubles were great but they might have been greater Thou hast punished us less then our iniquities deserve our trespass is grown up unto the Heavens and we might all of us have been thrown into Hell God suffers us to live and hath not punished us as our iniquities deserve so that we are on this side the Grave nay that we are on this side Hell it is a mercy alas are our troubles great our sins are greater are our temptations our afflictions many our sins are more there is no body that hath so many troubles but he may sit down and soon count the number of his crosses but who can count the number of any mans sins our crosses our troubles are soon numbred but our impieties nay our iniquities are innumerable they are more then the hairs of our head and cannot be numbred have we many crosses remember we might have had more crosses remember our sorrows are not so many as our sins we may well therefore ask the question when any persons heart is disquieted so as to be discontented and fret at providence that is so afflicting as the Church Lam. 3.39 vers Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sins Thou art punished what then what cause to complain it is for thy sin thy sin deserves this punishment and What a living man complain thou mightest have been in the grave thou art here yet on Earth thou mightest have been long ago in Hell and What a living man and complain for the punishment of his sin and as they say we may all say under any of our troubles It is of the Lords mercy that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not Secondly As our troubles are very Just so they shall not be very long they shall be but for a little while as the pleasure of sinners so the perplexity of Saints shall be but for a season but for a season Our light afflictions which are but for a moment if any of our troubles should last as long as our lives last
and they discover men sometimes for the better sometimes for the worse many persons that fear God have worse thoughts of themselves then they ought to have c. Now God brings them to a fiery tryal and they see through the help of God they are inabled to stand out against all opposition then they begin to think there is something of good in my Soul and they manifest the truth of grace And then sometimes for the worse many a man and woman hath better opinions of themselves then they have ground for and the troubles they meet with in the World they plainly discover it God brings them to this pass you must either disown the truth or deny your selves as to the World you must either lay down that godliness you seem to have or lay down your livelyhood or lay down your lives and now they see or may see they were not the men they took themselves for they see how that the truths of Jesus Christ lay not so near their hearts as they thought for they are willing rather to part with that faith and love they have then to part with those good things they have many a person it is thus with Sometimes they discover the weakness of grace sometimes the want of grace sometimes the weakness of grace Peter thought when the Lord told him of suffering That all should be offended because of him that he should never be offended Though all men forsake thee yet will not I and yet Peter when he comes to trial his Faith staggers and so sometimes it discovers the total want of grace that people are other manner of persons then they took themselves for times of affliction they manifest that many are of another manner of Spirit then they did imagine Secondly Afflictions discover not only persons to themselves but they discover them to others discover them to the World make it known what people are and so sometimes for the better many are thought worse of in the World then indeed they do deserve the people of God are often judged a company of Hypocrites there is no such thing as goodness faith and holiness in them and if they come to suffer you shall see what they will do many are their evil surmises and the Devil if he cannot Persecute them will reproach them now God lets the World see that these people are mistaken his Servants were such as loved him in truth when it comes to this that they must leave all or not follow Christ they count not their life dear to them all is nothing then to Christ The stedfastness of Gods people in times of suffering testifies to the World that they that were called Hypocrites were the most upright persons that lived 1 Cor. 11.18 19. ver There are divisions among you and I partly believe it For there must be also Heresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you That it may appear that they are indeed lovers of the Truth they will own it in such a time when it is so much opposed that they that are approved of God may be made manifest to the World that the wicked may say though some are covetous yet all are not bad men as they would think And sometimes for the worse to many because they are not openly profane are judged by the multitude that they are religious persons but when the Profession of Religion becomes dangerous they then begin to be troubled the World then sees what they are In hazardous times good men are made a spectacle to the World and Angels and Men the Angels the good and bad the Angels of light and the Feinds of darkness and the World both of godly and ungodly see what men they are who were not before acquainted with them God makes it manifest that many that professed much never yet loved him c. Many saith Christ in that Parable of the seeds they received the Word with joy but they had no root in themselves they endure but for a while and when Persecution ariseth by and by they are offended What must I serve God and suffer Truly if this be the fruit of this service I shall have no mind to it many their hearts say as those wicked ones Job 21.14 15. vers What is the Almighty that we should serve him and what profit should we have if we pray unto him What shall we get by suffering why if this be the way they will not walk in it c. The Jews would not admit of Proselites in the days of David because then the fear of David was upon all round about him nor would they admit of them in the days of Solomon because then out of love to the peace and prosperity that he had in the World they might imbrace the truth of Religion which in their hearts they did not delight in Many men do make use of Religion sometimes out of fear and sometimes out of love out of fear of suffering when Religion is not owned and out of hopes of getting by Religion when it is in esteem The falseness of peoples hearts is seen in this in love to their neighbour they have a great love for them that are rich but none for them that are poor The rich hath many friends but the poor is hated of his neighbour This discovers the falsness of peoples hearts in reference to their love to God their love to the people of God is discovered in this that they will speak well for them and associate with them when God is pleased to bless them in the World but if God once come to afflict them they desire to have no more to do with them Amongst many professing Israelites there are but few Nathaniels few that are Israelites indeed and the times of suffering manifest what people are Again There is a great deal of need of trouble and trials to bring Gods people to more earnest praying to God that they may more firmly and constantly seek him when Gods people are involved in trouble cannot tell which way to turn themselves then they will go to God for help when Jehoshaphat said 2 Chron. 20.12 speaking of his enemies in Prayer to God Wilt not thou judge them for we have no might against this great company that cometh up against us neither know we what to do but our eyes are to thee our eyes are upon thee Truly when people are at this pass in referance to Personal or National suffering when they do not know what to do then their eyes are upon God and then their hearts are to God then God shall hear always of them c. The Lord knows if prosperity drives us away from him that affliction will bring us in to him the Prodigal that cared not for his Father while his estate lasted when poverty was come I will arise saith he and go to my Father As long as we can have Friends Comforts and Mercies to delight in we do not take so much delight and pleasure in drawing near to God God will let us have nothing else to delight in Isa 26.16 vers Lord in trouble they have visited thee when thy chastning was upon them they that would not come at God before they would visit him in trouble and they powred out Prayer they that did but say a Prayer before they now shall Pray a Prayer and Pray it heartily too Crosses and troubles will make men mind Religious Duties that before they little regarded Upon the worst of men it hath this influence sometimes the Persian Messenger said thus when the Grecians hotly pursued our Host and we must needs venture over that great River that was now frozen but was beginning to thaw Then saith he did I behold many of those Gallants who denyed before and so boldly maintained that there was no God I saw every one upon his knees raying that the Ice might hold untill he got over O then nothing but Prâ—…yer will serve their turn I will go and â—…eturn to my place and I will distress and disturb them and in their affliction they â—…ll seek me early FINIS