behind the Curtain and when he hides his Face you will be troubled Oh what Losses and Sorrow do Christians create to themselves by their Carnal Security Oh resolve against it and take warning from others and walk very circumspectly left Satan get an Advantage against you he that lets down his Watch gives place to the Devil 2. See that you live Chastly 1 Thes 4.12 Walk honestly that is not in the Lust of Concupiscence and the Reason is given in the 7th and 8th Verses God hath not called us to Vncleanness but to Holiness and given us his Holy Spirit And therefore it is not for us to be carnally Minded but to be Chast and Honest and Sober even in the Use of lawful Delights That is a notable Passage in 1 Pet. 4.6 The Gospel was preached to them that are Dead that is to the Martyrs that they may be judged according to Men in the Flesh but live according to God in the Spirit You cannot stop the Mouths of Men they will be Judging and Condemning you and say you are fleshly given and live in Uncleanness but you need not regard their Calumnies as long as you live according to God in the Spirit cleansing your selves from all filthiness both of the Flesh and Spirit 3. See that you live Charitably in Peace and Love 2 Cor. 13.11 Live in Peace and the God of Love and Peace shall be with you It 's great Matter of Lamentation that such as have Christ in them should live so Uncharitably and Contentiously and all through small differences about Words and Gestures and that these Minute things should cause such distances estrangements and unkindnesses amongst them I am sure this ought not so to be Those that are right in the main ought to hold Communion one with another and that in Peace and Love bearing one with another in things wherein they differ Phil. 3.15 16. Rom. 14. begin And it 's certain also that Christ makes it one of the Characters of a true Christian to Love the Brethren 1 John 3.14 And that Love is full of Charity and Kindness and Forbearance and hides many faults And why should there not be a fair Correspondency where there is a vital Inspiration by the self same Spirit 4. See that you live Contentedly Heb. 13.5 Let your Conversation be without Covetousness and be Content with such things as you have q.d. Keep your Hearts free from the Love of the World and the Gares Fears and Discontents that thence arise and be Content with Gods allowance for God is with you and will never leave you nor forsake you if Christ be in and with you by his Spirit then the Comforter is at hand in all sad Cases to Comfort and Support you and this should Still Quiet and Content our Spirits and preserve you from Discontentedness if Christ his Being in the Soul will not Content him surely nothing will do it 2 Cor. 4.8 We are troubled on every side yet not Distressed And how comes this to pass see ver 9 That the Life of Jesus may be manifested in our Body that is that our Lives may be conformable to his Life in submissive Sufferings and that it may be manifest that the Life that we live is the Life of Jesus Christ that he lives in us and that by him we live and that contentedly under all our Calamities 5. See that you live Comfortably and Cheerfully in the Consideration that Christ lives in and with you A Melancholly drooping Life is a great Reflection upon Religion and upon Christ himself and an occasion of stumbling unto many And will you carry it so as if you served a hard Master none have more Reason to live Chearfully and Joyfully than you that have Christ in you the Hope of Glory Such as you are called upon by God himself to rejoice in the Lord always and to be of good Comfort and that under the troubles of the World you need not to be troubled at your troubles but may and ought under your Crosses to Comfort your selves in Christ in your Union with him in your Interest in him and in your Enjoyment of him and that because he is in you Incessantly Intercessively Inseparably and Incumbently He is in you 1. Incessantly in you and alway in you when you perceive it not when he hides his Face and seems to be withdrawn and you conclude be is quite departed from you yet then he is with you John 14.16 The Spirit abideth with you and shall abide with you for ever As a vital principle to preserve and keep you from Apostacy and is not this Comfortable and a sure Hope of Glory 2. Intercessively Christ in Heaven is your Intercessour with God the Father and his Spirit within you is your Intercessour betwixt Christ and your Souls Rom. 8.26 27. The Spirit pleads Christs cause with us and stands up for Christ against the Flesh and it pleads our cause in Prayer with Christ and the Father The Spirit then is in you a Spirit of Prayer and Supplication and the Spirit of Adoption enabling you to go to God boldly as to a reconciled Father in Christ and to pour out your Souls to him It 's Christ his Spirit in you that is the Spring of all your Holy Desires and Motions God-ward And that only that comes from the Spirit in you finds Acceptance with God for the Spirit moves you to ask what is agreeable to Gods Will and with a Submission to his Will And you receive Answers of Prayers in your spirits oft in inward Strength and Consolation from the Spirit of God within you Such as cry down the Spirit of Prayer have need to take heed they do not despite to the Spirit of Grace 3. Inseparably nothing can sever Christ and your Souls John 14.16 The Spirit shall abide with you for ever And Ver. 17. He dwelleth in you and shall be in you he shall be in you in despite of all Opposition All the Devils in Hell cannot with all their Exorcisms cast the Spirit of God out of the Souls of his People Satan may be dispossessed but the Holy Ghost cannot be dispossest He is in you and shall be in you Blessed be God for this Promise he is in you not as a Guest in an Inn to stay but for a Night but as an Inhabitant to abide in you and he will secure his Possession And what a strong Consolation is this once Christs and always Christs If Christ be in you he will never depart from you he may in some Cases withdraw his visible Communion but not his Union And as to Communion he departs in the Souls Apprehension but that is no real departure 4. Incumbently as one in Office to oversee your Souls 1 Pet. 2. last Ye were as Sheep going astray but are now returned to the Shepberd and Bishop of your Souls Christ is the great Archbishop of the Soul and he is no Non-resident but Incumbent in the Soul as a Bishop is in his
cordial compliance with the Rules of the Gospel and herein follow your own Consent and not the custom of others Remember your Consent is to the Vitals of your Religion and your Compliance is your indispensible Duty and let not the Example of selfish men misguide you in your work Your Compliance must carry a correspondence with your Consent and a conformity to Christ your Saviour and if the Angry World frown at you for your preciseness be not discouraged Christ himself endured such contradiction of Sinners mind you your work and let your compliance be such as is blameless and set light by the Censures of such as are Strangers to sure and certain Hope of Glory Let your main care be that your Compliance be according to the Gospel and in compliance with Christ and your Christian Consent 1. Close with Christ coming up to the Terms that you have consented to Set your selves as in his Presence and renew your Baptismal Covenant Renounce the World the Devil and the Flesh and devote your selves to Christ and to his Service with penitent Hearts for your by-past Breaches of your Covenant and importunate Prayers for help from Heaven and Strength to keep close unto God for time to come Thus espouse your selves to Christ in Covenant with full purpose of Heart to be faithful therein 2. Choose a faithful Guide for your Souls to help you in your work and quicken you in your Duty The Lord that best knows your Need hath appointed by his standing Ordinance such Guides in his Church and Blessed be his Name hath provided such for you and require you to honour and obey them and to attend upon their Ministry and by his Blessing upon their Labours and your faithful endeavours in the right use of his Ordinances administred by them your Souls may come to be built up in the holy Faith and so strengthened in believing as to live in sure and certain Hope of Glory 3. Cherish your good beginnings with secret Devotions and daily Supplications for the Spirit of Adoption Secret Prayer is a great help against secret Sins and when put up by a broken and contrite Spirit then it is a special means for the obtaining sure and certain Hopes of Glory Under the secret Humiliations of the Soul before the Lord the Lord oft visits the Soul in kindness and Communicates unto it such hints of his Love as strengthen Hope and give assurance of Glory Oh make Conscience of Secret Prayer and make it your daily Practise and be serious and devout therein and you will at last arrive at the Haven of Rest for so Christ giveth the Soul of his Beloved rest rest from it's fears and doubts and quiets it with sure and certain Hopes of Glory 4. Chear up your Souls with such Tokens of Love as you receive from Christ in your Compliance with him If you be cordial in your Compliance and sincere in your Obedience you will find that your Labour is not in vain Psal 19.11 In keeping his Commandments there is great Reward Not only for keeping them but in keeping them It 's in keeping them that Gods People have fellowship with the Trinity It 's in keeping them that they receive new supplies of Grace and Mercy and such manifestations of Gods Love as fill their Souls with high Hopes of Glory Be then encouraged to carry on your Compliance with Christ and that with care and faithfulness 'till you attain to sure and certain Hope of Glory 4. Vse Of Caution To prevent mistakes and misapprehensions about this Doctrine I shall conclude with some Cautions 1 Caution Take heed of concluding against your selves that because your hopes of Glory are so low and doubtful and not sure and certain hopes that therefore you live without Christ in the World and have no hope nor any ground of Hope of Glory I would not discourage any Babe in Christ nor encrease the doubts of poor doubting Souls and therefore leave with you this Caution And that you may avoid this Snare shall lay down some Propositions to clear up your understanding in this matter 1. Proposition It 's the manifestation of Christs Presence in the Soul that breeds and feeds our Hope of Glory and when this manifestation is obscure the Souls Hope of Glory must need be dim and doubtful 1 Cor. 2.12 We have received the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God Here Paul distinguisheth betwixt Mercies freely given us of God and the manifestation of the giving them to the Soul Many have Grace and Mercy given but know it not The Spirit first gives Grace and afterwards gives the Soul to know and understand that it hath Grace given to it Now though Grace lie in the Soul yet the Soul seeth it not nor doth it know the Grace that it hath received till the Spirit of God make it known to the Soul and when the Spirit makes it known to the Soul then the Manifestation of it to the Soul puts the Soul into a hopeful condition and it hopes for Glory Now if hope of Glory depends upon the Manifestation of Grace to the Soul then there may be Grace and yet little or no hope Because there may be Grace not manifested but yet unknown to the Soul So that none can unfaint themselves or others from doubts about Grace 2 Proposition It 's the Manner and Method of God in his Dealings with his People sometimes to withhold sure and certain hope of Glory from them a long time for gracious Ends and Purposes that tend to their great advantage as 1. To put a great Value upon the Mercy that it may be more precious and welcome when it comes like Health after Sickness when they lye long under the want of it they see the worth of it and so come to have a higher esteem of it and to prize it more when they have it 2. To prove and exercise their Faith and Patience in waiting and their Obedience in seeking after it under such long delays of giving it God delights to see his People shewing their sincerity under their Trials 3. To preseve it for a more opportune season Physitians reserve their Cordials against fainting Fits and so doth God his Comforts Sure and Certain Hopes of Glory is a rich Cordial and he oft delays the giving of it till he sees a fainting fit approaching and then to support the Soul under a Crisis or under a Qualm he gives it 4. To prevent Pride and Unthankfulness He keeps the Soul under delays of Mercy to humble it that it may bear it humbly and entertain it thankfully 2 Caution Take heed of Complaining for want of high hopes for the Fault lies in your selves Lam. 3.39 Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sins Your want of High Hope is pena damni a punishment of loss you loose much Comfort by it But it s the punishment of your sin 1 You
such are assured of Glory but this I say that all such are sure of Glory and ought to live in sure and certain Hope of Glory In this Case Christ himself is the Object and Original of all true Hope of Glory But its Christ in the Soul both in respect of Union and Communion that is the off-spring of this Hope of Glory and Christ in us becomes our Hope of Glory two ways By way of Influence and by way of Evidence 1. By way of Influence as when the Soul comes into the Body it animates it and by its influence causeth such Motions as do assure the Mother that she is quick with Child and may live in Hope of being a glad Mother So when Christ comes into the Soul by his Spirit it so influenceth the Soul and changeth it that thereby the Soul comes to know and understand that it is a member of Christ and an Heir of Glory and therefore lives in sure and certain Hope of Glory 2. By way of Evidence the Spirit of Christ in the Soul is the Souls Evidence for Heaven and as great an Evidence as can be had on this side Heaven Rom. 8.9 Ye are not in the Flesh but in the Spirit if so be the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his You see that the Spirit of Christ in the Soul doth Evidence the Souls Interest in Christ and assures it that he is Christs and Christ is his and this Evidence is so Evident that it fills the Soul with Hopes of Glory The Soul thus argues with it self Christ in the Soul is the Souls Hope of Glory Now I find Christ in my Soul and therefore Oh my Soul live thou in sure and certain Hope of Glory Having now divided and unfolded the Words I extract thence these two Doctrines Doct. 1. That every true Christian hath Christ within him Doct. 2. It s Christ within us that is our Hopes of Glory 1. Doct. Every sincere Christian hath Christ within him John 14.20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me 1 John 3. last He that keepeth his Commandments dwelleth in him and He in him And hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us Rev. 3.20 If any Man hear my Voice and open the Door I will come in to him To prevent mistakes and clear up this great Truth let us enquire how and in what Sense this is to be understood when and in what manner doth Christ take Possession of the Hearts of his Elect why and for what cause and end is it that he abideth in them And how may we know the Spirit of Christ from the Spirit of Antichrist Quest 1. How and in what sense is this Doctrine to be understood Answ 1. Negatively It 's not to be understood of his personal bodily Presence his Body is now a Glorified Body and abideth in Heaven and there is to abide 'till he come to Judgment The Romanist tell us that Sacramental bread is changed into his Body and after Consecration every Wafer is the Body of Christ and is not to be eaten but to be swallowed and upon swallowing it Christ is within them but if Paul had been of their mind he would not have tould us that after Consecration it remains still bread and that it's bread that we eat and not the very body of Christ 1 Cor. 11.26.27 And our senses assure us it is bread we see feel and taste bread and yet they are so senseless as they will not believe their own eyes Nor is it to be understood of the Providential presence of Christ it is true that Christ is with us by the presence of his Providence ordering our affairs and disposing of us and our concerns according to the Councel of his good Will and Pleasure but the In-being here spoken of is of another Nature therefore I answer 2. Affirmatively That it is to be understood of his Spiritual presence viz. that Christ is in his Spouse and in every particular Member that belongs unto him by his Spirit and Grace Rom. 8.9 10. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none his and if that Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin viz. If by his Spirit he be in you It implies the Mistical union that is betwixt Christ and his Members A Mistery that is too wonderful to be made manifest to Mortals And it signifies to us our dependance upon Chriist for Light and Life What the Soul is to the body that Christ is to the Soul he abides in it by his spirit to supply its needs And is all in all to the Soul And all things else are just nothing to the Soul for they can afford it no satisfaction nor any one supply of its needs Alas what relief can Honour or Riches afford a Christless Soul none at all They oft prove snares to the Soul but never give any succour to it but Christ by his Spirit is in every true Christian and this is his Happiness and his hope of Glory Quest 2. When and in what manner doth Christ take possession of the hearts of his Elect Answ In this great transaction betwixt Christ and the Soul it is certain that Christ himself is the Author and the Spirit his Agent and his Word his usual and ordinary instrument and Faith his appointed method and means and the Work is wholly supernatural But the Modus rei the course and order that the Spirit makes use of in this great affair its intricate and hereby hath occasioned some difference in the apprehensions of the Learned In my weak Judgment they are in the right that distinguish betwixt 1. The qualifying Antecedents or Prerequisites that dispose prepare and fit the Soul for so great a Guest viz. the Grace that Christ by his Spirit conveys into the Soul in order to his entrance called the first preventing Grace this is the seed of Faith and a holy principle of Life Light and Love infused into the Soul as a holy Root and cause of all actual holiness and precedes it and puts the Soul into a capacity to put forth future acts of holiness This initial holiness sanctifies the Soul and halloweth it and makes it meet for the indwelling of the holy Spirit And till the Soul be thus seasoned I cannot see how the Holy Ghost can take up its Habitation in it What Communion can light have with darkness 2. The conveying Concomitants that usher Christ into the Soul and accompany the possession that the Spirit takes of the Soul is called subsequent Grace or the Influence of the Spirit causing the Soul freely to reduce the said seed and principle into Act and when it actually repents and believes through grace received then it is actually justified upon the account of Christ's
in and over them to all these he promises Pardon here and Glory hereafter And such as are of this Number ought to live in Hope of Glory because they find the conditions of the Promises in themselves and have Christ in them whose inbeing in the Soul is the ground of all true Hope of Glory True Hope must have a word of Promise from God for its Foundation Psa 130. 5. I. wait for the Lord my Soul doth wait and in his Word do I hope To hope for that which we have no Promise from God for is an Act of presumtion we must be able to give an account of the reason of our Hope 1 Pet. 3.15 and he can give no reason of his Hope that cannot produce a Promise for what he hopes for and prove his Title to that Promise and he cannot prove his Title to the Promise any other way than by making out the performance of the Condition of the Promise 3. The practise and method that God takes in saving Souls by Christ proves the Doctrine Phil. 4.19 My God shall supply all your wants according to his riches in Glory by Christ Our Souls are by nature very needy they need Light and Life and Liberty Now God by Christ supplies all their need and this is the way appointed by him and the method he useth in saving Souls It 's by Christ that he supplies all their need they need Justification Adoption and Sanctification in order to Salvation all these needs he supplies by Christ they need his Spirit to Sanctify Solace Support and to Guard and Guide them in the way to Heaven Christ by his Spirit comes and takes possession of their Souls and there dwells to supply their Need He then that wants the Spirit hath not his need supplied but remains under such Needs as must needs be supplied in order to Salvation and under these Needs cannot live in true Hope of Glory If he hope for Glory in this his needy Condition he hopes in vain God will save none but in his own appointed way and he that will not be so Saved is sure to go without it 4. The Product of all true Hope proves this Doctrine if we consider whence this hope springs how it is wrought and from whence it proceeds let us Trace this Hope to the Spring-head where it ariseth and then it will clearly appear to us that it 's Christ in the Soul that is the Hope of Glory Tho' Christ be the Object of Christian Hope and his Hope of Glory proceed from his Reconciliation with God by Christ yet it 's Christ in a Christian that is the evidence of his reconciled Estate and the sense and manifestation of this to the Soul assures him that it is not in vain that he hopes for Glory In a word It 's this that with assurance enables to live in Hope of Glory Heb. 6.11 We desire that every one of you shew the same diligence to the full assurance of Hope Here is Hope and the assurance of Hope and the full assurance of Hope and all these attainable by him that enjoys Christ in himself It 's upon evidence of this that he assuredly hopes for Glory 1. This silenceth all the fears and doubts of the Soul about its eternal Estate The Spirits first work is to convince of Sin and by conviction to awaken the Conscience and cause it to charge Sin home upon the Soul to make the Soul apprehensive of its danger and to fear and tremble Them the Spirit converts the Soul from Sin and perswades and enables it to embrace Christ freely offered in the Gospel and hereupon Christ by his Spirit takes up his abode in the Soul and after som time lets the Soul see the change it hath wrought in him and the Footsteps of Christ in his own Soul whereupon all fear and doubts vanish And as Paul says Heb. 10.2 They have no more Conscience of Sin Conscience is pacified and ceaseth from accusing and condemning them of their Sins 2. This set up hope in the Soul and the Soul sees it self in a hopeful Condition and rejoyceth in Hope of Glory Rom. 5.2 And Paul tells us v. 4. How this comes to pass and what breeds this joyful Hope and whence it Springs It 's experience that breeds this Hope the experience that the Soul hath in it self of Gods goodness in setting up Christs Kingdom in the Soul He finds something of Christ in himself some work of his Spirit that hath brought him out of Darkness into Light and from hating and opposing Godliness to Love and embrace it and to pant after Christ above all and it 's this that breeds this lively Hope whereby the Soul lives in sure and certain Hope of Glory 3. This satisfies him that he is in a justified Estate acquired from Sin and ingratiated by Christ into the favour of God And he is sure that the golden Chain cannot be broken but that whom God thus calleth he justifieth and whom he justifies them he glorifies Rom. 8.30 He finds 'em himself the Tokens of Gods special Love and is sure that God is immutable and whom he loves once he loves to the end he feels his heart endeared to Christ and Christianity and that it 's Christ by his Spirit in his heart that hath made this change in himself and hence springs this Hope of Glory 4. This shews him his Interest in the Promises These Promises he knows are secure and infallible and he that is an Heir of the Promise is an Heir of Heaven and now argues thus with himself If I am an Heir of the Promise I am an Heir of Heaven Now I am an Heir of the Promise for I have the Condition of the Promses in my self Christ is formed in me and therefore I may live in Hope of Glory I see now my former doubts were causeless and will cherish them no more but live hereafter in sure and certain Hope of Glory Thus I have cleared up this Doctrine to you and Oh that it may prove as sweet to you in the reception as it was to me in my Mediations and that some doubting Souls may receive a sight of Christ in himself attended with Hope of Glory 1. Vse Of Information This Doctrine plainly shews two Truths of great concern to us viz. That all Hopes of Glory are not true Hopes and that all hearts in whom Christ dwells ought to live in Hope of Glory I will speak to both these designedly to beat down false hopes that ruin thousands and to advance true hope in the hearts of Gods People for their Comfort in this wicked World 1. All Hopes of Glory are not true hopes How many have we amongst us in England that live in Hope of Glory that have no true hope in themselves nor any ground for their Hopes of Glory I 'le apply my self to two sorts of People 1. To Professors that profess Christianity with a seeming integrity and seriousness but all in hypocrisie Least doubting sincere
hearken to the Voice of the Devil and stop your ears at the Voice of God and so let the Devil baffle you out of the choicest Comforts of your lives and then complain 2. You harbour the sin of Unbelief as if it were a harmless thing whenas it is a provoking sin Complain as long as you please you will never attain to high hopes as long as you do Let none expect high hope of Glory till these things be wrought in their Souls 1. Till the League betwixt the Soul and Sin be broken and the heart be quite out with sin as it 's an Enemy both to Christ and the Soul whilst the Heart is indulgent to sin and deals favourably with it it cannot have any sure hope of Glory but when it s become weary of it and is willing to part with it then the Soul is under that Promise Mat. 11. last and in a fair way to hopes of Glory 2. Till the Letts that keep Christ and the Soul asunder be removed Resting in our own Righteousness rejecting the command of Faith and regarding the objections of Unbelief yea retaining and cherishing the Sin of Unbelief as a harmless thing and fit Companion for the Soul are all impediments that must be removed before hope can triumph in the Soul 3. Till the Life of Faith be set up and kept up in the Soul Unbelief must not only be suppressed but Faith must be exercised and kept to its work in the soul Gal. 3.14 We receive the promise of the Spirit through faith And it s the Acts and Operations of Faith to demonstrate to the Soul that it hath received the Spirit and therefore a faithless Soul cannot live in true Hope of Glory 4. Till the Love of God be shed abroad in the Soul Rom. 5.4 5. Experience works Hope viz. The Experience of the Love of God to the soul When his Love is shed abroad in the heart and his Love-tokens appear in the soul and the Spirit gives the soul a sight of the Demonstrations of God's Love every Grace is a drop of Divine Love and the more of these drops are shed in the Soul the more visible it is to the Soul that Christ is in it and the greater satisfaction that the Soul hath herein the greater are its hope of Glory 3 Caution Take heed of conceited causeless hopes of Glory There are some whether in Christ or out of Christ I am not to determine that pretend to high hopes of Glory from an high opinion that they have of Free-Grace though they want the manifestation of true Grace in themselves That Free-grace is to be admired I grant and would not derrogate from the honour of Free-grace for a world Yet I positively affirm that it s not Free-grace quia gratis datur but quia nobis datur not because it 's freely given but because it s given to us and abideth in us and shews to us that Christ is in us and we by him in a state of Reconciliation with God that is the Spring of all true hope of Glory 1. Because this hope of Glory is one of the Priviledges of the Sons of God and no common mercy whereas if it came from Grace as free and not as in us and from a high opinion of Free-grace and not from the fruition of Free-grace then it 's a common mercy and may be found in any hypocrite that hath such an opinion in himself 2. Because this Hope of Glory is one of the Products of effectual Vocation and a Benefit that floweth from it Col. 3.15 Ephes 4.4 and therefore presupposeth effectual Vocation We must expect nothing from Free-grace but what comes in Gods own appointed way and not create to our selves foolish fancies for hopes of Glory 4 Caution Take heed of Clouding your Hope of Glory by dangerous Relapses into sin Do you live in sure hopes of Glory prize your priviledge but beware of obscuring it You find the sweetness of it and should make much of it and avoid every thing that Eclipseth this Hope of Glory Ps 85.8 God will speak peace to his people but let them not return again to folly q. d. I returned to Folly after I received Peace and I have smarted for it I broke my Peace and lost my sensible hope and would have the world to take warning by me and to take heed of Relapses into sin for Relapses into sin are returns unto Folly Let us all take warning by David and stand upon our Guard and withstand sin in its first motion lest it get advantage and we come to return to Folly and so we loose the assurance of Hope It 's a doleful loss and depresseth the Soul with much Fear and Anguish and it 's difficult and hard to regain it and therefore it will be our Wisdom to seek to prevent and to fly sin as we would fly from a Serpent for sin deals with the sinners as the Theives did by the Person of him that is spoken of Luke 10.30 They stript and wounded him It strips the Soul of us Peace and Hope and Joy and wounds the Conscience it is like the fiery Serpents in the Wilderness that stung and mortally wounded the Israelites and the wounds of Sin are not easily healed And they are painful wounds they made David as stout a Warriour as he was to roar out Psal 38.8 When hope is clouded by the dust of sin the poor soul languishes and lives very uncomfortable and that which aggravates its misery is the state from whence it is fallen To fall from hope into Despair from Joy into Sorrow adds much to the greatness of the Grief 5 Caution Take heed of cherishing Fears of future outward Calamities and falling into bad times Under high hopes of Glory I find a great Consternation in many about approaching evils and all hope of future good to the Churches of Christ in these Nations cast off by them I have read the present Dilemma of these Nations of England Scotland and Ireland considered argued and improved that hath justly alarmed us and am under the same apprehensions with that Learned and Reverend Author But think that timorous Persons abuse the Author by awakening their distrustful fears and suppressing their hopes and Faith in Gods Faithfulness and All sufficiency under our sad Circumstances All the great experiences of Gods goodness and the provision that he hath made for our future supply ought not to be overlooked but remain as food for Faith and Hope to feed upon Nay were our case much worse than it is it is our duty with David to encourage our selves in the Lord our God and to exercise an universal trust in him not only in the concerns of our Souls but in and about the Concerns of Sion And though I have discovered my thoughts to many of an approaching violent storm yet I look upon it as a storm in mercy to the People of God as the great Design of Providence to usher in thereby the greatest Favours