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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54870	Excellent encouragements against afflictions, or, Expositions of four select Psalmes the XXVII, LXXXIV, LXXXV, and LXXXVII, containing [brace] 1. David's triumph over distresse, 2. Davids hearts desire, 3. The churches exercise under affliction, 4. The great charter of the church / by the learned and laborious, faithfull and prudent minister of God's word, Mr. Thomas Pierson ...	Pierson, Thomas, 1622-1691.	1647 (1647)	Wing P2216; ESTC R33408	298,930	421

15. and Psal 24.3 4. And so we shall find that a day in Gods Courts is better then a thousand elsewhere Psalme 84.10 Better to be a door-keeper here then a Commander elsewhere For here is the true comforter and no where else the world cannot receive him John 14.17 This seemes to be otherwise by a double affliction that doth follow the Church Objection and the true members of ●t one from the world in persecution as Christ foretold John 16.33 the other from the Lord in terrour of soule and sorrow for sins as Job 3.24 26. Wherefore hidest thou thy face and holdest me for thine enemy For thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth And Psal 38.3 4. There is no soundnesse in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sinne For mine iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me The first affliction from men Answer hindereth not the fruition of this spirituall joy as Acts 5.41 They went away from the Councell rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name Ye rejoyce in the faith though for a time ye be in heavinesse through manifold temptations I Pet. 1.6 Whereupon St. James bids them count it exceeding great joy when they fall into sundry temptations Jam. 1.2 And our saviour Christ bids the godly rejoyce and be exceeding glad when they are persecuted and reviled for righteousnesse sake Mat. 5.10 11 12. And the second affliction from the hand of God in terrour of soule is but a temporary bitter preparative unto everlasting joy The Lord for their true and through humiliation doth visit upon them the dayes of Baalim but afterward he will betroath them to himself as Hos 2.13 14.18 19. Though they sow in teares they shall reap injoy c. Psal 126.5 6. Thus are they chastened of the Lord that they might not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11.32 Say therefore with the Church I will bear the indignation of the Lord ●ecause I have sinned against him untill he plead my cause and execute judgment for me He will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his righteousnesse Mic. 7.9 The second observation All my springs are in thee The last prerogative of the Church that in it be all the well-springs and fountains of all Gods spirituall and heavenly blessings Springs wee know are such places whence water doth flow out of the earth constantly and continually for the refreshing of man and beast and by fit resemblance the Lord would have us to conceive that in his Church he doth provide plenty and store of all spirituall and heavenly blessings Two spirituall springs of blessings in the true Church This will more plainly appear if we consider what spirituall fountaines and springs of blessings be in ●he true Church and no where else The first and chief well-spring of all blessings is the true God 1. The true God who is therefore called the fountain of living waters Jer. 2.23 And according to the threefold use of water-springs to the sonnes of men may we well conceive the true God to bee the fountaine of blessings to his Church First water springs serve for washing cleansing and purifying So God in Christ Jesus doth open a fountain to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem which is his true Church for sinne and for uncleannesse Zechar. 13.1 The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sinne 1 John 1.7 Secondly water springs serve to make fruitfull both herbs and plants that grow thereby So God in Christ by his spirit maketh the hearts and soules of his children fruitfull in grace I will poure water upon him that is thirsty and stoods upon the dry ground I will poure my spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine of-spring And they shall spring up as among the grasse as willowes by the water courses Is 44.3 4. Thirdly springs of waters are very comfortable and yeeld great refreshing both to man and beast especially in hot countries and time of drought see Gen. 21.15 19. Judg. 15.18 19. Psal 104.10 11 12. So God in Christ by his spirit which is the comforter becomes the everlasting fountain of spirituall refreshing to the hearts and soules of all his children O God my God early will I seek thee my soule thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is Because thy loving kindnesse it better then life my lips shall praise thee Psal 63.1,3 If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters This spake he of the spirit which they that believe on him should receive John 7.37,38 39. Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life John 4.14 2. The Evangelicall Ministry The second spring of blessings in the Church is the Evangelicall ministry even the gospell preached and Sacraments administred sanctified by prayer for the blessing of the spirit Hereof the Lord saith A fountain shall come forth out of the house of the Lord and shall water the valley of Shittim Joel 3.18 And to the same end serves the vision of waters coming from under the door threshold of the sanctuary Ezek. 47.1 c. both which may be well expounded by Is 2.3 for out of Sion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem Now this derived well-spring of the Evangelicall ministry serveth instrumentally in the Church First for washing and cleansing the foule from the filth of sinne Therefore hath God ordained Baptisme to represent our spirituall washing in Christs blood by the holy ghost whereof also with the word it becomes a gracious instrument when this free spirit pleaseth John 3.8 The 〈◊〉 bloweth where it listeth So is every one that is born of the spirit Not by works of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 That he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word Secondly for making the heart fruitfull in grace Therefore is the gospell called the work of his grace Acts 20.32 and is said to bring forth fruit Colos 1.6 Thirdly for ministring spirituall joy and refreshing to the soule therefore is the whole Evangelicall ministry called the ministry of the spirit which is the Comforter 2 Cor. 3.8 because it worketh therewith 1 Cor. 3.5 and is given therein Gal. 3.2 And we through patience and comfort of the Scripture have hope Rom. 15.4 Gods words to Jeremie were the joy and rejoycing of his heart Jer. 15.16 David

of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads they shall obtaine joy and gladnesse and sorrow and sighing shall flee away And they shall call thee the City of the Lord the Sion of the holy on of Israel Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated so that no man went thorow thee I will make thee an eternall excellency a joy of many generations The Lord shall be thine everlasting Light and the dayes of thy mourning shall be ended Is 60.14 15 20. For your shame ye shall have double and for confusion they shall rejoyce in their portion therefore in their land they shall possesse the double ever lasting joy shall be unto them Is 61.7 See it assured by Christ himself John 16. 20 22. Ye shall be sorrowfull but your sorrow shall be turned into joy your heart shall rejoyce and your joy no man ●●keth from you And verified in Christians Acts 2.40.47 They continuing daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart praising God and having favour with all the people Acts 5.41 They departed from the presence of the Councell rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name As 1 Pet. 1.8 Believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Thess 5.16 Rejoyce evermore And rejoyce in the Lord alwayes again I say rejoyce Phil. 4.4 The true ground hereof is from the incomparable blessings of the covenant vouchsafed to the true members of his Church The first reason For first in Christ Jesus God himself doth betroath them unto him yea marry them and become their most dear and loving husband as Hos 2.19 20. Is 54.5 Now times of espousall are times of rejoycing Let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come Rev. 19.7 With gladnesse and rejoycing shall they be brought they shall enter into the Kings Pallace Psal 45.15 We will be glad and rejoyce in thee we will remember thy love more then wine saith the Church to Christ Cant. 1.4 Secondly he doth fit them for his neer spirituall society by giving his own son The second Reason to be their Saviour and Redeemer washing away their sins in his blood 1 Cor. 1.30 He is made unto us of God wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Ephes 5.25.26 Christ gave himself for his Church that he might sanctifie and cleanse it and make it to himself a glorious Church c. Now the remembrance hereof is matter of exceeding great joy Luke 2.10 Therefore the blessed Virgin Mary saith My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my saviour Luke 1.46 47. The third Reason Thirdly he bestoweth on them is holy spirit John 14.16 17. for whosoever hath not the spirit of God is none of his Rom. 3.9 Now this spirit is the fountain of joy and thereupon is called the Comforter the graces whereof he doth plentifully bestow upon them and therein gives them cause of everlasting joy The fourth Reason Fourthly God sendeth and continueth unto them his blessed word the gospell of peace and the word of their reconciliation with God and of salvation to their soules whereof the Psalmist saith Blessed are the people that know the joyfull sound Psalm 89.15 and the Apostle Paul out of the Prophet Isaiah How beautifull are the feet of them that preach the gospell of peace and bring glad tydings of good things Rom. 10.15 Solomon saith light is a pleasant thing Eccles 11.7 Now the gospell preached is a spirituall light that shineth unto those that sit in darknesse and in the shaddow of death even to guide their feet in the way of peace then which nothing can be more pleasant and joyfull see Mat. 4.16 Luke 1.77 79. The fifth Reason Fiftly Gods speciall providence is over his Church not only to preserve them from evill both corporall and spirituall which their enemies would bring upon them but also to enrich them with all needfull comforts and blessings both temporall and spirituall In that day sing ye unto her a vineyard of red wine I the Lord do keep it I water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day Is 27.2,3 This is that keeper of Israel who doth neither slumber nor sleep who keepeth his Church from all evill The Sun shall not smite her by day nor the Moon by night The Lord shall preserve thee from all evill he shall preserve thy soule The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth even for evermore Psal 121.3 c. This serves for instruction and for admonition The use for instruction For instruction it sheweth plainly that naturall men are fearfully blinded by the God of this world for they live in the Church among the godly yet they do not conceive of nor discern their happy estate as St. John saith the world knoweth us not 1 John3 1 They think the state of a Christian to be very forlorn and miserable void of all content and comfort therefore do they debase them in their esteem accounting them the filth of the world and the onscouring of all things 1 Cor. 4.13 They reproach and revile them with most base and odious termes as 2 Kings 9.11 What did this mad fellow with thee Acts 24.5 Wee have found this man a pestilent fellow And Festus sa●th Paul thou art beside thy self much learning doth make thee mad Acts 26.24 Yea Christs own friends judged so of him Mark 3.21 and the Jewes said he hath a devill and is mad why hear ye him John 10.20 Now if they do this to the green tree what will they do to the dry Luke 23.31 But wisdome is justified of her children Mat. 11.19 As the things that are magnified in the world are abomination with God Luke 16.15 see it in the lukewarmnesse of the Laodiceans Rev. 3.16 17 19 So the things that are magnified with the Lord are abominable to the world as to live godly making conscience of all sin and of every good duty and being zealous of Gods glory Whereby we may see that the vaile of ignorance hangs over their eyes They can no better discern the happy state of the godly then a blind man can judge of colours The Use for admonition For admonition this serves notably to move every one to be as carefull to become a true member of the Church as he is desirous of true and lasting joy The way is hewed 1 Pet. 2.4 6. in so yeelding to Gods means of an holy calling that we forsake our sinfull waies as Is 55.7 do come to Christ by faith and as living stones be builded on him the tryed corner stone to become a spirituall house Which estate we must testifie by the properties of the godly who be true Citizens of Sion set down particularly Psal

anger is outragious but who is able to stand before envy Prov. 27.4 The second Reason Secondly ambition an insatiable desire to enjoy the honour of the Kingdome in his own person and to leave the same to his posterity which he feared would be crossed by David and thereupon hates him to the death so as he cannot endure his own sonne Jonathan who spake in his behalf but calls him the sonne of a perverse rebellious woman who had chosen the sonne of Jesse David to his own confusion for as long as the sonne of Jesse liveth on the ground thou shalt not be established nor thy Kingdome wherefore send and fetch him unto me for he shall surely dye 1 Sam. 20.30 31. This serves for instruction and for admonition The first Use for instruction For instruction two wayes First touching the state of the godly that they are in this world liable to the deadly hatred of ungodly Kings and Governours A grievous thing to Gods poor servants but too true as with divine testimony plain instances will manifest For testimony Mat. 10.18 Ye shall be brought before Governours and Kings for my sake for a testimony against them Mat. 24.9 They shall deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you and yee shall be hated of all nations for my names sake For instance consider the bondage of Israel under Pharoah in Egypt Exod. 1 2 and 3. chapters their seventy years captivity in Babilon Jer. 25.11 the bloody designe of Haman for the destruction of all the Jewes in the Kingdome of Ahashverus Esther 3.8 9 10 13. the persecutions of the Apostles by the Jewes Acts 4.24 25 26 27. the persecutions of the Apostles and other Christians by Herod Acts 12.1 2 3 4. Foxe Acts and Monuments Tom. 1. and the ten most bloody persecutions by the heathen Roman Emperours recorded in the Ecclesiasticall stories The second Use for instruction Secondly see in this violence of Saul against David an infallible signe of the dominion of malice and envy in the heart namely when the mouth doth breath out violence for of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh an evill man out of the evill treasure of his heart bringeth forth evill Mat. 12.34 35. Indeed sometimes the godly may over-shoot themselves in words of violence through sharp and sudden provocations as Job and Jeremie did when they cursed the time of their birth Job 3.3 Jer. 20.14 therefore the dominion of malice by violent words must be judged not by some particular acts but by ordinary and continuall course as the Apostle doth Rom. 3.9 14. prove man to be in the state of nature under sinne when his mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse wherewith that of Solomon doth fitly accord Prov. 10.11 saying violence covereth the mouth of the wicked and Prov. 16.29 30. A violent man shutteth his eyes to devise froward things moving his lips hee bringeth evill to passe like unto Saul Acts 9.1 who breathed out threatning against the Church The first Use for admonition For admonition it serves two wayes First to the godly not to think it strange that the great ones of the world do frown upon them for they may breath out violence against them They are by nature the seed of the Serpent as well as others and so continue till they be effectually called and therefore no marvaile though they shew enmity to the seed of the woman and joyne with the old dragon in bitter persecution against the true members of the Church as Revel 12.17 It is wisedome therefore for the godly to prepare for it by getting strength of grace to cleave fast to the Lord in the strongest oppositions of the world whereat our blessed Saviour directly aymeth Luke 14.26 27. John 16.33 And when their violence is breathing out against them then to do as David did in like case namely for sure direction in acceptable carriage towards God and men to meditate in Gods word Psal 119.23 and verse 95. The wicked have waited for me to destroy me but I will consider thy testimonies verse 161. Princes have persecuted me without cause but mine heart standeth in awe of thy word And for preservation and deliverance give themselves to prayer as Psal 140.1 c. Psal 35.1 Psal 59.1 2 3. The second Use for admonition Secondly this servss very profitably to all naturall men to warn them to consider their behaviour towards those whom they do not love for if like Saul toward David they breath out violence with their mouth then no doubt as it was in Saul the hellish fire of rage and fury is kindled in their breast which is a plain evidence that originall corruption hath dominion in them they are yet carnall sold under sinne they are in the snare of the devill held captive by him at his will 2 Tim. 2.26 And as in this particular case of envy and wrath the dominion of corruption is discerned by the ordinary fruits of these corrupt affections in bitter words and cruell deeds so it may be in any other sinne Filthy speaking and wanton dalliance are plain flames of the fire of lust when the mouth is full of cursing and swearing the heart undoubtedly is full of corruption such stinking breath argues unsound lungs Coal mines that lye deep in the earth do ordinarily discover themselves by black smuts in the outward face of the ground and so doth the corruption of nature in the heart bewray its dominion in naturall men by their ordinary practise of sinne in life Solomon makes the desire of sleep the smut of sluggishnesse Prov. 24.33 and keeping company with drunkards seeking where the good liquor is and sitting by it the smuts of drunkennesse Prov. 23.20 30. So his oppression hard dealing lying and deceiving for gain the smut of covetousnesse Mich. 2.2 An high look is a shrew'd smut of a proud heart Psat 101.5 and so is medling with matters above our place Psal 131.1 and humoring those that may be means of our advancemeut whether by flattery with Absolom 2 Sam. 15.2 3. or by bribery with the devill himself that for the honour of homage from our Saviour Christ offers to give all the Kingdomes of the world Mat. 4.8 9. Let all Symonists in the Church and bribers in the Common wealth look towards their ghostly father for like will to like the briber to the devill Now when by these smuts of sinne they discern the black mine of corruption then unlesse they will be as the fuell of hell fire they must set themselves to seeke a change of estate This flesh and blood cannot effect for the way of man is not in himself Jer 10.23 man accustostomed to do evill can no more do good then the Ethiopian can change her skin or the Leopard her spots Jer. 13.23 Yet with God this is possible Mat. 19.26 He can raise up children unto Abraham of stones Mat. 3.9 And this change he worketh by regeneration whereby wee are

when they are angry Exod. 32.10 Let me alone that my wrath may waxe hot against them and that I may consume them The first Observation Here then there are two things to be observed The first is implyed That in the sense before shewed God hath been wrath and fiercely angry with his own people When God heard this he was wrath and greatly abhorred Israel He was wrath with his inheritance Psal 78.59 62. The wrath of the Lord was kindled against his people insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance Psal 106.40 The Reason The reason hereof is the sinnes of his people which many times are many and grievous such as the holy nature of God cannot but detest and in divine justice severely punish For sinne is the provocation 2 Kings 22.13 For great is the wrath of the Lord which is kindled against us because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this booke Jerusalem hath grievously sinned therefore shee is removed Lam. 1.8 And we have transgressed and rebelled thou hast not pardoned Thou hast covered with anger and persecuted us Lam. 3.42 c. This serves for instruction and for admonition The first Use for instruction For instruction two wayes First here we may plainly see the contrariety of sinne to the holy nature of God It is such a thing as God cannot endure no not in those that be most near and dear unto him even his own people Nay when his own sonne takes upon himself our sinnes divine justice will not spare him Gods heavy wrath makes him to sweat water and blood and to cry out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Mat. 27.46 The second Use for instruction Secondly see that God is a God of justice against sinne he will not wink at it nor endure it no not in his own people though that be a great priviledge to be in covenant with God yet that procures not a dispensation to sinn freely much lesse will other outward things as worldly wealth and strength and honour and the like The Use for admonition For admonition to all Gods people that they beware of all sinne and especially of those that are said in Scripture to provoke the Lord to wrath whereof I will name some of the chief Speciall sinnes provoking God to 〈◊〉 As first Atheisme Zeph. 1.12 I will search Jerusalem with candles and punish the men that are setled on their lees that say in their heart the Lord will not do good neither will he do evill 2. Idolatry Psal 78.58 59. They provoked him to anger with their high places and moved him to jealousie with their graven images When God heard this he was wroth and greatly abhorred Israel 3. Witchcraft See it in Manasseh 2. Kings 21.2 3 6. He did that which was evill in the sight of the Lord c. He made his sonne passe thorow the fire and observed times and used inchantments and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards he wrought much wickednesse in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger With 2 Kings 23.26 His anger was kindled against Judah because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withall 4. Opposing Christ in the gospell not receiving it Psal 2.1 2 3 4 5. Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing The Kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsell together against the Lord and against his annointed saying Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derision Then shall hee speak unto them in his wrath and vexe them in his sore displeasure 1. Thessal 2.16 Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved to fill up their sinnes alway for the wrath is comeupon them to the uttermost Typified in the spies and people disliking the land of Canaan Numb 14.11.23 5. False and flattering teaching Jer. 5.30 31. A wonderfull and horrible thing is committed in the land The Prophets prophecy falsly and the Priests bear rule by their means and my people love to have it so and what will yee do in the end thereof So Ezek. 13. throughout 6. Lukewarmnesse opposed to zeal Rev. 3.16 19. Because luke-warme and neither cold nor hot I will spew thee out of my mouth As many as I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent 7. Blessing a mans self in his sinfull course Deut. 29.19 20. If it come to passe when he heareth the words of this curse that he blesse himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart to adde drunkennesse to thirst The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against that man c. 8. Rebellion against Gods Magistrates and Ministers Numb 16.30 Then shall yee understand that men have provoked the Lord. 9. Helping the wicked 2 Chron. 19.2 Shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord. 10. Oppression of the poor Zeph. 3.1 3.8 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted to the oppressing City Her Princes within her are roaring Lions her Judges are evening wolves Therefore wait yee upon me saith the Lord untill the day that I rise up to the prey to powre out upon them mine indignation even all my fierce anger for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousie 11. Adultery Jer. 5.7 8 9. When I fed them to the full they committed adultery c. Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord shall not my soule be avenged on such a nation as this 12. Drunkennesse Isaiah 5.21 24. Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine and men of strength to mingle strong drink Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people c. 13. Blasphemie against God either in common swearing or in more fearfull perjury See Jer. 23.10 Because of swearing the land mourneth the pleasant places of the wildernesse are dryed up And for perjury it puts upon God the person of the devill by calling him to be a witnesse of a lye whereof the devill is the father John 8.44 All these we must lay to heart lament and repent for that which is past and for the time to come beware of them if we look to remove and prevent the wrath and fierce anger of the Lord. The second Observation The second thing to be here observed is expressed That though God had been fiercely angry with his people yet afterward he took away his wrath and turned from the fiercenesse of his anger So Jer. 29.10 11. After seventy years be accomplished at Babilon I will visit you and perform my good word toward you c. Ier. 30.17 18. I will restore health unto thee and I will heale thee of thy

rejoyced therein as one that findeth a great spoyle And the Lords Supper is the seale of our redemption and salvation in Christ the tydings whereof is exceeding great joy Luke 2.10 Now all these fountains are in the Church and no where else The world is without the true God by covenant of grace Eph. 2.12 and so hath nothing but dry p●ts and cisterns that hold no water as Jer. 2.13 And the Evangelicall ministry is not out of the Church for when it comes among the heathen it is Gods mercifull visitation to take out of them a people for his name Acts 15.14 See Psalm 147.19 20. He sheweth his word unto Jacob his statutes and his judgement unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any nation and as for his judgements they have not known them The Reason The reason hereof is Gods own good pleasure as of meer grace and favour choosing them in Christ and accepting them into covenant so vouchsafing the participation of these spirituall springs and fountains of heavenly blessings unto them that hereby they may be fitted for society and fellowship with him and become such as he may take delight and pleasure in See Ezek. 16.8 c. When I passed by thee and looked upon thee Behold thy time was the time of love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakednesse yea I sware unto thee and entred into a covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine Then washed I thee with water c. If I wash thee not thou hast no part in me Iohn 13.8 This serves for instruction admonition and comfort The first Use for instruction For instruction two wayes First hence will plainly follow that out of the Church there is no salvation for these springs are the wells of salvation Is 12.3 and the text saith they are all in the Church which is plain by induction They that are out of the Church are without Christ and without God in the world Eph. 2.12 And with him only in Christ is the Well of life Psal 36.9 He that hath not the sonne hath not life 1 John 5.12 And wanting Christ they cannot have the spirit John 14.17 and so cannot be sanctified nor saved The second Use for instruction Secondly see here the surpassing excellency and happinesse of the Church above all other states of people in the world The Church is as the garden of Eden wherein is a pure river of the water of life and the tree of life Rev. 22.1 2. whereas the rest of the world is as a barren wildernesse Jer. 17.6 8. The Church is like the heritage of Jacob blessed of God and the rest of the world like the Mountains of Esau which God hath cursed Mal. 1.2,3 4. The Church is the Fathers house where every servant hath meat enough the rest of the world is like the Citizens fields where husks with hogs are the best provision Luke 15.16 17. The true Church is like the land of Canaan flowing with milk and honey that drinketh water of the rain of heaven a land which the Lord himself careth for the eyes of the Lord are alwayes upon it the rest of the world is as the land of Egypt which men water with their feet Deut. 11.10 11 12. The first Use for admonition For admonition it serves two wayes First to naturall men to stirre them up to consider seriously of these priviledges of the Church to have all Gods springs in her that so they may be affected towards her as David was Psal 84.1 2. How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of hoasts My soule longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God Psal 42.1 2. As the Hart panteth after the water brookes so panteth my soule after thee O God My soule thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appeare before God Psal 63.1 O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soule thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is Psal 122.1 I was glad when they said unto me Let us go into the house of the Lord. Yea of Sampsons mind Judg. 15.18 19. crying out after these springs as for the meanes of spirituall and eternall life The second Use for admonition Secondly to all that professe themselves to be members of the Church that they labour to give evidence of their participation of these springs of God in his Church which they shall do three wayes First by the abolishing of corruption in regard of dominion being purged from sinne and from uncleannesse by the bloud of Christ as the Corinthians were after their effectuall calling 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God Secondly by becoming fruitfull in grace and plentifull in good works by the blessing of the spirit sanctifying the ministery of the word as St. Paul testifyeth of the Churches 1 Cor. 1.5 7. In every thing ye are inriched by him in all utterance and in all knowledge So that ye come behind in no gift Phil. 1.11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousnesse which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God Colos 1.6.10 Which speaking of the Gospell is come unto you as it is in all the world and bringeth forth fruit as it doth also in you That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull in every good work and encreasing in the knowledge of God And as the Lord foreshewed in the vision of waters Ezek. 47.1 c. Thirdly by joyfull and cheerfull going on in their holy profession as the Apostle commandeth Phil. 4.4 Rejoyce in the Lord alway and again I say rejoyce For we are the circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus Phil. 3.3 The Use for comfort For comfort this makes greatly to the true members of the Church in the sorest distresses that can befall them First doth the sense of corruption and guilt of transgression make thee ugly in thine owne sight Goe to the clensing fountain and spring of Christs bloud and with the hand of faith wash and cleanse thy sinfull soule and pray the Lord to wash thee throughly as David did Psalm 51.2 wherewith if thou joyn upright endeavour after reformation in practise thou maist rest assured that the bloud of Jesus Christ shall clense thee from all thy sinnes 1 John 1 7 9. Secondly doth the barrennesse of thine heart in the want of grace make thee afraid Then get thee to the sanctifying fountain of Gods holy spirit which is the spirit of grace begg of God the good fruits of this spirit in love joy peace long-suffering faith c. Remember who made Aarons rodd to budd Numb 17. ● 8. and who can raise up