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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55570	Tsofer bepaḥ, or, The bird in the cage, chirping four distinct notes to his consorts abroad I. of consideration, counsel and consolation, II. some experiences and observations gathered in affliction ..., III. the lamentations of Jeremiah ..., IV. a true Christians spiritual pilgrimage setting forth his afflicted and consolatory state in another metre : and as a preface hereto, an epistle to the Welsh churches, and a brief narrative of the former propagation and late restriction of the Gospel ... in Wales ... / by Vava. Powell.	Powell, Vavasor, 1617-1670.	1661 (1661)	Wing P3078; ESTC R19436	71,339	204

Enemy to Rejoyce o're thee and he set up the horn of this thy foe 18 Their heart cried unto the Lord O wall of the Daughter Of Zion day and night let tears run down like a river Give thy self O Jerusalem no rest nor quietness Let not the apple of thine eyes cease whilst thy foes oppresse 19 Arise and cry out in the night in the first watch with grace Pour out thy heart like water now before Jehovah's face O lift up thy hands towards him for the life of thy sweet Young children that for hunger faint in top of every street 20 Behold O Lord and consider to whom thou this hast done Shall the woman eat their own fruit and babes of a span-long Shail the Priest and Prophet be slain in the Lords Sanctuary 21 The young and old lie on the ground in the streets openly My Virgins and my young Men are fallen by th' sword sadly Thou slew'st them in thy angry day thou kill'st without pitty 22 Thou cal'st as in a solemn day my terrours round about So that in the day of the Lord's anger none scaped out Nor remained those that I have swadled and brought up so Mine Enemy hath consumed my sin hath caused this woe CHAP. III. the man that affliction saw by the rod of his wrath Into darkness but not to light he led and brought me hath Surely against me he is turnd he turns his hand all day My flesh and skin hath he made old he brake my bones alway He built against me and compass'd with gall and travel me He set me in dark places as they that of old dead be He hedgd me round I cannot scape he made my chain heavy He also shuts out my prayer when I do shout and cry With hew'n stones he inclos'd my ways my paths he made un-straight Like Bear or Lion secretly for me he lies in wait And he hath turn'd aside my ways and in pieces pull'd me Yea he hath made me desolate great is my misery He bent his Bow and set me as a mark for the Arrow The Arrows of his Quiver he made through my reigns to go I was a Scoffe and derision to all my own People Also their song all the day long this to my sore trouble He fil'd me with bitterness he made me drunk with wormwood He brake my teeth with gravel-stones with ashes he me clad And thou hast also removed my soul far off from peace And I forgat prosperity by this my bitterness And I said my strength and my hope from the Lord is quite gone Minding the wormwood and the gall in this my affliction My soul doth still remember them and is humbled in me This I recall to mind therefore have I hope Lord in thee It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consum'd quite Because his compassions fail not we live still in his sight They are renew'd ev'ry morning great is thy † Faithfulness The heb word signifies also Truth truth in them The Lord 's my portion saith my soul therefore ' I le hope in him The Lord is good unto them that wait for him patiently And good unto the soul that doth seek him effectually It is good that a man should both hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord which unto his is * Psal 85.9 nigh It is good for a man that he the yoak in his youth bear He sits alone and silence keeps for on him he bar't there He putteth his mouth in the dust if perhaps hope may be He gives his cheeks to him that smites frl'd with reproach is he Nevertheless the Lord will not cast off for ever such But though he cause grief yet will he express compassion much According to the multitude of his mercies often For he afflicts not willingly nor grieves the sons of men To crush under his feet all the poor prisoners of the world To turn aside mans right before the face of the high Lord. To subvert a man in his cause the Lord doth not approve Who saith and it comes to pass when God wills it not above Out of the mouth of the most High proceeds not good and evil Why doth the living man complain man's plagu'd for being sinful Let 's search and try our ways and turn back to the Lord quickly Let 's lift our hearts with hands to God that 's in the heavens high We have transgressed and rebel'd thou hast not pardoned Thou hast cover'd us with anger and us persecuted Yea Jehovah thou hast us slain and hast not pittied Thou coveredst thy self with a cloud and our condition now Is such that our prayers could not unto thee Lord pass throw Thou mad'st us as the off-scouring and refuse among men All our enemies against us their mouths daily open Fear and a snare is come on us distresse and destruction Therefore with rivers of water mine eye still runneth down For the daughter of my People most sore destruction Mine eye drops down and ceaseth not without intermission Till the Lord look down and behold my case from heaven high For th'daughters all of my city my heart 's mov'd by mine eye Mine enemies chased me sore like a bird causlesly In th' dungeon they cut of my life and cast a stone on me Waters flowed over mine head then I said I am gone I call'd upon thy Name O Lord out of the low dungeon Thou heardst my voice hide not thine ear at my breathing my cry Thou drewest near bid'st me not fear that day I call'd on thee My soul's causes O Lord thou plead'st thou didst my life redeem Judge thou my cause O Lord again for thou my wrong hast seen Yea all their vengeance at all times thou perfectly didst see And their imaginations all wrongfully against me Thou hast heard their reproach O Lord all their † So in the Hebrew thoughts ' gainst me still The lips of those my foes that rose against me to my ill Also their ungodly device against me all the day At their down-sitting and rising I am their † So in the Hebrew See in Job 30.9 the same word song alway Render to them a recompence O Lord according to Their handy works give them thy curse yea them hearty sorrow Persecute and destroy them in anger from under * The thy Glorious heavens who onely art the Lord God Almighty CHAP. IV. HOw is the gold now become dim How 's the most fine gold chang'd In † So heb th' head of ev'rystreet the stones Of th' * Heb. sanctity Sanctuary out are pour'd 2 The precious sons of Zion like to fine gold how are they Esteem'd as works of Pottets hands the prtchers made with clay 3 Yea the † Heb. See Mal 1.3 Dragons draw out the breast they give suck to their young My Peoples daughters like fierce * Marg. owles of desarts is become 4 The sucking child's tongue cleaves to the roof of his mouth for drought The

some allowance was granted to the widdowes of Ministers deceased These things Considered and the low rates at which the Tiths were Let and Set at in divers Counties because some would not pay others would not take them to Farme and the Country poor and worse stock'd so soon after the wars will evince there could not be much spare espcially considering that the Act lasted but for three years viz. till fifty three and what was done since let them account who medled therein and acted under O. C. which I and many more of my brethren did not nor took any Salary at all nor any other Maintenance whatsoever since withall what was setled upon me together with some other Preachers was by the Committee for Plundered Ministers long before that And let me deal freely and truely with all the world in this particular I never received by Salary and all other waies for my Preaching in Wales from Christians and from the States putting all together since the beginning which is above twenty years but between six seven hundred pounds at most and I can with much clearnesse confidence and comfort call God the searcher of all hearts to witness and I do call him to record on my Soul that to my knowledge and remembrance I had not any thing directly nor indirectly but what was ordered me nor have I nor any other for me I expresse it without any Collusion or Reservation so much as a Pound or Shilling of any money from any tyths or otherwise in my hands belonging to the Publick I humbly challenge bid defiance to envy it self to prove the contrary and I desire to be called to an account if I be suspected for I will maintain my innocency herein till I die And yet my Accusers have some by writing who were ashamed to put their names thereto and others by word published That I had many thousand pounds of the Tyth-mony nay had purchased of Kings-Rents and Lands some thousands yearly or at least many Hundred pounds per annum where as now it is returned to the King again it appears it is under seventy pounds yearly and I never received any year of that above sixty six pounds ten shillings this the Auditor and Country knowe sufficiently and let them or any other disprove me herein if they can And whereas it is charged that many good godly men were turned out of their livings But I did not know any such and I suppose it will be yet easy to prove the contrary by their former and present practices however for my own part I often publickly tendred this to the ejected Ministers that if they could bring any in that could manifest they received any spiritual good from them they should as far as it lay in my power be restored but none produced such Further as a Consequence therof it was complained that the Sabbaths were profaned whereas men might ride throughout some Counties neither see men working travelling nor playing upon the Sabbath the like I am sure neither was before nor now is our enemies themselves being Judges But they further object that the people were turned Infidels Papists So many do where the powerfullest means are if they come not under them But why then do these men complain so many are turned to be quite contrary and were these accusers faln out with such men then how come they now to own them so much But to disprove that take this single instance In a few years time a great part of former Edition of the Welsh-Bible was bought up and afterwards two Editions more one of the New Testament and another of the whole Bible of these two I believe are sold off at least between 5 and 6000. by this you may perceive that Religion did grow Also in the beginning of the Wars there was but one or two gathered Congregations in all Wales and in some Counties scarce one that made Profession yet it hath pleased the Lord so to blesse the weak meanes there that there were lately and hope are still above 20 gathered Churches in some 2 in some 3 some 4 or 500 members with their officers differing little in opinion and Faith and walking in love and the fear of the Lord. Having given this brief account of the former endeavours of some who yet acknowledg their weakness and want of wisdom therein to propagate the Gospel Be pleased now to cast your eye upon the late Restriction which I might well call persecution of the Gospel in Wales To omit mentioning the great wrong unto many scores about May and June 1660 in committing and continuing them in Prison without any cause but to fulfil that saying Quicquid volumus facimus since there hath been very violent proceedings especially in some Counties where some poor and peaceable people have been drag'd out of their beds and without regard of Sex or Age have been driven some twenty miles to Prison on their feet and forced though in heat of Summer till their feet were much blistred and they ready to fall with faintness to run by the Troopers horses receiving many blows and beatings In Merionydd sh Others as if they had been Brute-beasts driven into Pinfolds or Pounds where they were kept several hours their enemies in the interim drinking in an Ale-house and forcing the poor people to pay for it though they tasted not of the drink then bringing them to the Sea-side and leaving them in the night in danger of being swallowed up by the Sea Others were committed to Prison at pleasure kept there many moneths and yet their cattle and sheep to the number of above six hundred taken from them and sold Others forced when they were called to the Quarter-sessions to walk in chains which should not by law upon any such ground be put upon them unless they had atempted to make an escape or break Prison Others who were quietly met together after their usual manner for many years to worship God and edify one another were cast into Prisons without any Examination or Commitment upon them that they could understand contrary to the Jewish Roman and our English Laws Nay such was the enmity of the seed of the Serpent against the seed of the Woman that though the King was pleased to grant by his Proclamation Christian liberty for some time yet upon the next Lords-day following after the receit of the said Proclamation some of the Officers of one Corporation drag'd and hal'd some poor women that were hearing of the Word of God into an Ale-house and kept them there till after night and until they made them pay for the Ale which these disturbers did drink Besides all this ejecting the Godly Preachers that would not conform and indicting many hundreds for Recusants which are not indeed so and under the notion of suppressing Conventicles and unlawful Assemblies hindring the meetings of Christians to serve God which according to the letter of the Law and the opinion of many

16.6 Job 22.15 whether waies of Darkness or Light sincerity or hypocrisy spirituality or formality undefiled or spotted the way of Gods Commandments or of mens Traditions the way of honesty or dishonesty It 's bad standing worse sitting but worst of all walking running persisting and especially pleading for any sinful way Take heed therefore you Sons and daughters of Zion lest you be and continue in Babylon but flee out of the midst there of g Jer. 51.6 When God threatens to destroy her going or running out of her will not serve the turn but you must fly for her Judgements will come suddainly in one day nay in one hour Death Mourning and Famine and she shall be utterly burnt up h Rev. 18.8 19. And beware lest you lodge in her Suburbs or be backward as some will be to come out of her as it appears that notwithstanding One Angel cryed and that mightily That Babylon that great City is faln is faln i vers 2. Yet another voice was heard from Heaven saying Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins lest ye be partakers of her Plagues k vers 4. Lot in Sodom was necessitated to be sent and plucked out of the midst of the overthrow l Gen. 19.26 In the name of the Lord therefore be exhorted by the words of the Apostle Peter to save your selves m Acts 2.40 41. from this untoward generation Consid 10 Consider one another n Heb. 10.24 as the Apostle exhorted the Hebrewes in a time of great and sore persecution and affliction for without this there cannot be a performance of those other duties as exhorting comforting edifying and bearing with one another This consideration is very necessary in a day of affliction and tryal because then there will be the greatest temptation to be selvish and sensorious and every one will be ready as the Proverb is to seek to save one or himself but every one should like Nehemiah seek the welfare of Israel o Neh. 2.10 of all the people of God or like Mordecai That did seek the wealth of the people and speak peace to all his seed p Est 10.5 For all believers are like the boards of the Tabernacle that were perfectly joyned both above and beneath q Exo. 26.24 and God hath tempered the whole body of his Church together so that every part should Sympathize with each other and care one for another And whether one member suffer all the members shoud suffer with it or one member be honoured all the members rejoice with it r 1 Cor. 12.24 25. puting on bowels of mercy kindness humbleness of mind meckness long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another Å¿ Col. 3.12 13. pitying the tempted strengthning the Weak helping to recover and set in joint again those that are faln relieving the poor gathering up the halt and lame giving the same measure of allowance to others which we expect from them making the falls of others our own fears and seting before our eyes the tryals of others for warning to our selves Consid 11 Consider the mighty works that God hath done and that he is doing So the people of God did formerly Thou art the God that doth wonders thou hast declared thy strength among the people t Psa 7.14 And David being in affliction wrote a Psalm which he calls a Psalm to bring to remembrance u Psa 70. and Caleb remembred the words that God had spoken of him to Moses forty five years before w Josh 14.6 7 10. And wherefore did God cause Manna Arons rod c. to be laid up or the Stones taken out of the bottom of Jordan to be pitched upon the other side or doth God so often put the Israelites in remembrance of their Redemption out of Egypt but that he would have them still mindfull thereof it being also so great a Sin in men to forget the works of the Lord as that it is said to forget God himself as appears clearly by comparing two Psalms together where the same story is related in the one it is said that they i. e. the Children of Israel forgot his works x Psa 78.11 and in the other that they forgot God their Saviour y with 106.21 Consid 12 Again the time of affliction is a time for men to consider their latter end and yet as God formerly wished it z Deut. 32.29 and complained that men did not do it a Lam. 1.9 So doubtlesse as by sad experience we find it is now notwithstanding the weapons of death are drawn and pointed at our hearts and heads and this King of terror himself is ready to come in at our windowes and doors dayly and many younger stronger and better than we cut off suddainly yet we lay it not to heart but put off thinking of this great Debt and little think how amazing and perhaps unwelome it will be to us when it comes We find many of Gods Worthies and stout Champions as Job David Hezekiah and Peter when they came to encounter with this Leviathan like the men of Israel when Goliah appeared to them fearful Job when he thought to comfort himself grew afraid of sorrowes And why Because saith he I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent b Job 9.27 28. Fear of Gods imputing Sin to him made him fearful lest God should impose more affliction upon him and so take him away with his stroke another time he saith The Graves are ready for me c Ch. 17 1. he thought where ever he came he was to dye and there was a Grave pointed out for him and ready to swallow him up David also though a man of great faith is said to be one while sore a fraid of Achish another while of going up to Gibeah 1 Sa. 21.12 because of the danger of death in both places another while he cries out That the terrors of death were faln upon him d Psa 55.4 and therefore doubtless he praies unto the Lord to spare him a little e 39.13 Also when Hezekiah was but bid prepare for he must die see what a sad and lamentable writing he wrote thereupon I am deprived saith he of the residue of my years I shall see man no more mine age is departed from me and removed as a shepherds Tent f Esa 38.1011.12 c. And did not our Saviour foretel Peter When thou shalt be old and another shall gird thee as the custom in that kind of execution was and carry thee whither thou wouldest not This spake he signifying by what death he should glorifie God g John 21.18 19. Peter as far as he was flesh and blood was unwilling to suffer Nay our Saviour Christ himself as he was man prayed that if it were possible his Father would let the Cup passe from him By all these instances Mat. 26.29 we may take warning

of the same But if thou do that which is evil be afraid Doubtless Rulers are to be obeyed and submitted to in all lawful things whether the King or those that are sent by him and this willingly and sincerely for the Lord w 1 Pet. 2.23 and for Conscience sake x Rom. 13.5 its Christians duties to give them honour and pay them Tributes and Customs as Christ did y Mat. 17.27 and not to resist for he that resisteth resisteth the ordinance of God and shall receive to themselves damnation or as the word rather signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judgement and is so translated by our last Translators in four places z Joh. 9.39 Gal. 5.10 1 Cor. 11.29 34. and as Pisator renders it paenam sibi auferent They shall receive punishment that is from the Magistrate And I conceive there is no warrant from the Scriptures to affirm that either there are no Magistrates now in being in the World or that the Magistrates under and belonging to the fourth Monarchy are not to be obey'd For before Christ the Apostles days the fourth Monarch was up begun in Julius Caesar and yet the Apostles acknowledged and obeyed hem even Nero c. as Magistrates and I see no reason why the later Magistrates belonging to the 4th Monarch should not be obeyed in all lawful things as I said before as well as the first And I could never meet with any convincing argument to prove that the fift Monarchy which I am perswaded of and expect will be and as many Ancient a Just Mar. Lact. Jren. and Modern b Alsted Arc. Dr. Twiss Dr. Ho. Mr. Mead. Bur. Fenick Dr. Homes Phy. Mat. c. learned men have unanswerably proved will begin before Christ the Monarch himself appears in the head of it and to erect it as the other four wordly Monarchs did before And being now upon this point let me hint a line or two to King and Rulers who are taught from the Scriptures their dutyes as well as their Subjects As the King to write the Law of the Lord read and keep it all the daies of his Life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and to keep all the words of this Law and these statutes to do them that his heart be not lifted up above his Brethren and that he turn not aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left c Deut. 17.18 19 20. c. And that he set up the true worship of God according to his own divine Will and like good Jehosophat Asa Josias 1 Chr. 13.5 28.12 2.29.25 Hezekiah pull down all Idolatry and Profanesse And as Solomon saith Scatter the wicked and bring the wheel over them d Pr. 20.26 which elsewhere he also saith is the way to stablish his Throne e 25.5 And like David have the faithful of the Land to dwell with him and not to suffer Lyars nor Flatterers to stand in his sight f Psal 101.6 7. But as the Apostle saith to be a terror to evil works g Rom. 13.3 for the punishing of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well h 1 Pe. 2.14 giving also encouragement and liberty to all good Christians to profess and practice the doctrine and waies of Christ and his Apostles who were then falily called and counted as those are now that walk after their Teachings and conversations See before p. 1 2. Mad-men Hereticks Scismaticks Turbulent Seditious persons c. that they may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and honesty i 1 Tim. 2.2 This would be acceptable to God and give incouragement to Christians to pray for and pay customs to them But if they command any thing contrary to the word of God they are not to be actually obeyed see Esther 3.2 3. Dan. 3.18 6.10 13. Act. 4.19 and 5.29 See Bp. Andrews on the third Com. and Par. on Rom. 13. Couns 6 Christians should also redeem and improve time k Eph. 5.16 it being short and uncertain and before evil and worse daies come l Eccl. 12.1 for private exercises especially as Fasting Prayer and exhorting one another which if you mark is to be kept up in times of affliction and persecution more than at other times For it is said Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another When was that Look in the verse before When they that did work wickedness were set up and when they that did tempt God were delivered m Mal. 3.15 16. So the Apostle saith Not forgetting the assembling of our selves together c. n He. 10.25 so much the more as ye se the day approching Couns 6 As Christ commanded his Disciples be wise as Serpents a Mat. 10.16 which use to keep and preserve their heads wherein chiefly the Life is they also shut their ears and run in any danger to their holes Christians should thence spiritually learn to be carefull of Christs glory and not to hearken to temptations and fly in danger to the Lord as David did to be hid with him b Psa 143. 9 Pro. 28.12 David is said to behave himself wisely c 1 Sam. 18.15.30 and yea again more wisely * 23.22 which Saul took notice of and was afraid of him so much the more It s a great piece of prudence in an evil time to be silent d Amo. 5.13 yea and to keep the door of thy mouth from her that lyeth in thy bosom e Mic. 7.5 for not onely as the Prophet speaks Wicked men will lay waite as he that setteth snares or a trap to catch men f Jer. 5.26 But as our Saviour saith The Brother shall betray the Brother to death and the Father the Son and the Children shall rise up against their Parents g Mar. 13.12 as it was in some of the ten Persecutions Therefore mark the Apostles advice h 1 Pet. 3.10 He that will love life and see good daies let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips that they speak no guile Couns 7 Take heed of flying without just Cause and Call God threatned some Israelites that would fly for fear to Egypt that the Sword which they feared should overtake them in Egypt i Jer. 42.15 16. And a time may come when those words may be fulfilled The shepherds shall have no way to fly nor the principal of the flock to escape k Cha. 25.35 It s remarkable that when Jeremy went to seperate himself to the Land of Benjamine he was taken in the gate l Jer. 37.12 but another time and in greater danger God hid Baruch and him So one of the Martyrs Chap. 36.26 by letting him down over the Wall of a City a stone fell out of the wall and broke his Leg the Centinel hearing the noise apprehended him and he was taken and put

nearer he comes to the mark and end of the race Christians are apt to feel and fear Punishment more then sin which is the cause of it Gods people must expect in the world the Entertainment of Strangers When Gods people are humble enough and the wicked high enough and the Lords appointed time come then expect deliverance to the Godly and not before Take heed of being humbled and yet unhumble that is of being brought outwardly low and yet the heart continue still high Com. Sins in Saints are like weeds weeded out of a garden or field which lye in the Alleys or Reanes but never grow there againe Com. Or as weeds cast out in the high-way which an Enemy casts into the garden again but yet cannot make them grow there any more Soe Satan cannot make the Sins of Saints grow in them againe when they are once separated from them Com. A Hypocrite is like a white-stone in the water among other Stones and of the same nature with other stones there hard heavy cold and inflexible and differs onely in colour Com. A true Christian is like a flint-stone which though it fall into water yet it keeps and retains fire in it still so doth he retain his grace notwithstanding his corruption Labour to act those graces chiefly that are most contrary to your master-sins and chief corruptions Com. Sins doe dye and fall off from Christians as the leaves fall from trees in Autumn by degrees ☞ Christians are now as Abram was was driven out of Egypt and come where they were before or into their first state therefore they should offer to the Lord as he did Gen. 13.3 God is now spoyling us of what would otherwise have spoyl'd us He that serves the Lord without assurance serves him without so much as an earnest and doubtless that Servant must needs love his Master much that serves him and yet knows not his Masters love to him The Lord hath Saints enough odivide into three Bodies some o suffer for him some to destroy Babylon and some to be for Seed-corn torrow again in the earth Com. If a man were to have his choice of two Sisters to be his wife the one will not marry him unless he will make her a Jointure presently the o her is free to refer that wholly to him which of there two will he be likelyest to take for his wife So it is between Christ and one that will take him upon self-conditions and another that is willing to take Christ upon Christs conditions or to refer himself wholly to him Learn by lighter crosses to look and prepare for heavier Com. When the affliction grows greater and heavier Gods people will cry out more earnestly to the Lord as when some part or Member is sorely tweak'd or as the Grapes when they have most weight and pressure give forth their Juice most freely In two cases 't is hard to act faith 1 when there is no hing sencible or visible to second and support it or 2 when there is very much to till the outward senses It is a very common and ordinary thing for most or all Professors to be in one of two extreams either to overvalue or undervalue Instruments Creatures and Ordinances Churches gathered in Prosperity will hardly stand or continue together in Adversity The more Saints do beleeve and suffer the more they may expect of the Spirit Joh. 7.38 1 Pet. 4.14 Com. A Child of God may know the weight of sin by Christs sufferings for if that strong Barr of steel did bend under the weight of our sins what shall poor weak man do who is but a reed or rush Be more thoughtful and careful how to use what you have to Gods glory then to gain more As our good works and performances should have an operation upon our souls and hearts to strengthen faith so should our weakenesses and sins to work repentance The Lord freely gives and justly takes away The excercising of graces do naturally destroy sin and the more you abound in Acts of grace the more you encrease the habit Heb. 6.22 The Law causeth sickness of Soul but the Gospel healeth the same When Saints perceive their sins growing weak they should then prosecute them most A Saint is to put forth his Faith in Prayer afterwards follow his Prayer with Faith In the midst of earthly businesses the soul should redeeme some special time for secret and private duties It is the will of Christ that Saints should rejoyce more in what Christ hath done for them then in what they have done or can do for him It s a great condescention in God to afflict or lay his hand upon man and in that sense the Apostle exhorts Beleevers not to despise or think little of the chastning of the Lord Heb 12.5 Learn to observe what God gives without asking and what he gives in answer to Prayer for the one begets thankfulness the other more Prayer Com. Christ kept the Law legally Beleevers heep it Evangelically he perfectly they purposingly and endeavouringly A Beleevers assurance and chiefest joy doth not arise from his Sanctification because that is imperfect here in degrees but from his Justification Rom. 5.2.1 Pet. 1.8 A Beleever is to shut the eye of Reason if he will clearly see with the eye of Faith Com. The Promise is a Christians perspective and his Faith his eye with which he looks through it upon Christ and God the Father in him Look upon Christ first without you then search for him within you Ask thy Soul whether it be willing to receive Christ upon his own terms and for his own sake and to accept of Pardon and Life through him freely without looking at all upon thy owne Righteousness and art thou contented that Christ should be honoured in and by thee and thou despised and dishonoured for his sake God carries on the work of grace in beleevers usually 1. According to their natural constitutions and parts 2. According to the means they are under whether Legal or Evangelical 3. According to the things he hath to do by them or he intends to call them to suffer 4. According to the shortness or length of time they are to live in the world 5. According as they have been before their Conversion greater or lesse sinners In Duties Christians should 1. Look for to meet with God and enjoy communion with him 2. Expect to hear and receive from God 3. To return somewhat to God but yet know thou canstreturn but of his own to him 1 Chron. 29.14 1. God did take off and from his people their sins before he laid them on Christ And 2. God cannot in justice and to speak with Reverence take them off Christ and lay them on them again God makes us feel him or his hand that he may hear us strokes makes cryes and whippings mournfull complaints to him God troubles us that we may turn to him and leaves us a while for to see whether we will follow