expected end an end answerable to thy expectation What a strange thing was this His wayes were warre yet his thoughts were peace his proceedings were evill yet his purposes were good I have shewed you at large that Gods outward proceedings of providence towards his people are oftentimes contrary to the Inward purposes of his Heart to them Let us not then reason much lesse conclude according to Gods outward appearance to his people Suffer not your selves to be reason'd out of your Faith and confidence by any outward proceding toward you When you see Evill in works see good in the Word when Death in the outward proceeding of God toward you see Life in the Inward purposes of his heart to you If you put a straight stick into the water sense renders it crooked but reason tells you is is straight As Reason prevailes against Sense So let Faith prevail against Sense and Reason and let Faith conclude God for you when yet Sense and Reason tells you hee is against you This is the life of Faith Vse 2. Doth God Increase our Troubles when yet he intends to Remove our Troubles Then this should incourage us to Lift up our heads under the greatest pressures Si graves breves When they are the Sharpest then they are the shortest In all the Stories of the Church when Deliverance was neerest then was Persecution the hottest The Devill is said to come down with great wrath because his time is but short The shorter his Time The greater his wrath Here then take a rise for Faith from the lowest Condition you are in When the Morning is darkest Then comes the Day when Trouble is Greatest Then is Deliverance the Neerest You know who hath turned the saddest and sorest Perplexities that ever the world shall see into a Doctrine of Comfort and Consolation to his Church and People And upon this ground Because Then is their Redemption neerest when their troubles are highest Luke 21.25 26 c. Luke 21.25 There shall be signes in the Sun the Moon and upon earth distresse of Nations with perplexity the Sea and waters roaring mens hearts failing them for feare the Powers of heaven shall be shaken And when these things begin to come to passe Then lift up your heads For your Redemption Draweth Nigh See how neer the day of Redemption is to the day of destruction Christ takes heere a Rise of Comfort from the lowest Condition that can be My Brethren You see it is Gods way to increase our troubles when he comes to remove them Let us not be Too much troubled at our Troubles I must confesse wee have sad and gloomy Dayes and yet we fear they are not at the Darkest The floods of ungodlinesse are risen high and we feare they are not yet at the highest But remember this still God doth Increase our Troubles when he comes to Remove our Troubles The greatest Darknesse is before the Morning watch It is the speech of one upon my Text k Quod autem Dominus suos magis terruit priusquam liberaret monemur Cum adversitas summa fuerit tum proximam adesse solutem That the Lord did more terrifie his Disciples before he would deliver them wee are admonished That when Adversity is greatest then deliverance is neerest l Sic consuevit dominus vehementiores labores mittere veluti indices vicinae liberationis Beza Another God is used to send greater Troubles as the Harbengers of approaching deliverance m Tunc magis acuit dolores quando salus jam stat in foribus graviora certamina pericula sunt certissima nuntia liberationis quo citius sinienda sunt mala eo magis ingravescunt c. Another Great troubles doe ever usher in great Deliverances It is our hope that as God hath increased our Troubles so he will make all our Troubles subservient to our Deliverances Deliverance is the Birth of Mercy As never was there birth without Pangs So Deliverance without Opposition and Trouble Satan opposeth wicked men oppose But as Throws and Pangs are subservient to the Birth so will God make our Present Troubles to Deliverance The sharpest pangs and throws of the Church have ever been the immediate fore-runners of some Childe of Promise As it was in the Waters of Bethesda The waters were troubled before they healed The trouble of the water was subservient to the Cure in them so that Opposition and trouble which doth arise in the time and expectations of our healing will God turne to our further healing what the Apostle saith of his Bonds I may say of all the troubles that arise the things that have happened to me Phil. 1.12 have fallen out to the furtherance of the Gospel his Prison was the Gospels liberty his bonds the Gospels inlargement his abasements the Gospels advancement So here all our troubles are subservient to the fuller deliverance were you either well read in the Book of Providence or in the book of Scriptures either in the word or works of God you would finde that the increase of your troubles would be a rise of hope in stead of a ground of feare of comfort in stead of discouragement It is Gods usuall way in the deliverance of his Church and People n Auget certamina quando liberabit Chrys Faestinente laetitia acuitur dolor Baez to heighten their difficulties and troubles before he doth deliver them It hath been so as I have shewed you in many examples And when indeed did God doe any notable things for his Church in the world But there hath been great tumults and commotions Look upon the Stories of Scripture And doe you think it will not be so Is not the Devill as bad wicked men as malicious as ever they were and certainly what power and policy can doe to interrupt God in his wayes of mercy to his Church shall be done o Gaudeo quod Cristus Dominus est alioqui desperassem Micon in jepist ad Calvin insomuch that we may say with him If Christ did not reigne we should quickly come to ruine There are some great Promises which God hath made and will performe now at the end of all things But none of these shall be accomplished without great difficulties He hath said that Antichrist shall downe * Rev. 11.13 But wee must look for earthquakes before Such noting he hath in the Kingdoms of the earth in States and Nations as nothing but an earthquake will loosen him and throw him down Revel 16.17 18. Esay 11. Esay 62. See the commotions foretold Revel 17.18 He hath promised to make his Church glorious in the world And these Promises He that is faithfull and true will performe But when God doth this you must look for Commotions Joel 3.16 looke for shakings You read Dan. 12.1 Dan. 12.1 And at that time shall Michael stand up the great Prince that standeth for the children of thy people and there shall be a time of
Christ is not in the ship k Absente Christo nil nisi turbatio Christo presente omnis motus sedatur Zuing. in loc If Christ be not in a Family in a City in a Kingdome Christ in his grace Christ in his truth in his worship in his ordinances you must looke for stormes It is said in Iudges 5.8 They chose new godi and then was war in the gates Where there is sin you may looke for a storme Sin like vapours sent up into the middle Region of the Aire which though you heare nething of it for a time all is quiet l Vbi non est gratia ibi non est pax yet at last it comes downe in a storm Where on the contrary The fruit of righteousnesse shall be peace and the effect of righteousnesse shall be quietnesse and assurance for ever Isay 32.17 Isay 32.17 As many as walke according to this rule Peace be upon them and upon all the Israel of God Gal. 6.16 Christ is a Prince of peace but he is a Conquerour first m Pax non habitat ubi Christus non regnat Ber. where Christ doth not conquer and reigne there looke for no peace no peace with God no peace with man no peace with conscience n Conscientia quadruplex 1 Conscientia bona non quieta 2 Conscientia bona quieta 3 Conscientia neque bona neque quieta 4 Conscientia quieta non bona c. unlesse such a peace as wicked men injoy which is the peace of the devill not the peace of God the strong man keeps the house and all is at peace but it is the peace of the devill not the peace of God Vse Let it teach us then as ever we desire peace peace in conscience peace in the Church c. to get Christ into the ship and he will allay all stormes Assure your selves these stormes will never be laid till Christ be admitted into the ship till Christ reigne till Christ in his truth worship grace doe reigne among us o Fluctibus agitantur conscientiarum ventis contrariis tentationum vexari necesse est qui Christum innavi secum non vehant Pareus A second thing which is observable Doct. That the absence of Christ from the soule in trouble makes sufferings unsufferable and troubles intollerable As the presence of Christ in his grace in his comforts doth inable the soule to undergoe the greatest calamities p Malim presente Christe esse in inferno quam absente Christo in caelo Luther in Gen. cap. 30. even to smile upon the face of dangers and check the terrors of death q Beati foli sunt cum illo qui beati esse non possunt nisi in illo Sern It gives inlargement to the soule in straits comfort in trouble liberty in prison ease in bonds life in death You see in Daniel the three Children Paul and Silas Stephen So the absence of Christ will be intolerable in any sad-condition Oh what a misery is it for a poore soule to be in sicknesse danger death and for Christ to be absent from the soule Vse Let us then in all our sad conditions get Christ present with us get him but present with you in his grace and he wil never be absent from you in his comforts in the time of need Who is able to comfort us in the midst of all discomforts r Quid si sine domo non sine domino sinc veste si non sine fide sine cibo non sine Christo Fulgent Christ is more able to give comforts without creatures nay in the opposition of all created comforts then the Sun to give light without Stars Can the Sun give light without Stars and cannot Christ give us comfort without creatures nay in opposition of all created comforts Againe Christ was absent yea but Christ was with them in Spirit though he was absent from them according to the flesh had they had faith enough they had seen Christ present even in his absence Doct. When Christ is absent to the eye of sense yet a beleever may conclude him present and see him by the eye of faith He hath promised never to leave us nor forsake us * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 13 Heb. 5. There are five negatives to make it firme to us I will not I will not leave thee neither not not forsake thee or neither will I by any meanes forsake thee He hath said when we passe through the waters he will be with us that the flouds shall not drowne us when we passe through the fire he will be with us that the fire shall not burne us He will be with us 1 To counsell us in our straits 2 To support us in our sorrowes 3 To comfort us under crosses 4 To sanctifie all our troubles to us 5 And at the last to deliver us out of all t Vidimus Chrisium in promisso lumine spirituali quando non in presentia lumine sensibili and thus we may conclude him by faith when we are not able to discerne him by sence If the Sun were here below we should be deprived of the benefit of it every mountaine every hill every house would deprive us of the light and comfort of it But being now above all these we enjoy the comfort of it While Christ was here in the flesh he was as the Sun here below every thing did hinder us of his presence and comfort if he were present in one place he was absent from another but now being in heaven he can display the rayes and beames of his gracious presence into all places Vse Christians learne to see Christ by the eye of faith when you cannot behold him with the eye of sence labour to see him in a promise when you cannot behold him in his presence when the eye of sence is put out go to a promise and behold him there Thou art in temptations in desertions and thou canst not see Christ by the eye of sence but thou maist conclude him present by faith present I say in his grace though thou want the presence of his comforts The cloud may hinder the light of the Sun from our eyes but it cannot take the Sun from the sky it is there though it do not appeare Christ may seemingly be gone when yet he is really there and it must be your wisdome to live by faith when you cannot live by sence to see him with you by his grace when you cannot behold him in his comforts But we will passe this There is one thing more that I would present to you from the whole tryall which you see is heightned by severall gradations they were in the midst of the sea and in the darke of the night nay and tossed with waves the winde was contrary Christ himselfe was absent here is wave upon wave trouble upon trouble It tels us thus much Doct. That God doth not only suffer his people to be
vehis fortunam Caesaris So I Christ vehis gloriam benedictionem Christi Nemo nos laedit nisi qui Deum vincet you carry Christ and all his glory that can never miscarry nor you whose safety is imbarqued with it And therefore bee not discouraged though stormes arise though the flouds of ungodlinesse doe lift up their voyce he that sits in heaven shall laugh them to scorne and he that sits at the sterne will bring all safe to harbour at last 2. We are not to forgoe the cause This were to forsake the Arke because the waves and billowes rise to jump into the Sea because the wind blowes the Sea is stormy You see the Disciples they did not forsake the ship because of the storme Nor did any of them let down a Cock-boat and labour to secure themselves In personall persecutions there God permits us to seek our preservation by flight if we be persecuted in one Citie we may flye to another But when persecution is generall and nationall we are to seek our preservation in the whole 3. Wee are not to slacken our indeavours tempests arising in our way should quicken us more to working in a shipwrack that p Iu naufragio iste rector laudandus quem obruit mare clavum tenentem Senec. ad peli cap. 6. Pilot is to be commended who is swallowed up of the sea with his Rudder in his hand q Non navem deserunt sed remigando laborant The disciples here fel to rowing they forsook their Cabins but not the ship they forgot their particulars every man to the general work They did not look every man to secure himselfe but every man to secure the whole every man to secure the ship in which their safety lay They saw their personall security to lye in the securing of the whole their Cabins could not bee safe if their ship were in danger r qui amissa republica piscinas suas fore salvas sperare videntur Epist ad Attic 15. lib. 1. Necesse est ut eam non ut vivam Omnes omnium charitates patria comple ctitur Cicer. Offic. l. 1. qui curat esse nisi propterte pro nihilo est Bern. Tully laughs at the solly of those men which in his time had such thoughts that their fish-ponds should bee safe though the Common-wealth were lost Such windy conceits have too many with us and therefore seek not their preservation in but from the whole with but in separation nay in opposition to the whole How farre are such from a noble spirit t Valet maximus l. 5. c. 553 I have read of one Publius Decius that when the Roman Army was reduced to great straits hee couragiously forgetting himselfe for the publike good ran into the midst of his enemies demanding safety for his country death for himself by that means occasioned an unexpected victory the publikenesse of his spirit did carry him above the thoughts of private safety Every man should bee nearer to Religion nearer to common interests than to himself u Dicitur de Alvanio ille propior publicae religioni quam privatae charitati Valer Maxim li. 1. c. 11. So Alvanius was It is a shame that Heathens should doe that which Christians can not do w Non prestet fides quod praestitit infidelitas Jerom. As Hierome in another case complaines oh that infidelity should be able to doe that which faith cannot doe It was used to be said by Christians to Heathens x Non magna loquimur sed magna vivimus we doe not speak great things but wee live and doe great things but we speak much and doe little happy were wee and the Kingdome too if the practise of our lives did come up to the professions and protestation of our mouthes c. That is the first what we must not doe Now Secondly what we must doe 1. Search out the cause why God hath obstructed our promising and hopefull beginnings Is there not some Ionah that lyeth under Deck as yet asleep some sin unseen unhumbled for Is there not some old sins that God comes now to reckon for old sins raise new stormes former sins a present tempest See what sin is the cause the Jewes in every judgement that was inflicted on them did use to say that God weighed out an ounce of the golden Calfe to them Though an old sin yet they saw God might reckon with them for it And there seems something to bee implyed that speakes for these thoughts hee is said to forgive yet hee would remember them at the time of visitation 31 Exod. 34. Is there not some Achan some wedge of Gold some Babalonish garment that hath thus disturbed our prosperous beginnings Have not some fresh issues of lust and corruption broken forth now in the expectation of healing Have we not been unthankfull for unfruitfull under all the incomes and receits of mercy Did we not grow secure proud selfe-confident upon the hopes of mercy and deliverance What is that hath caused God to strew our wayes with difficultie to hedge up our way with thornes to increase our throwes to multiply our pangs when the children were brought to the birth when in our thoughts deliverance was so neare Secondly when you have found it out be humbled for it You have an advantage this day unto these duties such a one as our fathers never injoyed y An ordinance for the solemn humbling of our soules for natinall sins You have here sent you a list of the sins the nation is guilty of and there is nothing required of you but that you should lay them to heart this day that God may never lay them to your charge This seems to be the day-starre the harbinger of mercy to us As the Apostle saith of another duty it is the first Commandement with promise So this it is one of the first duties that speakes deliverance not to persons onely but to the whole nation Oh that we could in earnest this day draw water as out of a well and poure it forth before the Lord. A floud of teares would now prevent a deluge of wrath Nationall repentance might yet procure a nationall pardon if we have once made our peace with God then will not God onely be at peace with us but cause our very enemies to bee at peace with us also This is a soul-humbling a soul-afflicting day Other dayes are humbling dayes this is a heart-breaking day other dayes are afflicting dayes this should be a soul-melting day oh that Englands teares might prevent Englands bloud 3. When you have found out the cause humbled your selves for it your next work is to reforme it What is it to lament sin z Non nocent praeterita peccata si non placent prefentia Aug. if you doe not leave sin what were it to weep our eyes out of our heads if we doe not weep our sins out of our heaats It is not humiliation is
in a deliverance who enjoyes not Christ with it It is but a reprievall not a dischrrge It is a deliverance in judgement rather than mercy There are preservasions that may bee called reservations to worser evills Such are these Thus much for Christs addresses to helpe them we now come to the manner 3. Of his comming to them Walking on the Sea To let passe the severall disputes about this m Hieronimus sentit a quas solidatas fuisse corpus leve factum contra manichaeos whether Christ did consolidate the water or attenuate his body whether he made the water more earthy and his body more ayry wee will passe these niceties Christ here walketh on the sea the Text saith and this as upon n Tanquam insolido pavimento Amb. solid ground o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. Sine ulla mutatione corporis Christus ambulavit Super mare And this hee did without any change of his body By his owne Almighty and divine power by which he made Peter doe the like without any alteration either in his body or the sea Christ ever in his lowest abasements shewed something of his deity When he suffered upon the Crosse which was his lowest abasement then like the Sun he lets out the greatest lustre and brightest beames of the deity when setting even then he rent the rocks opened the gravs sealed up the beams of the Sun c. Which were all visible demonstrations of his deity You read in the beginning of this Chapter that Christ upon the hearing of John Baptists beheading did withdraw himself and the Disciples 13. verse Now this might have occasioned a temptation that Christ being God should flye from the wrath of man And therefore it is observeable that Christ doth here doe foure great miracles to stablish their hearts against such a temptation 1. He fed five thousand besides one women and children with 5. loaves and two fishes 2. Hee comes now walking to them on the Sea 3. Hee makes Peter to walk on the Sea also 4. He rebuked the stormes calmed the Sea and brought them to harbour By these declaring that though hee went from Herod yet it was not for fear not that hee thought hee was not able to preserve himselfe and Disciples he that could doe all this might have done the other It is Gods great mercy that hee hath been pleased in his lowest abasements to give us withall some demonstrances of his deity When he hungred he declared himselfe to be a man but when he fed thousands with a few loaves he demonstrated himselfe to be God When he fled from Herod he shewed himselfe to be man but when he walked on the sea hee declared himselfe to be God In his life he seemed to be man and not God he was subject to our infirmities but in his miracles raising the dead giving eyes to the blinde healing the sick casting out Devils he declared himselfe to be God as well as man When he hung upon the crosse he seemed to bee man but when hee rent the vaile of the Temple darkned the Sunne shook the Earth rent the Rocks converted the Thiefe he declared himselfe God as well as man c. But we will come to the words Jesus went unto them Walking on the Sea Why but Christ could as well have helped them on the shoare as to have come and walked to them on the sea But then they had nor so cleerely knowne Christ helped them either they might have attributed their safety to their own endeavours in rowing or they might have thought the storme ceased by accident c. And therefore Christ comes to them before he helps them that they might see and acknowledge it was his doing Doct. It is the best part of a deliverance to see and acknowledge the deliverer As it is the worst part of an affliction not to see the hand which inflicteth it so it is the best part of a mercy to see the author of it There are too many who like Swine do feed under the Tree and never look up to the Tree that drink at the streame and never regard the Fountaine Many whose bellies are filled with hid blessings Psal 16. Not because they do not see the mercies but because they see not the God of mercy Christians desire God in the bestowing of his gifts that he would not conceale the giver that all your mercies might be as cleere glasses and not as thick clouds which hinder you from beholding God in them It is the blessing of mercy to see and taste God in it Yet further and that which is the maine Walking on the Sea It was a strange way that Christ went in the deliverance of his Disciples to walk on the sea never was this heard of before God hath delivered his people by deviding the sea but never before by walking on the sea Doct. That God will goe unheard of untracted wayes strange wayes to deliver his people rather then his people shall not be delivered God is not tyed to any way his paths are in the great waters and his footsteps are not knowne God wals in the wayes of the deliverance of his Churches as a man that walks in the snow who because he would not be tracted he often changeth his shooe Whole Volumes might be writ of the many strange wayes that God hath gone in the deliverance of his Church people Sometimes he hath done it immediately by himselfe as you see in the stories of Herod Acts 12.23 24. Iulian who when he went to warre against the Persians he vowed to his Idoll Gods that he would give them a sacrifice of all the Christians in the Empire when he turned back but he was prevented by death being smitten with an unknowne blow from Heaven So God delivered the Church in Maximinus his time sometime he hath done it mediately 1. Either by making themselves as instruments to destroy themselves as you see in the Assyrians the Midianites Iudg. 7.22 And thus was Paul delivered Acts 23.6 7. 2. Or by arming second causes putting strength into weak and contemptible instruments for the deliverance of his Church As Ieremy was drawne out of the dungeon with old rotten rags thrown aside and good for nothing Ier. 38.11 So the Lord doth deliver his Church often by such instruments as the enemies thereof would before have looked upon with scorne as despised and contemptible instruments You see this in Cyrus in Deborah 3 Sometimes arming naturall causes the Sun the Moone the Stars Haile Winde the Starres in their course are said to fight against Sisera the Lord slew Israels enemies with haile the Moabites with the Sun shining on the water And we read in Ecclesiasticall History that the Christians being to fight against the Barbarians being in great distresse for water upon their prayers God sent abundance of raine but incounter'd their enemies with thunder and fire from heaven in remembrance of which the Romans called the Christian Legion
him but as he hath revealed himself in his Word And though you are not able at present to evidence him such a God to you as he hath manifested himself in his Word yet by faith conclude him so when you cannot cleer him so Thus Job did so Job 13. These things hast thou hid in thy heart Job 10.13 yet J know that this is with thee though I cannot see it yet I doe beleeve it though I cannot cleer it yet I doe conclude it And thus the Church 36. Esay 16. Doubtlesse thou art our Father Isa 63.16 She will not be reasoned out of her faith she will hold the conclusion of faith against all the evidence that sense and reason can bring to the contrary This is with Ulysses to bind our selves fast to the mast and not suffer our selves to be charmed away to the destruction and undoing of our own souls And these are the three times that Christ seems to appear as a Ghost to his own people Now there are foure times Christ appears as a Ghost to wicked men 1. When he comes with his Fan in his hand to purge and reform his Church men look upon Reformation as their destruction And think Christ comes to destroy them when he comes to reforme them men may sometimes look upon that as the greatest evill which yet is intended for their greatest good It is the Speech of Augustine upon this place That there shall be such troubles shall arise about the fourth watch a little beiore the end of all things that men shall look upon Religion shall I say because of the troubles that it raises when it comes to be setled in its Power and Glory s Res Christiana phantasma videtur they shall look upon Religion as a Ghost Not because Religion will hurt them but hurt their sins How justly may that be applyed to us now which was spoken of Israel When I would have healed Israel then the iniquity of Israel did appeare So it is with us when the Lord would heale us and reforme us then doth the iniquity of men the malice the pride the hatred of the purity of Ordinances then doe all these â—ppeare What is the ground of all this trouble among us now why are so many up in Arms * Vitia nostra quia amamus defendimus but to keep out Christ in the Power and purity of his Ordinances Reformation is now the Ghost that hath frighted them into Arms men that are afraid they run unto their weapons so they frighted with the Ghost of Reformation get up weapons put themselves in armes to oppose it So long as Reformation is looked upon as an enemy it shall finde enemies enow though indeed it is an enemy to nothing but their sinnes A second time when he appeares as a Ghost to them t Haec in est nobis perversitas ut quae vere mala sunt non timeamus ea quae nocere ne possunt formidemus Musc in loc when he comes to reform their Persons then they cannot away withall they fear holinesse love sin that which should be object of hatred is object of love and that which should be object of love is object of feare they cannot brook holy wayes they will not subject to the Lawes of God they cannot part with their sins take away their sins take away their best friends they have been wicked and will be wicked They thank God they are no Changlings Indeed not to change in a good way is commendable but to be unchangeable in a bad way is damnable To be unchangably evill is to be as Divells are for ever sinfull and for ever miserable First cleer your way to be good and then glory in our unchangeablenesse A third time when Christ appears as a ghost to them and that is when they lie upon the bed of sicknesse the bed of death Oh then Christ is terrible when a man shall lye upon his death bed u Vadeo nescio quo ens entium miserere mei Animula vagula biandula quae nunc Abibis in loca de Adriau dicitur and connot tell what shall become of his soul to all eternity when a man shall say as once a great person did in the same condition I cannot live I dare not dye he knows not what shall become of him to all eternity when he shall behold his friends weeping over him but cannot helpe him his relations and comforts leaving him his riches not able to relieve him his sinnes presented and set in order before him and a displeased and wrathfull God ready to destroy him Oh here God appeares as a Ghost indeed You made bug-beares w There shal come in the last dayes scoffers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such as shall make childrens play of all the terrors of the Lord 2 Pet. 3 3. childrens play and scoffed at all the terrors of the Lord before but now they appeare reallities to you The precepts of the Law were a ghost to you in your life and the terrors of the Law are now a ghost to you at death the comforts of the Lord were a ghost to you before and just it is the terrors of the Lord should be a ghost to you now 4 A fourth time and that is at the day of judgement when Heaven and Earth and all the world is on fire then shall Christ appeare as a Ghost indeed full of terror to every wicked and ungodly person We reade that the wicked at that day 6 Rev. 16.17 shall call upon the mountaines to fall upon them to hide them from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe for the day of wrath is come and who shall be able to beare it In their thoughts they were better able to beare the weight of Rocks of Mountains on them then the sight of Christ so terrible will Christ appeare to ungodly men at that great day Vse Oh then knowing the terror of the Lord we perswade you Christians as you would not have Christ to appeare as a Ghost to you terrible at the day of death terrible at the day of judgement let him not appeare as a Ghost to you now * Optima securitas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him not appeare terrible to you in his word in his worship in his lawes in his truth If Christ be a terror to you now in these wayes assure your selves he will be a terror to you hereafter Be willing then to receive Christ in his truth in his worship wayes c. Bid him welcome in your houses your hearts if Christ be not a terror to you now if you can brook with strict and exact walking if you can brook the power and purity of his ordinances he will never be a terror to you hereafter This is all I shall say of the second the Disciples thoughts and apprehensions of Christ We come to the third and that is the effects of these