for our God let us not be ashamed to claim him let us not be backward to exalt him he is in the heavens he is worthiest of all he purposes good speaks good acts good contrives and does hears and delivers his he is best of all he lives for ever and so shall his Saints in his glorious love whilest Idols and they that make them and they that put their trust in them are and shall be dasht one against another and shall perish for ever like their own dung this will be the end of these Gods and these slaves whilest the children of light enjoy for ever that God who dwels in light and in that light that none can approach unto or ever enjoy in any degree without the salvation of Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 6.16 that God that hath immortality hath all and he onely hath this Idols have none they must perish themselves they can give none their followers must to ruine too Vse 2 In the second place this truth is very perswasive it bespeaks us many wayes it hath many voices 1 To the bad and cals us to do many duties First it speaks to meâ— that are out with God out of Christ and in the rude sinfull and dead lump of the world and first it cals after them with Davids voice Psal 4.2 O ye sons of men how â—â—ng will ye love vanity and follow after lies How long will ye both resist and brand the glorious wayes of God and the gracious wayes of his people with your pride and with your hellish â—rands of malice How long will ye seek after your own lies your own wils your own lusts What do you mean to forsake a God so gracious and to cleave â—o your own Idols so dunghie â—nd so vain who deserves your â—earts if God do not Weigh â—hings in a right balance and â—ew your selves men bring â—â—rth your reasons produce â—our cause your case your way â—et us see what can the Idolaâ—er say for his wayes what â—â—eas can Atheists and drunâ—ards or worldlings have must â—â—ey not needs confesse surely they are fools what wisdom is in them If they could see light or speak truth if sin would suffer them to open their mouthes for God surely they would soon joyn with the Prophet and say Jer. 8.9 Lo we have rejected God lo we have rejected his Word what wisdome is in us How can we say we are wise our counsels our purposes our practises they all speak out our extreme folly there is nothing makes the sinfull souls forsaking of God so unanswerable as this infinite grace of God towards his as Gods love where it is bestowed opens the heart and unlooses the tongue towards God so this love where it is refused is such a stop mouth that a soul cannot but be silenc't it is forc't to say I have nothing to plead for my self there is not a wicked man in the world who hears and refuses this rich grace of God iâ— his purposes and gifts but thiâ— will cast and sink him one day and would for the present silence him had he but a right or true apprehension of what he does let unbeleevers therefore see that though they depart from God yet they have no cause they transgresse without cause as David speaks and although they follow sin pursue it cry it up and live it up yet they have no cause but unbeleevers be unreasonable and no marvell when pride and blindnesse sit at the stern to guide the soul see then this truth puts down all carnall pleas plucks up those hellish shifts whereby sinners usually wave off all that â—s good can a sinner now say I shall have no mercy if I do come in to God to Christ can â—e now say I shall loose all and â—e undone if I hearken if I â—urn can he now say I shall suffer so much t' will not be worth while to be one of Gods â—an he now say my own choice is best my own wayes are best let me alone I am well enough can he now go away sad from the blessed offers of Jesus Christ and the gracious armes of thâ— love of God stretcht out readiâ— to embrace him can he now say God will leave me if 〈◊〉 should follow him God will give me up if I should trust him God will fail he will forsake No no what ever souls may speak under sin or under temptations there will be no such language as this if this blessed truth once take place all quarrellings against God all wranglings all carnall pleas are now taken away and the soul lookâ— now upon God and his wayes as without all exception anâ— upon sinfull nature and iâ— wayes as without all excuse and when once a soul comes 〈◊〉 be convinc't and perswaded 〈◊〉 this oh how it blames it seâ—â— cries out upon condemnes 〈◊〉 self and not God at all it 〈◊〉 now a find-fault in its owne wayes not in Gods hence it is we never read of a Saint as a Saint picking quarrels against Gods wayes what ever they might do through infirmity when grace works when faith acts and sends forth its blessed Scouts these bring in such a good report of the Land of Promise of the way to it and the giver of it that a beleevers heart works another way so that his spirit is enlarged and his mouth is opened in speaking good of God of Christ and ill of himself and of sin however he spake before this grace was given to him and now may we not take up Davids words to the wicked O ye fools when will ye be wise when will you learn to know where to pitch which way to go what to choose to bring in good to your selves do not halt be not froward if Baal be God follow him if fin or the world be that God that purposes love shews love saves by his love then follow him but if God be God if he be onely a rock if he onely do thus then look after him 't is not for you to sleep the Lord awake you 't is not for you to sit still the Lord rouze you up out of your base security t' is not for you to love your own and your old wayes you have done that too too long already t is time to be honest t is no season to say with Solomons sluggard yet a little while Prov. 6.10 I would yet be as I have been Heb. 10.37 and do as I have done God saies yet a little while and he will come thy judgement lingers not and wilt thou loyter thy damnation sleeps not and wilt thou sleep 2 Pet. 2.3 nay wilt thou be fast asleep dead asleep when Divine Justice slumbers not takes no nap at all tell me unbeleevers is it not for you to know judgement to know God in all his wayes Micah 3. is it not for you I do not say t is in you to seeke after God after Christ and grace do not thinke to put off
Isa 12.3 God even our God he hath mercifull purposes he hath thoughts of peace towards youâ— beleevers behold your Father clothed with his owne bowels putting on his whole nature of love conceiving for you decreeing for you and reaching out mercy with both hands as it were to you what must you do lo here is for you t is no time to sit still you must be doing your worke is before your eyes draw out now these water-pots be full to the bri and full of excellent wine too say what should hinder us that we should not have the fruit of these mercifull thoughts of our God in these dayes shall we starve when there is bread to be had shall we have this rock before us and not suck any honey out of it when Ioab perceived that the heart of David was toward rebellious and banished Absalom marke how he layes his trayne how he plots and projects to fetch out Davids heart to bring it above ground 2. Sam. 14 to make Davids soul that longed to go forth to Absalom to go forth indeed he fetches a wise woman from Tekoa and she must insinuate her selfe and mask over the matter with darke sayings to get within David and persawade him to fetch home his banished and for this end she hath her lesson from him he puts words into her mouth and all to fetch about the thing by such a forme of speech as was like to be most prevailing beleevers see a pattern for your selves in this case God he longs and his Soule goes forth by longing to his people in their miseries in their troubles in their banishments in this rageing time of the sword his Soule is grieved for their affliction Davids Ioabs the Lords annointed are to take speciall notice of this they are to send their Tekoas to their David to use Gods owne instituted meanes to draw out these bowels of God to make these thoughts visible and to come abroad did not once David long to fetch home his banished and we not long to have these longings forth let not God let not Christ have cause to say as he somtimes spake in the case of his sufferings he looked Isa 62.5 and 64.7 and there was none to help he wondred that there was none to uphold what none to stir in such a case what none to stir up himselfe to take hold of Christ what none to draw out the love of God in Christ towards his people what none to powre out their hearts none to utter words before God none to fetch this thing about by the wisdome of the Spirit where are our bowels of mercies which he that hath put on such bowels himself towards us cals us to put on what shall we see a blessed treasury of divine love and never go to the doore or use the key to open it oh draw out Gods Soule Christs heart unto thee get out these purposes of love that they may come abroad that they may dwell in thy heart and in the Saints more plentifully O yet enough to make thy Soule an habitation for thee to dwell in t is the surest the gloriousest habitation in the whole world o if divine love be a roof ouer thee and a dwelling place for thee who can enter in at these doores to harme thee who can curse thee into wo or thee from weale from blessednesse who can cast thee out of thy house when thou dwellest in God who can keepe thee from thy treasure of riches Isa 58.10 of honour of Comfort and peace when the purposes of thy God run for thy enjoyment of them all some truths and some necessities bespeaks us to draw out our souls towards others this truth bespeaks our graces our care labour endeavour to draw out Gods heart to us when we do the first we see and heare the needs of others when we do the latter then God will see and heare and his thoughts will act forth to the greatest advantage for us let beleevers therefore put forth themselves and their graces for this purpose to draw out more of God of Christ they shall be satisfied the purposes of Gods loue will come and shine and shine forth too see then beleevers your worke in a storme what excellent handed creatures how usefull in trying times you shoul be how you should put on to worke to doe that the thoughts of God towards you may not only come to the birth but may be borne appeare and come abroad and the better to guide you hearken to a few rules in this case which are the very high roade the straite way to from out these thoughts of love draw our God First longing soules after this mercifull appearing of God unto his these will never miscarry Psal 107.9 Psal 141.19 the Lord will satisfie the desire of every longing soule God intends not that his Saints spirituall longings shall kill them he intends satifaction not confusion to them he that gives these desires will fulfill them when the waies of a soule is the way of Gods feare that way cannot do lesse then prosper where God is Alpha he will be Omega where he begins he will end where he workes to desire there hee will satisfie to delight 1 Chron. 11.17 18. When David longed for water from the wel of Bethlehem and said Oh that one would give me to drinke of it His friends would rather venture their owne lives then hee should not have his desire they put their lives in jeopardie they breake thorow the host of the Philistins and fetch him water not regarding their owne lives to supply him Oh what will our God do may we well think to give in the desires of his longing servants surely he will break thorow all to give them of the waters of the well of life He will breake thorow the Host of their unworthinesse through their enemies through their lusts through their unthankfulnesse to fill them with good to give them his refreshings it is not a Philistine shall stand in his way of mercy to his people nor yet whole hosts of them Who art thou O great Mountaine saies God in this case when he intends to reforme his people and to satifie them in this case Zech. 4.7 when any thing comes in the way to withstand him who art sayes God thou great Moun-great Mountain of unbeliefe thou great Mountaine of pride thou great Mountaine of impatiencie before my people you shall become a plaine you shall downe you shall be subdued I will fulfill the desires of my people I will replenish every hungry soul I will satiate every weary soule this is my will Ier. 31.25 and this shall be done Beleevers long not so for peace Psa 101.2 as for the God of peace say with holy David Oh when will hee come unto us Oh when will his thoughts of mercy bee brought forth you may have peace with a Plague plenty with a Plague you may have outward mercies sauced as the
Prophet David that is Psa 29.11 with all that is good When the Lord Christ is setting out his Name his Love his mercy to his Saints in a pure Gospell way like as God proclaimes his Name to Moses under the Law he calls himselfe the Prince of Peace Isa 9.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and stiles his Government the government of Peace and observe it this title of Prince of Peace is the last title and the sweetest the very summe and quintessence of all the rest in this Title Christ discovers the very life of his gracious Name and whither his Name Wonderfull Counsellour the mighty God the everlasting Father doe all tend and what he aymes at in all these Titles he puts upon himself they even run all at last into this one the Prince of Peace they all set him up upon the throne as the Prince of Peace and proclaim his government to be full of Peace as flowing from the wisedome and heart of him that is the wonderfull Counsellour the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace for as the Prince is so is his government as his heart is so is his reigne this peace is that which as it is freely given so it is rarely every one hath it not nor shall have the voice of God to the wicked is like Iehues voice to the messenger of that wicked King What hast thou to doe with peace Let the wicked enquire and aske after peace there is no peace for thee sayes God never dreame of it Isa 5.7.21 Psal 11.6 doe not deceive thy selfe thy portion is fire and brimstone storme and tempest this is thy cup I will raine downe snares I will raine downe troubles I will raine downe destruction upon thee This peace is a large thing it reaches farre The Hebrew word is wide yet it is narrower then peace it self It notes first quiet 2. safety 3. Liberty 4. Plenty Prosperity 5. Strength Soundnesse intirenesse wholenesse 6. Freshnesse and flourishing put all these together they will make a brave peace a full one indeed and we shall see what the Lord meanes by thoughts of peace that is hee intended to make them a quiet people holily secure a safe people fully protected from fears and enemies a free people full of liberty a prosperous people full of plenty an able people full of strength a beautifull people full of freshnesse sweetly flourishing 1. Inward peace This peace it looks two wayes either to the inside or to the outside of a man the first we call peace of Conscience this is the peace indeed a peace full of glory to make up this peace the soule must first live in CHRIST soules dead in sins cannot have a dramme of this peace which alone is the gift of Jesus Christ the Prince of peace 2. The soule must be set in order by the spirit of God ere this peace can come there must be a frame of holinesse ere there can bee the joy of peace 3. The soule must have living and right-grounded apprehensions of the totall removall of all the guilt of his sin and the full purchase of the favour of God by the bloud of Jesus Christ the guilt of sin must be taken off from burdening the Conscience ere this can be for the guilt of sin wil let flye in the face of the soule and cause such troubles such terrors that there can be no rest till these devils be laid till they be cryed down in the soule by the loud voyce of the bloud of Jesus Christ Hence the vote and the voyce of all the soules that knew peace is this Christ is our peace Lastly where this peace is there is power and a ruling power too Eph 2.14 Col. 3.1 Let the peace of God sayes the Apostle trule in your hearts The word notes a chiefdome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aruling by absolute Conquest let it carry away the victory beare away the Bell let it overcome all your unbeliefe your disquietments your troubles all that party Satan and sinne make in you or raise against you let this peace in you be chief and fit at the sterne all will be well then things will goe in the soule of a Beleever in such a way as may make for the soules peace as may feed that increase that Hence it is that when the peace rules such a soule cannot sinne as he did he will not the the seed of God and this seed of his peace amongst the rest remaines in him 1 Ioh. 3.9 and that in such power This peace ruled in Moses his heart and put him upon that blessed choyse Heb. 11.25 that he will not exchange the sweetnesse of this peace for all the gaine pleasures profits of sin nay more this blessed peace alwayes sits Sentinell in a holy watchfulnesse lest the soule should both trouble grieve both his Father and himselfe dishonour his God and interrupt his owne peace Now the Lords thoughts towards his owne are chiefely and mainly for this peace this inward lâ—ving ruling comforting peace You shall have that peace sayâ— God that is mine that peace that sutes with my thoughts that goes beyond yoâ—â— thoughts the reach of yoâ—â— mindes of your understanding This peace which is my peace think to give to you nay oâ— Saviour saies more Ioh. 14.27 I doe giâ—â— to you Secondly 2. Outward peace Ier. 30.21 Is 33.20 Ier. 30.10 Zech. 1.17 for the outward peace this is a freedome froâ— oppression they shall bee 〈◊〉 themselves and no slaves to others sayes God a freedomâ— from troubles and disquiet ments they shall be in a quiet condition and in peaceable habitations a freedome from wâ—â— and danger they shall be in safety they shall lye down safely 〈◊〉 none shall make them afraid 〈◊〉 freedome from want and penury they shall be in prosperity and enjoy abundance Thâ—â— sayes God shall bee the outward portion of my people it â—s in my thoughts thus to deale with them thus to change their condition and bring them forth â—nto light yea to be a light my selfe unto them I doe not intend sayes God that my people shal alwayes be in captivity alwayes bee under oppressing hands but I will breake those â—oaks and bring them out I will save I will deliver them they shall flourish by me and I will be glorified by them look how farre peace can reach extend it to the utmost my people shall enjoy all that and more then can bee uttered such a peace God speaks of here Secondly by thoughts of peace he means the firm and setâ—ed determination of God touching the giving of this peace in its season to his people t is as much as if God should say my decree is this this is my purpose to bestow these blessings upon my people after so many yeares For the second thing concerning these thoughts as they are set downe in a negative way thoughts not of evill he means not of the evill of misery my thoughts
good for his people ere he promised any thing and his promises each one have a fulnesse of time to shew themselves in God purposes all at once he acts not so he brings out his purposes by degrees God determined at once before any time to make a world yet when he does it he will take six dayes to do it he will not finish it with one word but will use many he will not perfect it in one act but he will doe somewhat in every of the six dayes Gods thoughts of sending his Sonne were from all eternity yet he is not promised till the world and time are till man is made and hath made himselfe a sinner too and when is this promise made good Not till the world is even an aged world not till thousands of yeares were over and gone he was promised in the first dayes of the world and 't was the last dayes ere he was born Our God loves to shew unto his servants his unfadomable wisdome in his contrivances his infinite power in his workings his ancient eternal love in all his compassionate passages towards his all these at once the Lord intends to make them perfect full compleat works of love he hath them so long in the frame the Lord intends the patient earnest and long waiting of his people upon his bowels purposes and promises of love although for the present they are encompassed with nothing else but straits and miseries the Lord intends to shew what need his people have of faith and patience that after they have done the wil of God they may inherit the promise the Lord intends to make the fruit of his own bowels sweet enough delicate and dainty to the taste of beleevers the Lord intends to shew how his mercies shall suit with his childrens conditions and how they shall fill up his peoples wants In the fifth place see the glorious and ever blessed Spring from whence rivers and streams of mercy flow Psal 46.4 to the wondrous gladding of the hearts of Saints we wonder sometimes at all the mercies Saints be cloathed with and are ready to make holy Elizabeths enquiry Whence is this and whence is that Yea Saints themselves who partake of the mercy who are refreshed with these Rivers of Gods good pleasure are oft set at a stand and with holy David fall down Psal 31.19 admire and cry O how great is thy goonesse Yea he may adde this and say O how deep is thy goodness The Prophet tells us in a certain place that the judgements of God are as a great deepe the Apostle sayes more of love he speaks of the bredth length height as well as the depth of the love of Christ Eph. 3.18 and he speaks of all these dimensions as infinite of such a length of such a breadth of such a depth of such an height as that which is incomprehensible no mind able to reach this mystery of love this is as deep that it reaches as low as the grave as farre as hell as high as heaven and is every way as unsearchable as the verie heart of God dost thou see a little purling streame of mercie running to a Saint an outward deliverance given to a Saint why this had its beginning in the very bowels and breast of God trace it up to the head to the first rise thou shalt see it first ingraven in the breast of God concluded upon in his heart and stampt upon the very thoughts of God lying and resting there first and then bubling out in Gods season to them dost thou see a soul called justified sanctified through grace conformed to Jesus Christ by the power of his Spirit why all this precious love of God lay in his electing thoughts t' was treasured Rom. 8.29.30 t' was cabinated up there first he was predestinated and fore-ordained to this mercie to enjoy this love in Christ ere the world was so the Apostle witnesses In the sixth place observe the vast and infinite difference betwixt God and Idols the true God and false ones Idols what thoughts have they or purposes of good towards their followers can those determine or decree good Rev. 9.20 concerning whom the Spirit bears record that they can neither see nor hear nor walk can gold silver brasse stone wood the work of the crafts-man decree good for those that trust in them God the true God he is in the heavens there he dwels and there he rules and there he blesses Idols they lie in the bowels of the earth Joh. 8.23 from thence they come they are from beneath as Christ speaks and that every way both in their originall spirituall as being from hell and naturall too as being in and from the earth God he makes man and does whatsoever pleases him to man and to all creatures Idols mans hand makes them and a Devils heart together they make nothing unlesse it be destruction God hath a mouth to speak to and for his people he can does and will speake comfortably to them but Idols have speechles mouthes mouthes that be very cyphers that cannot speak God hath eyes and eyes that can see and that are open and most vigilant to see all his peoples wants and what will supply them Idols eyes they are sightlesse eyes eyes and no eyes eyes without light and full of darknesse God he hath ears to hear Baal hath none though Idolaters cry O Baal hear us and cry aloud and long yea cut and launce themselves too God hath hands that can order his people govern protect blesse them Idols hands they are withered hands they can do nothing they handle not they have no use of them and their followers shall have no comfort of them they have no life no strength no motion in them thus the faithfull ones in the 115. Psal 115. Psalm do enter the lists with those Idolaters and take this course to stop the mouthes of these wretches whose usuall language unto the people of God in their affliction was in this upbraiding way where is now your God by comparing together their God upbraided and the Heathenish God served what be your gods to our God say his people ours is in the heavens where is yours upon the dunghill earth dunghill gods as they are that answer is intimated by the faithfull our God he is all eye all eare all power all mercie all act yours cannot stir move see hear do ought for you or for themselves thus they lay their Idols flat and their Dagons on the floore and will neither suffer Idols to be praised nor their God to be contemned Oh let us have our eyes opened and our hearts incouraged to stand up and both openly and earnestly to protest for God and against all false gods and false wayes Oh let the consideration of this make our hearts speak truly and freely and say our God with these holy ones Let our hearts admire our God own our God plead for our God stand
with that stock alroady given ere he will trust them with more he that knowes when is his season to give out his mercy will never bestow it till he can say now it is seasonable now is the right time now behold the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me c. come now therefore and I will send thee unto Pharaoh Exod. 3.9.10 that thou mayest bring forth my people out of Egypt See God hath his now ere the cry of the Israelites comes to him his now ere he hears their cry his now ere he comes down to deliver his now ere he sends Moses to Pharoah upon this errand of deliverance and this his now was not till they had been under the Egyptian slavery many years till all their male children had the black doom of death upon them till their sighes and groanes broke forth into cries and their cryes came up to God which did therfore ascend so high because they were mixt with so much faith expectation which spake thus much in Gods eares that surely he that dwels in heaven and was their God would see their oppressions with a pitying eye would hear their groanes with a mercifull heart and come down with his love and with his power for to deliver them Thirdly Christians live by faith put forth and that to the life this living grace take need of despising promises of staggering at or of being beaten back from these sweet words and precious things of God made and ratified given and performed to us in JESUS CHRIST hath our GOD said it and will he not do it hath he spoken any thing that he will let fall and not bring to passe What are Iehovahs words but as winde see to it that nothing beat you off from beleeving in Gods purposes in his thoughts so sweetly revealed in his promises for you and to you if you will have God Now come for deliverance for Salvation let God have his Now for beleeving our Gods voyce is Now if ye can beleeve Now if ye canrest upon me Heb. 3.7 To day if ye heare my voice of mercy ye shall enter into my rest the Israelites were brought into Canaan by faith and unbeliefe shut the doore against thousands of them that they could never enter in if we stand and say Heb. 19. v. there be Gyants in the way to our peace there be sons of Anack there be walls there be Wars there bee Enemies open and secret betwixt us and our good us and our Gospel us and our peace if wee suffer our selves to backslide from Christ the Captaine of our Salvation to fly off from promises to sinke with discouragements and to cry out in the midst we are all undone we are past cure we can never be reformed We can never have a right a blessed peace what is this but to say with the unbeleeving Israelites we shall never bee able to overcome the Gyants to climbe up the walls to possesse Canaan and some indeed to shut the door of hope against our selves turne the fruitfull Valley of Achor which the Lord would give us into the stony and barren wildernesse of of our own unbeleefe What is this but to stop up all that might never enter in nor enjoy what God purposes for and promises to these that doe beleeve Christians if we can beleeve we may conclude all things are possible let us not clip our owne wings our wings of Faith especially Isa 40.41 how shall we fly then How shall we mount up as Eagles then far above all below things to Jesus Christ How shall we be setled then nay how shall we chuse but hover flutter up and down upon the earth of our own hearts and of the times Christians see to it unbeliefe is a bloody thing it knits more it kills worse then any sword unbeliefe is the greatest plunderer it takes a way all it leaves nothing no not a promise of mercy nor a God that promises it do you not thinke the sword kills enough do you not thinke the enemies of Christ plunder enough waste enough Oh be not self destoyers by selfe-unbelieefe Our greatest danger lyes here if ever we miscary if ever we be shut out of Canaan if ever we be cut off and perish the enemie and adversarie is this Wicked Haman this accursed unbeliefe it sels us and all we have first over to sin and then to misery it makes a forfeiture of all we have into the hands justice yee and keeps off all good that is comming into our hands Oh beleeve and and we shall prosper beleeve and the streame will bee turned God will bee found Israel will be saved the Canaanites will be bread for us God himself will be a portion for us we are now like to gaine much or lose much if faith turne the Scales wee are made if unbeliefe turne the Scales we are destroyed Our God is now laying a foundation for many generations a foundation of such good that not only his servants in this present age but the children that are yet unborne might blesse him for these beginnings of such love for the first stone laid in our daies Oh! let not us remove such a foundation let us not roll away this stone with the accursed hands of unbeleefe What shall we cloud the Sun from our selves that it may not shine upon us Shall wee blast the blossomes and buds of mercy by the East-winde of our unbeleefe shall we blow away the sweet showers of blessing with the rough winde of our own lusts God forbid beleevers this is all the burden the Spirit of God puts upon you that which ye have who have Christ graces light promises hold fast till Christ comes the zeale you have for the Lord God of Hosts for Christ the Captain of Salvation and the King of Saints against Rome against sin against the times hold fast the faith and confidence you have in Christ in his promises hold fast the title you have to Christ to all good in him hold fast leave not a promise no not the least title in a promise of a thousand worlds deale with these as Iob resolved and did with his integrity hold them fast till ye dye let no enemie remove you from these hold these when ye cannot hold your estates when you must leave creatures resolve upon it to keep these let not fears affright thee or allurements entice thee to withdraw thy selfe and to returne from following after these but say to promises yea to Christ who speaks in and by them to thee as Ruth said to Naomi Ruth 1.16 where thou goest I will goe and where thou lodgest I will lodge I will be where Christ is I will live where Christ lives I will walke where he walkes I will dwell were he dwels Nothing shall perswade mee to returne from following after thee from resting upon thy word I wil not live in the hopes of men I will not live in the successe of
agonyes to travail with Zion be content to endure hardnesse much more to be oft with God to be earnest with him he hath bowels to pity he hath an eye to see he hath an hand to help and therefore will have an ear to heare hath our God given into our hands the blessed key of his owne treasury of love and will you hide it or pack it up rather then open the doore with it what shall God the same God who by his grace and Spirit makes the prayers and makes them so prevailing and perfectly knowes that hidden strength of the prayers of faith shall he come and tell us they prevaile and prevaile much and that in the lowest and saddest state of the Saints too and shall we lay them aside what do we looke that either a Gospel reformation or a mercifull peace should be so given to us as to be put into our mouthes whilst we are prayerlesse sleeping slothfull have we wrestled against God like froward ones and shall we not wrestle with God like believers have we given our hearts our hands our help to make a land naked and waste Col 3.12 and shall we looke after no covering no clothing no mercy for it oh put on bowels of mercy and as the Elect of God too naturall compassions or some piece of Spirituall mercyes let not them serve your turne but put on bowels in a way of love and tendernesse as you have put on Christ in a way of faith Phil. 2.1 if there be any consolation yea salvation which is the cause of it in Christ if there be any comfort in love if there be any fellowship of the spirit if there be any bowels and mercies fulfill the joy of Gods people answer their expectations set in to GOD for them yea for your selves in these needfull times On let not a Land sink becasue you will not pray because your hearts sink from God! Oh let not Amalek prevail because you will not hold up your hand Oh let not the Goliahs still boast dare and defie because there be no Davids to go forth against them Why may not the prayers of Faith save a sick Land a dying a bleeding Kingdome from the hurtfull sword Why may not God accept of teares in Christ the powrings out of the soul in him Job 22.30 Why may not the innocent so are beleevers lookt upon in Christ deliver the Island Who knowes what a spirit of grace and supplication can do may do He is faithfull that hath promised he will do what ever he hath said the Lord make his people earnest in pleading and faithfull in applying his promises faithfull in suing to his throne by instant and incessant prayers in working up and winding up their hearts to a strong a patient a joyfull dependance on him and then if we perish we perish we may then lose all lose-able things with comfort and finde all saving and eternall things in God oh thou beleeving soul do but thinke what solid consolation thou shalt reapt when thou canst call the salvation of God Naphtali my wrastling when the soul can call the downfall of Idolatry my wrastling a right Reformation my wrastling an happy execution my wrastling a putting up of the sword and the commings in of a sweet peace my wrastling and can say concerning Gods deliverances his salvations as Rachel said sometimes in another case with great wrastlings have I wrastled with my God and I have prevailed for this and for that and the other mercy I prayed 1 Sam. 1.20 and the Lord hath given me my petitions which I asked of him Oh it will exceedingly rejoyce the heart of a Believer to see all his mercies and all the faithfull ones mereies too to be as so many Samuels so many things asked of God as well as given of him Christians let me bespeak you with the words of the Prophet Isa 62.6 7. and lay it close with the Lords own charge upon you Ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence and give him no rest till he establish for that our God will do and till he make Ierusalem a praise though now it is made a prey in the whole earth You are not to keep silence now you are not to sit still sullen cast down or disquieted you are not now to faint but to bestir your selves to work that God may work you cannot build Jerusalem or establish it when it is built or make it famous make a praise whilst it stands it is not in your power but you know a God that can you love a God that can up to him then wrastle strive to enter into his bowels of love get but him to work get but his right hand to save get but the arm of his strength of his salvation to be made bare for us and we shall be saved Zion shall be comforted and all her Enemies troden down as the mire of the street Vse 4 In the last place this truth shines bright and reaches farre in way of consolation and divine encouragement for and to the Saints it comes full of sweet joy and spirituall solace to the hearts of Believers in these trying and troublous times it answers many a sighing groaning burthened Saint as the Lord answered the Angel that is Christ that talked with Zechariah with good words and comfortable words Zech. 1.13 we now have our eares fild with sad complaints and how usually and freely do men take on for their losses Thus it is with me sayes one and thus it is with me sayes another call not me Naomi call not me pleasant but call me Mara for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me I was full Ruth 1.20 but now I am empty I was worth so much within these few dayes but now I have lost all oh the Lord hath testified against me oh the Almighty hath afflicted me well grant all this let there be even flouds of misery abroad say mans day of darknesse is begun what then is there no hope no Saviour Psal 39.7 may not the Saints turn themselves towards God and say Lord our hope is even in thee what do we wait for what is all our hope besides this hope states names friends an arm of flesh carnal contrivances worldly dependencies are they not all Spiders webs are they not suddenly and easily swept down Truly our hope is in thee in thy love in thy fulnesse in thy thoughts in thy blessed purposes here we can read peace in trouble good in evill both things and times light in darknesse comfort in sorrowes Oh let us rejoyce in these thoughts of our God rejoyce in the Lord ye righteous and well they may is there not cause look not upon God through the false glasse of the times look not upon this Sun as in an Eclipse he is riâ—ing he is shining he is warming those souls he looks and darts upon who can make void who can empty out Gods purposes of â—ove who