absence such a Spirit as shall teach them comfort them and be â—…ead of all to them give them such Joy Courage and 〈◊〉 as the world can neither give nor take away 27 vers Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you c. The abode of God and Christ with them Thirdly In the 23. verse in the Text We will come and makeour abode with him while you keep my words which is the great promise here If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him The words of the Text are an answer to the question of Judas not Iscariot Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self unto us and not unto the world Jesus Christ gives the answer If a man love me he will keep my words c. To him the promise is made That the Father will love him They love him that keep his words and to these he hath said he will manifest his love to them and make his abode with them In which words there are three parts considerable Parts of the Text. 3. First A Supposition If a man love me he c. Secondly A Position Which is the effect of that love He will keep my words Thirdly A Promise Which is twofold First Of the Fathers love My Father will love him Secondly The Co-habitation of the Father and Son with such a person We will come unto him and make our abode with him The Observations that I intend to insist upon are two Doct. 2 First That it is the duty and special property of them that love Jesus Christ in sincerity to keep the words of Christ Secondly That God and Christ will make their abode with them that keep his words First Of the first of these That it is the duty and special property of them that love Jesus Christ in sincerity to keep the words of Christ. If any man love me he will keep my words he will do my will walk in my wayes treasure up my truths and Counsells This Doctrine requires three things to be spoken to in their order First That Jesus Christ must be truly loved Secondly What it is to keep his words Thirdly Why it is both the duty and property of them that love him to keep his words First That Jesus Christ must be truly loved there is such an indispensible necessity of this that the Apostle sayes 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be Anathema Maranatha let him be cursed But because every one pretends highly to love Jesus Christ and but few that love him indeed I shall shew two things more briefly First Who he is that truly loves him Secondly Why we should all truly love him First Who he is that truly loves Christ First He truly loves Jesus Christ who upon the discovery and tender of Jesus Christ in the Gospel as King Priest and Prophet can willingly deny all for him as the Merchant Mat. 13.45.46 sold all that he had for the goodly Pearl And so Paul Phil. 3.8 accounts all Dung his parts his righteousness by the Law his greatest excellencies He loves Christ in Deed and not in Shew only who can leave the world his dearest lusts his best righteousness for Christ This is a true conjugal love Psal 45.10 Hearken O daughter and confider and encline thine ear forget also thine own people c. When Christ sees that we have such a love to him that we will part with all for him then he sees a beauty in us that delights him Secondly He truly loves Jesus Christ who having received him will rather lose all than part with him again who accounts Jesus Christ better than his best things as he sayes in Mat. 10.37 He that loves Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me c. therefore sayes the Spouse Cant. 8.6 Set me as a seal upon thine heart as a seal upon thine arm let me be so united to thee that I may never be sever'd from thee It is a very hard lesson and an irksom duty for the best of men to part with friends liberty peace life all these or either of these sweet mercies but to part with Christ nothing can perswade or enforce the Soul that truly loves him that 's a thought more cruel than the Grave witness the holy Martyrs a whole cloud of witnesses that notable and eminent Galeacius Marquess of Vâ—… c. Thirdly He that truly loves Jesus Christ takes abundance of delight in Communion with him No pleasure like the kisses of his mouth no sweetness like that of his bosom all his wayes are peace and his paths pleasantnesse Christ makes every condition Comfortable there is no comfort of life but in that little enjoyment of Christ that the Soul hath in his life 't is Communion with Christ converse with him that is all my comfort and pleasure in the world O how doth the Spouse take care that he be not disturbed in Cant. 2.7 I charge you O yee daughters of Jerusalem by the Roes and by the Hinds of the field that ye stirr not up nor awake my Love till he please The words are an allusion to one that would not have her Friend disturbed and speaks to her Companions and charges them by all that is dear and pleasant to them not to break the rest of her best Beloved and shews the wonderful delight the Soul takes in Communion with Jesus Christ and the special care that it alwayes hath that no Tentation break in nor corruption break out to interrupt that sweet Communion or occasion Christs departure who will not for any profit commit any sin or cause Jesus Christ to depart from him Fourthly He that truly loves Jesus Christ having lost the sight of him is never satisfied till he come to the re-enjoyment of him is alwayes at losse and is never quiet till he enters into a fresh acquaintance and communion with him as in that of Joseph and Mary they having lost their Son went seeking till they found him So Cant. 3.1,2,3 c. By night on my Bed I sought him whom my Soul loveth I sought him but I found him not I will rise now and go about the City in the Streets and in the broad wayes c. I said to the Watchmen Saw ye him whom my Soul loveth c. By all which is expressed the sedulous care and industry of a living Soul seeking after Christ First By night in her bed Jesus Christ hath her bed thoughts i. in her Closet and private duties of Prayer serious Meditations Spiritual Ejaculations and secret self Examinations in all these the Soul enquires As one that loves the World by night his Meditation is of the World so the man of pleasures and honours is pursuing his lusts in the night season The wicked man is contriving mischief upon his bed So the Soul that loves Christ his thoughts are still at
work after Christ Secondly I will rise now and go about the City c. i. I will betake my self to all publick Ordinances and shew more zeal and life in my duties and in these will I make enquiry Thirdly I asked the watch-men i. the Ministers of the Gospel which are or should be as faithful watch-men that watch for our Souls and be able to speak a word in season c. So nothing will satisfie the Soul that truly loves Christ without him and no means shall be neglected till she enjoy Him Secondly Why must he be thus beloved Reason 1 First Because he is lovely altogether lovely First Lovely in his life observing all the will of God there was a wonderful beauty upon him if we behold and can understand that hidden glory of an untainted Holinesse and exact conformity to the will of God Secondly Lovely in his death never more lovely and amiable to the believing Sinner then when he was most despicable in the eyes of Rebellious Sinners O then he appears most beautiful and desireable when he hangs on the Crosse there making our Peace procuring our Pardon obtaining Life and Glory for us by that shameful death Thirdly Lovely in all his Graces each Grace a matchlesse Jewel Rocks of Diamonds Mountains of Pearl not worthy to be mentioned with the least of his Excellencies If he put but a little of this Grace upon any Soul though he be never so vile cloath'd with corruption as in Ezek. 16. from the 9. to the 16 vers yet may be made beautiful by his Comelinesse Fourthly Lovely in all his Ordinances in which the more immediate sight the Soul hath of him the more he is taken with his Beauty No wonder he is call'd in Hag. 2.7 the desire of all Nations Reason 2 Secondly Because of his deserving love we loved him because he first loved us Consider in his love these four particulars First He laid down his life for us such a Love will deserve love and life too Joh. 15.13 Greater Love hath no man then this that a man lay down his life for his friend Secondly He lives now in Heaven for us 7 Heb. 25. He ever liveth to make intercession for them He is there minding our necessities agitating our affairs by his sitting there we have Liberty of comming thither by his sitting there in glory we have our standing here in Grace Thirdly He accounts that as done to himself that is done to them that are his Zach. 2.8 He that toucheth you toucheth the Apple of his eye and Mat. 10.40,41,42 c. He that receiveth you receiveth me and so he said to Saul Acts 9.4 why persecutest thou me when he was with Commission from the High Priest dragging the poor Professors of Jesus Christ to the Prison Fourthly He longs to have us with him Joh. 17.24 Father I will that where I am there they may be also to behold my Glory He is not q. d. satisfied without their company and is alwayes imparting his most secret Counsels to them Joh. 15.16 Henceforth I call you not Servants for the Servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have called you Friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you Reason 3 Thirdly Because otherwise we shall not regard his words which is intimated in the Text If we love him we shall keep his Words but if we love him not we will not keep his Words It is want of love to Christ that is the cause of the abounding of every sin for if we did love him we should keep his Commands which is the second particular Secondly What is it to keep the words of Christ First There is a Natural and Mental keeping of the words of Christ and so we must keep them that is Remember his Words his promises Counsels and Appointments The Memory is mans Storehouse or Cabinet that should be kept Sacred for the Truths of Christ So the Disciples kept the word of Christ when they remembred his sayings and David Psal 119.93 J will never forget thy Precepts for by them thou hast quickned me i. I will keep thy Precepts for what we forget we lose and what we remember we keep And thus as Friends take pleasure to look sometimes on the Love-tokens of their absent Friends So may we have singular comfort and refreshment to see the Heart of Christ in the Counsels Promises and Appointments left with us Secondly There is an Evangelical and Practical keeping of the words of Christ When we do believe promises and obey commands Promises not believed and Precepts not obeyed are as water spilt on the earth besides the vessel that should receive it Heb. 4.2 but when they are believed they be as liquor put into the vessel for its proper use Hence saies Christ Luke 11.28 Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it Then we keep the words of Christ when we believe his promises observe his precepts in all our conversation and walk by his appointments and institutions in all our duties Thirdly Why 't is their property and duty that love Jesus Christ to keep his words Reason 1 First Because true love is comprehensive He that love Christ truly loves all that is his He that loves him that begat loves him also that is begotten The nearer any thing is to Christ the better it is beloved and then we love the word when we keep it as a special pledge of his love To have his word and a heart to keep it is a double blessing and indeed such a gift as the word of Christ is is worthy to be loved for it self and kept for the givers sake Reason 2 Secondly Because true love is Operative 't is the principle of Gospel obedience 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ constraineth us Where there is the disposition of a Son there will be obedience to the Fathers commands so where there is a spiritual love to Christ it will set the soul on work and quicken it to keep the words of Christ as is said of Faith Shew me thy Faith by thy works So shew thy love to Christ by thy works as Faith without works is dead so is love without obedience Reason 3 Thirdly Because keeping the words of Christ gives the clearest and surest testimony of the truth of our love to Jesus Christ. Probatio delectationis est exhibitio operis Greg. Hom. Obedience is the most lively testification of love as Christ said to Peter Lovest thou me c. shew it in this in doing thy duty Feed my sheep So Christ tells us in the Text Where the fire of love is in the breast there the flame of duty and service is in the hands Joh 15.14 Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you In the 1 Joh. 5.3 In this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments Use 1 Use 1. For Exhortation First To a mental keeping of the words of Christ according
to that word Heb. 2.1 We ought therefore to give the more diligent heed to the things which we have received lest at any time we let them slip And that we may not forget but keep in our memories the words of Christ First consider That all the promises and counsells which Jesus Christ hath made known to us are not only for present but for future use Isa 42.23 Hearken and hear for the time to come We should hear as if we were to hear no more The Cordial which hath some time revived us must not be laid aside lest for want of it another time we faint quite away The reason why they were ready to faint under afflictions Heb. 13.5 was because they had forgotten the exhortation which speaketh to them as to Sons For this cause Jesus Christ often bids his Disciples remember the word he had spoken to them and knowing their frailty promises his spirit Joh. 14.26 and that sayes he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall bring to your remembrance Secondly consider Not to remember the words of Christ is a sad sign of our dis-esteem of Jesus Christ We usually remember Precepts Counsels and Sayings according to the authority which the person hath with us from whence they come It is a very great dishonour to Jesus Christ when we shall cast his words behind our backs Did we honour Jesus Christ as our King Lord and Lawgiver we should be more careful to remember what he hath spoken to us We often blame our heads as if the fault lay only there that we do not remember the words of Christ when indeed the fault lies most in the hearts that we have not more love and esteem of Christ there Thirdly The time will come when we shall dearly repent every truth forgotten that we did not endeavour to seal instruction upon our hearts First When God shall with-hold instruction from us because we have refused it the time may come when as Amos 8.12 Men shall run to and fro and seek the word of the Lord and shall not find it and then we shall see the worth of the word that now we prize not Secondly When God shall call us to an account for all the Sermons and Instructions we have received as he will certainly do though we forget yet he will remember and he will ask how we have kept and improved the Word he hath spoken to us To help us in keeping or remembring the words of Christ Directions First Let your hearts be affected with the worth and excellency of the word that it is more precious than Gold or Silver and then we shall keep it as choice treasure That which a man prizeth he will keep in safe custody and have often in his eyes as David sayes of the word Psal 119.97 O how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day long It a man account the word as his treasure he will not forget it as Jerem. 2.32 Can a Maid forget her Ornaments or a Bride her Attires This they forget not Yet because we account not the word as excellent and necessary as these therefore it follows Yet my people have forgotten me dayes without number Secondly Apply every word of Christ to your own souls though men will not keep what is anothers yet usually they keep what is their own while men carve away the word to others as if it concern'd them not 't is no marvel if they keep it not but if we accounted every word as spoken to us and our portion we should hear and keep it Men remember the news which concerns themselves We should hear Christ speaking as Job 5.27 Hear thou this know it for thy good Thirdly Meditate often upon what you have received as Mary pondered the sayings which she heard in her heart The way to keep any thing safe is to have a constant eye upon it Meditation is the Souls serious retiring into it self to take a view of all that of God that is laid up within it self Fourthly Hasten to do all that you have heard and learned Psal 119.60 It is said by David I made hast and prolonged not the time to keep his Commandments A man will not easily forget his Trade so if we daily obey commands and believe promises we cannot easily forget the commands and promises given to us which last direction leads to the second exhortation Exh. 2 Secondly It may exhort us to keep the words of Christ with an Evangelical and Practical keeping Keep the word as a man keeps his Rule or the Souldier keeps his Weapon let not the word depart from thee and do not thou depart from it by forsaking the appointments and commands of Christ First consider That if we do not keep the words of Christ by obeying and a suitable walking we do but in vain pretend love to Jesus Christ as they that had no more of Christ but to call him Lord Mat. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven c. So not every one that sayes he loves me but he that doth my word he is my friend Secondly consider what a sin it is to pretend love to Christ and not so truly to love him as to keep his words 't is Hypocrisie they be Christ's false friends an open enemy is less dangerous than they Ezek. 33.31 They hear thy words but they will not do them their heart goes after their covetousness They be false to themselves and delude their own souls with a bare profession and hearing Jam. 1.22 Be doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving your own souls Secondly consider what judgement they incurre and who can tell how great it is 't is call'd a beating with more stripes when the least stripe from that hand can break the loynes Luke 12.47 He that knoweth his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes Secondly consider This is the clearest evidence of our interest in Christ of his love to us that we keep his Commandments By this we know that we have him as our Christ when we do not only love him as a Jesus a Saviour but obey him as a Lord and follow his Law When God shall write his Law in our hearts Is not this an evidence that Christ is ours Thirdly Great and many are the encouragements which he hath promised to them that keep his words There be many blessings in the word but they only have the blessings for theirs who keep his word Jam. 1.15 Whoso looketh into the perfect Law of Liberty and continueth therein he being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work this man shall be blessed in his deed he shall ask what he will and have it Joh. 15.7 If you abide in me and my words abide in you ask what you will and it shall be done unto you Direct That we may do the words of Christ First Let it be the aim and intentions of our souls when we
come to hear to turn hearing into doing Say as Paul did Acts 9.6 Lord what wilt thou have me to do and Cornelius Acts 10.33 Now therefore are we all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God Secondly Beg of God to give you such a heart that you may not only say as the people in a good humour once to Moses All that thou shalt speak unto us that will we observe and do but find your hearts such as in Deut. 5.29 O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my Commandments always c. It is he by whom the word is made as James hath it ◠Jam. ◠1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 engraffed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A fruit-bearing word Begin all your hearing with prayers and conclude them with prayers because 't is of the greatest concernment Use 2 Lastly A use of comfort First If we keep this word the word will keep us It will keep us in the worst of times yea at all times Pro. 6.22 When thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee and when thou awakest it shall talk with thee If you keep his Commands his Commands will keep you If you keep his Promises his Promises will bring you to Glory Secondly If we keep his word we shall not want present comforts The present gratuities which we have from Christ should be enough to encourage us if there were no future reward Psal 19. In keeping of them there is great reward 1 Tim. 4. ◠verse Thirdly Jesus Christ hath promised a blessedness to such persons they be a blessed people Rev. 1.3 Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this Prophecy and keep those things which are written therein and so in Luke 11.28 Blessed are they c. and with the best of blessings doth be crown them in the Text My Father will love him and we will come to him and will make our abode with him which is the second observation Obs 2 God and Christ will make their abode with them that keep his word In which Observation we shall take notice of these three particulars First How God and Christ do make their abode with them that keep his word Secondly Why God and Christ will make their abode with such Thirdly What an excellent blessing it is to have God and Christ abiding with us First How God and Christ do make their abode with them that keep his word in which these three particulars must be shown 1. How God abides with his People 2. How Jesus Christ abides with them 3. How both God and Christ will make their abode with them that keep his word First How God the first Person in the Trinity is said to make his abode with them that keep his word And this will be two wayes seen First It is not here to be understood of his common or general presence as he is the infinite God and being Omnipresent fills Heaven and Earth for so he abides with all the works of his hands yea so he is with them that fear him not Secondly It is here properly understood of Gods abode by way of special presence as he is a gracious Father there fore Jesus Christ doth first express the Fathers love and then his abode as the product and fruit of his love My Father will love him and we will come unto him c. He will come and abide with his as a God in Covenant with them therefore hath he put it into a promise in the 2. Cor. 6.16 I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people Secondly How Jesus Christ will make his abode with them that keep his word which will be shown also First Negatively Secondly Affirmatively First Negatively It is not to be understood of a carnal or corporeal presence of Christ as the Papist imagine as if the flesh of Christ could be in all places whom the Heavens must contain till the time of restitution of all things for saies the Apostle 2. Cor. 5.16 acknowledging If he had known Christ after the flesh yet so he knows him no more Secondly Affirmatively He makes abode with his people after a spiritual manner God the Father makes his abode with his Servants as a Father to them Jesus Christ abides with them as the Head of his Church as it is in Ephe. 5.23 He is the Head of his Church and the Saviour of his Body God abides with us in Christ Jesus Christ abides with us by his Spirit Corn ◠lap A learned Author shews four ways of Christs abode with Believers 1. Politicè ut Rex in Regno As a King in his Kingdom and so he gives Laws as the only Head and King of his Church protects them and order all their affairs 2. Oeconomicè ut Puter in Dome As a Father in his House and so he takes care and makes provision for his people as a Father doth for his Family 3. Ethicè ut ratio in homine As reason in a man which is the light that directs man in all his actions so Jesus Christ directs and leads his people 4. Phisice us Anima in Corpore As the Soul in the Body which animates and acts the whole man without which the Body is a dead and liveless Trunck so Jesus Christ doth quicken our soules by whom we have spiritual life And that he is the Head of his Church and thus abides with them First consider He hath all grace and life in him John 5.26 As the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself therefore the Psalmist saies Psal 36.9 With thee is the Well of life and in thy light shall we see light Secondly From him is all grace and life conveyed out unto us John 1.16 of his fulness have we all received and grace for grace Yea whatsoever we receive from the Spirit of God we have from him originally as in John 16.15 For he shall take of mine and shew it unto you Thirdly How God and Christ are both said to make their abode with them that keep his word And this I shall shew to be three wayes First by their special Providence and Inspection with them and so we may see them in several Scriptures abiding with them as in Zach. 1.8,9,10 verses there 's Jesus Christ among the 〈…〉 which represent the Church and in Revel 1.13 He is there in the midst of his Golden Candlesticks and David tells us of his experience of Gods presence with him Psal 73.23 I am continually with thee thou upholdest me with thy right hand and the Apostle Paul 2 Tim. 4.17 The Lord stood by me indeed the eyes of the Lord are upon the Righteous and he hath said he will not leave them Secondly They make their abode with them in the Gospel and Gospel Ordinances where
them Sure it was some great guilt in the former verses we find it to be their Hypocrisie Apostacy and Idolatry any taint of this kind will make the jealous God forsake our solemn meetings Secondly Pray God and Christ into all your Civil affairs The Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with God in their entrance upon every work was a commendable practise It is reported of Publius Scipio the Roman that he would alway go first to the Capitol and then to the Senate So we should begin our Civil Imployments with Spiritual duties And do as Abrahams Servant when he was to take a wife for his Masters Son he took God along with him and thus to abide with God is to have God to abide with us Therefore sayes the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called and in the 24 verse Brethren let every man wherein he is called therein abide with God And God will abide with him Thirdly Pray God and Christ to your Tables at your eating and drinking For man doth not live by bread onely If these be Guests at your Tables you must needs have Cheer enough there 's more sweetnesse in a morsel with them then in all dainties without them And then you may be sure also your Tables shall not become a Snare unto you Theophrastus reports of the Heathens that they did first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they did first Sacrifice and then Kill lay on their meat entertain and eat And it is the Apostles rule seeing all things come of God through Christ That God and Christ should not be Unbidden Guests but as in 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether you eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the Glory of God Fourthly Pray God and Christ along with you in Morning when you rise and at Evening when you lie down visit him Morning by Morning and Evening by Evening this is the way to have a Prosperous day and a Safe night David took this course Psal 4.8 I will both lay me down and take my rest for thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety and this gave Jacob such a pleasant Dream Gen. 28. that having God with him he was an night within view of Heaven Dir. 2 Secondly Love God and Christ above all and then God and Christ will not depart from you For He shews mercy to Thousands of them that love him and hath made over Himself and Heaven and All to them that love him It is reported of Ignatius that his Love was such to God and Christ that he had the name of Christ Cordi ejâ—…s inscâ—…iptum Graven upon his heart It is such a heart-Heart-love that He requires for He is a jealous God and will have all our Love If we Love any thing better First It will steal away our Hearts from God And Secondly It will take off the Heart of God from us so that God and Christ will set themselves against us Dir. 3 Thirdly If we would have God and Christ to make their constant abode with us Delight in the Society and Fellowship of the People of God with whom they dwell Never be ashamed to converse with them whom God and Christ do own for theirs The Apostles argument why we should entertain Strangers in Heb. 13.2 because thereby some have entertained Angels unawares is but mean and inconsiderable to this Reason why we should entertain and own the Saints of God for thereby we are sure to entertain Christ as in Mat. 25.40 For this cause the Gibeonites made a League with Israel For we have heard that God is with you And there is a promise in Zech. 8.23 That Ten men out of all Languages shall take hold of the skirt of a Jew saying we will go with you for we have heard that God is with you Mal. 3.16 They that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkned and heard it c. He was with them and indeed God dwells in the Tabernacles of the Righteous Dir. 4 Fourthly If we would have the constant abode of God and Christ with us Let us keep our selves clean from Sin our Hearts pure Consciences undefiled and as the Apostle sayes voyd of Offence towards God and towards Men very careful not to Sin against God and very circumspect not to Sin against Man that this may be our Comfort that the world must needs say of us as they did of Daniel that they could find nothing against him save in the Law of his God as in Daniel 6.5 Whatever others doe beware of Sin Say as Joshuah I and my House will serve the Lord. Watch against Sin Chuse any Suffering rather then the least Sin Consider in that choice two particulars First Consider in all your sufferings God will be with you but in any of your Sins he will not abode with you as in the example of Israel Exod. 32.23 When the Calf was got into the Camp God forsakes the Hoast of Israel When Saul forsook the Lord the Spirit of the Lord forsook him That was an excellent Saying of Azariah the Son of Obed in the 2 Chron. 15.2 and Oh that all England could hear it Hear thou me Asa and all Judah The Lord is with you while you be with him If you seek him he will be found of you but if ye forsake him he will forsake you Secondly Consider 'T is an Act of high presumption reflecting much upon the Purity and Holynesse of God for 〈◊〉 to imagine that God will own and prosper them with his Presence while they go on to do wickedly in their Whoredomes Drunkenesse Blasphemy and all manner of Prophanesse which God can no more own then disown himself So they foolishly promised themselves Peace Deut. 29.19 though they walk in the imagination of their Hearts and add Drunkennesse to Thirst But the Lord will not spare but his Anger and Jealousie shall smâ—ak against them till he hath brought them down from their high Mount of a Sinful and Carnal Confidence Therefore the Prophet reproves that wicked people Mich. 3.11 where the Judges the Priests and the Prophets were corrupted Yet they say Is not the Lord among us none evil can come upon us Therefore shall Zion be plowed as a Field c. as Abner said to Joab This will prove an evil thing and a bitter in the latter end as Galen sayes of Meats Quae dulcia sunt facile in bilem amaritudinem convertuntur Sweet meats generate Choller and Corrupt matter So Sin that is a sweet morsel now will be Shame Death and Hell at last Dir. 5 Fifthly With an humble acknowledgment of former Barrennesse under Gods gracious presence with you resolve and endeavour to be more fruitful God never left his Vineyard and pull'd up the Hedge and commanded the Rain not to fall upon it in Isai 5. till it became Barren or did bear corrupt fruit The exil'd Confessors in Queen Maries dayes confessed that