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Show Horv it itppe4retb that 3· La Illy, Ir may be concluded, from the End of Gods ajjl,lling of hir ptoplr. The wife God (who is the highell rational Agent) doth a11 things for fome wif< end: when he abfenrs himfelf from - his people, it is for fame wife End.' Now what is the end which the Scripture affcrts of Gods affi ding his people? It is fet down in Scripture negatiPe/y,not to confumc,not utterly to dellroy them, but to chaflife them that thry might not go .altogethtr IIHJ>uni/hed; To trJ' them; To prevent their condemnatioN with the world, 1 Cor.rr. To make th"" ack._nowlrdge thtir ojft1scu, and feek._his (ace. Hof. 5. 17. He doth not allliCl: rhem,eirher ro torment and wrture them; no, he hath no delight to crujbthe Prifomrs: he doth not grieve wiVi~gly, norwillingly ojJliCI, L.am,3. Now all thefe Ends may be obtained in a fhort rime, and are often fo attained. And by Gods perpetual abfence they will not be attained\ by that his people would be nor chal\ened , but co.nfounded, not tried, but dettroycd. Gnd will not therefore for ever contend and abfent himftlf; be may withdraw, but he will come again. Thus much may ferve for the explication of the Propofirion, and for the con-firmation. I come.to the Application. . lri the firll place, Lrt not the wick(d then prr[ume too for in the daJ•t4 God;dark._DifPeitfotimst~'bit people, to triumph ov<r them and [mite them, becaufe God ..is at prtfent departed from them. Jt 'wasDavidscomplaior,Pfalm7l· IO,Il. His Enemits fpJkt again~ him, and theyJbat laid wait f ,,. his Soul faid, when they took counfel together, Godhatb forfoktn him., perfecute and tak..e him, ft.r:there if none to tkliver him; Mark•the'ground of their prefump· ·uoo, God hath forfoktn him. Thus they infulted over Chrifl in the day }'I' hen hecryed out, My God! My God! whyhafttboufor· faktll•me l Then they crucified him, then they mock.td him, and .bid him let Gcd deliver him if be would have him, bid him come down'f•~ tbeCrofs &c. Thus they broke•Davids heart when they faid unto him, Wberi ;, tby God l l'fal 42. 3. See how the Church gar hers up ber Spil'its, and anfwers fucb Scoffers, Micah ' 7· 8, 9· Rejoyce not again}! mt, 0 mine Enemy, when I faY I/hallrife, ..,hen I fit in dar~~ejf,the Lord ]hall be a lif!,hl u11to me; I wiD /fear the indigHation of the Lord becaufe 1 have finntd again[/ hi1n, umil he plead my caufe and execute j11d~ment for >ne, he will bring me forth to the light, and I ./hall behold .his rif!.lJtto~fnefs ; Then .fhe t/;at i1 mine Em my lhaU fie it, · and .fhame ]hall cover her , whicb [aid'"'" me, where i1 tbe Lord thy G~d l my eyes fhaU behold her ; nor:P .fha/1 - jhe How it ilppe4reth that chrifl ~· comin.~- .fhe be trodden down a; tbe mire oftbe {lreets. Do you difcern the Lord not appearing to the Souls of fome of his people as in forn~ er times? not fo prote/J:ing them by his Providence, and maktog an hedg about them : and do you fay (like Pharaoh) when the lfraelites were in the red-Sea, Exod, 15. 9· Now is the time I will purfuethem,'I will overtak._e them, my luff .fhJI/ be [atisfied ~tpo~ them, I will draw my [word, my ba11d Jhal/ dcflroy them. 0 take ?eed. w~ar yo~ do, Chrifl is c~ming again, though the Sun be fer, 11 wrll r~fe agarn. It was a fooltfh practice and prefumption of !hat.wicked fervant in the Parable, Mmh. 24. 48. when he (aid tn hrs heart, My Lord delay"h his coming,to begi11 19 [mite hif f<Vow( ervant: what fJith our Saviour? The Lord of that fervantfh•U come 111 a day when he l•ok.fth not for. him, and· in an hour I hat he if nat aw"e of, a11d fhaU cut him a[undtr~ and.fhalluppoint him bu portion wtth th• hypocrilfl, there jball be wrepiHg and gna[hing of teetb. 0 t~ke heed of prefumtng to affii/J: the people of Goa in the day of hiS abfence from them 1 For God will not be longabfent. L" the Saznts be encouraf!.td in the da)' of God; forfa~ing them and their Ajfem_blie.s, not to forfokt and depart from God. The day of forfakmg ts ~day of g~ear Te~P.tation • God trieth his people ~eally by the tffues of lm Providence, and the Devil will be hutle m that day.' either by immediate Suggeflions, or by evil Inflrn~ ments to. btd the Soul now leave off God, and thy profetlion to God and to ~IS ways. Ordinarily this is one of the Devils arguments, concludmg from the prefenr abfence of God and his prefect fad difpenfarions to b~s eternal abfence. And fctch thoughts as rhefe are too apt to ar~fe m our hearts and to be temptations to us to Apoflate from God,eirber in principles or pra/J:ice. To what purpole ihould I adhere to this Principle,or to this pra/J:ice or courfe? God hath left it, he will never own fuch a people more. Oh! take heed,Chrifli~n! Let not tbefe thoughts prevail upon thy ~oul, remem~er thts, t.hat Chrill will come ro his Spoufe: yea, he ><coming, be·~ abfent tt may be, but he will come, he is coming. They ate f~oltfhfervants and children, that becaufe their Father or Maller t~ flept out of the honfe at prefent, conclude he will never come tn, and therefore neglect their work and fall to. idknef~; T~e foolifh child will indeed do fo at School fometimes,bnt he. rs whtppcd f?undly for it when his M•fler comes in. Chrifr wrll foundly whtp thofe Soholars in his School that fall to idlenefs, and leave their work affoon as he hath. but turn'd his back C c 2 ·upon '9> |
