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Show low upon the other, 'tis a natural branch from that Root: he that believeth fixedly, that his Friend however he hides himfelf and lowreth at prefent, yet will be kind again, will molt certainly if need be depend upon him and trufi in him; and the reafon of our difirufi and defpondency is nothing elfe but our 1101 aUenting, or very fuble affinting to the Promifes of God, which mull be the foundation of thofe fiducial a6ls. Secondly, As the truth- of this Propo{ttion calls to the people of God; r. For a believing a(lent to it, ( a duty which every rational Soul ows to truth, and every Propofition of truth ) 2. And the Nature of the Propofition calls to all the people of God for a fidz<Ci.t adhtren<: e to, a11d dependanct upon God, whom the Propofition concerns. So it alfo calls to the people of God for patimu ; r. In the d~y when th•ir Beloved Is jilent, or when he fPea/(tth ttrrible tbingr. Ifay, when either of thefe times are, yet we are concerned, In patzence to poffi{J yaur foult, becaufe we lha\1 hear our Beloved again fay unto his people, The Winter is gone, the Summer is come, the R.ainy weather js over and gone. There are many arguments to to evince Patience (under any affiid:ion) to be the duty of Chrillians: fuch as are the Soveraignty of God, the Will of God, the Junice of God, the M<rcy of God which is mi•gled with every affiiil:ion. But the Nature of man is weak and defires cafe and rell, and peace, and deliverance, and nothing l<fs will ferve him: and therefore this Argnm~nt, viz. the affi<ranct that the dorlt,. night 1PiU have an md, is an argument bell fuited to our infirm natures. Is theLord (at prefent) filent to hisChurches or to the particular Souls of his people? do they not hear him, or do they hear him by his Providence, or otherwife fpeak terrible things? Oh, let them learn in P~tie11ce to poffifi their Jouls,and in patience to fpend their dark hours. , r. In patimt [~tfferi•g, fubmitting.to the Will of the Lord without grudging, murmuring, repining, finfulllrugglings : See the Church, Mtcab 7· 9· I wiU bear the indignation of the Lord buaN{r i have finnedagainfl him, until he plead my caufe and extctJie judgme~ t, he ..,,g bri>tg me forth 16 tbe light, and I fhaU behold hi< righ· teonfnFfi; her afi'urance that God would bring her forth to the light made her refolve till that time to bear bi< indigttation. 2. In patient.doittg ;. doing what? the wlll of God concern· iog 1.1s. For this we had need ofpatience, for the time of darltnefs, i' a time when we !hall have great temptations to turn afiae from . what chrifl eaUeth NJofl to heliev~ ani/ he patient. what the Word of God, and what our own confdences tell us is our duty: you have need of patience to do Gods will ; therefore • our Saviour faith, ( in the parable of the Sower ) That the good grot~nd doth bring f orth frHit "'ith patiellce .Oh,b; not weary of yowr . duty, be not weary of any pra6liceofholinefs. For, Rev.22o12. Behold~ Chrijl eomnh qnzek.fy; though you fee him not, yet, foe com· eth q•mk}y, and hu re"'ard is "'itb him to give u•to every m.m ac-cording to hit wor/v ' .3. Thirdly, Pofi'efs your Souls in patient rpaiting. This is no· thmg elfe but the excrctfe of hope in God under the darkefi difpenfatlons, he that believitb ma/(tth not balk A man may as to hi~ Soul make ban: when he calls away his hope, defponds, defpairs; tak; heed of thts, hope for that which you fee not; let your Souls watt upon God by an exped:ation of him. 4· Fourthly, Let me commend unto you a patient hear~ening, P}•lm 85. 9· I ..,,u hear "'hat God the Lord "'iU fPeak for be ,;Q fPeak,.peac< to hu people. The Pfalmifis alfurance that 'God would fpeak peace to his people made him patient to Jifien and hearken a.nd hear what the Lord woold ~ay. H•bba~ttk was ~xercifing pa? Uence when he was got upon hts Tower, and was watching to fee or hear, what God would fay unto him. 5· Lanly, Let ~e commend unto you p•tient praying ; not only Prayer, but pattent Prayer, when God is filent unto us we mu(t not be 61ent unto him : Efay 62. r. For Zionr fak..e I wW '"' hold my peace, and for HierujillemJfa~e I ,..;U >Sol ref!. We ought , to ~e.lilent to God as to the voice of murmuring, expofiulating; reptnmg,&c. but not as to the voice of prayer too; we ought not to kttp filence, no nor to be weary. David prays ftill Pfalm 23 · though he bad ~ri_ed ~:ight a11d day before, and the L; rd had no; a':fwered, !ht~ ts that warc~ing unto Prayer, that continuing and per.fever~ng tn Prjiyer whtch the Apofile calls to us for; and our pattence ts iliewn in it, and this is a great Argument for it to confider, ~hat though ou.r Beloved may fometimes hold his peace, and fomettmes-fpeak ternbly, yet he will fpeak and fpeak com ·fortably. I thall conclude wit.h the •vords of the Prophet Habh• lt..""..,Chap.2.3· 'IbeVijion11 yet,for an afJpoiJttedtime but at ~he e~d II {hJJU Jpea~ and not lie, though it tarry "'a it for it,' becaufo II 1Ptll fimly eome, 11 ,..,u not t•rry. Ll 2 Cant. 2. |