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Show . Wlut h the Spoufos Wi"ter a"d rai"' We4ther. arifeth upon the Soul with healing in his wings. This time is filly compared to a Winter, r. In regard of the abfence of God anJ 'frfiu Cbrift from the So1tl: fee wh•t the Apo£1Ic faith of this ti!De, Eph. "2. 12. At that time ( fpeaking of the Winter of their 11atural /late ) you, were without Chrifo--without G.d i11 the 'R'orld; there was-then a Chritl in Hcaven,there was a God in the world: In the Winter there is a Sun in the Firmament, and it hath light in it and it doth fend · forth heat; but (in regard of its d'i£1ance) thofe that are in a winter feel it not. So though there be a God in the world, and a Saviour of the world; yet men in the /!are of nature are without both, they have no Portion in God, no interefi in Chrill; they are like men in a Winter that feel little heat from the Sun, but are pinched with cold, though there be a Sun in the firmament. 2. Look as it is in Winter, flowers do not Spring, Bud,Binf!ome, bring forth any fr>~it at .U. So it is with men and women in a natural ellate, there's no greennefs, no beaury at all in them, they bring forth no fruit,t heir bell works are bur fplendida peccata, gay fins ; they can bring no fruit forth to the Glory of God ; withOil/ faith it if impof!ible to plrafe God; they are indeed in a worfe ilate than the herb is in Winter: the herb though it hath no greennefs,no beauty at all,and though it brings forrh no flower,no · fruit; yet it hath life in it, there is life in the Root, which lheweth it felf when the fpring cometh ; but it cannot be fo faid of any Soul that is in a llate of nature. The Apmtle faith, Eph. 2, 1. you were de•d in trefp-',{}7-t and}i><J, the Soul in this /lace hath no life in the root at all; its root is rot,.nnef<, it is dead there. But though this notion pleafeth fnme, yet I rather chufe with others to interpret it, 2. Of af/ate of•fflillion: Any aJJltaion, by whieb either the bea~tty •f the Church m·gmcral, or the believiNg Soul in particular, is hindered from its communion with Cbrift; either its external or intrrna/ <•mmunion with hi;TI;either his communication ofhimfelfunro her, or her communication of herfelf unto him ; or by which the Church or Soul is hindered, from bringing forrh that fruit to the Glory of God which lhe ought to bring forth: I fay any fuchjlatt of4NJion, whether the aillidion bemorepHblick,. or morepriVJte, more out word or more in,.ard, is the Spoufes Winter and Rainy weather : more particularly, ~ha t t.s the Snr ou~l'·e s Wi"ter and raitt} Weather.· f · . . h Spo~tfes Winter. The ume o I • .A ftate ~fperfecutton tSh t \ f Chrill wheth:r lhe filllte rs publick [~Jfe~1ngs to the ~lfu~rd~ances o'f God, notfeei~g ?er meerly prtvat.'~tly, wantm~ets or otitive\y; this is a time of Wlnfignt, nor havtng her Prop b db p this Metaphor. ter, and exi:e\len~ly refe.m le h/SHn il in the Firm•menl foiU , and · I· For look as In a Wmter ,tl at a further di}lance from th•t part movu f/iU in ill tcltptrck)me?onSy etime of perfecurion when God of the Earth wberetheW..nter 11' ~m revai\ againfi it, God is fiill fuffm the enemie~ ?f his Chll~~\1 ~ p oing on in his gracious purwhere he was; he IS .1n Heaven . t his [eli prick line which he ha.th pofes, God at that nme mov~. 1 nf< If- but his wifdom guides hu:u by his eternal decree fee to lm e 1' fi refrefhing Influences of not to 0Jcw himfclf in glorious, ~ ea mg, upon his people as for- . h' B ams are not ,o warm b fi • Prov1dences; IS e (ll fi aketh) per[w<ted ut not •r merly. They ue (as the Apo e pe .. [•k.fn . t that Beauty and pleafant- · 2 • Look as in a Winter, thhere IS. noStlmln<r. The greeonefs of nefs • upon the .ca ce of the Earht aFsl otwne r and the• van.e ty of FrU·it S, the herb, an~ the Be~uJy of,C1 !hich ar; exceeding pl~afant to the and the (ing1ng of Bli s, a . . Winter So in a t1me of perfeeye, and to the ear, a\1 theft fa:\\l'd Beouty is broken; God l131h his cut ion in the Cbureb, the fiaff.c fl d into the W,id.rn<}t, the publtck ' Church £1i11, but the woman~ . e mely meeting together 10 the alfemb\ies of their Church, t m .cc \e are hid in the chambers Ordinances of God is hindered,hts pe':f Obadiah hath 50 Prophets ofProvidence.E/ijah is in his Cav'/nhe Tunle is not heard in t h~ · more in another cave , thevol~e o v~ice of them that fay as lf •i. Land ; nor the voice, the reJoyc~g . '{the Lord 10 the hou[e of 2. 3· Come let UJ go up lo ·tbe ountaon o ' the God of 7acob. • . . inter the ltaves f•llt offfromplantt ' 3· Look !hirdly,As tt IS 10 "'; ts keep their greennefs, but the and Tren, only Come Gum":'y .P .an time of ~trfecutim. The Dr~-· molt trees grow naked: s; It IS ~n all ird part of the Start of Hea-gonJ tail, Rev. 12. 4· '~';-: e :atdl part of profdl'ors fall off; ven and r.aj1 them to the E.rt • 1_ekgr • t'pefigJ before the Winter like' the leaves ·I n A u1" mn '''-' ea b1 eh ,,,rm ore th' an an HypocTl·l lC· ll 1 comes, yea many c. hat \.c m~y e(li~~ye they keep their life,but they; profeflion,loofe theli \eaves ' po 1 . f•il in their Profeffi•11 ~n? ?loWry: ter fcarce any planr(ifthe W111ter Fourthly ,Look a~ It ts IU m , be' |
