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Show Groumls to confirm our be not a!hamed of us in our Winttr, we !hould not be a!hamed of him In his Winter , nor a!hamed to profefs and own his Truths, not alhamed to walk in his Ways. If we (any of us) be hi< Love, his fair one (let it go how it can with us in the world,) certainly however the world goeth with him, we !hould yet own th~ Lord Chrill as him whom our Souls love, and his ways fhould be f•ir in our Eyes. Bnt this is enough to have fpoken, w this third ,.Propofition. I fhould now proceed to the fourth. 1'hat the Spo11{rs Winter ,.,iU pa[i, hrr R•in ,.,;u be nv.r and gnne. (But I have no time to fpeak to that Propofirion now, and when 1 (hall I cannot tell.) If any ask wbm tbefe thingt JhaU be ? I mull anfwer him in the words of Chrifl : A as '·7· It i; not for you to /{_11ow the timet o"r the [eafont which the f•ther bath P"t in hi< OII>H P'"'"· Can•.2. ro, rr, 12 . '3· For lo the Winter i; paff, the Rain i; over and gone. VVE are come to the firll Argument, by which this excel· len.t Bridegroom. pre(fcth the Spoufes Arifing; makj!fg hafte, and commg A~~>ay; whteh I told you was drawn a remotione impedimeNti, from the removal of herimpedimellts. 'the WiHtrr if pajf,the Rain is over and gone; the Snow and Frail and cold of the Winter: The Rain and llorms of it you know ;re hinderan· ces of Friends intercourfe and communion each with oth<r. The Spoufe ofChrill (whether we by her und<rlland the Church as a collective body , or the particular believing Soul,) hath her Winter and Rainy-weather, which hinder her freed om and communion with her Beloved ; this Propofition I ha ve handled. I am now come to fuew you that her Winter will pofs,her Rain will be over and gone. I !hall not at prefent confider thcfe words as an argument inforcing the Exhortation, (God willing hereafter we !hall fo confider them;) but at preffnt I fhall only fuew you the tranfie.nt nature of thofe llorms, which the Spoufe meets wi rh. Cbrift's Spoufr! Winttr will'pa{t, her R~i" ..,,g be over and gone. By the Winter which the Spoufe of Chrifi is expofed ro, l · liavc that our Winter jhaU pafs. have already (hewed you is underllood ; t. A {late of 'erfecHtion, 2, Aftate of •ut11>ard A(Jiiaiont, 3· A flate of in11>ord AJ!I{{Jion, whether caufed from r.Divine defirtimJ, 2.Diabolical temptatio111, 3• or her nwn fad rrf/exiont from the prevailing of corru ptions: how fitly all thcfe arc reprefented by the notion of Winter or Rainy-weather I have formerly (hewed you. My bufinefs is now to !hew you, That though the Church of Chri !\ while milit·ant in the world, is fubjechd to thefc impedimen ts in her free commu· nion with her Beloved, though the believing Soul is expofed to fuch in cumbrances, yet they fhalln ot be for ever; the Winter will pafs, the Rain will over and be gone. I !hall lid\ fhew you the truth ofi.t that it is fo; and then give you the reafons ofir, and laHiy make Application. .• 1 . Concerning Per[<cution. A bitter Winter, but yet the bell of the Spoufes Winters, for it only hinders our external commHnion with our Beloved; it toucheth not the Souls fecret communion with Chrill. The perfecuted Chri!\ian can have as clofe, as free, as intimate communion with God as he who enjoys the greatefi liberty. Perfecution hinders not the exercifes of Faith, nor the brearhings of Love, nor the complacency offpiritual Me· ?itation and Delight in God; no nor the overflowings offpiritual Joy. Pan/ and Si/.~< can ling in Prifon, and the Saints can fitffer the Jpoiling of their goodt 11>itb j oy; 'cis one of the fruits ofju!lification to glory in tribul•tion, Rom.s. As merry (faith Ann Ask.,ew ready to be offered)"' one that it bouHd[or beoven. From the Delellable Orchard of the Leonineprifon was Algerir<t his fubfcripcion to his Letter. This Winter will pafs.It is indeed like a Winter fometimes1onger, fometimes fhorter, fometimes milder, fometimes !harper: but pafs it will. The children ofl{rael endured fuch a Winter in Egypt; but it pa(fed away,their Adverfaries were drowned in the red Sea. The three <7hildren and Daniel endured fuch a Winter in Babylon, but that WJnter pa(fed away !ikewife. The Apollles and Primitive Chrillians had a long Winter occafion'd by the 1ews and the Pagan Emperours, but it paffed away : In fhort, fo have all thefe Winters in all parts of the Church. The Enemy hath had hil day and . his ho?r. hath been the powrr of d>rk.,ne[s to the Spoufe of Chrtll, but tt ts no more than a day. AJ!jri• is the Rod of Gods anger, ~fed againfi his own people wh'n they prove an hypocritical Natton, Efay ro. 6, 12. when the Lord hath performed his work upon Mount Sian , he ..,,u puni[h the ft•"' heart of tbe Kingt Oo z •f |