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Show . ,_ . ~· l i •• G"P'I , and WtJIIer when nunc of thefe things appear > 0, wh.r a mifcrable Winter then is upon the greatefi part of the Earth' ' r. Oh ; the mifery of thofe places wlmt the Go[pel i1 not prr.dJed! 0 the mifery of three partsoftheWord! AfiQ,AfricQ, and _4mrrieQ, (the gr<ate{l part I mean of thefe places); people that {it i11 d•rk,nrfi and i1t tbejhadow ofdtatb. They ( fome of them ) abound in Gold and Silver, but the riches of grace are not known to them; they abound in Silk and fine Linnen, but how much better were they, if they had Prophecying though it were in Sackcloth.How many thoufaod there peri!hf.ir want ofVifion;how are they frozrn to eternal death in thofe lands of pleNty. This fame avis migratoria,theTurtle isfltd 81tt of thofe La11d1.0 pray for them that the Sun of righteoufnefs may again arife upon them with hfaliog in his wiogs. 2. Oh the mifery of tboHjands and ten tho'!fJndJ •/Souls amongjf oHr fllvu! The Turtle is indeed heard in our Land, the Turtles that have been li1 l•)ng file.Jt fing again; bnt in how few piecu of our E<rth, do the FlnrverJ appear 1 how j.JP are our Frg-t""es where we fn any t.'"" Fig1 1 how f r"' our Vinu that havt tender Grapul Are not our Vinu as the Vinn of Sodom, and of the field! ofGomorrJh, are not ottr Grapu Grapts ofGaU 1 and our clujfers qiutr l Is not Ollr wine tht poifon of Dragons, and t!Jt cruel ven•m of A[pei l l'he Weeds every-where appear in our Earth; Drun~rds,unclean pcrfonr, s ... earerr, Bla(phemerr, Idolaters, Lyars, CheRters, rhefe every- where appear in our Earth, but are thefe the Grape• that Zion bears? are thefe the Fruits of the Lords Fig· tree? The memy hath fown t!Jefe Tartt. Ah the mifcrable condition of thefe poor SouJs ? It is a Winter, a dreadful Winter with them, they can have no communion with God ? what feUewfhip bath light with darlznefs! God with Belial, Righteouf~•fi with unrighteott[ntfi!. Let not there• fore any unholy and unrighteous perfon tlatter it felf, as if the bit• ternefs of death were pafi ~ith it. Let none think to fay with it fclf,I have Abraham to my Father, I am borH iH the Chttrch,l am baptized, &c. Thefe things are great pri vi ledges, but before thy !late can appear altered to thee,the Flowers muft appur in the Eartb;millake not, no unholy, no unrighteous perfon, !hall ever enter into the Kingdom of God; jhew mt tby faith by thy wor~s; if it be a Summer-time with thy Soul, !hew me the green-Figs, fhew me thy tender Grapes. - The DofJrine applied . • Lallly,Lct this.lay a" ingagement upon you aU, to do what in you lteth, that the votce of the Turtle may yet b~ heard in nr<r Land. That the finging of the Rirds may yet cominue. That the Flowers may appear on the ear1h, &c. ! . Pray for the continua11ce efGofpel-liberty. T his you may do, tius_you have done, God hath heard you; 0 pray, that the candlduck may no more be removed, that the Lord would nu mure turn the Labourers out of his harvefi; yea and pray That the Fl.rPers rnay appeJr on the Eartb,pray for the converfion ej So11iJ. 'ris ltttle of Summer though the Sun !hines, if the E.arth be not thawed ; yea and pray for the fmitfulitefi of Soul1 converttd; what dtfference between Summer and Winter, if the plants do not put forth? ~hat profit more of Summer than Winter, if the plants only ·bnng.forth leave,>. and no fruit > The Churches Summer wtll prove at lafi, far worft than a Winter,if the fruitfulncfs other members doth not appear. 2 •. D~ not thitlk. Praying enaugh. There mull be acting too, walkmg In the Sptrtt, putting forth your fe!ves in the ex~rciii: of ~~ofe habits ~f Grace, which God hath given you, to facilitate Sphrttual operations; cert"m eft nos agert qNHm agim11r, faith AHg. w en y~u are acrecl rou may and you ought to a& you are all memb~rs ?f the Churd1, which is the Spotlfe of Chrid, and are all cOJtcernecfln herfelicit~; you have heard this is her Summer-time. 0 llu.dy to prolong It, do what in you lies, by prayer and holy w~ktng, that the days of her. tranquillity may not be fhortne , that the !hadows of the eveping may not be firetcbed upon her, nor the ~old o! another Winter retutn upon her ; you know, ~r S.umbrner ts env1ed,her Winter is wifhed for, more Rainy-weal er IS t rcatned, •nd i~ may come. Oh 1 let no vapours from your Earth caufe r.hat Ram. No affiictions trouble us worfe, than .l;'1here ~ur Copfctences rebuk.e us for bringing them upon your e ~es. UtI lhtl ha~eocCJilion toprefs this and fuch -like exhortat!{! hs more lily In my next exercife, where I lhall lhew you. _ at ~our be oved expects that at fuch a time as this when the Wmter IS pall and the Rai~y- weathe.r is gone, when the !'lowers appear on the Earth, &c. h1s Love, hts fair one 010uld A>·Ve and comt aJPay. ..... , 1', Rr C.mr. |