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Show ~ Concl. he leadJ hw Spottfc. Heaven upon earth, whm the Soul 6ndeth the Spirit of God witnrffing; wtth itJ Spirit,<~ hat it iJ the Child of God) Fourthly, 4· As Chriit did. of old ente-rtain fome of his peopln S oztfr un.der the dari<,er difpm[•tionJ nf the Covm•nt of Grace, with the{< rrfrefhing difpenfatio>u (which were like a banquet of wine to thon; ) fo ""der tbe latttr and more fuU difpenfationi of the Gofpel, he doth flzU e-nlfrtaiJt.fi'mc of his peoplu Snnlr Wfth thrfe gladdwg difpm{ationJ, Take the difpcnfa~ton of the Covenant of Grace under the Law in the wholc,it was ind eed profit>blc, and fuch as fervcd t\1e Saints of that Age to cany them to Heaven; but it was not fo pleafant and fweet,a~the Gofpd -difpenf<tion is: but yet even then God was not wanting to the Souls ofhis Saints in the more lpccial Illumina· tions, ~ickening<, Strcng\henings,and Comforts of l1is Spirit. It were ealy to rhew you this in the inflance of Abraham, who Jaw ChrijiJ day and rc-joyccd; of Jacob, who faw that the Scepter jlmdd n·•t depart from Shiloh, &c. of David whofe pious Soul you of! en liad triumphing in the returns, and Influences of Divine Love;of _ Job, who hnrw tb•• bis redmuer lived; and that the he lhould fee bi>n witb lbofe eyu: Though indeed the rrpnifeflations of the, ho-ly Spirit of this nature be lt1ppofed more ordinary, a I]~ full and clear under the Gofpel, after the mc;>re full elfufiop,of the Spirit of Grace : Under which it is mofl certain,that God hath entertained and doth entertain the Souls of manv of his Saints, in thi< ho>tfe of roine ; not only giving them Influences of Grace fullicient to carry them to Heaven, but m1klng their cups to overflow: yet I lay tlois is not the portion of all ·his Saints, nor of any of them at. all time~. God fo Gracioufly provideth for his people that they never want the neetf[JrieJ of Salvation; but for thofe things which are but Superjlltiti<J,and a:commodatioHJ in their Spiritual Pilgrimage, the Lord gi~es and with, holds them, according to that wifdom with which he tempers his Love toward the dearefi of bis Saints. But I hafiLn : - . , , , 5· It is Chrifl and Chrifl alone that can bring the Soul into the bo11[e of win,, The Soul cannot do it, if it b'e cal\.down, it cannot raife itf<lf up ; if it: be d~ad it cannot quic~cn itfelf; · if it be weak it . cannot gh.:e itfelf ' flre»_gth. I can d9 a)l things ( faith. S;tint Paul )throqgh {(hrift i /tgf-Jirengtbenetb me, How otren ,doth Vavid pray, t'hat the Lord would quicken him in that excellent Pfal. 1'19· A:qd fer the confulatory Injlnencerof(he Spirit. As the Spirit is called the Spirit o.f ChJifl, fo the confolations are called tbe Bmql~etting-hollfc iflto' which he lead, hu spott{c. i!Je confolJtimJ of the Spirit, ( who is called the Comforter) : It is Chrift that comtoreth us in all tribulations, 2 Cor. J, 4· This will eafily appear if we confider , T hat to the application of the Scri-pture and the Promifes of it to our own fouls, there is neceiTary not only a gnural concurrenct of Providwce, inabling the fa.cuhies of our fouls to their reafonablc operatiOns ; but allu a fpeC!al r11· flue/ICe of gr4ce h~lping us to fee our interti1 ill Chrift, and to make a pmicular application of what the Word of G~d fpeaketh mdefi-nitely to our particular cafe : Belides that expertence tells us, that nothing k fs than a divine hand, can either remove the burthtn of tin or the incumbrances of temptations from which the foul is m;dc he.tvy, or fad; or take aw1y that heart of (lone that is in us, that dcad nefs and heavinefs of fpirit which wea)<Cns, or clngs our fouls and is the caCJfe of thll deadnefs , and hcavinefs and d ulnefs th~t doth opprLfs them. I lnvc now do?e with the Doctrinal part, J come in a few words to the Apphcatton. In the tirl\ place; Hath Chrit\ a 8J11quttting houfe? an houfe of Vfe 1 , Wim, where he entertaineth his Church ) and is this the Gorpeldifpenfation? Give me leave then : I· To bid you welcoilte all this day to tl>e houfe of Wme, and to call upon ycu to give tb:mk.f to God t iJe f'•ther of or<r Loril J efur , who hath-erected this Banquet· ting-houfe for the fouls of his Saints in thefe latter day.<, and to t/11 Lord 7efm Chrifl who hath filled it with his """ Wille: May not I fay to you all as Chril\ faid to his Difciples, 'To yor< it ;, given to "-.now the myfleriu of the Kini(dom of heaven ; Bffffid are now yottr 'Y" for they fee, and your eari for they hear. JCingt and ProphetJ a11d rig;hteom men have J,fired to fee tbofe thingJ which you fee, and have not [em tbem, a"d 10 hear the tbingt which you bear, and have not beard them. Oh, 1et all our [Oil!J blefi the I:.ord ! let all that i< with-in 114 praije hi< holy name! . The Jews of old were the only people which God had upon the face of the Earth, yet the Lord gave; hem but water to drink; they. faw but in a glafs darkly, you hear of a Chrifl plainly; the Gofpel is preached amongfl you clearly and powerfully, fie that runs may read and underlland. And fecondly, [heW your thankfulnefs in dri1#ng .[ tbi< Wine which Chri/l bath prepared, imbracing the Doctrine of the Gofpd, which is promulged, preached, and publi[he-d a:nongfl you: why tit you looking one upon another when your meat is before you? Oh confider how grievoufiy the King took it, when he made his Maltb. u. · M Wed- |