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Show L~vt lo lfH ~thfmt drift called for. twixt a Soul that is trnly··gracious, and another Soul that ~ath a name to live only·b1tt is t1ttkeil deaa. The one loves a frownihg, abfent Chrift: The other onfy 'pretendeth love to God whiles· that God is prefent with it. But yon will fay, Is God then ever prefent with the Souls of hypocrites? have they any thing of the prefence of God ~ If you remember what I faid more generally of the prefence of God before, the anfwer is eafy. For any thing of the prefence of Gods fpecial Grace, a wicked man hath nothing, knoweth »Othing concerning it, but God makes his Sun to thine, and his rain to fall both upon the jufi and unjufi. Now whiles a wicked man thrives, and profpers in the world, and abounds wirh the good things of the world, he makes a great profeffion and thew of Love ro (}od: But if the Lord withdraweth himfelffrom the Tabernacle of the wicked man, all his pretended love, all. his profeffion is at an end: He is indeed the f-ame which ihe Devil llandercd 1 ob to be, if the Lord plucks up the hcdg which he hath made about him he ·curfeth him to his face. But now the· child o,f God is quite of another I! amp, liowever God dealeth by him yet he dares not llart· from God, nqr deal fa lily in his Covenant; though he killeth me (faith holy Job) yet I will put my trufi iR him. The former is as an hired Servant to God, not to be kept without kind words and all imaginable flattering of him; the other is like a Son which knoweth not how to live out of'his Fathers Haufe, )lnd therefore cleaves unto God, let G.od do , what he will unto him; knowing, that he cannot do well to be angry with the Lord. The gracious Soul loveth God for hirnfelf and· for that Goodnefs and Excellency which it feeth in God : The wicked man Joveth God only for the good thing> which he hath or hopeth to receive from God. You therefore that profefs to love the Lord Jefus Chrifi, and to be the Servants of God:. By this you !hall be tried, whether it be in trnth yea or no. Have you any kindnefs, any beatings of JJeart for an abfent Chrifi, any love, any deli res to~<ard him, when he is not unto you as at other times? this indeed will fpeak you to have the truth of love in your Souls. I !hall conclude what I !hall fpeak to this lirll Propofition, with a word of Exhortation. You have heard what is the genius of a gracious Soul, and of the true <;:hurch of Chrifi : Oh! let this Spirit be found in all of lls, who profefs our felves members cf cf this Church, and to have this truth of divine Grace. I !hall direct my fpeech now unto you who are true members of the Church, members not only of the Church vifible but inviGble. God hath for a lpng time favoured you, with all tokens of his prefence; he hath given you paftors according to his own heart, who have fed you with wifdom and underllanding, fuch as have known, how to ftrmgtbm the dife•fed, to heal that which was lick, to bind up that which is broken, to feek that which was lofi, and to briwg again th•t which w•s drivm a"'ay, a~d to JPeafl. a 'lf'ord in fea[on to the 'lf'tary fo"l, (the grcatefi fign of Gods prefence with, and favour to a people.) You have a long time been fed in fat, and green Pafiures, and by pleafant waters, enjoyit'g the Ordinances of God, in their purity and according to the inllitution of Jefus Chritt. Suppofe now that the Lord thould turn his hand upon you, fmite the Pafiors, and fcatter the theep ; and fend you thepherds, that !hall feed themfelves and not the flock, that !hall eat the fat and cloth themfelveS:with th~ wool!; and not feed the flock but kill it, ( fuch as are defcribed Ezech. 34: 3,4, ~·) that neither llrengthen the difeafed nor heal the Gck, nor bind tip .the broken ; nor bring •gain that which was driven away, fuch as the Prophet Jfaiah fpeaks of Jfa, 56. 10. Watchmen that are blind ( the worll quality furely that Watchmen can have ) and ignorant, dumb dsggs that cannot bar~, fleeping, lying do'lf'n, and loving to [lumber; yet greedy doggs that never can bave enough, jhepherds that cannot •mder{land, that all/oo~ to their O'lf'n "'ays ewry one for his gain from their q11arter. God hath blelfed you with liberty, profperity in the world, and fome of you if not wi!h this grace and that to boot, yet with the inward qtlick: enings, and comfortings, and ftrengtbenings of his grace. Thus God hath b~en prefent with you. Suppofe now you thould not fee and feel the prefence of God, as at former times, warming, comforting, quickening your Souls: Yet, Oh! Let him be your beloved ftiU! when you fit by the Rivers of Babylon and weep, yet, 0 remember Sion! When you cannot enjoy God as formerly, yet thew your love like David, Pfal. 42. 1, 2,3. Panting after Gud, and the true and p""e enjoyments of him, as the heart p•nteth •fler the 'lf'ater-brookf. Thirlling for the enjoyment of God, even t~e living God. Let your tear£ be your meat, day and nighr, whiles your enemies; whiles your confcience ( turn'd your enemy) fay, where are now your Pallors ? where are your alfem- |