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Show / 'How chrifl is coming. r. It appears 1. From the Promife in the lettti of Scriptrtre, 2 • From the conf;quence, and jull: r~afon of Scripture; z, 'Ihere i1 a promife of his comtng. T?e Scotfersfpoke~ of, 2 Pet. 3 ·3. could fee this, they faid, .. here If the pron:zife of. hu com· ing! In !hart, all the Promifes whlch you fin~ t.n Scrtfture of Gods delivering his people out of-trials and> afRt~tons, ?ts ret~rn unto them in ways of mercy after a time of affitd:ton, hts commg to judg the world at the !all day, (of which you know th~ Scriptures are very full:) I fay all thofc Promifes make good thts truth·, and, you !hall find very ~any of thofe Promifes .not only_fecuring the thing; and making it certain, but alfo a!funng that _t_t !hall be lhonly. Joh>t 16, 16. A little ,.bile youjhaU not foe me, and a little while you jhaU fce me, for I go to my fathe;. Ezek.16.;~-2. I wtU mak,r my fury torl'ards the• to reft, and my !'aloufie fh•U depart from thee: I am merciful faith the Lord ; I ..,,u not k,rep aHger fo~ ever. So Micah 7· 18, Lam. 3• 31. His anger eHdrmt/J but for a - moment. Pfalm 30. 5· The rod of the rl'ick(d JhaU not r~ftupont~• lot•ftbe Righteous. P{altn·l2 5• 3· In !hart, the Promtfes of thts nature asevery many, and-various, and obvious to every Eye. · 2. But fecondly , It will appear to you fro~ th~ confequence and reafon of Sc~ipture, if yon con,!ude but ra!tonally from fome principles laid down there. There are three ~htngs that th~ holy Scripture plentifully revealeth : all which wtll conclude lhts~and give the Spoufe ofChrifl a1fir<mnd to coRclude thus. . , r. The fir.ll is, Gods JPm~tJ care for bi.11 ptople, ~nd hu ~o'lll!elJ~f tend~r love torl'af.dl them: -Infinite are the exprdlions you find tn Scripture of this nalure :' Cana•il is called. the Land which Gud'ca• ;eth fD¥', &,, .. Gt~d expreifetlaf:his atfed:ion for hi~ people under the notion of· tire L0ve of a F •ther, a Mother; he IS fatd to de-li(! ht to refiiin them to love them &c. Hence that Soul ihat i!rthe Spoufe ofChrHI,fro:n whom he ls at prefent abfent, may lroilc!ude that his abfence will ndt be lqng. Fo• t\hen\ ' ' ' ' ·' ' : 1 , •Wherein !hou!d it a·ppear, that Ca11am'rr a:land·for <~~bi_ch · the Lord;more.c.,etb than be ddtb for alllJther place.< · what fpmal Providence !hould be more eJrercifeci for them than fo~ any other people? · whe{e !hould the Lords ooweJs.and tender merc\es be more feen ? · . · · ~no! . 2:, Again,l His p•oples j}irit'~ rl''ould• fiJiJ ,before<'biwt. Now t.hts,ts not conftllent with the goodnefs of God to fuffer. , God htmfelf gives this reafon IP,iab 57: · 10, For I wih4t-c1ntend for• ever, nrr- . , ~... th.fr avv•earuuthllt chri.ft coming. ther wiU I be always wroth, for the Jpirit jhould fail brf"re me lind the [o~tls n>hicb 1 have made. Hence the Apofile, t Cor. tc. 13. God n>iU 11ot fuffer yo" to be tempted above that you are able, but wiU with the temptation a/fo ma};f w•y to f{cape, that you m 'Y be able to /lear it : mark the !all words, that )DU may br able to bear it, Gcd will take care that his trials of his people !hall not be abo\'e what they are able to bear, they !hall be fuch as they are able to bear them. Now they are not able to bear a perpetual abfence. 3• Neither is a perpetual abfence confiftent n>ith Love: Temporary abfence is it may be the produd: of Wifdom, and very conft· Ilene with the love of a Father to his child, of an HU<band to hts • w,fe, of a friend to his friend; but it is not cooftC\eot with t~.e love of any of thefe, having it in their power to come to thetr Relations, and to help them to be ever abfent from them, much lefs with the love of God. Hence you (hall ordinartly find God urging his mercy as an argument, to perf wade people of the truth and faithfulnefsof his Promifesofthisnaturc, Ez. 16.42. 7er. 3• 12. Micoh3.1S &c. . . . 2. Secondly, You !hall find the Scripture plenttful tn revealing the holinefs of God, and the wrath of God againft wick,rd men, and foch more efPecially llf are the troubltrs of his peoplt, 2 Thelf.t.6. It i1 a righteous thiHg rl'ith God to rmdrr tribulation to them that trouble you. Jude 14. 15. Behold, the Lord cometh rl'ith ten tho~tJand of his Sainll to execute j:tdgment upon aU, and to convince aU that are ungodly amongft them of aU thrir ungodly dctds ri'!Jich they have committtd, and of aU their hard JPmhes rl'hich ungodly finners have [pok,r11 •gainft him. The Script me is very full both in decla· , ring the hatred of God againfi wickednefs, and the vengeance of God againfi wicked men, efpecially fuch as he ufeth for Rods for his people. See Efay t0.2 , 3-, 4,~• Now this you !hall obferve,The rl'ick,rdnefs of rl'ic~e(i mel< is never fo t:<ceedinggrtat as when Chrifi is abfent from his people; as tp the iffues of his Providence; that's the time when Hell is broke loofe, when Chrifi is prefent with his people, he binds up Satan, when he withdraweth,he lets him loofe again. Now hence again the Spoufe of Chrifl, when Chrj(\ is abfent from her, as to the iffues of his Providence, and gives her up to wicked profa,ne perfons ; may conclude that Chrill will come. for it is not conftllent with the holinefs of God to fulfer heighths of profaning & blafpheming long: nor will the jullice or faithfulnefs of God to fulfer the out· rages of wicked men long. ' C c 3· Lailly, |