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Show Canticles 2· 9• He look.!th in, [or forth J at tbe window I: he fheweth bimfe/f, [ or he flouri!heth J through the latteji. I Am come to the fecond exprcffion , where the Spoufe ex. preffeth the Actions of her Beloved: two things (he fays of hrm; r. He Jook.!th in at the Window/, 2. He lheweth himfelf at the Lattefs. 1 obferved to y~u before, that the firf! Exprellion may either be read as we read It, be looktth forth at the window!: or elfe he lookttb in at the window1, If we confider it in the firfl Senfe' it feem_s to imp<:rt the fame thing with the latter Expretlioo, ;iz. Chn!ls more tmperfect appearing, and !hewing of himfelf to his people; ~s one that looks ou.t at a window is imperfectly feen,but part ofhtm is dlfcemed. Ilm the fecond Senfe it fignifies Chrifls 1 narrow and curious obferving of his peoples 'behaviour: As a man under a waU, that hath a curiofity diflinctly and exactly ro fe~ what. is done in the houfe, looktth in at the Window/, Two thtngs the Exprellion holds out t.o us: 1. Chri/ll k.,Howltdge of the /late of hu Spoufo even when he bath withdrawn hi111felf from her. ' 2. Ch•ifl1 curioHJand txalJ Ob{trvalion, both Gf the !late and 'carriage, and demeaHour •f h.i1 peoplt at aU Jimfl: Hence the Propofition is. 'lbe Lord 1rfiu Cbri/i in the day of hi1 Jl'itbdrarr>ingJ from bi1 Spou{e, doth yet truly~""" ber (fate, a11d curioufly obforvetb ber behavio,. r. Here are two thing5 which I have to prove : 1. That Cbrijf doth k.,now hi1 Spoufi/ {late, Whether you un· der.fland by ~he Spoufe a particular ~elieving Soul, or· a body of • Beltevers untted In a Church; It IS true concerning both : the P,r.opofition is plain,and qnnot-be doubted by him who believeth that the Lord Jefus Chrifl is God as well as m411t : but becaule much ?f the corr.for.t of Gods people depends upon the qt~ick.,nefs ~ tbm aeprehendmg, and thm. firm and fetled believing of this. this Propofition, I !hall confirm it to you by fome other Scripture. The fir!\ remarkably fad difpenfadonofGod to his Church, was in Egypt; they jig bed by rea/on of tbeir bondange, Exod. 2. 2 3. ~. 5• And God /ooktd upon tbe Children of !{rae/ ( faith the T.ext) and God h•dref'petl unto tbem,Chap.J.V·9· God fpeaking to Mn{a,' faith, Behold the cry of the Cbildrw of lfrael i1 come Hnto me, and l ' have a/fa flm the opprrffion wherewith the EgyptiaHJ luve opprrffid them. God fometimes doth fuffer his enemies, as it were, to !hut him out of his own houfe,and to mJke havock there; but when he. is not in the houfe, when his people do not fee his pre fence amongfl them, they lee nothing but the rage and malice of their enemies; yet even then he is behind their wall, looking in at tbeir windows,beholding all that is done to them. In this methinks God is like the good man of an houfe, that hath an affault made upon his houfe by thieves; they turn him out of doors ,and then fall to the binding and thri:atningand tormenting of his Family, and rit ling of his goods ; the good m1n is out of the houfe, but he ftands under the walls; he looks in at the windows, he fees every thing they do, and when his time ferveth will call them to account for it. So doth God. Indeed the enemies of Gods people cannot do as one man that is flronger than another may, viz. turn him out by force ; when God leaves his houfc it mull· be his own juft· will and pleafure, not becauiC: he cannot flay, but becaufe he wil11 nor;his wifdom guideth him to go out, and give leave to his ene· mies to rage in his SanCl:uary ; but God f!Jnds urider his peoples· .wall ~II the time, he heareththeir threatnings o! his Children and .Servants; he fees their enemies binding of them; . and he wi ll one _day ••II them co a jufl and ftriCl: account for aii,SaintSiepben,ACl:.]. 3 4.repeating that palfage in Ex1dH1 doubles the word, I b~ve Jim, .,I have Jien the aJJiitlion of my people , which i1 in Ezypt, a11d hJvc· brard their 11.roaniltg-. I have feen, I have feen. God feeth his peo- . pies Sinl, 7er. 23·'3' I 4·1 have {etn foUy in tbe Prop.hm of s~maria, and he alfo Ieeth his pe.plu mifiry; he feeth rhtir Sius, to chatlifc and punil'h them;. he feeth their.Qoliferies, that he may comfort and · help them; the Pfalmitl faith,h!'.fietb mi{Chiefto req«ite it. There is a.remu k1b!e T.ext, P[al. 33· 1·3, 14. 'I he Lord looktth from He•vm, be beholdtth aU the So111of men; from the plJce of his b biwim be lookttb upon aU the inhabitant/ •f tbe eartb, v. 18. Behold.the 01e 1'/' the Lord i1 r<pon them that fear him, upon thmtthat hope in hi< Mercy, to del!.erlileir Soul from de~tb, and to k,rtp th~ alive from Famine. Gods· |