OCR Text |
Show gr<at camp6ffion, Pfal. 103. 13 • .lisa Fatberpityrtbhis Children, fl tlit Lard pityeth them that {ear him ; hence be is faid to ba ve ttnder Mrrcia, bowels of Mtrcy, God is not delighted in the alllid'ions of his people ; the Prophet barb an high exprellion, If. 63•9• In aUtbeirafj/iOions hr rP~s aJJiilled, Secondly, He that but look.fth in at the rPindow, can come into the bo~t{e rPhm he ple4{eth; as be wantetb not love to move him, fo he wanrerb not power to inable him, when be pleaferb to deliver his people; whofo doubterb this mull doubt whether his Saviour be God almighty yea or no; forifhe be Almighty, .1/UporPer is given to him both in Heaven and in Earth, and be doth and con do rPhatfoever be pleafrth.. Now rhefe two things being premifed, nothing can binder him but his wifdom,if he be able to help becaufe of his omniporeat power, and willing, becaufe he is full of pity and compaffioo and tender Mercy, what binders him; efpecialiy conGdering.!_ hat his eye is upon his people, that he feeth and knoweth his fiate, fave only his wifdom. Put the C<fe as to a Farber and a Child, becaufe God bimfelfbatb pleafed to take that notion. It is very poffible that a Child may be in Mifery, and yet the Father not help him, becaufe he doth not know the alllid'ed Hate of his Child. It is very poffible rbat a Child may be in Mifery, and the Fath.er may know it, and yet not help his Child, becaufebe is a man of no Bowels, ao pity, no good-nature at all. Jt is very poffible that a Child may be in Mifery, the Parent may know it, __ and be a pitiful Parent, full of bowels, full ofkindnefs; and yet he -' may not lielp his Child, becaufe it may be beyond his reach, out of his power, and beyond his ability. Bur now fuppofe a Child ill Mifery,and fuppofe the Father diflind'ly,and particularly to know all the miferies, ali the fulferings of his Child; and further fuppofe this Father to have as much kindnefs and bowels for his Child, as you can imagine fhould be in rhe parent; finaliy,fuppofe this Parent to have it in his power to help and relieve his Child,and you lhould yet fee this Child, rhefe Children, yet lying in their Mifery without any help, any relief at all, what could you conclude, but that the wifdom of this Parent, who bell knows and underllands the Condition of his Child, feeth that this is for his Childs good, and bell for him, and that it is which makes him feemingiy to neglect and to difre~ard ,l)im: It is the very cafe between God and his People, whether particular believing Souls, or the Churc.h ()f .Chrill whkh h his Spoufe. 0 comfort your [elves wHh thts. then then under ail your affiidions, ail your darknefs, corrifort·yotu felves here; you look fometimes upon a poor tempted Soul, a ·poor deferred Soul, a poor forfaken Chu.rch wh~ch God hath given ·ul' · for a time to the lulls and will .ofhrs enemres; I fay you look upon them, and you are ready to cry our, A 1 1 here is ,a fad houfe, a fad Soul a fad Church; well at the worll yet comfort your feh•cs with rbi's, Chrift look:! in at the .rPindoiJI~. :If r_he Devil be in _rhe houfc tempting or plaguing, if wicke~ men be '?the houfc alfllt_CI'ing the Servants of God ; yet Ch~tll rs at the wmdows beholdmg ail that is done; he was at the wtndows of the Cht<rcb ofEphe[111, Rev, 2. 2, I /(,now thy works, and tby labonr, and thy patience,' At the window of the Clmrcb of Smyrna, Rev. 2, 9· Ii(,now thy work.!, and tribulation ,aHd poverty; he faw the Devil calling fome of them into prifon, &c. He was out of the boule, whe.n the 7ews ~ere carried into Captivity; they could never eifc nave b;en earned, but he was at the rPindow. and faw the Edomztes looking on, and fianding on the other fide helping forward the affiid'io~ and r~joycing over them; how elfe could he have told them of It by ht_s Prophet Eukjel and Obadiah! The.Children ofl{rae~ were carrted into A[Jjria and Babylon, but Chrrllllood at the wrndow, how elfe doth he; If. ch•p. ro. and again Chap. 47• threaten both thofe Nations for what they did againll his people! Comfort then your [elves with this; from hence you may conclude, 1. Tha: Go_d will one day call his enemies to account for what t?ey do tn. hts boule. 2, That he will relieve his friends, when bts own ttme cemeth. 3• And that he will reward them for ali that they fulfer for him. He that llands at the window, he hath a piercing eye, and feerh all that is done, and heis jull to render tribulation to them that trouble his people, and to thofe that are troubled r~ft and peace. But Laflly, Doth the Spoufe~ beloved lo"*.,in at the..,,. dorPi' How then are ali the Servants of God concerned to take heed, 3· V[r.< venin the time of Gods withdrawing from rhem,horP they bebaiie tbemfrlveJ in the bouje, Let the Church of Chrill, let every par-ticular Soul look to themfeives in their day of darknefs, how they behave themfeives;for Chrilllooks in at the windows, not only to behold rPhat they fuffer but to fee rPhat they do , and how,-they fulfcr. It is ufually faid that it i< an harder thing for Cbri{tiansto hear profperity than for them to bear adverfitJ; and they have _more . neeli to watch in a time of fulnefs, _ than in a rime of emprrnefs; H h 2 that |