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Show £hurch; he was but looking through the Lattefs upon it, but the Church knew him at that viow ; becaufe !he had learned this, 7'hat it w.H of the Lords merciu that jhe was not cOlt fumed, ,So David, Pfal. I 19. 91, I hadprrijhed iH my•Jfli{Jion, if thy Word had not been "!Y delight. David faw God through the Lattefs; he faw that but for him, he had peri!hed in his affliction ; it is our weaknels, that we can fee nothing of the prefence of God with us, or tfie kindnefs of God to us, if we fee him not in thofe influences, yea and degrees ofinfluence too,in which we look and wait for him; Chrifi had look~d upon I!mr, though thHruit ofhis looking was not Pettrs Triumph anJ!fulnefi of Comfort, but only a weeping bitterly, Lui(, n. 61 , 6 2, If the Servants of God during their time of affliction, do but find the influences of God keeping up their Spirits, that they do not defpair, nor cafl themfelves wholly down-; - ar-d.JI~ng their Spirits in any order, that they break not out in in\~'atience keeping up their faith, and keeping a· live their hope, ·Chrifi looks on them tho6gh it be through a Lacrefs. Oh! Learn to know Chrifl at this view, give me leave to tell you, it is a great Art, and that which btit very few learn, it will be a great comfort to you, and that which many want; it will be an excellent foundation of duty and teach you to Glory in tribulation, and in all things to give thanks. 2. Doth Chrifl look upo_n his people through the Lmefjes of Ordinances ? Oh ! Learn to pri~e Ordinancu, they are Chri!ls LattrffiJ, they are the Soul! per{pe{Ji~es: they are ChrHh Lattelfes, through them, our abfent Savwur looks upon our Souls: Whilfl we in the flare of mortality al'e abfent from the tord; they are the Souls perfpectives, through them the Soul looks up to C::hrifl. It will be a fad thing to fee a blind before thefe windows, but it would be fadder, if the Souls of Gods people !hould defpife tbem becaufe they are but Latttffir, They are but Lmeffir, therefore ref\ not in them, but look through them: they are Latt•ffis,yeaChrH!s Lattelfes;therefore pri~e thmt,u[e th~m as fuch, and be thankful to God for them. Thirdly, Doth Chrifl many rimes look upon his Spoufethraugh the L>tttfi' ? Take heed o( narrowing tbt Lmeffis. This is done by our voluntary Sinnings ; thefe narrow Chrills Lattelfes, they make Chriil llraiten bis influences upon his Spoufe, yea and they llraiten the Souls view of Chrifi. The Soul that hath finned Jgoks up to C;hrill with an unbelieving eye, and . fceth him ~ut wHh Chrifl'r fool{j11g tbr011gh the lattice, 247 with a very narrow eye; h~ that is moll holy feeth molt ofCbrHl, and Chri!l looks moll upon him, fee 7oh. 1 4· 21. He tbat hath my commandmenti and kftpflh them, he it ir Jbat lMJeth me, and he that loveth mejhaU be loved of my F~tber, a11dl wiU love him, and manifeft my [tift• him ; mar~ it, not look on him through a Latccf s ; but manifefl my felf to htm. 4 , Lallly, Doth Chri!l when he is not in the boufe of h!s 4o·Branc• Spoufe yet !hew himfelf to her at the Lamfi? Ob ! Let thts ]earn ~Sin alll\atCS in all COnditions tO be Jookjng Ulfll Je[US the Author an{£ ftnifher if our faith ; he look~rh upon us in a way of mercy : Let us look up to him in a way of Duty. When he. can-not ( in juflice and wifdom ) behold us fully as at former t1~es, yet he will look through a Lattefs to us ; when we cannot 10 a way of Duty look up to him, wit~ that Freedom, Liberty, Com-fort, Ini:ouragement as at former t1mes; yet let us look t? him, though it be through the Latce!s of an affltcted1 dark, and 1mper• feet condition and through the Lattelfes of poor ,-broken; imperfect Dutie~; though we can but look up in a Prayer, with a Sigh., a Groan a T ear, yet let us look, he looks upon us through the Lattefi : L~t us through our Lattelfes look up to him. But thus much is fufficient to have fpoken both to to this Propofttlon and to this Verfe, .· |