The Son of God Walking in the Fire with the Servants of God, Sermon 3
THE Third Sermon, On DAN. III. XXV.
He anſwered and ſaid. Lo I ſee four men looſe, walking in the midſt of the fire, and they have no hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
YOu know what Propoſition was raiſed the laſt day, viz. That God doth often times in a wonderful manner, reſcue the lives of his Servants from death and deſtruction: You had then the Doctrinal part; I have ſince that, in another place, made ſome Application, which I ſhall finiſh, God willing, at this time time: we learned by way of Inſtruction. Firſt, That the lives of his Servants are precious in Gods ſight; All the Income of glory that God hath brought in from this world, it comes in this way from the lives of his Servants: if it were not for them, God ſhould looſe all his Rent; and therefore the Pſalmiſt doth plead with God, when his life was brought nigh to the grave: In Pſalm 30. Lord, ſaith he, what profit is there in my blo…d, if I go down to the pit? as if he ſhould ſay, Lord thou art like to looſe thy Profit, thy Rent; if I go down to the grave I ſhall not bring thee in that Rent of glory; Though I ſhall glorifie thee in another way; yet I ſhall not lift thee up here in this world; I ſhall not make thy name glorious before the eyes of the ſons of men, & in the midſt of thy adverſaries: therfore Lord look to thine own Profit, ſaith he: The lives of the Servants of God are very precious to him, and therefore he hath given ſuch charges concerning their lives: He hath laid a charge upon all his creatures: Fire, Water, Wild beaſts, upon Fiſhes of the Sea, upon violent men upon violent Diſeaſes, Sickneſſes, upon the Divels themſelves; he hath ch…rged them all concerning his Servants; that they are not able to lift up a hand againſt them: and therefore God hath ſet ſuch a guard about the lives of his Servants; are they not all Miniſtring Spirits? ſo 'tis ſaid of the Angels, Hebrews …. Are they not all mi…iſtring Spirits ſent forth for the good of the Saints? God will ſpare all his Angels out of Heaven, rather then the lives of any of his Servants ſhould be loſt; yea the Lord he wil not truſt the Angels themſelves, but he takes ſpecial care of the lives of his Servants. I the Lord do keep it, I watch over it every moment; And therefore alſo you find that men have paid dear for his Jewels, when they have taken away the lives of his Servants; he hath always made Hue and Cry after them, and where ever he hath found the blood of his Servants, he hath made them to pay dear for it. It is ſaid of Babylon, That when God made ſearch for blood, he found the blood of his Prophets there; and how ſuddenly was Babyl…n brought down? all Babylons goods were forfeited preſently, they were ſeized upon as …elons goods, and …he was brought down with all violence, and ſhe was caſt down as a Milſtone, into the bottome of the Sea: Now if life be ſo precious to God, how precious is the ſoul to God? Oh, the care that God takes of the ſouls of his people! Oh the pains that Jeſus Chriſt took to fetch the ſouls of his people! What a journey did he come? And what a Sea of blood did he paſs through? What an Ocean of his Fathers wrath did he dive into? He was content to go to the bottome, when all the billows of his Fathers wrath lay upon him; that ſo he might f…tch up the ſouls of his people; and therefore if the ſoul be precious unto God and Chriſt, it ſhould be precious unto you; What will it profit a man to gain the whole world, and to looſe his ſoul: and therefore what ever you do, neglect not thoſe great Matters of Eternity, thoſe matters that concern the ſoul.
Again, If life be ſo precious with God, why then you ſhould prize your lives? It is the wil of God that you ſhould look upon your life as precious: take heed that you ſpeak not againſt your lives; It was the Prophets failing, he would needs dye in a paſſion; Lord, I am no better then my Fathers: and take heed that you act nothing againſt your lives, it is the greateſt ſin that you can ſin: Improve your lives to the utmoſt, gain as much knowledge of God, and communion with God in this tearm of life, as poſſibly you may; do as much for God, act as much for God in the tearm of life▪ as poſſibly you may: This is the way to put o… your lives for the beſt advantage. Though man hath never ſo much of the world, never ſo much o… outward honour yet if his life be not ſpent in this, in ſeeking after God in acting for God, he looſeth all his honor at laſt, & become as the beaſts that periſh.
In the laſt place, We ſhould truſt God for the future; and I ſhall now preſs this Uſe of Exhortation more fully upon Gods people: When eve… you have ſeen God in a way of deliverance, you ſhould truſt God for the future; 'tis part of the Rent that God doth expect for mercy, that they that have received mercy, ſhould for ever cleave unto God, and in all conditions put their truſt in him, Pſal. 62. v. 11, 12. God hath ſpoken once, an… twice have I heard this, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, tha… power belongs to G…d. he hath ſpoken once, and I have heard it twice: When God ſpeaks in ſome remarkable providence, why this is the voice o… God, That power belongs to God, and free grace belongs to God.
1. Truſt God firſt of all, for all the comforts o… What we ſhould truſt God for.life, for whatſoever may make your lives comfortable; and that becauſe that life is more then al… the comforts of it; and God that gives the greater, will not deny the leſſer; it is our Saviour… Argument to his Diſciples, in Mat. 6. 25. Therefore I ſay unto you, take no thought for your life, what you ſhall eat, or what you ſhall drink; nor y…t for your body, what you ſhall put on; is not the life more then meat, and the body then raiment? Is not life more then meat? Is not the life of greater v… lue then meat, drink, and clothing? more then a… the comforts of life? it is more in the eye of God, the life of one Saint, is more unto God, then all the creatures in the world. Now where God gives life, he takes care for life, he takes care for the comforts of life: See what proviſion God did make for the beaſts in the old Law; there was a Law given in the 25. of Deut. v. 4. That they ſhould not muzzle the mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the co…n, and the Apoſtle does apply it; doth the Lord take care for Oxen? and ſo doth he not abundantly care for men? and ſo our Saviour he tells us, the Lord takes care of the Ravens, and he feeds them: Does the Lord take care of Ravens, and will he not take care of his Saints? Certainly thoſe that fear the Lord, he will fulfil his Promiſe, they ſhall want nothing, that is his Promiſe. Pſal. 34. 10. They ſhall want nothing that is good for them: they may want ſomething of that they deſire, becauſe we deſire, like children, that which may be hurtful to us; but it is not poſſible that Gods people ſhould want any thing that is good for them: Why God is engaged to maintain the lives of his people, and life is more then all the comforts of life.
Secondly, Truſt God for the overcoming of all the evils of this life: 'Tis true, Gods people may meet with a great deal of evil in their way, there is many Tribulations to go through; Now truſt God, I ſay, for the overcoming of them all; for they come all under the providence of your Father; what ever evil thou feareſt ſhould come upon thee, it comes under the providence of thy Father: Now he hath promiſed to be a Shield and a Buckler to his people, it is part of his Covenant, to be their defence againſt all the evil of life; in Gen. 15. v. 1. Fear not, there ſaith God to Abraham, For I am thy Shield, and thy exceeding great reward; Fear not, I am thy Shield, and therefore I am able to defend thee, to pro…ect thee, to deliver thee from all the evil that thou feareſt; though there lay never ſo many evils in thy way, believe that God will and can, notwithſtandi…g them all, make your lives comfortable.
Thirdly, Let Gods people truſt him for the prolonging of life, for the preſervation of their lives; though there is nothing that meets wi…h more enemies, with more danger, then the life of man: and there is nothing ſo unable to reſiſt the evil that it meets with, as the life of man; 'tis true, 'tis very eaſily taken away, as a vapour …oon blown away; as a candle it is ſoon blown out with every puff of wind, with the leaſt affliction when God is pleaſed to permit it: You know how ſoon King Aſa his life was taken away, how eaſily was his life taken from him, in Chron. 16. it is ſaid He had a diſeaſe in his feet, and one would have thought it had been far enough from the heart, that he might have lived long enough for all that diſeaſe, and yet it turn'd him into the grave, it threw his life down to the duſt: There is nothing I ſay, more in jeopardy, then the life of Man; and no mans life more in jeopardy then the life of a Chriſtian; and yet believe it, notwithſtanding all this, your lives ſhall be prolonged.
Firſt of all till the determined time be come; They ſhal not be taken from you the leaſt moment before Gods determined time be come: our Saviour, he was often in Jeopardy of his life; he was often in the hands of his enemies, and yet when he was in the midſt of them, they were not able to lay hold on him, and this he gives as the reaſon, becauſe his tim was not yet come, his hour was not yet come.
Secondly, Nay believe further, you that are Gods people, Your lives ſhall not be taken away, till you have done that work that God hath ſent you into the world for: So that you need not fear untimely death: I …ay, your work ſhall be finiſhed before God cut off the Th…ed of your lives; 'tis ſaid in Revel. 11. ſee what is ſpoken there, concerning the two Witneſſes, verſ. 7. And when they have finiſhed their Testimony, the beaſt that aſcendeth out of the bottomleſs pit ſhall make war againſt them, and ſhall overcome them, and kill them: 'Tis poſſible the beaſt that aſcendeth out of the bottomleſs pit, may make war againſt the Saints, and overcome them, and kill them; but that ſhall not be till they have finiſhed their Teſtimony, till they they have done that work which God put into their hand, and they were ſent into the world for to do.
Thirdly, Nay further believe it for your comfort, that you ſhall not be cut off till you be ripe in grace: Many of the Saints they are apt to fear untimely death. I tell you, You that are in Chriſt, you may be confident of it, that you ſhall not be cut down till you are …ully ripe, ſee that Promiſe that is made in Job 5. v. 26. Thou ſhalt come to thy grav… in a full age, like as a ſhock of corn commeth in hi… ſeaſon; 'tis a promiſe that is made to the righteous, Thou ſhalt come to thy grave in a full age, as a ſhock of corn that cometh in its ſeaſon: The Husbandman brings not in his corn till fully ripe, no more will God take away his people til they be fully ripe; …very thing is beautiful in its ſ…aſon; 'tis beautiful when it is fully ripe; God plucks his fruit when they are moſt beautiful; it may be it is poſſible Gods people may be cut off young; aye but yet they are fully ripe, it ſhal not be before they are ripe; God will either ripen them betimes, or elſe he will ripen them in the very plucking; for this, ſee another Promiſe that is made, in I…a 65. 20. There ſhal… b… no more thence an Infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days, for the child ſhall dye an hundred yeers old; but the ſinner being a hundred yeers old ſhal be accurſed: There ſhall not be an Infant in days, there ſhall not be an old man that hath not filled up his days. An Infant of days, that is, one that is a child in grace, while he is young: Well, the time is coming the time of the Goſpel, where there ſhall not be an Infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: a man fills his days when as he is full of grace, full of the Image of God, when he is full of the fruits of Righteouſneſs, then hath a man fill'd his days; when a man fulfils that which he lives for, then he hath filled his days: Why now God hath made this promiſe to his people, That they ſhall all fill their days; they ſhall be full of grac…, they ſhall be full of righteouſneſs: So that before God pluck them, they ſhall be fully ripe. Truſt God therefore with your days, and with your lives; be confident that God he will hold the candle of your life light; though there be many blaſts, yet God he will hold, he will maintain the candle of his peoples life: Be not you negligent in your work, but let it be a ſpur to you, make all haſt for there are many blaſts that ſeek to blow out the candle of your life; make all haſt you can to do your work; but do not diſtruſt, the Lord will hold the candle-light, till his peoples work be done. That is the third particular.
Fourthly, Truſt God for ſpiritual mercies; even outward mercies ſhould ſtrengthen our confidence to truſt God for ſpiritual mercies; Truly Brethren, this is the beſt improvement that you can make of mercies and deliverances, when as you can ſee ſo much of God as ſhould draw forth your hearts for ever, in all conditions, to put your truſt in God; Now know, that the outward mercies were given for this end: It is one end I ſay, wherefore God gives merciemercy, that ſo he might ingage his people, for the future to truſt in him; it would be a great diſcredit to God, if his people after all experiences, he hath given them ſhall not truſt in him for the future, and there is nothing that doth provoke God more then this. If Iſrael after all the experiences that God hath given them, after all the wonders they had ſeen in the Land of Aegypt, and in the red Sea, and after all this ſhall diſtruſt God through unbelief, God does look upon it as a great provocation: See what God ſays in Pſ. 78. about the 19 20 verſes, 'tis ſaid in v. 18 That they tempted God, yea they ſpake againſt God, in the 19. verſ. They ſaid; can God furniſh a Table in the wilderneſs? behold he ſmote the Rock, and the water guſhed out, and the ſtreams overflowed, can he give bread alſo? can he provide fleſh for his people? Now 'tis ſaid in the next verſe, therefore was the anger of the Lord kindled againſt them, therefore was the anger of the Lord kindled, becauſe they had ſeen his wonders at the red Sea, and his wonders at the Rock, yet they diſtruſted him; can God prepare a Table in the wilderneſs? this was a limiting of God, and this their unbelief, it coſt them dear: Therefore the Lord ſware in his wrath, that they ſhould not enter into his reſt.
Object. But you will ſay, Whether can any mercies or de…iverances that a man hath received, be any help unto him for the future?
Anſw. I anſwer they may; and I will ſhew you when; When mercies received, or deliverances How mercies may be helps to the ſoul for the future.are helps unto the ſoul, concerning his confidence and truſting in the Lord for the future.
Firſt of all, when the ſoul is careful to lay up the experiences of mercy; when a man is careful to remember the goodneſs of God, a man may receive a thouſand mercies, a thouſand deliverances, ſuch as he might make experience of, for his own benefit and for the help of others, and yet be never the beter: I ſay, if they be not carefully laid up, if they be not carefully treaſured up, a man looſeth all the ſweetneſs of them; for there are two things that God doth intend in every mercy. Firſt of all, There is preſent comfort and refreſhment that he preſently gives out, and then there is ſomething in the mercy to be laid up for the future; there is ſomething in every mercy that God would have his people lay up, ſomething that will ſtand them in ſtead another day; now when a man does not remember the mercy that the Lord diſpenceth to him, though he may take ſome comfort in them, yet he looſeth the greater comfort of them, that which he ſhould lay hold on is the fruit of experience, or elſe all the mercy is loſt.
Secondly, Mercies become helpful when as the ſoul can ſee the love of God in the preſent …rcy; when the ſoul ſees the love of God in every preſent mercy, this puts life into the mercy; when the ſoul receives mercy, and doth not eye love in it, that mercy, it proves a dead mercy; or if there be any ſence it will not laſt long, becauſe there was not ſpecial love ſeen in it: Now when the ſoul can eye the love of God in the mercy, then is the heart affected with the mercy, and then is the ſence of the mercy moſt like to be continued: When a man can look at every mercy, as the off ſpring of love, he will be careful to nouriſh the ſence, the remembrance of that mercy: one mercy that the ſoul can ſee love in, is more dear, more precious, then many mercies: See it in Hezekiah, he ſaw ſpecial love of God to him in that mercy, Iſ. 38. part v. 17. But thou haſt in love to my ſoul deliv…red it from the pit of corrup…ion; for thou haſt caſt all my ſi…s behind thy back. Hezekiah was taken with the mercy, why? becauſe he ſaw the love of God in the mercy: Thou in love to my ſoul haſt do… it; and therefore he ſet a high price upon the mercy. Thoſe fifteen yeers that God added to his life, was more then all his life before, becauſe he ſaw a ſpecial hand of God here, and he ſaw the love of God here; and therefore this was a long-lived mercy, it was remembred, it continued, it remained in Hezekiahs heart ſo long as H…zek…ah lived.
Thirdly, Again Thirdly, preſent mercies b… come helpful to the ſoul for the future, when as the heart is fully convinced of the unchangeableneſs of the love of God to his people: When he is fully perſwaded of this truth, That where God loves he loves to the end, and where he begins in a way of mercy, he goes on in a way of mercy, he goes all a…ng in free grace, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth, unto his people. When a ſoul is once convinced, this will help much to turn mercies into experiences; and therefore that Doctrine which doth teach falling away from grace, that a man may be beloved to day, and caſt off to morrow: 'Tis a moſt uncomfortable Doctrine; and 'tis impoſſible then that a man ſhould make any experience at all of the mercies that he hath received: If God be changable in his love, if he caſt off his people that he hath received in his free grace; why then though a man hath never ſo much of God to day, and know never ſo much, and have never ſo much of the preſence of God in the mercy, he can have no experience; and therefore that which concerns the ſoul, it is to be grounded in the unchangeableneſs of Gods love to his people.
Fourthly, Again Fourthly, A man may make uſe of preſent mercies to be helpful for the future, if he be careful to keep faith in action, if he be careful to keep faith upon the wings: To act faith in every condition upon the free grace of God, and the mighty Righteouſneſs of Jeſus Chriſt; it is faith that puts a luſtre upon all mercies; and if faith be down, a man cannot ſee the goodneſs of God in any mercy that he hath received; if ſaith be dead then the ſenſe of the mercy is loſt, precious mercies, they become uſeleſs, they are as a treaſure locked up, that a man cannot come by to make uſe of a treaſure buried in the earth, that will do a man little good; and therefore it concerns the people of God to keep faith upon the wings; act faith and keep that freſh and lively; and then all mercies and all deliverances that you have received, they will be freſh in your eye; for faith puts a varniſh upon the mercy, and though they be old, yet faith will make them preſent as things new to come.
Fiftly, Mercies become helpful for the future. When the ſoul is careful to keep up his Communion with God, when a man is careful to walk with God continually, to fix his eye upon God, and to follow God fully in every thing, to follow God whereſoever he leads him; ſo long as God and the mercy is kept together, there will be abundance of luſtre and beauty in every mercy; but when the ſoul is careleſs in maintaining his Communion with God, it looſeth then the ſenſe of all his goodneſs that formerly he taſted in every mercy, and they become uſeleſs; even grace it ſelf cannot comfort a man if God be not nigh, if God by his ſpirit do not ſhine upon it: and therefore mercies much leſs though they be never ſo great and precious mercies that a man hath received; yet they can afford no preſent comfort nor be a ſupport to him, nor incouragement to wait upon God for the future: but if ſo be God and the mercy be kept together, then mercies become uſeful, and an help to the ſoul to truſt in God for the future.
Sixtly, Mercies are helps for the future, when as the ſoul is inabled by the Spirit of prayer, to urge God with former mercies, and to lay them before the Lord as ingagements to help for the future; there is ſuch an improvement to be made of former mercies: When God doth pour a Spirit of prayer upon his people; and then, and then only do mercies that are paſt become a help to the ſoul or the future: you ſhall ſee ſo the Saints have urged this with God, they have pleaded with God, and put him in mind of his former kindneſs; ſo you may ſee in the 51. of Iſaiah about v. 9. Awake awake, put on ſtrength. Oh A…m of the Lord, awake as in the ancient days, &c. And ſo in the 22. Pſal. The Pſalmiſt there doth uſe the right Argument wit… God, he turns former mercies into Arguments, to i…gage God for the future: in the 9 & 10. verſes, But thou art he that took me out of the womb, thou didſt make me hope when I was upon my mothers breaſts, I was caſt upon thee from the womb, thou art my God from my mothers belly: Thou art he that took care of me, when I could not take care of my ſelf, and when the care of creatures could do me no good, without the care of the Lord: and ſeeing thou haſt done this for me, I am ſtill incouraged to wait upon thee, to truſt in thee for future mercies Thus you ſee when mercies and deliverances may be incouragements for the future; and how the ſoul may make experiences of them.
Queſt But you will ſay further, how ſhould we look upon our mercies ſo as to make the beſt improvement of them to ſtrengthen our faith in the Lord, for the future.
I Anſwer briefly.
Firſt, Look upon them all, as the firſt fruits which God hath promiſed to you; this will mightily help to ſtrengthen the faith of the ſoul for the How to make the beſt improvement of mercies, to strengthen our faith in the Lord for the future.future: look upon all as beginnings of that which God doth intend to do for his people; as a ſpark of that flame of love that is in the boſome of God towards his people, as drops of the Ocean of love, drops of thoſe Rivers that run at Gods right Hand, which he hath reſerved for his people. I ſay, look upon all mercies that you have received as fruits of that which God hath reſerved in glory for his people; and this will mightily help to ſtrengthen faith for the future.
Secondly, Look upon them all, as ſtaies that God hath given, ſtaffs to hold in your hands for the preſent; all mercies, all deliverances, all ſights of …od all manifeſtations of his love, all experiences of his goodneſs: I ſay, look upon them as ſtaies and crutches that God hath given into your hand for the preſent, to lean upon while you are in this your Pilgrimage; do not build upon them, you cannot build upon the beſt of your experiences, do not lay them as the foundation, but only look upon them as helps in your way, and ſo uſe them as helps for the preſent that God gives you, that you may Two things premiſed, and a Caution how to reſt upon former experiences.more cheerfully go on to his ſelf, and to his ſon to the reſt in him, where there is everlaſting peace. And therefore here will I premiſe two things, and give you a Caution how to reſt upon former experiences; and ſo I ſhall end the Point.
1. Know this, that it is poſſible that the ſoul may looſe the ſight of all his experiences, they may be all out of ſight; 'tis poſſible that a man may call them all in queſtion, the ſoul may be brought into ſuch a ſad condition, into ſuch a dark condition, that it may call in queſtion all that ever it hath ſeen of God, and thoſe very things that he did take as ſome ſpecial Tokens of love, all manifeſtations given forth of himſelf, all communications of his preſence, of his grace; I ſay, all theſe they may be darkened out of ſight. Or,
Secondly, Though they may be in ſight yet God doth many times bring his people into ſuch conditions as their former experiences cannot reach them; God may come ſtill with further and further tryals, and ſuch tryals, I ſay, that all a mans former experiences cannot reach them: his tryal and temptations may be above them all: And therefore here take theſe two Cautions when as you are thus to follow experiences, and to make uſe of experiences.
Firſt of all, Take heed that you do not make your own experience the firſt ground of your truſt: Make not, I ſay, any experience that you have had the firſt ground of your truſt, or confidence; I ſaid before, experiences are good helps, good Crutches, but they will make no foundation for the ſoul to build upon: They are not the firſt foundation that is to be laid: No, you muſt learn to truſt God when you ſee him not, you muſt truſt God before your tryals; for that is the moſt bleſſed thing. See what our Saviour Chriſt ſays concerning Thomas, in that 20. of Joh. 29. Jeſus ſaid to him Thomas, becauſe thou haſt ſeen thou haſt believed, but bleſſed are they that have not ſeen, and yet have beleeved. The heart is ſo backward to faith, that it is well if it be by any means at laſt brought off to beleeve; and therefore the Lord hath condeſcended to reveal himſelf to his people by experiences; but yet our Saviour, he ſaith, it is more bleſſed to beleeve and not to ſee. Bleſſed are they that bel…eve and have not ſeen: This kind of faith is that which brings moſt glory to God; to beleeve a man before he try him, 'tis a great truſting of him and ſo 'tis an honour put upon him; now to beleeve in God before the ſoul hath tryed him, before he hath had experience, this is an honour, a great honour that is done to God; and this is the faith that wil hold out, this wil laſt; this kinde of faith it will uphold the ſoul in the greateſt ſtraits, in the loweſt condition, when ſenſe fails and when experiences are gone out of ſight, why then this kinde of Faith wil hold up the ſoul: when the ſoul can truſt the Lord though he had not tryed him, truſt him, though God had not given experience; truſt him firſt of all becauſe of his word, becauſe of the word of his grace, that is given forth to the ſoul, as a foundation to build upon, this is an honour Indeed to God.
Secondly, Be careful throughout all your Caution 2.whole courſe of life, that you rely more upon the word of the Lord, then upon your experiences; throughout the whole courſe of your life, you will find this more beneficial to rely upon the word of the Lord: and here I beſeech you to remember, that this life it is the life of Faith, it is the life of Faith, and not the life of ſenſe; in He… ven the Saints ſhall live by ſence, they ſhall have no need of Faith, the life of Faith is not proper for them; but the life of Faith is proper to Gods people on earth, to beleeve and not ſee: Faith is the evidence of things n…t ſeen; it is taken up with things not ſeen: I ſay, this life it ſhould be a life of Faith unto the Saints 'tis not a life of ſence: And conſider moreover if God do give any ſpiritual ſence, or if he do give any experiences of his love, it is given for this end, that ſo he might help the Faith of his people, that he might help their Faith, and ſtrengthen their Faith, that ſo he might encourage them for the future to truſt in him; to truſt in him when they ſee him not, when all is dark and ſad, when God ſeems to be out of ſight; I ſay, God gives incouragements for this end, that ſo he might incourage them to beleeve; and therefore it is that oftentimes he trains up his people in this way; he will ſtrike the Crutches out of their hands, he will put them to it, they ſhall walk alone by Faith; that all the ſence of Gods dealings with them ſhall be out of ſight, they ſhall have nothing to rely upon; God will put them to it, to rely upon him alone, upon a naked word of promiſe, upon the word of grace, to rely upon him though they have nothing in the world to rely upon,
2. Conſider, though it be great mercy that the Lord is pleaſed to condeſcend ſo far to the Creature to give ſpiritual ſence, and many times experiences, by which he will ſeal up his word and his grace to them, yet it is a greater mercy that God hath given a word of promiſe to rely upon, that is the greateſt mercy in the world; aſurer foundation of hope, and that which will ſtand a poor creature in ſtead when 'tis in the dark, when all the ſence will be in the dark, and experiences out of ſight; but then the word o… the Lord wil endure for ever; and ſo then to have a word of grace to rely upon, a word of promiſe; this is the greateſt mercy that God can ſhew to poor Creatures: My Brethren, if it were not for this, it were not poſſible that the ſoul ſhould be at any certainty; though God had given never ſo many experiences of his love, though the ſoul had ſeen, and though it had felt, and taſted of love, and though it had layen in the boſome of Jeſus Chriſt, and been refreſht with his …ove; yet if the Lord had not given a word of grace to rely upon, aword of promiſe to rely upon; It would be impoſſible but that …t ſome time or other they would call all in queſtion, for 'tis not poſſible that otherwiſe the ſoul ſhould be ſupported in dark conditions, for why? when the ſoul begins to look towards God, why it is fill'd with the ſenſe of his own vileneſs, with the ſence of his own unworthineſs: Oh that …s one of the greateſt diſcoveries that the Lord makes: ſhew the ſoul how vile it is in it ſelf: and therefore I ſay, the ſoul is ready to queſtion all: all that God hath done for it, though it hath ſeen God walk in a way of love to him; yet ſtill, Oh 'tis too good for me, too good for ſuch a …ile Creature as I am!
Again, The deſire of the ſoul is carryed migh…ily after God, when God comes once to ſet his Face towards Heaven, it is fill'd with vaſt deſires to God, that it can never have enough, never be ſatisfied; and though God do come and manifeſt himſelfe by gracious Experiences; yet ſtill it deſires more of God: It is apt to queſtion, Have I any thing of God or no? Have I ſeen God or no? it is very ſolicitous when it is once ſet towards Heaven, God makes it very ſolicitous concerning the great matters of Eternity: 'tis fill'd with the weighty thingsof Eternity, and the weighty buſineſs of Eternity; ſo though God hath come and hath ſpoke, and the ſoul hath ſeen God, and experiences of God; yet becauſe it apprehends ſuch great weighty matters concerning the ſoul for eternity; all experiences are called in queſtion of Gods love and his favour to him: A man is ſo careful in this caſe, that he will ſcarce beleeve himſelf: nay, though he have ſeen Chriſt, and though he have felt him, and ſeen his goings, ſtill he will hardly beleeve himſelf, whether he hath ſeen him or no? you know Mary Magdal…u, ſhe was very ſolicitous, ſhe ſtood weeping; ſhe ſaw him and ſhe would not beleeve her own ſence; and ſo 'tis with a poor Child of God; Oh 'tis ſo ſolicitous that though it have ſeen Chriſt, and experiences of his goodneſſe, and his favour and love; yet it will ſcarcely beleeve his own ſence, and he is apt to call all in queſtion whether he hath ſeen the Lord or no: So that ſtill, I ſay, after all experiences and the manifeſtations of love, the ſoul would call all in queſtion many, and many a time, if i… had not a word of Grace to truſt to; and therefore the Saints are more beholden to the Lord for his Word of Gruce to them then for all experiences: And remember this, That though God hath done uever ſo much for you, and you have ſeen hi… goings in your hearts; yet doe not you make your experience the firſt Ground o… your truſt, and do not truſt to your experiences ſo; but look to the Promiſes as th… Promiſes, as the onelyonly Foundation that will …ear up your heart for ever, through all dark conditions; And ſo for Experiences, look upon them as Crutches to lead you to the word of his Grace; but they are not to be reſted in.