Rejoicing in the Lord Jesus in All Cases and Conditions, Sermon 9
SERMON IX.
Habakkuk 3.18.
Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my Salvation.
I Shall now proceed to help and direct thoſe Souls that are able to reflect upon their own Intereſt and ſtanding in Chriſt, that they may live upon Chriſt, and glory in him in all conditions, and under all changes of Providence, that though they have none elſe, though they have nothing elſe in this world but the Lord Jeſus Chriſt to live upon, their hearts may be full of joy and comfort. And before I come particularly to ſpeak unto this, I ſhall premiſe and propoſe ſeveral conſiderations that may help to clear the way to what we deſign to ſpeak to, and to encourage your hearts unto a living upon, and glorying in Chriſt, when you have nothing elſe to rejoyce in.
Firſt, Conſider that all the comforts of an outward condition are held at great uncertainties, and continued at the ſoveraign pleaſure of the great diſpoſer of Heaven. The Lord hath not fixt us unchangeably in the enjoyments and comforts of an outward ſtate, but he reſerves a ſoveraign power in his own hand to remand from us what at a time he was pleaſed to command down upon us. And all the comforts of an outward condition they are mutable, and we are expoſed unto a variety of changes of condition in this world. All our outward comforts they are expoſable unto the ſpoil; and the very foundation of our Joy in this world is avertable: He that hath to his own apprehenſion a mountain that ſtands ſtrong, that he thinks can never be moved, is expoſed to the ſoveraign alterations of the great Ruler of Heaven, that he may have his mountain overturned in a moment; and he that is lifted up on high, and ſeems to himſelf to be ſo upon the advance, that he ſhall never fall: The Lord can ſuddenly like unto Job, lay him in the duſt. We are full one day, and the Lord may empty us before the next; we are rich to day, and we may be poor before to morrow; we are comforted to day on every ſide, and we may be left naked, deſtitute and broken before to morrow: As to our Stocks, they are loſable and ſpendable; and as to all Lands and Inheritances, they are ſaleable and morgageable; uncertain riches, they make to themſelves wings and flee away; they have the wings of fire, or the wings of Thieves, or the wings of this providence, and the other to flee away with. The Lord he ſuffers one man to run away with ſo much of ſuch a man's eſtate, and ſuffers another to run away with another part of his eſtate, that thoſe that were rich are ſoon made poor; and as to your relations that you at preſent take comfort in; now they are, and anon they are not, Parents, Children, Friends, Comforters, Counſellors, they die away from us, and we ſee them, and we know them no more for ever; and which of you that are here in the Lord's preſence, that may not ſit down & weep over your broken pitchers, and ſay, This once I had, and that once I had, but now I have it not; once I was full, but now I am empty; once I was lifted up on high, but now I am brought down very low; once I was a lender, but now I am a borrower; once I had moſt comfortable relations, none happier than I, in a tender Father, in a loving Yoke-fellow, in a deſirable Child, in a faithful Friend; but now it is quite otherwiſe, they are all like Jonah's Gourd that grew up and withered on a ſudden. This you may ſee in the verſe before the Text; the Figg tree that bloſſoms not, the fruit of the Vine, and the labour of the Olive they fail, and the Fields yield no meat, the Flocks are cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the ſtall. The Lord you ſee hath given us but a weak tenure to all theſe outward enjoyments, and he maintains a Soveraignty over every comfort that he is pleaſed to beſtow upon us, that ſo we ſhall hold all that we have in this world at great uncertainties, and muſt day by day ſtand to the allowance of the great diſpoſer of Heaven, who will ſometimes give, and will ſometimes take what he hath given.
Secondly, The Lord Jeſus Chriſt is, and hath whatſoever the Scripture hath ſaid, and much more than we are able to conceive of him, in our largeſt and utmoſt apprehenſions: He is, and he hath, according unto all Old Teſtament Prophecies and Predictions in the utmoſt Expoſition that can be made of them, in the largeſt extent, and he is, and he hath according to the utmoſt word of the revelation that is made of him in the New Teſtament; and you are not able to conceive and apprehend what he is, and what he hath in the conſidering of the Scripture expreſſions that are made uſe of to ſet him forth unto you. You cannot meaſure Chriſt by your thoughts and imaginations; but when you have conceived all that you can, Chriſt is more, and Chriſt hath more than you are able to apprehend of him. The Scripture tells us, that the Lord Jeſus Chriſt hath a fulneſs of grace in him; now you are not able to apprehend what this fulneſs of grace is; it is an infinite fulneſs, and you are not able to comprehend it in your finite thoughts, how comprehenſive ſoever they are. The Goſpel tells you of the outgoings of Chriſt's heart unto ſinners, but you are not able to apprehend, nor to meaſure what is the love of the heart of Chriſt to poor ſinners; but when you have conceived never ſo much of his love, there is more ſtill than you are able to grapple. The Scripture tells you of a great power that is in Chriſt; conceive never ſo much of his power, what it is that he is able to do for you, in a ſtrait, and how wonderfully he is able to work, there is yet a greater extent in the power of Chriſt than your apprehenſions can reach. The Goſpel tells you of an All-fulneſs, or an Allneſs that is in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: Sum up all that you can think of, and all, that the Scripture can help you to conceive of, to add unto this Allneſs of Chriſt, and yet behold you are not able to tell what his All is; you may ſoon tell what your All is, or you may tell what anothers All is, what a great man's All is, or what a Prince's All is, or what a Kingdom's All is, but you cannot tell what Chriſt's All is; but when you have thought and conceived, when you have dived and reached until you are weary, ſtill the grace, the power, the love, the fulneſs of the Lord Jeſus is above your reach, and there is more than ever entered into your hearts to conceive of him. This you have, Iſa. 55.8.9. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your waies my waies, ſaith the Lord; for as the Heavens are higher than the Earth, ſo are my waies higher than your waies, and my thoughts than your thoughts. See how the Lord tells us that he is advanced above all our imaginations of him. Now the thoughts of Chriſt's heart are alwaies towards us, and alwaies proportioned unto the fulneſs that he hath received: Now, ſays he, My thoughts are not like to your thoughts; you thought that I could relieve only in ſuch a caſe, or I could help only in ſuch a ſtrait; you thought I could do thus, and that I could do thus, and do no more; but alas, ſays Chriſt, you are miſtaken; there is as great a diſtance between my thoughts and your thoughts, as there is between Heaven and Earth; ſo as the fulneſs of Chriſt Jeſus is a moſt glorious and bleſſed fulneſs, enough for all your Soul's relief, and to ſpare.
Thirdly, Chriſt's fulneſs of grace is alwaies ſubjectively and objectively the ſame.
Firſt, It is alwaies ſubjectively the ſame. Chriſt's Spring is not a riſing and a falling Spring, but the waters of it are alwaies of the ſame depth; the waters of this Fountain do not admit of an ebb and of a flow, but they are alwaies at one and the ſame height. Chriſt hath not a more and a leſs; his fulneſs will not admit of an augmentation and a diminution; but notwithſtanding all the overflowings of the fountain, ſtill it is a fountain-fulneſs; notwithſtanding all the ſtreams that have run from it, ſtill it is as full as ever; notwithſtanding all the thouſands of Souls that Jeſus hath relieved, and empty hearts that Jeſus hath filled, ſtill he is as full of grace as ever, as full of mercy as ever: There is no leſs in this fountain as it is ſubjectively conſidered, upon all that he hath given and diſpenſed; but he is as rich in grace, and there is as great a plenty in him, as there was when he firſt opened his fountain unto ſinners, Col. 1.19. For it hath pleaſed the Father that in him ſhould all fulneſs dwell: There it doth alwaies abide, and the ſame fulneſs without change, the ſame fulneſs without diminution. That fulneſs that God placed in his Son, there it doth abide in the glory of its utmoſt height, Heb. 13.8. Jeſus is the ſame yeſterday, to day, and for ever. This is that that is ſaid of your Jeſus, his fulneſs was a great fulneſs at firſt; why, he is the ſame to day; ſpend Chriſtians what you will, and draw out of the fountain what you can, it will be as full to morrow as it is to day; Yeſterday, to day, and the ſame for ever.
Secondly, Chriſts fulneſs is alwaies objectively the ſame unto all thoſe that do poſſeſs it; the Soul that hath an intereſt in Jeſus once, hath an intereſt in him for ever: and the Soul that is once admitted unto the fountain of Chriſt Jeſus, ſhall never be debarr'd more; you have not a coming and a going intereſt, an intereſt that is to day, and may be taken away to morrow; indeed your outward comforts they are loſable comforts, and your outward bleſſings are ſpendable, God may give you much to day, and you may have nothing of all that much to morrow; but it is not ſo here, you are not intereſted in Chriſt to day, and diſ-intereſted in him to morrow; but once intereſted, and for ever intereſted; not gracious now, and graceleſs by and by, but your intereſt in the grace of Chriſt is an everlaſting intereſt; and you have the immutable fulneſs of the Lord Jeſus ever to go unto, whatever your ſtrait is, having once an intereſt given you in him; the Lord doth not give you a part in himſelf, and then take away that part, but Chriſt once yours, is for ever yours, and your fountain fulneſs none ſhall ever be able to take from you, nor to deprive you of, ſo as if thou haſt once Chriſt to go unto, thou haſt alwaies Chriſt to go unto; and if thou doeſt once diſcern thy intereſt in Chriſt upon good and Goſpel ſubſtantial grounds, thou mayeſt alwaies glory in the Lord, that thou art once intereſted in.
Fourthly, All Saints have the ſame Jeſus to live upon, and the ſame fulneſs of Jeſus in all its dimenſions to go unto: The Lord hath not given one believer a greater propriety in himſelf then he hath given another; neither hath one a fuller way prepared for him of going unto Chriſt than another hath; the ſame Jeſus that Abraham had to do with, and did live upon, is in common for every Son and Daughter of Abraham; and the ſame fulneſs of Jeſus that Abraham had, you have in all its dimenſions; the Lord did not open a Fountain unto Abraham, and open only a ſtream unto you, but if you be a Son or Daughter of Abraham, you have the ſame great Ocean to go unto in all its fulneſs that Abraham had, you have the ſame merits to implead that Abraham had; you have the ſame blood to be waſhed in, and to waſh in, that any other believer hath; and you have the ſame great and precious promiſes to apply that another believer hath; one believer cannot lay a challenge upon this promiſe, and ſay it is mine, and not yours; but 'tis yours as well as his, the ſame Fountain in all its dimenſions you have to go unto in all your ſtreights, that another believer hath; and therefore if you have not that ſtrength, if you have nor that grace, if you have not that riches, if you have not that fulneſs that another believer hath, you muſt blame your felves and not Chriſt, for he offers himſelf alike unto all, and diſcovers and holds forth his Fountain alike unto all.
Fifthly, There is a vaſt diſproportion between your creature loſſes, and your gains and enjoyments in Chriſt; your loſſes in the creature they are but ſhadows, and not ſubſtance; there is an emptineſs in the fulleſt outward condition, take it as an outward condition, and there is a bitterneſs in the ſweeteſt outward enjoyment, and the loſſes that you can meet withal in this world, they are only ſuch as reach and concern an animal life; but now there is more in a little of Chriſt Jeſus, then there is in a great deal of the Creature, nay in all creature enjoyments, ſo as whatſoever the loſs is that you meet withal in the creature, a little of Chriſt Jeſus will make it up; the leaſt gift of Chriſts right hand doth far exceed all the gifts of his left hand, and one draught of the water of the upper ſprings is more then all the waters in the nether ſprings, ſo as though thou meeteſt with ſore loſſes, and great blows and breakings in the outward man, yet know that a little of Chriſt will fill up thy Soul, that there will be no want, whatſoever thou haſt loſt: it may be Chriſtian, that the Creature that thou haſt loſt, would have been enjoyed to thy diſadvantage, if it had ſtill been kept in thy hand; it may be it had been to the loſs, to the hurt of the poſſeſſour: but now Jeſus Chriſt is alwaies enjoyed to the advantage, and Chriſt Jeſus is ſuch an advantage as will anſwer all loſing diſadvantages, ſo as Chriſtian, be not overmuch dejected at the paſſing away of the Creature, when there is ſtill enough in Chriſt to make up the loſs that thou haſt ſuſtained.
Sixthly, The joy that is drawn from Chriſt depend, not upon ſenſible things, but lives in the Soul when all outward comforts are gone: you may as to the world be an undone man, broken in your outward eſtate, and yet your joy none can take from you, but now whatſoever you have in the Creature, if you have not Chriſt with the creature, you have no ground of joy, ſo as Chriſt he is alwaies a ground of joy whether the Creature be abſent or preſent, but the Creature is never ſo without Chriſt; do but conſider the Apoſtle Paul, he had an intereſt in Chriſt, and he glories in his intereſt when he had nothing elſe, Rom. 5.3. We have peace with God, ſaies he, through our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and we rejoyce in hope of the glory of God; and now ſaies he, we glory in tribulation; we are ſpoyled in our goods, and we are ſore broken, and left ſorrowful, and deſolate, and forſaken as to outward ſupports, and ſupporters, and yet ſaies he in the midſt of all we glory in tribulation; or if you will according unto another Scripture; we are ſaies he, but as ſorrowful, and but as poor, 2 Cor. 6.10. For indeed we make many rich, we have grace, and abundance of grace in Chriſt Jeſus, and we are in no want: Paul and Silas, Acts 16.26. they were in Priſon, and in the Stocks, and yet behold, at midnight they break out in ſinging praiſes unto God; their hearts were full of joy when they had nothing of the Creature in their hands; and thus did the Prophet in the text; there comes a famine upon all his outward comforts, that behold he had nothing to live upon, and yet will I rejoice in the Lord; we have all in him, (ſaies he) when we have nothing out of him: Joy that is drawn from Chriſt ſhall abide in the Soul, when all viſible creature ſupports ſhall fail; though his entertainment in the world be very mean, and his outward burthens be very great, and his poverty very preſſing upon his outward man, yet the Soul that hath an intereſt in Chriſt, will joy, notwithſtanding all this.
Seventhly, Again; The Lord Jeſus Chriſt in his Goſpel-fulneſs of grace is under an indiſpenſible obligation to diſpenſe that grace, that as the great officer of Heaven he hath received the charge of: The fulneſs of Chriſt Jeſus, it is a common fulneſs, it is a fulneſs for all believers, and Jeſus Chriſt doth not live and ſpend upon the fulneſs of grace that he hath received; but he diſcovers it to the Saints that they may have it to live upon; and he lieth under indiſpenſible obligations to diſpenſe it to thoſe that come unto him, and Jeſus Chriſt will not debar any Soul that comes unto him for ſpiritual relief; he is engaged in faithfulneſs unto his Father to relieve thoſe that come, and he muſt deny his office, (which he can never do) ſhould he not do it, for the Father hath entruſted him with grace, that he might diſpenſe it, and he hath given him his fulneſs that he might communicate of his fulneſs to thoſe that are in want, Pſal. 68.18. Thou haſt aſcended on high, thou haſt led Captivity Captive, thou haſt received gifts for men; Jeſus Chriſt he hath received great gifts from his Father; he hath received grace gifts & office gifts, and he hath received perſonal gifts, and all theſe gifts that he hath received, they are for men, and 1 Cor. 3.21. All is yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or things preſent, or things to come, all is yours; all that Chriſt hath received from his Father, or is ordained to diſpenſe, he muſt diſpenſe, and he will diſpenſe, Iſaiah 61, 1. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, becauſe the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek, he hath ſent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the Captives, and the opening of the priſon doors to them that are bound, &c. ſaies Chriſt, there is a poor Soul that I muſt deliver, and there is a wounded heart that I muſt heal, and there is a bruiſed reed that I muſt bind up, and there is one weak in grace that I muſt ſtrengthen, and why muſt I do it? Why ſaies he, I am anointed to do this; the Father hath commiſſionated him to do this, he hath ordained him hereunto, and he muſt deny his ordination, and refuſe the office that he is to act in, ſhould he refuſe a poor Soul, and not give liberally to thoſe that come to him, John 6.27. Labour not for the meat that periſheth, but for that meat that endureth to everlaſting life, which the Son of man ſhall give unto you, for him hath God the Father Sealed; in theſe expreſſions are diſcovered the great bleſſings of the Goſpel that are diſpenſible by the hands of Chriſt; now go unto Chriſt Jeſus, if you be hungry; if you be thirſty go unto Chriſt Jeſus; if you be naked go unto Chriſt Jeſus, if you be empty; why? will he bleſs ſuch an one as I am? will he look upon ſuch an one as I am? yes, ſaies the Father, go, and you ſhall ſpeed, my Son ſhall give theſe things to you, for I have ſealed him; or you may conſider theſe words as ſpoken by Chriſt, and as the indiſpenſible obligation that lies upon the Son, from the charge that he hath received, an Office-charge of all that grace that the Father hath deſigned ſhould be diſpenſed; do not queſtion therefore the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, but let your applications be frequent to him, he will be faithful unto his Office.
Eightly, There is an exceeding tenderneſs in the heart of Chriſt unto diſtreſſed Sinners, according to all the concernments of his Office: There is a very great willingneſs, and forwardneſs in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt to be dealing out his grace unto thoſe for whom grace was deſigned, or to whom grace is to be diſpenſed; there is an unexpreſſible deſire in the Soul of Chriſt Jeſus to be dealing out the grace that he hath received the charge of; all Office-work is moſt deſirable work to Chriſt, though never ſo hard, therefore when he ſpeaks concerning his death, ſaies he, I have a Baptiſm to be Baptized with, and how am I ſtreightned till it be accompliſhed. But now we may conceive that there is much more a deſire in the heart of Chriſt to diſpenſe the grace of his death, Pſal. 16.3. Thou art my Lord, my goodneſs extendeth not unto thee, but to the Saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent in whom is all my delight; My delight ſaies Chriſt, it is with the Saints, to be relieving the Saints, and to be comforting of the Saints, and to be bleſſing and ſtrengthening of the Saints. The heart of Chriſt takes great delight in this, my delight is with them ſaies he, as to all my goodneſs, as to all my kindneſs, as to all the gifts of grace that I have received, and as to all my fountain fulneſs, it doth not extend to the Lord, but it is to the Saints, and my delight is with the Saints, on the conſideration of the grace that I have to diſpenſe to them, and Heb. 4.25. Jeſus Chriſt he is touched with us, he hath a feeling of our infirmities, not a feeling in a way of paſſion and ſuffering, but a feeling in a way of compaſſion and tenderneſs, that is his feeling, as the Mother hath a feeling of the pain and ſickneſs, and weakneſs of the Child, through the ſympathy of her ſpirit, and the yernings of her bowels over it; ſo the Lord Jeſus Chriſt ſtands with yerning bowels over his Children, and he is touched with our infirmities: You have not a weight upon your ſpirit, but in compaſſion and tenderneſs Jeſus Chriſt feels it; and you have not a burthen on this reſpect, or the other, but Jeſus Chriſt feels it; ſuch are the compaſſions of his ſpirit towards you in all the concernments of his Office. It may be you are ready to ſay in a great ſtrait, or under a ſore Trial; O that ſuch a friend knew how it is with me! O that my Father were here! or ſuch a Relation were here! that they did but know how it is with me! Why Soul, Jeſus Chriſt he knows, and he feels the weight of thy troubles; & ſympathiſeth with thee under all thy ſorrows. We have not an High Prieſt that cannot be touched with a feeling of our infirmities. Now this tenderneſs of ſpirit, this ſympathy of Chriſt, does influence his hand unto a liberal and free diſcharge of his Office. So that whatever are your loſſes in the creature, and however your outward condition is broken, you may go to the Lord Jeſus, you ſee he is ſuch a one as you may take comfort in.
Ninthly, Faith is the great inſtrumental means that receives from Chriſt, and that eſtabliſhes the Soul in Chriſt. All our bleſſings they are lodged in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and there they meet as in a fountain. Now faith that is the drawing grace, that draws out of this fountain for the Soul's ſupply. The Father hath placed all in Chriſt, and faith is the receiving grace, that takes all out of the hand of Jeſus Chriſt that he offers to the Soul; by faith we are united to Chriſt, and by faith we receive from Chriſt upon the union: As the Pipe that is laid unto the mouth of the fountain doth receive and convey water into your houſes, ſo doth faith receive from the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and convey into your Souls. Faith is the great Conduit that Jeſus Chriſt doth ſend down his grace in into our hearts. Faith, that deals with Chriſt in all his royalties of grace, and takes life from him, and takes comfort from him, and peace from him, and joy from him, and whatſoever the Soul ſtandeth in need of. Faith is the life-grace, that feeds your Souls, and that keeps you living and thriving, and that makes you ſtrong in the Lord; we are ſaid therefore to ſtand by faith, Rom. 11.20. Well, becauſe of unbelief they were broken off; and thou ſtandeſt by faith. Faith is a confirming grace, it doth build the Soul upon, it doth root the Soul in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and doth receive ſtrengthening, confirming, aſſiſting grace from Chriſt, according to to the Soul's neceſſity: So as Chriſtians, if you would be ſtrong in the Lord, you muſt get your faith ſtrengthened more and more.
Tenthly, The Lord Chriſt, in the diſpence of mercy hath great reſpect unto the glory of his office-fulneſs, and office-faithfulneſs. The Lord Chriſt in the communications of grace, hath not only a reſpect unto your neceſſity, but alſo to his own glory; and he will diſpenſe in ſuch a way, and at ſuch a ſeaſon, and under ſuch circumſtances as ſhall make moſt for the glory of his office-fulneſs, and office-faithfulneſs. The Lord Jeſus Chriſt therefore he comes in ſuch a way, and at ſuch a time, as ſhall moſt of all publiſh his glory unto thoſe to whom he comes, and before whom he comes. When the creature is run into emptineſs, and hath ſpent all, then doth Jeſus Chriſt open his fountain-fulneſs. In the weakneſs of the creature does Jeſus Chriſt diſcover his all-power; and in the uncertainty of the creature, doth Jeſus Chriſt glorifie his conſtancy; in the darkneſs of an outward condition, doth the Lord Jeſus Chriſt cauſe his morning Star to ariſe, and ſhine from on high, that gives light to our feet, when we know not how to direct our own paths; when we have loſt all here below, and all our comforts have failed us, and forſaken us, then doth Jeſus Chriſt appear as a friend that ſtands up in a time of adverſity; that neither troubles, nor croſſes, nor trials, nor temptations, ſhall ſeparate. And he chuſes this moſt diſmal ſtate to come in, that he might glorifie his office-fulneſs, and his office-faithfulneſs; that he might glorifie his office-fulneſs, to let us know it is a never failing fulneſs, it is a fulneſs that is alwaies running over; that is not dry when ſtreams are dry, but can fill ſtreams at any time, when they are never ſo dry and empty, and then he comes that he may glorifie his office-faithfulneſs, to appear as one that never doth forget his people, that can bear all the concerns of his people upon his heart, 2 Cor. 1.9. But we had the ſentence of death in our ſelves. So the Lord Jeſus Chriſt he comes and diſcovers himſelf when the ſentence of death is upon our outward mercies, and upon all our outward ſupporters, that they are fading, dying, and falling down under us, then doth the Lord Jeſus Chriſt appear as our God; Ye had the ſentence of death in your ſelves, that ye might truſt in the living God. The Lord will ſo appear, as his appearance ſhall be unto the glory of his own Name in the Office that he is placed in by the Father: And therefore do but conſider what titles Jeſus Chriſt hath put upon himſelf, that are denominative thereof, Pſal. 9.9. The Lord alſo will be a refuge for the oppreſſed, a refuge in times of trouble. A poor diſtreſſed Soul that hath no whither to go, that is driven off from all his former holds, and that hath all his other Wells of conſolation dryed up, Jeſus will be a refuge to ſuch an one, and that at ſuch a time. And Pſal. 10.14. The poor committeth himſelf to thee, and thou art the helper of the fatherleſs. And Pſal. 68.5. A Father of the fatherleſs, and a Judge of the widdow is God in his holy habitation. Why, ſays the Soul; Now all is gone, my Father is gone, and my Husband is gone, and my Friends that uſe to comfort me have left me, and I am now a miſerable creature! No, ſays Chriſt, this is my time to appear to ſhew my ſelf to be a Father to the Fatherleſs, and a Judge of the widdow. And Iſa. 25.4. Thou haſt been a refuge from the ſtorm, a ſhadow from the heat, when the blaſt of the terrible one is like a ſtorm againſt the wall. Why Chriſtian, do not fear an outward diſtreſs then; do not fear a low condition; do not fear a breaking providence; why, becauſe Jeſus Chriſt doth then take his time to diſcover his All to you; he will then take his time to diſcover a Fountain to you that can never be exhauſted; he is a refuge to the poor and needy. And theſe conſiderations might be prevailing upon your ſpirits, to gather off your eyes from beholding other objects, and place them upon the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, where there is a ſufficient ground of Joy to us, whatever our condition is.