The Dead Saint Speaking to Saints and Sinners Living, Treatise 2 · Consectary 1
1. Conſectary.
1. This then may bee a ground for us to expect, and hence our Faith may bee ſtrengthened in the expectation, that Chriſt will yet do more for his Church and People, than yet hee hath done.
Indeed hee hath done much for our Nation, for our Engliſh Sion.
Hee might have ruined us, for a Generation of ſuch as provoked him. Wee have been a Provocation of his Anger to this day. Hee might have ſuffered our carkaſſes to have fallen in the Wilderneſs, and kept our poſterity to have entered into Canaan. Wee have looked toward Egypt, toward Babylon. Hee might have laid the foundation of purer times in our bloud, raiſed up a purer Church upon the ruines of us.
But God hath ſeemed to over-look our great unworthineſs: And to the terror of our enemies, and even to the aſtoniſhment and wonder of us all, hath begun, ſet forth, and gone forward in a way of mercy; ſuch wayes as have been untrodden in former times.
And that which God hath given us in hand, is an earneſt of what wee have in hope: that wee have in poſſeſſion bids us but look to what wee have in promiſe.
And expect the performance of it, becauſe God loves the Church: the Heart of Chriſt is taken with the Church.
Hee loves his Church, and therefore hee will purifie his Church, aad take away her droſs and tinne.
Hee loves his Church, and therefore will hee reform his Church.
Hee loves his Church, and therefore will hee take away whatſoever doth offend, all ſoul-burthens, all conſcience-burthens, which oppreſs the ſpirits of his own People.
1. The Church is his Fold, and hee will deſtroy the Wolves, which have gotten in to devoure the ſheep.
2. The Church is his Field, and hee will weed out the Tares, and binde them in bundles to burn them.
3. The Church is his Houſe, and hee will ſweep it.
4. It is his Flore, and hee will fanne, and blow away the chaff.
That love which made him ingage himſelf to his Church, in precious promiſes, will not ſuffer him to reſt, till hee hath made good thoſe promiſes to it.
That love which moved him to begin, will not ſuffer him to reſt, till hee hath made an end.
You ſee in Ezek. 37.27. the whole Chapter is but an addition of Mercy to Mercy.
When God begins to go forth towards a people, in a way of mercy, hee knows no ſtop, hee can make no end. I will do this, and alſo this, as you ſee in that Chapter. God adds Mercy, to Mercy.
And the reaſon is, becauſe Free-love begins, and that knows no end.
The proceedings of Gods Mercy, towards his Church and People, do ariſe from himſelf, his own Free-Grace.
His Juſtice is from us; but his Mercy is from himſelf.
If, when hee threatned to puniſh Iſrael, hee ſaith, hee will adde Judgement to Judgement. This, and this alſo will I do, Amos 4.12. How much more then when hee promiſeth to ſhew Mercy to Iſrael, will hee adde Mercy to Mercy.
God hath Alſo's of Mercy, as well as of Judgement. See in Ezek. 37.27. My Tabernacle alſo ſhall bee, &c.
Well then: Is the Heart of Chriſt taken with his Church and People? Then will wee with confidence beleeve, and with patience wait and expect, that Chriſt will yet do more for his Church and People, than ever hee hath done, becauſe hee loves them?
Let us but joyn Supplication with Expectation; Praying, with Waiting, and wee ſhall ſee it, to the joy of our hearts.
I never read, that ever God beſtowed any great Mercy and deliverance upon his Church and People, but he firſt ſtirred up the hearts of his people mightily to pray unto him.
And never did God mightily ſtir up the hearts of his People to ſeek him, but hee wrought ſome great Mercy and deliverance for them.
God loves to make his People as thankful as they were prayerful: As happy Injoyers, as they were humble Seekers. When Trouble ſends us to Prayer, then Deliverance ſhall ſend us to Praiſes.
Let us then joyn our Supplications to our Expectations. Times of great Expectations, ſhould bee times of Great Supplications: whether they bee
1. Expectations of Hope, the Object whereof is Good.
2. Or, Expectations of Fear, the Object whereof is Evil.
3. Or, Mixed Expectations between Hope and Fear, as our times are; they are times of Expectation, and therefore they ought to bee times of Supplication. Wee are now big with Expectation; let us now bee mighty in Supplication. Great Stones are not to bee turned over without great ſtrength. Great Mercies are not to bee gotten without great ſtrivings. The Man-child of Deliverance is not to bee brought forth without pangs.
Let us then bee mighty in Prayer. That will make all our preſent throws and pangs ſubſervient to deliverance: And then let us ſtand ſtill and wait.
1. Wait for performance of Promiſes.
2. Wait for performance of Prayers.
There are many thouſand Prayers regiſtred in Gods-book, and many thouſand Tears put up in Gods-bottle. Let us wait when all theſe ſhall come down upon our heads in a warm ſhower of Mercy.
Wait when the great revenew of Prayers will come in. The longer the ſtay, the greater will bee the harveſt. Wee ſay, great Engines move ſlowly. Magnarum rerum tarda molimina.Smal things they are quickly wheeled about; but great Mercies they are long in conception, long in the womb, and long in the birth.
This is all our comfort: God will not bring to the birth, and afterward not bring forth: nor will hee bring forth, and afterward ſhut the womb again, as hee ſaith, Iſa. 66.9.
Hee is Alpha and Omega, the Beginner, and the Finiſher; where hee laies the foundation, there hee will lay the roof upon it.