156 The Spirituall-a0ings ofFaith, Rev..t z. Real: r. I 4, they heard agreat voice from Heaven; laying unto them, come up hither ; I pray marke , they are kildfirfl ; at the latter end of the 7. verfe , He(hall make warre againfi- them, and shall overcome them, and kill them, and their dead bodiesAall lie in thefireet ofthe great City which#iritually is owed Sodome andEgypt; and they ofthe People and Kindreds, and Tongues, andNations, fhallfee their deadbodies three dayes and an half, and (hall notfuffer their deadbodies to beput ingraves : There is a Spirit of life enters into them afterwards, I but firft of all a fentence of death plies upon them ; this is Gods way and manner of dealing with his People, with the children ofe..fbraham, with thofe that are true Beleevers. What Reafon for it ? This feemes fomewhat Ptrange : Not a bleffing or a mercy of any great importance , or con- cernment,but the fentence ofdeath paffes upon it firft What Reafon for this ? Why is God pleafed to take this way with his owne people, the Children of Abraham? Firit of all, God doth fo give bleffings , and mercies unto his own people , as , That he may be molt ofall feene therein, Beloved ! God doth not onely give us thefe outward crea- ture-comforts, for to fupply our Wants, but to beare up the honour of his ownegreatneffe. You have not fifh out of the water, onely to fupply your wants : nor fruit from the earth, onely to fupply your wants : nor light from theSun , only to fupplyyour wants,but to beare up the honour ofGods great- nefe alfo. When he gives unto his people, he does give in fuch a way, as may moft of all bear up the honour ofhis own greatneffe: if it were only to fupply their wants, then poffi- bly, the fentence ofdeath fbould never come upon the fe- cond caufe : but now , it is alto to beare upkis own honour, the honour of his own greatneffe and that is done this way. Hereby God is known to to be a living god fo long as there is life in themeanes, God is not fo well known to be a living God : but when all meanes are dead , and yet the mercy comes, Oh ! fayes a foule , now I fee that God is a li- ving God. Hereby the Tower ofGod is made known; he muff needs be
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