Dr. jacomb's forenoon, Sermon, Sixthly, God is with them in his -fympathizing, pretence ! Oh he bath a tender fence of all the -forrows and calamities of his pen- p le ! Oh it grieves him that they are grieved ! they that touch them,touch the apple of his eye ; in all their affliEtions he is affiia- cd, Saul, Saul, whyperfecutejf thou rne every blow that is given to -them, God bears a part ofit himfelf: as they are fenfible of Gods -diftionour, fo-God is fenfible of their fufferings; it pains him to the heart to fee his children wronged and abided by a malicious World. Seventhly, He is with them by his fanftifying pretence: all their troubles are to do them good, and to make them good : and there- fore the furnace it is but to refine them from their drofs ; theprun- ing:hook ofaiiiiation it is but to cut off their luxuriant, bran ches. God takes the fharp knife into his hand and launces them, but it is only to fetch out their corruption ; by this (hall the iniqui- ty of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his Eighthly, God is with them by his quickning pretence, to make their prayers more fervent, to make their requelts to the Throne of Grace more importunate. The children of God cry moil to him, when they fifer molt from men, and their Prayers are bell, when their condition is werft: Prayer fhortens afili6tion, and affiiElion heightens Prayer. God is with them to hear their prayers. Oh the Prayer ofthe afflicted that comes up to Heaven ! God hears the fighs and groans of his oppreffed ones, their tears pierce the Heavens, they call uponGod in time oftrouble, andpour out their forrows before the Lord, and he cloth hear them. Ninetlily, God is with them by his railing pretence, to raife up their hearts higher, to elevate their fouls, and bring them more near to hirnfelf. Gods people when they meet with troubles in the world, oh nothing fo fWeet unto them as the enjoyment of God : then no life to fweet unto them as the life of faith ; then they relifh a fWeethels in the promife ; then every fmileof God, oh how wel- come is it ? then all the affeEkions oftheir fouls center in God, and run toGOd : as in winter time all the lap of the tree runs to the root ; in ftimmer time it fpreads it felfin the body, but in the win-. ter goes to the root : when a man is lick all the blood goes to the heart : fo in a fuffering condition all the affeaions of the foul go to God. But now what are the reafons why God will not leave his people that thus defire to pleafe him ? Why, God loves them, therefore he will norleave them : perfons we love, we cannot leave, efpecially when they are in a dlitreffed condition : and as Godhash fet his love upon them, fo they have let their
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