Preached Auguft 17. 1662. 119 their love upon God, they love God, Pfal. 91. 15. you have there an expreflion,13ecamfe hebath fet his love upon me, therefore Iwill de- liver him : call upon me, and Iwill anfirer hire, I will be with him in trouble. God is a God of bowels, of great pitty and com- panion, and therefore he will not leave his people in a time of di- ttrefs : you know bowels how they nand in you towards them that are in mifery ; it goes to the heart ofa merciful man to leave a per- fon inmifery : 0"h howgreat are the bowels and compaffions of God ! Is Ephraim my (.01,1, is he dpleafont child ? Oh my bowels are turned within me, Iwill have mercy on him. 2. Such as pleafe God, (hall have his prefence under fuffering, becaufe now they need God molt : if God will not leave his people' as to temporal ftpplies, becaufe they need filch and filch things; theyneeSmeat, and they need cloathing : direly much more God w ill not leave his children, as to fpiritual fupplies, under times of cliftrefs, becaufe then they need God. Oh what can a Believer do?or what can a believer fiiffer whenGod leaves him ? his ftrength is in God : his tipport is in God : his comfort is in God : his all is in God ; and therefore if God now leave him; what will become ofhim ? he needs God at all times, but never fo much as when his condition is dark and troubled. What was Sampfon, that man ofice great ftrength, when his hair was gone? and what is a believer,when his God is gone ? 3. God loves to fee- his people chearful in a time of differing,. and thererefore he is with them; he loves not that they fhould walk dejeaedly. When God is preient, Paul and Silas can fing in pri- fon ; the Apoftles can rejoyce, that God honours them to be re- proached. for him. When God is present, the people ofGod are not only chearful under tribulation, but can glory, their crofs is their crown; but if God be withdrawn; what can there be ? drooping hearts, and penlive forrows. 4. God will not leave them, becauCe they will not leave God ;, God will not leave-them, becaufe they fuller for his fake : were' they not tender of Gods glory,and careful topleafe him,they might be free from differing as well as others ; but it is for Gods fake they luffer ; For thy fake we are killed like:Peep, all the day long. Laitly, It is thus, becaufe God will make it appear to all the world, that he puts a difference between them that defire to plea(e him, and other men : God bath a value for fuch : Do but fee how Motes arpes the cafe with God, Exod. 33.13. and loon, where he comes to God with a great requeft, that God would thew him his way, that he might know it ; why faith God to him, My preence,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=