-.,s..---:-- Chap. y. ElnExpofition upon theBooltpfJ 0B. VerC a$. 66$ we ufe to fay,fuck, a boufe is vifrted. Then obferve, Afflietions are vifitations. They are called fo , becaufc then God comes to fearch our hearts and lives ; af/lietions are Gods fearchers and examiners. lerufalern is threatncd to be fearcht with candles, and that was the timeof jerufalems vifitation. To fearch with a candle, notes the molt accurate fearching, as the wo man when the had loft her groat, lighteda candle, andfought dili- gently tillfhefound it ; the vifted every hole to find it out. When you fee the Lordaffli6ing, then he is viliting, he lights a candle to fearch every corner of your lives. And ifafl'ìiflions be Gods vifitations, it is time for man tovitit himfelf, when he is alli&ed. We fhould vifit our fouls when God vifits our bodies, our elates, our families, or the Kindome where we live. Woe to thole, who donot vifit themfelvcs, when God vifits them. The Prophet calls to this duty in a time of fad- del vifitation, Let usperch and try our ways, Lam. 3. Yet further, ifGod in afflictions vifits us, let us vitit God;let us: anfwer his vifitation ofus, with our yifitation ofhim. Lord in trouble have theyvifrted tbee,theypowred out a prayer when thy chaff- King was upon them, Ifa. 26,16: Would you know what the vifì- tingof God is?It ispraying unto him, They vifrted thee,thefpowred out a prayer when thy chaftning was on them. We vifit heaven in our ofidions, when we pray much in our atliiltions. When God vifiteth us, let us vifit him, and nevergive over vifiting him, till he remove his vifitation from, or fandifie itto us. That's the fill fink Secondly,to vifit,in a good fenfe lignifies to thewmercy ,and to refrcth, to deliver and to biefs, Huth a. 6. Naomi beard how the. Lord hadvJitedhis people, and given them bread. Gen. 21. 2. The LordvifitedSarah, andfhe conctived,' &c.Exod.3.i6.The Lordhash- Purely vifrted his people,when they were upondawnings of delive- rance outofEgypt1That greatefi mercy anddeliverance, that eves the childrenofinen had, is thus expreffed, Lukea. 68. TheLord hatb vifrted, andredeemed bir people. Mercies are vifitations, when God comes in kindnefs and love to do us good, he vifiteth us. And thefe mercies are called vifitations in two re-peas. a. BecaufeGod comes near to us when he doth usgood:mercy is a drawing near to a foul,drawing near to a place: As when God fends a judgment,or afllit`s,he is faid to depart and go away from that place fo when he doth us good,he comes near,and as it were applies.hitnfeifin favour to our perlons and habitations, 2.They , , üï
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=