54 What are no Signs PART. IIo juft ready to fink, and the Difcipie, were brought to cry to Jefus, Lord, Pave us, we perifh ; and then theWinds and Seas were rebuked, and there was a great Calm ; Matth. 8. 24, 25, 26. The Leper, before he is cleanfed, muff have his Mouth itop'd, by a covering on his upper Lip, and was to acknowledge his great Mifery and utter Uncleannefs, by rending his Cloaths, and crying, Unclean, unclean: Levit. 13. 4.5. And backfliding Ifrael, before God heals them, are brought to acknowledge that they have finned, and have not obeyed the Voice of the Lord, and to fee that they ly down in their Shame, and that Confufion covers them, and that in vain is Salvation hopedforfrom the .Hills, andfrom the Multitude of Mountains, and thatGod only can fave them ; 'fen 3. 23, 24, 25. jofeph, who was fold by his Brethren, and therein was a Type of Chrift, brings his Brethren into great Per- plexity and Diftrefs, and brings them to refleSf on their Sin, and to fay we are verily guilty ; and at laft to refign up themfelves entirely into his Hands for Bondmen ; and then reveals himfelf to them, as their Brother and their Saviour. And if we confider thofe extraordinary Manifeffations which God made of himfelf to Saints of Old, we 'hall find that he commonly firft manifefted himfelf in a Way which was terrible, and then by thofe Things that were comfortable. So it was withflbraham ; firff a Hor- ror ofgreat Darknefsfell upon him, and then God revealed himfelf to him in fweet Promifes ; Gen. 15. 12, 13. So it was with Mofes at Mount Sinai ; firff, God appeared to him in all the Terrors of his dreadful Majefty, fo that Mofes faid, I exceedingly fear and quake, and then he made all his Goodnefs to pats before him, and proclaimed his Name, the Lord God gracious and merciful, &c. So it was with Elijah; firft, there is a ftormy Wind, and Earthquake, and devour- ing Fire, and then a fill, (mall, fweet Voice ; i Kings 19. So it was with Daniel ; he firft law Chrift's Countenance as Lightning, that terrified him, and caufed him to faint away ; and then he is ftrength- ened and refrefhed with fuch comfortable Words as thefe, O Daniel, a Man greatly beloved, Dan. io. So it was with the Apoffle 'John, Rev. r. And there is an Analogy obfervable in God's Difpenfations and Deliverances which he works for his People, and the Manifefta- tion which he makes of himfelf to them, both ordinary and extraor- dinary. But there are many Things in Scripture which do more directly 'hew, that this is God's ordinary Manner in workingSalvation for the Souls of Men, and in the Manifeftations God makes of himfelf and of his Mercy in Chriff, in the ordinary Works of his Grace on the Hearts of Sinners. The Servant that owed his Prince ten thoufand Talents, is firft held to his Debt, and the King pronounces Sentence of Condemnation upon him, and commands him to be fold, and his Wife and Children, and Payment to be made ; and thus he humbles him,
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