Featly et. Al. - BV4275 T47 1672

26¢ Looking, four things in it. r. Earncllncfr. Rom. 8. N. 2. Patience. Thef. t. ;. Heb. to. 36. t, The titre is uncertain. 2. It.feems long. 3. Gods (Mangetvo(k- ing. 3. Ioy. Rom. a. T. 4. Diligence. 2. Pet. 3.14. The Saints longing Then it teacheth us a third leffon, quidexpeEiandum, what we muff look for ; looking, faith the Text, for the blefed hope, the glorious appearingof the great God, andour Saviour jefus Cori(#. The two fir4 points I handled then. And 1 told you, I would referve the third point, till it plcáfed God togive me a fit octoroon. Ìt bathpleafedGdd to give me afit one, but a very fad occafion ; It is the Lord, let him do whatfeetriethgood in kis eyes. I will go over the words in particular, and obferve fame thing out ofthem. And then out of altogether; I will raifc this,DoFtrine; that; A child ofGd'moafi livefofoberty; fo juftly, fa godly in this prefent world, as be- cometh a manthat looksfor a more blef-d hope, at thegreat day, at the appearing ofthegreat God,and our Saviaurfetus ChrlJ?. I begin with the firft. The. fiat word is Looping, and it hath in it their four things ; Firft, carnetncfs : a Saint ofG,d mull look, and lookcarncítly. TheApoftle whenhe fees down chi lookingóFthc creatures ((or the creatures lock too together with us, to be freedfrom the bondage ofcorruption, in theglorious libertyof the Sons 'ofGod; whenhe fpeaks of the lookingof thecreature) heufeth a ftrangewordwhich fignifieth a putting ont of the heád,looking to fee what it can efpic a great vvay off, to feedthere be any fsgn of his coming, kom, 8. tg: And he tells us that the crea- ture Both not only put out the head and look , but vvaits, and groans, and Gyhs, and travelleth as a vvoman inpain :2 'and uoth the Apoftle, not only the creatures,, do thus, our we that have the frrflfruits ofthefpirit. Nay, if the creature put out the head, andgroan, and vvait, and is in pain,till that day come, hove much more flrould vye that have thefeft fruits of the fpirít? Earneftnefs, that is one.' A fecond thing is patience. If (quoththe Apoftle) we hope for that we fee not, then da we with patieroce wait far it. There is patientia fpei ; The Theffalonisns are commended for it, in r Thef, r. g. The patience oftope.. And as the Apoftle faith, Heb. ro. 36.'Opuseftvobtapatientiee,yauhave needo'fpatitnce in this looking: for confidering; Firfl of all, that the time is not knovvn to us, vvhen this Lord vvill appear. It is notfor you-to-know the times and the feafons, that the Father loath kept in his own power. And confidering fecondly, that that time, either longer or fhorter, may teem to belong, omnes celeritae in defrderio ; All haft that can be made, is but delayto áman that languiflaeth in delire : hence comes thofe often, ufquequa r how long Lord? how long? ,, Thirdly, confidering, (as the very heathen man could call them) thole won- drOus workings ofGod. It is many times Peen, that Gods working feems to go againft his word. And then fourthly, confidering how bufie the Devil is to difcredit the truth of Gods promife, and to weaken our faiths I fayagain with the Apoftle, you have tteed ofpatience. There is the fecond thing. There is a third thing neceffary, that is, Joy to thinkOf this fame day. Saida the Apoftle, t ''ere is a crown of riphteoufneft laidup far me,. and not for me only ; Gut for all them that love, that appearing'; and where love is, there will be joy ; joy is a fw eet motion of Gods fpirit : fpiritual joy, I fpeakofthat; either upon the fruition of fome good thingprefcnt, or the expe&ation offuture ; there is re- joycing under the hop of tbeglary 'of Gad, Rom. 5. z. And faith the Apoftle Peter, whom you have notfeen , andyet love , whom though youfee not , you b,clieve , and believing you rejoyce, with a joy un.fpeakable and glorious. It is fuck a joy, as thel world cannot give us ; and Inch a joy, as the world cannot take from us. Laftly, this looking bath-alto with it, á care and diligenceto,prepare our felves againft that conning. Mask the.Apoftle, z Pet:.;. 14. faith theApoftle, Seeing we look for theft things, 'let III ufe all ziliigenae, tbatme niay. be found -ofhim'.inpeace'; You know how the wife Virgins, becattfe they looked-for the Bridegroom; ' they had

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