Some general directions for a comfortable walking with God delivered in the lecture at…Some generall directions for a comfortable walking with God deliuered in the lecture at…

And as consideration of former time cursedly misspent; so a fore-conceit also of dreadful times to come, may justly cause us to make much of, and husband well every moment we have presently in our hands; for treasuring up an heavenly hoard of grace, comfort, patience, and courage, against the evil day. Though the times, as yet, be fair and calm, happy and Halcyonian; and the Candle of God shines still upon this Kingdom, with extraordinary prosperity and peace; there is no carrying into captivity, or crying in our streets, but every man is quietly reposed under his own Vine; and there refresheth himself with the riches and comforts of a good and pleasant land; yet as sure as the night follows the day, a change will come. If the glorious and Triumphant times of the daughter of Jerusalem, that men called, The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth, ¹The glory of all lands, were turned into a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity, by the Lord God of hosts, in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and crying to the mountains: what may we of this Land look for, if we still turn the grace of God into wantonness; but at length to be turned out of our houses of peace, as the unthankfullest and unworthiest people that ever the Sun of Heaven saw, or the Sun of Christs glorious Gospel did shine upon so fair and so long? But howsoever the Kingdom fare, and God deal with us in public: (Only let me tell you by the way, that in the mean time we stand by a miracle of Gods mercy, and a prop of his extraordinary patience) yet ⟨p. 165⟩every one of our particular day and doom cannot be far off. As yet, perhaps, the Almighty is with us, his providence protects our habitations, no remarkable affliction hath taken hold upon us; so that there is no mourning, or spectacles of miseries in our families; no crying, O my father Abraham, and O my son Isaac; O my son Absalom, my son, my son, Absalom; O Absalom, my son, my son! And these houses of flesh, it may be, wherein we dwell for a few and evil days, are as yet in reasonable good repair; and it is every way with us, as it was with Job in the days of his youth, when he washed his steps with butter, and the rocks poured him out rivers of oil;

And as consideration of former time cursedly misspent; so a fore-conceit also of dreadfull times to come, may iustly cause vs to make much of, and husband well euery moment wee haue presently in our hands; for treasuring vp an heauenly hoard of grace, comfort, patience, and courage, against the euill day. Though the times, as yet, bee faire and calme, happy and Halcyonian; and the Candle of God shines still vpon this Kingdome, with extraordinary prosperitie and peace; there is no carrying into captiuitie, or crying in our streets, but euery man is quietly reposed vnder his owne Vine; and there refresheth himselfe with the riches and comforts of a good and pleasant land; yet as sure as the night followes the day, a change will come. If the glorious and Triumphant times of the daughter of Ierusalem, that men called, The perfection of beauty, The ioy of the whole earth,