Thou that now spendest thy days in sorrow, and thy breath in sighings, and turnest all thy voice into groanings; who knowest no garments but sackcloth, no food but the bread and water of Affliction; who minglest thy bread with tears, and drinkest the tears which thou weepest, what sayest thou to this great change? From All Sorrow to more then All Joy? Thou poor Soul, who prayest for Joy, waitest for Joy, complainest for want of Joy, longest for Joy; why, then thou shalt have full Joy, as much as thou canst hold, and more then ever thou thoughtest on, or thy heart desired: And in the mean time walk carefully, watch constantly, and then let God measure out thy times and degrees of Joy. It may be he keeps them till thou have more need: Thou mayst better lose thy comfort, then thy safety: If thou shouldst dye full of fears and sorrows, it will be but a moment and they are all gone, and concluded in Joy unconceivable: As the Joy of the Hypocrite, so the fears of the upright, are but for a moment. And as their hopes are but golden dreams, which, when death awakes them, do all perish, and their hopes dye with them; so the Saints doubts and fears are but terrible dreams, which▪ when they dye, do all vanish; and they awake in Joyful Glory. For Gods Anger endureth but a moment, but in his favour is Life; weeping may endure for a night, (darkness and sadness go together,) but Joy cometh in the morning, Psal. 30.5. Oh blessed morning, thrice blessed morning! Poor, humble, drooping Soul, how would it fill thee with Joy now, if a voice from Heaven should tell thee of the Love of God? of the pardon of thy sins? and should assure thee of thy part in these Joys? Oh, what then will thy Joy be, when thy actual Possession shall convince thee of thy Title, and thou shalt be in Heaven before thou art well aware; When the Angels shall bring thee to Christ, and when Christ shall (as it were) take thee by the hand, and lead thee into the purchased possession, and bid thee welcome to his Rest, and present thee unspotted before his Father, and give thee thy place about his Throne? Poor Sinner; what sayest thou to such a day as this? Wilt thou not be almost ready to draw back, and to say, What, I Lord? I the unworthy Neglecter of thy Grace! I the unworthy dis-esteemer of thy blood, and slighter of thy Love! must I have this Glory?
Thou that now spendest thy days in sorrow, and thy breath in sighings, and turnest all thy voyce into groanings; who knowest no garments but sackcloth, no food but the bread and water of Affliction; who minglest thy bread with tears, and drinkest the tears which thou weepest, what sayest thou to this great change? From All Sorrow to more then All Joy? Thou poor Soul, who prayest for Joy, waitest for Joy, complainest for want of Joy, longest for Joy; why, then thou shalt have full Joy, as much as thou canst hold, and more then ever thou thoughtest on, or thy heart desired: And in the mean time walk carefully, watch constantly, and then let God measure out thy times and degrees of Joy. It may be he keeps them till thou have more need: Thou mayst better lose thy comfort, then thy safety: If thou shouldst dye full of fears and sorrows, it will be but a moment and they are all gone, and concluded in Joy unconceiveable: As the Joy of the Hypocrite, so the fears of the upright, are but for a moment. And as their hopes are but golden dreams, which, when death awakes them, do all perish, and their hopes dye with them; so the Saints doubts and fears are but terrible dreams, which▪ when they dye, do all vanish; and they awake in Joyful Glory. For Gods Anger endureth but a moment, but in his favor is Life; weeping may endure for a night, (darkness and sadness go together,) but Joy cometh in the morning, Psal. 30.5. Oh blessed morning, thrice blessed morning! Poor, humble, drooping Soul, how would it fill thee with Joy now, if a voyce from Heaven should tell thee of the Love of God? of the pardon of thy sins? and should assure thee of thy part in these Joys? Oh, what then will thy Joy be, when thy actual Possession shall convince thee of thy Title, and thou shalt be in Heaven before thou art well aware; When the Angels shall bring thee to Christ, and when Christ shall (as it were) take thee by the hand, and lead thee into the purchased possession, and bid thee welcom to his Rest, and present thee unspotted before his Father, and give thee thy place about his Throne? Poor Sinner; what sayest thou to such a day as this? Wilt thou not be almost ready to draw back, and to say, What, I Lord? I the unworthy Neglecter of thy Grace! I the unworthy dis-esteemer of thy blood, and slighter of thy Love! must I have this Glory?
