2. The more God doth cross hands, ⟨p. 38⟩(understand me) the more I say that God doth cross hands in the matter of our comforts, the more doth the free grace of God appear in our comforts; when Jacob blessed Josephs two children, he crossed his hands, and he laid his right hand upon the younger, and his left hand upon the elder; not so father says Joseph; now what doth this show but only the freeness of his love; and so if God shall cross hands in the matter of our comfort, what doth this argue but the freeness of his love, and grace; and God doth sometimes do thus when he comes to comfort, he doth cross hands. Sometimes two men have been in the same transgression, and the one hath been comforted, and the other not: what shall we say of Peter, and of Francis Spira. Spira having professed the Truth, and being called to witness to it, did deny it; so did Peter, he denied Christ, yet Peter was comforted, but Spira never comforted, but lay despairing and roaring out to his death, I am a reprobate, I am a reprobate, no hope for me, no hope for me; Peter was comforted, Spira was never comforted: What do you think of David and Cain, Cain murders his brother Abel a godly man; David murdered Uriah a godly man too: ⟨p. 39⟩Uriah had been with him in all his troubles, and was a very good man, but though David was an adulterer also, yet a messenger is sent to him that says, thy sins are forgiven thee: but Cain not comforted, but driven out from the presence of the Lord. So that I say there may be two in a transgression, and the one may be comforted, and the other not. Look into the Scriptures, and into your own experiences, and you will find great sinners comforted, and lesser sinners not comforted, and great sinners converted and comforted sooner than others. Zacheus was a great sinner, and yet was comforted: the Jailer was a great sinner, and yet comforted; and yet many that have walked very closely with God, have not been comforted. Psalm 88.15. Heman complains sadly in verse 14. Lord why castest thou off my soul, why hidest thou thy face from me: I am afflicted and ready to dye from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted; and yet he walked close with God, as you may find in the former part of the Psalm. Yet we find sometimes (I say) the greatest sinners converted and soonest comforted.
2. The more God doth cross hands, ⟨p. 38⟩(understand me) the more I say that God doth cross hands in the matter of our comforts, the more doth the free grace of God appear in our comforts; when Jacob blessed Josephs two children, he crost his hands, and he laid his right hand upon the younger, and his left hand upon the elder; not so father says Joseph; now what doth this shew but only the freeness of his love; and so if God shall cross hands in the matter of our comfort, what doth this argue but the freeness of his love, and grace; and God doth sometimes do thus when he comes to comfort, he doth cross hands. Sometimes two men have been in the same transgression, and the one hath been comforted, and the other not: what shall we say of Peter, and of Francis Spira. Spira having professed the Truth, and being called to witness to it, did deny it; so did Peter, he denied Christ, yet Peter was comforted, but Spira never comforted, but lay despairing and roaring out to his death, I am a reprobate, I am a reprobate, no hope for me, no hope for me; Peter was comforted, Spira was never comforted: What do you think of David and Cain, Cain murders his brother Abel a godly man; David murdered Ʋriah a godly man too: ⟨p. 39⟩Ʋriah had been with him in all his troubles, and was a very good man, but though David was an adulterer also, yet a messenger is sent to him that says, thy sins are forgiven thee: but Cain not comforted, but driven out from the presence of the Lord. So that I say there may be two in a transgression, and the one may be comforted, and the other not. Look into the Scriptures, and into your own experiences, and you will find great sinners comforted, and lesser sinners not comforted, and great sinners converted and comforted sooner than others. Zacheus was a great sinner, and yet was comforted: the Jaylor was a great sinner, and yet comforted; and yet many that have walked very closely with God, have not been comforted. Psalm 88.15. Hemau complains sadly in verse 14. Lord why castest thou off my soul, why hidest thou thy face from me: I am afflicted and ready to dye from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted; and yet he walked close with God, as you may find in the former part of the Psalm. Yet we find sometimes (I say) the greatest sinners converted and soonest comforted.
