Ye know how it was with Nathaniel: When Nathaniel believed upon what Christ had spoken, says Christ unto him, Believest thou, because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the Fig-tree? I will show thee greater things; thou shalt see the Angels of God ascending, and descending upon the son of man. So will the Lord Christ say to a poor soul, I have spoken a word unto thee, and I gave thee a little peace, and doest thou believe because of the word I have spoken unto thee? thou shalt see greater things, and I will give thee abundance of peace. Look into Isa. 48. vers. 18. and there you shall find the Lord speaking thus, O that thou hadst hearkened to my Commandments, then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the Sea. When the Lord speaks, and calls upon people to believe, if then they do hearken to him, then shall their peace be like a river. And when does the Lord call in a special manner upon people to believe? When he gives out a word, and when he gives them a little peace, then he is calling upon them to believe, now return, and now believe, says the Lord. Ye know how it was with Elijah; when they wanted rain, and had wanted rain for a long time, Elijah sends his servant towards the Sea, to see if he could perceive any rain coming, and Elijah falls down upon his face in prayer, his servant goes, but no sign of rain, he goes again, and no sign of rain; and the seventh time Elijah's servant perceives a cloud, of the bigness of an hand, and he comes down unto his Master, and tells him, he had seen a cloud, the bigness of a mans hand: Whereupon Elijah concludes and says, Come, let us up, I hear the noise of many waters. So say I, you have been upon your face, and have been much discouraged, yet if you have been at prayer, and a little refreshment comes, though it be but the bigness of an hand: yet conclude and say, surely, there is more rain a coming, Come, O my soul, Why art thou cast down? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God, and wait on him, I hear abundance of rain a coming. When our Saviour Christ sometimes speaks peace, he doth at the first speak by a small word, and if that be improved, then he speaks more. Ye know how it was with Mary; she was at the Sepulchre, and had been enquiring after her Lord, and says she to the Angels, they have taken away my Lord: and the Angels, talked •o her and could not comfort her.
Ye know how it was with Nathaniel: When Nathaniel beleeved upon what Christ had spoken, saies Christ unto him, Beleevest thou, because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the Fig-tree? I wil shew thee greater things; thou shalt see the Angels of God ascending, and descending upon the son of man. So wil the Lord Christ say to a poor soul, I have spoken a word unto thee, and I gave thee a little peace, and doest thou beleeve because of the word I have spoken unto thee? thou shalt see greater things, and I wil give thee abundance of peace. Look into Isa. 48. vers. 18. and there you shal find the Lord speaking thus, O that thou hadst hearkened to my Commandements, then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the Sea. When the Lord speaks, and cals upon people to beleeve, if then they do hearken to him, then shal their peace be like a river. And when does the Lord cal in a special manner upon people to beleeve? When he gives out a word, and when he gives them a little peace, then he is calling upon them to beleeve, now return, and now beleeve, saies the Lord. Ye know how it was with Eliah; when they wanted rain, and had wanted rain for a long time, Eliah sends his servant towards the Sea, to see if he could perceive any rain coming, and Eliah fals down upon his face in prayer, his servant goes, but no sign of rain, he goes again, and no sign of rain; and the seventh time Eliah's servant perceives a cloud, of the bigness of an hand, and he comes down unto his Master, and tells him, he had seen a cloud, the bigness of a mans hand: Whereupon Eliah concludes and saies, Come, let us up, I hear the noise of many waters. So say I, you have been upon your face, and have been much discouraged, yet if you have been at prayer, and a little refreshment comes, though it be but the bigness of an hand: yet conclude and say, surely, there is more rain a coming, Come, O my soul, Why art thou cast down? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God, and wait on him, I hear abundance of rain a coming. When our Savior Christ sometimes speaks peace, he doth at the first speak by a smal word, and if that be improved, then he speaks more. Ye know how it was with Mary; she was at the Sepulcher, and had been enquiring after her Lord, and saies she to the Angells, they have taken away my Lord: and the Angells, talked •o her and could not comfort her.
