I. Scripture-light the most sure light ... delivered in three sermons on 2 Pet.…

Now if God have so laid his promises, that all unbelieving objections may be taken off as they rise, what doth this argue, but that God our Father would not have his people discouraged, whatever their condition be? therefore they have no reason for it.

Now if God have so laid his promises, that al unbeleeving objections may be taken off as they rise, what doth this argue, but that God our Father would not have his people discouraged, whatever their condition be? therfore they have no reason for it.

Answ. 4 There is no matter of discouragement, which the Saints do, or can meet withal, but there is a greater encouragement bound up therewith, or comes along with it: God doth never more Graciously appear to his people, than when there is the greatest matter for their discouragement. John lay some years in the bosom of Jesus Christ, whilst Christ lived, but, then he had not the revelation given him; Christ dies, John is afflicted, persecuted, driven into the Isle of Patmos, there an exile, and there Christ appears to him, and gives him that blessed book of comfort, the book of the revelation. We read of Jacob, that at one time especially he did so see the Lord, that he called the name of the place, Peniel, for I have seen the Lord, ¹saith he, and when was that? but when Churlish Laban, was on one side of him, and his rough brother Esau, coming out against him in an hostile way on the other side. Once he had a vision of a Ladder, the top whereof was in heaven, and the foot on earth, Angels ascending and descending upon it; which in John, 1. Chap. Christ interprets to be himself. You shall see the Angels ascending and descending upon the Son of man, but when had he this vision? not all the while he was in his Fathers house, bu• when he was fain to fly from the anger of his brother, lay in the open field in the night, and had no pillow but an hard stone to lie upon, then doth Christ thus appear to him, and make such a discovery and manifestation of himself, as he never had before. And when was it that Mr. Robert Glover was so filled with heavenly joys, that he cried out, he is come, he is come? ye read of him in the book of Martyrs, that for five years together, he was worn out & consumed with fears and troubles; he could neither eat nor sleep, he was so afflicted in his soul upon the apprehension of some backsliding, he thought he must needs be thrown down to hell when he died, yea he thought (saith the story of him) that he could not more despair in hell, yet after this long time of wrestling with this Temptation, it pleased God to come in with comforts: But I say, when was this? why; then especially, when he came within sight of the stake, then he cried out with clapping of his hands, he is come, he is come.