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

Arg. 4 Fourthly, When a man can praise God for what he hath, although his condition be very sad; God will give him more, and give him a better condition. If God show mercy (saith one) or give a blessing, and I praise God, I pay my debt; but if my case be low, and sad, and I praise God then, then God is pleased to be called my debtor, and he will certainly pay his debt.

Arg. 4 Fourthly, When a man can praise God for what he hath, although his condition be very sad; God wil give him more, and give him a better condition. If God shew mercy (saith one) or give a blessing, and I praise God, I pay my debt; but if my case be low, and sad, and I praise God then, then God is pleased to be called my debtor, and he wil certainly pay his debt.

Arg. 5 Fifthly, If the Lord be the health of your countenance, you shall have the assurance of your Salvation in due time, though now you want it. Thus the Psalmist reasons in the text, Wait on God, or hope in God, for I shall yet praise him, why? for he is the health of my countenance. but when is God said to be the health of our countenance? when his smiles make us look cheerly, and his frowns make us look sadly; if I look well when God smiles, though all relations frown; and do look il, when God frowns, though all my relations smile; then is God the health of my countenance. Now I appeal to you, (beloved) you that do want ⟨p. 127⟩Assurance, hath it not been thus with you? Do ye not earnestly desire Assurance, yet are content to stay, wait, and go without it, if God will have it so? Hath not the Lord shown wonders for thy soul, (when thou hast been in a wildered condition) in preserving, and keeping thee from doing evil to thy self? and have not you been upright in the matter of your Assurance, saying thus; O Lord, give me Assurance of thy love, not that I may have comfort only, but that I may be more fit to serve thee? And have ye not praised the Lord in your sad condition for what you have? And hath not the Lord been the health of your countenance, so that when the Lord hath smiled upon you, then you have looked well; and when the Lord hath frowned upon you, then you have looked il? surely, you cannot but say, I must not deny these things, I cannot be faithful to mine own soul, if I should deny them, yea Lord, thou knowest, and my soul knows it, That thou hast done wonders for me, when I have been in a low, desert, and wildered condition. And O Lord, thou knowest, I desire Assurance of thy love, not for my own comfort only, but that I may be more sit to praise, and serve thee. And Lord, thou knowest, I have praised thee in some measure for what I have Yea, Lord, thou art the health of my countenance; when thou smilest upon me, then I look well, and when thou frownest upon me, then I look ill: I may say in truth, the Lord is the health of my countenance: well then, I say unto thee from the Lord, go in peace, and be of good comfort, though thou doest for the present want comfort, and Assurance of thy Salvation, thou shalt have it in due time. And if all these things be true, O! you that are the people of the Lord, have you any reason to be discouraged?