A word in season to this present generation, or, A sober and serious discourse…

The 3. Proposition is this, that a sincere Christian may ¹enjoy the presence of the Lord in great troubles, deep distresses, and most deadly dangers, supporting and upholding of him, when he has not the presence of God quickening, comforting, and joying of him, Psal 37. 24. Though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholdeth ²him with his hand. [Somech Jado, Upholding with his hand.] There is not one moment wherein the Lord doth not uphold his People by the hand. The root [Samach] signifies, to sustain and bear up, as the Nurse or tender Mother does the little child, the weak child, the sick child. Gods hand is still under his, so that they can never fall below supporting grace. Psal. 63. 8. Thy right hand upholdeth me; or, Thy right hand underprops me. God never did, nor never will want a hand to uphold, a hand to underprop his poor People in their greatest troubles, and deepest distresses. Though the Saints have not always the comforting presence of God in their afflictions, yet they have always the supporting presence of God in their afflictions, as Christ in his bitter and ³bloody Agony had much of the supporting presence of his Father, when he had none of the comforting presence of his Father with him; So the Saints in their deep distresses have many times much of the supporting presence of ⟨p. 138⟩God; His left hand is under their heads, and his right ⁴hand doth embrace them, when in respect of his comforting presence, they may say with the weeping Prophet ⁵The Comforter that should relieve my soul, is far from me. When the love-sick Spouse was ready to faint, Christ circleth her with amiable embracements. His left hand is under her head, and his right hand doth embrace her. It is an allusion to their conjugal and mensal beds, on which the guests are so bestowed, that the first laid his left hand under the head of him that was next, and put him so in in his bosom, that with his other hand he might also, if he pleased, embrace him, which was a posture and sign of the greatest love, which the sick fainting Spouse here glories in. Christs two hands are testimonies and witnesses of his great power and might, who is able to preserve his People (though lame cripples) from falling, & also to lift them up again, when they are fallen never so low, and likewise to support and uphold them, that they shall never finally and utterly be cast down.