A29709:234
A word in season to this present generation, or, A sober and serious discourse…
A word in season to this present generation, or, A sober and serious discourse about the favourable, signal and eminent presence of the Lord with his people in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers : with the resolution of several questions, concerning the divine presence, as also the reasons and improvements of this great and glorious truth ... / by Thomas Brooks ...A word in season to this present generation, or, A sober and serious discourse about the favorable, signal and eminent presence of the Lord with his people in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers : with the resolution of several questions, concerning the divine presence, as also the reasons and improvements of this great and glorious truth ... / by Thomas Brooks ...
London: printed for Dorman Newman, 1675
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Thirdly, To move you so to order, demean and 1carry yourselves as that you may enjoy the gracious presence of God with you, in the greatest troubles, and deepest distresses, consider, that if you do not labour to demean, order and carry your selves so, as that you may enjoy the favourable, signal, and eminent presence of God with you, in your greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers, you have high reason to question, whether ever you have really enjoyed this favourable, this signal presence of God with you or no; for there are always four things to be found in him that has really tasted, and in good earnest experienced the sweet, the life, the power, the virtue that is in the favourable signal presence of God: 1. Such a person sets the highest price and value imaginable upon it, he prizes it above all the honours, riches, dignities, delights, comforts and contents of this world. Psalm 4. 6, 7. Yea he prizes it above life it self. Psalm 63. 3. Thy loving kindness is better than life; the Hebrew is plural Chajim, lives: The loving kindness of God, the presence of God in a wilderness is better than lives, than many lives, than all lives with the appurtenances: There is a greater excellency in the favour of God, in the presence of God, than in all lives put together: There have been many Persons that have been weary of their lives, but there 2never was any man that has been weary of the favour of God, of the presence of God. 2. Such a Person keeps up in his soul an humble fear of losing of it. The Divine presence is a Jewel more worth than all the world, and he that has experienced the sweetness of it, had rather lose all he has in this world than lose it. I have read of a Religious woman, that having born nine Children, ⟨p. 169⟩professed that she had rather endure all the pains of those nine Travels at once, than endure the misery of the loss of Gods presence. 3. Such a person keeps up in his soul a diligent care to maintain this presence, his head, his heart is still a contriving how he may keep his God with him.