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

Tenthly and lastly, As ever you would enjoy the gracious presence of God with you in your greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers, take heed of ¹a Cross, froward, and inflexible Spirit under the Rod: When the Child is froward under the Rod, the Father withdraws; so here, Isa. 57. 17. I was wroth, I smote him, I hid me and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart. Though I manifested my displeasure ²by giving them up to their Enemies, and by giving them under the tokens of my anger, they persisted in their own cross, crooked, and rebellious courses, refusing to repent and turn to the most High; and therefore God changes his countenance, hides his face, and withdraws his presence from them: Deut. 32. 20. And he said, I will hide my face from them, for they are a very froward generation. Heb. A generation of perversenesses. When the sick man is froward, Friends withdraw and leave him alone, Psalm 18. ver. 26. With the froward thou wilt ⟨p. 193⟩show thy self froward. God will meet with froward persons in their own way, and make them reap the fruits of their own doings. God will walk cross and contrary to the froward, opposing and crossing them in all they do. God has no delight to grace froward persons with his presence; when men begin to be froward under a Divine hand, God commonly hides his face, and turns his back upon them; Men sick of impatience, are no fit company for the God of all patience; men that ³are peevish and pettish under the Rod, will always see a cloud upon the face of God; and thus you see that there are ten things that you must carefully take heed of, as you would enjoy the gracious presence of God with you, in your greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers.

Tenthly and lastly, As ever you would enjoy the gracious presence of God with you in your greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers, take heed of