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

Secondly, Enquire where, when, and why God has withdrawn himself, as we do when dear Friends absent themselves from us, O the hope of Israel, the Saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the Land, and as a way-faring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night? Verse 9. Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied, as a mighty man that cannot save? Yet thou, O Lord, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy Name, leave us not.

Thirdly, Stand not with Christ for any thing, not for a right eye, or a right hand, nor for an Isaac or a Benjamin, don't say this work is too high, and that too hard, and t'other too hot, and the other too dangerous, in order to the recovery of Gods countenance and presence, thou must not think any thing in the world too much to do for Christ, or to suffer for Christ; thou wilt be a happy man if thou canst recover Christs lost presence, though it be upon the hardest terms imaginable. But,

Thirdly, Stand not with Christ for any thing, not for a right eye, or a right hand, nor for an Isaac or a Benjamin, don't say this work is too high, and that too hard, and t'other too hot, and the other too dangerous, in order to the recovery of Gods countenance and presence, thou must not think any thing in the world too much to do for Christ, or to suffer for Christ; thou wilt be a happy man if thou canst recover Christs lost presence, though it be upon the hardest termes imaginable. But,

Fourthly, Let your hearts lye humble and low under ¹the loss of Gods gracious presence: For, 1. 'Tis the greatest loss. 2. 'Tis a loss-embittering loss, it is a loss that will greatly embitter all your worldly losses; I have lost my health, I have lost a hopeful Child, I have lost a gracious yoke-fellow, which was the delight of mine eyes and the joy of my heart, I have lost a fair estate, I have lost an intimate Friend, I have lost a brave trade: O but that which embitters all my losses and puts a sting into them, is this, that I have lost the gracious presence of God, that once I enjoyed. 3. 'Tis a loss that all outward comforts can never make up; when the Sun is down, nothing can make it day with us. 4. 'Tis an invisible loss, and no losses to invisible losses as there are no mercies to invisible mercies, so there are no losses to invisible losses. 5. 'Tis a loss that will cost a man dear before it will be made up again. O the sighs, the groans, the strong cries, the earnest prayers, the bottles of tears, that the recovery of the Divine presence will cost a Christian, upon all which accounts, how well does it become a Christian to lye humble at the foot of God!