And that may be a fourth Note,1 That those that are content to seek God till he comes, when he comes he will come with plentiful showers in raining Righteousness. Oh! how many! how many cursed Apostates are there that will curse themselves one day for not continuing seeking of God till he comes? Perhaps there are some that have had some convictions of conscience, and because they have not had encouragement presently they were discouraged, and so thou hast basely gone back, and now God hath left thee, and thou art become a base useless Hypocrite, and art a dishonour, and disgrace to Religion, and all because thou wouldest not stay till God came: Oh! but others stayed till God came, and God came at length so fully that now they bless his Name that they did stay. I remember I have read of Columbus that was the first that found out the West Indies, 2and the story saith of him,3 that his men were even weary, he was so long in sailing, & so they were resolved they would come back again, that they would, so that then all their labour had been lost. But Columbus he came to them with all entreaties to go on a little time, and at length prevailed with them to go on but three days longer. So they were content to venture three days, and within that three days they came to see Land, and so discovered those parts of the world that were so little known to these parts. Now what a miserable thing had it been if they had come back and lost all their Voyage? Thus it is with many a soul sailing towards Heaven and eternal life, Thou hast been a long time tossed up and down in the waves of the Sea, the waves ⟨p. 485⟩of Temptation, and of Trouble, and thou thinkest it's best to come back again: Oh! stay a while, do not limit three days, but go on; yet it may be said of some that had they proceeded in their voyage but three days more, they might have come and seen, whereas now they have lost all. Oh! seek the Lord then till he comes and rains Righteousness.
And that may be a fourth Note,1 That those that are content to seek God till he comes, when he comes he will come with plentiful showers in raining Righteousness. Oh! how many! how many cursed Apostates are there that will curse themselves one day for not continuing seeking of God till he comes? Perhaps there are some that have had some convictions of conscience, and because they have not had encouragement presently they were discouraged, and so thou hast basely gone back, and now God hath left thee, and thou art become a base useless Hypocrite, and art a dishonor, and disgrace to Religion, and all because thou wouldest not stay till God came: Oh! but others staied till God came, and God came at length so fully that now they bless his Name that they did stay. I remember I have read of Colum•us that was the first that found out the West Indies, 2and the story saith of him,3 that his men were even weary, he was so long in sailing, & so they were resolved they would come back again, that they would, so that then all their labor had been lost. But Columbus he came to them with all intreaties to go on a little time, and at length prevail'd with them to go on but three daies longer. So they were content to venture three daies, and within that three daies they came to see Land, and so discovered those parts of the world that were so little known to these parts. Now what a miserable thing had it been if they had come back and lost all their Voyage? Thus it is with many a soul sailing towards Heaven and eternal life, Thou hast been a long time tost up and down in the waves of the Sea, the waves ⟨p. 485⟩of Temptation, and of Trouble, and thou thinkest it's best to come back again: Oh! stay a while, do not limit three daies, but go on; yet it may be said of some that had they proceeded in their voiage but three daies more, they might have come and seen, whereas now they have lost all. Oh! seek the Lord then till he comes and rains Righteousness.
- 1Obs. 4▪
- 2Christoph.
- 3Columbus.
