Moses his choice with his eye fixed upon Heaven, discovering the happy condition of…

Mine heritage is unto me as a Lyon in the forrest; it crieth out against me, therefore I have hated it: but now she is delightful; Christ bids her arise his love, his fair one, and come away. God before cared not for her solemn meetings, they were a burden to him, as appears Isaiah 1. 11, 12, 13, &c. but now he expresseth his desire of their solemn meetings, O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rocks, in the secret places of the stairs, thou who worshippest me in secret places, in holes and corners, let me see thy face, let me see thee assembled into the face of a Church in my Sanctuary; let me hear thy voice, let me hear thee there calling upon me, singing ⟨p. 51⟩praises unto me, Psal. 66. 12. We went through fires, and through waters (says the Church) but thou broughtest us into a wealthy place. Thus God deals with his Church spiritually, by bringing them through the fire and water of afflictions, he brings them to a wealthy place, a wealthy estate. The Church of Judah before the Captivity, was as a Vine that brought forth wild Grapes, upon whom the Lord resolved to command the clouds not to rain, and from whom he would take the hedge of his protection, Isaiah 5. but after the captivity he speaks otherwise of it, Isaiah 27. 2, 3. In that day sing ye unto her, a Vineyard of red wine (which was the best wine) now the Lord will keep it, and water it every moment. I have read of a Fountain, ¹that at noon-day is cold, at midnight it grows warm: it is thus with many, they are coldest in their prosperity, and the nights of afflictions contract their heat, and intends it: fire never burns so hot as in frosty weather. The winter time of affliction, sometimes proves to be the most fruitful time of a Christians life; contrary to the work of nature, for all things seem dead then, and they flourish and grow only in the Summer; but a Christians Winter is sometime better then his Summer; grace flourishes and grows most in his Winter. Our Benoni's, sons of sorrow, prove oftentimes our best Benjamins, sons of our right hand: the best corn is that which lies under the clods in frost and snow; Paul rejoiced much in Onesimus, whom he had begotten in his bonds, Philem. ver. 10. Basil in his Sermon upon the forty Martyrs, calls them the stars of the world, the flowers