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

Men use to bring out their best first, and reserve the worst till afterwards, but Gods dealing with his people is otherwise, their worst is first with them. The way to Canaan is through the wilderness, even after a sore and tedious bondage; yea, and when God brought his people into Canaan, he brought them into the worst part of Canaan first, into the southern part, which was the most dry and barren part of the land. The way to Zion is through the valley of Baca, Psal. 84. 6. Many are the troubles of the righteous, saith David, Psal. 34. 19. According to that of the Apostles, Acts 14. 22. Through much tribulation we must enter into the kingdom of God. Psalm 22. is a prophetical Psalm of Christs sufferings, and the title is upon Aijeleth Shehar, which signifies the morning Hart or Stag, such a one as the Huntsmen sever out in the morning from the rest, to hunt for that day. Such was Christ, and such is his Church, as the morning Stag severed out to be hunted and worried by the world. In the world ye shall have tribulation, saith our Saviour to his disciples, John 16. 33. we cannot ⟨p. 12⟩follow Christ, and be his Disciples, but upon these terms, Mat. 16. 24. Others use to invite Followers with promises of honours and riches, but Christ tells the worst at first, what we are like to find; we must be content to take up our cross, not to endure it by compulsion, and constraint, but to take it up willingly and cheerfully: Secondly, not what cross we will, we must not choose our cross, but what is appointed for us.

Men use to bring out their best first, and reserve the worst till afterwards, but Gods dealing with his people is otherwise, their worst is first with them. The way to Canaan is through the wilderness, even after a sore and tedious bondage; yea, and when God brought his people into Canaan, he brought them into the worst part of Canaan first, into the southern part, which was the most dry and barren part of the land. The way to Zion is through the valley of Baca,