Secondly, Ice and Frost continue not, they are but for a season, a gnaw will come. The afflicted state of a godly man is unpleasing, yet not lasting, to be sure not everlasting. Though some F•o•ts hold longer than others, yet none hold always, Summer will come; and usually where winter is fiercest, Summer,1 for a recompense, is pleasantest. O• Modern Geographer having described the sharpness of Winter in Muscovia, concludes thus; Such is their Winter, neither is their Summer less miraculous. For the huge Seas of Ice which in a manner covered the whole surface of the Country, are at first approach of the Sun suddenly d solved, the waters quickly dried up, and the Earth dressed in her Holy-day Apparel, such a mature growth of fruits, such flourishing of he bs, such chirping •f birds, a• if it were a perpetual spring. And that the Church of God after a sad and cold winter of affl ction is relieved by a sweet and comfortable manner of prosperity, is set forth in the highest st•ains and most beautiful flowers of divine Rhetoric by Christ in that invitation to his Spouse (Cant. 2.10, 11, 12, 13.) My beloved spake a•d said unto me, Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away: f r l•, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone (that is, thy affl cti ns are ended, thy clouds of sorrow, and thy tears a•• over-blown and wiped away, and now behold a succession of be••e• things, even of whatsoever may call out thy joys, and renew thy comforts; f•) the flowers appear on the earth, the time of the singing •f birds is c•me; the voice of the turtle is heard in our land: the fig-tree putteth forth her tender figs, and the Vines with the tender grape, give a good smell. Here's a new face of things indeed; what can be ⟨p. 233⟩added to the felicity of that estate which is shadowed under these Metaphors? Such a Summer of spiritual felicity in temporal liberties, after a winter of temporal sufferings in her spirituals, did Christ invite his Church in general unto: And this may relieve particular Christians in their afflictions. The cold Frost seldom lasts long, never always.
Secondly, Ice and Frost continue not, they are but for a season, a •naw will come. The affl•cted state of a godly man is unpleasing, yet not lasting, to be sure not everlasting. Though some F•o•ts hold longer than others, yet none hold alwayes, Summer will come; and usually where winter is fiercest, Summer,1 for a recompence, is pleasantest. O• Modern Geographer having described the sharpness of Winter in Muscovia, concludes thus; S•ch is their Winter, neither is their Summer less miraculous. For the huge Seas of Ice which in a manner covered the whole surface of the Country, are at first approach of the Sun suddenly d ssolved, the waters quickly dried up, and the Earth dressed in her Holy-day Apparel, such a mature growth of fruits, such fl•urish•ng of he bs, such chirping •f birds, a• if it were a pe•petual spring. And that the Church of God after a sad and cold winter of affl ction is relieved by a sweet and comfortable manner of pro•perity, is set forth in the highest st•ains and most beautiful slowres of divine Rhetorick by Ch•ist in that invita•ion to his Spouse (Cant. 2.10, 11, 12, 13.) My beloved spake a•d said unto me, Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away: f r l•, the wi•ter is past, the rain is over and gone (that is, thy affl cti ns are ended, thy clouds of so•row, and thy tears a•• over-bl•wn and wiped away, and now behold a succession of be••e• things, even of whatsoever may call out thy joys, and renew thy comfts; f) the flowers appear on the earth, the time of the singig f birds is cme; the voice of the turtle is heard in our land: the figge-tree putteth forth her tender figges, and the Vines with the tender grape, give a good smell. Here's a new face of things indeed; what can be
- 1Heyl. Geog.
