And truly, as much cause have they to weep and tremble, over whose souls God shuts up the spiritual clouds of the Gospel, and thereby sending a spiritual famine upon their souls. Such a judgment the Lord threatens in Amos 8. 11. Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will send a famine in the Land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water; ⟨p. 91⟩but of hearing the word of the Lord. The meaning is, I will send a more fearful judgement, than that of the famine of bread; for this particle [not] is not exclusive, but excessive▪ implying, that a famine of bread is nothing, or but a light judgment, compared with the famine of the word. Parallel to which is that Text, Isa. 5. 6. I will lay it wast (saith God of the fruitless Church) sit shall not be pruned nor digged; but there shall come up briars, and thorns; I will also command the clouds, that they rain not upon it. And we find both in humane and sacred Histories, that when God hath shut up the spiritual clouds, removing or silencing his Ministers; sensible Christians have ever been deeply affected with it and reckoned it a most tremendous judgment. Thus the Christians of Antioch, when Chrysostom their Minister was banished *they judged it better to lose the Sun out of the firmament, than lose that, their Minister. And when Nazianzen was taking his leave of Constantinople, as he was preaching his farewell-Sermon, the people were exceedingly affected with his loss; and among the rest, an old man in the Congregation fell into a bitter passion, and cried out, Aude pater, & tecum trinitatem ipsam ejice. (i. e.) Go farther, if you dare, and take away the whole Trinity with you; meaning, that God would not stay when he was gone. How did the Christians of Antioch also weep and lament, when Paul was taking his farewell of them? Act. 20. 37, 38. He had been a cloud of blessings to that place, but now they must expect no more show•r• from him. O, they knew not how to give up such a Minister! Wh•n the Ark of God (which was the Symbol of the divine presence among the Jews) was taken, all the City cried out, 1 Sam. 4. 13. O, the loss of a Gospel Ministry is an inestimable loss! not to be repaired but by its own return, or by heaven. Mr.
ANd truly, as much cause have they to weep and tremble, over whose souls God shuts up the spiritual clouds of the Gospel, and thereby sending a spiritual famine upon their souls. Such a judgment the Lord threatens in Amos 8. 11. Behold the dayes come, saith the Lord, that I will send a famine in the Land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water; ⟨p. 91⟩but of hearing the word of the Lord. The meaning is, I will send a more fearful judgement, than that of the famine of bread; for this particle [not] is not exclusive, but excessive▪ implying, that a famine of bread is nothing, or but a light judgment, compared with the famine of the word. Parallel to which is that Text, Isa. 5. 6. I will lay it wast (saith God of the fruitless Church) sit shall not be pruned nor digged; but there shall come up bryars, and thorns; I will also command the clouds, that they rain not upon it. And we find both in humane and sacred Histories, that when God hath shut up the spiritual clouds, removing or silencing his Ministers; sensible Christians have ever been deeply affected with it and reckoned it a most tremendous judgment. Thus the Christians of Antioch, when Chrysostom their Minister was b•nished *they judged it better to lose the Sun out of the firmament, than lose that, their Minister. And when Nazianzen was taking his leave of Constantinople, as he was preaching his farewell-Sermon, the people were exceedingly affected with his loss; and among the rest, an old man in the Congregation fell into a bitter passion, and cryed out, Aude pater, & tecum trinitatem ipsam ejice. (i. e.) Go farther, if you dare, and take away the whole Trinity with you; meaning, that God would not stay when he was gone. How did the Christians of Antioch also weep and lament, when Paul was taking his farewell of them? Act. 20. 37, 38. He had been a cloud of blessings to that place, but now they must exp•ct no more show•r• from him. O, they knew not how to giv• up such a Minister! Wh•n the Ark of God (which was the Symbole of the divine presence among the Iews) was taken, all the City cryed out,
- *Satius est ut sol non luc•at, quam ut non aoc•at Chrysostomus.
