A77360:949
Christ and the covenant the work and way of meditation
Christ and the covenant the work and way of meditation. : Gods return to the soul, or nation; together with his preventing mercy. : Delivered in ten sermons, (viz.) 1. Christs personal excellencies, the object of our love. 2. Christ crucified, the object of our faith. 3. The new covenant of grace opened. 4. Christ the mediator of the new covenant. 5. The way and spirit of the new covenant, or New Testament. 6. The blood of sprinkling. 7. The sweetness and profitableness of divine meditation. 8. The work and way of this meditation. 9. Gods return to the soul and nation. 10. Preventing mercy. / By W.B.
London: printed for N. Ranew, 1667
Sermons › Sermon 9: Gods Return to the Soul or Nation. SERM. IX.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
4. That must needs be most afflictive, which hinders them in all their Enjoyments: Without the presence ⟨p. 470⟩of God, they have no enjoyment, their enjoyments are as no enjoyments; the presence of God with them, is the top of all their enjoyments. If the Sun be down, 'tis not all the Torches, and Candles lighted up, that will give you a day; and if God be gone, 'tis not all your Creature-comforts, will give you joy. Take away the word MY, and take away the word GOD; you take away the comfort of the word GOD, if you take away the word MY. And therefore, Whereas the Lord had used to call the Israelites his people, and God had a little forsaken them; he saith to Moses, Thy people, and the people, but not my people. But then,
4. That must needs be most afflictive, which hinders them in all their Injoyments: Without the presence ⟨p. 470⟩of God, they have no injoyment, their injoyments are as no injoyments; the presence of God with them, is the top of all their injoyments. If the Sun be down, 'tis not all the Torches, and Candles lighted up, that will give you a day; and if God be gone, 'tis not all your Creature-comforts, will give you joy. Take away the word MY, and take away the word GOD; you take away the comfort of the word GOD, if you take away the word MY. And therefore, Whereas the Lord had used to call the Israelites his people, and God had a little forsaken them; he saith to Moses, Thy people, and the people, but not my people. But then,
5. Thereby the Saints and people of God, are exposed to great temptations: When God goes, the Devil comes. And so far as God doth go, so much the Devil comes; if God do forsake and depart from a man, as to final rejection, then the Devil comes in a way of possession. If God departs from a man, in a way of desertion, then the Devil comes in a way of temptation; as God goes, so the Devil comes. Now, Is it not a grievous thing for the Saints, and People of God, to be exposed to Temptations? Thus they are by the departure of God, and by the absence of God, by the withdrawments of God. No wonder therefore that Gods departure is the most afflictive to them. And that's the second.