A77360:974
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.
3. Though God be very much gone, and departed from you in a great measure; Yet if in the time of his absence he doth send you letters and tokens of love, you ⟨p. 476⟩may know for certain he will return again. Possibly God, or Christ may appoint an affliction to bring you a token, or to bring you a message of love in the time of his absence—Possibly, he may appoint or order some providence to bring you a Token, or some message of love.—Possibly he may order and appoint upholding mercy, to be a pledge to you of delivering mercy. And believe it, upholding mercy is always a pledge of delivering mercy. How is it therefore with you, are you deserted, is Christ gone; yet have you not had the upholding presence of God all this while? then be of good Comfort, Christ is not gone but he will return again.
3. Though God be very much gon, and departed from you in a great measure; Yet if in the time of his absence he doth send you letters and tokens of love, you ⟨p. 476⟩may know for certain he will return again. Possibly God, or Christ may appoint an affliction to bring you a token, or to bring you a message of love in the time of his absence—Possibly, he may appoint or order some providence to bring you a Token, or some message of love.—Possibly he may order and appoint upholding mercy, to be a pledge to you of delivering mercy. And believe it, upholding mercy is alwaies a pledge of delivering mercy. How is it therefore with you, are you deserted, is Christ gon; yet have you not had the upholding presence of God all this while? then be of good Comfort, Christ is not gon but he will return again.
4. If your case and condition be such, that although you cannot find Christ, Christ is gone: though Christ be gone, and departed from you, and you cannot find him, yet, If you can direct others to the finding of him when you cannot find him, then certainly he is not gone, but he will return again unto you. The Spouse in the Canticles seeks after Christ: saith she, he hath withdrawn himself and I cannot find him. Chap. 5. The Daughters of Jerusalem say, whither is thy beloved turned aside, that we may seek him with thee? —my Beloved is gone down into his Garden, to the beds of spices. Mark, she could not find him her self, and yet she can direct others to the finding of him— What doth this signify, but plainly teach us thus much, that though Christ be gone, and we cannot find him, yet if we can direct others to the finding of him, he is not quite gone, but he will return again. Now is it thus with you, when Christ is gone cannot you direct others to the finding of him? If you can, then build upon it, he is not so gone but he will return again.