Secondly, §2This Doctrine looks wishly upon such as Christ comes for. Why should any of Gods people despair or be discouraged, saying, Christ is now gone, and will never come again, he hath hid himself, and I shall never see his face again; Nay, but he comes at midnight, that is his time, a time wherein he is least expected, a dark time, the darkest time, the sleepiest time, the coldest time, a time when all your candles are out, and your comforts out, when you cannot see your hand, your working hand, your praying hand, when you say all is gone and lost, and I shall never see the light again, comfort again, then doth Christ say, this is my time, it is now dark, and night, and midnight with my servant, now will I go and comfort and deliver him: why should any godly man be discouraged, what ever his condition be? shall Christ come at midnight, and shall I be discouraged because I am in the dark? O my soul, remember this, Christ comes at midnight, in all his comings still he doth come at midnight. And that this is Christs constant ⟨p. 14⟩course with all his people, see what is said in the 6. of Hosea, verse 3. Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord, his going forth is prepared as the morning, and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth. Oh! but I am a poor ignorant creature, don't know or understand the mind, and will of God in these actions, and transactions of things abroad. Be it so, yet (says the Lord) you shall know him, if you follow on to know him. Oh! but I am in a sad and a dark condition, benighted with some affliction. Be it so, Christ will come, and he will come as the morning; as sure and certain as the morning comes, so will Christ come; and though it be a dark night, yet you say, certainly morning will come again; so confident may you be of Christs coming; for (saith the text) he will come as the morning: that is, certainly. Oh! but I shall faint in the mean while, he will stay long ere he comes. Nay, but he will come in season, as the former, and as the latter rain; the former and the latter rain come in their seasons; so will Christ do, and therewithal your comforts shall be all revived and refreshed; why should then any of Gods people be discouraged?
Secondly, §2This Doctrine looks wishly upon such as Christ comes for. Why should any of Gods people despaire or be discouraged, saying, Christ is now gone, and will never come againe, he hath hid himself, and I shall never see his face againe; Nay, but he comes at midnight, that is his time, a time wherein he is least expected, a darke time, the darkest time, the sleepiest time, the coldest time, a time when all your candles are out, and your comforts out, when you cannot see your hand, your working hand, your praying hand, when you say all is gone and lost, and I shall never see the light againe, comfort again, then doth Christ say, this is my time, it is now darke, and night, and midnight with my servant, now will I go and comfort and deliver him: why should any godly man be discouraged, what ever his condition be? shall Christ come at midnight, and shall I be discouraged because I am in the darke? O my soule, remember this, Christ comes at midnight, in all his comings still he doth come at midnight. And that this is Christs constant ⟨p. 14⟩course with all his people, see what is said in the 6. of Hosea, verse 3. Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord, his going forth is prepared as the morning, and he shall come unto us as the raine, as the latter and former raine unto the earth. Oh! but I am a poore ignorant creature, don't know or understand the mind, and will of God in these actions, and transactions of things abroad. Be it so, yet (sayes the Lord) you shall know him, if you follow on to know him. Oh! but I am in a sad and a darke condition, benighted with some affliction. Be it so, Christ will come, and he will come as the morning; as sure and certain as the morning comes, so will Christ come; and though it be a darke night, yet you say, certainly morning will come againe; so confident may you be of Christs coming; for (saith the text) he will come as the morning: that is, certainly. Oh! but I shall faint in the meane while, he will stay long ere he comes. Nay, but he will come in season, as the former, and as the latter raine; the former and the latter raine come in their seasons; so will Christ do, and therewithall your comforts shall be all revived and refreshed; why should then any of Gods people be discouraged?
