Didst thou but know the misery of those places and persons who want the Word, surely thy ⟨p. 238⟩heart could not but be affected with thy mercy in the enjoyment of the word. It is sometimes described by Famine; I will send a famine, not of bread and water, but of hearing the Word of the Lord, Amos 4. How dreadful are the concomitants and consequents of Famine! what shrivelled cheeks, hollow eyes, pale visages, fainting hearts, and trembling limbs, have men in a famine! they seem rather like walking Ghosts, and moving carcasses, then living creatures. The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth, for thirst; the young child asketh bread, and no man breaketh it unto them. Their visage is blacker then a coal, they are not known in the streets, their skin cleaveth to their bones, it is withered, it is become like a stick. The hands of the pitiful Women, have sodden their own children, they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people, Lam. 4.4, 8, 10. These (friend) are the woeful fruits of a bodily famine, but a soul famine is the sorer famine. How many starve for want of the bread of life! Thou sittest (it may be) at a full Table; but couldst thou conceive what millions famish for lack of this spiritual food, thou wouldst pray to God earnestly to pity such places, and praise him heartily for providing so plentifully for thee. Their misery is sometimes set forth by darkness, and the shadow of death; Darkness is dreadful though but external. Twas one of the greatest plagues which befell the Egyptians. When Job would curse his day with a witness, what is his wish? Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it, let a cloud dwell ⟨p. 239⟩upon it, let the blackness of the day terrify it. Job 4.4. It was sad when Paul and his companions saw neither Sun nor Stars in many days; but O how sad is it when men see not the Sun of righteousness shining in the Heavens of the Gospel all their days! Such may enjoy the light of Gods providence, but they enjoy not the light of his countenance. How can they work that want the light of the word to direct them? or how can they walk? surely they that walk in the dark stumble, (the dark corners of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty) and fall even into Hell. Where no vision is, the people perish. O Reader, what infinite cause hast thou to bless the Lord, that thou art not in their condition!
Didst thou but know the misery of those places and persons who want the Word, surely thy ⟨p. 238⟩heart could not but be affected with thy mercy in the enjoyment of the word. It is sometimes described by Famine; I will send a famine, not of bread and water, but of hearing the Word of the Lord, Amos 4. How dreadful are the concomitants and consequents of Famine! what shrivel'd cheeks, hollow eyes, pale visages, fainting hearts, and trembling limbs, have men in a famine! they seem rather like walking Ghosts, and moving carcasses, then living creartures. The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth, for thirst; the young child asketh bread, and no man breaketh it unto them. Their visage is blacker then a coal, they are not known in the streets, their skin cleaveth to their bones, it is withered, it is become like a stick. The hands of the pitiful Women, have sodden their own children, they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people, Lam. 4.4, 8, 10. These (friend) are the woful fruits of a bodily famine, but a soul famine is the sorer famine. How many starve for want of the bread of life! Thou sittest (it may be) at a full Table; but couldst thou conceive what millions famish for lack of this spiritual food, thou wouldst pray to God earnestly to pity such places, and praise him heartily for providing so plentifully for thee. Their misery is sometimes set forth by darkness, and the shadow of death; Darkness is dreadful though but external. Twas one of the greatest plagues which befel the Egyptians. When Job would curse his day with a witness, what is his wish? Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it, let a cloud dwell ⟨p. 239⟩upon it, let the blackness of the day terrifie it. Job 4.4. It was sad when Paul and his companions saw neither Sun nor Stars in many days; but O how sad is it when men see not the Sun of righteousness shining in the Heavens of the Gospel all their days! Such may enjoy the light of Gods providence, but they enjoy not the light of his countenance. How can they work that want the light of the word to direct them? or how can they walk? surely they that walk in the dark stumble, (the dark corners of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty) and fall even into Hell. Where no vision is, the people perish. O Reader, what infinite cause hast thou to bless the Lord, that thou art not in their condition!
