(1.) An abundant increase of the church, both extensively, in the number of converts ; and intensively, in the power of religion. The best ministers every where complain with the prophet, that they labour in vain, and spend their strength for nought. They now and then, at best, hear but of a single soul wrought upon : but the time will come, when they shall not fish with angle-rods, but spread out their nets, and inclose multitudes, according to that glorious promise, Ezek. xlvii. 10. And as to the intensive increase of the church in the spirit, and power of godliness, we expect to see a generation of more spiritual, active, and lively Christians to spring up, such as shall far excel those of this drowsy, lukewarm generation, according to that promise, Isa. Ix. 21. " Thy people '* also shall be all righteous."
(2.) Greater peace and quietness, from persecuting enemies, is yet to be expected. The poor church hath been afflicted, and tossed with tempests ; persecutors have broken in, ever and anon, upon it, and made havock of it ; a tender conscience hath cast men upon great difficulties to preserve it ; but the days are coming, when God will give his church rest, either by the conversion or restraint of all its enemies ; The loolf shall lie down ivith the lamb. Antipathies shall be deposed, Isa. xi. 6. not a pricking briar, or grieving thorn, that shall not be rooted up, Ezek. xxviii. 24. Surely this is a sweet, and desirable mercy to the weary saints ; and yet a far sweeter mercy than that is to be expected, viz.
(3.) The pouring out of the Spirit of unity on the people of God, to consolidate, and strengthen the poor dilacerated church. For the divisions of Reuben there have been great thoughts of heart ; our divisions have darkened the lustre of religion, imbittered, and spoiled the communion of saints, prejudiced the world, and ob- structed conversion. But God vA\\ melt the hearts a? the saints into one, Jer. xxxii. 39. they shall have one heart, and one way, and serve the Lord with one consent. Then shall religion shine in its native glory. One reason of our justlings one against another, hath been the darkness that hath been upon us all ; but this darkness shall break up. For,
(4.) We expect a more spiritual, and excellent ministry than the church for many years hath enjoyed, Jer. iii. 15. " I mil give you *' pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with *' knowledge, and understanding." It is a sore plague, and judgment upon the world, when men shall be set over the people, that are ignorant of regeneration, strangers and enemies to practical holiness, men that break their profane jests upon the very Spirit of
prayer; but these unclean spirits sh;ill pass out of the land, Zeeh. xiii. 2. O what a gootl riddance will this be ! when God shall set up, in their room, laborious, faithful and godly ministers, full of experimental knowledge of Christ ; watchmen that shall see eye to eye, as he speaks, Isa. lii. 8. Then shall we see another most desirable and inestimable mercy performed to the church, beyond all it hath enjoyed since the primitive days ; namely,
(5.) The purity of ordinances, and officers in the church, the whole worship, and wconomy of the church measured by the scripture-reed, according to Rev. xi. 1, 2. and Ezek. xliii. 11. all reduced to the pure, primitive rule and standard, which will dis- cover and correct the oblique and corruptive super-additions of men ; things under which men of tender consciences, and such as tremble at the word, in all ages have groaned. And then will the ordinances of God shine forth in their beauty, and be mighty in power and efficacy ; especially when,
(G.) There shall be a more eminent presence of God among his people ; for so it is promised, Ezek. xlviii. iilt. And the name of the city (viz. the measured regulated church) from that day shall be. The Lord is there. This is the true glory of the church, this makes the new heavens, and the new earth, which according to his promise, we look for, and the great and marvellous things our eyes behold this day are the b'eginnings and introduction to it: Which brings us to the third general head, namely,
(3.) What influence these begun works of God have to strengthen and encourage our souls in prayer for these greater, and more perfect mercies: And this they do upon a three^fold account.
(1.) As these begun introductive works of mercy, are indications and signs that the time of mercy, even the set time, is come.
There is an appointed, or set time for the church's deliverance now, as wtII as for theirs out of Egypt ; that was called " the time <* of the promise," Acts vii. 17. Deliverance can neither come before it, nor will it linger when that time is fully come. Pro- mises, like a pregnant woman, have their appointed months, Hab. ii. 3. their set and appointed time, Psal. cii. 13. Now, when we behold such things done, and doing in the world, as are at this day before our eyes ; we may rationally conclude the time of n^ercy, even the set time is near ; as our Saviour speaks. Mat. x: iv. 32, 33. " Learn a parable of the fig-tree ; when his branch is yet « tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh : " so likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it " is near, even at the doors."
Now, it is a singular encouragement in prayer, when we kno^'.v, or can but probably conjecture that the time is neai' for the accom-
plishment and performance of those very promised mercies we pray for; as we see in Dan. ix. 2, 3. when Daniel understood, by searching and studying the sacred records, such prophecies as that, Jer. XXV. 11, 12. that the time fore-set was near at an end, then he set himself with extraordinary fervency to prayer. And do not the generahty of learned and good men agree, that the set time for Rome's destruction is now near, even at the door ? It is near 1260 years since Christ turned up her glass, and you see this day all things working towards the accomplishment of the written word. This cannot but be a strong encouragement to seek God by prayer for the full accomplishment of what is so near us.