Fourthly^ Love to ourselves will make us long for such a sight as this : for what is there in this world more pleasant to a Chris- tian than to see Christ walking amidst the golden candlesticks ^ The peaceful and sweet enjoyment of God in his pure ordinances, Psal. xxvii. 4. " One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I " seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days " of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in " his temple." This was David's hoc unicum, one thing above all other things in this world in his eye, and so it is to all that see things with such an eye as David had ; and next to that is the sweet and comfortable communion of saints with one heart and mouth glorifying God, and serving him with one consent. These are the things which make it worth while to live on earth ; the pleasure of life doth consist in them. Now all these desirable things cannot be enjoyed in any eminent degree on this side Jor- dan, I mean till the great promises now near their birth be accom- plished.
The point before us frowns upon, and severely reprehends two sorts of persons, viz.
2. The godly. 9m'- (1.) It administers just reprehension to wicked men, who insfeSft
of thankful acknowledgments of the beginnings of mercies, and impro\ang them in prayer for the obtaining of greater, do inward- ly repine and fret at the work of mercy begun, and are afraid of
Tiothing more than a full and complete reformation. Are there not such wretched creatures to be found this day in England, that would be better pleased to be at their old persecutinor work again, and see good men destroyed, than to enjoy a due liberty to wor- ship God according to the dictates of their consciences, after they have seriously studied and prayed for reformation ? Some there are who call themselves Protestants^ but (blush O heavens at this, and be astonished) they have not been ashamed to say, rather popery than presbytery : And Haman-likc, take no comfort in their own liberty, because those they hate enjoy theirs.
Thus it was with the ungodly murmurers in Israel, when God had brought them out c^f Egypt with signs and wonders, and a mighty hand ; yet, their lusts being crossed, they would needs make them a captain^ and return back to Egypt, Num. xiv. 4. What madness was here ? Could they think God would divide the red-sea for them in their return to Egypt as he did at their depar- ture thence ? Or that they should find such welcome in Egypt, which they had deserted, disobhged, and brought so much ruin upon ? What stupendous madness was here !
(9.) It justly rebukes the dcad-heartedness and ingratitude of good men, among many of whom is neither found that fervency of prayer, nor sense of present mercies which God expects, and the present dispensations of his providences call for.
How inexcusable at this time is a flat, discouraged, and dull spirit in prayer ? To be found under such a temper as this, when the morning of so glorious a day is sprung up, and opened upon us, and such encouragements to enliven faith and hope are before our eyes, this is sad. The saints that are gone to heaven under the late and former troubles, were mighty wrestlers with God in prayer : They fasted and wept ; they pleaded our cause heartily with God ; wept and made supplication for the mercies w^e now enjoy, though it was not their lot to see them : And shall we that are entered into the fruits and mercies they prayed for, and are under such signal encouragements, be now remiss and cold ?
Or shall we ungratefully overlook the beginning of mercy as small and inconsiderable things ? Shall we say, all this is nothing, because we have not yet all that we would have ? God forbid ! When Israel was in Egypt, then a little straw would have been esteemed as a great mercy ; but afterwards quails and manna were despised and slighted. Brethren, three or four years ago, you would have accounted it a special mercy to have enjoyed an hour or two together in prayer, or to have had a little spiritual bread handed to you behind your enemies backs : and is it nothing in your eyes this day to behold the worship of God at liberty ? Yea, to see the success of the gospel in the bringing home of many souls
to Christ, the fears of Popery vanished, the witnesses risen, the tenth part of the city fallen, and such a prospect of far greater and more glorious things before your eyes ? O let not the consolations of the Almighty seem small !
If wicked men envy and grudge at our mercies, and we ourselves undei-value and shght them, then is there a grievous provocation given to the Lord to turn his hand, and bring all our former iniserjes back again upon us.
Hath God brought us by a mighty hand out of spiritual Egypt by the reformation, and hath now led us so many years through the wilderness until he hath brought us at last almost in sight of the good things he hath promised ? Then let us be exhorted to the duties, and warned of the dangers of our present state.
(1.) Take heed of provoking God in the way : Moses did so, and for that was shut out of the good land, Numb. xx. 12. his heed- lessness of the command deprived him of the good of the promise. Unbelief, murmuring, and idolatry shut out many thousands of them that came out of Egypt, and for those sins their carcases fell in the wilderness, 1 Cor. x. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. And these are our ex- amples, not for imitation, but caution, When seamen sail along the coast where abundance of wreck is floating, they sail the more warily. You are not yet so secure and safe, but that you may quickly fall into as great dangers and miseries as ever, if you provoke the Lord in the way of mercies. In the miscarriage of others we may get experience at a cheap rate. After great deliverances, the greatest judgments are to be feared if God be provoked by the abuse of them. So Joshua tells them. Josh. xxiv. 20. " He will turn again <' and do you hurt after he hath done you good ;"' for one mercy can never be pleaded as an argument to obtain another, if it be abused and trampled under feet. So Josh, xxiii. 15. and Jude \%
(2.) Be not discouraged if you should meet with some difficulties, even on the borders of the land of promise. After all their wil- derness straits, deliverance at the red-sea, and encounters with the neighbouring kings, there was a swelhng Jordan at last betwixt them and the place of rest and mercy ; and so it may fall out with us : But let not our faith be staggered ; for look, as the an-k of the covenant stood in the midst of Jordan, to secure the tribes in their passage through it. Josh. iii. 8. so doth the promise stand this day in the midst of mystical Jordan ; I mean the dangers and troubles of the church, to secure its passage through them all. Brethren, follow ye the Lord in the way of duty, and you shall assuredly find that Jordan shall divide when you come to it ^ and that ^1 trou-