Obj. 2. But the Lord seems to be departed from my soul ; God is afar off from me, and troubles are near. I seem to be in such a case as Saul was when the Philistines made war upon him, and God was departed from him ; and therefore I shall fall.
Sol. Not so ; for there are two sorts of Divine desertions ; the one is absolute, when the Lord utterly forsakes his creatures, so that they shall never behold his face more : The other is li7nited and respec^ tive, and so he forsook his own Son, and often does his own elect : and of this kind, some are only cautional, to prevent sin ; some are merely pi'ohat'ional, to try grace ; and others castigatory, to chastise our negligence and carelessness. Now, though I have not a word of comfort to speak in the case of total and absolute desertions ; yet of the latter (which doubtless is thy case) much may be said by way of support, be it of which of the three sorts it will, or in what de- gree it will. For, 1. This hath been the case of many precious souls, Psal xxii. 1, 2. Psal. Ixxvii. 2. Psal. Ixxxviii. 9. Jobxiii. 24,25,26. This was poor Mr. Glover's case, as you will find in his story, and it continued till he came within sight of the stake ; therefore no new or strange thing hath happened unto you.
2. The Lord by this will advantage thee for perseverance, not only as they are cautioned against sin, but as they make thee hold Christ the faster, and prize his presence at an higher rate, when he shall please graciously to manifest himself to thee again, Cant, iii, 4.
§2 PRErARATlOXS FOR 3UFFEI11NGS ; OR, &C.
3. This shall not abide for ever : it is but a little cloud, and will blow over. It is but for a moment, and that moment's darkness ushers in everlasting light, Isa. liv. 7.
Yea, lastly. The light of God's countenance shall not only be re- stored ceriainli/, but it shall be restored seasonably ; when the dark- ness is greatest, thy troubles at the highest, and thy hopes lowest. He is a God of judgment, and knows how to time his own mercies, Psal. cxxxviii. 3.
Obj. 3. But I am a weak woman, or a young person, how shall I be able to confess Christ before rulers^ and look great ones in the face ?
Sol. Christ delights to make his power known in such, 2 Cor. xii. 9. for he affects not social glory.
2. " Thou shalt be holden up, for God is able to make thee stand," Rom. xiv. 4. Thou that art sensible of thine own infirmity, mayest run to that promise.
5. Such poor weak creatures shall endure when stronger (if self- confident) fall, Isa. xl. 30, 31. " Even the youths shall faint, and be " weary, and the young men utterly fall. But they that wait upon " the Lord, shall renew their strength : they shall mount up with '' wings as eagles, run and not be weary, walk and not faint."
Youths, and young men, are bold, daring, and confident persons, that trust to their own strength ; to whom such as wait upon the Lord stand here opposed ; they shall faint, but these shall renew their strength.
Art thou one that waitest and dependest upon an all-sufficient God, in the sense of thine own weakness .? This promise then is for thee.
4. You may furnish yourselves at pleasure, with examples of the mighty power of God resting upon such as you are, out of our own martyrologv.
Thomas Drowry the poor blind boy, Fox, vol. 3. p. 703. What a presence of spirit was with him, when examined by the Chancellor!
Eulalia, a virgin of about 12 years of age, see how she acted above those years, j-ea, above the power of nature. Fox, vol. 1. p. .120. Tender women, yea, children, act above themselves, when assisted by a strong God.
And thus you have some help offered you by a weak hand, in your present and most important work.
The Lord carry home all with power upon your hearts, that if God .call you to suffer for him, you may say as Paul did, " I am now ready ^' to be offered up, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have ** fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the *' faith ; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, ** which God the righteous Judge shall give me at that day ; and not '* to me only, but to them also which love his appearing," 2 Tim. iv. 6, 7, .8. And as you expect so to finish your course with joy ; be di-
THE LALM or THE COVENANT. 83
li<Teiit in the use of all means, to prepare and make yourselves rjady to follow the call of God, whether it be to bonds, or to death, for the naune of the Lord Jesus.
A SERMON preached for the Funeral of that excellent and re- ligious Gentleman, JOHN UPTON, of Lupton, esq.
To the Virtuous and Much Honoured Madam, URSULA UPTON, of Luptox in Devon.
J-F I find it an hard task to write on such a doleful subject, it can- not be imagined but your part must be abundantly harder, who feel over and over what is here written. Could I tell how to administer counsels and comforts to you, without exasperating your sorrows, I would certainly take that way ; but seeing the one (in this case) can- not be done without the other, it is our duty to submit to the method Providence hatli prescribed to us.
The design of the ensuing discourse, is to evince the truth of what seems a very great paradox to most men, namely, that the a^ictions of the saints can do them no hurt, and that the wisdom, of men and angels cannot lay one circumstance of their condition (how uneasy so- ever it seems to be) better, or more to their advantage than God hath laid it. I attempt not by a flourish of rhetoric to persuade you a- gainst the demonstrations you can fetch from sense and feeling to the contrary, but to overthrow the false reasonings of flesii and sense, by the allowed rules of Scripture, and sure principles of religion.
And methinks you, and everv Christian, should gladly enterlain
^^ THE EPISTLE DEUrCATORY.
that comfortable conclusion, when you shall find the foundation of It as strong-, as the influences thereof are siaeet and comfortable.
Certainly, Madam, the intent of the Redeemer's undertaking was not to purchase for his people riches, ease, and pleasures on earth; but to mortify their lusts, heal their natures, and spiritualize their affections; and thereby to fit them for the eternal fruition of God. Upon this supposition the truth of this conclusion (liow strange soever it seems) is firmly built.
It was not without divine direction, that the subject of the ensuing discourse was as pertinentl}^, as seasonably, recommended to me by your dear husband, in the day of your sorrows for your only son. He took, I hope, his portion of comfort out of it before he died, and it is now left as a spring of comfort to you, who then mourned with liim, and novv for him.