Page:Duty of redeeming the time in evil days, illustrated and enforced.pdf/21

Rh that the face of the earth will be barren: and when the Lord hides his face from a church, matters cannot prosper there. Backslidings are increased, all goes to wreck, for that which holds matters right is withdrawn.

2dly, Such a day is a day of spiritual plagues. As God's presence goes, all darkness, disorder, and confusion follows, according to the measure of the Lord's withdrawing. The gospel does men hurt instead of doing them good: the wild grapes of wickedness are brought forth instead of good grapes, &c.

This calls aloud for redeeming of time; and,

(1.) To bestir ourselves to lament after, and to lay hold upon a departing God and glory. We should make that our work, I Sam, vii. 2. “All the house of Israel lamented after the Lord." And let it not be said of us as Isa. lxiv. 7 "There is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee; for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities." We should be as Jacob saying, “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me," Gen. xxxii. 26. and the disciples, "Abide with us, for it is towards evening, and the day is far spent,” Luke xxiv. 29. And this we should be as we would not be esteemed to be of the Gadarene temper, who besought Christ to depart out of their coasts. O cry mightily, that the Lord may not leave us nor forsake us.

(2.) Endeavour to walk uprightly in such a crooked generation; for the worst of times such shall get good of the Lord's word, Micah ii. 7. "Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?" The Lord never forsakes his people utterly; and the more that any do set themselves to be perfect in their generation, they may be sure it will go the better with their spirits.

(3.) Lastly, Double your diligence in secret duties; be much in prayer; and especially cry with much fervency to find a meal for yourselves in public ordinances. I think we ought to consider, when we are to go to ordinances, that this is a day of the hiding of the Lord's face, wherein he is angry with our mother, and therefore is but little seen in her house; and therefore we had need to be more importunate in setting the appointment.