Further, God can tell how to tumble thee from off thy death-bed in a
cloud, he can let thee die in the dark; when thou art dying, thou
shalt not know whither thou art going, to wit, whether to heaven or
to hell. Yea, he can tell how to let thee seem to come short of
life, both in thine own eyes and also in the eyes of them that
behold thee. "Let us therefore fear," says the apostle--though not
with slavish, yet with filial fear--"lest, a promise being left us
of entering into rest, any of us should seem to come short of it."
Now all this and much more can God do to his, as a father by his rod
and a father by rebukes: ah, who know but those that are under them,
what terrors, fears, distresses, and amazements, God can bring his
people into? He can put them into a furnace, a fire, and no tongue
can tell what, so unsearchable and fearful are his fatherly
chastisements, and yet never give them the spirit of bondage again
to fear. Therefore, if thou art a son, take heed of sin, lest all
these things overtake thee and come upon thee.
Dost thou fear the Lord? "The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting
to everlasting on them that fear him."
Child of God, thou that fearest God, here is mercy nigh thee, mercy
enough, everlasting mercy upon thee.
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