Receive it as a true and faithful saying with
your hearts, and this shall justify you. And if ye justify the wisdom of
God in prescribing the righteousness of Christ unto you, ye will also
justify wisdom in prescribing a rule of holiness and obedience unto you,
and count all his paths pleasantness and peace. Ye must dance at the
commandments, as well as the promises, because all God's precepts are
really promises. Ye have nothing to do but to believe them as the way, and
then to dance until ye all sing the song of the Lamb with the saints
above.

Now if ye believe his law and gospel, and be suitably affected with these,
ye are led also to sympathize with all the dispensations of his
providence. Doth God lament to you in his works as well as his word? O
then, Christians, we exhort you to mourn. Yet mourning because of his
lamentable providence, should be joined with rejoicing in his word. "God
hath spoken in his holiness, I will rejoice." We are a stupid generation,
that can neither see, nor hear, neither can we be affected with what we
see, nor hear. Do not his judgments go forth as a lamp that burneth, yet
who considers? Doth not the lion roar, but who is afraid? Is there not a
voice publishing affliction? Hath not God's rod a loud voice, and yet who
hears it? Who fears? We do not receive agreeable impressions of the Lord's
dealing with us, but every man puts the day of evil far from him. He will
not apprehend public rods, till they become personal, and therefore they
must become personal. If ye were mourning in a penitent manner, as a
repenting soul laments, would not our fast days have more soul affliction
attending them? If ye did dance as God pipes in his providence, would not
our solemn feasts have more soul rejoicing, and heavenly mirth? Alas for
that deep sleep that has fallen upon so many Christians! How few stir up
themselves to take hold upon God, though he hides his face, and
threateneth to depart from us? For the Lord is with you while ye are with
him; if ye seek him, and feareth for him with all your heart, you will
find him, but if ye forsake him he will forsake you.

Sermon XI.

[It is extremely probable that this was one of the probationary discourses
which the author delivered before the Presbytery of Glasgow, previous to
his ordination. The following is an extract from the Record of that
Presbytery: "Dec. 5, 1649. The qlk daye Mr. Hew Binnen made his popular
sermon 1 Tim. i. ver. 5 'The end