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the world torn upside down and come as it will, the saints will get a life of it. They are God's birds, that sing in the winter, for the time is come, Isa. liv. I. Sing O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, &c. and yet the captives and banished people in the meantime Zach. ix. 9 Rejoice greatly O Jerusalem, shout. &c. Behold thy king comethǃ And yet they had no king at all, but was in the pit where was no water; they were in bondage. So in Isa. iv. 1. when the people were under the water Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith the Lord; Speak comfortably to Jerusalem.
When the day is fair and the spirit slows, and the wind is in the west, we can all then sing and rejoice, and believe: If God would each hour of the day come and take his children on his knees and lay their head in his bosom. saving "Weep not. hold your tongue:" We could all then sing and rejoice, and believe.—But we must make a window in our prison, and look out and see day light, and the Bridegroom coming and rejoice before hand. We are like fools and spilt barns taking offence at our Lord, like Jacob, and will not be comforted. Our Lord cannot get us drawn to the house of wine to take a cup of consolation; but we must learn to sing when God bids us If the winter-night were never so dark, believers must ay rejoice before; therefore rejoice my dearly beloved, for we will get day about yet when the marriage day is come, Luke vi. 23. Rejoice and leap for joy-every day, for that day, when they separate you from their company, Luke xxi. 28. When all these things shall come to pass, thenlook
