SAINTS Blessed for ever: OR, Gods People never forsaken
Asuring every true Believer, of their Blessed Estate, and Condition: very profitable to read, and comfortable to every Believing Soul that truly fears God.
Being a rich Portion of Gods love to his People; and worthy to be kept in memory for ever.
Together with several perswasions to poor Sinners, to leave their sins, and come to Christ by Repentance.
By Roger Hough.
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the Righteous forsaken, nor his Seed begging bread.
London, Printed by E. Crowch, for T. Vere, at the sign of the Cock in St. Johns-street. 1667.
Licensed, May the 4 th. 1667.
Saints blessed for ever, &c.
Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have: For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
AMongst all other precious promises, God hath made to his own poor people, this is not the least, which is communicated by the Author of this Epistle to the Hebrews; so that those whom y e Lord hath chosen, for his own people, by vertue of this Promise, may holdly say as in the following verse, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. In this text of Scripture we have several things considerable; as first, a double Exhortation, branching it self into two Heads, first consisting of our Conversation, Let your conversation be without covetousness; & secondly consisting of our Contentment, and be content with such things as ye have: And then you have the ground or reason of all, in this assured Promise of God, For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. For the first Exhortation against the sin of Covetousness, ye have the evil of this sin laid out in y e words of our blessed Apostle Paul to Timothy, Tim. 6.9, 10. But they that will be rich, fall into temptation, and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful [Page]lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some have coveted after, they have erred from the faith, & pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Now secondly, for the second thing here exhorted unto, which is Contentedness; you have the good of it laid out in these words, as in 1 Tim. 6.6. Godlidess is great g [...]in with contentment. And vers. 8. And having food and raiment, let us therewith be content. This lesson our blessed Apostle had learned himself, and therefore from experience teacheth it to all that truly fear God, Phil. 4 11 Not (saith he) that I speak in respect of want, for I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content. The like we read of good Jacob, he being blessed by his father, and sent to Padannar [...]m, there the Lord appear'd to him in a vision at Bethel, confirming and making good this very Promise unto him, amongst several others, Gen. 28. ver. 15. Behold I will be with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land, for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. This good man notwithstanding, layes out this his Contentedness, in the 20 and 21 verses, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my Fathers [Page]house in peace, then shall the Lord be my God. Now as touching this assured Promise of God to his people, which is the very Ground and Life of all our Performances (and Duties) and comfortable to the heart of every true Believer, is written for our learning in these words. For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. It represents it self unto us, in full assurance that Gods people shall never be forsaken of God: or thus, God will never leave nor forsake his people, though they may fall sadly under afflictions, and Gods hand of correction may lye upon them, yet they shall never be forsaken; though Zion may say, as in Isaiah 49.14. The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me; yet the Lord answers, vers. 15. Can a Woman forget her sucking Child, that she should not have compassion on the Son of her womb, yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, saith the Lord. These promises of God are in several places of Scripture recorded, and all to assure Gods people that they shall never be forsaken: God was with good Jacob in his way to Padannaram, & also with Moses, by whom he wrought great signs & wonders in the land of Egypt before Pharoah, in the red Sea, & in the wilderness; and these precious promises hath ever attended Gods people in their greatest adventures. It was made to [Page]good Joshua, Deut. 31.8. Joshua. 1.5. As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee, I will not fail thee, not forsake thee; all which compared together holds forth to us y e truth of all, which is this, That God will never forsake his people; God will be with them as well in their poverty as prosperity, as well in their afflictions and tryals, as in the time of their flourishing estate and condition. God will be with them in all times of persecution, God was with Israel in Egypt, with Joseph in prison, with Moses at the red Sea, and in the Wilderness, with the Three Children in the fiery Furnace, with Daniel in the Lions den, with Jeremiah in the dungeon, with Peter, and John, and with Paul & Silas in prison: this Promise was renewed, & made good by our blessed Saviour himself, when he gave his Disciples their Commission, Matt. 28.20. Lo (saith he) I am with you to the end of the world. Now séeing, beloved, such precious promises of God are of such concernment to Gods people, I shall onely, as I have opportunity and room in this small volumn, First, shew you, Who they are, that may be owned to be really the people of God. Secondly, I shall give you some Grounds or Reasons, why Gods people shall never be forsaken. Thirdly, This will aford several Cautions to the people of God to labour and strive to make good their standing in the way of an holy profession, whereby [Page]they may put on the whole Armour of God, and walk by the examples of other precious Servants of the Lord. And in the last place, A loving invitation to poor Sinners, inviting them to leave their sins, and come to Christ by Repentance.
And First, who they are that may be owned to be the people of God, whereby every discerning Soul may come to know his condition. Several Particulars I might speak of in their discovery, but I shall only name these Thrée following;
First, They that are really the people of God, they have a discerning faculty implanted in them by the holy Spirit of God, whereby they can discern in part, and know the Will of God their Father, which gives them a full Assurance, that they are the very flock of Christ. And first, they know the voice of Christ, John 10.4. They know when Christ speaks unto them in the purity of the word, without any mixture of humane invention or tradition brought in by the will of man; and as they know the voice of Christ, so the voice of Strangers they will not follow, every false way is a stranger to them, John. 10.5. And a stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him, for they know the voice of strangers. They have therefore a discerning faculty betwixt good and evil, whereas the naturalman cannot discern the things of God, because they are spiritually blinded, 1 Cor. 2.14, The naturalman receiveth not the things of the spirit of God, for [Page]they are foolishness unto him, because they are spiritually discerned. But a true believer he can discern and see through such a glass, the Will of his heavenly Father.
Secondly, As they have a discerning faculty, so they have an assured confidence in God; So that a gracious soul can say with chearfulness as in Micha 7.7. Therefore will I look up onto the Lord, I will wait for the God of my Salvation, my God will hear me. A gracious Soul can look through all difficulties & dangers in afflictions, and though it sées Gods hand lifted up, yet it can say, as in Habak. 3.17, 18. Although the figtree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the Vines, the labour of the Olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet will I rejoyce in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my Salvation; the Lord is my strength, and he will make my feet like Hindes-feet. Oh christians! its admirable for tongue to speak or heart to conceive, y e assured confidence y t a gracious soul hath in God, that rests wholly upon y e promises of God, made over to them in Jesus Christ. It was admirable in Abraham, when he went fréely, at the command of God, to offer his son Isaac, that was the only heir of promise, of whom it was said, Gen. 21.12. In Isaac shall thy Seed be called; yet Abraham fréely manifesteth his faith. Accompting [Page]that God was able to raise him up even from the dead, from whence he also receiv'd him as a figure, as saith our Author to y e Hebrews, ch. 11. v. 19. this assured confidence is a tryed and precious faith, which only appertaineth to true believers, 2 Pet. 1.1.
Thirdly, As they have an assured Confidence in God, so they have a Son-like obedience to God. Those that are really the Lords people, they obey God as their Father in all his cōmands, they wil obey his word & his ordinances, they know the voice of Christ as their shepherd, & therefore they will follow y e Lamb whithersoever he goeth; you may read the Laws of God imprinted in their hearts by their outward walkings & godly conversation; they'l be asham'd to run into any manner of sin, either openly or privatly, they are such as abhor all manner of sin, & cannot endure to sin, 2 Cor. 3.2. Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men. They bear y e badge and Name of Christ along with them, they come fréely in, their prayers they put up to y e throne of grace, call God Father, as they are instructed in that blessed form of prayer that our Lord & Saviour taught his Disciples to say, Mat. 6.9. Luk. 12.2. When you pray, say, Our Father, &c. which is the very marrow of all prayers: And thus you sée, beloved, That they that are really the Lords people, they have, First a [Page]discerning faculty, whereby they can discern by the eye of faith, the will of their heavenly father: and Secondly, they have an assured Confidence in God: and Thirdly, they have a Son-like Obedience to God, & so they own God as their Father; by which we may assuredly see God will not leave nor forsake his own people, as our Saviour saith, Those that come unto me, I will in no wise cast off.
Now there are several Grounds in y e Second place. Why God will not leave nor farsake his people. The First is drawn from the Love of God: God hath ever a dear love to his own people; though love be a faculty in man, yet it's a property in God, 1 Joh. 4 8. He that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love. vers. 9. In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him, and herein is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us first. The love of God is from all Eternity, and to Eternity, it is the greatest Matter of Antiquity in the world.
A Second Reason, Why God will never forsake his people, is drawn from the Choice God hath made of them, God hath chosen them from Eternity, Deut. 7.7,8. The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you because you were more in number then any people, for you were the fewest of all people; but because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he [Page]had sworn to your fathers, &c. Our blessed Apostle so styles them in 1 Pet. 2.9. But ye are a chosen Generation. Gods love to his people, begets his choice of them, they are the chosen of God, & precious, his dearly beloved ones, in whom his soul delighteth, Joh 15.16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. God hath chosen his people from the foundation of the world, and they are his Elect to all eternity, for whom he loves once, he loves to the end; there is no change in God, he varies not, he is one and the saue yesterday and to day, and for ever.
A Third Ground or Reason, Why God will never leave nor forsake his people, is drawn from the Consideration of the price of their Redemption God hath purchased them at a high rate, as Gods love to his people, moves him to choose them, so Gods choice of them moves him to redéem them, and so they become his purchased inheritance, 1 Cor. 6.19, 20. And ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price, therefore glorifie God in your bodies, and in your souls, 1 Cor. 7.23. Ye are bought with a price, be ye not servants of men, 1 Pet. 1.18, 19. Forasmuch as ye know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver nor gold, from your vain Conversation, received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot. [Page]Therfore séeing here the unsearchable riches of Gods love to his people, Oh! let us glorifie God in our members, and double our diligence in his service.
The Fourth Ground or Reason, Why Gods people shall never be forsaken, is drawn from the great care God hath over them. God hath purchased them at a very high rate; and that which a man buyes dear, he will be very unwilling to cast away; God therefore sets a continual guard over them, Psal. 91, 11. to the end, He shall give his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy wayes, they shall bear thee up in their hands, least thou dash thy foot against a stone, &c. Gods care over his people is such, that they that will but truly rest upon him, he will not suffer an hair of their heads to perish; as you may sée Mat. 10.30. Acts 27.34. Beloved, God hath ever béen his peoples kéeper, He that keepeth Israel, never slumbreth nor sleepeth, Psal. 121.4. Isa. 27.3. He ever taketh care of his own Inheritance.
The Fifth Ground, or Reason, Why God will never leave nor forsake his people, is drawn from the Promises of God made over unto them: God hath promised his Presents to be with them to the end of the world, Mat. 28.20. God hath promised them deliverance from trouble, Job 5.19 He shall deliver thee in six troubles, and in seven no evil shall touch thee: Gods promises to his [Page]people, are either absolute or conditional, & those which are conditional, God looks that believers should fulfil the conditions, & close with the promise; it is to believers only that the promises are made, Acts 2.39. For the promise is to you & to your children, & to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shal call.
The Sixth and Last Reason, Why God will never leave nor forsake his people, is drawn from the high esteem God hath of his people. He values them at a high rate, they are his own peculiar treasure, Fxod. 19.5. Psal. 35.4. For the Lord hath chosen Jacob to himself, & Israel his peculiar treasure. God esteems them above all people of the earth, Deut. 10 15. They are his Jewels, Mal 3.17. They are his precious ones, in whom he delights; And therefore God hath a high Estéem of them, they are his beautified ones, in whom he sées no deformity, Cant. 4.7. Thou art all fair my Love, and there is no spot in thee. The Lord Iesus Christ sées a Beauty in them, and so he estéems them.
And thus you sée it's plain, God will never leave nor forsake his people that wait upon him, as it appears, First, In respect of his Love to them: Secondly, In respect of his Choice of them. Thirdly, in respect of the price of their redemption: Fourthly, In respect of his special care over them: Fiftly, In respect of his Promises made over unto them: & Lastly, In respect of his great Esteem of them.
Lēt us now therefore with all diligence set about to make our Calling and Election sure, 2 Pet. 1.10. Let us take our blessed Apostles Counsel laid out for our instruction, 2 Cor. 7.1. Having these Promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and Spirit, perfecting Holiness in the fear of God. Oh Souls! let it be all your care and endeavour to honour your Heavenly Father: Consider seriously, beloved, you can never do too much in the Service of God, live up every day in new obedience to God.
God hath given you a sure word of Promise, Oh! do not loyter in the Lords Vineyard; hath God Chosen you for his People, Oh! up and be doing the work of the Lord: Consider seriously our God is a Holy God, & he cannot endure the unfruitful works of darkness; let not any Afflictions you méet with in the Body or Estate draw you from God upon any accompt, Satan is very full of policy, and a most cunning Sophister, Wherefore that you may be the better enabled to encounter with him, in the first place take unto you y e whole armour of God: and Secondly, by the examples of other precious servants of the Lord, labour to strengthen your graces, and build up your selves every day as objects to follow such examples, First, take unto you the whole armour of God, [Page]which Armour is recorded Ephesians 6.13, 14, 15, 16, 17. And indéed every piece of this Armour is precious tryed mettel, the which being cloathed with, makes the Soul beautiful in the sight of God, and will make you able to stand in the evil Day: For if you but seriously Consider it, here is first Truth to you presented in the Form of a Girdle; Truth is that that should be the very girdle of your Loyns, it is that that makes you like to your Heavenly Father, it imprints the Image of Iesus Christ upon you, John 14.17. & 17.17. And Secondly, The brest plate of righteousness is a most famous and rare piece of Armour, and turns back all those bolts & fiery darts of Satan, from the heart of a true Believer; this imprints in you the name of a precious Redéemer, who is called the Lord our Righteousness.
Thirdly, There is another piece of this armour for the féet, having your féet shod with a preparation of the Gospel of Peace, so that we must be active in this our spiritual Warfare, with all our members, our féet must be made swift, and prepared to run in all the wayes of Gods Commandements, until we come to this everlasting Prince of Peace.
In the Fourth place here is the great weapon of our Warfare, the Shield of Faith, which we are Commanded above all others [Page]to take; 'tis that whereby we are made able to quench all the fiery Darts of the wicked; as Faith is the most rarest and excellentest above all other Graces, so its a weapon that will not be turned back, as saith the Author to the Hebrews, 11.1. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.
Fiftly, Here is the Helmet of Salvation, which is a most rare piece of Armour for a Believer to put on, and to close with Iesus Christ, who is the Salvation of his People, Luke 2.30.
And Lastly, Here is the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, to attend this great Weapon of your Warfare, the Shield of Faith, which is that Weapon you should Continually gird upon your Thigh, alluding to that in the 45 Psalm, the 3 and 4 verses, Gird thy Sword upon thy Thigh, O most mighty; with thy Glory and Majesty; and in thy Majesty ride prosperously, because of Truth and meekness and Righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. This Sword of the Spirit is a most prevalent Weapon, and Beloved, may sometimes be alluded to the Sword of the Lord, and of Gideon, Judges 7.20. It puts to flight all those Spiritual Midi [...]nites, and Enemies of our poor Souls.
So Beloved, you may sée hereby, what a rare thing it is, to have on this whole Armour of God: it Fortifies a Believer on every hand.
Secondly, By the Example of other precious Servants of the Lord, labour to strengthen your graces, and nourish every Branch thereof: Every tender Plant of Knowledge the Lord bestows upon you, nourish it, if you be sure it procéeds from a right Principle; otherwise, if you perceive it is not according to the Mind and Will of God, and you have no strength for the same in the Arm of Faith, to smite with the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, cast it away; have nothing to do with such a Principle as is Erronious and Corrupt.
First, Doth God call you to Exercise your Faith? Look upon the Example of your Father Abraham, who had many Tryals upon that very account, and yet he chéerfully, through Faith, under-went all, until it came to the very touch stone of all Tryals, which was the Offering up of his Son Isaac, of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy Seed be called: and yet Abraham goes fréely to the Altar, accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, Heb. 11.17, 18, 19.
Secondly, Doth God call you to Exercise your Hope? Consider that Faith and Hope go both together, where the one is, the other cannot be wanting; For Faith is both the Substance and Evidence of our Hope, Heb. 11.1. For what can we hope for, except we have Faith to believe.
Thirdly, Doth God call you to Exercise your Patience? Look back upon the Example of good Job, who undergoes the hand of the Lord so chéerfully and patiently, that he cryes out at the last, Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him, Job. 13.15. If you will but look back upon some of the Lords Servants of old, you may learn by them your Duties; Learn with Abel, to get acceptance with God: with Enoch, to walk with God: with Noah, a Preacher of Righteousness, to get into Gods protection. Learn with Abraham, to act your Faith: with Jacob, to wrastle with God: with Joseph, rather to submit to Prison, then to dishonour God with a lustful Mistris. Learn with Moses Méekness, with David Repentance, with Solomon Wisdom, with Job Patience, with Jeremiah Lamentation for the Sins of the People; Learn of our blessed Saviour, Iesus Christ, to take up your Cross and follow him; séeing the goodness of God hath so appointed it, that his People shall never be forsaken. [Page]Oh! do not you fail in your performances; Consider, God hath not made his Choice of you in vain, (he hath Loved you, Chosen you, Redéemed you, taken Care over you, made out his Promises unto you, and Estéems you above all others) therefore labour you every day to be Acting in a way of holy Profession.
And now Beloved, to apply this Truth in a way of Invitation, is my whole design at this time, though much might be said upon several accounts, yet the main end of what I have more to say, is, To invite poor Sinners to come to Christ by Repentance.
Sinners, you hear, God will never leave nor forsake his own people: they are his own Inheritance, his peculiar Treasure, his beloved ones, in whom he delights; And you will hear that dreadful Sentence passed against you at the last, if you do not Repent, and come to Christ for Salvation, Mat. 25.41. Depart from me ye Cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels. Without Repentance, there is nothing of Comfort for you, but this dreadful Sentence of Depart from me ye workers of Iniquity, Matth. 7.23. Luke 13.3. I tell you nay, but except you repent, ye shall all likewise perish. As the joy and comfort the people of God shall enjoy in heaven, is beyond the reach of the eye of man [Page]to sée, the ear to hear, the heart to conceive, and the tongue of man to express: So the misery of the wicked in Hell, is beyond both the eye to sée, the ear to hear, the heart to conceive, and the tongue to express. Oh Sinners! its indurable misery; it begins with you with a dreadful Sentence, but it will never end, when Thousands of years are passed over, your misery is never the less, your Torments still endure, and ye have never less years to spend, your Torments will be as fresh as ever they were: Oh! therefore, I pray you Sinner, come to Christ, leave of your Sins, and beg earnestly for pardon and remission of your sins; the Lord hath passed a righteous Iudgement against Sinners, you cannot lay the cause of your misery upon another, Ezekiel 18.20. The Soul that sinneth shall die: the Son shall not bear the iniquity of the Father, neither shall the Father bear the iniquity of the Son, the Righneousness of the Righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him: Nor you cannot lay the cause of your misery upon God, Ezek. 33.11. As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn you, turn you from your evil wayes: for, why will you die, O House of Israel?
Oh Sinners! Why will you not come to Christ, methinks I hear a great Complaint against you from the blessed word of God, John 5.40. And ye will not come to me that you might have life. Oh Sinners! Consider there is no way to be saved, but to come to Christ; the way to Heaven is by Faith in Iesus Christ, Acts 16.31. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy House. Now that you may the better be encouraged to come to Christ, and to close with him, Consider these few things following:
First, Christ invites poor Sinners to come, Mat. 11.28. Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and you shall find rest for your Souls. Sinners, be encouraged to close with Christ when ever he calls: defer not your times: put it not off till to morrow: when God calls, then is your day: when Christ invites, be you willing to close with him, for then is your acceptable day of Deliverance, if you will but diligently obey. Be you therefore ready to receive his offer, for then is the time of Love. Oh! poor Sinners, when ever Christ knocks at the doors of your hearts, be you ready to receive him, and be sure you open to him, lest he say at the great day of Iudgement, Away from me, ye workers of Iniquity; I call'd you at such a time [Page]and the very checks of your Consciences told you that you were in a way of destruction; and if you had then repented, and obeyed my voice, and opened unto me, I would have met you, and have opened unto you the everlasting gate of Mercy; but now away, Depart from me, I know you not.
Secondly, Consider Christs Invitation is frée, its upon frée terms, Isaiah 55.1. Ho every one that thirsteth, Come to the waters; and he that hath no Money: come ye, buy and eat, yea come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price. Come along poor Sinners, here's frée Invitation for you from a blessed Master, that will ever perform what he saith, verse the 7th. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Dost thou want Faith? beg earnestly of God for it; say, Lord, I believe, help my unbelief: strive with all thy strength to obtain this precious grace of Faith.
Thirdly. Consider poor Sinners, Iesus Christ hath promised, That whosoever comes unto him, he will in no wise cast out, Joh, 6.37. And you have it here confirmed, That God will never leave nor forsake his people. Oh! therefore be perswaded to come to Christ, and to close with him; and do not you think [Page]that godliness is a solitary life, and dubious unto you; if you will but seriously consider, there is more true joy in one hour in holy company, if they be such as truly serve God, in all his wayes and Commands, then all the World can afford thée otherwayes
Fourthly, Consider Sinners, as you come to Christ, and forsake your sins, you come into the Verge of his Prayers, Christ prayes for all them that are given him of the Father, but he prayes not for the world, Joh. 17.9. While you lye in your sins, you are as dead men, you cannot come to be sharers with any of the Lords Servants in our Saviours Prayers to his Father: Oh! therefore be perswaded to come to Christ, and to close with him.
Lastly, Consider Sinners, what Iesus Christ hath done to Redéem your souls from Hell, if you will but come unto him, Isaiah 53 5. He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisment of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. Iesus Christ hath shed his precious Blood to Redéem our Souls from misery: Oh Sinners! therefore be perswaded to come to Christ, leave your former courses, destroy that Enemy of your precious Souls, and close with this blessed Saviour, and he [Page]will receive you into his Favour, and so you will come to be of that blessed Number that shall never be forsaken.
To Conclude, All at this time which I have to say unto you, I beséech you, beloved, take along with you this excellent Exhortation of our blessed Apostle Paul, 1 Thess. 5. 21, 22, 23, 24. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good: Abstain from all appearance of evil: And the very God of peace Sanctifie you wholly: and I pray God your whole Spirit, and Soul, and Body, be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. For the which Coming and blessed Appearance, the Lord, for his mercy sake, grant we may all be Prepared to receive the swéet Bridgroom of our Souls unto all Eternity, for evermore, Amen.