~atnts fnffcrtngs. ------------------ dom of heaven , and t he g~ory that is to come as now prefent : Hence the martyrs had fuch~omemmmts m thclfJi!f ermgs,Though we have but im hard breakJaft,( fay feme) yet weJl~~t,l have agood dmner, we fha/1 pref em ly_bem hMven. L et usbuJjl.m ouuyes, (faid others) and wcfha!lbe tn heaven prefemly. l t zsbm a lutle clo. d, (faidA than..p.:,) and it will be prrfemiy owr. We famt not ( faad the Apoll:lc ) \\ohy ? Becaufe tbrfe light ajfitChons that are bu: for a. mon~en:, work.,. for us a f ar mere ex.cFCdingandeu rnP.-1 ~ft.ignr '-f glory. The Saintsmthear affiachons fee heaven by them, and that contents them. As: the mariners though they were troubled before they could fee land,yet when they come nigh the lhore, and fee fuch a land-marke , that contents them excecdin•>ly : So the godly though they may be tolfed m the midell: of waves and fiormes , yet fccing the glory of_heaven before them, they content themfelves. One drop of the fwcetncfs of heaven as enough to take away all the fower ancl bitter of all the affii.:tions it 1 the world. 8. Pray for this grace of Contentment. It is Gods gift, and it is a foul-bulineffc . it is o<n inward, quiet, gracio~ts f rame offpirit; whichcomes not fo much from any ou;ward arguments, or any outward thing, as from thedifpofition ofour own hearts; that con– tentment that c_omes meerly from external ~rguments,will not hold long; if it be habitual and conftant, tt ever comes from the gractous temper of a mans own fpirit and there– fore we had need to pray rhat God would create in usclean htarts, and th~t he ~ould renew right fpirits ( or conftant fpirirs, (as .it is in the original) within"'· All the rules and helps in the world will do us little good, except we get a good temper within our hearts , youcan never ;n~ke a lhiJ? go !teady with propping of it without; you know there mut1;be ballall: wathm the lhap that mufi make it go fleady; And fo there is no– thing withOut us that can keep our hearts in a ll:eady confiant way,but that that is with– in us ; grace is within the foul, and that will do it. 0 pray we to God tocreate thi: Chriftlan contentation withinm, open we our hearts unto God, and then withHarm" we lhall come from prayer, and look_.no more fad. Sect. 3. How we muft improvtfufferings. "( i\ 7 .E mull not oncly be contented under Gods affiilling han.d , but we mull: labour V \ to thrive under it. Certainly there isa bleffing in every Ordinance of God, if we have wifdomc and care to draw it forth , and to make it our own. .AHjfin cryes .Pmlio!illis out againll: fuch who did not profit by alllicrions : You (faithhe) have loft theprofit of utilitatcm this c«l4mity . As it is align of great wickednefs ro turn bleffings into curfcs , foit is a CJtam:i~acis fign of great grace to turne curfcs into blcffings; by this improvement we lhall not ~:f,~,. • onely get water, but honey out of the Rock. But how lhould we improve our Dei./.2. c.JJ. affiicrions. I. Learn we thofc lelfonswhich God ufually teachcth his people in a fuffering coO.: *T' wemy fe- clition. I lhall onely prefent thofe *three which are mofi comprehenlive.-- 1Jerallej{ons ' ' are reclt.!nedup.--as I. Compaffiontowards themwhichare in afu!fering condition, Heb. f• z. z . A prizing ofour omward mercies, and comforts more, andyet 4 doting t<pon them lef[e, Deut. 8. 10, 1 I, 12. 3- Self -denyal , and obedimtial f ubmij]ion to the will of God, Jam. I. 34· Humility"'"' ,~knefs •f Spirit, Job. 33· I 7· 5. A difcovery ofunk.z.IOWn cormptions in our hellrts, Deut. 8. 2. 6. Prayer, Ifa. 26. I6 . 7· AujHaintance with the Word, Pfai. II9, 25,_50, 103• . 8. Thenmiof found evidences for heavw, Pfal. 25. 8. 9. What an ev•l thmg :t . u to gr:eve the Spmt, Jer. 44•4• I O. Comm;mion with God, Pfal. 88. 8, I8. I I . T he exercife and tmf.rovement ofgr4ce, Revel. I3IO. 12. The life of faith, Heb.z.3,4I 3· A trufting God more,and ourfelvulif{e, 2 Tim. r.8,9t 4 . A .k.zurwing ofGod in his holinefs,jujfice,faithfulnefs,mercy,alfuffi.<iency,Pfal.9.9>'o. ~f. A minding :he duties •f a[Kjfcring condition, mort then f af ety, A<'l:s. 9· 6. Mach. 6. 9• .r6._.Ammdmg the p;•– 'tliledges, and tldvamages ofafufmng condmon, Matth. 19. 29. 17. fi •mdmg and endi,tvoMrtng ;tjter the~ncthingmceffary, Luke 10.42. 18. Time-redemftton, Eph. S. I6• . I9. Av~tlttwmg of Chrijfs fu!ferings, I Thef. I. ro. 20. fi prizing and longmg "[ter heawn, Phal. I , 23. Ca{t, cor– rtcfion, inflru[/ion. Bot twfe there 1 . The finful11efs of fin ; what is fi~ but an evil againll God ; punilhment is an (Vil leffo•• ..,tthtn againft the creature but fin is a contradiction to the will of God; whence we may fafely """r'/ ;'~r:f conclude that there'is more evil in the leaft fin, then there is in the greatcft pur.ifhmcnr, (~Pf c tnp • even
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