377 Wh t · fveet in this life which fo many miferies wili not imbitter? If this be a vale l. Vfe; of tea~s,'\,·here is thy pla~e to pleafure? If this life be a ndl: of cares, how canfl: thou fettle fo great a vanity as fin m a field of fuch m1fery as the world ~ 0 ye Jonnes ofmen, P[<~l. 4 2 holv long will ye blafpheme mme h•noltr, and haveJiech pleafure tn v:'ntty '· and Juk._ after lefljing ? \Vere men not mad in the.ir wayes, or.utterly befotted m thelt unagmatlons', well might thefe miferies of our hfe breed the1r negleCt of the world. Can we chufc but wonder to fee how bufily thou heape!t up riches, yet ~nowefl: r.ot who !hall eat the grapes of thy planted vineyard? God gave thee a countenance ereCted towards heaven, and mufl: it ever be grovcling and poring.on the earth I God gave thee a foul to hvc: with his blelfed Angels,and wilt thoumake It a compamon fitter for no other than brute bealls? There is an evilJick._nejfe (faith Solomon) that I h.rve feen under the Sun; and Ecc/rf. s 1 i what is that, but riches referved to the owners for their evil? See here the jufl: judgement of a righteous God , to this ~ndis thy riches, thou wouldefl: live at eafe, and out-la!l: many years, therefore thy hfe 1s but m1ferable, and thy death. mull be fudden; thy J"ycs "re b11t fov, and thyfe~v d"J" are C".~tl. ' But to comfort all you that live in the fear of God, it may be your daycs are evil,] 2. ':Jfe: and whatthen? this is to make tryat ofyo~tr loveto God, and a tryat it is ofGods love to you. . . , . Firfi, it makes a tryal •fyour loTJe to God; Certamly 1f you have but a fpark of tn1~ love, your days cannot be fo evil, but in the midi! of thofe evils you fhall find fome inward confolations that will fwceten aiL It is memorable how Jacob for Rachel fervcd a,n. 29 20 Laba• feven years, but yet (faith the Text) they feemedto him b11t afe~v dayes f•r the love he h11d to her. N~y, after Laban had deceived him in giving him blcar-eyed Leah in fiead of beautiful Rachcl, Jac.b tllen ferves him another feven years prentifhip; love makes the heart chearful in the worfi or fulferings: ':{hough Jacob was confumed with dro11ghr in the da)', andfrojl in the night, which many and many a time made his (i,n. 3 , .jd rcfl: and (leep to depart from his eyes; yet his love of fair Rachel fweetens all his labours : Why thus, thus will it be with you that wait on the Lord your God. \Vhat though miferies come upon you a:; thick as hail-fiormes in a fharp winters day ? you may remember you have a better Mall:er than Lab11n , a better fervice than J11cobs, a fairer prize than Rachel: Who is your Mafier, but fuch an one as will furcly keep his Co– venant, even the Lord your God? what is your fcrvice, but fuch a one as is mofi glo– rious and honourable, even a light burden, aperfeEtfreedome? \Vhat is your prize, but fuch a one as furpalfeth all prizes wbatfoever, even the beauty of heaven, the bcatificial vifion ofour blelfed God? If then you but lvve God as Jacob did Rachcl, what matters is how evil your few dayes be? nay, be they never fo evil, and were your dayes never fo many, yet an hundred , a thoufand years fpent in Gods fervice, they would feem but a feiV dayes for the love you bear to him. 0 Lord, work in us this love, and then command what thou wilt, pcrfecution,affiicrion, the Croffe,or death · no fervice fo hard, but we fhall readily obey thee. ' Secondly, as your evils ofjitjferings tryyo1<r love to God, fo they arc a tryal (or token) 2 cor. 4 , ij ofGods loveto you: Ourlight affl.~chons which is but for a_moment, cau{uh tmto liS afarre more excellent and an eterna~ wcsght ofglory; and 1f this be the end, who would not ~ndure the means ? 0 d1vme mercy! therefore the dugs of this life talte bitter, that thereby God may wean us from the love of this world to attain a better: Certainly God IS good unto us m tempenng thefe fo fitly; bitternelfe attends this life that thou maye!t figh continually for the true life. Wouldfl: thou not run through dangers for a Kmgdom? wouldefi thou not fetch a Crown for fear of a thorn! nay, who would not go to heaven, although it were with Eliah in a whirlwindc? I cottnt ( faiih Paul) thatth'. aJJMhons oftlm life are not worthy of the glorfll'hich jhallbe {he~•ed unto tu. R.cm.S. 1 ~' Co~e then ye that thirfi for long life; believe in God, an~ou fhall have life eternal. All1s well that ends well : thougp a while we link in miferies , yet at lafi the joyes of heaven WIIllefrefh us: then fhall we live in love, rejoyce in hymns, ling forth in praifcs the wondenul works of our Creatour and Redeemer : this is that life of heaven : and when our life ends here, Lord, grant us life evcrlajling. Thus farre h~v<"y~u feen the fiate of our life, this leafe breeds forrow, bm the re– verlion IS our JOY; no !oonc.r fhall this life expire, but God will give usrhc pur– chafe ofh1s Son, that 1nhentance of heaven; comfort then thy' foul that wades through th1s fea of miferies, and the Lord fo affill: us in·all our troubles that he lead m not mto /Cillptlltion, but deliver u.rfrom evil. Amen. ' G cc H<tvt
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