z68 The Great Duty of Refignation. ·----- to .its Dclircs, and .we pay the l~ghefl: honour Fo God in the lowcfr ii.tbmitlion of our W11lls to his Appomtments. 'Tts true, rhc Will cannot make a direCl choice of Evil n·or Jo,e Afflictions, butrheHoly Spirit by a powerful Operation io difpofcth it, ,_; ro renounce tts own Inclinanons when dtfcordant With the Will of God. And rhe more humble, ready and emire the SuQmiJTion is, the more difficult and hadh the denial of our namral Defire .is, the more fupernatural Grace lhines and is acceptable. It is the Perfection of Holmefs to do what God loves, and to love what God does. There is a rare Example of this in Da'Vid's Carriage, when under his greatefr AffliCtion : 'twas in hi.s flight from his Son_ A6falom, who ende~vourcd to deprive him of his Kingdom and 2.Sam.•s . 1:5. ~1fe. And the king J.(ud ~nto Zadock .the p:ufl, Carry_ back the ark of God into the City: if~ Jha!! fn~ favour m hzs ryes, he wd! ~rmg me agam, and jhew mt botb it and his bak,it atton; hut if be Jhall fq_y, I have no de!tgbt in thee, he}Jold bere I am, let him do to me as feems good unto him. 0 happy frame! his Spirit was fo equally balanced , That if God wou ld fuffer a Rebel that violated the moil: tender and il:rict relations of a Son and Subject fo a Gracious Father and Sovereign, the Murrherer of his Brother, and a Parricide in his Defires, to ufllrp his Throne, he humbly fltbmitted to it. The Duty of Refignation confifis in the compofurc of the Affections to a jufi mcafure and temper, when under the fharpefi Difciplinc. Of the Paflions, feme are tender and melting, others are fierce and fl:ormy, and if a pondcro.us opprcfTing Evil happen or the lofs of that g?od t1.1at wa~ very plcakng, they fomen.mes join together! as d~ Clouds at the fa1:ne ttme dtlfolve m Showers, and break forth 111 Thunder and Lightning. Now when fanct•ficd Reafon harh a due Empire over them, and the Soul poiTcifeth it felf 111 Patience, it IS a happy Etfe~ of Reiignanon to the D1vine difpof31. Of this we have an eminent inilance in the affhcl:ed Saint fo~cmenr~oncd.' When David was.fo wickedly reproached by Sbimei, and Abifhai fired with IndJgnatiOn, would prcfCnrly have taken ~;.am. 16 . 9 ' ~%~;~!~rr ~:;~~gio %e~ 0~~~~l:iZe~r::r; t~Iee:;r ~i;t::~ tb~o~~a1o~lga~d1:;?n1~~:~ 1 David s Spirit ? he felt no reil:uations nor tumults within, cxprefi no outragious complaints, but faid, Let him curfe, becaufe tbe Lord hatb faid to him, Curfe Davit!. There is a twofold excefs of rhe Sorrowful Affections in Troubles: ' I. In the degrees of them. IT. In the continuance. de~~~i ;'\'~~t~;dc ~:~r:;: ~~:!i~;' r;~~~f~:~~J ~;c~~~ ~~~~d~:~e~f t~~~::~v~:I~"~ft r~~~~ heightning Circumfiances, the LoiS as unvaluable, the Evil as intolerable. As objctl:s appear greater than their true Proportion, when feen through a Mifi; fo do Evils, apprehended thro' Grief: and after fuch a falfejudg.ment the Paflions tak~ rheirviolentcOurfe, and the Spirit links un.der ~verwhelming heavmcfs . The So~ I is dtfabled from performing what belongs to It, wtth refped to the.gcneral and pa~ncular Ca11ing, and cannot with freedom wait upon God, but neglects Its Duty and Fchcity. 'Twas the Complaint of the afflicted Poet, Hei miiJi quod miferos prudentia prima relinquit. The firil: effect of Mifcry is black confufion in the Tlioughts, that the Mind cloth not d•!hnctly confider and apply iuch dung as would be effectual to mitigate, or remove it. llcfidcs, as when the Stream overflows the Channel, 1t runs foul and turbid: So immoderate Sorrow often caufeth fecret Difcontent and Anger at the Almighty, ·difCJUieting and tormenting rifings of Heart againfl: his Providence. All Things arc difordcrcd and turbulent in the little and marvellous Monarchy of rhe Soul. And fuch feeds of incitation are in our corrupt Nature, that in the extremity of Anguifh, the furious Paffions fwell into a Storm, and break the reilraints of Rcafon and Grace. Joh in a hot fit Job 10. ;. expofiulates firangcly with God, Is it good unto thee tbat thou jhouldefl opprefs? He was a Jer. :o. 1+ Holy Man, and a Prophet, who in the Paroxifin of his Paffion, curfl the day of JJis birth. Secondly; There is an exccfs in the continuance. Deep Grief cloth more arreil: the Thoughts upon irs object, rhan rhe Affection of Joy doth. The Mind is not fo eaftiy diverted from what afTIIcts, as from what deltghrs. The main !train of the Soul is wwards the mournful Objeel; and in the midft of Comforts to fupport the fainting Spirits, there frill .remains a fad remeJ?brancc of that which torments : a fwarm of fringing Thoughts c~ntmually wound and mflame the ~rcafl: =. no Counfcls prevail, but the Soul is refoived m its Gn~ f, and always reil:lcfs With a~~(.~~
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