The Great Duty of Re(ignation. delirc of what is irrecoverable. Thus the Prophet dcfcriJ:>es the Mifery of--Racbel, 1~:. 31. 1 S· 1veeping for her cbildren, and would not be c_omforted~ becaufo tiJt')' were not. A.s fqme Venomous Creatures turn all that they eat tnro Poyfon; !0 obfl:inatc Sorro\v takes occafion from every thing ro cncrcafe ir fe~f. This confumcs rhc fl~cngrh, and rhc Mou~- ncr lives only to feel his Mifcry, and thmks Death too flow fo r lum, tl~:lt was fo prcct .,. picarc ~or rhe Pcrfon la.mc 1 ~rcd. Thus by ~h.c fixed Contcn1plation.o.f I_ts Trouble, the Soul IS difirac:tcd from tts l.tcavcnly Ongmal , and from purfiung tq; blcffcd. end, and indulgerh its Sorrow, as if the lofs of a Temporal Comfort were utterly undoing m~ . T hi s obfl:inatc Grief is inconfi il:c,nr With a refigncd frame of Spirit. Though in great ~n~i~~~~s~ ~~fl:~g~:il~~~ ~r~~~~~~tl!rt\~=~~r~llca~~r~ ,is a~lfi~,·:~t~;~tti~,~~fb~cr~~~~~~:~~~ the Will of God, and by denvmg from th,c Spnngs of Comfort above, fomc mward rcfrcfl1ings, when the Streams below totally f.1iJ.. . . I fhall now propound the Arguments that w,II cl early con~·mce us o.f th !S Duty~ of Rcfigqation; fomc of which arc powerful to filc:ncc ~1 rebclhous .!\rga_lli.gs, :111d iupprcts all the Tranfports of the. Patfions ; others t? r_a~fe: tlw droopm.g . Sp1rj~s , and en ~ . dine the Heart to a calm .yicldmg, and complc~t iubjcCh.on t9 .the ~1\lllC Will. The fidl: Argument an~Cth from Go~'s Origu.Ial Suprca(n R1ght 111 our PerfOns, and all things we enjo~ . He IS the Folll~tam of Bemg, and p:odt.tccd us ~ut of the depth · of our native notlung, and made us h~tle lower rh::11~ the Angels. He IS. the Author of all our Good, thcju1t.a~1d tmc Propn~t~r o.f all Ius Bc~lCfi~s. From hen-cc rcfults h~s Sovereignty and. DomtlliOI: over ~s, wh1ch IS declare~ m h1 s Lawi. ;JI}d tl~e diipcnf~tlons of his Prov1de nce. H1s Law IS the Rule of our L1vcs and ACtions, ,Jus Governmg Providence the Rule of our SufTerings and Paffions . There is inclifjJenfibly due, a free and full Obedience to his Commands, and an ent ire uniyerf:ti Refignation ~9 the Orders of his Providence. The Enjoyment of all our Blellings is from hi s pure. GoodJ;Ief$, and> rich ~ounty, '"hich requires our ~mmble and affectionate Thankfulnefs; ,ahd his ~c !iunpt lon of them fhould be entertamcd ~vith a Holy and a Patient SubmiiTion. fie g:tv~s them freely, and may rccal them at lus pleafurc.. In whatfoevcr infiance his Wtllts declared, we mufl: with Humility and Mcekncfs fubmit; for he harh an equal Empire in difpofing all things elm arc equally his own, ..and we arc bound by an equal .Obedience to acknowledge his Dominion. When Eli received the terrible :MeiTage o£ rhc Ruin of his Family; the final cxcifion of i~ from the Dignity of the Priefrhood, he patiently fubmits: It is tbe Lord, let him d() what [eemet!J bim zood. The mccr deflre I Sam. l · 17. o~ cx:mption from his over-rulin~ Will, is a hci1~ous Sin; :.u:d a Hubborn uncomplia~cc Wtth 1t in the iJ1i1cs of things , IS d~rcct Rebellion, mixt With Ingratitude, obfl:ruChvc to our prcfcnc Peace, and funrrc Happincfs . If the affliCted would for a while fufpcnd rheir Tears and Sighs, and with free Reafon confider, that what relation foever they had in their dcarefl: Lofs, whether of a Father, a Son, of a Husband or ' Vifc, or any orhcr amiabl e and pafTionate Terms, yet God hath a nearer Right and juficr Claim in thofc Perfons, being his by the bell: Titles of Creation and Redempt ion, it woul<;l fi -, lcnce Murmurings and Impatience, and fiop the Scope of inordinate Sorrow. Ou;: Propriety in them was derived from his Favour, and our PofTe1Tion was depending on l~is Will, for hi s ri~ht in all his Gre<ltures is unalicna.blc. This Confideration, was the Foundation of Jobs Patience; when he was fiript of all his outward Comforts, how compofed was he in his Mind! how confiderate in his Words! he rcAcds upon his Na- ~ivc Pove rty, Naked came I into the world, mtd naked jhall l return thitbet _, And adore!} J ob 1. zr. God's Dominion, lbe Lord hath gi'Ven, and the Lord hatb tal:eJZ, bleffed be bis JZame. Add farther, that which by immediate connection follows, the Confideration of the glorious Majefry of God, and our natural meannefs and unworthinefs. The difi:ance and difproportion is fo vail: between him and us, that we arc not able to conceive the full and ju([ I dea of his Excellent Grcacnefs : we arc fain ro affi([ our Minds in the Thoughts of God by fcnfiblc Rcprcfemations; and co cxprcfs our Conceptions by bor- :owe~ Terms; .Hts Immenfity by the Ocean; h1s Etermty by the returning of a Ctrcle mto trs felf; his. Power, by Thunder; his Majdly by the Sun in its Meridian Splcndors. As the fly rng FHhcs, (Shoals of which arc met in f.1il ing ro the Jndies, ) can Ay no l~nger than the1.r Wing~ remain motfl:; \~he~ thofc Membra1ws arc dry, they cannot move, and arc [ore~ to dtp themfelves agam ll_l the Sea., that by foftning them, they may. renew thclr Fltght : Thus when we afccnd 111 our Mmds ro God, we form no ConceptiOn~ but what take their rifC from fenflble things, which in fin itely fall f110rt of hi~t PcrfcCtrons. Who can fully undcr([and the rranfccndcnt Excellencies qf his Natu.rc ' Who can dcfcnbc what is incff.1blc, and mo!t worthy co be ador'd with filcnt AdmiratHill
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