'470 ______ <_T_he__G_re_a_t_D_u_ty:__o_if'_R_e_fi_::::g:_l1a_t_io_l1_. _____ Sr,. 1 Hil••1 ~e- tion and cxraftc of Mind ? He dwells in that Light wbic!J is hTacceJ!ihle; the Angels f!)f,t5N~~~~- the mo~ c_omprchenfiYC Spirits, .'Veil their faces in tbe pre.(eJice of bis Glory. He is hi; rdiflum fJuir: own Ongmal, bur without Bcgmning : alone, bur not 10htary ; one ever bleffcd God z:~;;. "[:~~din~ yet comm:mi~atcs h.is intirc f?eiry to rhc S~n and Spirit ; he is nor divided i1_1 Number: ull~gm, ;, ~u· nor c.oi~fuied 11~ Umry. He _1s not compell d by Nccc~ty, nor changed by Lt~crty, nor ttii•J"' ~ffinu"! mealurd by T1mc: If we afcend to the firfr Founrams of all Ages, then Ius Infinite ~;~!j:ot ;~~~· Un_derfranding ~ompreh~nded in one dear View, rh~ whole C?mpafS, Extcm and DufJ'~""' ut '''"· ratiOn of all tlungs. ~IS powerful Wor~l made the Vlftblc and UWJflblc Wo~l d, and up- ~umll~um rlfo holds them. That wluch was fpokc1~ ' .vlth Flattery, o.f a Ro"!an Empero.r, ~y .* Scneca ~~:~~:!:'& ';,_ (who as much degenerated from the Dignity of a Stotcal PlulofOphcr, 111 hckmg Nero' ielligi nm P'- as in biting Alexander) is abfolutely true of the Sovereign Lord of the V{orld : Hi; :;;di~!~~fn. Providence is the Band that unites the Parts of the Univcrfal Commonwealth, the viral lib... Spirit and Vcrtue that fufbins all : Without his Eye and Hand, his difpofitivc Wifdom ;w~t ~,~~::d :~~~e~~~;~~ t~~~e ;;~~~~cF~~n;~c"~~~ee~!~an~J:~~n~/1}h!:}~n~;yt~~~o~~~~~~j~ mi~fl!~ ~::.::i!~d!: 17:~ i[j;i;S~r~~:,:~"!::tr:;~e~:~:u:io;(;'tt:::::,~,~'/:.re ~;'isi;j,~hJu~:h~ ~h~ E~~~ '!utmtGt m1~~~- and the Dead, that dtfj>Oieth of Heaven and Hell for Ever. And \V hat is Man ? a lit- :;J;fo~j,;'!;~ de Breathing Dutl:. He is mfinitely .abor e us, and fO tl:rat~gcly condefcends, in having fi onus & p~.r- a render care of ~s, that the Pfa~mifl was fw~llowcd u.p m Exrafic and Am2zcmenr at "" fi .'~'fi','"" the Thoughts of tt :. ·1- Lord, wbat 1s Man that t!Jo~t art mmdful of hi»; ? ~r the ]On of mrm :;:;;;:/- t)Jat thou reg,~rdejl lum? Nay, we arc beneath Ius i\ngcr., as a Worm lS not \~orrhy of Jib. de Cltm. rhc Indignat iOn of an Angel. Now the more we magmfic God, and exalt Ius AuthOi Pfa1. s, ~~;Tt ~~%eu~~u~J;~:;~:' 0;~;Jenz;: ~~~v~j!~:/rc~l~!:~~~ ~0~i~p ~o0~i~l~e~d 7:~~~~"?n his Glory, and commanded in Pcrfon, he prefcndy lets fall his Arms of Defiance, anri Aas 9· 6. }~Y~~~rJ%dd~:"~~cl:i~gt[;'£:r:;d~bic':odft~ff~i: ~t~~~~~~~~~ 1 t::J;~~o;~~~~l0~fl~ti~~gd~~~ durc in Obedience to Chrifi:. The more we debaH~ and vili fie our fClvcs, the more cafie it will be to bear what God inflicts ; Humility difpofeth to Submiffion. Our Patf10ns arc not excited at the breaking of an ordinary Glafs; but if a Vcifcl of Chryfhl be broken, it moves us : the lower etl:cem we have of our felves, the lefs we fhall be tranfported for any breach that is made upon us. We read in the Hiftory of Jo&, many heavy ~~d~p~a/~'~fu~~c~~~~e~~ntl~[n;~s ~~~fc;l~~gl;u~rc~~'~frt.~;:;r]~i~ ~~i;:Str~~:t ~1idq~~h~~ exaipcrate than appcaiC his Spirit : And it is very obJCrvablc, that when the Lord interpofcd himfclf to j u!\ific the ways of hi s Providence, he did not charge upon him the Gu-ilt of his Sins that dciCrvcd the fCverefl: Judgments, but appears in his Glory, and Job 38 ' +· ~~~;;Jn~s);;~~r~,f ~~ 5tJ~2f!Jt~~Je~)J;n~ing,~h~~ 1~fc~~:J0:o TS~~~ fo~~~d:/~{~u;_~~~~~~:fcs'!£ the Deity in the \Vorks of Creation and Providence, and the prefcm Effed was, Job adored with humble Reverence the Divine Majcfi:y, and acknowledged his own unworthinefs: BeiJold, I am vile, what jhall I anfwer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth; now mi~e ryes fee tlm, I abhor my felf, and repent in duji andajhes. The thickeft Smoak by afcendmg, d1ffipates and vamfhes. Ifrhe troubled Soul d1d afcend to Heaven, and confider that even rlk worfl: Evils are either from ~he operation or permiffion of the Divine Providence, the cloudy difturbing Thoughts and Paffions would be prcfcntly fcattcred. Prof. 19· '· D(/7)id had a bleifed Experiment of this in his Diftrcfs : I was dumb, and opened not my montb, becanfe thou didj/ it. Such an awful apprehcnfion he had of God, as tranfcendcnrly fi1pcriot to him, and unaccoUntable for his Proceedings. When any impatient Thoughts arifc, we lhould prefently chain them up, for there is Folly and Fury in them: What am I, that my fullcn Spirit fl1ould difputc againft the Orders of Heaven ? tlm my Paffions lhould reftfl: d1e Will of the highcft Lord ? that my Dcfircs fl10uld depofc him from his Throne? For thus by Implication and Confcquence they do, who arc vex'd at his Providence. A Holy Soul will tremble ar the Thoughts of ir. Methinks God fpcaks to the afflicted and d.ifturbed Soul, in the Words of the Pf.1lm, Bej/ill, and kno" ~~~v~1~mS~;~ oJl~affi~~:~ C~~~~~~~~~na~fr~~i~ ~~J:;";h;'r;:~r~!co:;r~t~J0af1J ~~~ [elves. Secondly; The Righteoufnefsof God in all his ways, if duly confidcred, will compofe the Afflicted Spirit to qme.t and humble Subm.ifiion. He is never mjurious to t1s when he deprives us of our :f\vcere!l: and mofi preciOus comforts, becau{C we have incurred the forfeinlre of all. He is not cruel in laying the hcavieft pun.ifl1menrs upon
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