. CJ he Great Duty of Rejignation. on us for we dcfcrvc them. If we were free from aCtual Sins, yet _our_ depraved ~1aturc) [0 repugnant ro the pure Law o~ God, in:olvcs us. ~ndcr, ~n Obhgauo~1 ro Pum~ mcnr. If we had nor been attainred w1th the guilt of Ongmal Sw, yet rhc Sms commitred in rhc courfe of our Lives, make uS deeply obnoxious to Divine Juft:icc: How much more rhc concurrent guilt of Ori~inal a1~d ACtual Si ns? Tl~c ads of Sin arc tr~nficnt and pafs away; buc the ~ilt and !l:am of Sm, and the Co~fc1~nce ~f Sin remam, a1_1d no lcfs rhan Eternal Punifhmenr is commenfurate to the obltqmty. From hcnc~ there IS the dearcfl: Reafon to j u£hfy God in all his Proceedings. RighteouJi1eji ej/ablijhes his throne. The Prophet faith, 7hy righteou.(ntfs is lik~ tbe ~r~at mountai?s, tl!! j ud$me!1ts ar_e a great Pfal. ]6. 6. deep. The fpccial ends of God m fever~ dtfpcniatJOns, are fomenmes mdtfc~rmbl:, bm never wtjufi; his Righteoufnefs is obvious to every eye. The actual _conftderanon of this is powerful to Ctlcnce the uproar of the PaiTions, and_ ro t~ake us ltc humb ly _at his Feet under the forefl Chafiifemenrs. I will bear tbe /;tdtgnatt on of the L ord ( Wl thout Mi c. 1· 9· murmuring, fairh the afflicted Church) /;ecaufe I ha'Ve finned againf/ him. As d i{obcdicnce in our Inclinations and AChons, is a tacit refleCtion upon rhe equity of h1s Law, as if the refl:raints of it were unreafonable; fo Impatience and fretful Difi:ontenr -is upon the equity of his Provi~encc, as if the a~iClil_1g difpenfario~ts of it were not due ~o us: And the iCnfe of our Smfulnefs , and Gods Rigltteoufitefs, IS an excellent preventiVe of it. If thou art in great Affiid:i9ns, and fecletl: any tumultuous Thoughts, any rebellious Rifmgs within thee, confider thou art a Sinner, guilty _of Tc1~ thoufand Provocati~ ons, and darefl: thou appear before his inlightned and ternble Tnbunal, and Challenge him for any unrightcous Proceedings? Wherefore doth a living man c_omplain, a man for the Lam. 3· 39· ~ punifoment of his fins~ Surely it is meet to be foid unto God, I wtll not of!end any more. J ob H· 31'3 2 · That whic/:J I know not, teach thou me ; and if I btrue done iniq~tity, I wt!! do no more. Bclides, all the P~nif11111ents of Men h: re, arc ~ith Merciful Allays,_ not injufl: pro ~ portion ro their Gutlt. The Church in Its calanutous State, defcribcd 111 tl~e mofi doleful Lamentations of J eremiab, when the greatefl: number of the Jews pettlhcd by the Sword, or Famine that attended the War, their Cicy and Temple were laid in Ruins, and the unhappy People that efcaped the fury of the Chaldeans, were the Captives and Triumphs of t heir Enemies ; yet in that unparallcl'd Affiiction ihe acknowledges, It i s L•m. •· "- I the Lord's mercies that we are not utterly and totally confumed; and lays her 11outh in the Duil, a pofl:urc of the lowefl: abafcmenr. And Holy Ezra reflecting upon that dreadful Calamity, acknowledgeth their Punifhment was beneath their defect, as their Delivcance was above their expectation : And for all tbat is come upon us for our evil deeds and Ezra 9· 13. great trefpaffis, feeing tbou bafl punifhed us lefs than our iniquities deferve, and given us fuch a deliverance as this. Our Dcferrs are lefs than t he lcafl: of God's Mercies, and our <?ffcnces grater than the greatefi: of his Judgments. This fl10uld make us not only pa- !..evit. ~ 6. •P• ttcntly fubmit, but lmmbly accept the pu_nijhment of our iniquity, as fa r lefs than what is deferved. If the Sentence of Death agamfl: a Malefactor be exchanged for BaniOJmenr, or Banifhrncnt be remitted for a fhort Confinement, is there not incomparable more caufc to be thankful for what is pardoned, than ro complain for what is {uf!ered ? What Ingra~ titude is it to be impatient and murmuring for t hefe light aJ!liElions that are but for a moment, when we deferve an eternal and in£\Jpportablc weight of Mifcry in Hell? It is infinitely more becoming us and fafe, to argue againfi: our irregu lar PaiTions, than to tax his Righteous Difpenfations. Thirdly;_ his P~wer is immenfe and unc?ntroulable, and it is a vain attempt to contend with lum, as 1f d1c Ercrnal Order of Ius Decrees conld be altered or broken. The Contefl: between God and the Sim1er, is, Whofe Will !hall fl:and. Iris his glorious work to deprefs the Proud, and fubdue the fl:ubborn refractary Spirits. The Punifl1ment of the firil Pride in the Angels, is an Eternal and terrible Example of hi s powerful Jufl:icc; and how intolerable a Crime it is, that Heaven could not bear, but prefently opened, and the Guilty fell into the bottomlefs Pit. Now Pride is a fcminal Evil, and lies at the root of Srubbornnef.S and Impatience under Judgments. Proud Dull: is apt to fly in God's Face upon every motion of the Afflicting Paffions. And by t he reflilance of felf-Will he ts provoked to more Severity. Wo be to bim tbat flrives zvitiJ his Maker. This is to rr... +$- 9· be like a reilive Horfc or Mule, without Underilanding, that flings and foams whon the Burrhen is laid upon him, but gets nothing but Blows, without the removal of rhe Burrhen. It is our Duty and Interefl: to obfcrve the Blelfed Apoille's Direction, H umble • P« . ' . 6. J yo~r [elves under the mighty hand of God, and he }hall exalt you. There is a panive humbli~g bylus meMtble Provtdcnce, and an active voluntary humbling, which impltcs a fubJectt~n to his Law,. and a fubmiffion to his Providence: This is infini tely plcaflng. to htm,. tlS the nght dtipofition that prepares us for Mercy, and is the cerram way of Exaltatwn; for 'hen God obtains his End,. The humble proilrating our feives at his 0 o Feet
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=