Heb.r2. 9. Heb.d.l 'The Great Duty of Rejignation. F ect to receive his Correction, caufcs his Bowels to relent, and flops his Hand: rhc fecm~ ing humiliation_ of ~bab procured a refpitc of th?fc fearful Judgments. denounced againft his Hou!C. It IS Hud of the generofity of the Lwn, thar he fpares Ius pro11rate Adv•rfary. In fhort, our Salvation depends upon our humble dcmeanor under afflictive Dit: ;.:,;:~a;ifo~it w~o;::,ka;jofea~h::~ J{b};fli~:~ow/;:;J;;~;;Et~j ;;;,:;;~ 1;:Ja/~~:~e~~:fub~ million induces a dead ly guilt upon the Rebellious. . Fourthly; His Paternal Love in fending AffliCtions, is a fuflicicnrArgumenrro win our tompliance with his Will. The Bleffed Apofrle applying Lenitives to the afflicted, propounds two J?~vme Truths,. that 1f fcnou~y thought of, and fl:cdfa.fi:_Jy_ believed, arc powerful to mmgate the acerbtty of all Suffcnngs, and fttpport the Spmr 111 the greatefl: ~ft~~~f~vir~l;~ i~~rfi~Z;mG;t!~:;~e:!:,e'le~~afl::;;J:e receivet!J: And the other that is The Rule is general : firfi; All his Sons are under the Difcipline of the Rod;. and who would be fo unhap- • ~Y as to be exempted f~om that number,. for all t_hc Profpc.nt>; of the World? AffiiCbons ianclificcl, <trc the confpiCuous Seal of rhe1r Adoptwn and Title to Heaven: And who would forfeit the Hon?ur of tharA.doption,and lofc. the benefit annex'd to it,t~le eternal Inheritance, ~~~~~~~7~:-~ \l~~~~~:r~:~~:J~~c~a~:fr7rd~~laa~~c~~;l~s;n~rl~f1~~1~~~~il~d~cd\~~ft~~~~~:l;~~~~ pafS of his U nivcr13l Providence, bur nor of that Peculiar Care that belongs to his Sacred ::~~ ;,~1~~~~~~~:~~h~t ~:5ar;~;:~~Ud:e~~e ;~i~~~~~d11i~1~~cl~i~IS~~~~10~:~j a~~{~r tf,t~~:~}~ Temper of Soul, but with Thankfulncfs to receive the fl1arpdl: Correction from the hands of our ~eavenly Father. This w~s the reafon of our Savi?ur's meek yielding himfclf ro the V wlence and Cruelty of lus Enemies. The cup JV!ucb my father bath gi'Ven me, jhall I not drink it? · Socondly; Challifement is the effed of his Paternal Love: He is the Father of our Spirits, and that Divine Relation carries with it a ipcciat Love to the Spirits of Men, and in that degree of Eminence, as to fecurc and advance their happinefs, though to the defl:ruCtion of the Flefh. The Soul is of incomparable more worth than th<;: Body, as the bright Orient Pearl than the mean Shell that contains it: This God mofi: highly values; f6r this he gave fo great a Price, and on it draws his Image. If Temporal Profpcrity Rom. 8. p. were for our befi: advantage, how willingly would God befiow it on us ? He that [pared not his own ~on, but gave him up for us all, how fhall be not w~th bim alfo free!J give us all 1bings ~ Winch ~Vords , among all that the Holy G~1ofr bath dictated to the Interpreters ~f God's heart to h1s People, aremofi:expreffivc of Ius Love and Bounty, and mofi for thcu Comfort. He that gives Grace and Glory, the mofi: real Tefiimonies of his Love, ccrtai.nly withholds no good t.hing from them.. I fhall produce one eonvincin~ Infi:anc~ of rlus. St. Paul, who by an mcomparable Privilege was rapt up to the Celcilial Paradife, and heard ineff<l:blethings, yet was tormented by the Angel of Satan, and his carndl:rc- ~e;~nie,p~~h~~e f~~e~~;\v~~~~~on~l~ ~~~~~:~ ~~;atll~ th~~~r~;:i!~dtl~~;eep~;:te;~~~n~ ing Flames, and was exprcffcd m the mvariablc Tenor of Ius L1fe, by fuch miraculous Actions and Suffcrings for the propagating and defence of the Faith ofChrifi, and the Glory of Ius Name? If we love him becaufe he frfllovedus, as Sr. Jobn tdhfies, cerramly he rhat returned fi1ch a fupcrlat ive AffeCtion to Chrift, received the grearefi: Love from him. Now if Chrifl: did love Paul, why did he not upon his earndl: repeated Prayer, deliver him from his wounding Trouble, whatfoever it was? That Permiffion was a demonfi:ra- ' c,. 'l· ,. tion of rhe Love of Chrifi to him, as it is acknowledged by himfelf; Left I jhould be exalted alove med.fure throug,b the abundance of revelation, .tbere .wa.sgiven to me a. tborn in tbt j/ejh, and the mef!enger of Satan to b~lfet me. That the Af111ctwns of the Satnts proceed from God's Love, will be evident, by confidcring, I. His gracious Defign in fending them. II. His compaffionate Providence over them, and his affill:ing Power afforded to his People i11 their Troubles. III. The happy iffue out of them. fl eb. .,: . 1o. Fidl:; HisgraciousDcfign in fending them. God dotb not ajflifl wi!lhtg~y, but if need6t; 11ot for bis own pleaji~re, but for our profit, that we may be partakers of hzs holinifs. J"hc expreil10n
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