The Great Duty ~r Rejigndtioll. : Thirdly; The !lfue out of all, is die mbft fenfible declaratjori of God's Love to the,;: The continuance is limited by his tender Love, t1U they are . prepared for Mercy: The Profpcriry of the Wicked is Win7 in the beginnin_g, and ~ces at the botto1:n; b~t the worft and Alllided ftate of the Saints is firft, and will at length certainly end m Fehcity. In the Tragedy of Job, the Devil was the Author, Chaldeanr and Sabeanr were the Actors, . . but the end war from the Lord. We areinftmded bytheApoftle, lhatalthoughno chaftife- Heb. 12. ' ' · ment for t}Je prefent feems to be joyous, }ut grievous, ~e-verthelefs after.ward it yieldeth tb~ peaceablefruit of righteoufnefs, unto them that areexercifedthereby.. It IS anallufionw the ~~~~e~ ~;ir~1~~~t;~?Oii~~-~~~:sr,h~lr:~~b~~~r~;~~::~ ~~~l~~~e~h:ifr:r~s;, :1~: with unfainting perfeverance in their Duty fuffer Affliction,. fhall be re\Vatded with Holi" nefs m conjunCtion with Peace. Tlus peaceable frutr of R1ghreoufhefs ts not rh~ na~ura1 produCt of AffliCtion: Grapes do not fpring tromThorns, nor Figs from Thiilles; ne1ther can it be fo ptoperly afcribed to the AffliCted perlon, as ro the powerful Virtue, and fpeo cial Grace of the Holy Spirit, who [an<'l:ifies AffliCtions, and makes them profitable for effecting God's intention by them. And when rhC Afflt~ed periOn b~comcs more h~n~blc:o inore holy, more weaned from the World, more refigned w the Wtll_ of God, thtsfruit unto IJoline[s will compenfatc all their Pains and Sorrows. And in COilJUnction \Vith HolineiS, there is a Divine Peace, a joyful Cal~ and 0!,1ictncfS of Con1Cieuce, in the ~enfe of God's favour; his anfivers of Peace are ufuaHy a reward,, according w the Operanons. of Grace: His Comforts are difpcnfed as Encouragements. ro Obedience. Befid~s, when rhe fmful Corruptions arc purged out,whi.cli cat1fed perpetual dillurbance,and our AffeCtions and ACtions are cortcfpondcnt to the DtvineLaw, there is Chat clearncfs and ferenity of Mind, that refi: and cafe in the Soul, arifing from irsjufiandducfubordinarionunroGod which the difobedient, in all their feeming profpcrity, never enjoy.. There is no peace, fnith "'.!' God, to tbe wicked. Thefe beginnings of happinefs are obtained here, but the . perfeCbon of 1t is in the next Life. Blej{ed is the man that endureth temptatzon, for when Jam. 1 , 12 • heir tried he Jhall receive the crown of righteoufnefs, which God bath promifed to them that IO'!Je bim. The richnefs and value of the Crown of Life is fo great, that God, the moft wife and juft ell:eemer of things, gave the precious Blood of his Son to purchafe it for us. It is a Fehcity fo tranfcendent in its quality, and ftable in its duration, that the Blelfed God cannot give us a greater; For what greater good is conceivable than himfelf? And ~~(fedi~r:\,~~~1n e.;'/'J,~~~~a~:fti~~~;ter3!;,;g~~fp~~}~,~~:;s.r~~~~sfo~ac~!,~:i,, Cor. 4. wo~1frf~;~ "-h~~ 7:/i~f;:~ru~:'.'::feG':J ~:J::S ~lg~~fngs in the beft manner for his own ~~~%'n ~~d~~'fi~~!l~f~~ ~~t~~~:0~hat YoRe;r,~~~rn~~tbJ::~r~~u~~ T;.~~~b~~~~~~ nedion between his Wifdom and his Will; he is the King Eternal, and the only wife God, r T;m. i . as the Apoille joins rhofe Divine Titles. In this the excellence of the DivineLiberty fhines, that 'tis always regulated by InfiniteWifdom :He workr all thingr according to thecounfel ofhir Epb. 1 , 1 . 1 • will: This is fpoken according to human conceptions, but muft be underftood in a H:nfe becoming the PerfeCtions of God: For Counfel cannot properly be attributed to God, whofe Underftanding is Infinite, and in one view comprehends all things; but as thofc things are moft cornpleat that are the produCt of our deliberate reafonings and deep contrivance; fn hir work is per{efl, for allhis wayr are judgment. ·Whenever we are dilfatisfied D.ut. I'·+ or difpleafed with his Proceedings, it is from the Etror- of our MinJs, and the Vicioufnefs of our Affed:ions; we prefume to correct his ProVidence, as if it were defective in: regu~ lating the affairs :>f this lower World; but he is' wonderful iil counfel, and exdllent in wor- [fa. 28. 1SJ. king. In the Creation rl1is regular and beautiful World was formed out of Darknels and Confufion: And his Providence, thar is now myll:erious and veiled to us, will bring into glonous Order and fwcet Agreement, thofe things in their final rcfolurion, that nowfecm fo perplex'd to our Apprehenfions. 'Twas a confounding reproach from God to Job, Who Job I'·' · If th1s that darkens counfel by wordr without knowlediTe? His paJ!ionatc exclamations were !~~~~rh:; ~~irc~~~~~ :dd~h:./'h~~~o~~~~~~; ~~~;~i~~~ct~~~~~r~~~~~~;t~~;~s tJ;: repeats the Charge againft himfelf with rears of Confufion: Who ir he that hideth counfe/Job •'· 1. 6. JVtt!Jout l:.norvledge? tberefore ha-ue I utteredthat I underftoodnot, things too woJUlerfulfor me, :·"~;t/"f.u ~~;{n~~,:~'[~e,~~~;~~a£~~: ~1,=/Z~d ~a~~:·;~~fi~d ~o;l~ep:~~~~a~l,iJ 1t IS the nobleft difpofition of a Chrill:ian, to prefer the advancement of his Glory, before all the Comforts of this Life, and Life it felf. Our Bleifed Saviour in rhe Forethoughts of his Sufferings, was in ~iftrefs and perrurbation of Mind, like the darkening of the Sky before
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