·f be Great Duty of Refignation. John 12. ,,, bc~orc a great Shower: No1v is "!Y foul troubled, what ]hall I fay! Father, fave m_e fntm tl~1s hour. B~tt _rhc Ihort ConAt~ of Nature ~~s prcfcntly at an_ end, he willingly ytcldcd up lumfclf to be a Sacnfice .ro the Dtvme Honour, and iaid, Father, glorify tby name. Mifes and Paul, whofe admirable Zeal, had only a Parallel between rhemlClves 111 the fame degree of Holy hear, defircd the Salvation of the Jews before thcu own, if God might be more gl,orified by it. This is the fir!l:Petitionin Order andDignity, in that compleat form of Prayer compofed by our Saviour, as the Rule of all our defires. 7by ~~~;~h~~r~·;;o~~;li~~f1:~ft1. ;;;~f~~d J{e j~yf:t~::~~r:!~r~~~~;{J,~; l7I,~~~a;~,~~~~~ Judg. r 1, J6 ing Vidori~u s and Triumphant after his War with the Ammo~ites. He l_1ad t~adc a rafh Vow, · eo offer up 111 Sacrifice to God, whoever fhould firfi meet hun after Jus VtCt:ory, and upon the fight of his Daughter was fo deeply wounded with Sorrow, that his Triwnph was converted into Lamentations: Bur rhe Grief was only in rhe father; for in that firfrfilrprife of fuch a terrible Sentence to be executed upon her, fhc did not anfwer his Tears with Tears, nor Lamentations with Lamentations, but faid unto him, My Father, fee~Jt :~1'oj~;;d tfou:t:ufor;j;:,t~: ~;rt~r1~Ja~~J ~~·e:cc::e:~~::e ;::~,;;;~: tt::: I::~ -mies. Methinks the admirable Love and Generofiry in a young Virgin, to whom her Father's Honour and Exaltation was more dear than her Life, upbraids us for our unwilling fubmiffion to thofc Providential Difpcnfations that are ungrateful to Flefh and Blood whcreintheG1oryof God is advanced. If we were called to MartyrdomforhisTruth, and our Lives fhould bleed forth, as Sacrifices on the Altar, or our Bodies be confi1mcd as InceniC on tltc.Ccnf~r, it w.crc an unjufr and ungrateful complaint, to exprcfs paffionate rcluCt~ncy agaulil: ius Prov~dence. If there were flo other confcquences of our yrcfcm SunCr:wgs, bm rb.e glorifymg God, we fl10uld be content. That is the worrh1efl: end whjch he propoii:!t:h to himfelf, and will accomplifl1-: His Divine ExcellencieS wjlJ be illufimed by the wiokcdnefs of Men, rhar at prefcut obfcurcs rhe Glory of his Govc,nmcnt; his Wifdom, Power, HolineJS, Mercy and Jui\.ico will be acknowledged, admired and magnified at lafi. •· His Wifdom will order all things, even rhc mofi affiiCl:ing 31ld,dolorous, for the good of his People. This is a fearful Pamdoxt<>acarna!Mind, rhatju.dgerh of Good and Evil, as prefent things are pleafatJ.t or unpl~afanr to J.enfe, · WithG>ut regard to what is future. 'TislikeSampfon'sRiddle rorlw'Pni/iflines, Out of thede-uoureu:/lme Meat, and out of tbe f/rong came Swmne{s. · But to the Mi.nd nhar harh fp~tirual dif<ornmg, and judgerh of Good and Evtl, as things are conducive. o~ defl:tuct.iv~t:to the bapp.mefs of.the Soul, it is R.om. 8 ,.s, a clqar undoubted Truth.. , H'e know, . faith the Apofhlc winh the ,greateft alfurance, that all · things work tot,et ber Jot godd.to tbernfbal /vue God: All things, t.lie mofi adverfe. to their ptcicnr dclircs, arc fo difpo(ed and oveNuled by lus,Pn"'' dence, , as 1f rherc were a fccret . ;f:!~g~~d~e~"j;~o:~~~;:.~;~;,~~:~i~~~~~ -~~dt~~~",t~~- ~t~l~~Pft:~~~~~i~~ea~~i~~~~;;~~e:~ by the Wifdom of r)!e Divine ~•kq~,,. thar a (ouqd and healrJ,ful·Conllirurion refulrs from them. VIe have a rare infrance of this ilHhe Hifl:ory of :jofep!J; his cu..vious Brethre·n werethe Lt!l:rumenrs of his Etalrarion; they fold him.fot ~ Sla~c into Egypt to frufiror.e his Prophetic}<. Dreams; and there by many admirable turnS 0.6.P~toV.identc,' he was advanced to the highefr Dignity; and then was verified in h.im and hiS! Brethren,- that bis jheaf arofe anJ flood upright, and tbeir jhea'lles f/ood-r•r~d, ·and dii/'obeifanc< t~ .. hii\fheaf. ·'God· had rcfcrved purpofes of greater good for Joj'epb, rhml if he had·continued·tmder his Father's render Eye and Ca re; therefore 'ris laid m ltis Hi!l:ory, that rltey perfirliouily fold bim, but God fent bim. He rhar arrenrively reads th<> Jdtlrnies of rhe Ifraeliw, through rhc Wildernefs to Canaan, cannot bur wonder at d1e Circuits and iitdire&: Motions in their tedious Travel for Forty Years; and when near th<!J Bbrdcrs of thC" I? lace, fo long and ardently dcfired, they were often commanded to retreat in the fame Line wherein they had advanced ro it: Had they chofe the ihorre!l: way, and difobeye'd the Divine Conductor, they had never enrred into rlte Land ofPromife : Bm 'following rhe Pillar that direCted their March, .though they feem'd lofl: in their intricate Wandrings, yet they obtained the joyful PofTellion of ir. This was a Type of the Saints PafTagc rhrough a rroubleiomc _ \Vorld, to the true Refl: above, and that they arc guided through many crofs ways di· Ecclef. 6. 1 ~. rett'ly to the Kingdom of Heaven. 'Wbo knows, fai;::h SoJomon1 w!Jat is good for a man iu tbis life, all tbe days of bis win life, wbicb };e JPendetb as a jhad01•? That which is dcfi- ;~~ ~~~~ll:t~~~~~,ty;ndsc~~~}~~~~n~?/11o ~~fc~~~1!:' i~~~~e~r r~n~~~~i~ %~\~e~0::~};:~ by Riches and Power : Others had not been fecured from deil:ructive Temptations, bm in a low and affliCted Stare. 'Tis therefore borli our Dury and l'nrerc!l: nor ro pray abfolurcly
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