The Grectf, DutJ of Kefign,ttjon. made ufe of for rhc accompliJhingd1e Defigns of his electing Mercy, ,in the Glorifi cation of his Saints. Now all that IS co1nfo;ra b~c and rc\· ~v1ng, IS c6nt~J~1Sd In rlus 1~rm~ ciple. If his Providence reaches to the B1fds 'of the Atr, and rhe Ltl1CS o f tho F•clJ, much more ro the Saints, m \~ho.m he harh a l~ropn~ry ; :l!ld fuch rs _h:s cdncl.ctcendi.Jg Love, and inconceivable Bemgmty, that he f\des hHnfelf by rbo;nolt,ch dean~,g !'elation, Jbeir God. T hey are the pnme parr of lnS .j i gt la~lt care. Tts S. Au}f!'I S afi~Cbonarc Ejaculation 0 Omnipotent Goodnefs, that fo particularly reg.1rdejl be,y one.of ~s, o c~;u·o'~111· as if the foie Objehs J thy tender ca1e, .and a!t Of. ~{ as jingle perfons! The Sun ~pph cs tts ;.~:,:;~'!:/~: ~:· qu ickening I nfluences for the produCtion and .growth of a fmg!c Plant a_s part.tcul~rly a~ noft~ ..m ttmif rhe rc w~re no other t ~1ings in rh~ ~odd to recci~c rhem ; yet :lt the 1::unc rune~~ pai ~ ;;;,mJ'~;~~~~: fCs from Stgn to Sign 111 t he Heav~ns, changes the Scenes of the Element:>, pr_ouuces no fiM'JUIIIn new Seafons and its aCtive and proltfick Hear, forms and tr:msfortllS wbatfi.)c vcr IS chan-flngMf~s' ged in Na~re. Th~s is a fi r icfembla_nce of t~e ·~,ni~crHll and f_i>c_ci<1 l_Opcrari?n!> of~b~g;,~onf. Divine Provtdcnce ; what a fl:rong Secunty cloth rht s giVe to a Chnll.tan 111 rhc nmltl: of all Trouble in this corrupt and ch; ngcablc World > How will it clcor the M ind from thofc nnfCrablc Petplextttes, and qUiet _rhofe im~roviden.r , prcc~pitant Pal\ions that !o ofren a.tfi.icl the Afflicted? Whatever Evds bcfal the Saints, arc Wtrh rhc Knqwledge, the \V ill, and by the Efficiency of God, materially confidcrcd; ~nd is he defed:ive in Witdam,· Power, or Goodnei~, that what. he doe.~ , either ~~~ht or ought to be. better othcrwife ? Indeed, fomettmes the fpecxal Ends of his aflltCbng Provideilcc. :~.re m fi.t.:h deep ObiCurit_Y, that our Line is too fl1orc ro f.1thom, and rhe manacr h~w God !hall refult from Evt l is unknown; but then we may conclude with Evidence, 'tiS for the befi. When Ctefarius a Primitive Saint was arguing in himfclf, how rha~ Scrip:urc could be tme That the Earth was founded on the Waters ; how the more Weighty Elemenrfl10uld not 'fi nk, and be overwhelmed by the other: He fiopp'd the courfe of his 'Thoughrs by t his RefleCtion, I forgat my feif when I fa!d to God, Hon.J can this be .J And admires thJ.t Dial. 1. which he could not comprehend. .For mferior ReafOns we often pray, that particular Evils that are near, may be prevented; bur if rhey oVertake us, we may be iatisfied th~t t hey are appointed by his Suprcam Rca(onand Eve_rlaf\ing CounfeL As in a Confot't of Mulick, the parts arc not formed when they arc lung, but wer<; compofed before by t he skill of the Mufician, and _every part affign'd coiwenicnt to rhe Voic<~· s of the PedOns. T hus t he various Conditions and Patfages of our Lives were fo difpofeo by the Sovereign i~~~d~a~~-~~~dfre 0n1:r;f;rf;~~ 1~t~~1:~ro~ ~~f~l~eui;ltc~l!1~~~~~ t~~ ie~~~1JC~~~~s ~1?r~~ equally certain they come by the determinate Counfd and Fotc.knowledge of God. Our Saviour anfi.vers Pilate, Tho~ c~uldfl l~tnJe no power at all agaii?/J.. me, except it were g,h.ien tbee from above. AU the aflhChve Evds that proceed from the malice of Men, and increa1.C rheir Guilt and Judgment, .are ordered_ by !~ i s Providence, for the Spir-itua1 and Eterna l Good of his Peop1e; dus confideratton Wtli prevent much Sin and Troub!e.tha t the befl:. Men are !iabl e t~ in their Perturbations and Paffions. There ifi riothi1tg inO.n! exafperarcs an aflhctcd Mmd than the Apprchention that one unjuf\ly fuffers,. Leniter ex merito quicguidpatiare ferendum eft: - Qga: -uenit indign"e prena dolenda -venit. A righteous Puniflm1ent even Nature confents is to be received with meek Submil1ion . b~r to _be patient under unjuil: . Per~ecutions, nor ro be provok'd by Lljuries and Ene: m!Cs, ts one of the hardef\ dungs m t he World. If by a Aa fi1 of Lightning, or by a: fhowcr of Ram, we are blafred or wet, we endure it patiently; but if one duo~ Wildfire or ~ater on us, we reiCnt the Indigni ty with Anger and Vexation. Now, if wo iri our deliberate Thoughts confider, t hat Gqd nor only permits, but fellds all the EvilS we mofl: unworthily fuffer from Men, and that he commands our quiet, h.umble behaviour under them;. nay, that he \V ill over-rule all fo as the Ifll1e lhaU be blelled, what tranqmhry and acqmcfcertce will it produce 111 the fhaqlcf\ Difpenfarions of his Providence ? ~ut on the contrary, exclude Providence out of the World, and the Mind is involved 111 Darknefswirh all its Tcrrdrs. Atheifm is the Gulf of!mpiety and Infelicity. Nowe {{~~.edt:;: ;~e 6fjefrYE:ii!e:~r~1:e~:e~~h~~:frtt{o~1,~1~'nd1~~rcAffii~~~;s6!~~~s~~-~1 ~ folanons. He that lives without God in the World, if he lofeth what he fupcrlativcly ~oves, or fa lls under an mcurable Evil, has no other remedy but a r.efolution to endure , It as well as he can : And he is extreamly mi(erablc that has no Joy here, nor hopes of lt hereafter, not the encou ragement of a happy Itfuc to bear it patiently. i:n
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