_ 290 The Great Duty of Refigtuition. cannot hare, it may b~ angry; and without renewing their Repentance, and recovering ~~~n~3~~~rguj~~C~~;i~~~~5w~~hU:~r~nd~l~ng?;;~~~~~rc · ~;sG~dr~v3i~}l1~tl::d 1~~c ~~!d~~~ is heavy and opprclfmg, rhat is laid upon a wounded Back. Ir is therefore our bell W1(dom and Duty, tofolirCb our bearts and try our ways, that we may d1fcovcr what is the procuring Caufc of our Trou~1es, and :urn unfeignedly to the Lord. This will endear afflicted Souls ro .God, and mcline lum to afford gracious Supports to them. It 'is true, fomertmes. our Sufferings are dcligncd for Trial, cii_JcciaUy when rhcy arc for Righreoufi1cfs fake. Counterfeit Coin, though wirh a fait Stamp andlnfcription, is dif: ~ovcred by the Fire; rhus mecr titular Chrifiians, fpecious Hypocrites, arc made known by Pcrfccmions: But true fubfl:antial Gold cndutes the Fire without Lofs, and the more 'tis tried, the more 'tis refined. Thus the true Chri!l:ian, whom neither the Gain of rhe World, nor rhe Lofs of Lifi: can remove fromrhe iledfafl owning of the holyTrmh, has 'a clear Manifcfrarion of his Sincerity. And it is a peculiar Favour and Honour, \V hen God callsforrh his Servants to the harde(l Trials for his Name's lake; 'tis the noblefl Way of Scrv1cc_, a f ~ecJ:tl ~onformiry to the So~1 of God, more glorious than the RctCmbhng his Power 111 domg Muacl~s. In this the Samts here have ~ Capa~iry of ~crving ~od above the Angels; fur rhc Obedtcnce ofthe Angels is always jomcd wnh rhw Happmefs, bur rhe ObcdJencc of the Samrs here, IS often attended with Advedity, and is more valuable ro them upon that Account: As a Soldier of Courage and Gencrofity , when he is cho1Cn from the reil: of the Army for fome bold Exploit, values the Choice of the General, as a ~~~~~~b:~ ~'fJ,~e;~::~h~~~~sz~~ou~t~~ ,[j~~%att~ ::;;;_ '' r~~~~~;~ct"~;k, ~~: fa~thful Companion of it, a goo~ Confcicnce, makes our SuffCrin~s from rhc R:~ge and VJOlcncc of Men, to be comfortable. There may be a Fcafl: wirhm the Houfc, when a Storm of Hail rattles upon rhe Tiles. Bur it is fometimes fO ordered by Divine Pro\"idcncc, that the Evils we fuffer are of a mixt Nature, partly Chafbfemenrs, and partly Heb. 1i. Trials. This was the Cafe of the Believing HebreliJs, to whom the Apo.fi:le directs his CounfCI; their Perfccurion ':"as from the unrighteous Pagans, for a Caufe purely Reli- ~~~~stftcb~i:~i:~sJtfci~~r:~JYG~~d~~f;1~=0ad~r~~ie :s ~l~~~~\~~mr~:~~/~ffi~~i~~iJ~~· in~~~ ~~f;~J. fo'-rtl\~ ~~~fy;~3 ~~~s i~;::d'~:t~ro;ff:~~tl~st~i/c:;u:,'~~e~~ecl:eo~~~tiT:~;i~~J ~:~~~~~~~h~~~~~r~ol~~~af~rtl~i:'1a~:. his Love, by which they are fortified to bear couweD:,~~~;t \~hh~t~~e i~!r:J;n~~~~\~~r a;!'~J~e~;,~ rl~:eC~~~~:':j,ca~o~e~s ~~:t~ ~~i~l: in\V?l(d Tortures, btit did we turn our eyes upon our Enjoymcnrs, and the Comforts rim are imer.wovcn with our Troubles, it would be a Means nor only to cor:npofc us to Pa1 Tim. 6 . ,1 . tiencc bur T hankfulnefs. The Apoftle directs us to trufl in th_e living God, wbo givetb all things richly to enjoy. In the poore!l: and lowefi: !\:ate of Lrfe, we _have many Favours and Effects of his nch Bounty ; and it is the Ignorance of our Defervmgs and of our Enjoyrhcnts, that cauiCth Difcontent and Murmuring under our Troubles. Parrtcularly, this Conftdcration will be effectual to reprefs the Difcontcnr that is apt to kindle in our 13rcafis, upon the fight of the different Pifpenfations of Providence; char iOmc arc exempted from the current Adverfities of rhe World, and live in Eafe and Pleafilre, whiHl: we arc depriv'd of many outward Comforts. Suppofc a fick Perfon in extream Poverty, were received by a rich and liberal Lord into his Houfe, and convenient Food, and precious Medicines were provided for him , without his Defert, or poflibility of Retribution; would he be 10 fooliJlt and infolcnt, as to complain of unk.irld and unworthy Ufagc, becaufc fome others in the family have a more plentiful Table and richer Habit allowed them? On the contrary, let us look down to thofe who are below us: How many arc poor and mifcrable in the want of all things needful for rhe Support of Life? How many are under tormenting Pains, or in dcfperatc SadneiS, and have no ratle and comfort in their Abundance? How many ate fallen into deep Mifery, and that aggrava- ~~~e~~~~~~lf~:~i,7j ~e;~0~cft~:~r~~r S~~~p~~;~s ;or ~~;;E~c~~,a~u~u:r~~~~~~~)~~~~!~ rifhing? And can we pretend a better Title to the Mercies of God, than our FellowWorins? Our Original is from nothing and our Works are 1inful : That we are not fo dcfolatdy miferable as others, when equally guilry, is from the rich Goodnefs of God, and fhould make us thankful. Add
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