The Great Duty of Rejig,nation. Add·furrher; Let the moil: afflicted Saint in the World compare his Condition wirh rhar of rhc moil: profpcrous wicked Pcrfons, and the Comparifon will be effectual ro endear God ro him, and quiet his PatTions under Sufferings. The good :lungs of rlus World, m ~hc~r Abundance, Variety, and Excellence? Cannor make a Sumcr truly happy: rhe M1fcncs of this Life in ~ll Kinds and Degrees, cannor make a good Man ~Itterl~ m1ferable; .nay, they arc inc.fitmably mbrc happy .m their Suffcrings, tl1an the VlJckcd m their Profpcnry. Manna rcrgns from Heaven wh1I~ rh~y arc in rhc Wildcrncfs ; fupports and comforts arc from the Love of God ihcd abroaJ m their Hearts· and their prcfcnt AffliCtions arc a feed of Eternal Joy, to qualify and prepare them fo; the Joy of Heaven. Our Saviour, from whofc Judgment w.c rccdVc the true \Veights and McaiUrCs of things to regulate our EO:ccm and Affedwns, declar~s his DiiCiplcs, when under the fharpefi PcrfCcurion of the Tongues or Hands Of rhetr Enemies under Difgrace Calumnies, Tortures and Death, even then he Jr:cla~es them Bleffid, jor tiJe Kingdo:n Jt Heaven ~elong·s to them; and Heaven JS illch ,~ ~ranfcend.ent ElctTcdnc.iS, that the ltvcly Hope of It, as the:'Reward and End of our_ Au'ii~tOas, makc_s us bleifed here : And the moil: profpcrous Smncrs are by the fame mfulhblc Rule, 1111iCrablc here; for rhc irrefi(bble, ttremed1abk MitC~y that is or..iam'? and p~cpar'd ~or ':hem_in Hell, rhcy would de~civc thcmiClves with the Pamting~ of Happmcfs, Wtth a11 atry nnagmary Happincfs: Wlulil: rhc Senfes-nre filled, rhc Soul IS empty: Bur they fl1al! not long enjoy the EaiC of their Ignorance and Sccunty ; the World can do no ~or~ . to make tli.cm happy, than if om:: Jl1ould ~ompound and temper a Draught, and g1ve tt to the Poor and MifCrablc, that mduccs Sleep and pleafant Dreams for a few Hours, but when they awake they arc frill poor and mifcrablc. Our Saviour pronouncct~l a \Voc to rhc rich ;md full, to tbofe tbat laug,b noU?, for they jhall weep and mourn: Thctr falfe dctcit ful _FeJi c~ty w~ll end inrealMifcry. It is.* S. Auflin's ~cfiion, Who would not_prc- .. Si duo ;ft;, .. tcr Gncfwtdt'a 1obcr Mi1~d, b~for~rheJolhty of a Phrcnz):'? "Who woulq be a mcrryPJ-?,~~;;1,7:/1~ Madman: for he is onl~ happy m Ius F~ncy, and ~anfics lumfclf iO, only bccaufC he IS ~~~r_rl .'i>f'' tfl ~il~;~~fa~~~nr~~da~~t?.~~~~t~fa~fn:1:~l~e~:;r~~btc~: ~~1;1~~;~, e~~~b~~0tl~nEt~~t~cfltEfta~~i'~f;~;]~;!£:~ a Sinner, wllcn triumphing in Prolperity. ~;r;;;~i~/fi~~~ DireE!. 1· La~ly, Frequent and ferverlt Prayer to the Father tJ mercies, and God of hl/,:,~~;p,t,~~~• confo!ation,. is a blc(fed Means to fupJ?O~t rhs ~pirit, and make it llUllJbic and obe~icnr to!~~::,,:~:~: ..,. ~i~s "p~~~~~~l~~;~~~~~~a~:, ~~~- car~~i g;;·~~br~~t~~~f~~r; 1~r":Je1':,~~~~· J~a~~~/~:~ ~"f;.~: T"' 8 • bivinc Joy flows into rhe Soul; the King of Glory keeps 1\o State, there is always cafy Acccfs_to his Throne, and his Ears are always opeh to his humble Suppliants. His mofl: graciou~ Nature indin~s him to fufi:ain tls in our Dejedions. We l-iave a powcr~tl Plea from Ius CompafTions to encourage our ~rayers in great Troubles_. He wi(L reg~rd tbe f;;;;~: %:'~o~j.;~;~~· i:~~;{( :J[fi ~~J'[,{::l:;~l t;1~ruT;~~~;;JI~n~t~n~ffl~~fo~1~~ the Scafon, and Prayer the Sphere of his Activity. That our Prayers may prevail, rhcic foll owmg Rules muil: be obfcrved. r. They nmfi be addreffed with an hmhble Trnil: on ri,c Mercies of God, that incline him :~t~~~~v~;;"~~i~~-fla~~l:~.~~~~~~iptJr~~} r.:~ f~~:~~~i~f,~t~~l~t ~~i~~~~o~n;:,~a:;/c~il~h Jtm. i. 6 h1clting ~ye, the fofr, ferenc, compaffionate E_xpreifes of his mofi: gracious Nature to- ~~~~~~si;;fe;u;~::~ ~;~Jr~; an~~K~~~~1 ~l~:n ~~\~f,~h~i~:;tl~1~:~~~r7,~;r~~n~~i~~ ~~r gJ~~ thct; and with a Confidence becoming that Relation, we arc directed by his 'Divine Son to make our Reql~ct1s. to l~iin._ 'Tis recorded of Auguflus the Emp~.to~, Thar:when.onc PiJ.t~isrv,z,;;; fl~~~~~~ ~v!:c~~il~~i t~~li~~~inD~~~~~~ou,~:;~~~d~~t:heriil~1~~~~~:er~u~f~:il1~d b~~~f~~~~~~;r~;T. ~}c'~~~sp~~~~~nril;;t a~:d ~~~~~n~~,u~~~r~~a~~ :r~;er~~~~r~~ a ~~nid;~~ ~!;K:~~g~~ct;~ m?:c pleafCd in ?oing of us good, than we can be in tcceiving it. Indeed, if rhc Promil es of God d1d not encourage our Hopes, we fhould not prefume fo much of his AffcChon, as to lay rhe Burthen of our Cares and $orrows on his Atms . but Eeaveri ~s not full~r of Star~ ro· cnlighteri rh~. Darknefs of the Night -, than 'the Scripture ts of precious Promlfcs for rhc refrefhmg the Difconfolarc. When rhe Church com- , plaincd, J:JC Lord bat!J forfaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten m;: WhacAijitranc¥tf•·<9·'4· '/i does he g"c of lus moil: tender and unchangeable L<!Ve to her; Can a woman forget )m''· fuckint
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=