<Jhe Great Duty of Rejignation. J:~~~;~ ;~:~:it/11'.!':/f':;:::,:e~ h~~{,.7;$"f;;e~r:::.~hee0~::',~:·;:/:s~J',;hflm':J! l- Cor. 7 If he cannot forget himtclf, he cannot forget lus People. 'Tts ius dear Title, God t/:Ja~ comforts th'Ofe who are cafl tloJVn. Add to rh is, the Imcrdl of the Saints i~ Je~u,s Chrifi, who CYcr lives to make Inrcrcehion for them. None is more tenderly mchned to Mercy, than he that has fuffercd Mifcry: And he felt our Sorrows, that he might afford Relief and Succour eo us. Whilfl · our Saviour was upon the Earth, and \Vas followed by a Multitude of difcafcd miferablc PcrfOns,Vinuc went our of him,and healed them all: And fincc his AiCcnt to Heaven has he withdraw!~ rh~t univerral healing Virruc, and left us under. irremediable and unmitigablc Sorrows? Dtdlns comp;;~lliof1ate Eye regard all that \Vere afHtCJ:ed, and are we now out of his Sight? Then fi1ch was his indulgent Humility, that although he could have performed the Cure by a Word, yet he readily offered ro acrcnd a flck Sen·am; I will come and beal bim: And now he is raifed from his humble State on Earth to the Throne of He·aven, does he difdain to extend his merciful Hand .-:-or our Relief? No, his Heart and Love is , th~ ~ame in He~v~n as upot~ the Earrh. 'Tis true, he_ is exempt~~ from all pat: fiona_te ~ ~<J.Iltt es, all affhtru~g Affe~wns rhar arc ~nconfificnt \nth the F cl_tCity and Glory of Ius Kingdom : _But he full rerams the fan:c fohd L~vc, r_hc fame Godl_tkc Compaflion the fame ready W1U ro fupport and deliver Ius People 111 M.fcry. Nay, rf the change of his State could have made any in him, it could be no other than what IS recorded ro the immortal Hononr of Vefpajian, by one rhat had Experience of hisRoyal Bounty; Thar i!" 111if9u#~ rhe ratting lum ro rhe lmpcnal Throne made no Alteration in Ins J3reafl, bur rhat his fir:::;"::;;;,.~ Powe~ was enlarged equal to hi_s ~1ill of doing go?d. Our Saviour in his ~xaltation a~ tudo, ni.fi ,,, the R1ght Hand of God, has""all Power, equal to Ius infinite Love, that is iimabJc to the ~7,'tiJ::~~~- b~~~1~~n%;:d~~;~t~~I~r~c~~~~cFu!1~n~ a~ir~~1e~a~~t~~th~c ~~~~~r~~~~at~~r~, rl~~;t 1~i~e~~~~ the mo!l eminent Part, the Scar of all the Scnfes, did nor rcfCnt a Wound made in the Foot the Iowctl: ;md mofl: fcrvile Part of the Body? Does it nor prcfently exprcfs irs real Complaints? For the natural Union of the Parrs communicates the Senfe of the Pain fuffercd by any to the whole. And fuch is the f}>irirual Union between rhc Di vine Head and his Members, that from Heaven he rebuk'd the cruel Perfccuror of the Saims N~e d'tit 11 ,; 4 in Lang,uage exprcffing the Union of Charity between himfclf and them; Sazd, Wby per~ fo,aormw, fecutefl tbtJt~ me? He does nor fay, Why perfecutcfl thou my Saints, why myScrvanrs 1"id flrn.Ms . but PVJ~ me? Though he is not capable of any forrowful Senfc, yet his Afli::Ctions ar~ ::~;~J:"~;;;? quick a·:,d vigorous ro his_Pcople. ¥it were p~Jlible thaE his Joy, wherewith he is inA"g finitely blclfcd, 010uld be rncteas'd, 1t would be m rhe Effuflons of his Goodnefs of his ~~rC?:b~e;:11r~~~~a:;j~:~n~~';!'ttJ~:~;~~~~::f/if ::;; Poi1o\~nf,:~t~~;~~~:~~~a~~l::~:;: arc, let ri1cm nor fink our §puirs mto Del}Ja1r, bur raifc them to nearer Approaches rothe God of Confolation. 7. The Prayers of the Afflicted mufl be always with fi1bminivc Deference to the Will and _,Vi1Clom of God, as to rhe Ma1~ner, the Dewces, a~1d Time of his _d~livering them. Afflictions arc not peremptory and munutablc Dd}>cnfhtwns , bur condmonal, for holy and good Ends, and we may humbly pray for their Removal. 'Tis no refi!ling of Providence, ro addrcfs to ~he Div~nc Maje!l:y with frequent and fcrve_n~ Rcquefis , Thar he would plcafC to tak~ Ius chafbfingHand off from us. Upon DmHds humble Prayer, rhe dc~roying Angel was commanded to_cea1C_; in the midfl:of}udgmcnr Mercy i~1terpofCd, ~~G~c~1~1~~fc ~~~~i ;;~li~~~a~~~~0d~Uu~~~~~r:e;~;~q~~lir~r~:31~ff'c~~~~-ha~~ ~~J!cr:~~~~~ ar.:: dliCafed with a· Rhcumatifm, being worfc in the Night than rhc Day , impatiently long for the rifmg Sun to difpcl the oppre!Iing Humours, and cheer their Spirits : So in om AffliCtions we imparienr~y renew ,our Rcqucfis, LtJrd, borv long!' LtJrd? make hafle i ~o:,{~~t~~~ ~~:; {~~~l~sr· 0~~2~t~A~~~~~ ~~1~ ~h~~~~~~ ~o;:~1;t ~~~m~u~:~~r~ ~u~~d~,~;.~: ~~~~ z;;~~;~rd~~%e:1:~tRh:~~~ar~::~d~tl;1:~o:~~~~~~~i~~~~~s re;~ ~~oy1~~~,~~111~i ~1sE'"~~: nor pafliona~ely and u;1quie_rl_y follicit the Accomplil11ment of the Pr~mifes, befo re [he ~~rt~~;J~~';i~~dp~~:£i~e~7'1:~ ~~c~~~t~b~~:/'"b~~ \~u~~~ ,~~~~:s ~~~~e~fea~~~~~d be ~- Let rhc mait~ befircs of the affiicted be for Dtvmc Gr_ace, (winch IS never mor_e iJccG1fary and ufeful rf1an in Tronbles) that they may glonfy God, and obtain thm c~jnenr End, r~1c Sa!varion of rh~ir Souls by them: We a~c often very a~denr 1_n our Pra"yers for rriv1al rhmgs, neglcctmg the motl: ncccOary and Important. As 1f a Pf~~de~~
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