70i: . Na~~~f ~~nfes:p~;~~e;at~~t" :::~~:,h~r bt~~I ~ffe~s ~)1~J;e~eiWfeafu~~1ea~d0fn)~df;: ~~ Men, but never look on the other fide of the Vail of the fecond Caules, to that invift~ ble Providence that orders all. If a Difeafe llrikes their Bodies, they aitribute it rei the extremity of Heat or Cold, that dillempers their Humours : if a Lofs comes in their Ell.res, 'tis afcribed to Chance, Carelefnefs and Falfenefs of fome upon whom they depended; but God is concealed from their fight by the nearnefS of the immediate Agent. Whereas the principal Caure of all Temporal Evil is the over-rulmg Providence cif God. Shall there he E'Vil in aCity, and the Lordbath not done it 1 They come not only with his Know ledg and Will, but by his Efficiency. The Loculls that infeCted Er,ypt are as real an Elfett of God's Wrath, as the moll miraculous Plague, a!rho' an Eall Wind brought them, and a 'Vell Wind carried them away. The Arrow that was fl1ot at a venture, . . and J>ierc'd between the Joints of Ahah's Armour, was direCted by the Hand cif God 'K>ng."·l<· for hiS Dellruetion. Shimei's curfing of Da7Jid, tho' it was the overflowing of his Gall, the Elfeet of his Malignity, yet that holy King Iook"d higher, and acknowledged the Lord hath bidden him. AstheLordisaGod ofPower, andcaninAiet whaiJudg- >S.rn.t<. u . ments he pleafeth immediately; fo he is a God ofOrder, and ufuall y punin1eth in this World by fubordinate means. Now where-ever he llrikes, rho' his Hand is wrap'd up in a Cloud, yet if it be not obferved, efpecially if by habitual Incogitancy Men confider not with whom they have to do in their various Troubles, this profane negleCt is no Iefs than a defpifing the Challenings of the Lord. (~.) Inconfideratenefs of the End of the Divine Difcipline, is a great degree of Co<>' tempt. The Evils that God infliCts are as real a part of his Providence, as the Bleflings he bellows; as in the courfe of Nature the Darknefs of the Night is by his Order, as well as the Light of the Day: therefore they are always fent for fome wife and holy Defign. Sometime, tho' more rarely, they are only for trial, to ex~rcifc the Faith, Humity, Patience of eminent Saints; for otherwife God would lofe m a great meafure the Honour and Renown, and his Favourites the Reward of thole Graces, AffliCtions being the Sphere of their ACtivity. But for the moll part they are ca!lif~atory, to bring us to a fight and fenfe of our State, to render Sin more evi.dent and od1ous to us. They are fitly exprell, by pouring from Velfel to Velfel, that dlfcovers the Dregs and Sediment, and makes it offcnfive, that before was concealed. The leafi: Affliction even td the Godly, is ufually an Application of the Phyfician of Spirits for fome growing Dillemper : every Corrofive is for fome proud Flelh that mull be taken away. In fhort; they are deliberate D_ifpenfations to caufe Men to reAeet upon their Works and Ways, and break olf thm Stns by fincere Obedtence. Therefore we are commanded to hear . ' the Poice of the Rod, and who bath appointed it. 'Tis a Preacher of Repentance, to lead us Mrc. 6 • t..; to the Knowledg and Confideration of our felves. The DillrefS of Jo/eph's Brethten was to revive their Memory of his Sorrows caufed by their Cruelty. Now when Men difregard the Embalfy of the Rod, are uneonvinceable, notwithllanding its lively Leffons; when they neither look up to him that llrikes, nor within to the Caufe that provokes his Dtfpleafure; when they are carelefs to reform their Ways, and to comply with his holy Will, as if AffliCtions were only common Accidents ot this mutable State, the EffeCts of rofh Fortune or blind Fate,without Defign and Judgment,and not fent for ;heir Amendment, this is a prodigious defpifmg of God's Hand. For this reafon the Scripture compares Men to the mofi: inobfervant Creatures, to the wild AjJes Colt, tiJe Job It. ti i deaf Adder, to the filly DO'Ve without Heart : and the Advantage is on theBealls fide, for i{~· ''·•' their Inconfideration proceeds meerly from the Incapacity of Matter, of which they · '· "· are wholly compos'd to perform reflex Ads: but Man's Incogitancy is the foie fault af ~~~·~,Pf!;t,~l,~:i);lt.a~,~~e~~~~~:Jej w"fJ':o;f~rer charges this Guilt upon the Ifa.l6. " · ~. Infenfibility of Heart is an eminent degree of defpifing the Lord's Chafienings, A penfive feeling of Jud.gments is very congruous, whether we confider them in genere Pbyfico, or Morali; either materially as affliCtive to Nature, or as the figns of Divine Dtfpleafure : for the AffeCtions were planted in the Human Namre by the Hand of God himfelf, and are duly exercifed in proportion to the quality of their ObjeCts. And when Grace comes, it foftens the Breall, and gives a quick and tender fenfc of God's Frown. An eminent Infiance we have in David, tho' of Heroical Courage; yet in his _iad afcent to Mount Olivet, he went up weeping with his Head covered, and his Feet 1 Sam. tf.j81 bare, to tellify his humble and fubmifflve lenfe of God's Anger againfi him. Now when Men arc infenftble of Judgments, either confidered as natural or penal Evils; if when they fuffer the lofs of Relations or orher Troubles, they prcfently Ay to the Comforts of the Heathens, that we are all mortal, and what can't be help'd mu(l be endured, without
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