Chap. 4.] w$OM THIS REST IS DESIGNED. 55 guide us, weguide ourselves.; when he should be our So- vereign, we rule ourselves : the laws which he gives us we find fault with, and would correct ; and, if we had the making of them, we would have made them otherwise : when he should take -care of us, (and must, or we perish,) we will take care for ourselves : when we should depend on him in daily receivings, we had rather have our por- tion in our own hands : when we should submit to his providence, we .usually quarre! at it, and think we could make .a better disposal than God path made. When we should study and love, trust and honor God, we study and love, trust and. honor our carnal selves. Instead of God, we would have all men's eyes and dependence on us, and all men's thanks returned to us, and would gladly be the ,onlymen on earth extolled and admired by all. Thus we are naturally our own idols. But down 'falls thisDagon when -God does once renew the soul. It is the chief de- sign of that great work, to bring the heart back to God himself. He convinceth the sinner, that the creature can neither be his God, to make him happy, nor his -Christ, to recover him from his misery, and restore him to God, who is his happiness. God -does this not only by his word, but by his providence also. This is the reason why afflic- tion so frequently concurs in the work of conversion. Ar- guments which speak to the quick, will force a hearing, when the most powerful words are slighted. If a sinner made his credit his god, and God shall cast him into the lowest disgrace, or bring him, who idolized his riches, into a condition wherein they cannot help him, or cause them to take wing and fly away, what a help is here to this work of conviction ! If a man -made pleasure his god, whatsoever a roving -eye, a curious ear, a greedy appetite, or a lustful heart .could desire, and God should take these from him, or .turn them into gall or wormwood, what a help is here to .conviction ! When God shall cast a man into languishing sickness, and inflict wounds on his heart, and stir up against him his own conscience, and then, as it were, say to him, "Try if your credit, riches, or pleasures, can help you. Can they heal your wounded conscience? Can they now support your tottering tabernacle ? Can they keep your departing soul in your body ? or save you from my everlasting wrath ? or redeem your soul from eternal
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=