Head n. 7ife f;etia/Can of tire Htut~ndnran. 2'~~- obfc::rviog how .God draws away provifion from unruly lu!ls, , and fo pin"heth ·tbem, that the ,Chriltiao may-get-them go~ · verr.ed! of a truth, there is a paradife within this thorn- . Hedge.. Many a ti·me the people· 'of God a-re in . bonds 11 • wh ich are never wofed! tilhhey be bound ·with eords of if– . jlittion God takes them, and, throws them into a jierJ furnace, that burns off their bonds; and then like the three children, Da·n. iii. 2 5. they at e1ooje, walking ln the mid;? o.f~ · the .fire God gives his children a pprtion, with one -bitter ·ing red1ent: tf that will not work upon them, he will put ' in a fecond, a third~ . and fo on, as th~•e is need, that they may rwork:tbgether,for. their go~Jd~ Rot:n. viii. 28·. With– crofs-winds'he baltens them to their hitrbour.. They are oft·· en forind in fuch ways, . as: tb11t the crofs is the ha-ppieH foot they can meet with ;. and well n:ay they falme· it, a~ David· did Abigail, faying, Blejfed-be th~ Lord G~Jdollfrael, 1 rwhid Jent ·tiJee thh day J'(J" rJUtel me, , 1 Sam. xxv. 3·2. \Votldly. t-hings·- are· often fuch a load to the Chrifiian, that b-e moves· but very !lowty heav·eoward. God fends a wind of trouble that blows the burden offfhe man's back; and then h'e wa\ks · more fpe-edily on his way. ; after God hath drawn fome ' gilded eanh ,from ·him, that was d~awing his heart away-' ftom God, Zeph. iii. r 12. I •wilt aljo Ieav~ in ,the miafh)f thee-, an afliiffed andpoor people, and;theyJha/1 trufl in·the. name of the Lord. tt was an oblerve of an heathen mora– lilt, f hat no. hiflory makes mention of any man, •UJbO hath ' lf-een made beller· by r:ichu. l doubt if our modt:Tn hillories can fupply the defefl of ancient hillories in this·· point But ~ fure (' am, rnaoy have been the worfe of-riches: thoufands have been hugged to death in the ~mbraces· of a fo1iling : world ; and m3ny good men have got wounds from outward . profpFrity-, that behov·ed ·to ·be cured by the crofs. I re– memb-er to haye read. of·one, who having an .impofthume in • 1 his breall, h-ad in va·in ufed the help C?f pbyficians: · but be..- ing woun;ded wirh a fword, the impoflhume broke; and his ; life· was faved ,-by that accide-nt, which threatoed immediate · . dearh .. Often have-- fpincual impoHhume-s gathered in ' the– brealts of Cod's people, in ume of outward prefpe:rity'. and · been thus · broken and difcuifed by the crofs. It is· kwdly· for believers to be bealed by JlripeJ, ahhou~h they a1·e.. U• · f11aJI* fo .w-eak .u , to.er;.. out fir·£e4r. at th.t fight of. • he~ ' erun_in~t·
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