' . • '34t Of aprovidential calf . bav~ng in vain (ent once and again for joah, obligeq him at lengd~ ~P come unto hi~, by caufing fer his ~orn-field on fire. · This is the way to get ,~ffiiCl:ion fanCl:ified, and iq due t~me removed, jarnes iv. 10, c 'Humble yourfelves in the fight of the Lord, and he ~all lift you up.' We ought therefore to take heed~ •hat we be nQt of thofe, who cry not whe~ he hindeth them~ b'ut that. in this cafe~ we do as BefJhadad's fer~ vants, who, upon a'fignal defeat of his army, put {ack-_ ' ~loth on their loins, and ropes on their heads, 4_ndwent ' ~ut, as humble ' fuppli~ants to the ki'!g of!frael, wh~ l1ad fmote them, 1 Kipgs xx. 3.1. , Eighthly, \Vhen, by th~ afpeCl: of providence, o1~e is thr~au~ed with fome fu~h affii~Hon. 'Tis aq un– ~racio~s ~ardnefs, not to be affeCl:ed when the Lor4 1s lifting up hi~ hand againfi us. He was a mal\ of an e~celle.nt fpirit, who faid, ' My fie!h trembleth for fe.ar <?f ~he~, ~nd I am afraid of thy judgments,~ Pfalm cxix. 120. Thq' he was an hero that fearec;l the face of no man, he Jaid afide that bravery of fpirit, '\V hen he had to do with ~is God. Wherefore when the Lord was threatning the removal of a child of his.· by death, tho' thecontinuirigpfth~t child in life would ll~ve b'een a Jailing memorial of his reproac~, yet the impreffion of the Lord's anger op that threatn~.pg dif-, penfatio~, moved him to betake himfelf to p,et:fonal falling and humHi~tion before the Lord, forth~ l,ife of , that child, 2 Sam. xii·. 16, 22. , Ninthly, When qne would have !ight and d~rection in fome particular matter ·of fpecial weight. 'Ti$ Ipuch''io b~' Jamented~ t-hat lllen profeffing th~ . belief of a ·Divine 'providence' in human affairs, fhould, i1.1 ' confidence of thefr own 'wifdom, take the weight c;>f their ·matrers qn the!n,felves; \vithout acknowl~dging God in t~e~ ; ~iitJingon1y to p1eaf~ themfelves ~herein, and not their God, as iftheir fancy, convemency~ . p.r advantage, and not their confcienc~, were concer– ned ill their determinations and refolves. Hence it . \ . . '. . ·. .,... '· . . ·'" 1s, • • . '
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