320 Thankfulnefsrequiredin everycondition. and be Thankful; hearing offo many ViEtories; andbe- caufe there may be fome hopes ofPeace : But beloved, 'tis our duty to be in every thing Thankful : 'Tis the will of God our Father, that we fhould be Thankful in every thing, Thankful in every condition. Give me leave to propound fome few Incouragtnents hereunto : for it Teems a hard thing to be Thankful in every thing, in every condition. Ifyou can be thankful in every thing ; even when ye are low : you will engage God for to raife you up : If when you are weak ; you engage God for to make you firong Ifwhen you are Deferted ; you engage God to en- large you, to thine upon you. It pleafes God much, you cannot pleafe him more than to be Thankful in every thing, even when ye are low. For Fxatnple. Suppose a man be convinc'd of fin, troubled in Con Icien ce, bath o aiTurance of Gods love in Chrift : Ifhe ftould die, he doe; not know whether he fhould go to heaven, or hell. Yet notwithRending (fates he what ever becomeof me, I blefi theLord that I am come hither : I was going on in the mot fad condition : the Lord hath opened my eyes, I fee indeednothing but the wrath ofGod, due formy fins: but yet bleffedbe theLord, that hath opened my eyes to fee this : I, (faies the Lord) doeft thou bleffe me becaufe I have opened thy eyes for to fee thy fins ? I'le open thine eyes for to fee thySaviour. Doeft thoubleffeme,becaufe I have o- pened thyeyes to fee thy own heart, and the naughtinefs thereof? I'le open thy eyes to fee all my grace, and I'le caufeall my grace to paffe before thee. Thisengages God, when ye canbe thankful forevery thing, and when ye are low : it engages God muchunto you. Again, Hereby your AffliClions 'Ilan be made hidings unto you. You fay ,How Thal I know whether an AffliCii- on be a biding or no? Take this note : when thou canft blefle God under an AffliCtion, then thy Affiliaion is made a blefang : thy verybiding of God under an Afliietion, makes thy .AfiliClion a biding to thee. lob, greatly affli- &eel
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