Tht rare Jewel of cbrifliafJ Contentment. 99 wardly low.; if it be amercy in their eflates that he intends, to heltow, be 'brings them low in that, and then raifes them ; and in their names he brings them low there, and then raife3 them ; and in their fpirits, God doth ordmaril y bring their fpirits low, aod then raLfes thetr fpirits ; ufually- the People ot God before the greateH coinforr, have the greatef:t affitetions and forrows • now thofe that underfland not Gods waies, they think that ~hen Goa bring) his people into fad conditio'ns, that God leaves and forfakes them, and that God cloth intend no great matter of good to them ; but now a Child of God that is inflructed in this way of God, he is not troubled; my conditi:. on is very low, but (faith he) this is Gods way when he i 1tends the greatefl mercy, to bring men under the greatell affiichons. When he intended to raife Jof~pb to be the Second in the Kingdom, God call him into aDungeon a little before. So when God intended to raife David, and fet him upon the Throne, be made him to be hunted as a Partridg~ in the mountains, I Sam. 26. 20. God went this way with t1is Son; Chrilt himfelf went into Glory by fufferin~, lleb. 't, 20. And if God deal [o with his own Son, much more with his People ; As a little before break of day, you fhall obferve it is darker than it was any time before ; fo God cloth ufe to ~ake our conditions darker a little before the mercy come. God bellowetb great mercies when we are in a very low condition , God knows what he bath ·to do before-hand, be knows wheo his time comes for creat merCies; it is the way of God to do fo. Be but inHruC\:ed aright in this courfe and traCt that God ures to walk in ; and that will help us to Contentment eKceedingly. The Third thing that there is in Gods way and courfe, is thig, It iJ the way of God to work_ by contrAries, to tHrn .the greate/1 evil into the greattft good. To grant great good after ~reat evil, is one thing, and to turn great ~viis iq,to the greatell good, that's another; and yet that's Gods way , the greatell good that God intends for his People, many times he works it out of the greatell evil, the greatelllight is brought out of the greatell darkne{fe : and Luther (I remember) bath a notable ex- ;preffion for this,{Caitb he) it is the way of God,he doth humble, p, ~;
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