The R11n Jet7et of Chriftian Contentment. !G; The Tenth DIRECTION. I befeecll yon obferve this, though you Chould forget many others. M,t~e a good int~rpretation of God's ~ap toward you, if there can be any good it)terpretation made of God's ways cowards you, make Jr. Y OL~ think it much if you have a friend that lbould always make t:iad interpretations of you~ ways t®- wards him , you will take that ill : if you fhould conrerfe with people that you cannot fpeak a vvord in their hearing , but they are resdy eo make an iil interpretation of it, and take it in an ill fenfe,you vvou-Id think their company to be very ted:ous to you. It is very tedious to the Spirit of God vvhen we make fuch ill i~terpretations · of his ways towards us. If Go:1 deal with us •thetwile than we would have him , if ther<: can be any fenfe WE>rfe than other made ef it, vve vvill ie fure to maf<e it; as thus : When an affl!6\ion doth befal you, there may be many good fcnfes made of Gods works towards you, you fuould think thuS', It may be God intends only to try me by thi$, it· may be God faw my heart too much fet upon the Creature, ~nd fo intends to thew me vvhat there is in my heart, it may be that God faw tha.t if my eflate did continue I lhould fall into fin, that the better my ellate were, the worfe my foul would be , it may be God intended on~y to exercife fome Grace, it may be God intentis to prep~re me for fome sreat work which he hath for me. Thus you (hould reafon. · · But we on the contrary make bad interpretations of God's thus dealing with u-s, and fay, God dotn not mean this, furely the' Lord means by this , to manifefl his vvratb and difpleafurc: againfl: me , and this is but a furtherance Qf further evils that he inte;•ds towards me : Jufl: as they did in the Wildernefs,G•l bath brDugbt us hither to flt~ty ru. This is the wodt interpre· tation that poffibly you can make of God's ways : Oh! Why will you make thefe worO: interpretations when there may be bett4r? in I Cor. I. 3. 5, When the Sc1·ipture fpeaks of love,faitb the text , Love thin~eth no evil. Love is of that nature that if there may be ten interpretations made ofa thing, if nine ofthem be naught, and orie gqod, Love will take that which is fOOd E e ~ ' · ao41
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