Preached Augult 17. 1662. 123 mill pleafe us in a way of Mercy : If we order our ways fo as to pleafe God, he will order his ways fo asto pleafe us. 3. Great is thebenefit ofpleafing God,even as to men : and this Solomon lets before you, Prov.16.7.When a mans wayspleafe the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him, and he bath fuch another expreflions, Prov. 22. I I. He that loveth purenefs of beast, the King (hall be his Friend : the meaningof this Scripture is this, when we keep dole to God, and walk in compliance with his will, and make it our great deign to pleafe him, he will give us to find favour in the eyes ofmen : He that maketh God his Friend,God will make that mans enemies to be his Friends.Men are poffibly full of anger, revenge, and exafperation : be it fo : Do you defire to pleafe God ? God can turn their hearts towards you : God can fweeten them in their Spirits, and take away that Venorne that is in them : fo you know_ he in thecafe ofEfau to his brother Jacob. .. This is the way to Heaven and happinels ; God will be pleated before the fanner (hall be faxed, Heb. i t. Enoch before his tranflatiosi had this tellimony that he ',leafed God ; there is no way to heavenbut by this way ; the Child plealeth theFather, and then the Father gi- veth him the inheritance. So it is here. 5. Let me return to the Argument in the Text ; God will never leave them alone, that defire fincerely to pleafe him. methinks this fliould be a very prevailing Motive to you, efpecially now 5 pleafe God,and be will never leave you,nonot in a timeofdiftrefs & trou- ble.Here is thegreat difference betwixt a faithful God,& a falfe man In time oftrouble and adverfitie men leave us and forfake us; in time of profPeritie then they flatter us and pretend a great deal of frienfhip and kindnefs : But as 110 man lociks upon a Dial when the Sun is under a cloud : fo thefe very men that pretend fo much of kindnefs &friendfhip,iffo be we do but come under a frown,or into trouble,then their frienclfhip and kindnefs is at an end,as Paul laid; No man flood by himwhen he came to he tried beforeNero ' all men forfook him, but God did not forfake him. The wife man hath an expreflion Pro. 17. 17. friend loves at alltirnes,and abrother is born for adver/ty.But where (hall we find ftich a friend?and indeed where (hall we find filch a brother ? But now if you will pleafe God, Godwill Rand by you when all men leave you, when you have the greateft need of God,he will then (land by you ; ifyou be in prifon, he wil be with youiffyou be baniffled,he wil be with you;if fin cloth not part God 8c you, certainly no affliEtion (hall part God and you. Study topleafe God;oh is it not a fad thing for God to leave you ? that is the Edell ofall,whenwe loCe God, we loft all, Hof. 9. I 2. In R 2 ante
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