38, Dr.Bate's forenoonSermon. And it is oblervable, the greater our differences and divifion.s. are, the more will the power of this God appear. in reconciling them. 'Tis laid in the Pfalms, that God's Throne is in darkneJs, i. e. His ways of providence are very difficult for us to trace and find Out : and therefore when our Divifions are at the higheff,he is able by one word to allay the form. This ihbuld encourage us in pray- er. This is the courle of God to glorifie !Andel f, by putting a flop to the,greatefl Troubles, when nearef to us, and to work out one contrary by another. To give you Come inftances, that fO we may encourage our Faith, and quicken our Prayer to God for this b!effing : Confider how fill God bath made difficulties the way for -enjoyment 5 for Infance, The pr)miles that Sarah fhould be the Mother of a child ; but he made way for that by her dead womb: for all that numerous Progeny, which like the Stars of the Skie dercended from her.That he fir( maimed Jacob,and then gave him the bleflingHe brought yofeph from the Prildn to a PrincelyPallace. Flora Davidwas haraffed with troubles,and then his headwas deck'd with the Imperial Crown. So if you look into the Kingdom of Chrifl, who would have thought that a few Fifhermen Chou Id have advanced the Empire of Chrifl in the World ; had you lived to have ken thole defpicablebeginnings, when a few unlearnedmen were the Heraulds and Preaclers of Chrifit., how would this have carded you to fail and fink in your fpirits ? and yet the Gofpel bath been preached in all the parts of the World, and that by a few Fijkermen. The Provideuces of God are like thole plated Pi- 4uves if you look one way upon them, there is the appearance of a Serpent ; if you lookon the other fide, there's the appearance of an Angel.- So here, many times Cod is pleated to futfer eKalpera- tious to go very high, that fahis power may appear more emi- nent in the compolure of them. He it is that enables the faith of his people to draw water out of the Rock, when the Fountail is dry ; that makes meat to come out of the Eater, ( as in Sampfon's Riddle ) that is able to bring a peaceable harmony out of devour- ing differences; and therefore it fhould quicken our prayers to hirn, 2. Tomake us more ferious in our endeavours afteepeace.Con- cider, what a diflionour it is to the Gofpel ; that thole that profels themielves Sons ofthe fame God,Members of the fame Chtift,Tem- pies of the Came Spirit ; fhould be at deadly jars one withanother. It is firange and unnatural that Li/lies fhould prove Thorns to one another : that thole whoareSaints in pretence, ft-10111d' be Devils in praCtice to one another: thatGods Diamonds fhould cut one an- ther ; this is very (range, yet thus it is; but how efpecially,it is inofi
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