296 Chapa i. II rin Expoftiott upon the Bookof ) O B. Verf t o. we are rich, yea as'well when himfelf- finites, as when he heals. He is as good to us when we receiveevil,as when we receive good therefore if God be the fame, furely we Ought to be the fame too, and take it-as kindly at his hands,when we are impoverifht,as when we are inricht, when we are tick, as when weare in health, when we are in prifon, as when we are free. Shall prefent evils makeus either infenfible of, or unthankful for pail mercies ? Shall prefent troubles be as a grave wherein to bury the memory of all our for- mer comforts ? Shall ( as it was in Pharaohs dream) the lean Kine, andthe ',tatted ears of Corn, eat up and devour the fat Kine, and the futl ears ? The Heathen Phylofopher cenfures him for a tn;rarue eíl , fool, who thinks there is no benefit in benefits, nor Meiling in °atnem bleflings, except they be prefent ; And he brands him as unthank- T,oluprgi3flub. full who accounts the end of a mercy an injury ;. or thinks he is Ikt, qri nut. wronged, when free gifts are not continued. Ifa Heathen taw fo uinfruflanseffe. much obligation,in the part benefits ofa man;Chrifiians fhould fee t urar bond. it muchmore in thepatt mercies and 6ík-í iugsoftheir God.Where- JCaë'umrqúiee fore, to conclude this point, with the counfel of the ancient, Re- non in preteri- rmrnber the heapsof good things received , weigh the good and t s acquieJ tr, the evil together : Thou thalt never find any mans life,at all times &c. sen ad. alike ; It is the priviledge of God alone to be without changes l'elyb, e29, l'afii °ram!. but if thou grieved at what is prefent, take comfort in what is .,deknicntfa. pail ; Now thou mourneft, but heretofore thou didti rejoyce now thou art in want, but thou haft had abundance. We have a laying, It is a miferable thing to have been happy : But a godly man is happy in the mid'il ofall his mifery : he may fay with un- daunted Luther, Let .him he miferable that can be miferable, I cannot. He that bath not a God to lofe, nor a foul to lofe, can- not be miferable, whatfoever he Iofes while Chriti is fafe, a be- liever bath no reafon to be unfatisfied. Thus we have difcuffed fobs aníwer, and have found it full of wifdom and of holinefs ; like thofe words of the Wife, which the Preacher faith(EccLj. II.) are as goads,. and as nails fattened by the Matters of Afím- .blies. fobs words were as goads by the tharpnefsof reproof; to a- wake and quicken lazy drones ; they were as nails by the piercing efficacy and frength of reafon, to confirm and fatten wavering minds. We have the Word and. Warrant of God for this, in that -high Elogiunt, or commendation given him at the concluuon of ß:1L
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