158 aSéî"m09Z ". great progrefs ; for, if they fhould fludy to have Coed.: ence fpeakirg, and yet have their own ears flopped, this feems to be but loft labour : There is fome other thing called for, that once they may be in a quiet and cornpoe fed frame, to hear what Confcience fays to them. A zd direction, for anf -er to it, is, When men can not diicern any temptation or diflemper in themfelves, but that they are content to hear what Conf fence would fay them, and y ,-t cannot take it up, then they would fer themfelves to try whether that filence proceeds from Tome firful caufe in themfelves, jufily procuring that filence of Confcience, as a punilhment to them ; or from , fome ffovereign caufe ion Gad, ordering that filence to try them, and to humble them, and' that they may, by being kept a while in the miff, more fingly give proof of their dependency on him: For, as in other affíi &ions, fo in this, fometimes God will exercife his fovereignty t and, if it be once known to he for trial, the thing that we ate called to, is fweetly filent fubtnifíion to God, and allowing him fo to difpofe of us as he pleafes ; as that word, Ifa, 5o. Io holds forth, He that walks in darknefc and fees no light, let him, in that cafe, flay himfelf on the Lord. He may be kept quiet and from thwarting with. God, if he can take up that to be his defign ; but,if fome finful caufe has procured this, men are put to ir, as they would not ly under any effects of God's anger, to be dealing with him, to have that caufe that has brought it on removed, that in due time this fad effect of it play be removed allo. It is true, that, as in other cafes, fo in this, it is not ordinary nor common for God to af- fi& his people with darknefs without force finful caufe ; and we may eafily know, that, among men, who have corruption in them, there is no trial that comes on them, but there is force caufe in themfelves that may procure it, and fo may keep them in the dark if God lhould nar- rowly mark it :.ind hence we may gather, that it is very difficult to difcetn rightly; by clear evidence, the one of thefe from the other ; yet, we think, in every cafe it is not abfolutely neccffary for godly perfons to conclude a defigned controverfy for find tho they can never
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