PART II. to difiinguifh .ffetions. 53 Mankind, deals with them fuitably to their intelligent rational Na- ture ; fo it feems reafonable, and agreeable to God's Wifdom, that Men who are faved, fhould be in thefe two States fenfibly, firft, that they fhould fenfibly to themfelves. be in a State of Condewnation,and fo in a State of woful Calamity and dreadful Mifery, and fo afterwards fenfibly in a State of Deliverance andHappinefs and that they fhould be fir$ fenfible of their abfolute extreme Neceflity, and afterwards of Chrift's Sufficiency and God's Mercy thro' him. And that it is God's Manner of dealing with Men, to lead them in- to a Wildernefs, before he(peaks comfortably to them, and fo to order it, that they (hall be brought into Diftrefs, and made to fee their own Helplefnefs, and abfolute Dependance on his Power and Grace, be- fore he appears to work any greatDeliverance for them, is abundantly manifeft by the Scripture. Then isGod wont to repent himfeffor his profefng People; when their Strength is gone, and there is none Jhut up or lft, and when they are brought to fee that their falfe Gods can't help them, and that the Rock in whom they trufted is vain Deut. 32. 3b, 37. Before God delivered the Children of Ifrael cut of Egypt, they were prepared for it, by being made to fee that they were in an evil Cafe, and to cry unto God, becaufe oftheir hardBondage ; Exod. 2. 23. and 5. 19; And before God wrought that great Deliverance for them at the Red Sea, they were brought into great Diftrefs, the Wildernefs. hadPhut them in, they could not turn to the right Hand nor the left, and the Red Sea was before them, and the great Egyptian Hoff behind, and they-were brought to fee that they could donothing to help themfelves,'and that if God did not help them, they fhóuld be immediately fwallowed up ; and then God appeared,and turn'd their Cries into Songs. So before they were brought to their Reft, and to enjoy the Milk and Honey of Canaan, God led them through a great and terrible d!ildernefs, that he might humble them, and teach them what was in their Heart, andfo do them Good in their latter End ; Deut. 8. 2, i6. The Woman that had the Itfue of Blood twelve Years, was not deliver'd, 'till the had firft (pent all her Living on earthly Phyficians,' and couldnot be healed ofany, and fo was left helplefs having no more Money to fpend ; and then the came to the great Phyfician, without any Money or Price, and was healed by him ; Luke 8. 43, 44. Be- fore Chriff would anfwer the Requeft of the Woman of Canaan, he firíf feem'd utterly to deny 'her, and humbled her, and brought her to own herfelf worthy to he called a Dog ; and then he Chewed, her Mercy, and received her as a dearChild ; Matth. 15. 22, &c. The Apoffle Paul, before a remarkable Deliverance, was preyed out of Meafure, above Strength; i7fomuch that he defpaired even of Life ; but had the Sentence of Death in.himfelf, that he might not truft-in himfelf, but in God that raifeth the Dead; 2 Cor. t.'8, q, io. There was firit a great Tempeff, and the Ship was covered with the Waves, and E 3 juff
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