l ight'eour tint Gaìa. 99 not this mifcry :ifilePaCt accounted her happy that (he died before,and tawnot the t mifery that was brought on that place, and her husband. In his diem) then is is one point of happinek, iobe tak n away before that evilcome upan a place we with well too. He expreffeth himCelfin another place,inthe firthof his tEniads, % heyare happy that die before theirCountry,before they fee the ruin of that. Therefore it muffneeds be a great happineCs for a Cüriffian to be taken away before mifery come upon the Church. Here is one rcfpe& the Lord bath, he takes them away that they do not fee the Evil hebringech on a place. Secondly ; 'that theyfhould notfiler it,that is a further degree and a greater. So That he (hall we fee that it is the ha ppines that is 'mailed on other fervants of God ; Though it notendure it. is not a courfe chat God always conihantly keepeth e Sometime he fuffereth godly men to live, and to be [wept away in common Calamities, as the Plague, Famine, Sword, and the like, even righteous men perifh in thefe times, that is the courte that God fometimes cakes. On the other Rdc Cometimes he takes thiscoutfe, that he will prefcrve them in the middefl of danger, he willkeep them alive : He fended) Calamities, and Plagues,and yet he preferveth the righteous.. So in the Revelation, he commandeth the Angel to Peal his Servants on the forehead, whets hepoureth his curfeson the earth : So its the ninth of Ezekiel he. (peaks to the man with a (laughter Ezek. y; weapon, to marktbofe that maurned,to pars them by : So in Exod.r z, he command- Exod, r t: et the blood to be [prickled on the polls ofshe doors, that the Angel maypatsby :Ste, God when he teeth his mark, the bloud of the Covenant on the head of his fee - k vants,he paffeth them by in commonCalamities : fometimes I fay he takes that courfe. IBut he is nottytd to one courte always : fometimes, he takes away his fervants from the Evil to come,- he doth not fuffer them to have the forrowof Peeing, or feeling of ir. Godwhen he intendeth to finite the earth with plagues and curies, he will make thisway for his coutfe; hewill retnove the obffacles, the Saints that are the impedi- ments; they hold Gods hands;they wreakby prayer,they prevail by humiliation,they call down ehemfclves, and Rand in the gap ; that he may unwind his hands of this burthen,of the trrayersof hisfervants,he removeth themby death,he faith to them as he didco Mofes, Let me alonethat z may defiroy them. And then, as it is with the Husbandman, when the Corn is gotteninto his Barn, he burnethup the Rubble: Till the Wheat begathered, the Tares are not turned up. God will not pour his Plagues untillhe haveremoved the impediments, thole that are merciful men, when they are ,taken away,he-poureth down his judgments. Thereforehe takes them awa,,that they ma-, not fee ir, nor fuffer ir, that is the lecond. Thirdly, he takes them from the Evil of finning, that is a greater bleffing, and in j.prom the two feuces for that. He takes them from it,that They (hall fee fin,for that is a great evil offinning. Corrolive toa godly man. It wasone point orDavid'sgrievance,that he faw wick -1 That he(hall ed men fuffer ; f humbled my Soul withfalling, and I behavedmy felf as one that not fee fin mourned for hisaaother. David humbled himfelf even for his enemies, when they `othmitted by were atd]ió ed,that was onepare of his forrow. But the chiefpart of his forrowwas to fee them commit fin, Mine eyes gnfo out with Rivers of tears, becsufe menkeep not thy Law e that was a great affliction. Therefore that they may be earedof that evil, Gad takesaway merciful men,that they (hall not fee rns.00mmitted; çhey are offenfive to chaff eyes. 'He takes them to Heaven, that their ears may not be filled with helli,lh Blafphemics, and damnable Oaths that over.'-urchen the gróundr that ring their peals.in every Rreet, as a man paffeth-by : There ispohearingtucb thingsinHeaven. That is one thing, he takes them away, that their eyes may noc be' glutted with beholdingextortions,opprellions, Murthers, contentions, revilings, and odd fins in the world. It is a great cafe to a godly man to bá cookout of evil tMies: When Gód,leaveth him in timesand places that are evil, he (nines as a light, when God takes him away, he bath the reward ofhis forrow t It coil him griefto feeit therefore to reward him, God takes him away, that he may net feefin cam; mitred. Fourthly,
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