348 The Profit ofiffildions, or, ufe them very hardly : were it not for their profit, he would tie him up in Hell and give him no fuchleave as this ; but (as he laid to Saint Paul) lefi theyfhoxldbe exalt- ed above meaJure, the meffenger ofSatan itfeat to buffet them. ;. w.: t.,1, Yea the Lords with-boldingofhis fpiritual comforts; his defertingofhis people, ing his pre- the hiding ofhis facefrom them,the withdrawing ofthofe tweet and gracious mani- fence. fellations ofhimfelfunto them, it is all with ref eCt to their profit; that they may be taught.themore to prize the comforts ofhis fpirit, and to walk more worthy of them when they do enjoy them. 4. Snfpending He is pleafed fometime tofufpcnd his anfweringoftheir prayers,and tohold them the is long in the expeaation of the return of their requefts : it is tor their profit ; that theymay be thereby furred up to ply the Throne ofgrace with more frequent and earneít prayers ; that fo the greater their adventure is ( as I may fay ) the greater their return may be : It being in this cafe with them as it is with Merchants, the greater adventure they fend forth, and the longer their {hip is out, the greater and more advantagious is the return. - ç. Denying Many times again,he is pleatednot only to fufpend hisanfwer to theirprayers,but their partial- to deny the grantingofhis peoples requeft in the very kind they fiscfor : But even lar flits, in this too he hath refpedt to their profit : he heareth them ,( as one well laid) ac- cording to their profit, though not according to their wills : fo he dealt with Mofes concerning bis requeft ofentringintothe Land of Canaan. Again the Lord ispleafed to keephis people many times in a lowcondition; and in meancitate, to put them into bare commons andhard paftures, whileothers are grazing in full meadows ; it is with refpeel to theirprofit, to teach them themore to depend upon him, to enable themthe better to live by Faith. 6. Deprives Again, for this purpofe he takes from his fervants dear hidings, the Wife from them of their the Husband,the Children from the Parents ; as we feeverified this day in this place' bid- concerning our friends here, the mournful furvivcrs and attendants upon this fad flogs. occafion but in theft adminiftrations he intendeth his peoples profit,as we may fee in the cafe of 3'ob; the Lord takes away all his children, but (faith the Apofile) ye James s i i. have heardofthe patience ofyob, and havefeen theend ofthe Lord: he was no looter in the conclufion , but God returned at length all into his bofome again , nay double. In a word, for this very purpofe it is,evenfortheir profit (for alas it is not Gods own benefit he Peeks after, but his peoples in all his adminiftrations) that they live, that they do,that they fuffer,that they die, their death isin order to theirgain, as the Apoftle faith, to me to live is Cbrifh, and todie isgain. To make fome applicationof this, and fo to proceed. fife of exhor- Firft, let ushere take occafion,as many as are the calledof God according to his ration. purpofe ; and implanted in this glorious relation of children to a father; let us learnto advance his name ; and according to his nameajtt his praifebe in all the Con- gregations of the Saints. , Truly ( as Mofes) laid once ) their Rock it not as our Rock: So may we fay, otherfathers are not as this Father, our Father is let for the good andprofit of his children. The devil is a father, fo our Saviour fpeaks,you are ofyourfather thedevil; he hath children, and he ftudieth nothing fo much as that they may live all their dayes inpleafure ; ftriving to lead hisfollowers altogether in pleafant paths : Butalas he hath no aim at theirprofit, it is their lofs he leeks ; and therefore at lath he makes thempay full dear for alt their pleafure and content. But nowGod, he is a wife Father, andin all his difpenfations to his children (thoughthey feem for the prefcnt unpleafant) he Nathan aim at their profit. Let this be for his praife. Secondly, let us labour to believe this, thatGod in all his dealingsand adminiftra- tions towards us, hath an eye to our profit. How hard foever the condition be that he putteth us into, if he take from us the defre ofour eyes, the delight ofour hearts, ourliberties, oureftates, our children; yet be perfwaded ofthis, that God doth it for mygood and benefit. And thirdly, labour to reapthe fruit and benefit that God aimeth at and intend- eth , and would have us receive from-all his adminiftrations. Whenwe are called together
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