Thefull en!ldirf Funeral: 5'B him into an Iron-gate, and placing a ravenous wolf hard by in another, alwayës howling, fighting,fcenting,fcratching at thepoor fheep ; which affrighted with this fad found, and worfe fight, had little lay to eat, lefs to Beep whereby his fleflh was fuddenly abated. But wicked menhave the terrorsofan affrighted confcicnce conftantly, not only barking at them; but biting of them; whichdiffweetens their moll delicious mirth, with the fad confederationof the fins they have èommittcd; andpunilhment they mathundergo, when inf another world they fhall be-called to account.. This thoughtalone makes their. fouls lean, how fat foever thcir,bodies may appear. And as fores andwottudscommonly finart, ake, and throb Mott, the nearer it is-to night ; fo the anguithand torture ofa guilty confcience increafeth, thenearer men apprehend 'themfelves to theday oftheir death. Now not only wicked men, but eventhe children of God, becaufe ofthe cor- ruption of their hearts; toooften makebad ales to themfelves,of the righttousmani perifbing in his righteoufnefi. Thefe may be divided into three ranks; t. Such asfret at z. Such as droop underGodsproceedings herein. 3. Such asargae with The firft are the Meters: for if theperifhing ofthe righteouscometh to the feri- ous obfervation of a high.fpirited man, one of a flout and valiant heart, he will fcarcebrook it without tome anger and indignation, fuming and chafing thereat. Thus David, we know, was ainan öfvalour, ofa martialand warlike fpirir,and he confeffeth of himfelf, that, beholding the profperityofthe wicked, bis heart 11,44 grieved, and he waspricked in his rein ; Nor was it meer grief, poffeffed him, but a mixture ofmuch impatience, as appears by thatcounfel which in like cafe, in one Palm, he ave himfelf three feveral times, Fret not thy fell/becaufe of evil doers ; and ágáin, fret not thy, felfbecaufe of him who pro1ßereth on his way ; and the third time, fret not thyfelfin any wife. Our Saviour obferveth, that thereareaffurdy kindofDevils, thatwill notbe cull Out,' fave byfalling andprayer. But this huiñóur offretting and repining at Godi proceedings herein, which he underftood not, couldnot be ejeEted out ofDavid, but byprayer nodoubt, and that very folemnly ; notathome, but in Gods temple, . when I thought to bnówall this , it was too painfulfor me, until I went into the SancrfuaryofGod, thereúnderftoad l'theirend. O let themofhigh fpirits and flout hearts not lávith their valour, and mil/-fpend their,courage, to chafe and fume at filch accidents, venting good fpirits the wrongway, but rather referee their mañ nanimotis reIolisions for batter Cervices, and (befides their privatedevotions) ad_ dreg themfelves with David, to Gods publick worfhip in his houle, who in his dui time will=riddle limo them the equityofhis pr'o'ceedings. But ifmen be of low and mean fpirits, pufillanimous andheartlefsnatures; and if there narrow fouls in them Meet with melancholly and heavy tempers, flitch fall a drooping, yea defpairing at theperifhingof iherighteeus ; they give all over for loft, concluding there is nohope ; they rather languifh than lire, walking tip and down dilconfolate with foftpaces, fad looks, and forrowfsal hearts: all their children they are ready to call and chriften Ichobods, theglory is departed from lfrail, being af- feeted like the Citidens offerirfalem, befieged by Sennacherib, th'eir' hearts are like the trees of the wood, movedwih thewind. But let filch drooperS know, that herein they offend God , and vvrong themfelves ; and let them gird up their loyns, and tie up their sprits, at the ferious confideration that God in due tittle, vvill taile them out of the daft, maintain bit own tarfe, and confound hia ene- mies. The third fort ofpeople,are the Arguers orDifputtrs,vvhobeingofamiddle tem. per, neither haughty nor ftomachful, neither love nor dejeaed, and vvithal being good men,' embrace a middle courfe, neithet tofret nor difpute, but calmly to rea- fon out the mattervvithGod himfelf. Of this latter fort,vvas the Prophet 7erensiab, evIto thus addreifethhimfelf untö theLord: Righteousartthou, O Lord, when iplead F f f f z with 26. Pfal. if. zr. Pfa1.; 7. r, 7,8. 4 f. Matth. t7. ri; Pfal. 7/1.16. 2 ¿Sam 4. sì. Ifa: 7.1: 29. far. z a. r;
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