Ver. 28. the 8th Chapter to the ROM A N S. 269 3. If any Mould obje &, they mean infirmities, not grievous and hainous fins 5 yes e- ven then they fee a reafon to limit this universal particle, drys, and fo have loft t he ad- vantage: but whether they limit it enough, Jet us fee. 'Tis one thing to fay they (hall not hurt us; 'Tis another to fay, they (hall conduce to' our good; or are means appoin- ted to that end. 4. If God make rife of our infirmities for good, 'tit to be afcribed to his grace, who bring- -eth good out of fo great an evil: As David by his fall got wifdom, Pfal. 5 t. 6. 'twat theLords 'mercy that made him thereby more fenlble of his duty, watchful over a naughty heart. But this is no natural effe& of fin ; and to 1ayGod bath promifed it, it would tempt us to omit our caution, and fo we (hould lofe this benefit. God of his wonderful grace may do many things, which he doth not think fit to affure us of by promise. 5. We fee many Chriilians fall from fame degrees of grace, which they never afterwards recover again, though preserved in the (late of grace for the main. God will not vouchfafe to them fuch a liberal portion of his spirit as they had before. 3ehnffiaphat is Paid, 2 Chrcn,t7. 3. to have walked ifs the iris ways of his Father David; His first ways were his heft ways, when he kept himlelf free from thofe fcandalous crimes he fell into in his latter time. But doth it not imply, that our profperity 111311 turn to good, as well as adversity? Anfwer. Though it be not formally expreffed in this place, which fpeaketh only o fufferings and affii &ions; $et 'tis virtually included. For, I. Godkeepeth off, or bringeth on the croft as it worketh for our good. And all provi- dences wherein the ele& are concerned, are over-ruled h his grace for their good; Cant; ¢ t.i Awake, 0 north-wind, and come thou fouth, blow upon my garden, that the flirter therein may flow out. Out of what corner foever the wind bloweth, it bloweth good to the faints 5 The (harp north-wind, or the fultry fouth -wind. 2. 'fir a threatning to them that do not love God, that their proffierity teederh to their hurt : Pfal. 69. 22. Let their table become a fnare, and that which should be for their wel- fare become atrap. Their worldly comforts serve to harden -their hears in fin 3. The fan tifying of their profperity is included in a Chrtlliaus charter: t Cor. 3. 2r, 22, 23. All things are yours, life or death, the prefent world;re.nd the future world, becaufe you are Chrifis, and Chrifl is Gods. Their profperity cometh from the love of God, and tendeth to their good. Therefore let this be included, though affli &ions are chiefly fpoken of in the Context. 2. The manner of bringing it about; they work together. Take any thing tingle and a- part, and it feemeth to be againft us. We mull dí(tingui(h between a part of Gods work, and the end of it: We cannot under(tand Gods providence, till he hath done his work; he is an impatient fpe&ator, that cannot tarry till the laic a&, wherein all er- rors are reconciled : as Christ told Peter, John 13. 6, 7. What I do, thou knoweil not now, but thou (halt know hereafter. We are much in the dark, we look only to prefent fenfe and appearance, his purpofes are hidden from us; for the Agent is wife in Counfel, and excellent in working ; his way of working is under. a vail of contraries, and unper- ceivable to an ordinary eye. He 'bringeth fomething out of nothing; light out of darknefs, meat out of the eater; his end is not to fatisfie our fenfe and curiosity; but try our faith, John 6.7. To exercise our fubmiflion and patience, as in the cafe of deb; And our dependance and prayer. God knoweth what he is a doing with you, when you know not, Jer. 29. t I. For I know the thoughts that 1 think towards you, faith the Lord; thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expelled end. When 'we view pro- vidence by pieces, and fee God rending and tearing all things in pieces, we are perplex. ed. Therefore we mu(t not judge of Gods providence by the beginnings, till all work together. When we apprehend nothing but ruine, God may be defigning to us the choiceft mercies: Pfa1.3 t. 22. For IPaid in my hafte, Lam cut of from before thine eyes : nevertheleßthou heardefh 'he voice of my fupplication. So Pfal. b t 6. I C IPaid in 'my hafie, all men are lyars, Samuel, and all that had told him he should injoy the kingdom. Haste never fpeaketh well of God and his promises 5 nor maketh any good comment on hid dealings; we mull flay till all caufes work. 3. The end and iffue, for good. t. Sometimes to good temporal, or our better prefervation during our service: Gen. jo, 20. But as for you, ye thought evil againfi me, but God meant it Untó good , tó bring
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