S E IX M 0 N S upon Serm. XXXViE Oh what a blefléd thing is it, to be unde the fpecial care of God, and to have all triings about us ordered with refpefk to our eternal welfare ! 'cis not Co with the wick- ed; if God make saula King, Judas an Apoftle, Thriasni a Prophet, their preferment will be their ruin; Haman, honour, Acl itopheir wir, Herods applauÍe, turned to their hurt; if in prosperity they contemn God, in adverf+.ty they deny and bl arpheme. God ; This evil is front the Lord, Why fhooldI wait an him any longer. As the fait Sea ìurneth all into fait water, fo a man,is as the conflitution of his heart is. ' 2. S E, is Caution. I. ligainfi mirconfru l''i.n.of Providénce. 2. Ag,inft non - faprevee ent. 1. Again/I mi eonflrallion el Providence. There may be a seeming h: r(ltncfs in fome of Gods dealings, but all things confidered you Will find them full of mercy and truth, Pfrl. 25. ro. It there be a feeming contradktion'between his Word and Provi- dence, you mutt not always interpret the word by Providence, but Providence by the word, Pfal. 73. 17. Until I went into the'Sanituary of God, then I underflood their end. 2. Againft non-improvement. Lerus .not lofe the benefit by our negligence and folly ; let us observe how we make profit.of every thing 5 God would not fend this at- fliftion, did henot know how it would be good for me. Therefore to this end, E Take. thefe Motives.: 2. Cwlider *hat profit is to be gotten by affil dons. 1. Metives. I. 'Tis eat enough'to begcod in the afjlillion,but we mull getgood fy the aftlü1ion. Car- nal men are fomewhatgood in the affliction 5 more modelt when Gods hand is heavy -upon them, and they are somewhat difabledor difcouraged fromfollowingtheir lofts; yea, and may make great promises of reformation when God bath them under ; but as Coon as they are delivered, they encourage themfelves in the practice of their old fins 5 as metals are melted while they are in the furnace, but afloon as they are taken out,they return to their natural hardnefs again. But the godly are the better afterwards,they can- not forget their old fmart by fin, Jolla. 22. 17. Is the iniquity of Peor too little fr us, from which we are not cleanjed unto this day? They remember what was the great bur= den in their troubles 5 and what was the great comfort and tupport under them, and are the better all their lives ; but others are of another temper, Kai. 78.34. When ke flew them, then they fought him,and enquired early after God.The fenfe of preterit fmarr, and the terror of an angry God, may frighten them into a little religioufuefs for the prefent, or drive them into a temporary repentance and Peeking friendship and favour with God ; and they leave off their fins for a time; but affoon as they are delivered, areas bad as ever; when aflU lion produceth temporary repentance, we are good in in, but when it produceth conftancy of obedience, then we get good by it ; it hath but fume weak effefk on us, when we are good in it;but a'Caving effelt,when good by ir. a. The a$Ziiu,n cometh as a blefong, where 'tis improved to good: 'Tis a great advan tage to observe whether our aflliüions come as a crots only, or as a curie ; where they leave us worfe rather than better, they are the beginnings of forrows either in this life or the next; fometimes in this life, the croft goeth with a mind to return, or elle Come worfe thing cometh in its place, John q. 14. Sin no more, left a worfe thing come unto thee. God that letteth a finuer efcape onetrouble, eau eafily reach him again, if he ne- gled God and his fouls good;if when the fmarr of the rod is gone, we return again to ohr old vanity, the Lord can eafily put us into a worfe condition than before, he can heat the furnaee feven times hotter, and thát which cometh after is the molt grievous 5 but efpecially in the next world, when God fendeth eternal punishments intlead of temporal; as fometimes God breaketh up the courte of his medicinal discipline, letteth people go uncorreítedand unreclaimed for their greater condemnation, Ïfa. I. 5. Fly should ye be firicken any more I ye will revolt more and more. That is, 'tis in vain to feek to amend you by chaltifements;when men wax the worse for all their afliehtions, and will not be brought home to God, they are given over as incorrigible ; a brand is put upon Ahaz, 2 Chron. 20. 12. In the time of his difire fs, did he trefpaf yet more against the Lord: this is that long Abaz. Mark him for an obstinate and obdurate sin- uer; now fuch Godleaveth to themfelves, Hefea 4. 17. Fphraim is famed to idols, let him
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