276 SERMONS upon Serrr#,X.XXVII, r. t4 defpifng of God, as if he knew not what was. fittest and béft for you, and wouldfend any trouble upon you, that he knoweth not how to turn to good, Job 34. 33. Should it be acording to thy mind, .#will recompence it, whether thou refufe, or whe- ther thou chufe. Should our condition be at our own difpofal, and fould God ask of us, whether we like it or no is it not better to be fatisfied in his will; and fay, Surely God would not fend this at- it-lion, if he did not know how it fhould be good for me : We would carve out our own condition, and have our will in every thing ; but is this wife or juft? Mu(tGod be fubjeCt to our paflìons and affe&ions ? No, whether we will or no, he will take his own way. 2. 'Vs aleffening the value of holìnefs, as if' this profit did not countervail our lofs. We profefs we elteem grace more than wealth, and fpiritual things more than carnal ; but when we are put to the tryal, we little regard holiness, but only mind the cafe of the flesh, and therefore arc fo hardly reconciled to the Crofs ; furely' that which doth us good, iould not be entertained with such impatient refentment ; 'cis worlè in Christi- ans, who are more obliged to count all things dung and drof, Phil. 3. 7, 8, 9, so. But what things were gain to me, thole 7 counted lofs for Chrjli ; yea doubtlej, and I count .41 things but lots, for the excellency of the knowledg of drift jefus my Lord, for whove I Lave suffered the lofs of' all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Chri}l. and be found in hìm, not having mine own righteoufnefs, which is of the law, but that which is through the filth cf Chrisí, the rigbteoufnefs which is' of God by faith, that I may know him, and the power of his refurreilion, and the fellowship of his sufferings. being made conformable to bis death : But we may fay as Mofes to God, Behold the children of Ifrael have not hearkened unto me, how then (hall Pharoah bear me ? We cannot hope to con. vince a worldly man of this, That lofs of estate or poverty is good ; the ambitious man, that 'tis good to be defpifed and contemned g and the voluptuous man, that pain is fometimes better than cafe ; and ficknefs that checkeihthe defiles of the flesh, is better than health that gratifieth them : Alas the children of God are hardly convinced that mortifyingafietion is better than çarnal profperity, how then will the world be- lieve it? . i 2. What profit is there to be gotten by c litlions ? 'Tis hard to inftance in all particu- lars, becaufe God bath feveralends in our atiliûions according to the diftempers that heed cures but;theufual profit of afflictions is feen in these things. 1. That the -time of aflillion is a ferious thinking time, r Kings 8. 47. if they Jhsll bethink themfelves in the land of their captivity. We have more liberty to retire into I our felves, being freed from the attraaive allurements of worldly vanities, and for the prefent there is some refirainton the delights of the flefh,which life to helot the mind, and hinder better thoughts : Adversity maketh men ferious ;the Prodigal came to him - I felt when he began to be in want, Luke 15.17. Sad objects make a deeper imprefíìon on our fouls,than delightful doh they help us to confider our ways, and Gods righte- ousdealings, that we may behave our felves wifely, and fuirable to the difpenfation we are udder, EccleC 7. 14. in the ,day of adversity, confider. See from what hand it com- eth, to what iffue it tendeth,. what is thy duty under it, how little thou carat mend thy felt; without fubmitting to God ; that to hope to escape by ill means, is but like an at- tempt to breakprifon ; 'cis better to make supplications to our Judg ; these Providen- ces are not to be lightly paffed over, the Author of them is God, the occafion fin, the end repentance. - 2. lis an awakening, guickning time. Some are awakened out of the deep of death, and are firtt wropght upon by aflli &ions ; this is one powerful means to bring in fouls to God, and opening their ears to discipline, Job 36. lo. They haditill flept in their fins, if God had not awakened them by the (mart difcipline of the Crofs but others are quickned and awakened to more carefulnefs of their duty, more watchfulness again([ fin,; and the graces of the fpirit, which lay dorman' infus through neglcâ, are more fet awork ; fenfe-pleafrng objets deaden the heart ; Gods heft children fleep, when they have a carnal pillow under their heads, Pfal. 3c, 6. And in my profperity I faid,I(hall never be moved. But now, becaufe they do not fir up themfelves, God Ilir- reth them up by. a (mart rod, that faith may be working, love fervent,hope lively, pray- ers carried on with warmth and zeal ; prayers otherwise are dead, thoughts of Heaven cold or none; wherein all rhefe graces are aéfed. Ifa. 26. 16. Lord in trouble they have v fled thee, they pear out a fryer when thy chaflning was *pen them. And Hosea 5. 15. a . I
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