ver. 3 5: the 8th Chapter to the R OM A N S. 353 grace their delights by a contrary courfe ;John 15. 19. The srorld'leveth its own ; bn; 1 have chafers you out of the World, therefore .the world ha teth jets. 1 Pet. 4.4,, T.60 run not with them into the fame excefi'of riät. A conttatY courfe produceth contrary affections and interefts .5. cometh their hatred and ma- lignity againft the Saints, becaufe they upbraid, them with-their fins ; The wicked and the righteous, the fpiritual and the carnal, the fenfual and the heavenly, the formal and the ferious, can no more agree, than the Wolf and the Lamb, the Raven and the Dove. 4. 'Tis needful thafour pride, and carnal affe £tionsfhould be broken by the Croft, r Pet. r. 6. Te are in beavinefs for a feafón, if need be. This (mart difcipline is need- ful to reclaim us from our wandrings, to cut off the provifon for the flc(h, which is an enemy 5 to hs mble us for tin, which is the greateft evil, to wean us from the world, to make us more mindful of 'heavenly thing's, to make us thankful for our deliverance by Chrift. How lazy and vain do i he belt grow, whtn they live in, Wealth, Honour, and Power ? Graces are eclipfed, duties obftrected, thoughts of Hea- ven few and cold : We often fear the deje &ion of the godly ; We need more fear their Exaltation : 'What lamentable work do they make in the world, when they get uppermoft 5 fo that we have more caufe to thank Chrift for our afilidions, than our profperity. r. V S 8 is Inftru &ion : That we have no reafon to doubt Of Gods Favour and Prefence with us, tho we be exercifed with calamitjes, And. divers calamities; Single ca- lamities are continent enough with the love of God to his people : God is a Father when he frowneth, as well as when he fmileth : Chrift was the on of hi love, and yet a man of forrows s and fo for Chriflians, Rev. 3. s 9. As m..xy ei 1 leve, 1 rebuke and chajlrn. God loveth thole moll, whom he cloth not leave io petith with the God- left and unbelieving world ; and divers calamities, or variety cf troubles, tribulation, dilirefs, perfecution,famine, nakedncfs, peril, (word, call it by whet name you will,' 'ris all incident to the Saints : Some trials tG ordinary en:e, feem to fptak wrath, 'utter- wrath, rather than love g as when hefeemeth to have broken off hiprdinary courfe, of kinduef to his people, and to can them out of his protection, leaving them ¡Dille hand and,will of their enemies, fo that they are reproadhedt troubled, and reduced to great ftraits and nece(fìties ; all this is nectffary 5 for till an, utter exigence, carnal fuppor{s are not fpent, and one trial by continance is blunted, and loleth its edg, till God fend another 5 therefore we need not one affli Lion only, Rut divers 5 but how manyfuever they be, we have no reafontoquefhon the love of God; job 5. 19, 26. lie 'frail' deli, ver thee in (ix troubles,yea, ir, fevent here jbeell ro evil couch thee. fit famine befhall redeem thee from death, and in war from the power f thejinord. In irkednels he will cloathe thee, in perfecution preferve thee, in peril proteft Thee, in dinréfs comfort thee 5 tho . it cometh to the greateft rtouble,yet we have no caufe to defpond,as if God had can us off, or withdrawn his love from us. 2. That if we meet with many troubles, this will be no excufe, or plea, tp exempt us from our duty 5 foras aftlihtions (hould nor make us doubt of Gods love to us,f, they fhould not make us abate of our love to God, Pfal. 44. 1j. .43 this is come upon 1 1, yèt we have net forgotten thee, nor have we dealt fay in thy ccüenant. They had (irffe- red hard things,yet all this could not fhaketheir conftancy and refolùtion for Cod: ,.11 oür interefts were given us; that we !light have fomething of value to eftemm as no- thing for Chrift. 3. It fheweth us what a good allowance we ( bould make Chrift when we enter into Covenant With him;and with what thoughts we ( hould take ùp the ftrider profef$on of Chriftianity : Many think they may be good Chrinians, yet their profefftoo thus colt them nothing ; this is as if a man ( hould enter himfelf a Soldier, and never expeEt bat - tel; or a Mariner, and promife himfelf nothing but calms and fair weather, wt hcut waves and norms 5 a life of cafe is not to be expelled by a Chrinián here upon earth; if God will fuller. us to go to Heaven at an caller rate, yet a Chrinian cannot ,promife it to himfelf, but mutt be a mortified and refolute niao, dead to the world, and refoli' d to hold on his journey to the world to come, whatever weather he ineeteth with ; a- mong other of the pieces of the fpiritual armor , the Apt-Ale biddeth us, Befliod with the armor of the gofpel of peace, .Eph. 6. i 5. If a 'man be not thus (hod, 44 will feón founder in hard and rough ground 5 But what 'is this preparation of the Gofpcl, of Peace? Peace noteth our reconciliation and peace with God, Midintercn its hisfavour 9 Iï atìd1
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