Versi. the i7ththapter of St. JOHN. 7 to declare his Obedience and Truft. The Hour was come, in which the whole weight of God's Difpleafure was to be laid upon him ; yet in this relative Term, he acknowledgeth his Father's Love, and manifefteth his own Obedience. We fhould do ¡' fo in all our Af li &ions : a. Maintain the Comfort of Adoption. 2. Behave our felves as Children. 1. Maintain the Comfort of Adoption. It is the folly of the Children of God, to queftion his Love, becaufe of the greatnefs of their Af t Lions, as if their Intereft did change with their Condition, and God were not the God of the Vallies, as well as the God of the Hills. We havemore caufe to difcern Love, than ro queftion it. Ba- ftards are left to a roofer Difcipline : Heb. 12. 8. If ye are without chap/intent, whereof all are partakers, then are ye Bollards, and not Sons. To be exempted from the Crofs, is to be put out of the Roll of Children. The Bramble of the Wildernefs is fuffered to grow wild, but the Vine is pruned. TheStones that are defigned for a noble Stru- &ure,or Building, are hewed and fquared, when dthers lie by negle &ed. 2. Behave our felves as Children, with Patience and Hope. X. With a fubmiffivePatience. Father, is a word that implieth Authority, and Love, and Care, all which are Arguments of Patience. Fathers have a natural Right to Rule ; we mutt take it quietly and patiently at their Hands. Ifaac yielded to his Father, when he went to be facrificed. It is faid, Gen. 22. 8. they both went together ; Which noteth his quiet fubmiflion. But Fatherly A&s are not only managed with Au- thority, but with Love and Care. Slaves may be corre&ed out of Cruelty and Hatred, by their Matters ; but Fathers do not deal fo with Children. Heb. 12. 9, to. Further- more, We have had Fathers of our Flefh, which carreCïed ua, and we gave them reverence Shan we not much rather be in fubjeelion to the Father of Spirits, and live ? For they verily for a few days chaftened ms after their own Pleafure, but he for, our Profit, that we might be partakers of his Holinefs. The Apoftle argueth, â minori ad mains. None can be fuch a Father as the Lord, fo wife as he, fo loving as he. God putteth on all Relations : He bath the Bowels of a Mother, the Wifdom of a Father. He is a Mother for ten - dernefs of Love : Ifa. 49. t 5. Can a Wonìan forget her fucking Child, that the fhould not have compaffion on the Son of her Womb ? Tea, they may forget, yet will I hot forget thee. A Father for Wifdom and Care : Mat. 6. 3 t, 32. Take no thought, faying, What ¡ball we eat ? &c. for your Heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all theft things. Earthly Parents fometimes chaftife their Children out of meer Paf ion, at leaft there is fome mixture of Corruption ;. but the Lord's Difpenfations are managed with much Love and Judgment. Therefore fay, as Chrift, John 18. t r. The Cup which my Father hath given me, Jball I not drink of it ? It is a bitter Cup, but it cometh from the Hand of a Father : our Father gave it us, and our Elder Brother began it to us : we fhould love the Cup the better, ever fince Chrift's Lips touched it. 2. With Hope. When we are perplexed, we fhould not be in defpair, but fuftain our felves under our great Hopes. t fohn 3. Now we are the Sons of God, but it doh not yet appear what we than be. We have the Right of Children, though of hi &ed our Elate and Patrimony is in the Heavens. An Heir in his Nonage is under Tutors and Governors : He is born to a great Poffeffion, but kept under a fevere Dif- cipline. [The Hoar it come.] à beg., That Hour. a. That Hour which was defined in God's Decrees, fet down and appointed by the Council of the Trinity; not by Fate, or any Neceffity of the Stars, but by God's wife Providence and Ordination. No Man could take Chrift till his Hour was come; John 7. 3o. Then they fought to take him; but no Man laid hands on him, becaufe his Hour was not yet come. But when this Hour was come, the Son of God was brought under the power of Men, and liable to the Affaults of Devils : Therefore he faith, Luke 22. 53. This is your Hour, and the Power of Darknefs. No Calamity can touch us, with- out God's Will. The Hour, the Meafure, all the Circumftances of Sufferings, fall un- der the Ordination of God. It is not only a General Ordinance, that we (hall fuffer Afi &ion; the Apoftle mentioneth that, t Theff 3. 3. Let no Man be moved by this Af- flidion; for your felves know, that you were thereunto appointed : It is the Ordinance of God, that the Way to Heaven fhould lie through an howling Wildernefs, All the Saints in Heaven knew no other Road : Affli &ions feem one of the Way- marks. But we fpeak now of another Appointment, of determinating all the Circumftances of the
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