I q SERMONS upon Serm. 24. not my Heart to any evil things to prdlife wicked Works with them that work iniquity : and let me not eat of their Dainties. And they defile Improvement, rather than a Difcharge; for the Saints do not conceive Prayeis out of Intereff, but from a principle of the new Nature : to a gracious Eye, Suftgotation under the Croes, is better than abfolute Deli- verance 5 the Deliverance is a common Mercy, the Suftentation is a fpecial Mercy. Car- nal Men may be without Affliítion,but Carnal Men have no experience of Grace ; and bare Deliverance is no fign of fpecial Love, but Improvement is. My Grace is fufici. ens for thee. It is Divinity preached from Heaven, makes the Saints to rejoice in Infir- mities, Paul before was earneft to be freed from the trouble. VP 2. How to wait and hope for the Blefiings of Chrifi's Purchafe. Abfolute Im- munity is not to be looked for,. but Vil ory and ConCervation. 2 Tim. 4. x8. The Lord fhall deliver me from every evil Work, and will preferve me unto his Heavenly Kingdom: A Chriftian placeth his Hope chiefly on that. Paul could not look for filch a delive- rance again from the Lion, but from an unworthy Carriage. The Bleffings which Chrift hath obtained of his Father, are rather Spiritual and Celeftial, than Temporal; therefore he is more follicitous to free us from Sin, than from Trouble. Mat. r. 2 I. Thom pelt call his Name yefus : for he fhall fave his People from their Sins ; not from their Troubles, their Sorrows, but their Sins. We would be delivered from Sicknefs, Trou- ble, Danger ; but Chrift is a Spiritual Saviour, the great Deliverance is to be freed from Sin. Vfe 3. To teach us to fuser with Patience. Let us endure the Evil of Punifhment, that we may efcape the Evil of Sin. Moral Evil is worfe than Natural; it is better to be miferable,than to be fistful : Of all Evil, Sin is the greateft : to be Carnal, a Swearer, a Drunkard; an unclean Perfon ; this is a greater Evil than Poverty, Sicknefs, Blind - nefs, Lamenefs, this doth not feparate from God. 4. Obf. The Danger of the Worldly Effate. It appears in two things. FirfI ; The multiplicity of Snares. The whole World is full of Snares, and we can walk no where, but we are like to be defiled. It is a Vale of Tears, and a Place of Snares; and therefore a Vale of Tears, becaufe a place of Snares, which make the Saints go up and down groaning. Rom. 7.24. 0 wretched Man that I am ! who (hall deliver me from this Bady of Death ? All conditions of Life may become a Snare, Pro- fperity, Adverfity. Prov. 3o. 8, 9. Give me neither Poverty nor 'icbes; feed me with .Food convenient for me : Left I be fn11, and deny thee, and fay, Who is the Lord ? or left I be poor, and fled, and take the Name of God in vain. Mark, either condition hash its Snares, but Profperity hath moil. As a Garment too Ihort, will not cover our na- kednefs; and too long, proveth laciniasrapendens, ready to trip up our Heels. Many that carry themfelves well in one Condition, quite mifcarry in another: as it is ob- ferved of Joab, 1 Kings 2. 28. That he turned after Adonijah, tho he turned not after Abfaloni. Ephraim is a Cake not turned, Hofea 7. 8. The young Prophet that with flood the King, is overcome with the Intimations of the old Prophet, 1 Kings 13. .t 6, 17. Some mifcarry in Adverfity, others in Profperity, but more there: as Difeafes that grow of Fulnefs, are more dangerous than Difeafes that grow of Want 5 the taking God's' Name in vain, is not fo bad as denying God ; Leff I be full, and deny thee ; left I be poor, and take thy Name in vain : They that are full, live as if there were no God at all, there is the Snare : And in Adverfity we are impatient, as in Profperity we are forgetful of God. Paul learned of Chriff how to be abafed, and bow to abound, Phil. 3. 12. We muff do both ; but there is a greater Snare in Profperity, the more of the World, the worfe; as fat and fertile Grounds are moil rank of Weeds, and produce moll Thorns and Thililes. Rom. 8.39. Nor heighth, nor depth, fliall feparate us from the Love of God that is in Chrift Jefus our Lord ; the depth of Mifery is a fnare, and the heighth of Happinefs too, there the Snare is greater. Mifery is often made an oc- tafion to bring us to Chrift, but never Fulnefs, Eafe and Plenty. The Moon is never eclipfed but when at Full ; God'sChildren have moil milcarried then. David was not £riled with Luft, whilfthe wandred in the Wildernefs, but whilft he walked on the Tarras of his Palace ; then Men difcover themfelves ; as a leaky Veffel is known when it is filled with Water. ° Adverfity makes Men more referved and ferious ; when the Veffel is empty, its hollownefs and unfoundnefs is leail difcovered. Thus every Condi- tion
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