AFFLICTIONS. 331 your afflictions grow worse ; lest God mingle them with more darkness, bitterness, and terror. As Joab said to David, that if he ceased not his lamentation on the death of Absalom, all the people would leave him, and he thenwould find himself in a far worse condition than that which he bemoaned, or any thing that befell him from his youth; the same may be said to persons un- der afflictions. If they are not managed and improved in a due manner, that which is worse may, nay, in all probability, will befall them. Wherever God takes this way, and engages in afflicting, he commonly pursues his work untilhe bath prevailed, and his design towards the afflicted party is accomplished. He will not cease to thresh and break the bread-corn until it be meet for his use. Lay down, then, the weapons of your warfare against him; give up yourselves to his will ; let go every thing about which he contends with you; follow after that to which he calls you, and you will find light arising in the midst of darkness. Halb he a cup of af- fliction in one hand, lift up your eyes and you will see a cup of consolation in the other. And if all stars with- draw their light, whilst you are in the way of God as- sure yourselves that the sun is ready to rise. 8. According to the tenor of the covenant of grace a man may be sensible of the respect affliction bas to sin, yea, to this or that sin in particular, and yet have a comfortable persuasion ofthe forgiveness of sin. Thus it was in general in God's dealing with his people : "He forgave them, but he took vengeance on their in- ventions." Psalm 99:8. Whatever they suffered un- der the vengeance that fell upon their inventions, (and that is as hard a word as is applied any where to God's
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=