APPLICATION. TO THE AFFLICTED. Pray over the lessons that the Spirit of God teaches you under affliction, that God would enforce them upon your consciences, bring you to the practice of them, and mourn often over sin, and be much in meditation on such sub- jects. Had I pierced my Lord, my Redeemer with a spear, surely I should hate that weapon again : now every sin is such a weapon, especially those that God afflicts us for. Had I contended with God and suffered under sore rebukes, had I felt many bruises from him, on this ac- count I should be afraid of contending with him again. May we all' then take up our meditations on the subject, and say, What have I learnt by- any afflictions wherewith God has instructed me ? Let us search our own souls, and ask, Was I carnally-minded before, and has God lifted up my soul to spiritual and divine thoughts now ? Did I .make the pleasure of this life my chief joy and comfort before, and has God made them bitter to me now ? Let me be afraid of loving earth and the pleasures of it again. Has God discovered to me that I was too vain, too proud, and .humbled me, let me fear vain glory again. Was I negligent of any religious duties be- fore, and has God been purging away my iniquity by bringing sorrows and troubles upon me ? Oh ! that -I may for the future come with great delight into the pre- sence of God, and love to approach hirn in his ordi- nances. Was I unfit for heaven before, unfit to die, and has God taught me to die, fitted me for the inheritance of the Saints above by any afflictive providences ? Let me not lose this meetness for heaven that I have Iearnt by troubles here on earth. Have I lived too much upon things seen, and has God cut off all, succours from the things round about me ? Let me live more by faith, less by sight. Let us -walk humbly all our days till our souls shall be received to the mansions of the Lord, where there shall be no more sin in us, and no more reason of con- tention between , God and our souls. Then the Spirit shall cease his office of conviction of sin, and shall be nothing.else but a spirit of love, and light, and joy, and peace, and comfort, for ever and ever. Amen.
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