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APPLICATION
TO
THE
AFFLICTED.
guilt
f)r
which
.God has
or
may contend
with yo
u
:
if
it
ve,
God
may
condemn
as well
as
contend
;
and
you
have not
ground
for the same
hope
as
Job
had,
who
trusted
in
and
prayed to
God,
that
he would
not
condemn
him, in
the same
verse,
,where
he desires to know
the
reason
why
God contended with
him
;
see,
therefore,
.
that
this
be
not
in
your hearts,
for
that
will
be,
a
reason
of
everlasting contention
between
God
and
you,
if
not
removed.
Perhaps
you may
complain
you
have had
dif-
ficulties
and troubles
in
your
life;
consider whether God
be
not
dealing
kindly
with
you,
in
order
to
bring
you to
himself,
and,,
then these
are
kind afflictions,
gracious pro-
mises,
though
they may
be
bitter.
2.
`Vhensoever
we
see
others
under
any
sorrow
we
should admonish them
with gentleness, patience,
and
meekness, though
we
think their
sin
written never
so
plain
in
their
afflictions.
We are ready
to be
angry
with
those
we
instruct and
admonish
if
they
will
not take our
admonition and
reproofs;
but remember it
is
only
God
can make them effectual
to
convince
of
sin,
and
let
us
not
take the
work
of
the Spirit
of
God
out of
his own
hand
as
if
we
had
power to convince
of
sin.
3.
Let
us
pray earnestly
to
God
for those
under
sore
rows,
that
God
would
convince them for what
sin
he
contends
with them, for
it
is
his work,
and that
in
order
to remove
affliction.
II.
To
those
with
whom
God
seems to
contend,
who
are under
his afflicting providences,
I.
At
the time you
are under
such afflictions
adore
the
love
of
God
in the
Covenant of Grace,
and
that upon
this account,
he who
contends
with you
will
not
condemn
you.
Let
saints under sorrow remember
this,
and they
will
find some
comfort
to
support
them
under it
;
review
your
evidences for heaven, what ground
for
hope you
have look
to
the hands
of
the Lord
Jesus
Christ,
where
you have
committed
it
by
faith
;
endeavour
to see
your
souls safe
there
at
the last
day,
that
you may
not
be
condemned though
he contend with you. Remember,
there
is
no
contention between God
and
you
here,
but
that justly
might
have been
condemnation;
and remem-
ber'
again,
for your further encouragement
herein,
than
God
deals more
kindly with you
in
this
respect
than
He
did with his son
Jesus
Christ,
for
when hé was
under
the