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APYLICATIONT TO
THE
AFFLICTED,
f10
load
of
greater
sorrows
than
even
any
saint
bore,
God
the father
condeninedhim
a,t
the same time he
contended
with
hirn
;
":It
pleased.
God
to
make
him sin
for
us
who
knew no
sin
;"
and
it
was
that
hernight
contend
with
vs
without condemnation
:
let
this
thought then
live
upon
your
minds,
that there
is
no
reason for
him
to
contend
.
but
there
is
the
same to condemn,
and
wonder
at
his.
grace
that
distinguishes between
these
two.
á.
Under
afflictions
plead hard
with
God
for the con
-
vincing
spirit
;
cry
to
God
as
Job
did,
"
Shew me
where-
"
fore thou
contendest
with
me ;"
"
discóver; to
me
whether
it
be
for sin
or
no, or
whether
to
exercise
some
"
grace,
whether to discover
me to myself;
onto
manifest
"
thyself
to me
in
a
way
of
sovereignty
and majesty, to
teach
"
me tó be
humble, to
learn the lesson
thou wouldest
"
teach
nie
;"
and
let
us
not
hide ourselves from the con
-
vincing
Spirit
if
he
speaks
a.
word to
our souls
in
the
preaching
of
his
gospel,
or
in
his
providences
by
way
of
instruction;
let
us
not contradict our
own
prayer.
If
we
pray
that
God
would
discover
to
us
the
reason
of our
afflictions,
we
ought
to lay
our
souls
open and
search
them, and
see where
the light
of
the Spirit
of'Ged
directs
us to discover
sin.
If
we
have any guilt
that
is
manifest
to our
consciences
by
his
providence
under
afflictions,
let
us
endeavour
to
pursue
this discovery,
and
see
whether
it
be
not
the
true
reason
of
God's contention, for it
is
by such
methods
as
this that
God's Spirit often reveals
sin to
us.
3.
If
sin be
revealed to us
under
sorrow,
henceforth
and
for ever avoid
that
sin
;
maintain
a sense
of
it
always,
and
return not
to the commission
of it
again.
"
I
will
hear
what
God the Lord
will
speak,"
(Ps.
lxxxv.
S.).
He
complains
before
Of
the many sorrows the
Church
was
under,
he
prays for deliverance,
he waits to
hear
what
God
will
return
as an
answer;
his
faith trusts
God
will
speak
peace, and
the inference
he
makes
is,
"
let
"
them
not
return
to
the
same
folly
again
:"
It
may
not
be useless on this
account-to
write down
the experience
we
have
had of the carriage
of
God
towards
us,
that God
convinced
us
of
such
a
sin
under
such an affliction,
that
we
may
not forget
the sense
we
have
had
of
it.
We
ought
to
endeavour
to
retain
it,
for
it
is
a means whereby
we
shall
be
made to
walk
humbly
with
our God
all
our
days.