Imatges de pàgina
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There is a great Difference in the Conftitutions of Men. That which melts down one Perfon, fhall hardly warm another. Where there is a Predominance of the fofter Paffions, every Bowel fhall move within them; and, like the fenfitive Plant, they fhrink in, and are affected with the fmalleft Touch.

Surprise, upon the firft Invafion of an Evil; the fudden News of fuch a Lofs, may be too hard for a Man that has a good Command of himself. He must recover himself; he muft rally the Forces of Reason and Religion: When the Shock is over, he will better perceive it might have been more decently born.

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It is no Crime to be fenfible of the Greatness of our Lofs, nor to feel the Pain of it. Infenfibility is no Virtue, has no Glory in it, will have no Reward. The great Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep, Gen. 23. 2. without any Diminution to his great Character. Jefus himself wept over Lazarus; which he would not have done, had there been any thing unfeemly in dropping a Tear over a departed Friend. Devout Men carried Stephen to his Funeral, and made great Lamentation; and yet they were devout Men. "Human Nasture is framed with fuch Senfes and Paffions as,, "according to God's Intentions, will be affected "fuitably to their Objects: And, if the Soul acts "rationally, it is moved accordingly. And if we "confider the End for which Afflictions are fent, "namely, for our Amendment, it will appear ne"ceffary that they fhould be felt; for if we have "no Senfe of the Blow, how fhall we fubmit to

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"the Hand that gives it? If our Affections are "feared against all painful Impreffions, God is then "defeated in the best Means of our Awakening; "for he that is not fenfible of his Affliction, will "continue fecure in his Sin *.”

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There are two Extremes ever to be avoided under Troubles: The one is flighting the Affliction, as if we fcorned to feel it, like a mere Accident, not to be regarded: The other is finking under it, as if we had no Help to go to, but would fling up all in fullen Despair; instead of endeavouring to attain the End God himself aims at in the Difpenfation. Both thefe Extremes are cautioned against : My Son, defpife not thou the Chaftening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked, Heb. 12. 5. If you despise the Chaftening, you may provoke him to fay, "I will make you feel, before I have done. "with you;" and fo draw upon you more Strokes, as they did, Thou baft ftricken them, but they have not grieved; thou haft confumed them, but they have refused to receive Correction: they have made their Faces harder than a Rock; they have refused to return, Jer. 5. 3. And what followed this affected Infenfibility, in which they hardned themselves against God and his Providence? They made Matters ten times worfe, and fuffered many Evils instead of one. Wherefore the Lion out of the Foreft fball flay them, fome fierce and cruel Enemy. The Wolf of the Evening shall spoil them, fome greedy and devouring Enemy. The Leopard shall watch over their Cities; every one that goeth out thence, Shall be torn in Pieces; fome watchful cunning Ad

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verfary: Because their Tranfgreffions are many, and their Backflidings are increased, Jer. 5. 6.

How much better is it for me to fay with the Church, I will bear the Indignation of the Lord, becaufe I have finned against him? I will bear it as well as I can; and will endeavour to bear it as well as I ought. My Wound is grievous; but I said, Truly this is a Grief, and I must bear it, Jer. x. 19.

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The particular Circumftances of Trouble in my Cafe, are all under his compaffionate Eye. The Degrees of Bitterness in my Cup, with every Ingredient, were of his own mixing: It is the Cup which my Father gives me to drink. He will allow the Degrees of Sorrow to be in proportion to the Degrees of Affliction. That Degree of Sorrow may be a Sin in one Affliction, which is but decent in another. The Bloffom foon withers, and the Flower fades ; the fair Bloffom, the beautiful Flower: But all Flefb is Grafs. One Chanel of my Pleasure is dried up, it is but one Chanel; or if more, the Fountain is ftill open, and can never run dry. I may mourn the Lofs of what was so neceffary to me, with a Degree of Sorrow beyond what is due only to a Convenience of Life. The Lofs of one upon whom our All depends, not only the Comfort and Delights, but the very Support and Livelihood of a Family; how deep muft that Wound be? And who can forbid it to bleed, where Extremities to be fuffered, come in the room of Endearment and Delight enjoyed? Job loft his Children, his. Eftate, his Health, his Peace; heavy as the Sand of the Sea was his Grief! But here comes a Mourner, and fays; I have loft all this in one Perfon: I was

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at Eafe, but thou hast broken me to Pieces. A Widow and Fatherlefs Children; a poor Widow and Fatherless; fick, as well as poor; deferted by Friends, perfecuted by Enemies; how many Degrees of Anguifh are here beyond the Sorrow only of being a Widow? How allowable for fuch a one to say, (and such a one there has been) Even to Day is my Complaint bitter; my Stroke is heavier than my Groaning, Job 23. 2.

Grief must have a Vent: Sorrow may exprefs itself. I may figh, and weep, and tell my mournful Story to God and Man: In all this Job finned not. As for me, is my Complaint to Men? And if it were fo, why should not my Spirit be troubled? Job 21. 4. It is in vain to complain to Men. I will turn my Complaint to God: He will allow me to complain to him, though I must not complain of him. I cried unto thee with my Voice, and made Supplication. I poured out my Complaint before him: I fhewed before him my Trouble, Pfalm 142. 1, 2. There is a Pfalm on purpose for the Afflicted, with this Title: A Prayer of the Afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his Complaint before the Lord, Pfalm 102, When a Man

is fo afflicted as to be overwhelmed with it, he may complain; he may complain even before the Lord: Nay, he may pour out his Complaint. Another while he fays, I am fo troubled I cannot Speak. Anguifh in Extremity will fometimes ftrike dumb, and at another Time pour out Complaints. My Sorrows are great, because my Lofs is fo. Thou knoweft, O Lord, more than myself, how bitter

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bitter in many refpects this is likely to prove. What a Gap is made in the Comfort of my Life? What Troubles are like to come in at this Breach, like a Flood? Whither fhould I carry my Sorrows and Cares, but to thee who careft for me? My, Friends are quickly weary of my Complaints: It is burdenfome to them, though it relieves me. Thou art the Father of Compaffion: All weeping Eyes lift up themfelves to thee, and every fighing Prayer from the Ends of the Earth. Hear

my Prayer, O Lord; and let my Cry come unto thee. Hide not thy Face; incline thine Ear. My Heart is fmitten, and withered like Grafs, fo that I forget to eat my Bread; or I mingle it with Afbes, the Bread of Affliction, and the Water of Affliction. My Courage fails; my Spirits are wafted by the Greatnefs of my Sorrow; by reafon of the Voice of my Groaning, my Bones cleave to my Skin: I am like a Pelican in the Wilderness, a lonely, folitary Creature. I watch, and am like a Sparrow upon the Houfe Top: I decline Society by Day, and am deprived of Sleep by Night. I have eat Ashes like Bread, and mingled my Drink with Weeping, becaufe of thine Indignation, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and caft me down: Pfalm 102. 1-10. Heal the Wound which thou haft made. Surely there is Balm in Gilead, and a Phyfician there? Affuage my Grief by thy Confolations, which are not fmall. Relieve my Loneliness by a great deal. of thy fenfible Prefence. Give me fo much more of thy Company, that I may find I am not alone, because the Father is with me. My Light is gone

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