Imatges de pàgina
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And let their Widows truft in me, Jer. 49. 11. The Poor committeth his Caufe to thee: Thou art the Helper of the Fatherless; a Father of the Fatherless, and a Judge of the Widow in his boly Habitation. Let the Childless remember what God fays, That if fuch do choose the Things that please me, and take bold of my Covenant, even unto them will I give within my Houfe, and within my Walls, a Place, and a Name, better than of Sons and Daughters: I will give them an everlasting Name, that hall not be cut off, Ifai. 56. 4, 5. Let the Friendless and Helpless remember, that God has promised to deliver the Needy when he crieth; the Poor alfo, and bim that bath no Helper, Pial. 72. 12.

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Lover and Friend, when Father and Mother forfake me, then the Lord will take me up, Pfal. 26.10. Lord remember thefe Words, wherein thou hast caufed me to hope. Promises were made on Pur.pofe for God to fulfil, and for us to truft in: And he that by Faith humbly depends upon them, takes the best Way to have thefe, or fome others, fulfilled to his feasonable Comfort and Relief. Be careful for nothing; but in every Thing, by Prayer and Supplication, with Thanksgiving, let your Requefts be made known unto God, Phil. 4. 6. Doth not Prayer and Supplication fignify a Carefulness for fomething? namely, that which I pray, and fupplicate for? Doubtlefs, a Care of the right Sort, a Care of the Means, which is our Part fuch as Prayer, Supplication and Diligence; and which discharges us from the burdenfome Care of the End, which is God's Part. It eafes us from D 2

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all difracting Care about the fue. It relieves our Anxiety for God's Part, and our own alfo; which is too much for any Man alive, to have two fuch Cares upon him at once, the Care of the Means, with their diligent Ufe, and the Care of the End alfo: That is, to have God's Care upon us, and our own too. One of thefe Cares must be left to God. To caft upon God the Care of the Means, and to fay, I will not pray, I will not ufe my Endeavours, is Careleffnefs and Prefumption; neither of which are Chriftian Graces. To take upon us the Care of the Jue and the Event, is distracting Anxiety, and is the Carefulness here forbidden, às invading God's Province. Duty is mine, fo far as that, I am to care about the End. Event is God's; and that not being in my Power, is no Object of my Care, though it be of Concern and Expectation. It feems equally criminal and foolish to neglect our own Power, or to invade God's.

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What if there be no Means? I fee

Aufer. Then we must ftand fill, and fee the Salvation of God.

Mourner. What if there be no Salvation?

Apfwer. Why then I fay, though he flay me, Net will I trust in him, Job 13.15. I am not better than my Fathers: Let me die. When it is come to that, we must do as they did, in As 21. 14. And when he would not be perfuaded, we ceafed, faying, The Will of the Lord be done. Good Men

have perished indeed from the Earth; but it is only from the Earth. They die from hence into Immortality. They are gone, but not loft. Some Salvation will always be ready to crown their Faith and Patience, and expofe the angry Impropriety of your Queftion, What if there be no Salvation? Good Men may be afflicted, but cannot be miserable. If Dives fhuts his Door against Lazarus, Abraham's Bofom is open. Say unto the Righteous, it shall be well with them, in this or the other World, or in both.

. Let us fuit ourselves to our Condition. Let our Minds agree with our Station; our Appetites and Defires to our Circumstances. This is another Part of our Submiffion as to our Behaviour. The Blow that we feel, fhould kill Curiofity, Vanity, Luft and Pride. If we will never poffefs our Souls in Patience but when they are humoured, they will fooner be undone than fatisfied. He who inlarges his Defires makes the Duty of Submiffion fo much the more difficult; for he has fo many more Cravings to provide for, and to be difappointed in.

Nor fhould we aim only at the Decency of a mere patient Behaviour, but should endeavour at fome Degree of Chearfulness, for the Honour of God, and the Ornament of Religion. Let me fhow what my Religion can do in fuch a Cafe, and of what Ufe its Principles are, towards the Comfort, as well as Support, of a forrowful Mind. I read of fome that could rejoice in Tribulation why fhould not I? If I am not yet able, I will

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Sect. V. try to learn that Leffon, hard as it appears to me at prefent. It is no Mark of the divine Favour to escape all Troubles. Behold, these are the Ungodly, who profper in the World, and increafe in Riches: They are not in Trouble, as other Men, Pfal. 73. 12. But I am fure of this, that to bear the Hand of God, and refign to it, because it is the Lord, this is a Mark of his Favour and Love. This Grace beftowed is a greater Gift than any Thing he has taken away; a greater Gain than any Thing I have loft in my departed Comforts, or difappointed Hopes. Common Mercies are no Proofs of fpecial Favour; but the Grace that teaches us to joy in Tribulation, and to say, Not my Will but thine be done, comes to us with that Addrefs, Hail thou that art highly favoured of the Lord. And with that Privilege the Apostle speaks of, as forrowful, yet always rejoicing, 2 Cor. 6. 10. forrowful in Appearance, but always rejoicing in Reality; becaufe in fuch a Cafe there will always be to fuch a one more Caufe of Joy than Sorrow. Therefore I take Pleasure in Infirmity, in Reproaches, in Neceffity, Perfecution, and Distress, for the Sake of Chrift. Moft gladly therefore will I rather glory in my Infirmity, that the Power of Chrift may reft upon me, 2 Cor. 12.9, 10. Though the Fig-tree hould not bloffem, neither fhall Fruit be in the Vines; the Labour of the Olive fhall fail, and the Fields fhall yield no Meat; the Flock fhall be cut off from the Fold, and there fhall be no Herd in the Stall; yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my Salvation, Hab. 3. 17, 18. Whence had thefe

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Men this Secret? Cannot I have it at the fame Place? I come to the Throne of Grace, for this Grace and Mercy to help in this Time of Need; that I may lay all at his Feet, and bring every high Thought to the Obedience of Faith, and every tumultuous Thought into a calm Submiffion to the Will of God; and with Chearfulness proclaim to all, that I am pleased with my Governor, however irkfome to Flesh and Blood this Correction may be.

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The Impediments that hinder this fo reasonable a Duty, and fo lovely a Frame of Soul, in a Time of Sorrow.

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N evil Heart of Unbelief, in whatever Degree it be, does in the fame Degree leffen the Influence that invifible Things ought to have upon me. If I indeed believe that Life and Immortality are brought to Light by the Gofpel, I fhall not behave as one who thinks. there is nothing in the Cafe but Death, and Parting. The Eye that is kept on the future World will not always weep. Let not your Hearts be troubled: Ye believe in God, John 14. 1. Is Believing then an Antidote against Trouble of

Heart?

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