The blessedness of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /The blessednesse of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /

Men are more reconcilable to one another, when enemies; more constant, when ⟨p. 219⟩friends. How often doth the power of a conquering enemy, and the distress of the conquered, work a submission on this part, and a remission on that. How often are haughty spirits stooped, by a series of calamities, and made ductile; proud arrogants formed, by necessity and misery, into humble supplicants, so as to lie prostrate at the feet of a man, that may help, or hurt them; while still the same persons retain indomitable, unyielding spirits towards God, under their most afflictive pressures. Though his gracious Nature, and Infinite fullness promise the most certain, and liberal relief, 'tis the remotest thing from their thoughts to make any address to him. They cry because of the oppression of the mighty, ¹but none says where is God my Maker, who giveth songs in the night. Rather perish under their burdens, then look towards God, when his own visible hand is against them, or upon them, and their lives at his mercy; they stand it out to the last breath; and are more hardly humbled then consumed: Sooner burn, then weep, shrivelled up into ashes, sooner then melted into tears. Scorched with great heat, ²yet repent not to give glory to God: Gnaw their tongues for pain, and yet still more disposed to blaspheme, then pray or sue for mercy. Dreadful thought! As to one another, Reconciliations among men are not impossible, or unfrequent; even of mortal enemies, but they are utterly implacable towards God! yet they often wrong one another, but they cannot pretend God ever did them the least wrong, yea they have ⟨p. 220⟩lived by his bounty all their days. They say to God, depart from us, yet he filleth their houses with good things. So true is the Historians^* observation. Hatred is sharpest where most unjust.

Men are more reconcileable to one another, when enemies; more constant, when ⟨p. 219⟩