Sermons preached

But Affirmatively. There is in it,

1. A work of the Judgment, which subscribes to the Justice and Goodness of the Dispensation, that it is just. Dan. 9. 7. O Lord, Righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of Face. It is a smart and dreadful Correction, but the Lord is Righteous. And to the Goodness of it, Isa. 39. 8. Good is the Word of the Lord. Though it was a terrible Word, yet the submission of a sanctified Judgment calls it good.

1. A work of the Iudgment, which subscribes to the Justice and Goodness of the Dispensation, that it is just. Dan. 9. 7. O Lord, Righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of Face. It is a smart and dreadful Correction, but the Lord is Righteous. And to the Goodness of it, Isa. 39. 8. Good is the Word of the Lord. Though it was a terrible Word, yet the submission of a sanctified Judgment calls it good.

2. The act of the Will, is accepting of it; Lev. 26. 41. If they shall accept of the punishment of their Sin. There's a consent and choice of the Will: such a perfect correspondence between the Temper of a Gracious Heart, and the Will of God: they take it well and kindly from God, that it is no worse; as a Patient takes bitter Pills for his Good. There are some kind of Reluctancies of Nature, but their over-powering Judgment and Will doth approve and accept. Afflictions are to be taken as a Potion, not as a Drench, not forced upon us whether we will or no: we must accept of them, take them down our selves; it is a bitter Cup, but it is of our Heavenly Physicians tempering. Seneca a Heathen could say, Deo non pareo, sed assentio ex Animo; I do not merely submit to Divine Providence, but consent to it. A strange thing that a Heathen should say so. It is good, and so we accept it: not barely out of Necessity, and by a Patience per force, but there is a willing submission to what the Lord ordereth concerning us.