VI. Piety Assures the Soul, that those Things, which most threaten the Ease of the Soul, shall but promote the Good of it. The Fear of God will bring us to Dwell in Good, because it assures us, that nothing shall befall us, but what shall ⟨p. 19⟩do us Good. So to Dwell in Good, is to Dwell at Ease. That which will not let us be Easy, is the Calamity whereto we are obnoxious. Our Disasters do spoil and break our Ease. We think we are Hurt, or we fear that we shall be so. But Piety brings us under the covert of that Word; Rom. VIII. 28. All things shall work together for Good, unto them that love God. Ah, Soul, that cannot be Easy! The Affliction which Discomposes thee, and will not let thee be at Ease, will do thee no Hurt. It is a Faithful God, who sends thy Affliction upon thee; One who says, I will do thee no Hurt: And thou shalt certainly find, That God has meant it unto Good. An excellent Servant of God, sadly tortured with the Stone, would in the midst of his Affliction cry out, I am upon my Fathers Rack. Child, Tho' thou mayst be upon a Rack, yet it is thy Fathers Rack! Afflicted Soul, Consider this; Realize this; My God is doing of me Good, by all His afflictive Dispensations! Why shouldest thou not be at Ease, when thou art sure, that anon thy Experience will be that; Psal. CXIX. 7. It is good for me that I have ⟨p. 20⟩been Afflicted. Oh! Be at Ease; Thy Poverty comes to make thee Rich in Faith. The Reproaches on thy Name, are to fit thee for a Crown of Glory. The Loss of thy Friend, is that thou mayst have the Good part that cannot be taken away. Be Easy; This Affliction, which for the present is not Joyous but Grievous, will Afterwards, Afterwards!—be found for thy Benefit. The Fruits of it, will be such as will Express the Righteousness and Faithfulness of God, in all His Dealings with thee: Peaceable Fruits: Oh! let thy Soul be at Ease, and in Peace, from the Prospect of them! That Hope, All for the Best, All for the Best! Methinks, it may always keep a Soul at Ease. A Soul ever Sailing on the pacific Sea; while Bound unto the Port which I am now presently to tell you of.
VI. Piety Assures the Soul, that those Things, which most threaten the Ease of the Soul, shall but promote the Good of it. The Fear of God will bring us to Dwell in Good, because it assures us, that nothing shall befal us, but what shall ⟨p. 19⟩do us Good. So to Dwell in Good, is to Dwell at Ease. That which will not let us be Easy, is the Calamity whereto we are obnoxious. Our Disasters do spoil and break our Ease. We think we are Hurt, or we fear that we shall be so. But Piety brings us under the covert of that Word; Rom. VIII. 28. All things shall work together for Good, unto them that love God. Ah, Soul, that cannot be Easy! The Affliction which Discomposes thee, and will not let thee be at Ease, will do thee no Hurt. It is a Faithful God, who sends thy Affliction upon thee; One who says, I will do thee no Hurt: And thou shalt certainly find, That God has meant it unto Good. An excellent Servant of God, sadly tortured with the Stone, would in the midst of his Affliction cry out, I am upon my Fathers Rack. Child, Tho' thou mayst be upon a Rack, yet it is thy Fathers Rack! Afflicted Soul, Consider this; Realize this; My God is doing of me Good, by all His afflictive Dispensations! Why shouldest thou not be at Ease, when thou art sure, that anon thy Experience will be that; Psal. CXIX. 7. It is good for me that I have ⟨p. 20⟩been Afflicted. Oh! Be at Ease; Thy Poverty comes to make thee Rich in Faith. The Reproaches on thy Name, are to fit thee for a Crown of Glory. The Loss of thy Friend, is that thou mayst have the Good part that cannot be taken away. Be Easy; This Affliction, which for the present is not Joyous but Grievous, will Afterwards, Afterwards!—be found for thy Benefit. The Fruits of it, will be such as will Express the Righteousness and Faithfulness of God, in all His Dealings with thee: Peacable Fruits: Oh! let thy Soul be at Ease, and in Peace, from the Prospect of them! That Hope, All for the Best, All for the Best! Methinks, it may always keep a Soul at Ease. A Soul ever Sailing on the pacific Sea; while Bound unto the Port which I am now presently to tell you of.
