21. are not made for the fatisfying God, but for other wife, and virtuous, and good Ends. And tho' the Phrase in Scripture be fuch as feems to intimate that God fends thefe Temptations, that he may know whether they, who are exercised by them, do bear an honeft Mind towards him, yet undoubtedly, this is faid wordtws, as ἀνθρωποπάθως, the Divines fpeak; that is to fay, these are Forms of Speech borrowed from our Dealings one with another; as God is faid to Gen. 18. go down and enquire whether the Wickedness of Sodom was really fo great as the Cry thereof. And abundance of fuch Idioms we have in Scripture. Indeed, I may say, that almost the whole Language of the Old Teftament, with relation to God, is of that Kind. But the true Senfe and Importance of these Paffages, is no more than this: That these kind of Difpenfations of God's Providence to Men, are great Exercises of their Virtue, and great Proofs, whereby they may evidence, both to themselves and thofe about them, that they are what they pretend to be; and laftly, great Occafions of Benefits and Advantages, both to themfelves and others. They are indeed truly and properly Trials and Experiments, becaufe a Man is truly and properly experimented by them. But then, the End of this is not to instruct God, or to make him certain of that which he was uncertain of before; but partly to inftruct Men what they they are to think of themselves, and what others are to think of them, (which, without thefe Trials, they would not have been able to do) and partly to bring a great deal of Good to the World, and to those Perfons in particular, who are exercised by thefe Trials. Two Inferences, by way of Application, I defire to draw from what has been faid upon this Point, before I go any further. Firft, Let us from hence be inftructed never to judge of God's Love or Hatred to Perfons by the outward Circumftances that do befal them. Do not conclude, because thou art more fortunate in this World than thy Neighbour; because thou art, by ftrange uncommon Accidents, advanced, as to thy outward Condition; because thou art bleffed in thy Basket and in thy Store, in thy Family and in thy Relations, above thine own Expectations, or the ordinary Succeffes of other Mens Endeavours: I fay, Do not conclude from hence, that therefore thou art a greater Favourite of God's, than they who have not fped fo well. Oh! this is a very falfe Way of Arguing. God might have a great many other Ends to ferve by thefe Difpenfations of his Providence towards thee, different from thofe thou dreameft of. And perhaps this was one: He meant, that these happy Circumftances (as thou accounteft them) should be fent unto thee by way of Temp tation; tation ; that they fhould be Trials and Experiments of thy Virtue; and according as thou didst use them, or behave thy felf under them, fo fhould they prove a Bleffing or a Curfe to thee. If thou beareft thyself with an even and compofed Mind, and makeft ufe of thofe Advantages thou haft above other Men for the doing more Good in the World than other Men, and in the midft of thy Prosperity neither vainly pleaseft thyself, nor defpifeft others, but walkeft reverently and humbly with thy God in all thy Converfation, then thou haft fome Reafon to conclude, that these Things are really a Bleffing to thee, for thou acquitteft thyfelf under thefe Trials as thou shouldeft do; and there is no Doubt but thy Virtue will be approved by God, as well as commended by Men; and thy fplendid Circumftances will never fo rife up in Judgment against thee another Day, as to occafion that heavy Sentence that was paffed upon the rich Man in the Gofpel, (which, in Truth, fhould make every rich or great Man to tremble when he thinks of it) Son, remember that thou in Luke 16. thy Life-time received thy good Things, and 25. likewife Lazarus evil Things; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. But, on the other fide, if thy Profperity tempt thee to Pride and Infolence, to the Forgetfulness of God, and the Contempt of Men; if thou ufeft the Advantage of thy Power Power to opprefs the Weak, and of thy Wit to over-reach the Simple, and of thy Wealth to minifter to the Purposes of Vice and Luxury, to make Provifion for the Flesh to fulfil the Lufts thereof; then thy great Succeffes, by which thou measurest God's Love to thee, are not a Bleffing (however they were intended) but a Curse. God hath thought fit to try thee in those foft and pleafing Ways, and thy Virtue hath not been ftrong enough to abide the Trial; but thou art found reprobate. Again, Do not conclude, because God fuffers thee to fall into many Difficulties and Afflictions; because thou art preffed with hard and pinching Circumstances; because thou art vifited with fad and grievous Loffes, or with long and painful Sicknefs, or with the Death or Miscarriage of thy nearest Relations, or the like heavy Misfortunes: Do not, I fay, conclude from hence that God is angry with thee, or that he hath no Kindness for thee: No; these are no greater Marks of God's Displeasure, than the other Instances I before mentioned were of his Favour. The beft of his Children he thinks fit to exercife in this Way. And tho' thefe Chaftifements may fometimes truly enough be faid to have the Nature of Punishments and Corrections for fomething that is amifs in us, yet.it is certain they are Trials alfo, Experiments which he makes of us, whether we fo heartily cleave to him with our whole Souls as we pretend to do, and as we ought to do. And therefore, Which is the Second Inference I draw from this Difcourfe, we ought not only not to repine when fuch Temptations as these are caft in our Way, but to rejoice under them, and be thankful for them. Count it James 1.2. all Foy, fays the Apoftle, when ye fall into divers Temptations; for affuredly there is no Harm meant to thee, or any body else, by these fevere Ufages, but on the contrary a great deal of Good. For God, as St. Paul Heb. 12. tells us, deals not with us as the Fathers of our Flefb often do, who chaften us for their own Pleafure; but he doth it for our Profit, that we might be Partakers of his Holiness. God takes no Pleasure in feeing thee, or any of his Creatures, uneafy, or in hard and difficult Circumftances; for it is not in his Nature willingly to grieve and afflict the Children of Men. But thy Good, and the World's Good, require that thou shouldest be thus exercised. A great many excellent Ends, both for thy Benefit and the Benefit of others, were intended by these Dispenfations of Providence to thee, which I have not now Time to dilate upon. Thou waft not, perchance, fo careful and diligent about thy Duty as thou shouldest have been, and therefore it was fit that thou fhouldeft, by fome sharp Affliction, be awaken'd and aroused to a Senfe of it. Thy Heart and VOL. VI. Affections, A a |