In

2. Be not fecure when the world fmiles: though it fmile this moment, it may look four the next. the midst of its triumphs one may be knocked down. Therefore rejoice with trembling: for often when affiction feems fartheft off, the hand is only lifted back to fetch the greater ftroke; Job xxi. 13. They fpend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave.

3. How much more defirable and valuable are the fpiritual mercies of peace with God, pardon, and eternal life? These are things one may be sure of; the world cannot take them away, and God will not; For the gifts and calling of God are without re-. pentance, Rom. xi. 29. Temporal mercies are a crown that common providence may fet on with its hand to-day, and kick off with its foot to-morrow. But ípiritual privileges are liable to no fuch uncertainties, Matth. vi. 19. 20. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and ruft doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treafures in heaven, where neither moth nor ruft doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.

4. Let not God's people lofe their hope and confidence in God for a delivery, when their cafe is even come to an extremity. There is a counter-part of this difpenfation, which the people of God often meet with, Deut. xxxii. 36. For the Lord ball judge his people, and repent himself for his fervants; when he feeth that their power is gone, and there is none. fout up, or left. It is as eafy for God to turn the wheel of providence the one way as the other; to make night day, as day night; to make the fun arise at midnight, as to go down at mid-day, Zech. xiv.

7.

Laftly, Sit loofe to the world: neither be caft down with its frowns, nor lifted up with its fimiles; but lay your weight on Chrift, trufting in him alone for all things.

I will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness.

DocT. God's taking away outward mercies from the abufers of them, is a recovering them out of their band.

1. It imports, that they have forfeited their right to them, and are in a sense violent poffeffors of them; that a stronger than they must recover them out of their hands. Wicked men have no covenant-right to the creatures: but God gives them a providential right to them; and even that they forfeit before the Lord by their abuse of them.

2. The creatures are unwillingly detained by them, and groan to be recovered out of their hands, Rom. viii. 20. 21. The creatures were made for the honour of God, but wicked men ufe them as inftruments to dishonour God with: therefore they groan as captives and prifoners to be delivered out of their hands. Their corn groans from their fields and barns, their drink from their cups, their filver and gold from their pockets, for that they fhould be used for the maintenance of their lufts: and the godly express> their groans as the mouth of the creation, Rom. viii. 22. 23. For we know that the whole creation groaneth, and travaileth in pain together until now and not only they, but ourselves alfo, which have the firft-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

3. Abused mercies are fill the Lord's; let men ufe them as they will, God has not given up his property in them: My corn, wool, &c. Men are apt to think that they may do with their own what they will: but mind, nothing is yours, but in fubordination to God. And therefore ye must give account to God how ye dispose of every measure of your corn, and cup of your drink, every penny of your filver and gold: and as much of these as has

been

been laid out in the fervice of your lufts, ye shall be made to suffer for, as unjust stewards that have wafted your Master's goods.

Lastly, He will take them in again to his own hand, to difpofe of them another way. They are never out of his reach: he can ftrip thofe of them in life, make wings to them, and caufe them fly away, and leave them nothing, who sometimes had an affluence of all things, whereof every age affords many inftances. He will furely ftrip them of them at death, and haften on their dying day, for to recover his mercies out of their hands, Jer. xvii. 11. As the partridge fitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not: fo he that getteth riches, and not by right, fhall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end fhall be a fool.

USE. Let abusers of God's goodness hold as fast as they can, their abufed mercies will be fure to leave them, leaving a fting behind them. Since God takes it on him to recover them, he will do it effectually at length and fince he will take them from them, by way of recovery, there is a piercing fting that the removal will leave behind it. The rich man in hell had not a drop of water to cool his tongue : the wine he drank plentifully in his faring delicioufly every day, made this the more bitter. It is not fo with the godly lofing their creature-comforts in the midst of their fober ufe of them, as Job vi. 13.

For fhe did not know that I gave her corn, &c.

DOCT. God takes it hainously that men should not know and confider themselves to be his debtors for their meat, drink, and money, but should lay them out on their lufts and idols.

This imports these things.

1. Men need thefe things, in this their imperfect ftate in this world. Therefore we are taught to pray,. Give us this day our daily bread. In heaven the faints

F 2

will

will need none of them: in hell they will not get a drop of water, however much they need it. Here we must have meat and drink for the fupport of our bodies and money is neceffary for conveniency of life, Eccl. x. 19. Money anfwereth all things.

2. God is the giver of them, the meat, the drink, the money. They are all his. So the text, My corn, my wine, &c. Hag. ii. 8. The filver is mine, and the gold is mine, faith the Lord of hofts. And he gives them to whom, and in what measure he fees good, James i. 17. Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights. Though men earn them by their labour and industry, though they be left them by parents or other friends; God is ftill the giver, as being the first cause, without whom all other could do nothing.

3. God requires men to confider themselves as his debtors for all, and to behave themfelves accordingly, ufing them all for his honour. This is the burden he affects his gifts with, Prov. iii. 9. Honour the Lord with thy fubftance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increafe. And according as he gives, fo he requires a proportionable improvement, Luke xix. 13. Occupy till I come. The more liberally God bestows on any, the more are they obliged to be useful for God, Luke xii. 48. For unto whomfoever much is given, of him fhall be much required.

4. Notwithstanding corrupt men beftow God's good gifts on their lufts, James iv. 3. By these they feed them, protect and defend them, againft God and his holy law. The meat, drink, and money, are employed that way. One feeds with them a luft of gluttony, another that of drunkenness, another a luft of pride and vanity. Many that have the greatest abundance of them fpend them on harlots. So by this means they proclaim war against God, and carry it on against him with weapons got out of his own magazine, James iv. 4.

5. It is owing to mens not confidering that they

are

are God's debtors for these things, that they dare venture to bestow them on their lufts. If they laid to heart their dependence on him for all they have, they would not dare to use them to the difhonour of the giver; knowing that he whose plenty they abuse, can foon bring them to the lack of neceffaries.

6. Laftly, This is highly provoking in the fight of God. We can make him no recompenfe for his mercies, but shall we not acknowledge the receipt of them? What he gives us for our neceffity and conveniency, fhall we use to the dishonour of his name? Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwife? Deut. xxxii. 6.

USE. 1. See here the true cause of the prefent ftroke; how trade comes to be fo low, money scarce, and the corns many of them so far ruined. We have not known that God gave us corn, and wine, and oil, &c.

2. Be warned then to confider, that ye are God's debtors for your meat, drink, and money; and, under the pain of God's high difpleasure, cease to confume them on your lufts. Provoke him not to jealoufy, as if ye were ftronger than he: for there will be a bitter reckoning for mercies fo abused.