And when Affliction hath wrought this effect, its bufinefs is in a great measure ended; and for the most part it is thereupon eafed or removed.

Above all the Temptations that befall Good Men in Afflictions, this commonly is that which doth moft greatly prevail, and doth them the moft hurt, namely, when upon a diligent fearch they find their Confciences clear from any great offences, they are too apt to magnifie their own Integrity, to expoftulate the reasonablenefs and juftice of the Divine dealing with them, to complain of hard ufage from him. This was Job's fault, and is too apt to be the fault of good Men, though neither equal to him in their Perfections nor Afflictions: which courfe nevertheless is, 1. Very unjust and unreasonable; for the beft of Men have Sins enough to juftifie the Juftice of God in his feverest dealing with them; and Corruptions enough to grow into greater enormities, which although they perchance fee not, yet the All-knowing God fees and in Mercy and with Wifdom prevents, by the Corrofives and Catharticks of Affiction: infomuch that even that good Man, when Almighty God opened his ear to Difcipline, faw and acknowledged, and therefore abhorred himself in duft and afhes. 2. As it is extremely unjuft, fo it is extremely foolish and vain: For as it is not the way to remove the Affliction, fo when God is pleafed to remove it in mercy and compaffion, it makes a Man juftly afhamed upon his deliverance, of that folly and pettifhnefs that he fhewed under his Affliction against Almighty God, who even then had thoughts of mercy and deliverance for him. And this very Confideration had been enough to have made Job's deliverance yet full of trouble and fhame, for his frowardness in his affliction, unless the gracious God in a ftrange condefcenfion of goodness and gentleness had prevented it, by giving fo great a fuffrage unto his integrity, and covering the errors and paffionate excurfions of his affliction, as a Father doth the errors and follies of his Child, but an indulgent commendation, Te have not fpoken of me the thing that is right, as my Servant Job, Job 42. 7.

And thus far for the earriage that becomes us to have un

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der affliction, and our due improvement of it, to the ends for which Almighty God fends it: by which Almighty God receives the Honour of his Soveraignty, his Juftice, his Goodness, his Wifdom his Truth; and Man receives the Benefit of Prevention from Sin, Deliverance out of it, Improvement of his Graces, Perfecting of his Soul, and advancement of his Glory, through the Mercy of God, and his Bleffing upon this bitter Cup, the Cup of Affliction.

III. I come to the third General Confideration, namely, that temper and difpofition of mind that becomes us to have upon and after deliverance from afflictions.

1. Upon our deliverance from afflictions, we ought in a fpecial and folemn manner to return our Humble and Hearty Thanks to Almighty God: to acknowledge him to be the Author of it; to return unto him our humble and ferious Praises, that he hath been pleased to answer our Prayer, and hath given us a plain teftimony that he hath a regard to us: this is the Tribute that he expects most justly from us. As he in a special manner requires our Prayers unto him, when we are under affliction, fo he requires that we should take notice of the Returns of our Prayers, and to pay him the Tribute of Praise upon our Deliverance: Call upon me in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorifie me, Pfal. 50. 15. The truth is, when we are under extremities, we are eafily perfwaded to call to God for deliverance, the very natural pref fure of afflictions drives us to him, we know not whither elfe to fly: But as foon as the Rod is gone, we are dull and backward in returning Glory to God; and we are molt apt to take notice of the means that immediately went before: If we or any of our Relations are delivered from Sicknefs; we have it presently upon our Tongues ends, that we had a careful or skilful Physician, a ftrong conftitution, favourable weather,fome lucky accident that happened unto us; and the like we are apt to do upon other deliverances, and rarely, or at leaft not with that fincerity, acknowledge the Mercy of God, and the Hand of God to be that which raised us up. It is true, Means are not to be neglected; it is a prefumption and tempting of God; but it is

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the Providence of God that gives us means; and the Blef fing of God that makes them fuccessful, that fometimes bleffeth poor and weak and unlikely means to produce defi red effects; fometimes maketh thofe very things we call accidents, that seem to import the very deftruction of a Man, to be the means of his recovery, and fometimes brings about the effect without any visible means. We are no lefs to acknowledge his Goodness and Influence, when we seem to be delivered by Means, than if we were delivered by Miracle. It is true, we are apt to faffenour thoughts and reafons upon means, because we fee them: but if our Eye could be fo opened as the Prophet's fervants were, when he faw the Chariots of fire in the Mountain, we should see another kind of Regiment and Government, and ordering and difpofing of things than now we fee. Many, if not moft, of thofe fignal deliverances, that a Man or a Nation hath, are wrought not so much by the efficacy of Means, as by a fecret invisible Hand of Providential Government, which we fee not. therefore thou art delivered from any great diftrefs of any kind, in such a manner that thou canst not attribute it to Means or poffibly above or beyond Means,the Hand of thy deliverer is more fignal and confpicuous; glorifie his Mercy and Goodness: And of thou doft obtain thy deliverance by Means, yet ftill glorifie his Mercy and Goodnef; for it is his Providence that fends Means,his Power and Goodnefs that bleffeth it to its defired fuccefs: the Efficiency and Energy of the Principal Cause is that which gives efficacy to the Means, and makes it effectual.

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2. Endeavour to exprefs thy Thankfulness by a fincere and faithful Obedience to the Will of that God, that hath thus delivered thee. A true and hearty Thankfulness of mind will not content it felf with bare Verbal praifes and acknowledgments, but will ftudy and endeavour to find out, and do all that may be well pleafing and delightful and acceptable to his great Benefactor: and where ever the Heart is truly affected with the Senfe of the Favour, Goodness, and Love of God, and that the Deliverance it hath had is from his hand,it will think nothing too much to O A

be done, that may be well-pleafing to him. Great acclamations and verbal praises and acknowledgments without an Honest and Sincere Endeavour to please and obey hint, are but a piece of mockry and hypocritical complement; and a meer frustration and disappointed of Almighty God, in the end and defign of his mercy to us; which is, to make us really better, more dutiful, more capable of greater and everlasting mercies; to make us better Examples to others, who may thereby be invited to follow us in Piety and Goodness. A Man that hath received great and fignal Mercies and Deliverances, becomes a great and ef ficacious Example, and of much good, or much evil, according as he carries himself after eminent mercies received: If he become more Pious, Vertuous, Juft, Sober than before, he becomes a forcible motive and encouragement to others to be like him; again, if he either remain or degenerate into Impiety, Vanity, or Vice, he discou rageth Goodness, and becomes a great temptation to others to be like him.

3. Take heed lest after great Deliverance, thy heart be lifted up into prefumption upon God, Pride and Vain-gloty, and a conceit of thy own Goodness and Worth. This is the common Temptation that grows upon much mer cy received; and therefore the wife Law-giver did very frequently caution the People of Ifrael against this, Deut. 9. 4. Speak not in thine heart after the Lord thy God bath caft them out, faying, For my righteousness the Lord bath brought me to poffefs this land, &c. Let thy afflictions find thee Humble, and let thy afflictions make thee more Humble; but let thy Deliverance yet increase thy Humility; the more Mercy God fhews thee, the more Humble ever let thy Heart be, upon a double account. 1. Thy Deliverances do or fhould make thee know Almighty God the more; and the more thou knoweft him, the more Hum ble it should make thee Job 42. 5. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eyes have seen thee: Wherefore I abbor my felf in duft and ashes. 2. Thou haft need to double thy guards of Humility, becaufe upon great deliverance thou must expect that the temptation and affaults

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of Pride and Vain-glory will be moft bufie with thee: And if in all thy Preparations for afflictions thou hast studied Humility; if under all thy afflictions thou haft improved thy Humility, yet if now, upon thy deliverance, thou art loft in Pride and Vain glory thou haft loft all the benefit both of thy Preparations, and of thy Afflictions, and of thy Deliverance alfo: thou art like an unhappy Ship that hath endured the Sea, and hath born the Storm, and yet finks when the is come into the Harbour.

4. And upon the fame account be Vigilant and Watchful. It is true, thoi haft wea hered a great Storm, out of which by the mercy of God thou art delivered; but ftill be upon thy guard, thou knoweft not how foon thou fhalt meet with another; take heed it furprise thee not unprovided. Though thou haft endured, it may be, a long and dark ftorm of affliction, and God hath mercifully delivered thee; yet thou haft no promife from Almighty God that thou fhalt meet with no more. Thefe three Confiderations fhould keep thee Watchful and Vigilant, notwithstanding great deliverance from great afflictions. r. Thou art thereby better fitted and prepared to receive it; if it come it fhall not furprise thee unawares, nor find thee fleeping. 2. Moft certainly, if any thing be a more likely means as to preferve thee under fo from affliction, it is a prepired, watchful, vigilant mind: for, if I may fo fpeak, afflictions have no great bufinefs with fuch a Man; for he is already in that posture and frame of Heart, that affliction is ordinarily fent to give a Man. 3. There is nothing more likely to procure affliction than fecurity and unpreparedness of mind: And that, First in respect of the Goodness Mercy, and Juftice of God, who, though with moft unblameable Justice, yet with fingular Mercy, is very likely to fend affliction to awaken him and amend him, and to recal him from that tendency to Apoftafie, that fecurity is apt to bring upon him. Secondly, in refpect of the Malice and Vigilancy of the great Enemy of Mankind; who, as he never wants malice, fo he often gets a permiffion to worry a Man whom he hath under this disadvantage of unpreparedness and fecurity. Q 3

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