mons, Relieving the Poor, Vifiting the Sick, Relieving the Oppreffed, Harbouring the Perfecuted Members of Chrift, gave thee more contentment. And I dare appeal to any Man's Experience under Heaven, that when the former fort of Tranfactions of our Lives were either extreamly bitter, or at beft very infipid, to his remembrance, yet the remembrance of thefe of the latter fort were moft Comfortable and Contenting. Thou art now recovered, it is true; but as fure as thou fhalt die, fo fure thou shalt pafs through new Afflictions, though it may not be of the fame kind, yet of fome kind: let it be thy care, after God hath thus delivered thee from thy former Affliction, to lay up a stock of Good Works against another Evil Day; fuch Cordials will lie warm at thy Heart, even when the cold pangs of Death it self fhall be ready to invade and feize upon it, and the Comfort of them fhall pass into the other World with thee.

8. Though the Portion of thy Life, before thy Affliction, and under it, were very well fpent; yet remember, that the Mercy of God, in thy Deliverance, doth call upon thee for a farther degree of Goodness and Perfection than thou hadst before: It calls for more Humility, and more Thankfulness, and more Heavenly-Mindedness, and more Charity, and more Devotion, and more Selfdenial, and more Sanctity, and more Jealoufie for the Honour of God. For, 1. On God's part, Thou hadst more Ingagements and Obligations put upon thee than before. Every increase of Mercy calls for an increase of Duty. 2. On thy own part, thy Experiences are greater, thou haft paft through the School of Afflictions, and that is a season wherein God opens the Ear to Difcipline; the Rod hath a Voice, and a Leffon to Teach; and thou haft paft through the Experience of God's. Goodness, Tenderness and Faithfulness in thy Deliverance, and that tutors thee to more Dependence upon him, Thankfulness to him, and Love of him, and thefe Affections carry out the Heart to Duty and Obedi

ence.

9. Beware that after Deliverance from Afflictions, thou be not fecure: think not with Agag, Surely the bitterness of Death is paft; that now thou haft efcaped this brunt, all is fafe, and the danger paft; ftill be Watchful, and stand upon thy Guard. 1. Thou haft Sins and Corruptions within thee, that if thou art not watchful, may furprize thee, and raise new ftorms. 2. Thou haft watchful and vigilant Enemies without thee, Evil Men, and Evil Angels, that envy thee the more, because thou haft escaped. 3. As long as thou liveft in the World, thy condition is uncertain, and unstable in Externals; and, though one Wave be past, another may follow: And, if there were nothing elfe to make thee Watchful, yet be fure the hour of Sickness, and the hour of Death will overtake thee, and that is an hour of Affliction which thou must always prepare for, left it take thee unawares.

Of Submiffion, Prayer, and Thanksgiving.

E that freely fubmits not to the Divine Difpofition and

H Providence, gains nothing by his Contumacy; for

fubmit he muft, whether he will or no.

But he gains this Lofs and Disadvantage thereby, that those Providences that are not according to his defire gall him more by the Unquietness and Impatience of his Mind under them.

He that with an entire freenefs of Soul fubmits to the Divine Providences, gains thereby thefe Advantages & namely, 1. That certainly, fuch a refolved willing fubmiffion, never makes the providences the more harsh, or fevere. 2. That commonly they are even in themselves more gentle and eafie, becaufe the Man needs not a feverity to bring him to a right temper of Mind; namely, due fubjection to the Divine Will. 3. But be the Providences never fo harsh and hard, they fit more eafie upon a quiet, patient, refigning Soul.

A

A Man never lofeth by Prayer; for, if the thing be granted, it makes the Bleffing both the fweeter and the fafer, being the humble Victory and Acqueft of his Prayer and it makes the Man the Better, the more Thankful; for he looks upon it as a Gift, and not a Chance; the more Dependent upon God, and the readier upon all occafions to call upon him, who honoured the Prayer of his Servant with a Conceffion.

And if it be Denied, yet he lofeth not; for, it may be, the thing he Asketh, might have done him harm, and been his prejudice. Again, though he be not gratified in the thing he defired, a Thousand to one but he is gratified with what was fitter or better; But, if not, yet the Man receives infallibly this Benefit by being Denied, that he is made the Better, the more Humble and Patient, and to be content, that Almighty God fhould be Master of his own Bounty, and not to be commanded by our Prayers. Or, at leaft, it difcovers unto him the Distemper of his Heart; if he be not contented to be denied, his Heart was Proud, and his Prayers Hypocritical: he feemed to Pray, but indeed meant to Command, not to Pray for what he defired, which makes him thus Impa tient of a denial.

Senfe of Mifery, Want, or Danger, when we find no other means of Remedy, or Prevention, dotb carry us to Prayer, and Invocation upon God. The Sailors did this in the Storm. But commonly, though Deliverance follows even upon our very Prayers, we rarely, with that Seriousness and Intention of Mind, return unto God the Praife and Acknowledgment of his Goodness. Of the Ten Lepers that were cleanfed, we read only of One that returned Thanks for the Benefit; and commonly we either forget the Benefit, and our Benefactor, when our turn is ferved; and are content to attribute our Deliverance to Chance, to Means, or to any thing, rather than to the Goodness of God. And the Reafons may be these. 1. The Pride and Naughtiness of our Hearts, that are unwilling to own our Dependence upon God, when we think we ftand not in need of him. 2. Neceffity and Fear, and the

incumbent fenfe of Evil, are more preffing and urgent; and, by a kind of force, oftentimes drive us to Pray, when we cannot probably find help elsewhere; but when the Neceffity, and Fear, and Incumbence of Evil is removed, it is only a true Judgment, and the Grateful Temper of our Hearts, that do engage us to render Thanks for the Mercy received, which is ordinarily more flat, and lefs active, than Evils felt or feared. Natural Neceffity prompts a Man to Prayer oftentimes; but it is Sincerity, and a Right Temper of the Soul that prompts Man to Gratitude and Thankfulness.

He that in his Neceffity prays for Help, and obtains it, if his Prayers were the Fruit barely of his Exigence, is feldom Thankful; and, if he be not Thankful, it is an Evidence, that his Prayers did not move from á Heart fincere, and truly Principled with a Dependence upon God, and a Habit of Dutifulness to him. But if he be Thankful for the Mercy received, it is an Evidence, that not only his Gratitude, but his Prayers fprang from the fame Principle; namely, a good and fincere Heart, Principled with the fame Habit of Grace, Piety, Dependance upon God, and Obedience to Him.

There is an admirable Oeconomy of the Divine Goodness and Wifdom, to bring his Creature Man both to his Duty and Happiness; many times he invites us to come to him by Perfwafions, and Monitions, and fecret Motions; and when we neglect that Voice, he oftentimes fends upon us Troubles, and Afflictions, and Dangers: and this he doth by a kind of Moral Force, to make us fly to him by Prayer, for help, and relief, and deliverance.

And it feldom miffeth its effect, if there be but any Wisdom, or the Common Inftinct implanted generally in the Humane Nature. When we know not which way to turn, we then fly to God, be2 Chron.20.12. caufe all other ways are most commonly obftructed and hedged up, and this Hofea 5. 15. paffage only left open to an efcape: In their Affliction they will feek me early. Almighty God deals by us, as a wife Artift, that hath a

Furpose

purpose to turn a Stream towards fome defigned place, ftops all other egreffes but that which fits his defign; Or, as a Father, that is minded to bring an Extravagant Son to his Duty and Dependance, obftructs all Supplies but fuch as may be had from himfelf. So oftentimes God Almighty doth fo methodize his Afflictions, that all ways of relief are obftructed, but fuch as may lead a Man to him. It is true, many times in fuch cafes we will be hifting and trying every Avenue to get out at; but, when we find every paffage hedged up with Thorns, but that only which leads to him, our Stomachs come down, and we are glad to feek relief in that way where we find only it can be had. Like Jonas his Mariners, in the Storm, we try all Experiments and Artifices to fave our felves, throw out our Anchors, take down the Sails, ply the Pump, throw over the Goods to lighten the Veffels and when all will not do, then we begin to call upon God, Lord, fave us, we perish.

But yet the Method of the Divine Goodness refteth not here, but brings us a ftep forward: He is often gracioufly pleased to grant the Deliverance' we pray for, to let us fee that we call not upon his Name in vain, and to incourage us to depend upon him,to draw near unto him, to make him our Confidence as well as our Fear: And though fometimes he defers our Deliverance, yet he doth it, partly to give unto our felves an Experiment of our own Sincerity and Patience, partly to difcipline and tutor us to Conftancy and Patient waiting upon him; partly to carry us on to more Importunity and Continuance in Prayer; and by this means our Souls are made the better, by drawing nearer and nearer to him that is the Fountain of Light and Goodness; for the Repetition of Prayers rectifies the Soul, brings it nearer to God, lays more hold upon his Strength and Goodness, as the finking Man draws himfelf nearer to the fhore by the repeated laying hold upon that Cord that is from thence thrown out to fave him.

Neither doth he reft here; for, the Deliverance he fends, is not barely fent to deliver us from the Affliction