Several Discourses Considering the Providence of God, Discourse · Part 2 · Sermon 31
SERMON XXXI.
Pſalm CVII. 43.
Whoſo is wiſe, and will obſerve theſe things: even they ſhall underſtand the loving-kindneſs of the Lord.
I Am proceeding yet in my Obſervations, upon the motions of Divine Providence (that which we call Actual Providence) in its adminiſtration of diſtributive Juſtice, both in the puniſhment of ſinners, and the rewarding of the righteous. Divers Obſervations I have already made, I am come to the,
Obſervat. 18. (Which you may pleaſe to take thus) That the Providence of God, doth very ordinarily, with the puniſhments of this life, chaſtiſe the paſt, and pardoned ſins of people.
In the handling of which, I ſhall, 1. Juſtifie the Obſervation.
2. I ſhall ſhew you the reaſonableneſs of this motion of Providence, and reconcile it, both to the juſtice and goodneſs of God.
3. Laſtly, I ſhall make ſome practical application of it. That it is ſo, I ſhall prove by two famous inſtances: the firſt of David, the ſecond Job. David, you know, had fallen into two grievous ſins, Adultery with Bathſheba, and the murther of her Husband Ʋriah. God ſendeth the Prophet Nathan, 2 Sam. 12. to David to convince him of his ſin, who doth it by a Parable. Davids heart melteth, v. 13. and he ſaith unto Nathan, I have ſinned againſt the Lord. Nathan tells him, the Lord hath alſo put away thy ſin. The ſin you ſee was both paſt, and pardoned, but mark what follows; v. 14. Howbeit, becauſe by this deed thou haſt given great occaſion to the enemies of the Lord to blaſpheme, the Child alſo that is born unto thee ſhall ſurely dye. He had told him before, v. 10. That the ſword ſhould not depart from his houſe: and v. 11. That he would take his wives before his face, and give them to his neighbour, and he ſhould ly with them in the ſight of the Sun. All this was afterward juſtified by the Actual Providence of God. The Child died, 2 Sam. 12.18. Amnon defloureth his Siſter Thamar, and is ſlain by her Brother Abſolon: 2 Sam. 13.14, 29. Abſalom, Davids own Son, lieth with his Fathers Concubines, in the ſight of all Iſrael. 2 Sam. 16.22. Abſolom is ſlain in a rebellion againſt his Father, &c. Nay, not only thus, but God puniſheth David with horrors and terrors in his mind, with diſeaſes in his body, as you may gather from Pſal. 6. Pſal. 51. and the reſt of thoſe Pſalms, in which he expreſſeth his repentance. David prayeth Pſal. 25.7. Remember not the ſins of my youth, nor my tranſgreſſions. Job complaineth unto God, Job. 7.2, 3. As a ſervant earneſtly deſireth the ſhadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work; ſo am I made to poſſeſs months of vanity. I know the words are capable of another ſenſe; as vanity may be underſtood for affliction and miſery, or the fruſtration of his expectations; but I ſhould rather interpret it by the words of the ſame Job 13.26, 27, 28. For thou writeſt bitter things againſt me, and makeſt me to poſſeſs the ſins of my youth, &c. Moſes, and Aaron ſinned againſt the Lord at the waters of Meribah: I do not think that any of you doubt, but that God pardoned their ſin; yet it is certain that God puniſhed them, and that for that ſin; God himſelf tells them ſo, Deut. 32.50, 51. That the Providence of God doth this is evident.
The ſecond thing may ſeem to have more difficulty in it, viz. How this is reconcileable, either to the juſtice, or goodneſs of God. To his juſtice who hath accepted a price, and ſatisfaction for them at the hand of his Son; concerning whom he hath ſaid, that in him (as our Mediator) he was well pleaſed. How then can God puniſh m…n and women for thoſe ſins, for which he hath accepted a price, and ſatisfaction. Or how is this reconcileable to the fulneſs of Gods pardoning grace? How are thoſe ſins pardoned, which God afterward puniſheth.
But this Cavil proceedeth upon a double miſtake or error.
1. The firſt concerning the puniſhments of ſin upon the Children of God.
2. The ſecond concerning the ſatisfaction of Chriſts death.
As to the firſt it ſuppoſeth, that the afflictions and puniſhments of Gods people, are all for ſatisfaction; which if it were ſo, they were of all men mo… miſera…, a, their afflictions do ordinarily more abound, than the afflictions of others. It is true, that the impenitent and irreconciled ſinner, hath no reaſon to look upon any affliction otherwiſe, than as an arreſt of divine vengeance; upon every ague, every feaver, as Gods taking him by the throat, and ſaying to him, Pay me now what thou oweſt; becauſe they cannot apprehend any ſuch thing, as that Chriſt hath for them ſatisfied Divine Juſtice: but the caſe is otherwiſe with a believer. Suppoſing our afflictions and puniſhments of this nature, theſe two things would follow from them.
1. A Chriſtian ſhould never be able to ſee to the bottom of his bitter cup, were ſatisfaction to be given by us, when could we ſo much as hope to ſay? All is finiſhed. We might burn, but when could we hope to come out of the flames? we might be paying, and paying; but when could we think to have paid the uttermoſt farthing? Satisfaction in our perſons muſt be an endleſs work, the offended Juſtice being no leſs than infinite.
2. We could never hope by our afflictions to be made gainers in grace. If it were poſſible for us to apprehend, that by our ſuffering we could make full payment to the Juſtice of God, yet we could have no hope by affliction, to grow more holy: no man groweth richer, by parting with money to pay his debts; none could hope by afflictions, to grow more holy, that his affliction ſhould purge away his droſs, or take away his tin, or he by them be made more conformable to the Image of his bleſſed Saviour, if our afflictions were for ſatisfaction. But the holy Scripture giveth us quite another notion of afflictions, ſo far as they concern the People of God; it bottometh them in Divine Love, it calleth them chaſtenings, and calleth them fatherly corrections, Heb. 12.6, 7, 8. We are bid not to deſpiſe the chaſtening of the Almighty; we are told, That they are bleſſed, whom he chaſteneth, and teacheth out of his law; we are told, that he chaſteneth whom he loveth, and ſcourgeth every child whom he receiveth. Now it is true, ſatisfaction is not conſiſtent with the ſatisfaction of Chriſt; but corrections and fatherly chaſtiſements, are conſiſtent enough with the price which Chriſt hath paid, and the ſatisfaction which he hath given for us; hanging the malefactor, or otherwiſe putting him to death, is not conſiſtent with pardon; but I hope, whipping him, branding, ſending him a while to Bridewel, baniſhment of him when he deſerved death, is conſiſtent enough with it. The Papiſts indeed fancy that Chriſt hath only ſatisfied for the eternal puniſhment, but ſtill we are bound to ſatisfie by temporal puniſhments. Hence are their penances and purgatory founded, but that is a very uncomfortable notion; and the more we look into it, the more dreadful it will appear. On the other ſide the Antinomians are as much almoſt on the other hand, denying the afflictions of Gods People, to be puniſhment of ſins or judgments, when the Scripture ſo calls them. The truth lyes in the middle betwixt theſe two extreams, they are judgments, they are puniſhments of ſin, but they are no legal demands of ſatisfaction, nor giving ſatisfaction. Chriſt hath ſatisfied for the whole guilt of their ſins, for whom he died. All of that nature as to them was finiſhed upon the croſs: ſo that the afflictions of the People of God, their puniſhments for ſin, have now both another name and notion, than ſatisfactions.
2. A ſecond miſtake upon which this objection is founded, is, That Chriſt by his death paid a price into the hands of his fathers juſtice for all temporal puniſhments due to man for ſin, ſo as to excuſe thoſe for whom he died, from them. Now as to this, whatſoever we may fancy,
1. It is manifeſt, that our Lord Jeſus never did purchaſe for his people any ſuch thing as a freedom from temporal death, and the ſmart of bodily afflictions. He hath taken away the ſting of death, but not death; he hath delivered us from the curſe, but not from the croſs. This is all which the Scripture ſaith, Gal. 3.13. He hath redeemed us from the curſe, by being made a curſe for us: himſelf hath told us, That if any one will be his diſciple, he muſt deny himſelf, and take up the croſs and follow him: And we are told by the Apoſtle, That all who will live godlily in Chriſt Jeſus ſhall ſuffer perſecution. And accordingly the ſervants of God have experienced it, even Paul himſelf was in deaths often, and had his thorn in the fleſh.
2. Nor was it any branch of that Covenant of Redemption and Grace, in which Chriſt was a party with, or a ſurety to the eternal father. I put in thoſe two terms Redemption and Grace. I know ſome make two Covenants; the one they call the Covenant of Redemption, the other the Covenant of Grace, and that there are very different notions of the Covenant of Grace. For my own part, I ſee no need of aſſerting more than one Covenant, and that eternal, Iſa. 42.6. This I take to be a paction from eternity, made betwixt the Father, the eternal Father, on the one part; and the Lord Jeſus Chriſt on the other, wherein Chriſt Covenanted with his Father, that he would do his whole will for the redemption of his choſen ones, Pſal. 40.7. Heb. 10.7. and that we by grace derived from him, ſhould do what the father requires of us in order to our ſalvation, in reſpect of which he is ſaid to be made the ſurety of a better Covenant, Heb. 7.22. The Father mutually Covenanted with his Son, that he would be well-pleaſed in him, that he would give him the ſouls for whom he ſhould dye, that he might give them eternal life, and all that grace and good which ſhould be advantageous for them; but neither did Chriſt ask of his Father, neither did his Father promiſe him on their behalf an immunity from temporal puniſhments, afflictions, or chaſtiſements for ſin. We cannot underſtand the terms of the Covenant of Grace, but from the Exhibition of it in Scripture, which was very various, ſometimes more clearly, ſometimes more darkly, to Adam, Noah, Abraham, David, &c. One of the faireſt copies of it, I think is that to David, which we have, Pſal. 89. from the 20, to the 35. v. Verſ. 28. he tells him, That he will keep his mercy with him for evermore, and his covenant ſhould ſtand faſt with him: but yet he reſerveth himſelf a liberty to puniſh him and his ſeed for ſins: verſ. 30. If his children for ſake my law, and walk not in my judgments; if they break my ſtatutes, and keep not my commandments, then will I viſit their tranſgreſſions with the rod, and their iniquity with ſtripes: nevertheleſs my loving-kindneſs I will not utterly take from him, nor ſuffer my faithfulneſs to fail: my Covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. So that notwithſtanding the Covenant of Grace for eternal life, and pardon of ſin, and all grace in order to the obtaining of this life, and notwithſtanding the blood of Chriſt, which was the blood of this Covenant; God hath yet a liberty to viſit the tranſgreſſions of his people, even their paſt, as well as renewing tranſgreſſions with rods, and their iniquity with ſtripes: yet he doth not break his Covenant, nor alter any thing that is gone out of his lips.
3. Nor is it reaſonable that any ſhould fancy, that God by the eſtabliſhment of the Covenant of Grace, or by acceptance of the ſatisfaction of his Son, as the blood of this Covenant to make an atonement and reconciliation for iniquity, ſhould have barred himſelf of his liberty to puniſh the ſins of his people: or that any who hath accepted this Covenant upon the exhibition of it in the Goſpel, ſhould be excuſed from ſuch chaſtiſements; if we conſider,
1. That ſome of theſe chaſtenings are made the matters of a promiſe, Mark 10.30. Perſecutions are reckoned amongſt Chriſts rewards in this life, Heb. 12.6, 7, 8. Whom the Lord loveth he chaſteneth, and ſcourgeth every child whom he receiveth, &c. Thence the ancients were wont to call Martyrdom a Crown; and Luther was wont to complain, That God would not honour him to wear that Crown. Saint Paul prayeth to be made conformable to the death of Chriſt; if the Saints did not fight, how could they triumph? how ſhould they conquer? yea be more than conquerers?
2. That afflictions are the path-way to death, and death the door into eternal life. Every affliction is a blow at the root of our tree, preparing it for its fall; and if we did not dye, how ſhould we live in Heaven? We muſt all dye, or be changed; or our corruptible could never put on incorruption, nor our mortal put on immortality. It is reported of Zaleucus, a lawgiver amongſt the Indians, that he ſhould ſay, If God had not appointed that all ſhould dye, it had been reaſonable for men to have made a law in the caſe: and we read of ſome Indians, who being asked why they worſhipped the Sun, gave this reaſon, Becauſe it was the Author of death. Give me leave to ſay, That death is ſo neceſſary, and afflictions are ſo wholeſom for Chriſtians, that they deſerve rather to be reckoned amongſt thoſe things which Chriſt hath purchaſed for them, than ſuch things as he hath purchaſed them a liberty from.
1. All ſorts of afflictions of this life, are means of grace; not ſo much means of begetting, as reviving, and increaſing grace: for as the fire ſoftneth the wax, and hardneth the clay; ſo I have uſually obſerved, That afflictions make the wicked man worſe, but godly men better; they revive repentance, they are times when uſually men call ſin to remembrance, they draw out the exerciſes of faith, and both work and exerciſe patience. Tribulation (ſaith the Apoſtle) worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope. David, before that he was afflicted, went aſtray, after he learned to keep Gods Statutes. God while he puniſheth his people for their ſins, doth not barely chaſten them, but he alſo teacheth them out of his Law.
2. They (ſecondly) prepare the Saints for glory; and this not only as they reſtrain ſin, and tend to perfect grace; but as it pleaſeth God of his grace to reward the ſufferings of his people, and the faith and patience of his people ſhewed in and under their ſufferings with the greater glory. Thus the Apoſtle ſaith, 2 Cor. 4.17. That our light and momentany afflictions work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. And thus much may ſerve to have cleared this Objection, that I may haſten to the practical Application of this Obſervation. This motion of Divine Providence in puniſhing with temporal puniſhments, paſt, and pardoned ſins, even in the beſt of Gods People, appears exceeding reaſonable.
1. In regard of the Juſtice of God. The Juſtice of God having taken a ſatisfaction in the blood of his Son, and been paid a price for the ſins of his people, will not allow him to puniſh them with an eternal puniſhment; yet it is reaſonable they ſhould not go altogether unpuniſhed, that the world may ſee that he is a God of purer eyes than to behold iniquity in any. I remember what God ſaid by the Prophet Jeremiah to the Jews, Jer. 30.11. I will not make a full end of thee, but I will correct thee in meaſure, and will not leave thee altogether unpuniſhed. You have the ſame again, Jer. 46.28.
2. It is reaſonable (ſecondly) in order to the eternal ſalvation of their ſouls, 1 Cor. 11.32. When we are judged, we are chaſtened of the Lord, that we ſhould not be condemned with the world. It is P. Martyrs note upon that Text, that the Apoſtle in that paſſage particularly reſpecteth ſuch as fear God; for the caſe is otherwiſe with wicked men, whoſe puniſhment but begun in this life, ſhall be perfected in the world that is to come. But I have ſpoken enough to the Doctrinal part of this Obſervation. Let me now come to ſome practical Obſervation, ſhewing you what uſe we may and ought to make of it.
Ʋſe 1. This in the firſt place ſerves to juſtifie God in thoſe ſore afflictions which we often ſee him bringing upon his own people. When we look upon the holineſs of a Job, and ſee him a man fearing God, and eſchewing evil, and ſee ſuch a perſon under ſharp tryals of affliction, we are ready to ſtartle at it, and cannot underſtand Divine Juſtice in it. But God is many ways to be juſtified. 1. Who liveth and ſinneth not enough againſt God, to juſtifie the ſevereſt diſpenſations under which God exerciſeth him?
2. If he did not, yet it is an ordinary thing, and very righteous for God, to write bitter things againſt his people for the ſins of their youth, though paſt and pardoned. Now who hath ſo paſſed his youth, that he hath not been guilty of ſin enough to juſtifie God in his puniſhments, yea and to make him acknowledg that he hath been puniſhed ſeven times leſs than he hath deſerved. And if neither of theſe could be ſeen as a meritorious cauſe, yet God hath a liberty by afflictions, to try the faith and patience of his people, (but that is not the ſubject of my preſent diſcourſe). I remember when they asked our Saviour concerning him that was born blind, whether it were for his own ſin, or for his parents: Our Saviour replys, for neither, but that the glory of God might appear. So I doubt not but Gods end in afflicting his people, is neither at all times the puniſhment of the perſons late ſins, nor former ſins, but that both the grace and glory of God might appear in ſtrengthning, ſupporting, and upholding of his poor creatures, and that he might be glorified by them in the fires, by the exerciſe of their faith and patience, &c.
Ʋſe 2. This ſpeaketh loud to all, eſpecially to young men, to take heed of preſumptuous ſinnings againſt God. Preſumption of mercy is that which much enticeth out the luſts of our hearts: there are ſome that will fancy God an Idol of mercy, and will ſay, Let them do what they liſt, yet it ſhall be well with them; they will not believe any ſuch thing as Hell, or a Revelation of the wrath of God againſt ſinners. God did not make them to damn them, &c. God of old foreſaw there would be a generation, that when they heard the words of his curſe, would bleſs themſelves in their hearts, ſaying, They ſhould have peace, although they walked after the imaginations of their own hearts, adding drunkenneſs to thirſt, Deut. 29.19. Obſerve, v. 20. what God ſaith as to ſuch, The Lord will not ſpare him, but the anger of the Lord and his jealouſie ſhall ſmoke againſt that man, and all the curſes that are written in this book ſhall lye upon him, and the Lord ſhall blot out his name from under heaven, &c. But bleſſed be God there are not many of theſe in the age wherein we live, not many but will acknowledg an Heaven and an Hell, and profeſs to believe, that there is a reward for the righteous, and for the unrighteous, for the Saint, and for the ſinner. So that what incourageth the moſt of men in ſinful courſes, is not any hope of a total and final impunity, but a preſumption of pardon, and obtaining mercy with God before they dye. They are taught by ſome wild teachers, that it is in the power of man to repent, to believe, to turn to God when he pleaſeth; and this imboldneth them to out-ſtare all the terrors of the Lord, and to put off all the tenders of the Goſpel, to indulge their luſts, and to ſay, It is not yet time to turn unto God: if they obtain pardon at laſt, they ſhall be well enough; if they turn to God (and they are told they can do it when they pleaſe), it is but taking up a reſolution in their old age, when they have had the fill of their luſts in their youth. Now if this Doctrine had any truth in it, it would quite deſtroy an old argument we had to preſs men to a ſpeedy repentance; becauſe that God, who always giveth pardon to them who truly repent, will not always give unto ſinners an heart to repent. No need of that, ſay our new Teachers, man hath a freedom in his own will, he may repent whenſoever he can but get himſelf of the mind; he labours under no more than a moral impotency, his luſts are ſo ſtrong, that he cannot obtain leave of himſelf; that is all. But friend, admit this were true, that thou hadſt repentance in thy own hand, and that thou ſhouldeſt upon thy repentance obtain pardon of thy ſins from God; yet God may as to the puniſhments of this life make thee go mourning to thy grave for the ſins of thy youth: he may plague thee in thy own perſon, and plague thee in thy poſterity; God had pardoned Davids ſin, Nathan told him, The Lord had put away his iniquity, yet the child dyed, the ſword never departed from his houſe. Abſolom requited him by going into his Concubines in the ſight of the Sun; he was weary with his groaning, all the night long, he made his bed to ſwim, and watered his couch with his tears, his eyes were conſumed with grief, Pſal. 6. His bones waxed old through his roaring all the day-long: Gods hand was heavy upon him night and day, ſo as his moiſture was turned into the drought of ſummer, Pſal. 32. Who would not fear ſuch kind of diſpenſations? Alas! there is no ſuch thing as mans having a power in himſelf to repent and turn to God. Can the Blackamore change his skin, or the Leopard his ſpots? Everywhit as ſoon as he who is accuſtomed to do evil, can do well; but admit you could, I ſay it is a thouſand to one but God in the puniſhments of this life will viſit your youth-ſins upon you: young men that are wiſe, will take heed of wounds and ſtrains in their youth, or ſurfeits, which though they feel little of in the heat of their youth, they will be ſure enough to feel in their bones when old age overtaketh them; and certainly, if ſenſual ſinners would give but their reaſon leave to guide them, it would guide them alſo to take heed of thoſe ſins in their youth; for which they may ſo ſeverely ſmart, by wounds, and terrors of Conſcience; by doubts, and horrors, and fears; by diſeaſes, and other kind of puniſhments: there is a great deal of difference, betwixt being ſaved ſmoothly, and a being ſaved but through fire. O let me plead with you, who have little elſe to ſay, for the cares and pains of your youth, but that by it you are but providing quiet and reſt for your ſelves when you come to be old; that you would admit the force of that Argument alſo to perſwade you to remember your Creator in the days of your youth; and to take heed of the ſins of youth, which God often ſo ſeverely puniſheth upon gray-hairs, yea and that to his own people, whoſe iniquities yet he hath pardoned, ſo as they ſhall not eternally condemn him.
Ʋſe. 3. But (that I may ſhut up this diſcourſe) what you have heard upon this Obſervation, may offer the beſt of us, ſome matter, which poſſibly, we have not thought of; both of daily humiliation, and particular humiliation, when the rod of God is upon us. I ſay,
1. Of daily repentance, and humiliation. We are ready to ſpeak after the language of Agag (whom Saul had ſpared upon the ſlaughter of the Amalekites) ſurely the bitterneſs of death is paſt. If we find that God hath changed our hearts, that we are not what we were; we are very prone to think, that all the follies, and vanities of our youth are forgotten. But let us not miſtake, God ſealeth up the ſins of impenitent ſinners in a bag, for to be brought forth to their eternal ruine, in the day of the revelation of Gods wrath: he ſealeth up the ſins of his redeemed ones in a bag, to chaſten them oft-times in this life, with the rods and ſtripes of men. God wrought bitter things againſt Job, for the ſins of his youth: and David ſaw reaſon to pray, that the Lord would not remember the ſins of his youth againſt him. We ſtand therefore deeply concerned, with bitterneſs, to remember what God hath not ſo forgotten, but he may deeply chaſtiſe us for. O, then my Brethren, let us all look back upon our youth, and mourn over that firſt, and wanton time! And,
2. When the hand of God is upon us; and it may be we cannot find wherefore he contendeth us; then let us remember former ſins, and humble our ſouls before the Lord for them; and glorifie God in the fires, by acknowledging the righteouſneſs of God in the puniſhment of the ſins of our former years. But poſſibly ſome will ſay to me, What is to be done in this caſe? is there no way to prevent this after-reckoning with us?
Truly I cannot promiſe you there is, for as a people may be grown in ſin to ſuch an height, that there is no ſpeaking to God for them; ſo it is poſſible, that our former ſins may have ſo provoked God, as notwithſtanding our repentance and converſion, God may be reſolved, that we ſhall ſmart in the fleſh, though our ſouls be ſaved in the day of Chriſt; but if there be any hope for ſuch a mercy, it is certainly to be obtained.
1. By frequent humiliations for paſt ſins, much faſting and prayer: thus Joſiah obtained mercy, as to his perſon, when the ſins of his predeceſſors, were coming like a ſtorm upon him. David knew that if any thing would do, this was the way; and therefore while the child was ſick, he humbled himſelf, and would eat no bread.
2. By ſhewing your ſelves eminent in the exerciſe of thoſe vertues and graces, which are moſt oppoſed to your former ſins. This was Daniels counſel to the King; he had ſinned by unrighteouſneſs, cruelty and injuſtice; oppreſſing his ſubjects, griping the poor, &c. Daniel adviſeth him, to break off his ſins by righteouſneſs, and his iniquities, by ſhewing mercy to the poor, if it might be a lengthning out of his tranquillity, Dan. 4.27. He could not aſſure him this would be a lengthning out of his tranquillity; but if it were a thing to be done, this was the way to obtain it. Paul had eminently ſinned, by blaſpheming, perſecuting the Lord Chriſt in his members: he preacheth up Chriſt, and laboureth in the work of the Goſpel more than all the reſt of the Apoſtles.
3. Walk humbly (in the third place) with thy God; do not be too cenſorious, too raſh in thy judgement; God reſiſteth the proud: thou wert once as others are; it is by Grace thou art otherwiſe. Now it cannot be pleaſing, but highly provocative to God; to ſee a great ſinner, whom he hath pardoned, and received to mercy, triumphing over, judging, cenſuring them; and doubtleſs doth often provoke God to call their former ſins to remembrance, that they may learn to pity others. It is ſeldom that God by ſmart judgements makes them ſenſible of their errors, who have a daily ſenſe of them; and in the ſenſe of them, walk ſoftly all the days of their lives. If we would judg our ſelves (ſaith the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 11.31.) we ſhould not be judged.
4. Be much in ſecret prayer to God, begging of him, That if it be poſſible, thoſe bitter cups might paſs from thee; but remember to add what our Saviour addeth; yet not my will, but thy will be done. For theſe puniſhments are not in themſelves evil, and therefore not abſolutely to be deprecated; but with ſubmiſſion to the will, and wiſdom of God.