with God, one lawful and commendable; when we strive with him upon the knee of importunity in prayer; thus Jacob wreftled with God, and prevailed, Hof. xii. 4. The other is highly

finful and dangerous, when we prefume to cenfure, or accuse any of his works, as defective in wisdom or goodness. He that reproveth God, let him aufwer it, i. e. At his peril be it. This finful striving with God is two-fold; either vocal or men· tal.

1. Vocal, When men, in bold blafphemous language, arraign the wildom, power, goodnefs, or faithfulness of the Lord, at the bar of their own reason; and there condemn them, setting their mouths against the heavens, Pfalm lxxiii. 8, y. This is the fin of the wicked, yea, of the first-born fons of wicked

nefs.

2. Mental, In inward frets, murmurs, repinings against God; Prov. xix. 3 "The foolishness of man perverts his way, and "his heart fretteth against the Lord." The heart may cry out impatiently against God, when the tongue is filent: And if the frets and murmurs of the heart be (as indeed they are) interpretatively no better than a striving with our Maker; then this fin would be found more common among good men in the paroxyfms of affliction, than we imagine. It will be necef fary therefore, for your fake, and for the fakes of many more in a like state of affliction with you, to stay a while on this head, and confider thefe following queries.

Query I. How far may we enquire of God, expoftulate, and complain in times of affliction, without fin?

Query II. Wherein lies the fiafulness and danger of exceed. ing thefe bounds?

Query III. What confiderations are most proper and power

ful to reftrain the afflicted foul from this finful excefs? Query 1. How far we may enquire of God, expoftulate with him and complain to bim in times of affliction, without fin? Sol. 1. We may humbly enquire into the caufes and reasons of God's displeasure against us, not to seek matter for our justi fication, but direction in the work of our humiliation : fo Da vid enquired about the three years famine, and the Lord in. formed him, for whose fake, and for what fin it was, 2 Sam. xxi. 1. And thus Job addressed to him in the day of his afflic tion, Job x. 2. Shew me wherefore thou contendeft with me;" i. e. convince me, what special fin it is, for which I am thus afflicted. This is fo far from being our fin, that it is both our duty, and the excellency of our fpirits: it is a child-like tem

per, willing to know, that we may be particularly humbled for that fin, and for ever the more careful to fhun it. "That *which I fee not; teach thou me; if I have done iniquity, I "will do fo no more," Job xxxiv. 32. Thus far we are safe.

2. We may plead by prayer, and put him in mind of his mercies, relations, and promifes, in order to the change of his providential difpenfations towards us: We may fay to him under the smarteft rod, as the church did, " Doubtless thou art *our Father," Pfalm lxxiv. 20. Have refpect to the covenant; or as Jacob, Gen. xxxii. 9, 12. Thou faidft, I will "furely do thee good."

3.We may complain to God under our fufferings, and spread them before him in all their circumftances and aggravations, as Job, Heman, Asaph, Hezekiah and David did. He allows his children to complain to him, but not of him: "I poured out "my complaint before him; I fhewed before him my trou"ble," Pfal. cxlii. 2. To whom should a child make his complaint, but to his father? So far we are fafe.

4. We may fubmiffively pray for the removal of his hand from us, and entreat, that his anger may ceafe, and that he will turn again and heal us and our families, and not draw forth his anger for ever. So did David, Pfalm xxxix. 10. "Remove thy ftroke away from me; I am confumed by the "blow of thine hand;" q. d Ah, Lord, I am not able to endure another stroke. All this while, we are fafe, within the bounds of our duty. But then,

Query 2. Wherein lies our fin and danger, in exceeding thefe bounds? I answer,

Sol. When forgetting God's fovereignty, and the defert of our iniquities, we arrogantly cenfure his effecting, or permitting providences, as if they had no conducency to his own glo. ry, or our good. This is both finful and dangerous: For,

1. This is a proud exalting of our own reafon and under-, standing above the infinite wifdom of God. God hath made our reafon a judge and arbiter in matters within its own sphere and province; but when it comes to fummon God to its bar, and article against heaven, it is an infufferable arrogancy; and we do it at our own peril. God will have all men know, that he is an unaccountable being, Job xxxiii. 13. Yea, he will have us to know, that the "foolishness of God is wifer than "men," I Cor. i. 25. That is, that thofe very works of God, which man's proud reafon adventures to cenfure as not fo wise a method as their own would be, hath more wisdom in them, VOL. VII L11

than all the deep-laid defigns of the greatest politicians in the world. And it is ftrange that men fhould dare to attempt fuch a wickednefs as this, after God hath fo feverely punished it in the fallen angels.

2. It is no lefs than a fpurning at the fovereignty of God, from whofe pleasure we derive our beings, and all our mercies, Rev. iv. 11. In thefe quarrellings at providence, and frets at divine appointments, we invade his throne, and control his fovereign pleasure. How monftrous were it to hear a child quarrelling with his father, that he was not fo and fo figured; or the clay to chide the potter for moulding it as it is?

3. It is deftructive to our inward peace and tranquillity of mind, which is part of the punishment of this fin; and a smart ftripe, a fore rebuke it is from the hand of God upon us.

Contention is uncomfortable, though but with a neighbour, worfe with a near relation; but a quarrel with God is destructive to all comfort in the world. Afflictions may disturb a good man's peace; but a mutinous fpirit against God, destroys and ftabs it at the very heart. What is the fin and torment of the devils, but their rage against the Lord, and fwelling against the methods of his grace?" He feeketh reft, but findeth "none," Matth. xii. 43. The peace of our fpirit is a choice mercy, and might be maintained amidst all our afflictions, were but our intereft in his promises, and the true level of his providences cleared to us.

4. It is irrational, and highly unjuft, to give the caufe, and quarrel at the effects. God hath righteously and inseparably linked penal with moral evils; fin and forrow, by the laws of heaven are tacked and linked together; he that doth evil, fhall feel evil, Gen. iv. 7. We adventure upon fin, and then fret at affliction, Prov. xix. 3. "The foolishness of man "perverts his way, and his heart fretteth against the Lord." Is this becoming a reasonable creature? Doth not every man reap as he foweth ? Can the feed of fin bring forth a crop of peace and comfort?" Why doth the living man complain, a

"man

man for the punishment of his fins ?" Lam. iii. 39. Search your hearts, and fearch your houfes, and you will quickly find that all your afflictions in this world, were they ten thousand times more, and heavier than they are, do not come near to the defert of one fin. All forrows, loffes, afflictions on this fide hell, are quite below the value of fin, the meritorious and provoking caufe of them all.

5. It is foolish and vain, to strive against God, and conteft

?

perverfely with him. Can our difcontents relieve us? Or our murmurs eafe us? Will they turn God out of his way No, no, He is in one mind, and who can turn him afide? Job xxiiis 13. The wheels of providence 'go ftraight forward, and turn not when they go, Ezek. i. 1 We 17: may bring them over us to crush us, by ftanding thus in their way; but cannot turn them out of their way.

"If they ftill walk contrary to me, then will I walk contrary "to you, and purifh you yet feven times for your fins," Lev. xxiii. 14. Or I will walk in the rashness of mine anget †, smiting you without moderation, as men do in their rage and fury. This is all we shall get by fretting against God. Never expect relief under, or release from the yoke God hath laid on your necks, till you be brought to accept the punishment of your iniquities, Lev. xxvi. 41.

6. It is a fin full of odious ingratitude towards your God: Which appears (1.) In murmuring because it is fo bad, when we fhould be admiring that it is no worse. Are there not millions in hell that never finned at higher rates than you have done? Is this affliction as bad as hell? Hath God pardoned you and faved you, and yet doth he deferve to be thus requited by you? (2.) In murmuring that our condition is so bad, when we may every day fee others in a far worfe cafe, who are equal with us by nature, and we are equal with them in guilt and provocation. If we fpeak of outward afflictions, certainly others would be glad to exchange conditions with us, and account themselves happy in our circumstances, Confider the description given of thofe perfons, Job xxx. 3, 4, 5. And how little they differ in the manner of life from brute beafts: And if we fpeak of inward troubles, compare your own with those of Heman, and Afaph, in Pfalm lxxvii. and. lxxxviii. and if both together, and that in an intenfe degree, confider Job vi. 4. and you will foon find your condition full of fparing mercy: Thofe excellent perfons that were. fo much above you in grace, were yet plunged fo much deeper than you into afflictions. And is it not then vile ingratitude in you, thus to mutiny and charge your God foolishly? (3•), But efpecially here lies our ingratitude, in quarrelling and cenfuring those providences, whofe very end and errand is L112

* When a patient struggles under the physician's hand he receives a fmarter touch.

our eternal good; Heb. xii. 10. " But he for our profit, that "we might be partakers of his holiness."

7. It is a fin that deprives us of the fruits and benefits of our afflictions: A tumultuous raging fpirit reaps no good by the rod. The fruits of affliction are called the peaceable fruits, Heb. xii. 11, because they are always gathered and reaped down by the afflicted foul in a quiet and peaceful temper: Anima fedendo, & quiescendo fit fapiens. Bloffoms and flowers open not in the boisterous ftorms of winter, but in the mild and gentle fpring.

Well then, be convinced of the fin and danger of a difcontented spirit under the hand of God, and inftead of mourn ing over loft relations, now mourn for the lofs of patience, the want of fubmiffion, and for the pride and arrogancy of your own reason, that prefumes to correct the works of the Alnighty; and fay to God, as Jofeph did to his father, when he wittingly croffed his hands in bleffing Ephrain and Manaffeh, Not fo, my father. This is not fit.

Query 3. But how may thefe evils be prevented or cured, and the tempeftuous foul calmed under the rod? How fhall all ftrifes betwixt God and his people be ended, and the foul made quiet at his feet?

Reply. This bleffed frame of fpirit, may in a great degree and measure be attained in the ufe of the following directions: I fay, in their use and application, not by the prescription or fimple knowledge of them. And,

Rule 1. The firft rule, or direction is this: Study well the glorious fovereignty of God over you, and awe your hearts with the confideration of it. From his mere pleasure, you, and all that is yours, proceeded; on his pleasure you depend, and into that good pleafure of his will, your wills therefore ought to be refolved: "Whatever the Lord pleased, that he "did, in heaven and in earth, in the fea and in all deep "places," Pfalm cxxxv. 6. Man and man ftand on equal ground; and if our reafon be not fatisfied about the equity of mens dealings with us, we may ask who did it, and demand the reasons why he did it; but when we have to do with God, we must not difpute his pleasure. Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth; but let not the clay difpute with the potter. Now the fovereignty of God is glorioufly difplayed in his decrees, laws, and providences. (1.) In his decrees, appointing the creatures to their ends, whether to be veffels of mercy, or of wrath, Rom. ix. 18, 19, 20. In this cafe there must be no difputing with God. (2.) In