of their Particular Cafes, that seem to be Such as may, if Any, juftify our paffing Sentence upon them.

The I. is the Cafe of those whom God has wounded; that lye groaning under his heavy Judgments, which are vifible Marks of his Displeasure.

II. There are fome Men notoriously Immoral, Men openly Wicked and Profane: And as for fuch Men, God himself by the Mouth of his Prophets and Apostles, has always pronounc'd Sentence against Them.

And Laftly, I fhall confider the Case of the Heathens, who are Strangers and Aliens from the Faith of Chrift, and fo never enjoy'd thofe Means of Grace which are the Only Means we have of Attaining Salvation: And may we not well deny the Hope of Glory, where God has Deny'd the Means of Grace?

I. As to the Cafe of those whom God has wounded, who are forely Afflicted in Mind or Body, and loaded with his Judgments. Are not his Judgments the Messengers of his Wrath, Sent forth to execute Vengeance against those that Do Evil? May we not then give

Them over as Loft and Reprobate, on whom we already find the Visible Marks of his Displeasure?

And This Cafe I the rather take into Confideration, not only because Men that are at Ease in the midst of their Pof-Pfal. 73. feffions, and come into no Misfortune like 5. other Folk, neither are plagued like other Men, are very apt to Judge hardly of those whom God afflicts, and to make themselves (the Interpretes Fulminis) the Interpreters of God's Judgments, to denounce his Wrath against them; but also because the Afflicted themfelves, when they lye languishing under God's heavy Hand, are very Apt to fufpect and pafs Sentence upon themselves, as if they had loft God's Favour, and were Forfaken by him; As I fhall by and by have Occasion to inftance, even in Some of the Best of Men.

But in This Cafe we are to confider, That as God's Favour does not Always fhow itself in the Effects of his Bounty, So neither are Afflictions the Certain Indications of his Wrath; But they are very often the Direct Contrary: For, whenever his Bounty is mifus'd, by being made to minister to our Lufts or any unlawful Paffions if he shall still fuffer us to go on in an uncheckt

Pfal. 73.

30.

uncheckt Course of Profperity, That is what may Pleafe Us, and we may be likely to think it God's Favour and Kindness to Us, which would really be one of his Greatest Plagues.

be

We poor Short-fighted Creatures cannot fee to the End of Our own Defires. Our Hearts are fet on our own Prefent Gratifications, but there may, in the Certain Train of Things, many Fatal Confequences, which God Forefees, tho' we difcern them not. And perhaps Few Men would want any other Enemy to undo them besides themselves, if they had but the Reins given them into their own Hands, to take their full Swing, and gratify themselves in all their Defires. might they go on quietly and fecurely, nurtur'd up by their Plenty and Profperity, to their own Destruction; as Beafts are fatted up only for the Slaughter. It was in Judgment not in Mercy, that God gave the Ifraelites their own Defire, and they were not disappointed of their Lufts: But whilst the Meat was yet in their Mouths, the Heavy Wrath of God fell upon them. God who knows

Then

our Weakness, and our Ignorance in Asking, confults our Good rather than our Pleasure; And is more Merciful to us, than we would be to ourselves, when he takes

away

away from us thofe Outward Enjoyments and Worldly Things, which he fees would but be Inftruments and Incentives to Sin, however our Hearts may be set upon them. As when he fees, that Health and Strength and Vigour of Conftitution, would but prove a Snare to us, and overfet us with Unruly Appetites and Lufts; Or that Reputation, Riches, and Honour, would but minister Occafions and Temptations to Pride and Luxury; Loffes and Croffes and Difappointments of our Hopes and Designs, Nay even Weakness and Indifpofitions of Body, which We may lament as great Misfortunes, may yet be far from Tokens of his Indignation or Disfavour to us.

[Sunt Quedam Nocitura impetrantibus, que non Dare, fed Negare, Beneficium eft: Eftimari debet Utilitas potius quam Volun

tas Petentis.

2.

Exorari in perniciem Ro◄ Sen. de gantis, fava Bonitas eft, Says the excellent Ben. Lib. Moralift.] When Men Ask they know not what, Things that would be Hurtful to themselves, 'tis much more Mercy in God to Deny, than it would be to Grant them. And upon this very Argument it is, that St. James undertakes to vindicate the Truth and Goodnefs of God, when he rejects our Prayers, and fruftrates our Expectations, Ch. iv. 3--

Te

Te Ask and Receive not, (fays he,) becaufe ye Ask Amifs; that ye may Confume it upon your Lufts. In That Cafe it is a Mercy in God that he will not Yield to Our Defires, nor be prevailed upon by our Importunity, to Ruin Us by his Indulgence; but will rather Correct us with the Rod of Affliction, if we want Correction: For when Afflictions are fent, as they very often are, because we need them; For our Chastisement and Correction, or for the Trial of our Faith, or for the Exercife of our Patience or Humility, they are not Signs of his Displeasure, but Pledges of his Jer. xxx. Love; The Healing Medicines of a Friend, not the Wounds of an Enemy.

13, 14.

Is it not then very unjust and unreafonable, for us to pafs Judgment on Men's Future State, from any Prefent Afflictions or Troubles they lye under, when it is so often of very Mercy that God caufeth Men to be troubled ?

We find Some of the Best of his Servants Sighing away many Wearifome Days and Restless Nights, in great Difquiet and Anguifh of Spirit; full of the Terrors of the Lord, and overcaft with foreboding Thoughts and Fears, that they were utterly Caft off and Forfaken by him. This was Job's, and likewise David's Cafe, not only by the Cenfures

of