V. ith him. It was begun with thunder. Job xxxvii.

1, 2. Ihen followed God's voice out of the whirl- V, ind, chap, xxxviii. 1. whereon Job is brought down, chap. xl. 4, 5. It is renev/ed till he is far- ther humbled, chap. xlii. 5, 6. *' v\ hcrefore I ab- ^' hor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."
4. Inure yourselves silently to admit mysteries in the conduct of Providence towards you, which vou are not able to comprehend, but will adore, i'ipm. xi. 33. " O t'le depth of the riches, both of ' the wisdom and knowledge of God! how un- ^ searchable are hi.s judgments, and his ^a ays past ' fmding out!" That was the first word God said :o Job, xxxviii. 2. ** Who is i,his that darkeneth • counsel by v/ords without knowled2:e r" It took him by the heart, $iuck with him, and he comes over it again, chap. xlii. 3. as that which particu- larly brought him to his knees, to the dust. Even in those steps of Providence, which we seem to see far into, v:e may well allow there are some my- .^teries beyord what we see. And in those which
1 20 The Crook in the Lot.
are perplexing and puzzling, sovereignty should si- lence us ; his infinite wisdom should satisfy, tho' we cannot see.
5* Be much in the thoughts of your own si7i' fulness^ Job xl. 4. " Behold I am. vile, what shall *' I answer thee ? I will lay mine hand upon my " mouth." It is overlooking of that which gives us so much ado with humbling circumstances- While the eyes are held that they cannot see sin, the heart riseth against them ; but when they are opened, it falls. Wherefore, whenever God is dealing with you in humbling dispensations, turn your eyes, upon that occasion, on the sinfulness of our nature, heart, and life, and that will help for- ward your humiliation.
6. Settle it in your heart, that there is need of all the humbling circumstances you are put in. This is truth, 1 Pet. i. 6. " Though now for a sea- '' son (if need be) ye are in heaviness through ''manifold temptations." God brings no need- less trials upon us, afflicts none but as their need lequircs, Lam. iii. 33. "• For he doth not afllict '' willingly, nor grii^ve the children of men." That is an observable difference betwixt our earthly and iisavenlyFadicr's correction, Hcb.xii. 10. "They, '^ after their own pleasure^ but he for cur profit, *' that we might be partakers of his holiness." Look to the temper of your own hearts and nature, how apt to be lift up, forget God, carried away willi the vanities of the world ; what foolishness is bound up in your heart. Thus you will see the need of humbling circumstances for bdlast, and of the rod for the fool's back ; and if at any time you cannot see that need, believe it on the ground of God\- 'nr^-**- i> '--v^ir), that docs nothing -n vr.in.
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jr. Believe a kind design of Providence in thenfi towards yoa. God calls us to this, as the key that opens the heart under them, Rev. iii. 19. Satan suggests suspicions to the contrar}% as the bar which may hold it shut, 2 Kings vi. 33. " This e- *' vil is of the Lord, what should I wait for the " Lord any longer ?" As long as the suspicions ot an ill design in them against us reigns, the crea- ture will, like the worm at the man's feet, put it self in the best posture of defence it can, and hard- en itself in soitow : but the faith of a kind design will cause it open out itself in humility before liim.
Case. ' O ! If I knew there were a kind design
* in it, I would willingly bear it, although there
* were more of it ; but I fear a ruining design of ^ Providence agairstme therein'
Ans» Now, what word of God, or discover}' from heaven, have you to ground these fears upon ? None at all, but from hell, 1 Cor. x. 13. \Miat think you the design towards you in the gospel is ? Can you believe no kind design towards you in all the words of grace there heaped up neither ? What is that, I pray, but black unbelief in its hue of hell, Tsa. Iv. 1. flying in the face of the truth of God, and making him a liar, 1 John v. 10, 11. The gospel is a breathing of love and good will to the world of mankind sinners, lit. ii. 11. iii. 4. 1 John iv. 14. John iii. 17. But ye believe it not, in that case, more tlian devils believe it. But if ye can believe a kind design there, ye must believe it in your humbling circumstances too ; for the design of Providence cannot be contrary to the design of the gospel; but contrarywise the latter is to help forward to the other.
L
\2% The Crook tn the Lot.
8. Think witli yourselves, that this life is the time of /r/V// for heaven, James i. 12. " Bltssed *' is the man that endure th temptation ; for when "he is tried^ he shall receive the crown of life, *• which the Lord hath promised to them that love "' him." And therefore there should be a wel- coming of humbling circumstances on that view, ver. 2. '* Count it all joy when you fall into di- " vers temptations." It there is an honourable office, or beneficial employment to be bestowed, men strive to be taken on trials for it, in hope they may be thereupon legdly admitted to it. Now God takes trial of men for heaven bv humbling circumstances, as the v/hole Bible teacheth ; and shall men be so very loth to stoop to them ? I v/ould ask you,
(1.) Is it nothing to you to stand a candidate for glory, to be put on trials for heaven? Is there not an honour in it, an honour which all the- saints have had? Jam. v. 11. *' Behold we count them *•' happy that endure," ccc And a fiiir prospect in it, 2 Cor. iv. 17. "" For our light aflliction, which ** is but for a moment, worketh for us a far mQrc " exceeding and eternal weight of glor}.'* Do but put the case, God should overlook you in that case, as one whom it is needless ever to try on ihat head ; that lie should order your portion in this life v/ith full ease, as one ihat is to get no more of him ; what would that be ?
(2.) V\'hat a vast disproportion is there between your trials and the glory ? Your most humbling; circumstances, how light are they in comparison of the \veir;ht of it ? The longest continued cf the m are but for a moment, compared with the etermd weight. Alas! tiiere is much unbelief at the root s>f ;4ii vi^ 'j'>frus'n'"€i> unJf.;- our h'j.nL.ljnr circum-
4C
The Crook in the Loi. 12i3
atanccs. Had we a clearer view of the oilier world, we would not make so much of either the smiles or frowns of this.
(3.) What think ye of coming foul off the trial of your humbling circumstances : Jer. vi. 29, 30» *' The lead is consumed of the fire ; the founder *' melteth in vain ; for the wicked are not plucked away. Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them." That tlie issue of it be only, that your heart appear of such a temper as by no means to be humbled ; imd that therefore 5'oumust and shall be taken off them, while yet no humbling appears. I think the aw- fulness of the dispensation is such, as might set us to our knees to deprecate the lifting us up from our humbling circumstances, ere our hearts are humbled, Isa. i. 5. Ezek. xxiv. 13.
9. Think with yourselves, how it is by humbling circumstances the Lord prepares us for heaven. Col. i. 12. Giving- thanks unto the Father^ who hath made us ?nect to be made partakers of the in- heritance of the saints in light, with 2 Cor. v. 5. The stones and timber are laid down, turned over and over, and hewed, ere they be set up in the building; and not just set up as they come out of the quarry^ and wood. Were they capable of a choice, such of them as would refuse the iron tool would be refused a place in the building. Pray, how think ye to be made meet for heaven, by the warm sunshine of this world's ease, and getting all your will here? Nay, birs, that would put your mouth out of taste for the joys of the other world- Vessels of dishonour are futed for destruction that way ; but vessels of honour for glory by humbling^ circumstances, I would here say.
124 The Crook la the Lot.
(1.) Will nothing please yoa but tiDo heavens, one here, another hereafter? God has secured one heaven for the saints, one place where they shall get all their will, wish, and desire ; where there shall be no weight on them to hold them down j and that is in the other world. But ye must have it both here and there, or ye cannot digest it. Why do ye not quarrel too that there are not tvv-o sum- mers in one year ; two days in twenty-four hours ? The order of the one heaven is as firm as tha: of the years and days, andye will rot reverse it: there- fore, chuse ye whether you will take your night or your day first, your winter or your summer, your heaven here or hereafter.
(2.) Without being humbled with humbling cir- cumstances in this life, ye are not capable of hea- ven, 2 Cor. V. 5. " Now, he that hath wrought '* us for the self-same thing is God " Ye may in- deed lie at ease here in a bed of sloth, rnd dveam of heaven, big with hopes of a fool's paradise, wish- ing to cast yourselves just out of Delilah's lap in Abraham's bosom \ but without ye be humbled ye are not capable.
(1.) Of the J5i^/e-heaven, that heaven described in the Old and New Testament. Is not that hea- ven a lifting up in due time ? But, how shall ye be lifted up that are never well got down ? Where will your tears be to be wiped away? What place will there be for your triumph, that will not fight the good fight? How can it be a rest to you, who cannot away with labour ?
y (2.) Ofthe^a^V^f*' heaven, Rev. vii. 14. "And " he said unto me, These are they which came out " of great tribulation, and have washed their robes *' and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.** This answers the question anent Abraham, Isaac
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and Jacob, and all the saints with them there : they were brought down to the dust with humbling cir- cumstances, and out of these they came to before the throne. How can ye ever think to be lifted up with them, with whom ye cannot think to be brought down ?
(3.) Oi Christ's heaven, Heb. xii. 2. "Who ^'for the joy that was set before him, endured the ** cross, despising the shame, and is now set down *' at the right hand of God." O ! consider how the Forerunner made his way, Luke xxiv. 26. *' Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, ^' and to enter into his glory:" And lay your ac- counts with it, that if ye get where he is, ye must go thither as he went, Luke ix. 23. "- And he *' said. If any will come after me, let him deny " himself^ and take up his cross daily, and foUov/ ^'me.'' '
10. Give up at length with your towering hopes from this world, and confine them to the world to come. Be as pilgrims and strangers here, looking for your rest in heaven, and not till ye come there. There is a prevaihng evil, Isa. Ivii. 10. *' Thou " art wearied in the greatness of thy way : yet " saidst thou not. There is no hope." So the Ba- bel-building is still continued, though it has fallen down again and again : For men say, " The bricks " are fallen down, but we will build with hewn " stones ; the sycamores are cut down, but we will " change them into cedars," Isa. ix. 10. This makes humbling work vtry longsome ; v/e are so hard to quit the grip of the creature, to fall off from the breast and be weaned. — But fasten your grips on the other world, and let your grip of this go ; §p shall ye " be humbled indeed uuder the mighty L 2
126 The Crook in the Lot.
*' hand." The faster you grip the happiness of that world, the easier will it be tp accomodate yourselves to your humbling circumstances here.
11. Make use of Christ in all his offices, for your humiliation, under your humbling circum- stances. That only is kindly humiliation that comes in that way. Zech- xii. 10. " And they " shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and " they shall mourn," &c. That you must do by trusting on hira for that effect,
(1.) As a Priest for you. You have a conscience full of guilt, and that will make one uneasy in any circumstances, and far more in humbling circum- stances ; it will be like a thorn in the shoulder on which a burden is laid. But the blood of Christ will purge the conscience, draw out the thorn, give ease, Isa. xxxiii. 24. and fit for service, doing or suffering, Heb. ix. 14. " How much more shall " the blood of Christ — purge )our conscience ^^ from dead v/orks to serve the living God?"
(2.) As your Prophet to teach you. We have need to be taught rightly to discern our humbling circumstances ; for, often we mistake them so far, that they prove an oppressing load ; whereas, could v/e rightly see them, just as God sets them to us, they would be humbling, but fiot so oppressive. Trolly we need Christ, and the light of his word and Spirit, to let us see our cross and trial as well as our duty, Psal. xxv. 9, 10.
(3.) As your Kiyig". You have a stiff heart, loth to bow even in humbling circumstances ; take a lesson from Moses what to do in such a case, Exod. xxxiv. 9. And he said, — Let inv Lord^Lpray thee^ go amongst us (for it is a stiff-necked people^) and pardon our iniquity^ and our aim Put it in his hands rhnt is strong and mighty, Psalm xxiv. 8. He is a-
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ble to'cause it to melt, and like wax, before the fire, turn te the. seal.
Think on these directions, in order to put them in practice, remembering, that if ye knoxv these things, happy are ye^ ify^ ^^ them, Reraember humbling work is a work that will fill your hand, while you live here, and that you cannot come to the end of till death; and humbling circumstances will attend you, whil A change of them ye may get ; but a freedom from ihcm ye cannot, till ye come to heaven. So the hum- bling circumstancrs ofour imperfections»rtlatioas, contradictions, afflictions, uncertainties and sinful- ness, will afford matter of exercise to us while here. -—What remains of the pui*pose of this text, I shall comprise in,
Doer. II. There is a due time^ -wherein these that now humble tfiemsehec uruler the mighty hand of God will certainly be lifted vp. We shall take,