(1.) It is true in a temporal sense. When God would bring Israel to Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey, he first leads them through a sea and wilder- ness. When God intended to advance Jo- seph to be the second man in the kingdom, he cast him first into prison, and the iron entered into his soul, Ps. cv. 18. God u- sually lets it be darkest before the morning- star of deliverance appears.
(2.) It is true in a spiritual sense. When God intends to raise a soul to spiritual com- fort, he first lays it low in desertion, Isa. xii. 1. As the limner lays his dark colour first, and then lays his gold colour on it, so God first lays the soul in the dark of deser- tion, and then he hiys his golden colour ol" joy and consolation. May not tiiis make us cheerfully submit, and say, " Thy will be done ?" Perhaps now God afflicts me, he is about to raise me, he intends me a great- er mercy than I am aware of.
10/^. Consideration, the excellency of this frame of soul, to lie at God's feet and say, " Thy will be done."
(1.) A soul that is melted into God's will shows variety of grace. As the holy oint- ment was made up of several aromatic s])i- ces, myrrh, cinnamon, cassia, Exod. xxx. 23., so this sweet temper of soul, submis
mixture of several graces; in particular, it is comjjounded of three graces, faith, love, humility. 1. Faith : faith believes God doth all in mei'cy, — that affliction is to mor- tify some sin, or exercise some grace, — that God corrects in love and faithfulness, Ps. cxix. 7'). ; the belief of this, causeth sub- mission of will to God. 2. Love : love " thinks no evil," 1 Cor. xiii. 5. Love takes all God doth in the best sense; it hath good thoughts of God, this causeth sub- mission, " Thy will be done." Let the righteous God smite me (saith love) it shall be a kindness, yea, it shall be an excellent oil which shall not break my head. 3. Humility : the humble soul looks on its sins, and how it hath provoked God; he saith not his afflictions are great, but his sins are great; this makes him lie at God's feet, and say, " I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him," Micah vii. 9. Thus a submissive frame of heart is full of grace, it is com- pounded of several graces ; it pleaseth God to see so many graces at once sweetly ex- ercised ; he saith of such a Christian, as David of Goliah's sword, 1 Sam. xxi. 9., " None like that, give it me."
(2.) He who puts his Jiat et placet to Ciod's will, and saith, " Thy will be done," shows not oidy variety of grace, but strength of grace. It argues much strength in the body, to be able to endure hard weather, yet not to be altered by it: so to endure hard trials, yet not faint or fret, shows more than ordinary strength of grace. Vou that can say, you have brought your wills to G(Krs ; God's will and your's agree, as the cf»py and the original ; let me assure you, you have outstript many Christians, \\\\o ])erhaps shine in an higher orb of knowledge than you. To be content to be at God's disposal, to be any thing that God will have us, shows a noble heroic soul. It is reported of the eagle, it is not like o- ther fowls; they, when tliey are hinigry, make a noise, the ravens cry for food, but the eagle is never heard to make a noise, though it wants meat ; and it is from the nobleness and greatness of its spirit; the eagle is above other fowls, and hath a spi- rit suitable to its nature; so it is an argu-
sioa to God's will in affliction, hath in it a I meut of an holy gallantry and magnitude
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of spirit, that whatsoever cross proA'idences befall a Christian, he doth not cry and whine as others, hut is silent, and lies quietly at God's feet : here is mucli strength of grace in such a soul, nay, the heiglit of grace. When grace is crowning, it is not so much to say, " Lord, thy will be done ;" but when grace is conflicting, and meets with crosses and trials, now to say, " Thy will be done," is a glorious thing indeed, and prepares for the garland of honour.
llth. Consideration, persons are usually better in adversity than in prosperity, there- fore stoop to God's will. A prosperous condition is not always so safe ; 'tis true it is more pleasing to the palate, and every one desires to get on the warm side of the hedge, where the sun of prosperity shines, but it is not always best ; in a prosperous estate, there is more burden : many look at the shining and glittering of prosperity, but not at the burden, plus one?is.