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there is no melody where there is but one note; there muft be different founds to make the mufic melodious. I think the apoftle fpeaks after this manner, 1 Cor. xiv. 7. "Even things without life giving found, whether pipe or harp, except they give a diftinction in the found, how fhall it be known what is piped or harped!" So it is here in the fpiritual mufic, whether you look to the confummate fong of the redeemed above, or the initial fong of the redeemed below, the feng of mercy prefent, and judgment paft, makes the fweeteft melody in heaven; and the fong of mercy and judgment, both prefent, makes the fweeteft melody that can be attained on earth. Mercy and judgment like bafs and treble, make holy melody in the fpiritual fong: here are the different notes of mufic; mercy makes a high and lofty note, and judgment makes a humble and low note, and both make the fong melodious. When a man not only fees mercy, but mercy and judgment, mercy before judgment, and mercy after judgment, and mercy in judgment, and mercy with judgment, and mercy out of judg ment, and mercy backing judgment, and mercy bleffing judgment, and mercy ordering and difpofing judgment, mercy qualifying judgment, and mercy moderating judg ment, and mercy fweetening judgment, and mercy rejoicing over judgment, and mercy running through judgment, and mercy at the root of judgment, and mercy at the top of judgment, mercy on this fide of judgment, and mercy on that fide of judgment, mercy round about judgment, and inercy turning judgment into mercy. O then, how does he fing with melody in his heart to the Lord!It is to make the fong melodious.

6. The fixth reafon is, That they may prize both their mercies and their judgments; both their croffes and their comforts, both their rods and reliefs, as both affording matter of a fong; and that they may neither on the one hand fport at his mercy, nor on the other hand fpurn at his judgments; and that they may neither abuse enlargements, nor defpife chaftifements, but that they may give both their proper place and room in their hearts and efteem; that they may fing

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of both, and love the Lord their God in both, and fo may love a frowning as well as a filing God, an abfent as well as a prefent God, a hiding as well as a fhining God, a correcting as well as a comforting God: and that both out of their clear and cloudy days. they may pen a fong to the praife of his name.- -In

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a word, the Lord orders it fo, that their fong should be both of mercy and judgment, and puts both in their lot; that, in the view of mercy, they may not defpair; and, in the view of judgment, they may not prefume that they may fing hopefully, becaufe of mercy; and humbly, becaufe of judgment: and that their fong may be full, and take in all his difpenfations, like the fong of Mofes and the Lamb; "Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; juft and true are thy ways, thou King of faints," Rev. xv. 3. So much for this head.

V. The fifth head was the application, in the following inferences. Hence fee,

1. That there is an over-ruling and wife providence, making all things, whether comforts or croffes, fweet things or fad things, contribute and co-operate for the good and advantage of the hidden remnant; "We know that all things work together for good, to them that love God, and are the called according to his purpose," Rom. viii. 28. Mercy and judgment, and all adverfe and profperous things, work together to be the matter of a fong furely there is a wheel within a wheel; there is a fecret hand that draws up and tunes all the ftrings of the harp of providence, to make a fweet fong of praife unto God; there is an infinitely wife hand, like that of a cunning player upon his harp, that makes all the most seemingly jarring notes to contribute to melody, even as he made the malice of the Jews, the treafon of Judas, and the rage of devils, to work for the falvation of an elect world.

2. See the sweetness of true religion, and that wif dom's ways are pleasantness: a religious life is a finging life, whether providence fmile or frown. If a believer figh and mourn at any time, and be not finging at the

fame.

fame time, it is when religion is at a low ebb with him. You may think religion is a melancholy life, man, because many are the afflictions of the righteous, and judgment may begin at the houfe of God; but you do not confider, that true religion makes a man to fing of judgment, as well as mercy. Out of all the ups and downs, the viciffitudes and changes, fmiles and frowns, of the believer's lot, the Lord brings a fong of praife. Truly, God is good to Ifrael, whether Ifrael think it or not; for even judgment will be matter of a fong. It is the language of unbelief, when they fay of judgment, as Jacob did of his afflictions, "All these things are against me;" but when once the gallant grace of faith takes the field again, it will fay, All thefe are for me, and I will fing of all.

3. See hence the difference betwixt carnal and spiritual mirth, carnal and spiritual finging; betwixt the joy of the world and the joy of the faints. The world may rejoice, if they have, and while they have fome outward mercy; but to fing of judgment, when these mercies are withdrawn, is what they know nothing of; nay, take away the world, and then they will fay with Micah,

They have taken away my gods, and what have I more?" But fpiritual joy can fing in the midst of forrow, and say, Tho' the fig-tree fhall not bloffom, neither fhall fruit be in the vines, the labour of the olives fhall fail, and the fields fhall yield no meat, the flock fhall be cut off from the fold, and there fhall be no herd in the ftalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my falvation," Hab. iii. 17, 18. O Sirs, down, down, down with all carnal mirth and worldly joy, in comparifon of this: down with finging, piping, and dancing; these things are but folly and madness.

4. Hence fee, that the godly need not take any finful fhift, to fhun fuffering, or any finful courfe to fhun the crofs; for, come the crofs when it will, they may even fing with the crofs on their back, as Paul and Silas in the ftocks, Acts xvi. 24, 25. Is the godly tempted to make any finful compliance with the courfes of the time? What need he be annoyed, as if his life of out

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ward comforts in a world would be at an end, as if bonds or imprisonments, the lofs of wordly goods and enjoyments were abiding him, if he makes not this and the other compliance? What need any annoyment? For his fuffering time may be his finging time; I will fing of mercy and of judgment." Befides, all his light affictions here, which laft but for a moment, work for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

5. Hence fee, what a fweet place heaven muft be, and what finging muft be there: If a fong of mercy mixt with judgment here is tweet, and fometimes even ravifhing, O what a fweet fong is that of the redeemed about the throne, where there is no more judgment, no. more forrow or fin! And little wonder that the believer long for heaven, feeing his fweeteft fongs are mixt with fighs, and his mercies with judgments; his fweetest songs here have ftill this heavy figh in them, Ah, and Wo is me, that wherever I go in this world, I am always drawing a body of death along with me.-O what a happy time is the day of death to a believer, when he fhall take an everlafting farewel of all his lufts and idols! O belieyer, what would you think to be faying, Farewel darknefs, and welcome everlasting light; farewel enmity, aud welcome everlasting love; farewel forrow, and welcome everlasting joy; farewel all my fins, and heart-plagues, and ftrong corruptions, and welcome eternal happiness, and uninterrupted felicity? O would you not fay, Farewel, farewel, with a thoufand good-wills, to all thefe evil. things, and triumphantly fay, Glory to God that we fhall never meet again? Hence fee then, I fay, what a fweet place heaven muft be; if even judgments, fufferings and temptations to fin here be made matter of joy and finging fometimes to the believer, what fhall glory be? If the worst things on earth may contribute to a fong, what will the best things in heaven do? If the crofs be fometimes fo fweet, what will the crown be? If the waters of Marah be made fo fweet, what will the wine of paradife be? If God's rod hath honey at the end of it, what will his golden fceptre have? O! how happy are they who have got the ftart of us, and are exalted above

thefe

thefe vifible heavens already, and past all their fears and doubts, and are finging praifes without wearying!

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6. Hence fee, what a black and white garment the believer wears. The garment of praife is a garment of diverfe colours; dyed white and black with mercy and judgment; "I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerufalem, as the tents of Kedar, and yet as the curtains of Solomon," Cant. i. 5. Not only black in themselves and comely in Chrift; black as finners, and comely as faints; black with fin, and comely with grace: but fometimes black with perfecution, and comely with confolation; black with affliction, diftrefs, and judgment, but comely with the mixture of mercy in their cup of adverfity, while they get the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praife for the spirit of heavinefs. Hence with what heavinefs have you gone to prayer! fometime under the fenfe of inward trouble from your lufts, or fome outward trouble from the world; fome particular affair about your husband, your wife, your children, your family, that hath been diflreffing to you: You have in heavinefs gone away to God in prayer, and come away with your foul leaping as a hart within you. O believer, you need not fhudder or be grieved at the cup of affliction, which your Father gives you to drink; for, though it be bitter at the top, yet the fugar is at the bottom of the cup: "What I do, thou knoweft not now, but thou shalt know hereafter."

7. Hence we may fee the happiness of the faints, and of all believers in Chrift: They may in every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ concerning them; be it profperity or adverfity, mercy or judgment, in life or death; he may fing, that nothing in a world can make him miferable, no loffes, croffes, bonds, perfecutions, famine, or peftilence. If he may fing of judgment, furely the judgments are not vindictive judgments, but fatherly chaftifements; for God deals not with him according to the tenor of the law, as a covenant of works; nay, he is not under the law, nor liable to the penal fanction of it: they VOL. II.

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