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 1. A justifying God in all he does “It is well;" God cannot do amiss; he worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, to the praise of his glory. And "after all that is come upon us," says the Church, Ezra ix. 13. “thou, our God, hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve"; thou hast taken vengeance according to the desert of our sins, When sin appears to be what it is in itself, exceeding sinful, affliction will appear light, and not till then. Wherefore, says the church, Lam. iii. 39, “wherefore, does a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? So long as we are out of hell, God punishes less than our iniquities deserve.

Whatever be our trial, it comes from God: he is the author, whoever be the instrument, therefore, “it is well,” He cannot do iniquity: David had not one word to say, by way of complaint, when he saw God's hand in the affliction: yea, let him curse, for “the Lord hath bid Shimei curse David," 2 Sam. xvi. 12. We may puzzle and distress ourselves about instruments and second causes, but no quiet no rest can we have, till we are led to the first. “He performeth the thing appointed for me;" that settles the soul, but nothing else will do it. "Be still and know that I am God," Psal. xlvi. 10. If thy children are taken, thy substance fails, thy body is