y and judgment. But to what purpose is it all?
I say, not to inquire curiously into the particulars of them, but to
profit by them. The Scripture holds out to us the unchangeableness,
freedom, extent, holiness, and wisdom of them, for our advantage, and if
this advantage be not reaped, we know them in vain. Not to burden your
memory with many particulars, we should labour to draw forth both
instruction and consolation out of them. Instruction, I say, in two things
especially--to submit with reverence and respect to his majesty in all his
works and ways, and to trust in him who knows all his works, and will not
change his mind.

There is nothing wherein I know Christians more deficient than in this
point of submission, which I take to be one of the chiefest and sweetest,
though hardest duties of a Christian. It is hardly to be found among
men,--a thorough compliance of the soul to what his soul desires, a real
subjection of our spirits to his good will and pleasure. There is nothing
so much blessed in scripture as waiting on him, as yielding to him to be
disposed upon,--"Blessed are all they that wait on him." Pride is the
greatest opposite, and he opposes himself most to that, for it is in its
own nature most derogatory to the highness and majesty of God, which is
his very glory. Therefore submission is most acceptable to him, when the
soul yields itself and its will to him. He condescends far more to it, he
cannot be an enemy to such a soul. Submission to his majesty's pleasure,
is the very bowing down of the soul willingly to any thing he does or
commands,--whatever yoke he puts on, of duty or suffering, to take it on
willingly, without answering again, which is the great sin condemned in
servants, to put the mouth in the dust, and to keep silence, because he
doth it--"I was dumb, I opened not my mouth, because thou didst it."
_There_ is submission indeed,--silence of mind and mouth--a restraint put
upon the spirit to think nothing grudgingly of him for any thing he doth.
It is certainly the greatest fault of Christians and ground of many more,
that ye do not look to God, but to creatures in any thing that befalls
you, therefore there are so frequent risings of spirits against his yoke,
frequent spurnings against it, as Ephraim, unaccustomed with the yoke. So
do ye, and this it is only makes it heavy and troublesome. If there were
no more reason for it but your own gain, it is the only way to peace and
quietness. _Duru