God, yet they have spoken lyes against me, Hos. 7. 15. So Chap. 13. 4, 5, 6, 7. When God hath in his Providence dealt graci∣ously with a Person, it may be delivered him from straights and troubles, set him in a large place, prevented him with ma∣ny fruits and effects of his goodness, blessed him in his Person, Relations, and Employments, dealt well with his soul, in giv∣ing him a gracious sense of his love in Christ; for such a one to fall under sinful miscarriages, it goes to the heart of God, and shall not be passed over. Undervaluations of Love are great pro∣vocations. Hath Nabal thus requited my kindness saith David? I cannot bear it. And the clearer the convictions of any in this kind were, the more severe will their reflections be upon them∣selves.
Secondly, Sins under, or after great Afflictions, are of this importance also. God doth not afflict willingly, or chasten us meerly for his pleasure. He doth it to make us partakers of his Holiness. To take so little notice of his hand herein, as under it, or after it, not to watch against the workings and surprizals of sin, it hath unkindness in it; I smote him, saith God, and he went on frowardly in the wayes of his own heart. These provo∣cations of his Sons and Daughters, he cannot bear with. Hath God brought thee into the Furnace, so that thou hast melted under his hand, and in pity and compassion hath given thee enlargement; if thou hast soon forgotten his dealings with thee, is it any wonder, if he mind thee again, by troubles in thy soul?
Thirdly, Breaking off from under strong convictions, and dawn∣ings of Love before Conversion, are oftentimes remembred upon the conscience afterwards. When the Lord by his Spirit shall mightily convince the heart of sin, and make withal some dis∣coveries of his Love, and the Excellencies of Christ unto it, so that it begins to yield, and be overpowred, being almost per∣swaded to be a Christian; if then through the strength of lust, or unbelief, it goes back to the world, or self righteousness; its folly hath unkindness with it, that sometimes shall not be passed by. God can, and often doth put forth the greatness of his power, for the recovery of such a soul; but yet he will deal with him, about this contempt of his Love, and the Excel∣lency