honour,  and  sanctified  him  in  the  eyes  of  the  people,  as  you  ought  to
do  ?  Lam.  iii.  39,  40,  '  Wherefore  doth  a  living  man  complain,  a  man
for  the  punishment  of  his  sins  ?  let  us  search  and  try  our  ways,  and
turn  again  unto  the  Lord.'  Surely  we  have  no  cause  to  complain  of
God,  since  all  the  evils  we  suffer  we  procure  to  ourselves ;  it  is  sin  hath
exposed  us  to  manifold  annoyances  and  afflictions.  There  is  a  cause,
and  a  narrow  search  will  show  us  for  what  cause,  and  then  our
affliction  will  not  be  so  bitter  as  repentance  will  be  sweet  and  lovely
to  us.
4.  It  teacheth  us  a  lesson  of  patience  and  humble  submission.     We
should  look  up  to  the  hand  of  God  in  all  punishments,  corrections,  and
trials,  as  David  did  on  Shimei's  cursing  :  2  Sam.  xvi.  11,  '  Let  him
alone,  and  let  him  curse,  for  the  Lord  hath  bidden  him.'     He  looked
upon  God  as  the  supreme  cause,  correcting .  him  for  his  sins,  against
whom  he  was  not  to  repine  ;  not  that  Shimei  had  any  command  from
God  so  to  do,  but  was  only  permitted  by  his  providence.    We  must  not
look  to  the  stone,  but  to  the  hand  that  casts  it ;  and  this  should  breed
humility  and  patience  in  us.     If  we  had  not  provoked  God  to  anger,
to  cast  us  into  these  troubles,  they  would  never  have  come.     Therefore
we  must  accept  the  punishment  of  our  iniquity :  Micah  vii.  9,  '  I  will
bear  the  indignation  of  the  Lord,  because  I  have  sinned  against  him.'
When  God  is  angry,  we  must  humbly  stoop  under  his  afflicting  hand
without  repining.
