Crooked only as it respects us.

9

But in every person's lot, there is a crook in respect of their mind and natural inclination. The adverse dispensation lies cross to that rule, and will by no means answer it, nor harmonize with it. When Divine Providence lays one to the other, there is a manifest disagreeableness: the man's will goes one way, and the dispensation another way: the will bends upwards, and cross events press down: so they are contrary. And there, and only there, lies the crook. It is this disagreeableness which makes the crook in the lot fit matter of trial and exercise to us, in this our state of probation : in which, if thou wouldst approve thyself to God, walking by faith, not by sight, thou must quiet thyself in the will and purpose of God, and not insist that it should be according to thy mind. Job xxxiv. 33.

un

(2.) Unsightliness. Crooked things are pleasant to the eye and no crook in the lot seemeth to be joyous, but grievous, making an unsightly appearance. Heb. xii. 11. Therefore men need to beware of giving way to their thoughts, to dwell on the crook in their lot, and of keeping it too much in view. David shews a hurtful experience of his, in that kind, Psal. xxxix. 3. “While I was musing the fire burned." Jacob acted a wiser part, called his youngest son Benjamin, the son of the right-hand, whom the dying mother had named Benoni, the son of my sorrow; by this means providing, that the crook in his lot should not be set afresh in his view, on every occasion of mentioning the name of his son. Indeed, a Christian may safely take a steady and leisurely view of the crook of his lot in the light of the holy word, which represents it as the discipline of the covenant. So faith will discover a hidden sightliness in it, under a very unsightly outward appearance; perceiving the suitableness thereof to

the infinite goodness, love, and wisdom of God, and to the real and most valuable interests of the party; by which means one comes to take pleasure, and that a most refined pleasure, in distresses. 2 Cor. xii. 10. But whatever the crook in the lot be to the eye of faith, it is not at all pleasant to the eye of sense.

(3.) Unfitness for motion. Solomon observes the cause of the uneasy and ungraceful walking of the lame, Prov. xxvi. 7. "The legs of the lame are not equal." This uneasiness they find, who are exercised about the crook in their lot: a high spirit and a low adverse lot, makes great difficulty in the Christian walk. There is nothing that gives temptation more easy access, than the crook in the lot; nothing more apt to occasion out-of-the-way steps. Therefore, saith the apostle, Heb. xii. 13. “Make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way." They who are labouring under it are to be pitied then, and not to be rigidly censured; though they are rare persons who learn this lesson, till taught by their own experience. is long since Job made an observation in this case, which holds good unto this day, Job xii. 5. “ He that is ready to slip with his feet, is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.'

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It

(4.) Aptness to catch hold and entangle, like hooks, fish-hooks," Amos iv. 2. The crook in the lot doth so very readily make impression, to the ruffling and fretting one's spirit, irritating corruption, that Satan fails not to make diligent use of it for these dangerous purposes; which point once gained by the tempter, the tempted, ere he is aware, finds himself entangled as in a thicket, out of which he knows not how to extricate himself. In that temptation it often proves like a crooked stick, troubling a standing pool, which not only raises up

the mud all over, but brings up from the bottom some very ugly thing. Thus it brought up a spice of blasphemy and atheism in Asaph's case, Psal. lxxiii. 13. " Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence:" as if he had said, There is nothing at all in religion, it is a vain and empty thing, that profiteth nothing; I was a fool to have been in care about purity and holiness, whether of heart or life. Ah! is this the pious Asaph ? How is he turned so quite unlike himself! but the crook in the lot is a handle, whereby the tempter makes surprising discoveries of latent cor ruption even in the best.

Three

This is the nature of the crook in the lot; let us now observe what part of the lot it falls in. conclusions may be established upon this head.

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1st. It may fall in any part of the lot; there is no exempted one in the case: for, sin being found in every part, the crook may take place in any part. Being all as an unclean thing, we may all fade as a leaf," Isa. Ixiv. 6. The main stream of sin, which the crook readily follows, runs in very different channels, in the case of different persons. And in regard of the various dispositions of the minds of men, that will prove a sinking weight unto one, which another would go very lightly under.

2ndly. It may at once fall into many parts of the lot, the Lord calling, as in a solemn day, one's terrors round about, Lam. ii. 22. Sometimes God makes one notable crook in a man's lot; but its name may be Gad, being but the forerunner of a troop which cometh.-Then the crooks are multiplied, so that the party is made to halt on each side. While one stream, let in from one quarter, is running full against him, another is let in on him from

the infinite goodness, love, and wisdom of God, and to the real and most valuable interests of the party; by which means one comes to take pleasure, and that a most refined pleasure, in distresses. 2 Cor. xii. 10. But whatever the crook in the lot be to the eye of faith, it is not at all pleasant to the eye of sense. (3.) Unfitness for motion. Solomon observes the cause of the uneasy and ungraceful walking of the lame, Prov. xxvi. 7. “The legs of the lame are not equal." This uneasiness they find, who are exercised about the crook in their lot: a high spirit and a low adverse lot, makes great difficulty in the Christian walk. There is nothing that gives temptation more easy access, than the crook in the lot; nothing more apt to occasion out-of-the-way steps. Therefore, saith the apostle, Heb. xii. 13. "Make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way." They who are labouring under it are to be pitied then, and not to be rigidly censured; though they are rare persons who learn this lesson, till taught by their own experience. is long since Job made an observation in this case, which holds good unto this day, Job xii. 5. He that is ready to slip with his feet, is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.'

66

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It

(4.) Aptness to catch hold and entangle, like hooks, fish-hooks," Amos iv. 2. The crook in the lot doth so very readily make impression, to the ruffling and fretting one's spirit, irritating corruption, that Satan fails not to make diligent use of it for these dangerous purposes; which point once gained by the tempter, the tempted, ere he is aware, finds himself entangled as in a thicket, out of which he knows not how to extricate himself. that temptation it often proves like a crooked stick, troubling a standing pool, which not only raises up

In

Different in different persons.

the mud all over, but brings up from the bottom some very ugly thing. Thus it brought up a spice of blasphemy and atheism in Asaph's case, Psal. lxxiii. 13. " Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence:" as if he had said, There is nothing at all in religion, it is a vain and empty thing, that profiteth nothing; I was a fool to have been in care about purity and holiness, whether of heart or life. Ah! is this the pious Asaph ? How is he turned so quite unlike himself! but the crook in the lot is a handle, whereby the tempter makes surprising discoveries of latent cor ruption even in the best.

Three

This is the nature of the crook in the lot; let us now observe what part of the lot it falls in. conclusions may be established upon this head.

1st. It may fall in any part of the lot; there is no exempted one in the case: for, sin being found in every part, the crook may take place in any part. Being "all as an unclean thing, we may all fade as a leaf," Isa. Ixiv. 6. The main stream of sin, which the crook readily follows, runs in very different channels, in the case of different persons. And in regard of the various dispositions of the minds of men, that will prove a sinking weight unto one, which another would go very lightly under.

2ndly. It may at once fall into many parts of the lot, the Lord calling, as in a solemn day, one's terrors round about, Lam. ii. 22. Sometimes God makes one notable crook in a man's lot; but its name may be Gad, being but the forerunner of a troop which cometh.-Then the crooks are multiplied, so that the party is made to halt on each side. While one stream, let in from one quarter, is running full against him, another is let in on him from