The Crook in the Lot: A Display of the Sovereignty and Wisdom of God in the Afflictions of Men, and the Christian's Deportment Under Them (Classic Reprint)

CROOK IN THE LOT Eccles. vii. 13. Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight which he hath made crooked? A just view of afflicting incidents is altogether necessary to a Christian deportment under them; and that view is to be obtained only hy faith, not by sense ; for it is the light of the word alone that represents them justly, discovering in them the work of God, and, consequently, designs becoming the divine perfections. When these are perceived by the eye of faith, and duly considered, we have a just view of afflicting incidents, fitted to quell the turbulent motions of corrupt affections under dismal outward appearances. It is under this view that Solomon, in the preceding part of this chapter, advances several paradoxes, which are surprising determinations in favour of certain things, that, to the eye of sense, looking gloomy and hideous, are therefore generally reputed grievous and shocking. He proriounc-eth the day of oiie's death to be better than theTable of Contents CONTENTS; Page; Introductory Remarks, - - - - 11; PROPOSITION I; Whatsoever Crook there is in one's Lot, it is of God's making - - - - - - 14; I As to the Crook itself, - - 14-29; II The Crook is of God's making How it is of his making Why he makes it, - - 29-56; PROPOSITION II; What God sees meet to mar, we shall not be able to mend in our Lot What Crook God makes in oar Lot, we shall not be able to even, - 56; I God's marring and making a Crook in one's Lot, as; he sees meet, - 57; II Men's attempting to mend or even the Crook in their Lot, - - - - 58; III In what sense it is to be understood, that we shall not be able to mend, or even the Crook in our Lot, - 59; IV Some reasons of the point, - - - 61 Directions for rightly managing the application for removing the Crook in our Lot, - - 65; PROPOSITION III; Considering the Crook in the Lot, as the work of God, is a proper means to bring one to behave rightly under it,