12.  Far be it from me that I should ever, among other chastisements, be thus reproached by Him Who is good, but walks contrary to me in fury Lev. xxvi. 27, 28. because of my own contrariness:  I have smitten you with blasting and mildew, and blight; Lev. xxvi. 1 (LXX.); Amos iv. 9. without result.  The sword from without Deut. xxxii. 25. made you childless, yet have ye not returned unto Me, saith the Lord.  May I not become the vine of the beloved, which after being planted and entrenched, and made sure with a fence and tower and every means which was possible, when it ran wild and bore thorns, was consequently despised, and had its tower broken down and its fence taken away, and was not pruned nor digged, but was devoured and laid waste and trodden down by all! Isai. v. 1.  This is what I feel I must say as to my fears, thus have I been pained by this blow, and this, I will further tell you, is my prayer.  We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly, Dan. ix. 5. for we have forgotten Thy commandments and walked after our own evil thought, Isai. lxv. 2. for we have behaved ourselves unworthily of the calling and gospel of Thy Christ, and of His holy sufferings and humiliation for us; we have become a reproach to Thy beloved, priest and people, we have erred together, we have all gone out of the way, we have together become unprofitable, there is none that doeth judgment and justice, no not one. Ps. xiv. 3.  We have cut short Thy mercies and kindness and the bowels and compassion of our God, by our wickedness and the perversity of our doings, in which we have turned away.  Thou art good, but we have done amiss; Thou art long-suffering, but we are worthy of stripes; we acknowledge Thy goodness, though we are without understanding, we have been scourged for but few of our faults; Thou art terrible, and who will resist Thee? Ib. lxxvi. 7. the mountains will tremble before Thee; and who will strive against the might of Thine arm?  If Thou shut the heaven, who will open it?  And if Thou let loose Thy torrents, who will restrain them?  It is a light thing in Thine eyes to make poor and to make rich, to make alive and to kill, to strike and to heal, and Thy will is perfect action.  Thou art angry, and we have sinned, Isai. lxiv. 5. says one of old, making confession; and it is now time for me to say the opposite, “We have sinned, and Thou art angry:”  therefore have we become a reproach to our neighbours. Ps. lxxix. 4.  Thou didst turn Thy face from us, and we were filled with dishonour.  But stay, Lord, cease, Lord, forgive, Lord, deliver us not up for ever because of our iniquities, and let not our chastisements be a warning for others, when we might learn wisdom from the trials of others.  Of whom?  Of the nations which know Thee not, and kingdoms which have not been subject to Thy power.  But we are Thy people, Ib. 6, 13. O Lord, the rod of Thine inheritance; therefore correct us, but in goodness and not in Thine anger, lest Thou bring us to nothingness Jer. x. 24. and contempt among all that dwell on the earth.