will sleep when his house is on fire, or lie still in bed as if he was not concerned, may assuredly expect to be consumed in its flames. As David could not bear it, when the messengers he sent to the Ammonites out of good will, were affronted and despised; so neither will God endure it, when the messengers he sends to sinners are slighted; for he that slights a messenger affronts his master. Those who make light of affliction, make light of God that sends it, and make light of sin that procures it.

ner.

Quest. But, when is it that people are suitably concerned under a heavy rod? Ans. When they see God's hand, hear God's voice, answer his intent, are curious to know his mind, desirous to do these things he requires, and reform these things he is displeased with. Remember, every affliction is a messenger from God, and deserves a hearing from you. It comes to thee with such a message as Ehud did to Eglon, Judges iii. 20. I have an errand from God to thee, O king:" I have a message from God to thee, O Christian, ÖsinWell, lend an ear and hearken with reverence and attention to this errand; say, "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth. What wouldst thou have me to do?" Believe it, that God speaks as really to you by his rod, as by his word: therefore he says, hear ye the rod. God spake as truly by his ten plagues to Egypt, as he did by his ten precepts to Israel. And if the calm voice of the word were more regarded, we should hear less of the rough voice of the rod. As Gideon took briers, and thorns of the wilderness, and with them taught the men of Succoth, who would not be taught by fairer means, Judg. viii. 16. so God takes the sharp prickles of sore afflictions, to teach you his statutes, when you will not be taught by softer methods. Beware then of grieving God's Spirit, by turning stupid and insensible under sharp or long continued trials: But, the more pains God is at with you by his rod, hearken the more carefully to his voice; and labour to make the greater

proficiency in the school of affliction, where he thinks fit to continue you; that so you may inherit that bles sing, Psal. xciv. 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law." ་་་ས་་་་་་་་་་་་་་་་་་འ་

་་་་་་་

ལ་་་་་

DIRECT. III. Beware of misconstructing God's dealings towards you, and of charging him foolishly. WE are apt to believe Satan's suggestions under heavy trials, and to entertain wrong thoughts of God and his dispensations. Now, these you ought to guard against; as for instance, 1st, Beware of harbouring atheistical thoughts, as if there were no providence, no wise governor of this lower world, no distinc-, tion betwixt the good and bad; and that it is to no purpose to be religious, like these mentioned in Mal. iii. 14. "Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it, that we have kept his ordinance, and walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?" Yea, even the Psalmist, when he begins to compare his own sharp trials with the wicked's case and prosperity, is tempted. to think all religion is vain, and say, Psal. lxxxiii. 13, 14. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.' But these are nothing but the hellish suggestions of Satan, that irreconcileable enemy of God and precious souls, against which we should closely stop our ears.

2dly, Beware of charging God in your hearts with rigour or injustice in his dealing, like these, Ezek. xviii. 25. "Yet, ye say, the way of the Lord is not equal." How highly unjust and injurious are such thoughts of him, who is the judge of all the earth, and cannot but do right!

3dly, Beware of thinking that heavy afflictions do always speak wrath in God against thee: No, sometimes they speak forth love, and God may be carrying on a love design thereby to thy soul, viz. to subdue thy strong lusts, and draw thee nearer unto himself;

as for those who think that the smarting rod and divine love cannot dwell together, let them read that passage, Heb. xii. 5, 6. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."

4thly, Beware of desponding and distrusting thoughts of God under sharp afflictions. Some are ready to raze the foundation, quit their interest in God and the promises and cast away their hope and confidence, saying with Gideon, Judg. vi. 13. "Oh my lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this evil befallen us?" So David was ready to draw a hasty conclusion, Psal. xxxi. 22. "I said in my haste I am cut off from before thine eyes." But this was the effect of unbelief: for he that believeth will not make haste.

DIRECT. IV. Under sore trouble and distress, labour -to exercise a strong and lively faith.

IT

Twas a noble and heroic resolution in that holy man Job under his singular trials, Job xiii. 15. "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." q. d. Let my strokes be ever so sore and heavy, yet I will not let go my grips of his word and promises, I will not raze these foundations of my hope. It was this way the Psalmist kept himself from sinking under his heavy burdens, Psal. xxvii. 13. "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." Consider but a little the noble influence that faith has to strengthen and support the soul under sore trials.

1st, Faith grips to the great gospel-promises of salvation in and through Jesus Christ, and so secures the soul's main interest through eternity: which is enough to make the soul easy in every lot.

2dly, Faith views God in Christ at the helm in the

greatest storm, and so it "endures as seeing him who is invisible, Heb. xi. 27.

3dly, Faith casts the soul's anchor upon the rock of ages, and stays itself on God and the faithful promises; whereby the soul is eased and disburdened of its fears and melancholy apprehensions, Psal. lv. 22. Isa.

1. 10.

4thly, Faith brings new strength and auxiliary sup plies of grace from heaven, when the former supply is exhausted and spent; whereof David had the sweet experience, Psal. xxvii. 13. As God doth plant and actuate grace in the soul, so he is pleased to come in with seasonable supplies and reinforcements to the weak and decayed graces of his people, answerable to their present exigencies and pressures: and thus he doth from time to time feed the believer's 's lamp with fresh oil, giving more faith, more love, more hope, and more desires; and hereby he gives power to the faint, and strengthens the things that remain, when ready to die.

5thly, Faith keeps the soul from sinking under heavy trials, by bringing in former experiences of the power, mercy, and faithfulness of God to the afflicted soul: Hereby was the Psalm.ist supported in distress, Psal. xiii. 6. xxxvii. 4. O saith, faith, "Remember what God hath done both for thy outward and inward man he hath not only delivered thy body when in trouble, but he hath done great things for thy soul; he hath brought thee out of a state of black nature, entered into a covenant-relation with thee, made his goodness pass before thee; he hath helped thee to pray, and many times hath heard thy prayers and thy tears. Hath he not formerly brought thee out of the horrible pit, and out of the miry clay, and put a new song in thy mouth, and made thee to resolve, never to give way to such unbelieving doubts and fears again? And how unbecoming is it for thee now to sink in trouble?"

6thly, Faith supports the soul, by giving it a pleasant view and prospect of a happy outgate from all

trouble; when it shall be admitted to see and dwell with Christ hereafter. Thus was Job supported in his great distress, Job xix. 25, 26, 27. “For I know that my Redeemer liveth; and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth-Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold," &c. A believing view of the soul's meeting with its Redeemer, and receiving a crown of glory from him at last, is an excellent support to a Christian under the heaviest afflic tion; and so it was to Paul, 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8.

7thly, Faith gives great support, by the encourag ing representations it makes of Christ, and of his present concern for the believer while under affliction. As for instance, 1st, Faith represents Christ to a believer under trials, as sympathizing with him under his dis tress, feeling his pain, hearing his groans, bearing his burdens, and ready to relieve him in his own appointed time, which it well becometh him to wait for.

2dly, Faith represents Christ as putting in his almighty arm under the believer's head, and conveying invisible strength to support and hold him up under his greatest pressures.

3dly, Faith represents Christ as pleading the afflicted believer's cause with God, and answering all the charges of the law, the challenges of conscience, and accusations of Satan against him.

4thly, Faith represents Christ as standing by the furnace, as a refiner where the gold is melting, carefully overseeing the trials of his people, that they may work for their good; and ready to bring them out thereof, when they are sufficiently purified from their dross,

5thly, Faith represents Christ as smiling on his people under the cross, whispering peace into their ears, and saying, "Well done, good and faithful servant."