yet, saith the Scripture, "Say to the righteous, in evil times, It shall go well with him." Did ever any calamity come down like a storm upon a kingdom, but God did provide some hiding for his own children? Did he not provide an ark for Noah in the time of the flood, and a mountain for Lot in the time of the fire of Sodom? The worst that man can do, is but to kill his neighbour: death is the worst that can fall; and what is death, but an inlet to eternal life unto the people of God? When the saints in the primitive times came to bear witness by their deaths unto the truth of Christ, then they said, Now we begin to be christians indeed; now we begin to be like to Christ. There is a three-fold death: spiritual death in sin, eternal death for sin, and temporal death which came in by sin. If God spare me from the two former deaths—the spiritual death and eternal death—and only inflict the temporal death, have I any cause to complain? Thus it is with the saints: though they die temporally, yet they are free from the spiritual and eternal death; and what godly man may not say, I could not live long in nature, and shall I now bear witness unto the truth with this little spot of time that remains! Christ died for us, the just for the unjust, and shall not I that am unjust be willing to die for the just! The worst of all is death; the worst of death is gain. When my body is broken, may I not say, if godly, now a poor pitcher is broken, and shall go no more to the well now a poor prisoner, my soul, is delivered, and I go home unto my Father. But if you look into the viith of Revelation, you shall find what a glorious issue God doth give unto all his people in the times of public troubles: verse 9, "After this I beheld, and lo a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, kindreds and people stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands." A robe is a garment of majesty, palms are an ensign of victory; and saith he, I saw them with robes and palms. The world looks upon my servants as poor and of low spirits, but, saith Christ, I look upon them as under a royal, princely garment, in robes and of a princely spirit. And though the world looks upon them as discomforted, yet, saith Christ here, they shall overcome, for they have palms in their hands. But who are these; This scripture tells, verse 14, "These are they which come

But why are

Because by Affliction is

out of great tribulations, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." they in white robes, and their robes washed? their tribulations they are washed from filth. God's soap: before a godly man goes into afflictions, his very graces are mixed with sin; his faith is mixed and dirtied with unbelief and doubtings, his humility with pride, his zeal with lukewarmness: but now, by his tribulation, his garments and robes are made white, and washed, and he shall be of a more royal spirit, and be clothed with robes. But though the Lord make use of my tribulations thus to wash, yet I fear that by these public calamities, I shall be driven from ordinances, the temple and worship of God. Nay, saith he, therefore, at verse 15, "They are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple." But what though we have the ordinances, if Christ be not present with them? He adds, therefore, "And he that sits on the throne shall dwell amongst us." But though we have the presence of Jesus Christ, yet we may suffer much with want. True, yet verse 16, "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb which is the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of water." Oh, but yet we may be brought in the meanwhile into grievous straits, and be in a sad and mournful condition. True, but there is a time a coming when all tears shall be wiped away from our eyes; and therefore he adds this, at the 17th verse," And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." How should tears be wiped away hereafter, if they were not shed for the present? Though then you do fear it now, and shed many tears, yet all shall be wiped away and not one left. Oh, what gracious dealing is here! Thus will Christ deal with his people in troublous times; and therefore though our condition, in regard of the public, be exceeding sad, and very grievous, insomuch as we have all cause to mourn and weep; yet if you be in Christ, and have made your peace with God, you have no reason to be cast down. And thus it is with every godly man: surely, therefore, a godly, gracious man, hath no reason for his discouragements, whatever his affliction be.

But what shall we do, then, that we may not be discourag

ed, whatever our affliction be, whether public or private, national or personal? A good man, indeed, hath no reason to be discouraged under his affliction, but it is a hard thing to bear up against all discouragements under great affliction: what shall we do in this case?

Either you have assurance of God's love in Christ or not; if not, this affliction shall be a messenger to bring it to you. So look upon your affliction; and if you have assurance, then actuate your assurance, reflect much on your interest in, and your peace with God through Christ; put yourselves often upon this disjunction—either there is enough in God alone, or not; if there be not enough in God alone, how can the saints and angels live in heaven, who have no meat, drink, nor clothes there, but God alone? And if there be enough in God alone, why should I not be contented with my condition, and comforted under it, whatever it be? What though men hate me, if Christ loves me? Oh, labour more and more to see your interest in Christ, and ever hold it to your eye!

If you would not be discouraged under your afflictions, remember much your fellowship with Christ in his sufferings; thus: Now by these my sufferings have I fellowship with Christ in all his sufferings; and therefore as Christ died, and did rise again, so though my name dieth, estate dieth, body dieth, and all my comforts die, yet they shall rise again. The apostle argueth, and proves, that the Romans should die no more in their sins, because Christ being risen from the dead, died no more; and therefore, saith he, though you fall into sins, yet you shall die no more, because you are risen with Christ. So say I, though your afflictions be great, and seem to swallow up all your comforts, yet your comforts shall not be buried in them; for, if godly, you are risen with Christ, and have fellowship with him, and so die no more. When therefore affliction comes, rejoice in that you are made partakers of his sufferings, and say, "Rejoice not over me, O mine enemy, for though I fall, yet shall I rise again;" for by my sufferings I have fellowship with Christ in his suffer ings, and so in his resurrection, comforts and glories.

If you would not be discouraged under your afflictions, labour more and more to be strangers to the world, and to be acquainted with the ways of God under affliction. The dog

doth not bite, or tear, or hurt those that dwell in the house; if a stranger comes, he flies upon him, and tears him, because he is not acquainted with him. And what reason is there that men's afflictions fly upon them and tear them so much as they do, but because they are strangers to, and know not the way of God under them; labour therefore to live by faith above the world, to be a stranger to the world, and be more acquainted with the way of affliction.

Consider what Christ hath borne and left you to bear. There are but two things to bear; sin and sufferings. Christ hath borne all your sins, will not ye bear his sufferings? He hath borne and carried the heavy end of the staff: you have not one sin to bear, and will you not then bear the sufferings?

Consider also, and that frequently and seriously, what abundance of good you and others get, or may get by your afflictions. God by afflictions lets out nothing but corrupt blood. Be of good comfort, man, (said one now in heaven, to another complaining under his afflictions,) Christ will do thee no hurt in the latter end. God never whips his children but for their good, and doth teach both them and others by them. I was converted (said one, telling the story of his conversion) by seeing a man executed; for, thought I, if a man be thus punished with death for breaking one of the laws of men; what do I then deserve, who have broken all the laws of God? Affliction sometimes teacheth the bystander much, but especially it is teaching to yourself; thereby you see and read the fulness of God, the emptiness of the creature, and the vileness of sin. It recals sin past, and prevents sin to come; it quickens prayer, and enlarges thankfulness. And it may be thou mayest owe thy conversion to some affliction, as a means thereof; and if so much good do come by it, will you be discouraged under it? Think, and think much of the good thereof.

Whenever any affliction comes, do not stand poring on the evil of it, but be sure that you look as well and as much upon what is with you, as upon what is against you there is no mercy which you can lose, but hath some burden with it: there is no misery that can befal you, but hath some mercy with it. When men lose a mercy, they only consider the sweetness of a mercy lost, and not the burden that they do lose withal. Oh, saith a poor

woman, I have lost my husband, so loving, so gracious, so helpful; but not a word of the burden that is gone withal, and so there is much discouragement. When affliction comes men only consider the evil, and not the mercy that doth come withal, and so they are much dejected. Suppose that a loving father in some high room, throw down a bag of gold to his child, and it lights on the child's head, insomuch as it breaketh his head and causeth the blood to come; whilst the child feels the smart thereof, he is impatient and forward; while he looks only upon the leathern bag he is not thankful; but when he looks into the bag, and sees what a great deal of gold his father hath given him, then he speaks well of his father, notwithstanding all the smart of his head. There is never an affliction, but is a bag of gold given unto the people of God; though it seem a leathern bag without, yet there is gold within; so long as they stand poring upon the leathern bag, or attend unto the smart of their affliction, they are not thankful, they do not praise the Lord, but are much discouraged; but if they would look into the bag, and tell their gold, then they would have comfort, and not be discouraged. I tell you from the Lord, there is gold within; look in this bag, the bag of affliction, tell over all your gold which the Lord hath given you in this affliction, and then you will be quiet. If a mercy be taken from you, consider the burden that is taken away too. If a misery come, consider the mercy that doth come withal; labour ever, labour to see both together, as well what is for you as what is against you, then will you never be much discouraged, although your affliction be never so great.

And thus I have done with the seventh instance.

SERMON XI.

A LIFTING UP IN CASE OF UNSERVICEABLENESS.

Why art thou cast down, O my soul; and why art thou disquieted within me ?" &c.-Psalm xlii. 11,

VIII. SOMETIMES the discouragements of the saints do arise from their employments, work and service.