would be ready, and the Lord make me ready for fufferings; but few can fay, I am ready, my heart is prepared and fitted for fuch a work: yet this example fhews us it is attainable: and what a bleffed thing it is to attain it, the following particulars will abundantly convince us.

Firf, Readinefs for fufferings will bring the heart of a Chriftian to an holy reft and tranquillity, in a fuffering hour, and prevent that anxiety, perturbation, and distraction of mind, which puts the finking weight into afflictions. The more cares, fears, and troubles we have before our fufferings come, the more calm, quiet, and compofed we are like to be when our fufferings are come indeed. It is admirable to confider with what peace and patience Job entertained his troubles, which, confidering the kinds, degrees, and manner in which they befel him, one would think they fhould at least have startled and amazed him, and put his soul (as gracious and mortified as it was) into great disorder and confufion; but you find the contrary: never did the patience of a man triumph at that rate over adversity; he worships God, owns his hand, and refigns himself up to his pleasure, Job i. 20, 21. And whence was this? Surely had his troubles come by way of furprize, he could never have carried it at that rate; but in the days of his peace and profperity he had prepared for fuch a day as this, Job iii. 25, 26. “ I was not in safety, neither "had I reft; yet trouble came; the thing that I feared (faith he) "is come upon me. He laid it to heart before it came, and therefore it neither distracted, nor brake the heart when it came. In like manner the prophet Habakkuk stood upon his watch-tower, i. e. he made his obfervations by the word upon the probable events of providence, whereby he got a clear forefight of thofe troublesome days that were at hand; which though it made him tremble in himself, yet it gave him reft in the day of evil, Hab. iii. 16, 17, 18. There is a twofold reft in the day of evil, viz.

1. A rest of deliverance.

2. A rest of contentation.

It is a fingular mercy to find rest in a man's own spirit; to enjoy inward peace, and tranquillity of mind, when there is no reft without; and the way to obtain this, is to forefee, count upon, and make due preparation for troublous times before-hand: evils that come by way of furprizal, are not only amazing, but very frequently destructive evils; it is a fad aggravation to feel a mifery, before we fear it; thofe calamities that find men fecure, do ufually leave them defperate: the enemy that comes upon our backs hath a great advantage to ruin us, yet this is the common cafe of the world. "For man knoweth

not his time, but as the fishes are taken in an evil net, and as the "birds that are caught in the fnare; fo are the fons of men fnared in an evil time, when it falleth on them fuddenly," Eccl. ix. 12. Thus perifhed the old world; there was but one Noah provided for the flood, and he only, with his family, was preferved in it: all the VOL. VI.

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reft were eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, until the flood came and swept them all away, Matth. xxiv. 38. Men will not use their foreseeing faculties; but because it is all quiet to-day, they conclude it fhall be fo to-morrow. Thofe that are at reft in their habitation, and have got a fafe pillow under their heads, are apt to fall asleep in fecurity, and dream pleasantly of continued reft and peace; and loth they are to interrupt their fenfual pleasure with melancholy thoughts of changes and sufferings.

Philofophers tell us, that immediately before an earthquake the air is very quiet and ferene; and before the great rain falls, the wind is usually still were the aspect of fecond caufes much more favourable and encouraging than it is; yet there is caufe enough, for all that are wife in heart, to fear and tremble, under the confideration of that national guilt which is treasured up, and will certainly produce diftrefs and trouble.

O Chriftians! look out for days of vifitation; prepare for a ftorm, and provide you an ark, an hiding-place in Chrift, and the promises, as ever you expect reft, and peace in your own spirits, when the earth fhall be full of tumults, uproars, and defolations.

Secondly, Our preparation for fufferings is an excellent argument of the honefty and fincerity of our hearts, in the matters of religion: he that makes account of fufferings, and is daily at work with his own heart, mortifying its corruptions, weaning its worldly affections, exciting and making ready its fuffering-graces, refolving in the ftrength of God, to take his lot with Chrift, wherever, and howfoever it shall it fall; this is the man that hath deliberately clofed with Chrift upon his own terms, and is like to be the durable and victorious Chriftian.

As for hypocrites, (Christ's summer friends) they have either their exceptions against the feverities of religion, and study to fecure to themselves a retreat from danger, or else they rufh inconfiderately into the profeffion of Chrift, never debating the terms which he propofes to all that will follow him, Mark viii. 34. The neceflity of a rational and well-advised clofure with Chrift upon fuffering and felfdenying terms, is by himself fully fet forth in that excellent parable, Luke xiv. 25, 26, 27, 28. There was a great multitude that followed him at that time; Chrift began to grow in request among them; they flocked from all parts to fee and hear him; but he forefaw, that if once a fharp trial should befal them, it would quickly thin, and diminish that great multitude, and reduce them like Gideon's hoft, into a little handful: and therefore he refolves to deal candidly and plainly with them; he propounds his terms, and fets down his conditions, which every one of them must subscribe, that will follow him; the fum of which is this, "Let him deny himfelf, take up his "cross and follow me." And to evince the rationality of these terms, he argues, from the most common and obvious practices of men in their civil affairs: no man, that exerciseth reason, will begin to build

an house, and lay a large foundation, when he is not provided with a flock to carry up the walls, and complete the work: no man, in his wits would engage with a handful of men, against a great armed multitude; poffibly they may intend to face, but no man would think they intend to fight the enemy, on fuch a disadvantage. Juft foftands the cafe in our profeffion of Chrift; if we really intend to go through with the bufinefs of religion, we must fit down, and compute the coft and charges of Chriftianity, think upon the worst, as well as the beft, reckon upon reproaches, prifons, and death for his fake, as well as the eafier and more pleasant parts of active obedience; and having fo done, if then we can be content to run all hazards, and forego all the reft upon his account, and accordingly manage ourselves in a day of fuffering, then we deal with Chrift, and clear ourfelves from the danger of hypocrify. It is for want of this, that fo many profeffors faint, and fall away, in times of temptation, furnishing the devil with fo many triumphs over religion, and the more upright profeffors of it. It was for want of depth of earth, (i. e.) a deep confideration, and well-rooted resolution at firft, that the ftony-ground hypocrite fo quickly withered away, when the fun of perfecution began to fhine fervently upon him, Matth. xiii. 5, 6. And doubtless it is to prevent this fatal iffue of our profeffion, that God makes fuch deep wounds by conviction upon his people's hearts at firft; it is for.. our establishment in future trials, and fufferings, that he fo diftreffes, and humbles them; that he makes fin fo bitter and burdenfome to them; as well knowing that all this is no more than needs, to prevent their returning again to fin, in the times of their temptation.

O profeffor! if thou be one that art come to Chrift in this way, and haft thus deliberately closed with him; if thou haft as well bethought thyfelf of bearing his crofs, as of wearing his crown ; thou haft then a fair evidence of the uprightnefs of thy heart, than which, the world affords not a sweeter comfort.

Thirdly, The advantage of preparation for fufferings lies in this that it prevents, and cuts off the fcandal and offence of the crofs, with refpect both to ourselves, and others.

Firft, It prevents our own offence at fufferings; and by Chrift's own teftimony, that foul is bleffed, that is not offended in him, Matth. xi. 6. Among the multitudes of profeffors, few are found that are no way offended at fuffering for Chrift; they expected much peace, honour, and profperity in the ways of religion, but finding their expectations fruftrated, and their carnal intereft rather expofed, than fecured by their profeffion of Chrift, they go back like those John vi. 66. and walk no more with him. And it is very remarkable, that Chrift dates the offence that men fhall take at him, from the first appearance of fuffering, Matth. xxiv. 8, 9. "All these are "the beginnings of forrows, and then fhall many be offended.” Sorrows and apoftacies commence together.

But, reader, if thou be one that makeft it thy bufinefs to foresee,

and prepare for an evil day, thou wilt have as good thoughts of Chrift, and his ways at the lowest ebb, as ever thou hadst in the greatest flourish, and time of profperity. "Great peace (faith the

Pfalmift) have they that love thy law, and nothing shall offend "them." O happy foul! whom no troubles, reproaches, or fufferings, are able to offend! thou mayeft meet with prifons, death, banishments, yea, but more of these things fhall offend, or ftumble thee, but thou shalt peaceably and fafely pafs over them, because they are no more than thou expecteft, and provideft for.

Secondly, And by this means thou wilt alfo prevent the offence and fcandals of others at the ways of religion. It a fad, and dangerous thing to be an occafion of stumbling, either to the weak, or to the wicked. "Woe to the world because of offences, for it muft needs "be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence "cometh," Matth. xviii. 7. The apoftacies and finful compliances of ungrounded profeffors, and weak Chriftians, in times of temptation, are the woeful occafions of prejudicing others against religion, and hedding the blood of fouls. Ah! it were much better never to be in the ways of profeffion, than to be there only as a ftone of ftumbling, and a rock of offence to others: but all this mischief will be prevented, by thy ferious expectation of, and provifion for the evil day.

Fourthly, A fourth excellency of preparation for fufferings lies in this, that it hath a tendency to convince and awaken the drowly world. O! if the Lord's people would but engage in this work in earnest, and live as people that are providing for a ftorm, and refolve, in the ftrength of God, to run all hazards and hardships for Chrift, I am perfuaded it would be of more ufe, to ftartle, and convince the world, than all the fermons that ever they heard: for here is that which dashes and cuts the throat of all our labours. We preach up felf-denial, and contempt of life, and liberty for Chrift: now though they hear us preach the neceffity, and excellency of these things, and hear you profefs them as your principles; yet when they look upon the lives of profeffors in times of danger, and find no proportion betwixt profeffion and practice; when they fee us cling to the world, and are as loth to give it up as others; when they oblerve prifons and fufferings affright and terrify us as much as thofe that make no profeffion; when they fee us ftart, like hares, at every found, and that we live not loose from the world, as men prepared to let it go and give it up for Chrift: why then they conclude that we dare not truft our own principles, when it comes to the pufh. And how can they be perfuaded to believe that which they think we ourfelves do not really believe, although we perfuade them to believe it?

My friends, the world hath eyes to fee what you can do, as well as ears to hear what you can fay, and as long as they fee you do no more than others, you may talk your hearts out ere they will believe your way is better than others,

But now when perfecution arifeth, did they fee you providing yourfelves for it, and putting on your harness to enter the lifts, carry your deareft enjoyments in your hands, and put on the fhoe of preparation, to fellow the Lord through the rougheft ways of fufferings; this would convince to purpose, and preach the excellency of Chrift, the vanity of the creature, the rationality and certainty of Chriftian principles, in a more intelligible and rouzing dialect to them, than all our cheap and eafy commendations of them did. And hence it is that Noah was faid to condemn the world, Heb. xi. 7. "By faith "Noah being warned of God of things not feen as yet," i. e. of the deluge that was coming, though no appearance of it yet, the heavens being as clear as ever; yet believing the threatening, "He was mov"ed with fear." The fear of God, an effect of his faith in the word of God, moved (i. e.) impelled him to his duty; fet him about his preparation work to provide an ark, and this was it by which he condemned the world, left them excufelefs. For they not only heard of an approaching flood by his miniftry, but now faw he himself believed what he preached, by his daily preparations against it came. O confider this, how much it would tend to the world's conviction; now they will fee that you are in good earneft, and that there is a reality in godlinefs: this will induce them to fearch into the matter more than ever, and remove thofe prejudices they have taken up against the good ways of God, as if they were but phantasms and conceits.

5. In the next place, this forefight and preparation must needs be an excellent thing, because the Spirit of God every where fets an honourable character upon it, and always mentions fuch persons with fome fingular commendation and refpect. Thefe only were wife men in the judgment of God, and all the reft (wha: great politicians foever they are famed to be among men) are accounted fools, Prov. xxii. 3. Ecclef. ii. 14. "The wife man's eyes are in his head; that is, he is a fore-feeing man; "but the fool goes on, and is punished :" Rushes on without confideration, fufpecting no danger that he at prefent fees not, and fo fmarts for his folly. Beloved, there are figns of the times, as well as of the weather, Mat. xvi. 3. You may fee the clouds of judgment gathering, before the ftorm falls upon you. And this is the meaning of Zeph. ii. 1, 2. "Gather yourlelves together, "before the decree bring forth, and the day pafs as the chaff." Where there is a conception of judgment there will be a birth, unless the reformations and prayers of the faints cause it to mifcarry. But it requires wifdom to difcern this; they must be men of much obfervation that can defcry it at a great distance; yet this may be done by confidering what God hath done in like cafes in former ages, when nations have been guilty of the fame fins as now they are: For God is as juft now as then, and hates fin as much as ever he did; and partly by attending to things prefent, to what fulness and maturity the fins of a nation are grown, Joel iii. 16. or what beginnings of