It is enough that the affairs of Zion are in a good hand.

2. Ponder this heart-supporting truth, in reference to Zion's trouble-that how many troubles soever are upon her, yet her King is in her.

What! has the Lord forsaken his churches? Has he sold them into the enemy's hand? Does he not observe what evils befall them, that our hearts sink at this rate? Is it not too shameful and undervaluing of the great God, and too great a magnifying of poor impotent men, to fear and tremble at creatures, whilst God is in the midst of us? The church's enemies are many and mighty; let that be granted, yet that argument with which Caleb and Joshua strove to raise their own hearts, is of as much force now as it was then; "The Lord is with us, fear them not," Num. xiv. 9. The historian tells us, that when Antigonus overheard his soldiers reckoning how many their enemies were, and thus discouraging one another; he suddenly steps in among them with this question, "And how many do you reckon me for ?" Discouraged souls, how many do you reckon the Lord for? Is he not an over-match for all his enemies? Is not one Almighty more than many mighties? Does his presence stand for nothing with us? "If God be for us, who can be against us?" Rom. viii. 31. What think you, was the reason of that great inquiry Gideon made in Judges vi.? He questions, ver. 12, 13; he desires a sign, ver. 17; and after that another, ver. 36; and what was the end of all this, but that he might be sure the Lord was with him, and that he might but write this motto upon his ensign, "The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon?" So then, if you can be well assured the Lord is with his people, you will get thereby above all your discouragements: and to see that he is so, you need not, with Gideon, desire a sign from heaven; lo, you have a sign before you, even their marvellous preservation amidst all their enemies. If God be not with his people, how is it they are not swallowed up? Do their enemies want malice, power, or opportunity? No, but there is an invisible hand upon them. Well then, as it is in Exod. xxxiii. 14, let his presence give us rest; and though the mountains be hurled into

the sea, though heaven and earth mingle together, fear not; God is in the midst of Zion, she shall not be moved.

3. Ponder the great advantages attending the people of God in an afflicted condition. If a low and an afflicted state in the world be really best for the church, then your dejections are not only irrational, but ungrateful. Indeed, if you estimate the happiness of the church by its worldly ease, splendor, and prosperity, then such times will seem bad for it; but if you reckon its glory to consist in its humility, faith, patience, and heavenlymindedness, no condition in the world abounds with advantages for these, as an afflicted condition does. It was not persecutions and prisons, but worldliness and wantonness, that was the poison of the church; neither was it the earthly glory of its professors, but the blood of its martyrs, that was the seed of the church. The of power godliness never thrived better than in affliction, and never ran lower than in times of greatest prosperity. When 66 we are left a poor and an afflicted people, then we learn to trust in the name of the Lord," Zeph. iii. 12. What say ye? Is it indeed for the saint's advantage to be weaned from the love of ensnaring worldly vanities? to be quickened, and pricked forward with more haste to heaven? to have clearer discoveries of their own hearts? to be taught to pray more fervently, frequently, spiritually? to look and long for the rest to come, more ardently? If these are for their advantage, experience teaches us, that no condition is ordinarily blessed with such fruits as these, like an afflicted condition.

And is it well done then, to repine and droop because your Father consults more the advantage of your souls, than the pleasing of your humors? because he will bring you a nearer way to heaven, than you are willing to go? Is this a due requital of his love, who is pleased so much to concern himself in your welfare? which is more than he will do for thousands in the world, upon whom he will not lay a rod, or spend an affliction for their good, Hos. iv. 17; Mat. xv. 14. But, alas! we judge by sense, and reckon things good or evil, according to what we, for the present, taste and feel in them.

4. Take heed that you overlook not the many pre

cious mercies which the people of God enjoy amidst all their troubles.

It is a pity that our tears on the account of our troubles, should so blind our eyes, that we should not see our mercies and grounds of comfort. I will not insist on the mercy of having your lives given you for a prey, nor yet on the many outward comforts, temporal conveniencies and accommodations, which you enjoy even above what Christ and his precious servants, of whom the world was not worthy, ever had. But what say you to pardon of sin? interest in Christ? the covenant of promise? and an eternity of happiness, in the presence of God after a few days are over? O that ever a people entitled to such mercies as these, should droop under any temporal affliction, or be so much concerned for the frowns of men, and loss of trifles! You have not the smiles of great men, but you have the favor of the great God. You are, it may be, cast back in your estates, but thereby furthered in spiritual things. You cannot live so plentifully and easily as before, but still you may live as holy and heavenly as ever. Will you then grieve so much for these circumstantials, as to forget your substantials? Shall light troubles make you forget weighty mercies? Remember the church's true riches are laid out of the reach of all its enemies. They may make you poor, but not miserable. What though God does not distinguish, in his outward dispensations, betwixt his own and others? Yea, what though his judgments single out the best, and spare the worst? What though an Abel be killed in love, and a Cain survive in hatred? a bloody Dionysius die in his bed, and a good Josiah fall in battle? What though the belly of the wicked be filled with hidden treasures, and the teeth of the saints broken with gravel-stones? Yet still here is much matter of praise; for electing love has distinguished, though common providence did not; and whilst prosperity and impunity slay the wicked, even slaying and adversity shall benefit and save the righteous.

5. Believe that how low soever the church may be plunged under the waters of adversity, it shall assuredly rise again. Fear not, for as sure as Christ arose the third day, notwithstanding the seal and watch that were upon

him; so surely the church shall arise out of all her troubles, and lift up its victorious head over all its enemies. There is no fear of ruining that people who thrive by their losses, and multiply by being diminished. O be not too quick to bury the church before she is dead! Stay till Christ has tried his skill, before you give it up for lost. The bush may be all in a flame, but shall never be consumed, and that because of the good will of him that dwelleth in it.

6. Record the famous instances of God's care and tenderness over his people in former straits. Christ has not suffered it to be devoured yet. For above these 1700 years the Christian church has lived in affliction, and yet it is not consumed; many a wave of persecution has gone over it, and yet it is not drowned; many designs have been formed to ruin it, and hitherto none have prospered. This is not the first time that Hamans and Ahithophels have plotted its ruin; that a Herod has stretched out his hand to vex it: still it has been preserved from, supported under, or delivered out of, all its troubles. And is it not as dear to God as ever? Is he not as able to save it now as formerly? Though we know not whence deliverance should arise, " 'yet the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations," 2 Pet. ii. 9.

7. If you can fetch no comfort from any of the former arguments, then, in the last place, try whether you cannot draw some comfort out of your very troubles. Surely this trouble of yours is a good argument of your integrity. Union is the ground of sympathy. If you had not some rich adventure in this ship, you would not tremble as you do, when it is in danger. Besides, this frame of spirit may afford you this argument, that if you are sensible of the church's trouble, Jesus Christ is much more sensible of it and solicitous about it, than you can be; and he will have an eye of favor upon them that mourn for it; Isa. lvii. 18.

The fourth special season of manifesting our utmost diligence in keeping our hearts, is the time of danger and public distraction. In such times the best hearts are but too apt to be surprised by slavish fear. It is not easy to secure the heart against distractions in times of

of common distraction. If Syria be confederate with Ephraim, how do the hearts of the house of David shake, even as the trees of the wood, which are shaken with the wind? Isa. vii. 2. When there are ominous signs in the heaven, on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity : the sea and waves roaring, then the hearts of men fail for fear, and for looking after those things which_are coming on the earth, Luke xxi. 25, 26. Even a Paul himself may sometimes complain "of fightings within," when there are "fears without."

But these things ought not so to be. Saints should be of a more raised spirit. So was David, when his heart was kept in a good frame; "The Lord is my light, and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" Psal. xxvii. 1. Let none but the servants of sin be the slaves of fear. Let them who have delighted in evil, fear evil. Olet not that which God has threatened as a judgment upon the wicked, ever seize on the breasts of the righteous. "I will send faintness into their hearts in the land of their enemies, and the sound of a shaking leaf shall chase them," Lev. xxvi. 36. O what poor-spirited men are these, to fly at a shaking leaf, which makes a pleasant, and not a terrible noise, and is in itself a kind of natural music ! But to a guilty conscience the whistling leaves are drums and trumpets. "But God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of love, and of a sound mind," 2 Tim. i. 7. A sound mind, as it stands there in opposition to the spirit of fear, is an unwounded conscience, not impaired by guilt; and this should make a man as bold as a lion. I know it cannot be said of a saint what God spake of Leviathan, that he is made without fear; there is a natural fear in every man, and it is as impossible to be wholly put off as the body itself is. It is a perturbation of the mind, arising from the apprehension of approaching danger; and as long as dangers can approach us, we shall find some perturbations within us. It is not my purpose to commend to you a stoical apathy, nor yet to take you off from such a degree of cautional preventive fear as may fit you for trouble, and be serviceable to your souls; there is a pro