refuge ; like ' Israel, he trusts in perverseness.' When God tells him, ' In re- turning and rest he shall be saved, in quietness and confidence shall be his strength;" he hath not faith to take God's word for his security in ways of obedience. And when God comes to afflict him for any disloyal carriage, instead of accepting the punishment for his sin, and so to own him for his sovereign Lord, that may righteously punish the faults of his disobedient sub- jects, his heart is filled with rage against God, and instead of waiting quietly and humbly, like a good subject, till God upon his repentance receives him into his favour, his v.'retched heart, presenting God as an enemy to him, will not suffer any such gracious or amiable thought of God to dwell in his bosom, but bids him look for no good at his hand. ' This evil is of the Lord, why should I wait on the Lord any longer?' Whereas a gracious heart is most encouraged to wait from this very consideration that drives the other away ; because it is the Lord afflicts, Micah vii. 6.
Fourthly, Whom dost thou sympathize with ? He is thy prince, whose victo- ries and losses thou layest to heart, whether in thy own bosom, or abroad in the world. What saith thy soul, when God hedgeth up thy way, and keeps thee from that sin which Satan hath been soliciting for ? If on Christ's side, thou wilt rejoice when thou art delivered out of a temptation, though it be by falling into an affliction ; as David said of Abigail, so wilt thou here. Blessed be the ordinance, blessed be the providence, which kept me from sinning against my God. But if otherwise, thou wilt harbour a secret grudge against the word which stood in the way, and be discontented thy design took not. A naughty heart, like Amnon, pines whilst his lust hath not vent. Again, what music do the achievements of Christ in the world make in thy ear? When thou hearest the gospel thrives, the blind see, the lame walk, the poor gospellized, doth thy spirit rejoice in that hour? If a saint, thou wilt, as God is thy Father, rejoice thou hast more brethren born ; as he is thy Prince, that the multitude of his subjects increase : so when thou seest the plots of Christ's enemies discovered, powers defeated, canst thou go forth with the saints to meet King Jesus, and ring him out of the field with praises ; or do thy bells ring backward, and such news make thee haste, like Haman, mourning to thine house, there to empty thy spirit, swoln with rancour against his saints and truth ? Or if thy policy can master thy passion so far, as to make fair weather in thy countenance, and suffer thee to join with the people of God in their acclamations of joy, yet then art thou a close mourner within, and likest the work no better than Haman did his office, in holding Mordecai's stirrup, who had rather have held the ladder : this speaks thee a certain enemy to Christ, how handsomely soever thou mayest carry it before men.
Use 2. Bless God, O ye saints, who vipon the former trial can say, you are translated into the kingdom of Christ, and so deltvered from the tyranny of this usurper. There are few but have some one gaudy day in a year which they solemnize ; some keep their birthday, others their mai-riage ; some their manu- mission from a cruel service, others their deliverance from some eminent danger : here is a mercy where all these meet. You may call it, as Adam did his wife, Chavah, the mother of all the living ; every mercy riseth up and calls this blessed : this is thy birthday ; thou wert before, but begannest to live when Christ began to live in thee. The father of the prodigal dated his son's life from his return ; ' This my son was dead, and is alive.' It is thy marriage day ; ' I have married you to one husband, even Christ Jesus,' saith Paul to the Co- rinthians. Perhaps thou kast enjoyed this thy husband's sweet company many a day, and had a numerous offspring of joys and comforts by thy fellow- ship with him, the thought of which cannot but endear him to thee, and make the day of thy espousals delightful to thy memory. It is thy manumission : then were the indentures cancelled, wherein thou wert bound to sin and Satan : when the Son made thee free, thou becamest free indeed : thou canst not say thou wast born free, for thy father was a slave ; nor that thou bovightest thy freedom with a sum ; ' bj^ grace ye are saved.' Heaven is settled on thee in the promise, and thou not at charge so much as for the writings' drawing. All is done at Christ's cost, with whom God indented, and to whom he gave the pro- mise of eternal life before the world began, as a free estate to settle upon every
AGAINST rillNCir.Vl.ITIES. Q^