would be more difficult for them to escape the dangei- by flight : the big-bellied mothei- being unable to fly fast enougla with her child in her womb, and the nurse as unwilling to leave her dear babe behind her. But many more woes to them who, in days of trial and persecution for the gospel, shall be found big with the M'orld, or that give suck to any covetous, inordinate affection to the creatures; such will find it hard to escape the temptation that these will beset them with. It is impossible in such a time to keep estate and Christ together ; and as impossible for a heart that is set upon the world to be willing to leave it for Christ's company.
Fifthly, The conceited professor, who hath a high opinion of himself, and is so far from a humble, holy jealousy and fear of himself, that he is self-confident. Here is a man shod and prepared, he thinks, but not with the right gospel-shoe. By 'strength shall no man prevail,' 1 Sam. ii. 9. He that in Queen Mary's days was so free of his flesh for Christ, as he said he would see his fat melt in the fire, of which he had good store, rather than fall back to popery, lived, poor man, to see his resolution melt, and himself cowardly part with his faith to save his fat. Those that glory of their valour, when they put on the harness, ever put it oflT with shame. The heart of man is deceitful above all things, a very Jacob, that will supplant its own self. He that cannot take the length of his own foot, how can he of himself fit a shoe to it ?
Section H.- — Be exhorted, all you that take the name of Christ upon you, to get this shoe of pi'eparation on, and keep it on, that you may be ready at all times to follow the call of God's ^irovidence, though it should lead you into a suffering condition. Take but two motives.
First, Consider, Christian, suffering work may overtake thee suddenly, before
thou art aware of it ; therefoi'e be ready shod. Sometimes orders come to
soldiers for a sudden march ; they have not so much as an hoin-'s warning, but
must be gone as soon as the drum beats. And so mayest thou be called out,
Christian, before thou art aware, into the field, either to suff'er for God or from
God. Abraham had little time given him to deal with his heart, and persuade
it into a compliance with God, for offering his son Isaac; a great trial and short
warning : ' Take now tliy son, thine only son Isaac,' Gen. xxii. 2 ; not a year, a
month, a week hence, but now ! This was in the night, and Abraham is gone
early in the morning, ver. 3. How would he have entertained this strange
news, if he had been then to gain the consent of his heart? But that was not
now to do; God had Abraham's heart already, and therefore he doth not now
dispute his order, but obeys. God can make a sudden alteration in thy private
affairs, Christian. How couldst thou, in thy perfect strength and health, endure
to hear the message of death, if God should, before any lingering sickness hath
brought thee into some acquaintance with death, say no more, but. Up and die,
as once to Moses? Art thou shod for such a journey? couldst thou say, ' Good
is the word of the Lord ?' What if in one day thou wast to step out of honour
into disgrace, to be stript of thy silks and velvets, and in vile raiment called
to acta beggar's part? couldst thou rejoice that thou art made low, and find thy
heart ready to bless the Most High? This would speak thee a soul evangelically
shod indeed. Again, God can as soon change the scene in the public afiairs of
the times thou livest in, as to the gospel and profession of it. May be now
authority smiles on the church of God, but within awhile it may frown, and
the stoi-m of persecution arise; Acts ix. .31: 'Then Irad the churches rest
throughout all Judea ;' this was a blessed time ; but how long did it last? alas !
not long ; chap. xii. there is sad news of a bloody persecution, ver. 1 : ' About
this time Herod the king stretched forth his hand to vex certain of the church;'
in which persecution, James, the brother of John, lost his life by his cruel
sword; and Peter, in prison, like to go to the same shambles; and the church
driven into a corner to pray in the night together, ver. 12. O what a sad
change is here ! now in blood, who even now had rest on every side. It is
observed that in islands the weather is far more variable and uncertain than
in the continent; there you may know ordinarily what weather will be for along
time together; but in islands, in the morning we know not what weather will be
before night; we have ofttimes summer and winter in the same day, and all
this is imputed to the near neighbourhood of the sea that suri'oimds them. The
saints in heaven, they live, as I may so say, on the continent ; a blessed constancy
THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE. 4J3