endure temptation. True, indeed ; but for thy comfort, Cliristian, He that leads thee into this temptation stands ready to lielj) thee through it ; therefore, ver. 5, there is a gracious*/ (jiiis set up; ' if any of you (/. e., you sufferers cliiefly) lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberall}', and u])ln-aideth not, and it shall be given him.' This, methinks, shoidd not nuich strain our faith to believe. There are not many masters so disingenuous to be found, that would twit and upbraid their servant for asking luimbly tlieir counsel in a work of peril and dithculty, which they cheerfullj' luulertake out of love to their persons and obedience to their command ; how nuich less needest thou fear such dealing from thy God ? If thou hast so much faith and love, as to venture at his command upon the sea of suffering, he will without doubt find so much mercy, as to keep thee from drowning, if, feeling th\ self begin to sink, thoji criest earnestly as Peter did to him, 'Lord, save me;' wert thou even under water, prayer would buoy thee up again. But if thou art not a man of prayer before suffering work come, thou wilt be able to do little at that weapon then. The proverb indeed is, He that would learn to pray, let him go to sea ; but I think it were better thus. He that would go to sea, (this I mean of suffering,) let liim learn to pray before he comes there.
Section III. — Thirdly, Be nuich in the meditation of a suffering state. He will say his lesson best, when his master calls him forth, that is oftenest con- ning it over beforehand. Do by the ti'oubles thou mayest meet with as porters use to do with their burdens ; they will lift them again and again, before they take them on to their back. Thus do thou ; be often lifting up in thy meditations those evils that may befall thee for Christ and his truth, and try how thou coiddst agree with them, if called to endure them ; set poverty, prison, banishment, fire and fagot before thee on the one hand, and the pre- cious truths of Christ on the other, with the sweet promises made to those that shall hold fast the word of patience held forth in such an hour of temptation. Suppose it were now thy very case, and thou wert put to thy choice, which liand thou wouldst take ; study the question seriously, till thou determinest it clearly in thy conscience ; and do this often, that the arguments which flesh and blood will then be sure to use for thy pitying thyself may not be new and luianswered, nor the encouragements and strong consolations which the word affords be strange, and under any suspicion in thy thoughts, when thou art to venture thy life upon their credit and truth. That of Augusline we shall find most true, Non facile inveiiiunfur pressidia in adversitate, qua; non fuerint in pace qucesita. The promises are our garrison and fastness at such a time ; and we shall not find it easy to run to them in a strait, except we were acquainted with them in a time of peace ; a stranger that flies to a house for refuge in the dark night, he fumbles about the door, and knows not how to find the latch ; his enemy, if nigh, may kill him before he can open the door ; but one that lives in the house, or is well acquainted with it, is not long in getting in. ' Come, my people,' saith God, ' enter thou into thy chambers,' Isa. xxvi. He is shewing them their lodgings in his attributes and promises, before it is night, and their sufferings be come, that they may readily find the way to them in the dark.
Sf.ction IV. — Fourthly, Make a daily resignation of thyself up to the will of God. Indeed, this should be, as it were, the lock of the night, and key of the morning; we should open and shut our eyes with this recommending of our- selves into the hands of Ciod. This, if daily performed, not fornuilly, (as all duties frequently repeated, without the more care, are like to be,) but solemnly, would sweetly dispose the soul for a welcoming of any trial that can befall it. Tile awkwardness of our hearts to suffer, comes much from distrust. An unbelieving soul treads upon the promise, as a man upon ice ; at first going upon it, lie is full of fears and tumultuous thoughts lest it should crack. Now this daily resignation of thy heart, as it will give thee an occasion of conversing more with the thoughts of God"s power, faithfulness, and other of liis attributes, (for want of familiarity with which, jealousies arise in our hearts wlien put to any great plunge,) so also it will furnish thee with many experiences of the reality both of his attributes and promises ; which, though they need not any testimony from sense, to gain them credit with us, yet so much are we made of sense, so childisii and weak is our faith, that we find our hearts nuich helped by those experiences we have had, to rely on him for the future. Look, therefore, care-
416 AND YOUR FEET SHOD WITH