God be not with his people, how is it they are not swallowed up quick ? Do their enemies want malice, power, or opportunity? No, but there is an invisible hand upon them. Well then, as it is 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 her, she shall not be moved.
Direction 3. Ponder the great advantages attending the people of God in an aff'icted 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 worldl}'^ ease, splendour, and prosperity, then such times will seem bad for it ; but if you reckon its glory to consist in its humility, faith, patience, and heavenly-mindedness, no condition in the world abounds with advantages for these, as an afflicted condition doth. It was not persecutions and prisons, but worldliness and wan- tonness, that was the poison of the church : neither was it the earthly glory of its professors, but the bood of its martyrs, that was the seed of the church. The power of godliness did never thrive better than in affliction, and never ran lower than in times of greatest prosperity : •when " 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, sirs? Is it indeed for the sainfs advantage to be weaned from the love of, and deli2:ht in 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 he for their advantage, experience teaches us, that no con- dition 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 humours ? 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 I we judge by sense, and reckon things good or evil, according to what we, for the present, can taste and feel in them.
Direction 4. Talce heed that you overlooJi not the many precious mercies which the people of God enjoy amidst all their troubles.
It is a pity that our tears, upon the account of our troubles, should so blear and blind our e^^es, that we should not see our mercies and grounds of comfort. I will not iitsist upon the mercy of having your lives given you for a prey, nor yet upon 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.
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But what say you to pardon of sin ? interest in Christ ? the cove- i^ant 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, sliould 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 favour of the great God ; you are, it may be, cast back in your estates, but there- by furthered i»spirituals. You cannotlive so bravely, 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 substantiaki Shall hght troubles make you forget weighty mer- cies ? 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 do 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 elect- ing 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.
Direction 5. Believe^ that how low soever the church he 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 sure 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 hath tried his skill, before you give it up for lost. The bilsh may be all in a flame, but shall never be consumed, and that because of the good will of him that dwelleth in it.
Direct. 6. Record the famous instances ofGod^s care and tenderness over his people in former straits. Christ hath not suffered it to be devoured yet ; for above these 1700 years the Christian church hath lived in afiliction, and yet it is not consumed ; many a wave of per- secution hath gone over it, and yet it is not drowned ; many designs to ruin it, and hitherto none have prospered ; this is not the first time that Hamans and Ahithophels have plotted its ruin ; that an Herod hatli stretched out his hand to vex it : still it hath been preserved from, supported under, or delivered out of all its trou- bles : 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.
450 HOW TO SUPPORT THE HEART UNDEfi ZIOX's TROUBLES.
Direction 7. If you can fetch no comfort from any of the former arguments, then, in the last place, Trt/ whethe?' you cannot draxo some comfort out of your very troubles. Surely this trouble of yours is a good argument of your integrity ; union is the ground of sym- pathy ; if you had not some rich adventure in that 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 be sensible of the church's troubles, Jesus Christ is much more sensible'of, and solicit- ous about it, than you can be ; and he will have an eye of favour upon them that mourn for it, Isa. Ivii. 18.