5. Fiftldi)^ Sincerity brings a man"'s will into subjection to the will of God ; and this being done, the greatest danger and difficulty is over with such a man. This is that holy oil which makes the wheels of the soul run nimbly, even in difficult paths of obedience ; Non tar^ dat uncta rota. Let Ibut a man be once brought to that, " The will " of the Lord be done,'' as it is Acts xxi. 13. to see the highest reason of cheerful obedience in the holv, just, and good will of God, and then all the difficulty is over ; he can suffer quietly what men inflict unjustly.
6. SlxtJihj^ Sincerity takes its measures of present things by the rules of faith and eternity ; it goes not by the same reckoning and account that others do. Mho judge of things by sense, and the respects they have to the present world, 2 Cor. iv. 18. " \Ve look not at the " things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen ;'' and this is there given as the reason of his not fainting under present difficul- ties : So, Rom. viii. 18. "I reckon that the sufferings of the present " times are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall '• be revealed in us."" He will not allow himself to inidervalue eter- nal glory, by once mentioning present sufferings, in a way of bemoan-
THE DESIGN OF GOD IN THE TRlAt OF HIS PEOPLE. 570
ing himself for them : A steady eye upon the other world makes us more than conquerors over the troubles of this world.
7. Seventhly^ To conclude; sincerity alone hath all the heavenly aids and assistances to stability, and perseverance in sufferinor times : upright ones (and such only) have Christ's intercession in heaven for them, Rom. viii. 34. The Spirit's consolation in all their troubles, 1 Pet. iv. 14. The Spirit of glory and of God resteth on them : the beneficial ministry of angels, who are sent forth upon their account, Heb. i. 1 4. A stocJc of prayers^ %'^^'^g up from them all the world over, Eph. vi. 18. Multitudes of precious promises in the scriptures ; for every line, word, and syllable of which the faithfulness of God stands engaged : so that it is impossible such gold can perish in the fire.
And thus of the several ways by which grace is here tried.
Opening ilie designs and ends ofGod^ in bringing the professors of religion into such various tibials of their graces in this woi'ld.
JL HESE are some of the ways and methods in which God brings his gold to the touchstone, and to the fire, even in this world, before the awful and solemn trial they must come to in the final judgment : and if we desire to be satisfied what the design or end of God in making such probations of his people is.
We must conclude, in the general, he certainly designs his own glory, and his people's advantage and profit in them. If he suffer them to be tried by reproaches, happy are they^ the Spij'it of God and of glory resteth on them ; there is their profit ; and though his name be evil spoken of, yet in the meekness of their spirits he is glorified, as it is, 1 Pet. iv. 14. " If the scourge slay suddenly, he laugheth at the " trial of the innocent," Job ix. 23. Not at their afllictions, but at tlie effects and blessed issues and results of them : Not that it gives them pain, but that it gives them glory. Upon this account the apostle bids us count it all joy when we fall into diverse temptations or trials : and still the more trials the more joy ; for thereby God will produce such effects as are more precious than gold that perish- eth, 1 Pet. i. 7. O who can value the comfort that is tasted by the soul upon the trial and discovery of its sincerity, when after some sore temptation wherein God hath helped us to maintain our integri- ty, or after some close pinching affliction, wherein we have discovered in ourselves a sweet resignation to, and contentment in the will of God, an heart cleaving to the Lord, purged and made more spiritual under the rod! v/e can turn to the Lord, and aiipeal to him, as the Vol. V. Go
580 THE DESIGN OF GOD IN THE TRIAL OF HIS PEOPLE.
prophet did, Jer. xii. 3. " But thou, O Lord, knowest me ; thou " hast seen me, and tried mine heart towards thee."
I saj, who can duly value such an advantage: who would ex- change such a comfort for all the gold and silver in the world ? Hoav many trials soever God brings his people under, to be sure neither his own glory nor their interest shall sufier any damage by them.
-OUT more particularly, let us bring our thoughts close to the mat- ter before us, and we shall find many great advantages and benefits rising out of these trials of sincerity : For,
\. First, Hereby hypocrisy is unmasked and discovered; the viz- ard is plucked off from the false professor, and his true natural face and complexion shewn to the world ; and in this there is a great deal of good.
Object. Goody 021 zoillsay, where lies it? All the world sees the mis- chief'and sad effects of it ; rtiany are stumbled^ many are hardened hy it : " Woe to the world because of offences !'" Matth. xvi. 7.
Sol. True, some are prejudiced and hardened by it, so as never to have good thoughts of the ways and people of God more : That is sad indeed ; however, therein God accomplishes his word, and ex- ecuteth his decree ; and though these perish, yet.
Firsts Others are warned, awakened, and set a searching their own hearts more narrowly than ever, and this is good, 1 Cor. x. 11, 12. Now these were our examples ; " wherefore let him that " thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.'^
Secondly, Hereby sin is ashamed; and it is good when sin that hath exposed men to so much shame, shall be itself exposed to shame: This is the just reward of sin, Jer. xiii. 25, 26. "This is thy lot, " the portion of thy measures from me, saith the Lord ; because " thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood, therefore will I " discover thy skirts upon thy face, that thv shame may appear."
The turning up the skirt is a modest expression of exposing a per- son to the greatest shame in the day of trial : God by discovering hypocrisy, shames the hypocrite ; and surely, many such discoveries are made of men at this day : We may see sin, that lurked close in the heart before, nov/ laid open before all Israel, and before the sun.
Thirdly, Hereby the poor self-cozening hypocrite hath the greatest opportunity and advantage that ever was before him in ail his life, to recover himself out of the snare of the devil. Now all his pretences are gone ; now that which like a shield was advanced against the ar- rows of reproof and conviction is gone ; now a poor creature stands naked, g.nd stripped out of all his pleas, as a fair and open mark to the world, and his own conscience ; and happy will it be for him, if now the Lord make conviction to enter point blank into his souL All these are blessed effects of the discovery of hypocrisy.
THE DESIGN OF GOD IN THE TRIAL OF HIS PEOPLE. 581