1st. Temptations from Satan ; who seeketh all advantages, either to withdraw us from God, or to distract us in his service, and make it tedious and wearisome to us : 1 Pet. v. 8, 9, ' Your adversary the devil goeth about, seeking whom he may devour.' All these things are accomplished in your brethren in the flesh ; they are all haunted with a busy tempter, who is restless in his endeavours to ensnare their souls ; this world is Satan's walk, the devil's circuit, who goeth up and down to destroy unwaiy creatures ; and therefore his assiduous temptations are one of the christian's burdens.
2ndly. Bitter and grievous persecutions ; which sometimes make them weary of their lives, that they may be freed from their hard taskmasters. As Elijah was weary of the trouble he had by Jezebel's pursuits, that he durst not trust himself in the land of Israel and Judea, but goeth a day's journey into the wilderness, and sat down imder a juniper tree, and requested for himself that he might die; ' for,' saith he, ' I am not better than my father's house,' 1 Kings xix. 4, 5. Surely the troubled will long for rest.
3dly. Sharp afflictions from God himself, who is jealous of our hearts, because we are not watchful over them. We are too apt to take up with a worldly happiness, and to root here ; looking no furtlier, whilst we have all our comforts about us ; our hearts saying, it is best to be here, till God by his smart rod awaken us out of our drowsy fits. We are so pleased with our entertainment by the way, that we forget home ; therefore the Lord is fain to embitter our worldly portion, that we may think of a remove to some better place and state, where all tears shall be wiped from our eyes. We would sleep and rest here, if we did not sometimes meet with thorns in our bed ; ' All the days of my pilgrimage,' saith holy Jacob, Gen. xlvii. 7, ' are few and evil.' Our days are evil, and it is well they are but few ; that in this ship- wreck of man's felicity we can see banks and shores, and a landing place, where we may be safe at length. Here most of our days are sorrow, grief, and travail ; but there is our repose ; our heart would fail, were there not some hopes mingled with our tears.
[2.] I'hat those who have the first fruits of the Spirit are more appre- hensive of this misery than others are or can be.
(1.) Of misery and afflictions. Partly, because grace intendereth the heart ; they look upon afflictions with another eye than the stupid world doth ; they look upon them as coming from God, and as the fruit
VeR. 23.] SERMONS UPON ROMANS VIII. 191
of sin, and they dare not slight any of God's corrective dispensations. There are two extremes, slighting, and fainting, Heh. xii. 5. AfHictioa cannot be improved if we have not a sense of it ; we owe so much rever- ence to God, as to tremble at his anger. Num. xii. 14 ; when he crosseth and disappointeth us, it must not be slightly passed over. Look as in the flood, Gen vii. 11 ; when the windows of heaven were opened from above, and the fountains of the great deep were broken open from below, the flood increased ; so when nature and grace concur to heighten the afflictions, the children of God must needs have a greater and more tender sense of it than others have. As those that are of a delicate constitution are more capable of pain than the stubborn and robustious ; and the tender flesh of a child will sooner feel the lash than the thick skin of a slave ; so the children of God, who have a more serious appre- hension of things, and a more tender spirit, soonest feel the burden of their Father's displeasure, and do more lay it to heart, than careless spirits, who laugh out their cross, and drink away their sorrows. And partly, because they are more exercised with afilictions ; the world hateth them because they are so good, and God chastens them because they are no better : ' Many are the troubles of the righteous,' Ps. xxxiv. 19. There is more squaring, and hewing, and cutting used about stones, which are to be set in a stately palace, than those which are placed in an ordinary building ; the vine is pruned, when the bramble in the hedge is not looked after ; the child is put under discipline when the bastard liveth more at large. God meaneth to destroy those, whom by a just judgment he permitteth to go on in their sins, to their eternal undoing.
(2.) They are more sensible of sin as a burden : Ps. xxxviii. 4, ' Mine iniquities are gone over my head ; they are a burden too heavy for me.' That sins are a burden to a wounded conscience is evident by their complaints ; if a millstone fall upon them, it is not so heavy and bruising, as one spark of God's wrath lighting upon the conscience for sin ; but they are also a burden to a tender conscience. And partly, because they have more light than others, and see more into the heinous nature and evil of sin: Jer. xviii. 31, 'After I was instructed, I smote upon the thigh ; ' and Kom. vii. 9, ' When the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.' And partly, because they have more love than others have ; and they that love much, will mourn most for sin, Luke vii. 47 ; she wept much, because she loved much. The more holy any are, the more they ai-e troubled about offending God than others are, or them- selves were before. What is the reason ? It is not from the increase of sin, but the increase of light and love; they see more and more into sin than formerly they did, or could do ; as in a glass of pure water tlie least mote is soon eppied. And partly, because they have more heartily renounced sin ; therefore the relics of it are a greater burden to them. Elements burden not in their own place ; wicked men are in their own element ; it is a sport to them to do evil ; for ' fools make a mock of sin.' But it is otherwise with the children of God; sin is that they hate, and pray down, and strive against ; they are aspiring after a better estate ; and it is a trouble to them, they find so little of it while they are in the body.