Now this question, Where shall the ungodly appear ? implies a strong denial, He shall be able to appear nowhere ; especially in these three times.
1. In the day of public calamity, when God's judgments are abroad in the world. The wicked are as chaff before the wind, as wax before the sun, as stubble before the fire. WTien God comes to deal with a company of graceless wretches, how will he consume and scatter them, and sweep them away as dung from the face of the earth ! he will universally make a rid- dance of them at once. Where shall a Nabal stand when judgment comes upon him ? 1 Sam. xxv. 37. Alas ! his heart is become a stone. Where shall Belshazzar appear when he sees the handwriting upon the wall? Dan. v. Oh how the wicked tremble and quake when God comes to judge them in this world, though they were a terror to others before !
2. But where shall they stand in the hour of death? when the world can hold them no longer ; when friends shall forsake them ; when God will not receive them ; when hell is ready to devour them, &c.
3. And lastly, where shall the sinner appear at the day of judgment, that great and terrible day of account, when they shall see all the world in a combus- tion roimd about them, and the Lord Jesus coming in flaming fire, ' with his mighty angels, to take vengeance on such as obey not the gospel ? ' 2 Thess. i. 8. How will they then call for ' the mountains to cover them, and the hills to fall upon them, to hide them from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb,' &c.. Rev. vi. 16. Beloved, I beseech you, let the meditation of these things sink deep into your hearts, dwell upon them, remember that they are matters which nearly concern your Boul, and no vain woi-ds, touching you and your welfare.
THE SAINT'S HIDING-PLACE IN THE EVIL
DAY.*
SERMON IV.
Wherefore let them that suffer accordinfj to the will of Gnd cmnmit their souls to him in well-doing, as to a faithful Creator. — 1 Pet. IV. 19.
Though divinity be clear in other differences from carnal or natural rea- sons, yet it hath homogeneal reasons and grounds of its own, whence come inferences as natural as for the tree to bear fniit, or the sun to shine ; so upon the former divine grounds (for it is a matter of suffering wherein we must have pure divinity to support our souls), the apostle comes to bring a spiritual inference suitable to the same in the words read unto you. Where- fore, concluding all to be true that was said before, let them that suffer, &c. Wherein consider, 1. That the state and condition of God's children is to suffer. 2. The dispensation of that sufferiui/, they suffer not at all adven- tures, but according to the loill of God. 3. Their duty in this estate, namely, to commit the keeping of their souls to God.
In the duty we have these particulars comprehended: — 1, An action, to commit. 2. An object, what we must commit, the soul. 3. The person to whom, to God. 4. The manner, in n-ell-doing. Lastly. The reason which should move us hereunto, implied in these words, as unto a faithful Creator. "Whatsoever may support the doubting of a godly man in any trouble, and en- force upon him this duty of committing his soul to God, is briefly comprised in this, that God stands in that near relation of a Creator, yea, of a faithful Creator, to us. This is the scope of the words.
Ohs. 1. That the state of God's children is to suffer, yea, to suffer of God ; for sometimes he seems to be an enemy to his dearest servants, as unto Job. But chiefly they are in a militant estate and condition here.
1. Why God's children must suffer here. Because they live among those that they cannot but sufler from, wheresoever they live. Suppose they live among Christians, yet there are many Christians in name that are not so in deed. There hath been secret undemiiners in all ages ; and what else may they look for but suffering from these ? All that ever truly feared God and
* This title of the present sermon, which is taken from the reprint in the ' Saint's Cordials,' is preferred, to that placed over it in the ori.2;inal vohime, viz., ' The Saints Bal'ety in Evil Times,' inasmuch as at page 297, 5«j., other two bear this heading. — G.
VOL. I. C C
402 THE saint's hiding-place in the evil day.
made conscience of their ways have found afflictions among false bretliren. It was never heard of that a sheep should pursue a wolf.
2. They must suffer also in regard of themselves; for the truth is, the best of us all have many lusts to be subdued, and a great deal of cormption to be purged out, before we can come to heaven, that pure and holy place into which no unclean thing can enter. Rev. xxi. 27. Though a garden be never so fruitful, yet after a shower it will need weeding. So, after long peace, the church of God gathers soil, and needs cleansing.