to pieces, like earthen pot heards. And all this by virtue of that promise, Jer. xxx. 11. "For I am with thee, faith the "Lord, to fave thee; tho' I make a full end of all nations whither "I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee.” Confect. 5. Fifthly, to conclude; if this be fo, then it is a deep and dangerous policy of Satan tò shut up our refuge in God against us, as much as may be, in times of trouble. Satan, like a cunning fowler, defpairs of getting the birds in his net, except he can beat them out of their coverts; it is therefore his great defign, to eftrange and alienate the faints from their God, as much as he can, thereby to cut off their retreat to him in times of trouble; a mifchief which the people of God have always vehemently deprecated, Pial. cii. 2. Jer. xvii. 17. and oh that we would beware of it, and fhun this mischief, by our seafonable preventing watchfulness. There are, among others, three fpecial projects of Satan, whereby he manages this mifchievous defign against the people of God. 1. By drawing their confciences under guilt, on purpose to deftroy the liberty, freedom, and child-like confidence of their fouls, in their addreffes to God. This, if any thing in the world, will do it, Job xi. 14, 15. What a lofs will that poor foul be at, in times of trouble, whofe grumbling and condemning conscience will not fuffer him to look up chearfully and believingly in the face of its God and Father, having loft its ancient freedom at the throne of grace? 2. By prevailing with them to neglect and intermit the courfe of their daily duties, and thereby to let down their communion with God, and, in a great measure, lose their acquaintance with him. This is a dangerous policy of the devil, and an unfpeakable prejudice to the foul. Oh Chriftian! take heed of a lazy, flothful fpirit, or a vain and earthly heart, which will eafily fuffer the duties of religion to be joftled afide and put by for every trivial occafion; efpecially beware of flight, formal, and dead-hearted performances of duty, which is little better than the intermiflion of them; it may, indeed, prevent the fcandal, but can never give thee the comfort of religion. 3. By beclouding their intereft in God, and darkening their titles and evidences, by thick clouds of doubts and fears. This is the fad cafe of many a poor Christian in a day of trouble; Sic Medus ademit Affyrio, Syroque tulit moderamina Perfes. without are fightings, and within are fears. Brethren, I befeech you, think often what thofe things are, which usually put men into fuch frights and ftraits, when imminent dangers ftare them in the face; what it is that daunts and damps the hearts of Chriftians at fuch times; and as you value the peace and freedom of your fouls with God, give not matter for your confciences to reproach you of mif-fpent time, indulged fins, neglected duties, formality or hypocrify in duties, finifter and byends in your transactions with God or man: preferve the purity and peace of your confciences, as you would preferve your two eyes; if by fuch wiles the devil cannot bar you from your God, or shut up your refuge in him, your outward troubles can do you no hurt. The fecond ufe, of direction and advice. Sect. II. The providences of God, in these days, giving us fuch loud warnings of approaching judgment: how are all that are wife in heart, and understanding of the times, now more efpecially concerned to clear their intereft in these bleffed attributes of God, which have here been opened, as their only refuge in the evil day. Let me therefore perfuade and prefs you to betake yourselves to God, your refuge and strong-hold in trouble, and that more especially in thefe two great duties, viz. 1. Of fervent fupplication. his *; 2. Of universal refignation. 1. Betake yourselves to God by fervent prayer and fupplication. Let me fay of these times, as holy Mr. Perkins did of "Thefe are no times for Chriftians to contend and strive one with another, but with their united cries to strive with "God;" and among other requests, ftrongly to enforce and follow home that of David, Pfal. lxxi. 2, 3. "Deliver me in thy "righteousness, and cause me to escape; incline thine ear unto "me, and fave me; be thou my ftrong habitation, whereunto "I may continually refort." That is a true and weighty obfervation of Austin †, "A refuge is not to be found in trouble, "except it be provided before-hand in peace." "For this, "(faith the Pfalmift,) fhall every one that is godly pray unto "thee, in a time when thou mayeft be found; furely in the "floods of great waters they fhall not come nigh unto him,' Pfal. xxxii. 6. Had not Noah prepared and fecured himself in Z 2 *Non funt ifta litigandi, fed orandi tempora Non facile inveniuntur præfidia in adverfitate, quæ non fuerint in pace quæfita. the ark, before the floods of great waters came, he had not fat, as he did, mediis tranquillus in undis; fleeping quietly, when others were perishing in the waters. Gather yourselves therefore together, before the decree bring forth; feek the Lord, all ye meek of the earth: be more frequent, and more fervent in prayer, now than ever; you have all the encouragements in the world to incite you to this duty: the nature of your God is exceeding pitiful, tender, and compaffionate, Jam, v, 11. The endeared relations betwixt God and you give fingular encouragement of fuccefs: fhall not God hear his own elect, which cry unto him day and night? Luke xviii. 7. The fweet returns and answers of former prayers are so many motives and encouragements to follow clofe that profitable duty, Pfal. li. I, 2, 3. And above all, your prevalent advocate in the heavens fhould encourage you to come frequently and boldly to the throne of grace, "that you may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in the time of need," Heb. iv. 16. In two things I fhall briefly offer a few directions here, viz. 1. As to the matter 2. As to the manner } of prayer. 1. As to the matter of prayer, I mean fuch as the state and condition of the times, now more efpecially, fuggefts. (1.) Unite your prayers, and cry mightily to the Lord, that if it be his good pleasure, this cup of wrath, which seems to be mingled and prepared, may pass from his people. Now cry to God, as they are directed to do, Joel ii. 17. "Spare thy people, "O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the "heathen should rule over them, wherefore fhould they fay a66 mong the people, Where is their God?" O pray, that England may not be delivered into the hands of blood-thirsty Papifts, that the golden candlestic may not be removed, that idolatry may not return into these places where God hath been so sweetly worshipped; that a land fo peculiarly bleffed with gospellight, wherein fo many thousand fons and daughters have been born to God, may not, at laft, become an Aceldama, a great fhambles, to quarter out the limbs of his dear faints; that the pleasant plant of reformation, planted with his own right-hand, and watered with fo many tears, yea, with fo much blood, may not, at last, be rooted up by the wild boar of the foreft! (2.) Pray indefinently, that you may be kept from the fins and temptations of the times. O watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation; if you cannot prevail with God to turn wa y his anger, yet be importunate with him that you may be kept from fin; that if you lofe your outward peace, you may be able to keep inward peace; that you may never facrifice your confciences, to fave your flesh; that you may never fall under the displeasure of God, to avoid the rage of men. Ah friends! we little think what a fearful havoc an hour of temptation will make in fuch a profeffing nation as this is; then fhall many be offended, Matth. xxiv. 10. O pray, that you may never give offence to others, by fcandal; or take offence your felves at the ways of God, whatever fufferings and fharp trials fhall come. (3.) Pray earnestly for the fanctification of all your troubles to your eternal good; an unfanctified comfort never did any man good, and a fanctified trouble never did any man hurt; be more earneft therefore with God, rather to have your troubles fanctified, than prevented; to get the bleffing, than to avoid the fmart of them; if they cannot be turned away from you, pray they may be turned to your falvation. 2. Betake yourselves to God, your refuge, by faith, refigning and committing all into his hands, "Now the just shall live "by faith," Heb. x. 38. The more you can trust God, the more you fecure yourfelves from danger; he that can live by faith, thall never die by fear; and be fure to inform yourselves well in two things, viz. 1. What it is to trust God over all. 2. What grounds you have fo to do. 1. Be well instructed in the nature of this duty; there are fix things imported in fuch acts of refignation. " At 1. An awakened fenfe of our dangers and hazards. "what time I am afraid, I will truft in thee," Pfal. lvi. 3. Suffering times are refigning times, 1 Pet. iv. 19. "Let them "that fuffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping "of their fouls, to him in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator." And the greater and nearer our dangers are, the more frequent and vigorous should the actings of our faith, this way, be: Be not far from me, for trouble is near. 2. Refignation to God, neceffarily implies our renunciation and disclaiming of all other refuges. "Athur fhall not save us, 66 we will not ride upon horses, neither will we fay any more "to the work of our hands, ye are our Gods, for in thee the "fatherless findeth mercy," Hof. xiv. 3. He that relies upon God, must ceafe from man; refignation to God excludes not the ufe of lawful means, but it doth exclude dependance upon them. 3. Refignation to God is always grounded upon an interest in : God; we have no warrant, nor encouragement to expect pròtection from him in time of trouble, except we can come to him as children to a father: It is the filial relation that gives encouragement to this fiducial refignation; and the clearer that relation and interest is, the more bold and confident thofe acts of faith will be; Pfal. lxxxvi. 2. "Preferve my foul, for I am "holy thou, my God, fave thy fervant that trufteth in "thee." And again, Pfal. cxix. 94. "I am thine, fave 66 me." I speak not here of the first act of faith, which flows not from an interest, but gives the foul an intereft in God. Nor do I fay, that poor, doubting, and timorous believers, whofe interest in him is dark and dubious, have no warrant to refign themselves and their concernments into his hands; for it is both their right and duty to do it but certainly the clearer our interest is, the more facile and comfortable will thofe acts be. : 4. The committing acts of faith, imply a full acknowledgment and owning of God's power to protect us, be the danger never fo imminent; Pfal. xxxi. 15. My times are in thy "hand, deliver me from the hands of mine enemies, and from "them that perfecute me;" q. d. O Lord, I am fully fatif fied my life is not at the difpofal of mine enemies; 'tis not in their hands, but in thine; all the traps and fnares they lay for it shall not shorten one minute of my time; I know thine hand is fully able to protect me, and therefore into thine hands I refign myfelf and all I have. 5. Refignation involves in it an expectation of help and fafety from God, when we fee no way of fecurity from men. "O "Lord, faith Jehoshaphat, We have no might, nor ftrength, "neither know we what to do, but our eyes are unto thee," 2 Chron. xx. 12. So David, Pfal. lxii. 5, 6. "My foul, wait "thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him: he "only is my rock and my falvation; he is my defence; I shall 86 not be moved." 6. Refignation to God implies the leaving of ourfelves, and our concernments with him, to be difpofed of according to his good pleasure; the refigning foul defires the Lord to do with him what he will, and is content to take what lot divine pleafure fhall caft for him: 2 Sam. xv. 25. "And the king faid unto "Zadok, carry back the ark of God into the city; if I shall find "favour in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again, and "fhew me both it and his habitation; but if he thus fay, I "have no delight in thee, behold, here am I, let him do to me |