one refuge of lies to another, encompaffing themfelves with fparks of their own kindling, and preferring the aid of idols to that of the living God. In this manner they deceive themselves for a season. As long as they have any thing like a foundation of hope, they endeavour to keep their heads above the flood; but, when they feel no bottom, when the props on which they stayed themfelves glide away, their ftrength fails, their hearts die within them, and they fink as lead in the mighty waters.

Whereas, when the righteous, the people of God, are in any trouble or affliction, their refuge is on high. They lift up their hearts, with their hands, to God in the heavens. How amiable and becoming was the conduct of Job! When the Lord was fmiting, he was praying; and, when repeated tidings were brought him of the lofs of his children, and of all his worldly substance, in pious fubmiffion he bowed to the ground, and worshipped. When Jehoshaphat was attacked at once by the enemies of Moab and Ammon, we behold him ftanding before all the congregation in the house of the Lord, and thus addreffing the God of heaven: "O Lord, our God, we have "no might against this great company that cometh "against us, neither know we what to do; but our 66 eyes are upon Thee." Does the fig-tree ceafe to bloffom, and is there no fruit in the vine? Though the labour of the olive fail, and there be no herd in the ftall; yea, though the earth be removed, and the mountains carried into the midst of the fea: the children of God can look above and beyond this univerfal defolation, and join the prophet in these expresfions of confidence, "I will rejoice in the Lord, and "joy in the God of my falvation."

And fuch was the conduct of David, in the paffage of fcripture which we have just now read. His affliction, indeed, was great; his enemies had plundered and burned the city, in which his own family,

d the families of his friends, refided. Their wives hildren were carried into captivity; and, to com

plete

plete his diftrefs, they spake of stoning him, as the caufe of all their calamities. But, obferve to what refuge he fled; he encouraged himself in the Lord his God: And if the Lord be our God, whatever danger or diftrefs we are in, we also have the fame fource of confolation. But, as I would not give false hopes to any, or speak peace, when there is no peace, I must here obferve to you, that none, but such as stand in this relation to God, are capable of enjoying this advantage. Prefumptuous and obftinate finners can never exercife a rational hope and truft in God; becaufe every part of his word fpeaks terrible things against them. In the 7th Pfalm, there is an awful threatening to this purpofe: "God is angry with the "wicked every day. He hath bent his bow, and "made it ready: he hath alfo prepared for them the "inftruments of death." They may, indeed, prefume for a time; they may flatter themselves with the hopes of impunity: but, their truft will at length prove as the fpider's web, and their hope as the giving up of the ghoft. Whereas, they who are related to the Lord, as their God, who have embraced the offers of his mercy, and are reconciled to him through the death of his Son, may, without any prefumption, claim every privilege of which David was poffeffed, and ftand upon as firm ground as he did, when they encourage themselves in the Lord their God.

In difcourfing further on this comfortable fubject, I shall endeavour, through divine affiftance, First, To point out to you some of thofe encouragements, which the gofpel-covenant holds forth to the people of God in times of affliction; Secondly, To fhow you upon what folid grounds they may truft in him for thefe encouragements; and then conclude with a fhort practical improvement of the fubject.

I. I begin, then, with pointing out to you fome of thofe encouragements, which the gospel-covenant holds forth to the people of God in times of affliction.

1. And

1. And the first I fhall mention, is God's gracious prefence with them in all their diftreffes. And, what a reviving confolation is this! The prefence of God. with his people, difpels all the clouds of affliction and forrow, as the fun fcatters the fogs of the morning; it composes the mind, and fills it with confidence and joy. In what a high ftrain does David speak of it, in the 23d Pfalm! "Though I walk," fays he, "through the dark valley and shadow of death, I "will fear no evil, for thou art with me." Sometimes, indeed, the children of God make unwarrantable reflections on the diftreffes with which they are vifited. They are tempted to fay, as Gideon did, "If God be with us, why doth all this evil befal "" us ?" But it is not because the Lord hath forsaken them, that he deals with them in this manner; it is for the chastisement of their offences: and, when he does fo, he acts the part of a father and a friend. "Whom the Lord loveth," fays the apoftle, "he "chafteneth, and fcourgeth every fon whom he re"ceiveth. If ye endure chaftening, God dealeth with 66 you as with fons; for what fon is he whom the "Father chafteneth not (a)?" Nay, affliction is fo far from being a mark of God's forfaking his people, that he is never more gracioufly prefent with them, than when they are afflicted. Thus, he was with Daniel in the lion's den; thus alfo with Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego, when they were caft into the burning fiery furnace; when this confeffion was extorted from the trembling king of Babylon, "Did

we not caft three men bound into the fire? and "fo, I fee four men, loofe, walking in the midft of "the flames; and the form of the fourth is as the "Son of God." In like manner, the Lord is ftill prefent with his children, when they are under the rod. He not only, as a wife and loving parent, corrects them for their faults; but he mortifies their remaining corruptions, improves their graces, and fometimes gives them fuch experience of divine

(a) Heb. xii.

support

fupport and confolation in the day of affliction, as prevents them from defpondency during every period of their future lives. This is one of the diftinguifhing parts, if I may be allowed the expreffion, of JEHOVAH's character. He is the Comforter of the afflicted, and raiseth up them that are bowed down. The world, indeed, fmiles upon the profperous, while it frequently difregards the miferable and unfortunate. But the ways of God are not as our ways. Inftead of keeping at a distance in the dark and cloudy day, his everlasting arms are then around them. The light of his countenance often difpels the darkest gloom, and elevates the heart which the world would deprefs. In a word, he lifteth up the hands which hang down, and giveth grace to help in every time of need.

86

2. If the Lord be our God, then, all our afflictions are bleffings; and inftead of hurting us, they will iffue in our greater good. The moft dreadful part of any trouble, is the apprehenfion of God's displeasure, which it seems to indicate. Let that apprehenfion be removed, and, to a Chriftian, the affliction is infinitely leffened. "O, Lord," fays the Pfalmift," rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chaften me in thy "hot difpleasure (a)." He does not fimply deprecate the rebuke, the chaftening hand, but the wrath or difpleafure of God. It was the infufion of this that made the cup of affliction a bitter cup. He therefore prays, that the Lord would not deal with him in anger, and he would then quietly submit to any affiction with which he should be pleased to visit him.. And this indeed is the peculiar confolation of his fervants. They are affured, that when their heavenly Father fmites them, he does it in love. The wounds which he inflicts, are not the wounds of an enemy, but of a friend. Though affliction, in its own nature, be a part of the curfe, yet to the Chriftian it is deprived of its malignity, and converted into a realblessing. And accordingly you find it recorded as

(a) Pfal. vi. I.

fuch,

" If

my

fuch, among the promises of the covenant. "children break my ftatutes, and keep not my com"mandments, I will vifit their tranfgreffions with "the rod, and their iniquity with stripes (6)."—" For

་་

as many as I love," faith the great Redeemer, "I "rebuke and chaften." And hence believers may be fully affured, that such afflictions, so far from doing them any harm, will really contribute to their happinefs. For, as froft in the winter, instead of hurting the earth, kills fuch noxious weeds as exhaust its ftrength; fo, the rod of affliction is of great ufe to wean our hearts from this enfnaring world, and to mortify thofe corrupt affections which gentler means could not fubduc. "We know," fays the apoftie, "that all things work together for good to them that "love God, to them who are called according to his " purpose (c)."—"They work together." The expreffion is emphatical. View them feparately, or each by itself, and fome of them may appear to be awful and threatening. But tiew them together, as fent and guided by the hand of infinite wifdom and love; view them in this light, and it will be found, that, if any of them were wanting, fomething would be wanting in the fyftem of our happinefs. Thus, Jofeph faid to his brethren,." Ye thought evil against 66 me; but God meant it for good, to fave much "people alive." Have not the faints, then, the greatest reason to encourage themfelves in the Lord their God, fince they are not only affured of his gracious prefence with them in all their afflictions, but that thofe very afflictions, instead of hurting them, are even now working for their good?

3. It is a ground of encouragement to the godly under affliction, that they themselves will, ere long, be with God, and dwell for ever in his immediate prefence. It was the faith of this that fupported the primitive Chriftians under all their afflictions. "They "took joyfully," fays the apoftle to the Hebrews, "the fpoiling of their goods, knowing that they

(b) Pfal. lxxxix. 31, 32.

(6) Rom. viii. 28.

"had