a stone tied to its foot; hath wings that flutter to be upwards, but is pressed down with the weight fastened to him. What struggling with wanderings and deadness in hearing, and reading, and prayer! and that which is most grievous is, that, by their unwary walking, and the prevailing of some corruption, they grieve the Spirit of God, and provoke him to hide his face, and withdraw his comforts! How much pain to attain any thing, any particular grace of humility, or meekness, or self-denial; and if any thing be attained, how hard to keep and maintain it against the contrary party! How often are they driven back to their old point! If they do but cease from striving a little, they are carried back by the stream: And what returns of doubtings and misbelief, after they thought they were got somewhat above them! in so much that sometimes they are at the point of giving over, and thinking it will never do for them. And yet through all these they are brought safe home. There is another strength which bears them up, and brings them through; but these things, and many more of this nature, argue the difficulty of their course, and that it is not so easy a thing to come to heaven as most imagine it.

Inf. Thou that findest so little stop and conflict in it, goest thy round of external duties, and all is well, art no more troubled; thou hast need to enquire, after a long time spent in that way, Am I right? Am I not yet to begin? Sure this looks not like the way to heaven, as it is described in the Scripture; it is too smooth and easy to be right.

And if the way of the righteous be so hard, then how hard shall be the end of the ungodly and sinner that walks in sin with delight. It were strange if they should be at such pains, and with great difficulty attain their end: And he should come in amongst them in the end. They were fools indeed, true! if it were so; but what if it be not so? Then the wicked is the fool, and shall find he is: When

he shall not be able to stand in judgment, where shall he appear? When to the end he might not appear, he would be glad to be smothered under the weight of the hills and mountains, if they could shelter him from appearing?

And what is the aim of all this which we have spoken, or can speak, on this subject, but that ye may be moved to take into deeper thoughts the concernment of your immortal souls. Oh! that you would be persuaded. Oh! that you would make in to Jesus Christ, and seek salvation in him. Seek to be covered with his righteousness, and to be led by his Spirit in the ways of righteousness. That will seal to you the happy certainty of the end, and overcome for you all the difficulties of the way. What is the gospel of Christ preached for? What was the blood of Christ shed for? Was it not, that by receiving him, we might escape condemnation? Nay, this drew him from heaven; for he came that we might have life, and might have it more abundantly.

Ver. 19. Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

NOTHING doth so establish the mind amidst the rollings and turbulency of present things, as both a look above them, and a look beyond them; above them, to the steady and good hand by which they are ruled; and beyond them, to the sweet and beautiful end, to which, by that hand, they shall be brought. This the Apostle lays here as the foundation of that patience and peace in troubles, wherewith he would have his brethren furnished. And thus he closes this chapter in these words: Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

The words contain the true principle of Christian

patience and tranquillity of mind in the sufferings of this life, expressing both wherein it consists, and what are the grounds of it.

1. Wherein it consists: it lies in this, committing the soul unto God; the word e ȧyadoяia added, is a true qualification of this, that it be in well-doing, according to the preceding doctrine, which the Apostle gives clearly and largely, ver. 15, 16. If men would have inward peace amidst outward trouble, they must walk by the rule of peace, and keep strictly to it. If you would commit your soul to the keeping of God, know he is a holy God; and an unholy soul that walks in any way of wickedness, known or secret, is no fit commodity to put into his pure hand to keep: Therefore, as you would have this confidence to give your holy God the keeping of your soul, and that he will accept of it, and take it off your hand, beware of wilful pollutions and unholy ways. Walk so as you may not discredit your Protector, and move him to be ashamed of you, and disclaim you. Shall it be said that you live under his shelter, and yet walk inordinately? As this cannot well be, you cannot well believe it to be. Loose ways will loosen your hold of him, and confidence in him. You will be driven to question your interest, and to think, "Sure, I do but delude myself; can I be under his safeguard, and yet follow the course of the world, and my corrupt heart?" Certainly, let who will be so, he will not be a guardian and patron of wickedness: No, he is not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil dwell with him. If thou give thy soul to him to keep upon terms of liberty to sin, he will turn it out of his doors, and remit it back to thee to look to as thou wilt thyself. Yea, in the ways of sin, thou dost, indeed, steal it back, and carriest it out from him. Thou puttest thyself out of the compass of his defence, goest without the trenches, and art, at thine own hazard, exposed to armies of ⚫ mischiefs and miseries.

a Psal. v. 4

Inf. This, then, is principally to be looked to: you that would have safety in God in evil times, beware of evil ways; for in these it cannot be. If you will be safe in him, you must stay with him, and in al your ways keep within him as your fortress; now in the ways of sin you run out from him.

Hence it is we have so little established confidence in God in times of trial. We take We take ways of our own, and will be gadding, and so we are surprised and taken, as they that are often venturing out into the enemy's reach, and cannot stay within the walls. It is no idle repetition"; He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. He that wanders not, but stays there, shall find himself there hid from danger; they that rove out from God in their ways, are disquieted and tossed with fears; this is the fruit of their own ways; but the soul that is indeed given to him to keep, keeps near him.

Study pure and holy walking, if you would have your confidence firm, and have boldness and joy in God. You will find that a little sin will shake your trust, and disturb your peace more than the greatest sufferings; yea, in the greatest extremity of sufferings, your assurance and joy in God will grow and abound most, if sin be kept out. That is the trouble-feast that disquiets the conscience, which, while it continues good, is a continual feast. So much sin as gets in, so much peace will go out: Afflictions cannot break in upon it to break it, but sin doth. All the winds which blow about the earth from all points stir it not, only that within the bowels of it makes the earthquake.

I do not mean that for infirmities a Christian ought to be discouraged; but take heed of walking in any way of sin; for that will unsettle thy confidence. Innocency and holy walking makes the soul of a sound constitution, that the counter-blasts of affliction wear not out, nor alter it. Sin makes it sickly and crazy, that it can endure nothing; therefore

b Psal. xci. 1.

study to keep your consciences pure, and they shall be peaceable, yea, in the worst times commonly most peaceable, and best furnished with spiritual confidence and comfort.

Let such commit the keeping of their souls to God. The Lord is an entire protector, he keeps the bodies, yea, all that belongs to the believer, and as much as is good for him, makes all safe, keeps all his bones, not one of them is broken; yea, says our Saviour, The very hairs of your head are numbered, but that which, as in the believer's account, and in God's account, so is certainly in itself most precious, is principally committed and received into keeping, their souls.

They would most gladly be secured in that here, and that shall be safe in the midst of all hazards; their concern is, that whatsoever be lost, that may not; that is the jewel; therefore the prime care of that, if it be safe, all is well, it is riches enough. What shall it profit a man, though he gain the whole world, says our Saviour, and lose his own soul? and so, what shall it disprofit a man, though he lose the whole world, if he gain his soul? Nothing

at all.

When times of trial come, Oh! what a bustle to hide this and that, to fly, and carry away, and make safe, that which is but trash and rubbish to the precious soul: but how few thoughts of that! Were we in our wits, that would be all at all times, not only in trouble, but in days of peace. Oh! how shall I make sure about my soul? Let all go as it may, can I be secured and persuaded in that point? I desire no more.

Now, the way is this, commit them to God; this many say, but few do, give them into his hand, lay them up there; so the word is, and they are safe, and may be quiet and composed.

In patience possess your souls, says our Saviour'; impatient fretting souls are out of themselves, their d Matth. x. 30. • Mark viii. 36. f Luke xxiv. 19.

Psal. xxxiv. 18.