"had in heaven a better and an enduring fubftance." They were troubled on every fide, yet not diftref"fed; they were perplexed, but not in defpair; per"fecuted, but not forfaken; caft down, but not de"ftroyed." And how did this happen? The fame apoftle explains it, when he informs us in what point of view they confidered affliction: "For our light af"fliction," fays he," which is but for a moment, "worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal "weight of glory: while we look not at the things "which are feen, which are temporal; but at the "things which are not seen, which are eternal (a).”"For we know," fays he, (you fee he does not speak of it doubtfully, but with a firm unfhaken faith,) "we know, that when our earthly houfe of this taber"nacle is diffolved, we have a building of God, an, "house, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." And thus, alfo, may every fervant of Christ look cheerfully beyond all the diftreffes of life, to that bleffed reft which remains for the people of God. In a word, they who have the Lord for their God, are poffeffed of an all-fatisfying and never-failing portion. They are begotten again to a lively hope, the hope of an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and which fadeth not away. And therefore, at all times they may encourage themfelves in the Lord, and fay, in the triumphant language of the apoftle, "Who fhall. feparate us from the love of Chrift? Shall tribu lation, or diftrefs, or perfecution, or famine, or "peril, or nakednefs, or fword? Nay, in all thefe "things, we are more than conquerors through him "that loved us.", Thus, you fee what abundant encouragement the gofpel-covenant holds forth to the people of God in times of affliction. The Lord their God is graciouf ly prefent with them. All their afflictions, inftead of hurting them, will iffue in their happiness; and they have the affured hope of being, ere long, in heaven, where thofe afflictions fhall be felt no more, and 02 (a) 2 Cor. iv. 7, 8. where where they fhall be abundantly compenfated with fulnefs of joy for ever. II. I am to fhew you what folid grounds the people of God have to truft in him for thofe encourageinents under affliction; and I fhall briefly mention the three following: 1. The confideration of his infinite wifdom, power and goodness, is a fufficient ground for our trust and confidence in him. For, being infinitely wife, he not only knows all the various wants of his children, and the dangers to which they are expofed, but he knows the moft proper means for their relief, and how to make all things work together for their good. And s his wifdom is infinite, fo his power is almighty. He can fupport his people under the heaviest weight of afflictions; protect them from every ftorm that can arife against them; and command, when he pleafes, the tempeft into a calm. But, finally, his goodnefs is equal to his power and wifdom; for the riches of his grace are unfearchable, and his love passeth knowledge. Here, then, is the firmeft foundation for the Chriftian's faith and trust in God: infinite wifdom directing almighty power, and all under the influence of the moft diffufive goodnefs and parental affection, for his fupport, confolation, and deliverance. Let Ifrael then hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and plenteous redemption. 2. The people of God may fafely truft in him for thefe encouragements, when they confider the promifes he hath made them. Hath he not expressly faid, "I will never leave thee, nor forfake thee.""When thou paffeft through the waters, I will be "with thee, and through the rivers, they fhall not "overflow thee; when thou walkeft through the "fire, thou shalt not be burnt, neither fhall the flame "kindle upon thee (d)."-" I will ftrengthen thee, "yea, I will help thee. I will uphold thee with the "right hand of my righteoufnefs." As an affec (d) Ifa. xliii. 2. tionate tionate parent watches over his children, and will not leave them wholly to the care of ftrangers; fo, the Lord has promifed to watch over his people. "Like "as a father pitieth his children, fo, the Lord piti"eth them that fear.him. For he knoweth their "frame; he remembereth that they are duft (e).” --"He will give his angels charge over them, to keep "them in all their ways (f)." Angels guard the people of God through the ordinary paths of life : but, view them in affliction, and you will fee what is promised them. "He fhall call upon me, faith the "Lord, and I will anfwer him (g,.' "I will be "with him in trouble, and deliver him." Is not this, then, alfo a folid foundation, upon which you may build your truft and confidence in God? For, is he not faithful who has promifed? "He is not a man "that he thould change, neither the fon of man, that "he thould repent." The promifes of men are never abfolutely certain. The infincerity, the mutability, and want of power in human nature, make it vain to trust in princes, or in the fon of man, in whom there is no help. But truth and uprightnefs are the unalterable perfections of the Supreme Being. With him, there is no variablenefs, nor fhadow of turning; and he can never want power to accomplith his promifes. Happy, then, is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whofe hope is in the Lord his God. 3. The experience which the people of God have had of his goodnefs and faithfulness to them under affliction, is another ground and reafon why they fhould trust in him. The pious Pfalmift tells us, "that he waited patiently for the Lord, and God in"clined to him, and heard his cry: he brought hima up alfo out of an horrible pit, out of the miry "clay, and fet his feet upon a rock, and established "his goings (b)." Nor was this the experience of David only, but of great numbers that lived before (✔) Pfal. ciii. 13,—14. 03 (f) Pfal. xci. II. him. him. "Our fathers," fays he, " trufted in God, "and he delivered them; they cried unto him, and "were delivered; they trufted in him, and were not "confounded (b)." The apostle Paul alfo tells us, that God comforted him and his fellow-fufferers in all their tribulation; nay, that as the fufferings of Christ abounded in them, fo their confolation alfo abounded by Christ (c). And have not we the fame God in whom we may truft, and the fame promises on which we may rely? Is his hand now fhortened, that it cannot fave, or his ear heavy, that it cannot hear? Do not his fympathy with his afflicted people, his power and his faithfulness, continue through all generations? May not this fact be appealed to the experience of many of his fervants, even to the prefent day? Come hither, then, ye that fear the Lord, and declare what he hath done for your fouls. When you were weak, and feeble in your minds, did he not fupport you? When loaded with affliction, and ready to fink under your woes, have you not looked to him, and been lightened? When mourning, and almost in defpair, hath he not fent you a word of confolation? Can you, in this manner, review the hiftory of his love, and not fay, with admiration and gratitude, "Q, how great is thy good nefs, which thou haft laid up for them that fear "thee, which thou haft wrought for them that trust "in thee, before the fons of men! I will therefore "truft, and not be afraid; I will truft in the mercy "of the Lord for ever; for in the Lord Jehovah is "everlafting ftrength." Thus, then, you fee upon what folid principles the faints may encourage themselves in the Lord their God, under every chaftening difpenfation of divine Providence. Let us then, as the improvement of this fubject, give all diligence to make our calling and election fure, (b) Pfal. xxii. 4; 5. (4), 2 Cor. i. 4, 5. fure. You, that are ftill ftrangers to God, ferioufy confider the mifery of your prefent ftate. When the ftorm of affliction breaks upon you, where can you fly for relief? God is not the portion of your fouls; you can only have recourfe to "the things which are on earth," which, at best, are but a lying refuge, a broken reed, that will not only fail, but wound and pierce you. What a miserable condition was Saul in! How mournful his complaint to Samuel! " I "am fore diftreffed," fays he; " for the Philiftines "make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more." Give, therefore, no fleep to your eyes, nor flumber to your eyelids, till you have reafon to conclude, that you have paffed from death to life, and are united to him, who is the refurrection and the life. In this way you may, with joy, draw water out of the wells of falvation, for your establishment and comfort, under all the troubles of life; and at last, having paffed through the dark valley of death under the conduct of the good Shepherd, you may enter the New Jerufalem, with fongs and everlafting joy upon your heads; and forrow and fighing fhall be no more. And, finally, you, who are the children of God, fhould encourage yourfelves in him, under all your trials and afflictions. What though the prefent difpenfation of God's providence be dark and gloomy; what though the affliction that lies upon you be grievous: Have you not abundant reafon for confolation and joy in the affurance of God's prefence? Are not all things, even now, working together for your good? And, in a little, will not God wipe away all tears from your eyes, and make you perfectly bleffed in the enjoyment of himself? Why then, O Chriftian, fhould you droop and faint, like others, in the day of adverfity? Have you not an all-fufficient refuge provided in the gofpel of Chrift? Is not the name of the Lord a ftrong tower, into which you may run and be fafe? Why, then, fink under pre fent |