rest on him, so this would engraft you into includes inseparably the inseparableness of life itself, for that he is, and so those fruits our love to him; for observe the things speof the Holy Ghost would bud and flourish cified as most likely, if any thing, to separate in your hearts; from that very believing on us; shall tribulation, distress, &c. Now him, would arise this persuasion, yea, even these especially, being endured for his sake, to a glorying, and an humble boasting in cannot immediately have any likely visage his love Who shall accuse; who shall con- of altering his love to us, but rather confirm demn; who shall separate ? us in it; but these shall not separate us nei

The undivided companion, and undoubt-ther by altering our love to him, by driving ed helper and preserver of this confidence of us from him, and carrying us into any way faith, is an active love to Christ, a constant of defection, or denial of his name, and so study of holiness, and strife against sin, which cut us off from our union with him, and inis the grand enemy of faith, that obstructs terest in his love; and that is the way wherein the very vital spirits of faith, that makes it the weak Christian will most apprehend the sickly and heavy in its actings, and causes hazard of separation. Now the apostle speaks the palsy in the hand of faith, that it cannot his own sense, and would raise in his brelay so fast hold. Therefore this you would thren the same confidence, as to that danger. be careful of, yea, know that of necessity it No fear; not one of these things shall be attends faith, and as faith grows, holiness able to carry us away: these mighty waves will grow, and holiness growing will mutu-shall not unsettle our faith, nor quench the ally strengthen and establish faith. The flame of our love; we shall be victors and comforts of the Holy Ghost are holy, purify-more, in all; but how? Through him that ing comforts; and the more the soul is pu- hath loved us. rified, and made holy, the more it is cleared This his love makes sure ours; he hath and enlarged, to receive much of these com- such hold of our hearts as he will not let go, forts. Blessed are the pure in heart, for nor suffer us to let go our hold: all is fast by they shall see God, unholiness is as damps his strength. He will not lose us, nor shall and filthy mists in the soul, it darkens all. any be able to pluck us out of his hand. Hence it is evident, in what way Chris Jesus Christ is the medium of this love, tians may and ought to aspire to this assur-the middle link that keeps all safe together ance; it is their portion, and in this way betwixt God and man, so close united in his they are to aspire to it, and shall find it; if personal nature, and the persons of men in not presently, yet let them wait and go on in this way they shall not miscarry.

and by him, to the Father. So here it is first called the love of Christ, and then in Again it appears, that this assurance is no the close, the love of God in Christ; the enemy to holy diligence, nor friend of carnal soul first carried to him as nearest, but so security; on the contrary, it is the only thing carried by him into that primitive love o that doth eminently ennoble and embolden God that flows in Christ, and that gave even the soul for all adventures and services. Christ to us as before. And this is the botBase fears and doubtings, wherein some place tom-truth, the firm ground of the saint's permuch of religion, and many weak Christians severance, which men not taking aright, must seem to be in that mistake, to think it a kind needs question the matter, yea, may put it of holy, spiritual temper to be questioning out of question upon their suppositions; for if and doubting. I say these base fears can our own purposes and strength were all we had never produce any thing truly generous, no to rely on, alas! how soon were we shaken ! height of obedience; they do nothing but en- So the love of God in Christ is not only tangle and disable the soul for every good here mentioned as the point of happiness, work; perfect love casts out this fear, and from which we cannot be removed, but as works a sweet, unperplexing fear, a holy wa- the principle of firmness that makes itself riness not to offend, which fears nothing else. sure of us, and us of it, and will not part And this confidence of love is the great secret with us. of comfort, and of ability to do good service. Now it is no pride in a Christian, but the Nothing makes so strong and healthful a truest humility, to triumph and glory in this. constitution of soul as pure love; it dare sub- This is it that makes all sure: this is the mit to God, and resign itself to him; it dare great comfort, and the victory of the saints. venture itself in his hand, and trust his word, He that loved us, and bought us so dear, and seek no more but how to please him. will not lightly slip from us, yea, upon no A heart thus composed, goes readily and terms will he let us go, unless some stronger cheerfully unto all services, to do, to suffer, than he has met with him, and by force beto live, to die, at his pleasure; and firmly reave him of us; which we know is imposstands to this, that nothing can separate it sible. He and his Father, who are one in from that which is sufficient to it, which is themselves, and in their strength, and one all its happiness the love of God in Christ in this love, are greater and stronger than Jesus. all; and he that once overcame for us, al

That is indeed his love to us, but so as it ways overcomes in us.

rors, by multiplied victories, and they gain in them all both more honour and more strength; they are the fitter for new adventures, and so more than simple conquerors. We overcome, and are sure not to lose former conquests, but to add more and conquer on to the end; which other conquerors are not sure of; oftentimes they outlive their own successes and renown, and lose on a sudden what they have been gaining a whole lifetime. Not so here: we are secured in the author of our victories; it is through him that hath loved us, and he cannot grow less, yea, shall still grow greater, till all his ene mies be made his footstool.

Thus he lets temptations and tribulations as they tell of her multiplying labours to assault us, and this neither unargues his love, that champion, they are not only conque nor endangers his right to us; yea, it doth but give proof and evidence of the invincible firmness of both. He suffers others to lie soft, and sit warm, and pamper their flesh at leisure, but he hath nobler business for his champions, his worthies, and most of all for the stoutest of them; he calls them forth to honourable services, to the hardest encounters; he sets them on, one to fight with sickness, another with poverty, another with reproaches and persecutions, with prisons and irons, and with death itself: and all this while, loves he them less, or they him? Oh! no; he looks on, and rejoices to see them do valiantly; it is the joy of his heart-no sight on earth so sweet to him and it is all the while by his subduing, and in his strength, that they hold out in the conflict, and obtain the conquest.

Having given the challenge, and finding none to answer, and that all, the most apparent, are in a most rhetorical accumulation silenced, tribulation, distress, persecution, And thus they are more endeared to him famine, nakedness, peril, sword, &c., he by these services, and these adventures of goes on confidently in the triumph, and avers love for him, and he still likewise is the his assurance of full and final victory against more endeared to them. Certainly the more all imaginable power of all the creatures; any one suffers for Christ, the more he loves neither death nor life, not the fear of the Christ, as love doth grow and engage itself most terrible death, nor the hope or love of by all it does and suffers, and burns hotter the most desirable life; and in the height of by what it encounters and overcomes, as by this courage and confidence, he supposes imfuel added to it: as to Jesus Christ, by what possible enemies, angels, principalities, &c., he suffered for us, we are the dearer to him, unless you take it of the angels of darkness so he is to us by all we suffer for his sake. only; but if it could be possible that the Love grows most by opposition from others other should offer at such a thing, they whomsoever, when it is sure of acceptance, would be too weak for it. No sense of any and the correspondence of mutual love in the present things, or apprehensions of things to party loved. Above all, this heavenly di- come, not any thing within the vast circle of vine love is strong as death, a vehement the world above or below, nor any creature, flame, a flame of God indeed, as the word can do it. Here sin is not specified, because is, and many waters cannot quench it, not he is speaking of outward oppositions and all these that here follow one another, tribu- difficulties expressly, and because that is relation, distress, persecution, famine, naked- moved by the former challenge, Who shall ness, peril, sword; yea, in the midst of accuse 2 That asserting a free and final these, I say, it grows; the soul cleaves acquittance of all sin, a pardon of the curse, closer to Christ, the more attempts are made which yet will never encourage any of these to remove it from him, though killed all the to sin that live in the assurance of this love. day long. (This passage from the Psalm Oh! no; and these general words do inis most fit, both to testify that persecution clude it too, nothing present nor to come, is not unusually the lot of the saints, and to &c. So it is carried clear, and is the satisfygive instance of their firm adherence to God ing comfort of all that Jesus Christ hath in all troubles, as the church there profess-drawn after him, and united in his love. eth; and if the saints in that dispensation It is enough; whatsoever they may be secould reckon in such a manner, much more parated from, the things, or persons, dearest ought Christians, upon a clearer discovery in this world; it is no matter, the jewel is of the covenant of grace, and their union with God and Christ.) The saints are as in a common butchery in the world, yet not only as sheep for the slaughter, but sometimes as sheep for the altar, men thinking it as sacrifice. They that kill you (says our Saviour,) shall think they do God service; yet even this pulls not from him: they part with life; aye, why not? This life is but a death, and is his life for whom we lose it.

All those do but increase the victories and triumphs of love, and make it more glorious:

safe, none can take my Christ from me; and I safe in him, as his purchase, none can take me from him. And being still in his love, and through him in the Father's love, that is sufficient. What can I fear? What can I want? All other hazards signify nothing; how little value are they of! And for how little a while am I in danger of them! Methinks all should look on a believer with an emulous eye, and wish his estate more than a king's.

Alas! poor creatures, rich men, great men,

princes and kings, what vain things are they against the latent atheism of their hearts; that you embrace and cleave to! Whatso- who after their manner of seeking God, not ever they be, soon must you part; can you finding him, and not being delivered, are say of any of them, Who shall separate us? ready to think that he either cannot, or will Storms may arise, and scatter ships that sail not help, and rather rest on that gross misfairly together in fair weather: thou mayest take, than inquire into themselves for the be removed, by public commotions and ca- true cause of their continuing calamities; lamities, from thy sweet dwellings, and so- they incline rather to think it is some incieties, and estates, &c. You may even live disposition in God to help, than what it to see, and seek your parting. At last you must part, for you must die: then farewell parks and palaces, gardens and honours, and even crowns themselves; then dearest friends, children and wife, must be parted with. And what hast thou left, poor soul, that hast not Christ, but that which thou wouldest gladly part with, and canst not ? the condemning guilt of all thy sins.

truly is, a want of reformation in themselves that hinders it. It is not likely that they would say thus, nor speak it out in plain terms, no, nor possibly not speak it formally and distinctly within, not so much as in their thoughts, and yet they might have a confused, dark conceit of this. And much of the atheism of man's heart is of this fashion; not formed into resolved propositions, But the soul that is in Christ, when other but latent, in confused notions of it, scarce things are pulled away, he feels little or no-discernible by himself; at least, not searched thing; he cleaves to Christ, and these sepa- out and discerned in his own breast; there rations pain him not. Yea, when that great they are, and he sees them not: not written separatist, death, comes, that breaks all assertions, but flying fumes, filling the soul, other unions, even that of the soul and body, and hindering it to read the characters of yet so far is it from separating the believer's God that are writ upon the conscience. soul from its beloved Lord Jesus, that, on the contrary, it carries it into the nearest union with him, and fullest enjoyment of him for

ever.

Impenitency of men, in any condition, and particularly under distress, is from the want of clear apprehensions and deep persuasions of God, of his just anger provoked by their sin, and of his sweetness and readiness to forgive and embrace a returning sinner; his sovereign power, able to rid them out of the greatest trouble; his ear quick enough to hear the cries, yea, the least whispering of a humbled heart in the lowest deep of his sorrow, and his arm long enough to reach them, and strong enough to draw them forth. He Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that comes unto God must believe that he is, that it cannot save, neither his ear heavy says the apostle. So certainly he that bethat it cannot hear. But your iniqui-lieves that, must come; it will sweetly conties have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

SERMON XVIII.
ISAIAH lix. 1, 2.

strain him; he cannot but come that is so persuaded. Were men's hearts much impressed with that belief in all their troubles, they would eye men less and God more, and OUR vain minds are naturally fruitful in without delay they would fasten upon the nothing more than in mistakes of God; for church's re solution, Hos. vi. 1. "Come the most part we think not on him, and and let us return unto the Lord; for he hath when we do it, we fancy him according to torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, our own affections, which are wholly perverse and he will bind us up," &c. And this is and crooked. the very thing that the prophet would here Men commonly judge it a vain thing to persuade to by this present doctrine; and spend much pains and time in worshipping having impleaded them guilty, he sets them him; and if they are convinced in this, and a copy of humble confession, verse 12, &c. tied to it by the profession of his name, then they think all religion is a shell of external diligences, and observances, and count it strange if this be not accepted. In the former chapter we find this, in the prophet's contest with the people about their fasting, and their opinion of it; he cuts up their sa- The condition, I think I have reason to call crifices, and lets them see what was within: sad; it is God hiding his face that he will not the skin was sound and looked well, but hear. This may be the personal estate of being opened, the entrails were found rotten. his children, or the public estate of his church. And here he enters into another contest, From a soul he hides his face, not so much • Linquenda tellus et domus et placens uxor, &c. Ezek. viii. Behind the wall.

Hence the frequent complaints in the Psalm, Why hidest thou thyself? So Psalm xxii. 2, I cry, but no hearing.

In the words of these two verses, these two things appear, A sad condition, and the true cause of it.

in the withdrawing of sensible comforts and iii. 43, 44, "Thou hast covered with anger, sweet tastes of joy, which to many are scarce and persecuted us; thou hast slain, thou hast known, and to such as do know them, com- not pitied; thou hast covered thyself with monly do not continue very long; but it is a cloud, that our prayer should not pass a suspension of that lively influence of his through." Still, while that door stands open, divine power, for raising the mind to the there is hope and remedy for other evils; but contemplation of him, and communion with that being shut, what can a people, or a soul him in prayer and meditation, which. yet expect, but growing troubles, one sorrow upmay be where those relishes and senses of on the back of another? Yea, that is the joy are not; and the returns of it appear in great trouble, the hiding of his face, and rebeating down the power of sin, or abating fusing to hear. Observe Job xxxiv. 29: and subduing it, making the heart more" When he giveth peace, who then can make pure and heavenly, more to live by faith in trouble ?" Now, the other in the same terms Christ, to be often at the throne of grace, would have been, "When he makes trouble, and to receive gracious answers, supplies of who can give peace? But instead it is, wants, and assistances against temptations." When he hides his face, who then can beNow, when there is a cessation and obstruc- hold him ?" No peace but in beholding him, tion of these, and such like workings, the and nothing but trouble; that is the grand face of God is hid, the soul is at a loss, trouble when he hides his face, and it is exseeks still, and cannot find him whom he pressed in both cases, whether it be personal loveth. And in this condition it cannot or national, whether against a nation or a take comfort in other things; they are too man only.

low.

It is a higher and nobler desire than

This is the thing wherein the strength of to be satisfied or diverted with the childish other troubles lies, that gives them weight, things that even men delight in that know when they impart and signify thus much, not God; it is a love sickness, which no- that the face of God is hid from a soul or a thing can cure but the presence and love of people. the party loved. Yea, nothing can so much

We ought to inquire if this be not our as allay the pain, and give an interval of ease, condition at this time; hath he not hid his or recover a fainting fit, but some good word face from us? Are we not left in the dark, or look, or at least some kind message from that we know not which way to turn us? him. Set thee in a palace, and all delights Either we must sit still and do nothing, for about thee, and a crown on thy head, yet if if we stir we do but rush one upon another, his love has ceased on thy heart, these are as in darkness, contesting each to have the all nothing without him. It was after David way, and yet when we have it given us, we was advanced to his kingdom, and is in the know not well which way to go; and we Psalm of the dedication of his royal house, think to be cleared, but it fails us, as in this that he said, "Thou didst hide thy face, chapter, ver. 9, "We wait for light, but beand I was troubled," Ps. xxx. 7. "All hold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk is dark, all the shining marble, and the in darkness; we grope for the wall as blind, gold and azure, lose their lustre, when thou and stumble at noon-day as in the night;" art not here dwelling with me." our counsels strangely darkened, and no right

And thus for the church, God is a proper understanding one of another. By all delight, the beauty, the life of it. Deck it bates little or no clearing of things attained, with all this world's splendour, with all the but our passions are more inflamed, and pardresses of pompous worship; these are not ties are farther off, the light of sound judgits genuine beauty. And they provoke him, ment gone, and with it the heat of love, inwho is its ornament, (as is Jer. ii. 32,) to stead of which that miserable, infernal heat, depart. But give it the native purity and heat without light, mutual hatreds and rebeauty of holy ministers, and ordinances well vilings, both sides (verbally at least) agreeing regulated, yet even that is but a dead come- in the general terms both of their desires and liness, proportion, and feature, without life, designs, and yet falling out about modes and when God is absent. fashions of them. And to say no more of And for matter of deliverances and work-parties, the enemies of religion on both hands, ing for her, which is here the thing in hand, right and left, in action and in power, and none can do any thing in that, not the wis- only those that love that, we conceive is the est nor the best of men, with all their com- way of truth, standing as a naked prey to bined wit and strength, when he retires and whether of the two shall prevail. Desires comes not forth, doth not shew himself on and prayers we have presented, and see as the behalf of his people, and work their works yet no appearance of an issue, but farther confor them. fusions, even fasting to strife and debate. These have, it may be, some kind of prayer And where are there any that look like perpossibly, they offer at extraordinaries, and sons to stand in the gap, lifting up holy hands, yet obtain nothing, are not heard; the sad-without wrath or doubting? Hearts are still dest note in all the song of Lamentations, unhumbled, and lives as unreformed as

ever; new intestine troubles are most likely There remains no question in point of aiffi. to arise, few or none laying it to heart, and culty, that hath no place with him. The with calm, lowly spirits mourning before God more difficulty, yea, impossible for us or for it; Ephraim against Manasseh, and any human strength, the more fit for him; Manasseh against Ephraim, "and they both" because it is hard for you, shall it also be against Judah, and for all this his anger is hard for me ?" saith the Lord in the prophet. not turned away, but his hand is stretched And where Jeremiah uses that argument in out still." prayer, he hath his answer returned in the same words, as the echo to the prayer, re

But generally men ought to be less in descanting one on another, and more in search-sounding from heaven, Jer. xxxii. 17, 27, ing and inquiring each into himself, even and that in relation to the great reduction of where it may seem zeal, yet nature and pas- the Jews from Babylon, as is expressly prosion may more easily let in the other; but mised, ver 36, 37, &c. And there the prophet this self-search and self-censure, is an uneasy gives that first great example of divine task, the most unpleasant of all things to our power, the forming of the world, ver. 17, carnal self-loving hearts; but the heavy hand" Behold, thou hast made the heaven and of God shall never turn from us, nor his gra- the earth by thy great power." cious face turn towards us, till there is more of this amongst us.

Most say their prayers, and as they are little worth, they look little after them, inquire not what becomes of them. But, my brethren, would we continue to call, and find favourable answers, we must be more within; the heart made a temple to God, wherein sacrifices do ascend; but that they may be accepted, it must be purged of idols, nothing left in any corner, though never so secret, to stir the jealousy of our God, who sees through all. Oh, happy that heart that is, as Jacob's house, purged, in which no more idols are to be found, but the holy God dwelling there alone as in his holy temple.

Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, &c. Much of all knowledge lies in the knowledge of causes, and in practical things much of the right ordering them depends on it; the true cause of a disease found out is half the cure. Here we have the miseries of an afflicted people reduced to their real cause; that which is not the cause is first removed. Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, &c. We are not only to be untaught this error that we think not so, but to be taught to believe and think on that truth, that God is still the same in power and goodness, to keep up the notion of it in our hearts, so we may call in past experiences, and relations of God's former workings for his people, and that with much use and comfort. He that brought forth his people out of Egypt with an outstretched arm, as still they are reminded of that deliverance by the prophets, and called to look on it, as the great instance and pledge of their restorement by the same hand, can again deliver his people when at the lowest; Isa. 1. 2, where the like words to these.

Men think it an easy, common belief, and that none doubt of the omnipotency of God. But Oh! the undaunted confidence it would give to the heart, being indeed firmly believed, and wisely used and applied to particular exigencies. Men either doubt, or which, upon the matter, for the use of it is all one, they forget who the Lord is, when their hearts misgive them, because of the church's weakness and the enemies' power. What is that upon the matter? Remember whose is the church, God's, and what his power is, and then see if thou canst find any cause of fear. Isa. xli. 14. "Fear not, thou worm, Jacob," and ye men few, or "weak men of Israel, (so the word is,) I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel." So Isa. li. 12. «I, even I, am he that comforteth you; (there is the strength of it;) who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man, which shall be made as grass? And forgettest (ver. 13.) the Lord thy Maker that stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth," &c. Do but think aright on him, and then see if it be possible for thee to fear. All thy little doubts and despondencies of mind will fly and vanish away before one clear thought of thy God. Though the world were turning upside down, it shail go well with them that fear him.

And as this apprehension of God strengthens faith, so it quickens prayer, it stirs thee up to seek to him for help, when thou knowest and rememberest that there it is. There is help in him, power enough, and no want of readiness and good-will neither. If we apply ourselves to seek him aright, his hand is as strong to save, and his ear as quick to And in this belief we shall not faint in the hear as ever. And in this that his ear is time of deep distress, our own or the church's; not heavy, is both signified his speedy and knowing the unalterable, invincible, infinite certain knowledge of all requests sent up to power of our God, that all the strength of him, and his gracious inclination to receive all enemies is nothing, and less than no- them. Now these persuasions do undoubtthing to his, their devices knots of straw. edly draw up the heart towards him. What is it that is to be done for his church, Again, as they strengthen faith and quickif her and his glory be interested in it?en prayer, they teach us repentance, direct