ercise wherewith they are attended, would think it impossible that any one should be shaken in mind, as to the love and favour of God on their account. But as the apostle tells us, that no afflictions are joyous at present, but grievous;' so he who made in the close of his trials that solemn profession, that it was good for him that he had been afflicted,' yet we know, as hath been declared, how he was distressed under them. There are, therefore, sundry accidental things which accompany great afflictions, that seem to exempt them from the common rule, and the promise of love and grace: as,

་

1. The remembrance of past and buried miscarriages and sins, lies in the bosom of many afflictions. It was so with Job; Thou makest me,' saith he, to possess the sins of my youth.' See his plea to that purpose, chap. xiii. 23 -27. In the midst of his troubles and distresses, God revived upon his spirit a sense of former sins, even the sins of his youth, and made him to possess them; he filled his soul and mind with thoughts of them, and anxiety about them. This made him fear lest God was his enemy, and would continue to deal with him in all severity. So was it with Joseph's brethren, in their distresses, Gen. xlii. 21. They said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.' And ver. 22. Behold his blood is required.' Their distress revives a deep, perplexing sense of the guilt of sin many years past before, and that under all its aggravating circumstances, which spoiled them of all their reliefs and comforts, filling them with confusion and trouble, though absolutely innocent as to what was come on them. And the like appeared in the widow of Zareptha, with whom Elijah sojourned during the famine. Upon the death of her son, which it seems was somewhat extraordinary, she cried out unto the prophet, What have I to do with thee, thou man of God? art thou come to call my sins to remembrance, and to slay my son?' 1 Kings xvii. 18. It seems some great sin she had formerly contracted the guilt of, and now upon her sore affliction in the death of her only child, the remembrance of it was recalled and revived upon her soul. Thus 'deep calleth unto deep at the noise of God's waterspouts,'

and then all his waves and billows go over' a person; Psal. xlii. 7. The deep of afflictions calleth up the deep of the guilt of sin, and both in conjunction become as billows and waves passing over the soul. We see only the outside of men's afflictions; they usually complain only of what doth appear and an easy thing it is supposed to be, to apply relief and comfort unto those that are distressed. The rule in this matter is so clear, so often repeated and inculcated, the promises annexed unto this condition so many and precious, that every one hath in readiness what to apply unto them who are so exercised. But oftentimes we know nothing of the gall and wormwood that is in men's affliction; they keep that to themselves, and their souls feed upon them in secret; Lam. iii. 12. God hath stirred up the remembrance of some great sin or sins, and they look upon their afflictions as that wherein he is come or beginning to enter into judgment with them. And is it any wonder if they be in darkness, and filled with disconsolation?

2. There is in many afflictions something that seems new and peculiar, wherewith the soul is surprised, and cannot readily reduce its condition unto what is taught about afflictions in general. This perplexeth and entangleth it. It is not affliction it is troubled withal, but some one thing or other in it that appears with an especial dread unto the soul, so that he questioneth whether ever it were so with any other or no, and is thereby deprived of the supportment which from former examples it might receive. And indeed when God intendeth that which shall be a deep affliction, he will put an edge upon it in matter, or manner, or circumstances, that shall make the soul feel its sharpness. He will not take up with our bounds and measures, and with which we think we could be contented. But he will put the impress of his own greatness and terror upon it, that he may be acknowledged and submitted unto. Such was the state with Naomi ; when from a full and plentiful condition, she went into a strange country with a husband and two sons, where they all died, leaving her destitute and poor. Hence in her ac-, count of God's dealing with her, she says, 'Call me not Naomi' (that is, pleasant), but call me Mara' (that is, bitter); for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord brought me again empty; why then

call ye me Naomi, since the Lord hath testified against me; and the Almighty hath afflicted me?' Ruth i. 20, 21. So was it with Job, with the widow of Zareptha; and with her at Nain who was burying her only child. And still in many afflictions God is pleased to put in an entangling specialty, which perplexeth the soul, and darkens it in all its reasonings about the love of God towards it, and its interest in pardon and grace.

3. In some, affections are very strong and importunate as fixed on lawful things; whereby their nature is made sensible and tender, and apt to receive very deep impressions from urgent afflictions. Now although this in itself be a good natural frame, and helps to preserve the soul from that stout hardness which God abhors, yet if it be not watched over, it is apt to perplex the soul with many entangling temptations. The apostle intimates a double evil that we are obnoxious unto under trials and afflictions, Heb. xii. 5. My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.' Men may either through a natural stoutness despise and contemn their sufferings, and be obstinate under them, or faint and despond, and so come short of the end which God aims at for them, to be attained in a way of duty. Now though the frame spoken of, be not obnoxious unto the first extreme, yet it is greatly to the latter, which if not watched against, is no less pernicious than the former. Affections in such persons being greatly moved, they cloud and darken the mind, and fill it with strange apprehensions concerning God and themselves. Every thing is presented unto them through a glass composed of fear, dread, terror, sorrow, and all sorts of disconsolations. This makes them faint and despond, unto very sad apprehensions of themselves and their conditions.

4. Afflictions find some entangled with very strong corruptions, as love of the world, or the pleasure of it, of name or reputation, of great contrivances for posterity, and the like; or it may be in things carnal or sensual. Now when these unexpectedly meet together, great afflictions and strong corruptions, it is not conceivable what a combustion they will make in the soul. As a strong medicine or potion meeting with a strong or tough distemper in the body; there is a violent contention in nature between them and about them,

so that oftentimes the very life of the patient is endangered. So it is where a great trial, a smart stroke of the hand of God, falls upon a person in the midst of his pursuit of the effects of some corruptions; the soul is amazed even to distraction, and can scarce have any thought, but that God is come to cut the person off in the midst of his sin. Every unmortified corruption fills the very fear and expectation of affliction with horror. And there is good reason that so it should do; for although God should be merciful unto men's iniquities, yet if he should come to take vengeance of their inventions, their condition would be dark and sorrowful.

5. Satan is never wanting in such occasions to attempt the compassing of his ends, upon persons that are exercised under the hand of God. In the time of suffering it was, that he fell upon the head of the church, turning it into the very hour of the power of darkness. And he will not omit any appearing opportunities of advantage against his members. And this is that which he principally, in such seasons, attacks them withal; namely, that God regards them not, that they are fallen under his judgment and severity, as those who have no share in mercy, pardon, or forgiveness.

From these and the like reasons, I say, it is, that whereas afflictions in general are so testified unto, to be such pledges and tokens of God's love and care to be designed unto blessed ends, as conformity unto Christ, and a participation of the holiness of God; yet, by reason of these circumstances, they often prove means of casting the soul into depths, and of hindering it from a refreshing interest in the forgiveness that is with God. That this may prove no real or abiding ground of inward spiritual trouble unto the soul, the following rules and directions may be observed.

1. Not only afflictions in general, but great and manifold afflictions, and those attended with all sorts of aggravating circumstances, are always consistent with the pardon of sin, after signal tokens and pledges of it, and of the love of God therein; Job vii. 17, 18. What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him, and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him, and that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?' What were the considerations that cast him into this admiration of the

care and love of God, is expressed, ver. 12-16. There are no words of a more dismal import in the whole book, than those here expressed; yet when he recollected himself from his overwhelming distress, he acknowledgeth that all this proceeded from the love and care of God; yea, his fixing his heart upon a man to magnify him, to set him up, and do him good; for this end doth he chasten a man every morning, and try him every moment; and that with such afflictions as are for the present so far from being joyous, as that they give no rest, but even weary the soul of life, as he expresseth their effects on himself; ver. 15, 16. And hence it is observed of this Job, that when none in the earth was like to him in trouble, God gave him three testimonies from heaven, that there was none in the earth like unto him in grace. And although it may not be laid down as a general rule, yet for the most part in the providence of God, from the foundation of the world, those who have had most of afflictions, have had most of grace, and the most eminent testimonies of acceptance with God. Christ Jesus the Son of God, the head of the church, had all afflictions gathered into a head in him; and yet the Father always loved him, and was always well pleased with him.

When God solemnly renewed his covenant with Abraham, and he had prepared the sacrifice whereby it was to be ratified and confirmed, God made a smoking furnace to pass between the pieces of the sacrifice, Gen. xv. 17. It was to let him know that there was a furnace of affliction, attending the covenant of grace and peace. And so he tells Sion, that he chose her in the furnace of affliction Isa. xlviii. 10. that is, in Egyptian affliction, burning, flaming afflictions, fiery trials,' as Peter calls them, 1 Pet. iv. 12. There can then no argument be drawn from affliction, from any kind of it, from any aggravating circumstance wherewith it may be attended, that should any way discourage the soul in the comforting, supporting persuasion of an interest in the love of God and forgiveness thereby.

2. No length or continuance of afflictions ought to be any impeachment of our spiritual consolation. Take for the confirmation hereof, the great example of the Son of God. How long did his afflictions continue? what end or issue was put to them? No longer did they abide than