beat, and the fea works, and the winds blow, that mind that hath a quiet and clear confcience within, will be as ftable and as fafe from perturbation, as a rock in the midst of a tempeftuous fea, and will be a Gofben to and within itself, when the reft of the world without, and round about a man, is like an Egypt for plagues and darkness. If therefore, either before the accefs or irruption of troubles, or under their preffure, any thing or person in the world folicit thee to eafe or deliver thyself by a breach or wound of thy confcience, know they are about to cheat thee of thy beft fecurity. under God, againft the power and malignity of troubles; they are about to clip off that lock, wherein next under God thy ftrength lieth. Whatever therefore thou doft hazard or lofe, keep the integrity of thy confcience both before the accefs of troubles, and under them. It is a jewel that will make thee rich in the midst of poverty; a fun that will give thee light in the midft of darkness; a fortrefs that will keep thee fafe in the greatest danger, and that is never to be taken, unless thou thyfelf betray it, and deliver it up. 4. The next expedient is this; namely, an affurance that the Divine wisdom, power and providence, doth dif pofe, govern, and order all the things in the world, even thofe that feem most confused, irregular, tumultuous, and contumacious. This, as it is a moft certain truth, fo it is a moft excellent expedient to compose and settle the mind, especially of fuch a man who truly loves and fears this great God, even under the blackest and most difmal troubles and confufions; for it must most neceffarily give a found, prefent, and practical argument of patience and contentation: for even these black difpenfations are under the government and management of the most wife and powerful God. Why fhould I, that am a foolish vain creature, that scarce fee to any distance before me, take upon me to cenfure thefe difpenfations, to ftruggle impatiently with them, to dif quiet and torment myfelf with vexation at them? Let God alone to govern and order the world as he thinks fit: as his power is infinite, and cannot be refifted, fo is his wifdom infinite, and knows beft what is to be done, and when, and how. 2. As it gives a found argument of patience and contentednefs, fo it gives a clear inference of refignation of ourselves up unto him, and to his will and difpofal, upon the account of his goodness. It is the mere bounty and goodness of God that first gave being to all things, and preferves all things in their being; that gives all thofe accommodations and conveniencies that accompany their being; why fhould I therefore diftruft his goodnefs? As he hath power to do what he pleafeth, wifdom to direct and difpofe that power, fo he hath infinite goodness that accompanies that power and that wifdom. As I cannot put my will into the hands of greater wisdom, fo I cannot put my will into the hands of greater goodness. His beneficence to his creatures is greater than it is poffible for the creatures to have to themselves. I will not only therefore patiently submit to his power and will, which I can by no means refift, but cheerfully refign up myself to the difpofal of his will, which is infinitely beft, and therefore a better rule for my difpofal than my own will. 5. The next expedient is faith and recumbence upon thefe promises of his, which all wife and good men do, and muft value above the best inheritance in this world; namely, that he will not leave nor forfake thofe that fear and love him 2.' How much more fhall your heavenly Father give good things to them that afk • him 3?' He that fpared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how fhall he not with him 'alfo freely give us all things 4? All things fhall 'work together for good to them that love God." Upon the affurance of thefe Divine promifes, my heart may quiet itself in the midst of all the most dark and tu 1 reliance. 4 Rom. vii. 32. 6 2 Heb. xiii. 5. 3 Matth. vi. 30. Matth. vii. 11. multuous concuffions in the world. Is it beft for me to be delivered out of them, or to be preferved in or under them? I am under the providence and government of my heavenly Father, who hath faid, He will not leave me, nor forfake me; who takes more care of me, and bears more love to me than I can bear to my moft dutiful child; that can in a moment refcue me from the calamity, or infallibly fecure me under it; that fees and knows every moment of my condition, and a thousand expedients to preferve or relieve me. On the other fide, do I fall in the fame common calamity, and fink under it, without any deliverance from it, or prefervation under it? His will be done, I am fure it is for my good; nay, it is not poffible it should be otherwife: For my very death, the worft of worldly evils, will be but the tranfmiffion of me into a state of bleffedness, reft and immortality; for, Bleffed are they that die in the Lord, they rest from their labours, ' and their works follow them 1.' . 6. The next expedient is prayer. The glorious God of Heaven hath given us a free and open access to his throne, there to fue out by prayer, those bleffings and mercies which he hath promifed. It is not only a duty that we owe in recognition of the Divine fovereignty; a privilege of greater value than if we were made lords of the whole earth; but a means to attain those mercies, that the Divine wisdom and goodnefs knows to be fitteft for us; by thefe means we may be fure to have deliverance or preservation, if useful or fit for us; or if not, yet thofe favours and condefcenfions from Almighty God, that are better than deliverance itself; namely, patience and contentedness with the Divine good pleasure; refignation of our wills to him; great peace and tranquillity of mind; evidences and communications of his love and favour to us; fupport under our weakneffes and defpondencies; and many times Almighty God, in these wilder, neffes of distractions and confufions, and ftorms, and 'Rev. xiv. 13. calamities, calamities, whether public or private, gives out, as a return to hearty and faithful prayer, fuch revelations of his goodness, and irradiations of his favour and love, that a man would not exchange for all the external happiness that this world can afford, and recompen feth the lofs and troubles in relation to externals, with a far greater measure of the manifeftations of his favour, than ever a man did receive in his greatest confluence of external advantages. Yea, and poffibly, the time of external ftorms and troubles is far more feafonable for fuch returns of faithful and humble prayer, than the times of external affluence and benefits; and the devotion of the foul by fuch troubles raised to a greater height, and accompanied by more grace, and humility, and fervency, than is ordinarily found in a condition of external peace, plenty, and ferenity. CHANGES AND TROUBLES. PEACE way-ward Soul! let not thofe various forms, Which hourly fill the world with fresh alarms, Invade thy peace; nor difcompofe that reft, Which thou may'ft keep untouch'd within thy breast. May May trace and find that juft and powerful Hand, And manage thefe diftempers with that skill, OF |