"Though he vifit their iniquities with rods, yet his loving-kindness will he not utterly take from them," Pfalm lxxxix. 32. 2. He will take care of their safety, because of his relation to them; he being their God, and they his people; he their King, and they his fubjects. He is indeed Lord and King of all the earth, but theirs in a fpecial fenfe. He is their Shepherd, and they the fheep of his pafture; and, because he is their Shepherd, they fhall not want protection or provifion in ftraits. He is their Father, and they his fons and daughters Will he not take care of his children?— He is their Husband; and will he not take care of his fpoufe?" No man hateth his own flesh, but nourisheth it, even as the Lord the church," Eph. v. 29. 3. The Lord will provide for the fecurity of his people, because of the conftant interceffion of Chrift for them in heaven; for he is their Advocate, appearing in the prefence of God for them. There are fome who have been given to Chrift by the Father, whom he will take care of and protect by his prayers; I pray not for the world, but for them that thou haft given me," John xvii. 9. The preservation of the remnant is owing to Chrift's prayer and interceffion. and interceffion. See this clear from Zech. i. 12, 13. "Then the angel of the Lord answered and faid, O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerufalem, and on the cities of Judah, againft whom thou haft had indignation these threefcore and ten years. And the Lord anfwered the angel, that talked with me, with good words, and comfortable words." 4. The Lord will take care of his own, because of his promise engaged for their fecurity; Pfal. xxvii. 5. “ For in the time of trouble he fhall hide me in his pavilion: in the fecret of his tabernacle fhall he hide me; he fhall fet me up upon a rock. Ifa. xxxiii. 16. He fhall dwell on high; his place of defence fhall be the munition of rocks; bread fhall be given him, his water fhall be fure. Chap. xxxiii. 2. A man fhall be a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempeft. Mal. iii. 17. And they fhall be mine, faith the Lord of hofts, in that day when I make up my jewels, and, I will fpare them as a man fpareth fpareth his own fon that ferveth him." He will fet a mark upon them, Ezek. ix. 4. “Go thro' the midst of the city, thro' the midst of Jerufalem, and fet a mark on the foreheads of the men that figh and cry for all the abominations that be done in the midft thereof." 2dly, How, and in what manner will he fecure them, when they feem as much expofed as the rest of the world? Do not good men fall in common calamities as well as others? True, indeed; fometimes it is fo: but then it is, 1. For their compliance with the fins of the time, and not coming into their chambers, but ftaying without doors, when the ftorm comes on. When they partake of the fins of the wicked, they partake of their plagues : when they are too much conform to the world, they fuffer with the world. Good men may be careless in fanctifying the Lord, and making him their fear and dread; but, when they do fo, then he is for a fanctuary, Ifa. viii. 13, 14. 2. God fometimes fuffers his own to fall in the common calamity, because there is another world, there is a reft remaining for them, a better happiness than this life. Yet after all, there is a vaft difference betwixt the . righteous falling in the common calamity, and the wicked. 1. The godly man may fuffer affliction, and yet have the fupport of divine grace, while the wicked know nothing of it. 2. The fufferings of the one purge him, the fufferings of the other poifon him. 3. They are for a chastisement to the one, but for a punishment to the other. 4. Yea, death itself to the one but kills his body, but to the other it is the deftruction of foul and body both *. But, as to the manner how God fecures his people in common danger, 1. He fometimes fecures them by death itself, that they may not fee the evil and farther calamity that is The difference between the afflictions of the righteous and the wicked, is more copioufly handled above, Serm. XCI. p. 108,---121.; aud all the chastisements of the Lord's people hewn to be confiftent with love. L VOL. VI. +Hh com coming upon the earth. Thus it is faid of Abijah, 1 Kings xiv. 13. "He fhall die: for he only of Jeroboam fhall come to the grave; becaufe in him there is found fome good thing towards the Lord God of Ifrael." None in Jeroboam's family had any good thing in them but this child. Thus fee what is faid of good Jofiah, 2 Kings xxii. 20. "Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou fhalt be gathered into thy grave in peace, and thine eyes fhall not fee all the evil that I will bring upon this place." 2. God fecures his people in the form, by fupporting and comforting them in their trouble; "Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourfelves are comforted of God," 2 Cor. i. 4. Who would not drink of that cup that is fweetened with the confolation of the Holy Ghoft, fometimes making them fay, This trouble is no trouble; this pain is no pain; this rack is like a bed of rofes, for the fenfe of God's love fwallows up all? 3. In a word, he hath wonderful ways of fecuring them by his prefence and providence. Thus Paul was fecured by the merciful providence of God, when forty perfons and perfecutors had vowed his ruin, and that they should neither eat nor drink till they had killed him. Both feripture and ecclefiaftical hiftory are full of inftances of his merciful protecting providence. Infinite Wif dom hath many ways to fecure his own. III. The third head propofed was, To fhew what chambers he wills them to come into, that they may efcape the ftorm when a-coming. In general, when we speak of chambers, it fuppofes a houfe, where the chambers are. Now, as God himfelf, a God in Chrift, is the house, Pfalm xxxi. 2. “Be thou my strong rock, for an houfe of defence to fave me:" and there are as many chambers in this house as there are attributes and perfections in God, to which we are called to fly by faith: fo the church of God is called a house; the church invifible a fpiritual house: "Ye alfo, as lively ftones, are built up a fpiritual house, 1 Peter Peter ii. 5.; a habitation of God through the Spirit," Eph. ii. 22. And here there are chambers that belong to the houfe, and to which all the houfhold of faith will betake themselves. More particularly, I fhall name four forts of chambers we are invited to come into, that are the chambers of the houfe of God, as belonging to every one that hath come into the houfe. Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers. 1. There are chambers of diftinction we are invited to come into, even to our own apartments, fo as not to be united with or conform to the world; "Come out from among them, and be ye feparate," 2 Cor. vi. 17. Come out of Babylon; "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her fins, and fo partake of her plagues," Rev. xviii. 4. How are we to come out of the world? It is by not partaking with the world in their fins; "Be not ye therefore partakers with them," Eph. v. 7. and by being not conform to the world; "Be not conform to the world, but be ye transformed," Rom. xii. 2. And thus we are to come out of Babylon, or out of the corrupt part of a church, by not partaking with them, or being conform to them, but rather teftifying against them in the name of Chrift. This is the way. how the faints in fcripture have overcome their enemies; "They overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their teftimony," Rev. xii. 11. This is the way we are to diftinguith ourfelves for the Lord, in threatening times, by coming into the chambers of diftinction, or apartment of the houfe, that it may appear we are on the Lord's fide. If God hath fet the godly apart for himself, they ought to fet themselves apart from this world. 2. There are chambers of defence we are called to come into, where we may be fafe in the work of times. The name of God is a strong tower, a ftrong chamber, a chamber of ftrength, Prov, xviii. 10. into which we are to run for shelter. They that know thy name will put their truft in thee," Pfal. ix. 10.-Every perfection of God is a chamber; "Truft ye in the Lord for ever, ་ for "He for in the Lord Jehovah is everlafting ftrength." Thefe are the fecrets of his tabernacle, Pfalm xxvii. 5. that dwelleth in the fecret place of the most High, fhall abide under the fhadow of the Almighty."-Every office of Chrift is a chamber; and he invites us to come into him, and reft fafely; "Come to me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you reft," Mat. xi. 28. Every promife of the covenant is a chamber; and they are very fure, firm, and durable rooms and apartments, being all Yea and Amen in Chrift. The word of the Lord endureth for ever; and we are to come in there by faith in his word, and holy confidence in a promising God. By faith, every believer finds a way to these chambers, and there he hides himself with pleafure, and triumphs when he finds himself brought there; The King hath brought me into his chambers, we will rejoice and be glad in thee," Song i. 4. 3. There are chambers of devotion that we are called to come into; "Enter thou into thy closet, and fhut thy door, and pray to thy Father which is in fecret," and feeth in fecret, Mat. vi. 6. Recourfe to these chambers of devotion, for feeking God in private and fecret, as well as public, is always our duty, efpecially in times. of danger, and of threatened wrath; therefore feek righteoufnefs, feek meeknefs; "It may be ye fhall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger." And thus we may hide ourfelves in the evil day, when we put ourfelves in God's hand to hide us; "I flee to thee to hide me," Pfalm xliii. 9. And their hearts fhall live that feek him. All that call upon him in truth fhall be fafe, and fhall be hid either under heaven, or in heaven; "The prudent man forefees the evil, and hides himfelf." O come into the chambers of devotion. 4. There are chambers of action and business that we are called to come into. God's house is not only a houfe of prayer, but a work-house, wherein we are to do fomething for God in our day and generation; "Why ftand ye here all the day idle?" Mat. xx. 6. And ch. xxi. 28. "Go work to-day in my vineyard." God calls his people, not only to cry and pray to him, but also to action and diligence. When Ifrael were in great danger |