claim to Chrift and heaven! This is hard work indeed.

How hard did that truly noble and renowned Galeacius Carracciolus find this! O what a conflict found He in his bowels! Now Christ and our deareft intereft come to meet like two men upon a narrow bridge; if one go forward, the other muft go back, and now the predominate intereft can no longer be concealed.

Fifthly, When powerful temptations are mixed with cruel fufferings; when we are ftrongly tempted, as well as cruelly perfecuted: This blows up the fire to a vehement height. This was the trial of thofe precious primitive believers, Heb. xi. 35, 37. "They were "ftoned, they were fawn afundef, they were tempted." Here was life, liberty, and preferment fet upon one hand, and death in the moft formidable fhape upon the other. This cannot but be a great trial to any, but efpecially when a cruel death and tender temper meet, then the trial goes high indeed.

2.

A

SECT. III.

ND that fuch fufferings as these will discover the falseness and rottennefs of men's hearts, cannot be doubted: If you confider that this is the fire defigned by God, for this very use and purpose, to separate the gold from the drofs; fo you will find it, 1 Pet. iv. 12. "Beloved, think it not ftrange concerning the fiery "trial which is to try you," i. e. the very defign and aim of providence in permitting and ordering them, is to try you. The defign of Satan is to deftroy you; but God's defign is to try you. Upon this account you find the hour of perfecution (in a suitable notion) called "the hour of temptation or probation," Rev. iii. 10. for then profeffors are fifted to the very bran; fearched to the very bottom principles. "This is the day that burns as an oven, in which all the "proud, and all that do wickedly, fhall be as ftubble,” Mal.¡iv. 1. For,

1. First, In that day the predominant intereft muft appear, and be discovered: It can be concealed no longer; "No man can ferve two "masters," faith Chrift, Luke xvi. 13. A man may ferve many mafters, if they all command the fame things, or things fubordinate to each other; but he cannot ferve two masters, if their commands clash and interfere with each other: And fuch are the commands of Chrift and the flesh in a fuffering hour. Chrift faith, "Be thou "faithful to the death;" the flesh faith, Spare thyself, and fecure the comforts of life. Chrift faith, "He that loveth father or mo"ther, wife or children, lands or inheritance more than me, is not "worthy of me." Flefh faith, He that will grieve and break the heart of fuch dear relations, and forfake, when he might keep fuch earthly accommodations, is not worthy of them.

Thus the two interefts come in full oppofition: and now have but patience to wait a little, and you shall difcern which is predomi

A dog follows two men, while they both walk one way, and

you know not which of the two is his mafter; ftay but a little till their path parts, and then you shall quickly fee who is his master: So is it in this cafe.

2. Secondly, In that day fenfible fupports fail, and all a man's relief comes in by the pure and immediate actings of faith; and were it not for thofe reliefs, his heart would foon faint and die away under difcouragements, 2 Cor. iv. 17, 18. "We faint not whilft we look "not at the things which are feen, for they are temporal, but at the "things which are not feen, for they are eternal," q. d. If we keep not our eye intently fixed upon the invifible and eternal things in the coming world, we fhall feel ourselves fainting and dying away under the many troubles and afflictions of this world. "I had fainted "(faith holy David) if I had not believed." How then fuppofe ye fhall the hypocrite live at fuch a time, who hath no faith to fupport him? No relief but what comes in through the fenfes ?

3. Thirdly, In that day all mere notions and fpeculations about religion vanish; and nothing relieves and fatisfies the suffering foul but what it really believes, and what it hath fatisfying proof and experience of in himfelf. There are a great many pretty and pleafing notions which our minds are entertained with; fome delight in times of peace, which can do us no service at all in the day of trouble! and for your fpeculative, unpracticable knowledge of the greatest truths in religion, as little fervice is to be expected from them: Except we have better evidence and fecurity about them, we fhall be loth to venture all upon the credit of them.

That is a very confiderable paffage to this purpofe in Heb. x. 34. "Ye took joyfully the fpoiling of your goods, (knowing in yourselves) "that ye have in heaven a better and more enduring fubftance." This knowing in yourselves is by inward and fenfible experience, taste and feeling, which is abundantly fatisfying to the foul; and stands opposed to all that traditional knowledge we receive from others; which, as it leaves the mind fluctuating, fo the heart also dead and comfortless.

4. Fourthly, In that day the root and foundation of a man's faith and hope is tried, and then they that have built upon the fand muft needs fail; for every thing is as its foundation; principles are to us what a root is to a tree, or a foundation to a houfe; a flaw or grand defect there most affuredly ruins all. This we find to be the very fcope of those two famous parables, Luke xiv. 25. and Matth. xiii. 21. Leffer troubles thake but the branches, but thefe try the very root: if nothing be found there but felf-ends; the force of education, and the influence of examples, furely when the winds rife high, and beat upon it, they will quickly lay the loftieft profeffor even with the ground.

And thus you fee what a crifis an hour of temptation, the fuffering hour is, and what difcoveries of hypocrify it muft needs make; for

now the hypocrite, like Orpah, will forfake religion; but fincerity will make the foul cleave to it, as Ruth did to Naomi.

3. WHAT

SECT. IV.

HAT advantages fincerity gives the foul for its eftablishment and perfeverance in fuffering times, I fhall briefly account for in the following particulars.

1. First, Sincere godlinefs dethrones that idol, the love of this world, in all true Christians; and this is it that makes men fhrink and flinch from Chrift in a day of fuffering. I do not deny but even believers themselves love the world too much; but they love it not as their chief good: it is not their portion or happinefs; if any man fo love the world, "the love of the Father is not in him," 1 John ii. 15. How much foever a fincere Chriftian loves the world, yet ftill it is in fubordination to the love of God, John xxi. 15. Sincerity can confift with no other love of the world; it will not suffer such a curfed plant to grow under its fhadow.

Now, what is it, but this inordinate, fupreme love of the creature, that makes men forfake Chrift in time of temptation? This was the ruin of that young man, Matth. xix. 22. "He went away forrowful, "for he had great poffeffions." This was the overthrow of Demas, 2 Tim. iv. 10. "He hath forfaken me (faith the apostle) having loved this prefent world. "The love of this world, like fap in green wood, will not fuffer you to burn for Chrift; get but the heart mortified to the creature by a discovery of better things in heaven, and it will establish and fix your fpirits, that it fhall not be in the power of creatures to fhake you off from Christ your foundation,

2. Secondly, Sincerity knits the foul to Chrift, and union with him fecures us in the greatest trials; Minimur quatenus unimur. The hypocrite having no union with Christ, can have no communion with him, nor communications of grace from him; and fo that little stock of his own being quickly fpent (I mean natural courage and refolution) and no incomes from Chrift, he must needs give up in a fhort time. But it is with a believer in a day of trouble, as it is with a garrifon befieged by land, but free and open to the fea, whence fresh fupplies are daily fent in to relieve it: See 2 Cor. i. 5. "As the "fufferings of Christ abound in us, fo our confolation also abound"eth by Chrift;" fresh aids and daily fupplies proportionable to our expences and decays of ftrength: So Col. i. 11. "Strengthened with all might in the inner-man, according to his glorious power, "unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness." And this is the believers great advantage by his union with Chrift in a day of trial. 3. Thirdly, As fincerity unites the foul with Chrift, so it fets the heart upon heaven, and things eternal; Col. iii. 1. &c. Surely nothing is more conducive to our ftability than this, in the hour of temptation.

This is the most effectual prefervative from temptations upon the right hand, and upon the left. Mofes could caft a kingdom at his

heels; defpife the riches, pleasures, and honours of Egypt, whilft his eye was fixed upon him that is invisible, and had refpect to the recompence of reward, Heb. xi. 24, 25, 26. And it was a brave reply of the forty martyrs to Valence the emperor, tempting them with the preferments and honours of the world, Why offer ye thefe trifles to us, when you know how the whole world is contemned by us?' And for temptations on the left hand, how little can they move that foul, who realizes the glory of the approaching world, and fees the afflictions and fufferings of this world preparing him for, and haftening him to the enjoyment of it: temptations meet with but cold entertainment from fuch fouls.

4. Fourthly, Sincerity drives but one defign, and that is to please and enjoy God: and what can more establish and fix the foul in the hour of temptation than this? The reason why the hypocrite is unstable in all his ways, is given us by the apoftle James, i. 8. He is a double-minded man, duxos avnp, a man of two fouls in one body; as a profane wretch once boafted, that he had one foul for God, and another for any thing. But all the defigns of a gracious heart are united in one; and fo the entire stream of his affections runs ftrong.

It is bafe by-ends and felf-interefts, that, like a great many ditches cut out of the bank of a river, draw away the ftream out of its proper channel, and make its waters fail. But if the heart be united for God, as the expreffion is, Pfalm Ixxxvi. 11. then we may fay of fuch a Chriftian as was faid of a young Roman, Quicquid vult, valde vult; What he doth is done with all his might. And this was the ground of that saying, Liberet me Deus ab homine unius tantum negotii: A man of one only defign, puts to all his strength to carry it; nothing can ftand before him.

5. Fifthly, Sincerity brings a man's will into fubjection to the will of God; and this being done, the greatest danger and difficulty is over with such a man. This is that holy oil which makes the wheels of the foul run nimbly, even in difficult paths of obedience; Non tardat uncta rota. Let but a man be once brought to that, "The will «of the Lord be done," as it is Acts xxi. 13. to fee the highest reafon of cheerful obedience in the holy, juft, and good will of God, and then all the difficulty is over; he can fuffer quietly what men inflict unjustly.

6. Sixthly, Sincerity takes its measures of prefent things by the rules of faith and eternity; it goes not by the fame reckoning and account that others do, who judge of things by fenfe, and the refpects they have to the prefent world, 2 Cor. iv. 18. "We look not at the "things that are feen, but at the things that are not seen ;" and this is there given as the reafon of his not fainting under prefent difficul ties: So, Rom. viii. 18. "I reckon that the fufferings of the present "times are not worthy to be compared with the glory which fhall "be revealed in us." He will not allow himself to undervalue eternal glory, by once mentioning prefent sufferings, in a way of bemoan

ing himself for them: A steady eye upon the other world makes us more than conquerors over the troubles of this world.

7. Seventhly, To conclude; fincerity alone hath all the heavenly aids and affiftances to stability, and perfeverance in fuffering times: upright ones (and fuch only) have Chrift's interceffion in heaven for them, Rom. viii. 34. The Spirit's confolation in all their troubles, 1 Pet. iv. 14. The Spirit of glory and of God refteth on them : the beneficial miniftry of angels, who are fent forth upon their account, Heb. i. 14. A flock of prayers, going up for them all the world over, Eph. vi. 18. Multitudes of precious promifes in the fcriptures; for every line, word, and fyllable of which the faithfulness of God ftands engaged fo that it is impoffible fuch gold can perifh in the fire.

And thus of the several ways by which grace is here tried.

CHAP. IX.

Opening the defigns and ends of God, in bringing the professors of religion into fuch various trials of their graces in this world.

T

SECT. I.

HESE are fome of the ways and methods in which God brings his gold to the touchftone, and to the fire, even in this world, before the awful and folemn trial they must come to in the final judgment: and if we defire to be fatisfied what the defign or end of God in making fuch probations of his people is,

We must conclude, in the general, he certainly defigns his own glory, and his people's advantage and profit in them. If he fuffer them to be tried by reproaches, happy are they, the Spirit of God and of glory refteth on them; there is their profit; and though his name be evil spoken of, yet in the meekness of their spirits he is glorified, as it is, 1 Pet. iv. 14. "If the fcourge flay fuddenly, he laugheth at the "trial of the innocent," Job ix. 23. Not at their afflictions, but at the effects and bleffed iffues and refults of them: Not that it gives them pain, but that it gives them glory. Upon this account the apostle bids us count it all joy when we fall into diverfe temptations or trials and still the more trials the more joy; for thereby God will produce fuch effects as are inore precious than gold that perisheth, 1 Pet. i. 7. O who can value the comfort that is tafted by the foul upon the trial and discovery of its fincerity, when after fome fore temptation wherein God hath helped us to maintain our integrity, or after fome clofe pinching affliction, wherein we have difcovered in ourselves a sweet refignation to, and contentment in the will of God, an heart cleaving to the Lord, purged and made more spiritual under the rod ! we can turn to the Lord, and appeal to him, as the VOL. V. No. 47. 4 E