in two respects first before we loved him 1 Joh. 4.10 19. Herein is love in that he loved us first and secondly God loves us as before we loved him so when we had nothing to render us lovely to him Rom. 5.8 While we were sinners ungodly in our wickedness when we had nothing but sin and corruption in us not that he loved his peoples sins but their persons when the whole head was sick and the whole heart faint nothing but sores and putrifying corruptions yet he loved his people though he hated their corruptions he loved them and loved them before they had grace Ephes 1.4 5 6. ver Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will To the praise of the glory of his grace c. Secondly As God loved us undeservedly so constantly Jesus Christ having loved his own he loves them to the end A friend loves at all times saith Solomon in time of adversity as well as prosperity there are few such friends in the World but God is such a friend he loves his people when others care not for them God will love you that are his people always at all times Isa 54.10 The mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee He hath taken you into an everlasting covenant with him and else where they are call'd everlasting hills because they last as long as the World lasteth but there will come a time when they shall be broken and the Earth shall be no more Oh but his love is everlasting when time shall be no more Vse II. Secondly If this be so then let them that have grace take heed of offending God a wise man will be willing to please and loth to displease such a Father as he is take heed of doing evil in the sight of God stand in awe and sin not for all iniquity is abomination in the sight of God God loves you oh do not provoke him Vse III. Again thirdly Doth God love his people then let us love them that fear God and walk in his ways Ephes 5.1 Be followers of God as dear children God loves the righteous First Hereby we shall resemble God Secondly Hereby we evidence our love to God 1 Joh. 4.20 Thirdly Hereby you will evidence Gods love to you if you love those that are Gods 1 Joh. 3 14. We know we are passed from death to life be 〈◊〉 we love the Brethren and 18.19 vers Let us not love only in word but in deed and in truth Vse IV. Fourthly Doth God love his people then let us not be troubled though the World hate us what though men regard us not remember this if thou fearest God God loves thee rejoyce in this oh Saints thou that art the servants of God though thou art not the favourite of great men thou art the favourite of the great God And hath given us everlasting consolation Everlasting consolation that is everlasting happiness everlasting life it is therefore call'd everlasting consolation because the happiness of mans life is the comfort of his life comfort in Scripture and consolation is taken for happiness Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Mat. 5.4 That is they shall be brought into that glorious happiness Luk. 16.25 Son remember that thou in thy life time receivest thy good things and Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented He is comforted that is he is made blessed as appears in the opposition of the words but thou art tormented Luk. 6.21 Blessed are you that weep but you shall laugh it is not taken in that sense we commonly take laughing in but ye shall be made happy that is the meaning and so 〈◊〉 24. Woe to you that are rich now for you have received your consolation 〈…〉 are rich in self conceit in prid 〈…〉 vain glory that boast in the multitud◠of your riches you have received your consolation as if he should say you have all the happiness you are like to have they shall have no more From whence this Point Doct. God hath given his people everlasting happiness God hath given it them in the promise of the Word Luk. 12.32 Fear not little flock it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom and ere long they shall have the performance of it God is giving everlasting consolation it is not long ere thou shalt receive it Vse And if it be so then be not dejected at short tribulation and the troubles you meet with in the World why though you be afflicted for a moment Yet the rod shall not always lye upon the back of the righteous Psal 125. and Psal 126.5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy Psal 30.5 Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning the night of this World may be a night of affliction but in the morning we shall have joy and comfort Joh. 14.1 Let not your hearts be troubled saith our Saviour and we know saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.1 When this earthly tabernacle shall be dissolved we have a building of God a house not made with hands c. as soon as you dye your trouble shall end and your joy then begins and then no man shall be able to take that joy from you Joh. 16.22 God will hide his face from you no more Isa 54.7 For a moment have I hid my face from thee but with great Mercies will I gather thee And good hope through grace this is taken two waies Doct. I. As God gives his people everlasting happiness so he gives them hope of it Rom. 15. vers 13. He is call'd the God of hope as the object of our hope so the Author of it Secondly Good hope Do. II. The Saints hope of happiness is a good hope Good in the rise of it the work of God in the nature of it the work of the Spirit in the end of it it makes People good therefore let us all labour for it Doct. III. The ground of Peoples hope of Everlasting happiness is meerly through the grace of God The Saints everlasting happiness is from the free grace of God Rom. 6.23 The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord Ephe. 2.8 For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God And if it be so Vse Why then I mighty shew you it is not from man's deserving that he hath happiness man cannot merit Heaven it is not from the desert of man for mans merit and God's free grace are quite opposite one to another I should have show'n the folly of that opinion that hold men may merit happiness from God For First they must do that which is good And Secondly that only And Thirdly by his own strength Fourthly
the cause but only occasion through some mens imbracing of it whom God gives grace to and others rejecting and opposing of it it doth occasion divisions amongst those that are naturally most united there is a caution given Jer. 9.4 take ye heed every one of his neighbour and trust ye not in any brother for every brother will utterly supplant and every neighbor will walk with slanders i. e. raise false reports of you and bring you to suffer unjustly though every brother and every neighbour will not yet many neighbours and many relations will do so That 's one great temptation that the people of God have in reference to wicked mens persons Secondly In regard of Sathans temptations they have many troubles too For those whom Sathan knows he cannot destroy for ever he will do what he can to disturb here and though he cannot destroy them yet he will afright them here Temptations of troubles are the portion of God's people in this world Vse The meditation or thought of this truth may be useful both to those that are in a prosperous and them that are in a suffering Condition If God's people be under many troubles many temptations in this world then you that fear God and yet prosper let the consideration of this stir you up to a two-fold duty First To expect troubles to expect temptations how ever you flourish in your out ward man yet do not think prosperity will always last While God blesses his people with comfort and mercy bless him and praise him but look for an alteration expect a change They that at present enjoy their ease and safety and liberty and have many comforts and delights in the world O use the world but do not abuse it in those blessings God gives you but rejoyce as though you rejoyced not remembring it will not be always thus with you Think upon this truth temptations and trials will befall you sooner or later troubles will be all our portion remember the daies of darkness are a coming the time of suffering will come before we go out of this world Saith Christ in the World you shall have trouble but in me you shall have peace Though hitherto many of God's people may have met with no considerable temptations yet they may have their share of them they may have many of them let not those that are in a prosperous Condition in any respect let them not always expect Halcyon days the clouds may soon gather a storm may come before we are aware and trouble is many times nearest when we think it furthest off Secondly As we should expect temptation and expect trouble so let us prepare for trouble Get your selves furnished with those graces that may sure your conditions that you may not be overcome by temptation O pray get a stock of holiness that may stand you in stead in the evil day and in the hour of temptation O be not without faith and meekness c. that we shall have so much need of in the time of trouble The Scripture tells that we are pilgrims and strangers here on earth as all the godly were in all times we have a long journey to take from Earth to Heaven we must pass through the Sea of this World and the Winds will blow O let us be prepared against a storm for we must meet with fowl weather Acts. 20.22.23 Paul tells the Elders of the Church of Ephesus behold I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem not knowing the things that shall befall me there only one thing he knew Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every City saying that bonds and afflictions abide me What success I shall have in Preaching I cannot tell or what other things may happen but I am sure to meet with troubles here and why should we expect otherwise then this good man did Now we had need be prepared against them for in every place we are like to find them Secondly Let them that suffer in the world take heed of rash judging themselves let no Person think that his case is bad because his condition is sad let no Person think he his none of God's people because he meets with so many troubles you saith the Apostle are in heaviness through manyfold temptations Let us not think that God doth not love us because he doth afflict us Paul was a pretious servant of Jesus Christ one that knew Jesus Christ and loved him and yet afflictions and troubles every where were his portion Heb. 12.7 If you endure Chastisements God deals with you as sons for what son is he whom the Father Chastens not It is not a sign of the hatred but of the love of God whom the Lord loves he Chastens and whatever troubles we may meet withal in this world 1 Pet. 5.9 remember this the same afflictions are accomplished in our brethren in the world Secondly You are in heaviness through manyfold Temptations not only have them but you are sensible of them from whence the Doctrin is Observe That the Saints may be in heaviness through their manyfold temptations You are in heaviness or you are sadned you are grieved God's people may have their spirits much sadned through the variety of troubles they meet with in the world The word in the Text you are in Heaviness or you are sadned comes from a word that signifies such grief as brings tears into the eyes such a grief as is expressed by weeping you are those that even cry your grief is such that causes tears I the thought of the great troubles you meet with hath such sorrow and grief not only the troubles of the soul but the troubles that God's people meet with in the world they much sadden their spirits and much grive their hearts Psal 6 6 7. David speaks of his Temptations saith he I am weary with my groaning all the Night make I my Bed to swim I water my Couch with my tears day and night he was full of griefe full of weeping Myne eye is consumed beeause of grief it waxeth old because of all my enemies not only the troubles that he had as to his Soul the thought of his sins but the troubles of the world did much affect him Psal 38.6 I am troubled I am bowed down greatly I go mourning all the day long 8. vers I am feeble and sore broken I have roar'd by reason of the disquietness of my heart And so the Church Lam 1.16 the Church having spoken of her misery what a sad case she was in in the world saith she For these things I weep myne eye runneth down with water because the comforter that should relieve my Soul is far from me and how great the trouble was that was then the Churches portion the whole book of Lamentations verifies Grace doth not make people insensible they whose hearts are sanctified may lay to heart their troubles Though grace doth correct and abate mens passions and rectify nature yet it doth not destroy nature or
natural affections The Saints here that were the called and chosen people of God they had their sorrow and grief as well as their gladness the work of grace wherever it is in truth wrought in any soul doth much restrain mens violent passions yet when men begin to be good they do not cease to be men Religion doth not rob people of their senses The godly have their fears as well as their hopes as they have their joys so they are not without their sorrows you are in heaviness through manifold temptations Afflictions are afflictions to them that fear God as well as to others Heb. 12.11 no chashiment for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous Let no Person think because the crosses and troubles he meets withal in the World do sadden and afflict him therefore he hath no grace that surely if they had grace they should have no such thing as grief and trouble of heart See the Holyest men we read of tell us the troubles of their hearts were often inlarged Though the power of godliness doth moderate our affections to things here below yet it doth not make us insensible of what we suffer here below Grace doth not rob men of Humanity as not upon a Civil account so neither doth it upon a Natural account people do not cease to be men and women when they come to be truly godly if Persons were not affected afflicted with their troubles afflictions were no afflictons to them c. Do not therefore pass sentence upon thy self as one that is an unconverted Person because the great troubles thou meetest withal in the world are laid to heart by thee though grace do diminish yet it doth not destroy mens passions James 5.17 the Apostles us Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are though he was a man of exceeding great faith yet you find him sometimes a man of great fear The Scripture records as his grace so his natural temper that eminency of grace that was in him did not destroy that that was natural in him Christianity doth not introduce a Stoical Stupidity that they do not at all regard how things go with them we may have grace in our hearts and yet lay to heart our sufferings we may be truly brought home to God and yet affected through sense of our afflictions in the World Only here let me put in a few cautions First Though God's people are in heaviness and sadness through the great troubles that they meet withal in the world yet you that fear God take heed you be not in such heaviness as those who have no hope do not sorrow as them that have no hope or no ground of hope for the blessing of God upon them here much less for happiness with God hereafter rejoyce in the Lord while you have sorrow in the world saith the Apostle rejoyce in the Lord always and he makes a repetition and againe I say rejoyce This is his councel to the suffering Saints even when most afflicted as David 1 Sam. 30.6 when he was in that great trouble when his Wives were taken Captive and his Children and the people speak of stoning David what did he do but David incouraged himself in the Lord his God so should we do when we are discouraged as to the world then we should incourage our selves in the Lord our God at what time I am afraid I will trust in thee let not our afflictions here make us think it will never be otherwise hereafter Secondly Let not your heaviness or trouble or sadness in the World be joyned with discontent do not murmur because we meet with troubles let us not think because we are afflicted that others are in a better condition then our selves because they thrive and and flourish in the world O let us not quarrel at any of God's providences let us say as that good Old man Eli It is the Lord let him do what seems him good the Lord is good and doth good and he doth nothing but what is good for us we have no cause to quarrel when God doth afflict us let us then take care that we do not fret our selves to do evil for there is no evil in the City but God doth it and good is that God that sends that evil and all evil shall be for good to them that fear God Thirdly Let your heaviness be greater for your transgressions then for any affliction or temptation let us more grieve for sin that is the cause of trouble then for all those troubles that are caused by sin let us more lay to heart our own corruptions then all the malice of wicked men and the afflictions we meet with in the world we had not known what sorrow meant had not sin been in our hearts and been in our lives let us mourn more for sin or however be sure that our natural sorrow be accompanyed with spiritual sorrow that we have that godly sorrow that workes repentance unto Salvation for worldly sorrow alone only causeth death O let sin be more laid to heart and the crosses in the World less laid to heart let us mourn more for our transgressions and we shall less mind our afflictions Fourthly Let not our heaviness or sadness or grief of spirit that is occasioned through troubles in the World cause us to neglect our duty let us take care that we do not so grieve for what we suffer as to forget what we have to do let us not so mind our misery as to forget our duty or omit our duty to God or Man in the places of our general and particular calling which God hath set us in the world When sorrow is so excessive that it drives us from God and from his wayes from delighting in him we have cause then to be in heaviness for it we are not so to mind what we suffer as to forget what we do That sorrow is never like to do us good nay that sorrow doth not make us at all to be good that keeps us from doing good if we once come to that pass to neglect our duty that heaviness is to be lamented Applicat Beloved we have heard Gods people are in heaviness through manifold temptations but let me tell you If Gods people be in heaviness here what heaviness shall Gods enemies be in hereafter If God chastise his faithful servants sure he will punish his enemies if this be done in a green Tree what shall be done in a dry if Gods people have their temptations surely wicked men shall have their tribulation tribulation and anguish upon every one that doth evil doubtless if manifold temptations be the lot of the righteous here dreadful tribulation will be the portion of the wicked hereafter doubtless the time is coming Prov. 11.8 vers The righteous is delivered out of trouble and the wicked cometh in his room the time is coming when sin and sorrow shall be gone from the people of God and then everlasting sorrow
by the hand of Saul and yet Saul died and he lived Gods people I say manytimes they are delivered in this World out of eminent dangers though great though long troubles though soar and though lasting yet they are not everlasting they do not continue as long as their days continue Many have been under great temptations soar persecution and yet have outlived their persecutors David did Saul and Paul did even when they were past hopes 2 Cor. 1.9 10. vers We were pressed out of measure above strength insomuch that we despaired even of life but we had the sentence of death in our selves that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead Who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us and he tells Timothy 2 Tim. 3.10 11. vers of the great troubles and persecutions that came to him but out of them all the Lord delivered him and so in the same Epistle 2 Tim. 4.16 17. ver when he was brought before Nero all men forsook me yet God did not forsake me the Lord stood with me and strengthened me and I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lyon though he was very near unto death yet his life was preserved God did make with that soar temptation a way to escape The troubles of Gods people shall be but for a season sometimes they are but for a season in this life Secondly At the most they shall be but for the season of this life they shall last no longer so one Paraphrases upon the words they are but for a season as long as this short life lasts so long you may be afflicted if there be occasion for it but then there is an end of all 2 Cor. 4.17 vers Our light affliction which is but for a season but for a moment it shall not be hereafter it shall be but here while the moment of this life lasts then it vanishes away when our lives go if we fear God all our troubles will go away with them there is a time for every thing this present time is the time of the Saints afflictions the time that Gods people suffer this is the time of temptation of all that fear God when this life is at an end afflictions will be out of season there will be none of them when this life ends the suffering of the godly will then be at an end death puts a period to all their troubles they continue but while they have their abode in this earthly tabernacle no longer shall any cross or affliction be their portion Revel 14.13 vers Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them Blessed are they though they seem the most cursed of any people in some respects while they live yet blessed are they when they dye for they rest from their labours that is though not from their labour of service and love to God and his people yet from their labour of sorrow they shall then have no burden of persecution or affliction to bear as no evil shall be done by them so no evil then shall be suffered by them as they shall not know what sin means in another World so neither shall they understand what sorrow means weeping and wailing all tears then shall be wiped from their faces and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads no disturbance of Spirit shall be the Saints lot in another World no evil work nor work of iniquity shall ever follow them mens Pesecutors may follow them to the grave but then they must leave them then your bodies shall go into your graves in peace and your souls shall go to God that gave them to the Spirits of just men made perfect that are without sin and without suffering that are for ever serving God and continually injoying God In Gods presence where Gods people shall be after this World there is no part of their lives that is imbittered to them there is fulness of joy and their is pleasure for evermore at Gods right hand it is not only some little comfort is given them aâ—… this World to bear up their Spirits but there the joy shall be everlasting pleasure for evermore O well may believers say as God by the Prophet Say you to the righteous it shall be well with him though it be very ill with him whiles he lives yet it shall be well with him when he dyes his troubles he shall see they were but for a season though he may have many inconveniences in his earthly tabernacle yet he shall find nothing of dislike when he comes to Gods everlasting habitation Secondly Why is it so Why shall the temptations of the Godly be but for a season Why shall their affliction not last allways I will give you a two fold account of it I. Because of the mercifulness of God he is a God of tender mercy he compassionates all his creatures in all respects but much more them who are not only the work of his hands but the delight of his heart as all that fear and love him are he hath great kindness for them and this account is given why the Lord will not always chide his people he is a merciful God Psal 103.8 9. vers The Lord is merciful and gracious slow to anger and plenteous in mercy and then it follows he will not always chide neither will he keep his anger for ever angry he may be with his children when they are faulty and disobedient But he will not keep his anger forever Why the verses following declare Like as a Father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him for he knows our frame he remembers we are but dust God knows what frail creatures his people are and though some chiding they may bear yet his frowns they are not able to undergo that is the reason God gives why he would not shew himself always displeased with his people he should break their hearts with such thoughts Isa 57.16 17. vers I will not contend for ever neither will I be always wroth why for the Spirit should fail before me and the Soul which I have made the very heart of Gods people would be broken with a long continuance of their troubles and therefore he will in wrath remember mercy as it follows For the iniquity of his covetuousness was I wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart I have seen his ways and will heal him I will lead him also and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners I know that he is not able always to bear my afflicting hand I will take it of it shall be but a little while the rod is upon his back but it shall not rest there I will manifest my love again to him Isa 54.7 8. vers For a
and they discover men sometimes for the better sometimes for the worse many persons that fear God have worse thoughts of themselves then they ought to have c. Now God brings them to a fiery tryal and they see through the help of God they are inabled to stand out against all opposition then they begin to think there is something of good in my Soul and they manifest the truth of grace And then sometimes for the worse many a man and woman hath better opinions of themselves then they have ground for and the troubles they meet with in the World they plainly discover it God brings them to this pass you must either disown the truth or deny your selves as to the World you must either lay down that godliness you seem to have or lay down your livelyhood or lay down your lives and now they see or may see they were not the men they took themselves for they see how that the truths of Jesus Christ lay not so near their hearts as they thought for they are willing rather to part with that faith and love they have then to part with those good things they have many a person it is thus with Sometimes they discover the weakness of grace sometimes the want of grace sometimes the weakness of grace Peter thought when the Lord told him of suffering That all should be offended because of him that he should never be offended Though all men forsake thee yet will not I and yet Peter when he comes to trial his Faith staggers and so sometimes it discovers the total want of grace that people are other manner of persons then they took themselves for times of affliction they manifest that many are of another manner of Spirit then they did imagine Secondly Afflictions discover not only persons to themselves but they discover them to others discover them to the World make it known what people are and so sometimes for the better many are thought worse of in the World then indeed they do deserve the people of God are often judged a company of Hypocrites there is no such thing as goodness faith and holiness in them and if they come to suffer you shall see what they will do many are their evil surmises and the Devil if he cannot Persecute them will reproach them now God lets the World see that these people are mistaken his Servants were such as loved him in truth when it comes to this that they must leave all or not follow Christ they count not their life dear to them all is nothing then to Christ The stedfastness of Gods people in times of suffering testifies to the World that they that were called Hypocrites were the most upright persons that lived 1 Cor. 11.18 19. ver There are divisions among you and I partly believe it For there must be also Heresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you That it may appear that they are indeed lovers of the Truth they will own it in such a time when it is so much opposed that they that are approved of God may be made manifest to the World that the wicked may say though some are covetous yet all are not bad men as they would think And sometimes for the worse to many because they are not openly profane are judged by the multitude that they are religious persons but when the Profession of Religion becomes dangerous they then begin to be troubled the World then sees what they are In hazardous times good men are made a spectacle to the World and Angels and Men the Angels the good and bad the Angels of light and the Feinds of darkness and the World both of godly and ungodly see what men they are who were not before acquainted with them God makes it manifest that many that professed much never yet loved him c. Many saith Christ in that Parable of the seeds they received the Word with joy but they had no root in themselves they endure but for a while and when Persecution ariseth by and by they are offended What must I serve God and suffer Truly if this be the fruit of this service I shall have no mind to it many their hearts say as those wicked ones Job 21.14 15. vers What is the Almighty that we should serve him and what profit should we have if we pray unto him What shall we get by suffering why if this be the way they will not walk in it c. The Jews would not admit of Proselites in the days of David because then the fear of David was upon all round about him nor would they admit of them in the days of Solomon because then out of love to the peace and prosperity that he had in the World they might imbrace the truth of Religion which in their hearts they did not delight in Many men do make use of Religion sometimes out of fear and sometimes out of love out of fear of suffering when Religion is not owned and out of hopes of getting by Religion when it is in esteem The falseness of peoples hearts is seen in this in love to their neighbour they have a great love for them that are rich but none for them that are poor The rich hath many friends but the poor is hated of his neighbour This discovers the falsness of peoples hearts in reference to their love to God their love to the people of God is discovered in this that they will speak well for them and associate with them when God is pleased to bless them in the World but if God once come to afflict them they desire to have no more to do with them Amongst many professing Israelites there are but few Nathaniels few that are Israelites indeed and the times of suffering manifest what people are Again There is a great deal of need of trouble and trials to bring Gods people to more earnest praying to God that they may more firmly and constantly seek him when Gods people are involved in trouble cannot tell which way to turn themselves then they will go to God for help when Jehoshaphat said 2 Chron. 20.12 speaking of his enemies in Prayer to God Wilt not thou judge them for we have no might against this great company that cometh up against us neither know we what to do but our eyes are to thee our eyes are upon thee Truly when people are at this pass in referance to Personal or National suffering when they do not know what to do then their eyes are upon God and then their hearts are to God then God shall hear always of them c. The Lord knows if prosperity drives us away from him that affliction will bring us in to him the Prodigal that cared not for his Father while his estate lasted when poverty was come I will arise saith he and go to my Father As long as we can have Friends Comforts and Mercies to delight in we do not take so much delight and pleasure in drawing near to God God will let us have nothing else to delight in Isa 26.16 vers Lord in trouble they have visited thee when thy chastning was upon them they that would not come at God before they would visit him in trouble and they powred out Prayer they that did but say a Prayer before they now shall Pray a Prayer and Pray it heartily too Crosses and troubles will make men mind Religious Duties that before they little regarded Upon the worst of men it hath this influence sometimes the Persian Messenger said thus when the Grecians hotly pursued our Host and we must needs venture over that great River that was now frozen but was beginning to thaw Then saith he did I behold many of those Gallants who denyed before and so boldly maintained that there was no God I saw every one upon his knees raying that the Ice might hold untill he got over O then nothing but Prâ—…yer will serve their turn I will go and â—…eturn to my place and I will distress and disturb them and in their affliction they â—…ll seek me early FINIS