So loving and so wise a Father will not undo his children by sparing the rod, but because he loves, he rebukes and chastens. His church is his house; therefore, that he may delight in it, and take pleasure to dwell in it, and make it happy with his presence, he will have it often washed and made clean, and the filth and rubbish scoured and purged out of it: this argues his gracious purpose of abiding in it.

If these things be so, let us not be so foolish as to promise ourselves impunity on account of our relation to God, as his church in covenant with him. If once we thought so, surely our experience hath undeceived us. And let not what we have suffered harden us, as if the worst were past. We may rather fear it is but a pledge and beginning of sharper judgment. Why do we not consider our unhumbled and unpurified condition, and tremble before the Lord? Would we save him a labor, he would take it well. Let us purify our souls, that he may not be put to further purifying by new judgments.

Learn to put a right construction on all God's dealings with his church and with thy soul. With regard to his church, there may be a time wherein thou shalt see it not only tossed, but, to thy thinking, covered and swallowed up with tears: but wait a little, it shall arrive safe. This is a common stumbling-stone, but walk by the light of the word and the eye of Faith looking on it, and thou shalt pass by and not stumble at it. The church mourns, and Babylon sings, sits as a queen; but for how long? She shall come down and sit in the dust; and Sion shall be glorious, and put on her beautiful garments, while Babylon shall not look for another revolution to raise her again: no, she shall never rise. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus, with violence, shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all; Rev. xviii, 21.

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Be not hasty take God's work together, and do not judge of it by parcels. It is indeed all wisdom and righteousness; but we shall best discern the beauty of it, when we look on it in the frame, when it shall be fully completed and finished, and our eyes enlightened to

take a fuller and clearer view of it, than we can have here. O what wonder, what endless wondering will it then command!

We read of Joseph, hated, and sold, and imprisoned, and all most unjustly, yet because within a leaf or two, we find him freed and exalted, and his brethren coming as supplicants to him, we are satisfied. But when we look on things which are for the present cloudy and dark, our short-sighted hasty spirits cannot learn to wait a little, till we see the other side, and what end the Lord makes. We see judgment beginning at the house of God and this perplexes us, while we consider not the rest, What shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel? God begins the judgment on his church for a little time, that it may end and rest upon his enemies for ever. And indeed he leaves the wicked last in the punishment, that he may make use of them for the punishment of his church. They are his rod, Isa. x, 5; but when he hath done that work with them, they are broken and burnt, and that, when they are at the height of their insolence and boasting, not knowing what hand moves them, and smites his people with them for a while, till the day of their consuming come; ver. 16, 24, 25.

Of them that obey not the Gospel. The end of all the ungodly is terrible, but especially the end of such as heard the gospel, and have not received and obeyed it.

Men think it an easy and a common thing to believe; but who hath believed our report? Were our own misery and the happiness that is in Christ believed, were the riches of Christ and the love of Christ believed, would not this persuade men to forsake their sins and the world, in order to embrace him? But men run away with an extraordinary fancy of believing, and do not deeply consider what news the gospel brings, and how much it concerns them. Sometimes, it may be, they have a sudden thought of it, and they think, "I will think on it better at some other time." But when comes that time? One business steps in after another and shuffles it out. Men are not at leisure to be saved.

It is his em

Observe the phrase, the gospel of God. bassy of peace to men, the riches of his mercy and free love opened and set forth, not simply to be looked upon,

but laid hold on; the glorious holy God declaring his design of agreement with man in his own Son, his blood streaming forth in it to wash away uncleanness. And yet this gospel is not obeyed! Surely the conditions of it must be very hard, and the commands intolerably grievous, that they are not hearkened to. Why, judge you if they be. The great command is, to receive that salvation; and the other is this, to love that Saviour; and there is no more. Perfect obedience is not now the thing; and the obedience which is required, love makes sweet and easy to us, and acceptable to him. This is proclaimed to all who hear the gospel, but the greatest part refuse it they love themselves, and their lusts, and this present world, and will not change, and so they perish! They perish? What is that? What is their end? I will answer that but as the apostle doth, and that is even by asking the question over again, What shall their end be?

There is no speaking of it; a curtain is drawn: silent wonder expresses it best, telling that it cannot be expressed. How then shall it be endured? It is true, that there be resemblances used in scripture, giving us some glance of it. We hear of a burning lake, a fire that is not quenched, and a worm that dies not: but these are but shadows to the real misery of them that obey not the gospel. O to be filled with the wrath of God, the everliving God, for ever! What words or thoughts can reach it? O eternity, eternity! O that we did believe it!

This same parallel of the Lord's dealing with the righteous and the wicked,,is continued in the following verse in other terms, for the clearer expression and deeper impression of it.

Ver. 18. And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

IT is true then, that they are scarcely saved; even they who endeavour to walk uprightly in the ways of God, that is, the righteous, they are scarcely saved. This imports not any uncertainty or hazard in the thing itself as to the end, in respect of the purpose and performance of God, but only the great difficulties and hard encounters

in the way, temptations and tribulations, fightings without, and fears within. All outward difficulties however would be but matters of ease, would be as nothing, were it not for the incumbrance of lusts and corruptions within. Were a man to meet disgraces and sufferings for Christ, how easily would he go through them, yea, and rejoice in them," were he rid of the fretting impatience, the pride, and self-love, of his own carnal heart! These clog and trouble him most, and he cannot shake them off nor prevail against them without much pains, many prayers and tears; and many times, after much wrestling, he scarcely finds that he hath gained any ground: yea, sometimes he is foiled and cast down by them. And so in all other duties, such a fighting and continual combat with a revolting backsliding heart, the flesh still pulling and dragging downwards! When he would mount up, he finds himself as a bird with a stone tied to its foot; he hath wings that flutter to be upwards, but is pressed down with the weight fastened to him. What struggling with wanderings and deadness in hearing, and reading, and prayer! And what is most grievous, is, that, by their unwary walking and the prevailing of some corruption, believers grieve the Spirit of God, and provoke him to hide his face and withdraw his comforts. How much pain to attain any thing, any particular grace of humility, or meekness, or self-denial! And if any thing be attained, how hard to keep and maintain it against the contrary party! How often are they driven back to their old point! If they do but cease from striving a little, they are carried back by the stream. And what returns of doubtings and unbelief, after they thought they were got somewhat above them, insomuch that sometimes they are at the point of giving over, and thinking it will never be for them! And yet, through all these, they are brought safely home. There is another strength than theirs, which bears them up and brings them through. But these things, and many more of this nature, argue the difficulty of their course, and that it is not so easy a thing to come to heaven as most imagine it.

Thou therefore that findest so little conflict in it, who goest thy round of external duties, and all is well, art no

more troubled; thou hast need to inquire, “Am I right? Have I not yet to begin? Surely, this looks not like the way to heaven, as it is described in the scripture: it is too smooth and easy to be right."

And if the way of the righteous be so hard, then how hard shall be the end of the ungodly sinner, that walks in sin with delight! It were strange if they should be at such pains and with great difficulty attain their end, and he should come in amongst them in the end. Then were they fools indeed. True, if it were so. But what if it be not so? Then the wicked man is the fool, and shall find that he is, when he shall not be able to stand in the judgment. Where shall he appear, when to the end he might not appear, he would be glad to be smothered under the weight of the hills and mountains, if they could shelter him from appearing?

And what is the aim of all this which we have spoken, or can speak on this subject, but that ye may be moved to take into deeper thoughts the concernment of your immortal souls? O that you would be persuaded! O that you would betake yourselves to Jesus Christ, and seek salvation in him! Seek to be covered with his righteousness, and to be led by his Spirit in the ways of righteousness. That will seal to you the happy certainty of the end, and overcome for you all the difficulties of the way. What is the gospel of Christ preached for? What was the blood of Christ shed for? Was it not, that by receiving him, we might escape condemnation? Nay, this drew him from heaven; He came that we might have life, and that we might have it more abundantly. John x. 10.

Ver. 19. Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

THESE words contain the true principle of Christian patience and tranquillity of mind in the sufferings of this life, expressing both wherein it consists and what are the grounds of it.

I. It lies in this, committing the soul unto God in well doing. If you would commit your soul to the keeping of