Thus Jonah, chap. ii. vers. 3, 4, much like this; but there, literally true. And here, deep calls unto deep, yet in the midst of those deeps, faith is not drowned; you see it lifts up its head above water-Yet the Lord will command, &c. Yea, though it takes particular notice of God's hand in the affliction, yet it goes not to another hand for comfort. Thy waves and thy billows; yet that same God, whose waves are like to destroy me, will ere long command" his loving-kindness to shine upon me." "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." Job. xiii. 15. A wonderful expression of faith! He says not, "Though he afflict me sore," but, "Though he slay me;" not, "Though evil men or Satan should do it," but, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." What. troubled mind can imagine any thing harder against itself than this?

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1. Learn then to check these excessive doubts and fears by some such resolute word as this. Turn the promise, first upon thyself, and then upon God. Consider that he hath promised life eternal to believers, and then say, Though I saw his hand, as it were, lift up to destroy me, yet from that very hand will I expect salvation; for I have his word engaged for it, that if I believe I shall be saved." I do not say, that a soul under temptation can assure itself, that God is already reconciled to it, (and herein possibly lies oftentimes the mistake,) for this reflex act of assurance, though it be our duty to seek after it, itself is rather a gift and reward than a duty. But the direct and proper act of faith is of perpetual use and necessity, and then most when there is least sense of assurance. And it is no other but a recumbency or a reliance, rolling over the soul upon free mercy. That which breeds us much perplexity is, that we would invert God's order. "If I knew (say some) that the promise belonged to me, and Christ were a Saviour to me, I could believe;" that is to say, would first see, and then believe. But the true method is just contrary: I had fainted, says David, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord. He believed it first,

and saw it afterwards. And in this same Psalm, labouring to still his disquieted soul, by elevating it above his troubles, to look upon his God; he says to it, "Hope in him now, and ere it be long, thou shalt praise him for the help of his countenance," even while his countenance is withheld. And thus faith ought to triumph over spiritual fears and difficulties.

2. How incongruous is it, that outward dangers or trials should over-match it! Will you trust God, upon his word, for salvation and eternal happiness, and be diffident for the safety and needful blessings of this temporal life, which life, in comparison, is but a moment, and the best things of it but dross? Consider that you dishonour faith exceedingly, and degenerate from the believing saints of former ages. Indeed, the promises of this life, and that which concerns it, though godliness hath them, yet they are not so absolute, nor are they so absolutely needful for you. But, considering the wisdom and love of your heavenly Father, learn to compose your minds by it.

I will not be afraid, though ten thousands of the people set themselves against me round about, says David, Psalm iii. 6. And, lest you think him singular, in the 46th Psalm, it is the joint voice of the whole church of God-"We will not fear, though the earth be removed, and the mountains be cast into the midst of the sea though the waters thereof roar and be troubled; though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. There is a river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God: the holy place of the tabernacle of the most high God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved." That is the way to be immovable in the midst of troubles, as a rock amidst the waves. When God is in the midst of a kingdom or city, he makes it firm as Mount Sion, that cannot be removed. When he is in the midst of the soul, though calamities throng about it on all hands, and roar like the billows of the sea, yet there is a constant calm within, such a peace as the world can neither give nor take away.

On the other side, what is it but want of

lodging God in the soul, and that, in his stead, the world is in the midst of men's hearts, that makes them shake like the leaves of trees at every blast of danger? What a shame is it, seeing natural men, by the strength of nature and help of moral precepts, have attained such undaunted resolution and courage against outward changes, yet they that would pass for Christians, are so soft and fainting, and so sensible of the smallest alterations! The advantage that we have in this regard is infinite: what is the best ground-work of a philosopher's constancy, but as moving sands in comparison of the rock that we may build upon ? But the truth is, that either we make no provision of faith for times of trial, or if any we have, we neither know the worth nor the use of it, but lay it by, as a dead, unprofitable thing, when we should most use and exercise it. Notwithstanding all our frequenting of God's house, and our plausible profession, is it not too true, that the most of us either do not at all furnish ourselves with these spiritual arms, that are so needful in the militant life of a Christian, or we learn not how to handle them, and are not in readiness for service? As was the case of that improvident soldier, whom his commander found mending some piece of his armour, when they were to give battle. It were not amiss, before afflictions overtake us, to try and train the mind somewhat by supposing the very worst and hardest of them. To say, "What if the waves and billows of adversity were swelled and flowing in upon me, could I then believe? God hath said, I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, with a heap of negociations; in no wise I will not. He hath said, When thou passest through the fire and through the water, I will be with thee. These I know, and can discourse of them. But could I repose and rest upon them in the day of trial?" Put your souls to it: is there any thing or person that you esteem and love exceedingly; say, What if I should lose this? Is there some evil that is naturally more contrary and terrible to you than many others? Spare not to present that to the imagination

too, and labour to make faith of it beforehand in case it should befal you, and if the first thought of it scare you, look upon it the oftener, till the visage of it become familiar to you, that you start and scare no more at it. Nor is there any danger in these thoughts. Troubles cannot be the nearer by thus thinking on them but you may be both safer and stronger by breathing and exercising of your faith in supposed cases. But if you be so tender-spirited, that you cannot look upon calamities so much as in thought or fancy, how would you be able for a real encounter? No, sure. But the soul that hath made God his stay, can do both; see it in that notable resolution of the prophet, Hab. iii. 17-19: "Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation, The Lord God is my strength." And in David, Psalm xxiii. 4: "Yea," (says he,) "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." You see how faith is as cork to his soul, keeping it from sinking in the deeps of afflictions. Yea, that big word which one says of his morally just man is true of the believer, si fractus illabatur orbis; though the very fabric of the world were falling about him, yet would he stand upright and undaunted in the midst of its ruins.

In this confidence, considered in itself, we may observe, 1. The object of it-The loving-kindness of the Lord. 2. The manner or way by which he expects to enjoy it-The Lord will command it. 3. The time -in the day.

His loving-kindness. He says not," Return to the house of God, for deliverance from the heavy oppression and sharp reproaches of the enemy," which would have answered more particularly and expressly to his present griefs; but his loving-kindness. And the

reason of thus expressing himself, I conceive to be twofold. 1. In the assurance of this is necessarily comprised the certainty of all other good things. This special favour and benignity of the Lord, doth engage his power and wisdom (both which you know are infinite) to the procurement of every thing truly good, for those whom he so favours. Therefore it is, that David chooses rather to name the streams of particular mercies in this their living source and fountain, than to specify them severally. Nor is it only thus more compendious, but fuller too, which are the two great advantages of speech, and this I take to be the other reason. 2. A man may enjoy great deliverances and many positive benefits from the hand of God, and yet have no share in his loving-kindness. How frequently doth God heap riches and honour and health on those he hates, and the common gifts of the mind too, wisdom and learning, yea, the common gifts of his own Spirit, and gives a fair and long day of external prosperity to those on whom he never vouchsafed the least glance of his favourable countenance, yea, on the contrary, gives all those specious gifts to them with a secret curse! As here he gave a king in wrath to his people, so he often gives kingdoms in his wrath to kings. Therefore David looks higher than the very kingdom which God promised him, and gave him, when he speaks of his loving-kindness. In a word, he resolves to solace himself with the assurance of this, though he was stripped of all other comforts, and to quiet his soul herein, till deliverance come; and when it shall come, and whatsoever mercies with it, to receive them as fruits and effects of this loving-kindness: not prizing them so much for themselves as for the impressions of that love which is upon them. And it is that image and superscription that both engages and moves him most to pay his tribute of praise. And truly this is every where David's temper; his frequent distresses and wants never excite him so much to desire any particular comfort in the creature, as to entreat the presence and favour of God himself. His