more haste to be taught, than to be delivered; and chuse rather to have thy affliction sanctified, than removed; that is observable in Elihu's speech: Hypocrites in heart heap up wrath, (i. e. add to their own calamities) why? they cry not when he bindeth them.

Consider, that God's design is that he might teach thee by his chastisements, and if thou crossest God's design, it is just with him to cross thy design. The only way to retard it, is to make too much haste to be delivered, and he that believeth will not make haste.

Consider, That bare deliverance is not the blessing; I told you before, that deliverance is but the common bounty; I tell you more now-Deliverance alone may be the fruit of the curse;, a man may be delivered in wrath and not in love; deliverance from one affliction may but make way for another, for a greater: affliction may return, like the unclean spirit, with seven more worse than itself; so God threatens an unteachable people; If by these things ye will not be reformed, but will walk contrary to me, (cross my design in my chastisements) then will I walk contrary to you ; will cross your design, and instead of deliverance, I will punish you yet seven times more for your sins. The blessing of correction is instruction; 0 let not God go till he bless thee. It is a sad thing to have affliction, but not the blessing of affliction ;-to feel the wood of the cross, but not the good of the cross-to taste the bitter root, but not the sweet fruit of a suffering condition-the curse, but not the cordial. Truly in such

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a case one a affliction may not only make for anoway ther, for more, for greater; but affliction here may make way for damnation hereafter; and as one saith,

By all the fire of affliction in this world, a man may be made fuel for eternal fire." Therefore, mind instruction, study the lessons of a suffering condition (as above) and be importunate for nothing so much as to be taught of God, with that special saving teaching, which changeth the soul into the nature of the truth; and makes the soul holy as that is holy, and pure as that is pure.

III. TO THEM THAT ARE COME OUT OF AFFLICTION AND FIERY TRIALS.-Sit down, christian, and reflect upon thyself, turn in upon thine own heart, and examine thyself-Have teachings accompanied chastisements? hath the rod budded?-Cast up thy accounts; what hast thou learned in the school of affliction Hath God discovered to thee the sinfulness of sin, the emptiness of the creature, and the fulness of Christ? Is no evil like to the evil of sin? no good like to Jesus Christ? Is the world become an empty vanity, a mockery, a nothing in thine eyes? Canst thou say, it is good I have been afflicted? and canst thou point out that good, and say, This I had, this I have got by my sufferings; I know divine truth more inwardly, more clearly, it hath a more abiding impression upon my heart. I would here speak a word,

1. To those who through grace do find the fruit of

affliction in the savory and saving teachings of God upon their hearts; let me, by way of exhortation, commend these duties to you.

(1.) Study to be thankful.-Hath God taught thee as well as chastised thee? O say with David, What shall I render to the Lord? For consider how great things God hath done to thy soul.

God hath done more for thee than if he had never brought thee into affliction and trouble, or then if he had brought thee out the same day on which he sent thee in. If he had delivered thee upon the first prayer that ever thou madest in thine affliction, it had not been a comparable mercy to his teaching thee by it; prevention and deliverance may be in wrath, but God never teacheth the soul, but it is in love.

Again, God hath doubled his mercy and lovingkindness to thee; he hath commanded deliverance and instruction too; a twisted mercy; yea, as deliverance and instruction were the return of prayer, a treble, a multiplied mercy; which should make the heart sing with David, I will love the Lord, because he hath heard the voice of my supplication. Double, treble, and multiplied mercy, calls for double, treble, and multiplied thankfulness: when God loads us with mercy we should load him with our praises.

Again, Instruction is the seal of God, which set upon correction doth seal up adoption and sonship to them that are exercised thereby; the children of affliction are by divine teaching, sealed up the children of

promise: If his children forsake my law, speaking of Christ's spiritual seed, I will visit their transgressions with a rod; that is, I will teach them with the rod; it shall be a rod of instruction to them; that is the children's portion; if his children forsake me, &c. God deals with you as with sons. Behold, O christian! God hath done that for thee in thy sufferings which possibly may be denied thee in thy prosperity, given thee an evidence of sonship; he hath made thy suffering time thy sealing time; and hath allured thee and brought thee into the wilderness, and there hath spoken comfortably to thy heart. Thy Patmos hath been thy paradise, wherein he hath given thee his loves.

God hath consecrated thy sufferings by his teachings: afflictions have taken orders as it were, and stand no longer in the rank of ordinary providences, but serve now in the order of gospel ordinances, officiating in the holy garment of divine promises, and to the same uses. What is the great end and design of the promises? the apostle tells us, that we might be partakers of a divine nature, i.e. of gracious dispositions and qualities, which make the soul resemble God. What the apostle Peter affirms of the promises, the very same doth Paul affirm of God's chastisements, He for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. See by virtue of divine teaching afflictions advanced to the same degree and office with gospel ordinances and promises; so that what hinders, why we may not give those titles of honour to afflictions, which the

apostle here gives to the promises, and say, There are given unto us exceeding great and precious afflictions, that by them we might be partakers of the divine nature, that is, made hartakers of his holiness. See, O thou afflicted soul, by TEACHING God hath changed the very nature of affliction; he hath turned thy water into wine; a prison, a bed of sickness, into a school, into a temple, wherein he hath taught thee into his own likeness. And as God hath consecrated thy sufferings, so likewise he hath consecrated THEE also by thy sufferings. As it is said of Christ, He made the Captain of our salvation perfect through sufferings-he consummated, or perfected him; Christ became a perfect mediator by his cross; hence you hear him cry upon it, It is finished. And thus also it may be said of the members of Christ, they are perfected by sufferings: Chastisement being coupled with teaching, is the consecration and consummation of the saints: I fill uh, saith St. Paul, that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh; the after-sufferings of Christ. As Christ as a mediator, so Christ as one body, with his members, is completed by sufferings. Christ is not full till all his members have had their measure of sufferings. You have need of patience, that when you have done the will of God, you may inherit the promises. When we have done God's will, all is not done; there is somewhat to be suffered, without which the christian is not in a capacity to receive his inheritance: you have need of patience to