the word more operative, will do no good-All this while, The founder melteth in vain, whether God the master-founder, or the prophets, God's founders, they all melt in vain: all their labour is lost; neither word, nor rod, neither judgments nor ordinances, can stir them; they refuse to receive correction, they will not be taught. The wicked are not plucked away: They are the same that ever they were; the swearer is a swearer still, and the drunkard is a drunkard still, and the unclean person is unclean still: The vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practice hypocrisy, and to utter error against the Lord: - the unjust are unjust still, and the ignorant are ignorant still; nothing will better them, wicked they are, and wicked they will be. What follows? a formidable sentence; Reprobate silver shall men call them. They would be counted silver, but it is reprobate silver, refuse silver, dross rather than pure metal: and their hypocrisy shall be made known to all men; Reprobate silver shall men call them; and happy they, if it were but the censure of mistaking men only; nay, but the searcher of hearts hath no better thoughts of them: men do but call them so, because God called them so first; Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them. God hath cast them out as the founder casts out his dross to the dunghill, and they shall never stand among the vessels of honour, in whom the Lord, will be glorified. A fearful sentence! the sum whereof is this, That when

teaching goeth not along with correction, when men come out of the furnace, and lose nothing of their

dross, it is a sad indication of a reprobate spirit, without timely and serious reflection, nigh unto cursing. O consider this, you that forget God and his chastisements, lest he tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver!

5. We may learn that they may be blessed whom the world accounts miserable. The men of the world are incompetent judges of the estate and condition of God's children: the godly man's happiness or misery is not to be judged by the world's sense and feeling, but by his own; it lieth inward, save only so far as by the fruits it is discernable, and the world's faculty of judging is only outward, made up of sense and reason; therefore, said the apostle, The spiritual man judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man; that is, he is able to judge of the condition of the men of the world, but the men of the world are not able to judge of his condition, because it is above their faculty; the natural man thinks the spiritual man under affliction to be miserable; but the spiritual man knows the natural man, in the midst of his greatest abundance and bravery, to be miserable indeed, Therefore may the saints in their trouble think it, with St. Paul, a very small thing to be judged of man's judgment. This is but man's day of judging so the word signifieth; God's day is coming, when things and persons shall be valued at another rate. Christ

in his day shall not judge after the sight of the eyes, i.e. not as things appear to sense and reason; nor after the hearing of the cars, i. e. according to the report of the world; but with righteousness shall he judge, i.e. he shall judge of things and persons as they are, and not as they appear. In the mean time, this is also another comfort, We have the mind of Christ, the judgment of Christ, by virtue whereof we are enabled, in our measure, to judge of things and persons, as Christ himself judgeth.

6. Is chastisement a blessing when accompanied with instruction?-See then, and admire, the wisdom, power and goodness of God, who can make his people better by their sufferings! Who knows how to extract gold out of clay; to draw the richest wine out of gall and wormwood; that can turn the greatest evil of the body to the greatest good of the soul; the curse itself into a blessing; that can make the withered rod of affliction to bud, yea to bring forth the peaceful fruits of righteousness to them that are exercised thereby. Behold, I shew you a mystery! Sin brought affliction INTO the world, and God makes affliction carry sin OUT of the world. Persecution is but the pruning of Christ's vine: the almond tree is said to be made fruitful by driving nails into it, letting out a noxious gum that hindereth its fruitfulness. God never intendeth more good to his children than when he seems to deal most severely with them. The very heathen (Seneca) hath observed to us, "God doth not love his children

"with a weak effeminate affection, but with a strong "masculine love, and had rather they suffer hardship " than perish." Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. God will rather fetch blood, then lose a soul; break Ephraim's bones, than suffer him to go on in the frowardness of his heart; destroy the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. We are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. His discipline is made up of severity and love; he doth chastise, but he will teach also, that so his children may inherit the blessing: the discipline is sharp, but the end is sweet. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name:: bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

7. It shews us, That a suffering condition is not so formidable a thing as flesh and blood doth représent it-It is ignorance and unbelief which slandereth the dispensations of God, and casteth reproach upon the cross of Christ. He that heard the words of God, could by way of holy triumph ask this question, Why should I fear in the days of evil? as if he had said, what is there in an afflicted estate so much to be dreaded? Let any man shew me a reason, and I will give way to fear and despondency.

O that the children of God in affliction, or entering upon sufferings, would sit down and dwell upon this consideration, the fruit and advantage which God

knoweth how to bring out of all their sorrows: this would keep them from uncomely despondencies, and dejections of spirit; For this cause we faint not (saith the apostle) for what cause? while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; that is to say, not at the visible sufferings, but at the invisible fruit and advantage of our sufferings; this holds up the head and keeps up the heart, and maketh the soul not only to be patient, but to glory in tribulation; knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope; and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. This is the way to counterpoise the temptation; and in the conflict between the flesh and the spirit, to come in to the succour of the better part.

8. It shews us the reason why God doth keep some of his people so long under the discipline of the rod.

Truly God doth not only bring his children into the school of affliction, but many times keeps them long there. History and experience will afford instances without number. Hence you have the people of God so often at their HOW-LONGS in their sufferingsHow long wilt thou forget me, O Lord, for ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? In this psalm where my text is, How long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph? twice how long, before he can vent