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viii. 2. Rev. ii. 10. Grace is hereby both tried and strengthened. 1st, Such afflictions do prove both the truth and strength of our graces, as they serve to try if we love God for himself, if we can endure and hold out in serving him, waiting and depending upon him notwithstanding of discouragements. That faith will suffice for a little affliction, that will not suffice for a great one. Peter had faith enough to come upon the sea at Christ's call; but, as soon as the waves began to swell, his faith began to fail, and his feet to sink, till Christ mercifully caught hold of him, saying "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" Matth. xiv. 31. Little did Peter think his faith was so weak till now.

2dly, They tend to improve our graces also, by quickening and strengthening them. They serve as a whetstone to sharpen faith, so as the soul is made to renounce earthly shelters, and clasp about God, in Christ, as its only refuge and portion. They exite to repentance and serious mourning for sin; for, like the winter frost and snows, they make the fallowground of our hearts more tender. They prompt us to heavenly-mindedness, self-denial, and patient waiting on God. Yea, the experience of God's people can attest it, that grace is never more lively than under affliction. David never found himself better as to his spiritual state, than when he was persecuted and hunted as a partridge on the mountains; and hence he says, Psal. cxix. 71. "It is good for me that I have been afflicted."

VIII. God's aim is, to awaken us to redeem time, to prepare for flitting, and clear up our evidences for heaven. In time of health we are apt to trifle away time, loiter in our journey, and forget that we are pilgrims on the earth: Wherefore God sends sickness as his messenger to mind us hereof.

Now it highly concerns us, when sickness attacks consider and meditate upon these ends for which God brings on distress, and pray earnestly that

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they may be accomplished in us: And so our sickness shall not be unto death, (spiritual or eternal) but to the glory of God and the good of our souls.

DIRECT. II. Let all who are visited with sickness and distress, search for the Achan in the camp, and enquire diligently what is the ground and cause of God's controversy with them.

IT

T hath been the practice of God's people in scripture-times, to inquire into the cause and meaning of God's rods which have been laid upon them. So David, 2 Sam. xxi. when the land of Israel was three years under the stroke of famine, he inquired into the meaning of it. So Job is exceedingly desirous to know why God set him up as a mark for his arrows, Job vii. 20. and hence it is that he makes that petition, Job x. 2. which is most suitable to every man in distress, "Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me." I grant, indeed, that God sometimes visits his people with affliction for the trial and exercise of their grace, and for their spiritual instruction, more than for the correction of their sin. But, sin being the original and foundation of all affliction, it is safest when it is our own case, and most acceptable to God to own sin as the procuring cause. Or, if our sins have not immediately procured the present affliction, yet the best of God's children must own that they have at least deserved it; for God never afflicted a perfectly innocent person; there is still just cause for it. We see the sin of the Corinthians is mentioned as the cause of their sickness, 1 Cor. xi. 30. "For this cause many are weak and sickly among you." The Psalmist concludes the very same thing, Psal. cvii. 17, 18. "Fools, because of their transgressions and their iniquities are afflicted: Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw nigh unto the gates of death.” But ordinarily by sickness the Lord points at some one sin in us more than another, some Jonah in the ship

that hath raised the storm, which the Lord would have us to search out, and throw overboard without delay.

Quest. But, how shall we discover and find out the particular sin for which God afflicts us with sickness and distress?

Ans. 1st. Study the Lord's word, and the chastisements there recorded, which he hath inflicted upon people for their sins, and inquire if you be guilty of the like. Observe what hath been God's mind to his people, and what sin he hath pointed out to them, when they have been brought under such a rod, and so you may learn his mind to you, Rom. xv. 4. "For whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning."

2dly, Consider what is the sin which conscience doth most of all accuse thee for, in thy most serious and solitary hours. Conscience is God's deputy, and thy bosom monitor, whose voice perhaps thou hast little regarded in the day of thy health; wherefore God hath sent a sharper messenger to second the voice of conscience. Hear now the voice of the rod, for it is the same with the voice of conscience. In the day of prosperity, carnal profits and pleasures make such a noise, that the voice of conscience could not be heard; wherefore God hath brought on thee the silent night of adversity, that his deputy may obtain audience. Well then, give ear; what saith conscience now? May you not hear it saying, as Reuben to his brethren in distress, spake I not to you in the day of health, do not commit such a sin, and do not delay repenting for such a sin, but you would not hear: O man, let concience get a hearing at last, as it got with the patriarchs when they were brought to distress in Egypt, and made them confess their sin in selling of Joseph, Gen. xliii. 21. "We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear. Therefore is this distress come upon us."

3dly, Consider what are these evils that others have observed in you, whether they be friends or foes. Hearken to what a Christian friend noticeth in you, either when speaking to you, or to others about you; "Let the righteous smite me, (saith David) and it shall be a kindness." Yea, do not disregard what even enemies say of you. As David got good by the malicious reproaches of Shimei in the day of his affliction, so may you in the time of distress; for sometimes malice itself will speak truth. Enemies are sharp-sighted to spy out our faults, and so may, through the divine blessing, prove monitors to us, both with respect to sin and duty.

4thly, Consider the nature and circumstances of thy distress. Ofttimes the affliction is so suitable to the transgression, that we may clearly read our sin written on the forehead of our punishment, as in the case of Adonibezek, and many others. And also you may be helped to find it out by the Lord's timing of the rod to you: Was it sent when you was under much formality in duty? or when you was eagerly pursuing the things of the world? or when you was under the power of some prevailing lust or other? Then the rod comes to reprove you, and awake you to see the evil thereof.

5thly, Consider what is the sin that hath been formerly most affrighting to thy thoughts, and perplexing to thy conscience, when thou hast been in the immediate view of death and a tribunal. It is very likely (if thou hast not truly repented of it) that is the sin which God now intends to awake thee to see the evil of, that thou mayest sincerely mourn for and turn from it, looking to God in Christ for pardon and mercy.

Object. Ah! (saith one) it is my lot to ly under a dumb and silent rod, I do not understand its language, I cannot hear its voice, I cannot find out the sin that is pointed at by it: what course shall I take?

Ans. 1. Be deeply humbled under this trial, and bewail thy case before the Lord; for it very much ag

gravates the affliction of God's people, when they know not the language of it: Hence was it that Job lamented so heavily, that his way was hid, and he knew not the reason of God's contending with him, Job iii. 23.

2. A believer's case may be sometimes so dark, that it requires a great deal of spiritual art and wisdom to enable him to hear the voice of the rod, and understand its language. Hence it is said, "He is a man of wisdom that seeth God's name upon it." Micah vi. 9. Now, this wisdom must only come from above. Therefore,

3. Go to God, and earnestly beg for this wisdom, that you may know his mind, and the meaning of the rod. Do as Rebekah, when the children struggled in her womb, she went to inquire of the Lord, saying, "Why am I thus?" Gen. xxv. 22. Cry to God to give you this spirit, to teach and enlighten you to see sin in its evil, and the particular evils you are guilty of. This was Job's course in his affliction; "Shew me (says he) wherefore thou contendest with me. That which I see not, teach thou me. Make me to know

my transgression and my sin." There is no better way for a prisoner to know the reason of his confinement, than to ask the magistrate that committed him. God is a wise agent, and can give the best account of his own actions.

4. If thou canst not find out the particular sin for which God afflicts thee, then labour to repent of every known sin, and cry for pardon of every unknown and forgotten sin also. Do that out of wisdom, which Herod did out of malice, who, because he could not find out the babe Jesus, killed all the children of Bethlehem, that he might be sure to kill Jesus among them. Let us seek the utter ruin and death of all our sins, that we may be sure to destroy that sin for which God afflicts us.

5. Study to exercise a strong faith, and a humble submission, while God keeps you under the silent rod. Believe firmly, that God is most just, though you know

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