his people, and evidence they are his fheep. They aim at obeying his voice, in his name and itrength: and the day comes wherein he will fave them completely.

Confid. 2. "That his people are a fafe people: they "have the chambers that belong to them, for their

fafety in days of trouble: Come thou into thy cham"bers." Belides the protection of their God, his name and arms, where they are, as in a caftle, fafe and fure indeed; for, “As the mountains are about Jerufalem, fo the Lord is round about his people:" they have inward peace, and the teftimony of a good confcience, which is a heartfome chamber, like a dry house in a rainy-day: "And the peace of God, that paffeth all understanding, fhall keep your hearts and minds through Chrift Jefus," Phil. iv. 7.: even keep them as in a garrifon, as the original word fignifies.

Confid. 3. "That their fafety from the ftorm lies in keeping within their chambers, and keeping their "chamber-doors fhut." Whenever they go out of their chambers, they are expofed; for, in that cafe, when God strikes the wicked, they fhall not be spared, any more than the rest. They must not only enter into their chambers, but abide within doors; and not only fo, but fhut the doors, left the purfuer, the devil, come into them: they are to bar him out, as it were. This points out the neceffity, not only of having faith, but of living by faith, and living a life of clofs dependence upon

a God in Christ.

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Confid. 4. That the troubles and trials of the church and children of God, are but for a fhort time, "but for a moment; yea, as it were, but a little moment, and the indignation fhall overpass: the indig"nation of man against them, and the indignation of "God; his fatherly anger, and the effects thereof: "and then you fhall be fet at liberty." The longest period of time here is but a moment, when compared with everlasting life. And what the worse will he be, who hath fuffered longer, than they who have fuffered a fhorter time? he that hath fuffered feven years, than he that hath fuffered feven days? Nay, the gold glances the finer, the longer it hath been in the fire.Therefore, this fhould make you not at all to grudge

or

you

or repine. You are not to think that it is good for to be quit of affliction; for then you would think yourself well, and would not defire another heaven; but he orders affliction, that you may long for the place where there is no more affliction. But they who get all their pleasure, let them not look for another heaven herealter; for it will be told them, they have got their heaven here on earth; "Thou enjoyedfi thy good things." But happy they who bear afflictions dutifully! It is good reaíon you be ufed as your maller was before you, yet your affliction will not last long: though you get many a ftormy day, yet a fair one is coming, that will make you think little of all you fuffered. When once you come to the upper chambers of God's hufe, it will be no grief of heart to you in heaven, that you fuffered fo long upon earth; it will appear but a moment when the indignation is overpaft.

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Confid. 5. That the fear of the Lord's coming to punish the earth, the world, for their iniquity, is a good motive even to God's people to fly into their "chambers, and hide themfelves. Do it, fays the text; "For, bebold the Lord cometh out of his place." Because if they fly not out of the way, they may get a part of the fhower and ftorm. When the Lord rained down the great halftones upon the Egyptians, all that were out of their houses were deftroyed; and they that left their beafs in the field went not thither to bring them off, all was deftroyed: fo, if you be out of your chambers, God will not fpare you; therefore this fhould be a motive to fly. The fear of that hell that is coming upon the wicked, both in this life and the life to come, will be a motive to his people, who, though they be fecured from hell; and ought not to have the flavish fear of that, yet are to fear that God who can deftroy both foul and body.

Confid. 6. "That it is a terrible thing when God comes out of his place to punish men: Behold the Lord "cometh out of his place." It is obferved by one, That God's place is the mercy-feat; there he delights to fit and dwell between the cherubims, and there he is all mercy; but, when he comes out of his place, and, as it were, leaves the mercy-feat, and be

takes

takes himself to the judgment-feat, there he appears as an abfolute God, a terrible God; there he takes no pleafure to be; "As I live, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked," Ezek. xxxiii. 11. But, when he is provoked thus to come out of his place, then he is all wrath, and nothing but a confuming fire. And, alas! what a terrible thing is it, to fee God out of his place, punishing and destroying finners, raining the first drops of hell upon them here, to prefage the everlasting florm of wrath that is to blow upon them! Confider, O finner, what cafe thou wilt be in, when caft into the lake which burns with fire and brimftone! It is a bottomlefs pit; and, when thou art cast into it, thou wilt constantly be falling down, and never find a bottom; and always the farther thou goeft down, the more hot, and the more unable wilt thou be to endure it. And, as long as God lives, thou art to live in that cafe, who live and die out of Chrift. Alas! "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God;" and to behold him coming out of his place!

Confid. 7. "That few, very few, will escape when "the Lord arifes to punish; for, he is to punish the "inhabitants of the earth." Now, who are the inhabitants of the earth? and, who are there amongst us that are not the inhabitants of the earth? What, fay you! are none to efcape? To this we reply: A man is faid to dwell where his heart dwells, and to be, not where he is, but where he loves, and where his heart is. These are properly the inhabitants of the earth, whofe hearts inhabit and dwell fixedly upon the earth; and fo they only efcape that have their hearts in heaven, their converfation in heaven, their burgessship in heaven, Philip. iii. 20.; where thefe who have their converfation and burgefsfhip in heaven, are fet in oppofition to these who mind earthly things, and whofe end is deftruction. They then who fhall efcape the punishment here threatened, are not burgeffes in this world; their heart is not here below. But they who have their heart fet upon earth, they will perish together with the perishing things their heart is fet upon : they ne ver defire to have their hearts elsewhere than upon the world; nor are they uneafy because they want hea

venly hearts. I fuppofe this may be a trying thing to moft part here. Perhaps, when you fend your heart once to heaven, you fend it twenty times to the world: if you fend your heart heavenward on the Sabbath-day, it may be you fcarce do fo till Sabbath come again: and therefore I mightily fear you be of the inhabitants of the earth here spoken of, that are to be punished. A child of God may have much of a worldly heart, but then it is a burden to him, and a fore trouble; a difeafe he feeks unto Jefus for healing of. However, thofe inhabitants of the earth here spoken of, are oppofed to the people of God fpoken of in the former verfe; "Come, my people."

Confid. 8. "That God hath juft caufe to punifh when "he arifes out of his place to do fo. He comes to pu"nish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity." Wherefore is it? For their iniquity. He will not punish without just cause, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" He will declare their faults to them, and let them fee it is for iniquity; that it is for their iniquity, their own wickednefs; Thine own wickednefs fhall correct thee, and thy backflidings fhall reprove thee," Jer. ii. 19. Obferve then, that God's judgments are juft, and finners fhall be obliged to confefs it; and none shall be able to fay at the day of judgment, I have got wrong, I have got injuftice: for that court is not like the courts among us, whether civil or ecclefiaftic, from which fome will come, faying, I have got a fhameful wrong done me this day. But none fhall have that to fay here. As there is no appeal from God's court, fo none fhall have cause of complaint that injustice hath been done to them; nay, rather fhall they have it to fay, Ah! it was highly equitable, and a righteous fentence upon me; for how often have I been warned. of this doleful day by the minifters of Christ, and told of all that is now come upon me; but I thought nothing of it, and delayed and fhifted the grand concern! Their confcience fhall condemn them; "Every mouth fhall be ftopped, and all the inhabitants of the world become guilty before God," and be forced to fubfcribe to the equity of their doom, and justice of the fentence. He punishes for their iniquity.

Confid. 9. "That heaven and earth will join together

SER. CVI. in condemning the wicked and ungodly, when God comes out of his place to punith them; For the earth "fball difclofe her blood, and fhall no more cover ber flain." All the wrongs and bloody fins that have been committed on the earth, from age to age, fhall be difclofed, by the earth itself bearing witnefs to the wickednefs done in it; as it is faid, Jofh. xxiv. 17. " Behold, this ftone fhall be a witnefs unto us: for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us; it fhall be a witness to you, left ye deny your God." So it may be faid, the earth hath feen and heard all the wickednefs done upon it: and by the recognition of confcience it fhall witness and teftify against the finner. As the Lord, the omniscient God, will reveal the whole matter, even the faults that men thought were quite out of mind, their twenty, thirty, forty, or fifty years old wickedness laid as fair and frelh before them as it was the hour wherein it was committed; fo the earth fhall bear witnefs and difclofe all the fins that feemed to be buried in it; for, with the refurrection of the bodies of the wicked, there will be a refurrection of fins. In a manner, the earth will vomit up what it fwallowed down, and behoved to bear fo long in its breaft. God will tell you the place where you committed your whoredom. The wall and timber of the houfe will bear witness against you. Take heed, drunkard, the day will come when God will make the table you fit at ftand up, as it were, in your view, and bear witnefs against you. Take heed adulterer, God will make the bed to rife and witness against you. None but they that have a good Advocate and a good confcience fhall efcape. The earth will difclofe the blood that hath been fhed in Scotland; the bloody fhambles will rife and witness against the perfecutors. The earth fhall no more cover her flain, when the Lord comes out of his place.

Confid. 10. "That the time of the Lord's coming "to judgment is not here specified; not only to fhew "that we know not how near hand the avenging ftroak "is, but alfo to fhew that the Lord is not yet away "out of his place; he is not yet rifen up in his wrath, "but as yet upon his mercy-feat." His judgments may be very near indeed; for much barrennefs is

amongst