to thee as they were then, with what motions or difpofitions of foul thou fhouldest receive them; and reafon thyfelf into the fame temper and habitude of thankfulness, as then thou hadft. By this keeping the memory of thefe Afflictions and thefe deliverances fresh under all its circumftances, thou wilt with them, and in the fame degree as thy remembrance is of them, revive and excite, and preferve and keep alive, and quick and active, the fame gratitude, the fame humility, the fame obedience, the fame vigilance that these Afflictions or thefe deliverances wrought in thee, when they were fresh with thee or upon thee. The vigorous perpetuating of the remembrance of them will be an effectual means to perpetuate the due fruit of them in their life, vigour, and intention.

A GOOD

A GOOD METHOD

TO ENTERTAIN1

UNSTABLE AND TROUBLESOME TIMES.

THE firft expedient is to expect them before they come: The very state of the world is uncertain and unstable, and for the most part stormy and troublesome; if there be fome intervals of tranquillity and fedatenefs, they are commonly attended with longer periods of unquietnefs and trouble; and the greatest impreffions are then made by them, when they furprise us, and come unexpected. When the mind is prepared for them by a kind of anticipation, it abates the edge, and keennefs and sharpness of them. By this means a man, in a great measure, knows the worft of them before he feels them, which renders the very incumbence 2 of them not fo fmart and troublesome to fenfe, as otherwife they would be. This pre-apprehenfion and anticipation of troubles and difficulties is the mother of prevention, where it is poffible; and where it is not, yet it is the mother of patience and refolution when they come. Bilney, the Martyr, was wont, before he fuffered, to put his finger in the candle, to habituate himself to a patient undergoing of his future martyrdom; by this means, he in a great meafure knew the wort of it, and armed himfelf with refolution and patience to bear it. Men are apt to feed their fancies with the anticipation of what they hope for and wifh in this world, and to poffefs it in imagination before they at⚫ weight.

! To bear with.

tain it in fruition; and this makes men vain but if they would have the patience fometimes to anticipate what they have juft caufe to fear, and to put themfelves under a pre-apprehenfion of it, in relation to croffes and troubles, it would make them wife, and teach them a leffon of patience and moderation, before they have occafion to use it; fo that they need not then begin to learn it, when the prefent and incumbent preffure renders the leffon more difficult. This was the method our bleffed Lord took with his Difciples, frequently to tell them before-hand what they must expect in the world 1, and in divers other places, telling them, they must expect in this world the worft of temporal evils, that they might thereby be prepared to entertain them with refolution and patience, and might habituate their minds for their reception.

2. The fecond expedient is, that we use all diligence to gain fuch a treafure as lies above the reach of the ftorms of this world; a kingdom that cannot be fhaken; namely, cur peace with God in Chrift, the pardon of our fins, and a well-grounded hope and affurance of eternal life. These be things that lie out of gun-fhot, and will render the greatest troubles that can befal this lower world, or us in it, not only tolerable, but fmall and inconfiderable, when in the midst of all the concuffions of this world, in the midft of loffes of goods or estate, in the midst of storms and confusions, and disasters, and calamities, a man can have fuch deep and fettled confiderations as thefe: Though I can fee "nothing but confufions, and little hopes of their amendment, yet I have that which is out of the reach of all thefe; that which is infinitely more valuable to me, than all the beft the world can give; that which I can please and comfort myself in, notwithstanding all thefe worldly distractions and fears; namely, the • affurance of my peace with the great God of Heaven Matth. x.

' and

and Earth. The worst that I can fuffer by these dif compofures, and the moft I can fear from them, is but death; and that will not only put a period to the things I fuffer, or can fear in this life, but will let me 'into the actual poffeffion of my hopes, even fuch a 'ftate of glory and happiness as can never be ended nor 'fhaken. Such a hope, and fuch an affurance as this will keep the foul above water, and in a state of and tranquillity in all the tempefts and fhipwrecks that can befall either this inferior world, or any person in it.

peace

3. The third expedient is this, that a man be refolvedly conftant to keep a good confcience, both before the approach of troubles, and under them. It is most certainly true, that the very fting and venom of all croffes and troubles, is fin, and a confcioufnefs of the

guilt of it. This is that which gives troubles and croffes, and calamities their vigour, force, and fharpness; it is the elixir, the very life of them, when a man fhall be under extreme outward calamities, lofs of goods, lofs of liberty, lofs of country, all outward hopes failing, and ftill greater billows, and waves and ftorms, and fears in profpect, and within an angry, unquiet, avenging confcience, then indeed troubles have their perfection of malignity. But if a man in the midst of all thefe black and stormy appearances, hath a confcience full of peace, and integrity, and comfortable atteftation, this gives a calm in the midst of all these ftorms; and the reafon is apparent, for it is not the tempeftuoufnefs or tranquillity of externals, that creates the trouble or the quietnefs of the man, but it is the mind, and that state of compofure or difcompofure that the mind is put into occafionally from them: and fince there is nothing in the world that conduceth more to the compofure and tranquillity of the mind, than the ferenity and clearness of the confcience, keep but that fafe and untainted, the mind will enjoy a calm and tranquillity in the midst of all the ftorms of the world: and although the waves

beat,

beat, and the fea works, and the winds blow, that mind that hath a quiet and clear confcience within, will be as ftable and as fafe from perturbation, as a rock in the midst of a tempeftuous fea, and will be a Gofben to and within itfelf, when the reft of the world without, and round about a man, is like an Egypt for plagues and darknefs. If therefore, either before the access or irruption of troubles, or under their preffure, any thing or perfon in the world folicit thee to eafe or deliver thyfelf by a breach or wound of thy confcience, know they are about to cheat thee of thy beft fecurity. under God, against the power and malignity of troubles; they are about to clip off that lock, wherein next under God thy ftrength lieth. Whatever therefore thou doft hazard or lofe, keep the integrity of thy confcience both before the accefs of troubles, and under them. It is a jewel that will make thee rich in the midst of poverty; a fun that will give thee light in the midst of darkness; a fortrefs that will keep thee fafe in the greatest danger, and that is never to be taken, unless thou thyfelf betray it, and deliver it up.

4. The next expedient is this; namely, an affurance that the Divine wisdom, power and providence, doth dif pofe, govern, and order all the things in the world, even thofe that feem most confufed, irregular, tumultuous, and contumacious. This, as it is a moft certain truth, fo it is a moft excellent expedient to compofe and fettle the mind, especially of fuch a man who truly loves and fears this great God, even under the blackest and most difmal troubles and confufions; for it must most neceffarily give a found, prefent, and practical argument of patience and contentation: for even thefe black difpenfations are under the government and management of the most wife and powerful God. Why fhould I, that am a foolish vain creature, that scarce fee to any distance before me, take upon me to cenfure these difpenfations, to ftruggle impatiently with them, to dif