right application of them, according to the emer gencies of life.

Firft, I do thankfully record the gracious defign of the holy and wife God, in that he had fecretly prepared my heart, though at that time, I knew not particularly for what. I remember, that for fome few weeks before, I had found a more than ordinary largenefs and readinefs of foul; particularly, that I had been studying the excellent myftery, and fucking out the ftrengthning marrow of that famous text, 1. John iv. 8. God is love; from whence, I had importunately preft upon myself the reasonableness of complying fweetly, chearfully, univerfally with the will of God; little dreaming then of the plague, which was almost an hundred miles of me. Oh bleffed and merciful God, who of old, didst make Abraham, and yet makeft his and thy children to follow thee, though they know not well whither.

In the next place, I count it moft worthy of my obfervation, (not unworthy of your confideration) that it pleafed God to feize upon my family, in the beginning of harveft; a harveft, which I had too earnestly expected, too carefully provided for, and promifed myself too libcrally from; which folly and vanity of mind, this vifitation thus timed, did as clearly convince me of, methought, as if I had seen an hand writing upon the wall. I am afhamed, yet I will not stick to confefs before all the world (God grant it may be for the feasonable and effectual warning of any) that my vainer mind was over pleafantly (not to fay eagerly) drawn out towards fecular and worldly (however neceffary) employments and con. cernments: and thus I was rebuked.

Upon examination, I find, that verily, I have been guilty concerning my children. I do not remember, that ever any man reproved me for immoderate loving of them, or could for any indulgence that could be by human eyes difcerned. But oh, I fee

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and feel it as a fword at my heart, that I loved them not fo purely, fpiritually, and properly in God, as I ought to have done. Philofophy will easily prove it to be a more tolerable vanity to doat upon a child, than upon a kingdom. But chriftian divinity doth abundantly demonftrate all creature-fondness, unreafonable and intollerable.

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The next thing that I will record fhall be, the difficult task that I found to maintain a right humble, and a right chearful frame at the fame time: oh how oft and how long did I labour under this difficulty! that fense of fin which was called in to promote tenderness of heart, being over much indulged, was ready at length to deftroy that largenefs and chearfulness of foul which was fo much my duty and interest to maintain and on the other hand, the fense of divine wifdom, grace, and love in Chrift Jefus being called in to keep up the foul from finking, was ready to bear it up fo high as that it almost forgot that it was in the waters. Beware, Chriftians, and watch diligently, that godly forrow doth not fettle into an ungodly defpondency and inconfolable heavinefs; the foul not being able to bear up under its own burden, and that a holy chearfulness and ferenity do not evaporate into an unholy frothinefs and forgetfulness of your infirmities, the foul not being able to manage its own metal and motions.

I know you would willingly understand fomething of the frame of my heart at that day, refpective to my departure out of this world; you will beft read my heart in the enfuing difcourfe, upon 2 Cor. v. 6. which I think was fetched from thence. I fhall therefore fay no more as to this matter; only acquaint you with one eminent experience relating hereunto: my mind, or fancy, or appetite, I know not well what to call it, was fometimes exciting in me fome defires to live yet longer; I entered the lifts with this temptation, and when I had fairly and calmly debated the

ground

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Welcome to the PLAGUE.

AMOS iv. 12.

PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD, O ISRAEL.

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N this fermon of the prophet, the Lord reckons up the many fearful plagues wherewith from time to time he had effayed to

reclaim this perverse people, the ten tribes of Ifrael, beginning at the fixth verse: But ftill concludes the relation, with a doleful Epiphonema, yet have ye not returned unto me. It is not my bufinefs to enquire into the feveral plagues, either the clear meaning of them, or the particular time when they took place or ended; nor into the impenitence and turbornnefs of the people; though Hubbornny's many

many useful things might be observed from hence. But in the conclufion, because none of the judg ments had prevailed upon them, God refolves to trouble himself with them no longer, but to deftroy them utterly. All that he had done to them in the land, had not prevailed; therefore now he will caft them and carry them out of the land, by the overflowing fcourge of an Affyrian captivity: this threatning he denounces in the fecond and third verses, I will take you away with hooks, and your pofterity with fifb-hooks, &c. And after he had reckoned up the many calamities whereby he had fought to bring them to repentance, but they repented not, and fo had demonstrated the equitablenefs of this final judgment, he re-affumes the fame threatning, and perfists in his former refolution, verse 12. Therefore thus will I do unto thee; and then adds, because I will do thus unto thee, therefore prepare to meet thy God, O Ifrael.

Which words may either be underftod ironically, by way of derifion of all their vain confidences and refuges; and then the doctrine is, that there is no ftanding before, nor ftriving against, nor flying from God when he comes to execute vengeance; which is an excellent truth, and of great use. Or elfe the words may be understood Jeriously by way of exhortation. The doubt feems to arife from the ambiguous meaning of the word [Meet] the word

P fignifies both to meet in a hoftile manner, to affault, invade or grapple with, as a man meets his enemy; fo it is ufed concerning David addreffing himself to fight with Goliah, 1. Sam. xvii. 48. He ran to meet the Philiftine; and alfo to meet in a friendly, amicable manner, by way of com

munication, collocution, falutation or converfe. So it is ufed concerning Ifaac going to meet Rebeccah, Gen. xxiv. 65. and concerning God's meeting of Balaam to speak with him, and impart his mind to him, Numb. xxiii. 3. 4. If we take the word in the firft fenfe, then, it is fpoken by way of irony or derifion, and fo the meaning of the words is contained in the propofition that I have laid down. If we take the words in the latter fenfe, then it is fpoken ferioufly by way of exhortation, and fo the meaning of them may be wrapt up in this

Doct. That it is the duty of God's people to ftudy a right behaviour towards him, and to converse with him aright in the way of his judgments, in the time of their afflictions. And in this fenfe I fhall take them, and profecute them. Befides that general, unalterable godly frame and behaviour which God's people owe to him as a standing duty and indifpenfable homage, there are fome more especial behaviours and tempers which they owe to him in special cafes, and are duties pro hic & nunc, as the season requireth. Particularly, there are fome fpecial behaviours required at our hands in the time of our affliction: and these bot.

1. Towards our felves, as felf-examination, self-judging, renewing of repentance, &c.

2. Towards men, meeknefs, compaffion, inftructing, warning, comforting, &c.

3. Towards God, as we fhall fee anon. An afflicted condition doth call for fome more especial tempers and behaviours towards our felves and others: but these I am not to speak unto from this text. It is the foul's meeting God, behaviour

towards