ed that God was their rock and the high God their Redeemer *.

Both nations in general, and private perfons, are apt to grow remifs and lax in a time of profperity and feeming fecurity, but when their earthly comforts are endangered or withdrawn, it lays them under a kind of neceffity to feek for fomething better in their place. Men must have comfort from one quarter or another, When earthly things are in a pleasing and promifing condition, too many are apt to find their reft, and be fatisfied with them as their own portion. But when the vanity and paffing nature of all created comfort is discovered, they are compelled to look for fomething more durable as well as valuable. What therefore can be more to the praise of God than that, when a whole people have forgotten their refting place, when they have abused their privileges, and defpifed their mercies, they fhould by distress and fufferings be made to bearken to the rod, and return to their duty.

There is an inexpreffible depth and variety in the judgments of God, as in all his other works, but we may lay down this as a certain principle, that if there were no fin there could be no fufferings, therefore they are certainly for the correction of fin, or for the trial, illuftration, and perfecting of the graces and virtues of his own people. We are not to suppose that thofe

Pfal. Ixxviii. 34- 35

thofe who fuffer moft, or who fuffer fooneft, are therefore more criminal than others, Our Saviour himself thought it neceffary to give a caution against this rash conclufion, as we are informed by the evangelift *. Suppose ye that thefe Galileans (whofe blood Pilate had mingled with their facrifices) were finners above all the Galileans, because they suffered fuch things? I tell you nay, but except ye repent ye shall all likewife perish.

I suppose we may fay, with fufficient warrant, that it often happens that those for whom God has defigns of the greatest mercy are first brought to the trial, that they may enjoy in due time the falutary effects of the unpalatable medicine.

I must also take leave to obferve, and I hope no pious humble fufferer will be unwilling to make the application, that there is often a difcernable mixture of fovereignty and righteoufnefs in providential difpenfations. It is the prerogative of God to do what he will with his own, but he often difplays his juftice itfelf, by throwing into the furnace of affliction thofe, who, though they may not be vifibly worfe than others, may yet have more to answer for as having been favoured with more diftinguished privileges both civil and facred. It is impoffible for us to make a juft and full comparison of the characters either

of perfons or nations, and it would be extremely foolish for any to attempt it, either for increafing their own fecurity, or impeaching the juftice of the fupreme Ruler. Let us therefore neither forget the truth, nor go beyond it. His mercy fills the earth: he is also known by the judgment which he executeth. The wrath of man, in its moft tempeftuous rage, fulfils his will and finally promotes the good of his church.

3. The wrath of man praises God, as he fets bounds to it, or reftrains it by his providence, and fometimes makes it evidently a means of promoting and illuftrating his glory.

There is no part of divine Providence in which a greater beauty and majefty appears, than when the almighty Ruler turns the counfels of wicked men into confufion, and makes them militate against themfelves. If the pfalmift may be thought to have a view in this text to the truths illuftrated in the two former obfervations, there is no doubt at all that he had a particular view to this, as he fays in the latter part of the verfe, the remainder of wrath thou halt refrain. The fcripture abounds with inftances in which the defigns of oppreffors were either wholly disappointed, or in execution fell far fhort of the malice of their intentions, and in fome they turned out to the honour and happinefs of the perfons or the people whom they intended to deftroy. We have an inftance of

the

the first of thefe in the hiftory to which my text relates *. We have also an inftance in Efther in which the moft mifchievous defigns of Ha man, the son of Hamedatha the Agagite, againft Mordecai the Jew, and the nation from which he fprung, turned out to his own deftruction, the honour of Mordecai, and the falvation and peace of his people. From the new teftament I will make choice of a memorable event, on which the falvation of believers in every age refts as its foundation, the death and fufferings of the Son of God. This the great adverfary and all his agents and inftruments profecuted with unrelenting rage. When they had blacken ed him with flander, when they scourged him with fhame, when they had condemned him in judgment, and nailed him to the cross, how could they help esteeming their victory com pleat? But, the unfearchable wisdom of God! they were but perfecting the great defign laid for the falvation of finners. Our bleffed Redeemer by his death finished his work, overcame principalities and powers, and made a fhew of them openly, triumphing over them in his crofs. With how much juftice do his apostles and their companions offer this doxology to God. They lift up their voice to God with one accord, and faid, Lord, thou art God which haft made heaven and earth and the fea, and

1

*The matter is fully ftated and reafoned upon by the. prophet Isaiah, chap. x..5—19.

and all that in them is: who by the mouth of thy fervant David haft faid, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth food up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Chrift. For of a truth against thy holy child Jefus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Ifrael, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counjel determined before to be done*.

In all after-ages, in conformity to this, the deepest laid contrivances of the prince of darknefs have turned to the confufion of their author. And I know not but, confidering his malice and pride, this perpetual disappointments, and the fuperiority of divine wisdom, may be one great fource of his fuffering and torment. The cross has ftill been the banner of truth, under which it hath been carried through the world. Perfecution has been as the furnace to the gold to purge it of its drofs, to manifeft its purity and encrease its luftre. It was taken notice of very early, that the blood of the martyrs was the feed of chriflianity. The more abundantly it was fhed the more plentifully did the harvest grow.

So certain has this appeared, that the moft violent infidels, both of early and of later ages, have endeavoured to account for it, and have obferved,

Acts iv. 24--28.