their religion to revile them, when once they have turned to some sect that is possessed by the malicious spirit, (especially the Papists and Quakers are famous for such language of reproach: though the former excel the latter much in the slandering part, and the latter excel in the open bawling and incivility of speech.)

And O that we could stop here, and could not remember how faithfully and honestly some have seemed to love and obey the word of God, and to delight in the communion of saints, that by seducers have been brought to deny the Divine authority of the Scriptures, and to turn their backs on all God's public ordinances of worship, and excommunicate themselves from the society of the saints, and vilify or deny the works of the Spirit in them! Little did these men once think themselves, whither they should fall, under the conceit of rising higher: and little would they have believed him that had told them what a change they would make. Had these men known themselves in time, and known what tinder and gunpowder was in their hearts, they would have walked more warily, and it is likely have escaped the snare; but they fell into it, because they feared it not: and they feared it not, because they knew not or observed not, how prone they were to be infected.

2. Little do many think in their adversity, or low estate, what seeds are in their hearts, which prosperity would turn into very odious, scandalous sins, unless their vigilancy, and a special preservation, do prevent it. Many a man that in his shop, or at his plough, is censuring the great miscarriages of his superiors, doth little think how bad he might prove, if he were in the place of those he censureth. Many a poor man that freely talks against the luxury, pride, and cruelty of the rich, doth little think how like them he should be, if he had their temptations and estates. How many persons that lived in good repute for humility, temperance, and piety, have we seen turn proud, and sensual, and ungodly, when they have been exalted! I would mention no man's case by way of insulting or reproach, but by way of compassion, and in order to their repentance that survive. I must say that this age hath given us such lamentable instances, as should make all our hearts to ache and fear, when we consider the crimes and their effects. Would the persons that once

walked with us in the ways of peace, and concord, and obedience, have believed that man that should have foretold them twenty years ago, how many should be puffed up and deluded by successes, and make themselves believe, by the ebullition of pride, that victories authorized them to deny subjection to the higher powers, and by right or wrong to take down all that stood in their way, and to take the government into their own hands, and to depose their rightful governors, never once vouchsafing to ask themselves the question that Christ asked, Luke xii. 14, "Man, who made me a judge, or a divider over you?" As if authority had been nothing but strength, and he had the best right to govern, that could make the greatest force to compel obedience. Little were the seeds of all this evil discerned in the heart, before prosperity and success did cherish them, and bring them to that, which with grief we have long observed. They would have said as Hazael, "Am I a dog that I should do this?" If one had told them before, that when God hath charged every soul to be subject on pain of condemnation, and they had vowed fidelity, they should break all these bonds of commands and vows; and all because they were able to do it: when they would not justify him that should do any mischief to themselves, and think it warrantable because he was able: when the ministers of the Gospel, and their dearest friends, bore witness against the sin, the heart could not, by all this be brought to perceive its guilt; or that it was any sin to overturn, overturn, overturn, till they had overturned all, and left not themselves a bough to stand upon. And how hardly to this day, do the notable discoverings of God, and the plainness of his word, and the continued witness of his servants, prevail for kindly true repentance! The unrighteous usage of magistracy and ministry, and the licentious indulgence of the open enemies and revilers of both, and of all the ordinances and churches of the Lord, do proclaim aloud to all that fear God,The depths and deceits of the heart are wonderful, and you little think what an hour of temptation may discover in you, or bring you to: O therefore know yourselves, and fear, and watch.'

3. A man that in adversity is touched with penitent and mortifying considerations, and strongly resolveth how holily and diligently he will live hereafter, if he be recovered or

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delivered from his suffering, doth ofttimes little think what a treacherous heart he hath, and how little he may retain of all this sense of sin or duty, when he is delivered, and that he will be so much worse than he seemed or promised, as that he may have cause to wish he had been afflicted still. O how many sick-bed promises are as pious as we can desire, that wither away and come to almost nothing, when health hath scattered the fears that caused them! How with that great imprisoned Lord, do, as it were, write the story of Christ upon their prison walls, that forget him when they are set at liberty! How many are tender-conscienced in a low estate, that when they are exalted, and converse with great ones, do think that they may waste their time in idleness and needless scandalous recreations, and be silent witnesses of the most odious sins from day to day; and pray God be merciful to them when they go to the house of Rimmon; and dare scarcely own a downright servant, or hated and reproached cause of God! O what a preservative would it be to us in prosperity, to know the corruption of our hearts, and foresee in adversity what we are in danger of! We should then be less ambitious to place our dwellings on the highest ground, and more fearful of the storms that there must be expected. How few are there (to a wonder) that grow better by worldly greatness and prosperity! Yea, how few that hold their own, and grow not worse! And yet how few are there (to a greater wonder) that refuse, or that desire not this perilous station, rather than to stand safer on the lower ground! Verily, the lamentable fruits of prosperity, and the mutability of men that make great professions and promises in adversity, should make the best of us jealous of our hearts, and convince us that there is greater corruption in them, than most are acquainted with, that are never put to such a trial. The height of prosperity shews what the man is indeed, as much as the depth of adversity.

Would one have thought that had read of Hezekiah's earnest prayer in his sickness, and the miracle wrought to signify his deliverance, (2 Kings xx. 2, 3. 9,) and of his written song of praise, (Isa. xxxviii,) that yet Hezekiah's heart should so deceive him, as to prove unthankful? You may see by his expressions, his high resolutions to spend his life in the praise of God, "The living, the living, he shall praise

thee, as I do this day: the fathers to the children shall make known thy truth. The Lord was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the Lord!" (Isa. xxxviii. 19, 20.) Would you think that a holy man, thus wrapt up in God's praise, should yet miscarry, and be charged with ingratitude? And yet in 2 Chron. xxxii. 25, it is said of him, "But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem." And God was fain to bring him to a review, and humble him for being thus lifted up, as the next words shew, (ver. 26.) Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart." O sirs, what Christian that ever was in a deep affliction, and hath been recovered by the tender hand of mercy, hath not found how false a thing the heart is, and how little to be trusted in its best resolutions, and most confident promises! Hezekiah still remained a holy faithful man; but yet thus failed in particulars and degrees. Which of us can say, who have had the most affecting and engaging deliverances, that ever our hearts did fully answer the purposes and promises of our afflicted state! and that we had as constant sensible thanksgivings after, as our complaints and prayers were before! Not I; with grief I must say, Not I, though God hath tried me many a time. Alas, we are too like the deceitful Israelites, (Psal. lxxviii. 34.) " When he slew them, then they sought him; and they returned and inquired after God: and they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their Redeemer. Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues: for their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant. Prosperity oft shews more of the hypocrisy of the unsound, and the infirmity of the upright, than appeared in adversity. When we feel the strong resolutions of our hearts to cast off our sin, to walk more thankfully and fruitfully, and accurately with God than we have done, we can hardly believe that ever those hearts should lose so much of those affections and resolutions, as in a little time we find they do. Alas, how quickly and insensibly do we slide into our former insensibility, and into our dull and heavy fruitless course, when once the pain and fear is gone! And then when the

next affliction comes, we are confounded and covered with shame, and have not the confidence with God in our prayers and cries as we had before, because we are conscious of our covenant-breaking and backsliding; and at last we grow so distrustful of our hearts, that we know not how to believe any promises which they make, or how to be confident of any evidence of grace that is in them; and so we lose the comfort of our sincerity, and are cast into a state of too much heaviness and unthankful denial of our dearest mercies: And all this comes from the foul, unexpected relapses, and coolings, and declinings of the heart that comes not up. to the promises we made to God in our distress.

But if exaltation be added to deliverance, how often doth it make the reason drunk, so that the man seems not the same! If you see them drowned in ambition, or worldly cares or pleasures; if you see how boldly they can play with the sin, that once they would have trembled at; how powerful fleshly arguments are with them; how strangely they now look at plain-hearted, zealous, heavenly Christians, whose case they once desired to be in; and how much they are ashamed or afraid, to appear openly for an opposed cause of Christ, or openly to justify the persons that he justifieth, as if they had forgot that a day is coming, when they will be loath that Christ should be ashamed of them, and refuse to justify them, when the grand accuser is pleading for their condemnation! I say, if you see these men in their prosperity, would you not ask with wonder, Are these the men that lately in distress, did seem so humble, penitent, and sincere: that seemed so much above these vanities: that could speak with so much contempt of all the glory and pleasures of the world: and with so much pity of those vertiginous men, that they now admire?'

O what pillars have been shaken by prosperity! What promises broken! What sad eruptions of pride and worldliness! What openings and sad discoveries of heart, doth this alluring, charming trial make! And why is it that men know not themselves when they are exalted, but because they did not sufficiently know themselves when they were brought low, nor suspected enough the purposes and promises of their hearts, in the day of their distress!

4. We would little think, when the heart is warmed and raised even to heaven, in holy ordinances, how cold it will.