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his complaint; and yet again the third time, how long shall they utter and speak hard things? How Long, cries Jeremiah, shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet? and Zechariah, O Lord of Hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy or Jerusalem, and on the cities of Judah? The souls under the altar, cry with a loud voice, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not avenge our blood on them that dwell on earth? Verily, God doth keep his people sometimes so long under their pres-sures, that they begin at length even to give themselves up to despair, and to conclude they shall never see deliverance. Thus you find not only the common multitude of the Jews in the Babylonian captivity, con− cluding desperately, Our bones are dried, our hope is lost, we are cut off for our parts: dry bones may as well live, as our captivity have an end; but even the prophet Jeremiah himself, They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me; he seems to himself to be in the condition of a man that is dead and buried, and the grave stone rolled to the mouth of the sepulchre; a metaphor expressing an hopeless and desperate condition; yea, hence it is that when deliverance is nigh, they cannot believe it, though a prophet of God, or an angel from heaven should report it. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion; for the time to favour her, yea the fet time is come, fings some one that lived near the expiration of the seventy years captivity; and yet in the mean time the L

Jews reply as before, Our bones are dried, our hope is lost, we are cut off for our parts: as much as to say, tell not us of God's arifing: we shall never see Sion again, we are but dead men. Observe it by the way, they that would not believe the captivity while it was in the threatening, would not believe deliverance when it was in the promise; a just judgment upon them, that they that would not believe God threatening, should not believe God promising. But that is not all, deliverance was so incredible after so long a captivity, that they could not believe it when they saw it; When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we are like them that dream; they knew not (as it fared with Peter,) whether it was true, or whether they saw a vision only; is this a real deliverance? or are we in a dream only ?-Our Saviour tells us, that when the Son of man shall come (i. e. with particular deliverances to his church) he shall not find faith on the earth; there will not be faith enough in the people to believe it, by reason of the long pressure and persecutions that have been upon them..

Now, what is the reason that God suffers affliction to lie so long upon the backs of his children; truly one is, because they have lived so long in sin; they have been long a sinning, and therefore God is long a correcting: God puts them to THEIR how longs, because they have put God to HIS how longs. How long refuse ye to keep my commandments, and my laws?. How long will this people provoke me? and how long

will it be ere they believe? How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? How long will it be ere they attain to innocency? And truly if they have made God complain of THEIR how-longs, no wonder if God make them complain of HIS. But then again, another and the main reason is, because the work is not yet done; they do not receive instruction by their correction, else affliction would quickly cease. God giveth not a blow, he draws not a drop of blood, more then needs. For a season if needs be, ye are in heaviness: if there be heaviness, there is need of it; and if heaviness continue long, there is need of it. It is not to gratify their enemies, that God keeps them so long under their lash, but to teach them; not that God afflicts willingly, but that he may do them good in their latter end. Then they shall stay no longer for their deliverance; God opens the prison doors, and throws the rod into the fire; and infinite mercy it is that they are not delivered till they are bettered; that God will not cease chastening till they are willing to cease sinning; saying, I have borne afflictions, I will offend no more.

9. Notice from hence, what unteachable creatures we are by nature, who will not set our hearts to receive instruction, till we be whipped to it by the rod of correction, and hardly then neither; unless God multiply stripes, it is not multiplying of precepts that will do us good; there must be stripe upon stripe, and affliction upon affliction, as well as line upon line, and precept upon precept, or else it is in vain. We should

say, that were a very bad child that will be taught no longer than the rod is upon his back! Such are we; we are so unteachable that we put God, as it were, to study what methods and courses to take with us. How shall I do for the daughter of my people'? I will melt them and try them, &c.

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10, and lastly. It sheweth us on the contrary, how much gracious hearts are in love with the word, for the improvement of their spiritual knowledge, when they can put such an estimate upon their sufferings, and account that their blessing which other men call their misery; Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest and teachest. The psalmist in another place speaketh warmly to this purpose; it is good for me that I have been afflicted; why?"that I might learn thy statutes. He loveth the word so dearly, that for the word's sake, he is in love with affliction: the whip, the rod, the prison, the wilderness, any thing, is precious that brings instruction with it. Carnal people can be content to die in their ignorance, so that they may die in their nest; whereas gracious hearts think not much to go to school to a bridewell; and even while the blood is running down the back, can say, it is, good, because they are taught by it. O the different account that grace and nature make of the same dispensation! It is proud disdain to scorn to be taught by the lowest of God's ushers: the treasure is precious though in an earthen vessel. There are none too old, none too wise, none too high, to be put into the meanest school on this side heaven;

I have done with the use of information, I come now in the second place to the use of exhortation.1. Such as are yet free from sufferings.-2. Such as are under sufferings, and-3. Such are come out of a suffering condition.

I. The first branch of exhortation is to such as through the patience and forbearance of God are yet free from chastisement and affliction; the candle of the Almighty doth shine in their tabernacle, and wash. their steps in butter. Now, would ye prevent chastisement, and keep off the strokes of divine displea sure from yourselves or families? Let me commend unto you, a two-fold caution from this doctrine.

1. If you would prevent chastisements, study these and the like lessons well, while ye are under the. teachings of the word: therefore doth God send us into the school of affliction, because we have been non-proficients in the school of the gospel; because we will not hear the word, God turns us over to a severer discipline, and to have our ears bored with affliction ; and then saith God, now hear the rod, and who hath appointed it. O my beloved, labour I beseech you, to profit much by the teachings of Jesus Christ in the gospel; set your hearts to all truths and counsels of God revealed to you therein. The gospel is the model or platform of sound words, able to make you sound christains, wise to salvation; O let your profiting be made known unto all men. In special, set you hearts to those instructions or lessons first propounded; for、

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