upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. A sad case! A Heathen shipmaster challenging a godly prophet for his neglect of seeking God! He calls him by a shameful, but well-deserved name, O sleeper. The storm came on for Jonah's sake, as he told them, ver. 12.: yet he is the securest person in the ship. He only knew God, yet he is last in calling on him. An honest Pagan may outdo a distempered prophet, in some things, at some times. This sense was expressed greatly by the king, nobles, and inhabitants of Nineveh, Jonah iij. 5,-10. And they again go far beyond Jonah. They believed God on Jonah's preaching, repented, prayed, and fasted; and the Lord repented of the evil. But Jonah was not grieved at all, chap. iv. 1, 2. If it were not for his excellent prayer, chap. ii. and that he was a prophet of the Lord, and the penman of the Holy Ghost, to record his own sin and shame, for the benefit of the church; we should be tempted to question this man's grace, of whose fearful sins we have so large an account. He rebels against the Lord's call to preach to Nineveh. When he flees, the Lord overtakes him by a storm, takes him by the lot; he is cast into the sea, schooled in the whale's belly three days and three nights; a miraculous chastisement, and a miraculous preservation. He now obeys the repeated call. But when his labour had a gracious effect, he is displeased exceedingly, and prays most sinfully. Jonah's instance should teach ministers and Christians to pray more, Lord, lead us not into temptation. As nature's light teacheth afflicted people their need of the Lord's grace and mercy, the word declares it more plainly, James v. 13. ́ Psal. 1. 15. Hos. v. 15. This need of the helping grace of God in affliction, I would instruct in these :

1st, Affliction-sins are readily fallen into without the help of the grace of God. Such sins, I mean, that affliction doth easily and naturally tempt unto; as fretting, impatience, murmuring, and quarrelling with the hand of God. It is sadly and frequently seen, that affliction hath not only brought along with it discovery of sin, but also the actings and workings of more corruption, than either the person himself, or any else, thought was in the man. It was a sad character of a very bad man, 2 Chron. xxviii. 22. And in the time of his distress

did he trespass yet more against the Lord: this is that king Ahaz. This is a man noted for a never-do-well. A brother in the same office, and in the same iniquity, said, Behold this evil is of the Lord; what, should I wait for the Lord any longer? 2 Kings vi. 33.

2dly, Affliction-duties are only practicable by the help of the grace of God. Every cross hath its work, as well as its trial. There is that required and called for in affliction, that craves a special assistance of the grace of God for the doing of it. It is remarkable, that the great duty of the afflicted is expressed by two negatives, Heb. xii. 5. from Prov. iii. 11. My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. What then is the positive duty? It is that which is neither of these two. If the affliction be light, we are apt to despise it; and if it be heavy, we are as apt to faint under it. But, saith the Holy Ghost, see that ye do neither. If it be never so light, do not despise it; if it be never so heavy, faint not under it. And there is no small need of grace to preserve us from those extremes, and to keep us in the right midst.

3dly, The consolations of an afflicted state are very needful, and grace only can furnish us with them. Be ye assured of it, that never did a Christian bear up patiently under God's heavy hand, but by the strong secret working of some consolation. It is true, we value and seek most that consolation that comes in as a great flood of sense, and that doth swallow up the bitterness of affliction. This the Lord can, and sometimes doth give to his people. spring of consolation, that is as in the Lord's way with his children. Of this the apostle speaks in 2 Cor. i. 3, 4, 5. Everlasting consolation, and good hope through grace, are his blessings, 2 Thess. ii. 16, 17.

But there is a secret, silent profitable, and more common

2. Wherein doth the helpfulness of grace consist, in an afflicted

state ?

1st, God's grace helps with light to know God's mind in affliction. It is dreadful to be struck in the dark, when a man neither seeth the path he walks in, nor the hand that smiteth him, nor the weapon he is smote with. The great blessing that grace can help us to, is, to know what the rod

more.

means, what its voice is, who hath appointed it, and what of God's name is written on the rod, Micah vi. 9. Job was very earnest for this light, Job x. 2. I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me. Elihu adviseth him well, Job xxxiv. 31, 32. Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any That which I see not, teach thou me; if I have done iniquity, I will do no more. Many a poor believer has been put to this, that if he had all the world, he would have parted with it, to have known God's mind in his afflictions. Sometimes by the light of the furnace, we come to know our hearts and corruptions, and thereby what God smites for, and calls to. The Lord can, by the teachings of his word and Spirit, and by the wisdom of his providential dispensations, engrave that particular meaning that is in his heart, on the rod that is in his hand, that men may know it. son that is so dealt with. But it is cerely willing to know and admit of God's mind in affliction, than it is to find it out. But his grace can help to both, and the throne of grace should be much plied for both.

And happy is that perindeed harder to be sin

2dly, Grace can give in strength and support under afflic tion: 2 Cor. iv. 16. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. It is a wonderful thing, to see how much pain, sickness, and torment, a poor frail body is able to bear. We think how close and sticking a thing is life, that is not squeezed out by such a stress. Yet the frailty of the flesh, in bearing the distress of the flesh, is a small thing, in regard of the frailty of the heart in bearing of God's rebukes: Prov. xviii. 14. The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear? Yet many have borne it; but surely by divine support. It is the common sense of distressed Christians, that they have been put to bear such burdens; that they thought at first would surely have crushed them. The reason of their wonder is, because the weight of the burden upon them was sensible; but the everlasting arms underneath them and their burden, were not seen, Deut. xxxiii. 27.

3dly, Grace helps in affliction, by enabling the afflicted to believe, that there is love in the afflicter. He saith it, Rev.

iji. 19. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; and he can make us believe it. Nothing but his mighty grace can do it. Nothing is liker anger than affliction, especially when severe. Nothing is more difficult to believe, than that which, to all our sense and reason, is ruining to us, should be in love in him that doth it. Who can believe this without the help of grace? and how great must that help be, that enableth a man to believe so unlikely a thing?

4thly, Grace helps in affliction, by teaching to profit thereby: Heb. xii. 11. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless, afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness, unto them which are exercised thereby. The fruit of sanctified affliction is a great mystery, as all spiritual fruit is. You cannot tell how you profit by the word. I am afraid, that there is but little profiting at all; but they that do profit, cannot tell how they profit. They may see the seed sown, they may find it sown in their hearts, they may perceive its fruits in their worship and walk; but how the grace of God works with the word in making them profit, is too deep for the most discerning Christians. It is some way more mysterious, how the Lord works out profit by afflictions. It is indeed often found, blessed be his name. Many can say with David, Psal. cxix. 67. Before I rvas afficted, I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. Ver. 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. But none can tell how the grace of God makes the bitter seed of affliction bring forth the peaceable fruit of righteousness. And where is that saint, who, when the Lord is writing bitter things against him, and multiplying his wounds, can say in faith, " Now, at this time, and in this manner, the "Lord is sowing that seed in me, that shall spring up in fruits " of righteousness, to his praise, and my certain profit; and "the day will come, wherein I shall bless his name from my "heart, for all the sorrows I now feel and mourn under ?”

I shall say no more of this head of affliction; but only would give you this warning. Afflictions are very common, and much complained of. Some professors spend all the little religion they have upon their afflictions. Take heed to your hearts under afflictions. It is to be bewailed, that many

Christians, their afflictions come on them they know not whence, they lie on them they know not wherefore, and they go off they know not how; that, if I may allude to such sacred words, and apply the phrase to such a sinful frame, afflic tions come on many, and they feel the smart of them, but know not whence they come, nor whither they go. They come on them when they are sent, and go off when they are called; but they neither knew what God meant by them, nor did by them. No Christian can ever make a spiritual and hearty song of praise for afflictions, unless there be some sense or hope of profit thereby. If the profit be seen, the wisdom and love of God in afflicting, will be heartily acknowledged.

V. The fifth time of special need of the grace of God, is, a time of special duty and service to God called for. All the course of our life is to be constant service, We ought to live to his praise. We are made as creatures, and as new creatures, for this end, Isa. xliii. 21. 1 Pet. ii. 9. But there are some seasons in which special work is called for, and then there is great need of grace to help in that hour. It is a mighty word of the preacher, Eccl, viii. 6. Because to every purpose there is time, and judgment; therefore the misery of man is great upon him. And it is only the wise man's heart that discerneth time and judgment, ver. 5, I would name four of those times,

1. The time that men are called to believe on Jesus Christ, and to secure their eternal salvation by a full closing with him. This is a now, a day, an accepted time, a day of salvation, 2 Cor. vi, 2. All that hear the gospel, are bound by the call of God in it, and warranted by the promise of it, to receive by faith Jesus Christ, and eternal life, every time they hear the gospel. But sometimes this duty is specially called for; which, if neglected, may be of fatal consequence to men. Hence that exhortation, Isa. lv. 6. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near, When Christ is knocking at the door of the heart, then it is special duty to open to him, Rev. iii. 20. This was the day Jerusalem had, and neglected; and that that Christ mourned over them for, Luke xix. 41, 42. Unspeakable is mens need of the prevail