content, content with sickness, poverty, shame, prison, loss of relations and friends, &c. In a word, when our wills lie even with God's will, (as in all reason they should,) and our minds lie even with our conditions, then have we inward peace and tranquillity, quietness and contentment, and never till then: and then sickness is as good as health; and poverty as good as riches; and a prison, &c. And this is that blessed frame of spirit we must labour for, and we ourselves shall have the sweetness of it: otherwise, it is in a man's mind, as it is with the body when bones are out of joint, there is nothing but pain and trouble; but this bringing of our minds to our conditions, is as the setting of the bone again. Casting down ourselves, despondency, discouragement, which arise from discontent, are great pieces of Heart-trouble.

This distrust of God's providence is a grand evil; when we think we cannot live, unless we have a greater portion of earthly things, and this sets us upon carking cares, we know not how we and ours shall be provided for, &c. Now this we may cure, by casting ourselves upon God's promises. 1 Pet. v. 7. Ps. xxxiv. 10. and lxxxiv. 11. Heb. xiii. 5. Let us cast ourselves on God's providence: Will he provide for ravens, lillies, and neglect his own children? It cannot be imagined.

Earthly things are but a vain show, they can give us no joy of heart, nor peace of conscience; they cannot add one cubit to our statue, nor one moment to our lives.

Moreover, this happy state of mind is attainable. Eli had it, 1 Sam. iii. 18. and David, 2 Sam, xv. 25, 26. It is the Lord, let him do what

seemeth him good. Therefore let us labour for such a spirit; such a contented frame of mind is worth a kingdom; without it, godliness itself is not great gain: it must be laboured for; Paul said, he had learned it; it was a hard lesson, but sweet when learned.

Fifthly, Persecution may cause heart-trouble; when men are offended. Matt. xiii. 21. when Peter was an offence to Christ, he was a trouble to him. Our Lord did on purpose foretel his disciples what persecutions they should undergo, that they might not be offended, John xvi. 1. forewarned, forearmed. It is a blessed thing not to be offended at persecution for Christ. He foretold his disciples the night before his passion, that all of them should be offended at him that night, Matt. xvi. 31,56. which came to pass, for one of them openly denied him, and the rest forsook him and fled. To be troubled at persecution for Christ's sake, is to be offended at the cross of Christ; and that he would not have his disciples to be by any means; Mark viii. last.

Object. But is it not said, Ps. cxix. 165. Great peace have they that love thy law, and nothing shall offend them? How then come the people of God to be offended?

I anwer, They that truly love God's law, because they love God, such shall have peace with God, and with their own consciences, and that is great peace, and nothing shall offend them; that is, much trouble them, since they have peace with God, and with their own consciences. Outward losses and crosses are easily born, they shall make no breach upon their inward peace. They that have this character of God's children,

will not be stumbled at God's dispensations, let them be never so cross to their desires, because they have a God to fly unto in all their troubles, and a sure covenant to rest upon: Therefore the reproaches cast on them, and on the ways of God, do not scandalize them, for they have found God in that very way which others speak evil of; they are not so offended by any thing that attends the way of God, as to dislike or forsake that way. Nevertheless we must take heed that we be not offended.

Sixthly, Temptations from Satan may cause heart-trouble and vexation: Satan's suggestions, his fiery darts, these tormenting thoughts which he casts into the minds of Christ's disciples, create to them much disturbance and hearttrouble. So soon as any man is plucked out of the Devil's hands, by the mighty power of Christ's spirit, he falls upon him speedily with all his force, to trouble such a soul and vex it; so that he shall enjoy little peace if Satan can hinder it. So long as the devil keeps possession in the soul, he keeps all in peace, (a sad peace!) But when a stronger than he comes, and casteth out this strong man armed, then Satan rageth, to recover his lost captive soul, and vexeth that soul with all his temptations. But let not this break your peace, nor cause Heart-trouble. As Christ hath overcome the world, and therefore bids his disciples to be of good chear, Job. xvi. 20. So hath he also overcome the devil, he hath trodden this serpent under his feet already, and this prince of peace will tread him under your feet also shortly: Therefore, Let not your hearts be troubled.

Seventhly, Desertion, another (and not the

least) piece of Heart-trouble; this may be the case of Christ's disciples. We read of the saints complaining that God had forsaken them; and when he hideth his face, they cannot but be troubled.

Sometimes God doth but seem to hide his face, Isa. xlix. 14, 15. When God takes away their earthly comforts from them, and suffereth sharp and bitter afflictions to befall them; and though they cry unto him, he doth not remove them, then they think that God hath forsaken them.

Sometimes God doth really forsake his people, as to the sense of his favour; Isa. liv. 7, 8. For a small moment have I forsaken thee. In a little wrath I hide my face from thee for a moment. And this is, either by withholding comfort from them which they cry for; or by withdrawing that comfort from them which they had; Ps. li. 11. and Ps. lxxvii. 1, 2, 3, 23. compared. Yet here God supported and sustained his servant's soul with grace many times. When God's people have least comfort, they have most grace, most humility, patience, self-denial, thirstings after God, heavenly-mindedness, &c. God's people may lose the sense of his love, but never lose his love, for that is everlasting. But to lose the sense of his love, is a grievous trouble to a gracious soul, that hath tasted and felt the love of God and his favour; for their great happiness is to have the favour of God; In his favour is life, and his loving kindness is better than life. This is the joy of their lives (Ps. cxix. 135.) which David so earnestly prayed for. No such as have found this, must needs be troubled when they lose it.

Two things chiefly cause God to hide his face from his people.

1. When their hearts are too much set upon, and carried out after earthly comforts, Ps. xxx. 6, 7. Fleshly delight, and confidence in earthly things, provokes God to hide his face : When a man smiles so much on the world, and gives it so much room in his heart, God frowns, and is offended, that the gift should be so much loved, and the giver so neglected and forgotten.

2. When their hearts are let out too little after God and there grows a strangeness between God and them, and they begin to grow cold, dull and dead in duty, then God withdraws and hides himself, Cant. ii. 3, 5, 6. compared. But no affliction like this, this disquieteth and dejecteth the people of God indeed. And as all the candles in the world cannot make it day when the sun is set; so all the comforts in the world cannot rejoice such a soul, nor can there be any day in such a soul, until the Sun of righteousness arise there with healing in his wings, Mal. iv. 2.

So much for this third particular, shewing what this heart-trouble is, which our Lord here forbids his disciples, namely, worldly-sorrow, sinful slavish fear, distracting care, despondency, dejectedness of spirit, distrust, offence at persecution for Christ's sake, Satan's temptations and spiritual desertions, all which may either be the causes, or the parts and pieces of heart-trouble, which must be avoided.

The fourth particular to be opened, is to shew how that believing in God, and in Christ, is the best antidote against this sinful heart-trouble: Christ proposeth it as a special remedy.

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