a Father the son in whom he delighteth; and therefore despise not his chastisements and fatherly corrections, slight them not, for they come from a loving father, a wise father, and should not be despised by his children, they are the fruits of his love. Also, you must not be weary of them, nor faint under them, for the same reason, viz. because they shall not hurt you, they flow from your father's love, from a father they come, who delighteth in you, and therefore ye ought not to faint under them; or, as it is in the text, whatever affliction befals you, Let not your heart be troubled.

It is heart-trouble you see that is here forbidden; not a filial sense of God's hand, nor a child-like acknowledgment of God's rod: God's rod hath a voice, and its voice must be heard. When his hand is lifted up to strike, to lay on any blows on us, or on any of our relations, or earthly comforts, we must observe it, and him, and acknowledge the same; but, not to acknowledge, and observe the hand of God; not to consider in the day of adversity, not to humble ourselves under his mighty hand, not to stoop and yield to God, but to think, or say, of our affliction, that it cannot be helped, there is no remedy, it is common and ordinary, and the like; this is to despise the chastening of the Lord, take heed of this. But yet, we must take heed too, that under the pretence of being sensible of the hand of God, and of his strokes upon us, that we do not fall into the other extreme, of being weary of his chastisements, and of despondency, and fainting under his corrections, we must be careful that we do not let our hearts be troubled. Quest. But is it possible that we should be

afflicted, deprived of liberty, of estate, of loving relations, of the desire of our eyes, and of the delight of our hearts, (for such in a most eminent manner was Jesus Christ to his disciples, He was the desire of all nations) and not be troubled at our very hearts? Can we behold our Benjamin's, our Sarah's, our Rebekah's, our Joseph's, &c. taken away, our dear husbands, or loving, faithful, tender wives snatched away from us with a stroke, with a sudden stroke, to be in a moment deprived of such comforts, and in such a time too, in an evil time, in a sad and suffering time, when such helpers would sweeten our sufferings, and help bear our burdens, would give us sweet counsel, and uphold us in the way of God? What, is it possible such knots should be untied, and so suddenly, such flowers cropt off, cut down; such sweet friends removed from us, as lay once in our bosoms, and sent to the chambers of darkness, sealed up in the dust, made silent in the grave, to see their sweet faces no more, till the heavens be no more? Is it possible I say, in such cases, not to be troubled? or if it be possible, Is it necessary, or is it attainable? May we arrive to such a temper, may we get such a calm, quiet, tranquil, and submissive frame of spirit? It is admirable, but is it attainable?

I answer, We must not despise the chastenings f the Lord, as was noted before, we must not be as stocks or stones, altogether insensible of the hand of God upon us: no, we must be sensible, we must lay those things to our hearts, and consider the work of God: Such losses, and of such, are to be lamented, they will be found wanting, their relations will find

them wanting, their families will find them wanting, the poor will find them wanting, and the church also. David lamented the loss of Jonathan; and the disciples the loss of Lazarus. Lawful it is then, to be affected with the deaths and departures of our dear relations and friends, and moderately to mourn for them; but our care must be, that we suffer not nature to work alone without grace, for then it will soon go beyond its bounds; nature must be restrained and bounded. It is moderate mourning that is lawful. Mourn we may, but not as those that have no hope, 1 Thess. iv. 13, 14. For, those that sleep in Jesus, they being safe and happy; for, If we believe that Jesus died, and rose again; even so they that sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him. Troubled we cannot chuse but be in such cases, and under such strokes, but we must not let our hearts be troubled, saith our Lord. And what this imports, you shall see by and by. It is trouble of heart, that is here forbidden but, what is it, that will prevent or cure this Heart-trouble? Our Saviour answers in the next words; Ye believe in God, believe also in me: In my Father's house are many mansions, &c. In which, we may observe these parts, viz.

1. An evil disease, or spiritual distemper; intimated and prohibited, to which the disciples of Christ are incident and prone in time of affliction; and that is trouble of heart: This may seize you, but take heed of it, labour against it. As if the Lord had said, I know it will be a cutting, a killing thing to you to part with me, your dear and loving lord and master; but part with me you must, and take heed

of this indecent distemper of heart-trouble: Let not your hearts be troubled, saith our Lord Jesus.

and

2. The best preventive of, or remedy for this spiritual distemper proposed and enjoined; Ye believe in God, believe also in me. As if our Lord had said, surely you believe in God, why then are your hearts troubled? Cannot your faith in God support you, if you act it upon him? But if that cannot, then act your faith also on me; Believe also in me. Set your faith on work on me. Believe, that I love you, that when I leave you, I will not leave you comfortless; I will send the comforter unto you, and he shall abide with you for ever, John xiv. 16, 17. Therefore let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in me; I must leave you, and I and you must part; but, believe where I am going, and let the consideration of that quiet you, comfort you; In my father's house are many Mansions: There is a better, a far better condition for you above, than that you are in here; for, here you are tossed up and down from place to place, and are exposed to many straits. I myself here on earth, have not an house wherein to lay my head; but in my father's house are many mansions. There is an house above, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, 2 Cor. v. 1. When once you come thither, you shall remove no more; there are many mansions, room enough for you all, and for all the innumerable company of angels and saints; therefore, believe in me; for, these things are most true that I tell you. And believe also, that I go to prepare a place for you: I go to take possession of those celestial man

in

sions, of those everlasting habitations for you, your name and stead. While you are here on earth, I shall prepare you for those mansions; and when I go from you, I will prepare them for you. Therefore, to prevent those heart troubles which you are subject to, because of my departure from you, and to fortify you against them, (for I am solicitous for you;) this is the remedy that I propose you, and enjoin you to practise; that seeing you believe in God, believe also in me; act your faith on me. From which words thus explained, I commend to your Christian consideration this Gospeldoctrine, viz.

Doct. That the lively acting of true faith upon God and Christ, or upon God in Christ, is the best preventive of, and remedy against Hearttrouble, under the greatest loss whatsoever. Or, Faith acted on God in Christ, is the sovereign cure of Heart-trouble.

Our Lord Jesus is very tender over his poor disciples, and having foretold them of the hard usage, and bad entertainment they should meet with in the world, losses and crosses, tribulations and persecutions; he now leaves with them some antidotes against distempers of mind; some cordials against those faintings of spirit, and troubles of heart, to which he knew, they, being flesh and blood, were subject. And this in the text, is chief and principal: Let not your hearts be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. This your faith will be your best cure, your best remedy.

Poor believers are but princes in disguise here in this world: princes they are, Christ hath made them all so; but while here below,