but there is a proneness in nature to break over the hedge, and that against the very strivings of the Spirit of God in us. Now see in this case, the concurrence and assistance of Providence for the prevention of sin. As the Spirit internally resists those sinful inclinations, so Providence externally lays bars and blocks in our way to hinder and prevent sin. And this is the meaning of those places lately cited, Hos. ii. 6; 2 Cor. xii. 7; Job xxxiii. 17, 19.

A question may be asked here, Is it the mark and property of gracious spirits, to forbear sin because of the rod of affliction? they have surely higher motives and nobler principles than this; this is the temper of a carnal and slavish spirit. True, it is so, when this is the sole or principal restraint from sin; when a man abhors not sin, because of its intrinsic uncleanness, but only because of the troublesome consequences and effects. But this is vastly different from the case of the saints, under sanctified afflictions; for as they have higher motives and nobler principles, so they have lower and more sensible ones too; and these are, in their kind and place, very useful to them. Besides, you must know, that afflictions work in another way in gracious hearts to restrain them from sin or warn them against sin, than they do in others. It is not so much the smart of the rod which they feel, as the tokens of God's displeasure, which affright them, Job x. 17, "Thou renewest thy witnesses against me;" and this is that which principally affects them. See Psal, vi. I, "O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure:" and Jer. x. 24, "O Lord, correct me, but with thy judgment, not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing;" and surely this is no low and common argument.

2. Notwithstanding this double sense of God's command and preventive afflictions, yet sin is too hard for the best of men: their corruptions carry them through all to sin. And when it is so, not only does the Spirit work internally, but Providence also works externally, in order to their reduction. The ways of sin are not only made bitter unto them, by the remorse of conscience, but by those afflictive rods upon the outward man, with which God also follows it; and in both these respects,

I find that place expounded, Eccl. x. 8, "Whoso breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him." If, as some expound it, the hedge be the law of God, then the serpent is remorse of conscience and the sharp teeth of affliction, which he shall quickly feel, if he be one who belongs to God.

The design and aim of these afflictive providences, is to purge and cleanse them from that pollution into which temptations have plunged them, "By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit to take away his sin." Isa. xxvii. 9. To the same purpose is that place in Psal. cxix. 67, "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now have I kept thy word."

And here it may be asked, On what account afflictions are said to purge away the iniquities of the saints. Is it not unwarrantable, and very dishonorable to Christ, to attribute that to affliction, which is the peculiar work and honor of his blood? In answer to this question, it must be confessed, that the blood of Christ is the only fountain opened for sin, and that no afflictions, how many, or strong, or continual soever they be, can in themselves purge away the pollution of sin, as we see in wicked men, who are afflicted, and afflicted, and again afflicted; and are yet nevertheless sinful; and the torments of hell, how extreme, universal, and continual soever they are, yet never fetch out the stain of one sin. But yet this hinders not but that a sanctified affliction may, in the efficacy and virtue of Christ's blood, produce a blessed effect upon the soul. Though cross, without a Christ, never did any man good, yet thousands have been beholden to the cross, as it has wrought in the virtue of his death for their good.

3. We find the best hearts, if God bestow any comfortable enjoyment upon them, too apt to be over-heated in their affections towards it, and to be too much taken up with these outward comforts. This also shows the great power and strength of corruption in the people of God, and must by some means or other be mortified in them. This was the case with Hezekiah; his heart was too much affected with his treasures, so that he could not hide a vain-glorious temper. It was the case with good David in Psal. xxx. 7. He thought his mountain, that is, his king

dom, and the splendor and glory of his present state, had stood so fast that it should never be moved. How did he let out his heart and affections upon his son Absalom, prizing him above his own life, which was a thousand times more worth than he! So when God raised up a gourd for Jonah to shelter him from the sun, how excessively was he taken with it, and how exceedingly glad was he of it!

But will God suffer things to continue thus? Shall the creature purloin and draw away our affections from him? No; this is our corruption, and God will purge it; and to this end he sends forth providences to smite those creatures on which our affections are either inordinately or excessively let out, or else to turn them into rods, and smite us by them. Is Hezekiah too much puffed up with his full exchequer? Why, those very Babylonians to whom he boasted of it, shall empty it, and make a prey of it, Isa. xxxix. 6. Is David soothing himself with a fond conceit of the stability of his earthly splendor? Lo, how soon God beclouds all, Psal. xxx. 7. Is Absalom doated on and admitted too far into his good father's heart? This shall be the son of his sorrow who shall seek after his father's life. Is Jonah so transported with his gourd? God will prepare a worm to smite it, Jonah iv. 6, 7. How many husbands, wives, and children, has Providence smitten on this very account. It might have spared them longer, if they had been loved more regularly and moderately. This has blasted many an estate and hopeful project; and it is a merciful dispensation for our good.

4. The strength of our unmortified corruption shows itself in our pride and the swelling vanity of our hearts, when we have a name and esteem among men. When we are applauded and honored, when we are admired for any gift or excellency that is in us, this draws forth the pride of the heart, and shows the vanity that is in it. Thus you read in Prov. xxvii. 21, "As the fining-pot for silver, and the furnace for gold, so is a man to his praise" that is, as the furnace will discover what dross is in the metal when it is melted, so will praise and commendations discover what pride is in the heart of him

that receives them. This made a good man say, " He that praises me, wounds me." And, which is more strange, this corruption may be felt in the heart, even when the last breath is ready to expire. It was the saying of one of the German divines, when those about him recounted for his encouragement the many services he had done for God, "Take away the fire, for there is still the chaff of pride in me." To crucify this corruption, Providence takes off the bridle of restraint from ungodly men, and sometimes permits them to traduce the names of God's servants, as Shimei did David's. Yea, they fall into disesteem among their friends, as Paul did among the Corinthians; and all this to keep down the swelling of their spirits at the sense of those excellencies that are in them; the design of these providences being nothing else than to hide pride from man. Yea, it deserves a special remark, that when some good men have been engaged in a public and eminent work, and have therein, it may be too much sought their own applause, God had withheld such usual assistance at such times from them, and caused them to faulter so in their work, that they have come off with shame and pity at such times, how ready soever they have been at other times.

5. The corruption of the heart shows itself in raising up great expectations to ourselves from the creature, and projecting abundance of felicity and contentment from some promising and hopeful enjoyments we have in the world. This we find to have been the case of holy Job in the days of his prosperity, "Then I said, I shall die in my nest, I shall multiply my days as the sand," Job xxix. 18. But how soon were all these expectations dashed by a gloomy providence that benighted him in the noon-tide of his prosperity; and all this for his good, to take off his heart more fully from creature expectations. We often find the best men to over-reckon themselves in worldly things and over-act their confidences about them. They who have great and well-grounded expectations from heaven, may have too great and ungrounded expectations from the earth; but when it is so it is very usual for Providence to undermine their earthly hopes, and convince them by experience how vain they are. Thus in Haggai . 9, the

people's hearts were intently set upon prosperous provi. dences, full harvests, and great increase; whilst, in the mean time, no regard was had to the worship of God and the things of his house; therefore Providence blasts their hopes, and brings them to little.

6. Corruption discovers itself in dependence upon creature-comforts and sensible props. O how apt are the best men to lean on those things, and stay themselves upon them! Thus did Israel stay themselves upon Egypt, as a feeble man would lean upon his staff; but God suffered it both to fail them and wound them, Ezek. xxix. 6, 8. Thus we lean on our relations, and the inward thoughts of our hearts are, that they shall be to us so many springs of comfort to refresh us throughout our lives; but God will show us, by his Providence, our mistake and error in these things. Thus a husband is

smitten to draw the soul of a wife nearer to God in dependence upon him. As for children, we are apt to say of this or that child as Lamech did of Noah, "This same shall comfort us;" but the wind passes over these flowers, and they are withered, to teach us that our happiness is not bound up in these enjoyments. And as for our estates, when the world smiles upon us and we have a warm nest, how do we prophesy of rest and peace in those acquisitions, but Providence, overturns our projects, and all this to bring back our hearts from the creature to God, our only rest.

7. Corruption discovers its strength in good men by their adherence to things below, and lothness to go hence. This often proceeds from the engaging enjoyment and pleasant fruitions we have here below. Providence mortifies this inclination in the saints, by killing those ensnaring comforts before-hand, making all or most of our pleasant things to die before us; by imbittering the world to us by the troubles of it; by making life undesirable through the pains and infirmities we feel in the body, and so loosing our root, in order to our more easy fall by the fatal stroke.

And here I cannot but make a pause, and desire you to stand with me in holy amazement and wonder at the dealings of God with such poor worms as we are! Surely