516 BAXTER'S FÁREWELL SERMON theungodly and the sinner ; " Prov. xi. 31. " Judgment must begin at the house of God, and the righteous are saved with much ado ;" 1 Pet. iv. 17,18. God is not reconciled to the sins of any man; and as he will show by his dealings that he is reconciled to their persons, so will he show that he is notreconciled to their sins. If God continue your sufferings any longer than you continue your sin, and if you can truly say, I am afflicted though Iam innocent,' then your impatience may have' some excuse. 2. Your sorrows shall be no longer than you make them neces- sary ; and will you grudge at your own benefit ? Or at the trouble of your physic while you continúe your disease ? It is but " if need be that now for a season ye are m heaviness through manifold temptations ; " 1 Peter i. 6. Andwho maketh theneed ? Is itGod or you? Whomaketh you dull, and slothful, and sensual? Who turneth your hearts to earthly things, and deprives you of the sweet- ness of thingsspiritual andheavenly ? Who maketh you proud, and unbelieving, and uncharitable? Is it he that doth this, that caus- eth the need of your afflictions, and is to be blamed for the bitter- ness of them ? But it is your physician that is to be thanked and . praised for fitting them to wisely to yourcure. .3. Your sorrows shall not be so long as you deserve. It Is strange ingratitude for that man to grudge at a short affliction that is saved fromeverlasting misery, and'confesseth he bath deserved the pains of hell. Confess with thankfulness, that " it is his mercy that you are not consumedand condemned, because hiscompassions fail not. If God be your portion, hope in him ; for the Lord is good to them that wait for him, tó the soul that seeketh him. It is good that you both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord; it is good for a man that he bear the yoke inhis youth; he sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he bathborne it upon him ; he putteth hismouth inthe dust, if so be there may be hope. He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him ; he is filled full with reproach ; for. the Lord will not cast off forever ; but though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion, according to the multi- tude of his mercies ; Lam. iii. 22-33. All that is come upon us is ¿or our evil deeds, and for our great trespasses,; and God bath punished us less than our iniquities ; Ezra ix. 13. 4. Your sorrows shall not be só long as the sorrows 6f the un- godly, nor as those that you must endure, ifyou will choose sin to escape these present sorrows. Abel's sorrow is not so long as Cain's; nor Peter's or Paul's so long as Judas's. If the.offering of a more acceptable sacrifice do cost a righteous man his life, alas ! What is that to the punishment that malignant, envious Cain- ites or treacherous Judaaes must endure. What is the worst that man can do, or the most that Godwill here inflict, to the rep-
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