pray more frequently, spiritually, and fervently than ever. When Paul was buffeted by Satan, he "besought the Lord thrice." We may conclude our afflictions to be sanctified, and to come from the love of God to us when they do not alienate our hearts from God, but inflame our love to him. This is a sure rule, whatever ends in the increase of our love to God, proceeds from the love of God to us.We may call our afflictions sanctified, when divine teachings accompany them to our souls. "Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law." Sanctified afflictions teach us sensibly and effectually, when the Spirit accompanies them, the evil of sin, the vanity of the creature, the necessity of securing things that cannot be shaken. Never does a Christian take a truer measure both of his corruption and graces than under the rod. Now a man sees that filthiness which has been long contracting in prosperity, what interest the creature has in the heart, how little faith, patience, resignation, and self-denial we can find when God calls us to the exercise of them. O it is a blessed sign that

that trouble is sanctified, which makes a man thus turn in upon his own heart, search it, and humble himself before the Lord for the evils of it.

In the next place, let us take into consideration those other providences which are comfortable and pleasant. Here the question will be, how the sanctification of these providences may be discovered to us? For answering this question, I shall lay down two sorts of rules, one negative the other positive.

It is a sign that comfort is not sanctified to us, which comes not ordinarily in the way of prayer. Then the gifts of Providence are only such as are bestowed on the worst of men, and are not the fruits of love.-Whatever success, prosperity, or comfort men acquire by sinful means and indirect courses, are not sanctified mercies to them. God has cursed the ways of sin, and no blessing can follow them.Whatever prosperity or success makes men forget God, and cast off the care of duty, is not sanctified to them.-When prosperity is abused to sensuality, and merely serves as fuel to maintain fleshly lusts, it is not sanctified. It is a sign that

prosperity is not sanctified to men, when it swells the heart with pride and selfconceitedness.-That success is not sanctified to men which takes them off from their duty, and makes them wholly negligent, or very much indisposed to it, Jer. ii. 31.-Nor can we think that prosperity sanctified, which wholly swallows up the souls of men in their own enjoyments, and makes them regardless of public miseries or sins, Amos vi. 4, 5, 6.

But then, on the other hand, those mercies and comforts are undoubtedly sanctified to men, which humble their souls before God in the sense of their own vileness and unworthiness of them, Gen. xxxii. 10.-Sanctified mercies are commonly turned into cautions against sin, Ezra ix. 13.-They will engage a man's heart in love to the God of his mercies. -They never satisfy a man as his portion, nor will the soul accept all the prosperity in the world upon that score, Heb. xi. 26-Nor do they make men regardless of public sins or miseries. It is a sure sign that mercies are sanctified when they make the soul more enlarged for God in duty, 2 Chron. xvii. 5, 6.—That which is

obtained by prayer, and returned to God again in due praise, carries its own testimonials with it, that it came from the love of God, and is a sanctified mercy to the soul.

4. How may we attain to an evenness and steadiness of spirit under the changes and contrary aspects of Providence upon

us.

Three things are supposed in this case -that Providence has various and contrary aspects upon the people of Godthat it is a common thing with them to experience great disorders of spirit under those changes of Providence that these disorders may be, at least in a great measure, prevented, by the due use and application of those rules and helps that God hath given us in such cases.

That Providence has various, yea, contrary aspects upon the people of God, is a case so plain, that it needs no more than the mentioning, to let it into all our understandings. Which of all the people of God has not felt this truth?

These vicissitudes of providence commonly cause great disorders of spirit in the best men. As intense heat and cold

falling into, or recover us out of a remiss, supine, and careless frame of spirit into which we are fallen; when "if need be, we are in heaviness."-When they are fitted both for quality and degree to work properly upon our predominant corruptions, then they look like sanctified strokes. The wisdom of God is much seen in the choice of his rods. It is usual with God to smite us in those very comforts which stole away too much of the love and delight of our souls from God; to cross us in those things from which we raised up too great expectations of comfort. These providences bespeak the jealousy of God over us, and his care to prevent far worse evils by these sad, but needful strokes.— It is a good sign our troubles are sanctified to us, when they turn our heart against sin, and not against God. Happy afflictions which make the soul fall out and quarrel only with sin!-It is a sure sign that afflicting providences are sanctified when they purge the heart from sin, and leave both heart and life more pure, heavenly, mortified, and humble, than they found them. Sanctified afflictions are cleansers; they pull down the pride, re