heavier calamity, that at length they may return to him and live. There is also another way of receiving affliction, that renders it useless to us; it is when we consider it as in some measure making an atonement for our sins, for thus we worship it as another Saviour, and deny the sufficiency of the precious blood of Christ, which can alone atone for our guilt, and “cleanse us from all our sins," for, *“the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed." But when we receive afflictions, as the corrections of a merciful Father, wi sends them for our good, when they drar us closer to our Saviour, make us m mindful of his salvation, and more ear and zealous in his service, then they his kind intentions, in chastening whom he loves. As he himself e when he was revealed in his glor beloved disciple, t" as many as rebuke and chasten: be zealo Such a mourner Such is the tribulation in which we have abundant reason to glory, for it "worketh patience, and experience, and hope," That high and haughty spirit, which is so unbecoming in our fallen nature; that impatient and rebellious disposition, which is our natural inheritance, is subdued and softened by grief; as self is humbled within us, the Lord is exalted; and thus, "tribulation worketh patience as the instrument in the hands of God the Holy Spirit, *"who worketh in us, both to will and to do of his good pleasure." And when we feel that calmness and resignation of soul, which patience produces, we know that we are in the hands of the Lord, and that he is moulding us into that state of mind, which will be most pleasing to him, and most happy for ourselves. "That he is preparing us as lively stones for that holy temple which he is building upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone." For as the skill and care of the pilot is most observed when the wind is boisterous, and the waves raging; so the Lord's care over us, is most observed and felt in the gloomy days of affliction. And thus * Philippians, ii. 13. + Ephesians, ii. 20. 4 * "patience worketh experience," and this experience produces hope, and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us." When we experience the power of the Holy Spirit within us, subduing our na-. tural corruptions, and leading us to the consideration of spiritual and heavenly things; it excites a strong and confiding hope, "that he which hath begun a good work in us, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ, that he will uphold us with his free Spirit ;" that he will guide us through all our earthly pilgrimage, even to the end of our days. That we may be enabled to adopt as our own, the confiding language of the Psalmist, "the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want; he maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters; he restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." Such a hope, like the bow of promise * Romans, v. 4, 5. + Philippians, i. 6. ‡ Psalms, xxiii. 1, 2, 3, 4. brightening among the clouds, upholds the sinking soul, even in the darkest day of affliction. And when we look beyond the boundaries of our present existence, this blessed hope becomes full of immortality. It points to that heavenly city, *"which has no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it, for the glory of God enlightens it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." There-† “there is no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more. pain." There! we behold that glorious company, who surround the throne of God, bearing palms of victory, and clothed in white garments." And if we enquire "what are these which are arrayed in white robes, and whence come they?" we are answered by the angel which shewed these things to the Apostle St. John, "these are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb; therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them; they shall hunger no more; neither thirst *Revelations, xxi. 23. † Ib. xxi. 4. any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat, for the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne, shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." It was in the assured hope of this immortal glory, that the apostle Paul, in the midst of troubles and persecutions, thus declared his opinion of them. *"Our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." How vastly superior is this consolation, which the word of God administers to the afflicted, to any comfort that the world can offer them; the world will desire them to refrain their tears, to harden their minds against sorrow, to endeavour not to feel their calamity; but our merciful Redeemer, who himself wept at the tomb of his friend Lazarus, never insults our feelings by desiring us not to lament our sorrows. But he teaches us how +"the heaviness of the night may be * 2 Corinthians, iv. 17, 18. + Psalms, xxx, 5. |