and then tries it; that it may appear to be his grace, that men may see it, and honour him for it, and that it may grow by use, which is as necessary to spiritual, as exercise is to bodily growth. Trial shows the truth, and brings forth the power of grace, and is thereby a matter of great joy; as the apostle James testifies, writing to the twelve tribes in their dispersion and affliction: "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." God be thanked for this word of strong consolation ! What a precious scripture is it! How full of encouragement to the believer to look with delight at temptations !— not temptations to sin, but trials sent from God to keep from sin. When he falls into them by providence, and meets them in the way of duty, then he should judge of them, not from sense, which can feel nothing but sorrow in afflictions; but he should take account of them from the declared purpose of God in sending them, and he should wait in faith for the blessings which they are to produce. God says, that they are matter of joy, of all joy, of all true spiritual joy they are not only such in his account, but he also makes them such to the believer. cordingly we read in Scripture of many who did rejoice in trials. The Hebrews did; for they took joyfully the spoiling of their goods. Paul did: "I am comforted," says he, "I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation." Nay, he went farther"We glory in tribulation." He leaped for joy with the cross upon his back. He boasted and triumphed

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What the world accounted his worst, he made his very crown of rejoicing: for he knew and found that the trial of faith worketh patience: faith receives the cross from the Father's love, and learns to bear it after Jesus: by the grace of the Spirit, the bearing of it, as it exercises, so it improves patience. The believer becomes more acquainted with it. Use, we say, makes perfect. He learns where the strength to bear is from whence his comforts are to flowand from whose hand the blessed issue is to be received. He waits, therefore, with sweet submission to his Father's will, that patience may have its perfect work, that by trials it may be exercised, by sharper trials it may be improved, and by daily trials it may appear to be the genuine grace of the Spirit, perfect and entire, lacking nothing. This the believer aims at. He would have every thing that belongs to true patience, and growth in it; he would have it refined by every fiery trial, and made purer and brighter, that it may hold out till it has done its perfect work. The apostle Peter gives the same encouragement to the same afflicted Hebrews: he exhorts them to faith and patience under their sufferings, in these words: "Ye are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time: wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season (if need be) ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations; and the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ." What treasures of love are laid open in this scripture! in this scripture! Read, O my soul,

and adore the exceeding riches of thy Father's grace. He knew how needful afflictions were, both for the flesh and for the spirit; and therefore he appointed thee thy portion, and he has in mercy informed thee of his design in them. He has revealed his will for the ground of thy faith, that when he sends them, thou mightest experience the blessings promised to his suffering children. The belief of his love, in contriving and in proportioning them to the ability given thee to bear them, would administer matter of joy in sorrow, and by trusting to his faithfulness thou wouldst greatly rejoice: thy joy would so far exceed thy sorrow.

The heaviness is but for a season-the joy for ever. The heaviness only during the trial of faith-the joy increased by that very trial. The trial was only to prove the truth of faith, and to evidence the power of it-not to weaken, but to strengthen it not to destroy, but to refine it. The refiner does not intend to lose one atom of his gold, but puts it into the fire to purge away the dross. So does God. "When he hath tried me," says Job, "I shall come forth as gold." He was tried in the fire, and his faith was found unto praise, and honour, and glory. Therefore he is set forth for an example of suffering affliction and of patience. Behold, we account them happy, not who suffer, but who endure suffering. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord abounds in compassion, and is of tender mercy. O 0 my soul, wait upon the same Lord, and he will bring all thy trials to the same blessed end. He has the same pity and mercy to thee as he had to Job. Thou hast the same reason to believe it as he had.

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faith is tried in the fire as he was, that it may come out of it like gold. The trial was appointed in perfect love, and is to produce the greatest blessings of love. Thy God has most gracious designs towards thee in putting thee into the fire. It is to try thy faith, whether thou canst trust him there. It is to improve thy faith by the trial, that thou mayest trust If thou hast trusting faith, it is to teach thee patient faith. It is a hard lesson, to learn to trust against sense and carnal reason, and to say, 'This cross is good for me; I desire to submit, and to take it patiently at the hand of God.' O it is very hard to believe that there is nothing but love in every suffering; and it is harder to find it so while suffering. And yet the Spirit of God declares there is nothing but love in it, and by believing thou wilt certainly find it. May every trial of thy faith establish it, and thereby bring forth,

Secondly, The blessed fruit of patience. The cross does good to faith; because by it God teaches his children to bear up, and to hold out, trusting to his promises, and waiting in hope for his fulfilling them and thus it exercises patience, which is a grace of the Spirit, learned only in the school of Christ; and therefore the giver of it, among his other high titles, is called the God of patience. He first enables his afflicted children to believe what he has said of his love in afflicting them, and then to wait for the experience of his love under their afflic tions. This waiting quietly, without giving way to sense or unbelief, is patience. Faith is tried, and stands the trial. Tribulation comes, faith is exercised with it, but holds fast its confidence in the word

of God, and thereby has full proof of the faithfulness of God. This worketh patience, a quiet submission to the divine will, and a holy subjection to the divine rod. The flesh murmurs, self-will repines, self-indulgence rebels; but faith looks up for the promised strength, and by it conquers them. It stops their mouths with a Hush! be still, and know that he is God-he is my Sovereign and my Father. This affliction, indeed, is not for the present joyous, but rather grievous; nevertheless it comes from his love -love guides his hand, love will bring good out of it. O that all within me may submit to his will, and bless his name!'

'But the cross is hard and painful; flesh and blood cannot bear it.' True; but grace can. To endure is the proper work of patience. It endures by trusting to the word of God, and by receiving from him the promised strength. What cannot such a grace endure ! When God says, "Fear not; I will be with thee when thou goest through the fire,”—the believer is hereby forewarned of the fire; and when he is called to go through it, he expects the presence of his God, that if the bush burn, it may not be consumed. How comfortably does the apostle Peter speak of this to the suffering Hebrews!" Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing had come unto you but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." He would have them to be accustomed to the cross, it being the only way to the crown. There is nothing new or strange in it. All the crowned heads