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to produce real good to man. Prosperity naturally leads a good mind to gratitude, and also to repentance. Afflictions as naturally yield to such a mind "the peaceable fruits of righteousness."

That such consideration is, in such a season, our duty, we know, because it is commanded. Our principal concern, then with this subject must be to learn how to perform this duty, and to feel, fully, its high importance. I shall suggest therefore, in this discourse,

I. Some of the proper subjects of consideration in a day of adversity; and

II. The Motives to a faithful performance of this duty.

I. I shall mention some of the proper subjects of consideration in the day of adversity.

Among these I shall notice

1st. The source of our afflictions: viz. God.

"I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace," or prosperity," and create evil," or adversity. "I the Lord, do all these things." Isaiah xlv. 7th.

"Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it ?" Amos iii. 6th.

"Affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground." Job v. 6th.

The consideration, that GOD is the source of our afflictions, furnishes us with many useful and affecting lessons. Particularly we are taught by this solemn truth, that our afflictions are all just, proper, and reasonable. In mere suffering there can be neither consolation, nor profit. Suffering, inflicted without a solid cause, and a benevolent end, is the result of oppression only. No man is fitted to derive good from this source. On the contrary, he is irresistibly impelled to resistance and hostility; or overwhelmed by depression, and despair. To the very existence of those benefits which afflictions produce, it is absolutely necessary, that we should be convinced of the justice and reasonableness of the infliction. The knowledge, that they come from God, is unanswerable proof of the propriety and the equity of the painful dispensation. "The Judge of all the earth," we know, "doth

right;" and, therefore, however distressing our sufferings, we are sure that they are not unjust.

Nor are we less assured, that our afflictions are sent in measure, and in mercy. "Like as a Father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. His mercies are greater than our sins; they are above the heavens, and endure forever. They are," also, "from generation to generation ;" and are of course experienced by every generation of mankind.

Punishment is to him a strange work. "He hath no pleasure in the death" even "of the wicked; but would rather, that he would return, and repent, and live.”

Hence, there can be nothing unkind, nothing oppressive, in his dispensations; however grievous, they may seem for the present. On the contrary, they are the kind chastisements of the Father of our spirits, for our good. They are, therefore, to be regarded, as being infinitely different from the cruelties of our fellow creatures; the wrath, revenge, and bitterness, often manifested by them in fearful expressions of an evil disposition.

From these considerations it is further evident, that our afflictions are necessary. We are froward, rebellious, disobedient, children. We need to be chastised, to bring us to a disposition conformed to the commands of our heavenly Father, and indispensable to our well-being; a disposition, without which we cannot be happy, nor useful; and without which we are unwilling to suffer others to be happy. As our own children are brought from rebellion and frowardness to obedience and sweetness of temper; so are the children of our heavenly Father redeemed in the same manner, and by the same means, to a filial and penitent state of of mind, and to a virtuous and amiable life.

With these views, we cannot easily revolt, when we are afflic ted; unless, like Ephraim, of old, we are become incorrigible, and discourage even God himself from chastising us any longer. 2dly. Another subject of consideration to the afflicted is the Procuring Cause of their afflictions.

Our Sins are this cause.

much more.

We merit all that we receive; and We are exceedingly guilty, wicked beings. Sin is

a dreadful evil; far more hateful than we are willing to believe, and especially to confess. Our own sins are, also immensely more numerous and aggravated, than we can be persuaded to acknowledge, or admit. We therefore deserve at the hand of GOD, great and distressing punishment. Of this we receive, here, even in our most unhappy circumstances, a very little part. "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide; nor will he keep his anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy towards them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him."

Sin is that abominable thing, which his soul hates. To remove us from our attachment to it, he uses innumerable methods; all formed, and adopted, by infinite wisdom and goodness. If we do not, from a most blamable obstinacy, or an equally blamable negligence, prevent their efficacy; they will prove effectual to the final extirpation of this fatal evil. But whether we yield to Him and his providence, or not, He will never cease to regard both sin and sinners, with abhorrence. Against ít he will contend in this world, and in that which is to come, with supreme and unchangeable hatred and opposition. To it he will grant no indulgence from it he will never withdraw the rod of chastisement. Unblamable virtue was never afflicted by GoD, except in the person of Christ; and then it was not afflicted for its own sake; but for the sake of those miserable sinners for whom he died. All the good are loved by GOD; and all are gloriously rewarded throughout his vast kingdom. Such of them, indeed, as are imperfectly good, will be often chastised; but this is done, only to make them better. "He smites them in his wrath for a small moment; but with everlasting kindness will he have mercy on them. For the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him; and his righteousness to children's children."

Whenever, therefore, we are afflicted, let us say, with Daniel, "Oh Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, because we have sinned against thee. To the Lord, our God, belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him, Neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants, the prophets." 3dly. The afflicted should also consider the End, for which their afflictions are sent.

This is, generally, to "turn us from the error of our ways, that we may save our souls alive.” "The Father of our spirits" always chastises, according to the language of St. Paul, "for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness." This end is evidently the best of all ends; an end eminently divine, and worthy of a GOD. Who, with a full conviction of this, as the real end, can fail to "be in subjection to the Father of Spirits, that he may live." Must not this consideration produce patience, submission, gratitude, and an universally filial character? One would think it an ample and abundant source of all those "peaceable fruits of Righteousness," which are found by those, who never "despise the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when they are rebuked of him."

4thly. The afflicted should also consider the Instructions, which are communicated by their distresses.

These are very numerous, and all of them are important. A few only can be now mentioned.

First. Afflictions teach us, that this world was not designed to be a place of happiness.

This plain lesson is one of the most difficult to be learned by us. We are, indeed, ready enough to acknowledge it to be true; but our acknowledgment, in most instances, comes from our lips only, and not from our hearts. This is unanswerably proved by our daily conduct. When we lose one enjoyment, we betake ourselves to another; and, when disappointed of the expected happiness in one case, we turn speedily to another; proving by all, which we do, our belief, that there is real and sufficient good, to be found somewhere; although we have, hitherto, missed it

in our search. Earth still is the darling object. The old man shews this equally with the youth; and grasps his bags and his offices as eagerly, as the youth his pleasures and his fame. Even the Christian is but partly iron; the remainder of his composition is still clay. Firm at times, he is frail and crumbling at other times. He often lets go his hold on heaven; and clings closely to earth.

The vanity of all this conduct, and of the things which prompt it, nothing teaches so effectually as Affliction. He, who has lost his wealth, is more ready than ever before to feel, that "riches take to themselves wings, and fly away." He, who has lost his popularity, power, and fame, is more willing than before to confess, and to believe, that it is unwise to put "trust in princes, or in the sons of men," in whom there is neither faithfulness, nor help. He, who has lost his beloved friends, and the children who were "bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh," learns, perhaps for the first time, that the very life, on which the continuance of these most dear enjoyments depended, " is but a vapour, which appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." He, who has been deprived of his health, becomes easily convinced that himself is but " dust, crushed before the moth; and born to trouble as" naturally, as "the sparks fly upward.”

Thus we discern by the loss of enjoyment, that the things enjoyed are frail, perishing, and utterly unfitted to be the firm grounds of confidence to an immortal mind; the objects, on which it can safely and permanently rest; the sources, whence it can derive the happiness which it needs.

At times, all these truths are strongly impressed by a single affliction. Especially is this the case, when the affliction is very great, sudden and unexpected; or when it befalls a mind peculiarly tender and susceptible; or when it comes in an hour of uncommon feeling and solemnity. But more usually it is the result of successive chastisements to such gross, hard, forgetful, sluggish hearts, as ours. When we see one blessing taken away after another; we naturally begin to realize that this is not a world of enjoyment, but a vale of tears; that God did not desVOL. II.

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