[No man can exercise the grace of patience, or of contentment, unless he be in a situation that may give rise to impatience or discontent

Nor can faith be known to exist in the heart, unless there be some circumstances that give scope for the manifestation of it

But temptations, especially such as produce much grief, can be surmounted only by strong faith

Hence God himself speaks as though he discovered Abraham's grace by means of the difficulties into which he was brought-]

In this view they are "much more precious than the trial of gold"

last

[Gold, though it stand the trial of the fire, will perish at

But faith, in its effects at least, will endure for ever

The value and the brightness given to gold by the furnace are not so estimable, as the purity and brightness which our faith derives from affliction-]

Their real worth will not be discerned till the day of judgment

[They will have a different aspect in "the day of Christ's appearing" from what they have now

The benefit resulting from them will be then fully discovered-]

They will then "be found to the praise and honour of those who endured them"

[Every thing we have done or suffered for Christ will be brought to light

A reward proportioned to our faithfulness will then be given us

Great sufferings will issue in "an eternal weight of glory"—]

They will be declared also to the praise and honour of Christ himself

[Christ is "the author and finisher of our faith"

He will have the glory of carrying his people through their trials

Thus they will issue in the good of the sufferers, and the glory of Christ-]

This is the end for which God permits his people to endure them

f Gen. xxii. 12.

INFER

1. How little cause have any persons to question their interest in God's favour on account of their trials, or their grief under them

[Satan takes advantage of the afflictions of the saints to impress their minds with desponding thoughts

Their natural turn of mind, too, sometimes favours such impressions

Even bodily disorder also may concur to deject their soulsBut the being in heaviness through temptations is ro just ground of doubting our acceptance with God

The persons of whom the apostle speaks in the text, were most undoubtedly in a converted states

Let not any tempted soul then be desponding or dejected] 2. What abundant reason have we to be reconciled to afilictions!

[Afflictions are trying to our frail nature

But they are salutary to our souls'—

We shall ere long see the necessity and benefit of each of

our sorrows

The praise and honour in which they will issue will make amends for all—

Let us then even now account them "precious".

Let us consider how light they are, when compared with the glory of heaven

Let us only be concerned to possess our souls in patiencem-]

8 They were "begotten again," had "a lively hope,” “believed in Christ," "loved him," " rejoiced in him with joy unspeakable," and had "received the salvation of their souls." Ver. 3, 8, 9. k Jam. i. 2, 3.

h Isai. xl. 27-31. Rom. viii. 18.

i Heb. xii. 11.

m Jam. i. 4.

XXIV. ENCOURAGEMENT TO STEDFASTNESS IN RE

LIGIOUS DUTIES.

Gal. vi. 9. Let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

THE way of duty is difficult, while that of sin is easy

a A learned prelate speaks admirably to this purpose:-" Vice is Srst pleasing; then easy; then delightful; then frequent; then habi

After we have received grace, we are still prone to depart from God—

But the prospect of an happy issue of our labours is a strong support

The gospel encourages us to expect a certain and seasonable recompence

I. When we may be said to be weary in well-doing Well-doing respects every part of a Christian's dutyWe may apprehend ourselves weary in it, when we are not really so

We are not necessarily so, because our affections are not so lively as they once were

[Age and infirmity may occasion a stupor of the mindA more enlarged view of our own depravity may cast us down

Love itself may grow in some respects even while its ardour seems to abate]

We are not necessarily so, because our corruptions appear to have increased

[When we are first awakened, we know but little of our own hearts

As we proceed, the Lord discovers to us more of our hidden abominations

The discovery of them, as of objects in a dark place, argues only more light from heaven-]

We are not necessarily so, because we do not find enlargement in prayer→

[Excess of trouble may, for a time, distract and overwhelm the soul

Our Lord himself seems to have experienced somewhat of thisd

Our prayers, perhaps, are never more acceptable than when they are offered in broken accents, in sighs, and groans-]

But we have reason to apprehend that we are weary in well-doing

1. When we do not make a progress in our religious

course

tual; then confirmed: then the man is impenitent; then he is obstinate; then he resolves never to repent; and then he is damned." Jer. Taylor's Serm. p. 260.

b Phil. i. 9.

d John xii. 27.

VOL. I.

This may be illustrated by Ezek. viii. 6, 13, 15.

e Rom. viii. 26.

S s

[We cannot stand still in religion; we must advance or decline

There are seasons when we grow rather in humility than in the more lively graces

But if we neither shoot our branches upward, nor our roots downward, it must be ill with us—]

When we are habitually formal in religious duties

ness

[The best of men find cause to lament an occasional dead

But no true Christian can be satisfied in such a states—

Habitual formality therefore proves, either that we have never been truly in earnest, or that we are in a state of miserable declension-1

3. When we do not carry religion into our worldly business

[As long as we are in the world, we must perform the duties of our station

But if our souls be prospering, we shall maintain a sense of religion even when we are not actually engaged in the offices of it]

4. When our consciences are not tender

[It is essential to a christian to hate evilk

He strives to "avoid even the appearance of evil"

He will in no wise allow one sinful temper or inclination1]

We cannot be too much on our guard against such a state II. Why we should never give way to weariness

If we persevere in our exertions, we shall reap the fruit of our labour

field

[There will be a harvest to all who labour in God's

It may not come so soon as we would desire; but it shall come, as the earthly harvests, " in due season"

We must, however, wait God's appointed time

If we faint, we shall lose all that we have before wrought But if we continue patiently in well-doing, we shall succeed at last"]

Our prospects of the harvest may well encourage us to persevere, since it will be

f 2 Pet. iii. 18. Heb. vi. 7, 8.

Nine times in the 119th Psalm does David cry, "Quioken me, O Lord"/

h Phil. iii. 3.

i Acts xxiv. 16.

i Prov. xxiii. 17.

k Rom. xii. 9.

2 John viii. Heb. x. 38. n Rom. ii. 7.

1. Certain

[The husbandman endures many toils for an uncertain harvest

His hopes may be blasted in a variety of ways

But God has pledged himself, that his faithful servants shall be rewarded

Nor shall either men or devils prevent the accomplishment of his promise]

2. Glorious

[What are all the harvests that ever were gathered since the creation of the world, in comparison of that which the Christian will reap?

Shall we faint then with such a prospect in view?-]

3. Everlasting

[However abundant our harvests here may be, we must renew the same process, in order to supply our returning

wants

But when once we have reaped the heavenly harvest, we shall "rest from our labours" for evermore

If then a year of toil be considered as compensated by a transient supply, shall not an eternity of happiness be thought worth our care, during the short period of human life?—

Do any, that are now in glory, regret the pains they bestowed to get there?

Let us "be followers of them," and we shall soon participate their bliss-]

• Heb. vi. 10.

P Prov. xi. 18.

9 Heb. vi. 12.

XXV. THE EFFECT WHICH A SIGHT OF GOD PRODUCES.

Job xlii. 5, 6. 1have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I repent, and abhor myself in dust and ashes.

THE deepest lessons of religon are usually taught us in the school of affliction

Affliction draws forth and discovers to us our latent corruptions

These drive us with more abundant earnestness to God

God takes these occasions to manifest his power and grace