important subjects. It is only in view of the moral depravity, the ill-desert and vileness of human beings, that they can discern the height and depth, and length and breadth of divine grace in their salvation.

5. Saints desire to know what the Bible contains, because it reveals the will of God. It is the language of every christian's heart, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" The Bible reveals the conditions of eternal life, and shews all persons how they may enjoy the favor of God forever. And saints desire to know these conditions, however self-denying they may be. They are not afraid that God will require more than he ought to require, and therefore they are willing and desirous to hear the law and the gospel explained in their full extent. They are willing to know their whole duty, and therefore they are willing to understand every doctrine, every precept, and every prohibition, which is contained in the Bible. It is the desire and prayer of their hearts, that they may know what is that good and perfect will of God, which he has revealed in the scriptures. And whenever the doctrines and duties of the gospel are clearly explained and forcibly inculcated, their hearts rejoice, as if they had found great spoil. In whatever degree saints love to do their duty, in the same degree they love to understand it. It is, therefore, with peculiar pleasure, that they study

and learn from the holy scriptures what is pleasing to God.

6. Saints delight in the scriptures, because they unfold the scenes of the invisible world.Without the Bible, we could know nothing of the scenes beyond the grave. The heathen have always groped in darkness in respect to a future state. Their greatest philosophers and moralists were left in extravagant conjectures respecting the existence and condition of the soul after death. They did not know whether it would exist; and if it did, whether it would be happy or miserable; and if happy, in what its happiness would consist; or if miserable, in what its misery would consist. But the Bible has clearly revealed its future and eternal existence. It assures saints of future existence, and of eternal happiness in the enjoyment of God, and of all the blessings and glories of his holy kingdom. It describes heaven and hell; and places the scenes of eternity in the most glorious, amiable and awful light. Now, saints desire to exist forever, and to enjoy the presence and favor of God. Hence, their hearts are filled with love, hope and joy, while the scriptures are opened, and they behold by the light of truth such glorious and boundless prospects. It may be added,

7. Saints delight to understand the Bible, because it reveals the final issue of all things. According to the scriptures, all creatures and all events will be subservient

to the most perfect exhibition and gratification of the infinite goodness of God, and to the greatest extent of holiness and happiness, that can exist in created beings. All the works of God in creation, providence and redemption, will terminate in the wisest and best manner, that he can desire or conceive. Saints desire that the highest holiness and happiness of the universe may be promoted and secured. And it is the comfort and joy of their hearts, that there never will exist under the divine government any creature or any event, but what is connected with the greatest good of the intelligent universe. They rejoice that God will move and turn all things, so as to accomplish the greatest, wisest and best ends. They are assured by the scriptures of truth, that they can desire nothing better respecting their Creator, their fellow creatures and themselves, than what God is disposed and determined to accomplish. It is therefore, with the highest enjoyment and satisfaction, that saints obtain from the Bible the knowledge of the happy and glorious result of all things.

JUDAH.

THE TROUBLES AND COMFORTS OF

CHRISTIANS ON EARTH.

25,63. It is written, "Man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward." Numerous and constant troubles are the portion of human beings in the present life. They who

become truly pious, are not secured against the evils and sorrows which abound in this evil world. In their persons, in their estates and connections, they are liable to many afflictions. Weakness and sickness, decay and death, attend their bodies. And many and various are the evils, which they experience in respect to their spiritual and eternal interests. It is very certain, that the children of God may in this life frequently walk in the midst of trouble. And besides the common troubles of human life, they experience some troubles, which are peculiar to themselves.

They are usually troubled on account of their past sins. They are sinners by nature. And often their early days are wholly passed in the practice of iniquity. When they are brought to the knowledge of the truth, and are rightly affected by their past conduct, they have much trouble and sorrow of heart for their sins and follies. To real penitents, God says, "Then shall ye remember your own evil ways and your doings, that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and abominations." Though the people of God be pardoned and will be saved from the deserved punishment of their iniquities, yet their sinful conduct is not, on that account, the less evil and hateful in itself. And often their past conduct appears so sinful, that it greatly oppresses and afflicts their spirits.

They are troubled by their present imperfection. They know that they ought to be perfectly holy. And they labor to guard against whatever is sinful. Yet they find themselves in a great degree burdened and troubled by the power and defilement of iniquity. They are far from that supreme and constant love to God, which he most justly requires. Nor have they that constant and impartial affection to their fellow creatures, which they are sensible they ought to feel and express. Nothing less than perfect holiness is, in the view of pious persons, their present duty. Holiness is, in their sight, perfectly excellent and beautiful, and sin is vile and hateful. Their sinful imperfection, therefore, is a constant grief to their hearts. The Psalmist says, " Mine iniquities are gone over mine head; as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.-I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long." The Apostle, having described his sinful imperfection, exclaims, "O wretched man, that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Sin is the greatest and worst of evils. And so long as christians are not perfectly holy, they will be troubled by their sinful imperfection.

Again-They are troubled by the evils, which exist in the church. They are strongly attached to the cause and kingdom of God on earth. The interests of his kingdom are their interests.

And whatever opposes the prosperity and enlargement of Zion is grievous and afflictive to their own souls. But the errors and sins, the enemies and divisions, which are in themselves opposed to the purity and happiness of the christian church, are very numerous.-In all past ages, great and violent opposition to the truth, as it is in Jesus, has existed in the world. And many persons who profess to be christians, are among the most powerful and bitter enemies of the gospel. At the present day, the true church of God is opposed and weakened by many errors, and by many enemies. If then christians look to the whole church of Christ on earth, they see many evils, by which they have reason to be troubled. If they look to the single church, to which they belong, they will find many evils, that are afflictive and painful.There are few single churches, which have not such members, as afford no pleasing evidence of true friendship and faithfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ. And in most churches, there are such members, as exhibit sorrowful appearances of impenitence and impiety. What the Apostle said of religious professors in his day may be truly said at the present time"Many walk, of whom I have told you often and now tell you, even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ; whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame; who mind earthly

things." evils and troubles, which christians experience, are the errors and sins, which exist in professors of the true and holy gospel.

Again-Christians are troubled by the evils which abound in the world. They know that mankind by nature are universally and totally estranged from God; that they are subjected to his holy displeasure and condemned by the law to the pains of endless death. They see the greater part of their fellow creatures are involved in the grossest ignorance and the most destructive delusions and superstitions. The Psalmist says, "The dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty." The people of God have often seen the world filled with violence, and covered with blood. And this world still affords constant and abundant occasion for grief and sorrow to such persons, as either fear God or regard man. By the wickedness and misery, which so generally prevail on the earth, the people of God are often obliged to walk in the midst of troub

le." The evils and troubles, which have now been mentioned, are, in a greater or less degree, common to all pious persons. And they are liable to be distressed and disheartened by these great evils and constant troubles.

But let us now turn our attention to the bright and pleasant side of things; and consider the comforts of christians, even in the midst of their troubles. In all their

immutable foundation for their consolation. God is the comfort of his people. To his people he says, " I, even I, am he, that comforteth you." In God, his people see infinite perfection and excellence. His knowledge, power, wisdom, goodness, mercy and faithfulness are unchangeable. In the exercise of perfect and infinite goodness, he has made, and preserves, and governs all things. And he will cause all things to subserve his own glory, and the glory of his kingdom and the good of his people. Under his perfect government there can exist nothing, but what shall be, on the whole, wisest and best. In view of his perfections, designs and works, the people of God will be raised above all their troubles, and comforted with everlasting consolation. When they truly turn to God and rest upon him, they now find support and relief. To his afflicted disciples, the Savior said, "Let not your hearts be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me." True faith in God and the Lord Jesus Christ will relieve and remove the troubles of his people, and afford peace and joy to their hearts. In God there is a sufficient and immoveable foundation of comfort to his people, whatever may be their troubles.

And God promises to comfort his people. By Isaiah, it is written, "The Lord shall comfort Zion; he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wil

derness as Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein; thanksgiving and the voice of melody." By Jeremiah, God says, "I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow. My people shall be satisfied with my goodness." And the Savior say, "Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comfort ed." To his disciples he also said, "I will not leave you comfortless." There are many other divine promises, which afford assurance, that God will comfort his people respecting all the evils, troubles and sorrows they ever experience. It is written, "all things work together for good to them that love God." The people of God are often involved in great darkness respecting many evils, which they suffer in this life.They may imagine that there can be no wise and good reasons for their troubles. But God has the wisest and best reasons for his own conduct in their bitterest afflictions and heaviest sorrows. And he is able and willing to fulfil his promises to his people. They ought, therefore, to be assured, that he will turn their sorrow into joy, and their troubles into comforts. He is faithful to his promises of everlasting consolation to his people.

Again- The conduct of God towards his people, agrees with his promises. They have been obliged to turn to him for light, sup

port and comfort. And they have always found him a refuge and strength, and a very present help in trouble. In many instances the whole church of God on earth has been surrounded by enemies and dangers, and been brought to the very verge of destruction. But God has protected, relieved, and preserved his kingdom, in the face of earth and hell. Every pious person has frequently been in the midst of trouble; but God has never forgotten, nor forsaken those who have trusted in him. Jacob and Joseph, Job and David, Daniel and Joseph, had severe and painful afflictions and trials; but they were even in this life, abundantly comforted and satisfied in respect to all their sorrows. From their own experience, the people of God have had reason to say"The Lord will not cast off forever; but though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies; for he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men." From the perfections, the promises, and the conduct of God, it is certain that his people will have comforts, exceeding abundantly above all their troubles.

Since christians are subjected to many troubles in this life, they ought not to expect freedom from trouble, while they remain on earth. They are very apt to deceive themselves in respect to their present state. They commonly imagine, they may have fewer and less troubles in future,