thee of the comfort and joy, wait for him, and all stail bevel Lannie fort is good enough, to thee; so no temporades enough, to be a Has a believer attained bisher sounds and would he continue a egye take heed, that he do upon his evidences of geo man, arrive at some degreefonte antive Satan, if permittel, vil engi intenseness, upon in exter great That enemy of his toys to him, That he cant ex S not deceiving himself; n ing him condamaly, was and trying it, he may ney the exercise of grace au section Were the beffever to se a filiger., n ing himself, to have always a offence toward God, aut twat ing his evidences; he want as my than he does, in the assurans Me in the Lord Jesus'. Afflictions are sent, that they may be means of preparing them, for deriving increasing degrees of spiritual and strong consolation, from his fulness. When the sufferings of Christ, or any calamities whatever, abound in them; it is not, in order that their consolation may diminish, but that it may abound by Christ ". If afflictions are dispensed, it is, to take smaller comforts out of the way, or to make them cease to be any longer, comforts, in order to make room for greater. Believers, therefore, when they are under affliction of any kind, should never suffer their grief, or their fear, to hinder them for a moment, from trusting and rejoicing in Christ Jesus, who is a brother born for adversity. On the contrary, while they are under trouble, as well as after they are delivered from it, they ought to fall in so entirely, with the gracious design of God in dispensing it, as resolutely to endeavour to confide, and to rejoice, in the great Redeemer. Thus, "their hearts will be fixed, trusting in the Lord;" and they will enjoy a peaceful and a stable tranquillity, in the midst of a changing and a troublesome world. Thus, desiring above all things, and trusting, that the infinitely sovereign, wise, and holy will of God, may be accomplished in them; they will rejoice in the cheering thought that, in subservience to the glory of Christ in their salvation, “all things work together for good to them." Afflicted be liever, thy grief, arising from what thou feelest, either of the plague of thy heart, or of the pressure of thy calamity, should never be suffered to rob John xvi. 33. #2 Cor. i. 5. w Rom. viii. 28. thee of the comfort and joy, which the blessed gos pel designs for thee, in what is there recorded of the person, righteousness, and fulness, of the glorious Redeemer. O trust Him, delight in him, wait for him, and all shall be well. Consider that, to thee, he takes the curse out of every affliction, and turns it into a real blessing. Give up therefore all thy concerns, into the hands of thy faithful Redeemer; and trust that, by his infinite love, and his manifold wisdom, he will conduct them all for thy good. Judge not of the love of God, by providences, but by promises. As no temporal comfort is good enough, to be an evidence of his love to thee; so no temporal calamity is afflictive enough, to be a sign of his hatred of thee. Has a believer attained established consolation, and would he continue to enjoy it? then let him take heed, that he do not look intensely and excessively upon his evidences of grace. No sooner does a good man, arrive at some degree of settled comfort, than Satan, if permitted, will tempt him to look with great intenseness, upon his evidences for heaven. That enemy of his holy comfort, will often suggest to him, That he cannot be sure enough, that he is not deceiving himself; in order that, by occupying him continually, with laying the foundation and trying it, he may keep him from diligence, in the exercise of grace and performance of duty.. Were the believer to be as diligent, in" exercising himself, to have always a consciencé void of offence toward God, and toward men *," as in trying his evidences; he would advance more speedily than he does, in the assurance of sense. It is, in x Acts. xxiv. 16. k per deed, the duty of Christians, often to examine their state and their frame, and to see that they are not deceiving themselves; but, not to be doing it only and incessantly; not to be occupying themselves with that, when they are called to faith and love, to patience and holy activity for God. Were those of the saints, who are favoured with comfortable discoveries of their evidences of inherent holiness, to take frequent occasion from those evidences, to think of Christ, and to set their hearts the more, on his consummate righteousness, as the only ground of their title to holiness and comfort; they would thereby, attain more assurance of their sonal interest in him, and more establishment in pure consolation. When the apostle Paul was assured, that Christ already lived in him, he took occasion from that, to live the more by faith, on the righteousness and fulness of Christ. "I live," says he;" yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me "." At the very time in which, the same Apostle had his eye fixed, upon his having the excellent knowledge of Christ Jesus; he had his heart taken up with the righteousness of Christ *. If the believer, then, would maintain solid and stable comfort, let him think more of the Lord Jesus, and delight more in Him, and in his righte ousness and fulness, than in his own evidences of Το grace. pore upon his inherent holiness, more than upon his imputed righteousness, would soon interrupt and lessen his tranquillity of mind. Evidences are, indeed, delightful to an exercised Chris tian; but Christ ought to be far more delightful to him. Such of the saints, as are favoured with strong and stable consolation, may hence learn, to express their gratitude for this inestimable blessing," by the frequent exercise of holy joy. They should abound much, in the lively exercise of joy and praise. When their souls are satisfied as with marrow and fatness, their mouths ought daily to praise the Lord with joyful lips. Their lips should greatly rejoice, when they sing unto him, and their souls, which he hath redeemed." Every stream of Divine consolation, which flows in, ought to lead them up to the uncreated fountain of joy, and to excite them to the exercise of rejoicing always in the Lord. They should place their happiness and their delight, more in that which is in Christ, and in the promise, than in any thing which they find in themselves. Rejoice, O believer, in the Lord Jesus. Make HIм the consolation of thy soul. Try how much of Christ, may be enjoyed by thee upon earth, to prepare thee for the full, and endless enjoyment of him in heaven. Let it be thy continual study, to enjoy as much of heaven upon earth, as possible. To be in Christ, and to rejoice in Him, are heaven below; and to be with Him,.. to behold his glory, is heaven above. Trusting in thy gracious Redeemer, who " rejoiceth over thee to do thee good;" ask thyself, every morning,What have I to expect from my dear Redeemer, this day, to afford me joy? This question will, under the consoling influences of the holy Comforter, tend to make thee cheerful and thankful, at the commencement of the day. How exhilarating will |