SERMON XXXIV

TRUST IN GOD

Put thou thy trust in the Lord. - PSALM Xxxvii. 3.

WHO

HOEVER seriously reflects upon the state and condition of man, and looks

upon that dark side of it, which represents his life as open to so many causes of trouble; when he sees how often he eats the bread of affliction, and that he is born to it as naturally as the sparks fly upwards; that no rank or degrees of men are exempted from this law of our beings; - but that all, from the high cedar of Libanus to the humble shrub upon the wall, are shook in their turns by numberless calamities and distresses: when one sits down and looks upon this gloomy side of things, with all the sorrowful changes and chances which surround us,— at first sight, would not one wonder, how the spirit of man could bear the infirmities of his nature, and what it is that supports him,

as it does, under the many evil accidents which he meets with in his passage through the valley of tears? - Without some certain aid within us to bear us up, — so tender a frame as ours would be but ill fitted to encounter what generally befalls it in this rugged journey: and accordingly we find, — that we are so curiously wrought by an all-wise hand, with a view to this, that, in the very composition and texture of our nature, there is a remedy and provision left against most of the evils we suffer; — we being so ordered, that the principle of self-love, given us for preservation, comes in here to our aid, — by opening a door of hope, and, in the worst emergencies, flattering us with a belief that we shall extricate ourselves, and live to see better days.

This expectation, though in fact it no way alters the nature of the cross accidents to which we lie open, or does at all pervert the course of them, yet imposes upon the sense of them, and, like a secret spring in a well-contrived machine, though it cannot prevent, at least it counterbalances the pressure, and so bears up this tottering, tender frame under many a violent shock and hard jostling, which otherwise would unavoidably overwhelm it.

Without such an inward resource, from an inclination, which is natural to man, to trust and hope for redress in the most deplorable conditions, - his state in this life would be, of all creatures, the most miserable. — When his mind was either wrung with affliction, or his body lay tortured with the gout or stone, — Idid he think that in this world there should be no respite to his sorrow;- could he believe the pains he endured would continue equally intense, - without remedy, without intermission; with what deplorable lamentation would he languish out his day, - and how sweet, as Job says, would the clods of the valley be to him. But so sad a persuasion, whatever grounds there may be sometimes for it, scarce ever gets full possession of the mind of man, which by nature struggles against despair: so that whatever part of us suffers, the darkest mind instantly ushers in this relief to it,points out to hope, encourages to build, though on a sandy foundation, and raises an expectation in us, that things will come to a fortunate issue. And indeed it is something surprising to consider the strange force of this passion; what wonders it has wrought in supporting men's spirits in all ages, and under

such inextricable difficulties, that they have sometimes hoped, as the apostle expresses it, even against hope, — against all likelihood;— and have looked forwards with comfort under misfortunes, when there has been little or nothing to favour such an expectation.

This flattering propensity in us, which I have here represented, as it is built upon one of the most deceitful of human passions — (that is), self-love, which at all times inclines us to think better of ourselves, and conditions, than there is ground for; - how great soever the relief is, which a man draws from it at present, it too often disappoints in the end, leaving him to go on his way sorrowing, — mourning, - as the prophet says, that his hope is lost. So that, after all, in our severer trials, we still find a necessity of calling in something to aid this principle, and direct it so, that it may not wander with this uncertain expectation of what may never be accomplished, but fix itself upon a proper object of trust and reliance, that is able to fulfil our desires, to hear our cry, and to help us. - The passion of

hope, without this, though in

straits a man may support his spirits for a time with a general expectation of better fortune; — yet, like

a ship tossed without a pilot upon a troublesome sea, it may float upon the surface for a while, but is never, never likely to be brought to the haven where it should be. — To accomplish this, reason and religion are called in at length, and join with Nature in exhorting us to hope; but to hope in God, in whose hands are the issues of life and death, -and without whose knowledge and permission we know that not a hair of our heads can fall to the ground. - Strengthened with this anchor of hope, which keeps us steadfast, when the rains descend, and the floods come upon us, - however the sorrows of a man are multiplied, he bears up his head, looks towards heaven with confidence, waiting for the salvation of GOD:- he then builds upon a rock against which the gates of hell cannot prevail.

He may be troubled, it is true, on every side, but shall not be distressed, — perplexed, yet not in despair: - though he walk through the valley of the shadow of death, even then he fears no evil; this rod and this staff comfort him.

The virtue of this had been sufficiently tried by David, and had, no doubt, been of use to him in the course of a life full of afflictions;