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xvi THOUGHTS IN AFFLICTION.

John x. 35. Matt. xxiv. 35. 2 Tim.
ii. 11-13. Heb. vi. 17-20. 1 Pet.
i. 23-25. Rev. iii. 14, 22..

Is not the Lord at hand?

Phil. iv. 5. James v. 7, 8. 1 Thess. iv.
13-18. Phil. iii. 20, 21. 2 Tim. iv.
6-8. 1 Cor. xv. 42-44; 53-57.

Will not all soon end in joy?

Isaiah liv. 7-11. Psalm xxx. 4, 5.
Lam. iii. 31, 32.....

And shall I not then bless God for it?
Psalm cxix. 75. Lam. iii. 41. James i.
12. Rev. vii. 14-17. Rom. viii.
35-39.

References to Psalms and Portions of

Scripture....

Some special cases of Affliction..

I.

II.

III.

The Infidel under Affliction, contrasted

with the Christian..

PAGE

67

74

78

81

90

91

ib.

96

109

116

ERRATUM.

Page 110, line 2 from bottom, for depressed read

depraved.

THOUGHTS IN AFFLICTION.

Did not infinite wisdom

appoint this visitation?

and mercy

"We have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?" Heb. xii. 9.

"He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?" Dan. iv. 35.

"All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep His covenant and His testimonies." Ps. xxv. 10.

"Our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased." Ps. cxv. 3.

B

"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous, therefore, and repent." Rev. iii. 19.

[So long as we atheistically imagine that there is any such thing as chance, or confine ourselves to the consideration of second causes, we can derive no comfort or benefit from any of the dispensations of Providence. We must seek therefore to have this truth, first of all, deeply impressed upon our minds, that God disposes and overrules all events, great and small; that without Him not one sparrow falls to the ground, and that the very hairs of our heads are all numbered. His hand is therefore to be seen and acknowledged in every event: and though there is occasion frequently to observe the unquestionable, and to us mysterious and inexplicable, Sovereignty of God in the appointment both of the nature and measure, as well as the seasons of affliction,yet let us never forget that His Sovereignty is always that of unerring wisdom, unimpeachable holiness and justice, and infinite love and mercy, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right ?" Gen. xviii. 25. This thought must silence every

doubt and murmur. matter of faith, and acknowledge it must be so, though we cannot see it,-yea, though everything seems to prove the contrary. And then, in due time, we shall see and understand as much as is desirable and profitable for us in our present state. Further than this let us humbly silence vain curiosity, while we hear our Saviour say: "What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter." (John xiii. 7.) ]

We must receive this as a

Thy ways, O Lord, with wise design,
Are framed upon thy throne above,

And every dark or bending line
Meets in the centre of thy love.

With feeble light, and half obscure,
Poor mortals thy arrangements view;
Not knowing that the least are sure,
And the mysterious, just and true.

My favoured soul shall meekly learn
To lay her reason at thy throne ;
Too weak thy secrets to discern,
I'll trust thee for my guide alone.

Shall a sinful worm complain?

"Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?" Lam. iii. 39.

"Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more : That which I see not, teach Thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more." Job xxxiv. 31, 32.

"Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" Gen. xviii. 25.

["We are by nature children of wrath." (Eph. ii. 3.) Hence the original guilt and defilement of our nature deserves at God's hands far heavier judgments than we can experience on earth. Our unknown and unsuspected transgressions are sufficient for our everlasting condemnation; and, when we duly consider them, we should thank God that we are not in hell. Can we make such a protestation of integrity as Job (chap. xxxi.)? yet how much more was laid upon him! and what was he constrained to say at last, (xl. 4, 5. and xlii. 2—6.) ?]

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