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pruning redundancies, discovering and healing diseases, and exciting and encouraging languid actions and dormant principles, diffuses its influence over the heart, and consequently shows itself in the life, in more correct and energetic practice, more diligence, more of the Christian spirit, and of resemblance to the Christian's great and perfect Exemplar, more entire devotedness to the service of the Most High.

The great design of the Christian's life should be to promote the glory of God, and extend the limits of his kingdom. And yet how feeble his exertions! how cold and lifeless his endeavours, how inadequate to the magnitude of the design to be accomplished! There is none who does all that he might and ought to do in this great cause: and how many are content to hide their talent in a napkin, to sepulchrate their influence, and to attempt nothing towards the attainment of an object so magnificent!

Affliction, by promoting a habit of self-inspection, produces a conviction of our unprofitableness, leads us to set a greater value on religion, and to venerate more highly its gracious Author: whilst, by teaching us the vanity and insufficiency of the joys and prospects of the present life, it weans our hearts from the world, enfeebles our attachment to its scenes, brings to our views the crown of joy reserved in heaven

for those who love and serve God; and thus has a direct tendency to elevate our thoughts above the feelings and maxims of the day, and teaches us to seek guidance and direction from the God of all grace, with the humble desire of being entirely devoted to his service.

In the exercise of this principle we are not simply desirous of being employed actively in the execution of his purposes: but if he pleases to place us in obscurity, to thwart our schemes of active duty, and to try the fixedness of our trust in him, by requiring us to surrender, not only ourselves, but all our concerns, all we are, and have, and think, and feel, and do, to his will, we are prepared to yield submissively to his disposal. There can be no such thing as reservation here; God will have the whole heart, and will not endure its partition by a rival.

This devotedness of the heart to God is not an occasional impulse, but a constant principle of action; it does not consist in any outward sign, which may be assumed to-day, and laid aside to-morrow; it does not extend to one part of the conduct only, while the rest is tinctured with the wild impulse of ungoverned passion; it does not show itself in some particular instances, while the general disposition of the mind is averse to God; but it produces consistency of conduct and of feeling; it implies and gives

such a degree of firmness and of fixedness' to the character, as to lead its aspirations more habitually to heaven, to prepare the Christian for every event, and to enable him to praise God, and to walk continually with him.

If such be the advantages of sorrow, who would not "choose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season ?"'* Who would not deliberately prefer suffering, with all its inestimable benefits, to a life of ease and security, and present uncertain pleasure? Inasmuch as eternity is longer than time, the doctrines of Christianity are to be preferred to the maxims of the world, and "the sufferings of this present time, which are but for a moment, work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;" so is affliction to be preferred as the means of preparing us for heaven, and exciting us to love him in whose favour is life, and whose service is perfect freedom. If we "endure patiently," we shall inherit the promise: forgetting this world and its allurements, we shall be quickened in our progress towards heaven, and stimulated to "lay up our treasures there, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, nor thieves break through and steal."‡

*Heb. xi. 25.

+ 2 Cor. iv. 17.

+ Matt. vi. 20.

How carefully should we pray and strive after a proper improvement of sorrow, that this may prove a source of consolation, and of joy unspeakable and full of glory, in the anticipation of being soon landed on the blissful shores of immortality! Whilst, however, we reflect with delight on the advantages to be derived from the influence of affliction, we must not forget the guilt we shall incur, if we despise this abundant source of blessing—if we neglect its warnings, and are heedless of the instruction it affords. No benefit will accrue from suffering, if it be not improved. Then, indeed, affliction would be unspeakably painful: we should suffer equally, and, perhaps, more, without any title to the consolations provided for those who mourn in Zion, and at the same time we should incur the just anger of God, in refusing to listen to his voice, and to come to him, that "we might have life." If the affliction under which we groan de not detach us from the world-if it do not weaken the influence of sin, and invigorate the principle of piety in our hearts, we lose a blessing "which is better than riches: and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared with it."*

* Prov, iii. 15.

85

CHAPTER V.

ON SELF-EXAMINATION.

IF the influence of affliction be thus extensive, and its advantages so important; if our eternal welfare be connected with its improvement; and if there be a danger of foregoing these advantages, it is necessary to ascertain whether we are reaping the instruction designed by this mournful event. To rest in uncertainty where the interests of eternity are concerned is irrational; and at this season of solitude, the inquiry well befits us, What are we the better for our sorrows?-A mistake on this subject may be of infinite consequence, and, therefore, the greatest care and diligence should be observed in the scrutiny.

If it be true, that the foundation of all useful knowledge must be laid in an acquaintance with ourselves; and if it be granted, that we are indisposed to the fulfilment of this duty, because it leads us to be dissatisfied with our actions; it is the more necessary that we seriously prosecute the inquiry as in the presence of Him who

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