The comforts which he felt, we too may feel, and the mercies of God which refreshed his soul, will soothe, strengthen, and refresh our troubled spirits in the season of affliction likewise. It is written, Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because He trusteth in Thee: that is, the man who has learned to serve Almighty God, who thinks of Him, as what He really is, a kind and merciful Father, ordering every thing for the best, the man who loves Him with all his heart, prays to Him, and puts his trust in Him—will find peace under every affliction, a helper and a comforter in every trouble. How can it be otherwise? I know that God is the Creator, Lord, and Governor of all things: I know that He made me: that He made me for his heavenly kingdom, and that He has placed me for a little while in this world, that I may, with His help, become fit for that. I am taught by His Bible that He loves me, O much more than I love Him! and that He is always doing me good. I know that I enjoy blessings which I have never done any thing to deserve, but many things to forfeit: I know that God gave His only Son to die for my salvation, that that happiness which by my own wickedness I have lost, I might, upon my sincere repentance, through His sufferings obtain. I have been taught by my Saviour to pray, Thy will be done. I know that whatever God does He does in mercy and in wisdom, and He has told me, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Shall I, then, when sorrows and afflictions come upon me, shall I murmur and complain? Shall I presume to think that I am hardly dealt with, I, who so worthily deserve to be punished for my sins? Does He not often chastise and correct us when He loves us most? and shall I refuse to submit with patience to His will? I am sure that it is good for me to be afflicted, or afflicted I should not be : I am persuaded that my troubles and sorrows will all work together for my good, if I love God. I am content to bear whatever he lays upon me: yea, though he slay me, I will yet put my trust in Him; my heart shall rejoice in the Lord, because I have hoped in His name. Thus a Christian believer may reason with himself, and in the seasons of the severest sorrow, in the darkest hours of affliction, may find comfort and refreshment to his soul. And surely since troubles will overtake us, since trials will come upon us, it is well worth our while to make sure of having some comfort under them. That comfort we must look for in heaven, for earthly things can afford but little, and that little not lasting, to the mind that is in sorrow: but in heaven there is a Being, whom if we find not our Comforter the fault is entirely our own. A Being who never fails to be the sure and stedfast friend of those who serve Him ; who is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him; whose delight is in them that fear Him, and put their trust in His mercy: who though He can and does afflict us, will yet speak peace to our souls who visits us for our good, and will never lay upon us more than we are able to bear: and who, though in this world He may think sorrows are best for us, has promised us in that far better one which is to come, the fulness of joy for evermore, through Christ who died for us. What is the affliction so great, what is the sorrow so bitter, that His goodness, His mercies, His gracious promises will not relieve? Are we suffering from poverty? have we lost our earthly goods?—we never could have had them at all if he had not pleased, and nothing have we done to deserve them. But though we are poor and in misery, are not our heavenly treasures safe? those joys and glories to which we are all called, and which we may all reach through the precious death of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Because we are poor shall we suppose that God has forgotten or forsaken us? No, let us not fear: what He is pleased should be our condition, let us learn to bear with meekness and contentment; and look forward, with joyful hope, to that blessed time when all who have loved the Lord, be they rich or poor now, will be mingled together in one happy company with angels and saints in heaven, before the throne of their Maker and Redeemer ! Has it pleased God to visit us with sickness and infirmities? The pains of sickness are sometimes grievous to be borne by these frail bodies which we care so much for, but we may make this a blessing if we will the sickness of the body is oftentimes the beginning of health to the soul. Who has not found, when the hand of God has been upon him, how his thoughts have been raised from earth to heaven and heavenly things? how he has despised pleasures and possessions which he has coveted before--how hated himself for sins which before he greedily committed-and what good resolutions he has made to alter and amend his life! and though many have risen from a bed of sickness to forget the good impressions which have been made upon them, to return to their former wickedness, and to sin against God even more than they did before; yet many, too, have left it from whose minds those good impressions have never been driven away; many who from having been careless and neglectful of God before, have become and continued to be |