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nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. Have you not read of glorying in tribulation? Do you never reflect on that memorable paffage in the prophecy of Habakkuk? “ Although the fig-tree fhall not bloffom, neither fhall fruit be in the vine, the labour of the olive fhall fail, and the fields fhall yield no meat, the flock fhall be cut off from the fold, and there fhall be no herd in the ftalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my falvation."

The Lord has feen it meet to lay his chastening hand upon you, and you faint. under it. You are filled with fearful apprehenfions of his wrath, and ready to fay," I am undone; he is come to call my fins to remembrance; his arrows of indignation are shot against me. These are the beginnings of forrow, and what the end will be, I know not."

My

Mr. James Crefwick, an eminent minifter, a native of Sheffield, in Yorkshire, fuffered joyfully the spoiling of his goods for the cause of Chrift; he was greatly afflicted in his eyes, and endured much under the tormenting pains of the ftone; all which he bore with exemplary patience. He ufed frequently to fay, “Lord, I am thine, and thổu canft do me no wrong. I had rather have health of soul, in a body full of pain, than health and cafe of body, with a diftempered foul."

My brother, these are erroneous conclufions, equally difhonourable to God, and distressful to yourself. What you call arrows of indignation may more properly be termed inftances of love. He who is infinite in wifdom as well as boundless in mercy, fees the neceffity of this wholesome difcipline, for the promotion of your best interests. He chaftens you for your profit, to make you partaker of his holiness.

Perhaps you were too much attached to fome created object, as Jonah was exceeding glad becaufe of his gourd. That object is removed, that your heart may be more entirely given to God, and that he may reign there without a rival. A ftate of uninterrupted prosperity might intoxicate your mind, and lead you to forget your Redeemer, to neglect the affairs of your foul, and the concerns of a future world. Your earthly hopes and flattering profpects are therefore blafted, that you may fet your affections on things above. The ftream is dried up, by drinking too deeply of which you might have been furfeited, that you may drink more freely of the fountain of the water of life. Thefe difpenfations, therefore, myfterious as they are, are neverthlefs difpenfations of love. When rightly understood, they are inftances and proofs of the good-will of him who dwelt in the bush. When

you

you are tempted to fay with the patriarch, in the feafon of defpondency, "All these things are against me," recollect the words of an infpired apostle, "All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Lift up the hands that hang down, and the feeble knees, and fay,

Then why, my foul, thefe fad complaints?
Still while he frowns, his bowels move;
Still on his heart he bears his faints,

And feels their forrows, and his love.

Permit me farther to observe, that the children of God are fometimes apt to call in queftion the reality of his special tokens of favour and kindness. When they are indulged with the confolations of his Holy Spirit, they are jealous left these should be only the delufions of Satan. While men, whose hearts are not right in the fight of God, are too bold and presuming, the humble followers of the Lamb are prone to err through an excess of timidity. * When the Lord is pleafed to afford unto

his

* Mr. Walter Marshall, of Hurley, in Hampfhire, was much exercised with troubled thoughts for many years. He fought for peace of conscience by

many

......4.4.

his defponding children gracious intimations of his favour, it is unquestionably criminal in them, to call these but fparks of their own kindling, or delufions of Satan.

It

many mortifying methods, but his troubles ftill increased. He confulted an eminent minifter about his cafe, giving him an account of the ftate of his foul, and particularizing the fins which lay heavy on his confcience. The minifter, Dr. T. G. wrote to him in reply, that he had forgot to mention the greatest fin of all, that of unbelief, or not believing on the Lord Jefus Chrift for the remiffion of his fins, and the fanctification of his nature. Upon this he set himself to the studying and preaching of Chrift; and attained to peace of confcience, and joy in the Holy Ghoft, in conjunction with an eminent degree of holiness. His book on The Gofpel Mystery of Sanctification, so much recommended by the late Mr. James Hervey, was the fruit of his own experience. A little before his death, he said to those about him, "I die in the full perfuafion of the truth, and in the comfort of that doctrine which I have preached to others." His laft words were, "The wages of fin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jefus Chrift

our Lord."

The book, just mentioned, is abridged, and fome paffages in it which were liable to abuse, very judiciously guarded against a wrong conftruction, by the late pious and fenfible Mr. Benjamin Forfitt.

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It is a certain truth that Satan can transform himself into an angel of light; but the fealings and witnessings of the Holy Spirit, if properly attended to, carry their own evidence along with them. And by the facred touch-stone of God's word, every thing of this kind ought to be tried. The effects of God's gracious manifestations of favour to the foul, bespeak their reality, and distinguish them from every thing of a delusive nature.

Has not the Lord often, by his holy word and Spirit, poured divine comforts into your defponding mind? Has he not raised your heart to himself, in hope and trust, joy and confidence? Has he not enabled you to derive encouragement from the gospel remedy? Have you not, to the relief of your pained heart, and the healing of your wounded confcience, beheld the Lamb of God which taketh away the fin of the world? Have not thefe views melted your heart into penitence, inspired you with love to Jefus, zeal for his honour, desire after holiness, and indignation against fin? And can you, afterwards, in a season of darkness, call this deception and delufion? Surely you will not che rish so unworthy a thought.

What would you think of the child of an earthly parent, who, after he has had the ftrongest proofs of paternal affection, should count them all as no

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