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you tear me from the bosom of that Father? Would you recall me to this scene of tribulation and distress? Do you wish to see me again struggling with the calamities which are inseparable from the life of wretched mortals?

But there is something farther which challenges our attention. All that our blessed Lord has done for himself, has an intimate relation to us. All the glory which rests on our illustrious Head, extends its influence to each of its members. All the parts of the economy into which he has entered for our salvation, have a direct reference to our salvation. He was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. He is even at the right hand of God, where he also maketh intercession for us, Rom. iv. 25 viii. 34. In all your distresses, reflect, not only on the place to which Christ is gone, but likewise on what he hath thither gone to do on your behalf. In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, chap. xiv. 2. God no longer dwells in light which no man can approach unto, 1 Tim. vi. 16. Direct your eyes to heaven. There are no longer cherubims and a flaming sword, Gen. iii. 24. to obstruct your passage. Wither I go ye know, and the way ye know: . . . . Jesus Christ is the way, and the truth, and the life, ch. xiv. 4, 6. Keep but yourselves closely united to the Redeemer in the hour of tribulation; place continually before your eyes this model of patient suffering, and he will himself conduct you to those mansions of glory.

4 But an impenetrable veil conceals from your eyes those mansions in our Father's house: but there is an infinite distance between this little corner of the world, into which God has been pleased

to send us, as into a state of exile, and the place which Christ is preparing for us. God is still, with respect to us, a strong God, who hideth himself, Isa. xlv. 15. Well, you must learn to look through that veil. You must learn to fill up the mighty void which is between heaven and earth, and to see this God who still conceals himself from our eyes. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen, Heb. xi. 1. The Christian is instructed to unite the present to futurity. The Christian is instructed to anticipate periods the most remote. The Christian is a man already quickened together with Christ; already glorified; already seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus, Eph. ii. 5. How so? By the foretastes of those blessings which are the objest of his expectations. This is the fourth source of the consolation which our Lord opens to his disciples, and which we, after him, open unto you. From henceforth, ye know the Father, and have seen him: he that hath seen me, hath seen the Father: peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth, give I unto you, chap. xiv. 7, 9, 27.

My soul, if these are mere empty ideas with respect to thee, to thyself alone is the evil to be imputed. Thou hast corrupted thy taste: thou art plunging thyself in the world: distracting thyself with its projects: eagerly hunting after its pleasures thou art suffering thyself to be facinated with its charms: thou art devoting no portion of thy immortal capacity to the perception of that delight which the regenerated man enjoys, when he can say to himself, "I know the Father: he is such as I know the Son to be, full of love, full of charity, full of goodness and long-suffering. Jesus Christ has left me his peace: I bear within me

the testimony of a conscience void of offence: I gave myself up to the joy of reflecting that my salvation is secure." Thou renderest thyself insensible to these sublime attractions: and then, when the world betrays thee; when thy gods are taken away from thee, Jud. xviii. 24. when thou art bent on every side with a great fight of affliction, thou findest thyself destitute of every resource. Reform thy depraved taste. Call down Paradise to reside within thee: anticipate that glorious period, when thou shalt see God as he is, 1 Jo. iii. 2. Call to remembrance these words of thy Saviour: From henceforth ye know the Father, and have seen him he that hath seen me, hath seen the Father: peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you: Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

5. There is a fifth source of consolation which Jesus Christ disclosed to his disciples, and which we, after him, disclose unto you. It is the assurance of his spiritual presence, and of the presence of his heavenly Father, in the midst of you. I will not leave you comfortless, or, as it might have been rendered, I will not leave you orphans.. If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him, chap. xiv. 18, 23. In all your distresses, call to remembrance, that God is with you of a truth. With what fortitude did this reflection inspire those holy men whom the scriptures have proposed to us as models!

With what fortitude was Moses animated by it! Wherein shall it be known here, said of old time that eminent servant of God, that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? Is it not in that thou goest with us? So shall we be separated,

I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth, Ex. xxxiii. 16. With what fortitude did it animate the prophet, when he said, When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up, Psa. xxvii. 10. With what fortitude did it inspire Jesus Christ himself, under that universal desertion which he experienced at the hour of death! Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered every man to his own, and shall leave me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me, ch. xvi. 32.

Let us never lose sight of God in the day of adversity. Let us ever dwell with complacency and joy on that expression of the Redeemer, I will not leave you orphans. Let us apply to ourselves what God said of his ancient people: Surely they are my people, children that will not lie; so he was their Saviour. In all their affliction he was af ficted, and the angel of his presence saved them, Isa. lxiii. 8, 9. and let us exult in the fulness of a Christian confidence: I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved, Psa, xvi. 8.

6. Finally, the last source of consolation which Jesus Christ disclosed to his disciples, and which we, after his example, would disclose unto you, is the nearness of his return. Ye now have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from yoù, chap. xvi. 22. In all your distresses, call to remembrance, that if Jesus Christ be not now sensibly present in the midst of you, the time is at hand when he will certainly be so. Call to remembrance what the angels said unto the apostles, when lost in astonishment at beholding a cloud receive him out of their sight: Ye men of Galilee,

why stand ye gazing up into heaven: this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come, in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven, Acts. i. 11. Call to remembrance that Jesus Christ will quickly re-appear: Yet a little while, and he who shall come will come, and will not tarry, Heb. x. 37.

No, this economy is not made for eternity. The world is waxing old: our years are hastening to fill up their measure: we are advancing with rapid strides towards the tomb. The decorations of the universe are speedily to be changed with respect to us. The universe itselt is about to undergo a real change. The state of the world, that now js, presents a state of violence, which cannot be of long duration. The last trumpet must ere long utter its voice yet a little while, and those thunders must be heard which shall shake the pillars of the earth: Arise, ye dead, and leave your tombs. Yet a little while, and we shall see again those whose death has cost us so many tears, and we shall be re-united to them. Yet a little while, and the sign of the Son of Man shall appear in heaven, Matt. xxiv. 30. Yet a little while, and this Son of Man shall himself appear in his own, and in his Father's glory, with all his holy angels.

Ah! my brethren, till that blessed period arrive, we dare not promise you the possession of the fulness of joy. Till that blessed period, Church of Jesus Christ, thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, Isa. liv. 2. a fearful night must involve thee in thick darkness. Till that blessed period, weep, weep, dejected Christian, disciple of the crucified Jesus, weep and lament, and let the world rejoice, because ye are sorrowful: but ere long, your sorrow shall be turned into joy . . . :

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