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GOD OUR FRIEND AND PORTION.

355 fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are dust." With what peace should these gracious declarations fill the soul. God is a Father-a Father in heaven-a Father who knows the frame of his children. He sees its weakness; he perceives the dangers to which it is exposed; the sorrows to which it gives birth; and not only knows, "but remembers," that we are dust. Formed from the dust, man fades like a flower, perishing before a scorching blast. "His days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth: for the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him." Charming contrast! The frailty and vanity of man render the love of God more glorious. Man is for a moment; but the love of God for ever. Mortal man, in his best estate on earth, is like a withering flower; but the love of God to ransomed man never fades, but endures and shines for ever and ever.

God is the Friend, and Father, and Portion of those who belong to the holy Jesus. What nobler happiness can an immortal being require? The humble disciples of the Saviour may exclaim with the Psalmist, "Thou art my portion, O Lord." "Thon art my God, and I will praise thee; thou art my God, I will exalt thee." The followers of the world have their possessions: riches, honours, profits, pleasure; these are their treasure; but thou, the Lord of heaven and earth, art mine. Thou art my God, my Father, and Friend. Thou, whom angels venerate, and devils dread; whose smile is life, whose frown is death-thou art my God. Thou, whose possessions are heaven and earth-whose dwelling-place is eternity--whose favour is more to me than all the worldthou art my God. Thou art my Father too-mine in lifeamidst its bustling, changing, vexing scenes, thou art my God. In pain and in ease, in prosperity and adversity, in sickness or in health, thou art my God and Father; and thou wilt be mine in death; and then, in vast eternity, thou wilt be for ever mine.

§ 15. Such an interest as this in the favour and love of God is the greatest blessing an immortal creature can enjoy. None

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can conceive how much is contained in those gracious words, Friend and Father, when the great and blessed God is he to whom they are applied. Were the high and low, the rich and poor, of every nation under heaven, uniting to minister to our comfort, all would be far outdone by the single blessing-God our Friend. Were it possible for us to call down legions of angels from their starry thrones, to surround us with ceaseless care, to wait our commands, to minister to our welfare, or fetch us supplies of happiness from unseen worlds -all would be outdone, far outdone by this single blessing, God our Friend. Suppose that you were endowed with everlasting strength, and that the irresistible power and infinite wisdom of the great Almighty were bestowed upon you,whom could you then fear? what enemies could excite the smallest alarm in your peaceful breast? And what could you want, when possessed of might sufficient in a moment to call men, angels, or a world into being? Now, though we are crushed before the moth, and perish like a leaf, yet if God be our friend, we have in some sense omnipotence our own. The eternal God is the refuge of his people; and his almighty power and infinite wisdom are engaged, under the direction of infinite love, in their behalf. How glorious are his works! how much more glorious himself! When we survey the spacious earth, the wide-spread heavens, the glowing sun, the silent sky glittering with ten thousand stars, how lofty should be our thoughts of him, who formed them all! and O, how high our view of the blessedness of having God our Friend and Father! Though once he pronounced those good, the time draws nigh when he shall delight in them no more; but the treasures of this invaluable blessing will never be exhausted. Stupendous God! though heaven is thy throne, and eternity thy dwelling-place, the dust that lies at thy feet, the penitent that bows at thy footstool, claims thee for his Father, his everlasting Father: and thou wilt own the claim; and when the grandeur of this world is all forgotten; when the sun shall be turned into darkness, and this creation die, thy love will bless eternity, and last unchanged through all its ample round. The love of God insures every other blessing; do all you want, and more than all you wish. earthly friends, when most fervent, is feeble love. most, and weak the best, that they can do. When pain and

for he can The love of Little is the

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sickness cloud your days, they cannot bid disease depart and health return; but he can; or else he can make pain better than ease, and sickness a greater good than health. If sin and sorrow oppress your soul, no earthly friends can take the load of guilt away; nor can they comfort the troubled conscience, mourning for years of sin and folly; but this almighty Father can fill the broken heart with heavenly peace: he can say, Be of good comfort; thy sins are forgiven thee. He can forgive all the guilt that renders judgment terrible, and fill your soul with peace so sweet, and hope so strong, as to quell every fear, and silence every doubt. And all you want besides he can bestow. He can enrich you with plenty, or make loss and poverty better blessings than prosperity and wealth. He can fill your heart with love, and help you to believe, confide, rejoice. And when the solemn hour arrives, in which you must die, even in that momentous hour he has power to give all your departing soul will need. Then earthly friends, the dearest and the best, can only mourn. They cannot drive our fears away; nor can they open the portals of heaven, and say, Come in, thou blessed. But God, your kind heavenly Father, can do more than this: he can make death better than life, and render your last your happiest hour. He can banish every gloomy fear, and make death itself wear a smile, and seem a messenger of heavenly love, come to summon you to the abodes of glory. He can gladden with immortal hopes your dying moments; and give you an abundant.entrance into his eternal kingdom.

§ 16. Perhaps the scenes through which God leads you are scenes of trial, yet consider, whatever be the immediate source of affliction, that trials come from God. Even when wicked men are the authors of his sufferings, the Christian may say, "They are the sword, the hand is thine." That afflictions come from God, is the declaration of his word. "When we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world."r "If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons: for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons."s As afflictions thus proceed from God, so they are declared to be the effect of his love. "As many as I love, I rebuke and

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chasten be zealous, therefore, and repent." "Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.""

If any escape affliction, the children of God are not of that number. All whose holy example is displayed in the sacred Scriptures, and whose piety shone with the brightest lustre, passed along a chequered path to heaven. Job and Joseph, and the patriarchs, Elijah and Daniel, and the prophets, Paul and the apostles, were trained for glory and happiness in scenes of earthly trial. Even Jesus was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. Yet in the darkest day of trouble many are the sources of Christian consolation. Is God leading you through the fire, or the waters, of affliction? think of the gracious design he has in view. He chastens "for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness." He afflicts you to ripen your soul for that happier land, where no affliction is ever felt. He sinks you on earth that you may rise in heaven; and makes you sad for a moment here that he may make you happier through eternity there. God has various ends to accomplish in the afflictions of his children. Sometimes he afflicts them to humble and to purify their souls. To keep him humble, Paul was afflicted; and Job said, "When he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold;"* and his word declares, "Now, no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." At other times the Father of mercies designs to brighten their graces, to strengthen their faith and patience. Hence his word says, "The trying of your faith worketh patience." "Now for a season (if need be) ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations; that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, might be found unto praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ."a Sometimes God by affliction would lead the affections of his children upwards to a better world, while he enables them to declare, "Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are (1) Rev. iii. 19. (u) Heb. xii. 6. (v) Heb. xii. 10.

(x) Job xxiii. 10.

(y) Heb. xii. 11. (a) 1 Pet. i. 6, 7.

(w) 2 Cor. xii. 10 (z) James i. 2, 3.

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not seen. "b At other times, by chastening them, he teaches them to exercise resignation and submission. "Tribulation worketh patience." On some occasions afflictions are employed to restore wanderers to the path of peace. The Psalmist said, "Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now I have kept thy word." At others, afflictions make them feel more sensibly the vanity of all below, and endear their God and Saviour to them. Then the language of the Psalmist expresses the feelings of the humble, happy soul. "Whom

have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart fail: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever."e

§ 17. While such are God's gracious designs in the chastisements his hand inflicts, the Christian has reason to rejoice, even in afflictions. God promises to support his suffering family, and teaches them to contemplate a day when all their afflictions end. All their trials are under his control, are sent in mercy, and will end in good. "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God." While they last he promises to his children divine support. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble: therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea." "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up." "g "I, even I, am he that comforteth you." "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee: and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."h "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." How precious are these promises! What more can be desired than the support and presence of our God!

Does affliction cloud your sky? do sorrows overwhelm your sinking spirits? yet forget not that God is kind.

"He

careth for you." Gracious declaration! what words can be more expressive of his tender interest in your happiness? "He careth for you." Not only gives you blessings, but cares for your welfare; makes your little interests his concern. Surely

(b) 2 Cor. iv. 17, 18.
(e) Ps. Ixxiii. 25, 26.

(c) Rom. v. 4.

9) Ps. xlvi. 1, 2, 7; xxvii. 10; xxxiii. 18, 19. (i) Heb. xiii. 5,6.

(d) Ps. cxix. 67. (f) Rom. viii. 28.

(h) Isa. li. 12; xliii. 2.

(k) 1 Pet. v. 7.

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