tion," and that saying is most gloriously and fully accomplished-" death is swallowed up in victory;" then-then-what a grand burst of joy and praise will sound through the universe of Jehovah, when millions of tongues on the bright hills of heavenly day shall shout, Victory! and swell the chorus of praises to God and the Lamb! May all present hail the glories and aid the triumphs of that endless day. Amen.

SERMON VIII.

DISCOURSE ON AFFLICTIONS, AUGUST 26, 1796.

Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty.—Joв v. 17.

DISCOURSES on affliction are generally seasonable, for this obvious reason, sin and sorrow are inseparable. Previous to the existence of moral evil, man was an inhabitant of paradise, a place of perfect pleasure, but since his apostasy from God, succeeding generations have found the path of human life strewed with briers; and pricking thorns grow in connexion with the roses we would

assume.

Troubles, considered as the effect of sin, are part of the curse denounced against transgressors of the divine law; but "those who are in Christ Jesus," are delivered "from condemnation ;" those "who fear the Lord," have freedom from the curse in all its parts; their afflictions are therefore to be differently viewed, to be considered as blessings in disguise, and productive of great advantages; agreeable to which sentiments, is the language of

the text, " Happy is the man whom God correcteth therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty."

The words lead us naturally to consider,

I. Afflictions in their author and nature. Lord," "correcteth."

66

"The

II. The felicity of those who are corrected. Happy is the man."

III. The attention bespoke, and improvement specified. "Behold," &c.

I. Afflictions in their author and nature.

First. God is here represented as the author of our trials, or the appointer of our afflictions.

The frequent recurrence of events is apt to draw the attention from the first cause; we are ready to suppose, they are matters of course, without considering the continued influence which produces them, or the end they have to answer: thus are we prone to act in reference to afflictions, refer them to second causes, and forget to acknowledge God. Job was better taught, and better disposed; he was taught that "Affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground;" his disposition appears, in that after numerous and very sore trials, he said, "The Lord hath taken away;" not the wind, nor the Sabeans, nor the Chaldeans, but the Lord; to an unwise speech he replied, "Shall we receive good at the hand of the Lord, and shall we not receive evil?" they come from the same hand. The Holy Spirit speaking by David teaches us, that all "our times are in God's hand," and, by the prophet

Micah (vi. 9) not only requires us to "hear the rod, and him who hath appointed it," but assures, it is part of the truest wisdom so to do. We may address ourselves to afflictions and death, as Jesus Christ addressed himself to Pilate, "Thou couldst have no power against me, except it were given thee from above;" let us then always view the unavoidable trials of life, as appointed in their nature, number, degree and duration by a wise and gracious God.

We proceed to notice, as here set before us,

Second. Afflictions in their nature. "Whom the Lord correcteth;" the word signifies, to rectify, as the effect of correction.

Observe, It supposes something amiss.

The press which hath not any error, standeth not in need of any corrections. Wherefore doth the parent or tutor correct? because he discerneth something faulty. This is implied in the corrections of our heavenly Father: whether we behold our errors in times of chastening, our consciences must determine. Job took it for granted there were such in him, therefore, in approaching his Maker, adopted that very full and expressive language recorded in chap. x. 2: "Do not condemn me: show me wherefore thou contendest with me." David confessed, "Before I was afflicted I went astray," astray from God, the society of his people, and his appointed ways. Upon inquiry, (and sure we ought to inquire into the state of our hearts, and our ways,) upon inquiry it is highly

probable we shall find, that much has been amiss in our minds and ways; much amiss in our confidence, having depended too much on created good for happiness; not a little has been wrong in our affections, directed to improper objects, or exercised improperly as to the degree toward others; how defective our worship, how languid our devotion, and at times, ready to expire. Nor are imperfections in attainments and character trifles; in all those, and many more things, do we discover much dross remaining, from which affliction as "a refiner's fire," is intended to purify. In order to that end, convictions must be produced. The original, as used in Job xxxii. 12, is translated "to convince;" 66 none of you convinced Job," i. e. so taught him as to produce full conviction. Sanctified troubles are very powerful teachers. Are we sent to the school of affliction? it is that we may be taught effectually, taught our frailty, the insufficiency of present things to make us happy; taught the necessity of sacrificing sinful pleasures and follies to the will of God; we are taught the importance of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and dependence upon the Holy Spirit to remove our guilt, to purify our hearts, to save us from the power of temptations, to support and comfort our minds, and afford us a bright and animating hope of future and everlasting felicity. Connected with that, we observe,

II. Sanctified corrections are attended with present felicity to those who are thus visited." Happy