every son whom he receiveth." In this God's grace unto man, his froward child, is shewn, that when he had brought himself into an evil state God overruled the evil unto greater good, thereby proving likewise his own mastery over his own creation, overruling the wickedness of the wicked, to the glory of his own goodness. In bringing evil into the world God had no hand directly or indirectly, but now that it is in the world he taketh account of its doings, and ordereth them all for the good, for the greater good, of the people who trust in his name. The meaning of his perfecting Christ, and Christ's people, through sufferings, is, that there is a dignity and glory to which he is bringing them, through manifold tribulations, and for which these very tribulations are necessary to prepare them. Of which, if any one ask for the particulars, I give those which are mentioned by the Apostle to the Hebrews, when speaking of Christ; whereof the first is, that by faith in God we may overcome the devil, and his angels, tempting us to evil, and destroy death the triumph of sin. That this which Christ did, and which he was the first to do, is likewise our calling, is declared in the viiith Psalm, to which the Apostle referreth in the passage alluded to: "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength, because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger." We are called, like Christ, to triumph in our cross, which is his cross, over principalities, and powers of darkness, tempting us through the world, and the flesh; and every temptation of disease, of lust, of worldliness, of devil-worship, is so much glory unto God and Christ, through whom the vic. tory is achieved. Therefore the Apostle Peter doth declare, that the trial of our faith shall prove unto praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Our trials are so many occasions of glorifying God, which otherwise we should not have had; and therefore we rejoice in tribu lations also, because they work patience, and patience is the only way unto perfection.

The second service which God maketh evil to do, unto all who trust in him, is expressed in these words of the same Epistle to the Hebrews (ii. 17, 18): " Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren; that he might be a merciful and faithful high

priest, in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted." As Christ was by his human temptations prepared for his present ministry of intercession, so also are we for our office of priests; which even now we fulfil in making intercession for all men, which hereafter we shall fulfil in glory over creatures still in flesh, and girt about with infirmity. There is a twofoldness in this idea: first, as relateth to faithfulness; and second, as relateth to mercifulness. Unto faithfulness we are prepared, as Joseph was, by encountering in this world the strongest seductions and temptations away from the law of our God, by having every form of good proffered to us as a bribe to forego our allegiance to the unseen, and in this life unrewarding, God. God intendeth us to be lord of all his works, and taketh proof of our faithfulness, by casting us into the midst of the rebel host, into the land of disloyalty, blasphemy, and misrule; where, if we continue faithful unto the death, he will give us a crown of life. Now, without such a sinful and felonious world, this kind of proof could never have been taken. What a glory, for example, redounds to Regulus the Roman captive from his resistance of the bribes presented to him by the enemies of his country, and by his countrymen themselves; - whom neither friend nor foe, home nor exile, reward nor cruellest death, could bend from his fidelity and honour. Such every son of God should feel himself called upon to be; and such hath he an opportunity of continually being, through that knowledge of good and evil, unto which the Fall hath brought us, to the end we may continually triumph over sense and sight, over present reward and present sufferings, through our faithfulness to the commandments of our God. And so, as a master upon returning from a far journey doth take account of his servants, and promote those who have been faithful unto him, Christ the Lord of all, upon his return from the far country where his Father dwelleth, doth call an account of men, and promote to honour and trust those who have preserved their fealty to him, during his absence, against the devil, the world, and the flesh. Those have proved themselves worthy to inherit a glorified body, a body of ife, who did preserve their body in this state of probation

from the works of darkness and death; and they have proved themselves worthy of receiving government over the world, who have shewn, during this probation, that the world could not tempt them from their allegiance unto God. It is, as if in the Master's absence, the whole household had risen together in insurrection, and resolved to eat and drink and make merry at their Master's expense; to waste his substance, and dishonour his babitation, and his name; amongst whom some two or three, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, will not give in to the wicked confederacy, but endure scoffs, and stripes, and persecutions, and are found for their faithfulness lying in the darkness and vileness of the deepest dungeon. Whom, I ask, but these will that Master make rulers over all his goods? The like insurrection and base confederacy hath sin introduced into this earth, the paradise of God; and we have thereby got a glorious opportunity of approving our allegiance and duty to the great Creator, as Christ also did, and enableth us to do, in order to become faithful priests over the house of God.

And with respect to the mercifulness, which through suffering and temptation is brought into the fabric of man, it springeth from that sympathy with distress which those who have known distress are alone fully adequate to feel. I say not but that grace and mercy are original elements of human nature, as it was created by God; for how otherwise should it have been the image of Him who is, in the essence of his being, grace and mercy? But as by the entering in of sin that goodness which was in God pure and holy, like the light, did divide itself into the rainbow hues of grace and mercy, pity and compassion; even so, that original faculty of our nature obtained for itself diversified expression, opportunities of proving itself, after that all the world came into a state of penury, distress, and sin, Now who is he that will shew forth grace and mercy, such as in God appeared by the forthcoming of his Son from his bosom? Who will shew the merciful beart of God, while at the same time he hath no fellowship with iniquity, but abhorreth it with a perfect hatred? Who, purging himself from all sin and iniquity, will yet be the companion of publicans and sinners, longing over them like a mother over her prodigal child? Who is he whose mercy will bear the cutting reproaches, the cruel mockeries, the

crown of thorns, the nails, the spears, the swimmings and swoonings of death, from those whom he is labouring with all his might to profit and save? And all the while by words of grace will seek to sooth their rage; and when this faileth will, by patient and silent suffering, more eloquent than words, seek to avert from them their fearful sin; and when all action and all passion fail to turn them from their fell intent, will yield himself like a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so openeth he not his mouth, save to cry unto God, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do?" This, this, is the man of mercy, whom the merciful God will appoint unto the care of his flock, into whose hands he will commit the priesthood of his house. For why? because "he can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way, for that he himself also was compassed with infirmity."

Such high ends serveth evil in the present world. And yet though these be great and glorious truths, there is another which is expressed in the words of the text, "As many as I love I rebuke and chasten;" at least in so far as they refer to the case of the angel of the Laodiceans, and to all servants of the Lord who, like him, have strayed from the path of duty. The truth taught to all such is, that God loves them too well, and is too faithful to the covenant which he hath made with them, not by every means to endeavour to bring them back to the way of righteousness and honour; as is beautifully set forth under the similitude of an unfaithful wife, in these words of the Prophet Hosea: "For their mother hath played the harlot she that conceived them hath done shamefully for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink. Therefore behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall that she shall not find her paths. And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband, for then was it better with me than now (ii. 5-7). Whatever may have been the occasion of bringing us into a snare, God will rather than lose his child, remove the occasion, that the snare may be broken; and

when he doth so, his goodness is much to be adored. Did Christians but know the secret history of all the adversities which they have proved, they would read such a tale of love, written as it were with the tears and blood of Christ! For, O he afflicteth not willingly; yet whom he loveth he chasteneth. Truly is it written, that "all things work together for good to them which love God, and are the called according to his purpose." The death of children, the death of parents, the nippings of the fair blossomings of hope, the dashing of the full cup of enjoyment to the ground, the coming on of the dark clouds of adversity, the dissolution of friendships and associations, the finger of public scorn, the reproach of those whom we have never injured but ever loved, the triumph over us of wicked persons, the despoiling of our good name, and the making of it to become a reproach, drooping sickness, pallid disease, writhing pain, comfortless sorrow, yea, and death itself, (for the flesh is at times destroyed, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord ;)-these I say, all these, are measures of love, expedients of wisdom, proofs of fatherly care which God doth continually bestow upon those whom he loveth, that he may bring them to himself; and make them partakers of a health, strength, honour, prosperity, dignity, and blessedness, which the world cannot give, and which it cannot take away. Therefore, O ye children, be wise and consider your ways, when the Lord rebuketh you. And when he chasteneth you with his hot displeasure, turn unto him; for he is a present help in the day of trouble. There is indeed a necessity for all such trials: they are so many helps to crucify the flesh, they are so many handmaidens of holiness. Surely severity and adversity are the true schools of virtue and godliness. Discipline maketh the good soldier of Christ: without discipline there can be no order nor service, and all discipline proceedeth out of love, and in love advanceth, and by love is made perfect. " As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten."

Think now, how far Christ's patience will go, and learn ye to exercise the same, when you call to mind over whom these words were uttered, even over one, who, being wretched and miserable, and blind, and poor, and naked, could with complacency say, "I am rich, and increased