and understand. See with what facility and advantage, one, who has endured pain, will anticipate the wants of a sick companion, and administer relief or whisper cheering consolations, while another is standing by, who, if not insensible, is at least dumb and useless, unable to comfort, because he knows not how to commiserate. Whatever he, who has grown callous through uninterrupted prosperity, and presumptuous by perpetual health, may think of his immunity from pain, there is a satisfaction, a luxury in being able to exclaim with Paul, that sympathetic apostle, who is weak and I am not weak, who is offended and I burn not?

6. Our sixth remark on the benefit of sickness, though the most common yet not the most unimportant, is, that sickness is sometimes necessary to teach us the value of health. In the present state of refined and luxurious society, there are two large and increasing descriptions of men, to whom it is of no little importance to understand the real value of health. The first is the numerous class of imaginary invalids, who, though subject only to the unavoidable infirmities of mortality, create to themselves a host of fancied ills, and waste a really healthful life in perpetual apprehensions, ungrateful complaints, idle precautions, and uninterrupted discontent. It is well known, that such men never felt the severity of serious and painful illness. A single rude and violent attack of real disorder would soon shake off this cluster of uneasiness, and put to flight the cowardly tribe of imaginary woes. It would be good for these men, to be afflicted indeed. There is, however, a precisely opposite class, composed of the presumptuous, thoughtless and adventurous; men, whom age has not yet made cautious, nor adversity wise. Ignorant of the value of a blessing, which to youth is so common, they delight rashly to expose it, and insensibly to waste it away After experience has counselled,

friendship entreated, and authority commanded in vain, disease comes at last and closes the presumptuous game; and teaches them, that health, strength and life, though they may be possessed without gratitude, cannot be sported with without loss, or won back again by dexterity or courage.

It is the distinguishing mark of habitual piety to be grateful for the most common and ordinary blessings. There is no man so insensible and vile, as not to feel a glow of thankfulness for distinguishing favours or wonderful interpositions. But sickness discovers the value of the usual and customary degree of health, and reminds the convalescent, that he has scarcely thanked God for a blessing, in the place of which nothing can be substituted, and for whose recovery every thing but innocence may justbe surrendered.

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7. Lastly, the attacks of violent disease will teach us, if we are not absolutely insensible, a most solemn and salutary lesson, which, if not early acquired, may be useless, because the next experiment may fatal. We shall then find, that the hours of torturing pain and languishing confinement are not the hours most favourable to quiet reflection and pious thoughts. We shall find, that the mind will sympathize so much with the anguish and debility of the body, that it will be too feeble to expatiate, or too distracted to fix itself in meditation. Religious contemplations and celestial visions do not necessarily throng around the pillow, which supports an aching head. In one word, confinement will not afford you that leisure, which you want and which you expect, to think at last of your future destination, to learn the truths you have neglected, to revive those you have forgotten, and to prepare for that world which now seems nearer to you than ever. The lessons, which affliction imparts, she leaves to be considered when health is returning, and to be practis

ed when it is established. To have been afflicted is of little importance, if no time remains for the confirmation of our dispositions and the establishment of better habits. When the psalmist observes, it is good for me, that I have been afflicted, he does not mean, that the mere suffering of pain made him instantaneously better, that debility and distress prepared him immediately to leave the world, that affliction led him necessarily and directly to God. Suppose, what is not improbable, that during his distresses he was exercised with remorse, and melted with contrition. Still, unless his penitence had been so deep, that, if he had lived, it would have exhibited a permanent influence by confirming his piety into habit, and leading him to a sincere relinquishment of his former sins, the anguish of his mind would have been morally worth little more than the tortures of his body; and the royal criminal, if he had then been summoned from the world, would have rushed tarnished and impure into the presence of his God, though he might have gone thither from a bed of sickness, and even with the language of contrition and confession on his lips.

We beseech you, then, do not mistake us. When we discourse to you of the beneficial fruits of affliction, we talk of no secret and magical power, which sickness possesses, to make you necessarily and immediately wise and good; but we speak of fruits, which must form, and swell, and ripen-fruits, which time must mature and watchfulness preserve. We represent affliction as a discipline, which you must live to improve; a medicine, whose operation cannot be ascertained, if the patient dies in the experiment. O, defer not, then, I beseech you, defer not to the frantic hours of pain, to the feverish hours of disease, to the languishing hours of confinement-defer not an attention to the things which concern your everlasting peace. You think, they will be hours of leisure. Believe me, it will be the leisure of dis

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traction or of insensibility-it may be the leisure of death.

I have thus attempted to direct your attention to some of the numerous benefits, which follow from affliction; benefits, which may at least light up a smile on the pale and gloomy countenance of disease, if they cannot invest it with beauty and grace. Permit me now to suggest a few reflections naturally connected with the subject.

1. In the first place, then, if all the natural evils of life, pain, sickness, losses, sorrows, dangers and disappointments, are disciplinary and remedial, it follows, that nothing is really and ultimately calamitous but sin. Moral evil alone mars the intellectual works of God. While this remains, pain will wave over us her scourge in triumph, and disease will call exultingly upon her train of woes, and let them loose to prey on fallen man. And shall we willingly harbour this monster of the rational world? Shall we throw open our hearts, to give a hospitable shelter to this polluted and polluting tenant? Shall we roll this poison as a sweet morsel under our tongue, and then complain of the salutary sufferings, which are necessary to expel it from our system?

2. If the tendency of affliction is so beneficial, a stronger motive cannot be suggested to encourage us to support pain with fortitude and patience, and all kinds of suffering with resignation to the will of heaven. Other considerations indeed there are, which may have their weight on other minds, but I know of none at once so intelligible, so rational and so pious as these by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better; and our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. There may, indeed, be found minds so well disciplined in piety, and so far advanced in the career of holiness, as to acquiesce humbly in every dispensation, from the simple consideration, that it proceeds from the hand

of an Almighty disposer. But I conceive, that this temper of unalloyed submission must be grounded on a conviction, that this disposer is merciful, that his chastisements are parental, and his designs exclusively benevolent and pure; so that the perfection of resignation is nothing more than a principle ripened into a habit; a principle, which was originally suggested by an attention to the established tendency of affliction, and by conclusions thence formed of the character of the corrector, that he does not afflict willingly, nor for sorrow's sake alone grieve the children of men.

Others, however, submit unrepiningly to evils, merely because they are inevitable. This is a spirit, which is often dignified with the name of philosophical submission. But, whatever it may possess of philosophy, it has little of piety, for it is at best a spurious kind of resignation, a doubtful virtue, which might be recommended with equal propriety, and from the same considerations, under the government of a malignant as of a good being; and would, indeed, be peculiarly accommodated to the inhabitants of a world, if such there were, whose affairs were subject to the fluctuations of a blind chance, or bound down by an invincible and physical fatality.

But, my christian friends, in the enjoyment of that pure light, which our religion throws upon the character of God, we should be ashamed to recommend to you this Stoical principle. Leave such coldblooded virtue to that chilling system of philosophy, which sees in the universe no design, in adversity no tendency to good, in futurity no gleams of hope, and in heaven no creator, benefactor, father or judge.

From the view of affliction, which we have attempted to give you, what duties result? Consideration. In the day of adversity consider. Prayer. Is any among you afflicted, let him pray: In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee, O God, for