you think that he can be insensible to your regard ? Certainly not.

"Behind a frowning Providence,

He hides a smiling face."-Cowper.

HE LOVES YOU, he has respect to you; and if it were not so, he would deny himself, which is what he cannot do. * If at any time you are oppressed with "heaviness through manifold temptations," + there are two ways of reasoning; namely, thus:

I. Is it God's will that I should be thus afflicted? if it is, am I like the early Christians who could "sing praises at midnight with their feet in the stocks ?" +

II. Or, is it not God's will? and have I intentionally, or unwisely, or unnecessarily, brought the trial upon myself? and can I in like manner rid myself of it? If I can, I will: if I cannot, I will humbly and hopefully cast my burden upon the Lord, agreeably to his bidding, § and beg of him to relieve me after I shall have learnt the lesson, or fulfilled the purpose which he may have concerning me.

In no case, my beloved friends, I am persuaded, is it the will of God that "his blessed ones should continue to go mourning all their days." If they

are in tribulation, or temptation, still it is only for a time; and it is given them even in the midst of their very trouble, exultingly to remember, "That blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he shall come forth like gold."* Oh! there is an inexhaustible fund of hope, and strength, and peace, and joy in the holy word of God, for all those who would themselves be holy and heaven-hearted. Allow me, and I will suggest to you a consideration. Allow me to imagine a king in his palace, and a peasant in his cottage, both at the same moment intently gazing at "the sun!" And let me ask, would the king enjoy more of the sun's light and warmth than the peasant, because of the advantage of his earthly circumstances? Certainly not. And so, in like manner, those who gaze sufficiently intently at the spiritual Sun of Righteousness, the glorious, the “ altogether lovely" Son of God, can see no other thing of comparable beauty and value, and all they do see is by the favour of his bright light. Nay, they have an advantage who are the poorest in this world, because it is unto them that he has especial favour; it is unto them that are last, and whom he would make first, that "the Gospel is preached," the glad tidings of great joy, of a mighty Saviour, of a

* James, i. 12; and Job, xxiii. 10.

heavenly life, of an eternal inheritance, incorruptible, and undefiled, and that passeth not away.

And blessed, blessed, blessed! are they, who contentedly, resignedly, cheerfully imitating their Saviour in all his humiliation, poverty, and distresses, buoyed up likewise by the same hope that enabled him to despise present shame, pain, and forlornness, for the sake of the future expectation, prove, that, at least, "they are not offended at him." Yea, they are blessed, and they shall be blessed, for they cannot be disappointed of their hope. He hath sworn by himself, who died upon the cross, and who rose again from the dead, that "because he lives, they shall live also." * My brethren, comfort one another with such words.

John, xiv. 19; John, xii. 26.

103

SERMON VI.

Sunday, April 5, 1835.

ON THE "UNPREPARED" STATE OF MANY FOR RECEIVING THE WORD OF GOD.

JOHN, XVI. 12.

I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

THESE words spake Jesus unto his disciples when he was taking leave of them, previously to the hour of his trial, and of those mysterious sacrificial sufferings, whereby he was about to accomplish the redemption of the world.

He had been holding some very delightful and sublime conversation with them upon the subject of "HEAVEN," (which he styled his "Father's house with many mansions,") and of " HAPPINESS," (which he promised that the COMFORTER, who is the Holy Ghost, would revive and bless them with,) and of HIS OWN Wondrous and incomprehensible NATURE,

and of his ORIGIN, and of his DESTINY, and of his extraordinary FRIENDSHIP towards them, (and towards all who should believe on him through their word,) and of HIS INTENTIONS respecting them, and of his PROPHECIES, and of the invisible and preternatural AGENCY which he would continue to exert in their favour, notwithstanding the most (apparently) adverse and appalling circumstances in which they might be placed.

But they listened to him like men astonished and bewildered into a state of incredulity, disappointment, and depression of spirit, rather than like persons fully aware of all the things he was breathing forth, and eager to know more and more about them.

They thought that "it was he who would have redeemed Israel" from their national oppressors; they hoped that he would have re-established the temporal glory of his people, and that they should have shared in his renown, and been partakers of the wealth and the magnificence of the empire which he would have at his disposal.

But now, when he conversed about his death, and about another kingdom not of this world, and of spiritual things to which they were strangers, they could not understand him, and they feared to inquire (of him) very minutely into particulars; they were confused, distressed, and overcome with