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Job. No mere man ever fuffered so much; and what gave a twinging edge to all his pains, God hid his face from him. Hence he pours forth that plaintive heart-affecting with, “O "that it were with me as in days paft!" Let all fuch imitate the example of the Pfalmift in their distresses, and say with him, "Why art thou caft down, O my foul?-why art thou difqui"eted within me? Hope thou in God for I fhall yet praise "him for the help of his countenance. O my God, my foul "is cast down within me: I will cry unto God my rock, why «haft thou forsaken me?-why go I mourning because of " oppreffion ?"

But it is time I fhould close this mournful theme with a reflection or two.

First, this doctrine will afford no argument for any to con. clude, merely because they meet with many troubles, loffes, and disappointments, that therefore they are the children of God. As well might a man conclude himself to be a true christian, when reproached by the world, because a woe is denounced against thofe of whom every one fpeaks well. A perfon may be evily spoken of, and outrageously reviled and flandered, without a fpice of religion in his heart; fo perfons may be the fubjects of the moft tormenting afflictions, and be made to gnah their teeth with anguish and excruciating pain, without any real piety in their fouls. Therefore to fuppofe ourselves the favorites of heaven merely from the extremity of our afflic tions, is both ftupid and abfurd. No, my brethren, afflictions no less than the gospel may be a favour of death unto death. They may be the operations of an incenfed judge, and not the corrections of a merciful father. It is the fruits produced by them, which must determine whether they are of the one kind or the other. Hence we cannot decide upon our state Godward by all the good or evil which is before us; by all the profperity we enjoy, or adverfity we fuffer. Therefore let none take comfort merely from troubles, that they are the friends of

God. There are many other things effentially neceffary to form a religious character befides tribulations. What thofe things are, neither time nor my prefent plan admit now of an enquiry.

Secondly, we are here taught that fanctified afflictions are to be numbered by the faints among their great bleffings. Hence fays the Pfalmift, "It was good for me to have been afflic"ted." He knew by experience they had been useful to him, and profitable to his fpiritual interefts. And the apoftle affirms, that "They yield the peaceable fruits of righteouf ❝nefs to them that are tried thereby." Thus troubles properly confidered and improved, exhibit the goodness, mercy and loving kindness of God to his people. Yes, fays the poor dejected christian, "If I could know that my afflictions were fanctified to me, then could I rejoice in them and praise and bless God for them, but how fhall I know this to be the cafe ?" It is much eafier to defcribe fanétified affliction, than to experience it, or for fainting fouls to derive cofolation therefrom. For the present take this account hereof. Afflictions are fanctified or prove a blefling, when they awaken us to a greater attention to God, to Jefus Chrift, to divine things, to holy meditations, felf examination; when they difpofe us to the exercifes of mourning for fin, renewed acts of faith, felf dedication, humility, patience, fubmiffion; when they fhow us the emptiness and unfatisfactory nature of the world, wean us from it, raise our hearts to things above, and cause us to long and breathe more after the celestial rest. Such things as thefe are fure evidences of fanctified troubles; hence the chriftian in affliction should call to mind the former hand of the Lord, to remember God from

years of the right the land of Jordon

and of the Hermonites, and the hill Mizar. Thus true grace may be improved and cultivated by chaftifements and inftead of fainting, chriftians ought to gain ftrength and grow hereby.

They are employed by God for the curing of our fpiritual melodies, our pride, worldly mindednefs, carnality &c. hence believers instead of saying, or thinking, the Lord hath written bitter things against them, fhould rejoice and be thankful for the feverest dispensations of providence, that form them to more meeknefs and gentleness, more humility and felf denial, duty and addictedness to God, in one word, to more meetness for his fervice and for glory..

Let these confiderations comfort mourners in Zion. May the Lord hear them in the day of trouble. Always remember, O chriftian, not to faint when thou art rebuked of God:

SERMON XXXIII.

How Death is the Wages of Sin.

Rom. vi. 23. For the wages of fin is Death.

WITHOUT the formality of an introduction to thefe words, we fhall endeavour by divine affiftance to confider,

First, what is intended by the term death.

Secondly, what the apoftle means when he reprefents it the wages of fin.

First, we are to confider the use and intention of the term, death.-How fhould our prayers afcend to heaven, that our contemplations may be fuitably directed upon this folemn fubject, fo that we may all become prepared for this awful event

Nothing is more common in the facred oracles, than to fet forth a ftate of calamity and mifery, by the word death. When the effects and confequences of fin are spoken of, they are almoft always fignified by this term. Thus when God

told Adam what would be the effects of his difobedience in eating the forbidden fruit, he says, "In the day thou eatest "thereof, thou fhalt furely die." The event fhows us, the lofs of his then happy fituation was one thing intended in the threatning; for banishment from Paradife immediately enfued. The event also shows, that he not only loft his happinefs, but that he inftantly became miferable; he felt himfelf full of confternation and diftrefs, covered with fhame; he knew not what to do or where to fly; all horror within and terror without; afraid of God, he endeavoured to conceal himself. Thus when the apoftle in the New-Teftament, mentions the confequences of fin, he ufually employs the term death: "If ye live after the flesh, ye fhall die. By one man's "offence death reigned; to be carnally minded is death ; and "in our text the wages of fin is death." All will readily allow that a ftate of mifery and wretchedness is fignified by this term.

Death in the fcriptures is used to exprefs three things, hence it is commonly diftinguished into three kinds, natural, fpiritu al, and eternal death. Natural death ftrictly confidered, is the diffolution of the foul and body; fo that the body returns to duft from whence it fprung, and the foul to God, as its more immediate author and final judge.

For understanding fpiritual death the following remarks must be observed.

When man was originally created by God, he was formed with two kinds of principles, effentially distinct the one from the other, which principles are ftiled, natural and moral, or holy. Natural principles are fuch as belong to the very conftitution of the foul, form its effence and cannot be feparated from it. They cannot be extinguifhed but by the extinction of the foul itself, fuch as understanding, will, and affections. To

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