consult what would please them, but he changes the lesson, as he sees needful. He knows when their faith wants confirming, when their patience needs establish ing, and therefore in much mercy he sends a new trial for the growth of those graces. Lest they should mistake his meaning in varying his trials so often, he gives them this general rule-"There hath no temptation "taken you, but such as is common to man: but God "is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted "above that ye are able, but will with the temptation "also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to "bear it." The Father will exercise his children with no trial, but such as is common to man; and he will enable them to bear it; and will make a way for them How should these considerations silence their murmurings? If the trial be new to them, yet it is common to man. If it be hard to bear, yet grace is almighty to strengthen patience. If it last long, yet it shall end well. How convincing are these reasons? How patiently should believers, influenced by them, submit to the chastening of the Lord? And yet there is still unbelief in them, which will be urging fresh complaints, and stirring up impatience.

to escape.

The poor sufferer, feeling his smart, is apt to thinkAny cross, but mine would be tolerable-I should not say one word against God, if he tried me with any other: but this cuts me to the heart-Oh, it is a very agony both to my flesh and spirit-there is nothing like it-it is so exactly calculated to cross my temper, to hurt me in the tenderest part, and to rob me of my most beloved gratification, that it is the very thing in the world, from which I could have wished to be ex empted-Any cross, Lord, but this.

Nay, but, O man, who art thou that repliest thus against God? Hold thy tongue as it, were with a bridle. Let not self-will murmur, and folly speak against the chastening of the Lord. He says that he is dealing with thee as with sons. Where is thy faith then? that

be heard against the witness of God in his word. Where is thy patience? that thou canst not bear the present cross, but wouldst take up any other. Alas! alas ! mistaken man-what canst thou bear in thine own strength? Thou feelest the smart of thy present cross, and it makes thee peevish and fretful: The smart of any other would have the very same effect. A less than this, the least thing in the world, that opposes thy will, would stir up thine impatience. Observe thy temper, how it catches fire at any little opposition from men. The same temper will be inflamed and rage, when God chastises thee, if thou refuse to receive his correction. Thy rebel-will is the cause of thy pain, and makes thy cross so bitter: For if God's will and thine were one, there could be no cross; but this will is almighty, and yet thou resistest it. God puts his yoke upon thee, and thou art like a stubborn beast, which only hurts and galls itself by striving and kicking against its work. He tries thee with one cross, and thou art dissatisfied, thou couldst contrive a better for thyself. Thou wouldst be thine own lord and governor. Self-will, they say, is a sure guide to self-destruction. Beware then of thine

own will. When God calls thee to take up any cross, do not wish for another. He sends this, and to it he requires thy submission. It is thy duty, and thine interest to receive it, for the exercise and for the improvement of thy patience; but instead of taking it up quietly, and waiting for the good fruit of it, thou art quarrelling with it, and opposing the will of God. 0 take heed of this vain attempt. It is a snare laid for thec. A fatal trap, into which the love of independence, seduced the first man, and which ever since easily ensnares his posterity. When thou art tempted to murmur at thy present cross-consider what it is-meditate a moment upon thy Father's love, who most mercifully appointed, who most seasonably sent it-and if it be nothing strange, but common to man, then do not try to shift it off, but seek the promised grace to bear it. There is not a cross, that he will lay upon thee,

but he has laid it before upon others, and it will tend greatly to the peace of thy mind, and to the restraining of thine own will, to observe how he dealt with them. Take notice then, how he in love exercised them with every cross, that can be laid upon thee, how he supported them under it, and what blessed fruit they reaped from it.

This is the kingdom of the cross; and it is the Lord's will, that every disciple in it should be as his master. He has chosen them to suffer with him, as well as to reign with him. And therefere intending to call forth his gifts and graces into daily exercise, he has honoured them with the daily cross. He sees it needful often to change it, and he has informed them of his gracious designs herein. There is scarce any kind of suffering, but some or other of his people have been tried with it, and he has left promises in scripture of his support, of his coming in with comfort, and in due time with deliverance. So that whatever thy cross be, it is not sent, O my soul, to hinder, but to promote communion with thy God and to help thee forward in the heavenly way. Art thou pinched with poverty-a believer, but in distressed circumstances? Blessed art thou of the Lord. "Hearken, my beloved brother, hath not God chosen "the poor of this world rich in faith and heirs of the "kingdom, which he hath promised to them that love "him?" What a mercy is it to have thine outward estate thus appointed for thee by the choice of thy heavenly Father! And the same estate which he chose for his best beloved. In the exceeding riches of his love he decreed that thou shouldst be poor in this world, as Jesus was-He knew it was best for thee--and he chose thee rich in faith-outward poverty was to be the means of thine improvement in spiritual riches-thy want of temporals was to bring thee to live more by faith upon eternal things. O how good is thy God! He sent thee poverty to enrich thee. It is to bring thee near to God, to keep thee near to him, and to afford thee daily proof of his precious love. These are some of the blessings of

rich faith, and these are worth more than all the treasures of the world. Be content then-thy God will supply all thy need. Be thankful-thou art an heir of the kingdom. Bless thy God-no creature out of heaven has more reason to bless him, than thou hast-He is thine-All things are thine.

Perhaps thou art tried with bodily pain and sickness : These are hard trials. To endure them is the very crown of patience: but strength to endure them is promised, and in waiting upon the Lord will be received; so that outward pains shall produce inward joy. Thus we read: "The Lord will strengthen him upon the "bed of languishing, thou wilt make all his bed in his "sickness." He is weak, God strengthens him. He is sick, God comfort him. He is in pain, God smooths his bed, and he lies patient. Sickness cannot be pleasant in itself; but is profitable for its fruits. It is the appointment of God, and teaches submission to his sovereign will. It comes to the believer with a message of precious love-This bitter cup is sent from thy heavenly Father, who has many gracious purposes to answer by thy taking it-He would humble thee and let thee feel what thou art, and what thou deservest—he would mortify the life of sense-He would give occasion to increase faith and to advance patience-Drink it up-There is a rich cordial at the bottom-The taste of it will draw out thy heart in love to God. Happy sickness! which promotes spiritual health. Blessed pain! which the kind physician often makes the way to pleasure, yea, to the sweetest communications of his love.

Art thou in the fire of persecution? Are thy friends and relations all in arms against thee for leaving them to follow Christ? Is thy dependence upon them, and art thou greatly tempted to make some compliances, lest they should cast thee out, and thou shouldst come to poverty? This may be a fiery trial; but it is a blessed one. He will make it so, who says, "Blessed are ye when ❝men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say ❝ all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake.

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Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: Because great is your reward in heaven: For so persecuted they the prophets who were before you.' This persecution will be so far from stopping thee in thy way, that it will both help thee forward, and will also make thy journey pleasant. Thy friends revile thee: Look up to him, who when he was reviled, reviled not again: He will turn their reproach into a blessing. They persecute thee: the godly fellowship of the prophets carried the same cross, and found it no hinderance to their spiritual joy. They say all manner of evil of thee: Take heed that they say it falsely, and for Christ's sake; and if thou suffer for him and art evil spoken of for thine attachment to him, then rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is thy reward in heaven. Thou art a sufferer with him, and thou shalt also reign with him. Look forward to the promised kingdom. Expect it in faith, and the prospect will give thee at every step joy unspeakable and full of glory.

Perhaps this persecution may be carried on to acts of injustice, even to the depriving thee of thy property: thou mayest suffer the loss of all thy worldly goods for Christ's sake. When Godcalls thee to this trial, he will give thee strength to bear it, and thou shalt be a great gainer by thy loss. So Paul found it "I have suffered the loss of all things, and I do "account them but dung that I may win Christ." So it was with the Hebrews- "They took joyfully "the spoiling of their goods, knowing in themselves, "that they had in heaven a better and an enduring "substance." What love was here! God was their portion, and their great reward. He had made them happy in the sense of his love; and to manifest the reality, and to demonstrate the power of it, what great things love can do for his name's sake, he took away all their earthly delights. Let them go, says Paul, I part with them as freely as I would with so much dung, for I have experienced that the loss of them