of providence brings them on, God is faithful, who will not fufer us to be tempted above that we are able*: and fince he will also reward us for bearing what he ftrengthens us to bear, well may we count it all joy, when led by him, we fall into divers temptations †.

Joy of this kind indeed, will unavoidably be mixed, in our weak natures, with an allay of uneafinefs, and probably no fmall one. But be it ever fo great, were it enough to extinguish for the prefent all feeling of pleasure and thankfulness intirely; yet we may certainly reflect, that we have caufe to be pleafed and thankful, if we could. And this alone will makeour worst sufferings much more tolerable, than if we were to confider them as fo much evil without any thing to counterbalance it. Befides, by looking on every thing in fo animating a view, appearances will gradually change for the better, the vigour of our minds will augment, and we shall come to smile at events, that formerly would have terrified and overwhelmed us. But this is wholly on fuppofition, that, with our heartiest efforts, we join our most earnest prayers for grace to help in time of need. The attacks upon us are often fudden, violent, and long our own abilities, we have had but too much proof, are inconfiderable; and apt to fail us the moft, when we depend on them with the fulleft confidence. But the divine affiftance can enable us to do every thing: and, though our beginnings be feeble, yet, if we fincerely trust in God, and faithfully exert the powers he will give us, out of weaknefs we shall be made ftrong §, and not only run with patience the race that is fet before us ¶, but greatly rejoice that now for a feafon, if need be, we are in heaviness through manifold temptations; well knowing the gracious intention of our heavenly Father to be this, that the trial of our faith may be found unto praife, and honour, and glory, at the appearing, of Fefus Chrift ||.

Let us therefore seriously and often recollect not only the monstrous ingratitude of repining, and the very blameable unreasonableness of defpondency, but the ftrong obligation of being as thankful for all things, as the infirmity of our nature will permit. Indeed merely ufing pious words of thankfulness for afflictions, infincerely, without any correfpondent sense of Vol. I.

1 Cor. x. 13. § Heb. xi. 34.

I

what

what we utter, would be an affectation, difguftful to men, and provoking to God, But forming our hearts, in the degree that we are able, to the real spirit of it, is one of the nobleft exercifes of inward devotion. As we are imperfect in every duty, we shall in all likelihood be more peculiarly imperfect in so exalted and difficult a one: and we should not be dejected on finding that we are. But neither fhould we ever ceafe either praying or endeavouring to attain what is in truth a valuable part of the temper of heaven. When we come thither, we fhall clearly perceive the ufefulness of our most exquifite fufferings here, and praise God for them to eternity; therefore let us be perfuaded of their usefulness in the mean time, and begin to praife him for them now.

But thefe and all our praifes the apoftle directs us,

III. To offer up in the name of our Lord Jefus Chrift.

By him, as the fcripture exprefsly teaches, God made the worlds* : by him were all things created, that are in heaven and that are in earth, vifible and invifible: all things were created by him and for him, and by him all things confift. Therefore in every act of worship, his name is to be joined with that of the Father Almighty. By him have the various dispensations of providence been adminiftered from the beginning: and particularly that most important one of the refloration of fallen and corrupted man, through the tender mercy of our God ‡, who bath delivered us from the power of darkness, and bath tranfiated us into the kingdom of his dear Son; in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of our fins §. Therefore all our thanksgivings ought to commemorate the fource of all our bleflings. Honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that fit th upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. For thou waft flain, and haft redeemed us to God through thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. By him alfo was the knowledge of their duty and hopes revealed to mankind: by him the day-spring from on high vifited us to give light to them that fat in darkness and in the fhadow of death, and guide our feet into the way of peace**. Through the fpirit of Chrift, which was in them, the prophets of the Old Teftament directed and cheered the earlier ages his own perfonal inflructions much more abundantly enlightened

* Heb. i. 2. + Col. i. 16, 17.

Luke i. 78.

Rev. v. 13, 19. ** Luke i. 73, 79.

$ Col. i. 13, 14. tti Pet. x. II.

tidings of his gospel down Thanks be unto God for his

lightened the apoftles: and the fucceffion of teachers, which he appointed, hath conveyed the glad to us, and will to the world's end. unfpeakable gift*.

Reafoning had bewildered men in multitudes of errors, and led them into very little truth. It could not lead them into any certainty of thofe truths, which were of the greatest importance to finners: pardon, grace, and eternal happinefs. It could not affure us of that comfortable doctrine of the text, that we have caufe to thank God for every thing which befalls us. For how fhould the wifeft of men attain, by the mere exercife of his own faculties, to know whether it be poffible in the nature of things, and fit upon the whole, for the Supreme Being to order all events in fuch a manner, as that every one of them fhall be for the benefit of every good perfon? We may with this indeed; we may hope it; and it is the most glorious hope that we are capable of: but a ground of firm reliance can be only from the gracious declarations of our bleffed Lord, or his authorized fervants: and we are ftrictly bound to ask and receive this and every bounty from above, as believers in him. Justly then doth St. Paul direct us: Whatfoever ye do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jefus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. And again: In every thing give thanks for this is the will of God in Jefus Chrift concerning you. Suitably to which precepts, St. Peter represents it as the great end of our whole behaviour, that God may be glorified in all things through Jefus Chrifl §. By him therefore, as the epiftle to the Hebrews exhorts, let us offer the facrifice of praife to God continually, giving thanks to his name. His merciful purpose in what he hath done for us, and what he hath taught us, is that we may be happy, not only hereafter, but even here. Thefe things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world **. He underwent, on our account, the most dreadful of all afflictions, for this reafon amongst others, to leave us an example that we fhould follow his feps tt, and look unto Jefus the author and finifber of our faith, that we may not be wearied and faint in our minds ‡‡; but rejoice in as much as we are partakers of Christ's fufferings,

I 2

that

that when his glory fhall be revealed, we may be glad with exceeding joy *.

And now, were but all who profefs Christianity careful to qualify themfelves for looking on the various occurrences of life, whether profperous or adverse, as tokens of God's kind purposes towards them for the fake of his dear Son, and confcientious in paying him fincerely fuitable acknowledgments: how void would they be of refentment to each other; how full of pity to fuch as would injure them, knowing that they can only hurt themfelves: what a pleafing fecurity against fear and disappointment, what strong confolation + under forrow and pain, what a powerful fupport under all the decays of body or mind would they enjoy: how delightful would be their intercourfe with Heaven, confifting almoft wholly in acts of gratitude and praise: how blissful a sense of God's love to them muft they feel continually increafing; and how irrefiftible a recommendation of the doctrine of God our Saviour ‡ must these admirable fruits of it exhibit to all mankind! Very different is the present state of things. But to every one who steadily practifes this duty, the benefits of it are just the same as if it were practifed univerfally. All outward moleftations, instead of destroying his inward peace, contribute, he knows, to promote his true welfare. And though he is tenderly grieved for the guilt, and the mifery present and future, of the incorrigibly bad, while they applaud themfelves, and defpife or hate him, yet his concern is tempered with that placed acquiefcence in the moft awful parts of God's will, which the Redeemer, though be wept over Jerufalem §, felt when he faid: I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou haft bid these things from the wife and prudent, meaning in their own imaginations, and haft revealed them unto babes, perfons of an humble fimplicity of heart: Even fo, Father, for fo it feemed good in thy fight. Yet, though cordially reconciled to every thing which he fees and expects, the geed Chriftian pleafes himself peculiarly with the profpe&t of that promifed time, when on this earth all the people shall be righteous **: but inexpreffibly more with the affurance of a bleffed eternity, in which all who are accounted worthy to partake fhall at length magnify the Judge of the world, with unmixed delight, for every thing they have

* Pet. iv. 13.

$ Luke xix. 45.

Heb. vi. 18.

Tit. ii. 10.

¶ Mat. xi. 25, 26. Luke x, 21, ** Ifa. lx. 21.

fuffered, as well as every thing they have enjoyed; and fing the fong of Mofes the fervant of God, and the fong of the Lamb, the final refult of all the divine revelations, recorded from the first, faying: Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty: juft and true are thy ways, thou King of Saints. Who shall not fear, thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? For thou only art holy,―thy judgments are made manifeft *

* Rev. xv. 3, 4.

SER