5. There is special grace for every trial. As trials bring to light the weakness that is in us, so they draw out to meet that the strength
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of God : — new resources of strength and grace which we never knew before. In affliction we may be quite sure of learning something more of God than we were acquainted with before : for it is just in order to furnish an opportunity for bringing out this, and showing it to us, that he sends the trial. How little should we know of him were it not for sorrow ! What fulness of blessing comes out to us, what riches of love are spread out before us in the dark and cloudy day !
6. Affliction is our fullest opportunity for glorifying God. It is on earth that he ex- pects to get glory from us, glory such as angels cannot give, glory such as we shall not be able to give hereafter. It is here that we are to preach to angels ; it is here we are to show to them what a glorious God is ours. Our whole life below is given us for this. But it is espe- cially in sorrow and under infirmity that God looks for glory from us. What a glorifying thing in the eye of men and angels, to see a poor worm of the dust, a poor frail, sinful mor- tal carrying on successful warfare with the powers of hell without, and the strength of sin within ! ( What a God-honoring thing to see a struggling sorrowing child of earth cleaving fast to God, calmly trusting in him,
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happy and at rest in the midst of storm and and suffering ! What a spectacle for the hosts of heaven ! Now, then, is the time for the saints to give glory to the Lord their God. Let them prize affliction, as the very time and op- portunity for doing so, most of all. Let them use such a season well. And oh what conso- lation to think that affliction is really such a season. Ah, surely it is one which an angel might covet, which an archangel would gladly stoop to were that possible. They can glorify God much in heaven amid its glory and bless- edness, but oh, not half so much as we can do on earth amid suffering and shame.
7. We are getting quit of sin. Each pain is a nail driven through some sin, another blow inflicted on the flesh, destroying the very power of sinning. As we entered on our first life, sin fastened its chain upon us, and link after link twined itself about us. When we commenced our second and better life, these began one by one to untwine themselves. Affliction un- twined them faster ; and though it is not till we are laid on a death-bed or till Jesus come, that the last link of earth is thoroughly un- twined or broken, still it is consolation to think that each successive trial is helping on the blessed consummation. A lifetime's sufferings
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would not be too long or too heavy, if by means of them we got rid of sin and sinful ways and tempers ; and became more holy, more heavenly, more conformable to the image of the Lord. When first we believed in Jesus. we were " delivered from a present evil world." Yet this deliverance is not complete. The world and we have not yet fully parted com> pany with each other. And, therefore, God drives affliction like a wedge between us and the world ; or he sends it like a ploughshare right across our most cherished hopes and brightest prospects, till he thoroughly wearies us of all below. " He hath made me weary," said Job. Nor do we wonder at the complaint. Wearisome nights were his. The " ploughers ploughed upon his back," and drew many a long furrow there. He might well be weary. So with us. God makes us weary too ; weary all over, — thoroughly weary. We get weary of a present evil world, weary of self, weary of sin, weary of suffering, weary of this mortal body, weary of these vile hearts, weary of earth, — weary of all but Jesus ! Of him, no trial can weary us. Suffering only endears him the more. Blessed suffering, that makes him appear more precious, and the world moi« 15
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vile ; that brings him nearer to our hearts, and thrusts the world away !