II. How far the godly are at liberty to indulge it —
Certainly we are at liberty to wish for death : for St. Paul " desired to depart, and to be with Christ," which he deemed far better than the happiest state on earth : and we all are encouraged to be " looking for, and hasting unto, the coming of the day of Christ." But the wish then becomes evil, when it is attended with impatience, or has respect to a mere deliverance from present troubles. This distinction is clearly marked by St. Paul, in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians : "' We that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burthened ; not that zve would be un- clothed, but clothed upon, that mortality may be swallowed up of life^" It was not so much to get rid of the storms and tempests to which he was ex- posed in this present life, as to obtain the glory and felicity of a better world. And this was a highly commendable state of mind. But when we long merely to be released from the troubles of life, and the conflicts which we are here called to sustain, we do not well : for we should be content,
1. That God should glorify himself in his own way —
[God sends trials to his people, in order that he may afford them such effectual succour as shall advance his glory in the world. The trial of gold by fire is precious, because it purifies without consuming the gold : but " the trial of our faith is infinitely more precious," because it purifies the soids of men : and it will, therefore, " be to the praise and honour and glory of our God, in the great day of his appearing^." On the part of those who occasion trials to his people he is dishonoured : " but in the steadfastness of his people he is glorified '\" Even in the sufferings of our blessed Lord this end was obtained ; and therefore, though he deprecated sufferings as he was en- titled to do, he submitted to bear his cross for the sake of reflecting glory on his heavenly Father: " Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name'." Thus, if only in the event God may be glorified in us, we should be willing to bear any sufferings, or sustain any conflicts, which God, in his wisdom, may see fit to lay upon us.]
f 2 Cor. V. 4. si Pet. i. 7.
h 1 Pet. iv. 14. i John xii. 27. 28.