intercourse with his Creator : but, after his transgression, instead of going forth as before to meet his God, he fled from his face, and strove to hide himself. From that moment has the world become a " Bochim," a land of weeping and of mourning K Sorrow is that inheritance to which evei-y child of man is born : and, even if any be truly converted unto God, still, as long as they continue in this vale of tears, they will, at a greater or smaller distance, be followed by two inseparable attendants, " sorrow and signing :" and it is only when they shall arrive at the portals of heaven, that joy and gladness will be their sole companions : then indeed, but never till then, will that Scripture be fulfilled, " They shall obtain joy and glad- ness; and sorrow and sighing shall flee awayk." How fearfully the minds even of good men may be oppressed, by a sense of God's displeasure against sin, will appear from the experience of David ; who " ate ashes like bread, and mingled his drink with weeping, because of God's indignation and wrath1." And it yet more forcibly appears from the complaints of Job : " Thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions : so that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than life m." If we look to the terrifying effects of sin on the ungodly, the sad history of Judas paints them in their true colours. Let these sorrows then, in whomsoever they be found, be traced to their proper source : and let this at least be learned from them, that " it is an evil and bitter thing to sin against the Lord."]
2. What obligations to God do they lie under, who are favoured with any measure of peace and joy !
[This point, we apprehend, is by no means duly considered. It is thought by many to be a hard thing if there be any inter- mission of their spiritual comfort : but the wonder rather is, that there is any intermission of their sorrow. Who that con- siders the desert of sin, who that views the imperfection of his best services, has not reason to adore and magnify his God, for the willingness he shews to revive the hearts of the contrite ? Were God extreme to mark what is done amiss, the experience in our text would be the lot of all without exception, even of those who should find grace in the eternal world. But, blessed be God ! this is far from being the case : there are many to whom God vouchsafes the light of his countenance, and the joys of his salvation. We desire, however, that such persons should appreciate aright the blessings conferred upon them : and that, instead of ever complaining of darkness or of trouble, they should improve every manifestation of God's love to the further- ance of their confidence in him, and of their zeal in his service.]
1 Judg. ii. 4, 5. k Isai. xxxv. 10.
1 See Ps. xxxviii. 1, 2. and cii. 9, 10. m Job vii. 14, 15.
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