under her deepest afflictions, and say, " Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy : when I fall, I shall arise ; when I sit in dark- ness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. I will bear the indig- nation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me : he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness g."
In the promises of God, also, is the same blessed issue secured. " If we suffer with Christ, God engages that we shall also reign with him," and " be glorified together." " The trial of our faith, from whatever quarter it may come, is precious, yea, more precious than gold itself; because it will be to our praise and honour and glory, as well as to the glory of our Lord and Saviour, in the great day of his appearing11." Hear how fully our blessed Lord declared this to his weeping and disconsolate disciples : " Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice : and ye shall be sorrowful ; but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow because her hour is come ; but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow : but I will see you again ; and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you1." So our " weeping may endure for a night; but joy shall most assuredly come in the morning k."
But even in the very experience of the upright is there a pledge of future glory. His tears are the seed of joy : and, " as surely as he goes on his way, bearing this precious seed- basket, so surely shall he come again with joy, bringing his sheaves with him." See this described, in its process, by St. Paul : " We glory in tribulation, knowing that tribulation worketh patience ; and patience, experience ; and experience, hope ; and hope maketh not ashamed." Here tribulation is the seed ; patience the blade ; experience the ear ; hope the full corn in the ear ; and the completion of that hope in heaven, the in- gathering of the harvest into the garner. In truth, " the light and momentary afflictions of the righteous actually work out for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."
Thus is every upright soul rendered conformable to his Divine Master : he first " drinks of the brook in the way, and then, like him, has the happiness to lift up his head V]
Address —
1. Seek real integrity —
[This is universally held in high estimation : at least, men universally profess so to regard it : and therefore, waving at
s Mic. vii. 8, 9. ]l 1 Pet. i. 7. { John xvi. 20—22.
k Ps. xxx. 5. ! Ps. ex. 7.