peace with usk," and even become a witness for us against those who yet load us with their reproaches1. But, however this may be, man's judgment is but for a daym; and then the Lord's time will come, and our righteousness will shine forth as the noon-day11. Be contented then to follow your Divine Master, and to bear your cross as he has done before you : and be as- sured, that " if you suffer with him, you shall also be glorified together0."]
k Prov. xvi. 7. * Luke xxiii. 14, 15, 22.
m See 1 Cor. iv. 3. The Greek. n 1 Cor. iv. 5.
0 1 Pet. iv. 12, 13. Rom. viii. 17.
Isai. li. 9, 10. Awake, awake, put on thy strength, 0 arm of the Lord! awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon ? Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?
GOD delights in encouraging his people, when reduced to the lowest ebb of despondency. Hence, under the bitterest oppression, he assures them that the period shall soon arrive for the administering of consolation to their souls, and for the enlargement of the Church by a vast accession of Gentiles to her. And, to impress his assurances more strongly on their minds, he again and again repeats that most condescending and affectionate entreaty ; " Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness :" " hearken unto me, my people :" " hearken unto me, ye in whose heart is my Law\" Of such addresses it becomes his people, under their heaviest distresses, to take advan- tage. As Benhadad, when captive to the king of Israel, and expecting nothing but death, charged his servants to observe with the utmost diligence whether any favourable expression dropped from the lips of Ahab, and to take immediate advantage of itb ; so should we, when we hear the offended Majesty of
a ver. 1, 4, 7. b 1 Kings xx. 33.