sive they maybe at the time ; but rejoice in them^ and bless God who counts you "worthy to bear" them", and accept them as aninvahiable " gift at his hands"," and "take plea- sure in them°," as knowing that they will assuredly issue in your welfare, and " in the honour of your God p."]
2. To cultivate the end —
[Does God design by means of trials to make you re- semble Him " \^'ho was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so opened he not his mouth ?" Seek to experience this benefit from them ; and " let patience have its perfect work in you, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." Complain not that your trials are heavy, or of long continuance : but be more anxious to have your dross consumed, than to have the intensity of the furnace diminished. It was " through suffer- ings that the Lord Jesus Christ himself was made perfect *> :" and if " he learned obedience by the things which he suf- fered "^j" will not ye be content to learn it in the same way ? We are ready to think that perfection consists in active virtue : but God is not a whit less honoured by passive virtue : and when patience has so far operated upon your soul as to make you " glory in tribulations" for the Lord's sake', and you can say from your inmost soul, under all circumstances, " Not my will, but thine be done," you will have attained that measure of holiness which constitutes perfectipn ; and you will ere long, as a shock of corn that is fully ripe, be treasured up in the garner of your heavenly Father. You have seen " Jesus, after having endured the cross, and despised the shame, set down at the right hand of the throne of God*;" be content then to " suffer with him, that in due time you may be glorified together"." Let this be the one object of your concern; and pray that " the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus through the blood of the everlasting co- venant, would make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Christ Jesus V]
Address,
1. The timid Christian — [" Who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man that shall be as grass, and forgettest the Lord thy Maker?" Oh! "fear not the op- pressor, as if he were able to destroy : for where is the fury
of ' Luke vi. 22, 23. °' Acts v. 4L " Phil. i. 19.
" 2 Cor. xii. 10. p 1 Pet.iv. 14, 16. ' Heb. 11. 10.
' Heb. V. 8. • Rom. v. 3. ' Heb. xii. 2.
' Rom. viii. 17. 2 Tim. ii. 1 1 , 12. * Heb. xiii, 20.