[St. Paul did not merely submit to the Divine will, and bear with patience a trial which he could not remove ; but he even gloried in his tribulations; and made those very infir- mities, which just before had been a subject of such pathetic lamentation, an occasion of joy and triumph. It is thus that every Christian is called to manifest his acquiescence in the appointments of heaven : he should count it all joy when he falls into divers temptations, and, being strengthened unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness, he should give thanks unto the Father, who, by trials, is fitting him for glory ^]
The consideration that Christ would be glorified in him, was sufficient to counterbalance all that he had suffered, or might yet suffer for his sake —
[The honour of Christ was dear unto the Apostle, and should be dear unto all who call themselves Christians. The continuance of the trial in the Apostle's flesh, was an occasion of Christ's more abundant kindness towards him. His com- passionate Saviour drew nigh unto him, and dwelt as it were upon him, as God, by the symbol of his presence, had for- merly rested on the tabernacle in the wilderness'. And as the rebellious Israelites had been constrained to acknowledge the presence of God with Moses, so were Paul's enemies constrained to acknowledge that Christ was with him of a truth. The more weak and contemptible he was in their eyes, the more they must be compelled to glorify Christ, by whom he was strengthened in his spirit, and made successful in his ministrations. And if more glory might be brought to Christ by means of these infirmities, he was not only willing to en- dure them, but ready to glory in them even unto death''.]
Exhortation —
Let us inquire into the cause of our troubles — [The rod has a voice which we ought to hear': and, if we would attend to it, it would discover to us many hidden but grievous abominations, which lurk unseen in our hearts ; and we should almost invariably find, not only that the chastise- ment was needed by us, but that it was that very trial which was most of all calculated to promote our spiritual and eternal good ]
Let US carry them all to a throne of grace —
[It is to little purpose to complain of them to our fellow- creatures : but " God never says to any, Seek ye my face in
*' Jam. i. 2. Col. i. 11, 12. ' iTntTK-qvwtrri.
^ Phil. i. 20. ' Mic. vi. 9.