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?" O! " fear not the oppres- sor, as if he were able to destroy : for where is the fury of the oppressor*'?" Look at Pharaoh and all his host: what could they do against the God of Israel2? Look at Herod, when he would " stretch out his hand to vex the Church :" " he falls a prey even to worms," which eat him up alive3. Know that the creature is no more than " an axe or saw in your Father's hands :" and that he can do nothing, but as your Father sees fit to employ him for your goodb. In all that he attempts, he is limited and controlled0, and shall effect nothing which shall not subserve your eternal interests'1. Be strong then, and of good courage : and whatever cross may lie in your way, take it up cheerfully, and bear it after your Lord and Saviour : for be well assured, that your Saviour deserves it richly at your hands ]
2. The suffering Christian —
[Shall I pity you ? No ; rather let me congratulate you as being made conformable to your Lord and Saviour e. Re- peated are St. James's declarations, that sufferings for Christ's sake are subjects rather for joy than for grief. " We count them happy that endure f." And again, " Blessed is the man that endureth temptation ; for, when he is tried, he shall re- ceive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love himg." Receive then trials as " the portion which God has appointed you h ;" and expect that, if your afflictions abound for Christ's sake, " so shall your consolations also abound by Christ' ;" and whatever you may lose for his sake, you shall even in this present life receive an hundred-fold more than you have lostk, and, in the world to come, " an accumu- lated weight of happiness and glory" to all eternity1. And when you shall have arrived at the realms of glory, it will be no grief to you that you " came out of great tribulation ;" for then will "your Saviour lead you to the living fountains of bliss, and God himself will wipe away all tears from your eyesm."]
y Isai. li. 12, 13. z Rom. ix. 17. a Acts xii. 1 — 3, 23.
* Isai. x. 7, 11, 15. c Rev. ii. 10. d 1 Pet. i. 7.
e 1 Pet. iv. 12, 13. f Jam. v. 11. e Jam. i. 12.
h 1 Thess. hi. 3. ; 2 Cor. i. 5. k Mark x. 28—30.
1 2 Cor. iv. 17. m Rev. vii. 14—17.