[God could save them without leaving them to endure any trial ; but he " perfected his own Son by sufferings :" he has ordained that the members shall in this respect be con- formed to their Heade.]
Their temptations, however afflictive at the time, are permitted for their good.
II. The end for which they are suffered to be in that state —
Temptations, of whatever kind they be, are justly called " trials of our faith " —
[No man can exercise the grace of patience, or of content- ment, unless he be in a situation that may give rise to impa- tience or discontent : nor can faith be known to exist in the heart, unless there be some circumstances that give scope for the manifestation of it; but temptations, especially such as produce much grief, can be surmounted only by strong faith. Hence God himself speaks as though he discovered Abraham's grace by means of the difficulties into which he was brought f.]
In this view they are " much more precious than the trial of gold" —
[Gold, though it stand the trial of the fire, will perish at last ; but faith, in its effects at least, will endure for ever. The value and the brightness given to gold by the furnace are not so estimable, as the purity and brightness which our faith derives from affliction.]
Their real worth will not be discerned till the day of judgment —
[They will have a different aspect in " the day of Christ's appearing" from what they have now. The benefit resulting from them will be then fully discovered.]
They will then " be found to the praise and honour of those who endured them" —
[Every thing we have done or suffered for Christ will be brought to light: a reward proportioned to our faithfulness will then be given us. Great sufferings will issue in "an eternal weight of glory".]
They will be declared also to the praise and honour of Christ himself —
[Christ is " the author and finisher of our faith :" he will have the glory of carrying his people through their trials.
e Zeeli. xiii. 9. f Gen. xxii. 12.
1 i 1 1 PETER, I. S, 9. [2382.
Thus they will issue in the good of the sufferers, and the glory of Christ.]
This is the end for which God permits his people to endure them —
Infer —
1. How little cause have any persons to question their interest in God's favour on account of their trials, or their grief under them !
[Satan takes advantage of the afllictions of the saints to impress their minds with desponding thoughts : their natural turn of mind, too, sometimes favours such impressions. Even bodily disorder also may concur to deject their sovds. But the being in heaviness through temptations is no just ground of doubting our acceptance with God. The persons of whom the Apostle speaks in the text, were most undoubtedly in a con- verted state ". Let not any tempted soul then be desponding or dejected'1.]
2. What abundant reason have we to be reconciled to afflictions !
[Afflictions are trying to our frail nature, but they are salutary to our souls'. We shall ere long see the necessity and benefit of each of our sorrows. The praise and honour in which they will issue will make amends for all. Let us then even now account them "preciousk:" let us consider how light they are, when compared with the glory of heaven1: let us only be concerned to possess our souls in patience™.]
s They were " begotten again," had " a lively hope," " believed in Christ," " loved him," " rejoiced in him with joy unspeakable," and had " received the salvation of their souls." ver. 3, 8, 9.
b Isai. xl. 27—31. * Heb. xii. 11. k Jam. i. 2, 3.
1 Horn. viii. 18. m Jam. i. 4.