[You must expect that your faith and patience will be tried: but you must not give way to fear, or be diverted from your duty by any consideration whatever. There should be in you such a hope, as, like an anchor of the soul, shall keep you steadfast amidst all the storms and tempests with which you may be assailed-. By means of this divine principle you should be realizing all the glories of the eternal world; in the view nf which, all earthly glories will sink into insignificance, and all earthly trials appear " light and momentary11." Survey then the inheritance to which you are begotten : take Pisgah views of the promised land : and then you shall be enabled to say respecting every thing that may occur, " None of these things move me; neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I may but finish my course with joy."]
3. Be humble Christians —
[Humility is the root and summit of Christian perfection. If men see you offended and irritated by the unkind usage which you experience, they will say, " Wherein are their principles superior to ours ; or their conduct better than ours ? They pretend to possess a hope that lifts up their souls in an extraordinary degree : but wherein does it shew itself? and what do they more than others? It is no uncommon thing for persons professing godliness to feel towards their revilers and persecutors the very same contempt and hatred which their persecutors manifest towards them. But this is a proof, that, whatever they may profess of love to Christ, they have never attained " the mind that was in Christ." If you would be Christians indeed, you must resemble Him " who was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and was dumb before his perse- cutors, even as a sheep before its shearers is dumb," and who in the very agonies of crucifixion prayed for his murderers. So must you : you must " shew all meekness towards all men," and be more fearful of dishonouring God, or of casting a stumbling-block before your enemies, by any thing hasty or ill-advised, than of suffering all that the most bitter per- secutors can inflict upon you. Thus " letting patience have its perfect work, you will be perfect and entire, wanting nothing'."]
b Heb. vi. 19. h 2 Cor. iv. 17, 18. '' Jam. i. 4.