world's consolaHons, such as they are, are offered to us when we least need them. Affliction finds few friends; but it finds one Friend. In the dense darkness the Chris• tian has light in his dwelling, like Israel in Egypt. When 'the child of God is sick and troubled, his Father comes to him. 2. In all our aiftiction. (Ver. 4.) No affliction ~ beyond the reach of Divine comfort. God does not desert us in any trouble. Human comfort often aggravates our sorrow. When we are sore stricken we can bear no other touch but God's. We are sinking, but "underneath are the everlasting arms." Infinite in power; infinite also in consolation. 3. In proportion to our aiftiction. (Ver. 5.) God weighs all our troubles. He knows our sorrows. "As thy days so shall thy strength be." He is acquainted with our need, and will he not supply it? We may reckon upon sufficient Divine consolation in all our sorrows; very especially so when those sorrows have been directly brought upon us by our steadfastness in the faith, our loyalty to Christ, our faithfulness to God. Each martyr had a martyr's portion of comfort as well as of pain. And so with Paul, whom we may regard as a long-lived martyr, dying daily, yet living through the death-blows and .comforted under them. III. ITS OBJECT. We are comforted for our peace and happiness, but here we learn that we are comforted for our usefulness also. Like the apostle, we are comforted of God that we may comfort other$. Divine comfort enables us to do this; for : 1. We can then speak from experience of the efficacy of Divine comfort. 2. We can direct to the Source of comfort. 3. We can testify to the Divine faithfulness in bestowing comfort. 4. The salutary influence of sorrow comforted by God will make us efficient comforters. Only those who have tasted trouble are fitted to minister to the troubled. And of these only they who have been divinely comforted can truly comfort. Such will be just unlike Job's comforters. Christ was perfected as a Comforter by his sorrows, and by the Divine consolation which kept him from sinking under them. We are brought down anJ then lifted up again, that we may be made meet for this service. And great will be our joy if we see those comforted by us patiently enduring (ver. 6) their tribulation. IV. ONE OF ITS EFFECTS. Gratitude, mingled with adoration. "Blessed be the God," etc. (ver. 3). We shall thank God: 1. That he has comforted us. 2. That through this we have been enabled to comfort others. No stinted praise should we offer for such mercies. We shall all regard the first as great, but gracious spirits will regard the second as greater.-H. Vers. 8-11.-Jn the depths and out of them. I. THE EMER0ENOIES OF THE PEOPLE OF Gon. God's children are often afflicted children. Far from escaping trial, it is frequently multiplied to them. Through much tribulation they enter the kingdom; with much tribulation they often abide in it whilst on earth. For them the furnaco seems not seldom to be made II seven times hotter." Children of sorrows follow the " Man of sorrows.'' Like the apostle, they are sometimes " pressed out. of measure,'' 11 weighed down exceedingly," (ver. 8), until their own power collapses. It is uncertain to what special exigency Paul refers, but in such straits was ho that eveu his brave heart despaired of life. Happy are we if, like him, we do not in such trihub.tion despair of God. When our strength fails, his is untouched. As easy is it for him to deliver us when we are in great peril as when we aro in little. God knows nothing of emergency. II. THE LESSONS OF TRIAL AND PERIL. Very numerous-to teach us our weakness, to inJ.uce the pilgrim spirit, to benJ our will to God's, to rouse us from lethargy, etc. One chief lesson noted here is to lead us to trust in God (ver. 9). Ho "roiseth the dead," and can do all things for us. Our perfect helplessness is demonstrated, and then faith lays hold of God's perfect helpfulness. Creatures become nothing, espllCio.lly thut very little creature, ourself. The soul cries out for God, and can rest upon nothing but omnipotence. This is Christian life--<lespairing of our own power, confident in God's. God sometimes keeps us in the fiercely hot furnace until he sees us walking therein by the side of the Son of God (Dan. iii. 25). Before we felt the fire wo thought we could walk alone. God shakes us until he has shaken all the self-trust out of us. Self-con- fidence is poison ; trial is intended to destroy that poison. When everythiug seems to fail us but God, then wo lio at his feet. III. PROVIDENOE DOES NOT EXCLUDE PRAYER. (Ver. 11.) Inourextromitywecan do 22 THE SECOND EPIS'rLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [en. I. 1-24.
one thing-we can cry to God. The afflicted believer should say, "This one thincr I ~o." 1. Our 0'!'7n prayer. Chiis'ti:ms should not b~ dumb dogs. The comma.ad to p;ay 1s bound up Wltb the command to trust. Prayer 1s proof of a trustfnl spirit. A con- fidence iu God which makes us too lazy to call upon him is a confidence which will get more blows than blessings. We may be kept in the fires till we find our voice. 2. The prayers of othe1·s. 'l'he apostle evidently believed in the efficacy of intercessory prayer (ver. 11). He regarded such prayer as very real "help." Confidence in God's help which excludes contidence in spiritual help 'from our fellows is not so pleasina or honouring to God as some imagiac. He has ever honoured "united" prayer. f'he prayers of saints are vi:r:i: precious. and very prevailin~ as they ascend from the golden altar. God was very w1lhng to dehver Peter out of pnson, but he gave to the saints at Jerusalem the great honour of praying him out(Acts xii. 6). The prayers of righteous men avail much. God loves not only solo praying, but choral praying. IV. PRAYER ANSWERED m PROVIDENCE CALLS FOR PRAISE. (Ver. 11.) Oftentimes alas! we are so pleased ,vith our deliverance that we forget to thank God for it. W~ say "Thank you" to every oae except God. These things ought not so to be. When God hears us once in supplication, he ~hould hear us once again in thankscr.vina. Deliverances by God call for "songs of loudest praise." When prayer ha; bee':i answered, prn.ise should be exceedingly full and hearty. We do not prevail in prayer because we did-and were unthankful. When many have prayed and have been answered many should give thanks. We must have united praise meetings as well as united prayer meetings.-H.