"Where

from troubling, and where the weary are at rest." fore," says he, " is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul; who long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures? There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor. The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master." In truth, almost all the suicides of which we hear originate in worldly sorrow, either personal or domestic: nor is it always found that piety itself is sufficient to counterbalance the effects of temporal calamity; so as to elevate the spirits which have been broken by it, and restore the constitution that has been destroyed.]

2. From spiritual troubles—

[Of these, none can judge, but those who have endured them. In reference to these it may well be said, "The spirit of man may sustain his infirmities; but a wounded spirit who can bear?" Truly, when a man is bowed down under a sense of sin, and trembling under apprehensions of God's wrath, he may well be dejected, and wish for any thing which may pacify his fears and terminate his sorrows. Great as Job's other troubles were, this was heavier than them all. Hear his complaint under it: "O that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together! for now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words are swallowed up. For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me. O that I might have my request! that God would grant me the thing that I long for, even that it would please God to destroy me!" Terrible, beyond measure, are the hidings of God's face under such circumstances: so at least David felt them to be: "Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps: thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Lord, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me? I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors, I am distracted"." So it is with some at this time; they go mourning all the day long; and by their anticipations of God's wrath, feel almost the commencement of it in their souls. The Saviour himself deprecated this bitter cup, and complained of the hidings of God's face in his extremity: well, therefore, may frail men, who are crushed before the moth, implore" the staying of God's rough wind in the day of his east wind."]

Seeing, then, that the wish of David is common in the world, let us inquire,

a Job iii. 17-21. b Prov. xviii. 14. d Ps. lxxxviii. 7, 8, 14, 15.

c Job vi. 2, 3, 4, 8, 9.

e Isai. xxvii. 8.

II. How far the godly are at liberty to indulge it—

Certainly we are at liberty to wish for death: for St. Paul "desired to depart, and to be with Christ," which he deemed far better than the happiest state on earth and we all are encouraged to be "looking for, and hasting unto, the coming of the day of Christ." But the wish then becomes evil, when it is attended with impatience, or has respect to a mere deliverance from present troubles. This distinction is clearly marked by St. Paul, in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians: "We that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burthened; not that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality may be swallowed up of life!." of life." It was not so much to get rid of the storms and tempests to which he was exposed in this present life, as to obtain the glory and felicity of a better world. And this was a highly commendable state of mind. But when we long merely to be released from the troubles of life, and the conflicts which we are here called to sustain, we do not well for we should be content,

1. That God should glorify himself in his own way—

[God sends trials to his people, in order that he may afford them such effectual succour as shall advance his glory in the world. The trial of gold by fire is precious, because it purifies without consuming the gold: but "the trial of our faith is infinitely more precious," because it purifies the souls of men: and it will, therefore, "be to the praise and honour and glory of our God, in the great day of his appearing." On the part of those who occasion trials to his people he is dishonoured: "but in the steadfastness of his people he is glorified "." Even in the sufferings of our blessed Lord this end was obtained; and therefore, though he deprecated sufferings as he was entitled to do, he submitted to bear his cross for the sake of reflecting glory on his heavenly Father: "Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name." Thus, if only in the event God may be glorified in us, we should be willing to bear any sufferings, or sustain any conflicts, which God, in his wisdom, may see fit to lay upon us.]

f 2 Cor. v. 4.

h 1 Pet. iv. 14.

g 1 Pet. i. 7.

i John xii. 27, 28.

2. That he should complete his work in his own way

[He calls all his people to bear their cross, in imitation of their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Now" the Lord Jesus, though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered:" and "he was made perfect through sufferings;" and in the same way does God still teach and perfect us. He makes tribulation the way to glory; purging us from our corruptions by means of it, and causing it to "work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." Does it become us, then, to be impatient under our troubles; or to wish for the removal of them, before they have accomplished the end for which they were sent? Surely we should be infinitely more anxious to have them sanctified, than to get them removed: and, however sorely they may press upon us, we should say, "Not my will, but thine be done." Be the furnace never so hot, we should welcome it, if only at last we may come out of it "vessels of honour, meet for the Master's use."] ADDRESS

1. Those who have hitherto been exempt from heavy trials

[Doubtless, as far as the mere exemption from trouble goes, you have reason to be thankful: but yet, if for want of it you are yet in a careless or lukewarm state, you have no great reason to congratulate yourselves: it were better that every bone in your body were broken, or that you should have the sword of the Almighty inflicting the deepest wounds in your souls, than that you should be left to go on wickedly in the way of your hearts. I say not that you should pray for trials for trials will do you no good, if they be not sanctified to your souls by the Spirit of God. But this I say, Let no rest satisfy you, except that which is to be found in the favour of a reconciled God, and in the hope of his glory— -]

2. Those who are sinking under the weight of them[Peradventure some may be here, who, like David, are bowed down under the weight of domestic troubles, or under a dread of God's heavy displeasure. And, if this be the case, let me tell you where you may find rest unto your souls. You need not the wings of a dove to fly away: you have your refuge close at hand, even Jesus, who says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." If you will but run to Him, you shall find him hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land m." Yes, in truth, " He is a strength to the

k Isai. xxvii. 9. Heb. xii. 10. 1 2 Cor. iv, 17. m Isai. xxxii. 2.

an

poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall"." Go to him then; take refuge in him; cast yourselves upon him; and let him give you rest, in his own time and way. Then will he walk with you in the furnace, as he did with the Hebrew youths; and in due season add you to the happy number of "those who have come out of great tribulation, and washed their robes white in the blood of the Lambo." Then will your rest be glorious indeed for "then you will hunger no more, nor thirst any more; neither shall the sun rest on you, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed you, and shall lead you unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from your eyes P."]

n Isai. xxv. 4. • Rev. vii. 14.

DXCV.

P Rev. vii. 16, 17.

VOWS TO BE PERFORMED.

Ps. lvi. 12. Thy vows are upon me, O God; I will render praises unto thee.

VOWS were encouraged under the Mosaic Law; and many particular rules were given in relation to them". Nor are they altogether discouraged under the Christian dispensation. On the contrary, they are spoken of by the prophets as no less adapted to our state, than they were to the state of the Jews under the Mosaic economy. Where they relate to any particular act which is not otherwise required of us, I confess I think them not very advisable. They are for the most part calculated rather to ensnare than to edify the soul. But, where they are only a more solemn way of binding ourselves to the performance of acknowledged duties, they are as useful to ourselves, and as pleasing to God, as ever.

The particular ordinance which has recently been administered amongst us will lead me to shew you, I. What vows are upon you—

There are vows of a more particular nature, which may have been secretly made by different individuals; a Numb. vi. 2, 5, 21.

c Isai. xix. 21. and Nahum i. 15.

b Numb. xxx. 2—15.

d Prov. xx. 25.

which are more fit for our own personal consideration before God than for any notice on a public occasion like this; and the rather because the points that would be interesting to one or two might excite no interest in the minds of the generality amongst us. But there are vows common to us all; for instance, those made by us,

1. At our baptism

[When presented at the sacred font, we were, as the Scripture expresses it, " baptized into Christ"." As the Israelites, in their passage through the sea, were "baptized unto Moses," whilst, with a wall of water on their right hand and on their left, they were sprinkled with the surge, and consecrated, as it were, unto the Lord, to embrace the revelation which was then made known to them, and to obey the laws which were then delivered them'; so we, in our baptism, profess to regard the Lord Jesus Christ as our mighty deliverer, and to obey him as our only Lord. As it was not uncommon in the Apostolic age to baptize also by immersion, St. Paul represents it as being "buried with Christ in baptism into his death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." In both these views, we see clearly what our vows have been; to believe in Christ, to follow Christ, dying unto sin as he died for it, and rising to a new and heavenly life, as he on the third day after his crucifixion rose to a life of blessedness and glory at the right hand of God. This was renewed,]

2. At our confirmation

[As at twelve years of age the Jewish children were presented at the temple, that they might come more fully under the yoke of their Law; so amongst us, at a somewhat later age, are young people called upon to present themselves unto the Lord, and to take upon themselves those engagements which were made for them at their baptism by their sponsors. You well know what the things are which were then promised in your name: first," that you should renounce the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh; next, that you should believe all the articles of the Christian faith; and, lastly, that you should keep God's holy will and commandments, and walk in the same all the days of your life." Now, in reference to these very engagements, it was distinctly asked of you by the Bishop, "Do ye here, in the presence of God and of this congregation, f 1 Cor. x. 1, 2. Rom. vi. 3, 4.

e Gal. iii. 27. VOL. V.

FF