seems to have had in his thoughts the example of the holy Jesus, in his distress of spirit the night before he suffered, when he prayed three several times for succour and support to the heavenly Father, and had his request granted at last by an angel being sent to strengthen him. His faithful apostle, by his own account here given, was in like manner heard and comforted and supported in a miraculous way by Almighty God. And all honest seekers of the truth of God, who are diligent to promote it, may be assured of the like divine protection and blessing, though not signified to them in so extraordinary a way; and that their labours shall not be in vain.

V.

Lastly, Pain and suffering, undeserved disgrace and contempt, especially when they seem to obstruct our usefulness, are not desirable things. We cannot help wishing, nor is it wrong to endeavour to be delivered from them.

Our apostle requested, if it pleased God, to be restored to health, and to the wonted use of his bodily faculties. And, perhaps, his request was afterwards granted, and he was cured of this paralytic affection, if such it was.

For

For we hear no more mention of it, though particular scenes and trials presented themselves, in Jerusalem and at Rome, in his appearance before the emperor, and kings and governors under him; when most probably some notice would have been taken of such a circumstance in his disfavour, if it had continued.

But it did not please divine providence to relieve him for the present, at the writing of this epistle.

And this, and our apostle's thankfulness under such an affliction, lead us to this reflection that the discipline of pain and suffering, which we are frequently put under in the present state, is useful to us.

If we were to meet with no interruption or opposition to our desires, we should become overgrown and incrusted as it were with humoursomeness, and the most absolute selfishness; wretched in ourselves, and a burden to all about us.

Whereas, in the intervals of leisure and solitude which a languid state of health gives us, we are forced as it were into sober reflections, and made sensible how frail and weak we are, and insufficient for our own happiness: how

much

much we are in the hands of God-how necessary therefore to resign ourselves to him, and to cleave to him in doing his holy will, that he may cheer and befriend us in this state, and carry us safe to a better.

There is a passage in a heathen writer of great rank and note, which so much vindicates the providence of the heavenly Father, in that mixture of good and evil, sickness and health, which are our lot here, that I shall transcribe it, as not unworthy the Christian's attention. "I had lately (says he) an opportunity of seeing, in my attendance upon a friend in a languishing state, how much better we all are for sickness. For avarice and vice then lose their hold upon us. We are no more slaves to our irregular passions. The honours of the world are no allurement to us: its wealth we slight, finding that, be our pittance ever so small, it will serve us to our journey's end. At such seasons we think of God, and remember that we ourselves are mortal. We neither envy nor despise others, nor take a malignant pleasure in hearing their faults exposed."

And thus, to conclude, is the goodness of God justified in those, chequered mixed scenes in which we are placed. For the happiness of rational

1

rational beings consists not in an uninterrupted flow of ease and agreeable sensations, but in a disposition to piety, virtue, and benevolence, and the present state is calculated to produce and cultivate these choice fruits of Heaven in such creatures as we are.

Unto God be glory for all things, and for ever!

PRAYER.

O God, blessed for ever! who givest life and being to all things, and whose designs are only for good to all thy creatures!

We desire to bow down before thee with reverence and deepest humility, and to celebrate thy praises who hast brought us into being out of nothing, to know thee, to contemplate thy greatness and goodness, and to be happy for ever in recommending ourselves to thee, by obedience to thy holy and righteous laws.

Inspire us evermore with just and becoming sentiments of thee, O thou Being of all goodness! that we may never paint thee to our imaginations as a gloomy object of dread and terror, save only to those who will not be reformed and made happy by thee: but that we may behold thee as thou art, kind and merci

ful

ful and friendly to all thine offspring, and desirous of their true and lasting happiness.

And give us a firm undoubting assurance, notwithstanding any present dark appearances of sin, disorder, and misery, that thou, Ó Father, orderest all things for the best, in thy visitations of us, however severe and heavy thy hand doth sometimes lie upon us; and that such temporary interruptions of thy benevolent designs are only permitted for greater good to all. For,

It is but a single link and part of thy work which we behold, and of the great connected chain and plan of thy providence, which hath been from everlasting, and will never cease.

Teach us then in humble silence to adore the methods of thy wise universal government which we cannot comprehend, and to wait the end:

We desire further to thank thee, and to rejoice before thee, O Lord, that there is no evil being who has power to counteract thy works of goodness, or to obstruct the virtue and happiness of thy creatures: but thou, supremely wise, powerful, and good, presidest over and directest all things, and all are safe in thy hands.

VOL. I.

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