O GOD, whose nature and property is ever to have mercy and to forgive, receive our humble petitions; and though we be tied and bound with the chain of our sins, yet, let the pitifulness of thy great mercy loose us; for the honour of Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Amen.

WE humbly beseech thee, O Father, mercifully to look upon our infirmities; and for the glory of thy name, turn from us all those evils that we most righteously deserve; and grant that in all our troubles we may put our whole trust and confidence in thy mercy, and evermore serve thee in holiness and pureness of living, to thy honour and glory: through our only Mediator and Advocate, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

24.

LIFE OFTEN INTERRUPTED BY SICKNESS.

FLAVEL.

THE life of the saints in this world, is generally a burdened and a groaning life; as the apostle says, "in this tabernacle we groan, being burdened." They feel

A burden of sin; and this is a dead and sinking weight. Hear again the apostle of the Gentiles, "O

wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" They feel then

A burden of affliction; and of this all are partakers. Though not all in an equal degree, or in the same kind, yet all have their burdens-burdens equal to and even beyond their own strength to support: they are "pressed out of measure." Add to this there is

The burden of inward troubles for sin, and outward troubles in the flesh, both together; so had Job, Heman, David, and many of the saints.

Certainly, this befals them not casually; it rises not "out of the dust;" nor because God loves or regards them not, "for whom he loveth he correcteth;" nor because he takes pleasure in our groans, for “to tread under his feet the prisoners of the earth, the Lord hath no pleasure." It is not for his pleasure, but for our profit.

And among the profits that result from these burdens, this is not the least-to make you less fond of the body than you would else be, and more willing to be gone to your everlasting rest. For surely, all the diseases and pains we endure in the body, whether they be upon inward or outward accounts, by passion or compassion (i. e. by personal suffering or sympathy) from God or men, will be found but enough to wean us, and loosen our hearts from the fond love of life. Afflictions are bitter things to our taste; so bitter, that Naomi thought a name of contrary signification fitter for her afflicted coudition. "Call me not Naomi," she says, " (that is, pleasant,) call me Mara, (that is, bitter :) for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me." And the church (Lam. iii. 19) calls her affliction, "wormwood and gall."

We overlive most of the comforts which engaged our hearts to this world, that we may more readily take our leave of it. It were good for Christians to observe such providences as these, and answer the designs of them in a greater willingness to depart.

Is thy body, which was once hale and vigorous, now become sickly and painful unto thee, neither useful to God nor comfortable to thyself—a tabernacle to sigh in, and little hopes that it will be restored to a better condition? God hath ordered this to make thee willing to be divorced from it. The less desirable life is, the less formidable death will be.

Not the labour of my hands
Can fulfil thy law's demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears for ever flow-
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to thy cross I cling;
Naked come to thee for dress;
Helpless, look to thee for grace;
Black, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Saviour, or I die!

While I draw this fleeting breath,

When my heart-strings break in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See thee on thy judgment throne-
Rock of ages, shelter me!
Let me hide myself in thee!

MAN that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live, and is full of misery. He cometh up, and is cut down like a flower; he fleeth as it were a shadow, and never continueth in one stay.

In the midst of life we are in death: of whom may we seek for succour, but of thee, O Lord, who for our sins art justly displeased?

Yet, O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty, O holy and most merciful Saviour, deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death.

Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts; shut not thy merciful ears to our prayer; but spare us, Lord most holy, O God most mighty: O holy and merciful Saviour, thou most worthy Judge eternal, suffer us not, at our last hour, for any pains of death, to fall from thee. Amen.

25.

AFFLICTION A SEASON FOR GLORIFYING GOD.

BONAR.

THERE is a special grace for every trial. As trials bring to light the weakness that is in us, so they draw out to meet that, the strength of God-new resources of strength and grace which we never knew before. In affliction we may be quite sure of learning something more of God than we were acquainted with before; for it is just in order to furnish an opportunity for bringing out this, and showing it to us, that he sends the trial. How little should we know of him were it not for sorrow! What fulness of blessing comes out to us, what riches of love are spread out before us in the dark and cloudy day!

Affliction is our fullest opportunity for glorifying God. It is on earth that he expects to get glory from us-glory such as angels cannot give glory such as we shall not be able to give hereafter. It is here that we are to preach to angels; it is here that we are to shew to them what a glorious God is ours. Our whole life below is given us for this. But it is especially in sorrow and under infirmity that God looks for glory from us. What a glorifying thing in the eye of men and angels, to see a poor worm of the dust, a poor, frail, sinful mortal, carrying on successful warfare with the powers of hell without, and the strength of sin within! What a God-honouring thing, to see a struggling, sorrowing, child of earth, cleaving fast to God, calmly trusting in him, happy and at rest in the midst of storm and suffering! What a spectacle for the hosts of heaven!