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النشر الإلكتروني

THE DISCOURAGEMENTS OF BELIEVERS;

AND CONSIDERATIONS AGAINST DESPAIR.

IT is remarked by the facred hiftorians, in relation to the

children of Ifrael when travelling "from Mount Hor, by the way of the Red Sea," that, the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. These words have been literally fulfilled in the experience of believers in all ages of the chriftian church. "In the world" they are fure to meet with "tribulation." "Without are fightings, with in are fears." Anxieties, fears, and difcouragements, arife from different quarters. Sometimes from carnal relations and connexions. Thefe but too often allure us from the path of duty, enfnare our affections and impede our progrefs. Or, perhaps, they violently oppofe, and even perfecute in many inftances they have done fo even unto death. At other times the rifings of inbred corruption produce no small pain in the mind of a believer, and he is led to exclaim, "O wretched man that I am!" In one part of the way he is affaulted by Satan, in a series of strong temptations. These are argued and urged with infernal fubtilty. These are coloured and varnished over, and their mifchievous tendency hardly difcerned till after the foul has been actually drawn afide. O! my foul, thou art not igno rant of" these devices, thefe depths of Satan." In another part of the way, the believer is affaulted by fudden blafphemous thoughts: fuggeftions horrid as hell! These are like the "fiery, flying ferpents," which ftung the Ifraelites; but against this dangerous malady, healing provifion was made, and the person who looked to the brazen ferpent found immediate relief. Crofs providences, whereby our wishes are thwarted, our expectations disappointed, and perhaps loffes are sustained, often damp the ardour of our purfuit, and weigh down our fpirits to the duft. In fuch trials the patience and piety of Job, Jacob, Jofeph, and many others, have fhone out with peculiar luftre, and though faint they have ftill purfued with growing ftrength. At other times painful defertions lead the chriftian pilgrim to cry out, + Luke xii. 51, 52, 53. 3 F

*Numb. xxi. 4.

VOL. II.

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"My God, my God, why haft thou forfaken me? I am ready to halt, and my forrow is ever before me." Diftreffes in the church prove grievously trying to a feeling mind. All chriftians are not "kindly affectioned" towards each other; they do not kindly cover their imperfections, and weep with them that weep." In fome inftances, the vile flanders of falfe brethren create no fmall anxiety in the breaft of a believer, who fincerely wishes to live honefly, not only in the fight of God, but alfo in the fight of men. The beft of characters are fometimes envied, and envy will most certainly fix an envenomed tooth upon the name and character of a good man. Other caufes of difcouragement might be named, but I haften to prescribe a remedy against despair, and to point out fome confiderations whereby the mind may be greatly fupported. I mean in proportion as they are understood and realized by a genuine faith. Let the tried believer confider well the faith and patience of the primitive faints. Let him read the 11th chapter of the Hebrews, and connect with it James v. 10. Let him meditate much on the promifes of a good and gracious God. They are fuitable in all cafes, for direction, for fupport, for defence, and they give to the conflicting foul an affured prospect of victory. They are large promifes, "exceeding great." They

are feelingly precious in proportion as they are believed and trufted. They are perfectly free and everlastingly faithful, Let him confider the power and grace of the Holy Spirit. These are all fufficient for him in every cafe. Let him confider the future "recompence of reward" Mofes did fo, and is commended for fo doing. "Verily there is a reward for the righteous," not of merit, but of grace. Now a difcouraged foul is a fit fubject for Jefus Chrift. "Come un"to me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will "give you reft." A difcouraged foul fhould be affifted and comforted by thofe who are strong. This is one end of church communion. Suitable cordials are provided for fainting fouls.* Difcouragements are no certain proof that a man is wrong. Hold on, my foul, and faith and hope will foon brighten up thy profpects; "God is faithful, who hath promifed." Let the difcouraged foul be more in earnest prayer. "Hold thou me up, and I fhall be safe. Draw me, we will run after thee." Then God will fay, "fear not, I am with thee, I will make darkness light, I will make crooked things ftraight, thefe things will I do for thee, and

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not forfake thee."

MILES EMERITUS.

* Isa. xli. 10. Luke xii. 32.

P. S. I hope there is nothing advanced in the above lines that may be construed to favour the cause of lukewarmness or licentiousness, both which are abominable in the eyes of infinite purity, and to favour which is perfectly remote from the defign of the writer.

OLD AGE.

Pf. lxxi. 9. Cast me not off in the time of old age, forsake me not when my strength faileth.

THE

HE Pfalmift had, during a long life, enjoyed many mercies from God, but there was one more which he defired, viz.-That God would not calt him off in his old age.

The Pfalm is fuppofed to have been written about the time of Abfalom's confpiracy. God had caft off his predeceffor, Saul, and things looked as if he now meant to caft him off. His people alfo feemed difpofed, by their joining with Abfalom to caft him off-hence the force of the petition.

Old men do not always put up this petition. If the defires of many of them were put into words, their request would be, that they might fave money, retain power, and twenty other things-covetoufnefs is particularly the fin of old age. The reafon may be, in early life, corruption has a number of channels in which it flows, but in age these are ftopped up, or nearly fo, by the decay of natural powers. and paffions; and from hence the whole flows in one or two channels. But these things will foon forfake us, or we must forfake them. The favour and prefence of God fhould be the object, the fupreme object, of our defire.

Now there are fome peculiar circumstances of old age, which render this bleffing neceffary.

1. Old age is a time of but little natural enjoyment-as Burzillai acknowledged, the more need, therefore, for others. It is a foil on which that kind of pleafure will not grow, but the joys of religion will, Pf. xcii. 14. "fruit in "old age." Ifa. xl. 30, 31. Be this therefore your object. 2. It is a time in which the troubles of life are often

2 Sam. xix. 35.

known to increase. Many are poor, and can ftruggle no longer, and fo fink under their hardships. Poor old men ! this prayer would fit your lips.

Others have families, and live to see their children's miferies, or what, if we fear God, will grieve us more, their evil courses. How fit this language from the lips of those whofe grey hairs are going down with forrow to the grave.

Others lofe their friends by death. Youth is the time of forming connexions, which is a fource of pleasure and age of thofe connexions being diffolved, which is a fource of pain. How many poor widows may read this addrefs, who are left in a world of care and forrow, to ferve alone. Does not this prayer fit your lips?

Finally, it is at this period that we often have to reap the bitter fruits of the fins of earlier years. Difobedience to parents, is often followed by difobedience in children; neglect of family government, by family ruin, as in Eli's cafe ; and criminal indulgences in youth by fimilar practices among our children. David had his troubles in his younger days, but they were light, compared with thofe which refpected Ammon, Tamar, and Abfalom. Here impurity and blood re-appeared, and wounded his heart.

3. Old age is a time in which the troubles of life not only increase, but become lefs tolerable.

Young people will weather theirs, but it is not fo with the aged. Pains of mind refemble pains of body; young people will work them off, but in old people they remain, and are carried to the grave. Jacob had hardfhips at Padanaram, the heat by day, and the froft by night; but he forgot them in a little time; not fo after having loft his beloved Rachel, a garment was brought to him covered with blood! Is this or any thing like it, the condition of our reader? So much the more neceffary the petition.

4. Old age is a time that ought to command refpect, and does fo among dutiful children, and all ferious christians : but it is often known to be accompanied with neglect. This is the cafe, efpecially where they are poor and dependant. It has been the cafe where public characters have loft their youthful vivacity, and the brilliancy of their talents. In thefe cafes, how fit the petition.

5. It is a period bordering on death and eternity. The enjoyments of life are more than half gone: and the remainder hangs by a thread more than half broken.

But it may be worth while to enquire in what cafes there are grounds to hope the bleffing will be granted.

Not all old men enjoy God's favour and prefence. There are men tottering on the grave, and yet wicked; yea ripe

in wickedness. Mercenary, deceitful, crafty, and oppreffive. Even thofe fins that they can no longer act, through a failure in their powers, they will recal in their defiled imagina tions, and repeat in converfation, to the corrupting of youth! Ah! Wicked old man! God will caft you off. Age itfelf entitles you to no refpect from man; nor will you find mercy from God. Think particularly of two paffages. "The "finner an hundred years old, fhall be accurfed."* He "will wound the hairy scalp of him who goeth on still in his "trefpaffes."+

Who then will be found fharers in this bleffing?

1. It is certain, if we have been God's fervants from our youth, he will not caft us off in old age. David pleaded this in the 5th and 17th verfes. O how was this truth verified in the old age and death of Jacob, Mofes, Daniel, Paul, and others!

2. Though we should not have been his fervants in youth, yet if in old age, even from thence, we feek him with all our hearts, he will be found of us. He will not refuse even

at the eleventh hour.

3. Though you fhould never have been his fervants to this day, but have grown grey under Satan's yoke and are now a poor miferable creature, juft ready to fall into hellyet, if from hence, thou fhalt feek the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, he will be found of thee, for the Lord our God is a merciful God, and through the death of Chrift can fave thy foul to the uttermoft. If with all your heart you only put up this prayer, Cast me not off in the time of old age: forsake me not when my strength faileth, he will not caft you off, but ftand your friend when forfaken by the whole world.

CRITICAL REMARKS ON ACTS Xvii. 11.

S it is one part of the plan of the Evangelical Maga zine to admit occafional papers on fubjects of facred criticism, or illuftrations of paffages of fcripture, by remarks on the original languages, the prefent writer is induced to offer, for the confideration of the more learned reader, fomething of this nature. In the present inftance, however, he

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