prayer of the text: "Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me." To be persuaded that he has a reason for his conduct is not enough: we must desire to know it, and should pursue the desire with serious consideration and diligent perseverance.

It may be we were living thoughtless and secure, as if we were to live here always; but God sends affliction to make us think, and to admonish us of death. Perhaps we were inordinately attached to the world, and had no care except about its perishing enjoyments; but God afflicts, to teach us the vanity of the world, the emptiness of creatures, the extreme folly and danger of building a hope of happiness on any thing beneath the sun. More particularly,

Affliction is sent to convince of sin, our own sin, the malignity of its nature and the bitterness of its desert. The Lord took away the widow's son, and what was the effect of that bereavement? It brought her" sins to remembrance," and humbled her, we trust, in deeper contrition.

There are frequently, in professors of religion, what are not improperly called hidden sins-sins which are little thought of, and which give little or no concern, till the pressure of adversity is felt: then we begin to ask, Why this affliction? God, in answer to the inquiry, lets us see the evil of our own hearts, which we did not suspect: he discovers the sinfulness of unsanctified tempers and selfish passions, which we too readily indulged he brings us to the temper of David when he said, "Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults?" But are secret faults your burden? And is cleansing from them your desire and pursuit? Then do not repine at those dispensations which discover them to you: rather, bless God for your

severest trials, and number them among your choicest mercies.

Another design of affliction is to prevent sin.What was said to Abimelech may apply with truth to many: "I withheld thee from sinning against me." Some providential restraint is fixed: adversity prescribes bounds which it is not easy to pass; and is there not mercy in such prevention? The prophet speaks of God as "hedging up a man's way with thorns," surrounding him with embarrassments: and if this is not enough, he "makes a wall," raises insuperable difficulties, so that the transgressor can proceed no farther. It is by affliction that this is done, and the obstruction is merciful and kind. The man is stopped in his course of sin: he is brought to serious and solemn reflection: his drowsy conscience is awakened; his fears are alarmed; he escapes impending danger, and flees for refuge to the hope set before him in the Gospel. The Most High not unfrequently "withdraws a man from his purpose, that he may keep back his soul from the pit ;" and this may have been the experience of some of us. In adversity we have asked, "Wherefore doth the Lord contend?" But the reason is more than probable it has been by a lesser evil to prevent a greater. We have suffered that we might not sin, and by sin dishonour God and destroy the soul. "We have been chastened of the Lord, that we might not be condemned with the world."

Affliction also serves as a test of principles: it tries their worth; detecting the fallacy of false principles, but endearing to the heart such as are of sterling value.-Men of a speculative mind, and who, either from education or from social connexions, have been placed in circumstances unfriendly to their

acquaintance with evangelical truth, are often partial to defective and erroneous views of Christianity. While in health, these views appear plausible, and no deficiency is suspected; but adversity proves them. When the hand of the Almighty oppresses, support is wanted, even that support which truth alone can afford. In the prospect of death, especially, many an error has been exposed, many a vain imagination has been cast down; the soul has inquired with eagerness, "What is truth?" and has fixed with decided preference on the most simple and humbling discoveries of the glorious Gospel. The great question with us, as rational and immortal creatures, ought to be, not what is most flattering to our feelings in health and ease, but what will stand by us in the day of affliction, and succour us in the hour of death: and the chastisements we suffer may be sent for this very purpose, to awaken the important inquiry. Happy the man who in adversity can say " My principles are tried, and I feel their worth: they are a rock on which I can repose with confidence, and wait with resignation." "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation." "I know in whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."

Affliction is also designed to promote holiness.-It is trial by fire, in order to refinement: it is pruning, in order to growth: it is necessary correction, in order to spiritual improvement. "By this," says one of the prophets, "shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin:" and again, referring to trials, "By these things do men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit." And can a result so holy and so happy be regretted?

In the words of an amiable writer; " It is among the mercies of God, that he strengthens the virtues of his servants by hardening them under the cold and bracing climate of adversity, instead of leaving them to languish under the shining but withering sun of unclouded prosperity. And when they cannot (or rather will not) be attracted to him by gentler influence, he sends these salutary storms and tempests, which purify while they alarm." Do we search, then, into the reason of Divine correction? It appears in its effects. "No chastening for the present scemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them who are exercised thereby." The Lord afflicts" for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness;" or, to vary the expression, that we may be "in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live."

"Father, I bless thy gentle hand;

How kind was thy chastising rod—”

And if kind, why not welcome?

May God, our heavenly Father, not only make us willing to bear correction, but secure to us the end which he means it to produce! May we not only inquire why he corrects, but enjoy the salutary result!

It may likewise be the design of affliction to advance our usefulness.—But how is this? Has it not an opposite tendency? By restricting the means, and impairing the capacity of service, does not adversity check and diminish our usefulness? In some respects it may be so, but not in others. The sweetest Psalms of David were composed in affliction, and the most valuable Epistles of Paul. were written when in bonds. Such men as Bunyan, Baxter, and Watts might have preached more had

they not been afflicted, but they would have written less; and in this case it may seriously be questioned whether they would not have been much less useful. Their exertions would have been confined to the day in which they lived: succeeding ages would not have been benefited: we could not have been enlightened and edified by their pious productions.

Besides, it is not for us to determine in what way we shall be useful. Active service pleases us; but it may not be most beneficial either to ourselves or to those about us. The Lord may restrain and correct us, in order to our improvement in spirituality of temper, in patience, meekness, and humbleness of mind; and in order that, thus evincing the benefit of his discipline by the exercise of silent virtues, we may demonstrate the power of his grace, and shew forth his glory. Winter is less agreeable to our feelings than the milder months of summer; but winter is the repose of nature: it is necessary to the fertility of spring, and to the bounty of autumn. In like manner, the adversity of a Christian is in itself painful, but frequently is attended with most salutary effects. We are ready to think, and even to excuse our impatience by saying, that if our affliction did not disqualify us from being useful to our families, and active in the service of God, we could more cheerfully bear it: let us rather be assured that it does not disqualify us for the duty which is most needed, and to which God calls us by the very disqualification.

We close the subject with a serious inquiryWhat know you of converse with God, and how is the privilege improved?

When you bow your knees, conscious of guilt, and