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of God, the renovation of our inward man, the glory and felicity of heaven-The latter of these are the objects towards which the Christian turns his principal attention-Not that he neglects the concerns of this world; this would be absurd and criminal-But his great end and aim is to obtain an inheritance beyond the grave-Even while he is most actively employed in secular concerns, he looks through them all to this grand object, and labours incessantly to secure it—]

To this he is led by the transitoriness of earthly things

[The things of this world perish with the using-If they be not withdrawn from us, we must soon be taken away from them-Nor will so much as one of them remain to be enjoyed in the future world-But spiritual things remain for ever—If we secure the love of God now, it shall abide with us to all eternity-An interest in the Redeemer's merits, and a title to all the glory of heaven shall never be taken away from us— Death, so far from terminating our enjoyments, will bring us to the full possession of that glory, of which our present foretastes are an earnest and pledge-The Christian, seeing the infinite disparity between these things, determines to make invisible things the supreme objects of his regard, and comparatively disregards all that can be offered to the eye of sense-1

In this pursuit he is aided by his afflictions, as will appear, if we consider

II. The effects of his troubles

The Christian has troubles as well as others

[The very conduct he observes with respect to temporal things has a tendency to involve him in trouble-The world cannot endure to see their idols so disregarded, and their conduct so reproached-One would have supposed from the account given us of his sufferings, that Paul must have been the vilest miscreant that ever lived"-But the more we resemble him in holiness, the more shall we resemble him in sufferings also-Our enemies indeed will not professedly persecute us for our holiness-They will assign some specious reason-Elijah shall be called "the troubler of Israel;" Paul "The man who turns the world upside down;" and Christ shall be punished as a blasphemer and an enemy to civil governmentBut the same reason obtains with respect to all, The world cannot endure the light of their example-]

a This seems to be the import of cxovrav.
b2 Cor. xi. 23-27.

© John. xv. 19.

These troubles however shall work for his good

[They are not in themselves joyous, but grievous"-But they tend to refine his soul, and to fit him for glory-Yea, inasmuch as these sufferings constitute a part of the obedience required of him, they bring with them a correspondent reward" In this view they are mentioned in the text as highly beneficial-They work for the faithful Christian a reward of glory; "a weight of glory" as great as his soul is able to sustain, and as durable as eternity itself-In comparison of this, the apostle calls his troubles light and momentary, yea, not only light, but lightness itself—And intimates, that, if hyperbole were heaped upon hyperbole, it would be impossible for language to express, or for imagination to conceive the greatness of that glory which his afflictions wrought for him—]

The preceding subjects being, to appearance, so remote from each other, it will be proper to mark

III. The connexion between them

Afflictions do not necessarily produce this effect

[In too many instances the effect that flows from them is altogether opposite-Instead of purifying the soul, they fill it with impatience, fretfulness, and all manner of malignant passions-And instead of working out a weight of glory for it, they serve only to prepare for it a more aggravated condemnation-"The sorrow of the world," saith the apostle, "worketh death-"]

It is only where the pursuits are spiritual, that sufferings are so eminently beneficial

[If the mind be set upon carnal things, it will be cast down when it is robbed of its enjoyments-It will say, like Micah, "I have lost my gods, and what have I more?"But the soul that affects heavenly things will be comforted with the thought that the objects of its desire are as near as ever-"While it looks at things invisible," it will be quickened in its pursuits of them-It will be made to feel more sensibly the vanity and insignificance of earthly things, and be urged more determinately to seek a kingdom which cannot be moved"-Every fresh trial will make it long more and more for the promised rest-And the storms which menace its existence, will thus eventually waft it with more abundant rapidity towards its desired haven-]

INFER

1. How infatuated are the generality of mankind! [It is but too evident that the generality of the world are

d 2 Tim. ii. 12.

2 Cor. vii. 10.

This is implied in the original.

seeking earthly things, while they who are pressing forward in pursuit of heavenly things are comparatively few in numberWhat a melancholy proof is this of their blindness and folly!— Who is there that, however much he may have gained of this world, has not found it all to be vanity and vexation of spirit? What comfort has any one derived from earthly possessions in an hour of deep affliction?-And what benefit will accrue from them in the eternal world?-Say, thou libertine, thou worldling, or thou false professor, what has the world done for thee? And what hast thou of all that is past, except shame and remorse in the remembrance of it?-Who does not acknowledge the truth of these observations the very instant he begins to have a prospect of the eternal state?-Yet, so infatuated are we, that though every successive age has seen the, folly of such conduct, they have trodden the same delusive path, according to what is written, "This their way is their folly, and yet their posterity approve their saying"-Let us, however, awake from our slumber-Let us not so regard the things that are visible and temporal, as to forget that there are things invisible and eternal-Let us live and act as for eternity-Let us read, and hear, and pray, as for eternity-In this way we shall remove the sting from all present afflictions, and secure 66 an inheritance that fadeth not away"-]

2. How blessed is the true Christian!

[As there is no state, however prosperous, in which an unconverted man is not an object of pity, so there is no state, however afflictive, wherein the Christian may not be considered as a happy man-However severe or long-continued his troubles may be, they appear to him but light and momentary-And however they may be productive of present pain, he has the consolation of knowing that they work for him a weight of glory, which will infinitely overbalance all that he can endure in the body-" Who then, or what, can harm him, while he continues thus a follower of that which is good?"-Surely, even in this present world the Christian has incomparably the best portion-What he will enjoy hereafter, when he shall come to the full possession of his inheritance, itis needless to say-We can have no doubt but that the invisible realities will be found a very sufficient recompense for all his zeal and diligence in the pursuit of them-Let us then keep those realities in view-And the nearer we come to the goal, let us be the more earnest in "running the race that is set before us"-]

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DXLVI. THE VICTOR'S REWARD.

Rev. iii. 21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

THE hope of profit or of honour is that which produces industry among all classes of the community-It prompts the philosopher to consume the midnight oil in study, the merchant to risk his property on the tempestuous ocean; and the soldier to brave the dangers and fatigues of war-The same principle may well be extended also to spiritual concerns, and animate the Christian in the pursuits of religion-His reward is infinitely greater than any which this world can afford, and may therefore justly stimulate him to the most indefatigable exertions The utmost that the labours of man can attain on earth, is, a royal title and a temporal kingdom-But the Christian victor has a crown of glory laid up for him, and a participation of that very kingdom, which is possessed by Christ himself—The Judge of quick and dead pledged himself to bestow this reward on all his faithful followers -His words lead us to consider

I. The Christian's character

Every Christian is by profession a soldier; he has enlisted under the banners of Christ; and fights till he has vanquished all the enemies of his soul

The world is not able to detain him in bondage

[As for the pleasures of the world, they have no charms for any person who knows the value of his own soul-It requires scarcely any more self-denial to renounce them, than for a philosopher to put away the toys of childhood—A regard for its honours is not so easily overcome-The Christian would gladly at first retain his reputation among his former acquaintance; and sometimes perhaps makes undue sacrifices rather than forfeit his good name-But when he finds how impossible it is to be faithful unto God without incurring the censure of the ungodly, he learns at last to bear" the reproach of Christ," and to "rejoice that he is accounted worthy to suffer shame for his sake"-The interests of the world still subject him to many and strong temptations even after that he, has both done and suffered much for Christ-But when he has weighed both the

1

world and his own soul in the balance of the sanctuary, he determines to forego every interest rather than endanger his eternal salvation-Thus he evinces that "he is born of God by overcoming the world"]

The flesh also gradually loses its ascendency over him

[Our inbred corruption is a more powerful enemy than the world, inasmuch as it is nearer to us, and eyer with usBut the Christian maintains a conflict with it-He never is so perfect in this world but that he still carries about with him "a body of sin and death"-"The flesh lusts against the Spirit" to the latest hour of his life-But if any unhallowed appetite arise, he resists it to the uttermost, and will in no wise yield to its solicitations-If a temper, contrary to the will of God, work in his bosom, he will mortify and subdue it-Perhaps in nothing does the flesh get more advantage over him than in spiritual sloth; but he still encounters it daily, and labours more and more to attain a habit of activity and vigilance-Thus "through the Spirit he mortifies the deeds of the body," and "crucifies the flesh with its affections and lusts"-]

Nor can the devil with all his hosts prevail against him

[Satan is yet a greater adversary to the Christian than even flesh and blood-But the good soldier will not turn his back -He "girds on the whole armour of God," and "goes forth in the strength of the Lord God"-Satan, like Pharaoh, (of whom he was the perfect archetype) casts every impediment in his way, and multiplies his thoughts of this world, to divert his attention from a better-When he cannot prevail to keep the Christian from the path of duty, he will endeavour, like that hardened monarch, to limit him in the prosecution of it-When that fails, he will contrive, if possible, to lead him astray, and to fix his attention on controversy, or politics, or something of inferior concern-When that will not succeed, he will labour either to "puff him up with pride, and thus bring him into the condemnation of the devil;" or to cast him . down with despondency, and thus cause him to desist from his purpose-But the Christian repels all his fiery darts, "resists him manfully till he makes him flee," and finally "bruises him under his feet" as a vanquished enemy-This accords with the description given by St. John, "Young men, ye have overcome the wicked one"-]

After having successfully maintained his conflicts the Christian receives

a 1 John iv. 4..

b Rom. viii. 13. Gal. v. 24.

с

Eph. vi. 12.

d Exod. v. 6—9.

e Exod. viii. 25, 28. & x. 11, 24. f 1 John ii. 13.

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