likewise a benign propension and good-will to the works of His hands: if He gave them us at first, when once they were not, forming them out of nothing, will He not give us them again, being put into His hand for safety? And as He is powerful, He is no less faithful, a faithful Creator, Truth itself. Those who believe on Him, He never deceives or disappoints. Well might St. Paul say, I know whom I have trusted. Oh, the advantage of faith! It engages the truth and the power of God: His royal word and honour lies upon it, to preserve the soul that Faith gives Him in keeping. If He remain able and faithful to perform His word, that soul shall not perish. There be in the words, other two grounds of quietness of spirit in sufferings. [1.] It is according to the will of God. The believing soul, subjected and levelled to that will, complying with His good pleasure in all, cannot have a more powerful persuasive than this, that all is ordered by His will. This settled in the heart would settle it much, and make it even in all things; not only to know, but wisely and deeply to consider, that it is thus, that all is measured in Heaven, every drachm of thy troubles weighed by that skilful Hand, which doth all things by weight, number, and measure. And then, consider Him, as thy God and Father, who hath taken special charge of thee, and of thy soul: thou hast given it to Him, and He hath received it. And, upon this consideration, study to follow His will in all, to have no will but His. This is thy duty, and thy wisdom. Nothing is gained by spurning and struggling, but to hurt and vex thyself; but by complying, all is gained -sweet peace. It is the very secret, the mystery of solid peace within, to resign all to His will, to be disposed of at His pleasure, without the least contrary thought. And thus, like two-faced pictures, those sufferings and troubles, and whatsoever else, while beheld on the one side as painful to the flesh, hath an unpleasant visage, yet go about a little, and look upon it as thy Father's will, and then it is smiling, beautiful, and lovely. This I would recommend to you, not only for temporals, as easier there, but in spiritual things, your comforts and sensible enlargements, to love all that He does. It is the sum of Christianity, to have thy will crucified, and the will of thy Lord thy only desire. Whether joy or sorrow, sickness or health, life or death, in all, in all, Thy will be done. The other ground of quietness is contained in the first word, which looks back on the foregoing discourse, Wherefore-what? Seeing that your reproachings and sufferings are not endless, yea, that they are short, they shall end, quickly end, and end in glory, be not troubled about them, overlook them. The eye of faith will do it. A moment gone, and what are they? This is the great cause of our disquietness in present troubles and griefs; we forget their end. We are affected by our condition in this present life, as if it were all, and it is nothing. Oh, how quickly shall all the enjoyments, and all the sufferings of this life pass away, and be as if they had not been! ARCHBISHOP LEIGHTON. DESPONDENCY CORRECTED. ONE adequate support For the calamities of mortal life * 'Tis, by comparison, an easy task Earth to despise; but to converse with HeavenThis is not easy to relinquish all We have, or hope, of happiness and joy, And stand in freedom loosen'd from this world, -Man is of dust: ethereal hopes are his, Sorrow proceeds, which else were not;—at least, Through this 't is able to maintain its hold, No natural branch; despondency far less. And, if there be whose tender frames have droop'd Even to the dust; apparently, through weight To realize the vision, with intense And over-constant yearning-there, there lies I, speaking now from such disorder free, But, above all, the victory is most sure Of conscience; conscience reverenced and obey'd, Ere disencumber'd of her mortal chains, WORDSWORTH |