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reason to fear he will look on me in his awful displeasure. I dare not neglect the exercises of devotion which I know are matter of duty, but I cannot come boldly to the throne of grace, and cry,

Abba, Father."

This uncomfortable ftate of mind is much to be lamented. Where is that fenfe of God's love, that truft in the divine mercy, that delight in God, that rejoicing in his falvation, to which we are every where encouraged? Legal terrors prevail, in the room of evangelical tendernefs, in many minds. The heart is full of fear, which fhould be conftrained by love. Devotion borders upon fervility, instead of being the exercife of filial affection. In the room of that reverence and godly fear which the divine word recommends, the poor foul is kept at distance through a spirit of bondage.

Let fuch perfons contemplate the grace of the gofpel, the complete redemption which is in Jefus Chrift, his ability to fave to the uttermoft all that come to God by him, and the free promises of grace and mercy. Jefus faid to his difciples, "Ye fhall know the truth, and the truth fhall make you free." Such perfons would do well to confider, that he who is infinitely great and holy, is alfo infinitely gracious. His mercy triumphs over all the fins and unworthinefs of man. In mercy he de

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lights. His favour is towards them that fear him; he takes pleasure in those that hope in his mercy. It is his will that his poor unworthy children should rejoice in his falvation, while they are deeply humbled for their offences again ft him. The joy of the Lord is their ftrength. Unbelief and defpondency tend to weaken their hands, to deprive them of comfort, and to rob God of the glory due unto his

name.

Sometimes this gloomy ftate of mind is, in fome degree, occafioned by a mifinterpretation of providential difpenfations. You are vifited with perfonal or domeftic afflictions, you fuftain heavy loffes, or you meet with continual disappointments in the concerns of this prefent world. And you conclude from thefe, that inftead of being interested in God's favour, you are marked out as a monument of his difpleasure. But this is not a juft interpretation of God's myfterious difpenfations. In many paffages of his holy word, God affures his children, that his heart is towards them when his afflicting hand is upon them. "Whom the Lord loveth he chafteneth, and fcourgeth every son whom he receiveth. As many as I love I rebuke and chaften." His corrective rod is the rod of love. "My fon, defpife not thou the chaftening of the Lord,

nor

nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. * Have you not read of glorying in tribulation? Do you never reflect on that memorable paffage in the prophecy of Habakkuk? "Although the fig-tree shall not bloffom, neither fhall fruit be in the vine, the labour of the olive fhall fail, and the fields fhall yield no meat, the flock fhall be cut off from the fold, and there fhall be no herd in the ftalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my falvation."

The Lord has feen it meet to lay his chastening hand upon you, and you faint under it. You are filled with fearful apprehenfions of his wrath, and ready to fay, "I am undone; he is come to call my fins to remembrance; his arrows of indignation are shot against me. These are the beginnings of forrow, and what the end will be, I know not."

My

*Mr. James Crefwick, an eminent minifter, a native of Sheffield, in Yorkshire, fuffered joyfully the fpoiling of his goods for the cause of Chrift; he was greatly afflicted in his eyes, and endured much under the tormenting pains of the ftone; all which he bore with exemplary patience. He used frequently to fay, "Lord, I am thine, and thou canst do me no wrong. I had rather have health of foul, in a body full of pain, than health and ease of body, with a diftempered foul,"

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My brother, these are erroneous conclufions, equally difhonourable to God, and distressful to yourself. What you call arrows of indignation may more properly be termed inftances of love. He who is infinite in wisdom as well as boundless in mercy, fees the neceffity of this wholesome difcipline, for the promotion of your best interests. He chaftens you for your profit, to make you partaker of his holiness.

Perhaps you were too much attached to fome created object, as Jonah was exceeding glad because of his gourd. That object is removed, that your heart may be more entirely given to God, and that he may reign there without a rival. A state of uninterrupted prosperity might intoxicate your mind, and lead you to forget your Redeemer, to neglect the affairs of your foul, and the concerns of a future world. Your earthly hopes and flattering prospects are therefore blafted, that you may fet your affections on things above. The stream is dried up, by drinking too deeply of which you might have been furfeited, that you may drink more freely of the fountain of the water of life. These difpenfations, therefore, mysterious as they are, are neverthless dispensations of love. When rightly underflood, they are inftances and proofs of the good-will of him who dwelt in the bufh. When

you

you are tempted to say with the patriarch, in the feafon of defpondency, "All these things are against me," recollect the words of an infpired apostle, "All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpofe." Lift up the hands that hang down, and the feeble knees, and fay,

Then why, my foul, thefe fad complaints?
Still while he frowns, his bowels move;
Still on his heart he bears his faints,

And feels their forrows, and his love.

Permit me farther to obferve, that the children of God are fometimes apt to call in queftion the reality of his special tokens of favour and kindness. When they are indulged with the confolations of his Holy Spirit, they are jealous-left these should be only the delufions of Satan. While men, whose hearts are not right in the fight of God, are too bold and prefuming, the humble followers of the Lamb are prone to err through an excess of timidity. When the Lord is pleased to afford unto

*

his

Mr. Walter Marshall, of Hurfley, in Hampfhire, was much exercifed with troubled thoughts for many years. He fought for peace of confcience by

many