blessed God? for they clearly imply that faithful souls may repose an entire confidence in his power, protection, and government; and that pavilioned under the shelter of his wings, every sorrow will be dissipated, every fear will be chased away? Yes, well might the true servant of Christ declare, "Christ remembered must be productive of solid comfort to mourning souls."

And this divine friend, consoler, and guardian, descended from the throne of his glory, and in great humility was made flesh, and dwelt with us, and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. "In this flesh he suffered, how much we cannot tell, but never sorrow was like unto his sorrow. "The spirit trembled and the body died."—(WATSON.) Turn we to sad Gethsemane; let our thoughts dwell on that awful and mysterious agony the blessed Redeemer endured for us, and on that bitter and angry cup, "full mixed and red from God's right-hand," presented to his holy lips, of which he drank the very dregs that the cup of blessing might be ours!

Surely, when we meditate upon these sufferings and the self-devotion of our blessed Lord, we must regard our afflictions even as particular honours which God confers on us, in order that we may prove our sincerity and love, by enabling us to walk in the steps of our Redeemer, and by them to be conformed to him through whom alone we receive pardon, protection, and salvation from a reconciled God. Doubtless a day will arrive when every mourner shall satisfactorily learn that it is with supreme wisdom that Jesus Christ has called us to affliction, and has joined the cross to the profession of true Christianity. That our possession of principles which entitle us to the name of Christian does not exempt us fromtrouble, experience abundantly proves, as well as our Bible instructs us; neither does it reverse our natural sensations : this were to make us stoics, not Christians. It would be to defeat the design of Providence, which is not to change the nature of affliction, but to make affliction change us by its sanctifying operations; hence it must be felt, and felt keenly. We must all feel that we need

to be mortified to the world and to sin, our hearts must be detached from creatures. Sometimes the very fibres of our nature must be torn asunder; our roots, which have struck deep into the earth, must be plucked up. Perhaps the desire of our eyes must be taken away with a stroke. We need to be driven away from the cisterns to the fountain, by having them torn and dashed to pieces. We are reminded by these visitations where our help is laid, and from whence we may derive it in moments of bodily or mental anguish.

Prostrated by weakness, let us fall, like the beloved disciple, at his feet who is the first and the last, that he may raise us up and put strength in us. We here find every thing that can inspire confidence, unlimited confidence. Encouraging and joyful are the words of our blessed Lord, "I am the way,”—the way to the Father,-to conscious fellowship, -sanctifying transforming intercourse,—assurances of paternal love,-to heaven itself.

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Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." And why? Because he cannot slay me in anger; even that stroke must be love.

This entire reliance is as necessary to our peace as it is well-grounded. We are commanded to look unto Jesus; to run our appointed course with this blessed vision before us. Oh! on that glorious sight may rest the eye of our faith, till faith is absorbed in the glorious reality of our Lord himself. Let us cast all our care upon him who careth for us. Let us earnestly pray for that holy, unruffled serenity amidst vicissitudes which is derived from affiance in our God and Saviour. Then shall our minds, firm and unmoved, resemble the inhabitants of a peaceful island in the midst of a tumultuous sea. O let us ever aspire to this tranquillity. Let us cultivate an unsolicitous disburdened state of mind respecting events and their issues. Let the tablet of the future receive no impression from our wishes or anxieties, but be resigned up entirely to the hand of God. Let us not shape occurrences for the future, nor anticipate them in any preconceived forms; but abandonding so unprofitable and prohibited a toil, apply ourselves wholly to our daily allotted task.-LEIFCHILD'S DISCOURSES.

Beautifully has it been observed by a pious servant of Christ, "There is in life much to be done, much to be learnt, and much to be suffered: we should live in time in reference to eternity."-(ADAM CLARKE.) This one thought is sufficient to make us bow with submission to the trials, troubles, and bereavements which are inseparable to our earthly pilgrimage. We have here no continuing city; but we seek one, even a heavenly. There are few but must have felt that bereavement tends to detach the thoughts and affections from the world, and to concentrate them on things eternal; on that sinless and unsuffering world our departed friends have entered!

"What says this transportion of our friends? It bids us love the place where now they dwell, And scorn this wretched spot they leave so poor."

It is readily granted, that there are moments when sorrow seems to overwhelm the spirit our only remedy or alleviation is to "cast our care upon the Lord.” . The delusions of time flee before the might of that