SERMON XXIV.

COMFORT UNDER AFFLICTION.

PSALM XXV. 18.

Look upon mine affliction, and my pain, and forgive

THESE Words are not the hasty effusions of a person desirous only of ease and indolence, but they are the fervent prayer of an eminent believer, who valued the presence and favour of God above every thing. Whether David laboured under any great bodily pain when he composed this Psalm, or whether he speaks only of the grief and pain of mind he felt, under the afflicting circumstances he was in, is uncertain; nor is it material to inquire. This we know, that he was exercised with a variety of sorrows and sufferings; and in all of them his first refuge, and his principal relief was prayer. It is a common saying, "Suffering times are searching times:" and

Times of affli add another saying to it, that

are times of discovery." Affiction is a fire that tries every man's work, of what sort it is whether it is hay and stubble, or gold and silver, and precious stones. It tries a man's Temper, of what sort it is: whether he is meek and patient, or fretful and passionate. It tries a man's state, of what sort it is: whether he is yet in the gall of bitterness and the bonds of iniquity, or a

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child of God and an heir of glory.-I say, "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh :" you may guess at the situation of the mind by the fruit of the lips. The carnal man (I mean, the man that hath no fear of God, no sense of religion, and no hope but in this life,) if any trouble come upon him-especially if he be in great danger--is presently all confusion and uproar within. A sense of sin upon the conscience raises a storm in the soul ten thousand times more troublesome than any wound in the flesh can be. See him confined to a sick bed; his body wasting, his strength declining: his food doth not nourish him, his physic doth not cure him his feelings bad, and his apprehensions a great deal worse !---Hence he utters nothing but angry, almost blasphemous, speeches: If it had not been for such an one, this would never have happened. Never was any one so plagued as I am. This evil is of the Lord: why should I wait for the Lord any longer? If he will not relieve me, another shall.' And thus, "the evil man, out of the evil treasure of his own heart, bringeth forth evil things; but the good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things." God being pleased with him, he is pleased with every thing. He is thankful that he hath so many friends about him; thankful for every little office of kindness that is done for him; thankful even for the rod that makes him smart, knowing that it is laid on in love; and, conscious that he has done enough to provoke God to lay on much heavier strokes than this, he throws himself on the divine mercy, and prays, "Look upon mine affliction, and my pain, and forgive all my sin."

བསཔ མ

to Two things are here taught us:

I. That a kind look from God is very desirable in affliction.

II. That the sweetest cordial under trouble would be, an assurance of divine forgiveness. nog We are taught then,

I. That a kind look from God is very desirable in affliction.

Look upon mine affliction and my pain." The expression is modest and humble, as becomes one under sharp and just correction. What less could the good man desire, than a kind look, a glimpse of mercy, a ray of light and comfort from his God? We know how much he valued it, from what he says: "There be many that say, Who will show us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased." (Ps. iv. 6.)

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But you ask, • What is included in God's looking upon our affliction?" I answer,

1. It is a look of special observation.

Looking upon an object, is more than to have it before our eyes: it denotes attention, and critical remark. As when Moses looked on the burning bush (Exod. iii. 3:) he "turned aside to see this great sight;" he employed all his thoughts about at So when the children of Israel groaned under their bondage in Egypt, it is said (Exod. ii. 25), that the Lord looked upon the children of Israel, and had respect unto them."And it is a consideratione fall of comfort in the day of adversity, to think that the Lord is looking upon us. He looks to the kind of our sufferings, and adapts his dispensations

to our cases.

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If we have fallen into any particular sin, or neglected any particular duty; if our affections have run out inordinately after the world, or if we have sunk into a criminal languor and listlessness in spiritual things; he suits his rods accordingly so that we often see our sin in our punishment; and the reasons of his proceedings are so obvious, that, though we smart under their severity, we cannot but acknowledge the wisdom, the equity, and even the kindness, of his conduct; and that nothing but this very affliction would have been so likely to rouze and reclaim us.

But, further: God looks not only to the kind of our affliction, but to the degree and duration of it. He sits as a refiner watching the precious metal in the furnace, that the heat be no more than is necessary to purge the dross and take away all the tin; and when that is done, the fire is removed, and the gold taken out: so the Lord looks to his people in the furnace of affliction, and narrowly observes the process, that it doth not press too hard nor lie too long. He knows what is enough, and will lay on no more than the case requires, and what may be overruled for good. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to men: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." (1 Cor. x. 13.) David was well apprised of this, when he prayed,

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Lord, look upon mine affliction and my pain." He doth not pray to have it removed, or mitigated, or shortened; he leaves it to God to judge of these matters: he only wishes to be satisfied that the Lord

looked upon him, and took notice of him; and then he was sure all would be well.

2. It is a look of tender compassion.

The eye and the heart have a near communication one with another in the human frame: "My eye affecteth my heart," said the holy sympathizing prophet (Lam. iii. 51.) So it is when the Lord looks upon his people in their trouble." In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old." (Isai. lxiii. 9.) The truth of this is not to be questioned; but we find it difficult sometimes to reconcile it to our imperfect way of thinking and acting. If we see a person whom we dearly love in extreme misery, we make haste to relieve him, and are impatient till we have accomplished it: and why should not the Lord do so too' (we think,) if his pity and affection be as real and as great as is pretended?? So foolish are we, and ignorant. "His thoughts are not our thoughts."Mercy to the creature must always be in subserviency to the Creator's glory: if, therefore, we are left to struggle with pain and affliction for a while, that the purposes of God may be more gloriously fulfilled, it ought not to lessen our ideas of his compassion. The love of Christ to Lazarus was not the less for letting him languish to death, and lie so many days in the grave (John xi. 40): the mercy was the

sweeter, and more surprising, when it came; and the glory of God was more signally displayed.

3. It is a look of support and assistance.

With God, power and compassion go together; as the prophet tells us: "For the eyes of the Lord run