patiently, and submitting willingly to the Lord's disposal.

It is as easy with the Lord to revive, as it is to remove your comforts in relations. There is a sweet expression to this purpose in Psalm xviii. 28 :-" For thou, Lord, wilt light my candle; the Lord my God will enlighten my dark

ness."

Every comfortable enjoyment, whether it be in relations, estate, health, or friends, is a candle lighted by Providence for our comforts in this world; and it is but a candle, which will not always last; and those enjoyments that last longest will be consumed and wasted at last. But oftentimes it falls out with them as with candles, they are blown out before they are half consumed; yea, almost as soon as lighted up; and then we are in darkness for the present.

It is a dark hour with us when these comforts are put out; but David's faith did comfort him, and ours may comfort us with this, that he who blew out the candle can light up another. "Thou, Lord, wilt light my candle; the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness;" that is, the Lord will renew my comforts, alter the present sad state I am in, and

chase away that trouble and darkness which at present lies upon me. "Only beware of offending him, at whose beck your lights and comforts come and go. Michal displeased the Lord, and therefore had no child unto the day of her death, 2 Sam, vi. 23. Hannah waited

humbly upon the Lord for the blessing of children, and the Lord remembered her. He enlightened her condition with that comfort, when she was a lamp despised. There is no comfort you have lost which God cannot restore, yea double it in kind, if he sees it convenient for you.

13. Consider, though God should deny you any more comforts of this kind, yet he hath far better to bestow upon you, such es these deserve not to be named with.

You have an excellent Scripture to this purpose in Isa. lvi. 4, 5; “For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; even to them will I give in my house, and within my walls, a place and a name better than of sons and daughters: I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut of." Men's names are to be continued in their issue,

G

in their male issue especially, and consequently to fail in such as wanted issue, Numb. xxvii. 4. And a numerous issue is deemed no small honour, Psalm cxxvii. 4, 5. God therefore promised here to supply and make good the want of issue, and whatsoever honour here or memorial hereafter, might have accrued to them from it, by bestowing upon them matter of far greater honour, and more durable; a name better or before the name of sons or daughters. It is a greater honour to be the child of God, than to have the greatest honour or comfort that ever children afforded their parents in this world.

Poor heart, thou art now dejected by this affliction that lies upon thee, as if all joy and comforts were now cut off from thee in this world. A cloud dwells upon all other comforts. This affliction has so imbittered thy soul, that thou tastest no more in any other earthly comforts than in the white of an egg. Ŏ that thou didst but consider the consolations that are with God for such as answer his ends in affliction, and patiently wait on him for their comfort! He has comforts for you far transcending the joy of children. This some have found when their chil

dren have been cut off from them, and that in so eminent a degree, that they have little valued their comfort in children, in comparison with this comfort. I will therefore set down a pregnant instance of the point in hand, as I find it recorded by the grave and worthy author of that excellent book, entitled, The Fulfilling of the Scriptures.-" One Patrick Mackewrath lived in the west part of Scotland, whose heart in a remarkable way the Lord touched, and who after his conversion, as he shewed to many Christian friends, was in such a frame, so affected with a new world wherein he was entered, the discoveries of God, and of a life to come, that for some months together he did seldom sleep, but was still taken up in wondering. His life was very remarkable for tenderness and near converse with God in his walk, and, which was worthy to be noted, one day, after a sharp trial, having his only son suddenly taken away by death, he retired alone for several hours, and when he came forth, did look so cheerful, that to those who asked him the reason thereof, and wondered at the same in such a time, he told them, that he had got that in his retirement with the Lord, that to have it after

wards renewed, he would be content to lose a son every day." O, what a sweet exchange had he made! Surely he had gold for brass, a pearl for a peeble, a treasure for a trifle; for so great, yea, and far greater is the disproportion betwixt the sweet light of God's countenance, and the faint dim light of the best creatureenjoyment.

Would it please the Lord to make this sun arise and shine upon you now, when the stars that shone with a dim and borrowed light are gone down, you would see such gain by the exchange, as would quickly make you cast in your votes with him we now mentioned, and say, Lord, let every day be such as this funeral day; let all my hours be as this, so that I may see and taste what I now do. How gladly would I part with the dearest and nearest creature-comforts I own in this world! The gracious and tender Lord has his divine cordials reserved on purpose for such sad hours. These are sometimes given before some sharp trial, to prepare us for it, and sometimes after, to support us under it.

I have often heard it from the mouth, and found it in the diary of a sweet Christian now with God, that a little before