DISC. Ix.] t70 PAIN AMONG 'PILE BLESSED, X14 Ps. cxvi. 3, 4. " The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell, or the grave, took hold of me ; then called I upon the name of the Lord ; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. And when he found a gracious answer to his request, he acknowledges the grace of God therein, and charges his soul to dwell near to God ; " return to thy rest, O my soul, for the Lord bath dealt bountifullywith thee; I was brought low, and he helped me, he delivered my soul from death, and my eyes from tears ;" verses 6 -8. But we have stronger encouragement than David was acquainted with, since it is revealed to us, that we have a High-priest at this throne ready to bespeak all necessary relief for us there; Heb. ii. 18. " A High- priest who can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities," who has ,sustained- the same sorrows and pains in the flesh, who can pity and relieve his people under their maladies and acutest anguish ; Heb. iv. 15. When we groan and sigh under continùed pains, they are ready to make na- ture weary and faint : We groan unto the Lord, who knows thelanguage of our frailty : Our High-priest car- ries every groan to the mercy-seat : H,is compassion works towards his brethren, and he will suffer them to continue no longer under this discipline, than is neces- sary for their own best improvement and happiness. O how much of this sort of consolation has many christian learned and tasted, by a holy intercourse with heaven, in such painful seasons ? How much has he learned of the tender mercies of God the Father, and Of the pity and sympathy of our great High-priest above ? Who would be content to live in such a painful world as this is, without the pleasure and reliefof prayer ? Who would live without an interest at this Mercy-seat, and without the supporting friendship of this advocate at the throne,? Thus I have run over the chief lessonsof instruction or doctrine, which may be derived from our sensations of pain here in this world : But there is no need of this sore ofdiscipline in the blessed regions of heaven to teach the inhabitants such truths. They will remember what feeble helpless creatures theywere, when they dwelt in flesh and blood ; but-they have put off those fleshlygarments of mortality, with 2 L3
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