BLESSING TO A SAINT IN TROUBLE. 57T ever ; and so it must be ifmy sins are not pardoned. But the joy of a saint has sweet and comfortable grounds, whenhe can hope God has forgiven' his iniquity and taken away his sin, because Jesus has made atonement for him: but there are other kind ends for which his Father sees fit at present that he should lie under sorrows. The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law ;" but, says he, I can cry, " O death where is-thy sting'?" Now if death, the greatest of temporal afflictions, has no sting in it, where the Lord Jesus Christ has answered for that sin, which is the strength of the law, and whereby death comes, certainly all less afflictions have no sting in them. Thirdly. Pardon of sin is the first and most valuable mercy that a suffering saint desires, for nothing but this can give ease to an awakened conscience tinder afflictions. Sometimes a child of God may, for a considerable sea- son, have a conscience, as it were, stupified: David was so for a long time after his sin, but his afflictions awoke him. Hecried out dreadfully under the sense of sin and sorrow ; and nothing could administer ease but the light of God's countenance, and the pardon of his guilt. Friends are but poor comforters when sin lies heavy to affright and terrify ; our nearest relations are then but empty pleasures, and all the delights of life bitterness. If God withdraws his face, his children can look upon nothing with comfort and pleasure : all things without this cannot give them the least satisfaction or content; for while God is their enemy their souls can never be at peace. It is the pardon of sin under sorrow that -gives the first ease to the mind : the first satisfaction and plea- sure that we can receive, is from a hope that God will not condemn us ; and this is what the Psalmist, after his recovery, blesses God for. Bless the Lord, O illy soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits : Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, &c." Fourthly. A saint desires with the greatest earnest- ness the sense of pardoning mercy under affliction : for we can have no ground to expect the removal of our afflictions themselves, if we have no hope of pardon. It is true, " God hasmade promises, of forgiveness to sin- ners, to every one that will corne ; but he has made no promises of peace to them whom he has not forgiven
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