536 / 674
5.111
NO
PAIN
AMONG
THE BLESSED.
[Disc.
Jfi
suading
themselves
there
was
no evil
in
it;
as
though the
mere misnaming
of
things would destroy
their nature
:
But
the christian,
by
a
sweet submission to the
evil
which
his
heavenly
Father
inflicts
upon
his flesh,
reposes
himself
at
the
foot
of God
on the covenant
of
grace, and
bears
the wounds
and
the
smart
with
much more serenity
and honour.
" It
is
my
heavenly
Father that
scourges
me,
and
I
know
he designs me no
hurt, though
he
fills
nay
flesh
with present
pain
:
His
own
presence, and the
sense
of
his love,
soften
the anguish
of
all
that
I
feel
He
bids me
not
yield
to
fear,
for when
I
pass
through
the
fires he will be
with
me;
and
he
that
lóved
me,
and
died for
me,
has
suffered
great
sorrows and more anguish
on
my
account, than what
he calls
me
to
bear under
the
strokes
of
his wise
and
holy
discipline
;
He
has left
his
word
with me as
an universal medicine to relieve
me un-
der
all
my
anguish, till
he
shall
bring
me
to
those
man-
sions
on
high, where sorrows,
and pains are
fóund
no
more."
6.
Anguish
and pain
of
nature
here
on
earth
teach us
"
the excellency and
use
of
the
mercy
-seat
in heaven,
and
the
admirable
privilege
of
prayer." Even the
sons
of
mere
nature
are
ready to think
of God
at
such
a
sea-
son
;
and they
i
ho
never prayed
before,
"
pour out
a
prayer before
him when his
chastening
is
upon
them
;"
Ls.
xxvi. 16. An
hour of
twinging and
tormenting
pain,
.
when
creatures
and medicines can
give
no relief,
drives
them to the
throne
of
God
to
try
whether
he
will
relieve
them
or
no.
But
much more delightful
is
it
for
a
child
of
God
that
has 'been
used to
address the throne
of
grace,
to
run thither
with
pleasure and
hope, and to
spread
all his
anguish before the
face
of
his
heavenly
Fa-
ther.
The
blessed
God
has built
this
mercy
-seat
for
his
people
to
bring
all
their
sorrows thither, and spread
them.
before
his eyes
in all
their smarting
circumstances,
and
he
has been often pleased to speak a
word
of
relief.
Our
Lord Jesus
Christ, when
he
dwelt
in
flesh and
blood,
practised
this
part of
religion
with holy satisfac-
tion
and
success.
"
Being
in
an agony
he
prayed more
earnestly,
and
an angel
was
sent
to
strengthen
and com-
fort
him
;"
Luke
xxii. 43, 44.
This
was
the
relief
of
holy
David
in
ancient
times;
Ps.
xxv.
18.
" Look upon
my affliction
and
my.
pain, and pardon
all
my sins.
"
5.