537 / 674
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 bountifully
with
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
the
language
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
lessons
of
instruction
or
doctrine,
which may be
derived from
our
sensations
of
pain here
in
this world
:
But
there
is
no
need
of
this
sore
of
discipline
in
the
blessed
regions
of
heaven
to
teach the
inhabitants
such
truths.
They
will
remember what
feeble helpless
creatures
they
were, when they
dwelt in
flesh
and blood
;
but-they
have
put
off those
fleshly
garments
of
mortality,
with
2
L3