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Pft

%t'.

NO

PATE

AMOWG

THE

InESSFD.

tal

thank God

feelingly,

for an

easy

hour after

long

-

repeated

twinges

of

pain We bless

that

goodness which gives

us

an

easy

night

after

a

day

of

.distressing anguish.

Blessed

be the

God of

nature

and

grace,

that

has

not

made-

the

goút or

the

stone immortal, nor subjected our sensible

powers

to an everlasting

cholic

or tooth-ache.

2.

Pain

in

the

flesh

more effectually teaches us to

sympathize with those

who suffer.

We learn

a

tender-

ness

of

soul

experimentally

by

our-own

sufferings.

We

generally

love

self

so

-well,

that

we

forget our neighbours

under special

tribulation

and distress,

unless

we

are made

to

feel

them

too.

In

a

particular

manner,

when

our na-

ture

is

pinched and pierced

through

with some .smarting

malady,

we

learn to pity those

who lie

groaning

under

the

same disease.

A

kindred

of

sorrows

and

sufferings

works up

our natures

into compassion, and

we

lind

our

own

hearts

more sensibly affected

with

the groans

of

our

friends

under a

sharp

fit

of

the

gout or rheumatism,

when

we

ourselves have

felt the

stings

of

the same dis-

temper.

Our

blessed Saviour himself, though

he wanted

not

compassion

and

love to

the children

of

men, since

he

came down from heaven

on

purpose

to die for them,.

yet

be

is

represented

to

us

as

our

merciful High- priest, who

had

learned

sympathy and compassion to

our

sorrows in

the same

way

of

experience as

we

learn

it.

He

was

en-

compassed

about

with

infirmities,

when

he'took

the sin-

less

frailties

of our nature

upon

him,

that

he

might

learn

to pity

us

under

those frailties.

"

In

that

he

himself bath

suffered being

tempted,

he

is

able to

succour

them

that

are tempted

:

For

we

have

not

a

High-priest-which cane

not

be

touched

with the feeling

of

our

infirmities,

but

was

in all

points tempted like as

we

are, though

he

was

always

without

sin

;

and

by

the things

which be suffered,

he

may

be

said,

after

the

manner

of

amen,

to

learn

sym-

pathy and pain to miserable creatures,

as well as

obedi-

ence

to

God,

who

is.

blessed

for

ever;''' lieb,

ii. 18.

and

chapter

iv. 15.

and

chapter

v.

k,

8.

-2.

Since

our

natures are subject to

pain,

it

should

teach

us

"

watchfulness against every

sin,

lest

we

dou-

ble

our

own

distresses

by

the

mixture of guilt

with them."

Hew

careful should

we

he to

]keep

-

always

a

clear

conscis

ence,

that

we

may

be

able

at

all

times

to look up with

._,