543 / 674
,
AtSC.
Ta.]
NO
PAIN
AMONG
THE BLESSED.
$2s
4.
Pain
in the
flesh
may sometimes be
sent
by
the
hand of
God, to teach
us
"
to wean
ourselves
by
de-
grees
from this body, which
we
love
too
well
;
this body,
which has all the springs
of
pain
in
it."
How
little
should
we
be
fond
of
this
flesh
and blood in the
present
feeble state,
wherein
we
are continually
liable to one ma-
lady or
another;
to
the
head
-ache
or
the
heart
-ache, to
wounds
or
bruises,
and uneasy sensations
of
various
kinds
?
Nor.
can
the
soul secure
itself
from them, while
it
is
so
closely
united
to this
mortal
body. And
yet
we
are
too fond
of our present
dwelling,
though
it
be
but
in
a cottage of
clay,
feeble
and ruinous,
where the winds
.
and
the storms are continually
ready to break
in
and
dis-
tress
us.
A sorry
habitation indeed
for an immortal
spirit, since
sin
has mingled
so
many diseases in
our
constitution,
has
made
so
many avenues for
smart and
anguish
in
our
flesh,
and
we
are capable
of
admitting
pain and agonies
at
every pore.
Pain
is
appointed
to
be
a
sort
of
balance
to
the
"
tempting pleasures
of
life,
and
to
make
us feel
that
perfect happiness
does
not
grow among the
inhabitants
of
flesh
and
blood.
Pain
takes away
the pleasures
of
the
day,
and
the
repose
of
the night,
and makes
life
bitter
in
all
the
returning
seasons.
The God
of
nature
and grace
is
please,by
sending
sickness
and pain,
to
loosen
his
own
children
by degrees
from
their fond attachment
to
this fleshly
tabernacle, and
to
make
us
willing to
depart
at
his
call.
A long
continuance
of
pain,
or
the
frequent repeated
twinges
of
it,
will
"
teach
a
Christian and
incline
him
to
meet death
with courage,
at
the
appointed hour of re-
lease."
This
will
much
abate
the
fierceness
of
the
king
of terrors, when
he
appears
as
a sovereign physician
to
finish every
malady
of
nature, Death
is,
sanctified to
the
holy soul,
and
by the
covenant
of
grace
this curse
of
nature
is
changed
into a
blessing.
The
grave
is
a
safe
retiring
place
from.all
the
attacks of
disease and anguish
:
And
there are
some
incurables here
on
earth,
which
can
find
no perfect relief
but
in
the grave.
Neither
mala-
dies,,
nor
tyrants,
can stretch their terrors
beyond this
life;
and
if
we
can
but
look
upon death
as
a
conquered
enemy,
and
its
sting taken
away
by
the
death'
of
Christ,.
we
shall easily
,ventùre.into
this
last combat, and obtain,