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BLESSING
TO
A
SAINT
IN
TROUBLE.
57T
ever
;
and
so
it
must be
if
my
sins
are
not
pardoned.
But
the
joy of
a
saint
has
sweet
and
comfortable
grounds,
when
he
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.
He
cried
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 has
made
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