S1tItMON XXXVIII. 541 believes, and adores, and rejoices. Apollos entertains me with Most affectionate discourses of the grace of Christ and his glory : my faith rises high, my love is kindled to him whom my eyes have not seen; I believe inhim,. I love him, and my joy grows almost unspeakable. I remember the former instructions of Ce- phas, who taught me the first principles of this divine religiorì ; and I take pleasure in those sacred foundations. Blessed be God, they are unshaken, and my faith and hope, which were begun under his ministry, stand for ever firm. Paul, and Apollos, and Cdphas are mine. " It has pleased my heavenly Father indeed, to lay many . sorrows upon me in this wilderness ; but I have learned to think and speak like a christian, and say, Though I appoar as dying, yet behold I live; though I am chastised, yet I am not killed: Every stroke of his rod is given by the hand of his love. His rod, like the rod of Aaron, blossoms with divine blessings, and brings forth holy fruit. These wounds that I feel let out the blood of pride, and cure the distempers of my soul. Thus the very sufferings of nature, and the sorrows of life are mine; I have learned to reckon my afflictions among my blessings; they work for my profit. Whether peace or pain, are all mine. Be- sides, I solace myself in the midst of my poverty and distress with this sweet meditation, that the less I enjoy of temporal com- forts, and the delights of this world, if I improve my sufferings and sorrows well, there is the more joy and glory laid up for me in the world to come. My light afflictions which are but for a moment, are working for me a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory ; 2 Car. iv. 17. Is my life on earth stretched out to a tiresome age ? Heaven will be much the sweeter, and after many toils, I shall have the stronger relish of an eternal rest. Or does death make haste toward me in younger years, and bring my body quickly down to the dust? My soul then is but dismissed the sooner to the building on high that is prepared for me ; for whether life or death, all are mine. When I cast my eyes around, and survey the - present frame of things, the sun in his daily circuit, and the moon and stars in their nightly courses, my faith assures me they are all employed in rolling the months and hours away, thatstand between me and immortalhappiness : And when the morning of the resurrection dawns upon the earth, the gospel tells me, that I have a share in all the rising glories of that day. Should theheavens and the earthbe shortly set on fire, if I have but my faith awake within me, I shall have no fear nor surprize ; I myself, and all my best interests are out of the reach of these flames ; my, treasures are of an unperishing kind. The period of-all things here below shall but usher in my brightest hours, and begin the years of my eter-.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=