other reasons to teach us how to go through suffering. There is a clear distinction between silence and sullenness. A holy silence is the result of submission to God, confidence in Christ, and that consolation which is derived from Him."-Cecil.

“A sinner has no reason to complain; and a believing sinner-who has God's favour, support, and consolationhas no reason to complain."—John Newton.

6. Precious Promises.

Ps. xxxiv. 19.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all." Is. xlii. 3. "A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth."

"He healeth the broken in heart, and

Ps. cxlvii. 3. bindeth up their wounds.

Is. xl. 29.

'He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength."

John xiv. 18. "I will not leave you comfortless : I will come to you.

Ps. 1. 15. "And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me."

2 Cor. xii. 9. My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness."

"6 'It is not a little remarkable that in the Hebrew there is no special term for promise. That which our version renders "promise" is simply "word"—yes, WORD-no more. God's word is His promise. With men more may be needed, but with one so true, so loving, so powerful, so unchangeable, His word is enough."—A. Bonar.

"Every promise is built upon four pillars, God's Holi

ness, which will not suffer Him to deceive; His Grace or Goodness, which will not suffer Him to forget; His Truth, which will not suffer Him to change; and His Power, which makes Him able to accomplish."

7. Sympathy.

Job xix. 21. "Have pity on me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.' Job vi. 14. "To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend.”

Prov. xvii. 17.

"A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."

Rom xii. 15. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.'

Heb. iv. 15. "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." John xi. 33-35. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping that came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, and said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and Jesus wept."

see.

"O most blessed mourner, with whose tears thy Saviour mingles His own! O sympathy most unparalleled! To each of the two stricken and afflicted ones the Lord addressed the very consolation that was most congenial. To Martha He gave exceeding great and precious assurances, in words such as never man spoke. To Mary He communicated the groanings of His spirit in language more expressive to the heart than any spoken words could be. With Martha Jesus discoursed and reasoned. With Mary Jesus wept. He is a patient hearer if you have anything to say to Him; and He will speak to you as you are able to bear it. .. For the sorrow that seeks vent in words, and desires also to be soothed by

words, there is the Saviour's open ear-there are the Saviour's lips into which grace was poured. For the grief that is dumb and silent, there are the Saviour's tears.” Candlish.

"I do not find, in all God's Bible, anything requiring us to acquiesce in the final destruction of any for whom we have prayed, pleaded, and committed to Him; least of all, our offspring whom he has commanded us to train up for Him. Children are God's heritage.' I do not say He has given us any promise for the obstinately wicked; but when cut off, He only requires us to be still, to hold our peace. I do not think He takes hope from us."-From a consoling letter" of Isabella Graham.

8. Sorrow, when Excessive.

1. When we forget remaining mercies like Jacob. Gen. xxxvii. 35.

2. When we are so absorbed in our own sorrow as to forget that of others.

Phil. ii. 21.

3. When it sours the spirit and excites mourning. Is. xxix. 24.

2 Cor. ii. 7.

4. When it preys upon the health. 5. When it unfits us for our duties. Mark xiv. 38. 6. When we voluntarily excite and stimulate our grief. 2 Sam. xxi. 10.

7. When we become impatient like a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke. Jer. xxxi. 18.

8. When, like Jonah at the withering of his gourd, we become angry, and with whom? Jonah iv. 9.

9. When with the man of Mt. Ephraim we exclaim in the bitterness of our disappointment, "Ye have taken away my gods, and what have I more?" Judges xviii. 24. 10. When ours is "the sorrow of the world, that worketh death." 2 Cor. vii. 10; Prov. xvii. 22.

"Sorrow for the dead is the only sorrow from which we refuse to be divorced. Every other wound we seek to heal; every other affliction to forget: but this wound we consider it a duty to keep open; this affliction we cherish and brood over in solitude."—Irving.

“There is a kind of delight in sorrow," says Seneca. Yes, there is, but it is a subtile form of selfishness, and eats into the heart as doth a canker. Beware of it as you would beware of poison.

XXVIII.

ADVICE TO THE BEREAVED.

Is. xl. I. "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God."

I. The Author of your bereavement is God. dost thou strive against him?'' Job xxxiii. 13.

6 6

'Why

2. Your dearest relatives are not your chief good. The Creator is better than the creature, and God is still Ps. lxxiii. 25.

left to you.

3. However unexpected the death of your relative or friend, you enjoyed their society during every moment allotted by heaven. Job xiv. 5.

4. Whatever be your grief for the death of your children, it might have been still greater from their life.

xvi. II.

2 Sam.

5. God may have taken him from the evil to come. Is. lvii. I, 2.

6. To be human is to be mortal; at some time part, and this time is the best. Ps. xxxi. 15.

you must

7. Perhaps you said of your child as Lamech said of his: "This same shall comfort us." If so, you were

building on the sand. Matt. vii. 26.

8. The hope of resurrection still remains.

(a) The

same body shall be restored. Job xix. 27. (6) You will

recognize it again. 1 Thess. ii. 19. (c) You will meet, never more to part. Rev. xxi. 1; iii. 12.

9. It is as easy for God to revive, as to extinguish, our comforts. Ps. xviii. 28.

10. God can give you something better than you have lost. Is. lvi. 5.

11. By indulging excessive grief you give advantage to the adversary and dishonour God. Ps. lxxiii. 13-15; Ps. xlii. 3.

12. You have not seen the end of your affliction as yet, so as to understand all its merciful designs. Ps. cxix. 67, 71.

Such are some of the "considerations" of the excellent Flavel, which have been tested too long and too often to leave any doubt as to their value.

The simple difference between the believer and the unbeliever, in times of trial, is just this: The unbeliever, judging of the character of God by the trying dispensation, does not look beyond the circle of his own selfishness. He judges of the surgeon by the knife and saw and cautery, and the present suffering that they occasion, rather than by the real design and future gain of such a torture. The believer, on the other hand, judges of his trials by the character of God-of the nature of the operation by the character of the surgeon. This calamity, he says, is no accident-no chance-no fate-it is the Finger of God. When asked whether he sees the reason of his heavy trial, he says with Dr. Payson: "No! but, assured that it is God's will, I am just as well satisfied as if I had ten thousand reasons."

Premature interment is feared by many, and it is important to know the positive signs of death. The principal points are: