tience, would be an abase of terms. Mortifications of this kind, however severe, are to be regarded as awful but gracious warnings ;—as calls to reflection and repentance. They demand, not only patience and resignation, from those to whom they occur, but fervent, gratitude to that merciful Providence, which has not suffered them to proceed without any check or interruption in the path of iniquity, but has given them timely notice of the danger that awaited them.

Before any person ventures to assert, or to imagine, that he experiences any trial of his faith and obedience, in any degree parallel or similar to that, to which Abraham was exposed, let him first satisfy himself, that he is really the innocent and undeserving object of suffering and hardship;— that he is not paying the natural penalty of his sins and follies;—that he has no ambition, no avarice, no vanity or presumption, no inordinate love of pleasure, no levity or frivolity, that needs to be repressed or subdued. If a man be unable thus to assure himself of his own integrity; whatever sacrifice may be demanded of him, even though it should be the will of his Maker to " take

away the desire of his eyes with a stroke;"a let him cheerfully as well as humbly submit to the infliction; convinced that this temporal evil is designed in mercy, to rescue him from eternal and more intolerable misery.

Lastly; you cannot but notice the high approbation and assignment of reward, which followed the completion of Abraham's obedience. It is observable, however, that, though the prophetic assurance, pronounced by the Almighty on this occasion, contained a promise, not only of a most numerous and flourishing posterity, but of the Messiah, to be descended from Abraham, in whom all nations should be blessed; yet was it altogether, as regarding Abraham himself, of a temporal nature, and related exclusively to this present world; whereas, to every true and persevering follower of Christ, who shall have fought with constancy the good fight of faith, is promised a spiritual and everlasting reward ;—a crown of glory that fadeth not away ;—" a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."* How should the

contemplation of this promise prepare us for every trial, by which the wisdom and goodness of our heavenly Father may judge it expedient to prove us! How strongly should it remind us of all that was endured, for our sakes, by Him, whose blood alone has procured for us a title to this eternal inheritance! May such be truly its impression upon our minds: that, whether our lot in this life be for good or for evil, we may be able at all times to say, with the venerable Eli, "it is the Lord; let him do what seemeth him good !""

"1 Sam. iii. 18.

SERMON XII.

ON DIVINE JUDGMENTS.

John Ix. 2, 3.

His disciples asked him, saying, 'Master! who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind V Jesus answered; 'neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but, that the works of God should be made manifest in him.'

It must be obvious to every one,. who is not a stranger to the history of mankind, how generally a disposition has prevailed in all ages and countries, to represent the adverse incidents, which befall particular persons, as judgments, or punishments for their sins. A disposition like this is doubly in fault: for, first, it intrenches upon charity; and, secondly, it confines the dispensations of Divine Justice and Providence to the transactions of this present world. Such a conception, amongst the Jews, was more pardonable, at least, than in any other people. As a nation, they were placed under distinct and very remarkable circumstances: and, during the whole course of their history, we find them not only peculiarly visited with temporal chastisements, but directly instructed to regard their sufferings as consequent upon their offences.

Yet, even with them, an indiscriminate application of this principle to the ordinary occurrences of private life must have been rash and hazardous. Our Lord himself, adverting to the case of those Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices, strenuously protests against such an abuse of it. "Think ye," says he, "that these men were sinners above all the Galileans?" And again, in reference to "those eighteen men, on whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them:" "Think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt at Jerusalem t""

What indeed would be the state of society, in any age or country, if every man's successes or

■ Luke xiii. 2. 4.