send forth the most fragrant odours the more they are beaten, so do the graces of the believer prove the sweetest when they are bruised by the pressure of heavy afflictions. Contemplate Joseph in prison, Daniel in the lions' den, Paul in the lion's mouth, and Stephen sinking beneath the stones of his savage persecutors, and how brightly do their submission, faith, constancy, and charity shine! Enough has

been said to show that the beneficial results of affliction may well move believers to a patient endurance thereof.

4. Many other motives I might have adduced, but I will mention only one more. The example of our divine Master may well move the believer to the endurance of afflictions. In this as in every other particular He is our pattern, and as He walked so ought we. So great were His afflictions that He might with truth have said, "Look, and see if ever sorrow were like unto My sorrow." Not only had He to endure hunger and thirst, toil and weariness, want and privation, but He was exposed to the cruel contradiction of those whom He sought to save, the insults of the scribes, the taunts of the scornful, the brutality of the soldiery, the pangs of crucifixion, above all, the weight of the sins of the whole world, and the heavy displeasure of the Father thereat. And yet how admirable was His endurance! No murmurs escaped from his lips. Even in Gethsemane, when “ He began to be sore amazed, exceeding sorrowful, even unto death," He did but pray, "If it be possible, let this cup pass from Me." Even on the cross, instead of cursing His persecutors, He prayed for them,

saying, "Father, forgive them; they know not what they do." Instead of falling from a withdrawing God, He confidently trusted in Him, saying, "Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit. O admirable endurance! how ought it to move all who are looking unto Him to do as He did!

Are you, my readers, at ease in Zion? Think not that all is necessarily well with you because this is the case. The exemption from afflictions ought rather to put you on inquiring how it fares with your souls. If you are children, would the wisest of parents allow you to be exempt from that chastening of which all children partake? He that spareth the rod is said to hate his child. Can it be that your ease is a token that the Lord's thoughts towards you are not thoughts of peace? Surely the very supposition of this will give rise to great searchings of heart, and move you to give all diligence to make your calling and election sure. Better is it to suffer affliction with the children of God, than to be miserable for ever in hell with the children of the world.

Art thou afflicted, my beloved brother or sister? Care not for it if only thou art in Christ, for then the chastening rod shall bring healing to thy soul. Be it thy care to see that the end of the visitation is answered; and seek by submission, and a childlike trust in Him who smites thee, to glorify God in the fires. And remember for thy comfort, that thy Christian endurance shall not be in vain in the Lord; for it is written, "Our light afflictions, which are but for a moment, do work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."

73

THE WAY TO PERFECT PEACE.

ISAIAH xxvi. 3.

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee; because he trusteth in Thee."

M

AN, in his Adam state, is a stranger to peace; for the Psalmist says of all natural men, "The way of peace they have not known." Amongst themselves they are not at peace; for all seek their own, and this innate selfishness renders them somewhat like Ishmael's posterity, of whom it was predicted that their “hand should be against every man, and every man's hand against them." From whence arise wars and fightings amongst nations, and strifes and contentions amongst individuals? Most commonly from selfishness,-from a desire to enrich or aggrandize themselves at the expense of others. And though the gospel publishes peace on earth, good-will towards men, yet it has often given rise to very opposite feelings in the breasts of natural men, and has even led them cruelly to maltreat and persecute the servants of God.

With God they have no peace; for He is "of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look upon iniquity." He is therefore said to be "angry with the wicked every day;" and we are assured that if the wicked turn not He will whet his sword, yea, that "He hath already bent his bow, and made it ready.”

Look, in fact, from the beginning of the creation until the present time, and you may satisfy yourselves that the wicked are treated by God as enemies. Had Cain peace who slew his brother? No; the curse of God was upon him, and made him a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth. Had mankind peace in the day when all flesh had corrupted itself upon the earth? No; though God was longsuffering, though He long delayed to smite, yet at length the windows of heaven opened at his word; the fountains of the great deep were broken up; and with the exception of eight persons who found favour in the sight of God, the whole of that generation perished. Since that time God has given many signal proofs of His displeasure at sin; proofs which like beacons are recorded in God's word, that men may stand in awe and sin not.

Even in their own souls wicked men have no real peace; they may enjoy a spurious peace, a peace which is the offspring of ignorance, indifference, or delusion; and indeed they are represented as saying, "I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst;" but they have no real, no abiding peace. If conscience awakes, and death approaches, “their souls are as the troubled sea, that cannot rest;" "they howl upon their beds ;" and not unfrequently are at their wits' end.

What a contrast is there in this respect between the righteous and the wicked! Of the latter it is said, "There is no peace to the wicked;" of the former, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is

stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee." Let us consider, first of all, the blessing promised.

That blessing is peace, perfect peace; for it is written, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee."

The peace which is here promised is not, I conceive, peace with our fellow-men; that is a desirable blessing, for "it is a good and pleasant thing for brethren to dwell together in unity ;" and it is a blessing which has been made the subject of promise; for it is written again, "When a man's ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him." But though a desirable blessing, and in some sort promised, it is not always attainable. The apostle seems to intimate as much when he says, "If it be possible, as far as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." That those who seek peace are the most likely to ensue it is clear, but some men are so unreasonable that no sacrifices will insure peace with them; and hence David says, “I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war." are two divisions of the Christ and the seed of the evil one-there will not be peace; for God has said, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed ;" and as He has said, so will it be.

Indeed, so long as there human race-the seed of

Amongst the followers of Christ, however, there should be peace, for He has said, "By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye love one another." And God promises such peace, for the Psalmist not only says of Zion, "He hath blessed the children within thee," but adds, "He maketh