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walk with God, we are abundantly assured; and we may discover it in every variety of his circumspect and decorous conduct. We see in David no impatience under disappointment, no fretfulness under unjust treatment, no disrespectful carriage towards his king, even when he was an aggrieved and persecuted By his victory over Goliath he had, according to the tenor of the royal promise, won the king's daughter for his bride, and might have claimed her hand as his rightful reward. But when Saul drew back from his engagement, David said nothing, and when the promise was repeated with a view to seduce him into danger, we admire the modest dignity of his reply: "And David said unto Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?" Nay, when he was again betrothed to his affianced bride, and the grossest indignity was put upon him in the eyes of all the court, and all the people; yet David refained himself, and repressed the feeling that must have been stirring in his bosom, he committed himself to Him that judgeth righteously: he knew who had said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." He spoke no evil of dignities. He had once smitten the Goliath who had defied the armies of the living God; but he hid his own wrongs in the recesses of his own bosom. He was a pattern of humility and meekness, like our divine Master, of whom he was the type: and his example may furnish us with an instructive lesson in any circumstances of injustice that may be done us, or of slight that may be put upon us. David was neither servile in adversity, nor audacious in prosperity, nor disposed to stand upon his personal rights, as if a privilege was never to be abandoned for the sake of peace. His charity was of that divine character that "suffereth long, and is kind;" that "envieth not ;" that "vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil." He trusted in God, my brethren, and he had his reward: he was meek, and it was given to him to inherit the earth. May we all learn to admire and to imitate David's conduct in this respect, that we may be approved of by David's Lord. And when we are tempted to return injustice, and to retaliate wrongs, may we remember there is more dignity in patient endurance, than in angry resentment; that "better is he that ruleth his spirit, than he that taketh a city." when we do well and suffer for it, we take it patiently, this is acceptable unto God; for even hereunto were ye called; because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow his steps; who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; who when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously."

"But if

But I proceed to notice, in conclusion, David's consolations. They were divinely appointed, my brethren, to counteract the disquietude and trials which had occurred to him upon his elevation.

In the first place, God was with David. Now this fact is thrice repeated in the chapter from which I have read. The God who had been David's portion and his song in the tents of Bethlehem, who had delivered him from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, and from Goliath's sword and spear, continued to direct and to support him in the moments of his official dignity; and in the assurance of the divine favour, and the full communion with God,

David found a support and solace in every trial. What though Saul hated him, and became his enemy continually, and sought to kill him; yet God was "the strength of his heart, and his portion for ever." He knew that he had a mighty enemy; but the Lord was mightier still: and the consciousness of the eye that watched over him, and the hand that guarded him, whispered to him sweet peace. The very extremes to which he was at times reduced, and the narrowness of his steps, served to establish David's confidence in his God. He could say, By this I know that thou favourest me, because my enemy doth not triumph over me." And even though his heart was cast down and overwhelmed, he could argue with himself, Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”

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My beloved, are we exposed to animosity and persecution at any time, by reason of our allegiance to heaven? And do we fear that the spiritual enemy is as a ramping and a roaring lion, continually seeking to devour us? Let us look upon the parallel case of David; and if our trials resemble his, O so indeed may our consolations. If Saul was David's enemy, yet the Lord was his friend; and though bad men and devils may be arrayed in opposition, yet if David's "God be for us, who can be against us?" If "the Lord is our light and our shield, whom shall we fear?" If "the Lord is our strength, of whom shall we be afraid?"

But observe; David was blessed moreover with human sympathy and support : and the very same place which held his deadliest enemy, furnished him with a matchless friend. Language contains no such exquisite episode as the mutual love of Jonathan and David; and we may search in vain through all the legends of history, and all the fictions of poetry, for a friendship so pure and disinterested as knit the soul of Jonathan to the son of Jesse. "Saul and Jonathan were lovely, and very pleasant in their lives, and in their deaths they were not divided. I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love was wonderful; passing the love of women." Who does not love to admire and weep for Jonathan? David won the throne of Israel; it was a greater glory to Jonathan to be willing to resign it. We yield our homage to the youthful victor, as he stands, flushed with conquest, in the presence of the king; but it is a higher sentiment which draws our hearts to him who, at such a moment, forgot himself in his admiration of another, and who sees only an argument for love and friendsnip in the deed that eclipsed his humbler fame, ard interposed a mighty barrier between him and his hereditary rights. If history furnishes but one David, it affords also but one Jonathan. Such a character as his almost redeems our species. And we are called to admire the divine consideration which provided David with such a friend, whe more than counterbalanced the enmity of the father by the affection of the son. But, then, while you admire this picture of human friendship, you are not to forget the lesson that it conveys to ourselves. If David, my brethren, was a type of Christ Jesus, so too was Jonathan. And when we read of him divesting himself of the robe, and giving it to David; and these two making a covenant together, we cannot surely overlook that greater love, which not only dresses the believer in the dress of his Lord, but also clothed Immanuel with the weeds of our poor, degraded, suffering humanity. And we shall confess, if we are in

covenant to-day with the Saviour, that his love is a sufficient defence against every foe, and a sufficient consolation in every distress.

We have only to notice further the favour which David secured with Saul's servants, and with all Israel and Judah. The amiability and integrity of his conduct won him golden opinions every where; and even those who might have envied him his successes, and hated him for his favour, were constrained to admire his sterling principle. My brethren, it is a blessed thing when we can exhibit the beauty of holiness, and when our religion is recommended and endeared by our virtue; when we are gentle as well as faithful, and fascinating as well as good; when all men are constrained to confess, that, if our creed appears enthusiastic, yet at least it produces very precious fruits. Practical Christianity will produce us enemies in a bad world; but, my brethren, it will also secure us many friends among the impartial and the good. It may be the means at last of overcoming the hostility which it at first excites. We are to expect enmity; but O let us not provoke it. If our standard of doctrine and of practice separates us from the many, let us see to it that it lifts us far above them; that it affords a pattern as well as a proof; and by making us better subjects and better citizens-better, in short, in every public, and private, and social relation-leave our adversaries without excuse, and convict where it does not convert. We read of David, that "all Israel and Judah loved him," and that his "name was much set by ;" and we read of Jesus, “that he grew in favour with God and man:" and though we know that the former had afterwards many enemies, and that the latter was despised and rejected of men," yet if we are followers of either, we shall endeavour to imitate the graces which procured them respect, as well as those which inflamed opposition and indignity. In a word, my beloved, we shall strive to give a faithful portrait of the religion of Christ, and then we must leave the rest, as far as others are concerned, in the hands of our God. May he bless his own word!

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GREAT GEORGE'S STREET CHAPEL, LIVERPOOL, OCTOBER 19, 1834.

"Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted."-MATTHEW, v. 4.

"IT is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting. Apparently a very rash and inconsiderate speech! a perfect paradox; a contradiction almost in terms. And yet it was the declaration of the wisest man that ever lived, intimately and accurately acquainted with all the states and conditions of human society, and who knew more than almost any other who has left his experience on record for our instruction, what the house of mourning meant. Nor can this be exhibited as the judgment of one who was not ințimately acquainted with the "house of feasting;" who had not tasted of these things. He drank deep of the intoxicating bowl of this world's pleasure; he tried every scene of amusement, and every source of pleasure it contained; but he found them all cisterns, broken and dried: and when he calmly reviewed, and impartially estimated the whole case, he was compelled to pronounce, "Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity."

But, beloved, a greater than Solomon is here; and his testimony is substantially the same: "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." This was a novel sentiment to those by whom the declaration was in the first instance heard; it was another of those “hard sayings," which they found it very difficult to hear: nor has the same sentiment lost any of its unpalatableness, notwithstanding the ages that have elapsed between the period of its first announcement and the present day.

"Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." What a strange declaration! What, is there blessedness in grief? Is there blessedness in sorrow? Is there blessedness in disappointment? Is there blessedness in pain? O, yes; it is even so, when these are sanctified, and when they have that salutary influence upon the heart, which it is the gracious and benevolent design of our Heavenly Father they should exert and secure. Then they are blessed indeed : there is a rose of celestial fragrance concealed amongst the thorns; there is a note of incomparable sweetness arising from the bitter cry; and beneath the deep disguise a blessing inestimable, infinite, and eternal, is contained. "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted."

Two things it behoves us to do, in order to elucidate and explain this passage. First, we must ascertain what that mourning is which Christ thus pronounces blessed. And in the second place, we must ascertain what that blessedness is which he declares to be inseparably connected with that mourning. "Blessed

are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." patient attention to these things.

Will you give us your

First, let us ascertain WHAT THAT MOURNING IS WHICH CHRIST THUS PRONOUNCES BLESSED. Is it any kind of mourning? Is it every kind of mourning? Assuredly not. There is a mourning that is highly criminal; there is a grief that is inseparably connected with a curse; there is a sorrow of the world that worketh death.

Such is the mourning that springs from a bad source. Some men mourn because their pride is wounded; something has occurred to lower their consequence, and degrade their dignity in the sight of their fellow-men; and they are stung to the heart with vexation, mortification, and chagrin; and they think that they do well to be angry, and that they do well to sorrow and grieve, even unto death. There are some who mourn from envy. They see others placed in what they esteem happier circumstances than themselves; richer, wealthier, more prosperous, more successful, more honoured than they are: and they mourn in sullen discontent over what they account the hardness of their lot. Thus the Psalmist, in an evil hour, tells us, that he was envious at the prosperity of the wicked. And to such a pitch did he suffer the unhallowed feeling to prevail in his mind, that he acknowledges he was so foolish, he was even as a beast before God, until he went into the sanctuary of God, anticipated the future, and saw their end; then he saw the folly of his unhallowed feelings of envious discontent.

Again, such is the mourning that is the expression of a bad spirit. When grief is the expression of wrathfulness, peevishness, and discontent, then it is sinful. Such was the mourning of the prophet Jonah, because of his gourd. Such is often the nature of the sorrow in which we indulge, who have set our hearts upon some beloved object, upon some creature comforts, upon some desirable possession, and it has pleased God to remove it from us. Our gourd has withered; the beloved relative sickens and dies; the object of our idolatrous attachment is taken away, and we are overwhelmed with grief; we hang down our heads like bull-rushes; tears are our meat day and night. But we sorrow not because there was a necessity for this painful dispensation: we sorrow not because our heart has set its affections so inordinately upon this beloved one, that it was essential for our chastisement and our salvation that it should be taken away from us. We mourn and we grieve because of the gratification of which we are thus deprived, and because of the sense of anguish we are thus called to endure. It is discontent at the dispensation, not sorrow at its cause, that has filled the heart with sadness, and suffused the eyes with tears. And indeed we may sum up all in one declaration-all the sorrow, of every kind, all the mourning, that is not sanctified, is sin. It is unhallowed in its sources; it is sinful in its principles; it is injurious in its tendency. It is sorrow of the world; it is not godly sorrow; it worketh death, and there is no blessing connected with it.

But what is that mourning which our Lord pronounces blessed? It is the mourning of the genuine penitent; it is the mourning of the true believer; whose sorrow is sanctified, springing from sources which God approves, regulated and controlled by principles which his Word supplies, tending to the

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