appear, nor with such Grind the spices, and Saints are never more

Grace is a comfort; it is never better with the saints than when that flourishes. The joy of the harvest is nothing to the joy of grace; he is not a Christian that cannot say, "It is summer," when these flowers appear in their beauty. Flourishing faith and love have their glorious joys. 1 Pet. 1:8. The springs of grace are a resurrection from the dead; and there is no such spring as after a shower. Oh, how green do the herbs then look. The withering flowers do then lift up the head. Never so many stars lustre, as in a frosty night. their fragrancy flows out. saints than in the house of bondage, or the land of their pilgrimage; our winter weather makes us warm at heart. As our outward man perishes, our inward man is renewed day by day. 2 Cor. 4:16. Persecution is the time of life. We are delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be manifest in our mortal flesh. 2 Cor. 4:11. Decayed soul, comfort thy heart, the cross is coming; now thou shalt live, now thou shalt recover. This weakness will strengthen the things that remain and are ready to die. Now, faith and love and patience and courage, that have so long hung the wing, lift up the head, the day of your redemption draweth nigh; this night is your day of hope.

2. The cross will also bring a more clear revelation of special love. Lovest thou me, Lord? If so, it is enough. Let me hear thy voice, let me see thy face. Kiss me with the kisses of thy mouth. Thy loving-kindness is better than life; send forth thy

light and thy truth, let these tell me thou lovest me. Thy poor spouse is sick for love; O when wilt thou say, "Thou knowest that I love thee?" Why, come up with me on the cross; that withered tree bears more blossoms of love, than all the green trees of the field. The whole gospel is hung upon the cross. Where our Lord hung, there is sin nailed, the curse vacated, death vanquished; pardon, peace, joy, glory, showed forth in open sight. There is love with all its tokens; go up and take. Fear not to be baptized with thy Lord's baptism, nor to drink of his cup; this cup also is the communion of the blood of Christ. Come with me into the wilderness, there will I speak comfortably to thee. When thou most wantest it, where thou wilt most value it, there will I show thee my love.

Our Lord loves not to have love slighted: the full soul loathes the honeycomb; thou hast yet too many lovers to bid thy Lord welcome: he keeps his best wine till all thine own be soured; then it will relish, and then thou shalt have it. His oil is for thy wounds. The child never knows so much of the parent's heart and compassion as when it is sick or in distress; then every look is love, every word is pity and compassion. O the compassion of Christ's heart towards his afflicted children! When thou knowest hatred, then look to know love; when thou art persecuted, when thou art cast out and trodden under foot of men, then will he take thee in and cherish thee.

3. Thou shalt have also a more full manifestation There is not a prison into which the saints

of glory.

are cast, but hath a window in the palace. Calvary becomes a Tabor, where they have a sight of their Lord in his glory. Golgotha becomes a Pisgah, where they may look over Jordan into the land of promise. Hast thou known little of heaven? thou hast not yet been in the deep.

Of Stephen the first gospel-martyr it is said, "He looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God." Acts 7:55. "And all that sat in the council saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.” Acts 6:15. Such an admirable splendor and serenity shone in his countenance, as spoke him rather an angel than a man. Oh, what a heaven was there within, that cast out such a divine lustre on his face! his joy was too big for his heart, his face must have its share; yea, his very adversaries, at second-hand, behold the glory of God.

He looked up and saw heaven opened. Looking down, he might see hell opened, all his tormentors about him, the jaws of death ready to devour and swallow him up; but looking up, he saw heaven opened, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Oh, there he is, for whose sake is all this. My Beloved, my Beloved is yonder. Behold the region of light, whither this dark tempest is wafting me." His hell and his heaven meet, but the light swallows up the dark. Hell ceases to be hell, where heaven appears to be heaven. This is the portion of suffering saints. When you read what is written of those armies of martyrs that have gone before-of their

unspeakable joys, their undaunted courage, their admirable boldness; of their cheering their friends, confounding their foes, their rejoicing in their stripes, singing in their stocks, leaping in their chains, boasting of their bonds, kissing their stakes, embracing the flames, riding up in triumph in their chariots of fire, not repenting of their faith, nor accepting of deliverance-what doth this speak, but that their eyes, as well as their anchor, are within the veil, whither Christ their forerunner is gone before them? Oh, who would not be with them? Who would fear sufferings?

Soul, what art thou afraid of? Whither art thou running; from what art thou hiding thyself? What is thine ease, or thy liberty, or thy quiet? Why so loath to loose from this shore? Launch forth into the deep. Fear not transportation into thy house of bondage; when thou art once there, it is but look up and thou art in Paradise.

Such are the sufferings of Christ, this is the cross of the covenant. But it includes also,

66 I

4. That which comprehends all the rest, a more manifest exhibition of Christ's special presence : Iam with thee to save thee." Jer. 30:11. "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." Isa. 43:2. Through fire and water thou must go-" we went through fire and water into a wealthy place"but wherever thou goest, he will go with thee. When

the bush was on fire, the Lord was in the bush; when the three children were in the furnace, the Son of God was there with them. "In all their afflictions he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old." Isa. 63:9. Though all men forsook me, the Lord stood with me and strengthened me. 2 Timothy, 4:16, 17. The saints shall never have this to charge upon the Lord, "I was in prison, and thou visitedst me not."

He is ever with them, to bear their burdens and ease their shoulders; to plead their cause and maintain their innocence; to wash their stripes, to wipe off their tears, to heal their wounds, to bind up their broken bones, to revive their weary spirits, to perfume their prisons, to lighten their dungeons, to lead them in their wanderings, to converse with them in their solitudes; to give down from above, in divine smiles and spiritual joys, assurances of dearest love, tenderest care, melting sympathy, gracious acceptance; to give down from above whatever is wanting beneath in fine, to preserve them from falling by the presence of his grace, till he present them faultless before the presence of his glory. Oh, it is good being with Christ anywhere.

"Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest and makest thy flock to rest at noon.” "Where thou feedest?" yea, where thou art, whether feeding or fasting, whether rejoicing or mourning. "Where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon?” yea, and where thou sufferest thy flocks to be scat