'father, that I might enquire into the 'whole of the cafe; the reafons, the fteps, the iffue, &c.-In a fhort time I 'fhall, but he fays enough now, if I have ears to hear.' 'In the mean time, help me, O mý 'God and Father, to recolle& that I received this drop of earthly comfort 'from a fpring which still remains!help me to feel that nothing essential is altered! for with thee is the foun'tain of life:*-part of myfelf is al'ready gone to thee, help what remains 'to follow.' * If this humble attempt to improve your affliction has been attended with any fuccefs, you will readily admit a few concluding hints with refpect to OUR DUTY in fuch circumstances. And one of the firft, and principal duties of the ftate, is, as hath been expreffed, to ACKNOWLEDGE GOD in it.-It was charged upon fome, that they returned not to him that fmote them, nor fought the Lord* in their diftrefs. On the contrary, the clear apprehenfion Job had of a divine hand in his afflictions, is as inftructive as his patience under them. While Grief rent his mantle, Faith fell down and worshipped,—' The Lord gave, "the Lord hath taken away, blessed be 'the name of the Lord.'t Let us learn * Ifa. ix. 13, + Job i. 21. from from him never to lofe fight of the Author, by an undue regard to the mere circumstances of our lofs.-We may think and speak of the fymptoms and stages of the late removal;-of the phyficians, of the remedies, &c. in their fuppofed right or wrong application; but not fo as to forget that an unerring Providence prefided over the whole, yea actually conducted every part on reasons as righteous as infcrutable. Whatever may appear to us peculiar in the fick chamber, the whole was but God's intended method of removing one, who had lived his full (i. e. his appointed) time. Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee thou haft appointed him his bounds which he cannot pass :* Instead of fixing our attention upon means and creatures, of which we know fo very * Job xiv. 5, 6. little, little, let us turn to him who wrought by these inftruments, and merely effected his own determinations by them. Ceafe from man, for wherein is he to be accounted of ?*—let not the creature hide the creator, nor prefent things prove the fatal fcreen of the future, but, in every occurrence, mark the great caufe, of whom, and through whom, and to whom, are all these things:† who numbereth the very hairs of our head, and without whom even a Sparrow falls not to the ground.† While others, therefore, are wandering without an object, and bereaved without a comforter, yea, are going to their worst enemy for relief, let us endeavour to fay with Peter, Lord, to whom shall we go, but to THEE?Confider the great physician as now pro *Ifa. ii. 22. Matt. x. 29, 30. + Rom. xi. 36. pofing pofing a most serious queftion to your confcience, 'wilt thou be made whole ?'* may the language of your heart be that of the apostle's, "if by any means:"t then, though feemingly fwallowed up of this grief, like Jonah, you shall find a refource in it, and finally be preferved by it. This dart, like that which once pierced an impoftume in battle, fhall bring health with its wound and you fhall be enabled, with many that are gone before you, to fay, 'the Lord hath chaftened me fore: but he hath not given me over unto death. Duty alfo directs you to MODERATE YOUR GRIEF. Our heavenly Father, who knows our frame, and remembers that we are but duft, allows us to mourn when he afflicts us; he often, in his providence, calls us to it, and charges. |