more. When either ignorance or sin has caused darkness, one or the other may be removed, and yet the light which was obstructed thereby may not immediately return. As it is the free gift of God, he may restore it, sooner or later, as it pleases him. In the case of sin, we cannot reasonably expect that it should inmediately return. The sin began before the punishment, which may, therefore, justly remain after the sin is at an end. And even in the natural course of things, though a wound cannot be healed while the dart is sticking in the flesh; yet neither is it healed as soon as that is drawn out, but soreness and pain may remain long after.

14. Lastly. If darkness be occasioned by manifold and heavy and unexpected temptations, the best way of removing and preventing this is, to teach believers always to expect temptation, seeing they dwell in an evil world, among wicked, subtile, malicious spirits, and have a heart capable of all evil. Convince them that the whole work of sanctification is not, as they imagined, wrought at once; that when they first believe they are but as newborn babes, who are gradually to grow up, and may expect many storms before they come to the full stature of Christ. Above all, let them be instructed, when the storm is upon them, not to reason with the devil, but to pray; to pour out their souls before God, and show him of their trouble. these are the persons unto whom, chiefly, we are to apply the great and precious promises; not to the ignorant till the ignorance is removed, much less to the impenitent sinner. To these we may largely and affectionately declare the loving-kindness of God our Saviour, and expatiate upon his tender mercies which. have been ever of old. Here we may dwell upon the faithfulness of God, whose "word is tried to the utter most;" and upon the virtue of that blood which was shed for us, to "cleanse us from all sin :" and God will then bear witness to his word, and bring their souls

And

out of trouble. He will say, "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee." Yea, and that light, if thou walk humbly and closely with God, will "shine more and more unto the perfect day."

SERMON XLVII.

HEAVINESS THROUGH MANIFOLD
TEMPTATIONS.

"Now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations."-1 PET. i. 6.

IN the preceding discourse, I have particularly spoken of that darkness of mind into which those are often observed to fall who once walked in the light of God's countenance. Nearly related to this is the heaviness of soul which is still more common, even among believers. Indeed, almost all the children of God experience this, in a higher or lower degree. And so great is the resemblance between one and the other, that they are frequently confounded together; and we are apt to say indifferently, "Such a one is in darkness," or, "Such a one is in heaviness;"-as if they were equivalent terms, one of which implied no more than the other. But they are far, very far, from it. Darkness is one thing; heaviness is another. There is a difference, yea, a wide and essential difference, between the former and the latter. And such a difference it is as all the children of God are deeply concerned to understand; otherwise, nothing will be more easy than for them to slide out of heaviness into darkness. In order to prevent this, I will endeavor to show,

I. What manner of persons those were to whom the apostle says, "Ye are in heaviness :"

II. What kind of heaviness they were in:

III. What were the causes: and,

IV. What were the ends of it. I shall conclude with some inferences.

I. 1. I am, in the first place, to show what manner of

persons those were to whom the apostle says, "Ye are in heaviness." And, first, it is beyond all dispute, that they were believers at the time the apostle thus addressed them for so he expressly says, (verse 5,) "Ye who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation." Again, (verse 7,) he mentions "the trial of their faith, much more precious than that of gold which perisheth." And yet again, (verse 9,) he speaks of their "receiving the end of their faith, the salvation of their souls." At the same time, therefore, that they were "in heaviness," they were possessed of living faith. Their heaviness did not destroy their faith; they still endured, as seeing Him that is invisible."

2. Neither did their heaviness destroy their peace; the "peace which passeth all understanding;" which is inseparable from true, living faith. This we may easily gather from the second verse, wherein the apostle prays, not that grace and peace may be given them, but only that it may "be multiplied unto" them; that the blessing which they already enjoyed might be more abundantly bestowed upon them.

3. The persons to whom the apostle here speaks were also full of a living hope. For thus he speaks, (verse 3,) "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again,' -me and you, all of us who are "sanctified by the Spirit" and enjoy the "sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ,"-"unto a living hope, unto an inheritance," that is, unto a living hope of an inheritance, "incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away. So that, notwithstanding their heaviness, they still retained a hope full of immortality.

4. And they still rejoiced in hope of the glory of God." They were filled with joy in the Holy Ghost. So, (verse 8,) the apostle having just mentioned the final "revelation of Jesus Christ," (namely, when he cometh to judge the world,) immediately adds, "In whom, though now ye see him not," not with your bodily eyes, "yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeak

able and full of glory." Their heaviness, therefore, was not only consistent with living hope, but also with joy unspeakable at the same time they were thus heavy, they nevertheless rejoiced with joy full of glory.

5. In the midst of their heaviness, they likewise still enjoyed the love of God, which had been shed abroad in their hearts;-" whom," says the apostle, "having not seen, ye love." Though ye have not seen him face to face; yet, knowing him by faith, ye have obeyed his word, "My son, give me thy heart." He is your God, and your love, the desire of your eyes, and "" your exceeding great reward." Ye have sought and found happiness in Him: ye "delight in the Lord," and he hath given you your "heart's desire."

6. Once more: though they were heavy, yet were they holy; they retained the same power over sin. They were still "kept" from this, "by the power of God;" they were "obedient children, not fashioned according to their former desires;" but "as He that had called them is holy," so were they "holy in all manner of conversation." Knowing they were "redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, as a Lamb without spot and without blemish," they had, through the faith and hope which they had in God, "purified their souls by the Spirit." So that, upon the whole, their heaviness well consisted with faith, with hope, with love of God and man, with the peace of God, with joy in the Holy Ghost, with inward and outward holiness. did no way impair, much less destroy, any part of the work of God in their hearts. It did not at all interfere with that "sanctification of the Spirit" which is the root of all true obedience: neither with the happiness which must needs result from grace and peace reigning in the heart.

It

II. 1. Hence we may easily learn what kind of heaviness they were in;-the second thing which I shall endeavour to show. The word, in the original, is AVANOEVTES,-made sorry, grieved; from avan, grief, λυπηθέντες, This is the constant, literal meaning of the

or sorrow.