carnally lifted up with outward appearances; for the heart of him that is lifted up, is not upright in him; but live as the just do, by your faith. And if the deferring of your hopes should sicken your hearts, yet, stay and comfort them with the cordial of the promises. This you are sure of, you have God's own word engaged for it, that in those latter days Babylon shall be brought to the dust, and the true church of Christ shall flourish and increase. And this vision is for an appointed time; at the end it shall speak, and not lie; though it tarry, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not tarry.

And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the reve lations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.-2 Cor. xii. 7.

GOD, who is the fountain of good, did choose rather to bring good out of evil, than not to suffer any evil to be: not only because variety of accidents and natures do better entertain our affections, and move our spirits, who are transported and suffer great impressions by a circumstance, by the very opposition, and accidental lustre and eminency, of contraries; but also that the glory of the Divine Providence, in turning the nature of things into the designs of God, might be illustrious; and that we may, in a mixed condition, have more observation, and, after our danger and our labor, may obtain a greater reward. For temptation is the opportunity of virtue and a crown; God having disposed us in such a condition, that our virtues must be difficult, our inclinations averse and corrigible, our avocations many, our hostilities bitter, our dangers proportionable, that our labor might be great, our inclinations suppressed and corrected, our intentions be made actual, our enemies be resisted, and our dangers pass into security and honor, after a contestation, and a victory, and a perseverance. It is every man's case; trouble is as certainly the lot of our nature and inheritance, and we are so sure to be tempted, that in the deepest peace and silence of spirit oftentimes is our greatest danger; not to be tempted, is sometimes our most subtle temptation. It is certain, then, we can not be secure when our security is our enemy;

but, therefore, we must do as God himself does, make the best of it, and not be sad at that, which is the public portion and the case of all men, but order it according to the intention, place it in the eye of virtue, that all its actions and motions may tend thither, there to be changed into felicities. But certain it is, unless we first be cut and hewn in the mountains, we shall not be fixed in the temple of God; but, by incision and contusions, our roughnesses may become plain, or our sparks kindled, and we may be, either for the temple or the altar, spiritual building or holy fire, something that God shall delight in, and then the temptation was not amiss.

And, therefore, we must not wonder, that oftentimes it so happens, that nothing will remove a temptation, no diligence, no advices, no labor, no prayers; not because these are ineffectual, but because it is most fit the temptation should abide, for ends of God's designing. And although St. Paul was a person, whose prayers were likely to be prevalent, and his industry of much prudence and efficacy toward the drawing out of his thorn; yet God would not do it, but continued his war, only promising to send him succor, "My grace is sufficient for thee;" meaning he should have an enemy to try his spirit and improve it, and he should also have God's grace to comfort and support it; but as, without God's grace, the enemy would spoil him, so without an enemy God's grace would never swell up into glory and crown him. For the caresses of a pleasant fortune are apt to swell into extravagances of spirit, and burst into the dissolution of manners; and unmixed joy is dangerous: but if, in our fairest flowers, we spy a locust, or feel the uneasiness of a sackcloth under our fine linen, or our purple be tied with an uneven and a rude cord; any little trouble but to correct our wildnesses, though it be but a death's head-served up at our feasts, it will make our tables fuller of health and freer from snare, it will allay our spirits, making them to retire from the weakness of dispersion, to the union and strength of a sober recollection.

19

And we know that all things work together for good, to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.—Rom. viii, 28.

HERE the apostle seems to me to have mooted this whole topic with a view to those who were in danger; or, rather, not this only, but also what was said a little before this. For the words, the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us; and those, that, the whole creation groaneth; and the saying, that we are saved by hope; and the phrase, we with patience wait for; and that, that we know not what we should pray for as we ought; are all of them said to these. For he instructs them not to choose just what they may think, themselves, to be useful, but what the Spirit may suggest; for many things that seem to one's self profitable, do sometimes even cause much harm. Quiet, for instance, and freedom from dangers, and living out of fear, seemed to be advantageous for them. And what wonder if they did to them, since to the blessed Paul himself this seemed to be so: still he came afterwards to know that the opposite to all these are the things advantageous, and when he came to know it, he was content. So he besought the Lord thrice to be freed from hazards, when once he heard him say, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my Power is perfected in weakness, was afterwards delighted at being persecuted, and insulted, and having irreparable ills done him. For I glory, he says, in persecutions, in insults, in necessities. And this was his reason for saying, For we know not what we should pray for as we ought. And he exhorted all to give up these matters to the Spirit. For the Holy Spirit is very mindful of us, and this is the will of God. Having then cheered them by all methods, he proceeds to what we have heard to-day, putting forward a reason strong enough to reclaim them. For he says, we know that all things work together for good to them that love God. Now when he speaks of all things, he mentions even the things that seem painful. For should even tribulation, or poverty, or imprisonment, or famines, or deaths, or any thing else whatsoever come upon us, God is able to change all these things into the opposite. For this is quite an instance of his unspeakable power, his making things seem

ingly painful to be lightsome to us, and turning them into that which is helpful to us.

And so he does not say, that them that love God, no griev ance approacheth, but, that it even works together for good, that is to say, that he useth the grievous things themselves to make the persons so plotted against approved. And this is a much greater thing than hindering the approach of such grievances, or stopping them when they have come. And this is what he did even with the furnace at Babylon. For he did not either prevent its approach, or extinguish the flame after those saints were cast into it, but let it burn on, and made them by this very flame greater objects of wonder; and with the apostles, too, he wrought other like wonders continually. For if men who have learnt to be philosophic can see the things of nature to the opposite of their intention, and appear even when living in poverty, in easier circumstances than the rich, and shine through disgrace; much more will God work for those that love him both these and also greater things by far. For one needs only one thing, a genuine love of him, and all things follow that. As, then, things seemingly harmful do good to these, so do even things profitable harm those who love him not. For instance, the exhibition of miracles and rightness of doctrine only injured the Jews, as did the wisdom in his teaching; and for the former they called him a possessed person, for the other, one that would be equal to God: and because of the miracles, they went about to kill him. But the crucified thief, when nailed to the cross, and reviled, and suffering ills unnumbered, not only was not hurt, but even gained the greatest good therefrom. See how for those who love God all things work together for good.

After mentioning, then, this great blessing, one which far exceeds man's nature, since to many this seemed even past belief, he draws a proof of it from past blessings, in these words, To them who are called according to his purpose. Now consider, he means, from the calling, for instance, what I have just said. Why then did he not from the first call all? or why not Paul himself as soon as the rest? This case, then, where the deferring seemed harmful, was still by the event shown to be for the best. The purpose he here mentions, however, that he might not ascribe every thing to the calling; since in this way both Greeks and Jews would be sure to cavil. For if the calling alone were

sufficient, how came it that all were not saved? Hence he says, that it is not the calling alone, but the purpose of those called, too, that works the salvation. For the calling was not forced upon them, nor compulsory. All, then, were called, but all did not obey the call.

"The head that God breaks with affliction's stroke,

Oft, like the flower when stricken by the storm,
Rises from earth more steadfastly to turn
Itself to heaven, whither as a guide,

Kindly though stern, Affliction still is leading,
Even to the home of endless joy and peace.

Here, on the borders of that better land,

Shall Pain's sharp ministry for ever cease.

Then shall we bless Thee safely landed there,

And know above how good thy teachings were.

Then feel thy keenest strokes to us in love were given,

The hearts most crushed on earth shall most rejoice in heaven."

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling.—Jude 24.

THEY in whom is the Divine law ingrafted in the heart, having the eyes of their mind enlightened, are able to get clear of the stumbling-blocks of the wicked one. But they that are not honored with the word of God, being vainly puffed up, imagine that by their own free-will they can cut off all occasions of sin, which yet is condemned through the mystery of the cross alone.

For it is impracticable to go upon the asp and the basilisk, and to tread upon the lion and the dragon, unless we are first enabled by him that said to the apostles, "Behold, I give you power to tread on serpents, and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy." For were the human nature able, without the complete armor of the Holy Spirit, to stand against the wiles of the devil, we had never been told by the apostle, "The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly."

He, therefore, that is desirous to be made partaker of the Divine glory, ought, with an insatiable affection, with his whole heart and strength, night and day to seek help from God.

Wherefore endeavor all you can to become the child of God