a sorrow to be sorrowed for; and for clearness' sake, I will first allow what may be allowed to the Christian mourner, and then you will the better discern wherein the excess and sinfulness of your sorrow lies.

1. How much soever we censure and condemn immoderate sorrow, yet the afflicted must be allowed an awakened and tender sense of the Lord's afflicting hand upon them.

It is no virtue to bear what we do not feel; yea, it is a most unbecoming temper not to tremble when God is smiting. The Lord said to Moses, in the case of Miriam, Numb. xii. 24,"If her father had spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days?" The face is the table and seat of beauty and honour; but when it is spit upon, it is made the sink of shame. Had her own father spit upon her face when she had displeased him, would she not have gone aside, as one ashamed by such a rebuke, and not have shewed her face to him again in seven days? How much more should she take it to heart, and be sensible of this rebuke of mine, who have filled her face with leprous spots, the signs of my displeasure against her! Surely God will

be ashamed of those that are not ashamed when he rebukes them.

It is not magnanimity, but stupidity, to make light of God's corrections; and for this the afflicted are smartly taxed; "I have smitten them; but they have not grieved." When God smote Job in his person, children, and estate, he arose and rent his mantle, and put dust upon his head, to show that he was not senseless and unaffected; and yet he blessed the afflicting God; which as plainly shewed that he was not contumacious and unsubmissive.

2. We must allow the mourning, afflicted soul, a due and comely expression of his grief and sorrow, in his complaints both to God and men.

It is much more becoming a Christian ingenuously to open his troubles, than suddenly to smother them. There is no sin in complaining to God, but much wickedness in complaining of Him. Griefs are eased by groans, and heartpressures relieved by utterance.

This

was David's course and constant way, who was a man of afflictions: "I poured out my complaint before him, I shewed before him my trouble; when my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou

knewest my path," Psalm cxlii. 2, 3. To whom should children go, but to their father, to make their moan? Whence may they expect relief and comfort, but from him? The 102d Psalm is intituled, "A Psalm for the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the Lord."

And happy were it if every afflicted soul would choose this way to express his sorrows. Did we complain more to God, he would complain less of us, and quickly abate the matters of our complaint. O! you cannot think how moving, how melting, how prevailing it is with God, when his poor, burdened, and afflicted people are in a day of distress and despondency, and when deep calleth unto deep, and one wave drives on another, then for the oppressed soul, with humility, filial confidence, and faith, to turn itself to the Lord, and thus bespeak him-" Father, what shall I do? My soul is greatly bowed down by trouble. I am full to the brim. My vain heart has looked for relief this way and that way, but none comes; every door of comfort is shut up against me. Thou hast multiplied my sorrows, and renewed my witnesses against me. Comfort is removed from

my outward, and peace from my inner, man; sharp afflictions without, and bitter reflections within. O Lord, I am oppressed, undertake for me. Fathers of the flesh pity their distressed children, when they complain to them; and wilt not thou, O Lord, whose compassions as far exceed creature-compassions as the sea exceeds a drop, pity me? O my Father, pity me, support me, deliver me!" O how acceptable is this to God! how advantageous to the soul !

We may also make our complaint to men. So did Job: "Have pity, have pity on me, O ye my friends, for the hand of God hath touched me." And it is a mercy if we have any friends that are wise, faithful, and experienced: they are born for such a time as this, Prov. xvii. 17. But be they what they may, they cannot pity as God, nor relieve and succour as he; and oftentimes we may say with Job, "As for me, is my complaint to men? And if it were, why should not my spirit be troubled?" What great advantage can I get by these complaints? I may burden the heart of my friend; but how little does that ease my own! Yet the very opening of the heart to an

experienced, tender Christian, is some relief, and the engaging of his prayers is more. Thus far you moan safely; in all this there is no danger.

3. The afflicted person may ordinarily accuse, judge, and condemn himself, for being the cause and procurer of his own troubles.

He may lawfully be discontented and vexed with himself for his own folly, when "the iniquity of his heels compasseth him about." And truly, it is but seldom that any great affliction befals a gracious person, but he saw the need of such a rod before he felt it.

Has God smitten thy child or friend and didst thou not foresee some sharp trial coming? Did not thy fond, secure, carnal temper, need such a scourge to awaken, quicken, and purge thee? Or, if you did not foresee it, it is now your duty to search and examine yourselves. So the Church, in her affliction, resolved, "Let us search and try our ways." When God is smiting, we should be searching. Surely our iniquities will inquire after us, if we will not inquire after them. Yea, in the day of affliction a gracious soul is inquisitive about nothing more than about the procuring and provoking casue