Remarks on the Uses of Chastisement [pp. 342-357]

The Uses of Chiastisemecnt.
God is very deeply convinced, that "thle Lord reigneth,"
that it is infinitely right and fit that he should reign; and that
the first duty of every intelligent being, is to submit promptly, cheerfully, and unreservedly to every ordinance and dispensation of God. It is not very difficult to keep the soul in
correspondence with this truth, so long as our self-love is not
interfered with, nor our present happiness invaded; but when
the sovereignty of God is manifested in despoiling us of our
most precious possessions and delights, our souls are often
ready to falter, and our weakness betrays itself' when, with
hesitating lips we endleavour to say, "Shall not the Judge of
all the earth do right?" It is common to hear those who are
ignorant of the Scriptures cavilling at the representation of
Job as a man of eminent patience; but where, except in his
biography, shall we look for the instance of a man, suffering
in one day the total loss of immense wealth, and of ten beloved children, and still saying, "The Lord gave, and the
Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord."
Without exercise, ChIristian graces do not grow, and severe
afflictions are probably intended to cultivate this important
grace of entire submission. Nothing is more common than
for persons, under chastisement, to indulge in such thoughts
as these,'I could endure almost any affliction better than this;
it is that which I have most dreladed, for whlich I was least prepared, and nowx it hls overtakenl mec! It is so strange, new,
and unexampled, that I alm unmanned, and my soul sinlks
within me.' These are the symptoms of a rebellious and unsubdued will; the murmnurings of a proud andl stubborn heart,
which must be humbled in tle ldust. This is just the trial
by which, perha)S, Gotd graciously intends to bring down the
imaginations and hilh though,ts of your soul into captivity to
the obedience of Chriist. And patience will not have had its
perfect work in any case, until the afflicted soul is prepared
to make no reservation, to claim no direction, bJut to give
up all into tlhe lhands of the most wnise, most righteous, and
mrost merciful Creator. If Llthe suftering were less, it would
not have this humbling eifieacy, aild he mistakes the nature
of the covenant, who supposes that siuchl peculiar trials are excluded. It was, no doublt, a visitation sudden and alarming
as a stroke of lightning, whien Aaron beheld his sons consumed by fire from the Lord. It was an awfuil sanction to that
rule, "I will be sanctified in them that come niygh me, and before all the people I will be glorified." Yet, on seeing and
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