wilderness, tears of sorrow drop from the eyes, sighs go up from the heart as a sacrifice with which God is well pleased, for they have been mixed with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In answer He grants His presence, then up comes the poor afflicted one from sorrow, the affections ascending like the perfume of incense, a pillar of smoke, and of mercy. Therefore we sometimes rejoice in tribulation.

But I come now to notice the second thing proposed, the removing every difficulty.

SECONDLY. Make the crooked places straight. How are we to understand this? We ought to bear in mind there are two sides to God's Truth. That side towards God, and that side towards us, or in other words, doctrine and experience. These two must be observed in explaining the truth, if not, we soon get into confusion in our ideas. Now God never did lead His people into a crooked path, that is, crooked to His purpose, His word, His love, wisdom, or grace. Let this rule be applied to all His providential or gracious dealings with His people, and they will be found to be straight therewith. "I will cause you to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble," Jere. xxxi., 9. Here we have a straight way in which God will cause His people to walk. Then again it is plainly expressed "Who worketh all things after the council of His own will," Eph. i., 11. Just as He pleases. Not a wild perverse, confused way, but in a wise and prudent manner, in the best way that can be devised, for He is wonderful in council, and excellent in working. I lead (is the language of wisdom) in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment. Blessed doctrine this, sweet comfort, when faith can lay hold of it the soul then

rejoices therein, and in humble confidence exclaims, Although my path to me is crooked and opposite in the extreme, it is straight with my Lord who is my Leader, Guide, and Counsellor, and He will make it plain. Then dejected soul fear not, God does not work in you, or without you, according to your fears, mistrust, or suspicions, but according to His wise councils. And shall not the Judge of all the earth do right, Gen. xviii., 25. He is too wise to err. Then we may say in confidence, God never in reality leads his people in a crooked way. This is the case as it regards doctrine, and doctrine is the foundation. The

Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David hath prevailed

to

open the book, and loose the seven seals thereof, Rev. v., 5.

His providence unfolds the book,

And makes His counsels shine,
Each opening leaf and every stroke,

Fulfils some deep design.

You will, I have no doubt, from my observation, understand my meaning, that in the whole course of a Christian's life, from the first step in grace to glory, there is not one crook therein, but that everything that falls out in their pilgrimage, is straight with the mind, will, and counsel of God. But how different the case at some seasons in the experience of the tried family of God. To their flesh and blood principles there is nothing but crooks both within and without, crooks before them, crooks behind them, crooks in the business, crooks in the family, crooks in their connection among friends, indeed look were they may nothing but crooks. Yet the apostle in his admonition sets the matter straight, "My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations, knowing this that the trying of your faith worketh patience," James i., 2-3. Afflictions come by

the direction of God for the trial of faith, that is the aim of God in your affliction, not destruction, but trial by afflictions, by crosses, by crooked things arising one after another, you are purified and made white, Dan. xi., 35. God ordains the troubles of believers in such manner as to be productive of three things.

FIRST. The bringing to light the evils of the carnal heart, which is the scum and dross, Ezek. xxii., 20.

SECONDLY. To discern and bring to light that grace implanted in the heart. When He hath tried me I shall come forth as gold, Job. xxiii., 10. That is, the grace of God in me will in the end shine out, precious, honourable, weighty, durable, and desirable.

THIRDLY. The faithfulness of God will in them be manifested. God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able to bear, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, 1 Cor. x., 13. God determines to give strength according to the day of trial, and He proportions the afflictions to the strength He gives. He will never leave them, nor forsake them, but will bear, and carry, and save them unto the uttermost, and they shall hold on, and out, unto the end. Let us just for a moment observe some of those things that are crooks to the believer. FIRST. What a crook it is to a believer to be always last. Make any progress in the divine life he cannot. The inward warfare between flesh and spirit, the opposition he meets from Satan, who is the accuser of the brethren, the chains of guilt which so often fetter his soul, fears and despondings, and heart failings, and mountains of difficulties that rise up, these things keep him upon the back-ground, he dare not come forth to the light. He is feeble and sore broken far behind. Paul saith, I press toward the mark

for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, Phil. iii., 14. But this poor soul looks upon himself as fainting by the way, just upon the point of giving up everything of his profession as worthless. No Christian he thinks ever felt like him, dead, carnal, foolish, wandering in mind and heart far from God. This is a crook. God makes it plain and straight. By such things the Lord teaches the trembling one that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. This reconciles the mind to the cross, removes the stumbling blocks, and makes straight that which was crooked before.

SECONDLY. Another crooked thing the Christian cannot put into practice. The good resolutions of his mind, his heart, will, and affections is set upon good, he loves it, tries to follow after, and is bent upon doing it. Yea, his heart is fixed, as he thinks, thereon. But the moment he sets about the performance thereof, then something starts up as a preventative. Sometimes a very trivial thing will do it, the things of a moment snatch away the mind from the important things of eternity. This is a crook, and the more the Christian reasons upon it the more crooked it appears. Surely if I was a true believer in Jesus Christ, things would be different, "For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power." Satan now steps forth as an accuser and lays many things to the charge of the soul; see, says the tempter, there it is, if the fear of God was in you, it would be a fountain life to depart from the snares of death, Prov. xiv., 27. But you are always entangled in some snare, you are a stranger to delivering grace. The flesh, sin, and the world. overcomes you, beats you down, overturns all your purposes and this proves you a servant of sin, "For of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought into bondage," and

thus does the poor suffering one pass upon himself the fearful sentence of condemnation. This trial comes not by chance, but for good. The Lord intends it preparative to a blessing. There is in every Christian a principle to trust in self, and to make his fleshly purposes his aim, and could he perform those good works he intended to do, like many others, he would build a Babel tower to reach to heaven. Now the Lord by such things teaches him, his strength is not in himself. He is brought to the point, that he cannot put trust in himself, nor in anybody else, whenever he has placed his trust in man, he has met with disappointment. Whenever he has accepted anything from the creature nothing has followed but vexation, destroyed hopes, and blighted expectations. In the midst of these crooks the Lord in the powerful beams of His grace from off the mercy seat shines into his heart, which enlightens his understanding in the word. And now he clearly sees that Christ is to be his all. He now sees who, and what the Son of God is. And as faith sees Him, the soul rejoices in Him, hope anchors in Him. Ah, says the soul, He is worthy of all confidence. Thus the Lord makes this crooked thing straight.

THIRDLY. Another crooked thing, the way and manner in which God gives being, (or as it were) an existence to His promises. Believers are heirs of promise, Heb., vi. 17. The new covenant promises are their inheritance, it belongs to them by right as the sons of God, if children, says the Apostle, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. Now the Lord will see to it, that every one of his family shall come into possession of the inheritance, for the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor, Ps., cxl. 12. But how strange it seems when the promise and providence seem to clash. When God is pleased to