show us the benefit of our being torn up by the roots, and every pleasant thing being taken from us, but here is a picture of this before us. "Is not this Naomi ?" No; it is not. Call me not Naomi-call me Mara: for the arrows of the Almighty have pierced my spirit.

2ndly. Another benefit of a suffering dispensation, when sanctified by God, is, that it produces a moral sensibility: it impresses on the mind and heart this sentiment-God is here! Call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. The sensitive conscience, when instructed in the school of adversity, sees God acting in every thing; and traces back the present dispensation to the cause of it. When trouble comes upon an unrenewed heart, the sinner rages, and does not mark God's hand. But how dif ferent was the effect upon Job! He says, "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee." It is thou who hast done it. "Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." q. d. Now I am brought to the interior understanding of the dispensation, and realize a sensibility of mind. I see that not a sparrow falls to the ground without God. David felt this, when he wrote the cxxxixth Psalm : "Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways." It is one great work of regenerating grace to bring the heart into this state of sensibility to teach Eli to say, "It is the Lord," that is enough,-" let him do what seemeth him good!" When an unbeliever meets with trials, the first thing he begins to feel is resentment. He falls upon the enemy; but David says, Draw not thy sword against Shimei: you are a set of poor carnal reasoners: I see that a dog could not move his tongue against me if the Lord had not bid him do it. Or, as he says in another place-"I opened not my mouth,

because thou didst it." "I opened not my mouth"-I was dumb before thee.

It is this spirit which is exemplified in the text: "Call me not Naomi ;" q. d. God hath crushed all my hopes in this world; but I desire to lie as clay in the v hand of the potter. The Lord has not only taught me to call myself Mara, but I would wish others to call me so since it is his will, I choose it. But, though he has cast me down, he can lift me up: it is the Almighty who has done it; and he can build me up.

3rdly. Such a dispensation of sanctified affliction produces a light in a dark place. It enables a Chris-v tian to stand forth and show what Christianity is. It shows that there has been a transaction between God and the soul, a holy friendship and acquaintance. That religion which does not bring God and man to-) gether is nothing. Naomi, in an idolatrous land, was as a light in a dark place: her example had made such. an impression upon the mind of Ruth, that she could not tear herself away from her mother-in-law; and though Orpah was less constant, yet her heart was so much affected, that she felt the separation very difficult, there was something so attractive in her spirit and principles.

There are certain things in chemistry which have an affinity with each other; every particle will find out that part which unites with itself, and will affect it. There seems to have been a natural affinity between the minds of Naomi and Ruth; and, as Christians, they were made to drink into the same spirit. Thus the conduct of Naomi,-her light shining before men, working together with the attachment between her and her daughter-in-law,-enabled this poor af flicted woman to become a missionary, and to be the means of bringing at least one idolater to the knowl

edge of the true God. We see that God does not seek the learned to do his work; he makes Naomi a light in the midst of darkness.

That difficult passage in the fifteenth chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians, of which I have seen fourteen different explanations, seems to bear upon this subject. "Else, what shall they do who are baptized for the dead?" or baptized over the dead?-take their place. It is certain that the blood of the Martyrs was the seed of the Church; and while some were cut off, others rushed in-drank into their spirit,-because of "the better hope." It is astonishing what an effect may be produced upon a family, and even upon a neighborhood, when one person shall thus stand forth. and demonstrate that he has passed from death unto life!

4thly. Another benefit of an afflictive dispensation is, that it prepares the mind for prosperity. We have an instance of this in the text. See the changes which Naomi underwent. Driven away by famine; stript of her husband and her children, she comes back, saying, "Call me not Naomi; call me Mara!" This was the forming of her character. He that humbleth himself shall be exalted." God brings down to build up again. See her concluding history, in the last chapter of this book: "And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. . . And they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David." No greater honor could have been put upon her than to ✓ have thus been brought into the line of David.

There is no state more desirable in the eyes of the young than that of prosperity. "Let me be rich!" "let me be honorable!" "let me be great!" and "let me make great friends in the world!"

Oh that I could set before you the consequences of that wish, even if it could be obtained! Oh that I could show you the consequences of your passions being gratified! I should show you something like oil being poured into the fire,-I should show you Satan gaining his grand point,-I should show you what would be your greatest misfortune! The best thing you can obtain, is the spirit of Naomi, after she was taught of God; or, more properly, the mind of Christ, who bore his cross, and carried our sorrows: who, "though he was a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things that he suffered." An old poet has thus admonished the young

"Pitch thy behavior low-thy project high."*

God calls us to bow, to submit to our dispensation, to learn to abhor ourselves. This is the consecrated path, the "narrow way," the road to "glory, honor, immortality, and eternal life." The way to honor is first to know ourselves-to submit to God; otherwise we are not prepared for prosperity: we are not in that state of mind which will prevent prosperity from becoming mischievous to us.

Naomi sowed in tears; and what says the Psalmist? "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." Psalm cxxvi. 6. For some time, it may seem to be thrown away; yet, if he goeth forth, he shall doubtless come again with rejoicing. Thank God, if you have the mark of "sons," and not "bastards." (Heb. xii. 8.) Though you may be under trying dispensations, God has heard your prayers he is remembering you with the favor which he bears to his people. Beware of saying, "How doth

* Herbert's" Church Porch."

God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?" Job xxii. 13. Let us learn what is the true and acceptable disposition-I do not say to the world, but to God-a child-like submission to our dispensation, i. e. to God. A word to the stout-hearted, that think the contrite spirit meanness, and want of courage. How far from God are ye! Hear the word of the Lord to them whom he proposes to bless: "I will take away the stony heart," the hard heart,-" and will give them a heart of flesh." And again: "Except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven." And again: "Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." And again: Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, and ye shall find rest to your souls."

It is a wonderful condescension in God, that when we cannot come up to meet him on his ground, he will come down to meet us upon our own ground. He will, in mercy, use arguments to melt our hard hearts, and subdue our proud spirits. "The heart must be humbled before it can be helped or healed. God forms his sons in the wilderness.

THE DISCIPLINE OF CHRIST.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.-MATT. xi. 29, 30.

[1791]

WHEN Our Lord came upon earth, he came with every mark of the true Messiah: yet his own received him not.