make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted." He has put himself upon a level with us in this regard, that he may be "touched with the feeling of our infirmities." Sympathy is always more full and more welcome when it comes from one who can enter into our feelings from his own experience; who can take us by the hand and say, "My brother, I know what this is; God has called me to a like trial, I can weep with you, I can feel for you." We understand such language; we can interpret the glistening eye and the faltering tongue; it is language which goes right to the heart; and there is a strange comfort in this companionship in sorrow. Jesus wept at the grave of Lazarus; he was moved with compassion at sight of the widow of Nain; and it was this deep heartfelt sympathy that gave such strength and richness to his words of comfort. The minister of Christ, called to visit the afflicted, needs some experience of affliction that he may truly sympathize with and comfort them.

IV. Afflictions qualify a minister for his work, by acquainting him fully with the consolations of the Gospel. These he is expected to administer to others. He is called upon in seasons of affliction to be not so much a mourner as a comforter; not only to sympathize with the sorrowing, but to console them. This is a sweet office-the office of the Holy Spirit, according to the promise of Christ. But to do this in the best manner, the minister needs himself to have tasted the consolations of the Gospel in seasons of affliction. As in guiding the inquiring, he draws upon his own experience to more advantage than upon any theory, so in consoling the afflicted, the teachings of his own heart will be found better than the teachings of books. It is a wonderful trait of the Gospel, and a proof of its divine origin, that it adapts itself to all the circum. stances of our being, so that in whatever condition we are placed, we find something written as it were expressly for us in that condition. Emphatically is this true of the afflictions of life. There is a remarkable adaptation in the Gospel to these in all their variety. The sick, the bereaved, the poor, the forsaken, the widow, the fatherless, all find their cases singled out for advice, and comfort, and support. There are promises "exceeding great and precious," the full import of which we cannot know till we are in the circumstances which they were designed to meet; there are offers of grace the magnitude and worth of which we cannot realize till we are in the state of those to whom they are addressed. It seems as if so much of the Bible is written for the afflicted, that one can know but little of its precious contents until he is afflicted. So many of its promises are made to those in trouble, that the believer. scarce knows half of his inheritance until trouble comes upon him. The Gospel abounds in consolation. It speaks peace to the

troubled soul, whether tossed by its own fears or by tempests from without. As he who preaches it should know the relief it brings to the guilty and troubled conscience, so is it well for him to know the consolation which it brings in trials from without. "In the world," saith the Master, "ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Look at the topics of consolation which the Gospel suggests; topics suited to every variety of trial. First and chief of all we have the thought presented in every possible form, that afflictions come from the hand of our Heavenly Father, and will conduce eventually to our highest good. I stop not here for nice distinctions between those events of life in which the will of God is directly and actively concerned, and those in which it is as it were but passive and permissive. I stop not to meet either the cavils of the sceptic, or the perplexities of the honest inquirer, as to the concurrence of human volitions and the divine purpose in a large class of events which bring with them more or less of evil. All such topics, too extended to be now discussed, may be, and often have been disposed of with ease and satisfaction. I take now the great and comprehensive fact, as plain as any fact of Scripture, that the trials of God's people come from his hand, and are for their good; and I say there is solid comfort in that fact. Oh! it were terrible to think of the bereavements and the various afflictions to which we are liable, as coming by rude chance or stern fatality; or to know that we were left to the "tender mercies" of cruel men. But I can bear to be afflicted when my Father in love and tenderness chastens me "for my own profit," that I may become "a partaker of his holiness;" I can bear that my worldly prospects should be darkened when that which overshadows them is the hand of mercy reaching down from heaven to draw me thither. I may not know why I am afflicted-neither does my child know why I deny him some coveted pleasure-but what I know not now, I shall know hereafter; and of this I am assured that "all things shall work together for good to them that love God." That broad and comprehensive declaration covers every possible case of trial. It is a place for solid rest.

Another topic of consolation suited to the particular case of the loss of Christian friends, is the immortality of the soul-which, foreshadowed by the ancient philosophy, was brought to light in the Gospel. That is a doctrine of precious comfort. We lay the body in the grave-but we cannot feel that our friend is there. We shed tears over it; but the man weeps-not the Christian. We look down into the grave, but our eyes will not be fixed there; we think of the grave-but our thoughts will not dwell there; there is nothing in the grave to draw them or to keep them; everything is gloomy and repulsive; but they go bounding away after the spirit that is not dead-no-not dead after the loved one who

yet lives, and is to live for ever; and presently we forget all grief, and are exulting over death and the grave. And all this is warranted by the Gospel; is a part of the consolation which it gives. Yet it is but a part-for there is a third topic of consolation which is inexhaustible. It is the assurance, yes, the absolute assurance of the safety of the good. They are "with the Lord;" they are "satisfied with God's likeness;" they have joys which we cannot fathom nor describe. We sink overpowered with the attempt to measure their bliss.

These are but specimens of the topics of consolation furnished in the Gospel. With all these the minister is of course familiar. He receives these various truths upon divine testimony, and applies them to the cases of his hearers. But when he himself is afflicted, he learns how precious and consoling they are; and is able to comfort others because he himself " is comforted of God."

Moreover, there is a sustaining grace imparted to the believer under trials which must be felt in order to be known. It is "the peace of God that passeth understanding." It is "the love of Christ that passeth knowledge." The arm of the Almighty is under the sinking spirit; the soul seems to be going down under the sea of trouble, when lo! it finds itself upon a rock-broad, firm, and enduring. Then it knows the consolation that it is in Christ, and with this experience it becomes as an angel of mercy to all who are in sorrow. "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."

It is with somewhat of this experience, my hearers, that I am called to stand before you to-day. It seems as if a new leaf of the Bible was opened to me, as if I had discovered a new mine of precious jewels, and I must hasten to inform you of it. I address myself first to mourners. Dear friends, I have often felt for you in your afflictions, and have tried to comfort you; but I have never sympathized with you as I now can and do; and yet I have never felt so much like consoling you as I feel to-day. Myself a mourner, I bring you comfort-sweet comfort-" even the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." Behold the consolations of the Gospel, the abounding grace of God, and turn to him who lives to succor and to save you. My office as a comforter will become more and more important the longer I shall continue to be your pastor, and I thank God if in any manner I can be prepared for it. I must expect to be called into your families in times of trial; where now I find nothing but joy, I shall soon find the deepest sorrow. I shall find you mourning the loss of dear friends; I shall find you, one and another, on the bed of sickness and of death; but I have comfort laid up in store for you against all these trials.

And yet I fear that some of you will not receive that comfort. You who will not accept the Gospel can know nothing of its consolations in affliction. Sorrows will come upon you, but you will have no comfort. You who will not accept the Gospel now-in health, in the time of God's gracious visitation, may not possess its hope in death, nor leave that hope to console your friends. Alas! that in my ministrations among this dear people, 1 should ever be called to pity those whom I cannot comfort, and to go to the grave sorrowing with those "who have no hope." Will you not, in this world of trial and of death, accept this Gospel of the grace of God? I do testify to you this day that it is true. I know that it is true. I know that its consolations are real. I know that its promises are sure. Take the word of a poor sinner who has tried this way of forgiveness and of life, take the word of a poor mourner who has tried this source of consolation, take the word of a dying man who has just seen death and the grave vanquished by this Gospel-or rather take God's Word, believe the Gospel, cling to it in the midst of this sinning, suffering world; cling to it as your only hope, till God shall come for your deliverance, till he shall take you to be with himself, and shall wipe all your tears away.

SERMON CCCCXLVI.

BY REV. L. E. LATHROP, D.D.,

PASTOR OF THE SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, AUBURN, NEW YORK.

ELEMENTS AND EVIDENCES OF PROSPERITY IN CHRISTIAN CONGREGATIONS.

Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied. Acrs ix., 31.

HERE is a description of spiritual prosperity which attended the Church of Christ at an early period of its history. The churches here referred to had one common origin, professed the same faith, and were united under one head. They were composed of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, and were associated in the bonds of Christian fellowship, and for the observance of religious worship and ordinances. After having been subjected to much annoyance from open persecution, they enjoyed a season of rest and were edified. As persecution ceased, and they were permitted to

enjoy the means of grace, and attend upon the ordinances of religion without hindrance or molestation, they were built up in the faith, and were greatly prospered. The nature and degree of that prosperity are indicated by the remaining part of the description here given of their state, viz: and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.

This describes a large measure of prosperity, and presents these ancient congregations of Christians as patterns and ensamples of the character and condition which churches in all subsequent time should seek to attain. The fact that they were edified, implies that they were profited by the means and privileges which they enjoyed and that it mainly refers to spiritual edification, we may very naturally infer from their walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost. As when in another instance which is described as spiritual prosperity, in which believers continued daily with one accord in the temple, praising God and having favor with all people—it is said, The Lord added daily to the church of such as should be saved.*

This subject is one to which we may profitably direct our attention. It brings up the question, In what does the real prosperity of a congregation consist? Or what are the spiritual elements of that prosperity which every Christian congregation should most desire, and at which it ought most assiduously to aim?

And this is all indicated in the true import of our text, to which we have already referred, and may be summed up in a few words. As the true prosperity of the church consists mainly in the piety of the church, as manifested by its members individually and collectively-so the real prosperity of a congregation may be said to depend mainly upon the same thing. And there is no substantial and abiding prosperity without it. And this characteristic may be said to be predominant, wherever a church is edified, and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost is multiplied.

But it may be well for us to look at some of the particulars implied in this general description.

I. These churches had rest. It may well be accounted a great favor to enjoy freedom from open persecution, and to live in the peaceful possession and enjoyment of the external privileges of the Gospel and of religious worship, and the means of grace which are of divine appointment. Many times, and at different periods, and in different countries, it has not been so; but the fires of persecution have been lighted up, and Christians, the true worshippers of the only living and true God, have been forced into banishment and exile-to betake themselves to secluded vales or mountain fastnesses-to fly from the

* Acts ii., 47.