in your affliction, then your affliction is in love, Ps. 23:4–6. Isa. 43:2,

3. Thirdly, If you enjoy the special presence of God with your spirits

'When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and

through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest

through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall the flames

kindle upon thee.' Hast thou a special presence of God with thy

spirit, strengthening of that, quieting of that, stilling of that,

satisfying of that, cheering and comforting of that? Ps. 94:19, 'In the

multitude of my thoughts,'—that is, of my troubled, intricate,

ensnared, intertwined and perplexed thoughts, as the branches of a

tree by some strong wind are twisted one within another, as the

Hebrew word properly signifies,—'thy comforts delight my soul.'

Here is a presence of God with his soul, here is comforts and delights

that reach the soul, here is a cordial to strengthen the spirit. When all

things went cross with Andronicus, the old emperor of

Constantinople, he took a psalter into his hand, and opening the

same, he lighted upon Ps. 68:14, 'When the Almighty scattered kings,

they shall be white as snow in Salmon;' which scripture was a mighty

comfort and refreshment to his spirit. Now you are to remember that

Salmon signifies shady and dark; so was this mount, by the reason of

many lofty fair-spread trees that were near it, but made lightsome by

snow that covered it. So that to be white as snow in Salmon, is to

have joy in affliction, light in darkness, mercy in misery, &c. And

thus God was to the psalmist as snow in Salmon in the midst of his

greatest afflictions. When Paul would wish his dear son Timothy the

best mercy in all the world, the greatest mercy in all the world, the

most comprehensive mercy in all the world, a mercy that carries the

virtue, value, and sweetness of all mercies in it, he wishes the

presence of God with his spirit: 2 Tim. 4:22, 'The Lord Jesus Christ

be with thy spirit,' in point of honour, in point of profit and pleasure,

in point of safety and security, and in point of comfort and joy; it is

the greatest blessing and happiness in this world to have the

presence of God with our spirits, especially in times of trials: 2 Cor.

4:16, 'For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man

perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.' By the 'outward

man,' you are to understand not merely our bodies, but our persons,

estates, and outward condition in this world; and by the 'inward

man,' you are to understand our souls, our persons considered

according to our spiritual estate. Now, when the inward man gains

new strength by every new trouble, when as troubles, pressures,

afflictions, and tribulations are increased, a Christian's inward

strength is increased also, then his afflictions are in love. When the

presence of God is with our inward man, cheering, comforting,

encouraging, strengthening, and renewing of that, we may safely

conclude that all these trials, though they are never so sharp and

smart, yet they are in love.

I have read of a company of poor Christians that were banished into

some remote parts, and one standing by, seeing them pass along,

said that it was a very sad condition those poor people were in, to be

thus hurried from the society of men, and to be made companions

with the beasts of the field. True, said another, it were a sad

condition indeed if they were carried to a place where they should

not find their God; but let them be of good cheer, God goes along

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