heavens, he could ill brook any thorns in the flesh; he was little disposed to struggle with the messengers of Satan: he is impatient to have them all removed; he beseeches the Lord importunately. that they might depart from him ;-but the answer to his prayers teaches us, that it was better that these evils, though very ungrateful to human nature, should remain while the Apostle continued on earth, with the all-sufficient grace of God to carry him through the conflict, than that this contention and warfare should be lessened or removed, and that he should, while on this side the grave, enjoy a state of serene and entire gratification.

This, brethren, is the important piece of instruction to which I have in this discourse been particularly desirous of drawing your attention. The Scripture doctrine on this head is by no means. confined to single cases, like that of St. Paul; it is a general doctrine. It is the system of the Gospel of Christ, it is the plan of his religion, that nothing like perfect enjoyment is to be had, or even desired, in this world; that it is much better for even the most eminent disciples of Christ, the most holy men that ever lived, to be deprived of many temporal blessings, and of many internal

comforts and gratifications, in order that they may feel the necessity of daily supplies of grace, deplore their own weakness and evil propensities, and pray to be clothed with the Christian armour for defence and victory.

Brethren, it is the character of the religion of Christ, that it is constantly marked by conflicts, warfare, struggle, and contention. The promises themselves of our blessed Lord all imply the same ideas. The unmixed, the unsullied joys of our connection with the Head of the Church, are absolutely reserved for the next world. The comforts of religion in this world have every one of them their corresponding drawback. How distinct and explicit is our Lord himself on this point, that there must be trials, both inward and outward trials, in the course of the sound Christian's life; that the sound Christian must take up his cross, and follow his Redeemer; and that he who did not so willingly, was not worthy of him; and that a man must deny himself, even to the loss of life: "Whosoever will come after me," says he, "must take up his cross and follow me." And again: "He that loveth father of mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that

loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." And, further, he tells his disciples, in the plainest terms that his religion, all-peaceable, benevolent, and harmonious as it is, would nevertheless often have the effect of "a sword;" often set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother; and, in general, "that a man's foes would be they of his own household."―Here, brethren, is a thorn of the flesh indeed! when near relatives, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters, husbands and wives, can be at variance on account of the beneficent religion of Jesus! I know not whether the thorn in the flesh of which St. Paul speaks has relation to any of these things; but I can easily understand, that that great Apostle, after having been brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, and being so admirably qualified to rise to a preeminent situation in the Jewish church, might be the cause of great pain, vexation, and disappointment to his worldly father or mother, who had perhaps spent much of their property and bestowed much care upon his education, and had now to lament his apostacy from the religion of

of his ancestors. relatives, that I pretend not to assert that this was the real thorn in the flesh of which he complains, and which vexed his righteous soul; but surely a greater affliction could scarcely happen to so tender a spirit as his, than to have a father or a mother perpetually reproaching him for his apostacy in religion, accusing him of unkindness to them, and grieving his very inmost soul by their obduracy, and by their incurable attachment to the Jewish religion and government. This would assuredly be a severe thorn in the flesh, and would call forth the most ardent prayers for the conversion of those relatives, who were so near and dear to him; the ardent prayers, I say, of the man who loved all his own countrymen, the Jews, to such an extraordinary degree, that he says he would, for the sake of his brethren, almost wish himself accursed from Christ.

We know so little of St. Paul's

I am the more affected with the consideration of this idea, because something of the same nature is continually happening before our own eyes even in this happy country. Yes: in our own times the religion of Christ may very frequently be seen to divide the members of families and put them at

variance and more afflicting thorns in the flesh than these—that is, more afflicting trials to the temper, more difficult situations to act in with propriety amidst various duties that seem to clash with one another-can scarcely be imagined. It is often no easy matter in such cases to maintain a due firmness and consistency in religion, and yet to exhibit proper respect, affection, and tenderness towards our relatives, who may have strong claims upon our regard, our reverence, and our gratitude. Frequently I myself have seen such cases, and lamented the difficulties that belong to them. It is much easier to conceive and describe these difficulties, than it is to point out the line of conduct which should be pursued under them. The grand rule, however, is pointed out by St. Peter: "We ought," says that faithful Apostle, "to obey God rather than men." And of this most important distinction we must never lose sight.

Perhaps, however, it is more probable that the unexplained thorn in the flesh, with which Satan buffeted St. Paul, did not relate to any external circumstance, but to some inward and distressing affection of his own mind. St. Paul might suffer