upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner;” [17b] and conscious weakness makes him call to the Saviour, with the imploring voice of him who cried, “Lord, save me.” [17c]  For when the conscience is fully enlightened, and the heart sanctified by Divine grace, a clear perception of the holiness of God’s law, and a deep sense of personal unworthiness, are produced in the believer, which at once humble him to the dust, and lead him to throw himself entirely on the mercy of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Then it is that he labours to devote himself more entirely to his Master’s service, “and adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things:” [18a] then it is he “sets his affections on things above:” [18b] “looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” [18c]  And then it is that he takes for his song in the house of his pilgrimage, “I know, O Lord, that Thy judgments are right, and that Thou of very faithfulness hast caused me to be afflicted.” [18d]  “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” [19a]

Such is the conduct of the true believer under the chastening hand of the Lord; such the improvement which, through the Divine blessing, he is enabled to make of those afflictive dispensations, which are sent in mercy to remind him, that he is only a “stranger and pilgrim upon earth,” and must “desire a better country, that is an heavenly.” [19b]  And when God’s judgments are upon the land, when He has smitten the people with pestilence, the servant of the Lord rests with firm faith on the protection of Him, who has promised, as “thy days, so shall thy strength be.” [19c]  He knows that whatever happens to him is by the appointment of God, without whom even “a sparrow shall not fall on the ground;” [19d] he has further, the blessed assurance, that “all things work together for good, to them who love God;” [19e] therefore he has all “the joy and peace in believing” of those, whose minds being “stayed on God,” [19f] abound in hope through “the power of the Holy Ghost.” [19g]  Not that he supposes he will possess a necessary exemption from the power of the pestilence; this would be to presume on God’s protection: not that trusting to Divine Providence he neglects all human precautions, and unnecessarily exposes himself to danger; this would be, in the strong language of Scripture, to tempt God: not that he relies on human precautions as supplying any ground of security; this would be to distrust God.  But believing that the pestilence can have no power over him, except by the Divine appointment; and being assured, that, if such be the Divine will, it will prove for his final and eternal welfare; he uses, with entire dependence on the Divine blessing, the precautions which prudence dictates; and commending himself to the safe keeping of God, he faithfully and diligently discharges the duties of his station and office, whether of pastor, magistrate, citizen, physician, or servant, or, as they may be included in one word, of Christian.  Not that the believer, whilst he “wears this veil of flesh,” is elevated so far above human infirmity, that, through the power of faith, he knows neither weakness nor fear in the hour of danger, and in the discharge of duty.  St. Paul—in allusion to the marvellous change wrought in the soul, “by the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,”—says, “but we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our flesh.” [21a]  Still, they who have learnt, through grace, to confide, with the simplicity of a child, on the power, care, and love of their heavenly Father, will, amid difficulties and dangers, “prove more than conquerors, through Him who loved us, and gave Himself for us;” and will repose, with firm faith, pious hope, and holy confidence, on His protection, in whose hands are the issues of life and death; and who has said, by the mouth of his prophets, “Thou shalt not be afraid for any terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day; for the pestilence which walketh in darkness, nor for the sickness which destroyeth in the noon-day.  A thousand shall fall beside thee, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh