Page:A Sermon Preached in Hawarden Church.djvu/7

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A SERMON.




2 TIMOTHY II. 11, 12.

"It is a faithful saying, For if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him: if we suffer, we shall also reign with Him."

When we draw near at any time to look upon some signal dispensation of God towards us, and enquire why He has thus dealt with us; there will be many things to be taken into account before we can come to a just conclusion about it. And a very principal and important one, is the great change that has passed over our whole nature, since its first constitution; altering almost entirely its relation to God, and the character of those measures which are necessary for its ultimate happiness and perfection.

But for this indeed, there would be no sorrow here as there is none in heaven. God made not grief any more than He made death: but the generations of the earth were happy as well as healthful. God, I say, made neither sorrow nor