I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.  I was a father to the poor, and the cause which I knew not, I searched out.’  God allowed the weight of the trial to be upon his spirit, with the conviction of his presumption, till he brought him to his feet.  ‘Behold, I am vile, what shall I answer thee?’ ’I will lay my hand upon my mouth.’  ‘I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.’  These things were written for our example and profit.

“This afflictive providence is now finished, at least so far.  What you now possess is the allotment of your God.  Set all instruments aside and listen to the Holy Ghost:  ’Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, and he shall exalt you in due time.’  In order to this, I would recommend to you to take a close, retrospective view of your past life, with earnest prayer that God would search you and try you, and show you what wicked ways have been or now are in you.  Go back to the days of your youth; take a close view of the use you made of affluence and influence; not comparing yourself with others, but judging yourself by the law of God, the only standard of right and wrong, truth and error.  Seek for humbling views of yourself in yourself.  If the Holy Ghost enlighten, you will find sufficient grounds.  Seek for consolation in the free promises of God, through Jesus Christ, of which there are also abundance, even to the chief of sinners.  What I recommend to you has been my own practice, especially in times of trial; and if health will admit of it, add fasting, because I think it is the Lord’s ordinance.  ’The days shall come when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, then shall they fast in those days.’

“Read the third chapter of Jeremiah’s lamentations; endeavor to come under the feelings of contrition on account of your sins, and derive consolation from faith in God’s great mercy; ever keeping in view the only channel through which mercy can flow to sinners of Adam’s race.  Take also a view of God’s dealings with his elect nation, in the wilderness:  they had nothing but manna, and were punished for murmuring; while at that very time the nations in Canaan, the Egyptians, and Assyrians, were living in all manner of luxury.  What was their whole history but backsliding, threatening upon threatening? then chastisement, turning, repenting, pardon, reconciliation, and the same round again, every chastisement severer than the last, while worldlings in general have their day to the end; then ’are they brought into desolation as in a moment.’  I wish you to take a particular view of God’s dealings with them, before Nebuchadnezzar sacked the city of Jerusalem.  The decree was passed after many warnings, and much long-suffering.  How many pauses, as it were, did the merciful Lord God make before he gave them finally up to their enemies; and when the decree was irrevocable, and the chastisement to take place, still he followed them with mercy.  See Jeremiah 27:12; and chapter 29, the letter which God commanded Jeremiah to write to those who had been carried away captive with Jehoiakim, advising them to build houses and plant vineyards, and to make the most of their situation.  Those at Jerusalem were commanded to submit to the king of Babylon, as in that case he would not destroy the city; but no, they stood it out, and the threatened vengeance overtook them.