The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-09-19
SANCT|F|ED
AFFECTIONS
ARcHpEAcoN WIN. o. ALLEN DE-
LIvEREp AN INTERESTING
SERMON SUNDAY MORNING AT
ST. KArHARINE's CHURCH.

Archdeacon VIM. 3. Allen, M. A.,
rector of St. Katharines church, de-
livered the following interesting SER
mon at st. Katharine's Sunday morn
ing:
For our light afliction, which is
but for 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" ! Cor, 4:17-1S.
There are few things of which men
form so false an estimate as of the
calamities and trials Of this mortal
life. The merely thoughtless, man.
when suddenly overtaken IN his career
OF sin by any of the multiplied attic
tons which beset our path, plungs
deeper into the arrow Of folly in which
he lives; and while he carries the
barbed arrow in his side from scene
to scene. and from place to place, and
from pleasure to pleasure considers
his AFFECTIONS only as one of the un-
lucky accidents of the world in which
case with the christian when he is
afflicted.
Although he feels as deeply, as
acutely as the man Of the world, he
has or should have within him a set
tied. a never falling principle that
moderates his sorrow, sanctifes his
affiiction, and bestows a peace, con-
fort and strong consolation, which
none but real child of God can ever
know. He neither looks at his calamity
as an unlucky accident, nor as a
grievious nursery Nothing comes TO
him which is not intended for him or
appointed by Him whose highest at
tribute Is love He sees the trial as
clause in the everlasting covenant,
as link in that eternal chain of
providences and mercies which is
wound around himself and all who
are dear to him on earth-that chain
which is fastened to the throne of
Gods immutability and stupendous
love. In the wonderful covenant Of
grace God has engaged. Himself 10
purge away your sin, to brighten YOUR
graces, to cruelty your hearts to the
world, and to prepare you for His
heavenly kingdom.
Affections from one OF the methods
by which He usually effects this; and
1t Is In line with his covenant. At
.fiictions are the very fruits of Gods
faithfulness. to which the covenant
binds him. God would be unfaithful
if--first or last, more or less--he did
not afflict His people. 1t is this per-
suasion, therefore, that enables every
child of God to exclaim. even from
a sorrowing or a broken heart Il
know that this affliction comes to me
directly from the hand of a Father
who loves me, and / bow before His
justice and acknowledge His mercy,
and may 1t have a sanctifying effect
upon my heart, which will ultimately
make me meet to be a partaker of
the inheritance of the saints in light"
How completely do these feelings,
common to all the children OF men in
our loving Fathers family. draw the
sting from every trial, and sweeten
the bitteres visitation, so that the
heaviest trial that ever weighed down
q human soul, can be spoken of as
"a light affliction, which is but for a
moments"
But, beloved, these considerations
do not stand alone in the heart of a
christian; there are others equally
availing, and all flowing from the
same source, tending to make the af-
flictions of earth both light and mo-
mentary. The most influential of these
Is the certainty which the christian
enjoys that in all his losses he still
possesses something which he can
not lose; that in being enabled to say,
My beloved is mine and / am His;
nothing shall separte me from the
love OF Goa. Inc strength OF THIS
principle has been abundantly de-
monstrated in all ages OF the church.
1t makes sorrow light and every trial
momentary.
st Paul does not content himself
with asserting the lightness, and the
transformers of sorrow and afflic-
ton. He goes further than this; he
declares that in its effects 1t is a
positive blessing. He says, Our light
affliction, which is but for moment,
worketh for us far more exceeding
and eternal weight of glory"
Blessed words are these. May they
be fulfilled to us in our hour of need,
but while we seek their fulfilment,
we must first of all appreciate their
intention.
Let us be careful here-when the
apostle says that our affliction
"worketh for US" nothing could be
further from his thoughts than that
the affliction should. in a meritorious
manner, purchase or procure for us
"the eternal weight Of glory" Our
title to that blessed inheritance is a
title written in the blood of the ever