. Tribulation is treasure in the nature of it, but it is not
current money in the use of it, except we get nearer and nearer our
home, heaven, by it. Another man may be sick too, and sick to death, and
this affliction may lie in his bowels, as gold in a mine, and be of no
use to him; but this bell, that tells me of his affliction, digs out and
applies that gold to me: if by this consideration of another's danger I
take mine own into contemplation, and so secure myself, by making my
recourse to my God, who is our only security.

XVII. EXPOSTULATION.

My God, my God, is this one of thy ways of drawing light out of
darkness, to make him for whom this bell tolls, now in this dimness of
his sight, to become a superintendent, an overseer, a bishop, to as many
as hear his voice in this bell, and to give us a confirmation in this
action? Is this one of thy ways, to raise strength out of weakness, to
make him who cannot rise from his bed, nor stir in his bed, come home
to me, and in this sound give me the strength of healthy and vigorous
instructions? O my God, my God, what thunder is not a well-tuned cymbal,
what hoarseness, what harshness, is not a clear organ, if thou be
pleased to set thy voice to it? And what organ is not well played on if
thy hand be upon it? Thy voice, thy hand, is in this sound, and in this
one sound I hear this whole concert. I hear thy Jacob call unto his sons
and say, _Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall
befall you in the last days_:[241] he says, That which I am now, you
must be then. I hear thy Moses telling me, and all within the compass of
this sound, _This is the blessing wherewith I bless you before my
death_;[242] this, that before your death, you would consider your own
in mine. I hear thy prophet saying to Hezekiah, _Set thy house in order,
for thou shalt die, and not live_:[243] he makes use of his family, and
calls this a setting of his house in order, to compose us to the
meditation of death. I hear thy apostle saying, _I think it meet to put
you in remembrance, knowing that shortly I must go out of this
tabernacle_:[244] this is the publishing of his will, and this bell is
our legacy, the applying of his present condition to our use. I hear
that which makes all sounds music, and all music perfect; I hear thy Son
himself saying, _Let not your hearts be troubled_;[245] only I hear this
change, that whereas thy Son says there, _I go to prepare a place for
you_, this