persons who dare to display oratory on their knees, and think God can be honoured by their much speaking. I know I may have freedom, and access with confidence in that grace in which I stand; I know that I may "come boldly to the throne of grace;" but wherein does that boldness consist? It is a boldness arising from a sense that Christ has done the glorious work, which gives me a ground of approach to God. Guilt tells me to keep at a distance, but faith commands me to draw near, since my guilt is atoned for, while love urges me to come that I may "find mercy and grace to help in every time of need." But while I come with confidence as relates to Christ, may holy diffidence of myself always possess my heart. We must never cease praying. The readiness to "pray always," is one of the strongest defences a christian can possess. May these things, beloved, enter your minds, and if you take my plain lessons home, and continue in spiritual prayer, looking to God for assistance therein, you will reap the benefit. I pray God make these truths useful to you all for his name's sake. Amen.

SERMON XVI.

GOD'S PRESERVATION OF HIS PEOPLE.

Ps. cxxi, 8.

"The Lord shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in, from this time forth, and even for evermore."

BLESSED be God for perpetual promises under every circumstance in life-promises to be protected in danger; promises to be supported in adversity; promises under all evils, and promises that temptation and corruption shall not overcome us. It is a great mercy, when we are enabled, through the promises, to lift up our souls to a promise-keeping God, and to penetrate into the divine reality of those things which are so pleasantly set before us. There is a great deal of simplicity and wisdom in the language of the Psalms. They are also easily turned into prayers for ourselves; and, indeed, when we are thus delightfully led to appropriate the sweet passages of the sacred book, it is one of

the truest evidences that we are under the influence of the Spirit of God. I desire that the Lord may, in his infinite mercy, enable you to verify those blessed words which have been now read to you. It is pleasant to have the sound and echo of God's word in our hearts.

This passage has been upon my mind these two or three days. It has led me to consider the necessity of a holy dependence upon God, and of giving ourselves up to be led by him. In this determination we must be fixed. Every movement of our lives will be of importance, if we place ourselves under divine regulation. Let us all look to God, that he may "guide us by his counsel" here, and hereafter "receive us to glory." We are moveable beings, the creatures of change; but in all our movements we should offer up this solemn prayer, "teach me, O Lord, the way in which I should go, for I lift up my soul unto thee." I desire that all my footsteps should be guided by Him "in whom I live, and move, and have my being." Wherever I am, I would ask myself, "am I where my God would have me to be?" And whatever I am doing, I would inquire, "am I doing what God would have me to do?"

O that important passage, "I have set the

Lord always before me."1 I look to my ways and dare not proceed, but as I see the fiery cloudy pillar directing me on my journey. Old age creeps upon me fast, but even its infirmities will be profitable, if the presence of God in the midst of them, gives evidence of the truth of the blessed promise "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Experimental religion is always practical religion. When our God acts well upon us, we shall be enabled to act well for his glory. I do not desire to know these things only in theory; I desire to prove by my practice that I am under the guidance of almighty wisdom.

How beautiful are the words which precede the text "the Lord shall preserve thee from all evil; he shall preserve thy soul." So then no evil can occur, but we may look for the preservation of God to the full extent of this promise. We are "kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation." Believers are among the number of those who are favoured with light upon their path, and are led by the hand of God to those regions of everlasting life, where "they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." But after the expression I have just alluded

1 Ps. xvi, 8.

to, the words of the text present themselves"the Lord shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore." What a blessed thing to see that God's preserving hand is over us, and to know that in all cases we can each thus appeal to him-"Lord, here thy creature is, called by thy grace, dedicated to thy glory; through all his life it is his only object to do thy will in that station in which thy Providence has placed him." How admirable was the inquiry of St. Paul at his conversion, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" This should be our constant question under every circumstance. There is no period of our lives in which we have not something to do, and if we did but see the excellency of God's commands, we should tremble to take a step unless he ordered it. The Lord must determine all for us, and in every thing we must seek his praise. In all our daily occupations, in our business, we must so conduct ourselves, that we may wisely and piously look up to God for protection. No man can carry on his worldly occupations well, but as he is in a spiritual frame of mind. We are guided into all good by God alone. By nature we are without it, but it is restored by grace, and we are