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plexity; as in the case of David and Peter. teran soldie may be overcome by superior force, or surprise: The believer too may be worsted. Let him not, however, despond: though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; his God will sustain him, and again raise him up. Does the conscience of you charge some heinous sin against you? pronounce sentence for God against you? feel the arrows of the Almighty within you, and his rebukes wasting your beauty as the moth? No doubt you have procured this, and must justify God. There is no reason why you should give way to slavish fears; that will only increase your guilt. Though your sin has abounded, there is superabounding grace in God, and he will abundantly pardon. David was pardoned, his soul was healed, and his broken bones were made to rejoice. Christ prayed for Peter, melted his unfeeling heart and healed him. You are invited to apply for pardon to that God against whom you have sinned. “O Israel return unto the Lord thy God: for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity." Approach him in the language of the Psalmist. "Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away."

BUT some groan under sin in their souls as a weighty burden, and anxiously wish deliverance from it. They are not so much affected with fears of danger and punishment, as with the effects of it in their souls. It distracts their thoughts, obscures their views, debilitates their strength, and defiles their souls; and thus disqualifies them for every spiritual employment, and for communion with God. Such a case often draws from the soul the Apostle's complaint; O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of

this death? This is the very sense of sin which God wishes his people to have. He is nigh unto such broken souls to relieve and heal them. Let such, then, cast their burden on the Lord. He does not require them to put it off themselves, but to bring it to him. Come to me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

AGAIN. The humble and sorrowful soul, under a sense of sin, is ready to exclude itself from God, through fear, sceing itself most unworthy. Would to God all his people were in such a frame, and had such a view of themselves: none are so welcome to communion with himself, and none more fit to relish and enjoy it. "To this man," says he, "will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word." Though he is the high and lofty One, whose name is Holy, and dwells in the high and holy place; he dwells also with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."

To conclude. Some, on account of their sin, are left to walk in darkness, and under a sense of the divine displeasure. Nothing gives them so much pain as this. Their souls are in distress, and the comforter who should relieve them is far from them. Though it be so, they are not to conclude that God hath cast them off, or that he will no more be gracious. Though they are sore broken with the rod, though they may have long spurned at it, though they have walked in darkness, as those who are dead and forgotten, and though they have turned from God into sinful and crooked ways; yet he will not lead them forth with the workers of iniquity; he will turn from his anger, he will deliver

them from blood-guiltiness, and restore to them the joys of his salvation. "I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will restore comforts unto him." I will heal your backslidings, I will love you freely: for mine anger is turned away."

ON THE NATURE AND EXCELLENCE OF THE LOVE OF GOD TO HIS PEOPLE.

ZEPH. iii. 17.

-He will rest in his love

THE writer of this book prophesied in the reign of Josiah, an eminent reforming prince. Notwithstanding his exertions to abolish idolatry, to restore the purity of the worship of God, and to reform the people, genuine repentance, and the life of religion, do not seem, in general, to have made much progress; for although God suspended the execution of his judgments, during the reign of that pious prince, he declared that he would not turn from his wrath, but would remove Judah out of his sight, as he had done Israel; and that his wrath should be poured out upon Jerusalem, and should not be quenched, on account of the sins of Manasseh.

ZEPHANIAH was employed by God to warn the people of their sin and danger, to denounce the divine judgments, and exhort them to repentance and reformation. This work is faithfully done by him in the two first chapters and preceding part of the third. His messages did not reform them, and the judgments with which they had long been threatened, were, at last, inflicted upon them.

NOTWITHSTANDING these threatenings, God exhorts them to turn their attention to the promises which he had made respecting their future restoration, under the gospel, which would be introduced by very terrible and

extensive judgments upon the nations of the earth. These should be followed by the downfal of superstition and idolatry, in general, and the propagation of genuine Christianity. The natural seed of Abraham are also assured, that these judgments under which they should continue so long, would be removed; that they should be reformed from their evil ways, and made partakers of the blessings of the gospel. On account of these promises they are invited to sing and rejoice. In order to the accomplishment of these events, the presence and favour of Jehovah are promised to them.

THE text contains the fullest assurance that what, ever God had promised should be made good. In the words, observe,

1. THE person by whom these great things are to be effected; Jehovah, the Almighty. It is the same God who, for a very long time had made their name Lo-AMMI,' and had visited them with very terrible judgments. Now be again assumes the name of "The King of Israel," and proceeds to act in his gracious character as God of his church. As he inflicted these judgments, none but himself could remove them.

2. THE party addressed; The dispersed Israelites at the time of their restoration to their own land, and their introduction into the gospel church. That this is the true application of the passage can be doubted by none who attentively considers it. And although, in this sense, it has never been accomplished, being reserved for some future period, yet it has been often fulfilled in the spirit of it. The words admit of an easy application to the church of genuine believers, in any place, and at any period, assembled to attend on the ordinances of religion. God delights in such assemblies, favours them 'with his gracious presence, and gives success to his or