livered so many of His trembling ones from the mouth of the lion and the bear: and, as He walks amongst His flock, He pronounces those words of His eternal power and Godhead, "They shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand1.”

In the economy of the spiritual world, God has established laws, no less fixed and undeviating than the laws of matter and of motion. In the spiritual world, where revelation is experiment and demonstration, and faith is instinct and intuition, the child of God knows, that there is no more reason to be assured that the stone will fall from his hand to the ground, than that the promises of God will be fulfilled to those who conform to the condition of their fulfilment. It is written by Him, whose will has appointed the bounds of the sea, and caused the sun and the earth to know their places, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you: draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." That divine love, which hears the first

1

1 John x. 28.

* James iv. 7, 8.

But

repenting footsteps of the returning prodigal, and runs to meet him while he is yet afar off, drawn by an invincible attraction to the soul which He has created and redeemed, has given to the enemy of mankind a faint and trembling heart, that quails before the resistance of the weakest infant, who trusts in God. A feeble and inexperienced hand, indeed, may hold the weapon. Satan sees the shield and buckler of the Almighty, spread over His servant. He sees the glittering of a sword, whose edge he has felt before. He knows the weight of that arm, which once hurled him and his rebellious host from their seat in heaven. Here his power and his courage end. "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." There are some, at least, who know this to be true. "The devils believe and tremble 1."

2. Again, the Lord interferes to regulate our trials, by his providential management of our circumstances. "The Lord knoweth," faith St. Peter, "how to deliver the godly out of temptations 2;" and in proof of this

J James ii. 19.

2 2 Pet. ii. 9.

he refers us to his bringing just Lot out of the evil society of the wicked Sodom. Thus the Lord continually interposes to deliver His people from connexions and situations which are too full of snares and too dangerous to the safety of their souls. The faithfulness of His love deprives them of their friends, and health, and riches; severs the parent from his child and bursts asunder the closest of human bonds; when the heart has become, or is likely to become, forgetful of God, and united more closely to the creature than to the Creator. Even in our ordinary circumstances, that we were born in such or such a situation, that we had such or such an education, and in many particulars of this kind, we cannot but observe much of the merciful providence of our Heavenly Father. And, for ought we know, in any other situation we should have been exposed to temptations which we could not have overcome. For ought we know to the contrary, the situation we are in may be the one most suited to improve and establish our characters, and in which it is

most easy for us to serve God. I know how unwilling we are to grant this; how ready we are to impute our sins to our situation, rather than to the wickedness of our hearts. But certainly these are reflections which will occur to the gratitude of the devout and contrite spirit. "Whoso is wise will ponder these things, and they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord 1."

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We should never forget that this Lord is our Master and Lord, Jesus Christ, "the head over all things to the Church :" and that, as He ruleth and governeth all things upon the earth, so His love is ever put forth to bless us and to do us good. He is "the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever3." He is still seeking and saving that which is lost. He is still the friend of sinners. He is still causing, by His perpetual guidance and providence, all things to "work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." If

* Eph. i. 22.

1 Ps. cvii. 43.

2

3 Heb. xiii. 8.

4 Rom. viii. 28.

therefore temptations and tribulations are not working together for our good, it is because we are disobedient to His heavenly calling; because we do not love God; because we refuse to walk worthy of Him who has called us to His kingdom and glory'.

3. And what shall we say, if, besides all this, He is ever at hand, a very present help, to supply us with strength and wisdom wherewith to carry on our warfare; to teach our hands to war, and our fingers to fight. He ever liveth to make intercession for us and, whilst we continue fighting, and His hands are lifted up, and the rod of His power stretched out for us, we cannot fall; we must be more "than conquerors through Him that loved us "." Is not the light of His word and Spirit illuminating our path, and showing us how we may avoid the snares of death? And when we are weak and wearied by the unceasing struggle against sin and Satan, He is ready, at our prayer, to pour heavenly strength and

1 1 Thess. ii. 12.

? Ps. cxliv. 1.

3 Rom. viii. 37. Exod. xvii. 11.