not the work of thine own hand. Leave me not, neither forfake me, O God of my falvation! Gaft me not away from Thy prefence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Reftore unto me the joy of Thy falvation: and uphold me with Thy free Spirit (g). In the words of infpiraMy

tion he reads the answer of his God. grace is fufficient for thee.

I am with thee

always. I will never leave thee, nor forfake thee. Because thou feareft me, I have bearkened and heard it: and thou shalt be mine; and I will spare thee as a man fpareth his own fon that ferveth him. Thou therefore, My fon, be Strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus (b).

1

3. The religious man is delivered from corroding anxietes as to the events which may befal him during the refidue of his life, He has fet his affections on things above, not on things on the earth. His treafure is in heaven: and there also is his heart. Having food and raiment, he is therewith content. On earth he is but a fojourner and a pilgrim : and he perceives that it needs not to be an object of ferious concern whether the road along which he travels be fomewhat more or less smooth, whether he meets with fomewhat more or fewer acommodations on his

(g) Pfalm xxvii. 9. li. 11, 12. cxxxviii. 8. (b) 2 Cor. xii. 9. Matth. xxviii. 20. Mal. iii. 16, 17. 2 Tim. ii. 1.

Ff4

Hebr. xiii. 5.

journey.

journey. He fhall foon reach the end, his everlasting home, his everlafting reft. To that home, to that reft, he steadily looks forward; and repines not at the difficulties of the way, And why fhould he repine? What if he be overtaken by calamity? What if he be laid on the bed of ficknefs? Cannot Omnipotence remove calamity? Cannot Omnipotence reftore health? The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to Shew himself ftrong in behalf of them, whofe beart is perfect towards Him (i). But what if his affliction be continued? Knoweth he not that all things fhall work together for good in the end to them who love God? He feels that he can humbly say with Peter; Lord! Thou knoweft all things: Thou knoweft that I love Thee. He feels that he loves God, and is comforted. But what if he fhould experience, the fevereft, the leaft retrievable, of worldly deprivations; the lofs of dear and pious friends? Has God provided no balm for that wound? Cannot God provide for him other friends, who, in fome measure, if not entirely, may fill the void in his heart which death has made?

And the
And the pious

friends whom he has loft, has he loft them for ever? He has loft them but for a mo

ment. They are but gone a little before him. (i) 2 Chron. xvi. 9.

They

They are waiting to welcome his arrival in the kingdom of their Redeemer, where they hall meet in blifs unfpeakable, never to part again. In the moft trying hour, under dif penfations the moft afflictive, he remembers, and he experiences, the confoling influence of the Spirit of God. He finds Him to be, what He was announced to be, the true Comforter. From that Spirit he receives unfailing fupplies of fupporting and ftrengthening grace. The fruits of that Spirit he ftill finds to be joy and peace. He hears the words of his Saviour; Let not your heart be troubled: and reposes with unclouded ferenity on His love. His patient endurance becomes thankfut aequiefcence: and his holy calmness is at times exalted to joy unfpeakable, and full of glory.

4. The religious man is delivered from the fear of the last enemy, Death. Through fear of Death ungodly men are all their lifetime Jubject to bondage (j). From this thraldom, thraldom which renders life itself a burthen, the fervant of God has been rescued. His fetters are broken. Before him Death ftands difarmed of his terrors. What though the approach of Death excites tender folicitude for those whom the dying man leaves behind? He knows that the Power, who has protected

him, is able alfo to protect them. He liftens to the promise of the Lord: Leave thy fatherlefs children; I will preferve them alive : and let thy widow truft in Me (k). He liftens; and anxiety is at an end. What though the approach of Death be accompanied with temporary alarms at the profpect of standing be fore his Maker? The heart of the Chriftian is foon re-established. He remembers that he is to ftand before his Maker, not in his own righteoufnefs, but juftified through the righteousness of his Redeemer. He knows that he fhall be complete in Chrift; that he fhall thus be without fault before the throne of God (), Sin, the fting of Death, is taken. away. The gloom which overhangs the valley of the fhadow of Death becomes the twilight of an eternal morning. The The grave is the gate of heaven. The moment which extinguishes mortal exiftence is the commencement of everlasting life. He longs to bid adieu to pain and forrow: he longs to be. united to the glorified fpirits of the just whom he loved on earth, to join the innumerable company of faints and angels; to behold his Redeemer face to face; to be bleffed in the presence of his God. It is thus that the righteous fall afleep.

(4) Jer. xlix. 11.

(1) Col. ii. 10.

Rev. xiv. 5.
5. There

5. There yet remain various circumstances, which attend the religious man in the ordinary course of his life, and contribute no fmall acceffions to the daily amount of his happiness. By the integrity and the kindness of his conduct, for integrity and kindness are among the genuine fruits of true religion; he is on many occafions placed beyond the reach of those who may be defirous of injuring him. Who is he that will harm you; who is he that under common events will be able to bring you into trouble; if ye be followers of that which is good? In domeftic life has not the religious man, and he alone, grounds for expecting permanent harmony and affection? Will not his friends, felected from among thofe who love their God, be found tender and faithful? Will not his intercourfe with them be equally a fource of improvement and of delight? Will not the general temper of his mind be cheerful ferenity? Free from the dominion of ambition, of avarice, of anger, and of other diforderly paffions, he defcends quietly and contentedly along the ftream of life; little molefted by many of the ufual caufes of uneafinefs, and at a diftance from many of the ordinary occafions of danger. From the common bounties of Providence he derives higher fatisfac