wishing and try Are and eternal weight of glory."* Are you sorrowing because God is not in all your thoughts? It is a sign you wish him to be. Do you grieve at your imperfections? No one mourns over an evil without ing to get rid of it. you striving to be like Christ? You soon will be, "for you will see him as he is, and be like him."+ Are you crying out, oh! that it was with me as in months past? It shall soon be so. "For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee." Are you sitting in darkness and have no light?"To the righteous there ariseth light in darkness." "In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I * 2 Cor. iv. 17. + 1 John iii. 2. + Isa. liv. 7. have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer."* Do you say, surely I was never a child of God? It is a gracious sign that you are really one, because an unconverted soul never feels any concern on the subject. Are you dull and lifeless? Fly to Christ, and entreat him to shed abroad his love in your heart. Do you fear that you will be lost? That fear is your safeguard. Fearing such a thing will make you concerned, and lead to such a course as will prevent it. Blessed be God, our salvation does not rest upon any of our own performances, for if it did we should certainly go to hell. We are kept by the power of God, and Christ has bound himself to secure our final triumph. He says, "I give unto them eternal life, and they shall * Isa. liv. 8. never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hands."* But sometimes all the afflictions which I have stated, so crowd upon and oppress believers, their condition resembles poor mariners, who are driven by strong currents into dangerous shoals, or thrown amongst frightful rocks, where escape seems hopeless. It is then a Christian cries out, my way is hid from my God, and all these things are against me. But it is not so, for all these things are for you. If you doubt it, hear in what encouraging, rejoicing language the Lord addresses you. "Sing O heavens, and rejoice, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his * John x. 28, M 5 afflicted."* "Fear not, for 1 have redeemed thee; I have called thee by my name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."+ "For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee." At all times let us cast the sure anchor of faith upon Christ, for he hath said: "I, even I, will be with thee in trouble." * Isa. xlix. 13. Isa. xliii. 1, 2. Isa. liv. 10. Poor sinners! I can call your attention to no subject more important than the present; poor sailors! I can propose to you nothing comparable to the blessed anchoring ground which I have described. In the foregoing chapters my aim has been to point out your dangers, and direct you to him who can secure you from them. "Seek the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."* Your course on earth will soon be over: oh! be concerned that it may end in your everlasting felicity. Behold, I set 66 * Isa. lv. 6, 7. |