" and wretched, and poor, and blind, and naked." Such men, therefore, God sends empty away, but "filleth the hungry," such as feel their wants and needs," with good things."-" Blessed," says our Lord, "are they which do hunger "and thirst after righteousness, for they shall "be filled;" filled with all the fulness of God, with all the fruits of the Redeemer's purchase, filled with peace and joy in believing in him, "whom having not seen we love, in whom,

Ithough now we see him not, yet believing, we "rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." They shall be filled with the very things they most covet and desire, with a sense of God's favour, and love in Christ; with peace of conscience, with the light of that countenance which can cheer and comfort in the midst of worldly troubles and distresses, with the well-grounded hope of a blessed immortality. So that, adds the psalmist, "thy youth is renewed like the eagles." We have the very same image beautifully expressed by the prophet Isaiah, " even the youths "shall faint and be weary, and the young men "shall utterly fall; but they that wait upon the "Lord shall renew their strength; they shall "mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run "and not be weary, they shall walk and not "faint." Several naturalists assure us, that the

eagles, in reality, after a certain revolution of years, I think it is seventy, when they seem to be decaying and drawing near the period of their existence, suddenly recover their health and vigour, and begin, as it were, a new course of life, Whatever be in this, it is very certain that this bird retains the full exercise of all its senses, particularly the sight, to a great old age; and the notion of its growing young again may probably have arisen from the long continuance of its life and strength, compared with those of man; either way, it presents us with a beautiful resemblance of the life of a christian. Of the wicked, it is said, "they shall not live half their days, but the righ"teous shall flourish like the palm tree; they shall "still bring forth fruit in old age, they shall be "fat and flourishing."-Often, indeed, it appears to be otherwise, and the desponding soul is frequently ready to cry out with Heman, " My life "draweth nigh to the grave, I am counted with "them that go down into the pit; I am as a man "that hath no strength; free among the dead, "like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou "rememberest no more, and they are cut off from thy hand:" and with Asaph, in the seventyseventh psalm, "Will the Lord cast off for ever, " and will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy ❝ clean gone for ever, and doth his promise fail

66

" for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gra"cious, hath he in anger shut up his tender mer"cies?" Such have, in all ages, been the complaints of God's people; but though "weeping

may endure for a night, joy ariseth in the "morning."-All these trials and afflictions they are visited with, serving to quicken and call forth into action those graces which are the life, health, and vigour of the soul, and making them cleave faster unto God, who is all their strength, and all their salvation, Let us now observe the beautiful manner in which David appropriates all these blessings to himself, Bless the Lord, who for

giveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy "diseases, who redeemeth thy life from destruc❝tion, who crowneth thee with loving-kindness "and tender mercies, who satisfieth thy mouth "with good things, so that thy youth is renewed "like the eagles." It is matter of the highest comfort, that God is a gracious and merciful being, a God who "forgiveth iniquity," who "healeth "diseases," who "redeemeth from destruction;" but unless we can lay claim to these characters of goodness, we are so far from being benefited by this endearing account of the Deity, that, on the contrary, it must aggravate our misery, to think that such mercy is to be had, but that we have "no part nor lot" in it-if we were afflicted

with any bodily indisposition, and heard of a physician who was infallible for curing it, that he was likewise kind and tender hearted, one who loved to employ his skill in behalf of distressed objects, all this would give us very great satisfaction, no doubt; but our joy would only be complete on being assured that this physician was ready to undertake our own cause, and had already taken some steps toward performing our cure. Let us rejoice in this, then, that God excludes none from his mercies; salvation is to all, all who feel their need, who are sensible of their misery, who are willing to forsake their sins, and embrace their Saviour. Unbelief alone can prevent this mercy from taking effect. It must be entirely owing to ourselves if we are not able to say, every one for himself, in the words of David, "I will bless the Lord, who forgiveth all my ini

quities, who healeth all my diseases, who re"deemeth my life from destruction, who crown"eth me with loving-kindness and tender mer"cies, who satisfieth my mouth with good "things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagles."

The improvement of this subject is obvious. Let us, with gratitude and thankfulness, embrace these gracious offers of mercy and forgiveness,

while "God still waiteth to be gracious;" let us not "sin' because grace doth abound," remembering that goodness and patience abused, despised, and neglected, adds fuel to the wrath of God, when once it is kindled. "The day of "grace" will not last always; but that God, who is now seated on a throne of mercy, will soon appear clothed in terrible majesty, seated on a throne of judgment, to render " vengeance to all "who know not God, and obey not the gospel." To this purpose, allow me to read to you one of the most awful passages of the whole bible, to every obstinate, impenitent sinner: "Because I have "called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my "hand and no man regarded; but ye have set "at nought all my counsel, and would none "of my reproof; I also will laugh at your cala"mity, I will mock when your fear cometh; "when your fear cometh as desolation, and your "destruction cometh as a whirlwind, when dis"tress and anguish cometh upon you. Then "shall they call upon me, but I will not answer;

they shall seek me early, but they shall not "find me: for that they hated knowledge, and "did not choose the fear of the Lord; they would none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of "their own way, and be filled with their own

66