grief! thy support is cut off, thy refuge is gone yet is there comfort for thee; comfort without measure and without end: thou art not alone; the God of the fatherless is thine; and He will protect and provide. As there is no place, so is there no situation, where God is not: His sun shines every where, and so does His mercy. No wilderness so wide and waste, but God is there, with the pious traveller; no night so lonely, but God is there, with the soul that seeketh Him. No heart so desolate and bereft, but God is in the midst thereof, in every holy wish and every sigh, with the light of His heavenly consolation.

And, that our joy may be full, we have the assurance, that He "will never leave us, nor forsake us ;" never in life, never in death. Let us but be walking with God; let us but maintain, in the spirit of prayer and heavenly meditation, a consciousness of his perpetual presence; let us but watch, and strive to realize, in the midst of our daily experience, that gra

cious promise of His word, that blessed encouragement, "Fear not for I am with thee, be not dismayed for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee: yea, I will help thee: yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness:"* and then, we shall neither be dejected by present trouble, nor be afraid of trouble to come. If a cloud arise before us, it will either be scattered by His merciful command; or, if it fall, we shall be safe in the presence and power of Him, who rides in the whirlwind and directs the storm: nothing in the universe can hurt us, while the Lord of the universe is with us, for a refuge and stay. We need to fear no enemy; not even the most terrible of all, not death itself: for He will be with us, who will "make us more than conquerors:" and this will be sufficient, though mortal help there is none. In our last moments, indeed, it is well if earthly friends be present, and gather round our bed, to sympathise, and comfort, and aid: * Isa. xvi. 10, 11.

but whether or not, Christian, God will be there; "His rod and His staff, they will comfort thee." We read of some, who have spoken of the evil and hardship. of dying alone; the Christian cannot die alone, because the Father is with him."

66

And now, my brethren, I have only to entreat your faithful and grateful remembrance of Him, through whom these unspeakable blessings, of a reconciled Father's love, are obtained for us and ministered unto us; the Lord Jesus, the friend of sinners; who lived, and suffered, and died, for our reconciliation; who triumphed amid the world's desertion of Him; that we might triumph also; through whom, God is our God, to guide, and guard, and keep us, in every way and every hour; even until we come to His heavenly and everlasting kingdom. "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world:"* this is our hope, this our crown of rejoicing. "No man cometh to the Father but by Me:"+ "Lord, to

* John xvi. 33. † John xiv. 6.

whom should we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life."* O, increase our desires after Thee; enlarge our gratitude to Thee; and fix our hearts upon Thee, henceforth and for ever: and thus, whatever be our lot in the world, we shall have a near and abiding fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: we shall belong to a large and blessed family, to the innumerable company of angels; who will minister to us here; and rejoice with us, in the presence of God and the Lamb, in the realms of eternal glory.

• John vi. 68.

SERMON X.

THE DUTY OF BRIDLING THE TONGUE.

JAMES i. 26.

If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, that man's religion is vain.

IN explaining and inculcating the gospel, there are two opposite errors, very frequently observable: one is the error of those who understand not the doctrine of justification by Christ alone; and think, and feel, and act, as if their own conduct had, of itself, and for its own sake, a part in the meritorious cause of their salvation; as if they were accepted by God, partly on their own account, and partly for what