can be few here but must have some particular season to look back upon, some illness, or some danger, as to which more particularly and thankfully they can say, He redeemed my life from destruction. But if not, look back, believer, at thy years of sin and forgetfulness of God, and thy numberless provocations of Him; and I know thou art astonished and confounded at the mercy which saved thy life from destruction. Hadst thou been cut off then, thou hadst been banished from God for ever; thou hadst spent an eternity in sin and blasphemy against Him, whom now thy soul loveth. But, notwithstanding thy neglect, thy unkindness, thy defiance, He was watching over thee; his hand was stretched out, not in judgment, but in mercy; not to destroy, but to preserve, to ward off what are called the accidents of life, and to keep thee from the deadly consequences of thy sins. This is a heart-touching consideration, indeed.

But, spiritually, he redeems thy life from destruction. When the prodigal is come to himself, what is it but death and destruction that he finds himself among? No life derived from Christ, no powers for him, no ear to hear, no eye to see, no feet to move, no breath of prayer: he awakes from the very dead. Did he seek after this life? No more than the dead body of Lazarus. But Christ has stood before the sepulchre, and has cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. Lazarus awoke to familiar objects, to a world he was well acquainted with,-to Jesus, whom he knew and loved. But the quickened sinner awakes to ob

jects entirely new; and one of his first sensations is, wonder at the insensibility, the death, in which he had just been held by Satan. "Is it possible that I could have been blinded to that degree, as not to perceive myself every moment in danger of dropping into hell? that I could eat my meals, and sleep at night, and laugh and sport, when I did not know but a moment might consign me to irremediable misery? Is it possible that I could be conscious of all my own actions and thoughts; and yet not perceive myself a most impure, degraded, corrupted creature, and not desire to be something else? Is it possible that I could hear of being admitted into the presence of God hereafter, and enjoying eternal happiness before my Saviour, with a regenerate world, and not feel a desire after such things? Could I hear of the condescension of my God, of His humble birth, of His lovely, but despised life, of His agony and bloody sweat, of His cross and passion, of His precious death and burial, of His glorious resurrection and ascension; and feel no wonder, no sympathy, no love, no eager desire to become His, to devote myself, body, soul, and spirit, to such a Master? O! ME hath he quickened, who was dead in trespasses and sins. I was blind, now I see;-was in the tombs, and now behold ME sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in my right mind. He hath, indeed, redeemed my life from destruction."-Again, he shall, at the great day, redeem thy life from destruction, thy body from the grave. My brethren, the original sentence is in force: In the day that thou eatest

Dust thou art, and We are let to see the

thereof, thou shalt surely die. unto dust shalt thou return. awful effects of sin on the body, that we may the more hate sin, admire the holiness of God, loathe ourselves, find Christ precious, and see our need of the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit. But, where sin hath abounded, there grace much more abounds; and whatever man hath lost in Adam, he has more than regained in Christ. Hath he lost Paradise? He gains heaven. Hath he lost perfect happiness, which he might lose because it was entrusted to his own keeping? He gains a perfect happiness, which he can never lose, because it is guaranteed to Christ. Hath he lost his own pure and spotless nature? He becomes partaker of the Divine nature. Hath he lost his sonship-by-creation? He regains it by union with Christ. Hath his body become vile even here, and must it soon lie down in corruption? It shall ere long be changed, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body. Yes, my brother, your body must see corruption, but it shall not be left in the grave: it shall but leave its evil passions, its corrupt affections, its lusts and follies, its sicknesses and weaknesses, its sins and sorrows there. It is sown a natural body; and what that is we know, and see, and feel it is raised a spiritual body; and what that is, as yet we know not. It doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him. Well, therefore, may the earnest expectation of the creature, i. e. of the body, wait for the manifestation of the sons of God; inasmuch as

the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.*

4. But we proceed to another particular in David's enumeration of mercies: Who crowneth, or encircleth, thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies. We have seen the gratitude of a person obliged to an earthly friend; and to the instrumentality of an earthly friend we may owe many very great things. But where is the one blessing which we owe not to God? Do you account life, with all its capabilities, and with its prospects of glory and eternal happiness, for a blessing? Could you deserve it, while you were yet nothing? or, is it not a most free gift from a most gracious God, distributing to his creatures the power of being happy, as well as every thing that can make them happy? And, when once in being, think what a helpless, naked, defenceless, friendless, unblest creature, is man without his God. And therefore it is that we find the sacred writers looking backward and forward to every period of life, and acknowledging the unfailing and unwearied goodness of God, in encircling every period with loving-kindness and tender mercy. Thou hast covered me, says David, in my mother's womb. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. † And again, Thou art He that took me out of the womb; Thou

*

Rom. viii. 21.

+ Psalm cxxxix. 13, 16.

didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.* And again, Thou art my trust from my youth; and therefore he concludes with confidence, Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. ‡ And, lest the believer's heart should fail him on looking forward to the desolate period of old age, we have the gracious assurance of our God, Even to your old age 1 am He, and even to hoar hairs will I carry you. The believer has the same life, and the same troubles of life, to pass through, as other men: his afflictions may be greater than the worldling's; but, in the midst of troubles, in the midst of afflictions, he is still encircled with loving-kindness and tender mercies; still the lines shall fall unto him in pleasant places, and he has a goodly heritage; for he has the portion of the sons of Levi,-the Lord himself is his inheritance. Is he sick? The Lord will strengthen him on the bed of languishing. Thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness. Is he friendless? When even my father and mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. Is he persecuted and evil spoken of? Even princes did sit and speak against me; but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes. Thy testimonies also are my delight.¶ Is he poor? But the poor committeth himself unto Thee; and Thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.** Doth he see the ungodly in such prosperity? Nevertheless, Thou hast put gladness in my heart more than in the time that

* Psalm xxii. 9. ↑ Psalm lxxi. 5. ‡ Psalm xxiii. 6. § Psalm xli. 3. Psalm xxvii. 10. Psalm exix. 23, 24. ** Psalm lxviii. 10.