d of sinners. His heart was set upon it from all or, before the world was made, he tells us: "My ere with the sons of men." For this end he took nature became a man of sorrows, and acquainted From his cradle in the manger to the cross, the of God's anger was over him; and especially toose of his life, the cloud came to be at the darkest neerfully suffered all. "How am I straitened till plished!" The cup of God's anger was given him xture; yet he said: "The cup which my Father me, shall I not drink it?" Now, we may be that since he was the Son of God, he hath sufat sinners should have suffered. If he had been he might have left some part unfinished; but as God, his work must be perfect. He himself s finished;" and since he was the God that canare quite sure that all suffering is finished—that nor his body can suffer any more to all eternity. gain, he undertook to obey the law in the stead Man had not only broken the law of God, but ed to obey it. Now, as the Lord Jesus came to ete Saviour, he not only suffered the curse of the but he obeyed the law in the stead of sinners. s whole life, he made it his meat and drink to of God. Now, we may be quite sure, that since Son of God, he hath done all that sinners ought ne. His righteousness is the righteousness of at we may be quite sure, that every sinner who t righteousness is more righteous than if man allen-more righteous than angels-as righteous Who shall condemn whom God hath justified?" ss sinners! this is the Saviour whom we have preaching to you this is the divine Redeemer have always trodden under foot. You would reat thing if the king left his throne, and knocked -r, and besought you to accept a little gold; but, uch greater a thing is here. The King of kings throne, and died the just for the unjust, and

sat your door. Careless sinner, can you still

Awakened, anxious souls! this is the Saviour we have always offered you-this is the refuge- the rock which has followed you. You are anxious for your soul; and why, then, will you not hide here? Do you think that you honour Christ by doubting if his blood and righteousnes be enough to cover you? Do you think you honour Go by making him a liar, and refusing to believe the record which he hath given of his Son? Oh! doubt him no longer. Another day, and it may be too late. Flee like men who have an eternal hell behind them, and an eternal refuge before them. Take heaven by violence. "Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."

And you who have fled for refuge to the Saviour: "0 happy Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord!" The eternal God is thy refuge; and of whom can you be afraid? Remember, abide in him. In the dare hours of sin and temptation, Satan always tries to drive you from this refuge. He will try to make you doubt if Christ be God-if his work be a finished work-if sinners may hide in him—if a backslider may hide in him; but cast not away your confidence. Cleave fast to Christ; and then the eternal God is thy refuge. In the hour of death, you may have a dark valley to pass through-you may lose sight of all your evidences-you may feel all your graces departed, and cry: "All these things are against me." Still, as a helpless sinner, flee to the Saviour God. Throw away the question whether you ever believed or no; and say, I will believe now; and thus at evening time it shall be light, and you will die with the eternal God as your refuge. Your eyes will close on this world only to open on the world where there is no doubt, and no fear, and no death.

III. Israel is a happy people, because sanctified by the Lord: "Underneath are the everlasting arms and, "Who is the sword of thy excellency."

In the chapter before (xxxii. 11), God compares his carrying of Israel to an eagle and her young: "As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: so the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him." Again, in Isaiah, it is said: "In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and

he bare them and carried them all the days of old." Again, in the story of the lost sheep, we find that the Saviour not only finds the lost sheep, but "when he hath found it, he lays it upon his shoulders rejoicing." This is the very same meaning as the text: "Underneath are the everlasting arms;" and again: "He is the sword of thine excellency." When a young believer has come to peace in Jesus, he then comes to anxiety about walking holily. No sooner has he found the sweet calm of a forgiven soul, than he begins to know the bitter anxiety of a soul that fears to sin. True, I have come to Christ, and should have peace; but now I begin to fear I shall not be able to confess Christ before men. Now I begin to see that the whole world are against me-that all things are tempting me to sin; and I fear I shall go back to the world. I fear I shall be ensnared again. My companions-how can I resist them? and Satan -how can I fight against him?

This is the time when the young believer begins to make a great many resolutions in his own strength. If he could only keep out of the way of temptation, and separate from the world, he thinks he could keep himself holy; but God soon teaches him the insufficiency of his own strength. His resolutions are all broken through-his habits of walking strictly vanish like smoke before the breath of temptation; and the young child of God sits down to weep over the plague of his own heart, and to cry: "O wretched man who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"

If there be any such hearing me, suffer me, I beseech you, to recommend a new plan-a far more excellent way. Give yourself into the everlasting arms. When sin arises -when the world sets in like a flood-when temptation comes suddenly upon you-lean back upon the almighty Spirit, and you are safe. How does the little child do that has been set down upon the ground to walk, when it finds that its little limbs bend under it-that the first breath of wind will overthrow it? Does it not yield itself up into the mother's arms? When it cannot go, it consents to be carried; and so do you, feeble child of God. God hath given you cleaving faith, to cleave to Christ alone for righteousness; and that gave you the peace of the justified. Pray now that God would give you resigning faith, that you may trust him alone for strength-that you may yield yourself into the everlasting arms. Go you and learn what this meaneth: Jehovah our Righteousness is the same as Jeho

R

vah my Banner. Then, but not till then, will you fully know the meaning of the blessing: "O happy Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord!"

Objection. I do not see the Spirit, nor hear the Spirit, nor feel the Spirit; and how can I yield myself into his arms? Ans. This is the very Bible-description of the Spirit's work: "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, or whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit." You do not see the wind, nor do you understand the machinery by which it blows, and yet you spread the sail to catch the breeze; and thus the tall vessel is borne over many a rough sea to the haven of rest. Just so lean upon the Spirit, though you understand not his working. Though now you see him not, yet believe in him, and you shall rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory-you shall be borne over the rough waves of this world to the haven of rest. Again: you do not know how the well springs up-you do not understand the machinery by which the water springs unfailingly; and yet you carry the pitcher to the well, and never come back with it empty. So depend on the unseen supply of the Spirit-get a daily supply for daily wants-go confidently to the wells of salvation, and ye shall draw water with joy. "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink." "O happy Israel: who is like unto thee!" Be of good cheer. We are confident that He which hath begun a good work in you will carry it on to the day of Christ Jesus.

But, ah! poor Christless souls, there is no promise of the Spirit to you. All the promises are yea and amen in Christ. Out of Christ there is no promise—nothing but wrath. You have no everlasting arms underneath you. You are sensual, not having the Spirit. There is no sin into which you may not fall. The sins that make men shudder and turn pale, you may commit. God has nowhere promised to keep you from them. You have not the Spirit -you cannot love God, or do any good work-you can only sin. O poor souls! that are growing still on the stock of old Adam, you cannot but bear evil fruit; and the end will be death. Oh! that you would go away and weep over your miserable estate, and cry to God to bring you among his happy Israel-who are chosen-justified-sanctifiedsaved by the Lord!

St Peter's, Jan. 29, 1837.

SERMON XXXVIII.

ENTREAT ME NOT TO LEAVE THEE.

"And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.".

RUTH i. 16.

In these two women of Moab you see the difference between nature and grace.

1. Orpah appears to have been of a most gentle, affectionate disposition. She had been a kind and loving wife for ten years to her now buried husband. She had been a kind daughter-in-law to Naomi: "The Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me."Verse 8. She could not bear to part with Naomi. She first determined to go with her.-Verse 6. When Naomi bade go back, she said: "Surely we will go with thee." When Naomi again bade them return, she lifted up her voice and wept. And she kissed her mother-in-law most affectionately, and went back to her people and her gods. O how much of loveliness there is in the gentle affections of nature! Who would believe that they cover a heart as black as hell?

them

2. Ruth also appears to have been of a kindly, gentle disposition; but her heart was touched by the Spirit of God also. Naomi had not only been her mother-in-law, but the mother of her soul. She had taught her the way of salvation by the blood of the Lamb; and therefore, when the day of trial came, that she must part from her people and her gods, or part from her spiritual instructor, Ruth clave to Naomi: "And Naomi said, Behold thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister-in-law. And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God."-Verses 15, 16.

From these words I draw the following lesson: That we should cleave to our converted friends.