But its value lies in the life which is to come. It is but the introduction of your being-the period, not so much for living as for preparing to live. The interests of eternity must be settled. And can any of you tell how long you are to have to make that settlement? 'Time can be to each of you only your lifetime. And your lifetime!-which of you knows what that is to be? It is a term that includes as many varieties of duration as there are moments in "threescore years and ten.” By the will of Him "in whose hand is the life of every thing, and the breath of all mankind," you have been spared to various stages of advancement in your earthly journey: and I would remind every one of you, that if a coming eternity has not yet been provided for, the chief business of life has yet been neglected; every moment of it has been misspent; and how many moments may now remain, who has the foresight to predict? What day passes over you without its hints, that there may be but a step, and a very short one, between you and death. What lessons are before us of the shortness of human anticipations, and the suddenness of life's changes. Even amidst the sweetest and most enchanting scenes of nature's loveliness, the ruthless spoiler may be lurking near in unseen ambush: even when the spirits are buoyant in the innocent and dear delights of friendly intercourse, a few seconds may change-ah! how sadly change!-the scene of security and pleasure to a scene of alarm, and peril, and suffering. So true is the saying that "in the midst of life we are in death." O let none resist the salutary impression, and again put it away, as they may have done similar impressions heretofore, to be acted upon at a future period. To you, the anticipated futurity may never arrive. The God "in whose band your breath is," may have dated your death much earlier than you are dating it yourselves. You may be counting years, while he is numbering moments. And the manner of it, as well as the time, may be widely different indeed from your anticipations. The present instant only can be called your own. O let it not be

misimproved. Behold, now is the accepted time, be hold, now is the day of salvation: "to-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." Yes-to-day; now, even now, come to Christ; believe in his Name; look for the mercy of God through his atoning blood; seek an interest in him, as the soul's only safety for eternity.

FEAR NOT.-ONLY BELIEVE.

What an abiding feeling in the mind is fear. And does it not arise from unbelief? I do not speak of sudden surprise, or that excitement which can be traced to weak health; of this the best Christain is often thankful for that word of comfort, "He knoweth our infirmities," but I allude to that fear which the Scripture says is cast out by love. The express command of our Lord to his people is, "Fear not." And have we so often to convince the sleeping infant that it has no cause for fear on its mother's b' som, as the Christain that he is safe, perfectly safe, in his heavenly Father's arms of love?

Let the Christain watch his own heart, and he will soon see when he fears he most, and when he fears the least. You fear the most when you have lately prayed the least, read your Bibles the least, when you have taken the least time for contemplation on God, on his name, his works, his word. The name of the Lord is a strong tower-but, lately, you have not run into it. His word is tried and sure, and will remain, when for the world we live on there is found no place; but lately you have not trusted it. His works are

mighty, and tell day and night of his kindness, but lately you have not searched them out, and therefore the love which casts out fear being very feeble in you,, you begin to fear much,-it is a sense of the presence of God, connected with an abiding feeling of his love and power, which keeps us from the fear of manwhich makes our religion strong enough for us to die, and happy and peaceful enough for us to live by. God

says, "Fear not;" but we can no more obey this command than create a world, but by the indwelling power of that Comforter who, taking of the things of God, and honouring the mind of God, testifies to us of our adoption into his family, and safety in his presence. It is true the sinner fears not-but why- because he thinks not, he is so hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, and never feeling God about him, he lives in thoughts and affections among his fellow-creatures only, and fancies he lacks nothing, and fears nothing; but let him be alone, alone in a thunder storm, let death stare him in the face, poverty come on him as an armed man, let his children fall under the hand of disease, and ask that sinner, have you no fear now? Yes, he fears then, and why?—the power of God, the presence of God approaches, the Almighty was about him, and he knew it not till he spoke, and then the sinner trembled. Ah! this is the fear which goes well nigh to destroy, but seldom sanctifies. The Christain has a fear, a holy trembling oftentimes, but it is of sin, the more he feels of his Master's presence, of his love, and power, the more he fears to offend him, or grieve the Spirit by any self-will or earthly affection; he fears lest his Lord should come and find him off his guard, but this is not a slavish feeling or fear,-it is not sudden, but more like that connected with the tender love of the child who watches his parent's countenance, and follows his footsteps, that he may be always near him, obey him, and smile and say, this is a beloved child.

What God spoke to the saints of old, he speaks to us by his Word at this time. He says to Abraham, "Fear not, I am thy shield and thine exceeding great reward.""Fear not," the Lord repeats to him," for. I am with thee, and will bless thee." To the children of Israel he said, when pursued by their enemies, "fear not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord." "Fear not," says Joshua, the truc searcher of the promised land, "for the people are bread for us." "Fear not," says Moses, "because of your enemies, for thy God is with thee." "Fear not," says Elisha to his timid ser

vant," for they that are with us are more than are with them." "Fear not," says Jahazeel to King Jehosaphat, "be not afraid, for the battle is not yours, but the Lord's." "Fear not," says the Lord, by Isaiah, "I will help thee." "Fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid." Jeremiah says, "Thou drewest near the day that I called upon thee, thou sayest, fear not." The Saviour himself, in the New Testament, speaks like sweet words, "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father, but the very hairs of your head are numbered; fear ye not, therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows." In St. Paul's trials, hard as they were, we find an angel standing by him, saying, "Fear not Paul." And when the Apostle John fell down as dead from the greatness of the revelation, Jesus says to him, "Fear not, I am the first and the last." Oh! happy, happy believer, who need not fear, for this first and last is thy best Beloved, thy Saviour, and thine All in All. Surely David knew something of this blessedness when he said, "Though an host should encamp against me, yet my heart will not fear." "We will not fear though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. I will not fear what flesh can do unto me." "God is my salvation," says Isaiah, "I will trust and not be afraid." What can your weak heart fear which God has not bid you fear not? Thou shalt not be afraid of ten thousand of people-of what man can do unto you ;-of the terror by night when thou liest down-of evil tidings-of sudden desolation;-no, nor when we pass through the valley of death, for, says the Lord, "I am with thee, 1 will never leave thee nor forsake thee." The reason God gives for freedom from fear is his own presence; but how can the presence of God give peace, but by the full abiding on the mind that He is our friend, or else the more we study Him, the more we dread. Accepted in the beloved, all his attributes are ours. It

was sin first brought fear into the world. Adam never hid himself till after he fell; then he heard God's voice and was afraid. Moses was afraid when the people had transgressed. The sinners in Zion are afraid, "farfulness hath taken them," Isaiah xxxiii, 14, and this will be the case, even in a greater measure, with the Christian who has been overcome of evil, or who acts as he knows to be contrary to his holy professions. There is scarcely such fearfulness upon earth as that person feels who knows, and did love God, and yet, from love of this world, has forsaken the right way; but even the holy and prayerful Christian is often under a temptation to be afraid, and he may trace it, perhaps, to one of these causes-either, your will is so far at present from being wholly subdued to God's, that your fear to trust him, lest he bring upon you what you cannot like, or else from a remaining measure of selfrighteousness, which you cloak under the feeling, I am so unworthy-I deserve nothing-plainly showing, if you felt yourself worthy you would not be afraid to trust, while you dare not throw yourself upon God just as you are, and let love supply all your need. Oh! we are more ready to trust any fallen son of Adam, or even ourselves, than God alone; but fellow-Christian, if you would honour God in the world, receive the fulness of the Spirit in the comfort of his indwelling, and encourage others to speak well of the better land, "fear not." Is it life's sorrows make you afraid? fear them not, thy life shall be given you, and your true life is hidden with Christ in God. Your Saviour will be better to you if you will but trust him, than all he will ever take from you. Is it death you fear? it is swallowed up of victory. Is it judgment? mercy hath triumphed over judgment. Let faith and love hold out a little longer, cast not away your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward; and then, at the last day, when an awful fearfulness takes hold of and awakens the sinner, and he calls on rocks and mountains to cover him, you shall fearlessly exclaim, "Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, we will rejoice and be glad in