ark before the door be shut against us " We are going
the way of all the earth," whether we be old or young, rich or poor: and as death finds us, so shall we remain for ever. Stay not then till death overtake you ; but join yourselves to the
0 Jer. ii. 31. P Heb. xiii. 5. Isai. xlix. 14, 15. and liv. 7 — 10. i Mic. vi. 3. r Ezek. xxiv. 13, 14. * 2 Pet. iii. 3, 4.
Lord, and to his people. " Come with us, and we will do you good ; for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel1."]
2. Those who are tempted to doubt his faith- fulness—
[Let not delays lead you to harbour unbelieving fears. God sent not his Son till four thousand years after he had an- nounced his purpose to the world : nor did he bring Israel out of Egypt till the time fixed in his promises was just expired. If a few more hours had elapsed, his promise to Abraham would have been broken : but God remembered the very day ; and then inclined the rebellious Pharaoh to submit : yea, he disposed the Egyptians to " thrust his people out" from their land, on " the self-same day " that he had fixed four hundred and thirty years before". Tarry then the Lord's leisure. Take the promises of God as your support, and " claim them as your heritage for everx." Be not hasty in concluding that God will not accom- plish themy; but take them with you to a throne of grace, and plead them as the saints of old were wont to doz: then you shall find them all to be "yea, and amen, in Christ3." "If things be marvellous in your eyes, do not imagine that the}r must therefore be so in the eyes of Godb;" for as " there is nothing too hard for him " to do, so there is nothing too great, or too good, for him to give to his believing people.]
3. Those who are relying on his faithfulness —
[It cannot but be a source of unspeakable comfort to ob- serve, in how many passages the faithfulness of God is expressly pledged for the performance of his promises. Does he promise to forgive our sinsc, to deliver us from temptation d, to further in us the great work of sanctificatione, and to preserve us to the endf? We are told in each, that he is "faithful to do it" for us. It is also delightful to reflect, that "his word is tried8." Solomon's testimony was precisely that which is given in the texth: and, the more we trust in God, the more evidence shall we have that " he keepeth covenant and mercy to a thou- sand generations1." But remember that his fidelity to you requires in you fidelity to him: it lays you under a tenfold obligation to " hold fast the profession of your faith without waveringk." See then that ye bear in mind the vows that are
* Numb. x. 29. u Exod. xii. 51. x Ps. cxix. 111.
y 1 Sam. xxvii. 1. Ezek. xxxvii. 11. z Gen. xxxii. 12.
a 2 Cor. i. 20. b Zech. viii. 6. c 1 John i. 9.
d 1 Cor. x. 13. e 1 Thess. v. 23, 24. ' 2 Thess. iii. 3.
s 2 Sam. xxii. 31. h 1 Kings viii. 56. * Deut. vii. 9. k Heb. x. 23.
260.]
joshua's covenant with Israel. 623
upon you, and that ye execute all that ye have undertaken in your baptismal covenant. Labour to be found " children that will not lie ; so will He be" your faithful and almighty " Saviour1."]
1 Isai. lxiii. 8-