directed us to commit ourselves to him for that purpose*; and assured us, that, if we do so, *' he will establish our goings'." We should commend ourselves therefore to his gracious care and protection. We should say with David, " Hold thou up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not^:" " Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe''." To this we are encouraged by our past experience of his mercy : we may from the kindness already shewn us, safely infer the continuance of it to our souls'. If we can say, " He hath delivered," we may properly add, " In whom we trust that he will yet deliver us''."]
But here arise two important questions, which it is of the utmost importance to resolve :
1 . Are our souls really alive to God ?
[In vain shall we speak of having '' our souls upheld in life," if they have never yet been quickened from the dead. Let us then seriously, and as in the presence of God, inquire. Whe- ther we have been made partakers of a new and living prin- ciple, whereby we have been enabled to die unto sin, and to live unto God? Let us not mistake a mere approbation of religion for real regeneration : we must have become new creatures, having new views, new desires, new pursuits, and new prospects, if we have been truly born again': and if this change have not been wrought within us, we are yet in our natural and uncon- verted state; we may have " a name to live, but are really dead" before God : notwithstanding we may have been preserved from any flagrant violation of our duty, we are yet " dead in tres- passes and sins."]
2. Supposing that we are on the whole alive to God, have " our feet really been kept from falling?"
[We must ascertain this fact, before we can cordially thank God for it. And is it indeed true of all who profess religion amongst us, that they have been kept ? Have none of us acted unworthy of our high calling ? Has there been nothing in our tempers, nothing in our worldly transactions, inconsistent with our profession ? Or, supposing our outward conduct to have been unimpeachable, have there been no secret sins, which we have reason to mourn over ; nothing for which we ought to blush and be confounded before God ? Perhaps, if we look in- ward, we shall find more occasion to bewail our falls, than to bless our God for having kept us from falling.
But, if conscience testify that we have indeed walked uprightly before God, then let us imitate the example in the text, and not only bless and magnify him ourselves, but endeavour also to " make the voice of his praise to be heard" throughout the world.]
•= 1 Pet. iv. 19. '2 Chron. xx. 20. ' Ps. xvii. 5. •" Ps. cxix. 11 7. ' Ps. Ivi. 13. ^ 2 Cor. i. 10. ' 2 Cor. v. 17.