inspire us with grace sufficient to carry it into execution ! It is in order to bring all to tliis, that we have been so particular in the foregoing statement. It is vith a view to this that we so earnestly recommend humihation before God under seasons of darkness, rather than an attention to abstract points which tend only to foster a delusion. HumiHty, and contrition, and a be- lieving application of the blood of Christ to our souls, can never deceive us ; but, on the contrary, must infallibly lead to songs of praise and thanksgiving : " if we sow in tears, we must reap in joy." Only observe the process, and see how connected are all the links of the chain : in prosperity, we have relapsed into carnal confidence, and provoked God to leave us in a state of spiritual dereliction : alarmed and humbled by liis frowns, we betake ourselves to fervent prayer, imploring mercy in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ ; and through the unbounded grace of God we experience a speedy recovery; and from thenceforth have our mouths filled with grateful acknowledg- ments to the God of our salvation. We only add to this, that the deeper is our humiliation on account of sin committed, the more speedy and exalted will be our joys on account of deliver- ance vouchsafed.]
Address —
1. To those who are walking with God —
[What shall we say! Even if you were as eminent as ever Da\dd was, we should think it right to guard you against the conceit, that you were in no danger of being " moved." In relation to all that you possess of temporal things, we would inculcate this salutary lesson, " Let those who have wives be as though they had none, and those who weep be as though they wept not, and those who rejoice as though they rejoiced not, and those who buy as though they possessed not, and those that use this world, as not abusing it." Every tiling must be held as from God, and for God, to be disposed of according to his sovereign will and pleasure. And in reference to every thing of a spiritual nature, we wovdd recommend a constant sense of our entire dependence upon God, saying, " Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe." Some will confound this with unbelief : but it differs from unbelief as much as humi- lity from pride : in truth, it is the very root of faith ; for it is only in proportion as we feel our liability to fall, that we shall look truly and constantly to Christ for strength. Be weak as new-born infants in yourselves, and God will keep beneath you his everlasting arms, and perfect " his own strength in your weakness."]
2. To those who have declined from him —
[Many in a state of declension are ready to imagine that
544.J OUR TIMES IN god's HAND. 209
God has arbitrarily and without any particular cause with- drawn himself from them. But it may well be doubted whether in any case God ever dealt thus with any of his creatures. Our blessed Lord, when he cried, " My God ! my God ! why hast thou forsaken me ? " was suffering the punishment due to those whose iniquities had been laid on him. And Job, whose expression, " I shall die in my nest," we have before noticed, had evidently a measure of carnal confidence which wanted to be mortified and subdued. With the exception of his case we are not aware of any thing that bears even the appearance of arbitrary proceeding on the part of God : the constant tenor of his acting is that which was proclaimed to Asa, " The Lord is with you, while ye be with him : if ye seek him^ he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you^" Learn then to trace your sin in your punishment : and, if you cannot find the immediate cause of his vvithdrawment from you, pray to him, with Job, " Shew me wherefore thou con- tendest with me." The prayer which David offered under such circumstances '', will assuredly, if offered up in faith, bring down upon you the blessings of peace and joy. This God himself