about him :" not a wall only, that might possibly be scaled, but " a wall of fire," that will devour any who shall dare to assail us. " His very name is," to the Christian, " a strong tower," to which he runneth, and is safe. He sees " chariots of fire and horses of fire all around him ;" and in perfect confidence he says, " If God be for me, who can be against me ?"
Say, whether such an one be not happy? Hear his tri- umphant strains, and judge : — " Who shall separate us from the love of Christ ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecu- tion, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword ? (as it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long ; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter :) nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through Him that loved vis. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord k." If such an one be not happy, where shall happiness be found on earth ?]
With an anticipation and foretaste of its eternal bliss —
[Such views of God, and such communion with him, what are they, but the very beginnings of heaven upon earth ? The believer who can say " It is thus that I am with my God in this world," may add, with an emphasis peculiar to himself, " When I awake in the eternal world, I shall be still with thee;" changing my place indeed, but neither my company nor
my employment ]
Address —
[Beloved Brethren, has God from all eternity occupied his thoughts about you, and will not you turn your thoughts to him ? Delay not. I will not say, Rob not him of his glory: I will rather say, Rob not yourselves of happiness. You can- not doubt the felicity of those who thus contemplate and enjoy their God. O let not the vanities of time and sense stand in competition with him ! Look at the worst that befals a Chris- tian, and you shall find him blessed in the midst of all. See him " poor in spirit ;" see him " mourning and weeping;" see him " persecuted for righteousness' sake :" in every state he is pronounced " blessed," " blessed," " blessed." On the other hand, tell me where you will find the worldling blessed under any circumstances whatever. No: "in the fulness of his suffi- ciency he is in straits." Know for a certainty, that he alone is, or ever shall be, blessed, whom God, the Judge of quick and dead, shall pronounce so. He alone is truly blessed, who has God for his God, his portion, " his eternal great reward."]
k Rom. viii. 35 — 39.