If only you truly " fear God," and " call upon him in truth," you may be perfectly assured that you shall never be cast out. If God, unsolicited, gave you his only-begotten Son to die for you, what will he refuse you when you call upon him ? He may delay indeed for a time to answer you ; but not beyond the fittest time. " Continue instant in prayer," then, yea, " pray and faint not ; " for God cannot resist the importunity of prayer. The unjust judge complied with the widow's request at last: and " will not God avenge his own elect, who cry day and night unto him? I tell you, that he will avenge them speedily."]
Ps. cxlvi. 5. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.
HOW exalted was the frame of the Psalmist's mind at the time he penned these words ! " Praise ye the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul. While I live will I praise the Lord : I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being \" Who that reads these words does not envy him, and desire to be like him ? But how shall we attain this frame ? How did he acquire it ? He had been contemplating the character of the Most High, and the interest which he himself enjoyed in the divine favour : and he re- cords this as his decided testimony for the benefit of all future generations : " Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God."
May the same benefit result to you, my Brethren, whilst I,
I. Confirm his testimony —
Doubtless a carnal mind can see no blessedness in such contemplations as these : but one who is taught of God will fully accord with this inspired penman, from a conviction that the person here characterized may assure himself of two most important facts : —
1. However numerous or powerful his enemies be, he can never be overcome —
[Were his confidence in himself, he might soon be van- quished, Peter has shewn us how weak the most intrepid
a ver. 1, 2.