never be right for persons, corrupt as we are, to presume upon salvation, as though it were a blessing easy to be attained. We
are in a state of bondage to sin and Satan (To this
our whole lives bear witness.) The power of our adversary is such as no human being has within himself an ability to with- stand (His victory over our first parents in Paradise
is proof enough of this.) Nor, considering how willing servants we have been to the destroyer, have we any just cause to expect the interposition of Jehovah in our behalf. Are we then to be secure and careless, as if we were in no danger? If " the righteous scarcely be saved," shall we be as much at our ease, as if no effort were necessary to counteract the designs of Satan, and to rescue ourselves from his dominion ? No verily : we must " not be high-minded, but fear."
On the other hand, shall we, because of these difficulties and dangers, give way to a desponding frame ? Shall we forget that there is a Saviour, who is both able and willing to deliver us? Justly does God reprove such folly and ingratitude : "Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known ? hast thou not heard, that the ever- lasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary ? there is no searching of his un- derstandingy." To entertain such thoughts, is greatly to dis- honour God, whose tenderness and fidelity infinitely exceed all that ever existed in a mother's bosom towards her infant offspring z. Whatever therefore be our difficulties or our dan- gers, we should confide in Him who has undertaken for us that " we shall take those captive whose captives we were, and shall rule over our oppressors*."]
2. What is that happy medium which it becomes us to observe —
[The proper medium is, not to lessen either our fears or our hopes ; but to call them forth into united and simultaneous exercise. Instead of attempting to lessen our sense of clanger, it is desirable to have it augmented a hundred- fold: because then we shall feel the deeper need of God's help, and be the more earnest in our prayers to him for it. So again, instead of lowering our expectations from God, we should endeavour to have them also greatly enlarged ; because we shall then honour him the more, and go forth with tenfold energy to fight the good fight of faith. This is that union, which, whilst it humbles the sinner, will exalt the Saviour, and lead us, like the heavenly hosts, to fall on our faces before him, at the very time that we are glorying in his salvation b. This is a point which is never
y Isai. xl. 27, 28. z vcr. 14 — 16, a Isai. xiv. 2. b Rev. v. 8.