[" Fear not, fear not, fear not." It is God's delight to " bind up the broken-hearted, and to comfort all that mourn ;" and thrice does he renew to you the exhortation, " Fear not." Only seek to have his presence with you, and you need fear nothing. Remember the disciples in the storm. Could they sink whilst Jesus was in the vessel with them*? Neither can ye, under your circumstances. If God be for you, none can be effectually against you. Take him with you then, wherever you go ; and " the gates of hell shall not prevail against you V]
x Mark iv. 37—40. y Isai. xli. 10, 14.
Jer. xxx. 17. This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.
CONSIDERING how much is spoken in the Holy Scriptures concerning the present and future state of the Jewish nation, it is surprising how little they occupy the attention of the Christian world. As living witnesses of the truth of our holy religion, they are indeed often mentioned ; but, as having any interest in the promises of the Gospel, and as ordained to fill an exalted station in the Church of God, they are scarcely ever noticed, so that, to bring the subject before a Christian audience seems almost to require an apology ; the very mention of them in that view being more calculated to excite a smile, than to call forth the more holy emotions of compassion and love. Whence this should proceed, I know not ; unless from that prejudice against them, which from- our earliest infancy we have imbibed, and from an idea that all efforts for their welfare are visionary and vain. But this indifference towards them is highly criminal. We are not to imagine, that, because they are under God's displeasure, we are discharged from all those duties which we owe them as men ; or that, whilst God is making use of men as instruments to inflict punishment on his offending people, they are not responsible to him for the dispositions which they exer- cise, and the acts which they perform. Respecting the Jews in former times, it is said, " All that have