over all thine enemies g. " Be strong then and very courageous11 :" abhor the thought of indulging a cow- ardly spirit, as long as " God's throne is in heaven1 ;" and assure yourselves, with David, that though your " enemies encompass you as bees, in the name of the Lord you shall destroy themV
Lastly, let the victorious Christian listen to a word of counsel. We are apt to be elated in the time of victory, and to arrogate to ourselves some portion of the glory. But God solemnly cautions us against this1: and if, with Nebuchadnezzar or Sennacherib, we take the glory to ourselves, the time is nigh at hand when God will fearfully abase usm. We cannot do better than take the Psalmist for our pattern : he was enabled to perform the most astonishing feats, and was honoured with the most signal victories : yet so careful is he to give the glory to God, that he repeats again and again, the same grateful acknow- ledgments, confessing God to be the sole author of his success, and ascribing to him the honour due unto his name". Let it be remembered, that " our enemies still live and are mighty :" and therefore we must not boast as if the time were come for us to put off our armour0. We need the same power to keep down our enemies, as to bring them down at first : we should soon fall a prey to the tempter, if left one moment to ourselves. Let our eyes therefore still be to Jesus, " the Author and the Finisher of our faith ;" depending on his mighty power for " strength ac- cording to our dayV' and for the accomplishment of the promise which he hath given us, that " no weapon formed against us shall ever prosper*1."
s Isai. x. 4. This is a threatening ; but it may be applied to God's friends a fortiori.
h Josh. i. 6, 7, 9. 1 Ps. xi. 1—4. k Ps. cxviii. 6—12.
1 Deut. vi. 10—12. and viii. 10, 11, 17, IS. 111 Isai. xxxvii. 24 — 29. Dan. iv. 30—32, 37. n Ps. xviii. 29 — 42. ° 1 Kings xx. 11.
v Deut. xxxiii. 25. 4 Isai. liv. 17.