" heals his wounds slightly, and says, Peace, peace, when there is no peace0." It is in the Gospel only that a Saviour is revealed. But there we are in- formed, that God's only dear Son became our surety, and our substitute. There we behold our adorable Emmanuel bearing our sins in his own sacred body upon the tree, and effecting by the blood of his cross our reconciliation with God. Through him peace is proclaimed to a guilty worldd: and all who receive into their hearts the record concerning him, have their iniquities blotted out as a morning cloud : their burthens are from that time removed ; they have " beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness6.
Without a measure of this peace, a person finds but little ability to exert himself in his Christian calling. The more difficult duties will be considered as irksome, and impracticable. And this arises from the natural constitution of the human mind: for, what readiness can he have to forego the pleasures of time, who cannot look forward with a comfortable hope to the eternal world ? Will not his " hands hang down, his knees be feeble, and his heart be faint ?" Yea, will not Satan take advantage of his weak state to make him weary of well-doing ; and to "turn him utterly out of the wayf;" and to make him say in despondency, " There is no hope : I have loved idols ; and after them will I gog?" To what a degree the boldest champion may be enervated by apprehensions of God's displeasure, we may see in the conduct of Joshua. There was but one found in all the thousands of Israel so intrepid as he : yet when he had reason to think that God had withdrawn his favour from him, " he rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark, and put dust upon his head, and said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites
c Jer. vi. 14. d Acts x. 36. e Isai. lxi. 3.
f Heb. xii. 12, 13. & Jer. ii. 25.