god's promised presence an encouragement to duty.
Heb. xiii. 5, 6. Let your conversation be withotit covetous- ness ; and he content tvith such things as ye have : for he hath said, I ivill never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
THE end of knowledge is practice : and hence the Apostle closes all his epistles with practical exhor-
2343.1 ood's presence encourages to duty. 495
tations. The argumentative part of this epistle ter- minated at the close of the preceding chapter. This chapter begins with some particular exhortations suited to the Hebrews at that time. The advice con- tained in our text is suited to the Church in every state and every age : and the encouragement with which it is enforced, gives it a more than common interest. In truth, it is the promised presence and assistance of God, which is our great incentive to every duty ; since without his aid we can do no- thing, but with it can effect whatsoever God himself requires of us.
Let us consider, I. The promise here recorded —
The promise was originally given to Joshua : but in our text it is represented as spoken to each of us. And in this light it ought to be viewed : for it was not given to Joshua as a mere insulated individual, but as the head of God's people, whom he was con- ducting into Canaan : and between them and us there is a close resemblance : they were about to conflict with many enemies, whom they must de- stroy, before they could possess the promised land : and we also must sustain many conflicts before we can attain the full enjoyment of the heavenly Canaan. To us therefore there is the same need of the pro- mise, as to him ; and to us also is there the same right and title ; seeing that it was spoken for the encouragement of all God's Israel to the end of time.
The promise that God " will not leave us nor for- sake us," imports that he will be ever with us,
1. By the operations of his providence —
[There is not any thing in the whole universe which is not under his controul. " Not even a sparrow falls to the ground" without his special appointment: and " the very hairs of our head are all numbered." Circumstances indeed may occur which may cause us to tremble for the issue of them : but he will so overrule them all, as to " make them eventually work together for our good^" We may be reduced almost to
a Rom. viii. 28.