inhabitants of the earth." All creatures are alike subject to his control, rational and irrational, animate and inanimate. The angels in heaven, and men on earth, and devils in hell, all do
his will'* -The sun, moon, and stars move or stand at
his command'' The elements exert or suspend their
accustomed operations'' The brute creation, beasts,
birds, fishes, all move and act agreeably to his will ^
There is neither good nor evil, which is not done by him^. Even moral evil is so far under his control, that, though he is not properly the author of it, it infallibly accomplishes his
secret counsel, and his determined purpose*^ It is
clear, then, to the full extent of the assertion in my text, that *' not a sparrow falls to the ground without him ; and that the very hairs of our head are all numbered."]
Let us next view the text,
II. As a consolatory declaration —
It speaks the richest encouragement,
1. To ministers —
[Their trials and difficulties are great; as our Lord in the context has forewarned us. But, how great or numerous soever they may be, there is not one that can come upon us but by His appointment, or press more heavily than He sees fit to permit, nor operate but for the advancement of His glory and our greatest good^. We have only to look to Him, and depend on Him; and he will give us all the protection, support, and consolation, that we can possibly stand in need of. If the very hairs of our head are numbered, what shall we not be ready to encounter for Him, or to sustain in the execution of our high office ? ]
2. To the Church at large —
[Every one has his own peculiar trials: but the declara- tion in our text is equally applicable to them all : and that, realized in the mind, is abundantly sufficient to carry us through all and make us triumphant over all. Let every one
call to mind his own peculiar temptations and apply
to himself the text, as if he were the only individual to whom it was addressed : and then let him go on his way, saying, " If God be for me, who can be against me?"]
With such a word for our support,
1. Let us give ourselves up unfeignedly to God —
a Ps. ciii. 20. Prov. xxi. 1. Job i. 12. and ii. 6. Luke viii. 32. *> Josh. X. 12. '^ Exod. xiv. 22, 27. Dan. iii. 27.
^ Dan. vi. 22, 24. 1 Kings xvii. 6. Jonah i. 17. ^ Amos iii. 6. f Gen. xlv. 8. Acts ii. 23. and iv. 28. s Rom. viii. 28.
1346.] Christ's procedure in the last day. 327
[It is only when we belong to Christ, that we can derive full comfort from the declaration before us. We must be God's people, if we would have him for our God. The duty and the privilege must go hand in hand ]
2. Let us serve our God cheerfully, and with our whole hearts —
[Let no call of duty be thought too hard, no service too difficult, no danger too great. Only let us realize in our minds the passage before us, and rest assured, that " our strength shall be according to our day," and " our reward according to our labour'^."]
^ 1 Cor. ill. 8.
MCCCXLVf.
THE RULE OF CHRIST's PROCEDURE IN THE LAST DAY.
Matt. X. 32 — 39. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in hea- ven. But ivhosoever shall deny me before men, him tvill I also deny before my Father lohich is in heaven. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a mans foes shall he they of his own household. He that loveth father or another more than me is not worthy of me : and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not loorthy of me. And he that taketh ?iot his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that jindeth his life shall lose it : and he that loseth his life for my sake shall Jiiid it.