up to tread in his steps, and " to preach the word without fearS." Thus it ever has been ; and thus it ever shall be : for Solomon tells us, " There is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel against the Lord^ ;" on the contrary, how " many soever devices there may be in the hearts of men, the counsel of the Lord, and that only, shall standi" " The wrath of man shall praise him, and the remaindei"," which would not sub- serve his purposes, " shall he restrain^."]
2. How happy are they who have God on their side!
[Whilst the Jewish rulers were plotting together for the utter subversion of Christianity, the Disciples were unconscious of their machinations, or overwhelmed with despair. But God is the friend of all his people, " an ever-present help in the time of trouble." He is pleased to characterize himself by this very name, " The Saviour of them that trust in him\" He permits indeed his enemies to triumph for a season ; but he warns them, of the fearful issue of their conspiracies against him™. As far as they prevail, they ascribe all their success to their own wisdom and power : but he reproves their folly, and visits upon them those very iniquities, which he has rendered subservient to the accomplishment of his own eternal counsels". As for his own people, he encourages them to put their trust in him, without suffering themselves to be alarmed at the menaces of their enemies, or harbouring any fears about their ultimate success". What their happy state should be, we see in the actual experience of David. He contemplates God in the character of an Almighty Protector P; and, when urged by an alarmist to indulge desponding fears, he nobly replies, " The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven "J." He even appeals to the whole world, what cause he can have for fear, whilst he has such an Almighty Friend for his sup- ports Such is the privilege of all his people : if " they believe in him, they shall not make haste through unbelieving fears ^: on the contrary, " their very thoughts shall be established*." In a word, they shall, though beset with enemies on every side, be preserved as in a royal pavilion, and have such an inward sense of the Divine presence as shall comfort them under every trouble, or rather screen them from trouble, and fill them with joy unspeakable and glorified".]
s Phil. i. 12 — 14. •> Prov. xxi. 30. ' Prov. xix. 21.
^ Ps. Ixxvi. 10. 1 Ps. xvii. 7. Jer. xiv. 8.
m Isai. viii. 7—10. " Isai. x. 5—7, 12, 17.
" Isai. viii. 12 — 14. p Ps. xviii. 2.
q Ps. xi. 1 — 4. N. B. To tlie end of the third verse is the speech of the Alarmist. ' Ps. xxvii. 1.
s Isai. xxviii. 16. ' Prov. xvi. 3. " Ps. xxxi. 20.