God extends his care to the whole creation-
But in a more especial manner careth for his people-

[He conducted the Jews through the wilderness-
He interposed for them in all their dangers
He supplied their every want

Thus, though less visibly, he still regards those who trust in him. '

He watches over them for good
He limits and restrains all their adversaries
He sympathizes with them in all their afflictionsh-
He imparts to them all temporal and spiritual blessings-
He hears and answers all their supplications
He accounts them his most inestimable treasure?
He communes with them as his sons and daughters
He takes upon him the management of all their concerns"-

What encouragement does this afford us to trust in him! Our guardian and protector is infinitely wisco

[He knows what trials we stand in need of
He can suit all the circumstances of them to our necessities
He can overrule them for our eternal benefit-]
He is possessed of almighty powerp

[There is no difficulty from which he cannot extricatel Nor duty which he cannot enable us to discharge

Should we, for whom such wisdom and power are exercised, be anxious?"

. Moreover he is good and gracious

[What innumerable blessings has he already bestowed upon us!

He has even given his own Son to die for us
What then can we have to fear, if we trust in him?5-]
Above all, he is a faithful God

[He has promised seasonable protection and strength' – And is not his word a sure ground of confidence?u.

Surely then we should be filled with consolation rather than with care ]

e Ps. cy. 39–41. f 2 Chron. xvi. 9. & Ps. lxxvi. 10. h Isai. Ixiii. 9. Heb. iv. 15.

i Ps. lxxxiv. 11. k John xv. 7. . Mal. iii. 17. 2 Cor. vi. 18. n Isai. xlvi. 4.

° Isai. xxviii. 29. · P Job xl. 2. 1 Isai. 1. 2. and xliii. 13. r Isai. xl. 27, 28. Rom. viii. 32. t Isai. liv. 10. Deut. xxxiii. 25. I Cor. x. 13. u 2 Sam. xxii. 31. Heb. x. 23.

Heb. vi. 18.

INFER

1. How needful is it that all should acquaint themselves with God!

[Gaiety and dissipation may bear up the spirit in prosperity

But God alone can comfort us in adversity
At the hour of death we shall all need divine support
Let the careless then begin to reflect upon their state-
Let them provide a refuge against the day of trouble
Let them follow that salutary advice”-]

2. How happy would Christians be if they rightly enjoyed their privileges!

[It is their privilege to be “ without carefulness": If they trusted in God as they ought, nothing could disturb them

Hence that exhortation to joy in Gode
Let the afflicted saints then commit themselves to hime
Let them know that duty is theirs, but events are his ,

Let them, in the face of all difficulties, adopt the words of Joshua

Let them, with Hezekiah, repose themselves on God?—]

y Job xxxv. 10.
b Isai. xxvi. 3.
e Numb. xiv. 9.

z Job xxii. 21.
c Ps. y. 11, 12.

a 1 Cor. vii, 32.
d Mic. v. 4.
f 2 Chron. xxxii, 7, 8.

LIII. THE GLORY WHICH CHRIST GIVES TO HIS PEOPLE.

John xvii. 22. The glory which thou gavest me, I have given

them. THE dignity of human nature is a favourite subject with many—

Nor if man be considered in his primæval state, can it be estimated too highly

But man is a fallen creature, and reduced to the most abject condition

The Scriptures speak of him in the most humiliating terms

. Nevertheless, through the grace of the gospel, he is re. stored to his primitive honours

He in some respects is elevated cyen above the angels of heaven

No words can express his dignity more fully than those of the text

We enquire what that glory is which the Father gave to Christ, and Christ gives to his church and people I. The glory of manifesting the divine power

Angels have been used as instruments of divine power both for the preservation and destruction of mankind

But it is peculiar to Christ and his people to manifest the divine power in conflicts with their enemies, Christ had this glory given him

(He had innumerable enemies, both men and devils
But he conquered sin, Satan, death, and hello

This he did through the support and influence of his
Father-]
This glory has Christ given us

[His people are in a state of warfared
But the very weakest of them, triumph at last through
Christe

Paul acknowledges this to the praise of his divine
Master -]
II. The glory of displaying the moral perfections of the

Deity
The material world displays the natural perfections of
God

But not even the angels in heaven can set forth all his moral perfections

[Being never injured, they cannot exercise mercy, forbearance, love of enemies] This is the peculiar prerogative of Christ

[Christ manifested the most wonderful compassionsIn so doing he displayed the Father's perfections This honour he himself received of the Father-]

His people however are made to share this glory with him

[They, as stars in their several spheres, reflect the beams of the Sun of righteousness

How strongly was his character delineated in the life of Paul and in the death of Stephen!

a Ps. ii. 2. Luke xxii. 53.

von

J

Every one of them endeavours to walk as he walked”

They are enabled to do this by Christ himselfk-]
III. The glory of being sons of God

The angels are sometimes called sons of God
But they bear this relation to him only as creatures ---
Christ has this honour in an infinitely higher sense?

(Christ is the Son of God both in his divine and human nature

He is emphatically called by the apostle “ God's dear Son”m_] The same honour has Christ conferred on us

[Every believer is brought into this relation to God This astonishing mercy may well excite wonder and admiration'

It is bestowed on the believer by Christ himself-] IV. The glory of being united to God

The Scriptures often speak of the union that subsists, between Christ and the Father

[Our Lord himself affirmed that he and the Father were one.

St. Paul declares that all the fullness of the Godhead dwelt in Christ What our Lord did as man is attributed to him as God-]

A similar, though not the same, union subsists between Christ and his people

[Our Lord represents them as branches of the living vine

He compares their union with him to his with the Father

He declares not only that he himself is the author of this union, but that it is a part of that glory which he has given us V. The glory of reigning with God

Both the good and evil angels are called principalities and powers

But they are never said to “ reign” with God-
Our Lord however has received this honour of his

Father

k Phil. iv, 13.
• 2 Cor. 18.

John x. 30.
John xv. 1,

1 Heb. i. 5.
• 1 John iii. 1.
r Col. ii. 9.

John xvii. 21.

m Col. i. 13.
p Jobo i. 12.
• Acts xx. 28.
* Ver. 22, 23.

[All power in heaven and in earth is committed to him! He is exalted far above all principalities and powers2— It is decreed that every soul shall submit to Jesus -] This honour also has Christ vouchsafed to his people

[The victorious saints will exercise a kind of dominion over the ungodly at the last day)

They will sit with Christ as assessors in judgment over men and devils

They have a kingdom appointed to them even now!
They will be formally invested with it at the last day-

They will receive it as a special grant from Christ himself-] INFER 1. What an exalted character is the true Christian !

[Christians are despised by the unbelieving world But the Scriptures describe their dignity in most exalted terms

How can we ever estimate aright the glory given them by their Lord!

What glory can the earth afford in comparison of this? Let us not then act unworthy of this high character~] 2. How marvellous is Christ's love to his people!

[Every thing, which he himself has received of the Father, he gives to them

He even bought it with his blood, that he might bestow it upon them

How incomprehensible is this love!
Let us entertain worthy conceptions of it

! Let us be constrained by it to love and serve him,

y Matt. xxviii. 18. 2 Eph. i. 20, 21. a Isai. xiv, 23. b Ps. xlix. 14. Rev. ii. 26, 27. Ps. cxlix. 7-9. e I Cor. vi. 2, 3.

d Luke xxii. 29. e Rev. iü. 21.

LIV. A COMPARISON BETWEEN THE FATHER'S LOVE

TO CHRIST AND CHRIST'S TO US.

John xv. 9. As my Father hath loved me, so have I loved you:

continue ye in my love.

REASON could never suggest motives sufficient to counteract the passions

The law of God itself, with all its sanctions, could not change the heart