Then let us rejoice and be glad, in the renewed evidences of his never-failing power and care, for though evil abounds in the world, and it may seem to prevail in an overwhelming manner, yet the oil and the wine is to be preserved amidst every convulsion, and the kingdom of the beast will not only be shaken to its dark foundations but gloriously and for ever overthrown, when the devil and the beast, and the false prophet, and all who have been identified with them, will be cast into the lake of fire; when, my friends, the great white throne, and him that sitteth upon it, will be displayed before all intelligent beings, and "The heavens and the earth shall flee away, and there shall be found no more place for them, for the Lord God omnipotent that now reigneth, will manifest his divine power; for the Lord Jesus must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet."

Then, trusting in him, my friends, under whatever discouraging events may arise, those believing on him may still have, not only the assurance of hope, but a foundation of joy, arising from the assurance that the Eternal God is their refuge, and underneath them are the everlasting arms, that, though in this time of trouble we may have to pass through the waters, we shall not be overwhelmed; the waves of trouble will not be permitted to roll their fury over our heads, for though the deep may rage, the power is the same, yesterday, to day, and for ever-saying, "Hitherto shalt thou come but no further, and here shall thy waves be stayed."

In looking at individuals near the close of life, and as we see every thing around us is indicative of a change, we are admonished that time is short, we are approaching very near to the regions of

the grave, and the solemn admonition is heard again and again in the secret of the soul;-" Be ye also ready;" and feeling our own unworthiness, and that we have nothing to lean upon, there is the blessed assurance that the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver—He that died for us, and He that rose again for our justification-He that ever liveth to make intercession for us, as our propitiatory and great high priest; He is our judge; and those that own Him before men, he has promised he will own in the presence of his Father, and before the angels, when the dread, the awful moment shall arrive, agreeable to the strong testimony of the apostle, when he said, "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed." O then, the blessed hope of the gospel, in which, though looking to those awful and tremendous views opened in divine revelation, we feel that this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality; and when these things are accomplished, then shall be brought to pass the saying which is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death! where is thy sting? O grave! where is thy victory? the sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ; therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." But in that great day, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, and all his holy angels shall be witnesses of the moving scene; when the separation shall take place between the precious and the vile, may we, my dear friends, be placed on the right hand.

My dear friends, my feelings embrace every individual, in the love of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, for which I am an ambassador in bonds, for which I have been willing to leave everything near and dear, to fulfil the ministry which I have received, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. May we, dear friends, being brought, through the influence of the Holy Spirit, into the obedience of faith, be prepared to receive the eternal crown, and hear the animating language, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;"-may we be joined with the just of all generations; may we be united with saints and angels, and the spirits of the just made perfect, in commemorating the eternal praises of the Lord God, and of the Lamb.

SERMON II.

Feb. 11th, 1834.

I MAY acknowledge, that while I have been brought renewedly to partake of what shall I say-the cup of affliction, there has been a sweet remembrance of a few expressions of some that have been greatly favored in past ages. One of the eminent servants of Jesus Christ addressed the primitive believers, as their brother and companion in tribulation. I apprehend this did not relate exclusively to his outward afflictions, from his state of banishment and exile for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus; he had his conflicts of mind, as the psalmist before him had had, but he was not only their brother and companion in tribulation and suffering, but also in the faith and patience of the saints. The psalmist no doubt had seasons of great discouragement, and conflict of feelings; we find his language often very expressive of feeling and exercises of this nature. "Why art thou cast down, O my soul, and why art thou disquieted within me?" was the effusion of a tribulated mind. 66 Why art thou cast down, O my soul, and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." In his outward difficulties, in his secret conflicts, God was his refuge and his strong tower: he had experienced very largely of outward difficulties and surrounding dangers, when he was hunted as a partridge upon the mountains, and

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when taking a view of the situation in which he was placed, his helpless and destitute condition, he was brought to the conclusion, or ready to conclude, "I shall surely one day perish by the hand of Saul." But whether he felt outward or inward conflicts, what could be his stay, but trust in God, a laying hold of the precious promises that had been afforded unto him; and on what ground could he do this? it was only through the medium, it was only in the exercise, of faith.

The apostle, in speaking to the humble followers of Jesus Christ in that day, and in all succeeding ages, gives an impressive admonition to take the whole armour of God, not faith alone, but to take the whole armour of God, that they might be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. But in the enumeration of the divine armour, with which the soldiers of Jesus Christ were to be clothed, in order to be prepared for the warfare in which they were engaged, he said, "but above all, taking the shield of faith ;" and, friends, it is only through faith, or in faith, that we can believe, that we can feel assurance, that we can trust in him, in whom we have believed; that when we feel our own weakness, and our own unworthiness, and may be sensible of the trials by which we are surrounded, of whatever nature they may be, it is only in faith that we can cast our care on him, that is able to save even to the uttermost; to sustain the defend the powerless, and bring near those that are afar off: and while it is very evident, that it was by faith the elders obtained a good report, that the patriarchs and the prophets in ancient ages, were enabled to work righteousness, and obtain the promises, how should we be humbled in contemplation of the enlarged views, which in the divine mercy,

poor,