individually has witnessed, enliven his faith-that he who has exhibited towards him such tokens of goodness will continue to love him to the end. In whatever circumstances of difficulty or perplexity he may be placed, he refuses to cast away his confidence, which has great recompense of reward. Like the patient sufferer of old, he is enabled to exclaim, Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him, for I know that my Redeemer liveth." In the spiritual life he enjoys, he has the proof, he has the experimental knowledge, of a present and of a living Saviour, and he knows the faithfulness of him who hath said, “because I live, ye shall live also." 66 It is ever to be remembered that it is the Holy Spirit that enables us to put our trust in God, and that he works out this grace within us by revealing to our souls the character of God as set forth in the Gospel, and by affording us evidence, in the effects which he produces upon our character, that we are the children of God; and that, as his children, we have a right to all the privileges of the covenant of grace. This blessed state of mind is opposed to our living in the forgetfulness of God altogether-seeking all our happiness, and finding all our hopes, in the world and the things of the world ;--and to the building up of a presumptuous hope upon unwarranted views of the Divine character; and to the giving of ourselves up to despair, in the dread that we shall never be the objects of the Divine care or compassion. And the grace itself, as spoken of in the Scriptures, may be defined to be a filial reliance upon God-for acceptance with him, for guidance and support amidst the difficulties and dan gers of life, and for an inheritance among them that are sanctified-founded upon just views of the character of God as set forth in the Gospel, and illustrated in the spiritual history of sincere believers, and in our own individual experience. We ought now to proceed, as was proposed, to consider the blessedness of those who put their trust in God, preparatory to our explaining in what meaning, and with what feelings, we may join the Psalmist, in exclaiming, "O Lord of Hosts, blessed is the man who trusteth in thee!" But this we must reserve as the subject of another discourse. In concluding at this time, let me beseech you to inquire whether you are of those who put their trust in God. If you do, then happy, indeed, are ye! Happy, with a heavenly joy that cannot find full vent but in taking the Almighty himself to witness how great and how manifold are the blessings he has bestowed upon you. But it is to be feared that there are many who are without this heavenly principlewho have never seriously considered the relation in which they stand to the Almighty--who have no feeling of their need of divine support, and guidance, and protection and who have no right view of the grounds upon which they are warranted to repose their trust in God, or the means by which they may be enabled to exercise this grace. If there are any of this description here, let me exhort them to a consideration of their ways. To have either no trust in God at all, or a trust based on no sure foundation : to be ignorant and careless of God altogether; or to be reposing in him a confidence not authorized by his own revelation of his character and will, must lead, ere long, to disappointment and misery. But let none of you who truly fear the Lord, refuse to put your trust in him. Yours is a warrantable security; for you know in whom you have believed. You may, indeed, find yourselves tempted to cast away your confidence. The sins into which you have fallen may obscure the brightness of your Father's countenance, and make you doubt your interest in his promises. You may be placed in such circumstances of perplexity, that you cannot see how your feet can be kept from falling, or your souls from death. But, in these instances, consider the fulness of the perfect work of Christ call to mind the days of old remember all the examples of holy men, who, strong in faith, continued to hope against hope, and never were disappointed and remember what is written-that "the just shall live by faith, but if any man draw back, the Lord hath no pleasure in him." PART SECOND. TRUST IN GOD-THE TRUE BLESSEDNESS. "O Lord of Hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee!"— HAVING Considered what is implied in trust in God, or the nature of a right confidence in him, arising out of just views of his character, together with such a full acquiescence in his plan of mercy as leads to unlimited reliance on him for all saving benefits, I now proceed, as was proposed, in the second place, to inquire in what the blessedness of those who put their trust in God consists. And under this head we remark, in the first place, that those who trust in the Lord are blessed, because the very exercise of this grace implies that they have received of the Divine Spirit. Trust in God, as we have seen under the former head, involves the exercise of saving faith; and faith is the gift of God, wrought in us by the Holy Spirit. We cannot by the exercise of our own unaided powers, put our trust in God. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him : neither can he know them, for they are spiritually dis cerned." We are prone to trust in ourselves, or in the devices of our own imaginations; and the truth, as it is revealed, appears foolishness to us. If, therefore, upon Scriptural grounds, we are enabled to repose trust in God, we have evidence that the Spirit of God has been bestowed upon us. Not that we are asked to believe, contrary to, or without evidence; far from it; it is only in opposition to the pride and carnality of our own hearts. The light is good, but our eye is evil; and the Spirit is necessary to open the eye that we may see. In the second place, those who trust in the Lord are blessed in the holy peace which they experience. Peace is the portion of all those who place their confidence in God. "In that day," saith Isaiah, "shall this song be sung in the land of Judah. We have a strong city, salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength." There is blessing in the very exercise of this grace. A holy composure diffuses itself over the mind. A divine tranquillity takes up its abode in the breast. The soul, wearied out and disappointed in the pursuit of earthly vanities, has found at last a satisfying portion. Long tossed upon the billows of a wild and distracting uncertainty, it has entered into a quiet haven at last. From the account which was formerly given of the nature of trusting in God, it must appear obvious, |