not learned the entire vanity of every thing but Christ, and His infinite sufficiency, you "have not seen Him, neither known him :" you have not begun to drink in endless pleasures from the rivers of his grace.

Have you never felt under sin, temptation, adversity, yea, even under prosperity, like one under a melting firmament, ready to die for some retreat, some cooling stream, some refreshing shade? Have you never desired to find. that place where you might cast off your burden, escape the power of sin, and avoid the force of allurements? And have you not learned that relief cannot be found in all the world beside, except under the shadow of an eternal rock? I dare not flatter you; if you have not, you are strangers to Christ.

But, if you feel your guilt, your want, your danger, then let me exhort you to come to Christ by prayer and faith. He who would be safe must take shelter under the covert of His righteousness, and he who would be happy must draw comforts from His spirit, and walk under the shadow of His providence. Do you ask whether you have a sufficient warrant to come to Christ? The Father says, "Turn ye to the strong hold:" the Son-"Look unto me and be ye saved:" the Spirit-"Whosoever will, let him come." These exhortations are not grounded upon your worthiness, but upon your necessity and willingness. Let him that is guilty come. Let him that is athirst come. Let him that is weary and heavy laden come. And, in short, so must it be in every case, "whosoever will" let him retreat behind the cross; "let him drink of the waters of life freely;" let him hide himself in the clefts of the rock, "until the indignation be overpast: for, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity.".

Do you still question whether any does pity or can relieve? Christ pities, for He is a man "touched with the feeling of our infirmities:" and He can relieve, for He is "God over all, blessed forever more." He is called a man, though not a mere man; for He is the "King who reigns in righteousness;" "the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God." Neither is he mere divinity; for He assumed our nature, and by this assumption became every way competent to be our "hiding-place from the wind, and our covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place; as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land." How a mere man can be all this, it is impossible to conceive. How a God can who is a "consuming fire," is equally unintelligible: but "God manifest in the flesh," at once commends Himself to our understandings, our affections, our faith. A Saviour, such as we needed, must be God and man; a sufferer and a conqueror ; a victim and the bringer-in of everlasting righteousness. Such an one is God in Christ, if there be any honesty, any truth in the testimony of Scripture concerning Him. Let Him have our gratitude, our love, our faith: let us give Him our confidence, our hearts, our all; and He will give us salvation from the love, and power, and curse of sin; He will be our refuge in trouble, our river in a dry and thirsty land, and our rock under the sun's smiting rays. No evil bodily or spiritual, in time or eternity, shall come nigh to hurt them that trust in Him who is God over all, blessed forever more,

SERMON IX.

"Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God." -ISAIAH, 1. 10.

When a sinner "puts off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and is renewed in the spirit of his mind,"* then he is advanced to a dignity, and made partaker of enjoyments, unknown before. He is made a son of God, and blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus.

The exceeding great and precious privileges of God's people are expressed under a variety of figures in the Sacred Scriptures, and especially those which relate to their sensible enjoyments. Sometimes they are compared to "living water," "heavenly food," a "pleasant path." But perhaps no figure is more common than that of light. "Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord." t 66 Thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee." # "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear." ||

As light conveys to our minds the idea of something unspeakably sweet and pleasant, so it intimates that these enjoyments are uncertain. There are indeed blessings con

* Eph. iv. 22.

+ Eph. v. 8.

+ Isa. lx. 1.

Psalm xxvii. 1.

nected with our Lord Jesus Christ which are perfect and indefeasible-as justification and adoption: but those which are inherent-as love, joy, peace, and the smiles of God's countenance-are ever variable and changing. These keep pace with our sanctification; that, being imperfect, they are, of course, liable to constant waxings and wanings.

All Christians are not equally happy-none are always so. Some mount up as on eagles' wings, towards heaven their native place-others are so feeble and faint, that they can scarce stretch up a single thought towards God. Some are strong in the full assurance of faith and hope-others are like a bruised reed. Some are "exceeding glad" all the day long, through "the light of God's countenance”others" walk in darkness, and have no light."

To the latter class, our subject will be addressed; and, if any of my hearers are "sitting under the dark mantle of a sad and tedious night," we pray God, that the present voice may usher in the golden chariots of a glorious morning to their souls, which, "like the shining light, shall shine more and more unto the perfect day."

We shall follow the order marked out in our text, and first point out the characters intended-then, their condition -and then give some suitable directions.

I. We are to notice the character addressed in our text. It is evident that a particular class of those who are in darkness, are here intended-those who fear and obey God. Those who fear and obey Him not, are in darkness; but it is far different from the former. They are in the darkness of nature; in a state of mind similar to the unformed world, when darkness lay upon the face of the deep; those are in the shade of an eclipse-a transient obscuration of the Sun of Righteousness. God addresses the former in a

manner far different from the latter-in the language of alarm and terror.' "Arise! awake!" "why slumberest "Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the

thou?" dead!"

To the latter He speaks in the voice of tenderness and love. He seems to "gather them in his arms," and, in the still, small voice of love, to whisper in their ears, "wherefore do ye doubt? Be not afraid, O ye of little faith!""Trust in the Lord and stay upon thy God;" and, though darkness "may endure for a night, joy cometh in the morning."

1st. It is the character of the people of God, that, though in darkness, "they fear the Lord." Not as a slave fears his master-but as a son his father.

Not as fallen

spirits fear God, and tremble before his glory, yet hate his blessed character-but as angels, who, while they fear, reverence and adore.

This fear is grounded upon a firm belief of the purity of God, that forbids Him to regard sin with toleration, much less with the slightest degree of complacency; and of His justice, that forbids Him to permit unatoned sin to go unpunished; and of His wrath, bitter as wormwood, terrible as an army with banners, hot as Tophet kindled with the breath of God. It is grounded likewise on a right apprehension of His love, a pearl of greater price than life itself. "All that a man hath will he give for his life ;" but for this, he will give all and life beside, for he feels that "the loving-kindness of Jehovah is better than life"-better than long life better than life at its best estate-better than long life and prosperity all our days.

This fear springs from a reverential esteem for the majesty of God, a dread of His displeasure, a desire of His favor, blended with supreme love for His immaculate character, His infinite perfections, and sovereign goodness. This is a genuine fear of God. From this fear of God,