trees; the mountain torrent and the rippling brook bespeak his power; insects sporting in the sunbeams, and leviathan in the depths of the sea, alıko show forth his praise. Magnitude can not overpower him, minuteness escape him, or intricacy bewilder him. He guides and preserves all by his presence and power. fishing-boat. His mind occupied with the importance of his mission, he thinks not of danger. He has had so many hairbreadth escapes on flood and field, that he deems himself under the immediate protection of the gods; nay, that he himself possesses the power of controlling fortune. The boatmen think, however, very differently. Though accustomed to danger, they will not put to sea in the present gale. Cæsar, thinking all would be lost, assumes a commanding attitude, throws off his disguise, and, addressing the pilot, exclaims, Quid times? Cæsarem vehis. "What do you fear? you carry Cæsar." The effect is electrical. Struck by his courageous bearing, the sailors, ashamed of their fears, immediately put to sea with the intrepid chieftain. They ex-Majestic darkness! on the whirlwind's wing, crt themselves to the utmost, brave Riding sublime. Thou bid'st the world adore, fearlessly the peltings of the storm, and And humblest nature with thy northern blast." land their noble passenger safely on the other side. Is full of Thee. Forth in the pleasing spring The presence of God with his people is, however, manifested in a different manner. Nature is managed by subordinate agents, the Church by his immediate presence. Natural objects wax The above instance of profane history may serve to illustrate the presence of God with his people, and the confidence they should have in him. The pres ence and consequent power of God ex-old and perish, as doth a garment; yea, ists, of course, every-where. We can the elements will melt with fervent not tell where God is not. We see heat; the earth also, and the works him in the embattled host that nightly that are therein, shall be burned up; shines in the blue vault of heaven; in but of the Church it is declared that the queen of night, as sailing through the gates of hell shall not prevail against the sky, she gives to the shadowed it; and of Christ's kingdom, which is earth a look of kindred affection. When the Church, it is said, Thy kingdom is rosy morn lifts up the curtain of dark- an everlasting kingdom, and thy doness and gives to our view the glorious minion without end. Hence, to perorb of day coming forth from his cham-petuate the Church, the presence of bers, rejoicing as a strong man to run God has been manifested in a peculiar a race; in the vast mountain, towering manner. In the march of the Church, to meet the skies; the immense ocean, through the ages of time on toward rising in the greatness of its strength; cternity, how plainly has he shown his the embowered forest, bending to the powerful presence. breeze; the deep blush of the verdant mead, the smiles of the luscious corn, and in the laughing flowers, we see the power and presence of the Omnipotent. The thunder proclaims him in the heavens, the woodland minstrels among the Is the world, through sin, covered with a flood of waters, as with a garment? God himself superintends the building of an ARK, for the salvation of his infant Church. Does famine threaten her with destruction? he opens to her wants the granaries of Egypt. Does the sea oppose her when she would go and "sacrifice to the Lord her God?" he divides for her a passage through the midst thereof, and she goes through dry shod. Does she suffer hunger in the desert? he unlocks the storehouse of heaven and feeds her with angels' food. Is she thirsty? the very rocks are made to yield streams of living water. By his presence her foes fall before her; Jordan's waves roll backward, and Canaan spreads for her repast its stores of milk and honey. Happy art thou, O Israel! Who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, who is the sword of thy excellency and the shield of thy help?" Nor has the Church been less favored with the divine presence, since Jesus paid in full the price of her redemption, remodeled his temple, and adorned the sanctuary with the beauty of holiness. When we see the Savior in the storm, on the sea of Tiberias, chiding the fears of his disciples, and stilling the winds and the waves, we see a type, and a promise of his future presence with his people. Immanuel, “God with us," this is his name. How full of consolation! with us in his own proper person. The government is still upon his shoulders. "He will not give his glory to another." He does not rule by proxy. Не needs no "vicar" on the earth. His real presence is with his people. He is fulfilling his own gracious promise, “Lo, I am with you alway, even to the end of the world." The fact of being engaged in an important enterprise, and a consciousness that great results will follow a certain course of conduct, nerves up the soul to action, and enables it to do and suffer. When the boatmen knew who it was that said unto them, “Fear not," know ing too that the fate of nations depended upon their conduct, they were inspired with energy and courage, and determined to sink or swim with Cæsar. But behold a greater than Cæsar is here. Jesus, the Almighty conqueror, says to his people,"Fear not, for I am with you." In the furious tempest that sometimes meets them in the path of duty, when their hearts quail, and all appears to be lost, his glorious presence shines amid the darkness. "Fear not," he exclaims, "you carry Jesus." The Church, emboldened at the sight, dismiss their fears, receive a new inspiration, and, in the strength of a living faith, respond, "Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be removed out of its place, and the mountains be cast into the depths of the sea for the Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge." “Fear not, you carry Jesus." Thou despond ing one, fear not. Does not Christ dwell in thy heart by faith? Is not "Christ in you the life of faith, the life of love, "the hope of glory?" Is he not working in you both to will and to do? Then be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Fear not, he is thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. Of Cyrus it is said that he knew his soldiers, every one by name; but by the Captain of your salvation the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Unbelief dims the eye so that it can not see Jesus. Faith opens it, and the glorious presence of the Savior is revealed. Where the king is, there also is the court; and where the Savior is, there also is his court. His attendants are all there. Power, majesty, riches, and glory encircle his throne. Stormy winds, lightning and thunder, are ministers of his that do his pleasure. As a God is with his people; he is their covenant God. Hence all his attributes are employed for their good. He cares for them. father pitieth his children, so he pities them that fear him. He has purchased them by "his own blood." They are his peculiar treasure," "the lot of his inheritance." There fore no weapon that is formed against them can prosper. To banish distrust forever from their hearts, he pledges himself never to leave them, never to forsake them. When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee, And through the rivers they shall not overflow thee; When thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burned, Neither shall the flame kindle upon thee, "The soul of an awakened sinner," that it has taken fire, and that all its says Dr. Coke, "before he ventures on nether parts are so far involved in flame Christ for salvation, may be compared as to cut off his retreat." The engrav to a person who is in some of the up-ing shows a young person. who has per stories of his house when he learns been roused from his midnight slum con bers by the raging flames which burst | ness of the night, and the injury his into the place where he was reposing, sight has sustained, only permit him to or perhaps he was awakened by the view the object of his wishes obscurely voice of some friend, who raised a warn- and indistinctly. Belief and doubt ing cry from without. The child, thor- tend for the empire of his mind, and by oughly awakened, sees that if he stays keeping it in an equipoise, prevent it where he is, he will perish in the flames; from making any decisive choice. he hears the voice of his father; he flies to the window; he sees the outstretched arms; he is invited to leap or cast himself from the burning house; the attempt seems perilous indeed, but, having faith in the word of his father, he takes the perilous leap; he ventures all; he falls into the hands of his father, unharmed; he is saved from death. This is a good illustration of the act of justifying faith. The child in the burning house, perhaps, made several efforts to escape from the approaching ruin; he attempts to gain the door, but finding the flames increase upon him, he is obliged to give up his hope of escaping this way, and to ascend the stairs before the pursuing fire. His friends without, who know his condition and danger (particularly his father), entreat him to cast himself from the upper window, as the only means by which his life can be preserved. The child hears the earnest entreat jes of his friends, hesitates, attempts, retires, approaches the window, calculates upon the fearful height, and dreads to make the effort. His understanding is convinced that the fire will soon overtake and destroy him, yet, while the danger appears somewhat remote, he strangely lingers, possibly thinking there may be some other way to escape besides casting himself from the win dow. Thus far the situation of the child resembles that of the soul who feels his need of salvation. The understandings of both are enlightened, the judg ments of both are convinced by the force of evidence; they appear to assent to the truths which are proposed for their belief, and still neither of them has escaped to the place of safety, or city of refuge, which lies before him. Both, however, have found the way to escape the impending ruin; and to him who thus spiritually seeks after Christ, it may be said, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. But still one thing is lacking; that is, to venture on the Savior for salvation. Thus far, in the allegory, the child has made no effectual effort to escape from within the burning walls. While lingering in his room in a state of indecision, agonizing for deliverance,without using the means of obtaining it, feeling a measure of confidence in his friends below, but not enough to venture, the flames burst into his apartment and scorch him in his last retreat. Alarmed at the immediate prospect of death, he concludes, If I remain here I shall surely die, and if I cast myself down from the building I shall but die. Fully impressed with this truth, he once more repairs to the window. He pays more attention to the call of his friends, particularly to that of his His friends again encourage him to father; the difficulty now appears someventure from the window, assuring him what less, and the prospect of safety that they have provided for his safety greater, than what he before imagined. by spreading on the ground the softest Encouraged by these favorable appearmaterials, to break the violence of his ances, as well as driven by terror, he fall. Full of hesitation, he asks for commits his soul to God-he casts himsensible evidence. They desire him to self into the arms of his father below. look; he makes an effort, but the dark-In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, he falls! He is caught and embraced by his father; he finds every thing prepared for his reception, as he had been promised, and he now feels himself in a state of safety. With tears of grateful joy, and a heart overflowing with thankfulness for his deliverance, he gives glory to God, and finds his bosom filled with peace. This is the case of every soul who, by faith, ventures his all on Christ. But who can find words to express all that is conveyed by this simile? Every one who has cast himself into the arms of his heavenly Father, through the atoning sacrifice, can feel it, but adequate expressions are not to be found. Human language is too poor to unfold, in all their branches, the things of God, and we are often under the necessity of resorting to such expedients in order to find a medium to communicate our thoughts. ing house, instead of trying to get out of it as soon as possible, should stop to ascertain te what means the house took fire-who set it on fire, this man or the other, or whether it took fire accidentally or not-would not every spectator call him a fool for troubling himself about such questions while his life was in such dat ger? Would not the cry be, Escape for thy life; tarry not; look not behind thee; leave the burning house instantly! Equally foolish would that soul be who is convinced of his guilt and danger, instead of flying to Christ for salvation, should spend its time in trying to find out the reason why sin was suffered to lay waste the works of God; could it not have been prevented, and many other subjects of the like kind, equally unfathomable by the human mind. there may be a strong conflict between belief and unbelief, but genuine faith will conquer. The soul that is truly and savingly in earnest about its salvation, not only believes, in a general manner, that the Bible is the voice of God to man, but his belief must induce him to hearken to that voice, and consider its threatenings as denounced against his dis obedience; he must, in order to obtain salvation, fly to Christ, cast himself upon his mercy, and claim the promises which are made to the soul that puts its trust in his mercy and power, It must be observed that the faith exercised by the youth in the burning house, caused We see by the allegory that no one is in a him to act, and venture his life on the issue. state of safety till they have actually ventured Perhaps he might reason, that his being at on Christ for salvation. The soul may be such a distance from his father and his friends, convinced that there is no other way of sal who stood on the ground below, it would be vation, but by venturing on Christ, but unless impossible for them to save him from being it acts and puts forth an effort there is no sal-dashed to pieces should he cast himself down; vation. The youth in the burning house may be convinced he must leave it if he would save his life, but he may, perhaps, think there is no immediate danger if he stays in the house a little longer; it will take some time, he thinks, for the fire to consume the foundation on which the floor of his apartment rests. The very reverse of this may be true. The fire has almost reached him, and he knows it not; all that supports the platform on which he stands is well-nigh consumed, and he may be precipitated in a moment into the burning flames below. So the soul may be rationally convinced that if it remains in its present state it must be forever lost; yet, thinking that there is time enough yet to attend to the subject of the soul's salvation in earnest, and wishing to remain in its present state a little longer, little more sleep, and a little more slumber, and folding of the arms to sleep,' sudden de struction may come in a moment; the cords of life may be snapped asunder. without a moment's warning, and sink into the flaming billows to rise no more. 64 We will suppose that the youth in the burn The youth in the burning house discovers that there are no back stairs by which he can reach a place of safety, for they are already entirely destroyed by the fire, or else nothing but a burning mass, so that escape by them is autterly impossible. In like manner, the truly awakened soul will see that there is no other way of escape but to leave the state of sin and death, as there can be no salvation while remaining in it. But if the soul will go for ward and cast itself into the everlasting arms of love and compassion, he who can not lie promises salvation. J. W. B |