he has spoken, who of us will not say, with the psalmist, "I will fear no evil, for thou art with me: thy rod, and thy staff, they comfort me?"

On this word of the Lord his children live: and it is a special object of all his dealings with them, to teach them, perfectly, this great lesson : not to live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. (Deut. viii. 3.) As they live on the word, he fulfils the word, in their experience so that, at length, they come to some blessed confidence in it. "Thus saith the Lord," is enough for them : enough to encourage, support, guide, and counsel them, where others, (themselves, once,) would faint and fall.

Thus, then, we have seen the meaning and truth of this testimony, in my text,—“ In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence, and his children shall have a place of refuge." I shall conclude, by addressing a few words, to two classes of hearers.

(1.) I would say to some, Seek ye this fear of the Lord. It is well called "the beginning of wisdom.' They are fools indeed, who renounce it. O there is a fear of the Lord, that must presently fall on all such, which has terrors in it, beyond description; a day, when sinners, the greatest, and the boldest, shall cry to the rocks,

Fall on us, and to the hills, Cover us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb." But the fear of the Lord which we now commend to you, that fear which characterizes his children, is 66 a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death." (Prov. xiv. 27.) It is a fear that sweetly divests the soul of all other fears, which haunt (and reasonably haunt) the unpardoned, unrenewed sinner. It rids men of that spirit of bondage, in religion, which makes all its services burdensome, and intolerable. It delivers from that sinful fear of man, which bringeth a snare. It takes away fear from a dying hour; enables the soul to look, complacently, on an eternal world, and to expect its appearance, before an infinitely holy God, with joy and confidence! Yes, my brethren, "godliness, (and the fear of the Lord is but another name for it,) hath the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." May God prevail with you to believe our testimony, and to fear him, who is able to destroy, as well as save to destroy both body and soul, in hell!

(2.) Let me say, to those who do fear the Lord, Live, as if you had such a refuge to flee to. Remember, beloved, if you fear the Lord, you are dear to the Lord. "Dear children," saith the apostle, of believers. (Eph. v. 1.) Precious

title, of such as fear God! and most true title, of every one of them. And it becomes them to know its truth, and act on the assurance of it: to hear God speaking to them, as he did to Abram, and as he does to all who have the faith of Abram, "Fear not; I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward." Now, regard God, dear brethren, whom you fear, in this character. Instead of hiding yourself from him, as Adam would, and as every natural man would do, in guilty dread, rather say to him, with David, "I flee unto thee, to hide me." "O Lord, I

am oppressed; undertake for me.'

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This is the

way to put enemies, corruptions, sorrows, to flight, when you are strong in the Lord:" when you know your liberty to come to him, at all times, as a sure refuge. And if you enjoy this privilege, remember, on the other hand, with what it is connected: a holy, childlike fear of his name: a reverential spirit of obedience, to a Father who is in heaven. Mark how carefully the scripture connects God's fatherly love to his children, with this character in them. (Ps. ciii. 11-17.) "As the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.... Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting, to everlasting, upon them that fear him." Surely,

here is argument enough, to prevail with you, hereto. And it is the language of the gospel, the voice of God to us in Christ, as well. So, by the mouth of Peter, God exhorts you to walk, "as obedient children; not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts, in your ignorance; but, as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy, in all manner of conversation. Because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy. And, if ye call on the Father, who, without respect of persons, judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here IN FEAR." (1 Pet. i. 14-17.)

"In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence; and his children shall have a place of refuge."

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SERMON XVIII.

GOD'S SPIRIT, THE REVEALER OF GOSPEL

GIFTS.

1 CORINTHIANS ii. 12.

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us, of God.

ONE momentous truth lies upon the surface of these words;-That the mere reasonable spirit of the man of this world, apart from divine illumination by the Spirit of God, can never attain to saving knowledge of divine things. "They are spiritually discerned." (ver. 14.)

Now, if this be so, certainly, a conviction of its truth is a matter of vital importance, to every man. It, at once, lays low a sinner's pride; takes him off from a vain, high-minded dependence on his own natural resources, and brings him to God in his proper character: as a