people. In this instance, as well as the former, it becomes us to note the difference between the' trials of those who are, and of those who are not the people of God; for though the latter are sometimes allowed to have impunity, they are not altogether exempted from trials; and when they come upon them, no blessing accompanies them. What then must be their issue? Go to Saul, to Ahitophel, to Judas, and you will see that the sorrow to which they give rise is in too many instances a sorrow that worketh death ; yea, and though trial may not in every instance arm the hand of the ungodly sufferer against himself, it very frequently induces him to have recourse to desperate expedients, which compromise his character, and make him an outcast from society. But the blessing of the Lord is on the trials of His people. They must expect trials; for "what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?" Nevertheless, the trial shall be sanctified. Was it not so with Job's trials? He who was at first so strenuous in vindicating his own righteousness, was, through the blessing of God on his trials, brought to say, " Behold, I am vile!" Was it not so with David's trials? When did David's character appear to greatest advantage? Not when he stretched himself on beds of ivory, and chanted to the sound of harp and viol, but when he was hunted like a bird upon the mountains,-when he was "afflicted, but not forsaken," when the blessing of God was upon his trials. Such being the case, the people of God, instead of fainting at the approach of trials, should rather pray that the blessing of God may be upon them; that, like David of old time, they

may have cause to say, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted."

The blessing of God shall likewise be on the families of His people. Is it on the families of the wicked? What says the great Jehovah himself? “I the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the sins of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me." See this threat executed in the case of the family of Eli, of Saul, of Ahab. And how often do we see this exemplified in cases which come under our own observation! The miser's heart is wrung by the extravagance of a spendthrift son. The godless parent's grey hairs are brought down with sorrow to the grave by the misconduct of his godless children. But you will say, is it not thus also with the families of the Lord's people? I fearlessly answer in the negative. There may, I grant, be instances of the children of pious parents causing much grief to those who nurtured them. These, however, are the exceptions; the rule must be the converse, for the blessing of the Lord is on the families of His people. Who that reads the 128th Psalm, or the fourth commandment, can doubt this? "Thy wife," says the Psalmist," shall be as the fruitful vine by the sides of thine house; thy children like olive plants round about thy table."

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Behold, thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord." In Psa, cii. 28, it is written, "The children of Thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before Thee." And again, it is said by the wise man, Prov. xiii. 22, “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children;" yea,

though he may leave them no inheritance of the things of this world, he leaves them his prayers, which are registered in heaven; he leaves them his own. good name, which sheds a halo round their own; above all, he leaves them the blessing of the Lord, which maketh rich, and to which He addeth no sorrow.

The blessing of the Lord, moreover, shall be on the spiritual privileges of His people. In many respects these privileges are common to the righteous and to the wicked; but the blessing is not common,and what are privileges without the blessing? Does not the word then become the savour of death unto death, prayer an abomination, and the Lord's Supper an ordinance of condemnation? Yea, every ordinance is then a well without water, and every minister constituted a witness against the sinner's soul. The blessing of the Lord, however, is on the spiritual privileges of His people. They come together, not for the worse, but for the better. They can say at the close of each religious ordinance, It has been good for us to be here; our souls have been strengthened and refreshed; the Word has been a word in season, profitable for edification, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; our prayers have not returned unto us void; yea, the Lord's blessing has been on our privileges, so that we can truly say, Our souls prosper and are in health.

Once more, the Lord's blessing is on the death of His people, no less than on their life. Of the wicked it is said, he shall be driven away in his wickedness; but of the righteous it is written, "His latter end shall be peace." Yes, he has peace with God, and the

smiles of his reconciled Father invest that valley-so dark and terrific to the departing sinner, who sees in every fading shadow tokens of the near approach of Him whose wrath is as a consuming fire-with unlooked-for beauties. He feels that sin is taken away -that a crown of life is laid up for him,—that death shall prove eternity's birth-day. He has no anxiety for those whom he is about to quit for a time, not for ever: his Lord has adopted them; for He says of the seed of His servants, "When father and mother forsake you, I will take you up." His latter end is peace; he dies in the Lord, and is blessed, for he rests from his labours; and those who are privileged to see how the righteous man dies, however unwilling they may be to live as he lived, will be ready to say, "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his !"

It may be that some who read these pages are not the people of God.

But can any one be at ease, and feel at the same time that he belongs not to the people of God? Strange as such a thing may seem, it is, I conceive, the case of too many. I grant that, if they were fully satisfied that they never could be put amongst God's people, this composure would, in all probability, be dissipated. But they are not fully satisfied of this; indeed, I do not think there is one sinner who ever thinks at all about the matter, who does not flatter himself that he shall one day belong to the people of God. And Satan cherishes this delusion; for he well knows that, when persons flatter themselves that a work may be done at any time, it is most com

monly never done at all. Now I do not dispute the possibility of your becoming ultimately the people of God; but I solemnly warn you that you have no right to calculate upon such a result if you delay, even for a single hour, to seek the Lord. Have you made a covenant with death, that you presume to say, I will trifle this day, and to-morrow I will care for my soul? O consider how uncertain the tenure is by which life is held. That Being whom you insult and outrage by delay is the arbiter of your fate. If He do but say, "Thy days are numbered and finished," the silver cord of life must in a moment be severed; and what will then remain unto you? Not hope, but hell. Trifle, then, no more, for "now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation."

But there may be also those who despair of becoming the people of God.

What can give rise to such a feeling as this? Is anything too hard for God? No, you will say; all things are possible with God, but all things are not agreeable to Him; and we apprehend that our salvation is not. But why do you apprehend this? Has the Lord proclaimed your excision in an audible voice from heaven? or have you been permitted to inspect the Lamb's book of life? No; you are acting just as presumptuously as the individual who should say, I know that I shall be saved, though I am living as a child of the devil; for you say, I am persuaded that the Lord has determined to damn me, whilst the Lord himself says, "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." Pause, then, ere you wilfully destroy your own soul. The Lord