now is." There may be exceptions, but this is the rule, written by God's own finger, in God's own book. I do not say, that trusting in the Saviour, you will all be rich in temporal things, but I believe you will all be competently provided for; and I am sure you will none of you be starved; for God has said of the righteous, "bread shall be given him, his water shall be sure." There are but few exceptions to the temporal profitableness of godliness. Many apparent exceptions, if closely examined, would turn out no exceptions at all; other influences come in and operate. Sinful habits not entirely broken off; evil associations not completely abandoned; the whips created by the old and pleasant vices indulged in before the attainment of religion, and backslidings of heart would, probably, go far to explain some of these seeming anomalies. Of this, however, you may be satisfied, that if ever the mountain of your prosperity stand strong, it must be in God's favour; if He hide his face you will be troubled. There is, too, another thing of which you may be assured, namely, that "all things work together for good to them that love God." Job, purified and strengthened by the trials through which he passed, became more prosperous than ever, and this time his mountain stood strong,—it shook no more. David lived through his difficulties, and died at length full of years and honours. Even Nebuchadnezzar reascended his throne a wiser and a better man; and most men, if their temporal troubles have not a prosperous issue, may blame themselves for it; they improve not under them,-they chafe beneath the rod; and then it falls all the more heavily upon them. And, should their obstinacy continue, God himself at length may give them up, uttering, concerning them, the dreadful words of the prophet: -"Why should ye be smitten any more, ye will revolt yet more and more?"

Let me, in conclusion, address a few words to people in two conditions. To those in prosperity, I would say, learn a lesson, not by the hard method of experience, but by the easier mode of precept and observation. Beware of undue elation; permit not a sense of security to steal over you— a disposition to say, "I shall never be moved." Remember your dependence on God's favour for the continuance of prosperity. Seek that favour earnestly, if you have it not. Exercise, by the grace of the Holy Ghost, repentance toward God, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall obtain it. Secure it, if you do possess it, by living a life of faith in the Son of God, and of active benevolence -by consulting his will in all things, by ever having your eye lifted to his approbation. If you wish your temporal course to be as little interrupted by adversity as the dire necessities of a fallen condition will admit; if you wish competence to spread your tables, and comfort to warm your hearths; if you wish your children to rise up, and call you blessed; and if you wish the sun of your life to go down in a clear sky, and its departing beams to be hailed and remembered by those on whom they may fall-be faithful servants of Christ; backslide not in heart; walk in all his statutes and commandments, blameless; and then your temporal prosperity will probably be secured-unless God wishes to make you illustrious examples of the power of grace in adversity; and even should that be the case, you will be the gainers; and will prove at last, that "these light afflictions, which are but for a moment, work out a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."

To those of you who may be in adversity, I would say, seek God's favour if you have it not; but if you have it, resign yourselves to his will remember that will is wisest and best. Hope, too, in God; sorrow may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morn

ing. The darkness is often blackest just before the dawn. Life is a chequered scene, and therefore its dark squares must, probably, some day be passed over, and its white one come beneath the feet. How soon God can change the appearance of the earth!

The brownness and desola

tion of winter are speedily succeeded by the verdure and promise of spring. So He can do with the scene of life. As the tree, dry and seemingly sapless, soon buds and blossoms again, so He can make the cold and deserted hearth glow with warmth, and echo to the sound of footsteps. Perhaps God wanted to teach you your complete dependence on him. Learn the lesson, be thankful for it, be true believing Christians; and when the sun of his favour again shines on you, do not say "I shall never be moved," but remember that "in his favour your mountain stands strong; if he hide his face, you will be troubled." May these lessons of his word be written on our hearts for Christ's sake. Amen.

SERMON XXII.

JERUSALEM ESTABLISHED, A PRAISE IN THE

EARTH.

BY ANONYMOUS.

I HAVE SET WATCHMEN UPON THY WALLS, O JERUSALEM, WHICH SHALL NEVER HOLD THEIR PEACE DAY NOR NIGHT: YE THAT MAKE MENTION OF THE LORD, KEEP NOT SILENCE, AND GIVE HIM NO REST, TILL HE ESTABLISH, AND TILL HE MAKE JERUSALEM A PRAISE IN THE EARTH."-ISAIAH LXII. 6, 7.

JERUSALEM was the capital of Judea; and, in the height of its prosperity, for magnificence and splendour, exceeded every other city on earth. Its peculiar glory, however, arose from the favour God manifested towards it. Here was erected his temple. Here his altar stood; here his solemn worship was established and conducted; in the holy of holies was the luminous cloud between the cherubim, overshadowing the mercy-seat-emblem of the presence of God; and here the tribes of Israel assembled at their three great annual festivals. It was called, "The Holy City," and "The City of God."

In heaven God has prepared his throne, and reigns over the universal assembly of his saints; on this account, and other resemblances, which perhaps, at present, we cannot fully comprehend, heaven is styled, "Jerusalem"; "the

new Jerusalem " (Rev. iii. 12; xxi. 2.) The term "New" indicates that the old, the former dispensation, has passed away, and a new and unchangeable manifestation of God's glory is opened in the kingdom of heaven.

Again, the Jewish economy was representative:-the shadows of good things to come. The Jerusalem of Judea was an emblem of the Christian Church. The Christian Church has this title (Heb. xii. 22). It is the Jerusalem in our text, and the passage carries our thoughts into future ages. Nothing that has ever taken place in reference to the ancient Jerusalem has ever come up to the full meaning of the prophet, "A praise in the earth."

In the first verse of this chapter our Redeemer is making intercession, and pleading for Zion and Jerusalem. In the second verse, the conversion of the Gentiles is foretold, which shall be " a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of God." This is followed by a time of great prosperity and happiness (v. 4, 5.) The way in which this is to be accomplished is laid down in the text. There are two points.

I. THE END PROPOSED.

II. THE MEANS OF ITS ACCOMPLISHMENT.

The end proposed is the establishment and universal extension of the Christian Church; and the means to effect it are a divinely appointed ministry, united with. the fervent persevering prayers of the people of God.

set.

I. THE END PROPOSED.

The style is military. A walled city, and watchmen This conveys the idea of an enemy, and of danger. Christianity, from its beginning until now, has existed in the midst of its enemies.

Turning our attention on the world, a melancholy scene is presented. Our countryman, Mr. Brerewood, some time ago, made this calculation :-If the inhabitants of the