being justified by faith, have peace with God; they have the true enjoyment of that nature which God has given them; "all things are theirs, whether things present or things to come, whether life or death." Prosperity increases their gratitude, and causes them to seek after a better portion than what this world can bestow. Affliction, by drying up the streams of worldly comfort, quickens their desires and endeavours for those rivers of pleasure which are at God's right hand. Of the Word they can say,-" This is my comfort in mine affliction, for thy Word has quickened me; thy statutes have been my song in the house of my pilgrimage." This Word dwells in them richly; thus are they thoroughly furnished unto all good works; and while they have more joy than others when their corn and wine do abound, their prospects are not bounded by time, they reach to eternity. The Word gives seed to the Sower. It has that meat to bestow which endureth into everlasting life. It assures us, upon the testimony of Him who cannot lie," that there remains a rest to the people of God," it thus opens to us a portion of that veil which conceals the invisible world; it informs us of the employment and joys of its heavenly inhabitants, and causes us to long to join their society. It has many a word of comfort to say to us in our journey thitherward—while it never fails to represent their character for whom this kingdom is prepared, declaring,

that without holiness no man shall see the Lord." It insists upon those who cherish the hope of heaven, to make preparation for its joys; and maintains, that "if any man is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is

deceiving his own soul." In urging upon believers the necessity of holiness, and furnishing the most powerful motives, the Word confers upon them true blessedness, inasmuch as such as are holy have evidence in themselves that they have not received the grace of God in vain; inasmuch as they are warranted to apply to themselves the promises; and although the bare knowledge of salvation does not ensure its enjoyment, yet in the case of the people of God, such is the connection between the end and the means, that our Saviour says, "this is life eternal, to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent."

5. The Word may be likened to rain, with regard to the certainty of its producing the intended effect. We have already adverted to its admirable fitness for this purpose we are now to attend to the effects which it never fails to accomplish. "It shall accomplish that which I please, saith the Lord, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." Indeed, such a result might have been confidently expected, when we consider the agent, and the instrument in his hand. The Scriptures afford numberless proofs of the truth we are endeavouring to illustrate. What was

the condition of the heathen before the publication of the Gospel: "darkness covered the earth, and gross darkness the people." How came it to pass that the Jews greatly surpassed all the world upon the score of religious knowledge? we have the answer in these words, "God at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake unto the fathers by the prophets." What was the state of the world at the time when our Saviour

appeared? "The world in its wisdom knew not God," men were "living without God and without hope." To what is the change in every point of view, which since that period has taken place, to be traced? To: the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. The Word has indeed been, what the Apostle said was the object of his ministry; it has opened men's eyes, and in so doing, it "has turned them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God." When the Word of the Gospel was preached with power from on high, Satan was seen as lightning falling from heaven; idolatry with its cruel train fled before the light of truth; and the change which the truth effected, was almost literally what Esaias predicted, "the wilderness and the solitary place were glad, and the desert did rejoice and blossom as the rose."

The age of miracles has long since passed away, but God never changes. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever." "The Word of the Lord endureth for ever; and this is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you." Still the Word worketh mightily in them that believe-it convinces them of sin-it converts the soul-it unites to Christ, and it thus blesses with spiritual blessings in heavenly places in him. It may fall like the rain, in situations where it seems to be lost; nevertheless it will accomplish the pleasure of God, and prosper in the thing whereto he sent it. By it is the knowledge of sin, and also the knowledge of salvation-by it is the purpose of God in election accomplished, for if some are chosen from the beginning, "it is through sanctification of the

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Spirit and belief of the truth; it affords comfort to many an afflicted, tempted, mourning soul-but its worth must be experienced in order to be known or appreciated. By a single sermon of the Apostle Peter, about three thousand souls were added to the Church; and though the effects of the Word may not always be so visibly demonstrated, still "as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so is the word that goeth out of the mouth of the Lord."

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With regard to the rain, much of it falls in the sea, and in places where it appears to us to be of no use, nevertheless it accomplishes the intentions of providence and as respects many that hear the Word, it profits them not, not being mixed with faith in the hearing; yet the will of God cannot be frustrated. Esaias received this message from God. "Go and tell this people; hear ye, indeed, but understand not ; see ye, indeed, but perceive not; make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and be converted, and be healed." In this bold language is foretold, not indeed the primary design of the Word of God-but, in consequence of their depravity to whom it is sent, their fate. It was predicted of Christ, "this child was set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel:" we read that "none of the wicked shall understand, but that the wise shall understand."

By what mysterious decree of God such things come to pass, we cannot say; but the Scripture is clear as to the fact-yet from all that we know of God we believe, that the ruin of men's souls is to be traced en tirely to themselves. Jesus said to the Jews, "ye will not come to me, that ye may have life," and the Apostle says, "that because men receive not the truth in the love of it, God shall send them strong delusion to believe a lie, that they might all be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

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The Word of God is like certain medicines-the disease that it does not heal, it festers; the soul that it does not save, it leaves entirely without hope of mercy, So says the Apostle Paul of the effects of his preaching; we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish; to the one we are a savour of death unto death, and to the other a savour of life unto life." The Word of God will not return unto him void. Is it to be thought, that after such preparation for the salvation of sinners, the message of the Gospel will be rejected with impunity? "How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation."

How shall we ascertain whether the Word is preparing us for glory, or for eternal misery? By the effects which it is now working upon our hearts and lives; by its producing in us the peaceable fruits of righteousness; by its removing our fears, and confirming our hopes, and quickening us in the way that conducts to heaven; for assuredly "the kingdom of