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tered in the night. Where thy flocks are, thou art not far away; tell me where thou feedest, tell me where thou art. My Beloved that feedeth among the lilies, feedeth sometimes among the thorns. When his love is a lily among thorns, there he feedeth. He feedeth among thorns; he feedeth with his sheep, he feedeth with his lambs wherever they feed; when darkness and desolation and devils and death feed upon them, even then he feedeth them, and takes his feeding with them.

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Oh, wherever my Lord is, there let my lot fall. Let me dwell among the thorns, if so my dwelling be with my Lord among the lilies. the lilies. Let me wander among the mountains while he is with me telling all my wanderings. Let me be scourged, so he will wash my stripes; let me weep, so he will wipe off my tears I would not fear wounds while I have such oil to pour in. Come, all ye thieves and robbers, I fear you not, my dear Samaritan comes by; come, ye bulls of Bashan, ye boars of the forest, let my Beloved kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, and I regard it not though you kick me with the heel. O my Lord, bring me where thou feedest, let me live in thy face, let me feel thy smiles upon my heart, let me love thee, tell me thou lovest me, rememberest, pitiest, acceptest, takest care for me, and then choose my condition, my dwelling, and entertainment for me.

Fainting Christian, lift up thine eyes, comfort thy heart; here is that thou fearest and tormentest thyself with. Here is the inside of that formidable cross, the light side of those dark clouds, the sunny side of that

shady thorn hedge that so wounds and afflicts thy heart. Fear not, be strong and of a good courage. Thou still sayest, "Woe is me, I can find no such thing. Ah, Lord God, doth he not speak parables? O that I were assured it might be thus with me." Why, art thou not in covenant? Believe, and all is thine. I believe, and therefore have I spoken; believe, and thou shalt see the salvation of God; as sure as the cross is thine, all the comforts of the cross are settled upon thee. Read over all the gracious words thou hast before thine eyes; review all the instances of suffering saints that have gone before thee, to whom these good words have been made good, in conspicuous increases of divine grace, in the signal discoveries of divine love, in the clearest and fullest revelation of divine glory, in the intimate sense of the divine presence, quickening, enlarging, encouraging, supporting their spirits in the darkest dens, in the sharpest conflict with reproaches, mockings, bonds, banishments, torments, and deaths; and know that all these things are written for thy learning, that thou through patience and comfort of the Scriptures mayest have hope.

Read over Isaiah fifty-first: "Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord; look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged." "For the Lord shall comfort Zion; he will comfort all her waste places; he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving and the

voice of melody." "Lift up your eyes to the heavens," etc. "Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings for the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool; but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation." "I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; and forgettest the Lord thy Maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? And where is the fury of the oppressor ?" "Where is the fury of the oppressor?" sayest thou; "where is it not, rather? Is it not in the house, and in the field? Is it not in the city and in the villages? Is it not upon my cattle, upon my purse, upon my body, upon my children, upon my friends? Where is not the fury of the oppressor ?" But when thou rememberest the Lord thy Maker, the oath, the promise, and covenant of God, the presence, protection, and comfort of thy God-when thou rememberest this, then, "Where is the fury of the oppressor ?"

CHAPTER V.

THE ANGELS OF LIGHT-THE POWERS OF DARK. NESS-DEATH-THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN-IN THE COVENANT.

I. THE ANGELS OF LIGHT are in the covenant. "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" Hebrews 1:14. While our Lord himself was sent down to minister, behold his servants are to be ministered unto; the angels are made their ministers: "He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." Psa. 91:11. They have received a charge, and they have great advantages for keeping the charge of the Lord.

1. They are mighty. "Bless the Lord, ye his angels that excel in strength." Psalm 103:20. An angel is more than an army; what slaughters have the angels made in the armies of the aliens! A hundred fourscore and five thousand Assyrians are slain by one angel of the Lord, when encamped against Judah. Isa. 37:36. It is hard service indeed that is

too hard for an angel.

2. They are numerous.

There are great multitudes of them. "Thousands of angels." Psa. 67:17. "A multitude of the heavenly host." Luke 2:13.

An angel is more than an army; but what then are an army of angels?

3. They are faithful. They can do much for the saints, but will they do it? Yes, they are faithful; they do the commandments of God. Psalm 103:20. God bids them keep, and they are faithful, and will keep, his sheep: we are taught to pray that "the will of God may be done on earth, as it is in heaven;" that men may be faithful as the angels of God..

4. They are favorites; they behold the face of God, they dwell in his presence, they are admitted to stand before his throne, they can be heard; they have favor in heaven, and therefore have they such power on earth. "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven." Matt. 18:10. Touch not mine anointed, let alone my little ones, take heed how you offend them; their angels are before my Father, and are mighty with him, to engage his power for their aid and deliverance.

O the great security of the least of saints! These mighty ones, these multitudes, these faithful ones, these favorites of heaven, the holy angels of God, have all received a charge from the Lord, to preserve and defend them: "Lord, open his eyes, that he may see;' and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." 2 Kings, 6:17.

Should a mighty prince commit any subject of his to a potent and faithful life-guard, with this charge:

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