witness, that trust in the Lord invariably brought deliverance. They all unite to exhort us, to trust in the Lord for ever, because in the Lord Jehovah, there is everlasting strength. The privileges of those who trust in the Lord are many and great, but this is an especial one, "he is a buckler, or a shield, unto them that put their trust in him.” This implies exposure to foes,—Satan, evil men, and death, against these we need defence. It implies opposition-and the opposition of our foes is great, daring, and deadly. It implies danger to be apprehended, because we are weak, timid, and unskilful: and our foes are strong, daring, and experienced. Our safety therefore, stands in what the Lord is to us, he is our shield, and such a shield as no one besides has, or can have. He is omniscient to see all our foes and dangers. He is omnipresent to help us at all times, and against all opposers. He is omnipotent_to defend us, and secure us from all evil. is faithful to fulfil his word, and carry out his engagements. He will come between the believer and danger. He will preserve the trusting soul from all real injury. He will protect the simple Christian every where, and at all times. What a mercy! What an unspeakable privilege is this! He Is the Lord our shield? Are we of those who put their trust in him? Then let us never give way to fear, but look to him to defend us, remembering that it is said, "Trust in him at all times, ye people, pour out your heart before him, God is a refuge for us." Let us call upon him to shield us, seeing we are informed that the Lord is our keeper, the Lord is our shade upon our right hand. Let us trust in him to preserve us, encouraged by the assurance, that as the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so is the Lord round about his people for evermore. Let us expect him to protect us, and so doing we shall prove, that they that trust in the Lord, shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. Then may we say, "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God." O for grace to trust the Lord with all, to trust the Lord for all, and to trust the Lord under all! Holy Spirit, strip us of all confidence in the flesh, of all reliance on man, and of all trust in circumstances; and bring us by thy divine and holy teaching, to trust in the Lord alone! In the name of Jesus, in the word of Jesus, and on the work of Jesus, may we evermore rely and depend. And if tempted to withdraw our trust, or place it elsewhere, may we hear thy sweet reproving voice say, "O Israel, trust thou in the Lord, he is their help and their shield. Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord, he is their 66 66 help and their shield." And in reply to all the tempter can suggest, may we say, My soul trusteth in the Lord, how say ye then to my soul, flee as a bird unto your mountain ?" Away, my unbelieving fear! Let fear in me no more take place: Altho' the vine its fruit deny, Away, each unbelieving fear! Whose boundless love can reach to me. "AND ONE CONVERT HIM." THE apostle supposes that one has erred from the truth, he is not only wrong in head, but wrong in heart. He has wandered out of the way of understanding. Such characters we have all around us. In almost every house, certainly in every alley, street, village, town, and city, there are unconverted souls. Persons who know not God, who love not the Lord Jesus, who are in danger of hell fire. They do not believe it, or do not think of it, certainly they do not realize it. Now it is our duty to speak to them about it. They are placed near us, that we may teach them, tell them of Jesus, set the gospel before them, and warn them to flee from the wrath to come. They pass and repass us daily, we meet them often, but how do we feel about them? Have we any care about them? Any pity for them? Any desire to see them saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation? Are we willing to make an effort to prevent their eternal destruction? Have we ever made one? How can we satisfy our consciences about them if we never have? 66 The apostle teaches that souls are to be converted by individual effort. And one convert him." ONE, not a minister perhaps. Not a Sunday School teacher perhaps. Not a district visitor perhaps. It may not be a learned man, or a wealthy man, or an aged man. No, it may be some loving Christian, who has little wealth, little learning, little spare time, or little apparent influence. One who only just knows the gospel, wishes to honour the Saviour, and sympathises with perishing sinners. God often uses unlikely means to save souls. Indeed, we believe, that God never refuses to use any one, whose heart is right, and who from a right motive, gives himself to the work of saving souls from death. Oh, what an honour God puts upon us in using us in this great work! What a source of happiness it must be, to know that we have saved a soul from death! The apostle knew this, and therefore he says, "Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." Reader, can you see your neighbours, friends, and relatives, perish without an effort to save them? Can you believe that hell is a stern, a dread reality—that the torments of hell are eternal-and that every soul that dies unconverted must endure those torments ? And believing this, do you also believe that God saves souls by human instru |