that we shall live in heaven for ever? Can we believe that very shortly we shall be there, and not rejoice in such believing? I know we commonly say, that the uncertainty of our proper title is the cause of all our want of joy: but if that were all, if that were the first and greatest cause, and our belief of the promise itself were lively, we should at least set our hearts on heaven as the most delightful and desirable state and love would work by more eager desires and diligent seekings, till it had reached assurance, and cast out the hinderances of our joy. How much would a mere philosopher rejoice, if he could find out natural evidence of so much as we know by faith! You may perceive what their content in finding it would be, by their exceeding pains in seeking. The unwearied studies by day and night, which many of them used, with the contempt of the riches and greatness of the world, do tell us how glad they would have been to have seen but half so far as we may. If they could but discover more clearly and certainly, the principles, and elements, and forms of beings; the nature of spirits; the causes of motion; the nature and cause of light and heat; the order, course, and harmony of the universal system of the world; what joyful acclamations would this produce in the learned, studious sort of men? What joy then should it be to us, to know by faith the God that made us; the creation of the world; the laws and promises of our Creator; the mysteries of redemption and regeneration; the frame of the new creature; the entertainment of the spirits of the just with Christ; the judgment which all the world must undergo; the work and company which we shall have hereafter; and the endless joys which all the sanctified shall possess in the sight and love of God for ever! How blessed an invention would it be, if all the world could be brought again to the use of one universal language! Or if all the churches could be perfectly reconciled, how joyful would the author of so great a work be! Should we not then rejoice, who foresee by faith a far more perfect union and consent than ever must be expected here on earth?

Alas! the ordinary lowness of our comforts doth tell us that our faith is very small! I say not so much the sorrows of a doubting heart, as the little joy which we have in the forethoughts of heaven, when our title seemeth not much doubtful to us: for those sorrows show that such esteem it a joyful place,

and would rejoice if their title were but cleared. But when we have neither the sorrow nor solicitude of the afflicted soul, nor yet the joy which is every whit suitable to the belief of such everlasting joys, we may know what to judge of such an ineffectual belief; at best, it is very low and feeble. It is a "joy unspeakable and full of glory," which unseen things should cause in a believer; because it is "an exceeding eternal weight of glory," which he believeth.

Say ye not, A confederacy to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he shall be for a sanctuary.-Isaiah viii. 12-14.

GOD, speaking to the prophet by a strong hand, imparts the strong and mighty impression that was made upon his heart by the spirit of prophecy; wherein the Lord did, as it were, lay his hand upon him, as a man doth upon one to whom he is about to impart some special secret in a familiar way, as if he would say, Come hither, Isaiah (drawing him to him at the same instant, with a friendly hand); take deep notice of what I am about to give thee in charge, both with respect to thyself, and my elect people that follow thee; "Say not ye, A confederacy to all them to whom this people shall say a confederacy: " that is, let not these frightful tidings work upon you as they do upon Ahaz, and the common multitude with him, who are so terrified with the approaching dangers, that all their counsels, thoughts, and studies, are taken up in preventing it, by making a confederacy or league with the Assyrian: or if that can not be, then with some foreign power that may secure them against the Assyrian: but their eyes are not at all to me for protection and deliverance; they expect more from Egypt than from heaven; from a broken reed, than from the rock of ages. Fear not you their fear; their fear drives them from God to the creature; it first distracts them, and then ensnares them.

But, on the contrary, see that thou and all the faithful in the land with thee, do sanctify me in your hearts, and make me your fear and dread; that is, rely upon me by faith in this day of

trouble, and see that you give me the glory of my wisdom, power, and faithfulness, by relying entirely upon those my attributes engaged for you in so many tried promises; and do not betake yourselves to such sinful and vain shifts as those do that have no interest in me, nor experience of me. This is the general scope and design of the text, wherein more particularly you have

I. An evil practice prohibited: "Fear not their fear, neither be afraid." This is that sinful principle, which was but too apt to incline them to do as others did, to wit, to say, A confederacy. Sinful fears are apt to drive the best men into sinful compliances and indirect shifts to help themselves.

Their fear may be understood two ways:

1. Subjectively, for the self-same fear wherewith the carnal and unbelieving Jews feared; a fear that enslaved them in bondage of spirit, a fear that is the fruit of sin, a sin in its own nature, the cause of much sin to them, and a just punishment of God upon them for their other sins.

2. Effectively let not your fear produce in you such mischievous effects as their fear doth; to make you forget God, magnify the creature, prefer your own wits and policies to the Almighty Power and never-failing Faithfulness of God. If you say, But how shall we help it?

II. Why, in the next place, you have an effectual remedy prescribed: "But sanctify the Lord of hosts himself, and let him be your fear and your dread." The fear of God will swallow up the fear of man, a reverential awe and dread of God will extinguish the slavish fear of the creature, as the sunshine puts out fire, or as one fire fetches out another; so will this fear fetch out that.

By sanctifying the Lord of Hosts himself, is meant a due ascription of the glory of his sovereign power, wisdom, and faithfulness, not only in verbal and professed acknowledgments thereof, but especially in those internal acts of affiance, resignation, and entire dependence on him, which, as they are the choicest respects of the creature toward its God, and give him the greatest glory, so they are certainly the most beneficial and comfortable acts we can perform for our own peace and safety in times of danger.

If a man do really look to God in a day of trouble and fear as to the Lord of Hosts, that is, one that governs all the creatures,

and all their actions; at whose beck and command all the armies of heaven and earth are, and then can rely upon the care and love of this God, as a child in danger of trouble reposes on, and commits himself with greater confidence to the care and protection of his father: O what peace, what rest, must necessarily follow upon this! Who would be afraid to pass through the midst of armed troops and regiments whilst he knows that the general of the army is his own father? The more power this filial fear of God obtains in our hearts, the less will you dread the power of the creature. When the Dictator ruled at Rome, then all other officers ceased; and so in a great measure will all other fears, where the fear of God is dictator in the heart. This is the remedy.

III. And to enable us to apply this remedy in the worst and most difficult times, we have a singular encouragement proposed: if we will thus sanctify the Lord of hosts himself, by such an acknowledgment of, and childlike dependence on him in times of danger, then he will be to us for a sanctuary, that is, he will surely protect, defend, and provide for us in the worst times and cases; then will the Lord "create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud, and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence, and there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the day time, from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from the storm and from rain." Let the winds roar, the rain beat, the lightnings flash, you are in safety, and have a good roof over your heads.

"Fear him, ye saints; and you will then

Have nothing else to fear:

Make you his service your delight;

Your wants shall be his care."

APRIL 19.

And good hope through grace.-2 Thess. ii. 16.

J. TAYLOR.

Ir is good for a man to hope, since we hope for that which is good, so good that it exceeds all that eye hath seen for as yet we see not God but in his creatures. Nor ear heard it, that is, in its full, unutterable excellency, which the words of Holy

Scripture can not express to our imperfect reason. Then "neither can it enter into the heart of man: for things can seem no greater than words can utter. "We know as yet but in part, hereafter we shall know as we are known." If we have boasted to the heathen, that we look for a kingdom and a crown of glory, we are sure we shall not be ashamed of that hope. We may be ashamed that we have doted upon petty things out of which we have devised felicity, and they have failed and deceived us; but our treasure laid up in the heaven is so sure, that in the end, and in the day of trial, none shall insult over our hope and say, "Where is now the Lord your God?" If a mortal man detain the wages of the laborer, it is a sin: therefore, it can not be incident to God," who is not unrighteous to forget our work and labor of love." "We shall not always be forgotten: our expectation shall not perish for ever." The judgment of a good eyesight is to see afar off; so, in the judgment of a good hope, to remark the unspeakable reward of a better age to come. Whereupon it hath sufficient satisfaction and content to leave or to lose all it hath, things "not worthy to be compared to the glory which is to be revealed in us." The rich mines and golden trade of both the Indies are on the other side the line: so the

rich trade of hope is in the other world. Change your poor freight, which is your lading in this vessel of clay, and barter it for an immortal possession.

Hope that is not under the embers, but mounts up into a trembling flame, reckons not what is worth by a very little which it hath in hand, but by its share which is reserved in the storehouse of God's eternal recompense. Now I am abased; but there is mine honor, a far more abundant exceeding weight of glory. Now I carry about a crazy, sickly body; there it shall be immortal, and incident to no distemper. Now my neighbors and acquaintance despise.me, and run far from me; there I shall be enrolled with angels and saints, and "with the church of the first-born, and with the spirits of just men made perfect." Now I live in all disorder of church ordinances, in distraction of schisms, in the filthy stench of old and new heresies: but there is the New Jerusalem, where all things set forth the glory of the Lamb, in beauty, and holiness, and truth. Now I must die, and deliver up my body unto the dust; but Christ died and rose again the third day, and will bring again with him, in due time,