444 ÌioLT FORTÌTÚPt. God, and that Jesusis your salvation. A lively faith gives dÍ. vine courage. Faith is a noble shield to ward off fear, and our helmet is the hope of salvation. Take heed of defiling yourselves with sensuality : 'rake heed of any false biasses on your spirit, and wrong designs in your actions, lest you bring fresh guilt upon your consciences. Guilt will create fear, and fill the soul with a perplexing tumult of thoughts. But when the terrors of this world assault you on every side, reproaches and threateuings, the frowns of ycur friends, and the rageof your enemies, youmaybe all serene and peaceful within, while you maintain a sacred consciousnessof soul, that you have been seeking the light of truth, andpursuing the path ofduty. When I can say, God is my witness that I. am sincerely labouring in hisservice, whenI can look up to heaven, though my friends scorn me, and say, my record is on high; I may imitate the faith and courage of Job in his best hours, and leave all my interests in the hand of my God. Let our faith be active then, and our conscience clear, that we may read our title toall the promises, and apply them to our own case withcourage and assurance. The God of hope will fill us with all joy and peace in believing ; Rom. xv. 13. The covenant of grace is ablessed treasury : There is armour of defence to he found against every assault and danger. If the promises of the covenant be ours, we shall be secured of a happy final issue of all our sufferings : All things shall work together for our good ; Rom. viii. 28. If God be for us who shall be against us? verse 31. If we behold God engaged on our side, we may defy a legion of adversaries in the name of the Lordour God. Thou art myglom, says the Psalmist, andmy shield, and the lifter up ofmyhead; Ps. iii. 3. The little word, my, shews his own interest in his God, and then he can grow brave in the very. centre of a thousand deaths and dangers: I will not be afraid of ten thousands of' people that have set themselves against me round about; verse 6. II. Get a large and general acquaintance with the promises of the gospel*,.that in every special time of need you mayhave some suitable word of refuge and support. From xl. to the xlv; chapters of Isaiah, there is a'variety of rich encouragements against slavish fear : And there is another treasure of them from the 1. to lv. Many a christian has been able to live upon them, in themost dangerous and distressing seasons. Theyare divine springs of courage, and they overflow with consolation. The assurances of holy David in the midst of his perils, havë been a A little book published lately by sur. So.:r it Clark, of St. Alban's, -is of excellent use for this purpose. The title of it. is 't A Collection of the Promises sf Scriptureunder their proper heads." 7520.
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