in my text, that He will swallow up death in victory.

This glorious consummation so devoutly to be wished, is waited for by creatures of every description, the whole creation groaning and travailing in pain together for its speedy approach. From all, however, that we have seen and known and heard in the world, we should be ready to pronounce such a victory altogether impossible. But when we reflect upon the faithfulness and truth of our covenant-keeping God, together with the power of his arm to execute the counsels of his will; we can no longer doubt that a day will come, in which this song shall be sung--Death is swallowed up in victory: O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? God, who giveth us the victory,

Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanks be to
through our

Wherever else we look, we discover nothing but appearances of mortality. Let us wander where we will, we are still entangled and shut in by the valley of the shadow of death. So long as we sit under the covert and influence of any created excellence, as Jonah once sat beneath the

may fitly be compared to a narrow neck of land, running out into a vast unfathomable sea of darkness, beyond which lies the main land of eternity. Blessed is he who can raise himself to such a point of elevation, as to look beyond the surrounding darkness, and take a view of that land of light, which stretcheth away on its further shore! What should trouble such a man, while he rests on this slender twig of life, on which he sits like a bird just alighted from some far distant region, and preparing again to take its immediate flight? Surely such a man may look upon all the frailty and feebleness of human nature with the most perfect indifference, from a sweet and cheering conviction, that, when he hath done with the earthly house of this tabernacle, he hath a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens. Instead of being deluded with dreams of human greatness, such a man hath learned to look upon himself, and would have all other men to consider him, as a creature lighter than vanity, and less than nothing, compared with the infinitely great and unsearchable Creator, from whom he proceeded; and of whom it is predicted,

in my text, that He will swallow up death in victory.

This glorious consummation so devoutly to be wished, is waited for by creatures of every description, the whole creation groaning and travailing in pain together for its speedy approach. From all, however, that we have seen and known and heard in the world, we should be ready to pronounce such a victory altogether impossible. But when we reflect upon the faithfulness and truth of our covenant-keeping God, together with the power of his arm to execute the counsels of his will; we can no longer doubt that a day will come, in which this song shall be sung--Death is swallowed up in victory: O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Wherever else we look, we discover nothing but appearances of mortality. Let us wander where we will, we are still entangled and shut in by the valley of the shadow of death. So long as we sit under the covert and influence of created exany

cellence, as Jonah once sat beneath the

At

H

G

fore

ter the

pain, desire and delight, is limited to a single and almost indiscernible point. home, it is true, we are intimately known to our near connexions and friends, who love our persons and respect our attainments. God Through the little surrounding neighbour-Hein hood also where we dwell, perhaps some tatt thing may occasionally be heard of our stand name and general character. But, if we on. H pass these narrow limits, we speedily fine ourselves in a crowd of strangers, amon whom our appearance excites not the small

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ands.

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sons or our kindred, the stations we occupy or the peculiarities which distinguish from the rest of mankind. Many and gre exertions are made by the ambitious ar the high-minded to raise themselves out this degrading obscurity, and to procure name in the earth: but, after all that c be done, whether these haughty worms et existed or not, must remain utterly and ever unknown to an immense majority ev of their own species. So insignificant

hey sha me, and t

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I creature is man, and so very diminutive not 1

the circle in which he moves!

349

Fourthly—He liveth eternally. The great
and glorious God hath neither beginning
nor end. Before the mountains were brought
forth, or ever the earth or the world was
made, He is God from everlasting and world
without end. He inhabiteth eternity, filling
every part of it at the same instant: so that,
with Him, past and future are terms without
any signification. He is the Father of lights.
with whom there is no variableness Dot
shadow of turning: and hence that sublime
ascription, which we find an apostle trans-
cribing from the mouth of an ancient saint
-Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the
foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the
work of thine hands. They shall perish, bat
Thou shalt endure; and they all shall war old
ith a garment, and as a vesture shalt thou

Fut them
up, and they shall be changed: but
Thou art the same, and thy years shall not
So infinite and unchangeable is the self-
at Jehovah. But we are the children
sday, and know nothing. We started
Wife we know not how: and here we
s pilgrims and strangers, for a
Suncertain season, at the will of Him

remain as

Forught us hither. The

present

life

er no

Let ill en

of the t under

ated exeath the