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goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer, my shield; and he in whom I trust. 150 Lord of Hosts: blessed is the man that trusteth in thee."

1 Ps. lxii, 5-7. 2 Is. 1, 7. 3 Ps. lvi, 4. 4 Is. xii, 2. 5 Ps. xxvii, 1, 3. 6 Ps. cxviii, 6. 7 Ps. xi, 1. 8 Ps. xxiii, 1-3. 9 Ps. iv, 8. 10 Ps. xxiii, 4. 11 Ps. lxiii, 7. 12 Ps. xxiii, 6. 13 Ps. xxxi, 19, 20. 14 Ps. cxliv, 1, 2. 15 Ps. lxxxiv, 12.

for us.

Exhortation to strong confidence.

1Trust in God at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him.-God is a refuge 2It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. 3Through God we shall do valiantly; for he it is that shall tread down our enemies. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes; 5 for the Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace. "Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.

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"Cast not away your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end."

1 Ps. lxii, 8. 5 Ps. xxix, 11.

2 Ps. cxviii, 8.

6 Is. xxvi, 4.

9 Ps. lx, 12. 4 Ps. cxviii, 9.
7 Heb. x, 35. 8 Heb. iii, 14.

Chapter Fourth.

THE CHRISTIAN DOUBTING.

Complaint of the soul in darkness.

"THE Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me, my soul is cast down within me.

Oh that I knew where I might find Him! Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not. 5 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him on the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him. But I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.

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"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God."

1Is. xlix, 14. 2 Ps. xlii, 6. 3 Job xxiii, 3. 4 Job ix, 11.
5 Job xxiii, 8, 9. 6 Is. viii, 17. 7 Ps. xlii, 11.

Encouragement to trust in God.

"He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. 2Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider how great things he hath done for you. 3 And be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he

commanded to a thousand generations; even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac; and hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant. 4 For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name's sake.

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5 "In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength. For the Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord."

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1 Phil. i, 6. 21 Sam. xii, 24. 31 Chron. xvi, 15-17. 41 Sam. xii, 22. 5 Is. xxx, 15. 6 Ps. xxix, 11. 7 Ps. xxvii, 14.

ILLUSTRATION. Peter walking on the sea.

"One evening the disciples of Jesus went down unto the sea, and entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them, 2 but was alone on the land. And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew, and the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves.

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"And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, 'It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, 'Be of good cheer: -It is I; be not afraid.'

"And Peter answered him and said, 'Lord,

if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.' And he said, 'Come.' And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, 'Lord, save me.' And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, 'O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?'

"And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, ‘Of a truth thou art the son of God.'”

1 John vi, 16, 17. 2 Mark vi, 47. 3 John vi, 18. 4 Matt. xiv, 24-33.

The prayer of a desponding saint.

"Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness. For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead. Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate. I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands. I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. 2 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

3" Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit faileth: 40 my God, my soul is cast down within me. Why hast thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the

enemy? Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name. Hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit. Quicken me, O Lord, for thy name's sake: for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble."

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1 Ps. cxliii, 1, 3-6. 2 Ps. xlii, 1. 3 Ps. cxliii, 7. 4 Ps. xlii, 6, 9. 5 Ps. cxlii, 7.6 Ps. cxliii, 7, 11.

Divine consolations.

166 "O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted; wherefore didst thou doubt? 3 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; I will never leave thee nor forsake thee; I will not forget thee. 6 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

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"Verily, verily, I say unto you; he that believeth on me hath everlasting life. Therefore let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid; and be not faithless, but believing. 10 For my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."

1 Is. liv, 11. 5 Is. xlix, 15. 9 John xx, 27.

2 Matt. xiv, 31.

6 Is. liv, 10.

10 John x, 27, 28.

3 Is. xlix, 16. 7 John vi, 47.

4 Heb. xiii, 5. 8 John xiv, 27.

ILLUSTRATION. The unbelief of Thomas.

"One day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the

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