atoms in a moment, with all the proud sons of folly, if it pleased hım. What, then, is the feeble arm of man? "Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! Through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee." Ps. lxvi, 3. When they submit voluntarily, they obtain mercy; but when they are forced to submit, they are punished.

Truth is strong. It has been opposed by the wicked; but they never could prevail. Infidelity, superstition, and wild fanaticism must fall; but truth, which is supported by a God of truth, will stand for ever. It has been violently opposed by heathen philosophers, by erring Jews, and by mistaken Christians; but all their attempts to overturn it, though aided by the arm of civil power, have failed. Future attempts, like those which are past, will fail; for such is the force of truth, that no man by strength can prevail against it.

Human strength, though aided by the powers of darkness, cannot prevail against the church of God. Supported by his power, she has not only stood against all the attacks of her cruel persecutors, but has triumphed over her bitterest enemies. The ark is safe without the hand of UZZAH; being supported by that arm which upholds the universe. We are afraid when wicked men are in power; but "God is above men, devils, and sin." The church is built upon a rock, and that rock is Christ; and neither wicked men, nor the gates of hell, can prevail against her.

The strength of man cannot prevail against pious individuals. The wicked may plot their ruin; but the Lord is their strong hold in the day of trouble. Nahum i, 7. Did Goliath prevail against David? Did Ahab prevail against Elijah? Did Penninah prevail against Hannah? Did the enemies of Daniel prevail? Carefully examine the deliverances which God wrought for those worthies, and take courage; for the Lord is the same, and his regards for pious and holy men are unchangeable. Some imagine that there are no saints but those that are in heaven; but God has his holy ones on earth. They are few in number, when compared with the bulk of mankind; but they will be many when all the earth shall know the Lord. While they maintain holy principles, and engage in holy practices, they are completely safe. But the wicked, who err both in faith and practice, are in an awful state! They are opposed to God; and God is opposed to them. How will this end? If they live and die in their rebellion against the King of kings, their end will be death and damnation. But may they now repent, return, and live; and may God, who is full of mercy, be glorified in their sal vation! Amen.

SERMON CXXXII.

FAITH AND HOPE IN THE REDEEMER OF MEN.

For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me. Joв xix, 25-27.

OUR blessed Redemer was made known to man, as the avenger of human wrongs, immediately after the fall of our first parents in the garden of Eden. Gen. iii, 15. The patriarchs announced his coming; and the pious of those days waited for him. Gen. xlix, 18. This celebrated text, which points him out in the clearest light, has been variously interpreted. Some have viewed it as an interpolation, without advancing one solid argument to support their opinion. Others have applied it to the return of temporal prosperity, and the happy days of Job, when the Lord turned his captivity. But if we carefully examine the preceding chapters, it will appear that Job had no hope of a deliverance from his calamities in the present life. He was weighed down by a heavy load of affliction, and was misrepresented by his mistaken friends; but he looked forward to the coming of his Redeemer, and had a comfortable assurance that he would raise him from the dead. These views comforted his sorrowful heart, strengthened his weak hands, and inspired his soul with a joyful hope. Let us make a few observations on this passage in the order in which it stands.

I. I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVETH.

When the friends of Job saw his affliction, they became his enemies, and persecuted him; but he had faith in a Redeemer, who would deliver him, and take vengeance on all his enemies. The Hebrew word for Redeemer signifies a near kinsman, who redeems the lost inheritance of his brother, vindicates his character, avenges his wrongs, and delivers him from his enemies. Thus Jesus, our Redeemer, who is our near kinsman, restores us to the favour and image of God, vindicates our character, takes vengeance on our foes, and will deliver us from death and the grave.

The grand object of our Saviour's first appearance in human nature, was, to redeem man by the price of his precious blood, and to restore him to his lost inheritance by pardon, peace, and holiness. To this end, "he gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.' Tit. ii, 14. But when he shall appear in the clouds of heaven, to judge the world, he will raise his people from the dead; vindicate their character; receive them to glory; and punish their enemies with awful severity. In reference to this, he says, "The day of vengeance is in

mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come." Isai. lxiii, 4. But when the day of wrath shall come, as it formerly came on heathen Rome, "who shall be able to stand!" Rev. vi, 17. Job had a prophetic view, both of the first and second coming of his Redeemer, when he expressed himself in the beautiful language of our text.

But the Redeemer of Job was living when he spake these words. He does not say, in the future tense, my Redeemer shall live at some distant period; but he speaks in the present tense, I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he is now acquainted with all my griefs and sorrows. But did Jesus live in the days of Job? How can this be proved? The following passage is a direct proof: "O Father, glorify thou me with thy own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." John xvii, 5. He was "rich" in a prior state of existence; yet for our sakes "he became poor." 2 Cor. viii, 9. But while he held the highest rank in the world of glory, as the "wisdom" or the "word" of God, his "delights were with the sons of men," whom he had undertaken to redeem and save. Prov. viii, 31.

How did Job know that his Redeemer lived? It might be partly by tradition. God had promised a deliverer, who should bruise the serpent's head; and that promise was handed down by tradition from one generation to another. The promise which was given to Abraham, "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed," might have reached the ears of Job. But we are of opinion that he became fully acquainted with his Redeemer by Divine Revelation. God might discover to him the great truths contained in our text, to support his soul in his unparalleled afflictions, and to comfort and encourage the church in after ages. Why might not the Redeemer be made known to him, as he certainly had been made known to other holy persons who lived before his day? The secret of the Lord is with the righteous; and Job was a righteous man. This is his character: "there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil."

II. MY REDEEMER, SAYS JOB, SHALL STAND AT THE LATTER DAY UPON

THE EARTH.

This could not be applied to any of his kinsmen who were then living on the earth; but the prediction is exceedingly appropriate, when applied to Jesus. And it was partly fulfilled when the Son of God appeared in our nature, to redeem and to save mankind. He came down from heaven, and appeared on earth, that he might fully accomplish the merciful designs of redeeming love. He who had stood on the plains of light, arrayed in glory and majesty, then stood on the earth, which had been cursed for the sin of man. Let us view him in his low estate with wonder and astonishment, and with gratitude and love!

But this prediction will be completely fulfilled at the second coming of Christ, when, as the words may be rendered, he shall arise, and stand up to judge the world. Then he will give sentence, and execute judgment, on all the children of men. When a judge passes sentence, he arises from his seat, and stands upon his feet. Job alludes to this custom in the following passage: "If I did despise the cause of my

man-servant or of my maid-servant, when they contended with me; what then shall I do when God ariseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?" Chap. xxxi, 13, 14. And there is a similar allusion in the Psalm: "Arise, O God, judge the earth." Ps. lxxxii, 8. But what an awful moment that will be, when Jesus shall arise from his judgment-seat, to pass the final sentence on men and angels! The paraphrase of the learned PETERS, on the first part of our text, is very judicious: "For I know that the vindicator of my innocence and reputation, which you have thus inhumanly attacked, now liveth, and shall for ever live; and that in some grand future period he shall arise to judge the dead."

III. CONFIDENT THAT HIS REDEEMER WOULD RAISE HIM FROM THE DEAD, JOB PROCEEDS TO SAY, THOUGH AFTER MY SKIN WORMS DESTROY THIS BODY, YET IN MY FLESH SHALL I SEE GOD.

The afflictions of Job were great. He had lost his property, his children, and his health. He fell into the hands of Satan, by the permission of God; and that apostate spirit smote him with sore boils, "from the sole of his feet unto his crown." It is probable that those boils were fiery eruptions, or ulcerous eating sores, which destroyed the skin. "And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal: and he sat down among the ashes." For scrape, it is said, the Chaldee and Arabic use a word commonly applied to pulling leaves and bark off from trees. But how deplorable was the state of this holy man, when scraping himself with potsherds, and sitting sorrowfully among the ashes! This is a changing world; let us seek a better!

Job expected, after his skin was destroyed, that the whole body would perish. "Though after my skin worms destroy my body." Worms are not named in the original. Our translators supplied the word, under a notion that worms had destroyed the skin. How far the opinion is correct we know not; but Job expected that the destruction of his body would quickly follow the destruction of his skin. The word body is also supplied, and properly, for that was evidently intended. Our bodies will be destroyed, ere long, in the grave. That sentence, "dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return," will be carried into execution by the Judge of all the earth. Let proud mortals reflect on this, and humble themselves before the Lord!

But Job had a joyful hope of a resurrection from the dead. Hence he positively affirms, that, after the destruction of his body, he should see God in his flesh. But how could he hope for that, if "the dead rise not at all?" Man is a compound being. His body is made of the dust; but his spirit was from God. He now lives in an embodied state; and he will live in an embodied state to all eternity. But that cannot be without a resurrection; because his present earthly frame must perish in the grave. How God will raise the dead is unknown; but the fact is certain. It was revealed to Job; it was well known to Daniel; and it is proved, beyond all doubt, by the resurrection of Jesus. With these eyes of flesh, though greatly changed, we shall see our God and Saviour. What a glorious sight! May we have a happy resurrection from the dead!

IV. JOB WAS QUITE CERTAIN THAT HE SHOULD SEE HIS REDEEMER FOR HIMSELF: WHOM I SHALL SEE FOR MYSELF, AND MINE EYES SHALL BEHOLD, AND NOT ANOTHER: THOUGH MY REINS BE CONSUMED WITHIN ME. Blessed hope! Good men wish well to all mankind; but they claim the blessings of grace and glory as their own. Thus every believer says, Others shall see the Redeemer with joy, but I shall see him for myself. He will appear in my cause; he will deliver me from death and the grave; he will vindicate my character; he will avenge my wrongs.

And all this will take place after my reins, or my vitals, are consumed within me; for all things are possible with God, in whom I place my trust and confidence. Surely he who made the world out of nothing can raise the dead! The hope of a resurrection was a cordial to Job in his afflictions, and it is a cordial to every suffering believer! It supports the soul in its deepest sorrows; and fills it with joy unspeakable.

Abraham rejoiced to see the day of Christ; and "he saw it, and was glad." John viii, 56. Moses and all the Prophets foretold that day; and thus Jesus was the hope of enlightened and pious men in the early ages of the world. He is our only Redeemer and Saviour. We are lost; but he came to seek and to save us. We have many enemies; but he will conquer them all. We are dead; but he is the "resurrection and the life." Let us repose entire confidence in him; and rest assured, that, because he liveth, we shall live also. He rose from the dead; and we shall rise. He entered into glory; and we shall ever live and sing his praise! Amen.

SERMON CXXXIII.

THE FIRST CHRISTIAN MARTYR.

And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Acts vii, 59.

THE moral state of the Jews, when they stoned Stephen, was truly awful. Truth and righteousness were disregarded; the ancient Prophets were lightly esteemed; and the followers of Jesus were abhorred. Stephen was a deacon in the primitive church, and he was worthy of that office; for "he was full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and did great wonders and miracles among the people." Many disputed with him; but were "not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake." Then they set up false witnesses, and brought him to trial before a Jewish council for blasphemy. There his face appeared "as if it had been the face of an angel;" there he powerfully pleaded the cause of his Divine Master; and there he saw "the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." But they ran upon him with one accord, cast him out of the city, and stoned him;