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SERMON IV.

PARDON AND PEACE OBTAINED BY FAITH.

Nahum i. 7.

The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

THIS beautiful description of the grace and goodness of the Lord, and the way in which he exercises it, interrupts the horror of the vengeful scenes of Nineveh's desolation. It is like the refreshing influence of some momentary beams of the sun on a cloudy tempestuous day. Such a gleam gladdens the face of nature, and bears her a comfortable witness, amidst the gloom, that the Lord has not forsaken her, and that by the power of the sun, even when its sensible light is withdrawn, he still preserves her from hopeless darkness, and gives an earnest of the restoration of its visible and genial influence.

How comfortable, to the soul that longs for the light of God's countenance, to be informed, that the same God who is described in such colours of terrible and glorious holiness, through these three chapters, is yet "good, a strong hold in the day of trouble, and that he knoweth them that trust in him?"

But how can such seeming opposites, as we so very frequently meet with in the Old Testament, in the description of the attributes of God, be re

conciled, and each maintained in full force with full consistency? Nothing can be conceived so tremendous as the character of God, when described in the pomp of his greatness, the keen penetration of his wisdom, the thunder of his power, and the awful dignity of his justice. Again, what can be conceived so benevolent and gracious as the same God, when represented infinitely merciful, that pardoneth iniquity, and that delighteth in mercy? Surely in Christ alone these seeming jarring views of the Divinity can be reconciled. God out of Christ is he, whom the whole human race have offended, since the imaginations of the thoughts of men's hearts are only evil continually." His essential justice and holiness, then, form the basis of the tremendous descriptions of God; and such is God to the carnal and self-righteous, to those who remain in a state of nature. God in Christ reconciling to himself a sinful world, is that gracious and merciful Being, who to the believer is a loving and tender father, engaged to do him good.

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In vain then shall the self-righteous, the careless, and the unhumbled take to themselves the comfortable views of God in the text. A God of absolute mercy to sinful men, as we are, would be a God unjust. When therefore we have, such a view of God as this," the Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble, and he knoweth them that trust in him," let us cast our eyes on God sustaining this character, and exalted upon a throne of grace through the mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Το you, then, who desire to renounce yourselves, and are looking to and longing for Jesus as your portion and your ALL, I would, with God's bless

ing, exhibit this view of God in Christ which the text affords us. The Lord by his Spirit shine into our hearts, and give us to taste and see how gracious the Lord is.

I shall not spend your time in considering the particular occasion of introducing the passage of the text. Most probably it was intended to console the pious subjects of Hezekiah, who had lately suffered under the invasion of Sennacherib. Be that as it may, the view of God in Christ here is a general description, and therefore to be applied, by the people of God, in all ages. Let us be well assured, that God cannot consistently with his justice appear to fallen sinners in this comfortable character, but in and through Christ. Let us then endeavour to apply to ourselves, in the most profitable, that is, in the most general manner, the day of trouble here spoken of the goodness of the Lord here spoken of-how he is a strong hold-hów this goodness is applied by faith-and the happy privileges of the believer.-When we have done this, with the Lord's help, we may then very briefly draw a few inferences suitable to the cases of different persons.

Is there a soul here who has seen the character of God as set forth in the words a little before my text? "God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; the Lord revengeth and is furious; he is great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked." Then such a one knows what it is to be convinced of sin by God's Holy Spirit. He has been made to see the sinfulness of his nature, as well as of his practices. The tumult of restless guilt now fiercely disturbs the conscience. A broken law is continually calling for

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satisfaction. He finds all his efforts, to give peace to his conscience, vain.

Here is, then, "the day of trouble" indeed. Formerly, while the man was ignorant of the law of God and his own heart, he was at ease in false peace. His own righteousness, either acquired already, if he was a sober moralist, or intended to be acquired before he died, if a gross sinner; this appeared to him quite sufficient to give peace to his conscience, and such a hope to be saved, as satisfied his mind. But now he is humbled under a sense of his sinfulness; now he finds he needs a present peace, a present sense of forgiveness of his sins, not only in order for the present comfort and quiet of his mind, but also in order to love God, and enable him to obey his laws, in an acceptable manner. What shall he do? shall he hearken to men of this world, who advise him to stifle his uneasiness in carnal pleasures and sensual gratifications? His relish for these things is lost. They may be the means of continuing a state of stupefaction in them who are fast asleep in sin. They can give no ease to him whose conscience feels the intolerable load of guilt, and who is incapable of pleasure, till guilt is truly removed. They may add to his trouble; they can do nothing to remove it. Shall he try to pacify conscience by amending for the future? Well assured, from God's word he his, that the very attempt would confound him.

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Not only those that live in avowed contempt of the law, but those who are "of the works of the law," that is, labour to be saved by their works, are under the curse; for" cursed is every one that continuethnot in all things written in the book of

the law to do them." Shall he hearken to his worldly friends, who would dissuade him from real religion, through fear of losing his bread or his character? What is bread or character to a soul in distress like this? Of what consequence are all worldly advantages put together, to the man that stands on the brink of hell, and who is seeking for the favour of God, and longing for everlasting life? Shall he regard the reasonings of modern, unscriptural writers on divinity, who assure him, that man is not corrupt by nature, that he is very well able to save himself by good resolutions and endeavours? Let not worldly men be surprised, that all their reasonings are lost on the man we are describing. How can he believe himself able to save himself, when he finds he has naturally a will and resolution only to do evil? How should he have hope of salvation from sincere obedience, who finds, by palpable experience, he has no good thing in his composition, nor can have, till God give him a new heart and new spirit.

Such is "the day of trouble" to the convinced, thoroughly awakened sinner. It is the Lord's will he should feel himself beat off from every hope in himself, that he may look to the Lord alone for salvation, and give to him all the glory. If there is a man in this house who knows what this "day of trouble" means, let me assure him, that with his views of the law, of sin, and of himself, it is not possible he should ever be brought to enjoy that peace and happiness he thirsts after, by carnal pleasures, by a dependance on good morals, by pleasing the world, or by any endeavours to stifle his convictions. Let him despair of help from any of these

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