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THE CHURCH.

"Built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone."-Eph. ii. 20.

JANUARY, 1855.

COMFORT FOR THE NEW YEAR.

BY THE REV. JAMES SMITH.

"The Lord liveth."-2 Sam. xxii. 47.

We live in trying times. The new year opens, as no new year has opened to us of late. Our country is at war. Provisions are dear. The future, though concealed from our view, appears to be hung with clouds. It is probable that there will be great changes. Many fears will be awakened. Many hearts will be wounded. The faith of many of the Lord's people will be deeply tried. Satan will be busy. Our principles will be put to the test. But amidst all, we, as believers in Jesus, have one comfort,-" The Lord liveth." There will be no change in him. His word will remain true, his throne will be unshaken, and his purposes rest undisturbed. He will have his way in the whirlwind an dstorm, and a path for himself in the deep waters. Yes, Jehovah is immutably the same, and he is our God. Ours by covenant engagement. Ours by promise and by oath. Ours in Jesus, his beloved Son. The object of our trust and confidence. The object of our hope and love. His bosom will be our resting-place, his arm our defence, and his providence our friend. Unspeakable privilege! Unparalleled mercy! Jehovah, in all his greatness and glory, in all his goodness and grace, is our God. And as our God he ever liveth, ever reigneth, and performeth all things for us. Here is then,

AN ENCOURAGING FACT, with which to enter upon a new year,"The Lord liveth." Friends may die, the nearest and dearest of our friends; and most probably some of them will die. Our relatives may die, the wife may lose her husband, the husband may lose his wife, pa rents may lose their children. Oh, how many wives will be left widows' and children orphans, this year! But, the Lord liveth, and that should comfort us under all. Church members may die, the most holy, the most useful, those upon whom the prosperity of the church seems to depend; for the Lord can do without any of them, and carry on his cause in their absence, as well as by their help. Ministers may die, the most exemplary, and the most successful. Many of our fathers will be taken home this year. Many of our promising young men may be called away likewise. Many a pulpit will be vacated, and many a church will be left without a pastor, but the Great Shepherd lives, and his church is safe, bis cause must go on. He is not dependent upon men, or ministers, to carry on his cause, and often proves this to us, by removing early those who promise most. He can raise any number and any kind of ministers he chooses and, blessed be his name, he will raise up all he needs. If, therefore, VOL. IX.

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during this year, dear friends are called away, if our most valuable relatives are taken home, if the active members of our churches are removed, or even if our preachers and pastors die, let us remember, "The Lord liveth." This will give us living comfort amidst dying circumstances, and dying friends.

Our gourds may wither, our idols may be torn from us, but "the Lord liveth," and living, he loves all his people. His dispensations may change, but his love, never. Fixed on his people in past eternity,-fixed on his people as viewed in Jesus,-it remains immutably the same. Everything out of God may change; but his love to his people is himself loving them; it is his nature, it is himself; and he is without variableness, or the shadow of a turn. I may lose the affection of my fellow-man, but God will still love me; for he resteth in his love. Whom he loveth, he loveth to the end. While he lives, he loves his people; and as he ever liveth, he ever loveth. Oh, consoling truth, amidst all the toils, trials, troubles, and temptations of the coming year, the living God will love me! Love me infinitely! Love me so as to cause all things to work together for my good. "The Lord liveth," and living, takes an interest in all the affairs of his people. Having numbered the very hairs of their heads, he considers nothing too mean, nothing too trivial to interest him, if it affects them. Believer, thy God will take an interest in thy every day affairs, and he wishes to hear from thee in reference to them all. Hence the direction, "In everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God." He will look to all that concerns you, and desires to take every care off you. He bids you cast all your cares upon him, assuring you that he cares for you. "Take, therefore, no thought for the morrow, let the morrow take thought for the things of itself; sufficient to the day is the evil thereof." "The Lord liveth," and living, will listen to all the sighs, cries, groans, and prayers of his people. Not one will escape his notice. Each will touch his heart, and awaken his sympathy. "I have heard," said he of old, "the groanings of my people which are in Egypt, and I am come down to deliver them." Yes, poor, tried, troubled christian, thy God will hear thy cries, regard thy prayers, fulfil his promises, and end all thy sorrows, by setting thee before his face for ever.

"The Lord liveth," and liveth to fulfil his word. His predictions shall all be made good. His promises shall all be performed. Creatures may break their word, but our God will never violate his. Every promise lies before his eye, is engraven on his heart, and shall be fulfilled in the experience of his people to his own praise and glory. My poor tried brother, you may trust him. However rough your road. However severe your inward conflict. Yes, while floods of corruption are rolling through your soul, while Satan's fiery darts are sticking fast in thee, while the world is frowning, and even thy fellow-christians are looking cold upon thee, or standing aloof from thee, thou mayest trust him. "The Lord liveth," and liveth to accomplish his purposes. Toward thee, they are gracious purposes. Trying they may be; salutary they must be. They flow from his love. They bear the stamp of his wisdom. They were passed in Jesus. They are to issue in his glory. Poor Job, in the midst of his affliction, saw something of this, and therefore said, "He performeth the thing that is appointed for me, and many such things are with him." "The Lord liveth," and liveth to perfect his works. The work of redemption will be perfected by the resurrection of all the saints in the exact likeness of Jesus. The work of grace in thy heart will be perfected in the exact conformity of thy soul to the soul of Jesus, in the day of his glorious appearing. The Lord began it, and he who

began it, will complete it. He knew well all the opposition it would meet with. He knew how much and how often it would be damped, but he determined it should never die. He will carry it on by what means and by what agencies he pleases, but he will carry it on, until he can see the image of his moral excellencies reflected by every power of thy soul. "The Lord liveth," and liveth to secure the glory of his own most holy name. "The Lord hath made all things for himself, yea, even the wicked for the day of evil." He will get glory by all he does, by all he prevents, and by all he permits. When the mystery of redemption is finished, we shall see that all his works praise him, and his saints bless him. His work will appear to be honourable and glorious, and his righteousness will endure for ever. His glory will be great in our salvation. Sweet thought this, My God will get glory by me, by all my toils and troubles, by all my sadness and sorrows, by all my conflicts and conquests, by my weakness and strength, by my sighs and songs, by my life and my death! Let us then, my poor tried fellow-traveller, enter upon this new year, drawing encouragement and comfort from the fact, that "the Lord liveth;" and try and sing with the Psalmist, "The Lord liveth, and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation bé exalted." We will now notice,

THE COMFORTABLE CONCLUSIONS ΤΟ BE DRAWN FROM THIS FACT. If the Lord liveth, we shall not be friendless, for he will be our friend, a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. He will counsel us by his word, conduct us by his providence, teach us by his Spirit, feed us with his hand, and at length receive us to his glory. If the Lord liveth, we shall not be fatherless, for he will be a father unto us, and we shall be his sons and daughters. He will treat us through the whole of this year as his children. He will deal with us as with sons. He will perform a father's part. Therefore we may expect to be instructed, corrected, yea, sometimes scourged; "for what son is he whom his father chasteneth not." True, if we can do without the rod, we shall not have it; but if the fool's back calls for stripes, we shall receive them. He will not spare the rod and spoil his child, much less will he ever allow one to die or perish from neglect. If the Lord liveth, we shall never be forsaken; for the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name's sake, because it hath pleased the Lord to make them his people. His own most precious Word assures us of this. He speaks to us individually. He says to each poor, timid, troubled believer, "I will never leave thee; I will never, no never, no never, forsake thee." As believers in Jesus, he hath sworn that he will not be wroth with us, nor rebuke us. Precious, precious assurance this, with which to begin the year, that let what will take place in the family, in the world, in the church, or even in our own soul's experience, we shall not be friendless, fatherless, or forsaken! But as it was said of old, "Israel hath never been a widow, nor Judah forsaken of his God, the Lord of Hosts, though his land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel;" so we shall find that amidst all that occurs, we have a faithful friend, a loving father, and a present God. Oh, for grace rightly to use and improve this glorious fact!

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If the Lord liveth, then we may go forward in our christian course, in our daily labour, into the deadly conflict, with confidence. As our day, so will our strength be. The grace of Jesus will be found sufficient for Confidence becomes those who have the living God with them to fight for them; with them as their friend and father. This is our privilege, therefore with confidence let us press on toward the mark for the prize. If the Lord liveth, then we may look forward into the future with hope. Clouds and darkness may surround us at present. Briers and

thorns may be with us now. But the clouds and darkness will pass away, for light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. The briers and thorns will vanish, for instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree, and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign, that shall not be cut off. If the Lord liveth, we may meet the worst with courage. Should it be persecution, or poverty, or reproach, we may then meet it, for since, and because, Jesus liveth, we shall live also. Yes, we shall be more than conquerors-through him that loved us. If the Lord liveth, we may anticipate death without dread. We may die this year. But suppose we do, we shall "die in the Lord;" we shall only depart from scenes of sin, sorrow, disappointment, vexation, and grief, to be with Christ, which is far better." Besides which, the living Lord will be with us in the dying hour; he will watch beside our dying pillow; and give special grace, for this special trial. Oh, believer, what is death to thee? A foe? True, but a stingless, powerless foe. A strange transition! Admitted, but one will be with thee, who is no stranger to thee, for even death cannot sever thee from his love, or change his heart towards thee.

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If the Lord liveth, we should publish his fame; speak forth the honour of his name, and make his praise glorious. We should cleave to his friends; they may be imperfect, despised, and trying, but they are his friends still; and we should love them, prefer them, and cleave to them for his sake. We should live in his family, and with his household. The church is the household of God; of that visible household we should be members, dwelling in it, working in it, and seeking our happiness in its many great and precious privileges. We should abound in his work. If he work in us, if he work for us, the least we can do in return, is to work for him. To work heartily. To work regularly. To be, as the apostle exhorts, "Always abounding in the work of the Lord; forasmuch as we know that our labour is not in vain in the Lord." If the Lord liveth, our fears are follies. Whom should we fear? What should we fear? Nothing but sin, literally nothing but sin. Through this year we should join with David and sing, "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my heart, of whom shall I be afraid? Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident." If the Lord liveth, songs become us. With Leah we should say, 66 Now will I praise the Lord." Or with David, "I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord, the humble shall hear thereof and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.' If the Lord liveth, conquest is sure. He who once conquered for us, will conquer in us, and conquer by us. Our shout will be, by and bye," More than conquerors, through him that loved us;" therefore at present we may say to the Lord, "We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners."

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Finally, if the Lord liveth, supplies are certain. We know not what we may want, nor how much we may want, nor how long we may want, but the Lord knows; and he has provided of his good. ness for the poor. In eternity, he laid up for us; and in time, all through our time here, he will lay out upon us. Only let us exercise faith in his word, cleave to his cross, wrestle at his throne, watch in his way, work in his vineyard, and aim at his glory; and then let taxes rise ever so high, let trade sink ever so low, let wants increase ever so

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