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of the creature, the worship of the true God. grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared unto' all men, teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live righteously, soberly, and godly in this world.” Tit. ii. 11, 12.

Moreover, as Hezekiah brake in pieces the brazen serpent,' because it had become an object of worship, though it had been set up by Moses, and was a representation of Christ lifted upon the cross, so does the Christian's trust destroy, as a means of justification, things in themselves good, but which with time have become to us a false support, and an occasion of selfrighteousness. I mean all those parts of public or private worship, all those acts of devotion which have for their end to lead us to Christ, but which, if we are not on our guard, become, like the brazen serpent, an object of false confidence, turning the soul from Christ and causing it to trust in things which were only intended to bring it to Him. A scriptural trust in God, when it recovers its life and simplicity, restores these things to their place. It does not destroy them ; but it destroys our confidence in them ; and it restores Christ to his place, which is to be “ ALL IN ALL.”

THE SUCCESS OF HEZEKIAH'S TRUST.

Let us now see what success the Lord vouchsafed to the labors which Hezekiah undertook in dependance upon Him. It seems to have surpassed his expectation, though his religious reformation met with some difficulties, such as every good work is sure to encounter. It is said that “the hand of the Lord was in Judah to give them one heart to do the commandments of the king and of the princes, by the word of the Lord.” 2 Chron. xxx. 12. At first the priests were slow to resume their ordinary occupations in the temple ; and

it is said, that "the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests." 2. Chron. xxix. 34. But it is remarked, that afterwards these same priests, "were ashamed, and sanctified themselves and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the Lord." xxx. 15. Thus the zeal of the one excited that of the others, and Hezekiah not allowing himself to be discouraged by the first difficulties, obtained the success which is promised, and is always granted, to a persevering dependance upon God.

The zeal of Hezekiah had led him to send messengers to the ten tribes which belonged not to his kingdom, inviting them to return to the Lord, the God of their fathers. On the one hand, there was little prospect of his succeeding with these tribes now long accustomed to idolatry; while, on the other, God seemed to have prepared the way for the pious designs of Hezekiah, by afflicting the kingdom of Israel a short time before with severe judgments. The messengers of Hezekiah did not every where meet with a favourable reception; for it is said "they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them." "Nevertheless," it is added, "divers of Asher, and of Manasses, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem." 2 Chron. xxx. 10. And such was the zeal with which the passover, which they celebrated" with great joy," filled them, that returning home they "brake the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also, and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all." 2 Chron. xxxi. 1.

Such was the success which attended Hezekiah's trust in God. "The Lord," in whom he trusted, "was with him whithersoever he went." The Lord, who honors those that honor him, never disappoints the

confidence of those who rest upon him. It is written, “Commit thy way unto the Lord and trust in him, and he will bring it to pass.” Ps. xxxvii. 5. “ Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways 'acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths." Prov. iji. 5. 6. Let us then be assured that where there is a sincere trust in the Lord, there will be, sooner or later, deliverance and success.

Are there, then, any who wish to effect a reformation in their own hearts, in the church, or in the world; any who would root up old habits, reform long-established abuses, overcome obstinate resistances ? Let them put their trust in the Lord, as Hezekiah did, and they shall not be confounded. Things which seemed to offer them insurmountable difficulties, shall become possible, because the Lord, to whom nothing is impossible, shall act for them. They shall learn by experience, that "faith removes mountains," and that "all things are possible to him that believeth." By the prayer of faith, the gates long closed shall open before them, as the gates of Peter's prison opened before the angel that conducted him. Acts xii. 10. It is useless, my brethren, absolutely useless, when we meet with resistance within ús or without us, to think of overcoming it by our own will, or our own efforts. The gates which we thus attempt to force will continue to resist us, until we learn this lesson, that it is Jesus alone who opens, and that “ by strength shall no man prevail.” Instead of wasting your strength in vain efforts to overcome what is stronger than you, humble yourselves and feel your own weakness ;. “seek the Lord and his strength:” say with David, “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him." Ps. lxii. 5. This sincere and childlike dependance on the Lord will act like the oil which

we put on the hinges of a door that has long beeri closed, and which facilitates its movement, so that it turns in the hand almost without any resistance. It is the Lord that " opens the two-leaved gates; that breaketh in pieces the gates of brass, and cuts in sunder the bars of iron." Isa. xlv. 1, 2. Be assured that it is to a want of confidence we are generally to attri bute the little success which attends our undertakings. We wish to accomplish them ourselves, we labour in dependence upon ourselves; now you know there is a curse denounced against the man that "trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm;" and the word of God gives a death-blow to all his enterprises, addressing to him this awful declaration : "The Lord hath rejected thy confidences, and thou shalt not prosper in them." Jer. ii. 37.

APPLICATION.

My brethren, this trust in the Lord, which we have been inculcating on you, is both our duty and our happiness.

It is our duty, because God enjoins it on us; and he deserves it, inasmuch as he unites infinite wisdom and infinite power with a boundless love for all those that put their trust in him. To give our confidence to any other being than God, is to say, that that being is more wise or more powerful, or more loving than God. It is by a natural consequence to give that being the place of God in our hearts; for the being to whom we give our confidence, is also the being to whom we give our heart-the being whom we fear above all things to lose, and which becomes our God. "Where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also." If it be upon our riches, our talents, our knowledge, our prudence, or any creature, that we rest our hopes, that

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being, on which we make our happiness depend, will be our treasure: and there will our heart be also, Hence. Jeremiah says of the man who “trusteth in man," that “his heart departeth from the Lord.”

This is just what happened by the revolt of our first parents: man seduced by the declaration of Satan, “ Ye shall be as Gods,” chose to listen to his own wisdom, instead of trusting to what God had told him ; he left his own place to take the place of God; and from that time, in all ages, he has more or less openly worshipped himself; he has, as the Scripture saith, “sacris ficed to his own net, and burnt incense to his own drag." Read the works, listen to the conversation of the unregenerate who are still in rebellion against God; they breathe nothing but the idolatry of a man who admires himself in his own works, and who, as the Scripture saith, “bows down before the work of his own hands.” They boast of man, of his wisdom, his industry, his dignity, and his strength; they seek no succour for human ills, but from human

means ; word, they raise not their views above the earth. Some notion of God may, indeed, remain, but it is easy to perceive that it is merely a form. The unregenerate man, to speak plainly, leaves to God the titles, but reserves to himself the honour and confidence, which belong to Jehovah alone. But what does the Gospel do when it brings man back to his God, and rescues him from his rebellion? It restores him to his proper place by taking away all confidence in himself. It makes him acquainted with his absolute misery, that being freed from the delusions of pride, and feeling that without Christ he can do nothing, he may be led

“his faith and hope in God," and live to bless and to love him who hath given him “everlasting consolation and good hope through grace.” From that

in a