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language of the church: "Lo! this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us; this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation."

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1. The subject suggests to us the blessedness of all who make God their refuge. Is he your refuge? Do you by faith and through Christ repair to this refuge daily? Do you stay yourself on God? While you diligently use all legitimate means to avoid trials, or to be delivered out of them, do you still bear in mind that " the counsel of the Lord shall stand," and that his good pleasure concerning you should be more strongly desired by you, than your own personal conveniency or interest? With the prayer of faith do you commit your way to the Lord, and do you trust in him? If so, it is your safety, your comfort, it will be your stay. "shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land." 2

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2. The subject also suggests to us the misery and folly of those who are out of Christ, without God, and, therefore, without a refuge into which they may flee in time of trouble. The resources whence you expect safety and comfort, are but broken cisterns that hold no water and in the time of

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greatest need, they will fail you: and they will probably fail you in that hour when too late to seek and find the water of life. When your eyes are closing in death, and your departing spirit is about to appear before that God whom you had despised, what consolation can you derive from the gold and the silver, the houses and the land, the merchandize and the bubble reputation of this world, in which you trusted? Alas! these will for ever elude your grasp, and will follow you into eternity as so many swift witnesses of your idolatry,—your contempt of God and his holy word.

SERMON XV.

THE DEMONIAC HEALED.

LUKE Viii. 35.

"Then they went out to see what was done, and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind."

How truly consoling to the Christian to know that the friend of sinners, is an almighty, ever faithful friend; and that to him, as " head over all things," is committed all power in heaven and earth, to govern and protect his church, to bring many sons to glory, and, at last, to subdue all his rebellious enemies! When the believer reflects on the many wiles, and power, and activity of the devil to ruin souls; and when he knows, as every child of God does really know, that his own strength is but weakness,—he would shrink from the spiritual conflict, were he not under the care and protection of

the great Captain of our salvation. Fighting against his spiritual adversaries, under this Captain, the Christian becomes more than a conqueror. And who is this Captain that leads his little band in the wilderness to certain victory? Why, no other than the Lord Jesus Christ, who hath spoiled the principalities and thrones of the prince of darkness. Yes, my timid and weak brethren, the Lord Jesus, the eternal Son of God-the blessed and compassionate Saviour of the lost, reigns over the god of this world, the prince of the power of the air. And this same Jesus, hear it, ye weak and trembling Christians, this same Jesus delivers fully and for ever his people from the snares and power of the devil: and this same Jesus, hear it and tremble, O hard and stout-hearted sinners, this same Jesus will be as a roaring lion of the tribe of Judah, to tear and devour his unreconciled enemies. He it is who binds the strong one, destroys his tyranny, and dispossesses him of his usurped dominion. This he frequently did in the presence of multitudes; and even his malicious enemies could not deny the fact. That evil spirits possessed some. individuals, so as to torment both their minds and their bodies, and that they grossly deluded others, there can be no doubt: for it is evident both from the scripture and profane history. They were permitted to possess the heathen oracles; and to an

swer those who went to consult those oracles. It is remarkable that after our Saviour's appearance on the earth, the oracles could not, as usually, answer the questions proposed to them.

In the history, of which the text forms a part, we have an affecting account of a man, possessed and grievously tormented by a legion of devils. The Lord Jesus, who went about continually doing good, had compassion on the man; and with a divine authority commanded the evil spirit to come out of him; and the poor, distracted man was effectually delivered from the fury and tyranny of the devil. "Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind." While the whole of the narrative exhibits to us the divine power of Jesus, his compassion and goodness, the words of the text point out to us the great and visible change of the demoniac. This change is characterised by three marks, to each of which we invite your attention.

I. THE STATE OF HIS MIND; HE WAS 66 IN HIS RIGHT MIND:"

II. HIS POSITION AND SITUATION; HE WAS 66 SITTING AT THE FEET OF JESUS."

III. HE WAS "CLOTHED."

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