when informed of his dangers, said, If there were as many devils in Worms as there are tiles upon the houses, I would go-But Peter followed him afar off!

This was also very ungrateful. The Saviour had done much for him. He had healed, by a miracle, his wife's mother-He had called him to the Apostleship, the highest honour on earth-He had singularly distinguished him with James and John on several occasions-He had saved him by his grace, and enlightened him from above, and-was now going to suffer and die for him.-And a friend is born for adversity. Then, instead of keeping at a distance from us, we look for his attendance and sympathy. Peter could have unequivocally testified in favour of suffering innocence-but he hangs off! And Patience itself complains, "I looked for some to take pity, and there was none! and for comforter, but I found none!"

All this, too, was in violation of his own profession and vows-that he was willing to follow him to prison and to death-that he would die with him rather than deny him-and all this had scarcely left his lips-and was uttered just after our Saviour had so solemnly forewarned him-Yet Peter followed him afar off.

This led to something worse; and I wonder not at the sequel. His after-conduct in denying him; and thrice; and swearing with oaths and curses; was only the continuance and the increase of his present reluctance. So it is: the way of error and sin is always down-hill; and once in motion, who can tell when and where a man will stop? You follow him afar off this hour, the next you are ashamed of him. You trifle with the Sabbath to-day; to-morrow you profane it. You now endure evil company; you will soon choose it-so true is it "They proceed from evil to evil."

And yet, who of us can cast a stone at him?

Are not we verily guilty as well as Peter? Let us see whether, though as yet we have not begun to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man, we have not been following him afar off. Here let us not depend upon the opinion of our fellow-creatures-we may stand fair with them. But what do they know of us? of our inward state? of our principles and motives? What says the heart? "If our hearts condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God." Yet even on this testimony we must not absolutely rely-" God is greater than the heart, and knoweth all things." The Laodiceans were satisfied with themselves at the very time when He charged them with every one of the evils from which they supposed themselves free. Has He not somewhat against us? May we not continue to read and hear his Word, and keep our places in the Sanctuary, and even at his Table; and yet feel very little of that sacred fervour and delight that once accompanied our devotions? Attendance upon the Saviour in the means of grace is very distinguishable from spiritual worship. We may draw nigh to him with our mouth, and honour him with our lips, while the heart is far from him. Does the heart lag behind? Then are we following him afar off.

His people are himself. He that receiveth them receiveth him; and what we do not-to the least of one of all his brethren, we do not to him. In the distance of our regard to them; and especially our backwardness to notice and relieve and visit the poor and afflicted; are we not following him afar off?

Above all, does not the evil appear in the remoteness of our resemblance? We are commanded to follow him; and our conformity to him is essential to all religion; and we may always judge of the degree, as well as the reality of our religion, by it. How far short of the model do we come? How distantly do we resemble that condescension, which washed the disciples' feet; that self-denial, which

pleased not himself; that fervour, which led him to say, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; that delight in obedience, which led him to say, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish his work

And thus, by our negligence and indifference, we grieve his Holy Spirit. And rob our own souls. For he is all in all; he is the fountain of life; and it is good for us to draw near to Him. But when we follow him afar off, we cannot see him; and hear him; and converse with him. And woe unto us if trouble befals us, or the enemy meets with us-and he is most likely to do so then-when we are absent from Him.

Let me sigh

"Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it;
"Prone to leave the God I love."

And let me sing

"Thou Shepherd of Israel divine,
"The joy of the upright in heart,
"For closer communion I pine,

"Still, still to reside where Thou art.
""Tis there I would alway abide,

"Nor ever a moment depart;
"Preserved evermore by thy side-
"Eternally hid in thy heart."

MARCH 3.-Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar." Rom. iii. 4.

BUT cannot God be true, and man be true also? Does the veracity of the one infer the falsehood of the other? Not absolutely; but in particular instances. There may be, and there often is, an opposition between their testimony: and when this is the case, we are not to hesitate a moment by

whose claims we shall be decided-If the whole world was on one side, and He on the other-Let God be true, but every man a liar. And, comparatively, the credibility of the one, must always be nothing to that of the other. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater. And this will appear undeniable, from four admissions.

The first regards the ignorance of man, and the wisdom of God. Man is fallible. He not only may err, but he is likely to err. He may be deceived by outward appearances; by the reports of others; by his own reasonings. His powers are limited; his researches, in every direction, are soon checked; there are depths which he cannot fathom, heights which he cannot scale, complications which he cannot unravel. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom. How much of it is mere opinion and conjecture! With what follies have the greatest minds been charged! Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolishness the wisdom of this world? But His understanding is infinite. knows all things. He cannot be mistaken.

He

The second regards the mutability of man, and the unchangeableness of God. Creatures, from their very being, are mutable. Many of the angels kept not their first estate. Adam fell from his original condition. Who needs to be told, that man never continues in one stay? New views gender new feelings, and these new pursuits. What pleases to-day may offend to-morrow. Many are unstable as water. No one is unchangeable. But God changes not. What he thinks now of any subject, he always thought. And always will think-for with Him there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

The third regards the weakness of man, and the all-sufficiency of God. Man may threaten in fury, but be unable to execute. He may promise sin

cerely; and his promises be vain words-he cannot fulfil them. In this respect he is not always to be judged of by his conduct. There are cases in which we censure, when, if we knew all, we should only pity. The man struggles with difficulties which have unexpectedly come upon him; and yields to dire necessity, and provides things honest in the sight of the Lord-who has seen all his heart and his hardships-though not in the sight of men. God is almighty. He who made and upholds all things by the word of his power, speaks every thing, in the Scriptures.

But

The fourth regards the depravity of man, and the rectitude of God. Man goes astray, from the womb, speaking lies. He often intentionally deceives-It is his aim and study; and he rejoices in his success. Even men who are influened by religious principles, may be overcome of evil, and occasion our saying, Lord, what is man! How far from truth was the sentiment of Jonah-"I do well to be angry, even unto death." How lamentable was the falsehood of Abraham, when he said of his wife, She is my sister! How dreadful was the perjury of Peter, when he swore, "I know not the man!" But God is holiness itself. He is incapable of a wrong bias he cannot be tempted to deceive.

When, therefore, we look at man-ignorant and fallible-varying according to his excitementsoften unable to make good his engagements-yea, accessible to the influence of evil motives: and then contemplate God, in all the glories of his wisdom, immutability, almightiness, and rectitudeeach being an everlasting and infinite preservative of truth-who can view these competitors for our belief, and not join with the Apostle, "Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar."

The use to which this fact should be applied, is to reduce our confidence in man, and increase our confidence in God