If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me: even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb." Such were the views which the Psalmist took of the constant presence, and perfect knowledge of the Most High, as to his eye being ever on him. And as he loved the Lord, and desired to walk in his way, so did these views and recollections fill his soul with gladness and solemness of mind; until he breaks out in strains of admiration, "I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well. My

substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious, also, are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee." Yes, when we awake, and when we sleep, when at home and when abroad, we are still with him; that is, he is still present with us, observing all we do, and understanding all we would do. And he it is that will by and bye bring every thought into judgment, and make known every word and work without respect of persons. No rank, or station, or numbers will avail to cause him to turn aside, or to overlook sin in the mightiest prince upon earth, any more than in the poorest and humblest of mankind. As he everywhere beholds the evil and the good, so

he will judge all, and give unto every man according to the deeds done in the body. Oh, then, how watchful, how cautious, how serious should we be. Well has it been said, "That the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and that a good understanding have all they that do his commandments." Psalm cxi. 10. It is not only our duty, but our highest wisdom to walk before him in all humility, and to worship him in all spirituality, and to pray to him with all sincerity, and to believe in him with all confidence, seeing that he ever knows the thoughts, and tries the reins of the children of men. But, in the second place, it is our duty and privilege to set the Lord always before us for our comfort. Is the Lord everywhere, and at all times present? Oh, how blessed a truth is this to them that fear him and wish to be his children in spirit and in truth! Children may possess the kindest and most affectionate parents, and yet these parents cannot be with them always. A thousand things and circumstances may divide

them apart for a longer or shorter season; but it is not, cannot be so with the children of God and their heavenly Father; wherever they are, there he is also; and he is with them for good. Is he almighty? Yes, the almighty and everlasting God; consequently he is able to do all things for them; to do abundantly beyond all that they can ask, or think, or stand in need of. And then, again, he is the unchangeably Just, the everlastingly true, and wise, and merciful God. He cannot break his word, or do wrong, or mistake, or take pleasure in punishing. Whatever is needful and best to be done for us, that same he as

sures us he will do. "No good thing

will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." And, oh, how many great and precious promises hath he given us, that we all might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to him as our strong hold. Moreover, this almighty, all-present, all-wise, just, and merciful God is so long-suffering, and of such great goodness, as to accept us in the Son

of his love, and to call us "heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ," to commission his heralds of salvation to say, "This God is our God, and will be our guide unto death." Let every man, then, unto whom these words of salvation are sent, every man whose face is Zion-ward, take courage in the assurance that however he may be cast out from men, or overlooked and disregarded by his fellow worms, this ever-blessed God is and will be his present God in time of trouble. In seasons of danger he will be present to deliver, if deliverance be good for his child. In times of sickness he will be present to support and make whole, if such be best for the soul. In times of darkness and dismay, he will be present to cherish and comfort him. In times of temptation, he will be present to make a way for him to escape. In the loss of dearest earthly comforts and connections he will be present to supply the lack of all he has seen good to remove. In the absence of those means of grace where the soul once drew water from the wells