man began to build, and was not able to finish. ́Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth, whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an embassage, and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple."—" And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up, what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come and follow But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them,

me.

The

With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. Then answered Peter, and said unto them, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundred-fold, and shall inherit everlasting life. But many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be first."-"And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me to go first and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead, but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."*

Precisely on the principle on which our Lord uttered these cautions, have I discussed at length the opposition to the work of religion which you must expect to encounter. It is to put you on your guard, to prevent the possibility of deception,

• Luke xiv. 25-33. Matthew xix. 16-30. Luke ix. 57–62.

for there are multitudes who commence the work of religion, without a consideration of its cost, without an estimate of its difficulties, and then, when persecution ariseth for the word's sake, or when temptations powerfully assail or difficulties stand in the way, they either quit the pursuit altogether or decline in the path of duty, and render their last state even more hopeless than the first. I desire that should feel and know that there is against you you a most formidable and tremendous opposition, and that it is only through the successful struggle with this that you are to expect to enter into the kingdom of God. The duty of setting this opposition before you, has been, I trust, most faithfully discharged. I have not, so far as I am aware, shunned to declare the whole counsel of God. And having done so, I feel myself authorized to present the subject in another aspect, an aspect which may seem to take up and apply even to this subject the exquisite consolation of the prophet-"Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not; behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass, with reeds and rushes. And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called, The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass

over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall

go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."— "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."*

It is my object to-day, my friends, to take up the

IIId general division of my subject, viz: the greatness of the work of religion, from the aids or succours which may be taken advantage of. You will probably remember, that when I commenced the consideration of the opponents to the great work of religion, I attempted to interest your attention by a recurrence to the history with which the text is connected, and I gave you some account of those enemies of Nehemiah, the Ammonite, the Moabite, the Samaritans, with Geshem, the Arab sheik. I also from collated history mentioned the reasons of their several oppositions. In entering upon the consideration of the aids to the great work of religion, the history gives us opportunity of the same ample and interesting illustration, and as a suitable introduc

* Isaiah xxxv. 3-10. Isaiah xl. 29-31.

tion of this part of my discussion, let us ascertain what aids were rendered to Nehemiah in the work in which he was engaged; and I ask your particular attention, and that you would endeavour to remember them, as they will add so much interest to all the subsequent considerations.

1. As the most important particular, Nehemiah had, in aid of his great work, the king's most decided approbation. Without this he could not have stirred an inch: for observe that the king of Persia was, and is still, an absolute monarch. His will is law to his subjects; it admits of no dispute, and it brooks no disobedience. We learn this from one very short remark of the history, "It pleased the king to send me," i. e. the work was agreeable to the king's wishes; he saw that it would redound to the glory and honour of his reign, and promote the happiness and prosperity of a people subject to his power. But not only had Nehemiah the aid of the king's approbation, but he had the aid of the king's forces. Nehemiah tells us-" Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king's letters. (Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me.") These were sent both as a guard of honour and as a guarantee for his respect and safety throughout the king's dominions. But he had other aids; he was to be supplied from the king's resources-" Moreover, I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over, till I come into Judah. And a letter unto Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the