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that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out, to thy house? when thou scest the naked, that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee, the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward.

If we are found in this posture of humiliation, in this attitude of dependance upon God, and in the diligent use of all the means of defence, we might venture to consider the third part of

our text.

Third. As prophetical of our deliverence, and the confusion and overthrow of our enemy, "I will suddenly make him run away from her."

The favourable interposition of Almighty power is an assurance of safety. "If God be for us, who can be against us?" in his favor is life. And where does he bestow his favor? has he

not

not revealed himself the friend of the peniten? has he not promised to hear the cry of the humble? whoever sought his face in vain? whoever trusted in him and were confounded? whoever. made him their resource, in the way of his own appointment, and were not delivered?

He never disappointed a humble, penitent, believing people. His character, his covenant, his promises, his faithfulness and truth, all, un itedly defend them.

Go and search the records of his mercy. How instances of his gracious interposition are written for our instruction and encouragement,

many

"Nineveh was a great city, a rejoicing city, that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me."-She was as great in pride and wickedness, as in renown. Her sins came up before God. Arise, said he, to the prophet, go unto Nineveh and preach unto it, the preaching that I bid thee. So JONAH arose and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. And Jonah began to enter into the city, and he cried and said, yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people

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people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth from the greatest of them even unto the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed, and published through Nineveh (by the decree of the king and his nobles) saying, let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock taste any thing; let them not feed, nor drink water. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not?" and what was the result?" God saw their works that they turned from their evil way, and God repented of the evil he had said that he would do unto them, and he did it not."

There is another remarkable interposition of divine Providence recorded in the 11th book of the Chronicles, and in the 20th chapter.

JEHO

JEHOSHAPHAT was king. him, "there cometh a great thee from beyond the sea.

And it was told multitude against And Jehoshaphat

feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord, even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.

And Jehoshaphat stood up in the midst of the people, and prayed. And when he had acknowledged the sovereignity of God in the government of the world, when he had celebrated the goodness of God for past deliverances vouchsafed, when he had pleaded the promise, the sanctuary, the covenant and the name of the Lord, and when he had represented the treachery, the malice, the ingratitude and injustice of the enemies of his country, he added, in the name of the assembly, "O, our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us: neither know we what to do, but our eyes are upon thee. And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives and their children. God noticed this solemn assembly. God interposed to comfort and deliver

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them. JAHAZIEL was suddenly inspired. The spirit Jehovah came upon him in the midst of the congregation, and he said, hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, thus saith the Lord unto you, be not afraid, nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's. The issue of this history proves, that when he espouses our cause, success is no longer doubtful.

The meditated invasion of Judah by Sennacherib, king of Assyria is still more in point. There is a striking similarity between the character of this foe of Israel and the foe of Britain. Both of them are evidently inflated with arrogance and self-sufficiency, both the subjects of ambition and impiety-both fearless of God and ignorant of his controul; yet both instruments in his hands, both move by his direction.

Flushed with success and confident of his own strength, Sennacherib defied the God of Israel and threatened to do unto Jerusalem as he had done unto the cities and nations around.

The

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