He cannot lie, because He is truth itself, and that whatever He has promised he will most surely do, the greater the sorrows that may beset them, the greater faith they place in Him, saying and feeling with the holy psalmist, Though I walk in the midst of trouble, yet shalt Thou refresh me; Thou shalt stretch forth Thy hand, and Thy right hand shall save me. This is the hope of righteous men through life; this it is that comforts them in the time of trouble, when others faint, and know not what to do; and this it is which cheers and strengthens them in the last trial of all, when God requires of them their soul. Yes, my brethren, the end of such men is peace. They have no guilty fears to weigh down their departing spirit, no stings of conscience to fill them with confusion and shame-no dread of an angry Judge to make them fear to meet Him--they are at peace with Him and with mankind. The blessed promises of eternal life, which He has made to those who do their best to serve Him, now fill them with the brightest hopes: they think of Him who died upon the Cross for sinners' souls

with thankfulness to God and comfort to themselves: they long to depart and be with Christ; and though they are con tented, if it be the will of God to remain a little longer here on earth, they desire, above all things, to worship Him with the angels of heaven. Thus, whatever may be the pains and misery which sickness and death may bring upon their bodies, they know that the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God: they can look forward to their great change free from fear, and lie down in peace to take their last long sleep in the joyful hope that they shall wake again to everlasting life and glory.

The words which I have read to you for my text prove to us in the strongest manner how God watches over the souls of those whom He loves, and who love Him: how dear they are in His sight, and how great is the comfort which they may and ought to have in Him, even under the most afflicting circumstances that can happen to them here.

St. Stephen was one of those who were chosen by the disciples of our Blessed Lord,

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after his death, to preach the word of God, to be shepherds of Christ's flock, and ministers of his church.

In those days, when the religion of Jesus Christ had made but little way amongst mankind, when few had heard of Him, and fewer still believed on Him, the Holy Spirit of God was bestowed in an especial manner upon the apostles, and upon those who were appointed by them to preach the gospel. They were able to do many wonderful works: to heal sicknesses-to restore the blind, the lame, the deaf, the dumb, and even to bring back the dead to life, as their Master had done before them. God saw that it was necessary that they should be able to do these things, in order that they might put to silence those who mocked at them, and might convince those not otherwise inclined to believe, that they were not deceivers, but servants of the Most High God.

Stephen appears to have possessed these wonderful gifts in a great degree for it is written of him, Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among

the people, and that the unbelievers were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. And what was the consequence? the same which happens to many even now, when we all call ourselves followers of Jesus Christ: because he spoke the plain truth, and told the enemies of God their faults and sins, they persecuted and hated him. They stirred up the people, and caught him, and brought him to the council, and accused him falsely of speaking blasphemous words and would not be kept from this, although, as we are told, all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel: which means either that there was in his countenance, at this time, a look of gentleness, meekness, and goodness more than is natural to man; or else it means, what we can easily believe, that that God in whose service Stephen was spending his life, and for whose sake he was now going to lay it down, was pleased to show, by sending a remarkable brightness of heavenly light into his face, that He had chosen, and that He loved him. Then Stephen, being full

of faith in God, and full of courage because his trust was in Christ, boldly stood forward and answered for himself to the things which they laid to his charge; and, having proved from the Holy Scriptures that the doctrine which he taught concerning Jesus Christ was not blasphemy but truth from heaven, he flinched not to declare to the wretches who accused him, that they were fighting against God, and plainly told them that as their fathers before them had persecuted and put to death the prophets and messengers of God, so they were doing the same, and that they had been the betrayers and the murderers of the blessed Son of God himself. When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, for they knew that they were truth, and like savage dogs waiting for blood, they gnashed on him with their teeth, But Stephen, strong in the favour of God and blessed with a peaceful conscience, was not daunted by the danger that was near him, and God was graciously pleased, at that very moment, when he most wanted assistance, to give him the strongest proof of his love towards him, and