Thou hast power--power over my breath, over
my body, over my day, over my night--power to destroy both body and soul
in hell; power to kill, power to make alive; power to condemn, power to
save; power to cast me down, power to lift me up to heaven--I will fear
thee, O God in Christ, and be thou my only fear."

Set the Lord alway before you and there you will find a sure refuge.
Nature is changing and decaying, and we are changed faster than nature.
We are all passengers in a ship that is floating in an ocean and has fire
in her hold. This air around us has an ocean in it, an ocean of real
water, and did God will it a little change in the weight of the air would
bring a universal deluge. This earth has fire in it, stores of fire, and
did God will a very little change in the chemistry of the air it would be
a universal blaze. We are passengers, I say, in a ship sailing in an
ocean with fire in the hold, and we know that the fire is to break out
and that the moment will come when the ship will be burnt up. You and I
are pacing this deck with the fire beneath, and the day, the hour, the
moment, that the signal will be given no man living can tell. Are we
prepared to meet our God? Can we look forth from this frail world unto
that infinite bosom of eternal rest and say, "Thou art mine and I am
thine to all eternity?" You may look to other refuges but they are not
secure, to other coverts but they are not safe. Here is the Rock of Ages
and that rock is cleft for you. God manifest in the flesh. Behold
Christ crucified and flee to Him, flee for refuge, flee to-day; once in
Christ you will know that you are safe. Let the storm come, let the
winds blow, let the floods beat, let the fires break out, safe! safe!
safe! Nothing can move Him and nothing can touch thee. Thou shalt
"dwell under the shadow of the Most High."

Set the Lord alway before thee and you will have an unfailing stay, an
unfailing resource. Many things you may think will not fail. Here is
the old man, and his friends tell him he does not fail, and how he likes
to hear it! "Thy years do not weigh thee down." He goes on and it seems
as if to him the years come as the snow falls on the mountains, not to
enfeeble but to embellish. He does not fail. Ay, but he will fail and
be bowed down to the dust. And the wiry woman that has gone through
enough to kill many and yet hath more spirit and energy than the young.
Ay, she shall fail too; you will see