The Church of God is an army marching through an enemy’s territory. She can never reckon upon a moment’s peace. If she were of the world, the world would love its own; but because true saints are not of the world, but Christ has chosen them out of the world, therefore the world hateth them. As the Amalekites suddenly fell upon the children of Israel, unprovoked, and without giving any warning of their hostile intention, so, not only in times of persecution, but in these apparently softer days when the world does not use the stake and the sword, at all seasons the world is ready to pounce upon the Church of God, and to call in its grand ally, the devil, to overthrow and destroy, as far as possible, the militant hosts of Israel.

Every Christian, then, must be a soldier, and take his share in the battles of the cross. We must not look upon our life as being a pleasure-journey through a friendly land, but as a march,-a march through the very midst of foes who will dispute every foot of our way.

Now, if we thus view the Church of God as an army, it is consolatory to know that we have a vanguard: “My righteousness shall go before thee.” We take our Lord Jesus Christ to be “the Lord our righteousness”; he is the Forerunner, and he has gone before us, even through the river of death, and up to the skies, that he may prepare a place for all those who have enlisted under his standard.

Our text, however, speaks not of the vanguard, but of the “rereward.” There is always danger there, and it is comforting to the saints to behold so glorious a shield borne in their rear by so mighty an arm: “The glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward.”

It is but little I have to say to you this evening, but may God make that little profitable to you! We will, first of all, dwell upon the rereward, and enquire what it is which is here intended; and, secondly, we will try to show how the glory of the Lord brings up the rear, and protects the saints on every side.

Taking the text to refer to the Church of God as a body, we remark that there are always some who bring up the rear. God has never left his Church without men to stand in the front. A few choice men have always been raised up by God, and they have led the way, both in testimony and in suffering. The race of the prophets will never be extinct. “The sceptre” in this sense will not depart from the members of the Church until Christ shall come a second time. The teacher shall not be taken out of his place, nor the candlestick be removed, nor the bread of life be taken away. But the mass of the Church are rather like the body of the army, marching on and fighting well, but not attaining unto the first three mighties.

We have, moreover, in the Church of Christ, a considerable proportion of those who are always behind. Some of those are here to-night. You feel yourselves to belong to the rear, because you are so weak in faith. It is a blessed thing to enjoy full assurance of faith, and yet no doubt there are thousands in the fold of Jesus who never reach this attainment. It is a great pity that they should not reach it, for they miss much happiness and much usefulness; but, still,-

“Thousands in the fold of Jesus,

This attainment ne’er could boast;

To his name eternal praises,

None of these shall e’er be lost.