He knew that he believed in a God that changeth not, just as we believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is “the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever,” {64} and the result was the assurance that He who had helped him thus far would help him to the end. He knew that his God would not change, and therefore he was happy and confident though he was in “a dry and thirsty land.” {65a} His joy did not depend on circumstances, but on God, and being confident in His unchanging grace he could be happy anywhere. He used to delight in the Sanctuary, and we read in verse 2 how he had there seen in his own soul God’s power and glory. But the same Lord who had helped him in the Sanctuary would help him also in the cave, and therefore he was not an unhappy man even in the wilderness, but he said, “Because Thy loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise Thee.” And this was no new principle in his mind, for we find him acting on it when he was quite a youth. It was the principle that carried him into the conflict with Goliath, for when Saul dissuaded him from the attempt, he said, “The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.” {65b} Thus the recognition of past help ought to lead to confident trust. If we have found help actually given, if we have reason to believe that God is helping now, we may boldly look forward into the future, and be perfectly confident that He will help to the end. THE COMING OF THE LORD THE PRACTICAL EFFECT OF THIS BLESSED HOPE ON THE LIFE AND CHARACTER “Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”—ST. JAMES v. 8. THE hope of the near approach of the Lord’s coming should lead us to sit light to the world and the things of it. There is no greater temptation besetting our path than that of becoming entangled in the things of the world. We are for ever spinning cobwebs for our own bondage, and being then caught in our own web. Hence the importance of the weaning power of the blessed hope of the near coming of our Lord and Saviour. This applies in sorrow. There were sorrows in the days of St. Paul, just as there are now, and he never taught us not to weep. What he did teach was that we “should not sorrow as those that have no hope.” The character of the sorrow may be changed. And what was the power that should thus change the character of grief? The next verse supplies the answer. “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.” {66} We may look forward, therefore, to His speedy return, when the graves of those who are in Christ shall open, and when all sorrow will be lost for eternity in the blessed privilege of being “ever with the lord.” {67a} Is not such a hope enough to change the character of grief? This blessed hope changes also the character of our joy.