place in the family of
God that was lost by sin, they shall continue, they shall be established.
What! when the earth flees away? Yes, when the earth flees away. What!
when the heaven falls? Yes, when the heaven falls; they shall be
established with the same immortality as their Father in heaven. "Thy
years shall not fail." God will not fail; Christ will not fail; the Rock
of Ages will not fail; and all and every one that through Christ is in
God will never fail. The world will pass away, the word of God will not
pass away, and the child of God will not pass away.

Take then this word to thy heart and say "Thy years shall not fail." It
will give you a worthy fear. Man is always rightly or wrongly fearing
something. One is afraid of a man that has him in his power. He says,
"If I offended him I should lose my bread; it would be as much as my
living is worth; I must take care not to offend him;" and rather than
offend that man he will stain his conscience and offend his God. Come
back in twenty years and ask where that man is, and they will take you to
his grave, and that was what you were afraid of! Another fears this
bright, witty, active young man, whose word either cuts or flatters with
amazing power. He feels as if he could not face him; as if he could not
bear that he should look him in the face and call him a saint or tell him
he had been praying to God or been commending his soul for mercy to
Christ. If he said these things to him it would actually appear as if it
was something against him, something he ought to be ashamed of! Come
back in twenty years and enquire for him--perhaps you will find him in a
mad-house, perhaps in a gambling-house, perhaps in chains among convicts.
Perhaps you will find a broken-hearted mother in black, wishing that he
had never been born, and that is what you are afraid of! Another is
afraid of the fashion. Every one does it, and if he did not do it he
would be remarked. Every one says there is no harm in it, and if he
scrupled they would make fun of him, and on this account he will do a
thing that he knows ought not to be done. Come back in two generations
and enquire from the grandchildren of these people about this fashion and
you will find they are all laughing at the folly of their grandfathers
and grandmothers. And that is what you are afraid of! Set the Lord
alway before you. Say, "Thy years shall not fail. Thou art worthy to be
feared. I will fear thee.