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THE CHEQUE BOOK 
 
 OF 
 
 THE BANK OF FAITH. 
 
f?c Cf^cquc ^ook 
 
 Cljc 23anfv of Sait^. 
 
 Being Precious Promises arranged for 
 Daily Use. 
 
 With Brief Experimental Comments, 
 
 1/ 
 
 C. H . SPU RGEO N, 
 
 
 New York : 
 
 
 A. C. 
 
 ARMSTRONG & 
 714 Broadway. 
 
 1889. 
 
 SON, 
 
 J. 
 
 Pub! 
 
 yi/I rights rtstrvfJ. 
 
 
 T/tibLL 
 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 A PROMISE from God may very instructively be com- 
 pared to a cheque payable to order. It is given to 
 the believer with the view of bestowing upon him some good 
 thing. It is not meant that he should read it over com- 
 fortably, and then have done with it. No, he is to treat 
 the promise as a reality, as a man treats a cheque. 
 
 He is to take the promise, and endorse it with his own 
 name by personally receiving it as true. He is by faith to 
 accept it as his own. He sets to his seal that God is true, 
 and true as to this particular word of promise. He goes 
 further, and believes that he has the blessing in having the 
 sure promise of it, and therefore he puts his name to it to 
 tes'ify to the receipt of the blessing. 
 
 This done, he must beiievingly prcsetii the promise to the 
 Lord, as a man presents a cheque at the counter of the 
 Bank. He must plead it by prayer, expecting to have it 
 fulfilled. If he has come to heaven's bank at the right date, 
 he will receive the promised amount at once. If the date 
 should happen to be further on, he must patiently wait till 
 its arrival ; but meanwhile he may count the promise as 
 money, for the Bank is sure to pay when the due time 
 arrives. 
 
 Some fail to place the endorsement of faith upon the 
 cheque, and so they get nothing ; and others are slack in 
 
VI PREFACE. 
 
 presenting it, and these also receive nothing. This is not 
 the fault of the promise, but of those who do not act with 
 it in a common-sense, business-like manner. 
 
 God has given no pledge which he will not redeem, and 
 encouraged no hope which he will not fulfil. To help my 
 brethren to believe this, I ha\e prepared this little volume. 
 The sight of ihc promises themselves is good for the eyes of 
 faith : the more we study the words of grace, the more grace 
 shall we derive from the words. To the cheering Scriptures 
 I have added testimonies of my own, the fruit of trial and 
 experience. I believe all the promises of God, but many of 
 them I have personally tried and proved. I have seen that 
 they are true, for they have been fulfilled to me. This, I 
 trust, may be cheering to the young ; and not without solace 
 to the older sort. One man's experience may be of the 
 utmost use to another ; and this is why the man of God of 
 old wrote, "I sought the Lord, and he heard me"; and 
 again, " This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him." 
 
 I commenced these daily portions when I was wading in 
 the surf of controversy. Since then I have been cast into 
 "waters to swim in", which, but for God's upholding hanH, 
 would have proved waters to drown in. I have endured 
 tribulation from many flails. Sharp bodily pain succeeded 
 mental depression, and this was accompanied both by 
 bereavement, and affliction in the person of one dear as 
 life. The waters rolled in continually, wave upon wave. I 
 do not mention this to exact sympathy, but simply to let the 
 reader see that I am no dry-land sailor. 1 have traversed 
 those oceans which are not Pacific full many a time : I know 
 the roll of the billows, and the rush of the winds. Never 
 were the promises of Jehovah so precious to me as at this 
 hour. Some of them I never understood till now ; I had 
 not reached the date at which they matured, for I was not 
 myself mature enough to perceive their meaning. 
 
PREFACE. VII 
 
 How much more wonderful is the Bible to me now than 
 it was a few montiis ago ! In obeying the Lord, and bearing 
 his reproach outside the camp, I have not received new 
 promises ; but the result to me is much the same as if I had 
 done so, for the old ones have opened up to me with richer 
 stores. Specially has the Word of the Lord to his servant 
 Jeremiah sounded exceedingly sweet in mine ears. His lot 
 it was to speak to those who would not hear, or hearing, 
 would not believe. His was the sorrow which conies of 
 disappointed love, and resolute loyally ; he would have 
 turned his people from their errors, but he would not him- 
 self quit the way of the Lord. For him there were words 
 of deep sustaining power, which kept his mind from failing 
 where nature unaided must have sunk. These and such 
 like golden sentences of grace I have loved more than my 
 necessary food, and with them I have enriched these pages. 
 
 Oh, that I might comfort some of my Master's servants ! 
 I have wriltt-n out of my own heart with the view of com- 
 forting their hearts. I would say to them in their trials — 
 My brethren, God is good. He will not forsake you : he 
 will bear you through. There is a promise prepared for 
 your present emergencies ; and if you will believe and plead 
 it at the mercy-seat through Jesus Christ, you shall see the 
 hand of the Lord stretched out to help you. Everything 
 else will fail, but his word never will. He has been to me 
 so faithful in countless instances that I must encourage you 
 to trust him. I should be ungrateful to God and unkind to 
 you if I did not do so. 
 
 May the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, inspire the people of 
 the Lord with fresh faith I I know that, without his divine 
 power, all that I can say will be of no avail ; but, under 
 his quickening influence, even the humblest testimony will 
 confirm feeble knees, and strengthen weak hands. God is 
 glorified when his servants trust him implicitly. We cannot 
 
via PREFACE. 
 
 be too much of children with our heavenly Father. Our 
 young ones ask no question about our will or our power, 
 but having once received a promise from father, they rejoice 
 in the prospect of its fulfilment, never doubting that it is 
 sure as the sun. May many readers, whom I may never 
 see, discover the duty and delight of such child-like trust in 
 God while they are reading the little bit which I have 
 prepared for each day in the year. 
 
 For long years several thousands of God's people have 
 read my Morning by Morning and Evening bv 
 Evening, and many of them have been good enough to 
 write me, and acknowledge the benefit of such a perusal. 
 I hope this little book will not interfere with those volumes. 
 These daily portions are gathered from a more varied range 
 of topics, and are all the more profitable because they deal 
 with doctrine, experience, practice, and everything else. 
 This is a sweetmeat of promise only, and it must not 
 interfere with the fuller meals : nay, rather, I hope it will 
 excite a desire for them. 
 
 May our Lord Jesus accept this my service for his sheep 
 and lambs, from 
 
 His unworthy Servant, 
 
 By agreement with Messrs. Passmore & Alabaster, and 
 with my full authority, this book is published in America by 
 Messrs. Armstrong & Son, of New York. 
 
 C. H. S. 
 
f?c Cl?equc 15ook 
 
 (LI?e 25ank of 5ait\}. 
 
Jan. I. jFaitfj's Cfjfquf Boolt. l 
 
 "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, 
 and between thy seed and her seed ; it shall bruise thy heady 
 and thou shalt bruise his heel." — Gen. iii. 15. 
 
 THIS is the first promise to fallen man. It 
 contains the whole gospel, and the essence 
 of the covenant of grace. It has been in great 
 measure fulfilled. The seed of the woman, even 
 our Lord Jesus, was bruised in his heel, and a 
 terrible bruising it was. How terrible will be the 
 final bruising of the serpent's head ! This was 
 virtually done when Jesus took away sin, van- 
 quished death, and broke the power of Satan ; but 
 it awaits a still fuller accomplishment at our Lord's 
 Second Advent, and in the day of Judgment, 
 To us the promise stands as a prophecy that 
 we shall be afflicted by the powers of evil in our 
 lower nature, and thus bruised in our heel : but we 
 shall triumph in Christ, who sets his foot on the 
 old serpent's head. Throughout this year we may 
 have to learn the first part of this promise by ex- 
 perience, through the temptations of the devil, and 
 the unkindness of the ungodly who are his seed. 
 They may so bruise us that we may limp with our 
 sore heel ; but let us grasp the second part of the 
 text, and we shall not be dismayed. By faith let 
 us rejoice that we shall still reign in Christ Jesus, 
 the woman's seed. 
 
 t 
 
a JFaillj's Cfjrqiic Book. Jan 2. 
 
 ^^And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your 
 feet shortly." — Rom. xvi. 20. 
 
 THIS promise follows well upon that of yester- 
 day. We are evidently to be conformed to 
 our covenant Head, not only in his being bruised 
 in his heel, but in his conquest of the evil one. 
 Even under our feet is the old dragon to be bruised. 
 The Roman believers were grieved with strife in 
 the church; but their God was ''the God of peace," 
 and gave them rest of soul. The arch-enemy 
 tripped up the feet of the unwary, and deceived 
 the hearts of the simple ; but he was to get the 
 worst of it, and to be trodden down by those whom 
 he had troubled. This victory would not come to 
 the people of God through their own skill or power; 
 but God himself would bruise Satan. Though it 
 would be under their feet, yet the bruising would 
 be of the Lord alone. 
 
 Let us bravely tread upon the tempter ! Not 
 only inferior spirits, but the Prince of darkness 
 himself must go down before us. In unquestioning 
 confidence in God, let us look for speedy victory, 
 " Shortly." Happy word ! Shortly we shall set 
 our foot on the old serpent ! What a joy to crush 
 evil ! What dishonour to Satan to have his head 
 bruised by human feet ! Let us by faith in Jesus 
 tread the tempter down. 
 
Jan. 3. jFaitfj'a Cljcque 13aoIt. 3 
 
 "77/^ land whereon thou liest, to f/ire will I give it." 
 Gen. xxviii. 13. 
 
 NO promise is of private interpretation : it 
 belongs not to one saint, but to all believers. 
 If, my brother, thou canst in faith lie down upon 
 a promise, and take thy rest thereon, it is thine. 
 Where Jacob " h'ghted," and tarried, and rested, 
 there he took possession. Stretching his weary 
 length upon the ground, with the stones of that 
 place for his pillows, he little fancied that he was 
 thus entering into ownership of the land ; and yet 
 so it was. He saw in his dream that wondrous 
 ladder which for all true believers unites earth and 
 heaven ; and surely where the foot of the ladder 
 stood he must have a right to the soil, for other- 
 wise he could not reach the divine stairway. All 
 the promises of God are Yea and Amen in Christ 
 Jesus ; and as he is ours, every promise is ours if 
 we will but lie down upon it in restful faith. 
 
 Come, weary one, use thy Lord's words as thy 
 pillov/s. Lie down in peace. Dream only of Him. 
 Jesus is thy ladder of light. See the angels 
 coming and going upon him between thy soul and 
 thy God ; and be sure that the promise is thine 
 own God-given portion, and that it will not be 
 robbery for thee to take it to thyself, as spoken 
 specially to tJue. 
 
4 iFai'tlj'g Cfirque 13aoIt. Jan. 4. 
 
 '■^ I will make them to lie doivn safely. ^^ — Hosea ii. 18. 
 
 YES, tJie Saints are to have peace. The passage 
 from which this gracious word is taken speaks 
 of peace " with the beasts of the field, and with the 
 fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the 
 ground." This is peace with earthly enemies, with 
 mysterious evils, and with little annoyances ! Any 
 of these might keep us from lying down, but none 
 of them shall do so. The Lord will quite destroy 
 those things which threaten his people : " I will 
 break the bow and the sword, and the battle out 
 of the earth." Peace will be profound indeed when 
 all the instruments of disquiet are broken to 
 pieces. 
 
 With this peace xvill come rest. " So he giveth 
 his beloved sleep." Fully supplied and divinely 
 quieted, believers lie down in calm repose. 
 
 TJiis rest ivill be a safe one. It is one thing to 
 lie down, but quite another "to lie down safely." 
 We are brought to the land of promise, the house of 
 the Father, the chamber of love, and the bosom 
 of Christ: surely we may now "lie down safely." 
 It is safer for a believer to lie down in peace than 
 to sit up and worry. 
 
 " He maketh me to lie down in green pastures." 
 We never rest till the Comforter makes us lie 
 down. 
 
Jan. 5. iTaitfj'g Cljfqite BaoTt. S 
 
 '■^ 1 will strengthen iliee." — Isa. xli. 10. 
 
 WHEN called to serve or to sufifcr, we take 
 stock of our strength, and we find it to be 
 less than we thought, and less than we need. But 
 let not our heart sink within us while we have such 
 a word as this to fall back upon, for it guarantees 
 us all that we can possibly need. God has strength 
 omnipotent ; that strength he can communicate to 
 us ; and his promise is that he will do so. He will 
 be the food of our souls, and the health of our 
 hearts ; and thus he will give us strength. There 
 is no telling how much power God can put into 
 a man. When divine strength comes, human 
 weakness is no more a hindrance. 
 
 Do we not remember seasons of labour and trial 
 in which we received such special strength that 
 we wondered at ourselves? In the midst of danger 
 we were calm, under bereavement we were resigned, 
 in slander we were self-contained, and in sickness 
 we were patient. The fact is, that God gives un- 
 expected strength when unusual trials come upon 
 us. We rise out of our feeble selves. Cowards 
 play the man, foolish ones have wisdom given 
 them, and the silent receive in the self-same hour 
 what they shall speak. My own weakness makes 
 me shrink, but God's promise makes mc brave. 
 Lord, strengthen me " according to thy word." 
 
6 iTaitlj's ©f)rquE Book Jan. 6. 
 
 "Vea, I will help thee!'' — La. xH. lo. 
 
 YESTERDAY'S promise secured us strength 
 for what we have to do, but this guarantees 
 us aid in cases where we cannot act alone. The 
 Lord says, " I will help thee." Strength within is 
 supplemented by help without. God can raise 
 us up allies in our warfare if so it seems good in 
 his sight ; and even if he does not send us human 
 assistance, he himself will be at our side, and this 
 is better still. "Our August Ally" is better than 
 legions of mortal helpers. 
 
 His help is timely : he is a very present help in 
 time of trouble. His help is very wise : he knows 
 how to give each man help meet and fit for him. 
 His help is most effectual, though vain is the help 
 of man. His help is more than help, for he bears 
 all the burden, and supplies all the need. " The 
 Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man can do 
 unto me." 
 
 Because he has already been our help, we feel 
 confidence in him for the present and the future. 
 Our prayer is, "Lord, be thou my helper"; our 
 experience is, " The Spirit also hclpcth our in- 
 firmities"; our expectation is, "I will lift up mine 
 eyes unto the hills, whence cometh my help " ; and 
 our song soon will be, " Thou, Lord, hast holpen 
 me. 
 
Jan. 7. Sfaiilfa Cfjrque Baolf. 7 
 
 " T/iou shalt see greater thi?igs than these." — jolm i. 50. 
 
 THIS is spoken to a childlike believer, who was 
 ready to accept Jesus as the Son of God, the 
 King of Israel, upon one convincing piece of argu- 
 ment. Those who are willing to see shall sec : it 
 is because we shut our eyes that we become so 
 sadly blind. 
 
 We have seen much already. Great things and 
 unsearchable has the Lord showed unto us, for 
 wliich we praise his name ; but there are greater 
 truths in his Word, greater depths of experience, 
 greater heights of fellowship, greater works of use- 
 fulness, greater discoveries of power, and love, and 
 wisdom. These we are yet to see if we are willing 
 to believe our Lord. The faculty of inventing false 
 doctrine is ruinous, but power to see the truth is a 
 blessing. Heaven shall be opened to us, the way 
 thither shall be made clear to us in the Son of 
 man, and the angelic commerce which goes on 
 between the upper and the lower kingdoms shall 
 be made more nianifest to us. Let us keep our eyes 
 open towards spiritual objects, and expect to see 
 more and more. Let us believe that our lives will 
 not drivel down into nothing, but that we shall 
 be always on the growing hand, seeing greater and 
 still greater things, till we behold the Great God 
 himself, and never again lose the sight of him. 
 
8 iFaftlj's Cljque Baoft. Jan. 8. 
 
 ^'■B/essed are the pure in heart : for they shall see God" 
 Matt. V. 8. 
 
 PURITY, even purity of heart, is the main 
 thing to be aimed at. We need to be made 
 clean within through the Spirit ^nd the Word, and 
 then we shall be clean without by consecration and 
 obedience. There is a close connection between 
 the affections and the understanding : if we love 
 evil, we cannot understand that which is good. If 
 the heart is foul, the eye will be dim. How can 
 those men see a holy God who love unholy things .'' 
 What a privilege it is to see God here I A 
 glimpse of him is heaven below ! In Christ Jesus 
 the pure in heart behold the Father. We see him, 
 his truth, his love, his purpose, his sovereignty, his 
 covenant character, yea, we see himself in Christ. 
 But this is only apprehended as sin is kept out 
 of the heart. Only those who aim at godliness 
 can cry, " Mine eyes are ever towards the Lord." 
 The desire of Moses, " I beseech thee, show me 
 thy glory," can only be fulfilled in us as we purify 
 ourselves from all iniquity. We shall " see him 
 as he is"; and "every one that hath this hope in 
 him purifieth himself." The enjoyment of present 
 fellowship and the hope of the beatific vision are 
 urgent motives for purity of heart and life. Lord, 
 make us pure in heart, that we may see thee! 
 
Jan. 9. jFnitIj'0 (Cfjfquc BooU. 
 
 " The liberal soul shall be tnade fatT — Prov. xi. 25. 
 
 IF I desire to flourish in soul, I must not hoard 
 up my stores, but must distribute to the poor. 
 To be close and niggardly is the world's way to 
 prosperity, but it is not God's way, for he saith. 
 "There is that scattereth, and yet, increaseth ; and 
 there is that withholdeth more than* is meet, and it 
 tendeth to poverty." Faith's way of gaining is 
 giving. I must try this again and again ; and I 
 may expect that as much of prosperity as will be 
 good for me will come to me as a gracious reward 
 for a liberal course of action. 
 
 Of course, I may not be sure of growing rich. I 
 shall be fat, but not too fat. Too great riches 
 might make me as unwieldy as corpulent persons 
 usually are, and cause me the dyspepsia of worldli- 
 ness, and perhaps bring on a fatty degeneration of 
 the heart. No, if I am fat enough to be healthy, I 
 may well be satisfied ; and if the Lord grants me a 
 competence, I may be thoroughly content. 
 
 But there is a mental and spiritual fatness which 
 I would greatly covet ; and these come as the 
 result of generous thoughts towards my God, his 
 church, and my fellow-men. Let me not stint, lest 
 I starve my heart. Let me be bountiful, and liberal ; 
 for so shall I be like my Lord. He gave himself 
 for me : shall I grudge him anything ? 
 
lo JFaitlj's Cfjeqiie Baoft. Jam. io. 
 
 *^ He that tvatereth shall be watered also himself." 
 
 Prov. xi. 215. 
 
 IF I carefully consider others, God will consider 
 me ; and in some way or other he will recom- 
 pense me. Let me consider the poor, and the Lord 
 will consider me. Let me look after little children, 
 and the Lord will treat me as his child. Let me 
 feed his flock, and he will feed me. Let me water 
 his garden, and he will make a watered garden of 
 my soul. This is the Lord's own promise ; be it 
 mine to fulfil the condition, and then to expect 
 its fulfilment. 
 
 I may care about myself till I grow morbid ; I 
 may watch over my own feelings till I feel nothing; 
 and I may lament my own weakness till I grow 
 almost too weak to lament. It will be far more 
 profitable for me to become unselfish, and out of 
 love to my Lord Jesus begin to care for the souls 
 of those around me. My tank is getting very low ; 
 no fresh rain comes to fill it ; what shall I do .'' I 
 will pull up the plug, and let its contents run out 
 to water the withering plants around me. What 
 do I see ? My cistern seems to fill as it flows. A 
 secret spring is at work. While all was stagnant, 
 the fresh spring was sealed ; but as my stock flows 
 out to water others the Lord thinketh upon me. 
 Hallelujah I 
 
Jan. If. i/attlj*g Cljcquc Dooft. II 
 
 '^Afid it shall cpnie to pass, when I bring a cloud over 
 the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud." 
 Gen. ix. 14- 
 
 JUST now clouds are plentiful enough, but we 
 are not aiVaid that the world will be destroyed 
 by a deluge. We see the rainbow often enough to 
 prevent our having any such fears. The covenant 
 which the Lord made with Noah stands fast, and 
 we have no doubts about it. Why, then, should 
 we think that the clouds of trouble, which now 
 darken our sky, will end in our destruction ? Let 
 us dismiss such groundless and dishonouring fears. 
 Faith always sees the bow of covenant promise 
 whenever sense sees the cloud of affliction. God 
 has a bow with which he might shoot out his 
 arrows of destruction ; but see ! it is turned up- 
 ward. It is a bow without an arrow or a string ; 
 it is a bow hung out for show, no longer used for war. 
 It is a bow of many colours, expressing joy ani 
 delight, and not a bow blood-red with slaughtei; 
 or black with anger. Let us be of good courage. 
 Never does God so darken our sky as to leave his 
 covenant without a witness ; and even if he did, 
 we would trust him, since he cannot change, or lie, 
 or in any other way fail to keep his covenant of 
 peace. Until the waters go over the earth again, 
 we shall have no reason for doubting our God. 
 
la Jaitfi's (Cljrque Book. Jan 12. 
 
 *^ For the Lord tcill not cast off for ever." — Lament, iii. 31. 
 
 HE may cast away for a season, but not for ever, 
 A woman may leave off her ornaments for 
 a few days, but she will not forget them, nor throw 
 them upon the dunghill. It is not like the Lord to 
 cast off those whom he loves : for, " having loved 
 his own which were in the world, he loved them 
 unto the end." Some talk of our being in grace 
 and out of it, as if we were like rabbits that run in 
 and out of their burrows : but, indeed, it is not so. 
 The Lord's love is a far more serious and abiding 
 matter than this. 
 
 He chose us from eternity, and he will love us 
 throughout eternity. He loved us so as to die for 
 us, and we may therefore be sure that his love will 
 never die. His honour is so wrapt up in the salva- 
 tion of the believer, that he can no more cast him 
 off than he can cast off his own robes of office 
 as King of glory. No, no ! The Lord Jesus, as a 
 Head, never casts off his members ; as a Husband, 
 he never casts off his bride. 
 
 Did you think you were cast off? Why did you 
 think so evil of the Lord who has betrothed you to 
 himself? Cast off such thoughts, and never let 
 them lodge in your soul again. " The Lord hath 
 not cast away his people which he foreknew " 
 (Rom. xi. 2). "Hehateth putting away" (Mai. ii. 16). 
 
Jaw. 13. iFaitlj'a €[)rq«r 33ooIt. 13 
 
 '^ JJi/n that comith to me I will in no wise cast out.^' 
 John vi. 37. 
 
 IS there any instance of our Lord's casting out a 
 coming one ? If there be so, we would h'ke to 
 know of it; but there has been none, and there never 
 will be. Among the lost souls in hell there is not 
 one that can say, " I went to Jesus, and he refused 
 me." It is not possible that you or I should be the 
 first to whom Jesus shall break his word. Let us 
 not entertain so dark a suspicion. 
 
 Suppose we go to Jesus now ab:)ut the evils of 
 to-day. Of this we may be sure — he will not refuse 
 us audience, or cast us out. Those of us who 
 have often been, and those who have never gone 
 before — let us go together, and we shall see that 
 he will not shut the door of his grace in the face 
 of any one of us. 
 
 "This man receiveth sinners," but he repulses none. 
 We come to him in weakness and sin, with trem- 
 bling faith, and small knowledge, and slender 
 hope ; but he does not cast us out. We come by 
 prayer, and that prayer broken ; with confession, 
 and that confession faulty ; with praise, and tha^ 
 praise far short of his merits ; but yet he receives us. 
 We come diseased, polluted, worn out, and worth- 
 less ; but he doth in no wise cast us out. Let us 
 come again to-day to him who never casts us out 
 
14 Jai'tf)'3 Cf)eque tjooh Jan. 14. 
 
 " Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden^ 
 and I will give you rest."— Matt. xi. 28. 
 
 WE who are saved find rest in Jesus. Those 
 who are not saved will receive rest if they 
 come to him, for here he promises to " give " it. 
 Nothing can be freer than a gift ; let us gladly 
 accept what he gladly gives. You are not to buy 
 it, nor to borrow it ; but to receive it as a gift. You 
 labour under the lash of ambition, covetousness, 
 lust, or anxiety : he will set you free from this iron 
 bondage, and give you rest. You are " laden " — 
 yes, " heavy laden " with sin, fear, care, remorse, 
 fear of death ; but if you come to him, he will 
 unload you. He carried the crushing mass of our 
 sin, that we might no longer carry it. He made 
 himself the great Burden-bearer, that every heavy 
 laden one might cease from bowing down under 
 the enormous pressure. 
 
 Jesus gives rest. It is so. Will you believe it? 
 Will you put it to the test? W^ill you do so at 
 once .'' Come to Jesus, by quitting every other 
 hope, by thinking of him, believing God's testi- 
 mony about him, and trusting everything with him. 
 If you thus come to him, the rest which he will 
 give you will be deep, safe, holy, and everlasting. 
 He gives a rest which develops into heaven, and he 
 gives it this day to all who come to him. 
 
Jan. IS- jFaitb's CfjequE Book. 15 
 
 "For the needy shall not alway be forgotten : the 
 expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever." — rs. ix. 18. 
 
 POVERTY is a hard heritage ; but those who 
 trust in the Lord are made rich by faith. 
 They know that they are not forgotten of God ; 
 and though it may seem that they are overlooked 
 in his providential distribution of good things, they 
 look for a time when all this shall be righted. 
 Lazarus will not always lie among the dogs at 
 the rich man's gate, but he will have his recom- 
 pense in Abraham's bosom. 
 
 Even now the Lord remembers his poor but 
 precious sons. " I am poor and needy ; yet the 
 Lord thinketh upon me," said one of old ; and it 
 is even so. The godly poor have great expecta- 
 tions. They expect the Lord to provide them all 
 things necessary for this life and godliness ; they 
 expect to see all things working for their good ; 
 they expect to have all the closer fellowship with 
 their Lord, who had not where to lay his head ; 
 they expect his Second Advent, and to share its 
 glory. This expectation cannot perish, for it is 
 laid up in Christ Jesus, who liveth for ever ; and 
 because he lives, it shall live also. The poor saint 
 singeth many a song which the rich sinner cannot 
 understand. Wherefore, let us, when we ha\e short 
 commons below, think of the royal table above. 
 
1 6 iFattf)'s CIjfquE Book. Jan. i6. 
 
 ''^ And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on 
 the name of the Lord shall be delivered." — joel ii. 32. 
 
 XT 7HY do I not call on his name? Why do 
 V V I run to this neighbour and that, when 
 God is so near and will bear my faintest call ? 
 Why do I sit down, and devise schemes, and in- 
 vent plans? Why not at once roll myself and 
 my burden upon the Lord ? Straightforward is 
 the best runner — why do I not run at once to 
 the living God? In vain shall I look for deliver- 
 ance anywhere else ; but with God I shall find 
 it ; for here I have his royal SHALL to make it 
 sure. 
 
 I need not ask whether I may call on him or not, 
 for that word " Whosoever " is a very wide and 
 comprehensive one. Whosoever means me, for it 
 means anybody and everybody who calls upon God. 
 I will therefore follow the leading of the text, and 
 at once call upon the glorious Lord who has made 
 so large a promise. 
 
 My case is urgent, and I do not see how I am to 
 be delivered ; but this is no business of mine. He 
 who makes the promise will find out ways and 
 means of keeping it. It is mine to obey his com- 
 mands ; it is not mine to direct his counsels. I 
 am his servant, not his solicitor. I call upon hini, 
 and he will deliver me. 
 
Jan. 17. iFailb'iS cirque Book. 17 
 
 **And he said, Certainly I will be with thee." — Ex. iii. 12. 
 
 OF course, if the Lord sent Moses on an errand, 
 he would not let him go alone. The 
 tremendous risk which it would involve, and the 
 great power it would require, would render it 
 ridiculous for God to send a poor lone Hebrew to 
 confront the mightiest king in all the world, and 
 then leave him to himself. It could not be imagined 
 that a wise God would match poor Moses with 
 Pharaoh and the enormous forces of Egypt. Hence 
 he says, " Certainly I will be with thee," as if it 
 were out of the question that he would send him 
 alone. 
 
 In my case, also, the same rule will hold good. 
 If I go upon the Lord's errand, with a simple 
 reliance upon his power, and a single eye to his 
 glory, it is certain that he will be with me. His 
 sending me binds him to back me up. Is not this 
 enough? What more can I want? If all the 
 angels and archangels were with me, I might fail ; 
 but if HE is with me, I must succeed. Only let 
 me take care that I act worthily towards this pro- 
 mise. Let me not go timidly, half-heartedly, care- 
 lessly, presumptuously. What manner of person 
 ought he to be who has God with him ! In such 
 company it behovcth me to play the man, and like 
 Moses go in unto Pharaoh without fear. 
 
i8 iFaitlj's (!L\itc[\.\z Bcoft. Jan. i8. 
 
 " When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he 
 shall see his seed." — Isa. liii. lo. 
 
 OUR Lord Jesus has not died in vain. His 
 death was sacrificial : he died as our sub- 
 stitute, because death was the penalty of our sins ; 
 and because his substitution was accepted of God, 
 he has saved those for whom he made his soul a 
 sacrifice. By death he became like the corn of 
 wheat which bringeth forth much fruit. There must 
 be a succession of children unto Jesus ; he is, "the 
 Father of the everlasting age." He shall say, "Behold, 
 I and the children whom thou hast given me." 
 
 A man is honoured in his sons, and Jesus hatii 
 his quiver full of these arrows of the mighty. A man 
 is represented in his children, and so is the Christ 
 in Christians. In his seed a man's life seems to 
 be prolonged and extended ; and so is the life of 
 Jesus continued in believers. 
 
 Jesus lives, for he sees his seed. He fixes his eye 
 on us, he delights in us, he recognizes us as the 
 fruit of his soul travail. Let us be glad that our 
 Lord does not fail to enjoy the result of his dread 
 sacrifice, and that he will never cease to feast his 
 eyes upon the harvest of his death. Those eyes 
 which once wept for us, are now viewing us with 
 pleasure. Yes, he looks upon those who are looking 
 unto him. Our eyes meet ! What a j Dy is this 1 
 
Jan, 19. Jnitlj'g CijfquE ISook. 19 
 
 '■'' Jf thou shalt confess 7vith thy mouth the Lofd Jesus, 
 and shalt bdiive in thine heart that God hath raised him 
 from the dead, thou shali be saved." — Rom. x. 9. 
 
 THERE must be confession with the mouth. 
 Have I made it ? Have I openly avowed 
 my faith in Jesus as the Saviour whom God has 
 raised from the dead, and have I done it in God's 
 way? Let me honestly answer this question. 
 
 There must also be belief with the heart. Do I 
 sincerely believe in the risen Lord Jesus ? Do I 
 trust in Him as my sole hope of salvation ? Is this 
 trust from my heart ? Let me answer as before 
 God. 
 
 If I can trul)'' claim that I have both confessed 
 Christ and believed in him, then / am saved. The 
 text does not say it may be so, but it is plain as 
 a pikestaff, and clear as the sun in the heavens : 
 " Thou shalt be saved." As a believer and a con- 
 fessor, I may lay my hand on this promise, and 
 plead it before the Lord God at this moment, and 
 throughout life, and in the hour of death, and at 
 the day of judgment. 
 
 I must be saved from the guilt of sin, the power 
 of sin, the punishment of sin, and ultimately from 
 the very being of sin. God hath said it — " Thou 
 shalt be saved." I believe it. I shall be saved : I 
 am saved. Glory be to God for ever and ever 1 
 
20 jFaitij'g Cf)£quE Book. Jan. 2a 
 
 " To him that overcomelh will I give to eat of the tree of 
 life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God" — Rev. ii. 7. 
 
 NO man may turn his back in the day of battle, 
 or refuse to go to the holy war. We must 
 fight if we would reign, and we must carry on the 
 warfare till we overcome every enemy, or else this 
 promise is not for us, since it is only for " him 
 that overcometh." We are to overcome the false 
 prophets who have come into the world, and all 
 the evils which accompany their teaching. We 
 are to overcome our own faintness of heart, and 
 tendency to decline from our first love. Read 
 the whole of the Spirit's word to the church at 
 Ephesus. 
 
 If by grace we win the day, as we shall if we truly 
 follow our conquering Leader, then we shall be 
 admitted to the very centre of the paradise of God, 
 and shall be permitted to pass by the cherub and 
 his flaming sword, and come to that guarded tree, 
 whereof if a man eat, he shall live for ever. We 
 shall thus escape that endless death which is the 
 doom of sin, and gain that everlasting life which is 
 the seal of innocence, the outgrowth of immortal 
 principles of God-like holiness. Come, my heart, 
 pluck up courage ! To flee the conflict will be to 
 lose the joys of the new and better Eden; to fight 
 unto victory is to walk with God in Paradise. 
 
Jan. 21. jFaitlj's Cfjcqiic Bjoft. ax 
 
 " The Egyptians shall kno7V that I am the Z^r^."— Ex. vii. 5. 
 
 THE ungodly world is hard to teach. Egypt 
 docs not know Jehovah, and therefore dares 
 to set up its idols, and even ventures to ask — " Who 
 is the Lord?" Yet the Lord means to break proud 
 hearts, whether they will or not. When his judg- 
 ments thunder ov-er their heads, darken their skies, 
 destroy their harvests, and sla}'' their sons, they 
 begin to discern somewhat of Jehovah's power. 
 There will yet be such things done in the earth 
 as shall bring sceptics to their knees. Let us not 
 be dismayed because of their blasphemies, for the 
 Lord can take care of his own name, and he will 
 do so in a very effectual manner. 
 
 The salvation of his own people was another 
 potent means of making Egypt know that the 
 God of Israel was Jehovah, the living and true 
 God. No Israelite died by any one of the len 
 plagues. None of the chosen seed were drowned 
 in the Red Sea. Even so, the salvation of the 
 elect, and the sure glorification of all true believers, 
 will make the most obstinate of God's enemies 
 acknowledge that Jehovah he is the God. 
 
 Oh, that his convincing power would go forth 
 by his Holy Spirit in the preaching of the gospel, 
 till all nations shall bow at the name of Jesus, and 
 call him Lord ! 
 
22 Jai'tf)'s Cfjrque Booft. Jan. 22. 
 
 ^''Blessed is he that const dereih the poor : the Lord will 
 deliver him in tii?ie of trouble.'' —V?,. xli. 1. 
 
 TO think about the poor and let them lie on 
 our hearts is a Christian man's duty ; for 
 Jesus put them with us and near us when he said, 
 •' The poor ye have always with you." 
 
 Many give their money to the poor in a hurry, 
 without thought ; and many more give nothing at 
 all. This precious promise belongs to those who 
 *^ consider'" the poor, look into their case, devise 
 plans for their benefit, and considerately carry 
 them out. We can do more by care than by cash, 
 and most with the two together. To those who 
 consider the poor the Lord promises his own con- 
 sideration in times of distress. He will bring us 
 out of trouble if we help others when they are 
 in trouble. We shall receive very singular pro- 
 vidential help if the Lord sees that we try to 
 provide for others. We shall have a time of 
 trouble, however generous we may be; but if we 
 are charitable, we may put in a claim for peculiar 
 deliverance, and the Lord will not deny his own 
 word and bond. Miserly curmudgeons may help 
 themselves, but considerate and generous believers 
 the Lord will help. As you have done unto 
 others, so will the Lord do unto you. Empty your 
 pockets. 
 
Jan. 23. JFaitlj's Cljcque Doolt. 23 
 
 *'And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt 
 offering ; and it shall be accepted for him to make atone- 
 men t for him." — Lev. i. 4. 
 
 IF by that laying on of his hand the bullock 
 became the offerer's sacrifice, how much more 
 shall Jesus become ours by the laying on of the 
 hand of faith ? 
 
 " My faith doth lay her hand 
 On that dear head of thine, 
 While like a penitent I stand, 
 And there confess my sin." 
 
 If a bullock could be accepted for him to make 
 atonement for him, how much more shall the Lord 
 Jesus be our full and all-sufficient propitiation } 
 Some quarrel with the great truth of substitution ; 
 but as for us, it is our hope, our joy, our boast, 
 our all. Jesus is accepted for us to make atone- 
 ment for us, and we are " accepted in the Beloved." 
 
 Let the reader take care at once to lay his hand 
 on the Lord's completed sacrifice, that by accepting 
 it he may obtain the benefit of it. If he has done so 
 once, let him do it again. If he has never done so, 
 let him put out his hand without a moment's delay. 
 Jesus is yours now if you will have him. Lean on 
 him ; lean hard on him ; and he is yours beyond 
 all question ; you are reconciled to God, your sins 
 are blotted out, and you are the Lord's. 
 
24 JFaitlj's (ITficque tSoofe. jan. 24. 
 
 ^'He will keep the feet of his sainis." — i Sam. ii. 9. 
 
 THE way is slippery, and our feet are feeble, 
 but the Lord will keep our feet. If we 
 give ourselves up by obedient faith to be his holy 
 ones, he will himself be our guardian. Not only 
 will he charge his angels to keep us, but he him- 
 self will preserve our goings. 
 
 He will keep our feet from falling, so that we 
 do not defile our garments, wound our souls, and 
 cause the enemy to blaspheme. 
 
 He will keep our feet from wandering, so that 
 we do not go into paths of error, or ways of folly, 
 or courses of the world's custom. 
 
 He will keep our feet from swelling through 
 weariness, or blistering because of the roughness 
 and length of the way. 
 
 He will keep our feet from wounding : our shoes 
 shall be iron and brass, so that even though we 
 tread on the edge of the sword, or on deadly 
 serpents, we shall not bleed, or be poisoned. 
 
 He will also pluck our feet out of the net. We 
 shall not be entangled by the deceit of our malicious 
 and crafty foes. 
 
 With such a promise as this, let us run without 
 weariness, and walk without fear. He who keeps 
 our feet will do it effectually. 
 
]as. 25. jfaiti[)'s Cfjcquc Ijoolt. 25 
 
 '^He Icoketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, 
 and perverled that 7vhich was right, and it profited vie fiot ; 
 he will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life 
 shall see the lights — job xxxiii. 27, 28. 
 
 THIS is a word of truth, gathered from the 
 experience of a man of Goc^, .and it is tanta- 
 mount to a promise. What the Lord has done, and 
 is doing, he will continue to do while the world 
 standeth. The Lord will receive into his bosom all 
 who come to him with a sincere confession of their 
 sin ; in fact, he is always on the look-out to discover 
 any that are in trouble because of their faults. 
 
 Can we not endorse the language here used ? 
 Have we not sinned, sinned personally so as to say, 
 " I have sinned" ? Sinned wilfully, having perverted 
 that w^ich is right ? Sinned so as to discover that 
 there is no profit in it, but an eternal loss ? Let us, 
 then, go to God with this honest acknowledgment. 
 He asks no more. We can do no less. 
 
 Let us plead his promise in the name of Jesus. 
 He will deliver us from the pit of hell which yawns 
 for us ; he will grant us life and light. Why should 
 we despair ? Why should we even doubt ? The 
 Lord does not mock humble souls. He means what 
 he says. The guilty can be forgiven. Those who 
 deserve execution can receive free pardon. Lord, 
 we confess, and we pray thee to forgive ! 
 
26 Jaill)'3 Cljfqnc Boolt. Jan. 26. 
 
 '^Sur.ly there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is 
 there any divination against Israel!' — Num. xxiii. 23. 
 
 HOW this should cut up root and branch all 
 silly, superstitious fears ! Even if there were 
 any truth in witchcraft and omens, they could not 
 affect the people of the Lord. Those whom God 
 blesses devils cannot curse. 
 
 Ungodly men, like Balaam, may cunningly plot 
 the overthrow of the Lord's Israel ; but with all their 
 secrecy and policy they are doomed to fail. Their 
 powder is damp, the edge of their sword is blunted. 
 They gather together ; but as the Lord is not with 
 them, they gather together in vain. We may sit 
 still, and let them weave their nets, for we shall not 
 be taken in them.. Though they call in the aid of 
 Beelzebub, and employ all his serpentine craft, it will 
 avail them nothing : the spells will not work, the 
 divination will deceive them. What a blessing this 
 is ! How it quiets the heart ! God's Jacobs wrestle 
 with God, but none shall wrestle with them and 
 prevail. God's Israels have power with God and 
 prevail, but none shall have power to prevail against 
 them. We need not fear the fiend himself, nor any 
 of those secret enemies whose words are full of 
 deceit, and whose plans are deep and unfathomable. 
 They cannot hurt those who trust in the living God. 
 We defy tks devil and all his legions. 
 
Jan. 27. JFaillj's €[):que 53ooIt. ay 
 
 '^Aiiii i/icre shall ye remo/iber your ways, and all your 
 doings, wherein ye have been di filed ; ond ye shall loathe 
 yourselves in yotir own sight for all your evils that ye have 
 conuni'ted." — Ez. xx. 43. 
 
 \ T 7HEN we are accepted of the Lord, and are 
 V V standing in the place of favour, and peace, 
 and safety, then we are led to repent of all our 
 failures and miscarriages towards our gracious God. 
 So precious is repentance, that we may call it a 
 diamond of the first svater, and this is sweetly pro- 
 mised to the people of God as one most sanctifying 
 result of salvation. He who accepts repentance, also 
 gives repentance ; and he gives it not out of " the 
 bitter box," but from among those " wafers made 
 with honey" on which he feeds his people. A sense 
 of blood-bought pardon and of undeserved mercy, 
 is the best means of dissolving a heart of stone. 
 Are we feeling hard "i Let us think of covenant 
 love, and then we shall leave sin, lament sin, and 
 loathe sin ; yea, we shall loathe ourselves for sin- 
 ning against such infinite love. Let us come to 
 God with this promise of penitence, and ask him 
 to help us to remember, and repent, and regret, 
 and return. Oh, that we could enjoy the meltings 
 of holy sorrow 1 What a relief would a flood of 
 tears be ! Lord, smite the rock, or speak to the 
 rock, and cause the waters to flow! 
 
23 Jaitb's (Cljcquc 33joIt. Jan. 28. 
 
 ^ And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." 
 Rev. xxi. 4. 
 
 "\/ES, we shall come to this if we are believers. 
 X Sorrow shall cease, and tears shall be wiped 
 away. This is the world of weeping, but it passes 
 away. There shall be a new heaven, and a new 
 earth, so says the first verse of this chapter ; and 
 therefore there will be nothing to weep over con- 
 cerning the fall and its consequent miseries. Read 
 the second verse, and note how it speaks of the 
 bride and her marriage. The Lamb's wedding is 
 a time for boundless pleasure, and tears would be 
 out of place. The third verse says that God him- 
 self will dwell among men ; and surely at his right 
 hand there are pleasures for evermore, and tears 
 can no longer flow. 
 
 What will our state be when there will be no 
 more sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any 
 more pain ? This will be more glorious than we 
 can as yet imagine. O eyes that are red with weep- 
 ing, cease your scalding flow, for In a little while 
 ye shall know no more tears ! None can wipe 
 tears away like the God of love, but he is coming 
 to do it. "Weeping may endure for a night, but 
 joy cometh in the morning." Come, Lord, and 
 tarry not ; for now both men and women must 
 weep 1 
 
Jan. 29. Jai'tlj's Cljcquc IBooit. 29 
 
 " Obseive and hear all these words which I covima7id 
 thee, that it may go well xvith thee, and ivith thy children 
 after t 'ice for ci'er, when thou doest that which is good and 
 right in the sight oj the Lord thy God.'" — Dcut. xii. 28. 
 
 THOUGH salvation is not by the works of the 
 law, yet the blessings which are promised to 
 obedience arc not denied to the faithful servants of 
 God. The curses our Lord took away when he 
 was made a curse for us, but no clause of blessing 
 has been abrogated. 
 
 We are to note and listen to the revealed will of 
 the Lord, giving our attention not to portions of 
 it, but to "all these words." There must be no 
 picking and choosing, but an impartial respect to 
 all that God has commanded. This is the road of 
 blessedness for the father and for his children. The 
 Lord's blessing is upon his chosen to the third and 
 fourth generation. If they walk uprightly before 
 him, he will make all men know that they are a 
 seed which the Lord has blessed. 
 
 No blessing can come to us or ours through dis- 
 honesty or double dealing. The ways of worldly 
 conformity and unholiness cannot bring good to 
 us or ours. It will go well with us when we go well 
 before God. If integrity does not make us prosper, 
 knavery will not. That which gives pleasure to 
 God will bring pleasure to us. 
 
$0 ij^aillj'g C[)cqut Dooh. Jan. 30. 
 
 "A>id, iehold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all 
 places wJiither thou goest." — Gen. xxviii. 15. 
 
 DO we need journeying mercies? Here are 
 choice ones — God's presence and preserv^a- 
 tion. In all places we need both of these, and in 
 all places we shall have them if we go at the call 
 of duty, and not merely according to our own 
 fancy. Why should we look upon removal to 
 another country as a sorrowful necessity when it 
 is laid upon us by the divine will ? In all lands 
 the believer is equally a pilgrim and a stranger ; 
 and yet in every region the Lord is his dwelling- 
 place, even as he has been to his saints in all 
 generations. We may miss the protection of an 
 earthly monarch, but when God says, " I will 
 keep thee," we are in no real danger. This is 
 a blessed passport for a traveller, and a heavenly 
 escort for an emigrant. 
 
 Jacob had never left his father's room before : he 
 had been a mother's boy, and not an adventurer like 
 his brother. Yet he went abroad, and God went with 
 him. He had little luggage, and no attendants ; 
 yet no prince ever journeyed with a nobler body- 
 guard. Even while he slept in the open field, 
 angels watched over him, and the Lord God spoke 
 to him. If the Lord bids us go, let us say with 
 our Lord Jesus, "Arise, let us go hence." 
 
Jan. 3t. J;aillJ*3 €f)rquc 13aoIi. 31 
 
 " J/k God will hear me.'* — Micah vii. 7. 
 
 FRIENDS may be unfaithful, but the Lord will 
 not turn away from the gracious soul ; on 
 the contrary, he will hear all its desires. The pro- 
 phet says, " Keep the doors of thy mouth from 
 her that lieth in thy bosom. A man's enemies are 
 the men of his own house." This is a wretched 
 state of affairs ; but even in such a case the Best 
 Friend remains true, and we may tell him all our 
 grief. 
 
 Our wisdom is to look unto the Lord, and not to 
 quarrel with men or women. If our loving appeals 
 are disregarded by our own relatives, let us wait 
 upon the God of our salvation, for he will hear us. 
 He will hear us all the more because of the unkind- 
 ness and oppression of others, and we shall soon 
 have reason to cry, " Rejoice not against me, O 
 mine enemy I" 
 
 Because God is the living God, he can hear ; be- 
 cause he is a loving God, he will hear ; because 
 he is our covenant God, he has bound himself to 
 hear us. If we can each one speak of him as 
 "My God," we may with absolute certainty say, 
 " My God will hear me." Come, then, O bleeding 
 heart, and let thy sorrows tell themselves out to 
 the Lord thy God! I will bow the knee in secret, 
 and inwardly whisper, " My God will hear me," 
 
32 J^aillj's CIjcqiiE Cooft. i-f.b. i. 
 
 ^'■But ufito you that fear my name shall the Sun of 
 righteousness arise with healing i?i his rcings." — Mai. iv. 2. 
 
 FULFILLED once in the first advent of our 
 glorious Lord, and yet to have a fuller 
 accomplishment in his second advent, this gracious 
 word is also for daily use. Is it dark with the 
 reader? Does the night deepen into a denser 
 blackness? Still let us not despair: the sun will yet 
 rise. When the night is darkest, dawn is nearest. 
 
 The sun which will arise is of no common sort. It 
 is THE sun — the Sun of Righteousness, whose every 
 ray is holiness. He who comes to cheer us, comes 
 in the wa)' of justice as well as of mercy, comes 
 to violate no law even to save us. Jesus as much dis- 
 plays the holiness of God as his love. Our deliver- 
 ance, when it comes, will be safe because righteous. 
 
 Our one point of inquiry should be — " Do we 
 fear the name of the Lord ? Do we reverence the 
 Hving God, and walk in his ways ? " Then for us 
 the night must be short ; and when the morning 
 cometh, all the sickness and sorrow of our soul will 
 be over for ever. I-ight, warmth, joy, and clear- 
 ness of vision will come, and healing of every 
 disease and distress will follow after. 
 
 Has Jesus risen upon us ? Let us sit in the sun. 
 Has he hidden his face? Let us wait for his rising. 
 He will shine forth as surely as tlie surL 
 
Feb. a. Jait^'g Cfjfqite 13aoIt, 33 
 
 ^'A/id ye sJiall go forth, and grow up as calves oj the 
 stall." — Mai. iv. 2. 
 
 YES, when the sun shines, the sick quit their 
 chambers, and walk abroad to breathe the 
 fresh air. When the sun brings spring and summer 
 the cattle quit their stalls, and seek pasture on the 
 higher Alps. Even thus, when we have conscious 
 fellowship with our Lord, we leave the stall of de- 
 spondency, and walk abroad in the fields of holy- 
 confidence. We ascend to the mountains- of joy, 
 and feed on sweet pasturage which grows nearer 
 heaven than the provender of carnal men. 
 
 To " go forth" and to "grow up" is a double 
 promise. O my soul, be thou eager to enjoy both 
 blessings! Why shouldst thou be a prisoner? Arise, 
 and walk at liberty. Jesus saith that his sheep 
 shall go in and out and find pasture ; go forth, then, 
 and feed in the rich meadows of boundless love. 
 
 Why remain a babe in grace ? Grow up. Young 
 calves grow fast, especially if they arc stall-fed ; and 
 thou hast the choice care of thy Redeemer. Grow, 
 then, in grace, and in the knowledge of thy Lord 
 and Saviour. V>q neither straitened nor stunted. 
 The Sun of Righteousness has risen upon thee. 
 Answer to his beams, as the buds to the natural 
 sun. Open thine heart, expand and grow up into 
 him in all things. 
 
SI iFaftTj'g G[)cquc Daolt. Feb. 3. 
 
 '■'■Re that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up 
 for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all 
 
 things 1 " — Rom. viii. 32. 
 
 IF this is not a promise in form, it is in fact. 
 Indeed, it is more than one promise, it is a 
 confrlomerate of promises. It is a mass of rubies, 
 and emeralds, and diamonds, with a nugget of gold 
 for their setting. It is a question which can never 
 be answered so as to cause us any anxiety of heart. 
 What can the Lord deny us after giving us Jesus ? 
 If we need all things in heaven and earth, he will 
 grant them to us : for if there had been a limit any- 
 where, he would have kept back his own Son. 
 
 What do I want to-day? I have only to ask for 
 it. I may seek earnestly, but not as if I had to use 
 pressure, and extort an unwilling gift from the 
 Lord's hand ; for he will give freely. Of his own 
 will, he gave us his own Son. Certainly no one 
 would have proposed such a gift to him. No one 
 would have ventured to ask for it. It would have 
 been too presumptuous. He freely gave his Only- 
 begotten ; and, O m.y soul, canst thou not trust 
 tny heavenly Father to give thee anything, to 
 give thee everything? Thy poor prayer would 
 have no force with Omnipotence if force were 
 needed ; but his love, like a spring, rises of itself, 
 and overflows for the supply of all thy needs. 
 
Feb. 4. Jaitlj's Gljcque Ijjolt. 35 
 
 *'/ 7f':7/ not leave you comfortless : I will come to you'' 
 John xiv. 18. 
 
 IT E left US, and yet \vc arc not left orphans. He 
 J. is our comfort, and he is gone; but we are 
 not comfortless. Our comfort is that he will come 
 to us, and this is consolation enough to sustain us 
 through his prolonged absence, Jesus is already on 
 his way : he says, " I come quickly " : he rides post- 
 haste towards us. He says, "I will come": and 
 none can prevent his coming, or put it back for a 
 quarter of an hour. He specially says, " I will 
 come to yon "; and so he will. His coming is 
 specially to and for his own people. This is meant 
 to be their present comfort while they mourn that 
 the Bridegroom doth not yet appear. 
 
 When we lose the joyful sense of his presence 
 we mourn ; but we may not sorrow as if there 
 were no hope. Our Lord in a little wrath has hid 
 himself from us for a moment ; but he will return 
 in full favour. He leaves us in a sense, but only in 
 a sense. When he withdraws, he leaves a pledge 
 behind that he will return. O Lord, come quickly ! 
 There is no life in this earthly existence if thou be 
 gone. We sigh for the return of thy sweet smile. 
 When wilt thou come unto us .-• We are sure thou 
 wilt appear; but be thou like a roe, or a young 
 hai-t Make no tarrying, O our God 1 
 
36 Jaitiys Cljcque ISaoIt. Feb. 5. 
 
 ^'IVhen I see the blood, I will pass over you.'' — Ex. xii. 13. 
 
 MY own sight of the precious blood is for my 
 comfort ; but it is the Lord's sight of it 
 which secures my safety. Even when I am unable 
 to behold it, the Lord looks at it, and passes over 
 me because of it. If I am not so much at ease as 
 I ought to be, because my faith is dim, yet I am 
 equally safe, because the Lord's eye is not dim, and 
 he sees the blood of the great Sacrifice with steady 
 gaze. What a joy is this ! 
 
 The Lord sees the deep inner meaning, the infinite 
 fulness of all that is meant by the death of his dear 
 Son. He sees it with restful memory of justice 
 satisfied, and all his matchless attributes glorified. 
 He beheld creation in its progress, and said, " It is 
 very good " ; but what does he say of redemption 
 in its completeness ? What does he say of the 
 obedience even unto death of his Well-beloved 
 Son ? None can tell his delight in Jesus, his 
 rest in the sweet savour which Jesus presented 
 Vv^hen he offered himself without spot unto God. 
 
 Now rest we in calm security. We have God's 
 Sacrifice and God's Word to create in us a sense of 
 perfect security. He will, he must, pass over us, 
 because he spared not our glorious Substitute. 
 Justice joins hands with love to provide everlasting 
 salvation for all the blood-besprinklcd ones. 
 
Fpb. fi. ilfaitlj'a €f)cque 13ooIt, 37 
 
 "^ ///^« j/w// hearken unfo the voice of the Lord thy 
 God, blessed shalt thou be in the city.'" — Deut. xxviii. 2, 3. 
 
 THE city is full of care, and he who has to go 
 there from day to day finds it to be a place 
 of great wear and tear. It is full of noise, and stir, 
 and bustle, and sore travail : many are its tempta- 
 tions, losses, and worries. But to go there with 
 the divine blessing takes off the edge of its 
 difficulty ; to remain there with that blessing is to 
 find pleasure in its duties, and strength equal to its 
 demands. 
 
 A blessing in the city may not make us great, 
 but it will keep us good ; it may not make us rich, 
 but it will preserve us honest. Whether we are 
 porters, or clerks, or managers, or merchants, or 
 magistrates, the city will afford us opportunities for 
 usefulness. It is good fishing where there are 
 shoals of fish, and it is hopeful to work for our 
 Lord amid the thronging crowds. We might 
 prefer the quiet of a country life ; but if called to 
 town, we may certainly prefer it because there is 
 room for our energies. 
 
 To-day let us expect good things because of this 
 promise, and let our care be to have an open ear to 
 the voice of the Lord, and a ready hand to execute 
 his bidding. Obedience brings the blessing. " In 
 keeping his commandments there is great reward." 
 
$9 jTaitlj's Cljcque Booh. Feb. 7. 
 
 "If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up.''* 
 
 Job xxii. 23. 
 
 ELIPHAZ, in this utterance, spoke a great 
 truth, which is the summary of many an 
 inspired Scripture. Reader, has sin pulled you 
 down ? Have you become like a ruin ? Has the 
 hand of the Lord gone out against you, so that in 
 estate you are impoverished, and in spirit you are 
 broken down ? Was it your own folly which 
 brought upon you all this dilapidation .-* Then the 
 first thing to be done is to return to the Lord. 
 With deep repentance and sincere faith find your 
 way back from your backsliding. It is your duty, 
 for you have turned away from him whom you 
 professed to serve. It is your wisdom, for you 
 cannot strive against him and prosper. It is your 
 immediate necessity, for what he has done is 
 nothing compared to what he may do in the way 
 of chastisement, since he is Almighty to punish. 
 
 See what a promise invites you ! You shall be 
 "built up." None but the Almighty can set up 
 the fallen pillars, and restore the tottering walls of 
 your condition ; but he can and he will do it if you 
 return to him. Do not delay. Your crushed mind 
 may quite fail you if you go on to rebel ; but 
 hearty confession will ease you, and humble faith 
 will console you. Do this, and all will be well. 
 
Feb. 8. iJraitlj's Cljfque tSfloTt. 39 
 
 "/ will uphold t/ue with the ri^lit hand of my ri^ht- 
 eousnessT — Isa. xli. 10. 
 
 FEAR of falling is wholesome. To be venture- 
 some is no sign of wisdom. Times come 
 to us when we feel that we must go down unless 
 we have very special support. Here we have it. 
 God's right hand is a grand thing to lean upon. 
 Mind, it is not only his hand, though it kccpcth 
 heaven and earth in their places, but his ri'^lit 
 hand : his power united with skill, his power where 
 it is most dexterous. Nay, this is not all, it is 
 written, " I will uphold thee with the right hand uf 
 my righteousness!'' That hand which he uses to 
 maintain his holiness, and to execute his royal 
 sentences — this shall be stretched out to hold up 
 his trusting ones. Fearful is our danger, but joyful 
 is our security. The man whom God upholds, 
 devils cannot throw down. 
 
 Weak may be our feet, but almighty is God's 
 right hand. Rough may be the road, but Omni- 
 potence is our upholding. We may boldly go 
 forward. We shall not fall. Let us lean continually 
 where all things lean. God will not withdraw his 
 strength, for his righteousness is there as well : he 
 will be faithful to his promise, and faithful to his 
 Son, and therefore faithful to us. How happy we 
 ought to be I Are we not so ? 
 
40 iFai'tlj's Cheque Book. Feb. 9. 
 
 ^^ And I will brill g the third part through the fire^ and 
 will refine them as silver is refined, and will try thrm as 
 gold is tried : they shall call on my name, and I will hear 
 iliem : I will say, It is my people : atid they shall say, The 
 Lord is my God." — Zech. xiii. 9. 
 
 G'' RACE transmutes us into precious metal, 
 r and then the fire and the furnace follow 
 as a necessary consequence. Do we start at this ? 
 Would we sooner be accounted worthless, that 
 we might enjoy repose, like the stones of the field ? 
 This would be to choose the viler part : like Esau, 
 to take the pottage, and give up the covenant por- 
 tion. No, Lord; we will gladly be cast into the 
 furnace rather than be cast out from thy presence ! 
 
 The fire only refines, it does not destroy. We 
 are to be brought through the fire, not left in it. 
 The Lord values his people as silver, and therefore 
 he is at pains to purge away their dross. If we are 
 wise, we shall rather welcome the refining process 
 than decline it. Our prayer will be that our alloy 
 may be taken from us rather than that we should 
 be withdrawn from the crucible. 
 
 O Lord, thou triest us indeed ! We are ready to 
 melt under the fierceness of the flame. Still, this 
 is thy way, and thy way is the best. Sustain us 
 under the trial, and complete the process of our 
 purif^'ing, and we will be thine for ever and ever. 
 
Feb. io. i/ai't]^'a CTj^fquc Boolt. 41 
 
 "For thou shalt be his witness unto all 7nen of what 
 thou hast seen and heard. ^^ — Acts xxii. 15. 
 
 PAUL was chosen to see and hear the Lord 
 speaking to him out of heaven. This divine 
 election was a high privilege for himself; but it was 
 not intended to end with him, it was meant to have 
 an influence upon others ; yea, upon all men. It 
 is to Paul that Europe owes the gospel at this hour. 
 
 It is ours in our measure to be witnesses of that 
 which the Lord has revealed to us, and it is at 
 our peril that we hide the precious revelation. 
 First, we must see and hear, or we shall have 
 nothing to tell ; but when we have done so, we 
 must be eager to bear our testimony. It must be 
 personal : " Thou shalt be." It must be for Christ : 
 " Thou shalt be Ids witness." It must be constant 
 and all absorbing; we are to be this above all other 
 things, and to the exclusion of many other matters. 
 Our witness must not be to a select few who will 
 cheerfully receive us ; but to " all men " — to all 
 whom we can reach, young or old, rich or poor, 
 good or bad. We must never be silent like those 
 who are possessed by a dumb spirit ; for the text 
 before us is a command, and a promise, and we 
 must not miss it — " Thou shalt be his witness!!* 
 "Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord." 
 
 Lord, fulfil this word to me also I 
 
43 ijCi'Vj's C'lrquc Djolt. Feb. n. 
 
 '■'• I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blcssinj:^ 
 upoJi thine offspring."— Isa. xliv. 3. 
 
 OUR clear children have not the Spirit of God 
 by nature, as we plainly see. We see much 
 in them which makes us fear as to their future, and 
 this drives us to agonizing prayer. When a son 
 becomes specially perverse, we cry with Abraham, 
 " Oh, that Ishmael might live before thee ! " We 
 would sooner see our daughters Hannahs than 
 empresses. This verse should greatly encourage 
 us. It follows upon the words, "Fear not, O Jacob, 
 my servant," and it may well banish our fears. 
 
 The Lord will give his Spirit; will give it plenti- 
 fully, pouring it out; will give it effectually, so that 
 it shall be a real and eternal blessing. Under this 
 divine outpouring our children shall come forward, 
 and "one shall say, I am the Lord's; and another 
 shall call himself by the name of Jacob." 
 
 This is one of those promises concerning which 
 the Lord will be enquired of. Should we not, at 
 set tim.es, in a distinct manner, pray for our off- 
 spring? We cannot give them new hearts, but 
 the Holy Spirit can ; and he is easily to be en- 
 treated of. The great Father takes pleasure in the 
 prayers of fathers and mothers. Have we any dear 
 ones outside of the ark } Let us not rest till they 
 are shut in with us by the Lord's own hand. 
 
Feb. iz i)^aitiy3 Cljrqiic tJaoft. 43 
 
 ''''And ilie Lord said uiito Ahram, after that Lot Teas 
 separated from him. Lift up now tJiine eyes, and lOi k from 
 ilie place u<here thou art nortiiward, and southicard, and east- 
 ward, and xvestward: for all the land wliich thou seest, to 
 thee will L give it, audio thy seed for everT — Gen. xiii. 14, 15. 
 
 A SPECIAL blessing for a memorable occasion. 
 Abram had settled a family dispute. He had 
 said, " Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between 
 thee and me, for we be brethren " ; and hence he 
 received the blessing which belongs to peace- 
 makers. The Lord and giver of peace delights 
 to manifest his grace to those who seek peace and 
 pursue it. If we desire closer communion with 
 God, we must keep closer to the ways of peace. 
 
 Abram had behaved very generously to his kins- 
 man, giving him his choice of the land. If we deny 
 ourselves for peace sake, the Lord will more than 
 make it up to us. As far as the patriarch can see, 
 he can claim, and we may do the like by faith. 
 Abram had to wait for the actual possession, but 
 the Lord entailed the land upon him and his 
 posterity. Boundless blessings belong to us by 
 covenant gift. All things are ours. When v/e 
 please the Lord, he makes us to look everywhere, 
 and see all things our own, whether things present, 
 or things to come, all are ours, and we are Christ's, 
 and Christ is God's, 
 
44 jFaitlj's Cfjcque lj;oIt. Tib. 13. 
 
 "Ji/essed shalt thou be in the field.''' — Deut. xxviii. 3. 
 
 SO was Isaac blessed when he walked therein 
 at eventide to meditate. How often has the 
 Lord met us when we have been alone ! The 
 hedges and the trees can bear witness to our joy. 
 We look for such blessedness again. 
 
 So was Boaz blessed when he reaped his harvest, 
 and his workmen met him with benedictions. May 
 the Lord prosper all who drive the plough ! Every 
 farmer may urge this promise with God, if indeed 
 he obeys the voice of the Lord God. 
 
 We go to the field to labour as father Adam 
 did ; and since the curse fell on the soil through 
 the sin of Adam the first, it is a great comfort to 
 find a blessing through Adam the second. 
 
 We go to the field for exercise, and we are 
 happy in the belief that the Lord will bless that 
 exercise, and give us health, which we will use to 
 his glory. 
 
 We go to the field to study nature, and there 
 is nothing in a knowledge of the visible creation 
 which may not be sanctified to the highest uses 
 by the divine benediction. 
 
 We have at last to go to the field to bury our 
 dead ; yea, others will in their turn take us to God's 
 acre in the field : but we are blessed, whether 
 weeping at the tomb, or sleeping in it. 
 
Feb, 14. Jfaitlj'g Cljrqii? 13jcTt. 45 
 
 •*//(? that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him 
 about" — ps. xxxii. 10. 
 
 OFAIR reward of trust ! My Lord, grant 
 it mc to the full ! The truster above all 
 men feels himself to be a sinner ; and lo, mercy 
 is prepared for him : he knows himself to have 
 no deservings, but mercy comes in, and keeps 
 house for him on a liberal scale. O Lord, give 
 me this mercy, even as I trust in thee 1 
 
 Observe, my soul, what a body-guard thou hast ! 
 As a prince is compassed about with soldiery, 
 so art thou compassed about with mercy. Before 
 and behind, and on all sides, ride these mounted 
 guards of grace. We dwell in the centre of the 
 system of mercy, for we dwell in Christ Jesus. 
 
 O my soul, what an atmosphere dost thou breathe! 
 As the air surrounds thee, even so docs the mercy of 
 thy Lord. To the wicked there are many sorrows, 
 but to thee there are so many mercies that thy 
 sorrows are not worth mentioning. David says, 
 " Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous ; 
 and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart." 
 In obedience to this precept my heart shall triumph 
 in God, and I will tell out my gladness. As thou 
 hast compassed me with mercy, I will also compass 
 thine altars, O my God, with songs of thanks- 
 giving ! 
 
4* Sfai['^'& Cljfqiie ^oalu Feb. 15. 
 
 *' T,'ie Lord hath been mindful of us : he will bless us." 
 
 Ps. CXV. 12. 
 
 I CAN set my seal to that first sentence. Cannot 
 }'ou ? Yes, Jehovah has thought of us, pro- 
 vided for us, comforted us, deHvered us, and guided 
 us. In all the movements of his providence he has 
 been mindful of us, never overlooking our mean 
 affairs. His mind has been full of us — that is the 
 other form of the word "mindful." This has been 
 the case all along, and without a single break. At 
 special times, however, we have more distinctly seen 
 this mindfulness, and we would recall them at this 
 hour with overflowing gratitude. Yes, yes, " the 
 Lord hath been mindful of us." 
 
 The next sentence is a logical inference from the 
 former one. Since God is unchangeable, he will 
 continue to be mindful of us in the future as he has 
 been in the past ; and his mindfulness is tantamount 
 to blessing us. But we have here, not only the 
 conclusion of reason but the declaration of inspira- 
 tion : we have it on the Holy Ghost's authority — • 
 "He will bless us." This means great things 
 and unsearchable. The very indistinctness of the 
 promise indicates its infinite reach. He will bless 
 us after his own divine manner, and that for ever 
 and ever. Therefore, let us each say, "Bless the 
 Lord, O my soul I " 
 
Feb. x6. irailfj's (Cfjfquc Uook. 47 
 
 " / 7('i7/ not execute the fierceness of fnine a tiger ^ I will 
 not return to destroy Epliraini : for I am Go J, and not 
 vian." — iios. xi. 9- 
 
 THE Lord thus makes known his sparing 
 mercies. It may be that the reader is now 
 under heavy displeasure, and everything threatens 
 his speedy doom. Let the text hold him up from 
 despair. The Lord now invites you to consider 
 your ways, and confess your sins. If he had 
 been man, .he would long ago have cut you off. 
 If he were now to act after the manner of men, it 
 would be a word and a blow, and then there would 
 be an end of you : but it is not so, for "as high as the 
 heavens are above the earth, so high are his ways 
 above your ways." 
 
 You rightly judge that he is angry, but he 
 keepeth not his anger forever: if you turn from sin to 
 Jesus, God will turn from wrath. Because God is 
 God, and not man, there is still forgiveness for you, 
 even though you may be steeped up to your throat 
 in iniquity. You have a God to deal with, and not a 
 hard man, nor even a merely just man. No human 
 being could have patience with you : you would 
 have wearied out an angel, as you have wearied 
 your sorrowing father ; but God is longsufiering. 
 Come and try him at once. Confess, believe, and 
 turn from your evil way, and you shall be saved. 
 
48 i^aiti^'s Ojfqne tSooIt. Feb. 17. 
 
 ''''Be ye strong therefore^ aitd let not your hands be 
 weak: for your work shall be retimrded." — 2 Chron. xv. 7, 
 
 GOD had done great things for King Asa and 
 Judah, but yet they were a feeble folk. 
 Their feet were very tottering in the ways of the 
 Lord, and their hearts very hesitating, so that they 
 had to be warned that the Lord would be with 
 them while they were with him, but that if they 
 forsook him he would leave them. They were 
 also reminded of the sister kingdom, how ill it 
 fared in its rebellion, and how the Lord was 
 gracious to it when repentance was shown. The 
 Lord's design was to confirm them in his way, 
 and make them strong in righteousness. So ought 
 it to be with us. God deserves to be served with 
 all the energy of which we are capable. 
 
 If the service of God is worth anything, it is 
 worth everything. We shall find our best reward 
 in the Lord's work if we do it with determined 
 diligence. Our labour is not in vain in the Lord, 
 and we know it. Half-hearted work will bring no 
 reward ; but, when we throw our whole soul into 
 the cause, we shall see prosperity. This text was 
 sent to the author of these notes in a day of 
 terrible storm, and it suggested to him to put on 
 all steam, with the assurance of reaching port in 
 safety with a glorious freight 
 
Ff.r. iS. JFaitf)'s Cfjrquc BooTt. 49 
 
 '■'■He 7s.'ill fulfil the desire of them that fear him : he 
 also ivill hear their cry, and will save thciii." — Ps. cxlv. 19. 
 
 HIS own Spirit has wrought this desire in us, 
 and therefore he will answer it. It is his 
 own life within which prompts the cry, and therefore 
 he will hear it. Those who fear him are men under 
 the holiest influence, and, therefore, their desire 
 is to [glorify God, and enjoy him for ever. Like 
 Daniel, they are men of desires, and the Lord will 
 cause them to realize their aspirations. 
 
 Holy desires are grace in the blade, and the 
 heavenly Husbandman will cultivate them till they 
 come to the full corn in the ear. God-fearing men 
 desire to be holy, to be useful, to be a blessing to 
 others, and so to honour their Lord. They desire 
 supplies for their need, help under burdens, guidance 
 in perplexity, deliverance in distress; and sometimes 
 this desire is so strong, and their case so pressing, 
 that they cry out in agony, like little children in 
 pain, and then the Lord works most comprehen- 
 sively, and does all that is needful, according to this 
 word — " and will save them," 
 
 Yes, if we fear God, we have nothing else to 
 fear ; if we cry to the Lord, our salvation is certain. 
 
 Let the reader lay this text on his tongue, and 
 keep it in his mouth all the day, and it will be to 
 him as "a wafer made with honey." 
 
 4 
 
5© iFaillj's Gl)fquc BooTt. Fer. 19. 
 
 ^^ Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more." 
 Nahum i. 12. 
 
 THERE is a limit to affliction. God sends it, 
 and God removes it. Do you sigh, and say, 
 " When will the end be ? " Remember that our 
 griefs will surely and fnally end when this poor 
 earthly life is over. Let us quietly wait, and 
 patiently endure the will of the Lord till he cometh. 
 
 Meanwhile, our Father in heaven takes away the 
 rod when his design in using it is fully served. 
 When he has whipped away our folly, there will 
 be no more strokes. Or, if the affliction is sent for 
 testing us, that our graces may glorify God, it 
 will end when the Lord has made us bear witness 
 to his praise. We would not wish the affliction to 
 depart till God has gotten out of us all the honour 
 which we can possibly yield him. 
 
 There may to-day be "a great calm." Who knows 
 how soon thoje raging billows will give place to a 
 sea of glass, and the sea birds sit on the gentle waves? 
 After long tribulation the flail is hung up, and the 
 wheat rests in the garner. We ma}^ before many 
 hours are past,be just as happy as now we are sorrow- 
 ful. It is not hard for the Lord to turn night into 
 day. He that sends the clouds can as easily clear 
 the skies. Let us be of good cheer. It is better 
 on before. Let us sing Hallelujah by anticipation. 
 
Feb. 20. Jaitlj'g ^Ijcquc Boolt. 51 
 
 "77/^ Lord shall guide thee coiiii/iual/y." — isa. Iviii. 11. 
 
 WJ HAT ailcth thee ? Hast thou lost thy way ? 
 V V Art thou entangled in a dark wood, and 
 canst thou not find thy paths? Stand still, and 
 sec the salvation of God. He knows the way, and 
 he will direct thee in it if thou cry unto him. 
 
 Every day brings its own perplexity. How sweet 
 to feel that the guidance of the Lord is continual ! 
 If we choose our own way, or consult with flesh and 
 blood, we cast off the Lord's guidance ; but if we 
 abstain from self-will, then he will direct every step 
 of our road, every hour of the day, and every 
 day of the year, and every year of our life. If we 
 will but be guided, we shall be guided. If we will 
 commit our way unto the Lord, he will direct our 
 course so that we shall not lose ourselves. 
 
 But note to whom this promise is made. Read 
 the previous verse: "If thou draw out thy soul to 
 the hungry." We must feel for others, and give 
 them, not a {&\v dry crusts, but such things as we 
 ourselves would wish to receive. If we show a 
 tender care for our fellow-creatures in the hour of 
 their need, then will the Lord attend to our neces- 
 sities, and make himself our continual Guide. Jesus 
 is the Leader, not of misers, nor of those who oppress 
 the poor, but of the kind and tender-hearted. Such 
 persons are pilgrims, who shall never miss their w .y. 
 
52 iFaft^'s Cljcque 33oaIt. Feb. 21. 
 
 '■'•He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and 
 great." — Ps. cxv. 13. 
 
 THIS is a word of cheer to those who are of 
 humble station and mean estate. Our God 
 has a very gracious consideration for those of small 
 property, small talent, small influence, small weight. 
 God careth for the small things in creation, and 
 even regards sparrows in their lighting upon the 
 ground. Nothing is small to God, for he makes 
 use of insignificant agents for the accomplishment 
 of his purposes. Let the least among men seek of 
 God a blessing upon his littleness, and he shall find 
 his contracted sphere to be a happy one. 
 
 Among those who fear the Lord there are little 
 and great. Some are babes, and others are giants. 
 But these are all blessed. Little faith is blessed 
 faith. Trembling hope is blessed hope. Every 
 <yrace of the Holy Spirit, even though it be only 
 in the bud, bears a blessing within it. Moreover, 
 the Lord Jesus bought both the small and the 
 great with the same precious blood, and he has 
 engaged to preserve the lambs as well as the full- 
 grown sheep. No mother overlooks her child 
 because it is little ; nay, the smaller it is, the more 
 tenderly does she nurse it. If there be any prefer- 
 ence with the Lord, he does not arrange them as 
 ** great and small," but as " small and great" 
 
Feb 22. JFaftfj'fl (irijfquE Booh. 53 
 
 '■^David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out 
 of the paw of the lion, and out of the paio of the bear, he 
 will deliver me out of the hand of this Pnilislinc." 
 I Sam. xvii. 37, 
 
 '"T^HIS is not a promise if we consider only the 
 -L words, but it is truly so as to its sense ; for 
 David spoke a word which the Lord endorsed by 
 makin<j it true. He argued from past dcHverances 
 that he should receive help in a new danger. In 
 Jesus all the promises are Yea and Amen to the 
 glory of God by us, and so the Lord's former 
 dealings with his believing people will be repeated. 
 Come, then, let us recall the Lord's former 
 loving-kindnesses. We could not have hoped to 
 be delivered aforetime by our own strength ; yet 
 the Lord delivered us. Will he not again save us? 
 We are sure he will. As David ran to meet his 
 foe, so will we. The Lord has been with us, he is 
 with us, and he has said, "I will never leave thee, 
 nor forsake thee." Why do we tremble ? Was the 
 past a dream? Think of the dead bear and lion. 
 Who is this Philistine ? True, he is not quite the 
 same, and is neither bear nor lion ; but then God 
 is the same, and his honour is as much concerned 
 in the one case as in the other. He did not save 
 us from the beasts of the forest to let a giant kill 
 us. Let us be of good courage. 
 
54 iFaitlj'g Cfjfqne 15:ok. Feb. 23. 
 
 " If ye abide in me, and my tvords abide in you, ye 
 shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done tinto you,'^ 
 John XV. 7. 
 
 OF ncccss'ty we must be in Christ to live 
 unto him, and we must abide in him to 
 be able to claim the largesse of this promise from 
 him. To abide in Jesus is never to quit him for 
 another love, or another object, but to remain in 
 living, loving, conscious, willing union with him. 
 The branch is not only ever near the stem, but 
 ever receiving life and fruitfulness from it. All 
 true believers abide in Christ in a sense ; but there 
 is a higher meaning, and this we must know before 
 we can gain unlimited power at the throne. "Ask 
 what ye will" is for Enochs who w*lk with God, for 
 Johns who lie in the Lord's bosom, for those whose 
 union with Christ leads to constant communion. 
 
 The heart must remain in love, the mind must 
 be rooted in faith, the hope must be cemented to 
 the Word, the whole man must be joined unto 
 the Lord, or else it would be dangerous to trust 
 us with power in prayer. The carte blanche can 
 only be given to one whose very life is, " Not I, 
 but Christ liveth in me." O you who break your 
 fellowship, what power you lose ! If you would 
 be mighty in your pleadings, the Lord himself 
 must abide in you, and you in him. 
 
Feb. 24. iFaitI)'s Cljrquc Ijjolt. 55 
 
 "//■ ye abide in >ne, and my words abide in you, ye 
 shall ask 20/iat ye it ill, and it shall be done iinio you." 
 
 Juliii XV. 7. 
 
 NOTE well, that we must hear Jesus speak if 
 we expect him to hear us speak. If we 
 have no ear for Christ, he will have no ear for 
 us. In proportion as we hear we shall be heard. 
 
 Moreover, what is heard must remain, must live 
 in u.<;, and must abide in our character as a force 
 and a power. We must receive the truths which 
 Jesus taught, the precepts which he issued, and the 
 movements of his Spirit within us ; or we shall have 
 no power at the mercy-seat. 
 
 Suppose our Lord's words to be received, and to 
 abide in us, what a boundless field of privilege is 
 opened up to us ! We are to have our will in 
 prayer, because we have already surrendered our 
 will to the Lord's command. Thus are Elijahs 
 trained to handle the keys of heaven, and lock or 
 loose the clouds. One such man is worth a thou- 
 sand common Christians. Do we humbly desire 
 to be intercessors for the church and the world, 
 and like Luther to be able to have what we will 
 of the Lord ? Then we must bow our ear to the 
 voice of the Well-beloved, and treasure up his 
 words, and carefully obey them. He had need 
 "hearken diligently" who would pray effectually. 
 
56 i)Fait!)'0 C^equE Baoft. Feb. 25 
 
 " Ve shall be fiamed the pries fs of /he Lord.'' — Isa. Ixi. 6. 
 
 THIS literal promise to Israel belongs spiritually 
 to the seed after the Spirit, namely, to all 
 believers. If we live up to our privileges, we shall 
 live unto God so clearly and distinctly, that men 
 shall see that we are set apart for holy service, and 
 shall name us the priests of the Lord. We may 
 work, or trade, as others do, and yet we may be 
 solely and wholly the ministering servants of God. 
 Our one occupation shall be to present the per- 
 petual sacrifice of prayer, and praise, and testimony, 
 and self-consecration, to the living God by Jesus 
 Christ. 
 
 This being our one aim, we may leave distracting 
 concerns to those who have no higher calling. 
 " Let the dead bury their dead." It is written, 
 " Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and 
 the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and 
 your vine-dressers." They may manage politics, 
 puzzle out financial problems, discuss science, and 
 settle the last new quibbles of criticism ; but we 
 will give ourselves unto such service as becomes 
 those who, like the Lord Jesus, are ordained to a 
 perpetual priesthood. 
 
 Accepting this honourable promise as involving 
 a sacred duty, let us put on the vestments of holi- 
 ness, and minister before the Lord all day long. 
 
Feb. 26. Jaitlj'g (Cljfqut 33aoft. 57 
 
 "77/^ lip of truth shall be established for ei'er : but a 
 lying tongue is but for a viomotty — Piov. xii. 19. 
 
 TRUTH wears well. Time tests it, but it right 
 well endures the trial. If, then, I have 
 spoken the truth, and have for the present to suffer 
 for it, I must be content to wait. If also I believe 
 the truth of God, and endeavour to declare it, I may 
 meet with much opposition, but I need not fear, for 
 ultimately the truth must prevail. . 
 
 What a poor thing is the temporary triumph of 
 falsehood ! " A lying lip is but for a moment " ! It 
 is a mere gourd, which comes up in a night, and 
 perishes in a night; and the greater its development 
 the more manifest its decay. On the other hand, 
 how worthy of an immortal being is the avowal 
 and defence of that truth which can never change; 
 the everlasting gospel, which is established in the 
 immutable truth of an unchanging God ! An old 
 proverb saith, " He that speaks truth shames the 
 devil." Assuredly he that speaks the truth of God 
 will put to shame all the devils in hell, and con- 
 found all the seed of the serpent which now hiss 
 out their falsehoods. 
 
 O my heart, take care that thou be in all things 
 on the side of truth, both in small things and 
 great ; but, specially, on the side of him by whom 
 grace and truth have come amon^^ men I 
 
5^ iFaitlj's Cijrqiie U^cTt. Fct?. ?7. 
 
 "ZT^ shall not be afraid of evil tidings : his heart is 
 fixed, trusting in the LordT — Ps. cxii. 7. 
 
 SUSPENSE is dreadful. When wc have ro 
 news from home, we are apt to grow anxiou.s, 
 and we cannot be persuaded that "no news is good 
 news." Faith is the cure for this condition of sad- 
 ness : the Lord by his Spirit settles the mind in 
 holy serenity, and all fear is gone as to the future 
 as well as the present. 
 
 The fixedness of heart spoken of by the Psalmist 
 is to be diligently sought after. It is not believing 
 this or that promise of the Lord, but the general 
 condition of unstaggering trustfulness in our God, 
 the confidence which we have in him that he will 
 neither do us ill himself, nor suffer anyone else to 
 harm us. This constant confidence meets the un- 
 known as well as the known of life. Let the morrow 
 '36 what it may, our God is the God of to-morrow. 
 Whatever events may have happened which to us 
 are unknown, our Jehovah is God of the unknown 
 as well as of the known. We are determined 
 to trust the Lord, come vvhat may. If the very 
 worst should happen, our God is still the greatest 
 and best. Therefore will we not fear though the 
 postman's knock should startle us, or a telegram 
 wake us at midnight. The Lord liveth, and what 
 can his children fear? 
 
Feb. 2S. iFaitlj'g €f)iquc Booh. 59 
 
 ^'J\no7ciiig i'l yourselrts that ye have in heaven a belier 
 and an enJuriiig substance." — lleh. x. 34. 
 
 TH IS is well. Our substance here is very unsub- 
 stantial ; there is no substance in it. But 
 God has given us a promise of real estate in tlic 
 glory-land, and that promise comes to our hearts 
 uith such full assurance of its certaint}', that \vc 
 know in ourselves that we have an enduring sub- 
 stance there. Yes, " we have " it even now. They 
 say, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"; 
 but we have our bird in the bush and in the hand 
 too. Heaven is even now our own. We have the 
 title-deeds of it, we have the earnest of it, we have 
 the first-fruits of it. We have heaven in price, in 
 promise, and in principle : this we know not only 
 by the hearing of the ear, but " in ourselves." 
 
 Should not the thought of the better substance on 
 the other side of Jordan reconcile us to present 
 losses ? Our spending-money we may lose, but 
 our treasure is safe. We have lost the shadows, 
 but the substance remains, for our Saviour lives, 
 and the place which he has prepared for us abides. 
 There is a better land, a better substance, a better 
 promise ; and all this comes to us by a better 
 covenant ; wherefore, let us be in better spirits, and 
 say unto the Lord, "Every day will I bless thee; 
 and praise thy name for ever and ever." 
 
6o Jail^'s dtljfque Booh. Ffb. 29, 
 
 ^'Sun'/y goodness and mercy shall fallow me all the days 
 of my life" — Ps. xxiii. 6. 
 
 A DEVOUT poet sings— 
 
 " Lord, when thou 
 Futtest in my time a day, as thou dost now, 
 ■ Unknown in other years, grant, I entreat, 
 
 Such grace illume it, that whate'er its phase 
 It add to hohness, and lengthen praise ! " 
 
 This day comes but once in four years. Oh, that 
 we could win a fourfold blessing upon it ! Up till 
 now goodness and mercy, like two guards, have 
 followed us from day to day, bringing up the rear, 
 even as grace leads the van ; and as this out-of-the- 
 way day is one of the days of our life, the two 
 guardian angels will be with us to-day also. Good- 
 ness to supply our needs, and mercy to blot out our 
 sins — these twain shall attend our every step this 
 day, and every day till days shall be no more. 
 Wherefore, let us serve the Lord on this peculiar 
 day V, ich special consecration of heart, and sing 
 his praises with more zest and sweetness than ever. 
 Could we not to-day make an unusual offering 
 to the cause of God, or to the poor ? By inven- 
 tiveness of love let us make this twenty-ninth of 
 February a day to be remembered for ever. 
 
Maich I. iFaitlj'a Cfjrqut Boolt. 61 
 
 '^^Hear the ivord of the Lord, ye that tremble at his 7C'< rd ; 
 Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out /or uiy 
 name's sake, said. Let the Lord be glorijied: but he slw.U 
 af/>car to your Joy, and they shall be ashamed^— l,n. Ixvi. 5. 
 
 POSSIBLY this text may not apply to one in a 
 thousand of the readers of this little book of 
 promises ; but the Lord cheers that one in such 
 words as these. Let us pray for all such as are 
 cast out wrongfully from the society which they 
 love. INLay the Lord appear to their joy ! 
 
 The text applies to truly gracious men who 
 tremble at the word of the Lord. These were 
 hated of their brethren, and at length cast out 
 because of their fidelity and their holiness. This 
 must have been very bitter to them ; and all the 
 more so because their casting out was done in the 
 name of religion, and professedly with the view 
 of glorifying God. How much is done for the 
 devil in the name of God ! The use of the name 
 of Jehovah to add venom to the bite of the old 
 serpent is an instance of his subtilty. 
 
 The appearing of the Lord for them is the hope 
 of his persecuted people. He appears as the advo- 
 cate and defender of his elect ; and when he docs 
 so, it means a clear deliverance for the God-fearing 
 and shame for their oppressors. O Lord, fulfil this 
 word to those whom men arc deriding 1 
 
62 ifaitl/g (Cljcque Booft. March 2, 
 
 ''B'/f wJien thou doest alms, let not thy left haiid ktioia 
 ivliat ihy right liand dodh : that thifie alms may he in 
 si\re(: and thy Father 7vhich ieeth in secret himself shall 
 racard thee openly.'''' — Ma t. vi. 3, 4. 
 
 NO promise is made to those who give to the 
 poor to be seen of men. They have their 
 reward at once, and cannot expect to be paid twice. 
 
 Let us hide away our charity ; — yes, hide it even 
 from ourselves. Give so often and so much as a 
 matter of course, that you no more take note that 
 you have helped the p 03r than that you have eaten 
 your regular meals. Do your alms without even 
 whispering to yourself, "How generous I am!" Do 
 not thus attempt to reward yourself. Leave the 
 matter with God, who never fails to see, to record, 
 and to reward. Blessed is the man who is busy in 
 secret with his kindness : he finds a special joy in 
 his unknown benevolences. This is the bread, 
 which eaten by stealth, is sweeter than the banquets 
 of kings. How can I indulge myself to-day with 
 this delightful luxury? Let me have a real feast 
 of tenderness and flow of soul. 
 
 Here and hereafter the Lord, himself, will per- 
 sonally see to the rewarding of the secret giver of 
 alms. This will be in his own way and time ; 
 and he will choose the very best. How much 
 this promise means it will need eternity to reveal. 
 
MARcir 3. JFa.tlj's Cficquc Baolt. 63 
 
 ^^For t/iott wilt noi lenve my soul in hell ; ftrit/icr 7(.<ilt 
 thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." — r>. xvi. 10. 
 
 THIS word has its proper fulfilment in the Lord 
 Jesus; but it applies also, with a variation, 
 to all who are in him. Our soul shall not be left 
 in the separate state, and our body, though it 
 see corruption, shall rise again. The general mean- 
 ing, rather than the specific application, is that to 
 which we would call our readers' thoughts at this 
 particular time. 
 
 We may descend in spirit very low till we seem 
 to be plunged in the abyss of hell ; but we shall 
 not be left there. We may appear to be at death's 
 door in heart, and soul, and consciousness ; but we 
 cannot remain there. Our inward death as to joy 
 and hope may proceed very far ; but it cannot run 
 on to its full consqfluences, so as to reach the utter 
 corruption of black despair. We may go very low, 
 but not lower than the Lord permits ; we may 
 stay in the lowest dungeon of doubt for a while, 
 but we shall not perish there. The star of hope is 
 still in the sky when the night is blackest. The 
 Lord will not forget us and hand us over to the 
 enemy. Let us rest in hope. We have to deal 
 with one whose mercy endureth for ever. Surely, 
 out of death, and darkness, and despair we shall 
 yet arise to life, light, and liberty. 
 
64 jFattfj's Cfjeqiie ISooIt. March 4. 
 
 '"'Them that honour me I will honour." — i Sam. ii. 30, 
 
 DO I make the honour of God the great object 
 of my Hfe and the rule of my conduct ? If 
 so, he will honour me. I may for a while receive 
 no honour from man, but God will himself put 
 honour upon me in the most effectual manner. In 
 the end it will be found the surest way to honour 
 to be willing to be put to shame for conscience 
 sake. 
 
 Eli had not honoured the Lord by ruling his 
 household well, and his sons had not honoured the 
 Lord by behaviour worthy of their sacred office, 
 and therefore the Lord did not honour i/icui, but 
 took the high-priesthood out of their family, and 
 made young Samuel to be ruler in the land instead 
 of any of their line. If I would have my family 
 ennobled, I must honour the Lord in all things. 
 God may allow the wicked to win worldly honours; 
 but the dignity which he himself gives, even glory, 
 honour, and immortality, he reserves for those who 
 by holy obedience take care to honour him. 
 
 What can I do this day to honour the Lord ? 
 I will promote his glory by my spoken testimony, 
 and by my practical obedience. I will also honour 
 him with my substance, and by offering to him 
 some special service. Let me sit down and think 
 how I can honour him, since he will honour me. 
 
Marcu s- JFaillj'g C^fquc Baolt. 65 
 
 '■''He blcssdh the habitation of the Just." — Prov, iii. 33. 
 
 HE fears the Lord, and tlierefore he comes 
 under the divine protection even as to the 
 roof which covers himself and his family. His 
 home is an abode of love, a school of holy training, 
 and a place of heavenly light. In it there is a 
 family altar where the name of the Lord is daily 
 had in reverence. Therefore the Lord blesses his 
 habitation. It may be a humble cottage or a 
 lordly mansion ; but the Lord's blessing comes 
 because of the character of the inhabitant, and not 
 because of the size of the dwelling. 
 
 That house is most blest in which the master 
 and mistress are God-fearing people ; but a son or 
 daughter or even a servant may bring a blessing 
 on a whole household. The Lord often preserves, 
 prospers, and provides for a family for the sake of 
 one or two in it, who are "just" persons in his 
 esteem, because his grace has made them so. 
 Beloved, let us have Jesus for our constant guest, 
 even as the sisters of Bethany had, and then we 
 shall be blessed indeed. 
 
 Let us look to it that in all things we are just — 
 in our trade, in our judgment of others, in our 
 treatment of neighbours, and in our own personal 
 character. A just God cannot bless unjust trans- 
 actions. 
 
 5 
 
66 iJaillj's €!;rquc 15jclt. March 6. 
 
 "/« ^/ice the fatherless fiiideth merry T — Hosea xiv. 3. 
 
 THIS is an excellent reason for casting away 
 al! other confidences and relying upon the 
 Lord alone. When a child is left without its 
 natural protector, our God steps in and becomes 
 his guardian : so also when a man has lost every 
 object of dependence, he may cast himself upon 
 the living God and find in him all that he needs. 
 Orphans are cast upon the fatherhood of God, 
 and he provides for them. The writer of these 
 pages knows what it is to hang on the bare arm 
 of God, and he bears his willing witness that no 
 trust is so well warranted by facts, or so sure to 
 be rewarded by results, as trust in the invisible 
 but ever living God. 
 
 Some children who have fathers are not much 
 the better off because of them, but the fatherless 
 with God are rich. Better have God and no other 
 friend than all the patrons on the earth and no God. 
 To be bereaved of the creature is painful, but so 
 long as the Lord remains the fountain of mercy to 
 us, we are not truly orphaned. Let fatherless 
 children plead the gracious word for this morning, 
 and let all who have been bereaved of visible 
 support do the same. Lord, let me find mercy in 
 thee ! The more needy and helpless I am, the more 
 confidently do I appeal to thy loving heart. 
 
March 7. iFaillj's CTIjfquc 13joIt 67 
 
 ^' The Lord looseth i/ie priioners." — Ps. cxlvi. 7. 
 
 HE has done it. Remember Joseph, Israel in 
 Egypt, Manasseh, Jeremiah, Peter, and 
 many others. He can do it still. He breaks the 
 bars of brass with a word, and snaps the fetters of 
 iron witlr a look. He is doing it. In a thousand 
 places troubled ones are coming forth to light and 
 enlargement. Jesus still proclaims the opening of 
 the prison to them that are bound. At this 
 moment doors are flying back and fetters are drop- 
 ping to the ground. 
 
 He will delight to set you free, dear friend, if at 
 this time you are mourning because of sorrow, 
 doubt, and fear. It will be a joy to Jesus to give 
 you liberty. It will give him as great a pleasure 
 to loose you as it will be a pleasure to you to be 
 loosed. No, you have not to snap the iron band : 
 the Lord himself will do it. Only trust him, and he 
 will be your Emancipator. Believe in him in spite 
 of the stone walls, or the manacles of iron. Satan 
 cannot hold you, sin cannot enchain you, even 
 despair cannot bind you, if you will now believe 
 in the Lord Jesus, and in the freeness of his grace, 
 and in the fulness of his power to save. 
 
 Defy the enemy, and let the word now before 
 you be your song of deliverance: "Jehovah looseth 
 the prisoners." 
 
68 j)Fait|^'0 Ojrque 33aafe. March 8. 
 
 '"''Blessed shall he thy basket and thy stofe" — Deut. xxviii. 5. 
 
 OBEDIENCE brings a blessing on all the pro- 
 visions which our industry earns for us. 
 That which comes in and goes out at once, like 
 fruit in the basket which is for immediate use, 
 shall be blest ; and that which is laid by with us 
 for a longer season shall equally receive a blessing. 
 Perhaps ours is a hand-basket portion. We have 
 a little for breakfast, and a scanty bite for dinner 
 in a basket when we go out to our work in the 
 morning. This is well, for the blessing of God is 
 promised to the basket. If we live from hand to 
 mouth, getting each day's supply in the day, we 
 are as well off as Israel ; for when the Lord enter- 
 tained his favoured people he only gave them a 
 day's manna at a time. What more did they need ? 
 What more do we need ^ 
 
 But if we have a store, how much we need the 
 Lord to bless it ! For there is the care of getting, 
 the care of keeping, the care of managing, the care 
 of using ; and, unless the Lord bless it, these cares 
 will eat into our hearts, till our goods become our 
 gods, and our cares prove cankers. 
 
 O Lord, bless our substance. Enable us to use it 
 for thy glory. Help us to keep worldly things in 
 their proper places, and never may our savings 
 en langer the saving of our souls. 
 
March 9. jFail|)'0 Gljfqnc 13ooIt. 69 
 
 "And seek iJie peace of the city ivhithcr I have caused you 
 to be carried a'way captives, and pray unto Hie Lord for it : 
 for in the peace thereof sliall ye have peaceP — jer. xxix. 7. 
 
 THE principle involved in this text would 
 suggest to all of us who are the Lord's 
 strangers and foreigners that we should be desirous 
 to promote the peace and prosperity of the people 
 among whom we dwell. Specially should our 
 nation and our city be blest by our constant in- 
 tercession. An earnest prayer for Great Britain 
 and Ireland is well becoming in the mouth of 
 every English believer. 
 
 Eagerly let us pray for the great boon of peace, 
 both at home and abroad. If strife should cause 
 bloodshed in our streets, or if foreign battle should 
 slay our brave soldiers, we should all bewail the 
 calamity ; let us therefore pray for peace, and 
 diligently promote those principles by which the 
 classes at home and the races abroad may be bound 
 together in bonds of amity. 
 
 We ourselves are promised quiet in connection 
 with the peace of the nation, and this is most desir- 
 able ; for thus we can bring up our families in the 
 fear of the Lord, and also preach the gospel without 
 let or hindrance. To-day let us be much in pra)'er 
 for our country, confessing national sins, and asking 
 for national pardon and blessing, for Jesus' sake. 
 
70 ^aitiys Cnjrqiie Boolt. March io. 
 
 '•/ am come a light into tJie 7vorld, that whosoever 
 believeth on me should not abide in darkness." — John xii. 46. 
 
 THIS world is dark as midnight; Jesus has 
 come that by faith wc may have Hght, and 
 may no longer sit in the gloom which covers all 
 the rest of mankind. 
 
 Whosoever is a very wide term : it means you 
 and me. If we trust in Jesus we shall no more sit 
 in the dark shadow of death, but shall enter into 
 the warm light of a day which shall never end. 
 Why do we not come out into the light at once ? 
 
 A cloud may sometimes hover over us, but we 
 shall not abide in darkness if we believe in Jesus. 
 He has come to give us broad daylight. Shall he 
 come in vain ? If we have faith we have the 
 privilege of sunlight : let us enjoy it. From the 
 night of natural depravity, of ignorance, of doubt, 
 of despair, of sin, of dread, Jesus has co.me to set 
 us free ; and all believers shall know that he no 
 more comes in vain than the sun rises and fails to 
 scatter his heat and light. 
 
 Shake off thy depression, dear brother. Abide 
 not in the dark, but abide in the light. In Jesus is 
 thy hope, thy joy, thy heaven. Look to him, to 
 him only, and thou shalt rejoice as the birds 
 rejoice at sunrise, and as the angels rejoice before 
 the throne. 
 
March ii. iFaitlj's Cfjrquc Dao!t. 71 
 
 '''And ail this assembly shall know that the Lord sareth 
 not 7C'ith sword and spe ir : for the battle is the Lord's, and 
 he 7vill give you into our hands." — i Sam. xvii. 47. 
 
 LET this point be settled, that the battle is the 
 Lords, and we may be quite sure of the 
 victory, and of the victory in such a way as will 
 best of all display the power of God. The Lord is 
 too much forgotten by all men, yea, even by the 
 assemblies of Lsracl ; and when there is an oppor- 
 tunity to make men see that the Great First Cause 
 can achieve his purposes without the power of man, 
 it is a priceless occasion which should be well 
 employed. Even Lsrael looks too much to sword 
 and spear. It is a grand thing to have no sword in 
 the hand of David, and yet for David to know that 
 his God will overthrow a whole army of aliens. 
 
 If we are indeed contending for truth and right- 
 eousness, let us not tarry till we have talent, or 
 wealth, or any other form of visible power at our 
 disposal ; but with such stones as we find in the 
 brook, and with our own usual sling, let us run to 
 meet the enemy. If it were our own battle we 
 might not be confident ; but if we are standing up 
 for Jesus, and warring in his strength alone, who 
 can withstand us .? Without a trace of hesitancy 
 let us face the Philistines ; for the Lord of Hosts 
 is with us, and who can be against us? 
 
7« Jai'llj'2 (Cljrque Boolt. March 12 
 
 "And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going 
 out.'" — Deut. xxxiii. 18, 
 
 TH E blessings of the tribes are ours ; for we are 
 the true Israel who worship God in the spirit, 
 and have no confidence in the flesh. Zebulun is to 
 rejoice because Jehovah will bless his " going out " ; 
 we also see a promise for ourselves lying latent in 
 this benediction. When we go out we will look 
 out for occasions of joy. 
 
 We go out to travel, and the providence of God 
 is our convoy. We go out to emigrate, and the 
 Lord is with us both on land and sea. We go out 
 as missionaries, and Jesus saith, " Lo, I am with you 
 unto the end of the world." We go out day by day 
 to our labour, and we may do so with pleasure, for 
 God will be with us from morn till eve. 
 
 A fear sometimes creeps over us when starting, 
 for we know not what we may meet with ; but 
 this blessing may serve us right well as a word of 
 good cheer. As we pack up for moving, let us 
 put this verse into our travelling trunk ; let us 
 drop it into our hearts, and keep it there ; yea, let 
 us lay it on our tongue to make us sing. Let us 
 weigh anchor with a song, or jump into the carriage 
 with a psalm. Let us belong to the rejoicing tribe, 
 and in our every movement praise the Lord with 
 joyf il hearts. 
 
March 13. JattTj's Cfjrque Uoolt. 73 
 
 " Then said /, Ah, Lord God ! behold, I cannot speak : 
 
 for I am a child. But the Lord said unto me, Say not, 
 
 / a7n a child: for thou shalt go to all that / shall send 
 
 thee, and whatsoever / command thee thou shalt spcak^ 
 
 Jer. i. 6, 7. 
 
 JEREMIAH was young and felt a natural 
 shrinking when sent upon a great errand by 
 the Lord ; but he who sent him would not have 
 him say, "I am a child." What he was in himself 
 must not be mentioned, but lost in the considera- 
 tion that he was chosen to speak for God. He 
 had not to think out and invent a message, nor to 
 choose an audience : he was to speak what God 
 commanded, and speak where God sent him, and this 
 he would be enabled to do in strength not his own. 
 Is it not so with some young preacher, or teacher 
 who may read these lines ? God knows how young 
 you are, and how slender are your knowledge and 
 experience ; but if he chooses to send you, it is not 
 for you to shrink from the heavenly call, God will 
 magnify himself in your feebleness. If you were 
 as old as Methuselah, how much would your years 
 help you ? If you were as wise as Solomon, you 
 might be equally as wilful as he. Keep you to 
 your message and it will be your wisdom ; follow 
 your marching orders and they will be your dis- 
 cretion. 
 
74 JFaitI)'0 d^rquE Booh. March 14. 
 
 "As one whom his mother coinfortcth^ so will I comfort 
 ;w/."_Isa. Ixvi. 13. . 
 
 A MOTHER'S comfort I Ah, this is tenderness 
 itself. How she enters into her child's 
 grief! How she presses him to her bosom, and 
 tries to take all his sorrow into her own heart 1 
 He can tell her all, and she will sympathize as no- 
 body else can. Of all comforters the child loves 
 best his mother, and even full-grown men have 
 found it so. 
 
 Does Jehovah condescend to act the mother's 
 part? This is goodness indeed. We readily per- 
 ceive how he is a father ; but will he be as a mother 
 also ? Does not this invite us to holy familiarity, to 
 unreserved confidence, to sacred rest ? When God 
 himself becomes " the Comforter " no anguish can 
 long abide. Let us tell out our trouble, even 
 though sobs and sighs should become our readiest 
 utterance. He will not despise us for our tears ; 
 our mother did not. He will consider our weakness 
 as she did, and he will put away our faults, only in 
 a surer, safer way than our mother could dc. We 
 will not try to bear our grief alone : that would \>z 
 unkind to one so gentle and so kind. Let us begin 
 the day with our loving God, and wherefore should 
 we not finish it in the same company, since mothers 
 weary not of their children ? 
 
March 15. iFaitf)'s Cljfquc Boolt. 75 
 
 '■'■ Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God ; Al/hou'^h I 
 have cai,t thein far off among the heathen, and alihoiii:;h I 
 have scattered them among the countries, yet ivill I be 
 to thevi as a little sanctuary in the countries where they 
 shall come" — Ezck. xi. 16. 
 
 BANISHED from the public means of grace, we 
 are not removed from the grace of the means. 
 The Lord who places his people where they feel as 
 exiles will himself be with them, and be to them all 
 that they could have had at home, in the place of 
 their solemn assemblies. Take this to yourselves, 
 O ye who are called to wander ! 
 
 God is to his people a place of refuge. They 
 find sanctuary with him from every adversary. He 
 is their place of ivors/iip too. He is with them as 
 with Jacob when he slept in the open field, and 
 rising, said, " Surely God was in this place." To 
 them also he will be a sanctuary of quiet, like the 
 Holy of Holies, which was the noiseless abode of 
 the Eternal. They shall be quiet from fear of evil. 
 
 God himself, in Christ Jesus, is the sanctuary of 
 mercy. The ark of the covenant is the Lord Jesus, 
 and Aaron's rod, the pot of manna, the tables of 
 the law, all are in Christ our sanctuary. In God 
 we find the shrine of Jiolincss and of cojiwiunioii. 
 What more do we need ? O Lord, fulfil this pro- 
 mise, and be ever to us as a little sanctuary ! 
 
76 jFaitb's €\)tqi\t Booh. March i6. 
 
 "T/iose ihi/igs, 7C'hich ye have both /earned, and received, 
 and heard, and seen in me, do : and the God of peace shall 
 be with your — Phil. iv. 9. 
 
 IT is well when a man can with advantage be so 
 minutely copied as Paul might have been. Oh, 
 for grace to imitate him this day and every day! 
 
 Should we, through divine grace, carry into 
 practice the Pauline teaching, we may claim the 
 promise which is now open before us ; and what 
 a promise it is ! God, who loves peace, makes peace, 
 and breathes peace, will be with us. " Peace be 
 with you " is a sweet benediction ; but for the God 
 of peace to be with us is far more. Thus we have 
 the fountain as well as the streams, the sun as well 
 as his beams. If the God of peace be with us, we 
 shall enjoy the peace of God which passeth all 
 understanding, even though outward circumstances 
 should threaten to disturb. If men quarrel, we 
 shall be sure to be peace-makers, if the Maker 
 of peace be with us. 
 
 It is in the way of truth that real peace is found. 
 If we quit the faith or leave the path of righteous- 
 ness under the notion of promoting peace, we shall 
 be greatly mistaken. First pure, then peaceable, is 
 the order of wisdom and of fact. Let us keep to 
 Paul's line, and we shall have the God of peace 
 with us as he was with the apostle. 
 
Mapcii 17. JFaillj's Cljrquc Book. 77 
 
 '''Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to 
 deliver thee, sait/i the Lord." — Jor. i. 8. 
 
 WHENEVER fear comes in and makes U3 
 falter, we are in danj^er of falling into sin. 
 Conceit is to be dreaded, but so is cowardice. 
 " Dare to be a Daniel." Our great Captain should 
 be served by brave soldiers. 
 
 What a reason for bravery is here. God is with 
 those who are with him. God will never be away 
 when the hour of struggle comes. Do they threaten 
 you .'' Who are you that you should be afraid of 
 a man that shall die? Will you lose your situa- 
 tion ? Your God whom you serve will find bread 
 and water for his servants. Can you not trust 
 him ? Do they pour ridicule upon you ? Will this 
 break your bones or your heart? Bear it for 
 Christ's sake, and even rejoice because of it. 
 
 God is with the true, the just, the holy, to deliver 
 them ; and he will deliver you. Remember how 
 Daniel came out of the lions' den, and the three 
 holy children out of the furnace. Yours is not so 
 desperate a case as theirs ; but if it were, the Lord 
 would bear you through, and make you more than 
 a conqueror. Fear to fear. Be afraid to be afraid. 
 Your worst enemy is within your own bosom. Get 
 to your knees and cry for help, and then rise up 
 saying, " I will trust, and not be afraid." 
 
78 iFait!)'0 Cfjcque Book. March iS. 
 
 *' The prayer of the upright is his delight." — Prov. xv. 8. 
 
 THIS is as good as a promise, for it declares a 
 present fact, which will be the same through- 
 out all ages. God takes great pleasure in the 
 prayers of upright men ; he even calls them his de- 
 light. Our first concern is to be upright. Neither 
 bending this way nor that, continue upright : not 
 crooked with policy, nor prostrate by yielding to 
 evil, be you upright in strict integrity and straight- 
 forwardness. If we begin to shuffle and shift, we 
 shall be left to shift for ourselves. If we try crooked 
 ways, we shall find that we cannot pray, and if we 
 pretend to do so, we shall find our prayers shut out 
 of heaven. 
 
 Are we acting in a straight line and thus follow- 
 ing out the Lord's revealed will? Then let us pray 
 much and pray in i'aith. If our prayer is God's 
 delight, let us not stint him in that which gives him 
 pleasure. He does not consider the grammar of it, 
 nor the metaphysics of it, nor the rhetoric of 
 it ; in all these men might despise it. He, as a 
 Father, takes pleasure in the lispings of his own 
 babes, the stammerings of his new-born sons and 
 daughters. Should we not delight in prayer since 
 the Lord delights in it? Let us make errands to 
 the throne. The Lord finds us enough reasons for 
 prayer, and we ought to thank him that it is so. 
 
March 19. JFaitlj's Cljfque 13ook. 79 
 
 ''^The Lord loill give grace and glory P— rs. Ixxxiv. 11. 
 
 (^ RACE is what we need just now, and it is to 
 J be had freely. What can be freer than a 
 gift? To-day we shall receive sustaining, strength- 
 ening, sanctifying, satisfying grace. He has given 
 daily grace until now, and as for the future, that 
 grace is still sufficient. If we have but little grace, 
 the fault must lie in ourselves ; for the Lord is 
 not straitened, neither is he slow to bestow it in 
 abundance. We may ask for as much as v/e will 
 and never fear a refusal. He giveth liberally and 
 upbraidcth not. 
 
 The Lord may not give gold, but he will give 
 grace: he may not give gain, but he will give grace. 
 He will certainly send us trial, but he will give 
 grace in proportion thereto. We may be called to 
 labour, and to suffer, but with the call there will 
 come all the grace required. 
 
 What an AND is t'lat in the text— " and glory"! 
 We do not need glory yet, and we are not yet fit 
 for it; but we shall have it in due order. After 
 we have eaten the bread of grace, we shall drink 
 the wine of glory. We must go through the holy 
 —which is grace, to the holiest of all — which is 
 glory. The.se words "and glory" are enough to 
 make a man dance for joy. A little while — a little 
 while, and then glory for ever I 
 
So JFaillj's Cljrque Boolt. March 2a 
 
 " Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which 
 to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not 
 much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" — Matt. vi. 30. 
 
 CLOTHES are expensive, and poor believers 
 may be led into anxiety as to where their 
 next suit will come from. The soles are thin ; how 
 shall we get new shoes? See how our thoughtful 
 Lord has provided against this care. Our heavenly 
 Father clothes the grass of the field with a splen- 
 dour such as Solomon could not equal : will he 
 not clothe his own children? We are sure he will. 
 There may be many a patch and a darn, but 
 raiment we shall have. 
 
 A poor minister found his clothes nearly thread- 
 bare, and so far gone that they would hardly hold 
 together ; but as a servant of the Lord he expected 
 his Master to find him his livery. It so happened 
 that the writer on a visit to a friend had the loan 
 of the good man's pulpit, and it came into his mind 
 to make a collection for him, and there zvas his 
 livery. Many other cases we have seen in which 
 those who have served the Lord have found him 
 considerate of their wardrobe. He who made man 
 so that when he had sinned he needed garments, 
 also in mercy supplietl him with them ; and those 
 which the Lord gave to our first parents were far 
 bettt r than those they made for themselves. 
 
March 21. JFattlj's €l)£que BooU. 81 
 
 ^'■Then shalt tJiou walk in thy way safely^ and thy foot 
 shall not stumbled — rrov. iii. 23. 
 
 THAT is to say, if wc follow the ways of 
 wisdom and holiness we shall be preserved 
 in them. He who travels by daylight along the 
 highway is under the king's protection. There is a 
 way for every man, namely, his own proper calling 
 in life, and if we devoutly walk therein in the fear 
 of God he will preserve us from evil. We may not 
 travel luxuriously, but we shall walk safely. We 
 may not be able to run like young men, but we 
 shall be able to walk like good men. 
 
 Our greatest danger lies in ourselves : our feeble 
 foot is so sadly apt to stumble. Let us ask for more 
 moral strength that our tendency to slip may be 
 overcome. Some stumble because they do not see 
 the stone in the way : divine grace enables us to 
 perceive sin, and so to avoid it. Let us plead this 
 promise, and trust in him who upholds his chosen. 
 
 Alas! our worst peril is our own carelessness, but 
 against this the Lord Jesus has put us on our guard, 
 saying, " Watch and pray." 
 
 Oh for grace to walk this day without a single 
 stumble ! It is not enough that we do not actually 
 fall; our cry should be that we may not make the 
 smallest slip with our feet, but may at the last adore 
 him " who is able to keep us from stumbling." 
 
 6 
 
82 iFaftb's Crtfque Baolt. March 22. 
 
 "//(? i^ivcth grace unto the humble^'' — ^James iv. 6. 
 
 HUMBLE hearts seek grace, and therefore they 
 get it. Humble hearts yield to the sweet 
 influences of grace, and so it is bestowed on them 
 more and more largely. Humble hearts lie in the 
 valleys where streams of grace are flowing, and 
 hence they drink of them. Humble hearts are 
 grateful for grace and give the Lord the glory of 
 it, and hence it is consistent with his honour to 
 give it to them. 
 
 Come, dear reader, take a lowly place. Be little 
 in thine own esteem, that the Lord may make much 
 of thee. Perhaps the sigh breaks out, " I fear I am 
 not humble." It may be that this is the language of 
 true humility. Some are proud of being humble, 
 and this is one of the very worst sorts of pride. 
 We are needy, helpless, undeserving, hell-deserving 
 creatures, and if we are not humble we ought to be. 
 Let us humble ourselves because of our sins against 
 humility, and then the Lord will give us to taste of 
 his favour. It is grace which makes us humble, 
 and grace which finds in this humility an oppor- 
 tu'iity for pouring in more grace. Let us go down 
 tliat we may rise. Let us be poor in spirit that 
 God may make us rich. Let us be humble that 
 we may not need to be humbled, but may be ex- 
 alted by the grace of God. 
 
March 23. iFaillj'G Cljcquc Boolt. 83 
 
 "/ will bring the blind by a way that i/icy knew fioti" 
 Isa. xlii. 16. 
 
 THINK of the infinitely glorious Jehovah acting 
 as a Guide to the blind ! What boundless 
 condescension does this imply ! A blind man can- 
 not find a way which he does not know. Even 
 when he knows the road, it is hard for him to 
 traverse it; but a road which he has not known is 
 quite out of the question for his unguidcd feet. Now, 
 we are by nature blind as to the way of salvation, 
 and yet the Lord leads us into it, and brings us to 
 himself, and then opens our eyes. As to the future, 
 we are all of us blind, and cannot see an hour 
 before us ; but the Lord Jesus will lead us even to 
 our journey's end. Blessed be his name ! 
 
 We cannot guess in which way deliverance can 
 possibly come to us. but the Lord knows, and he 
 will lead us till we shall have escaped every danger. 
 Happy are those who place their hand in that of 
 the great Guide, and leave their way and them- 
 selves entirely with him. He will bring them all 
 the way; and when he has brought them home to 
 glory and has opened their eyes to see the way by 
 which he has led them, what a song of gratitude 
 will they sing unto their great Benefactor ! Lord, 
 lead thy poor blind child this day, for I know not 
 my way! 
 
84 JFaitlj's €|^cque 13aoI^ March 24. 
 
 '•'■But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and 
 keep you from evil" — 2 Thess. iii. 3. 
 
 MEN are often as devoid of reason as of faith. 
 There are with us still " unreasonable and 
 wicked men." There is no use in arguing with 
 them or trying to be at peace with them : they are 
 false at heart, and deceitful in speech. Well, what 
 of this ? Shall we worry ourselves with them ? 
 No ; let us turn to the Lord, for he is faithful. No 
 promise from his word will ever be broken. He is 
 neither unreasonable in his demands upon us, nor 
 unfaithful to our claims upon him. We have a 
 faithful God. Be this our joy. 
 
 He will stablish us so that wicked men sJiall not 
 cause our downfall, and he will keep us so that 
 none of the evils which now assail us shall really 
 do us damage. What a blessing for us that we 
 need not contend with men, but are allowed to 
 shelter ourselves in the Lord Jesus, who is in truest 
 sympathy with us. There is one true heart, one 
 faithful mind, one never changing Love ; there let 
 us repose. The Lord will fulfil the purpose of his 
 grace to us, his servants, and we need not allow a 
 shadow of a fear to fall upon our spirits. Not all 
 that men or devils can do can hinder us of the 
 divine protection and provision. This day let us 
 pray the Lord to stablish and keep us. 
 
March 25. iTai'lIj'S (ICIjcquf 13oolt. 85 
 
 *^W/ien ihoii lies t down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, 
 thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be szceet." 
 Prov. iii, 24. 
 
 IS the reader likely to be confined for a while to 
 the bed by sickness ? let him go upstairs 
 without distress with this promise upon his heart — ■ 
 " When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid." 
 
 When we go to bed at night, let this word 
 smooth our pillow. We cannot guard ourselves 
 in sleep, but the Lord will keep us through the 
 night. Those who lie down under the protection 
 of the Lord are as secure as kings and queens in 
 their palaces, and a great deal more so. If with 
 our lying down there is a laj'ing down of all cares 
 and ambitions, we shall get refreshment out of our 
 beds such as the anxious and covetous never find 
 in theirs. Ill dreams shall be banished, or even if 
 they come, we shall wipe out the impression of 
 them, knowing that they are only dreams. 
 
 If we sle.ep thus we shall do well. How sweetly 
 Peter slept when even the angel's light did not 
 wake him, and he needed a hard jog in the side to 
 wake him up. And yet he was sentenced to die 
 on the morrow. Thus have martyrs slept before 
 their burning. " So he giveth his beloved sleep." 
 
 To have sweet sleep we must have sweet lives, 
 sweet tempers, sweet meditations, and sweet love. 
 
85 iFat'tb's €\}tqi\t Book March 2S. 
 
 "77/1? Lord 7vill strengthen ]iim upon the bed of lan- 
 guishing.'' — Ps. xli. 3. 
 
 REMEMBER that this is a promise to the man 
 who considers the poor. Are you one of 
 these? Then take home the text, but not else. 
 
 See how in the hour of sickness the God of the 
 poor will bless the man who cares for the poor ! 
 The everlasting arms shall stay up his soul as 
 friendly hands and downy pillows stay up the body 
 of the sick. How tender and sympathizing is this 
 image ; how near it brings our' God to our in- 
 firmities and sicknesses ! Whoever heard this of 
 the old heathen Jove, or of the gods of India, or 
 China ? This is language peculiar to the God of 
 Israel ; he it is who deigns to become nurse and 
 attendant upon good men. If he smites with one 
 hand, he sustains with the other. Oh, it is blessed 
 fainting when one falls upon the Lord's own 
 bosom, and is borne thereon ! Grace is the 
 best of restoratives ; divine love is the safest 
 stimulant for a languishing patient ; it makes the 
 soul strong as a giant, even when the bones are 
 breaking through the skin. No physician like the 
 Lord, no tonic like his promise, no wine like his love. 
 If the reader has failed in his duty to the poor, 
 let him see what he is losing, and at once become 
 their friend and helper. 
 
March 27. Jai/Ij'fl CJjtqxiz Boolt 87 
 
 "Z>ra7~y nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to youJ" 
 James iv. 8. 
 
 THE nearer we come to God, the more 
 graciously will he reveal himself to us. 
 When the prodigal comes to his father, his father 
 runs to meet him. When the wandering dove 
 returns to the ark, Noah puts out his hand to pull 
 her in unto him. When the tender wife seeks her 
 husband's society, he comes to her on wings of 
 love. Come then, dear friend, let us draw nigh to 
 God who so graciously awaits us, yea, comes to 
 meet us. 
 
 Did you ever notice that passage in Isaiah 
 Iviii. 9? There the Lord seems to put himself at 
 the disposal of his people, saying to them, " Here 
 I am." As much as to say — " What have you to 
 say to me ? What can I do for you ? I am 
 waiting to bless you." How can we hesitate to 
 draw near.? God is nigh to forgive, to bless, to 
 comfort, to help, to quicken, to deliver. Let it be 
 the main point with us to get near to God. This 
 done, all is done. If we draw near to others, they 
 may before long grow weary of us and leave us; 
 but if we seek the Lord alone, no change will 
 come over his mind, h\xt he will continue to come 
 nearer and yet nearer to us by fuller and more 
 joyful fellowship. 
 
88 iFaftlj's Cirque Boolt. March 28. 
 
 '■'■The Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail" 
 Deut. xxviii. 13. 
 
 IF we obey the Lord, he will compel our adver- 
 saries to see that his blessing rests upon us. 
 Though this be a promise of the law, yet it stands 
 good to the people of God ; for Jesus has removed 
 the curse, but he has established the blessing. 
 
 It is for saints to lead the way among men by holy 
 influence : they are not to be the tail, to be dragged 
 hither and thither by others. We must not yield 
 to the spirit of the age, but compel the age to do 
 homage to Christ. If the Lord be with us, we 
 shall not crave toleration for religion, but we shall 
 seek to seat it on the throne of society. Has not 
 the Lord Jesus made his people priests? Surely 
 they are to teach, and must not be learners from 
 the philosophies of unbelievers. Are we not in 
 Christ made kings to reign upon the earth ? How, 
 then, can we be the servants of custom, the slaves 
 of human opinion ? 
 
 Have you, dear friend, taken up your true 
 position for Jesus? Too many are silent because 
 diffident, if not cowardly. Should we allow the 
 name of the Lord Jesus to be kept in the back- 
 ground? Should our religion drag along as a tail ? 
 Should it not rather lead the way and be the ruling 
 force with ourselves and others ? 
 
March 29. JFni'tlj'a CljfquE Baoft. 89 
 
 "/ am V'ith thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt 
 thee." — Acts xviii. 10. 
 
 SO long as the Lord had work for Paul to do in 
 Corinth, the fury of the mob was restrained. 
 The Jews opposed themselves and blasphemed; 
 but they could neither stop the preaching of the 
 gospel, nor the conversion of the hearers. God has 
 power over the most violent minds. He makes 
 the wrath of man to praise him when it breaks 
 forth, but he still more displays his goodness when 
 he restrains it ; and he can restrain it. " By the 
 greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a 
 stone ; till thy people pass over, O Lord." 
 
 Do not, therefore, feel any fear of man when you 
 know that you are doing your duty. Go straight 
 on, as Jesus would have done, and those who 
 oppose shall be as a bruised reed and as smoking 
 flax. Many a time men have had cause to fear 
 because they were themselves afraid ; but a daunt- 
 less faith in God brushes fear aside like the cob- 
 webs in a giant's path. No man can harm us 
 unless the Lord permits. He who makes the 
 devil himself to flee at a word, can certainly con- 
 trol the devil's agents. May be they are already 
 more afraid of you than you are of them. There- 
 fore, go forward, and where you looked to meet 
 with foes you will find friends. 
 
93 jraitlj'S Crf)fque i3ocIt. March 30. 
 
 '"''Be careful for nothing ; but in eier) thing by pra}er 
 and supplicatim 7vith thanksgiving id your requests be 
 made knoivn unto Cod. And tJie peace of God, which 
 passe th all understandings shall keep your hear is and 
 minds through Christ Jesus." — Phil. iv. 6, 7. 
 
 N' O care, but all prayer. No anxiety, but 
 much joyful communion with God. Carry 
 your desires to the Lord of your life, the guardian 
 of your soul. Go to him with two portions of 
 prayer, and one of fragrant praise. Do not pray 
 doubtfully, but thankfully. Consider that you have 
 your petitions, and therefore thank God for his 
 grace. He is giving you grace, give him thanks. 
 Hide nothing. Allow no want to lie rankling in 
 your bosom; "make known yourvrcquests." Run 
 not to man. Go only to your God, the Father of 
 Jesus, who loves you in him. 
 
 This shall bring you God's own peace. You 
 shall not be able to understand the peace which 
 you shall enjoy. It will enfold you in its infinite 
 embrace. Heart and mind through Christ Je3us 
 shall be steeped in a sea of rest. Come life or 
 death, poverty, pain, slander, you shall dwell in 
 Jesus above every ruffling wind or darkening cloud 
 Will you not obey this dear command? 
 
 Yes, Lord, I do believe thee ; but, I beseech 
 thee, help mine unbelief. 
 
March 31. ifnitlj'g Cljcqiic Boolt 91 
 
 "^^ tiot afraid of sudden far, neither of (he desolation 
 of the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall in- ihy 
 confidence^ and shall keep thy foot from being tahin.'* 
 Prov. iii. 25, 26. 
 
 WHEN God is abroad in judgments, he would 
 not have his people alarmed. He has not 
 come forth to harm, but to defend the righteous. 
 
 He would have them manifest conrage. We who 
 enjoy the presence of God ought to display presence 
 of mind. Since the Lord himself may suddenly 
 come, we ought not to be surprised at anything 
 sudden. Serenity under the rush and roar of 
 unexpected evils is a precious gift of divine love. 
 
 The Lord would have his chosen display dis- 
 crimination, so that they may see that the desola- 
 tion of the wicked is not a real calamity to the 
 universe. Sin alone is evil ; the punishment which 
 follows thereupon is as a preserving salt to keep 
 society from putrefying. We should be far more 
 shocked at the sin which deserves hell, than at the 
 hell which comes out of sin. 
 
 So, too, should the Lord's people exhibit great 
 quietness of spirit. Satan and his serpent seed 
 are full of all subtilty ; but those who walk with 
 God shall not be taken in their deceitful snares. 
 Go on, believer in Jesus, and let the Lord be tl^y 
 confidence. 
 
9» i^aitlj's Cljeque ISaoIt. April i. 
 
 "77/^ wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err lhe?ein." 
 Isa. XXXV. 8. 
 
 THE way of holiness is so straight and plain 
 that the simplest minds cannot go astray if 
 they constantly follow it. The worldly wise have 
 many twists and turns, and yet they make terrible 
 blunders, and generally miss their end. Worldly 
 policy is a poor short-sighted thing, and when men 
 choose it as their road, it leads them over dark 
 mountains. Gracious minds know no better than 
 to do as the Lord bids them ; but this keeps them 
 in the king's highway, and under royal protection. 
 
 Let the reader never for a moment attempt to 
 help himself out of a difficulty by a falsehood, or 
 by a questionable act ; but let him keep in the 
 middle of the high road of truth and integrity, and 
 he will be following the best possible course. In 
 our lives we must never practise circular sailing, 
 nor dream of shuffling. Be just and fear not. 
 Follow Jesus and heed no evil consequences. If 
 the worst of ills could be avoided by wrong-doing, 
 we should, in the very attempt, have fallen into an 
 evil worse than any other ill could be. God's way 
 must be the best way. Follow it though men 
 think you a fool, and you will be truly wise. 
 
 Lord, lead thy servants in a plain path because 
 of their enemies. 
 
April 2. Jaitlj'a CI)Equc ijooft. 53 
 
 "A/edi/a/e upon these things ; give thyself wholly to them ; 
 that thy profiting may appear to all." — i Tim. iv. 15. 
 
 THIS is, practically, a promise that, by diligent 
 meditation and the giving up of our whole 
 mind to our work for the Lord, we shall make a 
 progress which all can see. Not by hasty reading, 
 but by deep meditation, we profit by the Word of 
 God. Not by doing a great deal of work in a 
 slovenly manner, but by giving our best thought 
 to what we attempt, we shall get real profit. " In 
 all labour there is profit," but not in fuss and hurry 
 without true heart-energy. 
 
 If we divide ourselves between God and mammon, 
 or Christ and self, we shall make no progress. We 
 must give ourselves wholly to holy things, or else 
 we shall be poor traders in heavenly business, and 
 at our stock-taking no profit will be shown. 
 
 Am I a minister? Let me be a minister wholly, 
 and not spend my energies upon secondary con- 
 cerns. What have I to do with party politics, or 
 vain amusements? Am I a Christian? Let me 
 make my service of Jesus my occupation, my life- 
 work, my one pursuit. We must be in-and-in with 
 Jesus, and then out-and-out for Jesus, or else we 
 shall make neither progress nor profit, and neither 
 the church nor the world will feel that forceful 
 influence which the Lord would have us exercise. 
 
$4 jFailf)'£S Cf)fqu£ 33aalt. Airil 3. 
 
 '■'■Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled 
 thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake 
 against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that 
 they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent 
 thy clothes^ atid wept before me ; I also have heard thee^ 
 saith the Lord. — 2 Kings xxii. 19. 
 
 MANY despise warning, and perish. Happy- 
 is he who trembles at the word of the 
 Lord. Josiah did so, and he was spared the sight 
 of the evil which the Lord determined to send 
 upon Judah because of her great sins. Have you 
 this tenderness ? Do you practise this self-humiha- 
 tion ? Then you also shall be spared in the evil 
 day. God sets a mark upon the men that sigh and 
 cry because of the sin of the times. The destroy- 
 ing angel is commanded to keep his sword in its 
 sheath till the elect of God are sheltered : these are 
 best known by their godly fear, and their trembling 
 at the word of the Lord. Are the times threaten- 
 ing? Do Popery and Infidelity advance with great 
 strides, and do you dread national chastisement 
 upon this polluted nation ? Well you may. Yet 
 rest in this promise, " Thou shalt be gathered into 
 thy grave in peace ; and thine eyes shall not see 
 all the evil which I will bring upon this place." 
 Better still, the Lord himself may come, and then 
 the days of our mourning shall be ended. 
 
April 4. JFafllj'g Cfjfque 13aoh. 95 
 
 ^'■Atiii I will send hornets before thee, which shall driie 
 out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the IliJiteJrom before 
 thee." — Ex. xxiii. 28. 
 
 \yl 7HAT the hornets were we need not con- 
 V V sidcr. They were God's own army, which 
 he sent before his people to sting their enemies, 
 and render Israel's conquest easy. Our God by 
 his own chosen means will fight for his people, and 
 gall their foes, before they come into the actual 
 battle. Often he confounds the adversaries of 
 truth by methods in which reformers themselves 
 have no hand. The air is full of mysterious 
 influences which harass Israel's foes. We read in 
 the Apocalypse that "the earth helped the woman." 
 Let us never fear. The stars in their courses 
 fight against the enemies of our souls. Oftentimes 
 when we march to the conflict we find no host to 
 contend with. " The Lord shall fight for you, and 
 ye shall hold your peace." God's hornets can do 
 more than our weapons. We could never dream 
 of the victory being won by such means as Jehovah 
 will use. We must obey our marching orders and 
 go forth to the conquest of the nations for Jesus, 
 and we shall find that the Lord has gone before u.s, 
 and prepared the way ; so that in the end we shall 
 joyfully confess, " His o-.vn right hand, and his holy 
 arm, have gotten him the victory." 
 
96 i)^aitb's (Cljrque 33oo]^. April 5. 
 
 '■'■Thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shall not be 
 forgotten of me." — Isa. xliv. 21. 
 
 OUR Jehovah cannot so forget his servants as 
 to cease to love them. He chose them not 
 for a time, but for ever. He knew what they 
 would be when he called them into the divine 
 family. He blots out their sins like a cloud; and 
 we may be sure that he will not turn them out of 
 doors for iniquities which he has blotted out. It 
 would be blasphemy to imagine such a thing. 
 
 He will not forget them so as to cease to think 
 of them. One forgetful moment on the part of 
 our God would be our ruin. Therefore he says : 
 " Thou shalt not be forgotten of me." Men forget 
 us : those whom we have benefited turn against 
 us : we have no abiding place in the fickle hearts 
 of men ; but God will never forget one of his true 
 servants. He binds himself to us not by what we 
 do for him, but by what he has done for us. We 
 have been loved too long, and bought at too great 
 a price to be now forgotten. Jesus sees in us his 
 soul's travail, and that he never can forget. The 
 Father sees in us the spouse of his Son, and 
 the Spirit sees in us his own effectual work. The 
 Lord thinketh upon us. This day we shall be 
 succoured and sustained. Oh, that the Lord may 
 never be forgotten of us ! 
 
April 6. jFatt!j'6 CHjrque Boolt. 97 
 
 "And the Lord shall be king over all the earth : in 
 that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one." 
 Zcch. xiv. 9, 
 
 BLESSED prospect! This is no dream of an 
 enthusiast, but the declaration of the in- 
 falUble Word. Jehovah shall be known among 
 all people, and his gracious sway shall be acknow- 
 ledged by every tribe of man. To-day, it is far 
 from being so. Where do any bow before the 
 Great King? How much there is of rebellion ! 
 What lords many, and gods many, there are on the 
 earth ! Even among professed Christians what 
 diversities of ideas there are about him and his 
 gospel ! One day there shall be one King, one 
 Jehovah, and one name for the living God. O 
 Lord, hasten it! We daily cry. Thy kingdom come. 
 We will not discuss the question as to xvhoi this 
 shall be, lest we lose the comfort of the certainty 
 that it shall be. So surely as the Holy Ghost 
 spake by his prophets, so surely shall the whole 
 earth be filled with the glory of the Lord. Jesus 
 did not die in vain. The Spirit of God worketh 
 not in vain. The Father's eternal purposes shall 
 not be frustrated. Here, where Satan triumphed, 
 Jesus shall be crowned, and the Lord God Omni- 
 potent shall reign. Let us go our way to our 
 daily v^'ork and warfare made strong in faith. 
 
 7 
 
98 JFaitlj'g CIjcquE Doolt. Aprii 7. 
 
 ^'And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called 
 by the name of the Lord ; and they shall be afraid of thee.** 
 Deut. xxviii. lo. 
 
 TPIEN we can have no reason to be afraid of 
 them. This would show a mean spirit, and 
 be a token of unbelief rather than of faith. God 
 can make us so like himself, that men shall be 
 forced to see that we rightly bear his name, and 
 truly belong to the Holy Jehovah. Oh, that we may 
 obtain this grace, which the Lord waits to bestow ! 
 Be assured that ungodly men have a fear of true 
 saints. They hate them, but they also fear them. 
 Haman trembled because of Mordecai, even when 
 he sought the good man's destruction. In fact, their 
 hate often arises out of a dread which they are too 
 proud to confess. Let us pursue the path of truth 
 and uprightness without the slightest tremor. 
 Fear is not for us, but for those who do ill and 
 fight against the Lord of hosts. If indeed the 
 name of the Eternal God is named upon us, we are 
 secure ; for, as of old, a Roman had but to say 
 Romamis sunt, I am a Roman, and he could claim 
 the protection of all the legions of the vast empire, 
 so every one who is a man of God has omnipotence 
 as his guardian, and God will sooner empty heaven 
 of angels than leave a saint without defence. Be 
 braver than lions for the right, for God is with you. 
 
April 8. Jaitl)'0 CTficque 33ooh. 99 
 
 "77/^ Lord stood by )iim, and said, Be of good cheer, 
 Paul : for as thou hast testified of mc in Jerusalem, so 
 must thou bear witness also at Kome.^'' — Acts xxiii. 11. 
 
 ARE you a witness for the Lord, and are you 
 just now in danger ? Then remember that 
 you are immortal till your work is done. If the 
 Lord has more witness for you to bear, you will live 
 to bear it. Who is he that can break the vessel 
 which the Lord intends again to use ? 
 
 If there is no more work for you to do for your 
 Master, it cannot distress you that he is about to 
 take you home, and put you where you will be 
 beyond the reach of adversaries. Your witness- 
 bearing for Jesus is your chief concern, and you 
 cannot be stopped in it till it is finished : therefore 
 be at peace. Cruel slander, wicked misrepresenta- 
 tion, desertion of friends, betrayal by the most 
 trusted one, and whatever else may come, cannot 
 hinder the Lord's purpose concerning you. The 
 Lord stands by you in the night of your sorrow, 
 and he says, " Thou must yet bear witness for me." 
 Be calm, be filled with joy in the Lord. 
 
 If you do not need this promise just now, you 
 may very soon. Treasure it'\ip. Remember also 
 to pray for missionaries, and all persecuted ones, 
 that the Lord would preserve them even to the 
 completion of their life work. 
 
lOO iFaitb'g GCIjeque Boolt. April 9. 
 
 " Gnat peace have they which love thy Uiv: and nothing 
 shaU offend themr — Ps. cxix. 165. 
 
 A /"ES, a true love for the great Book will bring 
 X us great peace from the great God, and be a 
 great protection to us. Let us live constantly in 
 the society of the law of the Lord, and it will breed 
 in our hearts a restfulness such as nothing else can. 
 The Holy Spirit acts as a Comforter through the 
 Word, and sheds abroad those benign influences 
 which calm the tempests of the soul. 
 
 Nothing is a stumbling-block to the man who 
 has the Word of God dwelling in him richly. He 
 takes up his daily cross and it becomes a delight. 
 For the fiery trial he is prepared, and counts it not 
 strange, so as to be utterly cast down by it. He is 
 neither stumbled by prosperity, as so many are, 
 nor crushed by adversity, as others have been ; 
 for he lives beyond the changing circumstances of 
 external life. When his Lord puts before him 
 some great mystery of the faith which makes 
 others cry, " This is an hard saying ; who can hear 
 it?" the believer accepts it without question ; for his 
 intellectual difficulties are overcome by his reve- 
 rent awe of the law of the Lord, which is to him 
 the supreme authority to which he joyfully bows. 
 Lord, work in us this love, this peace, this rest, 
 this day. 
 
April la jFaitlj'g Cljtquc Botft. loi 
 
 "And the Lord said unto Moses, Make iheea fiery serpent, 
 and set it up07i a pole : and it shall come to p ss, that 
 everyone that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live" 
 Num. xxi 8. 
 
 THIS is a glorious gospel type. Jesus, num- 
 bered with the transgressors, liangs before us 
 on the cross. A look to him will heal us of the 
 serpent-bite of sin ; will heal us at once — " When 
 he looketh upon it, he shall live." Let the reader 
 who is mourning his sinfulness note the words — 
 " Everyone that looketh upon it shall live." Every 
 looker will find this true. I have found it so. I 
 looked to Jesus and lived at once. I know I did. 
 Reader, if you look to Jesus you will live too. 
 True, you are swelling with the venom, and you 
 see no hope. True, also, tlure is no hope but this 
 one. But this is no doubtful cure — '' Everyone 
 that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live." 
 
 The brazen serpent was not lifted up as a 
 curiosity to be gazed upon by the healthy ; but its 
 special purpose was for those who were " bitten." 
 Jesus died as a real Saviour for real sinners. 
 Whether the bite has made you a drunkard, or a 
 thief, or an unchaste or a profane person, a look at 
 the Great Saviour will heal you of these diseases, 
 and make you live in holiness and communion with 
 God. Look and live. 
 
I02 iFai'tiys €()£quc 33oofe. April ii. 
 
 ' And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, 
 and every man his brother^ sayings Know the Lord : for 
 they shall all kno7u me, f>om the least of them tin to the 
 greatest of them, saith the Lord." — jer. xxxi. 34. 
 
 TRULY, whatever else we do not know, we 
 know the Lord. This day is this promise 
 true in our experience, and it is not a little one. 
 The least believer among us knows God in Christ 
 Jesus. Not as fully as we desire ; but yet truly 
 and really we know the Lord. We not only know 
 doctrines about him, but we know HIM, He is 
 our Father and our Friend. We are acquainted 
 with him personally. We can say, " My Lord, and 
 my God.'' We are on terms of close fellowship 
 with God, and many a happy season do we spend 
 in his holy company. We are no more strangers 
 to our God, but the secret of the Lord is with us. 
 
 This is more than nature could have taught us. 
 Flesh and blood has not revealed God to us. Christ 
 Jesus has made known the Father to our hearts. 
 If, then, the Lord has made us know himself, is 
 not this the fountain of all saving knowledge? To 
 know God is eternal life. So soon as we come to 
 acquaintance with God w^e have the evidence of 
 being quickened into newness of life. O my soul, 
 rejoice in this knowledge, and bless thy God all 
 this day ! 
 
Avvti. 12. ifai'llj's Cljfquc 13joIt. 103 
 
 "/J?r / 7C'i7/ forgive their iniquity, and I u>ill remember 
 their sin no more.'' — jer. xxxi. 34. 
 
 WHEN we know the Lord, we receive the 
 forgiveness of sins. We know him as the 
 God of Grace, passing by our transgressions. What 
 a joyful discovery is this ! 
 
 But how divinely is this promise worded : the 
 Lord promises no more to remember our sins ! Can 
 God forget ? He says he will, and he means what 
 he says. He will regard us as though we had never 
 sinned. The great atonement so effectually removed 
 all sin, that it is to the mind of God no more in 
 existence. The believer is now in Christ Jesus, as 
 accepted as Adam in his innocence ; yea, more so, 
 for he wears a divine righteousness, and that of 
 Adam was but human. 
 
 The Great Lord will not remember our sins so as 
 to punish them, or so as to love us one atom the 
 less because of them. As a debt when paid ceases to 
 be a debt, even so doth the Lord make a complete 
 obliteration of the iniquity of his people. 
 
 When we are mourning over our transgressions 
 and shortcomings, and this is our duty as long as 
 we live, let us at the same time rejoice that they will 
 never be mentioned against us. This makes us 
 hate sin. God's free pardon makes us anxious 
 never again to grieve him by disobedience. 
 
I04 iFaitlj's Cljrquc 13ooIt. April 13. 
 
 " IV/w shall change our vile body, that it may bt 
 fashioned like unto his glorious bodyT — phii iii. 21. 
 
 OFTEN when we are racked with pain, and 
 unable to think or worship, we feel that this 
 indeed is " the body of our humiliation" ; and when 
 we are tempted by the passions which rise from the 
 flesh we do not think the word "vile" at all too 
 vigorous a translation. Our bodies humble us; and 
 that is about the best thing they do for us. Oh, 
 that we were duly lowly, because our bodies ally us 
 with animals, and even link us with the dust ! 
 
 But our Saviour, the Lord Jesus, shall change all 
 this. We shall be fashioned like his own body of 
 glory. This will take place in all who believe in 
 Jesus. By faith their souls have been transformed, 
 and their bodies will undergo such a renewal as 
 shall fit them for their regenerated spirits. How 
 soon this grand transformation will happen we 
 cannot tell ; but the thought of it should help us to 
 bear the trials of to-day, and all the woes of the 
 flesh. In a little while we shall be as Jesus now is. 
 No more aching brows, no more swollen limbs, 
 no more dim eyes, no more fainting hearts. The 
 old man shall be no more a bundle of infirmities, 
 nor the sick man a mass of agony. " Like unto 
 his glorious body.'' What an expression ! Even 
 our flesh shall rest in hope of such a resurrection I 
 
April 14. ifaitb's Cljrquc 13ooU. 105 
 
 "//t' shall choose our inhcrilance for us." — l»s. xlvii. 4. 
 
 OUR enemies would allot us a veiy dreary por- 
 tion, but we are not left in their hands. The 
 Lord will cause us to stand in our lot, and our 
 place is appointed by his infinite wisdom. A wiser 
 mind than our own arranges our destiny. The 
 ordaining of all things is with God, and we are 
 glad to have it so ; we choose that God should 
 choose for us. If we might have our own way we 
 would wish to let all things go in God's way. 
 
 Being conscious of our own folly, we would not 
 desire to rule our own destinies. We feel safer 
 and more at ease when the Lord steers our vessel 
 than we could possibly be if we could direct it 
 according to our own judgment. Joyfully we leave 
 the painful present and the unknown future with 
 our Father, our Saviour, our Comforter. 
 
 O my soul, this day lay down thy wishes at 
 Jesus' feet ! If thou hast of late been somewhat 
 wayward and wailful, eager to be and to do after 
 thine own mind, now dismiss thy foolish self, and 
 place the reins m the Lord's hands. Say, " He 
 shall choose." If others dispute the sovereignty of 
 the Lord, and glory in the freewill of man, do thou 
 answer them, " He shall choose for me." It is my 
 freest choice to let him choose. As a free agent, I 
 elect that he should have absolute sway. 
 
io6 jfaitb's ^Ijeque Book April 15. 
 
 " T/ie. desire of the righteons shall be granted. " — Trov. x. 24. 
 
 BECAUSE it is a righteous desire it is safe for 
 God to grant it. It would be neither good 
 for the man himself, nor for society at large, that 
 such a promise should be made to the unrighteous. 
 Let us keep the Lord's commands, and he will 
 rightfully have respect to our desires. 
 
 When righteous men are left to desire unrighteous 
 desires, they will not be granted to them. But then 
 these are not their real desires ; they are their 
 wanderings or blunders ; and it is well that they 
 should be refused. Their gracious desires shall 
 come before the Lord, and he will not say them nay. 
 
 Does the Lord deny us our requests for a time } 
 Let the promise for to-day encourage us to ask 
 again. Has he denied us altogether? We will 
 thank hini still, for it always was our desire that 
 he should deny us if he judged a denial to be best. 
 
 As to some things, we ask very boldly. Our chief 
 desires are for holiness, usefulness, likeness to Christ, 
 preparedness for heaven. These are the desires of 
 grace rather than of nature — the desires of the 
 righteous man rather than of the mere man. God 
 will not stint us in these things, but will do for us 
 exceeding abundantly. " Delight thyself also in 
 the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of 
 thine heart." This day, my soul, ask largely I 
 
April i6. iFaitfj'g Cfjcque Boolt. 107 
 
 "/« that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses. 
 Holiness unto the Lord" — Zech. xiv. 20. 
 
 HAPPY day when all things shall be con- 
 secrated, and the horses' bells shall ring 
 out holiness to the Lord! That day has come to 
 me. Do I not make all things holy to God? 
 These garments, when I put them on or take them 
 off, shall they not remind me of the righteousness 
 of Christ Jesus, my Lord ? Shall not my work be 
 done as unto the Lord ? Oh, that to-day my 
 clothes may be vestments, my meals sacraments, 
 my house a temple, my table an altar, my speech 
 incense, and m}^self a priest ! Lord, fulfil thy pro- 
 mise, and let nothing be to me common or unclean. 
 Let me in faith expect this. Believing it to be 
 so, I shall be helped to make it so. As I myself am 
 the property of Jesus, my Lord may take an 
 inventory of all I have, for it is altogether his 
 own ; and I resolve to prove it to be so by the use 
 to which I put it this day. From morning till 
 evening I would order all things by a happy and 
 holy rule. My bells shall ring — why should they 
 not ? Even my horses shall have bells — who has 
 such a right to music as the saints have ^ But all 
 my bells, my music, my mirth, shall be turned to 
 holiness, and shall ring out the name of "The 
 Happy God." 
 
io8 JFaitf)'s C]^£que Boolt. April 17. 
 
 *' JV/im a viands ways please the Lord, he maketh even 
 his enemies to be at peace with him!'' — Prov. xvi. 7. 
 
 I MUST see that my ways please the Lord. Even 
 then I shall have enemies ; and, perhaps, all 
 the more certainly because I endeavour to do that 
 which is right. But what a promise this is ! The 
 Lord will make the wrath of man to praise him, 
 and abate it so that it shall not distress me. 
 
 He can constrain an enemy to desist from harm- 
 ing me, even though he has a mind to do so. This 
 he did with Laban, who pursued Jacob, but did not 
 dare to touch him. Or he can subdue the wrath of 
 the enemy, and make him friendly, as he did with 
 Esau, who met Jacob in a brotherly manner, though 
 Jacob had dreaded that he would smite him and 
 his family with the sword. The Lord can also 
 convert a furious adversary into a brother in Christ, 
 and a fellow-worker, as he did with Saul of Tarsus. 
 Oh, that he would do this in every case where a 
 persecuting spirit appears ! 
 
 Happy is the man whose enemies are made to be 
 to him what the lions were to Daniel in the den, 
 quiet and companionable! When I meet death, who 
 is called the last enemy, I pray that I may be at 
 peace. Only let my great care be to please the 
 Lord in all things. Oh, for faith and holiness; for 
 these are a pleasure unto the Most High! 
 
Apkil i8. iFaitiya Cljcque Book. 109 
 
 "/ will be with thee : I will not fail thee, nor forsake 
 thee." — ^josh. i. 5. 
 
 THIS word to Joshua is often quoted ; it is the 
 basis of that New Testament word, "He hath 
 said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." 
 
 Beloved, a life of warfare is before us, but the 
 Lord of Hosts is with us. Are we called to lead a 
 great but fickle people ? This promise guarantees 
 us all the wisdom and prudence that we shall neod. 
 Have we to contend with cunning and powerful 
 enemies? Here is strength and valour, prowess 
 and victory. Have we a vast heritage to win ? By 
 this sign we shall achieve our purpose ; the Lord 
 himself is with us. 
 
 It would be woe to us indeed if Jehovah could 
 fail us ; but, as this can never be, the winds of 
 disquietude are laid to sleep in the caverns of 
 divine faithfulness. On no one occasion will the 
 Lord desert us. Happen what may, he will be at 
 our side. Friends drop from us, their help is but 
 an April shower; but God is faithful, Jesus is the 
 same for ever, and the Holy Spirit abideth in us. 
 
 Come, my heart, be calm and hopeful to-day. 
 Clouds may gather, but the Lord can blow them 
 away. Since God will not fail me, my faith shall 
 not fail ; and, as he will not forsake me, neither will 
 I forsake him. Oh for a restful faith I 
 
no jFaitlj'g €I)eqii£ 13ook. Apru. 19. 
 
 '■'■For thus saith the Lord God ; Behold, I, even I, iviil 
 both search my sheep, and seek them out." — Ez. xxxiv. 11. 
 
 THIS he does at the first when his elect are Hke 
 wandering sheep that know not the shepherd 
 or the fold. How wonderfully doth the Lord find 
 out his chosen ! Jesus is great as a seeking shepherd 
 as well as a saving shepherd. Though many of 
 those his Father gave him have gone as near to 
 hell-gate as they well can, yet the Lord by search- 
 ing and seeking discovers them, and draws nigh to 
 them in grace. He has sought out us : let us ha\e 
 good hope for those who are laid upon our hearts 
 in prayer, for he will find them out also. 
 
 The Lord repeats this process when any of his 
 flock stray from the pastures of truth and holiness. 
 They may fall into gross error, sad sin, and grievous 
 hardness ; but yet the Lord, who has become a 
 surety for them to his Father, will not suffer one of 
 them to go so far as to perish. He will by pro- 
 vidence and grace pursue them into foreign lands, 
 into abodes of poverty, into dens of obscurity, into 
 deeps of despair ; he will not lose one of all tliat 
 the Father has given him. It is a point of honour 
 with Jesus to seek and to save all the flock, with- 
 out a single exception. What a promise to plead, 
 if at this hour I am compelled to cry, " I have gone 
 astray like a lost sheep " ! 
 
April 20. JFaillj's Cfjcqiic 13ocIt. iir 
 
 '■''llie just shall live by faiths — Rom. i. 17. 
 
 I SHALL not die. I can, I do believe in the Lord 
 my God, and this faith will keep me alive. I 
 would be numbered among those who in their lives 
 are just ; but even if I were perfect I would not 
 try to live by my righteousness ; I would cling to 
 the work of the Lord Jesus, and still live by faith 
 in him and by nothing else. If I were able to give 
 my body to be burned for my Lord Jesus, yet I 
 would not trust in my own courage and constancy, 
 but still would live by faith. 
 
 " Were I a martyr at the stake 
 I'd plead my Saviour's name ; 
 Intreat a p irdon for his sake, 
 And urge no other claim." 
 
 To live by faith is a far surer and happier thing 
 than to live by feelings or by works. I'he branch, 
 by living in the vine, lives a better life than it would 
 live by itself, even if it were possible for it to live 
 at all apart from the stem. To live by clinging to 
 Jesus, by deriving all from him, is a sweet and 
 sacred thing. If even the m.ost just must live 
 in this fashion, how much more must I who am a 
 poor sinner! Lord, I believe. I must trust thee 
 wholly. What else can I do ? Trusting thee is 
 my life. I feel it to be so. I will abide by this 
 even to the end. 
 
112 iFait[)'0 CljequE Book. April 21. 
 
 '■'■He that hath pity upon the poor leudeth unto the Lord; 
 and that which he hath given will he pay him agaifi." 
 Prov. xix. 17. 
 
 WE are to give to the poor out of pity. Not 
 to be seen and applauded, much less to 
 get influence over them ; but out of pure sympathy 
 and compassion we must give them help. 
 
 We must not expect to get anything back from 
 the poor, not even gratitude ; but we should regard 
 what we have done as a loan to the Lord. He 
 undertakes the obligation, and, if we look to him 
 in the matter, we must not look to the second 
 party. What an honour the Lord bestows upon 
 us when he condescends to borrow of us ! That 
 merchant is greatly favoured who has the Lord on 
 his books. It would seem a pity to have such a 
 name down for a paltry pittance ; let us make it 
 a heavy amount. The next needy man that comes 
 this way, let us help him. 
 
 As for re-payment, we can hardly think of it, 
 and yet here is the Lord's note of hand. Blessed 
 be his name, his promise to pay is better than gold 
 and silver. Are we running a little short through 
 the depression of the times ? We may venture 
 humbly to present this bill at the Bank of Faith. 
 Has any one of our readers been a bit of a screw to 
 the poor ? Poor soul. May the Lord forgive him. 
 
April 22. jFaitlj's Cljfquc 13ooU. 113 
 
 ^'■The Lord opeiieth the eyes of iJie blind : the Lord 
 raiseth them that are bowed down.''' — rs. cxlvi. 8. 
 
 A]\I I bowed down ? Then let me urge this 
 word of grace before the Lord. It is his 
 v/ay, his custom, his promise, his delight, to raise 
 up them that are bowed down. Is it a sense of 
 sin, and a consequent depression of spirit, which 
 now distresses me ? Then the work of Jesus is, 
 in this case, made and provided to raise me up into 
 rest. O Lord, raise me, for thy mercy sake ! 
 
 Is it a sad bereavement, or a great fall in cir- 
 cumstances ? Here again the Comforter has under- 
 taken to console. What a mercy for us that one 
 person of the Sacred Trinity should become the 
 Comforter ! This work will be well done, since 
 such a glorious One has made it his peculiar care. 
 
 Some are so bowed down that only Jesus can 
 loose them from their infirmity, but he can, and 
 he will, do it. He can raise us up to health, to 
 hope, to happiness. He has often done so under 
 former trials, and he is the same Saviour, and will 
 repeat his deeds of loving-kindness. We who are 
 to-day bowed down and sorrowful, shall yet be set 
 on high, and those who now mock at us shall be 
 greatly ashamed. What an honour to be raised up 
 by the Lord ! It is worth while to be bowed down 
 that we may experience his upraising power 
 
 8 
 
114 jFaitb*3 Cfjcque Book. April 23. 
 
 '■'■He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit 
 saith unto the churches ; He that overcometh shall fiot be 
 hurt of the second death." — Rev. ii. 11. 
 
 THE first death we must endure unless the 
 Lord should suddenly come to his temple. 
 For this let us abide in readiness, awaiting it with- 
 out fear, since Jesus has transformed death from a 
 dreary cavern into a passage leading to glory. 
 
 The thing to be feared is not the first, but the 
 second death ; not the parting of the soul from the 
 body, but the final separation of the entire man 
 from God. This is death indeed. This death kills 
 all peace, joy, happiness, hope. When God is gone 
 all is gone. Such a death is far worse than ceasing 
 to be : it is existence without the life which makes 
 existence worth the having. 
 
 Now, if by God's grace we fight on to the end, 
 and conquer in the glorious war, no second death 
 can lay its chill finger upon us. We shall have no 
 fear of death and hell, for we shall receive a crown 
 of life which fadeth not away. How this nerves us 
 for the fight ! Eternal life is worth a life's battle. 
 To escape the hurt of the second death is a thing 
 worth struggling for throughout a lifetime. 
 
 Lord, give us faith, so that we may overcome, 
 and then grant us grace to remain unharmed 
 though sin and Satan dog our heels 1 
 
April 24. Jaillj's €!)cquf DooU. 115 
 
 ''''Brinii ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that thtre 
 may be meat in mine house, and prove me now /lenwith, 
 saith the Lord of hosts, if 1 7i>ill not open you the ivindon'S 
 of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not 
 be rjom ennigh to receive it." — MaI. iii. 10. 
 
 MANY read and plead this promise without 
 noticing the condition upon which the 
 blessing is promised. We cannot expect heaven 
 to be opened or blessing poured out unless we pay 
 our dues unto the Lord our God and to his cause. 
 There would be no lack of funds for holy purposes 
 if all professing Christians paid their fair share. 
 
 Many are poor because they rob God. Many 
 churches, also, miss the visitations of the Spirit be- 
 cause they starve their ministers. If there is no 
 temporal meat for God's servants, we need not 
 wonder if their ministry has but little food in it for 
 our souls. When missions pine for means, and 
 the work of the Lord is hindered by an empty 
 trcnsur}^ how can we look for a large amount of 
 soul-prosperity ? 
 
 Come, come ! What have I given of late. -* Have 
 I been mean to my God ? Have I stinted my 
 Saviour? This will never do. Let me give my 
 Lord Jesus his tithe by helping the poor, and 
 aiding his work, and then I shall prove his power 
 to bless me on a large scale. 
 
ii6 jFaiilj's Cfjcque Book. Avril 25. 
 
 '''The just man walketh in his i?iteg?-i/y : his children are 
 blessed after him." — Prov. xx. 7. 
 
 ANXIETY about our family is natural, but we 
 shall be wise if we turn it into care about 
 our own character. If we walk before the Lord in 
 integrity, we shall do more to bless our descendants 
 than if we bequeathed them large estates. A 
 father's holy life is a rich legacy for his sons. 
 
 The upright man leaves his heirs his example, 
 and this in itself will be a mine of true wealth. 
 How many men may trace their success in life to 
 the example of their parents ! 
 
 He leaves them also his repute. Men think all 
 the better of us as the sons of a man who could be 
 trusted, the successors of a tradesman of excellent 
 repute. Oh, that all young men were anxious to 
 keep up the family name ! 
 
 Above all, he leaves his children his prayers and 
 the blessing of a prayer-hearing God, and these 
 make our offspring to be favoured among the sons 
 of men. God will save them even after we are 
 dead. Oh, that they might be saved at once! 
 
 Our integrity may be God's means of saving our 
 sons and daughters. If they see the truth of our 
 religion proved by our lives, it may be that they will 
 believe in Jesus for themselves. Lord, fulfil this 
 word to my household 1 
 
April 26. iFaitlj's (Jljfqtic 13 00ft. 117 
 
 ''And the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all that thou 
 doest." — Deut. xv. 18. 
 
 AN Israel itish master was to give his bond- 
 servant liberty in due time, and when he left 
 his service he was to start him in life with a 
 liberal portion. This was to be done heartily and 
 cheerfully, and then the Lord promised to bless the 
 generous act. The spirit of this precept, and, indeed, 
 the whole law of Christ, binds us to treat work- 
 people well. We ought to remember how the Lord 
 has dealt with us, and that this renders it abso- 
 lutely needful that we should deal graciously with 
 others. It becomes those to be generous who are 
 the children of a gracious God. How can we 
 expect our great Master to bless us in our business 
 if we oppress those who serve us ? 
 
 What a benediction is here set before the liberal 
 mind ! To be blessed in all that we do is to be 
 blessed indeed. The Lord will send us this partly 
 in prosperity, partly in content of mind, and partly 
 in a sense of his favour, which is the best of all 
 blessings. He can make us feel that we are under 
 his special care, and are surrounded by his peculiar 
 love. This makes this earthly life a joyous prelude 
 to the life to come. God's blessing is more than a 
 fortune. It maketh rich, and addeth no sorrow 
 therewith. 
 
ii8 ifai'tljs €|jcqtic Bcort. Aprtl 27. 
 
 '■^The Lord will perfect that which conca-tulh me* 
 Ps. cxxxviii. 8. 
 
 HE \^'ho has bc^un will carry on the work 
 which is being wrought within my soul. 
 The Lord is concerned about everything that con- 
 cerns me. All that is now good, but not perfect, 
 the Lord will watch over, and preserve, and carry 
 out to completion. This is a great comfort. I 
 could not perfect the work of grace myself. Of 
 that I am quite sure, for I fail every day, and 
 have only held on so long as I have because the 
 Lord has helped me. If the Lord were to leave 
 me, all my past experience would go for nothing, 
 and I should perish from the way. But the Lord 
 will continue to bless me. Lie will perfect my faith, 
 my love, my character, my life-work. He will do 
 this because he has begun a work in me. He gave 
 me the concern I feel, and, in a measure, he has 
 fulfilled my gracious aspirations. He never leaves 
 a work unfinished ; this would not be for his glory, 
 nor would it be like him. He knows how to 
 accomplish his gracious design, and though my 
 own evil nature, and the world, and the devil, all 
 conspire to hinder him, I do not doubt his promise. 
 He will perfect that which concerneth me, and I 
 will praise him for ever. Lord, let thy gracious 
 work make some advance this dayl 
 
April 28. jFaitfl's Cljcquc 53ooIt. 119 
 
 '''■ I will dwell in iliem, andivalk iii them ; and I 7vill be 
 their God, and they shall be my people'' — 2 Cor. vi. 16. 
 
 HERE is a mutual interest. Each belongs to 
 each. God is the portion of his people, and 
 the chosen people are the portion of their God. 
 The saints find in God their chief possession, and 
 he reckons them to be his peculiar treasure. What 
 a mine of comfort lies in this fact for each believer! 
 
 This happy condition of mutual interest leads to 
 vuitual consideration. God will always think of 
 his own people, and they will always think of him. 
 This day my God will perform all things for me ; 
 what can I do for him ? My thoughts ought to 
 run towards him, for he thinketh upon me. Let 
 me make sure that it is so, and not be content with 
 merely admitting that so it ought to be. 
 
 This, again, leads to mutual fellowship. God 
 dwells in us, and we dwell in him ; he walks with 
 us, and we walk with God. Happy communion 
 this ! 
 
 Oh, for grace to treat the Lord as my God : to 
 trust him, and to serve him, as his Godhead deserves! 
 Oh, that I could love, worship, adore, and obey 
 Jehovah in spirit and in truth ' this is my heart's 
 desire. When I shall attain to it, I shall have 
 found my heaven. Lord, help me ! Be my God in 
 helping me to know thcc as my God, for Jesus' sake. 
 
I20 Jaitlj's (Cf)cquc Book April 29. 
 
 ''Say fiot ihou, I will recompense evil ; but wait on t/ie 
 Lord, and he shall save thee.'' — Prov. xx. 22. 
 
 BE not in haste. Let anger cool down. Say 
 nothing and do nothing to avenge yourself- 
 You will be sure to act unwisely if you take up the 
 cudgels and fight your own battles; and, certainly, 
 you will not show the spirit of the Lord Jesus. It 
 is nobler to forgive, and let the offence pass. To 
 let an injury rankle in your bosom, and to meditate 
 revenge, is to keep old wounds open, and to make 
 new ones. Better forget and forgive. 
 
 Peradventure, you say that you must do some- 
 thing or be a great loser ; then do what this 
 morning's promise advises : " Wait on the Lord, 
 and he shall save thee." This advice will not cost 
 you six-and-eight pence, but it is worth far more. 
 Be calm and quiet. Wait upon the Lord : tell 
 him your grievance : spread Rab-shakeh's letter 
 before the Lord, and this of itself will be an 
 ease to your burdened mind. Besides, there is the 
 promise, " He shall save thee." God will find a 
 way of deliverance for you. How he will do it 
 neither you nor I can guess, but do it he will. If 
 the Lord save you, this will be a deal better than 
 getting into petty quarrels, and covering yourself 
 with filth by wrestHng with the unclean. Be no 
 more angry. Leave your suit with the Judge of all. 
 
April 30. jFaitlj's CKjeque Book 121 
 
 "To him that (roercometh will I give to eat of the hid, ten 
 manna, and ^vill give him a white stone, and in the stone 
 a netv name written, which no man knowcth saving he that 
 receiveth it." — Rev. ii. 17. 
 
 MY heart, be thou stirred up to persevere in 
 the holy war, for the reward of victory is 
 great. To day we eat of heavenly food which 
 falls about our camps ; the food of the wilderness, 
 the food which comes from heaven, the food which 
 never fails the pilgrims to Canaan. But there is 
 reserved for us in Christ Jesus a still higher degree 
 of spiritual life, and a food for it which, as yet, is 
 hidden from our experience. In the golden pot 
 which was laid up in the ark there was a portion 
 of manna hidden away, which though kept for ages 
 never grew stale. No one ever saw it ; it was hid 
 with the ark of the covenant, in the Holy of holies. 
 Even so, the highest life of the believer is hid with 
 Christ, in God. We shall come to it soon. Being 
 made victorious through the grace of our Lord 
 Jesus, we shall eat of the King's meat, and feed 
 upon royal dainties. We shall feed upon Jesus. 
 He is our " hidden manna" as well as the manna of 
 the wilderness. He is all in all to us in our highest, 
 as well as in our lowest estate. He helps us to 
 fight, gives us the victory, and then is himself our 
 reward. Lord, help mc to overcome. 
 
122 Jai'tlj's €!jfqii£ Book. May i. 
 
 '''The mounta'ms and the hills shall break for! h hfore 
 you into singings and all the trees of the field shall clap 
 their hands'' — is, Iv. 12. 
 
 WHEN sin is pardoned, our greatest sorrow is 
 ended, and our truest pleasure begins. 
 Such is the joy which the Lord bestows upon his 
 reconciled ones, that it overflows and fills all nature 
 with delight. The material world has latent music 
 in it, and a renewed heart knows how to bring it 
 out and make it vocal. Creation is the organ, and 
 a gracious man finds out its keys, lays his hand 
 thereon, and wakes the whole system of the 
 universe to the harmony of praise. Mountains and 
 hills, and other great objects, are, as it were, the 
 bass of the chorus; while the trees of the wood, 
 and all things that have life, take up the air of the 
 melodious song. 
 
 When God's word is made to prosper among us, 
 and souls are saved, then everything seems full of 
 song. When we hear the confessions of young 
 believers, and the testimonies of well-instructed 
 saints, we are made so happy that we must praise 
 the Lord, and then it seems as if rocks and hills, 
 and woods and fields, echoed our joy-notes, and 
 turned the world into an orchestra. Lord, on this 
 happy May-day, lead me out into thy tuneful world 
 as rich in praise as a lark in full song. 
 
May 2. Jai'tlj's Cljcqut BjoL 123 
 
 ''He that soivelh to the Spirit shall of the Spirit raip 
 life everlastitig." — Gal. vi. 8. 
 
 SOWING looks like a losing business, for we 
 put good corn into the ground never to see 
 it any more. Sowing to the Spirit seems a very 
 fanciful, dreamy business ; for we deny ourselves, 
 and apparently get nothing for it. Yet if we sow 
 to the Spirit by studying to live unto God, seeking 
 to obey the will of God, and laying ourselves out 
 to promote his honour, we shall not sow in vain. 
 Life shall be our reward, even everlasting life. This 
 we enjoy here as we enter into the knowledge of God, 
 communion with God, and enjoyment of God. 
 This life flows on like an ever-deepening, ever- 
 widening river, till it bears us to the ocean of 
 infinite felicity, where the life of God is ours for 
 ever and ever. 
 
 Let us not this day sow to our flesh, for the 
 harvest will be corruption, since flesh always tends 
 that way; but with holy self-conquest let us live 
 for the highest, purest, and most spiritual ends, 
 seeking to honour our most holy Lord by obeying 
 his most gracious Spirit. What a harvest will 
 that be when we reap life everlasting 1 What 
 sheaves of endless bliss will be reaped ! What a 
 festival will that harvest be ! Lord, make us such 
 reapers, for thy Son's sake. 
 
124 ^"illj's ^E^fjrquc 33oo!t. May 3. 
 
 ^'And let it be. when thsti hearest the sound of a going in 
 the tops of the mnlberrv tries, that then thou shalt bestir 
 thyself : for then shall the Lord go out before thee, to smite 
 the host of the Fh lisii/iesi" — 2 Sam. v. 24. 
 
 THERE are signs of the Lord's moving which 
 should move us. The Spirit of God blows 
 where he listeth, and we hear the sound thereof. 
 Then is the time for us to be more than ever astir. 
 We must seize the golden opportunity, and make 
 the most we -can of it. It is ours to fight the 
 Philistines at all times ; but when the Lord himself 
 goes out before us, then we should be specially 
 valiant in the war. 
 
 The breeze stirred the tops of the trees, and 
 David and his men took this for the signal for an 
 onslaught, and at their advance the Lord, himself, 
 smote the Philistines. Oh, that this day the Lord 
 may give us an opening to speak for him with 
 many of our friends 1 Let us be on the watch to 
 avail ourselves of the hopeful opening when it 
 comes. Who knows but this may be a day of good 
 tidings; a season of soul-winning. Let us keep our 
 ear open to hear the rustle of the wind, and our 
 minds ready to obey the signal. Is not this pro- 
 mise. " then shall the Lord go out before thee," a 
 sufficient encouragement to play the man ? Since 
 the Lord goes before us, we dare not hold back. 
 
May 4- iFnillj'g Cljcqiie ijooft. 125 
 
 ^'Rejoice vot a(:;ainst vie, O mine enemy: u>]ien I fall, 1 
 shall arise ; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a 
 light unto me."— Micah vii. 8. 
 
 '^T^IIIS may express the feeling of a man or 
 -L woman down-trodden and oppressed. Our 
 enemy may put out our light for a season. There 
 is sure liope for us in the Lord ; and if we are 
 trusting in him, and holding fast our integrit}', our 
 season of downcasting and darkness will soon be 
 over. The insults of the foe are only for a moment. 
 The Lord will soon turn their laughter into lamen- 
 tation, and our sighing into singing. 
 
 What if the great enemy of souls should for a 
 while triumph over us, as he has triumphed over 
 better men than we are, yet let us take heart, for 
 we shall overcome him before long. We shall rise 
 from our fall, for our God has not fallen, and he 
 will lift us up. We shall not abide in darkness, 
 although for the moment we sit in it ; for our 
 Lord is the fountain of light, and he will soon 
 bring us a joyful day. Let us not despair, or even 
 doubt. One turn of the wheel and the lowest will 
 be at the top. Woe unto those who laugh now, 
 for they shall mourn and weep when their boasting 
 is turned into everlasting contempt. But blessed 
 are all holy mourners, for they shall be divinely 
 comforted. 
 
126 Jait|)'B Cf)fqu£ Baolt. Mays. 
 
 "77/^ Lord thy God will turn thy captivity." — Deut. xxx. 3. 
 
 GOD'S own people may sell themselves into 
 captivity by sin. A very bitter fruit is this, 
 of an exceeding bitter root. What a bondage it is 
 when the child of God is sold under sin, held in 
 chains by Satan, deprived of his liberty, robbed of 
 his power in prayer, and his delight in the Lord ! 
 Let us watch that we come not into such bondage ; 
 but if this has already happened to us, let us by no 
 means despair. 
 
 But we cannot be held in slavery for ever. The 
 Lord Jesus has paid too high a price for our 
 redemption to leave us in the enemy's hand. The 
 way to freedom is, " Return unto the Lord thy God." 
 Where we first found salvation we shall find it 
 again. At the foot of Christ's cross confessing sin 
 we shall find pardon and deliverance. Moreover, 
 the Lord will have us obey his voice according to 
 all that he has commanded us, and we must do 
 this with all our heart, and all our soul, and then 
 our captivity shall end. 
 
 Often depression of spirit and great misery of 
 soul are removed as soon as we quit our idols and 
 bow ourselves in obedience before the living God. 
 We need not be captives. We may return to Zion's 
 citizenship, and that speedily. Lord, turn our 
 captivity I 
 
>f AY 6. 5ait[)'0 djfquc Booh. 127 
 
 '■Let tiot thine heat-t envy siimei s : but be thou in the fear 
 of the Lord all the day long. For surely there is an end ; 
 and thine expedat ion shall not be cut of." — Pruv. xxiii. 17. 18. 
 
 WHEN we sec the wicked prosper we arc apt 
 to envy them. When we hear the noise 
 of their mirth, and our own spirit is heavy, we half 
 think that they have the best of it. This is fooHsh 
 and sinful. If we knew them better, and specially 
 if we remembered their end, we should pity them. 
 
 The cure for envy lies in living under a constant 
 sense of the divine presence, worshipping God and 
 communing with him all the day long, however long 
 the day may seem. True religion lifts the soul into 
 a higher region, where the judgment becomes more 
 clear, and the desires are more elevated. The more 
 of heaven there is in our lives, the less of earth we 
 shall covet. The fear of God casts out envy of 
 men. 
 
 The death-blow of envy is a calm consideration 
 of the future. The wealth and glory of the ungodly 
 are a vain show. This pompous appearance flashes 
 out for an hour, and then is extinguished. What 
 is the prosperous sinner the better for his pro- 
 sperity when judgment overtakes him ? As for the 
 godly man, his end is peace and blessedness, and 
 none can rob him of his joy ; wherefore, let him 
 forego envy, and be filled with sweet content. 
 
128 iFaitlj's Cljrqur Booh. May 7. 
 
 ^'•A?id there shall cleave fiought of the cursed thing to 
 
 thine hand : that the Lord may turn from the fierceness of 
 
 his anger, and show thee mercy, and have compassion upon 
 
 thee, and multiply thee, as he hath sworn tinto thy fathers.^* 
 
 Deut. xiii. 17. 
 
 ISRAEL must conquer idolatrous cities, and de- 
 stroy all the spoil, regarding all that had been 
 polluted by idolatry as an accursed thing to be 
 burned with fire. Now, sin of all sorts must be 
 treated by Christians in the same manner. We 
 must not allow a single evil habit to remain. It is 
 now war to the knife with sins of all sorts and 
 sizes, whether of the body, the mind, or the spirit. 
 We do not look upon this giving up of evil as 
 deserving mercy, but we regard it as a fruit of the 
 grace of God, which we would on no account miss. 
 When God causes us to have no mercy on our 
 sins, then he has great mercy on us. When we are 
 angry with evil, God is no more angry with us. 
 When we multiply our efforts against iniquity, the 
 Lord multiplies our blessings. The way of peace, 
 of growth, of safety, of joy in Christ Jesus, will be 
 found by following out these words : " There shall 
 nought of the cursed thing cleave to thine hand." 
 Lord, purify me this day. Compassion, prosperity, 
 increase, and joy, will surely be given to those who 
 put away sin with solemn resolution. 
 
May 8. iFafll)'0 fi!ri)fqiie 13ooI{. 129 
 
 " Go ye also into the vineyard ; and whatsoever is ri/^ht, 
 that shall ye receive.^' — Matt. xx. 7. 
 
 YES, there is work in Christ's vineyard for old 
 bodies. It is the eleventh hour, and yet he 
 will let us work. What great grace is this ! Surely 
 every old man ought to jump at this invitation ! 
 After men are advanced in years nobody wants 
 them as servants ; they go from shop to shop, and 
 employers look at their grey hairs, and shake their 
 heads. But Jesus will engage old people, and give 
 them good wages too ! This is mercy indeed. Lord, 
 help the aged to enlist in thy service without an 
 hour's delay. 
 
 But will the Lord pay wages to worn-out old 
 men? Do not doubt it. He says, he will give 
 you what is right if you will work in his field. 
 He will surely give you grace here and glory here- 
 after. He will grant present comfort and future 
 rest ; strength equal to your day, and a vision of 
 glory when the night of death comes on. All these 
 the Lord Jesus will as freely give to the aged 
 convert as to one who enters his service in his youth. 
 
 Let me tell this to some unsaved old man or old 
 woman, and pray the Lord to bless it, for Jesus* 
 sake. Where can I find such persons? I will be 
 on the look-out for them, and kindly tell them the 
 news. 
 
 9 
 
133 dFai'tlj's Cf)fqu£ 13ocIt. May 9. 
 
 '■'■ For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have 
 trusted in his holy na7ne." — Ps. xxxiii. 21. 
 
 THE root of faith produces the flower of heart- 
 joy. We may not at the first rejoice, but it 
 comes in due time. We trust the Lord when we 
 are sad, and in due season he so answers our confi- 
 dence that our faith turns to fruition and we rejoice 
 in the Lord. Doubt breeds distress, but trust 
 means joy in the lonsf run. 
 
 The assurance expressed by the Psalmist in this 
 verse is really a promise held out in the hands of 
 holy confidence. Oh for grace to appropriate it. 
 If we do not rejoice at this moment, yet we shall 
 do so, as surely as David's God is our God. 
 
 Let us meditate upon the Lord's holy name, that 
 we may trust him the better and rejoice the more 
 readily. He is in character holy, just, true, gracious, 
 faithful and unchanging. Is not such a God to be 
 trusted ? He is all-wise, almighty, and everywhere 
 present, can we not cheerfully rely upon him.'' Yes, 
 we will do so at once, and do so without reserve. 
 Jehovah-Jireh will provide, Jehovah-Shalom will 
 send peace, Jehovah-Tsidkenu will justify, Jehovah- 
 Shammah will be for ever near, and in Jehovah- 
 Nissi we will conquer every foe. They that know 
 thy name will trust thee ; and they that trust thee 
 will rejoice in thee, O Lord. 
 
May in. JFai'tlj's CIjequE CooFt. 131 
 
 "So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and 
 I ivill not fear what man shall do unto fne." — iieb. xiii. 6. 
 
 BECAUSE God will never leave nor forsake 
 us, we may well be content with such things 
 as we have. Since the Lord is ours, we cannot be 
 left without a friend, a treasure, and a dwelling- 
 place. This assurance may make us feel quite 
 independent of men. Under such high patronage 
 we do not feel tempted to cringe before our fellow- 
 men, and ask of them permission to call our lives 
 our own ; but what we say we boldly say, and defy 
 contradiction. 
 
 He who fears God has nothing else to fear. We 
 should stand in such awe of the living Lord that 
 all the threats that can be used by the proudest 
 persecutor should have no more effect upon us than 
 the whistling of the wind. Man in these days can- 
 not do so much against us as he could when the 
 apostle wrote the verse at the head of this page. 
 Racks and stakes are out of fashion. Giant Pope 
 cannot burn the pilgrims now. If the followers of 
 false teachers try cruel mockery and scorn, we do 
 not wonder at it, for the men of this world cannot 
 love the heavenly seed. What then ? We must 
 bear the world's scorn. It breaks no bones. God 
 helping us, let us be bold, and when the world 
 rages let it rage, but let us not fear it 
 
132 iFai't!)'3 Cljequc Book. May ii. 
 
 " Gad, a troop shall overcome him : but he shall over- 
 come at the last.'' — Gen. xlix. 19. 
 
 SOME of us have been like the tribe of Gad. Our 
 adversaries for a while were too many for us, 
 they came upon us like a troop. Yes, and for the 
 moment they overcame us ; and they exulted 
 greatly because of their temporary victory. Thus 
 they only proved the first part of the family 
 heritage to be really ours, for Christ's people like 
 Dan, shall have a troop overcoming them. This 
 being overcome is very painful, and we should have 
 despaired if we had not by faith believed the second 
 line of our father's benediction, " He sJiall overcome 
 at the last." " All's well that ends well," said the 
 world's poet ; and he spoke the truth. A war is to 
 be judged, not by first successes or defeats, but by 
 that which happens "at the last." The Lord will 
 give to truth and righteousness victory " at the 
 last " ; and, as Mr. Bunyan says, that means for 
 ever, for nothing can come after the last. 
 
 What we need is patient perseverance in well- 
 doing, calm confidence in our glorious Captain. 
 Christ, our Lord Jesus, would teach us his holy 
 art of setting the face like a flint to go through with 
 work or suffering till we can say, "It is finished." 
 Hallelujah. Victory! Victory! We believe the 
 promise. " He shall overcome at the last." 
 
May 12. JFai'tlj's Cirque Booft. 133 
 
 " W/ioso kecpeth thi fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: 
 to he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured." 
 Prov. xxvii. i8. 
 
 HE who tends the fig tree has figs for his pains, 
 and he who waits on a good master has 
 honour as his reward. Truly the Lord Jesus is the 
 very best of masters, and it is an honour to be 
 allowed to do the least act for his sake. To serve 
 .some lords is to watch over a crab tree and eat the 
 crabs as one's wages ; but to serve my Lord Jesus 
 is to keep a fig tree of the sweetest figs. His 
 service is in itself delight, continuance in it is pro- 
 motion, success in it is blessedness below, and the 
 reward for it is glory above. 
 
 Our greatest honours will be gathered in that 
 season when the figs will be ripe, even in the next 
 world. Angels who are now our servitors will bear 
 us home when our day's work is done. Heaven, 
 where Jesus is, will be our honourable mansion, 
 eternal bliss our honourable portion, and the Lord 
 himself our koi Durable companion. Who can 
 imagine the full meaning of this promise — " He 
 that waiteth on his master shall be honoured " ? 
 
 Lord, help me to wait upon my Master. Let me 
 leave all idea of honour to the hour when thou 
 thyself shalt honour me. May thy Holy Spirit 
 make me a lowly and patient worker and waiter ! 
 
134 ifaitfj's Cfifquc Book. May 13. 
 
 '■'■And I will give him the inorning star," — Rev. ii. 28. 
 
 UNTIL the day break, and the shadows flee 
 away, what a blessing it is to see in Jesus 
 "the morning star" ! I ren:iember when we read in 
 the newspapers the idle tale that the star of Bethle- 
 hem had again appeared. On enquiry we found 
 that it was only " the morning star '' ; but no great 
 mistake had been made after all. 
 
 It is best to see Jesus as the sun ; but when we 
 cannot do so, the next best thing is to see him as 
 that star which prophesies the day, and shows that 
 the eternal light is near at hand. If I am not to- 
 day all that I hope to be, yet I see Jesus, and 
 that assures me that I shall one day be like him. 
 A sight of Jesus by faith is the pledge of beholding 
 him in his glory and being transformed into his 
 image. If I have not at this hour all the light and 
 joy I could desire, yet I shall have it ; for as surely 
 as I see the morning star I shall see the day. The 
 morning star is never far from the sun. 
 
 Come, my soul, has the Lord given thee the 
 morning star? Dost thou hold fast that truth, 
 grace, hope, and love which the Lord has given 
 thee ? Then in this thou hast the dawn of coming 
 glory. He that makes thee overcome evil, and 
 persevere in righteousness, has therein given thee 
 the morning star. 
 
May 14. iTaitVs (Tljrquc l^aoTt. 135 
 
 "Co»ie, and let us return unto ike Lord: for he hath 
 torn, and he wiU heal us ; he hatli smitten, and he will 
 bind us ///."— Ilosea vi. i. 
 
 IT is the Lord's way to tear before he heals. 
 This is the honest love of his heart, and the 
 sure surgery of his hand. He also bruises before 
 he binds up, or else it would be uncertain work. 
 The law comes before the gospel ; the sense of need 
 before the supply of it. Is the reader now under 
 the convincing, crushing hand of the Spirit? Has 
 he received the spirit of bondage again to fear ? 
 This is a salutary preliminary to real gospel healing 
 and binding up. 
 
 Do not despair, dear heart, but come to the Lord 
 with all thy jagged wounds, black bruises, and 
 running sores. He alone can heal, and he delights 
 to do it. It is our Lord's office to bind up the 
 broken-hearted, and he is gloriously at home at it. 
 Let us not linger, but at once return unto the Lord 
 from whom we have gone astray. Let us show him 
 our gaping wounds, and beseech him to know his 
 own work, and complete it. W'ill a surgeon make 
 an incision, and then leave his patient to bleed to 
 death ? Will the Lord pull down our old house, 
 and then refuse to build us a better one? Dost 
 thou ever wantonly increase the mi:?cry of poor 
 anxious i-ouls? That be far from thee, O Lord, 
 
136 ifntllj's Cl^equc 13oo^ May 15. 
 
 "/ 7vill set him on high, because he hath kno'am my 
 name" — Ps. xci. 14. 
 
 DOES the Lord say this to mc ? Yes, if I have 
 known his name. Blessed be the Lord, I am 
 no stranger to him. I have tried him, and proved 
 him, and known him, and, therefore, do I trust him. 
 I know his name as a sin-hating God, for by his 
 Spirit's convincing power I have been taught that 
 he will never wink at evil. But I also know him 
 as the sin-pardoning God in Christ Jesus, for he 
 has forgiven me all trespasses. His name is faith- 
 fulness, and I know it, for he has never forsaken me 
 though my troubles have multiplied upon me. 
 
 This knowledge is a gift of grace, and the Lord 
 makes it to be the reason why he grants another 
 grace-gift, namely, setting on high. This is grace 
 upon grace. Observe that if we climb on high, the 
 position may be dangerous ; but if the Lord sets us 
 there, it is safe. He may raise us to great useful- 
 ness, to eminent experience, to success in service, 
 to leadership among workers, to a father's place 
 among the little ones. If he docs not do this, he 
 may set us on high by near fellowship, clear 
 insight, holy triumph, and gracious anticipation 
 of eternal glory. When God sets us on high, Satan 
 himself cannot pull us down. Oh, that this may be 
 our case all through this day ! 
 
May i6. i)Faitf)'0 Cf)fque Booft. 137 
 
 ^^Blessed are the merciful : for they shall obtain mercy P 
 Matt. V. 7. 
 
 IT is not meet that the man who will not forgive 
 should be forgiven, nor shall he who will not 
 give to the poor have his own wants relieved. God 
 will measure to us with our own bushels, and those 
 who have been hard masters and hard creditors, 
 will find that the Lord will deal hardly with them. 
 "He shall have judgment without mercy, that hath 
 shewed no mercy." 
 
 This day let us try to give and to forgive. Let 
 us mind the two bears — bear and forbear. Let 
 us be kind, and gentle, and tender. Let us not put 
 harsh constructions upon men's conduct, nor drive 
 hard bargains, nor pick foolish quarrels, nor be 
 difficult to please. Surely we wish to be blessed, 
 and we also want to obtain mercy : let us be 
 merciful, that we may have mercy. Let us fulfil 
 the condition, that we may earn the beatitude. Is 
 it not a pleasant duty to be kind ? Is there not 
 much more sweetness in it than in being angry and 
 ungenerous ? Why, there is a blessedness in the 
 thing itself! Moreover, the obtaining of mercy is 
 a rich reward. What but sovereign grace could 
 suggest such a promise as this? We are merciful 
 to our fellow-mortal in pence, and the Lord for- 
 jrives us " all that debt." 
 
138 iFattl^'0 (TO^eque !Saafe. may 17. 
 
 "T^e upright shall have good things in possession." 
 Prov. xxviii. lo. 
 
 THE Book of Proverbs is also a Book of 
 Promises. Promises ought to be proverbs 
 among the people of God. This is a very remark- 
 able one. We are accustomed to think of our good 
 things as in reversion, but here we are told that we 
 shall have them in possession. 
 
 Not all the malice and cunning of our enemies 
 can work our destruction : they shall fall into the 
 pit which they have digged. Our inheritance is so 
 entailed upon us that we shall not be kept out of 
 it, nor so turned out of the way as to miss it. 
 
 But what have we now ? We have a quiet con- 
 science through the precious blood of Je^us. We 
 have the love of God set upon us beyond all change. 
 We have power with God in prayer in all time of 
 need. We have the providence of God to watch 
 over us, the angels of God to minister to us, and, 
 above all, the Spirit of God to dwell in us. In fact, all 
 things are ours. " Whether things present or things 
 to come: all are yours." Jesus is ours. Yea, the 
 divine Trinity in Unity is ours. Hallelujah. Let 
 us not pine and whine, and stint and slave, since 
 we have good things in possession. Let us live on 
 our God and rejoice in him all the day. Help us, 
 O Holy Ghost! 
 
May i8. iFai'tl)'0 CTjcque Book. 139 
 
 ^^And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath 
 eateny — ^joel ii. 25. 
 
 YES, those wasted years over which we sigh 
 shall be restored to us. God can give us 
 such plentiful grace that we shall crowd into 
 the remainder of our days as much of service as 
 will be some recompense for those years of unre- 
 gcneracy over which we mourn in humble penitence. 
 The locusts of backsliding, worldliness, luke- 
 warmness, are now viewed by us as a terrible plague. 
 Oh that they had never come near us ! The Lord 
 in mercy has now taken them away, and we are full 
 of zeal to serve him. Blessed be his name, we can 
 raise such harvests of spiritual graces as shall make 
 our former barrenness to disappear. Through rich 
 grace we can turn to account our bitter experience, 
 and use it to warn others. We can become the 
 more rooted in humility, childlike dependence, 
 and penitent spirituality, by reason of our former 
 shortcomings. If we are the more watchful, 
 zealous, and tender, we shall gain by our lament- 
 able losses. The wasted years, by a miracle of love, 
 can be restored. Does it seem too great a boon ? 
 Let us believe for it, and live for it, and we may 
 yet realize it, even as Peter became all the more 
 useful a man after his presumption was cured by his 
 discovered weakness. Lord, aid us by thy grace. 
 
I40 JFaitf)'0 Cljcque Book. May 19. 
 
 ^^ Therefore thus saith the Lord, If thou return, then 
 will I bring thee again, and thou shall statid before me : 
 and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shall 
 be as my mouth" — jer. xv. 19. 
 
 POOR Jeremiah ! Yet why do we say so ? 
 The weeping prophet was one of the choicest 
 servants of God, and honoured by him above many. 
 He was hated for speaking the truth. The word 
 which was so sweet to him was bitter to his hearers, 
 yet he was accepted of his Lord. He was com- 
 manded to abide in his faithfulness, and then the 
 Lord would continue to speak through him. He 
 was to deal boldly and truthfully with men, and 
 perform the Lord's winnowing work upon the pro- 
 fessors of his day, and then the Lord gave him this 
 word, " Thou shalt be as my mouth." 
 
 What an honour! Should not every preacher, 
 yea, every believer, covet it ? For God to speak by 
 us, what a marvel ! We shall speak sure, pure 
 truth ; and we shall speak it with power. Our 
 word shall not return void ; it shall be a blessing 
 to those who receive it, and those who refuse it 
 shall do so at their peril. Our lips shall feed 
 many. We shall arouse the sleeping and call 
 the dead to life. 
 
 O dear reader, pray that it may be so with the 
 writer, and w^ith all the sent servants of our Lord. 
 
May 20. iFnitb's Cfjrquc Booh. 141 
 
 "/ 7viU ^0 before thee, and make the crooked places 
 straight : I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and ait 
 in sunder the bars of iron" — isa. xlv. 2. 
 
 THIS was for Cyrus ; but it is evermore the 
 heritage of all the Lord's own spiritual 
 servants. Only let us go forward by faith, and 
 our way will be cleared for us. Crooks and turns 
 of human craft and Satanic subtlety shall be 
 straightened for us ; we shall not need to track 
 their devious windings. The gates of brass shall 
 be broken, and the iron bars which fastened them 
 shall be cut asunder. We shall not need the 
 battering ram nor the crow-bar : the Lord himself 
 will do the impossible for us, and the unexpected 
 shall be a fact. 
 
 Let us not sit down in coward fear. Let us press 
 onward in the path of duty ; for the Lord hath 
 said it, " I will go before thee." Ours not to reason 
 why; ours but to dare and dash forward. It is the 
 Lord's work, and he will enable us to do it : all 
 impediments must yield before him. Hath he not 
 said, " I will break in pieces the gates of brass ? " 
 What can hinder his purpose or balk his decrees,-* 
 Those who serve God have infinite resources. The 
 way is clear to faith though barred to human 
 strength. When Jehovah says, " I will," as he does 
 twice in this promise, we dare not doubt. 
 
14* iFaitfi'iS €\)tqm Book. May 21. 
 
 '^/f the clouds be full of rain, they empty the tine Ives 
 upon the earth." — Eccl. xi. 3. 
 
 WHY, then, do we dread the clouds which now 
 darken our sky ? True, for a while they 
 hide the sun, but the sun is not quenched ; he will 
 shine out again before long. Meanwhile those 
 black clouds are filled with rain; and the blacker 
 they are, the more likely they are to yield plentiful 
 showers. How can we have rain without clouds ? 
 
 Our troubles have always brought us blessings, 
 and they always will. They are the dark chariots 
 of bright grace. These clouds will empty them- 
 selves before long, and every tender herb will be 
 the gladder for the shower. Our God may drench 
 us with grief, but he will not drown us with wrath ; 
 nay, he will refresh us with mercy. Our Lord's 
 love-letters often come to us in black-edged en- 
 velopes. His wagons rumble, but they are loaded 
 with benefits. His rod blossoms with sweet flowers 
 and nourishing fruits. Let us not worry about the 
 clouds, but sing because May flowers are brought 
 to us through the April clouds and showers. 
 
 O Lord, the clouds are the dust of thy feet! How 
 near thou art in the cloudy and dark day ! Love 
 beholds thee, and is glad. Faith sees the clouds 
 emptying themselves and making the little hills 
 rejoice on every side. 
 
May 22. Jaftlj's Cfjcqne Booft. 143 
 
 ^'T/ious^h I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt 
 revive tiie: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the 
 wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me:'' 
 Ps. cxxxviii. 7. 
 
 WRETCHED walking in the midst of trouble 
 Nay, blessed walking, since there is a 
 special promise for it. Give me a promise, and 
 what is the trouble ? What doth my Lord teach 
 me here to say ? Why this — " Thou wilt revive 
 me." I shall have more life, more energy, more 
 faith. Is it not often so, that trouble revives us, 
 like a breath of cold air when one is ready to faint? 
 
 How angry are my enemies and especially the 
 arch-enemy ! Shall I stretch forth my hand and 
 fight my foes } No, my hand is better employed 
 in doing service for my Lord. Besides, there is no 
 need, for my God will use his far-reaching arm, 
 and he will deal with them far better than I could 
 if I were to try. "Vengeance is mine; I will 
 repay, saith the Lord." He will with his own 
 right hand of power and wisdom save me, and 
 what more can I desire .-' 
 
 Come, my heart, talk this promise over to thyself 
 till thou canst use it as the song of thy confidence, 
 the solace of thy loneliness. Pray to be revived 
 thyself, and leave the rest with the Lord, who per- 
 formeth all things for thee. 
 
144 iFnillj's Cfjeque ISaoft. May 23 
 
 '^'■For he shall deliver the needy ivhen he crieih ; the poor 
 also, and hii?i that hath 710 helper."" — Ps. ixxii. 12. 
 
 THE needy cries ; what else can he do? His 
 cry is heard of God ; what else need he do ? 
 Let the needy reader take to crying at once, for 
 this will be his wisdom. Do not cry in the ears of 
 friends, for even if they can help you it is only 
 because the Lord enables them. The nearest way 
 is to go straight to God, and let your cry come up 
 before him. Straight-forward makes the best 
 runner : run to the Lord, and not to secondary 
 causes. 
 
 "Alas!" you cry, "I have no friend or helper." 
 So much the better ; you can rely upon God in 
 both capacities — as without supplies and without 
 helpers. Make your double need your double plea. 
 Even for temporal mercies you may wait upon God, 
 for he careth for his children in these temporary 
 concerns. As for spiritual necessities, which are 
 the heaviest of all, the Lord will hear your cry, and 
 will deliver you and supply you. 
 
 O poor friend, try your rich God. O helpless 
 one, lean on his help. He has never failed me, and 
 I am sure he will never fail yoiu Come as a beggar, 
 and God will not refuse you help. Come with no 
 plea but his grace. Jesus is King, will he let you 
 perish of want ? What ! Did you forget this ? 
 
May 24- JFnitlj's Cf)fqu£ Booh. 145 
 
 ^'^One fnan of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lord 
 your God, he it is that fighteth for yoii, as lie hath promised 
 you. — Joshua xxiii. lo. 
 
 WHY count heads? One man with God is a 
 majority though there be a thousand on the 
 other side. Sometimes our helpers may be too 
 many for God to work with them, as was the case 
 with Gideon, who could do nothing till he had in- 
 creased his forces by thinning out their numbers. 
 But the Lord's host are never too few. When God 
 would found a nation, he called Abram alone 
 and blessed him. When he would vanquish proud 
 Pharaoh, he used no armies, but only Moses and 
 Aaron. The " one man ministry," as certain wise 
 men call it, has been far more used of the Lord 
 than trained bands with their officers. Did all the 
 Israelites together slay so many as Samson alone ? 
 Saul and his hosts slew their thousands, but David 
 his ten thousands. 
 
 The Lord can give the enemy long odds and yet 
 vanquish him. If we have faith, we have God 
 with us, and what are multitudes of men ? One 
 shepherd's dog can drive before him a great flock 
 of sheep. If the Lord sent thee, O my brother, 
 his strength will accomplish his divine purpose. 
 Wherefore, rely on the promise, and be very 
 courageous. 
 
 10 
 
146 Jaitfj's CTfjcque Booft. May 25. 
 
 '■''The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure." 
 Deut. xxviii. 12. 
 
 THIS refers first to the rain. The Lord will 
 give this in its season. Rain is the emblem 
 of all those celestial refreshings which the Lord is 
 ready to bestow upon his people. Oh for a copious 
 shower to refresh the Lord's heritage ! 
 
 We seem to think that God's treasury can only 
 be opened by a great prophet like Elijah, but it is 
 not so, for this promise is to all the faithful in 
 Israel, and, indeed, to each one of them. O 
 believing friend, " the Lord shall open unto thee 
 his good treasure." Thou, too, mayest see heaven 
 opened, and thrust in thy hand and take out thy 
 portion, yea, and a portion for all thy brethren 
 round about thee. Ask what thou wilt, and thou 
 shalt not be denied, if thou abidest in Christ, and 
 his words abide in thee. 
 
 As yet thou hast not known all thy Lord's trea- 
 sures, but he shall open them up to thine under- 
 standing. Certainly thou hast not yet enjoyed the 
 fulness of his covenant riches, but he will direct 
 thine heart into his love, and reveal Jesus in thee. 
 Only the Lord himself can do this for thee ; but 
 here is his promise, and if thou wilt hearken 
 diligently unto his voice, and obey his will, his 
 riches in glory by Christ Jesus shall be thine. 
 
May 26. jfni'tlj's CTljcquc 33ook. 147 
 
 " Ve shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless 
 thy bread, and thy tvater." — Ex. xxiii. 25. 
 
 WHAT a promise is this ! To serve God is in 
 itself a high deHght. But what an added 
 privilege to have the blessing of the Lord resting 
 upon us in all things ! Our commonest things 
 become blessed when we ourselves are consecrated 
 to the Lord. Our Lord Jesus took bread and 
 blessed it; behold, we also eat of blessed bread. 
 Jesus blessed water and made it wine : the water 
 which we drink is far better to us than any of the 
 wine with which men make merry ; every drop has 
 a benediction in it. The divine blessing is on the 
 man of God in everything, and it shall abide with 
 him at every time. 
 
 What if we have only bread and water ! Yet it 
 is blessed bread and water. Bread and water we 
 shall have. That is implied, for it must be there 
 for God to bless it. " Thy bread shall be given 
 thee, and thy waters shall be sure." With God at 
 our table, we not only ask a blessing, but we have 
 one. It is not only at the altar but at the table 
 that he blesses us. He serves those well who serve 
 him well. This table-blessing is not of debt, but 
 of grace. Indeed, there is a treble grace ; he grants 
 us grace to serve him, by his grace feeds us with 
 bread, and then in his grace blesses it. 
 
148 Jaitlj's (Eljcque Book. May 27. 
 
 '•'■For if these things be in you, and abound, they make 
 you that ye shall iieither be barren nor unfruitful in the 
 knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." — 2 Pet. i. 8. 
 
 IF we desire to glorify our Lord by fruitfulness 
 we must have certain things within us ; for 
 nothing can come out of us which is not first of all 
 within us. We must begin with faith, which is 
 the groundwork of all the virtues ; and then dili- 
 gently add to it virtue, knowledge, temperance, 
 and patience. With these we must have godliness 
 and brotherly love. All these put together will 
 most assuredly cause us to produce, as our life 
 fruit, the clusters of usefulness, and we shall not 
 be mere idle knowers, but real doers of the word. 
 These holy things must not only be in us, but 
 abound, or we shall be barren. Fruit is the overflow 
 of life, and we must be full before we can flow over. 
 We have noticed men of considerable parts and 
 opportunities who have never succeeded in doing 
 real good in the conversion of souls ; and after 
 close observation we have concluded that they 
 lacked certain graces which are absolutely essential 
 to fruit-bearing. For real usefulness graces are 
 better than gifts. As the man is, so is his work. 
 If we would do better we must be better. Let" the 
 text be a gentle hint to unfruitful professors, and 
 to mjself also. 
 
May 28. Jni'tj^'s (B\)tqm Baoft. 149 
 
 ^'Afid thou saidsf, I will surely do thee good'' — Gen. xxxii. 12. 
 
 THIS is the sure way of prevailing with the 
 Lord in prayer. We may humbly remind 
 him of what he has said. Our faithful God will 
 never run back from his word, nor will he leave it 
 unfulfilled ; yet he loves to be enquired of by his 
 people, and put in mind of his promise. This is 
 refreshing to their memories, reviving to their faith, 
 and renewing to their hope. God's word is given, 
 not for his sake, but for ours. His purposes are 
 settled, and he needs nothing to bind him to 
 his design of doing his people good ; but he gives 
 the promise for our strengthening and comfort. 
 Hence he wishes us to plead it, and say to him, 
 "Thou saidst." 
 
 " I will surely do thee good " is just the essence 
 of all the Lord's gracious sayings. Lay a special 
 stress on the word " surely." He will do us good, 
 real good, lasting good, only good, every good. 
 He will make us good, and this is to do us 
 good in the very highest degree. He will treat 
 us as he does his saints while we are here, and 
 that is good. He will soon take us to be with 
 Jesus and all his chosen, and that is supremely 
 good. With this promise in our hearts we need 
 not fear angry Esau, nor anyone else. If the 
 Lord will do us good, who can do us hurt ? 
 
150 iFattl[)'0 O^cquE Book. May 29. 
 
 ^^And Jesus said unto t/iem, Come ye offer me, and J 
 ivill fuake you to become fishers of men.'''' — Mark i. 17- 
 
 ONLY by coming after Jesus can we obtain our 
 heart's desire, and be really useful to our 
 fellow men. Oh, how we long to be successful 
 fishers for Jesus ! We would sacrifice our lives to 
 win souls. But we are tempted to try methods 
 which Jesus would never have tried. Shall we 
 yield to this suggestion of the enemy ? If so, we 
 may splash the water, but we shall never take the 
 fish. We must follow after Jesus if we would 
 succeed. Sensational methods, entertainments, and 
 so forth — are these coming after Jesus? Can we 
 imagine the Lord Jesus drawing a congregation by 
 such means as are now commonly used ? What is 
 the result of such expedients ? The result is nothing 
 which Jesus will count up at the last great day. 
 
 We must keep to our preaching as our Master 
 did, for by this means souls are saved. We must 
 preach our Lord's doctrine, and proclaim a full and 
 free gospel ; for this is the net in which souls are 
 taken. We must preach with his gentleness, bold- 
 ness, and love ; for this is the secret of success with 
 human hearts. We must work under divine anoint- 
 ing, depending upon the sacred Spirit. Thus, 
 coming after Jesus, and not running before him, 
 nor aside from him, we shall be fishers of men. 
 
MAY30. JFaitij's CljcquE Baofu 151 
 
 " Neve rf lie less I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see tht 
 Son of man sittini^ on Hie right hand of power, and coming 
 in the clouds of heaven.^' — Matt. xxvi. 64. 
 
 AH, Lord, thou wast in thy lowest state when 
 before thy persecutors thou wast made to 
 stand Hke a criminal ! Yet the eyes of thy faith 
 could see beyond thy present humiliation into thy 
 future glory. What words are these, " Nevertheless 
 — hereafter " ! I would imitate thy holy foresight, 
 and in the midst of poverty, or sickness, or slander, 
 I also would say, " Nevertheless — hereafter." In- 
 stead of weakness, thou hast all power ; instead of 
 shame, all glory ; instead of derision, all worship. 
 Thy cross has not dimmed the splendour of thy 
 crown, neither has the spittle marred the beauty of 
 thy face. Say, rather, thou art the more exalted 
 and honoured because of thy sufferings. 
 
 So, Lord, I also would take courage from the 
 " hereafter." I would forget the present tribula- 
 tion in the future triumph. Help thou me by 
 directing me into thy Father's love and into thine 
 own patience, so that when I am derided for thy 
 name I may not be staggered, but think more and 
 more of the hereafter, and, therefore, all the less of 
 to-day. I shall be with thee soon and behold thy 
 glory. Wherefore, I am not ashamed, but say in 
 my inmost soul, " Nevertheless — hereafter." 
 
152 jFattlj'g Cfjeque BaoJt. May 31. 
 
 "/« the world ye shall have tribulation : but be of good 
 cheer ; I have overcome the worlds — ^john xvi. 33. 
 
 MY Lord's words are true as to the tribulation. 
 I have my share of it beyond all doubt. 
 The flail is not hung up out of the way, nor can I 
 hope that it will be laid aside so long as I lie 
 upon the threshing-floor. How can I look to be 
 at home in the enemy's country, joyful while in 
 exile, or comfortable in a wilderness? This is not 
 my rest. This is the place of the furnace, and the 
 forge, and the hammer. My experience tallies with 
 my Lord's words. 
 
 I note how he bids me " be of good cheer." 
 Alas ! I am far too apt to be downcast. My spirit 
 soon sinks when I am sorely tried. But I must not 
 give way to this feeling. When my Lord bids me 
 cheer up I must not dare to be cast down. 
 
 What is the argument which he uses to encourage 
 me ? Why, it is his own victory. He says, " I have 
 overcome the world." His battle was much more 
 severe than mine. I have not yet resisted unto 
 blood. Why do I despair of overcoming? See, 
 my soul, the enemy has been once overcome. I 
 fight with a beaten foe. O world, Jesus has already 
 vanquished thee ; and in me, by his grace, he will 
 overcome thee again. Therefore am I of good cheer, 
 and sing unto my conquering Lord. 
 
June I. Jfaflfj'g Cljcqiic !3ooIt. 153 
 
 ^'Cast thy bread upon the wafers : for thou shaitjitid it 
 after many days." — Eccl. xi. i. 
 
 WE must not expect to see an immediate 
 reward for all the good we do ; nor must 
 \vc always confine our efforts to places and persons 
 which seem likely to yield us a recompense for our 
 labours. The Egyptian casts his seed upon the 
 waters of the Nile, where it might seem a sheer 
 waste of corn. But in due time the flood subsides, 
 the rice or other grain sinks into the fertile mud, 
 and rapidly a harvest is produced. Let us to-day 
 do good to the unthankful and the evil. Let us 
 teach the careless and the obstinate. Unlikely 
 waters may cover hopeful soil. Nowhere shall 
 our labour be in vain in the Lord. 
 
 It is ours to cast our bread upon the waters ; it 
 remains with God to fulfil the promise, "Thou shalt 
 find it," He will not let his promise fail. His 
 good word which we have spoken shall live, shall 
 be found, shall be found by us. Perhaps not just 
 yet, but some day we shall reap what we have 
 sown. We must exercise our patience ; for per- 
 haps the Lord may exercise it. "After many days," 
 says the Scripture, and in many instances those 
 days run into months and years, and yet the word 
 stands true. God's promise will keep; let us mind 
 that we keep the precept, and keep it this day. 
 
154 i?ai'tlj*s ^Ijtqut IjocTt. Junk 2. 
 
 "J^or now will I break his yoke frjm of thee, and tdll 
 hirst thy bj7ids in sunder ^ — Nabum i. 13. 
 
 THE Assyrian was allowed for a season to 
 oppress the Lord's people, but there came a 
 time for his power to be broken. So, many a heart 
 is held in bondage by Satan, and frets sorely under 
 the yoke. Oh, that to such prisoners of hope the 
 word of the Lord may come at once, according to 
 the text, — "Now will I break his yoke from off 
 thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder '" ! 
 
 See ! the Lord promises a present deliverance : 
 " Now will I break his yoke from off thee."" Believe 
 for immediate freedom, and according to thy faith 
 so shall it be unto thee at this very hour. When 
 God saith *' now," let no man say " to-morrow." 
 
 See how complete the rescue is to be ; for the 
 yoke is not to be removed, but broken ; and the 
 bonds are not to be untied, but burst asunder. 
 Here is a display of divine force which guarantees 
 that the oppressor shall not return. His yoke 
 is broken, we cannot again be bowed dov/n by 
 its weight. His bonds are burst asunder, they 
 can no longer hold us. Oh, to believe in Jesus for 
 complete and everlasting emancipation ! "If the 
 Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." 
 Come, Lord, and set free thy captives, according 
 to thy word. 
 
June 3. jFaitlj'3 Cljcqiic Boolt. 155 
 
 ^'' The Lord God is my strength, and he wUl make my 
 feet like hinds' feet, and he xvillmake me to walk iipjn mine 
 high places." — I lab. iii. 19. 
 
 THIS confidence of the man of God is tanta- 
 mount to a promise ; for that which faith is 
 persuaded of is the purpo.se of God. The prophet 
 had to traverse the deep places of povcrt}' and 
 famine, but he went down hill without slipping, for 
 the Lord gave him s/a/uiing: By-and-by he was 
 called to the high places of the hills of conflict ; 
 and he was no more afraid to go up than to go down. 
 
 See ! the Lord lent him straigth. Nay, Jehovah 
 himself was his strength. Think of that : the 
 Almighty God himself becomes our strength ! 
 
 Note, that the Lord also gave him surc-jootedncss. 
 The hinds leap over rock and crag, never missing 
 their foothold. Our Lord will give us grace to 
 follow the most difficult paths of duty without a 
 stumble. He can fit our foot for the crags, so that 
 we shall be at home where apart from God we 
 should perish. 
 
 One of these days we shall be called to higlier 
 places still. Up yonder wc shall climb, even to the 
 mount of God, the high places where the shining 
 ones are gathered. Oh, what feet are the feet of 
 faith, by which, following the Hind of the Morning, 
 we shall ascend into the hill of the Lord I 
 
156 Jaitlj's CljrquE Boolt. June 4. 
 
 '^T/iey shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that 
 day when I make 2ip my jewels." — Mai. iii. 17. 
 
 A DAY is coming in which the crown jewels of 
 our great King shall be counted, that it 
 may be seen whether they answer to the inventory 
 which his Father gave him. My soul, wilt thou be 
 among the precious things of Jesus ? Thou art 
 precious to him if he is precious to thee, and thou 
 shalt be his "in that day," if he is thine in this day. 
 
 In the days of Malachi, the chosen of the Lord 
 were accustomed so to converse with each other 
 that their God himself listened to their talk. He 
 liked it so well that he took notes of it ; yes, and 
 made a book of it, which he lodged in his Record 
 Office. Pleased with their conversation, he was also 
 pleased with them. Pause, my soul, and ask thy- 
 self: If Jesus were to listen to thy talk would he be 
 pleased with it? Is it to his glory and to the 
 edification of the brotherhood } Say, my soul, and 
 be sure thou sayest the truth. 
 
 But what will the honour be for us poor creatures 
 to be reckoned by the Lord to be his crown 
 jewels ! This honour have all the saints. Jesus 
 not only says, " They are mine," but, " They shall 
 be mine." He bought us, sought us, brought us in, 
 and has so far wrought us to his image, that we 
 shall be fought for by him with all his might. 
 
Junes- iFaitb's Cljvquc 13oo?L 157 
 
 ^'But against any of the children of Israel shall not a 
 dog more his tongue, against man or beast : ihat ye may 
 kno7V hozv that the Lord doth put a dijtrence belujccn the 
 Egyptians and Israel:'' — Ex. xi. 7. 
 
 WHAT ! has God power over the tongues of 
 dogs ? Can he keep curs from barking ? 
 Yes, it is even so. He can even prevent an 
 Eg3-ptian dog from worrying one of the lambs of 
 Israel's flock. Doth God silence dogs, and doggish 
 ones among men, and the great dog at hell's gate ? 
 Then let us move on our way without fear. 
 
 If he lets dogs move their tongues, yet he can 
 stop their teeth. They may make a dreadful noise, 
 and still do us no real harm. Yet, how sweet is 
 quiet ! How delightful to move about among 
 enemies, and perceive that God maketh them to be 
 at peace with us ! Like Daniel in the den of lions, 
 we are unhurt amid destroyers. 
 
 Oh, that to-day, this word of the Lord to Israel 
 might be true to me ! Does the dog worry me ? I 
 will tell my Lord about him. Lord, he does not 
 care for my pleadings ; do thou speak the word of 
 power, and he must lie down. Give n peace, O 
 my God, and let me see thy hand so distinctly 
 in it that I may most clearly perceive the difterence 
 which thy grace has made between me and the 
 ungodly 1 
 
158 JFaitlj's Cfjrque Book. June 6. 
 
 *'' The Lord hath heard my suppUcaiicn ; the Lord will 
 
 receive my prayer." — Ps. vi. 9. 
 
 THE experience here recorded is mine. I can 
 set to my seal that God is true. In very- 
 wonderful ways he has answered the prayers of his 
 servant many and many a time. Yes, and he is 
 hearing my present supplication, and he is not 
 turning away his ear from me. Blessed be his 
 holy name ! 
 
 What then ? Why, for certain the promise which 
 lies sleeping in the Psalmist's believing confidence 
 is also mine. Let me grasp it by the hand of faith : 
 " The Lord will receive my prayer." He will accept 
 it, think of it, and grant it in the way and time 
 which his loving wisdom judges to be best. I 
 bring my poor prayer in my hand to the great 
 King, and he gives me audjence, and graciously 
 receives my petition. My enemies will not listen 
 to me, but my Lord will. They ridicule my tearful 
 prayers, but my Lord does not ; he receives my 
 prayer into his ear and his heart. 
 
 What a reception this is for a poor sinner! We 
 receive Jesus, and then the Lord receives us and 
 our prayers for his Son's sake. Blessed be that dear 
 name which franks our prayers so that they freely 
 pass even within the golden gates. Lord, teach 
 me to pray, since thou hearest my prayers. 
 
j.)Nt 7. jTai'lb's Cljfquc Bock. 157 
 
 ^^Aml J give unlo them eternal life ; and they shall tici'er 
 ferish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my luvuL'^ 
 John X. 28. 
 
 WE believe in the eternal security of the 
 saints. I'^irst, because they are Christ's, 
 and he will never lose the sheep which he has 
 bought with his blood, and received of his Father. 
 
 Next, because he gives them eternal life, and if 
 it be eternal, well then, it is eternal, and there can 
 be no end to it, unless there can be an end to hell, 
 and heaven, and God. If spiritual life can die out, 
 it is manifestly not eternal life, but temporary life. 
 But the Lord speaks of eternal life, and that 
 effectually shuts out the possibility of an end. 
 
 Observe, further, that the Lord expressly says, 
 "They shall never perish." As long as words 
 have a meaning, this secures believers from perish- 
 ing. The most obstinate unbelief cannot force 
 this meaning out of this sentence. 
 
 Then, to make the matter complete, he declares 
 that his people are in his hand, and he defies all 
 their enemies to pluck them out of it. Surely it is 
 a thing impossible even for the fiend of hell. We 
 must be safe in the grasp of an Almighty Saviour, 
 
 Be it ours to dismiss carnal fear as well as carnal 
 confidence, and rest peacefully in the hollow of the 
 Redeemer's hand. 
 
i6o Jaitlj's CljeqiiE Book. June & 
 
 '■'■If any of yoii lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that 
 giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth ?tot ; and it 
 shall be given him." — James i. 5. 
 
 ** T F any of you lack wisdom." There is no 
 X "if" in the matter, for I am sure I lack it. 
 What do I know ? How can I guide my own way ? 
 How can I direct others ? Lord, I am a mass of 
 folly, and wisdom I have none. 
 
 Thou sayest, " Let him ask of God." Lord, I now 
 ask. Here at thy footstool I ask to be furnished 
 with heavenly wisdom for this day's perplexities, 
 ay, and for this day's simplicities; for I know I may 
 do very stupid things, even in plain matters, unless 
 thou dost keep me out of mischief. 
 
 I thank thee that all I have to do is to ask. 
 What grace is this on thy part, that I have only 
 to pray in faith, and thou wilt give me wisdom ! 
 Thou dost here promise me a liberal education, and 
 that, too, without an angry tutor, or a scolding 
 usher. This, too, thou wilt bestow without a fee — 
 bestow it on a fool who lacks wisdom. O Lord, I 
 thank thee for that positive and expressive word, 
 ** It shall be given him." I believe it. Thou wilt 
 this day make thy babe to know the hidden wisdom 
 which the carnally prudent never learn. Thou wilt 
 guide me with thy counsel, and afterwards receive 
 me to glory. 
 
June 9. jFaitlj's Ojcqiie Book. i«'£ 
 
 "/ will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and 
 poor people^ and they shall trust in the name of the Lord^ 
 
 Zcph. iii. 12 
 
 WHEN true religion is ready to die out among 
 the wealthy it finds a home among the 
 poor of this world, rich in faith. The Lord has even 
 now his faithful remnant. Am I one of them ? 
 
 Perhaps it is because men are afflicted and poor 
 that they learn to trust in the name of the Lord. 
 He that hath no money must try what he can do 
 on trust. He whose own name is good for nothing 
 in his own esteem, acts wisely to rest in another 
 name, even that best of names, the name of Jehovah 
 God will always have a trusting people, and these 
 will be an afflicted and poor people. Little as the 
 world thinks of them, their being left in the midst of 
 a nation is the channel of untold blessings to it. Here 
 we have the conserving salt which keeps in check 
 the corruption which is in the world through lust. 
 
 Again the question comes home to each one of 
 us, Am I one of them? Am I afflicted by the sin 
 within me and around me? Am I poor in spirit, 
 poor spiritually in my own judgment ? Do I trust 
 in the Lord? That is the main business. Jesus 
 reveals the name, the character, the person of God ; 
 am I trusting in him ? If so, I am left in this world 
 for a purpose. Lord help me to fulfil it. 
 
 iz 
 
'■^They shall feed and lie down, and none shall make 
 (hem a/raid.'^ — Zeph. iii. 13. 
 
 YESTERDAY we thought of the afflicted and 
 poor people whom the Lord left to be a 
 living seed in a dead world. The prophet says of 
 such that they shall not work iniquity nor speak 
 lies. So that while they had neither rank nor 
 riches to guard them, they were also quite unable 
 to use those weapons in which the wicked place so 
 much reliance : they could neither defend them- 
 selves by sin nor by subtlety. 
 
 What then ? Would they be destroyed ? By no 
 means ? They should both feed and rest, and be 
 not merely free from danger, but even quiet from 
 fear of evil. Sheep are very feeble creatures, and 
 wolves are terrible enemies ; yet at this hour 
 sheep are more numerous than wolves, and the 
 cause of the sheep is always winning, while the 
 cause of the wolves is always declining. One day 
 flocks of sheep will cover the plains, and not a 
 wolf will be left. The fact is that sheep have a 
 shepherd, and this gives them provender, protec- 
 tion, and peace. " None " — which means not one, 
 whether in human or diabolical form — "shall make 
 them afraid." Who shall terrify the Lord's flock 
 when he is near? We lie down in green pastures, 
 for Jesus himself is food and rest to our souls. 
 
June ii. jFm'lIj's (T-ljrquc !3oo!{. 163 
 
 ^'■fear not ; for thou shali not he as/iamed." — isa. liv. 4. 
 
 WE shall not be ashamed of owr faith. Carp- 
 ing critics may assail the Scriptures upon 
 U'hich we ground our belief, but every year the 
 Lord will make it more and more clear that in his 
 Book there is no error, no excess, and no omission. 
 It is no discredit to be a simple believer ; the faith 
 which looks alone to Jesus is a crown of honour 
 on any man's head, and better than a star on his 
 breast. 
 
 We shall not be ashamed of our hope. It shall 
 be even as the Lord has said. We shall be fed, led, 
 blest and rested. Our Lord will come, and then 
 the days of our mourning shall be ended. How 
 we shall glory in the Lord who first gave us lively 
 hope, and then gave us that \vhich we hoped for I 
 
 We shall not be ashamed of our love. Jesus is 
 to us the altogether lovely, and never, never, shall 
 we have to blush because we have yielded our 
 hearts to him. The sight of our glorious Well- 
 beloved will justify the most enthusiastic attach- 
 ment to him. None will blame the martyrs for 
 dying for him. When the enemies of Christ are 
 clothed with everlasting contempt, the lovers of 
 Jesus shall find themselves honoured by all holy 
 beings, because they chose the reproach of Christ 
 rat.her than the treasures of Egypt. 
 
164 iFaitf)'0 €Ij£qiie Book. June 12. 
 
 '■'Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the foufitain 
 of facob shall be upon a land of corn and wine ; also his 
 heavens shall drop doivn dew." — Deut. xxxiii. 28. 
 
 THE more we dwell alone, the more safe shall 
 we be. God would have his people separate 
 from sinners. His call to them is, " Come ye out 
 from among them." A Christian world is such a 
 monstrosity as the Scriptures never contemplate. 
 A worldly Christian is spiritually diseased. Those 
 who compromise with Christ's enemies may be 
 reckoned with them. 
 
 Our safety lies, not in making terms with the 
 enemy, but in dwelling alone with our best Friend. 
 If we do this, we shall dwell in safety, despite 
 the sarcasms, the slanders, and the sneers of the 
 world. We shall be safe from the baleful influence 
 of its unbelief, its pride, its vanity, its filthiness. 
 
 God also will make us dwell in safety alone in 
 that day when sin shall be visited on the nations 
 by wars and famines. 
 
 The Lord brought Abram from Ur of the 
 Chaldees, but he stopped half-way. He had no 
 blessing till, having set out to go to the land of 
 Canaan, to the land of Canaan he came. He was 
 safe alone even in the midst of foes. Lot was not 
 safe in Sodom though in a circle of friends. 
 Our s;ifety is in dwelling apart with God. 
 
JuNF. 13. ifaitlj'ss Cbcqite Booh. 1C5 
 
 ^ I the Lord do J^ecp it ; I it ill icater it every motiient : 
 lest any hurt it, I will k ep it night and day." — isa. xxvii. 3. 
 
 WHEN the Lord himself speaks in his own 
 proper person rather than through a 
 prophet, the word has a pecuh'ar weight to beh'eving 
 minds. It is Jehovah himself who is the keeper of 
 his own vineyard ; he docs not trust it to any other, 
 but he makes it his own personal care. Are they 
 not well kept whom God himself keeps ? 
 
 We are to receive gracious watering, not only 
 every day and every hour, " but every moment." 
 How we ought to grow ! How fresh and fruitful 
 every plant should bel What rich clusters the 
 vines should bear ! 
 
 But disturbers come ; little foxes and the boar. 
 Therefore, the Lord himself is our guardian, and 
 that at all hours, both " night and day." What, 
 then, can harm us ? Why are we afraid } He tends, 
 he waters, he guards ; what more do we need ? 
 
 Twice in this verse the Lord says, " I will." 
 What truth, what power, what love, what immuta- 
 bility we find in the great " I will " of Jehovah ! 
 Who can resist his will ? If he says " I will," what 
 room is there for doubt .-• With an " I will " of 
 God we can face all the hosts of sin, death, and 
 hell. O Lord, since thou sayest, " I will keep 
 thee," I reply, " I will praise thee ! " 
 
iC6 dFaitVs Cljque Bjolt. June 14. 
 
 '■' For the Lord 7oill not forsake his people for his great 
 name's sake ; because it hath phased the Lord to make you 
 
 his people.'' — i Sam. xii. 22. 
 
 GOD'S choice of his people is the reason for his 
 abiding by them, and not forsaking thcn^. 
 He chose them for his love, and he loves them for 
 his choice. His own good pleasure is the source of 
 their election, and his election is the reason for the 
 continuance of his pleasure in them. It would dis- 
 honour his great name for him to forsake them, 
 since it would either show that he made an error 
 in his choice, or that he was fickle in his love. 
 God's love has this glory, that it never changes, 
 and this glory he will never tarnish. 
 
 By all the memories of the Lord's former loving- 
 kindnesses let us rest assured that he will not 
 forsake us. He who has gone so far as to make us 
 his people, will not undo the creation of his grace. 
 He has not nvrought such wonders for us that 
 he might leave us after all. His Son Jesus has 
 died for us, and we may be sure that he has not 
 died in vain. Can he forsake those for whom he 
 shed his blood? Bjcause he has hitherto taken 
 pleasure in choosing and in saving us, it will be his 
 pleasure still to bless us. Our Lord Jesus is no 
 changeable Lover. Having loved his own, he loves 
 them to the end. 
 
j'jN?: 15. jTaitlj'a Cljcqiic Cjoh. 167 
 
 " The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion ; and thou shalt see 
 ike good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.''' — Ps. cxxviii. 5. 
 
 THIS is a promise to the God-fcarinc^ man who 
 walks in the ways of hoHncss with earnest 
 heed. He shall have domestic blessedness ; his 
 wife and children shall be a source of great hom.e 
 happiness. But then as a member of the church 
 he desires to see the cause prosper, for he is as 
 much concerned for the Lord's house as for his own. 
 When the Lord builds our house, it is but fitting 
 that we should desire to see the Lord's house 
 builded. Our goods are not truly good unless we 
 promote by them the good of the Lord's chosen 
 church. 
 
 Yes, you shall get a blessing when you go up to 
 the assemblies of Zion ; you shall be instructed, 
 enlivened, and comforted, where prayer and praise 
 ascend, and testimony is borne to the Great 
 Sacrifice. "The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion." 
 
 Nor shall you alone be profited; the church itself 
 shall prosper ; believers shall be multiplied, and 
 their holy work shall be crowned with success. 
 Certain gracious men have this promise fulfilled to 
 them as long as the}' live. Alas I when they die the 
 cause often flags. Let us be among those wlio 
 bring good things to Jerusalem all their da}'s. 
 Lord, of thy mercy make us such ! Amen. 
 
i68 5a{tl)'s Cljcqiie Boolt. Jcve i6. 
 
 "ivr whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall 
 have more abundance." — Matt. xiii. 12. 
 
 WHEN the Lord has given to a man much 
 grace he will give him more. A little faith 
 is a nest egg ; more faith will come to it. But then 
 it must not be seeming faith, but real and true. 
 What a necessity is laid upon us to make sure 
 work in religion, and not to profess much, and 
 possess nothing ! for one of these days the very 
 profession will be taken from us, if that be all 
 we have. The threatening is as true as the 
 promise. 
 
 Blessed be the Lord, it is his way when he has 
 once made a beginning to go on bestowing the 
 graces of his Spirit, till he who had but little, and 
 yet truly had that little, is made to have abundance. 
 Oh, for that abundance ! Abundance of grace is a 
 thing to be coveted. It would be well to knotv 
 much, but better to love much. It would be 
 delightful to have abundance of skill to serve God, 
 but better still to have abundance of faith to trust 
 in the Lord for skill and everything. 
 
 Lord, since thou hast given me a sense of sin, 
 deepen my hatred of evil. Since thou hast caused 
 me to trust Jesus, raise my faith to full assurance. 
 Since thou hast made me to love thee, cause me to 
 be carried away with vehement affection for thee ! 
 
June 17. j}^aitf)'0 CfjcquE Boolt. 169 
 
 '■'■For the Lord your God is he that goetli with you, to 
 fight for you against your ejieniies, to save you." — Deut. xx. 4. 
 
 WE have no enemies but the enemies of God. 
 Our fights are not against men, but against 
 spiritual wickednesses. We war with the devil, and 
 the blasphemy, and error, and despair, which he 
 brings into the field of battle. We fight with all 
 the armies of sin — impurity, drunkenness, oppres- 
 sion, infidelity, and ungodliness. With these we 
 contend earnestly, but not with sword or spear; 
 the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. 
 
 Jehovah, our God, abhors everything which is 
 evil, and, therefore, he goeth with us to fight for us 
 in this crusade. He will save us, and he will give 
 us grace to war a good warfare, and win the victory. 
 We may depend upon it that if we are on God's 
 side God is on our side. With such an august ally 
 the conflict is never in the least degree doubtful. It 
 is not that truth is mighty and must prevail, but 
 that might lies with the Father who is Almighty, 
 with Jesus who has all power in heaven and in 
 earth, and with the Holy Spirit who worketh his 
 will among men. 
 
 Soldiers of Christ, gird on your armour. Strike 
 home in the name of the God of holiness, and by 
 faith grasp his salvation. Let not this day pass 
 without striking a blow for Jesus and holiness. 
 
I70 JFaitfj's (!rf)eque Book Junk i8, 
 
 ^'■Noiv ivill I rise, saith the Lord ; now 7vill I be exalted; 
 now will I lift up my self T — Isa. xxxiii. lo. 
 
 \T 7HEN the spoilers had made the land as 
 V V waste as if devoured by locusts, and the 
 warriors who had defended the country sat down 
 and wept like women, then the Lord came to the 
 rescue. When travellers ceased from the roads to 
 Zion, and Bashan and Carmel were as vineyards 
 from which the fruit has failed, then the Lord 
 arose. God is exalted in the midst of an afflicted 
 people, for they seek his face and trust him. He is 
 still more exalted when in answer to their cries he 
 lifts up himself to deliver them and overthrow their 
 enemies. 
 
 Is it a day of sorrow with us? Let us now expect 
 to see the Lord glorified in our deliverance. Are 
 we drawn out in fervent prayer ? Do we cry day 
 and night unto him ? Then the set time for his 
 grace is near. God will lift up himself at the right 
 season. He will arise when it will be most for the 
 display of his glory. We wish for his glory more 
 than we long for our own deliverance. Let the 
 Lord be exalted, and our chief desire is obtained. 
 
 Lord, help us in such a way that we may see 
 that thou thyself art working. May we magnify 
 thee in our inmost souls. Make all around us to 
 see how good and great a God thou art. 
 
June 19. Jaitf)'0 €\)£t[m Booft. 171 
 
 "Z^/ my heart be sound in thy statutes : that I be not 
 ashamed.'" — Ps. cxix. 80. 
 
 WE may regard this inspired prayer as con- 
 taining within itself the assurance that those 
 who keep close to the Word of God shall never 
 have cause to be ashamed of doing so. 
 
 See, the prayer is for soundness of heart. A 
 sound creed is good, a sound judgment concerning 
 it is better, but a sound heart towards the truth is 
 best of all. We must love the truth, feel the truth, 
 and obey the truth, otherwise we are not truly 
 sound in God's statutes. Are there many in these 
 evil days who are sound } Oh, that the writer and 
 the reader may be two of this sort ! 
 
 Many will be ashamed in the last great day, 
 when all disputes will be decided. Then they v/ill 
 see the folly of their inventions, and be filled with 
 remorse because of their proud infidelity and wilful 
 defiance of the Lord ; but he who believed what 
 the Lord taught, and did what the Lord com- 
 manded, will stand forth justified in what he did. 
 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun. 
 Men much slandered and abused shall find their 
 shame turned into glory in that day. 
 
 Let us pray the prayer of our text, and we may 
 be sure that its promi.se will be fulfilled to us. If 
 the Lord makes us sound, he will keep us safe. 
 
172 iFattl)'g Cfjcque Book June 20. 
 
 ^'Yea, though Itvalk through the valley of the shadow oj 
 death, I ivill fear no evil : for thou art with me ; thy rod 
 and thy staff they comfort ?iie." — Ps. xxiii. 4. 
 
 SWEET are tliese words in describing a deathbed 
 assurance. How many have repeated them 
 in their last hours with intense delight ! 
 
 But the verse is equally applicable to agonies of 
 spirit in the midst of life. Some of us, like Paul, 
 die daily through a tendency to gloom of soul. 
 Bunyan puts the Valley of the Shadow of Death 
 far earlier in the pilgrimage than the river which 
 rolls at the foot of the celestial hills. We have 
 some of us traversed the dark and dreadful defile 
 of " the shadow of death " several times, and we 
 can bear witness that the Lord alone enabled us 
 to bear up amid its wild thoughts, its mysterious 
 horrors, its terrible depressions. The Lord has 
 sustained us, and kept us above all real fear of 
 evil, even when our spirit has been overwhelmed. 
 We have been pressed and oppressed, but yet we 
 have lived, for we have felt the presence of the 
 Great Shepherd, and have been confidsnt that his 
 crook would prevent the foe from giving us any 
 deadly wound. 
 
 Should the present time be one darkened by the 
 raven wings of a great sorrow, let us glorify God 
 by a peaceful trust in him. 
 
June 21. ifaitfj'g Cfjeque Booft. 173 
 
 "77/c Lord shall sell Sisira into the hand of a 7c>oman.'' 
 Judges iv. 9. 
 
 RATHER an unusual text, but there may be 
 souls in the world that may have faith 
 enough to grasp it. Barak, the man, though called 
 to the war, had little stomach for the fight unless 
 Deborah would go with him, and so the Lord 
 determined to make it a woman's war. By this 
 means he rebuked the slackness of the man, and 
 gained for himself the more renown, and cast the 
 more shame upon the enemies of his people. 
 
 The Lord can still use feeble instrumentalities. 
 Why not me .? He may use persons who are not 
 commonly called to great public engagements. 
 Why not you ? The woman who slew the enemy 
 of Israel was no Amazon, but a wife who tarried in 
 her tent. She was no orator, but a woman who 
 milked the cows and made butter. May not the 
 Lord use any one of us to accomplish his purpose ? 
 Somebody jnay come to the house to-day, even as 
 Sisera came to Jael's tent. Be it ours, not to slay 
 him, but to save him. Let us receive him with great 
 kindness, and then bring forth the blessed truth of 
 salvation by the Lord Jesus, our great Substitute, 
 and press home the command, "Believe and live." 
 Who knoweth but some stout-hearted sinner may 
 be slain by the gospel to-day ? 
 
174 j)FaitI)'0 Ctfjcque 5800ft. June 22. 
 
 '■'■The fear of the Lord prolongeth days : but the years of 
 the wicked shall be shortened^ — Prov. x. 27. 
 
 THERE is no doubt about it. The fear of the 
 Lord leads to virtuous habits, and these pre- 
 vent that waste of life which comes of sin and vice. 
 The holy rest which springs out of faith in the Lord 
 Jesus also greatly helps a man when he is ill. Every 
 physician rejoices to have a patient whose mind is 
 fully at ease. Worry kills, but confidence in God 
 is like healing medicine. 
 
 We have therefore all the arrangements for long 
 life, and if it be really for our good, we shall see 
 a good old age, and come to our graves as shocks 
 of corn in their season. Let us not be overcome 
 with sudden expectation of death the moment we 
 have a finger-ache, but let us rather expect that we 
 may have to work on through a considerable length 
 of days. 
 
 And what if we should soon be called to the 
 higher sphere ? Certainly there would be nothing 
 to deplore in such a summons, but everything to 
 rejoice in. Living or dying we are the Lord's. If 
 we live, Jesus will be with us ; if we die, we shall 
 be with Jesus. 
 
 The truest lengthening of life is to live while we 
 live, wasting no time, but using every hour for the 
 highest ends. So be it this day. 
 
June 23. JFaitfj's (Tfjrquc Booft. 175 
 
 '^Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the king oj 
 Assyria^ He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an 
 arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a 
 bank against it.'' — 2 Kings xix. 32. 
 
 NEITHER did Sennacherib molest the city. 
 He had boasted loudly, but he could not 
 carry out his threats. The Lord is able to stop the 
 enemies of his people in the very act. When the 
 lion has the lamb between his jaws, the great 
 Shepherd of the sheep can rob him of his prey. 
 Our extremity only provides an opportunity for a 
 grander display of divine power and wisdom. 
 
 In the case before us, the terrible foe did not put 
 in an appearance before the city which he thirsted 
 to destroy. No annoying arrow could he shoot 
 over the walls, and no besieging engines could he 
 put to work to batter down the castles, and no 
 banks could he cast up to shut in the inhabitants. 
 Perhaps in our case also the Lord will prevent our 
 adversaries from doing us the least harm. Certainly 
 he can alter their intentions, or render their designs 
 so abortive that they will gladly forego them. Let 
 us trust in the Lord and keep his wa^^ and he will 
 take care of us. Yea, he will fill us with wonder- 
 ing praise as we see the perfection of his deliverance. 
 
 Let us not fear the enemy till he actually comes, 
 and then let us trust in the Lord. 
 
176 jFait^'s Cl^eque Book. June 24. 
 
 '^And Amazia/i said to the man of God, But tvhat 
 
 shall we do foy the hundred tale/its which I have given 
 
 to the army of Israeli A?id the ma?t of God ans^vered^ 
 
 The Lord is able to give thee much more than this." 
 
 2 Chron, xxv. 9. 
 
 IF you have made a mistake, bear the loss of 
 it ; but do not act contrary to the will of the 
 Lord. The Lord can give you much more than 
 you are likely to lose ; and if he does not, will you 
 begin bargaining and chaffering with God ? The 
 king of Judah had hired an army from idolatrous 
 Israel, and he was commanded to send home the 
 fighting men because the Lord was not with them. 
 He was willing to send away the host, only he 
 grudged paying the hundred talents for nothing. 
 Oh for shame ! If the Lord will give the victory 
 without the hirelings, surely it was a good bargain 
 to pay their wages and to be rid of them. 
 
 Be willing to lose money for conscience sake, for 
 peace sake, for Christ's sake. Rest assured that 
 losses for the Lord are not losses. Even in this 
 life they are more than recompensed : in some 
 cases the Lord prevents any loss from happening. 
 As to our immortal life, what we lose for Jesus is 
 invested in heaven. Fret not at apparent disaster, 
 but listen to the whisper, " The Lord is able to give 
 thee much more than this." 
 
June 25. Jfai'tlj'g Cfjeque ISooft. 177 
 
 ''Ami he saitli unto him. Verily, verily, I say utilo you. 
 Hereafter ye shall see tuaven open, and the angels of God 
 ascending and descending upon the Son of man.'' — John i. 51. 
 
 A/ES, to our faith this .sii,rht is plain even at this 
 X day. We do see heaven opened. Jesus 
 himself has opened that kingdom to all believers. 
 We gaze into the place of mystery and glory, for he 
 has revealed it to us. We shall enter it soon, for he 
 is the way. 
 
 Now we see the explanation of Jacob's ladder. 
 Between earth and heaven there is a holy com- 
 merce; prayer ascends, and answers come down, 
 by the way of Jesus, the Mediator. We see this 
 ladder when we see our Lord. In him a stair-way 
 of light now furnishes a clear passage to the throne 
 of the Most High. Let us use it, and send up 
 b>' it the messengers of our prayers. We shall 
 live the angelic life ourselves if we run up to heaven 
 in intercession, and lay hold upon the blessings of 
 the covenant, and then descend again to scatter 
 those gifts among the sons of men. 
 
 This choice sight which Jacob only saw in a 
 dream we will turn into a bright reality. This very 
 day we will be up and down the ladder each hour ; 
 climbing in communion, and coming down in 
 labour to save our fellow-men. This is thy pro- 
 mise, O Lord Jesus, let us joyfully see it fulfilled. 
 
178 j)Faitf)'s Clirque Baoh. juNicae. 
 
 ''''Be ye also patient ; stablish your hearts : for the coining 
 of the Lord draiveth ?iigh" — James v. 8. 
 
 THE last word in the Canticle of love is, " Make 
 haste, my beloved," and among the last words 
 of the Apocalypse we read, " The Spirit and the 
 Bride say, Come " ; to which the heavenly Bride- 
 groom answers, " Surely I come quickly." Love 
 longs for the glorious appearing of the Lord, and 
 enjoys this sweet promise — " The coming of the 
 Lord draweth nigh." This stays our minds as to the 
 future. We look out with hope through this window. 
 This sacred " window of agate " lets in a flood of 
 light upon the present, and puts us into fine condi- 
 tion for immediate work or suffering. Are we tried? 
 Then the nearness of our joy whispers patience. 
 Are we growing weary because we do not see the 
 harvest of our seed-sowing ? Again this glorious 
 truth cries to us, " Be patient." Do our multiplied 
 temptations cause us in the least to waver ? Then 
 the assurance, that before long the Lord will be 
 here, preaches to us from this text, " Stablish your 
 hearts." Be firm, be stable, be constant, "stcdfast, 
 unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the 
 Lord." Soon will you hear the silver trumpets 
 which announce the coming of your King. Be not 
 in the least afraid. Hold the fort, for he is coming ; 
 yea, he may appear this very day. 
 
June 27- Jnitl)'0 CCIjcque Book. 179 
 
 "Su?r/y the righteous shall give thanks u?ito thy name : 
 the upright shall dicell in thy presence^ — Ps. cxl. 13. 
 
 On that my heart may be upright, that I may 
 always be able to bless the name of the 
 Lord ! He is so good to those that be good, that I 
 would fain be among them, and feel myself full of 
 thankfulness every day. Perhaps, for a moment, 
 the righteous are staggered when their integrity 
 results in severe trial ; but assuredly the day shall 
 come when they shall bless their God that they did 
 not yield to evil suggestions and adopt a shifty 
 policy. In the long run true men will thank the 
 God of the right for leading them by a right way. 
 Oh that I may be among them ! 
 
 ^\'hat a promise is implied in this second clause, 
 " The upright shall dwell in thy presence " ! They 
 shall stand accepted where others appear only to 
 be condemned. They shall be the courtiers of the 
 Great King, indulged with audience whensoever they 
 desire it. They shall be favoured ones upon whom 
 Jehovah smiles, and with whom he graciously com- 
 munes. Lord, I covet this high honour, this 
 precious privilege : it will be heaven on earth to 
 me to enjoy it. Make me in all things upright, 
 that I may to-day, and to-morrow, and every day 
 stand in thy heavenly presence. Then will I give 
 thanks unto thy name evermore. Amen. 
 
i8o iFaitl/g Cljeque Book. June 28. 
 
 '■''And the Lord looked upoji him, a?id said, Go in this 
 thy I/light, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the 
 Midianites : have not I sent ///^<? ?" — Judges vi. 14. 
 
 WHAT a look was that which the Lord gave 
 to Gideon ! He looked him out of his 
 discouragements into a holy bravery. If our look 
 to the Lord saves us, what will not his look at us 
 do? Lord, look on me this day, and nerve me for 
 its duties and conflicts. 
 
 What a word was this which Jehovah spake to 
 Gideon ! " Go." He must not hesitate. He might 
 have answered, " What, go in all this weakness ! " 
 But the Lord put that word out of court by saying, 
 " Go in this thy might." The Lord had looked 
 might into him, and he had now nothing to do but to 
 use it, and save Israel by smiting the Midianites. It 
 may be that the Lord has more to do by me than 
 I ever dreamed of. If he has looked upon me he 
 has made me strong. Let me by faith exercise the 
 power with which he has entrusted me. He never 
 bids me "idle away my time in this my might.". 
 Far from it. I must "go," because he strengthens me. 
 
 What a question is that which the Lord puts to 
 me even as he put it to Gideon ! "Have not I sent 
 thee .'' " Yes, Lord, thou hast sent me, and I will go 
 in thy strength. At thy command I go, and, going, 
 I am assured that thou wilt conquer by me. 
 
June 20. jFni'tb's Cfjequc 13ooh. i8i 
 
 " Call ufiio ffie, and I tvill ans7oer thee, and s/inc thee 
 great and fnighty things, which thou k7iowest 7iot." 
 Jer. xxxiii. 3. 
 
 GOD encourages us to pray. They tell us that 
 prayer is a pious exercise which has no 
 influence except upon the mind engaged in it. 
 We know better. Our experience gives the lie a 
 thousand times over to this infidel assertion. Here 
 Jehovah, the living God, distinctly promises to 
 answer the prayer of his servant. Let us call upon 
 him again, and admit no doubt upon the question 
 of his hearing us and answering us. He that made 
 the ear, shall he not hear ? He that gave parents a 
 love to their children, will he not listen to the cries 
 of his own sons and daughters } 
 
 God will answer his pleading people in their 
 anguish. He has wonders in store for them. 
 What they have never seen, heard of, or dreamed 
 of, he will do for them. He will invent new bless- 
 ings if needful. He will ransack sea and land to 
 feed them : he will send every angel out of heaven 
 to succour them, if their distress requires it. He 
 will astound us with his grace, and make us feel 
 that it was never before done in this fashion. All 
 he asks of us is that we will call upon him. He 
 cannot ask less of u.s. Let us cheerfully render him 
 our prayers at once. 
 
i82 Jaitfj's Cfjfque Booft. June 30. 
 
 '■^Nevertheless T will remember viy covenajit zvith thee in 
 the days of thy youth, and J 7vill establish tinto thee an 
 everlasti?ig cove?iant." — 'Ez. xvi. 60. 
 
 ^yOTVVITHSTANDING our sins the Lord is 
 ^ still faithful in his love to us. 
 He looks back. See how he remembers those 
 early days of ours when he took us into covenant 
 with himself, and we gave ourselves over to him. 
 Happy days those ! The Lord does not twit us 
 with them, and charge us with being insincere. 
 No, he looks rather to his covenant with us than 
 to our covenant with him. There was no hypocrisy 
 in that sacred compact, on his part, at any rate. 
 How gracious is the Lord thus to look back in love ! 
 He looks forzvard also. He is resolved that the 
 covenant shall not fail. \{ ive do not stand to it, 
 he does. He solemnly declares, " I will establish 
 unto thee an everlasting covenant." He has no 
 mind to draw back from his promises. Blessed be 
 his name, he sees the sacred seal, " the blood of the 
 everlasting covenant," and he remembers our Surety, 
 in whom he ratified that covenant, even his own 
 dear Son ; and therefore he rests in his covenant 
 engagements. " He abidcth faithful ; he cannot 
 deny himself." 
 
 O Lord, lay this precious word upon my heart, 
 and help me to feed upon it all this day ! 
 
July i. JFaltfj's Cf)£que Book. 183 
 
 *' God shall be with your — Gen. xlviii. 21. 
 
 GOOD old Jacob could no more be with 
 Joseph, for his hour had come to die : but 
 he left his son without anxiety, for he said with 
 confidence, " God shall be with you." When our 
 dearest relations, or our most helpful friends, are 
 called home by death, we must console ourselves 
 with the reflection that the Lord is not departed 
 from us, but lives for us, and abides with us for 
 ever. 
 
 If God be with us, we are in ennobling company, 
 even though we are poor and despised. If God be 
 with us, we have all-sufficient strength, for nothing 
 can be too hard for the Lord. If God be with us, 
 we are always safe, for none can harm those who 
 walk under his shadow. Oh, what a joy we have 
 here ! Not only is God with us, but he ^vill be 
 with us. With us as individuals ; with us as 
 families ; with us as churches. Is not the very 
 name of Jesus, Immanucl — God with us ? Is not 
 this the best of all, that God is with us ? Let us 
 be bravely diligent, and joyously hopeful. Our 
 cause must prosper, the truth must win, for the 
 Lord is with those who are with him. 
 
 All this day may this sweet word be enjoyed by 
 every believer who turns to " Faith's Cheque 
 Book " No greater happiness is possible. 
 
1 84 Jaitl^'s Cj^cque ISoolt. July 2. 
 
 "So he giveth his beloved sleep." — Ps. cxxvii. 2. 
 
 OURS is not a life of anxious care, but of 
 happy faith. Our heavenly Father will 
 supply the wants of his own children, and he 
 knoweth what we have need of before we ask him. 
 We may therefore go to our beds at the proper 
 hour, and not wear ourselves out by sitting up late 
 to plot, and plan, and contrive. If we have learned 
 to rely upon our God we shall not lie awake with 
 fear gnawing at our hearts ; but we shall leave our 
 care with the Lord, our meditation of him shall be 
 sweet, and he will give us refreshing sleep. 
 
 To be the Lord's beloved is the highest possible 
 honour, and he who has it may feel that ambition 
 itself could desire no more, and therefore every 
 selfish wish may go to sleep. What more is there 
 even in heaven than the love of God ? Rest, then, 
 O soul, for thou hast all things. 
 
 Yet we toss to and fro unless the Lord himself 
 gives us not only the reasons for rest, but rest 
 itself. Yea, he doth this. Jesus himself is our 
 peace, our rest, our all. On his bosom we sleep 
 in perfect security, both in life and in death. 
 
 " Sprinkled afresh with pardoning blood, 
 I lay me down to rest, 
 As in the embraces of my God, 
 Or on my Saviour's breast." 
 
Jui.Y 3. 5aitl)'0 Cljcqiic 13oo^. 185 
 
 '^^He will be our guide even unto dealh." — Ps. xlviii. 14. 
 
 WE need a guide. Sometimes we would give 
 all that wc have to be told exactly what 
 to do, and where to turn. We are willing to do 
 right, but we do not know which out of two roads 
 we are to follow. Oh, for a guide ! 
 
 The Lord our God condescends to serve us as 
 guide. He knows the way, and will pilot us along 
 it till we reach our journey's end in peace. Surely 
 we do not desire more infallible direction. Let us 
 place ourselves absolutely under his guidance, and 
 we shall never miss our way. Let us make him 
 our God, and we shall find him our guide. If we 
 follow his law we shall not miss the right road of 
 life, provided we first learn to lean upon him in 
 every step that we take. 
 
 Our comfort is, that as he is our God for ever and 
 ever, he will never cease to be with us as our guide. 
 " Even unto death " will he lead us, and then we 
 shall dwell with him eternally, and go no more 
 out for ever. This promise of divine guidance 
 involves life-long security : salvation at once, 
 guidance unto our last hour, and then endless 
 blessedness. Should not each one seek this in 
 youth, rejoice in it in middle life, and repose in it 
 in old age ? This day let us look up for guidance 
 before wc trust ourselves out of doors. 
 
1 86 JFai'tlj's (C!jrquc 13joI{. ' jtti.v 4. 
 
 '"''Man shall not live by bread alone, but by ex'ery ivord 
 that proceedeth out of the mouth of (?<?/."— Matt. iv. 4. 
 
 IF God so willed it we could liv^e without bread, 
 even as Jesus did for forty days ; but we could 
 not live without his Word. By that Word we were 
 created, and by it alone can we be kept in being, 
 for he sustaineth all things by the Word of his 
 power. Bread is a second cause ; the Lord himself 
 is the first source of our sustenance. He can work 
 without the second cause as well as with it ; and we 
 must not tie him down to one mode of operation. 
 Let us not be too eager after the visible, but let us 
 look to the invisible God. We have heard be- 
 lievers say that in deep poverty, when bread ran 
 short, their appetites became short too; and to 
 others, when common supplies failed, the Lord has 
 sent in unexpected help. 
 
 But we must have the Word of the Lord. With 
 this alone we can withstand the devil. Take this 
 from us, and our enemy will have us in his power, 
 for we shall soon faint. Our souls need food, and 
 there is none for them outside of the Word of the 
 Lord. All the books and all the preachers in the 
 world cannot furnish us a single meal : it is only 
 the Word from the mouth of God that can fill 
 the mouth of a believer. Lord, evermore give us 
 this bread. We prize it above royal dainties. 
 
July 5. JTai'lIj's Cljcquc Booh. 1S7 
 
 "/)///■ / ivill delivfr thee in that day, saith the Lord : 
 and thou shall not be given into the hand of the rnen of 
 ivhom thou art afraid." — Jer. xxxix. 17. 
 
 w 
 
 HEN the Lord's faithful ones are suffcrinir 
 V for him, they shall have sweet messages of 
 love from himself, and sometimes they shall h ae 
 glad tidings for those who sympathize with them 
 and help them. Ebed-melech was only a despised 
 Ethiopian, but he was kind to Jeremiah, and so 
 the Lord sent him this special promise by the 
 mouth of his prophet. Let us be ever mindful of 
 God's persecuted servants, and he will reward us. 
 
 Ebed-melech was to be delivered from the men 
 whose vengeance he feared. He was only a poor 
 black man, but Jehovah would take care of him. 
 Thousands were slain by the Chaldeans, but this 
 lowly negro could not be hurt. We, too, may be 
 fearful of some great ones who are bitter against 
 us ; but if we have been faithful to the Lord's cause 
 in the hour of persecution, he will be faithful to us. 
 After all, what can man do without the Lord's per- 
 mission ? He puts a bit into the mouth of rage, and 
 a bridle upon the head of power. Let us fear the 
 Lord, and we shall have no one else to fear. No 
 cup of cold water given to a despised prophet of 
 God shall be without its reward ; and if we stand 
 up for Jesus, Jesus will stand up for us. 
 
i<SS ifai'tlj's €f)cque 13ooIt. July 6. 
 
 "/^r God so loved the world, that he gave his o'lly- 
 begolttti Son, that whosoever believeth in In in should not 
 perish, but have everlasting life.'" — John iii. 16. 
 
 OF all the stars in the sky the pole-star is the 
 most useful to the mariner. This text is a 
 pole-star, for it has guided more souls to salvation 
 than any other Scripture, It is among promises 
 what the Great Bear is among constellations. 
 
 Several words in it shine with peculiar brilliance. 
 Here we have God's love, with a SO to it, which 
 marks its measureless greatness. Then we have 
 Gocfs gift in all its freeness and greatness. This 
 also is God's Son, that unique and priceless gift of 
 a love which could never fully show itself till 
 heaven's Only-begotten had been sent to live and 
 die for men. These three points are full of light. 
 
 Then there is the simple requirevient of believing, 
 which graciously points to a way of salvation suit- 
 able for guilty men. This is backed by a wide 
 description — " whosoever believeth in him." Many 
 have found room in " whosoever " who would have 
 felt themselves shut out by a narrower word. Then 
 comes tJie great promise, that believers in Jesus shall 
 not perish, but have everlasting life. This is cheer- 
 ing to every man who feels that he is ready to 
 perish, and that he cannot save himself. We believe 
 in the Lord Jesus, and we have eternal life. 
 
Jlly 7. iFaitiys CfjfquE Book. 189 
 
 " Sif/^, O /leavens ; and be Joyful, O earth ; and brrak 
 forth itito singing, O mountains : for the Lord hath com- 
 forted his people, and vill have mercy upon his afflicted." 
 I>a. xlix. 13. 
 
 SO sweet are the comforts of the Lord, that not 
 on)y the saints themselves may sing of them, 
 but even the heavens and the earth may take up 
 the song. It takes something to make a mountain 
 sing ; and yet the prophet summons quite a choir 
 of them. Lebanon, and Sirion, and the high hills of 
 Bashan and Moab, he would set them all singing 
 because of Jehovah's grace to his own Zion. May 
 we not also make mountains of difficulty, and trial, 
 and mystery, and labour become occasions for 
 praise unto our God? "Break forth into singing, 
 O mountains 1" 
 
 This word of promise, that our God will have 
 mercy upon his afflicted, has a whole peal of bells 
 connected with it. Hear their music — " Sing ! " 
 " Be joyful ! " " Break forth into singing." The 
 Lord would have his people happy because of his 
 unfailing love. He would not have us sad and 
 doubtful ; he claims from us the worship of 
 believing hearts. He cannot fail us : why should 
 we sigh or sulk as if he would do so? Oh for a 
 well-tuned harp ! Oh for voices like those of the 
 cherubim before the tlirone! 
 
190 Jaitfj's fi^J)cque Boofc Jclv 8. 
 
 "77zi? angel of the Lord eucampeth round about them 
 that fear him, and ddivcrcth them." —Vs. xxxiv. 7. 
 
 WE cannot see the angels, but it is enough 
 that they can sec us. There is one great 
 Angel of the Covenant, whom not having seen we 
 love, and his eye is always upon us both day and 
 night. He has a host of holy ones under him, and 
 he causes these to be watchers over his saints and 
 to guard them from all ill. If devils do us mischief, 
 shining ones do us service. 
 
 Note that the Lord of angels does not come and 
 go, and pay us transient visits, but he and his 
 armies encamp around us. The head-quarters of 
 the army of salvation are where those live whose 
 trust is in the living God. This camp surrounds 
 the faithful, so that they cannot be attacked from 
 any quarter unless the adversary can break through 
 the entrenchments of the Lord of angels. We have 
 a fixed protection, a permanent watch. Sentinelled 
 by the messengers of God, we shall not be sur- 
 prised by sudden assaults, nor swallowed up by 
 overwhelming forces. Deliverance is promised in 
 this verse — deliverance by the great Captain of 
 our salvation, and that deliverance we shall obtain 
 again and again until our warfare is accomplished 
 and we exchange the field of conflict for the home 
 of rest. 
 
July 9. JFait[)*3 Cfjrqtic 15aoIt. 191 
 
 '■'Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the iand. that 
 they may dwell with me : he that walketh ifi a perfect way, 
 he shall se7"i<e 7ne." — ]'s. ci. 6. 
 
 IF David spoke thus, we may be sure that the 
 Son of David will be of the same mind. 
 Jesus looks out for faithful men, and he fixes liis 
 eyes upon them, to observe them, to brin^ them 
 forward, to encourage them, and to reward them. 
 Let no true-hearted man think that he is over- 
 looked ; the King himself has his eye upon him. 
 
 There are two results of this royal notice. First we 
 read," that they may dwell with me." Jesus brings 
 tlie faithful into his house, he sets them in his palace, 
 he makes tliem his companions, he delights in their 
 society. We must be true to our Lord, and he wi:l 
 then manifest himself to us. When our faithful- 
 ness costs us most it will be best rewarded ; the 
 more furiously men reject the more joyfully will 
 our Lord receive us. 
 
 Next, he says of the sincere man, " he shall serve 
 me." Jesus will use for his own glory those who 
 scorn the tricks of policy, and are faithful to him- 
 self, his Word, and his Cros.s. These shall be in 
 his royal retinue, the honoured servants of his 
 Majesty. Communion and usefulness are the wages 
 of faithfulness. Lord make me faithful, that I 
 may dwell with thee, and serve thcc. 
 
192 Jai'Uj's Cfjequc 33aoIt. jui.y ta 
 
 '''Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion : for 
 the time to favour Iter, yea, the set time, is come. For 
 thy servants take pleasure in her stones, a?id favour tlie 
 dust thereof.'' — Ps. cii. 13, 14. 
 
 YES, our prayers for the church will be heard. 
 The set time is come. We love the prayer 
 meeting, and the Sunday-school, and all the ser- 
 vices of the Lord's house. We are bound in heart 
 to all the people of God, and can truly say, 
 
 " There's not a lamb in all thy flock 
 
 I would disdain to feed ; 
 There's not a foe before whose face 
 
 I'd fear thy cause to plead." 
 
 If this is the general feeling, we shall soon enjoy 
 times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord/ 
 Our assemblies will be filled, saints will be revived, 
 and sinners will be converted. This can only come 
 of the Lord's mercy ; but it will come, and we are 
 called upon to expect it. The time, the set time, 
 is come. Let us bestir ourselves. Let us love 
 every stone of our Zion, even though it may be 
 fallen down. Let us treasure up the least truth, 
 the least ordinance, the least believer, even though 
 some may despise them as only so much dust. 
 When we favour Zion, God is about to favour her. 
 When we take pleasure in the Lord's work, the 
 Lord himself will take pleasure in it.^ 
 
July ii. iFaiUj's djfquc Bock. 193 
 
 "And whosoever livcth and believeth in vie shall 7iever 
 die. Believest thou this?" — ^John xi. 26. 
 
 YES, Lord, we believe it ; we shall never die. 
 Our soul may be separated from our body, 
 and this is death of a kind ; but our soul shall never 
 be separated from God, which is the true death — 
 the death which was threatened to sin — the death 
 penalty which is the worst that can happen. We 
 believe this most assuredly, for who shall separate 
 us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our 
 Lord ? We are members of the body of Christ ; will 
 Christ lose parts of his body ? We are married to 
 Jesus ; will he be bereaved and widowed ? It is not 
 possible. There is a life within us which is not 
 capable of being divided from God : yea, and the 
 Holy Spirit dwells within us, and how then can we 
 die ? Jesus, himself, is our life, and therefore there 
 is no dying for us, for he cannot die again. In him 
 we died unto sin once, and the capital sentence 
 cannot a second time be executed. Now we live, 
 and live for ever. The reward of righteousness is life 
 everlasting, and we have nothing less than the 
 righteousness of God, and therefore can claim the 
 very highest reward. 
 
 Living and believing, we believe that we shall 
 live and enjoy. Wherefore we press forward with full 
 assurance that our life is secure in our living Head. 
 
 13 
 
194 JFaitlj'g €f)cqiie Boclt. July 12. 
 
 "7^(? Lord knoweth hotv to delirer the godly otit of 
 temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of 
 judgment to be punished. '' — 2 Peter ii. 9. 
 
 THE godly are tempted and tried. That is not 
 true faith which is never put to the test. 
 But the godly are deHvered out of their trials, and 
 that not by chance, nor by secondary agencies, but 
 by the Lord himself. He personally undertakes 
 the office of delivering those who trust him. God 
 loves the godly or godlike, and he makes a poirjt of 
 knowing where they are, and how they fare. 
 
 Sometimes their way seems to be a labyrinth, and 
 they cannot imagine how they are to escape from 
 threatening danger. What they do not know their 
 Lord knows. He knows whom to deliver, and when 
 to deliver, and how to deliver. He delivers in the 
 way which is most beneficial to the godly, most 
 crushing to the tempter, and most glorifying to 
 liimself. We may leave the " how " with the Lord, 
 and be content to rejoice in the fact that he will, in 
 some way or other, bring his own people through 
 all the dangers, trials, and temptations of this mortal 
 life, to his own right hand in glory. 
 
 This day it is not for me to pry into my Lord's 
 secrets, but patiently to wait his time, knowing this, 
 that though I know nothing, my heavenly Father 
 knows. . 
 
jui.Y 13. jFaitVs (Cljcqiie 33ook. 195 
 
 '■'■For I will surely deliver ikee, and thou shall not fall 
 by the siuord, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee : 
 because thou hast put thy trust ifi me, saith the Lord." 
 Jer. xxxix. l8. 
 
 BEHOLD the protecting power of trust in God. 
 The great men of Jerusalem fell by the sword, 
 but poor Ebed-melech was secure, for his confidence 
 was in Jehovah. Where else should a man trust 
 but in his Maker? We are foolish when we prefer 
 the creature to the Creator. Oh, that we could in 
 all things live by faith, then should we be delivered 
 in all time of danger ! No one ever did trust in 
 the Lord in vain, and no one ever shall. 
 
 The Lord saith, " I will surely deliver thee." 
 Mark the divine "surely." Whatever else may be 
 uncertain, God's care of believers is sure. God him- 
 self is the guardian of the gracious. Under his 
 sacred wing there is safety even when every danger 
 is abroad. Can we accept this promise as sure ? 
 Then in our present emergency we shall find that 
 it stands fast. We hope to be delivered because \\ e 
 have friends, or because we are prudent, or because 
 we can see hopeful signs ; but none of these things 
 are one half so good as God's simple " because 
 thou hast put thy trust in me." Dear reader, try 
 this way, and, trying it, you will keep to it all your 
 life. It is as sweet as it is sure. 
 
196 iFaitfj's CIjequE Baoft. July 14. 
 
 '■'■Cast thy burden upoti the Lord, and he shall sustain 
 thee : he shall never suj^er the righteous to be moved.'" 
 Ps. Iv. 22. 
 
 IT is a heavy burden, roll it on Omnipotence. It 
 is thy burden now, and it crushes thee ; but 
 when the Lord takes it, he will make nothing of it. 
 If thou art called still to bear it, "he will sustain 
 thee." It will be on thee, and not on thee. Thou 
 wilt be so upheld under it that the burden will be 
 a blessing. Bring the Lord into the matter and 
 thou wilt stand upright under that which in itself 
 would bow thee down. 
 
 Our worst fear is lest our trial should drive us 
 from the path of duty ; but this the Lord will never 
 suffer. If we are righteous before him he will not 
 endure that our affliction should move us from our 
 standing. In Jesus he accepts us as righteous, and 
 in Jesus he will keep us so. 
 
 What about the present moment ? Art thou 
 going forth to this day's trial alone ? Are thy 
 poor shoulders again to be galled with the oppres- 
 sive load ? Be not so foolish. Tell the Lord all 
 about thy grief, and leave it with him. Don't cast 
 your burden down, and then take it up again ; but 
 roll it on the Lord, and leave it there. Then shalt 
 thou walk at large, a joyful and unburdened believer, 
 sinp;ing the praises of thy great Burden-bearer. 
 
July 15. ^ai'tlj's Cljcque i3ooIt. 197 
 
 ^'Blessed arc they that mourn : for they shall be com- 
 forted." — Matt. V. 4. 
 
 BY the valley of weeping we come to Zion. One 
 would have thought mourning and being 
 blessed were in opposition, but the infinitely wise 
 Saviour puts them together, in this beatitude. What 
 he has joined together let no man put asunder. 
 Mourning for sin — our own sins, and the sins of 
 others— is the Lord's seal set upon his faithful 
 ones. When the Spirit of grace is poured upon 
 the house of David, or any other house, they shall 
 mourn. By holy mourning we receive the best of 
 our blessings, even as the rarest commodities come 
 to us by water. Not only shall the mourner be 
 blessed at some future day, but Christ pronounces 
 him blessed even now. 
 
 The Holy Spirit will surely comfort those hearts 
 which mourn for sin. They shall be comforted by 
 the application of the blood of Jesus, and by the 
 cleansing power of the Holy Ghost. They shall be 
 comforted as to the abounding sin of their city and 
 of their age by the assurance that God will glorify 
 himself, however much men may rebel against him. 
 They shall be comforted with the expectation that 
 they shall be wholly freed from sin before long, and 
 shall soon be taken up to dwell for ever in the 
 glorious presence of their Lord. 
 
198 iFaitT)'3 Cljcqiie Book. July 16. 
 
 "/ ivill save her that halteihT — Zeph. iii. 19. 
 
 THERE are plenty of these lame ones, both 
 male and female. You may meet " her 
 that haltcth " twenty times in an hour. They are 
 in the right road, and exceedingly anxious to run 
 in it with diligence, but they are lame, and make 
 a sorry walk of it. On the heavenly road there 
 are many cripples. It may be that they say in their 
 hearts — What will become of us ? Sin will over- 
 take us, Satan will throw us down. Ready-to- 
 halt is our name and our nature ; the Lord can 
 never make good soldiers of us, nor even nimble 
 messengers to go on his errands. Well, well ! he 
 will save us, and that is no small thing. He says, 
 " I will save her that halteth." In saving us he 
 will greatly glorify himself. Everybody will ask — 
 How came this lame woman to run the race and 
 win the crown ? And then the praise will all be 
 g'iven to almighty grace. 
 
 Lord, though I halt in faith, in prayer, in praise, 
 in service, and in patience, save me, I beseech thee ! 
 Only thou canst save such a cripple as I am. Lord, 
 let me not perish because I am among the hind- 
 most, but gather up by thy grace the slowest of thy 
 pilgrims — even me. Behold he hath said it shall 
 be s"), and therefore, like Jacob, prevailing in prayer, 
 I go forward though my sinew be shrunk. 
 
Jui-v 17. Jai'tlj's Cljrqut Dooh. 199 
 
 '■'■The pcopls that do know their God shall be strong, 
 and do ex/loits." — Dan. xi. 32. 
 
 '' ' I ^HE Lord is a man of war, Jehovah is his 
 X name." Those who enlist under his banner 
 shall have a commander who will train them for 
 the conflict, and tj^ive them both vigour and valour. 
 The times of which Daniel wrote were of the very 
 worst kind, and then it was promised that the 
 people of God would come out in their best 
 colours : they would be strong and stout to 
 confront the powerful adversary. 
 
 Oh, that we may know our God ; his power, his 
 faithfulness, his immutable love, and so may be 
 ready to risk everything in his behalf. He is one 
 whose character excites our enthusiasm, and makes 
 us willing to live and to die for him. Oh, that we 
 may know our God by familiar fellowship with 
 him ; for then we shall become like him, and shall 
 be prepared to stand up for truth and righteous- 
 ness. He who comes forth fresh from beholding the 
 face of God will never fear the face of man. If we 
 dwell with him, we shall catch the heroic spirit, and 
 to us a world of enemies will be but as the drop of 
 a bucket. A countless array of men, or even of 
 devils, will seem as little to us as the nations are to 
 God, and he counts them only as grasshoppers. 
 Ohj to be valiant for truth in this day of falsehood. 
 
200 iFaillj's Cljfquc 13aok. j-ly i8. 
 
 "/ 'will allure her, and bring her into the wilder ness^ 
 and speak comfortably unto her^ — Hosea ii. 14. 
 
 THE goodness of God sees us allured by sin, 
 and it resolves to try upon us the more 
 powerful allurements of love. Do we not remem- 
 ber when the Lover of our souls first cast a spell 
 upon us and charmed us away from the fascinations 
 of the world ? He "will do this again and again 
 whenever he sees us likely to be ensnared by evil. 
 
 He promises to draw us apart, for there he can 
 best deal with us, and this separated place is not to 
 be a Paradise, but a wilderness, since in such a place 
 there will be nothing to take off our attention from 
 our God. In the deserts of affliction the presence 
 of the Lord becomes everything to us, and we prize 
 his company beyond any value which we set upon 
 it when we sat under our own vine and fig-tree in 
 the society of our fellows. Solitude and affliction 
 bring more to themselves and to their heavenly 
 Father than any other means. 
 
 When thus allured and secluded the Lord has 
 choice things to say to us for our comfort. He 
 " speaks to our heart," as the original has it. Oh 
 that at this time we may have this promise explained 
 in our experience ! Allured by love, separated by 
 trial, and comforted by the Spirit of truth, may we 
 know the Lord and sing for joy ! 
 
July 19. iFnitf)'2 €!jfque Booft. 201 
 
 "77/v s/iocs shall be iron and brass ; and as thy days, so 
 shall thy strength be." — Deut. x>:xiii. 25. 
 
 HER I*' are two things provided for the pilgrim: 
 shoes and strength. 
 
 As for tlic shoes: they are very needful for 
 travelling along rough wa)'S, and for trampling 
 upon deadly foes. We shall not go barefoot — 
 this would not be suitable for princes of the blood 
 royal. Our shoes shall not be at all of the 
 common sort, for they shall have soles of durable 
 metal, which will not wear out even if the journey 
 be long and difficult. We shall have protection 
 proportionate to the necessities of the road and the 
 battle. Wherefore let us march boldly on, fearing 
 no harm even though we tread on serpents, or set 
 our foot upon the dragon himself. 
 
 As for the strength : it shall be continued as long 
 as our days shall continue, and it shall be propor- 
 tioned to the stress and burden of those days. The 
 words are few, " as thy days thy strength," but the 
 meaning is full. This day we may look for trial, 
 and for work which will require energy, but we may 
 just as confidently look for equal strength. This 
 word given to Asher is given to us also who have 
 faith wherewith to appropriate it. Let us rise to 
 the holy boldness which it is calculated to create 
 within the believing heart. 
 
202 ifaitf)'0 CIjcqUE iSook. July 20. 
 
 " Unto them that look for him shall he appear the second 
 time without sin unto salvation^ — Heb. ix. 28. 
 
 THIS is our hope. He to whom we have 
 already looked as coming once to bear the 
 sins of many will have another manifestation to the 
 sons of men ; this is a happy prospect in itself. 
 But that second appearing has certain peculiar 
 marks which glorify it exceedingly. 
 
 Our Lord will have ended the business of sin. 
 He has so taken it away from his people, and so 
 effectually borne its penalty, that he will have 
 nothing to do with it at his second coming. He 
 will present no sin-offering, for he will have utterly 
 put sin away. 
 
 Our Lord will then complete the salvation of his 
 people. They will be finally and perfectly saved, 
 and will in every respect enjoy the fulness of that 
 salvation. He comes not to bear the result of our 
 transgressions, but to bring the result of his obe- 
 dience ; not to remove our condemnation, but to 
 perfect our salvation. 
 
 Our Lord thus appears only to those who look 
 for him. He will not be seen in this character 
 by men whose eyes are blinded with self and sin. 
 To them he will be a terrible Judge, and nothing 
 more. We must first look to him, and then look 
 for him ; and in both cases our look shall be life. 
 
July 21. jFnltlj's Cf}cquc 13aah. 203 
 
 *^^fid they that be 7vise shall shifie as the brr^htness of 
 the firmament ; and they that turti 7nany to righteousness 
 as the stars for eiur and ever." — Dan. xii. 3. 
 
 HERE is something to wake mc up. This is 
 worth living for. To be wise is a noble 
 thing in itself: in this place it refers to a divine 
 wisdom which only the Lord himself can bestow. 
 Oh to know myself, my God, my Saviour ! May I 
 be so divinely taught that I may carry into practice 
 heavenly truth, and live in the light of it 1 Is my 
 life a wise one .-' Am I seeking that which I ought 
 to seek ? Am I living as I shall wish I had lived 
 when I come to die? Only such wisdom can 
 secure for me eternal brightness as of yonder sunlit 
 skies. 
 
 To be a witiner of souls is a glorious attainment. 
 I had need be wise if I am to turn even one to 
 righteousness ; much more if I am to turn many. 
 Oh for the knowledge of God, of men, of the Word, 
 and of Christ, which will enable me to convert my 
 fellow-men, and to convert large numbers of them ! 
 I would give myself to this, and never rest till I 
 accomplish it. This will be better than winning 
 stars at court. This will make mc a star, a shining 
 star, a star shining for ever and ever ; yea more, 
 it will make me shine as many stars. My soul, 
 arouse thyself ! Lord, quicken me! 
 
204 JFatt|)'0 Cf)cquc Book. . Jui.y 22. 
 
 "A?td I will betroth thee 7into me for ever ; yea, I will 
 
 betroth thee unto me i?i righteousness, a?id in Judgfnent, and 
 
 in lovifigkindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee 
 
 tin to me infaithfichiess ; and thou shall know the LordP 
 
 Hosea ii. 19, 20. 
 
 BETROTHMENT unto the Lord! What an 
 honour and a joy ! My soul, is Jesus indeed 
 thine by his own condescending betrothal ? Then, 
 mark, it is for ever. He will never break his en- 
 gagement, much less sue out a divorce against a 
 soul joined to himself in marriage bonds. 
 
 Three times the Lord says, " 1 will betroth thee." 
 What words he heaps together to set forth the 
 betrothal ! Righteousness comes in to make the 
 covenant legal ; none can forbid these lawful 
 banns. Judgment sanctions the alliance with its 
 decree : none can see folly or error in the match. 
 Lovingkindness warrants that this is a love union, 
 for without love betrothal is bondage, and not 
 blessedness. Meanwhile, mercy smiles, and even 
 sings ; yea, she multiplies herself into " mercies," 
 because of the abounding grace of this holy union. 
 
 Faithfulness is the registrar, and records the 
 marriage, and the Holy Spirit says "Amen" to 
 it, as he promises to teach the betrothed heart all 
 the sacred kn9wledge needful for its high destiny. 
 What a promise 1 
 
July 23. JFnitlj's €f)rque 13oolt. 205 
 
 '■'^And their sins and i liqiiilies will I rememberno jnore^'' 
 Ileb. X. 17. 
 
 ACCORDING to this gracious covenant the 
 Lord treats his people as if they had never 
 sinned. Practically, he forgets all their trespasses. 
 Sins of all kinds he treats as if they had never been; 
 as if they were quite erased from his memory. O 
 miracle of grace ! God here doth that which in 
 certain aspects is impossible to him. His mercy 
 worketh miracles which far transcend all other 
 miracles. 
 
 Our God ignores our sin now that the sacrifice of 
 Jesus has ratified the covenant. We may rejoice in 
 him without fear that he will be provoked to anger 
 against us because of our iniquities. See ! he puts 
 us among the children ; he accepts us as righteous ; 
 he takes delight in us as if we were perfectlj' holy. 
 He even puts us into places of trust ; makes us 
 guardians of his honour, trustees of the crown jewels, 
 stewards of the gospel. He counts us worthy, and 
 gives us a ministry ; this is the highest and most 
 special proof that he does not remember our sins. 
 Even when we forgive an enemy, we are very slow 
 to trust him ; we judge it to be imprudent so to do. 
 But the Lord forgets our sins, and treats us as if we 
 had never erred. O my soul, what a promise is 
 this ! Believe it and be happy. 
 
2o6 JFaitlj's Cljcquc Book. July 24. 
 
 ''■He that ovcnomcth, the same shall be clothed in white 
 raimeJitP — Rev. iii. 5. 
 
 WARRIOR of the cross, fight on ! Never rest 
 till thy victory is complete, for thine 
 eternal reward will prove worthy of a life of warfare. 
 
 See, here is perfect purity for thee ! A few in 
 Sardis kept their garments undefiled, and their 
 recompense is to be spotless. Perfect holiness is 
 the prize of our high calling, let us not miss it. 
 
 See, here is joy ! Thou shalt wear holiday robes, 
 such as men put on at wedding feasts ; thou shalt 
 be clothed with gladness, and be made bright with 
 rejoicing. Painful struggles shall end in peace of 
 conscience, and joy in the Lord. 
 
 See, here is victory ! Thou shalt have thy 
 triumph. Palm, and crown, and white robe shall be 
 thy guerdon ; thou shalt be treated as a conqueror, 
 and owned as such by the Lord himself. 
 
 See, here is priestly array ! Thou shalt stand 
 before the Lord in such raiment as the sons of 
 Aaron wore ; thou shalt offer the sacrifices of 
 thanksgiving, and draw near unto the Lord with 
 the incense of praise. 
 
 Who would not fight for a Lord who gives such 
 large honours to the very least of his faithful 
 servants ? Who would not be clothed in a fool's coat 
 for Christ's sake, seeing he will robe us with glory ? 
 
July 25, Jfaitlj's Cljcquc ISooIt. 207 
 
 ^'But go thou thy 7vay till the end be : for thou shall 
 rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days." 
 Dan. xii. 13. 
 
 WE cannot understand all the prophecies, but 
 yet we regard them with pleasure, and not 
 with dismay. There can be nothing in the Father's 
 decree which should justly alarm his child. Though 
 the abomination of desolation be set up, yet the 
 true believer shall not be defiled ; rather shall he 
 be purified, and made whit'^', and tried. Though 
 the earth be burned up no smell of fire shall come 
 upon the chosen. Amid the crash of matter, and 
 the wreck of worlds, the Lord Jehovah will preserve 
 his own. 
 
 Calmly resolute in duty, brave in conflict, patient 
 in suffering, let us go our way, keeping to our road, 
 and neither swerving from it nor loitering in it. 
 The end will come ; let us go our way till it does. 
 
 Rest will be ours. All other things swing to and 
 fro, but our foundation standeth sure. God rests 
 in his love, and, therefore, we rest in it. Our peace 
 is, and ever shall be, like a river. A lot in the 
 heavenly Canaan is ours, and we shall stand in it, 
 come what may. The God of Daniel will give a 
 worthy portion to all who dare to be decided for 
 truth and holiness as Daniel was. No den of lions 
 shall deprive us of our sure inheritance. 
 
2o8 iFaitb'a Cheque Book. July 26. 
 
 ^'And it shall he at that day, saith the Lord, that thou 
 
 sha't call me Ishi ; and shalt call me no fnore Baali ; for 
 
 I will take away the names of Baalim out of her month, 
 
 and they shall no tnore be remembered by their name.'"' 
 
 Hosea ii. i6 17. 
 
 THAT day has come. We view our God no 
 more as Baal, our tyrant lord and mighty 
 master, for we are not under law, but under grace. 
 We now think of Jehovah, our God, as our Ishi, 
 our beloved husband, our lord in love, our next-of- 
 kin in bonds of sacred relationship. We do not 
 reverence him less, but we love him more. We do 
 not serve him less obediently, but we serve him for 
 a higher and more endearing reason. We no longer 
 tremble under his lash, but rejoice in his love. The 
 slave is changed into a child, and the task into a 
 pleasure. 
 
 Is it so with thee, dear reader? Has grace cast 
 out slavish fear and implanted filial love ? How 
 happy are we in such an experience ! Now we call 
 the Sabbath a delight, and worship is never a weari- 
 ness. Prayer is now a privilege, and praise is a 
 holiday. To obey is heaven ; to give to the cause 
 of God is a banquet. Thus have all things become 
 new. Our mouth is filled with singing, and our 
 heart with music. Blessed be our heavenly Ishi 
 for ever and for ever. 
 
jui.Y 27. jfni'llj's CTIjcquE Boof;. 209 
 
 ^' I will give you the sure mercies of David T— \c{^ xiii. 34. 
 
 NOTHING of man is sure ; but everything of 
 God is so. Especially arc covenant mercies 
 sure mercies, even as David said "an everlasting 
 covenant, ordered in all things and sure." 
 
 We are sure that the Lord meant his mercy. He 
 did not speak mere words : there is substance and 
 truth in every one of his promises. His mercies are 
 mercies indeed. Even if a promise seems as if it 
 must drop through by reason of death, yet it never 
 shall, for the good Lord will make good his word. 
 
 We are sure that the Lord will bestow promised 
 mercies on all his covenanted ones. They shall 
 come in due course to all the chosen of the Lord. 
 They are sure to all the seed, from the least of them 
 unto the greatest of them. 
 
 We are sure that the Lord will continue his 
 mercies to his own people. He does not give and 
 take. What he has granted us is the token of much 
 more. That which we have not yet received is as 
 sure as that which has already come ; therefore, let 
 us wait before the Lord and be still. There is no 
 justifiable reason for the least doubt. God's love, 
 and word, and faithfulness are sure. Many things 
 are questionable, but of the Lord we sing — 
 
 " For his mercies shall endure 
 Ever faithful, ever sure." 
 
2IO jFaitiys CTjfque Boolt. July 28. 
 
 '''■Humble yourselves therefore under the viighty hand of 
 God, that he may exalt you in due iinie." — i Peter v. 6. 
 
 THIS is tantamount to a promise: if we will 
 bow down, the Lord will lift us up. Humility 
 leads to honour : submission is the way to exalta- 
 tion. That same hand of God which presses us 
 down is waiting to raise us up when we are pre- 
 pared to bear the blessing. We stoop to conquer. 
 Many cringe before men, and yet miss the patron- 
 age they crave ; but he that humbles himself under 
 the hand of God shall not fail to be enriched, 
 uplifted, sustained, and comforted by the ever- 
 gracious One. It is a habit of Jehovah to cast 
 down the proud, and lift up the lowly. 
 
 Yet there is a time for the Lord's working. We 
 ought now to humble ourselves, even at this present 
 moment ; and we are bound to keep on doing so 
 whetVer the Lord lays his afflicting hand upon us 
 or not. When the Lord smites, it is our special 
 duty to accept the chastisement with profound sub- 
 mission. But as for the Lord's exaltation of us, 
 that can only come " in due time," and God is the 
 best judge of that day and hour. Do we cry out 
 impatiently for the blessing? Would wc wish for 
 untimely honour ? What are we at .-' Surely we 
 are not truly humbled, or we should wait with quiet 
 submission. So let us do. 
 
JUI.Y29. iFaillj's (Cljcquc Booh. 211 
 
 *' He hath cast out thine enemy T — Zeph. iii. 15- 
 
 WHAT a casting out was that! Satan has 
 lost his throne in our nature even as he 
 lost his scat in heaven. Our Lord Jesus has 
 destroyed the enemy's reigning power over us. 
 He may worry us, but he cannot claim us as his 
 own. His bonds are no longer upon our spirits: 
 the Son has made us free, and we are free indeed. 
 
 Still is the arch-enemy the accuser of the 
 brethren ; but even from this position our Lord 
 has driven him. Our advocate silences our 
 accuser. The Lord rebukes our enemies, and 
 pleads the causes of our soul, so that no harm 
 comes of all the devil's revilings. 
 
 As a tempter, the evil spirit still assails us, and 
 insinuates himself into our minds ; but thence also 
 is he cast out as to his former pre-eminence. He 
 wriggles about like a serpent, but he cannot rule 
 like a sovereign. He hurls in blasphemous 
 thoughts when he has opportunity ; but what a 
 relief it is when he is told to be quiet, and is made 
 to slink off like a whipped cur ! Lord, do this for 
 any who are at this time worried and wearied by 
 his barkings. Cast out their enemy, and be thou 
 glorious in their eyes. Thou hast cast him down, 
 Lord cast him out. Oh that thou wouldst banish 
 him from the world 1 
 
212 iFafUj's (Cljeque Booh. July 3a 
 
 "/ will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice." 
 John xvi. 22. 
 
 SURELY he will come a second time, and then, 
 when he sees us, and we see him, there will 
 be rejoicings indeed. Oh for that joyous return ! 
 
 But this promise is being daily fulfilled in 
 another sense. Our gracious Lord has many 
 " agains " in his dealings with us. He gave us 
 pardon, and he sees us again, and repeats the 
 absolving word as fresh sins cause us grief He 
 has revealed to us our acceptance before God, and 
 when our faith in that blessing grows a little dim, 
 he comes to us again and again, and says, " Peace 
 be unto you " ; and our hearts are glad. 
 
 Beloved, all our past mercies are tokens of future 
 mercies. If Jesus has been with us, he will see us 
 again. Look upon no former favour as a dead 
 and buried thing, to be mourned over ; but regard 
 it as a seed sown, which will grow, and push its 
 head up from the dust, and cry, " I will see you 
 again." Are the times dark because Jesus is not 
 with us as he used to be ? Let us pluck up 
 courage ; for he will not be long away. His feet 
 are as those of a roe or young hart, and they will 
 soon bring him to us. Wherefore let us begin to 
 be joyous, since he saith to us even now, " I will 
 see you again." 
 
July 31. iFait!)*3 (Cfjcque Book 213 
 
 "And call upon tne in the day of trouble : I will deliver 
 thee, arid thou shall glorify nie." — Ps. 1. 15. 
 
 THIS is a promise indeed ! 
 Here is an urgent occasion — "the day of 
 trouble." It is dark at noon on such a day, and 
 every hour seems blacker than the one which came 
 before it. Then is this promise in season : it is 
 written for the cloudy day. 
 
 Here is condescending advice, "call upon me." 
 We ought not to need the exhortation : it should be 
 our constant habit all the day and every day. 
 "What a mercy to have liberty to call upon God ! 
 What wisdom to make good use of it ! How 
 foolish to go running about to men I The Lord 
 invites us to lay our case before him, and surely 
 we will not hesitate to do so. 
 
 Here is reassuring encouragement : " I will de- 
 liver thee." Whatever the trouble may be, the 
 Lord makes no exceptions, but promises full, sure, 
 happy deliverance. He will himself work out our 
 deliverance by his own hand. We believe it, and 
 the Lord honours faith. 
 
 Here is an ultimate result : " Thou shalt glorify 
 me." Ah ! that we will do most abundantly. 
 When he has delivered us we will loudly praise 
 him ; and as he is sure to do it, let us begin to 
 glorify him at once. 
 
214 dFaitlj's Cf)£que Booft. Aur,. i. 
 
 ''^ And I will establish my co'oenant behveen me ajid thet 
 and thy seed after thee in their generations for an ever- 
 lasting covenant, to be a God nnto thee, and to thy seed 
 after thee." — Gen. xvii. 7. 
 
 OLORD, thou hast made a covenant with me, 
 thy servant, in Christ Jesus my Lord ; and 
 now, I beseech thee, let my children be included in 
 its gracious provisions. Permit me to believe this 
 promise as made to me as well as to Abraham. I 
 know that my children are born in sin, and shapen 
 in iniquity, even as those of other men ; therefore, 
 I ask nothing on the ground of their birth, for well I 
 know that " that which is born of the flesh is flesh," 
 and nothing more. Lord, make them to be born 
 under thy covenant of grace by thy Holy Spirit ! 
 
 I pray for my descendants throughout all genera- 
 tions. Be thou their God as thou art mine. My 
 highest honour is that thou hast permitted me to 
 serve thee ; may my offspring serve thee in all years 
 to come. O God of Abraham, be the God of his 
 Isaac ! O God of Hannah, accept her Samuel ! 
 
 If, Lord, thou hast favoured me in my family, I 
 pray thee remember other households of thy people 
 which remain unblcst. Be the God of all the 
 families of Israel. Let not one of those who fear 
 thy name be tried with a godless and wicked house- 
 hold, for thy Son Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. 
 
Aur.. 2. iFnitlj'a Cfjrque Bock. 215 
 
 "■A^oiv therefore go, and I will be with thy i/ioiith, and 
 teach thee wJiat thou shalt say.'^ — Ex. iv. 12. 
 
 MANY a true servant of the Lord is slow of 
 speech, and when called upon to plead for 
 his Lord, he is in great confusion lest he should 
 spoil a good cause by his bad advocacy. In such 
 a case it is well to remember that the Lord made 
 the tongue which is so slow, and we must take 
 care that we do not blame our Maker. It may be 
 that a slow tongue is not so great an evil as a fast 
 one, and fewness ot words may be more of a 
 blessing than floods of verbiage. It is also quite 
 certain that real saving power docs not lie in 
 human rhetoric, with its tropes, and pretty phrases, 
 and grand displays. Lack of fluency is not so 
 great a lack as it looks. 
 
 If God be with our mouth, and with our mind, 
 we shall have something better than the sounding 
 brass of eloquence, or the tinkling cymbal of per- 
 suasion. God's teaching is wisdom ; his presence is 
 power. Pharaoh had more reason to be afraid of 
 stammering Moses than of the most fluent talker 
 in Egypt ; for what he said had power in it ; he 
 spoke plagues and deaths. If the Lord be with us 
 in our natural weakness we shall be girt with 
 supernatural power. Therefore, let us speak for 
 Jesus boldly, as we ought to speak. 
 
2i6 JFnitb's Cljeque Book. Aug. 3. 
 
 '■^ But if the priest buy any soul 7vith his money, he shall 
 eat of it, and he that is born in his house : they shall eat 
 of his meat" — Lev. xxii. II. 
 
 STRANGERS, sojourners, and servants upon 
 hire were not to cat of holy things. It is so 
 in spiritual matters still. But two classes were free 
 at the sacred table, those who were bought with 
 the priest's money, and those who were born into 
 the priest's house. Bought and born, these were 
 the two indisputable proofs of a right to holy things. 
 
 Bought. Our great High Priest has bought with 
 a price all those who put their trust in him. They 
 are his absolute property — altogether the Lord's. 
 Not for what they are in themselves, but for their 
 owner's sake they are admitted into the same 
 privileges which he himself enjoys, and " they shall 
 eat of his meat." He has meat to eat which 
 worldlings know not of. " Because ye belong to 
 Christ," therefore shall ye share with your Lord. 
 
 Born. This is an equally sure way to privilege ; 
 if born in the priest's house we take our place with 
 the rest of the family. Regeneration makes us 
 fellow-heirs, and of the same body ; and, therefore, 
 the peace, the joy, the glory, which the Father has 
 given to Christ, Christ has given to us. Redemp- 
 tion and regeneration have giv:?n us a double claim 
 to the divine permit of this promise. 
 
Aug. 4. JFaillj's ^IjcquE i3ooU. 217 
 
 '■'The Lord bless thee, and keep ///(J^"."— Num. vi. 24. 
 
 THIS first clause of the high-priest's bcncdictio 
 is sub.stantially a promise. That blessing 
 which our great High Priest pronounces upon us is 
 sure to come, for he speaks the mind of God. 
 
 What a joy to abide under the divine blessing! 
 This puts a gracious flavour into all thing.s. If wc 
 are blessed, then all our possessions and enjoyments 
 are blessed ; yea, our losses and cros.scs, and even 
 our disappointments are blessed. God's blessing is 
 deep, emphatic, effectual. A man's blessing may 
 begin and end in words ; but the blessing of the 
 Lord makes rich and sanctifies. The best wish we 
 can have for our dearest friend is not " May pros- 
 perity attend thee," but " The Lord bless thee." 
 
 It is equally a delightful thing to be kept of God ; 
 kept by him, kept near him, kept in him. They 
 are kept indeed whom God keeps ; they are pre- 
 served from evil, they are reserved unto boundless 
 happiness. God's keeping goes with his blessing, 
 to establish it and cause it to endure. 
 
 The author of this little book desires that the 
 rich blessing and sure keeping here pronounced 
 may come upon every reader who may at this 
 moment be looking at these lines. Should the 
 author be living, please breathe the text to God 
 as a pra\cr for his servant. 
 
2x8 j?ailf)'3 Cljcquc BjoIj. Auo. 5. 
 
 '•'■The law of his God is in his heart ; none of his sL'ps 
 shall slide ^''' — Ps. xxxvii. 31. 
 
 PUT the law into the heart, and the whole man 
 is right. This is where the law should be ; 
 for then it lies, like the tables of stone in the ark, in 
 the place appointed for it. In the head it puzzles, 
 on the back it burdens, in the heart it upholds. 
 
 What a choice word is here used, " the law of his 
 God " ! When we know the Lord as our own God 
 his law becomes liberty to us. God with us in 
 covenant makes us eager to obey his will and walk 
 in his commands. Is the precept my Father's pre- 
 cept ? Then I delight in it. 
 
 We are here guaranteed that the obedient-hearted 
 man shall be sustained in every step that he takes. 
 He will do that which is right, and he shall there- 
 fore do that which is wise. Holy action is always 
 the most prudent, though it may not at the time 
 seem to be so. We are moving along the great 
 high road of God's providence and grace when we 
 keep to the way of his law. The Word of God has 
 never misled a single soul yet ; its plain directions 
 to walk humbly, justly, lovingly, and in the fear 
 of the Lord, are as much words of wisdom to make 
 our way prosperous as rules of holiness to keep 
 our garments clean. He walks surely who walks 
 righteously. 
 
Ave. 6. ifnillj's Ct'tquc Boclt. 219 
 
 "Be/.oM, the Lord thy God hath set the land before 
 thee : go up and possess it, as the Lord God of thy fai/urs 
 hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged." 
 Deut. i. 21. 
 
 THERE is a heritage of grace which we ought 
 to be bold enough to win for our own pos- 
 session. All that one believer has gained is free to 
 another. We may be strong in faith, fervent in 
 love, and abundant in labour ; there is nothing to 
 prevent it ; let us go up and take possession. The 
 sweetest experience and the brightest grace are as 
 much for us as for any of our brethren. Jehovah 
 has set it before us ; no one can deny our right ; 
 let us go up and possess it in his name. 
 
 The world also lies before us to be conquered for 
 the Lord Jesus. We are not to leave any country 
 or corner of it unsubdued. That slum near our 
 house is before us, not to baffle our endeavours, but 
 to yield to them. We have only to summon 
 courage enough to go forward, and we shall win 
 dark homes and hard hearts for Jesus. Let us 
 never leave the people in a lane or alley to die 
 because we have not enough faith in Jesus and his 
 gospel to go up and possess the land. No spot is 
 too benighted, no person is so profane as to be 
 beyond the power of grace. Cowardice, begone ! 
 Faith marches to the conquest. 
 
2 20 i/afllj'g (CfjcquE BiDoIt. Aug. 7. 
 
 '"'■Only be tJiou strong and very courageous, that thou 
 wayest observe to do according to all the law, 7vhick Moses 
 jay servant commafided thee : turti not from it to the right 
 hand or to the left, that thou tnayest prosper tuhithersoever 
 thou goest." — ^josh. i. 7. 
 
 YES, the Lord will be with us in our holy war, 
 but he demands of us that we strictly follow 
 his rules. Our victories will very much depend 
 upon our obeying him zvit/i all our heart, throwing 
 strength and courage into the actions of our faith. 
 If v/e are half-hearted we cannot expect more than 
 half a blessing. 
 
 We must obey the Lord zuith care aJtd tJionght- 
 fulness. " Observe to do " is the phrase used, and 
 it is full of meaning. This is referred to every part 
 of the divine will ; we must obey zuit/i universal 
 readiness. Our rule of conduct is " according to 
 all the law." We may not pick and choose, but 
 we must take the Lord's commands as they come, 
 one and all. \\\ all this we must go on zvith exact- 
 ness and constancy. Ours is to be a straightforward 
 course, which bends neither to the right nor to the 
 left. We are not to err by being more rigid than the 
 law, nor turn out of levity to a more free and easy 
 way. With such obedience there will come spiritual 
 prosperity. O Lord, help us to see if it be not even 
 so ! \A'^e shall not test thy promise in vain. 
 
Aug. 8. 5'Utl)'s Cljcque 15ocft. 2-?! 
 
 ''The Lord God will help w^."— Isa. 1. 7. 
 
 THESE are in prophecy the words of Messiah 
 in the day of his obedience unto death, when 
 he gave his back to the smitcrs, and his checks to 
 them that phicked off the hair. He was confident 
 in divine support, and trusted in Jehovah. 
 
 O my soul, thy sorrows are as the small dust of 
 the balance compared with thy Lord's! Canst thou 
 not believe that the Lord God will help thee? 
 Thy Lord was in a peculiar position ; for as the re- 
 presentative of sinful men — their substitute and 
 sacrifice — it was needful that the Father should 
 leave him, and cause him to come under desertion 
 of soul. No such necessity is laid upon thee : thou 
 art not bound to cry, " Why hast thou forsaken 
 me?" Did thy Saviour even in such a case still 
 rely upon God, and canst not thou ? He died for 
 thee, and thus made it impossible that thou shouldst 
 be left alone ; wherefore, be of good cheer. 
 
 In this day's laboursor trials .say, "The Lord God 
 will help me." Go forth boldly. Set your face 
 like a flint, and resolve that no faintness or shame- 
 facedness shall come near you. If God helps, who 
 can hinder? If you are sure of omnipotent aid, 
 what can be too heavy for you? Begin the day 
 joyously, and let no shade of doubt come between 
 thee and the eternal sunshine. 
 
222 jfaitlj's ©Ijcqiie Uook. Aug. 9. 
 
 ''Every branch in me that beareth not ftuit he take'h 
 aivay : and every branch that beareth fruit, he piirgdh it, 
 that it may bring forth more friiitP — John xv. 2. 
 
 THIS is a precious promise to one who lives 
 for fruitfulness. At first it seems to wear a 
 sharp aspect. Must the fruitful bough be pruned ? 
 Must the knife cut ev-en the best and most use- 
 ful ? No doubt it is so, for very much of our Lord's 
 purging work is done by means of afflictions of one 
 kind or another. It is not the evil but the good 
 who have the promise of tribulation in this life. 
 But, then, the end makes more than full amends for 
 the painful nature of the means. If we may bring 
 forth more fruit for our Lord, we will not mind the 
 pruning and the loss of leafage. 
 
 Still, purging is sometimes wrought by the Word 
 apart from trial, and this takes away whatever 
 appeared rough in the flavour of the promise. We 
 shall by the Word be made more gracious and 
 more useful. The Lord, who has made us, in a 
 measure, fruit-bearing, will operate upon us till we 
 reach a far higher degree of fertility. Is not this 
 a great joy ? Truly there is more comfort in a 
 promise of fruitfulness than if we had been 
 warranted riches, or health, or honour. 
 
 Lord Jesus, speedily fulfil thy gracious word to 
 me, and cause me to abound in fruit to thy praise 1 
 
Auo. lo. JF.u'tlj's Cbcquc Bach. 223 
 
 "77/^ Lord inaketh poor, and maketh rich: he brin^eih 
 loiv, and lifUth upT — i Sam. ii. 7. 
 
 ALL my changes come from him who never 
 changes. If I had grown rich, I should have 
 seen his hand in it, and I should have praised him ; 
 let me equally see his hand if I am made poor, and 
 let me as heartily praise him. When we go down 
 in the world, it is of the Lord, and so we may take 
 it patiently : when we rise in the world, it is of the 
 Lord, and we may accept it thankfully. In any 
 case, the Lord hath done it, and it is well. 
 
 It seems that Jehovah's way is to lower those 
 whom he means to raise, and to strip those whom 
 he intends to clothe. If it is his way, it is the 
 wisest and best way. If I am now enduring the 
 bringing low I may well rejoice, because I see in it 
 the preface to the lifting up. The more we are 
 humbled by grace, the more we shall be exalted 
 in glory. That impoverishment which will be over- 
 ruled for our enrichment is to be welcomed. 
 
 O Lord, thou hast taken me down of late, and 
 made me feel my insignificance and sin. It is not 
 a pleasant experience, but I pray thee make it a 
 profitable one to me. Oh, that thou wouldst thus 
 fit me to bear a greater weight of delight and of 
 usefulness ; and when I am ready for it, then grant 
 it to uie, for Christ's sake ! Amen. 
 
224 JFaitlj's erfjfqut Book Aug. ii. 
 
 ^^ Truly my soul waiteth upon God : from him comet h 
 my salvation.''' — Ps. Ixii. i. 
 
 BLESSED posture! — waiting truly and only 
 upon the Lord. Be this our condition all 
 this day, and every day. Waiting his leisure, 
 waiting in his service, waiting in joyful expecta- 
 tion, waiting in prayer, and content. When the 
 very soul thus waits, it is in the best and truest 
 condition of a creature before his Creator, a ser- 
 vant before his Master, a child before his Father. 
 We allow no dictation to God, nor complaining of 
 him ; we will permit no petulance, and no distrust. 
 At the same time, we practise rto running before 
 the cloud, and no seeking to others for aid : neither 
 of these would be waiting upon God. God, and 
 God alone, is the expectation of our hearts. 
 
 Blessed assurance!— from him salvation iscoming; 
 it is on the road. It will come from him, and from 
 no one else. He shall have all the glory of it, for 
 he alone can and will perform it. And he will 
 perform it most surely in his own time and manner. 
 He will save from doubt, and suffering, and slander, 
 and distress. Though we see no sign of it as yet, 
 we are satisfied to bide the Lord's will, for we have 
 no suspicion of his love and faithfulness. He will 
 make sure work of it before long, and we will praise 
 him at once for the coming mercy. 
 
Aug. 12. iFaitlj'g €I)fqu£ Boolt. 225 
 
 '^For thou art my lamp, Lord : atid the Lord will 
 lighten my darknes$y — 2 Sam. xxii. 29. 
 
 AM I in the light? Then thou, O Lord, art my 
 lamp. Take thee away, and my joy would 
 be gone ; but as long as thou art with me, I can 
 do without the torches of time and the candles of 
 created comfort. What a light the presence of 
 God casts on all things ! We heard of a lighthouse 
 which could be seen for twenty miles, but our 
 Jehovah is not only a God at hand, but far off is 
 he seen, even in the enemy's country. O Lord, 
 I am as happy as an angel when thy love fills my 
 heart Thou art all my desire. 
 
 Am I in the dark? Then thou, O Lord, wilt 
 lighten my darkness. Before long things will 
 change. Affairs may grow more and more dreary, 
 and cloud may be piled upon cloud ; but if it 
 grows so dark that I cannot see my own hand, 
 still I shall see the hand of the Lord. When I 
 cannot find a light within me, or among my 
 friends, or in the whole world, the Lord, who said 
 " Let there be light," and there was light, can say 
 the same again. He will speak me into the sun- 
 shine yet. I shall not die, but live. The day is 
 already breaking. This sweet text shines like a 
 morning star. I shall clap my hands for joy ere 
 many hours are passed. 
 
 15 
 
226 iFaillj'ss CIjfquE Baoh. Aug. 13. 
 
 "// shall come to pass, thai before they call, I will 
 a'isiuer ; and while they are yet speaking, 1 will hear." 
 Isa. Ixv. 24. 
 
 OUICK work this! The Lord hears us before 
 we call ; and often answers us in the same 
 speedy manner. Foreseeing our needs, and our 
 prayers, he so arranges providence that before the 
 need actually arises he has supplied it, before the 
 trial assails us he has armed us against it. This 
 is the promptitude of omniscience, and we have 
 often seen it exercised. Before we dreamed of the 
 affliction which was coming, the strong consolation 
 which was to sustain us under it had arrived. 
 What a prayer-answering God we have ! 
 
 The second clause suggests the telephone. 
 Though God be in heaven and we upon earth, yet 
 he makes our word, like his own word, to travel 
 very swiftly. When we pray aright we speak into 
 the ear of God. Our gracious Mediator presents 
 our petitions at once, and the great Father hears 
 them and smiles upon them. Grand praying this ! 
 Who would not be much in prayer when he knows 
 that he has the ear of the King of kings ? This 
 day I will pray in faith, not only believing that I 
 shall be heard, but that I am heard ; not only that 
 I shall be answered, but that I have the answer 
 already. Holy Spirit, help me in this I 
 
Aug. 14. 5aitl)'s Cljcquc 13aoh. 827 
 
 ^'^ And I will for this aj/l.ct the seed 0/ David, but not 
 for ever.'' — i Kings xi. 39. 
 
 IN the family of grace there is discipline, and 
 that discipline is severe enough to make it an 
 evil and a bitter thing to sin. Solomon, turned 
 aside by his foreign wives, had set up other gods, 
 and grievously provoked the God of his father; 
 therefore, ten parts out of twelve of the king- 
 dom were rent away, and set up as a rival state. 
 This was a sore affliction to the house of David, 
 and it came upon that dynasty distinctly from the 
 hand of God, as the result of unholy conduct. The 
 Lord will chasten his best beloved servants if they 
 cease from full obedience to his laws : perhaps at 
 this very hour such chastening is upon us. Let us 
 humbly cry, " O Lord, show me wherefore thou 
 contendest with me." 
 
 What a sweet saving clause is that — " but not for 
 ever"! The punishment of sin is everlasting, but 
 the fatherly chastisement of it in a child of God is 
 but for a season. The sickness, the poverty, the 
 depression of spirit, will pass away when they have 
 had their intended effect. Remember, we are not 
 under law, but under grace. The rod may make 
 us smart, but the sword shall not make us die. Our 
 present grief is meant to bring us to repentance, 
 that wc may not be destroyed with the wicked. 
 
2 28 5aitlj*0 CTIjcqiic BjoU. Aug. 15. 
 
 ^^And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will 
 J do, that the Father may be glorified in tJu Son." 
 John xiv. 13. 
 
 IT is not every believer who has yet learned to 
 pray in Christ's name. To ask not otily for 
 his sake, but in his name, as authorized by biiv^ is 
 a high order of prayer. We would not dare if> ask 
 for some things in that blessed name, for it would 
 be a wretched profanation of it ; but when the 
 petition is so clearly right that we dare set the 
 name of Jesus to it, then it must be granted. 
 
 Prayer is all the more sure to succeed because 
 it is for the Father's glory through the Son. It 
 glorifies his truth, his faithfulness, his power, his 
 grace. The granting of prayer, when offered in 
 the name of Jesus, reveals the Father's love to 
 him, and the honour which he has put upon him. 
 The glory of Jesus and of the Father are so 
 wrapped up together, that the grace which magnifies 
 the one magnifies the other. The channel is made 
 famous through the fulness of the fountain, and the 
 fountain is honoured through the channel by which 
 it flows. If the answering of our prayers would 
 dishonour our Lord, we would not pray ; but since 
 in this thing he is glorified, we will pray without 
 ceasing in that dear name in which God and his 
 people have a fellowship of delight. 
 
Ai'G. 16. jFaitlj's (Cheque Bjolt. 329 
 
 *'//(f that covcreth his sins shall vot prosper : but 
 whoso confcsseth atid forsaketh them shall have vurcy." 
 i'lov. xxviii. 13. 
 
 IT ERE is the way of mercy for a guilty and 
 X repenting sinner. He must cease from the 
 habit of covering sin. This is attempted by false- 
 hood, which denies sin ; by hypocrisy, which 
 conceals it ; by boasting, which justifies it ; and by 
 loud profession, which tries to mak'c amends for it. 
 
 The sinner's business is to confess and forsake. 
 The two must go together. Confession must be 
 honestly made to the Lord himself; and it must 
 include within itself acknowledgment of the wrong, 
 sense of its evil, and abhorrence of it. We must 
 not throw the fault upon others, nor blame circum- 
 stances, nor plead natural weakness. We must make 
 a clean breast of it, and plead guilty to the indict- 
 ment. There can be no mercy till this is done. 
 
 Furthermore, we must forsake the evil : having 
 owned our fault, we must disown all present and 
 future intent to abide in it. We cannot remain in 
 rebellion and yet dwell with the King's Majesty. 
 The habit of evil must be quitted, together with 
 all places, companions, pursuits, and books, which 
 might lead us astray. 'Hoi for confession, nor for 
 reformation, but in connection with them we find 
 pardon by faith in the blood of Jesus. 
 
230 iTnitlj's Cljrquc 13ooIt. Aug. 17. 
 
 "And he answered^ Fear not : for iJiey that be zuith us 
 ere more than they t/iat be with them."'' — 2 Kino-s vi. 16. 
 
 HORSES and chariots, and a great host, shut 
 up the prophet in Dothan. His )'oung 
 servant was alarmed. How could they escape from 
 such a body of armed men ? But the prophet had 
 eyes which his servant had not, and he could see a 
 greater host with far superior weapons guarding 
 him from all harm. Horses of fire are mightier 
 than horses of flesh, and chariots of fire are far 
 preferable to chariots of iron. 
 
 Even so is it at this hour. The adversaries of 
 truth are many, influential, learned, and crafty ; 
 and truth fares ill at their hands ; and yet the man 
 of God has no cause for trepidation. Agencies, 
 seen and unseen, of the most potent kind, are on 
 the side of righteousness. God has armies in 
 ambush which will reveal themselves in the hour of 
 need. The forces which are on the side of the 
 good and the true far outweigh the powers of evil. 
 Therefore, let us keep our spirits up, and walk 
 with the gait of men who possess a cheering secret, 
 which has lifted them above all fear. We are on 
 the winning side. The battle may be sharp, but 
 we know how it will end. Faith, having God with 
 her, is in a clear majority : " They that be with us 
 are more than they that be with them." 
 
Aug. i8. jFaitlj's Cljfque Book. 231 
 
 ^'' If thou seek him, he ivill he found of. hre. " — i Chion. xxviii. 9. 
 
 WE need our God ; he is to be had for the 
 scckin<^ ; and he will not deny himself to 
 any one of us if we personally seek his face. It is 
 not, if thou deserve him, or purchase his favour, but 
 merely if thou "seek" him. Those who already 
 know the Lord must go on seeking his face by 
 pra)'er, by diligent service, and by holy gratitude: 
 to such he will not refuse his favour and fellowship. 
 Those who, as yet, have not known him to their 
 souls' rest should at once commence seeking, and 
 never cease till they find him as their Saviour, their 
 Friend, their Father, and their God. 
 
 What strong assurance this promise gives to the 
 seeker ! " He that seeketh findeth." You, yes 
 jfO/i, if you seek your God shall find him. When 
 you find him you have found life, pardon, sancti- 
 fication, preservation, and glory. Will you not 
 seek, and seek on, since you shall not seek in vain ? 
 Dear friend, seek the Lord at once. Here is the 
 place, and now is the time. Bend that stiff knee ; 
 yes, bend that stiffer neck, and cry out for God, for 
 the living God. In the name of Jesus seek cleans- 
 ing and justification. You shall not be refused. 
 Here is David's testimony to his son Solomon, and 
 it is the writer's personal witness to the reader. 
 Believe it and act upon it, for Christ's sake. 
 
232 Jaillj's (Cljcquc Ijoolt. Aui-.. 19. 
 
 "^<? that a man shall say, Virily there is a rnaord /of 
 the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth." 
 Ps. Iviii. 1 1. 
 
 GOD'S judgments in this life are not always 
 clearly to be seen, for in many cases one 
 event happeneth alike to all. This is the state 
 of probation, not of punishment or reward. Yet 
 at times God works terrible things in righteousness, 
 and even the careless are compelled to own his hand. 
 
 Even in this life righteousness has that kind of 
 reward which it prefers above all others, namely, 
 the smile of God, which creates a quiet conscience. 
 Sometimes other recompenses follow, for God will 
 be in no man's debt. But, at the same time, the 
 chief reward of the righteous lies in the hereafter. 
 
 Meanwhile, on a large scale, we mark the pre- 
 sence of the great Ruler among the nations. He 
 breaks in pieces oppressive thrones, and punishes 
 guilty peoples. No one can study the history of 
 the rise and fall of empires without perceiving that 
 there is a power which makes for righteousness, 
 and, in the end, brings iniquity before its bar, and 
 condemns it with unsparing justice. Sin shall not 
 go unpunished, and goodness shall not remain 
 unrewarded. The Judge of all the earth must do 
 right. Therefore, let us fear before him, and no 
 more dread the power of the wicked. 
 
Aug. 20. iFaitIj'3 Cljfquf Boclft. 233 
 
 ^^He shall deliver thee in six troubles : yea, in seven there 
 shall no et>il touch thee^ — Job v. 19. 
 
 ELIPHAZ in this spoke the truth of God. 
 We may have as many troubles as the 
 work-days of the week, but tlie God who worked 
 on those six days will work for us till our deliver- 
 ance is complete. We shall rest with him, and in 
 him on our Sabbath. The rapid succession of 
 trials is one of the sorest tests of faith. Before we 
 have recovered from one blow, it is followed by 
 another and another till we are staggered. Still, 
 the equally quick succession of deliverances is ex- 
 ceedingly cheering. New songs are rung out upon 
 the anvil by the hammer of affliction, till we see 
 in the spiritual world the antitype- of " the Har- 
 monious Blacksmith." Our confidence is, that 
 when the Lord makes our trials six, six they will 
 be, and no more. 
 
 It may be that we have no rest-day, for snmi 
 troubles come upon us. What then .'' " In seven 
 there shall no evil touch thee." Evil may roar at 
 us, but it shall be kept at more than arm's length, 
 and shall not even touch us. Its hot breath may 
 distress us, but its little finger cannot be laid upon us. 
 
 With our loins girt about us we will meet the six 
 or the seven troubles, and leave fear to those who 
 have no Father, no Saviour, and no Sanctifier. 
 
234 iFai't^'s CI)fqur Baolt. Aug. 21. 
 
 "/v?r Ids anger endiireth but a moment ; in his favour 
 is life : weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in 
 the mornifig'"— Ps. xxx. 5. 
 
 A MOMENT under our Father's anger seems 
 very long, and yet it is but a moment after 
 all. If we grieve his Spirit we cannot look for his 
 smile ; but he is a God ready to pardon, and he 
 soon puts aside all remembrance of our faults. 
 When we faint and are ready to die because of his 
 frown, his favour puts new life into us. 
 
 This verse has another note of the semi-quaver 
 kind. Our weeping night soon turns into joyous 
 day. Brevity is the mark of mercy in the hour of 
 the chastisement of believers. The Lord loves not 
 to use the rod on his chosen ; he gives a blow or 
 two, and all is over ; yea, and the life and the joy, 
 which follow the anger and the weeping, more than 
 make amends for the salutary sorrow. 
 
 Come, my heart, begin thy hallelujahs ! Weep 
 not all through the night, but wipe thine eyes in 
 anticipation of the morning. These tears are dews 
 which mean us as much good as the sunbeams of 
 the morrow. Tears clear the eyes for the sight of 
 God in his grace ; and make the vision of his favour 
 more precious. A night of sorrow supplies those 
 shades of the picture by which the high lights are 
 brought out with distinctness. All is well. 
 
Aug. 22. 5'iiilj'i3 Cljcquc 13ocIt. 235 
 
 ^^ Surely the uirath of man slia'l praise t/ur : tht 
 remainder of wrath shall t'lcu restrain." — rs. Ix.wi. 10. 
 
 WICKED men will be wrathful. Their anger 
 we must endure as the badge of our 
 calling, the token of our separation from them : 
 if we were of the world the world would love its 
 own. Our comfort is that the wrath of man shall 
 be made to redound to the glory of God. When 
 in their wrath the wicked crucified the Son of God 
 they were unwittingly fulfilling the divine purpose, 
 and in a thousand cases the wilfulness of the un- 
 godly is doing the same. They think themselves 
 free, but like convicts in chains they are uncon- 
 sciously working out the decrees of the Almighty. 
 
 The devices of the wicked are overruled for their 
 defeat. They act in a suicidal way, and baffle their 
 own plottings. Nothing will come of their wrath 
 which can do us real harm. When they burned 
 the martyrs the smoke which blew from the stake 
 sickened men of Popery more than anything else. 
 
 Meanwhile, the Lord has a muzzle and a chain 
 for bears. He restrains the more furious wrath of 
 the enemy. He is like a miller who holds back the 
 mass of the water in the stream, and what he does 
 allow to flow he uses for the turning of his wheel. 
 Let us not sigh, but sing. All is well, however 
 hard the wind blows. 
 
236 J)Faitf)'s Cfjeque Baolt. Aug. 23. 
 
 ''/ love them that love mc ; and those that seek me early 
 shall find w^." — Prov. viii. 17. 
 
 WISDOM loves her lovers, and seeks her 
 seekers. He is already wise who seeks to 
 be wise, and he has almost found wisdom who dili- 
 gently seeks her. What is true of wisdom in general 
 is specially true of w^isdom embodied in our Lord 
 Jesus. Him we are to love and to seek, and in 
 return we shall enjoy his love, and find himself 
 
 Our business is to seek Jesus early in life, 
 Happy are the young whose morning is spent with 
 Jesus ! It is never too soon to seek the Lord Jesus. 
 Early seekers make certain finders. We should 
 seek him early by diligence. Thriving tradesmen are 
 early risers, and thriving saints seek Jesus eagerly. 
 Those who find Jesus to their enrichment give 
 their hearts to seeking him. We must seek him 
 first, and thus earliest. Above all things Jesus. 
 Jesus first, and nothing else even as a bad second. 
 
 The blessing is that he will be found. He reveals 
 himself more and more clearly to our search. He 
 gives himself up more fully to our fellowship. 
 Happy men who seek one who, when he is found, 
 remains with them for ever, a treasure growingly 
 precious to their hearts and understandings. 
 
 Lord Jesus, I have found thee ; be found of me 
 to an unutterable degree of joyous satisfaction. 
 
AiG. 24. iFaitb*^ Clji-quc Dooh. 237 
 
 *\7or it is wi iltcn, I will destroy tlw zvisdom 0/ the 7cise, 
 and will bring to nothing the understanduig of the 
 prudent:' — I Cor. i. 19. 
 
 THIS verse is a threatening so far as the worldly- 
 wise are concerned, but to the simple believer 
 it is a promise. The professedly learned are for ever 
 trying to bring to nothing the faith of the humble 
 believer, but they fail in their attempts. Their 
 arguments break down, their theories fall under 
 their own weight, their deep-laid plots discover 
 themselves before their purpose is accomplished. 
 The old gospel is not extinct yet, nor will it be 
 while the Lord livcth. If it could have been ex- 
 terminated it would have perished from off the 
 earth long ago. 
 
 Wc cannot destroy the wisdom of the wise, nor 
 need we attempt it, for the work is in far better 
 hands. The Lord himself says, " I will," and he 
 nc\er resolves in vain. Twice does he in this verse 
 declare his purpose, and we may rest assured that 
 he will not turn aside from it. 
 
 What clean work the Lord makes of philosophy 
 and "modern thought" when he puts his hand to 
 it ! He brings the fine appearance down to nothing ; 
 he utterly destroys the wood, hay, and stubble. It 
 is written that so it shall be, and so shall it be. 
 Lord, make short work of it. Amen, and Amen. 
 
23S J;aiti)'5 (CijcquE Boolt. Aug. 25. 
 
 '■'■ I will feed my flock, arid I will cause them to lie doia:i, 
 saith the Lord God." — Ezek. xxxiv. 15. 
 
 UNDER the divine shepherdry saints are fed to 
 the full. Theirs is not a windy, unsatisfying 
 mess of mere human " thought " ; but the Lord feeds 
 them upon the solid, substantial truth of divine 
 revelation. There is real nutriment for the soul 
 in Scripture brought home to the heart by the 
 Holy Spirit. Jesus, himself, is the true life-sus- 
 taining food of believers. Here our Great Shepherd 
 promises that such sacred nourishment shall be 
 given us by his own self If, on the Sabbath, our 
 earthly shepherd is empty-handed, the Lord is not. 
 
 When filled with holy truth the mind rests. 
 Those whom Jehovah feeds are at peace. No dog 
 shall worry them, no wolf shall devour them, no 
 restless propensities shall disturb them. They 
 shall lie down and digest the food which they have 
 enjoyed. The doctrines of grace are not only 
 sustaining, but consoling : in them we have the 
 means for building up and lying down. If 
 preachers do not give us rest, let us look to the 
 Lord for it. 
 
 This day may the Lord cause us to feed in the 
 pastures of the Word, and make us to lie down in 
 them. May no folly, and no worry, but Meditation 
 and Peace mark this day. 
 
Aug. 26. JJ^aiUj's Cljcquc Book 239 
 
 **I will Judge behveen cattle and cattle^ — Ezek. xxxiv. 22. 
 
 SO^IE are fat and flourishing, and therefore 
 they are unkind to the feeble. This is a 
 grievous sin, and causes much sorrow. Those 
 tln-ustings with side and with shoulder, those 
 pu3hings of the diseased with the horn, are a 
 sad means of offence in the assemblies of pro- 
 fessing believers. The Lord takes note of these 
 proud and unkind deeds, and he is greatly angered 
 by them, for he loves the weak. 
 
 Is the reader one of the despised ? Is he a 
 mourner in Zion, and a marked man because of his 
 tender conscience ? Do his brethren judge him 
 harshly? Let him not resent their conduct ; above 
 all, let him not push and thrust in return. Let him 
 leave the matter in the Lord's hands. He is the 
 Judge. Why should we wish to intrude upon his 
 office? He will decide much more righteously 
 than we can. His time for judgment is the best, 
 and we need not be in a hurry to hasten it on. 
 
 Let the hard-hearted oppressor tremble. Exen 
 though he may ride rough-shod over others with 
 impunity for the present, all his proud speeches are 
 noted, and for every one of them account must be 
 given before the bar of the Great Judge. 
 
 Patience, my soul ! Patience ! the Lord knoweth 
 th/ grief. Thy Jesus hath pity upon thee I 
 
240 iFaitlj's Cljcquc ISooh. Aug. 27. 
 
 "/ )iave chosen tJve in the furnace of affliction," 
 Isa. xlviii. lo. 
 
 THIS has long been the motto fixed before our 
 eye upon the wall of our bed-chamber, and 
 in many ways it has also been written on our 
 heart. It is no mean thing to be chosen of God. 
 God's choice makes chosen men choice men. 
 Better to be the elect of God than the elect of a 
 whole nation. So eminent is this privilege, that 
 ■whatever drawback may be joined to it we very 
 joyfully accept it, even as the Jew ate the bitter 
 herbs for the sake of the Paschal Lamb. We 
 choose the furnace, since God chooses us in it. 
 
 We are chosen as an afflicted people, and not as 
 a prosperous people, chosen not in the palace, but 
 in the furnace. In the furnace beauty is marred, 
 fashion is destroyed, strength is melted, glory is 
 consumed, and yet here eternal love reveals its 
 secrets, and declares its choice. So has iit been 
 in our case. In times of severest trial God has made 
 to us our calling and election plain,and we have made 
 it sure : then have we chosen the Lord to be our 
 God, and he has shown that v/e are assuredly his 
 chosen. Therefore, if to-day the furnace be heated 
 seven times hotter, we will not dread it, for the 
 glorious Son of God will walk with us amid the 
 glowing coals. 
 
Aug. 28. JFaitli's Cljrquc Baolt. 241 
 
 '■'■As for me^ I will call upon God; and the Lord shall 
 save file." — Ps. Iv. 16. 
 
 YES, I must and will pray. What else can I 
 do? What better can I do? Betrayed, 
 forsaken, grieved, baffled, O my Lord, I will call 
 upon thee. My Ziklag is in ashes, and men speak 
 of stoning me ; but I encourage my heart in the 
 Lord, who will bear me through this trial as he 
 has borne me through so many others. Jehovah 
 shall save me ; I am sure he will, and I declare my 
 faith. 
 
 The Lord and no one else shall save me. I 
 desire no other helper, and would not trust in an 
 arm of flesh even if I could. I will cry to him 
 evening, and morning, and noon, and I will cry to 
 no one else, for he is All-sufficient. 
 
 How he will save me I cannot guess; but he will 
 
 do it, I know. He will do it in the best and surest 
 
 way, and he will do it in the largest, truest, and 
 
 fullest sense. Out of this trouble and all future 
 
 troubles the great I AM will bring me as surely 
 
 as he lives ; and when death comes, and all the 
 
 mysteries of eternity follow thereon, still will this 
 
 be true: '^ l/ie Lord shall save me" This shall be 
 
 my song all through this autumn day. Is it not as 
 
 a ripe apple from the tree of life? I will feed upon 
 
 it. How sweet it is to my taste I 
 
 x6 
 
2^2 iraillj's (irijcquE Booft. Aug. 29. 
 
 '''Their soul shall be as a ivatered garden^ — ^jer. xxxi. 12. 
 
 OH, to have one's soul under heavenly cultiva- 
 tion ; no longer a wilderness, but a garden of 
 the Lord! Enclosed from the waste, walled around 
 by grace, planted by instruction, visited by love, 
 weeded by heavenly discipline, and guarded by 
 divine power, one's favoured soul is prepared to 
 yield fruit unto the Lord. 
 
 But a garden may become parched for want of 
 water, and then all its herbs decline, and are ready 
 to die. O my soul, how soon would this be the 
 case were the Lord to leave thee ! In the East, a 
 garden without water soon ceases to be a garden 
 at all : nothing can come to perfection, grow, or 
 even live. When irrigation is kept up, the result 
 is charming. Oh, to have one's soul watered by 
 the Holy Spirit uniformly — every part of the garden 
 having its own stream ; plentifully — a sufficient 
 refreshment coming to every tree and herb, how- 
 ever thirsty by nature it may be ; continually — 
 each hour bringing not only its heat, but its 
 refreshment ; wisely — each plant receiving just 
 what it needs. In a garden you can see by the 
 verdure where the water flows, and you can soon 
 perceive when the Spirit of God comes. 
 
 O Lord, water me this day, and cause me to 
 yield thee a full reward, for Jesus' sake. Amen. 
 
Aug. 3a JFaiifj's CljcquE BocU. 243 
 
 "AU/ioiigh my house be not so -with God ; yet he hoth 
 made ivith me an everlastmg covenant, ordered in all thifigs, 
 and sure : for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, 
 a/though he make it not to gro'U'." — 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. 
 
 THIS is not so much one promise as an agfrre- 
 gate of promises — a box of pearls. Tlie 
 covenant is tlie ark which contains all things. 
 
 These are the last words of David, but they may- 
 be mine to-day. Here is a sigh : things are not 
 with me and mine as I could wish; there are trials, 
 cares, and sins. These make the pillow hard. 
 
 Here is a solace — " He hath made with me an 
 everlasting covenant." Jehovah has pledged him- 
 self to me, and sealed the compact with the blood 
 of Jesus. I am bound to my God, and my God to me. 
 
 This brings into prominence a seairity, since this 
 covenant is everlasting, well ordered and sure. 
 There is nothing to fear from the lapse of time, 
 the failure of some forgotten point, or the natural 
 uncertainty of things. The covenant is a rocky 
 foundation to build on for life or for death. 
 
 David feels satisfaction : he wants no more for 
 salvation or delectation. He is delivered, and he is 
 delighted. The covenant is all a man can desire. 
 
 O my soul, turn thou this day to thy Lord Jesus, 
 whom the great Lord has given to be a covenant 
 to the people. Take him to be thine all in all. 
 
244 iFattlj'3 CTijcque Booh. Aug. 31. 
 
 "j5/// the word of the Lord endiireth for ever. And this 
 is the word which by the gospd is pnached unto you." 
 I Pet. i. 25. 
 
 ALL human teaching and, indeed, all human 
 beings, shall pass away as the grass of the 
 meadow ; but we are here assured that the word of 
 the Lord is of a very different character, for it shall 
 endure for ever. 
 
 We have here a divine gospel ; for what word can 
 endure for ever but that which is spoken by the 
 eternal God ? 
 
 We have here an ever-livijig gospel, as full of 
 vitality as when it first came from the lip of God ; 
 as strong to convince and convert, to regenerate 
 and console, to sustain and sanctify, as ever it was 
 in its first days of wonder-working. 
 
 We have an unchanging gospel, which is not to- 
 day green grass, and to-morrow dry hay; but always 
 the abiding truth of the immutable Jehovah. 
 Opinions alter, but truth certified by God can 
 no more change than the God who uttered it. 
 
 Here, then, we have a gospel to rejoice in, a word 
 of the Lord upon which we may lean all our 
 weight, "For ever" includes life, death, judg- 
 ment, and eternity. Glory be to God in Christ 
 Jesus for everlasting consolation. Feed on the 
 word to-day, and all the days of thy life. 
 
SriT. I. Jai'llj's Cfjfqiic BDoIt. 245 
 
 ^''If ye keep my covimandmaUs, ye shall abide in my 
 love.'' — John XV. 10. 
 
 THESE things cannot be parted — abiding in 
 obedience, and abiding in the love of Jesus. 
 A h'fe under the rule of Christ can alone prove 
 that we are the objects of our Lord's delight. VVe 
 must keep our Lord's command if we would bask 
 in his love. If we live in sin we cannot li\-e in the 
 love of Christ. Without the holiness which pleases 
 God, we cannot please Jesus. He who cares nothing 
 for holiness knows nothing of the love of Jesus. 
 
 Conscious enjoyment of our Lord's love is a 
 delicate thing. It is far more sensitive to sin and 
 holiness than mercury is to cold and heat. When 
 we are tender of heart, and careful in thought, lip, 
 and life to honour our Lord Jesus, then we receive 
 tokens of his love without number. If we desire to 
 perpetuate such bliss we must perpetuate hoh'ness. 
 The Lord Jesus will not hide his face from us unless 
 we hide our face from him. Sin makes the cloud 
 which darkens our Sun : if we will be watchfully 
 obedient and completely con.'^ecrated, wc may walk 
 in the light, as God is in the light, and have as sure 
 an abiding in the love of Jesus as Jesus has in the 
 love of the Father. Here is a sweet promise with a 
 solemn "if" Lord, let me have this "if" in my 
 hand ,-, for as a key it opens this casket. 
 
246 jTaitlj's Cljcque Book. Sept. 2. 
 
 '''Then shall 7ve know, if we follow on to knoiv the 
 Lord." — Hos. vi. 3. 
 
 NOT all at once, but by degrees shall we attain 
 to holy knowledge, and our business is to 
 persevere and learn by little and little. We need 
 not despair, though our progress may be slow, for 
 we shall yet know. The Lord, who has become our 
 teacher, will not give us up, however slow of under- 
 standing we may be ; for it is not for his honour 
 that any degree of human folly should baffle his 
 skill. The Lord delights to make the simple wise. 
 
 Our duty is to keep to our main topic, and follow 
 on to know, not this peculiar doctrine nor that, but 
 Jehovah himself To know Father, Son, and Spirit, 
 the Triune God, this is life eternal : let us keep to 
 this, for in this way we shall gain complete instruc- 
 tion. By following on to know the Lord, we learn 
 healing after being torn, binding up after smiting, 
 and life after death. Experience has its perfect 
 work when the heart follows the trackway of the 
 Almighty Lord. 
 
 My soul, keep thou close to Jesus, follow on to 
 know God in Jesus, and so shalt thou come to the 
 knowledge of Christ, which is the most excellent of 
 ^11 the sciences. The Holy Ghost will lead th^e 
 mto all truth. Is not this his gracious office? 
 Rely upon him to fulfil it. 
 
Sq T. 3. iFaitb's (Cfjfqiie 13oo!t. 247 
 
 ^^ And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have 
 opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out 
 0/ your graves."" — Ezek. xxxvii, 13. 
 
 INDEED it must be so : those who receive Hfe 
 from the dead are sure to recognize the hand 
 of the Lord in such a resurrection. This is the 
 greatest and most remarkable of all changes that a 
 man can undergo — to be brought out of the grave 
 of spiritual death, and made to rejoice in the light 
 and liberty of spiritual life. None could work this 
 but the living God, the Lord and giver of life. 
 
 Ah me ! how well do I remember when I was 
 lying in the valley full of dry bones, as dry as 
 any of them! Blessed was the day when free and 
 sovereign grace sent the man of God to prophesy 
 upon me ! Glory be to God for the stirring which 
 that word of faith caused among the dry bones. 
 More blessed still was that heavenly breath from 
 the four winds which made me live! Now know I 
 the quickening Spirit of the ever-living Jehovah. 
 Truly Jehovah is the living God, for he made me 
 live. My new life even in its pinings and sorrowings 
 is clear proof to me that the Lord can kill and make 
 alive, lie is the only God. He is all that is great, 
 gracious, and glorious, and my quickened soul 
 adores him as the great I AM. All glory be unto 
 hii' sacred name ! As long as I li . e I will praise him. 
 
248 iFaitlj'g Cheque 13ao1t. Sept. 4. 
 
 "7?/// / luill have mercy upon the house of Judah, and 
 ivill save them by the Lord their God, and will not save 
 them by bo7c\ nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by 
 horsemen'' — Hosea i. 7. 
 
 PRECIOUS word ! Jehovah himself will deliver 
 his people in the greatness of his mercy, but 
 he will not do it by the ordinary means. Men are 
 slow to render to God the glory due unto his name. 
 If they go to battle with sword and bow, and win 
 the victory, they ought to praise their God; yet 
 they do not, but begin to magnify their own right 
 arm, and glory in their horses and horsemen. For 
 this reason our Jehovah often determines to save 
 his people without second means, that all the 
 honour may be to himself alone. 
 
 Look, then, my heart, to the Lord alone, and not 
 to man. Expect to see God all the more clearly 
 when there is no one else to look to. If I have no 
 friend, no adviser, no one at my back, let me be 
 none the less confident if I can feel that the Lord 
 himself is on my side ; yea, let me be glad if he 
 gives victory without battle, as the text seems to 
 impl)^ Why do I ask for horses and horsemen if 
 Jehovah himself has mercy upon me, and lifts up 
 his arm for my defence .■* Why need I bow or 
 sword if God will save ? Let me trust, and not be 
 afraid, from this day forth and for evermore. Amen. 
 
Sept. 5. jFnillj's Cficquc Boolt. 249 
 
 "77/^ Lord will he with yoii.'' — 2 Chron. xx. 17. 
 
 THIS was a great mercy for Jehoshapliat, for a 
 great multitude had come out against him ; 
 and it will be a great mercy for me, for I have 
 great need, and I have no might or wisdom. If 
 the Lord be with me, it matters little who may 
 desert me. If the Lord be with me, I shall conquer 
 in the battle of life, and the greater my trials the 
 more glorious will be my victory. How can I be 
 sure that the Lord is with me ? 
 
 For certain he is with me if I am with him. If 
 I trust in his faithfulness, believe his words, and 
 obey his commands, he is assuredly with me. If I 
 am on Satan's side God is against me, and cannot 
 be otherwise ; but if I live to honour God I may 
 be sure that he will honour me. 
 
 I am quite sure that God is with me if Jesus is 
 my sole and only Saviour. If I have placed my 
 soul in the hands of God's Only-begotten Son, then 
 I may be sure that the Father will put forth all his 
 power to preserve me, that his Son may not be 
 dishonoured. 
 
 Oh for faith to take hold upon the short but 
 sweet text for to-day! O Lord, fulfil this word 
 to thy servant ! Be with me in the house, in the 
 street, in the field, in the shop, in company, and 
 alone. Be thou also with all thy people. 
 
250 if aitVs Cljcqiie Bjclt. Sept. 6. 
 
 " ^VaU on the Lord : be of good courage, and he shall 
 strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." 
 Ps. xxvii. 14. 
 
 WAIT ! Wait ! Let your waiting be on the 
 Lord ! He is worth waiting for. He 
 never disappoints the waiting soul. 
 
 While waiting keep up your spirits. Expect a 
 great deliverance, and be ready to praise God for it. 
 
 The promise which should cheer you is in the 
 middle of the verse — " He shall strengthen thine 
 heart." This goes at once to the place where you 
 need help. If the heart be sound, all the rest of the 
 system will work well. The heart wants calming 
 and cheering ; and both of these will come if it be 
 strengthened. A lorceful heart rests and rejoices, 
 and throbs force into the whole man. 
 
 No one else can get at that secret urn of life, the 
 heart, so as to pour i .rength into it. He alone 
 who made it can make it strong. God is full of 
 strength, and, therefore, he can impart it to those 
 who need it. Oh, be brave ; for the Lord will impart 
 his strength to you, and you shall be calm in 
 tempest, and glad in sorrow. 
 
 He who penned these lines can write as David 
 did — " Wait, / say, on the Lord." I do, indeed, 
 say it. I know by long and deep experience that 
 it is good for me to wait upon the Lord. 
 
Sept 7. Jaftlj's €f)cqiic Book. a$i 
 
 "// s/iaU come to pass, that in the place 7fhcre it 7vas 
 said unto them. Ye are tiot my people, there it shall be said 
 unto them. Ye are the sons of the living God." — Hcscai. lo. 
 
 SOVEREIGN grace can make strangers into 
 sons, and the Lord here declares his purpose 
 to deal thus with rebels, and make them know 
 what he has done. Beloved reader, the Lord has 
 done this in my case ; has he done the like for 
 you ? Then let us join hands and hearts in 
 praising his adorable name. 
 
 Some of us were so decidedly ungodly that the 
 Lord's Word most truly said to our conscience 
 and heart, " Ye are not my people." In the house 
 of God, and in our own homes, when we read the 
 Bible, this was the voice of God's Spirit in our soul, 
 " Ye are not my people." Truly a sad condemning 
 voice it was. But now, in the same places, from 
 the same ministry and Scripture, we hear a voice, 
 which saith, " Ye are the sons of the Hving God." 
 Can we be grateful enough for this .^ Is it not 
 wonderful ? Does it not give us hope for others ? 
 Who is beyond the reach of almighty grace .-' How 
 can we despair of any, since the Lord has wrought 
 so marvellous a change in us ? 
 
 He who has kept this one great promise will 
 keep every other ; wherefore, let us go forward 
 with songs of adoration and confidence. 
 
252 iFai'tlj's djrquc 53ook. Sept. 8. 
 
 'M bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax 
 shall he not quench." — is. xlii. 3. 
 
 THEN I may reckon upon tender treatment 
 from my Lord. Indeed, I feel myself to 
 be at best as weak, as pliant, as worthless as a 
 reed. Someone said, " I don't care a rush for 
 you"; and the speech, though unkind, was not 
 untrue. Alas ! I am worse than a reed when it 
 grows by the river, for that at least can hold up its 
 head. I am bruised, sorely, sadly bruised. There 
 is no music in me now ; there is a rift which lets 
 out all the melody. Ah, me ! Yet Jesus will not 
 break me ; and if he will not, then I mind little 
 what others try to do. O sweet and compassionate 
 Lord, I nestle down beneath thy protection, and 
 forget my bruises ! 
 
 Truly I am also fit to be likened to " the smoking 
 flax," whose light is gone, and only its smoke 
 remains. I fear I am rather a nuisance than a benefit. 
 My fears tell me that the devil has blown out my 
 light, and left me an obnoxious smoke, and that my 
 Lord will soon put an extinguisher upon me. Yet 
 I perceive that though there were snuffers under the 
 law, there were no extinguishers ; and Jesus will not 
 quench me; therefore, I am hopeful. Lord, kindle 
 me anew, and cause me to shine forth to thy 
 glor)', and to the extolling of thy tenderness. 
 
Sept. 9- Jaitlj's Cljcquc 13cclt. 253 
 
 *^I/af>py is the man that feareth alicniy.'' — Piov. xxviii. 14. 
 
 THE fear of the Lord is the beginninfr and the 
 foundation of all true religion. Without a 
 solemn awe and reverence of God there is no foot- 
 hold for the more brilliant virtues. He whose soul 
 does not worship will never live in holiness. 
 
 He is happy who feels a jealous fear of doing 
 wrong. Holy fear looks not only before it leaps, 
 but even before it moves. It is afraid of error, 
 afraid of neglecting duty, afraid of committing sin. 
 It fears ill company, loose talk, and questionable 
 policy. This does not make a man wretched, but 
 it brings him happiness. The watchful sentinel is 
 happier than the soldier who sleeps at his post. 
 He who foreseeth evil and escapes it is happier 
 than he who walks carelessly on and is destroyed. 
 
 Fear of God is a quiet grace which leads a man 
 along a choice road, of which it is written, " No 
 lion shall be there, neither shall any ravenous beast 
 go up thereon." Fear of the very appearance of 
 evil is a purifying principle, which enables a man, 
 through the power of the Holy Spirit, to keep his 
 garments unspotted from the world. In both 
 senses he that "feareth alway" is made happy. 
 Solomon had tried both worldliness and holy fear : 
 in the one he found vanity, in the other hapj)iness. 
 Let Ui not repeat his trial, but abide by his verdict. 
 
254 JFaitb'3 €fjequ£ J3ook. Sept. io. 
 
 "Blessed shaft thou be when thou contest in, and blessed 
 skalt thou be ^vhen thou goest out.'" — Deut. xxviii. 6. 
 
 THE blessings of the law are not cancelled. 
 Jesus confirmed the promise when he bore 
 the penalty. If I keep the commands of my Lord, 
 I may appropriate this promise without question. 
 
 This day I will come in to my house without fear 
 of evil tidings, and I will come into my closet 
 expecting to hear good news from my Lord. I 
 will not be afraid to come in unto myself by self- 
 examination, nor to come in to my affairs by a 
 diligent inspection of my business. I have a good 
 deal of work to do indoors, within my own soul ; 
 oh for a blessing upon it all, the blessing of the 
 Lord Jesus, who has promised to abide with me. 
 
 I must also go out. Timidity makes me wish that 
 I could stay within doors, and never go into the 
 sinful world again. But I must go out in my calling, 
 and I must go out that I may be helpful to my 
 brethren, and useful to the ungodly. I must be a 
 defender of the faith and an assailant of evil. Oh 
 for a blessing upon my going out this day ! Lord, 
 let me go where thou leadest, on thy errands, under 
 thy command, and in the power of thy Spirit. 
 
 Lord Jesus, turn in with me and be my guest ; 
 and then walk out with me, and cause my heart to 
 burn whilst thou speakest with me by the way. 
 
Sept. ii. JFaitf)'s (E^b'flHf 33ooh. 155 
 
 **// is good for (. man that he bear the yoke ifi his youth" 
 Lam. iii. 27. 
 
 THIS is as good as a promise. It has been 
 good, it is good, and it will be good for mc 
 to bear the yoke. 
 
 Early in life I had to feel the weight of convic- 
 tion, and ever since it has proved a soul-enriching 
 burden. Should I have loved the gospel so well 
 had I not learned by deep experience the need of 
 salvation by grace ? Jabez was more honourable 
 than his brethren because his mother bare him with 
 sorrow, and those who suffer much in being born 
 unto God make strong believers in sovereign grace. 
 
 The yoke of censure is an irksome one, but it pre- 
 pares a man for future honour. lie is not fit to be 
 a leader who has not run the gauntlet of contempt. 
 Praise intoxicates if it be not preceded by abuse. 
 Men who rise to eminence without a struggle 
 usually fall into dishonour. 
 
 The yoke of affliction, disappointment, and 
 excessive labour is by no means to be sought for ; 
 but when the Lord lays it on us in our youth it 
 frequently develops a character which glorifies 
 God and blesses the church. 
 
 Come, my soul, bow thy neck ; take up thy cross. 
 It was goc d for thee when young, it will not hann 
 thee now. For Jesus' sake, shoulder it cheerfully. 
 
256 i?aitij's Cljcquc 13cioIt. Sept. 12. 
 
 '■'■Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be 
 saved, and thy housed — Acts xvi. 31. 
 
 THIS gospel for a man with a sword at his 
 throat, is the gospel for me. This would 
 suit me if I were dying, and it is all that I need 
 while I am living. I look away from self, and sin, 
 and all idea of personal merit, and I trust the 
 Lord Jesus as the Saviour whom God has given. 
 I believe in him, I rest on him, I accept him to be 
 my all in all. Lord, I am saved, and I shall be 
 saved to all eternity, for I believe in Jesus. Blessed 
 be thy name for this. May I daily prove by my life 
 that I am saved from selfishness, and worldliness, 
 and every form of evil. 
 
 But those last words about my " house " : Lord, I 
 would not run away with half a promise when thou 
 dost give a whole one. I beseech thee, save all my 
 family. Save the nearest and dearest. Convert 
 the children, and the grandchildren, if I have any. 
 Be gracious to my servants, and all who dwell 
 under my roof, or work for me. Thou makest this 
 promise to me personally if I believe in the Lord 
 Jesus ; I beseech thee to do as thou hast said. 
 
 I would go over in my prayer every day the 
 names of all my brothers and sisters, parents, 
 children, friends, relatives, servants, and give thee 
 no rest till that word is fulfilled, " and thy house." 
 
Skpt. 13. Jait{)'0 Cljcquc Book. 257 
 
 "■His heavens shall drop down ^/rrc/."— Deut. xxxiii. 28. 
 
 WHAT the dew in the East is to the world of 
 nature, that is the influence of the Spirit in 
 the realnm of grace. How greatly do I need it ! 
 Without the Spirit of God I am a dry and withered 
 thing. I droop, I fade, I die. How sweetly does 
 this dew refresh me ! When once favoured with 
 it I feel happy, lively, vigorous, elevated. I want 
 nothing more. The Holy Spirit brings me life, and 
 all that life requires. All else without the dew of 
 the Spirit is less than nothing to me : I hear, I read, 
 I pray, I sing, I go to the table of communion, and 
 I find no blessing there until the Holy Ghost visits 
 me. But when he bedews me, every means of 
 grace is sweet and profitable. 
 
 What a promise is this for me ! " His heavens 
 shall drop down dew." I shall be visited with 
 grace. I shall not be left to my natural drought, 
 or to the world's burning heat, or to the sirocco 
 of Satanic temptation. Oh, that I may at this very 
 hour feel the gentle, silent, saturating dew of the 
 Lord! Why should I not? He who has made 
 me to live as the grass lives in the meadow, will 
 treat me as he treats the grass : he will refresh me 
 from above. Grass cannot call for dew as I do. 
 Surely, the Lord who visits the unpraying plant 
 will answer to his pleading child. 
 
 17 
 
258 jFaillj's Cljcque Boolt. Sept. 14. 
 
 '■'■Blessed is the man that endureth temptation : for when 
 he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which tin 
 Lord hath promised to them that love himr — ^james i. 12. 
 
 "\ /ES, he is blessed while he is enduring the trial. 
 Jl No eye can see this till it has been anointed 
 with heavenly eye-salve. But he must endure it, and 
 neither rebel against God, nor turn aside from his 
 integrity. He is blessed who has gone through the 
 fire, and has not been consumed as a counterfeit. 
 
 When the test is over, then comes the hall-mark 
 of divine approval — " the crown of life." As if the 
 Lord said, " Let him live ; he has been weighed 
 in the balances, and he is not found wanting." Life 
 is the reward : not mere being ; but holy, happy, 
 true existence, the realization of the divine purpose 
 concerning us. Already a higher form of spiritual 
 life and enjoyment crowns those who have safely 
 passed through fiercest trials of faith and love. 
 
 The Lord hath promised the crown of life to 
 those whc love him. Only lovers of the Lord will 
 hold out in the hour of trial ; the rest will either 
 smk, or sulk, or slink back to the world. Come, 
 my heart, dost thou love thy Lord ? Truly } 
 Deeply? Wholly? Then that love will be tried; 
 but many waters will not quench it, neither will 
 the floods drown it. Lord, let thy love nourish 
 mine to the end. 
 
Sept. i$. jTaitb'0 SIjfqUE Boolt. 459 
 
 ^'And a man shall be as an hidlng-p'acefiom the wind, 
 and a covert from the tempest.'' — isa. xxxii. 2. 
 
 WHO this MAN is wc all know. Who could 
 he be but the Second Man, the Lord from 
 heaven, the Man of sorrows, the Son of man ? What 
 a hiding-place he has been to his people ! He bears 
 the full force of the wind himself, and so he shelters 
 those who hide themselves in him. We have thus 
 escaped the wrath of God, and we shall thus escape 
 the anger of men, the cares of this life, and the 
 dread of death. Why do we stand in the wind 
 when we may so readily and so surely get out of 
 it by hiding behind our Lord ? Let us this day 
 run to him, and be at peace. 
 
 Often the common wind of trouble rises in its 
 force and becomes a tempest, sweeping everything 
 before it Things which looked firm and stable 
 rock in the blast, and many and great are the falls 
 among our carnal confidences. Our Lord Jesus, 
 the glorious Man, is a covert which is never blown 
 down. In him we mark the tempest sweeping by, 
 but we ourselves rest in delightful serenity. 
 
 This day let us just stow ourselves away in our 
 hiding-place, and sit and sing under the protection 
 of our covert. Blessed Jesus ! Blessed Jesus ! 
 How we love thee ! Well we may, for thou art to 
 us a shelter in the time of storm. 
 
26o Jfaitlj's Cljcquc Boolt. Sept. i6. 
 
 "And whosoever shall give to drink unlo one of these 
 little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, 
 verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward." 
 Malt. X. 42. 
 
 WELL, I can do as much as that. I can do a 
 kind act towards the Lord's servant. The 
 Lord knows I love them all, and would count it an 
 honour to wash their feet. For the sake of their. 
 Master I love the disciples. 
 
 How gracious of the Lord to mention so insigni- 
 ficant an action—" to give to drink a cup of cold 
 water only" 1 This I can do, however poor : this I 
 may do, however lowly : this I will do right cheer- 
 fully. This, which seems so little, the Lord notices 
 ■ — notices when done to the least of his followers. 
 Evidently it is not the cost, nor the skill, nor the 
 quantity, that he looks at, but the motive: that 
 which we do to a disciple, because he is a disciple, 
 his Lord observes, and recompenses. He does not 
 reward us for the merit of what we do, but accord- 
 ing to the riches of his grace. 
 
 I give a cup of cold water, and he makes me to 
 drink of living water. I give to one of his little 
 ones, and he treats me as one of them. Jesus 
 finds an apology for his liberality in that which 
 his grace has led me to do, and he says, " He 
 shall in no wise lose his reward." 
 
Sep;. 17. iFai'lIj's Cljcquc Boolt. 261 
 
 "77;^ righteous sliall jlourish like the palm tree: lie shall 
 grow like a cedar in Lebanon.^' — Ps. xcii. 12. 
 
 THESE trees are not trained and pruned by- 
 man : palms and cedars are " trees of the 
 Lord," and it is by his care that they flourish ; even 
 so it is with the saints of the Lord, they are his own 
 care. These trees are evergreen and are beautiful 
 objects at all seasons of the year. Believers are 
 not sometimes holy and sometimes ungodly: they 
 stand in the beauty of the Lord under all weathers. 
 Everywhere these trees are noteworthy : no one 
 can gaze upon a landscape in which there are 
 either palms or cedars without his attention being 
 fixed upon these royal growths. The followers of 
 Jesus are the observed of all observers : like a city 
 set on a hill they cannot be hid. 
 
 The child of God flourishes like a palm tree, 
 which pushes all its strength upward in one erect 
 column without a single branch. It is a pillar with 
 a glorious capital. It has no growth to the right or 
 to th<; left, but sends all its force heavenward, and 
 bears its fruit as near the sky as possible. Lord, 
 fulfil this type in me. 
 
 The cedar braves all storms, and grows near the 
 eternal snows, the Lord himself filling it with a sap 
 which keeps its heart warm and its boughs strong. 
 Lord, so let it be with me, I pray thee. Amen. 
 
26a jFai'tlj'g Cf)rqite Baoft. Sept. i8. 
 
 "And of Benjamin he. said. The beloved of the Lord 
 shall dwell in safety by him ; arid the Lord shall cover 
 him all the day long, and he shall divcll between his 
 shoulders." — Deut. xxxiii. 12. 
 
 YES, there is no safety like that which comes of 
 dwelling near to God. For his best beloved 
 the Lord can find no surer or safer place. O Lord, 
 let me always abide under thy shadow, close to thy 
 wounded side. Nearer and nearer would I come 
 to thee, my Lord ; and when once specially near 
 thee, I would abide there for ever. 
 
 What a covering is that which the Lord gives to 
 his chosen ! Not a fair roof shall cover him, nor a 
 bomb-proof casement, nor even an angel's wing, 
 but Jehovah himself. Nothing can come at us 
 when we are thus covered. This covering the Lord 
 will grant us all the day long, however long the day. 
 Lord, let me abide this day consciously beneath this 
 canopy of love, this pavilion of sovereign power. 
 
 Does the third clause mean that the Lord in his 
 temple would dwell among the mountains of Ben- 
 jamin, or that the Lord would be where Benjamin's 
 burden should be placed, or docs it mean that we 
 are borne upon the shoulders of the Eternal ? 
 In any case, the Lord is the support and strength 
 of his saints. Lord, let me ever enjoy thy help, 
 and then my arms will be sufficient for me. 
 
Srrr. 19. J^aitfj'g Cfjrque ISaoh. 263 
 
 ^'T/i£ Lord ihy God in the midst of thee is mif:;hty ; he 
 I0\ll save, he will icjoice over thee icith Joy ; he will rest in 
 his love, he will Joy over thee with singing." — Zeph. iii. 17. 
 
 \ X 7" HAT a word is this ! Jehovah God in the 
 V V centre of his people in all the majesty of 
 his power ! This presence alone suffices to inspire 
 us with peace and hope. Treasures of boundless 
 might are stored in our Jehovah, and he dwells in 
 his church, therefore may his people shout for joy. 
 We not only have his presence, but he is engai;cd 
 upon his choice work of salvation. " He will save." 
 He is always saving: he takes his name of Jesus 
 from it. Let us not fear any danger, for he is 
 mighty to save. 
 
 Nor is this all. He abides evermore the same ; 
 he loves, he finds rest in loving, he will not cease to 
 love. His love gives him joy. He even finds a 
 theme for song in his beloved. This is exceedingly 
 wonderful. When God wrought creation he did not 
 sing, but simply said, " It is very good " ; but when 
 he came to redemption, then the sacred Trinity felt 
 a joy to be expressed in song. Think of it, and be 
 astonished ! Jehovah Jesus sings a marriage song 
 over his chosen bride. She is to him his love, his 
 joy, his rest, his song. O Lord Jesus, by thine 
 immeasurable love to us teach us to love thee, to 
 rejoice in thee, and to sing unto thcc our life-psalm. 
 
2^4 iratt^'s (Ifjcqtie Coclt. sepf. 20, 
 
 '■'' Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power" 
 Ps. ex. 3. 
 
 BLESSED be the God of grace that it is so! 
 He has a people whom he has chosen from 
 of old to be his peculiar portion. These by nature 
 have wills as stubborn as the rest of the fro ward 
 sons of Adam ; but when the day of his power 
 comes, and grace displays its omnipotence, they 
 become willing to repent, and to believe in Jesus. 
 None are saved unwillingly, but the will is m.ade 
 sweetly to yield itself What a wondrous power is 
 this, which never violates the will, and yet rules it ! 
 God does not break the lock, but he opens it by a 
 master-key which he alone can handle. 
 
 Now are we willing to be, to do, or to suffer as 
 the Lord wills. If at any time we grow rebellious 
 he has but to come to us with power, and straightway 
 we run in the way of his commands with all our 
 hearts. May this be a day of power with me as to 
 some noble effort for the glory of God and the 
 good of my fellow-men ! Lord, I am willing ; may 
 I not hope that this is a day of thy power "i I am 
 wholly at thy disposal ; willing, yea, eager, to be 
 used of thee for thy holy purposes. O Lord, let 
 me not have to cry, " To will is present with me, but 
 how to perform that which I would, I find not '* ; 
 but give me power as thou givest me will. 
 
Skpi-. 21. iFnitf)'^ CCfjcque Boclt. 265 
 
 ^'■Kncivitig that trilnilation worketh patience^— Rom. v. 3. 
 
 THIS is a promise in essence if not in form. 
 We have need of patience, and here we sec the 
 way of getting it. It is only by enduring that we 
 learn to endure, even as by swimming men learn 
 to swim. You could not learn that art on dry land, 
 nor learn patience without trouble. Is it not worth 
 while to suffer tribulation for the sake of gaining 
 that beautiful equanimity of mind which quietly 
 acquiesces in all the will of God ? 
 
 Yet our text sets forth a singular fact, which is 
 not according to nature, but is supernatural. Tribu- 
 lation in and of itself worketh petulance, unbelief, 
 and rebellion. It is only by the sacred alchemy 
 of grace that it is made to work in us patience. 
 We do not thresh the wheat to lay the dust : yet 
 the flail of tribulation does this upon God's floor. 
 We do not toss a man about in order to give him 
 rest, and yet so the Lord dealeth with his children. 
 Truly this is not the manner of man, but greatly 
 redounds to the glory of our all-wise God. 
 
 Oh, for grace to let my trials bless me ! Why 
 should I wish to stay their gracious operation ? 
 Lord, I ask thee to remove my affliction, but I 
 beseech thee ten times more to remove my im- 
 patience. Precious Lord Jesus, with thy cross 
 engrave the image of thy patience on my heart 
 
266 iFaitlj's Cljcque 33ooTt. Sept. 22. 
 
 *'£uf there the glo7-ioiis Lord will be unto us a place oj 
 broad rivers and streams ; wherein shall go fw galley with 
 oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby." — Isa. xxxiii. 21. 
 
 THE Lord will be to us the greatest good 
 without any of the drawbacks which seem 
 necessarily to attend the best earthly things. If a 
 city is favoured with broad rivers, it is liable to be 
 attacked by galleys with oars, and other ships of 
 war. But when the Lord represents the abundance 
 of his bounty under this figure, he takes care ex- 
 pressly to shut out the fear which the metaphor 
 might suggest. Blessed be his perfect love ! 
 
 Lord, if thou send me wealth like broad rivers 
 do not let the galley with oars come up in 
 the shape of worldliness or pride. If thou grant 
 me abundant health and happy spirits, do not let 
 " the gallant ship " of carnal ease come sailing up 
 the flowing flood. If I have success in holy service, 
 broad as the German Rhine, yet let me never find 
 the galley of self-conceit and self-confidence floating 
 on the waves of my usefulness. Should I be so 
 supremely happy as to enjoy the light of thy 
 countenance year after year, yet let me never despise 
 thy feeble saints^ nor allow the vain notion of ni)- own 
 perfection to sail up the broad rivers of my full 
 assurance. Lord, give mc that biessingwhich maketh 
 rich, and neither addeth sorrow, nor aideth sin. 
 
Sept 23. jTattlj's €f)eque 13oolt. 267 
 
 "^iVr, /i;, / 7i.iill command, and I tvill sift the house of 
 Israel among all na 'ions, like as corn is sifted in a sieve^ 
 yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth." 
 Amos ix. 9. 
 
 THE sifting process is going on still. Wherever 
 we go, we are still being winnowed and 
 sifted. In all countries God's people are being 
 tried " like as corn is sifted in a sieve." Sometimes 
 the devil holds the sieve, and tosses us up and 
 down at a great rate, with the earnest desire to get 
 rid of us for ever. Unbelief is not slow to agitate 
 our heart and mind with its restless fears. The 
 world lends a willing hand at the same process, and 
 shakes us to the right and to the left with great 
 vigour. Worst of all, the church, so largely apostate 
 as it is, comes in to give a more furious force to the 
 sifting process. 
 
 Well, well ! let it go on. Thus is the chaff severed 
 from the wheat. Thus is the wheat delivered from 
 dust and chaff. And how great is the mercy 
 wb.ich comes to us in the text, " yet shall not the 
 least grain fall upon the earth " ! All shall be pre- 
 served that is good, true, gracious. Not one of the 
 least of believers shall be lost, neither shall any 
 believer lose anything worth calling a loss. We 
 shall be sc kept in the sifting that it shall be a real 
 gain to us through Christ Jesus. 
 
268 Jait^'g Cfjeque Baolt. Sept. 24. 
 
 '■''And it shall come to pass^ that every thing that liveth, 
 which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall 
 /ive."—Ezek. xlvii. 9. 
 
 THE living waters, in the prophet's vision, 
 flowed into the Dead Sea, and carried life 
 with them, even into that stagnant lake. Where 
 grace goes, spiritual life is the immediate and the 
 everlastingconsequence. Grace proceeds sovereignly 
 according to the will of God, even as a river in all its 
 windings follows its own sweet will ; and wherever 
 it comes it does not wait for life to come to it, 
 but it creates life by its own quickening flow. Oh 
 that it would pour along our streets, and flood our 
 slums ! Oh that it would now come into my house, 
 and rise till every chamber were made to swim 
 with it ! Lord, let the living water flow to my 
 family and my friends, and let it not pass me by. 
 I hope I have drunk of it already ; but I desire to 
 bathe in it, yea, to swim in it, O my Saviour, I 
 need life more abundantly. Come to me, I pray 
 thee, till every part, of my nature is vividly energetic 
 and intensely active. Living God, I pray thee, fill 
 me with thine own life. 
 
 I am a poor, dry stick ; come and make me so to 
 live that, like Aaron's rod, I may bud and blossom 
 and bring forth fruit unto thy glory. Quicken me, 
 for the sake of my Lord Jesus. Amen. 
 
Sfpt. 2$. JTailTys Cljfquc Book. 269 
 
 *'// the Lord icere flensed to kill t/s, he would not 
 have received a burnt offering and a tneat offering at our 
 hands, neither would he have shewed us all these things,'* 
 Judges xiii. 23. 
 
 THIS is a sort of promise deduced by logic. 
 It is an inference fairly drawn from ascer- 
 tained facts. It was not likely that the Lord had 
 revealed to Manoah and his wife that a son would 
 be born to them, and yet had it in his heart to 
 destroy them. The wife reasoned well, and we 
 shall do well if we follow her line of argument. 
 
 The Father has accepted the great sacrifice of 
 Calvary, and has declared himself well pleased 
 therewith ; how can he now be pleased to kill us } 
 Why a substitute if the sinner must still perish ? 
 The accepted sacrifice of Jesus puts an end to fear. 
 
 The Lord has shown us our election, our adoption, 
 our union to Christ, our marriage to the W'ell- 
 b'Joved : how can he now destroy us? The 
 promises are loaded with blessings, which necessi- 
 tate our being preserved unto eternal life. It is not 
 possible for the Lord to cast us away, and yet fulfil 
 his covenant. The past assures us, and the future 
 re-assures us. We shall not die, but live ; for we 
 have seen Jesus, and in him we have seen the 
 ]'"ather by the illumination of the Holy Ghost. 
 Because of this life-giving sight we must live for ever. 
 
ajo iFaitlj'g Cl)£qu£ Book. Sept. 26 
 
 "Z^, f/ze people shall dwell alone, afid shall not be 
 reckoned among the nations.'^ — Num. xxiii, 9. 
 
 WHO would wish to dwell among the nations, 
 and to be numbered with them ? Why, 
 even the professing church is such that to follow 
 the Lord fully within its bounds is very difficult. 
 There is such a mingling and mixing that one 
 often sighs for " a lodge in some vast wilderness." 
 
 Certain it is that the Lord would have his people 
 follow a separated path as to the world, and come 
 out decidedly and distinctly from it. We are set 
 apart by the divine decree, purchase, and calling, 
 and our inward experience has made us greatly to 
 differ from men of the world ; and therefore our 
 place is not in their Vanity Fair, nor in their City 
 of Destruction, but in the narrow way where all 
 true pilgrims must follow their Lord. 
 
 This may not only reconcile us to the world's 
 cold shoulder and sneers, but even cause us to accept 
 them with pleasure as being a part of our covenant 
 portion. Our names are not in the same book, we 
 are not of the same seed, we are not bound for the 
 same place, neither are we trusting to the same guide, 
 therefore it is well that we are not of their number. 
 Only let us be found in the number of the redeemed, 
 and we are content to be odd and solitary to the 
 end of the chapter. 
 
Seit. 27. jFaillj'e (Hljcque Boolt. 271 
 
 "Tvr thou wilt light my candle" — Ps. xviii. 28. 
 
 IT may be that my soul sits in darkness; and if 
 this be of a spiritual kind, no human power 
 can bring me light. Blessed be God ! he can 
 enlighten my darkness, and at once light my 
 candle. Even though I may be surrounded by a 
 " darkness which might be felt," yet he can break 
 the gloom, and immediately make it bright around 
 me. 
 
 The mercy is, that if he lights the candle none 
 can blow it out, neither will it go out for lack of 
 substance, nor burn out of itself through the lapse 
 of hours. The lights which the Lord kindled in 
 the beginning are shining still. The Lord's lamps 
 may need trimming, but he does not put them out. 
 
 Let me, then, like the nightingale, sing in the 
 dark. Expectation shall furnish me with music, 
 and hope shall pitch the tune. Soon I shall rejoice 
 in a candle of God's lighting. I am dull and 
 dreary just now. Perhaps it is the weather, or 
 bodily weakness, or the surprise of a sudden 
 trouble ; but whatever has made the darkness, it 
 is God alone who will bring the light. M}' c}'cs 
 are unto him alone. I shall soon have the candle 
 of the Lord shining about me ; and, further on in 
 his own good time, I shall be where they need i\o 
 candle, neither light of the sun. Hallelujah ! 
 
2 72 jFaitiys Cljcque 13oo!t. Sept. 28. 
 
 '■'■There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." 
 Heb. iv. 9. 
 
 GOD has provided a Sabbath, and some must 
 enter into it. Those to whom it was first 
 preached entered not in because of unbelief ; there- 
 fore, that Sabbath remains for the people of God. 
 David sang of it ; but he had to touch the minor key, 
 for Israel refused the rest of God. Joshua could not 
 give it, nor Canaan yield it : it remains for believers. 
 
 Come, then, let us labour to enter into this rest. 
 Let us quit the weary toil of sin and self. Let us 
 cease from all confidence, even in those works of 
 which it might be said, " They are very good." 
 Have we any such ? Still, let us cease from our 
 own works, as God did from his. Now let us find 
 solace in the finished work of our Lord Jesus. 
 Everything is fully done : justice demands no more. 
 Great peace is our portion in Christ Jesus. 
 
 As to providential matters, the. work of grace in 
 the soul, and the work of the Lord in the souls Oi 
 others, let us cast these burdens upon the Lord, 
 and rest in him. When the Lord gives us a yoke 
 to bear, he does so that by taking it up we may 
 find rest. By faith we labour to enter into the 
 rest of God, and we renounce all rest in self- 
 satisfaction or indolence. Jesus himself is perfect 
 rest, and we are filled to the brim in him. 
 
Sept. 29. JFaitlj'g Cljrquc 13ooIu 273 
 
 "i% shall glorify me : for he shall receive of mine, and 
 shall shew it unto you!' — John xvi. 14. 
 
 THE Holy Ghost himself cannot better glorify 
 the Lord Jesus than by showing to us Christ's 
 own things. Jesus is his own best commendation. 
 There is no adorning him except with his own gold. 
 
 The Comforter shows us that which he has re- 
 ceived of our Lord Jesus. We never see anything 
 aright till he reveals it. He has a way of opening 
 our minds, and of opening the Scriptures, and by 
 this double process he sets forth our Lord to us. 
 There is much art in setting forth a matter, and 
 that art belongs in the highest degree to the Spirit 
 of truth. He shows us the things themselves. This 
 is a great privilege, as those know who have enjoyed 
 the hallowed vision. 
 
 Let us seek the illumination of the Spirit ; not 
 to gratify our curiosity, nor even to bring us per- 
 sonal comfort, so much as to glorify the Lord 
 Jesus. Oh to have worthy ideas of him ! Grovel- 
 ling notions dishonour our precious Lord. Oh to 
 have such vivid impressions of his person, and 
 work, and glory, that we may with heart and soul 
 cry out to his praise! Where th:re is a heart en- 
 riched by the Holy Ghost's tcac ling there will be a 
 Saviour glorified beyond expression. Come, Holy 
 Spirit, heavenly light, and show us Jesus our Lord. 
 
 18 
 
2 74 JFai'tfj's CIjfquE Book. Seit. 30. 
 
 '■'Open thy mouth wide^ and I will fill it.'''' — Ps. Ixxxi. 10. 
 
 WHAT an encouragement to pray ! Our 
 human notions would lead us to ask small 
 things because our deservings are so small ; but the 
 Lord would have us request great blessings. Prayer 
 should be as simple a matter as the opening of the 
 mouth ; it should be a natural, unconstrained utter- 
 ance. When a man is earnest he opens his mouth 
 wide, and our text urges us to be fervent in our 
 supplications. 
 
 Yet it also means that we may make bold with 
 God, and ask many and large blessings at his hands. 
 Read the whole verse, and see the argument : " I am 
 Jehovah, thy God, which brought thee out of the 
 land of Egypt : open thy mouth wide, and I will 
 fill it." Because the Lord has given us so much 
 he invites us to ask for more, yea, to expect more. 
 
 See how the little birds in their nests seem to be 
 all mouth when the mother comes to feed them. 
 Let it be the same with us. Let us take in grace 
 at every door. Let us drink it in as a sponge sucks 
 up the water in which it lies. God is ready to fill 
 us if we are only ready to be filled. Let our 
 needs make us open our mouths ; let our faintness 
 cause us to open our mouths and pant; yea, let our 
 alarm make us open our mouths with a child's cry 
 The opened mouth shall be filled by the Lord 
 himself. So be it unto us, O Lord, this day. 
 
Oct. I. iFaitb'3 Ci)eque Book. 275 
 
 "//^ hath given meat unto them that fear him : he 7i>ill 
 ti'er be mindful of his covenant." — Ps. cxi. 5. 
 
 THOSE who fear God need not fear want. 
 Through all these long years the Lord has 
 always found meat for his own children, whether 
 they have been in the wilderness, or by the brook 
 Cherith, or in captivity, or in the midst of famine. 
 Hitherto the Lord has given us day by day our 
 daily bread, and we doubt not that he will continue 
 to feed us till we want no more. 
 
 As to the higher and greater blessings of ^he 
 covenant of grace, he will never cease to supply 
 them as our case demands. He is mindful that he 
 made the covenant, and never acts as if he regretted 
 it. He is mindful of it when we provoke him to 
 destroy us. He is mindful to love us, keep us, and 
 comfort us, even as he engaged to do. He is mind- 
 ful of every jot and tittle of his engagements, never 
 suffering one of his words to fall to the ground. 
 
 We are sadly unmindful of our God, but he is 
 graciously mindful of us. He cannot forget his 
 Son who is the Surety of the Covenant, nor his 
 Holy Spirit who actively carries out the covenant, 
 nor his own honour, which is bound up with the 
 covenant. Hence the foundation of God standeth 
 [sure, and no believer shall lose his divine inherit- 
 ance, which is his by a covenant of salt. 
 
276 Jaitlj's C|)£qu£ Book Oct. 2. 
 
 '^And Joseph said unto his brethren^ I die : and God 
 ii<ili surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the 
 land which he sware to Abraham to Isaac, and to Jacob P 
 Gen. 1. 24. 
 
 JOSEPH had been an incarnate providence to 
 his brethren. All our Josephs die, and a 
 thousand comforts die with them. Egypt was 
 never the same to Israel after Joseph was dead, 
 nor can the world again be to some of us what it 
 was when our beloved ones were alive. 
 
 But see how the pain of that sad death was 
 alleviated ! They had a promise that the living 
 God would visit them. A visit from Jehovah ! 
 What a favour ! What a consolation ! What a 
 heaven below ! O Lord, visit us this day ; though 
 indeed we are not worthy that thou shouldest 
 come under our roof. 
 
 But more was promised : the Lord would bring 
 tJiein ant. They would find in Egypt a cold wel- 
 come when Joseph was dead ; nay, it would become 
 to them a house of bondage. But it was not to be 
 so for ever ; they would come out ot it by a divine 
 deliverance, and march to the land of promise. 
 We shall not weep here for ever. We shall be 
 called home to the glory-land to join our dear 
 ones. Wherefore, " comfort one another with these 
 words." 
 
Oct 3. iFai't!)'0 Ci^cque Booft. 277 
 
 "As for me, I will behold thy face in righfeous?iess : 
 I shall be satisfied, when I a'vake, with thy likeness.'' 
 
 I's xvii. 15. 
 
 THE portion of other men fills their bodies, and 
 enriches their children, but the portion of 
 the believer is of another sort. Men of the world 
 have their treasure in this world, but men of the 
 world to come look higher and further. 
 
 Our possession is twofold. We have God's pre- 
 sence here and his likeness hereafter. Here we be- 
 hold the face of the Lord in righteousness, for we 
 are justified in Christ Jesus. Oh, the joy of beholding 
 the face of a reconciled God ! The glory of God in 
 the face of Jesus Christ yields us heaven below, and 
 it will be to us the heaven of heaven above. 
 
 But seeing does not end it: we are to be changed 
 into that which we gaze upon. We shall sleep 
 a while and then wake up to find ourselves as 
 mirrors which reflect the beauties of our Lord. 
 Faith sees God with a transforming look. The 
 heart receives the image of Jesus into its own 
 depths, till the character of Jesus is imprinted on 
 the soul. This is satisfaction. To see God and 
 to be like him — what more can I desire? David's 
 assured confidence is here by the Holy Ghost 
 made to be the Lord's promise. I believe it. 
 I expect it. Lord, vouchsafe it. Amen. 
 
27& iFni'tlj's €f)fquc Booft. Oct. 4. 
 
 "And I, if / be iified up jrotn the earthy will draw all 
 men unto me." — John xii. 32. 
 
 COME, ye workers, be encouraged. You fear 
 that you cannot draw a congregation. Try 
 the preaching of a crucified, risen, and ascended 
 Saviour ; for this is the greatest " draw " that was 
 ever yet manifested among men. What drew you 
 to Christ but Christ ? What draws you to him 
 now but his own blessed self? If you have been 
 drawn to religion by anything else, you will soon 
 be drawn away from it ; but Jesus has held you, 
 and will hold you even to the end. Why, then, 
 doubt his power to draw others ? Go with the 
 name of Jesus to those who have hitherto been 
 stubborn, and see if it does not draw them. 
 
 No sort of man is beyond this drawing power. 
 Old and young, rich and poor, ignorant and learned, 
 depraved or amiable — all men shall feel the attrac- 
 tive force. Jesus is the one magnet. Let us not 
 think of any other. Music will not draw to Jesus, 
 neither will eloquence, logic, ceremonial, or noise. 
 Jesus himself must draw men to himself; and Jesus 
 is quite equal to the work in every case. Be not 
 tempted by the quackeries of the day ; but as 
 workers for the Lord work in his own way, and draw 
 with the Lord's own cords. Draw to Christ, and 
 draw by Christ, for then Christ will draw by you. 
 
Oct. J. iFaitlj'g €\)eqm Booft. ayp 
 
 "A /id the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of 
 many people as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon 
 the grass, that tarrieth fiot for man, nor waiteth for the 
 sons of men.''' — Micah v. 7. 
 
 IF this be true of the h'teral Israel, much more is 
 it true of the spiritual Israel, the believing 
 people of God. When saints are what they should 
 be, they are an incalculable blessing to those among 
 whom they are scattered. 
 
 They are as the dew ; for in a quiet, unobtrusive 
 manner they refresh those around them. Silently 
 but effectually they minister to the life, growth, and 
 joy of those who dwell with them. Coming fresh 
 from heaven, glistening like diamonds in the sun, 
 gracious men and women attend to the feeble and 
 insignificant till each blade of grass has its own 
 drop of dew. Little as individuals, they are, when 
 united, all-sufficient for the purposes of love which 
 the Lord fulfils through them. Dewdrops accom- 
 plish the refreshing of broad acres. Lord, make 
 us like the dew ! 
 
 Godly people are as showers which come at 
 God's bidding without man's leave and license. 
 They work for God whether men desire it or not ; 
 they no more ask human permission than the rain 
 does. Lord, make us thus boldly prompt, and free 
 in thy scivice wherever our lot is cast. 
 
28o jl^aitlj'g €\)t(\nz Booli. Oct. 6. 
 
 "I/owbeif when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will 
 guide you into all truth." — John xvi. 13. 
 
 TRUTH is like a vast cavern into which we 
 desire to enter, but we are not able to 
 traverse it alone. At the entrance it is clear and 
 bright ; but if we would go further and explore 
 its innermost recesses, we must have a guide, or we 
 shall lose ourselves. The Holy Spirit, who knows 
 all truth perfectly, is the appointed guide of all 
 true believers, and he conducts them as they are 
 able to bear it, from one inner chamber to another, 
 so that they behold the deep things of God, and his 
 secret is made plain to them. 
 
 What a promise is this for the humbly enquiring 
 mind ! We desire to know the truth, and to enter 
 into it. We are conscious of our own aptness to err, 
 and we feel the urgent need of a guide. We rejoice 
 that the Holy Spirit is come and abides among us. 
 He condescends to act as a guide to us, and we 
 gladly accept his leadership. "All truth " we wish 
 to learn, that we may not be one-sided and out 
 of balance. We would not be willingly ignorant 
 of any part of revelation lest thereby we should 
 miss blessing, or incur sin. The Spirit of God 
 has come that he may guide us into all truth : let 
 us with obedient hearts hearken to his words and 
 follow his lead. 
 
Oct. 7. iFnit!)*0 CTIjeque Bocfe. 281 
 
 ^'He goetfi before you into Galilee : there shall ye see 
 him, as he said unto you.'"'— Mark xvi. 7. 
 
 WHERE he appointed to meet his disciples, 
 there he would be in due time. Jesus 
 keeps his tryst. If he promises to meet us at the 
 mercy-seat, or in public worship, or in the ordin- 
 ances, we may depend upon it that he will be there. 
 We may wickedly stay away from the appointed 
 meeting-place, but he never does. He says, "Where 
 two or three are met together in my name, there 
 am I " ; he says not " There will I be," but, " I am 
 there already." 
 
 Jesus is always first in fellowship : " He goeth 
 before you." His heart is with his people, his 
 delight is in them, he is never slow to meet them. 
 In all fellowship he goeth before us. 
 
 But he reveals himself to those who come after 
 him: "There shall ye see him." Joyful sight ! We 
 care not to see the greatest of mere men, but to see 
 HIM is to be filled with joy and peace. And we 
 shall see him, for he promises to come to those who 
 believe in him, and to manifest himself to them. 
 Rest assured that it will be so, for he does every- 
 thing according to his word of promise: "As he 
 said unto you." Catch at those last words, and be 
 assured that to the end he will do lor you " as he 
 said unto you." 
 
282 Jaitb'a €l)£quc Boolt. Oct. 8. 
 
 '■''Thou shall no more be termed Forsaken.'" — isa. Ixii. 4. 
 
 FORSAKEN " is a dreary word. It sounds 
 like a knell. It is the record of sharpest 
 sorrows, and the prophecy of direst ills. An abyss 
 of misery yawns in that word " Forsaken." For- 
 saken by one who pledged his honour ! Forsaken 
 by a friend so long tried and trusted ! Forsaken 
 by a dear relative ! Forsaken by father and mother ! 
 Forsaken by all ! This is woe indeed, and yet it 
 may be patiently borne if the Lord will take us up. 
 
 But what must it be to feel forsaken of God ? 
 Think of that bitterest of cries, " My God, my God, 
 why hast thou forsaken me?" Have we ever in 
 any degree tasted the wormwood and the gall of 
 "Forsaken," in that sense? If so, let us beseech 
 our Lord to save us from any repetition of so un- 
 speakable a sorrow. Oh that such darkness may 
 never return ! Men in malice said to a saint, " God 
 hath forsaken him ; persecute and take him." But 
 it was always false. The Lord's loving favour shall 
 compel our cruel foes to eat their own words, or, 
 at least, to hold their tongues. 
 
 The reverse of all this is that superlative word, 
 Hcphzibah — " the Lord delighteth in thee." This 
 turns weeping into dancing. Let those who dreamed 
 that they were forsaken hear the Lord say, " 1 will 
 never leave thee nor forsake thee." 
 
Oct. 9. jFaillj's €l)rquc Booh. 283 
 
 ^^And the priest shall put some of the bhwd upon the 
 horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord^* 
 Lev. iv. 7. 
 
 THE altar of incense is the place where saints 
 present their prayers and praises ; and it is 
 delightful to think of it as sprinkled with the blood 
 of the great sacrifice. This it is which makes all our 
 worship acceptable with Jehovah : he sees the blood 
 of his own Son, and therefore accepts our homage. 
 
 It is well for us to fix our eyes upon the blood 
 of the one offering for sin. Sin mingles even 
 with our holy things, and our best repentance, faith, 
 prayer, and thanksgiving could not be received of 
 God were it not for the merit of the atoning 
 sacrifice. Many sneer at " the blood ; " but to us it 
 is the foundation of comfort and hope. That which 
 is on the horns of the altar is meant tp be pro- 
 minently before our eyes when we draw near to 
 God, The blood gives strength to pra}-cr, and 
 hence it is on the altar's horns. It is " before the 
 Lord," and therefore it ought to be before us. It 
 is on the altar before we bring the incense ; it is 
 there to sanctify our offerings and gifts. 
 
 Come, let us pray with confidence, since the 
 victim is offered, the merit has been pleaded, the 
 blood is within the veil, and the prayers of 
 believers must be sweet unto the Lord. 
 
284 ilFaitlj's Cljcque BacR. Oct. la 
 
 ^^ I have set before thee an open door, and no man can 
 shut it." — Rev. iii. 8. 
 
 SAINTS who remain faithful to the truth of 
 God have an open door before them. My 
 soul, thou hast resolved to live and die by that 
 which the Lord has revealed in his' Word, and 
 therefore before thee stands this open door. 
 
 I willenter in by the open doorof communion with 
 God. Who shall say me nay ? Jesus has removed 
 my sin, and given me his righteousness, therefore 
 I may freely enter. Lord, I do so by thy grace. 
 
 I have also before me an open door into the 
 mysteries of the Word. I may enter into the 
 deep things of God. Election, Union to Christ, 
 the Second Advent — all these are before me, and 
 I may enjoy them. No promise and no doctrine 
 are now locked up against me. 
 
 An open door of access is before me in private, 
 and an open door of usefulness in public. God will 
 hear me ; God will use me, A door is opened 
 for my onward march to the church above, and 
 for my daily fellowship with saints below. Some 
 may try to shut me up or shut me out, but all in vain. 
 
 Soon shall I see an open door into heaven : the 
 pearl gate will be my way of entrance, and then I 
 shall go in unto my Lord and King, and be with 
 God eternally shut in. 
 
Oct. II. jTaillj's Cljfqiie tSooIt. 285 
 
 "////^ / unll strengthen them in the Lord: and they 
 shall walk up and doivn in his fiame, saith the Lord.''' 
 Zech. X. 12. 
 
 A SOLACE for sick saints. They have grown 
 faint, and they fear that they shall never 
 rise from the bed of doubt and fear ; but the great 
 Physician can both remove the disease, and take 
 away the weakness which has come of it. He 
 will strengthen the feeble. This he will do in the 
 best possible way, for it shall be "in Jehovah." 
 Our strength is far better in God than in self. In 
 the Lord it causes fellowship, in ourselves it would 
 create pride. In ourselves it would be sadly 
 limited, but in God it knows no bound. 
 
 When strength is given, the believer uses it. He 
 walks up and down in the name of the Lord. 
 What an enjoyment it is to walk abroad after 
 illness, and what a delight to be strong in the 
 Lord after a season of prostration ! The Lord 
 gives his people liberty to walk up and down, 
 and an inward leisure to exercise that liberty. 
 He makes gentlemen of us : we are not slaves who 
 know no rest, and see no sights, but we are free 
 to travel at our ease throughout Immanuel's land. 
 
 Come, my heart, be thou no more sick and sorry. 
 Jesus bids thee be strong, and walk with God in 
 holy contemplation. Obey his word of love. 
 
2S6 JFaitI)'3 Cheque Baoft. Oct. 12, 
 
 " And the Lord thy God will circumcise thiiie hrart, 
 and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God tenth 
 all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayesl 
 Uvd.^ — Deut. XXX. 6. 
 
 HERE we read of the true circumcision. 
 Note the author of it : " The Lord thy 
 God." He alone can deal effectually with our 
 heart, and take away its carnality and pollution. 
 To make us love God with all our heart and soul 
 is a miracle of grace which only the Holy Ghost 
 can work. We must look to the Lord alone for this, 
 and never be satisfied with anything short of it. 
 
 Note where this circumcision is wrought. It is 
 not of the flesh, but of the spirit. It is the essential 
 mark of the covenant of grace. Love to God is 
 the indelible token of the chosen seed ; by this 
 secret seal the election of grace is certified to the 
 believer. We must see to it that we trust in no 
 outward ritual, but are sealed in heart by the 
 operation of the Holy Ghost. 
 
 Note what the result is — "that thou maycst live." 
 To be carnally minded is death. In the over- 
 coming of the flesh we find life and peace. If we 
 mind the things of the Spirit, we shall live. Oh that 
 Jehovah, our God, may complete his gracious work 
 upon our inner natures, that in the lullest and 
 highest sense we may live unto the Lord. 
 
0<-r. 13. ifaill)'3 (Cljcqur IBoob. 287 
 
 '■'■If my people, lohich are called by luy name, shall liianHe 
 themselves, and pray, and srek my /ace, and (urn from their 
 wicked tcays ; then ivill I hear from heaven, and will for- 
 give their sin, aid will heal their landT — 2 Chron. vii. 14. 
 
 CALLED by the name of the Lord, we arc 
 nevertheless erring men and women. What 
 a mercy it is that our God is ready to forgive ! 
 Whenever we sin let us hasten to the mercy-seat 
 of our God, seeking pardon. 
 
 We are to htimble ourselves. Should we not be 
 humbled by the fact that after receiving so much 
 love we yet transgress .'' O Lord, we bow before 
 thee in the dust, and own our grievous ingratitude. 
 Oh the infamy of sin! Oh the sevenfold infamy of 
 it in persons so favoured as we have been ! 
 
 Next, we are to pray for mercy, for cleansing, for 
 deliverance from the power of sin. O Lord, hear 
 us even now, and shut not out our cry. 
 
 In this prayer we are to seek the Lord's face. 
 He has left us because of our faults, and we must 
 entreat him to return. O Lord, look on us in thy 
 Son Jesus, and smile upon thy servants. 
 
 With this must go our own turning from evil, 
 God cannot turn to us unless we turn from sin. 
 
 Then comes the triple promise of hearing, pardon, 
 and healing. Our Father, grant us these at once, 
 for our Lord Jesus Christ s sake. 
 
288 iFaitlj's Cljrque Book Oct. 14. 
 
 " Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him 
 will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven^ 
 Matt. X. 32. 
 
 GRACIOUS promise ! It is a great joy to me 
 to confess my Lord. Whatever my faults 
 may be, I am not ashamed of Jesus, nor do I fear 
 to declare the doctrines of his cross. O Lord, I 
 have not hid thy righteousness within my heart. 
 
 Sweet is the prospect which the text sets before 
 me ! Friends forsake and enemies exult, but the 
 Lord does not disown his servant. Doubtless my 
 Lord will own me even here, and give me new 
 tokens of his favourable regard. But there comes 
 a day when I must stand before the great Father. 
 What bliss to think that Jesus will confess me 
 then ! He will say, " This man truly trusted me, 
 and was willing to be reproached for my name's 
 sake; and therefore I acknowledge him as mine." 
 The other day a great man was made a knight, 
 and the Queen handed him a jewelled garter ; but 
 what of that.'' It will be an honour beyond all 
 honours for the Lord Jesus to confess us in the 
 presence of the divine Majesty in the heavens. 
 Never let me be ashamed to own my Lord. Never 
 let me indulge a cowardly silence, or allow a faint- 
 hearted compromise. Shall I blush to own him 
 who promises to own me ? 
 
Oct. 15. JFaitfj's Cljrquc 13ook. 2S9 
 
 '^As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by tlu 
 Father : so he that cateth me, even he shall live by me." 
 Jolin vi. 57. 
 
 WE live by virtue of our union with the Son 
 of God. As God-man Mediator, the Lord 
 Jesus lives by the self-existent Father who has 
 sent him, and in the same manner we live by the 
 Saviour who has quickened us. He who is the 
 source of our life is also the sustenance of it. 
 Living is sustained by feeding. We must support 
 the spiritual life by spiritual food, and that spiritual 
 food is the Lord Jesus. Not his life, or death, or 
 offices, or work, or word alone, but himself, as in- 
 cluding all these. On Jesus, himself, we feed. 
 
 This is set forth to us in the Lord's Supper, but 
 it is actually enjoyed by us when we meditate upon 
 our Lord, believe in him with appropriating faith, 
 take him into ourselves by love, and assimilate him 
 by the power of the inner life. We know what it 
 is to feed on Jesus, but we cannot speak it or write 
 it. Our wisest course is to practise it, and to do 
 so more and more. We are entreated to eat abun- 
 dantly, and it will be to our infinite profit to do so 
 wlien Jesus is our meat and our drink. 
 
 Lord, I thank thee that this, which is a necessity 
 of my new life, is also its greatest delight. So, I 
 do at this hour feed on thee. 
 
 19 
 
290 iFnitb's Cljrqiu 13joI'. Oct. i6. 
 
 "Because I live, ye shall live also." — John xiv. 19. 
 
 JESUS has made the hfe of believers in him as 
 certain as his own. As sure as the head Hves 
 the members hve also. If Jesus has not risen from 
 the dead, then are we dead in our sins ; but since 
 he has risen, all believers are risen in him. His 
 death has put away our transgressions, and loosed 
 the bonds which held us under the death sentence. 
 His resurrection proves our justification : w^e are 
 ibsolved, and mercy saith, " The Lord hath put 
 away thy sin, thou shalt not die." 
 
 Jesus has made the life of his people as eternal 
 is his own. How can they die as long as he lives, 
 seeing they are one with him ? Because he dieth 
 no more, and death hath no more dominion over 
 him, so they shall no more return to the graves of 
 their old sins, but shall live unto the Lord in new- 
 ness of life. O believer, when, under great temp- 
 tation, thou fearest that thou shalt one day fall by 
 the hand of the enemy, let this re-assure thee. 
 Thou shalt never lose thy spiritual life, for it is hid 
 with Christ in God. Thou dost not doubt the 
 immortality of thy Lord ; therefore, do not think 
 that he will let thee die, since thou art one with 
 him. The argument for thy life is his life, and of 
 that thou canst have no fear ; wherefore rest in thy 
 living Lord. 
 
Oct. 17. iFnilf)'s Cljcque Book. 291 
 
 ''^He lliat fearcth the commandment shall be reti.' aided." 
 I'rov. xiii. 13. 
 
 1" OLY awe of God's Word is at a great dis- 
 
 II 
 
 the Word of the Lord, and sit in judgment upon it. 
 " So did not I, because of the fear of God." We 
 accept the inspired Book as infalHble, and prove 
 our esteem by our obedience. We have no terror 
 of the Word, but we have a filial awe of it. We 
 are not in fear of its penalties, because we have a 
 fear of its commands. 
 
 This holy fear of the commandment produces the 
 restfulness of humility, which is far sweeter than 
 the recklessness of pride. It becomes a guide to 
 us in our movements ; a drag when we are going 
 down-hill, and a stimulus when we are climbinsf it. 
 Preserved from evil and led into righteousness by 
 our reverence of the command, we gain a quiet 
 conscience, which is a well of wine ; a sense of 
 freedom from responsibility, which is as life from 
 the dead ; and a confidence of pleasing God, which 
 is heaven below. The ungodly may ridicule our 
 deep reverence for the Word of the Lord ; but 
 what of that ? The prize of our high calling is 
 a sufficient consolation for us. The rewards of 
 obedience make us scorn the scorning of the 
 scorner. 
 
292 iFaillj's Cfjtquc JSaok. Oct. 18 
 
 ^^They thai sow in tears shall reap in Joy." — Ps. cxxvi. 5. 
 
 WEEPING times are suitable for sowing: we 
 do not want the ground to be too dry. 
 Seed steeped in the tears of earnest anxiety will 
 come up all the sooner. The salt of prayerful tears 
 will give the good seed a flavour which will preserve 
 it from the worm : truth spoken in awful earnest- 
 ness has a double life about it. Instead of stopping 
 our sowing because of our weeping, let us redouble 
 our efforts because the season is so propitious. 
 
 Our heavenly seed could not fitly be sown 
 laughing. Deep sorrow and concern for the souls 
 of others are a far more fit accompaniment of 
 godly teaching than anything like levity. We 
 have heard of men who went to war with a light 
 heart, but they were beaten ; and it is mostly so 
 with those who sow in the same style. 
 
 Come, then, my heart, sow on in thy weeping, 
 for thou hast the promise of a joyful harvest. 
 Thou shalt reap. Thou, thyself, shalt see some 
 result of thy labour. This shall come to thee in 
 so large a measure as to give thee joy, which a 
 poor, withered, and scanty harvest would not do. 
 When thine eyes are dim with silver tears, think of 
 the golden corn. Bear cheerfully the present toil 
 and disappointment ; for the harvest day will fully 
 recompense thee. 
 
Oct. 19. jpaillj'a CIjrquE Boolt. 293 
 
 ^^I wiR cornet thee in measure.'' — jcr. xxx. 11. 
 
 TO be left uncorrected would be a fatal sign : 
 it would prove that the Lord had said, " He 
 is given unto idols, let him alcns." God grant 
 that such may never be our portion ! Unin- 
 terrupted prosperity is a thing to cause fear and 
 trembling. As many as God tenderly loves he 
 rebukes and chastens : those for whom he has 
 no esteem he allows to fatten themselves without 
 fear, like bullocks for the slaughter. It is in love 
 that our heavenly Father uses the rod upon his 
 children. 
 
 Yet see, the correction is " in measure " : he gives 
 us love without measure, but chastisement " in 
 measure." As under the old law no Israelite could 
 receive more than the " forty stripes save one," 
 which ensured careful counting and limited suffer- 
 ing, so is it with each afflicted member of the 
 household of faith — every stroke is counted. It is 
 the measure of wisdom, the measure of sympathy, 
 the measure of love, by which our chastisement is 
 regulated. Far be it from us to rebel against 
 appointments so divine. Lord, if thou standest 
 by to measure the bitter drops into my cup, it 
 is for me cheerfully to take that cup from thy 
 hand, and drink according to thy directions, saying 
 " Thy will be done." 
 
294 iFaitlj's Cljrquc Ijooh. Oct. 20. 
 
 "//^ shall save his pen pU from their sins." — Matt. i. 21. 
 
 LORD, save me from my sin.s. By thy name of 
 Jesus I am encouraged thus to pray. Save 
 me from my past sins, that the habit of them may 
 not hold me captive. Save me from my constitu- 
 tional sins, that I may not be the slave of my own 
 weaknesses. Save me from the sins which are con- 
 tinually under my eye that I may not lose my 
 horror of them. Save me from secret sins ; sins 
 unperceivcd by me from my want of light. Save 
 me from sudden and surprising sins: let me not 
 be carried off my feet by a rush of temptation. 
 Save me, Lord, from every sin. Let not any 
 iniquity have dominion over me. 
 
 Thou alone canst do this. I cannot snap my 
 own chains or slay my own enemies. Thou 
 knowest temptation, for thou wast tempted. Thou 
 knowest sin, for thou didst bear the weight of it. 
 Thou knowest how to succour me in my hour of 
 conflict. Thou canst save me from sinning, and 
 save me when I have sinned. It is promised in thy 
 very name that thou wilt do this, and I pray thee 
 let me this da}^ verify the prophecy. Let me not 
 give way to temper, or pride, or despondency, or 
 any form of evil ; but do thou save me unto 
 holiness of life, that thy name of Jesus may be 
 g'.orihcd in me abundantly. 
 
Oct 21. jFnitfj'g (Cf)cqiic Cook. 295 
 
 "A little otte shall become a thousand, and a small o- e 
 a strong nation : I the Lord ivill hasten it in his time" 
 la. Ix. 22. 
 
 WORKS for the Lord often begin on a small 
 scale, and they are none the worse for this. 
 Feebleness educates faith, brings God near, and 
 wins giory for his name. Prize promises of increase, 
 ^lustard seed is the smallest among seeds, and )-ct 
 it becomes a tree-like plant, with branches which 
 lodge the birds of heaven. We may begin with 
 one, and that "a little one," and yet it will "become 
 a thousand." The Lord is great at the multiplica- 
 tion table. How often did he say to his lone 
 servant, " I will multiply thee " ! Trust in the Lord, 
 ye ones and twos ; for he will be in the midst of 
 you if you are gathered in his name. 
 
 " A small one." What can be more despicable 
 in the eyes of those who count heads and weigh 
 forces ! yet this is the nucleus of a great nation. 
 Only one star shines out at first in the evening, but 
 soon the sky is crowded with countless lights 
 
 Nor need we think the prospect of increase to be 
 remote, for the promise is, " I Jehovah will hasten 
 it in his time." There will be no premature haste, 
 like that which we sec at excited meetings; it will 
 be all in due time ; but yet tl.ere will be no delay ; 
 When the Lord hastens, his speed is glorious. 
 
296 iraitlj's (CI)fquc Baolt. Oct. 22. 
 
 '■'■Thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it: and with thy 
 b/essi/ig let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever" 
 2 Sam. vii. 29. 
 
 THIS i.s a promise pleaded, and so it yields 
 double instruction to us. Anything which 
 the Lord God has spoken we should receive as 
 surely true, and then plead it at the throne. 
 
 Oh, how sweet to quote what our own God has 
 spoken ! How precious to use a " therefore " which 
 the promise suggests, as David does in this verse ! 
 
 We do not pray because we doubt, but because 
 we believe. To pray unbelievingly is unbecoming 
 in the Lord's children. No, Lord, we cannot doubt 
 thee : we are persuaded that every word of thine is 
 a sure foundation for the boldest expectation. We 
 come to thee and say, " Do as thou hast said." 
 Bless thy servants' house. Heal our sick ; save our 
 hesitating ones ; restore those who wander ; confirm 
 those who live in thy fear. Lord, give us food and 
 raiment according to thy word. Prosper our under- 
 takings ; especially succeed our endeavours to make 
 known thy gospel in our neighbourhood. Make our 
 servants thy servants, our children thy children. 
 Let the blessing flow on to future generations, and 
 as long as any of our race remains on earth may 
 they remain true to thee. O Lord God " let the 
 house of thy servant be blessed." 
 
Oct. 23. iFaitlj'g Cbfquc Book. 297 
 
 ^^ Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the 
 upright in heart." — Ps. xcvii. 11. 
 
 RIGHTEOUSNESS is often costly to the man 
 who keeps to it at all hazards, but in the 
 end it will bear its own expenses, and return an 
 infinite profit. A holy life is like sowing seed : 
 much is going out, and apparently it is buried in 
 the soil, never to be gathered up again. We are 
 mistaken when we look for an immediate harvest; 
 but the error is very natural, for it seems impossible 
 to bury light. Yet light is "sown," says the text. 
 It lies latent : none can see it, it is sown. We are 
 quite sure that it must one day manifest itself 
 
 Full sure are we that the Lord has set a harvest 
 for the sowers of light, and they shall reap it, each 
 man for himself. Then shall come their gladness. 
 Sheaves of joy for seeds of light. Their heart was 
 upright before the Lord, though men gave them no 
 credit for it, but even censured them : they were 
 righteous, though those about them denounced them 
 as censorious. They had to wait, as husbandmen 
 wait for the precious fruits of the earth : but the 
 light was sown for them, and gladness was being 
 prepared on their behalf by the Lord of the harvest. 
 
 Courage, brothers ! we need not be in a hurry. 
 Let us in patience possess our souls, for soon shall 
 our souls possess light and gladness. 
 
298 iFaitIj*3 Cljcque Boolt. Oct. 24. 
 
 '^And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brazen 
 wall: and they shall Jii^ht against thee, but they shall 7iot 
 prevail against thee : for I am with thee to save thee and 
 to deliver thee, saith the Lord."—'^tr. xv. 20. 
 
 STABILITY in the fear and faith of God will 
 make a man like a wall of brass, which no 
 one can batter down or break. Only the Lord 
 can make such ; but we need such men in the 
 church, and in the world, but specially in the pulpit. 
 
 Against uncompromising men of truth this age 
 of shams will fight tooth and nail. Nothing seems 
 to offend Satan and his seed like decision. They 
 attack holy firmness even as the Assyrians besieged 
 fenced cities. The joy is that they cannot prevail 
 against those whom God has made strong in his 
 strength. Carried about with every wind of doc- 
 trine, others only need to be blown upon, and away 
 they go ; but those who love the doctrines of grace, 
 because they possess the grace of the doctrines, 
 stand like rocks in the midst of raging seas. 
 
 Whence this stability ? "I am with thee, saith 
 the Lord": that is the true answer. Jehovah will 
 save and deliver faithful souls from all the assaults 
 of the adversary. Hosts are against us, but the 
 Lord of hosts is with us. We dare not budge an 
 inch ; for the Lord himself holds us in our place, 
 and there we will abide for ever. 
 
Oct. 25. Sfai{\)'& CfjcqiiE Boolt. 299 
 
 '^But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteous- 
 ness ; and all t/iese things shall be added unto you." 
 Matt. vi. 33. 
 
 SEE how the Bible opens : " In the beginning 
 God." Let your life open in the same way. 
 Seek with your whole soul, first and foremost, the 
 kingdom of God, as the place of your citizenship, 
 and his righteousness as the character of your life. 
 As for the rest, it will come from the Lord himself 
 without your being anxious concerning it. All that 
 is needful for this life and godliness "shall be added 
 unto you." 
 
 What a promise this is! Food, raiment, home, 
 and so forth, God undertakes to add to you while 
 you seek him. You mind his business, and he will 
 mind yours. If you want paper and string, you 
 get them given in when you buy more important 
 goods ; and just so all that we need of earthly 
 things v.-e shall have thrown in with the kingdom. 
 He who is an heir of salvation shall not die of 
 starvation; and he who clothes his soul with the 
 righteousness of God cannot be left of the Lord 
 with a naked body. Away with carking care. Set 
 all your mind upon seeking the Lord. Covetous- 
 ness is poverty, and anxiety is misery : trust in 
 God is an estate, and likeness to God is a heavenly 
 inheritance. Lord, I seek thee, be found of me. 
 
300 i)FaitIj*0 Cljequc JSook. Oct. ?5. 
 
 '''■For the elect" s sake those days shall he shortened.^' 
 Matt. xxiv. 22. 
 
 FOR the sake of his elect the Lord withholds 
 many judgments, and shortens others. In 
 great tribulations the fire would devour all were 
 it not that out of regard to his elect the Lord 
 damps the flame. Thus, while he saves his elect 
 for the sake of Jesus, he also preserves the race for 
 the sake of his chosen. 
 
 What an honour is thus put upon saints! How 
 diligently they ought to use their influence with 
 their Lord ! He will hear their prayers for sinners, 
 and bless their efforts for their salvation. He 
 blesses believers that they may be a blessing to 
 those who are in unbelief. Many a sinner lives 
 because of the prayers of a mother, or wife, or 
 daughter, to whom the Lord has respect. 
 
 Have we used aright the singular power with 
 which the Lord entrusts us ? Do we pray for our 
 country, for other lands, and for the age? Do we, 
 in times of war, famine, pestilence, stand out as inter- 
 cessors, pleading that the days may be shortened ? 
 Do we lament before God the outbursts of in- 
 fidelity, error, and licentiousness? Do we beseech 
 our Lord Jesus to shorten the reign of sin by 
 hastening his own glorious appearing? Let us get 
 to our knees, and never rest till Christ appearetli. 
 
Oct. 27. JFailI)'3 C5:que 33ooU. 301 
 
 '*/^/V striants shall serve him : and they shall see his 
 face ; and his namcsluilL be in Iheirforeheads. '' — Rev. xxii. 3, 4. 
 
 THREE choice blessings will be ours in the 
 glory land. 
 
 ''//is servants shall serve hivi" No other lords 
 shall oppress us, no other service shall distress us. 
 We shall serve Jesus always, perfectly, without 
 weariness, and without error. This is heaven to a 
 saint : in all things to serve the Lord Christ, and 
 to be owned by him as his servant is our soul's 
 high ambition for eternity. 
 
 ''And they shall see his face." This makes the 
 service delightful : indeed, it is the present reward 
 of service. We shall know our Lord, for we shall 
 see him as he is. To see the face of Jesus is the 
 utmost favour that the most faithful servant of the 
 Lord can ask. What more could Moses ask than — 
 " Let me see thy face " ? 
 
 ''And his name shall be in their foreheads." They 
 gaze upon their Lord till his name is photographed 
 upon their brows. They are acknowledged by him, 
 and they acknowlege him. The .secret mark of 
 inward grace develops into the public sign-manual 
 of confessed relationship. 
 
 O Lord, give us these three things in their 
 beginnings here, that we may possess them in their 
 fulness in thine own abode of bliss 1 
 
302 Jaitb's Cf)cqu£ Book, Oct. 28. 
 
 "And it shall beforgk'en t/ie?n ; for it is igtwrance." 
 Num. XV. 25. 
 
 BECAUSE of our ignorance we are not fully 
 aware of our sins of ignorance. Yet we may 
 be sure they are many, in the form both of com- 
 mission and omission. We may be doing in all 
 sincerity, as a service to God, that which he has 
 never commanded, and can never accept. 
 
 The Lord knows these sins of ignorance every 
 one. This may well alarm us, since in justice he 
 will require these trespasses at our hand ; but on 
 the other hand, faith spies comfort in this fact, 
 for the Lord will see to it that stains unseen by us 
 shall yet be washed away. He sees the sin that he 
 may cease to see it by casting it behind his back. 
 
 Our great comfort is that Jesus, the true priest, 
 has made atonement for all the congregation of 
 the children of Israel. That atonement secures the 
 pardon of unknown sins. His precious blood 
 cleanses us from all sin. Whether our eyes have 
 seen it and wept over it, or not, God has seen it, 
 Christ has atoned for it, the Spirit bears witness to 
 the pardon of it, and so we have a threefold peace. 
 
 O my Father, I praise thy divine knowledge, 
 which not only perceives my iniquities, but pro- 
 vides an atonement which delivers me from the 
 guilt of them, even before I know that I am guilty 
 
Oct. 29. JFaitb's CTljcque Book. 303 
 
 ^' And I will put a division between my people and thy 
 people : to-morrow shall this sign be." — Ex. viii. 23. 
 
 PHARAOH has a people, and the Lord has a 
 people. These may dwell together, and seem 
 to fare alike, but there is a division between them, 
 and the Lord will make it apparent. Not for ever 
 shall one event happen alike to all, but there shall 
 be great difference between the men of the world 
 and the people of Jehovah's choice. 
 
 This may happen in the time of judgments, when 
 the Lord becomes the sanctuary of his saints. It 
 is very conspicuous in the conversion of believers 
 when their sin is put away, while unbelievers remain 
 under condemnation. From that moment they 
 become a distinct race, come under a new discipline, 
 and enjoy new blessings. Their homes, henceforth, 
 are free from the grievous swarms of evils which 
 defile and torment the Egyptians. They are kept 
 from the pollution of lust, the bite of care, the 
 corruption of falsehood, and the cruel torment of 
 hatred, which devour many families. 
 
 Rest assured, tried believer, that though you have 
 your troubles you are saved from swarn)s of worse 
 ones, which infest the homes and heaits of tiie 
 servants of the world's Prince. The Lord has put 
 a division ; see to it that you keep up the division 
 in spirit, aim, character and company. 
 
3u4 iFaitlj's CDf)cquE 33aoft. Oct. 30. 
 
 '''■Then will I sprinkle clean 7vater upon you, and ye 
 shall be dean : from all your filthiness, and from all your 
 idols, will I cleanse you.''' — Ez. xxxvi. 25. 
 
 WHAT an exceeding joy is this ! He who 
 has purified us with the blood of Jesus 
 will also cleanse us by the water of the Holy Spirit. 
 God hath said it, and so it must be, " Ye shall be 
 clean." Lord, we feel and mourn our uncleanness, 
 and it is cheering to be assured by thine own mouth 
 that we shall be clean. Oh that thou wouldst make 
 a speedy work of it ! 
 
 He will deliver us from our worst sins. The 
 uprisings of unbelief, and the deceitful lusts which 
 war against the soul, the vile thoughts of pride, and 
 the suggestions of Satan to blaspheme the sacred 
 name — all these shall be so purged away as never 
 to return. 
 
 He wall also cleanse us from all our idols, whether 
 of gold or of clay : our impure loves, and our ex- 
 cessive love of that which in itself is pure. That 
 which we have idolized shall either be broken 
 from us, or we shall be broken off from it. 
 
 It is God who speaks of what he himself will do. 
 Therefore is this word established and sure, and 
 we may boldly look for that which it guarantees 
 to us. Cleansing is a covenant blessing, and the 
 covenant is ordered in all things and sure. 
 
Oct. 31. Jaillj's Gljfque Boolt. 305 
 
 ''I shall not die, but lire, and declare the works of the 
 Lord.'' — rs. cxviii. 17. 
 
 A FAIR assurance this ! It was no doubt based 
 upon a promise, inwardly whispered in the 
 Psalmist's heart, which he seized upon and enjoyed. 
 Is my case like that of David ? Am I depressed 
 because the enemy insults over me? Are there 
 multitudes against me, and few on my side ? Does 
 unbelief bid me lie down and die in despair — a 
 defeated, dishonoured man ? Do my enemies begin 
 to dig my grave ? 
 
 What then ? Shall I yield to the whisper of 
 fear, and give up the battle, and with it give up all 
 hope? Far from it. There is life in me yet: "I 
 shall not die." Vigour will return and remove my 
 weakness : " I shall live." The Lord lives, and I 
 shall live also. My mouth shall again be opened : 
 " I shall declare the works of Jehovah." Yes, and 
 I shall speak of the present trouble as another in- 
 stance of the wonder-working faithfulness and love 
 of the Lord my God. Those who would gladly 
 measure me for my coffin had better wa't a bit ; 
 for " the Lord hath chastened me sore, but he 
 hath not given me over unto death." Glory be to 
 his name for ever ! I am immortal till my work is 
 done. Till the Lord wills it no vault can clo.se 
 upon me. 
 
3o6 i^aitb's CTbcque Book. Nov. i. 
 
 ''''Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." 
 I Thess. V. 24. 
 
 J/J/ H A T zuill he dof He will sanctify us 
 wholly. See the previous verse. He will 
 carry on the work of purification till we are perfect 
 in every part. He will preserve our " whole spirit, 
 and soul, and body, blameless unto the coming of 
 our Lord Jesus Christ." He will not allow us to 
 fall from grace, nor come under the dominion of sin. 
 What great favours are these ! Well may we adore 
 the giver of such unspeakable gifts. 
 
 Who will do this ? The Lord who has called us 
 out of darkness into his marvellous light, out of 
 death in sin into eternal life in Christ Jesus. Only 
 he can do this : such perfection and preservation 
 can only come from the God of all grace. 
 
 Why ivill lie do it? Because he is " faithful" — - 
 faithful to his own promise which is pledged to 
 save the believer; faithful to his Son, whose reward 
 it is that his people shall be presented to him 
 faultless ; faithful to the work which he has com- 
 menced in us by our effectual calling. It is not 
 their own faithfulness, but the Lord's own faith- 
 fulness, on which the saints rely. 
 
 Come, my soul, here is a grand feast to begin 
 a dull month with. There may be fogs without, 
 but there should be sunshine within. 
 
Nov. 2. JFaitf)'0 Cfjequc 13ook. 3071 
 
 "No good thing will he withhold from them that walk 
 uprightly." — Ps. Ixxxiv. 11. 
 
 MANY pleasing things the Lord may with- 
 hold, but " no good thing." He is the best 
 judge of what is good for us. Some things are 
 assuredly good, and these we may have for the 
 asking through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
 
 Holiness is a good thing, and this he will work 
 in us freely. Victory over evil tendencies, strong 
 tempers, and evil habits, he will gladly grant, 
 and we ought not to remain without it. 
 
 Full assurance he will bestow, and near coni- 
 viunion with himself, and access into all truth, and 
 boldness with prevalence at the mercy seat. If we 
 have not these, it is from want of faith to receive 
 and not from any unwillingness of God to give. 
 A calm, a heavenly frame, great patience, and 
 fervent love — all these will he give to holy diligence. 
 
 But note well that we must " walk uprightly." 
 There must be no cross purposes and crooked 
 dealings; no hypocrisy nor deceit. If we walk 
 foully God cannot give us favours, for that would 
 be a premium upon sin. The way of uprightness 
 is the way of heavenly wealth — wealth so large 
 as to include every good thing. 
 
 What a promise to plead in prayer ! Let us get 
 to our knees. 
 
3o8 iFattfi's C()£quE Book. Nov. 3. 
 
 '■'■For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the 
 end it shall speak, and not lie : though it tarry, wait for 
 it ; because it will surely come, it will not tarry T — Hab. ii. 3. 
 
 MERCY may seem slow, but it is sure. The 
 Lord in unfailing wisdom has appointed a 
 time for the outgoings of his gracious power, and 
 God's time is the best time. We are in a hurry ; 
 the vision of the blessing excites our desire, and 
 hastens our longings ; but the Lord will keep his 
 appointments. He never is before his time; he 
 never is behind. 
 
 God's word is here spoken of as a living thing 
 Avhich will speak, and will come. It is never a dead 
 letter, as we are tempted to fear when we have long 
 watched for its fulfilment. The living Vvord is 
 on the way from the living God, and though it may 
 seem to linger, it is not in reality doing so. God's 
 train is not behind time. It is only a matter of 
 patience, and we shall soon see for ourselves the 
 faithfulness of the Lord. No promise of his shall 
 fail; "it will not lie." No promise of his will be lost 
 in silence ; "it shall speak." What comfort it will 
 speak to the believing ear ! No promise of his shall 
 need to be renewed like a bill which could not be paid 
 on the day in which it fell due — " it will not tarry." 
 
 Come, my soul, canst thou not wait for thy God } 
 Rest in him and be still in unutterable peacefulness. 
 
Nov. 4. jFaitb's Cheque Booft. 309 
 
 ^'And he said. Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley 
 full of ditches. For thus sailh the Lord, Ye shall not see 
 wind, neither shall ye see rain ; yet that valley shall be 
 filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your 
 cattle, and your beasts." — 2 Kings iii. 16, 17. 
 
 THREE armies were perishing of thirst, and 
 the Lord interposed. Although he sent 
 neither cloud nor rain, yet he supplied an abun- 
 dance of water. He is not dependent upon 
 ordinary methods, but can surprise his people with 
 novelties of wisdom and power. Thus are we 
 made to see more of God than ordinary processes 
 could have revealed. Although the Lord may 
 not appear for us in the way we expect, or desire, 
 or suppose, yet he will in some way or other pro- 
 vide for us. It is a great blessing for us to be 
 raised above looking to secondary causes, so that 
 we may gaze into the face of the great First Cause. 
 Have we this day grace enough to make trenches 
 into which the divine blessing may flow? Alas! 
 we too often fail in the exhibition of true and 
 practical faith. Let us this day be on the outlook 
 for answers to prayer. As the child who went 
 to a meeting to pray for rain took an umbrella with 
 her ; so let us truly and practically expect the Lord 
 to bless us. Let us make the valley full of ditches 
 and expect to sec them all filled. 
 
3 TO JFa(tI)*3 CCfjcque Baolt. Nov. 5. 
 
 ^^ 1 71.1 ill not contend for ever, tieither will I be always 
 wroth : for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls 
 which I have made." — isa. Ivii. 16. 
 
 OUR heavenly Father seeks our instruction, not 
 our destruction. His contention with us has 
 a kind intention toivards us. He will not be always 
 in arms against us. We think the Lord is long in 
 his chastisements, but that is because we are short 
 in our patience. His compassion endureth for ever, 
 but not his contention. The night may drag its 
 weary length along, but it must in the end give 
 place to cheerful day. As contention is only for a 
 season, so the wrath which leads to it is only for a 
 small moment. The Lord loves his chosen too 
 well to be always angry with them. 
 
 If he were to deal with us always as he does 
 sometimes we should faint outright, and go down 
 hopelessly to the gates of death. Courage, dear 
 heart ! the Lord will soon end his chiding. Bear 
 up, for the Lord will bear you up, and bear you 
 through. He who made you knows how frail you 
 are, and how little you can bear. He will handle 
 tenderly that which he has fashioned so delicately. 
 Therefore, be not afraid because of the painful 
 present, for it hastens to a happy future. He that 
 smote you will heal you ; his little wrath shall be 
 followed by great mercies. 
 
Nov. 6. ifaltlj's €f)cque Booft. 311 
 
 ''Delight thyself also in the Lord ; aiid he shall give thee 
 the desires 0/ thine hearti'^ — Vs. xxxvii. 4. 
 
 DELIGHT in God has a transforming power, 
 and lifts a man above the gross desires of 
 our fallen nature. Delight in Jehovah is not only- 
 sweet in itself, but it sweetens the whole soul, till 
 the longings of the heart become such that the 
 Lord can safely promise to fulfil them. Is not 
 that a grand delight which moulds our desires till 
 they are like the desires of God ? 
 
 Our foolish way is to desire, and then set to 
 work to compass what we desire. We do not go 
 to work in God's way, which is to seek him first, and 
 then expect all things to be added unto us. If we 
 will let our heart be filled with God till it runs over 
 with delight, then the Lord himself will take care 
 that we shall not want any good thing. Instead 
 of going abroad for joys let us stay at home with 
 God, and drink waters out of our own fountain. 
 He can do for us far more than all our friends. It 
 is better to be content with God alone than to go 
 about fretting and pining for the paltry trifles of 
 time and sense. For a while we may have disappoint- 
 ments ; but if these bring us nearer to the Lord, they 
 are things to be prized exceedingly, for they will 
 in the end secure to us the fulfilment of all our 
 right desires. 
 
312 Jaitlj's €f)cque Boolt. Nov. 7. 
 
 ^'■He that humbleth himself shall be exalted." — Luke xviii 14. 
 
 IT ought not to be difficult for us to humble 
 ourselves, for what have we to be proud of? 
 We ought to take the lowest place without being 
 told to do so. If we are sensible and honest we 
 shall be little in our own eyes. Especially before 
 the Lord in prayer we shall shrink to nothing. 
 There we cannot speak of merit, for we have none: 
 our one and only appeal must be to mercy : " God 
 be merciful to me a sinner." 
 
 Here is a cheering word from the throne. We 
 shall be exalted by the Lord if we humble our- 
 selves. For us the way upward is downhill. When 
 we are stripped of self we are clothed with humility, 
 and this is the best of wear. The Lord will exalt 
 us in peace and happiness of mind ; he will exalt 
 us into knowledge of his Word and fellowship with 
 himself; he will exalt us in the enjoyment of sure 
 pardon and justification. The Lord puts his 
 honours upon those who can wear them to the 
 honour of the giver. He gives usefulness, accept- 
 ance, and influence to those who will not be puffed 
 up by them, but will be abased by a sense of 
 greater responsibility. Neither God nor man will 
 care to lift up a man who lifts up himself; but both 
 God and good men unite to honour modest worth. 
 
 O Lord, sink me in self that I may rise in thee. 
 
Nov. 8. jFaitlj's Cljcquc 33och. 313 
 
 ^•Afy grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made 
 perfect in 7cicahness." — 2 Cor. xii. 9. 
 
 OUR weakness should be prized as making 
 room for divine strength. We might never 
 ha\e known the power of grace if we had not felt 
 the weakness of nature. Blessed be the Lord for 
 the thorn in the flesh, and the messenger of Satan, 
 when they drive us to the strength of God. 
 
 This is a precious word from our Lord's own lip. 
 It has made the writer laugh for joy. God's grace 
 enough for me ! I should think it is. Is not the 
 sky enough for the bird, and the ocean enough for 
 the fish ? The All-sufficient is sufficient for my 
 largest want. He who is sufficient for earth and 
 heaven is certainly able to meet the case of one 
 poor worm like me. 
 
 Let us, then, fall back upon our God and his grace. 
 If he docs not remove our grief he will enable us to 
 bear it His strength shall be poured into us till 
 the worm shall thresh the mountains; and a nothing 
 shall be victor over all the high and mighty ones. 
 It is better for us to have God's strength than our 
 own ; for if we were a thousand times as strong as we 
 are, it would all amount to nothing in the face of the 
 enemy ; and if we could be weaker than we are, 
 which is scarcely possible, }et we could do all 
 things throu-^,h Christ 
 
314 iFaitlj's Cljcque 13ack. Nov. 9. 
 
 ''''Thus shall they know that I the Lo' d their God am 
 with them, and that they, e<'en the house of Israel, are my 
 people, saith the Lord God^ — E/. xxxiv. 33. 
 
 TO be the Lord's own people is a choice blessing-, 
 but to know that we are such is a comfortable 
 blessing. It is one thing to hope that God is with 
 us, and another thing to know that he is so. Faith 
 saves us, but assurance satisfies us. We take God 
 to be our God when we believe in him; but we get 
 the joy of him when we know that he is ours, and 
 that we are his. No believer should be content 
 with hoping and trusting, he should ask the Lord 
 to lead him on to full assurance, so that matters of 
 hope may become matters of certainty. 
 
 It is when we enjoy covenant blessings, and see 
 our Lord Jesus raised up for us as a plant of 
 renown, that we come to a clear knowledge of the 
 favour of God towards us. Not by law, but by 
 grace, do we learn that we are the Lord's people. 
 Let us always turn our eyes in the direction of free 
 grace. Assurance of faith can never come by the 
 works of the law. It is an evangelical virtue, and 
 can only reach us in a gospel way. Let u,s net 
 look within. Let us look to the Lord alone. As 
 we see Jesus we shall see our salvation. 
 
 Lord, send us such a flood-tide of thy love that we 
 shall be washed beyond the mire of doubt and fear. 
 
Nov. lo. jl^aitlj'g (Tljequc Boclt. 315 
 
 '''He will not suffer thy foot to be moved." — Ps. cxxi. 3. 
 
 IF the Lord \\'\\\ not suffer it, ncilhor men nor 
 devils can do it. How greatly would they 
 rejoice if they could give us a disgraceful fall, drive 
 us from our position, and bury us out of memory ! 
 They could do this to their heart's content were it 
 not for one hindrance, and only one : the Lord will 
 not suffer it; and if he does not suffer it, we shall 
 not suffer it. 
 
 The way of life is like travelling among the Alps. 
 Along mountain paths one is constantly exposed to 
 the slipping of the foot. Where the way is high the 
 head is apt to swim, and then the feet soon slide : 
 there are spots which are smooth as glass, and 
 others that are rough with loose stones, an'-l in 
 either of these a fall is hard to avoid. He who 
 throughout life is enabled to keep himself upright 
 and to walk without stumbling has the best of 
 reasons for gratitude. What with pitfalls and 
 snares, weak knees, weary feet, and subtle enemies, 
 no child of God would stand fast for an hour were 
 it not 'for the faithful love which will not suffer his 
 foot to be moved. 
 
 "Amidst a thousand snares I stand 
 Upheld and guarded by thy hand ; 
 That hand unseen shall hold me still, 
 And lead me to thy holy hill." 
 
3i6 5ail!)'s dj£qu£ Boclt. Nov. ii 
 
 ^''For sin shall not have dominion over you : for ye art 
 not under the law, but under grace!' — Rom. vi. 14. 
 
 SIN will reign if it can : it cannot be satisfied 
 with any place below the throne of the heart. 
 We sometimes fear that it will conquer us, and 
 then we cry unto the Lord, " Let not any iniquity 
 have dominion over me." This is his comforting 
 answer, " Sin shall not have dominion over you." 
 It may assail you, and even wound you ; but it shall 
 never establish sovereignty over you. 
 
 If we were under the law, our sin would gather 
 strength and hold us under its power ; for it is the 
 punishment of sin that a man comes under the 
 power of sin. As we are under the covenant of 
 grace, we are secured against departing from the 
 living God by the sure declaration of the covenant. 
 Grace is promised to us, by which we are restored 
 from our wanderings, cleansed from our impurities, 
 and set free from the chains of habit. 
 
 We might lie down in despair and be " content to 
 serve the Egyptians " if we were still as slaves 
 working for eternal life ; but since we are the Lord's 
 free men, we take courage to fight with our cor- 
 ruptions and temptations, being assured that sin 
 shall never bring us under its sway again. God 
 himself giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus 
 Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amca 
 
Nov. 12. JFaitlj's Cljcqiic 13ooTt. 317 
 
 "J/)' people shall be satisfied ivith vty goodness, saith the 
 Lord" — Jer. xxxi. 14. 
 
 NOTE the "my" which comes twice: ''My 
 people shall be satisfied with my goodness." 
 
 The kind of people who are satisfied wiih God 
 are marked out as God's own. He is pleased with 
 them, for they are pleased with him. They call 
 him their God, and he calls them his people ; he is 
 satisfied to take them for a portion, and they are 
 satisfied with him for their portion. There is a 
 mutual communion of delight between God's Israel 
 and Israel's God. 
 
 These people are satisfied. This is a grand thing. 
 Very few of the sons of men are ever satisfied, let 
 their lot be what it may; they have swallowed the 
 horse-leech, and it continually cries, " Give ! give !" 
 Only sanctified souls are satisfied souls. God him- 
 self must both convert us and content us. 
 
 It is no wonder that the Lord's people should be 
 satisfied with the goodness of their Lord. Here 
 is goodness without mixture, bounty without stint, 
 mercy without chiding, love without change, favour 
 without reserve. If God's goodness does not satisfy 
 us, what will? What! are we still groaning? 
 Surely there is a wrong desire within if it be one 
 which God's goodness does not satisfy. 
 
 Lord, 1 am satisfied. Elessed be thy name. 
 
31 8 JFailb's Cheque Boofe Nov. 13. 
 
 ^'■Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor 
 sleep." — Ps. cxxi. 4. 
 
 T EHOVAH is "the Keeper of Israel" No form 
 •' of unconsciousness ever steals over him, neither 
 the deeper slumber nor the slighter sleep. He 
 never fails to watch the house and the heart of his 
 people. This is a sufficient reason for our resting 
 in perfect peace. Alexander said that he slept 
 because his friend Parmenio watched ; much more 
 may we sleep because our God is our guard. 
 
 " Behold " is here set up to call our attention to 
 the cheering truth. Israel, when he had a stone for 
 his pillow, fell asleep ; but his God was awake, and 
 came in vision to his servant. When we lie defence- 
 less, Jehovah himself will cover our head. 
 
 The Lord keeps his people as a rich man keeps 
 his treasure, as a captain keeps a city with a garri- 
 son, as a sentry keeps watch over his sovereign. 
 None can harm those who are in such keeping. 
 Let me put my soul into his dear hands. He never 
 forgets us, never ceases actively to care for us, never 
 finds himself unable to preserve us. 
 
 O my Lord, keep me, lest I wander and fall 
 and perish. Keep me, that I may keep thy com- 
 mandments. By thine unslumbering care prevent 
 my sleeping like the sluggard, and perishing like 
 those who sleep the sleep of death. 
 
Nov. 14. 5aitl)'s (CijrquE Booh. 319 
 
 ^''If ye shall ask any filing in my name, I will do it." 
 
 Jolin xiv. 14. 
 
 WHAT a wide promise ! Anything ! Whether 
 large or small, all my needs are covered 
 by that word " anything." Come, my soul, be f cc 
 at the mercy scat, and hear thy Lord saying to 
 thee, " Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it." 
 
 What a wise promise ! We are always to ask in 
 the name of Jesus. While this encourages tis, it 
 also honours hint. This is a constant plea. Occa- 
 sionally every other plea is darkened, especially 
 such as we could draw from our own relation to 
 God, or our experience of his grace ; but at such 
 times the name of Jesus is as mighty at the throne 
 as ever, and we may plead it with full assurance. 
 
 What an instructive prayer ! I may not ask for 
 anything to which I cannot put Chri.st's hand and 
 seal. I dare not use my Lord's name to a selfish 
 or wilful petition. I may only use my Lord's name 
 to prayers which he would himself pray if he were 
 in my case. It is a high privilege to be authorized 
 to ask in the name of Jesus as if Jesus himself 
 asked ; but our love to him will never allow us to 
 set that name where he would not have set it. 
 
 Am I asking for that which Jesus approves ? 
 Dare I put his seal to my prayer ? Then I have 
 tliat which I seek of the Father. 
 
330 JFai'lIj's Cfjcque Boolt. Nov. 15, 
 
 "J/y (?^^ j-//a// supply all your need according to his 
 riches in glory by Christ JesusT — Phil. iv. 19. 
 
 PAUL'S God- is our God, and will supply all our 
 need. Paul felt sure of this in reference to the 
 Philippians, and we feel sure of it as to ourseh^es, 
 God will do it, for it is like him : he loves us, he 
 delights to bless us, and it will glorify him to do so. 
 His pity, his power, his love, his faithfulness, all 
 work together that we be not famished. 
 
 What a measure doth the Lord go by : " Accord- 
 ing to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." The 
 riches of his grace are large, but what shall we say 
 of the riches of his glory ? His " riches of glory by 
 Christ Jesus," who shall form an estimate of this } 
 According to this immeasurable measure will God 
 fill up the immense abyss of our necessities. He 
 makes the Lord Jesus the receptacle and the 
 channel of his fulness, and then he imparts to us 
 his wealth of love in its highest form. Llallelujah ! 
 
 The writer knows what it is to be tried in the 
 work oi the Lord. Fidelity has been recompensed 
 with anger, and liberal givers have stopped their 
 subscriptions; but he whom they sought to oppress 
 has not been one penny the poorer, nay, rather he 
 has been the richer ; for this promise has been true, 
 " My God shall supply all your need." God's 
 supplies are surer than the Bank of England. 
 
Kov. i6. JFaitb'a Cljrque Booh. 321 
 
 "iV^ weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper ; 
 and C7'ery tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment 
 thou shall condemn." — Isa. liv. 17. 
 
 THERE is great clatter in the forges and 
 smithies of the enemy. They are making 
 weapons wherewith to smite the saints. They 
 could not even do as much as this if the Lord of 
 saints did not allow them ; for he has created the 
 smith that bloweth the coals in the fire. But see 
 how busily they labour! How many swords and 
 spears they fashion ! It matters nothing, for on 
 the blade of every weapon you may read this 
 inscription: It shall not prosper. 
 
 But now listen to another noise : it is the strife 
 of tongues. Tongues are more terrible instruments 
 than can be made with hammers and anvils, and 
 the evil which they inflict cuts deeper and spreads 
 wider. What will become of us now ? Slander, 
 falsehood, insinuation, ridicule — these are poisoned 
 arrows ; how can we meet them ? The Lord God 
 promises us that, if we cannot silence them, we shall, 
 at least, escape from being ruined by them. They 
 condemn us for the moment, but we shall condemn 
 them at last, and for ever. The mouth of them 
 that speak lies shall be stopped, and their false- 
 hoods shall be turned to the honour of those good 
 men who suffered by them. 
 
 81 
 
322 iTailo's Cycq'.ic Dcilt. Nov. 17. 
 
 '''•For the Lord wid not cast off his fco/Ie, fieiihe?- will 
 he forsake his in/ieritai:ce."- — Ps. xciv. 14. 
 
 NO, nor will he cast off even so much as one 
 of them. Man has his cast-offs, but God 
 has none ; for his choice is unchangeable, and his 
 love is everlasting. None can find out a single 
 person whom God has forsaken after having re- 
 vealed himself savingly to him. 
 
 This grand truth is mentioned in the psalm to 
 cheer the heart of the afflicted. The Lord chastens 
 his own ; but he never forsakes them. The 
 result of the double work of the law and the rod 
 is our instruction, and the fruit of that instruction 
 is a quieting of spirit, a sobriety of mind, out of 
 which comes rest. The ungodly are let alone till 
 the pit is digged into which they will fall and be 
 taken ; but the godly are sent to school to be pre- 
 pared for their glorious destiny hereafter. Judg- 
 ment will return and finish its work upon the 
 rebels, but it will equally return to vindicate the 
 sincere and godly. Hence we may bear the rod 
 of chastisement with calm submission ; it means 
 not anger, but love. 
 
 " God may chasten and correct, 
 But he never can neglect ; 
 May in faithfulness reprove, 
 But he ne'er can cease to love.* 
 
Nov. i8. iFaitij's ffi^Ijfquc Booh. 323 
 
 "/« that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of 
 Jerusalem : and lie that is feeble among them at that day 
 shall be as David; and the Jionse of David shall be as 
 God, as the angel of the Lord before them." — Zech. xii. 8. 
 
 ONE of the best methods of the Lord's defend- 
 ing his people is to niake them strong in 
 inward might. Men are better than walls, and 
 faith is stronger than castles. 
 
 The Lord can take the feeblest among us and 
 make him like David, the champion of Israel. 
 Lord, do this with me ! Infuse thy power into me, 
 and fill me with sacred courage that I may face the 
 giant with sling and stone, confident in God. 
 
 The Lord can make his greatest champions far 
 mightier than they are : David can be as God, as 
 the angel of Jehovah. This would be a marvellous 
 development, but it is possible, or it would not be 
 spoken of. O Lord, work thus with the best of 
 our leaders ! Show us what thou art able to do — 
 namely, to raise thy faithful servants to a height of 
 grace and holiness which shall be clearly super- 
 natural ! 
 
 Lord, dwell in thy saints, and they shall be as 
 God ; put thy might into them, and they shall be 
 as the living creatures who dwell in the presence of 
 Jehovah. Fulfil this promise to thine entire church 
 in this our day, for Jesus' sake. Amen. 
 
324 JFaitlj'a Clbfq»c Baoh. Nov. 19. 
 
 ^'Froin this day will I bless you."— n^ggaX ii. 19. 
 
 FUTURE things are hidden from us. Yet 
 here is a glass in which we may see the 
 unborn years. The Lord says, " From this day 
 will I bless you." 
 
 It is worth while to note the day which is re- 
 ferred to in this promise. There had been failure 
 of crops, blasting, and mildew, and all because 
 of the people's sin. Now, the Lord saw these 
 chastened ones commencing to obey his word, and 
 build his temple, and therefore he says, " From the 
 day that the foundation of the Lord's temple was 
 laid, consider. From this day will I bless you." 
 If we have lived in any sin, and the Spirit leads 
 us to purge ourselves of it, we may reckon upon 
 the blessing of the Lord. His smile, his Spirit, 
 his grace, his fuller revelation of his truth will all 
 prove to us an enlarged blessing. We may fall 
 into greater opposition from man because of our 
 faithfulness, but we shall rise to closer dealings 
 with the Lord our God, and a clearer sight of our 
 acceptance in him. 
 
 Lord, I am resolved to be more true to thee, and 
 more exact in my following 0/ thy doctrine and 
 thy precept ; and I pray thee, therefore, by Christ 
 Jesus, to increase the blessedness of my daily life 
 henceforth and for ever. 
 
Nov. 20. JFaillj's CI)cqiic Bcolt. 3?5 
 
 '■^For J.i satis fie th the loti^^iiig soul, and fiUcth the 
 hungry soul with gooduess." — rs. cvii. 9. 
 
 IT is well to have longings, and the more intense 
 they are the better. The Lord will satisfy 
 soul-longings, however great and all-absorbing they 
 may be. Let us greatly long, for God will greatly 
 give. We are never in a right slate of mind when 
 we are contented with ourselves, and are free from 
 longings. Desires for more grace, and groanings 
 which cannot be uttered, are growing pains, and 
 we should wish to feci them more and more. 
 Blessed Spirit, make us sigh and cry after better 
 things, and for more of the best things ! 
 
 Hunger is by no means a pleasant sensation. 
 Yet blessed are they that hunger and thirst after 
 righteousness. Such persons shall not only have 
 their hunger relieved with a little food, but they 
 shall be filled. They shall not be filled with any 
 sort of rough stuff, but their diet shall be worthy 
 of their good Lord, for they shall be filled with 
 good'iDss by Jehovah himself 
 
 Come, let us not fret because we long and 
 hunger, but let us hear the voice of the Psalmist 
 as he also longs and hungers to see God magnified. 
 " Oh, that men would praise the Lord for his good- 
 ness, and for his wonderful works to the children 
 of men." 
 
326 iFaitlj's Cljcque 33oclt. Nov. 21. 
 
 ^^Lojk mito me, a fid be ye saved, all the ends oj the 
 earth : for I am God, ajid there is none elseP— isa. xlv. 22. 
 
 THIS is a promise of promises. It lies at the 
 foundation of our spiritual life. Salvation 
 comes through a look at him who is "a just God 
 and a Saviour." How simple is the direction ! 
 "Look unto me."' How reasonable is the require- 
 ment ! Surely the creature should look to the 
 Creator. We have looked elsewhere long enough, 
 it is time that we look alone to him who invites our 
 expectation, and promises to give us his salvation. 
 
 Only a look ! Will we not look at once ? We 
 are to bring nothing in ourselves, but to look out- 
 ward and upward to our Lord on his throne, 
 whither he has gone up from the cross. A look 
 requires no preparation, no violent effort : it needs 
 neither wit nor wisdom, wealth nor strength. All 
 that we need is in the Lord our God, and if we look 
 to him for everything, that everything shall be ours, 
 and we shall be saved. 
 
 Come, far-off ones, look hither 1 Ye ends of the 
 earth, turn your eyes this way ! As from the 
 furthest regions men may see the sun and enjoy his 
 light, so you who lie in death's borders at the very 
 gates of hell may by a look receive the light of God, 
 the life of heaven, the salvation of the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, who is God, and therefore able to save. 
 
Nov. 22. Jaitlj's CljrquE Uoolt. 327 
 
 "/« those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the 
 iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall he 
 none ; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found : 
 for I will pardon them whom I reseiTe." — ^jer. I. 20. 
 
 A GLORIOUS word indeed ! What a perfect 
 pardon is here promised to the sinful nations 
 of Israel and Judah ! Sin is to be so removed that 
 it shall not be found, so blotted out that there shall 
 be none. Glory be unto the God of pardons ! 
 
 Satan seeks out sins wherewith to accuse us, our 
 enemies seek them that they may lay them to our 
 charge, and our own conscience seeks them even 
 with a morbid eagerness. But when the Lord 
 applies the precious blood of Jesus, we fear no 
 form of search, for "there shall be none," "they 
 shall not be found." The Lord hath caused the 
 sins of his people to cease to be : he hath finished 
 transgression, and made an end of sin. The sacri- 
 fice of Jesus has cast our sins into the depths of 
 the sea. This makes us dance for joy. 
 
 The reason for the obliteration of sin lies in the 
 fact that Jehovah himself pardons his chosen ones. 
 His word of grace is not only royal, but divine. He 
 speaks absolution, and we are absolved. He applies 
 the atonement, and from that hour his people are 
 beyond all fear of condemnation. Blessed be the 
 name of the sin-annihilating God ! 
 
328 jFai'tlj's Cheque Book Nov. 23. 
 
 ''7>i(? Lord tJiy God will put out those nations before 
 thee by little and little." — Deut. vii. 22. 
 
 WE are not to expect to win victories for 
 the Lord Jesus by a single blow. Evil 
 principles and practices die hard. In some places 
 it takes years of labour to drive out even one of 
 the many vices which defile the inhabitants. We 
 must carry on the war with all our might, even 
 when favoured with little manifest success. 
 
 Our business in this world is to conquer it for 
 Jesus. We are not to make compromises, but to 
 exterminate evils. We are not to seek popularity, 
 but to wage unceasing war with iniquity. Infidelity, 
 Popery, drink, impurity, oppression, worldliness, 
 error ; these are all to be "put out." 
 
 The Lord our God can alone accomplish this. 
 He works by his faithful servants ; and, blessed be 
 his name, he promises that he will so work. 
 "Jehovah thy God will put out those nations 
 before thee." This he will do by degrees, that we 
 may learn perseverance, may increase in faith, may 
 earnestly watch, and may avoid carnal security. 
 Let us thank God for a little success, and pray 
 for more. Let us never sheathe the sword till the 
 whole land is won for Jesus. 
 
 Courage, my heart ! Go on little by little, for 
 many littles will make a great whole. 
 
Nov. 24. ifattfi's Cfirque Ijooft. 329 
 
 "^<f 7£v7/ ;7<7/ always chide: neither will he keep his 
 auger for ever." — Ps. ciii. 9. 
 
 HE will chide sometimes, or he would not be 
 a wise father for such poor erring children as 
 we are. His chiding is very painful to those who 
 are true, because they feel how sadly they deserve 
 it, and how wrong it is on their part to grieve 
 him. We know what this chiding means, and we 
 bow before the Lord, mourning that we should 
 cause him to be angry with us. 
 
 But what a comfort we find in these lines ! 
 " Not always " will he chide. If we repent and 
 turn to him with hearts broken /<?r sin and broken 
 from sin, he will smile upon us at once. It is no 
 pleasure to him to turn a frowning face towards 
 those whom he loves with all his heart: it is his 
 joy that our joy should be full. 
 
 Come, let us seek his face. There is no reason 
 for despair, nor even for despondency. Let us 
 love a chiding God, and before long we shall sing: 
 " Thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest 
 me." Begone, ye dark forebodings, ye ravens of 
 the soul ! Come in, ye humble hopes and grateful 
 memories, ye doves of the heart ! He who 
 pardoned us long ago as a judge, will again forgive 
 us as a father, and we sha'l rejoice in his sweet, 
 unchanging love. 
 
330 5ai't|)*0 Cljcque Baofe. Nov. 25. 
 
 " ?F/i(? «r/ //;(?z^, O great moimtain ? before Zeriihbahci 
 thou shalt becoffie a plain : and he shall bring forth the 
 headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto 
 it." — Zech. iv. 7. 
 
 AT this hour a mountain of difficulty, distress, 
 or necessity, may be in our way, and natural 
 reason sees no path over it, or through it, or round 
 it. Let faith come in, and straightway the mountain 
 disappears and becomes a plain. But faith must 
 first hear the word of the Lord — " Not by might, 
 nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of 
 hosts." This grand truth is a prime necessity for 
 meeting the insurmountable trials of life. 
 
 I see that I can do nothing, and that all reliance 
 on man is vanity. "Not by might." I see that no 
 visible means can be relied on, but the force is in 
 the invisible Spirit. God alone must work, and 
 men and means must be nothing accounted of. 
 If it be so, that the Almighty God takes up the 
 concerns of his people, then great mountains are 
 nothing. He can remove worlds as boys toss balls 
 about, or drive them with their foot. This power 
 he can lend to me. If the Lord bids me move an 
 Alp I can do it through his name. It may be a 
 great mountain, but even before my feebleness it 
 shall become a plain ; for the Lord hath said it 
 What can I be afraid of with God on my side? 
 
Nov. 26. iFaillj's C()fquc Cocft. 331 
 
 " Your sorro7C> shall be turned info Joy.'"' — John xvi. 20. 
 
 THEIR particular sorrow was the death and 
 absence of their Lord, and it was turned 
 into joy when he rose from the dead and showed 
 himself in their midst. All the sorrows of saints 
 shall be thus transmuted ; even the worst of them, 
 which look as if they must for ever remain fountains 
 of bitterness. 
 
 Then the more sorrow the more joy. If we have 
 loads of sorrow, then the Lord's power will turn 
 them into tons of joy. Then the bitterer the 
 trouble the sweeter the pleasure : the swinging of 
 the pendulum far to the left will cause it to go all 
 the farther to the right. The remembrance of the 
 grief shall heighten the flavour of the delight : we 
 shall set the one in contrast with the other, and the 
 brilliance of the diamond shall be the more clearly 
 seen because of the black foil behind it. 
 
 Come, my heart, cheer up! In a little while I 
 shall be as glad as I am now gloomy. Jesus tells 
 me that by a heavenly alchemy my sorrow shall be 
 turned into joy. I do not see how it is to be, but I 
 believe it, and I begin to sing by way of anticipation. 
 This depression of spirit is not for long, I shall 
 soon be up among the happy ones who praise th-^ 
 Lord day and night, and there I shall sing of the 
 mercy which delivered me out of great afflictions. 
 
332 iFaitb's (S^\)tquz Bock. Nov. 27. 
 
 '■'■And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and 1 
 will give thee rest." — Ex. xxxiii. 14. 
 
 PRECIOUS promise ! Lord, enable me to 
 appropriate it as all my own. 
 
 We must go at certain times from our abode, for 
 here we have no continuing city. It often happens 
 that when we feel most at home in a place, we are 
 suddenly called away from it. Here is the antidote 
 for this ill. The Lord himself will keep us com- 
 pany. His presence, which includes his favour, his 
 fellowship, his care, and his power, shall be ever 
 with us in every one of our marchings. This 
 means far more than it say^ ; for, in fact, it means 
 all things. If we have God present with us, we 
 have possession of heaven and earth. Go with me, 
 Lord, and then command me where thou wilt ! 
 
 But we hope to find a place of rest. The text 
 promises it. We are to have rest of God's own 
 giving, making, and preserving. His presence will 
 cause us to rest even when we are on the march, 
 yea, even in the midst of battle. Rest! Thrice 
 blessed word. Can it ever be enjoyed by mortals ? 
 Yes, there is the promise, and by faith we plead it. 
 Rest comes from the Comforter, from the Prince 
 of Peace, and from the glorious Father who rested 
 on the seventh day from all his works. To be with 
 God is to rest in the most emphatic sense. 
 
Nov. 28. JF.iilfj's CbrquE Uflolt. 353 
 
 "The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy 
 storehouses, and in all that ihou scttest thine hufid unto." 
 Deut. xxviii. 8. 
 
 IF wc obey the Lord our God he will bless that 
 which he gives us. Riches are no curse when 
 blessed of the Lord. When men have more than 
 they require for their immediate need, and begin 
 to lay up in store-houses, the dry rot of covetous- 
 ncss, or the blight of hard-heartedness is apt to 
 follow the accumulation ; but with God's blessing 
 it is not so. Prudence arranges the saving, liberality 
 directs the spending, gratitude maintains consecra- 
 tion, and praise sweetens enjoyment. It is a great 
 mercy to have God's blessing in one's iron safe, and 
 on one's banking account. 
 
 What a favour is made ours by the last clause ! 
 *' The Lord shall bless thee in all that thou settest 
 thine hand unto." We would not put our hand to 
 anything upon which we dare not ask God's blessing, 
 neither would we go about it without prayer and 
 faith. But what a privilege to be able to look for 
 the Lord's help in every enterprise ! Some talk of 
 a lucky man : the blessing of the Lord is better 
 than luck. The patronage of the great is nothing 
 to the favour of God. Self-reliance is all very well ; 
 but the Lord's blessing is infinitely more than all 
 the fruit of talent, genius, or tact. 
 
334 Jpaitlj's Cljeque BocR. Nov. 29. 
 
 '^He that bMeveth shall not make hasted — Isa. xxviii. 16. 
 
 HE shall make haste to keep the Lord's com- 
 mandments ; but he shall not make haste 
 in any impatient or improper sense. 
 
 He shall not haste to run away, for he shall not 
 be overcome with the fear which causes panic. 
 When others are flying hither and thither as if 
 their wits had failed them, the believer shall be 
 quiet, calm, and deliberate, and so shall be able 
 to act wisely in the hour of trial. 
 
 He shall not haste in his expectations, craving 
 his good things at once and on the spot ; but he 
 will wait God's time. Some are in a desperate 
 hurry to have the bird in the hand ; for they regard 
 the Lord's promise as a bird in the bush, not likely 
 to be theirs. Believers know how to wait. 
 
 He shall not haste by plunging into wrong or 
 questionable action. Unbelief must be doing 
 something, and thus it works its own undoing ; but 
 faith makes no more haste than good speed, and 
 thus it is not forced to go back sorrowfully by the 
 way which it followed heedlessly. 
 
 How is it with me? Am I believing, and am I 
 therefore keeping to the believer's pace, which is 
 walking with God ? Peace, fluttering spirit ! Oh, 
 rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him ! 
 Heart, see that thou do this at once 1 
 
J :>v. 30 5aitf)'3 Cl)cque Book. 335 
 
 *'T/i£ Zi'.', V // :'s that doth go before thee; he will 
 be with tht.\ ,1c ii:ill not fail t/iee, neither forsake thee :fear 
 not, ncithe" i\'. iifsf>:ayed" — Deut. xxxi. 8. 
 
 IN the i-scsence of a great work or a great 
 warfare, here is a text which should help us 
 to buckle on our harness. If Jehovah himself goes 
 before us, it must be safe to follow. Who can 
 obstruct our progress if the Lord himself is in the 
 van ? Come, brother soldiers, let us make a 
 prompt advance ! Why do we hesitate to pass on 
 to victory ? 
 
 Nor is the Lord before us only ; he is with us. 
 Above, beneath, around, \vithin is the omnipotent, 
 omnipresent One. In all time, even to eternity, 
 he will be with us even as he has been. How this 
 should nerve our arm ! Dash at it boldly, ye 
 soldiers of the cross, for th.t Lord of hosts is with us ! 
 
 Being before us and wiih us, he will never with- 
 draw his help. He cannot fail in himself, and he 
 will not fail towards us. l\^ will continue to help 
 us according to our need, evtn to the end. As he 
 cannot fail us, so he will not forsake us. He will 
 always be both able and willing to grant us strength 
 and succour till fighting days are gone. 
 
 Let us not fear nor be dismay -^d ; for the Lord 
 of hosts will go down to the b.\ttle with us, will 
 bear the brunt of the fight, and give us the victory. 
 
S3^ iFaitf)'0 CTIjeque 33ooh. Dr.c. i. 
 
 " Jle tliat tvalketh uprightly 7valketh surely.''' — Prov. x. 9. 
 
 HIS walk may be slow, but it is sure. He that 
 hasteth to be rich shall not be innocent nor 
 sure ; but steady perseverance in integrity, if it do 
 not bring riches, will certainly bring peace. In 
 doing that which is just and right we are like one 
 walking upon a rock, for we have confidence that 
 every step we take is upon solid and safe ground. 
 On the other hand, the utmost success through 
 questionable transactions must always be hollow 
 and treacherous, and the man who has gained it 
 must always be afraid that a day of reckoning will 
 come, and then his gains will condemn him. 
 
 Let us stick to truth and righteousness. By 
 God's grace let us imitate our Lord and Master, in 
 whose mouth no deceit was ever found. Let us not 
 be afraid of being poor, nor of being treated with 
 contempt. Never, on any account whatever, let us 
 do that which our conscience cannot justify. If we 
 lose inward peace, we lose more than a fortune can 
 buy. If we keep in the Lord's own way, and never 
 sin against our conscience, our way is sure against 
 all comers. Who is he that can harm us if we 
 be followers of that which is good ? We may be 
 thought fools by fools if we are firm in our integrity ; 
 but in the place where judgment is infallible we 
 shall be approved. 
 
Dec. 2. jpaitb's Cljcquc Book 337 
 
 '■^ I have set the Lord ahoays before me : because he is at 
 my right hand, I shall not be mm'ed." — Ps. xvi. 8. 
 
 THIS is the way to live. With God always 
 before us, we shall have the noblest com- 
 panionship, the holiest example, the sweetest 
 consolation, and the mightiest influence. This 
 must be a resolute act of the mind. " I have set," 
 and it must be maintained as a set and settled 
 thing. Always to have an eye to the Lord's eye, 
 and an car for the Lord's voice — this is the right 
 state for the godly man. His God is near him, 
 filling the horizon of his vision, leading the way 
 of his life, and furnishing the theme of his medita- 
 tion. What vanities we should avoid, what sins we 
 should overcome, what virtues we should exhibit, 
 what joys we should experience if we did indeed 
 set the Lord always before us ! Why not ? 
 
 This is the way to be safe. The Lord being 
 ever in our minds, we come to feel safety and 
 certainty because of his being so neat. He is at 
 our right hand to guide and aid us ; and hence we 
 are not moved by fear, nor force, nor fraud, nor 
 fickleness. When God stands at a man's right 
 hand, that man is himself sure to stand. Come on, 
 then, ye foemen of the truth ! Rush against me 
 like a furious tempest, if ye will. God upholds 
 me. God abides with me. Whom shall J fear ? 
 
 23 
 
338 i?ai'tlj's CIjequE Baolt. Dec. 3. 
 
 ''/ liiill make with them a covenant of peace, and 
 will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land : and they 
 shall dwell safely in the wilderness, a fid sleep in the woods." 
 Ez. xxxiv. 25. 
 
 IT is the height of grace that Jehovah should be 
 in covenant with man, a feeble, sinful and 
 dying creature. Yet the Lord has solemnly entered 
 into a faithful compact with us, and from that 
 covenant he will never turn aside. In virtue of 
 this covenant we are safe. As lions and wolves 
 are driven off by shepherds, so shall all noxious 
 influences be chased away. The Lord will give us 
 rest from disturbers and destroyers ; the evil beasts 
 shall cease out of the land. O Lord, make this thy 
 promise good even now ! 
 
 The Lord's people are to enjoy security in places 
 of the greatest exposure : wildernesses and woods 
 are to be as pastures and folds to the flock of 
 Christ. If the Lord does not change the place for 
 the better, he will make us the better in the place. 
 The wilderness is not a place to dwell in, but the 
 Lord can make it so ; in the woods one feels bound 
 to watch rather than to sleep, and yet the Lord 
 giveth his beloved sleep even there. Nothing with- 
 out or within should cause any fear to the child of 
 God. By faith the wilderness can become the suburbs 
 ol heaven, and the woods the vestibule of glory. 
 
Dec. 4. Jaitlj's Cfjeque Book. 339 
 
 "/yi? j-//rt'// <-<?7rr ///^^ with his feathers, and under his 
 wins;s shalt thou trust : his truth siiall be thy shield and 
 buckler y — Ps. xci. 4. 
 
 A CONDESCENDING simile indeed! Just 
 as a hen protects her brood and allows them 
 to nestle under her wings, so will the Lord defend 
 his people, and permit them to hide away in him. 
 Have we not seen the little chicks peeping out 
 from under the mother's feathers ? Have we not 
 heard their little cry of contented joy? In this way 
 let us shelter ourselves in our God, and feel over- 
 flowing peace in knowing that he is guarding us. 
 
 While the Lord covers us we trust. It would 
 be strange if we did not. How can we distrust 
 when Jehovah himself becomes house and home, 
 refuge and rest to us ? 
 
 This done, we go out to war in his name and 
 enjoy the same guardian care. We need shield and 
 buckler, and when we implicitly trust God, even as 
 the chick trusts the hen, we find his truth arming 
 us from head to foot. The Lord cannot lie ; he 
 must be faithful to his people ; his promise must 
 stand. This sure truth is all the shield we need- 
 Behind it we defy the fiery darts of the enemy. 
 
 Come, my soul, hide under those great wings, 
 lose thyself among those soft feathers ! How 
 happ)' thou art 1 
 
340 J)Faitl)'s Cheque Book. Dec. 5. 
 
 '■'He shall divell on high : his place of defence shall be 
 the munitions of rocks : bread shall be given him; his 
 waters shall be sure." — Isa. xxxiii. 16. 
 
 THE man to whom God has given grace to be 
 of blameless life dwells in perfect security. 
 
 He dwells on high, above the world, out of 
 gunshot of the enemy, and near to heaven. He 
 has high aims and motives, and he finds high 
 comforts and company. He rejoices in the moun- 
 tains of eternal love, wherein he has his abode. 
 
 He is defended by munitions of stupendous 
 rock. The firmest things in the universe are the 
 promises and purposes of the unchanging God, and 
 these are the safe-guard of the obedient believer. 
 
 He is provided for by this great promise, "Bread 
 shall be given him." As the enemy cannot climb 
 the fort, nor break down the rampart, so the 
 fortress cannot be captured by siege and famine. 
 The Lord, who rained manna in the wilderness, 
 will kiep his people in good store even when they 
 are surrounded by those who would starve them. 
 
 But what if water should fail } That cannot be, 
 ** his waters shall be sure." There is a never-failing 
 well within the impregnable fortress. The Lord 
 sees that nothing is wanting. None can touch the 
 citizen of the true Zion. However fierce the enemy, 
 the Lord will preserve his chosen. 
 
Dec. 6. JFaitb'3 Cf)cquc Boolt. 341 
 
 " JV/icn thou passest through the waters^ I tcill be 7vith 
 
 thee; and through the rivers, they shall not orefjlow 
 
 thee : when thou walkest through the fire^ thou shall not 
 
 be burned ; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee^ 
 
 Isa. xliii. 2. 
 
 BRIDGE there is none : we must go through 
 the waters, and feel the rush of the rivers. 
 The presence of God in the flood is better than a 
 ferry-boat. Tried we must be, but triumphant we 
 shall be ; for Jehovah himself, who is mightier than 
 many waters, shall be with us. Whenever else he 
 may be away from his people, the Lord will surely 
 be with them in difficulties and dangers. The 
 sorrows of life may rise to an extraordinary height, 
 but the Lord is equal to every occasion. 
 
 The enemies of God can put in our way dangers 
 of their own making, namely, persecutions and 
 cruel mockings, which are like a burning fiery 
 furnace. What then } We shall walk through the 
 fires. God being with us, we shall not be burned ; 
 nay, not even the smell of fire shall remain upon us. 
 
 Oh, the wonderful security of the heaven-born 
 and heaven-bound pilgrim ! Floods cannot drown 
 him, nor fires burn him. Thy presence, O Lord, is 
 the protection of thy saints from the varied perils 
 of the road. Behold, in faith I commit myself 
 unto thee, and my spirit enters into rest. 
 
342 iFaitVs (S^fjcqne Book. Dec. 7. 
 
 ''''The Lord will give strength ntito his people ; the Lord 
 will bless his people with peace.'" — rs. xxix. 11. 
 
 DAVID had just heard the voice of the Lord 
 in a thunderstorm, and had seen his power 
 in the hurricane whose path he had described ; 
 and now, in the cool calm after the storm, that 
 overwhelming power by which heaven and earth are 
 skaken is promised to be the strength of the chosen. 
 He who wings the unerring bolt will give to his 
 redeemed the wings of eagles ; he who shakes the 
 earth with his voice will terrify the enemies of his 
 saints, and give his children peace. Why are we 
 weak when we have divine strength to flee to ? 
 Why are we troubled when the Lord's own peace 
 is ours ? Jesus, the mighty God, is our strength ; 
 let us put him on and go forth to our service. 
 Jesus, our blessed Lord, is also our peace ; let us 
 repose in him this day, and end our fears. What 
 a blessing to have him for our strength and peace 
 both now and for ever ! 
 
 That same God who rides upon the storm in 
 days of tempest will also rule the hurricane of our 
 tribulation, and send us, before long, days of peace. 
 We shall have strength for storms, and songs for 
 fair weather. Let us begin to sing at once unto 
 God our strength and our peace. Away, dark 
 thoughts ! Up, faith and hope 1 
 
Dec. 8. jFaitlj'a Cljrquc Coolt. 343 
 
 ''If any tnan S'-rve vie, let him folloru me ; and where I 
 am, there shall also tiiy semant be : if any man serve me^ 
 him will my Father honour^ — ^john xii. 26. 
 
 THE highest service is imitation. If I would 
 be Christ's servant I must be his follower. 
 To do as Jesus did is the surest way of bringing 
 honour to his name. Let me mind this every day. 
 
 If I imitate Jesus I shall have his company : if I 
 am like him I shall be with him. In due time he 
 will take me up to dwell with him above, if, mean- 
 while, I have striven to follow him here below. 
 After his suffering our Lord came to his throne, 
 and even so, after we have suffered a while with him 
 here below, we also shall arrive in glory. The issue 
 of our Lord's life shall be the issue of ours : if we 
 are with him in his humiliation we shall be with 
 him in his glory. Come, my soul, pluck up courage, 
 and put down thy teet in the blood-marked foot- 
 prints which thy Lord has left thee. 
 
 Let me not fail to note that the Father will 
 honour those who follow his Son. If he sees me 
 true to Jesus he will put marks of favour and 
 honour upon me for his Son's sake. No honour 
 can be like this. Princes and emperors bestow the 
 mere shadows of honour ; the substance of glory 
 comes from the Father. Wherefore, my soul, cling 
 thou to thy Lord Jesus more closely than ever. • 
 
344 Jatt!i*S dlj^qitc Book Dec. 9. 
 
 ^^ Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe^ all things art 
 possible to him that believeth." — Mark ix. 23. 
 
 OUR unbelief is the greatest hindrance in our 
 way; in fact, there is no other real difficulty 
 as to our spiritual progress and prosperity. The 
 Lord can do everything ; but when he makes a 
 rule that according to our faith so shall it be unto 
 us, our unbelief ties the hands of his omnipotence. 
 Yes, the confederacies of evil shall be scattered 
 if we can but believe. Despised truth shall lift its 
 head if we will but have confidence in the God of 
 truth. We can bear our load of trouble, or pass 
 uninjured through the waves of distress, if we can 
 gird our loins with the girdle of peace, that girdle 
 which is buckled on by the hands of trust. 
 
 What can we not believe ? Is everything possible 
 except believing in God ? Yet he is always true ; 
 why do we not believe him ? He is always faithful 
 to his word ; why can we not trust him ? When 
 we are in a right state of heart faiih costs no effort: 
 it is then as natural for us to rely upon God as for 
 a child to trust its father. 
 
 The worst of it is, that we can believe God about 
 everything except the present pressing trial. This 
 is folly. Come, my soul, shake off such sinfulness, 
 and trust thy God with the load, the labour, the 
 longing of this present. This done, all is done. 
 
Dec. 10. JFaitb's CI)Eque Booft. 345 
 
 "But if tJiou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that 
 I speak ; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and 
 an adversary unto thine adversaries''' — Ex. xxiii. 22. 
 
 THE Lord Christ in the midst of his people is 
 to be acknowledged and obeyed. He is the 
 vicegerent of God, and speaks in the Father's 
 name, and it is ours implicitly and immediately to 
 do as he commands. We shall lose the promise 
 if we disregard the precept. 
 
 To full obedience how large the blessing! The 
 Lord enters into a league with his people, offensive 
 and defensive. He will bless those who bless us, 
 and curse those who curse us. God will go heart 
 and soul with his people, and enter in deepest 
 sympathy into their position. What a protection 
 this affords us I We need not concern ourselves 
 about our adversaries, when we are assured that 
 they have become the adversaries of God. If 
 Jehovah has taken up our quarrel we may leave 
 the foemen in his hands. 
 
 So far as our own interest is concerned we have no 
 enemies ; but for the cause of truth and righteous- 
 ness we take up arms and go forth to conflict. In 
 this sacred war we are allied with the eternal God, 
 and if we carefully obey the law of our Lord Jesus, 
 he is engaged to put forth all his power on our 
 behalf Wherefore we fear no man. 
 
346 Jaitlj's €i^equ£ 33oofe. Dec. ii 
 
 '■'■Trust m the Lord, and do good; so shall thou dtuell 
 in the land, and verily thou shall be fed.'' — Ps. xxxvii. 3. 
 
 'T^R US T and do are words which go well together, 
 in the order in which the Holy Spirit has placed 
 them. We should have faith, and that faith should 
 work. Trust in God sets us upon holy doing : we 
 trust God for good, and then we do good. We do 
 not sit still because we trust, but we arouse our- 
 selves, and expect the Lord to work through us 
 and by us. It is not ours to worry and do evil, but 
 to trust and do good. We neither trust without 
 doing, nor do without trusting. 
 
 Adversaries would root us out, if they could ; but 
 by trusting and doing we dwell in the land. We 
 will not go into Egypt, but we will remain in Im- 
 manuel's land — the providence of God, the Canaan 
 of covenant love. We are not so easily to be got 
 rid of as the Lord's enemies suppose. They can- 
 not thrust us out, nor stamp us out : where God has 
 given us a name and a place, there we abide. 
 
 But what about the supply of our necessities ? 
 The Lord has put a " verily " into this promise. 
 As sure as God is true, his people shall be fed. It 
 is theirs to trust and to do, and it is the Lord's to 
 do according to their trust. If not fed by ravens, 
 or fed by an Obadiah, or fed by a widov/, yet they 
 shall be fed somehow. Away, ye fears 1 
 
Dec. 12. JFaitf)'s (Cfjtquc 13 a olt. 347 
 
 "/« quietness and in confidence sJiall be your strength^ 
 Isa. XXX. 15. 
 
 IT is always weakness to be fretting and worry- 
 ing, questioning and mistrusting. What can 
 we do if we wear ourselves to skin and bone ? 
 Can we gain anything by fearing and fuming .-* Do 
 we not unfit ourselves for action, and unhinge our 
 minds for wise decision .'' We are sinking by our 
 struggles when we might float by faith. 
 
 Oh for grace to be quiet 1 Why run from house 
 to house to repeat the weary story which makes 
 us more and more heart-sick as we tell it } Why 
 even stay at home to cry out in agony because of 
 wretched forebodings which may never be fulfilled? 
 It would be well to keep a quiet tongue, but it 
 would be far better if we had a quiet heart. Oh to 
 be still and know that Jehovah is God ! 
 
 Oh for grace to be confident in God ! The Holy 
 One of Israel must defend and deliver his own. 
 He cannot run back from his solemn declarations. 
 We may make sure that every word of his will 
 stand though the mountains should depart. He 
 deserves to be confided in ; and if we would dis- 
 play confidence and consequent quietness, we might 
 be as happy as the spirits before the throne. 
 
 Come, my soul, return unto thy rest, and lean 
 thy head upon the bosom of the Lord Jesus. 
 
348 Jaitb's ffi^fjeque Baolt. Dec. 13. 
 
 "// shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be 
 lightr — Zech. xiv. 7. ^ 
 
 IT is a surprise that it should be so ; for all things 
 threaten that at evening time it shall be dark. 
 God is wont to work in a way so much above our 
 fears and beyond our hopes, that we are greatly 
 amazed, and are led to praise his sovereign grace. 
 No, it shall not be with us as our hearts are 
 prophesying: the dark will not deepen into mid- 
 night, but it will on a sudden brighten into day. 
 Never let us despair. In the worst times let us 
 trust in the Lord who turneth the darkness of the 
 shadow of death into the morning. When the tale 
 of bricks is doubled Moses appears, and when 
 tribulation abounds it is nearest its end. 
 
 This, promise should assist our patience. The 
 light may not fully come till our hopes are quite 
 spent by waiting all day to no purpose. To the 
 wicked the sun goes down while it is yet day : to 
 the righteous the sun rises when it is almost night. 
 May we not with patience wait for that heavenly 
 light, which may be long in coming, but is sure to 
 prove itself well worth waiting for ? 
 
 Come, my soul, take up thy parable and sing 
 unto him who will bless thee in life and in death, 
 in a manner surpassing all that nature has ever 
 seen when at its best. 
 
Dec. 14. iFait|)'3 (Eijfquc 13aolt. 349 
 
 "Afid he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make 
 all things new." — Rev. xxi. 5. 
 
 GLORY be to his name ! All things need 
 making new, for they are sadly battered and 
 worn by sin. It is time that the old vesture was 
 rolled up and laid aside, and that creation put on 
 her Sabbath suit. But no one else can make all 
 things new except the Lord who made them at 
 the first ; for it needs as much power to make out of 
 evil as to make out of nothing. Our Lord Jesus 
 has undertaken the task, and he is fully competent 
 for the performance of it. Already he has com- 
 menced his labour, and for centuries he has per- 
 severed in making new the hearts of men, and 
 the order of society. By-and-by he will make new 
 the whole constitution of human government, and 
 human nature shall be changed by his grace ; and 
 there shall come a day when even the body shall be 
 made new, and raised like unto his glorious body. 
 
 What a joy to belong to a kingdom in which 
 everything is being made new by the power of its 
 King 1 We are not dying out : we are hastening on 
 to a more glorious life. Despite the opposition of 
 the powers of evil, our glorious Lord Jesus is ac- 
 complishing his purpose, and making us, and all 
 things about us, "■new" and as full of beauty as 
 when they first came from the hand of the Lord. 
 
35° jFait|[)'0 Cfjcque Buok. Dec. 15. 
 
 ''And they shall heat their swords into plo7vshares, and 
 their spears into pruningliooks : nation shall not lift up 
 sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any 
 more." — Isa. ii. 4. 
 
 OH, that these happy times were come ! At 
 present the nations are heavily armed, and 
 are inventing weapons more and more terrible, as 
 if the chief end of man could only be answered by 
 destroying myriads of his fellows. Yet peace will 
 prevail one day ; yes, and so prevail that the 
 instruments of destruction shall be beaten into 
 other shapes and used for better purposes. 
 
 How will this come about ? By trade ? By 
 civilization ? By arbitration ? We do not believe 
 it. Past experience forbids our trusting to means 
 so feeble. Peace will be established only by the 
 reign of the Prince of Peace. He must teach the 
 people by his Spirit, renew their hearts by his 
 grace, and reign over them by his supreme power, 
 and then will tliey cease to wound and kill. Man 
 is a monster when once his blood is up, and only 
 the Lord Jesus can turn this lion into a lamb. 
 By changing man's heart, his blood-thirsty passions 
 are removed. Let every reader of this book of pro- 
 mises offer special prayer to-day to the Lord and 
 Giver of Peace, that he would speedily put an end 
 to war, and establish concord over the v/hole world. 
 
Dec. i6. JFnitb's Cljcque Book. 351 
 
 ^^Thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they havi 
 iron chariots, and though they be strong." — josh xvii. 18. 
 
 IT is a great encouragement to valour to be 
 assured of victory, for then a man goes forth 
 to war in confidence, and ventures where else he 
 had been afraid to go. Our warfare is with evil 
 within us and around us, and we ought to be 
 persuaded that we are able to get the victory, and 
 that we shall do so in the name of the Lord Jesus. 
 We are not riding for a fall, but to win ; and win 
 we shall. The grace of God in its omnipotence is 
 put forth for the overthrow of evil in every form : 
 hence the certainty of triumph. 
 
 Certain of our sins find chariots of iron in our 
 constitution, our former habits, our associations, 
 and our occupations. Nevertheless we must over- 
 come them. They are very strong, and in reference 
 to them we are very weak ; yet in the name of 
 God we must master them, and we will. If one 
 sin has dominion of us we are not the Lord's free 
 men. A man who is held by only one chain is 
 still a captive. There is no going to heaven with 
 one sin ruling within us, for of the saints it is said, 
 " Sin shall not have dominion over you." Up, then, 
 and slay every Canaanite, and break to shivers 
 every chariot of iron ! The Lord of hosts is with 
 us, and who shall resist his sin-destroying power ? 
 
352 jFaitlj's (CIjequE Book. Dec. 17 
 
 *^So shall we ever be imth the Lord." — i Thess. iv. 17. 
 
 WHILE we are here the Lord is with us, and 
 when we are called away we are with him. 
 There is no dividing the saint from his Saviour. 
 They are one, and they always must be one : Jesus 
 cannot be without his own people, for he would 
 be a head without a body. Whether caught up 
 into the air, or resting in Paradise, or sojourning 
 here, we are with Jesus ; and who shall separate us 
 from him ? 
 
 What a joy is this ! Our supreme honour, rest, 
 comfort, delight, is to be with the Lord. We can- 
 not conceive of anything which can surpass or 
 even equal this divine society. By holy fellow- 
 ship we must be with him in his humiliation, re- 
 jection, and travail, and then we shall be with him 
 in his glory. Before long we shall be with him in 
 his rest and in his royalty, in his expectation and in 
 his manifestation. We shall fare as he fares, and 
 triumph as he triumphs. 
 
 O my Lord, if I am to be for ever with thee, I 
 have a destiny incomparable. I will not envy an 
 archangel. To be for ever with the Lord is my 
 idea of heaven at its best. Not the harps of gold, 
 nor the crowns unfading, nor the light unclouded, 
 is glory to me; but Jesus, Jesus himself, and mysell 
 for ever with him in nearest and dearest fellowship. 
 
Dec. i8. JFat'tlj's Cfjeqiie Booft. 353 
 
 *'As birds Jlying^ so will the Lord of hosts defend Jiriisalcm. ' 
 Isa. xxxi. 5- 
 
 WITH hurrying wing the mother bird hastens 
 up to the protection of her young. She 
 wastes no time upon the road when coming to 
 supply them with food, or guard them from danger. 
 Thus as on eagle's wings will the Lord come for 
 the defence of his chosen ; yea, he will ride upon 
 the wings of the wind. 
 
 With outspread wing the mother covers her little 
 ones in the nest. She hides them away by inter- 
 posing her own body. The hen yields her own 
 warmth to her chicks, and makes her wings a house, 
 in which they dwell at home. Thus doth Jehovah 
 himself become the protection of his elect. He 
 himself is their refuge, their abode, their all. 
 
 As birds flying, and birds covering (for the 
 word means both), so will the Lord be unto us : 
 and this he will be repeatedly and successfully. We 
 shall be defended and preserved from all evil : the 
 Lord who likens himself to birds will not be like 
 them in their feebleness, for he is Jehovah ot hosts. 
 Let this be our comfort, that almighty love will be 
 swift to succour, and sure to cover. The wing of 
 God is more quick and more tender than the win<j- 
 of a bird, and we will put our trust under its 
 shadow henceforth and for ever. 
 
 33 
 
354 JFaitl)'0 CfjequE Book. Dec. 19. 
 
 '•''lie keepeth all his bones : not one of them is broken. " 
 Ps. xxxiv. 20. 
 
 THIS promise by the context is referred to the 
 much afflicted righteous man : " ]\Iany are 
 the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord de- 
 Hvcrcth him out of them all," He may suffer skin- 
 wounds and flesh-wounds, but no great harm shall 
 be done, "not a bone of him shall be broken." 
 
 This is great comfort to a tried child of God, 
 and comfort which I dare accept ; for up to this 
 hour I have suffered no real damage from my many 
 afflictions. I have neither lost faith, nor hope, nor 
 love. Nay, so far from losing these bones of 
 character, they have gained in strength and energy. 
 I have more knowledge, more experience, more 
 patience, more stability than I had before the trials 
 came. Not even my joy has been destroyed. Many 
 a bruise have 1 had by sickness, bereavement, de- 
 pression, slander, and opposition ; but the bruise 
 has healed, and there has been no compound 
 fracture of a bone, nor even a simple one. The 
 reason is not far to seek. If we trust in the Lord, 
 he keeps all our bones; and if he keeps them, we 
 may be sure that not one of them is broken. 
 
 Come, my heart, do not sorrow. Thou art smart- 
 ing, but there are no bones broken. Endure hard- 
 ness, and bid defiance to fear. 
 
Dec. 2a jFaillj's Cljcqiic DooU. 355 
 
 "/, even I, am he that coinforleth you : 7vho art thou, 
 that thou shouUest be afraid of a man that shall die, and 
 of the son of man which shall be made as grass ; and 
 for^j;ettcst the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched forth the 
 heavens, and laid the foundat'ons of the earth ; and hast 
 feared cou'inaa/ly every day because of the fury of the 
 opt^ressor. as if he were ready to destroy ? and where is 
 the fury of the oppressor?" — Isa. li. 12, 13. 
 
 LET the text itself be taken as the portion for 
 to-day. There is no need to enlarge upon 
 it. Trembling one, read it, believe it, feed on it, 
 and plead it before the Lord. He whom you fear 
 is only a man after all ; while he who promises to 
 comfort you is God, your Maker, and the Creator 
 of heaven and earth. Infinite comfort more than 
 covers a very limited danger. 
 
 " Where is the fury of the oppressor ? " It is in 
 the Lord's hand. It is only the fury of a dying 
 creature ; fury which will end as soon as the breath 
 is gone from the nostril. Why, then, should we 
 stand in awe of one who is as frail as ourselves? 
 Let us not dishonour our God by making a god of 
 puny man. We can make an idol of a man by 
 rendering to him excessive fear as well as by 
 paying him inordinate love. Let us treat men as 
 men, and God as God; and then we shall go calmly 
 on in the path of duty, fearing the Lord, and 
 fearing nobody else. 
 
35<5 iFaftlj's CTbrquc Booft. Dec. 21. 
 
 '''■ He 7vill turn again, he will have compassion npon us ; 
 he will subdue our iniquities ; and thou wilt cast all their 
 sins into the depths of the sea." — Micah vii. 19. 
 
 GOD never turns from his love, but he soon 
 turns from his wrath. His love to his chosen 
 is according to his nature, his anger is only ac- 
 cording to his office : he loves because he is love, 
 he frowns because it is necessary for our good. He 
 will come back to the place in which his heart 
 rests, namely, his love to his own, and then he will 
 take pity upon our griefs and end them. 
 
 What a choice promise is this — " He will subdue 
 our iniquities " ! He will conquer them. They 
 try to enslave us, but the Lord will give us victory 
 over them by his own right hand. Like the 
 Canaanites, they shall be beaten, put under the 
 yoke, and ultimately slain. 
 
 As for the guilt of our sins, how gloriously is 
 that removed! "All their sins," — yes, the whole 
 host of them ; "thou wilt cast" — only an almighty 
 arm could perform such a wonder ; " into the 
 depths of the sea " — where Pharaoh and his chariots 
 went down. Not into the shallows out of which 
 they might be washed up by the tide, but into the 
 " depths " shall our sins be hurled. They are all 
 gone. They sank into the bottom like a stone. 
 Hallelujah! Hallelujah 1 
 
Dkc. 22. jFni'tf)'s Cljcquc 13ooIt. 357 
 
 **God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in 
 trouble." — Ps. xlvi. i. 
 
 A HELP that is not present when vvc need it is 
 of small value. The anchor which is left at 
 home is of no use to the seaman in the hour of 
 storm ; the money which he used to have is of no 
 worth to the debtor when a writ is out against him. 
 Very few earthly helps could be called " very 
 present " : they are usually far in the seeking, far 
 in the using, and farther still when once used. But 
 as for the Lord our God, he is present when we 
 seek him, present when we need him, and present 
 when we have already enjoyed his aid. 
 
 He is more than " present," he is very present. 
 More present than the nearest friend can be, for he 
 is in us in our trouble ; more present than we are 
 to ourselves, for sometimes we lack presence of 
 mind. He is always present, effectually present, 
 sympathetically present, altogether present. He 
 is present now if this is a gloomy season. Let us 
 rest ourselves upon him. He is our refuge, let us 
 hide in him ; he is our strength, let us array our- 
 selves with him ; he is our help, let us lean upon 
 him ; he is our very present help, let us repose in 
 him now. We need not have a moment's care, or 
 an instant's fear. " The Lord of hosts is with us : 
 the God of Jacob is our refuge.'' 
 
3S8 iJFaitb's CfjfquE Baoft. Dec. 23^ 
 
 "y^;?^ (t/" Joseph he said, Blessed of the Lord be his 
 land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dezc, and 
 for the deep that coucheth beneath.^' — Deut. xxxiii. 13. 
 
 WE may be rich in such things as Joseph 
 obtained, and we may have them in a 
 higher sense. Oh for " the precious things of 
 heaven " ! Power with God, and the manifestation 
 of power from God, are most precious. We would 
 enjoy the peace of God, the joy of the Lord, the 
 glory of our God. The benediction of the three 
 divine Persons in love, and grace, and fellowship 
 we prize beyond the most fine gold. The things 
 of earth are as nothing in preciousness compared 
 with the things of heaven. 
 
 " The dew." How precious is this ! How we 
 pray and praise, when we have the dew ! What 
 refreshing, what growth, what perfume, what life 
 there is in us when the dew is about ! Above all 
 things else, as plants of the Lord's own right hand 
 planting, we need the dew of his Holy Spirit. 
 
 " The deep that coucheth beneath." Surely this 
 refers to that unseen ocean underground which 
 supplies all the fresh springs which make glad the 
 earth. Oh to tap the eternal fountains ! This is 
 an unspeakable boon ; let no believer rest till he 
 possesses it. The all-sufficiency of Jehovah is ours 
 for ever. Let us resort to it now. 
 
Dec. 24. JFnitlj's Cfjcquc 13ooh. 359 
 
 ^'■Thine enemies shall be found liars unto t/ue." 
 
 Deut. xxxiii. 29. 
 
 THAT arch-enemy, the devil, is a liar from the 
 beginning ; but he is so very plausible that, 
 like mother Eve, we are led to believe him. Yet in 
 our experience we shall prove him a liar. 
 
 He says that we shall fall from grace, dishonour 
 our profession, and perish with the doom of apos- 
 tates ; but, trusting in the Lord Jesus, we shall hold 
 on our way and prove that Jesus loses none whom 
 his Father gave him. He tells us that our bread 
 will fail, and we shall starve with our children ; yet 
 the Feeder of the ravens has not forgotten us yet, 
 and he will never do so, but will prepare us a table 
 in the presence of our enemies. 
 
 He whispers that the Lord will not deliver us out 
 of the trial which is looming in the distance, and 
 he threatens that the last ounce will break the 
 camel's back. What a liar he is ! For the Lord 
 will never leave us, nor forsake us. " Let him 
 deliver him now ! " cries the false fiend : but the 
 Lord will silence him by coming to our rescue. 
 
 He takes great delight in telling us that death 
 will prove too much for us. " How wilt thou do in 
 the swelling of Jordan ?" But there also he shall 
 prove a liar unto us, and we shall pass through the 
 river singing psalms of glory. 
 
360 Jait!)'s Cfjrque Baofe. Dec. 25. 
 
 '''■This same Jesus, which is taken up frotn you into heaven^ 
 shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into 
 heaven." — Acts i. 11. 
 
 MANY are celebrating our Lord's first coming 
 this day ; let us turn our thoughts to the 
 promise of his second coming. This is as sure as 
 the first advent, and derives a great measure of its 
 certainty from it. He who came as a lowly man 
 to serve will assuredly come to take the reward of 
 his service. He who came to suffer will not be 
 slow in coming to reign. 
 
 This is our glorious hope, for we shall share 
 his joy. To-day we are in our concealment and 
 humiliation, even as he was while here below ; but 
 when he cometh it will be our manifestation, even 
 as it will be his revelation. Dead saints shall 
 live at his appearing. The slandered and despised 
 shall shine forth as the su« in the kingdom of their 
 Father. Then shall the saints appear as kings and 
 priests, and the days of their mourning shall be 
 ended. The long rest and inconceivable splendour of 
 the Millennial reign will be an abundant recompense 
 for the ages of witnessing and warring. 
 
 Oh that the Lord would come ! He is coming ! 
 He is on the road and travelling quickly. The 
 sound of his approach should be as music to our 
 hearts ! Ring out, ye bells of hope ! 
 
Die. 26. jraii?j"3 Ci)fquc Book 361 
 
 "Pefer answered and said unto him. Though all men 
 shall be offended because of thee, yet will I ncx'erbe offended." 
 Matt. xKvi. 33. 
 
 *' T/TT'HY," cries one, " this is no prouiist of God.'' 
 Just so, but it was a promise of man, and 
 therefore it came to nothin-^, Peter thought that 
 ho was saying what he should assuredly carry out ; 
 but a promise which has no better foundation than 
 a human resolve will fall to the ground. No sooner 
 did temptation arise than Peter denied his Master, 
 and used oaths to confirm his denial. 
 
 What is man's word ? An earthen pot broken with 
 a stroke. What is your own resolve ? A blossom, 
 which, with God's care, may come to fruit, but 
 which, left to itself, will fall to the ground with the 
 first wind that mo\es the bough. 
 
 On man's word hang only what it will bear. 
 
 On thine own resolve depend not at all. 
 
 On the promise of thy God hang time and 
 eternity, this world and the next, thine all and the 
 all of all thy beloved ones. 
 
 This volume is a cheque-book for believers, and 
 this page is meant as a warning as to what bank 
 they draw upon, and whose signature they accept. 
 Rely upon Jesus without limit. Trust not thyself 
 nor any born of woman, beyond due bounds ; but 
 trust thou only and wholly in the Lord. 
 
362 iTntllj's Cljrrjuc 13.ick. Dec. 27. 
 
 '•'■For the moiuitains shall depart, and the hills be 
 icmoi^cd ; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, 
 neither shall the covetiant of my peace be removed, sait/i 
 the Lord that hath mercy on thee.'''' — Isa. liv. 10. 
 
 ONE of the most delightful qualities of divine 
 love is its abiding character. The pillars 
 of the earth may be moved out of their places, but 
 the kindness and the covenant of our merciful 
 Jehovah never depart from his people. How happy 
 my soul feels in a firm belief of this inspired 
 declaration .' The year is almost over, and the 
 years of my life are growing few, but time does 
 not change my Lord. New lamps are taking the 
 place of the old, perpetual change is on all things ; 
 but our Lord is the same. Force overturns the 
 hills, but no conceivable power can affect the 
 eternal God. Nothing in the past, the present, or 
 the future can cause Jehovah to be unkind to me. 
 
 My soul, rest in tJie eternal kindness of the Lord, 
 who treats thee as one near of kin. Remember 
 also the everlasting covenant. God is ever mindful 
 of it — see that thou art mindful of it too. In Christ 
 Jesus the glorious God has pledged himself to thee 
 to be thy God, and to hold thee as one of his 
 people. Kindness and covenant — dwell on these 
 words as sure and lasting things which eternity 
 itself shall not take from thee. 
 
Dec. 28. ^adlj's (Tfj que 13ooIt. ^^^^ 
 
 *'I/e Jiath said, I will never have Ihce, Jior forsake 
 thee."—\\eh. xiii. 5. 
 
 SEVERAL times in the Scriptures the Lord 
 hath said this. He has often repeated it, to 
 make our assurance doubly sure. Let us never 
 narbour a doubt of it. In itself the promise is 
 specially emphatic. In the Greek it has five nega- 
 tives, each one definitely shutting out the possibility 
 of the Lord's ever leaving one of his people so 
 that he can justly feel forsaken of his God. This 
 priceless Scripture docs not promise us exemp- 
 tion from trouble, but it does secure us against 
 desertion. We may be called to traverse strange 
 ways, but we shall always have our Lord's com- 
 pany, assistance, and provision. We need not 
 covet money, for we shall always have our God, 
 and God is better than gold, his favour is better 
 than fortune. 
 
 We ought surely to be content with such things 
 as we have, for he who has God has more than all 
 the world besides. What can we have beyond the 
 Infinite ? What more can we desire than Almighty 
 Goodness. 
 
 Come, my heart ; if God says he will never leave 
 thee, nor forsake thee, be thou much in prayer for 
 grace, that thou mayest never leave thy Lord, nor 
 even for a moment forsake his ways. 
 
364 iFaitlj's CIjcqiiE 15joi{. Dec 29. 
 
 '■•And even to your old a^:^e I am he ; and even to hoar 
 hairs wll I car/y yo2(: I have made, and 1 7u:ll bear; even 
 J loill carry, and will deliver you." — Isa. xlvi. 4. 
 
 THE year is very old, and here is a promise for 
 our aged friends ; yes, and for us all, as age 
 creeps over us. Let us live long enough, and we 
 shiil all have hoar hairs ; therefore we may as well 
 enjoy this promise by the foresight of faith. 
 
 When we grow old our God will still be the 
 I AM, abiding evermore the same. Hoar hairs 
 tell of our decay, but he decayeth not. When we 
 cannot carry a burden, and can hardly carry ourselves, 
 the Lord will carry us. Even as in our young days 
 he carried us like lambs in his bosom, so will he in 
 our years of infirmity. 
 
 He made us, and he will care for us. When we 
 become a burden to our friends, and a burden to 
 ourselves, the Lord will not shake us off, but the 
 rather he will take us up and carry and deliver us 
 more fully than ever. In many cases the Lord 
 gives his servants a long and calm evening. They 
 worked hard all day and wore themselves out in 
 their Master's service, and so he said to them, "Now 
 rest in anticipation of that eternal Sabbath which 
 I have prepared for you." Let us not dread old 
 age. Let us grow old graciously, since the Lord 
 himself is with us in fulness of grace. 
 
Dec. 30. jTnitlj's Cljcquc 13ocIt. 365 
 
 ^NaTing loTed his otvn 70/1 irh uure in the icon J, he 
 loved them unto the <nd." — John xiii. i. 
 
 THIS fact is essentially a promise; for what our 
 Lord was he is, and what he was to those 
 with whom he hved on earth, he will be to all his 
 beloved so long as the moon endureth. 
 
 '' Having loved :" here was the wonder! That he 
 should ever have loved men at all is the marvel. 
 What was there in his poor disciples that he should 
 love them ? What is there in me? 
 
 But when he has once begun to love, it is his 
 nature to continue to do so. Love made the saints 
 " liis own " — what a choice title ! He purchased 
 them with blood and they became his treasure. 
 Being his own, he will not lose them. Being his 
 beloved, he will not cease to love them. My soul, 
 he will not cease to love thee ! 
 
 The text is well as it stands : "to the end I' even till 
 his death the ruling passion of love to his own 
 reigned in his sacred bosom. It means also to the 
 uttennost. He could not lov^e them more : he ga\'c 
 himself for them. Some read it, /i' /5rr/iv/w//. Truly 
 he lavished upon them a perfect love, in which thcro 
 was no flaw nor failure, no unwisdom, no unfaithful- 
 ness, and no reserve. 
 
 Such is the love of Jesus to each one of his 
 people. Let us sing to our Wt- 11- be loved a sung. 
 
366 j)Fait!)'3 Cheque Book Dec. 31. 
 
 " Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel^ and afterward 
 receive me to glory." — Ps. lx>ciii. •. |. 
 
 FROM day to day and from year to year my 
 faith believes in the wisdom and love of 
 God, and I know that I shall not believe in vain. 
 No good word of his has ever failed, and I am 
 sure that none shall ever fall to the ground. 
 
 I put myself into his hand for guidance. I know 
 not the way that I should choose : the Lord shall 
 choose mine inheritance for me. I need counsel and 
 advice ; for my duties are intricate, and my condition 
 is involved. I seek to the Lord, as the High Priest 
 of old looked to his Urim and Thummim. The 
 counsel of the infallible God I seek in preference to 
 my own judgment or the advice of friends. Glorious 
 Jehovah, thou shalt guide me! 
 
 Soon the end will come : a few more years, and J 
 must depart out of this world unto the Father. My 
 Lord will be near my bed. He will meet me at 
 heaven's gate : he will welcome me to the glory- 
 land. I shall not be a stranger in heaven : my own 
 God and Father will receive me to its endless bliss 
 
 Glory be to Him who will guide me here, 
 
 AND receive me HEREAFTER. AmEN. 
 
INDEX OF SCRIPTURE TEXTS. 
 
 Genesis. 
 
 
 DeuT. — conlii 
 
 tied. 
 
 I .Sam. — continufd. 
 
 Chap. & Verse 
 
 Page 
 
 Chap & Verse 
 
 Page 
 
 Chap. & Verse 
 
 Pa e 
 
 iii. 15 
 
 I 
 
 xii. 28 
 
 29 
 
 xii 22 ... ... 
 
 166 
 
 ix. 14 
 
 II 
 
 xiii. 17 
 
 128 
 
 x^i' n 
 
 53 
 
 xiii. 14, 15 ... 
 
 43 
 
 XV. iS 
 
 117 
 
 xvii. 47 
 
 71 
 
 xvii. 7 
 
 214 
 
 XX. 4 
 
 169 
 
 
 
 xxviii. 13 
 
 3 
 
 xxviii. 2, 3 ... 
 
 11 
 
 2 Samuel 
 
 
 xxviii. 15 
 
 30 
 
 xxviii. 3 
 
 44 
 
 V. 24 
 
 124 
 
 xxxii. 12 
 
 H9 
 
 xxviii. 5 
 
 68 
 
 vii. 29 
 
 296 
 
 xlviii. 21 
 
 '83 
 
 xxviii. 6 
 
 254 
 
 xxii. 29 
 
 225 
 
 xlix. 19 
 
 132 
 
 xxviii 8 
 
 333 
 
 xxiii. 5 
 
 243 
 
 1.24 
 
 276 
 
 xxviii. 10 
 
 98 
 
 
 
 
 
 xxviii. 12 
 
 I4f' 
 
 I Kings. 
 
 
 Exodus. 
 
 
 xxviii. 13 
 
 88 
 
 xi. 39 
 
 227 
 
 iii. 12 
 
 17 
 
 XXX. 3 
 
 126 
 
 
 
 iv. 12 
 
 215 
 
 XXX. 6 
 
 286 
 
 2 Kings. 
 
 
 vii; 5 
 
 viii. 23 
 
 21 
 303 
 
 xxxi. 8 
 
 xxxiii. 12 
 
 335 
 262 
 
 358 
 72 
 
 iii. 16, 17 ... 
 vi. 16 
 
 309 
 2^0 
 
 xi. 7 
 
 xii. 13 
 
 36 
 
 xxxiii. 13 
 xxxiii. 18 
 
 X .X. 32 
 
 xxii. 19 
 
 175 
 94 
 
 xxiii 22 
 
 345 
 
 xxxiii. 25 
 
 201 
 
 
 
 xxiii 25 
 
 >47 
 
 xxxiii. 28 
 
 164 
 
 I Chronicles. 
 
 xxiii. 2i 
 
 95 
 
 xxxiii. 28 
 
 257 
 
 
 
 xxxiii. I |. 
 
 332 
 
 xxxiii. 29 
 
 359 
 
 xxviii. 9 
 
 231 
 
 Leviticus 
 
 
 Joshua. 
 
 
 2 Chronicles. 
 
 i- 4 
 
 iv. 7 
 
 xxii. II 
 
 23 
 283 
 216 
 
 i- 5 
 
 i-7-- 
 
 xvii. 18 
 
 xxiii. 10 
 
 109 
 
 220 
 
 • 351 
 
 145 
 
 vii. 14 
 
 XV. 7 
 
 XX. 17 
 
 XXV. 9 
 
 287 
 
 48 
 
 249 
 
 176 
 
 Numbers 
 
 
 
 
 Job. 
 
 
 
 
 JUDfiES. 
 
 
 
 vi. 24 
 
 217 
 
 
 
 
 XV. 25 
 
 302 
 
 iv. 9 
 
 • 173 
 
 V. 19 
 
 233 
 
 38 
 
 xxi. 8 
 
 lOI 
 
 vi. 14 
 
 . I So 
 
 xxii. 23 
 
 xxxiii. 27, 28 
 
 xxiii. 9 
 
 270 
 
 xiii. 23 
 
 . 269 
 
 25 
 
 xxiii. 23 
 
 26 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 I Samuel. 
 
 Psalms. 
 
 
 Deutero.nomy. 
 
 ii. 7 
 
 • 223 
 
 vi. 9 
 
 . 158 
 
 i. 21 
 
 219 
 
 ii- 9 
 
 • 24 
 
 ix. 18 
 
 . IS 
 
 TiL 22 
 
 328 
 
 ii- 30 
 
 . 64 
 
 xvi. 8 
 
 . 337 
 
368 
 
 INDEX OF SCRIPTURE TEXTS. 
 
 Ts.M.^i'i— continued. 
 
 Chap. & Verse 
 
 Page 
 
 xvi lo ... . 
 
 ■ &3 
 
 xvii. 15 ... 
 
 • 277 
 
 xviii. 28... . 
 
 . 271 
 
 xxiii. 4 ... 
 
 . 172 
 
 xxiii. 6 ... 
 
 . 60 
 
 xxvii. 14 
 
 . 250 
 
 xxix. II ... 
 
 . 342 
 
 XXX. 5 
 
 • 234 
 
 xxxii 10 
 
 • 45 
 
 xxxiii. 21 
 
 ■ 130 
 
 xxxiv. 7 
 
 . 190 
 
 xxxiv. 20 
 
 • 354 
 
 xxxvii. 3 
 
 • 34'J 
 
 xxxvii. 4 
 
 • 3" 
 
 xxxvii. 31 
 
 . 218 
 
 xli. I ... . 
 
 . 22 
 
 xli. 3 ... . 
 
 . 86 
 
 xlvi. I ... . 
 
 • 357 
 
 xlvii. 4 ... 
 
 • 105 
 
 xlviii. 14 
 
 • 1S5 
 
 1. 15 ... . 
 
 • 213 
 
 Iv. 16 ... . 
 
 . 241 
 
 Iv. 22 
 
 . 196 
 
 Iviii. II ... . 
 
 . 232 
 
 Ixii. I ... . 
 
 . 224 
 
 Ixxii. 12... 
 
 • 144 
 
 Ixxiii. 24 
 
 . 366 
 
 Ixxvi. 10 
 
 • 235 
 
 Ixxxi. 10 
 
 • 274 
 
 Ixxxiv. II 
 
 • 307 
 
 Ixxxiv. II 
 
 • 79 
 
 xci. 4 
 
 • 339 
 
 xci. 14 ... . 
 
 . 136 
 
 xcii. 12 
 
 . 261 
 
 xciv. 14 
 
 • 322 
 
 xcvii. u 
 
 • 297 
 
 ci. 6 
 
 . 191 
 
 cii. 13, 14 .. 
 
 . 192 
 
 ciii. 9 
 
 • 329 
 
 cvii. 9 
 
 • 325 
 
 «-3 
 
 . 264 
 
 PsAI.MS — conlinncd. 
 
 Chap. & Verse Page 
 
 «'• 5 275 
 
 cxu. 7 58 
 
 CXV. 12 46 
 
 cxv. 13 52 
 
 cxviii. 17 ... 305 
 
 cxix. 80 171 
 
 cxix. 165 ... 100 
 
 cxxi. 3 315 
 
 cxxi. 4 318 
 
 cxxvi. 5 292 
 
 cxxvii. 2 ... 184 
 
 cxxviii. 5 ... 167 
 
 cxxxviii. 7 ... 143 
 
 cxxxviii. 8 ... 118 
 
 cxl. 13 179 
 
 cxlv. 19 49 
 
 cxlvi. 7 67 
 
 cxlvi. 8 113 
 
 Proverbs. 
 
 iii. 23 81 
 
 iii. 24 85 
 
 iii. 25, 26 ... 91 
 
 iii-. 33 65 
 
 viii. 17 236 
 
 X. 9 336 
 
 X. 24 106 
 
 X. 27 174 
 
 xi. 25 9 
 
 xi. 25 10 
 
 xii. 19 57 
 
 xiii. 13 291 
 
 XV. 8 78 
 
 xvi. 7 108 
 
 xix. 17 112 
 
 XX. 7 116 
 
 XX. 22 120 
 
 xxiii. 17, 18 ... 127 
 
 xxvii. 18 ... 133 
 
 xxviii. 10 ... 138 
 
 xxviii. 13 ... 229 
 
 xxviii. 14 ... 253 
 
 ECCLF.SIASTES. 
 Chap. & Verse Pag« 
 
 xi. I = 153 
 
 xi. 3 142 
 
 Isaiah. 
 
 i'- 4 350 
 
 xxvii. 3 165 
 
 xxviii. 16 ... 334 
 
 XXX. 15 347 
 
 XXXI. 5 353 
 
 xxxii. 2 259 
 
 xxxiii. 10 ... 170 
 
 xxxiii. 16 ... 340 
 
 xxxiii. 21 ... 266 
 
 XXXV. 8 92 
 
 xli. 10 5 
 
 xli. 10 6 
 
 xli. 10 39 
 
 xlii. 3 252 
 
 xlii. 16 83 
 
 xliii. 2 341 
 
 xliv. 3 42 
 
 xliv. 21 96 
 
 xlv. 2 141 
 
 xlv. 22 326 
 
 xlvi. 4 364 
 
 xlviii. 10 240 
 
 xlix. 13 189 
 
 1. 7 221 
 
 li. 12, 13 ... 355 
 
 liii. 10 18 
 
 liv. 4 163 
 
 liv. 10 362 
 
 liv. 17 321 
 
 Iv. 12 122 
 
 Ivii. 16 310 
 
 Iviii. II 51 
 
 Ix. 22 295 
 
 Ixi. 6 56 
 
 Ixii. 4 282 
 
 Ixv. 24 226 
 
 Ixvi. 5 61 
 
 Ixvi. 13 74 
 
INDEX OF SCRIPTURE TEXTS. 
 
 369 
 
 Jeremiah 
 
 
 ITosEA — eoiithiuc f. 
 
 ZlCHAKIAH. 
 
 Chap. & Verse 
 
 L 6, 7 
 
 i. 8 
 
 Page 
 73 
 
 77 
 
 Ch.np. & Verse 
 
 li. 16, 17 
 
 ii. 18 ... . 
 
 Patre 
 .. 208 
 ., 4 
 
 Chap. & Verse 
 iv. 7 
 
 X. 12 
 
 Page 
 
 330 
 
 2S5 
 
 XV. 19 
 
 140 
 
 ii. 19, 20 
 
 .. 204 
 
 xii 8 
 
 323 
 
 40 
 
 XV. 20 
 
 298 
 
 vi. I ... . 
 
 ■• «35 
 
 xiii. 9 
 
 xxix. 7 
 
 69 
 
 vi. 3 ... . 
 
 .. 246 
 
 xiv. 7 
 
 348 
 
 97 
 107 
 
 XXX. II 
 
 293 
 
 xi. 9 
 
 •• 47 
 
 xiv. 9 
 
 xiv. 20 
 
 xxxi. 12 
 
 242 
 
 xiv. 3 ... . 
 
 .. 66 
 
 xxxi. 14 
 
 317 
 
 
 
 
 
 xxxi. 34 
 
 IC2 
 
 JOKL. 
 
 
 
 
 xxxi. 34 
 
 103 
 
 
 Malachi 
 
 
 xxxiii. 3 
 
 181 
 
 ii. 25 ... . 
 
 • • 139 
 
 iii. 10 
 
 "5 
 
 xxxix. 17 
 
 187 
 
 ii. 32 ... . 
 
 .. 16 
 
 iii. 17 
 
 156 
 
 xxxix. 18 
 
 195 
 
 
 
 iv. 2 
 
 32 
 
 1. 20 
 
 327 
 
 Amos. 
 
 
 iv. 2 
 
 33 
 
 Lamentations. 
 
 ix. 9 ... . 
 
 .. 267 
 
 Matthew 
 
 
 ••'• 27 
 
 255 
 
 MiCAH. 
 
 
 i. 21 
 
 294 
 
 iii. 31 
 
 12 
 
 V.7 
 
 •• 279 
 
 iv. 4 
 
 186 
 
 EZEKIEL. 
 
 
 vii. 7 ... . 
 
 •• 31 
 
 V. 4 
 
 197 
 
 
 
 vii. 8 
 
 .. 125 
 
 V. 7 
 
 '37 
 
 xi. 16 
 
 75 
 
 vii. 19 ... . 
 
 •• 356 
 
 V. 8 
 
 8 
 
 xvi. 60 
 
 182 
 
 
 
 vi. 3.4 
 
 62 
 
 XX- 43 
 
 27 
 
 Nahum 
 
 
 vi. 30 
 
 80 
 
 xxxiv. II 
 xxxiv. 15 
 
 no 
 
 238 
 
 i. 12 ... . 
 
 .. 50 
 
 vi- 33 
 
 X. 32 
 
 299 
 
 2S8 
 
 xxxiv. 22 
 
 239 
 
 i. 13 ... . 
 
 .. 154 
 
 X. 42 
 
 260 
 
 xxxiv. 25 
 
 33^ 
 
 
 
 xi. 28 
 
 14 
 
 168 
 
 xxxiv. 30 
 
 3'4 
 
 IIabakkuk. 
 
 xiii. 12 
 
 xxxvi. 25 
 
 304 
 
 ii. 3 
 
 .. 308 
 
 XX. 7 
 
 129 
 
 xxxvii. 13 
 
 247 
 
 iii. 19 ... . 
 
 .. 155 
 
 xxiv. 22 
 
 300 
 
 x'vii. 9 
 
 268 
 
 
 
 xxvi. 33 
 
 361 
 
 Daniel. 
 
 
 Zephaniah. 
 
 xxvi. 64 
 
 «5i 
 
 xi. 32 
 
 199 
 
 iii. 12 
 
 iii. 13 ... 
 
 .. 161 
 .. 162 
 
 Mark. 
 
 
 xii 3 
 
 203 
 
 
 
 xii. 13 
 
 207 
 
 iii. 15 ... . 
 ill. 17 ... . 
 
 .. 211 
 
 .. 263 
 
 i- 17 
 
 ix. 23 
 
 150 
 344 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 
 iii. 19 ... 
 
 .. iy8 
 
 xvi. 7 
 
 281 
 
 i. 7 
 
 24S 
 
 
 
 
 
 i. 10 
 
 251 
 
 Haggai 
 
 
 Like. 
 
 
 ii. 14 
 
 200 
 
 ii. 19 
 
 •• 324 
 
 xviii. 14 
 
 312 
 
370 
 
 INDEX OF SCRIPTURE TEXTS. 
 
 John. 
 
 Cb.ip. & Verse 
 
 Page 
 
 i. 50 ... 
 
 •• 7 
 
 I. sr ... 
 
 .. 177 
 
 111. 16 ... 
 
 .. icS8 
 
 vi. 37 ... 
 
 •• 13 
 
 vi. 57 ... 
 
 .. 2S9 
 
 X. 28 ... 
 
 •• 159 
 
 xi. 26 ... 
 
 •• 193 
 
 xii. 26 ... 
 
 •• 343 
 
 xii. 32 ... 
 
 .. 278 
 
 xii. 46 ... 
 
 .. 70 
 
 xili. I 
 
 •■ 365 
 
 xiv. 13 ... 
 
 .. 228 
 
 xiv. 14 ... 
 
 •• 319 
 
 xiv. 18 ... 
 
 •• 35 
 
 xiv. 19 ... 
 
 .. 290 
 
 XV. 2 
 
 .. 222 
 
 XV. 7 
 
 •• 54 
 
 XV. 7 
 
 •• 55 
 
 XV. 10 ... 
 
 •• 245 
 
 xvi. 13 ... 
 
 .. 280 
 
 xvi. 14 ... 
 
 •• 273 
 
 xvi. 20 ... 
 
 •• 331 
 
 xvi. 22 ... 
 
 .. 212 
 
 xvi. 33 ... 
 
 .. 152 
 
 Acts. 
 
 
 i. 11 
 
 .. 360 
 
 xiii. 34 ... 
 
 .. 209 
 
 xvi_ 31 ... 
 
 .. 2i;6 
 
 xviii. 10... 
 
 .. 89 
 
 xxii. 15 ... 
 
 .. 41 
 
 xxiii. II... 
 
 .. 99 
 
 Romans 
 
 Cliap & Verse 
 i. 17 
 
 VI. 14 
 viii. 32 
 x. 9 
 xvi. 20 
 
 Pnge 
 
 I II 
 
 265 
 
 316 
 
 34 
 
 19 
 
 2 
 
 1 Corinthians. 
 
 . 19 237 
 
 2 Corinthians. 
 
 vi. 16 
 xii. 9 
 
 119 
 313 
 
 Galatians. 
 vi. 8 123 
 
 PhILII'PIANS. 
 
 111. 21 .. 
 
 iv. 6, 7 .. 
 
 iv. 9 
 
 iv. 19 .. 
 
 104 
 90 
 76 
 
 320 
 
 I Thessalonians. 
 
 IV. 17 
 
 V. 24 
 
 352 
 306 
 
 2 Thessalonians. 
 
 iii- 3 84 
 
 I Timothy. 
 iv. IS 93 
 
 Hebrews. 
 
 Chap. & Verse Pas:* 
 iv. 9 
 ix. 28 
 
 X. 17 
 
 X- 34 
 
 xiii. 5 
 xiii. 6 
 
 James 
 
 1.5.. 
 i. 12 
 
 iv. 6 
 iv. 8 
 
 1 Peter. 
 
 1- 25 
 V. 6 
 
 2 Peter. 
 
 272 
 
 202 
 
 205 
 
 5S 
 
 131 
 
 160 
 
 25S 
 82 
 
 87 
 178 
 
 244 
 210 
 
 148 
 
 194 
 
 Revelation. 
 
 • 7 
 . II 
 
 • 17 
 .28 
 
 i- 5 
 
 i. 8 
 xxi. 4 
 xxi. 5 
 xxii. 3, 
 
 20 
 114 
 
 121 
 
 134 
 
 206 
 
 284 
 
 28 
 
 349 
 301 
 
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