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 BV 4811 .S68 1865 
 Spurgeon, C. H. 1834-1892. 
 Morning by morning 
 
SPURGEON'S SERMONS. 
 
 From the Chicago Standard. 
 
 Robert Carter & Brothers issue in ten volumes a very 
 excellent edition of Spurgeoii's Sermons. They are neatly 
 grouped in a box, and have much the appearance of a 
 library in themselves. While by no means presenting 
 the well known aspect of " cheap books," these sermons 
 are after all furnished at a surprisingly low price, — one 
 dollar per volume; ten dollars for the entire set. No 
 man need trouble himself to either praise or criticise the 
 sermons of C. H. Spurgeon. They have been read every- 
 where, and the thousands and thousands of such readers 
 have their own opinion — and that a most favorable one 
 — as to their merits. It is not too much to say that, as 
 sermons, they stand alone; combining with their pure 
 evangelical doctrine, a directness, a simplicity, a trans- 
 parency, and an effectiveness of style, unoqualed by any 
 other published sermons, by men now in the pulpit, or 
 by those of other generations. It is not necessary to 
 claim for them greatness in the usual sense of that word. 
 They are unique in this, that they are so perfect as ser- 
 mons. Taken down, stenographically, while in process 
 of delivery, afterwards revised and prepared for the 
 press, they have all the glow of the true preacher's in- 
 spiration Avhile in the fuU tide of his message, and yet 
 are singularly correct in style — as much so, probably, as 
 if composed and written down in the quiet of the study. 
 For, as a colloquial speaker, addressing the people in 
 their own vernacular, Mr. Spurgeon has no superior in 
 this age; and what he says in the pulpit might almost 
 go to the printer without any of that carefal revision 
 which, notwithstanding, he conscientiously gives it. 
 
WORKS OF C. H. SPURGEON. 
 
 SPURGEON'S SERMONS. New and neat edition. lo vols., i2mo. Jiooo 
 Any volume sold separately at ....... . i.oo 
 
 " These sermons are thoroughly Scriptural, earnest and simple, and full of 
 
 that intense earnestness which always marks Mr. Spurgeon's preaching." — 
 
 Presbyterian. 
 
 MORNING BY MORNING. i2mo i <)o 
 
 95.000 H.'VVE BEEN SOLD IN ENGLAND. 
 
 EVENING BY EVENING. i2mo 100 
 
 ' 71,000 H.AVE BEEN SOLD IN ENGLAND. 
 
 LECTURES TO STUDENTS .1.00 
 
 THE SAINT AND SAVIOUR i.oo 
 
 TYPES AND EMBLEMS i.oo 
 
 THE PRESENT TRUTH. Recent Sermons 1.00 
 
 STORM SIGNALS. New Sermons. i2mo i.oo 
 
 HANDS FULL OF HONEY, 
 
 And Other Sermons Pre.\ched in 1883. i2mo . . . iToo 
 RETU.K'N. O SHULAMITE! 
 
 And Other Ser.mo.ns Preached in 1884. i2mo . . . i.oo 
 FIRST HEALING AND THEN SERVICE, 
 
 And Other Sermons Pre.ached in 1885. i2mo ... 100 
 
 MY SERMON-NOTES— GKtiEsis to Proverbs .... i.oo 
 
 " " " Ecclesiastes to Malachi . . . 1.00 
 
 " In point of freshness, the work is such a contrast to many books of the 
 
 same order, that preachers of every grade will find something suggestive 
 
 under every head." — Christian IVorld. 
 
 COMMENTING AND COMMENTARIES 1.00 
 
 " This volume has few equals, if any." — Literary World. 
 
 GEMS FROM SPURGEON 1.00 
 
 FEATHERS FOR ARROWS i.oo 
 
 yOHN PLOUGHMAN'S TALK 75 
 
 320,000 have been sold in ENGLAND 
 
 JOHN PLOUGHMAN'S PICTURES 75 
 
 100,000 HAVE BEEN SOLD IN ENGLAND. 
 
 JOHN PLOUGHMAN'S TALK AND PICTURES. In one vol. i.oo 
 GLEANINGS AMONG THE SHEA VES 60 
 
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 Any of the above sent by mail, postage prepaid, on receipt 
 of the price. 
 
MORNING BY MORNING; 
 
 OB, 
 
 fniti) §tnAxnt{^ 
 
 THE FA^MILY OR THE CLOSET. 
 
 ^C. H. SPURGEON, 
 
 AUTHOR OF "EVENING BY EVENING," "SERMONS," &o. 
 
 He waketh morning by rr\.orning' He -wakenelh nvine ear to 
 hear as the learned. 
 
 NEW YORK : 
 ROBERT CARTER & BROTHERS, 
 530 BROADWAY. 
 
PRE FAC E. 
 
 JOETS have delighted to sing of the morning as "Mothei 
 Kl/j of the Dews," "sowing the earth with orient pearl;" 
 p^:;^ and many of the saints, upstarting from their beds si 
 the first blush of dawn, hr.v.° found the poetry of nature 
 to be the reality of grace as they have felt the dews of heaven 
 refreshing their spirits. Hence morning exercises have ever been 
 dear to enlightened, heaven-loving souls, and it has been their 
 rule, never to see the face of man till they have first seen the 
 face of God. The'breath of morn redolent of the smell of flowers 
 is incense offered by earth to her Creator, and living men should 
 never let the dead earth excel them ; truly living men tuning their 
 hearts for song, like the birds, salute the radiant mercy which 
 reveals itself in the east. The first fresh hour of every morning 
 should be dedicated to the Lord, whose mercy gladdens it with 
 golden light. The eye of day openeth its lids, and in so doing 
 opens the eyes of hosts of heaven-protected slumberers ; it is fit- 
 ting that those eyes should first look up to the great Father of 
 Lights, the fount and source of all the good upon which the sun- 
 light gleams. It augurs for us a day of grace when we begin 
 betimes with God ; the sanctifying influence of the season spent 
 upon the mount operates upon each succeeding hour. Morning 
 devotion anchors the soul, so that it will not very readily drift far 
 away from God during the day: it perfumes the heart so that it 
 §mells fragrant with piety until nightfall ; it girds up the soul's 
 garments so that it is less apt to stumble, and feeds all its powers 
 •o that it is not permitted to faint. The morning is the gate of 
 
 (▼) 
 
the day, and should be well guarded with prayer. It is one end 
 of the thread on which the daj''s actions are strung, and should 
 be weU. knotted with devotion. If we felt more the majesty of 
 life, we should be more careful of its mornings. He who rushes 
 from his bed to his business and waiteth not to worship, is as 
 foolish as though he had not put on his clothes, or cleansed his 
 face, and as unwise as though he dashed into battle without arms 
 or armor. Be it ours to bathe in the softly-flowing river of com- 
 munion with God, before the heat of the wilderness and the bur- 
 den of the way begin to oppress us. 
 
 In penning these short reflections upon certain passages of Holy 
 Writ, the author has had in view the assistance of the private 
 meditations of believers. A child may sometimes suggest a con- 
 solation which might not otherwise have cheered a desolate heart; 
 and even a flower smiling upward from the sod may turn the 
 thoughts heavenward : may we not hope that, by the Holy Spirit's 
 grace, as the reader turns, morning by morning, to our simple 
 page, he will hear in it a still small voice, whose speech shall be 
 the word of God to his soul? The mind wearies of one thing, and 
 we have therefore studied variety, changing our method con- 
 stantly; sometimes exhorting, then soliloquizing, then convers- 
 ing; using the first, second, and third persons, and speaking both 
 in the singular and the plural — and all with the desire of avoiding 
 sameness and dulness. Our matter, also, we venture to hope, is 
 wide in its range, and not altogether without a dash of freshness. 
 Readers of our sermons will recognize many thoughts and expres- 
 sions which they may have met with in our discourses; but much 
 is, to the author at least, new, and, as far as anything can be when 
 it treats upon the common salvation, it is original. We have writ- 
 ten out of our own heart, and most of the portions are remem- 
 brances of words which were refreshing in our own experience, 
 and therefore we hope the daily meditations will not be without 
 savor to our brethren ; in fact, we know they will not if the Spirit 
 of God shall rest upon them. 
 
 Our ambition has led us to hope that our little volume may also 
 aid the worship of families where God's altar burns in the morn- 
 ing. We know that it has been the custom in some households 
 to read Mason, Hawker, Bogatsky, Smith, or Jay, and without 
 wishing to usurp the place of any of these, our "Morning by 
 Morning " aspires to a position among them. Our happiness will 
 
JPft£Fl.CS. Vii 
 
 overflow should we be made a blessing to Christian households 
 Family worship is, beyond measure, important both for the pres- 
 ent and succeeding generations, and to be in part a chaplain in 
 the houses of our friends, we shall esteem to be a very great 
 honor. 
 
 We have written no prayers, because we think that a prayer '« 
 good for nothing if it be not written on the heart by the Holy 
 Spirit, and made to gush forth warm from the soul. We should 
 AS soon think of printing a form for our children to u«e in address- 
 ing their parents, as draw up a form to be offered to our Father 
 who is in heaven. It has been said in defence of forms, " Better 
 to go on crutches than not at all ; " but it is our firm conviction 
 that those who truly go in the sense of worshipping aright, might 
 with a little effort, and an earnest cry to the Holy Spirit for assist- 
 ance, go much better on their own proper legs than upon the 
 cripple's wearisome aids. 
 
 Hymns we have selected ; but our fear is that comparatively few 
 English families will use them; on the northern side of the Tweed 
 the singing of the psalm is far more general. Would to God that 
 the daily turmoil were less vehement — that we had more time and 
 heart for praising the name of the Lord I Praise makes worship 
 complete, and without it the pillar of devotion lacks its capital. 
 
 If there be not time to read both our morning portion and the 
 usual chapter, we earnestly entreat that our book may be dis- 
 pensed with, for it were a sore affliction to us to know that any 
 family read the Word of God less on our account. We have had 
 it in our heart to lead our friends to search their Bibles more than 
 ever, and therefore we have culled passages out of corners and 
 nooks of Scripture, that curiosity might lead to a search for their 
 context; we shall be disappointed indeed, if, after all, we frustrate 
 our own design by diverting one moment of time to the perusal 
 of our remarks which ought to have been giver, to searching the 
 Word of God itself. 
 
 The hope has also been cherished that village and cottage 
 preachers may sometimes glean a text and suggestions for a 
 sermon from our daily page. Certainly they are very free to do 
 so if they can ; the thoughts are not ours, but are common prop- 
 erty. Tossed about by cares, and worried by business, men'i 
 minds are not always in a condition on Saturday evenings to ris« 
 from earth and start upon a line of meditation; but once let theii 
 
Viii PKEFACB. 
 
 thoughts get Aning, they can fly well, enough, and the very event* 
 of the week help their flight; perhaps we may lift some heart up- 
 wards, and if so, God be praised. Possibly a hint here given may 
 serve as a match to set fire to a preacher's soul, and that heart on 
 a blaze may warm and gladden hundreds. Amen, and the Lord 
 our God say so too. 
 
 Hoping for a favorable reception for our present attempt, we 
 have already commenced a volume of the same size and character 
 for evening readittg, which will, by Divine permission, follow so 
 soon as we can prepare it. Meanwhile, with many prayers for 
 Heaven's blessing upon this our labor of love, and with earnest 
 requests for the prayers of the faithful, this work is humbly ded- 
 icated to the honor of the Triune Jehovah, and 'espectfuUj pre* 
 tented to the Christian Church. 
 
 Clapham, Decembety UflB. 
 
bAlLY READlNOd. 
 
 " Tlieij did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year." 
 Joshua V. 11. 
 
 ^^^^fRSRAEL'S weary wanderings were all over, and the 
 ^1 *^ promised rest was attained. No more moving tents, 
 y/^Tf^-i gery serpents, fierce Amalekites, and howling wil- 
 dernesses, they came to the land which flowed with milk and 
 honey, and they ate the old corn of the land. Perhaps this 
 year, beloved Christian reader, this may be thy case or mine. 
 Joyful is the prospect, and if faith be in active exercise, it 
 will yield unalloyed delight. To be with Jesus in the rest 
 which remaineth for the people of God, is a cheering hope- 
 indeed, and to expect this glory so soon is a double bliss. 
 Unbelief shudders at the Jordan which still rolls between us 
 and the goodly land, but let us rest assured that we have 
 already experienced more ills than death at its worst can 
 cause us. Let us banish every fearful thought, and rejoice 
 with exceeding great joy, in the prospect that this year we 
 shall begin to be " forever with the Lord." 
 
 A part of the host will this year tarry on earth, to do 
 service for their Lord. If this should fall to our lot, there 
 is no reason why the New Year's text should not still be true. 
 " We who have believed do enter into rest." The Holy 
 Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance. He gives us " glory 
 begun below." In heaven they are secure, and so are we 
 preserved in Christ Jesus ; there they triumph over their 
 enemies, and we have victories too. Celestial spirits enjoy 
 communion with their Lord, and this is not denied to us : 
 they rest in His love, and we have perfect peace in Him ; 
 they hymn His praise, and it is our privilege to bless Him 
 too. We will this year gather celestial fruits on earthly 
 ground, where faith and hope have made the desert like the 
 garden of the Lord. Man did eat angels' food of old, and 
 why not now ? for grace to feed on Jesus, and o to eat 
 of the fruit of the land of Canaan this year. 
 
 1 
 
ftAtLY RfiAbiNGs. eJ'an. ^. 
 
 " Continue in prayer." — Colossians iv. 2. 
 
 ^^^lyfT is interesting to remark bow large a portion of 
 ^1 ?V1 Sacred Writ is occupied with the subject of prayer, 
 V/^i^^ either in furnishing examples, enforcing precepts, or 
 pronouncing promises. We scarcely open the Bible before 
 we read, " Then began men to call upon the name of the 
 Lord ; " and just as we are about to close the volume, the 
 "Amen " of an earnest supplication meets our ear. Instances 
 are plentiful. Here we find a wrestling Jacob — there a 
 Daniel who prayed three times a day — and a David who with 
 all bis heart called upon his God. On the mountain we 
 see Liias ; in the dungeon Paul and Silas. We have multi- 
 tudes of commands, and myriads of promises. What does 
 this tt-ach us, but the sacred importance and necessity of 
 prayer :" We may be certain that whatever God has made 
 prominent in His Word, He intended to be conspicuous in our 
 lives, if He has said much about prayer, it is because He 
 knows we have much need of it. So deep are our necessities, 
 that until we are in heaven we must not ccdse to pray. 
 Dost thfu want nothing ? Then, I fear thou dost not know 
 thy poverty. Hast thou no mercy to ask of God? Then, 
 may the tjord's mercy show thee thy misery ! A prayerless 
 soul is a Ohristless soul. Prayer is the lispiiij^ of the believ- 
 ing infant, the shout of the fighting believer, the requiem of 
 the dying saint falling asleep in Jesus. It is the breath, the 
 watchword, the comfort, the strength, the honor of a Chris- 
 tian. If thou be a child of God, thou wilt seek thy Father's 
 face, and live in thy Father's love. Pray that this year thou 
 mayest be holy, humble, zealous, and patient ; have closer 
 communion with Christ, and enter oftener into the banquet- 
 ing-house of His love. Pray that thou mayest be an example 
 and a blessing unto others, and that thou mayest live more to 
 the glory of thy Master. The motto for this year must be, 
 "Continue in prayer." 
 
Jan. 3 Daily HEArnNos. 8 
 
 " I will give thee for a covenant of the peopled — Isaiah xlix. 8. 
 
 ^OdlSUS Christ is Himself the sum and substance of the 
 .^1 covenant, anc' as one of its gifts lie is the property 
 ^ of every behever. Believer, canst thou estimate 
 what thou hast gotten in Christ ? " In Ilim dwellctb all the 
 fulness of the Godhead bodily.'" Consider tha-t word " Goi " 
 and its infinity, and then meditate upon " perfect man " and all 
 his beauty ; for all that Christ, as God and man, ever had, or 
 can have, is thine — out of pure free favor, passed over to thee 
 to be thine entailed property forever. Our blessed Jesus, 
 as God, is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent. Will it not 
 console you to know that all these great and glorious attributes 
 are altogether yours ? Has He power ? That power is yours 
 to support and strengthen you, to overcome your enemies, 
 and to preserve you even to the end. Has He love ? Well, 
 there is not a drop of love in His heart which is not yours 
 You may dive into the immense ocean of His love, and you 
 may say of it all, " It is mine." Hath He justice ? It maj 
 seem a stern attribute, but even that is j'ours ; for He will, 
 by His justice, see to it, that all which is promised to you in 
 the covenant of grace, shall be most certainly secured to you. 
 And all that He has as perfect man is yours. As a perfect 
 man the Father's delight was upon Him. He stood accepted 
 by the Most High. believer, God's acceptance of Christ 
 is thine acceptance ; for knowest thou not that the love which 
 the Father set on a perfect Christ, He sets on thee now f For 
 all that Christ did is thine. That perfect righteousness which 
 Jesus wrought out, when through His stainless life He kept 
 the law and made it honorable, is thine, and is imputed U 
 thee. Christ is in the covenant. 
 
 " My God, I am thine — what a comfort divine ! 
 What a blessing' to know that tlic Saviour is mine! 
 In the heavenly Lamb thrice happy I am, 
 And my heart it doth dance at the sound of his name." 
 
DAILY BEADINOS. Jan. 4. 
 
 " Oroio in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviout 
 Jesus Christ." — 2 Peter iii. 18. 
 
 5^|i^>R0W in grace — not in one grace only, but in all 
 grace. Grow in that root-grace, faith. Believe the 
 promises more firmly than you have done. Let faith 
 increase in fulness, constancy, simplicity. Grow also in love. 
 Ask that your love may become extended, more intense, more 
 practical, influencing every thought, word, and deed. Grow 
 likewise in humility. Seek to lie very low, and know more 
 of your own nothingness. As you grow downward in humil- 
 ity, seek also to grow upioard — having nearer approaches to 
 God in prayer and more intimate fellowship with Jesus. May 
 God the Holy Spirit enable you to " grow in the knotvledge of 
 our Lord and Saviour." He who grows not in the knowledge 
 of Jesus, refuses to be blessed. To know Him is " life 
 eternal," and to advance in the knowledge of Him is to 
 increase in happiness. He who does not long to know more 
 of Christ, knows nothing of Him yet. Whoever hath sipped 
 this wine will thirst for more, for although Christ doth satisfy, 
 yet it is such a satisfaction, that the appetite is not cloyed, 
 but whetted. If you know the love of Jesus — as the hart 
 panteth for the water-brooks, so will you pant after deeper 
 draughts of His love. If you do not desire to know Him 
 better, then you love Him not, for love always cries, " Nearer, 
 nearer." Absence from Christ is hell ; but the presence of 
 Jesus is heaven. Rest not then content without an increas- 
 ing acquaintance with Jesus. Seek to know more of Him in 
 His divine nature, in His human relationship, in His finished 
 work, in His death, in His resurrection, in His present glorious 
 intercession, and in His future royal advent. Abide hard by 
 the Cross, and search the mystery of His wounds. An in- 
 crease of love to Jesus, and a more perfect apprehension of 
 Di? love to us, is one of the best tests of growth in grace. 
 
Jan. 5. DAll.Y RKADIXG8. 
 
 "And Gnd saw the light, that it teas good: and God divided th« 
 light ^f ram the darhiess." — Genesis i. 4. 
 
 ■^KC^IGrllT might well be good, since it sprang from that 
 ^I'^l fiat of goodness, "Let there be light." We who 
 '"^ enjoy it, should be more grateful for it than we are. 
 
 and see more of God in it and by it. Light pJujaical is said 
 by Solomon to be sweet, but gospel light is infinitely more 
 precious, for it reveals eternal things, and ministers to our 
 immortal natures. When the Holy Spirit gives us spiritual 
 light, and opens our eyes to behold the glory of God in the 
 face of Jesus Christ, we behold sin in its true colors, and 
 ourselves in our real position ; we see the Most Holy God 
 as He reveals Himself, the plan of mercy as He propounds 
 it, and the world to co'ine as the Word describes it. Spiritual 
 light has many beams and prismatic colors, but whether they 
 be knowledge, joy, holiness, or life, all are divinely good. If 
 the light received be thus good, what must the essential light 
 be, and how glorious must be the place where He reveals 
 Himself! Lord, since light is so good, give us more of 
 it, and more of Thyself, the true light. 
 
 No sooner is there a good thing in the world, than a division 
 is necessary. Light and darkness have no communion ; God 
 has divided them, let us not confound them. Sons of light 
 nust not have fellowship with deeds, doctrines, or deceits of 
 darkness. The children of the day must be sober, honest, 
 and bold in their Lord's work, leaving the works of darkness 
 to those who shall dwell in it forever. Our churches should 
 by discipline divide the light from the darkness, and we should 
 by our distinct separation from the world do the same. In 
 judgment, in action, in hearing, in teaching, in association, 
 we must discern between the precious and the vile, and 
 maintain the great distinction which the Lord made upon the 
 world's first day. Lord Jesus, be Thou our light through- 
 out the whole of this day, for Thy light is the light of men. 
 
DAiLV liEAbtNGS. Jan. 6. 
 
 Casting all your care upon Jlim ; for He careth for you." 
 1 Peter v. 7. 
 
 ^T is a happy way of soothing sorrow when we can feel 
 
 ic)^ — " HE careth for me." Christian ! do not dishonor 
 your religion by always wearing a brow of care ; 
 come, cast your burden upon your Lord. You are staggering 
 beneath a weight which your Father would not feel. What 
 seems to you a crushing burden, would be to Him but as the 
 email dust of the balance. Nothing is so sweet as to 
 
 " Lie passive in God's hands, 
 And know no will but His." 
 
 child of suffering, be thou patient ; God has not passed 
 thee over in His providence. Ho who is the feeder of 
 sparrows, will also furnish you with what you need. Sit not 
 down in despair ; hope on, hope ever. Take up the arms of 
 faith against a sea of trouble, and your opposition shall yet 
 end your distresses. There is One who careth for you. His 
 eye is fixed on you, His heart beats with pity for your woe, 
 and His hand omnipotent shall yet bring you the needed 
 help. The darkest cloud shall scatter itself in showers of 
 mercy. The blackest gloom shall give place to the morning. 
 Ho, if thou art one of His family, will bind up thy wounds, 
 and heal thy broken heart. Doubt not His grace because of 
 thy tribulation, but believe that He loveth thee as much iu 
 seasons of trouble as in times of happiness. What a serene 
 and quiet life might you lead if you would leave providing 
 to the God of Providence ! With a little oil in the cruse, and 
 a handful of meal in the barrel, Elijah outlived the famine, 
 and you will do the same. If God cares for you, why need 
 you care too ? Can you trust Him for your soul, and not for 
 your body ? He has never refused to bear your burdens, Ho 
 has never fainted under their weight. Come, then, soul ! 
 have done with fretful care, and leave all thy concerns in th« 
 hand of a gracious God. 
 
Jan. t. bAli.Y ukadings. 
 
 *' For me to Hve is Christ." — Philippians i. 21. 
 
 ■T/IIE believer dia not always live to Christ ; he began 
 ^^ to do so wlieu G.">d the Holy Spirit couvinced him of 
 sin, and when by grace he was brought to see the 
 dying Saviour making a proj^ntiation for his guilt. From the 
 moment of the new and celestial birth the man begins to live 
 to Christ. Jesus is to believerr the one pearl of great price, 
 for whom we are willing to part »7ith all that we have. He 
 has so completely won our lovf. that it beats alone for 
 Him ; to His glory we would live, and in defence of His 
 gospel we would die ; He is the palitrn of our life, and the 
 model after which we would sculpture our character. Paul's 
 words mean more than most men tliiu\ ; they imply that the 
 aim and end of his life tvas Christ — nay, his life itself waa 
 Jesus. In the words of an ancient saint, he did eat, and 
 drink, and sleep eternal life. Jesus was his very breath, the 
 soul of his soul, the heart of his heart, the life of his life. 
 Can you say, as a professing Christian, that you live up to this 
 idea ? Can you honestly say that for you to live is Christ ? 
 Your business — are you doing it/or Christ ? Is it not done 
 for self-aggrandizement and for family advantage ? Do you 
 ask, " Is that a mean reason ? " For the Christian it is. He 
 professfcs to live for Christ ; how can he live for another object 
 without committing a spiritual adultery ? Many there are 
 who carry out this principle in some measure ; but who is 
 there that dare say that he hath lived wholly for Christ as the 
 apostle did ? Yet, this alone is the true life of a Christian 
 — its source, its sustenance, its fashion, its end, all gathered 
 up in one word — Christ Jesus. Lord, accept me ; I here 
 present myself, praying to live only in Thee and to Thee. 
 Let me be as the bullock which stands between the plough 
 and the altar, to work or to be sacrificed; and let my mottu 
 be, " Ready for either." 
 
DAILY HEADINGS. Jan. 6. 
 
 The iniquity of the holy things." — Exodus xxviii. 38. 
 
 [?^HAT a veil is lifted up by these words, and what a 
 disclosure is made ! It will be humbling and profitable 
 for us to pause awhile and see this sad sight. The 
 iniquities of our public worship, its hypocrisy, formality, 
 lukewarmness, irreverence, wandering of heart and forget- 
 fulness of God, what a full measure have we there ! Our 
 work for the Lord, its emulation, selfishness, carelessness, 
 slackness, unbelief, what a mass of defilement is there ! Our 
 private devotions, their laxity, coldness, neglect, sleepiness, 
 and vanity, what a mountain of dead earth is there ! If we 
 looked more carefully we should find this iniquity to be far 
 greater than appears at first sight. Dr. Payson, writing to 
 his brother, says, " My parish, as well as my heart, very 
 much resembles the garden of the sluggard ; and what ia 
 worse, I find that very many of my desires for the melioration 
 of both, proceed either from pride, or vanity, or indolence. 
 1 look at the weeds which overspread my garden, and breathe 
 out an earnest wish that they were eradicated. But why ? 
 What prompts the wish ? It may be that I may walk out and 
 say to myself, ' In what fine order is my garden kept I ' This 
 is pride. Or it may be that my neighbors may look over 
 the wall and say, ' How finely your garden flourishes ! ' This 
 is vanity. Or I may wish for the destruction of the weeds, 
 because I am weary of pulling them up. This is indolence." 
 So that even our desires after holiness may be polluted by 
 ill motives. Under the greenest sods worms hide themselves ; 
 we need not look long to discover them. How cheering ia 
 the thought, that, when the High Priest bore the iniquity of 
 the holy things, he wore upon his brow the words, Holiness 
 TO THE LoKD ; and even so while Jesus bears our sin. He 
 presents before His Father's face not our uuholiness, but His 
 own holiness. for grace to view our great High Priest by 
 the eye of faith ! 
 
Jan. 9 DAltY READINGS. 
 
 " I will be iheir God" — Jeremiali xxxi 33. 
 
 ^^^/^HRISTIAN ! hove is all thou canst require. To make 
 Ht .i,)| tlicc happy thou wantcst sonu'thiug tliat shall satii/y 
 ^ thee ; and is not this enough ? If thou canst pour 
 this promise into thy cup, wilt thou not say, with David, 
 " My cup runneth over ; I have more than heart can wish " ? 
 When tliis is fulfilled, '■'• lamthy God," art thou not possessor 
 of all things ? Desire is insatiable as death, but He who fill- 
 eth all in all can fill it. The capacity of our wishes who can 
 measure ? but the immeasurable wealth of God can more than 
 overflow it. I ask thee if thou art not complete when God 
 is thine ? Dost thou want anything but God ? Is not His 
 all-sufl5ciency enough to satisfy thee if all else should fail ? 
 But thou wantcst more than quiet satisfaction ; thou desirest 
 rapturous delight. Come, soul, here is music fit for Heaven 
 in this thy portion, for God is the Maker of Heaven. Not 
 all the music blown from sweet instruments, or drawn from 
 living strings, can yield such melody as this sweet promise, 
 " I will be their God." Here is a deep sea of bliss, a shore- 
 less ocean of delight ; come, bathe thy spirit in it ; swim an 
 age, and thou shalt find no shore ; dive throughout eter- 
 nity, and thou shalt find no bottom. " 1 will he their God." 
 If this do not make thine eyes sparkle, and thy heart beat 
 high with bliss, then assuredly thy soul is not in a healthy 
 fitati. But thou wantest more than present delights — thou 
 cravest something concerning which thou mayei^t ^icrcise 
 hope; and what more canst thou hop'e for than the fulfilment 
 of this great promise, " I will be their God " ? This is the 
 masterpiece of all the promises ; its enjoyment makes a heav- 
 en below, and will make a heaven above. Dwell in the light 
 of thy Lord, and let thy soul be always ravished with His love. 
 Get out the marrow and fatness which this portion yields thee. 
 lave up to thy privileges, and rejoice with unspeakable joj. 
 
10 DAILY REAtHNGS. Jan. 10. 
 
 " There is laid up for me a crovm of righteoiisneas." 
 2 Timothy iv. 8. 
 
 l§8g^0UBTING one ! thou hast often said, ^' I fear I shall 
 ^ff never enter heaven," Fear not ! all the people of 
 "^ God shall enter there. I love the quaint saying of a 
 dying man, who exclaimed, " I have no fear of going home ; 
 I have sent all before ; God's finger is on the latch of my 
 door, and I am ready for Ilim to enter." " But," said one, 
 " are you not afraid lest you should miss your inheritance ? " 
 " Nay," said he, " nay ; there is one crown in heaven which 
 the angel Gabriel could not wear ; it will fit no head but 
 mine. There is one throne in heaven which Paul the apostle 
 could not fill ; it was made for me, and I shall have it." 
 Christian, what a joyous thought ! thy portion is secure ; 
 " there remaineth a rest." " But cannot I forfeit it ? " No ; 
 it is entailed. If I be a child of God I shall not lose it. It 
 is mine as securely as if I were there. Come with me, be- 
 liever, and let us sit upon the top of Nebo, and view the 
 goodly land, even Canaan. Seest thou that little river of 
 death glistening in the sunlight, and across it dost thou see 
 the pinnacles of the eternal city ? Dost thou mark the pleas- 
 ant country and all its joyous inhabitants ? Know then that 
 if thou couldst fly across thou wouldst see written upon one 
 of its many mansions, " This remaineth for such a one ; pre- 
 served for him only. He shall be caught up to dwell forever 
 with God." Poor doubting one, see the fair inheritance; it 
 ifi thine. If thou believest in the Lord Jesus, if thou hast 
 repented of sin, if thou hast been renewed in heart, thou art 
 one of the Lord's people, and there is a place reserved for 
 thee, a crown laid up for thee, a harp specially provided foi 
 thee. No one else shall have thy portion; it is reserved in 
 heaven for thee, and thou shalt have it ere long, for there 
 Bhall be no vacant thrones in glory when all the chosen are 
 gathered in. 
 
Jan. 11 Daily headinqb. 11 
 
 " Tliese have no root." — Luke viii. 13. 
 
 ^]^|^P)Y soul, examine thyself this morning by the light of 
 Q^lfK this text. Thou hast received the word with joy; 
 ^^^*^ thy feelings have been stirred, and a lively impres- 
 sion ha* been made ; but, remember, that to receive the 
 word in the ear is one thing, and to receive Jesus into thy 
 very soul is quite another; superficial feeling is often joined 
 to inward hardness of heart, and a lively impression of the 
 word is not always a lasting one. In the parable, the seed 
 in one ease fell upon ground having a rocky bottom, covered 
 over with a thin layer of earth ; when the seed began to take 
 root, its downward growth was hindered by the hard stone, 
 and therefore it spent its strength in pushing its green shoot 
 aloft as high as it could, but having no inward moisture de- 
 rived from root nourishment, it withered away. Is this my 
 case ? Have I been making a fair show in the flesh without 
 having a corresponding inner life ? Good growth takes place 
 upwards and downwards at the same time. Am I rooted in 
 sincere fidelity and love to Jesus ? If my heart remains 
 unsoftened and unfertilized by grace, the good seed may 
 germinate for a season, but it must ultimately wither, for it 
 cannot flourish on a rocky, unbroken, imsanctified heart. 
 Let me dread a godliness as rapid in growth and as wanting 
 in endurance as Jonah's gourd ; let me count the cost of 
 being a follower of Jesus ; above all let me feel the energy 
 of His Holy Spirit, and then I shall possess an abiding and 
 enduring seed in my soul. If my mind remains as obdurate 
 as it was by nature, the sun of trial will scorch, and my hard 
 heart will help to cast the heat the more terribly uj-cu the 
 ill-covered seed, and my religion will soon die, and iuy de- 
 spair will be terrible ; therefore, heavenly Sower, plough 
 me first, and then cast the truth into me, and let n.* yield 
 Thee a bounteous harvest. 
 
12 Daily headings. Jan. 12. 
 
 "Ye are Christ's" — 1 Corinthians iii. 23. 
 
 'JE are Christ's. You are His by donation, for the 
 c^ Father gave you to the Son ; His by His bloody 
 y^ purchase, for He counted down the price for your 
 redemption ; His by dedication, for you have coa- 
 <iecrated yourself to Him ; His by relation, for you are named 
 by lEs name, and made one of His brethren and joint-heirs. 
 Labor practically to show the world that you are the servant, 
 the friend, the bride of Jesus. When tempted to sin, reply, 
 " I cannot do this great wickedness, for I am Christ's." Im- 
 mortal principles forbid the friend of Christ to sin. When 
 wealth is before you to be won by sin, say that you are 
 Christ's, and touch it not. Are you exposed to difficulties 
 and dangers ? Stand fast in the evil day, remembering that 
 you are Christ's. Are you placed where others are sitting 
 down idly, doing nothing ? Rise to the work with all your 
 powers ; tsnd when the sweat stands upon your brow, and 
 you are tempted to loiter, cry, " No, I cannot stop, for I, am 
 Christ's. If I were not purchased by blood, I might be like 
 Issachar, couching between two burdens ; but I am Christ's, 
 and cannot loiter." When the siren song of pleasure would 
 tempt you from the path of right, reply, " Thy music cannot 
 charm me ; I am Christ's." When the cause of God invites 
 thee, give thyself to it ; when the poor require theo, give 
 thy goods and thyself away, for thou art Christ's. Never 
 belie thy profession. Be thou ever one of those whoso 
 manners are Christian, whose speech is like the Nazarene, 
 whose conduct and conversation are so redolent of heaven, 
 that all who see you may know that you are the Saviour's, 
 recognizing in you His features of love and His countenau-u 
 of holiness. " I am a Roman ! " was of old a reason fo> 
 integrity ; far more, then, let it be your argument fcr holi- 
 ness. " I am Christ's." 
 
Jan. 13. DAILV RKADINGS. IS 
 
 " Jehoshaphat made ships of TJiarshish to go to Ophir for gold 
 
 but they went not ; for the ships were broken at Ezion-geher." 
 
 1 Kings xxii. 48. 
 
 "^^OLOMON'S ships had returned in safety, tut Je. 
 
 Providence prospers one, and frustrates the desireg 
 of another, in the same business and at the same spot, yet 
 the Great Ruler is as good and wise at one time as another. 
 May we have grace to-day, in the remembrance of this text, 
 to bless the Lord for ships broken at Ezion-geber, as well as 
 for vessels freighted with temporal blessings ; let us not envy 
 the more successful, nor murmur at our losses as though we 
 were singularly and specially tried. Like Jehoshaphat, we 
 may be precious in the Lord's sight, although our schemes 
 end in disappointment. The secret cause of Jehoshaphat'g 
 loss is well worthy of notice, for it is the root of very much of 
 the suffering of the Lord's people ; it was his alliance with a 
 sinful family, his fellowship with sinners. In 2 Chron. xx. 37, 
 we are told that the Lord sent a prophet to declare, " Be- 
 cause thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the Lord hath 
 broken thy works," This was a fathei-ly chastisement, which 
 appears to have been blessed to him ; Tor in the verse which 
 succeeds our morning's text we find him refusing to allow his 
 servants to sail in the same vessels with those of the wicked 
 king. Would to God that Jchoshaphat's experience might 
 be a warning to the rest of the Lord's people, to avoid being 
 unequally yoked together with unbelievers ! A life of mis- 
 ery is usually the lot of those who are united in marriage, 
 or in any other way of their own choosing, with the men of 
 the world. for such love to Jesus that, like Him, we 
 may be holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners ; 
 for if it be not so with us, we may expect to hear it often 
 eaid, " The Lord hath brokeu thy works." 
 2 
 
14 DAILY READINGS. Jan 14 
 
 " Miyhty to save." — Isaiah Ixiii. 1. 
 
 <^Y the words "to save" we understand the whole of 
 Si the great work of salvation, from the first holy desire 
 onward to complete sanctification. The words are 
 miiltum in parvo ; indeed, here is all mercy in one word. 
 Christ is not only " mighty to save " those who repent, but 
 He is able to make men repent. He will carry those to 
 heaven who believe; but He is, moreover, mighty to give 
 men new hearts, and to work faith in them. He is mighty 
 to make the man who hates holiness love it, and to constrain 
 the despiser of His name to bend the knee before Him. 
 Nay, this is not all the meaning, for the divine power is 
 equally seen in the after-work. The life of a believer is a 
 series of miracles wrought by " the Mighty God." The bush 
 burns, but is not consumed. He is mighty to keep His 
 people holy after He has made them so, and to preserve 
 them in His fear and love until He consummates their spir- 
 itual existence in heaven. Christ's might doth not lie in 
 making a believer and then leaving him to shift for himself, 
 but He who begins the good work carries it on ; He who 
 imparts the first gemi of life in the dead soul, prolongs the 
 divine existence, and strengthens it until it bursts asunder 
 every bond of sin, and the soul leaps from earth, perfected 
 in glory. Believer, here is encouragement. Art thou pray- 
 ing for some beloved one ? give not up thy prayers, for 
 Christ is " mighty to save." You are powerless to reclaim 
 the rebel, but your Lord is Almighty. Lay hold on that 
 mighty arm, and rouse it to put forth its strength. Does 
 your own case trouble you ? Fear not, for His strength is 
 Bufficient for you. Whether to begin with otbeis, or to carry 
 on the work in you, Jesus is "mighty to save;" the best 
 proof of which lies in the fact that He has saved you,. 
 What a thousand mercies that you have not found Him 
 mighty to destroy ! 
 
Jan. 15. DAILY REJ» DINGS. 15 
 
 "Do as Thou hast said." — 2 Samuel vii. 25. 
 
 ■<jOD'S promises were never meant to bo thrown aside 
 ^j as waste paper ; He intended that they should be 
 —^ used. God's gold is not miser's money, but is minted 
 to be traded with. Nothing pleases our Lord better than to 
 sec his promises put in circulation ; lie loves to see His 
 children bring them up to Him, and say, " Lord, do as Thou 
 hast said." Wc glorify God when we plead His promises. 
 Do you think that God will be any the poorer for giving you 
 the riches He has promised ? Do you dream that He will be 
 any the less holy for giving holiness to you ? Do you imagine 
 He will be any the less pure for washing you from your sins ? 
 He has said, " Come, now, and let us reason together, saitb 
 the Lord : though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as 
 white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall 
 be as wool." Faith lays hold upon the promise of pardon, 
 and it does not delay, saying, " This is a precious promise ; 
 I wonder if it be true ? " but it goes straight to the throne 
 with it, and pleads, " Lord, here is the promise. ' Do as Thou 
 hast said.' " Our Lord replies, " Be it unto thee even as 
 thou wilt." When a Christian grasps a promise, if he do 
 not take it to God, he dishonors him ; but when he hastens 
 to the throne of grace, and cries, " Lord, I have nothing to 
 recommend me but this, ' Thou hast said it,' " then hia 
 desire shall be granted. Our heavenly Banker delights to 
 cash Ilis own notes. Never let the promise rust. Draw the 
 word of promise out of its scabbard, and use it with holj 
 violence. Think not that God will be troubled by your im- 
 portunately reminding Him of His promises. He loves to 
 hear the loud outcries of needy souls. Tt is His delight to 
 bestow favors. He is more ready to hear than you are to 
 •ask. The sun is not weary of shining, nor the fountain of 
 flowing. It is God's nature to keep His promiies ; therefor* 
 go at once to the throne with " Do as Thou hast said." 
 
16 DAILY R£ADINGS Jan 16. 
 
 "/ will help tliee, saith the Lord." — Isaiah xli. 14. 
 
 ^SHIS morning let us hear the Lord Jesus speak to each 
 one of us: "I will / Ip thee." "It is but a small 
 thing for Me, thy God, to help thee. Consider what 
 I have done already. What ! not help thee ? Why, I bought 
 thee with My blood. What ! not help thee ? I have died for 
 thee ; and if I have done the greater, will I not do the less ? 
 Hell thee ! It is the least thing I will ever do for thee ; 1 
 have done more, and will do more. Before the world began 
 I chose thee. I made the covenant for thee. I laid aside 
 My glory and became a man for thee ; I gave My life for thee ; 
 and if I did all this, I will surely help thee now. In helping 
 thee, I am giving thee what I have bought for thee already. 
 If thou hadst need of a thousand times as much help, I would 
 give it thee ; thou requirest little compared with what I am 
 ready to give. 'Tis much for thee to need, but it is nothing 
 for Me to bestow. ^Help thee ? ' Fear not ! If there were 
 an ant at the door of thy granary asking for help, it would 
 not ruin thee to give him a handful of thy wheat ; and thou 
 art nothing but a tiny insect at the door of My all-suflBciency. 
 ' I will help thee.' " 
 
 my -soul, is not this enough ? Dost thou need nore 
 strength than the omnipotence of the United Trinity ? Dost 
 thou want more wisdom than exists in the Father, more love 
 than displays itself in the Son, or more power than is manifest 
 in the influeuces of the Spirit ^ Bring hither thine empty 
 pitcher ! Surely this well will fill it. Haste, gather up thy 
 wants, and bring them here — thine emptiness, thy woed, thj 
 needs. Behold, this river of God is full for thy supply ; what 
 canst thou desire beside ? Go forth, my soul, in this thj 
 nuight. The Eternal God is thine helper ! 
 
 " Fear not, I am with thee ; O be not dismayed I 
 I, I &m thy God, and will still give thee aid." 
 
Jan. 17. DAILY KEAD1N08. It 
 
 " And I lookei, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the Mount Zion" 
 Revelation xiv. 1. 
 
 'JHE apostle John wa- jj^ivileged to look within the 
 \i; gates of heaven, and in describing what he ?aw, he 
 begins by saying, " I looked, and lo, a lamb ! " This 
 leaches us that the chief object of contemplation in the 
 heavenly state is " the Lamb of God, which taketh awaj tho 
 sins of the world." Nothing else attracted the apostle's at- 
 tention so much as the pcr.^on of that Divine IJeing, who hath 
 redeemed us by His blood. He is the theme of the songs 
 of all glorified spirits and holy angels. Christian, here is joy 
 for thee ; thou hast looked, and thou hast seen the Lamb, 
 Through thy tears thine eyes have seen the Lamb of God 
 taking away thy sins. Rejoice, then. In a little while, when 
 thine eyes shall have been wiped from tears, thou wilt see 
 the same Lamb exalted on His throne. It is the joy of thy 
 heart to hold daily fellowship with Jesus ; thou shalt have the 
 same joy to a higher degree in heaven ; thou shalt enjoy the 
 constant vision of His presence ; thou shalt dwell with Him 
 forever. " I looked, and, lo, a Lamb ! " Why, that Lamb is 
 heaven itself; for as good Rutherford says, "Heaven and 
 Christ are the same thing;" to be with Christ is to be in heav- 
 en, and to be in heaven is to be with Christ. That prisoner of 
 the Lord very sweetly writes in one of his glowing letters — 
 " my Lord Christ, if I could be in heaven without thee it 
 would be a hell ; and if I could be in hell, and have thee still, it 
 would be a heaven to me, for thou art all the heaven I want." 
 It is true, is it not, Christian ? Does not thy soul say so ? 
 
 •' Not all the harps above 
 
 Can make a heavenly place, 
 If God liis rrsidcnce remove, 
 Or but conceal His face." 
 
 All thou needest to make *.hce blesped, supremely bleesti, 
 ii, " to be with Christ." 
 
 a* 
 
i6 DAILY KEADING8. Jail. 18. 
 
 " There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." 
 Hebrews iv. 9. 
 
 >0W different will be the state of the believer in heaveu 
 ^\ from what it is here ! Here he is born to toil and 
 suffer weariness ; but in the land of the immortal, 
 fatigue is never known. Anxious to serve his Master, he 
 finds his strength unequal to his zeal : his constant cry is, 
 " Help me to serve Thee, my God." If he be thoroughly 
 active, he will have much labor ; not too much for his will, 
 but more than enough for his power, so that he will cry out, 
 " I am not wearied of the labor, but I am wearied in it." Ah ! 
 Christian, the hot day of weariness lasts not forever • the 
 sun is nearing the horizon ; it shall rise a^ain with a brighter 
 day than thou hast ever seen, upon a land where they serve 
 God day and night, and yet rest from their labors. Here, 
 rest is but partial ; there, it is perfect. Here, the Christian 
 is always unsettled ; he feels that he has not yet attained. 
 There, all are at rest ; they have attained the summit of the 
 mountain ; they have ascended to th.e bosom of their God. 
 Higher they cannot go. Ah, toil-worn laborer, only think 
 when thou shalt rest forever ! Canst thou conceive it ? It 
 is a rest eternal; a rest that "remaineth." Here, my best 
 joys bear "mortal" on their brow; my fair flowers fade; 
 my dainty cups are drained to dregs ; my sweetest birda 
 fal before death's arrows; my most pleasant days are 
 shadowed into nights ; and the flood-tides of my bliss sub- 
 side into ebbs of sorrow ; but there, everything is immor- 
 tal ; the harp abides uurusted, the crown unwithered, the 
 eye uudimmed, the voice unfaltering, the heart unwaver- 
 ing, and the immortal being is wholly absorbed in infinite 
 delight. Happy day ! happy day ! when mortality shall 
 be swallowed up of life, and the Eternal SabbaU? Pball 
 begin. 
 
Jan. 19. DAILY READINGS. 18 
 
 "J souijld him, but I found him not." — Canticles Hi. 1 
 
 ;ELL me where you lost the company of Christ, and 1 
 ll^^l^' will tell you the most likely place to find Him. Have 
 you lost Christ in the closet by restraining ]»rayer? 
 Then it is there you must seek and find Dim. Did you lose 
 Christ by sin ? You will find Christ in no other way but b} 
 the giving up of the sin, and seeking by the Holy Spirit to 
 mortify the member in which the lust doth dwell. l">id you 
 lose Christ by neglecting the Scriptures ? You mu^t find 
 Christ in the Scriptures. It is a true proverb, " Look for a 
 thing where you dropped it ; it is there." So look for CSrist 
 where you lost Him, for He has not gone away. But ii is 
 bard work to go back for Christ. Buuyan tells us, the pil- 
 grim found the piece of the road back to the Arbor of Easi , 
 where he lost his roll, the hardest he had ever travelled. 
 Twenty miles onward is easier than to go one mile back for 
 the lost evidence. 
 
 Take care, then, when you find your Master, to cling close 
 to Him. But how is it you have lost Him ? One would 
 have thought you would never have parted with such a pre- 
 cious friend, whose presence is so sweet, whose words are so 
 comforting, and whose company is so dear to you^. How is 
 it that you did not watch Him every moment for fear of 
 losing sight of Him ? Yet, since you have let Him go, what 
 a mercy that you are seeking Him, even though you mourn- 
 fully groan, " that I knew where I might find Him ! " Go 
 on socking, for it is dangerous to be without thy Lord. With- 
 out Christ you'are like a sheep without its shepherd ; like a 
 *■ tree without water at its roots ; like a sere leaf in the tem- 
 pest — not bound to the tree of life. With thine whole heart 
 Bcek Him, and He will be found of thee : only give thyself 
 tJioroughly up to the search^ and verily, thou shalt yet dis- 
 cover Him to thy joy and gladuess. 
 
80 DAILY READiKGS. Jan. 20. 
 
 " Abel was a keeper of sheep." — Genesis iv. 2. 
 
 rS a shepherd Abel sanctified his work to the glory of 
 '/^ God, and offered a sacrifice of blood upon his altar^ 
 ^^ and the Lord had respect unto Abel and his offering. 
 This early type of our Lord is exceedingly clear and distinct. 
 Like the first streak of light which tinges the east at sunrise, 
 it does not reveal everything, but it clearly manifests the great 
 fact that the sun is coining. As we see Abel, a shepherd 
 and yet a priest, offering a sacrifice of sweet smell unto God, 
 we discern our Lord, who brings before His Father a sacri- 
 fice to which Jehovah ever hath respect. Abel was hated by 
 his brother — hated without a cause ; and even so was the 
 Saviour : the natural and carnal man hated the accepted man 
 in whom the Spirit of grace was found, and rested not until 
 his blood had been shed. Abel fell, and sprinkled his altar 
 and sacrifice with his own blood, and therein sets forth the 
 Lord Jesus slain by the enmity of man while serving as a 
 priest before the Lord. " The good Shepherd layeth down 
 His life for the sheep." Let us weep over Him as we view 
 Him slain by the hatred of mankind, staining the horns of His 
 altar with His own blood. AbeVs blood speaketh. " The 
 Lord said unto Cain, The voice of thy brother's blood crieth 
 unto Me from the ground." The blood of Jesus- hath a mighty 
 tongue, and the import of its prevailing cry is not vengeance, 
 but mercy. It is precious beyond all preciousness to stand at 
 the altar of our good Shepherd ; to see Him bleeding there as 
 the slaughtered priest, and then to hear His blood speaking 
 peace to all His flock, peace in our conscience, peace between 
 Jew and Gentile, peace between man and his offended Maker, 
 peace all down the ages of eternity for blood-washed men. 
 Abel is the first shepherd in order of time, but our hearts 
 shall ever place Jesus first in order of excellence. Thou great 
 Keeper of the sheep, we the people of Thy pasture bless The# 
 with our whole hearts when we see Thee slain for us. 
 
Jan. Jjl. DAILY READINOfl. 21 
 
 "And so all Israel shall be saved." — Romans xi. 26. 
 
 i|i|-^JIEN Moses sang at tlic Iiod Sea, it was his joy to 
 iKfj know that all Israel were safe. Not a drop of spray 
 *'^ fell from that solid wall until the last of God's Israel 
 had safely planted his foot on the other side the flood. That 
 done, immediately the floods dissolved into their proper place 
 again, but not till then. Part of that song was, " Thou in thy 
 mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed." 
 In the last time, when the elect shall sing the song of 
 Moses, the servant of God, and of the Lamb, it shall be the 
 boast of Jesus, " Of all whom thou hast given me, I have lost 
 none." In heaven there shall not be a vacant throne 
 
 " For all the chosen race 
 
 Shall meet around the throne, 
 Shall bless the conduct of His grace, 
 And make His glories known." 
 
 As many as God hath chosen, as many as Christ bath re- 
 deemed, as many as the Spirit hath called, as many as believe 
 in Jesus, shall safely cross the dividing sea. We are not 
 all safely landed yet : 
 
 " Part of the host have crossed the flood, 
 And part are crossing now." 
 
 The vanguard of the army has already reached the shore. 
 We are marching through the depths ; we are at this day fol- 
 lowing hard after our Leader into the heart of the sea. Let 
 us be of good cheer : the rearguard shall soon be where the 
 vanguard already is ; the last of the chosen ones shall soon 
 have crossed the sea, and then shall be heard the song of 
 triumph, when all are secure. But oh ! if one were absent 
 — oh! if one of his chosen family should be cast away — it 
 i^ould make an everlasting discord in the song of the re- 
 deemed, and cut the strings of the harps of paradise, so that 
 music could never be extorted from them. 
 
22 DAILY RLAD1NG9. Jan. 22.' 
 
 Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a 
 branch which is among the trees of the forest'} " — Ezek. xv. 2. 
 
 ^^HESE words are for the humbling of God's people; 
 
 lb they are called God's vine, but what are they by na- 
 ture more than others ? They, by God's goodness, 
 have become fruitful, having been planted in a good soil ; the 
 Lord hath trained them upon the walls of the sanctuary, and 
 they bring forth fruit to His glory ; but what are they without 
 their God ? What are they without the continual influence 
 of the Spirit, begetting fruitfuluess in them ? believer, 
 learn to reject pride, seeing that thou hast no ground for it. 
 Whatever thou art, thou hast nothing to make thee proud. 
 The more thou hast, the more thou art in debt to God ; and 
 thou shouldst not be proud of that which renders thee a 
 debtor. Consider thine origin ! look back to what thou wast. 
 Consider what thou wouldst have been but for divine grace. 
 Look upon thyself as thou art now. Doth not thy conscience 
 reproach thee ? Do not thy thousand wanderings stand be- 
 fore thee, and tell thee that thou art unworthy to be called 
 His son ? And if He hath made thee anything, art thou not 
 taught thereby that it is grace which hath made thee to dif- 
 fer ? Great believer, thou wouldst have been a great sinner 
 if God had not made thee to differ. thou who art valiant for 
 truth, thou wouldst have been as valiant for error if grace 
 had not kid hold upon thee. Therefore, be not proud, 
 though thou hast a large estate — a wide domain of grace; 
 thou hadst not once a single thing to call thine own ex- 
 cept thy sin and misery. Oh ! strange infatuation, that 
 thou, who hast borrowed everything, shouldst think of ex- 
 alting thyself; a poor dependent pensioner upon the bounty 
 of thy Saviour, one who hath a life which dies without fresh 
 Btreams of life from Jesus, and yet proud ! Fie on thee, 
 silly heart ! 
 
tan. 23. DAitr headings. 23 
 
 " I have exalted one chosen out of the people." — Ps. Ixxxix. 19. 
 
 /^'^HY was Christ chosen out of tlie people ? Speak, 
 ifuJi my heart, for heart-thoughts are best. Was it no*. 
 '^'^ that He might be able to be our brolht, in the llest 
 tie of kindred blood ? Oh, what relationship there is be- 
 tween Christ and the believer ! The believer can say, " 1 
 have a Brother in heaven ; I may be poor, but I have a 
 Brother who is rich, and is a King, and will He suflfcr me to 
 want while He is on His throne ? Oh, no ! He loves me ; 
 He is my brother." Believer, wear this blessed thought, 
 like a necklace of diamonds, around the neck of thy memo- 
 ry ; put it, as a golden ring, on the finger of recollection, 
 and use it as the King's own seal, stamping the petitions of 
 thy faith with confidence of success. He is a brother, born 
 for adversity ; treat him as such. 
 
 Christ was also chosen out of the people that He might 
 know our wants and sympathize with us. " He was tempted 
 in all points like as we are, yet without sin." In all our 
 sorrows we have His sympathy. Temptation, pain, disap- 
 pointment, weakness, weariness, poverty — He knows them 
 all, for He has felt all. Remember this, Christian, and let 
 it comfort thee. However difficult and painful thy road, it 
 is marked by the footsteps of thy Saviour ; and even when 
 thou reachcst the dark valley of the shadow of death, and 
 the deep waters of the swelling Jordan, thou wilt find Hia 
 footprints there. In all places whithersoever we go, He has 
 been our forerunner ; each burden we have to carry, has onco 
 l>9f-«i laid on the shoulders of Immanuel. 
 
 " His way was much rougher and darker than mine ; 
 Did Christ, my Lord, suffer, and shall I repine ? " 
 
 Tateo courage ! Royal feet have left a blood-red track apon 
 Ui» road, and consecrated the thorny path forever. 
 
24 DAILY READINGS. Jan. 24. 
 
 " Sureli/ he sJiall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler.** 
 Psalm xci. 3. 
 
 \0J) delivers Ilis people from the snare of the fowlei 
 in two senses. From, and out of. First, He deliv- 
 
 ^^ ers them from the snare — does not let them enter 
 it ; and secondly, if they should be caught therein, He de- 
 livers them out of it. The first promise is the most precious 
 to some ; the second is the best to others. 
 
 " He shall deliver thee/rom the snare." How ? Trouble 
 is often the means whereby God delivers us. God knows 
 that our backsliding will soon end in our destruction, and 
 He in mercy sends the rod. We say, " Lord, why is this ? " 
 not knowing that our trouble has been the means of deliv- 
 ering us from far greater evil. Many have been thus saved 
 from ruin by their sorrows and their crosses ; these have 
 frightened the birds from the net. At other times, God 
 keeps His people froia the snare of the fowler by giving 
 them great spiritual strength, so that when they are tempted 
 to do evil they say, " How can I do this great wickedness, 
 and sin against God ? " But what a blessed thing it is that 
 if the believer shall, in an evil hour, come into the net, yet 
 God will bring him out of it ! backslider, be cast down, 
 but do not despair. Wanderer though thou hast been, hear 
 what thy Redeemer saith — "Return, backsliding chil- 
 dren : I will have mercy upon you." But you say you 
 cannot return, for you are a captive. Then listen to the 
 promise — " Surely He shall deliver thee out of the snare 
 of the fowler." Thou shalt yet be brought out of all the 
 evil into which thou hast fallen ; and though thou shalt 
 never cease to repent of thy ways, yet He that hath loved 
 thee will not cast thee away ; He will receive thee, and 
 give thee joy and gladness, that the bones which He has 
 broken may rejoice. No bird of paradise shall die in th« 
 fowler's net. 
 
•TaD. 25. DAILY hEADIKGd. 26 
 
 " / will meidion the loving kindnesses of the Lord, and the 
 praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed 
 on us." — Isaiah Ixiii. 7. 
 
 ["r^ND canst thou not do this ? Are there no mercies 
 J|_^ whicli tliou hast experienced? What though thou art 
 lK*ar\ gjQQjjjy now, canst thou forget that blessed hour 
 when Jesus met thee, and said, " Come unto me " ? Canst 
 thou not remember that rapturous moment when lie snapped 
 thy fetters, dashed thy chains to the earth, and said, " I 
 tame to break tliy bonds and set thee free " ? Or if the 
 love of thine espousals be forgotten, there must surely be 
 some precious milestone along the road of life not quite 
 grown over with moss, on which thou canst read a happy 
 memorial of His mercy toward thee. What, didst thou 
 never have a sickness like that which thou art suffering now, 
 and did He not restore thee ? Wert thou never poor before, 
 and did He not supply thy wants ? Wast thou never in straits 
 before, and did He not deliver thee ? Arise, go to the river 
 of thine experience, and pull up a few bulrushes, and plait 
 them into an ark, wherein thine infant-faith may float safely 
 on the stream. Forget not what thy God has done for thee ; 
 turn over the book of thy remembrance, and consider the 
 days of old. Canst thou not remember the hill Mizar ? Did 
 the Lord never meet with thee at Hermon ? Hast thou never 
 climbed the Delectable Mountains ? Hast thou never been 
 helped in time of need ? Nay, I know thou hast. Go back, 
 then, a little way to the choice mercies of yesterday, and 
 though all may be dark now., light up the lamps of the past ; 
 they shall glitter through the darkness, and thou shalt trust 
 in the Lord till the day bre?k and the shadows flee away. 
 " Remember, Lord, thy tender mercies and thy loving 
 kindDesses, for they have bc<'u ever of old." 
 
 a 
 
^6 DAILY HEADINGS. ^SkU. ^6. 
 
 " Tour heavenly Father." — Matthew ri. 26. 
 
 ^*OD'S people are doubly His cliildren ; they are Hia 
 ;t^l; oflfspring by creation, and they are His sons by adop- 
 tion in Christ. Hence they are privileged to call 
 Him, " Our Father which art in heaven." Father ! Oh, 
 what a precious word is that ! Here is auUiority : " If I be 
 a Father, where is mine honor?" If ye be sons, where is 
 your obedience ? Here is affection mingled with authority ; 
 an authority which does not provoke rebellion ; an obedience 
 demanded which is most cheerfully rendered — which would 
 not be withheld even if it might. The obedience which God's 
 children yield to Him must be loving obedience. Do not go 
 about the service of Grod as slaves to their taskmaster's toil, 
 but run in the way of His commands because it is your 
 Father's way. Yield your bodies as instruments of righteous- 
 ness, because righteousness is your Father's will, and His will 
 should be the will of His child. Father ! — Here is a kingly 
 attribute so sweetly veiled in love, that the King's crown is 
 forgotten in the King's face, and His sceptre becomes not a 
 rod of iron, but a silver sceptre of mercy — the sceptre 
 indeed seems to be forgotten in the tender hand of Him 
 who wields it. Father ! — Here is honor and love. How 
 great is a father's love to his children ! That which friend- 
 ship cannot do, and mere benevolence will not attempt, a 
 father's heart and hand must do for his sons. They are his 
 oflfspring, he must bless them ; they are his children, he must 
 show himself strong in their defence. If an earthly father 
 watches over his children with unceasing love and care, how 
 much more does our heavenly Father ! Abba, Father ! He 
 who can say this, hath uttered better music than cherubim 
 or seraphim can reach. There is heaven in the depth of 
 that word — Father I There is all I can ask ; all my neces- 
 Bities can demand ; all my wishes can desire. I have all in 
 •11 to all eternity when I can say, " Father." 
 
Jan. 27. daily readings. 27 
 
 '* And of his fulness have all tee received.^' — John i. 10. 
 
 ^>^f^jU.¥jSE words tell us that there is a fulness in Christ. 
 *^i rl*^ There is a fulness of essential Deity, for " in Ilim 
 ^***^ dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead." There 
 is a fulness of perfect manhood, for in Ilim, bodily, that 
 Godhead was revealed. There is a fulness of atoning efficacy 
 in His blood, for " the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, 
 cleanseth us from all sin." There is a fulness of justifying 
 righteousness in His life, for " there is therefore now no 
 condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus." There is 
 a fulness of divine prevalence in His plea, for " He is able 
 to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by Him ; 
 seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them." There 
 is a fulness of victory in His death, for through death He 
 destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. 
 There is a fulness of efficacy in His resurrection from the 
 dead, for by it " we are begotten again unto a lively hope." 
 There is a fulness of triumph in His a?ccusi<ni, for " when 
 He ascended up on high, He led captivity captivt;., and 
 received gifts for men." There is a fulness of blessings of 
 every sort and shape ; a fulness of grace to pardon, of grace 
 to regenerate, of grace to sanctify, of grace to preserve, and 
 of grace to perfect. There is a fulness at all times ; a ful- 
 ness of comfort in affliction ; a fulness of guidance in prosper- 
 ity. A fulness of every divine attribute, of wisdom, of power, 
 of love ; a fulness which it were impossible to survey, much 
 less to explore. " It pleased the Father that in Him should all 
 fulness dwell." Oh, what a fulness must this be of which all 
 receive ! Fulness indeed must there be when the stream is 
 always flowing, and yet the well springs up as free, as rich, 
 a-i full as ever. Come, believer, and get all thy need 
 (supplied ; ask largely, and thou shalt receive largely, for this 
 " fulness " is inexhaustible, and is treasured up where all the 
 needy may reach it, even in Jesus, Immauuel — God with us 
 
28 DAILY HEADINGS. Jan. 28. 
 
 ^^ Perfect in Christ Jesus." — Colossians i. 28. 
 
 ^3^0 you not feel in your own soul that perfection is noi 
 ^u in you ? Does not every day teach you that ? Every 
 tear which trickles from j^our eye, weeps " imperfec- 
 tion ; " every sigh w^iich bursts from your heart, cries 
 " imperfection ; " every harsh word which proceeds from 
 your lip, mutters " imperfection." You have too frequently 
 had a view of your own heart to dream for a moment of any 
 perfection in yourself. But amidst this sad consciousness of 
 imperfection, here is comfort for you — you are " perfect in 
 Christ Jesus.'' In God's sight, you are " complete in Him ; " 
 even now you are " accepted in the beloved." But there is 
 d second perfection, yet to be realized, which is sure to all 
 the seed. Is it not delightful to loo^ forward to the time 
 when every stain of sin shall be removed from the believer, 
 and he shall be presented faultless before the throne, without 
 spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing ? The Church of Christ 
 then will be so pure, that not even the eye of Omniscience 
 will see a spot or blemish in her ; so holy and so glorious, 
 that Hart did not go beyond the truth when he said — 
 
 "With my Saviour's garments on, 
 Holy as the Holy One." 
 
 Then shall we know, an 1 taste, and feel the happiness of this 
 vast but short sentence, " Complete in Christ." Not till then 
 shall we fully comprehend the heights and depths of the sal- 
 vation of Jesus. Doth not thy heart leap for joy at the 
 thought of it ? Black as thou art, thou jhalt be white one 
 day ; * filthy as thou art, thou shalt be clean. Oh, it is a 
 marvellous salvation this ! Christ takes a worm and trans- 
 forms it into an angel ; Christ takes a black and deformed 
 tiling and makes it clean and matchless in His glory, peerless 
 in His beauty, and fit to be the companion of seraphs. 
 my soul, stand and admire this blessed truth of perfection 
 in Christ. 
 
Jan. 2U. WAILY llEAl)INOS. Jid 
 
 •* 27te things wliich are not seen.** — 2 Corinthians iv. 18. 
 
 iHi 
 
 ^'^ff^ our Christian pilgrimage, it is well, for the most 
 '- part, to be looking forward. Forward lies the crown, 
 and onward is the goal. Whether it be for hope, fof 
 joy, for consolation, or for the inspiring of our love, the future 
 must, after all, be the grand object of the eye of faith. Look- 
 ing into the future, we see sin cast out, the body of sin and 
 death destroyed, the soul made perfect, and fit to be a par 
 taker of the inheritance of the saints in lij^ht. Lookinjr fur- 
 ther yet, the believer's enlightened eye can see death's river 
 passed, the gloomy stream forded, and the hills of light at- 
 tained on which standeth the celestial city ; he seeth himself 
 enter within the pearly gates, hailed as more than conqueror, 
 crowned by the hand of Christ, embraced in the arms of Je- 
 sus, glorified with Him, and made to sit together with Ilim 
 on His throne, even as He has overcome and has sat down 
 with the Father on His throne. The thought of this future 
 may well relicTC the darkness of the past and the gloom of 
 the present. The joys of heaven will surely compensate for 
 the sorrows of earth. Hush, my fears ! this world is but a 
 narrow span, and thou shalt soon have passed it. Hush, hush, 
 my doubts ! death i? but a narrow stream, and thou shalt soon 
 have forded it. Time, how short — eternity, how long I Death, 
 how brief — immortality, how endless ! Methiuks I even now 
 eat of Eshcol's clusters, and sip of the well which is within the 
 gate. The road is so, so short ! I shall soon be there. 
 
 "When the world my heart is rending 
 
 With its heaviest storm of care, 
 My glad thoughts, to heaven ascending, 
 
 Find a refuge from despair. 
 Faith's briglit vision shall sustain me 
 
 Till life's i)ilgrimage is past; 
 Fears may vex, and troubles pain m«, 
 
 I shall reach my home at last." 
 
 8* 
 
S6 bAiLY liiEADiNGS. Jan. S6 
 
 "When thou heare.st the sound of a going in the tops of the muU 
 berry trees, then thou shalt bestir thyself." — 2 Sam. v. 24. 
 
 j^HE members of Christ's Church should be very prajer- 
 )^- ful, always seeking the unction of the Holy One to 
 rest upon their hearts, that the kingdom of Christ 
 may come, and that His " will be done on earth, even as il 
 is in heaven ; " but there are times when God seems especial- 
 ly to favor Zion ; such seasons ought to be to them like " the 
 sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees." We 
 ought then to be doubly prayerful, doubly earnest, wrestling 
 more at the throne than we have been wont to do. Action 
 should then be prompt and vigorous. The tide is flowing — 
 now let us pull manfully for the shore. for Pentecostal 
 outpourings and Pentecostal labors ! Christian, in yourself 
 there are times " when thou hearest the sound of a going in 
 the tops of the mulberry trees." You have a peculiar power 
 in prayer ; the Spirit of God gives you joy and gladness ; the 
 Scripture is open to you ; the promises are applied ; you walk 
 in the light of God's countenance ; you have peculiar free- 
 dom and liberty in devotion, and more closeness of commun- 
 ion with Christ than was your wont. Now, at such joyous 
 periods, when you hear the " sound of a going in the tops of' 
 the mulberry trees," is the time to bestir yourself; now is the 
 time to get rid of any evil habit, while God the Spirit helpeth 
 your infirmities. Spread your sail ; but remember what you 
 Bometimes sing — 
 
 " I can only spread the sail ; 
 Thou ! Thou ! must breathe the auspicious gale." 
 
 Only be sure you have the sail up. Do not miss the gale 
 for want of preparation for it. Seek help of God, that you 
 may be more earnest in duty when made more strong in 
 faith ; that you may be more constant in prayer when you 
 have more liberty at the throne ; that you may be more holj 
 in your conversation whilst you live more closely with Christ 
 
Jan. 31. i)AiLY uiiAUiNGS. si 
 
 " The Lord our righteousness." — Jeremiah xxiii. 6. 
 
 ^S51[y!1)^ ^^^^ always give a Christian the greatest calm, quiet, 
 ^1 ^ ease, and peace, to think of the perfect righteousness 
 y/^RKy Qf Christ. How often are the saints of God downcast 
 and sad ! I do not tliink they ought to be. I do not think 
 they would if they could always see their perfection in Christ. 
 There are some who are always talking about corruption, and 
 the depravity of the heart, and the innate evil of the soul. 
 This is quite true, but why not go a little further, and re- 
 member that we are " perfect in Christ Jesus " ? It is no 
 wonder that those who are dwelling upon their own corrup- 
 tion should wear such downcast looks ; but surely if we cull 
 to mind that " Christ is made unto us righteousness," we 
 shall be of good cheer. What though distresses afflict me, 
 though Satan assault me, though there may be many things 
 to be experienced before I get to heaven ; those are done for 
 me in the covenant of divine grace ; there is nothing wanting 
 in my Lord ; Christ hath done it all. On the cross He said, 
 " It is finished ! " and if it be finished, then am I complete 
 in Him, and can rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of 
 glory, " not having mine own righteousness, which is of the 
 law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the right- 
 eousness which is of God by faith." You will not find on 
 this side heaven a holier people than those who receive into 
 their hearts the doctrine of Christ's righteousness. AVhen the 
 believer says, " I live on Christ alone ; I rest on Him solely 
 for salvation ; and I believe that, however unworthy, I am 
 still saved in Jesus ; " then there rises up as a motive of grat- 
 itude this thought — " Shall I not live to Christ ? Shall I not 
 lov( Him and serve Him, seeing that I am saved by His mer- 
 its?' "The love of Christ constriiueth us," "that they 
 wliich live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but 
 unto Hitc which died for them." If saved by imputed righ^ 
 eousness we shall greatly value imparted righteousness. 
 
Sii bAiLV telEAtolifGs. Feb. I. 
 
 "They shall sing in the ways of the Lord." — Ps. cxxxviii. 5. 
 
 •^-HE time when Christians begin to sing in the ways of 
 the Lord is when they first lose their burden at the 
 foot of the Cross. Not even the songs of the angela 
 seem so sweet as the first song of rapture which gushes from 
 the inmost soul of the forgiven child of God. You know 
 how John Bunyan describes it. He says, when poor Pilgrim 
 lost his burden at the Cross, he gave three great leaps, and 
 went on his way singing — 
 
 " Blest Cross ! blest Sepulchre ! blest rather be 
 The Man that there was put to shame for me ! " 
 
 Believer, do you recollect the day when your fetters fell ofi"? 
 Do you remember the place when Jesus met you, and said, 
 " I have lotod thee with an everlasting love ; I have blotted 
 out as a cloud thy transgressions, and as a thick cloud thy 
 sins ; they sha,ll not be mentioned against thee any more 
 forever"? Oh! what a sweet season is that when Jesus 
 takes away the pain of sin ! When the Lord first pardoned 
 my sin, I was so joyous that I could scarce refrain from 
 dancing. I thought on my road home from the house 
 where I had been set at liberty, that I must tell the stones 
 in the street the story of my deliverance. So full was my 
 soul of joy, that I wanted to tell every snow-flake that was 
 falling from heaven, of the wondrous love of Jesus, who 
 had blotted out the sins of one of the chief of rebels. But 
 it is not only at the commencement of the Christian life 
 that believers have reason for song ; as long as they live 
 they discover cause to sing in the ways of the Lord, and 
 their experience of His constant loving kindness leads Aiem 
 to say, " I will bless the Lord at all times : His praise ^hall 
 contiiiually bo in my mouth." See to it, brother, that (,4iou 
 magnifiest the Lord this day, 
 
 " Long as we tread this desert land, 
 New mercies shall new songs demand.'* 
 
Pol). 2. iJAtLY feEADliJGS. 33 
 
 " Without shedding of blood is no remission." — Heb. ix. 22. 
 
 ^-,IIIS is the voice o ' unalterable truth. In none of the 
 \)^ Jewish ceremonies were sins, even tj'pically, removed 
 without blood-shedding. In no case, by no means can 
 sin be pardoned without atonement. It is clear, then, that 
 fcliere is no hope for me out of Christ ; for there is uo other 
 blood-shedding which is worth a thought aa an atonement for 
 Bin. Am I, then, believing in Ilim ? Is the blood of His 
 atonement truly applied to my soul ? All men are on a level 
 as to their need of Ilim. If we be never so moral, generous, 
 amiable, or patriotic, the rule will not be altered to make an 
 exception for us. Sin will yield to nothing less potent than 
 the blood of Ilim whom Gud hath set forth as a propitiation. 
 What a blessing that there is the one way of pardon ! Why 
 should we seek another ? Persons of merely formal religion 
 cannot understand how we can rejoice that all our sins are 
 forgiven us for Christ's sake. Their works, and prayers, and 
 ceremonies, give them very poor comfort ; and well may they 
 be uneasy, for they are neglecting the one great salvation, 
 and endeavoring to get remission without blood. My soul, 
 sit down, and behold the justice of God as bound to punish 
 Bin ; see that punishment all executed upon thy Lord Jesus, 
 and fall down in humble joy, and kiss the dear feet of Ilim 
 whose blood has made atonement for thee. It is in vain 
 when conscience is aroused, to fly to feelings and evidences 
 for comfort ; this is a habit which we learned in the Egypt 
 of our legal bondage. The only restorative for a guilty con- 
 science is a sight of Jesus suffering on the cross. " The 
 blood is the life thereof," says the Levitical law, and let us 
 rest assured that it is the life of faith and joy and evo»'/ other 
 holy grace. 
 
 " Oh ! how sweet to view the flowing 
 Of my Saviour's precious blood, 
 With divine assurance knowing 
 He has made my peace with OodI " 
 
i)AILY READINGS. Pelb. 3 
 
 " Tlierefore, brethren, we are debtors." — Romans viii. 12. 
 
 ll'-r-S God's creatures, we are all debtors to Him ; to obey 
 f;^ Him with all our body, and soul, and strength. Hav- 
 ^^*^^^^^ ing broken His commandments, as we all have, we 
 are debtors to His justice, and we owe to Him a vast amount 
 which we are not able to pay. But of the Christian it can be 
 said, that he does not owe God's justice anything, for Christ 
 has paid the debt His people owed ; for this reason the be- 
 liever owes the more to I'ove. I am a debtor to God's grace 
 and forgiving mercy ; but I am no debtor to His justice, for 
 He will never accuse me of a debt already paid. Christ said, 
 " It is finished ! " and by that He meant, that whatever His 
 people owed was wiped away forever from the book of re- 
 membrance. Christ, to the uttermost, has satisfied divine 
 justice ; the account is settled ; the handwriting is nailed to 
 the cross ; the receipt is given, and we are debtors to God's 
 justice no longer. But then, because we are not debtors to 
 our Lord in that sense, we become ten times more debtors 
 to God than we should have been otherwise. Christian, pause 
 and ponder for a moment. What a debtor thou art to divine 
 sovereignty ! How much thou owest to His disinterested love I 
 for He gave His own Son that He might die for thee. Con- 
 sider how much you owe to His forgiving grace, that after ten 
 thousand aflFrouts He loves you as infinitely as ever. Consider 
 what you owe to His power ; how He has raised you from your 
 death in sin ; how He has preserved your spiritual life ; how 
 He has kept you from falling ; and how, thougli a thousand 
 enemies have beset your path, you have been able tu hold on 
 your way. Consider what you owe to His hi ^mutability. 
 Though you have changed a thousand times. He has not 
 changed on^e. Thou art as deep in debt as thou canst be 
 to every attribute of God. To Gcd thou owest thyself, and 
 ftll thou hast — yield thyself as a living sacrifice; it ia but 
 thy reasonable service. 
 
Feb. 4. DAILY HEADINGS. S5 
 
 " 27(6 love of the Lord." — Hosea iii. 1. 
 
 Ijj^.^ELIEVEK, look hack through all thine experience, 
 ^^ and think of the way whorchy the Lord thy God haa 
 '^ led thee in the wilderness, and how He hath fed and 
 clothed thee every day — how He ha;h borne with th!ne ill 
 manners — how He hath put up with all thy murmurings, 
 and all thy longings aft'er the flesh-pots of Egypt — how Ho 
 has opened the rock to supply thee, and fed thee with manna 
 that came down from heaven. Think of how His grace haa 
 been sufficient for thee in all thy troubles — how His blood 
 has been a pardon to thee in all thy sins — how His rod and 
 His staff have comforted thee. "When thou hast thus looked 
 back upon the love of the Lord, then let faith survey His 
 love in the future, for remember that Christ's covenant and 
 blood have something more in them than the ^jast. He who 
 has loved thee and pardoned thee, shall never cease to love 
 and pardon. He is Alpha, and He shall be Omega also : He 
 is first, and He shall be last. Tliereforc, bethink thee, when 
 thou shalt pass through the valley of the shadow of death, 
 thou needest fear no evil, for He is with thee. When thou 
 shalt stand in the cold floods of Jordan, thou needest not 
 fear, for death cannot separate thee from His love ; and when 
 thou shalt come into the mysteries of eternity thou needest 
 not tremble, " for I am persuaded, that neither death, nor 
 life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things 
 present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any 
 other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of 
 God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Now, soul, is not 
 thy love refreshed ? Does not this make thee love Jesus ? 
 Doth not a flight through illimitable plains of the ether of 
 love inflame thy heart and compel thee to delight thyself in 
 the Lord thy God ? Surely as we meditate on " the love of 
 the Lord," our hearts burn within us, and we long to lovo 
 Him more. 
 
bkti.\ tiicADtNos. f eb. 5. 
 
 " The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world." 
 1 John iv. 14. 
 
 ^S^^JTT is a sweet tliouglit that Jesus Christ did not come 
 ^^1 '^^1 ^^^^^ without His Father's permission, authority, con- 
 y/'^te?< ggnt^ and assistance. Ho was sent of the Father, that 
 He might be the Saviour of men. "We are too apt to forget, 
 that while there are distinctions as to the -persons in the Trin- 
 ity, there are no distinctions of honor. We too frequently 
 ascribe the honor of our salvation, or at least the depths of 
 its benevolence, more to Jesus Christ than we do to the Fa- 
 ther. This is a very great mistake. What if Jesus came ? 
 Did not His Father send Him ? If He spake wondrously, 
 did not His Father pour grace into His lips, that He might 
 be an able minister of the new covenant ? He who knoweth 
 the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost as he should 
 know them, never setteth one before another in his love ; he 
 sees them at Bethlehem, at Grethsemane, and on Calvary, all 
 equally engaged in the work of salvation. Christian, hast 
 thou put thy confidence in the Man Christ Jesus ? Hast thou 
 placed thy reliance solely on Him ? And art thou united with 
 Him ? Then believe that thou art united unto the God of 
 heaven. Since to the Man Christ Jesus thou art brother, and 
 boldest closest fellowship, thou art linked thereby with God 
 the Eternal, and " the Ancient of days " is thy Father and 
 thy Friend. Didst thou ever consider the depth of love it 
 the heart of Jehovah, when God the Father equipped His 
 Son for the great enterprise of mercy ? If not, be this thy 
 day's meditation. The Father sent Him ! Contemplate that 
 subject. Think how Jesus works what the Father wills. In 
 the wounds of the dying Saviour see the love of the great 
 I AM. Let every thought of Jesus be also connected with 
 the Eternal, ever-blessed God, for " it pleased the Lord to 
 bi uise Him ; He haih put Him to grief." 
 
Feb. 6. DAILY EEABINOS. 87 
 
 " Prai/ing always." — Ephesians vi. 18. 
 
 ^Tll^ILVT multitudes of prayers we have put up from tho 
 W/fl0i fii'^^t. niomcQt when wc learned to pray ! Our first 
 ^^*^ prayer was a prayer for ourselves ; we asked that God 
 would have mercy upon us, and blot out our sin. He heard 
 us. But when He had blotted out our sins like a cloud, then 
 we had more prayers for ourselves. Wc have had to pray for 
 sanctifying grace, for constraining and restraining grace ; we 
 have been led to crave for a fresh assurance of faith, for the 
 comfortable application of the promise, for deliverance in the 
 hour of temptation, for help in the time of duty, and for suc- 
 cor in the day of trial. Wc have been compelled to go to 
 God for our souls, as constant beggars asking for everything. 
 Bear witness, children of God, you have never been able to 
 get anything for your souls elsewhere. All the bread your 
 soul has eaten has come down from heaven, and all iiie water 
 of which it has drank has flowed from the living rock — Chris! 
 Jesus the Lord. Your soul has never grown rich in itself 
 it has always been a pensioner upon the daily bounty of God j 
 and hence your prayers have ascended to heaven for a range 
 of spiritual mercies all but infinite. Your wants were in- 
 numerable, and therefore the supplies have been infinitely 
 great, and your prayers have been as varied as the mercies 
 have been countless. Then have you not cause to say, " I 
 love the Lord, because He hath heard the voice of my sup- 
 plication " ? For as your prayers have been many, so also 
 have been God's answers to them. He has heard you in 
 the day of trouble, has strengthened you, and helped you, 
 even when you dishonored Him by trembling and doubting 
 at the mercy-seat. Remember this, and let it fill your heart 
 with gratitude to God, who has thus graciously heard youi 
 poor weak prayers. " Bless the Lord, my soul, and forget 
 Dot all His benefits." 
 4 
 
88 DAILy READINGS. Feb. 7. 
 
 " Arise ye, and depart." — Micah ii. 10. 
 
 p^^-IIE hour is approaching when the message will come 
 ^ll^t' to us, as it comes to all — " Arise, and go forth from 
 ^'"^ the home in which thou hast dwelt, from the city in 
 which thou hast done thy business, from thy family, from thy 
 friends. Arise, and take thy last.journey." And what know 
 we of the journey r And what know we of the country to 
 which we are bound ? A little we have read thereof, and 
 somewhat has been revealed to us by the Spirit; but how 
 little do we know of the realms of the future ! We know 
 that there is a black and stormy river called " Death." God 
 bids us cross it, promising to be with us. And, after death, 
 what cometh ? What wonder-world will open upon our as- 
 tonished sight ? What scene of glory will be unfolded to our 
 view ? No traveller has ever returned to tell. But we know 
 enough of the heavenly land to make us welcome our sum- 
 mons thither with joy and gladness. The journey of death 
 may be dark, but we may go forth on it fearlessly, knowing 
 that God is with us as we walk through the gloomy vall-ey, 
 and therefore we need foar no evil. We shall be departing 
 from all we have known and loved here, but we shall be going 
 to our Father's house — to our Father's home, where Jesus 
 is — to that royal " city which hath foundations, whose builder 
 and maker is God." This shall be our last removal, to dwell 
 forever with Him we love, in the midst of His people, in 
 the presence of God. Christian, meditate much on heaven ; 
 it will help thee to press on, and to forget the toil of the 
 way. This vale of tears is but the pathway to the better 
 country; this world of woe is but the stepping-stoue to a 
 irorld of bliss. 
 
 Prepare us, Lord, by grace divine, 
 For Thy bright courts on high ; 
 
 Then bid our spirits rise, and join 
 The chorus of the sky." 
 
Feb. 8. DAILY HEADINGS. 39 
 
 " Thou shalt call his name Jesus." — Matthew i. 21. 
 
 $^IA;HEN a person is dear, everything connected with him 
 MiMh becomes dear for his sake. Thus, so ])recious is the 
 **'^^ person of the Lord Jesus iu the estimation of all true 
 believers, that everything about Ilim they consider to be in- 
 estimable beyond all price. " All thy garments smell of 
 myrrh, and aloes, and cassia," said David, as if the very vest- 
 ments of the Saviour were so sweetened by Ilis person thai 
 he could not but love them. Certain it is, that there is not 
 a spot where that hallowed foot hath trodden — there is not 
 a word which those blessed lips have uttered — nor a *hought 
 which Ilis loving AVord has revealed — which is not to us 
 preciou.'! beyond all price. And this is true of the names of 
 Christ — they are all sweet in the believer's ear. Whether 
 He be called the Husband of the Church, her Bridegroom, 
 her Friend ; whether He be styled the Lamb slain from the 
 foundation of the world — the King, the Prophet, or the 
 Priest — every title of our Master — Shiloh, Emmanuel, 
 Wonderful, the Mighty Counsellor — every name is like the 
 honeycomb dropping with honey, and luscious are the drops 
 that distil from it. But if there be one name sweeter than 
 another in the believer's ear, it is the name of Jesus. Jesus ! 
 it is the name which moves the harps of heaven to melody. 
 Jesus ! the life of all our joys. If there be one name more 
 charming, more precious than another, it is this name. It is 
 woven iuto ihc very warp and woof of our psalmody. Many 
 of our hyimis begin with it, and scarcely any, that are good 
 for anything, end without it. It is the sum total of all de- 
 lights. It is the music with which the bells of heaven ring; 
 a song in a word ; an ocean for comprehension, although a 
 drop for brevity ; a matchless oratorio in two syllables ; a 
 gathering up of the hallelujahs of eternity in fiv( letters. 
 
 " Jesus, I love Thy charmiug name ; 
 'Tis music to mine ear." 
 
40 DAILY READINGS. Feb. 9 
 
 "And David inquired of the Lord." — 2 Samuel v. 23. 
 
 f^HEN David made this inquiry lie had just fouglit the 
 Philistines, and gained a signal victory. The Philis- 
 tines came up in great hosts, but, by the help of God, 
 David had easily put them to flight. Note, however, thai 
 when they came a second time, David did not go up to fight 
 them without inquiring of the Lord. Once he had been vic- 
 torious, and he might have said, as many have in other cases, 
 " I shall be victorious again ; I may rest quite sure that if I 
 have conquered once, I shall triumph yet again. Wherefore 
 should I tarry to seek at the Lord's hands ? " Not so David. 
 He had gained one battle by the strength of the Lord ; he 
 would not venture upon another until he had insured the 
 same. He inquired, "Shall I go up against them?" He 
 waited until God's sign was given. Learn from David to take 
 no step without God. Christian, if thou wouldst know the 
 path of duty, take God for thy compass ; if thou wouldst steer 
 thy ship through the dark billows, put the tiller into the hand 
 of the Almighty. Many a rock might be escaped, if we would 
 let our Father take the helm ; many a shoal or quicksand we 
 might well avoid, if we would leave to His sovereign will to 
 choose and to command. The Puritan said, " As sure as 
 eyor a Christian carves for himself, he'll cut his own fingers;" 
 this is a great truth. Said another old divine, " He that goes 
 before the cloud of God's providence goes on a fool's errand ; " 
 and so he does. We must mark God's providence leading 
 us ; and if providence tarries, tarry till providence comes. 
 He who goes before providence, will be very glad to run 
 back again. " I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way 
 which thou shalt go," is God's promise to Hi i people Let 
 us, then, take all our perplexities to Hira, and say, " Lord, 
 what wilt thou have me to do ? " Leave not thy chapibei 
 this morning without iDt\u»ring of the Lord. 
 
Feb. 10. DAILY READINGS. 41 
 
 " I hnuw nuw to abound." — Philippiang iv. 12. 
 
 o'lIERE are many who know "Low to be abased," who 
 ^^ have not learned " how to abound." When they are set 
 upon the top of a pinnacle their heads grow dizzy, and 
 they are ready to fall. The Christian far oftcner disgraces his 
 profession in prosperity than in adversity. It is a dangerous 
 thing to be prosperous. The crucible of adversity is a less 
 severe trial to the Christian than the fining-pot of prosperity. 
 Oh, what leanness of soul and neglect of spiritual things have 
 keen brought on through the very mercies and bounties of 
 God ! Yet this is not a matter of necessity, for the apostle 
 tells us that he knew how to abound. When he had much he 
 knew how to use it. Abundant grace enabled him to bear 
 abundant prosperity. W^hen he had a full sail he was loaded 
 with much ballast, and so floated safely. It needs more than 
 human skill to carry the brimming cup of mortal joy with a 
 steady hand ; yet Paul had learned that skill, for he declares, 
 " In all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hun- 
 gry." It is a divine lesson to know how to be full, for the 
 Israelites were full once ; but while the flesh was yet in their 
 mouth, the wratli of God came upon them. Many have asked 
 for mercies that they might satisfy their own hearts' lust. Ful- 
 ness of bread has often made fulness of blood, and that has 
 brought on wantonness of spirit. When we have much of God's 
 providential mercies, it often happens that we have but little 
 of God's grace, and little gratitude for the bounties we have 
 received. We are full, and we forget G od : satisfied with earth, 
 we are content to do without heaven. Rest assured it is harder 
 to know how to be full than it is to know how to be hungrjfe — 
 60 desperate is the tendency of human nature to pride and for- 
 getfulness of God. Take care that you ask in your prayeri 
 that God would teach you " how to be full." 
 "Let not the gifts Thy love bestow* 
 Estrange our hcftrts from Thee," 
 4* 
 
43 DAILY HEADINGS. Feb. 11. 
 
 •' And they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jea^if." 
 Acts iv. 13. 
 
 1/^ CHRISTIAN should be a striking likeness of Jesus 
 f^ Christ. You have read lives of Christ, beautifully 
 and eloquently written ; but the best life of Christ is 
 His living biography, written out in the words and actions of 
 His people. If we were what we profess to be, and what we 
 should be, we should be pictures of Christ ; yea, such striking 
 likenesses of Him, that the world would not have to hold us up 
 by the hour together, and say, " Well, it seems somewhat of a 
 likeness ;" but they would, when they once beheld us, exclaim, 
 " He has been with Jesus ; he has been taught of Him ; he is 
 like Him ; he has caught the very idea of the holy Man of Naz- 
 areth, and he works it out in his life and every-day actions.' 
 A Christian should be like Christ in his boldness. Never blusb 
 to own your religion ; your profession will never disgrace 
 you : take care you never disgrace that. Be like Jesus — 
 very valiant for your Grod. Imitate Him in your loving spirit ; 
 think kindly, speak kindly, and do kindly, that men may say 
 of you, " He has been with Jesus." Imitate Jesus in His 
 holiness. Was He zealous for His Master ? So be you ; ever 
 go about doing good. Let not time be wasted : it is too 
 precious. Was He self-denying, never looking to His own 
 interest ? Be the same. Was He devout ? Be you fervent in 
 your prayers. Had He deference to His Father's will? So 
 submit yourselves to Him. Was He patient ? So learn to en- 
 dure. And best of all, as the highest portraiture of Jesus, try 
 to forgive your enemies, as He did ; and let those sublime words 
 of your Master, " Father, forgive them ; for they know not 
 what they do," always ring in your ears. Forgive, as you 
 hope to be forgiven. Heap coals of fire on the head of your 
 foe by your kindness to him. Good for evil, recollect, is god- 
 like. ]5e godlike, then ; and in all ways and by all means, fjg 
 live that all may say of you, " He has been with Jesus." 
 
Feb- 12. DAILY READINGS, 49 
 
 " For as the sufferings of Christ aboi nd in us, so our consolation 
 also aboundeth by Christ." — 2 Corinthians i. 5. 
 
 J)E11E is a blessed proportion. The Ruler of providenct 
 %j bears a pair of scales — in this side He puts His peo 
 pie's trials, and in that He puts their consolations 
 When the scale of trial is nearly empty, you will always find 
 the scale of consolation in nearly the s'lme condition ; and 
 when the scale of trials is full, you will find the scale of con^ 
 eolation just as heavy. When the black clouds gather most, 
 the light is the more brightly revealed to us. When the night 
 lowers and the tempest is coming on, the Heavenly Captain is 
 always closest to His crew. It is a blessed thing, that when 
 we are most cast down, then it h that we are most lifted up by 
 the consolations of the Spirit. One reason is, because triah 
 make more room for consolation . Great hearts can only be made 
 by great troubles. The sparse of trouble digs the reservoir of 
 comfort deeper, and makes more room for consolation. God 
 t omes into our heart — Ho finds it full — He begins to break 
 our comforts and to make it empty; then there is more roou. 
 for grace. The humbler a man lies, the more comfort he will 
 always have, becanso he will be more fitted to receive it. An- 
 other reason why we are often most happy in our troubles, is 
 this — then we have the closest dealings with God. When the 
 barn is full, man can live without God : when the purse is burst- 
 ing with gold, we try to do without so much prayer. But once 
 take our gourds away, and wr want our God; once cleanse the 
 idols ^ut of the house, then we are compelled to honor Je- 
 hovah. " Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, Lord." 
 There is no cry so good as that which comes from the bottom 
 of the mountains; no prayer half so hearty as that which comes 
 up from the depths of the soul, through deep trials and afflic- 
 tions. Hence they bring us to God, and we are happier ; fof 
 nearness to God i.s happiness. Come, troubled believer, fret 
 not over your heavy troubles, for they are the heralda of 
 weigii*/ jrercies. 
 
44 DAILY HEADINGS. Feb. 12. 
 
 'Behold, tchat manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, 
 that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world 
 knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are 
 we the sons of God." — 1 John Hi. 1, 2. 
 
 1^6EH0LD, what manner of love the Father hath be- 
 1^ stowed upon us. Consider who we were, and what 
 we feel ourselves to be even now when corruption is 
 powerful in us, and you will wonder at our adoption. Yet ive 
 are called " the sons of God.'' What a high relationship is that 
 of a son, and what privileges it brings ! What care and ten- 
 derness the son expects from his father, and what love the fa- 
 ther feels towards the son ! But all that, and more than that, 
 wc now have through Christ. As for the temporary drawback 
 of suflfering with the elder brother, this we accept as an honor : 
 " Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him 
 not." We are content to be unknown with Him in His hu- 
 miliation, for we are to be exalted with Him. '■'■Beloved, now 
 are we the sons of God." That is easy to read, but it is not 
 so easy to feel. How is it with your heart this morning ? Are 
 you in the lowest depths of sorrow ? Does corruption rise 
 within your spirit, and grace seem like a poor spark trampled 
 under foot ? Does your faith almost fail you ? Fear not, it 
 is neither your graces nor feelings on which you are to live : 
 you must live simply by faith on Christ. With all these 
 things against us, now — in the very depths of our sorrow, 
 wherever we may be — noiu, as much in the valley as on the 
 mountain, " Beloved, now are we the sons of God." " Ah, 
 but," you say, " see how I am arrayed ! my graces are not 
 bright ; my righteousness does not shine with apparent glory." 
 But read the next : "7f doth not yet appear what we shall be : 
 hut we know that, tvhen He shall appear, we shall be like Him." 
 The Holy Spirit shall purify our minds, and divine power 
 shall refine our bodies ; then shall we see Him as He it. 
 
Feb. 14. DAIXT REXDIXGS. 4 J 
 
 "And his allowance teas a continual allowance given him of t?U 
 
 king, a daily rate fur every day, all the days of his life." 
 
 2 Kings XXV. 30. 
 
 2;EH0IACHIM was not sent away from the king's pal- 
 >] ace with a store to last him for months, but his pro- 
 -^ vision was given him as a daily pension. Herein he 
 well pictures the happy position of all the Lord's people. A 
 daily portion is all that a man really xoants. We do not need 
 to-morrow's supplies — that day has not yet dawned, and its 
 wants are as yet unborn. The thirst which we may suffer in 
 the month of June does not need to be quenched in Febni- 
 ary, for we do not feel it yet ; if we have enough for each 
 day as the days arrive we shall never know want. Sufficient. 
 for the day is all that we can enjoy. We cannot eat or drink 
 or wear more than the day's supply of food and raiment ; the 
 surplus gives us the care of storing it, and the anxiety of 
 watching against a thief. One staff aids a traveller, but a 
 bundle of staves is a heavy burden. Enough is not only as 
 good as a feast, but is all that the veriest glutton can truly 
 enjoy. This is all that tee should expect ; a craving for more 
 than this is ungrateful. When our Father does not give us 
 more, we should be content with his daily allowance. Je- 
 hoiachim's case is ours ; we hav^ a sure portion, a portion 
 given us of the king, a gracious portion, and di, perpetual por- 
 tion. Here is surely ground for thankfulness. 
 
 Beloved Christian reader, in matters of grace you need a 
 daily supply. Yiu have no store of strength. Day by day 
 must you seek help from above. It is a very sweet assurance 
 that a daily portion is provided for you. In the word, through 
 the ministry, by meditation, in prayer, and waiting upon God 
 fou shall receive renewed strength. In Jesus all needful 
 things are laid up for you. Then enjoy your continual allow- 
 ance. Never go hungry while the daily bread of grace is ou 
 ihe table of oiercy. 
 
46 ©AILY HEADINGS. Feb 15. 
 
 " To Him he glory both now and forever." — 2 Peter iii. 18. 
 
 ^J^E AVEN will be full of the ceaseless praises of Jtsus. 
 ^'i Eternity ! thine unnumbered years shall speed «heir 
 everlasting course, but forever and forever, " to Hira 
 DC glory." Is He not a " Priest forever, after the order of 
 Melchisedek ? " " To Him be glory." Is He not King for- 
 ever ? — King of kings and Lord of lords, the everlai dng 
 Father ? " To Him be glory forever.'" Never shall Fis 
 praises cease. That which was bought with blood des^rv^s 
 to last while immortality endures. The glory of the cross 
 must never be eclipsed ; the lustre of the grave and of the 
 resurrection must never be dimmed. Jesus ! thou shalt 
 be praised forever. Long as immortal sj^irits live —long as 
 the Father's throne endures — forever, forever, unto Thee 
 shall be glory. Believer, you are anticipating the time whep 
 you shall join the saints above in ascribing all glory to Jesus ; 
 but are you glorifying Him noiu 9 The apostle's words are, 
 " To Him be glory both noio and forever." Will you not this 
 day make it your prayer ? " Lord, help me to glorify Thee. 
 I am poor ; help me to glorify Thee by contentment. I am 
 sick ; help me to give Thee honor by patience. I have talents ; 
 help me to extol Thee by spending them for Thee. I have 
 time ; Lord, help me to redeem it, that I may serve Thee. I 
 have a heart to feel ; Lord, let that heart feel no love but 
 Thine, and glow with no flame but affection for Thee. I have 
 a head to think ; Lord, help me to think of Thee and/or Thee. 
 Thou hast put me in this world for something ; Lord, show me 
 what that is, and help me to work out my life-purpose. I 
 cannot do much ; but as the widow put in her two mites, 
 which were all her living, so. Lord, I cast my time and eter- 
 nity too into Thy treasury. I am all Thine ; take me, and 
 enable me to glorify Thee now, in all that I say, in all thai 
 I do, and with all that I have." 
 
Feb. 16. DAILY HEADINGS. 47 
 
 "7 have learned, in whatsoever stale I am, therewith to be content." 
 Philippians iv. 11. 
 
 ^**i*^jHESE words show us that coutentmcnt is not a natural 
 v'LL-jy propensity of man. "Ill weeds grow apace." Gov* 
 ^***'^ etousness, discontent, and murmuring, are. as natural 
 to man as thorns are to the soil. We need not sow thistles and 
 brambles ; they come up naturally enough, because they are 
 indigenous to earth : and so, we need not leach men to com- 
 plain ; they complain fast enough without any education. But 
 the precious things of the earth must be cultivated. If we 
 would have wheat, we must plough and sow ; if we want flowers, 
 there must be the garden, and all the gardener's care. Now, 
 contentment is one of the flowers of heaven, and if we would 
 have it, it must be cultivated ; it will not grow in us by na- 
 ture ; it is the new nature alone that can produce it, and evec 
 then we must be specially careful and watchful that we main- 
 tain and cultivate the grace which God has sown in us. Paxil 
 gays, " I have learned . . to be content ; " as much as to 
 say, he did not know how at one time. It cost him some pains 
 to attain to the mystery of that great truth. No doubt he 
 sometimes thought he had learned, and then broke down. 
 And when at last he had attained unto it, and could say, " 1 
 have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be con- 
 tent," he was an old, gray-headed man, upon the borders of 
 the grave — a poor prisoner shut up in Nero's dungeon at 
 Rome. We might well be willing to endure Paul's infirmities, 
 and share the cold dungeon with him, if we too might by 
 any means attain unto his good degree. Do not indulge' the 
 notion that you can be contented without learning, or learn 
 without discipline. It is not a power that may bu exercised 
 naturally, but a science to be ajquired gradually. We know 
 this fro«j experience. Brother, hush that murn ux, natural 
 though it be, and continue a diligent pupil in thf 'Allege of 
 Content. 
 
48 DAILY HEADINGS, !^eb» \t. 
 
 "Isaac dwelt by the well LaJiai-roi." — Genesis xxv. 11. 
 
 ^lAGrAR had once found deliverance there, and [shmael 
 k'j had drank from the water so graciously revealed bj 
 the God who liveth and soeth tl e sons of men ; but 
 this was a-merely casual visit, such as worldlings pay to the 
 Lord in times of need, when it serves their turn. They cry 
 to Him in trouble, but forsake Him in prosperity. Isaac 
 dwelt there, and made the well of the living and all-seeing 
 God his constant source of supply. The usual tenor of a 
 man's life, the dwelling of his soul, is the true test of his 
 state. Perhaps the providential visitation experienced by 
 Hagar struck Isaac's mind, and led him to revere the place ; 
 its mystical name endeared it to him ; his frequent musings 
 by its brim at eventide made him familiar with the well ; his 
 meeting Rebecca there had made his spirit feel at home near 
 the spot ; but best of all, the fact that he there enjoyed fel- 
 lowship with the living God, had made him select that hal- 
 lowed ground for his dwelling. Let us learn to live in the 
 presence of the living God ; let us pray the Holy Spirit that 
 this day, and every other day, we may feel, " Thou God 
 seest me," May the Lord Jehovah be as a well to us, de- 
 lightful, comforting, unfailing, springing up unto eternal life. 
 The bottle of the creature cracks and dries up, but the well of 
 the Creator never fails ; happy is he who dwells at the well, 
 and so has abundant and constant supplies near at hand. The 
 Lord has been a sure helper to others : His name is Shaddai, 
 G od All-sufficient ; our hearts have often had most delightful 
 intercourse with Him ; through Him our soul has found her 
 glorious Husband, the Lord Jesus ; and in Him this day we 
 live, and move, and have our being ; let us, then, dwell in 
 closest fellowship with Him. Glorious Lord, constrain ua 
 that we ma}- never leave Thee, but dwell by the well of the 
 living God. 
 
\^eh. 18. DAtLV llEADtNOS. 49 
 
 "Show me tcherefore thoti contendcst with me.'' — Job x. 2. 
 
 ^ERHAPS, tried soul, the Lord is doing this to 
 || develop thy graces. There are some of thy graces 
 which would never be discovered if it were not for 
 thy trials. Dost thou not know that thy faith never looks 
 BO grand in summer weather as it does in winter ? Love is 
 tio often like a glow-worm, showing but little light except 
 it be in the midst of surrounding darkness. Hope itself is 
 like a star — not to be seen in the sunshine of prosperity, 
 and only to be discovered in the night of adversity. Afflic- 
 tions are often the black foils in which God doth set the 
 jewels of His children's graces, to make them shine the better. 
 It was but a little while ago that, on thy knees, thou wast 
 saying, " Lord, I fear I have no faith : let me know that I 
 have faith." Was not this really, though perhaps uncon- 
 sciously, praying for trials ? — for how canst thou know that 
 thou hast faith until thy faith is exercised ? Depend upon it, 
 God often sends us trials that our graces may h-e discovered, 
 and that we may be certified of their existence. Besides, it 
 is not merely discovery ; real growth in grace is the result of 
 sanctified trials. God often takes away our comforts and our 
 privileges in order to make us better Christians. He trains 
 His soldiers, not in tents of ease and luxury, but by turning 
 them out and using them to forced marches and hard service. 
 He makes them ford through streams, and swim through rivers, 
 and climb mountains, and walk many a long mile with heavy 
 knapsacks of sorrow on their backs. Well, Christian, may 
 not this account for the troubles through which thou art passing ? 
 Is not the Lord bringing out your graces, and making them 
 grow ? Is not this the reason why He is contending with you ? 
 
 " Trials make the promise sweet ; 
 Trials give new life to prayer ; 
 Trials bring me to His feet, 
 
 Lay me low, and keep me there," 
 
 5 
 
5d DAILY READINGS. jPeb. .I>. 
 
 " llms saitJi the Lord God: I icill yet for this be inquired of by 
 the house of Israel, to do it for themy — Ezek. xxxvi. 37. 
 
 ^RAYER is the forerunner of mercy. Turn to sacred 
 history, and you will find that scarcely ever did a 
 great mercy come to this world unheralded by sup- 
 plication. You have found this true in your own personal 
 experience. God has given you many an unsolicited favor, 
 but still great prayer has always been the prelude of great 
 Tuercy with you. When you first found peace through the 
 blood of the cross, you had been praying much, and earnestly 
 interceding with God that He would remove your doubts, and 
 deliver you from your distresses. Your assurance was the re- 
 sult of prayer. When at any time you have had high and rap- 
 turous joys, you have been obliged to look upon them as an- 
 swers to your prayers. When you have had great deliverances 
 out of sore troubles, and mighty helps in great dangers, you 
 have been able to say, " I sought the Lord, and He heard me, 
 and delivered me from all my fear's." Prayer is always the 
 preface to blessing. It goes before the blessing as the blessing's 
 shadow. When the sunlight of God's mercies rises upon our 
 necessities, it casts the shadow of prayer far down upon the 
 plain. Or, to use another illustration, when God piles up a 
 hill of mercies. He Himself shines behind them, and He casts 
 on our spirits the shadow of prayer, so that we may rest cer- 
 tain, if we are much in prayer, our pleadings are the shadows of 
 mercy. Prayer is thus connected with the blessing to show us 
 the value of it. If we had the blessings without asking for 
 them, we should think them common things ; but prayer makes 
 our mercies more precious than diamonds. The things we ask 
 for are precious, but we do not realize their preciousness until 
 W2 have sought for them earnestly. 
 
 " Prayer makes the darkened cloud withdraw; 
 
 Praj'er climbs the ladder Jacob saw; 
 
 Gives exercise to faith and love ; 
 
 Brings every blessing from above." 
 
Feb. 20. bAILY READINGS. 51 
 
 " Ood, that comforteth those that are cast down." — 2 Cor. vii. 6. 
 
 ■^ND who comforteth like Him ? Go to some poor, 
 I ^^ melancholy, distressed child of God : tell him sweet 
 promises, and whisper in his ear choice words of com- 
 fort : he is like the deaf adder ; lie listens not to the voice of 
 the charmer, charm he never so wisely. lie is drinking gall 
 and wormwood, and comfort him as you may, it will be only 
 a note or two of mournful resignation that you will get from 
 him ; you will bring forth no psalms of praise, no hallclujalis, 
 no joyful sonnets. But let God come to His child, let Hin 
 lift up his countenance, and the mourner's eyes glisten with 
 hope. Do you not hear him sing — 
 
 " 'Tis paradise, if Thou art here ; 
 If Thou depart, 'tis hell" ? 
 
 You could not have cheered him : but the Lord has done it; 
 " He is the God of all comfort." There is no balm in Gilead, 
 but there is balm in God. There is no physician among the 
 creatures, but the Creator is Johovaa-roplii. It is marvel- 
 lous how one sweet word of God will make whole songs for 
 Christians. One word of God is like a piece of gold, and 
 the Christian is the goldbeater, and can hammer that promise 
 out for whole weeks. So, then, poor Christian, thou needest 
 not sit down in despair. Go to the Comforter, and ask Him 
 to give thee consolation. Thou art a poor dry well. You 
 have heard it said, that when a pump is dry, you must pour 
 water down it first of all, and then you will get water ; and 
 so. Christian, when thou art dry, go to God, ask Him to shed 
 abroad His joy in thy heart, and then thy joy shall be full. 
 Do not go to earthly acquaintances, for you will find them 
 Job's comforters after all; but go first and foremost to thy 
 " God, that comforteth those that are cast down," and you 
 will soon say, " In the multitude of my thoughts within m* 
 Thy comforts delight my soul." 
 
59 DAILY READINGS. Feb. 21. 
 
 "He hath said." — Hebrews xiii. 5. 
 
 ^^F we can only grasp these words by faith, we have an 
 ^ all-conquering weapon in our hand. What doubt will 
 .not be slain by this two-edged sword? What fear 
 is there which shall not fall smitten with a deadly wound be- 
 fore this arrow from the bow of God's covenant ? W ill not 
 the distresses of life, and the pangs of death ; will not the 
 corruptions within, and the snares without ; will not the trials 
 from above, and the temptations from beneath, all seem but 
 jght afflictions, when we can hide ourselves beneath the bul- 
 wark of " He hath said " ? Yes ; whether for delight in our 
 quietude, or for strength in our conflict, "He hath said" 
 must be our daily resort. And this may teach us the ex- 
 treme value of searcliing the Scriptures. There may be a 
 promise in the Word which would exactly fit your case, but 
 you may not know of it, and therefore you miss its comfort. ■ 
 You are like prisoners in a dungeon, and there may be one 
 key in the bunch which would unlock the door, and you 
 might be free ; but if you will not look for it, you may remain 
 a prisoner still, though liberty is so near at hand. There 
 may be a potent medicine in the great pharmacopoeia of 
 Scripture, and you may yet continue sick unless you will ex- 
 amine and search the Scriptures to discover what " He hath 
 said." Should you not, besides reading the Bible, store your 
 memories richly with the promises of God ? You can recol- 
 lect the sayings of great men ; you treasure up the vei ses of 
 renowned poets ; ought you not to be profound in your 
 knowledge of the words of God, so that you may be able to 
 quote them readily when you would solve a difficulty, or over- 
 throw a doubt: Since " He hath said," is the source of all 
 wisdom, and the fountain of all comfort, let it dwell in you 
 richly as " a well of water, springing up into everlasting 
 life." So shall you grow healthy, strong, and happy in th« 
 divine life. 
 
Feb. 2^. T>A1T.Y KEADiNGS. 5S 
 
 ** Ilis bow abode in str^nfn^, and the amis of his hands were made 
 atrong by the haiu^-f oj the vii<(hty God of Jacob." — Gen. xlix. 24. 
 
 '^HAT strcn/rth which God gives to His Josephs is 
 
 f(!v rea/ strength • ^t is not a boasted valor, a ^.ction, a 
 thing of Tf'hith men talk, but which ends in smoke ; it 
 is irue — divint strength. Why does Joseph stand against 
 temptation ? Because God gi\cs him aid. There is nought 
 that we can do without the power of God. All true strength 
 comes from " the mighty God of Jacob." Notice in what a 
 blessedly familiar tvay God gives this strength to Joseph — 
 " The arm? of his hands were made strong by the hands of the 
 mighty God of Jacob." Thus God is represented as putting 
 His hands on Joseph's hands, placing His arms on Joseph's 
 arms. Like as a father teaches his children, so the Lord 
 teaches them that fear Plim. He pui3 Hi 5 arms upon them. 
 Marvellous condescension ! God Al;:<iigiiiy, Eternal, Omnipo- 
 tent, stoops from His throne and ^ays His hand upon the 
 child's hand, stretching His arm upon tho a.*m of Joseph, that 
 he may be made strong ! This strength was also covenant 
 strength, for it is ascribed to " the mightj Ood of Jacob." 
 Now, wherever you read of the God of Jacob in the Bible, you 
 should remember the covenant with Jacob. Chrisiians love 
 to think of God's covenant. All the power, all th« giace, all 
 the blessings, all the mercies, all the comforts, aU the things 
 we have, flow to us from the well-head, through the cnv<2aant. 
 If there were no covenant, then we shoidd fail indeed; lor 
 all grace proceeds from it, as light and heat from the sur.. 
 No angels ascend or descend, save upon that ladder whic^ 
 Jacob saw, at the top of which stood a covenant God 
 Christian, it may be that the archers have sorely grieved you 
 and shot at you, and wounded you, but still your bow abidoi 
 in strength ; be sure, then, to ascribe all the glory to Jacob'i 
 God. 
 

 S4 bAiJLY HEADINGS. Feb. 2^. 
 
 " / will never leave thee." — Hebrews xiii. 5. 
 
 ^0 promise is of private interpretation. Whatever 
 God has said to any one saint, He has said to all. 
 When He opens a well for one, it is that all maj 
 drink. When He openeth a granary-door to give out food, 
 there may be some one starving man who is the occasion of 
 hs being opened, but all hungry saints may come and feed 
 too. Whether He gave the word to Abraham or to Moses, 
 matters not, believer ; He has given it to thee as one of 
 the covenanted seed. There is not a high blessing too 
 lofty for thee, nor a wide mercy too extensive for thee. 
 Lift up now thine eyes to the north and to the south, to the 
 east and to the west, for all this is thine. Climb to Pisgah's 
 top. and view the utmost limit of the divine promise, for the 
 land is all thine own. There is not a brook of living water 
 of which thou mayst not drink. If the land floweth with 
 milk and honey, eat the honey and drink the milk, for both 
 are thine. Be thou bold to believe, for He hath said, " I 
 will never leave thee, nor forsake i/ise." ' In this promise, 
 God gives to His people everything, "/will never leave thee." 
 Then no attribute of God can cease to be engaged for us. Is 
 He mighty ? He will show Himself strong on the behalf of 
 them that trust Ilim. Is He love ? Then with loving kind- 
 ness wi)l He have mercy upon us. Whatever attributes may 
 compnr.e the cJiai'aoter of Deity, every one of them to ita 
 fuJJost extent shall be engaged on our side. To put every- 
 thi'jg in one, there is nothing you can want, there is nothing 
 you can ask for, tli<n-e is nothing you can need in time or in 
 etoraity, there is nothing living, nothing dying, there is noth- 
 ing in this world, nothing in the next world, there is noth- 
 ing now, nothing at the resurrection-morning, nothing ic 
 heaven which is not contained in this text — " I will nevej 
 ieave thee, nor forsake thee.*^' 
 
h'eh. 24. DAli.v tir-AMNt**. if 
 
 " I will cause the shower (<> come dovm in his spascn- there ahaV 
 he showers of blc.ssiii;/." — Ezekiel xxxiv. 2P 
 
 ^'^'EKE is sovereign mercy — "I will give them tb© 
 8ho\vcr in its season." Is it not sovereign, divine 
 mercy ? — for who can say, " I will give them showers," 
 except God ? There is only one voice which can speak to the 
 clouds, and bid them beget the rain. Who sendeth down the 
 rain upon the earth ? Who scattereth the showers upon the 
 green herb ? Do not T, the Lord ? So grace is the gift of 
 God, and is not to be created by man. It is also needed 
 grace. What would the ground do without showers ? You 
 may break the clods, you may sow 30ur seeds, but what can 
 you do without the rain ? As absolutely needful is the divin* 
 blessing. In vain you labor, until God the plenteous showej 
 bestows, and sends salvation down. Then, it is plenteous grace 
 " I will send them showers." It does not say, " I will send 
 them drops," but " showers." So it is with grace. If God 
 gives a blessing. He usually gives it in such a measure that 
 there is not room enough to receive it. Plenteous grace ! 
 Ah I we want plenteous grace to keep us humble, to make us 
 prayerful, to make ns holy ; plenteous grace to make us zeal- 
 ous, to preserve us through this life, and at last to land us in 
 heaven. We cannot do without saturating showers of grace. 
 Again, it is seasonable grace. " I will cause the shower to come 
 down in his season.'' AVhat is thy season this morning ? Is it 
 the season of drought ? Then that is the seaiwu for showers. 
 Is H a season of great heaviness and black clouds ? Then that 
 is the season for showers. " As thy day, so shall thy strength 
 be." And here is a varied blessing. " I will give thee showers 
 of blessing." Tbe word is in the plural. All kinds of blessingiJ 
 God will send. All God's blessings go together, like links in 
 a golden chain. If He gives converting grace, He will also 
 give comforbing grace. He will send " showers of blessing." 
 Look up to-day, parched plant, and open thy leaves and 
 flowers for a heavenly watering. 
 
56 t>AtL^ kEAbiKGi^. V>ib. 25. 
 
 " The wrath to come." — Matthew iii. 7. 
 
 'X^T is pleasant to pass over a country after a siarm has 
 spent itself; to smell the freshness of the herbs after 
 the rain has passed away, and to note the drcps while 
 they glisten like purest diamonds in the sunlight. That :s Ihe 
 position of a Christian. He is going through a land v.here 
 the storm has spent itself upon his Saviour's head, v^d if 
 there be a few drops of sorrow falling, they distil fro'..^ clouds 
 of mercy, and Jesus cheers him by the assurance thai ihey are 
 not for his destruction. But how terrible is it to wicnes? the 
 approach of a tempest ; to note the forewarnings of t/ie storii ; 
 to mark the birds of heaven as they droop their wings ; to see 
 the cattle as they lay their heads low in terror ; to t iscern the 
 face of the sky as it groweth black, and look to the sun which 
 shineth not, and the heavens which are angry and frowning ! 
 How terrible to await the dread advance of a hurries ne — such 
 as occurs, sometimes, in the tropics — to wait in terrible ap • 
 prehension till the wind shall rush forth in fury, tearing up 
 trees from their roots, forcing rocks from their pedestals, and 
 hurling down all the dwelling-places of man ! And yet, sin- 
 ner, this is your present position. No hot drops have as yet 
 fallen, but a shower of fire is coming. No terrible winds 
 howl around you, but God's tempest is gathering its dread 
 artillery. As yet the water-floocfe are dammed up by mercy, 
 but the flood-gates shall soon be opened ; the thunderbolts 
 of God are yet in His storehouse, but lo ! the tempest hastens, 
 and how awful shall that moment be when God, robed in 
 vengeance, shall march forth in fury ! Where, where, where, 
 sinner, wilt thou hide thy head, or whither wilt thou flee ? 
 that the hand of mercy may now lead you to Christ ! He 
 is freely sot before you in the gospel : His riven side is the 
 rock of shelter. Thou knowest thy need of Him ; believe in 
 Him, east thyself upon Him, and then the fury shall be over* 
 past forever. 
 
feh. 26 DAILY READli*08. It 
 
 "Salvatioii is of the Lord." — Jonah ii. 9. 
 
 R^iiif^ALVATION is the work of God. Ii is He alone who 
 ^i^lj!^ quickens the soul " dead in trespasses and sins," and 
 **^-^ it is He also who maintains the soul in its spiritual 
 life. He is both "Alpha and Omega." " Salvation is of the 
 Lord." If I am prayerful, God makes me prayerful; if I 
 have graces, they are God's gift to me ; if 1 hold on in a con- 
 eistwit life, it is because He upholds me with His hand. I do 
 nothing whatever towards my own preservation, except what 
 God himself first does in me. Whatever I have, all my good- 
 ness, is of the Lord alone. Wherein I sin, that is my own ; 
 but wherein T act rightly, that is of God, wholly and com- 
 pletely. If I have rcpuls;ed a spiritual enemy, the Lord's 
 strength nerved my arm. Do I live before men a consecrated 
 life ? It is not I, but Christ who liveth in me. Am I sanc- 
 tified ? I did not cleanse myself: God's Holy Spirit sanctifies 
 me. Am I weaned from the world ? I am weaned by GocTs 
 chastisements sanctified to my good. Do I grow in knowl- 
 edge ? The great Instructor teaches me. All my jewels 
 were fashioned by heavenly art. I find in God all that I 
 want; but I find in myself nothing but sin and misery. "He 
 only is my rock and my salvation." Do I feed on the Word? 
 That Word would be no food for me unless the Lord made 
 it food for my soul, and helped me to feed upon it. Do I 
 live on the manna which comes down from heaven ? What 
 is that manna but Jesus Christ himself incarnate, whose body 
 and whose blood I eat and drink ? Am I continually re- 
 ceiving fresh increase of strength ? Where do I gather my 
 might ? My help cometh from heaven's hills : without Jesus 
 I can do nothing. As a branch cannot bring forth fruit ex- 
 cept it abide in the vine, no more can I, except I abide in 
 Him. What Jonah learned in the great deep, let me leanj 
 this morning in my closet : " Salvation is of the Lord." 
 
58 bAiLY READINGS. Veh. 21 
 
 "Thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most 
 High, thy habitation." — Psalm xci. 9. 
 
 [*«J^HE Israelites in the wilderness ivere continually ex- 
 }k* 2)osed to change. Whenever the pillar stayed its 
 motion, the tents were pitched ; but to-morrow, ere 
 the morning sun had risen, the trumpet sounded, the ark 
 was in motion, and the fiery, cloudy pillar was leading the 
 way through the narrow defiles of the mountain, up the hill- 
 side, or along the arid waste of the wilderness. They had 
 scarcely time to rest a little before they heard the sound of 
 "Away ! this is not your rest ; you must still be onward 
 journeying towards Canaan ! " They were never long in 
 one place. Even wells and palm trees could not detain 
 them. Yet they had an abiding home in their God ; His 
 cloudy prllar was their roof-tree, and its flame by night their 
 household fire. They must go onward from place to place, 
 continually changing, never having time to settle, and to 
 say, " Now we are secure ; in this place we shall dwell." 
 " Yet," says Moses, " though we are always changing, Lord, 
 thou hast been our dwelling-place throughout all genera- 
 tions." The Christian knows no change with regard to 
 God. He may be rich to-day and poor to-morrow ; he may 
 be sickly to-day and well to-morrow ; he may be in happi- 
 ness to-day, to-morrow he may be distressed — but there is 
 no change with regard to his relationship to God. If He 
 loved me yesterday, He loves me to-day. My unmoving 
 mansion of rest is my blessed Lord. Let prospects be 
 blighted; let hopes be blasted; let joy be withered; let 
 mildews destroy everything ; I have lost nothing of what I 
 have in God. He is " my strong habitation whereunto I can 
 continually resort." I am a pilgrim in the world, but at 
 home in my God. In the earth I wander, but in God I 
 dwell in a quiet habitation. 
 
Feb. 28. Daily headings. M 
 
 " My expectation is from Ilim." — Psalm Ixii. 5. 
 
 ^Q^'I^T is the believer's privilege to use this language. If 
 iviv^l 'i>| he is looking for aught from the world, it is a poor 
 y/?»Rky "expectation" indeed. But if he looks to God for 
 the supply of his wants, ^vhcther in temporal or spiritual 
 blessings, his " expectation" will not be a vain one. Con- 
 Btantly he may draw from the bank of faith, and get his 
 need supplied out of the riches of God's loving kindness. 
 This I know, I had rather have God for my banker tlian all 
 the Rothschilds. My Lord never fails to honor His promises; 
 and when we bring them to His throne, He never sends 
 them back unanswered. Therefore I will wait only at His 
 door, for He ever opens it with the hand of munificent grace. 
 At this hour I will try Him anew. But we have " expecta- 
 tions" beyond this life. We shall die soon; and then our 
 " expectation is from Him." Do we not expect that when 
 we lie upon the bed of sickness He will send angels to carry 
 us to His bosom ? We believe that when the pulse is faint, 
 and the heart heaves heavily, some angelic messenger shall 
 stand and look with loving eyes upon us, and whisper, " Sis- 
 ter spirit, come away ! " As we approach the heavenly gate, 
 we expect to hear the welcome invitation, " Come, ye blessed 
 of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the 
 foundation of the world." We are expecting harps of gold 
 and crowns of glory ; we are hoping soon to be amongst the 
 multitude of shining ones before the throne ; we are looking 
 forward and longing for the time when we shall be like our 
 glorious Lord — for "we shall see Him as He is." Then if 
 these be thine " expectations," my soul, live for God ; 
 live with the desire and resolve to glorify Him from whom 
 Cometh all thy supplies, and of whose grace in thy election, 
 redemption, and calling, it is that thou hast any " expecta. 
 lion " of coming glorj. 
 
60 Diifi EEADtifdS. Feb. 2d. 
 
 " Wiih loving kindness have I drawn thee." — Jer, xxxi. 3. 
 
 fHE thunders of the law and the terrors of judgment 
 are all used to bring us to Christ ; but the final vic- 
 tory is effected by loving kindness. The prodigal set 
 out to his father's house from a sense of need ; but his father 
 gaw him a great way off, and ran to meet him ; so that the last 
 steps he took towards his father's house were with the kiss still 
 warm upon his cheek, and the welcome still musical in his ears. 
 
 " Law and terrors do but harden 
 All the while they work alone ; 
 But a sense of blood-bought pardon 
 Will dissolve a heart of stone." 
 
 The Master came one night to the door, and knocked with 
 the iron hand of the law ; the door shook and trembled upon 
 its hinges ; but the man piled every piece of furniture which 
 he could find against the door, for he said, " I will not ad- 
 mit the man." The Master turned away, but by-and-by He 
 came back, and with His own soft hand, using most that 
 part where the nail had penetrated, he knocked again — oh, 
 so softly and tenderly. This time the door did not shake, 
 but, strange to say, it opened, and there upon his knees the 
 once unwilling host was found rejoicing to receive his guest. 
 " Come in, come in ; thou hast so knocked that my bowels 
 are moved for thee. I could not think of thy pierced hand 
 leaving its blood-mark on my door, and of thy going away 
 houseless, ' Thy head filled with dew, and thy locks with the 
 drops of the night.' I yield, I yield. Thy love has won my 
 heart." So in every case : loving kindness wins the day. 
 What Moses with the tablets of stone could never do, Christ 
 does with His pierced hand. Such is the doctrine of effectual 
 calling. Do I understand it experimentally ? Can I say, " He 
 drew me, and I followed on, glad to confess the voice divine " ? 
 If so, may He continue to draw me, till at last I shall sit 
 down at the marriage supper of the Lamb. 
 
March 1. daily readings. il 
 
 'Awake, north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my gar. 
 den, that the spices thereof may Jlow out." — Canticles iv. 1(5. 
 
 r^NY THING is better than the dead calm of indilfcr- 
 ence. Our souls may wisely desire the north wind 
 of trouble if that alone can be sanctified to the draw- 
 ing forth of the perfume of our graces. So long as it cannot 
 be said, " The Lord was not in the wind," we will not shrink 
 from the most wintry blast that ever blew upon plants of 
 grace. Did not the s])Ouse in this verse humbly submit her- 
 self to the reproofs of her Beloved ; only entreating Ilira to 
 send forth His grace in some form, and making no stipulation 
 as to the peculiar manner in which it should come ? Did not 
 she, like ourselves, become so utterly weary of deadness and 
 unholy calm that she sighed for any visitation which would 
 brace her to action ? Yet she desires the warm south wind 
 of comfort, too, the smiles of divine love, the joy of the Re- 
 deemer's presence ; these are often mightily eflfectual to arouse 
 our sluggish life. She desires either one or the other, or 
 both ; so that she may but be able to delight her Beloved 
 with the spices of her garden. She cannot endure to be un- 
 profitable, nor can we. How cheering a thought that Jesus 
 can find comfort in our poor feeble graces ! Can it be ? It 
 seems far too good to be true. Well may we court trial, or 
 even death itself, if we shall thereby be aided to make glad 
 Inimanuel's heart. that our heart were crushed to atoms, 
 if only by such bruising our sweet Lord Jesus could be glori- 
 fied ! Graces unexercised are as sweet perfumes slumbering 
 in the cups of the flowers : the wisdom of the great Husband- 
 man overrules diverse and opposite causes to produce the 
 one desired result, and makes both aflliction and consolation 
 draw forth the grateful odors of faith, love, patience, hope, 
 resignation, jo}', and the other fair flowers of the gardeo 
 Mar we know by sweet experience what this means ! 
 6 
 
63 DAILY READINGS. Marcb 3. 
 
 "But all the Israelites ivent down to the Philistines, to sharpen 
 evei-y man his share, and his colter, and his axe, and his mat- 
 tock." — 1 Samuel xiii. 20. 
 
 ^^[Fi|^E are engaged in a great war with the Philistines of 
 m(}\ilj evil. Every weapon within our reach must he used. 
 ^*'*^^ Preaching, teaching, praying, giving, all must be 
 brought into action, and talents which have been thought too 
 mean for service must now be employed. Colter, and axe, 
 and mattock, may all be useful in slaying Philistines : rough 
 tools may deal hard blows, and killing need not be elegantly 
 done, so long as it is done eiFectually. Each moment of time, 
 in season or out of season ; each fragment of ability, educated 
 or untutored ; each opportunity, favorable or unfavorable, 
 must be used, for our foes are many and our force but slender. 
 Most of our tools want sharpening ; we need quickness of 
 perception, tact, energy, promptness ; in a word, complete 
 adaptation for the Lord's work. Practical common sense is 
 a very scarce thing among the conductors of Christian enter- 
 prises. We might learn from our enemies if we would, and 
 so make the Philistines sharpen our %veapons. This morning 
 let us note enough to sharpen our zeal during this day by the 
 aid of the Holy Spirit. See the energy of the Papists, how 
 they compass sea and land to make one proselyte ! are they 
 to monopolize all the earnestness ? Mark the heathen devo- 
 tees, what tortures they endure in the service of their idols ! 
 are they alone to exhibit patience and self-sacrifice ? Ob- 
 serve the prince of darkness, how persevering in his endeav- 
 ors, how unabashed in his attempts, how daring in his plans, 
 how thoughtful in his plots, how energetic in all ! The devils 
 are united as one man in their infamous rebellion, while we 
 believers in Jesus are divided in our service of God, and 
 scarcely ever work with unanimity. that from Satan's 
 infernal industry we may learn to go about like good Samari* 
 tans, seeking whom we may bless! 
 
March 3. daily niiADixcs. 69 
 
 " I have cJtosen thee in the furnace of affliction." — Is. xlviii. 10. 
 
 fV;pi.^pMFOET thyself, tried believer, with this thought: 
 ^1 .f v| God saith, " I have chosen thee in the furnace of 
 ^^^'^^ affliction." Docs not the word come like a soft 
 shower, assuaging the fury of the flame ? Yea, is it not an 
 asbestos armor, against which the heat hath no power ? Let 
 affliction come — God has chosen me. Poverty, thou mayst 
 stride in at my door, but God is in the house already, and 
 He has chosen me. Sickness, thou mayst intrude, but I 
 have a balsam ready — God has chosen me. Whatever be- 
 falls me in this vale of tears, I know that He has " chosen " 
 me. If, believer, thou requirest still greater comfort, re- 
 member ihat you have the Son of Man with you in the furnace. 
 In that >vilont chamber of yours, there sittcth by your side 
 One whom thou hast not seen, but whom thou lovest ; and 
 ofttimes when thou knowest it not, lie makes all thy bed in 
 thy affliction, and smooths thy pillow for thee. Thou art in 
 poverty ; but in that lonely house of thine the Lord of life 
 and glory is a frequent visitor. He loves to come into these 
 desolate places, that He may visit thee. Thy friend stick? 
 closely to thee. Thou canst not see Him, but thou mayst 
 feel the pressure of His hands. Dost thou not hear Ilis 
 voice ? Even in the valley of the shadow of death He says, 
 " Fear not, I am with thee ; be not dismayed, for I am thy 
 God." Remember that noble speech of Caesar : " Fear not, 
 thou carriest Ca?sar and all his fortune." Fear not. Christian; 
 Jesus is with thee. In all thy fiery trials. His presence is 
 both thy coufort and safety. He will never leave one whom 
 He has chosen for His own. " Fear not, for I am with thee," 
 is His sure word of promise to His chosen ones in the " fur- 
 nace of affliction." Wilt thou not, then, take fast hold of 
 Christ, and say, — 
 
 " Through floods and flames, if Jesus le%i, 
 I'll folkw where he goes " ? 
 
64 DAILY HEADINGS. March 4. 
 
 "My grace is sufficient /or thee." — 2 Corinthians xii. 9. 
 
 c^^^/fF none of God's saints were poor and tried, we should 
 y^A "0 not know half so well the consolations of divine grace. 
 y.^^,^ When we find the wanderer who has not where to lay 
 his head, who yet can say, " Still will I trust in the Lord ; " 
 when we see the pauper starving on bread and water, who 
 still glories in Jesus ; when we see the bereaved widow over- 
 whelmed in affliction, and yet having faith in Christ, oh, what 
 honor it reflects on the gospel ! God's grace is illustrated 
 and magnified in the poverty and trials of believers. Saints 
 bear up under every discouragement, believing that all things 
 work together for their good, and that out of apparent evils 
 a real blessing shall ultimately spring — that their God will 
 either work a deliverance for them speedily, or most assur- 
 edly support them in the trouble, as long as He is pleased 
 to keep them in it. This patience of the saints proves the 
 power of divine grace. There is a lighthouse out. at sea: it 
 is a calm night — I cannot tell whether the edifice is firm; 
 the tempests must rage about it, and then I shall know 
 whether it will stand. So with the Spirit's work : if it were 
 not on many occasions surrounded with tempestuous waters, 
 we should not know that it was true and strong ; if the winds 
 did not blow upon it, we should not know how firm and se- 
 cure it was. The master-works of God are those men who 
 stand in the midst of difficulties, steadfast, unmovable, — 
 
 " Calm 'mid the bewildering cry, 
 Confident of victory." 
 
 Ele who would glorify his God must set his account upon 
 meeting with many trials. No man can be illustrious before 
 the Lord unless his conflicts be many. If, then, yours be a 
 n\uch-tried path, rejoice in it, because you will the better show 
 forth the all-sufficient grace of God. As for His failing you, 
 never dream of it — hate the thought. The God who has 
 beeo suflacieut until now should be trusted to the end. 
 
March 5. daily readings. M 
 
 "Let us not sleep, as do others." — 1 Thcssalonians v. 6. 
 
 ^^i^^nERE are many ways of promoting Christian wake- 
 1^ fulness. Among the rest, let me strongly advise 
 Christians to converse togctner concerning the waya 
 of the Lord. Christian and Hopeful, as they journeyed to- 
 wards the Celestial City, said to themselves, " To prevent 
 drowsiness in this place, let us fall into good discourse." 
 Christian inquired, "Brother, where shall we begin?" And 
 Hopeful answered, " Where God began with us " Then 
 Christian sang this song — 
 
 " When saints do sleepy grow, let them come hither, 
 And hear how these two pilgrims talk together; 
 Yea, let them learn of them, in any wise, 
 Thus to keep ope their drowsy, slumbering eyes. 
 Saints' fellowship, if it be managed well. 
 Keeps them awake, and that in spite of hell." 
 
 Christians who isolate themselves and walk alone, are very 
 liable to grow drowsy. Hold Christian company, and you will 
 be kept wakeful by it, and refreshed and encouraged to make 
 quicker progress in the road to heaven. But as you thua 
 take "sweet counsel" with others in the ways of God, take 
 care that the theme of your converse is your Lord Jesus. 
 Let the eye of faith be constantly looking unto Him ; let your 
 heart be full of Him ; let your lips speak of His worth. 
 Friend, live near to the cross, and thou wilt not sleep. La- 
 bor to impress thyself with a deep sense of the value of the placs 
 to which thou art going. If thou rememberest that thou art go- 
 ing to heaven, thou wilt not sleep on the road. If thou think- 
 est that hell is behind thee, and the devil pursuing thee, thou 
 wilt not loiter. "Would the manslayer sleep with the avenger 
 of blood behind him, and the city of refuge before him ? 
 Christian, wilt thou sleep whilst the pearly gates are open — 
 the songs of angels waiting for thee to join them — a crown 
 of gold ready for thy brow ? Ah ! no ; in holy fellowship 
 continue to watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation. 
 
66 DAILY HEADINGS. March 6. 
 
 " Ye must be born again." — John iii. 7. 
 
 ar^J^.E GENERATION is a subject which lies at the very 
 1^ V)^ basis of salvation, and we should be very diligent to 
 **^^^ take heed that we really are " born again," for there 
 are many who fancy they are, who are not. Be assured that 
 the name of a Christian is not the nature of a Christian ; and 
 that being born in a Christian land, and being recognized as 
 professing the Christian religion, is of no avail whatever, un- 
 less there be something more added to it — the being " born 
 again" by the power of the Holy Spirit. To be " born again " 
 is a matter so mysterious, that human words cannot describe 
 it. " The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest 
 the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and 
 whither it goeth ; so is every one that is born of the Spirit." 
 Nevertheless, it is a change which is known and felt ; known 
 by works of holiness, and felt by a gracious experience. This 
 great work is supernatural. It is not an operation which a 
 man performs for himself: a new principle is infused, which 
 works in the heart, renews the soul, and affects the entire man. 
 It is not a change of ray name, but a renewal of my nature, 
 so that I am not the man I used to be, but a new man in Christ 
 Jesus. To wash and dress a corpse is a far different thing 
 from making it alive : man can do the one, God alone can do 
 the other. If you have, then, been " born again," your ac- 
 knowledgment will be, " Lord Jesus, the everlasting 
 Father, Thou art my spiritual Parent ; unless Thy Spirit had 
 breathed into me the breath of a new, holy, and spiritual 
 life, I had been to this day ' dead in trespasses and sins.' 
 My heavenly life is wholly derived from Thee, to Thee I as- 
 cribe it. ' My life is hid with Christ in God.' It is no longer 
 I who live, but Christ who liveth in me." May the Lord en- 
 able us to be well assured on this vital point, for to be un- 
 regencrate is to be unsaved, unpardoned, without (JqcI| aB4 
 without hopes 
 
March 7. daily readings. 67 
 
 "Havefuilh in Go J." — 'Murk xi. 22. 
 
 ^jky^AlTU is the foot of the soul by which it cai 
 ferlrr^ ah)ng the road of the coiiiiuaiuhiicuts. L( 
 
 can march 
 iove can 
 luakc the feet move more swiftly ; but faith is th 
 foot which carries the soul. Faith is the oil enabling the 
 wheels of holy devotion and of earnest i)iety to move well , 
 and without faith the wheels are taken from the chariot, and 
 wo drag heavily. AVith faith I can do all things ; without 
 faith I shall neither have the inclination nor the power to do 
 anything in the service of God. If you would find the men 
 who serve God the best, you must look for the men of the 
 most faith. Little faith will save a man, but little faith can- 
 not do great things for God. Poor little faith could not have 
 fought " Apollyon ; " it needed " Christian " to do that. Poor 
 little faith could not have slain " Giant Despair ; " it required 
 " Great-heart's " arm to knock that monster down. Little 
 faith will go to heaven meat certainly, but it often has to 
 hide itself in a nut-shell, and it frequently loses all but its 
 jewels. Little faith says, " It is a rough road, beset with 
 sharp thorns, and full of dangers ; I am afraid to go ; but 
 great faith remembers the promise, '• Thy shoes shall be iron 
 and brass ; as thy days, so shall thy strength be : " and so 
 she boldly ventures. Little faith stands desponding, min- 
 gling her tears with the flood ; but great faith sings, " When 
 thou passcst through the waters, I will be with thee ; and 
 through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee:" and she 
 fords the stream at once. Would you be comfortable and 
 happy ? Would you enjoy religion ? Would you have the 
 religi )n of cheerfulness, and not that of gloom? Then "have 
 failh in God." If you love darkness, and are satisfied to 
 dwell in gloom and misery, then be content with little faith ; 
 but if you love the sunshine, and would sing songs of rcjoifr 
 ing, covet earnestly tbig best gift, " great faitli." 
 
68 DAILY READINGS. March 8. 
 
 '• We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of 
 God." — Acts xiv. 22, 
 
 m 
 
 OD'S people have their trials. It was never designed 
 ^) by God, when He chose His people, that they should 
 -^ be an untried people. They were chosen in the fur- 
 nace of affliction ; they were never chosen to worldly peace 
 and earthly joy. Freedom from sickness and the pains of 
 mortality was never promised them ; but when their Lord 
 drew up the charter of privileges. He included chastisements 
 amongst the things to which they should inevitably be heirs. 
 Trials are a part of oui lot ; they were predestinated for us 
 in God's solemn decrees, and bequeathed us in Christ's last 
 legacy. So surely as the stars are fashioned by His hands, 
 and their orbits fixed by Him, so surely are our trials allotted 
 to us ; He has ordained their season and their place, their in- 
 tensity, and the eflfect they shall have upon us. Good men 
 must never expect to escape troubles ; if they do, they will be 
 disappointed, for none of their predecestors have been with- 
 out them. Mark the patience of Job ; remember Abraham, for 
 he had his trials, and by his faith under them, he became the 
 " Father of the faithful." Note well the biographies of all 
 the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs, and you shall 
 discover none of those whom God made vessels of mercy, who 
 were not made to pass through the fire of affliction. It is 
 ordained of old, that the cross of trouble should be engraven 
 on every vessel of mercy, as the royal mark whereby the 
 King's vessels of honor are distinguished. But although 
 tribulation is thus the path of God's children, they have the 
 comfort of knowing that their Master has traversed it before 
 them ; they have His presence and sympathy to cheer them, 
 Ilis grace to support them, and His example to teach them 
 how to endure ; and when they reach "the kingdom," it will 
 more than make amends for the "much tribulation" through 
 which tkej passed to enter it. 
 
March 9. DAfLT khadings. 69 
 
 " Yea, Ue is altogether lovely." — Solomon's Song v. 16. 
 
 HE superlative beauty of Jesus is all-attracting ; it is 
 not so much to be admired as to be loved. He is 
 more than pleasant and fair, He is lovely. Surely 
 the people of God can fully justify the use of this golden word, 
 for He is the object of their warmest love, a love founded on 
 the intrinsic excellence of His person, the complete perfection 
 of His charms. Look, disciples of Jesus, to your Master's 
 lips, and say, are they not most sweet ? Do not His words 
 cause your hearts to burn within you as He talks with you by 
 the way ? Ye worshippers of Immanuel, look up to His head 
 of much fine gold, and tell me, are not His thoughts precious 
 unto you ? Is not your adoration sweetened with afl'ection as 
 ye humbly bow before that countenance which is as Leb- 
 anon, excellent as the cedars ? Is there not a charm in His 
 every feature, and is not His whole person fragrant with such 
 a savor of His good ointments, that therefore the virgins love 
 Him ? Is there one member of His glorious body which is 
 not attractive ? — one portion of His person which is not a 
 fresh loadstone to our souls ? — one office which is not a strong 
 cord to bind your heart ? Our love is not as a seal set upon 
 His heart of love alone ; it is fastened upon His arm of power 
 also ; nor is there a single part of Him upon which it docs not 
 fix itself. We anoint His whole person with the sweet spike- 
 nard of our fervent love. His whole life we would imitate ; 
 His whole character wo would transcribe. In all other beinss 
 we see some lack, in Him there is all perfection. The best 
 even of His favored saints have had blots upon their garments 
 and wrinkles upon their brows ; He is nothing but loveliness. 
 All earthly suns have their spots ; the fair world itself hath 
 its wilderness ; we cannot love the whole of the most lovely 
 thing ; but Christ Jesus is gold without alloy — light without 
 darkness — glory w'thout cloud — •' Yea, He is altogether 
 lovely." 
 
70 DAILY READINGS. March Id. 
 
 " In my prosperity I said, I sJiall never be moved." 
 Psalm XXX. 6. 
 
 r 
 
 &: 
 
 OAB is settled on his lees, be bath not been emptied 
 from vessel to vessel. Give a man wealth ; let hia 
 ships bring home continually rich freights ; let the 
 winds and waves appear to be his servants to bear his vessels 
 across the bosom of the mighty deep ; let his lands yield 
 abundantly ; let the weather be propitious to his crops ; let 
 uninterrupted success attend him ; let him stand among men 
 as a successful merchant ; let him enjoy continued health ; 
 allow him with braced nerve and brilliant eye to march through 
 the world and live happily ; give him the buoyant spirit ; let 
 him have the song perpetually on his lips ; let his eye be ever 
 sparkling with joy — and the natural consequence of such an 
 eas'y state to any man, let him be the best Christian who ever 
 breathed, will be presumption ; even David said, " I shall 
 never be moved ; " and we are not better than David, nor 
 half so good. Brother, beware of the smooth places of the 
 way, if you are treading them ; or if the way be rough, thank 
 God for it. If God should always rock us in the cradle of 
 prosperity ; if we were always dandled on the knees of for- 
 tune ; if we had not some stain on the alabaster pillar ; if 
 there were not a few clouds in the sky ; if we had not some 
 bitter drops in the wine of this life, we should become intox- 
 icated with pleasure; we should dream "we stand;" and 
 Btand we should, but it would be upon a pinnacle ; like the 
 man asleep upon the mast, each moment we should be in 
 jeopardy. We bless God, then, for our afflictions ; we thank 
 Him for our changes ; we extol His name for losses of prop- 
 erty ; for we feel that had He not chastened us thus, we 
 might have become too secure. Continued worldly proB« 
 perity is a fiery trial. 
 
 " Afflictions, though they seem seTere, 
 In mercy oft are sent." 
 
March 11. DAILY KEADIKGS. 71 
 
 Si7i . . . exceeding sinful." — Romans vii. 13. 
 
 ^^^'.EWARE of ligbt thoughts of sin. At the time of 
 ^5 conversion, the conscience is so tender that we are 
 afraid of the slightest sin. Young converts have a 
 holy timidity, a godly fear, lest they should offend against God. 
 But alas ! very soon the fine bloom upon these first ripe fruits 
 is removed by the roiigh handling of the surrounding world ; 
 the sensitive plant of young piety turns into a willow in after 
 life, too pliant, too easily yielding. It is sadly true, that even 
 a Christian may grow by degrees so callous, that the sin which 
 once startled him, does not alarm him in the least. By de- 
 grees men get familiar with sin. The ear in which the can- 
 non has been booming, will not notice slight sounds. At first 
 a little sin startles us ; but soon we say, "Is it not a little 
 one ? " Then there comes another, larger, and then another, 
 until by degrees we begin to regard sin as but a little ill ; 
 and then follows an unholy presumption : " We have not fallen 
 into open sin. True, we tripped a little, but we stood upright 
 in the main. We may have uttered one unholy word, but as 
 for the most of our conversation, it has been consistent." So 
 we palliate sin ; we throw a cloak over it ; we call it by dainty 
 names. Christian, beware how thou thinkest lightly of sin. 
 Take heed lest thou fall by little and little. Sin, a little thing ? 
 Is it not a poison ? Who knows its deadliuess ? Sin, a little 
 thing ? Do not the little foxes spoil the grapes ? Doth not 
 the tiny coral insect build a rock which wrecks a navy ? Do 
 not little strokes fell lofty oaks ? Will not continual drop- 
 pings wear away stones ? Sin, a little thing ? It girded the 
 Redeemer's head with thorns, and pierced His heart ! It 
 made Him sufi'er anguish, bitteiness, and woe. Could you 
 Nveigh the least sin in the scales of eternity, you would fly 
 from it as from a serpent, and abhor the least appearance of 
 evil. Look upon all sin as that which crucified the Savioui, 
 ftnd you will see it to be " exceeding sinful." 
 
t^ DAILY KEADlifGS. March Id. 
 
 " T]iou sJialt love thy neighbor." — Matthew v. 43. 
 
 I S^^OVE thy neighbor. Perhaps he rolls in riches, and 
 i0l thou art poor, and living in thy little cot side by side 
 with his lordly mansion ; thou seest every day his 
 estates, his fine linen, and his sumptuous banquets ; God has 
 given hira these gifts ; covet not his wealth, and think no 
 hard thoughts concerning him. Be content with thine own 
 lot, if thou canst not better it ; but do not look upon thy 
 neighbor, and wish that he were as thyself. Love him, and 
 then thou wilt not envy him. Mayhap, on the other hand, 
 thou art rich, and near thee reside the poor. Do not scorn 
 to call them neighbors. Own that thou art bound to love 
 them. The world calls them thy inferiors. In what are they 
 inferior ? They are far more thine equals than thine inferi- 
 ors, for " God hath made of one blood all people that dwell 
 upon the face of the earth." It is thy coat which is better 
 than theirs, but thou art by no means better than they. 
 They are men, and what art thou more than that ? Take 
 heed that thou love thy neighbor even though he be in rags, 
 or sunken in the depths of poverty. But, perhaps, you say, 
 " I cannot love my neighbors, because for all I do they re- 
 turn ingratitude and coutempt." So much the more room 
 for the heroism of love. Wouldst thou be a feather-bed 
 warrior, instead of bearing the rough fight of love ? He 
 who dares the most, shall win the most ; and if rough be thy 
 path of love, tread it boldly, still loving thy neighbors 
 through thick and thin. Heap coals of fire on their heads ; 
 and if they be hard to please, seek not to please them, 
 but to please thy blaster ; and remember, if they spurn thy 
 love, thy Master hath not spurned it, and thy deed is as ac- 
 ceptable to Him as if it had been acceptable to them. Love 
 thy neighbor, for in so doing thou art foUowmg in the foot- 
 steps of Christ. 
 
March 13. CailV RbAblNGS. 7JJ 
 
 " Why sit ice here until we die?" — 2 Kings vii. 3. 
 
 Plii^i'^^^RAR reader, this little book was mainly intended foif 
 LA K' the edification of believers; but if you are yet unsaved, 
 ^"'^'^ our heart yearns over you ; and we would fain say a 
 word which may be blessed to you. Open your Bible, and 
 read the story of the lepers, and mark their position, which 
 was much the same as yours. If you remain where you are 
 you must perish ; if you go to Jesus you can but die. " Noth- 
 ing venture, nothing win," is the old proverb, and in your 
 case the venture is no great one. If you sit still in sullen 
 despair, no one can pity you when your ruin comes ; but if 
 you die with mercy sought, if such a thing were possible, you 
 would be the object of universal sympathy. None escape 
 who refuse to look to Jesus ; but you know that, at any rate, 
 some are saved who believe in Him, for certain of your own 
 acquaintances have received mercy : then why not you ? The 
 Ninevites said, " Who can tell ? " Act upon the same hope, 
 and try the Lord's mercy. To perish is so awful, that if 
 there were but a straw to catch at, the instinct of self-preser- 
 vation should lead you to stretch out your hand. We have 
 thus been talking to you on your own unbelieving ground ; we 
 would now assure you, as from the Lord, that if you seek Him 
 He will be found of you. Jesus casts out none who come unto 
 Him. You shall not perish if you trust Him ; on the con- 
 trary, you shall find treasure far richer than the poor lepers 
 gathered in Syria's deserted camp. May the Holy Spirit 
 embolden you to go at once, and you shall not believe in vain. 
 When you are saved yourself, publish the good news to others. 
 Hold not your peace ; tell the king's household first, and unite 
 with them in fellowship ; let the porter of the city, the minis- 
 ter, be informed of your discovery, and then proclaim the 
 good news in every place, ^he Lord save thee ere the sun 
 goes down this day. 
 7 
 
?4 DAILY READINGS, Marcb 14. 
 
 "Let him that ihinJceth he standeth take heed lest he /all." 
 1 Corinthians x, 12. 
 
 fJ'T 16 a curious fact, that there is such a thing as be- 
 o^ ing proud of grace. A man says, " I have great 
 '^ faith ; I shall not fall ; poor little faith may, but I 
 never shall." " I have fervent love," says another ; " I can 
 stand ; there is no danger of my going astray." He who 
 boasts of grace has little grace to boast of. Some who do 
 this imagine that their graces can keep them, knowing not 
 that the stream must flow constantly from the fountain head, 
 or else the brook will soon be dry. If a continuous stream 
 of oil comes not to the lamp, though it burn brightly to-day, 
 it will smoke to-morrow, and noxious will be its scent. Take 
 heed that thou gloriest not in thy graces, but let all thy 
 glorying and confidence be in Christ and His strength, for 
 only so canst thou be kept from falling. Be much more in 
 prayer. Spend longer time in holy adoration. Read the 
 Scriptures more earnestly and constantly. Watch your lives 
 more carefully. Live nearer to God. Take the best exam- 
 ples for your pattern. Let your conversation be redolent of 
 heaven. Let your hearts be perfumed with affection foi 
 men's souls. So live that men may take knowledge of you 
 that you have been with Jesus, and have learned of Him ; 
 and when that happy day shall come, when He whom you love 
 shall say, " Come up higher," ma^ it be your happiness to hear 
 Him say, " Thou hast fought a good fight, thou hast finished 
 thy course, and henceforth there is laid up for thee a crown 
 of righteousness which fadeth not away." On, Christian, with 
 ■care and caution ! On, with holy fear and trembling ! On, 
 with faith and confidence in Jesus alone, md let your con- 
 Btant petition be, " Uphold me according to Thy word." He ia 
 able, and He alone, " to keep you from falling, and to present 
 you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeH. 
 ing joy." 
 
Marcll 15. T^AfLY RlJADlJfGS. 75 
 
 " Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." — 2 Tim. ii. 1. 
 
 ^"^HRIST has grace without measure in Himself, but He 
 hath not retained it for Himself As the reservoir 
 empties itself into the pipes, so hath Christ emptied 
 out His grace for His people. " Of His fulness have all we 
 received, and grace for grace." He seems only to have, in 
 order to d'spense to us. He stands like the fountain, always 
 flowing, but only running in order to supply the empty pitch- 
 ers and the thirsty lips which draw nigh unto it. Like a 
 tree, He bears sweet fruit, not to hang on boughs, but to be 
 gathered by those who need. Grace, whether its work be to 
 pardon, to cleanse, to preserve, to strengthen, to enlighten, 
 to quicken, or to restore, is ever to be had from Him freely 
 and witliout price ; nor is there one form of the work of 
 grace which He has not bestowed upon His people. As the 
 blood of the body, though flowing from the heart, belongs 
 equally to every member, so the influences of grace are the 
 inheritance of every saint united to the Lamb ; and herein 
 there is a sweet communion between Christ and His Church, 
 inasmuch as they both receive the same grace. Christ is the 
 head upon which the oil is first poured ; but the same oil 
 runs to the very skirts of the garments, no that the meanest 
 saint has an unction of the same costly mo^'sture as that which 
 fell upon the head. This is true commrnion when the sap 
 of grace flows from the stem to the bran 'ih, and when it is 
 perceived that the stem itself is sustained by the very nour- 
 ishment which feeds the branch. As we day by day receive 
 grace from Jesus, and more constantly recoijnize it as coming 
 from Him, we shall behold Him in communion with us, and en- 
 joy the felicity of communion with Him. Let us make daily 
 use of our riches, and ever repair to Him as our own Lord 
 in covenant, taking from Him the supply of all we need with 
 •8 much boldness as men take money from their own purse. 
 
76 DAILY READINGS. March 16. 
 
 ' I am a stranger with thee." — Psalm xxxix. IL. 
 
 3ES, Lord, with Thee, but not to Thee. All my nat- 
 ^ ural alienation from Thee, Thy grace has effectually 
 
 removed ; and now, in fellowship with Thyself, I 
 walk through this sinful world as a pilgrim in a for- 
 eign coimtry. Thou art a stranger in Thine own world. 
 Man forgets Thee, dishonors Thee, sets up new laws and 
 alien customs, and knows Thee not. When Thy dear Son 
 came unto His own, His own received Him not. He was in 
 the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world 
 knew Him not. Never was foreigner so speckled a bird 
 among the denizens of any land, as Thy beloved Son among 
 His mother's brethren. It is no marvel, then, if I, who live 
 the life of Jesus, should be unknown and a stranger here be- 
 low. Lord, I would not be a citizen where Jesus was an 
 alien. His pierced hand has loosened the cords which once 
 bound my soul to earth, and now I find myself a stranger in 
 the land. My speech seems to these Babylonians among 
 whom I dwell, an outlandish tongue ; my manners are singu- 
 lar, and my actions are strange. A Tartar would be more 
 at home in Cheapside than I could ever be in the haunts of 
 sinners. But here is the sweetness of my lot ; I am a 
 stranger with Thee. Thou art my fellow-sufferer, my fellow- 
 pilgrim. Oh ! what joy to wander in such blessed society ! 
 My heart burns within me by the way when thou dost speak 
 to ro-}, and though I be a sojourner, I am far more blessed 
 than those who sit on thrones, and far more at home than 
 thoB J who dwell in their ceiled houses. 
 
 " To me remains nor place, nor time : 
 My country is in every clime ; 
 I can be calm and free from care 
 On any shore, since God is there. 
 
 While place we seek, or place we shun, 
 The soul (intls happiness in none; 
 But with a God to guide our way, 
 'Tis equal joy to go or stay." 
 
March l7. Daily REAutNGd. ^7 
 
 "Remember the poor." — Gulatians ii. 10. 
 
 pIIY does God allow so many of Ilis children to be 
 poor ? He could make them all rich if he pleased ; 
 He could lay bags of gold at their doors ; He could 
 send them a large annual income ; or He could scatter round 
 their houses abundance of provisions, as once He made the 
 quails lie in heaps round the camp of Israel, and rained bread 
 out of heaven to feed them. There is no necessity that they 
 should be poor, except that He sees it to be best. " The 
 cattle upon a thousand hills are His " — He could supply 
 them ; He could make the richest, the greatest, and the 
 mightiest bring all their power and riches to the feet of His 
 children, for tlie hearts of all men are in His control. But 
 He does not choose to do so ; He allows them to suffer want. 
 He allows them to pine in penury and obscurity. Why is this ? 
 There are many reasons : one is, to give us, who are favored 
 with enough, an opportunity of showing our love to Jesus. We 
 show our love to Christ when we sing of Him, and when we 
 pray to Him ; but if there were no sons of need in the world, 
 we should lose the sweet privilege of evidencing our love, by 
 ministering, in alms-giving, to His poorer brethren ; He has 
 ordained that thus we should prove that our love standeth not 
 in word only, but in deed and in truth. If we truly love 
 Christ, we shall care for those who are loved by Him. Those 
 who are dear to Him will be dear to us. Let us then look 
 upon it not as a duty, but as a privilege, to relieve the poor of 
 the Lord's flock — remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, 
 " Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these 
 My brethren, ye have done it unto Me." Surely this assur- 
 ance is sweet enough, and this motive strong enough, to lead 
 us to help others with a willing hand and a loving heart — 
 recollecting tljat all we do for His people is graciouslj 
 accepted by Christ as done to Himself. 
 7* 
 
V8 bAttV HEADINGS. March 18. 
 
 "Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jestis." 
 Gal. iii. 26. 
 
 ^HE fatherhood of God is common to all His children. 
 Ah ! Little-faith, you have often said, " that I 
 had the courage of Great-heart, that I could wield 
 His sword and be as valiant as He ! But, alas, I stumble at 
 every straw, and a shadow makes me afraid." List thee. 
 Little-faith. Great-heart is God's child, and you are God'a 
 child too ; and Great-heart is not one whit more God's child 
 than you are. Peter and Paul, the highly-favored apostles, 
 were of the family of the Most High ; and so are you also ; 
 the weak Christian is as much a child of God as the stroDg 
 one. 
 
 " This covenant stands secure, 
 Though earth's old piUars bow; 
 The strong, the feeble, and the weak, 
 Are one in Jesus now." 
 
 All the names are in the same family register. One may 
 have more grace than another, but God, our heavenly Fa- 
 ther, has the same tender heart towards all. One may do 
 more mighty works, and may bring more glory to his Father, 
 but he whose name is the least in the kingdom of heaven is 
 as much the child of God as he who stands among the king's 
 mighty men. Let this cheer and comfort us, when we draw 
 near to God and say, " Our Father." 
 
 Yet, while we are comforted by knowing this, let us not 
 rest contented with weak faith, but ask, like the Apostles, to 
 nave it increased. However feeble our faith may be, if it be 
 real faith in Christ, we shall reach heaven at last, but we 
 shall not honor our Master much on our pilgrimage, neither 
 shall we abound in joy and peace. If, then, you would livf 
 to Christ's glory, and be happy in His service, seek to bt 
 filled with the spirit of adoption more and more completely, 
 till perfect love shall cast out fear. 
 
starch 19. MiLV ifiiiAbiiJcs. ?tt 
 
 '^Strong in faith." — Romans iv. 20. 
 
 '^QRISTIAN, take good care of thy faith ; for recollect 
 \.4]^ failh is the only way whereby thou canst obtain bless' 
 iugs. If we want blessings from God, nothing can 
 fetch them down but faith. Prayer cannot draw down an- 
 swers from God's throne except it be the earnest prayer of 
 the man who believes. Faith is the angelic messenger be- 
 tween the soul and the Lord Jesus in glory. Let that angel 
 be withdrawn, we can neither send up prayer, nor receive the 
 answers. Faith is the telegraphic wire which links earth 
 and heaven — on which God's messages of love fly so fast, 
 that before we call He answers, and while we are yet speak- 
 ing Fe hears us. But if that telegraphic wire of faith be 
 snapped, how can we receive the promise ? Am I in trouble ? 
 
 — I can obtain help for trouble by faith. Am I beaten about 
 by tbe enemy ? — my soul on her dear Refuge leans by faith. 
 But take faith away — in vain I call to God. There is no 
 road betwixt my soul and heaven. In the deepest winter- 
 time faith is a road on which the horses of prayer may travel 
 
 — ay, and all the better for the biting frost ; but blockade 
 the road, and how can we communicate with the Great King ? 
 Faith links me with divinity. Faith clothes me with the 
 power of God. Faith engages on my side the omnipotence 
 of Jehovah. Faith insures every attribute of God in my 
 defence. It helps me defy the hosts of hell. It makes me 
 march triumphant over the necks of my enemies. But with- 
 out faith how can I receive anything of the Lord ? Let not 
 him that wavercth — who is like a wave of the sea — expect 
 that he will receive anything of God I 0, then, Christian, 
 watch well thy faith ; for with it thou canst win all things, 
 however poor thou art, but without it thou canst obtain 
 nothing. " If thou canst believe, all things are possible to 
 him that believeth." 
 
Wb bAJLY iifiADiifGS. March ^0. 
 
 "My beloved." — Canticles ii. 8. 
 
 ^HIS was a golden name which the ancient Church in 
 her most joyous moments was wont to give to the 
 Anointed of the Lord. When the time of the sing- 
 ing of birds was come, and the voice of the turtle was heard 
 in her land, her love-note was sweeter than either, as she 
 Bung, "My beloved is mine, and I am His : He feedeth among 
 tho lilies." Ever in her song of songs doth she call Him by 
 that delightful name, " My beloved ! " Even in the long 
 winter, when idolatry had withered the garden of the Lord, 
 her prophets found space to lay aside the burden of the Lord 
 for a little season, and to say, as Esaias did, " Now will I 
 sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved touching His 
 vineyard." Though the saints had never seen His face, 
 though as yet He was not made flesh, nor had dwelt among 
 us, nor had man beheld His glory, yet He was the consola- 
 tion of Israel, the hope and joy of all the chosen, the " be- 
 loved " of all those who were upright before the Most High. 
 We, in the summer days of the Church, are also wont to 
 speak of Christ as the best beloved of our soul, and to feel 
 that He is very precious, the " chiefest among ten thousand, 
 and the altogether lovely." So true is it that the Church 
 loves Jesus, and claims Him as her beloved, that the apostle 
 dares to defy the whole universe to separate her from the 
 love of Christ, and declares that neither persecutions, dis- 
 tress, affliction, peril, or the sword have been able to do it; 
 nay, he joyously boasts, " In all these things we are mon 
 than conquerors through Him that loved us." 
 
 that we knew more of Thee, Thou ever pr-'cious One 
 
 " My sole possession is Thy love ; 
 In earth beneath, or heaven above, 
 
 I have no other store ; 
 And though with fervent suit I pray, 
 And importune Thee day by day, 
 
 1 ask Thee nothing more." 
 
March 2l. Daily readinqs. 61 
 
 •' Ve shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave mt 
 alone." — John xvi. 32. 
 
 >2|'%5EW had fellowship with the sorrows of Gethsenianc. 
 '■^ The majorit}' of the disciples were not sufficiently ad- 
 vanced in grace to be admitted to behold the mysteries 
 of " the agony." Occupied wiih the passovcr feast at their 
 own houses, they represent the many who live upon the letter, 
 but are mere babes as to the spirit of the gospel. To twelve, 
 nay, to eleven only, was the privilege given to enter Gethsem- 
 ane and see " this great sight." Out of the eleven, eight were 
 left at a distance ; they had fellowship, but not of that intimate 
 sort to which men greatly beloved are admitted. Only three 
 highly favored ones could approach the veil of our Lord's mys- 
 terious sorrow ; within that veil even these must not intrude ; 
 a stone's-cast distance must be left between. He must tread 
 the wine-press alone, and of the people there must be none 
 with Him. Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, represent the 
 few eminent, experienced saints, who may be written down as 
 " Fathers ; " these having done business on great waters, can 
 in soma degree measure the huge Atlantic waves of their Re- 
 deemer's passion. To some selected spirits it is given, for the 
 good of others, and to strengthen them for future, special, and 
 tremendous conflict, to enter the inner circle and hear the 
 pleadings of the suffering High Priest ; they have fellowship 
 with Him in His sufferings, and are made conformable unto 
 His death. Yet even these cannot penetrate the secret places 
 of the Saviour's woe. " Thine unknown sufferings," is the 
 remarkable expression of the Greek liturgy : there was an 
 inner chamber in our Master's grief, shut out from human 
 knowledge and fellowship. There Jesus is " left alone.'' 
 Here Jesus was more than ever an " unspeakable gift." "it 
 Dot Watts right when he sings — 
 
 " And all the unknown joys he gives 
 Were bought with a^ODies unknown " ? 
 
S2 ttAtLTt HEADINGS. Marcli 22. 
 
 " A7id He went a little faiilter, and fell on His face, and prayed* 
 Matthew xxvi. 39. 
 
 *^;HERE are several instructive features in our Saviour's 
 ^h prayer in His hour of trial. It was lonely prayer. He 
 '^ withdrew even from His three favored disciples. Be- 
 liever, be much in solitary prayer, especially in times of trial. 
 Family prayer, social prayer, prayer in the Church, will not 
 suffice ; these are very precious, hut the best beaten spice 
 will smoke in your censer in your private devotions, where 
 no ear hears but God's. 
 
 It was humhle prayer. Luke says He knelt ; but another 
 evangelist says He " fell on His face." Where, then, must be 
 THY place, thou humble servant of the great Master ^ What 
 dust and ashes should cover thy head ! Humility gives us good 
 foot-hold in prayer. There is no hope of prevalence with God 
 unless we abase ourselves that He may exalt us in due time. 
 
 It vfSiS filial prayer. " Abba, Father." You will find it a 
 stronghold in the day of trial to plead your adoption. You 
 have no rights as a subject, you have forfeited them by your 
 treason ; but nothing can forfeit a child's right to a father's 
 protection. Be not afraid to say, " My Father, hear my cry." 
 
 Observe that it was •persevering prayer. He prayed three 
 times. Cease not until you prevail. Be as the importunate 
 widow, whose continual coming earned what her first sup- 
 plication could not win. Continue in prayer, and watch in 
 the same with thanksgiving. 
 
 Lastly, it was theprayer of resignation. " Nevertheless, not 
 as I will, but as thou wilt." Yield, and God yields. Let it 
 be as God wills, and God will determine for the best. Be 
 thou content to leave thy prayer in His hands, who knows 
 when to give, and how to give, and what to give, and what 
 to withhold. So pleading, earnestly, importunately, yet with 
 humility and resignation, thou shalt surely prevail. 
 
March 23. DAltY HEADINGS. M 
 
 " His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down 
 to the ground." -— Luke xxii. 44. 
 
 ■,HE mental pressure arising from our Lord's struggle 
 M with temptation, so forced His frame to an unnatural 
 excitement, that His pores sent forth great drops of 
 blood which fell down to the ground. This proves how tre- 
 mendous must have been the weight of sin when it was able to 
 crush the Saviour so that He distilled great drops of blood ! 
 This demonstrates the mighty power of His love. It is a very 
 pretty observation of old Isaac Ambrose that the gum which 
 exudes from the tree without cutting is always the best. This 
 precious camphor-tree yielded most sweet spices when it was 
 wounded under the knotty whips, and when it was pierced by 
 the nails on the cross ; but see, it giveth forth its best spice 
 when there is no whip, no nail, no wound. This sets forth 
 the voluntariness of Christ's sufferings, since without a lance 
 the blood flowed freely. No need to put on the leech, or ap- 
 ply the knife ; it flows spontaneously. No need for the rulers 
 to cry, " Spring up, well ; " of itself it flows in crimson 
 torrents. If men suifer great pain of mind apparently the 
 blood ru'ihes to the heart. The cheeks are pale ; a fainting 
 fit comes on ; the blood has gone inward, as if to nourish the 
 inner man while passing through its trial. But see our Sa- 
 viour in His agony ; He is so utterly oblivious of self, that 
 instead of His agony driving His blood to the heart to nourish 
 Himself, it drives it outward to bedew the earth. The agony 
 of Christ, inasmueli as it pours Him out upon the ground, 
 pictures the fulness of the oiFering which He made for men. 
 Do we not perceive how intense must have been the wres- 
 tling through which He passed, and will we not hear its voice 
 to us f " Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against 
 gin." Behold the great Apostle and High Priest of our pro- 
 fession, and sweat even to blood rather than yield to the 
 great tempter of your souls. 
 
Daily liEACmGS. March 24. 
 
 " He was heard in that he feared." — Hebrews v. 7. 
 
 ^JJD this fear arise from the infernal suggestion that He 
 ^1^ was utterly forsaJcen ? There may be sterner trials 
 than this, but surely it is one of the worst to be utterly 
 forsaken. " See," said Satan, " thou hast a friend nowhere ! 
 Thy Father hath shut up the bowels of His compassion against 
 thee. Not an angel in His courts will stretch out his hand to 
 help Thee. All heaven is alienated from Thee. Thou art left 
 alone. See the companions with whom Thou hast taken sweet 
 counsel ; what are they worth ? Son of Mary, see there Thy 
 brother James, see there Thy loved disciple John, and Thy 
 bold apostle Peter : how the cowards sleep when Thou art in 
 Thy sufferings ! Lo ! Thou hast no friend left in heaven or 
 earth. All hell is against Thee. I have stirred up mine in- 
 fernal den. I have sent my missives throughout all regions, 
 summoning every prince of darkness to set upon Thee this 
 night, and we will spare no arrows, we will use all our infernal 
 might to overwhelm Thee ; and what wilt Thou do, Thou sol- 
 itary one ? " It may be, this was the temptation ; we think it 
 was, because the appearance of an angel unto Him, strength- 
 ening Him, removed that fear. He was heard in that He 
 feared ; He was no more alone, but heaven was with Him. 
 It may be that this is the reason of His coming three times 
 to His disciples — as Hart puts it — 
 
 " Backwards and forwards thrice He ran, 
 As if He sought some help from man." 
 
 He would see for Himself whether it were really true that all 
 men had forsaken Him ; He found them all asleep ; but per- 
 haps He gained some faint comfort from the thought that 
 they were sleeping, not from treachery, but from sorrow ; 
 the spirit indeed was willing, but the flesh was weak. At ant 
 rate He was heard in that He feared. Jesus was heard in 
 His deepest woe ; my soul, thou shali be heard also. 
 
March 25. daily readinos. 85 
 
 "Betray est thou the Son of Man with a hies?" — Luke xxii. 48. 
 
 rllE kisses of an enemy are de.ccitful. Let me bo on 
 L^^' my guard when the world puts on a loving face, fcr 
 it will, if possible, betray me, as it did my Master, 
 vith. a kiss. Whenever a man is about to stab religion, he 
 usually professes very great reverence for it. Let me be- 
 ware of the sleek-faced hypocrisy which i« armor-bearer to 
 heresy and infidelity. Knowing the deceivableness of un- 
 righteousness, let me be wise as a serpent to detect and 
 avoid the designs of the enemy. The young man, void of 
 understanding, was led astray by the kiss of the strange 
 woman : may my soul be so graciously instructed all this 
 day, that " the much fair speech" of the world may have no 
 effect upon me ! Holy Spirit, let me not, a poor frail son 
 of man, be betrayed with a kiss ! 
 
 But what if I should be guilty of the same accursed sin as 
 Judas, that son of perdition ? I have been baptized into 
 the name of the Lord Jesus ; I am a member of His visible 
 Church ; I sit at the communion table : all these are so many 
 kisses of my lips. Am I sincere in them ? If not, I am a 
 base traitor. Do I live in the world as carelessly as others 
 do, and yet make a profession of being a follower of Jesus? 
 Then I must expose religion to ridicule, and lead men to 
 speak evil of the holy name by which I am called. Surely 
 if 1 act thus inconsistently, I am a Judas, and it were better 
 for mc that I had never been born. Dare I hope that I am 
 clear in this matter ? Then, Lord, keep me so. Lord, 
 make me sincere and true. Preserve me from every false 
 way. Never let me betray my Saviour. I do love Thee, 
 Jesus, and though I often grieve Thee, yet I would desire 
 to abide faithful even unto death. God, forbid that 1 
 should be a high-soaring professor, and then fall at last into 
 the lake of fire, because I betrayed my Master with a kiss. 
 8 
 
86 DAILY READINGS. March 26. 
 
 "Jesus said unto them, If ye seek Me, let these go their way.'^ — 
 John xviii. 8. 
 
 
 I^J^AEK, my soul, the care which Jesus manifested, even 
 in His hour of trial, towards the sheep of His hand ! 
 The ruling passion is strong in death. He resigns 
 Flimself to the enemy, but He interposes a word of power to 
 set His disciples free. As to Himself, like a sheep before 
 her shearers, He is dumb, and openeth not His mouth, but 
 for His disciples' sake He speaks with Almighty energy. 
 Herein is love, constant, self- forgetting, faithful love. But is 
 there not far more here than is to be found upon the surface ? 
 Have we not the very soul and spirit of the atonement in 
 these words ? The Good Shepherd lays down His life for 
 the sheep, and pleads that they must therefore go free. The 
 Surety is bound, and justice demands that those for whom 
 He stands a substitute should go their way. In the midst 
 of Egypt's bondage, that voice rings as a word of power, 
 '■'■Let these go their way." Out of the slavery of sin and 
 Satan the redeemed must come. In every cell of the dun- 
 geons of Despair, the sound is echoed, '■'■Let these go their 
 way," and forth come Despondency and Much-afraid. Satan 
 hears the well-known voice, and lifts his foot from the nock 
 of the fallen ; and Death hears it, and tl^e grave opens her 
 gates to let the dead arise. Their ivay is one of progress, 
 holiness, triumph, glory, and none shall dare to stay them 
 in it. No lion shall be on their way, neither shall any 
 ravenous beast go up thereon. "The hind of the morning" 
 has drawn the cruel hunters upon himself, and now the most 
 timid roes and hinds of the field may graze at perfect peace 
 among the lilies of his loves. The thunder-cloud has burst 
 over the Cross of Calvary, and the pilgrims of Zion shalj 
 never be smitten by the bolts of vengeance. Come, my 
 heart, rejoice in the immunity which thy Redeemer has se- 
 cured thee, and bk"s» his name all the day, and every day. 
 
f: 
 
 March 27. daily readixgs. ft7 
 
 " Then all the disciples forsook Him andjled." — Matt. xxvi. 5^. 
 
 pE nover deserted thcra, but they, in cowardly fear of 
 i their lives, fled from Him in the very beginning of 
 His sufi'erings. This is but one instructive instance 
 of the frailty of all believers if left to themselves ; they are 
 but sheep at the best, and they flee when the wolf comoth. 
 They had all been warned of the danger, and had promised 
 to die rather than leave their Master ; and yet they were 
 seized with sudden panic, and took to their heels. It may 
 be that I, at the opening of this day, have braced up my 
 mind to bear a trial for the Lord's sake, and I imagine my- 
 self to be certain to exhibit perfect fidelity ; but let me be 
 very jealous of mj-self, lest, having the same evil heart tf 
 unbelief, I should depart from my Lord as the apostles did. 
 It is one thing to promise, and quite another to perform. 
 It would have been to their eternal honor to have stood at 
 Jesus' side right manfully : they fled from honor ; may I be 
 kept from imitating them ! Wh«re else could they have 
 been so safe as near their Master, who could presently call 
 for twelve legions of angels ? They fled from their true safety. 
 God, let me not play the fool also. Divine grace can 
 make the coward brave. The smoking flax can flame forth 
 like fire on the altar when the Lord wills it. These very 
 apostles, who were timid as hares, grew to be bold as lions 
 after the Spirit had descended upon them, and even so the 
 Holy Spirit can make my recreant spirit brave to confess my 
 Lord, and witness for His truth. 
 
 What anguish must have filled the Saviour as He saw Ilia 
 friends so faithless ! This was one bitter ingredient in His 
 cup; but that cup is drained dry; let me not put another 
 drop in it. If I forsake my Lord, I shall crucify Him afresh, 
 and put Him to an open shame. Keep me, blessed Spirit, 
 from an end so sh^meful ! 
 
88 DAILY EEADiNGS. Murch 28, 
 
 " Tlie love of Ch-ist, which passeth knowledge." — Epli. iii. 19. 
 
 ^HE love of Christ in its sweetness, its fulness, its 
 '^\ greatness, its faithfulness, passeth all human com 
 prehension. Where shall language be found which 
 shall describe His matchless. His unparalleled lorve toward' 
 lEe children of men ? It is so vast and boundless that, as 
 the swallow but skimmeth the water, and diveth not into its 
 depths, so all descriptive words but touch the surface, while 
 depths immeasurable lie beneath. Well might the poet say, 
 
 " love, thou fathomless abj'ss ! " 
 
 for this love of Christ is indeed measureless and fathomless ; 
 none can attain unto it. Before we can have any right idea 
 of the love of Jesus, we must understand His previous glory 
 in its height of majesty, and His incarnation upon the earth 
 in all its depths of shame. But who can tell us the majesty 
 of Christ ? When He was enthroned in the highest heavens 
 He was very God of very God ; by Him were the heavens 
 made, and all the hosts thereof. His own almighty arm 
 upheld the spheres ; the praises of cherubim and seraphim 
 perpetually surrounded Him ; the full chorus of the Hallelu- 
 jahs of the universe unceasingly flowed to the foot of His 
 throne : He reigned supreme above all His creatures, God 
 over all, blessed forever. Who can tell His height of glory 
 then ? And who, on the other hand, can tell how low He 
 descended ? To be a man was something, to be a man of 
 sorrows was far more; to bleed, and die, and suffer, these 
 were much for Him who was the Son of God ; but to suff"er 
 such unparalleled agony — to endure a death of shame and 
 desertion by His Father, this is a depth of condescending 
 love which the most inspired miad must utterly fail to fathom. 
 Herein is love I and truly it is love that " passeth knowledge." 
 let this love fill our hearts with adoring gratitude, aog 
 le»d us to practical mauifestations of its power ! 
 
March 29. daily eeadings. 89 
 
 •* Though He were a Son, yet learned lie obedience by the things 
 which lie sn/J'ered." — Hebrews v. 8. 
 
 y^E are told that the Captain of our salvation was made 
 perfect through suffering ; therefore we who are sin- 
 ful, and who are far from being perfect, must not 
 wonder if we are called to pass through suffering too. 
 Shall the head be crowned with thorns, and shall the other 
 members of the body be rocked upon the dainty lap of ease? 
 Must Christ pass through seas of His own blood to win the 
 crown, and are we to walk to heaven dryshod in silver slip- 
 pers ? No, our Master's experience teaches us that suffer- 
 ing is necessary, and the true-born child of God must not, 
 would not, escape it if he might. But there is one very com- 
 forting thought in the fact of Christ's " being made perfect 
 through suffering " — it is, that He can have complete sym- 
 pathy with us. " He is not a high priest that cannot be 
 touched with the feelings of our infirmities." In this sym- 
 pathy of Christ we find a sustaining power. One of the 
 early martyrs said, " I can bear it all, for Jesus suffered, 
 and He suffers in me now ; He sympathizes with me, and 
 this makes me strong." Believer, lay hold of this thought 
 in all times of agony. Let the thought of Jesus strengthen 
 you as you follow in His steps. Find a sweet support in 
 His sympathy ; and remember that to suffer is an honorable 
 thing — to suffer for Christ is glory. The Apostles rejoiced 
 that they were counted worthy to do this. Just so far as 
 the Lord shall give us grace to suffer for Christ, to suffer 
 with Christ, just so far does He honor us. The jewels of a 
 Christian are his afflictions. The regalia of the kings whom 
 God hath anointed are their troubles, their sorrows, and 
 their griefs. Let us not, therefore, shun being honored. 
 Let us not turn aside from being exalted. Griefs exalt us, 
 and troubles lift us up. " If wo suffer, WO shall also reign 
 with Him." 
 
 8* 
 
90 DAILY READINGS. March 30. 
 
 "He teas numbered with the ti-ansyressors." — Isaiah liii. 12. 
 
 P|HY did Jesus suffer Himself to be enrolled amongst 
 'l^/j^ sinners ? This wonderful condescension was justi- 
 fied by many powerful reasons. In such a character 
 He could the letter become their advocate. In some trials 
 there is an identification of the counsellor with the client ; 
 nor can they be looked upon in the eye of the law as apart 
 from one another. Now, when the sinner is brought to the 
 bar, Jesus appears there Himself. He stands to answer the 
 accusation. He points to His side. His hands, His feet, 
 and challenges Justice to bring anything against the sinners 
 whom He represents ; He pleads His blood, and pleads so 
 triumphantly, being numbered with them, and having a part 
 with them, that the Judge proclaims, " Let them go their 
 way ; deliver them from going down into the pit, for He 
 hath found a ransom." Our Lord Jesus was numbered with 
 the transgressors in order that they might feel their hearts 
 draxon towards Him. Who can be afraid of one who is 
 written in the same list with us ? Surely we may come 
 boldly to Him, and confess our guilt. He who is numbered 
 with us cannot condemn us. Was He not put down in the 
 transgressor's list that loe might he written in the red roll oj 
 the saints f He was holy, and written among the holy : we 
 were guilty, and numbered among the guilty. He transfers 
 His name from yonder list to this black indictment, and our 
 names are taken from the indictment, and written in the roll 
 of acceptance, for there is a complete transfer made between 
 Jesus and His people. All our estate of misery and sin 
 Jesus has taken ; and all that Jesus has comes to us. His 
 righteousness. His blood, and everything that Pie hath, He 
 gives us as our dowry. Rejoice, believer, in youi" union to 
 Him who was numbered among the transgressors ; and prove 
 that you are truly saved by being uianifestly numbered witl 
 those who are new creatuies in Him. 
 
March 31. daily eeapiXCs. 91 
 
 " With His stripes we are healed." — Isaiah liii. 5. 
 
 ^ILx\TE delivered our Lord to the lictors to be 
 ipvJj scourged. The Roman scourge was a most dreadful 
 ^^^ instrument of torture. It was made of the sinewf 
 of oxen, and sharp bones were intertwisted every here and 
 there among the sinews ; so that every time the lash came 
 down these pieces of bone inflicted fearful laceration, and 
 tore oif tke flesh from the bone. The Saviour was, no 
 doubt, bound to the column, and thus beaten. He had 
 been beaten before ; but this of the Roman lictors was prob- 
 ably the most severe of His flagellations. My soul, stand 
 here and weep over his poor stricken body. 
 
 Believer in Jesus, can 3"ou gaze upon Him without tears, 
 as He stands before you the mirror of agonizing love ? He 
 is at once fair as the lily for innocence, and red as the rose 
 with the crimson of His own blood. As we feel the sure 
 and blessed healing which His stripes have wrought in us, 
 does nui our heart melt at once with love and grief? If 
 ever we have loved our Lord Jesus, surely we must feel 
 that aflFection glowing now within our bosoms. 
 
 "See how the patient Jesus stands, 
 In.sulted in Ilis lowest case ! 
 Sinners have bound the Ahnighty's hands, 
 And spit in their Creator's face. 
 
 With thorns His temples gored and gashed 
 Send streams of blood from every part; 
 
 His back's with knotted scourges lashed, 
 But sharper scourges tear His heart." 
 
 We would fain go to our chambers and weep ; but, since 
 V our business calls us away, we will first pray our Beloved to 
 print the image of His bleeding self upon the tablets of our 
 hearts all the day, and at nightfall we will leturn to commune 
 with Him, and sorrow that our sins should have C03t Him so 
 dear. 
 
92 DAILY KEADINGS. April 1 
 
 "Ze< Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth," — Cant. i. 2. 
 
 ^Jl'V^OIl several days we have been dwelling upon the 
 ■^ Saviour's passion, and for some little time to come 
 we shall linger there. In beginning a new mouth, 
 let us seek the same desires after our Lord as those 
 which glowed in the heart of the elect spouse. See how 
 she leaps at once to Him ; there are no prefatory words ; 
 she does not iven mention His name ; she is in the heart 
 of her theme at once, for she speaks of Him who was the 
 only Him in the world to her. How b.old is her love ! It 
 was much condescension which permitted the weeping peni- 
 tent to anoint His feet with spikenard — it was rich love 
 which allowed the gentle Mary to sit at His feet, and learn 
 of Him — but here love, strong, fervent love, aspires to 
 higher tokens of regard, and closer signs of fellowship. 
 Esther trembled in the presence of Ahashuerus, but the 
 spouse in joyful libei-ty of perfect love knows no fear. If 
 we have received the same free spirit, we also may ask the 
 like. By kisses we suppose to be intended those varied 
 manifestations of affection by which the believer is made to 
 enjoy the love of Jesus. The kiss of reconciliation we en- 
 joyed at our conversion, and it was sweet as honey dropping 
 from the comb. The kiss of acceptance is still warm on our 
 brow, as we know that He hath accepted our persons and our 
 works through rich grace. The kiss of daily, present comraU' 
 nion is that which we pant after to be repeated day after day, 
 till it is changed into the kiss of reception, which removes the 
 fcoul from earth, and the kiss of consummation, which fills it 
 with the joy of heaven. Faith is our walk, but fellowship sen- 
 sibly felt is our rest. Faith is the road, but communion with 
 Jesus is the well from which the pilgrim drinks. lover of 
 our souls, be not strange to us ; let the lips of Thy blessing 
 meet the lips of our asking; let the lips of Thy fulness touch 
 the lips of our need, and straightway the kiss will be eflFected. 
 
April 2. DAILY EF,AI)IK(iS. 98 
 
 "He answered Tiim to never a word." — Matthew xxvii. 14. 
 
 ^E had never been slow of speech when He could bless 
 Vj the sons of men, but He would not say a single word 
 for Himself. " Never man spake like this man," and 
 never man was silent like Him. Was this singular silence 
 the index of His -perfect self-sacrifice ? Did it show that He 
 would not utter a word to stay the slaughter of His sacred 
 person, which He had dedicated as an offering for us ? Had 
 He so entirely surrendered Himself that He would not inter- 
 fere in His own behalf, even in the minutest degree, but be 
 bound and slain an unstruggling, uncomplaining victim ? 
 Was this silence a type of the defencelessness of sin ? Noth- 
 ing can be said in palliation or excuse of human guilt ; and, 
 therefore. He who bore its whole weight stood speechless 
 before His judge. Is not patient silence the lest reply to a 
 gainsaying world f Calm endurance answers some questions 
 infinitely more conclusively than the loftiest eloquence. The 
 best apologists for Christianity in the early days wore its 
 martyrs. The anvil breaks a host of hammers by quietly 
 bearing their blows. Did not the silent Lamb of God furnish 
 us with a grand example of wisdom ? Where every word was 
 occasion for new blasphemy, it was the line of duty to afford 
 no fuel for the flame of sin. The ambiguous and the false, 
 the unworthy and mean, will ere long overthrow and confute 
 themselves, and therefore the true can afford to be quiet, 
 and finds silence to be its wisdom. Evidently our Lord, by 
 His silence, furnished a remarkable fulfilment of prophecy. 
 A long defence of Himself would have been contrary to 
 Isaiah's prediction : " He is led as a lamb to the slaughter, 
 and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth 
 not His mouth." By His quiet He conclusively proved Him- 
 self to be the true Lamb of God. As such we salute Hiru, 
 this morning. ]]e witli us, Jesus, and in the silence of oui 
 heart let us hoar the voice of Thy love. 
 
94 DAtLV liEAftlNGS. A^ril 3- 
 
 " Tliey took Jesus, and led Him aicai/." — John xix. 16. 
 
 ^^•pE had been all nigbt in agony. He had spent the early 
 . \ji morning at the hall of Caiaphas. He had been hurried 
 "^^^^^ from Caiaphas to Pilate, from Pilate to Herod, and 
 from Herod back again to Pilate. He had, therefore, but little 
 strength left, and yet neither refreshment nor rest was per- 
 mitted Him. They were eager for His blood, and therefore led 
 Him out to die, loaded with the cross. dolorous procession ! 
 Well may Salem's daughters weep. My soul, do thou weep also. 
 
 What learn we here as we see our blessed Lord led forth? 
 Do we not perceive that truth which was set forth in shadow 
 hj the scapegoat? Did not the high-priest bring the scape- 
 goat, and put both his hands upon its head, confessing the 
 sins of the people, that thus those sins might be laid upon 
 the goat, and cease from the people ? Then the goat was 
 led away by a fit man into the wilderness, and it carried 
 away the sins of the people ; so that, if they were sought 
 for, they could not be found. Now we see Jesus brought 
 before the priests and rulers, who pronounce Him guilty. 
 God Himself imputes our sins to Sim ; " the Lord hath laid 
 on Him the iniquity of us all;" "He was made sin for us;" 
 and, as the substitute for our guilt, bearing our sin upon His 
 shoulders, represented by the cross, we see the great Scape- 
 goat led away by the appointed officers of justice. Beloved, 
 can you feel assured that He carried your sin ? As you 
 look at the cross upon His shoulders, does it represent your 
 sin ? There is one way by which you can tell whether He 
 carried your sin or not. Have you laid your hand upon His 
 head, confessed your sin, and trusted in Him ? Then your 
 sin lies not on you ; it has all been transferred by blessed 
 imputation to Christ, and He bears it on His shoulder as a 
 load heavier than the cross. Let not the picture vanish till 
 you have rejoiced in your own deliverance, and adored the 
 loving Redeemer upon whom your iniquities were laid. 
 
April 4. DAllY READINGS. 95 
 
 **For He hath made Ilivi to he sin for us, who knew no sin, 
 
 that toe might be iinule the righteousness of God in Ilim." 
 
 2 Corinthians v. 21. 
 
 H^OURNING Christian! why weepest thou ? Art thou 
 mourning over thine own corruptions ? Look to thy 
 perfect Lord, and remember, thou art complete in 
 Him ; thou art in God's sight as perfect as if thou hadst never 
 sinned ; nay, more than that, the Lord our Righteousness hath 
 put a divine garment upon thee, so that thou hast more than 
 the righteousness of man — thou hast the righteousness of 
 God. thou who art mourning by reason of inbred sin and 
 depravity, remember, none of thy sins can condemn thee. 
 Thou hast learned to hate sin ; but thou hast learned also to 
 know that sin is not thine — it was laid upon Christ's head. 
 Thy standing is not in thyself — it is in Christ ; thine accept- 
 ance is not in thyself, but in thy Lord ; thou art as much 
 accepted of God to-day ,_ with all thy sinfulness, as thou wilt 
 be when thou standest before His throne, free from all 
 corruption. 0, I beseech thee, lay hold on this precious 
 thought, perfection in Christ I For thou art " complete in 
 Him." With thy Saviour's garment on, thou art holy as 
 the Holy One. " Who is he that condemneth ? It is Christ 
 that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the 
 right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." 
 Christian, let thy heart rejoice, for thou art " accepted in the 
 beloved " — what hast thou to fear ? Let thy face ever wear 
 a smile ; live near thy Master ; live in the suburbs of the 
 Celestial City; for soon, when thy time has come, thou shalt 
 rise up where thy Jesus sits, and reign at His right hand, 
 even as He has overcome and has sat down at His Father's 
 right hand ; and all this because the divine Lord " was made 
 to be sin for us, who knew no sin ; that we might be mad« 
 the righteousneas of God in Him." 
 
96 t)AILY READINGS. April 5, 
 
 " On him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jestit.*' 
 Luke xxiii. 26. 
 
 [^jE see in Simon's carrying the cross a picture of the 
 Wm work of the Church throughout all generations; she 
 ^^ is the cross-bearer after Jesus. Mark then, Chris- 
 tian, Jesus does not suffer so as to exclude your suffering. 
 He bears a cross, not that you may escape it, but that you 
 may endure it. Christ exempts you from sin, but not from 
 Borrow. Remember that, and expect to suffer. 
 
 But let us comfort ourselves with this thought, that in our 
 case, as in Simon's, it is not our cross, hut Christ'' s cross which 
 we carry. When you are molested for your piety, when 
 your religion brings the trial of cruel mockings upon you, 
 then remember it is not yoiir cross, it is Christ's cross ; and 
 how delightful is it to carry the cross of our Lord Jesus ! 
 
 You carry the cross after Him. You have blessed com- 
 pany ; your path is marked with the footprints of your Lord. 
 The mark of His blood-red shoulder is upon that heavy burden. 
 'Tis His cross, and He goes before you as a shepherd goes 
 before his sheep. Take up your cross daily, and follow Him. 
 Do not forget, also, that you hear this cross in partnership. 
 It is the opinion of some that Simon only carried one end of 
 the cross, and not the whole of it. That is very possible ; 
 Christ may have carried the heavier part, against the trans- 
 verse beam, and Simon may have borne the lighter end. Cer- 
 tainly it is so with you ; you do but carry the light end of 
 the cross, Christ bore the heavier end. 
 
 And remember, though Simon had to hear the cross for a 
 very little while, it gave him lasting honor. Even so the cross 
 we carry is only for a little while at most, and then we shall 
 receive the crown, the glory Surely we should love the cross, 
 and, instead of shrinking from it, count it very dear, when it 
 works out for us "a far more exceeding and eternal weight 
 of glory." 
 
April 6. bxtLt iiEAJ)tK08. d7 
 
 " Let us go forth therefore unto Ilim without the camp." 
 Hebrews xiii. 13. 
 
 %M 
 
 i;ESUS, bearing His cross, went forth to suffer without 
 .^1 the gate. The Christian's reason for leaving the camp 
 of the world's sin and religion is not because he loves 
 to be singular, but because Jesxis did so ; and the disciple must 
 follow his Master. Christ was " not of the world : " Ilis life 
 and His testimony were a constant protest against conformity 
 with the world. Never was such overflowing affection for men 
 as you find in Him ; but still He was separate from sinners. 
 In like manner Christ's people must "go forth unto Him." 
 They must take their position " without the camp," as witness- 
 bearers for the truth. They must be prepared to tread the 
 straight and narrow path. They must have bold, unflinching, 
 lion-like hearts, loving Christ first, and His truth next, and 
 Christ and His truth beyond all the world. Jesus would have 
 His people " go forth without the camp " for their own sane- 
 tification. You cannot grow in grace to any high degree 
 while you are conformed to the world. The life of separa- 
 tion may be a path of sorrow, but it is the highway of safety ; 
 and though the separated life may cost you many pangs, and 
 make every day a battle, yet it is a happy life after all. No 
 joy can excel that of the soldier of Christ ; Jesus reveals Him- 
 self so graciously, and gives such sweet refreshment, that the 
 warrior feels more calm and peace in his daily strife than 
 others in their hours of rest. The highway of holiness is the 
 highway of communion. It is thus we shall hope to xvln the 
 crown if we are enabled by divine grace faithfully to follow 
 Christ " without the camp." The crown of glory will follow 
 the cross of separation. A moment's shame will be weil 
 recompensed by eternal honor; a little while of witnesti. 
 bearing will seem nothing when we are " forever with ti^ 
 Lord." 
 
 9 
 
&8 - DAILY BiiDiNfeS. April t. 
 
 " ye tons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shamef" 
 Psalm iv. 2. 
 
 "Jt^N instructive writer has made a mournful list of the 
 <n honors which the blinded people of Israel awarded to 
 their long-expected King. (1.) They gave Him a 
 -procession of honor, in which Roman legionaries, Jewish 
 priests, men and women, took a part, He Himself bearing 
 His cross. This is the triumph which the world awards to 
 Him who comes to overthrow man's direst foes. Derisive 
 shouts are His only acclamations, and cruel taunts His only 
 paeans of praise. (2.) They presented Him with the wine of 
 honor. Instead of a golden cup of generous wine, they offered 
 Him the criminal's stupefying death-draught, which He re- 
 fused because He would preserve an uninjured taste where- 
 with to taste of death ; and afterwards when He cried, " I 
 thirst," they gave Him vinegar mixed with gall, thrust to His 
 mouth upon a sponge. Oh ! wretched, detestable inhospi- 
 tality to the King's Son. (3.) He was provided with a guard 
 of honor, who showed their esteem of Him by gambling over 
 His garments, which they had seized as their booty. Such 
 was the body-guard of the adored of heaven ; a quaternion 
 of brutal gamblers. (4.) A throne of honor was found for 
 Him upon the bloody tree ; no easier place of rest would 
 rebel men yield to their liege Lord. The cross was, in fact, 
 the full expression of the world's feeling towards Him. 
 ■" There," they seemed to say, " Thou Son of Grod, this is the 
 •manner in which Grod Himself should be treated, could we 
 reach Him." (5.) The title of honor was nominally "King 
 ■of the Jews," but that the blinded nation distinctly repudi- 
 ated, and really called Him " King of thieves," by preferring 
 IJarabbas, and by placing Jesus in the place of highest shame 
 J)ctween two thieves. His glory was thus in all things turned 
 into shame by the sous of men, but it shall yet gladden the 
 eyes of saints and angels, world without end. 
 
April 8. DATLT READINGS. 90 
 
 " If ihcy do these things in a green tree, what shall he done in the 
 (ir;/?" — Lukexxiii. 31. 
 
 'MONG other interpretations of this suggestive ques- 
 ^ tion, the following is full of teaching : " If I, the in- 
 nocent substitute for sinners, suffer thus, what will 
 be done when the sinner himself — the dry tree — shall fall 
 into the hands of an angry God ? " When God saw Jesus in 
 the sinner's place, He did not spare Him ; and when He finds 
 the unre^enerate without Christ, He will not spare them. 
 sinner, Jesus was led away by His enemies : so shall you be 
 dragged away by fiends to the place appointed for you. 
 Jesus was deserted of God ; and if He, who was only im- 
 putedly a sinner, was deserted, how much more shall you be ! 
 " Eloi, Eloi, lama, sabachthani ! " what an awful shriek ! 
 But what shall be your cry when you shall say, " God ' 
 God ! why hast Thou forsaken me ? " and the answer shall 
 come back, " Because ye have set at nought all My counsel, 
 and would none of My reproof, I also will laugh at your 
 calamity ; I will mock when your fear cometh " ? If God 
 spared not His own Son, how much less will He spare you ! 
 What whips of burning wire will be yours when conscience 
 shall smite you with all its terrors ! Ye richest, ye merriest, 
 ye most self-righteous sinners, who would stand in your 
 place when God shall say, " Awake, sword, against the 
 man that rejected Me; smite him, and let him feel the 
 smart forever " ? Jesus was spit upon : sinner, what shame 
 will be yours ! We cannot sum up in one word all the mass 
 of sorrows which met upon the head of Jesus, who died for 
 us ; therefore it is impossible for us to tell you what streams, 
 what oceans of grief, must roll over yoiLr spirit if you die aa 
 you now are- You may die so, you maj' die now. By the 
 agonies of Christ, by His wounds and by His blood, do not 
 bring upon yourselves the wratli to come ! Trust in the Sod 
 of God, and you shall never die. 
 
100 DAILY REAt):NG8. April &. 
 
 "And there followed Him a great company oj" people, and of iro- 
 men, which also bewailed and lamented him." — Luke xxiii. 27. 
 
 >,_. J3IID the rabble rout which hounded the Redeemer to 
 Hj^ His doom, there were some gracious souls whose 
 '^^^^ bitter anguish sought vent in wailing and lamenta- 
 tions — fit music to accompany that march of woe. When 
 my soul can, in imagination, see the Saviour bearing Hia 
 cross to Calvary, she joins the godly women and weeps with 
 them ; for, indeed, there is true cause for grief — cause lying 
 deeper than those mourning women thought. They bewailed 
 innocence maltreated, goodness persecuted, love bleeding, 
 meekness about to die ; but my heart has a deeper and more 
 bitter cause to mourn. My sins were the scourges which 
 lacerated those blessed shoulders, and crowned with thorn 
 those bleeding brows : my sins cried, " Crucify Him ! crucify 
 Him ! " and laid the cross upon His gracious shoulders. Hia 
 being led forth to die is sorrow enough for one eternity : but 
 my having been His murderer, is more, indefinitely more, 
 grief than one poor fountain of tears can express. 
 
 Why those women loved and wept it were not hard to guess ; 
 but they could not have had greater reasons for love and 
 grief than my heart has. Nain's widow saw her son restored 
 — but I myself have been raised to newness of life. Peter's 
 wife's mother was cured of the fever — but I of the greater 
 plague of sin. Out of Magdalene seven devils were cast — 
 but a whole legion out of me. Mary and Martha were 
 favored with visits — but He dwells with me. His mother 
 bare his body — but He is formed in me the hope of glory. 
 In nothing behind the holy women in debt, let me not 
 be behind them in gratitude or sorrow. 
 
 "Love and grief my heart dividing, 
 With my tears His feet I'll lave — 
 Constant still in heart abiding, 
 Weep for Him who died to save.** 
 
April 10. bAILY READINGS. 101 
 
 " 'Die place tchich is called Calvaiij." — Luke xxiii. 33. 
 
 SHE hill of comfort is the hill of Calvary ; the house of 
 consolation is built with the wood of the cross ; the 
 temple of heavenly blessing is founded upon the riveo 
 rock — riven by the spear which pierced His side. No scene in 
 eacred history ever gladdens the soul like Calvary's tragedy. 
 
 " Is it not strant^e, the darkest hour 
 That ever dawned on sinful earth 
 Should touch the heart with softer power, 
 For comfort, than an angel's mirth ? 
 That to the Cross the mourner's eye should turn, 
 Sooner than where the stars of Bethlehem burn ? " 
 
 Light springs from the midday-midnight of Golgotha, and 
 every herb of the field blooms sweetly beneath the shadow 
 of the once accursed tree. In that place of thirst, grace 
 hath dug a fountain which ever gushcth with waters pure as 
 crystal, each drop capable of alleviating the woes of mankind. 
 You who have had your seasons of conflict, will confess that 
 it was not at Olivet that you ever found comfort, not on the 
 hill of Sinai, nor on Tabor ; but Gethsemaue, Gabbatha, and 
 Golgotha have been a means of comfort to you. The bitter 
 herbs of Gcthsemane have often taken away the bitters of 
 your life ; the scourge of Gabbatha has often scourged away 
 your cares, and the groans of Calvary have put all other 
 groans to flight. Thus Calvary yields us comfort rare and 
 rich. We never should have known Christ's love in all ks 
 heights and depths if He had not died ; nor could we guess 
 the Father's deep afi'ectiou if He had not given His Son to 
 die. The common mercies we enjoy all sing of love, just as 
 the sea-shell, when we put it to our ears, whispers of the 
 deep sea whence it came ; but if we dcsirQ to hear the ocean 
 itself, we must not look at every-day blessings, but at the 
 transactions of the crucifixion. He who would know love, ie* 
 him retire to Calvary and see the Man of sorrows die. 
 9* 
 
.02 i)AiLv REAbiNGS. April 11. 
 
 "/ am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joints* 
 Psaim xxii. 14. 
 
 PlS^f ID earth or heaven ever behold a sadder spectacle of 
 ^|^,ij woe ? In soul and body, our Lord felt Himself to bo 
 '^*^^ weak as water poured upon the ground. The placing 
 of the cross in its socket had shaken Him with great violence, 
 had strained all the ligaments, pained every nerve, and more 
 or less dislocated all His bones. Burdened with His own 
 weight, the august Sufferer felt the strain increasing every 
 moment of those six long hours. His sense of faintness and 
 general weakness was overpowering ; while to His own 
 consciousness He became nothing but a mass of misery and 
 swooning sickness. When Daniel saw the great vision, he 
 thus describes his sensations : " There remained no strength 
 in me, for my vigor was turned into corruption, and I re- 
 tained no strength :" how much more faint must have been 
 our greater Prophet when He saw the dread vision of the 
 wrath of God, and felt it in His own soul ! To us, sensations 
 8uch as our Lord endured would have been insupportable, 
 and kind unconsciousness would have come to our rescue ; 
 but in His case, He was wounded, and felt the sword ; He 
 drained the cup and tasted every drop. 
 
 " King of Grief! (a title strange, yet true, 
 To Thte of all kings only due,"> 
 O King of Wounds ! how shall I grieve for Thee, 
 Who in all grief preventest me ! " 
 
 As we kneel before our now ascended Saviour's throne, let 
 us remember well the way by which He prepared it as a 
 throne of grace for us ; let us in spirit drink of His cup, that 
 we may be strengthened for our hour of heaviness whenever 
 it may come. In His natural body every member suffered, 
 and so must it be in the spiritual ; but as out of all His griefs 
 and woes His body came fortli uninjured to glory and power, 
 even so shall His mystical body come through the fuinaoe 
 with not so much as the smell of fire upon it. 
 
April li. i>AII,Y RKAl>tjt6§. I6d 
 
 *" My heart is like wax ; it is melted in the midst of my bowels." 
 Psalm xxii. 14. 
 
 ^(^iiPSfPUR blessed Lord experienced a terrible sinking and 
 melting of soul. " The spirit of a man will sustain 
 ^^ his infirmity, but a wounded spirit who can bear ? " 
 Deep depression of spirit is the most grievous of all trials; all 
 besides is as nothing. Well might the suifering Saviour cry 
 to His God, " Be not far from me," for above all other sea- 
 Bons a man needs his God when his lioart is melted within 
 him because of heaviness. Believer, come near the cross 
 this morning, and humbly adore the King of glory as having 
 once been brought far lower, in mental distress and inward 
 anguish, than any one among us; and mark Ilis fitness to be- 
 come a faithful High Priest, who can be touched with a feeling 
 of our infirmities. Especially let those of us whose sadness 
 springs directly from the withdrawal of a present sense of 
 our Father's love, enter into near and intimate communion 
 with Jesus. Let us not give way to despair, since through 
 this dark room the Master has passed before us. Our souls 
 may sometimes long and faint, and thirst even to anguish, to 
 behold the light of the Lord's countenance : at such times let 
 us stay ourselves with the sweet fact of the sympathy of our 
 great High Priest. Our drops of sorrow may well be forgot- 
 ten in the ocean of His griefs ; but how high ought our love 
 to rise ! Come in, strong and deep love of Jesus, like the 
 sea at the flood in spring tides, cover all my powers, drown 
 all my sins, wash out all my cares, lift up my earth-bound 
 soul, and float it right up to my Lord's feet, and there let 
 me lie, a poor broken shell, washed up by His love, having 
 DO virtue or value; and only venturing to whisper to Him that 
 if He will put His car to me. He will hear within my heart 
 faint echoes of the vast waves of His own love which have 
 brought me where it is my delight to lie, even at His feci 
 forever. 
 
104 DAILY READINGS AprK i^ 
 
 " A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me." — Cant. i. iu 
 
 Pa 
 
 HYRRH may well be chosen as the type of Jesiis OD 
 ^|fl| account of its preciousness, its perfume, its pleasa it- 
 ~* ness, its healing, preserving, disinfecting qualities, and 
 its connection with sacrifice. But why is He compared to " a 
 handle of myrrh " ? First, for plenty. He is not a drop of 
 it, He is a casket full. He is not a sprig or flower of it, bul 
 a whole bundle. There is enough in Christ for all my neces« 
 sities ; let me not be slow to avail myself of Him. Our well- 
 beloved is compared to a " bundle," again, for variety ; for 
 there is in Christ not only the one thing needful, but "in Him 
 dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily ; " everything 
 needful is in Him. Take Jesus in His diff'erent characters, 
 and you will see a marvellous variety — Prophet, Priest, 
 King, Husband, Friend, Shepherd. Considei Him in His 
 life, death, resurrection, ascension, second adv',ut; view Him 
 in His virtue, gentleness, courage, self-deniai, love, faithful- 
 ness, truth, righteousness — everywhere He is a bundle of 
 preciousness. He is a " bundle of myr/h ' fbr preservation 
 — not loose myrrh, to be dropped on the rloor or trodden on, 
 but myrrh tied up, myrrh to be stored \u a casket. We must 
 value Him as our best treasure ; we must prize His words 
 and His ordinances ; and we must ke^'p our thoughts of Him 
 and knowledge of Him as under look and key, lest the devil 
 should steal anything from us. Moreover Jesus is a " bundle 
 of myrrh" for speciality ; the eH/olem suggests the idea ot 
 distinguishing, discriminating grioe. From before the foun- 
 dation of the world. He was set apart for His people ; and 
 He gives forth His perfume ohly to those who understand 
 how to enter into communion \^ith Him, to have close deal- 
 ings with Him. Oh ! blessed poople whom the Lord hath ad- 
 mitted into His secrets, and for whom He sets Himself apart. 
 Oh ! choice and happy who are thus made to say, " A bun- 
 dle of myrrh is m}- well-beloved unto me " 
 
April 14. 1)A1LY RKADINOS. lOA 
 
 " All they that see me lauyh vie to scorn: they shoot oitt the lip, 
 they shake the head." — Psalm xxii. 7. 
 
 fi?|^i|OCKEllY was a great iiigrccHont in our Lord's woe. 
 c^lll^ Judas mocked Ilim in the garden ; the chief priests 
 ^^^^"7 and scribes laughed Him to scorn ; Herod set Him 
 at nought ; the servants and the soldiers jeered at Him, and 
 brutally insulted Him ; Pilate and his guards ridiculed His 
 royalty ; and on the tree all sorts of horrid jests and hideous 
 taunts were hurled at Him. Ridicule is always hard to bear ; 
 but when we are in intense pain it is so heartless, so cruel, 
 that it cuts us to the quick. Imagine the Saviour crucified, 
 racked with anguish far beyond all mortal guess, and then 
 picture that motley multitude, all wagging their heads or 
 thrusting out the lip in bitterest contempt of one poor suffer- 
 ing victim ! Surely there must have been something more 
 in the crucified One than they could see, or else such a great 
 and mingled crowd would not unanimously have honored Him 
 with such contempt. "Was it not evil confessing, in the very 
 moment of its greatest apparent triumph, that after all it 
 could do no more than mock at that victorious goodness 
 which was then reigning on the cross ? Jesus, " despised 
 and rejected of men," how couldst Thou die for men who 
 treated Thee so ill ? Herein is love amazing, love divine, 
 yea, love beyond degree. We, too, have despised Thee in 
 the days of our unregeneracy, and even since our new birth 
 we have set the world on high in our hearts, and yet Thou 
 bleedest to heal our wounds, and diest to give up life. O that 
 we could set Thee on a glorious high throne in all men's 
 hearts ! We would ring out Thy praises over land and sea 
 till men should as universally adore as once they d»d tinaDi> 
 mously reject. 
 
 "Thy creatures wrong Thee, Thou sovereign Gaai' 
 Thoti art not loved, because not understood : 
 This grieves me most, that vain pursuits beguile 
 Ungrateful men, regardless of Thy smile." 
 
106 Daily heaIjings. April 15 
 
 "ilfy God, my Ood, why hast Tliou forsaken me9" — Psalm xxii. 1. 
 
 il^E here behold the Saviom- in the depth of His sor- 
 'Mi rows. No other place So well shows the griefs of 
 ■^ Christ as Calvary, and no other moment at Calvary 
 is so full of agony as that in which His cry rends the air — 
 *' My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me ?" At this 
 moment physical weakness was united with acute mental tor- 
 ture from the shame and ignominy through which He had to 
 pass ; and to make His grief culminate with emphasis, He 
 suffered spiritual agony surpassing all expression, resulting 
 from the departure of His Father's presence. This was the 
 black midnight of His horror ; then it was that He descended 
 the abyss of suffering. No man can enter into the full mean- 
 ing of these words. Some of us think at times that we could 
 cry, " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ? " 
 There are seasons when the brightness of our Father's smile 
 is eclipsed by clouds and darkness ; but let us remember 
 that God never does really forsake us. It is only a seeming 
 forsaking with us, but in Christ's case it was a real forsaking. 
 We grieve at a little withdrawal of our Father's love ; but 
 the real turning away of God's face from His Son, who shall 
 calculate how deep the agony which it caused Him ? 
 
 In our case, our cry is often dictated by unbelief: in His 
 case, it was the utterance of a dreadful fact, for God had 
 really turned away from Him for a season. thou poor, 
 distressed soul, who once lived in the sunshine of God's 
 face, but art now in darkness, remember that He has not 
 really forsaken thee. God in the clouds is as much our 
 God as when He shines forth in all the lustre of His grace ; 
 but since even the thought that He has forsaken us gives ua 
 agony, what must the woe of the Saviour have been when 
 He exclaimed, " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken 
 me?" 
 
April 16. DAILY HEAOiNdS. 107 
 
 " The precious blood of Christ"— 1 Peter i. 19 
 
 (iTANDING at tlie foot of the cross, wo see hands, 
 and feet, and side, all distilling crimson streams of 
 precious blood. It is " precious " because of its rt- 
 deeming and atoning (fficacij. By it the sins of Christ's peo- 
 ple are atoned for; they are redeemed from under the law; 
 they are reconciled to God, made one with Ilim. Christ's 
 lilood is also "precious" in its cleansing potver ; it " cleans- 
 eth from all sin." " Though your sins be as scarlet, they 
 shall be as white as snow." Through Jesus' blood there is 
 not a spot left upon any believer ; no wrinkle, nor any such 
 thing, remains. precious blood, which makes us clean, 
 removing the stains of abundant iniquity, and permitting us 
 to stand accepted in the Beloved, notwithstanding the many 
 wa^'s in which we have rebelled against our God 1 The blood 
 of Christ is likewise " precious " in its preserving power. We 
 are safe from the destroying angel under the sprinkled blood. 
 Remember, it is God's seeing the blood which is the true 
 reason for our being spared. Here is comfort for us when 
 the eye of faith is dim, for God's eye is still the same. The 
 blood of Christ is "precious" also in its sanctifying influ- 
 ence. The same blood which justifies by taking away sin, 
 does, in after-action, quicken the new nature, and lead it 
 onward to subdue sin, and to follow out the commands of 
 God. There is no motive for holiness so great as that 
 which streams from the veins of Jesus. And "precious," 
 unspeakably precious, is this blood, because it has an over' 
 coming power. It is written, " They overcame through the 
 blood of the Lamb." How could they do otherwise ? He who 
 fights with the precious blood of Jesus fights with a weapon 
 which cannot know defeat. The blood of Jesus ! Sin dies 
 at its presence, death ceases to be death; heaven's gates are 
 ooened. The blood of Jesus ! We shall march on, con- 
 quering and to conquer, so long as wt can trust its power 1 
 
108 DAtLY itEAUlNGS. April 17. 
 
 " We are come to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things 
 than that of Abel." — Hebrews xii. 24. 
 
 E ADER, have you come to the blood of sprinkling ? 
 "^ The question is not whether you have come to a 
 knowledge of doctrine, or an observance of ceremo- 
 nies, or to a certain form of experience, but have you come 
 to the blood of Jesus ? The blood of Jesus is the life of all 
 vital godliness. If you have truly come to Jesus, we know 
 how you came — the Holy Spirit sweetly brought you there. 
 You came to the blood of sprinkling with no merits of your 
 own. Guilty, lost, and helpless, you came to take that blood, 
 and that blood alone, as your everlasting hope. You came 
 to the cross of Christ with a trembling and an aching heart ; 
 and oh ! what a precious sound it was to you to hear the 
 voice of the blood of Jesus ! The dropping of His blood is 
 as the music of heaven to the penitent sons of earth. We 
 are full of sin, but the Saviour bids us lift our eyes to Him, 
 and, as we gaze upon His streaming wounds, each drop 
 of blood, as it falls, cries, " It is finished ; I have made an 
 end of sin ; 1 have brought in everlasting righteousness." 
 Oh ! sweet language of the precious blood of Jesus ! If you 
 have come to that blood once, you will come to it constantly. 
 Your life will be " looking unto Jesus." Your whole con- 
 duct will be epitomized in this — " To whom coming." Not 
 to whom I have come, but to whom I am always coming. If 
 thou hast ever come to the blood of sprinkling, thou wilt 
 feel thy need of coming to it every day. He who does not 
 desire to wash in that every day has never washed in it at 
 all. The believer ever feels it to be his joy and privilege 
 that there is still a fountain opened. Past experiences are 
 doubtful food for Christians : a present coming to Christ alone 
 can give us joy and comfort. This morning let U3 sprinkle 
 our door-post fresh with blood, and then feast uf jc che Laib^ 
 assured that the destroying angel must pass ufl bj. 
 
April 18. DAILY READINGS. 109 
 
 "She bound the scarlet line in the window" — Joshua ii. 21. 
 
 1 
 
 '|^"'<?AIIAli depended for her preservation upon the prom- 
 p.lj V}*j ise of the spins, whom she looked upon as the repre- 
 **^^^ sentatives of the God of Israel. Her faith was simple 
 and firm, but it was very obedient. To tie the scarlet line in 
 the window was a very trivial act in itself, but she dared not 
 run the risk of omitting it. Come, my soul, is there not here 
 a lesson for thee ? Hast thou been attentive to all thy Lord's 
 will, even though some of His commands should seem non- 
 essential ? Ilast thou observed in His own way tlie two or- 
 dinances of believers' baptism and the Lord's Supper ? These 
 neglected, argue much unloving disobedience in thy heart. 
 Be henceforth in all things blameless, even to the tying of a 
 thread, if that be matter of command. 
 
 This act of Rahab sets forth a yet more solemn lesson. 
 Have I implicitly trusted in the precious blood of Jesus ? 
 Have I tied the scarlet cord, as with a gordian knot, in my 
 window, so that my trust can never be removed ? Or can I 
 look out towards the Dead Sea of my sins, or the Jerusalem 
 of my hopes, without seeing the blood, and seeing all things 
 in connection with its blessed power ? The passer-by can se« 
 a cord of so conspicuous a color, if it hangs from the window : 
 it will be well for me if my life makes the efficacy of the atone- 
 ment conspicuous to all onlookers. What is there to be 
 ashamed of? Let men or devils gaze if they will ; the blood 
 is my boast and my song. My soul, tliere is One who will 
 see that scarlet line, even when from weakness of faith thou 
 canst not see it thyself; Jehovah, the Avenger, will see it 
 and pass over thee. Jericho's walls fell flat ; Rahab's house 
 was on the wall, and yet it stood unmoved ; my nature ia 
 built into the wall of humanity and yet when destruction 
 emites the race, I shall be secure. My soul, tie the scarlet 
 thread in the windo v afresh, and rest in peace. 
 
110 DA.il Y EEADINGS. April 19. 
 
 ^Behold, the vail of the temple was rent in twain from the top 
 to the bottom." — Matthew xx^ii. 51. 
 
 %^0 mean miracle was wrought in the rending of «o 
 '§ strong and thick a veil ; but it was not intended 
 merely as a display of power — many lessons were 
 herein taught us. The old laio of ordinances was put away, 
 and like a worn-out vesture, rent and laid aside. When Jesus 
 died, the sacrifices were all finished, because all fulfilled in 
 Bim, and therefore the place of their presentation was marked 
 with an evident token of decay. That rent also revealed all 
 the hidden things of the old dispensation : the mercy-peat could 
 now be seen, and the glory of God gleamed forth above it. 
 By the death of our Lord Jesus we have a clear revelation 
 of God, for He was " not as Moses, who put a veil over his 
 face." Life and immortality are now brought to light, and 
 things which have been hidden since the foundation of the 
 world are manifest in Him. The annual ceremony of atone- 
 ment was thus abolished. The atoning blood, which was once 
 every year sprinkled within the vail, was now offered once for 
 all by the great High Priest, and therefore the place of the 
 symbolical rite was broken up. No blood of bullocks or of 
 lambs is needed now, for Jesus has entered within the vail 
 with His own- blood. Hence access to God is now permittedy 
 and is the privilege of every believer in Christ Jesus, There 
 is no small space laid open through which we may peer at the 
 mercy-seat, but the rent reaches from the top to the bottom. 
 We may come with boldness to the throne of the heavenly 
 grace. Shall we err if we say that the opening of the Holy of 
 Holies in this marvellous manner by our Lord's expiring cry 
 was the type of the opening of the gates of paradise to all the 
 Baints by virtue of the Passion ? Our bleeding Lord hath the 
 key of heaven ; He openeth and no man shutteth ; let us enter 
 in with Him into the heavenly places, and sit with Him there 
 till our common enemies shall be made His footstool. 
 
April 20. DAILY RKAniNGS. Ill 
 
 " Tliat through death lie might destroy him that had the power 
 of death." — Hebrews ii. 14. 
 
 ^5=^ CHILD of God, death hath lost its sting, because the 
 ^ devil's power over it is destroyed. Then cease to 
 ''' fear dying. Ask grace from God the Holy Ghost, 
 that by an intimate knowledge and a firm belief of thy lle- 
 decmer's death, thou mayst be strengthened for that dread 
 hour. Living near the cross of Calvary, thou mayst think 
 of death with pleasure, and welcome it when it comes with 
 intense delight. It is sweet to die in the Lord ; it is a cov- 
 enant-blessing to sleep in Jesus. Death is no longer banish- 
 ment ; it is a return from exile, a going home to the many 
 mansions where the loved ones already dwell. The distance 
 between glorified spirits in heaven and militant saints on 
 earth seems great ; but it is not so. We are not far from 
 home — a moment will bring us there. The sail is spread: 
 the soul is launched upon the deep. How long will be its 
 voyage ? How many wearying winds must beat upon the 
 sail ere it shall be reefed in the port of peace ? How long 
 shall that soul be tossed upon the waves before it comes to 
 that sea which knows no storm ? Listen to the answer : "Ab- 
 sent from the body, present with the Lord." Yon ship has 
 just departed, but it is already at its haven. It did but spread 
 its sail and it was there. Like that ship of old, upon the lake 
 of Galilee, a storm had tossed it ; but Jesus said, " Peace, be 
 still,"' and immediately it came to land. Think not that a 
 long period intervenes between the instant of death and the 
 eternity of glory. When the eyes close on earth they open 
 m heaven. The horses of fire are not an instant c n the road. 
 Then, child of God, what is there for thee to fear in death, 
 seeing that through the death of thy Lord its curse and sting 
 we destroyed ? and now it is but a Jacob's ladder whose foot 
 ifi in the dark grave, but its top reaches to glory everlasting 
 
112 DAILY EEADINGS. April 21 
 
 / hioio that my JRedeemer liveth." — Job xix. 25. 
 
 fg^HE marrow of Job's comfort lies in that little word 
 " My " — " My Redeemer," and in the fact that the 
 Redeemer lives. Oh ! to get hold of a living Christ. 
 We must get a property in Him before we can enjoy Him. 
 What is gold in the mine to me ? Men are beggars in Peru, 
 and beg their bread in California. It is gold in my purse 
 which will satisfy my necessities, by purchasing the bread I 
 need. So a Redeemer who does not redeem me, an Avenger 
 who will never stand up for my blood, of what avail were such : 
 Rest not content until by faith you can say, " Yes, I cast my- 
 self upon my living Lord ; and He is mine." It may be you 
 hold Ilim with a feeble hand ; you half think it presumption 
 to say, " He lives as my Redeemer ; " yet, remember, if you 
 have but faith as a grain of mustard seed, that little faith en- 
 titles you to say it. But there is also another word here, ex- 
 pressive of Job's strong confidence — " / know." To say, " I 
 hope so, I trust so," is comfortable ; and there are thousands 
 in the fold of Jesus who hardly ever get much further. But 
 to reach the essence of consolation you viust say, " I know." 
 Ifs, buts, and perhapses, are sure murderers of peace and 
 comfort. Doubts are dreary things in times of sorrow. Like 
 wasps they sting the soul ! If I have any suspicion that Christ 
 is not mine, then there is vinegar mingled with the gall of 
 death ; but if I know that Jesus lives for me, then darkness 
 is not dark ; even the night is light about me. Surely if Job, 
 in those ages before the coming and advent of Christ, could 
 say, " I know," we should not speak less positively. God 
 forbid that our positiveness should be presumption. Let us 
 nee ihat our evidences are right, lest we build upon an un- 
 grounded hope ; and then let us not be satisfied with the 
 Qierc foundation, for it is from the upper rooms that we get 
 the widest prospect. A living Redeemer, truly mine, is jo^ 
 unspeakable. 
 
April 22. DAILY EEADING8. 113 
 
 "//tm hath Ood exalted." — Acts \. 31. 
 
 ^ESUS, our Lord, once crucified, dead and buried, now 
 '9 sits upon the throne of glory. The highest place 
 ■^ thai heaven affords is His by undisputed right. It 13 
 Bweet to remember that the exaltation of Christ in heaven is 
 a representative exaltation. He is exalted at the Father's right 
 hand, and though as Jehovah He has eminent glories, in 
 which finite creatures cannot share, yet as the Mediator, the 
 honors which Jesus wears in heaven are the heritage of all 
 the saints. It is delightful to reflect how close is Christ's 
 union with His people. We are actually one with Ilim ; we 
 are members of Ilis body; and His exaltation is our exaltation. 
 He will give us to sit upon His throne, even as He has over- 
 come, and is set down with His Father on His throne : He 
 has a crown, and He gives us crowns too : He has a throne, 
 but He is not content with having a throne to Himself; on 
 His right hand there must be His queen, arrayed in "gold 
 of Ophir." He cannot be glorified without His bride. Look 
 up, believer, to Jesus now ; let the eye of your faith behold 
 Him with many crowns upon His head ; and remember that 
 you will one day be like Him, when you shall see Him as He 
 is ; you shall not be so great as He is, you shall not be so 
 divine, but still you shall, in a measure, share the same hon- 
 ors, and enjoy the same happiness and the same dignity which 
 He possesses. Be coutent to live unknown for a little while, 
 and to walk your weary way tlirough the fields of poverty, 
 or up the hills of affliction ; for by and by you shall reign 
 with Christ, for He has " made us kings and priests unto 
 God, and we shall reign forever and ever." Oh ! wonderful 
 thought for the children of God ! We have Christ for our 
 glorious representative in heaven's courts notv, and soon fl« 
 will come and receive us to Himself, to be with Him there, 
 to behold His glory, and to share in His joy. 
 10* 
 
114 DAILY HEADINGS. April 23. 
 
 " Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him 
 that loved us." — Romans viii. 37. 
 
 ^^E go to Christ for forgiveness, and then too often look 
 to the law for power to fight our sins. Paul thug 
 rebukes us : " foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched 
 you, that ye should not obey the truth ? This only would I 
 learn of you : Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, 
 or by the hearing of faith ? Are ye so foolish .'' Having begun 
 in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh ? " Take 
 your sins to Christ's cross, for the old man can only be cruci- 
 fied there : we are crucified with Him. The only weapon to 
 fight sin with is the spear which pierced the side of Jesus. 
 To give an illustration — you want to overcome an angry 
 temper ; how do you go to work ? It is very possible you 
 have never tried the right way of going to Jesus with it. 
 How did I get salvation ? I came to Jesus just as I was, 
 and I trusted him to save me. I must kill my angry temper 
 in the same way. It is the only way in which I can ever 
 kill it. I must go to the cross with it, and say to Jesus, 
 " Lord, I trust Thee to deliver me from it." This is the only 
 way to give it a death-blow. Are you covetous ? Do you 
 feel the world entangle you ? You may struggle against this 
 evil so long as you please, but if it be your besetting sin, you 
 will never be delivered from it in any way but by the blood 
 of Jesus, Take it to Christ. Tell Him, " Lord, I have 
 trusted Thee, and Thy name is Jesus, for Thou dost save 
 Thy people from their sins ; Lord, this is one of my sins ; sa^e 
 me from it ! " Ordinances are nothing without Christ as a 
 means of mortification. Your prayers, and your repentances, 
 and your tears — the whole of them put together — are worth 
 nothing apart from Him. " None but Jesus can do helpless 
 fiiuners good; " or helpless saints cither. You must be con- 
 querors through Him who hath loved you, if conquerors at all. 
 Our laurels must grow amonof His olives in G-ethsemaue. 
 
April 24. DAILY READINGS. 115 
 
 " And became of all this we make a sure covenant." 
 Xehemiah ix. 38. 
 
 i 
 
 ['y^IIElvE arc many occasions iu our experience when 
 we may very rightly, and with benefit, renew our 
 covenant with God. After recovcri/ from sickness 
 when, like Ilezekiah, we have had a new term of years 
 added to our life, we may fitly do it. After any deliverance 
 from trouble, when our joys bud forth anew, let us again visit 
 the foot of the cross, and renew our consecration. Espe- 
 cially, let us do this after any sin wJiich Jias (jrieved the Holy 
 Spirit, or brought dishonor upon the cause of God; let us 
 then look to that blood which can make us whiter than snow, 
 and again offer ourselves unto the Lord. We should not 
 only let our troubles confirm our dedication to God, but our 
 prosperity should do the same. If we ever meet with occa- 
 sions which deserve to be called " crowning mercies," then, 
 surely, if He hath crowned us, we ought also to crown our 
 God; let us bring forth anew all the jewels of the divine 
 regalia which have been stored in the jewel-closet of our 
 heart, and let our God sit upon the throne of our love, ar- 
 rayed in royal apparel. If we would learn to profit by our 
 prosperity, we should not need so much adversity. If we 
 would gather from a kiss all the good it might confer upon 
 us, we should not so often smart under the rod. Have we 
 lately received some blessing which we little expected ? Has 
 the Lord put our feet in a large room ? Can we sing of mer- 
 cies multiplied ? Then this is the day to put our hand upon 
 the horns of the altar, and say, " Bind me here, my God; bind 
 me here with cords, even forever." Inasmuch as we need 
 the fulfilment of new promises from God, let us offer renewed 
 prayers that our old vows may not be dishonored. Let us 
 this morning make with Him a sure covenant, because of 
 the pains of Jesus which for the last month we iBive beea 
 eoDsidering with gratitude. 
 
116 DAILY HEADINGS. April 25. 
 
 " Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away." 
 Canticles ii. 10. 
 
 ^p^O, I hear the voice of my Beloved ! He speaks to mel 
 W' '^1 ^^^Y weather is smiling upon the face of the earth, 
 •'^^'^ and He would not have me spiritually asleep while 
 nature is all around me awaking from her winter's, rest. He 
 bids me, " Rise up," and well He may, for I have long enough 
 been lying among the pots of worldliness. He is risen, I 
 am risen in Him ; why then should I cleave unto the dust ? 
 From lower loves, desires, pursuits, and aspirations, I would 
 rise towards Him. He calls me by the sweet title of " My 
 love," and counts me fair ; this is a good argument for my ris- 
 ing. If He has thus exalted me, and thinks me thus comely, 
 how can I linger in the tents of Kedar and find congenial 
 associates among the sons of men ? He bids me, " Come 
 away." Farther and farther from everything selfish, grovel- 
 ling, worldly, sinful. He calls me ; yea, from the outwardly 
 religious world which knows Him not, and has no sympathy 
 with the mystery of the higher life, He calls me. " Come 
 away" has no harsh sound in it to my ear, for what is there 
 to hold me in this wilderness of vanity and sin ? my Lord, 
 would that I could come away ; but I am taken among the 
 thorns, and cannot escape from them as I would. I would, 
 if it were possible, have neither eyes, nor ears, nor heart for 
 sin. Thou callest me to Thyself by saying, " Come away," 
 and this is a melodious call indeed. To come to Thee is to 
 come home from exile, to come to land out of the raging 
 storm, to come to rest after long labor, to come to the goal 
 of my desires and the summit of my wishes. But, Lord, how 
 can a stone rise ? how can a lump of clay come away from 
 the horrible pit ? raise me, draw me. Thy grace can do 
 it. Send forth Thy Holy Spirit to kindle sacred flames of 
 love in my heart, and I will continue to rise until I leave 
 life and time behind lofi- aid indeed come away. 
 
April 26. DAILY RE AD1KG9. 117 
 
 " This do in remembrance of Me." — 1 Corinthians xi. 24. 
 
 ^?7T seems, then, that Christians may forget Christ! 
 ki^j Tlicre could be no need for this loving exhortation, 
 ^ if there were not a fearful supposition that our mem- 
 ories might prove treacherous. Nor is this a bare supposi- 
 tion ; it is, alas ! too well confirmed in our experience, not 
 as a possibility, but as a lamentable fact. It appears almost 
 impossible that those who have been redeemed by the blood 
 of the dying Lamb, and loved with an everlasting love by the 
 eternal Sou of God, should forget that gracious Saviour ; but, 
 if startling to the ear, it is, alas ! too apparent to the eye to 
 allow us to deny the crime. Forget Him who never forgot 
 us ! Forget Him who poured His blood forth for our sins ! 
 Forget Him who loved us even to the death ! Can it be pos- 
 sible ? Yes, it is not only possible, but conscience confesses 
 that it is too sadly a fault with all of us, that we suffer Him 
 to be as a wayfaring man tarrying but for a night. He 
 whom we should make the abiding tenant of our memories 
 is but a visitor therein. The cross where one would think 
 that memory would linger, and unmindfulness would be an 
 unknown intruder, is desecrated by the feet of forgetfuluess. 
 Does not your conscience say that this is true ? Do you not 
 find yourselves forgetful of Jesus ? Some creature steals 
 away your heart, and you are uumiudful of Him upon whom 
 your affection ought to be set. Some earthly business en- 
 grosses your attention when you should fix your eye steadily 
 upon the cross. It is the incessant turmoil of the world, 
 the constant attraction of earthly things, which takes away 
 the soul from Christ. While memory too well preserves a 
 poisonous weed, it suffereth the rose of Sharou to wither. 
 Let us charge ourselves to bind a heavenly forget-me-not 
 •bout our hearts for Jesus our Beloved, and whatever else 
 we let slip, let us hold fast to Him. 
 
118 DAILY KFADINGS. April 27. 
 
 " Ood, even our own God." — Psalm Ixvii. 6. 
 
 ,T is strange bow little use we make of the spiritual 
 r^"^ blessings which God gives us, but it is stranger still 
 y/^^\& ]jQ^ little use we make of God Himself. Though 
 He is " our own God," we apply ourselves but little to Him, 
 and ask but little of Him. How seldom do we ask coun- 
 sel at the hands of the Lord 1 How often do we go about 
 our business without seeking His guidance ! In our trou- 
 bles how constantly do we strive to bear our burdens 
 ourselves, instead of casting them upon the Lord, that 
 He may sustain us ! This is not because we may not, for 
 the Lord seems to say, " I am thine, soul ; come and make 
 use of me as thou wilt ; thou mayst freely come to my 
 store, and the oftener the more welcome." It is our own 
 fault if we make not free with the riches of our God. Then, 
 since thou hast such a friend, and He invites thee, draw from 
 Him daily. Never want whilst thou hast a God to go to ; 
 never fear or faint whilst thou hast God to help thee ; go to 
 thy treasure and take whatever thou needest — there is all 
 that thou canst want. Learn the divine skill of making God 
 all things to thee. He can supply thee with all ; or, better 
 still,, He can be to thee instead of all. Let me urge thee, 
 then, to make use of thy God. Make use of Him in prayer. 
 Go to Him often, because He is thy God. 0, wilt thou fail 
 to use so great a privilege ? Fly to Him, tell Him all thy 
 wants. Use Him constantly hy faith at all times. If some 
 dark providence has beclouded thee, use thy God as a 
 "sun;" if some strong enemy has beset thee, find in Je- 
 hovah a " shield ; " for He is a sun and shield to His people. 
 If thou hast lost thy way in the mazes of life, use Him as a 
 " guide," for He will direct thee. Whatever thou art, and 
 wherever thou art, remember God is just wJxat thou wantest, 
 and just where thou wantest, and that He can do all thou 
 wantest. 
 
April 28. LAILT EEADIN08. 11^ 
 
 "Ilemcmhcr the word unto Thy seirant, upon which Thou hasi 
 caused me to hope" — Psalm cxix. 49. 
 
 [■HATEVEIl your especial need may be, you may 
 \j\ readily find some promise in the Bible suited to it. 
 Arc you faint and feeble because your way is rough 
 and you are weary ? Here is the promise — " He giveth 
 power to the faint." When you read such a promise, take 
 it back to the great Promisor, and ask Him to fulfil His own 
 word. Are you seeking after Christ, and thirsting for closer 
 ccmmunion with Him ? This promise shines like a star upon 
 you — "Blessed arc they that hunger and thirst after right- 
 eousness, for they shall be filled." Take that promise to the 
 throne continually ; do not plead anything else, but go to 
 God over and over again with this — " Lord, Thou hast said 
 it ; do as Thou hast said." Are you distressed because of 
 sin, and burdened with the heavy load of your iniquities ? 
 Listen to these words — " I, even I, am He that blotteth out 
 thy transgressions, and will no more remember thy sins." 
 You have no merit of your o^\^l to plead why He should par- 
 don you ; but plead His written engagements, and He will 
 perform them. Are you afraid lest you should not be able 
 to hold on to the end ? lest, after having thought yourself a 
 child of God, you should prove a castaway ? If that is your 
 Btate, take this word of grace to the throne and plead it : 
 " The mountains may depart, and the hills may be removed, 
 but the covenant of My love shall not depart from thee." If 
 you have lost the sweet sense of the Saviour's presence, and 
 are seeking Him with a sorrowful heart, remember the prom- 
 ises : " Beturn unto Me, and I will return unto you ; " " For 
 a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies 
 will I gather thee." Banquet your faith upon God's own word ; 
 and whatever your fears or wants, repair to the Bank of Faith 
 with your Father's note of hand, saying, " Bemembcr the word 
 unto Thy servant, upon which Thou hast caused me to hope." 
 
120 1>A1I,Y BEA±)INGS. April 29. 
 
 " Thou art my hope in iJie clay of evil." — Jeremiah xvii. 17. 
 
 ^^HE path of the Christian is not always bright with 
 ^% sunshine ; he has his seasons of darkness and of 
 
 storm. True, it is written in God's Word, " Her 
 ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace ; " 
 and it is a great truth, that religion is calculated to giye a 
 man happiness below as well as bliss above ; but experience 
 tells us that if the course of the just be " as the shining light, 
 that shineth more and more unto the perfect day," yet some- 
 times that light is eclipsed. At certain periods clouds cover 
 the believer's sun, and he walks in darkness and sees no light. 
 There are many who have rejoiced in the presence of God for 
 a season ; they have basked in the sunshine in the earlier 
 stages of their Christian career ; they have walked along the 
 " green pastures " by the side of the " still waters," but sud- 
 denly they find the glorious sky is clouded ; instead of the 
 land of Goshen, they have to tread the sandy desert ; in the 
 place of sweet waters, they find troubled streams, bitter to 
 their taste, and they say, " Surely, if I were a child of God, 
 this would not happen." Oh ! say not so, thou who art 
 walking in darkness. The best of God's saints must drink 
 the wormwood ; the dearest of His children must bear the 
 cross. No Christian has enjoyed perpetual prosperity; no 
 believer can always keep his harp from the willows. Per- 
 haps the Lord allotted you at first a smooth and unclouded 
 path, because you were weak and timid. He tempered tho 
 wind to the shorn lamb ; but now that you are stronger in 
 the spiritual life, you must enter upon the riper and rougher 
 experience of God's full-grown children We need winds 
 and tempests to exercise our faith, to tear off the rotten 
 bough of self-dependence, and to root us more firmly in 
 Christ. The day of evil reveals to us the value of our glori- 
 ous hope. 
 
April 3d. tJAILY EEADINOS. 121 
 
 ** And all the children of Israel murmured." — Num. xiv. 2. 
 
 u^HERE are murmurcrs amongst Christians now, as 
 IJ5I there were in the camp of Israel of old. There are 
 those who, when the rod falls, cry out against the af- 
 flictive dispensation. They ask, " Why am I thus aiBictcd ? 
 Wliat have I done to be chastened iu this manner ?" A word 
 with thee, murmurer ! Why shouldst thou murmur against 
 the dispensations of thy heavenly Father ? Can lie treat 
 thee more hardly than thou deservest ? Consider what a rebel 
 thou wast once, but He has pardoned thee ! Surely, if lie 
 in His wisdom sees fit now to chasten thee, thou shouldst not 
 complain. After all, art thou smitten as hardly as thy sins 
 deserve ? Consider the corruption which is in thy breast, 
 and then wilt thou wonder that there needs so much of the 
 rod to fetch it out ? Weigh thyself, and discern how much 
 dross is mingled with thy gold ; and dost thou think the fire 
 too hot to purge away so much dross as thou hast ? Does not 
 that proud rebellious spirit of thine prove that thy heart is 
 not thoroughly sanctified ? Are not those murmuring words 
 contrary to the holy submissive nature of God's children ? 
 Is not the correction needed ? But if thou wilt murmur 
 against the chastening, take heed, for it will go hard with 
 murmurers. God always chastises His children twice, if they 
 do not bear the first stroke patiently. But know one thing 
 — " He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of 
 men." All His corrections are sent in love, to purify thee, 
 and to draw thee nearer to Himself. Surely it must help 
 thee to bear the chastening with resignation if thou art able 
 to recognize thy Father's hand. For " whom the Lord loveth 
 He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. 
 If 30 endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sous." 
 " Murmur not as some of them also murmured and were de- 
 stroyed of the destroyer." 
 11 
 
152 i)AiLY HEADINGS. May 1. 
 
 "His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers." — Cant. v. 13. 
 
 ^P^O, the flowery month is come ! March winds and 
 WJ ^ April showers have done their work, and the earth 
 yJ^^!»U jg r^]\ bedecked with beauty. Come, my soul, put on 
 thine holiday attire, and go forth to gather garlands of heav- 
 enly thoughts. Thou knowest whither to betake thyself, 
 for to th3e the "beds of spices" are well known, and thou 
 hast so often smelt the perfume of the " sweet flowers," that 
 thou wilt go at once to thy well-beloved and find all loveli- 
 ness, all joy in Him. That cheek once so rudely smitten 
 with a rod, oft bedewed with tears- of sympathy, and then 
 defiled with spittle — that cheek, as it smiles with mercy, is 
 as fragrant aromatic to my heart. Thou didst not hide Thy 
 face from shame and spitting, Lord Jesus, and therefore 
 I will find my dearest delight in praising Thee. Those 
 cheeks were furrowed by the plough of grief, and crimsoned 
 with red lines of blood from Thy thorn-crowned temples; 
 such marks of love unbounded cannot but charm my soul far 
 more than " pillars of perfume." If I may not see the whole 
 of His face, I would behold His cheeks, for the least glimpse 
 of Him is exceedingly refreshing to my spiritual sense, and 
 yields a variety of delights. In Jesus I find not only fra- 
 grance, but a bed of spices ; not one flower, but all manner of 
 sweet flowers. He is to me my rose and my lily, my hearts- 
 ease and my cluster of camphor. When he is with me, it is 
 May all the year round, and my soul goes forth to wash her 
 happy face in the morning-dew of His grace, and to solace 
 herself with the singing of the birds of His promises. Pre- 
 cious Lord Jesus, let me in very deed know the blessedness 
 which dwells in abiding, unbroken fellowship with Thee. 
 I am a poor worthless one, whose cheek Thou hast deigned 
 to kiss. let me kiss Thee, in return, with the kisses of mj 
 lips. 
 
May 2. 1)AILY TEACINGS. 123 
 
 " I pray not that Tlioit shouldst take them out of the world." 
 John xvii. 1<5. 
 
 ^S^yf^T is a sweet and blessed event winch will occur to all 
 c^"< ■ ^\S believers in God's own time — the ffoinflf home to be 
 Y/^rv<:i with Jesus. In a few more years the Lord's soldiers, 
 who are now fighting " the good fight of faith," will have 
 done with conflict, and have entered into the joy of their 
 Lord. But although Christ prays that His people may event- 
 ually be with Him where He is, lie does not ask that they 
 may be taken at once away from this world to heaven. He 
 wishes them to stay here. Yet how frequently does the 
 wearied pilgrim put up the prayer, " that I had wings like 
 a dove, for then would I flee away and be at rest ! " but Christ 
 docs not pray like that; He leaves us in His Father's hands, 
 until, like shocks of corn fully ripe, we shall each be gathered 
 into our Master's garner. Jesus does not plead for our in- 
 stant removal by death, for to abide in the flesh is needful 
 for others, if not profitable for ourselves. He asks that we 
 may be kept from evil, but He never asks for us to be ad- 
 mitted to the inheritance in glory till we are of full age. 
 Christians often want to die when they have any trouble. 
 Ask them why, and they tell you, " Because we would be 
 with the Lord." We fear it is not so much because they are 
 longing to be with the Lord, as because they desire to get rid 
 of their troubles ; else they would feel the same wish to die 
 iit other times, when not under the pressure of trial. They 
 want to go home, not so much for the Saviour's company, as 
 1 be at rest. Now it is quite right to desire to depart, if we 
 can do it in the same spirit that Paul did, be^^ausc to be with 
 Christ is far better ; but the wish to escape I'rom trouble is a 
 selfish one. Rather let your care and wish be to glorify God 
 by your life here as long as He pleases, even though it be in 
 the midst of toil, and conflict, and sufi'ering, and leave Him 
 to say when " it is enough." 
 
124 DAILY KEAJDIKGS. May 9. 
 
 " In the world ye shall have tribulation." — John xvi. 33. 
 
 ^'^[r'RT thou asking the reason of this, believer ? Looli 
 I '^ vpward to thy heavenly Father, and behold Him 
 *^ pure and holy. Dost thou know that thou art one 
 day to be like Him ? Wilt thou easily be conformed to His 
 image ? Wilt thou not require much refining in the furnace 
 of affliction to purify thee r Will it be an easy thing to get 
 rid of thy corruptions, and make thee perfect, even as thy 
 Father which is in heaven is perfect ? Nest, Christian, turn 
 thine eye downward. Dost thou know what foes thou hast 
 beneath thy feet ? Thou wast once a servant of Satan, 
 and no king will willingly lose his subjects. Dost thou think 
 that Satan will let thee alone ? No, he will be always at 
 thee, for he " goeth about like a roaring lion, seeking whom 
 he may devour." Expect trouble therefore. Christian, when 
 thou lookest beneath thee. Then look aro«?icZ i/iee. Where 
 art thou ? Thou art in an enemy's country, a stranger 
 and a sojourner. The world is not thy friend. If it 
 be, then thou art not Grod's friend, for he who is the 
 friend of the world is the enemy of Grod. le assured that 
 thou shalt find foemen everywhere. Wben thou sleepest, 
 think that thou art resting on the battle-field ; when thou 
 walkest, suspect an ambush in every hedge. As mosquitos 
 are said to bite strangers more than natives, so will the trials 
 of earth be sharpest to you. Lastly, look within thee, into 
 thine own heart, and observe what is there. Sin and self 
 are still within. Ah ! if thou hadst no devil to tempt thee, no 
 enemies to fight thee, and no world to insnare thee, thou 
 wouldst still find in thyself evil enough to be a sore trouble 
 to thee, for " the heart is deceitful above aU things, and des- 
 perately wicked." Expect trouble then, but despond not on 
 account of it, for God is with thee, to help and to strengthen 
 thee. He hath said, " I will be with thee in trouble; I wiU 
 deliver thee and honor thee." 
 
Maj 4. DAILY &£ADtK68. 125 
 
 Shall a 7nan mike gods unto himself] and they are no godsf" 
 Jer. xvi. 20. 
 
 i"NE great besetting sin of ancient Israel was idolatry, 
 and the spiritual Israel are vexed witli a tendency to 
 ^^ the same folly. Remphan's star shines no longer, 
 and the women weep no more for Thammuz ; but Mammon 
 still intrudes his golden calf, and the shrines of pride arc not 
 forsaken. Self, in various forms, struggles to subdue the 
 chosen ones under its dominion, and the flesh sets up its al- 
 tars wherever it can find space for them. Favorite children 
 are often the cause of much sin in believers; the Lord is 
 grieved when he sees us doting upon them above measure : 
 they will live to be. as great a curse to us as Absalom was to 
 David, or they will be taken from us to leave our homes deso- 
 late. If Christians desire to grow thorns to stuff their sleep- 
 less pillows, let them dote upon their dear ones. 
 
 It is truly said that " they are no gods," for the objects of 
 our foolish love are very doubtful blessings ; the solace which 
 they yield us now is dangerous, and the help which they can 
 give us in the hour of trouble is little indeed. Why, then, 
 are we so bewitched with vanities ? We pity the poor hea- 
 then who adores a god of stone, and yet worship a god of 
 gold. Where is the vast superiority between a god of flesh 
 and one of wood ? The principle, the sin, the folly is the 
 same in either case, only that in ours the crime is more ag- 
 gravated, because we have more light, and sin in the face of 
 it. The heathen bows to a false deity, but the true Grod he ha:? 
 never known ; we commit two evils, inasuucb as w« forsako 
 the living Grod and turn unto idols. May tac \'or^ f^'ge ui 
 all from tlus grievous iniquity. 
 
 " The dearest idol I have known, 
 Whate'cr that idol be, 
 Help ine to tear it from thy th<'on« 
 And worship only Thee." 
 11* 
 
1 26 toAiL^ READINGS. May 6. 
 
 "I will he their God, and they shall he My ijeople.'" — 2 Cor. vi. 16, 
 
 I 
 
 ■HAT a sweet title — " My people " ! What a cheering 
 ./i revelation — "their God" ! How much of meaning 
 "^ is couched in those two words, " My people" ! Here 
 is speciality. The whole world is God's ; the heaven, even 
 the heaven of heavens, is the Lord's, and He reigneth among 
 the children of men ; but, of those whom He hath chosen, 
 whom He hath purchased to Himself, He saith what He 
 saith not of others — " My people." In this word there is 
 the idea o^ proprietor ship. In a special manner the "Lord's 
 portion is His people ; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance " 
 All the nations upon earth are His ; the whole world is in 
 His power ; yet are His people. His chosen, more especially 
 His possession ; for He has done more for them than others ; 
 He has bought them with his blood ; He has brought them 
 nigh to Himself ; He has set His great heart upon them ; 
 He has loved them with an everlasting love, a love which 
 many waters cannot quench, and which the revolutions of 
 time shall never suffice in the least degree to diminish. 
 Dear friends, can you, by faith, see yourselves in that num- 
 oer ? Can you look up to heaven, and say, " My Lord and 
 my God ; mine by that sweet relationship which entitles me to 
 call Thee Father ; mine by that hallowed felloivsMp which I 
 delight to hold with Three when Thou art pleased to manifest 
 Thyself unto me as Thou dost not unto the world ? " Canst 
 thou read the Book of Inspiration, and find there the inden- 
 tures of thy salvation ? Canst thou read thy title writ in 
 precious blood ? Canst thou, by humble faith, lay hold of 
 Jesus' garments, and say, "My Christ"? If thou canst, 
 then God saith of thee, and of others like thee, " My peo- 
 ple ; '* for, if God be your God, and Christ your Christ, the 
 Lord has a special, peculiar favor to you ; you are the ob. 
 ject of His choice, accepted in His beloved Sen. 
 
Ntay 6. hAiLY ukadingh. 1^7 
 
 " We dwell in Him."— 1 John iv. 13. 
 
 "^',0 you want a house for your soul ? Do you ask, 
 O^ " Wliiit is the purchase ?" It is something less than 
 
 '^ proud human nature will like to give. It is without 
 money and without price. Ah ! you would like to pay a re- 
 spectable rent ! You would love to do something to win 
 Christ I Then you cannot have the house, for it is " without 
 price." Will you take my Master's house on a lease for a!! 
 eternity, with nothing to pay for it, nothing but the ground- 
 rent of loving and serving Ilim forever ? Will you take 
 Jesus, and " dwell in Him " ? See, this house is furnished 
 with all you want ; it is filled with riches more than you will 
 spend as long as you live. Here you can have intimate 
 communion with Christ, and feast on Ilis love ; here are ta- 
 bles well stored with food for you to live on forever ; in it, 
 when weary, you can find rest with Jesus ; and from it you 
 can look out, and see heaven itself. Will you have the 
 house ? Ah ! if you are houseless, you will say, " I should 
 like to have the house ; but may I have it ? " Yes ; there is 
 the key — the key is, "Come to Jesus." "But," you say, 
 " I am too shabby for such a house." Never mind ; there 
 are garments inside. If you feel guilty and condemned, 
 come ; and, though the house is too good for you, Christ 
 will make you good enough for the house by and by. He 
 will wash you and cleanse you, and you will yet be able to 
 sing, " We dwell in Him." Believer ! thrice happy art thou 
 .0 have such a dwelling-place ! Greatly privileged thou art, 
 .'or thou hast a " strong habitation " in which thou art ever 
 <afe. And, " dwelling in Him," thou hast not only a per- 
 fect and secure house, but an everlasting one. W^hen this 
 /porld shall have melted like a dream, our house shall live, 
 ,nd stand more imperishable than marble, more solid than 
 pianite, self-existent as God, for it is God Himsolf. " Ws 
 dwv.U in Him." 
 
1 28 DAtLV tofeADtKGs. May 7. 
 
 *^ Multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all." — Matt. xii. 15. 
 
 i^jHAT a mass of hideous sickness must have thrust it- 
 ^■/i self under the eye of Jesus ! Yet we read not that 
 *^^ He was disgusted, but patiently waited on every 
 sase. What a singular variety of evils must have met at 
 His feet ! What sickening ulcers and putrefying sores ! Yet 
 He was ready for every new shape of the monster evil, and 
 was victor over it in every form. Let the arrow fly from 
 what quarter it might, He quenched its fiery power. The 
 heat of fever, or the cold of dropsy ; the lethargy of palsy, 
 or the rage of madness ; the filth of leprosy, or the darkness 
 of ophthalmia, — all knew the power of His word, and fled at 
 His command. In every corner of the field He was trium- 
 phant over evil, and received the homage of delivered cap- 
 tives. He came, He saw, He conquered everywhere. It is 
 even so this morning. Whatever my own case may be, the 
 beloved Physician can heal me ; and whatever may be the 
 state of others whom I may remember at this moment in 
 prayer, I may have hope in Jesus that He will be able to 
 heal them of their sins. My child, my friend, my dearest 
 one, I can have hope for each, for all, when I remember the 
 healing power of my Lord ; and on my own account, however 
 severe my struggle with sins and infirmities, I may yet be 
 of good cheer. He who on earth walked the hospitals still 
 dispenses His grace, and works wonders among the sons of 
 men : let me go to Him at once in right earnest. Let me 
 praise Him, this morning, as I remember hoio He wrought 
 His spiritual cures, which bring Him most renown. It was 
 by taking upon Himself our sicknesses. " By His stripes we 
 are healed." The Church on earth is full of souls healed by 
 our beloved Physician ; and the inhabitants of heaven itself 
 confess that " He healed them all." Come, then, my soul, pub- 
 lish abroad the virtue of His grace, and let it be "to the Lord 
 for a name, fc an everlasting sign which shall not be cut off/ 
 
May 8. PAiLY EfeADiNGS. lift 
 
 " lie. (hat teas healed tcist not who it teas." — John v. 13. 
 
 J^EAlvS arc short to the happy and healthy ; but thirty- 
 \y^ eight years of disease must have dragged a very 
 1^^ weary length along the life of the poor impotent man 
 When Jesus, therefore, healed him by a word, while 
 he lay at the pool of Uethesda, he was delightfully sensible 
 of a change. Even so the sinner, who has for weeks and 
 months been paralyzed with despair, and has wearily sighed 
 for salvation, is very conscious of the change when the Lord 
 Jesus speaks the word of power, and gives joy and peace in 
 believing. The evil removed is too great to be removed with- 
 out our discerning it ; the life imparted is too remarkable to be 
 possessed, and remain inoperative; and the change wrought is 
 too marvellous not to be perceived. Yet the poor man was 
 ignorant of the author of his cure ; he knew not the sacredness 
 of His person, the offices which He sustained, or the errand 
 which brought Him among men. Much ignorance of Jesus 
 may remain in hearts which yet feel the power of His blood. 
 We must not hastily condemn men for lack of knowledge ; 
 but where we can see the faith which saves the soul, we must 
 believe that salvation has been bestowed. The Holy Spirit 
 makes men penitents long before He makes them divines ; 
 and he who believes what he knows shall soon know more 
 clearly what he believes. Ignorance is, however, an evil ; 
 for this poor man was much tantalized by the Pharisees, a,nd 
 was quite unable to cope with them. It is good to be able 
 to answer gainsayers ; but we cannot do so if we know not 
 the Lord Jesus clearly, and with understanding. The care 
 of his ignorance, however, soon followed the cure of his in- 
 firmity, for he was visited by the Lord in the temple ; i nd, 
 ifter that gracious manifestation, he was found testifying 
 hat " it was Jesus who had made him whole." Lord, if 
 Thou hast saved me, show me Thyself, that I may deolar* 
 Thee to the sous of mea. 
 
130 ijAiLir HEABiNGS. May d. 
 
 " Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings." — Eph. i. 3. 
 
 -LL the goodness of the past, the present, and the 
 '^ future, Christ bestows upon His people. In the mys- 
 terious ages of the past, the Lord Jesu? was His 
 Father's first elect, and in His election He gave us an interest, 
 for we were chosen in him from before the foundations of the 
 world. He had from all eternity the prerogatives of Sonship, 
 as His Father's only-begotten and well-beloved Son ; and He 
 has, in the riches of His grace, by adoption and regenera- 
 tion, elevated us to Sonship also, so that to us He has given 
 " power to become the sons of God." The eternal covenant, 
 based upon suretyship and confirmed by oath, is ours, for our 
 strong consolation and security. In the everlasting settlements 
 of predestinating wisdom and omnipotent decree, the eye of 
 the Lord Jesus was ever fixed on us ; and we may rest as- 
 sured that in the whole roll of destiny there is not a line 
 which militates against the interests of His redeemed. The 
 great betrothal of the Prince of Glory is ours, for it is to us 
 that He is affianced, as the sacred nuptials shall ere long de- 
 clare to an assembled universe. The marvellous incarnation 
 of the God of heaven, with all the amazing condescension 
 and humiliation which attended it, is ours. The bloody 
 sweat, the scourge, the cross, are ours forever. Whatever 
 blissful consequences flow from perfect obedience, finished 
 atonement, resurrection, ascension, or intercession, all are ours 
 by His own gift. Upon His breastplate He is now bearing our 
 names ; and in His authoritative pleadings at the throne He 
 remembers our persons and pleads our cause. His dominion 
 over principalities and powers, and His absolute majesty in 
 heaven. He employs for the benefit of them who trust in Him. 
 His high estate is as much at our service as was His con- 
 dition of abasement. He who gave Himself for us in the 
 depths of woe and death, doth not withdraw the grant no^ 
 that He is enthroned in the highest heavens. 
 
May 10. Daily readii^gs. Idl 
 
 " But now is Christ risen from the dead." — 1 Cor. xv. 20. 
 
 ■^^IIE whole system of Christianity rests upon the fact 
 )^ that "Christ is risen from the dead ;" for, " if Christ 
 be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and yonr 
 faith is also vain : ye arc yet ia your tins." The divinity of 
 Christ finds its surest proof in His resurrection, since He 
 \Fas " declared to be the Son of God with power, according 
 to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." 
 It would not be unreasonable to doubt His deity if He had 
 not risen. Moreover, Christ's sovereignty depends upon His 
 resurrection, " for to this end Christ both died, and rose, 
 and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and 
 living." Again, our justification, that choice blessing of the 
 covenant, is linked with Christ's triumphant victory over 
 death and the grave ; for " He was delivered for our ofi"ences, 
 and was raised again for our justification." Nay, more, our 
 very regeneration is connected with His resurrection ; for we 
 are " begotten again unto a lively hope by the resurrection 
 of Jesus Christ from the dead." And most certainly our 
 ultimate resurrection rests here ; for " if the Spirit of Him 
 that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that 
 raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal 
 bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you." If Christ be not 
 risen, then shall we not rise ; but if He be risen, then they who 
 are asleep in Christ have not perished, but in their flesh shall 
 surely behold their God. Thus, the silver thread of resurrec- 
 tion runs through all the believer's blessings, from his regen- 
 eration onwards to his eternal glory, and binds them together. 
 How important, then, will this glorious fact be in his estima- 
 tion, and how will he rejoice that beyond a doubt it is estab- 
 lished, that " now is Christ risen from the dead" ; 
 
 "The promise is fulfilled, 
 
 Redemption's work is done, 
 Justice with mercy 's reconciled. 
 For Ood has raised His fion." 
 
132 DAttt HJiADlNGS. May 11. 
 
 "/ am with yon alway." — Matthew x.xviii. 20. 
 
 ^2^VkT is well there is One who is ever the same, and who 
 
 ^1 ^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^"^ ^^' ^^ '^^ ^^^^ there is one stable rock 
 •/^Rky amidst the billows of the sea of life. my soul, set 
 not thine affections upon rusting, moth-eaten, decaying treas- 
 ures, but set thine heart upon Him who abides forever faith- 
 ful to thee. Build not thine house upon the moving quick- 
 sands of a deceitful world, but found thy hopes upon this 
 Rock, which, amid descending rain and roaring floods, shall 
 stand immovably secure. My soul, I charge thee, lay up 
 thy treasure in the only secure cabinet ; store thy jewels, 
 where thou canst never lose them. Put thine all in Christ ; 
 set all thine affections on His person, all thy hope in His 
 merit, all thy trust in His efficacious blood, all thy joy in His 
 presence, and so thou mayst laugh at loss, and defy destruc- 
 tion. Remember that all the flowers in the world's garden fade 
 by turns, and the day cometh when nothing will be left but 
 the black, cold earth. Death's black extinguisher must soon 
 put out thy candle. Oh ! how sweet to have sunlight when the 
 candle is gone ! The dark flood must soon roll between thee 
 and all thou hast ; then wed thine heart to Him who will 
 never leave thee ; trust thyself with Him who will go with 
 thee through the black and surging current of death's stream, 
 and who will land thee safely on the celestial shore, and 
 make thee sit with Him in heavenly places forever. Go, 
 Borrowing son of affliction, tell thy secrets to the Friend who 
 sticketh closer than a brother. Trust all thy concerns with 
 Him who never can be taken from thee, who will never 
 leave thee, and who will never k.t thee leave Ilim, even 
 " Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever." 
 
 ' Lo, I am with you alway," is enough for my s( ol to live 
 
 ipon, let who will forsake me. 
 
May 12. I)A1I,Y RKADIN08. 183 
 
 " And will manifest myself to Him." — John xiv. 21. 
 
 i*^^HE Lord Jesus gives special revelations of Iliniselt* to 
 ^0 His people. Even if Scripture did not declare this, 
 there are many of the children of God who could 
 testify the truth of it from their own experience. They have 
 had manifestations of their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 
 in" a peculiar manner, such as no mere reading or hearing 
 could afford. In the biographies of eminent saints, you will 
 find many instances recorded in which Jesus has been 
 pleased, in a very special manner, to speak to their souls, 
 and to unfold the wonders of His person ; yea, so have their 
 souls been steeped in happiness that they have thought them- 
 selves to be in heaven, whereas they were not there, though 
 they were well nigh on the threshold of it — for when Jesua 
 manifests Himself to His people, it is heaven on earth ; it is 
 paradise in embryo ; it is bliss begun. Especial manifesta- 
 tions of Christ exercise a holy influence on the believer's 
 heart. One effect will be humility. If a man says, " I have 
 had such and such spiritual communications, I am a great 
 man," he has never had any communion with Jesus at all ; 
 for " God hath respect unto the lowly ; but the proud He 
 knoweth afar off" He does not need to come near them to 
 know them, and will never give them any visits of love 
 Another effect will be happiness ; for in God's presence there 
 are pleasures forevermore. Holiness will be sure to follow. 
 A man who has no holiness has never had this manifestation. 
 Some men profess a great deal ; but we must not believe 
 any one unless we see that his deeds answer to what he says. 
 " Be not deceived, God is not mocked." He will not bestow 
 His favors upon the wicked : for while He will not cast away 
 a perfect man, neither will lie respect an evil doer. Thus 
 there will be three effects of nearnoss to Jesus — humility, hap- 
 piness, and holiness. May God give them to thee, Christian I 
 13 
 
134 DAILY BEADiirGu. May 13 
 
 "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comeih in the morning.'^ 
 Psalm XXX. 5. 
 
 |HRISTIAN ! if thou art ia a night of trial, think of 
 ^^ the morrow ; cheer up thy heart -with the thought of 
 '"'^ the coming of thy Lord. Be patient, for 
 " Lo ! He comes with clouds descending." 
 Be patient \ The Husbandman waits until He reaps His 
 harvest. Be patient ; for you know who has said, " Behold, 
 I come quickly ; and my reward is with me, to give to every 
 man according as his work shall be." If you are never so 
 wretched now, remember 
 
 " A few more rolling suns, at most, 
 Will land thee on fair Canaan's coast." 
 
 Thy head may be crowned with thorny troubles now, but it 
 shall wear a starry crown ere long ; thy hand may be filled 
 with cares — it shall sweep the strings of the harp of heaven 
 soon. Thy garments may be soiled with dust now ; they 
 shall be white by and by. Wait a little longer. Ah ! how 
 despicable our troubles and trials will seem when we look 
 back upon them ! Looking at them here in the prospect, 
 they seem immense ; but when we get to heaven -we shall 
 then 
 
 " With transporting joys recount 
 The labors of our feet." 
 
 Our trials will then seem light and momentary afflictions. Let 
 us go on boldly ; if the night be never so dark, the morning 
 Cometh, which is more that they can say who are shut up in 
 the darkness of hell. Do you know what it is thus to live on 
 the future — to live on expectation — to antedate heaven? 
 Hapj)y believer, to have so sure, so comforting a hope. It 
 may be all dark now, but it will soon be light; it may be all 
 trial now, but it will soon be all happiness. What matters 
 it though "weeping niav endure for a night," when "joj 
 Cometh in the morning" ? 
 
May 14. DAILY READINGS. 135 
 
 "Joint heirs jeith Christ." — Romans viii. 17. 
 
 {pT^^oIIl^ bouudless realms of His Father's universe are 
 4y|JU|y Christ's by prescriptive right. As "heir of all things," 
 ''^'^*^^ He is the sole proprietor of the vast creation of God, 
 and He has admitted us to claim the whole as ours, by virtue 
 of that deed of joint-hcirship which the Lord hath ratified 
 with His chosen people. The golden streets of paradise, the 
 pearly gates, the river of life, the transcendent bliss, and the 
 unutterable glory, arc, by our blessed Lord, made over to us 
 for our everlasting possession. All that He has He shares 
 with His people. The crown royal He has placed upon the 
 head of His Church, appointing her a kingdom, and calling 
 her sons a royal priesthood, a generation of priests and kings. 
 He uncrowned Himself that we might have a coronation of 
 glory ; He would not sit upon His own throne until He had 
 procured a place upon it for all who overcome by His blood. 
 Crown the head, and the whole body shares the honor. Be- 
 hold hero the reward of every Christian conqueror ! Christ's 
 throne, crown, sceptre, palace, treasure, robes, heritage, are 
 yours. Far superior to the jealousy, selfishness, and greed, 
 which admit of no participation of their advantages, Christ 
 deems His happiness completed by His people sharing it. 
 " The glory wliich thou gavest Me have I given them." 
 " These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might 
 remain in you, and that your joy might be full." The smiles 
 of His Father arc all the sweeter to Him, because His people 
 share them. The honors of His kingdom are more pleasing, 
 because His peojile appear with Him in glory. More valu- 
 able to Him are His conquests, since they have taught His 
 people to overcome. He delights in His throne, because on 
 it there Li a place fur them. He rejoices in His royal robes, 
 since over them His skirts are spread. He delights ^he mora 
 in His joy, because He calls them to enter into it. 
 
136 DAILY READINGS. May 15. 
 
 "All that believe are justified." — Acts xiii. 39. 
 
 ?^HE believer in Christ receives a -present justification. 
 
 Faith does not produce this fruit by and by, but vq'j:. 
 
 So far as justification is the result of faith, it is given 
 to the soul in the moment when it closes with Christ, and 
 accepts Him as its all in all. Are they who stand before 
 the throne of God justified now? — so are we, as truly and 
 as clearly justified as they who walk in white and sing melo- 
 dious praises to celestial harps. The thief upon the cross 
 was justified the moment tlwt he turned the eye of faith to 
 Jesus ; and Paul the aged, after years of service, was not 
 more justified than was the thief with no service at all. We 
 arc to-day accepted in the Beloved, to-day absolved from 
 sin, to-day acquitted at the bar of God. 0, soul-trans- 
 porting thought ! There are some clusters of Eshcol's vine 
 which we shall not be able to gather till we enter heaven ; 
 but this is a bough which runneth over the wall. This 
 is not as the corn of the land, which we can never eat till 
 we cross the Jordan ; but this is part of the manna in the 
 wilderness, a portion of our daily nutriment with which 
 God supplies us in our journeying to and fro. We are 
 now — even noio pardoned ; even noio are our sins put 
 away ; even noxo we stand in the sight of God accepted, 
 as though we had never been guilty. " There is therefore 
 now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." 
 There is not a sin in the Book of God, even now, against 
 one of his people. Who darcth to lay anything to their 
 charge ? There is neither speck, nor spot, nor wrinkle, 
 nor any such thing remaining upon any one believer in 
 the matter of justification in the sight of the Judge of all 
 the earth. Let present privilege awaken us to pntcnt 
 duty, and now, while life lasts, let us spend and be t^en\ 
 for our sweet Lord Jesus. 
 
May 16. DAILY BEAPINOS. 13) 
 
 "Who giveth us ricJily all things to enjoy.*' — 1 Timothy vi. 17. 
 
 '^UR Lord Jesus is ever giving, and docs not for a 
 yA solitary instant withdraw hi.<* baud. As long as tliere 
 ^'^ is a vessel of grace not yet full to the brim, the oil 
 shall not be stayed. He is a sun cvey-shiuing ; He is nianua 
 always falling round the camp ; H^ i? a rock in the desert, 
 ever sending out streams of life from Ylxa smitten side ; the 
 rain of Ilis grace is always dronping ; the river of His bounty 
 is ever flowing, and the well-spring of H<e*1ovc is constantly 
 overflowing. As the King can never die, so His grace can 
 never fail. Daily we pluck His fruit, and dauy His branches 
 bend down to our hand with a fresh store of mercy. There 
 are seven feast days in His weeks, and as muny as are the 
 days, so many are the banquets in His years. Who has ever 
 returned from His door unblessed ? Who has ever risen from 
 His table unsatisfled, or from His bosom un-en2(>aradised ? 
 His mercies are new every morning and fresh every evening. 
 Who can know the number of His benefits, or recount the list 
 of His bounties. Every sand whicli drops from the ^lass of 
 time is but the tardy follower of a myriad of morcicft. The 
 wings of our hours are covered with the silver of H/s kind- 
 ness, and with the yellow gold of His aff'ection. The r-ver of 
 time bears from the mountains of eternity the golden •!»anda 
 of His favor. The countless stars are but as the stafJard 
 bearers of a more innumerable host of blessings. Whff oan 
 count the dust of the benefits which He bestows on Jact»b, 
 or tell the number of the fourth part of His mercies towa'-us 
 Israel ? How shall my soul extol Him who daily loadeth us 
 with benefits, and who crowneth us with loving kindness ? ') 
 that my praise could be as ceaseless as His bounty ! misei 
 able tongue, how canst thou be silent ? Wake up, I pray thee 
 lest I call thee no more my glory, but my shame. " Awak« 
 psaltery and harp : I myself will awake right early." 
 
138 DAILY HEADINGS. May 17. 
 
 " So to walk even as He walked." — 1 John ii. 6, 
 
 <24f!«l^^HY should Christians imitate Christ ? They should 
 do it for their own sakes. If they desire to be in a 
 healthy state of soul — if they would escape the sick 
 ness of sin, and enjoy the vigor of growing grace, let Jesua 
 be their model. For their own happiness' sake, if they would 
 drink wine on the Ices, well refined ; if they would enjoy holy 
 and happy communion with Jesus ; if they would be lifted up 
 above the cares and troubles of this world, let them walk even 
 as He walked. There is nothing which can so assist you to 
 walk towards heaven with good speed, as wearing the image 
 of Jesus on your heart to rule all its motions. It is when, 
 by the power of the Holy Spirit, you are enabled to walk with 
 Jesus in His very footsteps, that you are most happy, and 
 most known to be the sons of God. Peter afar off is both 
 unsafe and uneasy. Next, for religion s sake, strive to be like 
 Jesus. Ah ! poor religion, thou hast been sorely shot at by 
 cruel foes, but thou hast not been wounded one half so dan- 
 gerously by thy foes as by thy friends. Who made those 
 wounds in the fair hand of godliness ? The professor who 
 used the dagger of hypocrisy. The man who, with pretences, 
 enters the fold, being nought but a wolf in sheep's clothing, 
 worries the flock more than the lion outside. There is no 
 weapon half so deadly as a Judas-kiss. Inconsistent pro- 
 fessors injure the gospel more than the sneering critic or the 
 infidel. But, especially for CAv/si's otvn sake, imitate His 
 example. Christian, lovest thou thy Saviour ? Is His name 
 precious to thee ? Is His cause dear to thee ? Wouldst 
 thou see the kingdoms of the world become His ? Is it thy 
 desire that Ha should be glorified ? Art thou longing that 
 souls should be won to Him ? If so, imitate Jesus ; be an 
 '* epistle of Christ, known and read of *11 men." 
 
May 18. DAILY BEADINOS. 139 
 
 " In Ilim dwellelh all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And 
 ye are complete in ii/ Hi." — Colossians ii. 9, 10. 
 
 j^ilrLL the attributes of Christ, as Grod and man, are at 
 *l| '^ our disposal. All the fulness of the Godhead, what* 
 *^' ever that marvellous term may comprehend, is ours 
 to make us complete. He cannot endow us with the attri- 
 butes of Deity ; but He has done all that can be done, for lie 
 has made even His divine power and Godhead subservient 
 to our salvation. His omnipotence, omniscience, omnipres- 
 ence, immutability, and infallibility, are all combined for our 
 defence. Arise, believer, and behold the Lord Jesus yoking 
 the whole of His divine Godhead to the chariot of salvation ? 
 How vast His grace, how firm His faithfulness, how unswerv- 
 ing His immutability, how infinite His power, how limitless 
 His knowledge ! All these are by the Lord Jesus made the 
 pillars of the temple of salvation ; and all, without diminution 
 of their infinity, are covenanted to us as our perpetual inherit- 
 ance. The fathomless love of our Saviour's heart is every 
 drop of it ours ; every sinew in the arm of might, every 
 jewel in the crown of majesty, the immensity of divine knowl- 
 edge, and the sternness of divine justice, all are ours, and 
 shall be employed for us. The whole of Christ, in His ador- 
 able character as the Son of God, is by Himself made over 
 to us most richly to enjoy. His wisdom is our direction. His 
 knowledge our instruction. His power our protection, His 
 justice our surety. His love our comfort. His mercy our sol- 
 ace, and His immutability our trust. He makes no reserve, 
 but opens the recesses of the Mount of God, and bids us dig 
 in the mines for the hidden treasures. " All, all, all are 
 yours," saith He ; " be ye satisfied with ftivor and full of the 
 goodness of the Lord." Oh ! how sweet thus to behold Je- 
 sus, and to call upon Him with the certain confidence that in 
 sseking the interposition of His love or power, we are bit 
 ftsking for that which Ho has already faithfully promised I 
 
140 DAILY KEADINGS. Maj 19. 
 
 "IJiave seen servants upon ho7-ses, and princes walking as servanU 
 upon the earth." — Ecclesiastes x. 7. 
 
 ^'PSTARTS frequently usurp the liigKest places, while 
 the truly great pine in obscurity. This is a riddk 
 
 ^' in providence whose solution will one day gladden 
 the hearts of the upright ; but it is so common a fact, that 
 none of us should murmur if it should fall to our own lot. 
 When our Lord was upon earth, although He is the Prince 
 of the kings of the earth, yet He walked the footpath of 
 weariness and service as the Servant of servants ; what 
 wonder is it if His followers, who are princes of the blood, 
 should also be looked down upon as inferior and contempti- 
 ble persons ? The world is upside down, and therefore the 
 first are last, and the last first. See how the servile sons of 
 Satan lord it in the earth ! What a high horse they ride ! 
 How they lift up their horn on high ! Haman is in the court, 
 while Mordecai sits in the gate ; David wanders on the 
 mountains, while Saul reigns in state ; Elijah is complaining 
 in the cave, while Jezebel is boasting in the palace ; yet 
 who would wish to take the places of the proud rebels ? and 
 who, on the other hand, might not envy the despised saints ? 
 When the wheel turns, those who are lowest rise, and the high- 
 est sink. Patience then, believer ! eternity will right the wrongs 
 of time. Let us not fall into the error of letting our passions 
 and carnal appetites ride in triumph, while our nobler powers 
 walk in the dust. Grace must reign as a prince, and make the 
 member*^ of the body instruments of righteousness. The Holy 
 Spirit loves order, and He therefore sets our powers and facul- 
 ties in Aue rank and place, giving the highest room to those 
 spiritui 1 faculties which link us with the great King ; let us not 
 disturb 'he divine arrangement, but ask for grace that we may 
 keep uii^ler our body, and bring it into subjection. We were 
 not new 'jreated to allow our passions to rule over us, but that 
 we, as k'.ngs, may reign in Christ Jesus over the triple kingdom 
 of our spirit, soul, and body, to the glory of God the Father, 
 
Maj 20. DAILY HEADINGS. 141 
 
 " MantUous loving kindness." — Psalm xvii. 7. 
 
 ^41^j^IIEN wc give our licarts with our alms, \vc give we.' 
 tmi\J'i but we must often plead to a failure in this respect. 
 **®^ Not so our Master and our Lord. His favors are 
 always performed with the love of His heart. He does not 
 eend to us the cold meat and the broken pieces from the ta- 
 ble of His luxury, but He dips our morsel in His own dish, 
 and seasons our provisions with the spices of His fragrant 
 affections. When He puts the golden tokens of His grace 
 into our palms, He accompanies the gift with such a warm 
 pressure of our hand, that the manner of His giving is as 
 precious as the boon itself. He will come into our houses 
 upon His errands of kindness, and He will not act as some 
 austere visitors do in the poor man's cottage, but He sits by 
 our side, not despising our poverty, nor blaming our weak 
 ness. Beloved, with what smiles does He speak ! Whai 
 golden sentences drop from His gracious lips ! What em- 
 braces of affection does He bestow upon us ! If He had but 
 given us farthings, the way of His giving would have gilded 
 them ; but as it is, the costly alms are set in a golden basket 
 by His pleasant carriage. It is impossible to doubt the sin- 
 cerity of His charity, for there is a bleeding heart stamped 
 upon the face of all His benefactions. He giveth liberally, 
 and upbraideth not. Not one hint that we are burdensome 
 to Him ; not one cold look for His poor pensioners ; but He 
 rejoices in His mercy, and presses us to His bosom while 
 He is pouring out His life for us. There is a fragrance in 
 His spikenard which nothing but His heart could produce ; 
 there is a sweetness in His honeycomb which could not be 
 in it unless the very essence -)£ His soul's affection had been 
 mingled with it. Oh ! the rare communion which such sin- 
 gular heartiness effecteth ! May we continually taste and 
 know the blessedness of it ! 
 
142 DAILY HEADINGS. May 21. 
 
 *^If so he ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious." — 1 Peter ii. 3. 
 
 ^S^'ji^F : — then this is not a matter to be taken lor granted 
 ^^1 '^^i concerning every one of the human race. " If: "— 
 y/^l^ |.jjg^ there is a possibility and a probability that 
 some may not have tasted that the Lord is gracious. "If: " 
 — then this is not a general, but a special mercy; and it is 
 needful to inquire whether we know the grace of God by 
 inward experience. There is no spiritual favor which may 
 not be a matter for heart-searching. But while this should 
 be a matter of earnest and prayerful inquiry, no one ought 
 to be content whilst there is any such thing as an "if" 
 about his having tasted that the Lord is gracious. A jealous 
 and holy distrust of self may give rise to the question even 
 in the believer's heart, but the continuance of such a doubt 
 would be an evil indeed. We must not rest without a des- 
 perate struggle to clasp the Saviour in the arms of faith, 
 and say, " I know whom I have believed, and I am per- 
 suaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed 
 unto Ilim." Do not rest, believer, till thou hast a full 
 assurance of thine interest in Jesus. Let nothing satisfy 
 thee till, by the infallible witness of the Holy Spirit bearing 
 witness with thy spirit, thou art certified that thou art a 
 child of God. Oh, trifle not here ; let no " perhaps," and 
 " peradventure," and " if," and " may be," satisfy thy soul. 
 Build on eternal verities, and verily build upon them. Get 
 the sure mercies of David, and surely get them. Let thine 
 anchor be cast into that which is within the veil, and see to 
 it that thy soul be linked to the anchor by a cable that will 
 not break. Advance beyond these dreary " ifs ; " abide no 
 more in the wilderness of doubts and fears ; cross the Jor- 
 dan of distrust, and enter the Canaan of peace, where the 
 Canaanite still lingers, but where the land ceaseth not ta 
 flow with milk and honey. 
 
May 22. daily headings. 148 
 
 '/7c led them forth by the right way" — Psalm cvii. 7. 
 
 
 ANGEFUL experience often leads the anxious be- 
 \s9M liever to inquire, "Why is it thus with me?" I 
 looked for light, but lo, darkness came ; for peace, 
 but behold, trouble. I said in my heart, My mountain stand- 
 eth firm ; I shall never be moved. Lord, Thou dost hide 
 Thy face, and I am troubled. It was but yesterday that I 
 could read my title clear ; to-day, my evidences are be- 
 dimmed, and my hopes are clouded. Yesterday, I could 
 climb to Pisgah's top, and view the landscape o'er, and rejoice 
 with confidence in my future inheritance ; to-day, my spirit 
 has no hopes, but many fears ; no joys, but much distress. 
 Is this part of God's plan with me ? Can this be the way in 
 which God would bring me to heaven ? Yes, it is even so. 
 The eclipse of your faith, the darkness of your mind, the 
 fainting of your hope, — all these things arc but parts of 
 God's method of making you ripe for the great inheritance 
 upon which you shall soon enter. These trials are for the 
 testing and strengthening of your faith — they are waves, 
 that wash you farther upon the rock — they are winds which 
 waft your ship the more swiftly towards the desired haven. 
 According to David's words, so it might be said of you, 
 " So He bringeth them to their desired haven." By honor 
 and dishonor, by evil report and by good report, by plenty 
 and by poverty, by joy and by distress, by persecution and 
 by peace, by all these things is the life of your soul main- 
 tained, and by each of these are you helped on your way. 
 Oh, think not, believer, that your sorrows are out of God's 
 plan; they are necessary parts of it. "We must, through 
 much tribulation, enter the kingdom." Learn, then, even 
 tc " count it all joy wh»n ye fall into divers tf^niptations." , 
 
 " O let my trembling soul be still, 
 And wait Thy wise, Thy holy will i 
 I cannot, Lord, Thy purpose see, 
 Tet all is well, since ruled by The«." 
 
144 DAILY HEADINGS. Mav 23 
 
 " Tlie Lord will perfect that loliich concemeih me." 
 Psalm cxxxviii. 8. 
 
 DOST manifestly the confidence which the Psalmist 
 here expressed was a divine confidence. He did not 
 say, " / have grace enough to perfect that which 
 concerneth me — my faith is so steady that it will not stag- 
 ger — my love is so warm that it will never grow cold — my 
 resolution is so firm that nothing can move it ; " no, his de- 
 pendence was on the Lord alone. If we indulge in any 
 confidence which is not grounded on the Rock of Ages, our 
 confidence is worse than a dream ; it will fall upon us, and 
 cover us with its ruins, to our sorrow and confusion. All 
 that nature spins, time will unravel, to the eternal confusion 
 ^f all who are clothed therein. The Psalmist was wise ; he 
 rested upon nothing short of the Lord's work. It is the 
 Lord who has begun the good work within us ; it is He who 
 has carried it on ; and if He does not finish it, it never will 
 be complete. If there be one stitch in the celestial garment 
 of our righteousness which we are to insert ourselves, then 
 we are lost ; but this is our confidence, the Lord who began 
 will perfect. He has done it all, must do it all, and will do 
 it all. Our confidence must not be in what we have done, 
 nor m what we have resolved to do, but entirely in what the 
 Lord -will do. Unbelief insinuates — "You will never be 
 able to stand. Look at the evil of your heart; you can never 
 conquer ^in ; remember the sinful pleasures and temptations 
 of the world that beset you ; you will be certainly allured by 
 them and led astray." Ah ! yes, we should indeed perish if 
 left to our own strength. If we had alone to navigate our frail 
 vessels over so rough a sea, we might well give up the voyage 
 in despair ; but, thanks be to God, He will perfect that which 
 concerneth us, and bring us to the desired haven. We can 
 never be too confident when we confide in Him alone, and 
 never too much concerned to have such a trust. 
 
May 24. daily readings. 145 
 
 " Blessed be God, which haih not turned away my prayer." 
 Psalm Ixvi. 20. 
 
 li^N lookiug back upon the character of our prayers, if 
 we do it honestly, we shall be filled with wonder that 
 
 "^ God has ever answered them. There may be sot> 
 who think their pra}' ers worthy of acceptance — as the Pha. 
 isee did ; but the true Christian, in a more enlightened 
 retrospect, weeps over his prayers, and if he could retrace 
 his steps he would desire to pray more earnest]}'. Remem- 
 ber, Christian, how cold thy prayers have been. When in thy 
 closet thou shouldst have wrestled as Jacob did ; but instead 
 thereof, thy petitions have been faint and few — far removed 
 from that humble, believing, persevering faith, which cries, 
 " I will not let Thee go except Thou bless me." Yet, wonder- 
 ful to say, God has heard these cold prayers of thine, and not 
 only heard, but answered them. Reflect, also, how unfre- 
 quent have been thy prayers, unless thou hast been in trouble, 
 and then thou hast gone often to the mercy-seat ; but when 
 deliverance has come, where has been thy constant supplica- 
 tion ? Yet, notwithstanding thou hast ceased to pray as 
 once thou didst, God has not ceased to bless. When thou 
 hast neglected the mercy-seat, Gx>d has not deserted it, but 
 the bright light of the Shekinah has always been visible be- 
 tween the wings of the cherubim. Oh ! it is marvellous that 
 the Lord should regard those intermittent spasms of impor- 
 tunity which come and go with our necessities. "W^iat a God 
 is He thus to hear the prayers of those who come to Him 
 when they have preseing wants, but neglect Him when they 
 have received a mercy ; who approach Him when they are 
 forced to come, but who abnost forget to address Him when 
 mercies are plentiful and sorrows are few ! Let His gracious 
 kindness in hearing such prayers touch our hearts, so that 
 we may henceforth be found "praying always with all prayer 
 and supplication in the spirit." 
 13 
 
146 i)AiiiY READINGS. May ^5. 
 
 "Forsake me not, Lord." — Psalm xxxviii. 21. 
 
 ♦^^m^I^QUENTLY we pray that God would not forsake 
 ^^ us in the hour of trial and temptation, but we too 
 much forget that we have need to use this prayer al 
 all times. There is no moment of our life, however 
 holy, in which we can do without His constant upholding. 
 Whether in light or in darkness, in communion or in temp- 
 tation, we alike need the prayer, "Forsake me not, Lord." 
 " Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe." A little child, 
 while learning to walk, always needs the nui-se's aid. The 
 ship left by the pilot drifts at once from her course. We 
 cannot do without continued aid from above ; let it then be 
 your prayer to-day, " Forsake me not." Father, forsake 
 not Thy child, lest he fall by the hand of the enemy. Shep- 
 herd, forsake not Thy lamb, lest he wander from the safety 
 of the fold. Great Husbandman, forsake not Thy plant, lest 
 it wither and die. " Forsake me not, Lord," now ; and 
 forsake me not at any moment of my life. Forsake me not 
 in my joys, lest they absorb my heart. Forsake me not in 
 m/ sorrows, lest I murmur against Thee. Forsake me not 
 in (he day of my repentance, lest I lose the hope of pardon, 
 and fall into despair ; and forsake me not in the day of my 
 atrc flgest faith, lest faith degenerate into presumption. For- 
 sake me not, for without Thee I am weak, but with Thee I 
 am strong. Forsake me not, for my path is dangerous, and 
 full of snares, and I cannot do without Thy guidance. The 
 ben forsakes not her brood ; do Thou then evermore cover 
 me with Thy feathers, and permit me under Thy wings to 
 find my refuge. " Be not far from me, Lord, for trouble 
 is near, for there is none to help." " Leave me not, neither 
 forsake me, God of my salvation." 
 
 " O, ever in our cleansed breast 
 Bid Thine Eternal Spirit rest. 
 And make our secret soul to be 
 A temple pure and worthy Thee." 
 
May 2G. Daily headings. 147 
 
 " Cast thtf burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee" 
 Psiilm Iv. 22. 
 
 ^^^/^AEE, even though exercised upon legitimate objects, 
 llj" '^ if carried to excess, has in it the nature of sin. The 
 ^^''-^ — ^ precept to avoid anxious care is earnestly inculcated 
 by our Saviour, again and again ; it is reiterated by th« 
 apostles ; and it is one which cannot be neglected without 
 involving transgression ; for the very essence of araxious care 
 is the imagining that we .are wiser than Grod, and the thrust- 
 ing ourselves into Ilis place to do for Ilini that which lie has 
 undertaken to do for us. We attempt to think of that which 
 we fancy Uc will forget ; we labor to take upon ourselves 
 our weary burden, as if He were unable or unwilling to take 
 it for us. Now this disobedience to His plain precept, this 
 unbelief in His V/ord, this presumption in intruding upon 
 His province, is all sinful. Yet more than this, anxious care 
 often leads to acts of sin. He who cannot calmly leave his 
 affairs in God's hand, but will carry his own burden, is very 
 likely to be tempted to use wrong means to help himself. 
 This sin leads to a forsaking of God as our counsellor, and 
 resorting instead to human wisdom. This is going to the 
 " broken cistern " instead of to the " fountain ; " a sin which 
 was laid against Israel of old. Anxiety makes us doubt 
 God's loving kindness, and thus our love to Him grows cold ; 
 we feel mistrust, and thus grieve the Spirit of God, so that our 
 prayers become hindered, our consistent example marred, and 
 our life one of self-seeking. Thus want of confidence in 
 God leads us to wander far from Him ; but if, through sim- 
 ple faith in His promise, we cast each burden as it comes 
 upon Him, and are "careful for nothing" because He un- 
 dertakes to care for us, it will keep us close to Him. and 
 strengthen us against much temptation. " Thou wilt keep 
 him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because 
 he trusteth in Thee." 
 
148 DAILY HEADINGS. May 27. 
 
 "So Mephihoshetk dwelt in Jerusalem; for lie did eat continu- 
 ally at tlie king's table ; and was lame in both Jiis feet. 
 2 Samuel ix. 13. 
 
 ^^?|R'I^EPHIBOSHETH was no great ornament to a royal 
 ^lill t^'^^^' y^* ^^ ^^^ ^ continual place at David's board, 
 ^^^*^*^ because the king could see in his face the features 
 of the beloved Jonathan. Like Mephibosheth, we may cry 
 unto the King of Glory, " What is Thy servant, that Thou 
 shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am ? " but still the 
 Lord indulges us with most familiar intercourse with Himself, 
 because He sees in our countenances the remembrance of Hia 
 dearly-beloved Jesus. The Lord's people are dear for an- 
 other's sake. Such is the love which the Father bears to Hia 
 only begotten, that for His sake He raises His lowly brethren 
 from poverty and banishment to courtly companionship, noble 
 rank, and royal provision. Their deformity shall not rob them 
 of their privileges. Lameness is no bar to sonship ; the crip- 
 ple is as much the heir as if he could run like Asahel. Our 
 right does not limp, though our might may. A king's table 
 is a noble hiding-place for lame legs, and at the gospel feast 
 we learn to glory in infirmities, because the power of Christ 
 resteth upon us. Yet grievous disability may mar the -per- 
 sons of the best-loved saints. Here is one feasted by David, 
 and yet so lame in both his feet that he could not go up with 
 the king when he fled from the city, and was therefore ma- 
 ligned and injured by his servant Ziba. Saints whose faith is 
 weak, and whose knowledge is slender, are great losers ; they 
 are exposed to many enemies, and cannot follow the king 
 whithersoever he goeth. This disease frequently arises from 
 falls. Bad nursing in their spiritual infancy often causes 
 converts to fall into a despondency from which they never 
 recover, and sin in other cases brings broken bones. Lord 
 help the lame to leap like a hart, and satisfy all Thy people 
 with the bread of Thy table ! 
 
May 28. daily HEAbiiJGs. 145 
 
 " Whom lie jusUfied, them He also glorified." — Rom. viii. 30. 
 
 ^EllE is a precious truth for tlicc, believer. Thou 
 ^'i mayst be poor, or in suffering, or unknown, but for 
 thine encouragement take a review of thy " calling," 
 and the consequences that flow from it, and especially that 
 blessed result here spoken of. As surely as thou art God's 
 child to-day, so surely shall all thy trials soon be at an 
 end, and thou shalt be rich to all the intents of bliss. 
 Wait awhile, and that weary head shall wear the crown of 
 glory, and that hand of labor shall grasp the palm-branch 
 of victory. Lament not thy troubles, but rather rejoice that 
 ere long thou wilt be where " there shall be neither sorrow 
 nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain." The 
 chariots of fire are at thy door, and a moment will suffice tj 
 bear thee to the glorified. The everlasting song is almost 
 on thy lip. The portals of heaven stand open for thee. 
 Think not that thou canst fail of entering into rest. If lie 
 hath called thee, nothing can divide thee from His love. Dis- 
 tress cannot sever the bond ; the fire of persecution cannot 
 burn the link ; the hammer of hell cannot break the chain. 
 Thou art secure ; that voice which called thee at first, shall 
 call thee yet again from earth to heaven, from death's dark 
 gloom to immortality's unuttercd splendors. Rest assured, 
 the heart of Him who has justified thee beats with infinite 
 love towards thee. Thou shalt soon be with the glorified, 
 where thy portion is ; thou art only waiting here to be made 
 meet for the inheritance ; and that done, the wings of angely 
 fihali waft thee far away to the mDunt of peace, and joy, and 
 blessedness, where 
 
 " Far from a world of grief and sin, 
 With God eternally shut in," 
 
 thou shalt rest forever and ever 
 13* 
 
IS5 DAILY READINGS. May 29, 
 
 " Tliou hatest xcickedness." — Psalm xlv. 7. 
 
 <^.^>E ye angry, and sin not. There can hardly be good- 
 •p ness in a man if he be not angry at sin ; he who 
 *^ loves truth must hate every false way. How our 
 Lord Jesus hated it when the temptation came ! Thrice it 
 assailed Him in different forms, but ever he met it with, 
 " Get thee behind Me, Satan." He hated it in others ; 
 none the less fervently because He showed His hate oftener 
 in tears of pity than in words of rebuke ; yet what language 
 could be more stern, more Elijah-like, than the words, 
 " Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye 
 devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long 
 prayers." He hated wickedness so much that He bled to 
 wound it to the heart ; He died that it might die ; He was 
 buried that He might bury it in His tomb ; and He rose 
 that He might forever trample it beneath His feet. Christ 
 is in the Gospel, and that Gospel is opposed to wickedness 
 in every shape. Wickedness arrays itself in fair garments, 
 and imitates the language of holiness ; but the precepts of 
 Jesus, like His famous scourge of small cords, chase it out 
 of the temple, and will not tolerate it in the Church. So 
 too in the heart where Jesus reigns, what war there is be- 
 tween Christ and Belial ! And when our Redeemer shall 
 come to be our Judge, those thundering wards, " Depai-t, 
 ve cursed," which are, indeed, but a prolongation of His 
 life-teaching concerning sin, shall manifest His abhorrence 
 of iniquity. As warm as is His love to sinners, so hot is 
 His hatred of sin ; as perfect as is His righteousness, so 
 complete shall be the destruction of every form of wicked- 
 ness. thou glorious champion of right, and destroyer 
 of wrong, for this cause hath God, even thy God, anointed 
 thee with the oil of gladness above thy felloes. 
 
ftiay 36. iJAtLY READINGS. IM 
 
 " Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines." 
 Canticles ii. 15. 
 
 S^ LITTLE thorn may cause much suffering. A little 
 (^ cloud may hide the sun. Little foxes spoil the 
 ^^ vines ; and little sins do mischief to the tender 
 heart. These little sins burrow in the soul, and make it 
 full of that which is hateful to Christ, so that He will hold 
 no comfortable fellowship and communion with us. A great 
 sin cannot destroy a Christian, but a little sin can make him 
 miserable. Jesus will not walk with His pcojile unless they 
 drive out every known sin. He says, " If ye keep My com- 
 mandments, ye shall abide in My love, even as I have kept 
 My Father's commandments and abide in His love." Some 
 Christians very seldom enjoy their Savioiu-'s presence. How 
 is this ? Surely it must be an affliction for a tender child to 
 be separated from his father. Art thou a child of God, and 
 yet satisfied to go on without seeing thy Father's face ? 
 What ! thou the spouse of Christ, and 3-ct content without 
 His company ! Surely, thou hast fallen into a sad state, for 
 the chaste spouse of Christ mourns like a dove without her 
 mate, when He has left her. Ask, then, the question. What 
 has driven Christ from thee ? He hides His face behind the 
 wall of thy sins. That wall may be built up of little pebbles, 
 as easily as of great stones. The sea is made of drops ; the 
 rocks are made of grains : and the sea which divides thee 
 from Christ may be filled with the drops of thy little sins ; 
 and the rock which has well nigh wrecked thy bark, may 
 have been made by the daily working of the coral insects of 
 thy little sins. If thou wouldst live with Christ, and walk 
 with Christ, and see Christ, and have fellowship with Christ, 
 take heed of " the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our 
 vines have tender grapes.'' Jesus invites you to go txith 
 Him and take them. He will surely, like Samson, take the 
 foxes at once and easily. Go with Him to the hunting. 
 
1 52 bAiLt READINGS. May 3l 
 
 " Tlie king also himself passed over the hroolc Kidron." 
 2 Samuel xv. 23. 
 
 )jAVID passed that gloomy brook when flying with his 
 mourning company from his traitor son. The man 
 after God's own heart was not exempt from trouble, 
 nay, his life was full of it. He was both the Lord's Anoint- 
 ed, and the Lord's AfBicted. Why then should we expect 
 to escape? At sorrow's gates the noblest of our race have 
 waited with ashes on their heads ; wherefore then should we 
 complain as though some strange thing had happened unto us. 
 The King of kings himself was not faTored with a more 
 cheerful or royal road. He passed over the filthy ditch of 
 Kidron, through which the filth of Jerusalem flowed. God 
 had one Son without sin, but not a single child without the 
 rod. It is a great joy to believe that Jesus has been tempted 
 in all points like as we are. What is our Kidron this morn- 
 ing ? It is a faithless friend, a sad bereavement, a slander- 
 ous reproach, a dark foreboding ? The King has passed over 
 all these. Is it bodily pain, poverty, persecution, or con- 
 tempt? Over each of these Kidrons the King has gone 
 before us. " In all our afilictious He was afflicted." The 
 idea of strangeness in our trials must be banished at once and 
 forever, for He, who is the Head of all saints, knows by ex 
 perience the grief which we think so peculiar. All the citi- 
 zens of Zion must be free of the Honorable Company of 
 Mourners, of which the Prince Immanuel is Head and Captain. 
 Notwithstanding the abasement of David, he yet returned 
 iu triumph to his city, and David's Lord arose victorious 
 from the grave ; let us then be of good courage, for we also 
 Bhall win the day. We shall yet with joy draw water out of 
 the wells of salvation, though now for a season we have to 
 pass by the noxious streams of sin and sorrow. Courage, 
 soldiers of the Cross; the King himself triumphed after going 
 over Kidron, and so shall you. 
 
Jnne 1. DAILY READINGS. 153 
 
 •* Tlie evening and the moniing were tlie first day." — Genesis i. .'». 
 
 [(^AS it so even in the beginning? Did light and dark- 
 ness divide the realm of time in the flrst day ? Then 
 little wonder is it if I have also changes in my cir- 
 cumstances from the sunshine of prosperity to the midnight 
 ef adversity. It will not always be the blaze of noon even in 
 my soul concerns ; I must expect at seasons to mourn the ab- 
 sence of my former joys, and seek my Beloved in the night. 
 Nor am I alone in this, for all the Lord's beloved ones have 
 had to sing the mingled song of judgment and of mercy, of 
 trial and deliverance, of mourning and of delight. It is one 
 of the arrangements of divine Providence that day and night 
 shall not cease, either in the spiritual or natural creation, till 
 we reach the land of which it is written, " There is no night 
 there." What our heavenly Father ordains is wise and good. 
 What then, my soul, is it best for thee to do ? Learn first 
 to he content with this divine order, and be willing with Job 
 to receive evil from the hand of the Lord as well as good. 
 Study next to make the outgoings of the morning and the even- 
 ing to rejoice. Praise the Lord for the sun of joy when it 
 rises, and for the gloom of evening as it falls. There is 
 beauty both in sunrise and sunset ; sing of it, and glorify the 
 Lord. Like the nightingale, pour forth thy notes at all 
 hours. Believe that the night is as useful as the dag. The 
 dews of grace fall heavily in the night of sorrow. The stars 
 of promise shine forth gloriously amid the darkness of 
 grief. Continue thy service under all changes. If in the 
 day thy watchword be labor, at night exchange it for vjatch. 
 Every hour has its duty ; do thou continue in thy calling as 
 the Lord's servant until He shall suddenly appear in his 
 glory. My soul, thine evening of old age and death 13 
 drawing near ; dread it not, for it is part of the day ; and 
 ihe Lord has said, "I will cover him all the day long." 
 
154 DAILY READINGS. June 2. 
 
 "For the fiesh lusteth agains ttlie Sjnrit, and the Spirit against 
 the Jlesh." — Gal v. 17. 
 
 ^S¥j?kN every believer's heart there is a constant struggle 
 ^^1 *^(i between the old nature and the new. The old na- 
 y^^Ky |ypg jg ygpy activc, and loses no opportunity of ply- 
 ing all the weapons of its deadly armory against new-born 
 grace ; while, on the other hand, the new nature is ever on 
 the watch to resist and destroy its enemy. Grace within us 
 will employ prayer, and faith, and hope, and love, to cast 
 out the evil ; it takes unto it the "whole armor of God," and 
 wrestles earnestly. These two opposing natures will never 
 cease to struggle so long as we are in this world. The bat- 
 tle of " Christian " with " Apollyon " lasted three hours, but 
 the battle of Christian with himself lasted all the way from 
 the Wicket Gate to the River Jordan. The enemy is so se- 
 curely intrenched within us that he can never be driven out 
 while we are in this body : but although we are closely be- 
 set, and often in sore conflict, we have an Almighty Helper, 
 even Jesus, the Captain of our salvation, who is ever with 
 us, and who assures us that we shall eventually come off 
 more than conquerors through Him. With such assistance, 
 the new-born nature is more than a match for its foes. Are 
 you fighting with the adversary to-day ? Are Satan, the 
 world, and the flesh, all against you ? Be not discouraged 
 nor dismayed. Fight on ! For God Himself is with you ; 
 Jehovah Nissi is your banner, and Jehovah Hophi is the 
 healer of your wounds. Fear not; you shall overcome ; for 
 who can defeat Omnipotence ? Fight on, " looking unto 
 Jesus ; " and, though long and stern be the conflict, sweet 
 will be the victory, and glorious the promised reward. 
 
 " From strength to strength go on ; 
 Wrestle, and fight, and pray, 
 Tread all the powers of darkness down, 
 And win the well-fought day." 
 
June 3. DAILY READINGS. 155 
 
 ■' 2'liese were potters, and those that dwelt among plants and hedges: 
 there theu dwelt with the king fur his work." — 1 Cliron. iv. 23. 
 
 JOTTERS were not the very highest grade of workers, 
 1^ but "the king" needed potters, and therefore they 
 were in royal service, although the material upon 
 which they worked was nothing but clay. We, too, may be 
 engaged in the most menial part of the Lord's work, but it 
 is a great privilege to do anything for " the king ; " and 
 therefore we will abide in our calling, hoping that, " although 
 we have lien among the pots, yet shall we be as the wings 
 of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow 
 gold." The text tells us of those who diuelt among ■plants 
 and hedges, having rough, rustic, hedging and ditching work 
 to do. They may have desired to live in the city, amid its 
 life, society, and refinement, but they kept their appointed 
 places, for they also were doing the king's work. The place 
 of our habitation is fixed, and we are not to remove from it 
 out of whim and caprice, but seek to serve the Lord in it, by 
 being a blessing to those among whom we reside. These 
 potters and gardeners had royal company, for they dwelt 
 " with the king," and although among hedges and plants, 
 they dwelt with the king there. No lawful place, or gracious 
 occupation, however mean, can debar us from communion 
 with our divine Lord. In visiting hovels, swarming lodging- 
 houses, workhouses, or jails, we may go with the king. In all 
 works of faith we may count upon Jesus' fellowship. It is when 
 we are in His work that we may reckon upon His smile. Ye un- 
 known workers, who are occupied for your Lord amid the dirt 
 and wretchedness of the lowest of the low, be of good cheer, 
 for jewels have been found upon dunghills ere now, earthen 
 pots have been filled with heavenly treasure, and ill weeds 
 have been transformed into precious flowers. Dwell ye with 
 the King for His work, and when He writes His chroi icles 
 your name shall be recorded. 
 
156 DAlLV liEADiKGS. June 4. 
 
 " The kindness and love of' Ood our Saviour." — Titua iii. 4. 
 
 ^OW sweet it is to behold the Saviour communing 
 Ij^ with His own beloved people ! There can be noth- 
 ing more delightful than, by the divine Spirit, to be 
 led into this fertile field of delight. Let the mind for an 
 instant consider the history of the Redeemer's love, and a 
 thousand enchanting acts of affection will suggest themselves, 
 all of which have had for their design the weaving of the 
 heart into Christ, and the intertwisting of the thoughts and 
 emotions of the renewed soul with the mind of Jesus. When 
 we meditate upon this amazing love, and behold the all- 
 glorious Kinsman of the Church endowing her with all His 
 ancient wealth, our souls may well faint for joy. Who is he 
 that can endure such a weight of love ? That partial sense 
 of it which the Holy Spirit is sometimes pleased to afford 
 is more than the soul can contain ; how transporting must 
 be a complete view of it ! When the soul shall have under- 
 standing to discern all the Saviour's gifts, wisdom wherewith 
 to estimate them, and time in which to meditate upon them, 
 such as the world to come will afford us, we shall then com- 
 mune with Jesus in a nearer manner than at present. But 
 who can imagine the sweetness of such fellowship ? It must 
 be one of the things which have not entered into the heart 
 of man, but which God hath prepared for them that love 
 Him. Oh, to burst open the door of our Joseph's granaries, 
 and see the plenty which He hath stored up for us ! This 
 will overwhelm us with love. By faith we see as in a glass 
 darkly the reflected image of His unbounded treasures, but 
 when we shall actually see the heavenly things themselves, 
 with our own eyes, how deep will be the stream of fellowship 
 in which our soul shall bathe itself! Till then, our loudest 
 Bonnets shall be reserved for our loving benefactor, Jesus 
 Christ, our Lord, whose love to us is wonderful, passing the 
 love of women. 
 
June 5. DAILY HEADINGS. 15"? 
 
 " Tilt Lord shut him in." — Genesis vii. 16. 
 
 ^QAH was shut in away from all the world by the hand 
 of divine love. The door of electing purpose inter- 
 poses between us and the world which lieth in the 
 wicked one. We are not of the world, even as our Lord 
 Jesus was not of the world. Into the sin, the gayety, the 
 pursuits of the multitude we cannot enter ; we cannot play 
 in the streets of Vanity Fair with the children of darkness, 
 for our heavenly Father has shut us in. Noah was shut in 
 with his God. " Come thou into the ark," was the Lord's 
 invitation, by which He clearly showed that Ue himself in- 
 tended to dwell in the ark with His servant and his family. 
 Thus all the chosen dwell in God and God in them. Happy 
 people to be enclosed in the same circle which contains God 
 in the Trinity of His persons, Father, Son, and Spirit. Let 
 us never be inattentive to that gracious call, " Come, my 
 people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors 
 about thee, and hide thyself as it were for a little moment, 
 until the indignation be overpast." Noah was so shut in that 
 no evil could reach him. Floods did but lift him heaven-ward, 
 and winds did but waft him on his way. Outside of the ark all 
 was ruin, but inside all was rest and peace, AVithout Christ 
 wc perish, but in Christ Jesus there is perfect safety. Noah 
 was so fchut in that he could not even desire to come out, and 
 these who are in Christ Jesus are in Him forever. They shall 
 go no more out forever, for eternal faithfulness has shut 
 them in, and infernal malice cannot drag them out. The 
 Prince of the house of David shutteth and no man opeucth ; 
 and when once in the last days, as Master of the house. He 
 Bhall rise up and shut to the door, it will be in vain for mere 
 professors to knock, and cry. Lord, Lord, open unto us, for 
 that same door which shuts in the wise virgins will r^hut oul 
 the foolish forever. Lord, shut me in by Thy grace. 
 14 
 
15B DAILY HEADINGS. Juiie 6. 
 
 "Behold, I am vile." — Job xl. 4. 
 
 ^]]?S[^NE cheering word, poor lost sinner, for thee! You 
 wtE^I think you must not come to God because you are 
 i^^^^^^ vile. Now, there is not a saint living on earth but 
 has been made to feel that he is vile. If Job, and Isaiah, 
 and Paul were all obliged to say, I am vile, oh, poor sinner, 
 wilt thou be ashamed to join in the same confession. If 
 divine grace does not eradicate all sin from the believer, how 
 dost thou hope to do it thyself? and if God loves His people 
 while they are yet vile, dost thou think thy vileness will pre- 
 vent His loving thee ? Believe on Jesus, thou outcast of the 
 world's society ! Jesus calls thee, and such as thou art. 
 
 " Not the righteous, not the righteous ; 
 Sinners, Jesus came to call." 
 
 Even now say, " Thou hast died for sinners ; I am a sinner. 
 Lord Jesus, sprinkle Thy blood on me ; " if thou wilt confess 
 thy sin, thou shalt find pardon. If, now, with all thy heart, 
 thou wilt say, " I am vile ; wash me," thou shalt be washed 
 now. If the Holy Spirit shall enable thee from thy heart to 
 cry,— 
 
 " Just as I am, without one plea 
 But that Thy blood was shed for me, 
 And that Thou bid'st me come to Thee, 
 O, Lamb of God, I come ! " — 
 
 thou shalt rise from reading this morning's portion with all 
 thy sins pardoned ; and though thou didst wake this morning 
 with every sin that man hath ever committed on thy head, 
 thou shalt rest to-night accepted in the Beloved ; though once 
 degraded with the rags of sin, thou shalt be adorned with a 
 robe of righteousness, and appear white as the angels are. 
 For " now," mark it, " now is the accepted time." If thou 
 " believest on Him who justifieth the ungodly thou art saved." 
 Oh ! may the Holy Spirit give thee saving faith in Him wha 
 receives the vilest. 
 
June 7. DAILY BEADINGS. 159 
 
 "Fe that love the Lord, hate evil." — Psalm xcvii. 10. 
 
 ,nOU hast good reason to "hate evil;" for only con- 
 li sidor what harm it has already wrought thee. Oh, 
 
 ^ ^ what a world of mischief sin has brought into thy 
 
 -/ heart ! Sin blindotli thee, so that thou couldst not sec the 
 . beauty of the Saviour ; it made thcc deaf, so that thou couldst 
 not hear the Redeemer's tender invitations. Sin turneJ thy 
 feet into the way of death, and poured poison into the very 
 fountain of thy being ; it tainted thy heart, and made il 
 " deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." Oh, 
 what a creature thou wast when evil had done its utmost 
 with thee, before divine grace interposed ! Thou wast an 
 heir of wrath even as others ; thou didst " run with the 
 multitude to do evil." Such were all of us ; but Paul reminds 
 us, " but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are 
 justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of 
 our God." We have good reason, indeed, for hating evil 
 when we look back and trace its deadly workings. Such mis- 
 chief did evil do us, that our souls would have been lost had 
 not omnipotent love interfered to redeem us. Even now it 
 is an active enemy, ever watching to do us hurt, and to drag 
 us to perdition. Therefore " hate evil," Christians, unless 
 you desire trouble. If you would strew your path with thorns, 
 and plant nettles in your death-pillow, then neglect to "hate 
 evil ; " but if you would live a happy life, and die a peaceful 
 death, then walk in all the ways of holiness, hating evil, even 
 unto the cud. If you truly love your Saviour, and would 
 honor Ilim, then " hate evil." We know of no cure for the 
 love of evil in a Christian like abundant intercourse with the 
 Lord Jesus. Dwell much with Him, and it is impossible for 
 you to be at peace with sin. 
 
 '• Order my footsteps by Thy Word, 
 And make my heart sincere ; 
 Let sin have no dominion, Lord, 
 But keep my couscience clear." 
 
160 DAILY READINGS. June 8. 
 
 " There fell down many slain, because the war was of Ood." 
 1 Chron. v. 22. 
 
 AjJ^I^AIlIlIOK, fighting under the banner of the Lord Jesus, 
 wWfm observe this verse with holy joy, for as it was in the 
 **^^^ days of old, so is it now ; if the war be of God, the 
 victory is sure. The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and 
 the half tribe of IMauasseh, could barely muster five and forty 
 thousand fighting men ; and yet in their war with the Hagar- 
 stes, they slew " men a hundred thousand," " for they cried 
 ^.0 God in the battle, and He was entreated of them, because 
 \hej put their trust in Him." The Lord saveth not by many 
 nor by few; it is ours to go forth in Jehovah's name if 
 we be but a handful of men, for the Lord of Hosts is with us 
 for our Captain. They did not neglect buckler, and sword, 
 and bow, neither did they place their trust in these weapons ; 
 we must use all fitting means, but our confidence must rest 
 in the Lord alone, for He is the sword and the shield of His 
 people. The great reason of their extraordinary success lay 
 in the fact that " the war was of God." Beloved, in fighting 
 with sin without and within, with error doctrinal or practical, 
 with spiritual wickedness in high places or low places, with 
 devils and the devil's allies, you are waging Jehovah's war, 
 and unless He himself can be worsted, you need not fear 
 defeat. Quail not before superior numbers, shrink not from 
 difficulties or impossibilities, flinch not at wounds or death, 
 unite with the two-edged sword of the Spirit, and the slain 
 shall lie in heaps. The battle is the Lord's, and He will deliver 
 His enemies into our hands. With steadfast foot, strong 
 hand, dauntless heart, and flaming zeal, rush to the conflict, 
 and the hosts of evil shall fly like chafi" before the gale. 
 
 " Stand up ! stand up for Jesus! To Him that overcometh, 
 The strife will not be long ; A crown of life shall be ; 
 
 This day the noise of battle, He with the King of glory 
 The next the victor's song : Shall rpign eternally." 
 
June 9. DAILY READINGS. t61 
 
 — V — ■ • — — — 
 
 •* The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof toe are glad." 
 Psalm cxxvi. 3. 
 
 St^|i^^OME Christians are sadly prone to tool on the dark 
 ^^^'ij siidc of everything, and to dwell more upon what they 
 ^^^^ have gone through than upon what Ciod has done for 
 them. Ask for their impression of the Christian life, and they 
 will describe their continual conflicts, their deep afflictions, 
 their sad adversities, and the sinfulness of their hearts, yet 
 with scarcely any allusion to the mercy and help which God has 
 vouchsafed them. But a Christian whose soul is in a healthy 
 state will come forward joyously, and say, " I will speak, not 
 about myself, but to the honor of my God. lie hath brought 
 me up out of a horrible pit, and out of the miry clay, and set 
 my feet upon a rock, and established my goings : and He hath 
 put a now song in my mouth, even praise unto our God. The 
 Lord hath done great things for me, whereof I am glad." 
 Such an abstract of experience as this is the very best that 
 any child of God can present. It is true that we endure trials, 
 but it is just as true that we are delivered out of them. It is 
 true that we have our corruptions, and mournfully do we know 
 this, but it is quite as true that we have an all-sufficient Sa- 
 viour, who overcomes these corruptions, and delivers us from 
 their dominion. In looking back, it would be wrong to deny 
 that we have been in the Slough of Despond, and have crept 
 along the Valley of Humiliation ; but it would be equally 
 wicked to forget that we have been throurjh them safely and 
 profitably; we have not remained in them, thanks to our Al- 
 mighty Helper and Leader, who has brought us " out into a 
 wealthy place." The deeper our troubles, the louder our 
 thanks to God, who has led us through all, and preserved U8 
 until now. Our griefs cannot mar the melody of our praise ; 
 we reckon them to be the bass part of our life's song, " lie 
 hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad." 
 14* 
 
162 DAILY READINGS. JUDO 10. 
 
 " We live unto the Lord." — Romans xiv. 8. 
 
 [WF God had willed it, each of us might have entered 
 heaven at the moment of conversion. It was not 
 absolutely necessary for our preparation for immor- 
 tality that we should tarry here. It is possible for a man to 
 be taken to heaven, and to be found meet to be a partaker 
 of the inheritance of the saints in light, though he has but 
 just believed in Jesus. It is true that our sanctification is a 
 long and continued process, and we shall not be perfected 
 till we lay aside our bodies and enter within the veil ; but nev- 
 ertheless, had the Lord so willed it. He might have changed 
 as from imperfection to perfection, and have taken us to 
 heaven at once. Why then are we here ? Would God keep 
 His children out of paradise a single moment longer than was 
 necessary? Why is the army of the living God still on the 
 battle-field, when one charge might give them the victory ? 
 Why are His children still wandering hither and thither 
 through a maze, when a solitary word from His lips would 
 bring them into the centre of their hopes in heaven ? The 
 answer is — They are here that they may " live unto the Lord,''' 
 and may bring others to know His love. We remain on earth 
 as sowers to scatter good seed ; as ploughmen to break up the 
 fallow ground ; as heralds publishing salvation. We are here 
 as the " salt of the earth," to be a blessing to the world. 
 We are here to glorify Christ in our daily life. We are 
 here as workers for Him, and as " workers together with 
 Him." Let us see that our life answereth its end. Let us 
 live earnest, useful, holy lives, to " the praise of the glory 
 of His grace," Meanwhile we long to be with Him, and 
 daily sing-- 
 
 " My heart is with Hira on His throne, 
 And ill can brook delay ; 
 Each moment listening for the ToicCf 
 ' Rise up, and come away,' " 
 
June 11. D^ILT REA PINGS. IG3 
 
 "Wc love III in because lie first loved us." — 1 John iv. 19. 
 
 ■HERE is no light in the planet but that which pro- 
 )^ ceedeth from the sun ; and there is no true love to 
 Jesus in the heart but that which Cometh from the 
 Lord Jesus Ilimself. From this overflowing fountain of the 
 infinite love of God, all our love to God must spring. Thia 
 must ever be a great and certain truth, that we love Him for 
 no other reason than because lie first loved us. Our love 
 to Him is the/air offspring of His love to us. Cold admira- 
 tion, when studying the works of God, any one may have ; 
 but the warmth of love can only be kindled in the heart by 
 God's Spirit. How great the wonder that such as we should 
 ever have been brought to love Jesus at all ! How marvellous 
 that when we had rebelled against Him, He should, by a 
 display of such amazing love, seek to draw us back. No ! 
 never should we have had a grain of love towards God unless 
 it had been sown in us by the sweet seed of His love to us. 
 Love, then, has for its parent the love of God shed abroad 
 in the heart ; but after it is thus divinely born, it must be 
 divinely nourished. Love is an exotic ; it is not a plant 
 which will flourish naturally in human soil, it must be watered 
 from above. Love to Jesus is a flower of a delicate nature ; 
 and if it received no nourishment but that which could be 
 drawn from the rock of our hearts, it would soon wither. 
 As love comes from heaven, so it must feed on heavenly 
 bread. It cannot exist in the wilderness unless it be fed Ly 
 manna from on bigh. Love must feed on love. The verj 
 Boul and life of our love to God is His love to us. 
 
 " I love Thee, Lord, but with no love of mine, 
 
 For I have none to give ; 
 I love Thcc, Lord, but all the love is Thine, 
 
 For by Thy love I live. 
 I am as nothing, and rejoice to be 
 Emptied, and lost, and swa lowed up in Thee." 
 
164 DAILY HEADINGS. JuDC 12 
 
 "Thou art weighed in the balances and found wanting" 
 Daniel v. 27. 
 
 f^T is well frequently to weigh ourselves in the scale of 
 God's Word. You will find it a holy exercise to read 
 some psalin of David, and, as you meditate upon 
 each verse, to ask yourself, " Can I say this ? Have I felt 
 as David felt ? Has my heart ever been broken on account of 
 sin, as his was when he penned his penitential psalms ? Has 
 my soul been full of true confidence in the hour of difficulty, 
 as his was when he sang of God's mercies in the cave of 
 Adullam, or in the holds of Engedi ? Do I take the cup 
 of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord ? " Then 
 turn to the life of Christ, and, as you read ask yourselves 
 how far you are conformed to His likeness Endeavor to 
 discover whether you have the meekness, the humility, the 
 lovely spirit which He constantly inculcated and displayed. 
 Take, then, the epistles, and see whether you can go with 
 the apostle in what he said of his experience. Have you 
 ever cried out as he did — "0 wretched man that I am ! 
 who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? " Have 
 you ever felt his self-abasement ? Have you seemed to 
 yourself the chief of sinners, and less than the least of all 
 saints ? Have you known anything of his devotion ? Could 
 you join with him and say, " For me to live is Christ, and to 
 die is gain " ? If we thus read God's Word as a test of our 
 spiritual condition, we shall have good reason to stop many 
 a time and say, " Lord, I feel I have never yet been here ; 
 
 bring me here ! give me true penitence, such as this I read 
 of. Give me real faith ; give me warmer zeal ; inflame me 
 with more fervent love ; grant me the grace of meekness ; 
 make me more like Jesus. Let me no longer be ' found 
 wanting,' when weighed in the balances of the sanctuary, lest 
 
 1 be found wanting in the scales of judgment." *' Judge 
 yourselves that ye be not judged." 
 
June 13. DAILY READINGS. 165 
 
 " Whosoever tcill, let him take the water of life freely." — Rev. xxii.l7 
 
 ^ESUS says, " Take freely." He wants no payment 
 I .\< or preparation. He seeks no reconnnendation from 
 "^■^ our virtuous emotions. If you have no good feelings, 
 if you be but willing, you are invited ; therefore come ! You 
 have no belief and no repentance, — come to Ilim, and He 
 will give them to you. Come just as you are, and take 
 " freely," without money and without price. He gives Him- 
 self to needy ones. The drinking fountains at the corners 
 of our streets are valuable institutions ; and we can hardly 
 imagine any one so foolish as to feel for his purse when he 
 stands before one of them, and to cry, " I cannot drink be- 
 cause I have not five pounds in my pocket." However poor 
 the man is, there is the fountain, and just as he is he may 
 drink of it. Thirsty passengers, as they go by, whether 
 they are dressed in fustian or in broadcloth, do not look fur 
 any warrant for drinking ; its being there is their warrant 
 for taking its water freely. The liberality of some good 
 friends has put the refreshing crystal there, and we take it, 
 and ask no questions. Perhaps the only persons who need 
 go thirsty through the street where there is a drinking foun- 
 tain are the fine ladies and gentlemen who are in their car- 
 riages. They are very thirsty, but cannot think of being so 
 vulgar as to get out to drink. It would demean them, they 
 think, to drink at a common drinking fountain : so they ride 
 by with parched lips. Oh, how many there are who are rich 
 in their own good works, and cannot therefore come to 
 Christ! " I will not be saved,'" they say, " in the same way 
 as the harlot or the swearer." What ! go to heaven in the 
 Bame way as a chimneysweep ! Is there no pathway to 
 glory but the path which led the thief there ? I will not be 
 saved that way. Such proud boasters must remain without 
 the living water ; but, " Whosoever will, let him TAKE 
 THE WATEll OF LIFE FREELY." 
 
166 DAILY READINGS. JuTie 14. 
 
 ^^ Delight thyself also in the Lord." — Psalm xxxvii. 4. 
 
 HE teaclnng of these words must seem very surprising 
 to those who are strangers to vital godlinesa, but to 
 the sincere believer it is only the inculcation of a 
 recognized truth. The life of the believer is here described 
 as a delight in God, and we are thus certified of the great 
 fact that true religion overflows with happiness and joy. 
 Ungodly persons and mere professors never look upon re- 
 ligion as a joyful thing; to them it is service, duty, or neces- 
 sity, but never pleasure or delight. If they attend to religion 
 at all, it is either that they may gain thereby, or else because 
 they dare not do otherwise. The thought of delight in re- 
 ligion is so strange to most men, that no two words in their 
 language stand farther apart than "holiness" and " delight." 
 But believers who know Christ understand that delight and 
 faith are so blessedly united that the gates of hell cannot 
 prevail to separate them. They who love God with all their 
 hearts find that His ways are ways of pleasantness, and all 
 His paths are peace. Such joys, such brimful delights, such 
 overflowing blessedness, do the saints discover in their Lord, 
 that, so far from serving Him from custom, they would fol- 
 low Him though all the world cast out His name as evil. 
 We fear not God because of any compulsion ; our faith is no 
 fetter, our profession is no bondage ; we are not dragged to 
 holiness, nor driven to duty. No, our piety is our pleasure, 
 our hope is our happiness, our duty is our delight. 
 
 .Delight and true religion are as allied as root and flower ; 
 as indivisible as truth and certainty ; they are, in fact, tw« 
 precious jewels glittering side by side in a setting of gold. 
 
 " 'Tis when we taste Thy love, 
 Our joys divinely grow, 
 Unspeakable like those above, 
 And heaven begins below." 
 
June 15. DAILY HEADINGS. 167 
 
 "And Sarah said, Ood hath made me to lauyh, so that all that 
 hear will laugh with me." — Genesis xxi. 6. 
 
 VIT was far above the power of nature, and even con- 
 >c^ trary to its laws, that the aged Sarah should be hon- 
 '•'^ orcd with a son ; and even so it is beyond all ordinary 
 rules that I, a poor, helpless, undone sinner, should find 
 grace to bear about in my soul the indwelling Spirit of the 
 Lord Jesus. I, who once despaired, as well I might, — for 
 my nature was as dry, and withered, and barren, and ac- 
 cursed as a howling wilderness, — even I have been made to 
 bring forth fruit unto holiness. Well may my mouth be 
 filled with joyous laughter, because of the singular, surpris- 
 ing grace which I have received of the Lord, for I have 
 found Jesus, the promised seed, and He is mine forever. 
 This day will I lift up psalms of triumph unto the Lord, who 
 has remembered my low estate, for " my heart rejoiceth in 
 the Lord ; mine horn is exalted in the Lord ; my mouth is 
 enlarged over mine enemies, because I rejoice in Thy salva- 
 tion." I would have all those that hear of my great deliver- 
 ance from hell, and my most blessed visitation from on high, 
 laugh for joy with me. I would surprise my family with my 
 abundant peace ; I would delighl my friends with my ever- 
 increasing happiness ; I would edify the Church with my 
 grateful confessions ; and even impress the world with the 
 cheerfulness of my daily conversation. Bunyan tells us that 
 Mercy laughed in her sleep, and no wonder when she dreamed 
 of Jesus ; my joy shall not stop short of hers while my Be- 
 loved is the theme of my daily thoughts. The Lord Jesus 
 is a deep sea of joy; my soul shall dive therein, shall be 
 swallowed up in the delights of His society. Sarah looked 
 on her Isaac, and laughed with excess of rapture, and all hei 
 friends laughed with her; and thou, my soul, look on tb| 
 Jesus, and bid heaven and earth unite in thy joy unspeakalwe 
 
168 DAILY HEADINGS. June 16. 
 
 "And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish." 
 John X. 28. 
 
 ^5|^'HE Christian should never think or speak lightly of 
 ^^i ^"^^^^^^' -^^^ ^ ^^^^^ of ^od to mistrust His love, 
 '***^ His truth, His faithfulness, must be greatly displeas- 
 ing to Him. How can we ever grieve Him by doubting His 
 upholding grace ? Christian ! it is contrary to every promise 
 of God's precious Word that thou shouldst ever be forgotten 
 or left to perish. If it could be so, how could He be true 
 who has said, " Can a woman forget her sucking child, that 
 she should not have compassion on the son of her womb ? 
 Yea, they may forget, yet will I never forget thee." What 
 were the value of that promise — " The mountains shall de- 
 part, and the hills be removed ; but My kindness shall not 
 depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of My peace be 
 removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee " ? Wliere 
 were the truth of Christ's words — "I give unto My sheep 
 eternal life ; and they shall never perish, neither shall any 
 man pluck them out of My hand. My Father which gave 
 them Me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them 
 out of My Father's hand " ? AVhere were the doctrines of 
 grace ? They would be all disproved if one child of God 
 should perish. Whore were the veracity of God, His honor. 
 His power. His grace, His covenant. His oath, if any of those 
 for whom Christ has died, and who have put their trust in 
 Him, should nevertheless be cast away ? Banish those un- 
 believing fears which so dishonor God. Arise, shake thy- 
 self from the dust, and ptit on thy beautiful garments. Re- 
 member it is sinful to doubt His Word wherein He has 
 promised thee that thou shalt never perish. Let the eternal 
 life within thee express itself in confident rejoicing. 
 
 " The gospel bears my spirit up ; 
 A faithful and unchanging God 
 Lays the foundation for my hope 
 In oaths, and promises, and blood." 
 
\t. DAILY READINGS. 169 
 
 " Help, Lord." — Psalm xii. 1. 
 
 ''; IIE prnycr itself is remarkable, for it is short, but sea- 
 ■|t soiiahlt;, seutenlions, and suggestive. David mourned 
 the fewness of faithful men, and therefore lifted up 
 his heart in supplication ; when the creature failed, he flew 
 to the Creator. He evidently felt his own weakness, or he 
 would not have cried for help ; but at the same time he in- 
 tended honestly to exert himself for the cause of truth, for 
 the word " help " is inapplicable where we ourselves do noth- 
 ing. There is much of directness, clearness of perception, and 
 distinctness of utterance in this petition of two words ; much 
 more, indeed, than in the long rambling outpourings of cer- 
 tain professors. The Psalmist runs straightforward to hia 
 God, with a well-considered prayer ; he knows what he ia 
 seeking, and where to seek it. Lord, teach us to pray in 
 the same blessed manner. 
 
 The occasions for the use of this prayer are frequent. In 
 'providential afflictions how suitable it is for tried believers 
 who find all helpers failing them. Students, in doctrinal 
 difficulties, may often obtain aid by lifting up this cry of 
 " Help, Lord," to the Holy Spirit, the great Teacher. Spirit- 
 ual warriors in imvard conflicts may send to the throne for 
 reenforcements, and this will be a model for their request. 
 Workers in heavenly labor may thus obtain grace in time of 
 need. Seeking sinners in doubts and alarms may oifer up 
 the same weighty supplications ; in fact, in all cases, times, 
 and places, this will serve the turn of needy souls. "Help, 
 Lord," will suit us living and dying, suffering or laboring, 
 rejoicing or sorrowing. In Him our help is found ; let us 
 not be slack to cry to Him. 
 
 The answer to the prayer is certain, if it be sincerely of- 
 fered through Jesus. The Lord's character assures us that 
 He will not leave His people ; His relationship as Fatlier and 
 Husband guarantees us His aid ; His gift of Jesus is a pledge 
 of every good thing ; and His sure promise stands, Fear not, 
 
 I WILL HELP TH££. 
 
 U 
 
176 feAtL* HEADINGS, June li. 
 
 " Thy Redeemer." — Isaiah liv. 5. 
 
 ^SUS, the Redeemer, is altogether ours, aud ours for- 
 H ever. All the offices of Christ are held on our behalf. 
 He is king for us, priest for us, and prophet for us. 
 Whenever we read a new title of the Redeemer, let us ap- 
 propriate Him as ours under that name as much as undei 
 any other. The shepherd's staff, the father's rod, the cap- 
 tain's sword, the priest's mitre, the prince's sceptre, the 
 prophet's mantle, all are ours. Jesus hath no dignity which 
 he will not employ for our exaltation, and no prerogative 
 which he will not exercise for our defence. His fulness of 
 Godhead is our unfailing, inexhaustible treasure-house. 
 
 His manhood also, which He took upon Him for us, is ours 
 in all its perfection. To us our gracious Lord communicates 
 the spotless virtue of a stainless character ; to us He gives 
 the meritorious efficacy of a devoted life ; on us He bestows 
 the reward procured by obedient submission and incessant 
 service. He makes the unsullied garment of His life our 
 covering beauty ; the glittering virtues of His character our 
 ornaments and jewels ; and the superhuman meekness of 
 His death our boast and glory. He bequeaths us His 
 manger, from which to learn how God came down to man ; 
 and His Cross to teach us how man may go up to God. All 
 His thoughts, emotions, actions, utterances, miracles, and 
 intercessions, were for us. He trod the road of sorrow on 
 our behalf, and hath made over to us as His heavenly legacy 
 the full results of all the labors of His life. He is now as much 
 ours as heretofore ; and He blushes not to acknowledge 
 Himself " oihr Lord Jesus Christ," though He is tne blessed 
 and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, 
 Christ everywhere and every way is our Christ, forever and 
 ever most richly to enjoy. my soul, by the power of the 
 Eolj Spirit call Him this morning, " thy Redeemer." 
 
June 19. DAILY KtADlNGS. 17 
 
 "And theij were alljilled with the Holy Ohost." — Acts ii. 4. 
 
 P%f\ ICII were the blessings of this day if all of us were 
 0|V5^ filled with the Holy Ghost. The consequences of 
 **^^^ this sacred filling of the soul it would be impossible 
 to over-estimate. Life, comfort, light, purity, power, peace, 
 and many other precious blessings are inseparable from the 
 Spirit's benign presence. As sacred oil. He anoints the 
 head of the believer, sets him apart to the priesthood of 
 saints, and gives him grace to execute his office ariglit. Aa 
 ^he only truly purifying water, He cleanses us from the power 
 of sin, and sanctifies us unto holiness, working in us to will 
 and to do of the Lord's good pleasure. As the light, He 
 manifested to us at first our lost estate, and now He reveals 
 the Lord Jesus to us and in us, and guides us in the way of 
 righteousness. Enlightened by His pure celestial ray, we 
 are no more darkness, but light in the Lord. As fire, he 
 both purges us from dross, and sets our consecrated nature 
 on a blaze. He is the sacrificial flame by which we are enabled 
 to ofi'er our whole souls as a living sacrifice unto God. As 
 heavenly deiv. He removes our barrenness and fertilizes our 
 lives. that He would drop from above upon us at this 
 early hour. Such morning dew would be a sweet commence- 
 ment for the day. As the dove, with wings of peaceful love. 
 Be broods over His Church and over the souls of believers, 
 and as a Comforter, He dispels the cares and doubts which 
 mar the peace of His beloved. He descends upon the chosen 
 as upon the Lord in Jordan, and bears witness to their son- 
 fihip b}' working in them a filial spirit, by which they cry, Abba, 
 Father. As the wind. He brings the breath of life to meu ; 
 blowing where He listcth He performs the quickening opera- 
 tions by which the spiritual creation is animated and sus- 
 tained. Would to God that we might feel His presence 
 this day and every day. 
 
172 DAILY READINGS. June 20. 
 
 " For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the Jiouse of Israel 
 among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall 
 not the least grain fall upon the earth." — Amos ix. 9. 
 
 §'^'^^'^VERY sifting coines by divine command and permis- 
 l^J^ sioH. Satan must ask leave before he can lay a fingei" 
 *^^ upon Job. Nay, more, in some sense our siftings are 
 directly the work of Heaven, for the text says, " I will sift the 
 house of Israel." Satan, like a drudge, may hold the sieve, 
 hoping to destroy the corn ; but the overruling hand of the 
 Master is accompHshing the purity of the grain by the very 
 process which the enemy intended to be destructive. Pre- 
 cious, but much sifted corn of the Lord's floor, be comforted 
 by the blessed fact that the Lord directeth both flail and 
 sieve to His own glory, and to thine eternal profit. 
 
 The Lord Jesus will surely use the fan which is in His 
 hand, and will divide the precious from the vile. All are not 
 Israel that are of Israel ; the heap on the barn floor is not 
 clean provender, and hence the winnowing process must be 
 performed. In the sieve true weight alone has power. 
 Husks and chafi", being devoid of substance, must fly before 
 the wind, and only solid corn will remain. 
 
 Observe the complete safety of the Lord's wheat ; even the 
 least grain has a promise of preservation. God Himself sifts, 
 and therefore it is stern and terrible work ; He sifts them 
 in all places, " among all nations ; " He sifts them in the 
 most effectual manner, " like as corn is sifted in a sieve ; " 
 and yet for all this, not the smallest, lightest, or most shriv- 
 elled grain is permitted to fall to the ground. Every indi- 
 vidual believer is precious in the sight of the Lord ; a shep- 
 herd would not lose one sheep, nor a jeweller one diamond, 
 uoi a mother one child, nor a man one limb of his body, nor 
 will the Lord lose one of his redeemed people. However 
 little wo may be, if we are the Lord's, we may rejoice that 
 we are preserved in Christ Jeuus. 
 
June 2l. Daily reaDInos. * 173 
 
 " Thou art fairer than the children of men" — Psalm xlv. 2. 
 
 ^l^^jIIE entire person of Jesus is but as one gem, and His 
 ^ll^ij^ life is all along but one impression of the seal. He 
 ^^^^^ is altogether complete ; not only in His several parts, 
 but as a gracious, all-glorious whole. His character is not a 
 mass of fair colors mixed confusedly, nor a heap of precious 
 stones laid carelessly one upon another ; He is a picture of 
 beauty and a breastplate of glory. In Him all the " things 
 of good repute" are in their proper places, and assist in 
 adorning each other. Not one feature in His glorious per- 
 son attracts attention at the expense of others ; but He ia 
 perfectly and altogether lovely. Oh, Jesus ! Thy power, 
 Thy grace, Thy justice, Thy tenderness. Thy truth, Thy ma- 
 jesty, and Thine immutability, make up such a man, or rather 
 such a God-man, as neither heaven nor earth hath seen else- 
 where. Thy infjincy. Thy eternity. Thy sufferings. Thy tri- 
 umphs, Thy death, and Thine immortality, are all woven in 
 one gorgeous tapestry, without seam or rent. Thou art 
 music without discord ; Thou art many, and yet not divided ; 
 Thou art all things, and yet not diverse. As all the colors 
 blend into one resplendent rainbow, so all the glories of 
 heaven and earth meet in Thee, and unite so wondrously, that 
 there is none like Thee in all things ; nay, if all the virtues of 
 the most excellent were bound in one bundle, they could not 
 rival Thee, Thou mirror of all perfection. Thou hast been 
 anointed with the holy oil of myrrh and cassia, which Thy God 
 hath reserved for Thee alone ; and as for Thy fragrance, it is 
 as the holy perfume, the like of which none other can ever 
 mingle, even with the art of the apothecary ; each spice is 
 fragrant, but the compound is divine. 
 
 " sacred symmetry ! rare connection 
 Of many perfects, to make one perfection! 
 heavenly music, where all parts do meet 
 In one sweet strain, to make one perfect sweet ! ** 
 
 15* 
 
it4 DAILY READINGS. June 2^, 
 
 " He shall build the temple of the Lord ; and Jle shall hear tht 
 glory." — Zechariah vi. 13. 
 
 S).^^(^,HPtIST Himself is the builder of His spiritual temple, 
 yL ^Bj^ and He has built it on the mountains of His un- 
 '^^-^-^ changeable affection, His omnipotent grace, and His 
 infallible truthfulness. But as it was in Solomon's lemple, 
 so in this ; the materials need making ready. There are the 
 " cedars of Lebanon," but they are not framed for the build- 
 ing ; they are not cut down, and shaped, and made into those 
 planks of cedar, whose odoriferous beauty shall make glad 
 the courts of the Lord's house in Paradise. There are also 
 the rough stones still in the quarry; they must be hewn thence, 
 and squared. All this is Christ's own work. Each individ- 
 ual believer is being prepared, and polished, and made ready 
 for his place in the temple ; but Christ's own hand performs 
 the preparation-work. Afflictions cannot sanctify, excepting 
 as they are used by Him to this end. Our prayers and ef- 
 forts cannot make us ready for heaven, apart from the hand 
 of Jesus, who fashioneth our hearts aright. As in the build- 
 ing of Solomon's temple " there was neither hammer, nor 
 axe, nor any tool of iron, heard in the house," because all 
 was brought perfectly ready for the exact spot it was to 
 occupy, so is it with the temple which Jesus builds — the 
 making ready is all done on earth. When we reach heaven, 
 there will be no sanctifying us there, no squaring us with 
 affliction, no planing us with suffering. No, we must be 
 made meet here — all that Christ will do beforehand ; and 
 when He has done it, we shall be ferried by a loving hand 
 across the stream of death, and brought to the heavenly 
 Jerusalem, to abide as eternal pillars in the temple of ouj 
 lord. 
 
 "Beneath His eye and care, 
 The edifice shall rise, 
 Majestic, strong, and fair, 
 And shine above the skie*.** 
 
Juifie S^. i)Aii.v UKAhiNGs. 17A 
 
 " Ephraim is a cake not turned^ — Hosea vii. 8. 
 
 r?i CAKE not turned is uncoolccd on one side ; and so 
 I [^ Ephraim was, in many respects, untouched by divine 
 '^ grace ; though there was some partial obedience, 
 there was very much rebellion left. My soul, I charge thee, 
 gee whether this be thy case. Art thou thorough in the things 
 of God ? Has grace gone tbi-ough the very centre of thy 
 being, so as to bo felt in its divine operations in all thy pow- 
 ers, thy actions, thy words, and thy thoughts ? To be sanc- 
 tified, spirit, soul, and body, should be thine aim and prayer ; 
 and although sanctification may not be perfect in thee any- 
 where in degree, yet it n)ust be universal in its action ; there 
 must not be the appearance of holiness in one place and reign- 
 ing sin in another, else thou, too, wilt be a cake not turned. 
 
 A cake not turned is soon hurncd on the side nearest the fire ; 
 and although no man can have too much religion, there are 
 some who seem burned black with bigoted zeal for that part of 
 truth which they have received, or are charred to a cinder 
 with a vain-glorious Pharisaic ostentation of those religious 
 performances which suit their humor. The assumed appear- 
 ance of superior sanctity frequently accompanies a total ab- 
 sence of all vital godliness. The saint in public is a devil in 
 private. He deals in flour by day and in soot by night. The 
 oake which is bu-rned on one side, is dough on the other. 
 
 If it be so with wie, Lord, turn me ! Turn my unsancti- 
 fied nature to the fire of Thy love, and let it feel the sacred 
 glow ; and let my burned side cool a little, while I learn my 
 own weakness and want of heat when I am removed from Thy 
 heavenly flame. Let me not be found a double-minded man, 
 but one entirely under the powerful influence of reigninii 
 grace ; for well I know if I am left like a cake unturned, and 
 am not on both sides the subject of Thy grace, I must b« 
 consumed forever amid everlasting burnings 
 
176 i)AiLY EEAXtiNGs. «tuue 24. 
 
 '* A certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said 
 unto Him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps 
 which Thou hast sucked. But He said, Yea rather, blessed 
 are they that hear the word of God, and keep it." 
 Luke xi. 27, 28. 
 
 [■jfrT is fondly imagined by some that it must have in- 
 :k;^ volved very special privileges to have been the moth- 
 er of our Lord, because they suppose that she had the 
 benefit of looking into His very heart in a way in which we 
 cannot hope to do. There may be an appearance of plausi- 
 bility in the supposition, but not much. We do not know 
 that Mary knew more than others ; what she did know she 
 did well to lay up in her heart ; but she does not appear from 
 anything we read in the Evangelists to have been a better- 
 instructed believer than any other of Christ's disciples. All 
 that she knew, we also may discover. Do you wonder that 
 we should say so ? Here is a text to prove it : " The secret 
 of the Lord is with them that fear Him, and He will show 
 them His covenant." Remember the Master's words — 
 " Henceforth I call you not servants ; for the servant know- 
 eth not what His Lord doeth : but I have called you friends ; 
 for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made 
 known unto you." So blessedly does this Divine Revealer 
 of secrets tell us His heart, that He keepeth back nothing 
 which is profitable to us. His own assurance is, " If it weic 
 not so I would have told you." Doth He not this day man- 
 ifest Himself unto us as He doth not unto the world ? It is 
 even so ; and therefore we will not ignorantly cry out, 
 " Blessed is the womb that bare Thee," but we will intelli- 
 gently bless God that, having heard the Word and kept it, 
 we have first of all as true a communion with the Saviour as 
 the Virgin had ; and in the second place, as true an ac- 
 quaintance with the secrets of His heart as she can be sup- 
 posed <o have obtained. Happy soul to be thus privileged 1 
 
June 25. daily readings. 177 
 
 " Oct thee up into the high mountain" — Isaiah xl. 9. 
 
 WipitSUR knowledge of Christ is somewhat like climbing 
 Hf ^■5) one of our Welsh mountains. When you are at tlie 
 ^^'^^^ base you see but little : the mountain itself appears 
 to be but one half as high as it really is. Confined in a little 
 Talley, you discover scarcely anything but the rippling brooks 
 as they descend into the stream at the foot of the mountain. 
 Climb the first rising knoll, and the valley luigthens and 
 widens beneath your feet. Go higher, and you see the coun- 
 try for four or five miles round, and you are delighted with 
 the widening prospect. Mount still, and the scene enlarges ; 
 till dt last, when you are on the summit, and look east, west, 
 north, and south, you see almost all England lying before 
 you. Yonder is a forest in some distant county, perhaps 
 two hundred miles away, and here the sea, and there a shin- 
 ing river and the smoking chimneys of a manufacturing town, 
 or the masts of the ships in a busy port. All these things 
 please and delight you, and you say, " I could not have ima- 
 gined that so much could be seen at this elevation." Now, 
 the Christian life is of the same order. When we first believe 
 in Christ we see but little of Him. The higher we climb the 
 more we discover of His beauties. But who has ever gained 
 the summit ? Who has known all the heights and depths 
 of the love of Christ which passes knowledge ? Paul, when 
 grown old, sitting gray-haired, shivering in a dungeon in 
 Home, could say with greater emphasis than we can, " I 
 know whom I have believed," for each experience had been 
 like the climbing of a hill, each trial had been like ascending 
 another summit, and his death seemed like gaining the top 
 Qf the mountain, from which he could see the whole of the 
 faithfulness and the love of Him to whom he had committed 
 his soul. Get thee up, dear friend, into the high moun- 
 tain. 
 
l?8 DAttY RliADiNGS. June ^6 
 
 " Art thou become like unto us9" — Isaiah xiv. 10. 
 
 il^^HAT must be the apostate professor's doom when his 
 &/i ^^^^^ ^^"^ appears before God ? How will he bear 
 ^^^ that voice, " Depart, ye cursed ; thou hast rejected 
 Me, aud I reject thee; thou hast played the harlot, and de- 
 parted from Me : I also have banished thee forever from My 
 presence, and will not have mercy upon thee " ? What will 
 be this wretch's shame at the last great day, when, before as- 
 sembled multitudes, the apostate shall be unmasked ? See 
 the profane, and sinners who never professed religion, lifting 
 themselves up from their beds of fire to point at him. 
 " There he is," says one ; " will he preach the gospel in 
 hell?" "There he is," says another; "he rebuked mc for 
 cursing, and was a hypocrite himself!" "Aha!" says 
 another ; " here comes a psalm-singing professor — one 
 who was always at his meeting ; he is the man who boasted 
 of his being sure of everlasting life ; and here he is ! " No 
 greater eagerness will ever be seen among Satanic tormentors 
 than in that day when devils drag the hypocrite's soul down 
 to perdition. Bunyan pictures this with massive but awful 
 grandeur of poetry when he speaks of the back-way to hell. 
 Seven devils bound the wretch with nine cords, and dragged 
 him from the road to heaven, in which he had professed to 
 walk, and thrust him through the back-door into hell. Mind 
 that back-way to hell, professors ! " Examine yourselves 
 whether ye be in the faith." Look well to your state ; sco 
 whether you be in Christ or not. It is the easiest thing in 
 the world to give a lenient verdict when one's self is to be 
 tried ; but 0, be just and true here. Be just to all, but 
 be rigorous to yourself. Remember, if it be not a rock on 
 which you build, when the house shall fall, great will be the 
 fall of It. 0, may the Lord give you sincerity, constancy, 
 and firmness ; and in no day, however evil, may you be led 
 Ko turn aside. 
 
June 27. daily readings. 179 
 
 •• Only ye shall not go very far away." — Ex. viii. 28. 
 
 ^T^'jinS is a crtihy word from the lip of the arcb-tyrant 
 Mjl^)^ Pharaoh. If the poor bondaged Israelites mu.'it needs 
 ^^***^ go out of Egypt, then he bargains with thein that it 
 shall not be very far away ; not too far, for them to escape 
 the terror of his arms and the observation of his spies. 
 After the same fashion, the world loves not the nonconformity 
 of nonconformity, or the dissidence of dissent ; it would have 
 us be more charitable, and not carry matters with too severe 
 a hand. Death to the world, and burial with Christ, are ex- 
 periences which carnal minds treat with ridicule, and hence 
 the ordinance which sets them forth is almost universally 
 neglected, and even contemned. Worldly wisdom recom- 
 mends the path of compromise, and talks of " moderation." 
 According to this carnal policy, purity is admitted to be very 
 desirable, but we arc warned against being too precise ; truth 
 is of course to be followed, but error is not to be severely 
 denounced. " Yes," says the world, " be spiritually minded 
 by all means, but do not deny yourself a little gay society, 
 an occasional ball, and a Christmas visit to the theatre. 
 What's the good of crying down a thing when it is so fash- 
 ionable, and everybody does it r " Multitudes of professors 
 yield to this cunning advice to their own eternal ruin. If 
 we would follow the Lord wholly, we must go right away 
 into the wilderness of separation, and leave the Egypt of 
 the carnal world behind us. We must leave its maxims, 
 pleasures, and its religion too, and go far away to the place 
 where the Lord calls His sanctified ones. When the town 
 is on fire, our house cannot be too far froni the flames. 
 When the plague is abroad, a man cannot be too far from 
 its haunts. The farther from a viper the better, and the 
 farthei from worldly conformity the better. To all true be- 
 lievers, let the trumpet-call be sounded, " Come ye out from 
 among them ; be ye separate." 
 
180 t)AiLY READINGS. June 28. 
 
 " Looking unto Jesus." — Heb. xii. 2. 
 
 ^2T[J?nT is ever the Holy Spirit's work to turn our eyes awaj 
 ^1 ^^ from self to Jesus ; but Satan's work is just the op- 
 y/^^W. posite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us 
 regard ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates, " Your 
 eins are too great for pardon ; you have no faith ; you do 
 not repent enough ; you will never be able to continue to 
 the end ; you have not the joy of His children ; you have 
 such a wavering hold of Jesus." All these are thoughts 
 about self, and we shall never find comfort or assurance by 
 looking within. But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely 
 away from self: He tells us that we are nothing, but that 
 " Christ is all in all." Remember, therefore, it is not thy 
 hold of Christ that saves thee — it is Christ ; it is not thy joy 
 in Christ that saves thee — it is Christ ; it is not even faith 
 in Christ, though that be the instrument — it is Christ's 
 blood and merits ; therefore, look not so much to thy hand 
 with which thou art grasping Christ, as to Christ ; look not 
 to thy hope, but to Jesus, the source of thy hope ; look 
 not to thy faith, but to Jesus, the author and finisher of thy 
 faith. We shall never find happiness by looking at our 
 prayers, our doings, or our feelings ; it is what Jesus is, not 
 what we are, that gives rest to the soul. If we would at 
 once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be 
 by " looking unto Jesus." Keep thine eye simply on Him ; 
 let His death, His sufi'erings. His merits. His glories, His 
 intercession, be fresh upon thy mind ; when thou wakest in 
 the morning look to Him ; when thou liest down at night 
 look to Him. Oh ! let not thy hopes or fears come between 
 thee and Jesus ; follow hard after Him, and He viU never 
 fail thee. 
 
 "My hope is built on nothing less 
 Than Jesus' blood and righteousness: 
 1 dare not trust the sweetest frame, 
 But wholly lean on Jesui' name." 
 
June 29. daily readings. 181 
 
 •* Them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him." 
 'l Thess. iv. 14. 
 
 )T us not imagine that the soul sleeps in insensibility. 
 " To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise," is the 
 whisper of Christ to every dying saint. They " sleep 
 in Jesus," but their souls are before the throne of God, 
 praising Ilim day and night in His temple, singing hallelu- 
 jahs to Him who washed them from their sins in His blood. 
 The body sleeps in its lonely bed of earth, beneath the cover- 
 let of grass. But what is this sleep ? The idea connected 
 with sleep is " rest,'' and that is the thought which the Spirit 
 of God would convey to us. Sleep makes each night a Sab- 
 bath for the day. Sleep shuts fast the door of the soul, and 
 bids all intruders tarry for a while, that the life within may 
 enter its summer garden of ease. The toil-worn believer 
 quietly sleeps, as does the weary child when it slumbers on 
 its mother's breast. Oh 1 happy they who die in the Lord ; 
 they rest from their labors, and their works do follow them. 
 Their quiet repose shall never be broken until God shall 
 rouse them to give them their full reward. Guarded by 
 angel watchers, curtained by eternal mysteries, they sleep 
 on, the heritors of glory, till the fulness of time shall bring 
 the fulness of redemption. What an awaking shall be theirs ! 
 They were laid in their last res*.ing-place, weary and worn, 
 but such they shall not rise. They went to their rest w.'th 
 the furrowed brow, and the wasted features, but they wakf 
 up in beauty and glory. The shrivelled seed, so destitute 
 of form and comeliness, rises from the dust a beauteous 
 flower. The winter of the grave gives K^y to the spring of 
 redemption and the summer of glory. Blessed is death, 
 ■ince it, through the divine power, disrobes us of this work- 
 day garment, to clothe us with the wedding giruient of in 
 corruption. Blessed are those who " sleep in Jf>8>ia," 
 16 
 
182 DAILY READINGS. Juae 30 
 
 "And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them." 
 John xvii. 22. 
 
 ^jH^-EHOLD tlie superlative liberality of the Lord Jesus, 
 li for He hath given us His all. Although a tithe of His 
 possessions would have made a universe of angels 
 ricli beyond all thought, yet was He not content until He had 
 given us all that He had. It would have been surprising grace 
 if He had allowed us to eat the crumbs of His bounty be- 
 neath the table of His mercy ; but He will do nothing by 
 halves ; He makes us sit with Him and share the feast. Had 
 He given us some small pension from His royal coffers, we 
 should have had cause to love Him eternally ; but no, He 
 will tave His bride as rich as Himself, and He will not 
 have a glory or a grace in which she shall not share. He 
 has not been content with less than making us joint-heira 
 with Himself, so that we might have equal possessions. 
 He has emptied all His estate into the coffers of the 
 Church, and hath all things common with His redeemed. 
 There is not one room in His house the key of which He 
 will withhold from His people. He gives them full liberty 
 to take all that He hath to be their own ; He loves them to 
 make free with His treasure, and appropriate as much as 
 they can possibly carry. The boundless fulness of His all- 
 sufficiency is as free to the believer as the air he breathes. 
 Christ hath put the flagon of His love and grace to the be- 
 liever's lip, and bidden him drink on forever ; for could he 
 drain it, he is welcome to do so, and as he cannot exhaust it, 
 fie is bidden to drink abundantly, for it is all his own. What 
 truer proof of fellowship can heaven or earth afiFord ? 
 
 "When I stand before the throne, 
 Dressed in beauty not my own ; 
 When I see Thee as Thou art, 
 Love Thee with unsinning heart ; 
 Then, Lord, shall I fully kn'»w — 
 Not till then — bow much I ow*." 
 
lulv I. DAILY READINGS. 183 
 
 "In summer and in winter shall it be." — ?ech. xiv. 8. 
 
 ■JHE streams of living water which flow from Jerusa- 
 It lem are not dried up by the parching heats of sultry 
 midsummer, any more than they were fro2en by the 
 cold winds of blustering winter. Rejoice, my soul, that 
 thou art spared to testify of the faithfulness of the Lord. The 
 seasons change and thou changest, but thy Lord abides ever- 
 more the same, and the streams of His love are as deep, as 
 broad, and as full as ever. The heats of business cares and 
 scorching trials make me need the cooling influences of the 
 river of his grace ; I may go at once and drink to the full 
 from the inexhaustible fountain, for in summer and in winter 
 it pours forth its flood. The upper springs are never scanty, 
 and blessed be the name of the Lord, the nether springs 
 cannot fail either. Elijah found Cherith dry up, but Jeho- 
 vah was still the same God of providence. Job said his 
 brethren were like deceitful brooks ; but he found his God 
 an overflowing river of consolation. The Nile is the great 
 confidence of Egypt, but its floods are variable ; our Lord is 
 evermore the same. By turning the course of the Euphrates, 
 Cyrus took the city of Babylon ; but no power, human or 
 infernal, can divert the current of divitte grace. The tracks 
 of ancient rivers have been found all dry and desolate ; but 
 the streams which take their rise on the mountains of divine 
 sovereignty and infinite love shall ever be full to the brim. 
 Generations melt away, but the course of grace is unaltered. 
 The river of God may sing with greater truth than the brook 
 in the poem — 
 
 "Men may come, and men may go, 
 But I go on forever." 
 
 How happy art thou, my soul, to be led beside such still 
 waters ! Never wander to other streams, lest thou hear the 
 Lord's rebuke, " What hast thou to do in the way of EgypI 
 to drink of the muddy river ? " 
 
184 DAILY READINGS. July 2. 
 
 " Our heart shall rejoice in Him." — Psalm xxxiii. 21. 
 
 *^6LESSED is the fact that Christians can rejoice, even 
 ^l in the deepest distress ; although trouble may sur- 
 round them, they still sing ; and, like many birds, 
 they sing best in their cages. The waves may roll ovei 
 them, but their souls soon rise to the surface, and see the 
 light of God's countenance ; they have a buoyancy about 
 them which keeps their head always above the water, and 
 helps them to sing amid the tempest, " God is with me still." 
 To whom shall the glory be given ? Oh ! to Jesus — it is all 
 by Jesus. Trouble does not necessarily bring consolation 
 with it to the believer, but the presence of the Son of God 
 in the fiery furnace with him, fills his heart with joy. He is 
 sick and sufi'ering, but Jesus visits him and makes his bed 
 for him. He is dying, and the cold, chilly waters of Jordan 
 are gathering about him up to the neck, but Jesus puts His 
 arms around him, and cries, " Fear not, beloved ; to die is 
 to be blessed ; the waters of death have their fountain-head 
 in heaven ; they are not bitter, they are sweet as nectar, for 
 they flow from the throne of God." As the departing saint 
 wades through the stream, and the billows gather around 
 him, and heart and flesh fail him, the same voice sounds in 
 his ears, " Fear not ; I am with thee : be not dismayed ; I 
 am thy God." As be nears the borders of the infinite un- 
 known, and is almost afl'righted to enter the realm of shades, 
 Jesus says, " Fear not ; it is your Father's good pleasure to 
 give you the kingdom." Thus strengthened and consoled, 
 the believer is not afraid to die ; nay, he is even willing to 
 depart, for since he has seen Jesus as the morning star, he 
 longs to gaze upon Him as the sun in his strength. Truly, 
 the presence of Jesus is all the heaven we desire. He ia at 
 once 
 
 " The glory of our brightest days* 
 The comfort of our nights." 
 
July 3. I>An,Y RKADINCS. 185 
 
 •• Tlie ill-favored and Ican-Jleshed kine did eat up the seven well' 
 favored and fat kine." — Genesis xli. 4. 
 
 PHARAOH'S dream has too often been mj waking 
 experience. My days jf sloth have ruinously de- 
 stroyed all that I had achieved in times of zealoua 
 industry; my seasons of coldnoss have frozen all the genial 
 glow of my periods of fervency and enthusiasm, and my fits 
 of worldliness have thrown me back from my advances in the 
 divine life. I had need to beware of lean prayers, lean 
 praises, lean duties, and lean experiences, for these will cat 
 up the fat of my comfort and peace. If I neglect prayer for 
 never so short a time, I lose all the spirituality to which I 
 had attained; if I draw no fresh supplies from heaven, the 
 old corn in my granary is soon consumed by the famine which 
 rages in my soul. When the caterpillars of indifference, the 
 canker-worms of worldliness, and the palmer-worms of self- 
 indulgence, lay my heart completely desolate, and make my 
 soul to languish, all my former fruitfulness and growth in 
 grace avails me nothing whatever. How anxious should I 
 be to have no lean-fleshcd days, no ill-favored hours ! If 
 every day I journeyed towards the goal of my desires I should 
 soon reach it, but backsliding leaves me still far off from the 
 prize of my high calling, and robs me of the advances which 
 I had so laboriously made. The only way in which all my 
 days can be as the " fat kine," is to feed them in the right 
 meadow, to spend them with the Lord, in His service, iu Ilia 
 company, in His fear, and in Ilis way. Why should not every 
 year be richer than the past, in love, and usefulness, and joy r 
 — I am nearer the celestial hills ; I have had more experience 
 of my Lord, and should be more like Ilim. Lord, keep far 
 from me the curse of leanness of soul ; let me not have to cry, 
 " My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me ! " but may I be well 
 fed and nourished in Tliy house, that I may praise Thy name. 
 16* 
 
186 DAILY READINGS. Julj 4. 
 
 iF-i^ 
 
 "Sanctify them through Tliy truth." — John xvii. 17. 
 
 ANCTIFICATION begins in regeneration. The 
 Spirit of God infuses into man that new living prin- 
 ciple by which he becomes " a new creature " in Christ 
 Jesus. This work, which begins in the new birth, is carried 
 on in two ways — mortification, whereby the lusts of the flesh 
 are subdued and kept under ; and vivification, by which the 
 life which God has put within us is made to be a well of 
 water springing up unto everlasting life. This is carried on 
 every day in what is called " perseverance,'' by which the 
 Christian is preserved and continued in a gracious state, and 
 is made to abound in good works unto the praise and glory 
 of God ; and it culminates or comes to perfection, in " glory," 
 when the soul, being thoroughly purged, is caught up to dwell 
 witL holy beings at the right hand of the Majesty on high. 
 But while the Spirit of God is thus the author of sanctifica- 
 tion, yet there is a visible agency employed which must not 
 be furgotten. " Sanctify them," said Jesus, " through Thy 
 truth. Thy word is truth." The passages of Scripture which 
 prove that the instrument of our sanctification is the Word of 
 God are very many. The Spirit of God brings to our minds 
 the precepts and doctrines of truth, and applies them with 
 power. These are heard in the ear, and being received in 
 the heart, they work in us to will and to do of God's good 
 pleasure. The truth is the sanctifier, and if we do not hear 
 or read the truth, we shall not grow in sanctification. We 
 only progr'^ss in sound living as we progress in sound under- 
 Btanding. " Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light 
 unto my path." Do not say of any error, " It is a mere 
 matter of opinion." No man indulges an error of judgment, 
 without sooner or later tolerating an error in practice. Hold 
 fast the truth ; for by so holding the truth shall you be sanc- 
 tified by the Spirit of God. 
 
.Tuly 5. DAILY HEADINGS. 187 
 
 '* Called to be saints." — Romans i. 7. 
 
 "K are very apt to regard the apostolic saims as if they 
 ^Ih were " saints " iu a more especial manner than the 
 '^^ other children of God. All are " saints" whom God 
 has called by His grace and sanctified by His Spirit ; but we 
 are apt to look upon the ajjostlcs as extraordinary beings, 
 scarcely subject to the same weaknesses and temptations as 
 ourselves. Yet in so doing, we are forgetful of this truth, 
 that the nearer a man lives to God, the more intensely has 
 he to mourn over his own evil heart ; and the more his Mas- 
 ter honors him in His service, the more also doth the evil of 
 the flesh vex and tease him day by day. The fact is, if we 
 had seen the apostle Paul, we should have thought him re- 
 markably like the rest of the chosen family ; and if we had 
 talked with him, we should have said, " We find that his ex- 
 perience and ours are much the same. He is more faithful, 
 more holy, and more deeply taught than we are, but he has 
 the selfsame trials to endure. Nay, in some respects he is 
 more sorely tried than ourselves." Do not, then, look upon 
 the ancient saints as being exempt either from infirmities or 
 sins ; and do not regard them with that mystic reverence 
 which will almost make us idolaters. Their holiness is at- 
 tainable even by us. We are " called to be saints," by that 
 same voice which constrained them to their high vocation. 
 It is a Christian's duty to force his way iuto the inner circle 
 of saintship ; and if these saints were superior to us in their 
 attainments, as they certainly were, let us follow them ; lei 
 us emulate their ardor and holiness. We have the same 
 ' light that they had, the same grace is accessible to us, and 
 •why should we rest satisfied until we have equalled them 
 in heavenly character ? They lived with Jesus, they lived 
 for Jesus, therefore they grew like Jesus. Let us live by 
 the same Spirit as they did, "looking unto Jesus," and oui 
 eaiutship will sooa be apparent. 
 
188 DAILY READINGS. July 6 
 
 ' Whoso hearkendh unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiei 
 from fear of evil." — Proverbs i. 33. 
 
 ^fii^^IVINE love is rendered conspicuous when it shinej 
 pZ^^^ in the midst of judgments. Fair is that lone star 
 ^^^■^ which, smiles through the rifts of the thunder-clouds ; 
 Dright is the oasis which blooms in the wilderness of sand ; 
 so fair and so bright is love iu the midst of wrath. When the 
 Israelites provoked the Most Pligh by their continued idolatry, 
 He punished them by withholding both dew and rain, so that 
 their land was visited by a sore famine ; but while He did this, 
 He took care that His own chosen ones should be secure. If 
 all other brooks are dry, yet shall there be one reserved for 
 Elijah ; and when that fails, God shall still preserve for him a 
 place of sustenance ; nay, not only so, the Lord had not simply 
 one " Elijah," but He had a remnant, according to the elec- 
 tion of grace, who were hidden by fifties in a cave, and though 
 the whole land was subject to famine, yet these fifties in the 
 cave were fed, and fed from Ahab's table too by His faithful, 
 God-fearing steward, Obadiah. Let us from this draw the in- 
 ference, that come what may, God's people are safe. Let con- 
 vulsions shake the solid earth, let the skies themselves be rent 
 in twain, yet amid the wreck of worlds the believer shall be as 
 secure as in the calmest hour of rest. If God cannot save His 
 people under heaven. He will save them in heaven. If the 
 world becomes too hot to hold them, then heaven shall be the 
 place of their reception and their safety. Be ye then confi- 
 dent, when ye hear of wars, and rumors of wars. Let no 
 ligitation distress you, but be quiet from fear of evil. What- 
 soever Cometh upon the earth, you, beneath the broad wings 
 of Jehovah, shall be secure. Stay yourself upon His prom- 
 ise ; rest in His faithfulness, and bid defiance to the blackest 
 future, for there is nothing in it direful for you. Your sole 
 concern should be to show forth to the world the bJessedqess 
 of hearkening to the voice of wisdom. 
 
July 7. CAILY READINGS. 189 
 
 ** Brethren, jirai/ for ms." — 1 Thessalouians v. 25. 
 
 l^^f^^HIS one morning in the year we reserved to refresh 
 irir^i the reader's memory upon the subject of prayer for 
 '***^ ministers, and we do most earnestly implore every 
 Christian household to grant the fervent request of the text 
 first uttered by an apostle and now repeated by us. Brethren, 
 our wcrk is solemnly momentous, involving weal or woe to 
 thousands ; we treat with souls for God on eternal business, 
 and our word is either a savor of life unto life, or of death 
 unto death. A very heavy responsibility rests upon us, and it 
 will be no small mercy if at the last we be found clear of the 
 blood of all men. As officers in Christ's army, we are the 
 especial mark of the enmity of men and devils ; they watch 
 for our halting, and labor to take us by the heels. Our 
 sacred calling involves us in temptations from which you are 
 exempt ; above all it too often draws us away from our per- 
 sonal enjoyment of truth, into a ministerial and official con- 
 sideration of it. We meet with many knotty cases, and our 
 wits are at a nonplus ; we observe very sad backslidings, and 
 our hearts are wounded; we see millions perishing, and our 
 spirits sink. We wish to profit you by our preaching ; we 
 desire to be blest to your children ; we long to be useful both 
 to saints and sinners ; therefore, dear friends, intercede for 
 us with our God. Miserable men are we if we miss the aid 
 of your prayers, but happy are we if we live in your suppli- 
 cations. You do not look to us, but to our Master, for spirit- 
 ual blessings ; and yet how many times has He given those 
 blessings through His ministers ! Ask, then, again and again, 
 ihat we may be the earthen vessels into which the Lord ma^ 
 put the treasures of the gospel. We. the whole company of 
 oiissionaries, ministers, city-missionaries, and students, do, 
 IQ the name of Jesus, beseech you 
 
 " Brethren, prat fob us." 
 
i90 DAILY HEADINGS. July 8. 
 
 " Tdl me, I pray thee, wherein thy great stnngth lieth." 
 Judges xvi. 6. 
 
 PjHERE lies the secret strength of faith ? It lies in the 
 U food it feeds on ; for faith studies what the promise it 
 — an emanation of divine grace, an overflowing of 
 the great heart of God ; and faith says, " My God could not 
 have given this promise, except from love and grace ; there- 
 fore it is quite certain His Word will be fulfilled." Then 
 faith thinketh, " TF/jo gave this promise?" It considereth 
 not so much its greatness, as " Who is the author of it ? " 
 She remembers that it is God, who cannot lie — God om- 
 nipotent, God immutable ; and therefore concludeth that the 
 promise must be fulfilled ; and forward she advances in this 
 firm conviction. She remembereth %vhy the promise was given, 
 — namely, for God's glory, and she feels perfectly sure that 
 God's glory is safe, that He will never stain His own escutch- 
 eon, nor mar the lustre of His own crown ; and therefore 
 the promise must and will stand. Then faith also considereth 
 the amazing work of Christ as being a clear proof of the 
 Father's intention to fulfil His word. " He that spared not 
 His own Son, but freely delivered Him up for us all, how 
 shall He not with Him also freely give us all things ? " More- 
 over, faith looks back upon tlie past, for her battles have 
 strengthened her, and her victories have given her courage. 
 She remembers that God never has failed her ; nay, that 
 He never did once fail any of His children. She recollecteth 
 times of great peril, when deliverance came ; hours of awful 
 need, when as her day her strength was found, and she cries, 
 " No, I never will be led to think that He can change and 
 leave His servant now." " Hitherto the Lord hath helped 
 me, and He will help me still." Thus faith views each 
 promise in its connection with the Promise-giver, and, be- 
 cause she does so, can with assurance say, " Surely goodnesi 
 and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life ! " 
 
July 9. DAILY READINGS. 191 
 
 "Forget not all His benefits." — Psalm ciii. 2. 
 
 m 
 
 v?|T is a delightful and profitaVIe occupation to mark 
 ^j^ the band of God in the lives of ancient saints, and to 
 '^ observe His goodness in delivering them, His mercj 
 in pardoning them, and His faithfulness in keeping His cove- 
 nant with them. But would it not be even more interesting and 
 profitable for us to remark the hand of God in our own lives ? 
 Ought we not to look upon our own history as being at least 
 as full of God, as full of His goodness and of His truth, as 
 much a proof of His faithfulness and veracity, as the lives of 
 any of the saints who have gone before ? We do our Lord 
 an injustice when we suppose that He wrought all his mighty 
 acts, and-showed Himself strong for those in the early time, 
 but doth not perform wonders or lay bare His arm for the 
 saints who are now upon the earth. Let us review our own 
 lives. Surely in these we may discover some happy incidents, 
 refreshing to ourselves and glorifying to our God. Have 
 you had no deliverances ? Have you passed through no 
 rivers supported by the divine presence ? Have you walked 
 through no fires unharmed ? Have you had no manifestations f 
 Have you had no choice favors f The God who gave Solo- 
 mon the desire of his heart, hath He never listened to you 
 and answered your requests ? That God of lavish bounty of 
 whom David sang, " Who satisfieth thy mouth with good 
 things," hath He never satiated you with fatness ? Have 
 you never been made to lie down in green pastures ? Have 
 you never been led by the still waters ? Surely the goodness 
 of God has been the same to us as to the saints of old. Let 
 us, then, weave His mercies into a song. Let us take the 
 pure gold of thankfulness, and the jewels of praise, and make 
 them into another crown for the head of Jesus. Let our souls 
 give forth music as sweet and as exhilarating as came from 
 Dj-vid's harp, while we praise the Lord, whose mercy endur* 
 eth forever. 
 
192 DAILY REAniXGS. July IGi 
 
 " Fellow-citizens with the *aiHYs."--Ephesians ii. 19. 
 
 ^JIAT is meant by our being citizens in heaven ? It 
 ^twM means that %ve are under heaven s governinent. Christ, 
 ■^^ the King of heaven, reigns in our hearts ; our daily 
 prayer is, " I'hy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." 
 The proclamations issued from the throne of glory are 
 freely received by us ; the decrees of the Great King we 
 cheerfully obey. Then, as citizens of the New Jerusalem, ivt 
 share heaven's honors. The glory which belongs to beatified 
 saints belongs to us, for we are already sons of God, already 
 princes of the blo,od imperial ; already we wear the spotless 
 robe of Jesus' righteousness ; already we have angels for our 
 servitors, saints for our companions, Christ for our brother, 
 God for our Father, and a crown of immortality for our re- 
 ward. We share the honors of citizenship, for we have 
 come to the general assembly and Church of the first-born 
 whose names are written in heaven. As citizens, we have 
 common rights to all the property of heaven. Ours are its 
 gates of pearl and walls of chrysolite ; ours the azure light 
 of the city that needs no candle nor light of the sun ; ours 
 the river of the water of life, and the twelve manner of fruits 
 which grow on the trees planted on the banks thereof; there 
 is nought in heaven that belongeth not to us. " Things 
 present, or things to come," all are ours. Also, as citizens 
 of heaven, we enjoy its delights. Do they there rejoice over 
 sinners that repent — prodigals that have returned ? So do 
 we. Do they chant the glories of triumphant grace ? We 
 do the same. Do they cast their crowns at Jesus' feet ? 
 Such honors as we have we cast there too. Are they charmed 
 with His smile ? It is not less sweet to us who dwell below. 
 Do they look forward, waiting for His second advent ? We 
 also look and long for His appearing. If, then, we are thus 
 citizens of Jieavcny let our walk and actions be consistent witb 
 our high dignity. 
 
July 11. ilAILY READINGSi 193 
 
 '^ After that ye have mffered awhile, make you perfect, stablish, 
 strengthen, settle you." — 1 Peter v. 10. 
 
 L'^OU have seen the arch of heaven as it spans the 
 [p plain : glorious arc its colors, and rare its hues. It ia 
 'y'^ beautiful, but, alas, it passes away, and lo, it is not. 
 The fair colors give way to the fleecy clouds, and the 
 sky is no longer brilliant with the tints of heaven. It is not 
 established. How can it be ? A glorious show made up of 
 transitory sunbeams and passing rain-drops, how can it 
 abide ? The graces of the Christian character must not re- 
 semble the rainbow in its transitory beauty, but, on the con- 
 trary, must be stablished, settled, abiding. Seek, believer, 
 that every good thing you have may be an abiding thing. 
 May your character not be a writing upon the sand, but an 
 inscription upon the rock. May your faith be no " baseless 
 fabric of a vision," but may it be builded of material able to 
 endure that awful fire which shall consume the wood, hay, 
 and stubble of the hypocrite. May you be rooted and 
 grounded in love. May your convictions be deep, your love 
 real, your desires earnest. May your whole life be so set- 
 tled and established that all the blasts of hell and all the 
 storms of earth shall never be able to remove you. But notice 
 how this blessing of being "stablished in the faith" is gained. 
 The apostle's words point us to suffering as the means em- 
 ployed — ^^ After that ye have suffered awhile." It is of no use 
 to hope that we shall be well rooted if no rough winds pass over 
 us. Those old gnarlings on the root of the oak tree, and those 
 strange 1 wistings of the branches, all tell of the many storms 
 that have swept over it, and they are also indicators of the 
 depth into which the roots have forced their way. So the 
 Christian is made strong and firmly rooted by all the trials and 
 BtoriL.3 of life. Shrink not then from the tempestuous winds 
 of trial, but take comfort, believing that by their lough dis* 
 eipline God is fulfilling this benediction to you. 
 17 
 
194 iJAILY READIKG&. July i2 
 
 "Sanctified hy God the Father." — Jude 1. "Sanctified in Clirist 
 Jesus." — 1 Corinthians i. 2. "Through sanctijicatii.n of the 
 Spirit."-^! Peter i. 2. 
 
 "lARK the union of the Three Divine Persons in all 
 their gracious acts. How unwisely do those believ 
 ers talk, who make preferences in the Persons of the 
 Trinity ; who think of Jesus as if He were the embodiment 
 of everything lovely and gracious, while the Father they 
 regard as severely just, but destitute of kindness. Equally 
 wrong are those who magnify the decree of the Father, and 
 the atonement of the Son, so as to depreciate the work of 
 the Spirit. In deeds of grace, none of the Persons of the 
 Trinity act apart from the rest. They are as united in their 
 deeds as in their essence. In their love towards the chosen 
 they are one, and in the actions which flow from that great 
 central source they are still undivided. Specially notice this 
 in the matter of sanctification. While we may without mis- 
 take speak of sanctification as the work of the Spirit, yet we 
 must take heed that we do not view it as if the Father and 
 the Son had no part therein. It is correct to speak of sanc- 
 tification as the work of the Father, of the Son, and of the 
 Spirit. Still doth Jehovah say, " Let Us make man in Our 
 own image after Our likeness," and thus we are *^ His work- 
 manship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which 
 God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." 
 See the value which God sets upon real holiness, since the 
 Three Persons in the Trinity are represented as co-working 
 to produce a Church "without spot, or wrinkle, or any such 
 thing." And you, believer, as the follower of Christ, must 
 also set a high value on holiness — upon purity of life and 
 godliness of conversation. Value the blood of Christ as the 
 foundation of your hope, but never speak disparagingly of 
 the WQ,rk of the Spirit which is your meetness for the inher- 
 itance of the saints in light. This day let us so live as t< 
 manifest the work of the Triune Grod in us. 
 
July l3. DaiLv liEAi>iNGs. 195 
 
 " Qod said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angri/7" — Jon. iv. 9. 
 
 '^^NGER is not always or necessarily sinful, but it has 
 J ^^ such a tendency to run wild, that, whenever it dis« 
 '-^^ plays itself, we should be quick to question its char- 
 acter with this inquiry, " Doest thou well to be angry ? " I5 
 may be that we can answer, " YES." Very frequently anger 
 is the madman's firebrand, but sometimes it is Elijah's fire 
 from heaven. We do well when we are angry with sin, be- 
 cause of the wrong which it commits against our good and 
 gracious God ; or with ourselves, because we remain so fool- 
 ish after so much divine instruction ; or with others, when 
 the sole cause of anger is the evil which they do. He who 
 is not angry at transgression becomes a partaker in it. Sin 
 is a loathsome and hateful thing, and no renewed heart can 
 patiently endure it. God Himself is angry with the wicked 
 every day, and it is written in His Word, " Ye that love the 
 Lord, hate evil." Far more frequently it is to be feared 
 that our anger is not commendable, or even justifiable, and 
 then we must answer, " NO." Why should we be fretful 
 with children, passionate with servants, and wrathful with 
 companions ? Is such anger honorable to our Christian pro- 
 fession, or glorifying to God ? Is it not the old evil heart 
 seeking to gain dominion, and should we not resist it with 
 all the might of our new-born nature. Many professors give 
 way to temper as though it were u.seless to attempt resist- 
 ance ; but let the believer remember that he must be a con- 
 queror in ever}'^ point, or else he cannot be crowned. If we 
 cannot control our tempers, what has grace done for us ? 
 Some one told Mr. Jay that grace was often grafted on a 
 crab-stump. "Yes," said he, "but the fruit, will not be 
 crabs." We must not make natural infirmity an excuse for 
 ein, but we must fly to the cross, and pray the Lord to cru- 
 cify our tempers, and renew us in gentleness and meekness 
 after His own imaiie. 
 
196 DAILY READINGS. July 14, 
 
 "If thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast oolluted it." — Ex. xx. 25. 
 
 OD'S altar was to be built of unhewn stones, that no 
 _,,^ )) trace of human skill or labor might be seen upon it. 
 ^'^'^^^^'^^ Human wisdom delights to trim and arrange the doc- 
 trines of the cross into a system more artificial and moie 
 congenial with the depraved tastes of fallen nature ; instead., 
 however, of improving the gospel, carnal wisdom pollutes it, 
 until it becomes another gospel, and not the truth of God at 
 all. All alterations and amendments of the Lord's own 
 Word are defilements and pollutions. The proud heart of 
 man is very anxious to have a hand in the justification of the 
 soul before God ; preparations for Christ are dreamed of, 
 humblings and repentings are trusted in, good works are 
 cried up, natural ability is much vaunted, and by all means 
 the attempt is made to lift up human tools upon the divine 
 altar. It were well if sinners would remember that, so far 
 from perfecting the Saviour's work, their carnal confidences 
 only pollute and dishonor it. The Lord alone must be ex- 
 alted in the work of atonement, and not a single mark of 
 man's chisel or hammer will be endured. There is an in- 
 herent blasphemy in seeking to add to what Christ Jesus in 
 His dying moments declared to be finished, or to improve 
 that in which the Lord Jehovah finds perfect, satisfaction. 
 Trembling sinner, away with thy tools, and fall upon thy 
 knees in humble supplication ; and accept the Lord Jesus to 
 be the altar of thine atonement, and rest in Him alone. 
 
 Many professors may take warning from this morning's 
 oext as to the doctrines which they believe. There is among 
 Christians far too much inclination to square and reconcile 
 the truths of revelation ; this is a form of irreverence and 
 unbelief; let us strive against it, and receive truth as we 
 find it ; rejoicing that the doctrines of the Word are unhewn 
 Htones, and so are all the more fit to build an altar for the 
 Lord. 
 
July 1 5. bAILY EKAbtNiSS. 19^ 
 
 " The fire shall ever he burning npon the altar ; it shall never >jo 
 out." — Leviticus vi. 13. 
 
 J^5S[^"5JEEP the altar of private prayer burning. Thi? 's the 
 pIpAvI ^^^y ^^^^ of all piety. The sanctuary and family altars 
 ^^^ borrow their fires here ; therefore let this burn well. 
 Secret devotion is the very essence, evidence, and barometer 
 of vital ancT experimental religion. Burn here the fat of 
 your sacrifices. Let your closet seasons be, if possible, reg- 
 ular, frequent, and undisturbed. Effectual prayer availeth 
 much. Have you nothing to pray for ? Let us suggest the 
 Church, the ministry, your own soul, your children, your re- 
 lations, your neighbors, your country, and the cause of God 
 and truth throughout the world. Let us examine ourselves 
 on this important matter. Do we engage with lukewarmness 
 in private devotion ? Is the fire of devotion burning dimly 
 in our hearts ? Do the chariot wheels drag heavily ? If so, 
 let us be alarmed at this sign of decay. Let us go with weep- 
 ing, and ask for the spirit of grace and of supplication. Let 
 us set apart special seasons for extraordinary prayer. For 
 if this fire should be smothered beneath the ashes of a worldly 
 conformity, it will dim the fire oil the family altar, and lessen 
 our influence both in the Church and in the world. The text 
 will also apply to the altar of the heart. This is a golden altar 
 indeed. God loves to see the hearts of His people glowing 
 towards Himself. Let us give to God our hearts, all blazing 
 with love, and seek His grace, that the fire may never be 
 quenched ; for it will not burn if the Lord does not keep it 
 burning. Many foes will attempt to extinguish it ; but if 
 the unseen hand behind the wall pour thereon the sacred 
 oil, it will blaze higher and higher. Let us use tests of 
 Scripture as fuel for our heart's fire ; they are live coals ; 
 let us attend sermons, but above all let us be much alone 
 with Jesus. 
 
 17* 
 
l98 i)AiLY REAbiNbs. July 16. 
 
 yA 
 
 They gathered manna every morning." — Exodus xvi. 21. 
 
 j>l§^ABOR to maintain a sense of thine entire dependence 
 '^} upon the Lord's good ivill and pleasure for the contin- 
 uance of thy richest enjoyments. Never try to live on 
 the old manna, nor seek to find help in Egypt. All must 
 come from Jesus, or thou art undone forever. Old anoint- 
 ings will not suffice to impart unction to thy spirit ; thine head 
 must have fresh oil poured upon it from the golden horn of 
 she sanctuary, or it will cease from its glory. To-day thou 
 mayst be upon the summit of the mount of God ; but He who 
 has put thee there must keep thee there, or thou wilt sink 
 far more speedily than thou dreamest. Thy mountain only 
 stands firm when He settles it in its place ; if He hide His 
 face, thou wilt soon be troubled. If the Saviour should see 
 fit, there is not a window through which thou seest the light 
 of heaven which He could not darken in an instant. Joshua 
 bade the sun stand still, but Jesus can shroud it in total 
 darkness. He can withdraw the joy of thine heart, the light 
 of thine eyes, and the strength of thy life ; in His hand thy 
 comforts lie, and at His will they can depart from thee. This 
 hourly dependence our Lord is determined that we shall feel 
 and recognize, for He only permits us to pray for " daily 
 bread," and only promises that " as our days our strength 
 shall be." Is it not best for us that it should be so, that we 
 may often repair to His throne, and constantly be reminded 
 of His love ? Oh, how rich the grace which supplies us so 
 continually, and doth not refrain itself because of our in- 
 gratitude ! The golden shower never ceases, the cloud of 
 blessing tarries evermore above our habitation. Lord 
 Jesus, we would bow at Thy feet, conscious of our utter 
 inability to do anything without Thee ; and in every favor 
 which we are privileged to receive, we would adore Thj 
 t-'-iBsed name and acknowledge Thine unexhausted love. 
 
July it. bAILY RKALMNOS. Iftft 
 
 "Kfiowiny, brethren beloved, your election of Qod." — 1 Thess. L 4. 
 
 fi'^^ANY persons want to know their election before they 
 i?/Xl III ^^^^"^ ^^ Christ ; but they cannot learn it thus ; it ia 
 **^*^ only to be discovered by " looking unto Jesus." 
 If you desire to ascertain your own election, — after the 
 following niauner shall you assure your heart before God. 
 Do you feel yourself to be a lost, guilty sinner ? Go straight- 
 way to the cross of Christ, and tell Jesus so ; and tell Him 
 that you have read in the Bible, " Him that comcth unto 
 Me I will in no wise cast out." Tell Him that He has said, 
 " This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, 
 that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners." 
 Look to Jesus and believe on Him, and you shall make 
 proof of your election directly, for so surely as thou be- 
 lievest, thou art elect. If you will give yourself wholly up 
 to Christ and trust Him, then you are one of God's chosen 
 ones ; but if you stop and say, " I want to know first 
 whether I am elect," you ask you know not what. Go to 
 Jesus, be you never so guilty, just as you are. Leave all 
 curious inquiry about election alone. Go straight to Christ, 
 and hide in His wounds, and you shall know your election. 
 The assurance of the Holy Spirit shall be given to you, so 
 that you shall be able to say, " I know whom I have be- 
 lieved, and I am persuaded that He is able to keep that 
 which I have committed to Him." Christ was at the ever- 
 lasting council : He can tell you whether you were chosen 
 or not ; but you cannot find it out in any other way. Go 
 and put your trust in Him, and His answer will be, " I have 
 loved thee with an everlasting love ; therefore with loving- 
 kindness have 1 drawn thee." There will be no doubt abouit 
 Bis having chosen you, when you have chosen Him. 
 
 " Sons we are through God's election. 
 Who in Jesus Christ believe." 
 
400. JDAILY READINGS, Julj l8. 
 
 " Tlietj shall go hindnust with their standards." — Num. ii. 31. 
 
 §HE camp of Dan brought up the rear when the armies 
 P of Israel were on the march. The Danites occupied 
 the hindmost place; but what mattered the position, 
 since they were as truly part of the host as were the foremost 
 tribes ? They followed the same fiery cloudy pillar ; they ate 
 of the same manna, drank of the same spiritual rock, and 
 journeyed to the same inheritance. Come, my heart, cheer 
 up, though last and least ; it is thy privilege to be in the 
 army, and to fare as they fare who lead the van. Some one 
 must be hindmost in honor and esteem; some one must do 
 menial work for Jesus, and why should not I ? In a poor 
 village, among an ignorant peasantry, or in a back street 
 among degraded sinners, I will work on, and " go hindmost 
 with my standard." The Danites occupied a ve-ry useful place. 
 Stragglers have to be picked up upon the march, and lost 
 property has to be gathered from the field. Fiery spirits may 
 dash forward over untrodden paths to learn fresh truth, and 
 win more souls to Jesus ; but some of a more conservative 
 spirit may be well engaged in reminding the Church of her 
 ancient faith, and restoring her fainting sons. Every position 
 has its duties, and the slowly moving children of God will find 
 their peculiar state, one in which they may be eminently a 
 blessing to the whole host. The rear guard is a place of dan- 
 ger. There are foes behind us as well as before us. Attacks 
 may come from any quarter. We read that Amalek fell upon 
 Israel, and slew some of the hindmost of them. The experi- 
 enced Christian will find much work for his weapons in aiding 
 those poor doubting, desponding, wavering souls, who ar« 
 hindmost in faith, knowledge, and joy. These must not be 
 left unaided, and therefore be it the business of well-taught 
 saints to bear their standards among the hindmost. My soul, 
 io thou tenderly watch to he'.p the hindmost this day. 
 
July 19. 1>ATT.Y REAUtNGS. 201 
 
 " Tlie Lord our Ood hath shoiced tis Tlis glory." — Deut. v. 24. 
 
 ■iljOD'S great design in all His works is the manifesta- 
 ly tion of Ilis own glory. Any aim less than this ,vero 
 ^^ unworthy of Himself. But how shall the glory of 
 God be manifested to such fallen creatures as we are ? 
 Man's eye is not single ; ho has ever a side glance towards 
 his own honor, has too high an estimate of his own powers, 
 and so is not qualified to behold the glory of the Lord. It 
 is clear, then, that self must stand out of the way, that there 
 may be room for God to be exalted ; and this is the reason 
 why He bringeth His people ofttimes into straits and diffi- 
 culties, that, being made conscious of their own folly and 
 weakness, they may be fitted to behold the majesty of God 
 when He comes forth to work their deliverance. He whose 
 life is one even and smooth path, will see but little of the 
 glory of the Lord, for he has few occasions of self-emptying, 
 and hence but little fitness for being tilled with the revela- 
 tion of God. They who navigate little streams and shallow 
 creeks, know but little of the God of tempests ; but they who 
 " do business in great waters," these see His " wonders in 
 the deep." Among the huge Atlantic-waves of bereavement, 
 poverty, temptation, and reproach, we learn the power of 
 Jehovah, because we feel the littleness of man. Thank God. 
 then, if you have been led by a rough road ; it is this whicb 
 has given you your experience of God's greatness and loving- 
 kindness. Your troubles have enriched you with a wealth 
 of knowledge to be gained by no other means; your trials 
 have been the cleft of the rock iu which Jehovah has set you, 
 as He did His servant Moses, that you might behold Hia 
 glory as it passed by. Praise God that you have not been 
 lefi to the darkness and ignorance which continued pros- 
 perity might have involved, but that in the great fight of 
 affliction, you have been capacitated for the outshinings of 
 His glory in His wonderful dealings with you. 
 
202 DAitT HEADINGS. July 20, 
 
 " The earnest of our inheritance." — Ephesians i. 14. 
 
 S^H ! what enlightenment, what joys, what consolation, 
 €/^^ what delight of heart is experienced by that man wha 
 has learned to feed on Jesus, and on Jesus alone. 
 Yet the realization which we have of Christ's preciousness 
 is, in this life, imperfect at the best. As an old writer says, 
 " 'Tis but a taste ! " We have tasted " that the Lord is gra- 
 cious," but we do not yet know how good and gracious He 
 is, although what we know of His sweetness makes us long 
 for more. We have enjoyed the first-fruits of the Spirit, 
 and they have set us hungering and thirsting for the fulness 
 of the heavenly vintage. We groan within ourselves, wait- 
 ing for the adoption. Here we are like sheep in the wilder- 
 ness, who had but one cluster from Eshcol, there we shall be 
 in the vineyard. Here we see the manna falling small, like 
 coriander seed, but there shall we eat the bread of heaven 
 and the old corn of the kingdom. We are but beginners 
 now in spiritual education ; for although we have learned 
 the first letters of the alphabet, we cannot read words yet, 
 much less can we put sentences together ; but, as one says, 
 " He that has been in heaven but five minutes, knows more 
 than the general assembly of divineS on earth." We have 
 many ungratified desires at present, but soon every wish shall 
 be satisfied ; and all our powers shall find the sweetest em- 
 ployment in that eternal world of joy. Christian, antedate 
 heaven for a few years. Within a very little time thou shalt 
 be rid of all thy trials and thy troubles. Thine eyes, now 
 suffused with tears, shall weep no longer. Thou shalt gaze 
 in ineffable rapture upon the splendor of Him who sits upon 
 the throne. Nay, more, upon His throne shalt thou sit 
 The triumph of His glory shall be shared by thee ; His crown, 
 His joy. His Paradise, these shall be thine, and thou shalt b« 
 co-heir with Him who is the Heir of all things. 
 
July 21. Daily readings. 20a 
 
 " The daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.** 
 Isaiah xxxvii. 22. 
 
 ■;?EASSURED by the Word of the Lord, the poor 
 ~)^ treniLling citizens of Zion grew bold, and shook 
 their heads at Sennacherib's boastful threats. Strong 
 faith enables the servants of God to look with calm con- 
 tempt upon their most haughty foes. We know that our 
 enemies are attempting impossihilities. They seek to destroy 
 the eternal life, which cannot die while Jesus lives ; to over- 
 throw the citadel, against which the gates of hell shall not 
 prevail. They kick against the pricks to their own wound- 
 ing, and rush upon the bosses of Jehovah's buckler to theii 
 own hurt. 
 
 We know their lueakness. What are they but men ? And 
 what is man but a worm ? They roar and swell, like waves 
 of the sea, foaming out their own shame. When the Lord 
 ariseth, they shall fly as chaff before the wind, and be con- 
 sumed as crackling thorns. Their utter powerlessness to do 
 damage to the cause of God and His truth, may make the 
 weakest soldiers in Zion's ranks laugh them to scorn. 
 
 Above all, we know that the Host High is with us, and when 
 He dresses Himself in arms, where are His enemies ! If He 
 Cometh forth from His place, the potsherds of the earth will 
 not long contend with their Maker. His rod of iron shall 
 dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel, and their very 
 remembrance shall perish from the earth. Away, then, all 
 fears; the kingdom is safe in the King's hands. Let us shout 
 for joy, for the Lord reigneth, and His foes shall \»e as stran 
 for the dunghill. 
 
 " As true as God's own word is true, 
 Nor earth nor hell, with all their crew. 
 
 Against us shall prevail. 
 A jest and by-word are they grown ; 
 God is with us, we are his own ; 
 
 Our victory cannot fdil." 
 
204 1)A.1T,T HEADINGS. JuW 22. 
 
 " / am married unto yon." — Jeremiah iii. 14. 
 
 .^aS^jSHKIST Jesus is joined unto His people in marriage- 
 yL 'd-'M union. In love He espoused His Church as a chaste 
 ^^^^- — --^ virgin, long before she fell under the yoke of bond- 
 age. Full of burning affection, He toiled, like Jacob for 
 Rachel, until the whole of her purchase-money had been 
 paid ; and now, having sought her by His spirit, and brought 
 her to know and love Him, He awaits the glorious hour when 
 their mutual bliss shall be consummated at the marriage- 
 Bupper of the Lamb. Not yet hath the glorious Bridegroom 
 presented His betrothed, perfected and complete, before the 
 Majesty of heaven ; not yet hath she actually entered upon 
 the enjoyment of her dignities as His wife and queen ; she 
 is as yet a wanderer in a world of woe, a dweller in the tents 
 of Kedar ; but she is even now the bride, the spouse of 
 Jesus, dear to His heart, precious in His sight, written on 
 His hands, and united with His person. On earth He exer- 
 cises towards her all the affectionate offices of Husband. He 
 makes rich provision for her wants, pays all her debts, allows 
 her to assume His name, and to share in all His wealth. 
 Nor will He ever act otherwise to her. The word divorce 
 He will never mention, for " He hateth putting away." Death 
 must sever the conjugal tie between the most loving mortals, 
 but it cannot divide the links of this immortal marriage. In 
 heaven they marry not, but are as the angels of God, yet 
 Iheie is this one marvellous exception to the rule, for in 
 heaven Christ and His Church shall celebrate their joyous 
 nuptials. This affinity, as it is more lasting, so is it more 
 near than earthly wedlock. Let the love of husband be 
 never so pure and fervent, it is but a faint picture of the 
 flame which burns in the heart of Jesus. Pas'?ing all human 
 union is that mystical cleaving unto the Church, for which 
 Christ left His Father, and became one flesh with her 
 
July 23. DAILY HEADINGS. 205 
 
 "Even thou wast as one of them." — Obadiah i. 11. 
 
 i?:ROTIIERTiY kindness was due from Edom to Israel 
 in tlic time of need, but instead thereof, tlic men of 
 Esau made common cause with Israel's foes. Special 
 stress in the sentence before us is laid upon the word thou ; 
 as when Caesar cried to Brutus, " And thou, Brutus ; " a bad 
 action may be all the worse because of the person who haa 
 committed it. When we sin, who are the nhosen favorites of 
 Heaven, we sin with an emphasis ; ours is a crying offence, 
 because we are so peculiarly indulged. If an angel should 
 lay his hand upon us when we are doing evil, he need not 
 use any other reb ike than the question, " What, thou ? What 
 dost thou here r " Much forgiven, much delivered, much 
 instructed, much enriched, much blessed, shall we dare to put 
 forth our hand unto evil ? God forbid ! 
 
 A few minutes of confession may be beneficial to thee, 
 gentle reader, this morning. Uast thou never been as the 
 wicked ? At an evening party certain men laughed at un- 
 cleanness, and the joke was not altogether offensive to thine 
 ear; even thou luast as one of them. When hard things were 
 spoken concerning the ways of God, thou wast bashfully 
 silent ; and so, to on-lookers, thou wast as one of them. When 
 worldlings were bartering in the market, and driving hard 
 bargains, wast thou not as one of them ? When they were 
 pursuing vanity with a hunter's foot, wert thou not as greedy 
 for gain as they were ? Could any difference be discerned 
 between thet and them ? 7s there a:ry difference ? Here we 
 come to close quarters. Be honest with thine own soul, and 
 make sure that thou art a new creature in Christ Jesus ; but 
 when this is sure, walk jealously, lest any should again be able 
 to say, " Even thou wast as one of them." Thou wouldst not 
 desire to share their eternal doom ; why then be like thciu here ? 
 Come not thou into their secret, lest thou come into their ruin. 
 Side with the afflicted people of God, and not with the world. 
 
206 DAILY HEADINGS. Jul^ -4. 
 
 "Stand still, and seethe salvation of the Lord." — Exodus xi\ l.'J, 
 
 SHESE words contain God's command to the belu;ver 
 when he is reduced to great straits and brought into 
 extraordinary difficulties. He cannot retreat ; he 
 cannot go forward ; he is shut up on the right hand and on 
 the left; what is he now to do ? The Master's word to him 
 is, " Stand still." It will be well for him if at such times he 
 listens only to his Master's word, for other and evil advisers 
 come with their suggestions. Despair whispers, "Lie down 
 aud die ; give it all up." But God would have us put on a 
 cheerful courage, and even in our worst times, rejoice in His 
 love and faithfulness. Cowardice says, " Retreat ; go back 
 to the worldling's way of action ; you cannot play the Chris- 
 tian's part ; it is too difficult. Relinquish your principles." 
 But, however much Satan may urge this course upon you, you 
 cannot follow it if you are a child of God. His divine fiat 
 has bid thee go from strength to strength, and so thou shalt, 
 and neither death nor hell shall turn thee from thy course. 
 What if for a while thou art called to stand still ; yet this is 
 but to renew thy strength for some greater advance in due 
 time. PyecipiYano?/ cries, " Do something. Stir yourself ; to 
 stand still aud wait is sheer idleness." We must be doing 
 something at once — we must do it, so we think — instead of 
 looking to the Lord, who will not only do something, but will 
 do everything. Fresumjdion boasts, " If the sea be before 
 you, march into it, aud expect a miracle." But Faith listens 
 neither to Presumption, nor to Despair, nor to Cowardice, 
 nor to Precipitancy, but it hears God say, " Stand still," and 
 immovable as a rock it stands. '■'Stand stlW;" — keep the 
 posture of an upright man, ready for action, expecting further 
 orders, cheerfully and patiently awaiting the directing voice; 
 and it will not be long ere God shall say to you, as distinctlj 
 as Moses said it to the people of Israel, " Go forward." 
 
July 25, DAILY READIN08. 207 
 
 " He left his (jarmcnt in her hand, and fied, and got him out." 
 Genesis xxxix. 12. 
 
 fl[|^-N contending with certain sins, there remains no 
 |ca mode of victory but by flight. The ancient nat* 
 v/^^ uralists wrote much of basilisks, whose eyes fasci- 
 nated their victims, and rendered them easy victims ; so the 
 mere gaze of wickedness puts us in solemn danger. lie who 
 would be safe from acts of evil must haste away from occa- 
 Bions of it. A covenant must be made with our eyes not even 
 to look upon the cause of temptation, for such sins only need 
 a spark to begin with, and a blaze follows in an instant. 
 Who would wantonly enter the leper's prison and sleep amid 
 its horrible corruption ? lie only who desires to be leprous 
 himself would thus court contagion. If the mariner knew 
 how to avoid a storm, he would do anything rather than run 
 the risk of weathering it ? Cautious pilots have no desire to 
 try how near the quicksand they can sail, or how often they 
 may touch a rock without springing a leak ; their aim is to 
 keep as nearly as possible in the midst of a safe channel. 
 
 This day I may be exposed to great peril ; let me have the 
 serpent's wisdom to keep out of it and avoid it. The wings 
 of a dove may be of more use to me to-day than the jaws of 
 a lion. It is true I may be an apparent loser by declining 
 evil com2)any, but I had better leave my cloak than lose my 
 character; it is not needful that I should be rich, but it is 
 imperative upon me to be pure. No ties of friendship, no 
 chains of beauty, no flashings of talent, no shafts of ridicule 
 must turn nic from the wise resolve to flee from sin. The 
 devil I am to resist, and ho will flee from me ; but the lusts 
 of the flesh I must flee, or they will surely overcome me. 
 God of holiness, preserve Thy Josephs, that Madam 
 Bubble bewitch them not with her vile suggestions. May 
 the horrible trinity of the world, the flesh, and the devil, 
 lever overcome us. 
 
208 DAJLT READINGS. Julj 26. 
 
 " Giving all diligence, add to your faith vii tue, and to virtue 
 knowledge" &c. — 2 Peter i. 5, G. 
 
 f^fRF thou wouldst enjoy the eminent grace of the fu)\ 
 ^c^ assurance of faith, under the blessed Spirit's influ- 
 •^ ence a. id assistance, do v'hat the Scri^jture tells thee 
 — " Give diligence." Take care that thy faith is of the right 
 kind — that it is not a mere belief of doctrine, but a simple 
 faith, depending on Christ, and on Christ alone. Give dili- 
 gent heed to thy courage. Plead with God that He would 
 give thee the face of a lion, that thou mayst, with a con- 
 sciousness of right, go on boldly. Study well the Scriptures, 
 and get knotvledge ; for a knowledge of doctrine will tend 
 very much to confis-m faith. Try to understand God's Word ; 
 let it dwell in thy heart richly. 
 
 When thou hast done this, " add to thy knowledge tem- 
 perance." Take heed to thy body ; be temperate without. 
 Take heed to thy soul ; be temperate within. Get temper- 
 ance of lip, life, heart, and thought. Add to this, by God's 
 Holy Spirit, patience; ask Him to give thee that patience 
 which endureth affliction ; which, when it is tried, shall come 
 forth as gold. Array yourself with patience, that you maj 
 not murmur nor be depressed in your afflictions. When thai 
 grace is won, look to godliness. Godliness is something 
 more than religion. Make God's glory your object in life ; 
 live in His sight ; dwell close to Him; seek for fellowship 
 with Him ; and thou hast " godliness ; " and to that add 
 brotherly lova. Have a love to all the saints ; and add to that 
 & charity, which openeth its arms to all men, and loves their 
 Houls. When you are adorned with these jewels, and just in 
 proportion as you practise these heavenly virtues, will you 
 ■iouic to know by clearest evidence " your calling and elec- 
 Uou." " Give diligence," if you would get assurance, for 
 lukewarmness and doubting very nuturally go hand in hand 
 
July 27. DAILY' READINGS. 209 
 
 "Exceeding great and precious promises." — 2 Peter i. 4. 
 
 §: 
 
 Hi 
 
 ^yvF you would know experimentally the preciou.snes!" 
 •i^ of the promises, and enjoy thciu in your own heart, 
 medilaie much upon them. There are promises which 
 are like grapes in the wine-press : if you will tread them the 
 juice will flow. Thinking over the hallowed words will often 
 be the prelude to their fiilQlnicnt. While you are musing 
 upon them, the boon which you are seeking will insensibly 
 come to 3'ou. Many a Christian who has thirsted for the 
 promise has found the favor which it insured gently distilling 
 into his soul even while he has been considering the divine 
 record ; and he has rejoiced that ever he was led to lay the 
 promise near his heart. But besides ineditating upon the 
 promises, seek in thy soul to receive them as being the very 
 words of God. Speak to thy soul thus : " If I were dealing 
 with a man's promise, I should carefully consider the ability 
 and the character of the man who had covenanted witii me. 
 So with the promise of God ; my eye must not be so mucli 
 fixed upon the greatness of the mercy — that may stagger 
 me, as upon the greatness of the Promiser — that will cheer 
 me. My soul, it is God, even thy God, God that cannot 
 lie, who speaks to thee. This word of His which thou art 
 now considering is as true as His own existence. He is .% 
 God unchangeable. He has not altered the thing which ban 
 gone out of His mouth, nor called back one single consola- 
 tory sentence. Nor doth He lack any power; it is the God 
 that made the heavens and the earth who has spoken thus. 
 Nor can He fail in wisdom as to the time when He will be- 
 stow the favors, for He knowcth when it is best to give, and 
 when better to withhold. Therefore, seeing that it is the 
 word of a God so true, so immutable, so powerful, so wise, 
 I will and must believe the promise." If we thus meditate 
 upon the promises, and consider the Promiser, we shall ei- 
 perience their sweetness, and obtain their fulfilment 
 18* 
 
210 DAILY READINGS. July 28 
 
 ^^ So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a bead before thee." 
 Psalm Ixxiii. 22. 
 
 ^"vcEMEMBER, this is the confession of the man aftet 
 ^^^ God's own heart ; and, in telling us his inner life, he 
 ■^*^ writes, " So foolish was I, and ignorant." The word 
 **fool{shy" here, means more than it signifies in ordinary 
 language. David, in a former verse of the Psalm, writes. 
 " I was envious of the foolish when I saw the prosperity of 
 the wicked," which shows that the folly he intended had sin 
 in it. He puts himself down as being thus "foolish," and 
 adds a word which is to give intensity to it : " so foolish was 
 I." How foolish, he could not tell. It was a sinful folly, a 
 folly which was not to be excused by frailty, but to be con- 
 demned because of its perverseness and wilful ignorance, for 
 he had been envious of the present prosperity of the ungodly, 
 forgetful of the dreadful end awaiting all such And are we 
 better than David, that we should caL ourselvet. wise ? Do 
 we profess that we have attained perfection, or to have been 
 BO chastened that the rod has taken all our wilfulness out of 
 us ? Ah, this were pride indeed ! If David was foolish, 
 how foolish should we be in our own esteem if we could but 
 Bee ourselves ! Look back, believer : think of your doubting 
 God when he has been so faithful to you — think of your 
 foolish outcry of, "Not so, my Father," when He crossed Hia 
 hands in affliction to give you the larger blessing ; think of 
 the many times when you have read His providences in the 
 dark, misinterpreted His dispensations, and groaned out. 
 "All these things are against me," when they were all work- 
 ing together for your good ! Think how often you have 
 chosen sin because of its pleasure, when, indeed, that pleas- 
 ure was a root of bitterness to you I Surely if wo know our 
 own heart we must plead guilty to the indictment of a sinful 
 folly ; and, conscious of this " foolishness," we must make 
 David's consequent resolve QW own — "Thou ihalt guid^ m4 
 vfith Thy counsel." 
 
July 29. DAILY HEADINGS. 211 
 
 "Nevertheless, I am continually with Thee." — P6. Ixxiii. 23. 
 
 V.EVERTIIELESS. — As if, Lotwithstanding all the 
 /v> foulishncsjs and ignorance wbitU David had just been 
 *^ confessing to God, not one atom the less was it tru« 
 and certain that David was saved and accepted, and that the 
 blessing of being constantly in God's presence was undoubt- 
 edly his. Fully conscious of his own lost estate, and of the 
 decciifulness and vilcncss of his nature, yet, by a glorious 
 outburst of faith, he sings, "Nevertheless, I am continually 
 with Thee." Believer, you are forced to enter into Daniel's 
 confession and acknowledgment ; endeavor in like spirit to 
 say, " Nevertheless, since I belong to Christ I am continu- 
 ally with God ! " By this is meant continually upon His 
 mind; He is always thinking of me for my good. Continu- 
 ally before His eye; the eye of the Lord never sleepeth, 
 but is perpetually watching over my welfare. " Continually 
 in His hand, so that none shall be able to pluck me thence. 
 Continually on His heart, worn there as a memorial, even as 
 the high priest bore the names of the twelve tribes upon his 
 heart forever. Thou always thinkest of me, God. The 
 bowels of Thy love continually yearn towards me. Thou 
 art always making providence work for my good. Thou hast 
 set me as a signet upon Thine arm ; Thy love is strong as 
 death ; many waters cannot quench it, neither can the floods 
 drown it. Surprising grace ! Thou seest me in Christ, and, 
 though in myself abhorred, Thou beholdest me as wearing 
 Christ's garments, and washed in His blood, and thus I stand 
 accepted in Thy presence. I am thus continually in Th^ 
 favor — "continually with Thee." Here is comfort for the 
 t/icd and afflicted soul; vexed with the tempest within — 
 look at the calm without. *'■ Nevertheless'' — O say it in thy 
 heart, and take the peace it gives. " Nevertheless, I aia 
 continually with Tbee." 
 
212 DAILY BLADINGS. Julj 30. 
 
 "And ivhen lie thought thereon, he wept." — Mark xiv. 72. 
 
 I^T has been thought by some, that, as long as Peter 
 Kik lived, the fountain of his tears began to flow when- 
 ® ever he remembered his denying his Lord. It is not 
 unlikely that it was so, for his sin wai very great, and grace 
 .n him had afterwards a perfect work. This same experi- 
 ence is common to all the redeemed family according to the 
 degree in which the Spirit of God has removed the natural 
 heart of stone. We, like Peter, remember our boastful 
 promise: " Though all men shall forsake Thee, yet will not 
 I." We eat our own words with the bitter herbs of repent- 
 ance. When we think of what we vowed we would be, and 
 of what we have been, we may weep whole showers of 
 grief. He thought on his denying his Lord, the place in 
 which he did it, the little cause which led him into such 
 heinous sin, the oaths and blasphemies with which he sought 
 to confirm his falsehood, and the dreadful hardness of heart 
 which drove him to do so again and yet again. Can we, 
 when we are reminded of our sins and their exceeding sin- 
 fulness, remain stolid and stubborn ? Will we not make our 
 house a Bochim, and cry unto the Lord for renewed assur- 
 ances of pardoning love ? May we never take a dry-eyed 
 look at sin, lest ero long we have a tongue parched in the 
 flames of hell. Peter also thought upon his Master's look of 
 love. The Lord followed up the cock's warning voice with 
 an admonitory look of sorrow, pity, and love. That glance 
 was never out of Peter's mind so long as he lived. It was 
 far more effectual than ten thousand sermons would have 
 been without the Spirit. The penitent apostle would be sure 
 to weep when he recollected the Saviour s full forgiveness, 
 which restored him to his former place. To think that we 
 have off'ended so kind and good a Lord is more than sufli- 
 cient reason for being constant weepers. Lord, smite our 
 rocky hearts, and make the waters flow. 
 
July 31. DAILY KEAmXGS. 213 
 
 " / in them." — John xvii. 'I'd. 
 
 VTF such be tlie union which subsists between our 
 souls antl the person of our Lord, how deep and broad 
 
 
 is the channel of our communion ! This is no narroTV 
 pipe through which a thread-like stream may wind its way ; 
 it is a channel of amazing depth and breadth, along whose 
 gloriotis length a ponderous volume of living water may roll 
 its floods. Behold He hath set before us an open door ; let 
 us not be slow to enter. This city of communion hath many 
 pearly gates ; every several gate is of one pearl, and each gate 
 is throw^n open to the uttermost, that we may enter, assured 
 of welcome. If there were but one small loophole through 
 which to talk with Jesus, it would be a high privilege to 
 thrust a word of fellowship through the narrow door ; how 
 much we are blessed in having so large an entrance ! 
 Had the Lord Jesus been far away from us, with many a 
 stormy sea between, we should have longed to send a mes- 
 sengci" to Him to carry Him our loves, and bring us tidings 
 from His Father's house ; but see His kindness ; He has 
 built His house next door to ours, nay, more, He takes lodg- 
 ing with us, and taberna'Cles in poor humble hearts, that so 
 He may have perpetual intercourse with us. 0, how foolish 
 must we be, if we do not live in habitual communion with 
 Him ! When the road is long, and dangerous, and difficult, 
 we need not wonder that friends seldom meet each other ; 
 but when they live together, shall Jonathan forget his David ? 
 A wife may, when her husband is upon a journey, abide 
 many days without holding converse with him, but she could 
 never endure to be separated from him if she kncAV him to be 
 in one of the chambers of her own house. Why, believer, 
 dopt not thou sit at His banquet of wine ? Seek thy Lord, 
 for He is npar ; embrace Him, for He is thy Brother. Hold 
 Him fast, for He is thine Husband ; and pres? Him to tJiine 
 heart, for He is of thine own flesh. 
 
214 DAILY READINGS. AugUSt 1. 
 
 " Let me note rjo to the field, and glean ears of corn." — Rutli ii. 2. 
 
 ^^|OWNCx\ST and troubled Christian, come and glean to. 
 M^/?/ ^^y '^"^ ^^^^ broad field of promise. Here are abun- 
 ^^'^ dance of precious promises, which exactly meet thy 
 wants. Take this one : " He will not break the bruised reed, 
 nor quench the smoking flax." Doth not that suit thy case ? 
 A reed, helpless, insignificant, and weak ; a bruised reed, 
 out of which no music can come ; weaker than weakness 
 itself; a reed, and that reed bruised, yet He will not break 
 thee ; but, on the contrary, will restore and strengthen thee. 
 Thou art like the smoking flax : no light, no warmth can 
 come from thee ; but He will not quench thee ; He will blow 
 with His sweet breath of mercy till He fans thee to a flame. 
 Wouldst thou glean another ear ? " Come unto Me, all ye 
 that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." 
 What soft words ! Thy heart is tender, and the Master 
 knows it, and therefore He speaketh so gently to thee. Wilt 
 thou not obey Him, and come to Him even now ? Take an- 
 other ear of corn : " Fear not, thou worm Jacob ; I will help 
 thee, saith the Lord and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of 
 Israel." How canst thou fear with such a wonderful assur- 
 ance as this ? Thou mayst gather ten thousand such golden 
 ears as these : " I have blotted out thy sins like a cloud, and 
 like a thick cloud thy transgressions." Or this : " Though 
 your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as wool ; though they 
 be red like crimson, they shall be whiter than snow." Or 
 this : " The Spirit and the Bride say come ; and let him that 
 is athirst come ; and whosoever will, let him take the water 
 of life freely." Our Master's field is very rich ; behold the 
 handfuls ! See, there they lie before thee, poor timid be- 
 liever ! Gather them up, make them thine own, for Jesua 
 bids thee take them. Be not afraid, only believe ! Grasp 
 these sweet promises, thresh them out by meditation, and 
 feed on them with joy 
 
A-UgUSt 2. DAILY KEADING8. 213 
 
 " Who worketh all things after the cowisel of His otcn will." 
 
 Ephesiuns i. 12. 
 
 ^ /_ 
 
 H^UR belief in God's •wisdom supposes and necessitate! 
 
 ^'jA^I that He has a settled purpose and plan in the work 
 '''^'^ of salvation. What would creation have been with- 
 out His design ? Is there a fish in the sea or a fowl in the 
 air which was left to chance for its formation ? Nay, in every 
 bone, joint, and muscle, sinew, gland, and blood-vessel, you 
 mark the presence of a God working everything according 
 to the design of infinite wisdom. And shall G od be present in 
 creation, ruling over all, and not in grace ? Shall the new cre- 
 ation have the fickle genius of free will to preside over it when 
 divine counsel rules the old creation? Look at Providence I 
 "Who knoweth not that not a sparrjw falleth to the ground 
 without your Father? Even the hairs of your head are all 
 numbered. God weighs the mountains of our grief in scales, 
 and the hills of our tribulation in balances. And shall there 
 be a God in providence, and not in grace ? Shall the shell be 
 ordained by wisdom, and the kernel be left to blind chance ? 
 No ; He knows the end from the beginning. He sees in its 
 appointed place, not merely the corner-stone which He has 
 laid in fair colors, in the blood of His dear Son, but He be- 
 holds in their ordained position each of the chosen stones 
 taken out of the quarry of nature, and polished by His grace ; 
 He sees the whole from corner to cornice, from base to roof, 
 from foundation to pinnacle. He hath in His mind a clear 
 knowledge of every stone which shall be laid in its prepared 
 Bpace, and how vast the edifice shall be, and when the top- 
 Btoue shall be brought forth with shoutings of, " Grace ! 
 Grace ! unto it." At the last it shall be clearly seen that in 
 every chosen vessel of mercy, Jehovah did as He willed with 
 His own ; and that in every part of the work of grace He 
 accomplished His purpose, and glorified His own name. 
 
2: 1 6 DAILY READINGS. AugTISt 3 
 
 " The Lamb is the light thereof." — Revelation xxi. 23. 
 
 j^UIETLY contemplate the Lamb as the light of heaven. 
 Light in Scripture is the emblem of joy. The joy of 
 the saints in heaven is comprised in this : Jesus chose 
 us, loved us, bought us, cleansed us, robed us, kept us, glo- 
 rified us ; we are here entirely through the Lord Jesus. Each 
 one of these thoughts shall be to them like a cluster of the 
 grapes of Eshcol. Light is also the cause of beauty. Nought 
 of beauty is left when light is gone. Without light no radi- 
 ance flashes from the sapphire, no peaceful ray proceedeth 
 from the pearl ; and thus all the beauty of the saints above 
 comes from Jesus. As planets, they reflect the light of the 
 Sun of Righteousness ; they live as beams proceeding from 
 the central orb. If He withdrew, they must die ; if His 
 glory were veiled, their glory must expire. Light is also the 
 emblem of knowledge. In heaven our knowledge will be per- 
 fect, but the Lord Jesus Himself will be the fountain of it. 
 Dark providences, never understood before, will then be 
 clearly seen ; and ail that puzzles us now will become plain 
 to us in the light of the Lamb. Oh, what unfoldings there 
 will be, and what glorifying of the God of love ! Light also 
 means manifestation. Light manifests. In this world it doth 
 not yet appear what we shall be. God's people are a hidden 
 people ; but when Christ receives His people into heaven. He 
 will touch them with the wand of His own love, and change 
 them into the image of His manifested glory. They were poor 
 and wretched, but what a transformation ! They were stained 
 with sin, but one touch of His finger, and they are bright as 
 the sun and clear as crystal. Oh, what a manifestation ! All 
 this proceeds from the exalted Lamb. Whatever there may 
 be of efl'ulgent splendor, Jesus shall be the centre and soul 
 of it all. Oh, to be present and to see Him in His own light, 
 the King of kings and Lord of lords ! 
 
August 4. DAILY READINGS. 21 1 
 
 " The people that do know their God shall he strong." — Dan. xi. 32. 
 
 i. 
 
 %^^':^^)VERY believer understands tliat to know God is the 
 aK^'ib ^•g'lcst ^'^^ haai form of knowledge ; and this spir- 
 ^--'^ itual knowledge is a source of strength to the Chris • 
 tian. It strengthens his faith. Believers are constantly 
 spoken of in the Scriptures as being persons who are enlight- 
 ened and taught of the Lord ; they are said to " have an unc- 
 tion from the Holy One," and it is the Spirit's peculiar office 
 to lead thera into all truth ; and all this for the increase and 
 the fostering of their faith. Knowledge strengthens love, as 
 well as faith. Knowledge opens the door, and then through 
 that door we see our Saviour. Or, to use another similitude, 
 knowledge paints the portrait of Jesus ; and when we see 
 that portrait, then we love Him ; we cannot love a Christ 
 whom w^e do not know, at least in some degree. If we know 
 but little of the excellences of Jesus, what He has done for 
 us, and what He is doing now, we cannot love Him much ; 
 but the more we know Him, the more we shall love Him. 
 Knowledge also strengthens hojpe. How can we hope for a 
 thing if we do not know of its existence ? Hope may be the 
 telescope ; but till we receive instruction, our ignorance 
 stands in the front of the glass, and we can see nothing what- 
 ever. Knowledge removes the interposing object ; and when 
 we look through the bright optic-glass we discern the glory 
 to be revealed, and anticipate it with joyous confidence. 
 Knowledge supplies us reasons for patience. How shall we 
 have patience unless we know something of the sympathy of 
 Christ, and understand the good which is to come out of the 
 correction which our heavenly Father sends us ? Nor is there 
 one single grace of the Christian which, under God, will not be 
 fostered and brought to perfection by holy knowledge. How 
 important, then, is it that we should grow not only in grace, 
 but in the "knowledge" of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! 
 19 
 
218 DAILY eeaMn&s. August 6. 
 
 " We know that all things work together for good to them that love 
 Gof/." — Romans viii. 28. 
 
 irp^PON some points a believer is absolutely sure. He 
 1^ knows, for instance, that God sits in the stern-sheets 
 of the vessel when it rocks most. He believes that 
 an invisible hand is always on the world's tiller, and that, 
 wherever providence may drift, Jehovah steers it. That 
 reassuring knowledge prepares him for everything. He 
 looks over the raging waters, and sees the spirit of Jesus 
 treading the billows, and he hears a voice saying, " It is I ; 
 be not afraid." He knows, too, that God is always wise, 
 and, knowing this, he is confident that there can be no acci- 
 dents, no mistakes ; that nothing can occur which ought not 
 to arise. He can say, " If I should lose all I have, it is 
 better that I should lose than have, if God so wills : the 
 worst calamity is the wisest and the kindest thing that could 
 befall to me if God ordains it." " We know that all things 
 work together for good to them that love God." The Chris- 
 tian does not merely hold this as a theory, but he knows it 
 as a matter of fact. Everything has worked for good as 
 yet ; the poisonous drugs, mixed in fit proportions, have 
 worked tlie cure ; the sharp cuts of the lancet have cleansed 
 out the proud flesh, and facilitated the healing. Every event 
 a,s yet has worked out the most divinely blessed results ; 
 and so, believing that God rules all, that He governs wisely, 
 that He brings good out of evil, the believer's heart is as- 
 sured, and he is enabled calmly to meet each trial as it comes. 
 The believer can, in the spirit of true resignation, pray, 
 " Send me what thou wilt, my God, so long as it comes from 
 Thee ; never came there an ill portion from Thy table to anj 
 oi Thy children." 
 
 "Say not, my soul, 'From whence can God relie.ve my care?' 
 Remember that Omnipotence has servants everywhere. 
 His method is sublime, His heart profoundly kind ; 
 God never is before His time, and never is behis'^ ~ 
 
A.ugust 6. SAlLir ii£ADlK08. 219 
 
 " Watchman, tcliat of the night?" — Isaiah xxi. 11. 
 
 J:4;IIAT enemies are ahroad? Errors are a numerous 
 v7i horde, and new ones appear every hour : against 
 what heresy am I to be on my guard r Sins creep 
 from their lurking-places when the darkness reigns : I must 
 myself mount the watch-tower, and watch unto prayer. Our 
 heavenly Protector foresees all the attacks which are about 
 to be made upon us, and, when as yet the evil designed us 
 is but in the desire of Satan, He prays for us that our faith 
 fail not when we are sifted as wheat. Continue, gracious 
 Watchman, to forewarn us of our foes, and for Zion's sake 
 hold not Thy peace. 
 
 " Watchman, what of the night ? " What weather is com- 
 ing for the Church ? Are the clouds lowering, or is it all 
 clear and fair overhead ? We must care for the Church of 
 God with anxious love ; and now that Popery and infidelity 
 are both threatening, let us observe the signs of the times, 
 and 2>repare for conflict. 
 
 " Watchman, what of the night ? " What stars are visible ? 
 What precious promises suit our present case ? You sound 
 the alarm ; give us the consolation also. Christ, the pole- 
 star, is ever fixed in His place, and all the stars are secure 
 in the right hand of their Lord. 
 
 But, watchman, when comes the morning f The Bride- 
 groom tarries. Are there no signs of His coming forth aa 
 the Sun of llighteousness ? Has not the morning star arisen 
 as the pledge of day ? When will the day dawn, and the 
 shadows flee away? Jesus, if Thou come not in person 
 to thy waiting Church this day, yet come in Spirit to mj 
 sighing heart, and make it sing for joy. 
 
 "Now all the earth is bright and glad 
 With the fresh morn ; 
 But all my heart is cold, and dark, and sad: 
 Sun of tJie soul, let me behold thy dawn ! 
 
 Come, Jesus, Lord, 
 *^ 'Tuickly come, according to Thy word." 
 
220 1 AJLY fiEAJ)lNG8. AugUSt 7, 
 
 " The upright love Thee." — Canticles i. 4. 
 
 pfcjj^^ELIEVERS love Jesus with a deeper affection tlian 
 ^ 3p; tliey dare to give to any other being. They would 
 yiOms. sooner lose father and mother than part with Christ. 
 They hold all earthly comforts with a loose hand, but they 
 carry Him fast locked in their bosoms. They voluntarily 
 deny themselves for His sake, but they are not tt be driven 
 to deny Him. It is scant love which the fire of persecution 
 can dry up ; the true believer's love is a deeper stream than 
 this. Men have labored to divide the faithful from their 
 Master, but their attempts have been fruitless in every age. 
 Neither crowns of honor, nor frowns of anger, have untied 
 this more than gprdian knot. This is no every-day attach- 
 ment which the world's oower may at length dissolve. 
 Neither man nor devil has found a key which opens this 
 lock. Never has the craft of Satan been more at fault than 
 when he has exercised it in seeking to rend in sunder this 
 union of two divinely welded hearts. It is written, and 
 nothing can blot out the sentence, " The upright love Thee.'" 
 The intensity of the love of the upright, however, is not so 
 much to be judged by what it appears as by what the upright 
 long for. It is our daily lament that we cannot love enough. 
 Would that our hearts were capable • of holding more and 
 reaching farther. Like Samuel Rutherford, we sigh and 
 cry, " for as much love as would go round about the 
 earth, and over heaven — yea, the heaven of heavens, and 
 ten thousand worlds — that I might let all out upon fair, 
 fair, only fair Christ " ! Alas ! our longest reach is but a 
 span of love, and our affection is but as a drop of a bucket, 
 compared with His deserts. Measure our love by our inten- 
 tions, and it is high indeed ; 'tis thus, we trust, our Lord 
 doth judge of it. that ws could give all the love in all 
 hearts in one great mass, a gathering together of all loves 
 to Him who is altogether lovely ! 
 
Augusts VAUy READINGS. 22l 
 
 " They weave the spider^s web." — Isaiah lix. o. 
 
 ^^i^EK the spider's web, and behold in it a most sugges- 
 tive picture of the hypocrite's religion. ' It is mean' 
 to catch his prey : the spider fattens himself on flies, 
 and the Pharisee has his reward. Foolish persons are easily 
 entrapped by the loud professions of pretenders, and even 
 the more judicious cannot always escape. Philip baptizeu 
 Simon Magus, whose guileful declaration of faith was so soon 
 exploded by the stern rebuke of Peter. Custom, reputation, 
 praise, advancement, and other flies, are the small game 
 which hypocrites take in their nets. A spider's web is a 
 marvel of skill : look at it, and admire the cunning hunter's 
 wiles. Is not a deceiver's religion equally wonderful ? How 
 does he make so barefaced a lie appear to be a truth ? How 
 can he make his tinsel answer so well the purpose of gold ? 
 A spiders web comes all from the creature's own bowels. The 
 bee gathers her wax from flowers ; the spider sucks no flow- 
 ers, and yet she spins out her material to any length. Even 
 so hypocrites find their trust and hope within themselves ; 
 their anchor was forged on their own anvil, and their cable 
 twisted by their own hands. They lay their own foundation, 
 and hew out the pillars of their own house, disdaining to be 
 debtors to the sovereign grace of God. But a spider's web 
 is very frail. It is curiously wrought, but not enduringly 
 manufactured. It is no match for the servant's broom, or 
 the traveller's staff". The hypocrite needs no battery of 
 Armstrongs to blow his hope to pieces : a mere puff" of wind 
 will do it. Hypocritical cobwebs will soon come down when 
 the besom of destruction begins its purifying work. Which 
 reminds us of one more thought, viz., that such cobwebs are 
 not to be endured in the Lorr''s house: He will sec to it that 
 they and those who spin them shall be destroyed forever. 
 my soul, be thov resting on something better Jhau a sjji 
 tier's web. Be the Lord Jesus thine eternal hiding-place 
 19 • 
 
2^2 £)AiLt KEADINGS. AugUSt d 
 
 " Tlie city hath no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in 
 it." — Revelation xxi. 23. 
 
 j^ONDEE, in tlie bettev world, the inhabitants are inde- 
 pendent of all creature comforts. They have no need 
 of raiment; their -white robes never wear out, neither 
 shall they ever be defiled. They need no medicine 
 to heal diseases, " for the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick." 
 They need no sleep to recruit their frames — they rest not 
 day nor night, but unwcariedly praise Him in His temple. 
 They need no social relationship to minister comfort, and 
 whatever happiness they may derive from association with 
 their fellows, is not essential to their bliss, for their Lord's 
 society is enough for their largest desires. They need no 
 teachers there ; they doubtless commune with one another 
 concerning the things of God, but they do not require this by 
 way of instruction ; they shall all be taught of the Lord. 
 Ours are the alms at the king's gate, but they feast at the 
 table itself. Here we lean upon the friendly arm, but there 
 they lean upon their Beloved, and upon Him alone. Here 
 we must have the help of our companions, but there they 
 find all they want in Christ Jesus. Here we look to the meat 
 which perisheth, and to the raiment which decays before the 
 moth, but there they find everything in God. "We use the 
 bucket to fetch us water from the well, but there they drink 
 from the fountain head, and put their lips down to the living 
 water. Here the angels bring us blessings, but we shall want 
 no messengers from heaven then. They shall need no Gabri- 
 els there to bring their love-notes from God, for there they 
 shall see Him face to face. Oh, what a blessed time shall that 
 be, when we shall have mounted above every second cause, 
 and shall rest upon the bare arm of God ! What a glorious 
 hour when God, and not His creatures, — the Lord, and not 
 His works, — shall be our daily joy! Our souls shall theu 
 have attained the perfection of bliss. 
 
illgUst 10. bAttt KfeAblNGS. fi2S 
 
 " Christ, who is our life." — Colossians iii. 4. 
 
 I^AUL'S marvellously rich expression indicates, that 
 \'i Christ is the source of our life. " You hath lie 
 quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins." 
 That same voice which brought Lazarus out of the tomb, 
 raised us to newness of life. He is now the suhstaiice of our 
 spiritual life. It is by His life that we live ; He is in us, the 
 hope of glory, the spring of our actions, the central thought 
 which moves every other thought. Christ in the sustenance of 
 our life. What can the Christian feed upon but Jesus' flesh 
 and blood ? " This is the bread which coracth down from 
 heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die." way- 
 worn pilgrims in this wilderness of sin, you never get a mor- 
 sel to satisfy the hunger of your spirits, except ye find it in 
 Him ! Christ is the solace of our life. All our true joys come 
 from Ilim ; and in times of trouble. His presence is our con- 
 solation. There is nothinf; worth livino; for but Him : and 
 His loving-kindness is better than life ! Christ is the object 
 of our life. As speeds the ship towards the port, so hastes 
 the believer towards the haven of his Saviour's bosom. As 
 flies the arrow to its goal, so flics the Christian towards the 
 perfecting of his fellowship with Christ Jesus. As the sol- 
 dier fights for his captain, and is crowned in his captain's 
 victory, so the believer contends for Christ, and gets his tri- 
 umph out of the triumphs of his Master. " For liim to live 
 is Christ." Christ is the exemplar of our life. Where there 
 is the same life within, there will, there must be, to a great 
 extent, the same developments without ; and if we live in near 
 fellowship with the Lord Jesus, we shall grow like Him. 
 We shall set Him before us as our Divine copy, and we shall 
 Btek to tread in His footsteps, until He shall become the 
 crown of our life in glory. Oh ! how safe, how honored, hon 
 happy is the Christian, since Christ is our life ! 
 
224 DAiLY READINGS AugUSt 11. 
 
 " that I were as in months past ! " — Job xxix. 2. 
 
 JI^UMBERS of Christians can view the past with pleas- 
 ^ lire, but regard the present with dissatisfaction ; 
 ^ they look back upon the days which they have passed 
 in communing with the Lord, as being the sweetest and the 
 best they have ever known ; but as to the present, it is clad 
 in a sable garb of gloom and dreariness. Once they lived 
 near to Jesus, but now they feel that they have wandered 
 from Him, and they say, " that I were as in months past !" 
 They complain that they have lost their evidences, or that 
 they have not present peace of mind, or that they have no 
 enjoyment in the means of grace, or that conscience is not 
 so tender, or that they have not so much zeal for God's glory. 
 The causes of this mournful state of things are manifold. It 
 may arise through a comparative neglect of grayer, for a 
 neglected closet is the beginning of all spiritual decline. Or 
 it may be the result of idolatry. The heart has been occupied 
 with something else, more than with God ; the aifections 
 have been set on the things of earth, instead of the things of 
 heaven. A jealous God will not be content with a divided 
 heart ; He must be loved first and best. He will withdraw 
 the sunshine of his presence from a cold, wandering heart. 
 Or the cause may be found in self-confidence and self-right- 
 eousness. Pride is busy in the heart, and self is exalted in- 
 stead of lying low at the foot of the cross. Christian, if you 
 are not now as you "were in months past," do not rest sat- 
 isfied with wishing for a return of former happiness, but go 
 at once to seek your Maker, and tell Him your sad state. 
 Ask His grace and strength to help you to walk more closely 
 \>ith Him ; humble yourself before Him, and He will lift you 
 up, and give you yet again to enjoy the light of His coun- 
 tenance. Do not sit down to sigh and lament; while the 
 beloved Physician lives there is hope ; nay, there is a cer- 
 tainty of recovery for the worst cases. 
 
August 12. DAILY HEADINGS. 225 
 
 " The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice." — Psalm xcvii. 1. 
 
 ^(S^AUSES for disquietude tliere arc none so long as 
 ^^^ this blessed sentence is true. On earth the Lord's 
 power as readily controls the rage of the wicked as 
 the rage of the sea ; His love as easily refreshes the poor 
 with mercy as the earth with showers. Majesty gleams in 
 flaates of fire amid the tempest's horrors, and the glory of 
 the Lord is seen in its grandeur in the fall of empires, and 
 the crash of thrones. In all our conflicts and tribulations, 
 we may behold the hand of the divine King. 
 
 " God is God : He sees and hears 
 All our troubles, all our tears. 
 Soul, forget not, 'mid thy pains, 
 God o'er all forever reigns." 
 
 In hell, evil spirits own, with misery, His undoubted su- 
 premacy. When permitted to roam abroad, it is with a chain 
 at their heel ; the bit is in the mouth of behemoth, and the 
 hook in the jaws of leviathan. Death's darts are under the 
 Lord's lock, and the grave's prisons have divine power as 
 their warder. The terrible vengeance of the Judge of all 
 the earth makes fiends cower down and tremble, even as 
 dogs in the kennel fear the hunter's whip. 
 
 " Fear not death, nor Satan's thrusts, 
 God defends who in Him trusts ; 
 Soul, remember, in thy pains, 
 God o'er all forever reigns." 
 
 In heaven, none doubt the sovereignty of the King Eternal, 
 but all fall on their faces to do Him homage. Angels are 
 His courtiers, the redeemed His favorites, aud all delight 
 to serve Him day and night. May we soon reach the cit/ 
 of the great King. 
 
 " For this life's long night of sadness 
 He will give us peace and gladness. 
 Soul, remember, in thy pains, 
 Ood o'er all forerer reigns." 
 
226 Daily READiNfis. August 13. 
 
 '• The cedars of Lebanon wJiicJi He liatli planted." — Psalm civ. 16. 
 
 ^PJEBANOiSrS cedars are emblematic of the Christian, 
 5|)/ in that they owe their -planting entirely to the Lord. 
 This is quite true of every child of Grod. He is not 
 man-planted, nor self-planted, but God-planted. The mys- 
 terious hand of the divine Spirit dropped the living seed into 
 a heart which He had Himself prepared for its reception. 
 Every true heir of heaven owns the great Husbandman as 
 his planter. Moreover, the cedars of Lebanon are not de- 
 pendent upon man for their watering ; they stand on the lofty 
 rock, unmoistened by human irrigation ; and yet our heavenly 
 Father supplieth them. Thus it is with the Christian who 
 has learned to live by faith. He is independent of man, 
 even in temporal things ; for his continued maintenance he 
 looks to the Lord his God, and to Him alone. The dew of 
 heaven is his portion, and the Go<d of heaven is his fountain. 
 Again, the cedars of Lebanon are not protected by any mortal 
 power. They owe nothing to man for their preservation from 
 stormy wind and tempest. They are God's trees, kept and 
 preserved by Him, and by Him alone. It is precisely the 
 same with the Christian. He is not a hot-house plant, shel- 
 tered from temptation ; he stands in the most exposed posi- 
 tion ; he has no shelter, no protection, except this, that the 
 broad wings of the eternal God always cover the cedars which 
 He Himself has planted. Like cedars, believers are full of 
 sap, having vitality enough to be ever green, even amid 
 winter's snows. Lastly, the flourishing and majestic condi- 
 tion of the cedar is to the praise of God only. The Lord, 
 even the Lord alone, hath been everything unto the cedars, 
 and, therefore, David very sweetly puts it in one of the 
 psalms, " Praise ye the Lord, fruitful trees and all cedars." 
 In the believer there is nothing that can magnify man ; Ha 
 is planted, nourished, and protected by the Lord's own hand 
 and to Him let all the glory be ascribed. 
 
August 14. l>AtLt READINGS. 227 
 
 " TIiou, Lord, hast made me glad through TJiy work." — Ps. xcii. 4. 
 
 •C5?'jjj0 you believe that your sins are forgiven, and that 
 Uu^ Christ has made a full atonement for them ? Then 
 what a joyful Christian you ought to he 1 How you 
 should live above the common trials and troubles of the 
 world ! Since siu is forgiven, can it matter what happens to 
 you now? Luther said, " Smite, Lord, smite, for my sin is 
 forgiven ; if Thou hast but forgiven me, smite as hard as 
 Thou wilt ; " and in a similar spirit you may say, " Send 
 sickness, poverty, losses, crosses, persecution, what Thou 
 wilt, Thou hast forgiven me, and my soul is glad. Christian, 
 if thou art thus saved, whilst thou art glad, be grateful and 
 loving. Cling to that cross which took thy sin away ; serve 
 thou Him who served thee. " I beseech you, therefore, by 
 the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living 
 sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reason- 
 able service." Let not your zeal evaporate in some little 
 ebullition of song. Show your love in expressive tokens. 
 Love the brethren of Him who loved you. If there be a 
 Mephibosheth anywhere who is lame or halt, help him for 
 Jonathan's sake. If there be a poor tried believer, weep 
 with him, and bear his cross for the sake of Him who wept 
 for thee and carried thy sins. Since thou art thus forgiven 
 freely for Christ's sake, go and tell to others the joyful news 
 of pardoning mercy. Be not contented with this unspeakable 
 blessing for thyself alone, but publish abroad the story of the 
 cross. Holy gladness and holy boldness will make you a 
 good preacher, and all the world will be a pulpit for you to 
 preach in. Cheerful holiness is the most forcible of ser- 
 mons, but the Lord must give it you. Seek it this morning 
 before you go into the world. When it is the Lord's work 
 in which we rejoice, we need not be afraid of being too 
 glad. 
 
228 Daily readings. August 15 
 
 " Isaac went out to meditate in thejield at the eventide." 
 Genesis xxiv. 63. 
 
 ^C^S^EllY admirable was his occupation. If those who spend 
 MMy^ so many hours in idle company, light reading, and 
 ^^^^''~" useless pastimes, could learn wisdom, they would find 
 more profitable society and more interesting engagemento in 
 meditation than in the vanities which now have such charms 
 for them. We should all know more, live nearer to God, and 
 grow in grace, if we were more alone. Meditation chews the 
 cud and extracts the real nutriment from the mental food 
 gathered elsewhere. When Jesus is the theme, meditation is 
 sweet indeed. Isaac found Eebecca while engaged in private 
 musings ; many others have found their best beloved there. 
 
 Very admirable was the choice of place. In the field we 
 have a study hung round with texts for thought. From the 
 cedar to the hyssop, from the soaring eagle down to the chirp- 
 ing grasshopper, from the blue expanse of heaven to a drop 
 of dew, all things are full of teaching ; and when the eye is 
 divinely opened, that teaching flashes upon the mind far more 
 vividly than from written books. Our little rooms are neither 
 so healthy, so suggestive, so agreeable, nor so inspiring as the 
 fields. Let us count nothing common or unclean, but feel 
 that all created things point to their Maker, and the field will 
 at once be hallowed. 
 
 Very admirable luas the season. The season of sunset, as it 
 draws a veil over the day, befits that repose of the soul when 
 earth-born cares yield to the joys of heavenly communion. 
 The glory of the setting sun excites our wonder, and the so- 
 lemnity of approaching night awakens our awe. If the busi- 
 ness of this day will permit it, it will be well, dear reader, if 
 you can spare an hour to walk in the field at eventide ; but if 
 not, the Lord is in the town, too, and will meet with thee in 
 thy chamber or in the crowded street. Let thy heart go forth 
 to meet Him. 
 
August 16. DAILY HEADINGS. 229 
 
 " Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name." — Ps. xxix. 2. 
 
 • OD'S glory is the result of Ilis nature and acts. He 
 is glorious in Ilis character, for there is such a store 
 ''^ of everything that is holy, and good, and lovely in 
 God, that He must be glorious. The actions which flow from 
 Ilis character are also glorious ; but while lie intends that 
 they should manifest to Ilis creatures His goodness, and mer- 
 cy, and justice, He is equally concerned that the glory asso- 
 ciated with them should be given only to Himself. Nor is 
 there aught in ourselves in which we may glory ; for who 
 maketh us to difi'er from another ? And what have wc that 
 we did not receive from the God of all grace ? Then how 
 careful ought we to be to walk humbly before the Lord ! The 
 moment we glorify ourselves, since there is room for one glory 
 only in the universe, we set ourselves up as rivals to the Most 
 High. Shall the insect of an hour glorify itself against the 
 sun which warmed it into life ? Shall the potsherd exalt itself 
 above the man who fashioned it upon the wheel ? Shall the 
 dust of the desert strive with the whirlwind ? or the drops 
 of the ocean struggle with the tempest ? Give unto the Lord, 
 all ye righteous, give unto the Lord glory and strength ; give 
 unto Him the honor that is due unto His name. Yet it is, 
 perhaps, one of the hardest struggles of the Christian life to 
 learn this sentence — "Not unto us, not unto us, but unto 
 Thy name be glory." It is a lesson which God is ever leach- 
 ing us, and teaching us sometimes by most painful discipline. 
 Let a Christian begin to boast, " I can do all things," with- 
 out adding, " through Christ which strengtheneth me," and 
 before long he will have to groan, " I can do nothing," and 
 bemoan himself in the dust. AVhcn we do anything for the 
 Lord, and He is pleased to accept of our doings, let us lay 
 our 3rown at His feet, and exclaim, " Not I, but the grace 
 of God which was with me ! " 
 20 
 
230 Daily headings. August 17. 
 
 " The mercy of Ood." — Psalm lii. 6. 
 
 pEDITATE a little on this mercy of the Lord. It is 
 w^|;l^ tender mercy. With gentle, loving touch, He hcaletb 
 ~V the broken in heart, and biudeth up their wounds. 
 He is as gracious in the manner of His mercy as in the matter 
 of It. It is great mercy. There is nothing little in God ; His 
 mercy is like Himself — it is infinite. You cannot measure 
 it. His mercy is so great that it forgives great sins to great 
 sinners, after great lengths of time, and then gives great 
 favors and great privileges, and raises us up to great enjoy- 
 ments in the great heaven of the great God. It is undeserved 
 mercy, as indeed all true mercy must be, for deserved mercy 
 is only a misnomer for justice. There was no right on the 
 sinner's part to the kind consideration of the Most High ; 
 had the rebel been doomed at once to eternal fire, he would 
 have richly merited the doom ; and if delivered from wrath, 
 sovereign love alone has found a cause, for there was none 
 in the sinner himself. It is rich inercy. Some things are 
 great, but have little efficacy in them ; but this mercy is a 
 cordial to your drooping spirits ; a golden ointment to your 
 bleeding wounds ; a heavenly bandage to your broken bones ; 
 a royal chariot for your weary feet ; a bosom of love for your 
 trembling heart. It is manifold mercy. As Bunyan says, 
 " All the flowers in God's garden are double." There is no 
 single mercy. You may think you have but one mercy, but 
 you shall find it to be a whole cluster of mercies. It is ahound- 
 ing mercy. Millions have received it ; yet far from its being 
 exhausted, it is as fresh, as full, and as free as ever. It is 
 unfailiiiy mercy. It will never leave thee. If mercy be thy 
 friend, luercy will be with thee in temptation to keep thee from 
 yielding ; with thee in trouble, to pj-event thee from sinking ; 
 with tlioe living, to be the light and life of thy countenance ; 
 and with thee dying, to be the joy of thy soul when earthlji 
 coiufort is ebbing fast, 
 
\ugUSt 18. DAILY READINGS. 281 
 
 " Strangers are come into the sanctuaries of the Lord's house." 
 Jeremiah li. 51. 
 
 [^N this account the faces of the Lord's people were 
 ^Ij covered \Yith shame, for it was a terrible thing that 
 
 ^"^^ men should intrude into the Holy Place reserved for 
 the priests alone. Everywhere about us we see like cause for 
 sorrow. How many ungodly men arc now educating with the 
 view of entering into the ministry ! What a crying sin is that 
 solemn lie by which our whole population is nominally com- 
 prehended in a National Church ! IIow fearful it is that or- 
 dinances should be pressed upon the unconverted, and thac 
 among the more enlightened churches of our land there should 
 be such laxity of discipline. If the thousands who will read 
 this portion shall all take this matter before tlie Lord Jesus 
 this day, lie will interfere and avert the evil which else will 
 come upon His Church. To adulterate the Church is to pol- 
 lute a well, to pour water upon fire, to sow a fertile field 
 with stones. May we all have grace to maintain in our own 
 proper way the purity of the Church, as being an assembly 
 of believers, and not a nation, an unsaved community of 
 unconverted men. 
 
 Our zeal must, however, begin at home. Let us examine 
 ourselves as to our right to eat at the Lord's table. Let us 
 Bee to it that we have on our wedding garment, lest we our- 
 selves be intruders in the Lord's sanctuaries. 3Iany are 
 called, but few are chosen ; the way is narrow, and the gate 
 is strait. for grace to come to Jesus aright, with the faith 
 of God's elect ! He who smote Uzzah for touch ingthe ark 
 is very jealous of His two ordinances ; as a true believer I 
 may approach them freely ; as an alien I must not touch 
 them lest I die. Heart-searching is the duty of all who are 
 baptized or come to the Lord's table. "Search me, God, 
 gnd know my way ; try me, and know my heart." 
 
232 DAILY HEADINGS. AugUSt 19 
 
 " He shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord." — Micah v. 4. 
 
 fJ^^^HMST'S reign in His Church is that of a shepherd. 
 \i 4^jl king. He has supremacy, but it is the superiority 
 ^^•^^^ of a wise and tender shepherd over his needy an i 
 !:)vi-ng flock ; He commands and recei-es obedience, but it is 
 the willing obedience of the well-cared-for sheep, rendered 
 joyfully to their beloved Shepherd, whose voice they know 
 so well. He rules by the force of love and the energy of 
 goodness. — His reign is practical in its character. It is said, 
 " He shall stand and feed." The great Head of the Church 
 is actively engaged in providing for His people. He does 
 not sit down upon the throne in empty state, or hold a scep- 
 tre without wielding it in government. No ; He stands and 
 feeds. The expression " feed," in the original, is like ac 
 analogous one in the Greek, which means to shepherdize, to 
 do every thing expected of a shepherd ; to guide, to watch, to 
 preserve, to restore, to tend, as well as to feed. — His reigu 
 is continual in its duration. It is said, "^e shall stand and 
 feed ; " not, " He shall feed now and then, and leave His 
 position ; " not, " He shall one day grant a revival, and then 
 next day leave His Church to barrenness." His eyes never 
 slumber, and His hands never rest ; His heart never ceases 
 to beat with love, and His shoulders are never weary of car- 
 rying His people's burdens. — His reign is effectually power- 
 ful in its action; "He shall feed in the strength of Jeho- 
 vah." Wherever Christ is, there is God; and whatever 
 Christ does is ihe act of the Most High. Oh ! it is a joyful 
 truth to consider that He who stands to-day representing 
 the interests of His people is very God of very God, to 
 ttliom every knee shall bow. Happy are we who belong to 
 such a shepherd, whose humanity communes with us, and 
 whose divinity protects us. Let us worship and bow down 
 before Him as the people of His pasture. 
 
August 20. DAILY READINGS. 233 
 
 " 'Hie sweet psalmist of Isra<l" — 2 Samuel xxlii. 1. 
 
 ^|!'"MONG all the saints whose lives are recorded in Holy 
 M/li^ Writ, David possesses an experience of the nio.st 
 mkAc*s\ gtriking, varied, and instructive character. In his 
 history, we meet with trials and temptations not to be dis- 
 covered, as a whole, in other saiuts of ancient times, and 
 hence he is all the more suggestive a type of our Lord. 
 David knew the trials of all ranks and conditions of men. 
 Kings have their troubles, and David wore a crown : the 
 peasant has his cares, and David handled a shepherd's crook : 
 the wanderer has many hardships, and David abode in the 
 caves of Engedi : the captain has his difficulties, and David 
 found the sons of Zeruiah too hard for him. The psalmist 
 was also tried in his friends ; his counsellor Ahithophel for- 
 sook him. " He that eateth bread with me, hath lifted up 
 his heel against me." His worst foes were they of his own 
 household : his children were his greatest affliction. The 
 temptations of poverty and wealth, of honor and reproach, 
 of health and weakness, all tried their power upon him. He 
 had temptations from without to disturb his peace, and from 
 within to mar his joy. David no sooner escaped from one 
 trial than he fell into another ; no sooner emerged from one 
 season of despondency and alarm, than he was again brought 
 into the lowest depths, and all God's waves and billows rolled 
 over him. It is probably from this cause that David's psalms 
 are so universally the delight of experienced Christians. 
 Whatever our frame of mind, whether ecstasy or depression, 
 David has exactly described our emotions. He was an able 
 master of the human heart, because he had been tutored in the 
 best of all schools — the school of hcart-fclt, personal experi- 
 ence. As we are instructed in the same school, as we grow ma- 
 tured in grace and in years, we increasingly appreciate David's 
 psalms, and find them to be "green pastures." My soul, let 
 David's experience cheer aud counsel thee this day. 
 20* 
 
234 DAILY HEADINGS. AugUst 21. 
 
 "^e that wutereth shall be watered also himself." — Prov. xi. 25. 
 
 ^%|\^jE are here taught the great lesson, that to get, wa 
 W^W/i ^^^^^ S^^'^ 5 ^^^* *° accumulate, we must scatter ; 
 ■*"-'^ that to make ourselves happy, we must make othera 
 happy ; and that in order to become spiritually vigorous, 
 we must seek the spiritual good of others. In watering 
 others, we are ourselves watered. How? Our efforts to be 
 useful bring out our powers for usefulness. We have latent 
 talents and dormant faculties, which are brought to light by 
 exercise. Our strength for labor is hidden even from our- 
 selves, until we venture forth to fight the Lord's battles, or 
 to climb the caountains of difficulty. We do not know what 
 tender sympathies we possess, until we try to dry the widow's 
 tears, and soothe the orphan's grief. We often find, in at- 
 tempting to teach others, that we gain instruction for our- 
 selves. Oh, what gracious lessons some of us have learned at 
 sick beds ! We went to teach the Scriptures ; we came away 
 blushing that we knew so little of them. In our converse 
 with poor saints, we are taught the way of God more per- 
 fectly for ourselves, and get a deeper insight into divine 
 truth. So that watering others makes us humble. We dis- 
 cover how much grace there is where we had not looked for 
 it, and how much the poor saint may outstrip us in knowl- 
 edge. Our own comfort is also increased by our working for 
 others. We endeavor to cheer them, and the consolation 
 gladdens our own heart. Like the two men in the snow : 
 one chafed the other's limbs to keep him from dying, and ia 
 BO doing kept his own blood in circulation, and saved hia 
 own life. The poor widow of Sarepta gave from her scanty 
 Btore a supply for the prophet's wants, and from that day 
 she never again knew what want was. Give, then, and it 
 shall be given uuto you, good measure, pressed iQwn, and 
 running over? 
 
August 22. DAILY KFiDINGS. 235 
 
 " I charge you, dauijUers ofJenisalem, if ye find my beloved, that 
 ye tell Iliin that I am sick <f love." — Solomon's Song v. 8. 
 
 i)UCII is the language of the believer panting after 
 r|) present fellowship with Jesus : he is sick for hia 
 Lord. Gracious souls are never perfectly at case 
 except they are in a state of nearness to Christ ; for when 
 they are away from Him they lose their peace. The nearer 
 to Him, the nearer to the perfect calm of heaven ; the 
 nearer to Him, the fuller the heart is, not only of peace, but 
 of life, and vigor, and joy, for these all depend on constant 
 intercourse with Jesus. What the sun is to the day, what 
 the moon is to the night, what the dew is to the flower, such 
 is Jesus Christ to us. What bread is to the hungry, cloth- 
 ing to the naked, the shadow of a great rock to the traveller 
 in a weary land, such is Jesus Christ to us ; and therefore, 
 if we are not consciously one with Him, little marvel if our 
 spirit cries in the word of the Song, " I charge you, ye 
 daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, tell Him that 
 I am sick of love." This earnest longing after Jesus has a 
 blessing attending it : " Blessed are they that do hunger and 
 thirst after righteousness ; " and therefore supremely blessed 
 are they who thirst after the Righteous One. Blessed is 
 that hunger, since it comes from God. If I may not have 
 the full-blown blessedness of being filled, I would seek the 
 same blessedness in its sweet bud-pining in emptiness and 
 eagerness till I am filled with Christ. If I may not feed on 
 Jesus, it shall be next door to heaven to hunger and thirst 
 jifter Him. There is a hallowedness about that hunger, since 
 1 it sparkles among the beatitudes of our Lord. But the 
 blessing involves a promise. Such hungry ones " s/iaiZ he 
 filled" with what they are desiring. If Christ thus causes us 
 to long after Himself, He will certainly satisfy those long- 
 iugs ; and when Tie does come to us, as come He will, o/i, 
 hwv iweei it will he I 
 
236 DAILY KE.o)iNGS. August 23. 
 
 " Tlie voice qftceepinr/ sliall he no more heard." — Isaiah Ixv .9. 
 
 ^-IIE glorified weep no more, for all outward causes of 
 <^h 0''i'^/ «''e gone. There are no broken friendships, 
 nor blighted prospects, in heaven. Poverty, famine, 
 peril, persecution, and slander, are unknown there. No pain 
 distresses, no thought of death or bereavement saddens. 
 They weep no more, for they are perfectly sanctified. No 
 "evil heart of unbelief" prompts them to depart from the 
 living God ; they are without fault before His throne, and 
 are fully conformed to His image. Well may they cease to 
 mourn who have ceased to sin. They weep no more, be- 
 cause all fear of change is past. They know that they arc- 
 eternally secure. Sin is shut out, and they are shut in. They 
 dwell within a city which shall never be stormed ; they bask 
 in a sun which shall never set ; they drink of a river which 
 shall never dry ; they pluck fruit from a tree which shall 
 never wither. Countless cycles may revolve, but eternity 
 shall not be exhausted, and while eternity endures, their im- 
 mortality and blessedness shall co-exist with it. They are 
 forever with the Lord. They weep no more, because every 
 desire is fulfilled. They cannot wish for anything which they 
 have not in possession. Eye and ear, heart and hand, judg- 
 ment, imagination, hope, desire, will, all the faculties, are 
 completely satisfied ; and imperfect as our present ideas are 
 of the things which God hath prepared for them that love 
 Him. yet we know enough, by the revelation of the Spirit, 
 that the saints above are supremely blessed. The joy of 
 Christ, which is an infinite fulness of delight, is in tbem. 
 They bathe themselves in the bottomless, shoreless sea of 
 infinite beatitude. That same joyful rest remains for us. It 
 may not be far distant. Ere long the weeping willow shall 
 be exchanged for the palm-branch of victory, and sorrow's 
 dewdrops will be transformed into the pearls of everlasting 
 bliss, "Wherefore comfort one another with these words," 
 
Aucuat 24. daily headings. 237 
 
 " The breaker is come up before them." — Micah ii. 13. 
 
 ^2^]?rNASMUCII as Jesus has gone before us, tilings re 
 ^|wJ main not as tlioy would have been had lie never 
 y/^Khi}( passed that way. lie has conquered every foe that 
 obstructed the way. Cheer up now, thou faint-hearted war- 
 rior. Not only has Christ travelled the rond, but He has 
 slain thine enemies. Dost thou dread sin ? He has nailed 
 it to His cross. Dost thou fear death ? He has been the 
 death of Death. Art thou afraid of hell ? He has barred it 
 against the advent of any of His children ; they shall never 
 see the gulf of perdition. Whatever foes may be before the 
 Christian, they are all overcome. There are lions, but their 
 teeth are broken ; there are serpents, but their fangs are 
 extracted ; there are rivers, but they are bridged or fordable; 
 there are flames, but we wear that matchless garment which 
 renders us invulnerable to fire. The sword that has been 
 forged against us is already blunted ; the instruments of war 
 which the enemy is preparing have already lost their point. 
 God has taken away in the person of Christ all the power 
 that anything can have to hurt us. Well then, the army may 
 safely march on, and you may go joyously along your jour- 
 ney, for all your enemies are conquered beforehand. AVhat 
 shall you do but march on to take the prey ? They are 
 beaten ; they are vanquished ; all you have to do is to divide 
 the spoil. You shall, it is true, often engage in combat; 
 but your fight shall be with a vanquished foe. His head ia 
 broken ; he may attempt to injure you, but his strength shall 
 not be ouflScicnt for his malicious design. Your victory shall 
 D9 easy, and your treasure shall be beyond all count. 
 
 " Proclaim aloud the Sa'"iour's fame, 
 Who bears the Breaktf's wondrous name ; 
 Sweet name ; and it becomes Him well, 
 Who breaks down earth, sin, death, and heU.'* 
 
238 LAiLY heaMNGS. August 25. 
 
 " His fruit was siceet to my taste." — Canticles ii. 3. 
 
 i^^if^AITH, in the Scriptm*e, is spoken of under the em< 
 J^ blem of all the senses. It is sight. "Look unto Me, 
 and be ye saved." It is heai'ing. " Hear, and your soul 
 shall live." Faith is smelling. " All thy garments 
 smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia ; " " Thy name is ointr 
 ment poured forth." Faith is spiritual touch. By this faith 
 the woman came behind and touched the hem of Christ's 
 garment, and by this we handle the things of the good word 
 of life. Faith is equally the spirit's taste. " How sweet are 
 Thy words to my taste ! yea, sweeter than honey to my lips." 
 " Except a man eat my flesh," saith Christ, " and drink my 
 blood, there is no life in him." 
 
 This " taste " is faith in one of its highest operations. One 
 •f the first performances of faith is hearing. We hear the 
 voice of God, not with the outward ear alone, but with the 
 inward ear ; we hear it as God's Word, and we believe it to 
 be so ; that is the " hearing " of faith. Then our mind looJc- 
 eth upon the truth as it is presented to us ; that is to say, we 
 understand it ; we perceive its meaning ; that is the " seeing" 
 of faith. Next we discover its preciousness ; we begin to 
 admire it, and find how fragrant it is ; that is faith in its 
 " smeS." Then w^e appropriate the mercies which are pre- 
 pared for us in Christ ; that is faith in its " touch." Hence 
 follow the enjoyments, peace, delight, communion ; which 
 are faith in its " taste." Any one of these acts of faith in 
 saving. To hear Christ's voice as the sure voice of God in 
 the soul will save us ; but that which gives true enjoyment 
 is the aspect of faith wherein Christ, by holy taste, is received 
 into us, and made, by inward and spiritual apprehension of 
 His sweetness and preciousness, to be the food of our souls. 
 It is then we sit " under His shadow with great delight," 
 and find His fruit sweet to our taste. 
 
August 26. DAILY READINGS. 239 
 
 " lie hath commanded Eis covenant forever ." — Psalm cxi. 9. 
 
 i 
 
 o^TIE Lord's people delight in the covenaut itself. Il 
 K* is au unfailiii"; souvce of consolation to them so often 
 
 as the Holy Spirit loads them into its banqueting- 
 house, and waves its banner of love. They delight to con- 
 template the antiquity of that covenant, remembering that 
 before the day-star knew its place, or planets ran their round, 
 the interests of the saints were made secure in Christ Jesus. 
 It is peculiarly pleasing to them to remember the sureness of 
 the covenant, while meditating upon " the sure mercies of 
 David." The}' delight to celebrate it as " signed, and scaled, 
 and ratified, in all things ordered well." It often makes 
 their hearts dilate with joy to think of its immutability, as a 
 covenant which neither time nor eternity, life nor death, 
 shall ever be able to violate — a covenant as old as eternity, 
 and as everlasting as the Rock of ages. They rejoice also 
 to feast upon the fulness of this covenant, for they see in it 
 all things provided for them. Grod is their portion, Christ 
 their companion, the Spirit their Comforter, earth their lodge, 
 and heaven their home. They see in it an inheritance re- 
 served and entailed to every soul possessing an interest in 
 its ancient and eternal deed of gift. Their eyes sparkled 
 when they saw it as a treasure-trove in the Bible ; but, oh, 
 how their souls were gladdened when they saw in the last 
 will and testament of their divine kinsman, that it was be- 
 queathed to them ! More especially it is the pleasure of God's 
 people to contemplate the graciousness of this covenant. They 
 see that the law was made void, because it was a covenant of 
 works, and depended upon merit ; but this they perceive to 
 be enduring, because grace is the basis, grace the condition, 
 grace the strain, grace the bulwark, grace the foundation, 
 grace the top-stone. The covenaut is a treasury of wealth, 
 a'grauaiy of food, a fountain of life, a storeJiouse of salva* 
 tion, a charter of peace, and a haven of joy. 
 
240 DAILY READINGS. AugUSt 21, 
 
 "How long will it be ere they believe Me ? " — Numbers \iv. 11. 
 
 ^^|^(tSiTE.IVE, ivith all diligence, to keep out that monster un- 
 ^^klij hel'u'f. It so dishonors Christ, that He will withdraw 
 ^'^■^ His visible presence if we insult Him-by indulging it. 
 It is true it is a weed the seeds of which we can never en- 
 tirely extract from the soil, but we must aim at its root with 
 zeal and perseverance. Among hateful things it is the most 
 to be abhorred. Its injurious nature is so venomous that he 
 that exerciseth it, and he upon whom it is exercised, are both 
 hurt thereby. lu thy case, believer, it is most wicked, for 
 the mercies of thy Lord in the past increase thy guilt in 
 doubting Him now. When thou dost distrust the Lord Jesus, 
 He may well cry out, " Behold I am pressed under you, as a 
 cart is pressed that is full of sheaves." This is crowning His 
 head with thorns of the sharpest kiud. It is very cruel for a 
 well-beloved wife to mistrust a kind and faithful husband. 
 The sin is needless, foolish, and unwarranted. Jesus has 
 never given the slightest ground for suspicion, and it is hard 
 to be doubted by those to whom our conduct is uniformly af- 
 fectionate and true. Jesus is the Son of the Highest, and 
 has unbounded wealth ; it is shameful to doubt Omnipotence 
 and distrust all-sufficiency. The cattle on a thousand hilli 
 will suffice for our most hungry feeding, and the granaries of 
 heaven are not likely to be emptied by our eating. If Christ 
 were only a cistern, we might soon exhaust His fulness ; but 
 who can drain a fountain ? Myriads of spirits have drawn 
 their supplies from Him, and not one of them has murmured 
 at the scantiness of His resources. Away, then, with this 
 I/ing traitor unbelief, for his only errand is to cut the bonds 
 of communion and make us mourn an absent Saviour. Bun- 
 yan tolls us that unbelief has " as many lives as a cat ;" if so, 
 let us kill one life now, and continue the work till the whole 
 nine are gone. Down with thee, thou traitor; my heart 
 tbhors thee. 
 
August 28. DAILY HEADlKGd. 241 
 
 " Oil for the ligJd." — Exodus xxv. 6. 
 
 ^I^Y^Y soul, how much thou ncedcst this! for th}' lamp will 
 &^l<|| not long continue to burn without it. Thy snuff will 
 ^^^r smoke and become an oflence if light be gone, and 
 gone it will be if oil be absent. Thou hast no oil well spring- 
 ing up in thy human nature, and therefore thou must go to 
 them that sell, and buy for thyself, or, like the fcolish vir- 
 gins, thou wilt have to cry, " My lamp is gone out." Even the 
 consecrated lamps could not give light without oil ; though 
 they shone in the tabernacle they needed to be fed, though 
 no rough winds blew upon them they required to be trimmed, 
 and thy need is equally as great. Under the most happy 
 circumstances thou canst not give light for another hour 
 unless fresh oil of grace be given thee. 
 
 It was not every oil that might be used in the Lord's ser- 
 vice ; neither the petroleum which exudes so plentifully from 
 the earth, nor the produce of fishes, nor that extracted from 
 nuts, would be accepted ; one oil only was selected, and that 
 the best olive oil. Pretended grace from natural goodness, 
 fancied grace from priestly hands, or imaginary grace from 
 outward ceremonies, will never serve the true saint of God. 
 He knows that the Lord would not be pleased with rivers of 
 euch oil. He goes to the olive-press of Gethsemane, and 
 draws his supplies from Him who was crushed therein. The 
 oil of gospel grace is pure and free from lees and dregs, and 
 hence the light which is fed thereon is clear and bright. Our 
 churches are the Saviour's golden candelabra, and if they 
 are to be lights in this dark world, they must have much holy 
 oil. Let us pray for ourselves, our ministers, and our 
 churches, that they may never lack oil for the light. Truth, 
 holiness, joy, knowledge, love, these are all beams of the 
 sacred light ; but we cannot give them forth unless in piivate 
 we receive oil from God the Holy Ghost. 
 ^1 
 
S42 DAILY HEADINGS. AugUst i^. 
 
 "Have mtrcy upon me, God." — Psalm li. 1. 
 
 ^Jtl^HEN Dr. Carej was suffering from a dangerous ill- 
 WxJ^^h ness, the inquiry was made, " If this sickness should 
 ■^^ prove fatal, what passage would you select as the 
 text for your funeral sermon ? " He replied, " 0, 1 feel that 
 such a poor sinful creature is unworthj' to have anything 
 said about him ; but, if a funeral sermon must be preached, 
 let it be from the words, ' Have mercy upon me, God, 
 according to Thy loving-kindness ; according unto the mul- 
 titude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.' " 
 In the same spirit of humility, he directed in his will that 
 the following inscription, and nothing more, should be cut 
 on his gravestone : — 
 
 William Carey, Boen August 17th, 1761; 
 Died — . 
 
 " A ivretched, poor, and helpless worm. 
 On Thy kind arms I fall." 
 
 Only on the footing of free grace can the most experienced 
 and most honored of the saints approach their God. The 
 best of men are conscious, above all others, that they are 
 men at the best. Empty boats float high, but heavily-laden 
 vessels are low in the water ; mere professors can boast, but 
 true children of God cry for mercy upon their unprofitable- 
 ness. We have need that the Lord should have mercy upon 
 our good works, our prayers, our preachings, our alms-giv- 
 ings, and our holiest things. The blood was not only sprin- 
 kled upon the door-posts of Israel's dwelling-houses, but 
 upon the sanctuary, the mercy-seat, and the altar, because, 
 as sin intrudes into our holiest things, the blood of Jesus is 
 needed to purify them from defilement. If mercy be needed 
 to be exercised towards our duties, what shall be said of our 
 «ins ? How sweet the remembrance that inexhaustible mercy 
 is waiting to be gracious to us, to restore our backslidings, 
 and make our broken bones rejoice! 
 
August 30. DAILY READINGS. 24J 
 
 " Wait on the Lord." — Psalm xxvii. 14. 
 
 ^Jlfl'I^'T may seem an easy thing to wait, but it is one of the 
 i^'- lki>! postures which a Christian soldier learns not without 
 y/^RKy years of teaching. Marching and quick-marching 
 are much easier to God's warriors than standing still. There 
 are hours of perplexity when the most willing spirit, anxiously 
 desirous to serve the Lord, knows not what part to take. 
 Then what shall it do ? Vex itself by despair ? Fly back 
 in cowardice, turn to the right hand in fear, or rush forward 
 in presumption ? No, but simply wait. Wait in prayer, 
 however. Call upon God, and spread the case before Ilini ; 
 tell Ilim your difficulty, and plead His promise of aij. In 
 dilemmas between one duty and another, it is sweet to be 
 humble as a child, and wait with simplicity of soul upon the 
 Lord. It is sure to be well with us when we feel and know 
 our own folly, and are heartily willing to be guided by the 
 will of God. But ivait in faith. Express your uustaggering 
 confidence in Ilim ; for unfaithful, untrusting waiting is but 
 an insult to the Lord. Believe that if He keep you tarrying 
 even till midnight, yet He will come at the right time ; the 
 vision shall come, and shall not tarry. Wait in quiet patience, 
 not rebelling because you are under the affliction, but bless- 
 ing your God for it. Never murmur against the second 
 cause, as the children of Israel did against Moses ; never 
 wish you could go back to the world again, but accept the 
 ease as it is, and put it as it stands simply and with your whole 
 heart, without any self-will, into the hand of 3'our covenant 
 God, saying, " Now, Lord, not my will, but Thine be done. 
 I know not what to do ; I am brought to extremities ; but ] 
 will wait until Thou shalt cleave the floods, or drive back 
 Diy Toes. I will wait, if Thou keep me many a day, for lay 
 heart is fixed upon Thee alone, God, and my spirit wait*, tb 
 for Thee in the full conviction that Thou wilt yet be my j >7 
 and my salvation, my refuge and my strong tower." 
 
244 DAILY EEADIKGS. AugUSt 31 
 
 " On viinc arm shall tliey trust." — Isai»h li. 5. 
 
 '^^N seasons of severe trial, the Christian has nothing 
 ';j|\ on earth that he can trust to, and is therefore com- 
 ^ pelled to cast himself on his God alone. When his 
 TGSscl is on its beam-ends, and no human deliverance can 
 avail, he must simply and entirely trust himself to the provi- 
 dence and care of God. Happy storm that wrecks a man on 
 such a rock as this ! blessed hurricane that drives the 
 soul to God, and God alone ! There is no getting at our God 
 sometimes because of the multitude of our friends ; but when 
 a man is «o poor, so friendless, so helpless, that he has no- 
 where else to turn, he flies into his Father's arms, and is 
 blessedly clasped therein ! When he is burdened with trou- 
 bles, so pressing and so peculiar that he cannot ♦ell thom to 
 any but his God, he may be thankful for them ; for he will 
 learn more of his Lord then than at any other time. Oh, 
 tempest-tossed believer, it is a happy trouble tha( drives thee 
 to thy Father ! Now that thou hast only thy God to trust to, 
 see that thou puttest thy full confidence in Him. Dishonor 
 not thy Lord and Master by unworthy doubts and fears ; but 
 be strong in faith, giving glory to God. Show tht world that 
 thy God is worth ten thousand worlds to thee. Show rich 
 men how rich thou art in thy poverty when the Lo'd God is 
 thy helper. Show the strong man how strong thou art in thy 
 weakness when underneath thee are the everlastirg aims 
 Now is the time for feats of faith and valiant exploits. Be 
 strong and very courageous, and the Lord thy God si all cer- 
 tainly, as surely as he built the heavens and the earth glorifj 
 Himself in thy weakness, and magnify His might in the 
 midst of thy distress. The grandeur of the arch of heaven 
 would be spoiled if the sky were supported by a singl« visi- 
 ble column, and your faith would lose its glory if it res^>d on 
 anything discernible by the carnal eye. May the Holy ' piril 
 give you to rest in Jesus this closing day of the month 
 
St'pt. 1. ' t)AILY tUEAtolNGS. 246 
 
 " Thou shall guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive 
 vie to glory y — I'salm Ixxiii. 24. 
 
 "CIIE Psalmist felt his need of divine guidance- He 
 ^yjl^ had just been discovering the foolishness of nis own 
 heart, and, lest he should be constantly led astray 
 by it, he resolved that God's counsel should henceforth guid? 
 him. A sense of our own folly is a great step towards being 
 wise when it leads us to rely on the wisdom of the Lord. 
 The blind man leans on his friend's arm, and reaches home 
 in safety ; and so would we give ourselves up implicitly to 
 divine gnidance, nothing doubting, assured that, though we 
 cannot see, it is always safe to trust the All-seeing God 
 ''Thou shah" is a blessed expression of confidence. lie 
 was sure that the Lord would not decline the condescending 
 task. There is a word for thee, believer ; rest thou in it. 
 Be assured that thy God will be thy counsellor and friend; 
 He shall guide thee ; He will direct all thy ways. In His 
 written AVord thou hast this assurance in part fulfilled, for 
 holy Scripture is His counsel to thee. Happy are we to have 
 God's Word always to guide us ! What were the mariner 
 without his compass I And what were the Christian without 
 the Bible ? This is the unerring chart, the map in which 
 every shoal is described, and all the channels, from the 
 quicksands of destruction to the haven of salvation, mapped 
 and marked by one who knows all the way. Blessed be 
 Thou, God, that we may trust Thee to guide us now, and 
 guide us even to the end ! After this guidance through life, 
 the Psalmist anticipates a divine reception at last — "And 
 afterivard receive me to glory." What a thought for thee, 
 believer! God Himself will receive thee to glory — thee' 
 Wandering, erring, straying, yet He will bring thee safe at 
 last to glory I This is thy portion ; live on it this day, and, 
 if perplexities should surround thee, go in the strength of 
 this text straight to the tlirone. 
 21* 
 
246 JDAILY KEADIKGS, Sept. ^. 
 
 "But Simon^s wife^s mother lay sick of a fever, and anon tliey tell 
 Eim of her" — Mark i. 30. 
 
 i|S'ERY interesting is this little peep into the house of 
 M the Apostolic Fisherman. We sec at once that house 
 hold joys and cares are no hinderance to the full ex- 
 ercise of the ministry; nay, that since they furnish an oppor- 
 tunity for personally witnessing the Lord's gracious work 
 upon one's own flesh and blood, they may even instruct the 
 teacher better than any other earthly discipline. Papists 
 and other sectaries may decry marriage, but true Christi- 
 anity and household life agree well together. Peter's house 
 was probably a poor fisherman's hut, but the Lord of Glory 
 entered it, lodged in it, and wrought a miracle in it. Should 
 our little book be read this morning in some very humble 
 cottage, let this fact encourage the inmates to seek the com- 
 pany of King Jesus. God is oftener in little huts than in 
 rich palaces. Jesus is looking round your room now, and 
 is waiting to be gracious to you. Into Simon's house sick- 
 ness had entered, fever in a deadly form had prostrated his 
 mother-in-law, and as soon as Jesus came they told Him of 
 the sad affliction, and He hastened to the patient's bed. 
 Have you any sickness in the house this morning ? You 
 will find Jesus by far the best physician ; go to Him at once, 
 and tell Him all about the matter. Immediately lay the case 
 before Him. It concerns one of His people, and therefore 
 will not be trivial to Him. Observe, that at once the Saviour 
 restored the sick woman ; none can heal as He does. We 
 may not make sure that the Lord will at once remove all 
 disease from those we love, but we may know that believing 
 prayer for the sick is far more likely to be followed by 
 restoration than anything else in the world ; and where this 
 avails not, we must meekly bow to His will by whom life and 
 death are determined. The tender heart of Jesus waits to 
 hear our griefs ; let us pour them into His patient ear. 
 
Sept. {J. KAii.ir uiiADixGs. 24^ 
 
 " Tliou whom vttj soul loveth." — Canticles i. 7. 
 
 m 
 
 \'j^ is well to be able, without any "if" or "but," to 
 VnI *^^ ^^y '^^ ^^^^ Lord Jesus — " Thou whom my soul loveth." 
 '^^^ Many can only say of Jesus that thoy hope thoy love 
 Hiin ; they trust they love Ilim ; but only a poor and shallow 
 experience will be content to stay here. No one ought to 
 give any rest to his spirit till he feels quite sure about a 
 matter of such vital importance. We ought not to be satis- 
 fied with a superficial hope that Jesus loves us, and with a 
 bare trust that we love Him. The old saints did not gen- 
 erally speak with " buts," and " ifs," and " hopes," and 
 "trusts," but they spoke positively and plainly. "I know 
 svhom I have believed," saith Paul. " I know that my Re- 
 deemer liveth," saith Job. Get positive knowledge of your 
 love of Jesus, and be not satisfied till you can speak of your 
 interest in Him as a rcalit}', which you have made sure by 
 having received the witness of the Holy Spirit, and His seal 
 upon your soul by faith. 
 
 True love to Christ Is in every case the Holy Spirit's work, 
 and must be wrought in the heart by Him. He is the effi- 
 cient cause of it ; but the logical reason why we love Jesus 
 lies in Himself. Why do VfC love Jesus ? Because He first 
 loved lis. Why do we love Jesus ? Because He " gave 
 Himself for us.'' We have life through His death ; we have 
 peace through His blood. Though He was rich, yet for 
 our sakcs He became poor. Why do we love Jesus ? Be- 
 cause of the excellency of His perse i. We are filled with a 
 sense of His beauty ! an admiration of His charms ! a con- 
 sciousness of His infinite perfection ! His greatness, good- 
 ness, and loveliness, in one resplendent ray, combine to 
 enchant the soul till it is so ravished that it exclaims, " Yea, 
 He is altogether lovely." Blessed love this — a love whirh 
 binds the heart with chains more soft than silk, and yet mora 
 firu) than adamant ' 
 
S4i8 DAILY KEADINGS. Sept. 4. 
 
 " Irrill ; he thou clean." — Mark i. 41. 
 
 j^RIMEVAL darkness heard the Almighty fiat,/' Light 
 be," and straightway light was; and the Word of the 
 Lord Jesus is equal in majesty to that ancient word 
 of power. Eedemption, like Creation, has its word of might. 
 Jesus speaks and it is done. Leprosy yielded to no human 
 remedies, but it fled at once at the Lord's " I will." The 
 disease exhibited no hopeful signs or tokens of recovery ; 
 nature contributed nothing to its own healing; but the un^ 
 aided Word effected the entire work on the spot and forever. 
 The sinner is in a plight more miserable than the leper ; let 
 him imitate his example, and go to Jesus, " beseeching Him, 
 and kneeling down to Him." Let him exercise what little 
 faith he has, even though it should go no farther than, " Lord, 
 if thou wilt, Th'u canst make me clean ; " and there need be 
 no doubt as to the result of the application. Jesus heals all 
 who come, and casts out none. In reading the narrative in 
 which our morning's text occurs, it is worthy of devout no- 
 tice that Jesus touched the leper. This unclean person had 
 broken through the regulations of the ceremonial law, and 
 pressed into the house ; but Jesus, so far from chiding him, 
 broke through the law Himself in order to meet him. He 
 made an interchange with the leper, for while He cleansed 
 him, He contracted by that touch a Levitical defilement. 
 Even so Jesus Christ was made sin for us, although in Him- 
 Bolf He knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness 
 of God in Him, that poor sinners would go to Jesus, be- 
 lieving in the power of His blessed substitutionary work, and 
 thej would soon learn the power of His gracious touch. That 
 hand which multiplied the loaves, which saved sinking Peter, 
 which upholds afilicted saints, which crowns believers, that 
 same hand will touch every seeking sinner, and in a moment 
 make him clean. The love of Jesus is the source of salva- 
 tion. He loves, He looks, He touches us, we live. 
 
Sept. 5 t>.ULY JIEADING3. 249 
 
 " Woe is nic, (hat I snjovni in Mcsech, ihut I dwell in the tents of 
 Kedar ! " — Psalm cxx. 5. 
 
 I'-S a Christian you have to live in the midst of an in- 
 '^ godly world, and it is of little use for you to orj, 
 <>^^jy\ ""Woe is me." Jesus did not pray that you should 
 be taken out of the world, and what He did not pray for you 
 need not desire. Better far in the Lord's strength to meet 
 the diflBculty, and glorify Ilim in it. The enemy is ever on 
 the watch to detect inconsistency in your conduct ; be there- 
 fore very liohj. Eemcmbcr that the eyes of all are upon you, 
 and that more is expected from you than from other men. 
 Strive to give no occasion for blame. Let your goodness be 
 the only fault they can discover in you. Like Daniel, com- 
 pel them to say of you, " We shall not find any occasion 
 against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning 
 the law of his God." Seek to bo useful as well as consist- 
 ent. Perhaps you think, " If I were in a more favorable 
 position I might serve the Lord's cause, but I cannot do any 
 good where I am ; " but the worse the people are among 
 whom you live, the more need have they of your exertions ; 
 if they be crooked, the more necessity that you should set 
 them straight ; and if they be perverse, the more need have 
 you to turn their proud hearts to the truth. Where should 
 the physician be but where there are many sick ? Where 
 is honor to be won by the soldier but in the hottest fire of 
 the battle ? And when weary of the strife and sin that meet 
 you on every hand, consider that all the saints have endured 
 the same trial. They were not carried on beds of down to 
 heaven, and you must not expect to travel more easily than 
 they. They had to hazard their lives unto the death in the 
 high places of the field, and you will not be crowned till you 
 also have endured hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 
 Therefore, " stand fast in the faith ; quit you like men • h» 
 Btrong." 
 
240 DAILY READINGS. Sept. 6. 
 
 " In the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye 
 shine as lights in the luorld." — Philippians ii. 15, 
 
 jijE us^ lights to make manifest. A Christian man 
 ^j'l^j sboTild so shine in his life, that a person could nol 
 live with him a week without knowing the gos- 
 pel. His conversation should be such that all who are abou> 
 him should clearly perceive whose he is, and whom he serves- 
 and should see the image of Jesus reflected in his daily ac- 
 tions. Li|,'hts are intended for guidance. We are to helf 
 those arouid us who are in the dark. We are to hold forth 
 to them the Word of life. We are to point sinners to the 
 Saviour, rnd the weary to a divine resting-place. Men 
 Bometimes read their Bibles, and fail to understand them ; 
 we should be ready, like Philip, to instruct the inquirer in 
 the meanlog of God's Word, the way of salvation, and the 
 life of goJliness. Lights are also used for warning. On 
 our rocks and shoals a lighthouse is sure to be erected. 
 Christian :men should know that there are many false lights 
 shown everywhere in the world, and therefore the right light 
 is needed. The wreckers of Satan are always abroad, tempt- 
 ing the ungodly to sin under the name of pleasure : they 
 hoist the wrong light ; be it ours to put up the true light upon 
 every dangerous rock, to point out every sin, and tell what 
 it leads to, that so we may be clear of the blood of all men, 
 shining as lights in the world. Lights also have a very 
 cheering influence, and so have Christians. A Christian 
 ought to be a comforter, with kind words on his lips, and 
 sympathy in his heart ; he should carry suns^hine wherever 
 be goes, and difi'use happiness around him. 
 
 *' Gracious Spirit, dwell with me; 
 I myself would gracious be, 
 And with words that help and heal, 
 Would Thy life in mine reveal, 
 And with actions bold and meek, 
 Would for Christ my Saviour speak." 
 
Sept. 7. CAItY ftEAt)lVGS. d51 
 
 " And xchen they couM not come nigh unto Him for the presa, thejf 
 uncovered the roif where He teas: and when they had broken it 
 up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay* 
 Mark ii. 4. 
 
 ■ftJ^if^^AITH is full of inventions. The house was full, a 
 fc^l^ crowd blocked up the door, but faith found a way of 
 V^'^^ getting at the Lord and placing the palsied man be- 
 fore Him. If we cannot get sinners where Jesus is by 
 ordinary methods, we must use extraordinary ones. It seems, 
 according to Luke v. 19, that a tiling had to be removed, 
 which would make dust and cause a measure of danger to those 
 below ; but where the case is very urgent, we must not mind 
 running some risks and shocking some proprieties. Jesus 
 was there to heal, and therefore fall what might, faith ven- 
 tured all so that her poor paralyzed charge might have hia 
 sins forgiven. that we had more daring faith among us ! 
 Cannot we, dear reader, seek it this morning for ourselves 
 and for our fellow-workers, and will we not try to-day to 
 perform some gallant act for the love of souls and the glory 
 of the Lord. 
 
 The world is constantly inventing ; genius serves all the 
 purposes of human desire : cannot faith invent too, and reach 
 by some new means the outcasts who lie perishing around us ? 
 It was the presence of Jesus which excited victorious courage 
 in the four bearers of the palsied man : is not the Lord among 
 us now ? Have we seen His face for ourselves this morning ? 
 Have we felt His healing power in our own souls ? If so, 
 then through door, through window, or through roof, let us, 
 breaking through all impediments, labor to bring poor souIh 
 to Jesus. All means are good and decorous when faith and 
 love are truly set on winning souls. If hunger for bread can 
 break through stone walls, surely hunger for souls is not to 
 be hindered in its eiforts. Lord, make us quick to suggest 
 methods of reaching Thy p<.or sin-sick ones, and told tu 
 carry them out at all hazards. 
 
25^ l)AItY HEADINGS. Sept. 8. 
 
 " From Me is thy fruit found.'" — Hosea xiv. 8. 
 
 ^^UR fruit is found from our God as to union. The 
 fruit of the branch is directly traceable to the root. 
 ^ Sever the connection, the branch dies, and no fruit 
 is produced. By virtue of our union with Christ we bring 
 forth fruit. Every bunch of grapes has been first in the root ; 
 it has passed through the stem, and flowed through the sap 
 vessels, and fashioned itself externally into fruit ; but it was 
 first in the stem : so also every good work was first in Chridt, 
 and then is brought forth in us. Christian, prize this 
 precious union to Christ ; for it must be the source of all the 
 fruitfulness which thou canst hope to know. If thou wert 
 not joined to Jesus Christ, thou wouldst be a barren bough 
 indeed. 
 
 Our fruit comes from God as to spiritual providence. 
 When the dew-drops fall from heaven, when the cloud looks 
 down from on high, and is about to distil its liquid treasure, 
 when the bright sun swells the berries of the cluster, each 
 heavenly boon may whisper to the tree and say, " From me 
 is thy fruit found." The fruit owes much to the root — that 
 is essential to fruitfulness — but it owes very much also to 
 external influences. How much we owe to God's grace- 
 providence ! in which He provides us constantly with quick- 
 ening, teaching, consolation, strength, or whatever else we 
 want. To this we owe our all of usefulness or virtue. 
 
 Our fruit comes from God as to %vise husbandry. The 
 gardener's sharp-edged knife promotes the fruitfulness of the 
 tree, by thinning the clusters, and by cutting ofi" superfluous 
 shoots. So is it. Christian, with that pruning which the Lord 
 gives to thee. " My Father is the husbandman. Every branch 
 in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away ; and every branch 
 that beareth fruit. He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more 
 fruit." Since our God is the author of our spiritual graces, 
 let us give to Him all the glory of our salvation. 
 
Sept. 9. DAILY READINGS. i53 
 
 " T u'ill anstccr thee, and show thee great and mi'i/hti/ rw.<^i iohich 
 thou knotcest not." — Jeremiah xxxiii. 3. 
 
 ClIERE are different trauslations of these words. One 
 '^ version renders it, " I will show thee great and 
 fortified things ; " another, " great and reserved 
 things." Now, there are reserved and special things in 
 Christian experience : all the developments of spiritual life 
 are not alike easy of attainment. There are the common 
 frames and feelings of repentance, and faith, and joy, and 
 hope, which are enjoyed by the entire family; but there is 
 an upper realm of rapture, of communion, and conscious 
 union with Christ, which is far from being the common dwell- 
 ing-place of believers. We have not all the high privilege 
 of John, to lean upon Jesus" bosom ; nor of Paul, to be 
 caught up into the third heaven, 'i'here aiC heights in ex- 
 perimental knowledge of the things of God which the eagle's 
 eye of acumen and philosophic thought hath never seen : 
 God alone can bear us there ; but the chariot in which He 
 takes us up, and the fiery steeds with which that chariot is 
 dragged, are prevailing pra^'ers. Prevailing prayer is vic- 
 torious over the God of mercy. " By his strength he had 
 power with God : j'ca, he had power over the angel, and 
 prevailed : he wept and made supplication unto Ilim ; he 
 found Him in Betli-el, and there He spake with us." Pre- 
 vailing prayer takes the Christian to Carmel, and enables him 
 to cover lioaven with clouds of blessing, and earth with floods 
 of mercy. Prevailing prayer bears the Christian aloft to 
 Pisgah, and shows him the inheritance reserved ; it elevates 
 us to Tabor, and transfigures us, till in the likeness of his 
 Lord, as he is, so are we also in this world. If you would 
 reach to something higher than ordinary grovelling experi- 
 ence, look to the Pock that is higher than you, and gaze with 
 the eye of faith through the window of importunate prayer. 
 When you open the window on your side, it will not bo bolted 
 
 on the other. 
 
 99 
 
254 DAILY HEADINGS. Sept. 10 
 
 " And He goeih up into a mountain, and calleth unto Him whom He 
 would: and they came unto Him." — Mark iii. 13. 
 
 ^ERE was sovereignty. Impatient spirits may fret and 
 V. fume because they are not called to the highest 
 '^^**^ places in the ministry ; but, reader, be it thine to re~ 
 ioice that Jesus calleth whom He will. If He shall leave 
 me to be a doorkeeper in His house, I will cheerfully bless 
 Him for His grace in permitting me to do anything in His 
 service. The call of Christ's servants comes from above. 
 Jesus stands on the mountain, evermore above the world in 
 holiness, earnestness, love, and power. Those whom He calls 
 must go up the mountain to Him ; they must seek to rise to 
 His level by living in constant communion with Him. They 
 may not be able to mount to classic honors, or attain scho- 
 lastic eminence, but they must like Moses go up into the 
 mount of God, and have familiar intercourse with the unseen 
 God, or they will never be fitted to proclaim the gospel of 
 peace. Jesus went apart to hold high fellowship with the 
 Father, and we must enter into the same divine companion- 
 ship if we would bless our fellow-men. No wonder that the 
 apostles were clothed with power when they came down fresh 
 from the mountain where Jesus was. This morning we must 
 endeavor to ascend the mount of communion, that there we 
 may be ordained to the life-work for which we are set apart. 
 Let us not see the face of man to-day till we have seen Jesus. 
 Time spent with Him is laid out at blessed interest. We too 
 shall cast out devils and work wonders if we go down into 
 the world girded with that divine energy which Christ alone 
 ean give. It is of no use going to the Lord's battle till we 
 are armed with heavenly weapons. We must see Jesus : this 
 is essential. At the mercy-seat we will linger till He shalj 
 manifest Himself unto us as He doth not unto the world, and 
 until we can tiuthfully say, " We were with Him in the Hol^ 
 Mount." 
 
Sept. 11 DAILY READINGS. 255 
 
 " Be ye separate." — 2 Corinthians vi. 17. 
 
 JSMSa^^HE Christian, while in the world, is not to be of Ihp 
 H^r^^' world. lie should be distinguished from it in iht 
 ^'^^f^ great object of his life. To him, " to live," should bo 
 " Christ." AYhcthcr he eats, or drinks, or whatever he doe.?, 
 he should do all to God's glory. You may lay up treasure ; 
 but lay it up in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth 
 corrupt, where thieves break not through nor steal. You 
 may strive to be rich ; but be it your ambition to be " rich 
 in faith " and good works. You may have pleasure ; but 
 when you are merry, sing psalms and make melody in your 
 hearts to the Lord. In your spirit, as well as in your aim, 
 you should differ from the world. "Waiting humbly before 
 God, always conscious of Ilis presence, delighting in com- 
 munion with Him, and seeking to know His will, you will 
 prove that you are of heavenly race. And you should be 
 separate from the world in your actions. If a thing be right, 
 though you lose by it, it must be done ; if it be wrong, though 
 you would gain by it, you must scorn the sin for your Master's 
 sake. You must have no fellowship with the unfruitful works 
 of darkness, but rather reprove them. Walk worthy of your 
 high calling and dignity. Remember, Christian, that thou 
 art a son of the King of kings. Therefore, keep thyself un- 
 spotted from the world. Soil not the fingers which are soon 
 to sweep celestial strings ; let not those eyes become the 
 windows of lust which are soon to see the King in His beauty 
 — let not those feet be defiled in miry places which are soou 
 to walk the golden streets ; ht not those hearts be filled with 
 pride and bitterness which are ere long to be filled with 
 heaven, and to overflow with ecstatic joy. 
 
 Then rise, my soul! and soar away, Up where eternal beauties bloom, 
 Above the thoughtless crowd ; And pleasures all divine ; [sume. 
 
 Above the pleasures of the gay, Where wealth that never can co»- 
 And splendors of the proud ; And «ndle8s gloriea shins. 
 
256 DAILV READINGS. Sept. Vi. 
 
 " God is jealous" — Nahum i. 2. 
 
 ^OUR Lord is very jealous of your love, O believer. 
 
 1^ Did he choose you ? He cannot bear that you should 
 choose another. Did He buy you with his own blood ? 
 He cannot endure that you should think that you are 
 your own, or that you belong to this world. He loved you with 
 such a love that He would not stop in heaven without you ; Ht 
 would sooner die than you should perish, and he cannot endure 
 that anything should stand between your heart's love and Him- 
 self. He is very jealous of your trust. He will not permit you 
 to trust in an arm of flesh. He cannot bear that you should 
 hew out broken cisterns, when the overflowing fountain is al- 
 ways free to you. When we lean upon Him, He is glad ; but 
 when we transfer our dependence to another, when we rely 
 upon our own wisdom or the wisdom of a friend, worst of all, 
 vhen we trust in any works of our own, He is displeased, and 
 wiH chasten us that He may bring us to Himself. He is also 
 very jealous of our company. There should be no one with 
 whom we converse so much as with Jesus. To abide in Him 
 only, this is true love ; but to commune with the world, to find 
 suflicient solace in our carnal comforts, to prefer even the so- 
 ciety of our fellow-Christians to secret intercourse with Him, 
 this is grievous to our jealous Lord. He would fain have us 
 abide in Him, and enjoy constant fellowship with Himself; 
 and many of the trials which He sends us are for the purpose 
 of weaning our hearts from the creature, and fixing them more 
 closely upon Himself. Let this jealousy, which should keep 
 us near to Christ, be also a comfort to us ; for if He loves us 
 so much as to care thus about our love, we may be sure that 
 He will sufi"er nothing to harm us, and will protect us from 
 all oui enemies. that we may have grace this day to keep 
 our hearts in sacred chastity for our Beloved alone, with sacred 
 jealousy shutting our eyes to all the fascinations of the world ! 
 
Sept. 13. DAILY READINGS. 257 
 
 " Who passing tliroitgli the valley of Baca make it a well, the rain 
 also filleth the pools." — Psalm Ixxxiv. G. 
 
 ^^HIS teaches us that the comfort obtained by one may 
 \(^^j often prove serviceable to another; just as wells 
 would be used by the company who came after. We 
 read some book fulJ of consolation, which is like Jonathan's 
 rod, dropping with honey. Ah ! we think our brother has 
 been here before us, and digged this well for us as well as for 
 himself. Many a " Night of Weeping," " Midnight Harmo- 
 nics," an " Eternal Day," " A Crook in the Lot," a " Comfort 
 for Mourners," has been a well digged by a pilgrim for him- 
 self, but has proved quite as useful to others. Specially, we 
 notice this in the Psalms, such as that beginning, " Why art 
 thou cast down, my soul?" Travellers have been de- 
 lighted to see the footprint of man on a barren shore, ind 
 we love to see the waymarks of pilgrims while passing through 
 the vale of tears. 
 
 The pilgrims dig the well, but, strange enough, it fills from 
 the top instead of the bottom. We use the means, but the 
 blessing does not spring from the means. We dig a well, 
 but Heaven fills it with rain. The horse is prepared against 
 the day of battle, but safety is of the Lord. The means are 
 connected with the end, but they do not of themselves pro- 
 duce it. See here the rain fills the pools, so that the wells 
 become useful as reservoirs for the water ; labor is not lost, 
 but yet it does not supersede divine help. 
 
 Grace may well be compared to rain for its purity, for its 
 refreshing and vivifying influence, for its coming alone from 
 above, and for the sovereignty with which it is given or with- 
 held. May our readers have showers of blessing, and may 
 the wells they have digged be filled with water. Oh, what 
 nre means and ordinances without the smile of Heaven ! they 
 are as clouds without rain, and pools without water. God of 
 love, open the windows of heaven, and pour us out a blessing I 
 22 • 
 
258 DAILY READINGS. Scpt. 1 I. 
 
 " Tliere ucre also with Him other little shijJS." — Mark iv. 36. 
 
 ^ESUS was the Lord High Admiral of the sea that 
 U night, and His presence preserved the whole convoy. 
 •^ It is well to sail with Jesus, even though it be in a 
 little ship. When we sail in Christ's company, we may not 
 make sure of fair weather, for great storms may toss the ves- 
 sel which carries the Lord Himself, and we must not expect 
 to find the sea less boisterous around our little boat. If we 
 go with Jesus we must be content to fare as He fares ; and 
 when the waves are rough to Him, they will be rougli to us. 
 It is by tempest and tossing that we shall come to land, as 
 He did before us. 
 
 When the storm swept over Galilee's dark lake, all faces 
 gathered blackness, and all hearts dreaded shipwreck. When 
 all creature-help was useless, the slumbering Saviour arose, 
 and with a word, transformed the riot of the tempest into the 
 deep quiet of a calm ; then were the little vessels at rest, as 
 well as that which carried the Lord. Jesus is the star of the 
 sea; and though there be sorrow upon the sea, when Jesus 
 is on it there is joy too. May our hearts make Jesus their 
 anchor, their rudder, their lighthouse, their lifeboat, and their 
 harbor. His Church is the Admiral's flagship ; let us attend 
 her movements, and cheer her officers with our presence. 
 He Himself is the great attraction ; let us follow ever in His 
 wake, mark His signals, steer by His chart, and never feai 
 while He is within hail. Not one ship in the convoy shall 
 suifer wreck ; the great Commodore will steer every bark 
 in safety to the desired haven. By faith we will slip oui 
 cable for another day's cruise, and sail forth with Jesus into 
 a sea of tribulation. Winds and waves will not spare us, but 
 they all obey Him ; and, therefore, whatever squalls may oc- 
 cur without, faith shall feel a blessed calm within. He is ever 
 in the centre of the weather-beaten company; let us rejoice 
 in Him. His vessel has reached the haven, and so shall ours. 
 
K..^* 15. DAILY BEADINOS. 259 
 
 . Ve shall not he afraid of evil tidings." — Psalm cxii. 7. 
 
 ^/*^/^-iriISTIAN, you ought not to dread the arrival of 
 •ci)! tyil tidings ; because if you are distressed by them, 
 ^ f.rat do you more than other men? Other men hav 
 not your > 1 to fly to ; they have never proved His faithful- 
 ness as yew have done, and it is no wonder if they are 
 bowed down ivith alarm and cowed with fear; but you pro- 
 fi.ss to be of another spirit; you have been begotten again 
 uuto a lively lope, and your heart lives in heaven, and not 
 on earthly things; now, if you are seen to be distracted as 
 other men, whit is the value of that grace which you profess 
 to have receive I ? Where is the dignity of that new nature 
 which you claiu. to possess ? 
 
 Agftin, if you should be filled with alarm, as others are 
 you would, douhflcss, he led into the sins so common to othen 
 under trying circumstances. The ungodly, when they are 
 overtaken by evil tidings, rebel against God ; they murmur, 
 and think that God deals hardly with them. Will you fall 
 into that saaie fin ? AVill you provoke the Lord as they do ? 
 Moreover, uv converted men often run to wrong mean? in 
 order to escape from difficulties, and you will be sure to do 
 the same if your u«ind yields to the present pressure. Trust 
 in the Lord, ai.d wait patiently for Him. Your wisest course 
 is to do as Moi-cs did at the Red Sea — " stand still, and see 
 the salvation of God." For if you give way to fear when 
 you hear of evil tidings, you will be unable to meet the 
 trouble with that calui composure which nerves for duty, and 
 sustains under adversity. How can you glorify God if you 
 ' play the coward ? S.'.ints have often sung God's high praises 
 .n the fires, but will your doubting and desponding, as if 
 ytou had none to help you, magnify the Most High ? Then 
 lake courage, and relying in sure confidence upon the faith- 
 fulness of your covenant God, "let not your heart be 
 troubled, neither ki it be afraid." 
 
260 DAtLT READINGS. Sept. 16 
 
 "Partakers of the divine nature" — 2 Peter i. 4. 
 
 ^i^*aO be a partaker of the divine nature is not, of course, 
 tUU^ft tn bfip.nmft Gofl. That, nnnnnt, hfi. TVir nssfinnft nf 
 
 . fe to become God. That cannot be. The essence of 
 Deity is not to be participated in by the creature. 
 Between the creature and the Creator there must ever be a 
 gulf fixed in respect of essence ; but as the first man Adam 
 was made in the image of God, so we, by the renewal of the 
 Holy Spirit, are in a yet diviner sense made in the image of 
 the Most High, and are partakers of the divine nature. We 
 are, by grace, made like God. " God is love ; " we become 
 love — " He that loveth is born of God." God is truth ; we 
 become true, and we love that which is true. God is good, 
 and He makcKS us good by His grace, so that we become the 
 pure in heart who shall see God. Moreover, we become 
 partakers of the divine nature in even a higher sense than 
 this — in fact, in as lofty a sense as can be conceived, short 
 of our being absolutely divine. Do we not become members 
 of the body of the divine person of Christ ? Yes, the same 
 blood which flows in the head flows in the hand ; and the 
 same life which quickens Christ quickens His people, for, 
 " Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." 
 Nay, as if this were not enough, we are married unto Christ. 
 He hath betrothed us unto Himself in righteousness and in 
 faithfulness, and he who is joined unto the Lord is one 
 spirit. Oh, marvellous mystery ! we look into it, but who 
 shall understand it ? One with Jesus — so one with Him 
 that the branch is not more one with the vine than we are a 
 part of the Lord, our Saviour and our Redeemer ! While we 
 rejoice in this, let us remember that those who are made 
 partakers of the divine nature will manifest their high and 
 holy relationship in their intercourse with others, and make 
 it evident, by their daily walk and conversation, that they 
 have escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 
 for more divine holiness of life ! 
 
Sept. 17. TAILT READINGS. 261 
 
 " Bring him /nfo Me."— Mark ix. 1!). IL. 
 
 |j^J,ESI»AmiNGLY the poor disappointed father turned 
 ^^ away from the disciples to their Master. His son 
 was in the worst possible condition, and all means 
 had failed ; but the miserable child was soon delivered from 
 the evil one when the parent, in faith, obeyed the Lord Jesus' 
 word, " Bring him unto Me." Children are a precious gift 
 from God, but much anxiety comes with them. They may be 
 a great joy or a great bitterness to their parents ; they may 
 be filled with the Spirit of God, or possessed with the spirit 
 of evil. In all cases, the Word of God gives us one rece'pt 
 for the curing of all their ills, " Bring him unto Me." for 
 more agonizing prayer on their behalf, while they are yet 
 babes. Sin is there, let our prayers begin to atack it. Our 
 cries for our offspring should precede those cries which be- 
 token their actual advent into a world of sin. In the days 
 of their youth we shall see sad tokens of that dumb and deaf 
 spirit which will neither pray aright nor hear the voice of 
 God in the soul ; but Jesus still commands, " Bring them unto 
 Me." When they are grown up they may wallow in sin and 
 foam with enmity against God ; then, when our hearts are 
 breaking, we should remember the great Physician's words, 
 " Bring them unto Me." Never must we cease to pray until 
 they cease to breathe. No case is hopeless while Jesus lives. 
 The Lord sometimes suffers Ilis people to be driven into 
 a corner that they may experimentally know how necessary 
 He is to them. Ungodly children, when they show us our 
 own powerlessness against the depravity of their hearts, 
 drive us to flee to the Strong for strength ; and this is a great 
 blessing to us. Whatever our morning's need may be, let it, 
 ike a strong current, bear us to the ocean of divine love. 
 Jesus can soon remove our sorrow. He delights to comfort 
 UB. Let us hasten to Him while He waits to meet as, 
 
262 DAILY READINGS. Sept. 18. 
 
 ^^Ifwe live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." 
 Galatians v. 25. 
 
 'SHE two most important things in our holy religion 
 are the life of faith and the walk of faith. He who 
 shall rightly understand these is not far from being 
 a master in experimental theology, for they are vital points 
 to a Christian. You will never find true faith unattended by 
 true godliness ; on the other hand, you will never discover 
 a truly holy life which has not for its root a living faith upon 
 the righteousness of Christ. Woe unto those who seek after 
 the one without the other ! There are some who cultivate 
 faith and forget holiness ; these may be very high in ortho- 
 doxy, but they shall be very deep in condemnation, for they 
 hold the truth in unrighteousness ; and there are others who 
 have strained after holiness of life, but have denied the faith, 
 like the Pharisees of old, of whom the Master said, they 
 were " whitewashed sepulchres." We must have faith, for 
 this is the foundation ; we must have holiness of life, for this 
 is the superstructure. Of what service is the mere founda- 
 tion of a building to a man in the day of tempest ? Can he 
 hide himself therein ? He wants a house to cover him, as 
 well as a foundation for that house. Even so we need the 
 superstructure of spiritual life if we would have comfort in 
 the day of doubt. But seek not a holy life without faith, for 
 that would be to erect a house which can afford no perma- 
 nent shelter, because it has no foundation on a rock. Let 
 faith and life be put together ; and, like the two abutments 
 of an arch, they will make our piety enduring. Like light 
 and heat streaming from the same sun, they are alike full of 
 blessing. Like the two pillars of the temple, they are for 
 glory and for beauty. They are two streams from the foun- 
 tain of gra?e ; two lamps lit with holy fire ; two olive trees 
 watered by heavenly care. Lord, give us this day life 
 within, and it will reveal itself without to Thy glory. 
 
Sept. 19. DAILY HEADINGS. 263 
 
 " Tlie liberty tcJi^ewitk Christ hath made ii^free." — Gai. v. i. 
 
 ^S>^^-IIIS "liberty" makes us free to heaven's charter — 
 illkll //ie Bible. Here is a choice passage, believer : " When 
 ^***^ thou passest through the rivers I will be with thee." 
 You are free to that. Here is another : " The mountaina 
 shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall 
 not depart from thee." You are free to that. You are a 
 welcome guest at the table of the promises. Scripture i.s 
 a never-failing treasury filled with boundless stores of grace. 
 It is the bank of heaven ; you may draw from it as much as 
 you please, without let or hinderance. Come in faith, and 
 you are welcome to all covenant blessings. There is not a 
 promise in the Word which shall be withheld. In the depths 
 of tribulations, let this freedom comfort you ; amidst waves 
 of distress, let it cheer you ; when sorrows surround thee, 
 let it be thy solace. This is thy Father's love-token ; thou 
 art free to it at all times. Thou art also free to the throne 
 of grace. It is the believer's privilege to have access at all 
 times to His heavenly Father. Whatever our desires, our 
 diflSculties, our wants, we are at liberty to spread all before 
 Him. It matters not how much we may have sinned, we 
 may ask and expect pardon. It signifies nothing how poor 
 we are, we may plead His promise that He will provide all 
 things needful. We have permission to approach His throne 
 at all times — in midnight's darkest hour, or in noontide's 
 most burning boat. Exercise thy right, believer, and live 
 np to thy privilege. Thou art free to all that is treasured 
 up in Christ — wisdom, rigliteousness, sanctification, and 
 redemption. It matters n^t what thy need is, for there is 
 fulness of supply in Christ, and it is there /or thee. 0, what 
 a '* freedom" is thine! freedom from condemnation, free* 
 uom to the promises, freedom to the throne of gTace, aud at 
 last freedom to enter heaven ! 
 
264 DAILY HEADINGS. Sept. 20 
 
 " Tlie sicord of tlie lord and of Gideon." — Judges vii. 20. 
 
 j^IDEON ordered his men to do two things : covering 
 up a torch in an earthen pitcher, he bade them, at 
 
 -^ an appointed signal, break the pitcher, and let the 
 light shine, and then sound with the trumpet, crying, " The 
 iword of the Lord and of Gideon ! the sword of the Lord 
 and of Gideon ! " This is precisely what all Christians must 
 do. First, you must shine; break the pitcher which conceals 
 your light ; throw aside the bushel which has been hiding 
 your candle, and shine. Let your light shine before men ; 
 let your good works be such, that, when men look upon you, 
 they shall know that 3'ou have been with Jesus. Then there 
 must be the sound, the blowing of the trumpet. There must 
 be active exertions for the ingathering of sinners by pro- 
 claiming Christ crucified. Take the gospel to them ; carry 
 it to their door ; put it in their way ; do not sufi'er them to 
 3scape it ; blow the trumpet right against their ears. Re- 
 member, that the true war-cry of the Church is Gideon's 
 watchword, "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon ! " God 
 must do it ; it is His own work. But we are not to be idle ; 
 instrumentality is to be used — "The sword of the Lord and 
 of Gideon!" If we only cry, "The sword of the Lord!" 
 we shall be guilty of an idle presumption ; and if we shout, 
 " The sword of Gideon ! " alone, we shall manifest idolatrous 
 reliance on an arm of flesh : we must blend the two in prac- 
 tical harmony, — " The sword of the Lord and of Gideon ! " 
 We can do nothing of ourselves, but we can do everything 
 by the help of our God ; let us, therefore, in His name de- 
 termine to go out personally, and serve with our flaming 
 torch of holy example, and with our trumpet tones of earnest 
 declaration and testimony, and God shall be with us, and 
 Midian shall be put to confusion, anl the Lord of hosts shall 
 roign forever and ever. 
 
Sept. 21. DAILY HEADINGS. 2** D 
 
 " I will rejoice over them to do them good." — Jer. xxxii. 41. 
 
 f^^OVl licart-cbcering to the believer is the delight wliici. 
 j^B^j God has in His saints ! We cannot see any reason 
 '^**^ in ourselves why the J>ord should take pleasure in 
 js; we cannot take deliglit in ourselves, for we often have 
 o groan, being burdened, conscious of our sinfulness, and 
 deploring our unfaithfulness ; and we fear that God's people 
 cannot take much delight in uw, for they must perceive sc 
 ':iuch of our imperfections and follies, that they may rathei 
 lament our infirmities than admire our graces. But we love 
 to dwell upon this transcendent truth, this glorious myslery: 
 that as the bridegroom rejoicetli over the bride, so does the 
 Lord rejoice over us. We do not read anywhere that God 
 delighteth in the cloud-capped oiouutaius, or the sparlding 
 stars, but we do read that He delighteth in the habitable 
 parts of the earth, and that His delights are with the sons 
 of men. We do not find it writtcji that even angels gi%e 
 His soul delight ; nor doth He say, concerning cherubim 
 and seraphim, " Thou shalt be called Hephzibah, for the. 
 Lord delighteth in thee ; " but He doe-s say all that to pooi 
 fallen creatures like ourselves, debased and depraved by sin, 
 but saved, exalted, and glorified by His grace. In what 
 strong language He expresses His delight in His people ! 
 ^\'ho could have conceived of the eternal One as bursting 
 forth into a song? Yet it is written, " He will rejoice over 
 thee with joy; He will rest in His Jove; He will joy over 
 thee with singing." As He looked upon the world He had 
 made. He said, " It is very good ; " but when He beheld 
 those who are the purchase of Jesus* blood. His own chosen 
 ones, it seemed as if the great heart of the Infinite could re- 
 strain itself no longer, but overflowed in divine exclamations 
 of joy. Should not we utter our grateful response to such a 
 marvellous declaration of His love, and sing, " I will rejoice 
 in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation" ? 
 23 
 
266 JDAILT READINGS. c5ept. 62. 
 
 "Let Israel rejoice in Him." — Psalm cxlix. 2. 
 
 ^^M glad of heart, believer ; but take care that thj 
 |> gladness has its spring in the Lord. Thou hast much 
 cause for gladness in thy God, for thou canst sing 
 with David, " God, my exceeding joy." Be glad that the 
 Lord reigneth, that Jehovah is King ! Rejoice that He sits 
 upon the throne, and ruleth all things ! Every attribute of 
 God should become a fresh ray in the sunlight of our glad- 
 ness. That He is %vise, should make us glad, knowing as we 
 do our own foolishness. That he is mighty, should cause us 
 to rejoice, who tremble at our weakness. That He is ever- 
 lasting, should always be a theme of joy when we know that 
 we wither as the grass. That He is unchanging, should per- 
 petually yield us a song, since we change every hour. Th«t 
 He is full of grace, that He is overflowing with it, and that 
 this grace in covenant He has given to us ; that it is ours to 
 cleanse us, ours to keep us, ours to sanctify us, ours to per- 
 fect us, ours to bring us to glory — all this should tend to 
 make us glad in Him. This gladness in God is as a deep 
 river ; we have only as yet touched its brink ; we know a 
 little of its clear, sweet, heavenly streams, but onward, the 
 depth is greater, and the current more impetuous in its joy. 
 The Christian feels that he may delight himself not only in 
 what God is, but also in all that God has done in the past. 
 The Psalms show us that God's people in olden times were 
 wont to think much of God's actions, and to have a song 
 concerning each of them. So let God's people now rehearse 
 vhe deeds of the Lord ! Let them tell of His mighty acts, 
 and " sing unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously.'' 
 Nor let them ever cease to sing, for as new mercies flow tc 
 r^em day by day, so should their gladness in the Lord's 
 r.ving acts in providence and in grace show itself in cou- 
 tiuued thanksgiving. B;j g?*''^, yi -children of Zion, aca 
 rejoice in the Lord yo:.r Go«i. 
 
Sept. Z;{. HAILT RKADINGS. '207 
 
 "Accepted in the beloved." — Ephcsiaiis i. G. 
 
 ^jJ^j^JIAT a state of privilege ! It includes our yastifica' 
 %jl]^h i^07i before God ; but the term " acceptance," in the 
 '^^"^ Greek, means more than that. It pignifies that we 
 arc the objects of divine complacency, nay, even of divin* 
 delight. How marvellous that we, worms, mortals, sinners, 
 should be the objects of divine love ! But it is only " in the 
 beloved.'' Some Christians seem to be accepted in their own 
 experience; at least, that is their apprehension. When their 
 spirit is lively, and their hopes bright, they think God ac- 
 cepts them, for they feel so high, so heavenly-minded, so 
 drawn above the earth ! But when their souls cleave to the 
 dust, they are the victims of the fear that they are no longer 
 accepted. If they could but see that all their high joys do 
 not exalt them, and all their low despondencies do not really 
 depress them in their Father's siglit, but that they stand 
 accepted in One who never alters, in One who is always the 
 beloved of God, always perfect, always without spot or wrin 
 kle, or any such thing, how much happier they would be, 
 and how much more they would honor the Saviour ! Bejoice 
 then, believer, in this : tliou art accepted " in the beloved." 
 Thou lookest within, and thou sayest, "There is nothing 
 acceptable here ! " But look at Christ, and see if there i? 
 not everything acceptable there. Thy sins trouble thee ; bu 
 God has cast thy sins behind His back, and thou art accepte<^ 
 in the Bighteous One. Thou hast to fight with corruption, 
 and to wrestle with temptation, but thou art already accepted 
 in Ilim who has overcome the powers of evil. The devil 
 tempts thee : be of good cheer, he cannot destroy thee, for 
 thou art accepted in Ilim who has broken Satan's head. 
 Know by full assurance th}'^ glorious standing. Even glori- 
 fied souls are not more accepted than thou art. They arc 
 only accepted in heaven " in the beloved," and thou art pveo 
 now acccpt(>d in Christ after the same manner. 
 
2ZS DAILY HEADINGS. Sept. ^4 
 
 " For I teas ashamed to require of the Icing a band of soldiers and 
 horsemen to help vs against the "uemy in tlie waij ; because wf 
 had spoken unto the king, saying, J%e hand of 02ir God is upon 
 all them, for good that seek Ilim ; but His power and His wrath 
 is against all them that forsake Him." — Ezra viii. 22. 
 
 ^ CONVOY on many accounts would have been desira- 
 Y^, ble for the pilgrim band, but a holy shi me-facedness 
 ^^^ would not allow Ezra to seek one. He feared lest 
 the heathen king should think his professions of faith in God 
 sO be mere hypocrisy, or imagine that the Grod of Israel was 
 not able to preserve His own worshippers. He could not 
 bring his mind to lean on an arm of flesh in a matter so evi- 
 dently of the Lord, and therefore the caravan set out with no 
 visible protection, guarded by Him who is the sword and 
 shield of His people. It is to be feared that few believers 
 feel this holy jealousy for God ; even those who in a measure 
 walk by faith, occasionally mar the lustre of their life by 
 cravino; aid from man. It is a most blessed thinfj' to have 
 no props and no buttresses, but to stand upright on the Rock 
 of Ages, upheld by the Lord alone. Would any believers 
 seek state-endowments for their Church, if they remembered 
 that the Lord is dishonored by their asking Caesar's aid ? as 
 if the Lord could not supply the needs of His own cause ! 
 Should we run so hastily to friends and relations for assist- 
 ance, if we remembered that the Lord is magnified by our 
 implicit reliance upon His solitary arm ? My soul, wait thou 
 only upon God. " But," says one, " are not means to be 
 used ? " Assuredly they are ; but our fault seldom lies in 
 their neglect : far more frequently it springs out of foolishly 
 believing in them, instead of believing in God. Few run too 
 far in neglecting the creature's arm ; but very many sin 
 greatly in making too much of it. Learn, dear reader, to 
 {glorify the Lord by leaving no means untried, if by using 
 liicm thou wouldst not dishonor the name of the Lord. 
 
Sept. 25. Daily feEAbtl^Gs. S6\» 
 
 " Just, nnd the justijier cf him which believeih." — Romans iii. 26. 
 
 U'][NGr justified by faith, we have peace with God. 
 Conscience accuses no longer. Judgment now de- 
 
 cides for the sinner instead of a^'ainst liiin. Memory 
 looks back upon past sins, with deep sorrow for the sin, biil 
 yet with no dread of any penalty to come ; for Christ has 
 paid the debt of His people to the last jot and tittle, and re- 
 ceived the divine receipt ; and unless God can be so unjust 
 as to demand double payment for one debt, no soul for whon 
 Jesus died as a substitute can ever be sent into hell. It 
 seems to be one of the very principles of our enlightened 
 nature to believe that God is just ; we feel that it must be 
 so, and this gives us our terror at first ; but is it not marvel 
 lous that this very same belief that God is just, become, 
 afterwards the pillar of our confidence and peace ! If God 
 be just, i, a sinner, alone and without a substitute, must be 
 punished ; but Jesus stands in my stead, and is punished for 
 me ; and now, if God be just, I, a sinner, standing in Christ, 
 c^n never be punished. God must change his nature before 
 one soul, for whom Jesus was a substitute, can ever by any 
 possibility suffer the lash of the law. Therefore, Jesus hav- 
 ing taken the place of the believer, having rendered a full 
 equivalent to divine wrath for all that His people ought to 
 have sufi"ered as the result of sin, the believer can shout with 
 glorious triumph, " Who shall lay anything to the charge oC 
 God's elect?" Not God, for He hath justified ; not Christ, 
 for He hath died, " yea, rather, hath risen again." My hop? 
 lives, not because I am not a sinner, but because I am a sin- 
 ner for whom Christ died ; my trust is not that I am holy, 
 but that, being unholy. He is my righteousness. My fait\ 
 rests not upon what I am, or shall be, or feel, or know, bu» 
 in what Christ is, in what He has done, and in what He ii 
 now doing for me. On the lion of justice the fair maid of 
 hope rides like a queea. 
 23 • 
 
&7d DAILY KfiADiNGS. Sept. 26. 
 
 " The myrtle trees that were in the bottom." — Zechariah i. 8. 
 
 "^HE vision in this chapter describes the condition jf 
 M^U Israel in Zechariah's day ; but being interpreted in 
 its aspect towards ns, it describes the Church of God 
 as we find it now in the world. The Church is compared If 
 a myrtle grove flourishing in a valley. It is hidden, unob 
 served, secreted ; courting no honor and attracting no obser- 
 vation from the careless gazer. The Church, like her Head, 
 has a glory, but it is concealed from carnal eyes, for the time 
 of her breaking forth in all her splendor is not yet come. 
 The idea of tranquil security is also suggested to us ; for the 
 myrtle grove in the valley is still and calm, while the storm 
 sweeps over the mountain summits. Tempests spend their 
 force upon the craggy peaks of the Alps, but down yonder, 
 where flows the stream which maketh glad the city of our 
 God, the myrtles flourish by the still waters, all unshaken by 
 the impetuous wind How great is the inward tranquillity 
 of God's Church ! Even when opposed and pcsecuted, she 
 has a peace which the world gives not, and which, therefore, 
 it cannot take away the peace of God which passeth all 
 understanding keeps the hearts and minds of God's people. 
 I>G^s not th«' metaphor forcibly picture the peaceful, per- 
 ftlual jrowth of the saints ? The myrtle sheds not her 
 Jeaves •, she is always green ; and the Church, in her worst 
 time, still hath a blessed verdure of grace about her; nay, 
 she has sometimes exhibited most verdure when her winter 
 has been sharpest. She has prospered most when her ad- 
 versities have been most severe. Hence the text hints at 
 victory. The myrtle is the emblem of peace, and a signifi- 
 cant token of triumph. The brows of conquerors were bound 
 with myrtle and with laurel ; and is not the Church ever vic- 
 torious r Is not every Christian more than a conqueroi 
 fchr ugh Him that loved him ? Living in peace, do not tht 
 saints fall asleep in the arms of victory ? 
 
j<ept. 2*. i>Ati.V fttAblii6^. fill 
 
 " Tlnppy art thou, Inracl ; who is lilce initc thee, people saved 
 b;/ the Lord ? " — Deuteronomy xxxiii. 29. 
 
 fi^E who affirms that Christianity makes men miserable, 
 ^^ is himself an utter stranger to it. It were strange 
 indeed if it made us wretched ; for see to what a po- 
 tition it exalts tis ! It makes us sons of God. Suppose you 
 that God will give all the happiness to His enemies, and re- 
 serve all the mourning for His own family ? Shall His foes 
 have mirth and joy, and shall His home-born children inherit 
 sorrow and wretchedness ? Shall the sinner, who has no part 
 in Christ, call himself rich in happiness, and shall we go 
 mourning as if we were penniless beggars ? No, we will re- 
 joice in the Lord always, and glory in our inheritance, for we 
 " have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear ; but 
 we have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, 
 Abba, Father." The rod of chastisement must rest upon us 
 in our measure, but it worketh for us the comfortable fruits 
 of righteousness; and therefore, by the aid of the divine Com- 
 forter, we, the " people saved of the Lord," will joy in the 
 God of our salvation. We are married unto Christ ; and shall 
 our great Bridegroom permit His spouse to linger in constant 
 grief ? Our hearts are knit unto Him ; we are His members ; 
 and though for a while we may suffer as our Head once suf- 
 fered, yet we are even now blessed with heavenly blessings 
 in Him. We have the earnest of our inheritance in the com- 
 forts of the Spirit, which are neither few nor small. Her- 
 itors of joy forever, we have foretastes of our portion. There 
 are streaks of the light of joy to herald our eternal sunrising. 
 Our ric'jes are beyond the sea ; our city with fii-m foundations 
 lies on the other side the river ; gleams ox gioi^ from the 
 epirit-world cheer our hearts, and urge us onward. Ti-uly is 
 it said of us, " Happy art thou, Isra'tl • who is iiiic •luto 
 thee, people saved by the Lord ' " 
 
^72 bAiLY KiiAbiNGs. Seot. lift 
 
 " The Lord lookethfrom heaven. Re beholdcth all the sons of men." 
 Psalm xxxiii. 13. 
 
 Jj^ERHAPS no tigure of speech represents God in a 
 ;^| more gracious light than when He is spoken of af 
 stooping from His throne, and coming down from 
 heaven to attend to the wants and to behol<] the woes of uan- 
 kind. We love Him, who, when Sodom and Gomorrah were 
 full of iniquity, would not destroy those cities until He had 
 made a personal visitation of them. We cannot help pour- 
 ing out our heart in affection for our Lord, who inclines his 
 ear from the highest glory, and puts it to the lip of the dying 
 sinner, whose failing heart longs after reconciliation. How 
 can we but love Him, when we know that He numbers the 
 very hairs of our heads, marks our path, and orders our ways ? 
 Specially is this great truth brought near to our heart, when 
 we recollect how attentive He is, not merely to the temporal 
 interests of His creatures, but to their spiritual concerns. 
 Though leagues of distance lie between the finite creature 
 and the infinite Creator, yet there are links uniting both. 
 When a tear is wept by thee, think not that God doth not 
 behold ; for, " like as a father pitieth his children, so the 
 Lord pitieth them that fear Him." Thy sigh is able to move 
 the heart of Jehovah ; thy whisper can incline His ear unto 
 thee ; thy prayer can stay His hand ; thy faith can move His 
 arm. Think not that God sits on high taking no account of 
 thee. Eemember that howuver poor and needy thou art, yet 
 ihc Lord thinketh upon thee. For the eyes of the Lord run 
 to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong 
 in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards Rim 
 
 " Oh ! then repeat the truth that never tires ; 
 No God is like the God my soul desires ; 
 He at whose voice heaven trembles, even IIe_ 
 Great as He is, knutcs hou> to stoop to me." 
 
bepl -J. 1)A1LY nEADIN*GS. 'i73 
 
 " Behold, if the leprosy have covered all hisjlesh, he shall vrono\.nci 
 him clean that hath the jilague." — Leviticus xiii. 13. 
 
 ^iiS'TRANGE enough this regulation appears ; yet there 
 was wisdom iu it, for the throwing out of the disease 
 proved that the constitution was sound. This morn- 
 ing it may be well for us to see the typical teaching of so sin- 
 gular a rule. We, too, are lepers, and may read the law of 
 leper as applicable to ourselves. When a man sees himself 
 to be altogether lost and ruined, covered all over with the 
 defilement of sin, and no part free from pollution ; when he 
 disclaims all righteousness of his own, and pleads guilty be- 
 fore the Lord ; then is he clean through the blood of Jesus, 
 and the grace of God. Hidden, uufclt, unconfcsscd iniquity 
 is the true leprosy ; but when sin is seen and felt, it has re- 
 ceived its death-blow, and the Lord looks with eyes of mercy 
 upon the soul afflicted with it. Nothing is more deadly than 
 self-righteousness, or more hopeful than contrition. We 
 must confess that we are " nothing else but sin," for no con- 
 fession short of this will be the whole truth ; and if the Holy 
 Spirit be at work with us, convincing us of sin, there will be 
 no difficulty about making such an acknowledgment — it will 
 spring spontaneously from our lips. What comfort does the 
 text afford to those under a deep sense of sin ! Sin mourned 
 and confessed, however black and foul, shall never shut a 
 man out from the Lord Jesus. Whosoever cometh unto Ilim, 
 He will in no wise cast out. Though dishonest as the thief, 
 though unchaste as the woman who was a sinner, thougl 
 fierce as Saul of Tarsus, though cruel as Manassch though 
 rebellious as the prodigal, the great heart of luv»- will look 
 upon the man who feels himself to have no soundness in him, 
 and will pronounce him clean, when he trusts in Jo.«ui. cruci- 
 fisd. Come to Him, then, poor heavy-laden sinner, 
 
 "Come needy, come guilty come loathaome und Od'p; 
 You can't come too filthy -come just as you are." 
 
2?4 DAitt EE.Lt)ItfGS. Sepi 30. 
 
 " Sing forth the honor of His name, make His praise glortoug." 
 Psalm Ixvi. 2. 
 
 fX^T is not left to our own option whether we shall prai«e 
 w] God or not. Praise is God's most righteous due, 
 and every Christian, as the recipient of His grace, ia 
 bound to praise God from day to day. It is true we have no 
 authoritative rubric for daily praise ; we have no command- 
 ment prescribing certain hoiirs of song and thanksgiving ; but 
 the law written upon the heart teaches us that it is right to 
 praise God ; and the unwritten mandate comes to us with as 
 much force as if it had been recorded on the tables of stone, 
 or handed to us from the top of thundering Sinai. Yes, it is 
 the Christian's duty to praise God. It is not only a pleasur- 
 able exercise, but it is the absolute obligation of his life. 
 Think not, ye who are always mourning, that ye are guiltless 
 in this respect, or imagine that ye can discharge your duty 
 to your God without songs of praise. You are bound by the 
 bonds of His love to bless His name so long as you live, and 
 His praise should continually be in your mouth, for you are 
 blessed in order that you may bless Him ; " this people have 
 I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise ; " and 
 if you do not praise God, you are not bringing forth the fruit 
 which He, as the Divine Husbandman, has a right to expect 
 at your hands. Let not your harp then hang upon the wil- 
 lows, but take it down, and strive, with a grateful heart, to 
 bring forth its loudest music. Arise and chant His praise. 
 With every morning's dawn, lift up your notes of thanksgiv- 
 ing, and let every setting sun be followed with your song. 
 Grirdle the earth with your praises ; surround it with an at- 
 mosphere of melody, and God Himself will hearken from 
 heaven and accept your music. 
 
 "E'en so I love Thee, and will lore, 
 And in Thy praise will sing, 
 Because Thou art my loving God, 
 And mj redeeming King." 
 
Oct. I. ixMi.v ur.ADiNOs. 215 
 
 ** Pleasant fruits, new and old, vhirh I have laid up for thee, O tnif 
 bcluved." — Canticles vii. 13. 
 
 "^^IIE spouse desires to give to Je'Sus all that she pro* 
 ^^ duces. Our heart has " all manner of pleasant 
 fruits," both " new and old," and they are laid up 
 for our Beloved. At this rich autumnal season of fruit, let 
 as s^irvey our stores. We have neiv fruits. We desire to 
 feel new life, new joy, new gratitude ; we wish to make new 
 resolves, and carry them out by new labors ; our heart blos- 
 soms with new prayers, and our soul is pledging herself to 
 new efiforts. But we have some old fruits too. There ia 
 our first love : a choice fruit that ! and Jesus delights in it. 
 There is our first faith ; that simple faith by which, having 
 nothing, we became possessors of all things. There is our 
 joy when first we knew the Lord ; let us revive it. We have 
 our old remembrances of the promises. How faithful has 
 (rod been ! In sickness, how softly did He make our bed ! 
 In deep waters, how placidly did He buoy us up ! In the 
 flaming furnace, how graciously did He deliver us ! Old 
 fruits, indeed ! we have many of them, for His mercies have 
 been more than the hairs of our head. Old sins we must 
 regret, but then we have had repentances which He has 
 given us, by which we have wept our way to the cross, 
 and learned the merit of His blood. We have fruits, this 
 morning, both new and old ; but here is the point — they are 
 all laid up for Jesus. Truly, those are the best and most 
 acceptable services in which Jesus is the solitary aim of the 
 soul, and His glory, without any admixture whatever, the 
 end of all our efforts. Let our many fruits be laid up only 
 for our Beloved ; let us display them when He is with us, 
 and not hold them up before the gaze of men. Jesus, we 
 will turn the key in our garden-door, and none shall enter 
 to rob Thee of one good fruit from the soil which Thou hast 
 watered with Thy bloody sweat. Our all shall be Thine, 
 Thine only, Jesus, our Beloved! 
 
2?6 Daily readings. Oct. 2. 
 
 " The hope which is laid up for you in heaven." — Col. i. 5. 
 
 ^UR hope in Christ for the future is the mainspring 
 and the m.iinstay of our joy here. It will animate 
 our hearts to t'link often of heaven, for all that we 
 can desire is promised there. Here we are weary and toil- 
 worn, but yonder is the land of rest, where the sweat of labor 
 shall no more bedew the worker's brow, and fatigue shall be 
 forever banished. To those who are weary and spent, the 
 word "rest" is full of heaven. We are always in the field 
 of battle ; we are so tempted within, and so molested by foes 
 without, that we have little or no peace ; but in heaven we 
 shall enjoy the victory, when the banner shall be waved aloft 
 in triumph, and the sword shall be sheathed, and we shall 
 hear our Captain say, " Well done, good and faithful ser- 
 vant." We have suffered bereavement after bereavement, 
 but we are going to the land of the immortal, where graves 
 are unknown things. Here sin is a constant grief to us, 
 but there we shall be perfectly holy, for there shall by no 
 means enter into that kingdom anything which defileth. 
 Hemlock springs not up in the furrows of celestial fields. 
 Oh ! is it not joy that you are not to be in banishment for- 
 ever ? that you are not to dwell eternally in this wilderness, 
 but shall soon inherit Canaan ? Nevertheless, let it never 
 be said of us that we are dreaming about the future, and 
 forgetting the present ; let the future sanctify the present to 
 highest uses. Through the Spirit of God, the hope of heaven 
 is the most potent force for the product of virtue ; it is a 
 fountain of joyous effort ; it is the corner-stone of cheerful 
 holiness. The man who has this hope in him goes about 
 his work with vigor, for the joy of the Lord is his strength. 
 He fights against temptation with ardor, for the hope of the 
 Dext world repels the fiery darts of the adversary He can 
 labor without present reward, for he looks for a reward in 
 the world iD come. 
 
Oct. II Daily keadiugs. 277 
 
 ^Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for 
 them who shall be heirs of salvation'^" — Heb. i. 14. 
 
 . NOELS are the unseen attendants of the saints of 
 <Joi; they bear us up in their hands, lest we dash 
 our foot against a stone. Loyalty to their Lord leads 
 iheui to take a deep interest in the children of His love ; 
 they rejoice over the return of the prodigal to his father's 
 house below, and they welcome the advent of the believei 
 to the King's palace above. In olden times the sons of God 
 were favored with their visible appearance, and at this day, 
 although unseen by us, heaven is still opened, and the angels 
 of God ascend and descend upon the Son of man, that they 
 may visit the heirs of salvation. Seraphim still fly with live 
 coals from off the altar to touch the lips of men greatly be- 
 loved. If our eyes could be opened, we should see horses 
 of fire and chariots of fire about the servants of the Lord ; 
 for we have come to an innumerable company of angels, who 
 arc all watchers and protectors of the seed-royal. Spenser's 
 life is no poetic fiction, where he sings, — 
 
 " How oft do they with golden pinions cleave 
 The flitting skies, like flying pursuivant, 
 Against foul tiends to aid us militant ! " 
 
 To what dignity are the chosen elevated when the brilliant 
 courtiers of heaven become their willing servitors ! Into 
 what communion are we raised, since we have intercourse 
 with spotless celestials ! How well are we defended, since 
 all the twenty thousand chariots of God are armed for our 
 deliverance ! To whom do we owe all this ? Let the Lord 
 Jesus Christ be forever endeared to us, for through Him we 
 are made to sit in heavenly places far above principalitierj 
 and powers. He it is whose camp i: round about them that 
 fear Him ; He is the true Michael whose foot is upon the 
 dragon. All hr.il, Jesus ! thou Aug.)l of Jehovah's preseuo9j 
 to Thee this family offers its morning vows. 
 34 
 
^78 DAILY HEADINGS. Oct. 4. 
 
 "At evening time it shall be light." — Zechariah xi'p 7. 
 
 ^FTENTTMES we look forward with forebodings to 
 the time tf old age, forgetful that at eventid"" it shall 
 be light. To many saiuts, old age is the choicest 
 season in their lives. A balmier air fans the mariner's cheek 
 as he nears the shore of immortality, fewer waves ruffle his 
 sea, quiet reigns, deep, still, and solemn. From the altar 
 of age the flashes of the fire of youth are gone, but the more 
 real flame of earnest feeling remains. The pilgrims have 
 reached the land Beulah, that happy country whose days are 
 as the days of heaven upon earth. Angels visit it, celestial 
 gales blow over it, flowers of paradise grow in it, and the 
 air is filled with seraphic music. Some dwell here for years, 
 and others come to it but a few hours before their departure, 
 but it is an Eden on earth. We may well long for the time 
 when we shall recline in its shady groves, and be satisfied 
 with hope until the time of fruition comes. The setting sun 
 seems larger than when aloft in the shy, and a splendor of 
 glory tinges all the clouds which surround his going down. 
 Pain breaks not the calm of the sweet twilight of age, for 
 strength made perfect in weakness bears up with patience 
 under it all. Ripe fruits of choice experience are gathered 
 as the rare repast of life's evening, and the soul prepares 
 itself for rest. The Lord's people shall also enjoy light in 
 the hour of death. Unbelief laments : the shadows fall, the 
 night is coming, existence is ending. Ah, no, crieth faith, 
 the night is far spent, the true day is at hand. Light is 
 come, the light of immortality, the light of a Father's coun- 
 tenance. Gather up thy feet in the bed, see the waiting 
 Land of spirits ! Angels waft thee away. Farewell, be- 
 loved one ; thou art gone, thou wavest thine hand. Ah, 
 now it is light. The pearly gates are open, the goldeii 
 streets shine in the jasper light. We cover our eyes, bu> 
 thou bchuldc^t ihc unseen. Adieu, brother: thou hast lighi 
 at erentide, such as we have not jet. 
 
Oct. 6. DAILY REAIJINGS. 279 
 
 " JTe arose, and did eat and drink, and we7it in ilie strenr/tk of thai 
 meitfortij days andfortij nifjlils." — 1 Kings xix. 8. 
 
 j[^LL the strength supplied to us by our gracious (rod 
 \% is meant for service, not for wantonness or boasting. 
 "When the prophet Elijah found the cake baked on 
 the coals, and the cruse of water placed at his head, as he lay 
 under the juniper tree, he was no gentleman to be gratified 
 with dainty fare, that he might stretch himself at his ease ; far 
 otherwise, he was comnnssioned to go forty days and forty 
 nights in the strength of it, journeying towards Horeb, the 
 mount of God. When the Master invited the disciples to 
 "come and dine" with Him, after the feast was concluded 
 Tie said to Peter, " Feed my sheep ; " further adding, " Fol- 
 low me." Even thus it is with us : we eat the bread of heav- 
 en, that we may expend our strength in the Master's service. 
 We come to the passover, and eat of the paschal lamb with 
 loins girt, and staff in hand, so as to start off at once when 
 we have satisfied our hunger. Some Christians are for liv- 
 ing on Christ, but are not so anxious to live for Christ. 
 Earth should be a preparation for heaven ; and heaven is 
 the place where saints feast most and work most. They sit 
 down at the table of our Lord, and they serve Him day and 
 night in Ilis temple. They cat of heavenly food, and render 
 perfect service. Believer, in the strength you daily gain 
 from Christ, labor for Ilim. Some of us have yet to learn 
 much concerning the design of our Lord in giving us His 
 grace. We are not to retain the precious grains of truth as 
 the Egyptian mummy held the wheat, for ages without giving 
 it an opportunity to grow: we must sow it and water it. Whv 
 does the Lord send down the rain upon the thirsty earth, and 
 Qjive the genial sunshine ? Is it not that these may all help 
 the fruits of the earth to yield food for man ? Even so the 
 Iiord feeds and refreshes our souls, that we may afterwards 
 use our renewed strength in the promotion of His glory. 
 
280 DAILY REAWNG3. " Oct. 6, 
 
 " Whosoever drinketh of the water thai I shall give him shall nevei 
 thirst." — John iv. 14. 
 
 ^E who is a believer in Jesus finds enough in his Iiord 
 
 i 
 
 " to satisfy him now, and to content him foievermore. 
 
 The believer is not the man whose days are weary 
 for want of comfort, and whose nights are long from absence 
 of heart-cheering thought, for he finds in religion such a 
 spring of joy, such a fountain of consolation, that he is con- 
 tent and happy. Put him in a dungeon, and he will find good 
 company ; place him in a barren wilderness, he will eat the 
 bread of heaven ; drive him away from friendship, he will 
 meet the " friend that sticketh closer than a brother." Blast 
 all his gourds, and he will find shadow beneath the Rock of 
 Ages ; sap the foundation of his earthly hopes, but his heart 
 will still be fixed, trusting in the Lord. The heart is as in- 
 satiable as the grave till Jesus enters it, and then it is a cup 
 full to overflowing. There is such a fulness in Christ that 
 He alone is the believer's all. The true saint is so com- 
 pletely satisfied with the all-sufficiency of Jesus, that he thirsts 
 no more, except it be for deeper draughts of the living foun- 
 tain. In that sweet manner, believer, shalt thou thirst ; it 
 shall not be the thirst of pain, but of loving desire ; thou 
 wilt find it a sweet thing to be panting after a fuller enjoy- 
 ment of Jesus' love. One in days of yore said, " I have been 
 sinking my bucket down into the well full often, but now my 
 'hirst after Jesus has become so insatiable, that I long to 
 put the well itself to my lips, and drink right on." Is this 
 the feeling of thine heart now, believer ? Dost thou feel that 
 all thy desires are satisfied in Jesus, and that thou hast no 
 want now but to know more of Him, and to have closer fel- 
 lowship with Ilim ? Then come continually to the fountain, 
 and take of the water of life freely. Jesus will never thiuk 
 you take too much, but will ever welcome you, saying. 
 *' Drink, yea, drink abundantly, beloved." 
 
Oct. 7. DAILY READINGS. i8i 
 
 *^ Wherefore hast Thou afflicted Thy servant^" — Numbers xi. 11. 
 
 ■^UR heavenly Father sends us frequent troubles to try 
 i> oar faith. If our faith be worth anything, it will 
 ^ stand the test. Gilt is afraid of fire, but gold is 
 fl jt ; the faste gem dreads to be touched by the diamond, 
 bat the true jewel fears no test. It is a poor faith which 
 can only trust God when friends are true, the body full of 
 I ealth, and the business profitable ; but that is true faith 
 which holds by the Lord's faithfulness when f'-iends are gone, 
 when the body is sick, when spirits are depressed, and the 
 light of our Father's countenance is hidden. A faith which 
 ian say, in the direst trouble, " Though He slay me, yet will 
 [ trust in Ilini," is heaven-born faith. The Lord aflJicts Hia 
 servants to glorify Himself, for He is greatly glorified in the 
 graces of His people, which are His own handiwork. When 
 ■'tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; 
 and experience, hope," the Lord is honored b}' these grow- 
 ing virtues. We should never know the music of the harp 
 if the strings were left untouched ; nor enjoy the juice of the 
 grape if it were not trodden in the wine-press ; nor discover 
 the sweet perfume of cinnamon if it were not pressed and 
 beaten ; nor feel the warmth of fire if the coals were not 
 utterly consumed. The wisdom and power of the great 
 Workman are discovered by the trials through which Hia 
 vessels of mercy are permitted to pass. Present afflictions 
 tend also to heighten future joy. There must be shades in the 
 picture to bring out the beauty of the lights. Could we be 
 BO supremely blessed in heaven, if we had not known the 
 curse of sin and the sorrow of earth? Will not peace be 
 Bwceter after conflict, and rest more welcome after toil ? 
 Will not the recollection of past sufi"crings enhance the bliss 
 of the glorified ? There are many other comfortable answers 
 lo the question with which we opened our brief meditation: 
 let us muse upon it all day l:ng. 
 24* 
 
882 DAILY HEADINGS. Oct. 8. 
 
 " Launch out into th« deep, mid let down your nets for a draught.^ 
 Luke V. 4. 
 
 A|Jl|j4i[E learn from this narrative the necessity of human 
 M\ffm agency. The draught of fishes was miraculous, yet 
 ^^'^ neither the fisherman, nor his boat, nor his ishing 
 tackle, were ignored, but all were used to take the fishes. 
 8o in the saving of souls, God worketh by means ; and while 
 the present economy of grace shall stand, God will be pleased 
 by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 
 When God worketh without instruments, doubtless He is 
 glorified ; but He hath Himself selected the plan of instru- 
 mentality as being that by which He is most magnified in the 
 earth. 3Ieans of themselves are utterly unavailing. " Master, 
 we have toiled all the night and have taken nothing." What 
 was the reason of this ? Were they not fishermen plying 
 their special calling ? Verily, they were no raw hands ; they 
 understood the work. Had they gone about the toil unskil- 
 fully ? No. Had they lacked industry ? No ; they had 
 toiled. Had they lacked perseverance ? No ; they had 
 toiled all the night. Was there a deficiency of fish in the 
 sea ? Certainly not, for as soon as the Master came, they 
 swam to the net in shoals. What, then, is the reason ? Is 
 it because there is no power in the means of themselves 
 apart from the presence of Jesus ? " Without Him we can 
 do nothing." But with Christ we can do all things. Christ's 
 presence confers success, Jesus sat in Peter's boat, and His 
 will, by a mysterious influence, drew the fish to the net. 
 When Jesus is lifted up in His Church, His presence is the 
 Church's power — the shout of a King is in the midst of her. 
 " I, if 1 be lifted up, will draw all men unto me." Let us 
 go out this morning on our work of soul-fishing, looking up 
 in faith, and around us in solemn anxiety. Let us toil till 
 night comes, and we shall not labor in vain, for He who bids 
 as let down the n^t, will fill it with fishte 
 
Oct. 9. DAILY EEADIXGS. 283 
 
 "Able to keep you from falling." — Jude 24 
 
 ^?^^?^N some sense the path to heaven is verj safe, but in 
 L^<1 v^ otlier respects there is no road so darigerohs. It is 
 •/j^tey beset with difficulties. One fal.se step (and how 
 easy it is to take that, if grace be absent !) and down we go. 
 What a slippery path is tha,t which some of us have to tread! 
 How many times have we to exclaim with the Psalmiit, "My 
 feet were almost gone ; my steps had well nigh slipped." If 
 we were strong, sure-footed mountaineers, this would not 
 matter so much ; but in ourselves, how ivealc we are ! In the 
 best roads we soon falter, in the smoothest paths we quickly 
 stumble. These feeble knees of ours can scarcely support 
 our tottering weight. A straw may throw us, and a pebble 
 can wound us ; we arc mere children tremblingly taking our 
 first steps in the walk of faith ; our heavenly Father holds us 
 by the arms, or we should soon be down. Oh, if we are kept 
 from falling, how must we bless the patient power which 
 watches over us day by day ! Think how prone we are to 
 sin, how apt to choose danger, how strong our tendency to 
 cast ourselves down, and these reflections will make us sing 
 more sweetly than we have ever done, " Glory be to Him 
 who is able to keep us from falling." We have many foes who 
 try to pusli us down. The road is rough, and we arc weak ; 
 but in addition to this, enemies lurk in ambush, who rush 
 out when we least expect them, and labor to trip us up, or 
 hurl us down the nearest precipice. Only an Almighty arm 
 c?n preserve us from these unseen foes, who are seeking to 
 destroy us. Such an arm is engaged for our defence. He is 
 faithful that hath promised, and He is able to keep us from 
 falling; so that, with a deep sense of our utter weakness, we 
 miy cherish a firm belief in our perfect safety, aiid say, with 
 joyful confidence, — 
 
 " Against mc earth and hell combine, 
 But on my side is po.vcr divine ; 
 Jesus is "W and He is mine ! " 
 
284 BAILT READINGS. Oct. IX). 
 
 " FauWess before the presence of His glory." — Jude 24. 
 
 we shall reach it one day. The Saviour who will keep Hla 
 people to the end, will also present them at last to Himself, 
 as " a glorious church, not having spot, ;r wrinkle, or any 
 such thing, but holy and without blemish." All the jeweLs 
 in the Saviour's crown are of the first water, and without a 
 single flaw. All the maids of honor who attend the Lamb's 
 wife are pure virgins without spot or stain. But how will 
 Jesus make us faultless ? He .will wash us from our sins in 
 His own blood, until we are white and fair as God's purest 
 angel ; and we shall be clothed in His righteousness, that 
 righteousness which makes the saint who wears it positively 
 faultless ; yea, perfect in the sight of God. We shall be un- 
 blamable and unrcprovable even in His eyes. His law will 
 not only have no charge against us, but it will be magnified 
 in us. Moreover, the work of the Holy Spirit within us will 
 be altogether complete. He will make us so perfectly holy, 
 that we shall have no lingering tendency to sin. Judgment, 
 memory, will — every power and passion — shall be emanci- 
 pated from the thraldom of evil. We shall be holy even as 
 God is holy, and in His presence we shall dwell forever. 
 Saints will not be out of place in heaven ; their beauty will 
 be as great as that of the place prepared for them. Oh, the 
 rapture of that hour when the everlasting doors shall be lifted 
 up, and we, being made meet for the inheritance, shall dwell 
 with the saints in light. Sin gone, Satan shut out, tempta- 
 tion past forever, and ourselves "faultless" before God, this 
 will be heaven indeed ! Let us be joyful now as we rehearse 
 the song of eternal praise so soon to roll forth in full chorua 
 from all the bloodwashed host ; let us copy David's exultiugs 
 before the ark, as a prelude to our ecstasies before the throne. 
 
Oct. 11 DAILY READINGS. 28S 
 
 " T.et us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heaven*.'' 
 Lamentations iii. 41. 
 
 ■;j— ^-'HE act of prayer teaches us our umvorthiness^ which 
 #'1jE» Is a very salutary lessen for such proud beings as we 
 arc. If God gave 6s favors without constraining us 
 to pray for them, wc should never know how poor we are; 
 but a true prayer is an inventory of wants, a catalogue of 
 necessities, a revelation of hidden poverty. While it is an 
 application to divine wealth, it is a confession of human 
 emptiness. The most healthy state of a Christian is to be 
 always empty in self, and constantly depending upon the 
 Lord for supplies ; to be always poor in self, and rich in Jesus ; 
 weak as water personally, but mighty, through God, to do 
 great exploits ; and hence the use of prayer, because, while 
 it adores God, it lays the creature where it should be, in the 
 very dust. Prayer is in itself, apart from the answer which 
 it brings, a great benefit to the Christian. As the runner 
 gains strength for the race by daily exercise, so for the great 
 race of life we acquire energy by the hallowed labor of prayer. 
 Prayer plumes the wings of God's young eaglets, that they 
 may learn to mount above the clouds. Prayer girds the 
 loins of God's warriors, and sends them forth to combat with 
 their sinews braced and their muscles firm. An earnest 
 pleader cometh out of his closet, even as the sun ariseth 
 from the chambers of the east, rejoicing like a strong man to 
 run his race. Prayer is that uplifted hand of Moses which 
 routs the Amalekites more than the sword of Joshua ; it is 
 the arrow shot from the chamber of the prophet foreboding 
 defeat to the Syrians. Prayer girds human weakness with 
 divine strength, 1 irns human folly into heavenly wisdom, and 
 gives to troubled mortals the peace of God. Wo know not 
 what prayer cannot do ! We thank thee, great God, for the 
 mercy-seat, a choice proof of Thy marvellous loving-kindness, 
 Help us to use it aright throughout this day I 
 
286 DAILY ItEABINdS. Oct. 12 
 
 ^^ I will meditate in Tliy precepts." — Psalm cxix, 15. 
 
 ^■j^fNHEEE are times when solitude is better tlian society, 
 
 WM and si 
 
 m and silence is wiser than speech. We should be 
 better Christians if wo were more alone, waiting 
 upon God, and gathering, through meditation on His Word, 
 spiritual strength for labor in His service. We ought to 
 muse upon the things of God, because we thus get the real nutri- 
 ment out of them. Truth is something like the cluster of the 
 vine ; if we would have wine from it, we must bruise it ; we 
 must press and squeeze it many times. The bruisers' feet 
 must come down joyfully upon the bunches, or else the juice 
 will not flow ; and they must well tread the grapes, or else 
 much of the precious liquid will be wasted. So we must, by 
 meditation, tread the clusters of truth, if we would get the 
 wine of consolation therefrom. Our bodies are not supported 
 by merely taking food into the mouth, but the process which 
 really supplies the muscle, and the nerve, and the sinew, 
 and the bone, is the process of digestion. It is by digestion 
 that the outward food becomes assimilated with the inner 
 life. Our souls are not nourished merely by listening awhile 
 to this, and then to that, and then to the other part of divine 
 truth. Hearing, reading, marking, and learning, all require 
 inwardly digesting to complete their usefulness, and the in- 
 ward digesting of the truth lies for the most part in meditat- 
 ing upon it. Why is it that some Christians, although they 
 Lear many sermons, make but slow advances in the divine 
 life ? Because they neglect their closets, and do not thought- 
 fully meditate on God's Word. They love the wheat, but 
 they do not grind it ; they would have the corn, but they will 
 Dot go forth into the fields to gather ii ; the fruit hangs upon 
 Ibe tree, but they will not pluck it; the water flows at their 
 feet, but they will not stoop to drink it. From such folly 
 deliver us. O Lord, and be this our resolve this morningi 
 •' I ^ill meditate in Thy precepts." 
 
Oct. IS DAILY READINOS 28'3 
 
 «• Qodly sorrow tcorketh repentance." — 2 Corir.thians vii. 10. 
 
 lENUINE, spiritual mourning for sin is the work of (hi 
 \i Spirit of God. Repentance is too choice a flower to 
 ^^-^^ grow in nature's garden. Pearls grow naturally in 
 oysters, but penitence never shows itself in sinners except 
 divine grace works it in them. If thou hast one particle of 
 real hatred for sin, God must have given it thee, for human 
 nature's thorns never produce a singk fig " That which ia 
 born of flesh is flesh." 
 
 True repentance has a distinct reference to the Saviour. 
 When we repent of sin, we must have one eye upon sin and 
 another upon the cross, or it will be better still if we fix both 
 our eyes upon Christ, and see our transgressions only in the 
 lijrht of Ilis love. 
 
 True sorrow for sin is eminently practical. No man may 
 s.iy he hates sin, if he lives in it. Repentance makes us see 
 the evil of sin, not merely as a theory, but experimentally — 
 as a burnt child dreads fire. We shall be as much afraid of 
 it, as a man who has lately been stopped and robbed is afraid 
 of the thief upon the highway ; and we shall shun it — shun 
 it in everything — not in great things only, but in little things, 
 as men shun little vipers as well as great snakes. True mourn- 
 ing for sin will make us very jealous over our topgue, lest it 
 should say a wrong word ; we shall be very watchful over om 
 daily actions, lest in anything we off"end, and each i?ight. wf 
 shall close the day with painful confessions of shortcoming, 
 and each morning awaken with anxious prayers, that this daj 
 God would hold us up that we may not sin against Him. 
 
 Sincere repentance is continual. Believers repent unti\ 
 theii dying day. This dropping well ii not intermittent. 
 Every other sorrow yields to time, but this dear sorrow grows 
 with our growth, and it is so sweet a bitter, that we thank 
 God we are permitted to enjoy an 1 to suff'er it until we entef 
 fur eternal rest. 
 
288 DAILY READINGS. Oct. l4. 
 
 " I count all tilings hut loss for the exccllencij of the Knoideilge of 
 Christ Jesus my Lord." — Philippians iii. 8. 
 
 SPIRITUAL knowledge of Christ will be a personal 
 i^)/ knowledge. I cannot know Jesus through another 
 person's acquaintance with Him. No, / must know 
 fliit. myself ; I must know Him on my own account. It will 
 be an intelligevt knowledge — I must know Eim, not as tlie 
 visionary dreams of Him, but as the Word reveals Him. I 
 must know His natures, divine and human. I must know 
 His offices — His attributes — His works — His shame — His 
 glory. I must ttieditate upon Him until I " comprehend 
 with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, 
 and height ; and know the love of Christ, which passeth 
 knowledge." It will be an affectionate knowledge of Him ; 
 indeed, if I know Him at all, I must love Him. An ounre 
 of heart-knowledge is worth a ton of head-learning. Our 
 knowledge of Him will be a satisfying knowledge. When I 
 know my Saviour, my mind will be full to the brim — I shall 
 feel that I have that which my spirit panted after. " This is 
 that bread whereof if a man eat he shall never hunger.'' At 
 the same time it will be an exciting knowledge ; the more I 
 know of my Beloved, the more I shall want to know. The 
 higher I climb, the loftier will be the summits which invite 
 my eager footsteps. I shall want the more as I get the 
 more. Like the miser's treasure, my gold will make me 
 covet more. To conclude : this knowledge of Christ Jesus 
 will be a most happy one ; in fact, so elevating, that some- 
 times it will completely bear me up above all trials, and 
 doubts, and sorrows ; and it will, while I enjoy it, make me 
 something more than " man that is born of woman, who is of 
 few days, and full of trouble ; " for it will fling about me the 
 immortality of the ever-living Saviour, and gird me with the 
 golden girdle of His eternal joy. Come, ray soul, sit at Jesus' 
 feet, md learn of Him all this day. 
 
Oct. 15. Daily readings. 2S9 
 
 " But who may abide the day of Uis coming') " — Maluchi iii. 2. 
 
 Rlj^IS first coming was without external pomp or show of 
 \i power, and yet in truth there were few who could 
 abide its testing might. Herod and all Jerusalem 
 with him were stirred at the news of the wondrous birth. 
 Those who supposed themselves to be waiting for Him, showed 
 che fallacy of their professions by rejecting Him when He came. 
 Hi& life on earth was a winnowing fan, which tried the great 
 heaj) of religious profession, and few enough could abide the 
 process. But what will His second advent be ? What sinner 
 can endure to think of it ? " He shall smite the earth with 
 the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall 
 He slay the wicked." When in His humiliation He did but 
 say to. the soldiers, " I am He," they fell backward ; what 
 will be the terror of His enemies when He shall more fully 
 reveal Himself as the " / am " ? His death shook earth and 
 darkened heaven ; what shall be the dreadful splendor of that 
 day in which, as the living Saviour, He shall summon the quick 
 and dead before Him ? that the terrors of the Lord would 
 persuade men to forsake their sins, and kiss the Son lest He 
 be angry I Though a lamb, He is yet the lion of the tribe 
 of Judah, rending the prey in pieces ; and though He breaks 
 not the bruised reed, yet will He break His enemies with a 
 rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. 
 None of His foes shall bear up before the tempest of His 
 wrath, or hide themselves from the sweeping hail of His in- 
 dignation ; but His beloved blood-washed people look for His 
 appearing with joy, and hope to abide it without fear : to 
 them He sits as a refiner even now, and when He has tried 
 them they shall come forth as gold. Let us search ourselves 
 this morning, and make our calling and election sure, so that 
 the comiug of the Lord may cause no dark forebodings in our 
 mind, O for grace to cast away all hypocrisy, and to be found 
 
 of Him sincere and without rebuke in the day of Uis ajipeanug; 
 26 
 
^90 DAILY READINGS. Oct. 16. 
 
 " Jesus saith unto them Come and dine.'^ — John xxi. 12. 
 
 those words the believer is invited to a holy near- 
 ness to Jesus. " Come and dine," implies the same 
 table, the same meat ; ay, and sometimes it means to 
 sit side by side, and lean our head upon the Saviour's bosom. 
 It is being brought into the banqueting-house, where waves 
 tba banner of redeeming love. " Come and dine," gives us 
 a vision of union tvith Jesus, because the only food that wc 
 can feast upon when we dine with Jesus is Himself. Oh, 
 what union is this ! It is a depth which reason cannot fathom, 
 that we thus feed upon Jesus. " He that eateth My flesh, 
 and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him." It 
 is also an invitation to enjoy felloivship ivlth the saints. Chris- 
 tians may diifcr on a variety of points, but they have all one 
 spiritual appetite ; and if we cannot all feel alike, we can all 
 feed alike on the bread of life sent down from heaven. At 
 the table of fellowship with Jesus we are one bread and one 
 o.up. As the loving cup goes round, we pledge one another 
 heartily therein. Get nearer to Jesus, and you will find your- 
 self linked more and more in spirit to all who arc, like yourself, 
 supported by the same heavenly manna. If we were more 
 near to Jesus, we should be more near to one another. We 
 likewise see in these words the source of strength for every 
 Christian. To look at Christ is to live, but for strength to 
 serve Him you must " come and dine." We labor under 
 much unnecessary weakness on account of neglecting this 
 precept of the Master. We none of us need to put ourselves 
 on low diet ; on the contrary, we should fatten on the mar- 
 row and fatness of the gospel, that we may accumulate strength 
 therein, and urge every power to its full tension in the Mas- 
 ter's service. Thus, then, if you wuuld realize luarncss to 
 Jesus, union with Jesus, love to His people, aud strength from 
 JoauA, " come and diro " with Him by faith. 
 
Oct. 17. Daily utA-DiNcs. 291 
 
 "And Daoid said in his henrt, I shall nmj perish one day by the 
 hand oj" Saul." — 1 Samuel xxvii. 1. 
 
 K*T|**5'Hl'i thouo-ht of David's heart at this time was ufaht 
 tl l^fUv thought, because he certainly had no ground for think- 
 *^^-* ing that God's anointing him by Samuel was intended 
 to be left as an empty, unmeaning act. On no one occasion 
 had the Lord deserted His servant ; he had been placed in 
 perilous positions very often, but not one. instance had oc- 
 curred in which divine interposition had not delivered him. 
 The trials to which he had been exposed had been varied ; 
 they had not assumed one form only, but many — yet in 
 every case He who sent the trial had also graciously ordained 
 a way of escape. David could not put his finger upon any 
 ''ntry in his diary, and say of it, " Here is evidence that the 
 Lord will forsake me," for the entire tenor of his past life 
 proved the very reverse. He should have argued from what 
 God Jiad done for him that God would be his defender still. 
 But is it not just in tliis same way that xve doubt God's help? 
 Is it not miatrnst u-ithout a cause? Have we ever had the 
 shadow of a reason to doubt our Father's goodness ? Have 
 not His loving-kindnesses been marvellous ? Has He 07ice 
 failed to justify our trust ? Ah, no ! our God has not left us 
 at any time. Wei have had dark nights, but the star of love 
 has shone forth amid the blackness ; we have been in steru 
 conflicts, but over our head He has held aloft the shield of 
 our d( fence. We have gone through many trials, but never 
 to Oui detriment, always to our advantage ; and the conclu- 
 dion from our past experience is, that He who has been with 
 us iu six troubles will not forsake us in the seventh. What 
 we have known of our faithful God proves that He will keep 
 us to the end. Let us not, tlien, reason contrary to evi- 
 dence. How can we ever be so ungenerous as to doubt •:.j- 
 God ? liOrd, throw down the Jezebel of uur utAytV.ri, «»i 
 let the dogs devour it. 
 
292 DAILY HEADINGS. Oct. til 
 
 " TJiy paths drop fatness. ^^ — Psalm Ixv. 11. 
 
 ^i^lV^ANY are " the paths of the Lord" which " drop fat- 
 ^|fl|^ ness," but an especial one is the faili of prayer. No 
 ^^ '\^ believer who is much in the closet will have need to 
 cry, " My leanness, my leanness ; woe unto me." Starving 
 tou'is live at a distance from the mercy-seat, and become 
 like the parched fields in times of drought. Prevalence with 
 God in wrestling prayer is sure to make the believer strong 
 — if not happy. The nearest place to the gate of heaven is 
 the throne of the heavenly grace. Much alone, and you will 
 have much assurance ; little alone with Jesus, your religion 
 will be shallow, polluted with many doubts and fears, and 
 not sparkling with the joy of the Lord. Since the soul- 
 enriching path of prayer is open to the very weakest saint ; 
 since no high attainments are required ; since you are not 
 bidden to come because you are an advanced saint, but freely 
 invited if you be a saint at all ; see to it, dear reader, that 
 you are often in the way of private devotion. Be much on 
 your knees, for so Elijah drew the rain upon famished Is- 
 rael's fields. There is another especial path dropping with 
 fatness to those who w'alk therein : it is the secret walk of 
 communion. Oh ! the delights of fellowship with Jesus ! 
 Earth hath no words which can set forth the holy calm of a 
 Boul leaning on Jesus' I jsom. Few Christians understand 
 It : they live in the lowlands, and seldom climb to the top of 
 Nebo ; they live in the outer court ; they enter not the holy 
 place ; they take not up the privilege of priesthood. At a 
 distance they see the sacrifice, but they sit not down with 
 the priest to eat thereof, and to enjoy the fat of the burnt 
 offering. But, reader, sit thou ever under the shadow of 
 Jesus; come up to that palm tree, and take hold of the branches 
 thereof; let thy Beloved be unto thee as the apple tree among 
 the tree3 of the wood, and thou shalt be satisfied as with 
 marrow and fatness. Jesus, visit us with Thy salvation. 
 
Oct. 19. liiJLLY feEAtolifGS. i?9^ 
 
 "Babes in Christ." — 1 Corinthiai.s iii. i. 
 
 IrRE you mourning, believer, because you are so weak 
 J S iu the divine life ? because your faith is so little, youi 
 *^ love so feeble ? Cheer up, for you have cause fcr 
 gratitude. Remember, that in some things you, are equal ^o 
 the greatest and most full-grown Christian. You are as much 
 bought with blood as he is. You are as much an adopted 
 child of God as any other believer. An infant is as truly a 
 child of its parents as is the full-grown man. You are as 
 completely justified, for your justification is not a thing of 
 degrees : your little faith has made you clean every whit. 
 You have as much right to the precious things of the covenant 
 as the most advanced believers, for your right to covenant 
 mercies lies not in your growth, but in the covenant itself, 
 and your faith iu Jesus is not the measure, but the token of 
 your inheritance in Ilim. You are as rich as the richest, if 
 not in enjoyment, yet in real possession. The smallest star 
 that gleams is set in heaven ; the faintest ray of light has 
 affinity with the great orb of day. In the family register of 
 glory the small and the great are written with the same pen. 
 You are as dear to your Father's heart as the greatest iu 
 the family. Jesus is very tender over you. You are like 
 the smoking flax. A rougher spirit would say, " Put out that 
 smoking flax ; it fills the room with an ofi"ensive odor ! " but 
 the smoking flax He will not quench. You are like a bruised 
 reed ; and any less tender hand than that of the Chief Mu- 
 fiician would tread upon you, or throw you away, but He will 
 never break the bruised reed. Instead of being downcast 
 by reason of what you are, you should triumph in Christ. 
 Am I but little in Israel r Yet in Christ I am made to sit in 
 heavenly places. Am I poor in faith ? Still in Jesus I am 
 heir of all things. Though "less than nothing I can boast, 
 and vanity confess." yet if the root of the matter.be in me, ] 
 will rejoice in the Lord, and glory in the God of my siJvatir o 
 23 • 
 
204 DAiLT BEACINGS. Oct. ^(S. 
 
 " Gy-ow tip into Him in all tilings" — Ephesians iv. 15. 
 
 i^^ANY Christians remain stunted and dwarfed in sp'r- 
 H itual tilings, so as to present the same appearan^a 
 year after year. No up-springing of advanced and 
 f^fined feeling is manifest in them. They exist, but do not 
 • ■ grow up into Him in all things.'' But should we rest 3on- 
 tunt with being in the "green blade," when we might ad- 
 vance to " the ear," and eventually ripen into the " full corn 
 in the ear " ? Should we be satisfied to believe in Christ, 
 and to say, " I am safe," without wishing to know in our own 
 experience more of the fulness which is to be found in Ilim ? 
 It should not be so ; we should, as good traders in heaven's 
 market, covet to be enriched in the knowledge of Jesus. It 
 's all very well to keep other men's vineyards, but we must 
 not neglect our own spiritual growth and ripening. Why 
 should it always be winter time in our hearts ? We must 
 have our seed time, it is true ; but for a spring time — 
 yea, a summer season, which shall give promise of an early 
 harvest ! If we would ripen in grace, we must live near to 
 Jesus — in His presence — ripened by the sunshine of His 
 smiles. We must hold sweet communion with Ilim. We 
 must leave the distant view of His face, and come near, as 
 John did, and pillow our heads on His breast ; then shall we 
 find ourselves advancing in holiness, in love, in faith, in 
 hope — yea, in every precious gift. As the sun rises first 
 on mountain-tops, and gilds them with his light, and presents 
 one of the most charming sights to the eye of the traveller, 
 80 is it one of the most delightful contemplations in the 
 world to mark the glow of the Spirit's light on the head of 
 6ome saint, who has risen up in spiritual stature, like Saul, 
 above his fellows, till, like a mighty Alp, snow-c?pped, he re- 
 flects first amo'ig the chosen the beams of the S'm of Itiglite- 
 ousness, and bears the sheen cf His efi'ulgcnce high aloft for all 
 to see, lud seeing it. to glorify his Father which is in heaven 
 
Oct. 21. DAILY KE/DIxr.S. Ji95 
 
 " The love of Christ constraineih vs." — Mat hew v. 47. 
 
 •pOW nuK'li owest thou unto my Lord ? Has He ever 
 ^ done anything for thee ? Has He forgiven thy sins? 
 Has He covered thee with a robe of righteousness ? 
 Has He set thy feet upon a rock ? Has He established thy 
 goings ? Has He prepared heaven for thee ? Has He pre- 
 pared thee foi heaven ? Has He written thy name in His 
 book of life ? Has He given thee countless blessings ? Haa 
 Ho laid up for thee a store of mercies, which eye hath not 
 seen nor cor heard? Then do some'bing for Jesus worthy 
 of His love. Give not a mere wordy offering to a dying Re- 
 deemer. How will you feel when your Master comes, if ycu 
 have to confess that you did nothing for Him, but kept your 
 love shut up, like a stagnant pool, neither flowing forth to 
 His poor or to His work. Out on such love as that ! What 
 do men think of a love which never shows itself in action ? 
 Why, they say, " Open rebuke is better than secret love." 
 Who will accept a love so weak that it does not actuate you 
 to a single deed of self-denial, of generosity, of heroism, or 
 seal ? Think how He has loved you, and given Himself for 
 you .' Do you know the power of that love ? Then let it be 
 like a rushing mighty wind to your soul, to sweep out the 
 clouds of your worldliness, and clear away the mists of sin. 
 " For Christ's sake " — be this the tongue of fire that shall sit 
 upcc ycu : " for Christ's sake " — be this the d'vine rapture, 
 the heavenly afflatus to bear you aloft from earth, the divine 
 spirit that shall make you bold as lions and swift as eagles 
 in your Lord's service. Love should give wings to the feet 
 of service, and strength to the arms of labor. Fixed on God 
 with a constancy that is not to be shaken, resolute to honor 
 Him with a determination that is not to be turned aside, and 
 pressing on with an ardor never to be wearied, let us mani- 
 fest the constraints of love to Jesus. May the dirine load- 
 stone draw us heavenward towards itself! 
 
296 lAlLY READING^. Oct. 22. 
 
 " / will love them freely." — Hosea xiv. 4. 
 ^^*5HIS sentence is a body of divinity in miniature. He 
 
 yi^ who understands its meaning is a theologian, and he 
 who can dive into its fulness is a true master in Fs- 
 rael. It is a condensation of the glorious message of salvA- 
 tion which was delivered to us in Christ Jesus our Redeemer, 
 The sense hinges upon the word " freely." This is the glo- 
 rious, the suitable, the divine way by which love streams 
 from heaven to earth, a spontaneous love flowing forth to 
 those who neither deserved it, purchased it, nor sought after 
 it. It is, indeed, the only way in which God can love such 
 as we are. The text is a death-blow to all sorts of fitness ! 
 " I will love them freely." Now, if there were any fitness 
 necessary in us, then He would not love us freely ; at least, 
 this would be a mitigation and a drawback to the freeness 
 of it. But it stands, " I will love you freely." We com- 
 pla.a, " Lord, my heart is so hard." " I will love you 
 freely." " But I do not feel my need of Christ as I could 
 wish." " I will not love you because you feel your need : I 
 will love you freely." " But I do not feel that softening of 
 spirit which I could desire." Remember, the softening of 
 spirit is not a condition, for there are no conditions ; the 
 covenant of grace has no conditionality whatever ; so that 
 we, without any fitness, may venture upon the promise of 
 God which was made to us in Christ Jesus, when He said, 
 " He that believeth on Him is not condemned." It is 
 biassed to know that the grace of God is free to us at all 
 times, without preparation, without fitness, without money, 
 and without price ! " I will love them freely." These words 
 invite hacksUders to return : indeed, the text was specially 
 written for such — "I will heal their backsliding ; I will love 
 Ibem freely." Backslider ! surely the generosity of the 
 promise will at once break your heart, and you will return 
 and seek your injured Father's face. 
 
Oct. 23. DAILY BEAbtilOB. 2^1 
 
 -■> 
 
 " Will yc also go away?" — Jolm vL 67. 
 
 f?iANY have forsakm Christ, and have walked no more 
 with Ilim ; but ivJiat reason have you to make a 
 change f Has there been any reason for it in the 
 past? Ha8 not Jesus proved Himself all-sufficient? He 
 appeals to you this morning — "Have I been a wilderness 
 nnto you ? " When your soul has simply trusted Jesus, have 
 you ever been confounded ? Have you not up till now found 
 your Lord to be a compassionate and generous friend to 
 you, and has not simple faith in Him given you all the peace 
 your spirit could desire ? Can you so much as dream of a 
 better friend than He l;as been to you ? Then change not 
 the old and tried for new and false. As for the present, can 
 that compel you to leave Christ ? When we are hard beset 
 with this world, or with the severer trials within the Church, 
 we find it a most blessed thing to pillow our head upon the 
 bosom of our Saviour. This is the joy we have to-day, that 
 we are saved in Him, and if this joy be satisfying, wherefore 
 should we think of changing ? Who barters gold for dross ? 
 We will not forswear the sun till we find a better light, nor 
 leave our Lord until a brighter lover shall appear ; and, since 
 this can never be, we will hold Him with a grasp immortal, 
 and bind His name as a seal upon our arm. As for the 
 future, can you suggest anything which can arise that shall 
 render it necessary for you to mutiny, or desert the old flag 
 to serve under another captain ? We think not. If life be 
 long. He changes not. If we are poor, what better than to 
 have Christ, who can make us rich ? When we are sick, 
 what more do we want than Jesus to make our bed in our 
 sickness ? When we die — is it not written that " neither 
 death, nor life, nor thii.gs present, nor things to come, shall 
 be able to separate U3 from the love of God, which is in 
 Christ Jesus our Lorl"? We say with Peter, "Lord, to 
 whom shall we go ? " 
 
2^8 DAILY READINGS. Oct. 24. 
 
 " The ti-eix of the Lord are full of sap." — Psalm civ. 16. 
 
 ^|i|?lC:ITHOUT sap the tree cannot flourish, or even exist. 
 M^^/'fh Vitality is essential to a Christian. There must be 
 **'^*^ life — a vital principle infused into us by God the 
 Holy Ghost — or we cannot be trees of the Lord. The 
 mere name of being a Christian is but a dead thing ; we must 
 be filled with the spirit of divine life. This life is mysterious. 
 Wo do not understand the circulation of the sap — by what 
 force it rises, and by what power it descends again. So the 
 life within us is a sacred mystery. Regeneration is wrought 
 by the Holy Ghost entering into man and becoming man's 
 life ; and this divine life in a believer afterwards feeds upon 
 the flesh and blood of Christ, and is thus sustained by divine 
 food ; but whence it cometh and whither it goeth, who shall 
 explain to us ? What a secret thing the sap is ! The rood's 
 go searching through the soil with their little spongioles, but 
 we cannot see them suck out the various gases, or transmute 
 the mineral into the vegetable : this work is done down in the 
 dark. Our root is Christ Jesus, and our life is hid in him : 
 this is the secret of the Lord. The radix of the Christian 
 lifo is as secret as the life itself. How permanently active ia 
 the sap in the cedar ! In the Christian, the divine life is 
 always full of energy — not always in fruit-bearing, but in 
 itward operations. The believer's graces are not every one 
 of them in constant motion, but his life never ceases to pal- 
 pitate within. Ho is not always working for God, but his 
 heart is always living upon Him. As the sap manifests itself 
 in producing the foliage and fruit of the tree, so with a truly 
 healthy Christian ; his grace is externally manifested in hia 
 walk and conversation. If you talk with him, he cannot 
 help speaking about Jesus. If you notice his actions, you 
 will see that he has been with Jesus. He has so much sap 
 within, cuat it must fill his conduct and convcT-uation with 
 life. 
 
Oct. 25. J)AltT READINGS. ^dD 
 
 " Fi. r the truWs sake which dwdlefh in us, and sJiall be with lu 
 forever"— 2 John 2. 
 
 T^aST.Vj lot the truth of Crod obtain an entrance into tin 
 ' human heart, and subdue the whole man unto itself 
 no power, human or infernal, can dislodge it. We en- 
 tertain it not as a guest, but as the master of the house — this 
 is a Christian necessity ; he is no Christian who doth not thus 
 believe. Those who feel the vital power of the gospel, and 
 know the misjht of the Holy Ghost as He opens, applies, an(? 
 seals the Lord's Word, would sooner be torn to pieces thai> 
 be rent away from the gospel of their salvation. What a 
 thousand mercies are wrapped up in the assurance that the 
 truth will be with us forever ; will be our living support, our 
 dying comfort, our rising song, our eternal glory ! This is 
 Christian privilege ; without it our faith were little worth. 
 Some truths we outgrow and leave behind, for they are but 
 rudiments and lessons for beginners ; but we cannot thus deaJ 
 with Divine truth, for though it is sweet food for babes, it i^ 
 in the highest sense strong meat for men. The truth thvt 
 we are sinners, is painfully with us to humble and mtki 
 '.IS watchful • the more blessed truth that whosoever believetb 
 on the Lord Jesus shall be saved, abides with us as our hope 
 and joy. Experience, so far from loosening our hold of the 
 doctrines of grace, has knit us to them more and more firmly; 
 our grounds and motives for believing are now more strong, 
 more numerous than ever, and we have rea-on to expect that 
 it will be so till in death we clasp the Saviour in our arms. 
 
 Wherever this abiding love of truth can be discovered, we 
 are bound to exercise our love. No narrow circle can contain 
 our gracious sympathies ; wide as the election of grace must 
 be our communion of heart. Mr.ch of error may be mingled 
 frith truth received ; let us war with the error, but still lovfl 
 the brother for the measure of truth whi.h we see in Him ; 
 above all, let us love and sprea<^. the truth ourselves. 
 
360 Daily reat>ings. Oct. 26. 
 
 " Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little : and. when ye 
 bronght it Tiome, I did blow npon it. Why'^ saith the Lord 
 of hosts. Because of Mine house that is waste, and ye rwi 
 every man unto his own house." — Haggai i. 9. 
 
 ^^^^(^HURLISH souls stint their contributions to the min- 
 iC ^^^ istry and missionary operations, and call such savin* 
 ^'"— -"^ good economy ; little do they dream that they are 
 thus impoverishing themselves. Their excuse is, that they 
 must care for their own families, and they forget that to 
 neglect the house of Grod is the sure way to bring ruin upon 
 their own houses. Our God has a method in providence by 
 Tyhich He can succeed our endeavors beyond our expectation, 
 or can defeat our plans to our confusion and dismay ; by a 
 turn of His hand He can steer our vessel in a profitable 
 channel, or run it aground in poverty and bankruptcy. It ia 
 the teaching of Scripture that the Lord enriches the liberal, 
 and leaves the miserly to find out that withholding tendeth to 
 poverty. In a very wide sphere of observation, I have 
 noticed that the most generous Christians of my acquaint- 
 ance have been always the most happy, and almost invari- 
 7,bly the most prosperous. I have seen the liberal giver rise 
 t ". wealth of which he never dreamed ; and I have as often 
 seen the mean, ungenerous churl descend to poverty by the 
 v^ery parsimony by which he thought to rise. Men trust 
 good stewards with larger and larger sums ; and so it fre- 
 quently is with the Lord ; He gives by cartloads to those who 
 give by bushels. Where wealth is not bestowed, the Lord 
 makes the little much by the contentment which the sanctified 
 heart feels in a portion of which the tithe has been dedicated 
 to the Lord. Selfishness looks first at home, but godliness 
 seeks first the kingdom of God and His righteousness ; yet, in 
 the long run, selfishness is kss, and godliness is great gain. It 
 needs faith to act towards .'Ur God with an open hand ; but 
 Burely He deserves it of us; and all that we can doisa veiypoor 
 »cknowledgment of our amazinjf indebtedness to His got dness. 
 
Oct. 27. DAILY KEADIMGS. 301 
 
 It is a faithful saying." — ">. Timothy ii. 11. 
 
 im. 
 
 !AUL has four of these ^^faithfxd sayings." The" first 
 ^ll occurs iu 1 Timothy i. 8 : " This is a faithful saying, 
 and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came 
 into the world to save sinners." The next is in 1 Tim- 
 othy iv. 6 : " Godliness is profitable unto all things, hav- 
 ing the promise of the life that now is, and of that which 
 is to come. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all ac- 
 ceptation." The third is in 2 Timothy ii. 12 : " It is a faith- 
 ful saying, If we suffer with Him we shall also reign with 
 Him ; " and the fourth is in Titus iii. 3 : " This is a faithful 
 saying, that they which have believed in God might be care- 
 ful to maintain good works." We may trace a connection 
 between these faithful sayings. The first one lays the founda- 
 tion of our eternal salvation in the free grace of God, aa 
 shown to us in the mission of the great Redeemer. The next 
 affirms the double blessedness which we obtain through this 
 salvation — the blessings of the upper and nether springs — 
 of time and of eternity. The third shows one of the duties 
 to which the chosen people are called ; we arc ordaiLed to 
 fiufi"er for Christ, with the promise that " if we &uffer, we shall 
 also reign with Ilim." The last sets forth the activfc form of 
 Christian service, bidding us diligently to maintain good 
 works. Thus we have the root of salvation in free grace ; 
 next, the privileges of that salvation in the lire which now Is, 
 and in that which is to come ; and we have also the two groat 
 branches of sufiering with Christ and serving with Christ, 
 loaded with the fruits of the Spirit. Treasure up these faith- 
 ful sayings. Let them be the guides of our life, our comfort, 
 and our instruction. The apo.stle of the Gentiles proved them 
 to be faithful ; they are faithful still ; not one word shall fall 
 to the ground : they arc worthy of all acceptation ; let us ac- 
 cept them now, and prove their faithfulness. Let these four 
 faithfuJ sayings be written on the four corners of mv^ hoMse 
 
302 DAILY READINGS. Oct. 28. 
 
 " I have chosen you out of the world." — John xv. 19. 
 
 ^!^EKE is distinguishing grace and discriminating rc- 
 ^ gard ; for some are made the special objects of divine 
 afieciion. Do not be afraid to dwell upon this high 
 doctrine of election. When your mind is most heavy and 
 depressed, you will find it to be a bottle of richest cordial. 
 Those who doubt the doctrines of grace, or who cast theoj 
 into the shade, miss the richest clusters of Eshcol ; they lose 
 the wines on the lees well refined, the fat things full of marrow. 
 There is no balm in Gilead comparable to it. If the honey 
 in Jonathan's wood, when but touched, enlightened the eyes, 
 this is honey which will enlighten your heart to love and learn 
 the mysteries of the kingdom of God. Eat, and fear not a 
 surfeit ; live upon this choice dainty, and fear not that it will 
 be too delicate a diet. Meat from the King's table will hurt 
 none of His courtiers. Desire to have your mind enlargedj 
 that you may comprehend more and more the eternal, ever- 
 lasting, discriminating love of God. When you have mounted 
 as high as election, tarry on its sister mount, the covenant 
 of grace. Covenant engagements are the munitions of stu- 
 pendous rock behind which we lie intrenched ; covenant 
 engagements with the surety, Christ Jesus, are the quiet 
 resting-places of trembling spirits. 
 
 " His oath, His covenant, His blood, 
 Support me in the raging flood ; 
 When every earthly prop gives way, 
 This still is all my strength and stay." 
 
 If Jesus undertook to bring me to glory, and if the Father 
 promised that He would give me to the Son to be a part of 
 the infinite reward of the travail of His soul, then, my soul, 
 till God Himself shall be unfaithful, till Jesus shall cease to be 
 the truth, thou art safe When David danced before the ark, 
 he told Miclial chat election iiade him do so. Come, my 
 soul, exult before the God of grace, and leap for joy of heart. 
 
Oct. 29. DAILY RLADINGS. 303 
 
 *'' After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father, which art in 
 heaven," &c. — Matthew vi. 9. 
 
 ^ifl^^J'HIS prayer begins where all true prayer must com- 
 ir ^'^ mence — with the spirit of adoption, "Our Father." 
 '^^^'^^ There is no acceptable prayer until we can say, " I 
 will arise and go unto my Father." This child-like spirit 
 Boon perceives the grandeur of the Father " iu heaven," and 
 ascends to devout adoration — "Hallowed be Thy name." 
 The child lisping, " Abba, Father," grows into the cherub 
 crying, " Holy, Holy, Holy." There is but a step from rap- 
 turous worship to the glowing missionary spirit, which is a sure 
 outgrowth of filial love and reverent adoration — " Thy king- 
 dom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." 
 Next follows th.e heartfelt expression of dependence upon God 
 — " Give us this day our daily bread." Being further illu- 
 minated by the Spirit, he discovers that he is not only de- 
 pendent, but sinful; hence he entreats for mercy — "Forgive 
 us our debts as we forgive our debtors : " and being pardoned, 
 having the righteousness of Christ imputed, and knowing his 
 acceptance with God, he humbly supplicates for holy persever- 
 ance — " Lead us not into temptation." The man who is really 
 forgiven, is anxious not to offend again ; the possession of jus- 
 tification leads to an anxious desire for sanctification. " For- 
 give us our debts ; " that is justification. " Lead us not into 
 temptation, but deliver us from evil ; " that is sanctification io 
 its negative and positive forms. As the result of all this, 
 there follows a triumphant ascription of praise — " Thine is the 
 kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen." 
 We rejoice that our King reigns in providence and shall 
 reign in grace, from the river even to the ends of the eartl", 
 and of His dominion tliere shall be no end. Thus from a 
 sense of adoption, up to fellowship with our reigning Lord, 
 this short model of prayer conducts the foul F.or J, teapb 
 us thus to pray. 
 
504 DAILY READINGS. Oct. 30. 
 
 " I will praise TJiee, Lord." — Psalm ix. 1. 
 
 [(j^lRAISE should always follow answered prayer, as the 
 mist of earth's gratitude risses when the sun of heaven's 
 love warms the ground. Hath the Lord been grau 
 cious to thee, and inclined his ear to the voice of thy suppli- 
 cation ? Then praise Him as long as thou livest. Let the 
 ripe fruit drop upon the fertile soil from which it drew its 
 life. Deny not a song to Him who hath answered thy prayer 
 and given thee the desire of thy heart. To be silent over 
 God's mercies is to incur the guilt of ingratitude ; it is to act 
 as basely as the nine lepers, who, after they had been cured 
 of their leprosy, returned not to give thanks unto the healing 
 Lord. To forget to praise God, is to refuse to benefit our- 
 selves ; for praise, like prayer, is one great means of promot- 
 ing the growth of the spiritual life. It helps to remove our 
 burdens, to excite our hope, to increase our faith. It is a 
 healthful and invigorating exercise, which quickens the pulse 
 of the believer, and nerves him for fresh enterprises in his 
 Master's service. To bless God for mercies received is also 
 the way to benefit our fellow-men ; " the humble shall hear 
 thereof and be glad." Others, who have been in like circum- 
 stances, shall take comfort if we can say, " Oh ! magnify the 
 Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together ; this poor 
 man cried, and the Lord heard him." Weak hearts will be 
 strengthened, and drooping saints will be revived, as they 
 listen to our " songs of deliverance." Their doubts and 
 fears will be rebuked, as we teach and admonish one another 
 in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. They too shall 
 " sing in the ways of the Lord," when they hear us magnify 
 His holy name. Praise is the most heavenly of Christian 
 duties. The angels pray not, but they cease not to praise 
 both day and night ; and the redeemed, clothed in white 
 robes, with palm-branches in their hands, are naver wearj 
 of singing the new soDg, " Worthy is the Lamb." 
 
Oct. 31. DAILY KEADINGS. 305 
 
 " liencw a r'tQlitsjnrit within me." — Psalm li. 10. 
 
 ^jf'Tj BACKSLIDER, if there be a spark of life left in 
 ilv^l'-A ^^°*' ^^^^ groan after restoration. In this renewal 
 ^^*^*^^ the same exercise of grace is required as at our con- 
 version. We needed repentance then; we certainly need it 
 now. We wanted faith that we might come to Christ at 
 first ; only the like grace can bring us to Jesus now. We 
 wanted a word from the Most Iligh, a word from the lip of 
 the loving One, to end our fears then ; we shall soon dis- 
 cover, when under a sense of present sin, that we need it 
 now. No man can be renewed without as real and true a mani- 
 festation of the Holy Spirit's energy as he felt at first, be- 
 cause the work is as great, and flesh and blood are as much 
 m the way now as ever they were. Let thy personal weak- 
 ness, Christian, be an argument to make thee pray ear- 
 nestly to thy God for help. Remember, David, when he felt 
 himself to be powerless, did not fold his arms or close his 
 lips, but he hastened to the mercy-seat with, " Renew a right 
 spirit within me." Let not the doctrine that you, unaided, 
 can do nothing, make you sleep ; but let it be a goad in your 
 side to drive you with an awful earnestness to Israel's strong 
 Helper. that you may have grace to plead with God, as 
 though you pleaded for your very life — "Lord, renew a 
 right spirit within me." He wha sincerely prays to God to 
 do this, will prove his honesty by using the means through 
 fvhich God works. Be much in pra3-er ; live much upon the 
 Word of God ; kill the lusts which have driven your Lord 
 from you ; be careful to watch over the future uprisings of 
 bin. The Lord has his own appointed ways ; sit by the way- 
 «iidc, and you will be ready when He passes by. Continue in 
 ^11 those blessed ordinances which will foster and nourish 
 four dying graces ; and, knowing that all the power must 
 proceed fiom Iliui, ccaso not to cry, "Renew a right spirit 
 ^ihin n^c " 
 
 26* 
 
806 DAILY READINGS. NoV. 1. 
 
 " Tlie Church in thy house." — Philemon 2. 
 
 SrS there a Church in this house ? Are parents, chil- 
 ^ dren, friends, servants, all members of it ? or are 
 some still unconverted? Let us pause here, and lefc 
 the question go round — Avi I a memher of the Church in 
 this house? How would father's heart leap for joy, and 
 mother's eves fill with holy tears, if from the eldest to the 
 youngest all were saved ! Let us pray tor this great mercy 
 until the Lord shall grant it to us. Probably it had been the 
 dearest object of Philemon's desires to have all his household 
 saved ; but it was not at first granted him in its fulness. He 
 had a wicked servant, Onesimus, who, having wronged him. 
 ran away from his service. His master's prayers followed 
 him, and at last, as God would have it, Onesimus was led to 
 hear Paul preach ; his heart was touched, and he returned to 
 Philemon, not only to be a faithful servant, but a brother 
 beloved, adding another member to the Church in Philemon's 
 house. Is there an unconverted servant or child absent this 
 morning ? Make special supplication that such may, on their 
 return to their home, gladden all hearts with good news of 
 what grace has done ! Is there one present ? Let him par- 
 take in the same earnest entreaty. 
 
 If there be such a Church in our house, let us order it well, 
 and let all act as in the sight of God. Let us move in the 
 common afi'airs of life with studied holiness, diligence, kind- 
 ness, and integrity. More is expected of a Church than of 
 an ordinary household ; family worship must, in such a case, 
 be more devout and hearty ; internal love must be more warm 
 and unbroken, and external conduct must be more sanctified 
 and Christ-like. We need not fear that the smallness of our 
 Bamber will put us out of the list of Churches, for the Holy 
 Spirit has here enrolled a family-church in the inspired book 
 of remembrance. As a Church let us now draw nigh to the 
 great Head of the one Church universal, and let us beseech Him 
 to give us gra(ie to shine before men to the glory of His name. 
 
Nov. 2. DAILY READINGS. 307 
 
 " I am the Lord, I cliange not." — Malachi iii. 6. 
 
 T is well for us that, amidst all the variabkness of 
 m' life, there is One whom change cannot aifect ; One 
 whose heart can never alter, and on whose brow mu- 
 tability can make no furrows. All things else have changed 
 — all things are changing. The sun itself grows dim with 
 age ; the world is waxing old ; the folding up of the worn- 
 out vesture has commenced ; the heavens and earth must soon 
 pass away ; they shall perish, they shall wax old as doth a 
 garment ; but there is One who only hath immortality, of 
 whose years there is no end, and in whose person there is no 
 3hange. The delight which the mariner feels, when, after 
 saving been tossed about for many a day, he steps again upon 
 :he solid shore, is the satisfaction of a Christian, when, amidst 
 all the changes of this troublous life, he rests the foot of his 
 faith upon this truth — " / am the Lord, I change not." 
 
 The stability which the anchor gives the ship when it haa 
 at last obtained a hold-fast, is like that which the Christian's 
 hope affords him when it fixes itself upon this glorious truth. 
 With God " is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." 
 Whatever His attributes were of old, they are now ; His 
 power. His wisdom. His justice, His truth, are alike un- 
 changed. He has ever been the refuge of His people, their 
 stronghold in the day of trouble, and He is their sure helper 
 still. He is unchanged in His love. He has loved His peo- 
 ple with " an everlasting love ; " He loves them now as much 
 as ever He did, and when all earthly things shall have meltec" 
 m the last conflagration, His love will still wear the dew of 
 its youth. Precious is the assurance that He changes not 1 
 TLd wheel of providence revolves, but its axle is eternal lovoi 
 
 " Death and change are busy ever ; 
 Man decays and ages move ; 
 But His mercy wancth never; 
 God is wisdom, God is love." 
 
JOS DAILY KEADIKGS. NoV. S 
 
 "Behold, he prayetli." — Acts ix. 11. 
 
 /Jji^RAYERS are instantly noticed in heaven The mo- 
 ^^ ment Saul began to pray the Lord heard him. Here 
 ~^ '^ ' is comfort for the distressed but praying soul. Of- 
 tentimes a poor broken-hearted one bends his knee, but oan 
 only utter his wailing in the language of sighs and .ears ; 
 yet that groan has made all the harps of heaven thrill with 
 music ; that tear has been caught by God, and treasured in 
 the lachrymatory of heaven. " Thou puttest my tears into 
 Thy bottle," implies that they are caught as they flow. The 
 suppliant whose fears prevent his words will be well under- 
 stood by the Most Uigh. He may only look up with misty 
 eye ; but " prayer is the falling of a tear." Tears are the 
 diamonds of heaven ; sighs are a part of the music of Jeho- 
 vah's court, and are nuiubered with " the sublimest strains 
 that reach the Majesty on high." Think not that your prayer, 
 however weak or trembling, will be unregarded. Jacob's 
 ladder is lofty, but our prayer shall lean upon the angel of 
 the covenant, and so climb its starry rounds. Our God not 
 only hears prayer, but also loves to hear it. " He forgetteth 
 not the cry of the humble." True, lie regards not high looks 
 and lofty words ; He cares not for the pomp and pageantry 
 of kings ; He listens not to the swell of martial music ; He 
 regards not the triumph and pride of man ; but wherever 
 there is a heart big with sorrow, or a lip quivering with 
 agony, or a deep groan, or a penitential sigh, the heart of 
 Jehovah is open ; He marks it down in the registry of Hia 
 memory ; He puts our prayers, like rose leaves, between the 
 pages of His book of remembrance, and when the volume is 
 opened at last, there shall be a precious fragrance springing 
 up therefrom. 
 
 " Faith asks no signal from the skies, 
 To show that prayers accepted rise ; 
 Our Priest is in His holy place, 
 And answers from the throne of grace." 
 
Nov. 4. DAlLt HEADINGS. 809 
 
 "For My strenr/th is made perfect in weakness" — 2 Cor. xii. 9. 
 
 11^ PRIMARY qualification for serving God with any 
 ^ amount of success, and for doing God's work well and 
 
 ^^ triunipliantly, is a sense of our own weakness. When 
 God's warrior marches forth to battle, strong in his own 
 might; when he boasts, "I know that. I shall conquer; my 
 own right arm and my conquering sword shall get unto me 
 the victor}-," — defeat is not far distant. God will not go 
 forth with that man who marches in his own strength. He 
 who reckoncth on victory thus, has reckoned wrongly, for 
 " it is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith 
 the Lord of hosts." They who go forth to fight, boasting 
 of their prowess, shall return with their gay banners trailed 
 in the dust, and their armor stained with disgrace. Those 
 who serve God must serve Him in His own way, and in His 
 strength, or He will never accept their service. That which 
 man doth, unaided by divine strength, God can never own. 
 The mere fruits of the earth Hq casteth away ; He will only 
 reap that corn, the seed of which was sown from heaven, 
 watered by grace, and ripened by the sun of divine love. 
 God will empty out all that thou hast before He will put His 
 own into thee ; He will first clean out thy granaries before 
 He will fill them with the finest of the wheat. The river of 
 God is full of water ; but not one drop of it flows from earthly 
 springs. God will have no strength used in His battles but 
 the strength which He Himself imparts. Are you mourning 
 over your own weakness ? Take courage, for there must bo 
 a consciousness of weakness before the Lord will give thee 
 victory. Your emptiness is tut the preparation for your 
 being filled, and your casting down is but the making ready 
 for your lifting up. 
 
 " When I am weak, then am I strong ; 
 Grace is m'- shield, and Ctirist my song.*' 
 
310 DAILY HEADINGS. NoV. 5. 
 
 " No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper." — Isa. liv. 17. 
 
 ^jIIIS day is notable in English history for three great 
 S deliverances wrought by God for us. 
 
 The first, the total destruction of the Spanish Ar» 
 mada, by the breath of the Almighty, in 1588. 
 
 " When mTghty navies from afar, 
 To Britain wafted, floating war, 
 His breath dispersed them all with ease, 
 And sunk their terrors in the seas." 
 
 On this day the plot of the Papists to destroy our Hou8« 
 of Parliament was discovered, 1605. 
 
 "While for our princes they prepare 
 In caverns deep a burning snare, 
 He shot from heaven a piercing ray, 
 And the dark treachery brought to day." 
 
 Yet, thirdly, to-day is the anniversary of the landing of 
 King William III. at Torbay, by which the hope of Popish as- 
 cendency was quashed, and religious liberty was secured, 1688. 
 
 This day ought to be celebrated, not by the saturnalia of 
 striplings, but by the songs of saints. Our Puritan fore- 
 fathers most devoutly made it a special time of thanksgiving; 
 there is extant a record of the annual sermons preached by 
 Matthew Henry on this day. Our Protestant feeling, and 
 our love of liberty, should make us regard its anniversary 
 with holy gratitude. Let our hearts and lips exclaiir. " We 
 have heard with our ears, and our fathers have told us, the 
 wondrous things which Thou didst in their day, and in the 
 old time before them." Thou hast made this nation the 
 home of the gospel ; and when the foe has risen against her. 
 Thou hast shielded her. Thrice repeated songs for thrice 
 repeated deliverances. Grant us more and more a hatred 
 of Antichrist, and hasten on the day of her entire extinction. 
 Till then and ever, we believe the promise, " No weapon 
 that is formed against thee shall prosper." 
 
Nov. 6. DAILY EEAI IKGS. dl 1 
 
 " I will pour water vpon him that is thirsty ^ — Isaiah xliv. 3. 
 
 rilEN a believer has fallen into a low, sad state of 
 h feeling, he often tries to lift himself out of it b^ 
 chastening himself with dark and doleful fears. Such 
 is not the way to rise from the dust, but to continue in it. 
 As well chain the eagle's wing to make it mount, as doubt 
 in order to increase our grace. It is not the law, but the 
 gospel, which saves the seeking soul at first ; and it is not a 
 legal bondage, but gospel liberty, which can restore the faint- 
 ing believer afterwards. Slavish fear brings not back the 
 backslider to God, but the sweet wooings of love allure him 
 to Jesus' bosom. Are you this morning thireting for the 
 living God, and unhappy because you cannot find Him to 
 the delight of your heart ? Have you lost the joy of religion, 
 and is this your prayer, " Restore unto me the joy of Thy 
 salvation " ? Are you conscious, also, that you are barren, 
 like the dry ground ? that you are not bringing forth the 
 fruit unto God which He has a right to expect of you ? that 
 you are not so useful in the Church, or in the world, as your 
 heart desires to be ? Then here is exactly the promise which 
 you need : " I will pour water upon him that is thirsty." 
 You shall receive the grace you so much require, and you 
 shall have it to the utmost reach of your needs. Water re- 
 freshes the thirsty : you shall be refreshed ; your desires 
 shall be gratified. Water quickens sleeping vegetable life : 
 your life shall be quickened by fresh grace. Water swells 
 the buds, and makes the fruits ripen : you shall have fructi- 
 fying grace ; you shall be made fruitful in the ways of God. 
 Whatever good quality there is in divine grace, you shaU 
 enjoy it to the fuh. All the riches of divine grace you shall 
 receive in plenty ; you shall be, as it were, drenched with 
 it : and as sometimes the meadows become flooded by the 
 bursting rivers, and the fields are turned into pools, so sbaU 
 you be — the th rsty land shall be springs of water. 
 
6\i DAILY KEADaNGS. NoV. ?. 
 
 " Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my handb." 
 Isaiah xlix. 16. 
 
 doubt a part of the wonder which is concentrated in 
 ,, the word " Behold,^' is excited by the unbelieving 
 lamentation of the preceding sentence. Zion said, 
 '• The Lord hath forsaken me, and my God hath forgotten 
 me." How amazed the divine mind seems to be at this 
 wicked unbelief ! What can be more astounding than the 
 unfounded doubts and fears of God's favored people ? The 
 Lord's loving word of rebuke should make us blush. lie cries, 
 " How can I have forgotten thee, when I have graven thee 
 upon the palms of My hands ? How darest thou doubt My 
 constant remembrance, when the memorial is set upon My 
 very flesh ? " unbelief, how strange a marvel thou art ! 
 We know not which most to wonder at, the faithfulness of 
 God or the unbelief of His people. He keeps his promise a 
 thousand times, and yet the next trial makes us doubt Him. 
 He never faileth ; He is never a dry well ; He is never as a 
 setting sun, a passing meteor, or a melting vapor ; and yet 
 we are as continually vexed with anxieties, molested with 
 suspicions, and disturbed with fears, as if our God were the 
 mirage of the desert. " Behold " is a word intended to excite 
 admiration. Here, indeed, we have a theme for marvelling. 
 Heaven and earth may well be astonished that rebels should 
 obtain so great a nearness to the heart of infinite love as to 
 be written upon the palms of His hands. " I have graven 
 thee." It does not say, " thy name." The name is there, 
 but that is not all : " I have graven </iee." See the fulness 
 of this ! I have graven thy person, thine image, thy case, 
 thy circumstances, thy sins, thy temptations, thy weaknesses, 
 thy wants, thy works ; I have graven thee, everything about 
 thee, all that concerns thee ; I have put thee altogether 
 there. Wilt thou ever say again that thy God hath forsaken 
 thee, when He has graven thee upon His own palms ? 
 
Nov. 8. DAILY REAmNGS. 818 
 
 "As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord." — Col. ii. 6. 
 
 SHE life of faith is represented as receiving — an ad 
 \h which implies the very opposite of anything like merit. 
 It is simply the acceptance of a gift. As the earth 
 drinks in the rain, as the sea receives the streams, as night 
 accepts light from the stars, so we, giving nothing, partake 
 freely of the grace of Grod. The saints are not, by nature 
 wells, or streams ; they are but cisterns into which the living 
 water flows ; they are empty vessels into which God poun 
 "His salvation. The idea of receiving implies a sense of real- 
 ization, making the matter a reality. One cannot very well 
 receive a shadow ; we receive that which is substantial : so is 
 it in the life of faith, Christ becomes real to us. While we are 
 without faith, Jesus is a mere name to us — a person who lived 
 a long while ago, so long ago that His life is only a history 
 to us now ! By an act of faith Jesus becomes a real person 
 in the consciousness of our heart. But receiving also means 
 grasping, or getting possession of. The thing which I receive 
 becomes my own : I appropriate to myself that which is given. 
 Wuen I receive Jesus, He becomes my Saviour, so mine that 
 neither life nor death shall be able to rob me of Him. All 
 this it is to receive Christ — to take Him as God's free gift ; 
 to realize Him in my heart, and to appropriate Him as mine. 
 Salvation may be described as the blind receiving sight, 
 the deaf receiving hearing, the dead receiving life ; but we 
 have not only received these blessings, we have received 
 Christ Jesus Himself. It is true that He gave us life from 
 the dead. He gave us pardon of sin ; He gave us imputed 
 righteousness. These are all precious things, but we are not 
 content with them ; we have received Christ Himself. The 
 Son of God has been poured into us, and we have received 
 Him, and appropriated Him. What a heartful Jesus must 
 be, for heaven itself cannot contain Him I 
 27 
 
SI 4 l)AtLt HEADINGS. K'oV. ft. 
 
 " So wiilk ye in Him." — Colossians ii. 6. 
 
 ^?^[Jf/^F we have received Christ Himself in our inmost hearts, 
 i^||'{^ our new life will manifest its intimate acquaintance 
 y/^RI^ y,\i]^ Him by a ivalk of faith in Him. Walking im- 
 plies action. Our religion is not to be confined to our closet; 
 we must carry out into practical effect that which we believe. 
 If a man walks in Christ, then he so acts as Christ would act ; 
 for Christ being in him, his hope, his love, his joy, his life, 
 he is the reflex of the image of Jesus; and men say of that 
 man, " He is like his Master ; he lives like Jesus Christ." 
 Walking signifies progress. " So walk ye in Him ; " proceed 
 from grace to grace, run forward until you reach the utter- 
 most degree of knowledge that a man can attain concerning 
 our Beloved. Walking implies continuance. There must 
 be a perpetual abiding in Christ. How many Christians 
 think that in the morning and evening they ought to come 
 into the company of Jesus, and may then give their hearts to 
 the world all the day ! But this is poor living ; we should 
 always be with Him, treading in His steps, and doing His 
 will. Walking also implies habit. When we speak of a man's 
 walk and conversation, we mean his habits, the constant 
 tenor of his life. Now, if we sometimes enjoy Christ, and 
 then forget Him ; sometimes call Him ours, and anon lose 
 our hold, that is not a habit ; we do not walk in Him. We 
 must keep to Him, cling to Him, never let Him go, but live 
 and have our being in Him. " As ye have received Christ 
 Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him ; " persevere in the same 
 way in which ye liave begun, and, as at the first Christ Jesus 
 was the trust of your faith, the source of your life, the prin- 
 ciple of your action, and the joy of your spirit, so let Him be 
 the same till life's end ; the same when you walk through the 
 valley of the shadow of death, and enter into the joy and the 
 rest which remain for the people of God. Holy Spirit, 
 enable us to obey this heavenly precept. 
 
ihV. 10. DAILY READINGS. 315 
 
 " T/ie eternal God is thy refuge." — Deut. xxy'iii. 27. 
 
 [*gIIE word refuge may be translated "mans'on," or 
 " abiding-place," which gives the thonghtthat God m 
 o»r abode, our home. There is a fulness and ?weetLes8 
 in the- metaphor, for dear to our hearts is our home, although 
 it be the humblest cottage, or the scantiest garret ; and dear- 
 er far is our blessed God, in whom we live, and move, and 
 have our being. It is at home that we feel safe : we shut 
 the world out and dwell in quiet security. So when we are 
 with our God we " fear no evil." He is our shelter and 
 retreat, our abiding refuge. At home, ive take our rest ; it 
 is there we find repose after the fatigue and toil of the day. 
 And so our hearts find rest in God, when, wearied with life's 
 conflict, we turn to Him, and our soul dwells at ease. At 
 home also, we let our hearts loose; we are not afraid of being 
 misunderstood, nor of our words being misconstrued. So 
 when we are with God we can commune freely with him, lay- 
 ing open all our hidden desires ; for if the " secret of the 
 Lord is with them that fear Him," the secrets of them that 
 fear Him ought to be, and must be, with their Lord. Home, 
 *oo, is the place of our truest and purest happiness ; and it is 
 in God that our hearts find their deepest delight. We have 
 joy in Him which far surpasses all other joy. It is also for 
 home that we work and labor. The thought of it gives strength 
 to bear the daily burden, and quickens the fingers to perform 
 the task; and in this sense we may also say that God is our 
 home. Love to Him strengthens us. We think of Him in 
 the person of His dear Son ; and a glimpse of the suficring 
 face of the Redeemer constrains us to labor in His cause. 
 We feel that we must work, for we have brethren jet to be 
 saved, and we have our Father's heart to make glad by bring- 
 ing home His wandering sous ; we would fill with holy mirth 
 the sacred family among whom we dwell. Hap^iy are those 
 *ho have thus the God of Jacob for their refuse I 
 
816 DAILY READINGS. ^OV. 11. 
 
 " Underneath are the everlasting arms." — Deut. xxxiii. 27. 
 
 I^OD — the eternal God — is Himself our support at all 
 times, and especially when we are sinking in deep 
 trouble. There are seasons when the Christian sinks 
 very low in humiliation. TJnder a deep sense of his great 
 sinfulness, he is humbled before God till he scarcely knows 
 how to pray, because he appears, in his own sight, so worth- 
 less. AVell, child of God, remember that when thou art at 
 thy worst and lowest, yet " underneath " thee " are the ever- 
 lasting arms." Sin may drag thee ever so low, but Christ's 
 great atonement is still under all. You may have descended 
 into the deeps, but you cannot have fallen so low as " the 
 uttermost;" and to the uttermost He saves. Again, the 
 Christian sometimes sinks very deeply in sore trial from with- 
 out. Every earthly prop is cut away. What then ? Still 
 underneath him are " the everlasting arms." He cannot fall 
 so deep in distress and affliction but what the covenant grace 
 Df an ever-faithful God will still encircle him. The Christ^jn 
 maybe sinking under trouble from within through fierce con- 
 flict, but even then he cannot be brought so low as to be be- 
 yond the reach of the " everlasting arms" — they are under- 
 neath him ; and, while thus sustained, all Satan's efforts to 
 harm avail nothing. 
 
 This assurance of support is a comfort to any weary but 
 earnest worker in the service of God. It implies a promise of 
 strength for each day, grace for each need, and power for each 
 duty. And, further, when death comes, the promise shall still 
 hold good. When we stand in the midst of Jordan, we shall be 
 able to say with David, " I will fear no evil, for Thou art with 
 me." We shall descend into the grave, butwe shallgo no lower, 
 for the eternal arms prevent our further fall. All through life, 
 and at its cbse, we shall be upheld by the " everlasting arms " 
 — arms that neither flag noi lose their strength, for " thfl 
 everlasting God fainteth not, neither is weary." 
 
"^OV. li. DAILY RKADlSriaS. 51^ 
 
 " The trial of your faith." — 1 Peter i. 7. 
 
 Jl^^^AITII untried may be true faith, but it is sure to 
 W be little faith, and it is likely to remain dwarQsh so 
 long as it is without trials. Faith never pro.sperj 
 so well as when all things are against her ; tempests arc 
 her trainers, and lightnings are her illuminators. When 
 a calm reigns ; n the sea, spread the sails as you will, the 
 uhip moves not to its harbor ; for, on a slumbering ocean, 
 the keel sleeps too. Let the winds rush howling forth, and 
 let the waters lift up themselves, then, though the vessel may 
 rock, and her deck may be washed with waves, and her masw 
 may creak under the pressure of the full and swelling sail, it 
 is then that she makes headway towards her desired haven. 
 No flowers wear so lovely a blue as those which grow at the 
 foot of the frozen glacier ; no stars gleam so brightly as those 
 which glisten in the polar sky ; no water tastes so sweet as 
 that which springs amid the desert sand ; and no faith is so 
 precious as that which lives and triumphs in adversity. Tried 
 faith brings experience. You could not have believed your 
 own weakness had you not been compelled to pass through the 
 rivers ; and you would never have known Grod's strength had 
 you not been supported amid the water-floods. Faith in- 
 creases in solidity, assurance, and intensity, the more it is 
 exercised with tribulation. Faith is precious, and its trial is 
 precious too. 
 
 Let not this, however, discourage those who are young in 
 faith. You will have trials enough without seeking them ; 
 the full portion will be measured. out to you in due season. 
 Meanwhile, if you cannot yet claim the result of long experi- 
 ence, thank God for what grace you have ; praise Him for 
 tliat degree of holy confidence whercunto you have attained ; 
 walk according to that rule, and you shall yet have more and 
 more of the blessing of God, till your faith shall remove 
 mooutains and conquer impossibilities. 
 27* 
 
9i& DAILY REAIHNG8. NoV. iS. 
 
 " The branch cannot hear fruit of itself ." — John xv. 4. 
 
 ^^^^OW did you begin to bear fruit ? It was when you 
 kj^XI came to Jesus and cast yourself on His great 
 ^^*^^ atonement, and rested on His finislied righteousness. 
 Ah, wl.at fruit you had then ! Do you remember those early 
 days ? Then, indeed, the vine flourished, the tender grapes 
 appeared, the pomegranates budded forth, and the beds of 
 epices gave forth their smell. Have you declined since then : 
 If you have, we charge you to remember that time of love, 
 and repent, and do thy first works. Be most in those engage- 
 ments which you have experimentalli/ proved to draiu you near' 
 est to Christ, because it is from Him that all your fruits pro- 
 ceed. Any holy exercise which will bring you to Him will 
 help you to bear fruit. The sun is, no doubt, a great worker 
 in fruit-creating among the trees of the orchard ; and Jesus 
 is still more so among the trees of His garden of grace. 
 When have you been the most fruitless ? Has not it been 
 when you have lived farthest from the Lord Jesus Christ, 
 when you have slackened in prayer, when you have departed 
 from the simplicity of your faith, when your graces have en- 
 frrossed your attention instead of your Lord, when you have 
 said, " My mountain standeth firm, I shall never be moved ;" 
 and have forgotten where your strength dwells — has not it 
 been then that your fruit has ceased ? Some of us have been 
 taught that we have nothing out of Christ, by terrible alase- 
 ments of heart before the Lord ; and when we have seen the 
 utter barrenness and death of all creature power, we have 
 cried in anguish, " From Him all my fruit must be found, for 
 no fruit can ever come from me." We are taught, by past 
 experience, that the more simply we depend upon the grace 
 of God in Christ, and wait upon the Holy fepirit, the more 
 we shall bring forth fruit unto God. Oh, to trust Jesus foi 
 fruit as well as for life 1 
 
.\krf. 14 DAILY ttfeAbiNds. Sift 
 
 " / will cut offthem that worship and that swear by the Lord, and 
 that swear by Malcham." — Zephaniah i. 5. 
 
 *^^:tSUCII persons thought themselves safe because thej 
 S^ were with both parties : they went with the followers 
 of Jehovah, and bowed at the same time to Malcham. 
 But duplicity is abominable with God, ani hypocrisy hia 
 60ul hatetli. The idolater who distinctly gives himself to his 
 false god, has one sin less than he who brings his polluted 
 and detestable sacrifice unto the temple of the Lord, while 
 his heart is with the world and the sins thereof. To hold 
 with the hare and run with the hounds, is a dastard's policy. 
 In the common matters of daily life, a double-minded man ia 
 despised, but in religion he is loathsome to the last degree. 
 The penalty pronounced in the verse before us is terrible, 
 but it is well deserved ; for how should divine justice spare 
 the sinner, who knows the rigiit, approves it, and professes 
 to follow it, and all the while loves the evil, and gives it 
 dominion in his heart ? 
 
 My soul, search thyself this morning, and see whether thou 
 art guilty of double-dealing. Thou professest to be a fol- 
 lower of Jesus — dost thou truly love Him? Is thy heart 
 right with God ? Art thou of the family of old Father Honest, 
 or art thou a relative of Mr. By-ends ? A name to live is of 
 little value if I be indeed dead in trespasses and sins. Tc 
 have one foot on the land of truth, and another on the sea 
 of falsehood, will involve a terrible fall, and a total ruin. 
 Christ will be all or nothing. God fills the whole universe, 
 and hence there is no room for another god ; if, then, He 
 reigns in m^ heart, there will be no space for another reign- 
 it g power. Do I rest alone on Jesus crucified, and live 
 »lone for Him ? Is it my desire to do so ? Is my heart set 
 apou so doing? If so, blessed be the mighty grace which 
 bas led me to salvation ; and if not so, O Lord, pardon inj 
 lad offence, and unite my heart to fear Thy name. 
 
S20 DAILY iREAblNGS. NoV. 15 
 
 " TJie Lord's portion is His people." — Deuteronomy xxxii. 9. 
 
 r^OW are they His ? By His own sovereign choice. 
 \j He chose them, and set His love upon tuem. Thia 
 '^'**'^ He did altogether apart from any goodness in thtm 
 at the time, or any goodness which He foresaw in them. He 
 had mercy on whom He would have mercy, and ordained a 
 chosen company unto eternal life ; thus, therefore, are they 
 His by His unconstrained election. 
 
 They are not only His by choice, but by purchase. He 
 has bought and paid for them to the utmost farthing ; hence, 
 about His title there can be no dispute. Not with corrupti- 
 ble things, as with silver and gold, but with the precious 
 blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord's portion has been 
 fully redeemed. There is no mortgage on His estate ; no 
 suits can be raised by opposing claimants ; the price was paid 
 in open court, and the Church is the Lord's freehold forever 
 See the blood-mark upon all the chosen, invisible to human 
 eye, but known to Christ, for " the Lord knoweth them that 
 are His ; " He forgetteth none of those whom He has re- 
 deemed from among men ; He counts the sheep for whom 
 He laid down His life, and remembers well the Church for 
 which He gave Himself. 
 
 They are also His by conquest. What a battle He had in 
 us before we would be won ! How long He laid siege to our 
 hearts ! how often He sent us terms of capitulation ! but we 
 barred our gates, and fenced our walls against Him. Do we 
 not remember that glorious hour when He carried our hearts 
 by storm ? when He placed Hi& cross against the wall, and 
 eicaled our ramparts, planting on our strongholds the blood- 
 red flag of His omnipotent mercy ? Yes, we are, indeed, the 
 conquered captives of His omnipotent love. Thus chosen, 
 purchased, and subdued, the rights of our divine possessor are 
 inalienable: we rejoice that we never can be our own; and wo 
 desire, day by day, to do His will, and to show forth His glory. 
 
t^ov. 16. CailV nfeAbtNc.s. S'il 
 
 " Ihe Lord is my portion, sailh mij soul." — Lam. iii. 24. 
 
 ^1['5J^T is not " The Lord is partly my portion," nor " The 
 ^1 ^^ Lord is m my portion ; " but He Ilimsclf makes up 
 the sum total of my soul's inheritance. Within the 
 circumference of that circle lies all that we possess or desire. 
 Tbe Lord is my portion. Not His grace merely, nor His 
 love, nor His covenant, but Jehovah Himself. He has chosen 
 U3 for His portion, and we have chosen Him for ours. It is 
 true that the Lord must first choose our inheritance for us, 
 or else we shall never choose it for ourselves ; but if we are 
 really called according to the purpose of electing love, we 
 can sing — 
 
 " Loved of my God, fo» Him again 
 
 With love intense I burn ; 
 Chosen of Him ere time began, 
 
 I choose Him in return." 
 
 The Lord is our all-sufficient portion. God fills Himself; and 
 if God is all-sufficient in Himself, He must be all-sufficient 
 for us. It is not easy to satisfy man's desires. When he 
 dreams that he is satisfied, anon he wakes to the perception 
 that there is somewhat yet beyond, and straightway the 
 horse-leech in his heart cries, " Give, give." But all that 
 we can wish for is to be found in our divine portion, so that 
 we ask, " Whom have I in heaven but Thee ? and there is 
 none upon earth that I desire beside Thee." Well may we 
 " delight ourselves in the Lord," who makes us to drink of 
 the river of His pleasures. Our faith stretches her wings 
 and mounts like an eagle into the heaven of divine love as 
 to her proper dwelling-place. " The lines have fallen to us 
 in pleasant places ; yea, we have a goodly heritage." Let 
 ilB rejoice in the Lord always ; let us show to the world that 
 we are a happy and a blessed people, and thus induce them 
 to exclaim, " We will go with you. for we have heard thai 
 God is with you." 
 
S22 i)AltT READINGS. NoV. \1 . 
 
 " To whom be glory forever. Amen." — Romans xi. 36. 
 
 [^*S0 whom be glory forever. This should be the singh 
 1^ desire of the Christian. All other wishes must be 
 subservient and tributary to this one. The Christian 
 may wish for prosperity in his business, but only so far as it 
 may help him to promote this — " To Him be glory forever." 
 He may desire to attain more gifts and more graces, but it 
 should only be that " to Him may be glory forever." You 
 are not acting as you ought to do when you are moved by 
 any other motive than a single eye to your Lord's glory. As 
 a Christian, you are " of God, and through God ; " then live 
 " to God." Let nothing ever set your heart beating so 
 mightily as love to Him. Let this ambition fire your soul ; 
 be this the foundation of every enterprise upon ,vhich you 
 enter, and this your sustaining motive whenever your zeal 
 would grow chill ; make God your only object. Depend 
 upon it, where self begins, sorrow begins ; but if God be my 
 supreme delight and only object, 
 
 " To me 'tis equal whether lore ordain 
 My life or death — appoint me ease or pain." 
 
 Let your desire for God's glory be a growing desire. Tou 
 blessed Him in your youth; do not be content with such 
 praises as you gave Him then. Has God prospered you in 
 business ? Give Him more as He has given you more. Has 
 God given you experience ? Praise Him by stronger faith 
 than you exercised at first. Does your knowledge grow ? 
 Then sing more sweetly. Do you enjoy happier times than 
 you once had ? Have you been restored from sickness, and 
 has your sorrow been turned into peace and joy ? Then give 
 Him more music ; put more coals and more sweet frankin- 
 cense into the censer of your praise. Practically in your 
 life, give Him honor, putting the " Amen " to this doxology 
 to your great and gracious Lord, by your own individual ser- 
 vice and increa&ing holiness. 
 
Nov. 18. Daily readings. 323 
 
 " A spring shut up, a fountain sealed." — Canticles iv. 12. 
 
 ^?^y/N this inotaphor, which has reference to the inner life 
 ^1 '^i ^^ ^ believer, we have very jjlainly the idea of secrecy. 
 y/^^vaJ. jj jg j^ spring shut up : just as there were springs in 
 the East, over which an edifice was built, so tliat none cfuld 
 reach them save those who knew the secret entrance ; s(/ is 
 the heart of a believer when it is renewed by grace : therr 
 is a mysterious life within which no human skill can touch, 
 It is a secret which no other man knoweth ; nay, which the 
 very man who is the possessor of it cannot tell to his neigh- 
 bor. The text includes not only secrecy, but separation. It 
 is not the common spring, of which every passer-by may 
 drink ; it is one kept and preserved from all others ; it is a 
 fountain bearing a particular mark, — a king's royal seal, - so 
 that all can perceive that it is not a common fountain, but a 
 fountain owned by a proprietor, and placed specially by 
 itself alone. So is it with the spiritual life. The chosen 
 of Grod were separated in the eternal decree ; they were 
 separated by God in the day of redemption ; and they are 
 separated by the possession of a life which others hare not ; 
 and it is impossible for them to feel at home with the world, 
 or to delight in its pleasures. There is also the idea of 
 tacredness. The spring shut up is preserved for the use of 
 some special person : and such is the Christian's heart. It 
 is a spring kept for Jesus. Every Christian should feel that 
 he has God's seal upon him — and he should be able to say 
 with Paul, " From henceforth let no man trouble me, for I 
 bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Another 
 idea is prominent — it is that of security. Oh I how sure 
 and safe is the inner life of the believer ! If all the powers 
 of earth and hell could combine against it, that immortal 
 principle must still exist, for He whc gave it pledged Hia 
 life for its preservation. And who " is he that shall barm 
 you," when God is your protector ? 
 
324 DAILY READINGS. NoV. 19. 
 
 ** Avoid foolish questions.''^ — Titus iii. 9. 
 
 'S'^UIl days are few, and are far better spent in doing 
 good than in disputing over matters which are, at 
 
 ^'^^ best, of minor importance. The old schoolmen did 
 a world of mischief by their incessant discussion of subjects 
 of no practical importance ; and our Churches suffer much 
 from petty wars over abstruse points and unimportant ques- 
 tions. After everything has been said that can be said, 
 neither party is any the wiser, and therefore the discussion 
 no more promotes knowledge than love, and it is foolish to 
 BOW in so barren a field. Questions upon points wherein 
 Scripture is silent ; upon mysteries which belong to God 
 alone ; upon prophecies of doubtful interpretation ; and upon 
 mere modes of observing human ceremonials, are all foolish, 
 and wise men avoid them. Our business is neither to ask 
 nor answer foolish questions, but to avoid them altogether ; 
 and if we observe the apostle's precept (Titus iii. 8) to be 
 careful to maintain good works, we shall find ourselves far 
 too much occupied with profitable business to take much 
 interest in unworthy, contentious, and needless strivings. 
 
 There are, however, some questions which are the reverse 
 of foolish, which we must not avoid, but fairly and honestly 
 meet, such as these : Do I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ ? 
 Am I renewed in the spirit of my mind ? Am I walking, not 
 after the flesh, but after the Spirit ? Am I growing in grace ? 
 Does my conversation adorn the doctrine of God my Saviour? 
 Am I looking for the coming of the Lord, and watching aa 
 a servant should do who expects his master ? What more 
 can I do for Jesus ? Such inquiries as these urgently de- 
 mand our attention ; and if we have been at all given to 
 cavilling, let us now turn our critical abilities to a service so 
 much more profitable. Let us be peacemakers, and endeavor 
 to lead others, both by our precept and example, to " avoid 
 foolish questions." 
 
Nov. 20. DAILY READINGS. 325 
 
 " Lord, Thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul." — Lam iii. 58. 
 
 ^^jj^BSEIlVE how positively the prophet speaks. lie 
 
 4/ilvi) ^^^^ "°* ^^y* "■'■ ^^V^f I trust, I sometimes think, 
 i^^^^*^ that God hath pleaded the causes of my soul ; " but 
 he speaks of it as a matter of fact not to be disputed. 
 " Thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul." Let us, by the 
 aid of the gracious Comforter, shake off those doubts and 
 fears which so much mar our peace and comfort. Be this 
 our prayer, that we may have done with the harsh, croaking 
 voice of surmise and suspicion, and may be able to speak 
 with the clear, melodious voice of full assurance. Notice 
 how gratefully the prophet speaks, ascribing all the glory to 
 God alone! You perceive there is not a word concerning 
 himself or his own pleadings. He doth not ascribe his de- 
 .iverance in any measure to any man, much less to his own 
 merit : but it is " Thou" — "0 Lord, Thou hast pleaded the 
 causes of my soul ; Thou hast redeemed my life." A grate- 
 ful spirit should ever be cultivated by the Christian ; and 
 especially after deliverances we should prepare a song for 
 our God. Earth should be a temple filled with the songs of 
 grateful saints, and every day should be a censer smoking 
 with the sweet incense of thanksgiving. Hovf joyful J ctc- 
 niiah seems to be while he records the Lord's mercy ! How 
 triumphantly he lifts up the strain ! He has been in the low 
 dungeon, and is even now no other than the weeping prophet; 
 and yet in the very book which is called " Lamentations," 
 clear as the song of Miriam when she dashed her fingers 
 against the tabor, shrill as the note of Deborah when she 
 met Barak with shouts of victory, we hear the voice of Jere- 
 my going up to heaven — "Thou hast pleaded the causes 
 of my soul ; Thou hast redeemed my life." children of 
 God, seek after a vital experience of the Lord's loving- 
 kindness, and when you have it, speak positively of it, sing 
 gratefully, shout triumphantly. 
 28 
 
826 DAILY BEADINGS. NoV. 31. 
 
 "Grieve not the Holy Spirit." — Ephesians iv. 30. 
 
 ■^LL that the believer has must come from Christ, but 
 it comes solely through the channel of the Spirit of 
 all grace. Moreover, as all blessings thus flow to 
 you through the Holy Spirit, so also no good thing can come 
 out of you in holy thought, devout worship, or gracious act, 
 apart from the sanctifying operation of the same Spirit. 
 Even if the good seed be sown in you, yet it lies dormant 
 except He worketh in you to will and to do of His own good 
 pleasure. Do you desire to speak for Jesus — how can you 
 unless the Holy Grhost touch your tongue ? Do you desire 
 to pray ? Alas ! what dull work it is unless the Spirit maketh 
 intercession for you ! Do you desire to subdue sin ? Would 
 you be holy ? Would you imitate your Master ? Do you 
 desire to rise to superlative heights of spirituality ? Are 
 you wanting to be made, like the angels of God, full of zeal 
 and ardor for the Master's cause ? You cannot without the 
 Spirit — " Without Me ye can do nothing." branch of 
 the vine, thou canst have no fruit without the sap ! child 
 of God, thou hast no life within thee apart from the life 
 which God gives thee through His Spirit ! Then let us not 
 grieve Him, or provoke Him to anger by our sin. Let us 
 not quench Him in one of His faintest motions in our soul; 
 let us foster every suggestion, and be ready to obey every 
 prompting. If the Holy Spirit be indeed so mighty, let us 
 attempt nothing without Him ; let us begin no project, and 
 carry on no enterprise, and conclude no transaction, without 
 imploring His blessing. Let us do Him the due homage of 
 feeling our entire weakness apart from Him, and then de- 
 pending alone upon Him, having this for our prayer, "Open 
 Thou my heart and my whole being to Thine incoming, and 
 uphold me with Thy free Spirit when I shall have r€ceiTed 
 that Spirit in my inward parts." 
 
JfoV. 22. DAILY REAIHNGB. 327 
 
 " Israel served for a wife, and for a icife he kept sheep." 
 Hosea xii. 12. 
 
 ACOB, while expostulating with Laban, thus describes 
 ] his own toil : " This twenty years have I been with 
 
 onto thee : I bare the loss of it ; of my hand didst thou re- 
 quire it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night. Thus I 
 was : in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by 
 night ; and my sleep departed from mine eyes." Even more 
 toilsome than this was the life of our Saviour here below. 
 He watched over all His sheep till He gave in as His last 
 account, " Of all those whom Thou hast given me, I have 
 lost none." His hair was wet with dew, and His locks with 
 the drops of the night. Sleep departed from His eyes, for 
 all night He was in prayer, wrestling for His people. One 
 night, Peter must be pleaded for ; anon, another claims His 
 tearful intercession. No shepherd sitting beneath the cold 
 skies, looking up to the stars, could ever utter such com- 
 plaints, because of the hardness of his toil, as Jesus Christ 
 might have brought, if He had chosen to do so, because of 
 the sternness of His service in order to procure Pis spouse. 
 
 " Cold mountains, and the midnight air, 
 Witnessed the fervor of His prayer ; 
 The desert His temptations knew, 
 His conflict and His victory too." 
 
 It is sweet to dwell upon the spiritual parallel of Laban 
 having required all the sheep at Jacob's hand. If they were 
 torn of beasts, Jacob must make it good ; if any of them died, 
 he must stand as surety for the whole. Was not the toil of 
 Jesus for His Church the toil of one who was under surety- 
 ship obligations to bring every believing one safe to the hand 
 of Him who had committed them to His charge ? Look upon 
 toiling Jacob, and yru see a representation of Him of whom 
 'je read, " He shall feed His flock like a shepherd." 
 
328 DAILY HEADINGS. NoV. 23. 
 
 " Fellousliip with Him." — 1 John i. 6. 
 
 ^^-^1^*^'^^ we were united by faith to Christ, we were brought 
 WW/i into such complete fellowship with Him, that we were 
 ^*''*^ made one with Ilim, and His interests and ours be- 
 came mutual and identical. We have fellowship with Christ 
 in His love. What He loves we love. He loves the saints 
 — so do wo. He loves sinners — so do we. He loves the 
 poor perishing race of man, and pants to see earth's deserts 
 transformed into the garden of the Lord — so do we. We 
 have fellowship with Him in His desires. He desires the 
 glory of God — we also labor for the same. He desires that 
 the saints may be with Him where He is — we desire to b« 
 with Him there too. He desires to drive out sin — behold, 
 we fight under His ba,nuer. He desires that His Father's 
 name may be loved and adored by all His creatures — we 
 pray daily, " Let Thy kingdom come, and Thy will be done 
 on earth, even as it is in heaven." We have fellowship witu 
 Christ in His sufferings. We are not nailed to the cross, nor 
 do we die a cruel death ; but when He is reproached, we are 
 reproached ; and a very sweet thing it is to be blamed for 
 His sake, to be despised for following the Master, to have 
 the world against us. The disciple should not be above His 
 Lord. In our measure we commune with Him in His labors, 
 ministering to men by the word of truth and by deeds of love. 
 Our meat and our driuk, like His, is to do the will of Him 
 who hath sent us, and to finish His work. We have also fel- 
 lowship with Christ in His joys. We are happy in His hap- 
 piness, we rejoice in His exaltation. Have you ever tasted 
 that joy, believer ? There is no purer or more thrilling de- 
 light to be known this side heaven than that of having Christ's 
 joy fulfilled in us, that our joy may be full. His glory awaits 
 us to complete our fellowship, for His Church shall sit with 
 Him apon His throne, as His well-beloved bride and queeq, 
 
Nov. 24. DAILY READINGS. 329 
 
 ** The glorious Lord will be unto ua a place of broad rivers and 
 streams." — Isaiah xxxiii. 21. 
 
 <^ROAI) rivers and streams produce fertility, and abun- 
 dance in the land. Places near broad rivers are re- 
 '^^ markablo for the variety of their plants and their 
 plentiful harvests. God is all this to His Church. Having 
 God she has abundcttice. What can she ask for that He will 
 not give her? What N^ant can she mention which He will not 
 supply ? " In this mountain shall the Lord of Hosts make 
 unto all people a feast of fat things." Want ye the bread 
 of life ? It drops like manna from the sky. Want ye re- 
 freshing streams ? The rock follows you, and that Hock is 
 Christ. If you suffer any want, it is your own fault; if you 
 are straitened, you are not straitened in Him, but in your own 
 bowels. Broad rivers and streams also point to commerce. 
 Our glorious Lord is to us a place of heavenly merchandise. 
 Through our Redeemer we have commerce with the past ; 
 the wealth of Calvary, the treasures of the covenant, the 
 riches of the ancient days of election, the stores of eternity, 
 all come to us down the broad stream of our gracious Lord. 
 We have commerce, too, witK the future. What galleys, 
 laden to the water's edge, come to us from the millennium ! 
 What visions we have of the days of heaven upon earth! 
 Through our glorious Lord we have commerce with angels ; 
 communion with the bright spirits washed in blood, who sing 
 before the throne ; nay, better still, we have fellowship with 
 the Infinite One. Broad rivers and streams are Bpecially 
 iatcndcd to set forth the idea of security. Rivers were of 
 old a defence. Oh ! beloved, what a defence is God to His 
 Church ! The devil cannot cross this broad river of God. 
 How he wishes he could turn the current ! but fear not, for 
 God abideth immutably the same. Satan may worry, but he 
 cannot destroy us ; no galley with oars shall invade our rivefi 
 neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. 
 38* 
 
330 DAILY EIADIIfGS. NoV. 25. 
 
 " To preach deliverance to the captives." — Luke iv. 18. 
 
 f^SuONE but Jesus can give deliverance to captives. 
 
 YfJ!^ Real liberty cometh from Him only. It is a liberty 
 righteously bestowed ; for the Son, who is Heir of all 
 thingj, has a right to make men free. The saints honor the 
 justice of God, which now secures their salvation. It is a 
 liberty vhich has been dearly purchased. Christ speaks it ly 
 His power, but Ho boaght it by His blood. He makes thee 
 free, but it is by His OA-n bonds. Thou goest clear, because 
 He bare thj burden for thee : thou art set at liberty, because 
 He has sufteied in thy 5>t5&d. But, though dearly purchased, 
 He freely gives it. Jesus fl.5ks nothing of us as a preparation 
 for this liberty. He finds na sitting in sackcloth and ashes, 
 and bids us put on the beautiful array of freedom ; He savea 
 us just as we are, and all witboat our help or merit. When 
 Jesus sets free, the liberty is perpetually entailed; no chains 
 can bind again. Let the Master say to me, " Captive, I 
 have delivered thee," and it is done forever. Satan may 
 plot to enslave us, but if the Lord Le on our side, whom shall 
 we fear ? The world, with its tenip tations, may seek to en- 
 snare us, but mightier is He who is for us than all they who 
 be against us. The machinations of oair own deceitful hearts 
 may harass and annoy us, but He who hath begun the good 
 work in us will carry it on and perfect it to the end. The 
 foes of God and the enemies of man may gather their hof ta 
 together, and come with concentrated fury against us, but if 
 God acquitteth, who is he that condemneth ? Not more free 
 is the eagle which mounts to his rocky eyrie, and afterwards 
 outsoars the clouds, than the soul which Christ hath delivered. 
 If we are no more under the law, but free from its curse, let 
 our liberty be practically exhibited in our serving God with 
 gratitude and delight. " I am Thy servant, and the son of 
 Thine handmaid : Thou hast loosed my boudSt" *' Lordf 
 what wilt Thou have me to do ?" 
 
Nov. 26. DAILY READINGS. 331 
 
 " WJiatsoevcr thy handfindeih to do, do it with thy might" 
 Ecclesiastes ix. 10. 
 
 ^f^l^^HATSOEVER thy hand findeth to do, refers to works 
 %niwk ^'*^' ^^^ possible. There are many things which our 
 J^^^^ heart findeth to do which we never shall do. It ia 
 well it is in our heart; but if wc would be eminently useful, 
 we must not be content with forming schemes in our heart, 
 and talking of them ; we must practically carry out " ivhat- 
 soever our hand findeth to do.'' One good deed is more worth 
 than a thousand brilliant theories. Let us not wait for large 
 opportunities, or for a different kind of work, but do just the 
 things we " find to do " day by day. We have no other time in 
 which to live. The past is gone ; the future has not arrived ; 
 we never shall have any time but time present. Then do not 
 wait until your experience has ripened into maturity before 
 you attempt to serve God. Endeavor now to bring forth 
 fruit. Serve God now, but be careful as to the way in which 
 you perform what you find to do — " do it with thy might'* 
 T)o it promptly ; do not fritter away your life in thinking of 
 what you intend to do to-morrow, as if that could recompense 
 for the idleness of to-day. No man ever served God by do- 
 ing things to-morrow. If we honor Christ and are blessed, 
 it is by the things which we do to-day. Whatever 3'ou do 
 for Christ, throw your whole soul into it. Lo not give Christ 
 a little slurred labor, done as a matter of course now and 
 then ; but when you do serve Ilim, do it with heart, and soul, 
 and strength. 
 
 IJut where is the might of a Christian ? It is not in him- 
 » self, for he is perfect weakness. His might lieth in the Lord 
 i)f Hosts. Then let us seek His help ; let us proceed with 
 prayer and faith, and when we have done what our " hand 
 Hadeth to do," let as wait upon the Lord for His blessing. 
 What we do thus will be well done, and will not fail in its 
 effect. 
 
832 DAILY READINGS. NoV. 27. 
 
 "Joshua, the high jjriest, standing before the angel of the Lord." 
 Zechariah iii. 1. 
 
 ^?^ Jf^N Joshua, the high priest, we see a picture of each and 
 '^1 *:?i <^'^6i7 child of God, wlio has been made nigh by the 
 y/^RKy blood of Christ, and has been taught to minister io 
 holy things, and enter into that which is within the veil. 
 Jesus has made us priests and kings unto God, and even 
 here upon earth we exercise the priesthood of consecrated 
 living and hallowed service. But this high priest is said to 
 be " standing before the angel of the Lord," that is, standing 
 to minister. This should be the perpetual position of every 
 true believer. Every place is now God's temple, and His 
 people can as truly serve Him in their daily employments, 
 as in His house. They are to be always " ministering," 
 offering the sjiiritual sacrifice of prayer and praise, and pre- 
 senting themselves a " living sacrifice." But notice where it 
 is that Joshua stands to minister ; it is before the angel of 
 Jehovah. It is only through a mediator that we poor defiled 
 ones can ever become priests unto God. I present what I 
 have before the messenger, the angel of the covenant, the 
 Lord Jesus ; and through Him my prayers find acceptance 
 wrapped up in His prayers ; my praises become sweet as they 
 are boimd up with bundles of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, 
 from Christ's own garden. If I can bring Him nothing but 
 my tears, He will put them with His own tears in His own 
 bottle, for He once wept ; if I can bring Him nothing but my 
 groans and sighs, He will accept these as an acceptable sacri- 
 fice, for He once was broken in heart, and sighed heavily in 
 Bpirit. I myself, standing in Him, am accepted in the Be- 
 loved ; and all my polluted works, though in themselves only 
 objects of divine abhorrence, are so received, that God 
 smelleth a sweet savor. He is content, and I am blessed. 
 See, then, the position of the Christian — " a priest — stand- 
 ing — before the angel of the Lord." 
 
Nov. 28. DAILY READINGS. 888 
 
 " For I rejoiced (jreaihj when the brethren came and testified of 
 the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth," 
 3 John 3. 
 
 'SITE truth was in Gaius, and Gaius walked in the truth. 
 
 |g If the first had not been the case, the second could 
 never have occurred ; and if the second could not have 
 been said of him, the first woidd have been a mere pretence. 
 Truth must enter into the soul, penetrate and saturate it, or 
 else it is of no value. Doctrines held as a matter of creed, 
 are like bread in the hand, which ministers no nourishment 
 to the frame ; but doctrine accepted by the heart, is as food 
 digested, which, by assimilation, sustains and builds up the 
 body. In us truth must be a living force, an active energy, 
 an indwelling reality, a part of the woof and warp of our be- 
 ing. If it be in us, we cannot henceforth part with it. A 
 man may lose his garments or his limbs, but his inward parts 
 are vital, and cannot be torn away without absolute loss of 
 life. A Christian can die, but he cannot deny the truth. 
 Now, it is a rule of nature, that the inward affects the out- 
 ward, as light shines from the centre of the lantern through 
 the glass ; when, therefore, the truth is kindled within, its 
 brightness soon beams forth in the outward life and conversa- 
 tion. It is said that the food of certain worms colors the 
 coooons of silk which they spin ; and just so the nutriment 
 upon which a man's inward nature lives, gives a tinge to 
 every word and dr 3d proceeding from him. To walk in the 
 truth, imports a lite of integrity, holiness, faithfulness, and 
 simplicity — the natural product of those principles of truth 
 which the gospel teaches, and which the Spirit of God en- 
 «Ues us to receive. We may judge of the secrets of the 
 •.)ul by their manifestation in the man's conversation. Be it 
 c-'ATS to-day, gracious Spirit, to be ruled and governed by 
 Thy divine authority, so that nothing false or sinful may 
 reign in our hearts, lest it extend its malignant influence 
 to our daily walk among men. 
 
834 DAILY READINGS. NoV. 29. 
 
 Thou shall not go up and down as a tale-bearer among thp 
 people. . . TIiou shall in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and 
 not suffer siii upon him." — Leviticus xix. 16, 17. 
 
 js^ALE-BEAKING- emits a threefold poison ; for it in- 
 jures tbe teller, the hearer, and the person concern- 
 ing whom the tale is told. Whether the report be 
 true or false, we are by this precept of Grod's Word forbidden 
 to spread it. The reputations of the Lord's people should 
 be very precious in our sight, and we should count it shame 
 to help the devil to dishonor the Church and the name of the 
 Lord. Some tongues need a bridle rather than a spur. 
 Many glory in pulling down their brethren, as if thereby they 
 raised themselves. Noah's wise sons cast a mantle over their 
 father, and he who exposed him earned a fearful curse. We 
 may ourselves, one of these dark days, need forbearance 
 and silence from our brethren ; let us render it cheerfully to 
 those who require it now. Be this our family rule, and our 
 personal bond — Speak evil of no man. 
 
 The Holy Spirit, however, permits us to censure sin, and 
 prescribes the way in which we are to do it. It must be done 
 by rebuking our brother to his face, not by railing behind his 
 back. This course is manly, brotherly, Christ-like, and, 
 under God's blessing, will be useful. Does the flesh shrink 
 from it ? Then we must lay the greater stress upon our con- 
 science, and keep ourselves to the work, lest by suffering sin 
 upon our friend, we become ourselves partakers of it. Hun- 
 dreds have been saved from gross sin by the timely, wise, 
 affectionate warnings of faithful ministers and brethren. Our 
 Lord Jesus has set us a gracious example of how to deal 
 with erring friends in His warning given to Peter, the 
 prayer with which He preceded it, and the gentle way in 
 which He bore with Pefter's boastful denial that he needed 
 BQcb a caution. 
 
Kov. 90. Daily eeadings, 835 
 
 **And Amaziah said to the mail of Ood, But what shall we do for 
 the hundred talaits which I have given to the army of Israel'^ 
 And the man of God answered, The Lord is able to give thvt 
 much more than this." — 2 Chronicles xxv. 9. 
 
 [[^ VERY important question this seemed to be to th« 
 "^ king of Judah, and possibly it is of even more weight 
 with the tried and tempted Christian. To lose money 
 is at no times pleasant, and when principle involves it, the 
 flesh is not always ready to make the sacrifice. " Why lose 
 that which may be so usefully employed ? May not truth 
 itself be bought too dear ? What shall we do without it ? 
 Kemember the children, and our small income." All these 
 things, and a thousand more, would tempt the Christian to 
 put forth his hand to unrighteous gain, or stay himself from 
 carrying out his conscientious convictions, when they involve 
 serious loss. All men cannot view these matters in the light 
 of faith ; and even with the followers of Jesus, the doctrine 
 of " we must live " has quite sufficient weight. 
 
 The Lord is able to give thee much more than this, is a very 
 satisfactory answer to the anxious question. Our Father 
 holds the purse-strings, and what we lose for His sake He 
 can repay a thousand-fold. It is ours to obey His will, and 
 we may rest assured that He will provide for us. The Lord 
 will be no man's debtor at the last. Saints know that a 
 grain of heart's-ease is of more value than a ton of gold. 
 He who wraps a threadbare coat about a good conscience 
 has gained a spiritual wealth far more desirable than any lie 
 has lost. God's smile and a dungeon are enough for a true 
 heart ; His frown and a palace would be hell to a gracious 
 Bpirit. Let the worst come to the worst, let all the talents 
 go, we have not lost our treasure, for that is above, where 
 Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Meanwhile, ever 
 now, the Lord raaketh the nrt;ek to inherit the earth, and nc 
 good thiijg doth He withhold from them that walk uprightly 
 
336 liAILY EEAlilifGS. DcC. 1. 
 
 " Tliou hast made summer and winter." — Psalm Ixxiv. 17. 
 
 p)Y soul, begin this wintry month with thy God. The 
 cold snows and the piercing winds all remind the*, 
 that He keeps His covenant with day and night, and 
 tend to assure thee that He will also keep that glorious 
 covenant which He has made with thee in the person of 
 Jesus Christ. He who is true to His Word in the revolu- 
 tions of the seasons of this poor sin-polluted world, will not 
 prove unfaithful in His dealings with His own well-beloved 
 Son. 
 
 Winter in the soul is by no means a comfortable season, 
 and if it be upon thee just now, it will be very painful 
 to thee : but there is this comfort, namely, that the Lord 
 makes it. He sends the sharp blasts of adversity to nip the 
 buds of expectation ; He scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes 
 over the once verdant meadows of our joy ; He casteth forth 
 His ice like morsels, freezing the streams of our delight. 
 He does it all ; He is the great Winter King, and rules in 
 the realms of frost, and therefore thou canst not murmur. 
 Losses, crosses, heaviness, sickness, poverty, and a thousand 
 other ills, are of the Lord's sending, and come to us with 
 wise design. Frosts kill noxious insects, and- put a bound 
 to raging diseases ; they break up the clod." , and sweeten 
 the soil. that such good results would alrays follow our 
 winters of affliction ! — How we prize the fire jrst now ! How 
 pleasant is its cheerful glow ! Let us in the same manner 
 prize our Lord, who is the constant source of warmth and 
 comfort in every time of trouble. Let us draw nigh to 
 Him, and in Him find joy and peace in believing. Let us 
 wrap ourselves in the warm garments of His promises, and 
 go forth to labors which befit the season ; for it were ill to 
 bo as the sluggard, who will not plough, by reason of the 
 cold, for he shall beg in summer, and have niiMng. 
 
Dec, 2. t)AlLY READINGS 33l 
 
 " Thou art all fair, my love." — Solomon's Son» iv. 7. 
 
 ^l*r;HE Lord's admiration of His Church is very wonder- 
 |1, :^% fill, and Ilis description of her beauty is very glow- 
 ^^^^^^ ing. She is not merely fair^ but " all fair." He 
 views her in Himself, washed in His sin-atoning blood, and 
 clothed in His meritorious righteousness, and He considers 
 her to be full of comeliness and beauty. No wonder that 
 Buch is the case, since it is but His own perfect excellency 
 that He admires, for the holiness, glory, and perfection of 
 His Church are His own glorious garments on the back of 
 His own well-beloved spouse. She is not simply pure, or 
 well-proportioucd ; she is positively lovely and fair ! She 
 has actual merit ! Her deformities of sin are removed ; but 
 more, she has through her Lord obtained a meritorious 
 righteousness, by which an actual beauty is conferred upon 
 her. Believers have a positive righteousness given to them 
 when they become " accepted in the Beloved." (Eph. i. 6.) 
 Nor is the Church barely lovely ; she is superlativdy so. Her 
 Lord styles her, " Thou fairest among women." She has a 
 real worth and excellence, which cannot be rivalled by all 
 the nobility and royalty of the world. If Jesus could ex- 
 change His elect bride for all the queens and empresses of 
 earth, or even for the angels in heaven. He would not, for 
 He puts her first and foremost — " fairest among women." 
 Like the moon, she far outshines the stars. Nor is this an 
 opinion which He is ashamed of, for He invites all men to 
 hear it. He sets a " behold " before it, a special note of 
 exclamation, inviting and arresting attention. '■'■Behold^ 
 thou art fair, my love ; behold, thou art fair." (Sol. Song 
 iv. 1.) His opinion He publishes abroad even now, and 
 one day, from the throne of His glory. He will avow the 
 truth of it before the assembled universe. " Come, ye 
 blessed of my Father," (Matt. xxv. 34,) will be His solemn 
 affirmation of the loveliness of His elect. 
 29 
 
33& DAILY READINGS. l)eC. S 
 
 " There is no spot in thee." — Solomon's Song iv. 7. 
 
 RAVING- pronounced His Church positively full of 
 ¥5 beauty, our Lord confirms His praise by a precioua 
 negative : " There is no spot in thee." As if the 
 thought occurred to the Bridegroom that the carping world 
 would insinuate that He had only mentioned her comely 
 parts, and had purposely omitted those features which were 
 deformed or defiled. He sums up all by declaring her uni- 
 versally and entirely fair, and utterly devoid of stain. A 
 spo>. may soon be removed, and is the very least thing that 
 can disfigure beauty ; but even from this little blemish the 
 believer is delivered in his Lord's sight. If He had said 
 there is no hideous scar, no horrible deformity, no deadly 
 ulcer, we might even then have marvelled ; but when He 
 testifies that she is free from the slightest spot, all these 
 other forms of defilement are included, and the depth of 
 wonder is increased. If He had but promised to remove all 
 spots by-and-by, we should have had eternal reason for joy; 
 but when He speaks of it as already done, who can restrain 
 the most intense emotions of satisfaction and delight ? 
 my soul, here is marrow and fatness for thee ; eat thy full, 
 and be satisfied with royal dainties. Christ Jesus has no 
 quarrel with His spouse. She often wanders from Him, and 
 grieves His Holy Spirit, but He does not allow Her faults to 
 affect His love. He sometimes chides, but it is always in 
 the tenderest manner, with the kindest intentions: it is "mj 
 love," even then. There is no remembrance of our follies ; 
 He does not cherish ill thoughts of us, but He pardons, and 
 loves as well after the ofience as before it. It is well for ua 
 it is so, for if Jesus were as mindful of injuries as we are, 
 how could He commune with us ? Many a time a believer 
 will pti himself out of humor with the Lord for some slight 
 turn in providence, but our precious Husband knows oui 
 silly hearts too well to take any ofi"ence at our ill manners. 
 
Dec. 4. Daily RfiAbtNGS. 339 
 
 "I have much people in this city" — Acts xviii. 10. 
 
 ^r>""f ^ J HIS should be a great encouragement to try to do 
 1^ good, siuce God has among the vilest of the vile, the 
 most reprobate, the most debauched and druiikcn, 
 an elect people who must be saved. When you take the 
 Word to them, you do so because God has ordained you tc 
 be the messenger of life to their souls, and they must receive 
 it, for so the decree of predestination runs. They are as 
 much redeemed by blood as the saints before the eternal 
 throne. They are Christ's property ; and yet perhaps they 
 are lovers of the ale-house and haters of holiness ; but if 
 Jesus Christ purchased them He will have them, God is 
 not unfaithful, to forget the price which His Son has paid. 
 He will not suifer His substitution to be in any case an in- 
 effectual, dead thing. Tens of thousands of redeemed ones 
 are not regenerated yet, but regenerated they must be ; and 
 this is our comfort when we go forth to them with the quick- 
 ening Word of God. Nay, more, these ungodly ones are 
 prayed for by Christ before the throne. " Neither pray I 
 for these alone,"' saith the great Intercessor; " but for them 
 also which shall believe on Me through their word." Poor, 
 ignorant souls, they know nothing about prayer for them- 
 selves, but Jesus prays for them. Their names arc on his 
 breastplate, and ere long they must bow their stubborn knee, 
 breathing the penitential sigh before the throne of grace. 
 " The time of figs is not yet." The predestinated moment 
 has not struck ; but, when it comes, they shall obey, for God 
 will have His own ; they must, for the Spirit is not to be 
 withstood when He comcth forth with fulness of power — 
 they must become the willing servants of the living God, 
 "31y people shall be willing in the day of My power." "He 
 Bhall justify many." " He shall see of the travail of His 
 Boul." " I will divide him a portion with the great, and U« 
 "hall di\ide llie spoil with the strong." 
 
840 i)AlLT READINGJ, DcC. )i. 
 
 "Ask, and it shall be given you." — Matthew vii. 7. 
 
 i^E know of a place in England, still existing, where a 
 ^ dole of bread is served to every passer-by who 
 chooses to ask for it. Whoever the traveller may 
 be, he has but to knock at the door of St. Cross Hospital, 
 and there is the dole of bread for him. Jesus Christ so lov- 
 eth sinners that He has built a St. Cross Hospital, so that 
 whenever a sinner is hungry, he has but to knock and have 
 his wants supplied. Nay, He has done better ; He has at- 
 tached to this Hospital of the Cross a bath ; and whenever a 
 soul is black and filthy, it has but to go there and be washed. 
 The fountain is always full, always efficacious. No sinner 
 ever went into it and found that it could not wash away his 
 stains. Sins which were scarlet and crimson have all disap- 
 peared, and the sinner has been whiter than snow. As if 
 this were not enough, there is attached to this Hospital of 
 the Cross a wardrobe, and a sinner, making application 
 simply as a sinner, may be clothed from head to foot ; and 
 if he wishes to be a soldier, he may not merely have a gar- 
 ment for ordinary wear, but armor which shall cover him 
 from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. If he 
 asks for a sword, he shall have that given to him, and a 
 shield too. Nothing that is good for him shall be denied 
 him. He shall have spending money so long as he lives; 
 and he shall have an eternal heritage of glorious treasure 
 vehen he enters into the joy of his Lord. — If all these things 
 are to be had by merely knocking at mercy's door, O my 
 soul, knock hard this morning, and ask large things of thy 
 generous Lord. Leave not the throne of grace till all thy 
 wants have been spread before the Lord, and until by faith 
 thou hast a comfortable prospect that they shall be all sup- 
 plied. No bashfulness need retard when Jesus invites. No 
 unbelief should hinder when Jesus promises. No cold-hearted- 
 ness should restrain, when such blessings are to be obtained 
 
Dec. 6. DAILY READINGS. 341 
 
 " As is tJie lieavenhj, such arc tltcy also Dial are heavenly." 
 1 Corinthians xv. 48. 
 
 SHE head and members are of one nature, and not lik«i 
 \ #?^| that monstrous image which Nebuchadnezzar saw ia 
 his dream. The head was of fine gold, but the boJly 
 and thighs were of brass, the legs of iron, and the feet, part 
 of iron and part of clay. Christ's mystical body is no absurd 
 combination of opposites ; the members were mortal, and 
 therofore Jesus died ; the glorified head is immortal, and 
 therefore the body is immortal too, for thus the record 
 stands : " Because I live, ye shall live also." As is our lov- 
 ing head, such is the body, and every member in particular. 
 A chosen Head, and chosen members ; an accepted Head, 
 and accepted members ; a living Head, and living members. 
 If the head be pure gold, all the parts of the body are of 
 pure gold also. Thus is there a double union of nature as a 
 basis for the closest communion. Pause here, devout reader, 
 and see if thou canst, without ecstatic amazement, contem- 
 plate the infinite condescension of the Son of God in thus 
 exalting thy wretchedness into blessed union with His 
 glory. Thou art so mean that, in remembrance of thy mor- 
 tality, thou mayst say to corruption, " Thou art my father," 
 and to the worm, " Thou art my sister ; " and yet in Christ 
 thou art so honored that thou canst say to the Almighty, 
 ** Abba, Father," and to the Incarnate God, " Thou art my 
 brother and my husband." Surely if relationships to ancient 
 and noble families make men think highly of themselves, we 
 have whereof to glory over the heads of them all. Let the 
 poorest and most despised believer lay hold upon this privi- 
 lege ; let not a senseless indolence make him negligent to 
 trace his pedigree, and let him suffer no foolish attachment 
 to present vanities to occupy his thoughts to the exclusion 
 of this glorious, this heavenly honor of union with Christ. 
 29* 
 
34^ hxtLY iiEA.mN(J8. t)eo. t. 
 
 " Base things of the world hath God chosen^ — 1 Cor. i. 28. 
 
 ^"^^'^ALK the streets by moonlight, if you dare, and you 
 % will see sinners then. Watch when the night is 
 dark, and the wind is howling, and the picklock is 
 grating in the door, and you will see sinners then. Go to 
 you jail, and walk through the wards, and mark the men 
 with heavy, over-hanging brows, men whom you would not 
 like to meet at night, and there are sinners there. Oo to 
 the reformatories, and note those who have betrayed a ram- 
 pant juvenile depravity, and you will see sinners there. Go 
 across the seas to a place where a man will gnaw a bone 
 upon which is reeking human flesh, and there is a sinner 
 there. Go where you will, you need not ransack earth to 
 find sinners, for they are common enough ; you may find them 
 in every lane and street of every city, and town, and village, 
 and hamlet. It is for such that Jesus died. If you will se- 
 lect me the grossest specimen of humanity, if he be but born 
 of woman, I will have hope of him yet, because Jesus Christ 
 is come to seek and to save sinners. Electing love has se- 
 lected some of the worst to be made the best. Pebbles of 
 the brook grace turns into jewels for the crown-royal. 
 Worthless dross He transforms into pure gold. Redeeming 
 love has set apart many of the worst of mankind to be the 
 reward of the Saviour's passion. Effectual grace calls forth 
 many of the vilest of the vile to sit at the table of mercy, and 
 therefore let none despair. 
 
 Reader, by that love looking out of Jesus' tearful eyes ; by 
 that love streaming from those bleeding wounds ; by that 
 faithful love, that strong love, that pure, disinterested, and 
 abiding love ; by the heart and by the bowels of the Saviour's 
 compassion, we conjure you, turn not away as though it 
 were nothing to you ; but believe on Him. and you shall be 
 Baved. Trust your soul with liim, and He will bring jou to 
 Uxo rciti.er's licht hand in eflory e'"^rlastin£[. 
 
Dec. 8. iiAitA- kteADii^os. U^ 
 
 '* Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled 
 their garments ; and tliey shall walk with Me in whUe,for they 
 are worthy." — Revelation iii. 4. 
 
 I^E 11133' liiiclerstand this to refer to justification. " They 
 tn^'i ^'^'^^^ walk in white ; " that is, they shall enjoy a con- 
 *^^ stant sense of their own justification by faith ; they 
 shall understand that the righteousness of Christ is imputed 
 to them ; that they have all been washed and made whiter 
 than the newly-fallen snow. 
 
 Again, it refers to joy and gladness ; for white robes were 
 holiday dresses among the Jews. They who have not defiled 
 their garments shall have their faces always bright ; they 
 shall understand what Solomon meant when He said, " Go 
 thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a 
 merry heart. Let thy garments be always white, for God 
 hath accepted thy works." lie who is accepted of God shall 
 wear white garments of joy and gladness, while he walks in 
 sweet communion with the Lord Jesus. Whence so many 
 doubts, so much misery and mourning ? It is because so 
 many believers defile their garments with sin and error; and 
 hence they lose the joy of their salvation, and the comfort- 
 able fellowship of the Lord Jesus ; they do not here below 
 walk in white. 
 
 The promise also refers to walking in white be/ore the throne 
 0/ God. Those who have not defiled their garments here, 
 (fhall most certainly walk in white up yonder, where the white- 
 robed hosts sing perpetual hallelujahs to the Most High. 
 They shall possess joys inconceivable, happiness beyond a 
 dream, bliss which imagination knoweth not, blessedness 
 which even the ftretch of desire hath not reached. The 
 "undefiled in the way" shall have all this — not of merit, 
 EW)r of works, but of grace. They shall walk with Christ in 
 white, for He has made them " worthy." In His bw( et com- 
 punj they shall drink of the living fountains of waters. 
 
^44 DAILY READINGS. l)ec. ft, 
 
 " Therefore toill the Lord loait, that He may he gracious unto you.* 
 Isaiah xxx. 18. 
 
 ^OD often delays in answering prayer. We have 
 ^J several instances of this in sacred Scripture. Jacob 
 did not get the blessing from the angel until near the 
 dawn of day — he had to wrestle all night for it. The poor 
 woman of Syrophenicia was answered not a word for a long 
 while. Paul besought the Lord thrice that " the thorn in the 
 flesh " might be taken from him, and he received no assur- 
 ance that it should be taken away, but instead thereof a 
 promise that God's grace should be sufficient for him. If 
 thou hast been knocking at the gate of mercy, and hast re- 
 ceived no answer, shall I tell thee why the mighty Maker hath 
 not opened the door and let thee in ? Our Father has rea- 
 sons peculiar to Himself for thus keeping us waiting. Some- 
 times it is to show His power, and His sovereignty, that men 
 may know that Jehovah has a right to give or to withhold. 
 More frequently the delay is for our profit. Thou art per- 
 haps kept waiting in order that thy desires may be more fer- 
 vent. God knows that delay will quicken and, increase 
 desire, and that if He keeps thee waiting thoa wilt see thy 
 necessity more clearly, and wilt seek more earnestly ; and 
 that thou wilt prize the mercy all the more for its long tarry- 
 ing. There may also be something wrong in thee which has 
 need to be removed, before the joy of the Lord is given. 
 Perhaps thy views of the Gospel plan are confused, or thou 
 mayst be placing some little reliance on thyself, instead of 
 trusting simply and entirely to the Lord Jesus. Or, God 
 makes thee tarry awhile that He may the more fully display 
 the riches of His grace to thee at last. Thy prayers are all 
 filed in heaven, and if not immediately answered, they are 
 certainly not forgotten, but in a little while shall be fulfillod 
 to thy delight and satisfaction. Let not despair make the« 
 eilent, but continue instant in earnest supplication. 
 
Dec. 10. nAtLV RtADiKcg. fi45 
 
 " So sluill we ever be with the Lord." — 1 These, iv. 17. 
 
 ?^'^"\T5N the sweetest visits from Christ, how short they 
 >v3 arc — and how transitory ! One moment our eyes see 
 ^^ Him, and we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of 
 glory, but again a little time and we do not see Ilim, for our 
 Beloved withdraws Himself from us ; like a roc or a young 
 hart he leaps over the mountains of division ; He is gone to 
 the land of spices, and feeds no more among the lilies. 
 
 " If to-day He deigns to bless us 
 "With a sense of pardoned sin, 
 He to-morrow maj' distress us, 
 Make us feel the plague within." 
 
 Oh, how sweet the prospect of the time when we shall not 
 behold Him at a distance, but see Him face to face ! when 
 He shall not be as a wayfaring man tarrying but for a night, 
 but shall eternally enfold us in the bosom of His glory ! We 
 shall not see Him for a little season, but 
 
 "Millions of years our wondering eyes 
 Shall o'er our Saviour's beauties rove, 
 And myriad ages we'll adore 
 The wonders of His love." 
 
 In heaven there shall be no interruptions from care or sin ; 
 no weeping shall dim our eyes ; no earthly business shall 
 distract our happy thoughts ; wc shall have nothing to hin- 
 der us from gazing forever on the Sun of Righteousness with 
 unwearied eyes. Oh, if it be so sweet to see Him now and 
 then, how sweet to gaze on that blessed face for aye, and 
 never have a cloud rolling between, and never have to turn 
 one's eyes away to look on a world of weariness and woe ! 
 Blest day, when wilt thou dawn ? Rise, unsetting sun ! 
 The joys of sense may leave us as soon as they will, for this 
 shall make glorious amends. If to die is but to enter into 
 uninterrupted communion with Jesus, then death is indeed 
 gain, and the black drop is swallowed up in a sea <y r.ctjfj. 
 
d46 Daily readings. l)ec. 11. 
 
 "Faithful is lie that calleth you, toho also will do it.*' 
 1 Thessalonians v. 24. 
 
 ^^i^l^EAVEN is a place where we shall never sin ; where 
 k\ we shall cease our constant watch against tn inde- 
 fatigable enemy, because there will be no tempter Ut 
 insnare our feet. There the wicked cease from troubling, 
 and the weary are at rest. Heaven is the " undefiled inher- 
 itance : " it is the land of perfect holiness, and therefore of 
 complete security. But do not the saints even on earth 
 sometimes taste the joys of blissful security? The doctrine 
 of God's word is, that all who are in union with the Lamb 
 are safe : that all the righteous shall hold on their way ; that 
 those who have committed their souls to the keeping of Christ 
 shall find Him a faithful and immutable preserver. Sustained 
 by such a doctrine, we can enjoy security even on earth ; not 
 that high and glorious security which renders us free from 
 every slip, but that holy security which arises from the sure 
 promise of Jesus that none who believe in Him shall ever 
 perish, but shall be with Him where He is. Believer, let us 
 often reflect with joy on the doctrine of the perseverance of 
 the saints, and honor the faithfulness of our God by a holy 
 confidence in Him. 
 
 May our God bring home to you a sense of your safety in 
 Christ Jesus. May He assure you that your name is graven 
 on His hand, and whisper in your ear the promise, " Fear 
 not, I am with thee." Look upon Him, the great Surety of 
 the covenant, as faithful and true, and, therefore, bound and 
 engaged to present you, the weakest of the family, with all 
 the chosen race, before the throne of God ; and in such a 
 sweet contemplation you will drink the juice of the spiced 
 wine of the Lord's pomegranate, and taste the dainty fruits 
 of Paradise. You will have an antepast of the enjoyments 
 which ravish the souls of the perfect saints above, if you can 
 brieve with unstaggering faith that " faithful is He thai 
 calleth you, who also will do it." 
 
Deo. 12, DAILY READINGS. 347 
 
 " llis ways are everlasting." — Hubakkuk iii. 5. 
 
 I\^^IIAT IIo hath done at one time, lie will do yet again, 
 Man's ways are variable, but God's ways are ever- 
 lasting. There are many reasons for this most com- 
 'orting truth : among them are the following — the Lord's 
 vays are the result of wise deliberation ; He ordereth all things 
 according to the counsel of His own will. Human action is 
 frequently the hasty result of passion or fear, and is followed 
 by regret and alteration ; but nothing can take the Almighty 
 by surprise, or happen otherwise than He has foreseen. His 
 ways are the outgroivth of an immutable character., and in them 
 the fixed and settled attributes of God are clearly to be seen. 
 Unless the Eternal One Himself can undergo change, His 
 ways, which are Himself in action, must remain forever the 
 same. Is He eternally just, gracious, faithful, wise, tender ? 
 — then His ways must ever be distinguished for the same ex- 
 cellences. Beings act according to their nature : when those 
 natures change, their conduct varies also ; but since God can- 
 not know the shadow of a turning. His ways will abide ever- 
 lastingly the same. Moreover there is no reason from without 
 which could reverse the divine ways, since they are the em- 
 bodiment of irresistible might. The earth is said, by the 
 prophet, to be cleft with rivers, mountains tremble, the deep 
 lifts up its hands, and sun and moon stand still, when Jehovah 
 marches forth for the salvation of His people. Who can 
 stay His hand, or say unto Him, AVhat doest Thou ? But it 
 is not might alone which gives stability ; God's way are the 
 manifestations of the eternal principlto of right, and therefore 
 can never pass away. Wrong breeds decay and involves 
 ruin, but the true and the good have about them a vitality 
 which ages cannot diminish. 
 
 This morning let us go to our heavenly Father with coufi- 
 ience, remembering that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, 
 to-day, and forever, and in Him the Lord is ever gracious to 
 Sis people. 
 
S48 bAitr iiEAl)iNGSi Dec. 13 
 
 " Salt, without prescribing how much." — Ezra vii. 22. 
 
 ^^^^^ALT was used in every offering made by fire unto the 
 gi^^J/ Lord, and from its preserving and purifying proper- 
 ^^^"^ ties it was the grateful emblem of divine grace in the 
 soul. It is worthy of our attentive regard that, when Artax- 
 erxes gave salt to Ezra the priest, he set no limit to the 
 quantity ; and we may be quite certain that when the King of 
 kings distributes grace among His royal priesthood, the sup- 
 ply is not cut short by Him. Often are we straitened in our- 
 selves, but never in the Lord. He who chooses to gather 
 much manna will find that he may have as much as he desires. 
 There is no such famine in Jerusalem that the citizens should 
 eat their bread by weight and drink their water by measure. 
 Some things in the economy of grace are measured ; for in- 
 stance, our vinegar and gall are given us with such exactness 
 that we never have a single drop too much, but of the salt of 
 grace no stint is made : " Ask what thou wilt, and it shall be 
 given unto thee." Parents need to lock up the fruit cup- 
 board, and the swjjet jars, but there is no need to keep the 
 salt-box under lock and key, for few children will eat too 
 greedily from that. A man may have too much money, or 
 too much honor, but he cannot have too much grace. When 
 Jeshurun waxed fat in the flesh, he kicked against Gcd ; but 
 there is no fear of a man's becoming too full of grace ; a plethora 
 of grace is impossible. More wealth brings more care, but 
 more grace brings more joy. Increased wisdom is increased 
 sorrow, but abundance of the Spirit is fulness of joy. Be- 
 liever, go to the throne for a large supply of heavenly salt. 
 It will season thine afilictions, which are unsavory without 
 Bait ; it will preserve thy heart, which corrupts if salt be 
 absent ; and it will kill thy sins even as salt kills reptiles 
 Thou needest much ; seek much, and have much. 
 
Dec. 14. P.VILY KFADIN08. 849 
 
 " They go from strength to strength." — Psalm Ixxxiv. 7. 
 
 1' 
 
 ^IIEY go from strength to strength. There are various 
 renderings of these words, but all of them contain 
 the idea of progress. 
 Our own good translation of the authorized version itt 
 enough for us this morning. " They go from strength 30 
 strength." That is, they grow stronger and stronger. Usu- 
 ally, if we are walking, we go from strength to weakness ; 
 we start fresh and in good order for our journey ; but by and 
 by the road is rough, and the sun is hot; we sit down by the 
 wayside, and then again painfully pursue our weary way. 
 But the Christian pilgrim, having obtained fresh supplies of 
 grace, is as vigorous after years of toilsome travel and strug- 
 gle as when he first set out. He may not be quite so elate 
 and buoyant, nor perhaps quite so hot and hasty in his zeal, 
 as he once was ; but he is much stronger, in all that consti- 
 tutes real power, and travels, if more slowly, far more surely. 
 Some gray-haired veterans have been as firm in their grasp 
 of truth, and as zealous in difi"using it, as they were in their 
 younger days ; but, alas, it must be confessed it is often 
 otherwise, for the love of many waxes cold, and iniquity 
 abounds ; but this is their own sin, and not the fault of the 
 promise, which still holds good : " The youths shall faint and 
 be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall ; but they that 
 wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength ; they shall 
 mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be 
 weary, and they shall walk and not faint." Fretful spirits sit 
 Jown and trouble themselves about the future. " Alas," say 
 they, " we go from affliction to affliction." Very true, 
 thou of little faith, but then thou goest from strength to 
 Btrcngth also. Thou shalt never find a bundle of affliction 
 which has not bound up in the midst of it sufficient grace. 
 God will give the strength of ripe manhood with the burdeo 
 aUotted to full-grown shoulders. 
 SO 
 
850 DAILY HEADINGS. DcC. 1& 
 
 " Orpah iv.iA« d Tier mother-in-law ; but Bicth clave unto her." 
 Ruth i. 14. 
 
 ^fcjC^OTH rt them had an affection for Naomi, and there* 
 %1 ^l fore S'lt out with her upon hor return to the land of 
 ^j3^ow Jndah. But the hour of *^est came ; Naomi most 
 inselfishly set before each of their the trials which awaited 
 hem, and bade them, if they car'd for ease and comfort, to 
 return to their Moabitish friends At first both of them de- 
 clared that they would cast in tbflr lot with the Lord's people ; 
 but, upon still further consi(/*Tation, Orpah, with much grief 
 and a respectful kiss, left ber mother-in-law, and her people, 
 and her Grod, and went bjct to her idolatrous friends, while 
 Ruth, with all her heart gave herself up to the God of her 
 mother-in-law. It is o/>e thing to love the ways of the Lord 
 when all is fair, and v'lite another to cleave to them under all 
 discouragements an.', difficulties. The kiss of outward pro- 
 fession is very che'tp and easy, but the practical cleaving to 
 the Lord which 'rust show itself in holy decision for truth 
 and holiness, i? not so small a matter. How stands the case 
 with us ? is our heart fixed upon Jesus ? is the sacrifice bound 
 with cords to the horns of the altar ? Have we counted the 
 cost, and are we solemnly ready to suffer all worldly loss for 
 the Master's sake ? The after gain will be an abundant rec- 
 ompense, for Egypt's treasures are not to be compared with 
 the glory to be revealed. Orpah is heard of no more ; ir 
 glorious ea^^e and idolatrous pleasure, her life melts into the 
 gloom of death ; but Ruth lives in history and in heaven, for 
 grace has placed her in the noble line whence sprung the 
 King of kings. Blessed among women shall those be who for 
 Christ's sak-e can renounce all ; but forgotten, and worse than 
 forgotten, >')iall those be, who, in the hour of temptation, do 
 violence to conscience, and turn back unto the world. tha. 
 this morni'g wc may not be content with the form of devotion, 
 which ma^' be no better than Orpah's kiss! but may the Holy 
 Spirit wor 11 in us a clea^^iug of our whole heart to our Lord Jesus. 
 
Dec. 16. DAIXY READINGS 851 
 
 " Come unto Me." — Matthew xi. 28. 
 
 •^^HE cry of the Christian religion is the gentle word, 
 " Come." The Jewish law harshly said, " Go, take 
 heed unto thy steps as to the path in which thou shalt 
 walk. Break the commandments, and thou shalt perish; 
 keep them, and thou shalt live." The law was a dispensa- 
 tion of terror, which drove men before it as with a scourge ; 
 the gospel draws with bands of love. Jesus is the good 
 Shepherd going before His sheep, bidding them follow Ilim, 
 and ever leading them onwards with the sweet word, " Come.'' 
 The law repels ; the gospel attracts. The law shows the dis- 
 tance which there is between God and man ; the gospel 
 bridges that awful chasm, and brings the sinner across it. 
 
 From the first moment of your spiritual life until you are 
 ushered into glory, the language of Christ to you will be, 
 " Come, come unto Me." As a mother puts out her finger to her 
 little child, and wooes it to walk by saying, " Come," even so 
 does Jesus. He will always be ahead of you, bidding you 
 follow Him as the soldier follows his captain. He will always 
 go before you to pave your way, and clear your path, and 
 you shall hear His animating voice calling you after Him all 
 through life ; while in the solemn hour of death, His sweet 
 words with which He shall usher you into the heavenly world 
 shall be — " Come, ye blessed of my Father." 
 
 Nay, further, this is not only Christ's cry to you, but, if you 
 be a believer, this is your cry to Christ — " Come ! come ! " 
 You will be longing for His second advent ; you will be say- 
 ing, " Come quickly; even so, come, Lord Jesus." You will 
 be panting for nearer and closer communion with Him. As 
 His voice to you is, " Come," your response to Him will be, 
 " Ccmc, Lord, and abide with me. Come, and occupy alone 
 the throne of my heart ; reign there without a rival, and 
 consecrate me entirely to Thy service." 
 
352 DAILY HEADINGS. DcC. l7. 
 
 " / remember thee." — Jeremiah ii. 2. 
 
 CO 
 
 ^'^KET us note that Christ delights to think upon His 
 (^/ -^1 Church, and to look upon her beauty. As the bird 
 .Af^r^ returneth often to its nest, and as the wayfarer has- 
 tens to his home, so doth the mind continually pursue the 
 object of its choice. We cannot look too often upon that 
 fac 3 which we love ; we desire always to have our precious 
 things in our sight. It is even so with our Lord Jesus. 
 From all eternity, " His delights were with the sons of 
 men;" His thoughts rolled onward to the time when His 
 elect should be born into the world ; He viewed them in the 
 mirror of His foreknowledge. " In Thy book," he says, 
 " all my members were written, which in continuance were 
 fashioned, when as yet there was none of them." (Ps. cxxxix. 
 16.) When the world was set upon its pillars. He was there, 
 and He set the bounds of the people according to the num- 
 ber of the children of Israel. Many a time before His incar- 
 nation, He descended to this lower earth in the similitude 
 of a man ; on the plains of Mamre (Gen. xviii.), by the brook 
 of Jabbok (Gen. xxxii. 24-30), beneath the walls of Jericho 
 (Josh. V. 13), and in the fiery furnace of Babylon (Dan. iii. 
 19-25), the Son of man visited His people. Because His 
 soul delighted in them. He could not rest away from them, 
 for His heart longed after them. Never were they absent 
 from His heart, for He had written their names upon His 
 hands, and graven them upon His side. As the breastplate 
 containing the names of the tribes of Israel was the most 
 brilliant ornament worn by the high priest, so the names 
 of Christ's elect were His most precious jewels, and glittered 
 on His heart. We may often forget to meditate upon the 
 perfections of our Lord, but He never ceases to remember 
 us. Let us chide ourselves for past forgetfulness, and pray 
 for grace ever to bear Him in fondest remembrance. Lord, 
 paint upon the eyeballs of my soul the image of Thy Sou. 
 
Dec. 18. DAILY BEADING8. 353 
 
 "Rend your heart, and not your garments." — Joel ii. 13. 
 
 ^^ARMENT-RENDING, and other outward signs of 
 1) religious emotion, are casih manifesttd, and are f<-e- 
 '^^ quenthj hypocritical : but to feel true repentance w 
 far more diflBcuit, and consequently far less common. Men 
 will attend to the most multiplied and minute ceremonial 
 regulations, — for such things are plcusing to thejlcsh, — but 
 true religion is too humbling, too heart-searching, too 
 thorough for the tastes of carnal men ; they prefer something 
 more ostentatious, flimsy, and worldly. Outward observances 
 are temporarily comfortable ; eye and ear are pleased ; self- 
 conceit is fed, and self-righteousness is puffed up : but they 
 are ultimately delusive, for in the article of death, and at the 
 day of judgment, the soul needs something more substantial 
 than ceremonies and rituals to lean upon. Apart from vital 
 godliness, all religion is utterly vain ; offered without a sin- 
 cere heart, every form of worship is a solemn sham and au 
 impudent mockery of the majesty of heaven. — Heart-eend- 
 ING is divinely wrought and solemnly felt. It is a secret 
 grief which is personally experienced, not in mere form, but 
 as a deep, soul-moving work of the Holy Spirit upon the in- 
 most heart of each believer. It is not a matter to be merely 
 talked of and believed in, but keenly and sensitively felt Id 
 every living child of the living God. It is powerfully hu- 
 miliating, and completely sin-purging ; but then it is sweetly 
 preparative for those gracious consolations which proud, 
 unhumbled spirits are unable to receive ; and it is distinctly 
 diicriminating, for it belongs to the elect of God, and to 
 ihcm alone. The text commands us to rend our hearts, but 
 they are naturally hard as marble : how, then, can this be 
 done ? We must take them to Calvary : a dying Saviour's 
 foice rent the rocks once, and it is as powerful now. 
 blessed Spirit, let us hear the death-cries of Jesus, and our 
 hearts shall be rent evea as men rend their vestures in the 
 day of lamentation. 
 
i54 PAILY READINGS. DcC. 19. 
 
 " The lot is cast into the lap, hut the whole disposing thereof is of 
 the Lord." — Proverbs xvi. 33. 
 
 ^^^f/I' the disposal of the lot is the Lord's, whose is thf 
 P^l '^y! arrangement of our whole life ? If the simple cast- 
 y/^tSw jj^g Qf j^ Jq(. jg guided by Him, how much more the 
 events of our entire life — especially when we are told by 
 our blessed Saviour, " The very hairs of your head are all 
 numbered : not a sparrow falleth to the ground without your 
 Father." It would bring a holy calm over your mind, dear 
 friend, if you were always to remember this. It would so 
 relieve your mind from anxiety, that you would be the better 
 able to walk in patience, quiet, and cheerfulness, as a Chris- 
 tian should. When a man is anxious, he cannot pray with 
 faith ; when he is troubled about the world, he cannot serve 
 his Master; his thoughts are serving himself. If you would 
 " seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness," all 
 things would then be added unto you. You are meddling 
 with Christ's business, and neglecting your own, when you 
 fret about your lot and circumstances. You have been try- 
 ing "providing" work, and forgetting that it is yours to 
 »bey. Be wise, and attend to the obeying, and let Christ 
 manage the providing. Come and survey your Father's 
 storehouse, and ask whether He will let you starve while He 
 has laid up so great an abundance in His garner. Look at 
 His heart of mercy ; see if that can ever prove unkind ! 
 fjook at His inscrutable wisdom ; see if that will ever be at 
 fault. Above all, look up to Jesus Christ, your Intercessor, 
 and ask yourself, while He pleads, can your Father deal un- 
 graciously with you ? If He remembers even sparrows, will 
 He forget one of the least of His poor children ? " Cast 
 jhy burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain thee. He 
 will never suflFer the righteous to be moved." 
 
 *' My soul, rest happy in thy low estate, 
 Nor hope nor wish to be esteemed or great; 
 To take the impress of the Will Divine, 
 Be that thy glory, and tbos« ricbes tUw«< 
 
Dec. 20 DAILY READINGS. 85# 
 
 •' Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love." — Jer. xxxi. 3. 
 
 rA^-'^ 
 
 ^^.iOMETLMES the Lord Jesus tells His Church His 
 )ve thoughts. " He does not think it enough be- 
 hind her back to tell it, but, in her very preiicnce, 
 He says, * Thou art all fair, my love.' It is true, this is not 
 His ordinary method ; He is « wise lover, and knows when 
 to keep back the intimation of love, and when to let it out ; 
 but there are times when He will make no secret of it; times 
 when he will put it beyond all dispute in the souls of his peo- 
 ple."' * The Holy Spirit is often pleased, in a most gracious 
 Hianner, to witness with our spirits of the love of Jesus. 
 He takes of the things of Christ, and reveals them unto us. 
 No voice is heard from the clouds, and no vision is seen in 
 the night, but we have a testimony more sure than either of 
 these. If an angel should fly from heaven, and inform the 
 saint personally of the Saviour's love to him, the evidence 
 would not be one whit more satisfactory than that which is 
 borne in the heart by the Holy Ghost. Ask those of the 
 Lord's people who have lived the nearest to the gates of 
 heaven, and they will tell you that they have had season;; 
 when the love of Christ towards them has been a fact so 
 clear and sure, that they could no more doubt it than they 
 could question their own existence. Yes, beloved believer, 
 you and I have had times of refreshing from the presence of 
 the Lord, and then our faith has mounted to the topmost 
 heights of assurance. We have had confidence to loan our 
 heads upon the bosom of our Lord, and we have no more 
 questioned our Master's affection to us than John did when 
 > in iliat blessed posture : nay, nor so much ; for the dark 
 question, "Lord, is it I that shall betray thee ?" has been 
 put far from us. He has ki.'^sed us with the kisses of His 
 tuouth, and killed our doubts by the closeness of His em. 
 brace. His love has been sweeter than wine to our souis. 
 
 * Ri £r&lMn«'s Sermooa. 
 
556 DAILY READINGS. DeC 21. 
 
 " Tet lie hath made with me an everlasting coveJiant" 
 2 Samuel xxiii. 5. 
 
 ^*j*gHIS covenant is divine in its origin. " He hath iuad« 
 4;I,W|0 with me an everhisting covenai.t." Oh, that great 
 tOiiawvSi ^Qj.(j jjj. I Stop, my soul. God, the everlasting Fa- 
 ther, has positively made a covenant with thee ; yes, that God 
 kIio spake the world into existence by a word ; He, stooping 
 from His majesty, takes hold of thy hand and makes a cove- 
 nant with thee. Is it not a deed, the stupendous condescen- 
 sion cf which might ravish our hearts forever if we could really 
 understand it ? " HE hath made with me a covenant." A 
 king has not made a covenant with me — that were some- 
 what ; but the Prince of the kings of the earth, Shaddai, the 
 Lord All-sufficient, the Jehovah of ages, the everlasting 
 Elohim, " He hath made with me an everlasting covenant." 
 But notice, it is particular in its application. " Yet hath 
 He made with me an everlasting covenant." Here lies the 
 sweetness of it to each believer. It is nought for me that 
 He made peace for the world ; I want to know whether He 
 made peace for me ! It is little that He hath made a cove- 
 nant ; I want to know whether He has made a covenant toith 
 me. Blessed is the assurance that He hath made a covenant 
 with me ! If God the Holy Ghost gives me assurance of 
 this, then His salvation is mine, His heart is mine. He hira- 
 Bclf is mine — He is my God. 
 
 This covenant is everlasting in its daration. An everlast- 
 ing covenant means a covenant which had no beginning, and 
 which shall never, never end. How sweet, amidst all the 
 uncertainties of life, to know that " the foundation of the 
 Lord standeth sure," and to have God's own promise, " My 
 covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone 
 out of my lips." Like dying David, I will sing of this, even 
 though my house be uot so with God as my heart desireth. 
 
Dec. 22. DAILY READINGS. 357 
 
 " I tcill strengtlun thee."" — Isaian xli. 10. 
 
 jOD has a strong reserve with which to discharge this 
 engaffcment, for He is able to do all things ' Be- 
 liever, till thou canst drain dry the ocean of omnipo- 
 tence, till thou canst break into pieces the towering moun- 
 tains of almighty strength, thou never needest to fear. 
 Think not that the strength of man shall ever be able to 
 overcome the power of God. Whilst the earth's huge pil- 
 lars stand, thou hast enough reason to abide firm in thy faith. 
 The same God who directs the earth in its orbit, who feeds 
 the burning furnace of the sun, and trims the lamps of heaven, 
 has promised to supply thee with daily strcngtli. While He 
 is able to uphold the universe, dream not that He wiM prove 
 unable to fulfil His own promises. Eemember what He did 
 in the days of old, in the former generations. Remember 
 how He spake and it was done ; how He commanded, and it 
 stood fast. Shall He that created the world grow weary ? 
 He hangeth the world upon nothing ; shall He who doth this 
 be unable to support His children ? Shall He be unfaithful 
 10 His word for want of power ? Who is it that restrains 
 the tempest ? Doth not He ride upon the wings of the 
 wind, and make the clouds His chariots, and hold the ocean 
 in the hollow of His hand ? How can He fail thee ? When 
 He has put such a faithful promise as this on record, wilt 
 thou for a moment indulge the thought that He has out- 
 promised himself, and gone beyond His power to fulfil ? 
 Ah ! no ! Thou canst doubt no longer. 
 
 Thou who art my God and my strength, I can believe 
 that this promise shall be fulfilled, for the boundless reser- 
 voir of Thy grace can never be exhausted, and the overflow- 
 ing storehouse of T'liy strength can never be emptied by Thj 
 friends or rifled by Thine enemies. 
 
 " Now let tlie feeble all be strong, 
 And make Jehovah's arm their song." 
 
S58 DAILY READINGS. DcC. 23. 
 
 *^ Friend, go up higher." — Luke xi\. 10. 
 
 *^^5^^HEN first the life of grace begins in the soul, we do 
 indeed draw near to God, but it is with great fear 
 an 1 trembling. The soul, conscious of guilt, and 
 humbled thereby, is overawed with the solemnity of its posi- 
 tion ; it is cast to the earth by a sense of the grandeur of 
 Jehovah, in whose presence it stands. With unfeigned bash- 
 fulness it takes the lowest room. 
 
 But, in after life, as the Christian grows in grace, although 
 he will never forget the solemnity of his position, and will 
 never lose that holy awe which must encompass a gracious 
 man when he is in the presence of the God who can create 
 or can destroy, yet his fear has all its terror taken out of 
 it ; it becomes a holy reverence, and no more an over- 
 shadowing dread. He is called up higher, to greater ac- 
 cess to God in Christ Jesus. Then the man of God, walking 
 amid the splendors of Deity, and veiling his face, like the 
 glorious cherubim, with those twin wings, the blood and 
 righteousness of Jesus Christ, will, reverent and bowed in 
 spirit, approach the throne ; and seeing there a God of love, 
 of goodness, and of mercy, he will realize rather the cove- 
 nant character of God than His absolute Deity. He will see 
 in God rather His goodness than His greatness, and more 
 of His love than of His majesty. Then will the soul, bowing 
 Btill as humbly as aforetime, enjoy a more sacred liberty of 
 intercession ; for, while prostrate before the glory of the In- 
 finite God, it will be sustained by the refreshing conscious- 
 ness of being in the presence of boundless mercy and infinite 
 love, and by the realization of acceptance " in the Beloved." 
 Thus the believer is bidden to come up higher, and is en- 
 abled to exercise the privilege of rejoicing in God, and draw* 
 ing near to Him in holy confidence, saying, "Abba, Father." 
 
 " So may we go from strength to strength, 
 And daily grow in grace, 
 Till, in Thine image raised at length| 
 We see Tbce face to face." 
 
Dec. 24. DAILY HEADINGS. 359 
 
 " For your sokes lie became poor." — 2 Corinthians viii. 9. 
 
 SHE Lord Jesus Christ was eternally rich, glorious, 
 and exalted ; but " though He was rich, yet for youf 
 sakes He became poor." As the rich saint cannot 
 be true in his communion with his poor brethren, unless of hia 
 substance he ministers to their necessities, so (the same rule 
 holding with the head as between the members) it is impos- 
 sible that our Divine Lord could have had fellowship with us 
 unless He had imparted to us of His own abounding wealth, 
 and had become poor to make us rich. Had He remained 
 upon His throne of glory, and had we continued in the ruins 
 of the fall without receiving His salvation, communion would 
 have been impossible on both sides. Our position by tin 
 fall, apart from the covenant of grace, made it as impossible 
 for fallen man to communicate with God as it is for Belial to 
 be in concord with Christ. In order, therefore, that com 
 munion might be compassed, it was necessary that the rich 
 Kinsman should bestow his estate upon his poor relatives ; 
 that the righteous Saviour should give to His sinning breth- 
 ren of His own perfection, and that we, the poor and guilty, 
 should receive of His fulness grace for grace ; that thus in 
 giving and receiving, the one might descend from the heights, 
 and the others ascend from the depths, and so be able to em- 
 brace each other in true and hearty fellowship. Poverty must 
 be enriched by Him in whom are infinite treasures before it 
 ca£ venture to commune ; and guilt must lose itself in im- 
 puted and imparted righteousness ere the soul can walk in 
 fellowship with purity. Jefeus must clothe His people in His 
 own garments, or He cannot admit them into His palace of 
 glory; and He must wash them in His own blood, or else 
 ihey will be too defiled for the embrace of His fello*^dhip. 
 
 believer, herein is love ! For your sake the L,rd Jesus 
 " ijecame poor," that He might lift you up iuto ct mmuni^o 
 with Himself. 
 
360 DAILY HEADINGS. l)ec. ^5 
 
 " Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call hit 
 name Immanuel." — Isaiah vii. 14. 
 
 ^^|£^ET us to-day go down to Bethlehem, and, in com- 
 ^] pany with wondering shepherds and adoring Magi, 
 let us see Him who was born King of the Jews, for 
 we by faith can claim an interest in Him, and can sing, 
 " Unto us a child is born ; unto us a son is given." Jesus is 
 Jehovah incarnate, our Lord and our God, and yet our 
 brother and friend ; let us adore and admire. Let us notice 
 at the very first glance His miraculous conception. It was a 
 thing unheard of before', and unparalleled since, that a virgin 
 should conceive and bear a son. " The Lord hath created 
 a new thing in the earth ; a woman shall compass a man." 
 The first promise ran thus : "The seed of the woman" not the 
 oflfspriug of the man. Since venturous woman led the way 
 in the sin which brought forth Paradise lost, she, and she 
 alone, ushers in the Regainer of Paradise. Our Saviour, 
 although truly man, was, as to His human nature, the Holy 
 One of God. By the power of the Holy Spirit, He was born 
 of the virgin without the taint of original sin which appertains 
 to all those who are born of the flesh. Let us reverently bow 
 before the Holy Child whose innocence restores to manhood 
 its ancient glory ; and let us pray that He may be formed in 
 us, the hope of glory. Fail not to note His humble parentage 
 His mother our morning's portion describes simply as " a 
 virgin," not a princess or prophetess, nor a matron of large 
 estate. True, her lineage was not to be despised, for the blood 
 of kings ran in her veins ; nor w^s her mind a weak and un- 
 taught one, for she could sing most sweetly a song of praise; 
 but yet how humble her position, how poor the man to whom 
 she stood affianced, and how miserable the accommodation 
 afforded to the new-born King ! Thus has poverty become 
 consecrated, and men of low estate are exalted to honor. 
 Every believer is a portrait of Christ, but a poor saint is the 
 
LcC. 25. t»AILT READINGS. 36l 
 
 same well-drawn picture liung in the selfsame frame of 
 poverty which surrounds the Master's image. 
 
 We esteem every day alike, but still, as the season and 
 the general custom suggest thoughts of Jesus, let us joyfully 
 remember our dear Redeemer's glorious birth. Every day 
 should be the birthday of the Saviour to a renewed soul. 
 Amid all that is humiliating, there is much that is honorable 
 in the circumstances of the birth of our Immanuel. Whose 
 birth was ever ushered in by a long train of prophecy, or 
 longed for by such a multitude of hearts ? Who but He can 
 boast of a forerunner who marked Him as the coming Man? 
 When did angels iiMlulgo in midnight songs, or did God ever 
 hang a new star in the sky before ? To whose cradle did rich 
 and poor make so willing a pilgrimage, and offer such hearty 
 and unsought oblations ? Well may earth rejoice ; well may 
 all men cease their labor to celebrate " the great birthday " 
 of Jesus. Bethlehem, house of bread, we see in thee our 
 hopes forever gratified. 'Tis He, the Saviour, long foretold, 
 to usher in the age of gold. Let gladness rule the hour ; 
 let holy song and sweet heart-music accompany our soul in 
 its raptures of delight. 
 
 The golden name, Immanuel, is inexpressibly delightful. 
 It is a word fit for the lips of cherubim for its majesty, but, 
 because of its marvellous condescension, none but men can 
 utter it. He is not so with seraphs as He is ivilh tis. God 
 with us in our nature, in our sorrow, in our lifework, in our 
 punishment, in our grave, and now with us, or rather we 
 with Him, in resurrection, ^ascension, triumph, and second 
 advent splendor. The babe of Bethlehem appears tc be 
 manifestly with us in weakness and in poverty ; let us not 
 forget that He is equally near us in His glory and honor. 
 Faith clasps the child, and love kisses Him with the kisses 
 of her lips. for true spiritual fellowship with Immanuel 
 all this day ! 
 
 31 
 
665 DAILY READINGS. 1>*MJ. 26. 
 
 " The last Adam.'" — 1 Corinthians xv. 45. 
 
 ^ESUS is the federal head of his elect. As in J^dam 
 .^1 every heir of flesh and blood has a personal interest 
 ^ because he is the covenant head and representalivt 
 of the race, as considered under the law of works, so, under 
 the law of grace, every redeemed soul is one with the Lord 
 from heaven, since He is the Second Adam, the Sponsor 
 and Substitute of the elect in the new covenant of love. 
 The apostle Paul declares that Levi was in the loins of 
 Abraham when Melchizedek met him : it is a certain truth 
 that the believer was in the loins of Jesus Christ, the Medi- 
 ator, when in old eternity the covenant settlements of grace 
 were decreed, ratified, and made sure forever. Thus, what- 
 ever Christ hath done. He hath wrought for the whole body 
 of His Church. We were crucified in Him, and buried with 
 Him (read Col. ii. 10-13), and, to make it still more won- 
 derful, we are risen with Him, and even ascended with Him 
 to the seats on high. (Eph. ii. 6.) It is thus that the Church 
 has fulfilled the law, and is " accepted in the Beloved." It is 
 thus that she is regarded with complacency by the just Jeho- 
 vah, for He views her in Jesus, and does not look upon her 
 as separate from her covenant head. As the anointed Re- 
 deeuier of Israel, Christ Jesus has nothing distinct from His 
 Church, but all that He has He holds for her. Adam's 
 righteousness was ours so long as he maintained it, and his 
 sin was ours the moment that he committed it ; and, in the 
 same manner, all that the Second Adam is or does is ours 
 as well as His, seeing that He is our representative. Here 
 is the foundation of the covenant of grace. This gracious 
 system of representation and substitution, which moved Jus- 
 tin Martyr to cry out, " blessed change ! sweet permu- 
 tation ! " this is the very groundwork of the gospel of our 
 salvation, and is to be received with strong faith and rap- 
 turous joy. 
 
Dec. 27. Daily RfeACiNGs. 863 
 
 " Can the I'ush grow up without mire"?" — Job viii. 11. 
 
 ^5i^*5JIE rush is spongy and hollow, and even so is a hypo- 
 ir *^« ^^^'® » there is no substance or stability in him. It 
 '*^*'^ is shaken to and fro in every wind, just as formalists 
 yield to ever}' influence ; for this reason the rush is not broken 
 by the tempest, neither are hypocrites troubled with perse- 
 cution. I would not willingly be a deceiver, or be ieceived ; 
 perhaps the text for this day may help me to try myself, 
 whether I be a hypocrite or no. The rush by nature lives 
 in water, and owes its very existence to the mire and moisture 
 wherein it has taken root ; let the mire become dry, and the 
 rush withers very quickly. Its greenness is absolutely de- 
 pendent upon circumstances ; a present abundance of water 
 makes it flourish, and a drought destroys it at once. Is this 
 my case ? Do I only serve God when I am in good com- 
 pany, or when religion is profitable and respectable ? Do I 
 love the Lord only when temporal comforts are received 
 from His hands ? If so, I am a base hypocrite, and, like the 
 withering rush, I shall perish when death deprives me of 
 outward joys. But can I honestly assert that, when bodily 
 comforts have been few, and my surroundings have been 
 rather adverse to grace than at all helpful to it, I have still 
 held fast my integrity? — then have I hope that there is genu- 
 ine vital godliness in me. The rush cannot grow without mire, 
 but plants of the Lord's right hand planting can and do 
 flourish even in the year of drought. A goodly man often 
 grows best when his worldly circumstances decay. He who 
 follows Christ for his bag is a Judas ; they who follow for 
 loaves and fishes are children of the devil ; but they who at- 
 tend Ilim out of love to Himself are his own beloved ones. 
 Lord, let me find my life in jPAee, and not in the mire of 
 this world's fa" or or gain. 
 
8(54 DAILY REAijmds. ' Dec. i8 
 
 " The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of tht 
 Son of God" — Galatians ii. 20. 
 
 I^HEN the Lord in mercy passed by and saw us in our 
 1^ blood, He first of all said, " Live ; " and this He did 
 ^■^ first, because life is one of the absolutely essential 
 things in spiritual matters, and until it be bestowed we are 
 incapable of partaking in the things of the kingdom. Now 
 the life which grace confers upon the saints at the moment of 
 their quickening is none other than the life of Christ, which, 
 like the sap from the stem, runs into us, the branches, and 
 establishes a living connection between our souls and Jesus. 
 Faith is the grace which perceives this union, having pro- 
 ceeded from it as its first-fruit. It is the neck which joins 
 the body of the Church to its all-glorious Head. 
 
 " O Faith ! thou bond of union with the Lord, 
 Is not this office thine ? and thy fit name, 
 In the.economy of gospel types, 
 And symbols apposite — the Church's neck; 
 Identifying her in will and work 
 With Him ascended ? " 
 
 Faith lays hold upon the Lord Jesus with a firm and de- 
 termined grasp. She knows His excellence and worth, and 
 no temptation can induce her to repose her trust elsewhere ; 
 and Christ Jesus is so delighted with this heavenly grace, 
 that He never ceases to strengthen and sustain her by the 
 loving embrace and all-sufficient support of His eternal arms. 
 Here, then, is established a living, sensible, and delightful 
 union which casts forth streams of love, confidence, sympathy, 
 3omplacency, and joy, whereof both the bride and bridegroom 
 'ove to drink. When the soul can evidently perceive this 
 jncness between itself and Christ, the pulse may be felt as 
 boating for both, and the one blood as flowing through the 
 reins of each. Then is the heart as near heaven as it can be 
 on earth, and is prepared for the enjoyment of the most sub- 
 lime and spiritual kind of fellowship. 
 
Dec. 29. i>A.iLt ftfeADiNGS. 36A 
 
 Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." — 1 Samuel vii. 12. 
 
 ^HE word " hitherto " seems like a hand pointing in 
 \^ the direction of the past. Twenty 3'ears or seventy, 
 and yet " hitherto the Lord hath helped " ! Through 
 poverty, through wealth, through sickness, through health, 
 at home, abroad, on the land, on the sea, in honor, in dis- 
 honor, in perplexity, iu joy, in trial, in triumph, in prayer, 
 in temptation, " hitherto the Lord hath helped us " ! 
 
 We delight to look down a long avenue of trees. It is 
 delightful to gaze from end to end of the long vista, a sort 
 of verdant temple, with its branching pillars and its arches 
 of leaves ; even so look down the long aisles of your years, 
 at the green boughs of mercy overhead, and the strong pil- 
 lars of loving kindness and faithfulness which bear up your 
 joys ? Are there no birds in yonder branches singing ? 
 Surely, there must be many, and they all sing of mercy re- 
 ceived " hitherto." 
 
 But the word also points fortvard. For when a man gets 
 up to a certain mark, and writes " hitherto," he is not yet at 
 the end ; there is still a distance to be traversed. More trials, 
 more joys ; more temptations, more triumphs ; more prayers, 
 more answers ; more toils, more strength ; more fights, more 
 victories ; and then come sickness, old age, disease, df^ath. 
 Is it over now ? No ! there is more yet — awakening in 
 Jesus' likeness, thrones, harps, songs, psalms, white raiment, 
 the face of Jesus, the society of saints, the glory of God, the 
 fulness of eternity, the infinity of bliss. 0, be of good cour- 
 age, believer, and with grateful confidence raise thy " Eben- 
 
 ezer," for — 
 
 He who hath helped thee hitherto 
 Will help thee all thy journey through. 
 
 When read in heaven's light, how glorious and marvellous ■ 
 prospect will thy " hitherto " unfold to thy grateful eye ! 
 '31* 
 
366 Daily HEADtNGs. l)ec. 30. 
 
 " Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof." 
 Ecclesiastes vii. 8. 
 
 ^BiSOOK at David's Lord and Master ; see His beginning. 
 
 ' 5^1 He was despised and rejected of men ; a man of sor- 
 rows and acquainted with grief. Would you see ths 
 end ? He sits at His Father's right hand, expecting until 
 His enemies be made His footstool. " As He is, so are we 
 also in this world." You must bear the cross, or you shall 
 never wear the crown ; you must wade through the mire, or 
 you shall never walk the golden pavement. Cheer up, then, 
 poor Christian. " Better is the end of a thing than the be- 
 ginning thereof." See that creeping worm ; how contempti- 
 ble its appearance ! It is the beginning of a thing. Mark 
 that insect with gorgeous wings, playing in the sunbeams 
 sipping at the flower bells, full of happiness and life ; that is 
 the end thereof. That caterpillar is yourself, until you are 
 wrapped up in the chrysalis of death ; but when Christ shal: 
 appear you shall be like Him, for you shall see Him as He 
 is. Be content to be like Him, a worm and no man, that 
 like Him you may be satisfied when you wake up in His like- 
 ness. That rough-looking diamond is put upon the wheel 
 of the lapidary. He cuts it on all sides. It loses much — 
 much that seemed costly to itself. The king is crowned ; 
 the diadem is put upon the monarch's head with trumpet's 
 joyful sound. A glittering ray flashes from that coronet, 
 and it beams from that very diamond which was just now so 
 sorely vexed by the lapidary. You may venture to compare 
 yourself to such a diamond, for you are one of God's people ; 
 and this is the time of the cutting process. Let faith and 
 patience have their perfect work, for in the day when the 
 crown shall be set upon the head of the King Eternal, Im- 
 mortal. Invisible, one ray of glory shaU stream from you. 
 " They shall be Mine," saith the Lord, " in the day when ] 
 make up My jewels." " Better is the end of a thing than the 
 beginning thereof." 
 
Dec. 31. nxiLV UkADiNos. 367 
 
 " In the lout cUty, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, 
 saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink." 
 — John vii. 37. 
 
 j^ATIENCE had her perfect woj t in the Lord Jesus, 
 s|jpvvll and until the last day of the feast He pleaded with 
 JL the Jews, even as on this last day of the year He 
 pleads with us, and waits to be gracious to us. Admirable 
 indeed is the long-suffering of the Saviour in bearing with 
 some of us year after year, notwithstanding our provocations, 
 rebellions, and resistance of His Holy Spirit. Wonder of 
 wonders that we are still in the land of mercy. 
 
 Pill/ exjiressed herself most plainly, for Jesus cried, which 
 implies not only the loudness of His voice, but the tenderness 
 of His tones. He entreats us to be reconciled. " We pray 
 you," says the Apostle, " as though God did beseech you by 
 us." What earnest, pathetic terms are these ! How deep 
 must be the love which makes the Lord weep over sinners, 
 and like a mother woo His children to His bosom. Surely 
 at the call of such a cry our willing hearts will come. 
 
 Provision is tUade most plenteously ; all is provided that 
 man can need to quench his soul's thirst. To his conscience 
 the atonement brings peace ; to his understanding the gos- 
 pel brings the richest instruction ; to his heart the person of 
 Jesus is the noblest object of affection ; to the whole man 
 the truth as it is in Jesus supplies the purest nutriment. 
 Thirst is terrible, but Jesus can remove it. Though the soul 
 ircre utterly famished, Jesus could restore it. 
 
 Proclamation is made, most freely, that every thirsty one is 
 welcome. No other distinction is made but that of thirst. 
 Whether it be the thirst of avarice, ambition, pleasure, knowl- 
 edge, or rest, he who suffers from it is invited. The thirst 
 may be bad in itself, and be no sign of grace, but rather a 
 mark of inordinate sin longing to be gratified with deeper 
 draughts of lust; but it is not goodness in the croaturt 
 
368 DAILY READINGS. l)ec. 31. 
 
 which brings him the invitation, the Ldrd Jesus sends it 
 
 freely, and without respect of persons. 
 
 Fersonality is declared most fully. The sinner must come 
 to Jtsus, not to works, ordinances, or doctrines, but to a 
 personal Redeemer, who His own self bore our sins in llis 
 own body on the tree. The bleeding, dying, rising Saviour 
 is the only star of hope to a sinner. for grace to come 
 now and drink, ere the sun sets upon the year's last day ! 
 
 No waiting or preparation is so much as hinted at. Drink- 
 ing represents a reception for which no fitness is required. 
 A fool, a thief, a harlot can drink ; and so sinfulness of char- 
 acter is no bar to the invitation to believe in Jesus. We 
 want no golden cup, no bejewelled chalice, in which to con- 
 vey the water to the thirsty, the mouth of poverty is wel- 
 come to stoop down and quaff the flowing flood. Blistered, 
 leprous, filthy lips may touch the stream of divine love ; 
 they cannot pollute it, but shall themselves be purified. 
 Jesus is the fount of hope. Dear reader, hear the deai 
 Redeemer's loving voice as He cries to each of us, " If ani 
 
 HAN IHIB8X, LEI HIM COME UNTO Me AND DBINK." 
 
HYMNS 
 
 MORNING WORSHIP 
 
 ®lu ^amilj}^ 
 
 tbe Lord. Praise tbe Lord, my sonl.** 
 
 P$ttmtiM 
 
 (tm 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 ^S^NOWING that heads of families, in these busy 
 ^P^ days, have little time to select Hymns for 
 the family altar, and are not always judicious in 
 their choice, I have carefully made a selection of 
 verses which I believe will be found sweet and 
 suitable for morning song. It is unwise to make 
 ftimily exercises long, and therefore I have only 
 allotted two, or, at the most, three verses ; but 
 these are of the richest kind. The tunes are merely 
 appended for the guidance of beginners in song; 
 they have been generally chosen on account of their 
 simplicity of character. 
 
 Let no family neglect the praises of the Lord, for, 
 as Matthew Henry says, those who pray do well, 
 those who read and pray do better, but those who 
 sing, and read, and pray, do best of all. Happy is 
 that household where the day begins with God, all 
 hearts and tongues praising him. Let those who 
 sing in the family continue the exercise, and let those 
 who do not, begin at once, if possible. 
 
HYMNS FOR MORNING WORSHIP 
 
 For the months of January, March, May, Jidy, September^ 
 and November. 
 
 IsT MoENiNG. C. M. Dedham. Coronation. 
 
 LET Him be crowned with majesty 
 Who bowed His head to death, 
 And be His honors sounded high 
 By all things that have breath. 
 Jesus our Lord, how wondrous great 
 
 Is Thine exalted name ! 
 The glories of Thy heavenly state 
 Let the whole earth proclaim. 
 2d Mobnino. 7*8. Nurtmhtfg, 
 
 I "WILL praise Thee every day I 
 Now Thine anger's turned away; 
 Comfortable thoughts arise 
 From the bleeding sacrifice. 
 Jesus is become, at length, 
 My salvation and my strength, 
 And His praises shall prolong, 
 While I live, my pleasant song. 
 
 8d MoRNiNa. 8, 7. Autumn. NettleUm* 
 
 PASCHAL Lamb, by God appointed, 
 All our sins were on Thee laid ; 
 By almighty Love anointed, 
 
 Thou hast full atonement made. 
 All Thy people are forgiven 
 
 Through the virtue of Thy Blood ; 
 Opened is the gate of heaven ; 
 
 Peace is made 'twixt man and God. 
 4th Mornlno. L. M. Uxbridge. Retrtei 
 
 "Y God, how endless is Thy love ! 
 Thy gifts are every evening new ; 
 And morning mercies from above 
 
 Gently distil like early dew. 
 I yield my powers to Thy command ; 
 
 To Thee I consecrate my days ; 
 Perpetual blessings from Thine hand 
 Demand perpetual songs of praiae. 
 
 as 
 
 M 
 
374 HYMNS FOB MORNING WORSHIP. 
 
 6xH MoBNiNG. C. M. Azmon. Oaxtr* 
 
 THOU from whom all goodness flows, 
 I lift my heart to Thee ; 
 In all my sorrows, conflicts, woes, 
 Dear Lord, remember me ! 
 
 o 
 
 When groaning on my burdened heart 
 
 My sins lie heavily, 
 My pardon speak, new peace impart. 
 
 In love remember me. 
 
 Bth Mobning. C. M. Selena. Ncumi. 
 
 LORD, in the day, Thou art about 
 The paths wherein I tread ; 
 And in the night, when I lie down. 
 Thou art about my bed. 
 
 *Tis Thou dost crown my hopes, and plant 
 
 With good success each day ; 
 This crown, together with myself. 
 
 At Thy blest feet I lay. 
 
 0, let my house a temple be. 
 
 That I and mine may sing 
 Hosanna to Thy Majesty, 
 
 And praise our heavenly King ! 
 
 7th Mobning. 7's. Fulton, WaylamL 
 
 JESUS, cast a look on me ; 
 Give me sweet simplicity ; 
 Make me poor and keep me low, 
 Seeking only Thee to know. 
 
 Leaning on Thy loving breast. 
 Where a weary soul may rest ; 
 Feeling well the peace of God 
 Flowing from Thy precious blood ! 
 
 In this posture let me live. 
 And hosannas daily give ; 
 In this temper let me die. 
 And hosannas ever cry I 
 
HYMNS FOB MORNING WORSHIP. 37^ 
 
 8th Mobnino. L. M. Duke St. BothwdL 
 
 AWAKE, my soul, and with the sun 
 Thy daily stage of duty run ; 
 Shake off dull sloth, and early rise 
 To pay thy morning sacrifice. 
 
 All praise to Thee, who safe hast kept, 
 And hast refreshed me whilst I slept 1 
 Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake, 
 I may of endless life partake ! 
 
 Direct, control, suggest, this day. 
 All I design, or do, or say ; 
 That all my powers, with all their might, 
 In Thy sole glory may unite. 
 
 8rH MoKNiNo. L. M. Windham. Zephyr* 
 
 WHEN I survey the wondrous cross 
 On which the Prince of glory died. 
 My richest gain I count but loss. 
 And pour contempt on all my pride. 
 
 Forbid it. Lord, that I should boast. 
 Save in the death of Christ, my God ; 
 
 All the vain things which charm me most, 
 I sacrifice them to His blood. 
 
 See from His head, His hands. His feet. 
 Sorrow and love flow mingled down I 
 
 Did e'er such love and sorrow meet. 
 Or thorns compose so rich a crown ? 
 
 IOth Morning. C. M. OrtonviOe. Wirlh 
 
 HOW sweet the name of Jesus sounds 
 In a believer's ear ! 
 It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, 
 And drives away his fear ! 
 
 It makes the wounded spirit whole. 
 
 And calms the troubled breast; 
 'Tis manna to the hungry soul, 
 
 And to the weary rest. 
 
8T6 HYMNS FOB MORNING WORSHIP. 
 
 o 
 
 11th Moriono. L. M. Hamhwrg. RoUand. 
 
 GOD, Thou art my God alone ; 
 Early to Thee my soul shall cry ; 
 A pilgrim in a land unknown, 
 
 A thirsty land, where springs are dry. 
 
 Better than life itself Thy love. 
 
 Dearer than all beside to me ; 
 For whom have I in heaven above, 
 
 Or what on earth, compared to Thee ? 
 
 Praise with my heart, my mind, my voice, 
 
 For all Thy mercy, I wiU give ; 
 My soul shall still in God rejoice. 
 
 My tongue shall bless Thee while I live. 
 
 12th Morniko. C. M. Harlow, Brmm, 
 
 LET all the just, to God, with joy, • 
 Their cheerful voices raise ; 
 For well the righteous it becomes 
 To sing glad songs of praise. 
 
 For faithful is the word of God ; 
 
 His works with truth abound ; 
 He justice loves — and all the earth 
 
 Is with his goodness crowned. 
 
 13th MoRNiNa. S. M. Golden S*a, BeyU, 
 
 BLESS the Lord, my soul I 
 Let all within me join. 
 And aid my tongue to bless His name 
 Whose favors are divine. 
 
 
 
 *Tis He forgives thy sins, 
 'Tis He relieves thy pain, 
 'Tis He that heals thy sicknesses, 
 And makes thee young again. 
 
 He crowns thy life with love. 
 When ransomed from the grave ; 
 He that redeemed my soul from hell 
 Hatli sovereign power to save. 
 
o 
 
 HYMNS FOR MORNING WORSHIP. 377 
 
 14th Morning. C. M. Azmon. j)edham. 
 
 |UR God, our help in ages past, 
 _ Our hope for years to come, 
 Our shelter from the stormy blast. 
 And our eternal home. 
 
 Under the shadow of Thy throne 
 
 Thy saints have dwelt secure ; 
 Sufficient is Thine arm alone, 
 
 And our defence is sure. 
 
 16th Morning. C M. Helena. iVooNM. 
 
 THERE is an hour when I must part 
 With all I hold most dear, 
 And life, with its best hopes, will then 
 As nothingness appear. 
 
 There is an hour when I must stand 
 
 Before the judgment-seat, 
 And all my sins, and all my foes, 
 
 In awful vision meet. 
 
 Saviour, then, in all my need. 
 Be near, be near to me. 
 
 And let my soul, in steadfast faith, 
 Find life and heaven in Thee ! 
 
 16th Morning. C. M. Dundee. OrtonvHU, 
 
 JESUS, Thou art my Righteousness, 
 For all my sins were Thine ; 
 Thy death hath bought of God my peace, 
 Thy life hath made Him mine. 
 
 Spotless and just in Thee I am ; 
 I feel my sins forgiven ; 
 
 1 taste salvation in Thy name. 
 
 And antedate my Jieaven. 
 
 ITth Morning. C. M. Old Hundrtdtk 
 
 THOU by whom we come to God, 
 The Life, the Truth, the Way ; 
 The path of prayer Thyself hast trod : 
 Lord, teach us how to pray I 
 32* 
 
 
 
878 HYMNS FOR MORNING WORSHIP. 
 
 18th Morning. S. M. St. Thomas. Laban. 
 
 ra^RE Lord Himself will keep 
 
 i His people safe from harm, 
 Will hold the helm, and guide the ship, 
 With His almighty arm. 
 
 Then let the tempests roar, 
 
 The billows heave and swell ; 
 We trust to reach the peaceful shore 
 
 Where all the ransomed dwell. 
 
 19th Mobning. S. M. Dennis. Shdrland 
 
 Y spirit on Thy care, 
 Blest Saviour, I recline ; 
 Thou wilt not leave me to despair. 
 For Thou art Love divine. 
 
 M' 
 
 In Thee I place my trust. 
 
 On Thee I calmly rest ; 
 I know Thee good, I know Thee just. 
 
 And count Thy choice the best. 
 
 
 
 20th Morning. C. M. Naomi. Selena. 
 
 ^UE. Lord, when here in feeble flesh, 
 Poured out His cries and tears. 
 And in His measure feels afresh 
 What every member bears. 
 
 Then let our humble faith address 
 
 His mercy and His power ; 
 We shall obtain delivering grace 
 
 In the distressing hour. 
 
 21 BT MoENiNG. T's. Nuremberg ffemdon, 
 
 (OME, my soul, thy suit prepare ; 
 Jesus loves to answer prayer ; 
 He Himself has bid -thee pray. 
 Therefore will not say thee nay. 
 
 Thou art coming to a King ; 
 Large petitions with thee bring ; 
 For His grace and power are such) 
 Noce gan ever ask too much. 
 
 O 
 
G" 
 
 HYMNS FOR MORNING WORSHIP. 379 
 
 22d Morning. L. M. Zephyr. Retreat. 
 
 IN every dark, distressing hour, • 
 
 Wiien sin and Satan join their power, 
 Let this dear hope repel the dart — 
 That Jesus bears us on His heart. 
 
 Great Advocate, Almighty Friend, 
 On Him our humble hopes depend ; 
 Our cause can never, never fail, 
 For Jesus pleads, and must prevail. 
 
 23d Morning. C. M. Dundee. ByefiticL 
 
 OD is our Refuge, tried and proved, 
 Amid a stormy world ; 
 We will not fear, though earth be moved. 
 And hills in ocean hurled. 
 
 The waves may roar, the mountains shake. 
 
 Our comforts shall not cease ; 
 The Lord His saints will not forsake, 
 
 The Lord will give us peace. 
 
 24th Morning. C. M. Evan. La Mira. 
 
 COME, let us to the Lord our God, 
 With contrite hearts, return ; 
 Our God is gracious, nor will leave 
 The desolate to mourn. 
 
 His voice commands the tempest forth, 
 
 And stills the stormy wave ; 
 And though His arm be strong to smite, 
 
 'Tis also strong to save. 
 
 26th Morning. CM. Uenry. Stephens 
 
 Y God, the Spring of all my joys, 
 The Life of my delights, 
 The Glory of my brightest days. 
 And Comfort of my nights ! 
 
 In darkest shades, if He appear. 
 
 My dawning is begun ; 
 He is my soul's sweet morning star, 
 
 And He my rising sun. 
 
 M 
 
880 HYMN8 FOR MORNING WORSHIP. 
 
 26iH Morning. C. M. Fountain. Azmon, 
 
 THERE is a fountain filled with blood, 
 Drawn from Immanuel's veins, 
 And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, 
 Lose all their guilty stains. 
 
 The dying thief rejoiced to see 
 
 That fountain in his day ; 
 And there have I, as well as he, 
 
 Washed all my sins away. 
 
 A^ 
 
 27th MoKiTiNG. S. M. Silver Street. Laban, 
 
 WAKE, and sing the song 
 Of Moses and the Lamb, 
 Wake every heart and every tongue 
 To praise the Saviour's name. 
 
 Sing of His dying love ; 
 
 Sing of His rising power ; 
 Sing how He intercedes above 
 
 For those whose sins He bore. 
 
 Sing till we feel our hearts 
 
 Ascending with our tongues ; 
 Sing till the love of sin departs. 
 
 And grace inspires our songs. 
 
 c 
 
 28th Morning. S. M. St. Thomas. State Strut, 
 
 lOME, Holy Spirit, come. 
 Let Thy bright beams arise. 
 Dispel the darkness from our minds, 
 And open all our eyes. 
 
 'Tis Thine to cleanse the heart, 
 
 To sanctify the soul. 
 To pour fresh life in every part, 
 
 And new create the whole. 
 
 Dwell, therefore, in our hearts. 
 Our minds from bondage free ; 
 
 Then we shall know, and praise, and love 
 The Father, Son, and Thee ! 
 
HYMNS FOR MORNING WORSHIP. 381 
 
 2^n Morning. C M. Brown. Downs. 
 
 HOSANNA ! Master ! lo, we bring 
 Our offerings to Thy throne ; 
 Not gold, nor rayrrh, nor mortal thing, 
 But hearts to be Thine own. 
 
 Hosanna ! once Thy gracious ear 
 
 Approved a lisping throng ; 
 Be gracious still, and deign to hear 
 
 Our poor but grateful song. 
 
 80th Moening. C. M. La Mira. Byefidd. 
 
 THIS land, through which His pilgrims go, 
 Is desolate and dry ; 
 But streams of grace from Jesus flow. 
 Their thirst to satisfy. 
 
 When troubles, like a burning sun, 
 
 Beat heavy on their head, 
 To this almighty Rock they run, 
 
 And find a pleasing shade. 
 
 How glorious He ! how happy they 
 
 In such a glorious Friend ! 
 Whose love secures them all the way. 
 
 And crowns them at the end. 
 
 81sT Morning. C. M. Balerma. Stepluii$. 
 
 HE who on earth as man was known, 
 And bore our sins and pains, 
 Now, seated on th' eternal Throne, 
 The God of glory reigns. 
 
 His hands the wheels of nature guide 
 
 With an unerring skill, 
 And countless worlds, extended wide, 
 
 Obey His sovereign will. 
 
 While harps unnumbered sound His praise 
 
 In yonder world above. 
 His saints on earth admire His ways. 
 
 And glory in His love. 
 
882 HYMNS FOR MORNING WORSHIP. 
 
 HYMNS FOR MORNING WORSHIP. 
 
 For the months of February, April, June, August, Octoher, 
 and December. 
 
 IsT MoENiNG. C. M. Brown. Hehtr. 
 
 THAT I could the blessing prove. 
 My heart's extreme desire ! 
 Live happy in my Saviour's love. 
 And in His arms expire ! 
 
 o 
 
 Nothing I ask or want beside, 
 Of all in earth or heaven, 
 
 But let me feel Thy blood applied, 
 And live and die forgiven. 
 
 O' 
 
 2d MoKNiNG. C. M. Peterboro\ La Mira, 
 
 ^N Thee, each morning, my God, 
 My waking thoughts attend ; 
 In Thee are founded all my hopes, 
 In Thee my wishes end. 
 
 My spirit, in Thy hand secure. 
 
 Fears no approaching ill ; 
 For whether waking or asleep. 
 
 Thou, Lord, art with me still. 
 
 3d MoENiNa. C. M. Balerma. JBelena, 
 
 LORD, I believe Thou hast prepared. 
 Unworthy though I be, 
 For me a blood-bought fi-ee reward, — 
 A golden harp for me. 
 
 'Tis strung and tuned for endless years. 
 
 And formed by power divine. 
 To sound in Grod the Father's ears 
 
 No other name but Thine. 
 
HYMNS FOR MORNING WORSmP. 383 
 
 4th Mohntno. L. M. Hamburg. Zephyr. 
 
 HEAR, gracious God ! a sinner's cry, 
 For I have nowhere else to fly ; 
 My hope, my only hope 's in Thee ; 
 O God, be merciful to me ! 
 
 To Thee I come, a sinner poor, 
 And wait for mercy at Thy door ; 
 Indeed, I've nowhere else to flee : 
 O God, be merciful to me ! 
 
 6th Moknino. L. M. Dumbarton. Ward* 
 
 IN every pang that rends the heart, 
 The Man of Sorrows had a part ; 
 He sympathizes with our grief, 
 And to the sufferer sends relief. 
 
 With boldness, therefore, at the throne. 
 Let us make all our sorrows known ; 
 And ask the aid of heavenly power 
 To help us in the evil hour. 
 
 exH MoBOTNO. L. M. Eest, CapHtHy. 
 
 lENEATH Thy cross I lay me down, 
 And mourn to see thy bloody crown ; 
 Love drops in blood from every vein ; 
 Love is the spring of all His pain. 
 
 Here, Jesus, I shall ever stay, 
 And spend my longing hours away. 
 Think on Thy bleeding wounds and pain, 
 And contemplate Thy woes again. 
 
 Vth Morning. C. M. Naomi. La Mira, 
 
 GIVE mo a calm, a thankful heart. 
 From every murmur free ; 
 The blessings of Thy grace impart, 
 And let me live to Thee. 
 
 Let the sweet hope that Thou art mine 
 
 My path of life attend ; 
 Thy presence through my journey shino. 
 
 And bless its happy end ! 
 
 B 
 
384 HYMNS FOR MORNING WORSHIP. 
 
 8tu Morning. L. M. Old Hundred. RcXland. 
 
 JESUS, our GoJ, our sou's adore, 
 A painful sufferer now no more ; 
 High on His Father's throne He reigns 
 O'er earth, and heaven's extensive plains. 
 
 His race forever is complete ; 
 Forever undisturbed His seat ; 
 Myriads of angels round Him fly, 
 And sing His well-gained victory. 
 
 Yet 'midst the honors of His throne, 
 He joys not for Himself alone ; 
 His meanest servants share their part — 
 Share in their Saviour's tender heart. 
 
 9th MoRNrNG. C. M. Stephens. DowM, 
 
 nOREVER here my rest shall be, 
 
 Y 
 
 Close to Thy bleeding side 
 This all my hope and all my plea, - 
 For me the Saviour died. 
 
 My dying Saviour and my God, 
 Fountain for guilt and sin. 
 
 Sprinkle me ever with Thy blood. 
 And cleanse and keep me clean. 
 
 A^ 
 
 LOth Morning. L. M. Loving Kindness. RoUa^A 
 
 WAKE, my soul, in joyful lays, 
 
 To sing Thy great Redeemer's praise ; 
 He justly claims a song from me ; 
 His loving-kindness, 0, how free ! 
 
 He saw me ruined in the fall, 
 Yet loved me notwithstanding all ; 
 He saved me from my lost estate ; 
 His loving-kindness, 0, how great 1 
 
 Though numerous hosts of mighty foes. 
 Though earth and hell my way oppose. 
 He safely leads my soul along ; 
 His loving-kindness, 0, how strong I 
 
HYMNS FOR MORNING WORSHIP. 386 
 
 N' 
 
 Uth Morning. C. M. Peterloro'. Azni9n. 
 
 OW let our cheerful eyes survey 
 Our great High Priest above, 
 And celebrate His constant care 
 And sympathetic love. 
 
 Though raised to a superior throne, 
 
 Where angels bow around. 
 And high o'er all the shining train, 
 
 With matchless honors crowned, — 
 
 The names of all His saints He bears 
 
 Deep graven on His heart ; 
 Nor shall the meanest Christian say 
 
 That he hath lost his part. 
 
 12th Morning. CM. Brown, Down$, 
 
 JESUS, the King of glory, reigns 
 On Sion's heavenly hill ; 
 Looks like a lamb that has been slain, 
 And wears His priesthood still. 
 
 He ever lives to intercede 
 
 Before His Father's face ; 
 Give Him, my soul, thy cause to plead, 
 
 Nor doubt the Father's grace. 
 
 ISth Morning. L. M. Eamhur0 Bsti, 
 
 JESUS, our Saviour and our God, 
 Arrayed in majesty and blood. 
 Thou art our life ; our souls in Thee 
 Possess a full felicity. 
 
 All our immortal hopes are laid 
 In Thee, our Surety and our Head ; 
 Thy cross, Thy cradle, and Thy throne, 
 Are big with glories yet unknown. 
 
 0, let our souls forever lie 
 Beneath the blessings of Thine eye ; 
 'Tis heaven on earth, 'tis heaven above. 
 To see Thy face and taste Thy love. 
 
 S3 
 
o 
 
 386 &YMNS FOR MORNING WORSHIl^. 
 
 14tb Morning. L. M. Gratitude. A$hwtlL 
 
 LORD JESUS, when we stand afar 
 And see Thee bleeding on the cross, 
 In love of Thee and scorn of self, 
 0, may we count the world as loss. 
 
 When we behold Thy bleeding wounds, 
 And the rough way that Thou hast trod, 
 
 Make us to hate the load of sin 
 That lay so heavy on our God. 
 
 15th Morning. C. M. Balerma. Azmon* 
 
 FOE, a heart to praise my God, 
 A heart from sin set free, 
 A heart that always feels Thy blood 
 So freely spilt for me ! 
 
 A heart resigned, submissive, meek, 
 
 My dear Redeemer's throne, 
 Where only Christ is heard to speak, 
 
 Where Jesus reigns alone. 
 
 16th Morning. L. M. Woodworfh. ZepTvyr, 
 
 JUST as I am, without one plea, 
 But that Thy blood was shed for me, 
 And that Thou bidd'st me come to Thee, 
 Lamb of God, I come I I come ! 
 
 Just as I am, and waiting not 
 To rid my soul of one dark blot, 
 To Thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot) 
 Lamb of God, I come ! I come ! 
 
 17th Morning. C. M. Marlow. OrtoTvuilUt 
 
 YES, I will bless Thee, my God, 
 Through all my mortal days, 
 And to eternity prolong 
 
 Thy vast, Thy boundless praise. 
 
 .-.tt every smiling, happy hour. 
 
 Be this my sweet employ ; 
 Thy praise refines my earthly bliss, 
 
 And doubles all my joy. 
 
HYMNS FOR MORNING WORSHIP. 387 
 
 18th Moknino. 7*8. Nuremberg. FuUon. 
 
 ON of God, to Thee we bow; 
 Thou art Lord, and ouly Thou ; 
 Thou the woman's promised Seed ; 
 Thou, who didst for sinners bleed ! 
 
 S' 
 
 Thee the angels ceasless sing ; 
 Thee we praise, our Priest and King. 
 Worthy is Thy name of praise, 
 Full of glory, full of grace ! 
 
 A' 
 
 19th Mobnino. C. M. Azmon. Helena. 
 
 PPIIOACH, my soul, the mercy-seat, 
 Where Jesus answers prayer ; 
 There humbly fall before His feet. 
 For none can perish there. 
 
 Thy promise is my only plea ; 
 
 With this I venture nigh ; 
 Thou callest burdened souls to Thee, 
 
 And such, Lord, am I. 
 
 D 
 
 20th Morning. C. M. Balervia. Naomi, 
 
 JD Jesus bow Ilis sacred head, 
 And die a death of shame ? 
 Let men and angels magnify 
 And bless His holy name ! 
 
 0, let us live in peace and love. 
 
 And cast away our pride. 
 And crucify our sins afresh. 
 
 As He was crucified ! 
 
 K 
 
 2l8T Morning. Vs. Fulton. PlcyeTs Eymn> 
 
 EAVENLY FATHER, to whose eye 
 Future things unfolded lie, 
 Through the desert, where I stray. 
 Let Thy counsels guide my way. 
 
 Lord, uphold me day by day, 
 Shed a light upon my way, 
 Guide me through perplexing snares. 
 Care for me in all my cares. 
 
488 HYMNS FOR MORNING WORSHIP. 
 
 G' 
 
 22d Morning. S. M. Lahan. OlinvtM* 
 
 IVE to the winds thy fears ; 
 Hope and be undismayed ; 
 God hears thy sighs, and counts thy tears ; 
 God shall lift up thy head. 
 
 Through waves, and clouds, and storms, 
 
 He gently clears thy way ; 
 Wait thou His time ; so shall this night 
 
 Soon end in joyous day. 
 
 23d MoKNiNG. C. M. Dundee. Broum. 
 
 THE head that once was crowned with thojus 
 Is crowned with glory now ; 
 A royal diadem adorns 
 The mighty Victor's brow. 
 
 The highest place that heaven affords 
 
 Is His, is His by right ; 
 The King of kings, and Lord of lords* 
 
 And heaven's eternal Light. 
 
 The joy of all who dwell above. 
 
 The joy of all below, 
 To whom He manifests His love, 
 
 And grants His name to know. 
 
 k its Morning. L. M. Htbroiu Oaptiviiifx 
 
 THIRST, but not as once I did, 
 The vain delights of earth to share ; 
 Thy wounds, Imnianuel, all forbid 
 
 That I should seek my pleasure there. 
 
 It was the sight of Thy dear cross 
 
 First weaned my soul from earthly things. 
 
 And taught me to esteem as dross 
 
 The mirth of fools and pomp of kings. 
 
 Dear Fountain of delight unknown, 
 
 No longer sink below the brim. 
 But overflow, and pour me down 
 
 A living and life-giving stream. 
 
S' 
 
 HTMNS FOR MORNING WORSHIP. 389 
 
 26th Moknino. 8, 7. Sicily, or Dismission. 
 
 WEET the moments, rich in blessing, 
 Which before the cross I spend ; 
 Life, and health, and peace possessing 
 From the sinner's dying Friend. 
 
 Here I'll sit, forever viewing 
 
 Mercy's streams in streams of blood ; 
 
 Precious drops, my soul bedewing. 
 Plead and claim my peace with God. 
 
 20TH Morning. 8, 7. OreenvHU. 
 
 TRULY blessed is the station 
 Low before His cross to lie, 
 While I see divine compassion 
 Floating in His languid eye. 
 
 Here it is I find my heaven, 
 
 While upon the Lamb I gaze : 
 Love I much ? I've more forgiven ; 
 
 I'm a miracle of grace. 
 
 27th Morning. C. M. Broieiu Dedham. 
 
 WHOM have we. Lord, in heaven but Thee, 
 And whom on earth beside ? 
 Where else for succor can we flee, 
 Or in whose strength confide ? 
 
 Thou art our portion here below, 
 
 Our promised bliss above : 
 Ne'er may our souls an object know 
 
 So precious as Thy love. 
 
 28th Mobning. L. M. Uxbridge. Merc*. 
 
 Ij^TERNAL Spirit! we confess, 
 J And sing the wonders of Thy grace ; 
 Thy power conveys our blessings down 
 From God the Father and the Son. 
 
 The troubled conscience knows Thy voice, 
 Thy cheering words awake our joys ; 
 Thy words allay the stormy wind.. 
 And calm the surges of the mind. 
 33* 
 
8&<) HYMNS FOR MORNING WORSHIP. 
 
 29th Morning. L. M. Old Hundred. Duke Street. 
 
 THE Lord is King ! lift up thy voice ; 
 earth, and all ye heavens, rejoice ; 
 From world to world the joy shall ring ; 
 The Lord omnipotent is King. 
 
 The Lord is King ! who then shall dare 
 Resist His will, distrust His care, 
 Or murmur at His wise decrees, 
 Or doubt His royal promises ? 
 
 SOth Moening. 7*8. Fulton. PleyeVs Hymnm 
 
 CHILDREN of the heavenly King, 
 As ye journey, sweetly sing ; 
 Sing your Saviour's worthy praise, 
 Glorious in His works and ways ! 
 
 We are travelling home to God, 
 In the way the fathers trod : 
 They are happy now ; and we 
 Soon their happiness shall see. 
 
 Fear not, brethren ! joyful stand 
 On the borders of your land ; 
 Jesus Christ, your Father's Son, 
 Bids you undismayed go on. 
 
 31sT MoBNiNo. C. M. Mewf. JliUna, 
 
 GOD of Bethel, by whose hand 
 Thy people still are fed, 
 "Who through this weary pilgrimage 
 Hast all our fathers led, — 
 
 o 
 
 Our vows, our prayers, we now present 
 Before Thy throne of grace ; 
 
 God of our fathers ! be the God 
 Of their succeeding race. 
 
 Through each perplexing path of life 
 Our wandering footsteps guide ; 
 
 Give us each day our daily bread. 
 And raiment fit provide. 
 
HYMNS 
 
 FAMILY WORSHIP 
 
 ON THE MORNINO OF 
 
 ^ht ^$XiV^ gajj. 
 
 " Praise ye the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and Hla 
 pralM in the congregation of saints." — Psalm cxlix. 
 
 (»l) 
 
NOTE. 
 
 SUFFICIENT Sabbath Hymns are here provided for 
 BIX months, and we feel sure that, occurring only 
 twice in the year, there will be no fear of monotony. 
 Having once gone through them, on the first Sunday of 
 July the family will recommence the series, and continue 
 till the end of the year. It is only occasionally that twenty- 
 seven Sundays will occur in any one half-year, and therefore 
 the twenty-seventh Hymn will not be usually sung. 
 
 May the Lord of the Sabbath hear the morning songs of 
 His people, and prepare them for the louder shout of the 
 great congregation. We should, at the family altar, tune 
 our harps for the solemn music of the sanctuary. They are 
 blessed indeed who go from worship in the tents of Jacob 
 to the solemnities of the temple of Zion. May the Lord, 
 who rested on the seventh day and was refreshed, give to 
 His people rest and refreshment on this their day of sacred 
 
 Babbath. 
 
 (HO 
 
HTMNS FOR TUE LORD'S DAY. 
 
 A' 
 
 H 
 
 IsT MoENiNO. L. M. Hehron. Meroe. 
 
 NOTHER six days' work is done, 
 Another Sabbath is begun ; 
 Return, my soul, enjoy thy rest. 
 Improve the day thy God hath blest. 
 that our thoughts and thanks may rise 
 As grateful incense to the skies, 
 And draw from heaven that sweet repose 
 Which none but be that feels it knoV/B. 
 This heavenly calm within the breast 
 Is the dear pledge of glorious rest. 
 Which for the church of God remaine, 
 The end of cares, the end of pains. 
 
 2d Morking. L. M. Duke Street. Rett. 
 
 "AIL ! sacred morn, when Christ arose 
 Triumphant o'er our mighty foes ; 
 Hail ! blissful day, when He appears 
 In Zion's courts, and Zion cheers. 
 Entombed in doubts and fears we lie, 
 Till Christ, descending from on high, 
 Rolls unbelief (that stone) away. 
 And bids us rise to gospel day. 
 Come, thou covenant Angel, come, 
 Roll back the stone, our hearts untomb, 
 The beams of thy bright countenance shed. 
 Revive the drooping, raise the dead. 
 
 3d Morning. 7's. Nurembtrg, 
 
 CHRIST, the Lord, is risen to-day ! 
 Sons of men and angels say : 
 Raise your joys and triumphs high ; 
 Sing, ye heavens, and, earth, reply. 
 Soar we now where Christ has led. 
 Following our exalted Head ; 
 Made like Him, like Him we rise. 
 Ours the cross, the grave, the skies. 
 
B9<5 HYMNS FOR THE LORD's DAY. 
 
 4th Morning. C. M. Dedham. La Mira, 
 
 OTHOU that art the mighty One, 
 Thy sword gird on Thy thigh ; 
 Even with Thy glory excellent. 
 And with Thy Majesty. 
 
 For meekness, truth, and righteousness, 
 
 This day ride prosperously. 
 And Thy right hand shall Thee instruct 
 
 In things that fearful be. 
 
 6th Morning. L. M. Brattle Street. Zephyr. 
 
 THINE earthly Sabbaths, Lord, we love ; 
 But there's a nobler rest above ; 
 To that our laboring souls aspire. 
 With ardent pangs of strong desire. 
 
 No more fatigue, no more distress, 
 Nor sin, nor hell shall reach the place ; 
 No groans to mingle with the songs 
 Which warble from immortal tongues. 
 
 6th Morning. 7's. Martyn, 
 
 TO Thy temple I repair. 
 Lord, I love to worship there ; 
 When, within the veil, I meet 
 Christ before the mercy-seat. 
 
 Thou, through Him, art reconciled ; 
 I, through Him, became Thy child; 
 Abba, Father ! give me grace, 
 In Thy courts to seek Thy face, 
 
 7th Morning. C. M. Marlow. Camhridg*, 
 
 "HAT shall I render to my God 
 For all His kindness shown ? 
 My feet shall visit Thine abode, 
 My songs address Thy throne. 
 
 Among the saints that fill Thine house 
 
 M*y offerings shall be paid ; 
 There shall my zeal perform the vows 
 
 My soul in anguish made. 
 
 w 
 
"^ 
 
 HYMNS FOR THE LORD'S DAY. 307 
 
 tre Morning. S. M. Silver Street. St. Thomat 
 
 [/"EliCOME, sweet day of rest, 
 That saw the Lord arise ; 
 Welcome to this reviving breast, 
 And these rejoicing eyes. 
 
 The King Himself comes near. 
 
 And feasts His saints to-day ; 
 Here we may sit and see Him here, 
 
 And love, and praise, and pray. 
 
 One day amidst the place 
 
 Where my dear God hath been. 
 Is sweeter than ten thousand days 
 
 Of pleasurable sin. 
 
 •th Morning. L. M. Federal Street. Homimrg. 
 
 GREAT God, attend while Zion sings 
 The joy that from Thy presence springs ; 
 To spend one day with Thee on earth 
 Exceeds a thousand days of mirth. 
 
 Might I enjoy the meanest place 
 Within Thy house, God of grace. 
 Not tents of ease, nor thrones of power. 
 Should tempt my feet to leave Thy door. 
 
 C" 
 
 10th Morning. L. M. RoUand. Duke Street, 
 
 lOME, dearest Lord, descend and dwell 
 By faith and love in every breast ; 
 Then shall we know, and taste, and feel 
 The joys that cannot be expressed. 
 
 Come, fill our hearts with inward strength, 
 
 Make our enlarged souls possess. 
 And learn the height, and breadth, and length, 
 
 Of Thine immeasurable grace. 
 
 Now to the God whose power can do 
 
 More than our thoughts or wishes know. 
 
 Be everlasting honors done, 
 
 By all the Church, through Christ His Son. 
 
398 HYMNS FOR THE LORD'S DAT. 
 
 A^ 
 
 11th Moening. C. M. Naomi. Wirtk 
 
 S pants the hart for cooling streams^ 
 When heated in the chase. 
 So longs my soul, God, for Thee, 
 And Thy refreshing grace. 
 
 For Thee, my God — the living God, 
 
 My thirsty soul doth pine ; 
 0, when shall I behold thy face, 
 
 Thou Majesty divine 1 
 
 \%Ta Mjbning. 7's. Nuremberg. Herndon, 
 
 CHRIST the Lord is risen to-day, 
 Sons of men and angels say : 
 Raise your joys and triumphs high; 
 Sing, ye heavens, and, earth, reply. 
 
 Love's redeeming vrork is done, 
 Fought the fight, the battle won ; 
 Lo, our sun's eclipse is o'er ; 
 Lo, he sets in blood no more. 
 
 Vain the stone, the watch, the seal ; 
 Christ hath burst the gates of hell ; 
 Death in vain forbids His rise ; 
 Christ hath opened paradise ! 
 
 Y 
 
 ISxH Moening. C. M. Woodland. EeUna. 
 
 'ES, it is good to worship Thee, 
 To tread Thy courts, Lord, 
 To raise the voice, to bend the knee. 
 To hear Thy holy Word. 
 
 How sweet, God, to sing Thy praise. 
 
 Till all our spirits glow, 
 And we could almost seem to raise 
 
 The notes of heaven below. 
 
 But 0, if songs like ours be sweet, 
 
 How sweet that song must be 
 When all the ransomed ones shall meet* 
 
 From sin and sorrow free. 
 
HYMNS FOR THE LORD's DAY. 399 
 
 14th Morning. L. M. Rolland. Uxhridge. 
 
 HOW pleasant, liow divinely fair, 
 Lord of hosts, Thy dwellings are 
 With long desire my spirit faints 
 To meet th' assemblies of Thy saints. 
 
 My flesh would rest in Thine abode, 
 My panting heart cries out for Grod ; 
 My God, my King, why should I be 
 So far from all my joys and Thee ? 
 
 16th Morning. L. M. Hebron. Gratitudt. 
 
 Y God, how excellent Thy grace, 
 Whence all our hope and comfort springs; 
 The sons of Adam in distress. 
 Fly to the shadow of Thy wings. 
 
 From the provisions of Thy house 
 We shall be fed with sweet repast ; 
 
 There mercy, ILke a river flows, 
 And brino;s salvation to our taste. 
 
 M 
 
 O 
 
 16th Morning. L. M. Federal Street. Zephyr. 
 
 SACRED day of peace and joy. 
 Thy hours are ever dear to me ; 
 Ne'er may a sinful thought destroy 
 The holy calm I find in Thee. 
 
 Dear are Thy peaceful hours to me, 
 For God has given them in his love, 
 
 To tell how calm, how blest shall be 
 The endless rest of heaven above. 
 
 17th Morning. C. M. Dedham. Caddo. 
 
 GLORY to God 1 who deigns to bless 
 This consecrated day. 
 Unfolds His wondrous promises, 
 And makes it sweet to pray. 
 
 Glory to God ! who deigns to hear 
 
 The humblest sigh we raise. 
 Ana answers every heartfelt prayer, 
 
 And hears our hymn of praise. 
 
400 HYMNS FOR THE LORD's DAY. 
 
 w 
 
 18th Morning. T's. Herndon. Plei,eVs Hym% 
 
 HTLE this day Thy praise is sung. 
 Touch mv lips, unloose my tongue. 
 That my joyful so . may bless 
 Thee, the Lord, my righteousness. 
 
 While Thy ministers proclaim 
 Peace and pardon in Thy name, 
 Through their voice, by faith, may I, 
 Hear Thee speaking from the sky. 
 
 From Thy house when I return, 
 May my heart within me burn ; 
 And at evening let me say — 
 I have walked with God to-day. 
 
 H 
 
 19th Morning. C. M. Coronation. Brown 
 
 OW did my heart rejoice to hear 
 My friends devoutly say, 
 "In Zion let us all appear. 
 And keep the solemn day ! " 
 
 I love her gates, I love the road ; 
 
 The Church, adorned with grace. 
 Stands like a palace built for God, 
 
 To show His milder face. 
 
 My soul shall pray for Zion still 
 
 While life or breath remains ; 
 There my best friends, my kindred dwp**'« 
 
 There God my Saviour reigns. 
 
 20th Morning. L. M. JDuke Street. B^Uand 
 
 JESUS shall reign where'er the sun 
 Does his successive journeys run j 
 His kingdom stretch from shore to shor» 
 Till moons shall wax and wane no more 
 
 For Him shall endless prayer be made. 
 And praises throng to crown His head ; 
 His name, like sweet perfume, shall rise 
 With every morning sacrifice. 
 
N' 
 
 HYMN3 FOR THE LORd's DAT. 401 
 
 2l8T McKNiNo. C. M. Balerma. Brown. 
 
 OW from the altar of our hearts 
 Let flames of ..jcense rise ; 
 Assist us, Lord, to offer up 
 Our Sabbath sacrifice 
 
 Each solemn day of sacred rest 
 
 Doth a new song require ; 
 Teach us the sonnets of the blest, 
 
 Our hearts like theirs inspire. 
 
 Awake our love, awake our joy, 
 
 With music loud and long ; 
 Let praise the Sabbath hours employ 
 
 From morn to even song. 
 
 32d Morning. C M. Dedham. Lantthortf 
 
 EAKLY, my God, without delay, 
 I haste to seek Thy face ; 
 My thirsty spirit faints away 
 Without Thy cheering grace. 
 
 I've seen Thy glory and Thy power 
 
 Through all Thy temple shine ; 
 My God, repeat that heavenly hour, 
 
 That vision so divine. 
 
 Not all the blessings of a feast 
 
 Can please my soul so well. 
 As when Thy richer grace I taste, 
 
 And in Thy presence dwell. 
 
 T 
 
 23d Morning. C M. Woodland PeUrboro* 
 
 I^IHIS is the day the Lord hath ma'^ve, 
 He calls the hours his own ; 
 Let heaven rejoice, let earth be glad. 
 And praise surround the throne. 
 
 To-day He rose and left the dead, 
 
 And Satan d empire fell ; 
 To-day the sa-nts His triumphs spreadi 
 
 And all bii> ivonders tell, 
 
i02 HYMNS FOR THE LORD'S DAT. 
 
 24th Morning. C. M. Byefield. Dedham, 
 
 |N this glad day a brighter scene 
 Of glory was displayed, 
 By the Eternal Word, than when 
 The heavens and earth were made. 
 
 
 
 He rises who His Church has bought 
 
 With grief and pain extreme : 
 'Twas great to speak the world from nought ; 
 
 But greater to redeem. 
 
 25th Moening. L. M. Uxbridge. Federal St. Bolland. 
 WEET is the work, my God, my King, 
 To praise Thy name, give thanks, and sing ; 
 To show Thy love by morning light. 
 And talk of all Thy truth by night. 
 
 S^ 
 
 Sweet is the day of sacred rest, 
 No mortal cares shall seize my breast ; 
 may my heart in tune be found, 
 Like David's harp of solemn sound ! 
 
 S' 
 
 26tb Morning. 8, 7, 4. Greenville. Netiltton 
 
 WEET as home to pilgrims weary — 
 Light to newly-opened eyes — 
 Flowing springs in deserts dreary — 
 Is the rest the Cross supplies. 
 All who taste it 
 Shall to rest immortal rise. 
 
 But to sing the rest of glory. 
 
 Mortal tongues far short must fall ; 
 Tongues celestial strive to reach it, 
 But it soars beyond them all. 
 
 Faith believes it, hope expects it, 
 But it overwhelms thena 4l« 
 
HYMNS FOR THE LORD'S DAY. 403 
 
 S7th Morning. 7's. Easter Hymn 
 
 JESUS CHRIST is risen to-day, Hillelujah ! 
 Our triumphant, holy day ; Hallelujah ! 
 Who did once upon the cross, Hallelujah ! 
 Suffer to retrieve our loss, Hallelujah ! 
 
 Hymns of praise then let us sing. Hallelujah ! 
 Unto Christ, our heavenly King, Hallelujah ! 
 Who endured the cross and grave, Hallelujah 
 Sinners to redeem and save. Hallelujah ! 
 
 By the pains which He endured. Hallelujah f 
 Our salvation was procured : Hallelujah ! 
 Now above the sky He's King, Hallelujah I 
 Where the angels ever tung Hallelujah T 
 
INDEX. 
 
 GENESIS. 1 
 
 JOSHUA. 
 
 
 2 CHRONICUC8 
 
 Chap. 1: Verse 
 
 Page 
 
 Cliap. It Verse 
 
 Page 
 
 Chap. Si Verse 
 
 P«g« 
 
 i. 4 . . 
 
 6 
 
 u. 21 . . . . 
 
 109 
 
 XXV. 9 . . . 
 
 336 
 
 i. 5 . . 
 
 
 . 153 
 
 v. 12 . . . . 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 ir. 2 . . 
 
 
 . 20 
 
 
 
 EZRA. 
 
 
 vii. 16 
 
 
 . 157 
 
 JUDGES. 
 
 
 vii. 22 . . , . 
 viii. 22 . . . 
 
 348 
 
 xxi. 6 . 
 
 
 . 167 
 
 vii. 20 . . 
 
 264 
 
 268 
 
 xxiv, 63 
 
 
 . 228 
 
 xvi. 6 . . 
 
 190 
 
 
 
 XXV. 11 
 
 
 . 48 
 
 
 
 NEHEMIAD 
 
 
 xxxix. 12 
 
 
 . . 207 
 
 RUTH. 
 
 
 ix. 38 ... 
 
 IIS 
 
 xli. 4 . 
 
 
 . . 183 
 
 i. 14 . . . 
 
 350 
 
 
 
 xlix. 24 
 
 
 . 63 
 
 ii. 2 . . . 
 
 214 
 
 JOB. 
 
 
 EX 
 
 fiii. 28 
 
 3Dl 
 
 38. 
 
 . . 179 
 
 1 SAMUEL 
 
 vii. 12 . . 
 
 365 
 
 viii. 11 
 X. 2 . 
 xix. 25 
 
 
 363 
 
 49 
 
 112 
 
 xiv. IS 
 
 
 . 206 
 
 xiii. 20 . . 
 
 62 
 
 xxix. 2 
 
 
 224 
 
 xvi. 21 
 XX. 25 
 
 
 198 
 . . 196 
 
 xxvii. 1 . . 
 
 291 
 
 xl. 4 . 
 
 
 158 
 
 XXV. 6 
 
 
 . . 241 
 
 2 SAMUEL 
 
 
 PSALMS. 
 
 
 xxviii. 38 
 
 , . 8 
 
 v. 23 . . . 
 
 40 
 
 iv. 2 . . . 
 
 98 
 
 LEVITK 
 
 .cs. 
 
 V. 24 . 
 vii. 25 
 
 
 
 . 30 
 15 
 
 ix. 1 . 
 xii. 1 . 
 
 
 304 
 169 
 
 vi. 13 
 
 . . 197 
 
 ix. 13 
 
 
 
 . 148 
 
 xvii. 7 
 
 
 141 
 
 xiii. 13 . 
 
 . . 273 
 
 XV. 23 
 
 
 
 . 152 
 
 xxii. 1 
 
 
 106 
 
 xix. 16, 17 
 
 . . 334 
 
 xxiii. 1 
 xxiii. 5 
 
 
 
 233 
 . 356 
 
 xxii. 7 
 xxii. 14 
 
 
 105 
 102 
 
 NUMBE 
 
 K8. 
 
 
 
 
 
 103 
 
 
 
 
 
 x.xii. 14 
 
 
 ii. 31 . . 
 
 . . 200 
 
 1 KINGS. 
 
 
 xxvii. 14 
 
 
 243 
 
 xi. 11 . . 
 
 . . 281 
 
 xix. 8 . . 
 
 . 279 
 
 xxLx. 2 
 
 
 229 
 
 xiv. 2 . . 
 
 . . 121 
 
 xxii. 48 . . 
 
 . 13 
 
 XXX. 5 
 
 
 134 
 
 xiv. 11 . 
 
 . . 240 
 
 
 
 XXX. 6 
 
 
 70 
 
 
 
 2 KINGS. 
 
 
 xxxiii. 13 
 
 272 
 
 DEUTERO 
 
 NOMT. 
 
 vii. 3 . . . 
 
 . 73 
 
 xxxiii. 21 
 
 184 
 
 V. 24 . . 
 
 . . 201 
 
 XXV. 30 . . 
 
 . 45 
 
 xxxvii. 4 
 
 166 
 
 xxxii. 9 . 
 
 . . 320 
 
 
 
 xxxviii. 21 . 
 
 146 
 
 xxxiii. 27 
 
 . . 315 
 
 1 CHRONICL 
 
 ES. 
 
 xxxix. 12 
 
 76 
 
 xxxiii. 27 
 
 . . 316 
 
 iv. 23 . . 
 
 . 155 
 
 xiv. 2 . . 
 
 173 
 
 xxxiii. 29 
 
 
 . . 271 
 
 T. 22 . 
 
 
 
 . 160 
 
 xiv. 7 
 
 A/\K\ 
 
 160 
 
406 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 rSALMS. 
 Clmp. & Vtrse 
 
 li. 1 . 
 li. 10 . 
 lii. 8 . 
 Iv. 22 . 
 Ixii. 5 . 
 Ixv. 11 
 Ixvi. 2 
 Ixvi. 20 
 Ixvii. 6 
 Ixxiii. 22 
 Ixxiii. 23 
 Ixxiii. 24 
 Ixxiv. 17 
 Ixxxiv. ,6 
 Ixxxiv. 7 
 Ixxxix. 19 
 xci. 3 
 xci. 9 
 xcii. 4 
 xcvii. 1 
 xcvii. 10 
 ciii. 2 
 civ. 16 
 civ. 16 
 cvii. 7 
 cxi. 9 . 
 cxii. 7 
 cxix. 15 
 cxix. 49 
 cxx. 5 
 cxxvi. 3 
 cxxxviii. 5 
 cxxxviii. 8 
 cxlix. 2 . 
 
 Page 
 
 242 
 
 305 
 
 230 
 
 147 
 
 59 
 
 292 
 
 274 
 
 145 
 
 118 
 
 210 
 
 211 
 
 245 
 
 336 
 
 257 
 
 349 
 
 23 
 
 24 
 
 58 
 
 227 
 
 225 
 
 159 
 
 191 
 
 226 
 
 298 
 
 143 
 
 239 
 
 259 
 
 286 
 
 119 
 
 249 
 
 161 
 
 32 
 
 144 
 
 266 
 
 PBOVERBS. 
 
 i. 33 . . . . 188 
 
 xi. 25 . . . . 234 
 
 xvi. 33 . . . 354 
 
 ECCLESIASTES. 
 
 vii. 8 . . . . 366 
 
 ix. 10 . . . . 331 
 
 X.7 .... 140 
 
 CANTICLES 
 
 LS 
 
 92 
 
 CANTICLES 
 Cliap. & Verse 
 
 1. 4 . 
 i. 7 . 
 i. 13 . 
 ii. 3 . 
 ii. 8 . 
 ii. 10 . 
 ii. 15 . 
 iii. 1 . 
 iv. 7 . 
 iv. 7 . 
 iv. 12 . 
 iv. 16 . 
 V. 8 . 
 V. 13 . 
 V. 16 . 
 vu. 13 
 
 vii. 14 
 xiv. 10 . 
 xxi. 11 
 XXX. 18 . 
 xxxiii. 21 
 xxxvii. 22 
 xl. 9 . 
 xli. 10 
 xli. 14 
 xliv. 3 
 xlviii. 10 
 xlix. 8 
 xlix. 16 
 Ii. 5 . 
 liii. 5 . 
 lui. 12 
 liv. 5 . 
 liv. 17 
 lix. 5 . 
 Ixiii. 1 
 Ixui. 7 
 Ixv. 19 
 
 JEREMIAH 
 
 ii. 2 . 
 ui. 14 . 
 xiv. 20 
 xvii. 17 
 xxiii. 6 
 
 Page 
 220 
 247 
 104 
 238 
 
 80 
 116 
 151 
 
 19 
 337 
 338 
 323 
 
 61 
 235 
 122 
 
 69 
 275 
 
 360 
 
 178 
 
 219 
 
 344 
 
 329 
 
 203 
 
 177 
 
 357 
 
 16 
 
 311 
 
 63 
 
 3 
 
 312 
 
 244 
 
 91 
 
 90 
 
 170 
 
 310 
 
 221 
 
 14 
 
 25 
 
 236 
 
 352 
 204 
 125 
 120 
 31 
 
 JEREMIAH. 
 
 
 Chap, & Vereo 
 
 Pag. 
 
 xxxi. 3 . . . 
 
 60 
 
 xxxi. 3 . . . 
 
 355 
 
 xxxi. 33 . . . 
 
 9 
 
 xxxii. 41 . . . 
 
 265 
 
 xxxiii. 3 . . . 
 
 253 
 
 li. 51 . . . . 
 
 231 
 
 LAMENTATIONS 
 
 . 
 
 iii. 24 ... . 
 
 321 
 
 iii. 41 ... . 
 
 285 
 
 iii. 58 ... . 
 
 325 
 
 EZEEIEL. 
 
 
 XV. 2 . . . . 
 
 22 
 
 xxxiv. 26 . . 
 
 65 
 
 xxxvi. 37 . . 
 
 50 
 
 DANIEL. 
 
 
 v. 27 . . . . 
 
 164 
 
 xi. 32 . . . . 
 
 217 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 
 iii. 1 . . . . 
 
 35 
 
 vii. 8 . . . . 
 
 175 
 
 xii. 12 ... . 
 
 327 
 
 xiv. 4 . . . . 
 
 296 
 
 xiv. 8 . . . . 
 
 252 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 
 ii. 13 . . . . 
 
 36S 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 
 ix. 9 . . . . 
 
 172 
 
 OBADIAH. 
 
 
 i. 11 . . . . 
 
 206 
 
 JONAH. 
 
 
 U. 9 . . . . 
 
 67 
 
 iv. 9 . . . . 
 
 196 
 
 UICAH. 
 
 
 ii. 10 . . . . 
 
 38 
 
 ii. 13 . . . . 
 
 237 
 
 v. 4 . . . . 
 
 232 
 
 NAUUM. 
 
 
 i. 2 . . . . 
 
 266 
 
INDEX. 
 
 407 
 
 BABXKAVK. 
 
 Chmp. k Ven« 
 
 ill. 6 . . . . 
 
 ZEPHANIAH. 
 
 L5 
 
 1.9 . . . . 
 
 ZECHABIAH, 
 
 i. 8 
 iii. 1 
 vi. 13 
 
 xiv. 7 
 xiv. 8 
 
 iii. 2 
 iii. 6 
 
 MATTHEW 
 
 i. 21 . 
 iii. 7 . 
 V. 43 . 
 vi. 9 . 
 vi. 26 . 
 vii. 7 . 
 xi. 28 . 
 xii. 15 . 
 xxvi. 39 
 xxvi. 56 
 xxvii. 14 
 xxvii. 51 
 xx\iii. 20 
 
 1.80 . 
 i. 41 . 
 U. 4 . 
 iii. 13 . 
 iv. 36 . 
 ix. 19 . 
 xi. 22 . 
 uv. 72 
 
 iv. 18 
 
 r^ge 
 347 
 
 319 
 300 
 
 270 
 332 
 174 
 278 
 183 
 
 289 
 307 
 
 39 
 
 56 
 
 72 
 
 303 
 
 26 
 
 340 
 
 351 
 
 128 
 
 82 
 
 87 
 
 93 
 
 110 
 
 132 
 
 246 
 248 
 251 
 254 
 258 
 261 
 67 
 212 
 
 330 
 
 LCKE. 
 
 
 BOMAK8. 
 
 
 Chop. Si Verse 
 
 Page 
 
 Clmi). tt Verae Pag* 
 
 v. 4 . . . . 
 
 282 
 
 viii. 17 . . . 135 
 
 viii. 13 . . . 
 
 11 
 
 viii. 28 . 
 
 
 
 218 
 
 xi. 27. 28 . . 
 
 176 
 
 viii. 30 
 
 
 
 UP 
 
 xiv. 10 . . 
 
 358 
 
 viii. 37 . 
 
 
 
 114 
 
 xxii. 44 . . . 
 
 83 
 
 xi. 26 . 
 
 
 
 21 
 
 xxii. 48 . . 
 
 85 
 
 xi. 36 . 
 
 
 
 322 
 
 xxiii. 26 . . 
 
 96 
 
 xiv. 8 . 
 
 
 162 
 
 xxiii. 27 . . . 
 
 100 
 
 
 xxiii. 31 . . 
 
 99 
 
 1 CORINTniA.N8. 
 
 x.xiii. 33 . . 
 
 101 
 
 i. 2 .... 194 
 
 
 
 i. 28 . . 
 
 
 
 342 
 
 JOHN. 
 
 
 iii. 1 . 
 
 
 
 293 
 
 i. 16 . . . 
 
 27 
 
 iii. 23 . 
 
 
 
 12 
 
 iii. 7 . . . 
 
 66 
 
 X. 12 . 
 
 
 
 74 
 
 iv. 14 . . . 
 
 280 
 
 xi. 24 . 
 
 
 
 117 
 
 V. 13 . . . 
 
 129 
 
 XV. 20 . 
 
 
 
 131 
 
 vi. 67 . . . 
 
 297 
 
 XV. 45 . 
 
 
 
 . 362 
 
 vu. 37 . . . 
 
 367 
 
 XT. 48 . 
 
 
 
 341 
 
 X. 28 . . . 
 
 168 
 
 
 xiv. 21 . . 
 
 133 
 
 2 CORINTUIANS. 
 
 XV. 4 . . . 
 
 318 
 
 i. 5 .... 43 
 
 XV. 19 . . . 
 
 302 
 
 iv. 18 . 
 
 
 
 29 
 
 xvi. 32 . . 
 
 81 
 
 V. 14 . 
 
 
 
 295 
 
 xvi. 33 . . 
 
 124 
 
 V. 21 . 
 
 
 
 95 
 
 xvii. 15 . . 
 
 . 123 
 
 vi. 16 . 
 
 
 
 126 
 
 xvii. 17 . . 
 
 186 
 
 vi, 17 . 
 
 
 
 255 
 
 xvii. 22 . . 
 
 182 
 
 vii. 6 . 
 
 
 
 51 
 
 xvii. 23 . . 
 
 213 
 
 vii. 10 . 
 
 
 
 287 
 
 xviii. 8 . . 
 
 . 86 
 
 viii. 9 . 
 
 
 
 359 
 
 xix. 16 . . 
 
 94 
 
 xii. 9 . 
 
 
 
 64 
 
 xxi. 12 . . 
 
 . 290 
 
 xii. 9 . 
 
 
 
 309 
 
 ACTS. 
 
 
 GALATIANS 
 
 
 ii. 4 ... 
 
 . 171 
 
 ii. 10 . . . 
 
 77 
 
 iv. 13 . . . 
 
 . 42 
 
 ii. 20 . 
 
 
 
 364 
 
 V. 31 . . . 
 
 . 113 
 
 iii. 26 . 
 
 
 
 78 
 
 ix. 11 . . . 
 
 308 
 
 V. 1 . 
 
 
 
 263 
 
 xiii. 39 . . 
 
 136 
 
 V. 17 . 
 
 
 
 154 
 
 xiv. 22 . . 
 
 68 
 
 V. 25 . 
 
 
 
 262 
 
 x^iii. 10 . . 
 
 339 
 
 EFHESIANS 
 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 
 i. 3 ... 
 
 130 
 
 i. 7 ... 
 
 . 187 
 
 i. 6 . 
 
 
 
 . 267 
 
 iii. 26 . . . 
 
 . 260 
 
 i. 11 . 
 
 
 
 . 215 
 
 iv. 20 . . . 
 
 . 79 
 
 i. 14 . 
 
 
 
 202 
 
 vii. 13 . . 
 
 71 
 
 ii. 19 . 
 
 
 
 192 
 
 viii. 12 . . 
 
 . 34 
 
 iu. 19 . 
 
 
 
 88 
 
408 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 EPnESIANS 
 
 
 1 TIMOTIIY 
 
 . 
 
 2 PETEE. 
 
 
 Chap. & Verse 
 
 Page 
 
 Chap. & Verse 
 
 Page 
 
 Chap. & Verse 
 
 P«g» 
 
 iv. 15 . . . 
 
 294 
 
 vi. 17 . . . 
 
 137 
 
 i. 4 ... 
 
 209 
 
 iv. 30 . . . 
 
 32f! 
 
 
 
 i. 4 ... 
 
 260 
 
 vi. 18 . . . 
 
 37 
 
 2 TIMOTHY 
 
 
 i. 5, 6 . . . 
 
 208 
 
 
 
 ii. 1 ... 
 
 75 
 
 iii. 18 . . . 
 
 4 
 
 PHILIPPIANS. 
 
 ii. 11 . . . 
 
 301 
 
 iii. 18 . . . 
 
 4C 
 
 i. 21 . . . 
 
 7 
 
 iv. 8 . . . 
 
 10 
 
 
 
 U.15 . . . 
 
 250 
 
 
 
 I JOHN. 
 
 
 iii. 8 . . . 
 
 288 
 
 PHILEMON 
 
 
 i. 6 ... 
 
 328 
 
 iv. 11 . . . 
 
 47 
 
 verse 2 . . 
 
 306 
 
 ii. 6 ... 
 
 138 
 
 iv. 12 . . . 
 
 41 
 
 
 
 iii. 1, 2 . . 
 
 44 
 
 
 
 HEBREWS. 
 
 
 iv. 13 . . . 
 
 127 
 
 COLOSSIANS 
 
 5. 
 
 
 
 iv. 14 . . . 
 
 36 
 
 i. 5 ... 
 
 276 
 
 i. 14 . . . 
 
 277 
 
 iv. 19 . . . 
 
 163 
 
 i. 28 . . . 
 
 28 
 
 ii. 14 . 
 
 
 
 111 
 
 
 
 ii. 6 ... 
 
 313 
 
 iv. 9 . 
 
 
 
 18 
 
 2 JOHN. 
 
 
 ii. 6 ... 
 
 314 
 
 V. 7 . 
 
 
 
 84 
 
 verse 2 . . 
 
 299 
 
 ii. 9, 10 . . 
 
 139 
 
 V. 8 . 
 
 
 
 89 
 
 
 
 iii. 4 . . . 
 
 223 
 
 ix. 22 . 
 
 
 
 33 
 
 3 JOHN. 
 
 
 iv. 2 . . . 
 
 2 
 
 xii. 2 . 
 xii. 24 . 
 
 
 
 180 
 108 
 
 verse 3 . . 
 
 833 
 
 1 THESSALONl 
 
 \NS. 
 
 xiii. 6 . 
 
 
 
 62 
 
 JUDE. 
 
 
 i. 4 ... 
 iv. 14 . . . 
 
 199 
 181 
 
 xiii. 5 . 
 xiii. 13 
 
 
 
 64 
 
 97 
 
 verse 1 . . 
 "24 . . 
 
 194 
 
 288 
 
 iv. 17 . 
 
 345 
 
 
 
 t< <( 
 
 284 
 
 V. 6 ... 
 
 65 
 
 1 PETEB. 
 
 
 
 
 V. 24 . . . 
 
 346 
 
 i. 2 . . . . 
 
 194 
 
 BEVEI. iTION. 
 
 V. 25 . . . 
 
 189 
 
 i. 7 . 
 
 
 
 817 
 
 iii. 4 ... . 
 
 343 
 
 
 
 i. 19 . 
 
 
 
 107 
 
 xiv. 1 . ' , . 
 
 17 
 
 TITUS. 
 
 
 ii. 3 . 
 
 
 
 142 
 
 xxi. 23 . . 
 
 216 
 
 iii, 4 . . . 
 
 156 
 
 T. 7 . 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 xxi. 23 . . 
 
 222 
 
 iU. 9 . . . 
 
 324 
 
 V. 10 . 
 
 
 
 193 
 
 xxii. 17 . . 
 
 16£ 
 
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 (8) 
 
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 (12) 
 

 Date Due 
 
 
 14 -^ 
 
 
 
 
 -,-— .- 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 
 M«r 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ($) 
 
 
 
 
THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 
 
 I SAY to thee, do thou repeat 
 
 To the first man thou mayest meet 
 
 In lane, highway, or open street — 
 
 Tliat he, and we, and all men, move 
 
 Under a canopy of love, 
 
 As broad as the blue sky alcove : 
 
 That doubt and trouble, fear and pain 
 And anguish, all are shadows vain ; 
 That death itself shall not remain : 
 
 That weary deserts we may tread, 
 A dreary labyrinth may thread. 
 Through dark ways underground be lei 
 
 Yet, if we will one guide obey, 
 The dreariest path, the darkest way, 
 Shall issue out in heavenly day. 
 
 And we, on divers shores now cast, 
 Shall meet, our perilous voyage past. 
 All in our Father's house at last. 
 
 And ere thou leave him, say thou this, 
 Yet one word more : they only miss 
 The winning of that final bliss— 
 
 Who will not count it true that love, 
 Blessing, not cursing, rules above, 
 .•\nd that in it w-e live and move. 
 
 And one thing further make him know 
 That to believe these things are so, 
 This firm faith never to forego — 
 
 Despite of all which seems at strife 
 With blessing, all with curses rife — 
 That this is blessing, this is life. 
 
 L""