ings of heart, now he had learnt far more of God than ever he knew before. How many can say the same! How many can think of some time of sore affliction, and see that at that season and by that means they learnt to know God in a way they had never known Him before; more closely, more deeply, more lovingly. Yes, more lovingly. For this is what God is leading His children to by all His dealings, to know His love to them more, to love Him more in return. How many inward comforts does He send in the time of trial! What deep searchings of heart go on in the silence of a sick-room! How many earnest prayers are sent up thence! What sweet thoughts of Christ are given, what a sense of pardon, what peace, what love, what a manifestation of God to the soul! These are the gifts of God, the work of His Spirit the Comforter, the blessings of sanctified affliction. Shall we repine when God's chastening hand is laid upon us? Ah, no. Rather let us look well into our own hearts, and search out the root of self-righteousness, and humble ourselves before God, and shelter ourselves more closely under the shadow of His wing. He is teaching us, and blessing us, now. And if, under His teaching, we find ourselves distressed by a new and deeper feeling of sin, yet let us think then that we are but learning Job's lesson; and let us be led, not to despair, but rather to cast ourselves more earnestly and entirely upon the merits of Christ our Saviour, that in Him we may find rest to our souls. 238 CHAPTER XXIX. THE SINNER INVITED TO SEEK GOD. ISAIAH LV. 6-9. 6. Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near : 7. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. 8. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. 9. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. GOD speaks in His Word, not to the righteous only, but also to the wicked. What does He say to them? He sets before them the evil of their doings, and warns them that if they continue in sin, they must perish. But He also speaks to them of mercy and forgiveness, and invites them to turn to Him. How gracious! After so many sins, so much neglect, He might well cast them off, turn away from their prayers, leave them to themselves. But He does not do so. Even now He seeks them out, sends them kind messages, offers them mercy, and calls them to Him. They are poor, helpless sinners, and can do nothing to atone for the past; yet, sinners as they are, He calls them. See, He speaks here to the wicked, to the unrighteous man; just as he is, in his present state, the Lord speaks to him. All unworthy and sin-stained, with the load of years of iniquity upon him, the Lord speaks to him, and bids him seek Him. "Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near." He may be found then, He is near. Yes, He may still be found by every sinner who will seek Him, He is still near to all who will call upon Him. Now, to-day, He is near, He may be found. Happy for poor sinners, that it is so! He might have been far away, so that no prayercould reach Him; He might have gone, so that He could no longer be found. But this is not the case. He is near. He may be found. And If you never sought If you never in all that, by all, by you. Seek Him, call upon Him. Him before, seek Him now. your life called upon Him, call upon Him to-day. Do it at once, without delay, while it may be done. For the time will come, when He will not be near, when He will not be to be found. "Then shall they call upon Me, but I will not answer; they shall seek Me early, but they shall not find Me." But that awful time has not yet come. Oh! seek Him ere it come. Seek Him, and call upon Him, in earnest; not merely with the lips, but with the heart; in sincerity and truth. "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts." Let there be no vain idea of obtaining mercy and at the same time cleaving to sin. Let there be a |