upon us. While in so trusting to our Rock, and so, in simple dependence, laying our utter weakness upon his infinite strength, we are doing no more than He expects, no more than He promises, nay, no more than He commands; for is it not written," Cast all your care upon Him, for He careth for you?" And with the revelation of Jehovah's infinite strength, comes also the knowledge of his infinite perfection. "His work is perfect." All that He has done, and shall do for us, is perfection itself. We have a perfect God to serve, a perfect Saviour to rely upon, a perfect Spirit, whose aid is promised in time of need. Yet further, we have a perfect redemption wrought out for us, a perfect salvation purchased for us, a heaven of perfect happiness secured to us. Surely we ought not to be content with an imperfect faith, an imperfect hope, an imperfect holiness. May our every prayer and effort be towards the fulfilment of our Lord's own most blessed command, "Be ye perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

EXPOSITION LXIX.

DEUTERONOMY XXXii. 9-18.

9. For the Lord's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.

10. He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness: he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.

11. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings:

12. So the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.

13. He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock;

14. Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape.

15. But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.

16. They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger.

17. They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.

18. Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.

How beautifully does this inspired song continue! After having assured us that God is "the Rock" of his people, it now goes on to tell us that his people are "the portion of their God!" What an affecting thought is this! That such poor, imperfect, sinful vessels of clay should ever be used for God's purposes, or obtain his momentary regard, is wonderful, when we look from man to God; but that the great Jehovah should condescend to claim his people as" his portion, his inheritance," surpasses wonder. Yet is it true, literally, unquestionably true, as true at this hour, of all the believing people of the Lord Jesus, whom He has purchased with his blood, as it was of Israel on the day when the song was written. For has not the written word declared of all in every age who fear the Lord and think upon his name, " They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels?" or yet more literally, when I make up "my special treasure." Blessed be God, his people, then, are still "his portion,” "his inheritance," and he will yet show them all

the mercy, the tenderness, and the love, which He manifested to Israel of old. He still finds them" in the desert land," He still leads them, or rather "compasseth" them about, and keeps them " as the apple of his eye." While, if there be any change in the declaration of guardianship, and of guidance, which is here promised to the Israelite, it is only to increase it tenfold in mercy and in tenderness, when renewing it to the Christian. It is no longer to the "eagle stirring up her nest," and "fluttering over her young," that our merciful Saviour is content to compare himself; no, He finds a homelier, and yet a tenderer similitude. The wild, fierce bird of prey, is exchanged for the gentle and domestic hen; the fluttering over her young" in all the "pride of place," is exchanged for the affectionate and motherly gathering beneath her wings in the hour of danger; and every heart sympathises at once with the love and compassion of Him who speaks, when He says, "How often would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings!" May our heavenly Father, who has condescended to call us within his fold, grant that all who have obeyed the call, may be daily growing up to the stature of the fulness of Christ, and be thus kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

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EXPOSITION LXX.

DEUTERONOMY xxxii. 19–43.

19. And when the Lord saw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters.

20. And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.

21. They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God: they have provoked me to anger with their vanities and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people: I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

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22. For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

23. I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them.

24. They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust.

25. The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs.