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are not only miserable, but criminal; and as children of disobedience, we lie entirely at his mercy. It is for this to determine whether we shall die or live. To this therefore our recovery must be ascribed, and to this the Scripture always ascribes it-"according to his mercy he saved us." And in this case we read of his abundant mercy; and of his being rich in mercy.

Indeed the mercy he displays in our recovery is not only real, but pre-eminent. In nature and providence his mercies are new every morning. It is mercy that feeds us and clothes us; it is mercy that refreshes us in our sleep, and comforts us in our friends. But the salvation of the soul is the mercy of mercies!

AUGUST 4.-"I will remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar."-Psalm xlii. 6.

THERE are two ways of understanding this; each of them instructive and profitable; and both of them perhaps included in the full import of the words--For what, says Bishop Horne, we call the different senses of a Scripture are often but the different parts of the complete sense, which, being unable to take in at one view, we are compelled to survey successively and separately.

It may be considered as an expression of determined remembrance of God should he ever be found in such places and conditions. Believers can suppose the worst, and yet hope for the best; for they have a resource which can meet even every possible exigency. Hence the prophet could say: "Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." The Church did the same, in the words to which Luther was so attached for when the less courageous Melancthon was ready to sink at any unfavourable appearances or reports, "Come," would he say, “Come, brother, let us sing the forty-sixth psalm, and let Rome and hell do their worst:" "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea." So David imagined scenes which would have appalled others, and yet could maintain his faith and hope in God-"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." "From the ends of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is over. whelmed." "I will remember thee from the land of Jordan, and from the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar"-as if he should say, “If I am exiled from my palace, and the sanctuary; if my enemies drive me eastward, or southward, or in any other direction, no distance can exclude me from access to thee: wherever I am I will think of thee, and be encouraged." It is then a resolution to exercise confidence in God, in present difficulties, distresses, and dangers, whatever they may be.

But the language may be considered as an expression of encou ragement derived from reflection. He had been in these situations and circumstances; and had experienced in them displays of divine

providence and grace. What these were he does not mention; but they would always in review strengthen his trust in God. It is therefore much the same as he resolves in another psalm: "This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High. I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old."

This shows the advantage of years. The old Christian has not a better God than the younger one; but he has had better opportunities of knowing him; and they that know his Name will put their trust in him. And we see what is our duty and privilege with regard to God's dealings with us; it is, to observe them and treasure them up in our minds: for they are designed not only for present relief, but for future improvement; that when we meet with new trials our confidence may spring forth afresh at the recollection of former mercies. "Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice."

We know a good deal of the geography of the land of Judea. We can find the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites; but what or where was this hill Mizar? The word, as you see in the margin, signifies "the little hill:" and it would have been better so to have translated it. It seems to have been a spot rendered very dear to David, by the occurrence of something very interesting and encouraging there. I have been always led to conjecture that it was the place in which he had been so wonderfully saved from the lion and the bear. He was then a shepherd. Suppose him some clear starry night watching over his flock. While leaning on the edge of the fold, he looks and sees a bear creeping round the base of the hill: suppose him on another evening attending late his fleecy charge; and as soon as he had laid down his harp he heard a lion growling as he issued from a neighbouring wood and in each instance he had thrown himself upon the foe, and slain him, and rescued the lamb that he had seized! what an impression would this have made upon his imagination; and how could he ever have recurred to it without gratitude and confidence! If there be probability in this conjecture, his language will be much the same as his avowal to Saul when going to engage Goliath.

All places are the same to God, but they are different to us. If we were going over the land of Judea, and imagined that one spot of the ground was intrinsically holier than another, it would be superstitious but what could be thought of us if we did not peculiarly feel as we stood in Bethlehem where Jesus was born, or on Calvary where he died? What an interest must individuals feel in particular places! How awful to a murderer must be the spot where his brother's blood is still crying unto God from the ground! How affecting to a soldier must be the field of battle where he was exercised with the intensest anxieties that were ever felt! We have read of an Irishman who, when oppressed with a sense of his guilt and danger, entered a wood, and earnestly prayed under a tree, till he obtained a hope of deliverance. Some time after, meeting with a poor creature distressed in the same way, he pressed him to go with him to the same spot. It was not the place but the exercise that had procured for him the relief; but the force of the association could be easily accounted for, especially on a rude and ignorant mind.

Happy they who not only love to walk in woods, and fields, and by running streams, but can refer to spots made sacred by meditation, and in which they have exclaimed, "This is none other but the house of God; and this is the gate of heaven.”

Who has not places to which he can advert, in which God has turned the shadow of death into the morning, broken the snare of temptation, commanded for him deliverance, or afforded him some support and consolation which have enabled him to go on his way rejoicing? O! these "little hills;" they are worth their weight in gold! Let them never be forgotten.

"Here to these hills my soul will come,
'Till my beloved lead me home."

AUGUST 5.-"I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do."

John xvii. 5.

THIS work was the redemption of the Church. It was no secular purpose that brought him into the world. He came not to act the merchant, the philosopher, the statesman, much less the warrior; but to be the Redeemer of sinners. And "in him we have redemp tion through his blood."

For to him was the execution of this work intrusted—It was "given him to do." Great undertakings require great qualifications and abilities. And here was an enterprise to which all the angels in heaven, though they excel in strength, would have been found inadequate. But help was laid on One that is mighty. He had every thing that could fit him for the work. It was necessary that he should be human, bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh; and "the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." It was neces sary that he should be innocent; and "he did no sin;" "he was manifested to take away our sin, and in him was no sin." It was necessary that he should be voluntary, for there is no value in undesigned or constrained mercies; and he made himself of no repu tation, he laid down his life of himself, he loved us and gave him self for us. It was necessary that he should be divine, his divinity was required to sustain his humanity, and to add value to his doings and sufferings; and "in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."

He therefore fully accomplished this work, and could say-"I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." Yet how was this true? For though his active as well as passive obedience was included in his engagement, and though he lived the man of sor rows for us, yet without shedding of blood there was no remission; and it was by the sacrifice of himself that he made an end of sin, and brought in everlasting righteousness: but as yet he had not agonized in the garden, nor died on the cross. We answer; the thing was as good as done-It was near at hand-It was absolutely certain. Purpose and fulfilment are the same with God. Hence the language of prophecy and promise announces things future as present, and even as past. "Unto us," said Isaiah, "a child is born," ages before the incarnation of the Messiah; and earlier still, David represented him as saying, "They pierced my hands and my feet: they parted my garments among them, and cast lots for my ves

ture." Let us, therefore, distinguish between redemption and salvation. Salvation was not accomplished on earth, but in heaven. We are reconciled unto God by the death of his Son; but we are saved by his life. He is exalted at God's own right hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour. This work he has not finished, but is still carrying on, and will be carrying on, till all his people are called and glorified. Accordingly it is said, " They shall be saved;" and, "he will appear the second time without sin unto salvation." But redemption was his work on earth: and he said when he expired, "It is finished:" and he "entered into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."

The Apostle infers the inefficacy of the legal sacrifices from their repetition, justly arguing that if they could have put away sin they would have ceased to be offered, and the worshippers once purged would have had no more conscience of sins: but Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and once was sufficient. By the one offering up of himself he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. His resurrection was an undeniable proof of the completeness of his satisfaction; it was, so to speak, a receipt in full, given to our Surety to prove that he had paid our debt, and set us free for ever.

What an indignity is put upon him by any attempt to add to his work! Yet some talk of "filling up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ." But the Apostle, in these misapplied words, refers to the sufferings of his servants in his cause and for his sake, and not to the sufferings he personally endured, when atoning for our sins he bore our grief, and carried our sorrows. What can be "lacking" here? What can be added to that which is not only perfect, but infinite?

"The death of Christ shall still remain,
Sufficient and alone."

We want no penance, no purgatory-His blood cleanseth from all sin. We want no mediator, no patron-but our Advocate with the Father, who is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world-We make mention of his righteousness only.

Let his finished work relieve and encourage us under all our imperfections. We complete nothing; in every thing we come far short of the glory of God; and even our duties would condemn us, as well as our sins, if God should deal with us according to our desert. We ought to be humbled for our deficiences, and we shall deeply bewail them before God if our hearts are right with hint. But the foundation of our hope lies not here. We glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. He redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. We live through him. We are accepted in the Beloved. We are complete in him. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

Avg. 6.-"Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me."-Psalm cxxx. 1 THIS address was a proof of David's sincerity. His aim was not to be heard of men, but of God," the Judge of all." He therefore VOL. I.

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does not speak of him, but to him. Rash and daring appeals to God are the last refuge of impudent falsehood, and never make an impression in favour of a man's truth on any reflecting mind. But if in your retirement, when you are alone with the Supreme Being, you can look up to Omniscience, and say, "Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee;" if you can kneel before him, and pray, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me:"this is coming to the light; this yields one of the best evidences of our uprightness.

There are various cases in which such an appeal to God is more than allowable. Let us notice one only. It is when we lie under the misconception of friends, the censure of neighbours, and the reproach of enemies, and we have not the opportunity or power of removing them. How pleasing and satisfying is it then to turn from ignorance, prejudice, and cruelty, to the God of our righteousness! Thus Job, when condemned as a hypocrite, whose sins had now found him out, said, "Behold, my witness is in heaven, and my re cord is on high;" and made no scruple to say, "Thou knowest that I am not wicked." There are instances in which we may act with the greatest conscientiousness, and yet be unable to induce another into our views, or make him feel the pressure of those circumstances, the aggregate of which decides our own minds. Here in appears the advantage of reputation; for when a man's charac ter is well established, he ought to have, and he commonly will have credit given him for a doubtful or unexplained occurrence: for though a tree is known by its fruit, where the fruit cannot be seen, it may be judged of by the tree, which is known.-David was accused by Saul, and his courtiers, and followers, as a restless and proud young man, who wished to work himself out of privacy into notice and power. But his rejoicing was this, the testimony of his conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, he had had his conversation in the world; and more abundantly to them-ward. For the best wit nesses in our favour are those who are most about us, and know us best. Can we appeal to our wives?-Can we appeal to our chil dren?-To our servants?-Can we appeal to our own hearts?Can we appeal to God, who is greater than our hearts, and knoweth all things? "Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me."

"Yet did he not rise from a cottage into a palace?" This was not from himself, but from the appointment of Him who putteth down -one and setteth up another, and giveth no account of any of his matters. The elevation was not his planning, his seeking, his choice.. He gained nothing from it as to enjoyment. He was never so happy as when a shepherd in Bethlehem. It was not till he had left that peaceful retreat, he exclaimed, "Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest." But it was the will of God that made him what he was, leading him, as blind, by a way that he knew not, and in paths that he had not known. The Lord also who raised him qualified him for his sta

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