Hope and delight in God.,

PECULIAR CHARACTERISTICS OF SAINTS.

657. Saints hope and delight in God, have fellowship and communion with him, and desire his presence.

Ex. 15: 2 The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation; he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.

1 S. 2: 1 Iannah prayed, and said, 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.

Ps. 16: 5 The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. 8 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. 18: 2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. 34: 2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. 38: 15 In thee, O Lord, do I hope thou wilt hear, O LORD my God. 21 Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me. [32: 22.]

- 39: 7 LORD, what wait I for? my hope is in thee. — 42: 1 As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. 2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?- 43: 4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God. 51: 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. 63: 1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; 2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. 3 Because thy loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. 8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me. 73: 25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee. 26 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. - 119: 57 Thou art my portion, O LORD: I have said that I would keep thy

words.

Is. 12: 2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. 26: 8 Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the de

They love God's law and institutions.

sire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. 9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early. — 61: 10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God.

Jer. 14: 8 O the hope of Israel, the Saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night? 9 Why shouldest thou be as a man astonished, as a mighty man that cannot save? yet thou, O LORD, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; leave us not.

Lam. 3: 24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

Hab. 3: 17 Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor 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: 18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

Rom. 5: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

1 Cor. 1: 9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

unto you,

1 Jn. 1: 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. [See 6, 294.]

658. Saints love and obey God's law, and delight in all his truth and institutions.

Ps. 1: 2 His delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 119: 20 My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times. 24 Thy testimonies also are my delight, and my counsellors. 97 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. 103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth. 111 Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart. 127 Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. 128 Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way. 131 I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments. 162 I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil. 167 My soul hath kept thy testimonies; and I love them exceedingly.

Are honest-Meek and forbearing.

Jer. 15: 16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart. Rom. 7: 22 I delight in the law of God, after the inward [See 106.]

man.

659. Honesty, integrity, and firmness of saints, leaving consequences to God. Gen. 22: 10 Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

Is. 49: 4 Then I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain; yet surely my judgment is with he LORD, and my work with my God. 5 And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.

Jn. 1: 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

2 Cor. 1: 12 Our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.—4: 1 Seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty; not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but, by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. [See 56, 294, 460, 504, 629.]

660. Saints have a meek, gentle, forbearing, and forgiving spirit.

Mat. 10: 16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Be

1 Cor. 4: 12 And labor, working with our own hands. ing reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: 13 Being defamed, we entreat. -13: 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Gal. 5: 22 The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance against such there is no law.

Heb. 10: 34 Ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.

Jam. 5: 6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. [See 62, 437, 499, 737.]

They are benevolent, and grieve at sin.

661. Saints are self-denying, disinterested, and devoted to God and his cause. Ac. 4: 32 The multitude of them that believed were of one heart, and of one soul: neither said any of them that aught of the things which he possessed was his own: but they had all things common.

2 Cor. 12: 14 Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. 15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. [See 295, 407, 414, 674.]

662. Saints grieve when sinners dishonor and offend God.

Ezra 9: 2 They have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass. 3 And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonished. 4 Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonished until the evening sacrifice. 5 And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God. - 10: 6 Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.

Ps. 119: 136 Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law. 158 I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved; because they kept not thy word.

Ezk. 9: 4 The LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

Ac. 17: 16 While Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

Rom. 9: 1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, 2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 3 For I

They feel their guilt - live by faith.

could wish that myself were accursed from Christ, for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.

2 Pet. 2:7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.) [See 538.]

663. Saints feel their unworthiness, and desire to learn their guilt.

Gen. 32: 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant. Job 13: 23 How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.

Ps. 26: 2 Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart. -51: 3 I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 115: 1 Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake. 139: 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Mat. 8: 8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.. 25: 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee a hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

Rom. 7: 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

1 Cor. 15: 9 I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am.

Ep. 3: 8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. [See 507, 537.]

664. Saints believe in Christ, and live by faith in him.

Gal. 2: 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved himself for me.

and me,

gave

1 Pet. 1: 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory. [See 184.]