subdue their rebellious wills to himself. O! that mine may be subdued unto him. We are journeying to the place of which the Lord hath said, I will give it you. At every stage of our journey we should erect our Ebenezer; our grateful monument of praise. "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us,"* must be the inscription; "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee," our travelling promise for support. The Christian pilgrim is commanded to look backward: "Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no." And, also to look forward:-"Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared."§ It is important thus to retrace our steps, that, reviewing the Lord's dealings with us, we may be filled with humiliation and thankfulness; and to look heavenward, that our faith and hope may be strengthened.—We are too apt to forget our sins, as well as our mercies; and to neglect our preparation for the future, in the midst of present occupations, trials, or enjoyments. It is good to be humble, thankful, contented, resigned, and dependent. The more we sit loose to the world, and the more we shall enjoy its lawful blessings: while, the more we idolise it, and the more it will be made our cross. These lessons we learn in the school of Christian Experience. We naturally shrink from trouble, though born to it as the sparks fly upward. Trouble is both penal and medicinal. Evil pursueth sinners; but, though "many be the afflictions of the righteous, the Lord delivereth them out of them all." How gracious is the voice of covenant love: "Thou shalt consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the + Heb. xiii. 5. Deut. viii. 2. * 1 Sam. vii. 12. Psa. xxxiv. 19. Lord thy God chasteneth thee. Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.”* This is the end and design of the Lord's chastisements. He does not willingly afflict nor grieve the children of men. It is not for his pleasure, as if he delighted in our pain; but for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness. O! that my heart may be moulded into the will of God. Nothing but almighty grace can subdue our rebellious wills, and bring them into a state of child-like submission.— David knew this well by happy experience: "Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now have I kept thy word. It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes."+ + How often do our affections, like silly, wandering sheep, stray from the Good Shepherd. And as it is said of sheep, that when they once lose their way, they cannot retrace their steps, so is it with our foolish hearts. When once we leave the fold we should never return, if left to ourselves; therefore David in his pastoral Psalm, says: "He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." And in the 119 Psalm: "I have gone astray like a lost sheep: seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments." Our blessed Lord, who is himself the "Good Shepherd," has described his love to us by the parable of the lost sheep; and the joy of angels over our salvation.|| What a kind, compassionate, faithful Shepherd is Jesus, who gave his life for the sheep, and hath declared "that they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of his hand."** O that I may love him more and more. When afflictions are sanctified, to us they are indeed good. "The Lord giveth medicine to heal our sickness." His precious declaration is: "I am the Lord that healeth thee."++ "He healeth the *Deut. viii. 5, 6. Psa. xxiii. 3. § Ver. 176. + Psa. cxix. 67, 71. || Luke xv. 3, &c. ++ Exod. xv. 26. broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds."* "Bless the Lord, O my soul,......who healeth all thy diseases." Whilst walking in this consecrated way to glory, our hearts can sing in unison with that of David: "All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies."+ It does, at first sight, seem surprising, that mercies should not lead us to God as powerfully as judgments. But perhaps the reason may be, that afflictions tend to embitter the world to us, whereas prosperity gilds it with a brighter hue. Being naturally prone to love the world, and tasting, in seasons of prosperity, some of these many blessings which sweeten life, we are apt to rest at the cistern, and to forsake the fountain. This state of heart forms one of the plainest indications of the Fall. When God in mercy opens our eyes to see our real condition, then we find that our cistern is broken, and that He only can impart the LIVING WATER. There is, alas! much selfishness in thus coming to God, only that he may heal us. While he smiles upon us by his bounteous Providence, we remain contented with the creature. How dishonouring to our gracious Benefactor !S Of how longsuffering is our compassionate God and Saviour! There is something most elevating and ingenuous in David's experience: "There is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared." To fear God because he is ready to pardon, manifests a highly spiritual frame of mind. Nature is rebellious, but grace is submissive. To justify God in all his dealings is the very essence of genuine piety. "I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right." So does not the carnal mind. We are naturally murmurers and complainers. The natural man is ever ready to find fault with the divine proceedings, and especially if they affect himPsa. cxlvii. 3. + Psa. ciii. 2, 3. § See Psa. lxxviii. 11, 34. Psa. xxv. 10. self. How different was the state of David's mind, who could add, "I know, O Lord,......that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me:"* afflicted me according to covenant love, covenant promise, and covenant truth. Happy state, indeed! Such assurance as this, enabled a dear servant of Christ to say, when about to leave this world: "My pleasures are all to come." To produce such blessedness, the Gospel must be the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. Nothing human can impart such peace and joy, at a time when nature is sinking into the arms of death. O! that I may never rest, till I obtain this blessed assurance of faith and hope, which is the sweet attendant on the Christian pilgrim as he journeys towards the heavenly Zion. If the desire of grace, be grace, for it is from God alone, that "all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works, do proceed;" I humbly hope I have some evidence of being in the way to glory. But when I look at the matured Christian, as exhibited in the word of God, and contrast this picture with my own infantile state, I have abundant cause for deep humiliation, but none for despondency. All praise to sovereign grace. There is treasured up in Jesus such a fulness of mercy and and such a power, freeness of will to bestow, that I am encouraged to come relying on his faithful word, and to feel assured that I shall not be sent empty away. O what a privilege to be thus invited and encouraged to cast myself simply upon the covenant mercies of God my Saviour. Jesus never said to the seed of Jacob: "Seek ye me in vain." It is one of the Lord's dealings with his beloved children, to make them feel their weakness and his power; their pollution and his holiness; their nothingness and his all-sufficiency. The more we are brought under the teachings of the Holy Spirit, the more we shall find the truth of this remark. It is the great * Psa. cxix. 75. design of God in the Gospel dispensation, to humble our naturally proud hearts, to bring down our naturally self-righteous spirit, to root out our naturally idolatrous affections. And while He does this through his almighty power, he clothes us with humility, he covers us with the Saviour's righteousness, he implants in us a supreme love to Himself, thus destroying the old man of sin, and raising up in us the new man, which is renewed in knowledge and true holi ness. * Whilst journeying through this wilderness, we must expect vicissitudes. Many things may occur to repress our spiritual exhilaration. At one time "Jesus wept." At another, He "rejoiced in spirit." At one time he could say, "Father, I thank thee."§ At another," Why hast thou forsaken me ?" || If we are only founded on the Rock, Christ Jesus; if we have only His Spirit dwelling within us; then we may, and ought, to cultivate that peace which the world cannot take away, and which can only be really shaken by wilfully allowed transgression. O! that I may have a firm hold on the promises. They are in Christ yea, and in Him, Amen, to the glory of God. We change as the wind, in the state of our feelings; sometimes high, sometimes low, now on the mount, now in the valley, but our Divine Redeemer is ever the same. His love is infinite, his mercy is everlasting on them that fear him. In Him we may safely confide. However rough the waves which dash against our fragile bark; however boisterous the winds which oppose our passage heavenward; Jesus can speak the word—" Peace, be still," and all is hushed into a calm. How often has He to say to my trembling heart-" O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt ?"** If it be asked: Has the believer no seasons of dejection except what arise from the weakness of his * Col. iii. 9, 10. § John xi. 41. + John xi. 35. Matt. xxvii. 46. Luke x. 21. **Matt. xiv. 31. |