16). And though this may perhaps more obviously occur to us in connexion with death, it refers even more pointedly to life. For in dying we shall make only the final and most needful application of what is the only true principle of living. But, whether living or dying, this spirit-surrender to God our Saviour is alike the spring of our strength and of our peace. Such peace passeth all understanding;' it not only goes far above and beyond it, but it goes another way. I understand not, I rest; I commit my spirit' into His pierced hands; I give up to Him all thought and care, for soul and body, for time and eternity, and that is peace. He is our peace;' not merely our peace-maker, but Himself our peace; not in any figurative, but in the most literal sense of the terms. The more absolute, and hence the more simple our faith is, the fuller will our peace be. Thou hast redeemed me,' I am Thy purchased possession; and again, Thou art 'Jehovah, God of truth.' He cannot change, He will not fail, and what He has said He will also do. We have two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie.' Nor is there in this holy confidence anything incompatible with the deepest humility. The very idea of prayer, the 'strong cries,' and the faith which exalts Christ and despairs of self, imply the most thorough self-abasement. Bow down Thine ear to me' (ver. 2). But let us not confound unbelief, or the absence of intense expectancy, with humility. The former entertains low thoughts of Christ, the latter of self. But how rich and full are the covenant blessings vouchsafed to us in Christ; what ready access to Him, how certain the answers, how safe the way, how peaceful the journey, and how glorious the end! O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom. and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!' 1. After reading and meditating on these five verses, let me diligently compare them with their New Testament explanation and application in Rom. v. I-II. It begins with peace through Christ, and it ends with complete salvation by Him; and it embraces all that lies between these two terms. O my soul, Christ is all! Thy Saviour does all, has all, is all. None but Christ. Feed upon that bread of life; drink from that water of life; let it be a well-spring in thee, springing up unto eternal life. 'Out of His fulness have we all received, and grace for grace.' O for more of Christ—to know more of Him, to love Him better, to cleave more fully to Him! 'Awake, O north wind, and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out.' 2. 'In Thee, O Jehovah, do I put my trust.' Amen, Lord. 'Other refuge have I none; hangs my helpless soul on Thee.' However weakly and insufficiently, yet I do put my trust in Thee. I will not let Thee go. O Lord, Thou art my Saviour. I have no other trust, and I make Thee my trust. I believe in Thee as my Father in Christ; I cast my burden, I lean my weight on Thee. 'Let me never be ashamed.' Let sin and Satan never prevail against me. Let me never be put to flight. I am weak and wicked, foolish and wayward; Satan is cunning and mighty; the world is arrayed against me. 'My flesh and my heart faileth; but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.' 'Let me never be ashamed,' come what may-the world, the devil, or sin. O Lord, however small I am, and just because I am so small, Thy truth is bound up in it and the glory of Thy grace. Hallelujah! Thou art my rock and my fortress, and a strong rock and a blessed house of defence to save me, body and soul, here and hereafter. 3. This one thing would I fain both learn and teach, as the lesson of my life and ministry, 'that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.' Men, as created by God, as fallen and ruined in Adam, and as salvable in Christ. Always to pray; not only in every state of soul, but under all circumstances, and at all times. And not to faint; either before they pray, while they pray, or after they have prayed. But for this and all other gracious motions, O reveal Thyself in Christ, and by Thy blessed Spirit work Thou in us this day, and for evermore. O THOU, by long experience tried, I hold by nothing here below; Though pierced by scorn, oppress'd by pride, Ah, then, to His embrace repair; MADAME GUYON. XXXIX. MERCY TO THE MERCIFUL. I BLESSED is he that considereth the poor; the Lord will deliver him in the time of trouble. 2 The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. 3 The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness. 4 I said, Lord, be merciful unto me: heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee. 5 Mine enemies speak evil of me ; when shall he die, and his name perish? 6 And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity; his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad he telleth it. 7 All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt. 8 An evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him; and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more. 9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. 10 But thou, O Lord, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them. II But this I know, that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me. 12 And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever. 13 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.-PSALM XLI. DARK and sorrowful as the experience of this Psalm is, it has its blessed comfort, specially in its point of application to Christ. For every sorrow and suffering has its counterpart in the Man of Sorrows.' Never was desertion or ingratitude like that with which Jesus met, not only from His own to whom He came, and who received Him not, but especially from His familiar friend' 'which did eat' of His bread (ver. 9; comp. with John xiii. 18). All the more comforting is this reference to Jesus as connected with a case in which the believer suffers, apparently in great part, if not because, yet in connexion with Him, that we remark that the special complaint which he utters is not about any suffering consequent upon his guilt, but that his malicious enemies make use of his affliction for their own wicked purposes. Instead of sympathy and prayer, they mete out to him malice and condemnation, and that on the most selfish and hateful grounds. And this is ever the way of the world. They cannot understand judgment except in the sense of destruction, even as they know not God save as the Avenger. Hence, as all their thoughts of God are only those of dread, so all their thoughts of God's people are only those of bitterness. They maliciously magnify their sins, and delight in them. And too often the judgments of believers are almost equally harsh. Speak tenderly of a sinner; deal tenderly with a sinner, especially with a fallen brother, for God is able to lift him up, and He will lift him up. Deal not tenderly with sin, but deal tenderly with the sinner; for Christ hath dealt tenderly with thee, and He will deal tenderly with him also. His case may not be such as thou imaginest. Remember the |