just a natural condition. Even a mere wandering of the affection will induce them to pray, "Unite my heart to fear Thy name." As supernatural principle authoritatively covers every common walk, so supernatural feeling enters into every common action of their natural life. Interpretatively, to be in the fear of the Lord all the day long may be, partly, a constant practical dependence on God. There cannot be many persons who have not discovered on some occasions that their own resources are insufficient for their wellbeing, and that it is necessary to them in some conditions to go out of themselves to satisfy their wants. Sometimes they have need of counsel, at others of protection, at others of succour, at others of support, and at others of something else. Self-sufficiency is not an attribute of any man. Dependence is a necessity of every man. Trust in the Lord is a privilege of all that are godly. A misplaced confidence is a common mistake, and it is always followed by more or less of ill consequence. Confidence is, and it ever must be, misplaced when the creature is credited with the sufficiency of the Creator. "Woe to them that stay on horses and trust in chariots." Cursed is man that implicitly trusteth in man, even though he be a good man. Can figs be gathered from thistles? As little can folly be trusted for counsel, weakness for strength, helplessness for support, indigence for relief, or impotence for safety. То correct every misplaced trust God says, "Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth;" and for this course he gives these two conclusive reasons: "For I am God, and there is none else." Christian, whatever, therefore, others may do, fear thou God; and so fear Him as to trust Him without reserve, trust Him in all things, and trust Him all the day long. These words may also receive the interpretation of setting the Lord always before us-of walking before Him-of a living all day as in the very sight of God. Feeling that God "is of purer eyes than to behold evil, and that He cannot look on iniquity,' there are many things which if a man will do, or gains which he will make, or pleasures in which he will indulge, or appetites and passions which he will gratify, or duties which he will omit, or privileges which he will neglect, he must needs first thrust God out of his way, out of his sight, and out of his thoughts-must cast off the fear of God and restrain prayer before Him. But what a frightful pass is this to consent to come to! Christian, whatever way will not admit of your taking it, or work of your doing it, or gain of your making it, or pleasure of your indulging in it, with the eyes of the Lord looking full on you with approbation, "Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.' Crucify whatever appetite or passion you cannot gratify without grieving God. Stigmatise every omission of duty as a rebellion against your redeeming Lord. Brand every neglect of spiritual privilege as a direct dis-esteem of the grace of God, and an indirect despising of the God of grace. Cherish an influential remembrance of the saying, "Thou God seest me." Cultivate a free and unfeigned speaking to God in the words of the prayer, Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Against whoever or whatever would withhold or divert you from so salutary a course, say, "I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.' Perhaps these words may bear the interpretation of a constant recognition of God in all things. Days are diverse; but the character of no day can exclude from it the fear of the Lord. "In the day of prosperity be joyful." Be joyful in God all that day long. All the desirable things we possess in such a day are divine bestowments, and the bestowments are mercies; therefore, as it becomes such undeserving beneficiaries, let them be so received, so held, so used, and so enjoyed. "In the day of adversity consider." Consider God all that day long. Chance is the idol of fools. God is over all. All things are of Him. He worketh all things. He governs all agents: they are His instruments. He controls all actions: they subserve His ends. Human contingencies are His providences, or His preventions. He makes peace, and He creates evil. He gives, and He takes away. Happy is the man that feareth alway;" the man that recognises God in all things. 66 These words may be taken to represent a necessary element of a godly man's safety. Satan goeth about every day and all the day long, seeking whom he may devour. While the fear of the Lord prevailed in the mind of Job, he, a mere man, outmatched that god of this world. Under like conditions he that is less than the least of saints is more than the greatest of devils; but in other conditions, as may be seen in many examples, the greatest of saints may be overcome by the lightest of temptations. Sin dwelleth in us. All the day long this deadly mischief is, as an enemy, lying at the catch. A lively fear of God is a protection. Praying is death to sinning. Worshipfulness mortifies sinfulness even in its most congenial, inviting, and fascinating forms. The world that lieth in wickedness is everywhere round about us all the day. Safety against infection from those who are dying of the pestilence of sin, is to be in the fear of the Lord all the day long. This is, as many can witness, a real prophylactic. 66 The words also indicate an important element of a godly man's happiness. Walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost," are connected conditions in the word and the way of the Lord. To cast off fear is to cast out happiness. Only in the fear of the Lord is His favour enjoyed, and only in His favour is life. When God says, "Do not this," it is equal to saying, "Do thyself no harm," and when He says, "Do this," it is equal to saying, "Do thyself good." Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord," and the blessedness of the man lies very much in his fear. THE UNFAILING PROMISE. The substance of the New Year's Motto Sermon, by Mr. C. HILL, Stoke Ash, January 9th, 1881. 66 Thy shoes shall be iron and brass, and as It is said dying people are permitted to see into the future, and that things hidden from the living are revealed to them. How far this is true in rela- · tion to the bulk of human beings, we know not, but with some it has been So. Moses and Jacob, when dying, were endowed with a spirit of prophecy, and those things surely came to pass which they stated. Whether the words of my text were confined to the blessing of the tribe of Asher, is a matter of question. Do they not belong to the concluding part of the chapter, and include the whole ?-the same blessings on them all. Christianity is one; one in all its objects, one in all its ends, one in every way; but its manifestations are various. Thus, regarding the twelve tribes as so many types of Christian character, we may take this blessing, pronounced upon the head of one, to be for all. This gives a wide extent to God's promises, and brings hope to every Christian's heart; every promise is yours, my brother, just as much as it is mine. Taking this as a promise to all, we think it very suitable for the present service. We have passed many years; another has come, we may not see its close. The future is with God, it is not ours, and never may be. Had God printed a leaflet in the press of heaven, and sent it down to earth this morning, could He have sent anything more suitable to meet your need? God always satisfies. Let Him but make our "shoes iron and brass," and there is no road, however rough, we shall not be able to travel; whatever foes we may encounter, with strength according to our day, we shall surely overcome them. 1st. The pilgrims. Shoes would not be needed for stay-at-home folk: it is very nice to sit by one's fireside, and travel in mind to every part of our world; but Christians are not mental travellers only. Some people are not satisfied with hearing, or thinking about other lands, they must go and see for themselves. Thus, with all Christians, they must go, travel on to the land "that is afar off." Christianity, as a theory, is a grand thing; but it is not a mere theory, it calls for action, it says, 66 Ye must not stay here, up and walk through the land, in the length thereof, and in the breadth thereof, and be ye strangers and pilgrims, as all your fathers were. In one sense, all the world are travellers; earth won't let a sinner stay. It says, Move on, move on!" and byeand-bye it will save, "Move off," even though it be into endless pain. In another sense Christians are pilgrims. The man was content to stay in the world as long as he could; but grace turns the heart, and then he says, "Earth is my lodge, heaven is my home." He seeks a better world than this, another home, a home where Jesus lives, a home where God resides, a home where all is joy and rest. To such a home Christians are going. "All travelling through one beauteous gate, To one eternal home." This was the object of the Jews. When in Egypt they had a home in view, a promised land. They had not lost their right to Canaan, though not in immediate possession; the rich land was theirs by promise. What a magic word is home? how it stirs the heart, and brings to mind many little things, while other things of greater note are almost forgotten by us! It brings to mind boyhood and girlhood's days, when we were at home. How glad is the boy at school when the holidays come, and he goes home to be greeted by loving friends, and a mother's embrace? How glad, too, are those loved ones from distant lands coming over the wide, wide seas to their home! How welcome are the Albion shores, when they see the father 66 66 land again! the house which they had left, but had never forgotten; but thoughts of which had come to them so often! and when evening shadows had gathered round, how they had thought of home, and now they are come to see the loved ones from whom for years they had been parted! We, as Christians, are going home. Every day brings us a day's march nearer home." In this world there are homes of sorrow; homes in which a father lies coffined, or, in the next room, a mother lies, but still in death; homes in which voices are hushed, and the little one is gone. Again, there are homes over which shame has come. Some member of the family has been dishonoured, and the home is sad; but God opens the door of heaven, and says, My child, come home.' No death is there, no sorrow reigns, no shame can ever enter; but all is bright and glorious in " our beautiful home beyond." The moment grace enters the heart, the man looks for another home, his steps are upward, onward, heavenward." How many of us will get home this year? all going when shall we get there? Some may be called to go before their work is done; the books unfinished, and many of life's duties unfulfilled, when they could pray to be spared a little longer to do their work; it will not be pleasant to go thus, my friend : a work undone must so remain, it cannot be altered there. Look to your life, keep the ledgers well posted up, and every day's mission fulfilled, so that when the summons come you may be able to say, "I have done my work, I have finished my course.' 66 We are Pil 2nd. The provisions-shoes. grims want shoes; God provides them for them, and it would be hard to know what He does not provide for them. They made themselves garments once, garments of leaves, but God said, "They won't do, any gust of wind can blow them away; they will never hide your shame; I'll make you garments." He killed the animals to clothe them, and, by the death of His Son, His people are clothed. "Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness, He gives suitable clothing, "shoes of iron and brass;" not the flimsy things that are called shoes in our days; not kid or satin slippers, with heels in the middle of the foot. They are fashionable, and so is the devil, and always was, and the inventor of fashions, many of which are far from good. God's shoes want no mending; "Shoes of iron and brass." adder could not sting through them. It was said to be "a terrible wilderness, in which were serpents and scorpions;" and once, when the people had offended God, He called the serpents to avenge Him, and they bit the people so that thousands of them died. The ser The pents had been there all the time, but they harmed not the people who were right with God. Did not the serpent try to bite the Master? He met him in the wilderness, but He overcame him; His garments were impervious. Satan tries to harm the people of God; but they are clothed in garments suitable and permanent, God-given robes, the provision of a loving Father for His children. The High Priest wanted no shoes. They had costly robes, but no shoes; and God told Moses to "Put off thy shoes, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." Men must stand on nothing of their own in the presence of a Holy God. No shoes will be wanted in heaven. 3rd. The promise, "As thy days, thy strength shall be. We notice it takes hold of the people in their entirety of life; as long as they travel, as many days as they shall live-few or many: -the child, or the old man, may grasp the promise. Every day of his life the Christian lives under this promise: it is there when the sun rises in the east, and it sinks not with the sun at even in the west; day and night we hear it, "As thy days, thy strength shall be." The days of the Christian are various: it is so in daily life, "various shifting scenes." We would not wish for a monotonous existence. How tedious is a journey when the road for miles is straight-much pleasanter when a few turns and corners come. So with our mingled life," days of changes; not all days of cloud, not all sunshine, not all boyhood, not all old age, not all joyous scenes, not all sorrowful times, but "Bits of gladness and of sorrow, Bits of storm when winds are warning, Bits of sunlight and of shade." 66 So is it in a Christian's life, times when he is full of joy, and seems ready to burst forth with "Bless the Lord, O my soul !" Then there are times of despondency and doubt, when he scarce can read his title clear." Days when he is "called to bear the heavy cross of sore affliction, pain, and loss." Sometimes upon the mountain exclaiming, "Master, it is good for us to be here;" sometimes tossed on the billows of the sea, and crying in an agony, "Carest thou not that we perish ? "As thy days thy strength shall be." This is God's usual way of bestowment. He taught His disciples to pray for "daily bread." The manna was given day by day, but once in the week had they it sent for two days, that the Sabbath might not be broken. Many Christians want strength not according to their day, but God knows when they need it. If a lion roars in thy way, "as thy lays thy strength shall be." No foes shall be so mighty, no day so dark, but strength shall be given to carry you through. God means to keep His people dependent. He won't give them strength for a year to come, but day by day-not all at once. Some have a noble patrimony, squander it and die bankrupt. The Christian cannot waste his inheritance. We shall need strength to die with. "As thy days thy strength shall be." The day will surely come, sooner or later, when we shall be called to leave all; for friends must leave us when we die, they can F not go with us, and alone we must enter into the presence of a righteous Judge. God hath said it, for the saint's comfort and encouragement, and He will most assuredly fulfil His word. Expositions, Essays, &c. THE INQUIRER DIRECTED. By W. J. STYLES, KEPPEL-STREET CHAPEL. "If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock."-The Song of Solomon, i. 8. THE Song of Solomon is an inspired allegory or sustained metaphor setting forth the endeared fellowship which exists between saints and their Saviour. In form it is an eclogue or pastoral poem,* in which the characters are represented as conversing with each other: and under the similitude of the ardent but most pure affection which exists between the two principal speakers is pourtrayed the wonderful love of the Lord of glory to His people, and the love of their hearts to Him. In the verse preceding our text, a momentous question has been put by the spouse of the song to her Beloved "Tell me," is her tremulous enquiry, "O Thou whom my soul loveth, where Thou feedest ? where Thou makest Thy flock to rest at one. *The writer would gratefully endorse a paragraph in a review of a recent work in last year's volume of the Gospel Herald, (page 239,) which refutes the assertion that the "Song of Solomon " is a sacred drama. "Not only is it," as the Reviewer justly remarks, "objectionable to Christians to have the Holy Spirit accredited with the authorship of a stage-play," but the statement is untenable, for a purely literary reason. The essential characteristic of a drama is the presentation of a connected series of incidents, leading to and terminating in the denouement. Now it is obvious that the "Song of Solomon " has no plot, or, in other words, tells no story, and wholly lacks, therefore, what would be needful to constitute it a poem of this description. The reader may compare it with Milton's "Samson Agonistes," which is perhaps the grandest production of a dramatic character existence. noon? For why should I be as one veiled among the flocks of Thy companions ?" Into the meaning couched beneath these suggestive words it is not our present purpose to enquire. It must suffice to state that they express the ardent desire of the sincere believer to enjoy communion with his beloved Lord. The verse is, therefore, a poetical paraphrase of the language of Job: "O that I knew where I might find Him!" It is but an echo of the wail which has come from living hearts in all ages. A consciousness of the absence of the Redeemer is one of the standard incidents of religious life. 'If," observed a saint, "God had not said, 'Blessed are those that hunger,' I know not what could keep Christians from sinking in despair. Many times all that I can do is to complain that I want Him, and wish to recover Him."+ But, though absent, the Lord is not forgotten. The memory of His past kindness lingers like sweet perfume in the heart: and the appeal for guidance is based on the longings of a spirit that has tasted the joy of His endeared 66 presence. Tell me, O Thou whom my soul loveth !" Our text embodies part of the Lord's reply to the inquiries of the sorrowing saint: "If thou knowest not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock." Here, then, is ignorance supposed: "If thou knowest not; and instruction supplied: " go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock." IGNORANCE IS SUPPOSED. All knowledge in this lower world is limited. "We know in part" is + Bishop Hall quoted by Austen Phelps in the "Still Hour," from which some of the above sentences are also quoted." |