,a ,ribband of ,blue  ,,and  ,,other    
,,bible ,,studies      ,by  ,j4 ,,hudson
 ,,taylor4  7,a companion volume to     
,union and ,communion1  and to          
,separation and ,service47      ,london 
,,china ,,inland ,,mission1 ,newington  
,green1 ,n4  ,morgan  ,scott1 #ab1      
,paternoster ,buildings1 ,e4,c4         
,a ,ribband ,of ,blue4      ,we would   
draw the attention of beloved friends to
 the instructive  passage with which the
 fifteenth chapter of ,numbers closes2  
and may  ,,god1 through our meditation  
on ,his precious ,word1 make it yet more
  precious and practical to each one of 
us1 for ,,christ our ,,redeemer',s      
sake6    ,the whole chapter is full of  
important teaching4 ,it commences with  
instruction concerning the              
burnt-offering1 the sacrifice in        
performing a vow1 and the free-will     
offering4 ,it was not to be  supposed   
that any one might present his sacrifice
 to ,,god according to  his own thought 
and plan4 ,if it were to be             

acceptable--a sweet savour  unto the    
,,lord--it must be an offering in every 
respect such as ,,god  had appointed4   
,we cannot become acceptable to ,,god in
 ways of our own  devising2 from        
beginning to end it must be1 ,not my    
will1 but ,thine1  be done4    ,then1   
from the seventeenth to the twenty-first
 verse1 the ,,lord claims  a            
first-fruits4 ,the people of ,,god were 
not to eat their fill1 consume  all that
 they cared to consume1 and then give to
 ,,god somewhat of the  remainder2 but  
before they touched the bread of the    
land1 a  heave-offering was to be       
offered to the ,,lord2 and when the     
requirement of ,,god had been fully met1
 then1 and not till then1 were  they at 
liberty to satisfy their own hunger and 
supply their own  wants4 ,how often we  
see the reverse of this in daily life6  
,not only  are necessaries first        
supplied from the income1 but every     
fancied  luxury is procured without     
stint1 before the question of the       

consecration of substance to ,,god is   
really entertained4    ,next follow the 
directions concerning errors from       
heedlessness and  ignorance4 ,the people
 were not to imagine that sin was not   
sinful if  it were unconsciously        
committed4 ,man's knowledge and         
consciousness do  not make wrong right  
or right wrong4 ,the will of ,,god was  
revealed and  ought to have been known3 
not to know that will was in itself     
sinful2  and not to do that will1       
whether consciously or unconsciously1   
was  sin--sin that could only be put    
away by atoning sacrifice4    ,,god     
dealt in much mercy and grace with those
 who committed sins of  ignorance2      
though1 when the sin became known and   
recognised1  confession and sacrifice   
were immediately needful4 ,but1 thank   
,,god6  the sacrifice was ordained1 and 
the sin could be put away4    ,it was   
not so with the presumptuous sin4 ,no   
sacrifice was appointed  for a man1     
whether born in the land or a stranger1 

who reproached the  ,,lord by           
presumptuous sin4 ,of that man it was   
said1 that soul shall  utterly be cut   
off2 his iniquity shall be upon him4    
,this distinction is very important to  
make4 ,we are not to think that  our    
holiest service is free from sin1 or can
 be accepted save through  ,,jesus      
,,christ our ,,lord4 ,we are not to     
suppose that sins of omission1  any more
 than sins of commission1 are looked    
lightly upon by ,,god3  sins of         
forgetfulness and heedlessness or       
ignorance are more than  frailties--are 
real sins1 needing atoning sacrifice4   
,,god deals very  gently and graciously 
with us in these matters2 when          
transgression or  iniquity is brought   
home to the conscience1 if we confess   
our sins1  ,he is faithful and just to  
forgive us our sins1 and to cleanse us  
from all unrighteousness4 ,even when    
walking in the light1 as ,he is  in the 
light1 we are not beyond the need of    
atonement4 ,though our  fellowship with 

,,god be unbroken by any conscious      
transgression1 it  continues unbroken   
only because the blood of ,,jesus       
,,christ ,,his ,,son is  cleansing us   
from all sin4    ,the man1 however1 who 
would presume on ,,god's forgiveness1   
and despise  ,,god's holiness and ,his  
claim upon ,his people1 by doing        
deliberately  the thing that he knows to
 be contrary to ,,god's will1 that man  
will  find spiritual dearth and         
spiritual death inevitably follow4 ,his 
communion with ,,god is brought to an   
end1 and it is hard to say how  far     
,satan may not be permitted to carry    
such a backslider in heart  and life4   
,it is awfully possible not merely to   
grieve and to  resist1 but even to      
quench the ,,spirit of ,,god4    ,we    
have a solemn example of presumptuous   
sin in the case of the man  found       
gathering sticks on the ,sabbath day4   
,he was not--he could not  be ignorant  
of ,,god',s ordinance concerning the    
,sabbath4 ,the gathering  of sticks was 

not to meet a necessity2 his case was   
not parallel with  that of the poor man 
who perhaps had received his wages late 
on  ,saturday night1 and has had no     
opportunity of purchasing food in time  
to prepare it for the day of rest4 ,to  
the ,israelite1 the double  supply of   
manna was given on the morning of the   
day before the  ,sabbath2 and as the    
uncooked manna would not keep1 it was   
necessary  that early in that day it    
should be prepared for food4 ,he had1   
therefore1 no need of sticks to cook his
 ,sabbath's dinner4 ,and the  country   
was so hot that no man would kindle a   
fire from choice or  preference4 ,his   
object in gathering sticks was simply to
 show1 openly  and publicly1 that he    
despised ,,god1 and refused to obey ,his
 holy  ordinance3 rightly1 therefore1   
was that man put to death4    ,but      
occasion was taken in connection with   
this judgment to introduce  the wearing 
of the    ,,ribband ,,of ,,blue4        
,,god would have all ,his people wear a 

badge4 ,throughout their  generations   
they were to make them fringes in the   
borders of their  garments1 and to put  
upon the fringe of the borders a ribband
 of  blue1 that they might look upon it 
and remember all the commandments  of   
the ,,lord1 and do them1 and might be a 
holy people1 holy unto their  ,,god1 who
 brought them out of the land of ,egypt1
 to be their ,,god4    ,blue is the     
colour of heaven4 ,the beautiful waters 
of the sea reflect  it1 and are as blue 
as the cloudless sky4 ,when the clouds  
come  between1 then1 and then only1 is  
the deep blue lost4 ,but it is the  will
 of ,,god that there should never be a  
cloud between ,his people and  ,himself2
 and that1 as the ,israelite of old1    
wherever he went1 carried  the ribband  
of blue1 so ,his people to-day should   
manifest a heavenly  spirit and temper  
wherever they go2 and should1 like      
,moses1 in their  very countenances bear
 witness to the glory and beauty of the 
,,god  whom they love and serve4    ,how

 interesting it must have been to see   
that ribband of blue carried  by the    
farmer into the field1 by the merchant  
to his place of  business1 by the       
maid-servant into the innermost parts of
 the  dwelling1 when performing her     
daily duties4 ,is it less important that
  the ,christian of today1 called to be 
a witness for ,,christ1 should be       
manifestly characterised by ,his spirit8
 ,should we not all be  imitators of    
,,god1 as dear children1 and walk in    
love as ,,christ  also hath loved us1   
and hath given ,himself for us8 ,and    
should not  this ,spirit of             
,,god-likeness be carried into the      
smallest details of  life1 and not be   
merely reserved for special occasions8  
,if we  understand aright the meaning of
 our ,,saviour',s direction ,be ye      
therefore perfect1 even as your ,,father
 which is in heaven is  perfect1 it     
teaches this great truth4    ,we are to 
be the salt of the earth and the light  
of the world1 not to  break one of the  

least of the commandments1 not to give  
way to anger1  not to tolerate the      
thought of impurity1 to give no rash    
promises1 or  in conversation to say    
more than yea or nay4 ,the spirit of    
retaliation is not to be indulged in2 a 
yieldingness of spirit is to            
characterise the child of the kingdom2  
those who hate and  despitefully use us 
are to be pitied1 and loved1 and prayed 
for4 ,then  comes the direction1 ,be ye 
therefore perfect1 even as your ,,father
  which is in heaven is perfect4 ,in the
 little frictions of daily  life1 as    
well as in the more serious trials and  
persecutions to which  the ,christian is
 exposed1 he is to be manifestly an     
imitator of his  heavenly ,,father4     
,now1 ,,god',s perfection is an absolute
 perfection2 while ours1 at best1  is   
only relative4 ,a needle may be a       
perfect needle1 in every respect        
adapted for the work for which it was   
made4 ,it is not1 however1 a            
microscopic object2 under magnifying    

power it becomes a rough1  honeycombed  
poker1 with a ragged hole in the place  
of the eye4 ,but it  was not made to be 
a microscopic object2 and1 being adapted
 to the  purpose for which it was made1 
it may properly be considered a  perfect
 needle4 ,so we are not called to be    
perfect angels1 or in any  respect      
,divine1 but we are called to be perfect
 ,christians1  performing the privileged
 duties that as such devolve upon us4   
,our ,,father makes according to ,his   
perfection the least little thing  that 
,he makes4 ,the tiniest fly1 the        
smallest animalcule1 the dust of  a     
butterfly's wing1 however highly you may
 magnify them1 are seen to  be          
absolutely perfect4 ,should not the     
little things of our daily life  be as  
relatively perfect in the case of each  
,christian as the lesser  creations of  
,,god are absolutely perfect8 ,ought we 
not to glorify ,,god  in the formation  
of each letter that we write1 and as    
,christians to  write a more legible    

hand than unconverted people can be     
expected to  do8 ,ought we not to be    
more thorough in our service1 not simply
 doing  well that which will be seen and
 noticed1 but as our ,,father makes     
many a flower to bloom unseen in the    
lonely desert1 so to do all that  we can
 do1 as under ,his eye1 though no other 
eye ever take note of it8    ,it is our 
privilege to take our rest and          
recreation for the purpose  of pleasing 
,him2 to lay aside our garments at night
 neatly 7for ,he is  in the room1 and   
watches over us while we sleep71 to     
wash1 to dress1  to smooth the hair1    
with ,his eye in view2 and1 in short1 in
 all that  we are and in all that we do 
to use the full measure of ability which
  ,,god has given us to the glory of    
,his holy ,name8 ,were we always so to  
live1 how beautiful ,christian life     
would become6 how much more worthy  a   
witness we should bear to the world of  
,him whose witnesses we are6  ,may the  
life we are living be characterised by  

the growth in grace  which will glorify 
,,god2 and may tell-tale faces1 and glad
 hearts1 and  loving service be to each 
one of us as a ribband of blue1         
reflecting the very hue of heaven1 and  
reminding ourselves and one  another of 
our privileges to remember all the      
commandments of the  ,,lord1 and do     
them4          ,blessed ,prosperity     
,meditations ,on ,the ,first ,psalm4    
,,introductory4    ,there is a          
prosperity which is not blessed3 it     
comes not from above  but from beneath1 
and it leads away from1 not towards     
heaven4 ,this  prosperity of the wicked 
is often a sore perplexity to the       
servants  of ,,god2 they need to be     
reminded of the exhortation1 ,fret not  
thyself because of him who prospereth in
 his way1 because of the man  who       
bringeth wicked devices to pass4 ,many  
besides the ,psalmist have  been envious
 at the foolish when seeing the         
prosperity of the wicked1  and have been
 tempted to ask1 ,is there knowledge in 

the ,,most ,,high8  ,while ,satan       
remains the ,,god of this world1 and has
 it is his power to  prosper his        
votaries1 this source of perplexity will
 always continue  to those who do not   
enter into the sanctuary and consider   
the latter  end of the worldling4       
,nor is it the godless only who are     
tempted by the offer of a  prosperity   
which comes from beneath4 ,our ,,saviour
 ,himself was tempted  by the arch-enemy
 in this way4 ,,christ was told that all
 that ,he  desired to accomplish for the
 kingdoms of this world might be        
effected by an easier path than the     
cross--a little compromise with  him who
 held the power and was able to bestow  
the kingdoms1 and all  should be ,his   
own4 ,the lying wiles of the seducer    
were instantly  rejected by our ,,lord2 
not so ineffective are such wiles to    
many of  ,his people2 a little policy   
rather than the course for which        
conscience pleads2 a little want of     
integrity in business dealings2 a       

little compromise with the ways of the  
world1 followed by a  prosperity which  
brings no blessing1 these prove often   
that the  enemy's arts are still the    
same4    ,but1 thank ,,god6 ,there is a 
true prosperity which comes from ,him   
and  leads towards ,him4 ,it is not only
 consistent with perfect integrity  and 
uncompromising holiness of heart and    
life1 but it cannot be  attained without
 them1 and its enjoyment tends to deepen
 them4 ,this  divine prosperity is      
,,god',s purpose for every believer1 in 
all that he  undertakes2 in things      
temporal and in things spiritual1 in all
 the  relations and affairs of this     
life1 as well as in all work for        
,,christ  and for eternity1 it is       
,,god',s will for each child of ,his    
that  whatsoever he doeth shall prosper4
    ,yet many of ,his children evidently
 do not enjoy this uniform  blessing2   
some find failure rather than success   
the rule of their  life3 while others1  
sometimes prospered and sometimes       

discouraged1  live lives of uncertainty1
 in which anxiety and even fear are not 
infrequent4 ,shall we not each one at   
the outset ask1 ,how is it with  me8 ,is
 this blessed prosperity my experience8 
,am ,i so led by the  ,,spirit in my    
doings1 and so prospered by ,,god in    
their issues1 that as  ,his witness ,i  
can bear testimony to ,his faithfulness 
to this promise8  ,if it be not so with 
me1 what is the reason8 ,which of the   
necessary  conditions have ,i failed to 
fulfil8 ,may our meditations on the     
,first  ,psalm make these conditions    
more clear to our minds1 and may faith  
be  enabled to claim definitely all that
 is included in this wonderful  promise6
    ,,the ,,negative ,,conditions ,,of  
,,blessing  ,blessed is the man that    
walketh not in the counsel of the       
ungodly4    ,more literally1 ,o the     
blessings1 the manifold happiness of the
 man  whose character is here described 
in the first and second verses of  this 
,psalm6 ,he is happy in what he escapes 

or avoids1 and happy and  prospered in  
what he undertakes4    ,the first       
characteristic given us is that he walks
 not in the counsel  of the ungodly1 the
 wicked4 ,notice1 it does not merely say
 that he  walks not in wicked counsel3 a
 man of ,,god clearly would not do this2
  but what is said is that he walketh   
not in the counsel of the  wicked4 ,now 
the wicked have often much worldly      
wisdom1 and become  noted for their     
prosperity and their prudence1 but the  
child of ,,god  should always be on his 
guard against their counsel2 however    
good it  may appear1 it is full of      
danger4    ,one of the principal        
characteristics of the wicked is that   
,,god is not  in all his thoughts2 he   
sees everything from the standpoint of  
self1  or1 at the highest1 from the     
standpoint of humanity4 ,his maxim1     
,take  care of number one1 would be very
 good if it were meant that ,,god is    
first1 and should always be put first2  
but he means it not so3 self  and not   

,,god is number one to the ungodly4 ,the
 wicked will often  counsel to honesty1 
not on the ground that honesty is       
pleasing to  ,,god1 but that it is the  
best policy2 if in any particular       
business  transaction a more profitable 
policy appears quite safe1 those who    
have simply been honest because it pays 
best1 will be very apt to  cease to be  
so4    ,the child of ,,god has no need  
of the counsel of the ungodly2 if he    
love and study ,,god',s ,word it will   
make him wiser than all such            
counsellors4 ,if he seek for and observe
 all the counsel of ,,god1  through the 
guidance of the ,,holy ,,spirit1 he will
 not walk in darkness  even as to       
worldly things4 ,the directions of      
,,god',s ,word may often  seem strange  
and impolitic1 but in the measure in    
which he has faith  to obey the         
directions he finds in the ,scripture1  
turning not to the  right hand nor to   
the left1 will he make his way          
prosperous1 will he  find good success4 

,the history of the early ,friends in   
,america1 who would not take a  weapon  
to protect themselves against the savage
 ,indian tribes1 shows  how safe it is  
to follow the ,word of ,,god and not to 
resist evil4 ,and  their later          
experience in the recent ,civil ,war1 in
 which no one of  them lost his life1   
though exposed to the greatest dangers  
and  hardships because they would not   
fight1 further confirms the wisdom  as  
well as blessedness of literally obeying
 the ,scripture4 ,the eyes  of the      
,,lord still run to and fro throughout  
the whole earth to show  ,himself strong
 in behalf of those who put their trust 
in ,him before  the sons of men4 ,the   
enlightened believer has so much better 
counsel  that he no more needs than     
condescends to accept the counsel of the
  ungodly4    ,and1 more than this1 the 
wise child of ,,god will carefully      
ascertain  the standpoint of a          
fellow-believer before he will value his
 counsel2  for he learns from ,scripture

 and experience that ,satan too         
infrequently makes handles of the people
 of ,,god1 as1 for instance1 in         
,peter's case4 ,little did the          
astonished ,peter know whence his       
exhortation to the ,,lord to pity       
,himself came2 ,get thee behind me1     
,satan1 showed that our ,,lord had      
traced this counsel1 which did not  seek
 first the ,kingdom of ,,god1 to its    
true source4 ,alas1 the counsel  of     
worldly-minded ,christians does far more
 harm than that of the  openly wicked4  
,whenever the supposed interests of     
self1 or family1 or  country1 or even of
 church or mission come first1 we may be
 quite  sure of the true source of that 
counsel2 it is at least earthly or      
sensual1 if not devilish4    ,further1  
the truly blessed man--    ,standeth not
 in the way of sinners4    ,birds of a  
feather flock together2 the way of a    
sinner no more suits  a true believer   
than the way of the believer suits the  
sinner4 ,as a  witness for his ,,master 

in the hope of saving the lost1 he may  
go to  them2 but he will not1 like ,lot1
 pitch his tent towards ,sodom2 lest  he
 be ensnared as ,lot was1 who only      
escaped himself1 losing all those  he   
loved best1 and all his possessions4    
,ah1 how many parents who have          
fluttered moth-like near the flame1 have
 seen their children  destroyed by it1  
while they themselves have not escaped  
unscathed6  ,how many churches and      
,christian institutions1 in the attempt 
to  attract the unconverted by worldly  
inducements or amusements1 have         
themselves forfeited the blessing of    
,,god2 and have so lost spiritual       
power1 that those whom they have thus   
attracted have been nothing  benefited6 
,instead of seeing the dead quickened1 a
 state of torpor  and death has crept   
over themselves4    ,there is no need   
of1 nor room for1 any other attraction  
than that  which ,,christ ,himself gave1
 when ,he said1 ,i1 if ,i be lifted up  
444  will draw all men unto ,me4 ,our   

,,master was ever separate from         
sinners1 and the ,,holy ,,spirit speaks 
unmistakably in #b ,cor4 vi43  ,what    
fellowship hath righteousness with      
unrighteousness8 ,and what  communion   
hath light with darkness8 444 for ye are
 the temple of the  living ,,god2 as    
,,god hath said1 ,i will dwell in them1 
and walk in them2  and ,i will be their 
,,god1 and they shall be my people4     
,wherefore come  out from among them1   
and be ye separate 444 and touch not the
 unclean  thing2 and ,i will receive    
you1 and will be a ,,father unto you1   
and ye  shall be my sons and daughters1 
saith the ,,lord ,almighty4    ,nor     
sitteth in the seat of the scornful4    
,the seat of the scornful is one of the 
special dangers of this age4  ,pride1   
presumption1 and scorn are closely      
linked together1 and are  far indeed    
from the mind which was in ,,christ     
,,jesus4 ,this spirit often  shows      
itself in the present day in the form of
 irreverent criticism4  ,those who are  

spiritually least qualified for it are  
to be found  sitting in the seat of     
judgment1 rather than taking the place  
of the  inquirer and the learner4 ,the  
,bereans of old did not scornfully      
reject the1 to them1 strange teachings  
of the ,apostle ,paul1 but  searched the
 ,scriptures daily to see whether these 
things were so4  ,now1 forsooth1 the    
,scriptures themselves are called in    
question1 and  the very foundations of  
,christian faith are abandoned by men   
who  would fain be looked upon as the   
apostles of modern thought4 ,may ,,god  
preserve ,his people from abandoning the
 faith once for all delivered  to the   
saints1 for the baseless ephemeral      
fancies of the present day6    ,,the    
,,positive ,,conditions ,,of ,,blessing4
    ,we have considered the things which
 are avoided by the truly blessed  man4 
,o1 the miseries and the losses of those
 who fail to avoid them6  ,we have now  
to dwell upon the special               
characteristics of the man of  ,,god1   

those which are at once the source of   
his strength and his  shield of         
protection4    ,his delight is in the   
law of the ,,lord2  ,and in ,his law    
doth he meditate day and night4    ,the 
unregenerate cannot delight in the law  
of the ,,lord4 ,they may be  very       
religious1 and may read the ,bible as   
one of their religious  duties4 ,they   
may admire much that is in the ,bible1  
and be loud in its  praise--for as a    
mere book it is the most wonderful in   
the world4  ,nay1 they may go much      
further than this2 and may imagine1 as  
did ,saul  the persecutor1 that their   
life is ordered by its teachings1 while 
still they are far from ,,god4 ,but when
 such become converted1 they  discover  
they have been blind2 among the all     
things that become  new1 they find that 
they have got a new ,bible2 and as      
new-born babes  they desire the         
unadulterated milk of the ,word that    
they may grow  thereby4 ,well is it when
 young ,christians are properly fed from

 the  ,word of ,,god1 and have not their
 taste corrupted1 and their spiritual   
constitution destroyed1 by feeding on   
the imaginations of men rather  than on 
the verities of ,,god4    ,it is not    
difficult to discover what a man        
delights in4 ,out of the  abundance of  
the heart the mouth speaketh4 ,the      
mother delights to  speak of her babe1  
the politician loves to talk of         
politics1 the  scientific man of his    
favourite science1 and the athlete of   
his  sport4 ,in the same way the        
earnest1 happy ,christian manifests his 
delight in the ,word of ,,god2 it is his
 food and comfort2 it is his  study and 
his guide2 and as the ,holy ,spirit     
throws fresh light on its  precious     
truths he finds in it a joy and pleasure
 beyond compare4  ,naturally and        
spontaneously he will often speak of    
that which is so  precious to his heart4
    ,by regeneration the believer1      
having become the child of ,,god1 finds 
new interest and instruction in all the 

works of ,,god4 ,his ,,father  designed 
and created them1 upholds and uses them1
 and for ,his glory  they exist4 ,but   
this is peculiarly true of the ,word of 
,,god4  ,possessing the mind of         
,,christ1 instructed by the ,,spirit of 
,,christ1 he  finds in every part of    
,,god',s ,word testimony to the person  
and work of  his adorable ,master and   
,friend4 ,the ,bible in a thousand ways 
endears  itself to him1 while unfolding 
the mind and ways of ,,god1 ,his past   
dealing with ,his people1 and ,his      
wonderful revelations of the future4    
,while thus studying ,,god',s ,word the 
believer becomes conscious of a  new    
source of delight2 not only is that     
which is revealed precious1  but the    
beauty and perfection of the revelation 
itself grows upon  him4 ,he has now no  
need of external evidence to prove its  
inspiration2 it everywhere bears the    
impress of ,divinity4 ,and as the       
microscope which reveals the coarseness 
and blemishes of the works of  man only 

shows more fully the perfectness of     
,,god',s works1 and brings  to light new
 and unimagined beauties1 so it is with 
the ,word of ,,god  when closely        
scanned4    ,in what remarkable contrast
 does this ,book stand to the works of  
men6  ,the science of yesterday is      
worthless to-day2 but history and the   
discoveries of our own times only       
confirm the reliability of these        
ancient sacred records4 ,the stronger   
our faith in the plenary1 verbal        
inspiration of ,,god',s ,holy ,word1 the
 more fully we make it our guide1  and  
the more implicitly we follow its       
teachings1 the deeper will be  our peace
 and the more fruitful our service4     
,great peace have they  which love ,thy 
law3 and nothing shall offend them4     
,becoming more and  more convinced of   
the divine wisdom of the directions and 
commands of  ,scripture1 and of the     
reliability of the promises1 the life of
 the  believer will become increasingly 
one of obedience and trust2 and  thus he

 will prove for himself how good1       
acceptable1 and perfect is  the will of 
,,god1 and that ,bible which reveals it4
    ,the words1 the ,law of the ,,lord1 
which we understand to mean the  whole  
,word of ,,god1 are very suggestive4    
,they indicate that the ,bible  is      
intended to teach us what ,,god would   
have us to do2 that we should  not      
merely seek for the promises1 and try to
 get all we can from ,,god2  but should 
much more earnestly desire to know what 
he wants us to be  and to do for ,him4  
,it is recorded of ,ezra1 that he       
prepared his heart  to seek the ,law of 
the ,,lord1 in order that he might do   
it1 and teach  in ,israel the statutes  
and judgments4 ,the result was that the 
hand of  his ,,god was upon him for     
good1 the desires of his heart were     
largely  granted1 and he became the     
channel of blessing to his whole people4
  ,every one who searches the           
,scriptures in the same spirit will     
receive  and communicate the blessing of

 ,,god3 he will find in it the guidance 
he needs for his own service1 and       
oft-times a word in season for  those   
with whom he is associated4    ,but not 
only will the ,bible become the ,law of 
the ,,lord to him as  teaching and      
illustrating what ,,god would have him  
to be and to do1  but still more as     
revealing what ,,god ,himself is and    
does4 ,as the law  of gravitation gives 
us to know how a power1 on which we may 
ever  depend1 will act under given      
circumstances1 so the ,law of the ,,lord
  gives us to know ,him1 and the        
principles of ,his government1 on which 
we may rely with implicit confidence4   
,the man of ,,god will also delight to  
trace ,,god in the ,word as the  great  
,worker1 and rejoice in the privilege of
 being a fellow-worker  with ,him--a    
glad1 voluntary agent in doing the will 
of ,,god1 yet  rejoicing in the grace   
that has made him willing1 and in the   
mighty1  divine power that works through
 him4 ,the ,bible will also teach him to

  view himself as but an atom1 as it    
were1 in ,,god',s great universe2 and   
to see ,,god',s great work as a         
magnificent whole1 carried on by ten    
thousand agencies2 carried on through   
all spheres1 in all time1 and  without  
possibility of ultimate failure--a      
glorious manifestation of  the          
perfections of the great ,worker6 ,he   
himself1 and a thousand more  of his    
fellow-servants1 may pass away2 but this
 thought will not  paralyse his efforts1
 for he knows that whatever has been    
wrought in  ,,god will abide1 and that  
whatever is incomplete when his work is 
done  the great ,worker will in ,his own
 time and way bring to completion4      
,he does not expect to understand all   
about the grand work in which he  is    
privileged to take a blessed but        
infinitesimal part2 he can afford  to   
await its completion1 and can already by
 faith rejoice in the  certainty that   
the whole will be found in every respect
 worthy of the  great ,designer and     

,executor4 ,well may his delight be in  
the ,law of  the ,,lord1 and well may he
 meditate in it day and night4    ,,the 
,,outcome ,,in ,,blessing4    ,we next  
proceed to notice the remarkable        
promises in the third verse  of this    
,psalm--one of the most remarkable and  
inclusive contained in  the             
,scriptures3--    ,and he shall be like 
a tree planted by the rivers of water1  
,that bringeth forth his fruit in his   
season2  ,his leaf also shall not       
wither2  ,and whatsoever he doeth shall 
prosper4    ,if we could offer to the   
ungodly a worldly plan which would      
ensure  their prospering in all that    
they undertake1 how eagerly they would  
embrace it6 ,and yet when ,,god ,himself
 reveals an effectual plan to ,his      
people how few avail themselves of it6  
,many fail on the negative side  and do 
not come clearly out of the world2 many 
fail on the positive  side and allow    
other duties or indulgences to take the 
time that  should be given to reading   

and meditation on ,,god',s ,word4 ,to   
some it  is not at all easy to secure   
time for the morning watch1 but nothing 
can make up for the loss of it4 ,but is 
there not yet a third class of          
,christians whose failure lies largely  
in their not embracing the  promise and 
claiming it by faith8 ,in each of these 
three ways failure  may come in and     
covenant blessings may be lost4    ,let 
us now consider what are the blessings1 
the manifold happinesses  which faith is
 to claim when the conditions are       
fulfilled4    ,i4 ,stability4--,he shall
 be like a tree 7not a mere annual      
plant71 of  steady progressive growth   
and increasing fruitfulness4 ,a tree    
planted1 and always to be found in its  
place1 not blown about1 the  sport of   
circumstances4 ,the flowers may bloom   
and pass away1 but the  tree abides4    
,,ii4 ,independent ,supplies4--,planted 
by the rivers of water4 ,the  ordinary  
supplies of rain and dew may fail3 his  
deep and hidden  supplies cannot4 ,he   

shall not be careful in the year of     
drought1 and  in the days of famine he  
shall be satisfied4 ,his supply is the  
living  water--the ,,spirit of          
,,god--the same yesterday1 today1 and   
forever3  hence he depends on no        
intermitting spring4    ,,iii4          
,seasonable ,fruitfulness4--,the careful
 student of ,scripture will  notice the 
parallelism between the teaching of the 
,first ,psalm and  that of our ,,lord in
 the ,gospel of ,john1 where in the     
sixth chapter we  are taught that he who
 feeds on ,,christ abides in ,him1 and  
in the  fifteenth that he who abides    
brings forth much fruit4 ,we feed upon  
,,christ the incarnate ,,word through   
the written ,word4 ,so in this ,psalm   
he who delights in the ,law of the      
,,lord1 and meditates upon it day and   
night1 brings forth his fruit in his    
season4    ,there is something beautiful
 in this4 ,a word spoken in season how  
good it is2 how even a seasonable look  
will encourage or restrain1  reprove or 

comfort6 ,the promise reminds one of    
those in ,john about  the living water  
thirsty ones drink1 and are not only    
refreshed1 but  become channels through 
which rivers of living water are always 
flowing1 so that other thirsty ones in  
their hour of need may find  seasonable 
refreshment4 ,but the figure in the     
,psalm is not that of  water flowing    
through us as through a channel2 but    
that of fruit1 the  very outcome of our 
own transformed life--a life of union   
with ,,christ4    ,it is so gracious of 
our ,,god not to work through us in a   
mere  mechanical way1 but to make us    
branches of the ,true ,vine1 the very   
organs by which ,its fruit is produced4 
,we are not1 therefore1  independent    
workers1 for there is a fundamental     
difference between  fruit and work4     
,work is the outcome of effort2 fruit1  
of life4 ,a bad  man may do good work1  
but a bad tree cannot bear good fruit4  
,the  result of work is not             
reproductive1 but fruit has its seed in 

itself4  ,the workman has to seek his   
material and his tools1 and often to set
  himself with painful perseverance to  
his task4 ,the fruit of the ,vine  is   
the glad1 free1 spontaneous outcome of  
the life within2 and it  forms and grows
 and ripens in its proper season4       
,and what is the fruit which the        
believer should bear8 ,may it not be    
expressed by one word--,christliness8   
,it is interesting to notice that  the  
,scripture does not speak of the fruits 
of the ,,spirit1 in the  plural1 as     
though we might take our choice among   
the graces named1  but of the fruit1 in 
the singular1 which is a rich cluster   
composed  of love1 joy1 peace1          
longsuffering1 etc4 ,how blessed to     
bring forth  such fruit in its season6  
,,iv4 ,continuous ,vigour4--,his leaf   
also shall not wither4 ,in our own      
climate many trees are able to maintain 
their life throughout the  winter1 but  
unable to retain their leaves4 ,the     
hardy evergreen1  however1 not only     

lives1 but manifests its life1 and all  
the more  conspicuously because of the  
naked branches around4 ,the life within 
is too strong to fear the shortened day1
 the cold blast1 or the  falling snow4  
,so with the man of ,,god whose life is 
maintained by  hidden communion through 
the ,word2 adversity only brings out the
  strength and the reality of the life  
within4    ,the leaf of the tree is no  
mere adornment4 ,if the root suggests to
 us  receptive power in that it draws   
from the soil the stimulating sap1      
without which life could not be         
maintained1 the leaves no less remind   
us of the grace of giving1 and of       
purifying4 ,they impart to the          
atmosphere a grateful moisture2 they    
provide for the traveller a  refreshing 
shade1 and they purify the air poisoned 
by the breathings  of animal life4      
,well1 too1 is the tree repaid for all  
that it gives out through its  leaves4  
,the thin stimulating sap that comes    
from the root1 which  could not of      

itself build up the tree1 thickens in   
giving out its  moisture1 and through   
the leaves possesses itself of carbon   
from the  atmosphere4 ,thus enriched1   
the sap goes back through the tree1     
building it up until the tiniest        
rootlets are as much nourished by  the  
leaves as the latter are fed by the     
roots4 ,keep a tree despoiled  of its   
leaves sufficiently long and it will    
surely die4 ,so unless the  believer is 
giving as well as receiving1 purifying  
his life and  influence1 he cannot grow 
nor properly maintain his own vitality4 
,but  he who delights in the ,law of the
 ,,lord1 and meditates in it day and    
night--his leaf shall not wither4    ,v4
 ,uniform ,prosperity4--,whatsoever he  
doeth shall prosper4 ,could  any promise
 go beyond this8 ,it is the privilege of
 the child of ,,god  to see the hand of 
,,god in all his circumstances and      
surroundings1 and  to serve ,,god in all
 his avocations and duties4 ,whether he 
eat or  drink1 work or rest1 speak or be

 silent2 in all his occupations1        
spiritual1 domestic1 or secular1 he is  
alike the servant of ,,god4  ,nothing   
lawful to him is too small to afford an 
opportunity of  glorifying ,,god2 duties
 in themselves trivial or wearisome     
become  exalted and glorified when the  
believer recognises his power through   
them to gladden and satisfy the loving  
heart of his ever-observant  ,,master4  
,and he who in all things recognises    
himself as the servant of  ,,god may    
count on a sufficiency from ,,god for   
all manner of need1 and  look with      
confident expectation to ,,god to really
 prosper him in  whatever he does4      
,but this prosperity will not always be 
apparent1 except to the eye of  faith4  
,when ,chorazin and ,bethsaida rejected 
our ,,lord',s message1 it  needed the   
eye of faith to rejoice in spirit and   
say1 ,even so1  ,,father2 for so it     
seemed good in ,thy sight4 ,doubtless   
the legions of  hell rejoiced when they 
saw the ,,lord of ,glory nailed to the  

accursed  tree2 yet we know that never  
was our blessed ,,lord more prospered   
than  when1 as our ,high ,priest1 ,he   
offered ,himself as our atoning         
sacrifice1 and bore our sins in ,his own
 body on the tree4 ,as then1 so  now1   
the path of real prosperity will often  
lie through deepest  suffering2         
followers of ,,christ may well be       
content with the path  which ,he trod4  
,but though this prosperity may not be  
immediately apparent1 it will  always be
 real1 and should always be claimed by  
faith4 ,the minister  in his church1 the
 missionary among the heathen1 the      
merchant at his  desk1 the mother in her
 home1 the workman in his labour1 each  
may  alike claim it4 ,not in vain is it 
written1 ,whatsoever he doeth shall     
prosper4    ,,vi4 ,finally1 let us      
notice that these promises are all in   
the  indicative mood1 and1 provided the 
conditions are fulfilled1 are  absolute4
 ,there is no may be about them4 ,and   
further1 they are made  to individual   

believers4 ,if other believers fail1 he 
who accepts them  will not2 the word is1
 ,whatsoever he doeth shall prosper4    
,,the ,,contrast4  ,the ungodly are not 
so4    ,it is not necessary to dwell at 
any length upon the contrast4 ,the      
ungodly cannot enjoy the happiness of   
the child of ,,god1 for they  cannot    
carry out the conditions4 ,they neither 
can1 nor desire to1  avoid the counsel1 
the society1 or the ways of their own   
fellows2 and  they lack that spiritual  
insight which is essential to delighting
 in  ,,god',s ,word4 ,instead of being  
full of life1 like the tender grain1    
they become hard and dry2 and the same  
sun that ripens the one  prepares the   
other for destruction4 ,instead of being
 planted1 the  wind drives them away2   
and ,he who delights in the way of ,his 
people1  causes the way of the ungodly  
to perish4          ,blessed ,adversity4
      ,,introductory4    ,in our        
meditations on the first ,psalm we have 
dwelt on ,blessed  ,prosperity4 ,but all

 ,,god',s dealings are full of blessing3
 ,he is good1  and doeth good1 good     
only1 and continually4 ,the believer who
 has  taken the ,,lord as his ,,sheperd1
 can assuredly say in the words of the  
twenty-third ,psalm1 ,surely goodness   
and mercy shall follow me all  the days 
of my life1 and ,i will dwell in the    
house of the ,,lord for  ever2 or1      
taking the marginal reading of the      
,revised ,version1 ,only  goodness and  
mercy shall follow me4 ,hence1 we may be
 sure that days  of adversity are still 
days of prosperity aso1 and are full of 
blessing4    ,the believer does not need
 to wait until he sees the reason of    
,,god',s  afflictive dealings with him  
ere he is satisfied2 he knows that all  
things work together for good to them   
that love ,,god2 that all ,,god',s      
dealings are those of a loving ,,father1
 who only permits that which  for the   
time being is grievous1 in order the    
accomplish results that  cannot be      
achieved in any less painful way4 ,the  

wise and trustful  child of ,,god       
rejoices in tribulation1 knowing that   
tribulation  worketh patience1          
experience1 hope--a hope that maketh not
 ashamed2  because the love of ,,god is 
shed abroad in our hearts by the ,,holy 
,,ghost which is given unto us4    ,the 
history of ,job is full of instruction1 
and should teach us many  lessons of    
deep interest and great profit4 ,the    
veil is taken away  from the unseen     
world1 and we learn much of the power of
 our great  adversary2 but also of his  
powerlessness apart from the permission 
of  ,,god our ,,father4    ,,god',s     
,,testimony ,,and ,,challenge4  ,the    
,,lord gave1 and the ,,lord hath taken  
away2 blessed be the ,name of  the      
,,lord4--,job i4#ba4    ,in the #hth    
verse of the #ast chapter1 ,,god        
,himself bears testimony to  ,his       
servant3 that there is none like him in 
the earth1 a perfect and  an upright    
man1 one that feareth ,,god1 and        
escheweth evil2 and in the  #bnd chapter

 and #crd verse1 ,he repeats the same   
testimony1 adding3  still he holdeth    
fast his integrity1 although thou       
movedst ,me  against him1 to destroy him
 without cause4 ,stronger testimony to  
the  life which ,,god',s grace enabled  
,job to live can scarcely be imagined4  
,the chastisement that came upon him is 
declared to have been without  cause so 
far as his life and spirit were         
concerned4 ,let us thank ,,god  that the
 same grace which enabled ,job1 so long 
ago1 to live a life  that pleased ,,god 
and received ,his repeated commendation1
 is  unchanged2 and that by it we may   
also live lives that will be            
well-pleasing to ,him with whom we have 
to do4    ,satan would very frequently  
harass the believer in times of sorrow  
and trial by leading him to think that  
,,god is angry with him--that  this is a
 punishment for some unknown offence1   
and many of the  comforts and           
consolations that might otherwise be    
enjoyed may thus be  clouded4 ,do we not

 rather see from the ,word of ,,god that
 ,he is like a  glad father1 delighting 
to be able to encourage a strong healthy
 son  to undertake some athletic feat   
which will entail arduous effort and    
careful training1 or to stimulate him to
 prepare for a difficult  literary      
examination by a prolonged and toilsome 
course of study1  knowing he will obtain
 honours and permanent advantage from   
his  attainments8 ,so1 our ,,heavenly   
,,father delights to trust a trustworthy
  child with a trial in which he can    
bring great glory to ,,god1 and  through
 which he will receive permanent        
enlargement of heart1 and  blessing for 
himself and others4    ,take the case of
 ,abraham3 ,,god so thoroughly trust    
him1 that ,he was  not afraid to call   
upon ,his servant to offer up his       
well-beloved son4  ,and here1 in the    
case of ,job1 it was not ,satan who     
challenged ,,god  about ,job1 but ,,god 
who challenged the arch-enemy1 the      
accuser of the  brethren1 to find any   

flaw in his character1 or failure in his
 life4  ,in each case grace triumphed1  
and in each case patience and fidelity  
were abundantly rewarded2 but more of   
this anon4    ,,the ,,unseen ,,hedge4   
,the reply of ,satan is noteworthy4 ,he 
does not need to ask1 ,which  ,job8 or1 
,where does he live8 ,he had considered 
,,god',s servant1 and  evidently knew   
all about him4 ,how came it that he was 
so well  acquainted with this faithful  
man of ,,god8 ,it may have come about in
  this way3 those subordinate spirits of
 evil who are evidently under  the      
control of ,satan had in vain tried     
ordinary means of temptation  with the  
patriarch4 ,probably reporting their    
want of success to some  of the         
principalities and powers of evil1 these
 likewise had essayed  their diabolical 
arts1 but had not succeeded in leading  
,job to swerve  from his integrity4     
,last of all1 the great arch-enemy      
himself had  found all his own efforts  
ineffectual to harass and lead astray   

,,god',s  beloved servant4 ,he found a  
hedge around him1 and about his         
servants1  and about his house1 and     
about all that he had on every side--an 
entrenchment so strong that he had been 
unable to break through1 so  high that1 
going about as a roaring lion1 he had   
been unable to leap  over1 or to bring  
disaster within the ,,god-protected     
circle4    ,how blessed it must have    
been to dwell so protected6 ,the work of
  ,job's hands was prospered--his       
substance increased in the land1 and  he
 became the greatest as well as the best
 of all the men of the  ,east1 for in   
that day ,,god manifested ,his approval 
largely1 though not  solely1 by the     
bestowal of temporal blessings4    ,is  
there no analogous spiritual blessing to
 be enjoyed now-a-days8  ,thank ,,god1  
there is4 ,every believer may be as     
safely kept and as  fully blessed1      
though1 perhaps1 not in the same way1 as
 ,job--may be  delivered from the power 
of the enemy1 and preserved in a charmed

  circle of perfect peace4 ,the         
conditions are simple1 and are given us 
by the ,apostle ,paul in the #dth       
chapter of ,philippians1 v4 #d-g1       
,rejoice in the ,,lord always 444 ,let  
your moderation your gentleness1  or    
yieldingness be known unto all men4 ,the
 ,,lord is at hand4 ,not  your power of 
resistance of evil1 and of maintaining  
your own  rights2 but your spirit of    
yieldingness1 believing that the ,,lord 
will maintain for you all that is really
 for your good2 and that in  any case1  
,he is at hand1 and will soon abundantly
 reward fidelity to  ,his command4 ,and 
lastly1 ,be careful for nothing2 but in 
everything  by prayer and supplication  
with thanksgiving let your requests be  
made known unto ,,god4 ,and the peace of
 ,,god1 which passeth all               
understanding1 shall keep your hearts   
and minds through ,,christ ,,jesus4     
,how is it that believers so often fail 
to enjoy this promised  blessing8 ,is it
 not that we fail to be anxious for     

nothing1 and to  bring everything by    
prayer and supplication with            
thanksgiving before  ,,god8 ,we may     
bring nine difficulties out of ten to   
,him1 and try to  manage the tenth      
ourselves1 and that one little          
difficulty1 like a  small leak that runs
 the vessel dry1 is fatal to the whole2 
like a  small breach in a city wall1 it 
gives entrance to the power of the  foe4
 ,but if we fulfil the conditions1 ,he  
is certainly faithful1 and  instead of  
our having to keep our hearts and       
minds--our affections  and thoughts--we 
shall find them kept for us4 ,the peace1
 which we can  neither make nor keep1   
will itself1 as a garrison1 keep and    
protect  us1 and the cares and worries  
will strive to enter in vain4    ,,the  
,,testing ,,of ,,job    ,reverting to   
the history of ,job3 the great accuser1 
having no fault  to find with his       
character or life1 insinuates that it is
 all the  result of selfishness4 ,doth  
,job fear ,,god for nought4 ,indeed1 he 

did  not1 as ,satan well knew6 ,nor has 
anyone1 before or since1 ever feared    
,,god for nought4 ,there is no service  
which pays so well as the service  of   
our ,,heavenly ,,master2 there is none  
so royally rewarded4 ,satan was  making 
a true assertion1 but the insinuation he
 connected with it1  that it was for the
 sake of this reward that ,job served   
,,god1 was not  true4    ,to vindicate  
the character of ,job himself in the    
sight of the angels  of ,,god1 as well  
as of the evil spirits1 ,satan is       
permitted to test  ,job1 and take away  
all those treasures for the sake of     
which alone  ,satan imagined1 or        
pretended to imagine1 that ,job was     
serving ,,god4  ,all that he hath1 said 
,,god1 is in thy power2 only upon       
himself put  not forth thine hand4      
,,satan',s ,,malignity4    ,and soon    
,satan showed the malignity of his      
character by bringing  disaster after   
disaster upon the devoted man4 ,by his  
emissaries he  incited the ,sabeans1 and

 they fell upon the oxen and the asses  
feeding beside them1 slaying the        
servants with the edge of the sword1    
suffering one only to escape--and this1 
not in any pity or sympathy1  but that  
he might bear the message to his unhappy
 master1 telling of  the destruction of 
his property and servants4 ,the evil one
 appears1  also1 to have had power to   
bring the lightning from heaven--by     
which  the sheep1 and the servants      
caring for them1 were destroyed4 ,here1 
again1 one servant only was left1 by his
 message to increase the  distress of   
the afflicted man of ,,god4    ,working 
in another direction1 the ,chaldeans    
were led to come in three  bands and    
carry off ,job's camels1 slaying all the
 servants with the  edge of the sword1  
save the one left to convey the evil    
tidings4 ,and1  as if this were not     
sufficient1 even the very children of   
,job1 his  seven sons and three         
daughters--children of so many          
prayers--were  swept away at one blow1  

by a terrible hurricane from the        
wilderness1  which smote the four       
corners of the house so that it fell    
upon them1  leaving only one servant to 
bear witness of the calamity4 ,one only 
of  all his family--his wife--seems to  
have been left to ,job4 ,but so far     
from being a spiritual help to him in   
this hour of sorrow and trial1  she lost
 faith in ,,god2 and when further       
calamity came upon him1 and  he was in  
sore bodily suffering and affliction1   
his trial was added  to by the words of 
his despairing wife3 ,curse ,,god1 and  
die4 ,we see  from this1 that even she  
was left to ,job through no mercy on the
 part  of the great enemy1 but simply to
 fill the cup of affliction to the  full
 in the hour of his extremity4          
,,grace ,,sufficient4    ,but ,he who   
sent the trial gave also the needful    
grace1 and in the  words which we have  
already quoted1 ,job replied3 ,the      
,,lord gave1 and  the ,,lord hath taken 
away2 blessed be the ,name of the       

,,lord4    ,was not ,job mistaken8      
,should he not have said3 ,the ,,lord   
gave1 and  ,satan hath taken away8 ,no1 
there was no mistake4 ,the same grace   
which had enabled him unharmed to       
receive blessing from the hand of       
,,god1 enabled him also to discern the  
hand of ,,god in the calamities  which  
had befallen him4 ,even ,satan himself  
did not presume to ask of  ,,god to be  
allowed himself to afflict ,job4 ,in the
 #ast chapter and the  #aath verse he   
says3 ,put forth ,thine hand now1 and   
touch all that he  hath1 and he will    
curse ,thee to ,thy face2 and in the    
#bnd chapter and  the #eth verse3 ,put  
forth ,thine hand now1 and touch his    
bone and his  flesh1 and he will curse  
,thee to ,thy face4 ,satan knew that    
none but  ,,god could touch ,job2 and   
when ,satan was permitted to afflict    
him1 ,job  was quite right in           
recognising the ,,lord ,himself as the  
doer of these  things which ,he         
permitted to be done4    ,oftentimes    

shall we be helped and blessed if we    
bear this in  mind--that ,satan is      
servant1 and not master1 and that he1   
and wicked  men incited by him are only 
permitted to do that which ,,god by ,his
  determinate counsel and foreknowledge 
has before determined shall be  done4   
,come joy1 or come sorrow1 we may always
 take it from the hand  of ,,god4       
,judas betrayed his ,master with a kiss4
 ,our ,,lord did not stop short at      
,judas1 not did ,he even stop at the    
great enemy who filled the heart  of    
,judas to do this thing2 but ,he said3  
the cup which ,my ,,father hath  given  
me1 shall ,i not drink it8 ,how the     
tendency to resentment and a  wrong     
feeling would be removed1 could we take 
an injury from the hand  of a loving    
,,father1 instead of looking chiefly at 
the agent through  whom it comes to us6 
,it matters not who is the postman--it  
is with  the writer of the letter that  
we are concerned3 it matters not who is 
the messenger--it is with ,,god that    

,his children have to do4    ,we        
conclude1 therefore1 that ,job was not  
mistaken1 and that we shall  not be     
mistaken if we follow his example1 in   
accepting all ,,god',s  providential    
dealings1 as from ,himself4 ,we may be  
sure that they will  issue in ultimate  
blessing2 because ,,god is ,,god1 and1  
therefore1 all  things work together for
 good to them that love ,him4           
,,deeper ,,trials4    ,job's trial1     
however1 was not completed1 as we have  
seen1 when his  property was removed4   
,when the ,,lord challenged ,satan a    
second time3  ,hast thou considered my  
servant ,job 444 8 ,satan has no word of
  commendation1 but a further           
insinuation3 ,skin for skin1 yea1 all   
that a man hath will he give for his    
life 444 touch his bone and his  flesh1 
and he will curse ,thee to ,thy face4   
,receiving further  permission to       
afflict him bodily1 but with the charge 
withal to save  his life1 ,satan went   
forth from the presence of the ,,lord1  

and smote  ,job with sore boils from the
 sole of his foot to his crown4    ,the 
pain of his disease1 the loathsomeness  
of his appearance1 must  have been very 
great2 when his friends came to see him 
they knew him  not4 ,his skin was broken
 and had become loathsome2 his flesh was
  clothed with worms and clods of dust4 
,days of vanity and wearisome  nights   
followed in sad succession2 his rest at 
night was scared by  dreams and         
terrified through visions2 so that1     
without ease or  respite1 strangling    
would have been a relief to him1 and    
death chosen  rather than life4 ,but of 
death there was no danger1 for ,satan   
had  been charged not to touch his life4
    ,his kinsfolk failed him1 and his   
familiar friends seem to have  forgotten
 him4 ,those who dwelt in his house     
counted him as a  stranger1 and his     
servant gave no answer to his call when 
he  entreated help from him4 ,nay1 worse
 than all1 his own wife turned  from    
him1 and in his grief he exclaimed3 ,my 

breath is strange to my  wife1 though ,i
 entreated for the children's sake of   
mine own body4  ,no wonder that those   
who looked on thought that ,,god        
,himself had  become his enemy4    ,yet 
it was not so4 ,with a tender ,father's 
love ,,god was watching all  the time2  
and when the testing had lasted long    
enough to vindicate  the power of       
,,god',s grace1 and to prepare ,job     
himself for fuller  blessing1 then the  
afflictions were taken away2 and in     
place of the  temporary trial1 songs of 
deliverance were vouchsafed to him4     
,,the ,,loving-,,kindness ,,of ,,the    
,,lord4    ,nor was the blessing ,,god  
gave to ,his servant a small one4       
,during this  time of affliction1 which1
 perhaps1 was not very prolonged1 ,job  
learned lessons1 which all his life of  
prosperity had been unable to  teach    
him4 ,the mistakes he made in the       
hastiness of his spirit were  corrected2
 his knowledge of ,,god was deepened and
 increased2 he had  learned to know ,him

 better than he could have done in any  
other way4  ,he exclaimed that he had   
heard of ,him previously1 by the hearing
 of  the ear1 and knew ,,god by hearsay 
only2 but that now his eye saw ,him1    
and that his acquaintance with ,,god had
 become that which was the  result of   
personal knowledge1 and not of mere     
report4 ,all his  self-righteousness was
 gone3 he abhorred himself in dust and  
ashes4    ,then1 when he prayed for his 
friends1 the ,,lord removed the sorrow1 
restored to him the love and friendship 
of those who previously were  for the   
time alienated1 and blessed the latter  
end of ,job more than  the beginning4   
,his sheep1 his camels1 his oxen1 and   
his asses1 were  doubled4 ,again seven  
sons and three daughters were granted to
 him1  and thus the number of his       
children also was doubled2 for those who
  were dead were not lost1 they had only
 gone before4 ,and after all  this1 ,job
 lived #adj years1 and saw his children1
 and grandchildren1  to the fourth      

generation2 and finally died1 being old 
and full of  days4    ,may we not well  
say that if ,job's prosperity was       
blessed prosperity1  his adversity1     
likewise1 was blessed adversity8        
,weeping may endure  for a night1 but   
joy cometh in the morning2 and the night
 of weeping  will bear a fruit more rich
 and permanent than any day of rejoicing
  could produce4 ,the evening and the   
morning were the first day4  ,light out 
of darkness is ,,god',s order1 and if   
sometimes our ,heavenly  ,,father can   
trust us with a trial1 it is a sure     
presage that1 if by  grace the trial is 
accepted1 ,he will ere long trust us    
with a  blessing4    ,in this day1 when 
material causes are so much dwelt upon  
that there  is danger of forgetting the 
unseen agencies1 let us not lose sight  
of  the existence and reality of our    
unseen spiritual foes4 ,many a child  of
 ,,god knows what it is to have sore    
conflict with flesh and blood2  and yet1
 as says the ,apostle1 ,we wrestle not  

against flesh and  blood1 but against   
444 wicked spirits in heavenly places   
7margin74  ,it would be comparatively   
easy to deal with our visible foes1 if  
the  invisible foes were not behind     
them4 ,with foes so mighty and1 apart   
from ,,god',s protecting care1 so       
utterly irresistible1 we should be      
helpless indeed if unprotected and      
unarmed4    ,we need to put on the whole
 armor of ,,god1 and to be not ignorant 
of  ,satan's devices4 ,let us not1 on   
the other hand1 lose sight of the       
precious truth that ,,god alone is      
,almighty2 that ,,god is our ,helper1   
our ,protector1 and our ,shield1 as well
 as our exceeding great ,reward4  ,if   
,,god be for us1 who can be against us8 
,let us always be on ,his  side1 seeking
 to carry out ,his purposes2 then the   
power of ,,god will  always be with us1 
and we shall be made more than          
conquerors through  ,him that loved us4 
,coming to the ,king4      ,and ,king   
,solomon gave unto the ,queen of ,sheba 

all her desire1  whatsoever she asked1  
beside that which ,solomon gave her of  
his royal  bounty4--#a ,kings x4 #ac4   
,the beautiful history recorded in the  
chapter from which the above  words are 
quoted is deeply instructive to those   
who have learned to  recognise ,,christ 
in the ,scriptures4 ,the reference to   
this narrative  by our ,,lord ,himself  
was surely designed to draw our         
attention to it1  and gives it an added 
interest4 ,the blessings1 too1 received 
by the  ,queen of ,sheba were of no     
ordinary kind4 ,she was not only pleased
  with her reception1 and with what she 
saw1 but all her difficulties  were     
removed1 all her petitions were granted1
 all her desire was  fulfilled4 ,she was
 satisfied--so satisfied that1 with glad
 and  thankful heart1 she turned and    
went away to her own country to fulfil  
the duties which1 in the providence of  
,,god1 devolved upon her4    ,if we may 
learn from this narrative how to        
approach the ,antitype of  ,king        

,solomon1 and to receive from ,him      
blessings as much greater than  those   
received by the ,queen of ,sheba as     
,,christ is greater than  ,solomon1 we  
shall not meditate without profit on    
this portion of  ,scripture4    ,in many
 respects we resemble the ,queen of     
,sheba4 ,though of royal  birth1 she was
 doubtless1 like the bride in the ,song 
of ,solomon1  black1 because the sun had
 looked upon her4 ,the post which she   
was  called to occupy was no easy one2  
in her own life1 and in her duty        
towards others1 she found many hard     
questions to which she saw no  solution4
 ,she heard of one reigning in the power
 of the ,,lord1 whose  wisdom exceeded  
that of the wisest of men1 and who1 if  
any one could1  might afford her the    
help that she needed4 ,she felt sure    
that the  reports that she heard of his 
wisdom and of his acts were             
exaggerated2 yet1 even allowing for     
this1 she was prepared to take a  long  
and difficult journey that she might see

 his face and prove for  herself how far
 her difficulties could be solved by    
him4 ,and she came  not empty-handed2   
she came not only to receive1 but also  
to give1  with a very great train1 with 
camels that bare spices1 and very much  
gold1 and precious stones1 not because  
she thought ,solomon poor and  needy1   
but because she knew of his magnificence
 she sought to bring  gifts worthy of   
his royal dignity1 and so coming she was
 not  disappointed4    ,her long journey
 accomplished1 she reached ,jerusalem1  
and was granted  the audience with the  
great king which her soul craved4 ,she  
not only  unburdened her camels1 she    
unburdened her own heart1 and found that
  her difficult questions were no       
difficulty to him4 ,solomon told her    
all her questions3 there was not any    
thing hid from the king1 which  he told 
her not4 ,and so gracious was he that1  
without restraint1  she communed with   
him of all that was in her heart4       
,surely this  utter opening of the heart

 implies a great deal4 ,to none but the 
true  ,solomon can we give such         
confidence1 but to ,him we may lay bare 
the  innermost recesses of our souls1   
and bring the questions1 difficult1     
perplexing1 or sad1 which we could      
breathe into no human ear4    ,we know  
what came of the questionings1 in the   
case of the ,queen of  ,sheba1 as to    
whether ,solomon really could be all    
that some  enthusiasts had reported4    
,when she had seen his wisdom1 and the  
house  that he had built1 his state and 
his magnificence1 and his ascent by     
which he went up into the house of the  
,,lord1 there was no more spirit  in    
her2 and she said to the king1 ,it was a
 true report that ,i heard  in mine own 
land of thy acts and of thy wisdom4     
,howbeit ,i believed  not the words1    
until ,i came1 and mine eyes had seen   
it2 and1 behold1  the half was not told 
me3 thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth 
the  fame which ,i heard4 ,happy are thy
 men1 happy are these thy servants1     

which stand continually before thee1 and
 that hear thy wisdom4  ,blessed be the 
,,lord thy ,,god1 which delighteth in   
thee1 to set thee on  the throne of     
,israel3 because the ,,lord loved       
,israel for ever1  therefore made ,he   
thee king1 to do judgment and justice4  
,was there not the true spirit of       
prophecy in these words8 ,solomon has   
passed away1 and all his magnificence2  
the pleasant land is to this  day       
desolate under the power of the ,turk2  
but the ,,lord has loved  ,israel for   
ever1 and soon a ,king shall reign in   
,mount ,zion before  ,his ancients      
gloriously4 ,but meanwhile this ,,king1 
all unseen to  human sense1 is reigning1
 and to those who come to ,him in no    
sordid  spirit1 but gladly consecrating 
the wealth of their heart's affection   
and the most worthy gifts they          
possess--to those who feel enriched by  
,his acceptance of their gifts1 and find
 pleasure in bestowing on ,him  for ,his
 service the best they can offer--to    

such there is still given  the opening  
of heart and opening of eye to behold   
the ,,king in ,his  beauty1 and to find 
all needed present solution of every    
hard  question4    ,do we not often give
 to a poor ,,christ rather than to a    
rich one8 ,are  we not sometimes        
unwilling to give until we know ,his    
work to be in  straits1 and sometimes   
its very existence imperilled8 ,are not 
our  hearts oft times more moved by the 
recital of human needs than by          
,,christ',s claim for the prosecution of
 the one work for which ,he has  left   
,his ,church on earth8 ,a famine in     
,india1 a flood in ,china1 is  more     
potent to bring temporal relief than the
 continual famine of the  bread of life 
and of the increasing floods of heathen 
ungodliness4 ,it  is well1 it is        
,,christ-like1 to minister temporal     
relief to suffering  humanity1 but shall
 the deep longings and thirstings of    
,his soul1 and  the impressiveness of   
,his last command ere ,he ascended on   

high1 be  less urgent8 ,how many of the 
parents who refuse to let son or        
daughter go into the mission-field would
 refuse the ,queen of ,england  were she
 to confer the honour of a mission on   
their beloved children8  ,do we         
recognize the majesty of the ,king of   
,glory1 and the immortal  honor that    
appertains to ,his service8 ,to those   
who do1 the glad  exclamations of the   
,queen of ,sheba afford well-suited     
expressions3  ,happy are ,thy subjects1 
happy are ,thy servants which stand     
continually before ,thee and hear ,thy  
wisdom4    ,to the ,queen of ,sheba1    
however1 more was given than to those   
happy  subjects or to those servants who
 served the king in their own land4  ,to
 her was given1 as an eye-witness of the
 majesty of the king1 as a  glad        
participant of his bounty1 to return to 
the far-off land1 and to  testify to    
those to whom1 if they had heard at all1
 the half had not  been told4 ,not as   
she came did she return1 with a longing1

 yearning1  unsatisfied heart1 with     
duties to discharge for which she had   
not the  wisdom2--with a royal dignity  
indeed1 but one which brought not rest  
to her own spirit4 ,now she had seen the
 king1 now all her desire was  met2 and 
the glorious king1 after thus           
marvelously satisfying her1  had further
 overwhelmed her with unthought-of gifts
 of his own royal  bounty6    ,do we    
know much of this1 beloved friends8 ,has
 ,,christ become to us  such a living   
bright reality that no post of duty     
shall be irksome1  that as ,his         
witnesses we can return to the quiet    
home side1 or to the  distant service   
among the heathen1 with hearts more than
 glad1 more  than satisfied2 and most   
glad1 most satisfied1 when most sad and 
most  stripped1 it may be1 of earthly   
friends and treasures8 ,let us put all  
our treasures into ,his hand2 then ,he  
will never need to take them  from us on
 account of heart idolatry2 and if in   
wisdom and love ,he  remove them for a  

time1 ,he will leave no vacuum1 but     
,himself will  fill the void1 ,himself  
wipe away the tear4    ,there is yet    
more for us than it was possible to give
 to the ,queen of  ,sheba4 ,king        
,solomon had to send her away1 he could 
not go with her2  while1 though we have 
to leave the conference or convention1  
or the  early hour of holy closet       
communion with our ,,lord1 for the      
ordinary  duties of daily life1 our     
,solomon goes with us1 nay1 dwells in   
us1 to  meet each fresh need and to     
solve each fresh perplexity as it       
arises4  ,we have ,his word1 ,i will    
never leave thee1 never fail thee1 never
  forsake thee4 ,satisfied and filled to
 begin with1 we have the  ,,satisfier1  
the ,,filler1 with us and in us4 ,when  
,he says1 ,whom shall  ,we send and who 
will go for ,us8 ,he means to send us on
 no lonely  errand1 but on one which    
will give to ,him a better opportunity  
of  revealing ,himself1 and to us of    
finding out the greatness of ,his       

loving heart4 ,who will not answer ,him1
 ,here am ,i1 send me2 or1  ,here are   
mine1 send them8          ,a ,full      
,reward4      ,it hath fully been shewed
 me1 all that thou hast done 444 and how
  thou hast left they father and thy    
mother1 and the land of thy  nativity1  
and art come unto a people which thou   
knewest not  heretofore4 ,the ,,lord    
recompense thy work1 and a full reward  
be given  thee of the ,,lord ,,god of   
,israel1 under whose wings thou art come
 to  trust 7,ruth ii4 #aa1 #ab74    ,in 
this interesting narrative we have      
another instance of the way in  which   
the ,,holy ,,ghost teaches by typical   
lives4 ,we have dwelt on some  precious 
lessons taught us of our ,,king by the  
account of the coming  of the ,queen of 
,sheba to ,king ,solomon4 ,there we were
 specially taught  how our hard         
questions are to be solved1 and our     
hearts to be fully  satisfied4 ,here a  
still higher lesson is give us3 ,how to 
serve so as  to obtain a full reward1   

while as to the nature of that full     
reward  no little light is given us4    
,to us these lessons are of special     
interest1 as bearing on missions  to    
foreign nations1 and perhaps they       
somewhat explain why ,he who  delights  
to bless1 and is able to bless the      
obedient soul1 said so  emphatically1   
,go1 teach all nations2 ,go ye into all 
the world4  ,the service of ,,god is a  
delightful privilege anywhere4 ,those   
who stay  at home1 however1 need to     
become strangers and pilgrims there4    
,this  is not always easy to do in the  
present day2 and many fail1 and  forget 
their true position4 ,to those who are  
permitted to labour in  foreign lands1  
there is a lessened danger in this      
respect2 and hence  many obtain a fuller
 joy in present service1 and look       
forward to a  fuller reward by-and-by1  
than they anticipated ere they left all 
for  ,,jesus' sake4    ,ruth was by     
nature a stranger to the commonwealth of
 ,israel1 but by  marriage with an      

,israelite was brought amongst that     
people4 ,on the  death of her husband1  
she still clave to her mother-in-law and
 to her  ,,god1 the ,,god of ,israel4   
,she so esteemed her privileged position
 that  for it she left her native land  
and all its enjoyments2 left parents1   
relatives and friends1 and all those    
attractions that led ,orpah to  return  
to ,moab4 ,to her it was better to be   
the companion of her  mother-in-law1    
poor and desolate as she was1 than to   
enjoy for a  season what in ,moab might 
have been hers4    ,this sacrifice was  
so real that ,naomi1 much as she loved  
her  daughter-in-law1 and desolate as   
she would be without her1 felt she      
could not wish it for her own sake      
merely2 but when ,ruth said1 ,thy       
people shall by my people1 and thy ,,god
 my ,,god1 she had no further  doubt to 
suggest1 and no further obstacle to put 
in her way4 ,if  companionship with one 
of ,,god',s poor servants is so         
precious1 what  shall we say to ,him who

 exhorts us1 ,go6 444 and1 lo1 ,i am    
with you8  ,is ,he not saying3 ,the good
 ,,shepherd must seek the wandering     
sheep  until ,he find them4 ,go ye1 too1
 and seek them1 and in so doing you     
shall find ,my companionship ensured8   
,shall we decline this fellowship  with 
,him1 and leave ,him1 so far as we are  
concerned1 to seek them  alone8    ,we  
next find ,ruth toiling in the burning  
sun as a gleaner1 and there  she meets  
for the first time the lord of the      
harvest4 ,the beauty of  the narrative  
of ,boaz saluting his reapers with1 ,thy
 ,,lord be with  you1 and their reply1  
,the ,,lord bless thee1 must delight    
every  reader4 ,and poor ,ruth1 too     
though not a reaper--only a gleaner--is 
made most welcome1 and encouraged to    
remain in the fields of ,boaz  until all
 the reaping is done4 ,with touching    
simplicity and humility  the grateful   
gleaner replies1 ,why have ,i found     
grace in thine eyes1  that thou         
shouldest take knowledge of me1 seeing  

,i am a stranger8  ,then the lord of the
 harvest responds in the words we have  
quoted at  the head of the paper1 ,it   
hath fully been showed me1 all that thou
  hast done1 etc4    ,let us then turn  
from ,boaz to the true ,,lord of the    
,harvest4 ,does ,he  meet us there1     
toiling in the heat of the summer's sun8
 ,knowing fully  all we have done1 does 
that knowledge bring joy to ,his heart8 
and is  it a joy to us to know that ,he 
knows all8 ,our risen and glorious      
,,lord1 so wonderfully described in     
,rev4 i1 still walks in the midst of    
the golden candlesticks4 ,can ,he say to
 us1 ,i know thy works1 with  no word of
 rebuke8 or do we feel the blush of     
shame as the eye as a  flame of fire    
rests upon us8 ,and now1 little         
children1 abide in  ,him2 that1 when ,he
 shall appear1 we may have confidence1  
and not be  ashamed before ,him at ,his 
coming4    ,let us all leave the        
fatherland of the world1 and at least   
become  strangers and pilgrims in it4   

,let us all toil in some way or other in
  the great harvest-field1 and if we may
 lawfully do so1 let us not be  slow to 
obey the command to go1 teach all       
nations4 ,where the need  is greatest   
let us be found gladly obeying the      
,,master',s command4 ,for  it is in the 
harvest-field1 it is among the reapers1 
that we shall  find ,him4    ,there is  
no ,christian service in which faith    
must not be in lively  exercise4 ,at    
home1 abroad1 connected with this branch
 of ,,god',s work  or that1 without     
faith it is impossible to please ,him4  
,paul may  plant1 ,apollos water2 ,,god 
only gives the increase4 ,every true    
minister of ,,god1 every true           
missionary1 every true ,sunday-school   
teacher and ,christian worker is a      
faith-worker4 ,but in the foreign  field
 workers are peculiarly cast on ,,god4  
,there are special dangers  and         
difficulties1 special weaknesses and    
needs that bring ,,god very             
near--nearer than most of the workers   

realised ,him to be while they  remained
 at home4 ,and to those who have gone   
out without human  guarantee of support1
 who do not know when the next help may 
reach  them1 not its amount1 there is an
 additional link with the great  loving 
heart of our ,,father and our ,,god that
 is unspeakably precious  and welcome4  
,may we not say that in ever position of
 life when we are weak in  ourselves1   
our friends1 our circumstances1 then are
 we strongest in  ,him8 ,and when in our
 great needs1 for ourselves or for the  
souls  around us1 we lay hold on ,,god  
and say1 ,my soul1 wait thou ,,only upon
  ,,god2 for my expectation is from     
,him1 what rest and security and        
certainty come into the waiting soul4   
,and ah6 ,when labouring in this  spirit
 how words like those of our heavenly   
,boaz come home to the  heart4 ,the     
,,lord recompense thy work1 and a full  
reward be given thee  of the ,,lord     
,,god of ,israel1 under whose wings thou
 art come to trust4  ,happy toiler in   

,china6 ,happy toiler at ,home6 ,if it  
is sometimes dark1  the shadow is but   
the shadow of ,his wing1 under which    
thou art  abiding1 under which thou art 
come to trust4    ,we will not prolong  
this meditation4 ,he who comforted and  
blessed the  lonely gleaner while the   
harvest lasted1 became her husband when 
the  harvest toil was past4 ,it was thus
 the ,,lord recompensed her work4       
,israel was not blessed apart from her1 
for ,david the deliverer1 and  ,solomon 
the glory of ,israel1 were born of the  
seed which ,boaz had  through her4 ,soon
 shall come the glorious day of the     
espousals of  ,,christ and ,his ,church4
 ,with her ,he will come to deliver     
,israel and to  judge the world and even
 the angels4 ,ruth little knew the      
honour and  happiness awaiting her when 
she left all for ,,god and ,his people4 
,we  know the purposes of ,,god',s grace
 and the glories in store for us4  ,what
 manner of men1 then1 should we be2 and 
how earnest and faithful  in the little 

time which awaits us before we are      
called to our  reward1 and to meet ,him 
in the air8 ,when ,he says1 ,go6 ,shall 
we reply1  ,no8 ,when ,he asks us to    
continue in ,his harvest till the       
reaping is  over1 shall we say ,him1    
,nay8          ,under the ,shepherd's   
,care4      ,a ,,new ,,year',s          
,,address4    ,for ye were as sheep     
going astray2 but are now returned unto 
the  ,shepherd and ,bishop of your      
souls4--#a ,peter ii4 #be4    ,ye were  
as sheep going astray4 ,this is         
evidently addressed to  believers4 ,we  
were like sheep1 blindly1 willfully     
following an unwise  leader4 ,not only  
were we following ourselves1 but we in  
our turn have  led others astray4 ,this 
is true of all of us3 ,all we like sheep
 have  gone astray2 all equally foolish1
 we have turned every one to his  own   
way4 ,our first though has been1 ,i like
 this1 or ,i don't like  that2 never    
thinking what the ,,lord would prefer1  
we have just  followed our own          

inclinations4 ,so terribly astray were  
we that  nothing less than the          
life-blood of our good ,,shepherd could 
atone for  our sin1 and save us from its
 power and its penalty4 ,in ,isaiah     
liii41  we learn the substitutionary    
character of the death of ,,christ      
unmistakably1 as also in the verse      
before our text4 ,the ,,god of the      
,bible is a ,,god who punishes sin1 and 
cannot pardon without atonement4  ,the  
substitution of the innocent victim for 
the guilty offerer is so  clearly taught
 from ,genesis to ,revelation1 that he  
must be blind  indeed who does not see  
it4 ,praise ,,god our                   
,,kinsman-,,redeemer has paid  our debt2
 and with ,his stripes we are healed4   
,,ii4 ,,but ,,are ,,now ,,returned      
,,unto ,,the ,,shepherd ,,and ,,bishop  
,,of ,,your  ,,souls4 ,far astray as we 
were1 by ,his grace we have been brought
 back  again1 and now we are            
returned--some of us scarcely returning 
so  much as being carried to the fold by

 our loving ,,shepherd4 ,and it is  so  
blessed to realize that now we are not  
without a ,,master1 a ,,leader1  a      
,,head4 ,we were intended to be         
followers4 ,we always do follow2 but1   
alas6 ,we did not follow the right      
,,master4 ,now the right ,,master has   
found us2 and instead of following our  
own foolish lead1 we want to  follow    
,his wise lead4 ,and it is most restful 
to realize that we are  not left to live
 a life at the mercy of circumstances1  
or to walk in  our own wisdom4 ,we can  
never foresee the future2 we never fully
  understand the present4 ,how dangerous
 would be our position were we  left    
alone6 ,but as believers we have been   
brought back2 we are now  returned unto 
the ,,shepherd and ,,bishop of our      
souls4    ,,iii4 ,how blessed it is to  
have such a ,,shepherd1 ,,bishop1       
,,overseer1 ,one  who is continually    
watching over us in order to provide and
 lead1 to  sustain and deliver1 to meet 
and supply our every need6 ,all is found

  in ,,christ ,,jesus2 in ,his presence1
 in ,his power1 in ,his love may we     
more and more rest6    ,i have          
frequently thought of words ,i had the  
privilege of hearing  some years ago    
from ,professor ,charteris at a united  
,communion service  for students in     
,edinburgh4 ,he said that there had been
 one life on  earth of steady1          
uninterrupted development from the      
cradle to the  ,cross2 but that there   
had only been one such life1 for the    
true  ,christian life always began where
 the life of ,,christ ended1 at the     
,cross2 and that its true development is
 towards the cradle1 until the  child of
 ,,god in the child-like simplicity of  
faith can rest in the  omnipotent arms  
of infinite ,,wisdom and ,,love4 ,is not
 this the growth  and development we    
long for1 in order that we may be among 
those to  whom ,,god will reveal the    
things which are hidden from the wise   
and  prudent8 ,the more we rest on this 
fact1--that we do not know the way  we  

are going1 but that we have a ,,guide   
who does know2 that we do not  know how 
to accomplish our service1 but that ,he 
never leaves us to  devise our own      
service2--the more restful does our life
 become4 ,then  we find we have just to 
do this--to look to our ,,saviour to be 
filled  with ,his perfections2 not to be
 fretting and fuming as to how the      
divine life shall manifest itself1 but  
to leave the life to work  spontaneously
 through us4 ,a heavy bunch of grapes on
 a tender shoot  would break it2 but let
 the shoot abide in the vine it will    
grow  stronger1 and as the fruit        
develops1 the strength of the branch    
will  increase also1 and the life left  
to its own natural and healthy          
development will in due time be brought 
to perfection    ,as we look forward to 
the months of this year1 we know not    
where the  close will find us2 whether  
here or in the eternal ,home4 ,we know  
not  what burdens1 perplexities1 or     
difficulties it may bring2 but we know  

,him1 whose we are1 and whom we serve4  
,,he knows all2 this suffices for  us4  
,i have been looking at a few passages  
which bring out the care of our  ,,lord 
for ,his people3--    7#a7 #b ,tim4 ii4 
#ai1 ,the foundation of ,,god standeth  
sure1 having this  seal1 ,the ,,lord    
knoweth them that are ,his4--,the ,,lord
 knows every one  of ,his own4 ,we may  
not know them4 ,we may make mistakes if 
we judge of  others4 ,some may be ,his1 
and we may be unaware of it4 ,the ,,lord
 knows  them that are ,his4 ,this is a  
safe foundation4 ,we1 too1 know in our  
souls whether the ,,lord is indwelling  
us1 whether ,his peace fills us1        
sustains and blesses us4    7#b7 ,nahum 
i4 #g1 ,the ,,lord is good1 a stronghold
 in the day of  trouble2 and ,he knoweth
 them that trust in ,him4--,he has a    
special  knowledge of those who put     
their trust in ,him4 ,though our trust  
at  times is very poor1 yet1 if there be
 any trust at all in ,him1 we can  say1 
,help thou mine unbelief4 ,he knows we  

want to trust ,him better4    7#c7      
,psalm ciii4 #ad1 ,he knoweth our frame2
 ,he remembereth that we are            
dust4--,our ,,shepherd knows our        
weakness4 ,he never lays more upon us   
than we are able to bear4    7#d7 ,psalm
 i4 #f1 ,the ,,lord knoweth the way of  
the righteous4--,there  may be          
difficulties in our path2 we do not     
foresee them1 but ,he knows  them2 and  
when ,he puts forth ,his sheep ,he does 
not leave them to meet  difficulties as 
best they can1 but ,he goes before them4
    7#e7 ,job said 7xxiii4 #aj7 ,he     
knoweth the way that ,i take4--,job did 
not understand the way the ,,lord was   
leading him4 ,he was bewildered by  the 
,,lord's dealings with him2 but he had  
this comfort1 ,he knoweth  the way that 
,i take4 ,so when we cannot understand  
,,god',s dealings  with us we may rest  
on the same truth4    7#f7 ,psalm xliv4 
#ba1 ,he knoweth the secrets of the     
heart4--,we are  often brought into     
circumstances of trial and              

misunderstanding4  ,people imagine that 
this or that discipline is the fruit of 
this or  that sin4 ,the ,,lord knoweth  
the secrets of the heart4 ,if we are    
unjustly accused or suspected1 if it is 
asserted that we have  forgotten the    
name of our ,,god1 ,,god knows the      
secrets of our hearts4  ,sometimes we   
have trials which we cannot put into    
prayer2 the ,,lord  knows the secrets of
 our heart4 ,there are things that      
affect us1 and  yet we cannot understand
 how it is that we are so affected by   
them4  ,he knoweth the secrets of the   
heart4    7#g7 #b ,peter ii4 #i1 ,the   
,,lord knoweth how to deliver the godly 
out of  temptations1 and to reserve the 
unjust unto the day of judgment to be   
punished4--,sometimes we are involved in
 trial because of our  connection with  
others4 ,,god knew how to punish the old
 world and save  ,noah--how to punish   
,sodom and save ,lot4    7#h7 ,then we  
have many needs4 ,we are like children1 
we need to be  helped continually1 and  

our ,,saviour reminds us 7,matt4 vi4 #h1
 #cb7 that  our heavenly ,,father       
knoweth what things we have need of2 and
 that  if we are only concerned to seek 
first the ,kingdom of ,,god1 and ,his   
righteousness1 all these things shall be
 added unto us4 ,so that we  have no    
need to be anxious about to-morrow4 ,it 
is quite sufficient  that we have a     
,,shepherd1 ,,overseer1 ,,friend who    
undertakes to provide  for it all4      
,nay1 as he told us in ,psalm lxxxiv4   
#aa1 ,he himself is a sun to give  us   
light in all times of darkness1 and a   
shield to protect us in  danger4 ,the   
grace that we need for ,his service now1
 and the glory  that shall soon crown   
it1 are all in ,him1 and all for us2    
for1 ,no  good thing will he withhold   
from them that walk uprightly4 ,not1    
from  them that walk perfectly1 or      
sinlessly--no on does that2 not1 from   
them that are blameless--though we all  
should be that2 but if we are  honestly 
and uprightly seeking to serve ,him1 no 

good thing will he  withhold4 ,what a   
rich promise this is6    ,,iv4 ,in      
conclusion3 ,are we all enjoying this   
precious truth8 ,are we  all able to    
take this passage to ourselves and say1 
,i was a sheep  going astray1 but ,i am 
returned8 ,can we all feel it is true   
for  ourselves8 ,if there be one who    
cannot do so1 the ,,shepherd1 the       
,,bishop1 is really present1 though     
unseen2 ,he is here ready to receive    
those who will return now4 ,come unto   
,me1 is ,his word4 ,if there is  one    
burdened with sin1 ,he is ready to      
pardon4 ,if there is one  burdened with 
care1 ,he is present to receive your    
care4 ,the ,,lord  ,,jesus is waiting3  
waiting to take every burden away1 to   
accept every  deposit1 to fulfil every  
trust we confide in ,him4 ,he will be   
faithful  to keep that which we commit  
to ,him4 ,we can entrust to ,him the    
keeping of our hearts1 the ordering of  
our lives1 the care of our  children1   
the converts whom ,,god has given us1   

the word to which ,he  has called us4   
,we may trust ,him to keep us1 in       
employments in which  we are brought    
into contact with the ungodly2 yes1     
whatever we commit  to ,him1 ,he is able
 to keep4    ,if we have come to ,him1  
with what blessedness may we go forward 
into  this year4 ,we have not passed    
this way heretofore4 ,we know not what  
burdens the ,,lord has for us to bear1  
or what blessings in store4 ,we  need   
not be afraid1 if ,he gives great       
blessing that ,he will let us  become   
puffed up2 or that great difficulties   
will be too much for us  while trusting 
in ,him4 ,that which was never meant for
 our strength  will be met by ,his      
strength4 ,may we be a docile flock1    
willing to be  cared for by ,him1 and   
every blessing will then be ours6       
,self-,denial versus ,self-,assertion4  
,if any man will come after ,me1 let him
 deny himself1 and take up his  cross   
daily1 and follow ,me4--,,luke ix4 #bc4 
,we might naturally have thought that if

 there was one thing in the  life of the
 ,,lord ,,jesus ,,christ which belonged 
to ,him alone1 it was ,his              
cross-bearing4 ,to guard against so     
natural a mistake1 the ,,holy ,,ghost   
has taken care in gospel and in epistle 
to draw our special attention  to the   
oneness of the believer with ,,christ in
 cross-bearing2 and also  to prevent    
misunderstanding as to the character of 
,christian  cross-bearing1 and the      
constancy of its obligation4 ,the ,,lord
 ,,jesus1  in the words we are          
considering1 teaches us that if any man1
 no  matter who he may be1 will be ,his 
disciple1 he must--not he may--deny     
himself and take up his cross daily and 
follow his ,,lord4    ,is there not a   
needs-be for this exhortation8 ,are not 
self-indulgence  and self-assertion     
temptations to which we are ever        
exposed1 and to  which we constantly    
give way1 without even a thought of the 
un-,christliness of such conduct8 ,that 
we owe something to ,,god all           

,christians admit2 and it may be hoped  
that the number of those is  increasing 
who recognise ,his claim to some        
proportionate part of  their income4    
,but our ,,master claims much more than 
a part of our  property1 of our time1 of
 our affections4 ,if we are saved at    
all1 we  are not our own in any sense1  
we are bought with a price3 our bodies  
we must present to ,him2 our whole life 
must be for ,,god4    ,self-denial      
surely means something far greater than 
some slight  insignificant lessening of 
our self-indulgences6 ,when ,peter      
denied  ,,christ1 he utterly disowned   
,him and disallowed ,his claims4 ,in    
this  way we are called to deny self1   
and to do it daily1 if we would be      
,,christ's disciples indeed4 ,i don't   
like this1 or1 ,i do like that1  must   
not be allowed2 the only question must  
daily be1 ,what would  ,,jesus like8    
,and ,his mind and will1 once           
ascertained1 must  unhesitatingly be    
carried out4    ,as believers1 we claim 

to have been crucified together with    
,,christ2  and ,paul understood this1   
not merely imputatively but practically4
  ,that cross put the world to death as 
regards ,paul1 and put ,paul to  death  
as regards the world4 ,to the ,apostle  
nothing could have been  more practical4
 ,he does not say1 ,i take up my cross  
daily1 in the  light1 modern sense of   
the expression2 but puts it rather as   
dying  daily2 and therefore1 as one in  
deaths oft1 he was never surprised1  or 
stumbled by any hardship or danger      
involved in his work4    ,we wish1      
however1 to draw attention to another   
aspect of self-denial  which is often   
overlooked1 and perhaps we shall do this
 most  intelligibly by use of the       
antithetical expression1 self-assertion4
  ,what does the ,word of ,,god teach us
 about our rights1 our claims1 our      
dues8 ,does it not teach us that        
condemnation1 banishment1 eternal       
misery1 are our own deserts8 ,as        
unbelievers1 we were condemned          

criminals2 as believers1 we are pardoned
 criminals2 and whatever of  good is    
found in us is but imparted1 and to     
,,god alone is due the  praise4 ,can we1
 then1 consistently with such a         
position1 be  self-asserting and        
self-claimant8    ,it is clear that if  
we choose to remit a claim due to us by 
one who  is free and our equal1 that may
 not invalidate or affect his claim on  
his neighbour--no matter whether that   
claim be larger or smaller than  the one
 we remitted4 ,but what did our         
,,saviour intend to teach us by  the    
parable of ,matthew xviii4 #bc-ce8      
,there the ,king and ,master and  ,owner
 of a slave remits ,his claim in        
clemency and pity 7and does so1  as our 
,,lord elsewhere clearly shows1 on      
express condition of ,his  servant's    
forgiving as he is forgiven--,matthew   
vi4 #ad1 #ae72 can that  slave1 under   
these circumstances1 assert and claim   
his rights over  his fellow8    ,and is 
not this principle of non-assertion1    

this aspect of  self-denial1 a          
far-reaching one8 ,did our ,,lord claim 
,his rights before  ,pilate's bar1 and  
assert ,himself2 or did ,his self-denial
 and  cross-bearing go the length of    
waiting for ,his ,,father',s vindication
  of ,his character and claims8 ,and    
shall we1 in the prosecution of our     
work as ambassadors of ,him whose       
kingdom is not of this world1 be        
jealous of our own honour and rights1 as
 men and as citizens of  ,western       
countries1 and seek to assert the one   
and claim the  other1--when what our    
,,master wants is witness to1 and       
reflection of1  ,his own character and  
earthly life1 and illustrations of the  
forbearing grace of our ,,god and       
,,father8    ,may ,,god work in us1 and 
we work out in daily life1 not          
self-assertion  but self-denial--not    
ease and honour-seeking and             
right-maintaining1  but right-abandoning
 and cross-taking--and this for the     
glory of ,his  own holy ,name1 and for  

the better forwarding of ,his interests1
  whether among ,his own people or among
 the unsaved6          ,all ,sufficiency
      ,the ,,lord ,,god is a ,sun and   
,shield3  the ,,lord will give grace and
 glory3  ,no good thing will ,he        
withhold from them  that walk uprightly4
  --,,psalm ,,lxxxiv4 #aa4    ,how      
pleasant to the heart of a true child to
 hear his father well  spoken of1 and to
 rejoice that he is the child of such a 
father4 ,we  feel that we can never     
thank ,,god sufficiently for our        
privileged lot1  who have been blessed  
with true and loving ,christian parents4
 ,but if  this be the case with regard  
to the dim and at best imperfect earthly
  reflections1 what of the glorious     
,reality--the great ,,father--the       
source of all fatherhood1 of all        
protection--of all that is blessed      
here1 and true1 and noble1 and good--and
 of all the glories to which  we look   
forward in the future8 ,the ,,lord ,,god
 is a ,sun and ,shield3 the  ,,lord will

 give grace and glory3 no good thing    
will ,he withhold from  them that walk  
uprightly4    ,the ,,lord ,,god is a    
,sun and ,shield1 and this in the       
fullest  conceivable sense4 ,none of    
,his works can fully reveal the great   
,designer1 and ,executor1 and ,upholder2
 and the loftiest thoughts and          
imaginations of the finite mind can     
never rise up to and comprehend  the    
,infinite4 ,the natural sun is          
inconceivably great1 we cannot grasp    
its magnitude2 it is inconceivably      
glorious1 we cannot bear to gaze  for   
one moment on its untempered light4 ,the
 source to us of all heat1  we have to  
shield ourselves from its tropical      
power1 though millions  of miles from   
its surface3 the sustainer of the       
essential conditions  of physical life1 
and the great ruler and centre of the   
solar  system--how great and glorious is
 the natural sun6 ,and yet it may be    
the very smallest of all the countless  
suns that ,,god has made6 ,what  of the 

glorious ,,maker of them all6    ,the   
,,lord ,,god is a ,sun4 ,ah6 ,he        
deserves the name1 ,he is the ,reality  
of all that sun or suns exhibit or      
suggest4 ,my reader1 is he the ,sun  to 
you8 ,do you count all that to be       
darkness which does not come form  and  
accord with ,his light3 all that to be  
disorder which does not  implicitly     
accept and delight in ,his rule8 ,o     
,,lord of ,hosts1 blessed  is the man   
that trusteth to ,thee6 ,self-will is   
unmingled folly1 and  can only end in   
injury and loss4    ,and the ,,lord     
,,god is a ,shield4 ,dangers encompass  
us1 unseen at every  moment4 ,within us1
 in the wonderful and delicate          
organisation of our  bodies--around us1 
when in circumstances of the greatest   
comfort and  apparent safety--are       
dangers unseen1 which at any moment     
might  terminate our earthly career4    
,dangers seen sometimes appal us1 or    
appal those who love us3 but they are   
not more real than many we  never dream 

of4 ,why do we live so safely1 then8    
,because the ,,lord ,,god  is a ,shield4
    ,foes1 too1 are never far from us4  
,the world1 the flesh1 and the devil    
are very real2 and unaided we have no   
power to keep or deliver  ourselves from
 them4 ,but the ,,lord ,,god is a       
,shield4 ,it is a small  matter then to 
go to ,china1 a very small additional   
risk to run2 for  there1 as here1 the   
,,lord ,,god is a ,shield4 ,should war  
break out1 in  this we may be confident2
 for ,he has said ,he will never fail   
nor  forsake ,his own4 ,only when our   
work is done will ,he take us home2 and 
this ,he will do whether we serve ,him  
here or there4 ,to know and to do  ,his 
will--this is our safety2 this is our   
rest4    ,sweet are his promises--grace 
will ,he give1 and glory4 ,grace all    
unmerited and free--that which is really
 for our good1 for ,,christ',s          
deservings1 not for ours4 ,and glory    
too--glory ,,now1 the glory of  being   
,his1 of serving ,him in each least duty

 of life1 and glory in  the soul4 ,glory
 apparent1 too1 as with unveiled faces  
we behold and  rejoice in ,his glory1   
and reflect it ever more and more4 ,and 
glory to  come1 when we have done and   
suffered ,his will here1 and are for    
ever  with the ,,lord6    ,no good thing
 will ,he withhold from them that walk  
uprightly4 ,ah6  ,how often1 when we    
have been dissatisfied with the ways of 
,,god1 we  ought to have been           
dissatisfied with our own ways6 ,we did 
not think1  perhaps1 that in some matter
 or other we were not walking uprightly4
  ,if not so1 however1 then the thing we
 desired was not for our good1  and     
therefore was not given2 or the thing we
 feared was essential to  our good1 and 
hence was not withheld4 ,we are often   
mistaken3 ,,god1  never4 ,no good thing 
will ,he withhold3 shall we be so       
foolish1 so  wayward1 as after this to  
desire that which our ,father in heaven 
withholds8    ,but sweet as are ,,god',s
 promises1 the ,,promiser is greater and

 better4  ,finite human words fetter the
 expression of the heart of the         
,infinite  ,,giver4 ,hence if we had    
claimed all the promises1 had opened our
  mouths most wide1 and had asked with  
all the blessed presumption of  loved   
and favoured children--yet1 above and   
beyond the promises1 ,he  would still be
 able to do exceeding abundantly above  
all we ask or  think4 ,he delights to do
 so6 ,let not low thoughts1             
,,god-dishonouring  thoughts1           
unbelieving1 distrustful thoughts1 limit
 ,his blessings2 for  ,no good thing    
will ,he withhold from them that walk   
uprightly4