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people in the appearance of the Redeemer, to take away sin. Not unfrequently were those promises ratified with an oath that by "two immutable things" they might be assured of the impossibility "for God to lie." Since the manifestation of Christ in the flesh we have innumerable assurances recorded in the New Testament that He will be with His people "alway, even to the end of the world." Can we not apply those assurances to ourselves? Things may often appear gloomy and even desponding. Our enemies are strong whilst we are weak. The difficulties in the way of our salvation are to us insurmountable: but God engages that His grace is sufficient for us, that His strength shall be made perfect in weakness. Having such assurances to encourage us, why should we despair? His Spirit will guide us, His power will sustain us, His faithfulness will bear us through the course of our pilgrimage.

2. The promise was to be fulfilled in His appointed time. "I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry." "Hope deferred maketh the soul sick." But God never defers the hope of His people beyond the time appointed. His time may not always be ours; but His time, for reasons known better to Him than to ourselves, is the best for our benefit and safety. He had appointed seventy years for the captivity of the Jews; they could not have been delivered a day earlier, neither an hour later should their deliverance be delayed. Through the prophet Daniel He declared, "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy." On the very day the Messiah appears to fulfil the engagement, and "to make amend of sins," or to atone for sin.

Our times also are in God's hands. He has measured the length of our lives. He has weighed in His own balances the amount of our trials. The heat of the furnace is adapted

to each personal case, and He will take us to Himself when we are fitted for glory.

Some may require stronger processes than others to destroy their corruptions and to take away their dross; but not a scruple heavier, and not a moment longer shall any one's trial be, than are absolutely necessary for his salvation.

In respect to Christ's Church collectively; she shall be left on earth until the last of her intended members shall be

made perfect. Not a moment longer shall the Church remain militant. Her salvation shall not tarry, all shall be henceforth triumphant in heaven.

3. In connexion with the fulfilment of this promise will God's chief glory appear.

The tokens of His salvation He placed in the temple on Mount Zion of old: through those tokens was His glory revealed to His national Israel. He now places the tokens of His salvation in His Church upon earth, where He displays the whole beauty and grandeur of His divine glory to His spiritual Israel. This is what we may call His declarative glory. Declared by the incarnation of His Son in the fulness of time. Declared by the angels to the shepherds on the plains of Bethlehem. Declared by the guidance of a star to the wise men of the East. Declared in the exhibition of the whole scheme of redemption through Christ to both Jews and Gentiles by the ministry of the Gospel. Declared by the application of Christ's work by the Holy Ghost to the sinner in the conversion of the soul. Declared by the reduction of all our spiritual enemies that war against the soul. Declared in the bestowment of every necessary strength for our support and the perfection of our graces. Declared by the holy life and conversation of each individual Israelite. Declared by the consummation of our happiness in the realms of glory above.

Let this then be our glory, that the glory of God is manifested through us, and that we shall participate of His glory at His right hand for evermore. What stronger encouragements do we need than God's own promises? Our

minds being stayed upon Him we may be kept in perfect peace, though called upon to pass through trying circumstances in life, and we may rest assured that His righteousness shall be brought near, and His salvation shall not tarry. In His time our complete deliverance shall be effected.

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The Second Sunday after the Epiphany.

MORNING SERVICE.-First Lesson: Isaiah li.

Verse 11.-" Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away."

THIS chapter is divided into five paragraphs. The first three begin with the words, "Hearken unto me;" the other two begin with the words, "Awake, awake." The command to hearken is given especially to God's people, as the chapter is designed for the comfort and encouragement of them who fear God and keep His commandments; and those encouragements are applied to them even when they walk in darkness and have no light. It may be that the encouragements here recorded were primarily intended for the captives in Babylon. But certainly not confined to them. They are expressed generally, and are applicable to the Church at large and to each individual member of that Church. "Hearken unto me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged." We have nothing in which we can boast; we must not forget our origin. The Jews cannot boast. Let them look to the idolatrous family in Uz of the Chaldeans, out of which Abraham was taken. Let them look to the generations of slaves, which the heads of their tribes were in Egypt. The Gentiles cannot boast. Let them look to the state of barbarism in which they have been involved for ages. Not one of us can boast; our pedigrees will not bear scrutiny. "Look unto the rock" (it was hard enough) "whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit" (it was corrupt enough) "whence ye are digged." A right feeling

of our original state would produce in us a right appreciation of God's love and mercy in hewing us from the rock, and digging us from the pit. This attention to the rock and pit is in itself peculiarly encouraging. It was sent to the captives in Babylon. Though they were reduced to a small number, and but few of them left, still they could hope to increase and replenish the land again. They were indeed small, but not so small as Abraham was, who yet became the "father of many nations." It is also encouraging to us. We may feel discouraged at the obstacles that surround our path; doubts and fears may often arise, but let us look back to the rock. The worst is past, the greatest work has been accomplished. God has taken the trouble to hew us out of the rock, and to dig us out of the pit; He will therefore continue His goodness in perfecting His work. Look unto Abraham and see what he got by trust in the promises of God, and take example from him to depend upon God with an implicit faith. Still, though we have every assurance that God's righteousness and salvation will be perpetuated in our favour, yet, we are taught by precept and example to pray that God would appear, and act for the deliverance of His people, and the mortification of his enemies.

In the verses preceding the text we have a prayer; and also pleas to enforce that prayer. "Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon? Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?" The text is consequently the inference drawn from those great acts. "Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away."

From these beautiful words we shall observe, First, The character here sustained by God's people; Secondly, The

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