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perceive how all the revolutions of the world; the changes of empire; the successes or defeats of haughty worms; have affected this cause—immediately or remotely-in a way of achievementor preparation-of purification or-increase-of solidity or-diffusion: and that all things are going on, not only consistently with it, but conducively to it. For, says the Ruler over all, "I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear."

And, oh, Christian, there is a special providence over thee. The hairs of thy head are all numbered. One thing regulates all that befals thee, all the dark as well as the clear, all the painful as well as the cheerful-thy spiritual-thy everlasting welfare. "For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God; to them that are the called according to his purpose.'

JUNE 16.-" Thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes." Psalm xxvi. 3.

AND it will be well to follow David; and to keep the lovingkindness of God before our eyes also. And this should be done four ways.

First. As a subject of contemplation. The mind will be active; and it is our wisdom to regulate and sanctify our thoughts. Isaac went out into the field at eventide to meditate; and we may infer the nature of his reflections from his character. David said, My meditation of him shall be sweet. How precious are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! People complain of the difficulty they feel in fixing their minds: but the duty would become easier by use-and surely they can never be at a loss

for a theme. Let them take his lovingkindness and set it before their eyes. Let them observe it as it appears in the promises of his Word; in the history of his Church; in their own experience. Let them pass from the instances of his lovingkindness to the qualities of it; and dwell upon its earliness; and fulness; and extensiveness; and seasonableness; and constancy-"Whoso is wise and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the Lord."

Secondly. As the source of encouragement. How often shall we need this! We shall feel our want of it under a sense of our guilt, and unworthiness, and continued imperfections: and nothing short of the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us by Christ Jesus, will be able to relieve us. But this will relieve us; and effectually too. It will give us everlasting consolation, and good hope through grace and boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. And it will do all this without reconciling us to our sins, or even our infirmities— yea, it will make us lament our deficiencies the more, grieving that we serve him so little, who loves us so much. We shall want it in our afflictions. who can hope to escape these in a vale of tears? Now nothing is so desirable in our sufferings as to see, not only the hand, but the kindness of God in them. For often they look like the effects of his wrath, and we tremble under them, and cry, "Do not condemn me. I could bear these trials if I thought they were only the strokes of a Father's rod, and sent in love." And they are sent in love. They are only the strokes of a Father's rod, laid hold of with reluctance, and laid aside with pleasure.

And

Thirdly. As an excitement to praise. It is afflicting to think how little the lovingkindness of God is acknowledged by those who are constantly partaking of it. How lamentable, says Leighton, is it, that a world so full of God's mercy, should be so empty

of his glory. Oh, says David, again and again, Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! Were there not ten lepers cleansed? But where are the nine? Did ever Hezekiah render according to the benefits done him? And are we better than they? And whence is it that we feel so little the obligations we are under to the God of our mercies? Because the mercies of God are so little remarked and remembered by us. Nothing can impress us when it is out of our minds and thoughts. Therefore, says David, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." At the moment when God appears for us, we are sensible of his goodness, and speak well of his Name: but, like the Jews, we soon forget his works, and the wonders which he has shewn us. We inscribe our afflictions upon a rock, and the characters remain-we write our mercies in the sand of the seashore, and the first wave of trouble washes them out.

Lastly. We should keep his lovingkindness before our eyes as an example for imitation. The Scripture calls upon us to be followers of God as dear children. But in what are we to resemble him? His moral, and not his natural perfections. We may wish to resemble him in power and independence; and to be as gods, knowing good and evil. But we are to be concerned to reverence Him, not as the greatest, but as the best of beings-to be faithful as he is faithful-to be holy as he is holy-to be patient, and forgiving, and kind, like himself. "I say unto you, "I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." Be ye therefore merciful, even as your Father which is in heaven is merciful.

You would do well to keep in view some of your fellow-creatures, who feel that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Think of a Howard, a Thornton. But in Him the fatherless findeth mercy. God is love. We cannot equal him. But it is our happiness to resemble. He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things, put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.'

JUNE 17.-"The breath of our nostrils, the Anointed of the Lord, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the Heathen."

Lam. iv. 20.

SOME Commentators suppose that these words are intended to apply to the Savionr-We see no ground for this. Others imagine that there may be a reference to him under the case of Zedekiah. However this may be, the passage may be used-not to prove any doctrine, but to remind us of several things pertaining to the Lord Jesus, and fully esta blished in the Scriptures of Truth.

Such as his office-"The anointed of the Lord." The very meaning of the word Messiah in the Old Testament, and of Christ in the New. Prophets, priests, and kings, were anointed at their consecration. He was all these; and therefore he is said to be anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows. Here the term imports majesty;

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and he is the King of glory, the King of saints, the King of nations-"With my holy oil have I anointed him."

Such is the estimation in which he is holden by his subjects-" The breath of our nostrils." He is not so regarded by others. The world knew him not. The Jews received him not. He is now, as to the multitude, despised and rejected of men. This was the case once with his own people. They acknowledge it; and look back with shame and sorrow upon a period-and with some of them it was a long period-during which he had no form nor comeliness, nor any beauty that they should desire him. But he has been revealed in them. And now he appears fairer than the children of men, and altogether lovely. Faith makes him precious. He is their righteousness and strength; their glory and joy; all their salvation and all their desire. We may be excessive in our attachment to a creature; but we can never think too highly of Him. It was idolatry in these Jews to call their prince the breath of their nostrils; but Jesus is really and absolutely so to us. How dear! How important! How indispensable!

"This flesh of mine might learn as soon

"To live, yet part with all my blood;

"To breathe when vital air is gone,

"Or thrive and grow without my food."

Such is their expectation from Him-"Of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the Heathen." The Israelites were literally among the Heathen, surrounded as they were with the Gentile nations. This was also the case with the first Christians. Yea, they were not only encompassed by them, but intermixed with them. In one house dwelt an idolater; in the next, a worshipper of God. A Pagan and a Christian laboured together in the same field, or the same manufactory. We

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