ting to humble himself before God, and condemn himself before men, as he ought to have done-He kept silence, and endeavoured to pass off the distress by time, palliation, and excuse. But the repression and concealment of his anguish preyed not only upon his peace, but his health, and endangered life itself. At length he was reduced to the deepest penitence, and threw himself, by an unqualified confession, on the compassion of God. This was a wise course, and we shall do well to follow his example. Under a sense of guilt we should not keep away from God, but enter his presence, and cry, "God be merciful to me, a sinner." This will melt the heart into godly sorrow" better than all legal terrors; and we know who hath said, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Hence, says David," When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin." He then adds: "For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee." Here we see not only that all the godly pray, but every one of them prays for pardon. This is the very thing which our Saviour teaches his disciples: "When ye pray, say-forgive us our tres passes." And this praying does not only regard the manifestatio. of forgiving mercy, as some would have it, but the exercise of it. For in many things we offend all; yea, in every thing we come short of the glory of God. If He should mark what we do amiss, we could not stand before him, even for the sins of our holy things. A faithful examination of the most innocent hour of our lives, and the devoutest act of our worship, must bring us upon our knees, crying, "Enter not into judgment with thy servant, O Lord, for in thy sight shall no flesh living be justified." From the beginning to the end our hope must be a "looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." But here is a season of audience-"In a time when thou mayest be found." There is a time, therefore, when he will not be found. Hence the force of the admonition, "Seek ye the Loid while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near." Life is the time not only to serve, but to seek the Lord, There are no acts of pardon passed At death, the bridge is drawn; the door is shut. Yet, during life, there are some periods more favoured than others. Paul sought the Lord thrice for deliverance before the promise of all-sufficient grace was given him. God heard Moses at one time, not another. How long did Abraham and Isaac pray before they received the answer But the time of finding, when we pray for pardoning grace, is the hour in which David found it; which was the moment he entirely condemned himself and justified God-God is always more ready to pardon than we are to confess. And blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven. He is free from all condemnation; and in whatever condition he is found, he dwells safely, and may e in quiet from the fear of evil-"Surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him." Floods of great waters mean numerous and pressing calamities, from which few are exempted in this vale of tears-But how is it said, they do not come nigh unto the godly? Are not the afflictions of the righteous many? Did they not come nigh Joseph when he was cast into the pit, and when in prison he was fettered with irons? "Not come nigh me," says many a living Christian; "they have washed away half my comforts already, and I fear my heart will be overwhelmed within me"--The language of the Scripture is bold, and often requires to be qualified; but it is always founded on truth. It is undeniable that God in public and general sufferings has frequently secured his servants; as we see in the case of Noah, and Lot, and the Jews in Egypt. And God is always able to do this for his people. And nothing shall befall them without his permission and appointment. Nothing shall injure them. Yea, every loss and trial shall conduce to their welfare. But hear David's own explanation subjoined: Thou art my hiding-place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance." Thus the believer is like a man in a strong hold built upon a rock. In the flood, the water may surround him, but does not touch him. It will also roll off, and he will walk abroad again. Thus it is said, "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed." And in the final disaster that will carry away every thing, it shall not come nigh unto him, but only with his eyes shall he see the reward of the wicked 66 "When desolation, like a flood, On the proud sinner rolls; u: FEBRUARY 11.-"The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness."—Jer. xxxi. 2. THE expression, "the people which were left of the sword," refers o the perils the Israelites escaped before their journey began. In Egypt they were in danger of being cut off by excess of toil, and the olcody decree which doomed all their male children to destruction. They were also likely to be cut off at once, when Pharaoh pursued them to the Red Sea. From all these jeopardies the Lord's hand saved them. "But," you say, "he brought them into a wilderness." He did-Yet they had no reason to complain of their condition: they "found grace in the wilderness." And such, Christians, has been your experience. What the Jews did not derive from their condition, they yet This was received in it-They "found grace in the wilderness." essentially the presence of God with them, according to the prayer of Moses: "If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth." Hence no nation was so great, because ɩney had God so nigh unto them in all that they called upon him for They found in the wilderness, providing grace. And have not you? The cup of some of you has been running over. You have had all things richly to enjoy. Others have been more sensibly dependant. Yet he has not suffered you to want. In his feeding and clothing you, there has been less of miracle, but not less of reality, than in feeding and clothing the Jews. You have not had the widow's cruise of oil and barrel of meal; but your supplies have not failed you. Ravens have not sustained you; but you have had relief from the most unlikely characters. You have also had comfort in your temporal blessings; you have tasted the love of God in them. He has blessed your bread and your water; and hence the attle you have had, has been better than the riches of many wicked. They found in the wilderness, pardoning grace. And have not you? It was said of them, "How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again." And has not this been your case? In many things you have offended, and in every thing come short of the glory of God. How ungrateful, forgetful, distrustful, incorrigible, have you been! Reflect for a moment on the sins of your holy things; review your sabbaths, your communions, your omissions of duty, and the imperfections of your motives when your actions have been materially right-Has he dealt with you according to your desert? Has he not spared you according to the greatness of his mercy? They found in the wilderness, conducting grace. And have not you? They had a fiery cloudy pillar to go before them, to determine all their journeyings, and which left them not, till it had guided them to the rest which the Lord their God gave them. And you know the way of man is not in himself. How ignorant, how short sighted, how easily imposed upon, have you been! How mistaken have you been, when most confident! How deceived have you been in your hopes and fears! How often have you wished to escape things which have proved a blessing; and to obtain things which would have proved your bane! Into what embarrassments would you have fallen, had you been left to lean to your own understanding! But he has fulfilled the promise, "I am the Lord thy God, that teacheth thee to profit, and that leadeth thee in the way that thou shouldest choose." And he will be your guide even unto death. They found in the wilderness, preserving grace. As he led then about and instructed them, so he kept them as the apple of his eye. And have you not found the same grace? Why have not your enemies, so superior in every respect to yourselves, triumphed over you? The Lord has been on your side. You have been kept by the power of God. They found in the wilderness, assisting grace. What was said of Asher applied to them all; "as thy days, so shall thy strength be." He made them equal to their travels and their tals. He gave them his Sabbaths. ie sent Mee: Aaron, and Miriam before them. They had the services of the Priests; the messages of the VOL. I. 9 Prophets; the communings of the mercy-seat. And has he aot sen you help from the sanctuary, and strengthened you out of Zion? You have had his ordinances. You have heard his word. You have known him in his palaces for a refuge. His Spirit has helped your infirmities. When you have said, "I am cast out of his sight," you have been enabled to look again towards his holy temple. You dreaded the day of trouble; but when it arrived, there arrived with it the grace to help in time of need-Where shall I end? But remember-First, that all you have possessed and enjoyed, deserving the name of good, has been grace. Secondly, you would have seen much more of this grace in the wilderness, had you been more observant: for "whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even he shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord." Thirdly, how much more of this grace which you have found in the wilderness will you see hereafter, than you are aware of now! Then the divine dispensations concerning you will be finished: vour capacity for reviewing them will be complete; and you will fully see the bearing of them all upon your welfare-then for the song "O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever-To HIM THAT LED HIS PEOPLE THROUGH THE WILDERNESS; for his MERCY ENDURETH FOR EVER!" FEBRUARY 12.-" And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision." 1 Sam. iii. 15. EVERY thing in the history and character of Samuel is attractive and interesting. His birth was in answer to prayer. He was sanctified from the womb; and was dedicated to the service of the sanctuary as soon as he was weaned. Among the Jews there were three weanings. The first was at the end of three years; thi was the weaning from the mother's breast. The second was at the end of seven years; this was the weaning from the dry nurse. The third was at the end of twelve years; this was the we ning from childish manners. At the latter period the Jewish children began to attend the public solemnities; and at this age here fore we find our Saviour in the midst of the doctors in the tem pie. This we presume was the season when Hannah left S muei at Shilo, under the care of old Eli: for we see that he immer ately "worshipped the Lord there;" and was capable of rendering him self useful in the services of the tabernacle. Some length of time after this, the Lord addressed him a the night, and delivered to him an awful message concernin; Eli. "And Samuel lay until the morning." He seems to have had none of those apprehensions which other children suffer fr n the dread of darkness, and apparitions, and sounds, deemed or inous. But did he sleep during the watches of the night? We pesume not. The wonderfulness of the occurrence, the divinity of the Speaker, and the import of the message, would be likely to hold his eyes waking, and fully employ his thoughts and meditations. But he opened the doors of the nouse of the Lord." Though distinguished and dignified by such a vision, he does not feel him self raised above his humble office, but repairs to 1 is usual employment with alacrity. He that is not faithful in little, will not be faithful in much but principle, diligence, and cheerfulness, in a private and inferior condition, are the best preparatives for, and the surest pledges of, good behaviour in higher and more public situations. And why should any kind of labour be considered as low, or degrading? What were our hands made for but to be used? Every kind and degree of usefulness is respectable, is honourable. The most despised character in the community should be the man who does nothing, and has nothing to do. We here see that the call of God does not draw us away from our stations, and make us indifferent to the ordinary functions of life; but should dispose us to act more wisely and piously in the discharge of them. "Let every man," says the Scripture, "abide in the calling in which he ..s called of God." The sun is as regular as he is beneficent: he daily rises and descends, and pursues his course always in the same way. The comet is eccentric; breaks forth for a while, and then disappears; yet it excites more notice for the time than the orb of day. Some we fear are tempted to step aside from their own proper sphere by the attention they attract; and they will endeavour to justify themselves by appeals to their usefulness. And they may do good; but God has not required this at their hands: and every man is not only most respectable, but most useful, when he keeps within his own circle, and fills it to advantage. Religion "The the most orderly principle in the world. It teaches us to give every thing its place, time, and importance. The most zealous of its advocates was as wise as he was warm; and could say, "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness." We always suspect those who, looking after something new and extraordinary, are carried away from the plain path of revelation, reason, and common sense. wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way." Let wives remember this, who gad about after favourite preachers, and forget their domestic arrangements, and unbelieving husbands. Let servants think of this, who by religious gossipings render themselves unpunctual in the claims of their places. Let those who are too devout to be moral; too fervent in spirit to be diligent in business : let the proud, the unruly, the roving, the idle, weigh well the language of the Apostle to the Thessalonians: "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Carist, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing." Some entrusted with such a secret could not have contained it without swelling and bursting. They would have risen, and rushed forth, and have proclaimed to their connexions the privilege by which they had been honoured. There was nothing of this in |