making the children cry;" but some do not want to drive him out, and therefore they endeavour to soothe him, and say, "I am not angry with you." So it is here: when hypocrites are unmasked, and when heartless professors of religion are denounced, how often are the humble and sincere ready to seize all this, apply it to themselves, and conclude that they have no part or lot in the matter, and that their heart is not right in the sight of God! The apostle, therefore, after having uttered some very faithful things against backsliders in this epistle, by a fine turn immediately says, "But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things which accompany salvation, though we thus speak." There are some who are exceedingly fond of applying things to others which are suited peculiarly to themselves. A good woman said to her minister one Monday, "Oh, sir, you gave it finely to Mrs. such-a-one yesterday." He only wanted to say, but could not, "Dear madam, that was designed for yourself." And then, lastly, how unskilful are many in perusing the Scriptures! They are babes, and we do not expect skilfulness from babes. Excellency in every department is commonly the effect of much application and toil, and is to be looked for in those who have their senses exercised and their faculties employed.

APRIL 29.-Unskilful in the word. Heb. v. 13.

LET us more particularly consider cases in which persons are very unskilful in using the word of righteousness. There are some things in the Scriptures which may appear to be contradictory to us as long as we remain in this weak state; and when this is the case, it is better for us to leave them than to destroy the plain, obvious meaning of others. We can see harmony between things which appear very contradictory to our little children; but they will see the harmony by-and-by. We can see the opposite ends of a chain thrown across a river, but we cannot see the connection in the middle; this is under water: if the water were lowered, or the chain raised, we should see the middle,— the connection, as well as the two ends. Yet this reasoning may be pushed too far. The apparent opposition of many passages of Scripture arises entirely from inattention and ignorance in the reader: a little distinction would serve to harmonize. Thus, it is possible and easy to reconcile such language as this :-"Answer

a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit;" "Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him." "I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments;" "He that believeth maketh not haste." "God repented that he made man;" "God is not a man that he should lie, nor the Son of man that he should repent." "No man is tempted of God;" "God did tempt Abraham." In the same way, people have supposed that Paul and James are opposite to each other as to justification; whereas the one refers to God and the other to man; the one to justification as a reality, and this is by faith, the other as to its evidence and fruits, and this is by works. Now, we find the Scriptures in the hands of some people nothing but confusion: we can never get two ideas or notions to lie straight in their brains. "If," say they, "God works in us to will and to do, why should we work out our own salvation? If it be a duty, how can it be a privilege? If it be a promise, how can it be a command?" Now, these things may be easily harmonized, and will be by those who are "skilful in the word of righteousness." Then they use the word of righteousness unskilfully who do not use it impartially. All religious parties have their separate portions and passages of Scripture, while there are others of which they are more or less heedless. They do not, indeed, like to own this; but the thing is undeniable. It is a surprising thing to what a contracted part of the sacred writings the attention of some is confined; and, could they have their way, they would not suffer their preachers to move an inch from it. But we are to leave the principles of the doctrine of Christ, "and go through the length and breadth of the land of revelation." Why? "All Scripture was given by inspiration of God." "Whatever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures may have hope." Why did God give the whole of the Bible, if it were needless? Why, in all the Epistles, after the doctrines are laid down, are personal and relative duties so enforced? "Oh," we have heard some say, "you need not preach upon these; the grace of God will teach people to do these." Why did not the apostles know this, and save themselves all the trouble of specification and enforcement? But the statement is not true: the grace of God is to enable, not to teach. The Scriptures teach; the Bible contains all the information the

church will ever possess in this world. The Spirit brings no new information to the mind, but he leads us into all truth. A man, therefore, in his proper state of mind, will not confine his attention to parts of the word of righteousness; he will not search it to find comfort only, but profit too; he will look not only after privileges, but duty; he will regard not only the promises, but also the commands; and will be able to say,—

"Make me to walk in thy commands;

'Tis a delightful road;

Nor let my head, or heart, or hands,
Offend against my God."

APRIL 30.-Are they not in thy book? Ps. lvi. 8.

THAT is, are not my sorrows written and recorded there? What book? The book of his providence. Yes, they are all there; their quality is there, their degree is there; their duration is there, and all their sad memorial is there. The book of his remembrance, of which we have an account'in the prophecy of Malachi :-" Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name." We may herein see that the filial fear of God, which they cherished in themselves, was recorded; their words were recorded; yea, their very thoughts were recorded. But in these words of the Psalmist we have something more; here we find it extended to their tears: these also are in his book. But is it so? "Are they not in thy book?" "I know they are!" This is his meaning; the question is not a question of uncertainty, but of affirmation. The conclusion is drawn from three things: First, From relationship. Is he not our Father, our Husband, our Friend? And when he takes upon himself these relations towards us, does he not exemplify them, and not only perfectly, but even divinely too? Secondly, The conclusion is to be drawn from his promises. He cannot deny himself; he is a God of truth: "heaven and earth may pass away, but my word shall not pass away." And what does this word contain? Why, this:-"I will never leave thee nor forsake thee; I will be with thee in trouble. When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee; and through the

rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flames kindle upon thee:"-I will be with thee, to sustain thee, to deliver thee, to succour thee. "As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you, and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem." The conclusion is to be drawn, Thirdly, From his conduct. "As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of our God." Christians have seen it with regard to others, in their history and their experience; and have we not seen it in our own? What has he not done for us? Has he not given us his own Son, and thereby an assurance that he will also give us all things? Has he not loved us with an everlasting love, and therefore with loving-kindness drawn us to his throne, to his cross, to his house, to his table, to his service? Have we ever sought him and been disappointed? Have we ever trusted in him and been confounded? Are we not ready to raise a fresh Ebenezer, and say, "Hitherto the Lord hath helped me !"-yea, more; to look back upon the many we have already reared, and

say,

"His love in times past forbids me to think
He'll leave me at last in trouble to sink;

Each sweet Ebenezer I have in review

Confirms his good pleasure to help me quite through."

Thus we may, therefore, with David, be assured that all our sorrows are "recorded in his book."

MAY 1.-If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. John xiii. 17.

WE ought to be thankful that we have the word of righteousness; that we are not left, as to the most important of all concerns, to the darkness of nature or reason, but that we have the word of God in our own tongue and in our own hands, and that we are not only allowed, but commanded, to "search the Scriptures, for in them we have eternal life." The Scriptures are not given for mere speculation or to gratify curiosity, but to lead our feet in the path of peace. Would not a Jew have used unskilfully the pillar of cloud in the wilderness, if he had observed it only as a naturalist or a philosopher ?-if he had said, from time to time, I wonder how it is caused; I wonder what its qualities

are whether it is at all palpable, or what would be the ingredients if it could be analyzed? and so on. What was to be the design of that pillar? It was to be their conductor to lead them by the right way to a city of habitation; and then it was only well used when they obeyed its movements. So it is here: the gospel is in the nature of a remedy, and it is to be used and applied. It shows a refuge, that we may run into it and be safe. It shows me a Saviour, that I may give up my poor lost soul into his hands, and say, "Lord, save, or I perish;" "God be merciful to me, a sinner." What is the reason men, especially of talent and science, so err with respect to this volume? Why, they never go to it for the purpose of being made wise to salvation, (they do not feel their need of salvation,) but for some other purpose. If they went to it having in view the end God had in giving it,-if they went to it with the question, "What must I do to be saved?"-would the apostles and prophets keep them in a state of uncertainty for one moment? Would not all unite to exclaim, "Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world"? Oh, when we go to it with such an aim, (and we go to it with no purpose worth regarding, unless we go to it with this aim,) then it becomes plain enough; not only the scholar, but the wayfaring man, though a fool, shall not err therein. "These things," says our Saviour, "are written that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that, believing, ye might have life through his name." And he came not only that we might have life, but that we might have it more abundantly. No wonder, therefore, that Solomon should say, speaking of this blessed book, "Bind it continually upon thine heart, and tie it about thy neck; when thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee." No wonder that Paul should say, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom." Let your love to the Scriptures increase; but let it increase "in all knowledge and judgment," as the apostle says. Let us therefore seck after a growing acquaintance with it, and use for this purpose all the means in our power, (and we have many.) Above all, let us pray that our footsteps may be ordered by God's word.