Almighty power of Him who created all things by the word of His power.

One word here, beloved friends, ere we pass on. We find that the works of God, in creation and providence alike, bear testimony to His power and greatness; but we do not find here what that testimony is. For this we turn to a remarkable passage in the New Testament; and blessed indeed it is when we find the Old and the New Testament, thus linked together, the same light shining in the one and in the other: the Old reflecting light upon the New, and the New, with its glorious tale of fulfilled prophecies and promises, shedding such a marvellous light upon the Old. And so it is here, beloved friends: turn to the 1st chapter of Romans, and you will find at the 19th verse what the testimony is of which the Psalmist here speaks; he says, 'that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the foundation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His ETERNAL POWER AND GODHEAD!' Nothing less, and nothing more. Nothing less, for that would lead us alongside of the infidel, and nothing more, for that would place us also with the sceptic. Both equally fatal; the one robs God's works of creation and providence of their glorious testimony, and the other, failing to see the work of Redemption withholds its testimony to His eternal power and Godhead. Do not for a moment suppose that words such as these are put together accidentally. There is a deep and solemn meaning in them all, and they testify of Him whose infinite power holds 'the sun in his tabernacle,' and appoints the moon for seasons. It is His power that does it all; the force of His mighty power. And just at this time, beloved friends, when men are speaking so much of many deep and hidden things, in so vague and unsatisfactory a way;

when there is so much rank infidelity in our land; when the talk is all of force, men saying that everything in the world is merely the result of chance, and because of certain forces in matter;' while others again, though they do not deny the power of God in creating and sustaining all things, yet endeavour to prove that He merely puts forth His hand and creates a small cell, from which in process of time, and by the action of various natural laws, the greater and higher parts of creation are evolved; wher, I say, this is the case, well may we turn from the vain reasonings of men, with the earnest enquiry, What saith the Scripture? It is not merely of power which St. Paul speaks in that 1st chapter of Romans, it is also of Godhead: that which men try to keep out of sight while they speak vaguely of 'powers,' and 'forces.' We cannot indeed speak too strongly in one sense of these wondrous forces by which we are surrounded the flashing of messages from one end of the world to another, like lightning, by means of a simple wire, and all the many strange and marvellous powers which are brought within the grasp of man. But, after all, these powers, what are they? Have they not their source in Him? Are not His eternal power and Godhead in all these things? Ah, how different it would be with our statesmen and rulers if they realised this 'power and Godhead;' if they said, This is the handywork of our Father; He has done it all; from first to last it is His eternal power and Godhead, 'and their line is gone out unto all the earth, and their words to the end of the world!'

Vv. 7 ff. The Psalmist goes on to speak of another testimony and revelation altogether. See how lovingly he dwells upon this, and how in every verse he speaks of it: the law;' 'the testimony;' the statutes;' 'the commandment; the fear;' the judgments.' Nor is this all; he gives to each a special and distinguishing feature:

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The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure; the statutes of the Lord are right; the commandment of the Lord is pure; the fear of the Lord is clean; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.' Then mark how he gives us the blessed result of each of these: The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever.' Even this does not satisfy David, for he bursts out in the 10th verse, 'More to be desired are they than gold;'-not any kind of gold, they are more to be desired than fine gold, than 'much fine gold; sweeter also than honey.' Not merely precious, that comes first, for what is more precious than fine gold? but also sweeter than honey: the taste of it is sweet, infinitely sweet! Not only so, but it is 'sweeter than honey and the honeycomb;' or more correctly, the droppings of the honey. And why is the Word of God so unspeakably precious, beloved? Ah, it testifies of Jesus! What would the heavens be without the sun, that glorious sun, coming forth as a bridegroom out of his chamber, and rejoicing as a strong man to run a race? In this revelation I know nothing apart from Him, the Son of the Living God! In these blessed pages hath He set a tabernacle for the Sun, for Jesus. He is the Pole Star which illumines the long dreary passage of this ocean waste. And He has promised to be with us as we cross that ocean, to sit as the Pilot at the helm, to guide me with His own gentle hand to the haven where I would be.

He is the Bridegroom coming out of His chamber, and rejoicing as a strong man to run a race.' Mark the sequence here. What is the first ray of light that comes to us in our darkness, when the morning is spread upon the

mountains? It is Christ; the Sun of Righteousness, the Bridegroom coming out of His chamber. What saith the Scripture? Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it. There is His work. When man degraded and ruined himself by the Fall, He so loved His poor, lost, fallen creature as to die for him. He came and lived a life of suffering for him; He left His Father's throne for him; and He never ceased until His great and glorious work was finished and the victory was gained, till the Seed of the woman had bruised the serpent's head.' Then the Sun did indeed appear above the horizon, and come forth rejoicing as a strong man to run a race.' Long had the morning been stealing over the mountains as the great Bridegroom came forth out of His chamber, but now He arose before the sight of all men, the Stronger than the strong man. He loved the Church and gave Himself for it; that He might. sent it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.' Beloved, are you personally His? Then you are in the arms of the Strong One, and He will never let you go. He will never relax the grasp of that strong, loving Hand till He presents you at last, faultless, before His Throne. 'His going forth is from the end of heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.'

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In the eleventh verse the Psalmist goes on, 'Moreover by them is Thy servant warned.' It warns me, this Word of God; it gives me a real earnest fear lest I should transgress any part of my Father's law: by this Word, this law, this testimony, these statutes, I am warned. This is the law I love, the law that speaks with authority, and yet in untold love; not as to a poor terror-stricken slave, but to a loving child.

And in keeping of them there is great reward.' Not a reward of works but of His own royal bounty; a free,

large, loving gift. Oh, as we think on this, as we are musing, does not the fire burn? Do we not feel, What can I do to honour Him, to glorify Him? Let us go into the home circle, into the very heart of it, and there, amid the very nearest and dearest of our heart's love, let us tell what He hath done for us. Ah, and beyond the home circle too. Come and hear, all come and hear, and I will declare what God hath done for my soul. It is sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.'

'Cleanse Thou me from secret faults,' not things which we may endeavour to conceal from others, but secret, hidden, unknown to ourselves. Ah, beloved, if we could see ourselves for one moment as God sees us, how would we shrink back and be overwhelmed at the sight. But He shows us only glimpses from time to time of these hidden things, and there is not a day of our lives in which we cannot say, with God's blessing, that He has unveiled to us some depths that we never knew before; while He showed us likewise, thank God, deeper, tenderer, nearer views of the love and grace of Jesus.

Keep back Thy servant also from presumptuous sins.' Oh, believer, never presume on your own strength, and so fall under temptation, thus putting a stumbling-block in the way of some weak and trembling ones it may be, who are nevertheless His hidden ones. Keep me back! oh, pray that prayer. Then shall I be upright, and innocent from the great transgression.' The great offence -what is it, beloved, but the being without God in the world; the great offence of living in Thy world, O my Father, amid all Thy kind and bounteous gifts, without seeing Thy hand, or feeling Thy power, or knowing Thy love.

'Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my Strength, and my Redeemer.' The Psalmist uses the very language which seems most appropriate in con