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We cannot wonder that one whose heart was attuned like David's to the praise of God should exclaim concerning such Depart from me, therefore, ye bloody men.' 'Gather not my soul with sinners.' Let me flee as for my life from this evil and sinful people, that I be not partakers of their sins, and that I receive not of their plagues. For they speak against Thee wickedly, and Thine enemies take Thy name in vain.' They do so continually; they give themselves no rest day nor night; the imaginations of the thoughts of their hearts is only evil, and that continually; they are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt; they forget God, or only remember Him to take His name in vain. I am in the midst of these evil men, I am surrounded by them, I cannot get away from them. 'Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate Thee, and am not I grieved with those that rise up against Thee? I hate them with perfect hatred, I count them mine enemies.'

We know, dear friends, that the word 'hate' must here not be understood in its ordinary acceptation as used among ourselves and expressive of malice and revenge. The Psalmist simply declares his intention of having no heart-fellowship or friendship with these men. As the Apostle expresses it, 'We must have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.' We must be separate, apart from them, even as was our blessed Lord and Master; yea apart from them as He was, who nevertheless said, '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.' This was how He dealt with His enemies! When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son.' Yea! 'God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' Yes, beloved, He so loved us, even us, the unthankful and the evil, as to come into the world, and

and die a death of
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live a life of sorrow and suffering shame, that we might live for ever. and costly love was this! and can we better testify our love and gratitude to Him, than by spending and being spent for those who are still in darkness and the shadow of death? becoming daily more like Him in spirit who went about doing good;' holding deep and precious communion and fellowship with Him who, pure and holy as He was, nevertheless loved to be called the 'Friend of sinners,' and testifying of Him to the blinded ones who see no beauty in Him that they should desire Him; thus 'holding forth the word of life' as a light shining in a dark place. Oh, beloved, why is there so little of this real heart-fellowship with God? Why, but that we do not live up to all our privileges as children of God, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.'

In this world of change and suffering and parting, as friend after friend departs, and one link after another is severed, who does not feel that friendship is a precious and most sacred thing; to be lovingly treasured as a gift of God, while lightly held, because it may at any time be recalled; yet what is even the best and truest earthly friendship, beloved, when compared with His, the ‘man of sorrows and acquainted with grief?' Oh, to be reckoned worthy to stand by Him; to suffer reproach for His name; to confess Him before men; to follow Him in simple loving faith; and to fight manfully under His banner against sin, the world, and the devil; this is a privilege indeed. Beloved, is it so with us? Do we not sometimes make friends with those who are the enemies of God? Alas! we cannot close our eyes to the efforts which are being made in our own country at this very time to bring about a union between the Russian or Greek Church and the Established Church of this country; and I can only say for myself, beloved, that with an earnest desire for all possible union among

God's people who love and serve Him, I can never do otherwise than resist to the very utmost of my power all attempts to unite with that which is in itself unholy and unscriptural, steeped in idolatry and false in doctrine. May God keep the people of this country from even touching that unholy thing.

It has often been remarked that in the history of Christ's Church, there has never been a great crisis or juncture, in which light has not begun to spring up even in the midst of darkness. And so now, when some among us are seeking union with a Church so false and evil, we have tidings from friends residing in the south of France, of a great movement now taking place amongst the Russians themselves, many of whom in coming to other countries in search of health have found the Pearl of great price,' and are now earnestly seeking to make known the value of this priceless treasure among their fellow-countrymen. They request that every month special prayer should be made by God's people on their behalf, that the work of the Lord among them may grow and prosper. To you I commend this, beloved friends. Let us send to them the true and glorious Gospel light, and instead of bringing a blight and curse over our own beloved land by tampering with the accursed thing, let us send forth amongst them the glad tidings of great joy, even of Him who is a Light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of His people Israel.'

6

The Psalmist closes with a deep and heart-stirring prayer, Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.' I cannot dwell on this passage, beloved; I trust we all know in some measure what it is to ask Him to search into the depths, the hidden places of our hearts. Try me,' as

1 This was in 1866.

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gold and silver is tried, and see if there be any way of pain and grief in me;' any way that is doubtful, or at least not clearly right; any way in which I cannot ask God's blessing to rest upon me. Shall I grieve the Holy Spirit and my blessed Master who has so loved me by walking in it? O, beloved, may we ever fear to offend knowingly in anything; may we keep close to Him; may we lean upon His arm and never swerve from His side;

but rather rest in the full confidence and assurance of His love. If, dear friends, there are any among us who feel that they have been grieving the Lord, by going in ways that are not pleasing to Him, O turn, I pray you, for love's sake turn, and give all your hearts anew to Him; cast everything away rather than leave those loving arms which are ever open, ever ready to receive you, even when human love and friendship fail you. Poor wandering ones, who have grieved Him, alas! and that often, O fear not to cast yourselves into the loving arms of Jesus; flee to His bosom as the stricken dove to its nest, and you shall find rest unto your souls.'

PSALM CXLII.

SORROWFUL YET REJOICING.

'I cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication.

'I poured out my complaint before Him; I shewed before Him my trouble.

'When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then Thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.

'I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.

'I cried unto Thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.

'Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I.

'Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise Thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for Thou shalt deal bountifully with me.'

IT is deeply interesting, my dear friends, to observe the difference between the opening of this Psalm and its close. We find the Psalmist at first expressing himself as one under great spiritual trial and proving, while at the end the cloud seems to have passed away, and he who began in the language of deep and sorrowful complaint concludes with that of sweet and holy joy. It is very probable that the opening verses of this Psalm allude to a time of severe outward trouble in the experience of the writer and also at the same time of great spiritual trial. For deep inward trials often accompany these outward provings, until at times God's people are fain to exclaim with the Patriarch of old, 'All these things are against me.' Then, after awhile, God makes up to us a thousandfold by His grace for all the depths of our sorrow, so that the bitterness of earthly trial becomes mingled with the sweetest notes of heavenly joy. Let us look more closely, my dear friends, at the expressions here used. You will observe that in the opening of the Psalm, while in some measure the Psalmist expresses himself in the right spirit, his heart was evidently at the same time not altogether disciplined to the will of God. I cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication. I poured out my complaint before Him.' And here let me just say in passing, beloved, how seldom do we do as he did; we pour out, it may be, a long and pitiful complaint in the ear of one earthly friend after another, but we do not pour it out before the Lord. Instead of laying all that perplexes and harasses us at His feet, and telling our sorrow in the ear of Him who sticketh closer than a brother, we attempt to find help and comfort in telling it to those who cannot really help us. We do not fly to Him who

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