pleases God to withdraw his comfortable presence | fallen upon him. The thunder clouds have spent from the soul, chiefly to humble us in the dust, their lightnings on his head. The vials of God's to discover some unmortified corruption, or to anger have emptied their last drops upon him. lead us to hunger more vehemently after him. He is now justified from all the sins that were Such was David's state when he said in his laid upon him. He will bear the scars to all heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand eternity, Rev. v. 6; but not another drop of agony of Saul,' 1 Sa. xxvii. 1. And again, when he wrote shall ever fall upon his soul. When he comes a the 42nd psalm. Such was the feeling of Job second time it is without sin,' Heb. ix. 28. Have when he said, 'the arrows of the Almighty are you the Son? Do you believe the record that within me;' and again, 'Oh that it were with me God has given concerning his Son? Do you as in months past, as in the days when God pre- with purpose of heart cleave to the Lord Jesus? served me; when his candle shined upon my head, then you share with him in his justification. and when by his light I walked through darkness, You suffered in his suffering, you obeyed in his Job xxix. 2, 3. In such an hour as this, when obedience, you died in his death. You are as the feeling of distance from God is almost insup- much justified as Christ is. You have as little portable, ah! how cheering, how full of nourish- to do with the guilt of your past sins as Christ ment, what a heavenly cordial may this word in has. There is as little guilt lying upon you as the hand of the Spirit be: God is faithful, by upon God s dear Son. The vials of wrath have whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his not another drop for Christ, and not another drop Son Jesus Christ our Lord.' for you. By Jesus all that believe are justified from all things,' Acts xiii. 39.

I. Believers are called to share with Christ. To have fellowship with another, is to have things in common with him. Thus in Acts iv. 32, it is said of the first Christians, that they were ' of one heart and of one soul, neither said any that ought of the things which he possessed were his own, but they had all things in common.' They had all their goods in common, they shared all they had with one another. This is what John desired to see amongst Christians in spiritual things, That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us,' 1 John i. 3. The same expression is used here, 'Ye are called unto the fellowship of his Son.' How strange, that a creature of sin and shame should be called to share with God's dear Son. Yet so it is; he shared our flesh and blood with us, that we might share his throne with him.

1. We share with the Son in his justification. Once Jesus was unjustified. Once there were millions of sins laid to his charge. Men, devils, nay, even his holy Father, hurled their fierce accusations at him. He stood silent. He could not answer a word. Although he did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth;' yet he had agreed to bear the sins of many, and therefore, he was dumb under every accusation. It was exacted, and he was made answerable.' This was his chief agony in the garden, and on the cross, that at the bar of God he was unjustified; 'He was numbered with the transgressors.' His only comfort was, He is near that justifieth me,' Isa. 1. 8. He knew that his trial would be short and that he would overcome. The hour of darkness is now past. The wrath of God has all

Such

2. We share with the Son in his Father's love. When Jesus was about to leave this world, he said to his disciples, 'I leave the world and go to the Father.' When he died he cried, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.' When he entered into heaven, and passed up the opening ranks of the adoring angels, the Father said, 'Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee;' as if he had said, Never till this time did I see thee so worthy to be called my Son. Ah! it was a blessed exchange when he left the frowns and curses of the world for the embrace of his Father's arms; when he came from under the outpoured wrath of God into his full eternal love and smile; when he left the crown of thorns for the crown of glory. is the change of every poor sinner in the moment that he is persuaded and enabled to embrace Christ. Dost thou believe with all thine heart that Jesus is the Son of God? Can you say you have fled for refuge to Christ? Then share with Christ in his Father's love. Christ says, ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God,' John xx.17. God is as much your Father as he is Christ s Father. Your God as Christ's God. The Father loves you with the same full, unchanging, soul-satisfying love, with which he loves Jesus, (see that never to be forgotten prayer, John xvii. 26.) Oh! what a blessed change for an heir of hell to become an heir of God, and a joint heir with Christ,' John viii. 17. For one who deserved, and still deserves, to share with the devil and his angels, to share with Christ that sits at the right hand of God. Oh! to inherit God, to have a son's interest in God! Eternity alone can reveal the full meaning of

you

'I

that word, 'Heir of God, and joint heir with Christ.'

NINETEENTH DAY.-MORNING.

"Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our acorks, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 2 Tim. i. 9.

THERE are two ways in which men are called to believe the gospel. There is an outward and an inward calling, an earthly and a heavenly calling. All believers are ، partakers of the heavenly calling,' Heb. iii. 1.

The outward call comes to all who hear the

II. God is faithful to souls in Christ. 'God is faithful, by whom ye are called unto the fellowship of his Son.' When a soul is in affliction, temptation, or desertion, his cry is, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my God hath forgotten me.' Sometimes this feeling approaches to actual despair. Here is a rock for the soul to lean upon, 'Christ is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever,' and ، God is faithful ' who called us to share with Christ. Hearken to the voice of the great shepherd, My sheep hear my voice, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal life, and gospel sound: 'Many are called, but few chosen.' they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck Every time the church bell rings it is a call. It them out of my hand. My Father which gave says, 'Come away sinner, thy sabbaths are numthem me is greater than all, and none is able to bered. Eternity is at hand. God's people are pluck them out of my Father's hand.' Satan hastening to the house of God, God's stewards desires to have you. The world are laying snares are dealing out the bread of life. Sinner do not for you. Your own wicked heart would some-stay behind; Jesus is ringing for thee, inviting times be for leaving the hand that has saved you. thee, wooing thee. If thou wouldst but listen, But none is able to pluck you out of the Father's it would sound as joyfully as a marriage bell.' hand.' Hearken to the Father's own word, Ah! there are multitudes in Scotland who hear 'Thou art my servant, I have chosen thee and no more of the gospel than the bell, and that not cast thee away,' Isa. xli. 9. The soul united will be enough to condemn them in the to Jesus is not like the grass, but like the palm great day. tree. Even in old age he shall bear fruit, he shall be full of sap and flourishing. To show that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him,' Psal. xcii. 15. At the very time when Zion was saying, 'My God hath forgotten me,' God had her walls engraven on his hands, Isa. xlix.16. Look still to Jesus, oh! deserted soul. The love of God shines unchangeably on him. Abide in him and you will abide in the Father's love. Your afflictions may only prove that you are more immediately under the Father's hand. There is no time that the patient is such an object of tender interest to the surgeon, as when he is bleeding beneath his knife. So you may be sure if you are suffering from the hand of a reconciled God, that his eye is all the more bent on you. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.'

،

'If ever it should come to pass

That sheep of Christ might fall away;
My fickle, feeble soul, alas !

Would fall a thousand times a day.
Were not thy love as firm as free,

Thou soon would'st take it Lord from me.'

The open church door is a call. It seems to say, 'Strive to enter in at the strait gate, for many shall seek to enter in and shall not be able.' 'Go ye to them that sell, and buy for yourselves,' lest the bridegroom come and the

door be shut.

Come in, come in,

Eternal glory thou wilt win.'

The lighted windows of the church at evening are a solemn call. They cry in your ears, 'Jesus is the light of the world.' 'Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you.' Jesus hath lighted a candle, and is sweeping the house, and seeking diligently to find lost pieces of silver. The village spire that points the way to heaven,' is a silent call. It says, Look up stedfastly into heaven, and see the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. Seek those things which are above. Set your affections on things The voice of above, not on things on the earth.'

the preacher is a call. It says, 'Repent and believe the gospel, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.' 'We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled unto God.' Every tract given in at your door is a divine call. It says, 'I have a message from God unto thee.' 'Behold I stand at the door and knock.' Every leaf of your Bible is a call. It says, Search the

but cast them down to hell, and delivered them | he hath compassion upon whom he will have into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judg- compassion.' ment,' 2 Pet. ii. 4. The next rebellion was in paradise. Man believed Satan rather than God, and ate of the forbidden fruit. By one man's disobedience many were made sinners.' Both of these families sinned against the same God, broke the same holy law, fell under the same curse, and were condemned to the same fire. Now it pleased God, in infinite compassion, to provide a way of pardon for some of these lost creatures. He determined to save some 'to the praise of the glory of his grace.' But whom shall he save―men or rebel angels? Perhaps the unfallen hosts of heaven pleaded that their once brother angels should be taken, and men left. They might have said that the angelic nature was higher and nobler, that man was a worm. "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!' He spared not the angels. He passed by the gate of hell. He raised no cross of Calvary there. 'He took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham,' Heb. ii. 16.

2. He is sovereign in choosing the countries that have the light of the gospel. All nations are equally lost, and vile in the sight of God. He hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth' And yet how differently has he dealt with different peoples. Why did God choose Israel to be a peculiar treasure to himself, and to have the oracles of God committed to them? Was it because they were more righteous than others. No; that is expressly denied: Understand, therefore, that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiff-necked people,' Deut. ix. 6. Neither was it on account of their greatness: The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; (for, ye were the fewest of all people ;) but because he loved you,' Deut. vii. 7. Again, why has China, with its teeming millions, been walled around for centuries, and left to the darkness of its vain idols? Why has India been left under the cruel chains of Hindooism? Why has Africa been given over to witchcraft and superstition? Why has the fair face of Europe been almost given over to the delusions of the man of sin; and why has our own bleak island been chosen to be so long the brightest repository of the truth in all the world? Are we better than they? No, in no wise. There are sins committed among us that would make the heathen blush. His way is in the sea.' 'He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy; and

3. He is sovereign in choosing the most unlikely persons to be saved. You would have expected that most of the rich would have been saved. They have most time to study divine things; they are not harassed by the fears of poverty; they can procure all advantages. And yet hear the word of God: 'Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom,' James ii. 5. Again, you would have thought God would have chosen the wise and learned, to be saved. The gospel is a subject of deep wisdom. The Bible is written in ancient languages, hard to be acquired. And educated men are generally free from prejudices, to which the common people are subject. And yet hear the word of our Lord: 'I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight.' You would have thought that surely God will save the most virtuous people of the world. He is a God of purity, who loves what is holy; and though none are righteous, no, not one, yet some are much less stained with sin than others. Surely he will take these. What says the Lord Jesus to the Pharisees? The publicans and harlots do enter into heaven before you.' The blameless young ruler is left to go away sorrowful, whilst the king of glory enters in at the pearly gate of the New Jerusalem with a thief washed in his blood by his side.

If my soul is saved, am I not bound to give thanks? If ministers are bound to thank God for the free salvation of their people, how much more are we bound to praise him ourselves for saving us. I am no better than a rebel angel. Devils never rejected Christ as I have done, and yet he passed them by and saved me. I am no better than a Chinese or a Hindoo, and yet grace has passed millions of them, and come to me. I was no better than the sinners round me, perhaps worse than most, and yet I trust I can say, 'Thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.' Glory to God the Father, that he chose me before the world was. Glory to Jesus, that he passed by millions and died for me. Glory to the Holy Spirit, that he came out of free love and awakened me.

II. We are here taught that God chooses the means as well as the end. 'He hath chosen us unto salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth.' The first step that God chooses his people to come to, is 'belief of the