First, perhaps, to strike the eye amongst the clusters of our Canaan is Home — the father's reason made silken by affection; the mother's voice sweeter than any music ; the kindly strength of the brother ; the fondness of the sister ; the comeliness and sparkle of little children. Friendship is a kindred cluster englobing rich wine. Another fruition is Philanthropy, delicious as a fruit of Paradise plucked from some branch running over the wall. Then the eye longs to drink as well as the lip, and the ear to drink as well as the eye, so Art displays creations refreshing as the vineyard's purple wealth ; the artist with marble and canvas unsealing fountains of beauty, the musician with pipe and string pouring streams of melody. Science shows the earth a great emerald cup whose fulness flashes over the jewelled lip. Literature is a polished staff bearing grapes beyond those of Eshcol. Commerce is a whole vine in itself, and we gaze at its embarrassing lavishment with amazed delight. " Fir trees, cedars and oaks ; silver, iron, tin, lead, and vessels of brass ; horns of ivory and ebony; wheat, honey, oil, and balm; horses and horsemen, lambs, rams, and goats ; wine and white wool ; chests of rich apparel, bound with cords; emeralds, purple and broidered
^ W. L. Watkinson, Mistaken Sigiis, 156. ^ Ibid.
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work, and fine linen, coral and agate ; cassia and calamus, with chief of all spices, and with all precious stones and gold." By our ships we are replenished and made very glorious in the midst of the seas. Patriotism is a first-rate grape whose generous blood gives to the spirit that unselfish glow which surpasses all sensual pleasure ; and the best wine runs last in that sentiment of Humanity which gives the crowning joy to the festival of life.
3. The munificence of God is revealed to the uttermost in the cup of spiritual Uessing. The cup of salvation runs over. It was not the study of God just to save us, but to save us fully, over- flowingly.
^ May 28, 1892. If spared till to-morrow I shall have finished the eighty-second year of my pilgrimage. When I read the other day that verse in Deut. ii. 7, " The Lord thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand ; these forty years he hath been with thee, thou hast lacked nothing," I said to myself, "These eighty-and-two years He has been with me," twice the time mentioned there, and I can truly say " I have lacked nothing." More than that, He has given me " that blessed hope," the prospect of being for ever in the kingdom with Him who has redeemed me by His blood. It was in the year 1830 that I found the Saviour, or rather that He found me, and laid me on His shoulders rejoicing, and I have never parted company with Him all these sixty-two years.^
I praise Thee, while Thy providence In childhood frail I trace, For blessings given, ere dawning sense Could seek or scan Thy grace;
Blessings in boyhood's marvelling hour. Bright dreams and fancyings strange; Blessings, when reason's awful power Gave thought a bolder range ;
Blessings of friends, which to my door Unask'd, unhoped, have come; And, choicer still, a countless store Of eager smiles at home.
' A. A. Bonar, Heavenly Springs, 206.
PSALM XXIII. 5 487
Yet, Lord, in memory's fondest place I shrine those seasons sad, When, looking up, I saw Thy face In kind austereness clad.
I would not miss one sigh or tear, Heart-pang, or throbbing brow ; Sweet was the chastisement severe, And sweet its memory now.
Yes ! let the fragrant scars abide. Love-tokens in Thy stead, Faint shadows of the spear-pierced side, And thorn-encompass'd head.
And such Thy tender force be still. When self would swerve or stray. Shaping to truth the froward will Along Thy narrow way.
Deny me wealth ; far, far remove
The lure of power or name ;
Hope thrives in straits, in weakness love,
And faith in this world's shame.^
(1) We see it in the pardon of sin. — God does not forgive sin with measure and constraint, but graciously multiplies pardons. The overflowing cup is the sign of a grand welcome, of a cordial friendship, of a most hearty love. The forgiveness of God is not official, arithmetical, hesitating, but free and full beyond all com- pare. "He will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."
^ If God had not told a man that his sins are forgiven, it would be presumption in him to believe that they are forgiven ; but if God has told him that they are forgiven, then the presumption consists in disbelieving it or doubting it.^
^ During the visit to Canon City, Colo., in 1899, the Governor of the State, hearing that Mr. Moody was to speak at the peni- tentiary on Thanksgiving Day, wrote him, enclosing a pardon for * Cardinal Newman. 2 Xhomas Erskine of Linlathen,
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a woman who had already served about three years. Seven years more were before her. Mr. Moody was greatly pleased to be the bearer of the message. The woman was quite unaware of the prospective good fortune. At the close of the address, Mr. Moody produced a document, saying, " I have a pardon in my hands for one of the prisoners before me." He had intended to make some further remarks, but immediately he saw the strain caused by the announcement was so severe that he dared not go on. Calling the name, he said, " Will the party come forward and accept the Governor's Thanksgiving gift ? "