true light was made to shine. Let not any of us then indulge desponding fears : let us know assuredly, that " the counsel of God shall stand," and that " they who trust in him shall never be confounded." Indeed even "in our darkness the Lord will be a light unto us ;" and soon "our light shall rise in obscurity, and our darkness be as the noon-day."
2. To those who have been " brought out of dark- ness into God's marvellous light" —
[Happy, happy ye, who behold a risen Saviour, and see the fulness which ye have in him ! Ye may be sweetly assured, that, as he is able, so also he is engaged, to " save your souls to the uttermost, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for you." But let this light have its proper influence upon your minds. " Walk as children of the light" and of the day: yea, " walk in the light, as he is in the light." If you do indeed " behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ," " it is God the Lord who hath shewn it to you;" and " ye, as his peculiar people, are called to shew forth his praises1." Do this then in the way before prescribed : give up yourselves wholly unto him; and take him as your only, your everlasting, portion.]
* 1 Pet. ii. 9.
Ps. cxix. 4 — 6. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. 0 that my ways were directed to keep thy sta- tutes ! Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.
IT is impossible to read the psalm before us and not see that true religion is altogether of a practical nature. Doubtless, in the first instance, the Inspired Volume reveals to us a way of reconciliation with our offended God, through the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ : but its ultimate object is, to bring our hearts into a conformity to the mind and will of God. In the words before us we see all that is most interesting to the child of God : I. His indispensable duties —
God commands us, not only to return to him in a way of penitence, but to walk before him in a way of holy obedience.
This he requires throughout the Holy Scriptures —