him. " Kiss him" then, in token of your reverence and sub- jection, " lest he be angry, and ye perish for ever1."]
2. To those who are going on their way rejoicing —
[Take care that you make Christ, and not your own frames or feelings, the object and ground of your joy. And guard against pride, self-confidence, and sin of whatever kind, know- ing that such things will vitiate, and destroy, all the happiness of the soul. David's advice must ever be attended to, " Rejoice with trembling m."]
1 Ps. ii. 12. m Ps. ii. 11.
Ps. cxlix. 4 — 6. The Lord taketh pleasure in his people : he will beautify the meek with salvation. Let the saints be joy- ful in glory : let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand.
THE world are ready to account those weak and enthusiastic who abound in the exercise of spiritual duties : but there is nothing in the universe that more accords with the dictates of reason, than such a state. If God have not given us sufficient grounds to love and serve him, then we may doubt whether the su- preme affection of our souls be due to him. But we need go no further than the text in order to justify the warmest expressions of our love to him, and the most unreserved dedication of all our powers to his service.
The exhortations in the text are full of energy; but they are founded on God's love to us. In order there- fore to be duly sensible of their force, we must consider,
I. God's kindness to us —
This is expressed both by the internal regard which he bears towards us, and by the outward manifesta- tions of it to our souls.
1. He loves his people —
[They who fear God are considered as " his people," in
contradistinction to those who belong to Satan. He esteems
them as " his peculiar treasure a." He " has pleasure" in their
persons, notwithstanding all their vileness ; for he views them as
a Exod. xix. 5.