the matter to God i_n prnyer. But he did not ask for any change of his circumstances ; he asked to be quickened, soul-quickened; to be so filled with Divine life, and made so_ soul-strong, that he could rise above his circumstancee, however distressful they might be. And the apostle had to be taught by God the lesson which the psalmist had learned ages before. God's answer to his prayer was, "My grace is sufficient for thee. My strength is made perfect in weakness." Power to bear is a better Divine blessing than any mere removal of suffering from our bodies. The wonder of our Lord's_ bearing iu the judgment-halls and Calvary is the soul-strength that triumphed over circumstances. I. SOUL-LIFE IS BETTER THAN BELIEVED SUFFERING. But we find this very hard to believe. We only do believe it as we realize that God's idea for a man's life is not the providing of a pleasant time, but the providing of a scene which shall become a moral discipline, out of which spiritual character may be evolved. The suffering has in view the character; and to remove the suffering may be the worst thin a that could ~appen to_ the m~n. T~e sign of the Divine using of the suffering for the highest ends 1s found m the 1mpartmg of soul-strength. It shows the suffering to be a blessing to us. II. SoUL-LIFE REALLY MATES AND MASTERS THE SUFFERING. For the real measure of the suffering is the measure of power to bear which the sufferer has. Some can bear nothing ; some can bear anything. .At one time we can bear what at another over- whelms. Then strength to bear-the soul-life of full trust in God-does actually lift us above our sufferings, and make them feel, as Christ's yoke is, easy and light.-R. T, Ver. 110.-God's Word the safety of the tempted. "The ungodly have laid a snare for me; but yet I swerved not from thy commandments." Temptations are sometimes open and manifest, and we know what we are doing when we resist them. But often they are secret and subtle, and we have nothing evidently to oppose. Then our safety depends on our moral and spiritual health and vigour, which in a natural way resists the encroachment of spiritual disease. 'l'he secrecy and trickiness of much of our temptation to evil is indicated by the psalmist's calling it a snare. Illustration may be taken from our physical relation to infectious disease. .A man may, in the way of bis duty, have to go where there is infectious disease. Then he braces up his will to a positive resistance, and so is in great measure guarded. But a man may, in the ordinary course of life, without knowing it, be subject to infection; then his safety absolutely depends on the measure of his vitality. Vital force is resistance of disease. Fungus grows on tbe parts of trees in which the life is flagging. The psalmi~t here declares that the resolute will and persistent effort to keep God's commandments, had proved to he a power of moral health and life which had kept him from insidious temptations that were like snares. I. EVIL CANNOT PUT ITS SNARIJ:S IN THE GOOD MAN'S PATH. Not actually in the path. The highway of holiness God keeps, and makes a plain path. It is a well-kept road• he allows no obstructions, and removes all perils. If a man will only keep in the ;ay of riahteousness, his path shall be clear right through, his life shall be liko tho light which '~shineth more and more unto the perfect day." It is God's narrow way, and nobody and nothing can put obstacles or snares into it. If. EVIL CAN PUT ITS SNARES JUST ON ONE SIDE OF THE GOOD MAN 1S PATH, There ill a line which it may not pass, but it puts its snares as near to the line as it possibly can. They are well in the good man's sight, and always most attractivoly disauised. But the good man must swerve a little from tho right, and step over the lin~, before he can possibly fall into the snare. The man is in the wrong before he does the wrong. III. 'l'HE GOOD MAN'S SAFETY LIEB IN GOING STRAIGHT ON. Swerving is the peril; looking about ill the mistake. We know God's will; then let us keep on doing it. "Let thine eyes look straight on."-R. 'I'.
Ver.112.-Our power over our own Marls•. "I have in~lin~d my heart.". "T~e sinful heart will run any way: upon earthly thmgs, upon evil thmgs, or upon 1m_pert~- nent and unseasonable things; but it will not come to or keep upon that w~1~h 1t 11hould mind; therefore it must be taken as by a strong hand, and set upon spmtual PB. CXIX. 1-176.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 163