it is unbeli(f. Tbey <loubt almost every truth which the Church teaches. Some ~ctually deny, others do not more than half believe. 2. With others it is misbelief. They pervert the doctrine of the sacraments, of the eternal mercy of God, of final re_rtc,·eranc,:, ~nd, on such grounds, sav, "Peace, pea.ce,"_ when there is no peace. 3. II ith more it is that they are not saved themselves. Their belief, whatever it is does nothing for them, gives them neither peace, purity, strength, nor joy. They p;ofess, hnt do not possess, and therefore cannot impart to others what is not their own. 4. Fear qf ma,.. How many, who should be directly and avowedly caring for souls, are ensnared here! And th~y salve their consciences by thinking that such work belongs to the clergy or the mimsters-not to snch as they. We shall never do anything until we are willing to be thought "fools for Christ's sake." 5. Dread qf doing harm rather than good. But duty is ours, not consequences; and if God, by his Spirit, prompt• and bids us speak for him, as he very often does, all we have to do is to obey. He will take care of the consequences. Such are some of the causes of this sad lack of care for souls. IV. TnE EVIL OF IT. 1. The glory due from us to (Jhrist is not rendered. The martyrs whom St. John saw overcame" by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word oi their testimony." Christ claims our confession of him. 2. Men are ha;rdened in sin. They say, "If these people believed what they profess, they would not leave us alo:ie as they do. They don't believe it, and we won't." 3. Our own souls perish; for we are guilty of our brother's blood .. V. How 1s IT TO BE REMEDIED ? What is involved in the caring for souls? 1. Belief in the existence of the soul. In its worth ; its peril; in the willingness of God to save it. 2. Solicitude for its salvation. 3. Open, active, and definite endeavour to secure this. 4. Be sure that we are saved ourselves. CONCLUSION". To those who bring the charge, "No man careth for my soul," we would 8ay: 1. If others do not care, see to it that you care yourself. It is your concern, after all. 2. Q others care ever so mu.eh, and you do not, you will be only worse o.f! than before. 3. But if y<>U care, then, whether others care or not, you will certainly b6 saved.-S. C. Ver. 5.-Pleading what we saici to the Lord.. This is what the psalmist is here doing; he is putting the Lord in remembrance of bis servant's earnest vows. I. WHAT WAS BA.ID. 1. He reminds the Lord how he had "cried unto" him. His coming was with all earnestness and sincerity of soul; and he tells the Lord this, as much as to say, "Lord, thou knowest that my prayer went not forth out of feigned lips, but it was with true heart that I turned to thee." Such is the prayer tho Lord loves, and. which alone has power and prevails. 2. He had said, "Thou art my Refuge and my Portion." First, the Lord was bis Refuge. Many were his distresses; somo of them inward, others outward. But from them all he found refuge in God. And he was but an example of what all may do, for where be found refuge from the sense of guilt, the power of sin, the cares of life, the fear of death, the craft and cruelty of men, there als'.l mav we. Blessed i11 he who hath sincerely said to the Lord, "'l.'bou art my Refuge." And, further, he had said, "Thou art my Portion in," etc. He had chosen the Lord before all else. Many there were who were saying, "Who will show 11s any good?" but his prayer was, "Lord, lift thou np the light of," etc. He could say, "Whom have I in heaven but tbee? and there is none upon earth," etc. 'l'hus had he taken the Lord for his Portion, for his chief good. Blessed are they who have done tbe same! 3. .And he had said this. 'fo the Lord himself. He had made this confession and profession to him repeatedly, delibera~elf, sole~nly; he wa~ even declaring it when speaking to the Loni. _And he bad said 1t to, himself, bad bab1ti_mll_y kept before bis mind that he was not his own, but the Lords,- And he had_ said 1t before bis fellow-men. lie was openly and avoweJly the Lords; he made his boast in God. 4 . .And here he pleads this fact before God. For he felt sure that God would not cast off such as he wa~, but would assuredly hearken to him when, as now, he was "brought very low." And he was right. II. How IT WAS SAID. Very earnestly. In no liiht mood, in no formal way, bnt he had" cried" etc. And he said it, in spite of opposition and persecution; and be means, by th~ reminding the Lord of what he had ~aill, to affirm his adherence thereto, PB. CXLII. 1-7.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 347
and that he would by no means go back therefrom. And the obli"ation such avowal involved he was ready to meet and fulfil, God helping him. We a~e wont to make all manner of profession, but is it with this sincerity and resolve or heart? III. WHY IT WAS SAID. 1. Why did he make such profession at all1 He had felt his need of the Lord to be his Refuge and Portion. He had been brou;!ht to that conviction, as many are now. And he believed that God was both able an<l willing to be what he desired of him; hence he had sought the Lord on the matter, and he ha<l actually found that the Lord was his Refuge and his Portion, his God and his exceed- ing Joy. Having found that, he could not do otherwise than avow it: "Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare," etc. 2. Why does he recall to his mind this that he had said 1 Doubtless it was, as such a thing ever is, a great delight to him. Thus to.recall it, to have said such things sincerely, is ooe of the facts in one•~ life that emphatically does bear recollection. It is not so with all life's facts. Then, by such recall, he would tighten their hold upon his own heart, engrave them there yet more deeply. Such is ever the effect of so doing. Every way it helped him. 'l'he Lord became more precious. It held him off from other proffered refuges and portions, of which the world pretends to have large store; it quickened in him the resolve to fulfil the obligations of his vow-such as abstaining from all sio, following after holiness, ever looking to the Lord. Aod he pleads what he had said, because he believed the Lord would allow its force, and let it be availing. CONCLUSION. 1. Let us take the Lord for our Refuge and Portion. 2. Openly avow it. Say out before the Lord and before all men what you have done. 3. .A.od then, as here, often recall to memory what you have said, and that the vows of the Lord are upon you.-S. C.