Ver. 21.-.Absolute dependence upon God. "These wait all upon thee, that tl:.ou mayest give them their meat in due season.'' All vegetable and animal life depen~.r on appropriate food; and though sometimes the food is at the creature's hand, i. usually has to be sought. God has arranged the economy of natnre so that each creature is skilled to find its own food. The dependence of creation on the Creator may be made effective to an audience by an illustrative instance such as the following: 'l'he fox has sly and skilful movements; but it is not al ways noticed how God helps the fox apart from his cunning. The red colour of his coat is found to have a strangely paralyzing effect on his prey, so that they are quite unable to flee from him. 'l'he psalmist, in trying to raise high and adoring thoughts of the eternal King by exami- nation of his kingdom, is especially impressed with the signs of the King's presence, interest, care, and providing everywhere. It is not a creation set going, and left to go; it is sustained, provided for, continually. I. FoR LIFE WE ARE DEPENDENT oN Goo. God wakens us from nightly sleep, and sets new time upon our store. II. FoB RENEWED POWERS WE ARE DEPENDENT ON Goo. Yet how seldom we thank God for our sound minds ! III. FoR HEALTH WE ABE DEPENDENT ON Goo. Modern discoveries concerning the germs of disease that float around us and thrive within us, make us wonder that health is retainrd so well and so long. IV. Foa FOOD WE ARE DEPENDENT ON Goo. Since he gives us the means to get it, and provides it for us, year by year, as the harvest of his earth. Visiting the Zoological Gardens, and noticing the variety of creatures, and the Yariety of food required to meet the needs and daily conditions of each one, we were set wondering over the Divine response to the dependence of all living things. He giveth "them," each one," their meat "-that which is precisely suitable for each one -in due season, or whenever the need of each one really rises into a cry. "Our sufficiency is of God." Dependence on him meets with response from him, which claims our thankfulness and our service.-R. T.
Ver. 30.-Renewed life: a spri11g sermon. I. SPRING AWAKENS IN U8 THE SENSE OF LIFE. The life of n11ture is a symbol of the spiritual renewal of the Christian. The renewal of the heart, the conscience, and the will. II. AWAKENS THE SENSE OF BEAUTIFUL LIFE. What a banquet for the eye! what fragrance, as if an angel swung a censor full of the odours of cdestial flowers! how the ear is regaled I The life of the believM in Christ ought to be the most beautiful below the skies. The serene and tender loveliness of spiritual affections and actions is nobler than all the grnces of outward beauty. III. THE BENSE OF PROGRESSIVE LIFE. It is the season of growth. A parable of spiritual life. 1. When growth cease,,, the11 decay be_gins. 2. Material growth is sp011,- taneous; spiritual growth the result Lf self-effort. The flowers of the field neither toil nor spin; but we grow by the power of will and purpose. 3. Material and spiritual growth are rften irregular. Does not proceed at a uniform rate. IV. IT IS PROPHETIO LIFE. The gardens and the fields prophesy a harvest of frn't 11nd grain. l, 'J'he present life is only a prophecy of our immortal lif~- Our knowkd:;e, 414 '£HE llOOK OF PSALMS. [PA. OV. 1-45,
our desires, our po1,ers of spiritual action, are all in their infancy; the summer glory of our being 1s to be reached elsewhere. 2. The present experience of the Christian is ,mly a prophe_cy of fnture experience. As the bud and blossom predict the fruit; or ~he first car ol _corn predicts th~ whole _harvest. Admonitory thought to us. Spring 1s full of prounse; hut some of its promises will never be fulfilled. How many of Lho young never fulfil lhe promise of their early days, but turn out miserable abo~tions 1-S.