I. OrrR LIA BILlTY Tu 'FEAR. 1. As dependent creatures. 2, •Because of the great mysteries of existence that a.re around us-mY11teries of God; of self; of sin; of provi- dence; of judgment; of the future. 3. In view of the possibility of our o,vn failure from goodness. II. THE POWER OF FAITH TO OVERCOVR FEAR. Trust can (1) keep hold of the pro- mises; (2) see satisfying visions of God hims1ilf. He who is "for us is more than all they that can be against us." "This faith-this simple believing trust in, God~will \;eep the 8oul in quietness in view of all the mysteries, and of all the dark possibilities of life and death. When reason is at fault, when wisdom gropes for the way and falls into the ditch, when strength trembles and sinks into feebleness, faith keeps the heart in quietness and confidence. Whence has it this power? Beoause it rests on Divine declarations, deeper and wider than natural laws; on Divina promises, surer than, the hills; on Divine power, stronger than gravitation and the sweep of .ten thousnnd worlds; nay, on a Divine Person, in whom all faithfulness, power, and love for ever dwell" (Dr. A. Ra\eigh).-R. T. • · : Yer. 3.-The wells of salvati()'TI,. A very expressive image in a bot country. Wells are treated in contrast with cisterns, which only store the drainage of the ground. Wells are fed from springs and storehouses treasured in the heart of the earth. . Inside Caris- brooke Castle is a deep well, which ensured consta.nt supply for the garrison, however closely the castle migbt be besieged. Salvation is like a well; forth from it ever comes "living water." It i-s not like a man-made cistern, which only holds a limited quantity, and is apt to fail in the supreme hour of need. There may be a reference to the custom associated with one of the great feasts. On the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles- some say on each day-the Jews used to bring water in a golden pitcher from the fountain of Siloam, and pour it, mingled with wine, on the sacrifice on the altar, with great rejoicing. Illustrating the joy of finding fresh and living water in hot countries,,"itiis said that while the French engineers were boring for water in the· African desert, ·tl:le Arabs looked on in silent wonder, until they saw the precious stream actually.gushing forth, and then their joy knew no bounds; and sweet and precious as the cooling waters are now to the weary labouring child of the desert, so precious were they to the .people fo whom the words of the prophet were originally addressed; and the promise to them of an indefinite supply of that element would be highly appreciated by them, and well calculated to inspire their gratitude and joy." The idea of the text may be thus given: Out of the wells of salvation in God, who is the Fountain of all good to his people, you shall draw water with joy. Matthew Henry suggests three good topics for meditation. "1. God's promises, revealed, ratified, and given out to us in his ordinances, are wells .lf salvation; wells of the Saviour (so some read it), for in them the Saviour and sal- vati'ln are made known to us and made over to us. 2. It is our duty by faith to draw water out of these wells, to take to ourselves the benefit and comfort that are treasured up for us in them, as those that acknowledge all ·our fresh springs to be there, and all our fresh streams to be thence (Ps. lxxxvii. 7). 3. Water is to be drawn out of the wells of salvat.ion with a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction. It ia the will of God that we sl,ould rejoice before him, and rejoice in him (Deut. xxvi 11); be joyful in his house of prayer (eh. lvi 7), and keep his feasts with gladness (Acts ii. 46)." Like well-water, mlvation is- L EVER FRESH. And so ever pleasant. II. EVER ABUllDANT. Fulness for whosoever will. Compare cisterns, or wadys of deserts. Salvation is a perennial fount, a " perpetual tide ; it flows for you, for me, for alL" IIL EVER FREE. Nobody can sea.I up this fountain. IV. EvER HEALTH-GIVING. Restoring, requickening, It is healing for the sick, streogtb for the disabled, life for those "dead in trespasses and sins." What can surpass in power to bring us joy our sense of the fitness and the fulness of the "great,'' the "common" sah·ation ?-R. T. Ver. 4.-God's new name the ol,d OM glorified. "Call upon hie Name,'' which is, in Messiah, "Jehovah Jesus,"" Immanuel Jesus," or "God with us saving us from our siru;." To call upon God's Name is to publicly give him the glory that is his due. OH, xm. 1-22,J 'r:HE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH, 227
J, TnP: OLD NAME 1e GoD THE PROVIDER, The God who meets a.nd irupplifl~ all ordinary human wants, "God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." The God of whom Jacob con!,! say, "Ho fed me all my life long." The God "in whose hand our breath i11, and whoso 'are all our ways." "Who giveth to each his meat in due season." "Who crowneth us with loving-kindnesses and tender mercies: who satisfieth our mouth with good things." • . . - • II. 'l'HE NEW NAME 1s GoD THE SAVIOUR, Who "redeemeth our life from destruc- tion." Who "delivers from going down to the _pit." Who "_gave himsel_f a. Ransom for us." Who brought "deliverance for the captives, and opemng of the pneon to them thnt are bound." Who is "able to save unto the uttermost." Who is "exa.lted a. Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance unto Israel, a.ntl remission of sins." III. THE NEW NAME ONLY TELLS OF Goo PROVIDING FOB. MAN'S SOREST NEED AND SADDF:S'l' CONDITION. Ile is not just in trouble; he is in Bin. Stained with it, bruised with it, degraded by it, in peril through it1 made helpless by it. The man in sin cann?t save himself; no •fellow-man can save him. The Hero from Bouah, who speaks lll righteousness, alone is "mighty to eave" (cb. !xiii. 1).-B. T,
Ver. 5.~God honoured through his mercies. "Sing unto the Lord; for he bath done excellent thinos," A comprehensive term, summing up all that God had done for bis people throu)!;h the long ages. The Hebrew indicates an echo from Exod. xv. 1, "He bath triumphed gl01·iously." Reviewing God's wondrous workings, we may regard them from three points of view. I. 'THEY ABE THINGS WHICH WE OUGHT TO .ADMIRE. II. THEY ABE THINGS WHICH WE OUGHT TO STUDY, III. THEY .ABE THINGS WHICH WE OUGHT TO FEEL, Because of their graciousness to us as/rail, and their mercifulness to us as sinners. The great glory of God is his mercy. Christ is the embodiment of mercy, "Oh that men woul<l praise the Lord for his goodness, and for bis wonderful work.a towards the sons of men I" Thy mercy "en_dui:eth for ever."-R. T.