Ver. !.-Personal righls in God. "0 Lord, thou art my God.n The difference between the " man " and the " godly man" may be seen in this. The man says, "0 Lord, thou art God;" but the godly man sa.ys, "0 Lord, thou art my God." The difference is the matter of conscious personal relation; it is a question of" appropriation." At first sight it might seem to detract from the august majesty of the Divine Being that any single individual should call him "mine." But, whatever we may make of it, the fact must be admitted that, while God's revelation to man in nature is to man as a whole-to man as a race the revelation of God to man in a book, and in a person, is a constant encouragement to him to recognize and come into the joy of personal relations. This point may be variously illustrated. I. THE EARLIEST REVELATION OF GOD TO THE RACE AS MORAL BEINGS PERMITTED PERSON RELATIONS, This is shown in God's trusting Adam and Eve; also in his holdin;.; the communion of friendship with them, "walking in the garden;" and much may be made of the assertion in __ Luke's genealogy," the son of Adam, which was tle ,on of God " (Luke iii. 38). II. THE PATRIARCHS LIVED IN THE JOY OF PERSONAL RELATIONS WITH GOD. Illus- .trated in Abraham's familiarity in intercession for Sodom; indicated in the fact of covenant; and proved in the distinctness with which God is spoken of as the " God c,f Abraham, Isaac, BI1d Jacob." Ill. THE DELIVERANCES AND REDEMPTIONS OF THE PEOPLE OF JSR.A.EL SHOW A:s' IMMEDIATE AND PERSONAL INTEREST IN THEM ON THE PART OF GoD. One instance is suggestive of many. On tlie further shores of the Red Sea Moses put a song of thanksgiving into the mouths of the people, and this is its opening verse: "The Lord is my Strength and Song, and he is become my Salvation: he is my God." IV. WHEN PERSONAL GODLINESS FINDS EXPRESSION WE SEE THE SIGNS OF THE PERSONAL APPROPRIATION. (See Ps. cxviii. 28; cxlv. 1.) V. THE FULL REVELATION OF Goo TO MAN IN CHRIST JESUS IS PERMISSION AND INVITATION TO COME INTO PERSONAL RELATIONS. That is the revelation of God as a Father, a word which involves our individual rights in him as his sons. That is the revelation of a salvation which restores broken relations and renews our rights in God. But it is precisely in this appropriation of God that men are so often hindered. Many can admit that "Jesus died for the sins of the world," and " God loved the world; " but there is no life, no joy, no right sense of relation, until we can say," God loves me, even me; and Jesus died for me, even me."-R. T. Ver. 1.-Tlie true reading of the Divine dealings. "Thou hast done wonderful things, even counsels of old, in faithfulness and truth" (Revised Version). When we can rear\ aright, the Divine plan and workings in the olden times are not merely wonderful, causin~ surprise at the Divine wisdom and power; the great thing about them is seen to be their goodness, adaptation, mercifulness, and truth to promise and pledge. This is the reRult of a true reading of history, aud wany of us have found this to follow our right and worthy reading of our own livi,s, and of God's ways with us. Now we can sa7, "Not 410 'l'll'El -BOOK OF THE P.ROl?RET ISAIAH. [ea. x:xv, 1--lll.
one good t-hing bath fa.ilW ua of all thnt the Lord our God hath promised." ·" All tho operations -0f providence are acoording to God's eternal counsels ( and those •falthfulneaii and trut_h itself), all consonant to his attributes, consistent with one ariother1 and.sure to be 0ccomt,lisbed in their SMson." , ". ,,, I. WE OFTEN MISTAK'F: Gon's l'URPOSE wmLE IT IS BEING WROUGHT OtlT. As.we might mist.ake .a,ny;work in progress. Becawie we do ·not know the mind of the :Wol'ker~ because his ~•ays are other than our ways; ~u~e he u~es strange agents and agencieal; an~ because _h~ purposely holds from out view his meanmg, so that he may encourage patience, wa1tmg, a.nd tr-ust. "Blind unbelief is sure to err, And scan hie work in va.in." Illustnlte by tbe apparent confusion in the ground where a cathedral ie being erected·; and shm.., how great a mist.&ke we should make ahout •God's purpose in ,Joseph or David, if we took only isolated p&rts and incidents of their lives,for study; We often mistake God's meaning when we try to read only parts of OW."Owil lives,, · , • .' • II. ,vE SHALL. NOT MISTAKE GoD'S PURPOSE_ WHEN WE SEE IT IN ITS ISSUES. That is true. God's end always explains and justifies his _means. But th_en ·the ehd_ia 11ot yet; it is often away in the future, out of our vision. And we want some-indication of God now. All we can have is the vindication, given over a.rid Jvetl again, in history., W~ have "seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender -mercy!" And we liai-e good argument and well-grounded faith that God's coui:isels are always " faithfulness and truth." · • ' : ·,, III. WE NEED ~'EVER MISTAKE Gt>D's DEA.LINGS OB GoD's PURPOSE IF WE WILL READ THEM rn THE LIGHT OF WHAT WE KNOW'dF·GoD'msELF. ': Life for"tis'all may be full of pnzzling thingii, but we can always say," We_ know·God,11 Itintist be _right, it must he wise, it must be good, it must be for tbe absolute best;since· he has·done it, who, being love, must be "i:nak'ing all things work together for good." True reading is read- ing in the ligbt of what we know-God to be.-R. T. .: .. r, • r