of gro.teful pmiso to the Divine Author of all being, to the bountiful Giver of every good and perfect gift. The mouth will be full of song bec-a.uae the heart will be full of thankful remembro.nces. III. STnENOTH 01" SOUL. "Then shall the lame leap ae an hart." Instead of the moral feebleness and incapacity which showed itself in painful spiritual inactivity, the IOul will go forth, with all its renewed and regenerated powers, to do God's work, to bear witness to hie Name, to work in his vineyard. IV. LOVELINESS AND FRUITFULNESS OIi' LIFE. " The desert shall ... blossom 11111 the rose; . . . the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel," etc. 1. Instead of bareness o.nd unsightliness-the invariable product of sin in its final outwork.i.ngs-there shall be spiritual beauty. There shall be "the beauty of holi- ness," " the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit;" all that is attractive and entrancing to the changed and cultivated judgment of the good and wise. 2. Instead of fruitless- ness there shall be fertility. The desert shall "blossom abundantly." Holy, devoted life will be spent in the service of a present Saviour and for a sin-stricken world. We shall abound in help, in healing, in blessing. V. PREVAILING JOY. The whole strain of the passage is jubilant, and it speaks of the desert "rejoicing with joy and singing." Sin and sadness are most intimately associated; even if they are not so inseparably allied as to be always seen together, they are so essentially connected that when one appears the other is sure to follow. It is a guilty world that knows so much of disappointment, of regret, of grief, of shame. But when the truth of God has wrought its full effect on the human soul, the prevailing note, even of the earthly life, will be that of joy. The near presence of the heavenly Father, the close friendship of the Divine Redeemer, the happy service of love, the blessed work of doing good, the exulting hope of heavenly bliss,-these are sources of joy which quicken and animate the soul, which make a holy human life radiant with a bleSlledness which anticipates the glory of the skies.-C. Vers. 3, 4.-The privilege of the strong. In this strenuous and vigorous appeal we have- I. THE COMPREHENSIVE CHARACTER OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST. In it are the weak as well as the strong. 'l'here is nothing whatever that is narrow about the Christian faith. It is not adapted to any particular class or character. In Jesus Christ there is neither male nor female, Greek nor Jew, cultivated nor uncultivated, bond nor free. .And in him there is no favour reserved for any special disposition. It is not a gospel for those in .particular who are most admired of men-for the strong, for the brave, for the wise, for the winning; it is a refuge for the weak, for the timid, for the unknown and the unueloved. Those who are of no account at all amongst men, those whom human leaders would gladly leave out of their army as weakening rather than strengthening their forces,-these are all welcome to flock to the standard and to fight under the banner of the heavenly Prince. II. THE PRIVILEGE OF THE STRONG. Untaught by the truth of Christ, unchanged by his Spirit, it has been considered the privilege of the strong (1) to despise the weak; (2) to displace them and to enjoy their portion; (3) to delight in playing the part of despot over them. 'l'hese have l)cen the uses which the strong have made of their strength. But we have not so learned Christ. So far as we possess his Spirit and have any right to bear his Name, we shall count it our privilege: 1. To show them a genuine sympathy ; remembering that often, if not always, their weakness reflects no discredit on them, and our strength no credit on ourselves. 2. 7o render them effectual succour; to grant them needful protection and guidance, to instil courage into their minds, to impart vigour to their souls, to make them partakers of our own strength. We shall say to them, speaking in more ways than one, "Be strong." III. THE MAIN SOURCE OF THEIR succoun. 'l'he strong will help the wea.k : 1. By offering them the honour which is their due, instead of the disdain to which they have been accustomed. The former elevates, the latter crushes. 2. By their inspiriting example. Walking with them, working or struggling by their side, the fellowship which they aITord imparts a constant access of strength to their soul. 3. By words of wise encourao-ement. And of these tho best and the most effective will be those which bring out th~ nearness o.nd the salvation of God. "Behold, your God will come . . . and save you." If we woulrl do our very be11t to strenthen the weak, wo must Lriui 5a THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH, [orr. xxxv. 1-10,
them into conecious relation to the Divine Source of all power, Let men re&lize thnt God is with them and for them, and th-ey will be strong to do the braveat deeda and to endure the sharpest sufferings.-C,