scheme to rescue us in Christ. We cannot be satisfied with Christ's salvation unless it is perfectly plain that in his work "justice and mercy have met to;;;ether, righteous- ness and peace have kissed each other," And if the redemption do not take such a shape 88 shall display a "love Divine, all love excelling," then our hard cold hearts wil I never be melted and won. But o.11 these a.re fully seen in that great redemption wrought by Christ. His is a mighty salvation. 'l'he perfect obedience unto death of the beloved Son see.ls for ever the righteous Father's claims. And as to love, what shall we say a.bout love in sacrifice? •• Greater love bath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends;" but "God commendeth his love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died fur us." Love I It drops from the overcharged heart in the agony of the garden. It drops from the thorn-crowned brow in the mock judgment-ba.11. It drops from nail-pierced bands on the cruel cross. It drops from the wounded side of him who "bore our sins in his own body on the tree." 0 melting drops I Let them fall afresh on your heart and mine, and melt 118 into penitence and responsive love 1-R. T. Ver. 21.-The true end of life. This is illustrated, for us all, in the true end for which the Hebrew tribes were formed into a nation. They were organized in Egypt, delivered, trained in the wilderness, and settled in the land of Canaan for distinct purposes of God. They were formed into a nation "for himself," to "show fc,rth his praise." St. Peter applies this view of the old Israel of God to the new Israel of God, the first Christian Church. "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who bath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1 Pet. ii. 9). And the same view may be applied to every regenerate individual; he too is formed anew for God; in hi, new, regenerate life he is to show forth God's praise. Taking illustration from the older and the newer Israel, we may impress the truth of the text in its relations to the individual. The following line of thought may be worked out. I. Our life on earth is but a limited and dependent thing. It is but a passing time, an interlude. II. Its beginnings were wholly out of our own control. Whence we ea.me, why we came, we do not know. III. Its endings are equally beyond our reach. Where we are going, and what we are to be, we know not. IV. Even in the passing time, we are in the miclst of mysteries which we cannot fathom; and we fashion aims of our own which never satisfy us, even if we attain them, V. It is evident that there is One who gave us being for his own purposes; who supports us through our interlude to show forth his praise; and who holds the final issues of our lives as the completion of his own all-wise plan. 'l'hen this follows, and may be duly impressed--'-it is folly indeed for any dependent man to live his brief life unto himself. It is wisdom indeed to know him who gave us being for his own purposes. And he has not left himself without witness concerning himself and concerning his will. His revelation convinces us that the true end of life -which is to honour our Maker-is glorified by the apprehension of how good, bow wise, how gracious our Maker is. That which is actually the chief end of life we come lovingly, thankfully, rejoicingly, to set before ourselves ns our chief end.-R. T. Ver. 22.- Wearying of God's worship. This is quite a customary prophetical com- plaint. The idea seems to be that God noticed his people making II toil rather than a joy of his service. 'l'hey kept it up, but it w11s evidently an irksome burden. We ,can understand that, during the Captivity, when removed from all the solemn associa- tions of the temple-worship, it would be very burdensome to keep up family or public religion. Micah pleads thus, in God's name: "0 my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me" (Micah vi. 3). And Me.le.chi writes thus: "Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it I and ye have snuffed at it, saith the Lord of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should 1 accept this of your hand? saith the Lord" (Mai. i. 13). Matthew lknry suggests the signs of the reople being thus weary 154 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHE1' ISAIAH. [w. xtm. 1-28.
of God's worship. I. They had cast off prayer. 2. They had grown weary of their religion. 3. They grudged, the expense of their devotion. 4. What sacrifices they did offer, they did not honour God with them. 6. Yet God made no 11nreasonable or burdensome commands upon them. 'fhe two points which may be illustrated and enforced, in direct relation to the religious life of our times, are these- I. MEN SOON WEARY OF Goo's WORSHIP WHEN THE HEART GOES OUT OF IT. Tho worship of human beings, enslaved by the senses, must be formal, ritual ceremonial~ in greater or less degrees. And these are most valuable and helpful w'hen they are, "·hat they should be, expressions of the soul's love and admiration and thankfulness. Worship is blessed if there is life in it, heart in it; if it says anything, if it means anything. As a round of formalities, it is but a "weariness." It may be kept up, but only as an irksome task that must be done. So our interest in Divine worship may become a test of ourselves. If there is life in the soul there is sure to be joy in the worship. JI. 'l'HE: HEART GOES OUT OF THE WORSllIP WHEN WE NEGLECT THE PRIVATE CULTIVA- TION OF THE REGE!-ERATE LIFE. So often men think to make up by diligence in public religion for neglect and indifference in private religion. But it can never be done. The preparation for worship is private soul-cultivation. We must bring the worship "'ith us, or we shall never find it in the Church. Revive personal piety, and the result will at once be revived interest in Divine worship. If men neglect the house of God, it will always be found that they have" left their first love."-R. T.