Yf anxious_ ~uls &11 ou:5. en~ not only beauti!~l ethics, exquisite parables; but we ~nt Dmne au~hor1~!: I Wt~; be thou clean I W.? are at rest when we can aay wtth the centurion, Truly this was the Son of God. We feel how guilty we are. We admit no man, no priest, into the picture-gallery of the soul. \Vo decline to reveal our leprosy of heart to our fellow-men. But we are all polluted and evil; and we have deep repose of heart _wh~n we come to the one fountain open for sin and uncleanness, and know that Chnst 1s "<ible to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him." No look lightens us which is merely imitative-which is a lesson-look of duty. \Ve need a great Saviour as well as a great Teacher. III. LOOKING UNTO JESUS LIGHTRNS us BY CONSCIOUS OBEDIENCE. 'l'his comes next. We flow together, not merely in sympathy, but in life and service. We do his command- ments; we know )n f?llowing him we are in th~ rig~t path; and how it lightens one to feel that the way 1s right, however hard and pamful it may be! Rectitude is the music of the soul. Is not this sometimes forgotten? you say. Or, if not forgotten is obedience relegated to a very inferior place by some Christians? Yes; they U:ean well, but they t.ake a snperficial view of the gospel. Removal of guilt is not all. Doing is not a deadly thing, it does not end in death-if it is life-doing 11nd not law- doing. Christ. says, "Keep my commandments." "This do, and thou shalt live." We are never lightened by self-indnlgent piety, which leaves all to God. We are to exer- cise our gracrs; to use what Paul calls "the gymnastic of godliness "-a beautiful expression. Looking to Jesus, we shall gain strength for every earnest endeavour after the Divine life. But is there not a danger of spiritual pride? Is it not better to feel God does a.II ? There is no one of us free from the danger of spiritual pride. We must all watch and pray against it. But you may detect spiritual pride often very mani- festly in those who think that they, a.nd they alone, know the entire secret of God's will; and their secret is, a leaving it all to him. Then pride says, "See; I am free from legalism, and I have no danger of self-righteousness." Pride may hide under this cloak of confessed humility. We are only safe in Christ's own way. He and no earthly teacher is to be really our spiritual Director, and he says, "H ye love me, keep my commandments;" "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them;" "He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto eternal life." Not by a cowardly shrinking from duty, but by looking up to the Captain of the great host a.nd gathering nerve to throw one's self into the thick of the fight is our heart lightened. IV. LOOKING UNTO JESUS LIGHTENS BY CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE. We have tried it in the days of old! Christ has lightened many a burden we foolishly tried to carry alone. :Men are a.shamed of their failures. They boast of a certain specific, and it fails. 'l'hey recommeud certain methods of conduct which break down in operation. But our faces are not ashamed. They glow with the consciousness of what Christ has been in past times of test and trial. He has never failed-never forsaken. This is a beautiful idea about the countenance-a Christian should have no shame there. I do not mean a. face defiant or boastful; that is not the meaning of these words, "And their faces were not ashamed." It means no confusion, no flush of anxiety, no prophecy of failure on it. We can all look to him. We are all invited! None of us can measure the weight on the heart. Christ can. And he knows that it is heavy, very heavy. We are often tired a.nd weary. Come to him! You need him I You have slighttd and neglected him long time now; but you have found no Friend, no Saviour away from him. '" Lay down, thou weary one, lay down Thy head upon my breast.' " Let ns do so. Then this experience will have brought to us a peace which passeth all understanding.-W. M. 8.
Vers. 1-5.-The unfelt hand oo the human hrart. Of this passage the most striking and invitinu words are those in the fourth and fifth verses: "I have surnamed thee, though tho~ hast not known me;" "I girded thee, though thou hast not known me." But while these sentences furnish the theme of consideration, the other part of tho passage suggests three particular things in which the prophetic word was fulfilled, 1. The opening of the gates of braes (ver. 1), fulfilled during the capture of Bah) Ion. en. xt.v. l-21i.J THE BOOK m· THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 185