be a free gift. So God's redemption is priceless, for he does not want to sell. Nay, it is priceless, for it can only be received as a gift. "God bath given unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." How strange that this very "pricelessness" should be our greatest stumbling-block I We have a saying that" only nothing worth can be got for nothing;" and we find ourselves applying it to God's free gift of sa\ vat ion. To illustrate this very human weakness, a man bought the entire stock of a herring-vendor, and sent him round a district of poor people, to cry, "Herrings for nothing!" and give them away. He was laughed to scorn, and not one person was found willing to receive. It is hard to believe that a priceless redemption is offered to us "without money and with- out price."-R. T. Ver. 6.-Knowing God's Name. By that is meant finding out for ourselves all that is involved in his Name; proving for ourselves what he can and will do, even for us. The prophet has rec>llled to mind the deliverance from Egypt, and is full of the revelation which was then made, to Moses, of God's Name. Elsewhere it has been shown that God's Name is twofold. 1. An incommunicable name-a bare assertion of existence, "Jehovah, I am." 2. A relational name, that sets us upon observing .vhat God has done and does. "'l'he God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob." Now we gain illustration from another incident in the Mosaic history. Moses, in one of the sternest experiences of his life, asked for the infinite comforting of being shown the Lord's glory; and this was the Divine response, "I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the Name of the Lord before thee." Evidrntly the adequate impression of God'd goodness is "knowing God's Na.me." And the special point of goodness dwelt on in our text is the goodness that restores WI from the consequences of our own follies and sins. I. THE KNOWLEDGE OF GoD's NAME THAT COMES BY REVELATION. This is mainly a head, knowledge, and does not, of necessity, influence the spirit or the conduct. II. THE KNOWLEDGE OF GoD's NAME THAT COMES THROUGH THE EXPERIENCES OF OTHERS. 1. As recorded in the Word. 2. As met with in life. This is helpful, but it is secondary knowledge. And the response we make to it is goodness upon other people's persuasion, and is only likely to last so long as the persuasion lasts. Like the parasite, we are good just as long as we have somebody else's life to drink of. III. THE KNOWLEDGE OF Gon's NAME THAT COMES THROUGH OUR OWN EXPERIENCES. We never really know God until we know him for ourselves, by our own soul-sight and soul-touch. This is well expressed by the saint of old, "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." In the text God assures his people that his restoring mercies shall be a personal revelation of himself to them; and, knowing him, they shall know the full joy of full trust.-R. T. Ver. 7.-The musageglorifyingthemessengers. Immediate reference is to the heralds who go on in advance of the returning exiles to proclaim to Jerusalem that "the time to favour her, yea, the set time has come." And to those who send the heralds, as well as to those who receive them, they seem beautiful for the sake of their message. And this is the only worthy reason for glorying in the ministers of Christ-we love them "for their work's sake" (see St. Paul's use of this verse in relation to the first preachers of the gospel, in Rom. x. 15). In the poetical style of thtJ East, the watchmen are represented as standing upon their watch-tower, or post of observation, and stretching their vision to the utmost point of the horizon, as if in ea~er expectation of a news- bearing messenger. On a sudden the wished-for object appears in sight, on the summit of the distant mountain, speeding his rapid way to the oity, while the watchmen, anticipating the tenor of his tidings, burst forth in a shout of gratulation and triumph. The imagery strikingly represents the expectant attitude and heedful vigilance of the believing part of the teachers and pastors of the nation of Israel on the eve of the MeBSiah's manifestation. Illustrating the precise point indicated in the heading of this homily, we note- I. THE SNARE OF A MINISTER IS BETTING HUISELF BEFORE HIS MESSAGE. Even an apoHtle felt the power of this temptation, and, having overcome it, he says, "We presoh not ourselves, but Christ JesWI the Lord." The snare is felt especially when there i11 292 THE BOOK OF THE PltOPHE1' ISAIAH. [os. LII, 1-16,
i,ride of intellect; a notion of remarkable inrlividuality; the conceit of genius; a rhetoric&! delivery; or a popular, attractive power. We are sometimes obliged, with grieved hearts, to acknowledge that, in those to whom we listen, there is "more of the man than the message." 1'he messenger may stand in front of the King. All workers for Christ need to deal watchfully with themselves, lest they he overcome of this fault and find the people forgetting themselves in the flattery of the herald. Popula.: preachers a.re in sore need of great grace. Self-conceit takes strangely subtle forms when it enters in and dwells with God's ministers. II. THE JOY OF A :MINISTER WHEN HE CAN T.OSE HIMSELF IN TIIE GLORY OF BIB MESSAGE. Compare Samuel Rutherford's exclamation, "God is my witness that your salvation would be two salvations for me, and your heaven two heavens for 'me." Our Lord Jesus Christ ever st<lod back, and let his Father speak to men through him; and we ahall never know the joy of our work until we also can stand back-right back- and let Christ speak to men through us.-R. T.