nlone, but a world, is to be pardoned. "For he is the Propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but," etc. And our pardon will be not as Sodom's or Jerusale~'s would have been-leaving the people still the slaves of sin; but the beginning of a new life in which we shall grow more and more into the fulness of the stature of the perfect man, the Divine ideal embodied in Christ Jesus. But such is the Divine delight in this Man that, for his sake, he pardons whosoever believeth on him. God bath laid help for us" on One who is mighty" to save. Let us, then, go and put in our claim, confessing our deep need of pardon, but pleading God's own promise, that for the sake of this Man-his own "beloved Son in whom he is well pleased "-he should pardon us. And the answer will come back, "Go in peace ; be of good cheer : thy sins be forgiven thee."-C. Ver. 3.-.An unfailing appeal. "0 Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth? " Text uttered in protest against the pretence and hypocrisy everywhere prevailing in the prophet's day. But the appeal is vindicated whatever we understand by " the truth." Consider it in regard- I. To TBE TRUTH AS SPOKEN BY GoD, IN HIS WORKS AND IN BIS WORD. See this in the constancy and invariability of the order of nature. The reign of law is because "the eyes of the Lord are ever," etc. See it in the fulfilment of ancient prophecies, especially those which concern our Lord Jesus Christ; and we are to believe it in regard to those many promises of God, the fulfilment of which yet waits. II. To TBE TRUTH WRITTEN-to try and test thereby all our teachings and beliefs. See our Lord, in the temptation, how his eyes were ever on the truth. Hence his "It is written" foiled the tempter again and again. "To the Law and to the testimony," etc. The Bereans-and their exainple is held up as noble-searched the Scriptures daily, to see if the teachings they heard "were so;" so, that is, as the apostles affirmed. III. To THE TRUTH IMPLANTED-to encourage and avenge it. His grace implants truth in the character, and leads to its being acted out in the life. Now, the eyes of the Lord are ever upon such men. As he hates the hypocrites, so he loves the sincere, the "Israelites indeed, in whom there is no guile." His eyes rest on them ever with delight. His Spirit cheers and encourages them amid all outward distress and per- secution. His hand will verily:avenge them as" his own elect," in his own good time. IV. To THE TRUTH INCARNATE-to behold and bless all those who are in him. " I am the Truth," said the Lord Jesus. How we love to attract the attention and to enjoy the smile of recognition and approval on the part of those who are greater than ourselves in this world I Would we come under the notice and smile of the Lord God, we must come to him upon whom his eyes are ever resting with delight, even to his well-beloved Son, the Truth incarnate. Until we are "in him" we are in the cold shade, and without hope or help. In him the eyes of the Lord are on us as they are on him, and "he makes his face to shine upon us."-C. Ver. 3.-The sorrow of sorrows, "Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved," etc. I. To DE STRICKEN OF Goo AND AFFLIOTED IS IN ITSELF VERY PAINFUL TO CON- TEMPLATE. When such sorrow comes it is : 1. To teach the servant of God ho1v to sympathize with and succour other troubled ones. 2. To loosen them from the clinging bands of this world. 3. Because such sorrow is the inevitable pa.in and distress attendant upon that glorious contest for "the prize of our high calling," for which contest our Father, out of love to us and because of his joy in us, and knowing that we shall win it, has entered us. Still, notwithstanding these facts and others like them, the o.fflictions of the righteous are painful indeed. II. BUT BORROW IS YET MORE SORROWFUL WHEN IT IS SELF-CAUSED. Such was tho sorrow of many of those whose tears and lamentations we read of in Scripture-David, Peter, Esau. "It was my own fault:" this is the reflection which calls into dread lifo and activity "the worm that dieth not." But still, when, as with the contrite heart~ Manasseh, David, Peter, etc., of whom Scripture tells, their sorrow is of a godly sort, then, srid as it is, its result makes it blessed. II[. BUT THERE IS A SORROW OF SORROWS, AND IT JS TOLD OF HERE. It is when, Ill 132 THE BOOK OF 'l'HE PROPHE'l.' JEREMIAH. [c11. v. 1-81.
this verse tells, God sends his corrections 11nd sore afflictions upon men, and yet they are none the better for them, but even worse. Pharaoh is the great illustration of this deepest sorrow. It is not all who can say, "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy Word." But _of too many that word_ is true which says, "Thongh thou shouldest bray a fool m a mortar . . . yet will not his foolishness depart from him" (cf. Rev. xvi. 10; Acts xxvi. 14). 1. But what is the cause oj these.failures on the part of God's chastisements, They are such as these: (1) Sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily. (2) 'l'he fearful force of the desire after the evil object overwhelms and bears down all thought of the punishment that must follow. (3) The assigning of the affliction that comes to other causes than the trne one. To this day the Jews do not i:ee that their rejection of the Lord Jesus was the reason of God's rejection of them, nor that it is his blood which is upon them and their children. 2. But without question such sorrows are the most lamentable of all; for: (1) they reveal the virulence, the deep-seated character, and the drend hold which sin has gained; (2) they necessitate and foretell yet more severe judgments from God; (3) they cast most sad doubt on the question whether such persons will ever be saved at all. CoNcLUStoN. Is sorrow resting upon us? Then: 1. Rest not until you have found out its cause. "Show me wherefore thou eontendest with me" should be our appeal. 2. Let th? possibility that your sorrows may leave you unblessed, that God's purpose and intent may be lost upon you, send you to the throne of grace with importunate prayer that so it may not be with you.-C.