all their iniquities . . . they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness, and for all the prosperity, that I procure unto it.” The forgiveness which is with God, and is ours through the wounds and blood of our most blessed Surety and Saviour, graciously commands and sweetly secures this commingling of love and veneration. Such is the fear, the covenant gift of a Covenant God to a covenant people (Jer. xxxii. 40), wrought in the heart where forgiveness is known and felt, enjoyed and appreciated. Love is prone to presume-veneration never. Now love and veneration marvellously mingle in the heart's experience of God's living children who delight in forgiveness through their iniquities being marked against their Surety, Head and Husband-a precious Christ. This fear of the LORD tendeth to lifeChrist (Prov. xix. 23). It prolongeth days in the risen life of the God-Man (Prov. x. 27; Isa. liii. 10). This fear of God-this covenant blend of love and veneration in the heart of a redeemed sinner-secures unsearchable riches, unsullied honour, and life enduring (Prov. xxii. 4). The fear of the child of God in the enjoyment of forgiveness, and blessed with the smiles of his reconciling Father, knows nothing of the fear that hath torment (1 John iv. 18).

This

Here we are brought to consider and examine minutely the groundwork of forgiveness. cannot be done in the few words to be said to you now, but it will and must be done in our daily experience as forgiven sinners before Him Whom we know to be faithful and just. Yes, He is faithful and just to Himself, for He can never allow His covenant to fail-His purpose to be frustrated-His promise to be broken-His word to return to Him void. He will stick to all that He has purposed, promised, or spoken. "God is not a man," a poor, fickle arbitrary thing. He is not

carried about on the wings, winds, or waters of His own creation. He is not influenced by any, or all, of them. He influences them all. Does He purpose? He perfects the same to the joy of His own. Does He promise? He performs (Heb. x. 23). Does He conceive or contemplate? He will bring to completeness all that has ever exercised His mind concerning the children of His love (1 Cor. i. 9; x. 13). He cannot do anything else (2 Tim. ii. 13). Having determined, He delights to do accordingly. Having purposed, it is His pleasure to perform. He is faithful to His Son. He is faithful to me as His gift in covenant to Him.

"SINCE CHRIST has my discharge procur'd,
And freely in my room endur'd

The whole of wrath divine;

Payment God will not twice demand,
First at my Bleeding Surety's hand,
And then again at mine."

But God is just also in the forgiveness of sins, In this we see, and delight in seeing, that salvation, justification and forgiveness all flow from God's justice equally as from His mercy. As a just God He will not leave to perish in their sins those for whom Christ died. Thanks be to His Holy Name for revealing to us the glorious fact, and for teaching us the precious lesson, that our forgiveness gushes forth in loving eagerness from the very attribute which frightened our souls almost to the depths of hell. God is faithful to every covenant promise. God is just to His Christ-Head and members all together. To the Head for His satisfactory sufferings. To the members for their relationship to the Head in His sufferings and death for them. "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect "when justice justifies them? Justice and mercy sweetly blend in my salvation, and one is not lifted up

above the other in my experience of God's loving forgiveness. Justice can never be so honourednever shine so gloriously-as it does in CHRIST MADE SIN-Christ made a Curse for us-"SIN CONDEMNED and sinners loved"—forgiven-justified-accepted.

III. Cleansing "and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Those who know most of the preciousness of the all-cleansing blood and the allsaving Christ, will not boast themselves of their personal attainments nor of conscious superiority in holy things. No. "Cleanse Thou me from secret faults" (Ps. xix. 12) will be their frequent cry. Ceremonial ablutions avail not. They only "wash to fouler stains." Sins of our daily walk require removing, and none can do it but He Who hath promised " From all your filthiness, and from all your idols will I cleanse you" (Ezek. xxxvi. 25). This He certainly will do, and present His bloodwashed ones to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing-holy-without blemish. Lord, give us grace to enter into the true meaning and enjoyment of that precious word of Thine, so rich with pure and precious promises"Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelling-places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be My people, and I will be their God" (Ezek. xxxvii. 23). May we be found amongst them. Amen and Amen. THOMAS BRADBURY.

Grove Chapel, Camberwell.

January, 1902.

"HUMBLE

YOURSELVES."

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time."—1 Peter v. 6.

This advice is altogether foreign to the natural disposition of the adviser. Peter's prevailing characteristic was impetuousness. At times he was irrepressible, as many of his acts demonstrate. He determined to be second to none of the apostles of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, which led him into committing many things contrary to the spirit of his Kind and Loving Master, and to the grace which was so marvellously bestowed upon him. When Jesus told the twelve that one of them would betray Him, and told Peter pointedly that he would deny Him, he protested against that reflection upon his faithfulness in very emphatic language, "Though all men should be offended because of Thee, yet will I never be offended." Again he said, Again he said, "Though I should die with Thee, yet will I not deny Thee' (Matt. xxvi. 33, 35). This was simply because Peter, for the time being, knew not himself, or what manner of man he was. He had lost sight of the weakness of his poor nature, and forgot also that without Christ he could do nothing but sin—that

destitute of the grace and power of the Holy Ghost he could only go astray and wander from his Godthat lacking the sustaining of the mighty hand of God he must falter, fail and fall.

Peter had many a hard and painful lesson to learn to bring him to, and keep him in, his right senses. I say this advisedly and scripturally. When Peter's eyes were fixed upon Christ he was filled with confidence-when his ears were attentive to the words of Christ he was strong in faith-when his nose was refreshed with the fragrance of Christ's Saving Name he was filled with the joy of his God-when his mouth tasted that the Lord was gracious, and he was privileged to feed upon the Bread of life, the Breast of love, the Shoulder of authority, and the Wine of the kingdom, he was nourished and nerved for conflict and for conquest-when his hands touched, felt, handled and embraced the Lord of life and glory his heart thrilled with spiritual joy in fellowship with the Father, with His Son Jesus Christ, and His Indwelling Spirit. Therefore, I say, when Peter was brought to his right senses-to a right apprehension of his nothingness, and a true appreciation of his Lord's kindness, care, and concern over him he was then able and willing to leave the management of his affairs in the all-skilful hands of his God, Who abounds to His own in all-wisdom and prudence. Sometimes we think we can trust God with our great things, and manage our small things ourselves. But we cannot. "HE MANAGES

OUR MEAN AFFAIRS."

In a loving, yet faithful manner, Peter led the minds of the elect strangers to whom he wrote, to the remembrance of those weaknesses and sins in which he himself had fallen, and which he so terribly felt. Many times I have been interested in the counsel he gives to God's elect in the previous