X. GOD'S LOVE AND FORBEARANCE TO SINNERS.

I have loved thee with an everlasting love.-JER. XXXI. 3.

God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.-Roм. v. 8.

And His banner over me was love.-CANT. ii. 4.

Num. xiv. 8-Deut. iv. 29-31-vii. 7, 8-xxxiii. 3, 12-2 Sam. xii. 24-Job xxxiv. 23-xxxvi. 5-Psalm xxxi. 19, 20--xxxv. 12-14-lvii. 10-lxviii. 5, 6, 9, 10, 19-lxxviii. 37-40-lxxxi. 6, 10-lxxxvi. 5, 15-lxxxix. 14-ciii. 1-14-cv. 40-43-cvi. 43-46 cvii. 19, 20, 43-cxi. 4, 5-cxviii. 1-cxix. 65, 68-cxxx. 3, 4, 7, 8-cxxxii. 15-cxlv. 8, 9-cxlvi. 7-9-Prov. viii. 17, 31-x. 22 -xviii. 24-Cant. ii. 4-vii. 10-Isaiah xxvii. 8-xxx. 18xxxviii. 17-xlix. 13-16-liii. 5, 12-liv. 7, 8, 10-lix. 1.-lxiii. 7-9-lxvi. 13-Jer. iii. 14-xxix. 11-xxxi. 3, 20, 25-xxxii. 18, 38-41-Ezek. xvi. 8-xxxiv. 6, 11, 12, 15, 16-xliv. 28-Dan. x. 18, 19-Hos. ii. 14, 19, 20, 23—v. 15-vi. 1-3-xi. 1, 3, 4, 8, 9— xiii. 5-xiv. 4-Joel ii. 13-Jon. iv. 2, 10, 11-Mic. vii. 18, 19 -Zeph. iii. 17-Zech. ix. 16, 17-Mal. iii. 6, 17.

Matt. viii. 16, 17-ix. 36-xi. 5-xiv. 14, 35, 36-xv. 24, 30-32-xviii. 11-xix. 2-xxi. 14-xxiii. 37-Mark vi. 34, 56x. 21-xvi. 7, 9-Luke iv. 40-vi. 19-vii. 12-15-ix. 11-xii. 32-xiii. 6-9-xiv. 21-23-John iii. 16-ix. 35, 39-xi. 3, 5, 33-36-xiii. 1, 23-xiv. 21, 23, 27-xv. 9, 10, 13-16-xvi. 27— xvii. 9, 11, 22-24, 26-xix. 26, 27-xx. 17-Acts ii. 39-xiii. 18 x vii. 25, 26, 28-Rom. ii. 4-v. 5, 8-viii. 32, 35-39-ix. 25-xi.

33, 36-1 Cor. iii. 21-23-x. 13-2 Cor. xiii. 14-Gal. ii. 20— Eph. ii. 4-9-iii. 14, 17-21-v. 2, 25-Phil. ii. 27-iv. 192 Thes. ii. 13, 16, 17-1 Tim. i. 15—Tit. iii. 4-6--Heb. viii. 12— xii. 6, 7—Jas. i. 17-2 Pet. iii. 9-1 John iii. 1, 2, 16-iv. 8-11, 16, 19-Rev. i. 5, 6-iii. 9, 19-xxi. 7.

In Jesus seen, my God is love :
The brightness of His glory brings
No terrors while the Holy Dove
Sheds peace and pardon from His wings.

EAST.

Father of light, whose loveliest name is Love,
Whose throne the contrite seek, the guilty fly,
Thou art my God: around, beneath, above,
I see no frowns, no terrors in Thine eye!
All breathes of that pervading harmony
Which draws from present ill the future good;
All points our spirits to that peaceful sky,
Where, banish'd far, nor sorrows wayward mood,
Nor fancy's evil train, nor real ills intrude.
Oh God! oh Father! mould our spirits, mould
To Thine each purpose of the obedient heart;
Shake off the mists that now our eyes infold;
Let every fear but fear of Thee depart,

And let us see Thy face and know Thee as Thou art.

E. TAYLOR.

There is a Friend more tender, true,

Than brother e'er can be ;
Who when all others bid adieu,
Remains and will not flee;

Who, be their pathway bright or dim,
Deserts not those who turn to Him;
He is the Friend who changeth not,
In sickness or in health ;

Whether on earth our transient lot
Be poverty or wealth;

In joy or grief, contempt or fame,

To all who seek Him still the same!

BARTON.

Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee."-Is. xlix. 15.

They may, they do forget-even they whose thoughts Fly not the house of mourning; for the claims

Of daily life, its trifles and its toils,

Its passing pleasures and revolving cares,
Divide, if not absorb them-

But oh!

There is an eye, a mind, a soul of love,
Parental, sov'reign, infinite, unchang'd,—
Whose vigil hath no pause; yes, there is One
Far nearer than a brother ;—there is One
"That keepeth Israel "-One that keepeth thee,
Who will not slumber! Even Him too oft
We may forget! but hear His gracious words,
(Oh shall they shame us or console us most?)
"Yet will I not forget-I ne'er forsake!"

ANON.

A sweet but solitary beam,

An emanation from above,

Glimmers o'er life's uncertain dream,—
We hail that beam and call it Love!
But fainter than the pale star's ray
Before the noontide blaze of day,
And lighter than the viewless sand
Beneath the wave that sweeps the strand,
Is all of love that man can know,-
All that in angels hearts can glow,-
Compar'd, O Lord of hosts! with Thine,
Eternal-fathomless-divine!

That love, whose praise, with quenchless fire,
Inflames the blest seraphic choir ;

Where perfect rapture reigns above,
And Love is all-for Thou art Love!

DALE

Our Father sits on yonder throne,
Amidst the hosts above:

He reigns throughout the world alone,
He reigns, the God of love.

He knew us when we knew Him not,
Was with us though unseen;
His favours came to us unsought;
His love has wondrous been !

He keeps us now, securely keeps,
Whatever foe assails,

With vigilance that never sleeps,
With power that never fails.

F

He gives us hope that we shall be,
Ere long, with him above;
That we shall all His glory see,
And celebrate His love.

How sweet to hear Him say at last,
"Ye blessed children, come;
The days of banishment are past,
And heaven is now your home!"

KELLY.

May He who erst on Calvary bled,

With all His love, my daughter, bless thee;
Soft dews of mercy o'er thee shed,
Sustain thy soul when woes oppress thee;

May His unfading rays illume

Life's wilderness of guilt and gloom,
Thy star of hope,-thy rock of faith,—
Thy light in darkness,-life in death.
Though clouds invest that awful throne,
No mortal eye may gaze upon,
One kindly beam breaks forth above,
One ray of everlasting love!

On earth 'tis but a meteor streaming,
In heaven a sun of glory beaming,
The gauds of earth are frail as fair,
Fix then thy warm affections there;
To Him thy hopes immortal raise,
And win the love that angels praise.

DALE.