are all laid at the feet of the Lord and Master, in whose strength alone they have been won.

'I I shall not be ashamed, for I have called upon THEE; the wicked shall be ashamed, and shall be silent in the grave. The lying lips shall be put to silence, which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.' And to whom then is the glory of his triumph over the wicked at once given by the Psalmist? 'Oh, how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee; which Thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men!' 'How great is Thy goodness!' The term 'goodness' must be here taken as inclusive of all the unutterable fulness of the Father's love, wisdom, and mercy which are from everlasting to everlasting,' and which can never change or pass away; these together making up the sum of His unspeakable and immeasurable 'goodness.'

When the believer is able to say, in the midst of the trials and conflicts and temptation of the battle-field, 'Oh, how great is Thy goodness,' the victory is well-nigh won, the triumph is at hand; he looks up to God as his loving and reconciled Father in Christ Jesus, and sees that there is, first, something laid up for him, and secondly, something wrought out for him. His soul is, as we read in the 5th verse, 'committed' or 'laid up' in the hands of His Father. It is out of sight, it is a hid treasure, but through the mists and shadows of earth the believer catches a glimpse of the pleasures which are at God's right hand for evermore, his treasure is there, his heart is there also,' it is laid up safely there; I know in whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him against that day.'

It is also wrought out' for him. It is being wrought out in conflict and trial, and as he passes on his way, sometimes through a great fight of afflictions,' suffering

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many trials which are not joyous but grievous, he yet realises that it is after all but for a moment,' while it worketh for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory' by the grace and strength which is in Christ Jesus. Thus he glories in His 'great goodness which He has wrought for them that trust in Him before the sons of men.' 'Before the sons of men.' They can only witness the effects of this goodness; no carnal eyes can see the different parts of the Christian armour ; yet as they behold the triumphs of faith and see how strength is made perfect in weakness, they are compelled to say, God is with them of a truth.' Oh, beloved friends, is it not worth while to have many a hard struggle, many a severe conflict, to win from the world, yea, even from Satan himself, such an acknowledgment as this?

Thou shalt hide them in the secret of Thy presence from the pride of man: Thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.' The pride of man!' 'the strife of tongues!' Which of us do not know these by painful experience? Which of us have not felt, in the face of these, how hard it is to stand up for Christ? We are bold in the closet, but oh, weak as a bruised reed when brought face to face with those who do not sympathise with us, and have no care for the Master whom we seek to serve. In such a case, what a refuge, to be thus hidden in His hand, in the secret place of the Most High;' to hear Him whisper, Thou art Mine,' and to be able to look up with joyful confidence and say, 'My beloved is mine and I am His!' Oh, triumph then, believer, in the Lord; hold fast by Him; say to Him, 'Lord, let me not take one step without Thee; let me see Thy blessed light upon my path, and may Thy glory be my rear-guard!' Ah, what can harm us then, beloved? Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear;

though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.' The Master's strength is with me, is pledged on my side, and my heart shall not fear.

Beloved, how blessed for the believer thus to get up into that blessed pavilion, where he is beyond hearing of the strife of tongues ;' where he may listen to that voice whose echoes, having once filled his heart, have left no room for any other; the voice of Emmanuel, God with us.

Blessed be the Lord, for He hath showed me His marvellous kindness in a strong city,' or, a fenced city;' such an one as that of which we read in Isaiah, that 'Salvation shall be for walls and bulwarks.' We are safely hidden in His pavilion, His righteousness is our strong city. Into it we can run and be safe' when 'He hath shown us

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the avenger of blood is behind us. His marvellous kindness,' He hath provided for us a fenced city. And yet after all this, I, even I, 'said in my haste,' or 'in my terror,' 'I am cut off from before Thine eyes.' My dear friends, are there not many among us who have realised this, who have come very near to Christ, who have found Him very precious to their souls, and in the enjoyment of that light and peace have looked back with wonder to the time when with sinking hearts and failing faith they exclaimed, 'I am cut off from before Thine eyes, mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my body.' Ah, beloved, we must needs have such falls as these, to keep us humble; these conflicts must needs go on throughout the whole pilgrimage of earth; the believer must one day be gazing with joy on the 'Delectable Mountains,' and the next passing through the lowest depths of the Valley of Humiliation; but the time will come when we shall have to grapple with the last enemy, when there shall be one final conflict; and then,-glory with Christ for

ever!

In the language of St. Paul, we shall then be able to say, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me in that day.'

Oh, 'love the Lord, all ye His saints; for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.'

Here we have indeed a fitting close to the whole life of faith, with its trials and triumphs on earth. When at length the celestial doors open before us, when earth is fading from our sight, and we have to turn away even from the loved ones who have come down with us to the brink of the river, but who cannot yet accompany us to the 'other side,' then, beloved, it will be ours, if we are truly His, to exclaim, even as our feet touch the margin of the dark waters, in the fulness of our experience of victory through the blood of the Lamb, Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.' 'O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?' 'O love the Lord, all ye His saints;' ye poor stricken hearts, ye suffering ones, who yet must struggle on a little longer on the earthly battle-field, 'Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.'

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Then, when we reach the sunny shore,' when we have done for ever with the conflicts, and even with the triumphs of faith, we shall enter into the rest of faith. The armour laid down for ever, the soldier will cast his crown of victory at his Saviour's feet: the dust and turmoil of the battle-field all past and gone for ever, in the fair sunshine of the Father's house above, he will enter into the enjoyment of that eternal rest which ' remains' for the people of God.

'Servant of God, well done;

Rest from thy loved employ;

The battle fought, the victory won,
Enter thy Master's joy.'

The voice at midnight came;
He started up to hear;

A mortal arrow pierced his frame :
He fell, but felt no fear.

At midnight came the cry,
'To meet thy God prepare :'

He woke, and caught his Captain's eye;
Then, strong in faith and prayer,-
His spirit with a bound

Burst its encumbering clay:

His tent, at sunrise, on the ground
A darkened ruin lay.

The pains of death are past,
Labour and sorrow cease;

And, life's long warfare closed at last,
His soul is found in peace.
Soldier of Christ, well done:
Praise be thy new employ;

And, while eternal ages run,
Rest in thy Saviour's joy.

MONTGOMERY.

PSALM XXXII.

SIN BLOTTED OUT.

'Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 'Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

'I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.'

In order the better to understand the meaning of this wondrous Psalm, my beloved friends, we should join with