of the Lord's people. He is a real person. He has wonderful powers of intellect. He has a deep and profound acquaintance with our nature, and knows how most successfully to attack it. He would soon and certainly overcome us, if we had not a wiser, and a stronger than he, on our side. What encouragement we may derive from this, that though he was allowed to try Job, and try him to the uttermost, yet he was not allowed to overcome him, so as to gain his ends upon him; so, though he may be allowed to try us, and the conflict may be desperate, long continued, and the issue seem for a considerable time to hang in the balance, yet the same grace and goodness that enabled Job to overcome, will secure to us the victory. We may be overcome for a time, but we shall overcome at the last. Yea, we shall be more than conquerors through him that hath loved us. Thanks be unto God that giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Believers shall appear one day,

Before the Saviour's throne;
The storms they meet with by the way,
But make his power known.

Their passage lies across the brink
Of many a threatening wave:
The world expects to see them sink,
But Jesus lives to save.

GRATITUDE.

NOTHING is more graceful or becoming in us, as believers in Jesus Christ, than gratitude. Oh, how much we have to be grateful for! Whether we look back at the past, or forward to the future, what cause for praise. The Lord has dealt well with us, according to his word. If we look within, there is God's work, preparing us for glory; or if we look up to heaven, there is God's Son, preparing glory for us. Behind us is the disgrace, the dunghill, and the horrible pit, from which we have escaped; and before us is the honour, the mansion, and the happy home, which we shall soon possess. My heart is moved, my soul heaves with delightful emotions, and no words can express my feelings better than those of David," Now therefore, O God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name."-1 Chron. xxix. 13.

David was grateful for peace. He had been a man of war. He had shed much blood. He had been familiar with the sword from his youth. He had fought with strangers, he knew what it was for his own people to rise up against him. But now, in his old age,

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all was peace. His sun appeared to be going down in a cloudless sky. He was near home, and had a glorious home to go to. Such is my privilege at present, I have peace. Peace with God through faith in his Son. Peace in the church, through forbearance and love. Peace within, and peace without. How sweet is peace. Well may the Apostle exhort us, Follow peace with all men.' And yet some men, some professors, do not appear to love peace. How can they be the sons of the God of peace, who has said, "If it be possible, live peaceably with all men!" David was grateful for liberality. He had largely prepared for the building of the Temple, he had given much, and had given heartily, and it made him happy. His princes and his people were liberal too, and his heart overflowed with joy. To see such love to God's house, and such zeal in God's cause, kindled a flame in his heart, which led him to exclaim, "Now therefore, O God, we thank thee and praise thy glorious name."

Nor only so, but he had bright and soulelevating views of God, which filled him with an intense desire to praise and glorify him. "Thine, O Lord, is the greatness.' The greatness of God is a source of joy and rejoicing to the believer, because a God in all his greatness is his. Besides which, if God is great, then his mercy is great, his power is great, his grace is great, and his love is great; and the great mercy, power, grace, and love of

the great God, is enough to make the greatest sinner happy and holy. Thine, O Lord, are the riches," for all that is in the heaven, and in the earth is thine." God is the great proprietor. He may lease out his property to his creatures, but he still holds the right to claim, and dispose of it as he pleases. All his vast wealth is made over to his people in his Son, and they are heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. When they are of age they will come into possession, and then "the meek shall inherit the earth, and delight themselves in the abundance of peace." And until then, he will supply all their needs, meet all their wants, and act toward them as a Father and a Friend. In addition to this, he is Supreme. "Thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all." He is the ever present, ever active ruler, in the world, and in the church. He is above every enemy, and will over-rule all that occurs for the good of his people and the glory of his great name. O what cause for gratitude and praise, to have Jehovah for our God, and to know that his greatness and his grace, his riches and his sympathy, his supremacy and his power, all combine to secure our best interests, and to satisfy our longing souls!

The gratitude of David was deep. It welled up from the depths of his soul. It dwelt deep in his heart, when it did not rise to the surface and overflow. It was sincere. There

was no pretence. Nothing was put on for the occasion. He deeply felt God's goodness, and therefore he gave utterance to glowing words. It was becoming. It becomes the just to be thankful. Praise is comely for the upright. Beloved, if any have cause for deep and sincere gratitude we have! David praised God for ability to help his cause, for an opportunity to do so, and for a willing heart to contribute of his substance largely and cheerfully. Many are furnished with the means of doing good, but they have not the heart; others have the heart, but they have not the means, but here was both. Ŏ what a privilege to be allowed to help in God's cause, to be willing to deny ourselves to give to his poor, to have the means, the opportunity, and the disposition, thus to serve God!

"We praise thy glorious name." From the rising of the sun, to the going down of the same, the Lord's name is to be praised. To praise his name, is to celebrate his grace. That grace which he has so variously, and so richly displayed in our experience. To praise his name, is to publish his condescen sion. His wonderful condescension in choosing such poor worms, in adopting such miserable creatures, in using such wretched instruments, and thus honouring such utterly unworthy beings. To praise his name, is to speak of his work, the wisdom displayed, the skill manifested, and the perfection stamped upon it. His work within us. His work for