Thy love is better than wine. Song of Solomon, chapter 1, verse 2. Nothing gives the believer so much joy as fellowship with Christ. He has enjoyment as others have in the common mercies of life. He can be glad both in God's gifts and God's works. But in all these separately, yea, and in all of them added together, he does not find such substantial delight as in the matchless person of his Lord Jesus. He has wine, which no vineyard on earth ever yielded. He has bread, which all the cornfields of Egypt could never bring forth. Where can such sweetness be found, as we have tasted in communion with our beloved? In our esteem, the joys of earth are little better than husks for swine, compared with Jesus, the heavenly manna. We would rather have one mouthful of Christ's love and a sip of his fellowship than a whole world full of carnal delights. What is the chaff to the wheat? What is the sparkling paste to the true diamond? What is a dream to the glorious reality? What is time's mirth in its best trim compared to our Lord Jesus in his most despised estate? If you know anything of the inner life, you will confess that our highest, purest, and most enduring joys must be the fruit of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God. No spring yields such sweet water as that well of God which was digged with the soldier's spear. All earthly bliss is of the earth, earthly, but the comforts of Christ's presence are, like himself, heavenly. We can review our communion with Jesus and find no regrets of emptiness therein. There are no dregs in this wine, no dead flies in this ointment. The joy of the Lord is solid and enduring. Vanity hath not looked upon it, but discretion and prudence testify that it abideth the test of years, and is in time and in eternity worthy to be called the only true delight. For nourishment, consolation, exhilaration, and refreshment, no wine can rival the love of Jesus. Let us drink to the full this evening. They did eat the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. Joshua chapter 5 verse 12 Israel's weary wanderings were all over, and the promised rest was attained. No more moving tents, fiery serpents, fierce Amalekites, and howling wildernesses. They came to the land which flowed with milk and honey, and they ate the old corn of the land. Perhaps this year, beloved Christian reader, this may be thy case or mine. Joyful is the prospect, and if faith be in active exercise, it will yield unalloyed delight. To be with Jesus in the rest which remaineth for the people of God is a cheering hope indeed, and to expect this glory so soon is a double bliss. Unbelief shudders at the Jordan which still rolls between us and the goodly land. But let us rest assured that we have already experienced more ills than death at its worst can cause us. Let us banish every fearful thought and rejoice with exceeding great joy in the prospect that this year we shall begin to be forever with the Lord. A part of the host will this year tarry on earth to do service for their Lord. If this should fall to our lot there is no reason why the New Year's text should not still be true. We who have believed to enter into rest. The Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance. He gives us glory begun below. In heaven they are secure. And so are we preserved in Christ Jesus. There they triumph over their enemies, and we have victories too. Celestial spirits enjoy communion with their Lord, and this is not denied to us. They rest in his love, and we have perfect peace in him. They hymn his praise, and it is our privilege to bless him too. we will this year gather celestial fruits on earthly ground where faith and hope have made the desert like the garden of the Lord man did eat angels food of old and why not now? oh for grace to feed on Jesus and so to eat of the fruits of the land of Canaan this year We will be glad and rejoice in thee. Song of Solomon, chapter 1, verse 4. We will be glad and rejoice in thee. We will not open the gates of the year to the dolorous notes of the sackbut but to the sweet strains of the harp of joy and the high-sounding cymbals of gladness. O come, let us sing unto the Lord. Let us make a joyful noise unto the rock of our salvation. We, the called and faithful and chosen, we will drive away our griefs and set up our banners of confidence in the name of God. Let others lament over their troubles. We who have the sweetening tree to cast into Mara's bitter pool with joy will magnify the Lord. Eternal Spirit, our effectual comforter, we who are the temples in which thou dwellest will never cease from adoring and blessing the name of Jesus. We will. We are resolved about it. Jesus must have the crown of our hearts delight. We will not dishonor our bridegroom by mourning in his presence. We are ordained to be the minstrels of the skies. Let us rehearse our everlasting anthem before we sing it in the halls of the New Jerusalem. We will be glad and rejoice. Two words with one sense. Double joy. Blessedness upon blessedness. Need there be any limit to our rejoicing in the Lord even now? Do not men of grace find their Lord to be campfire and spikenard, calamus and cinnamon even now? And what better fragrance have they in heaven itself? We will be glad and rejoice in thee. That last word is the meat in the dish, the kernel of the nut, the soul of the text. What heavens are laid up in Jesus! What rivers of infinite bliss have their source, I, and every drop of their fullness in him! Since, O sweet Lord Jesus, thou art the present portion of thy people. Favor us this year with such a sense of thy preciousness that from its first to its last day we may be glad and rejoice in thee. Let January open with joy in the Lord, and December close with gladness in Jesus. Let the people renew their strength. Isaiah chapter 41 verse 1 All things on earth need to be renewed. No created thing continueth by itself. Thou renewest the face of the year with the psalmist's utterance. Even the trees, which wear not themselves with care, nor shorten their lives with labor, must drink of the rain of heaven and suck from the hidden treasures of the soil. The cedars of Lebanon which God has planted only live because day by day they are full of sap fresh drawn from the earth. Neither can man's life be sustained without renewal from God. As it is necessary to repair the waste of the body by the frequent meal, so we must repair the waste of the soul by feeding upon the book of God, or by listening to the preached word, or by the soul-fattening table of the ordinances. How depressed are our graces when means are neglected. What poor starvelings some saints are who live without the diligent use of the word of God and secret prayer. If our piety can live without God, it is not of divine creating. It is but a dream, for if God had forgotten it, it would wait upon him as the flowers wait upon the dew. Without constant restoration, we're not ready for the perpetual assaults of hell, or the stern afflictions of heaven, or even for the strifes within. When the whirlwind shall be loosed, woe to the tree that hath not sucked up fresh sap and grasped the rock with many intertwisted roots. When tempests arise, woe to the mariners that have not strengthened their mast, nor cast their anchor, nor sought the haven. If we suffer the good to grow weaker, the evil will surely gather strength and struggle desperately for the mastery over us. And so perhaps a painful desolation and a lamentable disgrace may follow. Let us draw near to the footstool of divine mercy in humble entreaty and we shall realize the fulfillment of the promise. They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Luke chapter 3 verse 4 The voice, crying in the wilderness, demanded a way for the Lord, a way prepared, and a way prepared in the wilderness. I would be attentive to the Master's proclamation and give him a road into my heart, cast up by gracious operations through the desert of my nature. The four directions in the text must have my serious attention. Every valley must be exalted. Low and grovelling thoughts of God must be given up. Doubting and despairing must be removed. And self-seeking and carnal delights must be forsaken. Across these deep valleys, a glorious causeway of grace must be raised. Every mountain and hill shall be laid low. Proud creature sufficiency and boastful self-righteousness must be leveled to make a highway for the King of Kings. Divine fellowship is never vouchsafed to haughty, high-minded sinners. The Lord hath respect unto the lowly, and visits the contrite in heart. But the lofty are an abomination unto him. My soul, beseech the Holy Spirit to set thee right in this respect. The crooked path shall be made straight. The wavering heart must have a straight path of decision for God and holiness marked out for it. Double-minded men are strangers to the God of truth. My soul, take heed that thou be in all things honest and true as in the sight of the heart-searching God. The rough places shall be made smooth. Stumbling blocks of sin must be removed, and thorns and briars of rebellion must be uprooted. So great a visitor must not find miry ways and stony places when he comes to honor his favored ones with his company. Oh, that this evening the Lord may find in my heart a highway made ready by his grace that he may make a triumphal progress through the utmost bounds of my soul from the beginning of this year even to the end of it. And Joseph knew his brethren but they knew not him. Genesis chapter 42 verse 8 This morning our desires went forth for growth in our acquaintance with the Lord Jesus. It may be well tonight to consider a kindred topic namely our heavenly Joseph's knowledge of us. This was most blessedly perfect long before we had the slightest knowledge of him. His eyes beheld our substance yet being imperfect and in his book all our members were written when as yet there was none of them. Before we had a being in the world, we had a being in his heart. When we were enemies to him, he knew us, our misery, our madness, and our wickedness. When we wept bitterly in despairing repentance and viewed him only as a judge and a ruler, he viewed us as his brethren, well-beloved. and his bowels yearned towards us. He never mistook his chosen, but always beheld them as objects of his infinite affection. The Lord knoweth them that are his, is as true of the prodigals who are feeding swine as of the children who sit at the table. But alas! We knew not our royal brother and out of this ignorance grew a host of sins. We withheld our hearts from him and allowed him no entrance to our love. We mistrusted him and gave no credit to his words. We rebelled against him and paid him no loving homage. The son of righteousness shone forth and we could not see him. Heaven came to earth and earth perceived it not. Let God be praised. Those days are over with us. Yet even now it is but little that we know of Jesus compared with what he knows of us. We have but begun to study him. But he knoweth us all together. It is a blessed circumstance that the ignorance is not on his side. For then it would be a hopeless case for us. He will not say to us, I never knew you. He will not say to us, I never knew you. But he will confess our names in the day of his appearing and meanwhile will manifest himself to us as he does not unto the world. grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 18 grow in grace not in one grace only but in all grace grow in that root grace faith believe the promises more firmly than you have done let faith increase in fullness constancy simplicity Grow also in love. Ask that your love may become extended, more intense, more practical, influencing every thought, word and deed. Grow likewise in humility. Seek to lie very low and know more of your own nothingness. As you grow downward in humility, seek also to grow upward, having nearer approaches to God in prayer and more intimate fellowship with Jesus. May God, the Holy Spirit, enable you to grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior. He who grows not in the knowledge of Jesus refuses to be blessed. To know him is life eternal. And to advance in the knowledge of him is to increase in happiness. He who does not long to know more of Christ knows nothing of him yet. Whoever hath sipped this wine will thirst for more. For although Christ doth satisfy, yet it is such a satisfaction that the appetite is not cloyed, but wetted. If you know the love of Jesus, as the heart panteth for the water brooks, so will you pant after deeper draughts of his love. If you do not desire to know him better, Then you love him not, for love always cries nearer, nearer. Absence from Christ is hell, but the presence of Jesus is heaven. Rest not then content without an increasing acquaintance with Jesus. Seek to know more of him in his divine nature, in his human relationship, in his finished work, in his death, in his resurrection, in his present glorious intercession, and in his future royal advent. abide hard by the cross and search the mystery of his wounds an increase of love to Jesus and a more perfect apprehension of his love to us is one of the best tests of growth in grace And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. Genesis chapter 42 verse 8. This morning our desires went forth for growth in our acquaintance with the Lord Jesus. It may be well tonight to consider a kindred topic. Namely, our heavenly Joseph's knowledge of us. This was most blessedly perfect long before we had the slightest knowledge of him. His eyes beheld our substance, yet being imperfect, and in his book all our members were written, when as yet there was none of them. Before we had a being in the world, we had a being in his heart. when we were enemies to him he knew us our misery our madness and our wickedness when we wept bitterly in despairing repentance and viewed him only as a judge and a ruler he viewed us as his brethren well beloved and his bowels yearned towards us. He never mistook his chosen, but always beheld them as objects of his infinite affection. The Lord knoweth them that are his, is as true of the prodigals who are feeding swine as of the children who sit at the table. But alas! We knew not our royal brother and out of this ignorance grew a host of sins. We withheld our hearts from him and allowed him no entrance to our love. We mistrusted him and gave no credit to his words. We rebelled against him and paid him no loving homage. The son of righteousness shone forth and we could not see him. Heaven came to earth and earth perceived it not. Let God be praised, those days are over with us, yet even now it is but little that we know of Jesus compared with what he knows of us. We have but begun to study him, but he knoweth us all together. It is a blessed circumstance that the ignorance is not on his side, for then it would be a hopeless case for us. He will not say to us, I never knew you. He will not say to us, I never knew you. But he will confess our names in the day of his appearing and meanwhile will manifest himself to us as he does not unto the world. casting all your care upon him for he careth for you. 1 Peter chapter 5 verse 7 It is a happy way of soothing sorrow when we can feel He careth for me. Christian, do not dishonor religion by always wearing a brow of care. Come, cast your burden upon your Lord. You are staggering beneath a weight which your Father would not feel. What seems to you a crushing burden would be to Him but as the small dust of the balance. Nothing is so sweet as to lie passive in God's hands and know no will but his. O child of suffering, be thou patient. God has not passed thee over in his providence. He who is the feeder of sparrows will also furnish you with what you need. Sit not down in despair, hope on, hope ever. Take up the arms of faith against a sea of trouble, and your opposition shall yet end your distresses. There is one who careth for you. His eye is fixed on you, his heart beats with pity for your woe, and his hand, omnipotent, shall yet bring you the needed help. The darkest cloud shall scatter itself in showers of mercy. The blackest gloom shall give place to the morning. He, if thou art one of his family, will bind up thy wounds and heal thy broken heart. Doubt not his grace because of thy tribulation, but believe that he loveth thee as much in seasons of trouble as in times of happiness. What a serene and quiet life might you lead if you would leave providing to the God of providence. With a little oil in the cruise and a handful of meal in the barrel, Elijah outlived the famine. And you will do the same. If God cares for you, why need you care too? Can you trust him for your soul and not for your body? He has never refused to bear your burdens. He has never fainted under their weight. Come then Saul. Have done with fretful care. And leave all thy concerns in the hand of a gracious God. Now the hand of the Lord was upon me in the evening. Ezekiel chapter 33 verse 22 In the way of judgment this may be the case. And if so, be it mine to consider the reason of such a visitation and bear the rod and him that hath appointed it. I am not the only one who is chastened in the night season. Let me cheerfully submit to the affliction and carefully endeavor to be profited thereby. But the hand of the Lord may also be felt in another manner, strengthening the soul and lifting the spirit upward towards eternal things. Oh, that I may in this sense feel the Lord dealing with me. A sense of the divine presence and indwelling bears the soul towards heaven as upon the wings of eagles. At such times we are full to the brim with spiritual joy and forget the cares and sorrows of earth. The invisible is near and the visible loses its power over us. Servant body waits at the foot of the hill and the master spirit worships upon the summit in the presence of the Lord. O that a hallowed season of divine communion may be vouchsafed to me this evening. The Lord knows that I need it very greatly. My graces languish, my corruptions rage, my faith is weak, my devotion is cold. All these are reasons why his healing hand should be laid upon me. His hand can cool the heat of my burning brow and stay the tumult of my palpitating heart. That glorious right hand which molded the world can new create my mind. The unwearied hand which bears the earth's huge pillars up can sustain my spirit. The loving hand which encloses all the saints can cherish me. And the mighty hand which breaketh in pieces the enemy can subdue my sins. Why should I not feel that hand touching me this evening? Come, my soul, address thy God with the potent plea that Jesus' hands were pierced for thy redemption. and thou shalt surely feel that same hand upon thee which once touched Daniel and set him upon his knees that he might see visions of God. For me to live is Christ Philippians chapter 1 verse 21 The believer did not always live to Christ. He began to do so when God the Holy Spirit convinced him of sin, and when by grace he was brought to see the dying Savior making a propitiation for his guilt. From the moment of the new and celestial birth the man begins to live to Christ. Jesus is to believers the one pearl of great price for whom we are willing to part with all that we have. He has so completely won our love that it beats alone for him. To his glory we would live and in defense of his gospel we would die. He is the pattern of our life and the model after which we would sculpture our character. Paul's words mean more than most men think. They imply that the aim and end of his life was Christ. Nay, his life itself was Jesus. In the words of an ancient saint, he did eat and drink and sleep eternal life. Jesus was his very breath, the soul of his soul, the heart of his heart, the life of his life. Can you say, as a professing Christian, that you live up to this idea? Can you honestly say, as a professing Christian, that you live up to this idea? Can you honestly say that for you to live is Christ? Your business, are you doing it for Christ? Is it not done for self aggrandizement and for family advantage? Do you ask, Is that a mean reason? For the Christian it is. He professes to live for Christ. How can he live for another object without committing a spiritual adultery? Many there are who carry out this principle in some measure. But who is there that dares say that he hath lived wholly for Christ, as the Apostle did? Yet, this alone is the true life of a Christian. Its source, its sustenance, its fashion, its end, all gathered up in one word, Christ Jesus. Lord, accept me. I here present myself, praying to live only in thee and to thee. Let me be as the bullock which stands between the plow and the altar to work or to be sacrificed. And let my motto be, ready for either. my sister, my spouse. Song of Solomon chapter 4 verse 12 Observe the sweet titles which the heavenly Solomon, with intense affection, addresses his bride, the Church. My sister, one near to me by ties of nature, partaker of the same sympathies. My spouse, nearest and dearest, united to me by the tenderest bands of love. My sweet companion, part of my own self. My sister, by incarnation, which makes me bone of thy bone, and flesh of thy flesh. My spouse, by heavenly betrothal, in which I have espoused thee unto myself in righteousness. My sister, whom I knew of old, and over whom I watched from her earliest infancy. My spouse, taken from among the daughters, embraced by arms of love, and affianced unto me forever. See how true it is that our royal kinsman is not ashamed of us for he dwells with manifest delight upon this twofold relationship. We have the word my twice in our version as if Christ dwelt with rapture on his possession of his church. His delights were with the sons of men because those sons of men were his own chosen ones. He, the shepherd, sought the sheep, because they were his sheep. He has gone about to seek and to save that which was lost, because that which was lost was his long before it was lost to itself or lost to him. The church is the exclusive portion of her Lord. None else may claim a partnership or pretend to share her love. Jesus, thy church delights to have it so. Let every believing soul drink solace out of these wells. Soul, Christ is near to thee in ties of relationship. Christ is dear to thee in bonds of marriage union, and thou art dear to him. Behold, he grasps both of thy hands with his own, saying, My sister, my spouse, mark the two sacred holdfasts, by which thy Lord gets such a double hold of thee. that he neither can nor will ever let thee go. Be not, O Beloved, slow to return the hallowed flame of his love. The Iniquity of the Holy Things Exodus chapter 28 verse 38 What a veil is lifted up by these words, and what a disclosure is made. It would be humbling and profitable for us to pause a while and see this sad sight. The iniquities of our public worship, its hypocrisy, formality, lukewarmness, irreverence, wandering of heart, and forgetfulness of God. What a full measure have we there. Our work for the Lord, its emulation, selfishness, carelessness, slackness, unbelief, what a mass of defilement is there. Our private devotions, their laxity, coldness, neglect, sleepiness and vanity, what a mountain of dead earth is there. If we looked more carefully, we should find this iniquity to be far greater than appears at first sight. Dr. Payson, writing to his brother, says, My parish, as well as my heart, very much resembles the garden of the sluggard. And what is worse, I find that the very many of my desires for the amelioration of both proceed either from pride or vanity or indolence. I look at the weeds which overspread my garden and breathe out an earnest wish that they were eradicated. But why? What prompts the wish? It may be that I may walk out and say to myself, in what fine order is my garden kept? This is pride. Or it may be that my neighbors may look over the wall and say, how finely your garden flourishes. This is vanity. Or I may wish for the destruction of the weeds because I'm weary of pulling them up. This is indolence. So that even our desires after holiness may be polluted by ill motives. Under the greenest sods, worms hide themselves. We need not look long to discover them. How cheering is the thought that when the high priest bore the iniquity of the holy things he wore upon his brow the words holiness to the Lord. And even so while Jesus bears our sin he presents before his father's face not our unholiness. but his own holiness. Oh, for grace to view our great high priest by the eye of faith. I will be their God. Jeremiah chapter 31 verse 33 Christian, here is all thou canst require. To make thee happy thou wantest something that shall satisfy thee, and is not this enough? If thou canst pour this promise into thy cup, wilt thou not say with David, My cup runneth over, I have more than heart can wish? When this is fulfilled, I am thy God. Art thou not possessor of all things? Desire is insatiable as death, but he who filleth all in all can fill it. The capacity of our wishes, who can measure? But the immeasurable wealth of God can more than overflow it. I ask thee if thou art not complete when God is thine? Dost thou want anything but God? Is not his all-sufficiency enough to satisfy thee if all else should fail? But thou wantest more than quiet satisfaction. Thou desirest rapturous delight. Come, soul, here is music fit for heaven in this thy portion, for God is the maker of heaven. Not all the music blown from sweet instruments or drawn from living strings can yield such melody as this sweet promise, I will be their God. Here is a deep sea of bliss, a shoreless ocean of delight. Come, bathe thy spirit in it, swim and age, and thou shalt find no shore. Dive throughout eternity, and thou shalt find no bottom. I will be their God. If this does not make thine eyes sparkle and thy heart beat high with bliss, then assuredly thy soul is not in a healthy state. But thou wantest more than present delights. Thou cravest something concerning which thou mayest exercise hope. And what more canst thou hope for than the fulfillment of this great promise, I will be their God. This is the masterpiece of all the promises. Its enjoyment makes a heaven below and will make a heaven above. Dwell in the light of thy Lord and let thy soul be always ravished with his love. Get out the marrow and the fatness which this portion yields thee. Live up to thy privileges and rejoice with unspeakable joy. Serve the Lord with gladness. Psalm 100 verse 2. Delight in divine service is a token of acceptance. Those who serve God with a sad countenance because they do what is unpleasant to them are not serving him at all. They bring the form of homage but the life is absent. Our God requires no slaves to grace his throne. He is the Lord of the empire of love, and would have his servants dressed in the livery of joy. The angels of God serve him with songs, not with groans, a murmur, or a sigh would be a mutiny in their ranks. That obedience which is not voluntary is disobedience. For the Lord looketh at the heart. And if he seeth that we serve him from force, and not because we love him, he will reject our offering. Service coupled with cheerfulness is heart service, and therefore true. Take away joyful willingness from the Christian, and you have removed the test of his sincerity. If a man be driven to battle, he is no patriot, but he who marches into the fray with flashing eye and beaming face, singing, It is sweet for one's country to die. proves himself to be sincere in his patriotism.

Cheerfulness is the support of our strength. In the joy of the Lord are we strong. It acts as the remover of difficulties. It is to our service what oil is to the wheels of a railway carriage. Without oil, the axle soon grows hot and accidents occur. And if there be not a holy cheerfulness to oil our wheels, our spirits will be clogged with weariness. The man who is cheerful in his service to God proves that obedience is his element. He can sing, Make me to walk in thy commands, tis a delightful road.

Reader, let us put this question. Do you serve the Lord with gladness? Let us show to the people of the world who think our religion to be slavery that it is to us a delight and a joy. Let our gladness proclaim that we serve a good master.

There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness. 2 Timothy chapter 4 verse 8

Doubting one, thou hast often said I fear I shall never enter heaven. Fear not, all the people of God shall enter there. I love the quaint saying of a dying man who exclaimed, I have no fear of going home. I have sent all before me. God's finger is on the latch of my door, and I am ready for him to enter.

But, said one, are you not afraid lest you should miss your inheritance? Nay, said he, nay, there is one crown in heaven which the angel Gabriel could not wear. It will fit no head but mine. There is one throne in heaven which Paul the Apostle could not fill. It was made for me, and I shall have it. O Christian, what a joyous thought! Thy portion is secure. There remaineth a rest.

But cannot I forfeit it? No, it is entailed. If I be a child of God, I shall not lose it. It is mine as securely as if I was there. Come with me believer, and let us sit upon the top of Nebo and view the goodly land even Canaan. Seest thou that little river of death glistening in the sunlight? And across it, dost thou not see the pinnacles of the eternal city? Dost thou mark the pleasant country and all its joyous inhabitants? Know then that if thou couldst fly across thou wouldst see written upon one of its many mansions this remaineth for such a one preserved for him only he shall be caught up to dwell forever with God poor doubting one see the fair inheritance it is thine

If thou believest in the Lord Jesus, if thou hast repented of sin, if thou hast been renewed in heart, thou art one of the Lord's people, and there is a place reserved for thee, a crown laid up for thee, a harp specially provided for thee. No one else shall have thy portion. It is reserved in heaven for thee, and thou shalt have it ere long, for there shall be no vacant thrones in glory when all the chosen are gathered in.

In my flesh I shall see God. Job chapter 19 verse 26

Mark the subject of Job's devout anticipation, I shall see God. He does not say, I shall see the saints, though doubtless that will be untold felicity, but I shall see God. It is not, I shall see the pearly gates, I shall behold the walls of Jasper, I shall gaze upon the crowns of gold, but I shall see God. This is the sum and substance of heaven. This is the joyful hope of all believers. It is their delight to see him now in the ordinances by faith. They love to behold him in communion and in prayer. But there in heaven they shall have an open and unclouded vision. And thus seeing him as he is shall be made completely like him. likeness to God. What can we wish for more? At a sight of God, what can we desire better?

Some read the passage, Yet I shall see God in my flesh, and find here an allusion to Christ as the Word made flesh, and that glorious beholding of Him which shall be the splendor of the latter days. Whether so or not, It is certain that Christ shall be the object of our eternal vision. Nor shall we ever want any joy beyond that of seeing him. Think not that this will be a narrow sphere for the mind to dwell in. It is but one source of delight, but that source is infinite. All his attributes shall be subjects for contemplation. And as he is infinite under each aspect, there is no fear of exhaustion. His works, his gifts, his love to us, and his glory, and all his purposes, and in all his actions, these shall make a theme which will be ever new.

The patriarch looked forward to this sight of God as a personal enjoyment, whom mine eye shall behold and not another. Take realizing views of heaven's bliss. Think what it will be to you. Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty All earthly brightness fades and darkens as we gaze upon it But here is a brightness which can never dim A glory which can never fade I shall see God

I have prayed for thee Luke chapter 22 verse 32 how encouraging is the thought of the Redeemer's never-ceasing intercession for us when we pray he pleads for us and when we are not praying he is advocating our cause and by his supplications shielding us from unseen dangers

notice the word of comfort addressed to Peter Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. But... What? Go and pray for yourself? That would be good advice. But it is not so written. Neither does he say, But I will keep you watchful, and so you shall be preserved. That were a great blessing. No, it is, but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. We little know what we owe to our Savior's prayers. When we reach the hilltops of heaven and look back upon all the way whereby our Lord God hath led us, how shall we praise Him who before the eternal throne undid the mischief which Satan was doing upon earth? how should we thank him because he never held his peace but day and night pointed to the wounds upon his hands and carried our names upon his breastplate even before Satan had begun to tempt Jesus had forestalled him and entered a plea in heaven mercy outruns malice Mark, he does not say, Satan has sifted you and therefore I will pray, but Satan hath desired to have you. He checks Satan even in his very desire and nips it in the bud. He does not say, but I have desired to pray for you. No, but I have prayed for you. I have done it already. I have gone to court and entered a counter plea even before an accusation is made. O Jesus, what a comfort it is that thou hast pleaded our cause against our unseen enemies, countermined their minds, and unmasked their ambushes. Here is a matter for joy, gratitude, hope, and confidence. Ye are Christs. 1 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 23 Ye are Christ's. You are His by donation, for the Father gave you to the Son. His by His bloody purchase, for He counted down the price for your redemption. His by dedication, for you have consecrated yourself to Him. His by relation, for you are named by His name and made one of His brethren and joint heirs. Labor practically to show the world that you are the servant, the friend, the bride of Christ. When tempted to sin, reply, I cannot do this great wickedness, for I am Christ's. Immortal principles forbid the friend of Christ to sin. When wealth is before you to be won by sin, say that you are Christ's and touch it not. Are you exposed to difficulties and dangers? Stand fast in the evil day, remembering that you are Christ's. Are you placed where others are sitting down idly, doing nothing? Rise to the work with all your powers, and when the sweat stands upon your brow and you are tempted to loiter, cry, No, I cannot stop, for I am Christ's. If I were not purchased by blood, I might be like Issachar, crouching between two burdens, but I am Christ's and cannot loiter. When the siren's song of pleasure would tempt you from the path of right, Reply, Thy music cannot charm me, for I am Christ's. When the cause of God invites thee, Give thy goods and thyself away, for thou art Christ's. Never belie thy profession. Be thou ever one of those whose manners are Christian, whose speech is like the Nazarene, whose conduct and conversation are so redolent of heaven that all who see you may know that you are the Savior's, recognizing in you his features of love and his countenance of holiness. I am a Roman was of all the reason for integrity far more than let it be your argument for holiness I am Christ's I have yet to speak on God's behalf Job chapter 36 verse 2 We ought not to court publicly for our virtue or notoriety for our zeal but at the same time it is a sin to be always seeking to hide that which God has bestowed upon us for the good of others. A Christian is not to be a village in a valley but a city sat upon a hill. He is not to be a candle under a bushel, but a candle in a candlestick, giving light to all. Retirement may be lovely in its season, and to hide one's self is doubtless modest, but the hiding of Christ in us can never be justified. and the keeping back of truth which is precious to ourselves is a sin against others and an offense against God. If you are of a nervous temperament and of retiring disposition take care that you do not too much indulge this trembling propensity lest you should be useless to the church. Seek, in the name of Him who was not ashamed of you, to do some little violence to your feelings, and tell to others what Christ has told to you. If thou canst not speak with trumpet tongue, use the still small voice. If the pulpit must not be thy tribune, if the press may not carry on its wings thy words, yet say with Peter and John, Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, give I thee. By Sica's well, Talk to the Samaritan woman, if thou canst not on the mountain preach a sermon. Utter the praises of Jesus in the house, if not in the temple, in the field, if not upon the exchange, in the midst of thine own household, if thou canst not in the midst of the great family of man. From the hidden springs within, let sweetly flowing rivulets of testimony flow forth, giving drink to every passerby. Hide not thy talent, trade with it, and thou shalt bring in good interest to thy Lord and Master. To speak for God will be refreshing to ourselves, cheering to saints, useful to sinners, and honoring to the Savior. Dumb children are an affliction to their parents. Lord, unloose all thy children's tongues.

Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold but they went not for the ships were broken at Ezeangeba 1 Kings chapter 22 verse 48 Solomon's ships had returned in safety, but Jehoshaphat's vessels never reached the land of gold. Providence prospers one and frustrates the desires of another, in the same business and at the same spot, yet the great ruler is as good and wise at one time as another. May we have grace today in the remembrance of this text to bless the Lord for ships broken at Ezeangeba as well as for vessels freighted with temporal blessings. Let us not envy the more successful nor murmur at our losses as though we were singularly and specially tried. Like Jehoshaphat, we may be precious in the Lord's sight, although our schemes end in disappointment. The secret cause of Jehoshaphat's loss is well worthy of notice, for it is the root of very much of the suffering of the Lord's people. It was his alliance with a sinful family, his fellowship with sinners. In 2 Chronicles 20, verse 37, we are told that the Lord sent a prophet to declare Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy works. This was a fatherly chastisement, which appears to have been blessed to him. For in the verse, which succeeds our morning's text, we find him refusing to allow his servants to sail in the same vessels with those of the wicked king. Would to God that Jehoshaphat's experience might be a warning to the rest of the Lord's people to avoid being unequally yoked together with unbelievers. A life of misery is usually the lot of those who are united in marriage or in any other way of their own choosing with the men of the world. Oh, for such love to Jesus, that, like him, we may be holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. For if it be not so with us, we may expect to hear it often said, The Lord hath broken thy works.

Mighty to save Isaiah chapter 63 verse 1 By the words to save, we understand the whole of the great work of salvation, from the first holy desire onward to complete sanctification. The words are multum in paro. Indeed, here is all mercy in one word. Christ is not only mighty to save those who repent, but he is able to make men repent. He will carry those to heaven who believe, but he is moreover mighty to give men new hearts and to work faith in them. He is mighty to make the man who hates holiness love it, and to constrain the despiser of his name to bend the knee before him. Nay, this is not all the meaning, for the divine power is equally seen in the after work. The life of a believer is a series of miracles wrought by the mighty God. The bush burns, but is not consumed. He is mighty to keep his people holy after he has made them so and to preserve them in his fear and love until he consummates their spiritual existence in heaven. Christ's might does not lie in making a believer and then leaving him to shift for himself. But he who begins the good work carries it on. He who imparts the first germ of life in the dead soul prolongs the divine existence, and strengthens it until it bursts asunder every bond of sin and the soul leaps from earth, perfected in glory. Believer, here is encouragement. Art thou praying for some beloved one? Oh, give not up thy prayers, for Christ is mighty to save. You are powerless to reclaim the rebel, but your Lord is almighty. Lay hold on that mighty arm and rouse it to put forth its strength. Does your own case trouble you? Fear not, for his strength is sufficient for you. Whether to begin with others or to carry on the work in you Jesus is mighty to save the best proof of which lies in the fact that he has saved you what a thousand mercies that you have not found him mighty to destroy beginning to sink he cried saying Lord save me Matthew chapter 14, verse 30. Sinking times are praying times with the Lord's servants. Peter neglected prayer at starting upon his venturous journey. But when he began to sink, his danger made him a suppliant. And his cry, though late, was not too late. In our hours of bodily pain and mental anguish, we find ourselves as naturally driven to prayer as the wreck is driven upon the shore by the waves. The fox hives to its hole for protection, the bird flies to the wood for shelter, and even so the tried believer hastens to the mercy seat for safety. Heaven's great harbor of refuge is all prayer. Thousands of weather-beaten vessels have found a haven there, and the moment a storm comes on, it is wise for us to make for it with all sail. Short prayers are long enough. There were but three words in the petition which Peter gasped out, but they were sufficient for his purpose. Not length, but strength is desirable. A sense of need is a mighty teacher of brevity. If our prayers had less of the tail feathers of pride and more wing, they would be all the better. Verbiage is to devotion as chaff to the wheat. Precious things lie in a small compass, and all that is real prayer in many a long address might have been uttered in a petition as short as that of Peter. Our extremities are the Lord's opportunities. Immediately a keen sense of danger forces an anxious cry from us. The ear of Jesus hears, and with him ear and heart go together, and the hand does not long linger. At the last moment we appeal to our master, but his swift hand makes up for our delays by instant and effectual action. Are we nearly engulfed by the boisterous waters of affliction? Let us then lift up our souls unto our Savior, and we may rest assured that he will not suffer us to perish. When we can do nothing, Jesus can do all things. let us enlist his powerful aid upon our side and all will be well