cause that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him." Doubtless, in other ways also the Lord unfolds his love to us; for his tender mercies are over all his works, and every divinely opened eye takes joyous note of them. Paul reminded the heathen men of Lycaonia of this when he said, "Nevertheless God left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” With all this, however, there are often in providence so many things dark and perplexing that it is only dimly and imperfectly that we can see therein the love of God. But it is otherwise with redemption; for in it the manifestation of divine love is so clear, full, and undoubted, that it virtually unlocks every mystery, and sheds cheering light even on the very darkest of dispensations. Had God sent even one of the meanest of his servants to sympathize with us in our forlorn state, it would have been an act of great condescension; and still more, had he in addition commissioned the very chief of angels to minister partial relief in our need and extremity. But he went far beyond this; for it was his Son he sent the Son only begotten and infinitely beloved-and at the very time of our deepest unworthiness. "Is there love in nothing else?" says an old divine. "Yes: to have a being among rational creatures is love; to have our life for years carried like a taper in the midst of winds and storms, and not be blown out, is love; but the love of loves is the gift of his Son for our redemption." When Jesus appeared among us, it was not simply to be a gospel herald bringing good tidings, but to be a Saviour and Substitute, expressly to bear our sins and make atonement for our guilt. For this end he not only gave his all, but gave himself, for it was as the God-man he hung upon the cross: he "his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree." This was love indeed. "Love strong as death; nay, stronger Love mightier than the grave, To gladdest day from saddest night, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. -JOHN iii. 16. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.-1 JOHN iv. 10. August 25. LOVE MASTERING FEAR, AND EXPELLING IT. HERE is more than one kind of fear referred to in THERE the Word, and therefore we may be said to fear God and yet not be afraid of him. Indeed, the fear of God in the Bible sense is a main part of true religion, and includes in it regard and reverence for his name, and thorough loyalty to his authority and government. "Holy fear," said an old saint, "is a searching of the camp that there be no enemy within our bosom to betray, and a seeing that all be fast and sure." Now, perfect love never casts out this fear; it rather cherishes and strengthens it day by day. But to be afraid of God is a very different thing. This arises from guilt, alienated feeling, and dark suspicion. Such fear hath torment, and never can there be rest or peace in the soul till it is cast out; and one thing only can do this, namely, the perfect love of God in Christ believed and realized. The jailer of Philippi had this fear when he fell trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas, saying, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And what mastered this fear? Not any sense of his own worthiness or sufficiency, for he had none. That which cast it out was faith in the Lord Jesus; for the very moment he truly believed in him, fear went out of his soul, and peace and joy went into it. So was it also on the day of Pentecost, when awakened thousands, in fear and trembling, cried out with one accord, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" What calmed them? It was the joyful sound of redeeming love, and of full remission of sins through Jesus Christ. The moment they believed and realized the love, they lost the fear. Obviously, then, the reason why many Christians have so much fear when they might have none, is that they look too much within at their own hearts, and too little without at the infinite love and finished work of Jesus Christ. "Do not say thy wound is incurable," said Andrew Gray, two hundred years ago; "but comfort thyself with this, that there is balm in Gilead and a Physician there. Let thy case be never so broken, bring it to Christ, and he will heal it. Commit it to the Advocate that never lost a cause." Alike in the beginning, the middle, and the end of life, therefore, divine love must be our meditation and our delight. An old soldier of the 92nd, when dying, after signing to Major Malan to put his ear close to his lips, whispered, ""Tis naething, sir, but the love of Jesus can burst the gate of a sinner's heart." There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear.-1 JOHN iv. 18. Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.-Rom. viii. 15. August 26. PRECIOUS AS THE WORD IS, HOW FEW PROFIT BY IT! THE HE very possession of the Word of God involves a weighty responsibility; and just as we deal with it will it prove to us either a savour of life unto life, or a savour of death unto death. If it fails to make us better, it will assuredly leave us worse. When referring to this, James directs us " to receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls." In like manner Peter says, "As new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." And John adds, "Whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected." But read the Word as often as we may, it will avail us nothing, unless we read it believingly; for it is written, "The word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." This unprofitable possession of the Word was mournfully exemplified in the Jews at the time of our Lord. "Believing the Bible," says Adolph Saphir, " and rejecting Jesus; glorying in the written Word, and casting Jesus out of the beloved city; holding the Bible in one hand, and crucifying Jesus with the other. So the Bible now is to many among us, as it was to the Jews, not the voice of the living God, but instead of that voice; so that while they believe it contains the truth, they do not believe the truth it contains." The salutary operation of the Bible is confined to the believing soul. There only the incorruptible seed of the Word takes root, and brings forth the peaceable fruits of righteousness. To profit thoroughly by it, therefore, we must receive it with reverence, deepest gratitude, and unreplying submission alike of the understanding and of the will. It is only as we so receive it that we will be able to stand in the evil day. He who is convinced, not by divine testimony, but by mere human reasoning, may have his faith shaken by opposite artful reasoning, and may let it go entirely when the popular current fully sets in in a different direction; whereas he who embraces religion as the truth of God, and with love of that truth, will have a faith that, to his own salvation and the glory of God, will firmly and abidingly endure every trial. "We are generally," are generally," one says, "desirous to have fair and well-printed Bibles, but the fairest and finest impression of the Bible is to have it well printed in the reader's heart." When ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.-1 THESS. ii. 13. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.-COL. iii. 16. August 27. WHATEVER THE CLOUDINGS NOW, THERE WILL BE ΟΝ ON all vital matters, the views of unconverted men are often very dark. They misunderstand God's character, they misinterpret his ways, they misread his Word, |