MAY 9.

I bring near my righteousness—and my salvation shall not tarry. -ISAIAH xlvi. 13.

THERE is nothing will bring us near to God, but his bringing near his righteousness to us. As long as we are under guilt, we naturally keep at a distance, and look upon God as an enemy. Our eye is evil, and our whole body is full of darkness. But when we are enlightened to behold the glory of God in the person of Jesus Christ, and to apprehend his righteousness, it makes us all that we should be, and sheds a light and a glory over all that we think or do. It gives to all our actions in short the value of that righteousness in the faith of which they are performed. Thus it was that Abraham was justified by works, for his works were done in the faith of Christ's righteousness, and partook of the merit of it, yea, derived all their merit from it. "For without faith it is impossible to please God,"-without faith in the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ,-wherefore he saith

Behold, I bring near my righteousness," and as an effect thereof, "my salvation shall not tarry;" but you shall experience all the blessed effects of righteousness in the fruits of it-even those fruits of faith which are by Jesus Christ to the praise and glory of God. Let us pray, therefore, that we may be kept in the lively apprehension of this righteousness, and that it may not only be brought near, but kept near to us at all times, and under all circumstances.

MAY 10.

And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.-MARK Xiii. 37.

THE present certainly seems a peculiar time, calling upon all believers to be on their watch-tower, looking out for the coming of their Lord. And there is no better preparation for his coming, than living continually in his blood and righteousness, which is, in fact, the life we shall live in heaven. It is this which constitutes heaven, and the more we live thus, the more we are like "the spirits of just men made perfect," for our perfection will consist in this:-namely, in casting our crowns at the feet of the Saviour. Then no legal fears, nor self-righteous hopes will arise in our breasts to interrupt our supreme happiness, but we shall be perfectly willing that Christ shall have all the glory of all the grace shewed unto us. This I conceive constitutes the highest happiness of a fallen creature-to be willing to be saved entirely by grace, and he that waiteth in this spirit, in a spirit of profound self-abhorrence and humility, totally dependent on the blood of the Lamb, must always be prepared to meet him at his coming. It is not a legal but an evangelical watching that is meant-the joy of one waiting for his Lord, in perfect confidence of being accepted by him.

MAY 11.

God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.-MATT. xxii. 32.

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WHAT a simple, yet strong and convincing argument was this: nothing could be said against it,—and yet, incontrovertible as it appears, it was such as would not have occurred but to infinite wisdom. We read and read again, but do not consider, nor is it till things are placed before us in the light of the Spirit, that we see the real simplicity, and convincing force of the Gospel. It is, indeed, the gospel of salvation, and the word of life; for "God is not the God of the dead but of the living," and whosoever lives must live by him. Yea, we are dead, and our life is hid with Christ in God; " and it is only as we receive out of that hidden fulness of life which is in him, that we are enabled to live by Him. "For He is the fountain of life, and whosoever believeth in him shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." For "Christ is not the God of the dead but of the living." His members are living members-He acknowledges no other. He makes them alive by his Almighty Spirit, and he keeps them alive by the same means; and should they at any time languish, and as it were die in themselves, he revives them again, for he is "the resurrection and the life." He not only gives life but renews it. To him be glory for ever. Amen.

MAY 12.

The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.-MATT. xxvi. 41.

WHAT forbearance it shewed in our Saviour, when he was thus forsaken of his disciples in his last agony, not only not to reproach them with their want of sympathy, but to find an excuse for them. "The spirit, indeed, is willing, said he," but the weakness of the flesh has overpowered the willingness of the Spirit to endure watching, and ye are fallen asleep. It matters not: "behold, he that betrayeth me is at hand.” How ill we should like it in any friend to fall asleep, or seem indifferent, when we were in any distress, especially in those from whom we might expect better things; but we must not be surprised to find even the best overcome sometimes, when we consider that the Apostles themselves were overcome with sleep at the most critical time that perhaps ever occurred in the world. It shews us, too, our own insufficiency for the great work of watching and prayer, and how entirely we are dependent not only for the will, but also for the power to perform. In short, the lesson of our own helplessness is the first step toward proficiency in the Christian life; and we cannot make any advances toward God, until we have discovered that without Christ we can do nothing. These same men who fell asleep at this time, were watchful enough afterward, and active enough when they had learned whence sprang their activity.

MAY 13.

Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself;-even thine altars, O Lord of Hosts.-PSALM lxxxiv. 3.

THE sparrow and swallow are emblems, perhaps, of the outcasts and wanderers of society, who are yet received into the house of the Lord,-" For whosoever cometh unto him," however contemptible in the eyes of men, "he will by no means cast out;" and his redeemed are often taken out from among the most despised of men. But there is a further meaning as to the providential care which God exercises over the most insignificant things in creation, providing house and habitation for them even in his temple; for Jesus Christ is indeed the grand upholder of the material as well as the spiritual world; and by him all things, however insignificant, subsist. "The sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest, even thy temple, O Lord of Hosts"-and that temple is Christ. "Are not two sparrows sold for one farthing, and yet not one of them is forgotten before God?" What an encouragement ought this to be to us, that he who does not forget a sparrow will not forget us; and that he who takes care even of the wandering swallow, and brings it back in safety to its accustomed habitation, will not leave his people to lose their way in this wilderness.