it is what He did, and what He will give us grace to do, if we ask it. Probably all the persecution you have to endure, if you have any at all to endure, is from the evil, ill-natured words of some idle, ill-natured tongue. If you can return blessing and kindness for the ill-natured words, they will hurt you far less than if you were recompensing evil for evil; that would be letting the evil come into your heart and spirit, where it can prove your destruction, instead of keeping it outside, where it cannot do you any real harm.

It is said, "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves." Dearly beloved-as God's dear children, "avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." This is not the day of judgment, or of vengeance, but of mercy; therefore our Lord says, "Love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the highest for He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father in heaven is merciful."* But do not think that because God is kind to the unthankful and the evil, He is therefore indifferent to evil, or overlooks it. We may think, "God has forgotten; that He hideth His face, and will never see it;" but * Luke vi. 35-36. † Ps. x. 11.

how greatly are we mistaken. He hath appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness. Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of His saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." The ungodly deeds are not forgotten, the hard speeches have been all heard; but God's command now to all men, everywhere, is to repent and be saved. He is long-suffering now, not willing that any should perish.

+

"As much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." It may not always be possible, but as much as lieth in you. Let the fault not be on your side. Have always ready "the soft answer that turneth away wrath," and avoid the grievous words that stir up anger." "A wrathful man stirreth up strife; but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife." A great deal may be done to appease strife. "Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out; so where there is no tale-bearer, the strife ceaseth." Take care that you never carry about, or repeat what would kindle strife. Remember that "Blessed are the peace-makers; for they shall be called the children of God."§ Our calling is to overcome evil, * Jude 14, 15. † Acts xvii. 30; Acts xv. 1. Prov. xv. 18. § Matt. v. 9.

THIRD SERIES.

I.

Psalm i.

PSALM i." Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish."

We know that there has been but one man who never walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of the scornful; and whose delight was ever

in the law of the Lord, who was "holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners," the man Christ Jesus; and He entered on a blessedness which we cannot even conceive of, when, having glorified God upon earth, and finished the work which was given Him to do, it pleased the Father to glorify Him with Himself, with the glory which He had with Him before the world was.2

"This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased," was the testimony borne to Him by His Father even when on earth. What must have been His reception when having drunk that cup "which might not pass from Him,”1 having "tasted death for every man," "God highly exalted Him, and gave Him a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."6 "Thou hast made Him most blessed for ever; thou hast made Him exceeding glad with thy countenance."7

To this unspeakable blessedness then a manOne who, though He is God, is not ashamed to call us brethren-has been exalted. But is it

'Heb. vii. 26. 2 John xvi. iv. 5. Matt. xvii. 5. Matt. xxvi. 39-42. 5 Heb. ii. 9. 6 Phil. ii. 9-11. 7 Ps. xxi. 6.

of His blessedness alone that this Psalm speaks? Have we no share in that blessedness? Are there not those to whom He shall say "enter into the joy of thy Lord?" We shall never enter into it, except as purchased for us by Him, through the blood which he shed upon the cross; but if we are to enter into that joy which He has purchased for us, will he not prepare us for it, by leading us in the path which He Himself trod? He walked not in the counsel of the ungodly, when Satan came to tempt Him,1 he found no place of entrance in Him. He beat back each temptation with that law of the Lord in which was His delight and His continual meditation, saying, it is written "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." And even when the disciple who loved Him would have turned Him from the appointed path of duty and suffering, He repelled his ungodly counsel, saying, "Get thee behind me Satan, thou art an offence unto me." He knew well who the counsel came from though it was spoken through the lips of a friend.

We live in a world where ungodly counsel meets us on every side. From our own hearts it comes; the ways and example of the world bring it to us; the whisperings of him who lieth in wait seeking whom he may devour; some