exclaims, "Is not this my dear Son? is he not a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still; yea my bowels are troubled for him, I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord." To illustrate the pleasure which he takes in the return of one sinner unto God, he expatiated upon it in three different parables. He sets forth a shepherd rejoicing over a lost sheep, and calling upon all his friends and neighbours to sympathize with him on so joyful an occasion. Then, changing the illustration to that of a woman finding a piece of silver after a long and careful search; and afterwards, to that of a father receiving his prodigal child, and making merry with him on account of the happy alteration of his state, and the blessed change wrought upon his soul, he declares, in terms as strong as language can afford, the delight he feels, when one single person is recovered unto God through him. He forgets at once all the labour and travail he has endured, or rather he looks back upon it with most heart-felt satisfaction, as soon as ever he sees it brought to a successful issue.

He is satisfied, next, when he sees his redeemed people walking uprightly with God. The pleasure, which a parent enjoys at the first sight of her new-born infant, is increased, when she beholds it growing up to maturity in the full enjoyment of all its faculties, and the uniform. discharge of all its duties. Thus our "Lord taketh pleasure in his people;" and every grace they exercise, every service they perform, every sacrifice they offer, is "pleasing and acceptable in his sight." The beloved apostle knew no greater joy than to see his children walk in truth. So our Lord, when his people grow in grace, and make their profiting to appear," rejoices over them with joy, and rests in his love, and joys over them with singing." So delighted is he with the view of them, that "he rejoices over them to do them good," and engages "with his whole heart and with his whole soul," in securing to them the everlasting possession of his heavenly kingdom. Though he is so high, yet hath he respect unto them, "coming to them," "manifesting himself to

Jer. xxxi. 18, 20. r Zeph. iii, 17. s Jer. xxxii. 41.

them as he does not unto the world" in the most intimate and endearing manner, shedding abroad his love in their hearts, and maintaining fellowship with them, as a parent with her dear children. This is opened by the prophet in terms so accommodated to the text, and so beautifully descriptive of the truth before us, that we cannot refrain from quoting his words. After repeating several times, that Zion should travail in birth, and have a numerous issue, Christ calls on all of them to rejoice in their happy lot, and "to suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolation:" and then in direct reference to himself, he says, "then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees; as one, whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you, and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. "

But most of all will our adorable Lord be satisfied, when he shall behold all his family surrounding his throne in glory. While they are here, he is too often grieved with them, and constrained to hide his face from them. But, when they shall be exalted to heaven, there will be an end of all their imperfections; they will all be pure as God is pure, and holy as God is holy: they will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father; never to suffer an eclipse, never to set again. If a parent finds all her joys consummated, when she sees those, with whom she has travailed, and over whom she has so long watched, comfortably at last settled in the world, how must Jesus rejoice, when he sees all his children settled beyond the reach of harm, in the full enjoyment of that kingdom, which was provided for them from the foundation of the world! With what satisfaction must he reflect upon the travail of his soul, when he shall see myriads, countless as the sands upon the sea shore, surrounding his throne, and hear them all acknowledging with one voice, that they were washed from their sins in his blood, and that all their happiness is the fruit of his obedience unto death! If, even in the days of his humiliation, he was so transported with this joy set before him, that, in consideration of it, he cheerfully endured the cross, and despised the

t Isai. lxvi. 7-13.

shame, much more, when he shall see the full accomplishment of his gracious purposes, will he look back upon his troubles with complacency and delight. He will then wholly occupy himself in making them happy, "feeding them" with all the fruits of Paradise, and "leading them to living fountains of waters," that they may "drink of those rivers of pleasure, which are at God's right hand for evermore.”u

By way of improving this subject, we may further observe,

1. How must the Lord Jesus be grieved when he sees sinners utterly regardless of him! Surely if a mother, after all her pain and anguish, behold a lifeless corpse, where she had expected a living child, her disappointment must be great. And must not Jesus be grieved, when he beholds "those, for whom he died, perishing" in their sins? If when the Jews alone were offered him as the fruit of his travail, he so regretted the loss of the Gentile world, that he exclaimed, "Then have I laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain," doubtless it must be painful to him, after having had a promise of the heathen also for his inheritance, to see myriads, even of his professed followers, as unconcerned about him, as if he had never come into the world. And are there not many such amongst us? many, whose voice he never yet heard in fervent prayer? many, who have never yet expressed any desire after him, any concern about him? The apostle Paul could appeal to God that he had "great heaviness, and continual sorrow in his heart for his brethren's sake:" and Jeremiah, in the view of the troubles that were coming on his nation, cried out, "My bowels, my bowels, I am pained at my very heart:" much more therefore must the compassionate Jesus, who wept and prayed for his very murderers, be afflicted at the guilt and danger of the unbelieving world. It is true, that, strictly speaking, he is incapable of sorrow in his present state: but the scripture, to accommodate itself to our feeble apprehensions, represents him as exercising human passions, because, with respect to us, he will act as if he were either gratified by

Rev. vii. 17. and Ps. xvi. 11. and xxxvi,. 8. * Isai. xlix. 4.

our attention, or grieved by our neglect. Careless sinners are spoken of as grieving and vexing his holy Spirit, yea, moreover, as crucifying him afresh, and trampling under foot his precious blood. Let not then such aggravated guilt be found in us. Let us not so requite our gracious and adorable Benefactor: He yet waiteth to be gracious unto us, he seeks us, as he did the Samaritan woman, that vile notorious adulteress, that he may turn us from the error of our ways, and save our souls alive. And, as on that occasion "he had meat to eat which the world knew not of," so will his soul be refreshed and comforted with the first prospect of delivering us from sin and death.

2. What obligations lie on all of us to repent and turn to God! There is one way, and only one, in which we can afford any satisfaction to our blessed Lord; and that is, by going to him for his benefits, and receiving at his hands the blessings he has purchased for us. And shall we hesitate to do this? shall not a sense of gratitude impel us, strengthened as it is, and confirmed by a concern for our eternal interests? If our Lord had required some great thing of us, ought we not to do it? How much more then when he only says, Wash, and be clean! Had he required that we should spend our whole lives in such a state of pain and travail as he himself endured, we ought gladly to comply with his will, and account ourselves happy in such an opportunity of testifying our love to him. But when he desires only, that we should seek our own truest interests, and declares, that he finds his happiness in making us happy, we should turn to him without delay, and give ourselves up to him without reserve. Hear his own word; "The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in them that hope in his mercy." Now if you cannot love him as you would, yet if you can fear him; if you cannot rejoice in an assurance of his mercy, yet if you can only hope in it, you will thereby afford him pleasure. And will you think this too much to do for him who travailed, as it were, in birth for you? Repentance indeed must pre

y John iv. 18, 29, 32.

cede a sense of favour and reconciliation with God. But the deeper our contrition, the more exalted will be the joy that follows it. Let us then look on him whom we have pierced, and mourn and be in bitterness for our manifold transgressions. So shall Jesus be recompensed for all that he has endured for us; and we shall participate his glory and blessedness for ever and ever.

*

3. How securely may we commit ourselves into the Saviour's hands! If a child can be safely trusted with any one, surely it may with her, who travailed in birth with it, and who must therefore be most deeply interested in its welfare. But infinitely more secure are we in the hands of Jesus, as he himself tells us by the prophet: "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Can such a monster be found? Yea, says our Lord, they may forget; yet will not I forget thee: behold, thou art graven on the palms of my hands." We need only commit ourselves to him, and he will approve himself faithful to his promises. He will keep us by his power; he will "guide us by his eye:" "he will carry the lambs in his bosom, and gently lead them that are with young." "Nor shall any weapon formed against us, prosper." "Our place of defence shall be the munition of rocks: bread shall be given us, and our water shall be sure. He will keep us as his garden; he will water it every moment; lest any hurt it; he will keep it day and night. Let us then "commit ourselves to him in well-doing, as into the hands of a faithful Redeemer," assured that he will "keep that which we have committed to him, and preserve us unto his heavenly kingdom."

z Isai. xlix. 14-16.

CXIV. THE MEANS OF OUR JUSTIFICATION BEFORE

GOD.

Isa. liii. 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

IT is not possible to conceive a more difficult question for unenlightened reason to resolve, or one in the reso