GOD transcends all thoughts, notwithstanding this, men should search after His greatness.

I. Searching after His greatness is a RIGHTEOUS Occupation. (1) It agrees with the profoundest instincts of the soul. (2) It is stimulated by the manifestations of nature. (3) It is encouraged by the declarations of the Bible. (4) It is aided by the revelations of Christ.

II. Searching after His greatness is a USEFUL occupation. (1) There is no occupation so quickening to the soul. Feeling after God is an inspiration. (2) There

is no occupation so humbling to the soul. The idea of the Infinite drives all vanities from the soul, and brings it down from the heights of pride into the deepest

THE words imply

I. THE PROVOCATIVE POWER OF SIN. "Slow to anger." God is susceptible of provocation. (1)

He is

He feels

(2) He

He is not cold intellect. infinite susceptibility. all as well as knows all. is not indifferent to moral conduct.

angels, but compassionate only to the suffering and distressed. Sin produces this, and has filled the human world with wretchedness. It has turned our Eden into a vale of tears. The Infinite, instead of striking us down in His anger, bears with us in His compassion. He is "long-suffering to us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." "Fury is not in Me," saith the Almighty. His nature is free from the malign, but full of the merciful.

LONDON.

DAVID THOMAS, D.D.

I. The worship of God's WORKS. "All Thy works shall praise Thee." They worship Him

First: Because they reveal Him. All, great and small, sentient and insentient, reveal Him, His wisdom, goodness, and power. They reveal Him as the building the architect, the sculpture, the music, the painting, reveal the artist; the book the author, &c. "The heavens declare the glory of God." They worship Him

Secondly: Because they obey Him. All move in exact accord with the laws that are impressed on their nature. Oceans ebb and flow, the heavenly bodies revolve and shine,'seasons come and go, all in obedience to His will. They never transgress His orders, or neglect His behests. "All Thy works shall praise Thee."

II. The worship of God's "Thy saints shall

CHILDREN. bless Thee,"

First: They reveal Him more fully. The child is a higher revelation of the father than all his works of genius, however varied and abundant. "We are His offspring." There is more of God seen in the rays of reason, the sparks of fancy, the sensibility of conscience, the volitions of will,

of one soul, than in all the beauty of the landscape, or the brightness of the heavens.

Secondly: They obey Him more loftily. They obey Him (1) intelligently, (2) consciously, (3) freely, and (4) happily.

LONDON.

DAVID THOMAS, D.D.

THE subject of these words is the majesty of Divine rule or kinghood. See its glory—

I. In the UNIVERSALITY OF ITS EXTENT. His kingdom extends over all, over all matter, and over all mind. It includes the microscopic atom and the mightiest orb; the lowest fiend and the sublimest angel. See its glory

II. In the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF ITS FOUNDATION. God has a right to rule the universe. (1) On the ground of proprietorship He owns all. (2) On the ground of capacity. No one else has the power. (3) On the ground of character. He is infinitely good. See its glory

III. In the BENEVOLENCE OF ITS OPERATIONS. Unlike all human kings, He rules not for His own aggrandisement or in

terest, but simply for the good of His subjects. Were the best of human sovereigns to resign their rule, their country would, probably, be blest thereby; but were He, the Infinite Ruler, to resign, the whole universe would rush into anarchy and ruin. See its glory

IV. In the INDESTRUCTIBLENESS OF ITS NATURE. Human kingdoms have in them the seeds of decay, they chase each other from the scene, like the clouds before the wind. All of them are but as little bubbles on the stream, by a breath, or a touch, they are broken and lost. But His kingdom will endure for ever. "Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Thy dominion endureth through all generations."

LONDON.

DAVID THOMAS, D.D.

How truly noble Jesus here appears! How truly Divine! When men are dying they pray for personal forgiveness, but the Son of Man has no need of this, and is absorbed in prayer for others-even His crucifiers. May we examine this sublime yet simple prayer? Yes, but it must be with great reverence. It will teach us, if we drink of its spirit, how to suffer, pray, forgive, and die. As we listen to this prayer, we are reminded of—

I.-MAN'S GREAT SIN.

1. At the cross all sin seems focussed. Those who gathered there were typical sinners-the soldiers, acting under others, the populace wrongly influenced, the ruling class, using their power against Christ, the priests, the very ringleaders in this great wrong. All were sinning against God, by trying to rid themselves of Christ. In this they acted (a) hastily, (b) with prejudice and passion, (c) unjustly, (d) harshly; and these are the characteristics of all sin:

2. Their ignorance was no ex

cuse. It made the sin worse, for they were blinded by pride and self-will. "We must account at the day of judgment (says Matthew Henry), not only for the knowledge we had and used not, but for the knowledge we might have had, and would not."

3. What need, then had they for forgiveness? A need unseen, unfelt, and, as yet, unknown; but none the less great and real. Their need, then, is akin to ours

now.

II.-GOD'S GREAT PREROGATIVE. 1. He only can forgive against whom the sin is committed. What erroneous ideas are often entertained concerning God's attitude towards sinners. Yet the Scriptures assure us that He is faithful to forgive (1 John i. 9.), just to forgive (1 John i. 9), ready to forgive (Psalm lxxxvi. 5.), and even eager to forgive (Isaiah i. 18; lv. 7.) And Christ's prayer stamps all this on our hearts, for He would not have prayed for an impossibility. If there is one thing more certain than another about God, it is that He is not

T

INTER

III. CHRIST'S GREAT CESSION. In this prayer Christ appears as the Great High Priest. He presents Himself before Godnot without blood-on our behalf. Those around the cross little knew what communications were going on between earth and heaven for them.

1. To what a height this prayer rises. How far from mortal thought and human habit! How sublime it is in its tenderness and self-abnegation! How God-like! "Was ever love like this?"

2. To what a depth it descends. Even to murder. What depths of condescension, patience, submission, gentleness, pity, are in this prayer. We must feel them

to fathom them. This intercession dives beneath all sin, its arms are underneath all sinners. Who need despair? None.

3. To what a length it reaches. It was not exhausted when it included those who took part in the actual crucifixion. It comes down all the ages. At the cross it was dropped like a stone in the ocean, but its ripples of love will widen till they touch every shore. And it is "as mighty at its farthest point as at its centre."

4. To what a breadth it extends. Forgiveness is the essence of all true blessing. He who has this, has peace with God-Rest in Christ-Comfort in the Holy Ghost. Forgiveness is the breath of life, the seal of love, the secret of service, the spring of devotion, the antidote of fear, the sunlight of the heart, the flower that wafts its fragrance along the valley of the shadow of death, and the passport to the home of the many resting-places above. Are you forgiven? The thought of being the subject of the prayers of loved ones, has often arrested the careless, reclaimed the erring, and comforted the desponding. Remember this great prayer of the dying Saviour, and resist not its potent instruction and tender pleading.

BRISTOL.

WALTER J. MAYERS.