with the right hand of My righteousness." Oh, how strong a support! I cannot sink, if I cling to this; I cannot fall, if this hold me up. And Thou, O my God, dost promise that it shall. How many are Thy promises to me; how many, and how full and free! "I will," three times in one verse! "I will strengthen, I will help, I will uphold."

Then, my soul, fear not, be not dismayed. Here is strength for thee, here is help for thee, here is support for thee; and all in thy God. He is thy Father, and Jesus is thy Saviour, and the Spirit is thy promised Comforter. What more canst thou want? Wilt thou fear, when He says, "I am with thee"? Wilt thou be dismayed, when He says, "I am thy God"? If He were not with thee, then thou mightest fear; and if He were not thy God, then indeed mightest thou be dismayed; but never, surely, when He Himself speaks to thee thus, and says to thee, "Fear thou not!"

CHAPTER VIII.

A SERVANT OF THE LORD.

"I am Thy servant."-Psalm cxix. 125.

O LORD my God, I am Thy servant, and I rejoice to be. I would rather be Thy servant, the lowest of Thy servants, than be myself the lord of many servants, with numbers waiting on my will. I am glad to lift up my heart to Thee, and say, "I am Thy servant."

I am thankful that I am Thy servant. I did not make myself so, I could not. Thou didst take me into Thy service. For I was not always Thy servant; but Thou didst look upon me in Thy mercy, and call me to serve Thee, and incline my heart to obey. Thou didst both admit me to Thy service, and dispose my heart and will to it. I thank Thee, O Lord, that I am Thy servant.

"I am Thy servant," and I find Thy service a happy service. It has been happy from the first, but I love it far more now than when I entered upon it; for, the more I know my Lord and Master, the happier do I find it to serve Him. Thou, O Lord, didst teach me to know Thee at all; but Thou hast given me a further and deeper knowledge of Thee since I began to serve Thee, and even in serving Thee I have learnt to know Thee better; and Thy very service has taught me to love Thee more, and to find Thy service happier.

I love Thee, O my gracious Master, and I love Thy service; Thy commandments are not grievous. I find Thy yoke, as Thou didst say I should, to be an easy yoke, and Thy burden to be a light burden. And Thou art always ready to help me in my service. Thou art with me in it. Thou dost not set me to work, and then go away, and leave me to myself. Thou dost appoint me my place in Thy household, and show me what Thou wouldst have me to do, and then Thou dost come to me, or rather, Thou

dost stay with me; and, whatever instme tions I need. Then givest me, and when

I do not know what to do next, Thon

showest me; and when my work is difficult. and seems beyond me, then Thou dost help and comfort me. I never ask Thee in vain. I rejoice to be Thy servant, O my Lord, because Thou art so good and kind a Master.

Thou didst make me Thy servant; but, in making me Thy servant, Thou didst do yet more. O my Saviour, Thou didst say to some who served Thee, "Ye are My friends, Hencedo whatsoever I command you. if ye forth I call you not servants; . . . but I have called you friends." Dare I think that Thou callest me friend? But further, the

a

son

servant of God is also the child of God, as well as a servant. We were redeemed from bondage, that we "might receive the adoption of sons; "not merely be taken into the service of God, but received into His family. Therefore, if I may say, "I am Thy servant," I may also say, "I am Thy child;" and thus I, who am quite unworthy to be even the lowest among the

servants of God, am placed among His children, and called friend by my Master and Saviour. This is grace indeed.

But now I can no longer do anything for my Master; I am quite laid aside; I can no more fill my post, or do Him any service. Yet my Master is so kind that He does not turn me off as past work. He does not even pension me off on a pittance. No; He keeps me in His service still, and gives me as much of His bounty as ever. He never gave me more in the days of my best strength than He gives me now in my weakness. He calls me His servant still, and treats me as His servant, providing for my wants, and showing me daily that He reckons me among His household.

Yet more: in His wondrous grace, He counts me as still actually serving Him, when I can do no active service at all. I am confined to one room, I lie on a sick-bed, I am waited on by others; yet my Master does not count me as a cumberer of the ground, an useless member of His household. If I patiently bear what He sends, if I pray to Him and praise