My soul drinks in the heavenly ray,

And 'till I see Thee as Thou art, O let Thy Spirit guide my way,

And cheer, and fill, and bless my heart.

WEEK V.

FIRST DAY.

"WHO SHALL

SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF

CHRIST?"-Rom. viii. 35.

Christian! hast thou a passing hour
With heavenly peace and mercy crowned?
While blessings like the summer shower,
Are falling silently around:

O remember, here below,

Thou must changing seasons know :

This is a world where dark and gloomy night, Will bring its shadows o'er the cheerful day; Yet must the traveller pursue his way,

And learn to walk by faith and not by sight:Tho' peace be sweet, thou must for war prepare, Nor think terrestrial skies will long be fair :

The cloud will yet return again,

The wind, the hail, the beating rain ;

Then gird thy clothing round thee;-still with

hope

And holy confidence to HIM look up,

Who bids thee not be troubled nor afraid :
And then assures thee, neither sun nor shade,
Nor aught, of things beneath, or things above,
Past, present, or to come; though earth depart,
And heavens remove; can rend thee from His
heart,

For thou art His;-and thine, His everlasting love.

SECOND DAY.

"THE WAY OF THE JUST IS UPRIGHTNESS; THOU MOST UPRIGHT, DOST WEIGH (LEVEL, OR MAKE PLAIN) THE PATH OF THE JUST."—Is. xxvi. 7.

66

By "the just," or the justified, is to be understood the believer's state; and by the path of uprightness," the believer's walk. Nor should these two, however distinct, ever be separated for faith in Christ, true justifying faith, will always be found productive of

its genuine fruits and whomsoever Jesus justifies by his blood, He also sanctifies by His Spirit. "There is no peace," saith my God, "to the wicked:" but " being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," &c. And every one who lives in the enjoyment of that peace, will be anxious and careful to maintain the comfort of it, by a holy and consistent walk, and by the practice of all those good works which God hath before prepared for his children to walk in. "Thou, most upright, dost make plain the path of the just." God removes the mountains; God takes away the stumbling blocks out of the way of His people. Many there be, who watch for their halting;-many there be, who would triumph in their fall. But their goings are ordered by the Lord; their soul is upheld by their Lord; He is with them as their Guide and their Guard, walking with them in the way. (See margin, Isa. xxxv.8.) And the wayfaring man, though a fool, or, simple

as to this world's concerns, shall not err therein, nor go astray. He shall not err as it respects the way of salvation;-shall not go astray from the path of duty; for God will make that path plain before him, and he shall walk therein, and his footsteps shall not stumble.

Or, if the text be understood to signify the consideration or pondering of the mind; if the preference be given to the sense of the passage, in which it is commonly read and understood, "Thou, most upright, dost weigh, ponder, consider, take cognizance, of the path of the just;" it is still a word full of encouragement and comfort, as it is written, "The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous." Knoweth, noticeth, approveth, delighteth in, his way; for, it is a way of God's own appointing; it is a way of holiness and peace; it is that way of life, in the path-way of which there is no death." It is a way of wisdom; a departing from all iniquity. It is the way of truth; the way of God's com

66