word is in the plural, and that the blessing promised is much greater; and therefore they read it" As thy days are, so shall thy strength be," not only for thy day of affliction, but for thy day of temptation and darkness; and it may be added, not for one day only, but for many days: and this is certainly greater grace, provided it does. not lead to a still greater neglect of God's word respecting particular promises for particular days of trial.*

But I apprehend the meaning of the Holy Ghost in this passage to be something more than all this; and that it signifies, that as the believer advances in years, even in old years, (called length of days,) that his spiritual strength, so far from being diminished, as

If this is insisted on, we are immediately told that no Scripture is of private interpretation or meaning, by which they apply Scriptures to any meaning they think proper, and by which means a multitude of errors creep in; whereas, what Peter says in his second Epistle signifies, that no Scripture is composed by any private person, but that it was written by holy men in a public capacity, as they were influenced by the Holy Ghost.

is the case in natural long life and old years, will be increased even as his days increase. This is verified in experience, and agreeable to the declaration of the wise man-"The path of the just is as the shining light, which shineth more and more to the perfect day."* "The righteous shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger." With our increasing years: we have increasing fears and infirmities. 'Tis one characteristic of old age, in that striking picture of the preacher's, that "fearsshall be in the way;" and 'tis most blessed to draw our encouragement, in the prospect of approaching years, from those gracious promises, to search for them with care, and where the words will so clearly make out this meaning, to apply it to our cases, especially when they are rare as it respects increasing strength with increasing years, even with old age. But this is not a solitary one: the psalmist says "In old

• Prov. 4,

+ Job 17.

age they shall be fat and flourishing;"* and "He satisfieth thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth is renewed as the eagle's:" and in the prophecy of Isaiah we have this heart-cheering promise, expressed with peculiar sweetness-" And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; éven I will carry, and will deliver you.”†

The former part of the verse led me at first to see the meaning of the whole, which, with the supplementary words, reads "Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days so shall thy strength be." Iron and brass convey the idea of something strong and durable. To be prepared for the fight of faith, we must take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; to be prepared for the walk of faith, our feet must be shod with that which is prepared from the Gospel, the essence of the Gospel, namely, peace the effect produced in receiving the

* Psalm 92.

+ Isaiah 46.

Gospel, called "the preparation of the Gospel of peace;" and as grace is altogether supernatural, as it is most eminently manifest in the weak, when drawn out into exercise, so the meaning of the passage appears very reasonable. The strength of Christ is made perfect in weakness. Our natural spirits abating as we advance in old age, we are constrained to be more dependent on our life-giving Head, our Head of union, and Head of influence, and to be coming up out of the wilderness leaning all our weight on the Beloved. From longer experience, the aged believer becomes more skilful in the word of righteousness; he can wield the sword of the Spirit with a more nervous arm than even those in the prime of manhood; and as there is no discharge in this war, he hopes still to fight the good fight of faith and all the Lord's battles more successfully, looking unto Jesus, the great Captain of our salvation..

ESSAY V.

WHERE CHRIST IS ALL.

Christ is all, and in all. Coloss. 3. 11.

THIS is one of the most important passages in all the Scripture of truth, and one as little understood. In general, it is taken up as a detached part, and made use of as a vulgar expression, applied frequently to other things, when they say, "Such a thing is all in all," intending to attach to it some degree of excellence, without considering that there is no proper noun-substantive to which this is all, nor do they consider what is meant by in all.

Indeed Christ is so superexcellent, that we cannot be displeased with that form of speech, though vulgar, that conveys any idea to us of his excellence; for "his name