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JUNE 28.

Sin and Judgment.

"Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it: Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God."-Ezek. xiv. 13, 14.

THERE are great sins in our land-great sins bring great judgments-good men cannot deliver others--but they themselves will be delivered.

There are great sins in our land.-"When the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously." We have to mourn over much open wickedness. Covetousness, drunkenness, and uncleanness are the great idol-gods of Britain; and alas! their votaries are numerous, unblushing, and influential. We have to mourn over much disregard of religion. The Sabbath is a day of pleasure, the Bible is neglected, and the ordinances of religion are not valued. We have to mourn over much inconsistency among professing Christians; such as profession without practice, and holding the truth, but holding it in unrighteousness.

Great sins bring great judgments. "Then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it." God must punish sin, as his truth, his justice, and his government of the world in all ages distinctly prove. He generally warns before he strikes; but there is a point beyond which his forbearance does not extend. And he has many arrows in his quiver, with which to strike the nations. The famine, the sword, the pestilence, and the wild beasts, when necessary, do his deadly work.

Good men cannot deliver others.-Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in a city ripe for

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destruction, they could not deliver it. There are always some good men in a wicked city or nation. Noah was in the old world, Lot was in Sodom, and Moses and Elijah were in Israel. Judgments are often delayed on their account, as in the cases of Moses and Hezekiah; yet, every one is responsible for his sin, and if he take not warning, his blood shall be upon his own head-even a Daniel could not deliver him.

The salvation of good men is certain.-The word of God declares it. Had there been ten good men found in Sodom, it would not have been destroyed. Lot was the only good man in it, and he was saved. Thus it was with Noah, thus it was with Daniel and his three companions, and thus it was with Mordecai. The cause of their preservation was "their righteousness;" not their self-righteousness, but the righteousness they had received from their covenant God in Christ Jesus. When Jerusalem was besieged and destroyed by the Romans, not one Christian. perished in it.

JUNE 29.

Jonah's Gourd.

"And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd. But God prepared a worm, when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered."-Jonah, iv. 6, 7.

HERE we have the gourd prepared-the gourd appreciated -and the gourd destroyed.

The gourd prepared.-Jonah sat pensive and alone, on the east of the city of Nineveh, expecting that God would come and destroy it, as he had proclaimed. Instead of this, he caused a gourd, or strong plant, to spring up during the night, so large that it might cover the prophet with its shadow, and so refreshing and beautiful that it

might assuage his grief. What a display of divine power, not to destroy, but to create! What a display of divine mercy! Jonah needed a covering, and he got a shadow from the heat. What a display of comfort! Jonah was grieved, and needed something to arrest his attention, and unexpected comfort springs up before him. Strange grief! It had more to do with himself than the poor Ninevites.

The gourd appreciated.-"So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd." How changeable is the mind of man! A little before, Jonah was angry because Nineveh was not destroyed; but now he is delighted because God shews him some little kindness. How great was his regard for himself! What if God had visited him in his rebellion with that destruction which he so ardently desired to fall upon Nineveh! Surely he overprized creature comfort when ministered to himself; but he had a very different view of it when ministered to others. Surely his joy could not arise from gratitude to God, when he could appreciate his own mercies, but had no appreciation of the mercies of others! Thus Jonah's joy was selfish, cruel, ungrateful, and therefore we might expect it to be of short duration.

The gourd destroyed." But God prepared a worm, and it smote the gourd that it withered." How uncertain are all our comforts! Our worldly possessions, our children and friends, our little conveniences, on which we set so high a value, often leave us as quickly as they came. Surely God who planted has a right to pluck, and God who gave has a right to take away. comforts leave us when we most need the time, had only this little comfort. it, and highly prized it, yet it fades before him, as a cloud fades from the sky. Thus God deals apparently hardly with us, that he may have our whole heart, and that we may learn not to extract our bliss from earthly objects.

How often do our them! Jonah, at He greatly needed

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How often are our joys spoiled by a trifle! temptible worm destroys all. What are Haman's honours, wealth, and power, if Mordecai, whom he hates and despises, sits at the king's gate.

JUNE 30.

The White Horse.

"And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow: and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering and to conquer."-Rev. vi. 2.

HERE we have the white horse-the rider on it-and his successful progress.

The white horse is an emblem of the gospel, and indicates power. "Hast thou given the horse strength? Hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?" Great power the gospel possesses, for it changes the hardest heart, destroys the bitterest enmity, and dislodges sin and Satan. The strongest governments, and the deepest-rooted systems of idolatry, have not been able to resist its majestic march. The white horse indicates speed. "Horses are swifter than eagles." In the days of the apostles, the progress of the gospel was rapid; it was so at the Reformation from Popery, and it is so now. The white horse indicates purity. The gospel is like the Jordan, in which the leprous with sin dip and are clean. It leads to the blood "Ye have

of Christ, which cleanseth us from all sin. purified yourselves by obeying the truth."

The rider on it is the Lord Jesus Christ. "He that sat on him was called Faithful and True." "His name is called the Word of God." The Rider guides his gospel, controls all events for its rapid progress, and overcomes all opposition. He holds a weapon in his hand. It is a bow. All the ministers of the gospel are in Christ's hand,

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and when they draw the bow at a venture, he guides the arrow dipped in his own blood, for conviction and conversion. He possesses dignity and authority. "A crown was given unto him." He reigns in the hearts of his followers; he reigns supreme and alone over his church; and he reigns over all his enemies. His crown is a pledge of complete and final victory. "For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet."

His successful progress.-"He went forth conquering and to conquer.' He had present success-success at the very time John saw this vision. Then his conquests were rapid and marvellous. The banner of the cross waved triumphantly over many lands; churches were planted in the principal cities of the world; and the vine-tree took deep root, and blossomed and budded, till the face of the world was filled with its fruit. He was to have future success. For three centuries the word of God had free course; and though clouded for a time, it shone forth at the Reformation, has made great progress since, and now sheds its radiant glory over almost every land. His success shall be universal and perpetual. His conquests shall go on till the world is at his feet, till all men shall be blessed in him, till all nations serve him, and till not one enemy shall oppose his government.