is thy faith"-not, great is thy humility, thy importunity, thy perseverance-these were great; but faith was the root of them all. This, therefore, was what he admired in her. And this is the one thing needful for us. This alone will keep us steady to our purpose; this alone will carry us through all our difficulties. But this insures our final success; and crowns us with praise, and glory, and honour, at the appearing of Jesus Christ. And he said unto her, "Be it unto thee, even as thou wilt." So will he say to you. And you will be foolish indeed, if you do not avail yourselves of the largeness of the offer; and ask, and receive, that your joy may be full.

DEC. 3.-" Behold, I am vile."

Job xl. 4.

VILE, says Johnson's Dictionary, signifies mean, worthless, base, despicable, impure. There is nothing in the world to which this applies so well as to sin. And it is to sin the exclaimer here refers. He does not call himself "vile," because he was reduced, and poor. By this, no man of reflection would ever feel himself degraded. A horse is not valued for his trappings, but for his strength, or his speed. Character is a personal thing, and independent of outward circumstances. If poverty, as some fools seem to judge, made a man vile, how vile were the apostles, who could say, "We hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place!"-And how vile was He who had not where to lay his head!-Nor does he call himself "vile," because he was diseased, and full of sore boils from the crown of his head to the sole of his foot. The Scripture, indeed, calls the body-"this vile body;" and it is truly humbling,

not only in the putrefaction of the grave, but frequently also, even in life. How low are some of its appetites! how mortifying some of its infirmities! while some of its diseases are so trying as to require all the force of friendship to discharge the common duties of humanity. But there are no "wounds, bruises, putrefying sores," to be compared with the effects of sin-nothing is so "vile" as thisThis makes us abominable to God himself; and is the only thing that does so. And how loathsome must that be, that causes the Creator to abhor the work of his own hands; and the Father of mercies to punish it with everlasting destruction from his presence; and to refuse to pardon it without the sacrifice of his own Son!

But who makes this confession? Is it a profligate wretch, whose iniquity in its effects has been found to be hateful, even to himself? Is it a penitent, newly awakened, and looking into his own. heart, that had been concealed from him before? No: but Job, a saint, and a saint of no ordinary magnitude. You have heard of the patience of Job; and know how he is mentioned by Ezekiel, along with Noah and Daniel, as one of three who were pre-eminently righteous; and how God, the Judge of all, calls him "a perfect and an upright man"Yet this is he who cries, "Behold, I am vile!" And what do we learn from hence, but this-That the most gracious characters are the most remote from vain-glory; and are always more affected with their imperfections, than their excellencies ? The nearer we approach completeness in any thing, the more easily we shall discern, and the more sensibly we shall feel our remaining deficiencies. A little learning puffeth up; but modesty and diffidence attend profound science. The advancing in knowledge is like sailing down a river, which widens as we proceed, till we find ourselves launched on the sea, and lose sight of the shore. Whoever vaunts himself as

sinless, Paul did not: "I have not attained," says he, "I am not already perfect"-"I am less than the least of all saints"-"I am the chief of sinners." -Not that there is no difference between a saint and a sinner. Job does not mean that he loved sin, or lived in it. His friends accused him of this; but he denied it; and, turning to God, could say, "Thou knowest that I am not wicked." But he knew that in many things he offended; and in every thing came short of the glory of God. He was aware of the remains of sin opposing, hindering, vexing, polluting, his renewed mind: and though they appeared not to the view of others in gross transgressions, they were constantly felt by himself in an evil heart of unbelief, prone to depart from the living God; and constraining him to sigh, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death!"

And let us observe, also, when this acknowledgment was made. It was immediately after God's interposition, and appearance, and address: "Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me." Then he displayed before him some of his works and perfections. "Moreover the Lord answered Job, and said, Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? He that reproveth God, let him answer it. Then Job answered the Lord, and said, Behold, I am vile"-Teaching us, that the more we have to do with God, the more we shall see and feel our nothingness and unworthiness. What can make us so sensible of our ignorance, as His wisdom; of our weakness, as His power; of our pollution, as His purity-the purity of Him in whose sight the very heavens are not clean! Those are struck with little things, who have never been abroad to see greater ones. But travelling enlarges the mind, and fills

it with new and superior images; so that, on our return, we think nothing of the river, and the hill, and the plain, of our native village. The Queen of Sheba prided herself upon her magnificence, till she came to Jerusalem, and had seen Solomon in all his glory. He that has been introduced to the Lord of all, and has had communion with him, will never think highly of himself again. "The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day." Ah! said Job, "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself,

and repent in dust and ashes."

"The more thy glories strike mine eye,

"The humbler I shall lie."

And I need not be afraid of this-my pride is the only prevention of my happiness—

"Thus while I sink, my joys shall rise
"Unmeasurably high.

DEC. 4.-" Make me to know my transgression and my sin."

Job xiii. 23.

THE desire of knowledge seems natural to every man. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear with hearing, But who wishes to know himself? Yet this is the knowledge we want. And there are two things concerning ourselves, which it argues a gracious state of mind to be willing to know-Our mortality, and our depravity-A natural man turns away from both these. But, says David, "Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days,

what it is; that I may know how frail I am.” And, says Job, "Make me to know my transgression and my sin."

To explore the offences of others, is a common wish. The information not only gratifies curiosity, but feeds malevolence; and furnishes the salt which seasons the conversation of the multitude. But, says Job, "Make me to know my transgression and my sin."

And what does he wish to know concerning them? Their existence. Their number. Their guilt. Their pollution. Their aggravation.

And this knowledge he seeks from God. He alone can teach us to profit. Conviction is the work of his own Spirit. But he uses means; and shews us our transgression and our sin-by the Law-and by the Gospel-and by friends and enemies-and by the dispensations of his providence. But he does it gradually. We could not bear all the disclosure at once-It would drive us into distraction or despair. He therefore tells us to turn again into the chamber of imagery, and we shall see greater abominations. And this will serve to explain a case in the Christian's experience. He supposes himself to grow worse, because he grows wiser. He seems more sinful, because he is more enlightened-There is not more evil in him; but he sees more.

The effect of this knowledge, in the first instance, will be wonder-It calls us out of darkness into God's marvellous light. We are astonished that He has borne with us so long-We are astonished that we have acted such a foolish, such an ungrateful, partWe are astonished that we did not see these things before for they now strike us with all the force of evidence--And we are astonished that we see them now; since the thousands around us are blind still; and we were once blind also. But the result of the discovery will be as important and useful as it is surprising.