January 4

1 In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. 2 Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. 3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee. 4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever; for in the LORD JEHOVAH a everlasting strength. 5 For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground, he bringeth it even to the dust. 6 The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy. 7 The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just.

8 Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. 9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early; for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. 10 Let favour be chewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD. 11 LORD, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see, but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people, yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them.

"Salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks." A well-known writer says that men reverse this. They appoint walls and bulwarks for salvation. But God appoints salvation for bulwarks.

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." Did you ever think of that, dear Christian, beaten and buffeted by life's stormy waves? The world has not power, in all its hurricanes of wrath, to touch the sweet calm of God's reserved ground.

"Because he trusteth in thee," is the source of all. We can only attain this great gift of perfect peace by the accepting of God's will in place of our own, as being wiser, more beneficent, more renewing, and sure to lead to happiness. We are not able to attain it by occasional seeking. It is to those who stay themselves on God—who give their souls over entirely to Him—who have planted themselves as it were, in God, and abide in Him. This perfect peace in the midst of all the turmoils of life is to be the result of a steadfast trust in God.

"What is this peace that keeps you? It is the inward sense of His favor and love, the evidence of your acceptance with Him. It keeps you from drift, from temptation, from discontent and fear, from worry and spiritual weakness. 'The peace of God shall keep (or garrison) your heart'" (Phil. iv. 7).

Closet Promise.—As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about His people from henceforth even for ever.—Ps. cxxv. 2.

Dr. Arnold's daily prayer was as follows: "O Lord, I have a busy world around me; eye, ear, and thought will be needed for all my work to be done in this busy world. Now, ere I enter on it, I would commit eye and ear and thought to Thee. Do Thou bless them, and keep their work Thine, that as through Thy natural laws my heart beats and my blood flows without any thought of mine, so my spiritual life may hold on its course at these times when my mind cannot conspicuously turn to Thee to commit each particular thought to Thy service. Hear my prayer, for my dear Redeemer's sake. Amen."