May 22

extraordinary in the circumstances, and accompanied with terror and anguish. She was overcome by the smiles of mercy, and drawn by the cords of love. He, with the arrows of the Almighty sticking fast in him, and with a wounded spirit which he could not bear, was dragged to the judgment-seat, looking only for the sentence of condemnation. Her heart the Lord opened, as the sun opens a flower in spring. His heart was stormed like a citadel, where the strong man armed kept his palace and his goods in peace.

Hence we see by what various methods divine grace operates upon different persons, and learn how improper it is to lay down any one of them as a rule from which there is no exception. Let us not judge of the reality of the religion of others by an invariable standard; or draw a conclusion against ourselves, that we are strangers to a work of grace, because we have not been led in the same way with others. The Saviour may come in the bosom of the storm: but his presence and agency are no less real, in the still small voice. Samuel was called by grace as well as Manasseh: and Watts was saved by grace as well as Bunyan. "There are differences of administration, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations: but it is the same God which worketh all in all."

The surest and best way to judge, is not by the manner in which the change has been accomplished, but by the effects produced and remaining. And happy they who are able, whatever that is curious or minute may perplex them, to say, one thing I know, that whereas I was blind, I now see; whereas I was once dead, I am now alive.

MAY 22.—"He shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God."—Micah 5:4.

If it be asked, of whom speaketh the prophet this? the words immediately preceding will furnish an answer; for they announce the birth of our Saviour in Bethlehem, and call him the ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old from everlasting. Micah refers to him under the implied character of the Shepherd of his people, and expresses his work—

He shall "feed." The term is not to be confined to his furnishing his flock with food: but to be taken as including the discharge of the pastoral office in all its parts—his causing them to rest—his leading them—his restoring them when they go astray—his healing them when wounded or sick—his defending and securing them. But observe the manner in which he is to perform his work.

He is to do it diligently and attentively—He shall stand and feed. We read of shepherds who lie down, loving to slumber. And even the most dutiful and sedulous shepherd sometimes unbends; he must have his moments and hours of relaxation and repose, during which his vigilance is suspended. But Jesus is always in a posture of observance and care; his sheep graze or repose beneath his look; he withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous. He that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.

He is to do it ably and powerfully—He shall feed in the strength of the Lord. On earth he had power to forgive sins, and heal all manner of diseases, and call by his word whom he would, and they came unto him. He said to Zaccheus in the tree, make haste and

come down; and to Matthew at the receipt of custom, follow me; and immediately they obeyed him. Has he less power now he is in heaven? He has power given him over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as the Father hath given him. It is their happiness to know that they are under the charge of one who is mighty to save; able to save unto the uttermost. Their weakness requires this; their condition requires it. They are surrounded with enemies. Many of them are visible; but if our eyes were opened to see the invisible, we should be convinced that we could not be for an instant safe but as we are kept by the power of God. David reminded of his inequality to the foe he was willing to fight, said unto Saul; "Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: and I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him." And what said the Saviour? "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand." His people do not always apprehend this; their fears are often great because their faith is small; and they draw the conclusion that they shall one day perish. At other times they can realize it; and then they feel secure, though in the midst of danger, and can say with Paul—"I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day."

He is to do it with grace and dignity—He shall feed in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. It does not refer to a temporal and worldly majesty. This he did not possess. He was born in a stable and laid in a manger. He was a man of sorrows. He was crucified as a slave and a malefactor. Thus he had no form nor convalescent, nor any beauty, that they should desire him. Yet even then there were those who beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. One of these could say, "We were eye-witnesses of his majesty"—He refers peculiarly to his transfiguration, when his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment became white and glistening, and Moses and Elias appeared in glory talking with him, and a voice from heaven cried, This is my beloved Son, hear ye him. Compared with this, how poor, how mean is the pomp of a king on the most splendid of his court days! His kingdom was not of this world.

Action is graceful when art is concealed, and ease and nature seem only to appear. Longinus admires as an example of the sublime, the sentence, "Let there be light, and there was light:" and nothing can be more striking than the immensity of the effect joined to the simplicity of the cause. How far was Jesus from parade and effort in all his miracles! With what facility did he accomplish his mighty works—yet with what amazing gentleness and tenderness too!

Majesty is here connected with strength. Power is not always dignified in the possession or the display. Some conscious of their force, are concerned for nothing else. They only think of coercion: they delight to intimidate: they would rather be feared than loved. These are vulgar and base spirits. Paul speaks of the excellency of