June 14

friend;" and falling in with their wholesome severity, we shall fall upon our knees and pray, Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. How improper is it to limit the benefit of the word to encouragement; and to suppose that we have never a good opportunity, as the phrase is, when we attend upon it unless it comforts us! What a blessing it is to be humbled, to be emptied of self, to see more of our own weakness and vileness, and to cry mightily at the foot of the cross, "God be merciful to me a sinner!"

Not that we undervalue comfort. The joy of the Lord is our strength; and these words he has spoken unto us, that his joy may be in us, and that our joy may be full. They therefore do us good, by inspiring us with everlasting consolation and good hope through grace. They relieve the wearied, oppressed with a sense of grief and unworthiness, by leading them to the Lamb of God, and giving them access with confidence, by the faith of him. They tell us what we are to do with trouble; and they tell us what trouble is to do for us. Ah! says the bereaved and desolate, unless thy law had been my delight, I should have perished in mine affliction. Ah! says the dying, I will fear no evil; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

We talk of benefactors! of a Howard; of a Thornton! What good has the Bible done? What millions has it blessed? And in what countless instances has it blessed each of them? How much do I owe it? Bless the Lord, O my soul. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift; and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen, and Amen.

JUNE 14.—"Adam, where art thou?"—Genesis 3:9.

THE question regards not so much the place as the state in which Adam now was. And it is not to be considered as indicating any proof of ignorance; for who can hide himself from the view of Omniscience? But it implies several things, the result of knowledge.

It is the expression of surprise—"Adam, where art thou?" As if he had said, "Before, when I came thou wert ready to meet me; and my presence was thy delight. What in so short a space of time has produced this change? What have I done to cause this alienation and flight from me?" If this seems an unbecoming representation of God, let it be remembered that he has himself furnished it—"Be astonished, hearers, at this." "What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?" He cannot indeed be imposed upon, but he has a right to complain; and speaks according to the equity of the case. "Adam, where art thou?"

It is the language of upbraiding. "Is this the return thou hast made for all the favours with which I have indulged thee? Is this the use thou hast made of the noble faculties with which I have endowed and ennobled thee? Is this thy kindness to thy friend? Is

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this acting the part of a faithful steward towards his proprietor? of a dutiful child towards a good father? of an obedient servant towards the best of masters? Did I envy thy welfare, or wish to abridge thy happiness? I only forbad thee one tree in all the garden; and even this was forbidden for thy trial, and with a view to thy honour and reward."

It is the lamentation of pity. He is not only the just God but the Saviour: he is not only righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works, but full of compassion and slow to anger. As, when our Lord, condemned by the Pharisees for healing the withered arm on the Sabbath day, looked round about upon his audience "with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts;" and as, when he looked upon the backsliding Peter, and dissolved him into godly sorrow, there was not only surprise and upbraiding in the glance, but mercy and readiness to forgive: so here, in the voice that addressed Adam, there was not only alarm, but tenderness; not only abhorrence of the crime, but pity for the criminal—"Poor Adam, what hast thou done? What misery hast thou brought upon thyself? I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth. How shall I give thee up? Adam, where art thou?"

But the question admits of a universal application; and we should bring it home to ourselves; and for three reasons. First, because of the relation there is between Adam and ourselves. There is no other creature with whom we are so intimately and influentially connected. He was the father and the natural head, and he was the representative and the federal head of the whole human race. "By one man's disobedience many were made sinners." "By one man's offence death reigned by one." "In Adam all die." Secondly, because, by personal transgression we bring ourselves into the same state. All sin is the same in its nature and tendency. We sin and expose ourselves to danger—Fear treads on the heels of guilt—Dread produces aversion—And we try to secure ourselves, instead of repairing to his feet, and imploring mercy. In one respect we are worse than Adam. He, after the first act of iniquity, could not look God in the face; while we go on still in our trespasses; often daringly enter his presence, and stand before him in his worship; and seem to defy, rather than endeavour to elude him—So men are hardened through the deceitfulness of sin!—Thirdly, because the inquiry may lead us to examine our state, and apprehend our doom. And what a blessing is it to be apprised of our danger while it is in our power to escape! Would not a man have reason to be thankful, if a person should break his slumber, however pleasing, while sleeping in a house just ready to bury him in the ruins? Conviction of sin may be painful, but it is salutary, it is necessary. Without a consciousness of the disease, a remedy will neither be valued or applied—"They that be whole need not the physician, but they that are sick." It was a blessed cry in the jailer, when he exclaimed, "What must I do to be saved?" It secured the direction and the promise; "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."

Nothing hinders our full relief as sinners by the Gospel, but our ignorant pride in refusing to submit ourselves to the righteousness which is of God. "To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word."