January 19

To understand the greatness of the privilege, you must recall the danger in which he now was, and endeavour to realize the scene. The time was arrived to fulfil the threatening. "The end of all flesh is come before me. And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die." All nature seems aghast at the frown of its Maker. As Noah steps into his welcome refuge, he looks, and sees every thing foreboding a gathering storm. The winds hurtle, the sky is covered with blackness; the windows of heaven are opened, the clouds pour down torrents, and the fountains of the great deep are broken up. The rivers swelling over their banks, and the seas invading the land, soon drive the inhabitants from the valleys and the plains. For a while the hills and mountains afford them a retreat: and higher and higher they ascend up their sides. But no provision having been made, where will they find supplies of food? They look hungry at each other—and the weaker are slain and eaten with cannibal voracity. The devourers, according to their strength, survive one another. Their last hopes are the trees, to whose branches they cling with despair, till, weakened or benumbed, they loosen their hold, and plunge into the flood. Then the stillness of death reigns over the universal grave. Many, before they perished, saw and heard the misery of thousands, and in the doom of their fellow wretches realized their own. Many too perished in view of a place of safety they could not reach; and tortured with the thought that they had refused to enter while it was in their power, and so brought upon themselves destruction. Ah! how would they envy now the man they had derided!—And what were his feelings! His reflections! What were his apprehensions of the evil of sin, of the severity of God's justice, of the majesty of his power, of his goodness towards his people, of his caring for them, of his resources on their behalf! What pleasure would he feel, what thankfulness; what resolutions to love and serve Him!

The Apostle Peter teaches us the use we should make of this dispensation. If He "spared not the old world, but saved Noah, the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished." The present is not entirely a state of retribution; here we walk by faith, and not by sight. Another period is approaching, and "then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God, and him that serveth Him not." Yet even now He puts a difference between the Egyptians and the Israelites; and sometimes at least induces the exclamation, even from unholy lips, "Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth." And this interposition on their behalf is often spoken of in the Scriptures. He ordered a mark to be impressed on the forehead of those who mourned for the abominations that were done in the land, that the executioner when he approached Jerusalem might pass them by. John heard the angel crying with a loud voice to them who had power to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, "Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants

of our God in their foreheads." And says the Saviour to the church of Philadelphia; "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." "Come, my people," says God, "enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain." If we distinguish ourselves for God, we shall be distinguished by him; or, as Henry expresses it, "If we keep ourselves pure in times of common iniquity, He will keep us secure in the times of common calamity." If we suffer with others, we shall not suffer like them. He can indemnify us with inward supports and consolations, and render it good for us to be afflicted. He can turn enemies into friends; and losses into gains. And if they suffer temporally, there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus—and soon all tears will be wiped from their eyes. The Lord's people should therefore not be afraid of evil tidings. Their hearts should be fixed, trusting in the Lord.

But the privilege here was not personal only, but relative. He was allowed to bring "his house, and all his house, into the ark." It is good to belong to the godly. We share in many outward and spiritual advantages owing to the relation. If God's servants are blessings to others; if they are called the repairers of the breach, the restorers of paths to dwell in; if they keep off judgments, and bring down blessings upon the country in which they live; no wonder they are profitable to their own connexions. Abraham obtained a portion even for Ishmael. Thou hast spoken, says David, also of thy servant's house for a great while to come. And when Solomon was threatened for his transgressions with the rending of ten tribes from the empire, he was assured it should not be done in his days, for the sake of his father. Parents should fear the Lord, for the good of their children. The best provision they can make for them is not a hoard of silver and gold, but entailing upon them the blessing of the Lord that maketh rich, and addeth no sorrow with it. It is true that real religion does not descend by inheritance. Yet the family of a good man has many spiritual advantages, derived from his instructions, example, and prayers. If they do not improve these, the sin is their own, and their punishment will be the greater. Ham was in the ark; but without repentance, though he experienced a deliverance from the flood, he perished for ever. "Many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

We shall have reflected to little purpose upon all this unless this impression be left upon the mind, that we cannot serve God for nought. "Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." He who inhabiteth eternity, and has other worlds to show himself in; and He who is the possessor and governor of this, can never be at a loss to

fulfil his own word, "Them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed."

JANUARY 20.—"The law is good if a man use it lawfully."—1 Timothy 1:8.

Does the goodness of the law then depend upon our conduct? By no means. It is good in itself, notwithstanding our ignorance or our wickedness. Yea, it is good, though it even increases our wickedness by irritation. And as a dam thrown across the river augments it by resistance, causing it to rise higher, to spread wider, and rush more impetuously; so "the strength of sin is the law." This is the case admitted by the Apostle: "When we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death." What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid! "But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead." Yet he concludes, "the law is holy, and just, and good"—It is founded in the nature of God and of man; and in our relations to himself and to each other. It requires nothing but what is reasonable, and conducive to our happiness—God himself could not have given any other law—this law can never be abolished or changed.

The Apostle means to say, that it is good or evil to us, according to the use we make of it.

What then is the unlawful use of the law? It is when we go to it as a covenant of works, seeking from it acceptance before God, and peace of conscience. It is wholly unable to answer such a purpose with regard to the fallen and the guilty. A law fulfilled indeed justifies; but a law broken can only condemn. It was never given for such a design. And such a use of it is therefore not only vain, but sinful; it is striving against God; it is opposing the plainest revelation of his will; it is robbing Him of his peculiar glory; it is frustrating his grace, and making Jesus Christ to be dead in vain. Yet this use of it is too natural, and it is with difficulty men can be drawn away from it, and made to submit themselves to the righteousness which is of God.

It is also improper to repair to it for another purpose. It can no more sanctify than justify. We may go to Sinai for the rule and the requisition; but we must go to Calvary for encouragement, motive, and strength. A sinless being can love God by seeing Him in his law, but a guilty one never can—He must first know that there is forgiveness with Him. Terror and even authority cannot produce love. Love is the only source of love; and without love there is no obedience. The law therefore can do no more towards our renovation than our remission. Its threatenings and commands may induce an outward and constrained service, but will not bring us cordially to his feet asking, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? They may make a hypocrite, or a slave; but says Cowper,

"To see the law by Christ fulfilled, And hear his pardoning voice, Changes the slave into a child, And duty into choice."

We use the law lawfully when,