September 2

lished Church. It should be a part of our employment whenever we assemble and meet together for the worship of God. It is a great advantage to the ignorant and illiterate who cannot read for themselves. It honors the written Word as the supreme authority in our religion. It removes prejudice, by showing the people where the preacher finds his doctrine, and that even his language harmonizes with the words the Holy Ghost useth. It solemnizes the mind, and prepares the heart for devotion and instruction.

Let us be always in time for this part of divine service.

And let us love the Scriptures, and read them more than we have done in our closets and in our families. They are the charter of our privileges, the warrant of our hopes, our guide and guard through the wilderness, our song in the house of our pilgrimage. "More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb." "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

SEPTEMBER 2.—"The people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits."—Daniel 11:32.

THESE words stand in the midst of a prophecy respecting Antigonus, that bitter enemy of the Jews. A recital of his cruelties would harrow up all our feelings. Suffice it to observe that God would never permit such wretches to exist could he not bring good out of evil, and make the wrath of man to praise him. "O Lord, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction." As fire separates the dross from the ore, and the fan expels the chaff from the wheat, so persecution serves to distinguish between the true servants of God and mere professors. Hence this tyrant would discover the faithless Jews: "And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall be corrupt by flattery"—But not so with the upright in heart. Their piety would be unyielding and invincible, resisting, his usurpations, and bearing his menaces and sufferings: "But the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits."

"Exploits" are rare, difficult, remarkable, and illustrious actions. And for these God's people are prepared by their knowledge of him, and the strength they derive from him. They are not common characters, but a peculiar people. They "do more than others;" they "are men wondered at." Noah builds an ark, and sails over a deluged earth. Moses divides the red sea, and fetches water out of a flinty rock. Elisha made iron to swim. Elijah carried the key of the clouds for three years and six months, and drought and rain came at his bidding. Joshua ordered the sun to stand still while he finished his victory. "And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought right-

eousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: and others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment; they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword; they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; of whom the world was not worthy."

They have done, therefore, exploits as sufferers. And here we need not refer to the book of martyrs, but to common and private life. The afflictions of the righteous have been often many and peculiarly trying; but they have surprised the world, who are ready to deem their experience and conduct under them unaccountable and incredible. They have not only submitted, but acquiesced; they have not only exercised patience, but "all longsuffering with joyfulness." "When troubled on every side," they have "not been distressed." Yea, they have "gloried in tribulation also:" and been able "in every thing to give thanks." We admire those who magnanimously bear the necessary excision of a limb. But the Christian himself is the operator, as well as the subject: he plucks out his right eye; he cuts off his right hand; he crucifies the flesh with the affections and lusts.

They have done exploits as scholars. It would be deemed no easy thing to acquire an entirely new language, especially when advanced in life. But we have known Christians, even after they have been old, acquiring "the language of Canaan," not a word of which they knew before, and speaking it fluently, and with little of their native dialect. Decyphering is a difficult act. Dr. Wallis, the celebrated mathematician, was many months ascertaining from the characters the sense of a French dispatch which had fallen into our hands. But Christians can read and explain the most perplexing dispensations of Providence, and can discern the salvation of God, even in the hand which seems lifted up to destroy—"Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." "To the upright there ariseth light in the darkness."

They do exploits as merchants. They traffic not for time, but eternity. They trade not to the ends of the earth, but beyond the heavens. They deal not in corruptible things, such as this world's goods, but in all spiritual blessings. They run no risks, but are sure to gain unsearchable riches. One bargain alone is enough to signalize and immortalize them: "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."

They do exploits as travellers. The march of the ten thousand Greeks under Zenophon; the journey of the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan under Moses; the return of the Jews from Babylon to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel, were in the eye of angels far inferior to the passage of a soul from a state of nature into the glory that

shall be revealed. What a distance to reach! What difficulties to pass through! What an end to attain!

They do exploits as warriors. Is it a great thing to take a city? But "he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his own spirit than he that taketh a city." Is it a thing of renown to take a kingdom? But "the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force." "Who is he that overcometh the world? He that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God." Yet this is only one of his adversaries: "for he wrestles not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." A victor has sometimes barely vanquished; another conflict would have ruined him. But the Christian having done all stands, and could defeat as many more—Yea, in all these things he is more than conqueror

They have often also distinguished themselves as donors and benefactors. Witness the Israelitish women at the erection of the tabernacle. "Moses made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the looking-glasses of the women which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation." When we consider the value of a looking-glass to a female, that it is the first and last object she regards as she enters and leaves an apartment, how desirable it is that she should impress, and how necessary it is to be able to adjust every article of attire; what self-denial was here! For we are to judge of things not by their intrinsic worth, but the estimation in which they are holden—It was saying we care not how we appear if the service of God be provided for. What immense treasures did David lay up in his lifetime and leave at his death for the building of the temple, as you may see in the last chapter of the first book of the Chronicles. And read what Paul speaks of the poor Macedonians: "In a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy, and their deep poverty, abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power, they were willing of themselves; praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints." But see the people at the treasury. Many gave, and the rich cast in much; but a poor widow cast in two mites; and this was the exploit of the day. For they gave of their abundance; but she gave all she had, even all her living. There may be wonders and prodigies of kindness and liberality where very little is given if there be a willing mind. The Lord looketh to the heart.

These exploits therefore are not confined to any particular rank. No condition, however humble, is excluded from moral and religious distinction. The poor as well as the rich, servants as well as masters, can be truly great. They can be "great in the sight of the Lord" and can obtain "the honour that cometh from God only."