December 8

"Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness." Judges 14:14.

MANY things in the world of nature are calculated to furnish us with useful reflections, and from which we may derive much instruction. The rose is surrounded with thorns for its preservation and loveliness—so the Christian is encompassed by afflictions; thorns and briars are in his way, for the preservation and improvement of his graces. The thunder-storm, passing along the heavens, purifies the air, and destroys those noxious vapors which would prove injurious to the human frame; so the storm of affliction bursts over the Christian's head, that he may be prepared for the air of holiness, and breathe in the atmosphere of heaven. The darkness of night is essential to the growth of vegetation as well as the light of day; so the dark clouds of adversity tend as much, yea, even more, to the believer's advantage than the sunshine of prosperity. We are naturally led to these observations from the language of the text, which contains Samson's riddle, see ver. 12—14. As Samson extracted honey from the lion, so God from the bitter trials of his people extracts sweets, for the increase of their graces, and the promotion of their maturity for heaven. But the sentiment may be applied to many things, which we may find it profitable to consider. We begin with

THE OCCURRENCE OF SIN. How lovely was the morning of our world when our first parents were perfectly holy and happy! but it was not to last long; a dark cloud arose, and overspread the whole creation with the shroud of death. Man sinned, he fell, he became unhappy, and was exposed to the wrath of the Most High; and we are all involved in this lost estate. But God from this bitter extracts sweet. While we mourn over the reign of sin by the first Adam, let us rejoice that, by the second Adam, "grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life." Is not the Saviour more glorious in the depth of his condescension than in the height of his praises? A monarch is glorious on his throne, swaying the sceptre of authority over a whole nation; but if he descend, and visit the cottage of some poor distressed subject, and dry up the tears of some tried family, shorn of every comfort, and reduced to the last extremity of woe, is he not more glorious, inasmuch as true dignity is condescending? Christ was glorious, when from all eternity he was seated on his heavenly throne, receiving the joyful acclamations and praises of countless numbers of angelic hosts; but he was more glorious when he came to seek and to save that which was lost. Imagine the condemned criminal, about to suffer the sentence of the law, conducted to the place of execution — just as the unhappy man is about to be launched into eternity, a messenger comes with a free pardon from the king; could he not enjoy more in the reception of the pardon than ever he did before? So the Christian is condemned by a violated law, and no human sacrifice could expiate his crime; he obtains forgiveness through the atonement of Christ, and is delivered from all condemnation.