upon His shoulders, and underneath are the everlasting arms of His powerful protection. Israel shall dwell in safety alone, even in God his Saviour.

Again, the Lord says, I will carry you. I will do to you in the future as I have done to you and your fathers in the past. I will carry you under all circumstances. If you be in trouble I will carry you through it. If you be in dangers I will carry you through them. I will carry you through the valleys of tribulation, and over all the mountains and hills of difficulty. But how will the Lord do this? Well, He says, "I will carry you in My bosom." Where does a tender parent carry her tender offspring, save in her bosom! And will she not rather suffer herself, than allow her dear ones to suffer? So it is with our God. He carries His own in His bosom for safety, warmth and protection. He carries them also in His arms and in His hands. And who can snatch a lamb out of God's bosom? Who can break the arms of Jehovah? Who can pluck the least of His little ones out of His hands? We hear and rejoice in His words: "I will carry you." Are you poor, weak, and worthless? "I will carry you." Are you afraid of the fires and waters? "I will carry you." Do you say the journey is long and the path is crooked and rugged? "I will carry you." Are you like Lazarus, laid full of sores at the Master's gate, desiring to be fed with a few crumbs from His table? If so, Jehovah is true to His word-He will carry you constantly, cheerfully, effectually, and triumphantly into Abraham's bosom, into heaven and glory. "I WILL CARRY YOU."

Again, and I will deliver you. Deliverance, Oh how sweet! But from what does the Lord deliver His people? He has already delivered them from their sins, from the curse of the law, and from wrath to come. Now, the people of God are very often an afflicted people. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all." (Psalm xxxiv. 19). And as they are an afflicted people, so they are a tried and tempted people. The Lord delivered Noah out of the old world, Lot out of Sodom, Jeremiah

out of the pit, Daniel out of the den of lions, the three Hebrew children out of the fiery furnace, Jonah out of the belly of hell, and Paul out of prison. "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations." Every trial and every temptation has its "need be." The Lord puts the crown of life upon all those whom He delivers out of temptations. The people of God have many enemies to contend with-enemies from within, and enemies from without. But the Lord delivers them out of the hands of all their enemies, that they may serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of their life. I will deliver you, and your deliverance shall be to the praise and glory of My grace.

Yea,

I feel as if it were time to bring our subject to a close, and yet, I cannot do so without making the following observations: (1) the sovereinty of God is most manifest in all His providential dealings with His people, both in nature and grace. I will and you shall is the language of our Lord God, the true and living God, and the everlasting King. (2) The lovingkindness of God also appears in His dealings with His own. He loved the people, and gave nations for their ransom and salvation. His love is from everlasting to everlasting, for having loved His own which are in the world, He loves them unto the end. His loving kindness is better than life. (3.) The sympathy of Jehovah is clearly shewn to be with His people in all their afflictions and sufferings. In all their afflictions, He is afflicted, and the Angel of His presence saves them. In His love and in His pity He redeems them, bears them, and carries them like a tender and compassionate father. The Lord is unchangeable towards His people. He is true to His Word. Not one of his promises ever fails. They are all absolute certainties in Christ Jesus. His Covenant is sure. This is a comfort to the weak and desponding children of God. (5) The powerful protection of God is exercised on behalf of His own people. He keeps them as the apple of His eye. He preserves them from all evil by His powerful care unto His

heavenly kingdom. (6) God in His wisdom and goodness provides for all accidents and mishaps which may befall His people by the way. He is never surprised, though His children may be, and often are perplexed and confounded at His wonderful dealings with them. (7) The glory of God is the grand end in all that He has done, is doing, and will do for His people. He has created them for His glory, He has saved them for His glory, and they shall be for His glory to the ends of the earth, and through the countless ages of eternity. After these observations, shall not we His poor dependent creatures, though saved by grace Divine, say, "Speak Lord for thy servants desire to hear thy voice."

And He answering shall say to us, "Hearken unto Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by Me from the belly, which are carried" by Me "from the womb: And even to your old age I am He; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you." All praise to our Covenant God for His tender care and protection, and for His unfailing goodness and mercy! Amen, and Amefi!!

SERIES VI. No. II.

"THE GLORY OF THY

KINGDOM."

A SERMON

PREACHED BY THE

Rev. J. BATTERSBY

(Vicar of St. James', Sheffield),

AT VERULAM MISSION CHURCH, KENNINGTON ROAD,

LAMBETH, LONDON,

THURSDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER IST, 1881.

In the 145th Psalm and at the 11th verse, you will read: "THEY SHALL SPEAK OF THE GLORY OF THY KINGDOM, AND TALK OF THY POWER."

The title of this Psalm is, "DAVID'S PSALM OF PRAISE." This is a most apt title, for the Psalm is one of praise from beginning to end. There is a time in the experience of the children of God when their prayers are turned into praises. And when this is the case, there are few Psalms more suitable for meditation and spiritual melody, than this and the five which follow. They may be regarded as six Hallelujah Psalms. Each verse in our Psalm begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet taken in succession, with one omission. This may have been designed by the Author, in order that the Psalm might be the more easily remembered by those who committed it to memory. David in this Psalm magnifies the Name of God as King for His unsearchable greatness, for His mighty acts and wondrous works, for

His great goodness and everlasting righteousness, for His abounding compassion and tender mercy, for His upholding all that fall, and raising up all that be bowed down, and for abundantly satisfying the desires of all that wait upon Him, and for the final preservation of all those that love Him. The saints of God shall speak of the glory of His kingdom, and talk of His power; they shall make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of His kingdom. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion endureth throughout all generations. The Messiah,

the King of Zion, and the King of saints, is the Person pre-eminent in this Psalm. David says, "I will extol Thee, my God, O King; and I will bless Thy Name for ever and ever.' In the 45th Psalm, Christ is magnified as King of His Church, and so He is in this and in several other Psalms also. I wish you to bear in mind that I desire to exalt Christ as King in His own kingdom, and thus to induce the saints of God again and again to speak of the glory of His kingdom and to talk of His power. And may such be the theme of their song for ever and ever. Amen!

We shall now consider the text; first the persons, and secondly their conduct. I think this order will suit our purpose in bringing the subject before you. I have already said that Christ is the Person pre-eminent in this Psalm, and those who admire and praise Him most are the redeemed and quickened children of God. I hope with the help and guidance of the Divine Spirit, I shall be able to speak a word in season to those who are waiting at the gates of the great King. And if we should be thus favoured, then our meeting together this evening, will not be in vain in the Lord.

Consider first the Persons-"They," who are "they"? David speaks of himself in the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, and last verses, saying what he will do. His heart was full of love and his mouth was full of praise. In our text he speaks of others" They." The antecedent is "saints"-see the 10th verse. "And Thy saints shall bless Thee." Saints are persons set apart by the Holy