my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid, for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song, he also is become my salvation." And he who has attained to this exercise of faith, will not complain that his comforts are few, or his happiness inadequate.

There are times when the humble soul feels itself unable to rejoice in the Lord in the excellency of his divine glory; for that exercise arises from fervent love, and fervent love flows from manifestation of the divine glory; and if the Lord shine not upon us with the light of complacency, or with beams of favour, how can we rejoice in Him? And if the light of his countenance be withdrawn, the cause, we fear, must be our own unworthiness and sin; under a penitent sense of which, we could only have sorrow and trouble of heart, were it not for the consideration that we have to do with the God of salvation. But this occurs to us in the time of heaviness; and when we hear him say "I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more :-Come, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow: I am He that blottethout thy transgressions for mine own sake;

and will no more remember thy sins:-The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin;" our peace is restored; we are moved to cry, "Who is a god like unto Thee, that pardoneth iniquity?" And then coming to Christ afresh for redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sin, the penitent wipes his eyes, and renews his joy in God, as the God of salvation. Nor will he stand far off amid the generalities of belief, but will exercise a direct and appropriating faith, saying of God in Christ, "Thou art my salvation!" And he who says this has joy. For him, the fig tree may not blossom, neither may there be fruit in the vine; for him no fields may wave with plenty; no flocks may bleat to him, nor herds low; he may not be able to call the riches, honours, or pleasures of this world, his own; the very necessaries of life may be scantily supplied, and sickness may add to indigence the hardships of pain; he may, withal, have a deep sense of former evils, at the time when he lived without God, and not to Christ, in the world,-when sin was dear to him, and holiness his aversion: But now, having obtained precious faith in the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, he believes salvation to be his by grace, to

compensate for all loss, and to deliver from all evil. He says to God, "Thou hast given me Christ thine unspeakable gift to be believed on for salvation. He is all my salvation and desire. I trust in him. I joy in Thee, who art in Him the God of my salvation."

And thus when changes of frame abate the fervour of our rejoicing in the Lord for his excellence and essential glory, irrespective of his creatures; we betake ourselves to God, as the God of our salvation; and, receiving that salvation by faith, the believing heart is moved to joy. To be joyless, indeed, in such circumstances, would border on sin. We have sinned, and our mouths are stopped effectually, that we should boast no more for ever; but on looking unto the God of our salvation, joy flows into our souls, and a new song, expressive of love, gratitude, and trust, is sung to God our chiefest joy.

But may not such feelings prove illusive? May not the heat of enthusiasm kindle these ardours, which, after they have elated the credulous for a while with vain confidence, will subside into apathy, and leave the heart in darkness? We now joy in God as the giver of salvation; but what se

curity have we that our joy shall remain? We reply, the God of our salvation “hath given us," not temporary, but " everlasting consolation, and good hope through grace," by the word of his promise, which cannot fail. "God hath spoken in his holiness," says one; "I will rejoice." And herein do we always rejoice; while, without the promises, our joy were incomplete. For he who knows himself, knows his own weakness to be so great, that he is insufficient of himself to think a good thought; and how then shall he persevere in the arduous conflict of spiritual warfare? How shall he fulfil the duties, and how meet, endure, and overcome the temptations and the tribulations of time, short as it is? The promise comes with an assurance of sufficient grace; it comes from Him who giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might; who increaseth strength; whose strength is made perfect in human weakness; and who bids his servants "strengthen the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees, and say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord." On hearing such promises, the believer, rejoicing for the present,

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learns to confide for the future; he takes hold of the divine strength, saying, " The Lord is my strength and my song; he will make my feet like hinds' feet." He is my strength for every duty, and in every trial; in the race of life, my steps shall be sure, and my feet swift as the feet of hinds. "Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fail; but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up on wings as eagles." And if valleys of humiliation intervene, which we must needs pass through on our way to glory; there are also

high places," that were well known to Habakkuk, and that are known to all the saints, to which reference is made in the text.

1. There is the Mount of Communion with the Lord our God, whither we go up, like Moses into Horeb, to be shown his glory, to hold nearer fellowship, and to enjoy manifestations of goodness, that set us above dependence on lower things for delight. On this "high place," where much of God is to be seen, and from whence large prospects of the reality and nature of future blessedness are discoverable, it is a privilege to walk. To this "high place," accessible