fuller confidence and a fuller adoration of God. Many of the tears thus shed are unbelieving tears; all of them are the tears of those who are not yet in their Father's house. If we could see all that God sees in our sorrowful sowing, our sorrow would at once be turned into joy. If we could apprehend the fulness of Christ's words, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me shall never die," we should not weep at separation, for we should know that real separation there was none. And the greater blessedness to which God is calling us, when He bids us to unwelcome labour, would quite outweigh the "light affliction which is but for a moment." But God does not give us to see all this; "now we see through a glass darkly." Each new revelation of God's grace that comes on us as a surprise reproves us that we did not always rejoice as those who might be sure that all God's ways are love. But it is blessed to feel ourselves reproved that our God may be exalted; we welcome the humbling lesson about ourselves which makes us more fully know how good He is.

The joyful reaping that follows a tearful sowing prepares us for new trials of our faith. Israel had yet to wait, had yet to be patient. Difficulties were in the way of the rebuilding of the temple; even in this Psalm, we find a prayer as from men again troubled, “Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south." But they could put up this prayer more fervently, and already could comfort themselves in the assurance of its answer, because of the joy that had been rendered them for their sorrow. There may come again to you a time of tears, a time of sorrowing toil; but you know whose hand will at length wipe away all tears; you know that

there is no seed-time but will at length yield its rejoicing sheaves.

dare not look for

"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy." The table of our Lord reminds us that the tears and the sowing for Him were one; that His sorrow and His labour were the same. The seed He sowed was His own life, He Himself went into the dark grave. "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." And Christ has called His servants to follow Him; we any other life than a "going forth, weeping, bearing precious seed." Immediately after the words I have just quoted, in which He foretells His death, He adds, "He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be; if any man serve me, him will my Father honour." Even so, Amen, let us reply; we will suffer with Thee, for we shall also reign with Thee; we would be ever with our Lord; with Thee in the sorrowful sowing, with Thee in Thy return again with rejoicing when Thou shalt bring thy sheaves with Thee.

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

HE blessedness of God's thorough knowledge of

THE

us-this is the subject of our meditation. This Psalm is a Psalm of gladness; of deep and tranquil satisfaction in the all-searching God. It is full of humility, the profound humility of one who feels that he cannot hide himself from God. But profound as is the lowliness, equally marked is the joy of David that God knoweth him altogether. The end of the Psalm is a prayer; David does not deprecate the searching of his heart by the all-seeing One, he invokes it. There are many here, I am sure, who know the blessedness of such a prayer as this; who have learnt to rest in God's knowledge of them, to depend upon it as their vindication against all false judgment of them, and the correction of their mistakes about themselves. And if there should be also those who regard the all-searching eye of God not with gladness, but with terror and dismay, let them learn how false and foolish such a terror is, that the very

blessedness of life is the fact that, they cannot hide their hearts from the heavenly Father, however they may hide them from their fellow-men and from themselves. It is not in fleeing from God, but in fleeing to Him, that we find rest to our souls; not in saying to the mountains 'fall on us,' and to the hills cover us from the face of God;' but in turning to Him who is full of truth and of compassion, and saying," Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

I. Think, first, of the blessedness of God's knowledge of our loyalty. This is the subject suggested by the context. David is declaring that he has neither sympathy nor part with the wicked. "Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate Thee? and am not I grieved with them that rise up against Thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies." He appeals to God whether this is not so? "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts." Am I not right in affirming my love for Thee? Is not my heart set upon my God? Are not all my thoughts for Thine honour?

The consciousness of integrity is one of the most striking features of Hebrew piety; it breathes through the utterances of poet, prophet, and saint. The book of Job is full of it: "till I die, I will not remove mine integrity from me. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live." It comes up again and again in the Psalms: If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: but verily God hath heard me; He hath attended to the voice of my prayer." It was the constant gladness of the pious Jew that he could make his appeal to the

all-seeing and rightly-judging God against the false judgments of men, and amid the disasters that were commonly regarded as the punishment of hidden sins. their consciences and on their God they stayed themselves against the wicked attacks of the cruel, and the shallow judgments of the perverse. There was One who saw what man did not see, the effort of the heart to hold fast to God; God's knowledge of their loyalty was their comfort and support.

The consciousness of sin, rather than that of righteousness, is the distinguishing mark of Christian experience; nor will this contrast between Jewish and Christian piety seem strange to those who compare the gospel with the law. We have beheld "the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." The sanctity of Jesus makes all our righteousness appear as filthy rags. Christ told His disciples that the preaching of the gospel would awaken convictions of sin such as were unknown before: “When the Spirit of truth is come, He shall convict the world of sin, and of righteousness and of judgment." The love of God is far more searching than the precepts of the stony table; the heart that might have. been unmelted at the demands of law is broken by the claims of affection. The loyalty that might pass unreproved, did we but think of what we are bidden, proves but poor as an expression of our gratitude, our response to God's affection. The Hebrew saint contrasted himself with the sinner; Christians, searched by the Spirit of holiness and love, rank themselves among transgressors. God hath, in the mercy He hath shown to all, shut us all up to the conviction of unbelief and transgression.