He not make it good?" Heaven and earth may pass away, but His Word will never pass away.

"His very word of grace is strong

As that which built the skies;
The voice that rolls the stars along
Speaks all the promises.

He said, 'Let the wide heaven be spread,'
And heaven was stretched abroad;
'Abram, I'll be thy God,' He said,
And He was Abram's God.

Oh, might I hear Thine heavenly tongue
But whisper, Thou art mine;
Those gentle words should raise my song
To notes almost divine.

How would my leaping heart rejoice,
And think my heaven secure;
I trust the all-creating voice,
And faith desires no more."

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XXVI.

THE NEARNESS OF OUR VINDICATOR.

(Delivered on Thursday Evening, June 18th, 1846.)

"He is near that justifieth me."—ISAIAHl. 8.

In this brief exercise, let us consider these words, first, as THE

LANGUAGE OF CHRIST TO HIS FATHER.

We scruple not to say that these words immediately refer to Him. "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." But though "to Him gave all the prophets witness," Isaiah prophesied more of Him than the rest-more fully, more explicitly, more clearly-concerning "the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." He therefore has been called the evangelical prophet.

Let us verify our application, and turn to the fourth verse. "The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary." Here He is referred to as the prophet of His Church, and if we go forward to His history, and attend to His preaching, we shall see the truth of David's language: "Grace is poured into His lips." Nor shall we be surprised that all His hearers wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of His mouth: "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." "Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Here is "the tongue of the learned." Here is "a word in season to him that is weary." But those who teach well must discriminate. "He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned." The wisest are always the most attentive to instruction. "Teach a wise man," says Solomon, "and he will be yet wiser." So after being referred to as a Teacher, He is regarded as a Sufferer. "The

Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back." "I gave My back to the smiters, and My cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting." "I gave My back to the smiters:" this refers to their scourging Him. "And My cheeks to them that plucked off the hair." This is an incident which we do not meet with in the Gospels. But you will remember that the Gospels were not designed to convey all that befell the Saviour, nor the larger part of it. "I hid not my face from shame and spitting." This degradation is recorded by the Evangelists, which goes to prove the minuteness and accuracy of the prophecy. Well, for whom was all this suffering? You will see when you are led to "mourn for Him whom you have pierced."

We talk of our suffering for Him. What have any of you yet endured for His dear sake who gave His back to the smiters, and His cheeks to them that plucked off the hair, and who hid not His face from shame and spitting; who for you "was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief"? Why, Paul valued the very fellowship of His sufferings; and "Oh," said one of the martyrs at the time of persecution, "Oh, that I was honoured to suffer thus for Christ!" referring to whipping, which none at that time had to endure; but soon after the infamous Bishop Bonner whipped several of the martyrs with his own hand!

Well, He expresses His courage and His confidence. "For the Lord God will help Me; therefore shall I not be confounded; therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed." Then, in the words which we first read, we have the ground of His confidence: "He is near that justifieth Me." He therefore said to the Jews, "He that sent Me is with Me." "The Father hath not left Me alone, for I do always those things that please the Father." His various miracles evince this, according to Nicodemus, who said, "No man can do these miracles that Thou doest except God be with Him."

He was forsaken, indeed, by those who were His professed adherents, and how He felt this is obvious from His language: "I looked and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold." But hear how He expressed Himself to His disciples, who had said, "Now we know Thou camest forth from God." Jesus answered them, "Do ye now believe? Behold the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone, and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.” But did He not exclaim upon the cross, "My God, my God,

why hast Thou forsaken me?" He did, but He there referred to His outward sufferings, to His being given up for a season to the power of darkness; for you see even then He confided in Him. He calls Him His God twice, and committed His Spirit to His hands; yea, He could say, "He is near that justifieth me."

"Great is the mystery of Godliness. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit." What means this justification in the Spirit? Why, as regards the imputation He lay under, and the various charges of His enemies, they considered Him as "smitten of God and afflicted." They represented Him as an impostor, and every evil they could think of was laid to His charge. He was put to death under the charge of blasphemy and sedition. But He was declared to be "the Son of God with power," by His resurrection from the dead. Thus every reproach was rolled away, and because He had been "obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross, God highly exalted Him, and gave Him a name which is above every name." Yes, said Peter at Jerusalem, "He hath made this same Jesus, whom ye crucified, both Lord and Christ." And this is the meaning of Our Saviour's words, where He says, in reference to the Holy Ghost, "He shall convince the world of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see Me no more." "He shall admit Me into His glorious presence, as a proof that I have finished the work that He gave Me to do."

II. We consider these words as THE LANGUAGE OF CHRISTIANS TO CHRIST. They may say, "He is near that justifieth me." There is an union, a federal, a vital, an everlasting union, and there is a resemblance between Christ and His people. What is said of the one may be said of the other, only with this difference, that there is a supremacy on His side. In all things he has the pre-eminence; and yet you find a sameness. He is called "The Son of God," and says John, "Beloved, now are we the Sons of God." He is called "The Heir," and they are "heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ." "I am,” said He "the light of the world;" and says He, "Ye are the light of the world." Light is the same as to quality, whether it be found in the sun or in a candle.

Christians may express themselves with confidence in regard to His presence, and say, "He is near that justifieth Me." His presence, indeed, fills heaven and earth, and "He is not far from us;" but you must distinguish what we call His omnipresence from His presence when it is spoken of in a way of

privilege or promise. Here reference is made to His peculiar

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to His special-to His gracious presence. Thus Moses prayed, "If Thy presence go not with me, carry me not up hence." "Fear thou not," says God, "for I am with thee." The upright shall dwell in His presence." This shows us the amazing condescension of God. Well may Solomon exclaim, "Will God in very deed dwell with man upon the earth?" Yes, but this argues His patience, for you would soon drive an angel from you; he could not bear with your manners; but it is otherwise with God, "He is long-suffering to usward," and hath said, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." This, brethren, is the happiness of His people. "He is nigh unto all those who are of a broken heart, and saveth such as are of a contrite spirit." He is near to protect them from their enemies; near to sustain them in affliction. "He is a very present help in trouble," and says to them, "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee." He is near to help them in every duty. Hence Paul could say, when he stood before Nero, and when all his friends had forsaken him, "Nevertheless the Lord stood by me." He was with Daniel in the lion's den. He was with the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace. He is near His people to hear their cry, and to answer their prayers, and therefore says Moses, "What nation is there who hath God so nigh to them, as the Lord Our God is, in all things that we call upon Him for." Oh, what blessedness, Christian, is connected with this! He is near unto you wherever you are, and in whatever condition you may be found. He is at your right hand so that you need not be moved, and you may say with Watts:

"If Thou, my Jesus, still be nigh,
Cheerful I live, and joyful die;
Secure when earthly comforts flee,
To find ten thousand worlds in Thee."

He also justifies you. "He is near that justifieth me." Consider this as to their state. When the Saviour says, "He is near that justifieth Me," and when the Christian says, "He is near that justifieth me," observe this difference: God justified His Son as innocent, for "He did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth." When "the prince of this world came, he found nothing in Him" to condemn. "But how can man be just with God?" "It is God that justifieth." He is the Being against whom our sin is committed; therefore unless He justifies us we must be condemned, whoever justifies us.