HANDEL'S ORGAN.

THE SOUL'S WELFARE.

THOUGHTS ON ISAIAH xxviii. 13.

"But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little and there a little."

THE sin of unbelief is in every instance one of a repulsive kind, but we are apt to think that in the case of the Jews it was flagrant and inexcusable. While the world beyond was left in darkness, they were at first signalized by the communication of light and truth from heaven, the oracles of which were commissioned and inspired immediately by Jehovah and sustained and defended by him in discharging their elevated office for the benefit of this favoured people. Instead of being like heathen nations left to decipher from the accidents of fortune, or invent from the vagaries of fancy the tokens of the divine will and pleasure, they had direct and verbal instructions in a revealed law whose foundation was uncorrupted by superstition or falsehood, and whose principles have proved the most perfect code of morality and piety which all the generations of man in after ages have been able to obtain, or been known to require. They knew full well what it was their duty to do, and what to leave undone, what was acceptable to the will of God, and what from the immutable principle of his holiness would be assuredly visited by his displeasure. More than this. They had from time to time sent to them persuasive and eloquent preachers, to woo them with the voice of love, to warn them against temptation, to fortify them in trouble, to support their faith in the unchangeable truth-in the hour of extreme distress of banishment and captivity to proclaim the day of restoration and forgiveness, and to assist them with prayer and blessing, to rebuild the sacred pile of their demolished temple, and in the day of completion with the unction of praise and triumph to raise the top-stone of the holy edifice with shoutings of “grace, grace, unto it."-Yes more. To them the common images of nature had a voice. They had so often been marched amidst the miraculous interpositions of God on their behalf, that even children could never gaze upon them and be blind to the witness that they gave for the God of Israel. Each rock and stream and woody dell of their land was clothed in historical remembrances of heavenly wonder and mercy, as rich as the oriental verdure and perfume of its unrivalled scenery. They could never look upon the Sun without one would think calling to mind the day when that refulgent orb at the voice of Joshua stood still in his majestic march, while the sainted leader, in untiring fight avenged himself upon the enemies of God and Israel. The drops of the shower could not have dried upon the flowers of Hermon, before their eyes were saluted by the resplendent bow of heaven, dipped in the same mingled and glowing hues in which it rose as a triumphed arch in the eyes of the Father of the second world, as the confirmation of God's promise to the faithful. They had favour, they had miracles, they had

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everything. The Mount of Pisgah, upon whose hallowed top Moses with the eye of flesh described the land of promise and blessedness which his feet were forbidden ever to tread, must have been to them God's consecrated pulpit of reproof and faith. The groves of Lebanon, the vales of Baca, the bulwarks of Jerusalem, and the beauties of the Temple, were the constant emblems of peace, and grace, and sacred granduer. They had too the pleasing pool of Bethesda, and the typical stream of Jordan. Indeed, what had they not? But did all these succeed in rooting out from them the evil heart of unbelief, which was the plague of their spirits, and the evil angel of their destiny? Alas! no. I shall now illustrate the sentiment conveyed in the words quoted at the head of this article, namely, that the claims of religion are urged upon men with frequency and power.

This appears from the plainness of revelation. Revelation from the magnitude of its subject takes in a vast scope. A great many things are only partially disclosed and others are quite left out, as, the moral condition of other worlds, and how they went on before this was formed, but all relating to salvation is positive and explicit. Truths have prominence given to them in revelation just in proportion to their practical importance; those relating to salvation are most boldly stated and repeatedly urged. In the Bible salvation, or religion, is never treated as a trifle, but always in the most solemn and emphatic manner, as the most important thing that can engage attention. The consequences of the acceptance or rejection of religion are described in the most impressive and awful terms. When the Bible attempts to describe the consequences of rejection, the most stirring and fearful images are presented that can occupy the human imagination. It represents the Saviour as saying: "Bring hither those that would not that I should reign over them, and slay them before me," "these shall go away into everlasting punishment," "into a lake that burneth with fire and brimstone," the rich man calls for a drop of water to cool his parched tongue, "the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever." Not merely plain but repeated. Of some things you may say there is little known, but can you say there is little known of the infinite compassion, the beseeching love, the interminable invitations of the Saviour to sinners? Is there a single portion of this blessed volume where they are not found? From the first promise when the word of God is pledged that "the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head" every sacred book is strewn with passage after passage, promise after promise, till memory fails beneath the accumulated load. Each age in the long succession as one comes and another goes seems charged to trumpet forth the wonders of heavenly mercy throughout the busy thoroughfare of time. Patriarchs, prophets and apostles all join in the wondrous narration, up to him who tells of the multitude round the throne who sing—" Blessing and honour, and glory and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." "How shall I give thee up Ephraim !" "How shall I make thee as Admah,-how shall they be as Zeboim." Why will ye die O house of Israel?" "O Israel thou has destroyed thyself, but in me is thy help." "Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money come ye, buy, and eat; yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price." "The Lord God is merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth." "Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Say then, is not the duty of religion so frequently urged in revelation;—“ precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little." Every form of representation, every character not inconsistent with the Divine attributes is declared to have been as

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sumed by Him in the all-absorbing, the ceaseless task of winning back the rebellious and obdurate hearts of his sinful creatures. Now he is a shepherd lulling back to his fold from the howling desert, his wandering sheep by the softest strains of love and fondness. Now as a needy and anxious matron in her widowhood, he misses a treasured coin from the much-prized stores, and then nothing can allay the distress or stop the search till with candle and with brush every room has been explored and every corner swept, and the wanting gold replaced in safety. Now as a tender father subdued by the apostacy and desertion of a beloved son, he droops in melancholy reflection with eye stretched upon the horizon until in the farthest fields of his domain he sees the form of the repentant prodigal on his return, and immediately, while he is yet a great way off runs and falls upon his neck and kisses him. All our passions are appealed to-love, fear, shame, hope. Now we are threatened-now reasoned with-now woed-and now tempted. As to the calls of mercy, does any one think he knows them all? Does any one think he can master them by memory?

But the sentiment of the text is illustrated not only by the plainness of revelation, but also by the permanent establishment of the ordinances of the Gospel, and the constant return of the means of grace. Though the Gospel was given 1851 years ago, it is intended as specially for the present age as for that. While the character of its truths forbid its being ephemeral, the form of its institutions is equally adapted to all ages. It was not and never will be the exclusive privilege of one generation. Though you neglect and forsake still, sabbath after sabbath God holds his court of mercy in his earthly tabernacle, and his servants raise the voice of mercy to mankind. The apostate who was brought up to attend regularly, but whose feet have been for years strangers to the threshold of God's house after trespassing and wandering for years, returning from his fruitless journey finds the doors of the sanctuary still open for the entrance of the lost sheep of the house of Israel. In this respect you have the advantage over the Jews. Only at stated times could they come to Jerusalem from distant places, the lonely wolds to cross, the steep mountains to climb, the flooded streams to wade. But you cannot go through England on the sabbath without being beset with bells, and places of worship, and heavenly messengers. Again, you have all sorts of preacherssome excel in displaying one truth, some in another. The manner of one is unacceptable, that of another is pleasing. One is a Barnabas of consolation, another a Peter of might to convict the hardest. But all tell one truth, speak of one Saviour, and point to one heaven. You come and get a little impression, it makes you uneasy. You wish you could forget what you have heard, or were already truly religious, the lethargy is broken, consciousness sets reason to work, reason inspires fear, fear while you cast about to vain dependencies for help deepens into despair, the Gospel turns despair to hope and wafts that hope to heaven. The expression of the text is very beautiful. Like a child learning, the subject is great above your comprehension, but you are to be taught by degrees, to be led on by gentle steps, here a little and there a little. Thu does the great shepherd and Bishop of souls nourish his flock, till from the feebleness of babes they arise to be fathers and mothers in Israel.

I shall pass on to remark a little upon the degree of attention usually given to these claims. The attention ought to be in proportion to the plainness of these,-claims fully carried out. Christians is it so? Does your conduct bear any resemblance to the perfection of the instructions which are furnished for your guidance. So significant and decisive that men see at once that you have been with Jesus and learned of him? Do