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(Matt. xxii. 37-39). Now, if any of you have done all this, I will thank you to tell me when I come out of the pulpit this evening. often commands His creatures to do that which they cannot do. to prove their weakness and to show them their need of Him who has all power in heaven and in earth. O God bestow upon us Thy gracious Spirit that we may know "that without Thee we can do nothing." I shall now speak to you about the first turning to the Lord. must have a Scriptural account of this. Look at the 11th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, and read the 19th and following verses. "Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians (or Gentiles) preaching the Lord Jesus." "And the hand of the Lord was with them." What was this hand? Why it was the Holy Ghost accompanying the Gospel which was preached. “And a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord," as the consequence. The disciples preached, the Holy Ghost accompanied the preaching of the Gospel, and "a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord." You see how the thing was brought about. This is the way the Lord works in turning men to Himself, and to the knowledge of the truth. "Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch, who, when he came and had seen the grace of God:" he did not see that these men were their own saviours, but he did see that the Gospel which had been preached had also been accompanied by the power of the Holy Ghost, and that men's hearts had been broken, and that they had been brought to believe and to turn unto the Lord as their only hope of salvation. And when he had seen the grace of God "working thus in them he was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord." Barnabas was not mistaken for "he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith and much people was added unto the Lord." "Added unto the Lord." Well, the Lord added them unto Himself. I feel that He always fixes the eyes of the needy sinner upon Himself. He breaks his heart, and makes him willing in the day of His power, and then turns him unto Himself. "Mine eyes are unto Thee O Lord God." Now in my text the persons who used the prayer “turn us again," understood well what is meant by being first turned to the Lord. They knew what it was to have the Lord on their side, and to be under His fostering care and protection in the hour of their difficulties, trials, and sufferings. "Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts." They cannot turn themselves, they have no power to do so. But they cry, "Do Thou turn us again, O Lord God of hosts." I like this prayer. Let us read a passage or two bearing upon this point from the 31st chapter of the Book of Jeremiah. "Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord." What was the mercy that was manifested towards Ephraim ? Read some of the verses which go

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garden of Paradise down to the present time, I have invariably found one thing, and it is this, that man is always inclined to turn away from his God. Look at the 3rd chapter of Genesis and the 8th verse. read there that when our first parents transgressed the commandment which God had given them, that they went and "hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden." What did they do this for? Had they been doing something of which they were ashamed? Had they been doing that which God had commanded them not to do? They had-and hence they were glad to get out of the sight of God, and to hide themselves amongst the trees of the garden. You know what followed. They were driven out of the garden. And now as to those who lived after them. Did they improve and become better in their natural state? We read in the 6th chapter of the Book of Genesis that God looked down upon them. "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil, and that continually " (verse 5). Some of us may think that we are not so bad as they were. *This betrays ignorance. However, the Holy Ghost can teach us that naturally we are altogether evil and that continually. In all time it has been the same with respect to fallen man. Some of you heard these words read to-night out of the 53rd Psalm. "The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that would understand, and seek after God." To see if there were any that were turning unto the Lord. 'But," the Psalmist says, they are all gone out of the way, they are altogether become abominable, there is none that doeth good, no not one." Man never naturally turns to the Lord. He has turned from the Lord, and further still will he continue to do so, if it be possible. God looked to see if He could find " any that would understand, and seek after God." Did He find any? Not one! "They are altogether become abominable, there is none that doeth good, no not one. Man was no better in the Apostle's time. He quotes the very words of the Psalmist in the 3rd of Romans, showing that man is altogether, and without exception, vile and corrupt. He then gives us another Scripture to confirm his view as to the corrupt nature of man. He then arrives at this conclusion "that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God." After this picture of fallen humanity what is the use of calling upon man to repent and to turn to the Lord? Has not the Lord said, "Repent and turn from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin?" And again, "Make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" "Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die?" Now, did they turn? Did they repent? Did they make for themselves a new heart? Did they create in themselves a new spirit? Did any one of them ever do any such thing? No! No!! But Jehovah uses this language when He is appealing to His fallen creatures who are, and always have been utterly helpless to help themselves. I know very

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well that I shall be told by some that God never commands a person to do a thing which he cannot. But He has commanded us all to love the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our mind, and with all our strength, and to love our neighbour as ourselves

and reveal Thy presence; come, Lord, with all Thy quickening power into our midst, deliver us, and save us for Thy name's sake." Thus Israel cried of old, and thus Israel has to cry frequently now, but when the deliverances come, we feel that we would not have been without the trial of darkness, because of the blessing of light which follows. We learn that 66 our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth." Another petition of the Psalmist's is this, "Return, we beseech Thee, O God of hosts. It is clear from these words that the Psalmist knew the Lord, and had before felt His presence. Now there was the hiding of His countenance. David had an experience of this sort, as we learn from his 'words. "And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved. Lord, by Thy favour Thou hast made my mountain to stand strong." Here is the enjoyment of God's presence and favour. But what does he say in the words which follow? "Thou didst hide Thy face and I was troubled " (Psalm xxx. 6, 7). Here then is an experience which agrees with that of Asaph, and with the children of God generally. Return, we beseech Thee, O God of hosts!" Examine portions of the 77th Psalm. We have a petition in our Services-"We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord." When the Holy Ghost moves a man to utter these words, they are real prayer. Prayer does not consist of so many words dropped from the lips, but it is the expression of the heaven-born desires of the heart. When prayer is right, the Spirit of God is moving and working within. All real prayer God hears and answers. Believers know that although God is the Holy One dwelling in the high and lofty place, yet He dwells also in "contrite and humble spirits, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones (Isa. lvii. 15). "Return, we beseech Thee, O God of hosts look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine." Visit it, we beseech Thee. Thou didst visit Noah, and saved him and his family from perishing by water. Thou didst visit Abram and saved him out of the land of the Chaldeans. Thou didst visit Lot and saved him. Think Lord of Thy visits to Jacob and Joseph, and to Thy people Israel when in Egypt, and how Thou didst deliver them. "Look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine," thy people; "And the vineyard which Thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that Thou madest strong for Thyself." They are Thy people. Lord, Thou hast loved them, cast them not away from Thy presence for they are Thine. Visit them with Thy salvation. They are being consumed with fire like refuse, they are cut down. "When Thou hidest Thy face they perish at the rebuke of Thy countenance, O Lord." Lord in mercy look down from heaven upon Thy afflicted Israel, and behold them with an eye of pity, and visit them with Thy great salvation, and then will they offer unto Thee the fruit of their lips and the thanksgivings of their hearts which are always acceptable unto Thee through Jesus Christ our Lord.

"Let Thy

There is a very remarkable petition in the 17th verse. Hand be upon the Man of Thy right Hand, upon the Son of Man Whom Thou madest strong for Thyself.' I scarcely think that these words refer to Israel, but to Israel's Saviour, the God-man, Mediator, Jesus Christ. Let Thy hand of divine justice be upon Him and not upon us.

He is the Man of Thy right hand, and Thou hast made Him strong for Thyself. He is strong to meet all claims of justice. O Lord God look to Him for satisfaction, and not to us. Again let Thy hand of grace be upon Him; He is the Branch on whom the Spirit of Jehovah rests. He is filled with the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, with the Spirit of counsel and might, and with the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. Israel pleaded Jehovah Jesus at God's right hand. He that comes to God through Him is not cast out. Whom have I in heaven but Jesus to speak a word for me? If any one of us sin we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one. Now what are the Psalmist's conclusions ? "So will not we go back from Thee." Knowing that if Thou wilt look upon Him, we shall breathe freely, being in Thy Hands. As long as the Lord keeps us we are well kept. We cannot keep ourselves. "Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe" (Psalm cxix. 117). "Draw me, we will run after Thee” (Song of Sol. i. 4). Do Thou work mightily in us, and then we shall desire to have sweet communion with Thee. "Quicken us, and we will call upon Thy Name."

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I shall now speak upon the second petition in our text. 'Cause Thy face to shine." In the 1st verse it is-" Shine forth; in the 3rd verse, "Cause Thy Face to shine; and in the 7th verse, "Cause Thy Face to shine." O for the smiling countenance of the Lord God towards His poor, broken-hearted children! I think this reminds us of the 89th Psalm where we read of "the joyful sound.” And "Blessed is the people that know" it. They know the covenant of God, and His favour. They enjoy His presence and His protection. "In Thy Name shall they rejoice all the day and in Thy righteousness shall they be exalted. In Thy strength is their boast. Thou art their defence." This is what Israel's God causes His children to enjoy. And this is their portion In keeping with this it is, that God commanded His people Israel to be blessed by Aaron and his sons. "On this wise, ye shall bless the people of Israel, saying unto them, the Lord bless thee, and keep thee; the Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. The Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee." They should abound in happiness, and joy, and peace. When a person realizes that he is walking in the light of God's countenance, and that he has the comforts of the Holy Ghost in his own soul, he feels that his prayers are turned into praises. I think this is a secret, known only to God's children, that there is a time when we can pray only, and not praise at all; and that there is a time when we can praise only and not pray at all. There is a time for every purpose and for every work under heaven. It is a blessed time when our prayer is turned into praise. "Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, and cause Thy Face to shine upon us.

"We shall be saved."

"We shall be saved."

THIRDLY, consider ISRAEL'S DELIVERANCES. Three times this expression occurs in this Psalm. Here we have comfort and strong consolation in knowing that a smiling countenance brings healing, health, and salvation. saved is rendered in three different ways in the Scriptures.

This word

"We shall

and reveal Thy presence; come, Lord, with all Thy quickening power into our midst, deliver us, and save us for Thy name's sake." Thus Israel cried of old, and thus Israel has to cry frequently now, but when the deliverances come, we feel that we would not have been without the trial of darkness, because of the blessing of light which follows. We learn that "our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth." Another petition of the Psalmist's is this, "Return, we beseech Thee, O God of hosts. It is clear from these words that the Psalmist knew the Lord, and had before felt His presence. Now there was the

hiding of His countenance. David had an experience of this sort, as we learn from his 'words. "And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved. Lord, by Thy favour Thou hast made my mountain to stand strong.' Here is the enjoyment of God's presence and favour. But what does he say in the words which follow? "Thou didst hide Thy face and I was troubled " (Psalm xxx. 6, 7). Here then is an experience which agrees with that of Asaph, and with the children of God generally. "Return, we beseech Thee, O God of hosts! " Examine portions of the 77th Psalm. We have a petition in our Services-"We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord." When the Holy Ghost moves a man to utter these words, they are real prayer. Prayer does not consist of so many words dropped from the lips, but it is the expression of the heaven-born desires of the heart. When prayer is right, the Spirit of God is moving and working within. All real prayer God hears and answers. Believers know that although God is the Holy One dwelling in the high and lofty place, yet He dwells also in "contrite and humble spirits, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones" (Isa. lvii. 15). Return, we beseech Thee, O God of hosts look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine." Visit it, we beseech Thee. Thou didst visit Noah, and saved him and his family from perishing by water. Thou didst visit Abram and saved him out of the land of the Chaldeans. Thou didst visit Lot and saved

him. Think Lord of Thy visits to Jacob and Joseph, and to Thy people Israel when in Egypt, and how Thou didst deliver them. "Look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine," thy people; "And the vineyard which Thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that Thou madest strong for Thyself." They are Thy people. Lord, Thou hast loved them, cast them not away from Thy presence for they are Thine. Visit them with Thy salvation. They are being consumed with fire like refuse, they are cut down. "When Thou hidest Thy face they perish at the rebuke of Thy countenance, O Lord." Lord in mercy look down from heaven upon Thy afflicted Israel, and behold them with an eye of pity, and visit them with Thy great salvation, and then will they offer unto Thee the fruit of their lips and the thanksgivings of their hearts which are always acceptable unto Thee through Jesus Christ our Lord.

"Let Thy

There is a very remarkable petition in the 17th verse. Hand be upon the Man of Thy right Hand, upon the Son of Man Whom Thou madest strong for Thyself." I scarcely think that these words refer to Israel, but to Israel's Saviour, the God-man, Mediator, Jesus Christ. Let Thy hand of divine justice be upon Him and not upon us.