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a Person in Whom they have not believed, they cannot believe in a Person of Whom they have not heard, they cannot hear without a preacher, and he cannot preach except he be sent by the Lord Himself." You may examine these and other scriptures for yourselves bearing upon this point. I am inclined to look at the question in our text as having the force of a strong assertion. "What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me?" Why! His benefits are so many towards me, that I cannot feel sufficiently thankful to my God. "Blessed be the Lord, who loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our Salvation." Having shown you the force of the question in the text, let us glance at some of His benefits. "All His benefits: " "HIS benefits." There is an emphasis to be put upon the word "His." It is just the opposite of ours or mine. "HIS benefits!" "All benefits," bestowed upon the Church come from Jehovah. And these benefits may be classed under two heads. They are all either temporal or spiritual, or both. David, when speaking of these blessings in the 29th chapter of the first Book of Chronicles, and the 11th verse, says :-"Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Thine; Thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and Thou art exalted as Head above all. Both riches and honour come of Thee, and Thou reignest over all; and in Thine hand is power and might; and in Thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now, therefore, our God, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious name. But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of Thee!" These are some of the left-hand blessings of God; and hence David says in the 14th verse: "All things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee." We have nothing to offer to God except that which He has first given to us. Therefore, do not boast, my friends, that you render back to the Giver a little from the left-hand blessings bestowed upon you. I dare say that some think that they have done wonders when they have given a trifle to God's cause. Why it is not theirs but God's. It was one of the left-hand blessings that He had given them, and they have made a trifling return to the giver. These lefthand blessings are the temporal gifts of God. But some of you may think that I am speaking at random upon this matter. If so, turn to the 3rd chapter of the Book of Proverbs, and the 16th verse, and read : "Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honour." These left-hand blessings of wisdom are riches and honour.

We shall now speak of the right-hand blessings. And I think they are much more important than the left-hand ones. Well, then, what are these "benefits"? If we look at another Psalm we shall get a little light thrown upon them. They are brought out in the 103rd Psalm. "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits." Here are the same ideas and the same things stated. The Psalmist explains what he means by "benefits." They are spiritual benefits. The first is this—“Who forgiveth all thine iniquities." I think that

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this is a great benefit. Iniquity forgiven, transgression not to be
remembered, and sin blotted out. In whom have we all this forgiveness
of sins but in Christ Jesus our Lord? God forgives sins for Christ's
sake and not for man's sake. True, man receives the benefit for Christ's
sake and God's glory. What a benefit-" He forgiveth all thy sins."!
And, then, when God forgives sins, He forgives them in a God-like
manner:-"I will forgive their iniquity, and 1 will remember their sin
no more" (Jeremiah xxxi. 34). I will blot their sins out of My sight,
and neither the powers of earth, nor the powers of darkness shall be
able to raise them up again. This is one of the right-hand blessings of
God. And the second is like unto it. "Who healeth all thy diseases."
You know that our Lord when He was upon the earth, went about
doing good, healing divers bodily diseases of the people (Matt. iv. 24).
But the diseases spoken of by the Psalmist are something far deeper and
more serious than those afflictions of the body. They are the diseases
of the soul. “Who healeth all thy diseases." And mark, my brethren,
"All thy diseases." "He healeth all." Now if He has healed all the
diseases of thy soul, He has healed them with the precious blood of
Christ, the balm of Gilead. The Healer is the Great and Good
Physician, Jesus. It is He who alone healeth diseased souls. The
Psalmist then mentions another of these benefits:-" Who redeemeth thy
life from destruction." What a great benefit this redemption is! The
redemption of thy life from what? From going down into the pit of
destruction. We may enlarge upon this. In the 33rd chapter of the
book of Job, we read—“Deliver him from going down to the pit."
And why? Because "I have found a ransome" (24th verse). God is
indeed gracious to him. "He looks upon men, and if any say, I have
sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not;
He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see
the light. Lo, all these things worketh God often times with man, to
bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of
the living." This is the redeeming work of the Lord Jesus. In Him
alone is redemption, and by Him alone are we saved from the pit of
misery and destruction. Another benefit is this-"Who crowneth thee
with loving-kindness and tender mercies." The foundation of a sinner's
salvation is loving-kindness and tender mercies. The work of grace is
carried on in loving-kindness and tender mercies. Hence it is here
said:-"He crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies."
There is an idea in some persons' minds, that if they love God, then God
will love them. It is better to say that we love God, because He first
loved us.
If God has loved His people, they will most assuredly love
Him in return. If He have already displayed His loving-kindness and
His tender mercies in their souls, we know that He will carry on the
work, and that He will complete and crown the work, for He will lay
on the top "stone with shoutings, crying, grace, grace unto it"
(Zechariah iv. 7). The Lord's work is crowned by Himself. Another
benefit we have in these words :-" Who satisfieth thy mouth with good
things, with the good things of the house of God, with the living bread,
Christ Jesus, with the water of life, the Holy Spirit to water, to teach,

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and to guide thee, and with the grace of God to strengthen thee, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's." Now, turning to the beginning of the Psalm, we can say with David-"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits." We cannot mention "all

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His benefits." It would be impossible for us to do so, for they are so numerous. Sins forgiven, diseases healed, eternal redemption through Christ Jesus, victory through love and mercy, and spiritual sustenance by the way for hungry and thirsty souls. What benefits! If it were necessary to enlarge upon "His benefits" we might turn to the 68th Psalm, 18 and 19 verses-"Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captivity captive, thou has received gifts in the man, yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them." The God of our salvation loadeth us daily with benefits temporal, spiritual, and eternal. I refer you to the fourth chapter of Ephesians for a fuller exposition of the benefits bestowed by Christ upon the Church of God. Looking again at our text. All his benefits toward ME." This makes it a personal matter. Religion is indeed a personal thing. ME! ME!! I dare say that many persons go to a church or to a chapel and hear sermons for other people. Have you never heard persons say— "Now that sermon just suited so and so?" Now I want to hear and to learn something that suits ME, something that meets MY own case. David says in this verse: "What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward ME!" ME!! ME!!! If there be no me nor I in your religion it is nothing worth. It may sound egotistical, to speak of me and I, but if our religion be without the me and the I, it is only sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. It lacks the point of personality. I hope, my brethren, you do not misunderstand me. I come from the North, and there we are accustomed to use great plainness of speech. What is the price of your religion? Has it saved your soul? If so, you will not be ashamed of "Ï," and of " me;" of " my God," and of "my Saviour."

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The benefits of my God are not few, but many. "All things are yours; whether Paul or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's." Many indeed are His benefits, and whilst they are many, they are also free. You cannot buy these benefits. If they could be bought, how much some persons would give for them! I dare say that many of you are pretty well to do, and that

you like your wealth. But look at it well! All you have got could never buy a grain of real religion. Hence it is that we do not care about your wealth; it is you, and your souls. This is the main thing with us. But when God does bestow His blessings and benefits upon the soul, that soul is generally blessed with the desire to be liberal in furthering the work of his Saviour. Bountifully and ungrudgingly he has received, and in the same spirit he wishes to act. I know that some you will say: "No! it is not so in everyone." Well, I must leave it with you. You know how it is in your own souls. I do not wish to judge others, but I tell you how things work in me and in some others. Many, free, boundless, and everlasting, are the benefits bestowed on the

of

Church by our God.

Out of His fulness He bestows freely-free grace brings a free pardon, a free justification, and a free salvation. All is graciously, liberally, and largely bestowed without money and without price. Well might the Psalmist say: "What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits towards me?" The answer is, "1 will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the Name of the Lord."

This leads us to our Second Head. What is meant by "The cup of salvation?" And what by His taking it? And "what by calling upon the Name of the Lord."

What is this "cup of salvation?" The word "cup" often occurs in the Scriptures, but I cannot pretend to trace the whole of its uses in its literal and figurative applications. Sometimes it is used literally for a drinking vessel; but more frequently it is used figuratively. Hence we read of the cup of fury, and of the cup of trembling, and of the cup of wrath, and of the cup of indignation. Again, we read also of the cup of suffering. The Lord said: "Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of?" (Matthew xx. 22). The cup of suffering. We read also that Jesus prayed, "If it be possible let this cup pass from Me." This was the cup of suffering. God's children shall have a fair proportion of this cup of suffering to drink; just as much as they need for their good and no more. And when the Lord sees fit to sweeten it for them he will do so. Then this word cup is used in connection with the Lord's Supper. It represents the blood of Christ. "He took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins." "This is the cup of blessing which we bless, and it is the communion of the blood of Christ," says St. Paul (I Cor. x. 16). This cup of the Lord is contrasted with the cup of devils in the 21st verse. To drink of the cup of devils was a sign of communion and fellowship with devils. While to drink of the cup of the Lord was a sign of communion and fellowship with the Lord. The cup of blessing and communion shews forth the Lord's death, it reminds us of an absent Friend, and it also points us to the coming again of Jesus Christ. Again, we read of the cup of hospitality, the cup of cold water given by a disciple in the Name of the Lord to one of the little ones which believe in Jesus. In the text we have "the cup of salvation."

Let us examine the contents of this cup. Now, what do we find in it! Salvation!! In the Scriptures it is said we are saved by grace. What does this mean? Saved by grace. Is it by the grace of God the Father, and is it by the grace of God the Son, and is it by the grace of God the Holy Ghost? I think so. This cup is filled with salvation, the salvation of the blessed and glorious Trinity. I shall endeavour to shew you this great truth as it is revealed to us in the Scriptures. In the 2nd chapter of St. Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians, and the 4th, 5th, 6th, and following verses we read that we are saved by grace; "that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness towards us (by, in, and) through Christ Jesus." Who is this that shows us this kindnes? Why! it is God the Father, as the Apostle says: "Who has chosen us in Christ, before the foundation of

the world, and ordained our end by Christ, and accepted us in Christ to the praise of the glory of His grace." Now, you see the grace of the Father. Hence St. Paul says in one passage, that we were saved before we were called and even before we were born. This is impossible, you say. Yes indeed, it is impossible according to our carnal reasonings, but with God all things are possible. Is there anything too hard for the Lord? We read the following words in the 2nd Epistle of St. Paul to Timothy, the 1st chapter and the 9th verse. Speaking of God the Father, the Apostle says: "Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling." Notice the saving which goes before the calling. God the Father saved us, then there is the calling of us by the Spirit, and by the Word of the Gospel. "Not according to our works." Our doings are in no sense the cause of our being saved by God the Father, nor are our works the cause of the Holy Ghost calling us out of darkness into marvellous light. Our salvation and calling are "according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." Here is antiquity! Here is a pedigree! Some persons are very proud of having a long pedigree. If we boast of any pedigree let it be this, that we belong to the King of kings, and Lord of lords. We read in the next verse that the Father's grace "is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel." The Apostle speaks to the same effect in his 3rd chapter to Titus. We were sometimes "foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another;" after all this wickedness had been indulged in by us, "the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared," "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour: that being justified by His grace," justified freely by His grace, "we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." Now, you see what it is to speak of the grace of the Father in the salvation of sinners. All this grace is in the cup of salvation which comes down from our gracious Father.

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Let us now glance at the next point, the grace of God the Son. On this I shall be brief. "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich,”-rich in glory," and though He was rich," yet, "for your sakes," for poor sinners' sakes," He became poor," even as one of you, "that ye through His poverty might be rich (II Cor. viii. 9). Rich in the riches of Christ! Hence out of His riches, and out of the fulness of His grace, it is that we have all received, and grace for grace" (John i. 16). Where sin abounded through Adam's transgression, now grace has much more abounded through Christ (Romans v. 20, 21). Thus, then, the sins of all believers are more than covered through the abounding grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in His life, in His death, in His resurrection, ascension, and session now at the Father's right hand in Heaven. Think of what He did when He redeemed all His people from the curse of the law! Think

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