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.

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

of His grace manifested towards them on Calvary when he was tasting death for all His children! Think of His grace towards them now, while He is speaking to the Father for them, as the Daysman who can lay His hand upon God and the sinner! Where is all this grace? It is in the cup, even in the cup of salvation, and this is the grace of our Lord Christ Jesus.

"The cup of salvation" also includes the Grace of God the Holy Ghost. The reason why I mention this is because there is, at the present day, a tendency to ignore the person and work of God the Holy Spirit. There is a tendency in these days to put men's doings and men's work in the place of the doings and work of the Spirit of our God. God forbid that we should ever do such things! Hence it is that we desire not only to speak of but to magnify the grace of the Holy Spirit, and so far counteract the evil tendencies of the day. In the 12th chapter of the Book of the Prophet Zechariah, and the 10th verse, there is this promise-"I will pour out upon you the spirit of grace and of supplications." And it shall produce this effect in men. They shall mourn, as one mourneth for his only son, they shall weep, and be in bitterness, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. And why? Because they shall look upon Him-upon Christ-whom they have pierced. I take this as the work of the Holy Spirit upon sinners He humbles the sinner, and brings him down into the valley, giving him the spirit of contrition, and causing him to look to Jesus, and looking unto Him he is saved with an everlasting salvation. All this grace of the Spirit we have in the cup of salvation; we are saved by the grace of God the Father, and of God the Son, and of God the Holy Ghost; saved by the grace of the glorious Trinity contained in the cup of salvation.

I shall now speak of the nature and extent of this cup of salvation. Its nature is spiritual and its extent is eternal. This cup of salvation is filled with all spiritual graces. Its extent is even equal to that of the eternal mercy of our God. It carries us back to the purpose of God, and stretches forward through all ages, even unto the days of eternity. The cup of salvation is eternal; it is like God Himself; it is in other words the salvation of God.

The cup of salvation is a full cup. I shall be brief in showing you

this. Read the 16th Psalm, and the 5th verse-"The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup." Here is a full cup, you see. The Lord fills it with Himself. He is in it in all His perfections, and in all His love, and in all His grace. But again, it is a cup that is more than full for it runs over. Hence, in the 23rd Psalm, we read"My cup, the cup of salvation runneth over. It runs over with grace, and love, and spiritual blessings into poor and needy souls. This is the overflowing cup of salvation, which God Himself prepared, and which the Psalmist said I will receive or take and then call upon the name of the Lord.

Now this cup of salvation is spoken of as a great salvation, and as a common salvation. Why is it spoken of as great? Because it redeems the sinner from all his sins, from the curse of the law, from wrath to come, and from eternal ruin. This great salvation is grace now and

glory hereafter. This salvation is spoken of as a common salvation because it is common to all the elect. It is not common to all the world, but it is to all the faithful-to the whole family and household of God. Hence it is called a common salvation. And it is also an everlasting salvation. Hence we find it called eternal salvation (Hebrews v. 9). And Christ said—“Because I live ye shall live also” (John xiv. 19).

I want to point out to you a few things in connection with this work of salvation, which are not salvation. It is said in the 2nd Chapter of St. Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians, "That we are saved by grace through faith." Here faith is spoken of in connection with the work of salvation. It is no uncommon thing to hear salvation ascribed to faith. When this is the case, then the statements should be examined, and the things which accompany salvation ought to be pointed out as differing from salvation itself. If you turn to the 6th chapter of St. Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews, and the 9th verse, you will read these words "But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation.” There are many things which accompany salvation, which are not salvation. Faith itself is one of these things. "He that believeth on the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved." "He that believeth on the Lord Jesus Christ." Here is faith, and the promise to faith is this—the person who has it shall be saved." Faith is not salvation, but it is one of the things which accompany salvation. David in the 51st Psalm, says, "Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation." Now the joy was not salvation, but it was one of those things that accompany salvation. "We are saved by hope" (Rom. viii. 24), but hope is not salvation, it is one of the things which accompany salvation. Faith, joy, hope, peace, love, meekness, gentleness, goodness, and such like, are among the "better things" spoken of by St. Paul, and are things that accompany salvation, but they are not salvation. Hence when we hear of good works, the fruits which grow on Christians, we can speak of them as accompanying salvation. We may regard all the fruits of the Spirit in us, and as manifested by us in our lives as things which accompany salvation, and are indeed so many evidences and proofs that we are saved in God's way with an everlasting salvation. May God help us to have correct views of the cup of salvation!

Let us look at the text again, and examine what David says: "I will take (or receive) the cup of salvation.' He told us before that he had been delivered, so that this is the language of a real man of God. This fact is implied in the text. His resolution was spiritual. He "had been made willing in the day of God's power;" so willing was he that he was ready to take whatever God had prepared for him. He was ready to take another cup also, even the cup of suffering. The cup of salvation was to him a cheering cup, a comforting and consoling cup. There are two verses in the Song of Solomon which will illustrate our subject" He brought me to the banqueting house, or to the house of feasting, and His banner over me was love." The banner of everlasting love, unchanging, and unchangeable love over me. This was the house of feasting. "He will stay me with flagons (or cups) of wine; and He

will comfort me with apples; for I am sick of love." I a am filled with love to my Saviour. And "I will take the cup of salvation." Love shows itself in these desires to be found feasting with Christ in His banqueting house. The cup of feasting! Oh! to be on the mountains with Christ, drinking and feasting of the wine well refined (Isaiah xxv. 6). And being comforted with the comforts which God comforts His people withal. "I will take the cup of salvation." And what then? "I will call upon the name of the Lord.”

66 Call upon the Name of the Lord." Well, there is a promise to all those who call upon the Name of the Lord, especially to those who call upon the Name of the Lord in the spirit of the Psalmist. There is such a thing as a forced calling upon the Lord, the result of fear or of suffering in body, then you hear a "Lord have mercy on me! But observe, there may not be a single word uttered, and yet real calling upon the Name of the Lord may be actually going on in the soul. The Name of the Lord. What do we mean by this? We are baptized in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. We find in the 3rd chapter of Exodus the words "I AM.” This is expressive of the Being of the Lord—of His eternal existence. Now, notice, this is His Name, “I AM." He said to Moses "I AM hath sent thee. Tell Pharaoh this, though he will object to let you go." Now look at my text, remembering that the Name of Jehovah Father is "I AM." Consider the titles and attributes of Jehovah Father. They are all to be brought out when magnifying this wonderful Name of the Lord. He is the Father of love. He loveth us. Yes, I call Him my Father, because He loveth me. My Father Thou art the Mighty Lord, the Gracious Lord, look favourably upon me when I call Thee by Thy Name, Jehovah! my Father! Again, he calls upon the Name of the Lord Jesus. Well, what are the attributes and titles of the Lord Jesus Christ? Is there a sweeter Name than the Name of Jesus? This is the Name which prevails in heaven. And then He bears the same Name that the Father is known by. He is "I AM," the faithful and true witness" (Rev. iii. 14). He it is "Which was, and which is, and which is to come " (Rev. i. 8). When we draw near to the Father it is in the Name of the "Mighty God, the Wonderful Counsellor, the everlasting Father" of the Church, the "Prince of Peace." It is in the Name of Him Who has "the government" of the Church" upon His shoulder" (Isa. ix. 6). What did the Lord Jesus Christ say to His disciples when He was upon the earth. "If ye shall ask anything in My Name, I will do it" (John xiv. 14). "If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father, JESUS ;" this is His Name (1 John ii. 1) the anointed One, "Jesus Christ the righteous." When we draw near, and call upon our God, we are to mention His Son's Name, and we shall never mention His Name in vain. Again, call upon the Name of the Lord-the Holy Ghost. He gives the new heart, remember His Name, as Regenerator-He is the great Teacher, Remembrancer, Comforter, and Guide. Jesus said: "I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter," and, "He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you