GOD'S THOUGHTS.

A book is the expression of the thoughts of the writer. The book of nature is an expression of the thoughts of God. We have God's terrible thoughts in the thunder and lightning, God's loving thoughts in the sunshine and the balmy breeze, God's bounteous, prudent, careful thoughts in the waving harvest and in the ripening meadow. We have God's brilliant thoughts in the wonderous scenes which are beheld from mountain-top and valley, and we have God's most sweet and pleasant thoughts of beauty in the little flowers that blossom at our feet. But you will remark that God has in nature given the most prominence to those thoughts that needed to have the pre-eminence. He hath not given us broad acres overspread with flowers, for they were not needed in such abundance, but He hath spread the fields with corn, that thus the absolute necessities of life might be supplied. We needed most of the thoughts of His providence, and He hath quickened our industry, so that God's providential care may be read as we ride along the roads on every side. Now God's book of grace is just like His book of nature, it is His thoughts written out. This great book, the bible, this most precious volume, is the heart of God made legible, it is the gold of God's love beaten out into leaf gold, so that therewith our thoughts might be plated, and we also might have golden, good and holy thoughts concerning Him. And you will mark that as in nature so in grace, the most necessary is the most prominent. I see in God's word a rich abundance of flowers of glorious eloquence, often I find a prophet marshalling his words like armies for might, and like kings for majesty. But far more frequently I read simple declarations of the truth. I see, here and there, a brilliant thought of beauty, but I find whole fields of plain didactic teaching, which is food for the soul, and I find whole chapters full of Christ which is divine manna, whereon the soul doth feed. I see starry words to make the scriptures brilliant, sweet thoughts to make them fair, great thoughts to make them impressive, terrible thoughts to make them awful, but necessary thoughts, instructive thoughts, saving thoughts, are far more frequent, because far more needful. Here and there a bed of flowers, but broad acres of living corn of the gospel of the grace of God.

MANY SHALL COME. pt:1

I tell you, many will come from east and west and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness,there men shall weep and gnash their teeth.Matt:8v11-12.

Oh! I love God's "wills" and "shalls" there is nothing like them. If a man says "shall"what good is it? "I will" says a man, and he never performs, "I shall" says he, then he breaks his promise. But it is never that way with God's "shalls."If He says "shall," the thing shall be done, when He says "will," then it will be. Now here He has said, "many will come." The devil says, "they will not come," but "they will come." Their sins say "you cannot come," God says "you will come." You, yourselves say, "we will not come," God says "you will come." Yes! there are some here who are laughing at salvation, who can scoff at Christ and mock the gospel, but I tell you some of you will yet come.

"What!" you say, " can God make me become a christian?" I tell you yes, for herein lies the power of the gospel. It does not ask for your consent, but it gets it. It does not ask " will you recieve it?" but it makes you willing in the day of God's power. It does not violate your will, but it makes you willing. It shows you it's value, and then you fall in love with it, and immediately you run after it to make it yours. Many have said "we will not have anything to do with religion," then they get converted. I have heard of a man who once went to church only to hear the singing, and as soon as the minister began to preach, he put his fingers in his ears and refused to listen. But then a small insect landed on his face, so that he was obliged to take one finger from his ear to brush it away. Just then the minister said, "he that hath ears to hear, let him hear." The man listened, and God met with him at that moment and converted his soul. He went out a new man. A changed person. He who came in to laugh, left to find a quiet place to pray, he who came in to mock went out to bend his knee in repentance, he who entered to spend an idle hour, went home to spend an hour in devotion to his God. The sinner became a saint. Who knows but that we might have some like that in here tonight. The gospel does not want your consent, it gets it. It knocks the hostility against God out of your heart. You say " I do not want to be saved," Christ says you shall be. He turns your will around, and then you cry " Lord save, lest I perish."- " Ah " heaven might exclaim "I knew that I would make you say that," and then He rejoices over you because He has changed your will and made you willing in the day of His power.

SPURGEONIC TONICS

GOOD BOY!....There is a story about a doctor at one of our hospitals, a year or two ago, he healed a dogs' broken leg and the grateful animal brought other dogs to have their broken legs healed, that was a good dog you say, but some of you are not half so good! You believe that Christ is blessing you, yet you never bring others to Him to be saved.

MEDITATE...."My meditation of Him will be sweet" of HIM that is, of the Well-beloved of the Father, of the Well- beloved of the church, of the Well-beloved of my own soul, of Him who loved me, in whose blood I have washed my robes and made them white. It is meditation of HIM that is sweet, not merely doctrines about Him, but of Him. Not merely of His work or His offices, but His own dear Self! there lies the sweetness of it. And the closer we come to His blessed Person, the more truly we have approached the very center of bliss.

THE GOSPEL....It is the word of God which saves souls, not our comment upon it, howsoever correct that comment may be, let us then be scrupulously careful to honour The Holy Ghost by taking the weapon which He has prepared for us, and believing fully in the divine inspiration of the sacred scriptures and expecting that God will prove their inspiration by their effect on the minds and hearts of men.

GREAT SINNER-GREAT SAVIOUR....Do not think of the sinner, or the greatness of his sin, but think of the greatness of The Saviour.

GUIDANCE....Is there anybody here who is going out of this tabernacle to a place where he ought not go? Will he pray first? he knows he cannot ask a blessing on it and therefore he ought not to go there. Go nowhere where you cannot go after prayer, this is the best guide in your choice of where you should go.

PRAYER....No man has so great need to pray as the man who does no care to pray. When you can pray and long to pray, why then you will pray. But when you cannot pray and do not wish to pray, then you must pray, or evil will come of it. He is on the verge of ruin who forgets the mercy-seat.

IN THE GREATNESS....of our trouble there may often be room for the greater display of the goodness of God.