until a higher interference has done something that will give them the decency of men, irrespective of the privileges and blessings of Christians. Thus then, my dear friends, in the history of that plague to which I have alluded, we have, in the lessons it has taught us, and in the interposition it necessitates on behalf of the degraded poor, a practical comment on the text, "The Lord executeth judgment and righteousness for all them that are oppressed." And I may state, in asking you to give this day to that excellent society, the London City Mission,-composed as it is of all denominations. of Christians, irrespective of name, communion, or class, who love the Lord Jesus Christ,-that it was its agents who first of all called attention to the physical statistics of 118 RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUDGMENT. the subterranean and secluded and dark districts of London. They were first in the field; they brought up the first specimens from these strange "diggings;" and those specimens induced others, possessed of equal benevolence, to go and see if they could find similar results. They did so, and showed there were deeps deeper still; but little comparatively was done to remedy the evils which existed, and therefore God sent this last monitor, which has pointed it out more forcibly than ever, and made us not only see, but also feel. And God grant that such a feeling may be permanently and practically beneficent. CHAPTER VIII. GOD'S WAYS. "He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel."-Psalm ciii. 7. THE Psalmist points out the next ground of gratitude to God. First, he shows that we are to bless him, because "He executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed." Next, he tells us that we are to praise him, "because He made known his ways unto Moses, and his acts to the children of Israel." God's ways are frequently spoken of in Scripture as revealed by himself: thus Moses in speaking of him says, "Now therefore I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may find grace in thy sight; and consider that this nation is thy people." In answer to the prayer of Moses, that God would show him his way, God, in the language of this Psalm, "made known his ways unto Moses;" and the first turning of that way, the first portion of that bright and beautiful and holy way, which God made known unto Moses, was in these words,-"I am the Lord thy God, merciful,and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin;" an apocalypse of love-a display of infinite goodness. Another way that God made known to Moses, was the way of Grace. We are told in Deut. vii. 6, "Thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people but because the Lord loved you, and because He would keep the oath which He had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt." To Moses there was thus revealed another part of the way of God, in his sovereign goodness to those that are his, loving them and blessing them, not because they had merits to deserve the blessing, but because he had mercy to bestow it. You have the way of God's faithfulness revealed |