December 16

“Vea, thou hcardest not, yea, thou knewest not; yea, front, inai time that thine ear was not opened.” — Isaiah xlviu 8

^S^^J^T is painful to remember that, in a certain degree thij; V I accusation may be laid at the door of believer-,, .vho often are in a mea-bare spiritually insensible. e may well bewail ourselves that we do not hear the voice of God as we ought,” Yea, thou heardest not.” There are gentle motions of the Holy Spirit in the soul which are unheeded by us: there are whisperings of divine command and of heavenly love which are alike unobserved by our leaden intellects. Alas! we have been carelessly ignorayit — “Yea, thou knewest not.” There are matters within which we ought to have seen, corruptions which have made headway unnoticed; sweet affections which are being blighted like flowers ir the frost, untended by us; glimpses of the divine face which might be perceived if we did not wall up the windows o£ our soul. But we “have not known.” As we think ol lt we are uun-i led la the deepest self-abasement. How must we adore tiit. race of God as we learn from the context thnt all thi3 t’/iiy and ignorance, on our part, was /ore/cnotwn by God, and, notwithstanding that foreknowledge, He yet has been pleased to deal with us in a way of mercy! Admire the n arvellous sovereign grace which could have chosen us in the Sight of ali this! Wonder at the price that was paid for us when Christ knew what we should be! He woo hung upon tht cross foresaw us as unbelieving, backsliding, cold of hcai, indifferent, careless, lax in prayer, and yet He said, “I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One -.f israel. thy Saviour.... Since thou wast precious in My sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee: therefore wili give aieti for thee, and people for thy life”! O redemption, how wondrously respicudent dost thou shine when we think how blacic we are i (‘Holy Spirit, give us henceforth the hearing ear, the heart!