spective glance at God's dealings with us, may we apply to ourselves the language of these texts.

I. All believers are divinely led. What was true of the Israelites in the wilderness is no less true of every child of God in all the circumstances of his life. From the beginning to the end of his course he is the subject of Divine guidance.

1. He is led, not driven. It is true of every man that his course is determined by a higher power. The old proverb, "man proposes but God disposes," is but a recognition of the fact that while the moral quality of our actions is not interfered with, there is, whether we like it or not, a providence which ordains our circumstances, and through these influences our procedure, so that we cannot always go where and do what we would. The most ungodly man is hemmed in by this overruling providence (albeit in spite of himself), as much as the most devout saint, and the outward conditions of his life are, as much as those of the other, the result of a divine plan.

But the difference between him and the godly man is, that while he sees no paternal love or superior wisdom in the providence, and therefore reluctantly yields to it, or chafes under it, or kicks against it as an unpleasant and inexorable necessity; the other, if he be in a truly Christian state of mind, sees

in the providence the planning of a wisdom superior to his own, and the workings of an infinite lovethe wisdom and love of his Almighty Father and Friend-and therefore, painful as they may be, cheerfully acquiesces in its arrangements. The one is driven by providence, the other is led. The one goes reluctantly and grudg ingly because he cannot do otherwise, the other cheerfully because he believes it best. The one takes his place in the spirit of a slave when driven by the fear of the lash; the other in the spirit of a child who knows that his father's wisdom is superior to his own, and that what his father appoints must prove most conducive to his welfare. It is true that he could not successfully resist if he would; but it is also true that he has no desire to resist. He does not wish to take the arrangement of his circumstances into his own hand. He does not wish them to be otherwise than God ordains. He does not complain that his way is rough, he does not desire to leave it. His prayer is "Teach me thy way, O Lord." "Guide me with thy counsel." Thus there is no compulsion used with him: he is not driven, but gently led.

2. It is the Lord that leads him. This is implied in what we have just been saying; but it is worthy of special notice as showing where he looks for guidance. Nearly all

men have their leaders, whom they follow more or less implicitly. A few are strong enough and bold enough to consult only their own inclination, and do what pleases themselves without respect to any external authority. The greater number are led by fashion. Some one of lofty station sets an example, and others follow in train like sheep after their leader. There is no question with them as to the rectitude of the course they pursue-not much question as to its utility very little regard to its convenience or comfort; it is enough that it has been chosen by those of superior station, and is very generally adopted. How often do we hear it said "Such and such an article is very much in use now —such and such a thing is always done in certain circles." And this is deemed an imperative reason for the observance of customs with which it may be neither right nor pleasant to comply, because the poor slaves dare not act otherwise than as fashion prescribes.

With the godfearing man it is very widely different. He dare not follow his own inclination implicitly, for he knows that that is very often the result and expression of the lower part of his nature; and ere he ventures to follow its dictates he considers whether they are in accordance with the divine will. Still less is he led by fashion. To him it matters little what

others may do or say.

He cannot

be guided by their opinions or observances, for he knows that he will be tried by another standard that God and not man shall be his judge. And though he may dislike as much as anyone to be singular, not wishing to lay himself open to the charge of bigotry or presumption, as if he would rebuke, or thought himself superior to, others, he dare not be otherwise if the course generally pursued will not bear to be tested by the unerring word of God. His will, not the prescriptions of fashion-His pleasure, not the dictates of inclination-is the rule of life to all who are divinely led.

3. But how, it may be asked, are we to know what the will of the Lord is? How are we to know what course He would have us pursue? We know that in morals such and such acts are forbidden and such and such acts enjoined ; but where no moral principle is involved, how are we to know what He requires? How are we to know whether He would have us follow this or that occupation, and reside in this or that neighbourhood? Where Scripture says nothing, and no special or miraculous intimation of the divine will is to be looked for, how are we to learn what that will is? How are we to make sure of being divinely led? In no way can we gain this assurance but by studying with

singleness of purpose His word and providence. Without miraculous or special intimation of His will, the Lord guides those who earnestly seek His guidance. He directs their steps who acknowledge Him in all their ways. Where the motive is pure and the will submissive the path of duty is generally plain. Even Scripture unfolds its meaning to the single eye, and the dispensations of Providence are correctly interpreted where no evil inclination leads men astray. Whereas neither Scripture nor Providence will be rightly understood when looked at with an eye obscured or jaundiced by prejudice, or self-interest, or lust. Our prayer, therefore, should be that God may purify our motives, and by freeing us from every evil bias enable us to judge aright. This state of mind attained, we may feel confident that whatever the conclusion at which we arrive, or the course we resolve to pursue, we are under Divine guidance. God does not leave to himself in any step of his life any one who is actuated by such singleness of purpose. Where the eye is single the whole body is full of light, and "the meek will He guide in judgment." And though the conclusion to which we are thus brought may necessitate a painful course of action from which we shrink, and issue in results which we have never sought, we may nevertheless

feel as sure of being divinely led as Israel was when the pillar of cloud went before them by day and the pillar of fire by night.

The troubles in which we are involved are no argument against this, and need not disturb the equanimity of our souls as if we were suffering the consequences of our own mistake. God never promised not to bring us into trouble. He led the Israelites into the wilderness, He led the three young men into the fiery furnace, and Daniel into the lions' den. He has led some to the scaffold, and others to the stake. And we cannot doubt for a moment that He has led us if our motives have been pure. Had we taken our own course, had we sought our own advantage, had we followed our own pleasure, had we rushed hastily into questionable positions because of the profit or enjoyment which they promised

-or had we, while doubtful of their propriety, tried, because we liked them, to persuade ourselves that they were right-then, indeed, we might conclude that we had gone sadly astray, and by our wrong choice brought this evil upon ourselves. But when we have sought earnestly to know the divine will; when we are conscious of having been actuated by the simple desire to know and to do what is right; when we have prayed that God would guide us and keep us from judging wrongly,

the consequences which have ensued need excite in us no feeling of regret, for they are no proof that in any step of our life we have been otherwise than divinely led.

II. All believers are safely led. "He led them on in safety." This is the natural consequence of God's leading. They must be led safely who are led divinely. By this we are not to understand that they are led by an easy way, or a pleasant way, or a way in itself free from danger. Such was not the case with Israel. Such has not been the case very often with us. The way by which the Lord leads may be

1. A difficult way. The life of the Israelites in the wilderness was by no means a life of ease. They had long and fatiguing journeys to make over rough, sometimes over sandy, ground, up difficult mountain passes, under a burning sun; and this sometimes when they were hungry and thirsty, and their souls fainted in them. They had numerous conflicts, moreover, with the tribes into whose territory they entered, and not a little work to do in pitching and striking their tents, in gathering their daily food, and in other things incident to a wilderness life. It was by no means such a mode of life as a man would choose who wished to enjoy ease and dignity. And God still leads His people by a way

where they have many difficulties to encounter and much work to do. They are called not to a life of ease, but to a life of toil. They are to be soldiers, not loiterers about the camp-labourers, not idlers. They have to " work out their own salvation with fear and trembling." And it is not an easy thing to keep a constant watch over one's own heart, and to contend with the evil principles which are still lurking there; to keep that vineyard free from the trespass of evil thoughts, and root up the ever-springing weeds which are indigenous to the soil; amidst the many hostile influences which threaten to extinguish it, to keep the lamp of grace always burning. This, with the work which must be done for God in the world— work to which there are so many pressing calls, and which is felt to be most urgent by those who are most alive to the claims of Christ-work from which there can be no retirement while strength for work remains-makes the Christian life anything but a life of ease. And to no one who knows its difficulties will it appear strange that sometimes there should break from the lips of the weary labourer the cry, "O that I had wings like a dove, for then would I fly away and be at rest!"

2. A painful way. Israel's fastings and thirst, Israel's conflicts and toil, Israel's footsore wander

ings, Israel's graves in the wilderness, were not very fitted to minister to their pleasure, but so severely trying that, now and again, they would fain have returned to Egypt with its bondage and its fleshpots. God was leading them to a rich inheritance, but not by a flowery path. Their march was no triumphal procession. They did not enter Canaan even with banners streaming, and trumpets sounding, and crowds huzzaing; but travel-stained and weather-beaten, bearing the scars of conflict, and the marks of privation and pain. A severe discipline of forty years had been allotted to them, that the horde of slaves might be changed into a nation of freemen. And in our spiritual pilgrimage we are subject to a similar discipline. Our life, though blessed, is not spent in self-pleasing. Self-denial and self-mortification, painful wrestlings, await us ere we enter the eternal rest. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous." Trials in their circumstances, affliction. in their person or their families, very often befall them; their path is sometimes darkened by the shadow of household graves. To all, these things come more or less. To some, they come in such abundance that nearly every step in their course is painful, and their soul is much discouraged because of the way.

3. A dangerous way. Was not Israel's dangerous? With Pharaoh's host pursuing; with mountains hemming them in on the one side, and on the other the waves of the Red Sea rolling at their feet; with forty years' wandering in a land which yielded neither food nor water; with numerous and powerful foes surrounding them and contesting nearly every stage of their progress; with the Jordan to cross and the swarming and gigantic inhabitants of Palestine to oppose them, was not their way so

fraught with dangers that but for divine protection they must as a nation have been utterly destroyed? So likewise dangers attend our steps which but for divine protection would not fail to prove fatal. We are placed in jeopardy every hour. The foes which are constantly seeking our destruction; the temptations which assail us; the evil influences which surround us in the positions which in the Providence of God we are called to occupy; our own heart's tendencies would, were it not that God has kept us, have long ere now have led us to make shipwreck of faith and of a good conscience. And the wrecks which are strewn all along our course; the Judases who have betrayed their Lord; the Demases who have forsaken him, having loved this present world; the num