And what spirit does Mephibosheth shew as the recipient of such favor? He is evidently filled with a profound sense of humility on the one hand and with a corresponding gratitude on the other. Humility because of a vivid apprehension of his own unworthiness and gratitude because of the greatness of the favor. The proportions of the latter tower majestically before his vision, not only absolutely, but all the more because of their relation to and comparison with his sense of his own demerit. And so, looking upon himself and then upon the king's treatment of him, there is such an onrush of genuine humility and grateful recognition that he exclaims: "What is thy servant, that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am?"

Thus has it and will it ever be. Not only will you be characterized by humility before God, in view of your sins, and a grateful acknowledgment of his mercies be forthcoming, but each of these will be enlarged by their mutual influence upon one another and in proportion to the keenness of your apprehension of the truth of things. God may take various ways to open your eyes to see yourself as you are and have been and to behold him and his benefits. And this revelation may vary in degree-more to one than to another. The fountains of your emotions may be stirred more

or less profoundly because of the vision. Deep humility because of sin will be balanced by a correspondingly exalted gratitude because of gracious favor. Thus, in proportion to the individual apprehension of the truth, will there come to each truly penitent soul-standing in the presence of and listening to the declarations of the divine love-such a stirring of the emotional fountains as will mean, whether uttered or unexpressed, the prostration of self in humility before the great King and the grateful exaltation and crowning of him Lord of all,

CHAPTER XI.

RIGHTEOUSNESS.

To still further reveal and illustrate the way of life and confirm you in the faith thereof, let us briefly study one of the great foundation words of the Bible, viz.: Righteousness. In the examination of this term you will find that its relations and meanings vary. Let our present purpose be to find the righteousness which shall be our salvation.

You meet it, for example, in Ps. 97:2, "Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne." Here it refers to God's absolute and essential righteousness, without which his Deity would

cease.

Again Is. 45:19, "I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right." This is God's relative righteousness-a declaration of the expression in word which he makes of his essential nature.

Then too, Jer. 9:24, "Let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord."

Here also is a declaration of God's relative righteousness-the expression of his essential nature in action.

Now, with the foregoing we have nothing to do, so far as our present quest is concerned. This belongs to God, as God, but you are seeking one which you can call your own and be for salvation.

In the pursuit of it we find one which comes exclusively within the domain of human character and conduct and at the same time receives the high commendation of God. And that, too, no matter where found. It is commendable whenever and between whomsoever it may be manifested, the world over, irrespective of their manifold religious distinctions. For example: Jer. 22:3, "Thus saith the Lord: execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place." Then too, Dan. 4:27, "Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee,

and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity."

So also, Lev. 19:15, which might serve as a motto in all our courts, "Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor."

Here then, is a righteousness, more or less possessed and exhibited by all, too much of which we cannot have, and which receives the high commendation of God.

But now a strange thing occurs. You take it and begin to bank on it or build on it—as there is an inveterate tendency in all men to do in the belief and hope that through its agency you will enter into life, and you will immediately have to face the condemnation instead of the commendation of God. What he before approved he now repudiates. For example, Matt. 5:20, "For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." Titus 3:5, "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 the Holy Ghost." Is. 64:6,