January 17

O Lord, I will praise thee. Though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me. Isaiah 12:1.

THOSE who have tasted the bitterness of alienation have enjoyed the luxury of renewed and restored sentiments of friendship and tenderness. But what is peace with a friend, with a brother, or a father, compared with peace with God? “In his favour is life,” and “his lovingkindness is better than life.” Who can describe the calm after a tremendous storm? It is a “peace which passeth all understanding.” It is angels’ food. It is more-

“Never did angels taste above,

Redeeming grace and dying love.”

Angels never knew what it was to have a “certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation” to be delivered from; they never felt the anguish of a wicked conscience, and therefore they never felt the sunshine of rising hope beaming upon their distressed Spirits; but the Christian by faith, placing his arms around the cross, can say with the Apostle, “We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the atonement.”

“Believing, we rejoice

To see the curse remove;

We bless the Lamb with cheerful voice,

And sing his bleeding love.”