fice, and bore our sins in His own body on the tree. As then, so
now, the path of real prosperity will often lie through deepest
suffering; followers of CHRIST may well be content with the path
which He trod.

But though this prosperity may not be immediately apparent, it will
always be real, and should always be claimed by faith. The minister
in his church, the missionary among the heathen, the merchant at his
desk, the mother in her home, the workman in his labour, each may
alike claim it. Not in vain is it written, "Whatsoever he doeth shall
prosper."

VI. Finally, let us notice that these promises are all in the
indicative mood, and, provided the conditions are fulfilled, are
absolute. There is no "may be" about them. And further, they are made
to individual believers. If other believers fail, he who accepts them
will not; the word is, "Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."

THE CONTRAST.
"The ungodly are not so."

It is not necessary to dwell at any length upon the contrast. The
ungodly cannot enjoy the happiness of the child of GOD, for they
cannot carry out the conditions. They neither can, nor desire to,
avoid the counsel, the society, or the ways of their own fellows; and
they lack that spiritual insight which is essential to delighting in
GOD'S Word. Instead of being full of life, like the tender grain,
they become hard and dry; and the same sun that ripens the one
prepares the other for destruction. Instead of being "planted," the
wind drives them away; and He who delights in the way of His people,
causes the way of the ungodly to perish.

Blessed Adversity.

INTRODUCTORY.

In our meditations on the first Psalm we have dwelt on "Blessed
Prosperity." But all GOD'S dealings are full of blessing: He is good,
and doeth good, good only, and continually. The believer who has
taken the LORD as his SHEPERD, can assuredly say in the words of the
twenty-third Psalm, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all
the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for
ever;" or, taking the marginal reading of the Revised Version, "Only
goodness and mercy shall follow me." Hence, we may be sure that days
of adversity are still days of prosperity aso, and are full of
blessing.

The believer does not need to wait until he sees the reason of GOD'S
afflictive dealings with him ere he is satisfied; he knows that all
things work together for good to them that love GOD; that all GOD'S
dealings are