Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.- Ps. 32:1.

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly. . . . out his delight is in the law of the Lord.- Ps. 1:1, 2.

Blessed is he that considereth the poor.- Ps. 41:1.

All the world is in pursuit of happiness. Some are seeking it in wealth; others in power and a great name; while the vast proportion think they will find it in pleasure. This pursuit of happiness is an unconscious confession on man's part that he does not possess it; " for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?" So, what a man possesses why does he yet seek for? Ah, beneath all the hurry of business, the rivalry of contending parties, and the shout of merry-making, there is the hungry heart that longs to be satisfied, and is not. In bright contrast to the hunger-a hunger too proud to turn to One who alone can satisfy it, – we have the happiness of the child of God set before us here, its fullness suggested and its fruits manifested in this threefold view. Though taken from the Psalms,
Israel's book, this blessedness is the common portion of all the people of God, brought out indeed into clearer relief through the teaching of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament.

We have first the blessedness of forgiveness. "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." This comes first, whether we look at God's desire to bless, or man's need of blessing; for as to the former, His love is always in holiness, and how can a holy God bless a guilty sinner without a sacrifice of His righteousness, unless all the claims of that righteousness have been perfectly met? As to the need of the sinner, what would be a blessing if forgiveness were withheld? Would possession of all earthly and heavenly things satisfy a guilty soul ? Nay, would not all other blessings apart from this but aggravate his misery ? So when God begins with a soul, this is the first blessing He bestows. It is the kiss with which He meets the repentant prodigal "when he was yet a great way off." Of the fullness of this forgiveness, there is perhaps little need to speak here, save for the joy it ever brings to the heart. " Having forgiven you all trespasses." Who can go behind that all? Satan with his ingenuity to suggest, and our poor hearts with their willingness to receive doubts, are both silent before that word. Nor does its fullness apply to sins in number merely, but to time as well. As to the past, all trespasses have been forgiven ; as to the present "being justified by faith, we have peace with God"; as to the future, "he shall not come into judgment,"-he is in a forgiven state, in a position to which forgiveness attaches.

All this is the more clearly understood and enjoyed when we look at the grounds of this forgiveness. The word for "covered" is also that for making atonement – the true and only covering. When man covers sin, it only brings misery:"When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long, . . . my moisture is turned into the drought of summer." How different when God covers it! It is done on the ground of righteousness, of expiation by Another. The blood upon the mercy seat-"the covering"-told of a sacrifice which had been offered and accepted. Upon that ground the priest, as representing the people, could enter into God's presence for them, and not die; and come out of that presence as God's representative to bless. The reality of all this is blessedly familiar to us, who know that Christ now appears in the presence of God for us, as our representative, having first as that been made sin for us; nay, that we ourselves have "boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus"; who also know that the Holy Ghost has come out to us the witness of our acceptance and the bearer of heavenly gifts to us. Truly we may say " blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered."

But God does not leave a man merely forgiven, as we well know, nor does salvation make us fit for heaven while leaving us unfit for earth. In days of looseness we need to guard all points. The freeness of the gospel is attacked, but there are also not wanting those who would "turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness." But how careful is God's word to guard against any such misuse of grace. '' The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, . . . of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." (Gal. 5:19-21.) "For this ye know that no whoremonger, nor unclean person . . . hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words." (Eph. 5:5, 6.) "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God." (i Cor. 6:9, 10.) Here we have a solemn and concurrent testimony from three epistles most unlike in their contents and points of view. Galatians was written to those in danger of going back to law; Ephesians to those "faithful in Christ Jesus," who could appreciate the fullness of blessing, both for the individual and the church, which is unfolded in that epistle; while Corinthians treats of disorders in a church where grace was known and gifts enjoyed, but all was abused. Yet from whatever viewpoint, the judgment is the same, the testimony identical. And so it is with all Scripture:the walk in this world is of the utmost importance.

Now in our second Scripture this is pressed. '' Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly. . . . but his delight is in the law of the Lord."

The child of God is here described in two ways – negatively and positively. He is separated from evil-"cease to do evil"; then occupied with good-"learn to do well." It is a familiar truth that we are formed by our associations:it needs no proof, only exhortation that we take it to heart. In all its forms, intercourse with the ungodly is forbidden,- whether walking, standing, or sitting, indicating the various grades of intimacy. Christ is our example. If he was "the friend of sinners," He was also "separate from sinners." We need not add that heart separation is meant. There is no conceivable way in which God's children can break down the wall of separation between them and the world, without peril to their souls. No link of business or religion, social or political, between God's children and the world is contemplated in Scripture. We can be and should be kind, helpful, and gracious; but "the plowing of the wicked is sin," and the unequal yoke will sooner or later gall the neck of him who wears it. We cannot too strongly impress this upon the young Christian. How many bright lights have grown dim through neglect of it! How many happy hearts have grown heavy!

But God does not deal in mere negations. If we are to free ourselves from that which denies, it is that we may be engaged with that which is good. And what a place is here given to the Scriptures; "his delight is in the law of the Lord." In a day when God's word is being attacked and doubted, we need to be recalled to it. "Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven." "Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name," above all else that declares God – His works, His providence, His judgments. God's word is God speaking to us, showing us His mind and the thoughts of His heart. Do we delight in it ? Is it a constant and growing pleasure to dwell upon it ? Is it our one book, studied, held up in every light, fed upon, meditated upon ? The danger is not so much that we will know the Bible intellectually only, as that we will not know it well. . Let us read it as never before. Let our thoughts be upon it "day and night," our opinions formed by it, our path marked by it. What do we know of it as yet ? The best instructed will reply, "but little." And, yet it lies open to us, inviting our search into it and assuring us that we will be most richly rewarded.

Of the results of this delight in God's word and the fruits of meditating upon it, we need only look at the tree planted by the rivers of water – fresh in leaf and yielding seasonable fruit. Is it thus with us ?

Man was made for God, and can never be truly at rest until he is with God. We know what a sense of loneliness comes over us if we have man only before us. Not even the word of God, did it not bring us into intimate fellowship with Himself, could do away with this sense of loneliness. The heart craves an object, and that object must be a living person. We are reminded of this by the last quotation at the head of this paper, "Blessed is he that considereth the poor."

In the psalm just preceding this (Psa. 60:), and which unquestionably refers to the Lord Jesus, who came to do God's will by the sacrifice of Himself, and who was brought low, even into the '' horrible pit and miry clay,"we hear Him saying, "I am poor and needy." "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich" (in glory and in honor) "yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through His poverty might be made rich." Christ is the poor Man whom it is blessed to consider. Are we tempted to murmur ? Consider the poor Man, stripped of all,-poor in life, infinitely poor in death, as deprived of the smile of God,- consider all that He was deprived of, and can we murmur ? Are we tempted to be envious, vainglorious ? Again the divine remedy is in the consideration of that poor Man who did not clutch at that which was His right – to be equal with God – but resigned it all and took a servant's form; and where is the vainglory? If the Son of God has taken the lowest place, who dare take a higher? Oh, as we "survey the wondrous cross," envy, vainglory vanish; we learn, in the light of that self-abasement, to "pour contempt on all our pride."

Would not we realize more what true blessedness is did we have our adorable Lord more constantly before our souls ? Beds of languishing would be turned into places of worship did we thus consider the poor.

How full a blessing we thus have – forgiveness to give peace and liberty; the word of God and a narrow path to enjoy it in; and above all a precious Savior and Lord, who has come very near to us, and would constantly be drawing our hearts nearer to Himself. May He give all His dear people to know increasingly what a blessed portion we have.