woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will not I forget thee."[1] What a charming illustration is that here selected! It is not a father's affection, with which the Lord compares His love; one would have thought such a declaration sufficiently earnest. No! it is a mother's love, that is taken for the illustration,—a mother's love, in its fullness of tenderness—her love for her helpless newborn babe. Such, and no less, is the tender affection of our Lord toward us His creatures. Nay, He is not content with even this illustration: He affirms that His love goes beyond this. For it might be a possible thing, it is said, even for a mother's love to fail,—for everything human is weak and changeful, though, least of all affections, the love of a mother. But God is absolutely unchangeable, and His love is infinite. Greater than a mother's love? yes, infinitely! For it is to be remembered, that a mother's love itself, and a father's, too, and all the parental affection of all beings in the universe, are but streams out of the exhaustless fountain of the Divine love.
Again: "Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty glory in his might, nor the rich glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me,—that I am the Lord, who exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord."[2] What an earnest and straightforward declaration is this! Note, then, the following: "Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and His arm shall
