"AT THE VOICE OF THY CRY, HE WILL ANSWER THEE." We are often miserable, always unworthy; but our Lord is very merciful and very gracious. He will magnify His grace before angels, men, and devils, in His exceeding kindness toward us; therefore if a sense of our deep depravity and entire unworthiness discourage us, let us appeal to the graciousness of our God, and rely on that. "He will be very gracious unto us at the voice of our cry; when He shall hear it, He will answer." He has said that when forsaking our evil courses, we return unto Him, He will prove Himself gracious. "Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry and He shall say, Here I am." Yea, He will prove Himself very gracious, for He says, "Before they call I will answer; and while they are yet speaking I will hear." O the infinite grace of our gracious God! Lord, keep it uppermost in our minds and before our eyes continually; let it be our encouragement under all the discoveries of depravity we make, and our comfort under all the trials we endure. Let us endeavour to give our God credit for being so "very gracious."

For Meditation:
What from Christ my soul shall sever,
Bound by everlasting bands?
Once in Him, in Him for ever,
Thus the word of promise stands:
None shall pluck me
From the strength of Israel's hands.