If a man is doing that; if he is earnestly trying to learn what is true, in order that he may do what is right; then he has--I do not say a right--but at least a reason, or a shadow of reason, when he cries to God in his trouble-- "I am Thine, oh save me, for I have sought thy commandments." "I am Thine." Not merely God's creature: the very birds, and bees, and flowers are that; and do their duty far better than I--God forgive me--do mine. "I am Thine." Not merely God's child: the sinners and the thoughtless are that, though--God help them--they care not for Him, nor for His laws, nor for themselves and their glorious inheritance as children of God. And I too am God's child: but I trust that I am more. I am God's school- child. O Lord Jesus Christ, I claim Thy help as my schoolmaster, as well as my Lord and Saviour. I am the least of Thy school-children; and it may be the most ignorant and most stupid. I do not pretend to be a scholar, a divine, a philosopher, a saint. I am a very weak, foolish, insufficient personage; sitting on the lowest form in Thy great school- house, which is the whole world; and trying to spell out the mere letters of Thy alphabet, in hope that hereafter I may be able to make out whole words, and whole sentences, of Thy commandments, and having learnt them, do them. For if Thou wilt but teach me Thy statutes, O Lord, then I will try to keep them to the end. For I long to be on Thy side, and about Thy work. I long to help--if it be ever so little--in making myself better, and my neighbours better. I long to be useful, and not useless; a benefit, and not a nuisance; a fruit-bearing tree, and not a noxious weed, in Thy garden; and therefore I hope that Thou wilt not cut me down, nor root me up, nor let foul creatures trample me under foot. Have mercy on me, O Lord, in my trouble, for the sake of the truth which I long to learn, and for the good which I long to do. Poor little weak plant though I may be, I am still a plant of Thy planting, which is doing its best to grow, and flower, and bear fruit to eternal life; and Thou wilt not despise the work of Thine own hands, O Lord, who died that I might live? Thou wilt not let me perish? I have stuck unto Thy testimonies: O Lord, confound me not. Therefore remember this. If you wish to have reasonable hope when you have to pray--"Lord, save me:" pray first, and pray continually--"Teach me, O Lord, Thy statutes, and I will keep them to the end." SERMON XIII. THE ONE ESCAPE. PSALM CXIX. 67. Before I was troubled, I went wrong: but now have I kept Thy Word. Let me speak this afternoon once more about the 119th Psalm, and the man who wrote it. And first: he was certainly of a different opinion from nine persons out of ten, I fear from ninety-nine out of a hundred, of every country, every age, and every religion.