HE Lord gave his people shelter in the time of pestilence, for he had promised, "There shall no evil befall thee; neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling." The former verses celebrate the Passover of those who dwell in God.

After the Passover came a journey to Canaan; and the promise of the covenant angel and his keeping them in all their ways, fitly follow upon the rescue from the plague.

We, too, are pilgrims on our way to Canaan. He who set us free by the Passover deliverance also provides for our journey to the land which floweth with milk and honey. All the way to the promised land is covered by this divine safe conduct.

1. Ways of presumption. In these men court danger, and, as it were, defy God. "Cast thyself down," said Satan to our Lord, and then urged this promise (Matt. 4:6).
2. Ways of sin, dishonesty, lying, vice, worldly conformity, etc. We have no permit to bow in the house of Rimmon (Eph. 5:12).
3. Ways of worldliness, selfishness, greed, ambition. The ways by which men seek personal aggrandizement are usually dark, and crooked, and are not of God (Prov. 28:22; 1 Tim. 6:9).
4. Ways of pride, self-conceit, boastful promisings, pretended perfection, etc. "Pride goeth before destruction."
5. Ways of will worship, willfulness, obstinacy, fancy, day-dreaming, absurd impulse, etc. (Jer. 2:18).
6. Ways of erroneous doctrine, novel practice, fashionable ceremonial, flattering delusion, etc. (2 Tim. 3:5).

1. The Lord Himself concerns Himself about them: "He shall give his angels charge over thee." He will personally command those holy beings to have an eye to His children. David charged his troops to spare Absalom, but his bidding was disregarded. It is not so with God.
2. Mysterious agencies protect them: angels bear them up in their hands, as nurses carry little children. Wonderful tenderness and power! Angels acting as servants to men!
3. All things are on their side, both visible and invisible. Command is laid on all to protect the saints. "Thou hast given commandment to save me" (Ps. 71:3).
4. Each one is personally watched over. "Charge over thee to keep thee (Isa. 13:6; Gen. 28:15).
5. That watchfulness is perpetual "All thy ways" (Ps. 121:3-4).
6. This guard also confers honor. How noble a thing to have the courtiers of heaven for a corps de garde!
7. All this comes to them by Jesus, whose the angels are, and whom they serve (Isa. 43:4).

• See how the lowest employment is consistent with the highest enjoyment. Keeping guard over the Lord's stumbling children is no discredit to angels.


• How cheerfully we should watch over others! How vigorously should we hold them up whenever it is in our power! To cast off a stumbling brother is not angelic, but the reverse.


• How safe we ought to feel, how fully trustful we ought to be! Alexander slept soundly, "for;' said he, "Parmenio wakes."


• How holy we should be with such holy ones for watchers! Great privileges involve heavy responsibilities.

Whilst King William, at a battle in Flanders, was giving orders in the thickest of the fight, he saw to his surprise among his staff one Michael Godfrey, a merchant of London, and Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, who had thus exposed himself in order to gratify his curiosity. The king, riding up to him, said, "Sir, you ought not to run these hazards; you are not a soldier, you can be of no use here)' "Sire;' answered Godfrey, "I run no more hazard than your majesty)' "Not so," said William, "I am here where it is my duty to be, and I may, without presumption, commit my life to God's keeping; but you — " The sentence needed no completion, for at that very moment a cannon ball laid Godfrey lifeless at the king's feet. He had been wise had he restricted himself to the ways of his calling and duty.

Old Humphrey has a good paper against wandering from the path of duty, suggested by a notice at the entrance of a park: "Take notice. In walking through these grounds, you are requested to keep the footpath." Bunyan has supplied the same theme for solemn warning, in the pilgrim straying into Bye-path meadow. — Bowes

A dying saint asked that his name should be put upon his tombstone with the dates of his birth and death, and the one word, "Kept."

Our protection is in other hands than our own. In the way of duty we are as safe as in heaven. Not alone in great dangers, but in little ones we are secure if we are in the right way, for we are kept from stumbling-stones as well as from fiery darts. Our guards are such as no enemy, can resist, for they are strong; such as no evil can escape, for they are swift; such as no weariness can tire, for they are never weary. We have a body-guard of Immortals, each one of them invincible, unflagging, loyal, loving, and full of fire. Each angel may truly say, "A charge to keep I have."

Keep it he will till the Lord Himself shall receive our spirit. No angel will give in his account with sorrow, saying, "I could not keep him; the stones were too many, his feet too feeble, the way too long." No, we shall be kept to the end; for in addition to angels, we have the safeguard of their Lord: He keepeth the feet of His saints (1 Sam. 2:9).