Despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him." (Heb. 12:5.)

Sweet lessons learned in sorrow,
Our God, we dearly prize.
We would not from Thy discipline,
Our Father, hide our eyes.
E'en though the school be strict and stern,
We would the needed lesson learn.

We 're evil, weak, and foolish,
And know not how to choose.
Our God, Thou couldst not trust us-
Thy trust we would abuse.
Denial, though it break the heart,
Is e'er the faithful Father's part.

We change, and are forgetful :
Our God, Thou canst not change.
Our wanderings, our waywardness,
Thy love can ne'er estrange.
For Thine unfailing faithfulness,
Thee we learn, our God, to bless.

Grapes will yield their precious juices
When crushed beneath the press :
The sweetest songs we sing, Lord,
Are born of deep distress.
One sorrow less I would not have
Than Thou hast sent me in Thy love.

Oh discipline most holy,
That works His precious will! "
Despise not thou His chastening,
Nor faint," but rest thee still. "
He spoils the child who spares the rod."
Our Father is th' eternal God.

H. McD.

March 14th, 1891

DIFFERENT SCHOOLS OF HOLINESS.

To clear the way, it might be helpful to bear in mind that there are at least four views of the subject of holiness. The variations are numerous and diverse, but nearly all might be ranged under one or other of the views now to be described.

1. There is what may be called the Perfectionist School. An advocate of this view fairly puts what is taught by them by saying that in those cleansed or sanctified there remains " no defiling taint of depravity, no bent toward acts of sin." This is by an American. General Booth, in Britain, gives a similar testimony when he says that "the last remnants of the carnal mind may be plucked up by the roots, and the tendencies to evil taken away." Another advocate, in New Zealand, writes that the Savior " can just now extirpate the foe, expel the fiend, and extract the virus of sin from the human heart." This might be thought to be thorough enough work, but somehow it is also allowed that the sanctified man may be liable to errors of judgment, and by temptation from without he may again yield to sin, lose the blessing, and even so fall away as to be finally lost. It is said that Charles Wesley was sanctified four times, and yet held that it was possible for him to be lost after all. Others might not go so far; but they would admit that they might lose what they call the second blessing, and slip back among the great mass of believers who do not profess holiness or sanctification.

2. There is what we may call the Evangelical School It has been stated as follows by a moderator from the chair in his opening address in the Free Church General Assembly in Edinburgh, Scotland:" Christ's blood purges our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. We are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, in mind, in will, in heart, and sin hath not dominion over us, because we are under grace." "It cannot, however, be set forth as within the plan of redemption that perfect holiness should be ours on earth. If we wash our hand with snow-water, and make ourselves ever so clean, we are quickly plunged into the ditch again, and compelled to cry out, 'Oh wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?'" "We are not, therefore, defeated :we have learned that sin is not omnipotent over us, but that grace is omnipotent over sin." " There is no sin, no temptation, no obstinacy, no vitality of sin, which grace is not almighty to overcome, and at last to uproot it." In this view, as in the previous one, be it observed, there is no admission of there being two natures in the believer. In both views the whole man is supposed to be dealt with:the one relies upon the efficacy of the blood to cleanse from all sin, the other looks to the almighty power of grace to overcome evil. The Perfectionist holds that the cleansing is complete when he has believed for it; the Evangelical more modestly allows that sin will not be uprooted tilt death; but, being Calvinistic in his faith, he believes that he will persevere till death, and immediately be with and like Christ in glory; but both schools deny that a Christian has two natures, and fail to bring out the truth as to the first and last Adam, or the old and new creation. (Rom. 5:12-21; Eph. 2:i-10; 4:22-25.) W.C.J.

( To be continued.)

"And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works." (Heb. 10:24.) "If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." (Gal. 6:1:) "For consider Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." (Heb. 12:3.)

In these passages, three objects are presented for our consideration:our brother, ourselves, and the Lord. Cain's question, "Am I my brother's keeper?" is for the child of God answered in the first verse quoted-"Let us consider one another."We are not only members of His body (Eph. 5:30), and quoted to our glorified Head, but from that very fact are members one of another, and are to have the same care one for another (i Cor. 12:) Indifference to his brother's spiritual condition is impossible for the Christian. " If one member suffer, all the members suffer with it." Selfish indeed is that heart which has room only for its own interests, that sees unmoved by concern the coldness or failure of a fellow-Christian. Such a state of itself is proof of a low condition. We are to consider one another, and this not in a merely incidental way in passing, but to thoroughly look at and examine the condition. This is the thought conveyed in the word in the Greek. It is the boast of Rome that in the confessional, she gains a full and intimate knowledge of the walk, and even thoughts, of her followers. But here, as in much else, she has only the counterfeit of what is true. The tyranny, insolence, and wickedness of the confessional cannot be too strongly condemned; but a counterfeit must, in some particulars, resemble the real,-and Protestantism, in exalting the right of private conscience, has gone to the other extreme in the almost total neglect of discipline, and godly care for one another. Farthest removed from the spirit of a prying busy-body is that loving and watchful care suggested by the passage we are considering. The object of this care is also stated:"To provoke unto love and good works." The word translated "provoke" is suggestive. The literal meaning is "to sharpen," and we are reminded of that passage, "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." (Prov. 27:17.) It is by rubbing two knives together that they are sharpened, and so godly care and intercourse stir up the people of God. Love and good works are what we are to provoke to, the root and the fruits. Alas! we know what it is to provoke to anger, but how little of this kind of stirring up ! The Lord arouse us all to this. There may be real self-denial required to carry it out. Rebuke may be necessary, faithfully pointing out the wrong, checking the hasty zeal; and much wisdom and prayer is needed.

This we find in the second exhortation, "Considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." A busy-body might be defined as one who meddles in the affairs of others without any conscience. In morbid physical conditions a person will eat earth, or ashes, with relish. Alas! how great an appetite many have for evil, not to remedy it', but apparently for its own sake! Now the remedy for this is suggested in the passage before us, "Considering thyself." What am I? What have I been doing? What am I capable of doing? These and such like searching questions will have the effect of giving us " low thoughts of self;" we will "each esteem others better than ourselves." Considering himself, the apostle could say, "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints." It has often been remarked that if we are to wash our brother's feet, we are to take a lower place than he-to be his servant; we can only do this as we realize that we also may be tempted, that we have often failed. Beloved, how little fault-finding there would be if we first considered ourselves ! How little of that carping spirit of criticism which magnifies the errors of a brother, and dwells upon evil! How little of that harsh inflexible spirit of so-called righteousness which will exact the "pound of flesh" at all costs! The severest judges are those who do not judge themselves. Even in a matter requiring discipline, God often has first to humble those who would act for Him. See in Judges, where He permits all eleven tribes, who would deal with Benjamin for permitting terrible sin, to be beaten once and again, until thoroughly broken they come with tears and sacrifices, and ask, " Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin, my brother? (Judg. 20:26-28.) Now they are in the place of acknowledged weakness, and from that go forth in power for God. In principle, the Lord often has to say to us, "Let him that is without sin among you cast the first stone." This does not mean that we are not to attempt the restoration of a brother, but that it must be done in the spirit of self-consideration, or it will be worse than useless.

Lastly, we are to "consider Him." The word here is much stronger than the other two. It might be rendered " reckon up," " reason about fully," " consider attentively." No mere glance at the Lord is necessary, but a fixed and constant gaze. Here He is set before us in view of the trials and persecutions of the way. What did He do ? did He grow weary and faint? Nay, "For the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross and despised the shame." If He were ever before us, our walk would be more like His, unswerving from the path. How easily we are turned away by a frown, or a sneer! Specially is this the case in what we are considering-our dealings with our brother. The flesh in him stirs it up in us often times in a way that shows we are not "considering Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself." What meekness He showed in the presence of those who spat upon, smote Him on the head and buffeted Him! No word of self-vindication in any angry way, no answering back, all shows us the One who "was led as a lamb to the slaughter," and who "left us an example that ye should follow His steps. . . . Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously." If He did this in presence of sinners can we not bear the little we may meet with in saints f There is no excuse for us, if we fail in this-and it is just, here where so much hurt and damage, not only to our own souls but to the Church, has come in. How blessed it is that the Holy Spirit would ever keep our eye on Christ, from the first time when we looked to Him lifted up on the cross (Jno. 3:15) and got life and peace, in every trial and step of the way, till no longer by faith, but face to face we see Him, having been made like Him. In view of that day, we can well afford to wait in patience and weakness during this "little while."

With what is merely denominational, we would feel that we had very little, if any thing, to do. But when events occur which involve the truth of God, or show either an awakening of conscience among His people or the reverse, it is certainly well to see what we ' can learn from them. For some time past there has been considerable agitation among Presbyterians as to making certain changes in their Confession of Faith. The object is, to secure changes such as the removal of objectionable statements in the chapter on Election, and to bring out more clearly the precious truth of God's love. There have been extremists, on the one hand, who would make sweeping alterations, not having much sympathy with the system of doctrine contained in the book, while on the other there are many, and those representing the most conservative element in the church, who deprecate making any changes at all. The general sentiment, however, is, that certain changes of the character above indicated should be made, and a committee of the Genera) Assembly is now at work to this end.

One might well ask, Why should there be any such creed at all ? At best, if strictly correct in doctrine, it usurps a place which should be occupied only by the inspired Word of God, thereby making the claim, practically if not verbally, of Rome – that the church is the teacher of doctrine, which is stated too obscurely in Scripture to be understood. Premising this, which would do away with all necessity for revision, we would notice here two elements at work, – one which would do away with precious truth, and the other desirous of stating that truth more clearly. These discussions necessitate examination of Scripture; and so far, we can be thankful, for God's Word studied for light always gives it. It may be that some will be led to see the unscripturalness of creeds from this very necessity for revision. Soon saints will see, in the light of the judgment-seat of Christ, that this was not required of them, and that instead of being helps, creeds are but barriers to keep God's people apart. The practical lesson for those who see this now is to show by their own skillful use of the Word itself how needless any creed would be. Alas! wide-spread ignorance of Scripture prevails. Would that it might be remedied !

Moses, the servant of the Lord, was dead. Type of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Deliverer of His people, he had finished his work. He had delivered them by the blood from the midnight judgment which had overtaken Egypt, and from the stubborn grasp of the mighty Pharaoh by passing them through the sea. He had faithfully led them through the wilderness for forty years, and with such patience and meekness that he had won for himself the enviable title of "Moses, the servant of the Lord." All this brings out the character of our Lord as the One who has delivered us from the wrath to come by His precious blood, from the thraldom of sin and Satan by passing us through His death, and who now leads us along our journey with utmost faithfulness and grace.

But Joshua unfolds to us another character of our Lord. It is as the risen and glorified One He now appears in this new servant-as the One who leads His delivered people into the present, practical possession of the inheritance to which He has given a clear title. Who that thinks of the return of our Lord to His glory-no longer simply "Son of God," but now also "Son of Man," and thus introducing man into that glory,-who that thinks of it with faith and does not feel new throbbings in his bosom? The same Man who was on Calvary's cross, crying from the heart of the darkness, " Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani," as far from God as a man can be, because of sin-our sin,-that same Man now at home in the presence of the glory of God. And we, poor things who merited the judgment of God, not only freed from it, but introduced thus, in the person of the glorified Jesus, into the glory of heaven-of the immediate presence of God ! This it is that makes us sing in truth,-

" We are but strangers here,
Heaven is our home !
Earth is a desert drear,
Heaven is our home !

What an hour for the hosts of heaven when He concerning whom they had received the command, " Let all the angels of God worship Him," returned to His place of glory clothed in humanity for evermore ! What unspeakable honor bestowed upon us! What exaltation after such degradation ! Oh the triumphs of grace !

But the laying hold of this in our souls-the taking possession of it till it marks our daily life as citizens of heaven and no longer of earth-this is what our Lord, after delivering us, labors continually to lead into. So earthly-minded are we, however, such lovers of our own will and way, so afraid of the difficulties which arise from this, that to encounter and overcome all, the leader of the people is three times admonished to "be strong, and of a good courage."

The admonition to the leader marks the tendencies of the people, and it necessarily applies also to all such as follow on ; for if the leader has to overcome these tendencies in them, they have to overcome them in themselves.

The first admonition (5:6) is based upon the certainty of final success. None would persevere through the hour of trial without faith as to the end. Being heirs of God, and our inheritance sure, He now labors to bring us into the practical enjoyment of it. If our earthly mind roots itself in wife, children, houses, lands, money, position, He will faithfully blow upon them all, root us up, and in mercy hasten us on toward our inheritance. It was all right for a Jew to be earthly-minded,-his inheritance was the earth,-but it will not do for a man to whom "an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, is reserved in heaven." (i Pet. 1:4.)

The second time, it is based upon the necessity of being wholly governed by the Word of God-of being permeated with His mind and will therein made known (10:7, 8). Mere acquaintance with the Scripture,-mere ability to delineate it, and classify its varied and marvelous contents will not do. Revelation was not given to entertain the Athenians, but so to communicate the mind and will of God to the man whose will is surrendered to God as to mold him afresh, and transform him both in mind and ways. We are always in special danger as to this, and more so now than ever perhaps, because of the pre-eminence given to intellect over conscience. This second admonition, therefore, is intensified:" Only be thou strong, and very courageous." Is there any thing in which we need the Lord's ministration more than for the hearty enjoyment of and conscientious subjection to the Word of God ? Yet by this alone it is that He can promise, " Then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

The third rests upon the whole matter itself issuing from God, and His own presence among them (5:9). "Have not I commanded thee?" To faith, this is the whole secret. If God be the source of it, there can be nothing small or insignificant in it, or that would be unworthy of the most courageous battling. Then His presence goes with His oracles, so that whatever difficulties there be in the way (and is there greater difficulty than to walk here as Christ walked ?), there His presence is to meet us :" The Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." Who is the foe we cannot overcome if God be with us as well as for us ? Let the walls of Jericho tower up to heaven, and all the hosts of the enemy gather themselves together, what are they all to the weak few, though they be, who have the living God among them ?

Brethren, the necessity of our souls, through conscious sin and guilt, made it imperative for us to follow Moses our Deliverer, but strength and courage are needed now to follow Joshua our Leader into the land. There be not a few who have followed Moses-partaken of the salvation, and yet forget that God said to Joshua, "As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee" (5:5),-that is, Joshua's part is as important before God as Moses'. They have tasted the sweets of grace, but have neither strength nor courage to break loose from the world and cross boldly over with Joshua, as men who have there an inheritance of their own,-who appreciate it, and intend to take possession of it, cost what it may. What a loss ! which no amount of activity of service or works of benevolence can ever make up for.

Through David's courageous warfare, the enemies had been subdued, and "Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, from Dan even to Beersheba," and an abundance of materials had been gotten together to build there a place of delights to the Lord. Alas ! it did not last. The man who could make every letter of the alphabet celebrate the virtues of the Word of God (Ps. 119:) was no more. It had, in time, even come to pass that the high-priest had to say, " I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord" (2 Kings 22:); and so all Israel had fallen into decrepitude, and become a prey to the horde of enemies who were but too glad to spoil and ravage what, for a time, had been so humiliating to them.
But (oh, the mercy of God !) the priest finds the book ; the king eats it, and from the strength thereof he renews the holy warfare and keeps such a passover that it is written of it, "Surely there was not holden such a pass-over from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah ; but in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, wherein this passover was holden to the Lord in Jerusalem." (10:22, 23.) Yet the determined and near judgment of God had not been set aside, but rather declared afresh with greater emphasis (10:15-20). It was therefore no spirit of enthusiasm in Josiah, based on some false hope or ambitious purpose. It was the quick and powerful Word of God in a man whose heart was true, and who "walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left."

Beloved, is it so with us? Lord, is it so with me? P. J. L.

Nothing happens without the Lord, not even the fall to the earth of one sparrow. This gives to God His proper place in all things occurrent and happening ; not only is He, in being, before all, but in all that occurs, His hand is the most important feature in the case. Satan could not act against Job or Paul without divine permission; and whatever Satan might mean in the one case or the other, God meant blessing, pure blessing, for His servants, and that eternal blessing. I hear you are depressed-it matters little what men call it-to me, as having one infinitesimal of faith, it is " of God," and for the blessing of yourself and husband. That it is, though coming through the body and mind, yet "of God," I doubt not; for that is one way in which He works, in breaking our plans of earthly joy, to make us seek our all in Him. (You know the Olney hymn, "I asked the Lord might grow.") The extent to which we are dependent upon circumstances, around and within ourselves, little know till we get stripped of them, and among perhaps of the feeling of joy which we mistook for Faith is taking God at His word, saying, " Let God true and every man a liar." The effect of this is tri-ump, often with joy, but when of the purer and deeper and without joy, and we have then sometimes to give the to our own inward feelings, as much as to the thoughts others all around us. i Peter gives us a case of it, so Cor. 12:G.V.W.

NOTES OF AN ADDRESS. (2 Thess. 2:1; Matt, 18:19, 20; 1 These, 4:15-18.)

For our reading the other day we came upon the subject of gathering together unto the Lord. What was asked for then might be appropriately given now. Notice these words in 2 Thess. 1:i, "Our gathering together unto Him," and put them in the light of Matt, 18:20, "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them."It might help us, to look at gathering in this simple and important way. It is always best to look at that which is perfect, that we may have a proper standard. If a person had never seen a butterfly would he not have a better idea by looking at the butterfly in its perfection than by examining it in any of the stages of its development from the ovum ? Surely, it would be best to look at the perfect insect. Then in thinking of gathering, in what we have read, we have that which is perfect brought before us in " our gathering unto Him," By looking at the features of gathering in perfection, we may learn much to instruct us now in seeking to gather unto His name. To me it puts some points in such a distinct and important way that one would think if they were once seen there would be more reality when we gather together from time to time.

For instance, think of that time when we shall be with the Lord in the air. When the sleeping saints arise, and the living believers are changed, and all are caught up together, it is to meet the Lord. See with what distinctness we have our center brought before us. " The Lord Himself shall descend." His blessed Person is before every eye, and adored by every heart, in that gathering. There is nothing vague, no such thought as 'His being present by His Spirit-He is there Himself. It is "gathering together unto Him." Is this not what we need to apprehend when we gather together now ? Where gathering is real, the presence of the spirit is one thing, and the presence of the Lord is another. How often are they vaguely confused together ? The haze and mists might be scattered like clouds before the rising sun with many a saint, if he just keep the perfect gathering before his mind. Then the Lord Himself would be seen to be the center. With intelligence and joy he would see more of what it is to " gather together unto Him." Reason may cavil, unbelief may doubt; but faith, love, and hope are in their proper element when we have the Lord Himself gathering together unto him before us, and gather together and announce His death till He come.

Then who should so gather to remember Him ? If we only look at the perfect gathering, the question is settled without gainsaying. His saints alone will be gathered up around Him in the air. In Jno. 13:we read of " His own which were in the world." Further on in the same gospel, after His resurrection, we see Him m their midst We have then a real Savior, real saints, real gathering unto Him. Should not this be always so where two or three profess to gather unto His name ? A glance at what is perfect solves and settles endless questions as to who should compose the assembly of those gathering unto the Lord's name. All thought of mixed companies of saved and unsaved being together for worship is thus completely set aside when you think of those who will meet the Lord in the air. A believer speaks, and speaks only of believers like himself, when he says, "Our gathering together unto Him."

Then see the power implied in the perfect gathering. It is the same power which raised Him from the dead and set Him at God's right hand. That power will raise His sleeping saints and change living believers. Even then you might think of them as still on earth. But they are to be caught up, rapt away from earth, to meet the Lord in the air. What a display of divine power ! Does this not give us the thought of the power that gathers now ? Are any really gathered who are not the subjects of such divine power. It is no mere agreement among those who are believers, nor any such company simply bringing other saints among themselves. Real gathering is divine power at work, through grace, to so attract the heart of the saint that he is constrained to gather unto the Lord. The same Spirit by whom he was born again now works as distinctly in a new way, according to divine power, to gather the saint unto the Lord as his proper center. Should our hearts and consciences not be exercised that our gathering together may be the direct result of this grace and gathering power on the part of the Lord Jesus Christ ?

Yet again look at the perfect picture as the saints are gathered up to meet the Lord. You must of necessity think of "all saints." As to those who have fallen asleep, from Adam onward, we have that word, "they that are Christ's at His coming." (i Cor. 15:23.) Then with regard to living believers, " We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed." (i Cor. 15:51, 52.) All shall be "caught up together." If we think of the Church, the Lord shall " present it to Himself, a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing." The unity will find perfect expression then. Ought faith ever to forget this in gathering now ? Certainly not, if " our gathering together unto Him" is to be the standard. Some may object to what is put as "the ground of the one body." Faith will hold fast the thing itself. To faith there is "the revelation of the mystery," and there is the "fellowship of the mystery," and those who gather should be exercised that they may own the oneness of the body, and answer to it, in "the obedience of faith." (Rom. 16:25, 26.) How real would gathering be if we were thus " endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." We should then indeed gather, as it is expressed, "on the ground of the one body." To those objecting to the expression, doubtless because the truth in it judges the principles on which they profess to gather, I reply, let us drop the expression, but let us hold fast the thing it is meant to express. We can then find it in Scripture language, if we think of "the mystery," the " one body," and keep our eyes, our hearts, on the perfect gathering when we shall meet the Lord in the air, and so gathering together unto him."
we may answer to these principles now, as we gather in " the obedience of faith."

But there was one part of the verse as to presenting the Church to the Lord which I did not quote. In that perfect gathering it shall be "holy, and without blemish." Separation from evil, and separation to the Lord, alike will find their perfect exemplification. The Lord is "He that is holy, he that is true," so there will not be any thing unsuitable to Him in that day. If " our gathering together unto Him" when He descends into the air is kept before us now, we cannot help being impressed with the fact that holiness should characterize the assembly of His saints. Then if the former thought of unity is borne in mind, it is not merely the individual believer being separate, nor a particular gathering of believers being careful as to the holiness which becomes God's house forever. The associations of all gathered every where have to be tested by that standard, "holy and without blemish." True, we know that in practice there is such unholiness, but are we to accept unholy principles, and give up the standard ? If so, will not the Lord give us up, as He says, " I will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." To know of evil in doctrine, in morals, or in connection with assembly judgments, and refuse to purge it out, is to give up holiness, and lose the claim to be owned as an assembly of God. If evil is connected with honored names and sanctioned at high places, it does not make it less, but greater evil in the Lord. All the pretension and boasting about having the truth in such circumstances will not add the weight of a feather, when things are weighed in the balances of the sanctuary. We must judge things in the brightness of that light into which we shall be caught up when we meet the Lord; and we ought to gather unto His name now, realizing that we have to do with him whose eyes are "as a flame of fire." Thus we shall find the true, principle of separation unto the Lord.

Finally, when that glorified company is gathered up around the Lord in the air, will it not be such a worship meeting as never before was assembled ? Do we not look on to it when in the Spirit we sometimes sing-

"What rich, eternal bursts of praise
Shall fill yon courts through endless days,
When time shall cease to be! "

See in Rev. 1:when there is the mention of "Jesus Christ, the faithful Witness, the first-begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth." There you have the bursting forth of what will prove an eternal song,- " Unto Him that loved us, and washed in His own blood, and made us kings and priests unto God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." So yet again in Rev. 5:where we get that great multitude, "the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing." Surely, when we gather around the Lord now there should be some anticipation, according to our present capacity, of that praise and worship to be rendered .when we are forever with the Lord.

May the Lord make these principles of gathering to have life, spirit, and power in our souls, and the souls of His saints, that we even now, indeed and in truth, may gather together unto His name. W.C.J.

There is a strange resemblance between these journeys through Protestant Germany, and Wesley's journeys, fifty years later, through Protestant England. We have the same stories related of mobs and riots, of peltings with stones and mud, of indignant magistrates and clergy, and of many and true conversions to God.

When the burgomaster at Duisburg desired the chief magistrate to seize the preacher and stop the preaching, the magistrate astonished him by the answer, "It would be better to stop the drinking and reveling and gambling than the preaching of God's Word."

The burgomaster, however, summoned Hochmann to give an account of himself, which he readily did. " This I confess to thee," he said, " that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets, and have hope toward God that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and of the unjust."

A preacher who was present then charged Hochmann with various offenses, amongst them, that he refused to meet any at the Lord's table who were not, according to him, born again; also, that he neglected the services in the churches.

Hochmann answered, "The preachers are in the habit of preaching open blasphemy, falsehoods, and errors, therefore I no longer go to the churches, for if I did, I must stand up and protest."

"The Church," proceeded Hochmann, "can only consist of living members of Christ, and children of God, to be recognized by the mark of love. But no remains of the true worship of God is now to be found, either amongst Lutherans or Reformed. Therefore, according to the epistle to the Corinthians, from such assemblies we must withdraw."

"What religion do you belong to in that case?" asked the preacher.

"We belong to Christ, the Head of the Church," replied Hochmann, "and to no sect."

"The king of Prussia desires to unite the Lutheran and Reformed churches," said some one who was present.

" I desire to belong to those who are united by the Lord Jesus Christ," said Hochmann.

The end of the matter was, that Hochmann was forbidden to preach, and the clergy preached loudly against him. In consequence, crowds came in increasing numbers to hear the preaching of Hochmann.

At Wesel, in the winter of 1709-10, these crowded meetings lasted often a great part of the night. Here again Hochmann was summoned before the town council. He had written a letter to the preachers of Wesel, in which he had said that at the Reformation, Great Babylon had not fallen, but had been divided into three parts-Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed. He had asked the preachers to search and try whether they were the true anointed priests of the Lord-whether God Himself, and the Lord Jesus Christ, the glorified Head of the Church, had sent them to preach His blessed gospel.

The description already given of the Lutheran and Reformed clergy will prove that there was sufficient need for such questions. The witness of Spener, himself a Lutheran pastor, may also be given in this place.

"The art of preaching," he says, " is taught to the students of theology, as if this were the sum and substance of all that is needed for them. It is as though all were under a spell of enchantment, which blinds them to every thing but the art of elaborate discourse, leaving them perfectly unconcerned as to the matter respecting which they are to speak. They are like people absorbed in the art of making artistic and ornamental shoes, entirely forgetting to inquire where the leather is to come from, or, indeed, whether leather is needed at all, so that for the leather they have to go begging and borrowing, and failing to obtain it, stitch together the most elegant shoes of paper, parchment, or other useless materials."

" It is not to be wondered at," writes Dr. Hoffmann, after thus quoting Spener, "that the Lutheran church at that time, looked at from almost every point of view, presented the appearance of a vast ruin. The schools and universities, devoid of the spirit of piety, intent rather on heathen than on Christian learning, had become the abode of coarse lawlessness and wild extravagance, producing a fair stock of theological prize-fighters, of correct orthodoxy, and of stiff pedants, but few men of Christian piety fit to teach or guide the people committed to their care.

"On the contrary, the ignorance, the coarseness, the disreputable lives of most of the preachers, had an effect disastrous to the last degree, in corrupting society at large, already demoralized enough by the effect of the Thirty Years' War. Drunkenness, rancorous lawsuits, profligacy, and beggary gained ground every where, accompanied by just such a trust in a pharisaical religion of ceremonial works as the Protestants had so loudly condemned in the Roman Catholics.

"To receive the sacrament, quite apart from any effect upon the inner life, was regarded as a means of salvation; and, as one of the most excellent of the earth at that time expressed it, 'Modern Christianity has four dumb idols- the font, the pulpit, the confessional, the altar. Men put their whole trust in an outside Christianity ; that they are baptized, that they go to church, that they get absolution, that they take the sacrament; but as to the inward power, they utterly deny it.' "

It was considered necessary that a preacher should be a theologian. That he should be a Christian in heart and life was of small importance.

"Miserable theology!" wrote Witsius, himself educated as a theologian, "good for nothing but to hide from men the knowledge of their wretchedness, and thereby to keep them at a distance from Christ and from their eternal salvation."

For Hochmann's letter to the preachers he was called to account. He said that in writing these things he had but directed them to Jesus their Savior, exhorting them to believe in Him whilst yet it is called "To-day."

" No one preaches or teaches here without being ordained," said the burgomaster.
Hochmann replied, he could take his orders from none but Christ, and that he was constrained by the Holy Spirit to take every opportunity of bringing souls to Him -if hundreds, or thousands, so much the better. The burgomaster, after consulting with the town council, gave his final sentence :Since Hochmann belonged to no recognized sect, and since he was about to betake himself to the unorthodox territory of Wittgenstein, he must be banished from Wesel.

He wrote from his hermitage to the preachers of Wesel that he was praying earnestly for them, that instead of having their heads filled with theology, they might have their hearts filled with the love of Jesus, and that they might be thoroughly converted ; for it grieved him deeply that they should attempt to teach others the way of salvation, whilst they did not know it themselves, nor see that a man must be born again before he can enter the kingdom of God.

If Hochmann made many enemies during his journeys, he also made many friends, beside the counts of Wittgenstein and their families, who were deeply attached to him.

One friend, with whom he often spent a few days, describes his little visits with love and affection. "Hochmann," he says, " was very simple and retiring in his daily life. When he stayed with friends, he generally remained quietly in his bedroom all the forenoon, unless he was called for. After dinner he devoted himself to any friends who were there, and talked with them about the things of God and heaven, with much blessing to those who heard him. If a stranger came in, it was his custom to hold out his hand and say, in a manner most tender and loving, 'Do you too love the Lord Jesus?'

" Otherwise he spoke very little, and in all his ways and habits he gave the impression that he was living in a holy seclusion, in the continual presence of God. He took little notice of outward things, much less did he interest himself in any thing apart from God, and in worldly news. But he had no appearance of any forced silence or reserve. On the contrary, he always had a cheerful, unburdened spirit, and, at the same time, a perfectly well-bred and loving manner toward all.

"And because his whole inner occupation and object was this, to penetrate by love into the inmost depths of the sweetness and the love of the heart of God, and because his whole soul was so deeply buried, as it were, in that love, embalmed in it, and filled with it, no outward crosses and persecutions seemed to move or disturb him. He was dead to himself, and dependent as a little child upon God.

" And this fountain of the spirit of Christ being thus unsealed to him, the living waters flowed forth from him; and in the watered garden of his heart all manner of pleasant fruits and flowers grew and ripened and blossomed to the glory of God, and to the refreshment and for the sweet perfume of others of the Lord's members.

Such was Hochmann. And as years went by, it seemed the stillness and the rest of his Friedensburg softened and stilled his spirit, and made him seem, it was said, as one already glorified. He spent much time in prayer, and became more deeply humble and loving as he drew nearer to the end of his pilgrimage. For a while we will leave him in his peaceful hermitage, and return to the restless, pleasure-loving, but unsatisfied boy, now sent forth from his home into the busy life of Mulheim.

(From "The Quiet in the Land.")

For many years it has been customary for the religious bodies composing the Evangelical Alliance, and under the direction of that organization, to observe the first week in January as a special season of prayer. A program is published, assigning special topics for each day,-such as prayer for the Church, its unity, spirituality, and its service in home and foreign mission work, for the family and for nations, etc. This practice originated in the mission field, in a desire for greater blessing on the work there and upon the churches at home. Often it has been a time of real and marked blessing; for when was our God ever sought in truth, even if not " after the due order," and did not richly reward the seekers? Surely it is the duty as well as privilege of Christians every where to remember those who are thus engaged, and to pray for them. It is not, therefore, in any spirit of criticism that we would examine this observance in the light of Scripture. We know that God's Word, though sharper than any two-edged sword, only lops off unsightly and useless excrescences, never injures what is the real fruit of the Spirit. We would suggest, as a danger to be guarded against, that the regular recurrence of a set time each year do not become a mere matter of form. If the "set times of Jehovah " (Lev. 23:) could degenerate into " feasts of V? the Jews " (Jno. 2:), how much greater the danger in the case of times merely of human appointment! In all things, we are apt to follow habit and precedent, and not the leadings of the Spirit of God. The moment a practice becomes habitual and fashionable, it loses the freshness and spontaneity which are ever the characteristics of a work of God.

Then, too, while it is right to pray for rulers and governors, and for the Church and its work, to mix these two, and to pray that nations as such may become Christianized, is only to repeat the old error of looking for a millennium without Christ,-to degrade the Church from a heavenly bride to an earthly nation. It is a re-assertion that the " course of this world " is upward and not downward. Alas! that this is the common faith of the professing church, is but too evident.

What a sad denial of the need of prayer for unity is the existence of the various sects, and members of these coming together to pray " that they may be one," without apparently the slightest exercise of conscience as to how displeasing to God their own position is. Surely it is well for all who pray for unity to remember the words of the Psalmist-" If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me," and of the apostle, who in asking the prayers of the saints, assures them of a good conscience on his part, " in all things willing to live honestly." How can prayers for unity be intelligently earnest and sincere, when those who make them continue to hold and practice that which means disunion? Here, as in all things, there must be truth if we would not mock God, and a readiness to act for Him and so remove the hindrances which prevent His answering our prayers. What refreshing, what power, what a testimony, would result from a spirit of true prayer amongst God's people, manifesting itself in obedience to His word ! May He awake His people to these things!

" Old things are passed away ; behold, all things are become new" (2 Cor. 5:17.)

The names of these sons show them to be types of very precious truth."And unto Joseph were born two sons. . . . And Joseph called the name of the first-born' Manasseh ;'' for God,' saith he,' hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house.' And the name of the second called he' Ephraim;' for God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.' " First of all, it is typical of Christ rejected by His own as was Joseph. He becomes fruitful through the cross. The world and this present age is "the land of His affliction." But in application to us what is it but "old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new"-the new-creation position of all who are in Christ?

And this agrees with Ephraim having the first place in the blessing of Jacob (for he set Ephraim before Manasseh-Gen. 48:20), for "all things become new" is the present existing reality." Joseph's disappointment at this, and cleaving to Manasseh as the first-born, shows over-occupation with having left the old. But this can never feed the soul, for it is the new things that sustain and lead us on. "If ye, then, be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God." (Col. 3:1:)

Joseph would have been unprepared to deal with his brethren in the final interview had he not been weaned from Manasseh. He might have reminded them of his superiority over them. But having learned that Ephraim has the first place-"fruitful in the land of affliction"- "walking in newness of life"-"reaching forth to the things that are before" (Rom. 6:; Phil, 3:), his heart is open and enriched-the "word of Christ dwells in him richly," (Col. 3:) and he has needed love and wisdom to minister to their actual need.

If we cleave to Manasseh, we are unprepared to help one another. If Ephraim has his place, we are, like Jacob, in the present enjoyment of communion with God; not mere recollection of truths learned in a happier past.

Then the Word has power, and does not fall to the ground. In i Sam. 3:, Eli had ceased to grow; but "Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground." His profiting appeared to all. "And all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord. And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh; for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord."

It was no longer dimness of sight and lamps going out as in the beginning of the chapter; but growing, and receiving revelations from the Lord, and blessing. No doubt Joseph (to return to him,) had exulted that his brethren should have been brought to him at last, and had become occupied with his own sufferings and victory in the past-"the things behind," and God straightway uses one like Jacob, who had been slow to learn, to rebuke him.

"And Israel (a prince with God) stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly. (Gen. 48:14.) . . . And Joseph said unto his father, 'Not so, my father; for this is the first-born,' " trying to remove his father's hand from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's. But his father refused, and said, " 'God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh;' and he set Ephraim before Manasseh." And so Moses, in blessing, speaks of the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh.

Thus Jacob, being humbled by past chastening and present circumstances of humiliation and trial, bears the banner of testimony that Joseph had for the time let slip from his hands. " Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." (Rev. 3:10, 2:)

We are dead to sin and alive to God in Christ (Rom. 6:), which is what is taught us (in type) by the whole book of Exodus. Israel was separated from Egypt and Pharaoh's host (the world and sin) by the Red-Sea judgment (the cross),-that is, death to sin and the world. That is the first part of the book; in the second part, they are brought to God at the mount, to receive His commandments. This tells us of the positive present reality for us-we are alive to God in Christ. It remains true that we are dead to sin, of course ; but we have to do with God :we are alive in Him whose life in us has its activity in going out to God-as constantly as the tree grows or as a life is lived-it is the "living sacrifice" of Rom. 12:1:Let us not be occupied with a position- with ourselves and with the past, to become withered and dry ; but consider by faith what it is to have to do with God always and everywhere, walking "in newness of life " in Him who is risen from the dead. (Rom. 6:) In this there is freshness of soul, and lowliness of heart and conscience :it is life, not death, for all live unto Him.

To put Ephraim first, then, is communion with God, not formalism,-having the mind of God, and truth suited to the occasion :it is firmness of purpose, arising from conscious subjection to God, that would not allow even Joseph to remove the hand from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's, and that will not allow the servant of the Lord now to be turned aside from the way by human influence or affection. Jacob was having a joyful look into the future-the joy of the coming kingdom-the ultimate fruitfulness of the cross, after all the affliction; and earthly influence and fleshly motive had no power with him. He was not leaning upon man, not even upon one so dear to him as Joseph, and so he was faithful to Joseph, and did him the truest kindness by not yielding to him. Thus a mere form of truth will adapt itself to circumstances and natural preferences, but in communion with God-in living to Him-in rejoicing in hope, the truth governs the heart and gives stability of walk and peace and power, victory over all hostile influences from without.

The Lord deliver us or keep us from any condition of soul in which we might hinder one another in the way of obedience and growth in the knowledge of the truth and of the Lord. May our joy be full, in realized fellowship (i Jno. 1:3, 4) with the Father and with the Son, and we shall be helpers of one another's joy, and be ready to submit to the example and the word of another who is nearer to the Lord than one's self. E. S. L.

Professor Drummond has undertaken to show us what this is. "We have been accustomed," he says, "to be told that the greatest thing in the religious world is Faith. That great word has been the keynote for centuries of the popular religion; and we have easily learned to look upon it as the greatest thing in the world. Well, we are wrong. If we have been told that, we may miss the mark. I have taken you, in the chapter which I have just read (i Cor. 13:), to Christianity at its source ; and there we have seen, ' The greatest of these is love.' It is not an oversight. Paul was speaking of faith just a moment before. He says, ' If I have all faith, so that I can remove mountains, and have no love, I am nothing.' So far from forgetting, he deliberately contrasts them. 'Now abideth faith, hope, love,' and without a moment's hesitation the decision falls, ' The greatest of these is love.' "

This is a fair summary, in his own language, of Prof. Drummond's views on the question he discusses. That those views are erroneous – lamentably erroneous – it will not be difficult to show. We cannot wrest any scripture from its context without altering its whole meaning; this is just what Prof. Drummond has done in this case. St. Paul, in this chapter, is speaking of the extent of the duration of love ; many other things, he says, as prophecies, tongues, knowledge, shall cease and vanish away:love never χπίπτει – falls off or ceases. Faith will fade into sight, hope into fruition; but love remains eternal. That this is the true sense of the whole chapter is further shown from the closing verse :" And now," says the apostle, "abideth (μέvει – continueth) faith, hope, love:these three, but the greater of these is love." It is to be noted that the apostle does not say, the greatest (μέγιστη), but μείςωv – " the greater," – that is, not the greatest in all respects, but greater in the restricted aspect of continuity only. It is to be noted also that in the Revised Version this distinction between the comparative and superlative is marked by the translation "greater" being given in the margin as an alternative reading.

Prof. Drummond appears to have an uneasy suspicion that the continuity of love is really the ground of the precedence given to it by the apostle over faith and hope. In his closing chapter, entitled " The Defense," he seems unconsciously to admit this. St. Paul's reason, he says, is "a very remarkable one. In a word, it is this :It lasts." But this apparent dawn of light is soon clouded over, for a few pages further on, more suo, as those who are familiar with his self-contradictions in his " Natural Law in the Spiritual World" will recognize, he says, "Some think the time may come when two of these three things will pass away,-faith into sight, hope into fruition. Paul does not say so. We know but little now about the conditions of the life to come. But what is certain is that love must last. . . . You will give yourselves to many things:give yourselves first to love."

This brings us face to face with the unscriptural error running through the whole of Prof. Drummond's address. Luther thought-inspired Paul was certain-that God's greatest gift to man was faith :to be justified by faith was the keynote of the Reformation, and has been for three centuries the central point of all evangelical teaching. When the jailer at Philippi cried to Paul and Silas, what must I do to be saved?" they replied, not Give yourself first to love, but "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." "Without faith," the apostle says, "it is impossible to please God." Neither love nor hope, nor any gift or grace, can be a substitute for faith. Faith is first of all,-the very foundation of all:love, and all other Christian graces are simply its necessary and inevitable outcome and fruit. It is very acceptable to God that we should please Him by loving Him ; but without faith first, it is impossible to please Him.
Our Lord Himself set this great truth before us in the clearest light in His reply to the lawyer who, tempting Him, asked Him what he should do to inherit eternal life. "What is written in the law?-how readest thou?" said our Lord. And he, the lawyer, answering, said, " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself." Now, mark the Lord's reply :" Thou hast answered right:this do, and thou shalt live." And mark, also, how diametrically opposed are the teachings of our Lord and those of Prof. Drummond's address. Our Lord knew that neither the lawyer nor any other of our fallen race could keep the law; His own words tell us that "by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in His sight." He simply used the law as a schoolmaster to bring the inquirer to Himself.

This is the true gospel-the blessed evangel of Christ and the Scriptures; but Prof. Drummond preaches another gospel which is not another. Listen to his version of it :" You remember the profound remark which Paul made elsewhere,-'Love is the fulfilling of the law.' Did you ever think what he meant by that ? In those days men were working their passage to heaven by keeping the Ten Commandments, and the hundred and ten other commandments which they had manufactured out of them. Christ said, I will show you a more simple way. If you do one thing, you will do these hundred and ten things without ever thinking about them. If you love, you will unconsciously fulfill the whole law." Now, this is the mere substitution of one kind of "doing" for another. Listen further to another statement of Prof. Drummond ; speaking of the patience, kindness, humility, sincerity, and other graces enumerated by the apostle, he says, " Now, the business of our lives is to have these things fitted into our characters. That is the supreme work to which we need to address ourselves in this world -to learn to love. Life is not a holiday, but an education ; and the one eternal lesson for us all is, how better we can love. What makes a man a good cricketer? Practice. What makes a man a good artist, a good sculptor, a good musician ? Practice. What makes a man a good linguist, a good stenographer ? Practice. What makes a man a good man ? Practice. Nothing else."

Not so teaches St. Paul. He tells the Romans that the righteousness of God-that is, God's gift of righteousness-is, "by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe."

And to the Galatians he says, " So, then, they,"not those who have been long practicing the art of loving, but "they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham."

Notwithstanding some isolated passages in Prof. Drummond's address which appear to be more in accord with evangelical sentiments, the general drift and tendency of the work is, to elevate love, the fruit, above faith, the cause,-to put the fruits of faith in the place of faith itself, which is the one only cause revealed to us from which love and every other grace can flow. It is none other than a complete reversal of the gospel plan of salvation.

To what straits a man may be driven to bolster up a false position, Prof. Drummond furnishes us with a singular example. "Nor is this letter to the Corinthians," he says, "peculiar in singling out love as the summum bonum. The masterpieces of Christianity are agreed upon it:Peter says, 'Above all things, have fervent love among yourselves.' 'Above all things' " That is, doubtless, among the various warnings and exhortations he was giving, suited to the peculiar circumstances of that day, he gives special emphasis to that grace which the bitter opposition of heathens and unbelieving Jews would be likely to lead them to forget.
But if Prof. Drummond builds an argument on St. Peter's exhortation in this passage, what force does he attribute to that of St. James, "Above all things, my brethren, swear not at all " ? Is abstinence from swearing the summum bonum ? It must be that if Prof. Drummond's use of St. Peter's exhortation is warranted,-that is, it must be as sound an inference in one case as in the other. But it is equally unsound in both cases. Both St. Peter and St. James used that expressive form of appeal only in connection with the circumstances referred to in the contexts in which they respectively appear. There could not possibly be two gifts or graces equally entitled to the position of the highest or greatest good.

It is not probable, however, that a difficulty of this kind, springing from the incompatibility of his views with scriptural statements, would occasion much trouble to Prof. Drummond ; he has a short way of solving such difficulties. Some time since, he delivered a course of lectures on Sunday afternoons at the Duke of Westminster's residence. The subject of one was "Christianity Looked at from the Stand-point of Evolution." Now, the account of the creation of the universe in six days out of nothing-chaos-is utterly irreconcilable with the theory of Evolution. Prof. Drummond disposed of this difficulty very briefly-by sweeping away the scriptural account as a mere instructive fable. I quote from the report of this lecture which appeared in The Christian Commonwealth, and which I have never heard that Prof. Drummond has repudiated.

"In the course of his lecture, the Professor said,' Most of us have accepted the doctrine of evolution in some form or other. It cannot be proved yet, but that does not matter much (!) Great things and great thoughts fill the mind and make their impression. . . . The book of Genesis must be regarded as presenting truth to children's minds,' and the Professor illustrated this idea by George Macdonald's poem, 'The Baby,'-not literally true, but true for the child. ' So Moses gave truth in the form of a poem. If you say it is a scientific book, I give it up; but if you regard it as a poem, then I can deal with it. One great difficulty was the Fall. Theology gives us its version; and it appears, after all, not a fall, but a rise. . . .

"'Another class of difficulty was that of accepting miracles. No need of accepting any miracle but the Resurrection, and this science makes possible, and even probable.'" (!)

" Irreverence " is but a feeble term to describe such presumptuous handling of God's Word.

Can its author be trusted to teach us what is "the greatest thing in the world," or, indeed, any thing which depends upon the plenary inspiration of Scripture for its foundation ? P. Carteret Hill.

(Continued from p. 136.)

VII.

In Isaac shall thy seed be called." (Gen. 21:12.) Such are the words of the covenant renewed the seventh time. According to the meaning of the number, perfection is reached-the promised son is upon the scene, and has been weaned, and a great feast is made. It is the joy of Christianity-the liberty with which Christ makes free.

But Abraham is not at once weaned :like the Galatians (chap. 4:30), he cleaves to the bondwoman and her son. Ishmael mocking is Israel according to the flesh-the hostile Jew in Paul's time, making light of Christianity and of grace. Abraham's slowness, clearly the Galatian legalism so common among Christians, while Sarah's voice is the glad and entire liberty of grace which will have nothing to do with legal bondage, and will submit to no compromise and no mingling of grace and law either for acceptance of the repentant sinner or for the after-rule of life of the saint (Rom. 3:28; 6:13, 14).

" And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking." " Hagar the Egyptian"-the " under law" condition, with all its pretension, is of the world (Col. 2:20, 23; Gal. 4:3). "Wherefore she said unto Abraham, 'Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.' And the thing was-very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son. And God said unto Abraham, ' Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman. In all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice ; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.'"

Let us compare this word of God to Abraham to lift him up out of his bondage with the reasoning of the epistle to the Galatians to deliver Christians who had put themselves under law. Let us compare them for our profit, that we may be instructed, and also impressed with the exact harmony of every scripture.

"Tell me," Paul says to the Galatians (chap. 4:21), "ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law ? for it is written that Abraham had two sons-the one by a bondmaid, tho other by a free woman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh, but he of the free woman was by promise. Which things are an allegory; for these are the two covenants,-the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children; but Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, ' Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not …..' Now we, brethren, as Isaac are the children of promise. But as then he that was, was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless, what saith the Scripture? 'Cast out the bondwoman and her son; for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman." So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

This is very bold language, Paul, and grievous to many a saint, as Sarah's was to Abraham. It is very bold, and offensive to much that is devoutly religious and zealous for the law. Hagar the Egyptian-Mount Sinai-Jerusalem and her children-bondage,-all in line. What a pedigree ! And yet so it is. Bondage, the activity of the flesh, mocking, pride, fear of man, are the things that go with putting one's self under law (Gal. 4:21-25, 29! v-18, 19; 6:12). But with grace go gladness, liberty, love, the self-denial of the cross, and peace. "Isaac" means "laughter." And so Sarah said, "God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me." Blessed for all who can laugh in accord with this God-given joy! It is the joy of the song of the Red Sea, the joy of the feast in the presence of the angels over the prodigal's return, shared in by us. " Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not." It is not in us, but in Him-" Rejoice in the Lord alway; and again I say, Rejoice." "All that hear will laugh with me." Have we heard? Let there be no dullness of ear. Let us say, "The Lord my righteousness ! " and rejoice constantly.

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law, and they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." (Gal. 5:22.)

The epistle to the Galatians shows that those who " desired to be under the law " were heaping burdens on one another (chap. 5:15,16), and were desirous of vain glory; but by grace we can bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (chap. 6:2). May grace be manifest in us.

"The law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did." Grace is the perfect thing, and to this we are brought in this seventh renewal of the covenant to Abraham.

" Sin shall not have dominion over you ; for ye are not under the law, but under grace." (Rom. 6:14.) By grace only and wholly can we have our "fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." (Rom. 6:22.) Established, comforted, and strengthened by grace-the grace that is in Christ Jesus, let us rejoice with trembling, and diligently " follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." (Heb. 12:14.) We know whom we have believed. He has said, " My sheep shall never perish." His grace is sufficient for us.

VIII. 'And it came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham." (Gen. 22:1:) And Abraham is called upon to offer up his only son. "After these things:" this marks a new beginning; clearly it is resurrection,- like the eighth day, or the first day of the week (after the seven) on which the Lord rose from the dead. We are thus remarkably prepared for a resurrection-scene, and we get it. Isaac is offered up, and is received in a figure (Heb. 11:19) from the dead; And now the covenant is renewed for the eighth and last time. " And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, and said, ' By Myself have I sworn,' saith the Lord, ' for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son; that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea-shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies ; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed My voice.'" (Gen. 22:15.)

" Out of heaven " the Lord speaks, and the seed are. to be multiplied as the stars of heaven, as well as like the sand by the sea-shore. This tells of heavenly blessing as well as earthly, for the millennial time, when Christ will have been known as risen from the dead, and on that new ground the national hope restored.
But what is the individual application or teaching in the line we have been pursuing? Is it not this-the lesson the believer has to learn :all hope in self closed in upon by death-by the cross of Christ; and now Christ risen from the dead our object and our strength ? This doctrine also we get in Galatians (Gal. 2:19)-"For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ:nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me."

In the previous covenant, we are not under law, but under grace. That is what we are taught:we are children of the promise, and Sarah's voice prevails; and Sarah is the type of grace-the free woman, as we have seen. But here nothing is said of Sarah :Abraham figures alone, and he speaks to us of faith-he was the one who believed. (Rom. 4:) What is brought before us prominently is not the condition in which we stand,-that is; grace,-but faith, by which an object is presented to our minds. "I live by the faith of the Son of God "-the One with whom I have died by the cross :"I am crucified with Christ."

Thus Sarah figures prominently in the one case and Abraham in the other; so exact is the teaching of the types, and so exact the occurrence of events that thus served as types, under the hand of God, in history. Thus the Old-Testament history is luminous with instruction and interest. Things were done and words were uttered here and there by this one and by that one as if by chance, because in the untrammeled freedom of the actors, and yet all being parts in a complete whole, which is at last unrolled to view. By this we are also taught, as Pilate was, that God's hand is upon us in each event of our lives. This solemnizes, comforts, and delights the true heart:our lives have new importance.

Abraham, then, offering up his son, and receiving him as it were from the dead, represents to us the giving up Of. self, and having Christ risen from the dead our object our joy." Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed pinto .sin, and alive unto God in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 6:); again, "We are the circumcision who worship God the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no evidence in the flesh." As the death of the cross closed in upon the national hope of Israel according to the flesh, so it closes in upon any hope of any thing in me. And this I have to learn in Christian experience, that I may be deeply and fully persuaded that it remains true to the end of the course down here, that in me,-that is, in my flesh, there is no good thing; and more than this, that even as born of God I have no strength in myself. I am only brought, with a perfect nature, into a condition where, just because I am born again, I now for the first time realize the truth of perfect weakness, and the joy of dependence upon God,-in short, the walk of faith. As the flower opens to the sun and air, the Christian's heart rejoices in the Lord, and lives in constant dependence upon the Word and grace of Christ. Not our feelings, desires, and purposes must govern us now moment by moment; all these we are to deny-good and bad-as such, as merely our own thoughts or will. Now it is Christ living in us; we abide in Him-live by Him-as the diver in the diving-bell lives wholly by communication with the upper air. The fish may thrive in this lower element; but the diver, surrounded by an element of death, must get what sustains his life from a higher sphere. May we habitually refer all things to the Lord, in faith and love,-that is, abide in Him, and then we shall be filled with the Spirit. Let us not forget to abide in Christ, and to rejoice in Him, and all we think and say and do will be with power and effect for blessing. Let us glory in the Lord. Atonement has been made both for what we have done and for what we are naturally; thus perfect is our salvation. Let us use His grace to deny ourselves, and yield ourselves to Him. May there be no reserve by us, as Isaac was not withheld by Abraham; we shall then find our God to be to us, in all places and circumstances, " Jehovah-Jireh" (Gen. 22:14)- "the Lord will provide." E.S.L.

(2 Chron. 14:-16:)

I. (CHAP. 14:1-8.) Asa began his reign brightly. Receiving the kingdom from his father Abijah, he first purged it of all those evils allowed and practiced by that strange mixture of sudden outbursts of faith, coupled with a walk in the ways of his father Rehoboam (I Kings 15:compared with 2 Chron. 13:). In passing, it is well to notice that while all that is good in Abijah is spoken of, Scripture fails to state that he did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, the usual designation of the " good kings." His case, like that of many others, rests with Him who alone knows the secrets of men, and who will in due time bring all things to the light. We can hardly think of his not being a child of God, but an unfaithful walk leaves a cloud of uncertainty, which nothing but God's Word can remove, as, for instance, "just Lot." With Asa, however, there is no such hesitation or silence. His reign begins in such a way that we see in it a type at least of the time when "a king shall reign in righteousness," who shall banish all that offends out of His kingdom. Strange altars are removed in order that God alone may be exalted. And as a natural result when God is thus acknowledged, strength and blessing come in. Instead of war, quiet prevails, and that not a quiet of indolence, but of building up and preparing for future attacks of the enemy. How much those ten years of rest meant for Judah is seen in the significantly large army, and the well-appointed cities for defense. The numerical significance of this first section in his life seems plain. God is recognized as sovereign and alone the object of worship, and the rest tells of the absence of foreign elements to cause disturbance. Applying these types to our own experience, we see here, doubtless, the soul in its first love, and the corresponding jealousy for God's honor, a jealousy that allows nothing to usurp His place; God is enthroned in the heart, and (blessed result!) rest fills it. "When He giveth quietness, who then can make trouble ?" From out this quiet grows up the spiritual man, strengthened, prepared for conflict, and ready for every good work.

2.(Chap. 14:9-15.) But the enemy will not, if possible, long leave either the individual or a nation in the enjoyment of this prosperity. So we find the immense army of the Ethiopians(descendants of Ham, and so closely connected with the Canaanities, the original enemy in the land, and with the Egyptians, the former oppressors of the nation) coming up to do battle. It has been often remarked that Satan overreaches himself, and here we see an illustration of it. The very multitude of the enemy precludes all hope of successful resistance, and drives the king and people back upon One who alone could be a help in time of trouble. It was the apparent weakness and insignificance of Ai that gave occasion for Israel's self-confidence. " Make not all the people to labor thither; for they are but few" (Josh. 7:3) shows that Israel had forgotten the lesson of Jericho, where weakness won the day. Have we not all been at times thus mislead ? some little thing, some habit or association to give up, some duty to do-these, or things like them, have seemed so easy that like Peter we have only found out our utter helplessness by our failure. Here, however, the enemy gives no room for any such vain confidence. But would that we ever, in all conflicts, realized our weakness as did Asa! "Lord, there is none beside Thee to help, between the mighty and him that hath no strength:help us, O Lord our God; for we rely on Thee." (R. V.) We well know the result. When did weakness cry to the Mighty One and not receive an answer? The mighty army only furnishes rich spoil for the victorious host of the Lord. Satan's attacks resisted thus in weakness counting on God, result in greater strength, fuller and deeper views of that blessed One. In service too, as we see in Philippians 1:, doors apparently closed only open the way to fresh fields. It is not, we believe, straining the meaning to see that this section of the life of Asa is appropriately a second. The enemy, and deliverance by God, give us Exodus in miniature.

3.(Chap. 15:)The happy victory and result above noted gives occasion for the prophecy of Azariah, who turns the light of God on what has taken place. His address is full of encouragement, but also of warning. " The Lord is with you, while ye be with Him, and if ye seek Him, He will be found of you; but if ye forsake Him, He will forsake you. … Be ye strong, therefore, and let not your hands be weak:for your work shall be rewarded." (Chap. 15:3, 7.) Spurred on by such wholesome words, the good work is continued by Asa, and the abominations still lurking in the hidden places are purged out as inconsistent with that holiness which becometh God's house. The altar of sacrifice is also renewed. We may be sure that no matter how faithfully in the past self-judgment has been carried out, there will be room for careful watching and further progress. Others of the Lord's people are now attracted to Him, by the bright light shining in Jerusalem. " They fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the Lord his God was with him." If we are faithful to the Lord, happy in the enjoyment of His presence, we will soon find others drawn to Him. Sacrifice follows next, and the entering afresh into a covenant with the Lord. "And all Judah rejoiced at the oath:for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought Him with their whole desire; and He was found of them:and the Lord gave them rest round about." Did we thus turn to Him with the whole heart, with all our desire, how deep and full our joy would be! Under the power of this fresh consecration, Asa knows no one according to the flesh – the idolatrous queen-mother is deposed. It is only when devotedness is thus complete that faithfulness in the home is possible. Another long rest succeeds this revival, and the dedication of precious things is completed by bringing them into the house of God. How bright and fresh all this is! It reminds us of revivals of God's truth at all times-self-sacrifice, devotedness, and corresponding rest and peace.

Perhaps the reader can recall similar experiences in his own history. This also seems appropriately a third section-holiness, sacrifice, God's center, and God's house. 4. (Chap. 16:) Had Asa died at this point, there would have been nothing painful to note. Had he continued faithful, his pathway would have been as the bright light. But alas for human stability! The closing section is, as its number would indicate, a record of testing and failure. He who knew what to do when the overwhelming hosts of Ethiopia threatened him, is driven to the desperation of unbelief by the building of a city by Baasha, king of Israel-threatening the prosperity of his kingdom, it may be, but one would say not near so dangerous as the previous attack. Had not all his experience taught Asa confidence in God ? Were not thirty-six years of peace and victory resulting from that confidence enough to check the first feeling of fear? One would think so, but unbelief has no reason; the moment rein is given to it, the simplest danger drives one to all the folly of a panic. The precious things but a short time before brought into the house of God are taken and sent to His enemy, that the league with Baasha may be broken, and one established with Asa. In the eyes of the world this might seem like wise policy, but it begins by robbing God of His glory. Is this the same man who so nobly witnessed for God, linked now with God's enemies?-a friend of the world? Dear brethren, there are many Asas. Apparently all is successful. Baasha leaves off building Ramah and retires to his dominions, while increased strength seems to come to Judah, for store-cities are built of the material intended for Ramah. But apparent results never are the tests of the moral quality of an action. God's house has been robbed and an alliance with the world formed ; nothing can counterbalance these. A faithful messenger is sent to warn the fallen king. Even now had there been brokenness in Asa-a bowing to the rod as David had done,-there would doubtless have been restoration. But unbelief is a thing not to be tampered with, and he who but a short time before had threatened to punish with death those who would not seek the Lord, now imprisons the faithful servant, thus linking himself with Herod. But evil, like leaven, spreads. At the same time he oppresses some of the people. He who had been a gatherer must now be an oppressor, a scatterer. God's reproof being unheeded, He sends affliction that His wanderer may be recalled. But the exceeding greatness of his disease in his feet drives him to the physicians, not to the One who heals as well as smites. Refusing reproof, un-exercised by affliction, there is but one thing more-he must be taken away. Beloved brethren, what is sadder than such a close? a death without previous restoration! That light which had shone so clearly grows dim and dimmer, till at last it is gone entirely, and the man is gone -to meet God. "Ah!" you say, "but he was a child of God for all that." True, but so far from lessening the gloom which gathers about his close, it deepens it, as far as the all-important question of God's honor is concerned. From an unsaved man evil is expected, but the same evil in a child of God causes the world to blaspheme. They made great burnings for Asa, but that did not blot out the record we have been considering,-a record for our admonition. Let us beware of the beginnings of unbelief. Asa did not fall into open immorality like David, nor into idolatry like Solomon. His fall was less glaring, perhaps unnoticed, but he goes down to the grave like Solomon- with no record of recovery. He sets the example of that amalgamation with the world which is the blot on the good name of Jehoshaphat, which is the deeper, darker blot on the Church to-day, beginning with Pergamos and ending with the wretched lameness of Laodicea,-a lameness which, unlike that of Mephibosheth hidden beneath the king's table, is all the more apparent by reason of the human expedients resorted to for its healing. Is it not in mercy that our God gives us these lessons, that we may avoid the snares into which His people of old fell ? Let the time past in our lives suffice for failure. Let us be, not like Demas who goes out of sight with this attached to his name-" Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world;" but like Mark who, though faltering at first, is at last "profitable for the ministry." It is the joy of our God to restore His wandering ones. Hear Him saying, " I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely."

We have a striking allusion to Asa in Jer. 41:9. The remnant of faithful Jews who desired to remain in the land, in subjection to Nebuchadnezzar, are slain by Ishmael, and their bodies are buried in the pit " which Asa the king made for fear of Baasha king of Israel." Thus the monument of his unbelief becomes the grave of God's few–fitting ending of unbelief,-which never stops until there are none left on God's ground-an ending linked with the beginning.

We must have been the feelings of Mary Magdalene when, on going to the sepulcher in search of the dead body of her Lord, she found Him alive! He was such a treasure, that she could turn her back on angels to seek His body. Such love had its reward in the delight which filled her soul when she heard His voice. May our love be more like hers, for He lives for us.

Quietly onward my life's stream flows,-
Quietly, slowly, so life goes '
Quietly onward to its close.
One day in sunshine, another in rain,
But still my heart sings the sweet refrain,-
The God of light is the God of love,
And bright days and dark days
Come from above.

Then when the tempests around me rage,
When the striving elements hot war wage,
And my heart and brain in the strife engage,
Feeling the sense of pain and wrong,
My weary heart sings the same sweet song,-
The God of light is the God of love,
And bright days and dark clays
Come from above.

When life is filled with a sweet content,
And I see that the pain was in mercy sent,
And all in infinite love was meant,
My loss down here is eternal gain,
The days go by to the old refrain,-
The God of light is the God of love.
And bright days and dark days
Come from above.

C. A. D.

NOT PURITY, BUT LIBERTY.

We have seen that there may be said to be at least four Schools of Holiness. The Perfectionist School maintains that the whole man is sanctified, that, as Dr. Charke says, " It is the cleansing of the blood, that has not been cleansed ; it is washing the soul of a true believer from the remains of sin." The Evangelical School teaches that grace is victorious over sin, and will at last uproot it, though perfect holiness will not be attained in this life. The Faith School, unlike the two former, in a way, admits that there are two natures in the believer, and teaches that holiness is obtained by an act of faith. A new life is thought to be imparted, but the blood is said to cleanse the fountain of evil within so that not merely the stains, but the sin itself, is said to be removed, yet the person may slip back again into bondage. Indeed, this view is a kind of compromise, a mixture of the Perfectionist and Scriptural Schools. But the latter shows that the flesh is not improved nor cleansed :it is condemned and treated as that which has been judged at the cross. A new life, the life of Christ is communicated, and the believer gets deliverance, not from the presence, but from its power; and not by cleansing, but by reckoning himself dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto God in Christ Jesus our Lord. The result is not purity, but liberty.

In the scriptural view of holiness all that is sought after by the other schools is obtained, while their errors are avoided. The perfection of Christ's work is so seen and accepted that the believer gets a purged conscience, and has a perfect standing before God, while the other schools are seeking this as a thing to be attained by holiness.

Indeed, Scripture gives us much more. It shows clearly the difference between the first and the last Adam ; the place of the old and the new creation is recognized ; and we get the essential features of Christianity proper , as contrasted with Judaism. It may not be seen at first, nor do the holiness advocates realize it ; but the question involves nothing less than the essential nature of Christianity itself. Strange and hard to say-not that they are not Christians, far be the uncharitable thought, but this I do say, they show that they do not see what Christianity really means, as taught by Paul.

The Perfectionist and Evangelical Schools do not show that the "old man" is met in judgment, nor that the "new man" is created in Christ Jesus, and that according to knowledge, righteousness and holiness of truth. (Eph. 4:24; 2:10; Col. 3:10.) Theirs is a Judaized Christianity, to which the epistle to the Galatians is indeed a divine answer. Both views are an attempt to put a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, of new wine into old bottles. They fail to recognize the utter corruptness of "the old" and the absolute newness of the " new man." With both schools it is virtually a man as he is, after the fall. But even if cleansed, he would still, in their reckoning, be a man in Adam, instead of a man in Christ, Indeed, Gen. Booth puts it plainly as being "re-made in Adam." This might be very good if true; but it would not be Christianity at all. These two views therefore, though based on the work of Christ, fail to give the distinct features of Christianity as taught by the apostle Paul. He teaches that the proper Christian condition is one of deliverance from the former state in Adam, and the man is freed from the bondage of indwelling sin, and waits to be freed from its presence at the coming of the Lord, or by his going to be with Him, (Rom. 5:12 ; 5:-8:23.)

With the Faith School there is some recognition of the new nature and resurrection life, and getting free from the law; but, as with both the former, there is still found the defective idea of cleansing the nature or source of evil within. The first two views deal with the whole man, and consider that he is to be cleansed and renewed. This third view allows that he gets an entirely new nature, and even talks of resurrection life; yet, "we are to receive the blood as cleansing the fountain-the very source of evil thoughts," "to wash inwardly the sin itself away, not merely the stains, but the sin itself." All this is outside Scripture. It never speaks of applying the blood to cleanse the evil nature, the sin itself, "the very source of the spring." That scripture, "the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin," is quoted to prove that the source, the spring itself, is cleansed. But it applies to overt acts not to the evil nature, as it says, "If we confess our sins."

The next verse also shows that it does not mean the cleansing of the source of evil in us, for, even after cleansing, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." No sin! then you have no truth on this point, that is certain. There is cleansing from the acts of sin, but the source of the acts, the evil or state of sin, is not cleansed :it is condemned, and the believer has to reckon himself dead to it.

A sin is an act, but sin is a state; and hence, strictly rendered, sin is lawlessness :it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. (i Jno. 3:4 ; Rom. 8:7.) To apply the law only provokes sin into activity. (Rom. 7:9-11.) It is a present power with the believer. What he needs, in this respect, is not forgiveness nor cleansing, but deliverance. It may be that he knows that he is forgiven, and this assurance only increases his distress. As one put it to me, 'If I had not been forgiven, I would come to Christ now ; but I know I was forgiven, but I cannot understand why I am feeling so wretched and miserable." The struggle with indwelling sin has begun, and cleansing is not what is now required.

It is the idea of a captive needing liberty. He might be cleansed, and even taken out of the foul dungeon in which he has been confined, and still be a captive in an enemy's land. He would still need and desire liberty with a change of place:he would have both if released and brought to where he belongs. This would be deliverance. The conduct of a loyal and devoted subject might then be manifested in its proper sphere. This would be like holiness as a result.

Mark the purport of the illustration, because it explains one grand mistake common to the first three views of holiness. They confound liberty with purity, deliverance with holiness. Purity will not be obtained till we see the Lord (i Jno. 3:3), though the heart is being purified, and we purify ourselves. (Acts 15:9.) But think of a captive in the black hole of Calcutta. He might be taken out of the loathsome dungeon, and have fresh air and wholesome food, and still be a captive under his guards. Cleansing and comfort is not enough :he is a captive, and, say, a Briton :what he longs for is liberty, and to live at peace in his native land.

So the Christian should live in heavenly places, in spirit. Indeed, the purpose of all the struggling is to bring him to realize that being in Christ he is not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, and to learn to treat being " in the flesh" as a past condition. (Rom. 7:5.) Then he says of himself what God says about him, in virtue of his having died with Christ, he steps into liberty, and has leisure to occupy his mind with Christ where He is at God's right hand.

The holiness advocates think too exclusively of cleansing and getting Christ to suit them on earth; they overlook the stern fact of captivity, and the need of a change of sphere, that they might in heart and affection suit Christ in heaven by setting their minds on things above. They are unwittingly at war with the nature of things. Cleansing and comfort to a British soldier in captivity, or beleaguered in a foreign land, from the nature of things, cannot give him all he requires. Gen. Gordon needed more than supplies :he required deliverance from Khartoum. So the believer requires deliverance from his old condition in Adam. Cleansing, as the holiness advocates put it, does not meet the deep need of the believer who is exclaiming in bitterness of soul, "O wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me from the body of this death ?" Indeed, rightly understood, this very man is cleansed already, and has a new nature; but what he needs is deliverance, or freedom from a power which is holding him in captivity. He also requires to see that he is brought into his proper sphere in Christ. He realizes this translation and freedom when he sees that the power of sin was dealt with in Christ's death:he accepts that death as his own death :he sees that sins, and the nature in him, which would keep him in bondage, were both dealt with in judgment when Jesus died. Christ's blood cleansed him from the pollution of sins, while that death at the same time broke the power of sin. The cross stands in a new light. He sees that death has come between him and his own self and sins alike, and that he has a new life, in a new place, with the Holy Spirit as a new power, and the risen Savior as a new object. He is not only cleansed ; but he learns that he is delivered from his former state of bondage to sin and law, and set free under a new Master, and is living loyally in the sphere to which he belongs, in virtue of his new birth, his new nature, and in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Hence he can say, "the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath set me free from the law of sin and death." " Now being made free (as from captivity) from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." Observe, too, that it is unto holiness; not a perfect state attained, but rather a starting point from which to go on to perfection in glory.

The experience in the end of Rom. 7:will be found to be a kind of crucial test of all the views of holiness. The Perfectionists makes it the experience of an unconverted man. This is out of line with the fact that the man hates evil, loves good, and delights in the law after the inward man. There is a new nature there ; but it has no power or liberty.

The Evangelical makes Rom. 7:the life-long experience of the believer, with no real deliverance til! death. The shout of thanksgiving and the emphatic words "hath made me free" set aside such a theory. Rom. 6:, 7:, and 8:are for the very purpose of showing that there is deliverance, and that the enjoyment of it is the only proper Christian experience.

The Faith School admit, and even urge, that the Christian life should be one of rest and liberty; but they teach that it is obtained by an act of faith, and overlook the importance and necessity for the breaking down, and judging, and repudiating of self, which is produced by the humbling experience of being brought to exclaim, " O wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Then, even after getting the blessing of holiness, as they put it, a man may be back again in the struggle of Rom. 7:every now and again. The defects of the view, in this respect, are that the man neither gets properly into Rom. 7:, so as to really learn himself; nor does he get properly out of it, so as to learn where he is brought, and what is his, as one who is "in Christ." If he does enter into liberty, as many do, he is apt to be taken up with himself and the blessing, while he enjoys it, rather than with Christ, and what is true of the believer as in Him in heavenly places.

The scriptural view is the divine answer to the soul, as it presents deliverance and a deliverer, and holiness as the result. It equally condemns the continuous sinning, and the profession of living without sin. It admits that the evil nature is there unchanged, but the believer is free from its power. It makes no false distinctions as to partial cleansing, and then getting a second blessing of a clean heart, or sanctification. The one who believes, indeed, all who believe in Christ's blood, are equally and perfectly cleansed, once purged, perfected forever, and should have no more conscience of sins. (Heb. 9:and 10:) After this the believer may contract defilement in his walk, then the remedy is the advocacy of Christ and the washing of water by the Word, (i Jno. 2:i, 2 ; Jno. 13:1-11.) There is a difference between the bath and the basin, or bathing, and feet washing :the one is for the cleansing of the whole body, the other for removing defilement contracted afterward. In Scripture, the former is the washing once for all; the latter, the washing with water whenever the believer contracts defilement.

The holiness teaching confuses them together. It also overlooks deliverance, and it takes away from the perfection of a purged conscience, at the outset, by urging upon a believer a second cleansing, which is supposed to purify the source of evil within.

Many of the hymns in use are full of this injurious notion, as, for instance, when believers are taught to sing-

" Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."

Charles Wesley puts it explicitly as the language of a soul seeking sanctification-

" Speak the second time, 'Be clean.'
Take away my inbred sin;
Every stumbling-block remove;
Cast it out by perfect love."

Then, on the other hand, when the blessing is supposed to be obtained, and the tendency to evil uprooted, the exhortations and warnings of Scripture to the believers are nullified. But sin in the nature is there, hence, " Reckon ye yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin ;" "Let not sin therefore reign;" " Mortify, therefore, your members;" "Flee also youthful lusts;" "Put off all these, anger, wrath ; " " Grieve not the Holy Spirit; " these, and all kindred exhortations and warnings to saints and men of God, are all a mistake if the fountain of evil within is cleansed and entirely eradicated. If it had been so with Peter, after being filled with the Holy Spirit, he would not have dissembled. (Gal. 2:11-14.) Paul, after being in the third heaven, would not have required a thorn in the flesh to keep him from giving way to pride. Exercise and self-judgment, as practiced and taught by Paul, were all a mistake if the tendency to evil, if the evil nature itself, is uprooted. As his teaching shows, in the most advanced believer, " the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh;" but " walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh."

The flesh is ever condemned, never said to be cleansed, nor rooted out of the believer. But he is not in the flesh, though it is in him:he is in the Spirit, in Christ, and Christ in him; hence he can say, " The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and death."

This point may only be reached after a fruitless struggle to improve the flesh, or restrain self. The answer is found in Christ's death, and in reckoning himself dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto God in Christ Jesus, and in " bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus that the life also of Jesus may be manifest in our body." One might humbly submit that this guards against the erroneous tendencies, and gives all that is true in the holiness teaching, while it gives much more, and all according to " the truth ;" and it is the truth which makes free, In brief, in conclusion, usually after one has believed on Christ, and received the forgiveness of sins, he has to learn deliverance by Christ, that he may live to Christ, and wait for Christ, that, like Paul, he may say, "To me, to live is Christ." But one might add that here, briefly, some of the far-reaching principles connected with deliverance have been touched ; and it will be no surprise, no proof of the principles being unscriptural, if they are not just so clear to the mind at first sight. There is such a mass of unscriptural ideas in the minds of many on the question of holiness that it need not be wondered at if they are somewhat slow to learn. It should be borne in mind, however, that the deep need and the earnest longings of some believers have ended in their getting the experience of deliverance, though they may not be able to give the scriptural explanation of that experience. Much of this is owing to the lack of scriptural teaching on the subject; and if these papers help to open up Scripture, they will not have been written in vain. Then let the apostle's holy ambition to have Christ magnified in his body be the earnest purpose of each inquirer, and the illuminating power of the Spirit will not fail to reveal to the longing soul Christ the Lord as the Deliverer. W. C. J.

(To be continued.)

AN EXPOSITION OF REVELATION IV.-XXII. PART IV.

THE EARTH-TRIAL. (CHAP. 14:)

"First-Fruits." (10:1-5.)

The manifestation of evil is complete; we are now to see God's dealings as to it. These acts of Satan and his ministers are a plain challenge of all His rights in Israel and the earth ; and further patience would be no longer patience, but dishonor. Hence we find now, as in answer to the challenge, the Lamb upon Mount Zion, -that is, upon David's seat; and as the beast's followers have his mark upon them, so the followers of Christ, associated with Him here, have His and His Father's name upon their foreheads. What this means can scarcely be mistaken.

Zion is not only identified in Scripture with David and his sovereignty, but very plainly with the sovereign grace of God, when everything intrusted to man had failed in Israel, priesthood had broken down, the ark gone into captivity in the enemy's land, and although restored by the judgment of God upon the Philistines, was no more sought unto in the days of Saul. He, though Jehovah's anointed king, had become apostate. All might seem to have gone, but it was not so ; and in this extremity, as the seventy-eighth psalm says, " Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, . . and He smote His adversaries backward. Moreover, He refused the tent of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim, but chose the tribe of Judah the Mount Zion which He loved. … He chose also David His servant." Nor was this a temporary choice :as a later psalm adds, " For Jehovah hath chosen Zion ; He hath desired it for His habitation. This is My rest forever:here will I dwell, for I have desired it." (Ps. 132:13, 14.)

Thus, though the long interval of so many centuries may seem to argue repentance upon God's part, it is not really so :" God is not man, that He should lie ; nor the son of man, that He should repent." The Lamb on Zion shows, us the true David on the covenanted throne, and Zion by this lifted above the hills indeed. The vision is of course anticipative, for by and by we find that the beast still exists. The end is put first, as it is with Him who sees it from the beginning, and then we trace the steps that lead up to it.

But who are the hundred and forty-four thousand associated with the Lamb ? Naturally one would identify them with the similar number sealed out of the twelve tribes in the seventh chapter, and the more so that the Lamb's and His Father's name upon their foreheads seems to be the effect of this very sealing, which was upon the forehead also. No other mark is given us as to them in the former vision, of whom we read as exempted from the power of the locusts afterward. Here, if it is not directly affirmed that these are sealed, yet it seems evident, a seal having been often a stamp with a name; and the purpose of the sealing in the former case being to mark them out as God's, this is manifestly accomplished by the name upon them. This open identification with Christ in the day of His rejection might seem to be what would expose them to all the power of the enemy, yet it is that which in fact marks them for security. In reality, what a protection is the open confession of Christ as the One we serve ! There is, in fact, no safer place for us than that of necessary conflict under the Lord's banner ; and the end is glory. Here they stand-these confessors, openly confessed by Him on His side; and their having been through the suffering and the conflict is just that which brings them here upon the mount of royalty :it is " if we suffer, we shall also reign with Him."

Another inestimable privilege they have got, though clearly an earthly, not a heavenly company:they are able to learn a song that is sung in heaven. "And I heard a voice from heaven, as a voice of many waters, and as a voice of great thunder; and the voice which I heard was of harpers harping with their harps; and they sing a new song before the throne, and before the four living beings and the elders :and no one was able to learn the song, except the hundred and forty-four thousand that were purchased from the earth."

It is clear that the company here occupy a place analogous to that of the Gentile multitude of the seventh chapter, who stand before the throne and the living ones also. The vision in either case being anticipative, we can understand that earth and heaven are at this time brought near together, and that "standing" before the throne and "singing" before the throne involve no necessary heavenly place for those who sing or stand there. Here they stand upon Mount Zion while they sing before the throne,-if, that is, the singers are primarily the hundred and forty-four thousand, as many think. What seems in opposition to this is that the voice is heard from heaven, and that the company on Mount Zion are spoken of as learners of the song. On the other side, the difficulty is in answering the question, Who are these harpers, plainly human ones, who are distinguished from the elders, yet in heaven at this time ? Remembering what the time is may help us here. May they not be the martyrs of the period with which the prophecy in general has to do,- those seen when the fourth seal is opened, and those for whom they are bidden to wait-the sufferers under the beast afterward ? two classes which are seen as completing the ranks of the first resurrection in the twentieth chapter. These would give us a third class, evidently-neither the heavenly elders nor the sealed ones of Israel; and yet in closest sympathy with the latter. It could not be thought strange that these should be able to learn their song. And at the time when the Lamb is King on Zion, this third class would certainly be found filling such a place as that of the harpers here.

This seems to meet every difficulty, indeed:for their song would clearly be a new song, such as neither the Old Testament nor the revelation of the Church-mystery could account for ; while the living victors over the beast would seem rightly here to enter into the song of others, rather than to originate it themselves.

But they have their own peculiar place, as on Mount Zion, first-fruits of earth's harvest to God and to the Lamb, purchased from among men, (grace, through the blood of Christ, the secret of their blessing, as of all other,) but answering to that claim in a true undefiled condition, in virgin-faithfulness to Him who is afresh espousing Israel to Himself. In their mouth thus no lie is found, for they are blameless:and these last words we shall surely read aright when we remember that to those who have not received the love of the truth, " God will send strong delusion, that they may believe the lie" (2 Thess. 2:ii), and the apostle's question, "Who is the liar, but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ?" and that " he is the antichrist who denieth the Father and the Son." (i Jno. 2:21, 22.) The names of the Lamb and of His Father are on the foreheads of these sealed ones.

The Everlasting Gospel,(10:6, 7.)

It is a foregleam of the day that comes that the first vision of this chapter shows us :but, although the day is coming fast, we have first to see the harbingers of judgment, and then the judgment, before it can arrive. Righteousness, unheeded when it spoke in grace, must now speak in judgment, that "the work of righteousness" may be " peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever." (Isa. 32:17.)

In this way it is that we come now to what seems to us perhaps a strange, sad gospel, and yet is the everlasting one, which an "angel flying in mid-heaven," preaches to the inhabitants of the earth. And this is what his voice declares :" Fear God, and give glory to Him ; for the hour of His judgment is come ; and worship Him who made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountains of waters."

How any one could confound this gospel of judgment with the gospel of salvation by the cross would seem hard to understand, except as we realize how utterly the difference of dispensations has been ignored in common teaching, and how it is taken as a matter of course that the " gospel " must be always one and the same gospel; which even the epithet " everlasting " is easily taken to prove. Does it not indeed assert it ?-that the same gospel was preached, of course, in a clearer or a less clear fashion, all through the dispensation of law and before it ?

No doubt the everlasting gospel must be that which from the beginning was preached, and has been preaching ever since, although it should be plain that "the hour of His judgment is come" is just what with truth no one in Christian times could say. Plain it is too that the command to worship God the Creator is not what any one who knew the gospel could take as that. In fact, the gospel element, or glad tidings, in the angel message is just found in that which seems most incongruous with it to-day-that the "hour of His judgment is come." What else in it is "tidings" at all? That certainly is; and if serious, yet to those who know that just in this way deliverance is to come for the earth, it is simple enough that the coming of the delivering judgment is in fact the gospel.

Listen to that same gospel, as a preacher of old declared it. With what a rapture of exultation does he break out as he cries,-

" Oh sing unto the Lord a new song !
Sing unto the Lord, all the earth.
Sing unto the Lord, bless His name;
Show forth His salvation from day to day !
Declare His glory among the nations,
His marvelous works among all the peoples !

Tremble before Him, all the earth !
Say among the nations that the Lord reigneth;
The world also is established, that it cannot be moved:
He shall judge the peoples with equity.
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice !
Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof !
Let the field exult, and all that is therein !
Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy before
the Lord ;
For He cometh, for He cometh, to judge the earth.
He shall judge the world with righteousness,
And the peoples with His truth !" (Ps. 96:)

Here is a gospel before Christianity; and it has been sounding out all through Christianity, whether men have heard it or have not. And it is but the echo of what we hear in Eden, before the gate of the first paradise shuts upon the fallen and guilty pair,-that the seed of the woman shall crush the serpent's head. That is a gospel which has been ringing through the ages since, and which may well be called the everlasting one. Its form is only altered by the fact that now at last its promise is to be fulfilled. "Judgment "is now to "return to righteousness." The "rod" is "iron," but henceforth in the Shepherd's hand. Man's day is past, the day of the Lord is come ; and every blow inflicted shall be on the head of evil, the smiting down of sorrow and of all that brings it. What can he be but rebel-hearted, who shall refuse to join the anthem when the King-Creator comes into His own again ? The angel-evangel is thus a claim for worship from all people, and to Him that cometh every knee shall bow. F. W. G.

(To be continued.)

We readily see how this expression can be spiritually applied. The thought conveyed by it is that of earnest purpose, diligence, and prompt performance. Leaving for the individual conscience the question of literal early rising, we will take up the subject in its spiritual meaning.

God has ever manifested Himself as rising early. The great matter of our salvation was not left till the fall had brought in sin and death-or to human will. "He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world." Nothing that afterward might take place could set aside that "eternal purpose which He purposed." As the objects of His grace were thus chosen, so the means were provided_"Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world." Christ, the object of the Father's counsels, and His Church, were thus provided in the "early morning" of that bright eternity past, before sin had entered. Our blessed God has not been surprised by what took place in Eden. All had been foreseen and provided for. Not that this in the least interferes with or hinders human responsibility; that is something entirely separate from the subject of which we are speaking.

As to His ways with man ever since, the same diligence and earnest purpose is seen-no matter what patience was manifested,-for there is nothing like precipitancy in Him-there is no delay. In the call of Abraham, the deliverance of His people out of Egypt, and in each step of the onward way, prompt action at the proper time is ever characteristic. Specially is this seen in the sending of the prophets, "rising up early and sending them." No delay-no indifference, but early sending His messengers to rescue His people who had wandered from Him. How this increases their responsibility! They meeting His early rising to recall them, by "rising early and corrupting their doings." (Zeph. 3:7.) Coming to the New Testament, we find this same diligence in sending His Son ; and after He had ascended, having accomplished all God's purposes here, there was no delay in sending forth the Holy Ghost.

Passing now to that perfect life on earth of Him whose meat and drink it was to do His Father's will, we find the same spirit of holy promptness and zeal,-from the time when He said, " Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God," to that "early morning" of the resurrection when all that will had been perfectly accomplished. In the gospel (of Mark) which presents Him as the Perfect Servant, one of the characteristic words is "straightway." There is no lingering-no holding back, but a diligent passing from one sphere of service to another. Nor is there any shrinking from work which is not pleasant. He turns from the man out of whom He had cast the legion-parting from one who could in measure appreciate Him-to go back to those who had nothing but suspicion and unbelief. He leaves the bright glory of the " holy mount" of transfiguration to meet the demoniac child at the foot, and to steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, to meet worse than Capernaum indifference, demoniac power, or Samaritan unbelief. But, blessed be His precious name ! in all, He is ever the perfect, prompt, obedient One who could say, " He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth Mine ear to hear as the learner." Having passed through the heavens, He is now seated on the Father's throne; but He still keeps His character as an early riser, and presents Himself to our longing hope as "the Bright and Morning Star,"-that star which rises early, before day. He will come for us at the earliest possible moment,-no delay when the last elect one is saved,-no delay but the fulfillment of that word which speaks to affection's heart, "Surely, I come quickly."

And if this is the character of the Father, of the Son, and the Spirit, we may well ask, Does it not become us also to be early risers? Turning to Scripture, we find it full of examples which if typical are none the less practical.

The manna-bread from heaven-had to be gathered early in the morning, for the heat of the sun melted it Christ is the bread of life for His people-not merely imparting and sustaining it, but giving us communion. We are to feed on Him if we are to have fellowship with Him and the Father. But this can only be done by early rising by a prompt diligence and determination to enjoy Him at all hazards. This applies equally to prayer ; just as the Lord Jesus rose a great while before day literally, we too must have the same purpose if we are to know what true prayer is. We ask amiss if we ask indolently. It is :not of set purpose, we may be very sure, that God's people lose communion with Him ; but it is by indifference and neglect-other things hindering us; "As thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone," is also the reason why we lose that Manna which flees from the sun of this world's absorbing affairs. He who knocked at the door of His beloved, and who met with but a sluggish response, quickly withdrew from the door, and she found Him not (Song 5:2-7). Communion does not come unsought, does not stay with those who do not prize it sufficiently to hold it fast at all cost of ease or comfort. "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart." To be found, they have to be sought for, which means the diligence of early rising. The sluggard is the opposite of this. He loves his bed; self-pleasing is the rule of his life, and his garden shows it. The wall is broken down (separation from the world lost), and the nettles and briars show the fruits of the old creation under the curse, not the "peaceable fruits of righteousness." (Prov. 24:30-34.) The sluggard too has motion, but he moves in his bed ; it is like a door on its hinges-ever swinging backward and forward, but there is no progress. How different the example of that early riser, the apostle Paul -"Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark"! Much of what passes for diligence among Christians is the half-awake turning in bed of the sluggard. Truth presented in an arousing way attracts their attention, wins their assent, makes them resolve to obey it; and thinking thus, they fall asleep until again awakened. Good for them is it if some pungent truth pierces the thick armor of indolence, and causes them, not to turn over to some fresh form of self-indulgence, but to leap from their bed of sloth, and do rather than talk. To obey is better than sacrifice." Good is it even if the chastening rod of a Father's love cause a smart which prevents further sleep. Do we not hear Him who says, not to the sinner, but to His own people, " Awake, thou that sleepest! and arise from among the dead, and Christ shall give thee light" ?

We have been speaking of communion, and the necessity for all diligence if we are to maintain or enjoy it. This lies at the foundation ; for if there is no communion, there is no strength to do or obey. Coming on now to the fruits of communion-an obedient life-we find the same need emphasized. Never did father receive a harder command than did Abraham when God said, "Take now thy son-thine only son, Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt-offering." How does Abraham respond to this? He rose up early in the morning. "I made haste and delayed not to keep Thy words." He allows no time for nature to interpose between him and God's will. How often our slowness to obey has opened the way for dis-obedience! A lingering in the way, like the slothful man again who says, "There is a lion in the way:I shall be slain in the streets." No matter how heavy his heart, Abraham rises, and does what God had commanded, only to find, as we shall ever find, that obedience brings blessing out of the very thing we feared. He receives Isaac back as from the dead, with renewed covenant and promise on God's part, and learns more deeply than ever before the meaning of that word, " The Lord will provide." Is the reader of these lines delaying to obey God's will in some known matter? Go promptly, and obey ; rise early, deny self, and act in dependence on God ;. and, oh, what relief will come to you! and above all, what honor to God ! Do not stand shivering in uncertainty, but with promptness (not heedless haste-a very different thing,) act, and act now.

But this leads us to look at another fruit of early rising. It is only thus that great victories are won. When Joshua assaulted the impregnable walls of Jericho, he rose early, and they compassed the city. On the seventh day, they rose early-about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city seven times. Here they did very little, but they showed they were in earnest in that, by their early rising. The result is, the walls of Jericho fell flat, and victory is assured. So in our life, we have to cast down the strongholds of Satan which stand in the way of our enjoyment of our inheritance. We have little we can do to overcome the opposition, save a steadfast walk and a clear testimony ; but if there is this in true diligence, victory is assured,-the walls, whatever they may be-difficulty at home, or wherever else,-will fall. The Lord teach us this lesson also. We might refer to many such instances, where due and earnest diligence accompanied victory. David in meeting Goliath (i Sam. 17:20), Gideon attacking Midian (Judges 7:i), Jehoshaphat in meeting his foes (2 Chron. 20:20),-all rose early, and they were victorious.

See too in the exercise of discipline (as in Josh. 7:16), no delay is permitted, and the result is, the offender is discovered and dealt with, and blessing results. How often evil is winked at, or the matter neglected until it becomes a festering sore, defiling a whole assembly, or a large portion of it, and only gotten rid of with the loss of many who might otherwise have been spared !

So also, in the restoration of God's order, Hezekiah, when the temple was cleansed, made haste and offered the appointed sacrifices,-he rose early. The Lord Jesus has in these last days shown where His meeting-place is- "Where two or three are gathered together to My name, there am I in the midst." He has provided the sacrifices (forever efficacious), but where are the early risers-the devoted ones who will avail themselves aright of these privileges ? Does the reader say, " Here am I" ?

" Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Ps. 119:105.)

If a soul be led aright in his spiritual or ecclesiastical path, he must be led according to God's Word, and, of course, it is needful to take heed to that Word in order to have its leading. A person may be very sincere, yet if led by his own thoughts, they will likely be the thoughts of a heart which is not to be trusted, and the path chosen is one that suits the flesh, or the tastes of the person, and not the path of faith at all.

One cannot question the sincerity and earnestness of J. H. Newman, when, "becalmed at sea, in the Straits of Bonifacio, between Sicily and Marseilles, June 16th, 1833," he wrote the following beautiful lines:-

Lead kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom
Lead Thou me on.
The night is dark, and I am far from home;
Lead Thou me on.
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou
Shouldst lead me on. I loved to choose and see my path; but now
Lead Thou me on.
I loved the garish day, and spite of fears
Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years.

So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still
Will lead me on
O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till
The night is gone;
And with the morn those angel faces smile
Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile.

This hymn is given as it came from the pen of Newman. It is worthy of remark, however, that it does not afford any intimation that he was seeking to be led simply by the Word of God. And the way he was led would more than incline one to suspect that he was not thus seeking, for surely that Word could never lead into the church of Rome, where it has so little place, its place being usurped by papal tradition and dogmas.

A. Midlane, in noticing this lack of reference to the Word, and thinking of the way the author had gone, wrote a hymn, using the same meter, and style, but giving the Word of God its place. Being at West Cowes, Isle of Wight, on the morning of the Lord's Day, April 6, 1884, he writes, "I was meditatively wandering on the pebbly shore of the Solent, dwelling on the strains of Newman's hymn,-'Lead Kindly Light,'-and of the subsequent career of that highly intellectual man. I had previously seen him arrayed in all the glory of a cardinal, at a requiem mass, and I was wondering at the strange lead of that 'Kindly Light.' Burdened with this thought, I opened my pocket-book, and wrote the hymn as it now appears, before the time of the morning service." I give what he wrote.

Thy Word, Thy precious Word, alone,
Can lead me on;
By this, until the darksome night is gone,
Lead Thou me on!
Thy Word is light, Thy Word is life and power,
By it O guide me in each trying hour!

"Tis all I have; around no light appears-
O lead me on!
With eyes on Thee, though gazing through my tears,
Lead Thou me on!
The good and best might lead me far astray;
Omniscient Savior, lead Thou me, I pray!

Whatever my path, led by Thy Word 'tis good;
O lead me on!
Be my poor heart Thy blessed Word's abode,
Lead Thou me on!
Thy Holy Spirit gives the light to see,
And leads me, by the Word, close following Thee.

Led by aught else, I tread a devious way;
O lead me on!
Speak, Lord, and help me ever to obey;
Lead Thou me on!
My every step shall then be well defined,
And all I do, according to Thy mind. A. Midlane.

He says, "The thought my heart was wishing to give expression to was, that any light save from the Word of God must be a delusive one, and that only the light of life, the Word of God, can be a real 'Kindly Light,' and lead the soul on with Him who said, ' I am the light of the world.'"

Some who were contemporary with Newman, and equally learned, were, like him, deeply exercised as to their ecclesiastical path, and Rome was put before them; but being in subjection to the Word of God, and diligently and prayerfully studying it, they were led a very different way. One of them, who has finished his course with "intense joy," tells us in his writings that he was thus kept, and that the tenth chapter of Hebrews was specially helpful to this end. And well it might, for it assures us that Christ "by one offering hath perfected forever them that are sanctified,"-that their sins are remembered no more,-that "where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sins," and that they have " boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus;" thus needing no priest but the High-Priest, by whose blood they have this intimate and blessed nearness to God. Indeed they are the only priests recognized in the apostolic epistles, excepting, of course, the Peerless One " that is passed into the heavens."
Yes, the Word of God is alone authoritative. It is the beacon-light for our guidance through this dark scene. It is the only light we have; but, blessed be the Giver, it is like His grace, sufficient. We do well, then, to take all heed to it, until the day dawn, and the Morning Star shall arise to gladden the hearts of His waiting ones, when they shall be like Him and with Him forever. Surely, then, it is for each of His own to pray, while He tarries, "Order my steps in Thy Word;" "O send out Thy light and Thy truth; let them lead me; let them bring me unto Thy holy hill, and to Thy tabernacles." In this way we may count on God to lead us in " a plain path;" and also use us in aiding others who are seeking the true path in this day of difficulty, and want of subjection to His Word. R.H.

"And the same day, Pilate and Herod were made friends together ; for before, they were at enmity between themselves." (Luke 23:12.)

One of the characteristics of men in their natural state is, "living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another." What can be expected from the carnal mind which is " enmity against God " but enmity against its fellow also? The violence and the hatred and strife we see in the world are but fruits of that departure from Him who alone is Love. And so after conversion-after we have " received the reconciliation," the sweet and precious fruits of the Spirit are seen ; and among the first is love, and all its accompanying manifestations of forgiveness of and reconciliation with our fellows. How can the one who has been forgiven much fail to forgive the little offenses against himself? It would argue that one did not realize it for himself if he failed in its exercise toward others.

Here, however, as in many other ways, Satan has a counterfeit of the real, in which while a good deal of the outward appearance is preserved, all that gives character and value is wanting. This is so in a marked degree with the case before us. Pilate and Herod had been at enmity; they become reconciled. What led to this reconciliation?-what motives actuated them? Sad is the answer-their rejection of Christ. It may be said that Pilate was not so violently opposed to Him,-that He was willing to let Him go, and that Herod would have been glad to see some miracle performed by Him. Still this in no wise affects the fact that Christ was set at naught by Herod, and delivered up to be crucified by Pilate. "He that is not with Me is against Me;" and these two, having been specially called upon to decide for or against Him, take their place with His enemies. This brings them together, gives the occasion for their reconciliation. What a spectacle! The Son of God mocked, scourged, and delivered up for crucifixion; and the men who were responsible for it as it were shaking hands over it! After all, is not this what we see in the world at the present day? Are not the very things which link men with one another the ones which separate them from Christ? Not necessarily immoral things, but those which have usurped the place which He would claim, show the enmity which is just as real, though less apparent, as if more flagrant acts had indicated it.

But it is not for the world that we are writing. Is there not a lesson for us. as Christians to learn ? First, what is that which links us with the world ? Is it a common interest in business, or the daily affairs of life, which so absorb as to become our object, instead of that love and pity which spring from communion with the Lord? While in the world, we must be engaged in the daily duties of life,-the common affairs that all men must attend to; but to be so absorbed in these as to leave the Lord out is to act as though we were of the world as well as in it. This is the friendship of the world, and it is enmity with God, practically. A friendship of this kind is, in measure, of the character of that between Pilate and Herod. Much of the sociability with the unsaved is dangerously near this. Would those who are now so pleased to have our company like it if we avowed loyalty to Him who is their enemy? Farthest removed from a moroseness and gloom that repel is this frank, happy, confession of Christ which comes from a heart filled with His love. Surely we cannot make rules for ourselves or for one another, but do we not need some exercise of conscience as to this very thing?

But as between saints, is there not need to beware of links of the character of that between Pilate and Herod ? That prejudice which separates from some of our brethren and attracts to others is like it. Differences and coolness toward some drawing us closer to those of like mind with us is like it. It is thus that parties spring up amongst God's people, and under the guise of congeniality, etc., confederacies are formed. Further, though not exactly of like character, there is the being held together by rejection of error merely. The Lord never intended us to. be occupied with evil,-never would have us drawn together by what we refuse and deny merely. Positive truth is what attracts and holds together-truth which sets the Lord Himself before us. Love to Him, worship of Him, this is the constraining bond which the Spirit uses to unite and hold us together. The more we know of Christ (in the heart)-the more His truth fills us, so much the closer will we be together. This is a friendship which has neither honey nor leaven to corrupt it, and so abides.

The article entitled "Roll up the Catalogue" in the July number of HELP AND FOOD contains timely and much-needed exhortation for the Lord's people. It is just in line with some scriptures lately noticed in the thirty-seventh psalm ; a few words about them may be helpful.

" Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity." At first sight this might seem to apply only to the prosperous, wealthy man of the world, whom the believer, as he follows the narrow way, is often tempted to envy ; but why does it not apply with equal force to the evil-doer in ourselves and our fellow-believers-" Not I but sin that dwelleth in me?"

Some of us perhaps have learned enough of " the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him," the " inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for us," so that we are not often troubled with envy at the present prosperity of the ungodly. The experience of the seventy-third psalm has perhaps been ours, and, like David, "in the sanctuary," our eyes have been opened to see their end, and the insecurity and worthlessness of their possessions compared with ours. If we have learned this lesson, we can claim no glory on account of it-that is all due to Him who has taught us to estimate the values of things "according to the shekel of the sanctuary."

But how many of us have ceased to fret ourselves because of the evil-doer who is continually manifesting himself in the saints? Especially if his evil-doing in any way touches us (and doubtless there are many who have sufficient love for the saints and care for the Lord's glory to be quite as troubled when it stumbles them or dishonors Him ; but oftener, we fear, it is only wounded pride which causes us to fret).If we look at the second verse of this psalm, we shall find the reason God gives us for not fretting ourselves. God, in His great grace, often reasons with us about His ways, and patiently tells us why He gives us such and such commands. Thus we are led to see that " His commandments are not grievous," and it is often in considering the reason that we find willingness and power to obey the command. A few examples may make this plainer. In i Jno. 2:15 we find the command, " Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world." There as on follows-"For all that is in the world-the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever."Heb. 11:8-"By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed ; and he went out, . . . for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God."

Heb 13:16-"But to do good and to communicate forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased."

" Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, … for they shall soon be cut down as the grass, and wither as the green herb." It is always easier to endure trial when we know that it will not last long.

Of the evil-doer in the believer God has written " condemned " (Rom. 8:3), " crucified " (Gal. 2:20), " dead " (Rom. 6:8; Col. 3:3). Such is he now in God's sight; but he is not yet " cut off," nor will we be loosed from him until we hear the shout of our returning Lord, and are changed into His likeness. Now when we are fretting ourselves over some fellow-believer's sin, would it not help us to be patient and gracious with him if we remembered that it is not he, but sin that dwelleth in him, that is at fault,-this same evil-doer that "'shall soon be cut down," and is already dead in God's sight? So also when Satan tempts us to fret and worry over our own continual failures, let us remember again that "evil-doers shall soon be cut down." Thus we shall be enabled to "rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him," knowing that at His coming we shall be freed from the presence of in dwelling sin. Our responsibility to "sin not "is none the less:sin surely is most grievous in God's sight, and no doubt will cause the believer ".godly sorrow" ("sorrow according to God"-2 Cor. 7:9, margin), but fretting over it is not the remedy. Immediate confession and consequent restoration is God's way (i Jno. 1:9); then we are privileged to forget it, as God does, and go on our way rejoicing. It is surely a device of Satan to keep us so much occupied with the old dead thing in ourselves and other saints. How much better to " know no man after the flesh," but rather to seek the acquaintance and edification of the new man in Christ ! May God give us grace oftener to look upon our brethren as He did upon his people of old when Balaam testified, " He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath He seen perverseness in Israel."

Satan's great desire is, to keep God's saints fretted aud troubled like himself; as it is written, "The wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest." But our God would have us"careful for nothing." Then let us commit our ways unto the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring to pass. Our adversary the devil, the arch-evil-doer, "shall soon be cut down" for it is written, "The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly." "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent, that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless."

AN EXPOSITION OF REVELATION IV.-XXII. PART V.

THE VIALS OF WRATH. (Chap, 15:, 16:)

The Character of the Judgment Coming.(Chap, 15:)

The visions of the last chapter plainly reach to the end of judgment in the coming of the Lord Himself. The vials, therefore, cannot come after these or go beyond them :in fact, the coming of the Lord is not openly reached in them, though it may seem implied, for in the vials is filled up the wrath of God. But the coming of the Lord, although necessary to complete the judgment, is yet so much more than this, that it would seem even out of place in a vial of wrath. In the fourteenth chapter, where it is the Lamb's answer to the challenge of the enemy, He does indeed appear :He comes out Himself to answer. But in this also there is more than judgment. The manifestation of Antichrist is met by the manifestation of Christ, as the day antagonizes and chases away the night; but the day then is come. In the vials there is simply the destruction of the evil; and while the previous visions classify in a divine way the objects of wrath, the vials give us rather the history in detail,-the succession of events; though this, of course, like all else, has divine meaning in it. All history has:the difficulty is, with what is common history, to get the facts distinctly and in proportion, which the inspiration of Scripture-history secures for us. But along with this, we have here, what is obscured so much to men, heaven's action in earth's history; and heaven is acting in a more direct manner now that the end is at hand, and the wrath stored up for many generations is to burst upon the earth at last.

" And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous,-seven angels having seven plagues-the last; for in them is finished the wrath of God."

The one bright word here is "FINISHED." For the earth at large, it is indeed so. Judgment comes, as we shall see, at the close of the millennium, upon a special, though, alas ! a numerous class ; but it is, nevertheless, not earth that rebels, nor can the hand that holds the scepter be any more displaced. How the voice of the "everlasting gospel" sounds in that word, "finished"! But in proportion as the judgment is final now, so must it be complete, conclusive. All limitations are now removed :the rod of iron thoroughly does its work. As in the Lord's answer to His disciples' question as to this very period :"Wheresoever the carcass"-the corruption that provokes God's anger-" is, there will the eagles be gathered together."

But first-and this is the style of prophecy, as we have seen,-before the judgment strikes, the gathering clouds are for a moment parted, that we may see, not the whole good achieved, but the care of God over His own, who in this scene might seem to have found only defeat and forsaking. Only one righteous Man was ever really forsaken. And we are permitted to see how, in fact, He has but hidden in His own pavilion, from the strife of men, those who amid the battle drop down and are lost to sight. "And I saw as it were a sea of glass, mingled with fire; and those that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over the number of his name, standing upon the sea of glass, having harps of God. they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ' Great and marvelous are works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy
Thou King of ages. Who shall not fear, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for Thou only art holy; for all nations shall come and worship before Thee; for Thy righteous acts have been made manifest.'

The sea of glass answers to the brazen sea-the laver of the temple ; but it is glass, not water :purification is over, with the need of it; the fire mingled with it indicates what they have passed through, which God has used for blessing to their souls. That they are a special class cannot be questioned,-martyrs under the beast, who have found victory in defeat, and are perfected and at rest before the throne of God.

They sing a mingled song-of Moses and of the Lamb, conquerors as those who were delivered out of Egypt, but by the might of Him who goes forth as a "man of war" for the deliverance of His people. The song of the Lamb looks to the victories recorded in this book, in which the "works" of the Lord God Almighty of the Old Testament are repeated by Him who as King of the ages manifests thus His " ways " as true and righteous throughout the dispensations.* *There is an alternative reading accepted by most editors,-"nations," found in the Alexandrian and Vatican MSS., with the Ethiopic and Coptic, versions. "Ages" is found in the Sinaitic and Ephrami MSS., with the Vulgate. The Revised Version, with Westcott & Hort, prefer the latter, which has the oldest authority in its favor, and, I judge, the spiritual sense.*

Divine promises are being fulfilled :God is once more taking up the cause of His ancient people, while the sufferers in Christian times are no less being vindicated, and their enemies judged. Great Babylon, with the blood of the prophets in her skirts, comes into remembrance before God. He has not slept, when most He seemed to do so ; and now acts in judgment that makes all men fear. Ripened iniquity, come to a head, wherever we may look, claims the harvest-sickle. The open challenge of the enemy brooks no delay in answering it. It is the only hope for the earth itself, which will learn righteousness when His judgments are in it. While the New Testament here coalesces with the voice of prophecy in the Old, and the cycle of the ages is completed and returns into itself, only with a Second Man, a new creation and the paradise of God. Truly Christ is "King of the ages."

And now the temple of the tabernacle of testimony is opened, where the ark of His covenant has been already seen. Faithful to that covenant now, in which Israel and the earth are together ordained to blessing, the seven angels with the seven last plagues issue forth as the result of that faithfulness. Thus they are arrayed in pure white linen, and girded with golden girdles:it is the glory of God in behalf of which they serve, as the bowls or vials are also golden, and filled with His wrath. From the glory of God and from His power smoke fills the temple. None can therefore approach to intercede. There can be no more delay:long-suffering patience is exhausted :"no one was able to enter into the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled." F. W. G.

(To be continued.)

AND FAITH’S SUPPLY, AND THE MOUNT THAT WAS NIGH TO THE SEA. (Matt. 15:)

This chapter presents two subjects in remarkable contrast:religious hardness of hypocrisy, in the first part, teaching that a man was free from obligation to help his parents on declaration that what he might have given them was devoted as a gift, and at the same time scrupulous about eating with unwashed hands. Love and righteousness were nothing before the claims of religious formalities.

It is here the Lord says, " Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, ' This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoreth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.' And He called the multitude, and said, Hear and understand, not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man, but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.' "

And does this plain and solemn rebuke open their blinded eyes? No; they are only offended by it. Self-complacency made them satisfied with a well of iniquity, covered with smooth words, but the Lord uncovers it. "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." A sevenfold result of wickedness. "These are the things that defile a man, but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man." But so hardened were they and blind, that the Lord had to say, " Let them alone ; they be blind leaders of the blind; and if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." The Lord's words only offended them.

And here is the turning point in the chapter. " Then Jesus went thence and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And in contrast with the secure hardness of " the scribes and Pharisees which were of Jerusalem," He meets at once a world of openly confessed need, and at once supplies all that need. The daughter of the woman of Canaan is " made whole that very hour." "And great multitudes came unto Him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus feet, and He healed them, and . . . they glorified the God of Israel." And also He had compassion on the multitude and fed them, and they were all filled.

The contrast is impressive and instructive. Hardness of heart, ignorant of its need, He turns from; but felt misery and need He tenderly compassionates and at once relieves. It is a dark shadow and a bright light. Human wickedness and human misery brought suddenly to view, to arouse, if possible, the desperately hardened, and through it all the glory of the Lord shines. The meek and lowly one exposes and denounces the heartless hypocrite; and the all powerful One tenderly cares for the distressed. This is the One who has saved us. Let us not fear to be at rest in His love, and to examine ourselves too in the light of His holiness; and let us study His character, that is, behold His glory. If the shining of the light exposes and condemns, let us welcome the exposure, for He heals also, and His grace is sufficient to enable us to follow Him.

Note that they had made the commandments of God of no effect by their traditions; and their hearts were hardened against the tenderest feelings, and that by religious decrees. Let us heed the lesson:for to-day decrees of human invention, having a fair name to give them currency, displace the Word of God, to make room for the will of man.
How pure and good is the holy Word of God, by contrast,-"Thy word is very pure, therefore Thy servant loveth it." (Ps. 119:140.) "Honor thy father and mother," the Lord quotes to them, and at once their wickedness is exposed. How good the sound of this voice to upright parents and children! It was truly the turning of the hearts of the parents to the children, and the hearts of the children to the parents, according to the last words of the Old Testament.

The religious Pharisees were undermining the foundations of society, and the shining of the light exposes them at it.

But let us beware! How easy to slight common obligations of love and kindness while carefully religious ! May our eyes be enlightened !

But let us turn again to the latter part of the chapter. "And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee, and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. 'And great multitudes came unto Him, having with them those that were lame,'blind, dumb, maimed and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them."

The poor multitudes are better occupied than the Pharisees. They brought the needy ones to Jesus. This was good works, and the Lord was ready for them. But the locality is instructive. It is the third time He is on the mount in Matthew, in His service, and there is nothing but unhindered blessing. He is the triumphant, all-powerful One. In the chapter previous He is also on a mountain. "But," says the next verse, "the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves, for the wind was contrary." At once we are reminded of the book of Exodus, the opposition of the enemy, a contrary wind, while deliverance follows, but this occasion (the third) we are, as in Leviticus, in the glorious presence of God.

The number has evidently its usual meaning. On resurrection ground divine power dispenses world-wide blessing to fourfold distress:the dumb speak, the maimed become whole, the lame walk, and the blind see. And those who saw it "glorified the God of Israel."

It is a millennial scene, and a very glorious one and a complete one. For first, the power of Christ heals them, and enables them to stand before Him. And then in the miracle of the loaves and fishes, He feeds them, and by the twelve, as Solomon had twelve to minister provision for his house,-in his kingdom that was a type of the millennium.

There are, too, seven loaves and seven baskets full of overabundance. All tells completeness and super abounding grace.

"And they did all eat, and were filled."

But where is the Pharisee? Satisfied with husks, that even the poor prodigal turns away from because he has felt his need ! Satisfied without Christ! Perishing, and ignorant of it, in the far country ! He knows nothing of this scene of glory. How dark and sad his condition, far off from and forever ignorant of this scene of joy. And yet what can be done ? No one can give supply to him who knows no need. God commands men every where to repent, and there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repents, and on earth weeping-the Lord's own tears- over those who would not repent. They "would not," and their house was left unto them desolate. The burning thirst will come, but too late. The fixed gulf will be there, no more pleadings of mercy.

But no needy one is turned away. " Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." (Matt, 11:) And "him that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out." There was no exception. Of all that multitude of men and women and children "they did all eat and were filled." Let no one fear to come boldly to Him, saint or sinner. If convicted of sin He gives peace; if already His, and in distress, in Him there is perfect grace and love to lift above every fear, and fill with peace and joy.

No Christian is ever without a Friend, or without full supply for every kind of need. Read in the fourth chapter of i Kings the type of all this, when " Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals for the king and his household." And consider that " a greater than Solomon is here." And Solomon had wide dominion, and " he had peace on all sides round about him, and Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig-tree ;" as it will be in the time when "they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks." (Micah 4:4.) " Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom." (2 Chron. 9:7.) They were happy, not merely that their want was supplied, but because they stood continually in the king's presence, and heard his word, as did Mary. The Lord is both our "shield and our exceeding great reward." (Gen. 15:) Let us seek Him, and we shall know both His power and His bounty. We are always in need, and in Him and at His table is always perfect supply, and fullness of joy.

The Lord never brought any one into His presence to leave them unfed or uncared for. It is a place of joy. "None might enter the king's gate clothed with sackcloth." (Esth. 4:2.) And Mephibosheth (2 Sam. 9:) sat at the king's table, while all the fruits of the land of Saul's house were his; that is, all that is of this world that is for our good, is ours. He hath given us all things richly to enjoy.

There is another thing to notice as to the locality of this scene. The mountain was " nigh unto the sea of Galilee." "And Jesus departed thence," it reads, "and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee, and went up into a mountain, and sat down there." That is, the scene of all this abounding blessing in the Royal Presence was nigh unto the well-known sea of storms that witnessed the distress of His disciples and their cries of unbelief,-the sea that lay between them and the peaceful presence of the Lord on the shore beyond.

The time of sorrow we are in is not far from the millennial day. The night is far spent, and the day is at "Yet a little while [a very little while] and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry." And as the groaning increases, the day is hastening. It is about to dawn. The mount is nigh to the sea. Let this be our motto to cheer the soul. There is a glory in this creation that leads the heart to God; but in a moment we shall be in the presence of a glory such as no eye has seen, and this world will be a forgotten past. We are saved " in hope" (Rom. 8:)-in an atmosphere of hope. To rest here in this world is corruption; to breathe the atmosphere of hope is revival and strength and joy. " We rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Rom. 5:2.)

So also in the alternation of trials and consolations here the mountain is nigh to the sea, when we least think so. And by a new valley of tribulation we are led by the hand to a new hill-top of hope to get a nearer, clearer view than ever before of the heavenly city.

Who would wish to have it otherwise than He appoints? Let us leave all with Him. Only let us not seek the hilltop of pride, but the valley of humility, where Jesus walked, and the hill-top of hope ; and the lower the valley of tribulation with humility (i Pet. 5:5, 6, and Rom. 5:2-5), the higher the hill-top of hope. His grace alone can keep us.

"And He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground." We must be at rest, and subject, in order to be fed. "And He gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitude." We must receive first from the Lord, and then communicate to others. This the disciples did. They were sanctified, and meet for the Master's use. This we must be or He will not use us. He will not forsake us, but He will not use us unless ready to be used. And then the disciples did not keep what they received, or waste it. They gave just what they had received to the multitude-"their portion of meat in due season." (Luke 12:42.)

What is kept and not used is like the manna kept. It became corrupt. Truth not held in holy hands, and communicated-circulated-is like a stagnant pool compared with running water. How foul the one ! how clear and light the other! Life-giving and refreshing, a type or figure of the Spirit's power in the Christian. (Jno. 7:38)

May our lives be holy lives, and our service abundant for the Lord, and to His people, and to all men.

Let us remember, then, there is a time to sit down and be fed, and a time for activity in service; and if one is lacking, both are lacking. May we hasten to purify ourselves from any sin that would hinder our being fed, and ' from any sluggishness that would hinder both feeding and serving.

May we welcome both the north wind and the south wind, if only the spices of His garden flow out. E.S.L.

CONANT’S "HISTORY OF ENGLISH BIBLE TRANSLATION."*

*In two parts, paper cover, 25 cents. each; bond in one volume, cloth, $1.00.*

What, of course, indicates the hand of God in history are deliverances that are wrought again and again when all is lost, as far as man is concerned.

It could not be otherwise, but it is striking and interesting to note it. It bows the Christian's mind in worship; for while face to face with the distress and sin that fill this scene with darkness, God is seen to be at work; for "the wise understand," though the wicked do not. (Dan. 12:10.)

The opening chapters of this history present this very evident truth or feature with clearly marked outlines.

As regards any prospect of a Reformation, what were the circumstances in Wickliffe's time,-that is, toward the close of the fourteenth century?

In the main, we may say, the clergy corrupt, the people degraded, cr ignorant and helpless, the king and the barons in selfish strife-both despising and distrusting the people, no doubt,-the Bible locked up and locked out, hardly to be found often, and then only in Latin- unknown to the people, and those in power ready to crush out the first attempt to read and obey the Scriptures.

Truly "man's extremity is God's opportunity:" vain is the help of man. This leaves God free to work-as in Egypt, so in England, and by means that keep before us always this, that the power is of God and not of man.

Wickliffe at Oxford receives the Word into his heart, and begins to give it forth to others; and how powerful is the truth ! Every utterance of it causes the foundations of error to shake, and the enemies of Christ are all alive.

But fasting and prayer precede the blessing. " These beautiful words, uttered in one of his sermons at Lutterworth, might fitly serve as the motto of his whole subsequent career:' O Christ, Thy law is hidden in the sepulcher:when wilt Thou send Thy angel to remove the stone, and show Thy truth unto Thy flock.' This prayer-this heart's desire went up into heaven, to His holy dwelling-place, and in due time the Lord wrought for His own name's sake and brought salvation."

In 1365, Wickliffe was summoned to aid them by his counsel as to resisting the papal claim of tribute from England,-at least there seems to be evidence that his counsel was sought in this way. Not that he turned aside from the ministry, but his counsel and his influence are among the indications of what is plainly true, that the underlying power at work for good was not political aspiration, but the effectual working of the truth in hearts prepared of God. It was not that civil liberty introduced the Reformation, but the work of God in hearts and consciences led to a faithful witness against evil in high places that men dared not and had no wisdom to withstand.-a witness to death often in martyrdom, giving a movement and a power through the country that natural men took advantage of in order to throw off political yokes and galling grievances.

As to the pope's claim of secular dominion, if he is the vicar of Christ, Christ refused all secular dominion ; He subsisted on charity, and had not where to lay His head ; and besides this, the Reformers showed the error of the clergy in seeking political office, in beautiful words, edifying and searching to us all:-

"Prelates and great religious possessioners are so occupied in heart about worldly lordships and pleas of business, that no habit of devotion, of praying, of thought-fulness on heavenly things, on the sins of their own hearts, or those of other men, may be preserved ; neither are they found studying and preaching the gospel, nor visiting and comforting of poor men."

This care for the poor, manifest here and elsewhere in this narrative, is to be noted. It affects the heart. It is the Spirit of Christ at work-of Him who had compassion on the people, who were as sheep without a shepherd.

Note again the balance of character taught in Scripture. There is tender love and mercy for the poor and needy, faithful rebuke to the proud and to the oppressor, and yet the spirit of meek subjection and submission to masters and governors-to the froward as well as to the good.

All this is not of man, but of God ; but how much is mingled with the experience or lives of Christians that is of the old leaven, when we think of this beautiful standard!

"It is the will of the Holy Spirit," says Wickliffe, "that the books of the Old and New Law should be read and studied as the one sufficient source of instruction ; and that men should not be taken up with other books, which, true as they may be, and even containing Scripture truth, are not to be confided in without caution and limitation. . . . If we follow this rule, the Scripture will be held in becoming reverence, the papal bulls will be superseded, as they ought to be."

" Such were the doctrines," continues the author, "which Wickliffe, two centuries (a hundred and fifty years?) before Luther [and Tyndale], taught openly in the halls of Oxford." No doubt his words stirred up many who are supposed to have gone out through the country as itinerant preachers. "All Christians," he said, "should be the soldiers of Christ. But it is plain that many are chargeable with great neglect of this duty, being prevented by the fear of the loss of temporal goods and worldly friendships, and apprehensive about life and fortune, from faithfully setting forth the cause of God, from standing manifestly in its defense, and, if need be, from suffering death in its behalf. …. Hence we Christians need not visit pagans to convert them by enduring martyrdom in their behalf:we have only to declare with constancy the Word of God before Caesarian prelates, and straightway the flower of martyrdom will be ready to our hand."

If at this time, as set forth in this account, the Reformer's life was peaceful, the winds of opposition were only held back for a time. " In favor with its court for the stand which he had taken against the pope, and with the university for his zeal against the [begging] friars; honored for his genius, his learning, and his virtuous life; he was at this time regarded as the chief light and ornament of Oxford."

Thus uniform is the dealing of God in His providence, for Jesus Himself experienced a time of peaceful development before Satan was allowed to raise the storm of man's hatred against Him. ''The Child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom ; and the grace of God was upon Him. …. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and' man." (Luke 2:40, 52.) E.S.L.

A Foolish question has been asked, "What righteousness is there in an innocent being suffering for the guilty ? " It is a foolish question. There is no righteousness in my paying my friend's debts. It is kindness, love; but it meets the righteous claims of his creditor. The claims of a holy God are maintained-intolerance of evil; and that is of the last importance for the conscience and heart of man; it gives him the knowledge of what God is in holiness. There is no true love without it. Indifference to good and evil, so that the evil-doer is let pass with his evil, is not love, and the dissociation of right and wrong, by God's authority, the highest possible evil. Now, good and evil are elevated to the standard of it in God's nature. We walk in the light, as God is in the light, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses from all sin. The glory of God is maintained, and the heart of man placed in association with the perfectness of that nature, and in peace with the perfect knowledge of His love. Take away the character of judgment or righteousness exercised as regards evil, and you obliterate the authority of God-the creation-place, and responsibility of man.

We need not be reminded how common a question among saints it is, "How can I get rid of my bad habits?"In the effort to get clear of them, many a day has been misspent, and the saint brought into bondage. Scarcely a Christian you meet but is afflicted with some "besetting sin" (though in Heb. 12:it is not some particular sin, but sin in general, which besets).

The first necessity is, to know that bad habits are sins :soft words are not in place when dealing with what crucified the Lord. After they have been judged and confessed as such, we are ready to see the way of escape. It makes no difference what particular form the habit takes,-whether irritability, strife, emulation, envy, or what not,-they one and all spring from a common source. What a relief to find that instead of having many foes to contend with, we have not even one ! For sin, which is the root of evil, is not something to be contended with. We would be invariably overcome in that kind of warfare. But we are dead-dead by the death of Another. Faith reckons this to be true, and, as a result, finds-as when do we not?-that God is true when He says that "sin shall not have dominion over us, for we are not under law but under grace." Now, the root-the body of sin-being destroyed, for faith, not to sight, the habits are gone too as we walk by faith. This being the case, it is evident that the bad habits will resume their sway so soon as faith ceases to be in exercise. We get rid of them by counting God true, and so at leisure from evil; indeed, to be at leisure from it, we must be occupied with good. " Overcome evil with good." It is as we view the unvailed glory of the Lord that we are changed into the same image. In the sanctuary, in the presence of God, is our abiding place (Ps. 27:). Into that holy place sin and bad habits cannot enter. From His light all the unfruitful works of darkness shrink away. How happy, how natural, is such a life! And yet, alas ! we need to watch, lest, as Eve was beguiled by the serpent, we should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Under the guise of holiness, perfect love, etc., many a soul has really embraced that which is the very opposite of these. If we walk with God, bad habits will not trouble us.

"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 'Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin-offering:In the place where the burnt-offering is killed shall the sin-offering be killed before the Lord:It is most holy. The priest that offereth it for sin shall eat it:in the holy place shall it be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation. Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall be holy; and when there is sprinkled of the blood thereof upon any garment, thou shalt wash that whereon it was sprinkled in the holy place. But the earthen vessel wherein it is sodden shall be broken; and if it be sodden in a brazen pot, it shall be both scoured, and rinsed in water. All the males among the priests shall eat thereof:it is most holy. And no sin-offering whereof any of the blood is brought into the tabernacle of the congregation to reconcile withal in the holy place shall be eaten; 'it shall be burnt in the fire.' " (Lev. 6:24-30.)

I would like to ask the attention of the readers of help and food to the law of the sin-offering as found in Lev. 6:The way in which this law is here introduced is worthy, surely, of the profoundest consideration and reverent meditation. God, as if foreseeing the danger of the perverse and wicked heart of man connecting the holy Sufferer with the sin for which He in infinite grace suffered, hedges about this sacrifice with guard after guard, to protect its intrinsic integrity and holiness, in a way that will not be found in any other. "It is most holy," Jehovah declares, and again repeats. Stein in the same spot, and so connected with the offering that was wholly for God-the burnt-offering :to be eaten by a holy person-the priest who offered it:to be eaten in a holy place-the court of the tabernacle :God would proclaim the spotless perfection and immaculate holiness of His beloved One, especially guarding Him in the place where divine infinite love had led Him to take the vile sinner's place,-to be looked upon judicially as sin, and receive the judgment of the guilty. It is worthy of our most reverent meditation ; and may the Lord so increase such occupation of our hearts that we may with adoration respond, from our inmost spirits, "Amen :it is most holy ! "

But it is not of this in its detailed application that I wish now to write. I want particularly to call your attention to three points only of the above seven ; for you will find that between the two solemn statements, "It is most holy," God has stamped it with this number of perfection, -all, surely, in the same line, and witnessing the intense holiness of the offering.

Nothing can touch that holy offering without at once becoming changed:God's voice declares the thing touched, itself holy. By this, of course, we understand, not that the nature of the thing is changed necessarily, but its position :it at once is separated from every thing else that is not "touched"-has a character attached to it that it had not before; just as the children of believers, and even of mixed parentage as to the faith, are said to be holy in i Cor. 7:14,-not character changed, but position different to others-in a recognized nearness to God. And for further, clearer light as to what this implies, these three points in the law of the sin-offering will help us.

First, look at the wondrous effect of its sprinkled blood as to the garments. Let but a drop of the precious blood touch them, and whilst they might be as vile and stained and spotted as conceivable before without calling for any notice, His eye who is too pure to behold iniquity follows that blood, and at once the garment must be washed in water. Easy this of clear interpretation. The garments speak of those circumstances in which a man habitually lives :the one word " habits " seems happily to combine in itself the idea both of type and antitype. Every thing in a Christian's walk that has. become part of himself, covering, I should judge, all his surroundings in his home and in his business, – all, as soon as they are under the shelter of the blood of Christ, must be immediately subject to the cleansing, purifying action of the water of the Word.

Now, my reader, I pray you, face just this simple alternative :you are either unsprinkled by that all-precious blood or you are under its shielding cover. If the former, your walk is truly not yet the subject of the scrutiny of God's holy eye ; but the day will come, if still you so continue, when you will surely be judged according to your works, and then woe, everlasting woe, is yours. But I know that this is not likely to affect many who read this page:you are a Christian, and rejoice in the assurance of sins forgiven ; but how, if not through the blood of Christ ? Then, look to it – look to it|; for now that blood has touched your garments, God's eye is upon them, His claim is over them, and practical holiness, separation from defilement, in accord with His Word, must characterize them, or there will surely be chastening.

But further, see the result of this holy offering coming into connection with an earthen vessel – it is broken at once. Now, what is the lesson of a broken earthen vessel? Nothing could be apparently more useless than a broken vessel ; and yet is there not a sense in which a vessel only becomes of any use when it is broken ? Let Gideon's pitchers help us in the interpretation of the anomaly. See them sound and whole,-very useful, perhaps, for the purposes of mere nature, but useless yet for the purpose for which God has in grace selected them. There is something within them that is quite hidden and lost as long as they are unbroken, and not till the pitcher becomes a broken vessel does the light within shine forth, victory and joyful deliverance following. Again, sweet lesson, easy of interpretation !-"We have this treasure," says the apostle, " in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." The Christian is the earthen vessel, and as long as he is unbroken, he is useless. Forgiveness of sins must be followed by real brokenness-self-distrust, not thinking of myself as a large vessel or as a small vessel, but as a broken vessel. Many Christians speak much of themselves as being " little vessels," but he who is in the line of God's thought says, " What use to waste thought at all on so utterly worthless a thing as a broken earthen vessel?" Then, free to be occupied with the risen, glorious Lord, his light shines, the lamp within burns, his testimony goes out, (blessedly unconsciously to himself, no doubt,) but, "beholding the glory of the Lord, he is changed into the same image, from glory to glory." Beloved reader, dear brother or sister, permit me affectionately to ask you to ponder in your souls the lesson of the broken earthen vessel. Once more, and now a step further:the next thing looked at is a vessel of another material,-a vessel still, and hence speaking, doubtless, of the same person in another way. "If it be sodden in a brazen pot, it shall be both scoured, and rinsed in water." Now, to understand this aright, I take it, we must seek, by the blessed Spirit's guidance, to throw upon it the light of other scriptures. Evidently the brazen pot was now to be honored as never before :not to be broken, it was to be made-1:e., to be as God required it,-bright, by scouring and rinsing. Not only, as in the case of the garment, was the action of the water to be used, but powerful rubbing and brightening (The word "scour" is translated "furbish" in Jer. 46:4, and "bright" in 2 Chron. 4:16.) till all cloudiness, and that tarnishing of the luster of the metal which is due to earth's influences, was removed.

Now a very searching, solemn lesson opens up for us. Look at that scoured, rinsed pot,-that polished, shining It has been in connection with the sin-offering ; now scoured and rinsed, is it not a vessel well fitted for the holy services of the sanctuary-"a vessel unto honor, meet for the Master's use"? But here, in this expression, have we not secured the key of the interpretation ? Does not 2 Tim. 2:help us in this? The scoured vessel, the rinsed vessel, the purged vessel, is the one, and the only one (let us ponder it well in our souls),-the only one that is "unto honor, meet for the Master's use." For turn again to that verse, to which reference has already been made, in 2 Chron. 4:16. No vessel could be of the slightest use in that holy temple that had not been made bright (margin) by this scouring,-no, not one. Covet it, my brethren ! see to it that we hearken obediently to the words of the Holy Spirit in i Cor. 12:31-" Covet earnestly the best gifts." Rest not with forgiveness assured through that shed blood of the most holy sin-offering. Only see the glorious possibilities that follow on that blessed foundation. We are now where we may be vessels to carry the water of life to other thirsting souls ; where our Lord Jesus may take us up and use us for His honor and glory in the various paths of sweet and holy service it is His people's happy privilege to tread. But mark what precedes such :there must be a scouring as well as rinsing, and not always pleasant is the process; the hard rubbing is often very painful, but oh, how good when it has its designed effect! and through the scouring, earth loses its power, its dulling influences disappear, the holy light of heaven begins to be reflected in the vessel, and, as He designs in all such dealings with us, we become " partakers of His holiness."Painful process oft indeed, but no uninterested, careless, indifferent One does the scouring. "Every branch that beareth fruit He "-who ?He who loves us even as He loves His only begotten One (Jno. 17:23)-" He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit."We are surely in good hands.

Mark too with great care, and approve the divine order, first, personal holiness. This is of the first importance. Many an one, alas ! overlooks this, or seeks to step beyond it, but never with approval or acceptance. This must follow as immediately on forgiveness as did the feast of unleavened bread on the passover-no interval whatever. The stroke of the hour that told of the ending of the one feast told equally of the beginning of the other. This most important lesson is again and again emphasized in God's holy Word. Let my reader, for his own blessing, turn to and ponder the following scriptures :Lev. 23:5, 6 ; Gal. 1:3, 4 ; Eph. 2:8-10 ; Tit. 2:11-14 ; 3:8.

Secondly, that which often does not come so quickly, but is slowly learned-a casting aside of all confidence in self, as a broken earthen vessel, and thus occupation with Him who is alone worthy of it-the Lord Jesus, so that the light shines out. The lesson, indeed, of the seventh and eighth of Romans, where we have a picture of an earthen vessel being "broken." It has surely been in vital connection with the most holy Sin-Offering, for none but such could truly "delight in the law of God after the inward man;" but hard it is to give up all hope of the:vessel-"Oh that Ishmael might live before Thee" is ever the desire and hope of us all till we learn how hopeless the flesh is, and that " in me,-that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing." How little the poor soul who is learning this through bitter experience knows that most tender, gracious Love is pushing it into a joy and liberty where it may sing instead of groan. But if Rom. 7:shows us one learning the lesson of a broken earthen vessel, Phil. 3:shows us a lovely picture of the vessel quite broken. See how all in the vessel that might have challenged confidence is steadfastly, firmly put aside. "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea. doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." There is surely a " broken earthen vessel."

Thirdly, that which is progressive, and lasts during all one's pilgrimage here,-all God's dealings with His child, brightening him for service. F. C. J.

Q. 10.-"In what sense does the Lord say of John (Matt. 11:11), 'the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he' ? Does it in any way connect with Matt. 5:11 ? Could one say that John was in the kingdom ?"

Ans.-John occupies a peculiar position. He was connected with the old, not with the new dispensation. He brought out no new truth, only enforced what had already been revealed, and from it preached repentance. He was in all this as one of the prophets. The difference lies in the fact that while they pointed forward to the Messiah, John could say, He is among you. He thus occupies the highest place of privilege in the old dispensation, which, connected with his faithfulness and devotedness make him one of the greatest born. The kingdom of heaven is the kingdom of a glorified Christ. It was announced by John as at hand. The Lord proclaims its principles in the sermon on the mount, and showed its works in the following chapters. He presented Himself as King, but, being rejected, He takes His place in the heavens, for faith, over His kingdom, but in such a way as is called a mystery. (Matt, 13:) This being the beginning of his kingdom, John was not in it. The dignity of that position-subjection to Jesus, either as absent Lord or glorious King-being far above the highest place before. This, of course, applies to position, not individual character. In character, John was far above many of us who have privileges and a position beyond him.

The persecutions spoken of in Matt. 5:are not a result of the position in the kingdom merely, but of having a character answering to such a position, a character which John had, though, not in the kingdom.

INTRODUCTORY-THREEFOLD NEED, THREEFOLD BLESSING.

Afar-seeing man with Dr. Talmage is one who sees into things. This is good as far as it goes, but he would be the furthest-seeing man who sees through things. This is what is wanted in philosophy, in science, or in religion. This Holiness Question, now exercising the most earnest Christians everywhere, requires seeing into and seeing through if one of the deepest needs of the Church of God is to receive a divine answer. Then let us try to see into it even if we cannot see through it. Some philosophers consider that religion takes its rise in the soil of remorse. Without accepting this altogether, it may be allowed that it expresses an important principle. It is what we call repentance, or self-judgment. Betterment of life implies that the life lived before was not only an undesirable and unworthy one, but that in some measure the whole course, and the man that lived it, are abhorred by the person himself, and he is longing after something more in harmony with the intention of his Creator. The Holiness Movement has taken its rise out of the acknowledged failure and unholiness of the great majority of professing Christians. Then even if the movement in some respects is a failure, it is an improvement on the state of things which called it into existence.

It is said that at an examination a divinity student was asked who were the heretics. To the surprise and alarm of some who would ever say, "As it was in the beginning,'' etc., the student replied, " The heretics are the life of the Church." Wiser, broader-minded men allowed that he had struck a vein of gold. Heretics and heresy mean life rather than stagnation and death. It is not necessary to go with the heresy ; but the exercise and inquiry it causes may increase the stamina and intelligence of the Christians who wake up, and, in exposing the error, bring out and emphasize the real truth. Then the controversy about holiness, in many quarters, in the light of the former indifference or stagnation, is a good rather than an evil omen for the well-being of the Church. It is a seed-time. If the Lord leaves the Church here, the harvest will depend upon how we sow at this season. Then are Christians ready to wake up and say, " Let the truth run and have free course, and win whoever is unhorsed from his hobby." Scripture must be the umpire.

We may start with this common thought, that the low state of things, individually and collectively, demonstrate the deep need that there is for a genuine movement toward whole-hearted devotedness to the Lord. But, at the outset, observe that the great tendency, even with the most earnest Christians, is, to seek for an experience, whereas God presents a Person-the Lord Jesus Christ. Holiness-advocates speak of "it," or " what:" God speaks of " Him," or the Person whom He has raised to His own right hand. Personal testimonies as to the experience of a "second blessing," have been largely used in the holiness movement; When they are modest and scriptural, they may have their place, but at best they are the blurred page of human experience. It will be necessary, if we are to have a proper standard, to see what is said in the distinct statements of Scripture on this doctrine of Christian holiness or deliverance. Experience, at the best, is like a painting of part of an extensive landscape. Scripture is more like looking on the landscape itself. You have not only the original of what appears in the painting, but much more than what was painted, and every part seen in relation to the whole landscape. To take in God's view of holiness or deliverance in any measure, it is needful to look at all Scripture. Still there are some remarkable statements where, in brief compass, the salient points
of man’s need and God's provision are presented together.

MAN'S THREEFOLD NEED.

Titus invites us to take such an extensive view when he says " The grace of God, which carries with it salvation for all men, has appeared, teaching us that, having denied impiety and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and justly and piously in the present course of things, awaiting the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all lawlessness, and purify to Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." (Tit. 3:11-14.) Here it maybe observed that man has a threefold need, which is met by God's bringing in a threefold blessing. The sins committed require an atonement, and Jesus' Christ "gave Himself for us." Or, as said elsewhere, "Who gave Himself for our sins." (Gal. 1:4.) Then, when forgiven, as living in the world, the believer has evil within and around him. He is called to live consistently with what he is as a new man. His conduct toward others must be according to righteousness. With God before him, all his ways should bear the impress of one who was governed by the sense of the divine presence. For all such present need, he finds an adequate answer in Him who is seeking to " purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Then, though good works be maintained and holiness characterize the believer, there are longings which can only be satisfied in a scene where sin can never come, and where imperfection is unknown. The heart attracted by the Lord longs to know and enjoy its object where there is naught to limit or interfere with its communion. So there is the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. There is man's deep need and God's rich provision; each to be viewed as a whole, yet it is helpful to see that man's need is threefold, and that God meets it by a-

THREEFOLD BLESSING.

(1.) For sins committed there is forgiveness through faith in the blood of Christ.

(2.) From the power of the evil nature possessed there is deliverance through owning that our old man has been crucified with Christ, that the body of sin might be annulled, that we should no longer serve sin.

(3.) From all weakness and imperfection, even as to the body, and from the scene and sphere where sin has had sway, there is to be deliverance, by the Lord's appearing the second time, without sin, unto salvation; the creature itself also will be set free from the bondage of corruption, and brought into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. (Rom. 8:21.)

What is thus briefly taught in the passage from Titus is more elaborately explained in the epistle to the Romans. The first question, that which refers to the guilt of our sins, is taken up in chaps, 1:-5:2:The second aspect of man's need regarding the power of sin, or the evil nature, is treated in chaps, 5:12-8:10. The third and perfect answer to man's state as connected with a creation subject to corruption, is his deliverance from the presence of sin. The spirit is freed at death ; the body at the resurrection; or both together at the coming of the Lord. This is treated in chap. 8:11-27.

We must return to these central chapters of Romans again and again. Suffice it to say that they form the great scriptural basis of the doctrine of Christian holiness, or deliverance. Any teaching on holiness or sanctification which is not founded upon, and in harmony with, these chapters is likely to prove unsatisfactory, if it does not land its followers in positive error. On the other hand, if these
chapters are understood, and an experience leading up to shout of liberty and thanksgiving realized, the be-will find himself led by the Spirit along the way of holiness, and have the life also of Jesus made manifest in his body.

Another instance of the threefold character of blessing be noticed. " Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it the washing of water by the Word, that He might ''present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish." Also, " Nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the Church. (Eph. 5:25-30.)

Here again we see that for sins Christ gave Himself in the past . To deliver from the power of sin He is occupied with His own at the present. To remove them from the presence of sin and bring in perfection He is coming again in the future.

So likewise to the Thessalonians it is said, "Ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God; and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus, our Deliverer from coming wrath." (i Thess. 1:9, 10). They were met where they were in their sins by the gospel announcing forgiveness. The word was received in power, and in the Holy Ghost, so that they became followers of the apostles, and ensamples of the power of grace. Then their hearts were set on the Lord to wait for full deliverance when He returned from heaven.

Once more to the Hebrews the Spirit writes on the same lines, the three appearings of Christ. (Heb. 9:24-28.) He appeared to put away sin:He appears in the presence of God for us:He will appear the second time, without sin, unto salvation.

Thus the divine answer to man's threefold need will be found linked up with three great facts concerning Christ. As we have seen, as to time, they have to do with the past, the present, and the future. As to the character and extent of the work, the gospel of God fully announced will show that Christ came and suffered for sins; that He rose from among the dead and took His seat at the right hand of God, and is there the Succorer of His people now; and that He will come again to receive His people to be with Himself in the glory given Him by the Father. Tested in this way much that is preached will be shown to come short of the gospel as preached and written by Paul.

But having now sketched the relation of the three aspects of the blessing of believers, we may turn more definitely to the middle one of the three, which is our special subject. Thus occupied particularly with holiness or deliverance, a few of the statements and illustrations of Scripture may clear the ground for a more detailed exposition and application of our theme.

By seeing the beauty of the life of Jesus as retraced again by the Spirit in the lives of devoted servants, other hearts and minds may be led to admire such a manifestation of the grace of God. When it is further perceived that men of like passions with ourselves so found and proved the all-sufficiency of the grace of God, some may venture to admit that in their own lives such grace might be illustrated. Dwelling on who the Lord is, and where He is now, and what He can and delights to do for His own, some may be sweetly constrained to so yield themselves unto God as to find that they have actually adopted His own way of having Christ magnified in their bodies. Yes, the old adage, "If in writing you would improve, you must first with writing fall in love," may be appropriately rendered, in connection with holiness, If in living you would improve, you must first with living fall in love, and nothing less than the living, or the life of Jesus, will be your ideal or you model.

Then to quicken the love for holiness it is needful to study the perfect copy, as well as the imitations of those who have followed it most successfully.

We must leave further illustrations for another paper, but just calling attention to one comprehensive scripture, we close by saying that for holiness, here is the perfect standard, the living ideal, as well as the power by which it is to be attained:"We all, looking on the glory of the Lord with unvailed face, are transformed according to the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Lord the Spirit." W. J. C.

(To be continued.)

" Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we of Him"

A wrong impression is given in the verse as it stands in the Authorized Version quoted above. The wrong meaning is given in two words – "labor" and accepted."As it stands, it would teach that our acceptance was an uncertain thing, dependent upon our labor. Nothing can be further from the truth of the gospel and from the teaching of this verse. Our acceptance is complete and final – it is " in the Beloved ; "and God teaches us to see ourselves in Him, complete, perfect. We are made "the righteousness of God in Him."No room, then, for the uncertainty implied in the translation above. The true meaning of the word is, as given in the Revised Version, "well-pleasing." To be accepted of God is one thing ; to be well-pleasing to Him, quite another. The one is the common standing of all Christians; the other depends upon the individual walk. Alas ! God has many children who are not well-pleasing to Him:hence the frequent exhortation to "walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing," etc. A wrong idea, too, is conveyed in the word " labor." Its meaning rather is, as given in the margin of the Revised Version, "are ambitious;" or, perhaps, nearer yet, "make it a point of honor." So that the meaning is given if we render the verse as follows :" Wherefore also we make it a point of honor, whether at home or absent, to be well-pleasing unto Him."

The subject of the chapter is, departing to be with Christ, by death, and His coming to clothe us with our house from heaven, and to take us there. If the Lord tarry, we will go to Him, leaving our bodies here till the resurrection ; if He come for us, we shall be changed in a moment, and caught up to meet Him. In the one case, we will be "absent from the body;" in the other, we would be, "not unclothed, but clothed upon" with our house which is from heaven. To depart and be with Christ is far better, but best of all will it be when all for whom He died are gathered unto Him in glory. But in the meanwhile, whichever may be before him, the apostle makes it a point of honor to be well-pleasing to Him. Then, " whether we live, we live unto the Lord, and whether we die, we die unto the Lord." So we are, as it were, put on our honor to please God. Many persons act from motives of honor. The man of the world keeps his word-abides by his contracts as a matter of honor. So our God would have us understand that it is beneath the dignity of the Christian to act in any way that is not well-pleasing to Him. It should be a point of honor with us. Let us learn to be punctilious in matters which concern our God. Indeed, it is not our own honor merely which is at stake, but His. How careful we should be ! If something of value is intrusted to us by another, we make it a special point to take care of it; so it should be since we are intrusted with what concerns God. And what is there in our life that does not concern Him ? The children of Israel were told to put a fringe of blue on the borders of their garments:that which trailed nearest to earth was to speak of heaven; and as he thought of this, we can imagine how careful the Israelite would be to prevent any soil or spot from falling upon it. So it should be with us:whatever else may fail, let us see to it that we are well-pleasing unto Him. Some may strive for a reward, some for a crown, let us make it a point of honor to please God. That is the testimony which Enoch left behind;-"he pleased God." Very little is said of him, except that he walked with God and pleased Him. If we want to please Him, that is the way-to walk with Him. If we were to strive for a crown for our own glory, it would fade in our hands ; if we seek for one to lay it at Jesus' feet, it will never fade. Ah ! that is the motive- a crown to lay at His feet! Let us, then, make it a point of honor, not to glorify ourselves,-not to vindicate ourselves, but to be well-pleasing unto Him. Zealous for God, not zealous for ourselves,-that is the Christian's object.
"Lord, it belongs not to my care
Whether I die or live;
To love and serve Thee is my share,
And this Thy grace must give."