Today there live those who have a title to a throne and dominions on which the sun never sets. In course of time, if God permit, they will ascend that throne, be crowned, and reign, and then die. Their reign is a limited one, and ends by their submission to the king of terrors, whose power is greater than their own; and their kingdoms, like themselves, will finally crumble to dust. Humbling thought!

Today there lives One who has indisputable title to all the kingdoms of this world. Marvelous thought! Unseen by the natural eye, yet seen and known to faith, He is hidden in the house of God meantime, to be brought out when God's seventh year dawns-crowned, owned and acclaimed as the " King of kings and Lord of lords." His reign will be "for ever and ever," and "of His kingdom there shall be no end." It shall "never be destroyed;" and Jesus, the rejected, despised and disowned Saviour, will yet be acknowledged as God's King in Zion (Psa. 2:6) and "King over all the earth" (Zech. 14:9).

There is a very remarkable analogy to this in 2 Chron. 23:We there see Athaliah, "that wicked woman," who endeavored to destroy all the seed royal and then take the throne and kingdom herself. One of the king's sons, however, was stolen away, and thus saved from her murderous hand, and hidden away in the house of the Lord for six years. During that time there were two parties in the kingdom-Athaliah and her followers, her aiders and abettors; and Jehoiada the priest, and the few who were let into his secret, and who rallied round the young king. While Athaliah was seemingly having it all her own way with the mass, Jehoiada was quietly, but steadily and surely, working on behalf of the rightful heir to the throne, and preparing the way for the coronation day that was coming.

The young king (Joash) was taken out of a scene of death when the rest of his brethren were slain. Jesus, however, went into and came out of death. He went into it for others, in order to clear them from that which would have taken them there. He bore their judgment, and cleansed and fitted them for reigning with Himself in the coming day of glory. Divine love brought Him down into that place-Divine righteousness has taken Him up into His present place, and will bring Him out by and by into His own rightful and publicly manifested place on earth, associated with those for whom He died, and with , whom He intends to reign. Wonderful thought for poor creatures like us, saved by His grace!

Joash was hidden six years in the house of the Lord. The numeral six denotes the limit of man's efforts and work, and then comes rest. "Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work." Six days, or be it six years, centuries, or millenniums, the teaching is the same-the end of mans day; his labor, and toil, and sin, and sorrow, all ended, and the dawn of the seventh day, the day of rest-the keeping of a sabbath which remains for the people of God. Then Jehoiada surrounded the young king with his faithful band of armed men, brought him out, presented him to the people, crowned him, anointed him and proclaimed him king :while the usurper was dragged out to the place of execution, and slain.

Jesus is hidden in the heavens during man's day. It is God's blessed answer to the perfect sacrifice of His well-beloved Son on the cross. God has taken Him in, and said, "Sit Thou at My right hand until I make Thy foes Thy footstool." Jesus is on high, "crowned with glory and honor." Worthy place for such a peerless Saviour ! None the less is it true that, so far as earth is concerned,

" Our Lord is now rejected, aud by the world disowned; By the many still neglected, and by the few enthroned ; But soon He'll come in glory, the hour is drawing nigh; For the crowning day is coming-by and by."

While Jesus is thus hidden, Satan holds high carnival, and is apparently having it all his own way as he leads the masses down the broad road which ends in death, judgment, and the lake of fire. Nevertheless, souls are being called out from the mass, saved, and introduced to and let into the secret of the King. Blessed and glorious truth! By and by they will hear the bugle-call, and be caught up to meet the Lord in the air (i Thess. 4:16-18); and then, when the seventh year dawns,

The heavens which now conceal Him
In counsels deep and wise,
In glory shall reveal Him
To glad, expectant eyes.

Yes, the Lord Jesus will then appear "in power and great glory " for the discomfiture of His enemies and the joy of His waiting earthly people. Not merely one crown on His blessed head, but '' on His head many diadems"-"King of kings"-"the Prince of the kings of the earth"-and "the armies which were in heaven following Him on white horses "(Rev. 19:).What a sight!'How earth's greatest pageants will pale before that magnificent spectacle!

O beloved saint of God, what marvelous grace to give to poor sinners like ourselves a place in that company that is to come out as the followers of that glorified and manifested Saviour and King! What love and goodness to open our eyes and hearts and let us into state secrets and communion with the King while hidden! What a privilege too! Do we value it as such ? How our hearts ought to throb with joy and delight at the thought of the coronation day, the day of His manifestation to a wondering and admiring world! (2 Thess. 1:). And to think He has assured our hearts of it now, and that we shall be in that great procession as He comes out from the hidden place and publicly manifests his glory! Oh, it is wonderful indeed!

What will it be to hear the shouts of the multitudes as they acclaim Him as their King and cry " Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord! " How different from the cry that once was heard, " Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" Yet it is the same Saviour. Happy they who know Him, and who will own Him. How awful for those who find themselves numbered among His enemies in the day of His power!

Blessed be God for the work of the cross, accomplished by His beloved Son. There we behold everything that was against us borne by Jesus, the Lamb of God, in that unparalleled hour of awful judgment when He met the holy and righteous claims of God against us Now in resurrection-glory, He has given us a place with Himself beyond death and judgment, in light and everlasting blessing, both now and forever, in time and in eternity.

If heaven was astonished when He entered as man earth will surely be astonished when they see the same blessed One come forth as King, "in power and great glory; and then will the gates lift up their heads to let the King of glory in, and that King of glory none other than "Jesus," our own blessed and adorable Saviour. Oh for hearts to praise, worship and serve Him more! Wm. Easton

New Zealand