We have spoken of Christ in His lonely walk on earth; also of the Christian following in the Master's footsteps and sharing His portion. We have looked a little at the compensation side of the lonely life, and seen that the gain is greater than the loss:notwithstanding this, we have to own there is a great deal connected with loneliness that we would gladly avoid, and it is with feelings of relief and gladness that we turn our thoughts to the fact stated at the heading of this chapter, that one day we shall find "loneliness abolished."

Our thoughts turn to that bright, eternal home where, our Saviour tells us, He has gone to prepare a place for us, where He who has been our satisfying compensation down here shall be seen face to face. There faith will give way to sight; we shall behold Him, and see the marks in His hands and His feet:He who suffered for us is crowned there with glory and honor; we shall praise, with the song of the redeemed, " Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing." What a wondrous reunion, too, there shall be! All the loved ones who "sleep in Jesus" we shall meet again. We can hardly imagine what it will be; pen cannot describe it-the aching void made by their having been called from us one by one all gone-no trace of sin left, as when we knew them on earth-no weary body, no feeble frame; but, having washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, they have put on immortality, and shall know weariness, pain, or death, no more; and there shall be no more partings, which have so often saddened us here. There will be the surpassing joy of seeing Jesus, and being forever with Him. We may perhaps say that He will so rivet our gaze that we shall have eyes only for Him, and our fellowship and joy even in reunion with our loved ones will find its center in Christ our one Redeemer and Lord, Himself the great Center of all the worship and praise in heaven. The Father delights in Him; angels delight to do His bidding; and the redeemed shall cast their crowns before Him as the One only worthy of them. Does it seem so much in the future, dear friend?-so long to wait ? Yes, but it surely comes; and the joys of heaven will be as real as the pains of earth have been.

And does it all seem too good to be true ? Ah, so faintly is it spoken, compared with what it really will be, that we can only say with the apostle, " Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." It is true he adds, "But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit;" so that we do already enjoy them here. But it is what we enjoy of them here which makes us realize what unutterable bliss it will be to be there, and see no more "through a glass darkly." True, if the Lord tarries, we shall have to '' pass through the valley of the shadow of death" ere we can enter into these blissful scenes; but what is death to the Christian but being "put to sleep" by Jesus, to awake in His likeness ? Our Saviour has taken away the sting and the power of death for all who love and trust Him, as we have it in those beautiful verses in Heb. 2:14, 15-" That through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Christ rose triumphant o'er the grave, and therefore death is just the door opening for us to step into the Father's house. There are no desolate hearts there, and no lonely lives. Perfect love reigns supreme in and over all. The earthly body, with all its earthly limitations, is superseded by the spiritual body, with all its heavenly capabilities.

But what is the title for admission there ? Only one-one that cost the Giver a great price, but the receiver has it "without money and without price." That title is, the precious blood of Jesus. Is the reader "washed in the blood of the Lamb ?" If so, you are entitled, through the worth of that blood, to enter the Father's house and share in its joys and glories. We need to be very clear on this point; otherwise our anticipation of that happy time will be clouded by doubts and uncertainties. It is wholly and solely on the ground:

"No merit of our own we claim,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name."

It is for such this little paper has been written-to encourage, cheer and comfort the lonely Christian, and point him on to that glad day when all shall be brightness and joy.

But it may be that some lonely one who has never yielded to God, whose heart is unhappy because he has never sought and found Jesus as Saviour and Friend, may read these lines. The thought of '' loneliness abolished " will strike such a one as something much to be desired, and with a dart of pain will come the remembrance, "I have not the title." Thank God, dear friend, that you may have it if you will. God's great heart of love yearns over all, and His faithful promise is, "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." Come to Him, and He will change the loneliness and sighing to peaceful communion and fellowship with Himself, so that life will no longer be a dreary, comfortless road, but all the way along 'twill be Jesus, and at the end the door will open and admit to the Father's house.

Let us remind ourselves that for the Lord Jesus Christ loneliness is past. He knew much of it here. In patience and humiliation He trod the painful path for us. But now it is over. He is exalted, crowned with glory and honor at God's right hand, angels delighting to do His bidding; but methinks our loving Lord will not be fully satisfied until He welcomes home His bride, the Church for which He died; as He prays in John 17:24, "Father, I will that they also whom Thou hast given Me be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory which Thou hast given Me." It was not enough for Him to be welcomed back by His Father in all the glory which He had willingly laid aside for our sakes; but He must have His redeemed ones, His purchased possession, with Him, to see and to share His glory. Oh, what love! Well might the apostle Paul reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Let us seek to lose the pain of the "alone"-life in fellowship and communion with our Lord, learning from Him the inestimable privileges which may be derived from such a lot; and ere we know it that day will be upon us when

" He and I, in that bright glory,
One deep joy shall share.
Mine to be forever with Him,
His that I am there."

M. M. S.