In writing to the saints and assembles in various places, our beloved apostle to the Gentiles salutes them with "Grace and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ." Think of it, dear fellow-believer, to be greeted with such words! -coming from the Father Himself who gave His only, His well-beloved Son for us, and from our precious Lord Jesus whose life was poured out to deliver our souls from such a death ! And lest we should think it applied only to those early and oft suffering saints in those early days, our dear apostle says, "To them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs, and ours" (i Cor. i:2). "To them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus;" he says. What a holy elevation in which to view those feeble ones, once defiled, but which the Father has given to His Son- cleansed by His precious blood, and accepted before God in the value and the beauty of Christ upon them !

"Waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus," again he says, "who shall confirm you unto the end [to present you] blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, 'by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord." Think of it, dear fellow-Christian, called unto the fellowship of our Lord Jesus Christ while waiting for Him to come and take us to Himself, according to His promise! May it ring in our minds, and dwell in our hearts through the year now opening before us.