The above expression is found in a number of New Testament passages. In three of them we find a progressive line of thought. Let us first consider 1 Tim. 2:5, 6:"For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus; who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."

Here we find this phrase in its gospel setting and universal application. Of old the psalmist had spoken of "a precious ransom for the soul," and in Job we hear of a ransom found to deliver from going down into the pit the soul of him who repents. The Son of God gave the full meaning of this when He said:"The Son of Man came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Matt. 20:28). He has perfectly done this in the anguish of Calvary's cross, where forsaken and alone He bore the judgment of God against sinners, and paid the ransom price of their redemption in the shedding of His precious blood. But God has raised the crucified One from the dead and seated Him in heaven, now "exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour." The due time to testify to the whole world this glorious truth has come and is still present. The gospel call is "unto all." Every creature is invited to avail himself of God's provision for salvation through Christ the Lord. We might well linger over this precious theme, but we wish simply to point out the general thought in each passage.

The second passage is Gal. 2:20:"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." This gives us the individual application. The apostle is not speaking of his sins, but of himself as a child of Adam, a man in the flesh; as such he has reached his end in the cross; he is crucified with Christ. However, he now has a new life, even Christ who lives in him, and his life is now one of faith and dependence on the Son of God, who, he says, "loved me," and such was His love that He gave "Himself for me." Oh, that we entered more deeply into the realization of what this means! If we were constantly in the enjoyment of the love of Jesus for our individual souls, we would find deliverance from the spirit and character of the world which sometimes so hinders our spiritual progress. Worldliness, pride, and self-indulgence must melt away in the warmth of that love which we are called upon to know and trust in the fullest way.

The following incident impressed upon the writer the] value of this truth. A band of Christian workers had just finished a short gospel service in a Hospital ward. A doctor had come in and was standing at the desk. He asked them if they would sing his favorite hymn. They expected he would ask for one expressing an advanced knowledge of truth, but to their surprise he simply said, "Please sing, 'Jesus loves me, This I know!' " A child's hymn, indeed, but after all what more beautiful in its simple expression of the love of Jesus?-love in which we do not think of advance by way of increase, but in the appreciation and enjoyment of which there should ever be advance on our part. May this be our constant experience.

We have pointed out the use of this precious phrase in a world-wide aspect; then in an individual relation; now we get what we may call the collective application, as it relates to the people of God, the Church which is His Body. To Him it is like the pearl of great price for which the merchantman sold all that he had. That Church we know is composed of believers of this dispensation. It began at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came from heaven. It will rise to meet the Lord when He comes again. Every believer in Christ is baptized into this Body, and thus united to every other believer in the world and to the Head in Heaven, Christ. But, alas, when we look abroad we fail to see a perfect expression, practically, of this oneness. Because of this, sorrow and shame belong to us, humiliation and confession should mark us. But, thank God, the day will come when all spot and wrinkle will disappear, and all the members will be above and together forever. In the meantime let us cultivate the friendship and fellowship of the saints of God, and seek to walk together in truth till the Lord comes. Though conscious that we can never remedy the evil state of Christendom, we can and should , always confess the unity and oneness of the Church of God. The expression of it may be feeble and weak indeed; but the night is far spent and the day is at hand!

"Bride of the Lamb, awake! awake!
Why sleep for sorrow now?
The hope of glory, Christ, is thine,-
A child of glory thou.

Thy spirit, through the lonely night,
From earthly joy apart,
Hath sighed for one that's far away,-
The Bridegroom of thy heart.

But lo, the night is waning fast,
The breaking morn is near;
And Jesus comes, with voice of love,
Thy drooping heart to cheer.

He conies-for, oh! His yearning heart
No more can bear delay-
To scenes of full unmingled joy,
To call His bride away.

This earth, the scene of all His woe,-
A homeless wild to thee,-
Full soon upon His heavenly throne
Its rightful King shall see.

Thou, too, shalt reign-He will not wear
His crown of joy alone!
And earth His royal Bride shall see
Beside Him on the throne.

Then weep no more! 'tis all thine own-
His crown, His joy divine,
And sweeter far than all beside,
He, He Himself, is thine."

1. He "gave Himself a ransom for all!"
2. He "loved me and gave Himself for me!"

3. He "loved the Church and gave Himself for it!"

Blessed be His name forever!

W. B. Bigger