"Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God" (Ps.87:3).

Thus wrote the psalmist of Zion as the eye of faith viewed God's chosen city. It is the celebration of Zion as the scene of manifested glory.

Two glories are linked with it, His foundation and who belong to it. "His foundation is in the holy mountains;" it is immovable, the purpose of God must inevitably stand fast. ,

The Lord loveth the gates of Zion, His chosen city, and its future glory is ensured, for He says (Ps. 132), "Here will I dwell, .for I have desired it." But the psalmist adds (ver. 4), "This man was born there." This surely is an allusion to the coming King, not perhaps as to His first coming in lowly grace-(though He was one of Zion's children), but when God in grace establishes the New Jerusalem, He will be the Firstborn, and "the Highest Himself shall establish her."

Today, while freed from the domination of the Turk, the city of God remains-as she has been for so many centuries-a city of desolation over which is written the expressive word, "Ichabod" (the glory has departed).

The guilty city is still "Baca;" want and woe still characterize her; the descendants of Ishmael still mock the rightful heir; but the day of her glorious deliverance hastens and Jerusalem shall soon be the joy of the whole earth.

Futile will be the efforts of the Zionists and Gentile powers to restore the guilty city to her former greatness; the clock of prophecy must be started by mightier power than that of the kings of the earth.

Another stroke of judgment must fall upon the apostate nation from the hand of the God whom Israel has outraged. Tribulation without parallel in her history will be meted out during that awful last week of Gentile supremacy, when under oppression the remnant cry for deliverance will be heard, and "God shall help her and that right early" (Ps. 46:5). Blessed indeed to contemplate that, in the very scene where every possible indignity and scorn was poured upon the Holy Person of our blessed Lord, honor and glory shall be accorded Him as King of kings. Yes! in the city where He once was the "song of the drunkard," the place where He was humiliated, mocked and scourged, reviled, spat upon, where He gave His "back to the smiters, and His cheeks to those who plucked off the hair," and where the infuriated mob derisively cried, "Hail, King of the Jews!" THERE, yes, there, He shall yet be exalted and loyally welcomed. Homage, obedience and praise shall be accorded Him, and the shout of a glad people shall resound through the streets of the eternal city, "Let the King live forever!"

"Israel's race shall then behold Him,
Full of grace and majesty.
They who set at naught and mocked Him,
Pierced Him, nailed Him to the tree;
Now in glory, now in glory,
Shall their great Messiah see."

Graphically Zechariah portrays the coming of this glorious Person (chap. 14), and tells us that the very place where those blessed feet last trod (Acts 1:12) shall be the first to respond to His touch at His coming, and "at evening time it shall be light" (Zech. 14:7). "The Lord shall be King over all the earth; in that day there shall be ONE LORD and His Name one" (ver. 9). In that day every other name shall be forgotten-He shall be supreme.

Filling David's throne, righteousness, peace and joy shall flood the whole earth, and the blessing of His beneficent rule shall radiate from Zion to the ends of the earth, for, "The government shall be upon His shoulder; and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Here language fails to express the greatness and glory of that wonderful scene in" which He shall be preeminent over all.

Surely all this fills our hearts with adoration, for the blessed One whose glories will then be revealed is the One our hearts have learned to love and whose blessed Person we adore.

But we await with joyful expectation that glorious prior moment, blessed consummation of all our hopes, and for which He waits in patience, when as Bridegroom He shall claim His bride, co-partner of all His coming glories. Lord, haste that day!

Soon Thou wilt come-oh, blest anticipation!-
And we shall gaze unhindered on Thy face;
Our longing hope shall have its glad fruition,
And in "those wounds" we shall love's story trace.

Oh, cloudless morn of heavenly light and gladness,
When God Himself shall wipe all tears away!
There shall be no more death and no more sadness,
No trace of sin through God's eternal day.

J. W. H. N.