I am glad that you are making experience of the value of that inner life which is developed in communion with the Lord. The outward life, however blessed it be, can never give us that which is here communicated. It is the knowledge of Christ that matures the soul. It is true that to neglect our duties is not the means to make progress in it. For He communicates Himself, and we cannot command communion outside the path of His will, while in the accomplishment of that will, we dwell in His love. J. N. D.

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me :and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand." (John 10:27, 28.)

Is He not every way competent now to make good His blessed words ? who but Himself was able to meet the fearful necessity of the cross to meet our deep need ? who, where, could one be found, to go under the guilt and curse of our lost estate ? Ah! who could cry, " My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me ?" and stem the tide of the wrath of a holy, righteous, sin-hating God ? Who but the holy Sufferer could, as the darkness of midnight blackness was passing, in which righteous wrath had been executed, say, "It is finished"-"Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit" ?

Now look at the answer, as given us in Ephesians. Paul prays that the eyes of their understanding being enlightened they might know what was "the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe, according to the working of the power of His might, which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also that which is to come; and hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all."

Do we need to question who it is that God thus owns ? God's Man for men, the holy divine Son, "in the bosom of the Father," yet perfect in His dependent, obedient life rendered up, of which His precious blood was a witness.

Now, beloved, He is head of God's house, the High-priest. It was Aaron's rod that budded, and brought forth. He who awakened very early that resurrection morn is the first-fruit of them that sleep. Alone has the corn of wheat been planted; yet now in resurrection glory, He is associated with many brethren. "It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again, who also is at the right hand of God, who ever liveth to make intercession for us."

Is He not able ? Who is He who is now advocate with the Father ? Is it not Jesus Christ the righteous, who was propitiation for our sins ? Is He not able to carry us on to a full final salvation, in the power of an endless life ? Look up, look up into His blessed face, and let your soul rest on the words of Him "who ever liveth to make intercession for us," and hear Him say, " They shall never perish." W. McK.

The Lord had been charged with receiving sinners, as though His ministry did not secure righteousness, but gave liberty to evil.

Of course He might have pleaded various answers to this. He might have defended His grace to sinners on the ground of the necessity of the case, or on the ground of God's glory. But in Luke xv, from beginning to end, in each of these lovely parables, He vindicates it simply on the ground of the joy that He, and the Father, and all Heaven itself, were finding in it.

Only think of this, beloved. If the Lord God be asked a reason for His ways of salvation with you and me, He says He takes delight in them :they make Him and His glorious habitation to rejoice. Let us cherish the thought deeply in our souls-the gospel of our peace is the spring of joy to Him who planned and accomplished it ; that our God has done nothing less than this, laid the scene of His own happiness in our salvation, as the parables of Luke 15:testify to us. J. G. B.

"Lord, oh how long, I'm weary,"
My fainting spirit cried:
"A little while, be patient,"
The steadfast Word replied.

Lord, oh how long, Thy mercy lingers still,
Over a world for which Thou'st bled and died;
Over the souls of men, whose hardened hearts
Still spurn the love of Him they've crucified.
When will they add their sorrow to Thy love-
Sorrow for sin which nailed Thee to the cross?
Why will they count the immortal soul less dear,
Less to be valued than this poor world's dross.
And right be deemed but wrong,
And evil good,-how long?

What hast thou not endured from wilful man?
Surely Thy love has suffered long indeed,
Scorn from the world, indifference from Thine own;
Yet doth that love in patience wait, and plead.
When will the last loved soul be gathered in,
When shall I leave this sorrow-stricken scene?
When shall I see Thee crowned with many crowns,
Thou, who wast once the lowly Nazarene?
Exultant then my song-
Yea, Lord, but oh how long?

When shall it be ? I'm weary waiting Lord,
Weary of. self, my childish changefulness;
When shall I lay my shield and sword aside,
When shall I be like Thee?-oh wondrous grace!-
When shall I cease my waywardness to mourn?
When shall my heart with steadfastness be fixed,
Jesus alone upon Thyself, in joy,
And satisfaction, evermore unmixed?
I question, is it wrong
To ask, Will it be long?

When shall the bolts and bars of this my flesh
Break at the touch of Thy once pierced hand?
When shall the grave its vanquished power confess,
Yielding its captive prey at Thy command?
Rough is life's sea, its waves are merciless,
Strained are my eyes for just one glimpse of home-
Brief are life's joys, each breast its sorrow hath,
Weaning the heart, and thus the cry:"Lord come.
Grief makes the night seem long-
But faith hath aye a song.

Well do I know the certain joy that comes;
Sweet the reward. Then wait. I know He will
Meet every soul that trusts Him in the dark,
And bid each doubt and question to be still.
Ah, Lord I wait, but not for aught on earth,
Yea, and I watch, but not the shadows here,
That flee my grasp at every setting sun;
And leave but disappointment's bitter tear.
Soon Saviour Thou wilt come,
And I shall be at home.

Then shall the strings of this poor human heart,
Answer Thy touch in tones of joy alone.
Then shall the wail of minor chords be hushed,
Then shall eternal song replace the groan.
Then shall I read my answered prayers aright,
Pleaded so oft, and yet so long denied.
Then shall I feast my eyes upon Thy face-
And in Thy heart of love forever hide.
Give through the night the song,
That it may not seem long.

H. McD.

That we are not under law, but under grace, is at once the distinguishing feature of Christianity and the emancipation from bondage of God's beloved people. The line between law and grace, between faith and works, cannot be too clearly marked, for Scripture distinguishes them absolutely. Nor does this apply to the ground of justification merely. It is a common remark that we are not under the law for justification, but arc under it as a rule of life. Most clearly does the word of God negative such a thought. In the most absolute way we are declared to be dead to the law, that we might live unto God. 'The rule by which we walk is the rule of the "new creation" (Gal. 6:15, 16). So far from being under it, the law has been done away, for him who has died with Christ (Rom. 7:4).

If it be contended that this refers to the ceremonial rather than the moral law, a glance at 2 Cor. 3:7-11 will show the contrary. It was the ten commandments that were "written and engraved in stones," of which the apostle is speaking when he calls them "the ministration of death,"-the "ministration of condemnation,"-"that which was done away.''

But is it not a very serious thing to discriminate between the commandments given of God? Where will we find such distinction in the law itself? where in any divine comment upon the law? But we cannot here enter upon a matter we would fain hope is clear at least to most of our readers, for our subject takes us in another direction.

Now the observance of the Sabbath is absolutely enjoined in the fourth commandment. It is enshrined in the very heart of the decalogue. Between its binding authority and that of the other nine commandments, there cannot be the slightest difference. Any attempt therefore to limit or modify it, to change the day for its observance is tampering with the holy law of God. Let us mark this well, for just here is the citadel of Adventism which is so rarely taken, and by which many conscientious persons are taken captive.**We say citadel, for it is the strongest point of the system, though absolutely fallacious. There are graver errors held along with this :the putting God's people under law ; the denial of any true atonement at the cross of Christ; the denial of the eternity of existence of the lost; and blasphemous doctrines as to the Person of our blessed Lord. We have no hesitation in warning our readers against it as anti-christian and most deadly.* If we are under the law, in vain do we speak of a "change of day." Rightly are we asked, Who gave you authority to change the day; and to this there can be but one true answer. The seventh day is the only one ordained in the law of God.

But how simple it all becomes when we see that we are not under the law, have been forever freed from a yoke which could only hold us captive, and be thus a badge of the old creation which it could only condemn. What relief comes to the exercised conscience when once this emancipating truth is clearly seen. Before, the very earnestness and sincerity of motive did but rivet the chains and drive them to the bone. We are crucified with Christ and thus are dead to the law, and passing out with Him into another sphere-in resurrection-we find "all things new."

Alas that we are creatures of extremes. See the soul groaning under the bondage of the law. He longs for holiness, but finds only the strength of sin. He is set free, and now lest he should go to the other extreme needs the admonition, " Shall we continue in sin because we are not tinder law but under grace? God forbid." The accusation of antinomianism is a false charge against the precious gospel of the grace of God, but doubtless the careless walk of some may have given occasion for the laying the charge at the door of any who under plea of liberty, make it an occasion to the flesh.

We believe that just here a word is needed for our consciences. Let the reader note it, we say consciences. "Holding faith and a good conscience;" "we trust we have a good conscience." An awful snare of Satan it is, to lead the newly delivered soul to think he has no further need of conscience. No need of conscience? How then is he to be led in God's ways? Where is that godly fear which should ever be the mark of the child of God? The precious place of liberty into which we have been introduced by the work of our Lord, is the true and proper sphere for the fullest activity of an enlightened, instructed conscience.

All would instantly admit the truth of this as to the general walk. They would agree that while we are dead to the law and thus freed from it, we are now in a position to carry out its spirit and produce in our lives the fruits of that holiness it demanded. "That the righteous requirement (Gk.) of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. "

But we are persuaded that there is but too little application of this principle to the observance of the Lord's day. We need scarcely recall the appropriateness of the establishment of a new day for Christians. The Sabbath was the memorial of the old creation, into which sin had brought ruin:the first day of the week is the memorial of Christ's resurrection, the beginning of that new creation into which sin can never come. Most fittingly therefore does our Lord appear to His disciples on that day (John 20:19, 26); most naturally too do they continue to make it the day of their assembling for worship, and for giving (Acts 20:7; i Cor. 16:2).

As taking the place of the Sabbath all of what was spiritual in that day came with it:-the cessation from all but needful employment, the devoting the day not to our own thoughts or words but the sweet and holy meditation upon the things of God.

We are living in days of apostasy. Farthest removed from Christian liberty is the sacrilegious trampling upon all formerly esteemed holy. The Sunday amusements, the Sunday newspaper, the open mockery of the "blue laws," do but show still further alienation from God and a ripening of things that will very soon eventuate in open and complete apostasy. We know the crisis will not come till the Church is taken away to the Lord, but how near, how very near that happy event is-for how near is the apostasy!

We easily assimilate the thoughts and ways of those about us, and thus fall into the looseness as to the Lord's day that marks the world. Let it be fully understood that Scripture gives no ground for such looseness. How unutterably sad is it to see Christians turn the day into a time for recreation, for merely social visiting with unlimited conversation upon everything but the things of Christ.

We know it may be said that we should be in the Spirit at all times, and that our speech should be always with grace, seasoned with salt, and to this of course we agree at once. But should we not be particularly careful on this day to manifest this ? We would all be shocked at one voluntarily engaging in his business on the Lord's day; is it not equally sad to devote that day to conversation or thoughts equally secular ? Should not the Lord's people, in no spirit of bondage or of sanctimoniousness, make conscience of their thoughts and words on this day ? We are persuaded that blessing would result.

On the other hand what an opportunity does it afford for all Christian activity:the quiet reading and meditation; visiting of the sick or of loved ones, seeking to speak of Christ and His things; the distribution of tracts; the preaching of the gospel. In this happy employment, together with the remembrance of our Lord, the day passes all too rapidly, and we are strengthened for the wilderness and its trials. It has been for us

'' A day of sweet refreshment
A day of holy love
A day of resurrection
From earth to things above."

Contrast with this what is alas too common among the saints of God:a mere holiday!

Beloved brethren, let us suffer the word of exhortation, and seek to use our liberty not as "an occasion to the flesh, but by love to serve one another," and to serve our blessed Lord. What a testimony it is to the world, what a badge of who we are, when the Lord's day is thus regarded. May He, the Lord of the day and of us His redeemed, make it a delight to us.

A Few Unrevised Notes of an Address by C. C., Lachute, 1st April, 1897.

1 Kings 11:9-43.

One sometimes meets with some singular and discouraging cases-cases of individuals who seem to be clear as to grace, but who are strangely deficient as to responsibility,-people who, when they have failed, and even when going on in positive evil and wickedness, we are surprised to note how clearly they can speak of the counsels of God and His purposes in grace. So much so that we would think them enjoying greatly these precious things of God. Such fall again and again into sin in various ways, and I believe the explanation is, they are more acquainted with the doctrines of grace than those of responsibility. It ought not to be so, I am sure. If we believe in simplicity the grace of God, we should be able to believe, in the same simplicity, in the responsibilities of our path down here. The lessons of these histories of the Kings will help us, I believe.

In David, God brings out His principles of grace, and at once with these, through his successors, we find how responsibility attaches to this.

God gave promises to Abraham and when his seed 430 years afterward came into the land, did He give it to them? No; He said, "You must fight for every bit of it you possess." His promises to Abraham were unconditional, unqualified promises; but to his seed, instead of that, there was conditional possession. So with regard to David. He was taken up just as Abraham was, and God promised him a throne that was to be his and his seed's after him. Of course, in both Abraham and David, we know God's promises went beyond the present seed, and have their ultimate fulfilment in Christ. But here though Solomon be the type of Christ in a certain character, yet we find when God makes promise to Solomon, He makes condition, and it becomes manifest He is putting him on different ground. It is now responsibility, not unconditional grace. Let us look at this, and see how these two things can be consistent and fit into one another. However Solomon may fail, it does not at all cancel God's promise to David. God can carry that out even if Solomon does fail. In the Church it is the same. The Gospel makes us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. He is going to have the saints with Christ in glory. Nothing of all the failure of the Church will hinder God's purpose in this. The Church is going to reign with Christ. This is God's counsel and purpose. He will head up all things in heaven and earth in Him, and no failure of ours will prevent His accomplishing the thought of His heart in respect to Christ and the Church. Precious grace !

But the Church is also set in the place of testimony and responsibility in this world. Her failure in these positions is one thing:her title to eternal glory and to reign with Christ is another thing entirely. So we see how some see but one side of all this, and it hinders proper enjoyment of heavenly things or a true walk with God. They can see and accept all the purpose of God and His counsels with regard to Christ and the Church, but leave out, alas! their responsibility to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called, and this accounts for all the weakness and failure that abound. Looking at the Church in its responsibility, how little intelligent walking before God there is! how little real faithfulness on all sides, to-day, as well as in the past history of God's people! Let us see about Solomon:-
First. David is the type of Christ as the warrior, a man of war, not only slaying the giant Goliath and delivering the nation, but also putting all enemies under his feet-the Edomites, Amalekites, Syrians, etc. This is characteristic of him. He is a man of war, and thus type of Christ who has met the power of the enemy and wrought deliverance for us, and who shares, as David, the fruit of His victories-the victories of His cross-with His people.

In Solomon's reign we have two distinct divisions. First. As the man of peace, all is quiet and peaceful. Under him the people enjoy their possessions. There is no enemy to disturb the rest and enjoyment, and in this too we have a type of Christ, not as the warrior King, but as the King reigning in peace, which had become his through the victories of David. This enjoyment He shares with His people, who are blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ, wondrously enriched, and all the power of the enemy broken. Every question that can arise, every charge that can be made by the enemy of our souls, is met for us by the victorious work of Christ. But there is a Second part to the life of Solomon, and it is in this that we have this subject of responsibility taken up.

In Deut. 17:Moses gave instruction for the guidance of a king in Israel. There were four specific things:-

1st.He was not to multiply horses to himself.

2nd.He was not to multiply wives to himself.

3rd. He was not to multiply silver and gold to himself

4th. He was to write himself a copy of the book of the law.

Now here we have outlined what the king was to do, but in Solomon we never hear of his making himself a copy of the law of the Lord or his reading it, suggesting carelessness of the word of God; and Solomon himself the king setting the example for the whole people, in breaking down the place the word of God was to have in his heart and mind. If there be negligence of the word of God, little interest in it, it is an easy thing to take a further step, and the other things prohibited are all done also. He has many wives, goes down to Egypt for horses, and multiples silver and gold to himself. There is positive disobedience in all these things, but it is easy if we ignore God's word, if we do not accept it as the light shining for our path, and make it the man of our counsel.

But disobedience has its fruits and what do we find? Take the matter of his wives:the one who built that wonderful temple and introduced such a happy condition of things into the kingdom, now is seen building groves for idols; and bowing down and worshiping them. But there is more. In the history of Rehoboam, we find what helps us as to Solomon's failure. When Jeroboam came to him, he says:" Thy father made our yoke grievous " (12:4). There was evidently a spirit of discontent and murmuring which had been there before, because of heavy burdens. We can easily see how all this came in. Solomon had neglected the word of God. Then it was easy to multiply wives, and having gone this far in the path of disobedience, it was necessary to gratify and please them. They have claims and make demands :"He must make places where we can worship our gods." He has to yield; and think of the taxes laid upon the people to make suitable places for the gods to the Sidonians and Ammonites and Moabites and perhaps many others. There was no complaint about the building of the temple, but now it is not one grove but many groves, and of necessity this made burdens, heavy burdens upon the people and so the discontent and murmuring. What a picture, beloved, and how it speaks of how possible for a child of God to go far astray.

Neglect of the word of God soon leads into disobedience, and at last getting so far away from God and God's things, it is no more at all what at first was our portion as described in the early part of Solomon's reign. Now there are enemies cropping up. First the Edomite. Edom belonged properly to Israel and refers typically to the flesh in us. We know how God has given us victory over sin in us. Romans shows us how we have the victory over the evil in our own hearts, over the flesh in us.

Under David, a type, this victory was obtained, and in the early part of Solomon's reign we read of no Edomite rising up. But in this second part we have this Edomite stirring up himself. Think of it beloved brethren. How many are worried and perplexed and distressed to find the flesh stirring itself up. But I say there is a reason for it. The word of God has been neglected, and not only so, but we have become disobedient to it perhaps, setting aside its plainest teaching for our path. Then the flesh (the Edomite) says:"Now is my opportunity." Alas! how we expose ourselves to the enemy within us- this Edomite-when faith is thus weakened and enfeebled, because we have not fed it with the manna furnished by the word of God. But there are also enemies without, and Resin of Damascus speaks of the world. He also bestirs himself; and we find then both things, the Edomite and the Syrian, the flesh and the world, combining to hinder and harass. So the world says, when faith is weak and the flesh awake in us, "now is my time."

Next we have the spirit of division. Jeroboam is fostering that. Solomon's practice and life had brought about a favorable condition for the spirit of division, and it follows quickly on the track of what preceded.

Solomon means peace, but now God says to His people in departure from His word, and in disobedience to it, "it can't be peace now."

So Solomon dies and another takes his place,-another sits on the throne in his stead. All this is full of meaning for us. The distinction is surely brought out clearly between the reigns of David and Solomon, grace and responsibility. What loss it was all this turning away from God, this neglect of the Word, and its train of evils. It was loss indeed. It is distinctly stated, "The Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared unto him twice" (ver. 9). It was because of his behavior God raised up these enemies. Neglect and disobedience to His word brings down His hand upon us, but don't mistake it, beloved brethren, the hand of the Lord upon us does not mean He has given up His people and His purposes and counsels concerning them, but it does mean He is not pleased with the condition into which they have fallen, and it is His call to repentance. And it does mean we are suffering great loss. Solomon is warned that after his departure, God will rend his kingdom and his servant shall have the largest part. But there is not one word about his repentance. Don't you think the division might have been averted then if he had repented? I think so. Nineveh repented in a later day and God put off the judgment announced by Jonah two hundred years. Had Solomon repented who shall say God should not have acted in the same mercy to Israel as to Nineveh. These warnings to Solomon are warnings for us, beloved brethren, that we should not go on in self-will. Neglect of the word of God brings a train of sorrow and loss upon us, but who shall say how much disaster might be averted, how great calamity might be escaped from, by repentance and return to God ?

And beloved, if we may not expect general repentance and return to God and His word, yet we may seek it individually and find the greatest blessing. The Lord grant it.

"And upon His head -were many crowns." (Rev. 19:12.)

(Continued from page 46.)

CHAPTER V. The Son of Man.

The integrity of our Savior's manhood is marked by one title which the Lord claimed for Himself with special emphasis, and which prophecy also had in a most distinct way applied to Him,- "the Son of man." Here "man," in the Hebrew texts, is "Adam," man generally; and it really settles conclusively the question (if any entertain it) as to His being personally Man. A son of man is just a man in the broadest sense, one by descent and inheritance a man. In Ps. 49:2 "the low" in our version are just literally "the sons of Adam"-the commonalty, having nothing to distinguish them from others,-and are so contrasted with the "sons of is/i," ('' the high ") the men of mark in any way whatever. By the use of this term the Lord comes down, therefore, in the simplest manner, as far as the truth of His humanity is concerned, to the common level. He is not simply "man," One whom you could call that, though differing far from the race of Adam:He is "Son of man;" deriving His humanity from humanity, with nothing to separate it in kind from humanity in general,-"made in all things like unto His brethren," as the apostle declares. The Christ of Apollinaris, or of some of the modern Kenotics, would not be a "Son of man." He would be a divine man, perhaps; but absolutely separated from humanity in the sons of men:"brethren" among these He could not have.

The force of the term is seen in the use of it as applied to the prophet Ezekiel, and once in Daniel. Both lived when things were broken up in Israel; and Ezekiel as the priest is chosen of God to be the judge, according to the law of Leviticus in its spiritual application, of the leprous condition of the people. He is taken to witness their wilful and inveterate apostasy from Jehovah. After which, as commanded in Leviticus, the demonstration being complete, the leper is put outside the camp. The glory of the Lord is seen, though lingeringly, as all unwilling, to depart from the city (chap. 10:)

Now the priest is one "taken from among men," and thus qualified to be " ordained for men in things pertaining to God." (Heb. 5:1:) His humanity makes him to know men, and to have heart-interest in them. And thus we see the meaning of the priest-prophet being addressed, as he is so constantly, as "son of man." As we try men before juries of their peers, so man, as such, is here called to pronounce on men. As man and as a priest for men, he is one who will use compassion, and therefore his judgment will be more complete and final, impossible to be objected against. His judgment is appealed to here, therefore, as "son of man." (chapter 20:4; 22:2.)

But Ezekiel is only in this the mouth-piece and representative of God Himself. The judgment is, of course, God's judgment. How striking is it, therefore, to find, when we lift up our eyes, with the prophet, to that awful throne above the firmament, to find there too (chap. 1:26) "the likeness of the
appearance of a man"! the first time in Scripture that we find even the "appearance" there.

The tenderness that is implied in all this, though it cannot avert the present judgment, comes out, how fully, before the close of these prophecies, when, the people being at last cleansed by divine grace from all their iniquities, Ezekiel is taken to be a witness now of their restoration and blessing. City and temple are seen built up anew, and the glory of God returns to its old place among them. Holiness and love are thus both at last satisfied, and the law of the leper is illustrated in both its parts, the judgment and the grace.

Daniel is only once addressed as "son of man," (chap. 8:17,) but the prophecy of the Son of man -or strictly, of "One like unto a Son of man " (7:13, 14)-to whom, coming in the clouds of heaven, is given a universal and everlasting dominion, is given us by him:a prophecy which is echoed and enlarged upon in the New Testament. In the eighth psalm, though more enigmatically expressed, we have by the mouth of David what anticipates and is the foundation of this. And here we have, strikingly expressed, the thought conveyed to us by this title; Christ being the full utterance and justification of God's delight in man.

What is man, if you look at him under the light of the glory of the heavens? what is he, this creature of earth, enosh, "frail man" or the "son of man," ordained to come into his inheritance by a way so characterized by weakness, and which so perfectly marks God's estimate of him? Ah, you must take in Christ to find the answer. He too is Man,-yea, the Son of man; come down to manhood in this significant weakness which in Him united to Deity itself is the manifestation of the moral glory of God, so that it is set above the heavens, those created heavens whose glory had just now made man look so poor and contemptible! What are they now to Man in Jesus? to the Son of man?

Here then is He of whom a later psalm speaks as "the Son of man whom Thou hast made strong for Thyself" (80:17); and His exaltation and kingdom are the necessary result. Gone down to the lower parts of the earth for the suffering of death, He is "ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things." (Eph. 4:10.) In Him, as the angels at His birth declared, God has shown His " good pleasure in men." (Luke 2:14, Greek.) It is manhood as God made it at the beginning, which God has thus taken up in the Person of Christ, or the psalmist's challenge goes after all unanswered.

True, it may be, and it will be, in very different condition. As, for instance, the "spiritual body" of the resurrection is very different from the "natural," or " psychical body," as we have seen. Yet even here the identity of the body itself is assured us. That which is sown a natural is raised a spiritual body:identity as to the person is maintained under even such a change of condition as this implies; "we shall be changed," but it will still be "we." And it is man and the son of man that the psalmist sees, at first so poor and weak, and now so unutterably glorified in Christ our Lord. Otherwise, I say again, the psalmist's question remains unanswered, and must ever remain unanswered.

This being so, the Lord's constant use of this term becomes intelligible throughout. He uses it as the
simplest and most intelligible one, which no one, so to speak, would deny, and yet which upon His lips conveys so much:"Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?" (Matt. 16:12.) Son of man, just by its common application to men at large, He must be, of course; and yet in His application of it to Himself it becomes distinctive by its very universality:for who would dream of speaking of himself as "the Son of man," except as implying that He was more than this meant as to other men? The Lord might address the prophet in this way, as reminding him of what he was, but no man, speaking among the sons of men, could distinguish himself by what was not distinctive. If it were distinctive of Him, then He was the Son of man in some sense that others were not; not less truly so, but more:and so He was-the One son of man upon whom the shadow of the fall had never been:Man, and of man, yet in more than all the promise of his first creation; God's Man indeed, justifying that creation itself, as all else had dishonored it; and thus having in Himself the promise for men of a new creation, by which they too at last should fulfill the purpose of the Creator; "Lord of the sabbath," as He who shall bring in, in such wise as to be violated no more, the rest of God.

But for this the Son of man must suffer, must be lifted up, "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness," giving His "flesh " thus "for the life of the world;" but "glorified" in this ability to work out in the extreme of human weakness the purposes of God. "God" thus "glorified in Him," He must "also glorify Him in Himself," yea, "straightway glorify Him."

In such scriptures the "Mediator, the Man Christ Jesus," is set before us. They show us, if there could be question of it, how His perfect manhood had to do with the atonement wrought. And while on the one hand it is said that "we are reconciled to God by the death of His Son," and that "God sent forth His Son to redeem," yet, when we come to the details of this glorious work, the lifting up of the Son of man is that by which is indicated for us the bearing of curse by which "Christ redeemed us from curse," (Gal. 3:13) "for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree." Throughout, it is one blessed Person; but Scripture is perfect in the way these things are put. If it would win our hearts with the amazing gift that God has given for us,-if it would show the power that has laid hold upon us, -then it speaks of the work of the Son of God. If on the other hand we are to think of the actual suffering and sin-bearing, then it sets before us Christ, or Jesus Christ, or the Son of man; and the last is more the Lord's own language, while the former is that of the apostles. The two may be put together where it says, "the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son," but it is a false emphasis that would pass over the first part of this, to fasten itself upon the last. We have many times over, "the blood of Christ, of Jesus, of Christ Jesus, of the Son of man, of the Lord, of the Lamb; " once, " God's Son," is added to this.

It is one Person throughout, and all these wondrous names are His; but Scripture is in such delicate adjustment that it is easy to disturb the balance of it. As surely as we do, we find in result that we are losing the equipoise of truth itself. A false emphasis upon the truth is the beginning of error.

The " Son of man " speaks of what the Son of God became in order to redeem us. It insists upon His manhood, true, full manhood, by which He became, for His believing people, the typal, representative Man before the eye of God. As this the "meal-offering of first-fruits" (Lev. 2:14-16) sets Him forth. But, really to avail for them, He must go beyond this type, and be the Sin-bearer in their behalf. For this He becomes the Christ, the One Anointed to be Prince and Savior. For this He dies the death of the Cross, and becomes, as risen from the dead, the "last Adam," Head of a new race of men.

In this we are but touching things that we must take up later. What remains for us here is but the connection of this title "Son of man" with the prophecies of the future, which the Lord takes up from Daniel's vision of the world-empires, and applies to Himself. All judgment is given to Him because He is the Son of man (Jno. 5:27); and here we find in fact Ezekiel's vision perfected. With full knowledge of man, with abundant tenderness for man, Himself the Representative Man before God, it is He to whom it belongs to settle all things on the basis of a righteousness which He has glorified. "The likeness of the appearance of a Man " upon the throne comes into realization, and the vision of Daniel takes full place as the hope of Israel and of the earth. It is indeed connected with the appraisement of responsibilities, and the solemnity of judgment to come :when the Son of man comes with the glory of His Father and with His holy angels, He shall reward every man according to his works; but this can adjust itself to the gospel and to a hope that shall not disappoint. The Son of man is the true Bride-groom of His people, and judgment itself only clears the way for the exhibition of all the fullness of a grace which the fact of His manhood sufficiently reveals.

Yes, hope, full, glorious hope is in this title of the Son of man. It cannot be separated from it. It is for David's house what the Branch out of the root of Jesse is, but wider in its promise and tenderer in its implications:-a Son of man in whom alone man's cut off years renew themselves, and now with divine strength. The hosts of heaven wait upon Him, zealous to do His pleasure; but our hearts go back to One amid the scanty group of His disciples, giving them as the pattern for their imitation, and an inlet into the glory of heaven itself, the "Son of man, come not to be ministered unto but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many." F. W. G.

(To be Continued.)

An energy of love ever goes out if the Spirit of Christ is really there. I cannot see a person perishing and not feel. The Spirit of love cannot look upon perishing sinners, and not care for them. J. N. D.

The question, Will the saints be in the tribulation ? suggests itself to every one who is occupied with the hopes of the Church of God and the prophetic declarations of Scripture as to the close of this earth's painful and laborious history. Personal anxiety suggests it on one hand, and on the other it connects itself intimately with the gravest and most vital points of prophetic inquiry; or rather, of the true character of the Church of God and its condition at the close.

I cannot, in the space allowed me here, enter at large into the declarations of the Old Testament as to a remnant, nor of the New as to the Church. But a short answer to the question itself will help to throw light on the points I allude to, and on the rapture of the saints. I purpose adding a development of the true force of 2 Thess. 1:, 2:, so often introduced in the discussions which have arisen on these subjects.

And first, as to our being in the tribulation :How do I know there will be a tribulation ? I must get some revelation of it. He who would place the Church in it will answer me, I am sure the Scriptures are clear on the point. There will be at the close a tribulation, a time such as there has never been, till the Lord's coming brings deliverance. What, then, are the scriptures which tell us that there will
be such tribulation ? I am not aware of any other direct ones than these :-Jer. 30:7 ; Dan. 12:i; Matt. 24:21; Mark 13:19 (Luke does not speak of it, nor of the abomination of desolation); to which we may add the more general passages of Rev. 3:10; 7:14. The first four passages do effectively prove that there will be a time of tribulation such as never was since there was a nation, or, as it is expressed in Mark, "such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created, neither shall be." The passages from Revelation apply, we shall see, to a wider sphere than the preceding ones; but as they speak of a great tribulation, I have, of course, quoted them. There will be, then, a tribulation.

The other part of the question still remains :Shall we, who compose the Church, be in this tribulation ? The answer to this question must be sought in the passages which speak of the tribulation itself.

The first of them, Jer. 30:7, is as clear as possible in announcing those to whom it applies. "It is the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be delivered out of it." This time, then, of trouble, such as never was nor will be-so that there cannot be two-is the time of Jacob's trouble. Nothing can be clearer or more distinct. The whole chapter may be read, which sets it in the clearest light. It is not merely that Jacob will be found there, but when it is said,"alas ! for that day is great, there is none like it," the trouble spoken of is Jacob's trouble.

The next is Dan. 12:1:This is also positively declared to be of Daniel's people. The whole prophecy is the description of what is to happen to Daniel's people in the last days (Dan. 10:14). Michael, also, will then stand up for that people (comp. chap. 10:21), and, as Jeremiah had said, they will be delivered (that is, the elect remnant – those written in the book). Daniel's testimony then is also quite clear. The tribulation is the tribulation of Daniel's people.

But this is the rather important because it carries us at once to Matthew, the Lord Himself declaring that He speaks of this same time and same event, using the terms of Daniel and referring to him by name as well as to the statements of the passage. (Comp. Matt. 24:15 ; Dan. 12:11.) But all the language of the passage in Matthew confirms this. Those who are in Judea are to flee to the mountains. Those who are on the housetop are not to come down to seek anything, The abomination which causes desolation stands in the holy place. They are to pray that their flight may not be on the Sabbath. False Christs and false prophets are to seduce with the hopes cherished by the Jewish people. All is local and Jewish- has no application to hopes which rest on going to meet Christ in the air. What is in question is, "flesh " being "saved " (1:e., life spared on earth). Mark relates evidently to the same event and almost exactly in the same terms.

Thus these four passages, which speak of the unequal ed tribulation, apply it distinctively to Jacob, Jerusalem, and Judea, and the Jews, not to the Church. It is entirely another order and sphere of things from the Church, and professedly so.

There are two passages which, as I have said, are more general:Rev. 3:10 and 7:14. Do these, then, apply to the Church ? The language of Rev. 3:10 is this :" Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from* the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world to try them which dwell on the earth."*Greek, "out of."* That is, when the Church is addressed, it is with a declaration that she will be kept out of that hour which shall come to try others.

Thus far, then, the testimonies of Scripture declare that the unequaled tribulation is for Jacob ; and when the time of temptation is spoken of in addressing the Church, it is to declare that the faithful shall be kept out of it.

Rev. 7:14 may seem more difficult ; still it bears witness to the same truth. For the heavenly kings and priests (that is, the elders who have represented them from the beginning of the second or strictly prophetic part of the book) are professedly another class of persons, who have not come out of the great tribulation. One of these elders explains to John who those are, who have come out of great tribulation, as another class of persons from themselves. One of them asks John, Who are these who are arrayed in white robes, etc. ? John refers to him, and the elder then explains. That is, the crowned elders are quite a different class from them; so that, while admitting the passage to be obscure in certain points, it is clear in this:in giving us the elders and those who came out of tribulation as two distinct classes. The crowned elders are not at all represented as having been in it, but as pointing out others as having come out of it. Every element of the description of these persons confirms this distinction.

Another passage, Rev. 12:, while not using the term tribulation, yet speaking of the epoch at which it is to happen, strongly confirms this same truth. When Satan and his angels are defeated by Michael, he is cast out and comes down to the earth, having great wrath, knowing he has but a short time, and persecutes the woman. Now, what is the effect of this most important event on those who can celebrate its bearing ? That the trial of the heavenly saints is ended, and that of the inhabiters of the earth and the sea just about to begin in its most formidable shape, because Satan is cast down there. The language is this :"Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night, and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea," etc. Now I do not say that this is the moment of the rapture, for I think that is included in the man-child's being caught up. But I say this, that at the moment of the commencement of the great rage of Satan for the three times and a half, the entire deliverance of the heavenly saints from his power, and their definite triumph is celebrated; that is, they are not exposed to that last time of Satan's rage. This chapter, then, confirms, in the fullest way, the exemption of the Church from the last and dreadful time of trial. I am satisfied that the whole teaching and structure of the Revelation confirms the same truth; but this would evidently lead me into too large a sphere of inquiry. We have found that the passages which speak of tribulation first apply it directly to the Jews on one side, and then exclude the Church from it on the other. I do not see how such a point as this could be made clearer by Scripture. J. N. D.

(To be concluded in next number.)

Lord, what a change within us one short hour Spent in
Thy presence can suffice to make;
What heavy burdens from our bosoms take;
What parched grounds refreshed as with a shower !
We kneel, and all around us seems to lower;
We rise, and all, the distant and the near,
Stands forth in sunny outline brave and clear.
We kneel, how weak ! we rise, how full of power !
Why, therefore, should we do ourselves this
wrong,
Or others, that we are not always strong,
That we are ever overborne with care,
That we should ever weak or heartless be,
Anxious or troubled, when with us is prayer,
And joy and strength and courage are with
Thee ?

While conscious of all around us, we have to go like a horse with blinkers, looking straight forward, undistracted; an afflicted and poor people that call upon the Name of the Lord. He remains the same, and the Word remains the same. J. N. D.

Jesus, Savior, Thou art mine,
Why then should I e'er repine?
Rich am I beyond degree,-
Rich in simply having Thee.

When I came with nought to bring,
But myself, a sinful thing,
Thou didst say, "
Look unto Me, I, the Sinless, died for thee."

In Thee now I've sweetest rest,-
From Thy fulness truly blest,-
Pardoned, clothed, and reconciled,
Born of God, and owned His child.

If a child, Oh, then an heir,-
Heir with Thee! Thy joy to share!-
Joy that will forever last,
When all other joy is past.

Blessed, blessed be Thy name,
Thou wilt ever be the same;
Here and in Thy bright abode,
I shall "know" unchanging "good."

Surely Thou shouldst have this heart,
Come, possess it, every part;
Thou, with whom none can compare,
Reign without a rival there.

Keep, O keep me near Thy side,
In Thy love would I abide,-
I would only live for Thee,
Thou in love didst die for me!

Happy day when I'm with Thee,
And from all that hinders free!
I shall praise Thee as I should,
And shall love Thee as I would.

Precious Savior! Thou art mine!
Why then should I e'er repine ?
Rich am I beyond degree,-
Rich in simply having Thee, R. H.

Ques. 14.-It is said that Abraham by his purchase of the cave of Machpelah and his solicitude about burying his wife there, showed not only his faith that his descendants would inherit the land some day, but also expressed thereby his belief in the resurrection. Kindly explain this latter point which seems to be inference from his whole career rather than from this act.

Ans.-The significance of the act of burial seems clearly to point to resurrection. Abraham was not done with his body; He would have it laid carefully away until it was needed, not in a borrowed tomb, but in that purchased by silver-redemption money, and connected with a field, also purchased,-fruitfulness already assured, but only in resurrection.

No doubt this refers typically to Israel's resurrection-" life from the dead" (Rom. 11:15) in the last days. For Abraham himself we know there was a better than an earthly portion, "for he looked for the city that hath foundations"-the heavenly Jerusalem.

"And upon His Head Were Many Crowns." (Rev. 19:12.)

(Continued from page 258.)

CHAPTER IX. The Advocate.

The High-Priest that becomes us is, then, as the apostle has declared, One "separate from sinners," those sanctified by His blood being " perfected in perpetuity" by it, so as being '' once purged," they might have "no more conscience of sins." But this, as we know well, does not mean, "no more consciousness of sins,"-that is, of committing them, but consciousness of the efficacy of that work abiding ever before God for us. There is never a moment's intermission as to this.

But then, what about the sins which are committed after conversion ? Is there simply no notice taken of them ? That, we are sure, is impossible:both Scripture and our own experience would refute the unholy thought. That the people of God have often to suffer greatly because of their sins is known to all ; and Scripture is full of examples of this, and asserts it doctrinally in the clearest way. Thus, " if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work," says the apostle Peter, "pass the time of your sojourning here with fear:forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as with silver and gold . . . but with the precious blood of Christ" (i Pet. 1:17-19). And again he says :'' For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God; and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God ? and if the righteous scarcely "-or rather, "with difficulty"- " be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" (ch. 4:17, 18.)

Thus there is even a special judgment going on of the people of God at the present time; a judgment so necessary that on account of it, the righteous are said to be with difficulty saved :not, of course, because of any uncertainty about it, but simply because so much has to be done in this way to maintain the holiness of God. And the apostle Paul also speaks in even stronger language to the Corinthians :"For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged; but when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world" (i Cor. 11:31, 32).

This is indeed strong language as to those for whom the work of Christ avails in so full and absolute a manner as we have just seen it does. This work, then, does not set aside the need of such judgment. Nay, rather it secures it. Let us notice well that it is the Father's judgment :"if ye call on the Father who without respect of persons judgeth." In the final judgment of wrath it is not the Father who judges:as to that the "Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son; that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father " (John 5:22, 23). The Father's judgment is "of every son whom He receiveth; "so that "if ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not ? " (Heb. 12:6, 7).

How blessed it is to know, and at the same time how solemn to realize, that the sin of a child of God.
is against his Father, and that it is the love of relationship that is called into exercise about it, – love which acts towards us " for our profit, that we might be made partakers of His holiness" (Heb. 12:10). It is impossible that He should treat it lightly; and it will be impossible in the end for any one of His own to treat it lightly either. Grace abides toward us; and because grace abides, sin cannot be permitted to have sway over the objects of it.

But because this whole matter of a believer's sin is between the Father and His child, we are not to imagine that Christ has not to do with it. His priestly work has indeed been so fully done that in this character He has nothing more to do:He sits down, because His work is accomplished. But as Son over the house of God, priesthood is not His whole work. The children of God are put into His hand, who is the First-born among brethren; and in every thing that concerns them He has His necessary place and part. So then it is here:"if any one sin, we have an Advocate"-a Paraclete-"with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He is the propitiation for our sins" (i John 2:1, 2).

The last is the ground and justification of the grace expressed in the former. Suited Advocate is He indeed who has been Himself this propitiation for us; and here "Jesus Christ the righteous" is very fully manifest,-love and righteousness alike displayed in Him. Here is the very character of the Advocate or Paraclete-the One "called to our side," "to our assistance," as both words mean; and this is in natural relation with the fact that we are given to Him. We being in His charge, He stands forth in our behalf, pledged and proved on both sides, God's and ours, and who has made both one. On earth, the Spirit of God is our Paraclete, and makes intercession for us, though perhaps, as far as we are concerned, in a groan that we cannot utter. In heaven, Christ our Paraclete is, as it were, similarly our voice uttering itself, but infinitely better than any utterance of our own could be. How well are we provided ! Here are two Witnesses in our behalf, each perfect absolutely, and having perfectly the ear of Him with whom they plead. How certainly effectual must be such intercession as this !

How good also it is to know that it is "if any one sin," not, if any one repent, " we have an Advocate." In Peter's case, which is surely intended as a typical one, it is before the sin that Christ intercedes for him, and how tender is the intercession, "I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not." Having need to learn himself, and to have the spirit of self-confidence broken in him, he cannot be spared the needful experience. Satan is permitted to sift him, but the Lord's gracious eye, as Peter at the critical moment was given to see it, was watching the result with unwearying care, and guiding all to the predicted issue. The knowledge of ourselves – the needful exercise as to good and evil-He cannot ask that we shall be spared; but the end is sure, and we are invited to realize the strength and tenderness upon which we may lean at all times without a shadow of fear.

The maintenance of communion is that which our Advocate continually is occupied with. For this the knowledge of ourselves is a necessity. Whether this shall be acquired as Simon Peter acquired it, it depends upon ourselves to say. I suppose we have all of us had to learn a good deal by such painful experiences ; but there is surely a better way. Peter, we may remember, had resisted, if but for a moment, that washing of his feet, for him and for us all so needful; and it is still the independency which under whatever fair appearance resists His way with us, that condemns us to such a painful discipline. The Lord is still and ever our one necessity. Wisdom is with Him and we must find it in Him; if it be in the way of the Cross, we need not wonder, though He Himself has borne all the burden there.

The Cross is indeed the fulness of all wisdom for us. It is the judgment of man; it is the manifestation and glory of God. If we accept it as the setting aside for us of self and all that self can glory in, we shall find that it has set aside at the same time all that would hinder safe and steady progress. Christ is then ours with all His fulness, to draw from for every need that can possibly arise. Take it as the apostle puts it, that "in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, and in Him we are complete "- filled up. Here is the one daily provision to carry with us, but for it the judgment of the Cross must be accepted in its entirety. Then in this Cross Christ is entirely for us,-all that God is as manifested here in Him.

This lesson is the lesson for all of us. The Advocate is with the Father, that our very failure may make for the learning of it, though it be in shame and bitter tears of repentance that we have to learn it. His advocacy is not to spare us what is needful for this, but that His end in us may be fully attained, and God glorified. Tenderest love there is in it, assuredly, and divine comfort,- tenderness, but no laxity; and no way of blessing for us except in complete surrender into His hands. We cannot but remember that they are hands that were pierced for us, and that for Him there was no way but that of the Cross. F. W. G.

(To be continued.)

"And upon His head were many crowns." (Rev. 19:12.)

CHAPTER VII. The Last Adam.

(Continued from page 194.)

As "Last Adam," the Lord is revealed as in connection with that "new creation" which God is perfecting for Himself out of the ruins of the old. Such a thought as this is not unrepresented in nature. The present world is thus built up out of the ruins of a previous one, which in all features of highest worth it surpasses ; according to that law of progress which we have seen written on its grades of life-development, and to which its life-history also, on the whole, conforms. But the new creation connected with the Last Adam arises out of a deeper collapse than any that preceded it,-thank God, to assume now a permanence which shall suffer no collapse again. With the first Adam, its head, the old creation fell. With the last Adam, the new creation abides in indefectible blessing.

While the title of "last Adam" is found only in the passage we have been considering, the epistle to the Romans (5:14) fully declares Him to be the Antitype of the first. His relation to the new creation is what Adam's was to the old. The results are in contrastive parallel:"as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive" (i Cor. 15:22). But here, because the new creation is brought out of the old, it is not enough to say, "shall live," but "shall be made alive."* *That the apostle is here speaking only of those " in Christ," and not, as generally believed, of all mankind, will be evident on due consideration. For the resurrection of the wicked is not an effect of Christ's redemption, but a "resurrection of judgment" simply (John 5:29); and throughout the chapter it is only of the resurrection of the saints-of those of whom Christ is first-fruits (ver. 20)-that he is speaking. The "all" on both sides (whether "in Adam," primarily, or "in Christ," eventually), are only the redeemed. It is from error as to this that some forms of restorationism have originated.* He who is to be the new Adam of a new creation brought out of the old must for this accomplish redemption

Thus it is as risen from the dead that the Lord breathes upon His disciples, and the antithesis to " in Adam" is "in Christ;" this being the official title with which His priestly sacrificial work connects itself. Eternal life for us is "in Christ:" that is, in the Last Adam, with His sacrificial work accomplished, and gone up as our Representative Head to God.

The first man was also in a very real way the representative of his race ; not, however, by any formal covenant for his posterity, of which Scripture has no trace; but by his being the divinely constituted head of it. His representative-character was grounded in what men call "natural law," and which is nothing but divine law. This is asserted in the plainest possible way in Scripture. "Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean ? " expresses the law. "What is man that he should be clean ? or he that is born of a woman that he should be righteous?" "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." And the Lord affirms the principle in the most emphatic way :"That which is born of the flesh is flesh." What men now call the principle of "heredity" is thus affirmed by Him, and it is the whole scriptural account of the matter.

Sin came in through Adam. The nature of man was corrupted; by the disobedience of one the many were made sinners; and death introducing to judgment was the stamp of God upon the fallen condition. So, as the apostle says, "in Adam all die." "In Adam" thus speaks of representation, as the apostle argues as to Levi and Abraham (Heb. 7:9, 10):"And, as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, paid tithes in Abraham; for he was yet in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him." Similarly we were in the loins of Adam when he fell and sentence of death was passed upon him. Thank God, we have heard the voice of Another,- Head and Representative too of His race, which says,'' Because I live, ye shall live also " (John 14:19).

The last Adam is the head of a new race. And so, "if any man be in Christ"-set over against "in Adam " in the verse already looked at-"he is a new creature " (or "it is new creation" 2 Cor. 5:17). To be " in Christ " is to belong to the new creation and the new Head. The last Adam becomes Head of the race after His work of obedience is accomplished ; and that wondrous " obedience unto death " becomes the heritage of the new race. The connection of the Head and race is necessarily by life and nature. A corrupt nature was transmitted from the fallen head. A divine life and nature, free from and incapable of taint, is ours in the new Head, Christ Jesus. Death and judgment lay hold upon the fallen creature :righteousness belongs to the possessor of eternal life.

The life and the place go together, and are never disjoined. "He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; and he that believeth not on the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3:36). Eternal life or the wrath of God :these are the alternatives. Solemn and wonderful alternatives they are ! F. W. G.

( To be continued.)

"And upon His head were many crowns." (Rev. 19:12.)

(Continued from page 95.)

CHAPTER VI. The '' Second Man."

If the title of the Lord as Son of man shows the continuity of humanity in Him with humanity as found in men in general,-body, soul, and spirit truly human,-there is all the more need for us to realize on the other side the uniqueness of this humanity in Him,- the wondrous new step that humanity has gained in the Person of the "Man, Christ Jesus."

We may say, and rightly say, that if we know Him as the "Word made flesh," we know Him necessarily as the Unique Man, peerless and apart from every other. That is true, indeed, but it is not all the truth. We could not in fact, if this were all the truth, speak of humanity having gained a step in Him. He would be simply alone in this:in this sense He could have no "brethren;" the deity raying through His manhood could not be partaken of, as is plain:in this respect He must be ever alone.

But Scripture does not leave us to such a conclusion. It joins together two titles that are His as man, and as a unique man, in such a way as to assure us of our gain in this very uniqueness;-of our manhood being by divine grace raised to a new plane in Him, so as to make Him in a peculiar sense "Firstborn among many brethren " (Rom. 8:29). These two titles are "the Second Man," and the "Last Adam,"-the antitypical parallel, (and so necessarily contrast) with the "first man Adam " (i Cor. 15:45, 47). As the first man was head of a race, and not to remain alone, but to be in fact a "first-born among many brethren," so is it also with the " Second Man." He is to be such, Head of a race, a race of men, but a new race; and it is said as to Him "the Last Adam," because there is no other Adam to succeed Him, as with the first man. In Him God's thought as to man is completely fulfilled, and His heart completely satisfied.

But it is not of the Last Adam that we are now to think, but of the Second Man as such:"Second," as a new order of man, in contrast (as is here seen) with the First:"the first man is of earth earthy; the Second Man is of heaven." Corresponding to this, " the first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit." These differences will be found to be in relation to one another:"as is the earthy such are they also that are earthy, and as is the Heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly; and, as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the Heavenly."

It is the failure of the first man which has made way for the Second; but the Second it is who alone develops God's thought from the beginning, and justifies fully His delights in the sons of men. It is not with the failed first man merely that the Second is put in contrast, but with the first also, as here, apart from any failure. The earthy typifies the heavenly; but in every type the contrast is as plain as the resemblance.

Man is a microcosm, the world in little, in which is embodied all that went before him, which in him is raised also to its full natural perfection. He is the crown and epitome of it all. And nature rises up to him in successive steps of progress, each retaining what has gone before, while it transcends it. In the whole series God's principle of advance is made so plain, that, while we cannot predict, at any point at which we stop, just what may be (or whether anything may be) beyond it, yet we are prepared to estimate it when it comes, and trace the unity of the divine handiwork, and see how the end has been before Him from the beginning, and how one blessed purpose runs through all. It may not be in vain for us, even with such a theme as we have now before us, to look back to the beginning, before man himself was upon the earth, and learn from nature itself what it may teach us of the supernatural, and how the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has ruled throughout the ages.

Scripture testifies to a gradual development of creation up to man; whether we see in it the immense periods which science claims for such development, or just six literal days, or whether, perhaps, we may be permitted to believe that both views have a measure of truth in them, and one need not exclude the other. Any way, a development there is,-from inorganic to organic, through the plant and animal up to man. So plain is this that Moses has been claimed as an evolutionist on this account. Progress he certainly believes in; and if we look at it with sufficient care, a very orderly progress we shall find it; and its four divisions of nature can better justify themselves than the three which people commonly believe in, by which man is sunk into the animal merely, and that which distinguishes him as man is ignored and set aside.

"Divisions" we may call them, because Scripture clearly distinguishes them as lifeless, living, the animal with life and soul, man with life, soul and spirit. Each of these takes up into itself what has gone before it, and adds its own distinctive element of being, which in the case of the animal and man are distinctly asserted to be a new "creation." It will repay us to look more distinctly at them.

The lifeless or inorganic lies at the bottom of the whole, and need not detain us. In the crystal it seems to prophesy the organization which it never attains:for there is a bound here which cannot be passed. No life except from life is the well-ascertained conclusion of science itself.

The plant takes up the lifeless into itself, and by some process peculiar to the living thing transforms it into the living. Out of this it builds up its tissues, a multitude of small cells combining in the most marvelous way to construct a most complicated structure; each filling its place and taking its part, with a division of labor and unity of interest such as have never been excelled anywhere else. Here is an instinct before instinct, a wisdom below consciousness, and which cannot belong to these particles of living matter, or in some ways the higher life that follows it must be a degeneration from it. The life that has come in is something one cannot define- cannot separate by any chemical or other test from the matter which it permeates and controls in so marvelous a way. The invisible and intangible assumes here at the start a kind of royal state, yet in service:not separating itself from what is lower than itself, but lifting it up and transforming it. And this is the progress Scripture shows us to be constantly in nature. It is not evolution:the lower does not lift itself to higher condition; the higher element is not developed from the lower, but stoops to it and raises it. Thus already the principle begins to be revealed, which will carry us on to quite other scenes before its full power is declared.

From the vegetable we pass on to the animal-to the living soul.* *A term which the Revised Version, following the older one, disguises as "living creature," "life,"-to the great detriment of the sense.* This is defined, in Gen. 1:30, as "everything wherein there is a living soul. " That this "soul" is not the same as life is shown by the very term "living" which is connected with it. But the connection shows also that a principle of life is in it:a life which is now on a higher plane than before. As in the plant life and matter are found inseparably, so in the animal it is with soul and life. The "soul" (nephesh, psuche) is indeed the life of the animal,-is the word vised for it, though it means much more than this, and although there is a distinct word for life also (chai, zoe]. But the soul is the seat of the emotions, instincts, and appetites of the body -the whole sensitive nature; and while in the animal the functions of nutrition and reproduction are styled by physiologists "vegetative functions," the distinctly animal ones are those of sensation and voluntary motion. The "living soul that moveth" indicates both these.

We see, therefore, how by the connection of the soul with it, life is lifted in the animal to a higher plane; while soul is not just this higher life itself, but a new element of being, as expressly indicated by the term "created,"-"God created every living soul."

In man, once more we have a distinct addition, that of spirit; and by this it is, clearly, that he is created in the image of God. For God is Spirit, and the Father of spirits (Heb. 12:9). The son is therefore in the Father's image; and in the human spirit, the mental and moral faculties are added to the instinctive and emotional ones. But then by this union the gain of the soul over that of the animal merely is easily to be seen. The law we have traced thus far manifests itself again; the soul in its turn acquires an inseparable union with spirit, by which it shares in the light of self-consciousness in which the spirit moves, and becomes partaker also in its immortality. The beast perishes, but not the soul of man, which they that kill the body cannot touch.* *The subject is too large to enter into further here. It may be found more fully considered in "Creation in Genesis and Geology," pp. 25-35; "Spiritual Law in the Natural World," chaps. 7:and viii; "Facts and Theories as to a Future State," chaps. iv-7:*

Thus the spiritual law manifests itself at each step of progress in creation up to man. It is by the abasement of the higher to the lower that all progress is accomplished; and here redemption is not dimly shadowed in creation. Christ comes in at the next step; and in the Second Man the abasement of the Higher to the lower finds its complete exemplification in the inseparable union of the divine and human. The Eternal Life is linked with humanity, and the . Second Man becomes the First-born among many brethren, the Last Adam-Head of a new race of men.

Contrast there must be, therefore, between humanity as found in the first man and in Christ the Second; and this, apart from question of the fall. The first man was, from the beginning, "of the earth, earthy; the Second Man is of heaven." He is born as we are new-born, by the direct interposition of the Spirit of God. Not like Adam, simply "made upright," He is at His birth "that holy Thing," who "shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35). His nature as Man is the "divine nature"; and there is not with Him, as there is in us, though born of God, any contradiction to it. In other respects He does not at first show His dignity:for sin has come in, and there is a work to be done by Him in view of it, which can only be clone in humiliation. He comes therefore, not in sinful flesh, (that were wholly impossible and abhorrent to Him), but "in the likeness of sinful flesh " (Rom. 8:3). His circumstances are those of other men,-intensified when He comes forth to take up His special work. His spotless righteousness interposes no external guard against surrounding evil in a world to which sin has given the character it has. He is specifically in it the "Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." Infliction from God, of course, there could not be, but only the testimony of fullest delight on His part in His Holy One; until He entered that one awful shadow which at the end of His course here fell upon Him as He came at last to the dread place, our place, in which alone He could lay hold upon us, and bring us out with Himself into the light of God.
F. W. G.

(To be Continued.)

Ques. 4.-What is the difference between Isa. 28:16, and 1 Cor. 3:10?

Ans.-Both speak of the foundation, and Christ alone is that foundation. The connection however is different. In Isaiah the scene is dispensational the nation had made a covenant, through the Antichrist, with the powers of evil, in order to escape the "overflowing scourge" (doubtless the northern foe of the last days). In blessed and holy contrast to this "refuge of lies," God presents the true foundation-the tried, precious corner stone; and the believer shall not haste away, or be confounded (1 Pet. 2:6. In Corinthians it is a question of God's house on earth at the present time; the foundation is the same, but the emphasis now is upon the superstructure. " Let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon." Whether in ministry or in private life the same principle holds good. Salvation rests upon Christ alone-but careful works should follow it.

Ques. 5.-Does not the expression "Let us keep the feast" in connection with the statement that Christ our passover is sacrificed for us show that grace and holiness cannot be separated, that grace does not modify the holiness which is to mark our whole life?

Ans.-The answer lies in the question asked. Surely none who know grace can doubt that it is inseparably linked with holiness. The passover preceded the feast of unleavened bread which was to continue "seven clays," figure of that lifelong holiness of walk which is to mark those who have been sheltered by the blood of the Lamb.

Ques. 6.-"Israel hath sinned." Does not this mean that Israel as a nation was sanctified, therefore that any allowance of sin among them defiled the whole nation?

Ans.-Yes. Though we judge also that Achan represented a state that existed in very many. Their defeat at Ai would seem to indicate a careless state of soul. Just so, the puffed-up state of the Corinthians indicated the working of leaven beyond the actual sin that had come to the surface. (1 Cor. v). Indifference to evil is always one of the saddest states the people of God can fall into. It opens the door to the enemy even more effectually than some gross act of immorality. These principles are the same whether in the history of Israel or the Church.

Ques. 7.-Please explain 1 Cor. 7:14. "The unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife." It has been urged that this shows the healing power of grace, and that in this dispensation we are not to act in the same rigid way, laid down in the Old Testament, as to fellowship.

Ans.-While grace reigns, it is through righteousness, both as a basis and a guide. The Scripture teaches the sanctity of the marriage tie, not God's acceptance of the unbelieving husband, but His recognition of the tie, its legality before man. etc; and in some sense perhaps the recognition of the privileges into which the husband has been introduced – outward blessings. This is certainly the case with the "holy children" in the same verse.

But surely no one would think of applying this verse to the allowance of evil association. Scripture is so clear, to say nothing of the instincts of the renewed soul, that none can think of mingling together those who are not partakers of a common life and walking together in the common path of holiness.

Ques. 8.-In what sense did Christ bear the sins of the world. (2 Cor. 5:19.) Some think He took the sins of the whole world and put them away finally, so that men will be judged for nothing but their unbelief.

Ans.-It is a great mistake to limit judgment to unbelief. Scripture is unmistakable in this. Every idle word must be accounted for. (Matt. 12:36.) Men are judged " according to their works. (Rev. 20:11-15.) See also John 5:28, 29; Acts 17:31 ; Rom. 2:1-12. Unbelief is but the crowning sin, a refusal to accept the remedy provided by God-the work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Further, all the passages which speak of Christ's work for the world (1 John 2:2 ; 1 John 4:14; John 1:29,) simply show the freeness of the work of Christ. It is available for all, if they will receive it. Provision has been made and the invitation is given, but if the offer of grace is rejected men are yet in their sins.

(Notes of a Lecture by F. W. G., Plainfield, July, 1897.)

These are the "thoughts" beloved brethren, about which we have been singing (Hymn 330):not small thoughts, and we need divine power to lift us up to them and fill us with them. My intention to night is not an exposition, but rather to take some main points of this epistle, as giving us from a Pisgah height if you like, to look at our inheritance. A mountain upon earth would do to survey Israel's inheritance of old, but no mountain that the earth holds will do for ours. We must be lifted up to heaven, in order to see the range of that. That of course is what we find in Ephesians. It is as we all know, the epistle of the heavenly places. We find in it, therefore, the widest range of outlook that can possibly be. Compared with the other epistles, I may say it exceeds on every side. If you look backward, you find God's purpose from the very beginning; that there are purposes which God had towards us before the world was, before its foundations even. Then again, if you look forward what do we see all the way through, as the last verse of this chapter shows us, but divine " glory in the Church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end ! " Think of that glory by Christ Jesus in the Church throughout all ages,-a wonderful thing that. The Church is that in which the glory of God is to be realized in a supereminent way for ever.

Now let us look at what is contained in this,-taking up the main points, and trying to put them together, that they may dwell in company in our minds ; and may God indeed enlarge our hearts to entertain and enjoy them aright. It is the apostle's own prayer here for us, that we might be " strengthened with might by His spirit in the inner man :" for what ? for some wonderful thing, for
some ability to do some wonderful deed ? No, but to take in what God has for us. And beloved, it is perfectly evident that we need power like that,-that, alas, the constant tendency of our souls is either to drop out of God's thoughts, or to impoverish them, so as to make them defective in power and unworthy of Him. What is a common thought among Christians, but that a man's whole necessity is to be saved and go to heaven ? If he gets in at the door, it will be enough ; and his whole life must be spent in the effort; in which, after all, he may possibly fail. As to the angels, why they are far above him, "the angels that excel in strength:" nothing but pride of heart could ever make him think of angels, except as immensely superior to him. It is quite natural for us to look up to them in that way, and as we see in Revelation, and in Romish teachings, even to worship them. But if they are naturally superior to us, all the more has God displayed His grace in taking up such as we are; and that is an immense point. Our weakness, our nothingness, our very sinfulness, these things are not objections to God's wonderful thoughts towards us, but, on the contrary, what we need to take in, in order to appreciate truly the greatness of His grace. We fail to realize God's thoughts at all, unless we take in the poor, insignificant and evil creatures we naturally are. It is in a fallen world that God has shown out, all the resources of His own grace, and th^ excellence of His own wisdom, It is a fallen world in which Christ came as man ; and it is manhood He has taken up; it is the " man Christ Jesus," who is at the right hand of God.

Will you notice here that it is a first necessity that this should be believed, to apprehend the " length and breadth and depth and height ?" The first necessity is that " Christ should dwell in our hearts by faith," that He may dwell there, not that we should catch sight of Him now and then, to lose Him again quickly. We must get Him steadily before us, or we shall never be able to comprehend this that he speaks of. We must be able to keep Him steadily before us, because He is the center of all God's thoughts, and all things were created by Him and for Him.

What does that mean? That means assuredly that God created all things in order that in them there might be displayed the glory of what He is; that He might show forth Himself in His blessed nature; for that is what Christ is, the One in whom He is known; the One in whom alone He is fully displayed or can be.

Now, if we fix our eyes on Christ, at once that brings us into the very center of the scene of glory; the very center of all God's thoughts and purposes. Christ-the Son of God become man-is the divine heart opened fully to us ; in the Cross love and righteousness are displayed in a way that nothing can ever exceed or come up to again. God is manifested–is told out perfectly,- to bind for ever the hearts of His creatures to Him, to bow them in adoration before Him evermore.

But for this we too must come in. We may reverently say that for this we are necessary" to Him. Our part in Him and with Him is part of this display. Otherwise the very glory of the Cross would pale:it would be, if fruitless to bring many sons to glory, shorn of its meaning altogether. For "we" are "made the righteousness of God in Him," and in us are exhibited the "exceeding riches of His grace, in His kindness towards us, through Christ Jesus."

How marvelous a thing that we should have such a place as this in the purposes of God ! If he had not revealed it, who could have imagined it? Yet, being revealed, how sweet and suitable–how worthy of Him it is! How it fixes our hearts upon Him, and in the contemplation of our part with Him in glory, how they are drawn out to Himself! The world, what a little thing it is, and how this faith in Him overcomes it, lifts us above it! Our portion is in heaven, with Him who is the glory of heaven itself:how shall we debase ourselves by taking up with earth as if it were our home! still more, by following the aims and objects of those upon whom the light of this glory has not dawned!

Now to look at what is before us in the epistle. The first thing the apostle speaks of is God's, purpose as to us as individuals. That which is individual comes before that which is collective and corporate :for the spouse of Isaac must be already "of the kindred." Thus the first thing presented to us in Ephesians is relationship to the Father. We shall find as we go on, relationship with the Son and with the Spirit, and these are implied also in that with the Father; but corporate relationship is another thing. The Church as the body of Christ is related to Christ as man, and as the house of God is indwelt of the Spirit. Father, Son and Spirit are all engaged with us in the activity of divine love, as we well know; and the most intimate relationships in nature which God has instituted (surely that they may be to us the shadow of those higher and more wondrous things) He has taken up to convey to us what we are to the love which has sought and laid hold upon us:father and son, husband and wife, head and body,-these thing speak of relationships the nearest and most inseparable. May we enter into them more in the tender affection and intimacy which they express!

First, we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, which, in contrast with Israel's portion, declares the sphere and manner of our blessings.

Then, as constantly in Ephesians, we are made to realize the absoluteness of the grace by which we have been " chosen in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love," which is His nature. Morally, we must answer to what God Himself is, in order to enjoy His presence.

But then we come to what is simply "the good pleasure of His will," by which He has predestinated us to the position of sons through Jesus Christ. It would not satisfy Him to have us as servants, though servants we shall be of course, for ever:for love is the spirit of service, and service, therefore, the joy of love. In the whole range of the counsels of God, Christ is the Servant of His will, and as such the Spirit of God delights to present Him. The "body prepared'' Him marks Him out as this, and the human " life " which Pie lays down He takes up again, different as the condition may be, that He may serve in it forever. ''Therefore doth My Father love Me," He says, "because I lay down My life, that I may take it again.'' That is the voice of the Hebrew Servant:"I love my Master, I love my wife, I love my children:I will not go out free." The Son of God is the " Servant forever "-

" Serving in the joy of love,"-

the spirit of sonship in its display, as He has shown it to us:"But that the world may know that I love the Father, even as the Father has given Me commandment, even so I do."

Will He ever give that up ? No :He will serve in the joy and glory above, as He served in His sorrow on earth. When He meets His own with the glad welcome of eternity, He "will gird Himself and make them sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them." And when He will, as the "Father of eternity,"-the Bringer in of that which shall abide as fitted to abide, of divine order and supremacy into what will then find permanence in the rest of God,-then it is written, "the Son also shall Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him," and the ministry of love will still go on, because the love of which it is the expression will go on.

So, therefore, shall we also serve. We could not lack this likeness to the Servant-Son, we who are to be conformed to His image, sons too and servants,-associates, "fellows," intimates with Him who is "not ashamed to call " us "brethren."

To this we shall have shortly to return, But in the "Kingdom of the Father" the subjects are of course sons. Here it is said "through Jesus Christ," and thus "to the praise of the glory of His grace, in which He has accepted us"-or taken us into favor-"in the Beloved." Here is the relationship in its full sweetness:sons in the Beloved Son, first-born sons in Him who is the Firstborn. So the Church is called in Hebrews "the assembly of the first-born ones" (12:23) "who are written in heaven,"-because Israel are the first-born upon earth. "Accepted in the Beloved"-it is not said "in Christ" exactly, but in all that Christ is for the heart of God.

Now we are told of the inheritance:for " if children, then" we are "heirs; heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ." The Son of God is the great " Heir of all things," and here we are made to realize that. It is "the mystery of God's will, according to His good pleasure which He has purposed in Himself that in the dispensation of the fullness of times He would head up "-as the expression really is-" all things in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth," and then it is immediately added :" in Him in whom we also have obtained an inheritance." How wonderful to be thus " joint-heirs with Christ!"
The apostle prays directly after, that we may know the "riches of God's inheritance in the saints"-a beautiful declaration of a truth of which we may find an illustrative parallel in the case of Israel and by which their land, spite of all their failure, abides for them to-day. " The land shall not be sold forever," says Jehovah to their, "for the land is Mine:" Israel might forfeit it, and as far as they could, they have done so, but the true Owner can never lose His title, nor lose the power to make His title good.

The land abides, then, His own; and being His own, He can do with it as it pleases Him. If He put Israel into it, who shall refuse His right to do so? And this is plainly declared to be the tenure of their possession. "The land is Mine," says God; "for ye are strangers and sojourners with Me." He gives them no independent right; He entertains them there as guests of His bounty merely; but thus they can never lose this right; of grace, and of grace alone, He can take them up again, as He will do, upon the same terms.

We are not strangers and sojourners indeed:we are sons and heirs. But the inheritance is God's and His title can never pass away. It is all His, even while as sons He puts us in possession. How blessed to know it is so !

Our abodes are in the Father's house; our meat is at His table; in the farthest regions of His everlasting Kingdom distance from Him shall never more be known. Distance would be as death, and there can be no death, -nothing but eternal life and incorruption. Then indeed we shall know what it is to " live and move and have our being in Him," and, eternally dependent, be filled and energized with His eternal might.

Of this the indwelling Spirit is the pledge and earnest. What more simple than that the Spirit of sonship is as such the pledge of the inheritance ? And here already we know-rather, would that we did know-the blessedness of divine power that has laid hold upon us. Indwelt of the Holy Spirit! we easily speak of it; we are familiar-in some sense, too familiar, with an amazing thought, which if we entered into it aright, would fill us with awe and adoration. Our very bodies are indwelt by divinity and held for Christ by the same power that in the beginning brooded upon the face of the waters and produced and nurtured the numberless forms of created life. For us, too, it works even in a higher activity, for more wonderful results and fruit that shall transcend all the glory of that first creation. May we yield ourselves up to Him with absolute and delighted surrender for all His blessed ends to be fulfilled in us !

But we must pass on to another thing-closely connected, indeed, with what we have been considering. For if we are sons of God and heirs of such an inheritance there is surely need of preparation for this. If we are to be companions of Christ, we must be conformed to His likeness. And now we are shown how God has provided for this, by the forth putting of power in answer to the glorious work which Christ accomplished for His people. This the apostle prays that we may know-" what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the mighty working which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might, and every name that is named." There He is set as "Head over all things to the Church which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all."
How we are still reminded, when looking at Him in the height to which He is ascended, of our relation to Him !

The body is complement to the Head, who is yet " Head over all things." The Church is the " fullness " of Him who yet "filleth all in all." We are almost alarmed at ourselves when we utter thoughts like these; and yet they are but the repetition of what is uttered here. Let us remember, while we wonder, that all the universe is to wonder at it too. It is the glory of His grace. That we wonder is no wonder.

This power wrought in us when " God for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, " quickened us together with Christ, and raised us up together, and seated us together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Here is a new condition for us, answering to a new place. "Quickened" is condition; "raised" and "seated" are position. "Quickened with Christ" we are partakers of His life, His nature,-a life which is for us the result of His death, and thus carries with it the virtues of that death:" He hath quickened us together with Him, having forgiven us all trespasses."

In resurrection the man made alive out of death leaves the company of the dead. Here the "with Christ" ceases; but "in Christ," we are where He is, "seated together in heavenly places." He has gone in, our Representative and Forerunner, and we are before God identified with Him-" as He is." There, within the veil, our hope is anchored.

This gives us to be here even now as men who belong to heaven, following that track of light which He has left upon the road He traveled through the darkness of this world. No shadow of death indeed-death as He knew it-darkens that glorious path; but it is through the same world, and in proportion as we grow into His likeness, we realize it in its opposition to God and to us, as He did. We have our " senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Yes, we are to be His companions-His associates; and the discipline, the sorrow, the knowledge of sin and evil, as in a fallen world we learn it, are a necessity for those who are to be with Him thus. Had we not this knowledge, how much should we lack of what He would find in us ! And all the conflict, all the sorrow, is it not worth while, that we should be the better fitted to enjoy that place, and answer to His mind who has chosen us to be with Himself in that amazing place as having part with Him ?

But we must still go on ; for there is much still before us; and at best we can only hope for a few distinct thoughts and some linking together, of glories that cluster around us as we consider the place we have with the glorious First-born among many brethren. The connection of sons with heirship we can understand, and the link of a common nature-of common experiences-with fitness for intimate companionship with Christ above:" If children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ:if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together."

We have to go on further now, as led by the apostle here; for we are, with all this members also, of His body. The Church is the body of Christ:it is that now. Is it a mere time relationship to the blessed Head we have in it ? No, surely that cannot be. Relationship to Him so near, so intimate, and given us by divine grace, must surely be eternal. As He says of our abode with Him in heaven, "If it were not so, He would have told us." He has, in fact, told us quite differently, as we shall see in a little time.
What is the thought as to the Body of Christ ? It is a figure, of course, but what does the figure mean? Taken as it is from nature, we go to nature to learn the significance of it. In Corinthians we have it dwelt upon at some length, and the natural analogy is developed for us. A human body is an organism. It is the union of parts that are different from one another, and yet planned and joined together for a common end. Were the parts not different, they would not serve the common purpose. The organs are different; their functions are different; the purpose is but one. There is individuality in each part; each does a work which no other part can do; but none is able to subsist alone :each is dependent upon the rest, each lives for the rest, and not for itself merely; to seek its own would mean prostration and death. The whole is served by the individual; and the individual also is served by the whole.

Such is the body of Christ also; in which the members are linked to one another, so that "if one member suffer, all the members suffer with it," and we are linked together by our differences and our needs. Our insufficiency as individuals is met by the ministry of others to us, to whose deficiencies we in turn may be used to minister. We are members of one another. We are meant "in love" to "serve one another."

All are under the Head, the glorious Head, and to serve the purposes of the Head, with whom we are united by the living Spirit:" he that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit." And notice in this connection that the Church is never spoken of as being in heaven. It is a heavenly thing, but not yet in heaven. Although so many of the members of it have passed away from earth, that there are far more in heaven than on earth now, yet the Body of Christ is uniformly spoken of as on earth and not in heaven. Only when the Lord takes us away together will the Church at last be there where she belongs.

For the body is the instrument of the Spirit, and the link, in our present condition, with earth no less. And we are thus the instruments and representatives of our Lord on earth,-expressly here to represent Him on it, as He was here to represent the Father. So He Himself declares. Earth is for us the sphere of service, and the Church the instrument for the representation of the Lord on earth in the meantime of His absence. Thus we can understand why the Body of Christ is seen as on the earth alone.

How blessed is such a thought and yet how solemn ! How it brings home to us the thought presented in the third chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians, where we have a different statement from that of the twelfth, our bodies being said to be the members of Christ. Are we to take that in connection with the other thought ? I verily believe so. It is just a carrying out as it were of the other, speaking in such terms as it would seem impossible to mistake. What does it mean-our bodies as members of Christ ?-our hands and feet. First, we belong to Him, He claims us as His representatives, the exponents of His will, to be in the activity of His love down here, the expression of it in the time of His absence. Look a little further and you will see in the sixth chapter something that will help us also:" Habitation of God through the Spirit," as we are, our bodies are here said to be temples of the Holy Ghost. God will have the body. He says I am aiming at the body-the lowest part of what man is," though he that is joined to the Lord is "-not one body, but-" one spirit." Yet God most emphatically claims the body. It is plain it is through the body we are linked to this scene. Losing the body, we are out of this scene. The body links us with the place of service. The body is the missionary of the mind. It is that by which the will of the mind is shown-the servant of that will. What about the body of Christ then ? When Christ claims these members of ours as His members, when he claims the body as His temple, He claims us in our very lowest part, but in that which connects us with this scene, a scene of misery, but in which is the display of His grace, and in which the activities of His grace are going on. The living expression of the activity of His grace, of His mind upon earth that is part of what the body of Christ means. We are to be hands and feet for our absent Lord.

Is that to be only just for the present time ? When the Body is grown, as Scripture expresses it, " into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ," is the purpose then fully served ? Is the service implied at an end forever, just when the Body has reached perfection ? And in heaven is there to be nothing any more but rest ? -at least cessation from the activities of which the body is the expression ? Surely not. Have we not seen already that we are to be forever the associates of Christ, forever His fellows ? Have we not seen that His service is never to cease,-His activity never to be at an end ? How blessed to realize that the Body of Christ, up in heaven, will be the fullest and most intimate expression in the creature, of the Lord's own activity, fitted for the accomplishment of His own thoughts and purposes, the members to do His will! trained as I have said already and disciplined and grown up together into maturity,- the Body and Head making "one man" complete. Surely that is not a temporary purpose which is served, but an eternal one; it is not to vanish at the moment of its completion. The body of Christ is not to be laid aside any more than our body is; the body is never to be laid aside; and Christ's "body prepared Him" still implies service, in heaven as on earth. Is it not the same with this other which He has molded and fashioned for Himself, to be the instrument of His own will ? And this connects with our first thought:those are above all to carry out His purposes of love and grace and goodness who are " fellows " of the Servant-Son.

But we are not only members of His body, the Church is viewed also as the house of God. And, as in the Body we are in relationship to Christ, so as the house we are in relationship to the Spirit. It is " the habitation of God in the Spirit." Those in whom the Spirit dwells are the temple even now of God, as we are told in Corinthians. And in this epistle we are told that the Church is "growing into a holy temple in the Lord." What is the temple for? for God's worship and praise, and the display of Himself that man may adore Him in it! What is God going to do in us? is it not to display the exceeding riches of His grace? In the prayer with which we began, you find, I think, some of the effects of this. There it is stated that "from the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, every family"-so it should be translated- " every family in heaven and earth is named." That would take in the angels and all. Angels are sons of God, as we know, but not by redemption. Christ " taketh not hold of angels, but of the seed of Abraham He taketh hold. Yet here from the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, " every family in heaven and earth is named." Can we not understand this? Surely if already by creation angels are sons of God, yet the new character of God displayed in redemption must affect this relationship. The Father is known in how much nearer and tenderer way when all that He has done for men is realized. They can say, "This is our Father too;" and the arms that are stretched out to encircle others will be felt as encircling themselves also.

Thus we can understand the expression. And if God be known better in the grace of redemption, we are told here distinctly also, that " to the principalities and powers in heavenly places is known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God." And again, at the end of the prayer before us the apostle ascribes "unto Him glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages :"-literally, " through all generations of the age of ages." What is this but to declare the Church eternally the temple of God ?

This ought to be plain, and it shows how God has purposes in the Church that reach out far beyond the Church itself. We can see the place it has in that eternal display of the glory of God which is the happiness to the full of all His creatures. It makes it simpler to realize the grace that lays hold of such as we are, while it cannot possibly make less glorious the grace itself, which thus contemplates the multitudinous hosts of God's glorious universe. We can say

" Jesus, He passed the angels by "

all the more for knowing that in another sense He did not pass them by at all, but that they will own forever adoringly how they have been enriched by that which is the salvation of others, and not their own.

But we have not even here reached the end. If the Body is to be an expression of the living activity of the blessed Head, there is yet something left out by this as expressing, as He desires, what we are to Him personally -to His heart. But He could not leave this out; He has expressed it, and in the tenderest way that the human ties which He has created can give it expression. The Church is not only the Body of Christ but His Bride :that relationship which speaks of what, in the creative design of God, speaks of unique affection and personal consecration. One man for one woman, one woman for one man, was (as seen in Adam and Eve) the primeval law of marriage. And at the very beginning of the earth's history the first man and woman typified, as Scripture assures us, the mystery of Christ and the Church. Yea, " Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water, by the Word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing." Thus will it be and thus abide for Him. And the human tie here as elsewhere must only be too feeble to express all that is meant by this. If there is a title that speaks music and gladness, it is that of the Bride. On earth the music dies and the freshness fades. In heaven all is undefiled and incorruptible and unfading. The Bride of Revelation seen at the commencement of the thousand years, had just put on her pure white robes; but at the end of them she is still " as a bride adorned for her husband." And the heart of her Husband will be well satisfied with her. The " eyes that are as a flame of fire" will search her through and through only with delight. " Behold," He will say, "thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee."

At last, at last! " He will see of the travail of His soul, He will be satisfied." How well may we be, as we look on to this!

If such, then, is our Pisgah outlook as Ephesians gives it to us, well may we look and look, until the prospect possess our souls. This is what the apostle prays for us in effect, in the passage which we have taken for our text:" that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that, being rooted and grounded in love, ye may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled with all the fullness of God."

Notice here how thoroughly he would have us survey the wondrous prospect. " Breadth and length and depth and height"-he would have us comprehend all. Nor will he allow a single one to be excluded as if incompetent. His prayer is " that we may be able to comprehend with all saints." Alas, all saints have not much comprehension, have they ? but God says to all His people, do not hide yourselves from these things; do not refuse to enter into the deep things of God; do not shut out the brightness of it from your hearts. Therefore "all saints," is God's thought, that is what He would have, that is what His book is before us for and open to us all, to fill our hearts with. We are to " comprehend with all saints," -"with all saints." How much we suffer because of that intolerable division (which is still among ourselves, however little openly,) into clergy and laity:a few people on the top to throw fragments of food to people round, who cannot draw near as they can, or get very much, except as they choose to dole it out to them. But God would have all His word for all His people; and none are excluded, save by their own neglect.

Let us look on to the fourth chapter and see how this is worked out there. Christ has gone up into the heights of glory, having been down into the depths, in the unutterable humiliation of the cross, and learned by personal experience every step of the way down there. Now, gone up as Man, He fills all things. So that you can find no place of which He has not in some way knowledge. Having gone up now, the Risen Man, as Head of the Church He has given gifts to men, according to the fullness of that so painfully acquired wisdom. " He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and- some pastors and teachers"-mark now, for what:" for the perfecting of the saints "-that is the first thing. The saints are looked at individually there, and they are to be perfected-not some particular class of saints, not the special gifts, but the saints as such-"for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." Would you not think that the order there would be reversed, and that it would say, "for the work of the ministry, for the perfecting of the saints ? " But no :it is to be read the other way. And that means that the whole of the saints are in their turn and measure to be ministers, if the body of Christ is to be edified aright.

Think of the apostle's words to the Hebrews:" when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again." To be taught once, was all right; but the very work of a teacher is to enable his scholars in due time to do without him, not to keep people all the time at school to them. Are they never to have learnt, so as to be out of school ? Alas, spiritually that seems seldom thought of,-still less, that every Christian school ought to be what is called a " normal school "-a school to turn out teachers. Yet every bit of truth we learn is in our responsibility to communicate to others according to opportunity.

Is it not the lack of the consciousness of this, that deprives us largely of the faculty of learning even? At least, with the consciousness of responsibility and desire to communicate, truth will be learnt more painstakingly, more fully. Every one understands that a teacher must be up in his subject. While on the other hand, there is nothing like the attempt to teach, to make us conscious of our own deficiencies. But this in the end is a most helpful thing, while the reflex influence of every hearty, honest endeavor to help another with the truth will make it more practical and helpful to ourselves also. " He that watereth shall be watered himself" is the divine rule which secures such blessing.

Do let us remember, then, that we are to seek to " comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height," and remember also that "Christ dwelling in the heart by faith "-the abiding consciousness of what He is-is the necessary basis of all such knowledge. See also what it leads on to :" that, being rooted and grounded in love"-God's nature-"we may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ that surpasseth knowledge, that we may be filled with all the fullness of God."

Blessed, wondrous knowledge indeed, and as he directly tells us, the power is working in us by which it may be gained. Not learning, not cleverness, not mental capacity, can be this to us. It is the Spirit of God who alone is competent. It is He who is with us to lead us into all truth; and not the special teachers merely, but with every member of the Body of Christ! If we do not exclude ourselves, then, from it, we cannot be excluded.

But if we forget what God has put thus within our reach, there is one who certainly never does forget it. And who is this ? why, the devil. Solemn it is to see that we cannot close this epistle of the heavenly places without finding that we have foes that would deprive us of it. We have thus to stand against the wiles of the devil, and to put on the whole armor of God to resist his attacks. What! let the people of God enter into their possessions ? Let them realize the riches that are theirs in Christ? That would mean to let them escape from the dominion of the things that pass and perish, to be molded by the thoughts of God, and be the expression of the mind of Christ in a world that is dying for the lack of Him. That means fullest blessing to themselves, blessing to souls around them, glory to Christ our Lord ! Therefore they shall not, if Satan can keep them out of it. And the book of Joshua is the typical expression of the conflict which must be waged, if we are in fact to possess ourselves of what is our own. May the Lord energize us for the inevitable struggle with foes that we can only conquer in the might of the Lord! To be holy we must be heavenly. To be victorious over the world, our faith must enter into the unseen things. The Lord accomplish this in us all, in accordance with His desires for us, and for the glory of His holy Name!

TRUTH THOUGH PRECIOUS AND FROM HEAVEN, THE OCCASION OF DISCORD AND BITTERNESS ON EARTH, AND WHY?
Truth must be precious, for it came from God. I The inspired Word says:"The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." The Lord said to Pilate:"For this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth My voice." He could say, "I am the Truth." He was the full expression of it. He is designated, "The faithful and true Witness." And the truth that came by Him, and shown forth in Him, was divinely intended for the blessing of poor fallen man. We are assured that God "will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." We are saved by coming to the knowledge of the truth. The Lord said:"Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." In praying to the Father for His own, He said:"Sanctify them through Thy truth; Thy word is truth." The apostle tells us that "the truth is in Jesus." Surely then as truth came from God, and by the Lord Jesus, it must be a most precious boon; and being intended for the blessing of man,-man deceived by Satan, who "abode not in the truth,"-it should be gladly received by all, and at any cost. No wonder, therefore, it should be said in Scripture, "Buy the truth, and sell it not,"-that is buy it at any cost, at any sacrifice, and at no price sell it; sacrifice anything sooner than sacrifice the truth. Millions of worlds, if offered, should be no inducement to reject or give up the truth, and indeed would be none to those who truly know it; and yet they are most glad to make it known, that others may enjoy what they enjoy.

And is it so that a thing so precious, and intended to bless, and so needful as truth in a scene where all is false, should be the occasion of trouble and bitterness? Alas! it is really so. It has been thus from the days of Cain and Abel down to the present. Hence we are not to expect any thing else. Yes, the truth, as it is in Jesus, may bring a storm on those who receive it; but never mind, my dear brother or sister, it is better to be saved in a storm than to be lost in a calm. And yet it is not always that simply receiving the truth brings the storm, but taking the path which the truth points out. In these days almost any truth may be made popular as long as you will go on with the great current of profession. You may hold the doctrines of grace, full atonement through the cross, salvation simply through Christ and on the principle of faith, also the heavenly calling, and the Lord's return, and the storm may not come; but take path of truth, the path suited to these doctrines of Christ, having your back turned on that from which you are delivered through the Cross, and your face firmly set toward that into which you are brought in Christ, and you will find that you cannot make the path popular; rather you will find the winds contrary, yea these contrary winds may amount to a hurricane, carrying all before it, all of earth you have held dear. Yet, surely it is better that it should be so, than that you should purchase a calm at the expense of truth, and by dishonoring Him who bore an infinitely greater storm for us on Calvary.

But the question comes up, Why is it that this precious gift of God is thus made the occasion of trouble and bitterness? Surely the fault cannot be with the truth itself, nor with the One from whom it came, and by whom it came. The truth brings no discord in heaven where all is pure and good. Why then is the effect so otherwise on earth? Certainly it must be something very unlike heaven, and contrary to God, which it has to meet, and which is the opposite of itself. It is very clear that the coming of Him by whom truth came, was divinely meant for blessing to all. When Jesus was born, the angel of the Lord said to the shepherds:"Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people," and the multitude of the heavenly host was with the angel, praising God, saying:" Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." This was what was in God's heart. His grace was toward all, and for the blessing of all. But though this was true, yet, alas, in view of the fact that, while some would bow to the truth and be saved, many would reject it, and be bitterly against those who received it,-the Lord had to present His coming, looking at the result, under a very different aspect. He said:"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household." And who is to blame for this unhappy result? Certainly not those who receive the truth in the love of it, and act accordingly. They do not turn bitter against the others, but pray for them, and long for their real good. The blame is clearly with those who reject the truth, and are bitter toward those who receive it, thus taking sides with him "who abode not in the truth." He is urging them on, and will, in due time, meet his doom; but those who put themselves in his power, cannot clear themselves by casting the blame on him. We are individually responsible to receive the truth, and thus be on God's side.

Of course, there are those who are slow in understanding anything, and therefore slow in seeing and receiving truth, and yet long to know the truth. It may require patience in dealing with such; but seeing they are honest and sincere, it is pleasant work to be helpful to them; and, as the result, they see and rejoice. But with others, when the truth is presented, opposition is their first thought. The will of the flesh is up at once, and thus the great enemy can use them to his advantage, and their own injury; and, under his influence, they become awfully bitter, and their spirit and words, alas! become almost, if not really, satanic. The enemy is acting through them. You may be telling out the most important truths, plainly taught in the word of God, even the way that a poor lost sinner is saved, that is through the Cross, clung to by faith, without the deeds of the law, and which an inspired apostle designates "righteousness without works;"-or you may speak of the standing of believers, as "complete in Christ" by being seen of God, as "dead with Christ" and "risen with Him," and seated "in heavenly places in Him," and of the behavior suited to such an exalted calling,-truths which Satan must especially hate, as they magnify the riches of God's grace, and consequently those who have put themselves in his power, find it hard to invent language sufficiently hateful to express their intense bitterness against such thoughts. Should a child of God thus yield to the flesh, and so take sides with "that wicked one," the loss thereby sustained will be shown up at the judgment-seat of Christ.

Beloved, if you are called to suffer for receiving the truth and acting on it, happy are ye. God knows all about it. Besides, your treatment gives you a good opportunity of showing another thing which came by Jesus Christ, namely, "grace." It is for you to show grace, though none may be shown to you. While we are to "walk in truth," we are to "walk in love." The Lord help us to cling to the truth, and to walk in the power of the love which brought the truth; and may those who have manifested such sorrowful hatred to the truth, give evident of repentance before their little day is over, and rest simply on the grace of God, and the merits of the Lord Jesus, and so pass to that scene of blessedness where all ascribe their salvation to God and the Lamb. Yes, happy if they can say, even at the last, from a full heart.

" Vile and full of sin, I am,-
Thou art full of truth and grace."
and
" In my hand no price I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling."
Then in Thy blest abode, from all this weakness free,
I, through the grace of God, shall ever with Thee be.

R. H.

Notes of an Address by C. C. at Lachute, 28th March, 1897.

(John 21:15-23.)

I believe that perhaps every where at the present time, there is a great deal of despondency and discouragement-a feeling that it is almost useless to seek to go on in the path of faith, with the things which God has intrusted to us. We can understand how this feeling has settled down so widely, so generally. There have been so many things following after one another, indicating such wide-spread failure, not looking at the whole people of God only, but at ourselves, and ourselves individually also, the Lord's dear people have been staggered. How much there has been to dishearten us !

We every where need a lifting up with respect to this. It is quite easy for us to think:"Well, we have made such sad work of it, we have disappointed the Lord so sadly, we cannot expect Him to trust us; we cannot expect Him to put confidence in us." And so we easily settle down with the feeling that it is useless to take up the things of the path of faith and care for them, and undertake to go on.

In the portion read we find what will raise us out of this despondency.

First. Let us look at this disciple of the Lord- something of his history, his failure. Let us see how the Lord feels for him and deals with him and, through him, with ourselves. We do not need to dwell on the failure and sin of Peter. We all know how through self-confidence he failed sadly. He was foremost in protestations of love and fealty to the Lord Jesus. Though all the others should fail the Lord, he was ready to go through fire and sword for His sake; but when the test came he denied the Lord with cursing. Failure had an effect on the state of Peter's soul, and so it has with us. The Lord looked on him at the moment of his very worst. It was a look that went right through Peter's heart, and he went out and wept bitterly. Restoration, however, beloved brethren, was another thing. Rest and composure in the presence of Christ is another thing. The work was begun, but not ended when the Lord looked upon him. Much had yet to be done before all was right in his soul. I want to press a point:we are too easily satisfied with repentance. We ought not, of course, to think lightly of it; we should seek it earnestly,-seek for genuine repentance in the soul; but I think we often stop short in dealing with one another, and thus souls are hindered.

Just look at Peter:we all agree the work of repentance was begun from the very moment of his going out and weeping bitterly. Look at him going to the tomb; look at him after personal contact with the Lord; what do we find ? We do not find him exactly following the Lord. In the beginning of this chapter it is he who proposes to the other disciples to go fishing; and it is because he is not yet fully restored, that he is ready to return to his fishing. There has been partial recovery, but not complete, and I believe we do feel the lesson is:Peter is not entirely at ease in the company of the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, the result of the fishing is, he toils all night, laboring hard and exhausting his strength, and in the morning, as he looks over the effort of the night, it has all come to nothing.

Beloved brethren, how like ourselves often ! How often we, finding uneasiness of soul, turn and spend our energies for naught, and in the end only find out all our energies are fruitless !
Peter is not at rest, and it is just here the Lord presents Himself to His disciples, and particularly to Peter, giving him a lesson he needed, and that every one of us needs also. What is it ? He is taught that the One he had sinned against in the saddest way, trusts him, puts confidence in him notwithstanding the grievousness of his sin. The Lord has such unbounded confidence in him He can put into his hand the most important interests of His heart. Think of the grace of the Lord intrusting into his hands His lambs and sheep ! How frequently we feel :"Well, we have forfeited the Lord's confidence; " and as our failures become known to others, we think the old times-the good old times of confidence in one another- are gone. We think our brethren will be thinking constantly of these things, and that they will be a barrier against their confidence, against their trusting us. As long as we fear our brethren cannot trust us, there cannot be perfect restoration. Beloved, how often we have found it so; we have said, " Our brethren do not trust us, and we do not expect it." But I believe the Lord wants us to have our failures and sins so absolutely gone, and forgiveness enjoyed in such a way, that we may have the assurance we can trust one another. It is this lack of confidence which produces these continual difficulties that have so spread among the Lord's people, and given us so much sorrow. I believe the Lord would not have it so. He wants us to learn that He trusts us, and then that we can trust one another.

Now look. The Lord speaks three times to Peter:

First:"Simon, son of Jonas, lovest them Me more than these ? " as if reminding him of his past protestation of affection and faithfulness.

"He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee."

We cannot question the reality of his love when he speaks thus, yet he had not got to the bottom of the matter. Yet in the face of this the Lord says," Feed My lambs." This is as much as to say, " Even if you have sinned worse than all, yet I'll trust you."

Still the Lord is not going to leave it there. He is going to reach the bottom, and so He says the-

Second time, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me?" No comparison now. He is probing more deeply by a question far more searching than the first, one that relates entirely to the Lord; his thoughts taken away entirely from others, and fixed upon Himself.

Peter answers as before:"Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee."

Well, says the Lord, I have sheep that I love, and put a high estimate upon, that are the objects of My tenderest solicitude and care; I trust you with them; "shepherd My sheep."

The effect the Lord would thus produce in Peter's soul is very precious to contemplate; but his manner of reply, "Yea, Lord," would seem to indicate yet some self-confidence, and so the-

Third time the Lord asks the question. This time He changes it somewhat. In His first two inquiries He uses a different word for "love" to that used by Peter; but now in the third He changes, and takes up the same word for "love "as Peter had used in the reply to the first two questions, and says,-
"Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me ? "

I believe the word Peter uses is one meaning strong, personal, human attachment. He was indeed specially attached to the Lord, and now it is as if the Lord were saying to him, " I am not now going to ask you if you love Me; but are you specially attached to Me.

Notice Peter now:he is grieved. At length he realizes the defect in himself. He is grieved that for the third time the Lord has pressed him. Now he does not say, " Yea, Lord,"but simply, "Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee,-Thy sharp penetrating eye can look down deep beneath all the sin that every one can see, and Thou knowest that I do love Thee. The disciples may not believe it, but Thou knowest it."

Beloved, do not we feel like that often ? We feel as if our brethren could not trust us, and yet we can appeal to the Lord and say, "Thou knowest that beneath all the failure, there is attachment to Thee."

Ah, now Peter has got back to the Lord. He is fully restored now. The Lord knows there is genuine affection to Himself. There is now too the apprehension of this in his soul. If the Lord knows it, that is a blessed thing-let people-let my brethren throw my failure in my face ; let them talk of my lack of devotion and spirituality-one thing I know, I have from the lips of my Lord that He knows the reality of the love in my heart to Him.

What is the result ? We find Peter following the Lord, and in the early chapters of the Acts, you will find him standing up boldly, and charging that great company of the Jews with denying the Holy One and the Just. He is perfectly recovered to the Lord, and to the sense of the Lord's knowledge of the real love to Him that was in his heart, or he would not have been so bold.

Well, beloved, if we have failed individually or collectively, we need deeply grounded in our hearts that, notwithstanding our sins and failures, there is reality of love there for Christ-that He knows it; and this will give us confidence to go on boldly with the testimony of the Lord.

If the Lord puts all this on record here, it is that it may be ministered to us. How blessed to think that notwithstanding all the crookedness of our ways we may realize the Lord can put unreserved confidence in us. He can say to even such as we, Peter-like as we all are, " I am not going to let you off-I am not going to let you settle down into despair and despondency, I trust you, I have confidence in you. I know there is love in those hearts of yours, and I can safely entrust, to your care the dearest interests of My heart-My lambs and sheep-shepherd them, care for them. Notwithstanding all He knows of me He can trust me ! Then I can take it as a trust from His hand, and I'll seek to serve them and care for them. I'll seek to answer all His desires, and take up boldly and firmly all He entrusts to me.

May God grant we may learn this lesson-learn how He trusts us, and serve His lambs and sheep for His sake !

Ques. 11.-Is the worship expressed in a hymn we may be singing in the assembly acceptable to the Father, if the heart and mind are not going on with the voice ? For example, if during the singing of a hymn, my soul and spirit went out in adoration as my voice went on with verses one and two, but during the singing of the third verse, my mind has been turned to something else, and my voice goes on with the singing, does Ex. 28:36-38, teach that Christ would present to the Father the worship expressed in the third verse ? Does the infinite value of the sin-offering not only atone for sin, but make all our worship acceptable, though part of it is not the soul and spirit going out to God, on account of the mind being occupied with something else than the voice may be expressing.

Ans.-We most unhesitatingly say that no worship save that in spirit and in truth can possibly be acceptable to God. Otherwise unconverted people could offer acceptable praise. True our Great High Priest offers our feeblest praises to God in all the value of His precious person, and on the ground of His atoning work, bears the iniquity of our holy things. If the mind has wandered, as, alas! it is prone to do, He, in grace, offers that portion which has been more than mere lip service. But to call that worship which is but the vacant voice would indeed be taking carnal ground.

While upon this subject we may be permitted to call attention to the singing of hymns. If real, no exercise is more, delightful and elevating; but it is easily subject to abuse. Without much exertion one may give out a hymn which is perhaps beyond the state of those who are to sing it. Nothing can be more deadening to the conscience than giving utterance to sentiments which do not express the true condition of the soul-to declare the deepest love for Christ, the intensest longing for His coming; to state experiences which are not true-these, in plain language, are uttering falsehoods to God. Far be it from us to check the feeblest whisper of praise, but we ask, Is there not a danger of singing hymns as a matter of course? We would affectionately suggest a deeper exercise of conscience and more waiting upon God in these matters. There would probably be less singing, and more praise.

Ques. 12.-Did the publican say,'' God meet me at the mercy-seat ! " or, " God be merciful to me the sinner! "

Ans.-The literal rendering would be " God be propitiated unto me," but not the "mercy-seat." " The sinner" is correct, and suggestive, as though there were but one sinner, so far as he was concerned.

Ques. 13.-"What version is it' that says, " Show forth the Lord's "death"?

Ans.-"We know of no version which inserts 'forth" which is probably an unconscious adaptation from the Psalms:"Show forth His salvation." The literal rendering is. "Ye announce the Lord's death, till He come."

"Thy testimonies are very sure:holiness becometh Thy house, O Lord, forever." (Ps. 93:5.)

In the former papers on this subject, we have been looking toward individual and personal communion and fellowship with God in His thoughts about His blessed Son, as the only true attitude of spirit for worship ; and this also, as the divinely appointed preparation for acceptable worship and service ; just here, it is important to notice that worship is not service, as service is not worship ; since worship is God-ward, while service is manward. We find this clearly illustrated in the account of Mary and her sister Martha, (See Luke 10:38-42). Martha was the woman of the house :she was on the ground of service, and illustrates the legal dispensation. She was occupied with what she was for Him. She had received Him into her house, and now she was responsible to do the very best thing that could be done for the Lord. And in her zeal for Him, to serve Him, she was completely oblivious as to what He was, and could be, for her ! Mary, on the other hand, was occupied with Himself, and what He was for her. And this illustrates the dispensation of grace. Her cup was full, her heart was satisfied and at rest. She had not one word to say. It was enough for her to sit at His feet, and hear His words. Oh blessed attitude !

How few, how very few know what it is ! Ah, beloved reader, please stop right here for a few moments and think. Take this question home to your own heart. Do you know what this is ? have you ever realized the true blessedness of what grace is ? When you could sit at His feet, "as under the shadow of a great rock in a weary land ?"

When you could think this in your heart-for you did not want to hear your own voice, neither the voice of any other, but Himself-but saying in your heart, This is good ! Oh, it is good to be here.

This is what the proper sense of grace always gives, and this is the result of finding all our delights in Him. This is what the apostle prays for the Ephesians, and beloved for you and me also, (Eph. 3:14). " For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man ; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height ; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."

O beloved ! to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, is to be "filled with all the fullness of God." And this is grace.

" Oh to grace !How great a debtor,
Daily I'm constrained to be."

And this is not service, but it is worship, the divine essential for true and acceptable service. We see this is abundantly emphasized, in the Lord's own words of commendation of Mary, and gracious rebuke of Martha.

And now we have need to notice another point in this connection :that happiness is not necessarily
worship. There may be abundant joy and happiness in service, as there will be, if our hearts are right with Him ; if we are consciously in His presence. But I have already said, service is man ward, worship is God ward. Service is from God, down to men. Worship is from saved sinners, up to God. One might be very happy in preaching to a large, attentive and interested audience, while a Christian mother might be detained at home in the necessary care of children or the sick, and yet the preacher know nothing of the joy of true worship, while she might be happily engaged, at the Lord's feet, in the true exercise of praise. It is not that the preaching is wrong ; surely not ; but that God craves the outpourings of the heart in joyful thankfulness for the grace which He has made known to us in Christ.

Is it not often true that a large company of Christians might come together to listen to a sermon and beautiful music without their hearts being stirred at all in true worship ? And yet how often is this called public worship. Let the simple, it may be ignorant Christian, but one enlightened as to worship, come into such a company, and he will feel strangely out of place. His full heart longs to pour itself out in unrestrained praise, to share his joys with his fellows, but alas, they know not the meaning of that word "whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me."

Now let the preacher take up this subject of worship, and he too will soon find a desire which not even the most eloquent sermon, or the most true, can fill.-It is to be at the feet of Jesus, engaged with Himself, offering up praise to Him. And this will fit, as nothing else can, for true service.

Ministry is always service, it is to others, and we can minister to the Lord only as we serve others. The life and labor of the blessed Lord Jesus while down here among men was all ministry to, and service for others. "He came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many," and He said, "I am among you as one that serveth." "Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of these my brethren." But, I have said, ministry is perfectly right in its place, and if it is the ministry of Christ, it may contribute to produce worship-and if it is in the Spirit, 1:e. by the leading or guiding of the Spirit, it will be the ministry of Christ, since the Spirit could not lead nor guide in anything which was not for the exaltation, the honor and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. See John. 16:13-15 ; compare also i Cor. 12:, Rom. 12:with Eph. 3:11-13. We see by these scriptures that ministry in the Spirit is not always preaching and exhorting, but is also seen in giving and doing. (See Rom. 12:8-13.) And this leads me to notice that ministry and priesthood are often confounded in the minds of Christian people ; and I apprehend the confounding has come in through the Judaizing of Christianity.

In Judaism the priest was the link between God and the people, and as such was a type of Christ, who is our High priest, "who ever liveth to make intercession for us," and by whom we have access to God, and " boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus." Not by a new, or fresh application of the blood ; as is sometimes said, which would be to reduce the blood of Jesus to the value of the blood of bulls and goats. No beloved, it is not what we think of the blood ; it is not our estimate of the blood which gives it its value ; but what God thinks of it. The blood on the lintel and door post of the Hebrew dwelling in Egypt was not for the Israelite to look at, but for God to look at, for God had said, " When I see the blood, I will pass over you."

One more thought, and this paper must close. We are looking into the subject of Spiritual Guidance. Not so much to explain what it is, and how it is, as to show by the truth, what it is not; since the Spirit's guidance is " into all truth." And this is not saying into all things true; for many things are true, and there is truth in many things ; mathematics, philosophy, art, science, and in every department of nature around us ; but the Holy Ghost is not here to lead and guide into that kind of truths at all, but "the things concerning Himself" – the blessed Lord Jesus Himself. He could say, " I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me." (Jno. 14:16.) So that our knowledge of God, and the God-ordained way into His presence, yea into the final blessedness and glory yet to be revealed, yea, more also, the path of faith through this world, for us, all are linked up with Him as God,-our God and Father. And there can be no true knowledge of God apart from Him, the man Christ Jesus,-the dead and risen man, the ascended and glorified Christ, Jesus of Nazareth. Yes, beloved reader, this is " the truth " which the Holy Spirit is down here to teach and to guide you into; and you may be sure of this, that He, the Spirit, is not teaching, leading, nor guiding into anything apart from Christ. His honor, His glory, His Lordship, His Divinity, His first coming, His life of lowly service, His death, resurrection and ascension, and His coming again in glory to judge the world, and to fill out all unfulfilled prophecies of the Bible. These truths, with all "things concerning Himself" (Luke 24:27), these make up the truth. C. E. H.

The God of all grace has called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus ; wondrous love! but an integral part of Christ's own glory, for what is a Redeemer without His redeemed ? And once I believe that the blessed Son of God has died for me as man on the cross, nothing that a creature whose life He has become, can have, is too great as the effect of it. J.N.D.

The seven churches in proconsular Asia mentioned in Rev. 1:were to learn, through the letter sent to each (2:, 3:), and to be listened to by all who had the hearing ear, that the Lord Jesus Christ was possessed of intimate knowledge concerning each and all of them. Their state, their circumstances, their future, and the special ministry suited to each, are treated of in these different epistles.

False apostles had appeared at Ephesus. The assembly had tried them, and had found them liars (Rev. 2:2). Tribulation and poverty characterized the assembly at Smyrna, and further trial of persecution was in store for them (9, 10). In Pergamos, where an assembly existed, Satan's throne was found. So idolatry, with all its concomitant vices, was rampant in that city, and was working its way among the Christian community, though its adherents were still in the minority (13, 14). In Sardis, spiritual deadness prevailed (3:i). In Philadelphia, though their strength was small, yet faithfulness to Christ distinguished them (3:8). In Laodicea, the whole company, it would seem, was contented to go on without the presence and countenance of Christ. He was outside of them, who were glorying in their assumed wealth ; rich in their own estimation, increased with goods, and having need of nothing, yet really the wretched and the miserable one, and poor, and blind, and naked (3:17).

In Thyatira, to which we would especially turn, idolatry was working with dire effect. In Pergamos, a few had been ensnared. In Thyatira, the bulk of the assembly had given in to it. So that which in the Old Testament is termed an abomination to Jehovah was openly taught in Thyatira, and un-blushingly practiced by professing Christians therein (2:20). Moreover, contrary to nature and to Christian teaching (i Tim. 2:12), a woman was suffered to lead them into all that evil. Jezebel, as she is called -an ominous name-was allowed by the angel to teach and to seduce the Lord's servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. A few things the Lord had against the angel in Pergamos (2:14). Not a few* had He against the angel in Thyatira ; yet, ere notifying what they were, He acknowledges all the good that He can:" I know thy works, and charity, and faith, and service, and thy patience, and the last works (so we should read) to be more than the first" (2:19).! *In verse 20, " a few things " should be struck out.* How gracious was this What a Master He is ! If reproof must be administered, and that a sharp one, He would show that He has not forgotten, and will not forget anything of which He can speak with approval. The crying evils allowed did not obliterate the remembrance of their charity, faith, service, and patience, and this last is spoken of as being more than the first.

Nevertheless, how had the enemy triumphed in Thyatira ! If Philadelphia was to be wholly for Christ, Thyatira Satan would try to gain over for himself; and where seduction failed, false accusations should be raised, if possible, to harass and to silence the faithful. Thus the conflict between Satan on the one hand, and the Lord on the other, was still going on. Centuries ago that began; and for centuries, we must still write, has it continued.

The enemy would, if possible, wipe out all remembrance of God, and put an end to all true service for Him by saints on earth. Time after time, it has seemed as if he would effect this. Yet he has not succeeded. What a matter of interest is this for all true Christians. For whatever may be the strength of the current against the truth of God, if many should be carried away by it-and, if for a time, it might appear as if no one could withstand it-God has preserved, and will always preserve, a testimony on the earth which the power of evil shall not overcome. Before the flood this was seen; since the flood it has been the same.

In antediluvian days, iniquity abounded. Corruption was widespread and deep. Restraint seems to have been unknown, for the sword of government was an institution, we believe, of post-diluvian times (Gen. 9:6). Yet, in the midst of general corruption and unrestrained wickedness, Enoch walked with God (Gen. 5:24). A family man, and, it may be, alone in his family, he nevertheless walked with God. Family ties, domestic relations, were not suffered to divert him from the path of faithfulness. And twice over in his history, which is all comprised in a few verses (5:19-24), it is stated that he walked with God. For three hundred years that characterized him.

Years after his translation, when iniquity abounded, and, probably, was on the increase, another man appeared on the scene-his great-grandson, named by Lamech his father, Noah. He, too, walked with God (6:9), but in what circumstances was he here ? The word of revelation instructs us:" The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and behold it was corrupt:for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth" (Gen. 6:11, 12). Success seemed almost within the devil's grasp. God must act in judgment against the evil doers, and man be swept off the earth. Such, doubtless, was his expectation. A whole creation would thus be destroyed, and that by the fiat of the Creator, who had been well pleased with it as it came forth from His hands.

But Noah, just one man in all the earth, "Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord " (6:8). Violence and corruption rampant on every side; nevertheless, Noah, in the midst of it, was kept faithful to God. "Thee have I seen righteous before Me in this generation" was the divine attestation of that man's uprightness of walk. To be popular in that day, men had need to go with the stream. To stem the tide, of course, exposed the individual to sneers and reproaches from acquaintances and contemporaries. A solitary testimony in the midst of such corruption was that which none could maintain apart from divine grace. Enoch, in his day, kept his place and maintained his faithful walk; Noah, in his day, did the same. Had the enemy really triumphed? No; and he could not as long as Noah remained alive on the earth. Walk, not doctrine, was, of course, the distinguishing feature of that day; and these two men exhibited it as they walked with God.

Obedient to God, Noah built the ark, and, entering into it with his family, he and they were saved from destruction. Thus the race was preserved from extinction, whilst those who dared not to be singular, and, probably desired to be popular, were drowned in the waters of the flood, and swept out of the scene altogether. God had a way of acting of which the enemy had no inkling. Wickedness, unrestrained wickedness, must be dealt with, and so it was; for He is righteous and holy. But the human race was preserved from extermination, and Noah and his sons came forth from the ark to people afresh the earth. God, righteous in punishing the ungodly, was righteous also in saving Noah.

Passing over centuries, we reach the days of Elijah, God's faithful and special witness in the time of Ahab and Jezebel. Alone by Carmel had he stood for God on that memorable day when he confronted the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and four hundred prophets of Asherah, the female divinity patronized by Jezebel. Eight hundred and fifty to one! Was the enemy to triumph? Had Jezebel succeeded in drawing all Israel into apostasy? Let Elijah be killed, and her purpose must be effected.

Deep indeed had the evil penetrated among the people ! One man for God in all that company by Carmel, with a multitude looking on, and not a solitary voice heard encouraging the prophet of God. Idolatry was rampant, certainly. The worship of God seemed almost stamped out of Israel. The conflict, too, seemed to the harassed prophet overwhelming, as He stood afterwards at Horeb, and told God that he alone had escaped the vengeance of the enraged queen. Had the enemy now triumphed ? "I have left Me," God told His servant, "seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him " (i Kings 19:18).

The way at that time to gain temporal advancement, and to be in favor at court, was to profess to worship Baal. Yet seven thousand there were in Israel who would not purchase advancement at such a price, and who preferred the approval of God, with the risk of losing life and substance, to the smile of Jezebel. Seven thousand had been kept withstanding her allurements to idolatry. And soon would it be demonstrated how fatal had been the choice of that queen's dupes ; for within fifteen years of Ahab's death, and very shortly after her own, the worship of Baal was destroyed out of Israel by Jehu when king (2 Kings 10:27). A great sacrifice to Baal was appointed; all his adherents attended, and all of them were slain.

From that date we read of no king in Israel who favored that worship and sought its re-establishment. It ceased in Israel,* though the calves were still worshiped at Dan and at Bethel.* Out of Israel, we have said, for it was not destroyed out of Judah*. Jezebel's efforts to obliterate the recognition of the true God utterly failed, and the worship that she had fostered and forwarded was destroyed out of Israel. The hope of temporal advancement-a snare which, doubtless, had drawn many aside-what was it worth, when Jehu destroyed at one blow the adherents and priests of Baal? Who thinks now of Jezebel's prophets who ate at her table? Who holds any in honor who, when in life, had desired and enjoyed her favor? But who does not admire Elijah's boldness at Carmel, as well as Micaiah's faithfulness before Ahab? (i Kings 22:). Who does not hold in respect that company of seven thousand, kept by divine grace throughout that dark and perilous time of unabashed apostasy?

Dark and perilous times those were for the faithful in the land; yet a remnant was preserved. Darker and more difficult times are yet to come, when the beast of Rev. 13:, upheld by Satanic power, and seconded by the false prophet of that same chapter, will exercise in the western part of the Roman empire unchecked sway for 1,260 days, or forty and two months. Dark indeed will be that time, for the enemy will make his grand effort to efface from all under the sway of the beast any recognition of the true God, substituting the worship of the beast under the lead of the false prophet for the worship of God.

Will he succeed? Reading Rev. xiii , it would appear as if success must at last crown his efforts; for the very necessaries of life, and the permission to trade, will be denied, as far as the influence of the false prophet may extend, to all and any who refuse to worship the image of the beast-a time of trial and of Satanic power that will be, such as has never been experienced since man has been on the earth. Satan's masterpiece will have appeared, and his last card, to use a common expression, will have been played, the prelude to the deadly struggle to keep the Lord Jesus out of this part of His inheritance purchased by His blood.
Will the devil gain his object? If, reaching the close of the chapter above-mentioned, the reader should think so, the opening of the next chapter proclaims the discomfiture of the enemy. For, at the end of that awful time, there will be found on earth a company of 144,000 who, kept faithful throughout it, are to be with the Lamb on Mount Zion (Rev. 14:1-5). God will keep alive a testimony on earth in that day against the abounding apostasy. How encouraging is this reflection for saints at all times, and not the least so for those in our day, when theories are rife, and so readily taken up, subversive of real belief in the inspiration of the written Word.

Now, to come back to Rev. 2:, we learn what could and did take place in Christian times, and even in the apostolic age. A Jezebel at Thyatira was carrying things with a high hand. The bulk of the Christian professors in that assembly had succumbed to, or, at all events, had allowed free scope for her teaching. She seemed about to triumph, and would have triumphed, had not a company, called "the rest in Thyatira," persistently refused her corruptions. A company, probably not a large one, withstood all blandishments and all efforts to seduce them. Again, then, the enemy was checked; he could not carry all before him.

Now, what makes this portion so interesting is the ministry of Christ to those faithful ones, whilst Jezebel was teaching and seducing the Lord's servants. We have learnt of two men in the antediluvian world who were faithful, and walked with God in the midst of wickedness rampant on all sides. We have reminded the reader of those in Ahab's day who had not bowed the knee to Baal. But here we get not only a notice of the existence of faithful ones in Thyatira, but also the ministry of the Lord to encourage and to sustain them in their faithfulness. By the light of Christian revelation they walked, and that was enough for guidance (Rev. 2:25). But He would show His interest in them, and manifest that He was not unmindful of the conflict in which they were engaged.

So, first, He addresses them personally:"Unto you I say, the rest in Thyatira." He took special notice of those whom Jezebel failed to seduce; and, sending in this letter to the angel a message, the message is addressed directly to them. How cheering must this have been. Vilified indeed they were. As tools of the enemy were they held up before the world. The Lord knew all that, and here speaks of it, but to repel that wicked accusation. The depths of Satan they were said to know. A terrible accusation was this for true saints to lie under. How often since that day has the enemy sought thus to misrepresent those whom he could not corrupt. A devilish device, indeed! For a time these had endured it. Now it came out that the Lord on high was not ignorant of it. Jezebel might assert it; her followers might endorse it; the angel might suffer it; but the Lord distinctly refused it. He undertook their cause. He cleared them of the charge:" Who have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak " (ver. 24). His word must settle that controversy. None can speak after Him. He speaks; the cause is ended.

Next. He is coming:"Till I come" (24). What words for the faithful to hear! His promise of return holds good, He will fulfil it. But what words for Jezebel to be informed of. Her reign must end. Her Judge will appear. What words, too, for the angel to hear, who had suffered Jezebel's ways and had not refused to allow her teaching.

Further. Of the future of the faithful the Lord speaks. It may be that some had sought to shake their constancy by the foolish thought of the loss of influence with their fellows in thus making themselves singular. What a snare has this been, and may still be! But influence! What can equal that here promised the overcomer? Power over the nations, and to rule them with a rod of iron. Who can now exercise such influence? The faithful will exercise this in the future, for they will reign with Christ; and no blessing in store for Christians, will they lack, for the Lord will give them the morning star, that is, to share in the blessing of His return for His people when He comes into the air.

In this way Christ ministered to the faithful in Thyatira in John's day. He had observed them, and He let them know it. He vindicated them, and Jezebel should hear of it. He told them of their future, and all should learn about it. He was coming, too, for His faithful ones, to take them out of this scene to be on high with Himself. Such a ministry as this must have been to them like cold water to a thirsty soul-a cordial indeed, bringing no evil in its train ; a comfort, too, and a spring of joy of which the world could not deprive them. Was such ministry only for that day? It will hold good for any in the present time who find themselves in circumstances similar to "the rest in Thyatira."
C. E. S. (Words in Season.)

"Ye have well done." (Phil. 4:14.)

This was a precious commendation of the Philippian Assembly. Paul had told them he was not anxious about daily needs, and that he was gladly a learner in God's school, by the trials of the way. But they had " well done " in "taking part in his affliction." A testimony of impatience with the assemblies, and of distrust toward God was far from him.

The assembly of Philippi had sent once and again to his necessity (4:16). Paul rejoiced because he sought fruit that would abound to their account.

There is something instructive in the reference to no other church having helped him at a certain time. The New Testament contains no letter of admonition to any such assembly by him or by any other apostle; only this brief general mention of the neglect. Are we not to gather instruction from this ? Are we not taught delicacy in dealing with this subject, while at the same time graciously and gently warned as to neglect ?

Under law the order was, "Bring ye all the tithes into the store house, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me … if I will not open the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing." (Mal. 3:10.) That is, obey and be blest, is the order; while under grace it is, You have been blest, therefore let the heart overflow. "Freely ye have received, freely give." "As the elect of God, holy and beloved," we are to have "bowels of mercies, kindness." (Col. 3:12.) Love flows forth from hearts happy in the knowledge of God's rich goodness and grace.

Moreover, the tithes of the fruit of the land of Canaan were tithes of what is a type of heavenly blessings we have and realize in Christ. Thus again we see how acceptable " giving' is from a heart filled with the grace of Christ, with the joy of the Lord. These considerations prepare us for the different tone of the New Testament exhortations as to giving from those of the Old Testament, and guard us from legality of thought and exhortation.

Nevertheless, in the liberty of grace, exhortation has its place on this subject, and Paul very freely, as graciously also, exhorts and encourages and incites the assembly at Corinth not to fall short of liberality. Chapters 8:and 9:of 2 Corinthians truly warn and cheer the heart, and in how much they rebuke us let us judge. And in what we may call his farewell words to the church, Paul closes with the words, " I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, ' It is more blessed to give than to receive;' and when He had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all " (Acts 20:35).

This exhortation is written specially to encourage more giving by assemblies. Such giving calls for love and unity in the assembly, and fellowship in the gospel, and self-denial. And the example of the Philippians serves to encourage us to have in mind from time to time some one laboring in the gospel; and to be exercised about one and another so laboring, and to communicate with them. This has the example of Scripture and draws out the heart more than to simply pay into a fund, in the hands of some one of the assembly, who in counsel with one or two others distributes the amount collected.
The scriptural example of Philippi is not given to be slighted; but in giving in this way the assembly acts in faith and in loving exercise towards the laborer, and he in turn has his heart drawn out to them. And hearts are cheered by a heartfelt report from the field of work to those whose fellowship in the gospel draws it out. Note the tone of the epistle to the Philippians in this respect.

May our hearts be stirred to this great and holy service.

It is good to send abroad to laborers and not to give only when they come to us, nor does the coming of a laborer to an assembly call necessarily for help from that assembly. Such a thought is bondage. Help might have come from another quarter, leaving the brother the more free, (especially in a low state in an assembly) to minister in full liberty before the Lord-however blessed a privilege it would also be for an assembly to minister to one laboring in their midst. Still to confine our giving to those laboring in our midst, would surely not be right. It would tend to hinder going to "regions beyond," and lay a snare for the feet of the laborer.

When we consider the dangers we are exposed to, we should walk in fear and trembling.

We are unfit for God's service, except we take unto us His whole armor. We cannot give or receive for His glory, but by His grace and by His Spirit.

May we love His name, and love those who serve Him. And may we have such trust in the living God that we shall be ready and glad to give-ready to share the burden of the conflict. E. S. L.

Ques. 15.-"There are some Christians whose experience seems to contradict the word of God in such a passage, for instance, as, "Sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace" (Rom. 6:14). They fall, are restored to fellowship, afterwards fall again, are restored again; and go up and down thus. What is likely to be the cause of such a lack of stability? and may there a contributory cause in the assembly, either in its state, or in its dealing with such an one ? "

Ans.-In such cases as are referred to, it is evident the truth as to deliverance from the power of sin is not known, in power, whatever the theoretical knowledge may be. The great secret of deliverance is, first of all, to judge sin in its roofs, to judge self. Sad and shameful fruits may grow from a secret pride which prevents one from abhorring himself. Pride of intellect, of knowledge, of sufficiency in one's self,-these may seem quite harmless, and are, alas ! too common. And yet from these so-called manly virtues may grow that which is even in the world's eye disgraceful.

The true secret of self-judgment is to realize what the holy presence of God is. So long as one is not there, he cannot truly measure sin. How comforting it is to know that, in that holy presence which discloses what sin is, we find also the perfect grace which has put it away.

No doubt, too, a general state of the assembly may contribute to individual weakness. "Ye have not mourned," says the apostle. A spirit of true contrition among all the people of God is the surest way to secure individual faithfulness. The assembly in the full exercise of its functions will care for, warn, watch, and build up those who are in special need.

Then also when the proper activities are all in exercise there is less temptation to yield to what is not of God. May God revive His beloved people, making Himself and divine things such realities, that even the feeblest, kept in His presence, built up by His word, and engaged in the loving service of His house, may be delivered from every snare.

Ques. 16.-" Scripture speaks about every uncovered vessel in the tent, where a death has occurred, being defiled. What about the covered vessel ? are they unclean too ? "

Ans.-The same scripture (Numb. 19:) distinctly declares that the covered vessel is clean. When the spiritual meaning is seen, this becomes manifest. The world is a chamber of death. If we are uncovered, in a careless state, we are defiled by being in it. If, on the other hand, we are on our guard, covered by a sense of the Lord's presence, we walk through all undefiled, and our Lord's prayer is answered, "I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil."

But deliberate, conscious contact with evil, or refusal to separate from it when pointed out, or indifference to the question of association with it, would show an uncovered vessel.

In like manner, failure on the part of one defiled by necessary contact with a dead body, to purify himself, would render him culpably defiled, and without doubt he was to be treated as such.
Ques. 17.-Please explain 1 Cor. 14:30:" If anything be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace."

Ans.-The whole chapter is devoted to the meetings of the Lord's people, and the exercise of their gifts under necessary and divine restrictions. There was to be liberty to the Spirit, but none to the flesh. Such exhibitions as speaking with tongues were to be rigidly controlled, and in the exercise of prophecy or worship-all was to be done unto edifying. The prophets were to speak one by one, not two or three together, no matter what the apparent urgency might be. This will explain the verse. If one were speaking, he was to keep silence to permit another to say what had been laid upon him. Ordinarily, of course, the second speaker would wait until the first had finished, and, at any rate, would not begin until he had taken his seat. Possibly under remarkable circumstances he might intimate that he had a message to deliver. But at present we can scarcely imagine such a thing taking place, unless, indeed, to silence an unprofitable or disorderly speaker.

Each of the four gospels has its own purpose. Though concurring with others in general testimony the spirit of revelation has a special design by each. And all this different service of the same spirit by the different evangelists, is not incongruity, but fulness of variety. The oil with which Aaron was anointed, and which was, mystically, the fulness and virtue that rests on our adorable Lord, was made up of different odors-myrrh, calamus, cassia and cinnamon. We may say it is the office of one evangelist after another to produce different parts in this rare and sweet compound of the sanctuary, to tell out different excellencies and perfection in Jesus the Christ of God.

For who could tell out all It was sufficient joy and honor for one servant, however favored with such near revelations, to trace even one of them. The saint has the sweet profit of all together, and in language prepared for him, can turn to the Beloved and say, '' Because of the savor of Thy good ointments, Thy name is as ointment poured forth."

FRAGMENT But there is in Him all through His last journey the expression of a greatness of soul that is perfectly blessed and wonderful. He has Jerusalem, and His cup of sorrow there, full before Him; He finds no sympathy from those who were His own; He gathers no admiration from the crowd; it is the cross, and the shame of it too, that He is called to sustain; all human countenance and support being denied Him; and yet He goes on without the least abatement of His energy in thoughts and services for others. We deem ourselves entitled to think of ourselves when trouble comes upon us, and to expect that others will think of us also. But this perfect Sufferer was thoughtful of others, as He was going onward, though every step of His way only conducted Him to still greater sorrows; and He had reason to judge that not one step of it all would in return be cheered by man. His own little band understood not the sorrows about which He was speaking to them. J.G.B.

[While not wishing to express dissent from what is brought before us in the above article, we would
also suggest that the full value of the numerical order can best be seen, in a continuous portion of Scripture, where the various parts blend harmoniously together, while preserving the individual characteristic indicated by its number and place in the whole. This gives us a conception of the beauty of that Word whose every jot and tittle speaks of a perfection worthy of its divine Author.

"And He arose and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea,
Peace, be still, and the wind ceased, and there was
a great calm." (Mark 4:36-41.)

"Fierce was the wild billow; dark was the night;
Oars labored heavily; foam glimmered white;
Mariners trembled; peril was nigh; .
Then said the God of might, "Peace, it is I ! "

Ridge of the mountain wave, lower thy crest !
Wail of Euroclydon, be them at rest!
Peril can none be, sorrow must fly,
Where saith the Light of light," Peace, it is I ! "

Jesus, Deliverer ! come Thou to me !
Soothe Thou my voyaging over life's sea ;
Bid me be quiet as the storm sweeps by,
Whisper, .O Truth of truth," Peace, it is I ! "