THESE THREE, BUT THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE."

Faith-blest answer to each yearning,
Hope-bright lamp so ceaseless burning,
Needed now our hearts to prove.
But beyond life's storms and tossings,
Earth's enticements and engrossings,
Stretches forth an endless Love.

Faith will cease when sight is given :
Hope is needed not in heaven,
But its atmosphere is Love.
Faith to keep our souls from drifting,
Hope our vain affections sifting,
But our rest is in His Love.

Higher than the heavens around us
Is the love that sought and found us,-
Free, unfathomable love.
Deeper than the depths of ocean,
Swifter than the lightning's motion :
Vain attempt its worth to prove.

He who doth so deeply love us,
And in faithfulness doth prove us,
Measures not His wealth of love.
Still for us too deep its meaning,
Till this moment's intervening
Fades, and we're caught up above.

Hope shall reap her full fruition
When each blood-bought son's petition
Comes in answer from above,
When the Lord, with shout descending,
Speaks the rapture now impending,-
" Rise, and come away, My love."

Faith and Hope forever ceasing,
Love eternally increasing.
Oh, the depth of Jesus' love !
We shall be forever learning.
Ever needing, ever yearning
For that priceless, precious love. H. McD.
Plainfield

These two songs give us the two great truths learned in connection with redemption. The first (Ex. 15:) is a celebration of God's victory and the deliverance of His people from the land of judgment and from the hand of the enemy ; the second celebrates God's faithfulness and goodness manifested in the midst of a disobedient and faithless people, as a witness against them and for Him. It is significant that whether in grace or in government, in redemption or responsibility, God will be glorified and praise shall flow forth. He inhabits the praises of His people (Ps. 22:), and all His ways end surely there. He is seeking worshipers (Jno. 4:). His object is not merely to snatch from destruction -from the horrible pit and miry clay-but to put a new song into our lips, even praise unto our God. For He who for our sakes went down into the pit, is also now the leader of His people's praises (Ps. 22:, Heb. 2:)-the leader that we may follow and join in that song. He would have us so to share in His joy that it may find expression in praise. The more clearly His grace and ways are understood, the more intelligent and full will be our praise. Heaven, the place of endless praise, is where God is manifested in unclouded light ; and earth only waits for His glory to be revealed here for all "the trees of the field to clap their hands."

The first song, as is well known, celebrates redemption, God's victory over the enemy, sung on the shore of the Red Sea, which but shortly before had been opened for the passage of Israel, and now rolled over their pursuers. As has been frequently remarked, as long as they remained in the land of Egypt, Israel had no heart for praise. Fears, murmurings, doubts, there might be and were in abundance; but not until they were beyond the sea, delivered from the power of the enemy, as well as from the judgment they themselves deserved, could they know the exultant joy which finds expression in " music and dancing."

"I will sing unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously."

Redemption is God's work. There is no room in this noble song for mention of Israel. "All things are of God." What could be said of them save that they had doubted and murmured ? So for us, in celebrating God's victory, we have nothing to say for ourselves-all the work was His-to Him, then, be all the praise.

" His be the victor's name,
Who fought the fight alone;
Triumphant saints no honor claim,
His conquest was their own."

The enemy has been destroyed. "Through death He destroyed him that had the power of death." It is when we thus see our enemies cast into that very sea of judgment and death, which we deserved ourselves, and when we see ourselves as " risen with Christ," that we can rejoice in the Lord. " The Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation." The God who had wrought such havoc among the enemy is by that very act made known as the God of His people and their Saviour. That right hand, glorious in power, which has dashed in pieces the enemy, has led forth the people whom He has redeemed. The enemy in all his pride and haughtiness is contemplated as ready to destroy the feeble few, and just there where enmity and pride and apparently power are at their height, they are engulfed. It is not hard for the redeemed one to translate this, to use it as expressing that victory over Satan and the hosts of sin, smitten and destroyed at the hour of apparent victory, when our Lord bore death and judgment for us. Well may we say, " Who is like unto Thee, O Lord, . . . glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders."

But in this victory faith sees all victories. The inhabitants of Palestina, the dukes of Edom, the great ones-fear takes hold of them, and in silence and trembling they see God's people led on from strength to strength, the enemy cast out of the land and they settled there under the protection of their deliverer. So for us, the song of redemption does not merely look backward at the victory over Satan and sin on the cross, but onward to the full realization of all that victory meant-to the time when, in the land, the heavenly land, will be seen what God accomplishes for those whose cause He undertakes. Throughout the whole song there is no hint of sadness, no word of failure; all is bright and triumphant, for the very simple reason that all is of God from first to last. Well would it be for us if we more constantly sang this song, more constantly lived in the atmosphere of victory and joy which are about it. It is the failure to sing aright the first song which makes the second a necessity.

Turning now to that second song we see at once the contrast. It was given at the close of the wilderness journey, a journey which brought out the two great truths which form the theme of the song. It is a song of experience. God is here celebrated as before, His work is perfect, His ways are judgment, all is faithfulness on His part. He had proved to be same all through, as He had shown Himself at the beginning. But, alas! how is it with the people ? They have corrupted themselves. He who had hovered over them as an eagle-developing strength in them while at the same time He bore them on His wings, who provided them the richest of food, and the most constant care, He was forsaken; His very blessings turning away the fat hearts of His faithless people who depart from Him for those who are no gods. The result of this must be to bring the smitings of a rod which would have comforted them; and so they are made to feel what an evil and bitter thing it is thus to requite Him that bought them.

But in the midst of fearful judgments He remembers His name, and for the honor of that He has mercy on His people. When wrath is apparently at its height, He will remember mercy and bring blessing and peace upon His people and upon the Gentiles as well. One can be but struck by the strange contrast with that early song of triumph. And yet the end, blessing and peace, is the same in both songs. But in this second song, His people are seen under responsibility, as in. the first, they were seen under grace. Need we wonder at this song, we who know our own history? Can we not read much that is familiar in our own experience in it?-the pride of position leading to heart-wandering from Him who has our us in that position ; the very food, spiritual truths, on which we have grown fat, now used to exalt self, at the expense of Christ,-here are things familiar to us all, alas ! in our own experience. But how can such things form the theme of a song? The answer is, by being linked with the eternal love and patience of an unrepentant God of grace. He never alters His purposes of grace, never gives up those upon whom He has set His love. So there must be praise. But this song was to be a witness against the people, they were to be warned beforehand and taught that warning, that if they still went on in their course, the words of the song they had known so long would condemn them. It was then to be preventive. And can we not, learning from it what fool" ish and wandering hearts we have, take warning in time that we' go not astray, but cast ourselves on Him who with beautiful appropriateness amidst all the instability of His people, is called the Rock? But all things are hastening on to the great event, when God will be surely glorified, when His ways with His people, as well as His work for them will be seen to be perfect; and when from out the shame of their own follies and wanderings He will bring matter for praise. Nothing will taint or mar His glory. But are we to be " foolish and unwise " ? shall we be losers then? If not, let this song be a warning that it be not then a witness.

For every special object that is sought to be attained to-day, some sort of organization is considered a first necessity. So well is it understood that "union is strength," that to accomplish any end whatever,-political, social, moral, spiritual, men combine. Unions of the most varied kinds are thus multiplying day by day ; and that results justify them asa means of doing what individual effort would be powerless for is so evident that it would be a waste of time to try and prove this.

The character of the ends sought to be accomplished is not what concerns me now :it is simply the power that is gained by association ; and as an illustration helps largely the clearness of an argument, let us take one from what is before all our eyes to-day, the Salvation Army.

Now, there are, of course, many things beside their organization to be taken into account in such an example as this ; and the peculiarity of the organization itself along with all else. That in little over ten years they have girt the world with their mission stations is a fact not to be denied. "Between 1880 and 1890," says the Missionary Review, "this enterprise, beginning with God and nothing in a London slum, went from New Zealand to San Francisco, and from Cape Town almost to the North Cape ; leaped, as if the genii of Arab story, from 400 corps and 1,000 officers, to 4,289 corps, or separate religious societies, 10,000 officers, devoted solely to evangelization, and 13,000 non-commissioned officers rendering voluntary service ; captured 150,000 prisoners from Satan; created scores of new forms of religious and philanthropic activity; conquered the respect of the world ; and broached a stupendous scheme for the salvation of society."

A phenomenon of this kind is worthy of respectful attention on the part of those who believe that it is still incumbent upon those who would not incur the Lord's rebuke, as the men of old did, to " discern the signs of the times." Scripture should enable us to see what such things mean, and Christians should be humble enough to learn the lesson they convey. " Scripture," it may be said, "condemns these strange and burlesque methods." But the result, which cannot rightly be questioned, the salvation of souls from the lowest level of misery and degradation, cannot be the fruit of what is strange or un-scriptural. Figs do not grow on thistles; and fruit is found in a striking way in most places into which they come. The more we can see of what is unscriptural in their methods, the more it deserves to be considered why God should in this way bless them :for the salvation of souls is from Him. All the real success is not gained or even helped by drums and banners and military titles, drill, or discipline :otherwise figs do grow on thistles. But without association altogether I think it would be impossible to account for the way they have taken possession of the country,-almost of the world. One cannot attribute it to any remarkable gifts of preaching, to any special fullness of the gospel preached. Devotedness there is and self-denial, in a high degree often ; but there are plenty of devoted Christians in any considerable town into which they enter who have nothing of the success of the Salvation Army. Many beside have gone down to the depths of vice and poverty. On the other hand, none perhaps have so thoroughly acted on the principle of organization for evangelistic purposes ; and it scarcely needs to be said that apart from this organization the work that has been accomplished could not have been done.

Am I going to urge that we should organize for a similar evangelistic effort? I am going to urge first, that if we had methods wholly scriptural, with a full gospel, and the effect of the truth that God has given us in our souls, we should not be a whit behind the Salvation Army in reaching the masses and bring men to God ; and that to deny this would involve just the folly of supposing that God is less wise than man ; or that His blessing is less with what is according to His will, than with that which is against it. Neither of these things can be ; and therefore what I have stated is rather an under- than an overstatement.

What then if we have dropped out of the scriptural method, and are really in some respects behind those whom we have perhaps thought unworthy of imitation for their unscripturalness ? Can we admit the possibility of such a thing? The Word of God certainly does not give us even a hint of organizing societies. It knows but of one organism sufficient for all purposes, and that is the Church, the body of Christ. Alas ! it is broken and scattered :we have found other names under which to gather than that of Christian ; and the bonds that unite us to all His members have but little practical recognition. Yet there is room still for faith to act; and God will own that which does so. Two or three gathered to His name can and should act upon the truth of the Church, if they cannot re-gather the Church together ; and such assemblies, though ever so few in individuals, yet with the door open for all that are Christ's and with Him, are not sectarian or human associations, but divinely constituted, though necessarily feeling the lack of the many from whom they are, not of their own will, separated.

Here, then, we have still our organization. We have but to avail ourselves of it to find how perfect it is, and entirely beyond all that man could form or imagine. Narrowness and sectarianism are forbidden in the very idea. Our rule is the Word of God, not a mere humanly imposed one. Conscience is thus free, and subjection to the indwelling Spirit gives unity of action and fellowship with one another. That which marks us for what we are is not an external badge, but the seal of the Spirit. We have one Lord to serve, who is Christ,-Love itself, Wisdom itself, and under whom no defeat is possible. We have no name to identify ourselves with but that of Christian.

For what are we organized ? For all that which shall glorify Christ, and for mutual help and service to one another. We are to be hands and feet to the Head above, representatives and ministers of Him who " went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil;" we are to be "the epistle"-not epistles-"of Christ, read and known of all men,"-as the context shows, His letters of commendation in the world.

Does not this constitute us, then, as a whole, the one great evangelization society of the world ? If we are as a whole to commend Christ and represent Him among men, can we do it without representing Him in that love for souls for which He gave Himself to a death of agony? Is not the body to be the servant of the Head in labor for Him on earth ? Does its work find its whole accomplishment in the edification of itself?

Such questions have but one answer that can be given them ; and there can be no more reason why our service should be simply individual, than why our learning of the truth should be apart from others, or our worship be in our chambers only. Fellowship in worship and mutual edification in the things of God naturally have their issue in corporate testimony, and the widest and fullest co-operation in the work of the Lord.

In all these things there is need, of course, and plenty of room for the maintenance of individuality. Every member of the body has its own place and function. There are special gifts,-evangelists, as well as pastors and teachers; but while special, these are not, even in their own sphere, exclusive. The church at Jerusalem, scattered abroad through the persecution that arose about Stephen, "went every where preaching the word." (Acts 8:4.) In our various ways, with various degrees of publicity, the evangelizing of the world is a duty that lies upon us all. It is withal so blessed a privilege, that if our hearts are right with God, we shall never be satisfied with doing it by proxy, or seek escape from the responsibility as to it. We shall not ask, What must I do? but what may I be permitted to do, to bring souls from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God? The Lord seeks volunteers ; and thus Scripture not so much prescribes a path to us, as leaves the field wide open before us. We do not need commissions according to our ability to relieve poverty, or to minister to the sick before our eyes :and here is a need for which every one who has bread for himself can feed another with it; and where the one remedy we cannot mistake in ministering. And yet there is need of finding help from one another, and in these living activities we learn that "two is better than one;" and how much combined effort may effect that individuals cannot. We need encouragement in the face of opposition, stimulus to perseverance, the help of example, of suggestion, the supplementing of individual deficiencies, the multiplication of force. Spiritually, as in other ways, our little with the aid of other littles may become much, and we are enabled thus to use with profit what by itself would have seemed useless:the fragments are gathered up, and nothing lost.

Why, then, in every place where two or three are gathered together, should there not be, as a thing of course, the meeting for mutual help in obeying the Lord's command to "preach the gospel to every creature," as it is a matter of course that there should be the prayer or the reading meeting ? A meeting, I mean, for counsel with one another, for encouragement, for review of the field together, for all the various purposes for which we shall soon find our need of one another as workers together in the field of the world ?

And while, undoubtedly, we should thus most effectually cooperate with the labors of the evangelist and fill the public halls for those who have special gift, our labor would, above all, be to reach the people with the gospel where they are, and while availing ourselves fully of the most helpful service of tracts and printed matter, yet to make it our aim to come face to face with souls, and to use that personal appeal which, when it is the appeal of divine love to heart and conscience, is what God most of all blesses.

Here is work for every one,-man, woman, and child, among us,-work in abundance to occupy every moment we can spare to it; and work so full of fruit and blessing, so grateful to the heart, so enriching to the life, so adapted to exercise us in all Christian activities, and to develop in us all Christlike affections, that the labor itself is its own abundant compensation, without thinking of those who may be thus our " hope and joy, and crown of rejoicing in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ at His coming."

For this personal work for the Lord, and with the souls He died for, nothing can be substituted. Neither prayer nor study of the Word, nor aught else. While it will give matter for our prayers, energy to our Word-studies, a realization and application of the truths of Scripture in their practical sufficiency for all human need and cravings, a knowledge of the heart as the true light manifests it, which will make the Bible more than ever that voice of the living God, which it should be felt to be. To scatter our riches is to multiply them; here, prodigality is the wisest economy, and to withhold from others starvation for ourselves. The manna could not be hoarded, and corrupted if it was. Christ dwelling in the heart throws open the doors of His habitation, and if we will entertain Him, we must do His royal errands. The height of His heaven has not put Him at a distance from the penury of earth.

" To the poor the gospel is preached," was one of the vouchers of His mission. Among the poor, even the degraded, is found most often the misery that needs and opens the door to Him. Do we not often speak of doors not being open, when the truth is, we have not stooped low enough to find the open door? Yet power is manifested in ability to go down:God's beloved Son, among us as One that serveth, may well endear the lowliest service to our hearts. If it is the nature of truth to sanctify, those who have most truth should exhibit most the mind of Christ.

The object of this paper is a very simple and practical one. It is to urge upon those who are gathered to the Lord's name the need that we have of such fellowship in the work of evangelization as I have briefly indicated,- need that we have ourselves of it, -need that there is around,-and that the Church of God is really already an organization for this among other purposes. I would press rather the privilege than the responsibility of gathering in this character, seeking to help and encourage one another in united effort to bring the gospel personally before all around us. I am persuaded that there is a lack in this respect, and that it would be for very great blessing every way that this should be supplied. Simply and earnestly acted upon, the test of experience will soon decide the value of an organization, not devised of our own will, but which the Lord has given us, and which we are responsible to Him to put in practical effect. F. W. G.

We thank Thee, Lord, for weary days,
When desert-streams were dry,
And first we knew what depth of need
Thy love could satisfy.

Days when beneath the desert sun
Along the toilsome road,
O'er roughest ways we walked with One-
That One, the Son of God.

We thank Thee for that rest in Him
The weary only know,-
The perfect, wondrous sympathy
We needs must learn below.

The sweet companionship of One
Who once the desert trod,
The glorious fellowship with One
Upon the throne of God.

The joy no desolations here
Can reach or cloud or dim,-
The present Lord, the living God,
And we alone with Him.

We know Him as we could not know
Through heaven's golden years;
We there shall see His glorious face,
But Mary saw His tears.

The touch that heals the broken heart
Is never felt above;
His angels know His blessedness,
His way-worn saints His love.

When in the glory and the rest
We joyfully adore,
Remembering the desert way,
We yet shall praise Him more.

Remembering now, amidst our toil,
Our conflict, and our sin,
He brought the waters for our thirst,
It cost His blood to win.
And now, in perfect peace we go
Along the way He trod,
Still learning, from all need below,
Depths of the heart of God.

(1.) "Keep thy Heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." (5:23.)

(2) "Put away from thee a froward Month, and perverse lips put far from thee." (5:24.)

(3) "Let thine Eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee." (5:25.)

(4) "Ponder the path of thy Feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left:remove thy foot from evil." (10:26, 27.)

The book of Proverbs is in the fourth group of the I Old-Testament books,-thus, as the number would indicate, belonging to that part which treats of the way, its trials and experiences. In this group it is fifth, a number which reminds us of "God with us" reviewing our path, and supplying us with wisdom for that which is before us-a wisdom which begins with "the fear of the Lord " (chap. 1:7), and keeps Him ever before the reader. God with man-He who was that, and who ever was Wisdom (chap, 8:), now the fullest exhibition of it- made that to us (i Cor. 1:30). If the book of Proverbs is really wisdom for our path, how important that we should study it, and so receive the benefit of that wisdom -so needed by us in our daily life! How it should illumine our path, especially as we have the added light of grace now shining through it!

In the portion before us, we have an exhortation which embraces the whole man as far as his earthly walk is concerned, applied to those parts of him of familiar significance from their frequent use in Scripture-the heart, mouth, eyes, and feet. Four is the number of testing and of walk ; so in this which is both a test and an exhortation we have this number, and each section of it also corresponds to the significance of its number.

(i) "Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." The heart is the source from which the life issues. It is here put for the inner man-"the hidden man of the heart," as contrasted with the outer man. It is the man himself-that which controls and gives character to all the rest:"as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." (Prov. 23:7.) How appropriately, then, that this should be first in the exhortation-first in importance, because the source and controlling power in man! So the words, "with all diligence," might be rendered more closely to the original, "above all. thou guardest." Above all the outward life, careful as we should be as to that,-above our words; as the apostle says to the Philippians, "As ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence;" when his eye could not be upon them. Our outward life is largely before the eyes of man :let us remember that more important than what man sees is that which is hidden from him-the heart, and be doubly careful for that very reason. How important this is for the young Christian !

There are two ways in which we can look at this guarding or keeping the heart,-positive and negative, and we will look at the latter first. Scripture tells us that "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked," and that "he that trusteth in his own heart is a fool." While applying in its fullest extent to the unconverted, these words have an important reference to God's children as well :we have a traitor in our hearts who needs to be watched more carefully than an outside enemy. It is through this traitor, the flesh, that the heart is led astray. It is in the heart that declension begins. The evil servant said in his heart, "My lord delayeth his coming," before he began to beat his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken. Peter's heart was lifted up with pride and self-confidence which made him neglect the admonition " watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation," before he denied his Lord with oaths and cursings. Coming to our own history, ran we not trace a stumble or fall, or loss of communion, back to an unguarded heart. In the nineteenth chapter of Numbers we have a most striking illustration of defilement from an unguarded heart, in the vessel left uncovered in the chamber of death. It was made unclean, but if covered, the same presence of death had no power to defile. We are in a world which is a death chamber, and if the heart is not guarded, covered by that which excludes the world, how soon defilement results !

But this brings us to the positive way of keeping the heart. We are not set at the hopeless task of merely seeking to expel evil, or even to keep it down. Like a hydra-the more we strove to cut off this or that form of evil, the more quickly fresh forms would arise. No, the way of grace is, " overcome evil with good." A heart filled and occupied with good is one well guarded from evil. Beautifully connected are those two verses in Phil. 4:7, 8, " And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." The heart which casts all its care on God is well guarded by His peace ; but the atmosphere which that peace creates is that described in the next verse :it is occupation with good. No one feeds on poison, however much it may be necessary to know something of it, in order to avoid it. Good food makes the healthy man, and occupation with good is God's way to keep the heart. How important, then, for the young Christian, nay, for all, to be daily feeding upon God's precious Word, that Word of His grace, which is able to build him up, and to be asking in the' words of the psalmist, " Search me, O God, and know my heart:try me, and know my thoughts ; and see if there be any wicked way (literally, the way of grief,) in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

(2) "Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee." " Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." Next, then, to the source, and depending upon it, is the expression of the thoughts through the lips. Second place, then, naturally belongs to the words. He who was the expression of God's nature was the second person in the Trinity and is called the Word. Two is the number of testimony, which is given by the lips. Salvation is another thought, and the word of truth is the gospel of our salvation. (Eph. 1:13.) In a bad sense, two speaks of discord, strife, waywardness, the thoughts conveyed by froward and perverse in this verse. The exhortation to put away perverse lips is appropriately in a second part, where the thought of severance is conveyed by the number. How needful is this admonition ! What is more common than an unruly tongue ? The meekest man spake unadvisedly with his lips. The great apostle Paul reviled God's high-priest. The apostle of love would call down fire from heaven. Only One ever trod this earth whose words were ever and only " words of grace." " Never man spake like this Man." "When He was reviled, He reviled not again." Words of love, words of truth, words of justice and of stern denunciation fell from his lips, each in their proper time, but perverse words, never. No matter how severe the test, how awful the anguish, even to the anguish of the cross, His words were perfect. Alas ! that peerless One stands alone in His unsinning perfection. " In many things we all offend. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man and able also to bridle the whole body." (Jas. 3:2.) He would, as far as his outward life went, be a perfect man. Controlling the tongue, he would be able to govern the whole body. On the other hand, failing in this, all is vitiated. " If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain." (Jas. 1:26.) His religion, that which is the fruit of the divine life, his testimony is destroyed. How careful, then, we should be of our words. If for every idle word the unsaved must give an account in the day of judgment, none the less holy and exact will be the judgment-seat of Christ. "The tongue can no man tame." Only grace can do that-the grace which could purge unclean lips, and make them God's messengers. There is only one thing to be done with perverse lips-they are to be put away. Evil cannot be improved, it can only be judged. Careless, loose speech must be trampled upon, or it will lead into sin. " He loveth transgression who loveth strife." " In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin." Ah, many who perhaps pride themselves on having a ready tongue-quick to give the sharp, witty reply-need to heed this exhortation. Specially in the matter of strife is this evil of the tongue to be guarded against. " The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water, therefore leave off contention before it be meddled with." The country of Holland is protected from the inroads of the sea by immense dykes which need to be watched, lest the smallest opening be made. Should there be even a little trickle it would soon swell until all embankments were swept away, and the fair landscape be deluged with the salt sea. So with strife. A little thoughtless remark may be made, and resented ; arguments arise, and before we are aware of it, "confusion and every evil work" have covered all that a little while before looked so bright and promising. 'Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth."

Is the reader of these lines given to careless speaking? Will he or she not now begin to ask with the psalmist, " Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth ; keep the door of my lips!" Have the heart filled with good, and put far away perverse lips.

(3) Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee." (5:25.) "Three" is the number of manifestation-of fullness. It is the number which speaks of resurrection as the manifestation of divine power. The light is what makes manifest, and as the eye takes in the light, it appropriately has the third place in the passage before us. For us it is the eye of faith ; " we walk by faith, not by sight." The very things which are said to be not seen are those we are to look upon. (2 Cor. 4:18.) Faith connects us with the other world -the resurrection side of things. It is the eye which speaks of this to us. Three is also the number of fullness, and it is only when faith is exchanged for sight that we shall "know even as also we are known." Meanwhile, as we have said, the eye of faith links us with these things, and draws us on till we shall no longer "see through a glass (dim window) darkly, but face to face." Now, what are we looking at? Temporal things? They will soon vanish. Are we looking at forbidden things? Remember Eve; to look is often to lust. David was led into the awful sins of adultery and murder by a careless look. Lot looked at the fertile plains of Sodom and the vision blinded his eye to the glorious promises of God, and he sank to the level, below the level of the worldling. The proper object, the only one for the child of God, is the Lord Jesus Christ. "We see Jesus," and having seen Him what else should have power to draw us aside? Two results come from having the eye fixed upon Him :first, sanctification ; second, progress. " We all beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory." We may struggle against sin, and struggle in vain. We may strive to form our characters, and find our efforts useless. We look upward at that blessed One, crowned with glory and honor, the One who once tasted death for us, and the world loses its attractiveness, sin its power. More than that, we are transformed into that image ; others can see we are growing like Him upon whom we are gazing. But there is more. Seeing Him draws us after Him. "Let us lay aside every weight, and run with, patience the race set before us"-how?-"looking unto Jesus." The word is stronger in the Greek:it is "looking off unto Jesus," looking away from everything that could allure, distract, or discourage-unto One who is Himself the leader of faith, the example for us to follow, and the finisher or perfecter of it. This is having the eyes look right on, and this means progress. "The light of the body is the eye ; if, therefore, thine eye be single thy whole body shall be full of light. A single eye, means an eye for one object. " The eyes of the fool are in the end of the earth," wandering every where, taking in every thing; and the eye is the gateway to the heart. No wonder, then, that it should be filled with vanity. And yet "the eye is not satisfied with seeing." Let the whole world be taken in, the heart is left hungry and empty. Only One can fill the heart. Let the eye be fixed on Him and, like Paul, we will find ourselves blinded to the things down here. This gives power for the path, and keeps from stumbling-forgetting the things which are behind and reaching forth unto those which are before, we will press toward the mark, other things will be baubles to be despised and laid aside as weights. And while thus looking forward, pressing forward, ere we know it faith will change to sight ; the One we have been speaking of, thinking of, will at last be before us, and "we shall be like Him." Meanwhile let the words of the hymn be our prayer :-

" O fix our earnest gaze
So wholly, Lord, on thee,
That with Thy beauty occupied,
We elsewhere none may see."

(4) "Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left :remove thy foot from evil." (10:26, 27.) When our Lord opened the eyes of Bartimeus He said to him, " Go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole." But the way in which Bartimeus went was after Jesus, "he followed Jesus in the way." (Mark 10:52.) Where else could a man with eyes opened go ? So most appropriately here, the eyes are set right and the feet follow. Four, as we have already seen, signifies testing and the place where that testing takes place, the earth as we walk through it. It is the number which frequently speaks of weakness and failure, because, alas ! that is what we manifest in our wilderness walk. And yet why should there be failure? For us, as for Israel of old, eagle's wings are ready to bear us onward over every obstacle to the place of rest. If the feet do tread the desert sands, they do not swell ; the shoes, " the preparation of the gospel of peace," do not wear out. Four is the number of weakness, but weakness realized turns to strength if we lean on One who is mighty. And this is God's lesson for us-the secret of the walk. Paul realized his weakness, but he gloried in it because the power of Christ could rest upon him. The earthen vessel is good to show the excellency of the power to be of God and not of us. While four, then, speaks of wilderness walk, testing and weakness, it need not mean failure if we heed the exhortation given here appropriately in the fourth place. The word translated " ponder " is by some rendered "make level," perhaps the primary meaning; but both meanings are not inconsistent with each other. If the path be carefully weighed, pondered-looking to one who alone pan guide, it will be a level path, though it lead over rough seas, lonely deserts, into Gethsemane, on to Calvary. Our blessed Lord did not rush into His path not knowing where it would lead. " When the time came that He should be offered up He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem." When Lazarus died, He would return there where of late the Jews had sought to kill Him. What a path ! along which we see scattered nothing but love to man, obedience to God. But He pondered His path, and so has left us an example that we should follow His steps. When there was a famine in the land and Abraham went down into Egypt, he did not ponder his path, and his sin about Sarah is the result. It probably seems an easy path to take, but it had thorns in it which pierced him at last. Pondering conveys the thought of carefully examining the way before we walk in it. " He that hasteth with his feet, sinneth." Joshua and the elders of Israel making a treaty with the Gibeonites show the danger of undue haste. Our ways are to be established, made firm, solid, unswerving. And how great is the need of this ! How many lame there are who will be turned out of the way unless we make straight paths for our feet. (Heb. 12:) The saddest part of a loose careless walk is that it leads others astray. Our God would make our feet like hinds feet (Hab. 3:19), sure and swift.

We have, then, looked at this fourfold exhortation, embracing the heart, lips, eyes, and feet. Linked together, yet distinct, they form a perfect whole, for our guidance and for our testing. May there be in us a heart to heed this exhortation and to prove for our own souls that " wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths peace."

"In every thing and in all things I am initiated both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer privation." (Phil. 4:2.-J. N. D.'s Version.)

Secrecy always has a charm for the natural man. It is this which in greatest measure attracts to the many orders and societies which profess to have knowledge of something hid from others. In religions also the same craving for secrets has been freely made use of by the priests of these false systems. Mysteries, strange and secret rites have been the attractions by which the unlearned have been allured,-mysteries which in many cases were but the " hidden things of darkness," revolting and degrading ceremonies which revealed only the utter corruption of the heart of man, and drew him on into still greater depths of evil. It was charged by the enemies of Christianity that, while its outward teachings were moral, its secret and hidden practices, known only to the initiated, were dark and terrible orgies, revolting even to the heathen mind. In reply, it could be truthfully said, of course, that this was utterly false,-that Christianity had no secrets, nothing for the initiated beyond the simple and clear and holy teachings of God's blessed Word. It is true indeed that " we speak wisdom among them that are perfect," but this is only the unfolding of that which every babe in Christ knows in an elementary way.

But there are, in one sense, secrets in Christianity known only to the initiated,-secrets, not of the intellect, but of the heart, learned, not by study, but through experience. In blessed contrast to the empty husk that man has to offer as his secret, Christianity offers a solid reality. But one must be initiated to learn what these secrets are. They are not hidden from view, we can read in a few words what they are, and yet there must be initiation to properly appreciate them. There must be the learning, by experience, by. denying self, either as to worthiness or power, which answers to initiation.

What, then, was the secret the apostle had learned by initiation ? It was simply this:a satisfaction of soul under all circumstances, a quietness of heart no matter what need oppressed,-a quietness which, as it could not be disturbed by trial, could not either by prosperity. It does not seem to be a great secret at first sight, but the longer we dwell upon it, the more will we see how deep and far-reaching it is. With many, how easily does trial oppress ! They forget the admonition which speaketh to us as sons-" My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him." Trial comes, and it overwhelms them. It may be loss of property, and they mourn as though they had forgotten that "better and more enduring substance""reserved in heaven." Repining, they lose the opportunity of knowing the fellowship of Him who, though He was rich, yet for our sakes became poor. They are not initiated. Or health fails, giving a good opportunity to show the precious truth that "though the outward man perish, the inward man is renewed day by day." But instead of bowing to a Father's loving dealings, the person grows morbid, selfish, becomes nervously sensitive, and exhibits not the power of grace, but of selfishness. Why this failure? The person has not been initiated, has not learned the secret how to suffer need. And so, without multiplying illustrations, whatever the circumstances of trial may be, if possessed of this happy secret, all is for our profit. Or, on the other hand, are our circumstances prosperous? unless possessed of this secret, we will not "know how to abound." Many a Christian who has walked humbly and closely with God in sorrow, poverty, obloquy, has grown cold and careless when earthly joy and wealth were given. Nor is this because there is inherent evil in wealth or prosperity; surely our God does not delight in making our circumstances uncomfortable. The trouble is with our corrupt hearts (Sodom's plains have allured many a poor Lot on to shipwreck),-hearts which cannot be trusted. What is the remedy ? Not the hair-cloth garment, or the vow of poverty, but the initiation into this secret.

But looking deeper, we find in this epistle to the Philippians the very root of the secret. It is the person of our blessed Lord as the object before the apostle's heart -he knew Him, longed to know Him more-that kept him above all circumstances whether of joy or sorrow. This epistle is precious to us all; it seems to carry us along with it, and yet it speaks of an experience which is that of but few. Take the second chapter, as giving the habit of mind in the believer, how little we know of it! or the third, where we see him pressing on with ever-increasing speed toward a prize, which is a precious, glorified Christ; and we do not wonder that the man whose whole heart is after that Object should know how to be abased or to abound. He was indeed initiated,-he had a secret which would take him through all circumstances, and show him how to distill sweetness and blessing from every bitter and baneful happening. The " fathers " in i Jno. 2:were initiated-they knew Him that is from the beginning. They need no warning so long as that One is before them.

But there is a counterfeit to all this. We have been speaking of that rest of soul with Christ for its object which is the secret to be learned by the believer, and which lifts him above circumstances. There is an indifference to circumstances which is nothing but selfish sloth. The truly initiated one is not unmoved by circumstances,-he weeps at sorrow and rejoices in blessing, but these things do not hold his heart captive. Let us beware of mere indifference; it is most benumbing and dangerous.

When a neophyte sought initiation into the mysteries of a heathen religion, he had to give himself up to his guide. He knew not what was before him; but at all cost, he was determined to learn. So if we are to learn-really learn the "secret of the Lord," there must be the abandonment of self, that Christ may be all.

Even here we can know something of the joy of having a secret with the Lord,-of getting a glimpse of that "white stone" which is given to those who in days of looseness hold fast to Him.

Our blessed Lord was indeed " a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief."Rejoicing, as He did, in unhindered communion with His Father, and in the consciousness of ever and only seeking His glory ; happy, too, to find here and there a faith which could recognize Him in spite of the vail of humiliation upon Him – rejoicing as He did in these, it remains true that what gave character to His life was the dark side, the sins and sorrows which so thickly strewed His path – sins, it is needless to add, with which He had nothing to do, sorrows brought in by man alone. It is a wholesome exercise to dwell upon the sufferings of Christ, forgetting for the time our own, which are indeed eclipsed by His. He suffered because He was a perfect man, the only righteous One, in the midst of all manner of evil, selfishness, and worldliness. What pain, constant pain, it must have been to Him, only desiring to please His Father, to find all only desiring to please themselves, and His Father set aside completely; to meet with no desires above this earth, to find no thought of that heaven where all His thoughts were, – these things, to say nothing of the grosser forms of sin, nor of the sad witness of man's alienation from God in the manifold forms of disease and infirmity which oppressed the people, made the world to Him the valley of the shadow of death. We read that He sighed deeply, that He wept :ah ! well He knew the sad necessity for sighing and tears in a world like this. But in passing, it is precious to note that neither the sorrows of earth nor its sins drove Him from it. At any moment He could have ascended up to where He was before, but no Such thought occurs to Him. The very sorrows, the very sins, were links which held Him here until He had accomplished that which would bring forgiveness and deliverance as regards the sin, and joy in place of the sorrow. So far, we have been speaking of the sufferings of our Lord from the mere fact that He was in a world like ours. His holy nature shrank from contact with its surroundings. But though exquisitely sensitive, He was no weakling to run away from conflict. He was here as the light to manifest the works of darkness, as the righteous One to reprove all unrighteousness, and the world hated Him for the testimony He bore, it persecuted Him as Cain did his brother Abel. At Nazareth, they sought to cast Him down from the brow of the hill because He bore witness to God's grace, and intimated that as they would not receive it, it would be presented to the Gentiles; His most wonderful miracles and His most striking teachings, (if we may so speak when all was divinely perfect and in its place absolutely the best to be done or said,) alike provoked enmity, hatred, persecution even unto death. For one view of the cross shows us man's hatred of God's Son. At last, when nailed there and lifted up from the earth, hatred had its full way. But what suffering all this entailed upon Him! Looked upon with suspicion, His words perverted, His life sought,-such was His pathway here, a pathway leading on, through ever-deepening gloom, to the culmination, when, delivered by His own people into the hands of the Gentiles, He was by them crucified and slain.

When we remember who He was-the Anointed of God, the Messiah, with special promises as the head of the Jewish nation ; when we see Him associating Himself with His people in their circumstances, and desiring, as only He could desire, their blessing and their glory, to find them unwilling to be blessed, unwilling to receive Him who came in the name of Jehovah, we can understand that outburst of sorrow, " O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! " the same sorrow which led Him later, as He beheld the beloved city, to weep over it. This hardened state of the nation He well knew would be sure to bring upon them judgment from God, and would necessitate His own cutting off as Messiah, This must have been an added ingredient of bitterness in His cup of sorrow and suffering, which, present all through His public ministry, was intensified in the garden of Gethsemane when His soul was "exceeding sorrowful, even unto death," and He sweat as it were great drops of blood. Here He doubtless was realizing that every earthly prospect was to be sacrificed, and that as Shepherd of Israel He was to be smitten and the sheep scattered. But the shadow of a darker suffering, anguish more awful, was there pressing on Him. He was, in anticipation, entering into the sufferings of the cross, and His holy soul shrank in unutterable horror from the awful prospect.

The sufferings of Christ of which we have been speak-were not atoning. The direct question of sin and its penalty had not been entered into until the darkness which settled down on Calvary left Him alone to bear the full load of judgment, to drink to the last drop the cup of wrath which we deserved, and to accomplish eternal redemption for His people. We are here on most holy ground :reverence is most becoming; but for God's glory, for our own deeper acquaintance with our blessed Lord, let us pause and dwell upon this awful scene. The darkness about Him was but the fitting accompaniment of that more terrible darkness which pressed upon His soul when God withdrew His presence from Him. "Why hast Thou forsaken Me?" No answer, no help, no succor. He was made sin, though He knew no sin, and treated with that wrath deserved by the ungodly. It was not now a question of man's hatred, or Satan's either :what were they compared with the wrath of God, all the waves and billows going over His head ? Well may we wonder and adore.

But this brings us back to our subject. We have been seeing somewhat what the afflictions of Christ were ; and is not the question a natural one-Can there be any more of those afflictions? Did not He exhaust them all ? The scripture before us tells us that the apostle was filling up that which was behind, was still lacking in the sufferings of Christ. As to atonement, it is only blasphemy to hint that all was not completed when our blessed Lord finished the work on the cross, and was raised in token of God's acceptance of the sacrifice for sin. As to His sorrows as Messiah, and in anticipation of the cross, those were personal to Himself, though in some measure understood by him who once wished himself accursed from Christ for his brethren, his kinsmen according to the flesh (Rom. 9:3), and by all who know what the fear of wrath is. As to His sufferings for righteousness, all who will live godly in Christ Jesus will taste of that cup. "If they have persecuted Me, they will persecute you." But the afflictions alluded to here are specially for the Church, and in a peculiar way the apostle Paul filled up those sufferings. For as long as the Church is on earth, there is an opportunity for suffering-a necessity. Let us read a catalogue of some of those afflictions which the apostle went through for the sake of the Church :-

"Of the Jews, five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep ; in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils by the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Besides those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?" (2 Cor. 11:24-29.)

What anguish there was in connection with the case of discipline at Corinth !The rod with which he smote them, he felt upon himself; sorrow, tears, fears, showed how great was his anxiety, how real his suffering. In difference to their welfare, to Christ's glory, might have spared him much pain, but he did not choose the easy path. He was here for the Church, and so ready to suffer for it. When the fundamental truth of justification by faith was in danger among the assemblies of Galatia, he lets us see; in the epistle he wrote them, the deep sorrow of soul through which he passed. " My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you."What love he had for that Church which had been purchased with the precious blood of Christ! In his measure, he would take up the work where his Master laid it down, and enter upon that path of unrequited love, for the sake of the Church. Our Lord can no longer suffer though He can sympathize with His people, and intercede for them in their constant needs; still He loves them with the same unchangeable love which led Him to the cross for them. Well, then, are the sorrows undergone for the welfare of that Church called " the afflictions of Christ."Does He not Himself say, "Why persecutest thou Me?"How edifying it is to see this devoted servant thus suffering for his Lord's Church. We know him as a man of wonderful gift, inspired to present us some of the richest and most important portions of the Word of God; we know him as successful in a marvelous degree, but let us remember him as one who rejoiced to suffer for the Church,-who appreciated the dignity of bearing a part in what he by inspiration calls " the afflictions of Christ."This very epistle to the Colossians, as well as others, was written from prison ; and one of its touching sentences at the close is, "Remember my bonds."

And now the question comes nearer home, and we are compelled to ask, if our blessed Lord, after enduring all that fitted us for eternal glory, still left a heritage of suffering for His servant, does there yet remain any thing which can be spoken of as that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ? The question can be answered by another:Is the Church still on earth? and has it needs, sorrows, and failures to be noted and met by us? Then, as long as this is the case, so long will there be something that is behind of the afflictions of Christ, for His body's sake, which is the Church. Let us, then, for our own consciences, see some of these needs, and where, it may be, we too, in our little measure, can be associated with the Great Sufferer.

Here is moral evil in the assembly; alas! that such a thing should be. It is not enough that we should judge it and put away the evil person. What about the confession of it, the bitter sorrow, the earnest prayer for the restoration of the wanderer ? But apart from that which requires extreme dealing, there is a vast mass of what needs correction if we are able to reach those affected. Just here do we need to learn how to suffer for the Church. How often do we allow personal prejudice or wounded feelings to rule us ! A brother has gone wrong, but he has misrepresented us, wounded us, and, lo ! we forget that he is a member of the body of Christ, and render ourselves utterly unfit to help him because of our personal relation to the trouble. Ah ! if we mourned over him,-if we felt in our soul how he had dishonored his and our Lord,-if we dropped the question of our rights, how soon would our sorrow melt him, and that hardness, which is visible enough, melt into grief and tenderness ! Let us remember that servant who had been forgiven a great debt, and who went out and took by the throat his fellow, demanding full payment of a small claim. In the light of our forgiveness, by God of that great debt, are we going to exact full penalty for every offense? How much more becoming, how much more like our Lord, did we mourn over the wrong-really suffer about it as an injury to the Church of Christ! Did we carry these things with real sorrow to our God, what help there would be!

If this spirit always animated us, we would not err so frequently on the side of legality. "The letter killeth;" and we can no more enforce the letter of some direction in the epistles, if we do it in a legal way, than we could an ordinance from Leviticus. There must be heart work in all these things, or our very righteousness will lead us astray. We are under grace, not only as before God, but in all the relationships of life. That grace is to characterize all our action, and no where more than in the assembly of God. How much friction might be avoided, and hopeless entanglements escaped, did we act on the principle of grace, and instead of maintaining our righteous opinions as judges, be real sufferers for Christ's body. But you will be misrepresented, misunderstood ; be it so; suffer that, if thereby you save further wandering in some sheep of Christ,-if you thereby heal a breach which otherwise might widen. Let the legend of the Roman patriot, who would close a chasm by leaping into it, find a truthful illustration by our sinking self and being healers of breaches, not makers of them. Oh, what matters it whether or not we are thought well of, if only we help the Church ?

But it may be asked, How are we to do this ? Is righteous principle to be sacrificed, or evil to be winked at ? Without attempting to answer definitely, we can only point to our verse and say, Seek to carry that out. Endure sorrow, bear pain for the sorrows of the Church, get into that state of soul, and then you will be able-not till then-to see what is righteousness and what is self-will.

Apply this truth to the too prevalent habit of criticism. It is easy to find faults. Alas ! there are too many in us all, and it needs no great discernment to detect them. But where is the benefit? Is criticism helping to fill up that which is behind of the sufferings of Christ ? Can we conceive of Him indulging such a spirit? There is nothing which so enfeebles the soul, and unfits for all helpful dealing with our brother, as this practice. Let us be mourners, not critics, and we will find that thus we will be helping saints, not contributing to the general confusion about us.

Notice, too, that in this we have the common privilege of all saints. No gift is needed to sorrow over evil,-no eloquence, no prominence. The obscurest brother, the weakest sister, have here a place from which none can thrust them but themselves. In times of special trial and distraction, when all seems to be in confusion, if there are sufferers,-those who feel, not anger or excitement or resentment, but grief at the injury done to the feeble flock of Christ, we have in that very fact a promise of recovery and blessing. What a name to give to the troubles and sorrows of the Church-"the afflictions of Christ" ! and what a privilege, what a dignity, to be called on to suffer for His sake ! To think of any little self-denial, any sinking of our own wishes, any enduring in silence, as being placed along-side the griefs of the Man of Sorrows ! Let us dwell upon His woes; and as our hearts are melted by their contemplation, let us anew seek to imitate Him " who when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not."

I should be thankful to share with the beloved readers of HELP AND FOOD the blessing derived from morning meditations on the Cities of Refuge. I have endeavored to seek out the lessons the Holy Spirit would teach, in dependence upon Himself, and without referring to what others have derived from them.

First, let us read the chapter, Josh, 20:, and I will quote the verses (7-9) giving the names of the cities.

"And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in Mount Naphtali, and Shechem in Mount Ephraim, and Kirjath-arba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah. And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh. These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation."

Now, in the first place, it goes without saying to the conscience and heart of every child of God, that our Father did not fill His Word with mere facts, and that in learning of these we had attained to all that He would have us get. This would surely be unworthy of a God of all grace, whose very name is Love, in giving a revelation to His creatures who so deeply need far more; therefore we may start with the assurance that there is something more in these verses than appears on the surface-something that shall be in harmony with the truth that God is Light and Love, and we His needy creatures, and, I trust, His beloved children through faith in Christ Jesus, with eternity before us. As the Holy Spirit teaches us, in writing to the Hebrews, "he that cometh to God must believe that He is;" so the first thing is, to grasp with assurance that in these cities there actually is something of infinite moment for us, worthy of Him who tells us of them.

Granting this much, we may fully expect that the names of these six cities will be found expressive of some characteristic or beauty or grace or quality in our Lord Jesus Christ, or of the salvation in Him. The first is apparently very plain :"Kedesh" is unmistakably "sanctuary;" and is used in Ex. 3:5-"The place whereon thou standest is holy" and so all through. It is more frequently translated "holy," or "holiness," than "sanctuary," and it would be of interest and value to note everywhere that this word is used for "sanctuary," for it would be full of the idea of holiness ; e.g., " send thee help from the sanctuary (kedesh)" is significant enough in Ps. 20:, the holiness of the help sought being the great point. Thus, then, if the names of the cities all are full of some beauty of our Lord Christ, or of some characteristic of those there protected, the first is holiness. And that is true; for whilst we should expect to find something speaking of salvation or security first, yet we must remember that is found in the very term "city of refuge."

First, we may say, then, these cities speak of refuge,- it is the first and broad idea connected with them; but immediately after that-what? Holiness. "To you first, God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities." The universal lesson of all Scripture,-holiness, consequent on, and immediately following, redemption. The same wall, therefore, that shut in the refugee in perfect peace and security, shut out all impurity and defilement. That is what, I judge, our God would teach us by the foremost place being given to Kedesh. Just as, long afterward, the same blessed Spirit, speaking, not by parables, nor pictures, but plainly, showed that the one death of Christ that delivered us from the judgment of a broken law delivered us also from the power of sin (cf. Rom. 7:and Rom. 6:) Here is a by-way along which the natural heart is prone to wander:"Saved from judgment by free grace ! then let us give grace an opportunity of abounding by continuing in sin." Ah, the deceitfulness of sin is well adapted to a heart "deceitful above all things;" hence plain words of solemn warning-"Be not deceived:God is not mocked:what a man soweth, that shall he also reap." And many a gracious finger-post, in type of various kinds, pointing, at this first by-path, to the straight and narrow way, and saying, "This is the way; walk ye in it." Thou art safe, my soul;-thou hast fled for refuge to the hope set before thee in the gospel. Hearken to the first word that strikes the saved ear-"Kedesh, Kedesh" nor move a step till the lesson has been in measure impressed upon the heart.

Kedesh was given to Gershom the stranger,-perhaps a further idea of separation and a pilgrim-character attached to it.

Shechem, meaning "shoulder," "back." Exactly the same word, " Shechem," is used in Gen. 9:23-" laid it upon their shoulders (shechem)"-that part of the body on which burdens or weights are carried. See also Gen. 49:15-"He bowed his shoulder (shechem) to bear, and became a servant under tribute. Hence the word seems connected with servitude. Look too at Ps. 81:6, Is. 9:4, 10:27; but Is. 9:6 seems very striking, as also connecting government with the "shoulder;" still the idea is the same,-it is that of carrying, bearing, supporting- He shall support, maintain, uphold, the government. (Compare also Is. 22:22.)Now these are not human definitions, but those of the inspired Word itself, and, gathering them together, we conclude that "Shechem" first bears the idea of "service; " (Gen. 49:15 is conclusive as to this,) and surely this follows in beautiful order after "refuge" and "holiness;" not till the meaning of these two earlier words is practically learned does "Shechem " come in, or is service acceptable. But here extremes meet-" he that is chief is as he that serves " (Luke 22:26), and He who came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and was amongst His own "as he that serveth," is the only one fit or capable of maintaining government, which shall be upon His shoulder. Blessed principle! may we learn it, for we too shall, through grace unspeakable, reign with Him. But if so, we must learn that which is so closely connected with government, and must precede it (although never put aside as finished, for He serves ever; and we, in glory, serve) to serve. Blessed principle ! see it dwelt upon in the epistles-i Cor. 16:15:the house of Stephanas were far advanced in this school of service, hence rule, so the saints of Corinth are exhorted to submit themselves to them. (So Refuge, Kedesh, and Shechem once more press the lesson of the law of the sin-offering -Lev. 6:-salvation, holiness, service.) Shechem was situated in Ephraim,-1:e., "fruitfulness;" was it not well placed? The activities of love are the "fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ."

But let us stop a little at Shechem; "go round about her, tell the towers thereof." How much should we lack, lacking Shechem ! Made partakers of the divine nature-Love, and left in a world still lying in the wicked one, where on all sides his prisoners are met,-Shechem lacking, we should have no gospel for them, no deliverance to the captives to preach. The " poor always with" us, without Shechem there would be no ministry of love in doing good to them. The suffering of a groaning creation on every side, but no service of sympathy-weeping with them that weep, as well as rejoicing with them who do rejoice. Ah, should we not miss it were Shechem lacking? Were the outlets of that divine nature stopped, love barred from displaying itself, and shut in upon itself, should we not ourselves be prisoners, and long for the liberty of serving;-to have the "freedom" of this glorious city ours, for here the servants are the freemen ? (i Cor. 7:22.)

"My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." It is as if God Himself were hallowing Shechem with His presence, and He who was one with Him in life and nature were delighting to dwell there too. Consider her palaces, my soul! And this city is ours. Do we appreciate it? Are we enjoying our citizenship of this "no mean city"? or has the pendulum of our lives swung a little too far on the other side, -from the fleshly energy, restless activity, and legal labor which, alas ! so abounds everywhere in Christendom, to what may really largely be slothful ease, fruit of carnal security, whilst precious opportunities never to return are lost, and our ears are dull to hear the Spirit's call:" Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." And we have looked at Mary sitting at her Master's feet-listening, learning, and approved, till some of us have concluded that this attitude gives the only picture of Christian life; but the same Mary teaches us another lesson in Jno. 11:, nor is the service of Martha in that scene checked in the slightest, or out of harmony with it. The "care" and "trouble" of Luke 10:showed that she was not then true dweller in Shechem-her citizens serve with joy :'tis liberty and relief. An easy yoke, not cumbersome. Oh to breathe the healthful, bracing air of this lovely city-Shechem !

Hebron, the third city, means "association, confederation," hence carries the idea of fellowship, communion. Jacob sent Joseph out of the vale of Hebron (where he was at home-loved, understood,-where heart answered heart in sweet communion,) to Shechem (service), for those who hated him and purposed to stay him. No communion there; " He came to His own, and His own received Him not;"-from the Father's bosom He came _the vale of Hebron. How sweetly, then, this name " Hebron" speaks to us, when taken in this opposite order after Shechem, of communion restored, of " fellowship with us (as John writes), and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ."For sent from Hebron to Shechem is John's gospel (chap, 1:), but here Hebron after Refuge and Kedesh and Shechem is John's epistle-He came from the Father's bosom to serve, He has gone back there-to Hebron; but not alone-He has taken His redeemed with Him:" Because I live, ye shall live also," He said; and, lo, we are in Hebron too. Fellowship with the Father !understanding, through the blessed Spirit, something of His heart, recognizing in whom that heart delights, and sharing (through that one blessed Spirit), in our feeble way, in that delight; entering a very little way, but still truly entering, led by divine power, into His thoughts of the Son; resting on His finished work, where God rests; gazing on His beauty with joy-a joy perfect in the Father's heart only. The Father's counsels and purposes all determining that He shall be exalted to highest glory, and our voices and hearts saying, "Amen! for He is worthy ! "-it is the vale of Hebron in which we are,-fellowship, too, with the Son ! What are His thoughts-that blessed Son? What is His delight, in which His people may, in measure, share ? The Father is perfectly glorified,-where He was dishonored, there far more exceeding glory has been His. The "fifth part" has been added to that which He had lost through sin staining His work-through the robbery of the first man, who sought to be equal with God :His will has been done. Blessed, precious, almighty will! Love and Light have each been perfectly accounted of, and God is no longer narrowed-straightened, with vail up, but can show Himself unhindered, "able to do exceeding, abundantly." We may, too, have fellowship with His praise. " We join the praises that He leadeth." " In the midst of the church will I sing praise unto Thee;" and we learn to say with Him, " Our God, our Father," as He said, " Go, tell My brethren that' I ascend unto My God and your God, to My Father and your Father." Yes, He has not gone back alone to that Bosom from which He came;- He has taken brethren with Him back to the vale of Hebron; He has brought us to His Father's house, and (think of it for thyself, my soul !) sinners of the Gentiles are "fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God." Yes, as we walk on earth, this is fulfilled. The path that He trod is ours:if we suffer with Him, we shall reign with Him. And in all these things, and far more, we have fellowship with one another:-no lonely strangers are the Lord's people in Him; they are in sweet companionship; they are of one household; they share each other's joys, trials, burdens, after the pattern of their ever blessed Lord.

Hebron is in Judah-" praise," beautiful for situation again; for John writes, when, as we may say, inviting us to dwell at Hebron, (chap. 1:4), " that your joy may be full." And "full joy" means "melody in the heart," and that, most surely, is "praise." F. C. J.

( To be continued in next number.)

Q.5. _"How can we reconcile the statement that James, who was the Lord's brother, was also the son of Alpheus. It appears there were but two Jameses among the apostles, and James the less is the son of Alpheus, and identical with the apostle of that name referred to in Acts 15:13, 21:18, and Gal., 1:19, 2:9. Who is the James of Matt. 13:55 and Mark 6:3 ? It appears to the mind very evident that this is the Lord's brother, referred to by Paul; but how, then, is he the son of Alpheus?"
J.H.G.

Ans.-It is, as you say, evident that the James spoken of in passages is one person. He is the son of Mary (wife of Cleopas, the Hebrew form of "Alpheus" the Greek word). Mark 15:40; Matt, 27:50; Luke 24:10. This Mary was the sister of our Lord's mother (Jno. xix 25); so that, according to familiar Hebrew usage, her children, being near relatives of our Lord Jesus, were called His brethren. Jacob tells Rachel he was her father's brother; literally, he was nephew to Laban. Lot says to Abram, "We be brethren." Jude was another of these sons, and he was the brother of James. (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13; Jude 1.)

Q. 6.-" How are we to reconcile the call of Andrew and Peter seen in Jno. 1:(as it appears they met the Lord and began their discipleship down by the Jordan,) with that of Matt, 4:, where the Lord meets and calls them up by the sea of Galilee ?" J. H. C.

Ans. -The first call, at Jordan, was when John the Baptist had pointed out Jesus as the " Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world."They follow Jesus, and become acquainted Him. This was their salvation-call. Next, at Galilee, we their call from their nets, to be "fishers of men." This was their service-call. All the Lord's people have these two %-first, to Jesus as Saviour-the Lamb of God; second, as Lord and Master. So far from conflicting, they fill out and sup-" one another. After the first call, Andrew and Peter evidently did not give up their former occupation; after the second, they did.

Q. 7.-"How do we reconcile the account of the last passover Jesus kept with the disciples as seen in the synoptic gospels- Matthew, Mark, Luke, with the account in Jno. 13:? In Jno. 18:28 and 19:14, it appears the passover had not been observed by the Jews, while Jesus and His disciples had kept it; and the accounts in the three first gospels seem to be clear it was the regular time (14th Nisan) to observe it." J. B. G.

Ans.-There can be no question that our Lord and His disciples, ate the passover on the proper night. The Jews also, doubtless, ate it on the same night. The passages referred to in John do not mean that they had not eaten the passover-supper, but refer to the whole feast of unleavened bread, as in Luke 22:1-"Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the passover.""The preparation" in Jno. 19:14 is not the preparation for the passover, but for the Sabbath, following which was "an high day." (Luke 23:54; Mark 15:42; Jno. 19:31.)

Q. 8.-"Does the fact of the Lord Jesus being the first-fruits of the resurrection forbid the thought that the body of Moses was raised from among the dead ?How else could his body have been seen on the mount of transfiguration ? Could not Moses, and others mentioned in the New Testament have been raised in virtue of Christ's resurrection not yet accomplished ?"- S.A.C.
Ans.-It is evident that Scripture is purposely silent with regard to the resurrection of persons before that of our Lord took place. Not that it was impossible that such did take place, but they are not mentioned prominently, because Christ was not yet risen. There are but three cases which could have occurred,- that of Moses, who appeared glorified on the "holy mount" along with Elijah, who typified the " changed" saints, as Moses did the sleeping ones raised. Enoch was translated that he should not see death. He was not, for God took him. In both his case and that of Elijah, it seems a necessary inference that they were "changed," which answers to resurrection. But, as was said, all is left in obscurity till the resurrection of our Lord. Even those graves which were opened at our Lord's crucifixion did not yield up their dead till after His resurrection. (Matt, 27:51-53.) Besides these, there were in Old-Testament times, but specially in our Lord's life, many raisings from the dead; but these were only temporary. The persons were still mortal, and in due time again fell asleep.

The Light of heaven is the face of Jesus. The Joy of heaven is the presence of Jesus.

The Melody of heaven is the name of Jesus. The Harmony of heaven is the praise of Jesus. The Theme of heaven is the work of Jesus. The Employment of heaven is the service of Jesus. The Fullness of heaven is Jesus Himself.

We often hear the expression " heavenly."Well, no person can be "heavenly"unless he lives in heaven. The fact is, we all of us have too much the tendency to put off heaven until we die. We think of it as the place where God is, and where Christ is, and it is the resource for us when we leave this world, when we leave our bodies behind us. When we cannot live any longer here, we go to heaven. Or, it may be, if you advance a little upon that, when a person has every thing blighted and ruined down here, and there is not a single thing left, then he turns to heaven. It is like a person taking refuge from the storm, and when the storm is over, coming out again to enjoy the things around. Is that the case with you and me, beloved friends? That is the natural tendency of our hearts. We have very poorly, if at all in our souls, the thought of continuously abiding in that wonderful place where God is free to express Himself in all the infinite fullness of His love to us. He does not express Himself to us here. He gives us His care, His sympathy, His help, His cheer, His solace; He takes us by the hand, and leads us along the way, every step of the journey :but He does not express Himself to us here. He does there-that is the difference. That is what I feel, beloved friends, that we want, every one of us, in these days,-a more habitual dwelling in the house of the Lord. You may depend upon it, we should be a different kind of people altogether if we dwelt there. It is not visiting there, it is not running there for shelter out of the storm; but I will tell you what it is,-it is knowing it as home, with all the joys of home. Do you know what they are ? Home ! It is not being driven there through sheer necessity, but it is the attractiveness of it that draws us there. What do you know of the attractions of that blessed One who is up there? You see, it is not a doctrine, nor a theory; but it is a divine, living, adorable, blessed, transcendent Person for our affections. It is a Person who has an attractiveness peculiar to Himself, and one who throws this attractiveness, and blessedness, and beauty connected with Himself, around the affections of my heart. It is not, as I said, that I am driven by mere necessity from all the things that are round about me here, but I am attracted by the beauties and blessedness and glories of that scene where Christ is every thing to God, and where God delights to express Himself in all His fullness.

There is the spot I long more to dwell in, to live in, to abide in; that is the place I desire to know as my home, and that is the one thing the Psalmist speaks of here. To me, it is a beautiful instance of the expression of this divine life in a person, the life of God-" One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life."

Now I see all this in its perfection in Christ as a man. We get it in that beautiful passage, " No man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, the Son of Man "-who was in heaven. Is that it? No. "Who is in heaven." Take Him as a man (He was the mighty God, the Creator and Preserver of all things, as well)-as the perfect man, He who walked that magnificent, blessed, shining pathway, that we have traced out for us in the gospels, and which, by the Holy Ghost, we can read and think over and delight in. Was it not this continuous, blessed, wonderful communion, intercourse with all that belonged to that blessed place from whence He came, that so marked His way? As He said, '' I know whence I came, and whither I go." There was all that blessed distinctiveness and separateness about His walk here. Is there, in our measure, that about us? Are we like people who know whither we go ? Is that the thing which day by day is telling itself out in your business, in your home, in your intercourse one with another, in your families? What I am speaking of is a practical thing. It goes down into the most minute circumstances of our daily life. There is to be this blessed testimony stamped upon it, that "I dwell in the house of the Lord." What sort of people should we be if there were that distinctiveness about us, and divine satisfaction and rest! W. T. T.

The life of Jesus was the bright shining of a candle. It was such a lamp in the house of God as needed no golden tongs or snuff-dishes. It was ordered before the Lord continually, burning as from pure beaten oil. It was making manifest all that was around, exposing and reproving; but it ever held its own place uncondemned.

Whether challenged by disciples or adversaries, as the Lord was again and again, there is never an excusing of Himself. On one occasion, disciples complain, " Master, carest Thou not that we perish?" But He does not think of vindicating the sleep out of which this challenge awakes Him. On another occasion, they object to Him, "The multitude throng Thee, and sayest Thou, ' Who touched Me?' " But He does not need this inquiry, but acts upon the satisfaction of it. At another time, Martha says to "Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." But He does not excuse His not having been there, nor His delaying for two days in the place where He was, but instructs Martha in the wondrous character which His delay had given to that hour. All this tells us of the way of the perfect Master. Appearances might have been against Him at times. Why did He sleep in the boat when the winds and waves were raging? Why did He loiter on the road when Jairus's daughter was dying ? or why did He tarry where He was when His friend Lazarus was sick in the distant village of Bethany? But all this is but appearance, and that for a moment. We have heard of these ways of Jesus,-this sleep, this loitering, and this tarrying, but we also see the end of Jesus, that all is perfect. Appearances were against the God of Job in patriarchal days. Messenger after messenger seemed too much, unrelenting, and inexorable; but the God of Job had not to excuse Himself, nor has the Jesus of the evangelists.

Therefore, when we look at the Lord Jesus as the lamp of the sanctuary-the light in the house of God, we find at once that the tongs and snuff-dishes cannot be used. They are discovered to have no counterpart in Him. Consequently, they who undertook to challenge or rebuke Him when He was here had to go back rebuked and put to shame themselves. They were using the tongs and snuffers with a lamp which did not need them, and they only betrayed their folly; and the light of this lamp shone the brighter, not because the tongs had been used, but because it was able to give forth some fresh witness (which it did on every occasion) that it did not need them.

I may further observe, that as He did not excuse Himself to the judgment of man in the course of His ministry, as we have now seen, so in the hour of His weakness, when the powers of darkness were all against Him, He did not cast Himself on the pity of man. When He became the prisoner of the Jews and of the Gentiles, He did not entreat them or sue to them. No appeal to compassion, no pleading for life is heard. He had prayed to the Father in Gethsemane, but there is no seeking to move the Jewish high-priest or the Roman governor.

I have heard of one who, observing His bright and blessed ways in the four gospels, was filled with tears and affections, and was heard to cry out, " Oh that I were with Him !"

If one may speak for others, beloved, it is this we want, and it is this we covet. We know our need, but we can say, the Lord knows our desire.-(From "Meditations on the Moral Glory of the Lord Jesus Christ")

A RECORD OF THE SOUL’S PROGRESS, AND A WITNESS TO THE WORD.

Josh. 15:26-28.

Today we are in the presence of a most solemn thing. We see men who are professed teachers of the Word of God giving up the claim that it is really that. They allow that Scripture contains the word of God, but deny that it is the Word of God, or that its words are in every part from Him. That is what I believe and hold to, that every word is of Him. Of course, no one questions that there are mistakes in our translations, and even in the existing copies of the original. Neither translators nor those who copied from the old manuscripts were kept from the possibility of error in their work. But what is meant is that if we could get back to the original, and behind all the copies, we should find, absolutely flawless accuracy in every part:in that sense, I do assert that we have verbal inspiration; and that its cosmogony, history, geography, as well as spiritual truth, is, one as much as the other, perfect. As the Lord asserts for Himself, so may we for all Scripture, " If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not,, how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things ?" If Scripture fails in truthfulness just where it can be tested, how can it be worthy to be believed in matters where we cannot test it ?

I am not to-day going over any of the usual kind of evidence as to these points, however. God has given us, I believe, for these times in which it is so much needed, a new key to the interpretation of His Word, enabling us to realize its complete inspiration more perfectly than ever yet, and to get at its meaning more perfectly also. Mathematics we speak of as what at least is absolute truth. Now it is capable of the fullest proof that God has, by means of the symbolism of numbers, brought in mathematics as a witness to the certainty and fullness of His Word. He has given it, in short, everywhere, and even, as it would appear, in an almost microscopical way, a numerical structure, which certifies it by illuminating it. Thus, if there are five books of Moses, there is a reason why there should be just that number, and why each book should stand where it does in its numerical place,-a reason founded upon the meaning of the number itself in Scripture, and the agreement of that meaning with the character of the book itself.

Just so with the divisions of each book, and with the divisions of those divisions, until, in some places, it goes down to the very words themselves,-each true division manifests itself as that by the same agreement between the character of the division and the meaning of the number of its place. And this is what I hope to show you now:nine words are all my text; and I believe I can demonstrate to you that each of these words is perfectly in place,-that its place accords with its meaning,-that is, its number declares its nature, the whole combining to bring out of the words a spiritual significance which proves the whole to be divine ! And this I would gladly have subjected to the fullest and keenest criticism that can be given to it. I have no doubt whatever that it will stand it all; and that it will not only stand as a proof, not to be gainsaid, of the perfect inspiration of Scripture, but also as a witness that we may and must read our Bibles more closely than ever yet, and that so read, they have an infinite store of blessing for us, which may He use, as He would, for sanctification to our souls.

If we take up the book of Joshua, every one is aware that there are in it whole chapters which consist almost entirely of names,-the boundary-lines of tribes, the cities belonging to them, etc. What are we to think of these Chapters? what is their use? what spiritual significance have they? If you examine the commentaries, you will find literally nothing in the latter way. They will tell you where such or such a place is to be found or not to "be found. They will give you criticisms upon the text, linguistic or archaeological. But as for any thing that would speak to the heart of a child of God as of something from his Father to him :what, indeed, can you expect of it from a mere list of names?

It is a very serious question. For if indeed it be but a list of names,-if there be in it materials for history, geography,-anything else you please, but nothing spiritual, then why should there be the need of inspiration to record it? To admit this as fact is to give the deniers of verbal inspiration their best possible argument, and liberty to the destructionist critics to do all they please with what, if taken out of our Bibles, no one would regret or miss.

Well, you say, out of Judah's hundred and fifteen cities, bow many should we miss ? Yes, but whose fault is this ? Just having been through the whole, I can say, that with perhaps one doubtful exception, I know of none but Stand in their place, figures in a continuous picture or series of pictures, of the greatest beauty, and deepest significance from end to end. Take one away out of any of these, there would be a loss indeed; and this we shall see out of the nine names before us.

Only a list of names ? Look in the seventh of Hebrews, and see how much significance is to be found in a few names. " For this Melchisedek, 'king of righteousness,' priest of the Most High God, . . . first being by interpretation, ' king of righteousness,' and after that, ' king of Salem,' which is to say, 'king of peace.'" Notice how the apostle not only translates the names, but how he insists too upon the order :" first, ' King of righteousness,' and after that,' King of Salem,' which is,' King of peace;'"what a withering contempt would be poured upon us by our fine critics to-day if we dared to insist upon such importance of the order, " first " and " after that " ! and yet it can be justified most fully as having spiritual necessity. The Lord will in fact be " King of righteousness," acting in judgment to remove out of the way the evil, before He can become "King of Salem," and bring in peace. But if we were to go through Scripture like that, would it not give us everywhere plenty of matter for research ? Would it not make us feel that there was treasure under our feet in every spot we trod upon in Scripture, and show us perhaps, in result, that in just the most barren-seeming spots the mines are ? For, assuredly, here as in nature, not all the gold gleams upon the surface; and where it does so, it is witness to the richer veins that lie beneath. And Scripture searched in this way now, with honest, believing, patient industry, with what riches will it not repay us (after all that has been spent on it) to-day !

In this fifteenth of Joshua, the names of the cities of Judah fill a large part of the sixty-three verses. I am merely going to translate a few of them, and show how they read as Scripture puts them together. In such a book as " Pilgrim's Progress," the names are in English, and we are assured by simply reading them that they are intended to have spiritual significance. If we were Hebraists, we should find large quantities of Bible names just as simple as Bunyan's. " Melchisedek " is as clear to one who understands Hebrew, as "king of righteousness" is to us. I do not mean that every word will be as clear as that by any means; yet there is significance all through, and to be found. Vocabularies differ much; but the meaning need not be uncertain if we will attend to the help that God has given us to assure ourselves what is the true one.
A list of names standing separately merely, we might be in doubt about. Words thus apart, and forming no sentences, might have easily different meanings attaching to them. Grouped in sentences they ought to speak. If God's mind be in them they ought to speak what would be worthy of the mind of God. We shall find that this is what these names really do. They are grouped for us, and as so grouped have evident relation to one another, and form connected lines of thought. I have spoken of them as pictures, and so they are, with their meanings on their faces, as good pictures will have:some of the most beautiful in God's Word, I believe, are to be found in these names. I care very little for what commentators can tell me about them ; I care not very much whether they can find the ruins that stand for them to-day :but I do care very much to know that they have admonition, comfort, hope, for me to-day; and that God speaks in them still in His own blessed way effectively. May our hearts realize this now !

If we look at these cities of Judah, we shall find that they are divided first of all according to the character of the district to which they belong :first, the South ; then the vale, or rather, the lowland ; then the mountains ; then the wilderness. The cities of the south are numbered for us-29 :though there is a difficulty about this, which I cannot now enter into; 29 is really the number.

In this large group, we have smaller ones also, which may be discerned by the absence of the usual conjunction thus:"Kabzeel, and Eder, and Jagur, and Kinah, and Dimonah, and Adadah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Ithnan,"-then comes the break,-" Ziph, and Telem, and Bealoth, and Hazor-hadattah, and Kerioth-hezron, which is Hazor "-(so it ought to be read):there we find a second break. The third group is the one we are to look at, and is cut off in a similar manner from the following one.

In this group there is still implied a smaller division ; for 9 seems always to be in Scripture a 3 x 3, 3 multiplied by itself, and thus intensified. Our group is thus a third group, and a triple group of threes, and every name will have attached to it its appropriate number.

I need not say much now about the numbers. It is clear that we are only concerned with three of them, and it is enough for the present to remind ourselves that these have largely their significance from the Trinity, and 3 especially from the Spirit and His work.

The tribe of Judah represents the people of God as a worshiping people ; " Judah " means " praise; " " now will I praise the Lord," said Leah, when she had borne him. But the form of this praise is confession literally, " the fruit of the lips confessing His name." To confess what He has done, what He is, is His sufficient praise; and what the cities of the South speak of is the power of God in behalf of His people. The first group thus of electing love and care ; the second, of salvation ; the third, with which we have now to do, with the work of the Spirit.

We have three stages, then, of this, and three names in each stage. The first, we would naturally say, must be new birth, for there is no work of the Spirit in us before new birth; and so it is:the third name of the first three is Moladah, "birth." Third, being both the operation of the Spirit and a resurrection, or at least, a quickening out of death.

Can we know more precisely that such a birth is what is meant ? The Old Testament has not the phrase at all:can we be sure that we have here the thought? Yes, if we will look back at the word immediately preceding. It is the second name, and two is the number of sufficient testimony :" the testimony of two men is true," the Lord says, referring to Deuteronomy. The second word is Shema, "a report:" "faith cometh by hearing," says the apostle ; rather, "a report," " and the report by the word of God." But faith comes in only in new birth:where faith is, life is. Of those who receive Christ it is written, "To them gave He authority to become the children of God"-this is the full sense of the Greek,-"who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

Shema, Moladah, give us, then, birth by the Spirit of God and divine testimony, the " report" of the gospel. Yet, strictly, to know that it is new birth we must go back to the first word of the three, which as yet we have omitted :it is Amam, " mother," or perhaps, " their mother." If we are to hear of new birth, we must first realize the old one, and its nature. For this purpose, " father" would be equivocal :God is our Father in new birth, and even by creation (the fall not being considered) we are "off-spring of God." But our mother, poor Eve, through her sin came into the world, and "how can he be clean," asks Job, "that is born of woman ?" Save by the special power of God, is the inevitable answer, none; not one.

Thus all is clear:not one of these names is redundant, -not one could be spared ; each adds a needed thought to the rest; each in its order, each fulfilling its numerical significance; the whole giving completely what is needed for the truth to be conveyed, and beyond that nothing. The first stage ends with the first spiritual work accomplished-new birth.

A momentous beginning ; and which makes sure the end. Eternal life has begun in the soul:we have become partakers of the divine nature ; God is our Father:in all this there can be no change. Yet is there still within us that which is not of God, nay, which is in opposition to Him. " If Christ be in you," says the apostle, "the body is dead because of sin." Of him in whom the Spirit of God is, it is said, "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit; " and new birth, instead of being the end of conflict, is more truly the beginning of it. The seventh of Romans is the history of a soul born again, with the new desires and affections of a child of God, and yet having to cry, "the good that I would I do not; the evil that I would not, that I do :" a " body of death " lying upon the now living man which he cannot deal with nor throw off. It is to this which the second series introduces us ; this struggle and the deliverance which it recounts. The first word here is characteristic:it is-

" Hazar-gaddah," a compound word, meaning "an in closure of conflict." Why an inclosure ? Manifestly, an inclosure of conflict would be something shutting one up to this, like the amphitheater of old for the gladiator slave:and this is a bondage, a slavery:what is it that pens us up to this unutterable misery, and permits no escape ? What is it that gives power to the evil, not to the soul that seeks deliverance from it? The answer is simple, if the soul is simple:"the strength of sin is the law;" " sin taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me ; and that which was ordained to life I found to be unto death." And so all do find who honestly put themselves under it; for man being always the same, and God's principles the same, the experiment works out infallibly to the conclusion, no experiment that science knows can possibly be surer.

Christians, then, ought to be all perfectly agreed about this :it would seem so ; alas ! the fact is not as it would seem. Many, in terms, know nothing about this conflict, -deny it to be the experience of a converted man at all; many more contradict this with the assertion that it is the continual, proper experience of every Christian man. As to the law, the popular Christian conscience is shocked by the assertion that the " law is the strength of sin," and the popular faith is that Moses is the best friend to holiness, and that the rule of law is the only guarantee for conduct.

After all, can we be so sure about the experiment ? As sure as we can be about Scripture:for Scripture vouches for the result. And the different experiences can be explained only in this way, that the terms of the experiment have not been adhered to.

If we will keep to Scripture all is plain. The law is "holy, just, and good;" but it is not on that account the strength of holiness. There is no need to doubt the goodness of a plow, because no wheat will be produced by the plowing. The plow is most necessary in order to a harvest, but it is quite as necessary that the plow should depart when it has done its work. The reign of the plow, the constant use of it over the field, would be the surest way of destroying the harvest.

Nothing is plainer in Scripture than that the law and grace are entire opposites ; that the law is not of faith; that sin shall not have dominion over us, because we are not under the law, but under grace. Nothing is clearer in the apostle's experience than that " without the law, sin was dead ;" that he " was alive without the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived, and he died ; " that so in his experience, the law, which was ordained to life, he found to be unto death. Nothing is plainer than that he gives this experience as in no wise merely his own, but that on this very account we have become " dead to the law by the body of Christ, that we should be married to Another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit unto God."

Observe well :this is no question of peace with God, or of works for justification. That question is taken up, and fully, elaborately answered in the third and fourth chapters of the same epistle. The seventh of Romans gives us the question so much agitating men's minds now, -finding, I fear, so little right settlement, because the statements here are so little listened to,-the question of holiness. It is a question of how sin shall not have dominion, and how we shall bring forth fruit unto God.

The dominion of law and of grace cannot be together :they are mutually destructive; or, to use the apostle's other figure, as surely as a wife cannot have two husbands at the same time, so the soul cannot be united to the law and to Christ together. But the law came first, and law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth. How, then, can we be delivered ? By death, and by death alone:"Ye are become dead to the law." Not, the law is dead, but ye are. How? "By the body of Christ;" Christ as our Substitute having died for us, and died under the law's curse, "made a curse for us,"our connection with law as Christians is ended and over. We are free, and belong to Him who has delivered us:we are free to serve in newness of spirit,-to bring forth fruit to God.

The law, then, is for the Christian only Hazar-gaddah. It is an"inclosure of conflict,"-nothing could more truly define it. It is the amphitheater pf the slave, shut up to a most unequal struggle. "O wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me?" is the cry of despair under it. But before we go on to deliverance, let us notice how the numbers confirm the interpretation here.

Hazar-gaddah is the first name in the second group :its numbers are therefore 2 and 1:But 2 is the number of law as a covenant r it has two parties, and here is the misery of it. God and man have each to fulfill their part. No fear for God ; but for man,-ah, who that knows him can trust him ? who that knows himself can trust himself ? And the number 2 is significantly also the number which speaks of difference, of division (it is the first number that divides), and so of conflict. As the number of the group, it confirms the thought that it is the truth as to the Law which occupies us.

And 1 is the number of rule; as an"ordinal, the first implies supremacy. The "rule of law" thus exactly suits the numbers, as it does the meaning of "Hazar-gaddah;" the rule of law means a shutting up to strife,-an "in-closure of conflict."

But how do we find deliverance practically ? This brings us to the second name ; and the number 2 has its good side as well as its bad. All the numbers have both. On the good side, it is the number of help. "Two are better than one," says the preacher, " for if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow." (Eccl. 4:9, 10.) Thus in our language also, to "second" is to help. It is the Second Person of the Trinity who is the Saviour of men. The second book of Moses is Exodus, the book of redemption; and so one might go on.

How, then, do we find deliverance ? Not by any victory we can attain in the conflict. Not by any infusion of strength, by which God helps us to help ourselves. This cannot change the rule under which we are:we cannot struggle out from under law into grace. " Who shall deliver?" Why, Christ:there is none other:"I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord." What is the method of this deliverance ? It is-

" Heshmon," "quiet reckoning:" that is to say, "faith." Yes, deliverance from the power of sin is attained by faith ; holiness is realized by faith. So much is sure. But faith must have God's word to justify it, or it is not faith. What does this faith lay hold of, and find strength in ? for it finds none in itself, or it would not be faith. It is in Christ, and in His death as delivering me from law, in His life as my Representative before God, so that I am in Him, " accepted in the Beloved," not only my sins put away, but my self put away from before God, with all that upon which my eyes were just now fixed :" knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed,"-really, "annulled," brought practically to nothing-"that henceforth we should not serve sin." (Rom. 6:6.)

This is God's method:"Heshmon," "quiet reckoning." "Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto God in Christ Jesus" (5:ii, R. V.) "Reckon yourselves to be dead :" reckon, not feel, or find; " reckon that your old man is dead," not because no evil stirs in you, but because Christ has died, and you have died with Him. Reckon in the work of the cross :you cannot feel the cross; take God's account of what it has done for you, and that you are " in Christ," a "man in Christ," identified with Christ where He is. Only faith can realize that!

Thus you will have, what comes next here, in the third place, under the resurrection number,- " Beth-pelet," "the house of escape." Yes, if you will take God's estimate of what you are, if you will accept Christ for all He is to you, then you will have the most blessed "escape " possible-an escape from yourself, an escape from self-occupation, from self-confidence and unprofitable lament over yourself, alike ; an escape into the liberty of occupation with Christ, of joy in Him, and power for holiness :for in occupation with Him, and in identifying yourself in faith with Him with whom God has identified you, you will find (if this be real) how the old things that held you lose their power, how the self-interest becomes His interests, how even the thought of your own holiness will have dropped, whether as a disturbing or a complacent thought. Christ Himself will be the Sun of glory, and what glory may get upon your face it will be but the glow of His brightness. " For we all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Cor. 3:18.) This is Beth-pelet, the "house of escape."It is home for the heart, an object for the affections, a place of rest and happiness, "quiet from the fear of evil."In His house He rules, and rules out disturbance. Winds and waves obeyed Him of old in the open boat in Galilee ; and the " house of escape " knows no tempest, no disturbance. Christ is Master:grace is the rule; love the sweet compelling power. To maintain this place, here there may be conflict; here the world will bring its attractions to draw you off; but run to your hiding-place – to this place whose door is ever open, where unchanging love has perpetual title to display itself to you :here is your refuge – refuge from yourself first of all – refuge from every wind that blows. Christ is Master, and with a sweet imperative infinitely beyond that of Moses, – " Master and Lord " of all.

Thus the second series ends; and again there is nothing in excess, nothing in defect. In this second series, note also that Christ is really as much in relation to it as in the first series it is the Father :children of the Father, in Christ before God, these have been the underlying truths respectively; though it is the Spirit's work which we are really following all through. F. W. G.

(Concluded in next number.)

The Sabbath question is their pet doctrine, and, ac-cording to their views, all Christians should keep the seventh day, according to the fourth commandment. Thus they put Christians back on Jewish ground, and set aside Christianity. The whole teaching of Seventh-Day Adventists is far more serious than people generally imagine. It is not a mere mistake as to a minor point of doctrine, but it is a system of doctrine which undermines the whole truth of Christianity, and puts its followers not only on Jewish ground, under law, and therefore under the curse (Gal. 3:10); but it leaves them without a Saviour (though they speak of Christ and His blood), for the Christ they speak of is not the Christ revealed in Scripture; He is for them, merely, the noblest Being in the universe save One. While, as we have seen, they have no atonement, and no present certainty of salvation. With them, eternal life is not a present but a future thing; and annihilation is the final doom of the impenitent. These, and other things which they teach, plainly show that it is a system which completely undermines Christianity,-one of the blinding and satanic delusions of the last days (i Tim. 3:i ; 2 Tim. 4:3, 4), from which may the good Lord deliver His people.

To turn, then, to the Sabbath. It is not a question of whether the Seventh day is the Sabbath or not. Unquestionably it is. And here, let me add, unhappily many good men have made grievous mistakes by contending that the seventh day has been changed to the first day of the week ; and the Adventist boldly challenges them to show one text from the Scriptures to prove it and they cannot do it.-Of course not. There is no such thing. Then, others lecture on " The Christian Sabbath," and quote history and the Fathers to show that the first day of the week is the Christian Sabbath, only to be again challenged and overthrown by the Adventist to the surprise of their audiences, the defeat of themselves, and the success of Adventism. It is all a total blunder; the seventh day is the Sabbath, and no other. God never changed it, and no one else ever can. The Jews still keep it, and Seventh-Day Adventists so far sail in the same boat. But the root of the whole question is not which is the proper day to keep, but, Are Christians under law, or not. This is the real question, which, when settled, settles the Sabbath question. If Christians are under law, then the seventh day, not a seventh day, but the seventh day alone-no other-must be kept, according to the fourth commandment. There is no escape. If, on the other hand, the Christian is not under law, then to command him to keep the Sabbath is to annul the gospel and deny Christianity.

We see at once that this raises the whole question as to what the Christian state and position is. Whether the Christian is in Adam, or in Christ?-in the flesh, or in the Spirit?-on the ground of responsibility to obtain blessing by keeping the law, or taken up and blessed on the ground of sovereign grace through faith, and therefore responsible to act consistently in the new relationship in which that grace has set him ?To set forth the truth in a Scriptural way, I shall have to unfold some of the teachings of the epistle to the Romans, as also that to the Galatians. I shall, however, do it as briefly as possible, and would press upon each Christian reader the necessity of carefully and prayerfully considering with his open Bible before him the truths here set forth.

In the epistle to the Romans, man, both Jew and Gentile, is shown to be " guilty before God." The Gentiles in chap. 1:18-32. Then the educated men-the philosophers, also Gentiles, in chap. 2:1-16. The Jews are next taken up in chap. 2:17 to 3:9 ; then the testimony of the Scriptures is given from the Psalms and the Prophets that all are guilty, so that " there is none righteous, no not one" (ver. 10-18). Thus "every mouth is stopped, and all the world guilty before God " (ver. 19).
Next, we have "the righteousness of God"seen in freely justifying men, proved to be ungodly and guilty sinners, because of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ (ver. 24, 25) ; faith being the principle on which that blessing is received, not works of any kind (chap. 4:4, 5). This is further seen by our attention being called to the difference between Abraham and us. He believed that God would give him a son(ver. 18); he believed the promise of God (ver. 20), and God reckoned him righteous(ver. 22). We believe an accomplished fact-that God has given us His Son, "delivered Him for our offenses, and raised Him again for our justification " (ver. 25).Not, He will do it; but He has done it, and righteousness is reckoned to all who believe (ver. 23, 24). The blessed results of the wonderful action on the part of God are seen in chap, 5:, and are the portion of all who have believed the gospel." Being justified by faith we have peace with God" (ver. i); so that the past is settled perfectly and permanently, and the believer has peace as to it. Next, as to the present, he has a perfect standing before God (ver. 2). Then as to the future, he rejoices in hope of the glory of God(ver. 2).Not only so, he glories in tribulation as he learns his lessons on the way home, the love of God being shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost which is given unto him (ver. 3-5).And lastly, he is able even to joy in God Himself (ver. ii).Thus, the question of the believer's guilt is perfectly and permanently settled, and he is justified by God, and stands justified before God. But now comes another question. What about his state? He is a child of Adam and possesses an evil nature. Is what Scripture calls "in the flesh." (Rom. 8:9.) Is under the power of sin (chap. 6:20) and of law (chap, 7:i), and needing deliverance from these things. This, which God has provided for likewise in His grace as the portion of the believer, is next taught in this wonderful epistle. Not that these things are necessarily consecutive. They may all be concurrent. But the subjects are different and taught separately.

Having heard the word of truth, the gospel of his salvation, and having trusted in Christ; the believer is thereupon sealed with the Holy Ghost. (Eph. 1:13.)He is therefore in Christ, and Christ is in him. (Jno. 14. 20.) He is no longer in the flesh, but in the Spirit. (Rom. 8:9, 10.)Now, Christ having died and risen after having glorified God about the question of sins and sin, He has now taken His place as Head of a new race, as Adam was the head of a fallen race. The condition, therefore, of the head is necessarily that of all who form the race. Adam's one act of disobedience constituted all his race sinners, and involves them in all the consequences of that act. (Rom. 5:12.)So Christ's one act of obedience unto death (Phil. 2:8) constitutes His race righteous, and makes them sharers in all the blessed results of His act. (Rom. 5:12-21.)

The question of guilt having been settled, and that of headship of race clearly set forth, the apostle proceeds to apply this last truth to the question of sin and law. God has, first of all, " condemned sin in the flesh." (Rom. 8:3.) "Our old man has been crucified with Him" (Christ). (Rom. 6:6.) Thus the evil nature in us has been dealt with by God, and condemned in the sacrifice of Christ. God will, therefore, have nothing more to say to it. It is still in us, and ready to act if we allow it, but this we must not do, and at death, or the coming of the Lord, we shall leave it behind forever. But, further, the believer can say he has died to sin. (Rom. 6:6.) This is true of him as in Christ, because Christ actually died to it on the cross, and the believer is now in Him. And he accepts this truth of being dead with Christ to sin, and practices it by reckoning himself dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto God in Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom. 6:ii), he finds a present deliverance from the power of sin (Rom. 6:14), and looks forward to the time when he shall be delivered from its very presence. (Rom. 8:23.)
In chap. 7:this is applied to the question of law. The apostle is there speaking to those who were under law (the Jews). The law was never given to Gentiles. (Ps. 147:19. 20; Rom. 2:14.) They were never under law, though they do put themselves under it now, and it thus becomes very useful to teach them what they are. He says, " I speak to those who know law (Jews), that law has dominion over a man as long as he liveth." (ver. 1:) Then he proceeds to show that the believer has died to law by the body of Christ, (ver. 4.) This he repeats in ver. 6. "But now we are delivered from the law, being dead to that wherein we were held (margin); that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter." Then is the law dead and gone, as some affirm? No! Certainly not! Such a thought is not found in Scripture, and we would strenuously resist such an idea. " Is the law sin? God forbid." Do we then set the law aside? No, in no wise. Such a thing would be wickedness ! But in the person of our Substitute whom it condemned and crucified when in grace He took our place, it has set us aside, for we have died to it. And the grasping of this glorious emancipating truth which I shall still further prove, delivers forever from the folly and Judaism of Seventh-day Adventism.

Suppose a man commits murder:we know that the end of the law for murder is the end of the rope. Now, if the murderer is hanged, is the law set aside ? No ! It is vindicated !Its claims are established and vindicated in the fullest way by the death of the murderer, and it stands there in its full force the same as ever, forbidding the crime of murder, and pronouncing death as the penalty for committing it. Thus the law is not made void, but established in the way God justifies the believer. (Rom. 3:31.)The law said, "Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen." (Deut. 27:26.)This law is used by the apostle in Gal. 3:10, and also confirmed by the apostle James who writes, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For He that said, 'Do not commit adultery," said also, ' Do not kill.'Now, if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law." (Jas. 2:10, 11.) Were a man suspended over a precipice by a chain of ten links, and one were to break, it would be as fatal as though the whole ten had broken. If, therefore, the least infringement of the law is allowed, whether as to the fourth commandment or any of the ten, it is fatal, and puts the transgressor under the curse. Moreover, it is law, and men cannot play fast or loose with it as they please ; applying it to what they like, or taking such parts of it as they choose. It is law, and says and means, do or die. But the apostle Paul goes on to show that " Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, for it is written, ' Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.' " (Gal. 3:13.)

When the Judaizing teachers came down from Judea, and sought to bring the Christians again under law, and thus put a yoke upon their necks which neither their fathers nor they could bear" (Acts 15:1-10); (the very thing that Seventh-Day Adventists are endeavoring to do to-day); and even Peter and Barnabas were caught in the snare and carried away by it; Paul withstood them to the face. To him it was another gospel, and he uses the strongest language to denounce such conduct. They are troublers of the saints-perverters of the gospel-and though he himself, or an angel from heaven, or any man, preached any other gospel than that which he had already preached to them, let them be accursed. (Gal. 1:7-9.) How jealous he was for the simple but glorious gospel which he had given them. A gospel which gives the believer deliverance from the guilt of sin-deliverance from the power of sin-from law which is the strength of sin- and presently from the very presence of sin. How jealously we ought to guard this precious, emancipating gospel, and not allow it to be spoiled by the introduction again of that which we have been delivered from – the law ; whether it be in the form of Sabbath-keeping or in any other way; but " stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again in the yoke of bondage." (Gal. 5:1:)

He then goes on to show them, that if they again put themselves under law after being justified by Christ on the principle of faith, they build again the things which they destroyed, and make themselves transgressors. (Gal. 2:15-18.)If they gave up law, to be justified on a different .principle, entirely on the principle of faith, how could they go back to it? If they were right in giving it up, they would clearly be wrong in going back to it, and would be transgressors. Moreover, he clenches this argument in the strongest manner by saying, "For I through law am dead to law."Not that I might be lawless and continue to live in sin, no! God forbid such a thought! But "that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ:nevertheless I live:yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." (Gal. 2:19,20.) How, then, could they be governed in any way by that to which they had died? Christ was now their life, and was to be their rule of life, (i Jno. 2:6; Col. 3:1-3; 2 Cor. 3:18.)

The story is told of a German who was drawn in the conscription, but whose friend took his place, fought, and was killed. After a time, there was another call for men, and the German was again drawn, but he pleaded, "I am dead."He was not actually dead, of course, but his substitute's death was counted as his, and thus he was freed forever from the military claims of his country. Thus it is with Christians; we have died with Christ, and are " dead to law," but not left to be lawless, but to live unto God. The law spent its full force on Christ as our Substitute when He stood in our place and died for us on the cross.

"The law was our schoolmaster up to (or until) Christ," we read ; " but after that faith is come, we are no longer under the schoolmaster."(Gal. 3:24, 25.)Could any thing be plainer than this :" We are no longer under the schoolmaster"-the law! "Law has dominion over a man so long as he liveth." (Rom. 7:1:)But the believer has died with Christ, and is therefore no longer under law. Is he therefore lawless ?God forbid !He is dead and risen with Christ, and stands on the resurrection-side of the grave of Jesus. He has a new life- eternal life (Jno. 5:24.); a new power-the Holy Ghost (Eph. 3:16) ; and a new object-Christ in glory.(2 Cor. 3:18.)He is new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17) and the open grave of the Saviour separates him forever from Judaism and its bondage. The ministration of the law and the ministration of the Spirit are in contrast to each other (2 Cor. 3:); the one being a ministration of death and condemnation (mark this :the law which Adventists tell us we must keep is a ministration of death and condemnation); the other, being a ministration of life and righteousness. The one was characterized by the fading glory on the face of Moses, which God would not let them see; hence Moses was commanded to vail his face:the other, is characterized by the glory shining in the face:of Jesus Christ, never to pass away, and on which we are privileged to gaze. (2 Cor. 3:) Moreover, it is not the ceremonial law which Adventists admit has passed away; but it is that which " was written and engraved in stones" the ten commandments. Then, as we are occupied with Christ, without being under law and in bondage, "the righteous requirements of the law are fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Rom. 8:4.) This, then, is the teaching of Scripture and shows conclusively that the believer is "not under law, but under grace." (Rom. 6:14.) He is dead to law. To insist, therefore, on his keeping the Sabbath as part of God's holy law is to make him debtor to do the whole law, to put him on Jewish ground, to treat him as in Adam, "in the flesh," on the ground of responsibility to obtain blessing, and thus bring him again into bondage. The Sab-bath had, and still has, its place for those under law; the believer has died and is in Christ; governed by a new believer; has a new object ; and the grace of God which covered him, teaches him how to live. (Titus 2:11-14.)

Ere closing, I would briefly glance at the place the Sabbath occupies in Scripture. It was God's rest. (Gen. But not one word is said about its being given to keep. He was the last work of God on the sixth He had as yet done no work and therefore needed no rest. To him it would be meaningless, in his innocence to tell him to rest from his labor. Yet Mrs. White tells us "it was kept by Adam in his innocence in holy Eden; by Adam, fallen, yet repentant, when he was driven from his happy estate. It was kept by all the patriarchs, from Abel to righteous Noah, to Abraham, to Jacob, etc.;" but without one particle of Scripture for her assertions. To say that the law was given to Adam is foolish. What place could the moral law have in innocence, and when as yet Adam and Eve were alone ? Then twenty-five hundred years or more elapsed before we hear another word about the seventh day. God's rest had been broken by sin, and He began to work again ; His first work being to make coats of skins for those who had broken His rest. (Gen. 3:21.)How gracious of God! Hence, the Lord Jesus said, " My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." (Jno. 5:17.) , So the first recorded Sabbath-God's rest, was A. very brief one, and became a type of one which is still future, and yet remains for the people of God. (Heb. 4:9.)

When next we hear of it, it is given to a redeemed people. (Ex. 16:29.)Then incorporated into the law. (Ex. 20:8-n.)Given as a sign that they were a sanctified people.(Ex. 31:13, 17; Ezek. 20:12.) Given to them because they were redeemed. (Deut. 5:12, 15.)It was a shadow of things to come. (Col. 2:16.)The Lord lay in the grave all the Sabbath day. The whole of that order of thing was set aside for the time being on the rejection and crucifixion of the Messiah by the Jews, until they see Him coming with clouds (Rev. 1:7) and shall say, "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." (Matt, 23:39.) Judaism and its Sabbath-keeping is, therefore, set aside till that day when they shall hail their Messiah as their King. Then shall He reign over them, and they shall have their true rest, to which all their Sabbaths had pointed.

The Lord Jesus rose again on the first day of the week. The Jews murdered Him, and, after sealing Him in the tomb they kept their Sabbath. Their week ended with murder of the Son of God. The whole system of Judaism was set aside from that point-the rent vail being the witness of it. Then on the first day of the week He rose again, thus inaugurating a new order of things entirely and this day characterizes Christianity, as the seventh day, or Sabbath, characterized Judaism. Again, when seven Sabbaths had passed, on the fiftieth day (not. the forty-ninth, or the seventh Sabbath day), "when the day of Pentecost was fully come," the Holy Ghost descended. (Acts 2:1:) This is typified in Lev. 23:the wave-sheaf was waved on "the morrow after the "Sabbath " (ver. ii)-Christian resurrection. Then the two wave-loaves on the morrow after the seven Sab-(ver. 16,17)-Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost came, and the Church had its commencement. The two wave-loaves-Jews and Gentiles presented to God. Then, again we have seven times seven Sabbaths of years, Sing over forty-nine years ; then on the fiftieth year, the jubilee trumpet was to sound, and things were to return to their original order again. (Lev. 25:)

How remarkable all this is! Christ did not rise on the Sabbath, but on the first day of the week. Pentecost, not on the forty-ninth day, which was the dd-Sabbath-day, but on the fiftieth day, which first day of the week. The Jubilee was not on the forty-ninth year, but the fiftieth year. All this shows that there is a new order of things, typified by the first day of the week, Pentecost, and the Jubilee year, and clearly the eternal state after the millennium, or the Sabbath-keeping on earth is over. In the apostle's he Jews still kept the Sabbath, and, as the people gathered together in the synagogues on that day, the apostles took the opportunity to preach the gospel to them, but they keep the first day of the week themselves as Christians, and met together on that day, to break bread. (Acts 20:7.) Thus the first day of the week speaks to the Christian of the victory and triumph of his Saviour, and was the day they met together to remember Him and show His death till He come, (i Cor. 11:23-26.) The reasonings of Adventists as to the time they did it, and how Paul must have walked a long distance across the country to Assos on the same day, and thus desecrated the day, is just a piece of nonsense, and supposes that Christians are under law to keep the first day of the week, as Jews and Adventists are to keep the Sabbath; and that Paul must not do what his Master told him to do on that clay. Scripture says it was on the first day of the week, and whether it was morn, noon, or night, it was on that day, and not the Sabbath, the disciples met to break bread.

The Sabbath was at the close of the week's toil- the seventh day-a day of rest after labor. In it, as we have seen, no work had to be done, not even a fire lighted. No work means no work. Not even the servant in the house, and no excuse is valid. It is do or die. This is Judaism and law as regards the Sabbath. The first day of the week is the commencement of the week and is devoted to the worship and service of Him who inaugurated a new order of things in resurrection. The grave of Christ stands between and separates Judaism from Christianity. The true sacrifice has been offered. (Heb. 10:5, 10.)The true Priest has sat down in the Sanctuary. (Heb. 8:i, 2.)The Aaronic priesthood has given place to that of the Lord Jesus Christ.(Heb. 8:12.)The Holy Ghost has come, sent by Christ since He went on high, and by one Spirit believers are baptized into one body, (i Cor. 12, 13.)The Church of God now exists, composed neither of Jews nor Gentiles, but believers out of both, saved; and baptized into one body. Thus, there are three classes of men now on earth, Jew, Gentile, and Church of God. (i Cor. 10:32.) The Lord appeared unto His disciples on the first clay of the week when they gathered together. (Jno. 20:19.) This gives us a picture of the Church period. John says, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day." (Rev. 1:10.) The disciples met together on that day to break bread. (Acts 20:7.) And on that day they were instructed to lay aside their collection, or offering, for the needy saints at Jerusalem. Thus, then, on that day, Christians met together, and do so still to commence the week by giving to God the praises of full hearts, made by Him at such a cost, and serve Him with gladness, in telling forth the riches of His grace made known in the gospel. Then we go forth to the labor and toil of the week, and whether we eat, or drink, or whatsoever we do, do all to the glory of God. (i Cor. 10:31) "Let no man judge you, therefore, in meat or in drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days ; which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." (Col. 2:16, 17.) And "be not entangled in the yoke of bondage." (Gal. 5:1:) Do not give up Christianity with its liberty for Judaism and its bondage, under the antichristian teaching of Seventh-Day Adventists. W. E.

3.-REDEMPTION.

"In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." (Eph. 1:7.)

Having seen, in some measure, what Scripture teaches us regarding man as he was when created and as he is now since the fall, and having found him a complete ruin, we come now to see what God's remedy for that state is. We will first seek to get a general view of that remedy, in its broad characteristics and far-reaching results ; afterward, if the Lord please, we shall go more into detail. Many words applying to a whole or part of this blessed manifestation of the grace of God are used in Scripture,-such, for instance, as "salvation," "forgiveness," "justification," and the like. For a general view, such as is now the object, perhaps the word " redemption " is more suitable than most others, occurring as it does in both Old and New Testaments, and possessing in both a clear and well-defined meaning, and that meaning the same in both portions of God's inspired Word. As linking closely with the previous subject, which might, indeed, have been called "The Need for Redemption," we will first consider who are the objects of redemption; secondly, the nature; thirdly, the manner; fourthly, the person of the Redeemer ; and lastly, the results of redemption.

First, the objects of redemption ; who are to benefit by it. This, as we have said, links closely with the subject of the preceding paper. Men are the objects of redemption. All men have sinned, all are therefore under the wrath of God-helpless and hopeless. This state is universal. Redemption is not a universal thing. Here, at first glance, there might seem to be a contradiction of the universality of the gospel offer, " Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." But this contradiction is only apparent. Redemption deals with results. Those who avail themselves of it, and only those will secure those results. " Thou in Thy mercy hast led forth the people which Thou hast redeemed." (Ex. 15:13.) This people God repeatedly speaks of as His-"Israel is My son, even My first-born ; and I say unto thee, Let My son go, that he may serve Me."(Ex. 4:22, 23.)-"Let My people go." (Ex. 5:1:) These people were the objects of His choice, and of His oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
These, and these only, were contemplated in the redemption from Egypt,-type, as we shall find, of that greater redemption for all His own. If we turn to the New Testament, we find the same to be true :redemption is for God's people. "In whom we have redemption."- "Who of God is made unto us redemption." For none but the people of God are the benefits, then, of redemption. How completely this takes the props away from the universalist, who would make these benefits, sooner or later, apply to all mankind. But is not the gospel for all? some one asks. Unquestionably; and men are besought,-nay, compelled, to come in ; but unless they do come, redemption is not for them. The two things-the exclusiveness of redemption and the inclusiveness of the offer are beautifully brought together when we ask, Who are God's people? what are they like? And we find they are sinners, undistinguishable from all other sinners, partakers of the common fallen nature, guilty of untold sins, and therefore under the wrath of God. The offer is made to them in no different way from others,-repentance and faith are necessary for their acceptance of the offered salvation. Let it not be thought that redemption is limited in its value, or that the offer of its benefits is restricted to any number. Should all the world avail themselves of it, it is sufficient,-nay, as much was needed to redeem one soul as to redeem the world. Its offer is, as we have seen, world-wide. "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son." All may become His people if they will. Those who do not, have only themselves to blame:"Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life." The objects, then, of redemption are those among the whole world of lost and guilty men who are willing to accept its benefits freely offered to them.

We have, in the second place, to inquire into the nature of redemption :what does it embrace? The verse at the head of this paper will give us the first answer.-" In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." The first need of an awakened sinner is, peace of conscience, which now is impossible, because of his sins. The first requirement likewise of divine righteousness for its action in grace is, the removal of that guilt which insures the righteous judgment of God. Both the need and the requirement are met by the forgiveness of sins, on grounds, as we shall see later, which fully vindicate God's righteousness. The blessedness of forgiveness ! who of God's children but delights again and again to dwell upon the precious theme? This forgiveness is immediate, upon the acceptance of redemption. " I have sinned," says David. "The Lord hath put away thy sin," is the immediate reply. "Father, I have sinned" is met at once by." Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him." It is full, embracing all sins. "Having forgiven you all trespasses." " Her sins, which are many, are forgiven." Iniquities more in number than the hairs of our head are all pardoned. This forgiveness is free. "When they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both." It is without works, money, or price. Lastly, it is eternal. "Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." (Heb. 8:12.) Under the law, there was mention made of the same sins year after year. Christ has "entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption." (Heb. 9:12.) This means that the sinner once forgiven is forgiven forever. After the death of his father, Joseph's brethren came and prostrated themselves before him, asking again for that forgiveness which he had so freely given long before. Joseph wept. If such unbelief in his brethren grieved his heart, how much more does that doubt about eternal forgiveness grieve the heart"of our God. And this forgiveness is not of some offenses- of those before conversion, but of all :man is forgiven as a sinner, and it applies to all his acts as a sinner, even to the sins (alas that there should be such !) after conversion. This forgiveness means, then, redemption from the curse under which we were. "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law." (Gal. 3:13.) This, applying, as far as the law is concerned, to the Jew only, refers to all who, having " sinned without law, shall also perish without law." (Rom. 2:12.) The type of it is seen in the passover in Egypt. Israel, like the Egyptians, were exposed to the sword of justice-they were sheltered and spared ; that was the first step in their redemption. But there was more than this in Israel's redemption, as there is more than deliverance from the curse in ours. Israel was in bondage to the Egyptians, and held in their land, away from the land of promise. Sheltered from wrath, they are next delivered from the power of Pharaoh and taken out of the land. This was effected by their passage through the Red Sea. Then redemption's song was sung (Ex. 15:). So for us,-we were in bondage to sin, captives in this world, Satan's servants. Redemption has loosed our chains. "That He might redeem us from all iniquity." (Tit. 2:14.) "Sin shall not have dominion over you." (Rom. 6:14 ) Satan, our master, has been "bound " and "destroyed" (Matt. 12:29; Heb. 2:14). The world has ceased to be a dwelling-place-a home for His redeemed people, and is now a wilderness through which they are to haste. Lastly, redemption applies to the body. "The redemption of the body" (Rom. 8:23) will take place at the "day of redemption" (Eph. 1:14; 4:30), when "this corruptible shall put on incorruption; this mortal, immortality." (i Cor. 15:) Such, then, is the nature of redemption; it delivers from the curse, from the bondage of sin, and from death.

Let us next see the manner of redemption ; how is it effected. "Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, ….. but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." (i Pet. 1:18, 19.) The meaning of the most common word for redemption, in Hebrew, is purchase, or buying back. For a just and holy God to redeem His people in the manner we have seen, means that there were sufficient grounds, a sufficient price. The price, the grounds, were furnished by the precious blood of Christ, typified in the passover-lamb, allusion to which is made in the verses just quoted. There could be no redemption without the price being paid. All through the Levitical ordinances we find redemption-of persons, of property, of land,-but never without the price. So for us there could be no redemption apart from its price. "The blood of Christ" means His life given up as a curse for us. " Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us." The blood spoke of judgment executed, of wrath visited, of justice satisfied. It tells us that the work is finished. The high-priest entered into the holiest, and there sprinkled the blood upon and before the mercy seat. So Christ entered, by His own blood, into heaven itself. That blood shed on Calvary speaks forever before God of redemption accomplished, and on the ground of that shed blood all the blessed fruits of redemption are ours. This is the manner of it. There is no other way. Let men sneer,-let them call it "the religion of the shambles," God calls it "the precious blood of Christ." Scripture is full of it. No more useful occupation could there be for a young Christian than to trace this "scarlet line" through Scripture, from the sacrifice of Abel to the chorus of praise which says, '' Thou art worthy, . . . for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed to God by Thy blood." (Rev. 5:9.)

We come, in the fourth place, to inquire as to the Redeemer,-the Person through whom the redemption is accomplished. Our verse at the head of this paper shows us this:"In whom we have redemption through His blood." Christ, Son of God, Son of Man, is the redeemer of God's people. The price, as we have seen, was His blood. To shed that, He had to "take part of flesh and blood." He thus became man,-a true and perfect one in all things. It is precious and touching to see the various meanings of the word for redeemer in the Old Testament, remembering that the One who only fully and perfectly exhibits these meanings is our blessed Lord. In Lev. 25:, when a man had, through poverty, lost his inheritance, one who was able could buy it back for him. We had lost all our possessions, and we know well who it is that has bought back more than we ever lost. But this purchaser was to be a kinsman. "If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold." (Lev. 25:25.) How preciously this reminds us of Him who is "not ashamed to call us brethren." Our redeemer He is; but to become that, He became man, and now in resurrection we are linked with Him. Oh how near He is to us ! But more,-the kinsman not only was to redeem the lost inheritance, but he was to marry the desolate widow. See the beautiful account in Ruth 4:An alien, of the condemned nation of Moabites, desolate, poor, a mere gleaner, Ruth is brought, not merely into the possession of vineyards and lands, but into the bosom of Boaz as the partner of his wealth. The bride, the Lamb's wife, is the Church, purchased by the precious blood of Christ, who is not ashamed to call us brethren, and soon to be associated with Him in His glory-partner of His joys! Such is the Redeemer. But there is also a solemn side to this bright picture. The name for revenger is the same as that for redeemer. "The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer; when he meeteth him, he shall slay him." (Num. 35:19.) The guilty one was to be slain. Our Lord is our avenger; our enemies are His, and soon will He avenge His people. "Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them which trouble you ; and to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven …. in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God." (2 Thess. 1:6-8.) He offers Himself to men as redeemer if they but accept the gospel; rejecting that, He will soon be the avenger for them. The lamb reminds us of His death, atoning for sin ; but for rejecters of the blood of the Lamb, there is nothing but the "wrath of the Lamb." How imperfect are our apprehensions of this blessed Person ! but, at least, we have seen some of His characteristics as Redeemer, Purchaser, Kinsman, Husband, Avenger.

Lastly, what are the results of redemption ? These we have been gleaning up all along. In a word, all blessings, all glories, present and future, are the results of redemption. In the present, we have justification ; that is not merely the pardon of our sins, but the positive acceptance of our persons as righteous, so that we can say, " Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect ? it is God that justifieth." But another precious result of redemption is, deliverance from the power of sin ; so that, as redeemed to God, we can now walk in newness of life-no longer the servants of sin. Pledge and earnest of the perfectness of redemption, we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, whose blessed work it is to reveal these precious things to us through God's Word. But who shall speak of those glories, those joys, which have been purchased for us,-which await us at the coming of our Lord ? All, all has been secured to us "through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Well may we sing,-

'It is finished, it is finished,
Who can tell redemption's worth ?
He who knows it, leads the singing,
Full the joy as fierce the wrath."

The Lord let none of Samuel's words fall to the I ground. Every thing that he said made an impression-carried conviction with it. This could never have been the case had he spoken hastily and carelessly. He had a realizing sense of the importance of speaking God's word faithfully-of bringing home to the consciences of his hearers the message he had for them. We are not prophets, but we are told, " If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God." How searching that is ! Do I speak as one who has God's mind to deliver ? What quietness, deliberateness, that consciousness will beget! How all confusion will be avoided ! and even in questions where we are not at one, but are seeking God's mind, all appearance of strife and debate would be absent. Much time would be spent in prayer, quiet pondering all that was before us, and God, who delights to help His children when in conscious weakness, would manifest Himself in a very real and precious way. Blessed be His name ! He knows how weak we are, and how easily we slip into the ways of men, and recognizes underneath much apparent confusion a real desire to gain His mind. But let this not make us indifferent to His way. Let remember that " in the multitude of words there wanteth not sin," and so be sober and careful, coveting earnestly that "sound speech " so helpful to all.

AN EXPOSITION OF REVELATION IV.-XXII.

PART VII. (Chap. 19:5-22:) THE CONSUMMATION.

The Little Season, (10:7-10.)

Of the millennial earth, not even the slightest sketch is given us here. The book of Revelation is the closing book of prophecy, with the rest of which we are supposed to be familiar; and it is the Christian book, which supplements it with the addition of what is heavenly. Thus the reign of the heavenly saints has just been shown us :for details as to the earth, we must go to the Old Testament.

In the millennium, the heavenly is displayed in connection with the earthly. The glory of God is manifested so that the earth is filled with the knowledge of it as the waters cover the sea. Righteousness rules, and evil is afraid to lift its head. The curse is taken from the ground, which responds with wondrous fruitfulness. Amid all this, the spiritual condition is by no means in correspondence with the outward blessing. Even the manifest connection of righteousness and prosperity cannot avail to make men love righteousness, nor the goodness of God, though evidenced on every side, to bring men to repentance. At the "four corners of the earth," retreating as far as possible from the central glory, there are still those who represent Israel's old antagonists, and thus are called by their names-"Gog and Magog." Nor are they remnants, but masses of population, brought together by sympathetic hatred of God and His people,- crowding alike out of light into the darkness :a last and terrible answer to the question, "Lord, what is man?"

The Gog, of the land of Magog, whose invasion of Israel is prophetically described in the book of Ezekiel (38:, 39:), is the prototype of these last invaders. There need be no confusion, however, between them; for the invasion in Ezekiel is premillennial, not postmillennial, as that in Revelation is. It is. then that Israel are just back in their land (38:14), and from that time God's name is known in Israel, and they pollute His holy name no more (39:7). The nations too learn to know Him (38:16, 23). There needs, therefore, no further inquiry to be sure that this is not after a thousand years of such knowledge.

But the Gog and Magog here follow in the track of men who have long before made God known in the judgment He executed,-follow them in awful, reckless disregard of the end before them. This is clearly due to the loosing once more of Satan. While he was restrained, the evil was there, but cowed and hidden. He gives it energy and daring. They go up now on the breadth of the earth-from which for the moment the divine shield seems to be removed, and compass the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city. The last is of course the earthly Jerusalem. The "camp of the saints" seems to be that of the heavenly saints, who are the Lord's host around it. The city is of course impregnable :the rebels are taken in the plain fact of hostility to God and His people; and judgment is swift and complete :"fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them." The wicked are extinct out of the earth.

The arch-rebel now receives final judgment. "And the devil, that deceived them, was cast into a lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are; and they shall be tormented day and night for the ages of ages."

These words deserve most solemn consideration. They are plain enough indeed; but what is there from which man will not seek to escape, when his will is adverse ? The deniers of eternal punishment, both on the side of restitution and that of annihilation, are here confronted with a plain example of it. Two human beings, cast in alive into the lake of fire a thousand years before, are found there at the close of this long period still in existence ! How evident that this fire is not, therefore, like material fire, but something widely different! All the arguments as to the action of fire in consuming what is exposed to it are here at once shown to be vain. That which can remain a thousand years in the lake of fire unconsumed may remain, so far as one can see, forever; and it is forever that they here are plainly said to be tormented.

But it is objected that there is, in fact, no verb here:the sentence reads simply, "where the beast and the false prophet," and that to fill up the gap properly we must put "were cast" which would say nothing about continuance. But what, then, about the concluding statement, " and they"-for it is a plural,-"and they shall be tormented day and night for the ages of ages" ?

Finding this argument vain, or from the opposite interest of restitution, it is urged that " day and night" do not exist in eternity. But we are certainly brought here to eternity, and " for the ages of ages " means nothing else. It is the measure of the life of God Himself (4:10). No passage that occurs, even to the smoke of Babylon ascending up, can be shown to have a less significance.

Growing desperate, some have ventured to say that we should translate " till the ages of ages." But the other passages stand against this with an iron front, and forbid it. We are, in this little season, right on the verge of eternity itself. The same expression is used as to the judgment of the great white throne itself, which is in eternity. It will not do to say of God that He lives to the ages of ages, and not through them. The truth is very plain, then, that the punishment here decreed to three transgressors is, in the strictest sense, eternal.

Whether the same thing is true of all the wicked dead, we now go on to see.

The Judgment of the Dead.

The millennium is over:"And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life :and the dead were judged out of those things that were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hades delivered up the dead which were in them:and they were judged every one according to their works. And death and hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And whoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

This is the judgment of the dead alone, and must be kept perfectly distinct in our minds from the long previous judgment of the living. The judgment in Matt, 25:, for example, where the "sheep." are separated from the "goats," is a judgment of the living,-of the nations upon earth when the Lord comes. It is not, indeed, the warrior-judgment of those taken with arms in their hands, in open rebellion, which we have beheld in the premillennial vision. The nations are gathered before the Son of Man, who has just come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him; and that coming, as when elsewhere spoken of throughout the prophecy, is unquestionably premillennial. As mankind are divided into the three classes, "the Jew, the Gentile, and the Church of God," so the prophecy in relation to the Jew is to be found in chap. 24:1-42; that in relation to the professing Church, to the thirtieth verse of the next chapter; and the rest of it gives us the sessional judgment of the Gentiles, so far as they have been reached by the everlasting gospel. The judgment is not of all the deeds done in the body :it is as to how they have treated the brethren of the Lord (5:40) who have been among them, evidently as travelers, in rejection and peril. The Jewish point of view of the prophecy as a whole clearly points to Jewish messengers, who as such represent Israel's King (comp. Matt. 10:40). There is not a word about resurrection of the dead, which the time of this judgment excludes the possibility of as to the wicked. It is one partial as to its range, limited as to that of which it takes account, and in every way distinct from such a general judgment as the large part of Christendom even yet looks for.

Here in the vision before us there is simply the judgment of the dead; and although the word is not used, the account speaks plainly of resurrection. The sea gives up the dead which are in it, as well as by implication also, the dry land. Death, as well as hades, deliver up what they respectively hold; and as hades is unequivocally the receptacle of the soul (Acts 2:27), so must "death," on the other hand, which the soul survives (Matt. 10:28), stand here in connection with that over which it has supreme control-the body.

The dead, then, here rise; and we have that from which the "blessed and holy" of the first resurrection are delivered-the " resurrection of judgment." (Jno. 5:29, R. V.) From personal judgment the Lord expressly assures us that the believer is exempt (5:24, R. V.) Here, not only are the works judged, which will be true of the believer "also, and for lasting blessing to him, but men are judged according to their works-a very different thing. Such a judgment would allow of no hope for the most upright and godly among mere men.

And this would seem to show that though a millennium has passed since the first resurrection, yet no righteous dead can stand among this throng. The suggestion of the "book of life" has seemed to many to imply that there are such; but it is not said that there are, and the words, "whoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire," may be simply a solemn declaration (now affirmed by the result) that grace is man's only possible escape from the judgment. May it not even be intended to apply more widely than to the dead here, and take in the living saints of the millennium negatively, as showing how in fact they are not found before this judgment-seat?

At any rate, the principle of judgment-"according to their works"-seems to exclude absolutely any of those saved by grace. And there are intimations also, in the Old-Testament prophecies, as to the extension of life in the millennium, which seem well to consist with the complete arrest of death for the righteous during the whole period. If "as the days of a tree shall be the days of" God's "people" (Is. 65:22), and he who dies at a hundred years dies as a child yet, and for wickedness:because there shall be no more any one (apart from this) that shall not fill his days (5:20), it would almost seem to follow that there is no death. And to this the announcement as to the "sheep" in the judgment-scene in Matthew -that "the righteous shall go away into life eternal," strikingly corresponds. For to go into life eternal is not to possess life in the way that at present we may; in fact, as " righteous," they already did this :it means apparently nothing less than the complete canceling of the claim of death in their case.

And now death and hades are cast into the lake of fire, -that is, those who dwelt in them are cast there. These exist as it were but in those who fill them; and thus we learn that there is no exemption or escape from the last final doom for any who come into this judgment. The lake of fire is the second death. The first terminated in judgment man's career on earth; the second closes the intermediate state in adjudged alienation from the Source of life. The first is but the type of the second. As we have seen, it is not extinction at all; and indeed a resurrection merely for the sake of suffering before another extinction would seem self-contradictory. In fact, death-what we ordinarily call that-is now destroyed. "It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment," which is thenceforth, therefore, undying (Heb. 9:27).

With the great white throne set up, the earth and the heavens pass away, and there come into being a "new heaven and a new earth in which dwelleth righteousness." (2 Pet. 3:13.) F. W. G.

( To be continued.)

Lord, we would be growing stronger,
Would be pandering, lingering, longer
O'er the precious things we know.
As the day approaches nearer,
We would have our vision clearer,
And Thyself more precious grow.

Few the hours (and oh, how fleeting!)
Ere the promised, longed-for greeting
Calls us to the home above.
We would, till that blest reunion,
Spend the hours in sweet communion,
Learning all Thy heart of love.
Shall we spend these last few lingering
Moments o'er our troubles, hindering
Love, joy, peace,-the Spirit's fruit ?
O'er some brother's failings brooding,
Harboring unkind thoughts, intruding-
Nourishing some bitter root ?

No; we would be girded, waiting
Every hour that blest translating,
Longing, Lord, Thy face to see.
Watching for the glorious dawning
Of that one triumphant morning,
Jesus, occupied with Thee.

H. McD.

Plainfield.

The camel, at the close of day,
Kneels down upon the sandy plain
To have his burden lifted off,
And rest to gain.

My soul, thou too shouldst to thy knees
When daylight draweth to a close,
And let thy Master lift the load
And grant repose.

Else how couldst thou to-morrow meet,
With all to-morrow's work to do,
If thou thy burden all the night
Dost carry through?

The camel kneels at break of day
To have his guide replace his load,
Then rises up anew to take
The desert road.

So thou shouldst kneel at morning's dawn
That God may give thee daily care,
Assured that He no load too great
Will make thee bear.

"Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart:and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." (Matt. 11:29, 30.)

Q. 11.- "What is the meaning of Zech. 13:7- 'And I will turn mine hand upon the little ones'?" – A. T.

Ans. – In the first part of the verse, the sword of divine justice falls upon the Shepherd (who is also God's Fellow – His equal), and He is smitten, and the sheep, His people, scattered. This was fulfilled, in an illustrative way, when our Lord was seized and put to death. (Matt. 26:31.) His disciples were left without protection. But it will have its full accomplishment when, during the great tribulation, persecution after persecution will scatter the professed people of God. The "little ones" means, doubtless, the remnant – God's own, upon whom His protecting hand will be laid. "The third part shall be left therein." "I will turn My hand upon thee, and will purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin." (Is. 1:25.)

Q. 12.- "What is the meaning of Luke 18:8-' Shall He find faith on the earth?"- A. T.

Ans. – "When the Son of Man cometh" shows that it points to the last days, and to the earth. The question indicates that, spite of all His assurances of willingness to hear and help, the faith that takes hold of Him will be in very few, and in small degree.

A SEVENFOLD VIEW.

In his sermon in Acts 3:, Peter is led of the Spirit to speak of the Lord in four ways, answering to the four gospels, and then in three ways taken from Old-Testament predictions. The four are these:ver. 13-His "Servant "(not "Son"), as in Mark; ver. 14-"the Holy One," as in Luke (Luke 1:35-" That Holy thing which shall be born of thee"); "and the Just," as in Matthew (Matt. 27:19-"Have thou nothing to do with that Just Man); ver. 15-"the Prince (or Author) of life," as in John. These characters of the One crucified bring home to the people their guilt in a special way. But in ver. 18-22 and 25, He is presented from the Old Testament as the Christ, the Prophet, and the Seed. The fourfold presentation sets forth, as the number indicates, manifestation in the world, the threefold reference, the divine purpose as announced in prophecy. The fourfold presentation begins with words that tell of what God has done_"The God of our fathers hath glorified His Servant Jesus, whom ye delivered up, and denied" (5:13); the threefold prediction, with "Those things which God before had showed by the mouth of all His prophets" (5:18), -that is, the announcement of His purpose. This shows the perfection of Scripture-the perfection of the relationship of its parts, and how each word and group of words and titles falls into place, not only with exactness as in what we call the laws of nature, but with precious instructiveness, according to the meaning of numbers, more and more plainly manifest. E. S. L.

Q. 13 -"What is the meaning of the following:-(1) New Birth, (2) Regeneration, (3) Quickening. Is this the impartation of divine and eternal life ? (4) What is the difference between 'the old man' and ' the flesh,' or the old or evil nature, as we commonly call it ? (5) Is Rotherham's translation of Tit. 3:5 a correct one, viz., 'a bath of a new birth'? (6) The meaning of 'the new man.' " J. A. D.

Ans.-(1) New Birth is the impartation of divine and eternal life by the Spirit through the Word. (Jno. 3:5.) We are born children of God (Jno. 1:12, 13), and so members of His family. It does not touch the question of position, but of life and relationship, and hence is the common blessing of all God's children in all dispensations.

(2) Regeneration is ordinarily used by people to mean New Birth. In Matt. 19:28, however, the word so translated refers to the time when our Lord shall sit upon His throne, and His apostles be associated in His rule, during the millennium. Its use in Tit. 3:5 will be noted later.

(3) Quickening is out of. death; New Birth, an additional life independent of the old. In new birth, man is not looked at as dead; in quickening, he is; though the two come close together in their meaning, Forgiveness goes with quickening (Col. 2:13; Eph. 2. 5), and it is used in connection with Christ. Hence, while it is an impartation of life, we are reminded of Christ's resurrection , and incidentally of His death for our sins. So quickening seems to differ from new birth in this, that it is linked with Christ, new birth with the Spirit. Beyond doubt, it is the same life in either case, only different aspects of it.

(4) The "flesh" is the fallen, evil nature. The " old man" is the person who had that nature,-the responsible man who came to an end, in God's sight, by the cross (Rom. 6:6), in order that the body of sin-sin as a controlling power-might be annulled. This old man is "put off" when one believes,-that is, he no longer stands in that relationship to God, in which he could only produce evil and be condemned. (Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:9.) Note that this is not something to be done constantly as to the old man, as it was done once for all by the cross.

(5) " Washing of regeneration " seems to be the proper rendering of Tit. 3:5, referring to that washing in the brazen laver which figured new birth; the application of the Word to the whole man corresponding very closely to Jno. 3:5, as it is also the work of the Holy Spirit.

(6) The "new man" is the opposite of the "old." It is the man as he is in Christ, a new creation, after God, in knowledge and holiness of truth. It is not the new nature, but the person who has the nature, as he stands before God.

Wells, in the east particularly, have a special importance and prominence. In the desert they form the oases, spots of life amid surrounding death, and even in fertile places water is so precious that the well is never ignored. It is the nucleus, the rallying-point, about which the people gather, and by which they are held together.

But wells are more than fountains, the latter springing up spontaneously, and offering their refreshing draughts to every passer by, beautiful type of that " fountain of the water of life," which flows freely for all that are athirst. Wells, "on the other hand, have to be dug, calling for labor, and each draught of water has to be brought up from its depths. Water is life, both literally and typically, and is constantly used thus in Scripture:"born of water," "a well of water in him," " rivers of water flowing from him," show us the Holy Spirit imparting, maintaining, and manifesting divine life. The well is particularly a type for the believer, yielding its waters to the digger, and rewarding with its never-failing refreshment him who will draw it up.

These wells which Isaac opened, had previously been dug by his father Abraham, and then choked by the Philistines, dwellers in the land, but without right there- types of professors laying claim to heavenly things, but without title to them. As has been noticed, these dwelt in the lowlands of Canaan, near neighbors to Egypt, a fact of significance in our present subject, as we shall soon see. These men choke the wells dug by Abraham. The precious truths, brought to light by godly servants of the Lord, in the energy and illumination of the Holy Spirit, are deprived of their life-giving force by those who are merely traders in the Word. The letter they may retain, as even Rome has in considerable measure the form of correct doctrine, but there is no power in connection with it. She has choked the wells, and while many correct statements of truth may be found in her writings, all is emasculated by the spirit of the world that pervades the mass and rules throughout. Nor is Protestantism without its Philistines:Reformation doctrines without Reformation piety and power are but choked wells. Such are creeds, in which much precious truth is contained, the expression, it may be at first, of what was a divine reality, but long since made by profession into a dry and empty thing-tombs of the prophets, memorials of what no longer exists for the ecclesiastical bodies holding them.

But do we individually know something of these closed wells? The joy of the Lord which once filled the heart and overflowed into the life has ebbed, it may be, until scarce manifest now. Love, zeal, power, progress, have all gone. The water, thank God, has not gone; but the well has been choked-filled with things of earth. Too easily has the charge been made that the Holy Spirit leaves the unfaithful believer. Such, we know, is never the case; but how often is He grieved and quenched! how often are His manifestations so checked that God and faith alone know He still remains ! A choked well! how useless ! Dear brother, what are you and I? Have we allowed our hearts to become filled with earth till the Holy Spirit no longer manifests His fruits? This is the work of the Philistines-both without and within. For it is not only true that there are people who answer to them, but there are in our hearts principles, habits of thought, and desires which also correspond to them. Outwardly, they are, as we have seen, those having the form of godliness, but denying its power. Inwardly, they are those habits of soul which do the same,-which would not have us give up our profession, our religious duties-prayers, Bible-reading, and such-like, but which deprive these things of their spiritual freshness, turning them into mere forms, food only for self-complacency, and leave our hearts the while empty and chill. Resting on past experience is a Philistine, choking up the well of present communion. Allowing sin to pass unjudged is another, quickly quenching the Holy Spirit-" hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." It is not necessary to approve sin; if it is neglected-allowed to pass the conscience unchallenged and unjudged, it soon hardens, the well is choked. We must live day by day in all reality, or we will soon find that the Philistines have been at work, the flow of service, love, and joy is checked.

It was in Gerar that Isaac met with the Philistines. The famine in the land tempted him to follow the steps of his father Abraham, who, under similar stress, went down into Egypt. But Gerar was on the border-land. It was the next thing to Egypt, though in the land of Canaan. To dwell there was taking low ground as compared with Hebron. So we see a corresponding moral state. Isaac had not courage to confess his wife (the sin of Abraham in Egypt), and though the Lord protected and blessed him, he does not seem the ideal pilgrim and stranger. His valley may be called "Gerar," "a place of sojourn," "a tarrying-place;" but, like everything under the power of the Philistines, it did not answer to its name. Most naturally, therefore, do we find the wells choked-the water stopped. The Holy Spirit cannot give joy and blessing where our ways so plainly contradict our knowledge. The Philistines, however, see beneath the unfaithfulness of the man a reality, and would have him leave them. " The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and these are contrary the one to the other."

If the choked wells bear witness to his condition, his effort to open them shows a desire not to continue in that condition. Very simple would seem to be the lesson for us in this. Has the well become choked in us ? dig out that" which has choked it,-remove the things of earth from their place of power in the heart, and the sweet refreshing of the Spirit will be quickly felt.

But it costs something to regain that which has been lost. The enemy will not quietly resign the place he has occupied, and will dispute our right to recovered joys. This we see in the four wells of Isaac, at once the evidence of the hostility of the Philistines and a test of his purpose of heart to recover what had been lost.

First, we have Esek, "strife," the name given to the first well, because they strove for it. How strange it seems that they should want a well which they themselves had choked. How like those who contend and fight over doctrines until they lose all sweetness to the soul, and become distasteful even to the child of God. Many a truth has been thus snatched out of their hands, and come to be the symbol, not of food for the soul, but the battle-cry of contending factions, until for very weariness the soul says, "Enough ! let us speak no more of this matter." So what should have refreshed becomes repulsive. Is not this true of the divine side of truth-election, final perseverance, and the like? Strife, discord, war of words, perverse disputings, have so choked the wells of divine truth that men have been ready to take one another by the throat in the maintenance of what they may hold. Within too, in the history of the soul, do we not see the same strife? The self-righteous spirit resisting, opposing that which is according to godliness, and such conflict waged about the very truth which would help ?

The effect of this conflict can be one of two. Either wearied with struggle, the baffled one may yield in despair, and no more seek for recovery of lost blessings; or, as in Isaac's case, he may turn his back upon Esek and dig again, well knowing that the water can surely be found. It is a good thing to know how to yield without giving up. Let men turn our wells, which we have dug at great. cost, and from which we have drawn refreshing streams,- let them turn them into scenes of strife :our love is for the water, not the well, and we can dig elsewhere. The time comes when the child of God must in faithfulness turn from what was once a well of springing water to him, and seek to find elsewhere the refreshment his soul craves. Inwardly, we are to abstain, withdraw, from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.

Next comes Sitnah. The water comes afresh, only to be the occasion of renewed conflict. "Sitnah "does not mean "hatred," as in the margin of our common version; but "accusation." It is from the same root as "Satan," " the accuser of the brethren ; " and if strife characterized the first well, more bitter and active enmity is shown here. Luther was accused of all sorts of blasphemies when he dug afresh the wells of truth at the Reformation. Accusations are a common weapon of attack by the enemy, and they are satanic weapons. Let them accuse; if still associated with them, we can withdraw, and leave to them what was a well of refreshing, only now designated by this name. Alas! how many wells have become Sitnahs -whispered accusations, backbitings, railings, turning the outflow of refreshing into waters of bitterness and sorrow !

But faith and a steadfast purpose knows how to turn from such scenes with the renewed determination to find what it longs for-unlimited fellowship with God. And surely every one with such a purpose will sooner or later come to Rehoboth, "room," rather "streets," an enlarged place, a broad highway, and the plural indicating abundance of enlargement. Ah ! here no enemy contends or accuses. We can look around and realize that at last we are away from the Philistines. Freedom to enjoy God is now ours. How significantly Rehoboth is the third well! resurrection-power and ground cannot be reached by outsiders. There is this place of enlargement. Have we reached it ? where we can call our wells no longer by names which remind us of strife and accusation, but of the liberty in which we now stand.

Beer-sheba completes the list, giving us the positive side. The well of the oath, while referring to the oath between Isaac and the Philistines, which ends their strife, also reminds us of that sure word of Him who cannot lie, and who will confirm all that He has spoken, making good to us the precious things which grace has given us. Here let us dwell, drinking daily more deeply of the pure waters of eternal love, growing more and more into the image of Him who loves us, as we drink. The Lord give us purpose of heart to reopen these wells with the determination to persevere until we reach Rehoboth and Beer-sheba.

To whom shall we go ?" Not "where." The world I had become to them an empty void. In the fourteenth chapter, the Lord is about to leave them, and there is really no one else for them to turn to; their hearts are attached to Him. Their hearts tremble in anticipation of His departure, and the Lord ministers to them. He seeks to take their affection away from this world altogether, by showing them their prospect in the Father's house, where He is going. They are looking for a place on earth:the Lord transfers their affections to heaven. He seems to take their attention right away from this scene, and leave them as strangers and pilgrims, but not as orphans. I need not say that it is only those who are out of this world in heart and affection who are fit to go through it according to what is of God.

These remarks remind us of one of the apostle's straits in the epistle to the Philippians. It was when he could say, " I have a desire to depart and be with Christ," that God could say, You are just the man I can leave down there. What for? For the "furtherance and joy of faith" of God's people. Nevertheless, though the hearts of the Lord's people were thus attached to Christ, we find here that even they go to their place of rest; but there is one here who seems for the moment to be in just the place Christ occupied in this world-no place to lay her head,-no place for her in this scene where her Lord was not. She is there at the sepulcher a mourner.

There are different degrees of affection ; this none of us doubt. Sometimes Jonathan's affection to David is pointed to as a specimen of Christian devotedness. I would not in the slightest degree despise Jonathan's love; indeed, I think we may often take it as a reproach to ourselves, and ask ourselves if our love and devotedness to the Lord comes up to it; nevertheless, we have a standard, and we shall find, according to it, Christian love is higher than Jonathan's to David. Jonathan stripped himself of all that he possessed; he loved David as his own soul, and yet he returned to the palace. Even his love could have gone a step further, and therefore cannot be love of the highest degree, for he might have followed David into the cave. Love of the highest degree cannot, will not, rest short of the presence of its object. Orpah loved her mother-in-law, but went to her own country, which was something like the affection of Jonathan to David; but Ruth wept, and kissed her mother-in-law, and clave to her, saying, "Whither thou goest, I will go; and whither thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God." Nothing but the presence and enjoyment of the company of its object could satisfy such love as this, and that is what we have here in Mary. Her affection for Christ makes her a mourner here in this world where He is rejected.

As she is there at the sepulcher, mourning the absence of her Lord, the angel asks the question, " Why weepest thou?" She gives the reason :"They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him." The absence of Christ was the cause of her mourning. Do we know, beloved brethren, what it is to mourn the absence of Christ in this world ? Everything tells of His absence. We have experienced, like Mary Magdalene, a great deliverance at His hands. Has He not won our hearts? Can we get along through such a world without Jesus? Are we mourners because of His absence?

Now the Lord appears. He appears to Mary, and repeats the angel's question, but asks another, which comes much nearer her heart:He says, " Why weepest thou ? whom seekest thou?" This seems to take Mary Magdalene right beyond herself, and she says, " Sir, if thou have borne Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away." Occupied as she is with her Lord, she concludes that he will know whom she means. It was the one who knew what it was to mourn the absence of her Lord who got the revelation of His presence. The more we mourn the absence of the Lord in this world, the more, I am sure, he will reveal Himself to our hearts; but if we think we can get along in this world without Him, He will leave us to ourselves until we turn to Him in contrition of heart.

Christ desires the company of His people. He has redeemed us, and He loves us; and love, with Him, will be satisfied with nothing less than the presence of its object. "That where I am, there ye maybe also." He desires us to be with Him forever. He desires that we may enjoy Him here, and that He may enjoy our company as we journey along through this world ; but if we are to company with Him, we must be suited to Himself. He will not suit Himself to our company, but we must be suited to His company.

Here we have a beautiful picture of the way the Lord fits us for His company. He has made provision for the removal of every thing that would hinder the enjoyment of His company, or that would make us unsuited to Himself. He desires our company, desires to dwell in our hearts,-not to come and visit now and then, but to dwell there. " That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith."

The Word says, and it is blessed, that God has two homes,-one in the highest heaven and the other in the lowest hearts. Listen to that beautiful verse in the fifty-seventh of Isaiah,-" For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is 'Holy,' 'I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a humble and contrite spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.'" The One whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain dwells in the lowest hearts. What for? "To revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." He desires our hearts. Some give their fortune, but withhold their hearts ; their talents, but withhold their hearts; their time, but withhold their hearts:all these are nothing without the heart. He wants our hearts. If He has them, He has all,-all is held by Himself; but, how marvelous ! if we will not give Him His place there, He stands outside and knocks, saying, " Open unto Me, and I will come in, and sup with you and you with Me." I know it is wonderful, but there it is set forth as clearly as possible in the Revelation of God's Word. There is nothing more wonderful in Christianity, I am sure, than the thought that the Lord Jesus Christ desires the company of His people,-yea, that the affection of the Father requires the gratification of the Father's desire-our presence in the house above.

It is more real heart-work that is wanted amongst us, I am sure; I feel it for myself. "The trees of the Lord are full of sap:" all that He hath not planted will be plucked out. It is more real, genuine freshness and power that is needed in our hearts,-in our condition amongst ourselves :it is more real sap of the freshness and power of the truth of God. " The trees of the Lord are full of sap," and I believe the secret of it is, to have the companionship of Christ; and if we know what it is in any measure to mourn His absence in this world, He will reveal Himself to us,-I am sure He will.

Here we find that Christ must have the first place, as we find it all the way through the New Testament; and you never yet enjoyed the presence of Christ without getting something from Him. Did you ever enjoy the presence of Christ, sitting at His feet, without getting a communication or communications from Him ? So here, after He has revealed Himself to Mary, and satisfied her heart by such a revelation, she gets a communication from Himself. "Go to" My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God." What a revelation! In the previous chapter, He was under the same condemnation; here, He takes them into the same relationship in which He stands. " My Father and your Father, My God and your God."

Now follows something else. Getting a communication from Himself, she becomes His messenger. "Go to My brethren." She becomes a witness of what she has learned from Himself. These three things you find all the way through the New Testament:Christ must be first; then, communication from Himself; and, third, witness for Himself in this scene.

In the twenty-fourth of Luke, we get it. Christ appears in the midst of His disciples. The first thing is, the revelation of Himself, which dispels their fear:their terror gives way to joy and wonder; and now, having Himself before them, the Lord recounts the things concerning Himself; He opens their understanding, that they may understand the things concerning Himself. Third, He says, " Ye are witnesses of these things." There is a fourth thing there too ; it is the power in which the witness is. They had to wait for the power. Though we have not to wait for it, we should wait upon it.

There is another instance where we get this same order. When Ananias went to Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, . . . . the Lord hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know His will, and see -that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of His mouth. For thou shall be His witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard." (Acts 22:12-15.) First, "that thou shouldest see the Just One;" second, " that thou shouldest hear the voice of His mouth;" third, that thou shouldest be His witness among all nations." This is the order; and so we find the very first utterance of Mary, when she got to His disciples, was, " I have seen the Lord." If we can say this first, when we go forth to be a witness, or to comfort the downcast saint, we shall be able to say what He has said to us. No doubt it was her proclamation of the risen Lord that brought them together, for in the next verse they are together.

There are three places where He is in the midst. In the nineteenth chapter, " in the midst" of two thieves. "On either side one, and Jesus in the midst." In the twentieth chapter, ver. 19, " in the midst" of His gathered people; in the fifth chapter of the Revelation, we find Him " in the midst" again-" a Lamb as it had been slain," – and, I say, what is a gathering of saints if .the Lord is not in the midst ? Nay, more, what is heaven if Christ is not there ? For a moment, Christ is hidden from the view of heaven, and a question is raised that cannot be settled :who can settle the question apart from Christ? The question is, "Who is worthy?" For a moment, Christ is hidden from view, and John begins to weep. Though in heaven there, yet he begins to weep because no one is found worthy to open the book, neither to look thereon. One of the elders says, "Weep not; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof." In a moment, his tears are dried up. What are we without Christ ?

"The person of the Christ,
Enfolding every grace ;
Once dead, but now alive again,
In heaven demands our praise."

J. H. B.
Plainfield , July, 1892

(Continued from page 162.)
Next, Hannah sees to the clothing of Samuel. Clothing, in Scripture, seems to mean those principles and habits according to which a person acts. Thus a garment of mixed texture-woolen and linen- was forbidden, as indicating mixed principles and habits _"neither cold nor hot." The woman was forbidden to wear a man's clothing, and the man that of the woman,- neither was to act in a manner unbecoming the sex. Leprosy in the garment had to be either torn out or the whole burned,-defilement in habits was to be purged away. The garment spotted by the flesh is in contrast with that pure religion which keeps itself unspotted from the world ; while, in glory, the fine white linen in which the saints are clothed is their "righteousnesses"-righteous acts. Thus the care for the clothing typifies that care for the habits, principles, and acts which go to make up the outward appearance of the child. Hannah could not change Samuel's heart; she could see to his outward appearance. Because parents are helpless as to regeneration, there is no reason why they should not be careful as to the conduct of their children. But mark the occasion when Hannah took the new garment to her child. It was when she went to offer sacrifices. As the precious truths of the atonement are set forth in these, so the effects of it are shown in the garment. Doubtless she sought to have the child enter with her into the precious meaning of the sacrifices, and thus he could appreciate that holiness which becometh God's house. So now, parents should ever connect in their own minds, and in the instruction of their children, these related truths. Constant care as to the behavior, apart from the blessed truths of Christ's redemption, would result in making the child either a self-righteous moralist or drive it to the opposite-extreme looseness and indulgence; while linked with the constraining power of Christ's great love, filling and overflowing the heart, behavior becomes but the natural outcome of that love, seen, believed, and received. For will not God bless His gospel in thus saving and keeping the children of believers ?

We come now to see the contrast in these two examples of the parent as last seen. Eli hears the doom of his house from the Lord, still allowing his sons to go on in their course. They are slain in battle, carrying the ark upon their shoulders, thus showing that God will never link His holiness with sin,-that His ark had better fall into the hands of enemies than be defended by defiled priests. Eli, as he hears the message of his own bereavement, but worst of all of what had befallen the ark, falls from his seat and dies. How sad the ending of a life which had such opportunities ! And when we ask why, our answer must be, in the words of Scripture, "Because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not." We know this marked an epoch in Israel's history, but we are speaking now of the simple but intensely solemn individual application for all parents. Hannah celebrates with a song God's goodness to her, and passes from her own personal joy to the complete victory God would soon secure in the earth. It is a song of triumph, sung by one who had passed through the darkness into the "large place" of deliverance. And what spirit can be so strong to deal with the difficult and real trials of bringing up a child for God as the spirit of exultant praise?-God has triumphed; He will do so still. And so the last we see of Hannah is thus praising God, still enjoying his blessing, and yearly going up to the house of God to offer sacrifices and see to the apparel of her child. How simple, how happy her life ! And what was the key to it all ? She took God into her thoughts, plans, and actions for her child.

Of the importance of this subject it is needless to speak. Every Christian parent with an awakened conscience has often thought and prayed about it. Many have the joy of seeing their prayers answered and their children growing up to be a comfort to them and an honor to God. Many, alas! are seeing the reverse, and their hearts are crushed with grief as they think of the ruin that has come into their own homes ; and multitudes of others are going on with unconcern, their children growing up in the world and of it. For these latter, surely some word of earnest warning is needed. Will they bring dishonor on God and the blessed name of the Lord Jesus? will they imperil the souls of their children by allowing in them habits or associations which can only bring damage ? But what can be said to those who have failed and are conscious of it? It is easy to point out the cause of the ruin, but is there not, in some measure at least, recovery for Eli ? The example of Jacob is an encouragement. His sons had made his name to stink among the Gentiles; but God calls him back to Bethel,-back to the place of meeting God, of seeing self in all its helplessness and God in His all-sufficiency. Under the power of that call, Jacob can speak to his family and be obeyed by them. There must a bowing under God's hand, and owning His chastening. There must also be a thorough restoration in one's soul to God,-the first love regained, and then taking up the broken and scattered threads of responsibility, the soul is to seek, in God's fear and by His help, that authority over, that respect in, the children had been lost. God blesses every sincere turning to Himself, though He does not pledge Himself to undo our misdoings. His holiness,_nay, our own needs require that we should taste some of the wholesome bitterness of that cup which a Father's love hands to us- "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

May our gracious God "Stir up the hearts of Christian parents to a firm faith in His power to save early in life their children, to a sense of responsibility in bringing them up for God, not for themselves. Were there this spirit of humiliation and prayer, how soon would weeping give place to joy, and Hannah's song be on many lips !

A LETTER IN REPLY TO THEIR CRITICISMS UPON THAT TRACT.

My dear brother,-Many thanks for sending me a copy of The Advent Review & Sabbath Review, for July 14th, '91, containing remarks by the editor (Uriah Smith) on my little tract, which you published, taking up their teaching on atonement. His personalities as to myself may be taken for what they are worth. As I read a paragraph, however, in his " Editorial Notes," p. 439, in which he contends for drawing a distinction between men and principles (the very thing I had done in my tract) ; as also the first sentence in his article ; I could not help thinking, What a pity the learned editor does not practice what he preaches! And the words " Physician heal thyself " rose instinctively to my lips. A refutation of my tract from Scripture would certainly have been much more weighty than the personalities and assumption which he so largely indulges in. The perusal of his article made me feel sorry (among other things) for the poor Adventists, if this is the way they are bolstered up in their faith ; especially seeing that these leaders are the men who are following "the advancing light " (?) while the rest of Christendom is left in the dark ! I only hope they may be led. to procure my little tract and read it for themselves.

The editor charges me with " not having discernment enough to understand their position, or, understanding it, not candor enough to state it correctly." And again, of " misstating and perverting their views." Bold words these are for Mr. Smith to write ! But I fear he has made a mistake this time ! He has turned his artillery the wrong way, and is blowing his friends to pieces ! I did not think he would have treated Mrs. White in such an unkind way. It is really too bad of him after all ! I have been led to understand that she is the great Oracle of the Seventh-Day Adventists ; (I don't mean this unkindly) ; and the way her books are pushed by their agents, especially " The Great Controversy," made one ' infer that it was a kind of text book, or " Confession of Faith,"among them, and inferior to none as an exposition of their doctrines ; not even excepting the large volumes of Uriah Smith himself, or those of others.

Now, as I not only quoted verbatim from " The Great Controversy," but gave page and line ; to be told I am "misstating and perverting their views " is certainly not very flattering to Mrs. White, who surely ought to know ! Moreover, when the editor himself subsequently acknowledges in his own article the correctness of my statements of their views, and which I sought to expose in my tract, and which he contends for as being according to Scripture, and " distinctions generally overlooked in the theological world," the charge of "misrepresenting and perverting" recoils on himself. Intelligent readers can see this for .themselves if they read my tract and his article.

But let us briefly glance at what Mr. Smith has to say for himself and his friends. He writes:"What is it he is so disturbed about ? Oh, we do not believe the atonement is yet finished. But what is there so terrible in this?" Let him read my little tract again, and he will find his answer. Nay, I will tell him once more, what is so terrible in this. If atonement is not completed, God is not glorified as to the question of sin, and therefore cannot act in righteousness in blessing sinners-Christ is not raised from the dead and could not be-no sinner is saved or ever can be-and the Bible is a lie. Jesus said, " I have glorified Thee on the earth. I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do." (Jno. 17:4.) And we are told that He "purged our sins, and forever sat down," yea, four times in that epistle to the Hebrews we are told that Christ has "sat down " (see 1:3 ; 8:i ; 10:12 ; 12:2, the everlasting witness of an accomplished work. Indeed the contrast is drawn by the apostle of the earthly priests ever "standing" because the sacrifices which they offered "could never take away sins (chap. 10:n), and the Lord, who has "-sat down" because His one sacrifice has done it, and gives the worshiper " no more conscience of sin." (chap. 10:2.) Therefore I say again, if the doctrines of the Seventh-Day Adventists be true, then the Bible is a lie. To Mr. Smith, these of course are " false and foolish conclusions." But to the simple-minded Christian, they are conclusions which Mr. S. has not met and cannot; and leave my charges of " blasphemous and abominable doctrines'" as proved against Seventh-Day Adventists.

If "assumption " were the standard by which to settle who is right, I would at once bow to the editor and his followers. Their assumption is prodigious. Indeed, it characterizes all their writings that I have taken up as yet. They assume certain things, and then reason and draw their conclusions and deductions, and set it down as truth which is settled and cannot be gainsaid, without one solitary proof from Scripture ; but with plenty of texts worked in to give the semblance of truth to those deductions and conclusions, and thus the more easily deceive those not taught in the Word.

Mr. Smith writes, "This man fails to see the distinction between Christ bearing our sins as a sacrifice, which He did upon the cross, and His bearing them as priest, which He does as our Mediator before God." This is a sample of what I have just said. And if it is not a piece of the grossest assumption, and a begging of the question, 1 confess I know not what is. Why has he not told us where Scripture makes such a distinction ? Simply because it does no such thing. It is all the imaginations of the leaders who have formulated this system of teaching, to bolster up their stupid blunder about the Lord coming in 1844.

Scripture does say of the Lord Jesus that " Once in the end of the world (or consummation of the ages) hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." (Heb. 9:26.) And as the result of that one offering, God can and does say of believers, "Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." (Heb. 10:17.) But where is there such a thought in the New Testament as Christ in His character as Priest bearing our sins ? Nowhere ! His present priestly service on high is connected with our infirmities, and not our sins. (Heb. 4:15, 16.) The above passages, with hundreds of others, prove that the sin question was once and forever, settled ere Christ ascended. Yea, the reasoning of Paul in i Cor. 15:with regard to the question of resurrection puts that beyond dispute, for he says, " If Christ be not raised, ye are yet in your sins ; our preaching is vain ; your faith is vain." But if He is risen, the believer is not in his sins. Again, " He was raised again for our justification. (Rom. 4:25.) But how could God justify any one if the sin question was not settled? It would be impossible! The resurrection of Christ is God's public seal on the settlement of the sin question by His well beloved Son. At the same time Scripture as plainly teaches that Christ now carries on His present priestly service for us after the complete and perfect settlement of the sin question.

Then we are told that I " ignore Christ's service in the first apartment of the true sanctuary above into which Christ entered when He ascended, and where He was in the presence of God, just as much as He is in the second apartment." But I ask, What "first apartment" did Christ enter at His ascension? why did not the editor tell us from Scripture ? Does not Matthew tell us, " The vail was rent in twain from the top to the bottom." (Matt, 27:51.) How, then, could there be two apartments any longer when that which divided them and made them two was rent in twain by God Himself? I may be told I am confounding the earthly and the heavenly, the type and the antitype. But does not the Holy Ghost use this fact in Heb. 10:19, 20 in connection with the heavenly, when he tells us we have "boldness to enter into the holiest (not the first apartment) by the blood of Jesus; by a new and living way which He hath consecrated for us, through the vail, that is to say, His flesh"? The apostle shows in Heb. 9:8, that so long as the first apartment stood as such, "the way into the holiest was not made manifest." But now that the vail is rent, the way is made manifest and the believer has access to God as a purged worshiper. It is this which characterizes Christianity. We have a finished work-an opened heaven-the Holy Ghost dwelling within us-and liberty and ability to draw near to God, and worship in the holiest. Seventh-Day Adventism denies all this. It keeps up the vail and puts Christ only in the first apartment from His ascension till 1844. Afterward, it puts Him in the holiest to cleanse it, but with the vail still standing, shutting God in, and man out. It thus completely denies Christianity, and is in itself antichristian..

And here I should like to ask these people about another point they assume, but give no Scripture authority for ; and one I have never yet seen explained and proved from the Word in any of their writings that I have ever seen. If Christ only entered the holiest in 1844 to cleanse the sanctuary ; how did the sins get there ? Can they tell us this? Mrs. White says, "As the sins of the people were anciently transferred, in figure, to the earthly sanctuary by the blood of the sin-offering ; so our sins are, in fact, transferred to the heavenly sanctuary by the blood of Christ." This assumption, is of course, to be taken an explanation. What abominable blasphemy ! And this in the face of Lev. 17:ii :" It is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul ; " and "the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." (i Jno. 1:7.) God says the blood makes atonement, and cleanses from sin. Mrs. White says, and all the Adventists say, No! It is the means of conveying sins into the presence of God, and then it is the priest that carries them out, and it is the scape-goat (the devil) who takes them away and perishes with them ! !

But what I want to know is, How did the sins get there for the priest to carry them out? In the ritual on the day of atonement, no one but the priest went into the holiest once a year, and it was he who took in the blood. Now, if this teaching be true, there were no sins there till the priest took there by carrying in the blood. Then, as Christ is the Priest, there were no sins in the true sanctuary till He took them there. (God forgive the thought!) So we are asked by Adventists to believe that the blessed Lord Jesus defiled heaven by carrying sins there, and then had to cleanse away the defilement He Himself had taken there. Is this not awful blasphemy ? The question, however, is still left unanswered :How did the sins get into the holiest if He only entered it in 1844 to cleanse it ? If He went in to cleanse it-if that was the object for which He entered, there must have been something defiling already there. The sins must have been there before. How, and when did they get there ? The whole thing is a mass of nonsense and contradiction, not to speak of its blasphemous character, and is "a veritable Pandora's box of confusion," as Mr. Smith is pleased to term the views of the theologians which have so long " afflicted the religious world."

Are we to believe that Christ defiled the sanctuary in 1844, by carrying in the sins which He afterward has to carry out? If so, what becomes of the Holy Ghost's statements in Hebrews, that "Christ by Himself purged our sins and sad down on the right hand of the Majesty on high"? (chap. 1:3; 8:i; 10:12; 12:2.) Was all this true when it was written to the Hebrew Christians, or was it all a lie ? If Adventist doctrine is true, then it is all a lie ; and no amount of personalities or denial of these conclusions, or calling them "false and foolish," can make it otherwise. If Christ purges our sins, then, how can He be at present in heaven bearing them as the Priest ? It is absolute nonsense and contradiction.

Did Christ only go into the first apartment at His ascension as Mr. Smith affirms? Then till 1844 Judaism was still existing, with the vail between God and the people, and His claims had never yet been met by the blood on and before the mercy-seat, and Christianity was a mistake. But Heb. ix 24, says, " Christ is not entered into the holy place made with hands, figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." " Having, therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus." (chap. 10:19.) Thus, Scripture says Christ is in the holiest
-in the presence of God (not in the first place with the vail shutting God in) and we have boldness to enter there also. Could any one enter the tabernacle, even into the first apartment, on the day of atonement before the whole day's ceremony was ended and atonement for the twelve months completed according to Jehovah's command ? Lev. 16:17 says, No ! Read it and see. Could then Heb. 10:19, be true either in Paul's day or at any time till 1844? Nay, it could not be true even now, if atonement is not completed, and if the Priest is still inside doing the work. Impossible ! It is because it is done, finished, completed, over eighteen hundred years ago, and Christ seated on high, as the proof of its accomplishment, that we have boldness to enter into the holiest, blessed be God. This alone shows the folly of their views.

Mr. Smith says that I " see no difference between one bearing sins as the priest did, to atone for them and put them away" (though he does not tell where that is taught), "and one bearing them as the scape-goat, to perish with them." True, I do not see the difference. Why ? Because it does not exist in Scripture. I have never yet seen such a thing, in Lev. 16:or in the pages of the New Testament. I have read that "Jehovah laid on Him (Christ) the iniquity of us all." (Is. 53:6.) And that Christ bare our sins in His own body on the tree." (i Pet. 2:24.) But where is there in such scriptures, any thing about " perishing with them " ? Instead of seeing all these various parts of the atonement fulfilled by our blessed Saviour, we are to believe (according to these new-fangled and blasphemous notions) that the devil is the scape-goat, and therefore he helps to make the atonement. Mr. Smith says that I " accuse them of having the devil make the atonement." I beg his pardon ; he had better read my tract again, and be more accurate in his statements. I did say, and do still say, with Lev. 16:
10, before me, that if their teaching is true, then the devil helps the Lord to make the atonement. And that we are indebted, not to the ever blessed Lord (as the true scape-goat), who, as our Substitute, bore our sins away forever; but to Satan, and although he helps to make the atonement, he is to be "blotted out" for his kindness !What a shocking and revolting thought !

Mr Smith asks, "Are sins atoned for before they are committed, repented of, or forgiven?" Let us turn the question, and ask him, Are sins only atoned for after they are committed, repented of, or forgiven ? If so, where is the righteousness of God in forgiving a sinner whose sins have not yet been atoned for ?What is the use of the epistle to the Romans if this be true ? It is quite evident the editor has not yet grasped the difference between the work of Christ as meeting God, and laying the basis for His righteously coming out in perfect grace toward all, and the purging of our consciences, and the forgiveness which we receive when we repent and believe the gospel. (Rom. 3:22.) A most important difference which Romans clearly teaches. As to the "Ultra doctrine of predestination, election, and reprobation " being true according to my teaching, as the editor remarks; these are conclusions which exist only in his own mind, or in some theological creeds; certainly not in Scripture, nor in the mind of the Spirit-taught Christian. Moreover, if Christ on the cross "bore the sins of the world," as Mr. Smith says (but which Scripture is most careful never to say), then universal salvation must be true. But it is only he who says so, not Scripture. And " the atonement coming at the conclusion, not at the beginning, of Christ's work as Priest," as he re-marks, shows plainly he has not grasped either the moral or the dispensational bearing of Lev. 16.

But I can say no more. One cannot take up everything they advance; it would occupy too much time. May God in His mercy deliver any of His own who may be exposed to these awful doctrines. It is by grace alone we stand. We need to be clad in the whole armor of God, to be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. May we each be found "holding fast His Word, and not denying His name," not "carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but growing up unto Him in all things," till the summoning shout is heard which call us up to meet Him in the air, to be "ever with the Lord." W. E.

"How pleasant it is to live for an end, and for an end so worthy of our life ! that 'whether we live, we live unto the Lord; or whether we die, we die unto the Lord; so that living or dying, we are the Lord's,' And in the meantime, what great lessons He is teaching us even the knowledge of Himself; and He is disciplining us, not only for our place in the Church below, but for the place in the kingdom for which He designs us in futurity. When the mother of Zebedee's children asked Him for the place on His right hand and left in His kingdom, He answers, 'Are ye able to drink of My cup, and to be baptized with My baptism?' as much as to say,- ' The path of sorrow, and that path alone, Leads to the land where sorrow is unknown.'

We have taken up our cross to follow the crucified One. We are to count the cost. To expect any thing else is unbelief. …..Our capacity of enjoyment, because the proper condition of a creature, consists, not in liberty, but in learning dependence and submission. If we knew it, it is happiness we are called to, in being required to be dependent one upon another. It will be so hereafter. We are called to nothing but what would be happiness could we submit to it. Pride is our misery, our greatest enemy. Blessed be His name ! He promises to resist it. Dependence and submission seemed a new happiness obtained by our blessed Master as a man. Not only did He submit to His Father, but see how He leaned on His brethren. 'He looked for some to have pity upon Him.' 'What, could ye not watch with Me one hour?' 'He came to His own, and His own received Him not.' 'I am as a sparrow alone upon the house-top.' 'I looked on the right hand, and there was none; and on the left, no man cared for me.' 'Refuge failed me. Then said I unto the Lord, Thou art my refuge and my portion.' Having to rule and reign with Christ, we must come to the same school to learn to govern. He was educated in our necessities. Whence comes all the sympathy we experience day by day, but because He suffered, being tempted ? Oh, yes! let us have patience. 'Let patience have her perfect work, . . . wanting nothing;' for 'the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.' I do not know if you will care for this, but I think you ought to care for all that concerns the glory of our beloved Lord. We need large hearts,- not only large enough to hold your small house, or your parish even, but to hold, not only the universe, but all the kingdom of heaven,-to hold God, and with Him all dear to Him. What a largeness !-all dear to Him who so loved the world as to give His only begotten Son, etc. ! Do you ever pray for me ? I pray for you. It is so pleasant, so profitable, to talk to the Lord about our friends. We send them sweet messages of love, by a faithful messenger. We do not know its sweetness till we try it. It is time well spent, to talk to Him of them, to talk to them of Him. We deprive ourselves of much real happiness by not living in heaven. Believers should be but as variegated lamps, hung out to lighten the feet of passengers from the kingdom of darkness. Our kingdom is not from hence. We should be looking at earth as from heaven, instead of looking at heaven from earth; as though present things were already past, and future things already present:and so they soon will be, for 'the fashion of this world passeth away.' "-(From Letters and Papers of Viscountess Powerscourt!)

(Job 6:24.)

They that go down to the sea in ships,
And in great waters reap,
These see the mighty works of God,
His wonders in the deep.
'Tis there we learn His mighty power,
In trial and in sorrow's hour.

For He the stormy wind commands,
Which lifteth up the waves;
They mount on high, then sink beneath,-
'T would seem they were our graves ;
But here we learn His matchless love,
'Tis here His faithfulness we prove.

When, reeling neath some crushing blow,
We stagger neath the pain,
Our own endeavors all, all, failed,
We turn to Him again,-
Ah, here we learn how far astray
The feet may lead the heart away.

Then as we cry unto the Lord,
All troubled and distressed,
He makes the mighty storm a calm,
And stills the waves to rest,-
'Tis then we learn the faithful hand
That could not let the vessel strand.

And when the stormy sea is crossed,
And wind and wave at rest,
And the desired haven reached,
Deep quiet fills the breast.
The One who kept through stormy days
Shall fill our hearts with love and praise, "
"There shall be no more sea," He says."

H. McD.

Plainfield.

Surely no part of God's most precious Word is more so to the believer than the record of those last scenes of our Lord's life, and especially of those last words, saturated, so to speak, with the tenderest affection, the most considerate thoughtfulness, and sweetest communications;-and of these, no portion has given, through the long centuries that have wearily revolved since He left, more comfort to the mourning, more confidence to the feeble, more cheer to those who were departing this life, than those words found in the fourteenth chapter of John's gospel. They appear to be the full, sweet, musical voice itself that spoke once long before, through the prophet of old :"' Comfort ye, comfort ye My people,' saith your God."

Let us, then, dear fellow-pilgrim, ponder a single clause of them together :" I go to prepare a place for you."

Have we not often asked in what possible way did any place in that glory called His " Father's house " need preparing for such poor things as we ? Could there be any thing there that lacked " preparation " for a poor redeemed sinner? No doubt, the Lord's people have ever fed upon the precious comfort of the words, and many a tempest-tossed spirit has been stilled, like unconscious Genesareth of old, by the infinitely tender considerate love that recognized something lacking even in His Father's house ere it could be said to be prepared for the reception of His redeemed, even though it might not grasp the full bearing of the words;-nay, I feel sure that to many who read this it will be no new thought; but such will not refuse to enjoy it with me again, whilst to some it may bring, in God's mercy, a little light on these few words that shall make Him who spoke them the dearer. So may it be !

Then let us look at it:-let our eyes follow Him into His Father's house, and view the scene there. We find the vail withdrawn in the epistle to the Hebrews-the heavens are opened, and we may make count of their glories:Angels and thrones and principalities and powers :all the beauty and wealth patterned by the tabernacle of old here seen in living reality:all, too, of one heart and mind, without discordant note, all filled with joy and praise. For so it has been ever. Praise has never lacked there. Every movement of God only gave fresh cause of joyful praise, as we see when the foundations of our earth were laid, " the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." Ah, who can tell the glories of that scene? But is that what our hearts crave for to give them rest ? No, surely. Glories in themselves may be the opposite of restful. To illustrate:you are introduced into a palace on earth; every thing about you there is rich with the glories of earth; gold glitters on every hand, and each apartment, from floor to ceiling, is filled with its evidences of the wealth and refinement of the owner. Would all that make you feel the more at home? No, surely. Sad and lonely would your heart be amidst all that grandeur. It has been made with another capacity, and if that be lost sight of, every thing is gone. It must find love. It insists on that. But introduce the same one into the lowliest cottage, and there let him pillow his head on a breast he knows, of whose love and sympathy he is well assured, and this, he says, is my home, this is my rest. Now that is just the need that our blessed Saviour recognized in His grace; and He says, as it were, "I will go, so that when you reach My Father's house, you may find there what will make you feel at home-make it "home" for you.

Let us now throw the light of that beautiful scripture we were considering in the October number of help and food (p. 270). It was of very similar bearing. God Himself there was seeking a rest, and Solomon was " preparing a place " for Him. Nor did, in that case, "glories" satisfy God's heart any more than they would ours in this. Not till He heard the sound of joyful praise, which spoke of overfilled hearts that knew Him, did He fill it with His presence. Exactly the same here :our blessed Lord is fully acquainted with man's need, and meets it as perfectly as (speaking reverently) the trumpet-sound of praise met God's requirements in the case of His earthly house. Let me hear there the sound of a divine yet human voice; let that voice be of One who, whilst God Himself, has yet tasted every sorrow of a walk as a poor man through this world;-let me find One there on whose human sympathy none ever called in vain,-whose eyes have shed human tears (just like ours) in the presence of human sorrow and death that we know so well;-nay, more, One who, in His divine love for us, has washed us in His own blood from every thing that would make us unfitted for that place. Ah, my reader, can we not feel "at home" there, even in those courts ? Is not that the place in all the universe in which we should feel at home? Does not that meet the need of our hearts? Is not the "place prepared" now by His being in it?

But what spot in heaven is thus made "homelike" for a poor redeemed sinner? Just inside its gates? as some dear souls, with low thoughts of His love, speak. No; we should not feel at rest there. Amongst the angel-ranks, or in the courts of the principalities and powers of those bright scenes ? No, not there has He chosen for us. But see where He is !-sitting at the right hand of God in the place of nearness and power. There is He, and there, after He has fulfilled His word, and come again and received His own to Himself, we see, in Rev. 4:, the crowned throned elders nearest the throne of God-nearest the center of all glories, and yet perfectly at rest, perfectly at peace, perfectly at home,-they prepared perfectly for the place, and the place prepared as perfectly for them. F. C. J.

At the risk of speaking of what may be quite familiar to many of the readers of help and food, I would ask them to consider with me one lovely word of surpassing value to us found in 2 Chron. 5:The temple is completed. All that vast store of riches that the beloved king David has collected has been spent in it, covering it with beauty, and filling with wealth its treasuries. The ark has been brought up from Zion and placed in its appointed position under the sheltering wings of the cherubim. Can any thing be lacking in glory, beauty, or wealth to make that temple a fit and acceptable dwelling-place for God ? Yes, something is wanting still to make it answer to God's heart as a place where He can dwell and rest. It must be filled with praise. Oh, sweet and precious word, giving us a blessed insight, as it were, into the very heart of God. For have we not a saying, as true as it is trite, " A man is known by the company he keeps." We can judge a man's character by what he finds his pleasure in, by what he voluntarily surrounds himself with. Then apply that principle to this scene. As soon as, and not until, there is one sweet sound of melody-the voice of praise and thanksgiving, with no jarring note, "as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord," then God comes in His glory and says, as it were, Now I can rest. Oh, sweet and precious word, again I say ! for it tells us what God is. As long as there is one cry, one groan, one sorrow, that is the effect, or one sin that is its cause, He rests not, He cannot rest. Around Him must be full hearts-so full of bliss and joy as to overflow in song. Then, and only then, can He find a dwelling and resting-place that is suited to Him. Ah, may we not know Him by the company He keeps. Yes, He inhabits the praises of His people. Surely this scene, then, through which we are passing affords Him no rest. Sin-stained, sorrow-filled;-groans, tears, sighing, and death on every hand. " My Father worketh hitherto, and I work " is the divine word for such a scene,-a scene to which even the redeemed are still connected by their unredeemed bodies, and they groan amidst a groaning creation. But there is a temple to-day. " Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" "Ye are the temple of the living God, as God hath said, 'I will dwell among them and walk among them.' " Yes, there is one place still covered with the glory and beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ, and where the voice of harmonious, melodious praise may be heard, fitting it for His dwelling-place. It is not to be found in the old creation, but is in itself a part of that new creation where no sin is found, and consequently no sorrow can enter. Practically, then, beloved, may we not learn that we are intended to praise ? It should be the one thing that marks out all who are living stones in the Temple which He inhabits who inhabits the praises of His people. "In everything give thanks." It is suited to our God, it is His rest. But how can we in our trials, perplexities, difficulties, sorrows,-nay, failings and shortcomings, not to say sins,-how can we live in this atmosphere of praise? Surely only by recognizing, enjoying, being occupied with, that new-creation scene of which our blessed Lord is the Head, on whose perfect work it rests secure, who is Himself its one Exponent. Ah, keep the eye on Him, and the heart in the atmosphere of His love, and stripes, and stocks, and foulest dungeon, and darkest midnight, can hinder the springing up of that fountain of praise, not at all. So look forward a little to the coming Sabbath that remains for the people of God, when God's tender hand has touched every weeping eye, and the touch has dried every tear,-not merely, as here, in a few, and in them in part of their being only, but in all; and there shall be no more death, nor grief, nor cry, nor distress shall exist more. Then, and only then, shall it be said, " The tabernacle of God is with men, and He shall dwell with them." Blessed be God forever ! F. C. J.