Jesus Christ. The period which elapses from his first being willing or concerned in his heart about pleasing God, until he believes fully and firmly in the free mercy of God in Christ, is a dark and dreary passage of his life; he is passing over where the two seas meet-the ocean of divine mercy, and the ocean of divine wraththe waves are tempestuous, and his hope, the anchor of his soul both sure and steadfast, has not yet entered into that within the vail. After toiling all night, and making little way, the dawn appears; but with it his troubles are but increased; for he sees something more of Christ by the greater light which now shines, and his opinion of himself becomes so bad that it seems as if the Saviour would pass him by. Filled with a feeling of utter helplessness, oppressed with a sense of unutterable wretchedness, in the inward anguish of a willing but hopeless spirit, he cries, "Lord, be merciful to me a sinner." He casts himself as he is, conscious of his vileness and wickedness, and he trusts altogether and unreservedly in the free mercy of God through Jesus Christ. His faith fully formed becomes an infant of days; this act of the mind, the unconditional surrender of the soul to Christ, to be wholly saved by Him, is the birth of faith within the man; and being justified by faith, he has peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. His willingness to be saved having been thus tried and found genuine, then begins the trials of his faith, and these continue without intermission until the end of his life. He learns to glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost given unto him.

His work is a personal work; in every conflict he acts as if he were alone, but he feels as if the Father were with him. He keeps steadily in view the great recompense of reward, and he anticipates, many, many a time, that day when casting his crown at the foot of his Master's throne, he shall with joy exclaim, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power, for thou wast slain and hast redeemed me." The only desire in the heart of the true believer is to glorify Christ; he will do any thing, he will suffer any thing, even death itself, for the honour of Him who loved him, and gave Himself as a ransom for him. His thoughts are so absorbed with deep concern about his Master's work, and the glory of his King, that he has no inclination to think of himself at all; he is entirely emptied of self and filled with Christ. Would that every man were a christian! The time is near when this shall be so; but one trembles to contemplate the great tribulation through which this glorious result can alone be achieved. A world of men emptied of self and filled with Christ! A world of men unconcerned about themselves personally, but all anxiety for the glory of God, and the happiness of every other man! Such a world who would not wish to dwell in? who would not rather live in such a world than die? Oh, be willing to do the will of God, for be assured there be some now standing upon the earth, who, if they believe, shall not taste of death until they see the kingdom of God come with power. When the final consummation comes, and the church is received up into glory, what a happy day that will be. The saints shall say, "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake." (Psalm cxv. 1.) The wonders of redeeming

grace who can declare? who are these that thus cry and praise God exclusively? Are these the men who were buffeted, and persecuted, and who endured many things for righteousness' sake, when suffering for well-doing? Are these the men who have come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb? How does it happen that with such unmistakeable marks of personal merit upon them-such emblematic signs of personal triumph in their hands and upon their heads; who can explain the mystery, even the great mystery of godliness displayed in this scene; men who have wrought out completely their own salvation; men who have fought a good fight and kept the faith; men many of whom have endured unto death striving against sin; how comes it that these have forgotten, and do wholly overlook their faith, their toils, their labours, their sufferings, their mental anguish and moral conflicts, and actually think and speak of nothing but the glory of Him who sat upon the throne and the Lamb? It is because they are emptied of self and filled with Christ, and within their hearts there shall never more enter a selfish thought. Their happiness is great within themselves; it is perfect and complete, wanting nothing; but their superior source of joy is to know that they give delight to God. They lived on earth weeping and sad because they could not love Him, and serve Him, and please Him as they desired; but now, what transports of joy fill their souls when they hear their Father say, I am well pleased with thee. On earth they mourned and lamented the misery and degradation of their fellow-beings; their lives were spent, wholly spent, in striving to do good to others; and they could have often wished themselves exposed to God's

wrath personally for a season, as the Lord of glory was. if by being so accursed they could have saved their brethren from their present sufferings; but now they are all with them, not one awanting; and their presence in glory, the fulness of their joy, the perfection of their eternal happiness thrills the believer's heart; and swifter than the lightning's flash, yea, with a rapidity surpassing the speed of the travels of light, as quick as thought itself, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the glorified bodies of the saints in heaven shall traverse in companies and bands the boundless limits of space, and the immeasurable distances of creation; multitudes of angels and men shall roam from system to system, and from planet to planet. They shall at times take a rapid and comprehensive survey of what they behold, and wing their flight elsewhere; at other times they shall locate themselves in some bright spot, where the glory of their God is revealed in great splendour and with unusual clearness; and they shall talk together, and as they behold and admire the ever-increasing lustre of that sea of glass on which they stand-they who have many a time stood speechless with astonishment in the ages that are past, shall be again rivetted where they stand with new and unknown amazement; they shall tune their harps, and while the multitude stand praising and adoring Him who created all things, and for whose pleasure they are and were created, numerous messengers shall be despatched to all quarters of the universe to gather together into one vast assembly the innumerable company of angels and men; and as each successive band arrives, so dazzling will be the splendour of the scene, they will not wait to examine it more minutely, but at once join the loud song of praise, with their voices and

their harps; and so will they continue until the whole family of heaven has been brought together; when with one voice, and with one heart, they shall sing a new song which they had not learned before; and again they shall disperse to do the will of God, and serve Him still for ever in His temple.

But will no mention be made of the merit of the saints who reigned with Christ and suffered upon the earth? Yes! it will be remembered; but not by the individual saint himself, neither by his fellow-saints in terms of adulation. The greatest among the saints in heaven will be the least conscious of personal merit; and the measure of the sense of personal unworthiness will be the proportion of personal exaltation, the one being the counterpoise of the other; and thus it is that all emulation and envy will be banished from heaven; it is by descending in their own estimation that the saints are made to ascend in Christ. He who sits upon the throne shall remember, but they shall not remember one another, except to speak of humility. Peter and Paul will be there, and standing side by side they shall talk the one with the other; contending, but not for the mastery; striving, but not for authority. Peter shall say to Paul, you are not the chief of sinners as you say, for I am a greater sinner than you; I denied my Lord three times, and accompanied my denial with oaths. Paul shall reply, But Peter, I was a persecutor, and a blasphemer, and injurious, less than the least of all saints, if that were possible. And while they thus contend in the depths of humility, the Lord shall come and interrupt their discussion, saying to them both, "I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than