On a large and conspicuous scale do we see this bear about with us the dying of our Lord Jesus tendency to backsliding, even in the right way of Christ; or forget that it is and must be a way of Zion, illustrated in the wanderings of the Israelites holiness? When we sin then we know that we between the Red sea and the promised land. By are swerving either to the right hand or to the a direct route, such as the way of the caravans, left. And O! just as in the physical world, so they had a journey to perform of about fourteen in the spiritual, whenever we find ourselves days. The Ishmaelites, in their way to Egypt with entangled with briars, or tearing our flesh among Joseph and their spices, were probably not so thorns, we may be sure we are off the road. Such long upon the road. But the children of this thorns running themselves into the flesh, are in world are, in their generation, wiser than the reality the voice of God crying, 'turn ye, turn children of light; and it is one thing to go down ye, why will ye die; this is the right way, walk to Egypt, and another to go up to the Holy Land. ye in it; or search and try your ways and turn Instead of a fortnight, the Israelites, and among again to the Lord.' Thus instead of a living man them Joshua and Caleb, were forty years on the complaining for the punishment of his sins, let road to Canaan. So far from proceeding in a us obey the voice that speaks in all such punishstraight line, their route was a series of circles. ments; and, searching and trying our ways, let Like a chain, their course indeed, as a whole, us turn again to the Lord. And just as it is the was straight, but the parts of which it was made Lord who thus intimates our deviation, unto up were round links. A great portion of their the Lord let us address the prayer, 'Turn thou us travelling was in the backward direction of the unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned; renew very land from which they were flying; and our days as of old.' hardly a single day did they proceed in the right line for the heritage of Abraham. And where, and who is the saint amongst us, who with his hand at the plough has never looked back, nor from his own painful experience been taught to remember Lot's wife. How many, and alas! how varied, are the delusions with which we have to contend! In the spiritual world it happens to us, as in the physical, that we often lose our latitude, without knowing it; and travel far and fast in a wrong direction, with the full persuasion that we are steadily advancing towards our journey's end. Strange too, that, when we are once on a wrong road, and especially when we begin to suspect it, we generally quicken our pace, as a bird hasteth to the snare and knoweth it not.' And O! stranger still, we are then afraid to ask the road of any one we meet; and rather proceed right on, under the cover of a fond delusion, to the mouth of the grave, than brave the truth, and retrace our steps to the chamber of the rising sun. We have thus a thousand motives to continual circumspection, watchfulness, and trying of our ways. O the moment our perplexities begin about the great highway of holiness, it is time to suspect we are straying; and the moment we begin to suspect, we may be sure we are wrong. It is a plain and free though not a beaten road; and indicates at every step the place to which it leads-even the palace of our great King. It is marked, moreover, all the way with drops of blood, as of a lamb slain for the remission of sins. Can we mistake our road to Zion, as long as we TWELFTH DAY.—EVENING. Haring therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God, 2 Cor. vii. 1. Ir is surprising to find, among professing Christians, how very few there are who so much as aim at the perfection implied in their own profession. The ambition, that, even in childhood, works its daily wonders on the little theatre of temporal life, seems to forsake us the moment we enter upon the great career of the soul, and add the incitements of eternity to those of time. Thus do we find holiness generally regarded as an attainment beyond our reach; and the title of saint as a dignity at which none but fanatics would think of aspiring. It is no uncomm thing to hear the Christian delinquent pleading in defence of his infirmities that he is no saint, and this with a tone of complacency, rather than of sorrow, implying plainly enough that he has no desire to be one. So low indeed does the breath of our spiritual aspirations move, that in our religious vocabulary saint and hypocrite have become almost synonymous terms; and it is the ambition of many rather to shun than to sexi the reputation of sanctity. All the while, however, the word of God abideth sure and stedfast, that without holiness ne man shall see the Lord,' and hence do we know that just in as much as we suffer our aim to fall short of a pure and perfect sanctity in the inner man, as in the outward life, does it at the same time fall short of heaven. It is remarkable too that no sooner do we fix our thoughts on the mansions of heaven, and contemplate with earnest eye, that holy of holies into which our great High Priest has entered, to prepare the way for our admission, than we feel this truth in all its force, and most clearly comprehend that unto saints alone can the gates of that blessed abode and the fellowship of its righteous inhabitants ever be laid open-that 'there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth,' and that they who stand before the throne of the Lamb with palms in their hand, are they who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.' If such then be the actual experience of our own hearts, are we, in taking our aim beneath the requirements of scripture, conscience, and reason, actually renouncing the promises of the life which is to come, and giving up heaven as a prize too high for our ambition? O, no!' is the ready reply of every nominal Christian, and readiest is it ever in the mouth of those who are loudest in denouncing the very reputation of sanctity; refusing for themselves, and denying to their neighbours, the appellation of 'holy brethren;' and crying down the name of saints from the face of our spiritual world. There is here then some deadly delusion and contradiction of sinners,' at work about our hearts; and by the manifest inconsistency of its fruits with our profession, warning us to keep closer to the light of divine truth, that in so doing we may learn, in the very beginning of our Christian course, to take our aim aright, with the clear understanding, that just as God never promises more than he is both able and willing to give, so will he never take less than he asks. In the promises before us we find a source of incitements sufficient, not only to raise our aim to the highest, but to keep us in the right course, for following it up in our life and conversation to the end. These promises are, in substance, no less than the restoration of our fallen nature to the rank of divinity. In this blessing is manifestly comprehended every gift and blessing in the power of God to bestow; for it is making us heirs of his own infinite riches, and joint heirs with his Son Jesus Christ. We have here then a promise of the highest order, and consequently implying on our part obligations to a corresponding extent. For so is it with all the promises of God. Unto every one of them is annexed a duty, and the duty is always in harmonious proportion with the bless ing. Hence are we taught, in the very same breath that conveys this gracious promise, to aim at the perfection of holiness as the condition of its fulfilment. It is immediately preceded by a peremptory summons to tear ourselves loose from our unequal yoking with unbelievers, break off all fellowship with unrighteousness, come out from among sinners, and be separate from them, and never more to touch the unclean thing; and then it is immediately followed up with the strong exhortation of our text, let us therefore cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and perfect holiness in the fear of God! We are required in a tone of authority, softened and sweetened by affection, not to content ourselves with aiming at the remission of sins alone through the blood of Christ, but at the extirpation of every bitter root and sinful inclination from our hearts, to take up the cross, and deny ourselves to all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and dying daily unto sin, live daily more and more unto righteousness. The fear of God is the beginning, and likewise the end of wisdom. But in its own end it is the holy fear of offending a righteous and living Father, and the holy awe that hangs over the soul at the thought of approaching the habitation of divine holiness and glory, with a stain upon its raiment. Let us aim then at the highest in all things-in character, as in privileges; and at perfection in holiness as well as in bliss. God may pardon us for coming short of our aim; but to aim short of his requirements, to purpose less than implicit obedience, and perfect purity of heart and holiness, even as God himself is pure, is in reality making up our minds to fall short of heaven in the end, and sink, it may be, in the very act of laying our hands on its gates, for there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth.' Soon do we learn from experience in the ways of the life which now is, to aim even beyond our purpose, that we may be more certain of coming up to it; and though the children of the world are wiser in their generation than the children of light, let us beware at least of reversing in spiritual things our own natural wisdom, and, while actually meditating an entrance into the habitation of God's holiness and glory, aiming short of it, by satisfying ourselves with a standard beneath the requirements of gospel-purity. Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of us should seem to come short of it.' THE mind of man, especially in early life, lives much more habitually in the future, than either in the past or the present. We are almost continually looking forward on the days or the years that lie before us; and leaning in thought on the shadows of coming events. There is hence in the constitution and bias of our minds a natural preparation for the power of promises; nor have any of us, moreover, passed through the susceptible season of childhood without an abundant experience of their dominion. By the spell of a promise we can fasten the imagination of a child to a future hour annihilate, in his estimation, all the interests of the time that lies between, and bind his eye or his ear to the clock that tells over, one by one, the moments devoted to expectation. The power of this influence, however, depends entirely upon faith; which, in its turn again, derives its surest maintenance from faithfulness. Of all promises, therefore, we should expect those of the Almighty, in whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning,' to take the strongest hold of our hearts, and fasten our imagination most stedfastly on their day of fulfilment. In the vast concerns of the soul, how ever, and of the world that is yet to come, we misapply the lesson bequeathed to us by our blessed Lord, when, setting a little child in the midst of his disciples, he said unto them, 'Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven :' for just as to them a year, a month, or sometimes a week placed between them and a promise, is an impassable gulph, in which their imagination, like birds in the Dead sea, droop and drown by the way; so do we suffer our faith in the word of God, and with it all the interest and the influence of a great expectation, to wear themselves out on the apparent delay of fulfilment. In the words upon which our meditations are at present feeding, we find the apostle mildly reproving this spirit of unbelief, or rather reasoning it out of our way; as he seeks to turn our expectation in the direction of his own; and fasten them on the great fulfilment of all divine promises in the conflagration of the world. For in that final 'melting of the elements with fervent heat,' 'we look,' he says, 'for a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. The brightness of this promise, moreover, is with which it is associated: for the period of its amazingly relieved and enhanced by the terrors fulfilment is not only the great, but likewise the terrible day of the Lord. It is that awful day of final retribution when the Son of man, coming in his glory with all his holy angels, shall gather the dead and the living of all generations to judgment before his throne, and 'shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd separateth his sheep from the goats. And the King shall say unto them on his right hand, 'Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.' Into such a great and eventful scene may we not safely say that God has concentrated all the interests both of time and eternity; and that whether we regard it in the light of a promise or a threatening, it beckons us forward to its coming with all the power that the Almighty perhaps ever brings to bear upon the sensibilities of our nature? It is the strongest appeal to the most susceptible passions of our souls, our hope, our fear, and our love,—for the King who sits on that throne of judgment is Jesus Christ. How therefore, let us ask ourselves, has it hitherto affected us? or how is it affecting us even now? Are we looking for, and hasting unto the coming of the day of God?' We who live so much in the future; who in the very act of sitting down to the banquets of to-day, are saying, 'what shall we eat to-morrow;' and while reaping the harvest of the present year are ploughing the ground for the next; are we thinking within ourselves, on which side of the throne the Judge of that day shall place us; or where, and what manner of persons we shall be, when its solemnities shall all be over, and the day of judg ment added to the records of the past? Alas! thousands, and tens of thousands, yea, the vast majority of mankind, are eating, and drinking, and sleeping in the very same manner, as we might safely suppose, if the coming of such a day had never been revealed. The apostle ascribes this forgetfulness or unbelief to the apparent slackness of God in bringing his own promises to pass. But did God ever tell us when the end of the world was to come? Let it be sufficient for us to know that it lies before us on a road that we must all travel, and that a time is coming when we shall look back upon it as we now do on the creation of the world, the deluge, or the death of Christ. And O! above all things, let us read aright this apparent slackness of God in bringing his own judgments to pass; and may his grace save us from the crimson sin of turning his own mercy into a weapon of offence against the honour of his name. Why is God so slow in the accomplishment of his threatenings, or the fulfilment of his promises? Why is the day of judgment so long delayed? O! just because the heart of man is hard, and God is gracious. In the plans of his grace he has a great work to accomplish before the coming of the great day; a work no less than the total reformation of the human race, and putting all things under Christ. If God then be slow it is because the hearts of men are slow in 'ceasing from evil, and learning to do well.' And so is it in regard to individuals, and the judgment that awaits us all at death. Why, we may ask ourselves, are we still alive? O! it is because God is willing that we, as indeed all men, should be saved. And therefore does he give us time to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. There is a time allowed, in sufficient measure, for all men; for God hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but desireth rather that all should come to him by repentance and live.' Why then should a single soul be lost? And why, O God, should that soul be mine? THIRTEENTH DAY.-EVENING. Likewise, I say unto you, There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth,' Luke xv. 10. As the resources of redeeming love are, like itself, infinite, so is there an endless variety in its ways of winning souls to God. Of the many strings in the human heart, there is not one which the author and finisher of our faith has left untouched and untried, or rather upon which he has not brought every imaginable influence to bear, in his persevering endeavours to awaken within them a response of love, and wring out of them a tear of repentance. When he has tried us with the power of terror, and the fearful looking for of judgments, he addresses himself to the tenderest chord of our nature, and seeks to allure us over to himself and to heaven by voices of love and visions of delight. To change, after his own example, the figure, he is at one time checking us on the road to ruin by an exhibition of its unutterable woes; and when he has terrified but not turned us, or turned us in the outward man, but not the inner, he opens as it were the gates of heaven, and directs upon our softest sensibilities the power of all its allurements. In the passage before us, we find the untiring Saviour bringing into action the power of sympathy, and endeavouring to soften us into repentance by an impression of the joy, excited by this greatest of all revolutions in the life of man, among the sinless inhabitants of heaven. Our Of our fallen state, and our natural alienation from God, it is one of the many symptoms that we ourselves have no fellow-feeling with the holy angels, and are consequently slow to comprehend that they can have any sympathy with us. wrong feeling upon this subject is fed by wrong thinking, and the heart defrauded of a pleasing and powerful sympathy by an error of the head. For in attempting to conceive the happiness of heaven, and its holy angels, we are apt to suppose that just because it is perfect and equable in its own nature, it can derive no accession from the events of human life; which, being in themselves fluctuating and uncertain, would seem to imply similar fluctuations in any order of felicity that can be affected by their changes. We suppose, in short, that just as happens to ourselves, if joy be diffused over the family of heaven by the repentance of a sinner, or any tidings of great gladness from the earth, their joy must have been incomplete before; or, what amounts to the same thing, would have been less had such a repentance not taken place. And thus do we think ourselves forced, as long as we admit the perfection of their blessedness, to doubt the participation of angels in our welfare. We should observe, however, that as they are said to rejoice in the arrival of glad tidings from the earth, it is never said that the amount of their joys is thereby enlarged, and then we have only to conceive that the joyous events of our globe, such as the accession of a human soul to the kingdom of grace, may be one of the many sources that feed the ever-full and equable river of their bliss. Now this is just what Christ tells us; and there is therefore no other barrier between our hearts and the influence of such a beautiful truth but the want of all fellow-feeling, on our part, with the holy inhabitants of heaven, occasioned by sin, and perpetuated by impenitence. Are we inclined, moreover, to marvel at such an insignificant event as the repentance of a single sinner, extending its effects all the way to heaven, and contributing to the bliss of all the holy angels? Can such a ripple in the stream of time communi When within his scheme of redeeming love. cate an impulse to the ocean of eternity? Oh! at the sound of that word eternity all the marvel ceases. It is a word that explains every marvel of redeeming love, and confounds into foolishness the wisdom that would charge God with extravagance in purchasing a portion of the earth, with the blood of his Son. When we weigh a single human soul against the sympathies of heaven, let us remember that we are weighing eternity along with it; and then, O! then shall all our stupid wonder be changed into astonishment at the folly of sin. Ah! the angels know what heaven is, (as some of their ancient compeers know what it was,) and therefore is there joy in their presence over one sinner that repenteth. Is there not incitement then to repentance in the contemplation of such a joy? What growing population of the globe, unhindered, an important, what a happy revolution must that in its course, by any distinctions of country or be in the life of a single sinner, that makes itself age. felt in heaven, and runs, as along an electric chain, to the heart of all its angels. And shall it have no charm for us, who are mainly interested, and whose whole eternity is wrapped up in it? Or shall we, who are so much alive to the influence of sympathy, be dead to the fellow-feeling of the best and purest beings that God has made? and, while we know that they are crowding to the windows of heaven, in daily expectation of the day -of the moment, when, through their thick and bright array, shall spread the joyous cry, 'Behold he prayeth; and are longing, it may be, for a commission from the God of love, to wipe away our tears, as fast as they flow; have we no longings for a closer fellowship, in becoming, like themselves, sons of God? O! when we do repent, we shall understand the joy of angels over the great change, by our own. For In like manner do we find the incarnate Son the great mystery of divine love, manifest in the flesh, extending, in the day of fulfilment, his anxious regard over the whole face of the earth, and along the entire vista of future ages, till its termination in the day of judgment; and in whatever direction he looks, expressing his earnest desire that every soul of man within the compass of his care should be saved. Most affecting is it, at the same time, to observe this affectionate solicitude, all the while, giving itself utterance in actions, as well as in words, by our blessed Lord laying plans, appointing ordinances, issuing commands, and communicating instructions, with untiring patience and exertion, for giving effect to the large and benevolent desires of his soul. the reward and the joy set before him was to see of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied. And thanks to the power of his blood, and the faithfulness of the everlasting covenant, he shall be satisfied. On goes the chariot of his everlasting gospel, conquering and to conquer till all things be subdued to the banner of his love, and the uttermost ends of the earth given unto Him for a possession. Shall we take upon us the yoke of Christ, and join in drawing his chariot—or stand still-be it in an idle, or an active resistance, to be driven down by its burning wheels. There is no other choice. The will of Christ, in the world of mind as well as of matter is accomplished by means, and unto men has he committed the task of evangelising the world. And what child of man does it not touch to see him, on the eve of returning to the Father, consigning his post to human disciples; just as a parent, when going on a journey, leaves one child to the care of another. In the passage before us, the disciples are |