precious truths, and say with you and others that have one heart and mind, and are joined to the Lord, and one spirit, "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable to His death." And so we 'press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus," living and walking on in the strength of the Lord, knowing and believing that nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. There is another truth that is most blessed to be a witness of, and it is sweet to my heart, and like marrow to my bones, as the Lord saith, "This people have I formed for myself." This is more than heaven, happiness, ease, rest, and comfort, for it is greater than all these things; nor is there any heaven, &c., but as the Lord had chosen, redeemed, and formed us for Himself, to be one with Himself, who is to and for

us Jehovah, our everlasting light, our
God, and our glory. And as we are
instructed in these truths, and believe
with the heart unto righteousness, so
we, the Lord's willing people, shall
freely show forth the praises of Him
who hath called us out of darkness into
His marvellous light. I am now daily
on the look out for the fulfilment of His
own word, "I will come again and
receive you unto myself; that where I
am, ye may be also. Amen." I have to
bless the Lord on your behalf that Jesus
is precious unto you, so that with one
heart we rejoice, saying, "The Lord
liveth, and blessed be my rock, and let
the God of my salvation be exalted."
My love to you, your spouse, and the
few sheep. And thus it will ever be
unto us beyond time, as it is now
time; and Christ is all and in all.
Yours in our precious Lord Jesus,
A. TRIGGS.

in

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT-LONG SUFFERING.

that cross must distinguish the true fruit, for whose purchase he died, that it might be to the praise of the glory of His Father and our Father, from the false and spurious works of the flesh, whose sure end is that death which He suffered in the room of His people.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”—Gal. v. 22, 23. AGAIN, the "fruit of the Spirit" is | His cross, beloved, will speak trumpetlong-suffering. The human heart will tongued in the believer's ear, that God never produce this divine fruit. It cannot be mocked. He that hung upon may produce something like it, which may deceive the unwary, but it will not, cannot, be the long-suffering of the Spirit, and God cannot be deceived. If the wild, uncultivated vine could have produced good and fit fruit, what necessity were there for the husbandman's labour and care? As in nature, so in grace. Could gracious fruit have grown on the stock of nature, there would have been no need for the Divine Husbandman's loving labour, His humiliation, sufferings, and death. That such have passed upon the Man of Sorrows, is a sufficient and an eloquent proof of the dire necessity of the caseof the utter ruin of human nature-and of the fact, that we must have been crucified with Him, buried and planted with Him in the likeness of His death, before, in the likeness of His resurrection life, we could bring forth to Him any fruit to perfection. One look at

The fruits and operations of the blessed Spirit are many, though perfectly one in their nature as divine, and in their end, which is the glory of God. Some seem to have more direct reference to our relationship to God, and to return more obviously to Himself, as faith, love, and praise; some to rest with ourselves, as joy, peace, and temperance; and some to relate to our position with regard to our fellow-creatures, as gentleness, meekness, and long-suffering. This may be, to a certain extent, true, but we must remember that the end being the same, the variety manifest in the operations of the Spirit is one

entirely due to the method or channel of to become wearied. Might we not call His workings. Some are more com- it, beloved, love's first-fruits; for we prehensive in their character than read, "Charity (love) suffereth long (is others, and include them; and others, long-suffering) and is kind ?" again, seem to be confined in their operation to a time-state. Let such considerations, especially if they lead us to set a relative value upon God's work within our souls, be exercised with caution and humility. In these matters we are passing judgment upon things infinitely beyond our comprehension. Finite, we may be trying to grasp the infinite. These fruits of the Spirit are of God, and are well-pleasing in His sight. His glory is concerned in them, whether they are or are not of more or less relative importance, in consequence of their sphere of action being more or less confined. All actions of a believer done in faith are done to God. If done to a believer, God is pleased to look upon it as done to Himself; and if to one who knows Him not, yet is it done in His sight, to His glory, and is acceptable to Him. God is their author, and as such receives them back again. Nothing that has not originally come from Him, can possibly be acceptable in His sight. Wondrous thought! that man should thus be the honoured channel through which God directs His gifts in order that they may bless their recipient and return in blessings to their Giver. This reflection, that they are all of and from and to God, should check the rising thought that this is greater, or, that is less. All should be swallowed up in the consideration that God's com. mandment must be of infinite importance, and in an anxious desire to fulfil it.

The fruit of long-suffering appears to be one of the active results of that of love. The term love is, indeed, comprehensive. God is love. And it is thus that love is the "bond of perfectness" and "the fulfilling of the law." All the fruits of the Spirit spring from, and are, as it were, based on love. Love is the very air that the fruitful, regenerated soul breathes. Yet, in a more distinct way, is long-suffering seen to proceed from love. We have seen that love is that unselfish principle that displays itself in striving to benefit the object loved, and so long-suffering bears with the waywardness and ingratitude of that object, and does not suffer its love

Let us dwell a little on the longsuffering of God as displayed in the Bible. That which the blessed Spirit leads the believer to exercise will be the same in its nature; and, therefore, any facts arrived at in the consideration of the beauties of God's long-suffering, will be the goal of perfection towards which he will press forward. Beloved, we are lost in wonder when we meditate on the love of God in Christ. This will be more readily acknowledged, and seen to be a necessity of the case, when we come to dwell on one of the channels in which that love flows. This channel is long-suffering. We seem to understand something of the term long-suffering. We know that a man shows this feeling when he restrains himself from doing something unkind in the shape of retaliation, or that even in justice might be ordinarily expected. Thus of man's long-suffering we are able to form some decided opinion. It seems to come home to us. But how different is the case when we talk of the long-suffering of God. Though the term appears concrete in comparison with that of mere abstract love, yet we fail to grasp it when calmly viewed. We are at once lost in its amazing depths, and we become impressed with the narrowness of the limit of human thought, which is forced upon the mind of all honest thinkers the moment they touch upon the things of God. What is the longsuffering of God? How can it act? How bear with such a state of things as we see around us, and so long? How permit worms of dust to rise in horrid opposition to Him? How bear with their coldness and unbelief, and their sad grievings of His Holy Spirit, even after He has breathed into their dead souls the breath of life? We know it is done, but we cannot tell the how, or the why. Unable to fathom the channel, we quickly trace it back to its source, and lose ourselves in His love. There is little wonder, beloved, in the fact that we are unable to fathom this reservoir of love, if we find ourselves thus unable to fathom even one of its channels, the long-suffering of God, which it supplies.

We now see that it is as difficult to un-needed its display, and how ready and derstand a part of infinity as infinity itself. adapted it was to his wants. How soon We believe it all by grace, and know that after was it despised and tried, yet the it is summed up in Christ, and this long-suffering of God stood the test, and satisfies us, even while we remain unable waited even in the days of Noah, and to reckon up exactly all the portions soon the bow appeared in the cloud to that constitute the fulness of Him that assure man that His mercies are everfilleth all in all. The Holy Spirit will lasting, and that His truth endureth daily lead us into more and more of His from generation to generation. After riches, and the conviction that we know this the Lord declared His name to in part, and that the little we do know Moses, and proclaimed, "The Lord, the (and how astounding is even this little !) Lord God, merciful and gracious, longis but as nothing in comparison to the suffering, and abundant in goodness and reality, will be a wholesome one, for it truth" (Exod. xxxiv. 6). This was a will lead to a more simple clinging in precious name, and both Moses and dependence to Him and His love. David knew how to plead it. Again, in Blessed be God that we have not to these last times, the seal has been put to understand much, only that we were all these gracious manifestations and lost and are now saved by Him-that declarations. That seal, beloved, is in He who is our wisdom has understood one word, Jesus. We know no other it all for us, and that our place is to ground of confidence, and we desire no stand still and see His salvation, and other than the life, death, and resurrecwonder and praise. It is often in tion of the Lord Jesus. One view of nature, and in scientific works that pass Him will take away all lingering doubt our comprehension that we see, though as to the perfection of God's long-sufferin an infinitely less degree, that when ing. It is in Jesus that God puts Himexamined in detail, the complexity or self in the power of His people. He vastness of the past fills us with un- stirs our hearts up by saying, "I am bounded astonishment, and but adds to long-suffering in Jesus, plead with me our former perfect bewilderment as on this ground. Say, Thou hast saved regardeth the whole. Take the Great me in Him. Wilt thou not also in Him Eastern ship as an example. Its size be long-suffering, and of great mercy and unwieldiness confound us. We and truth towards thy servant, and keep cannot conceive how such a monster my feet from falling that I may walk can be practically worked. In the hope before Thee in the light of the living?" " of satisfying our minds, we examine perhaps some of its portions in detail its anchors or its masts-but we are only the more surprised when we consider the immense size of its minor and necessary adjuncts, and attempt to realize that the whole can be a ship worked at will by the hands of a few men. We did not plan the ship or build it up into its present state. Our business is simply to stand and look on, and leave the whole matter in the hands of those who made it, and will soon demonstrate the truth of their predictions as to its powers.

The love of God in Christ has saved us, beloved, but it was necessary also that His long-suffering in Christ should be manifested towards us in all its soulhumiliating, and praise-provoking power. How soon it was required, and how richly and sweetly did it come. The story of Eden will tell us how soon man

Beloved, what knowest thou of "the riches of God's long suffering?" Thou, who art a monument of His grace, couldst doubtless tell much of His goodness and long-suffering towards thee, which led thee to repentance, which

bore with thee in defilement, And from defilement saved."

When communing with thyself or recounting to others what God has done for thy soul, has it not been a difficult matter, at times, to believe for joy, that He, in whose sight the stars and heavens are not pure, and who charges His angels with folly, should have seen thee, a worm of the earth, lying in thine own blood, and singled thee out for a display of his mercy and long-suffering?

"He saw us ruined in the fall,

Yet loved us, notwithstanding all;
He saved us from our low estate,
His lovingkindness, oh how great !"

These considerations show us some- past conception, and that its rebellious thing of the nature of God's long- feelings often make it a mystery to suffering. It is all in connexion with itself, while it realizes that towards it. the election of grace. God does not Jesus Christ has, indeed, shown forth wink at sin, but he is long-suffering all suffering, for a pattern to them towards it, in order that His grace may which should hereafter believe on Him. shine with double lustre in the persons Beloved, our only place is in the dust of His people. "What if God, willing and ashes, when we think of the grievings to show His wrath, and to make His of His Holy Spirit, and all our agpower known, endured with much long- gravated unworthiness. But let us not suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to add to this hard thoughts of Him who destruction and that He might make has suffered us to be what we are. He known the riches of His glory on the suffered it before conversion, and He vessels of mercy, which he had afore suffers it after, for His own wise purprepared unto glory; even us" poses; but His word is passed to bring (Rom. ix. 22-24). So again: "The Lord us through at last with rejoicing. It is not slack concerning His promises, as is His will, and can the will of such a some men count slackness; but is long- God as ours ever be hard? The thought suffering to us-ward, not willing that be far from us! It is to show forth any should perish, but that all should His matchless love and long-suffering come to repentance" (2 Pet. iii. 9). It in Christ Jesus that He thus orders our is all summed up in the 15th verse: goings. "And account that the long-suffering of Such are a few faintly-drawn characour Lord is salvation." Thus we see, teristics of the long-suffering of God. beloved, that the long-suffering of God The long-suffering which the Holy is all for the vessels of mercy, and to Spirit works in the believer is the same show forth in them the exceeding riches in nature and principle, and shows itself of His grace. He might have cut the in him by his walk and conversation work very short, and gathered them in with the brethren, and those who are at once; but no, there must be a great without. The divine fruit yields itself display of His long-suffering. It is part to its Author, and glorifies Him. The of the work of salvation in Jesus. Let Lord Jesus sees of the travail of His us hush those regrets which almost soul and is satisfied. And, oh! if He, amount to repinings, which arise when the Lord of glory, could be so longwe look back on that sad life of enmity which we once led, before grace saved us from ourselves, without God and without hope. All this was but part of His mighty work. It was necessary for us, or we should not have been allowed to pursue it. This is a solemn subject, but one that should add another chord to our harp of praise.

suffering towards us, should not we be so towards our fellow creatures? Yes, beloved, we shall be so. The love of Christ will constrain us, and He Himself, who has wrought all our works in us, will teach us how to walk "with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love" (Eph. iv. 2).

And according as He works in us Again, what knowest thou of His both to will and to do of His good long-suffering since thou hast believed? pleasure, let us strive to show forth Surely, now we shall hear of more the praises of Him who hath called us wonders. Strange, indeed, would it be out of darkness into His marvellous if sinners saved by grace could not tell light. Let the resurrection life of of the amazing long-suffering of their Christ, in all its love, dwell in us God towards them in all their back- richly. The apostle to the Gentiles slidings, unbelief, and murmurings. gave the fruit of long-suffering as one We must daily cry out with Jeremiah, mark of the true minister of God (2 "It is of the Lord's mercies that we Cor. vi. 6). In another place, he boldly are not consumed, because His com-- speaks of the long-suffering that he had passions fail not" (Lam. iii. 22). Cold and miserable must that heart be which could not, with deep thankfulness and self-abasement own that His mercies are

evinced (2 Tim. iii. 10). Let us all examine ourselves in this matter, remembering that though we are not believers simply because we evince long-suffering,

yet that, on the other hand, we cannot | same Lord, beloved, that spoke with be such if we are not showing forth, Moses, and that brought Moses, David, or have showed forth, this grace of the Spirit.

and Peter, and all the saints, home with joy), therefore ye sons of Jacob are not Self-examination, beloved, will lead consumed." For "His belly (bowels) to sorrow and humiliation. Not to is as bright ivory, overlaid with sapdespair, but to an instant besieging of phires" (Song. v. 14). We all know the throne of grace for help in our something about this, beloved, for we times of need, an anxious desire for more have proved Him, and know that conformity to the life of Christ, a seek- though He may have spoken against us, ing for more of His mind, and a con- yet that He earnestly remembers us tinual looking unto Him who is the still, for His bowels are always troubled author and finisher of our faith. And for us, and that He will surely have while we provoke ourselves and one mercy upon us. And His bowels of another to more love and long-suffering, mercies will beget in us corresponding let us "consider Him who endured emotions, and in His glorious power such contradiction of sinners against shall be strengthened with all might, Himself, lest we be wearied and faint unto all patience and long-suffering with in our minds" (Heb. xii. 3). The more joyfulness. May we all be enabled, holy we look at Him, the more we shall see and beloved, thus to put on, as the elect of His unutterable long-suffering, and of God, bowels of mercies and longof our need of it, and the more shall we suffering, both in word and deed, in the cry, "Take me not away in thy long-name of the Lord Jesus; giving thanks suffering." Then the answer will come: to God and the Father by Him. Amen. "I am the Lord. I change not (the Brighton.

T. B. L.

we

FROM THE WRITINGS OF DR. HORNE, BISHOP OF NORWICH.

WRITTEN AT AN INN.

FROM much-loved friends whene'er I part,
A pensive sadness fills my heart;
Past scenes my fancy wanders o'er,
And sighs to think they are no more.

Along the road I musing go,
O'er many a deep and miry slough;
The shrouded moon withdraws her light,
And leaves me to the gloomy night.

An inn receives me, where, unknown,
I solitary sit me down ;

Many I hear, and some I sec,

I nought to them, they ought to me.

Thus in those regions of the dead,
A pilgrim's wandering life I led;
And still at every step declare,
I've no abiding city here.

For very far from hence I dwell,
And therefore bid the world farewell;
Finding, of all the joys it gives,
A sad remembrance only lives.

Rough stumbling stones my steps o'erthrow,
And lay, a wandering sinner, low;
Yet still my course to heaven I steer,
Though neither moon nor stars appear.

The world is like an inn, for there
Men call, and storm, and drink, and swear;
While undisturbed a Christian waits,
And reads, and writes, and meditates.

Though in the dark ofttimes I stray,
The Lord will light me on my way;
And to the city of the sun,

Conduct me when my journey's done.

There by these eyes shall He be seen,
Who sojourned for me in an inn;
On Zion's hill I those shall hail,
From whom I parted in this vale.

Why am I heavy then, and sad,
When thoughts like these should make me glad?
Muse, then, no more on things below,
Arise, my soul, and let us go.

A TRUE friend divides the cares, and the cares of His people entirely on Himdoubles the joys, of his brother in affec-self; and not only doubles their joys, but tion. Christ does more, for He takes makes all His joys their own.-Anon.