hath given Him authority to execute judgment, also, because He is the Son of Man". And (v. 22)—" For neither doth the Father judge any man; but hath committed all judgment to the Son." Which resurrectionpower, I believe, he sets before us, when he says "The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live." I take this to be, "they that are Christ's at His coming;" they, and they only, hear His voice at that time, and come forth, for ever to be with their Lord. Lazarus was the practical exhibition of this. And not only they; but the hour is coming, in its own time, "when all that are in the graves shall hear His voice. And shall come forth: they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." And all this for the express purpose, as He tells us, "that all should honour the Son even as they honour the Father" (ver. 23). And how thoroughly do our hearts assent to, and echo, that word-" He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father that sent Him."

What a chain of glory, therefore, is here indicated to us! Creator of all, Preserver of all (as I believe that word "upholding all things by the word of His power," and (Colossians) "and by Him"-perhaps better "in Him"-all things consist, shews us), and finally Judge of all. "The judgment-seat," we know, is that of "Christ."

This is part of His glory: [but there are some of His glories which we may, and I think it is most important that we should, look upon, as, after all, less than Himself, His own person, and glory:] because they are official glories. Thus the expression (Col. i. 15), "The firstborn of every creature, or of all creation.' That there can be no identification intended with the creature, the

I unhesitatingly prefer "by" in both passages, and think the contexts entirely disprove the correctness of the suggested alterations.-ED.

The part in [] seems to me to be a hasty and an unweighed statement of the writer (and the rest of the paper proves it to be so), for surely " some of all" will always be less than "all"; and all His glories must be less than the infinite God Himself.--ED.

context entirely proves; for the "FOR," which, in verse 16, elucidates this first-bornship, is not as though he were only the first-born among the rest of the creatures coming after him; but the first-bornship stands in this connection, "FOR by Him were all things CREATED, whether they be thrones, or dominions," etc.

The first-bornship I would take to be a thing answering to that of the 18th verse, that of the Church. It points, I would suggest with all reverence and deference, to Him, as appointed from everlasting to the headship, first of creation ("I was set up," Prov. viii., strictly, "anointed" [ ED.], from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was), and then as the ulterior object (Eph. iii. 9 where for "from the beginning of the world," read "from the age") to the Headship of the Church. This does not touch the tion of what he was in Himself.

ques

And so again with regard to the Kingdom, when it comes, glorious as it is, yet is it less than what He is in Himself. "Then cometh the end when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority, and power. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that did put all things under him, that God may be all in all." He has received the Kingdom from the Father, and when he has gathered out of it all things that offend, and them which do iniquity, put down all authority, and power, and made it meet for the Father, he lays all down at the Father's feet, that God may be all in all; the last grand and glorious token of obedience and love (John xiv. 31). It has been a mediatorial official glory. "He is the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person."

And then what joy it is to our souls to find what comes after; "When he had, by Himself, purged our sins." All the value of his person was thrown into his work and in the value of that work He now stands before God for us, and we in Him. As the living bird in Lev. xiv. dipped in his fellow's blood, stood now in all the value of that blood, though alive; so Jesus, He

that was dead and is alive again, stands now before God in the value of all he did on the cross for us, a Lamb as it had been slain.

See again how the value of this truth tells on what follows in chap. ii. That one should have been humbled, as Jesus was, is no so great wonder; but that one, who was what Jesus was- "Jesus the Son of God"-should have been "made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death; that he, by the grace of God, should taste death for every one": this is a thing calling upon us, like Moses, to turn aside and see the great sight.

What value of grace again does it put upon his priesthood, who, like Aaron, became "a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." What strength, too! "Having a great high priest (chap. iv.) that is passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession." He is able to help us all through.

See the further testimony to his glory (chap. iii), the contrast between Moses, "the house," and He that built the house, that builded all things, which is God, even Jesus.

Then, again, what a lively type does Melchisedek present of Him, standing solitary, and alone, "without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of God, abideth a priest continually." The tenderness of the Aaronic, the strength of the Melchisedek priesthood, both unite in Him.

"Join all the glorious names,

Of wisdom love, and power," etc.

"Set down (in chap. viii.) on the right hand of th throne of the majesty in the heavens, a minister of the true sanctuary" shaking both earth and heaven (in chap. xii). Great in his humiliation, great in his priesthood, great in his kingdom, great in Himself.

C T may remark, that whilst John sets before us the Son of God in his love, Hebrews, I think, sets before us the Son of God in his

power.

How sweet to know, that though thus great, yet is it true, what the Psalmist said of him: "Thou art fairer than the children of men; grace is poured into thy lips; therefore God hath blessed thee for ever (Psalm xlv). Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." It is the same Jesus, who was meek and lowly in heart-giving rest to the weary and heavy-laden. It is the same Jesus, who "by himself purged our sins"-with whom we are united, "bone of his bone, flesh of his flesh." May we know him increasingly! May we come increasingly "into the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God (Eph. iv.), that so we may be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." May we know Him more in His grace and love, taking our proper place, like the poor woman, washing His feet with our tears; being increasingly, too, conformed to Him in His meekness and grace, and telling forth His salvation and love to perishing sinners.

A PRAYER.

Accept, O Lord, the simple prayer,
Which in Thine ear we pour;
Behold! it is our souls' desire

To know Thee more and more!

We know that we are Thine, O Lord,
Redeem'd with Thine own blood;
We know that we shall shortly be
For ever with our God.

But we would prove our fellowship,
E'en here, from hour to hour;
Would catch the Spirit's "Abba" cry,
And taste His heav'nly power.

So should our souls with holy love,

And deepest peace abound,

And we shine forth, O Lord, and yield
A light to all around!

G.

NO. VIII.

THE CONDITION OF ISRAEL DURING THE PROPHECIES OF MALACHI.

ONE of the first lessons that Israel was taught by Jehovah "I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me; and before all the people I will be glorified."

was,

In the ninth of Leviticus, Aaron and his sons enter upon their service, according to the commandment of the Lord by Moses. The offerings were accepted; 23rd verse, "And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people: and there came a fire out from before the Lord and consumed upon the altar the burnt-offering, and the fat, which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces."

Immediately upon this, we have an account of the sin of Nadab and Abihu. Chap. x.-" And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He commanded them not. And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace."

This vindication of the holiness of God should have served for Israel all along, up to the remotest part of their history. It was God's standard. He changed not. We see a corresponding lesson taught to the Church in its early days, in the case of Ananias and Sapphira; God then vindicated his holiness against their sin. same judgments may not have fallen on like sins during the apostasy of the Church; but God has not changed. "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed

The