Thus it was in the case of Jane W. Her mother recovered in a few months; but, alas! her darling child fell sick, and died. A complaint of the heart terminated her life after a few weeks' illness. Her end was peace and joy. During her short illness, the only book she read was her Bible, in which she delighted, and which was to her a wellspring of consolation. All her trust was in her Saviour; He was her "all in all." have all warm and comfortable on their return. | How often does His all-wise hand frustrate On one cold winter's night, when her master our fairest schemes, and blight our fondest was gone to a cottage-lecture, a heavy storn. hopes. came on, and remembering that he had gone out unprovided for such weather, she came to her mistress and asked leave to go with a lantern and a cloak to the place where he was. Her mistress, although much affected with this proof of attachment, said that she could not think of allowing her to go, as it was her rule never to let her go out anywhere after dark. Poor Jane's countenance fell, and she silently withdrew. The rain and wind increased, and in a little while Jane returned, and, with tears in her eyes, intreated so earnestly for permission to go that her mistress could no longer refuse, but consented to her going part of the way, when she was to return if she did not meet her master. On thus obtaining leave, she bounded away with joyous step, and, although a very timid girl, and quite unaccustomed ever to be out alone at night, she went forth bold as a lion on this errand of love. But now a heavy trial was about to befal this affectionate child. Her master received a letter from the clergyman of her native village, stating that her mother was so ill as to require the attendance of her only grown up girl. Here, then, was no room for doubt or hesitation as to what course she ought to take. But sorrow filled her heart at the thought of separation from her beloved master and mistress. A sermon which she had just heard on Eph. v. 2, strengthened her for the conflict, and the assurance that, if the Lord permitted, she should certainly return as soon as her mother recovered, somewhat comforted her heart, though it could not assuage her tears. Her mistress wept no less than her faithful little maid, for she felt as though parting with her own dear child. Still she too was cheered by the hope that the separation was only for a short time. How unsearchable are the ways of God. I She was not only resigned to death, but longed to "depart and be with Christ;" and often tried to comfort her weeping parents by saying it was far better for her to die than her dear mother. For three days before her death she was unable to speak, but she continually pointed towards heaven; and thither she turned her longing eyes with an expression which plainly told all around that her treasure was in heaven, and that her affections were fixed on things above. Thus she fell asleep in Jesus. [We have often recorded the wondrous ways in which it hath pleased our Heavenly Father to call His chosen people from darkness to light. With Him is no respect of age or station; He calls when, where, and how He will; He goes after the sheep of full age, that have gone astray, and brings them at evening time into the fold; but He has also His tender lambs, whom he sanctifies from the womb; early gathering them with His arm and carrying them in His bosom to the fold above. Here we have narrated the short career of a little lamb of Christ, gathered by a faithful under-shepherd, whose privilege it was to feed and train her for a while, among the flock committed to his care.] "A little while she dwelt with us, CHRIST EXALTED. "Him hath God exalted, with his right-hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance unto Israel, and forgiveness of sins," Acts v. 31. Exalted to bestow two gifts to us, and these are repentance and forgiveness. WE have here set before us the love | man sin, we have an Advocate with the and the power of the Father as the main- Father" (1 John ii. 1). spring of the salvation of man, "God so loved the world," &c.; and the Son having done "the will of Him that sent Him" (John xxxviii), was exalted "to be a Prince and a Saviour," and to carry on the work in the hearts of his redeemed. Exalted as a Prince to reign over them. All power is given me in heaven and earth" (Matt. xxviii. 18); and as a Sa<viour to intercede for them. "If any Observe here, we cannot repent of ourselves. Repentance is the gift of Jesus. For this He employs his Holy Spirit, which acts in various ways on the hearts of his people. Like the wind, "It bloweth where it listeth, and we hear the sound thereof, but cannot tell whence it cometh, or whither it goeth" (John iii. 8); but cry out, "God, be merciful to me a sinbreathes the air of spiritual birth within ner" (Luke xviii. 13). Then comes the them. Sometimes they are pricked in second gift, Forgiveness of sins." their hearts (Acts ii. 37), crying, "What The breath of the new-born soul enshall we do ?" Sometimes He brings sin treats pardon "with groanings which home with such power that we say, "He cannot be uttered" (Rom. viii. 24). told me all things that ever I did "The Lord looks at that man (Isa. lxvi. (John iv. 29), and the 51st Psalm be- 2). He who is "mighty to save (Isa. comes the cry of the broken heart. St. xvi. 1) hears the cry, and the sigh of John, as the precursor of Jesus, was to this spirit in the sinner. Then, "be of preach "Repentance" first, and none good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee" really know the value of this Saviour till (Matt. ix. 2), are words sometimes spothe bright beams of His love, shining on ken by the "Still small voice" within the dark foreground of their own hard, (1 Kings xii. 19), and "if ye love me ungrateful, sin-sick hearts, shows them keep my commandments" is never fortheir danger of hell, and leads them to gotten, THE LORD'S SOVEREIGNTY DISPLAYED. If the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken, I, the Lord, have deceived that prophet: and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel."-EZEK. xiv. 9. WHAT shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid! For He saith to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy; and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." So then, "It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy: therefore hath He mercy on whom He will have mercy; and whom He will He hardeneth." دو But the question immediately ariseth, And how doth He this? Not by putting any deception or hardness into the mind which was not there before; but simply by leaving it to follow its own inherent sinful dictates; "For the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; out of which proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.' The Lord (if you remember) "left Hezekiah, to try him, that He might know all that was in his heart." You see, therefore, there can be "No evil in the city but the Lord hath done it ;" and yet He is not "The minister of sin" (Satan himself being that) (Gen. iii. 1—6). Let no man, then, say, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man (to evil); but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Then, when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." Now, then, we understand (from the Scriptures by the Spirit's teaching) what the seraphic Isaiah meant, when breaking out before God, "O Lord, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our hearts from thy fear?" Certainly, words cannot be plainer to prove that Jehovah Alehim is the Author of all persons and things in heaven, earth, and hell; still, He is not the mover to iniquity. True, therefore, that record, "The Lord hath made all for Himself-yea, even the wicked for the day of evil." And again it is written— "All things are of God." Do you no-tice? The whole is of God's appointment, while all is not from his working (sin being the creature's own act and deed) (Rom. viii. 20, 21). Somewhat of this we have opened out (by way of illustration) in the chapter before us; wherein He chargeth home evil, sin, or iniquity, as proceeding from the people themselves: "And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put the stumb ling block of their iniquity before their face; should I be enquired of at all by them? Therefore, speak unto themthus saith the Lord God-every man of the house of Israel that setteth up idols in his heart, and putteth the stum bling-block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet, I, the Lord, will answer him that cometh ac, cording to the multitude of his idols, his : that I may take the house of Israel in, and others to obtain salvation by our their own heart, because they are all Lord Jesus Christ." The "Church of estranged from me through their idols." England," in her excellent Seventeenth So, again, on another occasion, when the Article, speaks all this to the full when Lord would have Ahab to go up and fall proclaiming" Predestination to life at Ramoth Gilead, Micaiah said unto the is the everlasting purpose of God, king, "Hear thou, therefore, the word whereby, before the foundations of the of the Lord;-I saw the Lord sitting on world were laid, He hath secretly dehis throne, and all the host of heaven creed to us to deliver from curse and standing by Him on his right-hand and damnation those whom He hath chosen on his left. And the Lord said, Who in Christ out of mankind, and to bring shall persuade Ahab to go up and fall them by Christ to everlasting salvation at Ramoth Gilead? And one said on as vessels made to honour!-As the this manner, and another said on that godly consideration of election and premanner. And there came forth a spirit, destination in Christ is full of sweet, who stood before the Lord, and said, I pleasant, and unspeakable comfort to will persuade him. And the Lord said godly persons, so for curious and carnal unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I persons, lacking the Spirit of Christ, to will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit have continually before their eyes the in the mouth of all his prophets. And sentence of God's predestination, is a He said, Thou shalt persuade him, and most dangerous downfall, whereby the prevail, also go forth and do so. Now, devil doth thrust them either into destherefore, behold the Lord hath put a peration or into wretchedness of most lying spirit in the mouth of all those thy unclean living, no less perilous than desprophets; and the Lord hath spoken peration." Little children, then, keep evil concerning thee." In a word, hear yourselves from idols. Amen! (Verses the language of our God on the whole 6-8). matter" I am the Lord, and there is The words before us clearly unfold none else; I form the light, and create the following grand and sacred truths:darkness; I make peace, and create 1st. That although God is the Author evil; I, the Lord, do all these things." of all things, still He is not the minister What say you, beloved in covenant of sin; from whence will be seen how bonds? Can you receive these divine the speech of a liar invariably betrayeth truths into your hearts as "the wisdom him. of God ?" If so, it is a full proof you The Almighty Speaker of these most have been taught of the Lord, other-striking words is none other than the wise you would find disgust and wrath Son of God Himself, who "For judg springing up in your mind, both against the truths themselves, as likewise against the humble advocates thereof (1 Cor. ii. 14, 15.) Happy, therefore-yea, thrice happy are those who can set the seal" to such profound mysteries of our most holy faith; while on the other hand, "Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker. Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth" (2 Tim. ii. 20). ment came into our world, that they which see not, might see, and that they which see might be made blind." What a luminous description of his most ador able Majesty doth the same Prophet pourtray (as upon a tile) in the opening of his prophecy!"The word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel the Priest, the Son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans, by the River Chebar, and the hand of the Lord was there upon him;" "These are high doctrines," some may then, "The Word was in the beginning exclaim. They are indeed. Highly ho--was with God-and was God." Now, nourable to God!-highly comforting to as the term "Word" was one of the the elected, redeemed, and regene- royal names or titles given unto the rated children but highly dangerous to Pharisees in every age of the Church. "As for the rings of the living creatures (writes the Prophet Ezekiel), they were so high they were dreadful!" Yes, verily the ring of God's election and predestination is so high above human reason, that it is dreadful (for the carnal mind) to think "God hath appointed some unto wrath, Eternal Son, "From the beginning of Jehovah's ways (so writes John)-that which was from the beginning-which we have heard-which we have seen with our eyes-which we have looked upon-and our hands have handled-of the Word of life. For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was : manifested unto you." As the eternal | if they speak not according to the Word, life, He is the Son (a Person of the God- it is because there is no light in them." head) co-equal and co-essential with the The false prophet, therefore, speaketh Father and the Holy Ghost-over all, lies and perverse things out of his own God blessed for ever; while, as the deceived heart, which hath turned him Word, He is the only-begotten Son of aside; while the true minister preacheth God, the Image of the invisible God, and Jesus Christ, and Him only as a sinFirst-born of every creature. "The ner's salvation, with the Holy Ghost Lord (saith He) possessed me in the sent down from heaven. The Jew is a beginning of his way before his works deceived prophet, who ignorantly speakof old I was set up from everlasting eth, "Their Messiah hath not yet come from the beginning, or ever the earth in the flesh;" while all the Scriptures was. Then I was by Him as one brought as with ten thousand tongues loudly proup with Him; and my delights were claim Him to have been born in Bethwith the sons of men." This, then, is lehem---was delivered for our offences, He, in whom dwelleth all the fulness of and raised again for our justification. the Godhead bodily,-in whom we are "This is a deceiver and an Anti-Christ," complete, and who is the Head of all writes the beloved Disciple. The Arian principality and power. And, once more, (or Socinian) is another deceived man, this is the Word that "was in the fulness who unblushingly denies the Godhead, of time made flesh-dwelt among us, Deity or Divinity of Jesus Christ, thinkand we beheld his glory, the glory of the ing his most glorious Majesty to be but a only-begotten of the Father, full of grace mere man, as one of themselves. Unto and truth-even Jesus Christ." If you all such it was declared, "If ye believe remember, He graciously appeared unto not that I Am, ye shall die in your sins" Adam in the garden-being God in hu- (Rom. i. 20). The Roman Catholic man form, otherwise He could not have likewise is deceived, who trusts in his been seen; unto Noah, in the ark; unto" wooden cross and breaden god" (2 Moses, in the bush; unto Manoah and Thess. ii. 11, 12). The Puseyite, also, his wife; unto Shadrach, Meshech, and is a deceived prophet---as he proves himAbednego, in the fire, as the Son of God; unto the Prophets, and Ezekiel amongst the number, giving him to understand, "If the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I, the Lord, have deceived that prophet.' Wherefore, as under the Old Testament dispensation, "There were false prophets among the people; so likewise under the New have we many who run before they are sent" (Jer. v. 30, 31). self to be, when deceiving others with his false tradition of baptismal regeneration, &c., thereby setting at nought God's truth (John iii. 3). And what shall I say more? for the time would fail me to write of many others who "have a name to live, but are dead before God;" vainly puffed up by their fleshly minds after the rudiments of this world, and not after Christ (Col. ii. 8). Take heed therefore both who you hear, Beware, then," said Jesus, "of false and what you hear! "For the period is prophets, which come to you in sheep's fully come, when they will not endure clothing; but inwardly they are raven- sound doctrine; but after their own lusts ing wolves--ye shall know them by their shall they heap to themselves teachers fruits." And again, John cautions the having itching ears. And they shall turn Church, "Believe not every spirit (or away their ears from the truth; and shall preacher), but try the spirits (or preach- be turned unto fables! "Wherefore ers) whether they be of God; because come out from among them, and be ye many false prophets are gone out into separate saith the Lord, and touch not the world." Doth the question arise, the unclean, and I will receive you, and "And how shall the one be known from will be a Father unto you: and ye shall the other?" Thus saith the Lord God, be my sons and daughters, saith the To the law and to the testimony; for | Lord Almighty!" (Rev, xviii. 4.) (To be continued.) PARABOLIC TEACHING, EXEMPLIFIED IN AN EXPOSITION OF THE SEVEN PARABLES CONTAINED IN THE THIRTEENTH CHAPTER OF ST. MATTHEW'S GOSPEL. وو (Continued from page 414.) 6. THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE. MATT. XIII. 45, 46. Yes, "He sold all that He had, and | redeemed the world only for the sake of bought ME! This is the voice of the Church, and yet its glory shall be Divine love, which awakens the respon- great, as we have seen, how much greater, sive echo in the believer's heart-this is think you, will be the glory of the the grateful thought which makes the Church itself, for whose sake the world very name of Jesus to be, to the par- is to be made so glorious? Hence we doned sinner, As ointment poured find that while glorious-inconceivably forth "--this is the constraining motive glorious-are the things which are -the omnipotent law of love-which spoken of the spiritual Zion, there are causes him "thus to judge, that if one some things in store for her which are died for all, then were all dead and so glorious that they cannot be spoken that He died for all, that they which live-they are unspeakably glorious: they should not henceforth live unto them- are, so to speak, to our feeble vision, selves, but unto Him which died for" Dark from excessive brilliancy." them, and rose again" (2 Cor. v. 14, 15). "He sold all that He had, and bought" us! This is the silken bond of love which binds the whole Church of the redeemed to its glorious Head-this is the sacred fire which kindles the great cloud of incense which rises for ever from the " living temple" of the Lord -this is the theme which even tunes the harps of angels, and swells to that heavenly anthem which shall fill eternity with praise," And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood-out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation and hast made us unto our God, kings and priests and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing" (Rev. v. 9-12). But 2. Let us learn (at least indirectly) how glorious a destiny awaits the Church as the Bride of Christ. If the Church be indeed, as we have endeavoured to prove, the supreme object of Christ's love, then shall she, beyond all doubt, be also the recipient of His choicest gifts and most abundant blessing. If He The " very chiefest of the Apostles," has told us, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him (1 Cor. ii. 9). And though he does indeed add-how truly the experience of some among us can no doubt testify-" But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God," yet is this at present the case only in a small and feeble measure, and the equally inspired words of St. John are felt to be equally true, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is " (1 John iii. 2). In our preceding papers on these parables we have had occasion, again and again, to speak of that "blessed hope, even the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ:" and also, especially in connexion with the last parable, of the blessedness of creation at large under the righteous rule of the Second Adam. But we trust that nothing that we have said upon these points has led the reader to suppose that we bounded the Church's hopes by a millennial reign; or that we regarded even "the new heavens and the new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness," as the supreme inheritance of the Bride of Christ. No, beloved; the Church of T |