Chap. v, ver. 14.-And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. Lord Bolingbroke once asked lady Huntingdon, how she reconciled prayer to God for particular blessings, with absolute resignation to the divine will. Very easy," answered her ladyship; "just as if I were to offer a petition to a monarch, of whose kindness and wisdom I have the highest opinion. In such a case, my language would be, I wish you to bestow on me such or such a favor; but your majesty knows better than 1, how far it would be agreeable to you, or right in itself, to grant my desire. I therefore content myself with humbly presenting my petition, and leave the event of it entirely to you.' III. JOHN. Ver. 4.-I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father. Lady Stormont, mother of the late Lord Chief Justice Mansfield, on being complimented by another lady, that she had the three finest sons in Scotland to be proud of," made answer, "No, madam; I have much to be thankful for, but nothing to be proud of." Ver. 10.--If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed. It is said of the Rev. Mr. Hart, that he made it an inviolable rule, not to let an Arian, an Arminian, or any unsound preacher, occupy his pulpit so much as His usual saying on such occasions was, "I will keep my pulpit as chaste as my bed." once. Ver. 5, 6.-Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; which have borne witness of thy charity before the church; whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well. The late Dr. Waugh of London was once on board a small vessel sailing from Whitby to Hull, when they encountered a very severe storm, and very narrowly escaped being lost at sea; but at last with difficulty they entered Yarmouth roads. On reaching the shore, he immediately walked to the church yard, and kneeling behind a grave-stone, poured out his heart in gratitude to his God and Deliverer: After which, finding himself quite worn out with anxiety and fatigue, and wanting much the comfort of a Christian friend, he wandered through the burying-ground, to find an introduction to one who served his Master. On a neatly-made tomb, it was said that the departed had died in Jesus. This was what he wished; he went to the house where the family resided, introduced himself, and told his interesting tale; and with the aid of their kindness and hospitality, was soon able to pursue his journey. Ver. 12.-Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and we also bear record; and ye know that our record is true. Bishop Jewel, amidst all his attainments in learning, was so distinguished for the fervor of his devotion, the sanctity of his life, and the affability of his behavior, that he was admired, and almost loved, by the bitterest enemies of the Protestant faith. In the reign of Henry the VIII, the dean of his college, who was a fierce and bigoted Papist, sometimes said to him, "I should love thee, Jewel, if thou wert not a Zuinglian. In thy faith, thou art an beretic; but surely in thy life thou art an angel. Thou art very good and honest, but a Lutheran." JUDE. Ver. 18. How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. "A short time since," says one," I had an opportunity of seeing a young man, who mingled in the sad scene that was at Waterloo. It was the first time he had seen exhibited such a sight; and at the approach of so vast a number of men and horses, armed with the instruments of death, he was naturally filled with consternation and fear. Calling to recollection what his pious father had often told him, to seek the protection of God, who is a present help in the hour of danger, he retired to a private place, away from his companions, and implored the protection of the Almighty. A very wicked Lieutenant who was in the regiment, the 7th ―, overheard him, and laughing, said, "There is no danger of you being killed to-day," and treated the duty of prayer in a very light manBut mark what followed.-Away they went to the field, where, in a short time, they were called to engage; and the second volley from the enemy separated the Lieutenant's head from his body! Thus he was suddenly called into the presence of that God whose service only a few moment's before he had despised and ridiculed! It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!" ner. REVELATION. Chap. i, ver. 6. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father. An old African negro who had long served the Lord, when on his death-bed was visited by his friends, who came around him, lamenting that he was going to die, saying, "Poor Pompey, poor Pompey is dying.' The old saint, animated with the prospect before him, said to them with much earnestness, "Don't call me poor Pompey, I KING Pompey;" referring to the preceding passage, in which the glorified saints are spoken of as being made kings and priests unto God. Chap. i, ver. 17, 18. Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth and was dead; and behold I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. "Having been much exercised in mind,” says a sabbath-school teacher, "I felt much dejected and cast down. I had spoken of the sovereignty, wisdom, power, and goodness of God, and recommended the great duty of resignation to the will of heaven. I knew that my doctrine was good; but alas! how little of practical influence had these principles on my heart at this season. About the time my perplexity was at the highest, two little girls in our Sunday School, part of a family of five, lost their mother; and being called to attend her funeral, one of them wept, -to whom the other said, Why do you cry? other children have lost their mothers as well as we. mother is dead, but God is not dead-come, don't cry.' Here I felt myself instructed by a child-Godis not dead. No: My comforts may die-my health may decline-and my life must close; but God cannot die; he still lives; and how full of comfort is the expression, 'Because I live, ye shall live also.' I trust I have got thus far in this lesson, and do find, that the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, and all my springs are found in him." Our Chap. ii, ver. 5. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent. A late missionary traveller, in speaking of Ephesus, says, The candlestick is out of its place. How doth the city sit solitary that was full of people! The site of this once famous city is now covered with grass or grain. The church of St. John stands deserted and in ruins, having been occupied as a mosque, after the country fell into the hands of the Mahomedans. In this church are some immensely large pillars of granite, said to have heen taken from the temple of Diana; having served successively as a Pagan, a Christian, and a Mahomedan place of worship. No human being now lives in Ephesus, a few miserable Turkish huts are alone seen in this desolate spot. The streets are obscured and overgrown; and a noisy flight of crows seemed to insult its silence. The call of the partridge is heard in the area of the theatre and the stadium. The pomp of its heathen worship is no longer remembered; and Christianity, which was planted and nursed by the Apostles, no longer lingersTM in this once favored church." Chap. ii, ver. 9.-I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty; but thou art rich. The following lines were occasioned by the circumstance of a person going lately into the house of a poor pious man, with a large family, and saying to him, "My friend, you seem to be very poor;" to which the man replied, "How can you call me poor, when, through the grace of Christ, all things are mine?" How canst thou call me poor? All things are mine. The world, life, death, things present, things to come." They have their good things now, for mine I wait; How worthless their's at best; the least of mine how great! Chap. iii, ver. 19.-As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. |