of hope, and Jesus drew thy soul in sweet contemplation of the privileges. of Zion, and thou hast exclaimed, "Oh, how I love her courts and the entrance of her gates!" "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us" (Rom. viii. 18). O believer, art thou a sufferer? Thou hast a hard hand, but a tender conscience; the hand of divine faith has to grasp many painful instruments; and the believer is a workman that needs not to be ashamed, and shall never be confounded. Love is the line by which divine faith is actuated; and "More than conqueror" is the triumphant ensign spiritually set up. O believer, art thou a sufferer for Jesus? Then thou art a great gainer: for even thy losses shall be thy gain. O believer, what are thy sufferings? Is it being despised and set at nought as a believer in Christ Jesus by an ungodly world? No. Is it because thy temporal mercies are threatened by human hands, to be withdrawn? No, it is not; but my burden is this: I suffer daily under a body of sin and death, waging rebellion against the covenant of grace. I suffer under the devil's temptations, stirring up fleshly lusts that war against my soul. I suffer under deadness and coldness, and dark and gloomy feelings, and unbelief trying to block up my way and to impede my path. O my soul, count up the cost! there is more for thee than can be against thee. "Christ in you the hope of glory." than conqueror," is the glory revealed in us.

"More

"Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”—LUKE vi. 36. O my soul, come, meditate upon this salvation, until thou shalt leap for joy! Thy feeding pastures and soul-portions are blessedly spread before thee. "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed." It is of the Lord's mercy I am made a monument of mercy, and the covenant of mercy secures covenant treasures to my soul. It is a God-like wonder to show mercy, more than to create a thousand worlds. In mercy for us Christ sweat great drops of blood; in mercy He bore our sins and carried our sorows. Vessels of mercy must be filled with mercy; love, mercy, and truth are three witnesses of covenant record, in the experience of the purchased inheritance, and give a sacred impress of the image of Christ's sufferings in our room and stead, and shine forth in the divine excellency of the Gospel revelation of Christ's sufferings and death; and the jubilee day is hailed with a shout of the gift of mercy, with, "Grace, grace unto it!" O my soul! are these treasures yours? Does covenant mercy lead thee out and bring thee in? Has mercy made thy bed in sickness and in health? Does mercy accompany thy path, and adjust all thy comforts, that are neither few nor small? Merey's date is God-like; yet is she a nurse to babes, and never leaves the fatherless, and is a joy to the widow's heart, and attends the dying moments of the saints, and is door-keeper to the realms of bliss, and numbers the ransomed to their eternal rest. O my soul! are these treasures thine, or art thou a despiser of mercy, and the greatest enemy to thyself, and with thy maddened folly seeking to make thy bed in hell?

(To be continued.)

A SNARE into which the devil delights to lead man is to revel in imaginary woes; but their imaginary woes produce real calamities; they contract the human intellect-the human heart. Leave to-morrow with God-entirely to Him.

WAITING AND WATCHING.

"Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors."-PROV. viii. 34.

SOLOMON was a servant of God, who was greatly favoured with the gifts of wisdom and understanding, in things both natural and spiritual, that rarely, if ever, falls to the lot of man, and to which was added both riches and honour (1 Kings v. 12-18).

The wisdom that uttereth her voice in the portion of holy writ before us, we may in truth say, Behold, a Greater than Solomon is here!" The voice that uttereth this gracious declaration is the voice of our glorious Lord, set forth by Solomon under the character of "wisdom," to which character all His dear called ones have a special claim. The Apostle Paul puts us in possession of this great truth, for, saith he, "But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God who of God was made unto them wisdom" (1 Cor. i. 24, 30). Oh, what a mercy to the foolish, the ignorant, and the unlearned of the chosen and called sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty! To have such a fund of wisdom to fall back upon, and which they can claim as their own, is a mercy beyond all praise. Oh, what a mercy, unbounded mercy, that salvation does not in the least depend upon human wisdom, nor deep learning in theological questions, nor classical lore, but upon "the wisdom of God in a mystery; even the hidden mystery which God ordained before the world, unto our glory" (1 Cor. ii. 7); "and is now made manifest, and, by the Scriptures of the Prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, to all nations, for the obedience of faith" (Rom. xvi. 25, 26.) What an amount of inextricable perplexities, confusion, and difficulties would the ignorant, the foolish, and the unlearned be involved and deeply exercised with, if human learning gave any title to acceptance with Christ. We have only to look at the bitter controversies and contentions now going on within the circle of the learned, to see that ignorance is bliss compared with that. It is enough for the unlearned called ones to know that we are "not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from our vain conversations received by tradition from the fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot" (1 Peter i. 18).

The vanity of these traditional things, and the vain conversations in controversies, are great stumbling-blocks to the unlearned of the household of faith consisting chiefly in teaching for doctrines the commandments of men; in meats and drinks, and divers ordinances and observances; arraying themselves in gorgeous robes, holding out their own persons to admiration, because of some supposed advantage; but sorely detrimental to the ignorant and unlearned of the flock. But, to return to our subject: "Blessed is the man that heareth me.” God the Father, on the Mount of Transfiguration, uttered a voice out of the cloud, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye Him." God the Son declared to the Jews, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, 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." The hearing of the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is the voice of "wisdom," is not confined to the living; but "the dead shall hear it, and live." The Apostle Paul is very explicit upon this point: "And you hath He

quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins, even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace are ye saved" (Eph. ii.). Therefore, it clearly appears that it does not in the least depend upon any exertions of our own. No; all is of grace, unmerited grace, quickened by the Spirit of the living God, and made to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Everything is the work of God. No part of it belongs to us. How could we, being dead to all spiritual life, take any part in so great a work? Dead in trespasses and in sins, until the voice of the Lord spake us into a new existence of spiritual life. "Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light"-the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ-the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world of spiritual life. We were in total darkness before. We are His entire workmanship-" created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Space will not allow us to enter upon the many and various ways the Lord first speaks unto His dear children, nor upon the endless variety of circumstances under which they first hear His voice, or of the aftercommunion carried on with Him, save to say that it is all indeed very blessed. On His part it is always full of the most blessed assurances of grace in every time of need; of His love, of His help, of His kindness, of His mercy and forbearance, of His divine presence, and of His neverfailing faithfulness, which are all gracious manifestations that are truly very blessed. The soul that hath this new life is blessed with the hearing ear and the feeling and understanding heart; he is blessed with peace and the forgiveness of sins, and a hope of eternal salvation. "The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace" (Psalm xxix. 11). "The Lord hath been mindful of us: He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron. He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great" (Psalm cxv. 12, 13). "Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates.

The prophet Habbakuk was one of the Lord's blessed ones, and one that watched daily at His gates; for, saith he, "I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what He will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved" (Hab. ii. 1). Here we may observe that the Lord's blessed ones are not they that refuse reproof, but regard it, knowing that such shall be honoured and that the rod and reproof giveth wisdom. They are as ready to watch for reproof as to watch for the gracious manifestations of His glorious power in strengthening, supporting, upholding, establishing, and preserving grace. Their language is, "Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart" (Psalm xxvi. 2). "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm cxxxix. 23, 24).

The Psalmist also was one of the blessed, and one who watched daily at His gates-the gates of the glorious righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ; for saith he, "Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord: this gate of the Lord into which the righteous shall enter" (Psalm cxviii. 19, 20).

The dear blessed ones of the Lord, the watchers at His gates, know their own vileness-that in them there is no soundness--that their own

righteousness is but as filthy rags: therefore they are daily watching at the gates of the justifying righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. None can enter these gates but those who receive the garment of salvation at the entrance. The vesture dipped in blood is the only passport for an entrance there. Oh, what a blessing-what an invaluable blessing-to be watching and daily receiving renewed manifestations at the gates of righteousness and peace; receiving renewed exchanges of garments of praise, in place of filthy rags, and say with the psalmist, and with the same boldness, "Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go in there, and I will praise the Lord: this gate into which the righteous shall enter." "Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors." Watching and waiting is a position that the Lord's blessed ones are often in; and a most blessed one it is. Many a sweet promise is made to, and realized by, the waiting ones. And it shall be said in that day, "Lo, we have waited for Him, and He will save us : this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad, and rejoice in His salvation" (Isaiah xxv. 9).

The Lord answered Habakkuk while standing npon the watch-tower: waiting to see what the Lord would say to him: "Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry" (Hab. ii. 2, 3). The answer he received was a very instructive and profitable one; it taught him not only to wait by faith, but also to wait the Lord's appointed time for the revelation of the vision, for in the end it would come and speak for itself. The Lord's waiting ones are often severely exercised upon this point. When faith is put upon its trial by external or internal circumstances, or by both combined, troubles and sorrows of a peculiar kind arise; insurmountable difficulties surround them; trials and perplexities lay in their path which they think might be spared, and which they are anxious to see removed. They plead promise after promise that seems to suit their particular case, anxiously waiting for the appearing of the Lord for their deliverance; but often limiting the Lord as to time, whereby disappointments are increased. The Lord's time may be not their time; consequently much impatience and fretfulness is exercised in rebellion against the Lord's divine dispensations. It is one thing to wait, but another thing to patiently wait, the Lord's own appointed time for the manifestation of His mind and will concerning us. is an appointed time to favour Zion, and our great and merciful God, who is wisdom, truth, and faithfulness, must not be limited to any time but His own in His divine and wise dispensations. May the Lord direct the hearts of all His waiting ones into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ, who is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

There

"Blessed is the man that heareth me; watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors." The posts and doors embrace many subjects that lead us into inconceivable immensity-subjects that may by faith be recognized and apprehended, but never fully comprehended, by any finite capacity-subjects that embrace eternal and immortal things; at the posts and doors of which the Lord's blessed ones are continually waiting. There is the door of the eternal word, the door of eternal mercy, the door of eternal justification, the door of eternal love, the door of eternal election, the door of eternal predestination, and the door of eternal

salvation. These everlasting doors are all hinged upon the posts of the eternal covenant transactions, entered into by the wisdom of our triune Jehovah, according to the good pleasure of His will. Prestwich.

W. G.

FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY.

"But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; and it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy."-AcTs ii. 16, 17. Is this a complete, or only a partial, fulfilment of the words of Joel? It is evidently only a partial fulfilment, as several remarkable instances show after the first outpouring of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost,-the first we will refer to being in chap. xxi. of this same book and the ninth verse. Speaking of Philip the evangelist, it is said, "And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy." And in the following verse, mention is made of another prophet, named Agabus, of whom it is twice recorded that he spake by the Holy Ghost. "So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles," meaning the apostle Paul. And, in Acts xi. 28, it is said of Agabus, that he signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world; which came to pass in the days of Claudius Cæsar. Again, in chap. xxi. 4, we find that certain disciples of Tyre, "said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem." But perhaps these are individual instances sufficient; we will therefore turn to Acts x. 44-46, which refer to the second special outpouring of the Holy Spirit. "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God." But this passage from Joel is likewise being fulfilled now; for are not these more emphatically the "last days?" And is not the Holy Spirit still poured out abundantly on all true believers-this being especially the dispensation of the Holy Spirit? But there remains yet another fulfilment of the words of Joel, and it is that spoken of in Acts ii. 19, and so remarkably foretold by Christ Himself in Matt. xxiv. 29, in which He seems to take up the very language of Joel to announce the signs which shall precede His own second coming. Happy are they who are looking forward with joy to this last fulfilment.

We will now refer to further instances of prophecies having a double fulfilment, 1st, partial, 2nd, complete. The eleventh chapter of Isaiah may be mentioned as one. This chapter appears to treat both of Christ's first and second coming, and may also refer to His spiritual reign in the hearts of His people now, and more completely still to His future kingdom, when He shall come in the glory of His Father. The tenth verse was fulfilled when the Gentiles were brought to the knowledge of the Lord, and the twelfth verse seems to point more particularly to the final ingathering of the Jews. And the twelfth chapter speaks of the happy results of that glorious time, namely, the joy of the Church, both Jews and Gentiles. Sing unto the Lord; for He hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee" (chap. xii. 5, 6).

66