SUMMER SLUGGARDS AND WINTER SAINTS.

THIS is a strange heading, yet, as descriptive of many professors of religion, altogether truthful and correct. We say many, for the compound characters to whom it is applicable are not an anomaly in our churches, but form in some localities, quite a numerous class. They are like some of our mountain springsdry all the summer, and when frost comes, gushing out in strange fulness and power. Or, to use another illustration, they resemble a little stream in Pendleton County, Virginia, which suddenly disappears at the base of the mountain, and gushes up on the opposite side. Some years ago, a resident on the side where the stream disappears desired to turn its course for some purpose, but was opposed by a mill-owner across the mountain, who maintained that it would result in the loss of his water-power. So when the Christian minister desires to produce uniformity among these wayward ones, the devil rouses himself in opposition, fearful that his sin-mills will stand idle and unprofitable through the whole summer. Whenever we meet with this class of professionists, association reads from the memory-book an anecdote which we met with in an old magazine, under the old system of government in Germany, by ecclesiastical princes. A certain prince-bishop, while superintending some public works, discovered one of the labourers carelessly and indolently performing his duties. This roused his anger to such a degree that he swore most lustily. The workman very shrewdly told him what a bad example he was setting his flock by such a course. The bishop tried to exculpate himself by saying that he "did'nt swear as a bishop, but as a prince." Ah," said the peasant, "but what will become of the bishop when the devil gets the prince?" The application is obvious. This state of things is sad and deplorable; and can we not by some fresh increase of zeal for instance, protracted meetings in summer as well as winter-rectify it to a certain extent? Brethren, let us try, and we may thus be spared the keen misery of "supervising the interests" (as one of our term-coiners has it) of a shivering cold membership for a great part of the year.-Christian Ad. and Journal.

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THE SPIRIT'S INTERCESSIONS.

LIKEWISE the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." Rom. viii. 26.

This passage contains a very important thought on prayer. into the meaning of some of the words and phrases here used.

We will inquire

1st. Helpeth. "Heaves with us," or lifts with us. This is the idea expressed by this word. For instance, I have a burden to raise, and while I am lifting at one end or side, a friend takes hold of the other, and we together raise it.

2d. Infirmities. This word embraces those weaknesses of our nature which are a hindrance to prayer-such as ignorance of the subjects and manner of prayer-lack of spiritual discernment and devotional fire. Left to himself, the most perfect Christian is dull, ignorant, weak, and altogether powerless in prayer. The universal prevalence of depravity is painfully felt in the infirmities which encompass the most devout through every period of life. 3. Intercession. We must distinguish between intercession and mediation. Christ is the Mediator, and there is but one mediator. The Spirit is not a mediator. But he enters into the Christian's heart, and prays in the Christian's prayer. He excites, illuminates, and stirs up deep fountains of feeling and desire, but he does not mediate.

4" Groanings which cannot be uttered." By this phrase we understand that the Spirit begets emotions and desires which cannot find expression in human language, and are only poured forth into the ear of God.

The important thought in this passage is this: The Holy Spirit is an indispensable helper in acceptable and effectual prayer. He incites the spirit of prayer, awakens the slumbering energies of the soul, quickens the dormant graces, sharpens spiritual discernment, breathes fervour into zeal, ardour into love, strength into faith, and burdens the heart with petitions, some of which can find utterance only in the ear of God. The Spirit is an indispensable helper in prayer. His inward intercession makes prayer fervent and effectual-gives it power almost irresistable. Sinners tremble when they hear it, infidelity feels its force · and turns pale. The mourner is carried by such prayer right into the presence of the bleeding Lamb.

He who is helped by the Spirit in prayer realizes that help. O how his heart is enlarged and drawn out for his fellow men in every direction; how numerous are the subjects of prayer-the world is on his heart-he rests, and yet he cannot rest; he is always praying. Prayer is his "vital breath," his “native air." Where the Spirit helpeth in prayer there must be a revival. Nothing can withstand it. But the Spirit cannot help those who grieve him every day.-Religious Telescope.

BLESSED ARE THEY THAT MOURN.

BY WILLIAM C. BRYANT.

OH! deem not they are blessed alone
Whose lives a peaceful tenor keep;
The Power who pities man has shown
A blessing for the eyes that weep.

The light of smiles shall fill again

The lids that overflow with tears;
And weary hours of woe and pain
Are promises of happy years.

There is a day of sunny rest

For every dark and troubled night;
And grief may bide, an evening guest,
But joy shall come with early light.

And thou, who o'er thy friend's low bier
Sheddest the bitter drops like rain,
Hope that a happier, brighter sphere
Will give him to thy arms again.

Nor let the good man's trust depart,
Though life its common gifts deny,
Though pierced and broken be his heart,
And spurned of men, he goes to die.

For God has marked each sorrowing day,
And numbered every secret tear;
And heaven's long age of bliss shall pay
For all its children suffer here.

THE

PRESBYTERIAN MAGAZINE.

MARCH, 1854.

Miscellaneous Articles

CHRIST'S SESSION AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.

IF we take a survey of those mediatorial acts which lie within the compass of human observation,-if we look upon the closing scenes of the earthly drama, that mysterious agony in which the God-man appeared to be well nigh exhausted in his conflict with the powers of darkness, whilst bowed beneath the curse of a broken law; or that hour when human malice had reached its height, and the powers of darkness were mustered for that final effort in which all the might of hell was put forth, and the wrath of an angry God, as the mantle of eternal night, encompassed, and afflicted, the expiring Redeemer; or turn aside to that prison-house where the King of Terrors has fastened all his bolts, and bars, around "the Prince of Life;" or direct our attention to that turning point in the history of our Redemption, when the conqueror comes forth triumphant from the captor's chains, bearing in his hands the keys of hell and of deathwheresoever we turn our gaze mystery invests, and underlies the whole.

But were we to stop here, we would still fall far short in our conceptions of the grandeur of our redemption, and of the breadth and stability of that foundation on which the final security of the believer is made to rest. The conqueror of death emerging from the last conflict has arisen, and we may rejoice in the ground of hope which is laid in the resurrection of our head; but we have not as yet followed him from this scene of his humiliation to the theatre of his glory-we have not as yet traced the King of glory in his ascent from the footstool to the throne-we have seen the crown of thorns torn from his bleeding brow, but we have not beheld that brow bedecked with the regal diadem-we have seen the insignia of mockVOL. IV.-No. 3.

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royalty, the sceptre and the robes laid aside, and the darkness of the grave dispelled, but we have not as yet seen "the Prince of the kings of the earth" take into his own hand the sceptre of universal sovereignty, and shine forth in the glory of his Father's kingdom, controlling the movements of men and angels, and directing all things in heaven and in earth, so as to insure the salvation of his people.

This is our present theme; we are to consider the exaltation of Christ to the right hand of God.

I. And first, the necessity of Christ's exaltation. We say this exaltation was necessary in the first place, because it was included in the covenant of redemption. Whatever was promised in that covenant which was ratified between the Father and the Son, must of necessity accrue to the Son upon his fulfilling the conditions agreed upon with the Father. That exaltation and glory were promised, is very easy of proof. In Isaiah, 53d chapter, the Messiah appears as a sufferer, but it is as a sufferer earning a reward. This reward, is a promised reward, conditioned upon his sufferings, and is of such a nature as to imply a final exaltation, and dominion, and glory. He is marred more than the sons of men; he is oppressed and afflicted; he is led as a sheep to the slaughter; he is taken from prison and from judgment; he is cut off for the transgressions of his people; he is numbered with the transgressors; it is the pleasure of the Lord to bruise him, and to put his soul to grief; but all this humiliation and suffering is in order to the obtaining of a reward. When he shall have accomplished all this, "he shall see of the travail of his soul, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands." Because of all this suffering, he is to have " a portion with the great and to divide the spoil with the strong." Again in Psalm ii., it is announced as the purpose of the Lord, to place his king upon his holy hill, and to give to his Son the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possessions. It is to this exaltation and glory that David refers in Psalm cx., when he represents his Jehovah as enthroned at the right hand of the Jehovah, with his enemies beneath his feet, ruling with the rod of his strength out of Zion; possessing a people in the day of his power, more numerous than the dew drops in the womb of the morning.

And when we come to the New Testament, we find that the exaltation and glory promised have been actually conferred-and that too, because of the fulfilment of the conditions. Because he took upon him our nature, and "humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, therefore hath God himself exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." This exaltation and glory were, therefore, matters of stipulation; they were promised by the Father to

the Son, upon the ground of his fulfilling certain conditions. We cannot, of course, refer to all the passages where the Messiah is set forth as earning a reward. It will be found to be one of the leading characteristics of the Messianic prophecies. And if further proof were required, we would point to that last prayer which our Saviour offered in the presence of his disciples, in which the covenant made with the Father is the basis of every petition. "I have glorified thee on the earth, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do; and now, O! Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." It was necessary, therefore, that Christ should be exalted and instated in his glory, in consequence of his having fulfilled the conditions of the covenant of Redemption. Having done all he had engaged to do, it was necessary that he should obtain all that was promised. As in that covenant the veracity and the justice of the Father were pledged, it was necessary in order to their vindication that the pledge should be redeemed, and the promised glory conferred.

But there was a necessity for the exaltation of Christ arising from another source. It was necessary in order to the prosecution of his mediatorial work. He had, it is true, suffered without the gate, but he had not as yet entered within the veil, to appear in the presence of God for us. The sacrifice had been slain, and that shedding of blood without which there is no remission had been effected; but that blood had not as yet been carried within the veil, or sprinkled upon the mercy-seat. The functions of the priesthood which belonged to the outer court, had been performed; but those higher and more sacred, and all important functions, which pertain to the holiest of all, had not as yet been entered upon. Whilst he remained on earth he was not a priest in the full exercise of all the functions of the priestly office; "for if he were yet on earth he should not be a priest." It was but a part of his ministrations that could be performed on earth. It was necessary that the heavenly things themselves should be purified with better sacrifices; it was necessary that the temple, not made with hands, the Holy of Holies, where God himself dwells, not in symbol, but in all the fullness of a visible and an unclouded manifestation, should be entered by our great High Priest, and that not once a year, but once for all and once for ever. And as such an exaltation was necessary in order to the completion of his priestly, so also was it necessary to the perfecting of his kingly office. It was not upon the cross, it was not in the sepulchre, that the sceptre of universal empire could be wielded. It is true, that during his humiliation, there were occasional glimpses of his kingly authority. It was God that was manifest in the flesh, and not one attribute alone. The manifestation was a manifestation of power, as well as of goodness and mercy. It was the brightness of the Father's glory that shone in the face of the Son; and in that radiance, there were no faint indications of the power, and the authority of him who is "the King of kings, and Lord of lords." It was before his royal mandate that unclean spirits bowed with such