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younger." Jacob was sent forth in life to learn this lesson, and having learnt it experimentally, at the close he is able to guide his hands "wittingly."

Have we yet learnt this lesson, the entire setting aside of the flesh and the all-sufficiency of God? Were we to live and learn for a hundred years, it could only be to get this lesson by heart. Jacob's history is written for our admonition; but we ought to learn the lesson more quickly, and more deeply too, because we know the risen One, and our union with Him. Our very axiom is, "The flesh profiteth nothing."

What a blessed testimony does Jacob bear to the faithfulness of God-"The God which fed me all my life long, unto this day." When Jacob walked by sight, he did not so clearly see God feeding him, and caring for him; but, “leaning on the top of his staff," he retraces all God's ways by faith.

If any one character could have set aside the faithfulness of God, it is that of Jacob. It was marked by low cunning, and crookedness of policy, from the outset, with regard to his brother Esau. But this did not at all interfere with God's fidelity to him. Looking back, he sees, and I doubt not sees with joy, the failure of all his scheming and policy. Jacob is absorbed in one single thought-the grace and faithfulness of the God with whom he has to do. He was never saved from a single danger by his own policy; but Jacob can pass over all his own failures, in the overwhelming thought of God's grace towards him.

And, beloved, will not our souls be able to rejoice in seeing the failure of every work of our own, in which we might have confidence at the time we did it? Shall we not be glad to see all that we have done in the flesh burnt up? that that alone which was of the Spirit, and done to the glory of the Lord, might remain. And if we are "wise after the flesh," the penalty is sure; God will take us in our craftiness; for neither by strength nor by wisdom shall man prevail.

And what a blessing the lads got from the dying pilgrim. There was great faith in Jacob, to be able, in holy confidence of soul, to transfer the blessing from himself to them. He was "rich in faith" himself, and bequeathed his riches to Joseph and his sons. Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers." Even as another pilgrim "rich in faith" said to the elders of

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Ephesus, "Ye shall see my face no more;" but, "I commend you to God," &c. (Acts xx.)

Jacob did not say, 'Because I have not dwelt in the land, I have not got the blessing.' No! he had it by faith. "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." God is always the same to faith. Faith raises us above all human thoughts, and gives us to rest in God. Surely, surely it is blessed, when stripped of every confidence here, we are able to look above circumstances, and trust in God Himself.

And is not this the way in which God is now leading our souls? He is not only showing us the emptiness of every thing here, in order to prove His all-sufficiency, by leading us to the fulness which is in Christ Jesus; but He is also showing us how prone we are to misuse the very blessings which He has given to us, by resting in them, instead of living by faith in God. The process of stripping is indeed painful, under all circumstances, but it is peculiarly so when even what we have is taken away from us because of our misuse of the blessing. Surely the experience of many of our souls is that we have been entrusted with blessing and did not know how to use it aright. It has pleased God to strip us of all our ornaments, that He may know what to do with us. And having thus made room for Himself to come in, His grace has abounded again over our sins, in leading us more practically to "live the life we now live in the flesh, by the faith of the Son of God," bringing us to know the immense blessing of His presence by the way, in reviving our faith in the abiding presence of the Holy Ghost the Comforter, when every thing entrusted to man's responsibility has failed.

"Blessed is He that hath the God of Jacob for his help; whose hope is in the Lord his God. .. which keepeth truth for ever . which giveth food to the hungry. . The Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord loveth the righteous: the Lord preserveth the strangers; the Lord shall reign for ever and ever." (Ps. cxlvi.)

May we know more and more of "the God of Jacob." And then, if the Lord delay his coming, and we have to gather up ourselves on our beds, we shall be able to say with Jacob, "Behold, I die;" "but God liveth."

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"HOPE TO THE END.”

1 PETER i.

How blessed is it, beloved, to dwell on that "abundant mercy," that eternal love of our God, which has "called us unto His kingdom and glory," giving us a "lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," "to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away-reserved in heaven for us!" How blessed, too, to consider our security, our eternal security-"kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time!" The word "kept" is in the original a very strong word, and implies most clearly the situation of the church as engarrisoned, enclosed, guarded, protected by the power of God against all the powers of darkness. "The gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matt. xvi. 18.)

But while many would take advantage of this precious truth-while many say they will be "kept" any how, we would reply, "Nay, we are kept through faith." It is only as we are living by faith, realizing the power of faith-faith which "overcometh the world"-that we realize what is that power of God by which we are "kept." (1 Peter i. 5; 1 John v. 4, 5.)

Beloved, we would that the world should see what we are, as well as that we should know what we shall be! "Now are we the sons of God!" Oh, let us consider what the relationship is, and what we ought to be as "sons of God," as "obedient children!" (1 Peter i. 14.)

Where ought we to be living? With God! in God! not "in the world." What ought we to be doing? Loving and keeping the words of Jesus; not "fashioning ourselves according to the former lusts in our ignorance;" then would He come, and the Father would come, and make their abode with us. (John xiv. 23.) "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

But, beloved, what is the Church doing? Is it living in heaven as it ought to be? Is it dazzling the world with the glorious manifestation of the holiness and power of God? Is it reflecting the brightness of His image, and thus being "the light of the world"? No! believers are grovelling as in the mud, disgusting the world itself with their religion. Oh, believe me, it is better not to be professors at all! Such religion makes infidels.

Alas, alas! how has the Church lost her strength, her power, her comfort! how has she lost the mind of God! thrown herself out of her right position! Instead of bearing testimony against evil; instead of believers being as Christ upon earth, what have they done? Why, joined with the evil, joined with the world, encumbered themselves with worldly trammels, bound their feet with manacles! Instead of waiting for that which is here spoken of as "ready to be revealed in the last time," in eager expectation for the coming of their Lord (as they ought to be, and would have been, if faithful), what are they doing? Most of them wishing to delay His coming, willing, yea, gladly willing, to put it off, if they could, another eighteen hundred years.

Does not this show, beloved, that we are living upon something here? that we have, or are desiring to have, a portion here? I believe there is nothing so calculated to unearth us as the realization of the coming of Christ. We see the effect of it in the Church eighteen centuries ago. They did not calculate the probable number of years that might elapse ere their Lord's return; they were expecting, they were desiring that it might be in their time. That will be the day of "salvation" to the Church; that will be the time of the Church's glory. We shall see our Lord "face to face;" 29 66 we shall be like Him." Those who have gone before are happy, unspeakably happy-" with Christ; but they are not yet as happy as they will be, not yet "like" Jesus, not yet "conformed unto His image.' They are still waiting the coming of the Lord. (1 Thess. iv. 18.) And this, beloved, is what we should all be looking for; for this should we be found ready, as those who have their loins girt about and their lamps burning. .

Oh, let us then imitate the example of those who ran in an earthly race, and for an earthly prize! they looked well to their feet that nothing might impede their course; they kept their eye fixed on the laurel; and shall we, we who are

running for an incorruptible crown, for an unfading inheritance, shall we, ought we to loiter by the way, turning aside for every the veriest bauble that we meet with on the road? When we have such glory before us, shall we be attracted by the tinsel of Satan's glory, setting our affections on dust and ashes, that which will be food for the flames at the coming of Christ? Sad truth for the worldling, that all he has gloried in, all he has been heaping together for himself, he is only laying up in store against the day of the wrath of God.

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Beloved, it is impossible for us to grasp at things "before" and "behind" too. Were we "pressing forward towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus; were we "reaching forth unto those things which are before," we must be forgetting those behind. Were we looking up, gazing with the eye of faith on our portion above, could we be groping in the dirt of this world for what we might find there? Faith is an anticipating grace; faith is a substantial reliance on the verities of God.

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We cannot now comprehend what it is to be "heirs of God." "Heirs of God!" Oh, what a thought! utmost expansion of faith cannot attain unto it. queen of Sheba, who, much as she had heard of the glory of Solomon, when she came, declared that the half had not been told her, so dazzled was she with all that she beheld; so will it be with us when we shall "see the King in His beauty," when we shall "behold the land which is very far off." Oh, gladly would my soul now bask in the beams, in the full effulgence of eternal glory--that glory which shall as far exceed all other glories as the brightness of the meridian sun surpasses every lesser light! Oh, beloved, how shall we be then amazed at the recollection of things which now have power to draw off our attention and distract our thoughts!

Beloved, let us give heed to this word: "Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed." When the Edomite asked reproachfully, "Watchman, what of the night? watchman, what of the night?" the watchman said, "The morning cometh." So, beloved, when in these "last days" we find "scoffers walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming?" we may joyfully reply, "The morning cometh." "The night is far spent, the day is at hand let us therefore cast off the works of darkness,

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