His

such indeed was the only inheritance which could have descended to us, even from unfallen Adam. The earth was given to him (Gen. i.); but when his sin had opened hell to the finally impenitent and unbelieving, grace opened heaven to all who become willing to enter there in the value of Christ's blessed person and atoning work. What He but obscurely hints to His disciples in our chapter has since become accomplished fact, and one of the great foundationfacts of Christianity. Christ has gone up on high. The Son of man has ascended up where He was before. request to His Father (John xvii.) has been fulfilled: "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." Nor I would He be there alone: Father, I will (or desire) that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me; for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world." Heaven is now the revealed home and sphere of that eternal life which, if absolutely and perfectly displayed on earth in the One of whom we read, "In Him was life," is also derivatively enjoyed by all who believe. "What, and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where He was before?"

It was for other lips and another pen than the beloved disciple's to unfold this subject in detail. The place in heaven, in and with Christ, bestowed on believers by the grace which reigns through righteousness by our Lord Jesus Christ, is St. Paul's distinctive theme. The manifestation of divine life on earth, perfectly in Christ, and really though derivatively in us, is the theme of John's gospel and epistle. It is, of all themes, the most vital, essential, fundamental. But deeply interesting it is to find such links as our Lord's words last quoted, and those from chap. xvii. 24, evincing that whether Paul, or Peter, or John, be the instrument of communication, it is one vast circle of truth which is revealed, of which the centre and fulness are found in the person and sacrifice and exaltation of the Son of God and Son of Man-Christ incarnate, Christ slain, Christ ascended, a full Christ for empty sinners.

Many who had for a season followed Christ drew back from the time when this discourse was delivered. This did not surprise Him; but it afforded Him the occasion of challenging the hearts of those who still surrounded Him. To them Jesus said, "Will ye also go away?" No one wonders that Peter

was spokesman for them all; and he might not yet have measured himself, as afterwards, through grace, he did, when he went out and wept bitterly. Nevertheless there is a warmth, an energy, a decision, about his words, that we may well covet, and as to which we may challenge our hearts, dear Christian reader, whether we could reply thus. Go away! "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life." May our hearts repel thus, and disown every thought of any other than this blessed Christ of God. "To whom shall we go?" To whom indeed? Oh to abide in Him! May we have grace to cleave to Him with purpose of heart, and may He be glorified in each of us for His Name's sake.

FATHER! We, Thy children, bless Thee,

For Thy love on us bestowed;
As our Father we address Thee,
Called to be the sons of God.
Wondrous was Thy love in giving
Jesus for our sins to die!

Wondrous was His grace in leaving,
For our sakes, the heavens on high!

Now the sprinkled blood has freed us,
On we go toward our rest,
Through the desert Thou dost lead us,
With thy constant favour blest:
By Thy truth and Spirit guiding,
Earnest He of what's to come,
And with daily food providing,

Thou dost lead Thy children home.

Though our pilgrimage be dreary,
This is not our resting-place;
Shall we of the way be weary,
When we see our Master's face?
No; e'en now anticipating,

In this hope our souls rejoice,
And His promised advent waiting,
Soon shall hear His welcome voice.

GOD'S LOVE, GRATUITOUS AND MOTIVE. A WORD ON WHY DO I THIS?'

"If a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned."-Cant. viii. 7.

THE pride of man's foolish heart is ever carrying him away from the grace sent to him in Jesus, which must meet him as a beggar, helpless, and undone, to some requirement that he may satisfy, which will, as he thinks, enable him to meet God on better terms; or he does away with the richness of the grace, and makes it inefficient to meet his real necessities, and then strives to make up the inefficiency by his own change of conduct. On the other hand, the soul taught of God is taught its entire helplessness (not merely to avow it with the lips, but to know it in the experienced weakness and wickedness of the heart); but it is taught also to turn away from this to the brightness of grace, that has reached it in its wickedness, and met it in the truth of its condition, evil as it was, with the full consolation, the desperate necessity of that condition sought-Jesus made unto it, of God, "wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption."

That man is ever attempting to make God as ungenerous as himself, to limit the greatness of His gifts by his own unbelief, and thus to dim the glory of His abounding grace, is not only the necessary result, but the proof, of the unchangeable evil of his heart. It is this, simply this, which has driven the church into the world, lowering the standard of obedience to the habits of its new associates. Vain would be the search of that man who might try in the pride of his heart to bring evidence from the word of truth that any one other motive but love was reckoned on, there to bring ⚫ back to God, and guide in His ways, the heart of a selfwilled and wayward sinner.

There can be no union with God in thought or act, save in love : "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." (1 John iv. 7, 8.) A service of constraint is no service to God. Anything that would impede the flow of the living waters, the fresh streams of love, peace, and joy, into the

weary heart of a God-fearing sinner, is just that which would hinder fruitfulness, and leave it a sterile and thorn-bearing thing still.

Now the scriptural word "sanctification" is a fair title assumed by error, and one so apparently authoritative in its claim, that many are led captive by it who, while they feel and know their slavery, are unable to account for it. "If the Son make you free, ye shall be free indeed," is the happy assurance of our Lord; and anything that would limit the love He came to prove, is but keeping fast the fetters that bind to earth, and holding us back from the happy, and therefore free, obedience of children. What is "sanctification," as now used, but uniting that which God has so graciously, so carefully separated-salvation and its holy consequences?

If there is one statement of truth more clear than another in Scripture, and more uncompromising in the language in which it is put, it is this, that redemption is exclusively the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, not that of the Holy Ghost. That faith is the work of the Holy Spirit, is another question. As a Saviour, and a perfect Saviour, putting away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, Jesus says, "Look unto ME, and be ye saved." "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John iii. 14, 15.) If what is so extensively termed sanctification (i.e. progressive advancement in holiness), is necessary to salvation, it might well be asked, How much would do? He who knows God will know also that he must be as perfect as He is perfect, or neither God or himself could be satisfied. But not only is this robbing the cross of Jesus of its power, and making His blood inefficient, but, as its result (how completely in this, as in everything, is wisdom justified of her children), we have nothing but an unhappy and unfruitful church, hardly knowing whether it is saved or not, knowing enough of itself to understand that it comes short of God's glory; and therefore, to get itself into peace (as looking to "sanctification," and not to Christ), it must reduce the standard of obedience, bringing down God's character that it may somehow come up to it, and so be satisfied with itself. Thus the ingenuity of unbelief will torture the simplicity of God's word into something that will impose a burden, when God's love has sought to remove it;

and those who are thus self-tasked, or taught by another gospel than that of full and unconditional love, have to run in fetters, with the brightness of the prize for which they contend obscured by intervening clouds of fear and doubt as to God's willingness to bestow it on them. But thus saith the Lord: "Whosoever believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." (John iii. 36.*) The whole Word, in its testimony to the Lord Jesus, speaks of Him as manifesting God as a Saviour; and it is in the faith of this that the troubled spirit gets peace, not to be found elsewhere. It sees the God it feared becoming, in His love to the sinner, the sinner's Saviour, and therefore it has confidence towards God; for who can doubt, if God becomes a Saviour, the perfectness of the salvation? Its completeness is the soul's security; and faith in it, as perfect and complete, gives peace, and instant peace too. It was thus the gospel (which is "glad tidings," the expression of God's love to sinners as sinners) was received when it was first believed on in the world. lieve on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved," was the Spirit's reply to the trembling jailor, and he rejoiced in God. (Acts xvi.) "If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest," was the prompt answer to the Ethiopian: "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God," was the happy expression of his saving faith; "and he went on his way rejoicing." (Acts viii. 37, 39.)

"Be

That salvation, then, is utterly irrespective of what we have been, or of what we are, or of the measure of sanctity we may attain, is and must be the conclusion of the heart that trembles at God's word. The simple fact that "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us," is the proof that nothing but unbelief can hinder any sinner's participation in all the rich blessings God has to bestow. What is sin but estrangement of heart from and disobedience to the authority of Him who proved, by the gift of His Son to those who were so estranged and in open rebellion against Him, that, though sin was reigning unto death, His grace could reign triumphantly above all sin?

In the death of the Lord Jesus Christ we learn what God is to sinners as sinners. "Without shedding of blood there

* See also 1 John v. 11, 12; John v. 24; xx. 31; Mark xvi. 15, 16; Acts xvi. 31; xiii. 38, 39; Rom. iii. 20, 28; iv. 3–8, 21-25; v. 8-11, 18-20; x. 4-13; 2 Cor. v. 19-21; Heb. x. 5-18.