you all. Let me then stir up my own heart and yours, Christian reader, every where now to prepare for the cross, not as something that we cannot escape, but as a gracious appointment of privilege and eternal gain. What shall we look back upon hereafter with most joy? Upon this, that by the grace of God we were enabled to make sacrifices of things seen for the sake of things unseen, that we walked not by sight but. by faith, that we endured hardness and sufferings for Christ, and so were made blessings to our fellow-men, brought many sons to glory, and were fully ripened for that glory.

The full blessedness of all creation follows the glory of the church; the new heavens and the new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness is the result of God's loving-kindness to men, and the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Such are the happy effects of sufferings for the truth. We will conclude with some PRACTICAL LESSONS to be drawn from this subject.

ARM YOURSELVES WITH THE MIND OF CHRIST about suffering. To be like him is the glory of a Christian. He foresaw with perfect distinctness and foreknowledge all the bitter cup which he had to taste. He knew his sorrows beforehand, far more distinctly than we can possibly know any sufferings through which we have to go, and yet he withheld not himself from his overwhelming baptism, and was only straitened till it was accomplished. Amidst all temptations, from friends and from foes, from the world and the devil, and from those infirmities of our nature, with the feeling of which he was touched,-look at the invincible firmness, patience, meekness, gentleness, love and faithfulness of our divine Lord. Truly we must look much to Jesus, if we would be armed with his mind. He will give us his Spirit; he will strengthen us with his grace. He will impart to us his mind.

BE FARTHER STRENGTHENED BY THE PAST EXPERIENCE OF ALL GOD'S CHILDREN. Suffering for the truth, from the time of righteous Abel, has ever been the way by which God has led his people to final triumph and to full blessedness. Thus St. James (v. 1-11), speaking of the trials of God's servants in the last days says, Take, my brethren, the prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord for an example of suffering affliction and of patience. Behold we count them happy which endure. Their faith

fulness in speaking in the name of the Lord brought to them all their affliction, but thence came all their glory. 2 Cor. iv. 17. It is the meek and holy spirit of a believer joined with his unflinching confession of the truth that disquiets the conscience of sinners and provokes their wrath; for it interferes with the easy enjoyment of all the lusts of this world. Nor will the meekness of Moses, the tenderness of Jeremiah, the wisdom of Paul, and the combination of every grace and perfection in our Lord Jesus, screen the faithful servant of the most High from this enmity. But the more the world hates us for fidelity to God's truth, the more the Lord himself loves us and will honour us, so that great shall be our reward in heaven.

NOW GATHER SCRIPTURAL TRUTH that may be as oil in our lamps FOR THE DAY OF NECESSITY. A man unacquainted with all that God has foretold in his word, of events yet to come, and expecting things only to go on as they have done, must be taken unawares by them (Luke xxi. 34), and so wholly unprepared. While he who has attended to God's warnings and treasured up all his gracious statements of what has to take place, will not be taken by surprize, but will be found ready and provided against the evil day. The prepared Christian, who remembers what Christ has beforehand told him, will be able, amidst all the unusual shakings and convulsions of that day, and the terrors of his fellow-men, to lift up his head. He knows the end of the Lord, he sees his redemption and that of the whole earth approaching, and with this hope he can be full of confidence, peace and joy.

CHEERFULLY ENDURE THE PRESENT CROSS TO BE TAKEN UP FOR THE TRUTH. After St. Paul had expressed, in the last epistle which he wrote, his tender attachment to Timothy, he thus exhorts him: Be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel, according to the power of God, shewing him his privilege and his strength for it. There is each day some sacrifice of ease and inclination to be made, some restraint to be put upon appetite and the love of pleasure, some mortification of our high-mindedness, something disagreeable to flesh and blood to be endured, something laborious and toilsome to be effected, by acting on Christian principles. By faithfulness in these things, we shall become inured and habituated to greater trials, and so meet with a larger blessing. I die daily, was the experience of one of the noblest sufferers in the school of Christ. That this is our only safe course

is clear from the plain direction of our Lord, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me. It is easy to think that we may be firm and valiant for the truth in a great trial, and yet neglect present self-sacrifice; but the best means of being firm then, is by now beginning a course of firmness and self-denial and self-restraint. Observe how the self-denial of Daniel and his companions in private preceded their public boldness and firmness in standing for the truth. Compare Daniel i. with iii. and v.

ASK FOR GRACE TO BE BOLD IN THE CONFESSION OF TRUTH. This did the apostles, and they were heard. Acts iv. 29. True it is, this boldness will expose us to ridicule and bitter hatred of evil men; true it is, even Christians may blame us, and they of our own household think we carry matters much too far; true it is we may have thereby to suffer and be shamefully entreated, even though we had the wisdom, love and humility of Paul; yet still let us be bold in our God, to speak the gospel of God, with much contention. Oh how great a grace is given to a Christian, when he is enabled to look off the praise of man as a small thing, and one to be despised, when put in competition with the praise of God; and with large love to all, with humility, and patience, and simplicity of mind to seek only God's approval. This will give us real boldness, as it did to Peter and John before all the rulers of the Jews, (Acts iv. 13, 19.) and so make us large blessings to his church. The hope of the Redeemer's return is peculiarly calculated to embolden and strengthen even the timid and weak believer faithfully to confess present and needful truth.

BE WATCHful. How often is this direction given by our Lord, in the gospel, with reference to these days! and it is repeated from heaven as specially applicable to this very period. Rev. iii. 2; xvi. 15. Let us take care then that our garments are not defiled. Errors and heresies abound on every side. The three unclean spirits are all abroad, seeking to gather men into the armies that war against the Lamb: Jesuits, Revolutionists and Infidels shew to enlightened Christians whose they are and to whom they belong. Many have been defiled, and when once the defilement is received how difficult is the removal? Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame. This is the special charge and watchword of the Christian army for this season. But

not only have we to watch against errors, and temptations, and sins, but to watch for every opportunity of glorifying God and benefiting men, seizing promply each occasion of doing good. And, above all, we have to watch and wait for the coming of the Redeemer,- Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. Happy those wise Christians to whom this is a blessed hope, for which they are looking, to whom he comes as the expected Bridegroom, and then they enter with him to the marriage.

BE DILIGENT IN SEEKING TO SAVE SOULS. The words of our Saviour should especially now be our purpose and guide day by day. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day; the night cometh when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. Soon the present opportunities of spreading divine truth, freedom and liberty of action, and means of reaching all quarters of the earth, as far as regards the exertions of the children of God, may be greatly impeded or wholly taken from us. Soon we may be despoiled of the many advantages we now have for doing good to the bodies and souls of men ; but if we now scatter the seed, it may be harrowed in, even in those days, and ultimately bring a glorious harvest, in which we shall for ever rejoice. He that winneth souls is wise. Let this be the wisdom which we choose and prefer.

HOWEVER TRIED, BE FAITHFUL, IN THE ASSURED HOPE OF VICTORY AT THE END. If in the last appearance of the harlot, she is drunken with the blood of the saints; if the great war with the Lamb is yet to take place; if the saints are to be made white, purified and tried: if the elect are to cry day and night before they are avenged, we may justly anticipate great temptations to unfaithfulness. Let us think of these things beforehand, that when they really come, being ready, we may stand, and having done all, stand. Let the cheering promise, Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life, animate us in the darkest hours. To have nothing but love in our hearts and our lives to our fellowmen, even to those who hate us most, and yet for this to endure unto a bloody death, striving against sin; (Heb. xii.) here indeed we are conformed to Christ, and if it be the hardest, yet it is the shortest path to highest blessedness and glory, and that for ever.

And that you may choose and delight in this way, we say in the close of all-BE ANIMATED BY THE BRIGHT HOPE OF A GLORIOUS AND EVERLASTING REDEMPTION. This is what the whole

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creation is waiting for. All the exhibitions of evil in our world will, through the wonder working mercy of our God, be overruled to this end. In what a glowing strain, hoping for this, the apostle says, I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us; for the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestations of the sons of God. The apostle proceeds to declare the groans and travail of all creation, and even of the sons of God waiting for their redemption. Well may it be so, for how great are the glories of that redemption! The recovery of all creation from its ruin through sin; the earth, and the creatures on it delivered from the curse; (Rom. viii. 19-22.) the resurrection of the body from the grave, and the deliverance of the soul from all bondage and taint of sin, and its perfected likeness to God; the will of God done on earth as it is in heaven, his kingdom come, his name every where hallowed, and his reigning in his glory; these are some parts of this redemption. There shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him, and they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there, and they need no candle neither light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign for ever and ever. O how well was it for Enoch that he walked with God, and for Noah that he was a preacher of righteousness; for Abraham that he went into a strange land and withheld not his only son; for David that he was bold, trusting only in the name of Jehovah to contend with Goliath, and became the man after God's own heart; for Daniel, that he was cast into the lion's den; for Peter, that he followed the Lord in his sufferings; for Paul, that he, for the truth, went through unequalled afflictions, and for John, that he was the conpanion of the faithful in their tribulation! O happy confessors, martyrs, fathers, reformers, and sufferers in every age, who, enduring all evils for Christ, through much tribulation have entered the kingdom of heaven! How much better all their momentary sufferings issuing in such an everlasting glory, than this world's highest transitory gains, and pleasures, and honours, which do but end in shame and everlasting contempt.

Is there any reader of these lines, who slights all such scriptural truths as have been now set before him, I would not leave him without one more solemn warning of God; The time is come