best inheritance is reserved in heaven for him. He has a hope, full of immortality. The promised blessings of the new heavens and the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness, are his portion for ever. Of the increase of the heavenly kingdom, there shall be no end, and in its increase he shares for ever. He is kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. He is begotten again unto a lively hope to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away.

The more storms gather without, and threaten to overwhelm all things here, the brighter our hope shines, and the nearer it approaches; according to the assurance, When these things begin to come to pass, then look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh. This is that joyful hope, for the realizing of which the Psalmist in Psalm after Psalm calls all creation to rejoice (xcvi. 11–13; xcviii. 5—9.), bidding all things to rejoice before the Lord, for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth. Let us then, as fellow-Christians, who truly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, fix our hearts more and more on this coming glory. Our general state of mind ought to be waiting for the coming of our Lord Christ, looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

With such blessed prospects, and with a good hope through grace of this glory, earthly trials are wonder

fully alleviated. If we really love the Lord, we know that all is now working for our good. Have we to pass through the fiery furnace of affliction? all our graces shall be perfected thereby, and found to praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Is the dark night of public gloom and desolation, of persecution and suffering, to be endured? We shall have a song as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept. Or have we seasons of ease and prosperity? with such hopes they will only be used that we may be a larger blessing, and for the wider scattering of that precious seed that shall spring up to everlasting life. Thus in every circumstance every man that hath this hope in a quickly appearing Saviour, purifieth himself, even as he

is pure.

THE DILIGENT IMPROVING OF THE PRESENT TIME in abounding labours of love for the good of others, is one farther lesson eminently impressed on us by this subject. Are we on the verge of such great events?—well then may we redeem the time. We may say like our Saviour, The night cometh when no man can work ; I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day. This is the precious seed-time for eternity. Every act of faith and love is fruitful in eternal blessings. Let us then ever be sowing bountifully, that we may reap also bountifully; be sowing to the Spirit that we may of the Spirit reap life everlasting, and in due season we shall reap if we faint not. We are permitted to share now in

F

the labours which advance the future glories of the heavenly kingdom. The glory of Christ is eminently the one chief glory of that kingdom. John xvii. 24. Farther glories are those which he confers on his saints, (2 Thess. i. 10.) their numbers, their graces, and their excellences. They are the jewels in his crown. We too may help in saving souls from death, in winning souls to Christ, in turning many to righteousness. All the preparations for the future heavenly Jerusalem are daily advancing in our world now. As David was allowed to gather all the materials for the temple at Jerusalem, so are we permitted to aid in preparations for the city of the living God.

Much, very much is to be done IN OUR COUNTRY AND IN OUR COLONIES. Vast multitudes are thus within our reach. Let us do what we can individually, in our immediate circle, in our family, among our relatives, in our parish and neighbourhood, and in all the morally destitute parts of our land. Let us extend our efforts as we may, through the blessed societies that now exist, to the neglected parts of our own country, and to all the places where British commerce and British dominion have given access and influence.

Much, very much is to be done for the SALVATION OF ISRAEL. The full triumph of the kingdom of Christ is ever connected in the Scriptures with their recovery and restoration to their own land.* The prayer of the

* A body of Christians have risen up in America, and their

Jewish church is, God be merciful unto us and bless us, and cause his face to shine upon us; that thy way may be known on earth, thy saving health among all nations, and the corresponding promise of the New Testament is, works are now diffused widely also in this country; the followers of Mr. Miller, who have fallen into the error of looking for the instant coming of our Lord, against which St. Paul guards us. 2 Thess. ii. 2. To look for his speedy coming is scriptural; for his instant coming is unscriptural. There is important truth brought forward by them, but many errors are mingled with these truths, and I dread lest their error should be a stumbling-block in the way of the reception of weighty truths which they may confess and diffuse. I here particularly advert to their ideas, that Christ will immediately appear, and that Christ and the whole body of believers are so the heirs of the Abrahamic inheritance, that the literal Israel are not the seed to whom the promises are made. It is a partial view of the fulness of God's promises, and founded on partial quotations of the word of God. No doubt there is a promise to all true believers as the spiritual seed of Abraham, which they will enjoy with faithful Abraham in the day of the resurrection. But there are also other promises, and those abundant, made to Israel, as a nation in the flesh, to be fulfilled in time to come on their repentance, and when they shall be Israelites in the letter, and Israelites indeed at the same time. There were two distinct promises to Abraham, and two forms of inheritance. Those in Gen. xiii. 14—17; xv. 18—21; and xvii. 8, relate plainly to the land of Canaan only. That in Gen. xxii. 16-18, relates to the inheritance of the world. The literal Jews are the heirs of the promise of Canaan, as the spiritual Jews are of the world. Rom. iv. 13. The argument of St. Paul on the word seed fixes his reference to Gen. xxii. 16-18. Compare, Gen. xvii. 7; "Thy seed after them in their generations," and Gen. xxii. 17; "Thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies." A partition wall may be broken down, and oneness be given as to spiritual privileges and blessings, and yet, as we see in all the relations of life, other distinctions may remain for the increased blessedness of all.

that the receiving of them shall be as life from the dead to the world. The kingdom of God is nigh at hand, when the redemption of Israel draws nigh. Luke xxi. 27, 28, 31. All the signs of returning interest in the Jews are full of hope and encouragement. Every help to their conversion is a farther preparation for the Lord's coming and kingdom.

Much, very much is also to be done for THE WHOLE GENTILE WORLD. In the wonderful providence of God, the door has been opened to nearly every heathen land. In the wonderful grace of God, his faithful people have everywhere been stirred up to think of them, and devoted missionaries have gone forth to all lands, and God is prospering their labours with an increasing blessing. It is a time when any humble and poor Christian may, by a small aid, do far more to spread the Gospel over the earth, than mighty monarchs or vast empires could have done a few centuries back.

However gathered, from whatever nation, from whatever quarter of the world, each fresh believer is another lively stone in the heavenly building; each faithful convert to Christ is another crown of rejoicing in the day of Christ. Every spiritual father of spiritual children, will find those children his hope and joy in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ at his coming. They who diligently prepare for its future glories shall receive a full reward. They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.