government would have failed. But is there one instance, from the beginning of the Bible to the end, of this new covenant government failing? And it is important for me and you to understand, (in order to make the matter as clear as possible,) that it is founded on the reign of Christ. "Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." But perhaps it will bring the matter nearer, and put it in a more simple form, if I say, that the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ is the principle upon which this new throne, this new government, is founded. This work is a finished work: he "finished transgression, and made an end of sin." Therefore there is no danger of his failing. "Thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations;" therefore it follows that the government is from everlasting to everlasting. (2.) But secondly, it will be in purpose as well. God had some purpose, in founding this government, and the purpose stands thus: "Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation, and shall not be ashamed." Why, how is it that you and I have been kept from shame? It has been through the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ; "And shall not be ashamed, nor confounded, world without end." That is the purpose, in that lies all the glory. Can this purpose fail? The Lord hath purposed this: and who shall disannul it? His hand is stretched out to accomplish it; and who shall turn it back?"A throne was set in heaven." "And he 2. Look at the appearance of God the Father. that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone." It is not for me to determine whether the Greek word here translated " jasper" be that sort of stone which we call jaspervery likely it is not; nor is it my business to waste your time, by indulging in the frivolities of some, who suppose that the redness here mentioned sets forth the sensible jndgment of God: I think this would be handling the matter in a way in which it was not intended. You must bear in mind, however, that this is not Jesus Christ but God the Father, for in the next chapter you find Jesus Christ coming and taking the book out of the hand of him that sat in the midst. "He was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone." Now this is oriental language, and is of course to be understood figuratively. (1.) The first thing that is evidently meant is beauty. When does God our Father look most glorious? Why, in possession of his beauty. The high priest under the law, with his breastplate and twelve stones-when he went into the "holy of holies," there was the brightness of the Lord's glory shining between the cherubims; and as he entered there, the glory of the Lord shone on those stones, and made a most beautiful appearance. And this is the type of Jesus Christ, who will by and by take us into the presence of God; and as the glory of God shone on the precious stones in the high priest's breast-plate, so will the glory of God shine upon us, when we are taken by Jesus Christ into his presence, and when our glory shall be perfected. And perhaps it is in allusion to the glory of the Lord shining on them that they are called "Urim and Thumim "—"lights and perfections." But the beauty. If God our Father lose h's people, he will lose his beauty; if the dear Redeemer lose his people, he will have his beauty; and therefore I believe that God is here set forth as 66 a jasper and sardine stone," to denote that he has possession of his people that are precious to him. If he were to lose his people, he would lose his beauty. Would God the Father have any attractive beauty to me, if he were not my Father? Oh! if there be a poor deluded mortal here, who advocates free will, I would say to him: "What! did you never read that God the Father gave all these precious stones into the hands of Jesus? He gave them into safe hands." That is one of the beauties of God the Father, that he has taken possession of us, and will possess us to all eternity. The first thing therefore is beauty. If the dear Redeemer were to lose his people, he would lose his beauty. Why, the beauty of a Saviour consists in saving; the beauty of a Redeemer consists in actually redeeming; the beauty of a surety consists in making the suretyship good; the beauty of a king consists in enriching, and making his kingdom peaceful and happy and prosperous; the beauty of a Mediator consists in interceding; the beauty of a witness consists in applying the truth and making that truth effectual; and the Holy Ghost has told the truth, and will make it effectual to all his people. (2.) And then, secondly, it also means preciousness. You see it must be understood in the new covenant sense: preciousness. And is there any thing we have ever met with so precious to the eye? Light is sweet and precious to the natural eye; and nothing is so precious to look at with the eye of the understanding, as our God in the revelation of himself. Nay, I will go further than that; that although we are wrapt up in cold mortality, yet amidst all our wretchedness of mind, amidst all our sweet feelings and sensations and pleasures, none are equal to those which arise from the revelation of Jesus Christ. And therefore it denotes beauty and preciousness. (3.) And then, thirdly, it denotes riches; because there may be love where there is nothing but poverty, and there may be riches where there is no love. But here they unite. Therefore riches are connected with the throne of our God. And so it is, that the Lord is pleased to carry this idea all through the gospel. In the Jewish dispensation the pearls and precious stones and gold are all to remind us of his riches; and the twelve fountains enriched with precious stones are to remind us of riches; and the church having twelve gems in her matrimonial crown is to remind us of our riches. And so the Lord our God is rich, while this world is miserably poor. (4.) But then, not only does it mean beauty, and preciousness, and riches, but it also means prosperity: the Lord professes these things. But I must not enlarge. Now, then, here is the throne, established for salvation purposes, upon salvation principles, and here are beauties to attract, and nothing to repel; it is all attractive from first to last." He that sat upon the throne was like unto a jasper and sardine stone"-something very precious and beautiful and attractive. 3. Now, lastly, the glory. "And there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald "—because of its precious colours. Now the rainbow, as you are aware, is continually set forth as a type of the covenant; and there are five or six senses, in which it is so. (1.) The first is, visibility. The Lord says, "My bow shall be seen." And, in a spiritual sense, the new covenant is seen: "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will show them his covenant." You very often in the scriptures meet with the rainbow in the first and tenth chapters of Ezekiel, we have the rainbow. His people can see it; and therefore if he has brought you into this new covenant, you may be sure that the evening can never get at you, the law can never get at you, the old covenant cannot get at you, death cannot get at you to hurt you, it may take your body, but it cannot take your soul. ་ (2.) Then the second thing, I think is independence. The rainbow is entirely under God's controul. Men can, by the prismatic glass, it is true, produce an artificial rainbow, but it is very small and trivial, and we can see it is of man's invention; and men invent certain gospels and creeds, but we can see that they are of human invention; we can distinguish between these prismatic rainbows, and the one God has made; there is a wonderful difference between the two-one is obliged to be in a dark room,- —a false gospel cannot endure the light; the true rainbow is beyond human controul; and so is every promise, every item, every precept, every glory of the everlasting covenant are out of human controul-they are under God's command. Some men tell us a sinner, dead in sin, can come and take these blessings, if they like. Why, even a living man cannot do thismuch less a dead man. The living know they cannot, for they have tried; and if the living cannot, I know the dead cannot. No; they shall be given to those for whom they are prepared. (3.) Then, thirdly, we come to the old idea again-beautiful; the rainbow is beautiful; every one admires the rainbow. There is something in the rainbow different from every thing else in nature; and so there is something in the Gospel of God to a poor sinner whose eyes have been opened, far different and far more beautiful than all other things. (4.) Fourthly, it signifies serenity. How peaceful is the rainbow! There is nothing violent or threatening about it. Who has ever trembled at a rainbow, afraid that it would do him some injury? None. And it is the same with the ways of God-they are peaceful, now. Often when we have been harassed with sins, and doubts, and fears, the Lord has come and said, “Peace, be still; and immediately there was a great calm." The rainbow is peaceful, not like the thunder and lightning; and this is the difference between Mount Sinai and Mount Sion; there is nothing but storm in the one, and nothing but indescribable peace in the other. (5.) But, fifthly, it may also mean showers of blessings; there is always rain connected with the rainbow; indeed the falling of the rain is one essential of producing the rainbow. I know very well we are spoken of by nature as ground which the Lord hath cursed; but showers of blessings descend upon it, and it "drinks in the rain which falleth off upon it, and bringeth forth fruit meet for the use of him for whom it is prepared," it becomes good ground. (6.) Sixthly, it may not only mean the things of which I have spoken, but it may also mean the presence of the sun; you cannot have a rainbow without the sun. And so, under the gospel of the blessed God, we have "the sun of righteousness," that "shall rise with healing in his wings." "And thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended." (7.) Lastly, it also implies certainty. The Lord said "My bow shall be in the cloud, and I will look upon it, and there shall be harvest, there shall be heat, there shall be cold, there shall be day and night." Here is no uncertainty about it. And so we may rest assured, from seeing this "rainbow round about the throne," that we shall receive all the blessings of the everlasting covenant. No good thing shall fail, but our garners shall be full, yielding all manner of store- "Happy is the people that are under this government;" "Happy is the people that are in such a case; yea, happy is the people whose God is the Lord." THE GOSPEL ов, Christian Pilgrim's Friend. "Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for their's is the kingdom of Heaven," Mat. v.3 "The Election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded," Rom. xi. 7. No 10.. OCTOBER 1, 1847. Price 2d. SHALL WE SIN? "What shall we say then? shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid." Rom. 6. 1, 2. 66 WHY, my dear unele," said a beloved niece, as we were wending our way towards the great city; "I am afraid, if I really believed myself interested in all you say, it would render me too indifferent about sin; I fear that such doctrines are dangerous." I replied," Let us suppose a very simple case, and then tell me if you can possibly find so powerful a motive to good works, and to the resistance of sin, in all its varied dresses, as that supplied by the apprehension, and heart-felt knowledge of that love which is the centre of all spiritual obedience, and of everything that is acceptable at the court of Heaven for the love of Christ constraineth us,” 2 Cor. 5. 14. Imagine to yourself an orphan girl, left, just at the dawn of womanhood, without the slightest provision for her subsistence,o without a friend or relative in the wide world. The poor girl is destitute, and glad to engage herself in the first service thate offers. She speedily meets with a stern severe old man, with whom she enters into an engagement, as servant of all work, and binds herself, in terms of his own dictation, to serve him with out limitation or appeal, and under penalties, the most distress ing to conceive. He takes her home, reads in her trembling ear the rigid rules by which her every movement must be guided; gives her a copy, which he bids her learn by heart, and then commands her to commence her task. To work she goes, in earnestness of soul; see the anxious novice: see how she toils and labours; hear her sigh out her hope that this and that performance may be acceptable when her new master comes; ob serve how often she returns and gives another touch to this, and |