herent in his own nature, or being called forth with the view of establishing a righteousness of his own, is to be referred solely and exclusively to the sovereign grace of God-that grace which brought him first of all, in the character of a poor perishing sinner, unto Christ; and so enriched him with the blessings of the great salvation purchased with His precious blood, that, under the influence of constraining love, he felt it to be the highest of all privileges to consecrate himself and all that he had to His service.

On any other principle, it is not for a moment to be supposed that he could have acted in the way that he did. And now that he has gone hence, I doubt not that he is casting his crown before the throne, and ascribing, not in any measure unto himself, but unto Him that loved him and gave Himself for him, all the wisdom, and the glory, and the honour, and the power, and the victory, for ever and ever.

And so, reader, it must be with you. If, after spending a useful and honourable life here, you would enter at last into the kingdom of heaven, and take part with the glorified hosts that are worshipping before the throne, you must by faith be vitally united unto Christ-Christ living in you, and you living in Christ.

'O Christ, what burdens bowed Thy head!

Our load was laid on Thee;

Thou stoodest in the sinner's stead-
Bared'st all my ill for me;

A victim led, Thy blood was shed;
Now there's no load for me.

Death and the curse were in our cup-
O Christ, 'twas full for Thee!

But Thou hast drained the last dark drop'Tis empty now for me.

That bitter cup-love drank it up;

Now blessing's draught for me.

The Father lifted up His rod-
O Christ, it fell on Thee!
Thou wast sore stricken of my God:
There's not one stroke for me.
Thy tears, Thy blood beneath it flowed;
Thy bruising healeth me.

The tempest's awful voice was heard-
O Christ, it broke on Thee!

Thy open bosom was my ward,

It braved the storm for me.

Thy form was scarred-Thy visage marred; Now cloudless peace for me.

A flame was kindled in God's ire-
O Christ, it burned on Thee!
It was a hot, consuming fire,
Even in the fair green tree.
There did the fire feed and expire;
Now it is quenched for me.

Jehovah bade His sword awake

O Christ, it woke 'gainst Thee!

Thy blood the flaming blade must slake;
Thy heart its sheath must be.
All for my sake, my peace to make ;
Now sleeps that sword for me.

The holy One did hide His face-
O Christ, 'twas hid from Thee!
Dumb darkness wrapt Thy soul a space—
The darkness due to me.

But now that face of radiant grace
Shines forth in light on me.

For me, Lord Jesus, Thou hast died,
And I have died in Thee ;
Thou'rt risen—my bands are all untied,
And now Thou liv'st in me.

When purified, made white, and tried,
Thy glory then for me.'

"The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.'-PROV. IV. 18.

'Lives of great men all remind us,

We can make our lives sublime;
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time.

Footprints that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main-
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labour and to wait.'

F the true poet it has been said, poeta nascitur, non fit. His genius is not so much an acquirement of after life, as a natural gift; it is something that is born with

him. Something of the same kind holds true, in a

certain sense, in the case of the most distinguished Christians, the men who have held the highest rank among the saints, and who have been the instruments of achieving the greatest amount of good upon the earth.

If you search the records of all history, I believe it will be found that the noble army, which have fought the good fight of faith with the valour of giants, and won the most glorious victories, are not the men who have spent their early days in indolence and vice, serving divers lusts and passions, and only surrendering themselves to Christ when their mental powers were enfeebled, and their earthly course was drawing to a close. Such men, like comets, may have startled the Christian world, either by their erratic movements, or even by the blaze of sudden light which they have put forth ere passing away; and I do not deny that the conversion of a sinner in the decline of life, and the good which he has thereby been enabled to accomplish, are to be reckoned amongst the greatest miracles which it is possible for divine grace to achieve.

But I maintain, notwithstanding, that the men who, of all others, have been most eminently useful, are those who have been born from above in early life, or who by the Holy Spirit have been sanctified from the very womb. These I reckon to be the great magnitudes in the spiritual firmament—the lights that