October 16

ties and disquietudes must men of the world feel, who have their portion in this life exposed to a thousand accidents and changes, and who have no confidence in God as presiding over all their concerns, so as to promote their welfare. But the believer's treasure is in heaven, beyond the reach of harm; and he knows also that all the ways of the Lord towards him are mercy and truth. He has cast all his care upon one who careth for him, and whose care is accompanied with infinite wisdom, power, and love. He therefore is careful for nothing, but feels a peace that passeth all understanding. His soul dwells at ease. He is satisfied with favour, and filled with the blessing of the Lord.

Such is the Saviour we preach! This is the rest wherewith he causes the weary to rest, and this is the refreshing! His followers may have tribulation in the world, but in him they have peace. He will more than make them amends for all their services and sufferings in his cause—Yea, he has done it already. What they have been required to give up they have willingly resigned, for he has blessed them with advantages and pleasures infinitely richer and sweeter. They have meat which others know not of; they have joy which strangers intermeddle not with. He is not only their physician, but their friend; not only their refuge, but their consolation.

But what shall we say to those who neglect so great salvation? Can creatures content the cravings of immortality? Can any earthly successes or indulgences give you heart-felt repose? Could the whole world sustain and solace you when trouble comes? when your gourds wither? when your pulse internits? and upon your eyelid sits the shadow of death? Such a moment will come; and then to whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your glory? But he cries, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden." Venture upon his gracious invitation; and he will give you rest—rest unto your souls—AND HIS REST SHALL BE GLORIOUS.

OCTOBER 16.—"Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."—Matthew 25:34.

WHAT a delightful announcement! And how perfectly opposed to the tremendous sentence addressed by the King to them on his left hand: "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." There, "ye cursed;" here, "ye blessed of my Father." There, "Depart from me;" here, "Come." There, "Depart into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels;" here, "Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

Observe the character: "Ye blessed of my Father." Some bless themselves, and some are blessed by their fellow-creatures; but the great thing is to be blessed of God. How vain would be, in all our most important exigencies, the friendship of mortals, however kind or powerful they may be. But in his favour is life. Their blessing is wishes and words: his blessing is deeds and realities. In his blessing there is an actual communication: "He commandeth

the blessing, even life for evermore:" and they whom he blesses are blessed, and none can reverse it And how vain would the censure of the world be under the smiles of God! Let them curse, but bless thou!

But in what are they the blessed of his Father? It must be something peculiar and distinguishing. Temporal mercies they have in common with others. Even here indeed there is great difference as to efficiency and enjoyment. They have the good will of him that dwelt in the bush in their comforts: and because he "blesses the labour of their hand," and "blesses their bread and their water," therefore "a little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked:" for "the blessing of the Lord it maketh rich" without abundance, and "he addeth no sorrow with it." But what says the glowing thanksgiving of the Apostle? "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." He has redeemed them from the curse of the law; justified them from all things; called them by his grace. He feeds them with the bread of life; adorns them with the garments of salvation; and gives them the earnest and foretastes of immortality.

Observe the invitation: "Come, ye blessed of my Father." Men, if judged by their dispositions and actions, often say unto him, "Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways." But what is now their desire will hereafter be their misery. Now they have diversions, but then they will be abandoned to thought, and feel themselves in a condition in which nothing could avail them but his friendship. O the dreadfulness in that day of being renounced for ever by him!—But what a heaven will there be in the sound, "Come!" The invited were once without him, and far from him: and hence their degradation and wretchedness. He pitied them even then, and was concerned to bring them to himself. He therefore said, Come, ye poor, and I will relieve you; come, ye sick, and I will heal you; come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Come to my cross; come to my throne; come to my house; come to my table; and I will in no wise cast you out. And thus their intercourse with him began—and how is it carried on?—and how will it be completed? In the same way—"Come." Here they were made to feel their absolute need of him; here they sought him; here they often asked others, "Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?" Here they also found him and enjoyed him—But all their desires and their hopes were not perfectly accomplished. Now they have reached the end of their faith, and are satisfied. "Come," says he, "come" to my immediate presence, "come" to my bosom, "come," and be for ever with the Lord—"Come, ye blessed of my Father."

Observe the induction: "Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Every word is significant. The possession. Not a mansion, an estate, a city, a province; but a portion more extensive and dignified, and suited to the highest ambition of the soul, a "kingdom." The qualification: "Prepared for you." It was not a natural endowment, or an easy acquisition. How many things were to be removed, and how much was to be done and suffered by an agency and passiveness the most illus-

VOL. II.

trious. "I go," said he, "to prepare a place for you:" and his ascension was necessary, and his death was necessary, and his obedience was necessary, and his incarnation was necessary, and all the dispensations of his grace and providence were necessary to the full salvation of a soul. The earliness of the provision: "Before the foundation of the world." How impossible was it that we should be saved by works of righteousness that we had done! All was purposed, planned, promised, secured, not only without our desert, but without our desire, and ages and ages before our existence—The grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

Observe the season of enjoyment: "Then." Here they walk by faith, not by sight. If they build tabernacles here they are soon taken down; and a voice is heard, "Arise, and depart hence, for this is not your rest." Every thing leads them forward. Now they sow in tears; then they will reap in joy. Now they run; then they obtain the prize. Now they fight the good fight of faith; then they will lay hold of eternal life. Now are they the sons of God, but it doth not yet appear what they shall be. They are princes, but the world knoweth them not. Like David they are anointed, but not crowned—But "then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

And having these promises let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Let us walk worthy of him who hath called us unto his kingdom and glory. Especially let the prospect animate us in all our religious course. It was this language that influenced so powerfully the first Christians. They thought they always heard—and their faith, their conscience always did hear—"Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." And this enlivened them in duty. This raised them above worldly losses. This sustained them in every trouble, emboldened them in every conflict, and made them in all these things more than conquerors through him that loved them. Ah! said they, "our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."

OCTOBER 17.—"There salute thee Epaphras, my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus; Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellow-labourers. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen."—Philemon 23, 24, 25.

THUS closes this short and very interesting Epistle, and which does so much honour to the humility, and kindness, and wisdom, and godliness of the Apostle. It ends with a salutation from his connexions, and a benediction from Paul himself.

The salutation regards Philemon, and comes from five persons mentioned by name.

The first is "Epaphras." He had been a faithful minister in the Colossian church, and did not forget them when he was absent

from them, always labouring fervently for them in prayer, that they might stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. He was now at Rome, and a sufferer with Paul; perhaps in the very same confinement: if not in the same cause. This cause was not the service of sin or sedition, but the Gospel of Christ: the Apostle therefore calls him "my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus."

The second is "Marcus." Not Mark the Evangelist, but John Mark. His mother had a house at Jerusalem, at which, when Peter was delivered from prison, the Church was praying. He was the nephew of Barnabas. He soon became a minister; and when Paul and his uncle returned from Jerusalem, Mark accompanied them as far as Perga in Pamphilia; but feeling or fearing the difficulties and dangers of his work, he there departed from them, and returned home. This was doubtless improper conduct, and some time after gave rise to a sad dispute between Paul and Barnabas; the one being willing to take him again along with them, the other refusing, because of his former defection. Perhaps both of these great and good men were a little to blame, the one being too partial, and the other too severe. However this may be, Mark was afterwards not only received by Paul, but recommended to the Colossians, "If he come unto you receive him;" and to Timothy, "Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry." He also was now at Rome with him. He had acknowledged his fault and been reformed, and we are not to break a bruised reed, nor to reject a returning backslider. If a brother be overtaken in a fault, they who are spiritual should endeavour to restore him. Many a character has been given up too soon. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea were afraid to act an open part at first; but they came forward and honoured the crucified Saviour when all his disciples forsook him and fled.

The third was "Aristarchus." He was a Macedonian. He became a zealous Christian, and attended Paul to Ephesus, where, in the tumult raised by Demetrius the silversmith, he narrowly escaped with his life. He accompanied Paul in his return to Greece; waited for him at Troas; journeyed with him into Asia; and sailed with him to Rome, where he now was, and probably involved in the persecution of Paul, for in his Epistle to the Colossians the Apostle calls him his "fellow-prisoner."

The fourth was "Demas." At this time therefore he was a professor of Christianity, and probably a preacher of the word. But when Paul wrote his Second Epistle to Timothy he says, "Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica." We are not informed whether he was drawn away by the attraction of pleasure, fame, or wealth. It was probably the latter. "They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." Why should we be scandalized at apostacies like these? Did they not attend Christianity from the beginning? Were they not found in the purest state of the Church? They go out from us because they are not of us. Evil men and seducers may wax worse and worse: