middle of the day, and murmuring, 'Would God it were evening!' would you not bid him be up and doing, and finish his work, and then go home and get the promised rest? Just so, does God say to you and me."

XIV.

REWARD OF WORK.

"Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded."-2 CHRON. XV. 7.

"Thy works and alms, and all thy good endeavours,

Staid not behind, nor in the grave were trod;
But as Faith pointed with her golden rod,

Followed thee up to joy and bliss for ever.

Love led them on, and Faith, who knew them best,
Thy handmaids, clad them o'er with purple beams,
And azure wings, that up they flew so drest,

And spake the truth of thee on glorious themes
Before the Judge; who thenceforth bid thee rest,
And drink thy fill of pure immortal streams."

MILTON'S SONNETS.

CONSCIOUS as we are of having owed a vast debt which we cannot pay; conscious of having been forgiven that debt fully and freely, the idea of reward for the sin-stained services of the poor debtor, is at first intensely painful, and seems to introduce a lower motive and an unworthy element into our work. Yet we have no right to turn away from a truth so clearly revealed in Scripture. Like all parts of Jehovah's Gospel plan, it is composed of interwoven wisdom and love; for the doctrine of reward of work when fully understood, only lays the forgiven and the rewarded soul more humbled and more adoring at the feet of his Master. The acceptance of our

poor broken services so stained by wrong motives, by ignorance and by faithlessness, seems wonderful condescension; but to reward them is like returning good for evil, thus heaping coals of fire on our heads. "Fourscore years," said Polycarp, "have I served God, and found Him a good master;" and this will be the experience of all the Lord's people, who, while often neglecting what they can do, are, even when they have done all, unprofitable servants. God often rewards in this life, by large measures of success-the reaping time will surely come, though it may seem to tarry, and the precious seed sown in tears, will in all certainty be changed into golden sheaves. Frequently He rewards by a fulness of blessing, returned upon the worker's own soul. The heart that is drawn out to the hungry and the afflicted, will be guided and satisfied by the Lord himself. He that cultivates all social and relative love for the sake of Jesus, will be more and more transformed into His divine and loving image. He that has led a soul to the Truth will know it more convincingly in his own soul. Those who have given their youth to the service of God, will be like the green cedars, for long life and strength, and like the palm tree, that yields clusters of fruit in its old age. But it is not only such rewards that the believer is promised in the Word of God. For all houses, lands, children, parents, wives, brethren, forsaken for His name's sake, there shall be an hundredfold in the ever

a

lasting kingdom. For all grief and warfare, there shall be a double of rest and blessedness. For the many souls won to righteousness, there will be crowns of rejoicing, and a radiance like the stars of the firmament. For the food to the hungry,—for the drink to the thirsty, for the clothes to the naked,—for the consolation to the captive,--for the cup of cold water to the disciple, as given to the King himself, there will be an additional joy on the right hand thrones. Even as one star differeth from another star in glory, so will those whose works are as gold and silver, upon the true foundation, differ in brightness and enlargement from those whose "wood, hay, and stubble," must be burnt, though they themselves "are saved as by fire." Oh! how the thought of this stupendous love will prostrate each redeemed one before the rainbow throne! How gratefully the crowns will be cast at the Saviour's feet! How rejoicingly the voices will mingle in the new and adoring song!

XV.

FUTURE WORK.

"His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord."-MATT. xxv. 23.

"And his servants shall serve him and see his face."-REV. xxii. 3, 4.

We know more than this.

Though the river is wide, we can see in clear weather something of the scenery on the other side; though the veil is thick, we can catch glimpses of what is passing behind it; though the voices and the music are too distant to be distinctly heard by mortal ears, yet some words, some harmonies, come faintly to us when the Bible opens the door of those glorious but invisible dwellings. We know that the servants of the Master are to serve him and see his face,—we know that it is to be an active service, for they are to serve him resting