on the Rock of Ages the poor believing sinner rests, and rests in peace and safety.

I remember the day when David brought up the ark from Baalah of Judah, how he did so unadvisedly, and sorrow and evil rebuked him for it. That unadvisedness, that carelessness of his, came from want of communion with the Lord. Had he been in spirit more in communion, he would not so have erred. On that great occasion he listened to nature. Joy attended it; for his conscience did not upbraid him. It was not profaneness but carelessness. And much of this may be betrayed by others of us, who are little indeed in other excellencies of David.

If any unadvised words in these meditations have offended the simplest soul, which, apart from the reasoning and liberty of the flesh, seeks Jesus in His person, and offices, and work, I am sorry. But the liberty of the mere mind of man is to be rebuked, though found in the saint. Faith owns the same Blessed One from the manger to the Cross, from the Cross through the grave and gate of death, in resurrection, and up to the highest heavens. The only begotten Son who lay in the bosom of the Father, God and yet with God, is known, by faith, in Jesus of Nazareth, having taken part of flesh and blood with the children, as kinsman of the seed of Abraham. Faith tracks this Blessed One on earth, but discerns the full unsullied glory that was His all the while. Faith further watches and follows the life He led here, in sorrow, rejection, temptation, but sees it all passed in a spirit of faith and dependence, answered by the supports and consolations of God. Faith understands the end of that life, in the death and woe unutterable of the cursed tree. And faith ascends with the same Blessed One into heaven, and traces His present life there until He come again.

With my whole soul, I say, May these meditations help to make these objects of faith a little nearer and more real to us! They will be worthless, if they tend

not to glorify Him in our thoughts, to give Him, with a fresh pressure, beloved, to our hearts.

"Nearer, my God, to Thee,

Nearer to Thee!"

May that be the breathing of our souls till we see Him! Amen.

"THOU WILT SHOW ME THE PATH OF LIFE; IN THY PRESENCE IS FULNESS OF JOY; AT THY RIGHT HAND, THERE ARE PLEASURES FOR EVERMORE.”

ZECHARIAH XIII.

IN that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land. And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord: and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive: but he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth. And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.

N: IX.

THOUGHTS ON THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER OF ROMANS, AND ON THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CHURCH,

THERE are several subjects of general interest to Christians, which it might be well to examine carefully. Two more especially present themselves at this time; the one is the existence of the Church on earth, and the sense in which it may be said to be responsible for the state in which it now is, though others have been the chief means of bringing it to that state. The other is the explanation and application of the eleventh of Romans.

Before, however, entering on the subjects themselves, I would call the attention of my reader to one point, viz., that these are subjects neither of secondary importance nor of slight differences of opinion, as some would have us to believe; but subjects of the utmost moment; subjects which involve the questions of the character of our relationship with Christ, and of the responsibility of Christians with regard to our actual state; questions, I repeat it, of the most solemn nature, and which ought to interest every soul and involve the glory of Christ himself.

It has, indeed, been objected by some, that we had better not waste our time upon such questions, as being but questions of second-rate importance. But let us not be deceived. These are not secondary questions: I repeat it again. Is the existence of the Church upon earth, and our responsibility, in relationship with its existence, a matter of second-rate importance? If we must have controversy, I bless God that we have so fundamental a question to consider, and also that that which sometimes produces painful separations among Christians is by no

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means a slight difference of opinion;-but the denial of the existence, and the responsibility of the Church of God upon earth. That the source of divisions will be found to be there, I have the most profound conviction. God will not have the truth upon this subject set aside. Is the existence and the responsibility of the Chuch upon earth a nice distinction-an opinion? Is it not clear, that if any one have a clear conviction on these points, it ought to be a motive in the presence of God, the motive which will affect the whole conduct of a Christian as such; and his entire manner of seeing things. Nay, the Christian's entire conduct and mode of seeing things will be moulded upon the existence of such a relationship. Could it be a matter of opinion to a woman, to know whether she was the wife of such or such a one or not? And if she is, how will she regard her responsibility? As a matter of second-rate importance? Is not the question one of morality, when relationships established by God exist? And is it not morality of the very highest kind possible, the morality which is based upon the relationship which God has established between his Son and the Church which he has given to him? Morality, I admit, which is not within the limits of man's natural responsibility, on which one could not insist when addressing the natural conscience, but which one may say forms the very life of a Christian in the most exalted part of his conduct. It is a responsibility which governs all others, and which is even the spring of them.

I would remark also, that if any one recognises the existence of the Church [for if it does not exist, there can be no question as to responsibility from connection with it but if it exists] there is nothing uncertain or vague in our responsibility, when such a relationship exists as that which subsists between Christ and the Church. There is no need of proofs and analogies to demonstrate that the Church is responsible if she exists. Is it needful to prove the responsibility of a woman towards her husband? What, indeed, would one say of the wife who raised such a question (and towards such a husband), and who, when one had forced oneself (spite

of one's shame to be obliged to do such a thing) to recall to her her duty, spoke of the responsibility as something vague and uncertain? Is responsibility a mode of thought? Is not responsibility the very basis of all morality, and is it not, along with grace, also that of even every doctrine which has to do with the relationships of God with man? If it be said-"Yes, individual responsibility, every one recognises and insists upon that." If the corporate responsibility in which each individual is involved, is that which is meant, it is well, but let care be taken lest we use this and such equivocal expressions from a desire to avoid that responsibility which refers to the state of the Church, which ought to glorify the Lord as such, according to the position in which God has placed it and its duty towards God in such position. Now I believe that to insist upon this at the present time, is the subject the most important and necessary which there can be for the Christian, and the most affecting for those who love Christ. It is a subject which brings with it consequences of the most solemn nature; I earnestly beseech my readers to pay attention to it; I speak of a testimony on the part of God. Time will show if I am mistaken, or if the testimony be of God. If it be, the culpability of those who

a It is plain that even when the responsibility is one common among many-the responsibility presses upon the individual.

That there is ignorance of these things in many, one can well suppose that there should be opposition from some, is indeed sad; but to say that these truths are secondary, is utterly to deceive oneself. To make little account of the glory of Christ manifested in the unity of the Church here below, is, in truth, a proof that that glory and the love of Christ for his Church are not dear to the heart. Such are not cases in which one can speak to the conscience. If, after having urged upon a son his duty towards a tender and affectionate father, and having explained to him the nature of filial affection, he should ask one to trace out accurately his duty, one might well refuse; he has not the mind to understand his position; the request is the request of a servant, of a hireling. The spirit of a son must be awakened if conscience is to act; but woe, woe, to him in whom it is not! It is just the same with regard to the responsibility of the Church; the grace of the relationship must be known;