and welcomed, it would be easier, upon merely natural grounds, to have accounted for his peace and joy and satisfaction; but, when we see that his holy triumph and rejoicing was immediataly connected with resistance and threatening, and a satanic determination upon the part of his enemies to avenge themselves of what was so uncongenial to their hard and godless hearts; not upon human principles, but upon the ground of faith, and the contemplation of the allsufficiency of Divine grace and the faithfulness of Jehovah, the peace and the fearlessness and the holy, supernatural joy of which Stephen was made the partaker, is most grateful and heart-cheering to consider. How well may such consideration instrumentally rebuke the fears and suppress the uneasiness and discomfort of those who, looking at the present strange and unsatisfactory times, with the fearful progress and advancement of the tyrannizing and bloodthirsty spirit of Popery, tremble in the anticipation of its once again exercising its diabolical power over the minds and bodies of men. Should such for a season be permitted of God, sure we are that "His grace," as in Stephen's case, will be found to be "sufficient" for all the tests and trials to which the faith of His elect shall be subjected. Not, however, that we would on this account be indifferent to the coming struggle, or in the leastwise be determined to resist to the very utmost the incoming foe; on the contrary, reader, we are as much disposed as ever to exclaim, "From the Pope of Rome and all his detestable enormities, good Lord, deliver us.”

Reader, contemplate the directly opposite effects attendant upon the declaration of the same truths. By reference to the 37th verse of the 3rd chapter, you will see that, upon the outspoken testimony of the apostle Peter, to which we before referred, it is recorded, "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do ?" But here, on the contrary, as soon as the apostle Stephen had delivered his address, we read, "When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth." What a contrast! How momentous a distinction where the wording would appear so alike. In the one case they were "pricked in their heart," in the other, as was the case upon Peter's fearless testimony, as recorded in the 5th chapter, they were 66 cut to the heart." one effect is that of humbling, laying low, instilling a cry for mercy; the other is that of stirring up all the pride and venom and desperate blood-thirstiness of the human heart. And mark, reader, the latter spirit was the most exhibited in those who made a profession of godliAnd truly, as then, so now. Whilst the truth as it is in Jesus proves to be either the "savour of life unto life, or of death unto death," the deadliest antagonism to the creature-humbling truths of the Gospel will be exhibited upon the part of those who have made profession of the name of Jesus, and those who have assumed the garb of Christianity. No enmity like their enmity-no antagonism or resistance like theirs!

ness.

The

Reader, to what deep searching of heart may this well lead us, and how well may it bring each and all of us to a close scriptural inquiry as to the nature of our profession. The twofold, but so distinctly opposite, spirit manifested by those who heard Peter and Stephen, may well furnish us with both means as well as motive for testing our profession, and, by the Spirit, probing our own hearts.

And now, dear readers, strive, if you can, to bring this touching scene before the eye of your mind. Stephen has been standing before the council and his accusers, and, in the calmest, clearest, and most dignified way, delivering his testimony for God and truth. The effect, as we have seen, was that of the most deadly resistance; and, notwithstanding all that had so recently occurred in Jerusalem, where there had been so much to ratify and confirm the centurion's words, as he contemplated a dying Christ, "Truly this man was the Son of God," yet the same is without avail upon these the persecutors of Stephen. In vain had been the rent vail of the temple; in vain the opened graves and the appearance in Jerusalem of many of their previous occupants; in vain the rolling away of the stone and the vacant sepulchre; in vain the appearance of Jesus again and again during the forty days' interval between His resurrection and ascension; in vain all the wondrous scenes connected with the Pentecost, when so many were amazed and were in doubt, saying one to another, "What meaneth this ?" Oh, yes, all events, all circumstances, all providences, propitious or otherwise, must in themselves fail, without the express anointing and Divine power of God the Holy Ghost.

Here Stephen stands; his audience "cut to the heart, and gnashing upon him with their teeth." "But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God." What a scene, and what a sight! What a scene below! What a sight above! How great the contrast! Below-a very hell! Above-heaven! Here-murderers! There-the glory of God and the glorified murdered, but now risen and triumphant One! "Full of the Holy Ghost!" and by that fulness, and in consequence of that power, not only able to stand calm and unmoved and perfectly at ease in the very midst of his murderers, amid all their hellish spleen and devilish antagonism, but at the same time emboldened and encouraged to "look up stedfastly into heaven." Stedfastly "-undiverted, unabashed, out fear or misgiving. Mark the attitude, dear reader-" looking up;" not looking round, not looking at, not conferring with. He had, so to speak, done with man. All he had now to do with was God! Except the merest glance, he had gazed upon his fellow-man for the last time. His attention was now wholly absorbed with the glorified God-Man, Christ Jesus! It was a stedfast looking, a deliberate looking, a joyful looking. Naught could divert it. No, not all the threats nor determination of his enemies. Oh, reader, what significant teaching this! Remember Stephen's attitude as you think upon the number or the power of your enemies. Be it yours and ours

to look off from them-up, up, up to JESUS! He "looked up stedfastly into heaven." Hence it was opened, or he could not have looked into it. We read, beloved, of another "stedfast looking;" but, ah! there was an important distinction with respect to it. We read that the disciples "looked stedfastly toward heaven." But Stephen looked into it. The former were rewarded and recompensed for their looking, for presently, as the fruit of their perseverance in looking, we read, that "two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven ?" Still, privileged as was their gazing, it fell short in its blessedness of that of Stephen. And why? It was not a case of equal need-not one of the same extremity-not one of like danger. It was the imminent peril of his position that moved the Holy Ghost to empower and encourage Stephen to "look up stedfastly into heaven," and, as a blessed result, to see "the glory of God," or as far as it was possible for a departing spirit to behold Him, "the God of glory."

Reader, what a field of thought does this open for our contemplation; for, assuredly, what was vouchsafed to the persecuted and about-to-bemartyred Stephen is likewise vouchsafed to all the saints of God in the times of their necessity, especially in the valley of the shadow of death and in connexion with the article of dissolution. As the enemies of Stephen were now as with one arm and one voice conspired against him, so do the powers of darkness conspire at the last great climax against the souls of the Lord's dear people. The great object of Satan is to fill them with dismay-to crowd in upon their poor affrighted minds terror upon terror-to take advantage of their weakness and the failing of heart and of flesh, by suggesting that that very failure is a proof of God's having deserted them. Gloom and apprehension follow as a consequence; and this can alone be dispersed by the voice and the felt presence of the Lord! The Holy Ghost afresh puts forth His almighty power; and His fear-assuaging words, and renewed assurance of His almighty presence and sustaining power, revive and renew the soul in strength and hope and expectation.

Stephen beheld "Jesus standing on the right hand of God.” Mark His position. As if in intense solicitude, watching the circumstances in which His servant was placed; standing in an attitude ready to help, and as ready to receive and welcome him the moment his mission was ended. What glorious circumstances, dear reader, in which to be placed those of Stephen! And how many thousands of the Lord's beloved ones have, in common with Stephen, thus at the last beheld by precious faith the person of their risen and victorious Head waiting, as their glorious Forerunner, to receive and welcome them to the mansions He has prepared for them.

The Lord grant that it may be your mercy, dear reader, and ours likewise, when we shall have done and suffered His will in this vale of tears, to have at last, like Stephen, a precious faith's view of a risen and exalted Christ. And let the time and the nature of our departure be when or what it may, the Lord, of His great mercy, grant that

we may be able, with the first martyr, to exclaim, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit;" and, then with him, sweetly and calmly "fall asleep."

Lord God Almighty, of Thy precious mercy, grace, and compassion, grant it, for Christ's sake. Amen and amen.

St. Luke's Bedminster, August 8th, 1868.

THE EDITOR.

BIBLE LESSONS.

"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you."-JOHN xv. 16. THE first special truth taught us in this verse is the eternal choice of God the Son of those whom God the Father gave unto Him, as the unity of Godhead between the Father and the Son is so clearly shown in the 23rd and 24th verses. Christ also says He has ordained them. Here is His purpose again brought out. But He has ordained them to bring forth fruit. Now, I cannot help thinking that some of the fruits a child of God bears are never seen-fruits of the heart-a reciprocity of feeling, as it were, between God and his soul-a drawing out of the soul in love to God, and sweet communion with Him. I hardly mean prayer; perhaps it might better be described as longing desires, as with David-"My soul followeth hard after Thee"-though it results in the outpouring of the child's heart to his Father in prayer, but is certainly the Holy Spirit's influence on the heart, and enables the child to say, "My Father." I think it is something of the kind St. Paul means in Phil. i. 11, "Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God." But the fruit is not only to remain; it is also to be brought into exercise. This is very beautifully set forth in Col. i. 3, which speaks of that fruit flowing out in "faith in Christ Jesus," love to the saints, prayer for them, "love in the Spirit," "walking worthy of the Lord," "being fruitful in every good work," patience, longsuffering, with joyfulness. St. Mark says the fruit not only sprang up, but increased (iv. 8). It should both increase in us and in the outward manifestations of it, as Christ says that your fruit should remain-that is, abide or continue. "Be not weary in well-doing." But there is another lesson taught us in this verse, namely, how we should approach the Father, hoping for an answer to our prayers, "That whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you." It is to be feared we do not sufficiently attend to this, but are too apt to come in our own name, forgetting that we can receive no blessing but in, through, and by Christ. "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." How necessary that we should always bear in mind the offices of the ever-blessed Three-the Holy Spirit dictating, the Son presenting, and the Father hearing and bestowing all needful things! Wondrous plan! And it is the Holy Spirit's work to reveal it. "Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear [of the mind of the Father] that shall He speak." "He shall glorify me : for He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you." We also learn the extensive bounty of our Heavenly Father. "Whatsoever" is a large

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word, comprehending all our desires; but then we must ask in faith and submission to God's will. "If we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us." This is especially the case as regards spiritual blessings; in these His heart and hand are unbounded, far exceeding our desires; but in temporal matters we frequently "ask and receive not, because we ask amiss." Temporal blessings should always have the prefix, "If it be Thy will." It is His will to grant spiritual things to an unIn one limited extent, and the more we have the more we shall crave. sense we shall be "satisfied with the goodness of the Lord," yet in another we shall only be truly satisfied when we awake up in His likeness, W. and dwell in His presence for evermore.

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THE SECOND ADVENT.

"Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven."-Acrs i. 11. HAIL, glorious hour! so long foretold;

All hail, Thou risen Lord!
Thy living saints, like those of old,

Still trust Thy faithful word;
And wonder why from day to day,
Thy chariot wheels so long delay.
How many suns have risen and set
Since this sure pledge was given,
To those who from Olivet

Beheld Thee enter heaven-
That Thou thyself, once crucified,
Wouldst come again to claim Thy

bride.

| Pre-eminence in sin and crime
Our guilty world has reached.
The earth, whene'er Thy judgments

come,

Seems ready for her fiery doom.

The virgins' lamps are burning dim,
And hearts are growing cold;
God's faithless priests are leaving Him,
And serving gods of gold.
Proud men reject the God of grace,
The Beast of Rome usurps his place.

The blood of all Thy martyred saints
Still cries aloud to Thee;
Thy longing Church desires and faints
Her risen Head to see:

Her trials past, her labours done,
The battle fought, the victory won.

Amen, dear Lord, speed on the day,
And, till we see Thy face,
Through all the dreary desert way,
Uphold us by Thy grace.

Our weary spirits long for home;
Oh, come, Lord Jesus, quickly come.
W. S. R.

"Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods ?" &c.

JOHN X. 34.

THIS passage is taken from Psalm lxxxii. 6, which also refers to Exod. xxii. 28, in which we find the term "gods" means judges or rulers. Christ appears to be applying the same term to the rulers among the Jews, and manifests His surprise that they who considered themselves gods, should say of Him, who had infinitely so much more right to the title: "Thou blasphemest," because He said, "I am the Son of God." After all the works He had shewed them they were still hardened in their belief.