secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him, and He will show them his covenant," (Ps. xxv. 14). Now, the extent of this truth is further seen by the consideration that the saints of the old dispensation knew it. We might imagine, that, in accordance with the principle of Divine wisdom respecting the mystery of the kingdom, it would have remained for the fuller developments of the Gospel era; that it might be said of God's people they should be made acquainted with the secret things of his truth, in the way here spoken of. But we see that it has always been the great privilege of the Saints, that they should have such an insight into truth, as the ungodly would be strangers to; so that it would be as if God whispered to them the instructions of a higher knowledge than the wicked could acquire from the publicly proclaimed declarations of his holy will. When the Gospel-day beamed upon the world, this truth was certainly more plainly revealed. Our blessed Saviour's conversations with his disciples are very explicit, and set forth in a way to show this. "Unto you," He said, after uttering a parable, "it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven; but to them it is not given;" and-still more remarkably, after speaking of his friendship towards them (John xv. 15)-" Henceforth, I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you." And this accords with the peculiar thanksgiving of our blessed Lord, when He said—“I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.”

But now, let us inquire what is meant by the "secret" spoken of in the text; and which it is said is possessed by the righteous.

In the first place it evidently signifies a perception and knowledge of Divine truth of a spiritual kind, as distinct from the general acquaintance thereof, which all professing Christians have. It is communicated by the Holy Spirit to the penitent and believing heart. St. Paul speaks of the same thing when he says, "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

We teach our children the elements of Gospel knowledge. As they grow up they, of course, understand more about them; because, as their minds expand, they are able to add the power of ideas, to strengthen and enlarge this kind of knowledge as well as any other. But some children, at a very early age, manifest a decided superiority of knowledge in the revelations of Scripture. They can actually 'nstruct their elders. They can see and grasp a truth which another of mature intellect cannot see at all. How is this? Again; in

every class of society there is an evident distinction between the many and the few in this respect. By the multitude, the truth of God as revealed, is only known in a general and superficial manner; by the few, it is known as a living principle; a principle of life, light, and holiness, in the inner man: into which principle the outer man is brought into subjection; not of bondage, not of restraint, but constraint, (2 Cor. v. 14). How is this? Let the words of our blessed Redeemer be the key to open the mystery-for mystery, marvel, puzzle, it, indeed, is to many. In that most affecting prayer, recorded in the 17th chapter of St. John's Gospel, at the 6th verse, our Saviour says, "I have manifested thy name unto the men which Thou gavest Me out of the world." And, again, at the last verse- "I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it; that the love wherewith thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

Here, then, we distinctly see, that it is in the manifestation of God's name to his people that the SECRET consists, which is said to be entrusted to the Lord's people. But, of course, we understand by the name of God-as here used—his attributes; all, in fact, pertaining to Him—as his dispensations, his dealings, his providence. The righteous—those who are God's by adoption and grace-who are justified in his sight by the righteousness of Jesus, and who are following the steps of Christ's most holy life; to these God makes known, by the agency or power of his Holy Spirit, the truths of his Word and will; in a peculiar manner, utterly unknown to the ungodly the careless, the worldly, the profane.

But, in the next place, the committal (so to speak) of this secret to his own people, of course, places them in a position of far higher privilege and honour than the merely professing Christian can know. They "understand the loving kindness of the Lord." They see objects and purposes, either of love or judgment, in God's dealings with nations, families, individuals, even themselves, which others are blind to. They can read easily and plainly, and interpret satisfactorily and profitably, where others are in doubt, confusion, and darkness. They, consequently, have peace and satisfaction which others are strangers to; and while the souls of the ignorant and ungodly (who will not learn) are enlarging with a knowledge which is only ripening them for a keener appreciation of a future misery (unless they repent), the souls of God's people are discovering deeper depths in the great well of the secret they have been made acquainted with; and so are being ripened, under the tutorage of Divine grace, for still larger revelations in the eternity of glory before them.

The sinner, therefore (that is the one who continues in his sins), must be told of his folly in shutting away from himself such blessings

and privileges as arise from sonship, in connection with the subject before us. He must be told, if he persists in his iniquity and rebellion, that while he will be ignorant of the SECRETS made known to the righteous, the knowledge he, of necessity, has, will be his condemnation; and, moreover, coals heaped on the fire of his misery. He must, therefore, be urged, invited, and intreated to "seek the Lord," that the Spirit may teach him also, and instruct him in the great secret of God's covenant, which here builds up a soul for immortality in heaven, and hereafter will exhibit the wonders of the completed mystery throughout eternity.

But let those who through grace are in the possession of this great secret, be ever diligent in showing this possession; not by presumptuous self-exaltation; not by holding others in contempt; not by insisting on an exclusiveness ("stand by, we are holier than ye"); not by censorious judgment; but by seeking, like "little children,” to know more and more of the deep things belonging to this "secret of the Lord, and displaying their possession in a life which will testify for them, in spite of all false opinion, that "God is in them of a truth;" and that in all they do, they are seeking to glorify his name. Chelsea.

R. H. D.

TRIED GOLD.

As the lowly Jesus gazed upon the magnificent temple of his beloved and deeply mourned Jerusalem, doubtless many of the Jews marvelled at him; but few believed in him, or recognized in the sorrow-bowed form before them, a Monarch in disguise-even the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. And who that beheld the sunburnt faces, and hard, labour-wrought hands of the Galilean fishermen, could ever suppose that these men would be the means of diffusing Christianity throughout the world? Yet even in those by-gone days there were a few, who taking the telescope of faith in their hands, saw in the little trembling star of Bethlehem, that light which should lighten the Gentiles, and also be the glory of God's people, Israel. Its light gradually waxed stronger and brighter, until it has become the guiding star of almost all nations. Once the name of Christian was looked upon as a term of reproach. Now, you could hardly offend a man more, than by telling him he was unworthy of that name. But, alas! how many in these days bear the title of Christian without possessing the spirit of Christianity. How many, again, receive the Word with joy, but after a little season fall away.

Perhaps, this may meet the eye of some Sunday school teacher who has thus fallen away, and is even settling in her mind to go back to the world again. Yet, you can remember a time -a happy, pleasant time when you were captivated with the beauty of holiness; so attracted by the calm, tranquil, and serene countenance of true religion, as she stood in your path, arrayed in her simple robe, and only ornament, a "meek and quiet spirit." And when she took you by the hand, and led you into her paths, you found them, indeed, "ways of pleasantness," and "paths of peace." Then the Sabbath morning beamed brightly upon your sight, and its holy calm breathed heaven around your heart, as you hastened with joyful steps to your accustomed place in your class, and met a grateful welcome in the smiling faces of your children. But now your zeal in the work is cooling; you no longer feel the same interest in the things of God, that you formerly did. What a sad change is this; and how is it to be accounted for? The Word of God tells us, that true religion is a vital principle in the soul, not a mere impulse of the affections. It is to be feared you have been only attracted by the "beauty of holiness," not penetrated by her spirit. Your religion has been a religion of mere feeling, not of principle. Yet, do not despair; and, oh, go not back to the world! Cast not away the tried gold of God's love, the blood-bought blessings of true religion, for the dross of the world. Listen to the voice of warning, saying, "she that liveth in pleasure, is dead while she liveth."

Or, perhaps, I am addressing some teacher who is seeking to serve God and the world at the same time. She is to be found Sabbath after Sabbath in her class, but is more an object of wonder to the children on account of her showy attire, than anything else; and, while she is warning them against the "pomps and vanities of this wicked world," they will, most probably, be reflecting thus; "If what our teacher says is true, I wonder she will wear such gay things." My dear fellow-teacher, the gaudy livery of the world is never worn by the true child of God; 1 Pet. iii. 3, 4. God has a peculiar dress for all his peculiar people; their best dress is the robe of Christ's righteousness; in this they must appear in the presencechamber of their King; their ordinary dress is the unassuming garment their Master wore while He was upon earth; it is humility. You see it is old fashioned-even more than 1800 years old-yet it is still the most becoming dress that can be worn. It is neither too grave for the young, nor too gay for the old; the higher your station in life, the better it will become you; its colours will never fade; its texture will never wear; for it is woven from the "top throughout," in heaven's loom, by hands whose work is perfect. Then, oh,

seek to be clothed in humility. Try not to reconcile the fashions and customs of the world with the service of God. The Bible says, the "friendship of the world is enmity with God;" and, "How can two walk together except they be agreed?" Seek not to mix the pure gold of true religion with the tinsel of the world. Let it not be said to you at the last, by your Judge, "Your gold is corrupted, your garments are moth-eaten.”

In connexion with the two dangers I have spoken of, namely, that of possessing" a form of godliness," without knowing the power thereof, and that of seeking to combine worldliness with religion, I would put every teacher upon her guard against that prevailing principle, (in these days of universal religious profession) falsely called "charity." Those professing this charity tolerate (for the sake of peace, as they say), error as well as truth, darkness as well as light. They are loth to believe in the utter depravity and corruption of human nature. They see so much that is amiable in their friends, so many kind qualities about them, that although when pressed closely as to their being decidedly religious, they could not give you a very satisfactory answer, yet they say, "They are so good, so loveable, they cannot be very far from the truth." In their admiration of the foliage and flowers by which the ruin is covered, they forget that human nature is a ruin still. The only mirror in which we can see our own hearts and the hearts of others truly reflected, is the pure Word of God.

Let us now look at true charity as she appears, reflected in the transparent mirror of Divine truth. She is the heaven-born offspring of "mercy and truth," the word of truth is ever on her lips, the tear of tender sympathy ever trembles in her eye, the fragrant flowers of righteousness and true holiness strew her path, the timid and fluttering Dove of Peace nestles calmly in her bosom; she is robed in a snowy garment to denote her purity; and wears alway a veil with which she covers the multitude of human frailties, and beneath whose ample folds she hides her many acts of benevolence from the gaze of men. As she takes her (too often) "solitary way' through this fallen world, she has sometimes to wound, but it is only that she may make the wounded one acquainted with the Good Physician. She has an "Alabaster box of ointment very precious," for every penitent torn by the briers and thorns of sin. She is ever bold in proclaiming the truth to those who are in error; but it is always spoken in love. The Apostle Paul gives us a beautiful epitome of her character in a few words; "Charity," he says, "suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not, doth not behave herself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth-Beareth all