cal name by which he is known, he is a child of God, and an heir of the kingdom of heaven.

In a subordinate sense the minister of the gospel is said to present his people to Christ- "whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus" says the apostle in relation to this, “I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy; for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." And lastly, there is that presentation Christ will make to himself, when, amid the splendors of glory, amid the hymns of angels, and archangels, and cherubim, and seraphim, and all the celestial host, he will present to himself a company of poor reclaimed sinners, snatched like brands from the burning, with nothing in them worthy of heaven, and will bid the universe behold what trophies grace can bring, what laurels this conqueror may wear, what a might and power there is in that simple gospel, when such are the specimens and monuments of its transforming influence and sanctifying efficacy.

The character she will bear for ever will be, a glorious church. Christ's church is not now glorious. It is glorious in fact, and in destiny, but not visibly so. It is written, "Our life is hid with Christ in God"—and again, “The world knoweth us not, because it knew him not." But why are Christ's people hidden? Because they are, in comparison of the world, very few. I dare say all England is baptized, but it would be an awful mistake to suppose that all the inhabitants of England will be saved. I know it is a very awful thought even to suppose the possibility of a lost soul. There is something so terrible, so inexhaustible, in that awful catastrophe, that one should speak of it only with trembling and with awe. But the Bible declares that, "Broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many

there be which go in thereat; because strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." I am not explaining, or discussing objectionsit is enough that this is the word of the God of truth, it must be true. Christ's flock is in numbers very few, it is only here and there one. Many we shall meet in heaven we never expected to find there, and many, oh, I fear, many we shall miss that we made sure of seeing there. But what an awful thought, if an Isaac should be there, and a Rebekah missing—if a father shall be there, and a son shall not. Methinks it may be possible on discovering such a catastrophe, that tears shall water the pavement of the skies, and groans mingle with the hallelujahs of the blessed. But we need not speculate, it is enough for us to know that no one soul that hears the truth need perish for ever except by his own act; while not one will be saved in spite of his own deliberate consent. This church is now obscured, her members are few. Tares are among the wheat.

This church is now obscure because the world cannot appreciate intrinsic glory. We pride ourselves upon our exquisite taste, but the fact is, that the most admired beauty is vulgar; the beauty that is truly resplendent and glorious is an inner, a moral, and therefore` a real beauty. An honest man is a lovelier spectacle than Solomon in all his glory. What is moral, spiritual, and true, is beautiful; but the world has a vulgar eye, it cannot see real beauty, it thinks that the lamps upon the streets upon a winter evening are far more splendid than the distant stars in a frosty night, and only the educated and regenerated heart will not confound the lights upon the streets with the splendors of a starry sky. The vulgar eye thinks that is beautiful which has pomp and éclat. What the eye sees is not real beauty, it is intrinsically poor as a spangle upon a royal robe- or a vision beautiful for a moment, ending in darkness. There

is a beauty often embosomed in poverty, or set in deep obscurity, that will outlast all that is magnificent upon earth, and seem more lustrous and glorious when stars and suns have ceased to shine. There is often a beauty shining meekly under the roof of a peasant's hut, that is not in a noble's hall. There are martyrdoms endured in earth's lonely places which no trumpet sounds, and no martyrology records, yet not less heroic or acceptable in the sight of God.

Though Christianity be now obscured, yet a day comes when the sons of God shall be manifested, all obscurations will be rolled away, and the church now, in the language of the Psalmist," among the pots," will break forth, resplendent as the sun, and majestic as an army with banners.

Except we belong to this true church, we cannot be saved. You may belong to any church upon earth, but if you do not belong to this, you are not a son of God, you are not a component and living element of the true bride, the church that makes ready for the Lord Jesus Christ. But, blessed be God, there is no exclusion from this church except what we ourselves inflict, no decree damns man to hell for ever no man within the sound of the gospel goes there except by his own suicidal rejection, or criminal neglect of the truth; and therefore, whilst there is no salvation outside this inner and true church, there is no exclusion from it.

All things last, in order to prepare for this final manifestation of the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ. Suns rise and set, and the earth exists till the last believer has been knit to Christ, after which it shall pass into its new condition, and only what is holy and spiritual will live. We must all then appear before Christ, who now beckons us to this redeemed and holy body; we must leave our riches, our learning, our houses, and our lands, and all that man

prides himself upon, outside the grave, and the least and the greatest in the world must enter eternity alone, and stand before Christ alone, amid a silence so still that each shall hear the beating of his own heart, and amid a light so intense that the most secret sins of that heart shall be seen in the light of God's countenance. And at that day, whole worlds would be given by many for this blessed truth, that we may now take to our hearts, and live on, and rejoice in, Jesus Christ loved me, and gave himself for me, that he might sanctify and cleanse me, and present me to himself a glorious church, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.

Are you, dear reader, a member of that church? Ask yourself, Am I a Christian? Where am I going? What is to be the end of me? Is the world my all? Oh, what a miserable and wretched all! Am I sure of a foothold in a better? Am I in the way to it? If I am not, why not? Answer it to your conscience, answer it to your God, answer it in the prospect of a judgment-day. May the Spirit of God enable you and me truly and hopefully to do so, for Christ's sake.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE SCHOOL OF EXPERIENCE.

"We look before and after,

And pine for what is not;

Our sincerest laughter

With some pain is fraught;

Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought."

"For I have learned by experience that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake." GEN. XXX. 27.

THE character of Laban is low, mercenary, avaricious, and this character he maintains throughout his whole biography with a consistency that neither fails, nor is modified for the better in the least. The sentiment which constitutes the subject of our meditation in this chapter is the utterance of a bad man, but the sentiment itself is true, precious, and instructive. We accept it, not because Laban uttered it, but because it is true.

He said of Jacob's presence in the midst of his home, and alluding to the increase of his flocks, and the prosperity of his house, "I have learned by experience that the Lord hath blessed me," that is, enriched me, "for thy sake." Laban says, "I have learned;" Paul, too, uses that expression, "I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." To learn a thing is totally distinct from merely hearing a thing. Truths that are simply heard are soon forgotten, truths that are painfully