den, well-beaten broad road, and go forth to meet Him at His coming? Thank God there are some, and our heart's desire and prayer to God is that many who read these pages may ere long turn to God from self and folly, to serve the living and true God, and wait for His Son from heaven.

Observe, it is not death we have here, but the Bride.groom; for all those who go to the marriage depart at the same moment. (See Matt. xxv. 10.) Nor is it the day of judgment which is here referred to, for not one person is judged. Nor is it the scene of what people call a general resurrection,* for none are acted on but those who are saved: the door is shut, and the unsaved are simply left for judgment. All the ready are shut in with Jesus the Bridegroom, all not ready are shut out for ever from His presence. What an amazing difference! What a separation! How very solemn! Those who are shut out will call, and knock, and pray, but it is too late. The door cannot be opened. Professors they may have been, well-known boasters of Bible-knowledge, very assiduous in being useful, but alas! alas! they never knew the Lord Jesus-"They took no oil with their lamps." They had no Saviour. Hence, He from within will answer, "I know you not; " for "He knoweth them that trust in Him." The sufferings and death of the Son of God had been nothing to themHis wounds, and groans, and smitings, and bruisings, and blood-shedding upon the tree, were little more to

* There is no such idea in Scripture as one general resurrection. On the contrary we read of "the first resurrection," "the resurrection of the just," "the resurrection of life," "the resurrection of damnation," or judgment.

them than old historical facts. They had never loved the Lord Jesus Christ, and they must be accursed when the Lord cometh. They are in great distress, but it is too late. They knock with bitterest anguish, but they cannot enter now. They call and scream, and are only for ever silenced by the thrilling words of the Bridegroom from within, "I know you not." The door had long, long stood wide open. The loving entreaty from within had long been, "Come unto Me, and I will give you rest." The messengers of the God of all grace, had long published the sweet story of the love of God. in saving sinners by the death of His Son. Free, present, and everlasting salvation had been long given to every one that believeth. But they slighted this love, refused the gift, despised the redemptionwork of Jesus; and, aided by the great deceiver, preferred to go religiously and respectably to hell, rather than bow to the Saviour of sinners, come into personal contact with Him, accept eternal life as a gift, and the present forgiveness of sins as an act of pure mercy on God's part by the precious blood of His beloved Son. And now, alas! alas! it is too late.

The heavenly strains that reach your ear,
Their very sweetness makes most drear;
Filling your hearts with boding fear,
Ye cannot enter now.

Late! Late! Too late!

Why came ye not before?

Did He not long with patience wait,
And open keep the door?

Did He not many a message send;
Did He not woo you as a friend?
Why did ye not His voice attend?
The day of grace is o'er!

Late! Late! Too late!

Ye cannot enter now.

Barred, and for ever is the gate-
Mercy averts her brow.

The voice that called you to repent
Hath sworn, and He will not relent;
Your day of mercy all is spent,
Ye cannot enter now.

HAVE YOU REPENTED?

"GOD now commandeth all men everywhere to repent; because he hath appointed a day in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead." (Acts xvii. 30-31.) Friend, have you repented? Have you ever yet truly bowed to the Name of Jesus? Not yet? Then don't delay. God's APPOINTED DAY draws near-how near you know not. Suppose IT dawned to-day. What a terrible state you would be in. Unrepentant, unforgiven, unprepared, uncleansed, Christless, LOST! Oh, dear soul, do not "mock" or

say, like some in Athens, "We will hear thee again of this matter." (Acts xvii. 32.) The mockers and the halters of that day were alike left to their own vanity and unbelief; for Paul departed from among them" (Acts xvii. 33) and you, if you halt, or hesitate to receive the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, can count on nothing but this coming judgment; for He said, "If ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins" (John viii. 24), and Scripture adds, "after this the judgment," saying, "and as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment; so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation." (Heb. ix. 27-28.)

"It is

Your portion is "death" and "judgment." appointed unto men." Do you fear these two terrible consequences of sin? I have good news, "a message from God unto thee" -a message of grace: "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many." "Christ also hath suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God." (1 Peter iii. 18.) God thus opens a door of escape for thee, dear soul, whoever thou art. None are too vile or too far off for Christ's precious blood to meet. It cleanseth from all sin. He is alive. "He is risen." (Matt. xxiii. 6.) "Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures" (1 Cor. xv. 3), and " was raised for our justification." (Rom. iv. 25.) His resurrection is the clear proof of the value of His blood, which was shed in atonement for sins. "Raised up from the dead" (Rom. vi. 4), "alive," "glorified," He sits at God's right hand, the exalted Christ and Lord. All things are His. All must soon own Him—

every knee bow to, and every tongue confess Him. Do not wait for dire and awful, yea eternal judgment, to force from your lips a confession of His worth. Bow to Him now. Believe Him now, and the "salvation of God" (Acts xxviii. 28) is yours. To delay even for a day is folly, and may cause your eternal ruin. Procastination is the thief of souls, as well as of time. Besides, the Lord may return. “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him." (Matt. xxv. 6.) Do you say, "Where is the promise of His coming?" (2 Peter iii. 4.) I reply, in God's everlasting Word, which further adds, "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night!" (2 Peter iii. 10.) Can you meet Him? Dare you, then, face Him as you now are, in your sins? No, sinner! no, thou canst not. Turn, then, to Jesus, now. Yes, this very day. "Now is the day of salvation." (2 Cor. vi. 2.) "Hear, and your soul shall live." (Isaiah lv. 3.) The Lord Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I said unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation ; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live." (John v. 24, 25.) "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts xvi. 31), and, for eternity, and you will remember with joy this "MESSAGE FROM GOD UNTO THEE.”

W.

ON the cross Christ made a just atonement for sin, glorified God, and obtained glory for us.