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Him as a kind Father; you must know Him, as in Christ, reconciling you and the world to Himself; and you must know Him as your Proprietor, who has a right to claim your love and your obedience. You must remember Him especially on the Sabbath day, and in the church. And you must remember Him in all your engagements, in the house, in the field, in going out, and in coming in.

When should you remember your Creator? "Now, in the days of thy youth." It will be easier to remember Him when you are young, than when you are old, because your heart is not hardened by a long course of sin, because the cares of life are not so heavy upon you, and because the twig is more easily bent than the strong bough. Say not, It is time enough yet, for time is on the wing, and death is near, and judgment immediately follows death. You must not only remember your Creator when you are young, but you must do it "now." If ever you are to begin religion, why not now? If ever you are to be ready for death, why not now? As you may die to-night, your only safety is to believe in Christ now, and become a child of God now. God's time is the best time. He says, "Now," and will you say, Not now, to-morrow, or by and by? Let God have the dew of thy youth, and He will bless you while you live.

Eleventh Sabbath Evening.

TRAVAIL OF SOUL,

"He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied.”—Is. liii, 11.

LET us contemplate the struggle here called "the travail of His soul." This phrase, descriptive of Christ's sufferings, evidently exhausts human language, that it may convey to us an idea of their depth and intensity. In Gethsemane, His "soul was exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." "His sweat was as great drops of blood falling to the ground." His wrestling was "with strong crying and tears," and when He was ready to sink, "there appeared an angel from heaven strengthening Him." On the cross, the sufferings of His soul were no less severe. Apart altogether from the griefs produced by wicked men, how intensely did He suffer in His soul, when He cried, "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" It is especially to this crisis that the words, "Travail of His soul," must refer. This included the hiding of His Father's countenance. The beams of His Father's love had always shone upon Him, but now there was darkness in the world, and darkness in the mind of Christ; and the dark hour of His enemies, and the power of darkness, were nothing to this. It included also the withdrawment of those con

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solations that formerly delighted His soul. Frequently His Father had expressed His approbation, by uttering from heaven "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased," but in His last struggle, Jesus had no such consolation. It included also the endurance of the wrath and curse of God. As our substitute, there can be no doubt that He endured His Father's wrath. Hence, it is said, "He was made a curse for us." Hence, He prays, "Let this cup pass from Me." Hence, He says, "Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour." Think of the punishment merited by an innumerable multitude, for innumerable sins, concentrated on one person, and gathered up into one hour, and then you may form some idea of the "travail of His soul."

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Contemplate the success-" He shall see." He saw it on the day of the Pentecost, when three thousand were converted by one sermon. saw it in the thousands converted, by the preaching of the apostles. He saw it in the planting of His church during the first century, in almost every city and town of the civilized world. And He saw it in the great reformation from Popery, when several nations were born unto Him. sees it still, in the revival of religion in the hearts of professing Christians; in the circulation of the Scriptures, in nearly all the languages of the world; and in the sending of mission

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aries to preach the gospel among the heathen. He shall see it still more, in the destruction of every idol system, and error system, and evil system, existing on the globe. He shall see knowledge universally diffused, salvation universally appreciated, and the church universally influential. All these things are the fruit of His sufferings, and prophecy, propitiation, and promise, will infallibly secure them.

Contemplate the satisfaction-"He shall be satisfied." He shall be satisfied with the spread of His religion throughout the world, when it is said, "To the north, give up; and to the south, keep not back; bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth." The time is at hand, when every dark spot on our earth, shall be irradiated by the rays of the Sun of Righteousnesss, and when the glory of the Lord shall fill the whole earth. He shall be satisfied with the salvation of a multitude, which no man can number. These He is gradually gathering around Him from every people, and from every land, and by and by He shall be satisfied. He shall be satisfied when the happiness of all His children shall be completed in heaven. The spirits of the just are happy, but all the just shall be glorified in body as well as in soul, they shall be acquitted in the last judgment, and they shall be ever with the Lord. How great His satisfaction then!

Twelfth Sabbath-Morning.

THE FATHER OF LIGHTS.

"Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."-James i. 17.

THINK of the appellation--“The Father of lights." God is the Father of natural light. He lighted up the glories of the sun, and planets and moons reflect his glory, and shine by his light. He lighted up the stars of heaven, many of which are centres of systems, whose radiant glories may cheer innumerable worlds. He is the Father of revealed light. The Scriptures are given by inspiration of God, and furnish our dark world with the light of salvation. The atonement of Christ is the centre sun, and all the other doctrines of religion are the planets, which revolve round it. O my soul, dost thou walk in the light of this Sun? "This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." He is the Father of spiritual light. The mind of man is dark, till enlightened with the light of the Holy Spirit. "He, therefore, that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us His Holy Spirit." He is the Father of glorified light. Christ confers upon His children in heaven the glory of His Father, and all the glory of that place is an emanation from God.