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"The city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof."

Think of the attribute-"With whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." He is unchangeable in His nature. He is a Spirit, the

Being of beings, the Fountain of all in heaven, and on earth. However much other beings change, He cannot; "I am the Lord, I change not." He is unchangeable in His perfections. He is wise, always wise. "For the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed." He is Omnipotent, always Omnipotent, hence, He preserves and upholds all things by the word of His power. He is holy, always holy. He cannot look upon sin. "Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord? for Thou only art holy." He is unchangeable in His word. It is not only truth, but eternal truth. "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot, or one tittle, shall in nowise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Let no one for a moment doubt His veracity, for "He is faithful that promised." He is unchangeable in his plans. "He is in one mind, and who can turn Him ?" Think of the order, and harmony of the universe, the variety of creatures, and the provision made for them, the regular return of seedtime and harvest, and the preservation of the Church on the earth, and you must conclude that with Him there is no shadow of turning.

THE FATHER OF LIGHTS.

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Think of the attraction -"Every good gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, and cometh down." Light emanates from the sun, laws emanate from the legislature, so all our gifts emanate from "the Father of lights." Think of the gift of His Son. "God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son." The gift of life is great, the gifts of Providence are great, but what are these compared with the gift of Christ? Reader, when thou couldst do nothing to save thyself, Jesus did all that was necessary. Believest thou this? Wilt thou receive Him as thy Saviour, and then say, "Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift?" Think of the gift of the gospel. Thou hast "the Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith that is in Christ Jesus." Thou hast the preaching of the everlasting gospel, for "it pleases God, by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe." Wilt thou not believe

Think of the gift of given to us eternal

the gospel, and be saved? eternal life. "God hath life, and this life is in his Son." We have the earnest of it here, and the full realization of it hereafter. Think of the gifts of His providence. They are new every day, and bestowed with a liberal hand. Health, food, raiment, home, and friends, sweeten our existence, and gladden our hearts. Know then, Reader, that all thy springs of joy are in "the Father of lights."

Twelfth Sabbath-Evening.

REST IN CHRIST.

"Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."-Matt, xi. 28.

THE persons addressed-the gracious invitation -and the encouraging promise, here demand our attention.

The persons addressed are-" All ye that labour and are heavy laden." All men are sinful and depraved, and all need the mercy and salvation of Christ; but some are labouring, and labouring in vain, to work out deliverance for themselves. They are anxious to be saved from their sins, but they cannot submit to the humbling necessity of receiving it from Christ. They are striving and groaning by their own efforts, to free themselves from their burden of guilt, but their efforts are vain, till they come to Christ. Others are sensible of their sins, and feel them to be a load which they cannot any longer bear. On such Jesus fixes His compassionate eye, and specially addresses them, and though, like the inhabitants of Capernaum, they may have previously rejected His overtures of mercy, still He loves them, and urges them to accept His great salvation. Youthful reader, if thou art sensible of thy sins, and groanest under the burden of thy guilt without being able to carry or remove it,

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while Jesus addresses all, He specially and earnestly addresses thee. Wilt thou not give Him the dew of thy youth?

His gracious invitation is-" Come unto Me." Jesus came to seek and to save sinners. That the object of His visit might be accomplished, He, by His obedience, fulfilled the law, and by His death, satisfied all the claims of divine justice, so that now, He can save, and is ready to save all that come unto Him. "Come unto Me." Come for pardon of sin. Come for peace of conscience. Come for a blessed hope. Come for complete salvation. O sinner, whether young or old, come as thou art, with all thy sins and guilt. Come before you try to lessen thy burden. Come without first attempting to better thy condition. Come without hesitation or delay. Thy soul is in danger, and no time is to be lost. Thy guilt may press thee down to destruction, and no excuse is to be pleaded. Death may be at thy door, and he cannot be resisted. It is to Jesus thou art to come. It is to Jesus and not to thy works, thou art to trust. It is not partly to thyself and partly to Christ that thou art to look. Christ must be all, and Christ must do all for thy soul. If thou wert going to cross a small stream, over which were laid two planks beside each other, one is old and rotten, the other is new and strong. If thou dost attempt to walk on the rotten one, down thou wilt go; if thou dost at

tempt to cross with one foot on the rotten one, and one foot on the new one, down thou wilt go; but if thou trustest to the new one and it alone, thou wilt pass over in safety. So must thou trust alone to Him who is the new and living way to the Father, and thou wilt be saved.

The encouraging promise is-"I will give thee rest." He gives immediate rest. You cannot get it from the world, however fascinating; you cannot get it from sinful pleasures, however sweet to thy taste; but you can get it directly and immediately from Christ. The thirst and fever of thy soul, brought on by sin, cannot be removed, but by the prescription of the Great Physician. He commands the storm of the troubled conscience, and there is instantly a great calm. He controls the terrors of death, rolls away its dark shadows, and makes the Christian depart in peace. He gives prospective rest. Heaven is the rest which remains for the people of God, and Jesus secures it to every comer. No sin is there to defile the soul, no sorrow is there to distress it, and no death is there to alarm it. O Christian, sweet is the haven prepared by Jesus, when the stormy voyage of thy life is at an end. He gives certain rest. He hath said it, and none can prevent it. His death purchased it, His promise secures it, His power will accomplish it, and His taking possession of it, is the sure pledge of our admission at last.

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