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hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.'*

It is not uncommon for builders at first sight to reject a stone, and afterwards make it 'the head of the corner.' It lies, perhaps, in the quarry, an unsightly, shapeless mass, appearing wholly unfit for the master's use. The prophet declared centuries before the Messiah came that such would be his appearance :- *** 'He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.'t The builders may search the whole earth and they will never obtain a better corner stone. To attempt to build without it will be in vain. 'For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.' 'Without me,' said Jesus in his last advice to his disciples, 'without me, ye can do nothing.'S 'Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name

* Isa. xxviii. 17, 18.

1 Cor. iii. 11—15.

+ Ib. liii. 2, 3.

§ John xv. 5.

under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.'*

Finally, the world will turn to Jesus as the precious corner stone. Many buildings have been reared, but the builders may be 'likened unto the foolish man, who built his house upon the sand.' They cannot stand, for Jesus is not the foundation. He who takes him as the corner stone of his doctrine, may be 'likened unto the wise man, who built his house upon a rock. The rain descended, the floods came, the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock.'

We see not yet the grand spiritual temple of God completed, in which He is to dwell with men, and they with him. But we see the corner stone laid by the great Architect of the universe. So great a work will not lie in an unfinished state forever, for He counted the cost. The walls will be reared. A brighter day will dawn upon the universe than when 'the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy' at the laying of the corner stone of creation. For sin, death and sorrow will no longer be known. This is the Lord's doings, and it is marvellous in our eyes.' And when, at last, the spiritual temple shall be completed, the head 'stone will be brought forth with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.'

*Acts iv. 12.

XIX. COUNSELLOR.

'For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.'

Isa. ix. 6.

THE reader will perceive that this appellation occurs among several others, which are very important, and may be all found in their appropriate places.

This word occurs fourteen times in the singular, eighteen in the plural. According to the LXX, Christ is called the angel of the great counsel; the minister, the executor of the great and admirable design of God, for the salvation of mankind. Such a signification is very appropriate, for we cannot suppose that Jesus was a counsellor to God. Dr. Johnson gives the following: 'a confident, bosom friend.' These definitions open a wide field before us. Two points will claim our attention.

First. The design of God in sending this Counsellor. Second. The sacred nearness existing between God and the Counsellor.

First. The design of God in sending this Counsellor. This may be easily ascertained. It would seem from repeated declarations that he had no other will than that of the Being who qualified and sent him. "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.' 'I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

Christ

And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.'* does not counsel God, but God counsels him. Although there is considerable room for remark here, yet we conceive the subject to be so very plain that it is best for the reader to pursue it at his leisure.

Second. The sacred nearness existing between God and the Counsellor. This was a subject on which Jesus delighted to dwell. 'The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth: and he will show him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man; but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father which hath sent him.' 'He that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.' 'I and my Father are one.' It is worth observing that this Counsellor prays that the same unity may exist between his disciples as between him and his Father. 'That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them; that

*John iii. 35. vi. 38, 39.

John v. 19-23. viii. 29. x. 30.

and

they may be one, even as we are one; I in them, thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me.'* If there were among the followers of the Lamb such a unity and nearness as existed between God and this Counsellor, it would bring heaven and earth together. God speed such a happy day!

There are many points that may be urged here; such as the pleadings of this Counsellor; his wisdom, sufferings and death. But as we are anxious to avoid repetition that our work may be comprised in a small compass, we prefer to direct the reader to the title ADVOCATE, where he will find this subject sufficiently illustrated for all the purposes embraced in this work.

* John xvii. 21-23.

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