or breathe its air. Wherefore, beloved, sceing that you look for such things, use all diligence in humble dependence on the power of the Holy Spirit, that your character may correspond with that of this new creation-that in your heart, as in this new world, righteousness may dwell! that your souls may, like those new heavens, and that new earth, be "without spot" or stain of sin.

It now only remains briefly to prove, that the Apostles were in the habit themselves of looking to the second coming of the Lord, even as they desired their converts to look, with habitual and joyful anticipation. A few quotations from the epistles of St. Paul will completely satisfy our minds on this point.

In that most precious chapter of that most precious epistle the 8th of the Epistle to the Romans, after the Apostle, by a singularly bold and sublime figure, had represented the whole creation as groaning and travailing in pain together, waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God, he alludes to his own sympathy with its agonizing groans, and earnest expectation of a glorious deliverance, in those affecting words:

"Not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption-to wit, the redemption of our body."

He had been just speaking of the spirit of adoption, whereby he was privileged to cry, "Abba, Father!" He had experienced, and gratefully acknowledged the redemption of his soul from the bondage of Satan, and

* I cannot but forbear referring, on this subject, to an exquisitely beautiful sermon, preached in St. John's Church, Glasgow, by that most eminent Christian philosopher and divine, the Rev. Doctor Chalmers-in which the distinction between what is essential and what is circumstantial, in the new heavens, and the new earth, is treated with a clearness of discrimination, a power of argument, a brilliancy of eloquence, and an impressiveness of appeal, scarcely to be paralleled even in his own writings.

the slavery of sin. Yet he was still groaning within himself-waiting for the full enjoyment of the privileges of his adoption, (for as yet he conceived he had only received the first fruits of the Spirit,) even the redemption of his body from corruption and death, and its resurrection as a spiritual and glorified body-and this he knew could not take place till the day of the manifestation of the sons of God-the day when Christ, who is the Resurrection and the Life, should appear, and he also should appear with him in glory.

The same train of thought is pursued on another occasion, with a more distinct announcement of the Apostle's preference of the prospect of the period of Christ's appearing to that of his own death, as a subject of gladdening thought, and consolatory expecta

tion.

"In this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house, which is from heaven." And again he says, repeating the ardent longings of his

soul

"We that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burthened, not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life."

It is true, so intense is his desire to be with Christ, that he afterwards tells us, he was willing rather to be absent from the body, if thus alone he could be immediately present with the Lord; but it is plain that the supreme object of his desires and hopes was to be present with the Lord, clothed upon with his house from heaven-his glorified spirit dwelling with Jesus in a glorified body, as the celestial habitation prepared for it by the hand of God.

Another remarkable instance occurs in his Epistle to the Phillippians, where he is holding up himself as an example for them to follow-"For," (he says,) "our conversation (or citizenship) is in heaven, from

whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ."

Here you see the constant attitude of his soul, looking for the Saviour! Oh! what a blessed life would ours be, if our souls were always in this attitude-the desiring gaze of our affections thus habitually straining upward, watching for the appearance of the Saviour! -the Lord Jesus Christ!

But why does the Apostle thus eagerly look for his appearance? What is it he hopes that the Lord from Heaven will accomplish for him, when He appears? Hear from himself "Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working, whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself!"

Could the Apostle more expressly declare that he regarded the redemption of his body, its resurrection in the likeness of the Saviour's glorious body, as the triumphant display of the Redeemer's omnipotencethe crown and climax of his own highest hopes, to effect whose consummation he longed for the appearing of the Lord! ·

It is almost superfluous to allude to the celebrated chapter in the 1st Epistle to the Corinthians, where this subject is specially treated, with a grandeur of conception, a splendour of imagery, and a magnificence of language, to which the loftiest passages of the most sublime of Heathen writers are no more to be compared, than the feeblest cries of an infant's voice to the loudest peals of the Almighty's thunder.

One cannot, however, refrain altogether from observing how identified, in the Apostle's mind, with the full glory and final triumph of the Redeemer's conquest over Satan, is the redemption of the body of His saints from the curse of death, incurred by sin; for it is only, he says, "when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immor

tality, that then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory."

Nor can we for a moment doubt, that the Apostle found this glorious hope of his body, that should be sown at death in corruption, dishonour, and weakness being raised at Christ's appearing, in incorruption, glory, and power, a most delightful and efficacious stimulant to keep him (as he exhorted his beloved brethren, in the prospect of it, to be kept) "steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord."

We would conclude this part of our subject with what we may call the Apostle's sealing testimony, delivered under circumstances, which stamp on it a character of peculiar solemnity and interest in our eyes.

Could we have been privileged to witness the closing scene of the Apostle's life, with what profound attention would we have listened to his parting exhortations; and how would we treasure up in our heart of hearts the last words that lingered on his expiring lips, resolved that we would lean, in a dying hour, on whatever prop we beheld supporting his sinking spirit, and look to whatever prospect we saw brightening to his closing eyes the visions of an unveiled eternity.

This privilege we are, in one sense, permitted to enjoy. We have the secret recesses of his heart, with all its most hidden workings, in the anticipation of approaching martyrdom, thrown open to our view. And what do we find to be the hope which then gladdened his heart-what the prospect on which his spirit then delighted to gaze?

Let us, as it were, draw near with affectionate respect, and hear from his own lips the history of what is passing within his heart.

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"I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my

departure is at hand." What pathetic sublimity there is in the calm composure with which the Apostle contemplates his approaching death; and this, although the expression "to be offered" affectingly intimates, that he was well aware that his blood was to be poured out as a libation-himself to be offered as a sacrifice to seal the truth of the Gospel, and the testimony he had borne on its behalf, by a martyr's death.

Now, the Apostle's eye glances back on the retrospect of his life, since he met Jesus on the way to Damascus; and, oh! with what an air of humble triumph, of joyful recollection, does he look back on the path he had since been enabled, by divine grace, to pursue; and how sweetly comes over his spirit the memory of all he had done and suffered for his dear Redeemer's sake--"I have fought the good fight-I have finished the course-I have kept the faith.”

When did the worldling ever look back, with such feelings, on a life spent in the service of the god of his idolatry? Oh! this, this is the triumph of Christianity! The life spent in a Saviour's service will bear to be looked back upon with delight, even on a dying bed. For though it does not form, in the - smallest degree, the ground of the believer's hope of salvation, which rests exclusively on the Redeemer's meritorious sufferings and righteousness, and though the retrospect will awaken the deepest self-abasement and penitential sorrow, yet will the looking back on a life, consecrated to the Saviour's glory, be a source of the purest joy and gratitude to His people, when about to pass into His presence through the gate of death!

But now the apostle looks forward; and here the solemn and striking testimony, to which we have alluded, bursts on our ears-"Henceforth (he says) there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,