WHAT a beautiful type is conveyed to us in this command of the Lord to the children of Israel, to erect the standard of their father's house, to shew under whose banners they fought-not collectively as a body, but every man was to pitch by his own standard, and the place also where it was to be pitched is expressly defined, over against the tabernacle; the standard of the camp of Judah was to be towards the rising sun, throughout their armies.

How clearly this points to Him, who sprang out of Judah, the lion of the tribe of Judah, who hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof, and under whose banner all, who by his blood and righteousness are made the children of God, must fight the good fight of faith. He is the ensign of our Father's house, who from children of wrath made us children of God, heirs of God, and joint heirs with himself. He has overcome death, sin, and the grave, and is for ever seated on his Father's throne, and He has given us the precious promise, that if we also overcome by the blood of the Lamb, we shall sit down with him on his throne. Our life here is a continual warfare: we have within two contending hosts, nature and grace, and this conflict will end only in death; but we know that we shall be more than conquerors through him who loved us. The Israelites were to set up the standard afar off towards the rising sun; yes, the Sun of Righteousness was then seen only afar off, coming forth fair as the moon, clear as the sun, but terrible as an army with banners-terrible, indeed, to his enemies, for who can prevail against Him, who is King of kings, and Lord of lords? That sun which was then seen afar off is now arisen with healing on its wings, those who were afar off are now brought nigh by the blood of Christ. The full meridian

sun has shone upon us, we no longer see types and figures, but the shadows are done away, all is accomplished, the middle wall of partition is broken down, and Jew and Gentile are now one in Christ Jesus, and the family of God is from every nation, tongue, kingdom, and people; however far removed, we are all children of Abraham, and heirs according to the promise, and all who are born again of the Spirit, converted, and transplanted from the family of nature into the family of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven, must each pitch the standard and ensign of his Father's house, and boldly acknowledge they are no longer of the world, no longer Gentiles, led away with the vanities of the world, but a peculiar, a chosen, a separate, a distinguished people, who must not be counted amongst the nations, for thus saith the Lord, "I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people, and will call those my people who were not my people, for I have chosen them to shew forth my praises." And is not the standard which the Lord will himself set up to his people, that which was typified by the brazen serpent, even the Son of Man, who should be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him should have everlasting life? How blessed the people who know this joyful sound, and who are made like the chariots of Amminadab, for what chariots so swift as the people made willing in the day of his power, what runs so quickly as the soul full of love and faith, and all the graces with with which the Holy Spirit supplies the chosen generation, the peculiar people zealous of good works, who will fight under no other banner than the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and whose motto is "Jehovah Nissi." The hand upon the throne of the Yes! he sits upon his Father's throne, the Lamb, as it had been slain,

still bearing the image of his appearance in the flesh, the Son of Man clothed in a vesture dipped in blood; and though Ephraim compasseth us about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit, yet Judah still ruleth with God, and is faithful with his saints, (or with the most holy); let us, then, walk after the Lord, and in all our conflicts against our enemies he will roar like a lion; and when he shall roar, then his enemies shall tremble." Let not the hands hang down in indolence; let us not be cold and passive, but up and join in the conflict against the Lord's enemies and ours. Oh, did all who name the name of Christ pitch his ensign, and set up his standard and stand by it, considering that the great Captain of their salvation is looking on and beholding who is on his side, fighting with him and for him, for our enemies are his, how fearlessly should we enter the battle, taking the whole armour the Lord has provided for us, and by constant use we should so wield the sword of the Spirit that we should fear no foe. How terrible would such an army, with such banners, be; for when the enemy comes like a flood against the Lord's troops, he will himself lift up a standard against them, and that standard makes the stoutest heart to tremble, for he will tread down his enemies, and make them as stubble in the day of his wrath, for as a lamb he suffered once, but he now conquers as a lion, he lieth down as an old lion, who shall stir him up.

Now is the time of patience and long-suffering for the calling out of his chosen, his Bride; but when the fulness of the Gentiles is accomplished, then the character of the lamb is laid aside, and he comes to execute the vengeance of his Father, for all things must be put under his feet, even the last enemy, death; and then will he give up all to his Father, that God may be all and in all. Now all is conflict; the armour can never for one moment be laid aside; we have a roaring lion going about seeking whom he may devour, but he can only destroy those whom he is permitted to have dominion over;

he is a chained lion, he cannot even tempt beyond the power given him; he may terrify by his roaring, but when we look up to the standard we carry, that blessed Saviour has overcome sin, Satan, death, and made us also more than conquerors; through his love he has made us a way to escape out of the snares. He bids us draw nigh to him and he will draw nigh to us to flee from the devil and he will depart from us. Our adversary is already powerless to the believer; he is judged and condemned, and the sentence only waits the Lord's bidding to be put in execution, when the great pit will be unlocked which is prepared for him. He knows his time is short, and therefore he hath great wrath; but one look to Jesus, one cry for help, will bring him to our aid, for he says, "call upon me in the time of trouble and I will help you, and ye shall glorify me." Did we habitually see and feel our position in this world-in an enemy's country, surrounded by foes from within and without-should we ever furl up our standard? should we not feel the urgent necessity of looking up constantly to that soul-stirring emblem which it bears? should we not, like the angels in heaven, be following the Lamb wherever he leadeth? He is still the good Shepherd, he goes before and leads the way, let us listen to his voice and follow no other.

Is not every name of Jesus like ointment poured out? is not every title most sweet to the soul of the believer? and every one conveys showers of blessings to his people, for in Him we are complete, and He is the head of his body, the Church, and where he is there will his people be to behold his glory which he had with his Father before the world was made. He has led captivity captive, and prepared gifts for his enemies, that his Father might be our Father, and his God our God. The lawful captive is delivered, for one stronger than the strong has taken away all that he possessed; the victory is secured to us; and we have, in the Revelations, seven especial blessings promised as the portion of those who overcome.

"To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." "He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." "He that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations." "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels." "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name." "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." (Rev. ii. iii.)

What glorious promises to encourage us in the conflict! Christ's banner is unfurled over us, and that banner is love. The great Captain looks on, and when the victory is obtained, he waits to bring us into the banqueting house where he will himself come forth to serve us, for we are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb; we shall then see what St. John saw, heaven opened, and he who is called Faithful and True will then himself judge and make war with his enemies and ours. His eyes are as a flame of fire, his vesture dipped in blood, and the armies which are in heaven shall follow him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. With his sharp sword he will smite the nations, and rule them with a rod of iron. His name is King of kings and Lord of lords. Who will be afraid to fight in this war? Who

will desire to return back and sit at ease, and not come up to the help of the Lord against the mighty? Whose standard shall be furled up, fearful of

shewing to what house he belongs ? Oh! may the voice of the great Captain be heard. Blessed is he that overcometh. Fear not those who set themselves in array against you; their aspect may be fierce, but what is that; we may behold, like Daniel, with the eye of faith, till we see him who is dreadful and terrible, and exceeding fierce, broken to pieces; and the thrones cast down by the ancient of days, to whom thousand times ten thousand minister, and who will, with a fiery stream, destroy all who have exalted themselves against Him. Let not the question amongst us be, who shall remain at ease in this mighty conflict, but, like the children of Israel, let us go up and ask the Lord who shall go first to the battle against the mighty Goliath; the answer to them was, Judah shall go first-who, then, who belongs to that family shall stay behind? Every banner must be unfurled, none must be passive; the promised blessing is to him that overcometh the issue is not doubtful. Faith, love, and zeal must form our armour, and we are invulnerable. However fiery our enemies' darts, they may strike, but cannot penetrate our coat of mail, the blunted edge will fall harmless. The Captain of the Lord's hosts allows us to wield the weapons to try our faith and love; but it is himself alone who gains the victory-He is the author and the finisher of all. The seed of the woman must bruise the serpent's head. He is the holy and the true, and hath the key of David-He openeth and no man shutteth, he shutteth and no man openeth. He has opened heaven to all who believe in him. "The hand of Him who sitteth upon the throne of his Father" waits to bestow the same blessings upon those who fight under his banners; the key of the House of David is upon his shoulders, He is the nail in a sure place, and He is a glorious throne to his Father's house; all the glory shall be hung upon him. What wonderful promises, and what great blessings, could we but rightly appreciate them; but so icy cold and dead are we, that the trumpet sounds to call us to the conflict, and we hear it