by an eye of faith; and it is far more important to see Jesus by genuine faith, than with the human vision. A person might have had a natural view of Jesus, during his visit to our world, and have afterwards persisted in his sins, as we fear many did; but a believing sight of the Redeemer is invariably followed by the realization of eternal happiness.

dared to affirm that, before he would be saved by Jesus Christ, he would be lost! Who, then, are they that would see Jesus? The penitent sinner, the tried believer, and the dying Christian, would be glad to see Jesus; and nothing but a sight of him will satisfy them. Look at that sin-stricken man. The Spirit of God has lodged an arrow of conviction in his rebellious heart. He has been at Mount Sinai, seeking comfort from the law, and has come back terrified and dejected. He has visited numerous

poor woman in the gospel, he has spent all that he had, and is no better, but rather worse. At length, however, his attention is drawn to Jesus, and he cries at his feet, "Lord, save me, or I perish!" He now clearly understands, and can sincerely adopt those expressive words of the poet :

""Till God in human flesh I see,
My thoughts no comfort find
The holy, just, and sacred Three
Are terrors to my mind:
But if linmanuel's face appear,
My hope, my joy begins;
His name forbids my slavish fear,
His grace removes my sins."

But what is there to be seen in Jesus? A spiritually minded person may see in him the brightest manifestation of God's glory that ever appeared, and the best Friend to fallen man that ever lived." physicians of no value." Like the The divine glory is visible in the works of creation:"The heavens declare the glory of God." His wisdom, power, and goodness, are conspicuous in every man that lives, in every star that shines, in every bird that flies, in every beast that walks, and in every fish that swims. But our Saviour is "the image of the invisible God, and the brightness of his Father's glory. The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." He gave a grand development of all the incomparable perfections of the great Eternal. And where can a poor self-condemned sinner meet with one who will sympathize with him like Jesus? He vacated his throne in heaven, he became " a man of sorrows" on earth, he agonized in the garden, died on the cross, rose from the dead, "ascended on high," and appears in the presence of God, as the substitute of publicans and sinners. He is now the great depository of all the treasures of grace: "It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell." In him there is an inexhaustible sufficiency of wisdom for the ignorant, of pardon for the guilty, of purity for the polluted, of consolation for the distressed, and of eternal life for those whom he makes conscious of their spiritual death. "And of his fulness have all we received."

Look at that distressed follower of Christ. He has long since set to his seal that God is true, and frequently tasted that the Lord is gracious; but at present his mind is bewildered, his hopes are beclouded, and his comforts abated. His soul is cast down within him, and while many are asking, "Who will show us any good?" he cries, "Lord, lift thou upon me the light of thy countenance." He would see Jesus in prosperity, that he may be kept humble; in adversity, that he may be kept thankful; and in affliction, that the rod may be sanctified. And look for a moment at that dying pilgrim. His spirit is just departing. He feels that every breath may be his last. But happily for him, he has peace with God, and a comfortable assurance of heaven. For whom does his soul now And who are they that desire to see ardently long? Is he especially wishful Jesus? Not the self-righteous Pharisees; once more to see his worldly possessions, for "they that be whole need not a his earthly relations, or his medical adphysician; but they that are sick." visers? He would, no doubt, be glad to Not the intoxicated worldling; for one see them at a proper time, and for suitof his class "went away" from the able purposes; but, as a dying man, blessed Jesus. Not the scornful sceptic; mind is fixed pre-eminently upon his for "the fool hath said in his heart, There living Redeemer. His language is, is no God." One of these persons lately" Come, Lord Jesus, and come quickly.'

his

Come! and strengthen me in this last conflict. Come! and give a finishing touch to the work of grace in my heart. Come! and accompany me through the "valley and shadow of death," and pre-produce upon those who see him? It sent me before thy Father and my Father. And nothing will satisfy this departing saint, but an interview with Jesus. If you were to wish him to take encouragement on account of the money he had given, the prayers he had presented, and the good he had accomplished, he would exclaim, “O! do not tell me of these things; I cannot rely upon them; I must see Jesus."

whom thou hath given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory." Then his people will have enlarged and comprehensive conceptions of his person and work, grace and glory; and they will ever sing with holy rapture, "Worthy is the Lamb that was

slain."

My dear reader, have you seen Jesus? If he is not your hope, you are hopeless. If he is not your help, you are helpless. If he is not your Friend, you are friendless. If you are not saved by him, you will be lost for ever. May you soon know him, and the power of his resurrection. But perhaps you have seen him, and, with Andrew, can say to those around you, "We have found the Messias." All hail! ye ransomed of the Lord. Unto you it is given to believe on Jesus. Every moment look to him. In every time of danger fly for safety to your only "hiding place.' In all your seasons of darkness, seek illumination from "the light of the world." In all your days of trouble, endeavour to draw comfort from "the consolation of Israel." Never forget that in a very short time you will meet your kind Redeemer and great Forerunner in the heaven of heavens, and then be ever with the Lord.

"Love moved him to die,

And on this I rely;

verses under consideration, has been quoted by a certain class as corroborative of such delusion, whilst the actings of faith exhibited in the latter verse are wholly overlooked. The encouragement and advantage spoken of by the apostle, will only be realized by such as possess the actuating principle demonstrated by him.

By taking both verses as one, and uninterrupted by punctuation, we discover the distinctive characters signified by the apostle, their peculiar mental condition when exercised by affliction, and its consequent effect. It is only while we look at the things which are not seen, they being eternal, that affliction is useful to us. Affliction is only rendered subservient for good by the actings of that faith which is the gift of God, and the apostle, in addressing us as the children of God, intends to impress us with the truth, that the hand which ministers affliction is from above, and that the sanctification of affliction must be expected from the same source. The apostle takes no second causes into account, these are temporal; he looks to the first grand cause, that being eternal.

While smarting under the infliction of the stroke, he looks beyond the instrument to the hand that holds it, to the eye that watches it, and to the love and power that will and can control it.

My Saviour hath loved me, I cannot tell why: Then it is that affliction worketh glory;

But this I can find,

We two are so joined.

He'll not be in glory, and leave me behind."

or rather, then it is that grace being promoted or worked into the heart,

Blessed be God for Jesus Christ, and let meetens for the glory already prepared.

all the people say, Amen.

JOHN WHITAKER. Golcar, Huddersfield.

AFFLICTION AND GLORY.

Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal:"2 Cor. iv. 17, 18.

SOME have entertained the false impression that affliction ensures glory, and that these stand in the relation of cause and effect; and the former of the

The workings of salvation, from first to last, are all of grace; each one is by the operation of God. The Head of the church sanctified himself, that through him the members might be truly sanctified. There are no independent memmembers any grace independent of bers in Christ's body, neither have the their Head. Faith, in itself, will not produce sanctification; it is only as faith

draws

upon

sured up in Christ, that the soul experiences that "of God he is made wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption." Without the active and spiritual exercise of faith in Christ under affliction, it will be entirely powerless as a means of sanctification. Affliction is but instrumental; it possesses no inherent power. It comes not to the child

that fulness which is trea

of God in the character either of penance or atonement; it may come as a mark of displeasure, but it is to correct, to humble, and to purify. It may come as a preventive, as admonitory, or as a restorative, but, whilst under God's blessing, it refines and ennobles; it neither cancels guilt, nor creates merit, consequently it cannot secure any privilege. In the clear light of eternity the Christian will refer to his afflictions as his preparative for glory, but never will he point to them as the procuring cause of his glory.

only "while we look at the things which are not seen," that affliction brings to view eternal realities. To the Christian, the hand of God presents affliction, the hand of faith accepts it, uses it, blesses God for it, and thus is enriched by it. Each communication of grace to the soul, and each discovery of truth, may be looked upon as an addition to individual glory, not by creating or increasing the glory itself, but we, with face more and more open to the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, as of the Lord the Spirit. By thus scripturally regarding affliction as ministering, through faith, which is of the operation of God, to our increased preparedness for glory, rather than to the accumulation of glory itself, we shall rejoice in the loving-kindness of Him who will "make us meet for the inheritance of the saints in light," visiting our transgressions with the rod, and our iniquities with stripes," that "being chastened of the Lord, we shall not be condemned with the world." Earth is the trainingplace for heaven, the scene where the younger members of the family are to be conformed to the elder brother.

How varied are the modes and instruments employed in producing this conformity! We think there is a grand and beautiful design in such diversity. God, in producing conformity, destroys not identity. Since the fall, truly, as

Long ere sin had marred the purity of heaven's heirs, and rendered affliction necessary, glory had been prepared and secured for them. They prepare not their bliss, but are made meet to possess and enjoy it. A heaven created by the power of our own arm, merited by suffering, or gained by conquest, would make us proud, selfish, and vainglorious; but a heaven prepared for us when we knew not our need of it, secured to us when we could not merit it, and reserved for us until we are made fit to receive it, excites wonder, love, and gratitude, and in the prospect of its possession, we experience a "peace which passeth understanding," ," "a joy unspeakable, and full of glory." Perhaps the apostle's expression, that "affliction worketh for us glory," may be understood in the sense of "bringing to view," "causing to apprehend." Sanctified affliction deals closely with the spiritual under-regards moral bias, heart corresponds to standing and affections. It enables the heart; but as regards physical, moral, soul to take a view both retrospective and intellectual qualities, creation preand prospective. Through it, as a sents no dull monotony,-rather a beaumicroscope, faith may discover the mi- tiful, and almost endless variety. And nute workings of past and present pro- in the transformation from a state of vidences. Through it, as a telescope, nature to a state of grace, the moral faith may range far beyond the horizon bias is changed, (God created not this) of unassisted sight, and in both cases it the current of thought, affection, and brings to view, or causes to apprehend energy is turned; but inherent qualities ፡፡ a far more exceeding and eternal are sanctified and ennobled, not removed. weight of glory," than can be compared Grace annihilates not the work of creawith the pressure of tribulation. Past tion-glory dims not the work of grace. experience comforts, the opening pros- Reference is made to this, in order to pect animates and encourages. If, how-show that though the grand ultimate to ever, the organ of vision be defective, be gained by all is the possession of what avail the powers either of micro- glory, yet that glory will be apprescope or telescope? Thus, Christian hended by different minds through very friends, without faith in active exercise, different phases. And God would have affliction will distress; but it will neither it so, because he trains souls not merely purify the heart, elevate the hopes, nor for glory in the abstract, but for certain heighten the joys of its subject. It is and specific positions in glory. We be

Obituary.

THE LATE MR. LEWIS ANDERSON, with him up to the day of his death,