Living waters, conducted by S.M. Haughton

THE CHILDREN'S CORNER.

the sins of all were laid on Jesus, how is it that any one is kept out of heaven, by having his sins on himself? Well, at first sight, that does look a difficult question to answer; but it is not, I think, so hard as it looks. I wonder if we can make it quite plain? Say I get into trouble, —that I have done something against the law, for which I have to pay a very heavy fine-a sum that all I've got in the world would be no more good than one poor little sixpence, to meet. There would be nothing for me—would there but to go to prison? Suppose, too, that I am only one out of a great number of naughty, foolish people, who are just in the same plight; and that some noble-hearted, wealthy man comes › ‹ forward, and says, "I will take it all upon myself: I will give up all my wealth, and will satisfy the full claims of the law against every one of those foolish people." What would that mean? Not, of course, that our very offences had been committed by our great, generous friend; but that he took all their punishment on himself, that we might not have to go to prison.

Now, just imagine that while many did this, and were at once safe and free; I and some others, equally stupid and ungrateful, either through doubting our friend's word, or not choosing to be under an obligation, or actually through not thinking at all about it, never went near the bank-let the time for paying the fines run out! What then? Why, then we should be arrested and put in prison that's all! and any one of you, I am sure, would say, "Serve them right!”

It's a very simple illustration, this; but if we look at that most wonderful 53rd chapter of Isaiah, we shall see, I think, that it is really very much how the great matter of our Salvation stands between us poor sinners and the Saviour.

You remember that to be "just with God," and get back our lost right to go into Christ's own beautiful home of light and love, we have to be "perfect"; and so we are told that while our dear Saviour did indeed in those thirty-three years He spent on earth-in His agony and death – bear all the tremendous weight of our sin, all the suffering that belonged to it; He at the same time made over to us His own perfect righteousness, to secure our admission to heaven. The fine and the entrancemoney both stand in our names in God's great Bank. All we have to do is to come and ask (Ezekiel xxxvi. 37; Luke xi. 10).

Now, let us make all this sure by our Bibles. We read what Isaiah tells us - the all-precious truth that our sin was borne by Jesus; and if we now turn to the 5th chapter of the 2nd Corinthians, we find St. Paul puts it into these wonderful strong words: that we might

He hath made Him to be sin for us

be made the righteousness of God in Him." Another of the old prophets had been commanded to tell us grand things of Jesus Christ (more than six hundred years before Paul wrote): "This is the name whereby He shall be called, the LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." We read that in the 6th verse of the 23rd chapter of Jeremiah, and a little further, in the 51st chapter, he says this surprising thing: "The Lord hath brought forth our righteousness." This, too, must be Jesus Christ's righteousness, as we have not the very least bit of our own. Who can find a text that says so? Yes; that's a very important onc in the 3rd chapter of Romans : "None righteous, no, not cne." do see how these texts make the righteousness of Christ, all of it—His own self-ours. May we not say us? He made sin, that we might be made righteousness. Ah! now, I think, we get at the real deep beauty of Minnie's words. Is not that the Bible putting of her full-hearted little speech: "You're me and I'm you"?

also.

But

[This is from a book which will greatly delight you, children! and refresh many a grown-up person You can tell that from this extract, can't you? Try and get a copy of "You're me and I'm you," by S. G. Prout, for your very own. It is published by Haughton & Co., 10, Paternoster-row. Price 1s. 6d.]

OUR BIBLE CLASS.

BY A. ST. G. C. NUGENT.

URING this month we commemorate two days, Good Friday and Easter Sunday, when a wondrous light was thrown upon the Book, God's Word, and One Person, the Lord Jesus, was revealed throughout its pages from Genesis to Revelation. Old Testament type and prophecy are lit up now! They all speak of Christ, as He Himself showed His disciples during that first Easter-Day walk, when," beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself" (Luke xxiv. 27, 32, 44-46).

During His life He had invariably referred to the Scripture "as the authority which cannot be gainsayed." "He teaches according to Scripture; His doctrine, His works, His aim, His life are to fulfil that which is written." And what was His comfort and His weapon in the hour of temptation? "It is written," and Satan is vanquished. "In His Sermon on the mount, in the discourses recorded in the Gospel of St. John, in His conversation with His

disciples, in the parables, there is scarcely a thought which is not in some manner connected with the Scripture. He refers to the Scripture before friend and foe, Pharisees and Sadducees, disciples and people, in the Temple and in the wilderness, from the first day at Nazareth to the end of His life." (Let us search out these thoughts.)

And now when His death is drawing near, He tells His disciples what His heart is set upon. "We go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written of the Son of Man must be accomplished " (Luke xviii. 31-33). At the Passover, and as they go to Gethsemane, He speaks to them of His betrayal and death, foretold in the Scriptures (Matt. xxvi. 21-24; John xiii. 18; Ps. xli. 9; Isa. liii. 12; Luke xxii. 37; Matt. xxvi. 31). In His prayer to His Father He remembers the Scripture (John xvii. 8, 12, 17). In the garden, when the soldiers come to seize Him, what does He calmly lean back upon in that hour of trial? "All this was done that the Scriptures might be fulfilled," and what does He say to Peter who wanted to defend Him? (Matt. xxvi. 51-56).

Do let us gather together at this time the many and minute particulars in which the Scripture was here fulfilled, putting the Old Testament type and prophecy side by side with the New Testament facts. And as we stand in faith beneath His Cross, let us thank God for the sevenfold testimony to His innocence from His enemies, and let us listen in deepest love to His sevenfold utterance on the Cross. We shall hear His agonised heart breaking forth into Scripture words: "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me ?" Then another prophecy fulfilled (John xix. 28), and then the triumph cry, "It is finished!" Every type and prophecy concerning His death; redemption work; and the opened way Home-finished! The last words which the world heard from His lips were words from His Father's Book, "Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit."

God had given promises and pictures of His Resurrection also, in the Old Testament. Let us trace them out (Lev. xiv. 4-7; Jon. ii. 17, for instance), and see how gloriously all were fulfilled when He rose again alive for evermore, having the keys of hell and of death!

May He "open" His Scriptures to us, and our "understandings' that we may see "Himself" throughout His Word; and may this be the history of our lives this Good Friday and Easter, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Gal. ii. 20.)

OUR QUEEN'S THANKS TO HER PEOfle.

Our Queen's Thanks to her People.

WINDSOR CASTLE, MARCH 12th, 1882./

HE Queen wishes, before she leaves England for a short while for some comparative rest and quiet, to express from her heart how very deeply touched she is by the outburst of enthusiastic loyalty, affection and devotion which the painful event of the 2nd instant has called forth from all classes, and from all parts of her vast Empire, as well as by the universal sympathy evinced by the Sovereigns and people of other nations. The Queen cannot sufficiently express how deeply gratified she is -by the demonstrations, and would wish to convey to all, from the highest to the humblest, her warmest and most heartfelt thanks.

It has ever been her greatest object to do all she can for her subjects, and to uphold the honour and glory of her dear country, as well as to promote the prosperity and happiness of those over whom she has reigned so long; and these efforts will be continued unceasingly to the last hour of her life. The Queen thanks God that He spared her beloved child, who is her constant and devoted companion, and those who were with her in the moment of danger as well as herself, and she prays that He will continue to protect her for her people's sake as He has hitherto so visibly done.

OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM.

woplan Our National Anthem.