2. Conformity to the spirit of his death, which was one of the entire abnegation and sacrifice of self. Self died in his death, and by faith in his death we not only renounce self-righteousness, but self-seeking, and become conformed to Christ's unselfish love.

This conformity to his death is realized when we can view our sufferings, afflictions, and trials, as not so much our sufferings as his sufferings "abounding in us." The great end of all our trials is this-to bring us to recognize them as Christ's own cross borne by us, and to endure our sufferings as fitting us to enter into his.

Second. The ultimate fruit of this knowledge of Christ is the final attainment of his resurrection-glory. "If by any means,"-not expressing doubt, bnt eager desire,-"If at any cost," even the cost of having fellowship with Christ in suffering, I may attain to participation in his risen bliss. Not any resurrection, but the resurrection "unto life." This comprises -

1. The public ratification of all the privileges which we now appropriate by faith. Our justification and adoption will then be openly and gloriously confirmed before an assembled universe.

2. The everlasting participation in the joy of our risen Lord.

3. The actual assimilation of our persons, body as well as soul, to his glorious likeness.

INFERENCES.-1. The fellowship of Christ's resurrection-glory is enhanced by the fellowship we have on earth with his suffering state.

2. The more we take the impress of Christ's self-sacrificing sufferings here, the more we shall be prepared for the service of heaven hereafter.

Meditations on
on Solomon's

CXXIX.-LOVE UNMERITED

"Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.-SONG viii. 7.

REJOICE, believer! If thy love is a flame of the fire of the Lord, it is a flame no waters can ever quench, As thou at first didst love Christ, because He first loved thee, so thou shalt continue to love Christ, because he will never cease to love thee. The fire of Jesus' love shall dry up all the "waters and "floods" of tribulation.

His love never faileth. We did not, we could not, merit the love of Christ. "All the substance "of our "house was worthless;

Song.

AND INEXTINGUISHABLE.

our righteousness was filthy. He hath loved us freely and sovereignly. And, having first loved us without a cause in us, there never shall arise a cause why he should cease to love us. Believers shall ever enjoy the affection of his heart, and but the love of Jesus can satisfy us, so the protection of his hand. As nothing nothing but our love can satisfy him.

If "man would give" "the substance of his
house"-

His goods to feed the poor-his flesh to burn,
That he might share his part in Love Divine;
His alms, his prayers, his pharisaic deeds,
Would but insult the sovereignty of "love,"
And he and his be "utterly" "contemned."-

CXXX.-A MISSIONARY SPIRIT.

"We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?"-SONG viii. 8. THE soul is here no longer wholly absorbed with its own individual necessities; but is able to look also on the things of others. It is concerned for the spiritual welfare of those who are not yet joined to Christ. It

IRONS,

is good for us to inquire, "What shall we do for those who have no breasts: for those who are barren and unfruitful before God: for those who have neither faith nor love: for those who are not yet fitted to be the bride of Jesus, and the mother of spiritual children ?" This question is, doubtless, the question of the Jewish

Church respecting the Gentile Church; and it should be our question respecting the whole heathen world lying in darkness, in sin, and in the power of Satan. The truths of the gospel are as nourishing to the soul as mother's milk to the infant that hangs upon her breast; let us carry those truths to all the places of the earth

where they are not known. The consolations of our God are neither few nor small, and are appropriate to every case of human misery. Oh! that barren and unfruitful sinners knew the kind and tender, the comforting and nourishing consolations of the gospel of grace. Oh! that the churches had more of the MISSIONARY SPIRIT.

CXXXI.-SUITABLE SUPPLIES.

"If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar."-SONG viii. 9. WHEN the fulness of time had come for the calling in of God's chosen ones from among the Gentiles; when "the day" arrived in which the Gentile church was "spoken for;" then all the provisions of grace needed and suitable were provided. The New Testament Church, set up upon the earth by Jesus on "the day of Penticost," is "a wall," having "twelve foundations," bearing the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. She has "a palace of silver," in which Jesus, as her Lord and Law-giver, sits enthroned. She is "a door," open night and day, admitting into her fellowship redeemed and quickened sinners. She is inclosed "with boards of cedar" against the fiercest attacks of her cruellest foes; and she has

become the fruitful mother of a noble offspring. The Heavenly Bridegroom has bestowed upon his royal bride all that she needed. He has furnished her with all the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit. He has suited his blessings to her circumstances. The "wall" he has crowned with "a palace;" aye, and with "a palace" worthy of himself, even a palace of silver." The "door" is pannelled "with boards of cedar." But these metaphors fall far short as a description of the dignity and grace, the excellency and fulness, the variety and suitability, of his spiritual blessings, wherewith he has crowned his Church! He gives strength to the weak; he gives wealth to the needy; he gives beauty to the deformed; he gives royal robes to the naked; yea, he gives himself, and all that he is and has to the objects of his love.

CXXXII.—BEAUTIFUL, FRUITFUL, AND ACCEPTED.

"I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour" (as one that found peace," Hebrew).-SONG viii. 10. THE Church is glorious in her Saviour's glory; she is comely in his comeliness. "IN HIM" she is rooted and built up. The "breasts" of the Church are the consolations and promises of the gospel, and these are "like towers

"Appointed, built, and kept by pow'r divine; Set for defence, and stor'd with truth and

grace

Yea, made invincible in Jesus' strength."

Though now believers may be despised by the world that despised and despises Christ, yet in "his eyes they find "favour" and "peace." Their election, redemption, effectual calling, preservation,

and ultimate complete salvation, all spring from God's grace and favour. He makes us beautiful, fruitful, and prosperous, and then we find favour in his sight because we are so! Wonderful grace! Surprising mercy! Matchless love!

May we, being taught by the Holy Ghost, through the year upon which we have just entered, have an abiding and a blessed consciousness that we have found favour and peace in the sight of our adorable Lord and Master. And to his name be all the glory now and evermore.

Amen.

P.S.-Have patience, dear reader, two brief papers more, and our "meditations" shall be ended. T. W. M.

NOTE.-On page 276, vol. for 1867, in the clause commencing "When Christ comes the second time," after "it shall then be clearly seen," read "that his 'left hand' of JUSTICE and TRUTH, and his right hand' of honour and love, do safely embrace' all that the Father gave to him in a PAST eternity."-T. W. M.

LETTER XLIII.-FROM A VENERABLE CHRISTIAN MOTHER.

A LETTER has followed me to this place, directed in the well-known hand of my esteemed brother John, which I can assure him was most cordially welcomed, and for which I offer my sincere thanks.

My Divine Landlord, in his infinite wisdom, has indeed seen it necessary to set on his workmen to repair my poor old clay cottage; and they set about the work with such fierceness, that I really thought they were commissioned to take it quite down. However, "he who is wise in counsel and excellent in working," and "who hath determined my days, and with whom is the number of my months," kept a watchful eye over them; and when they had gone as far as to answer his purpose in the pulling down way, he commanded them to go "no further;' then ordered it to be propped and patched up again, that it might stand its appointed time; but it is still very shaky, nor is it at all improved in appearance.

It may be you would ask, How fared the inhabitant through all this bustle? I have reason to be thankful that the upper storey was kept pretty free from the workman's hammer; but, alas! the windows were so darkened that I could scarcely look at any thing but myself; and my good brother knows the sad effects when we are looking to ourselves, unmindful of what the Holy Ghost saith by the apostle-"looking unto Jesus, who is the Author and Finisher of faith." I had life enough to feel my deadness, and light enough to see my darkness; yet could not say with Jeremiah, "Mine eye affecteth my heart," for that remained as hard as the nether mill-stone, till I was led to conclude the Lord had said, "Let her alone," while I could scarcely hope "he would earnestly remember me still;" and hoards of unclean things, which were bred in the heart of Adam after his transgression, and tainted the blood of all his posterity, so that they bring forth abundantly (at least it is the case in me), for the numbers that crept out in this time of darkness were really terrific, while a voice was heard in my soul, saying, "Ha, ha, you have discovered your real character at last!' "you have deceived yourself and others also." This was a dreadful condition-a day of adversity indeed. But wisdom

saith, "In the day of prosperity rejoice, but in the day of adversity consider." The words of Peter to his Divine Master"To whom can we go but unto thee, for thou hast the words of eternal life?" followed me from day to day without arresting my attention, till at length they stopped my wandering thoughts; and as I considered their import, experience bore witness that I was in some humble measure like-minded with him, for I could say with my heart, "My guilty conscience seeks no sacrifice beside" that great sin-offering appointed by Jehovah himself.

Thus I was "holpen with a little help: still the glory of the Person and work, with all the blessedness arising therefrom as to seeing my interest therein was eclipsed from my view by mists and clouds of depravity. Another consideration was, that valuable passage in Holy Writ"he that walketh in darkness," and "let him trust in the Lord and stay himself upon his God."

Thus I was convinced that the Lord's people did walk in darkness; and as it is God that worketh in them to will and to do, so he brings them to trust in him, while the Holy Ghost declares, "They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever"-and why? Because the Lord has put his name there, and this is the secret place of the Most High; and all that dwell in this secret place shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. There, I trust, the Lord hath brought me to dwell; and although I must say that sin is not a nonentity in me (for I feel its plague from day to day, and believe the warfare will not end till mortality is swallowed up of life), I pray for grace to fight the fight of faith, trusting to come conqueror through the great and wise Captain of Salvation, and also that I may say with holy Paul, "I live, yet not Ï, but Christ liveth in me, and the life I live in the flesh is by the faith of the Son of God," &c.

I find my paper filling, so will turn to your letter. The first thing you ask for information is, what instruction I have gained by being led down to the potter's house? You know whoever is commanded to go down there, it is not for them to

Biographical Sketch.

A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE LAST DAYS OF MR. THOMAS ROW, BAPTIST MINISTER, LITTLE GRANSDEN, CAMBS.