beams will dispel the thickest mists and clouds of sin and corruption; and bearing healing on their wings, will be to our spirits like the clear heat upon herbs (Isa. xviii. 4). Now in looking to Jesus, we must behold him in all points in which he is pleased to reveal himself, to be an object worthy of his people's attention; and we find this brief though wonderfully comprehensive description, given by himself of his own glorious being in the last communication addressed by him to his church, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord; which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty" (Rev. i. 8). Wherein we learn that our Jesus, the Alpha and Omega, is to be admired and adored as the Lord which is, which was, and which is to come, and in all as the Almighty.

Let us first, then, look to Jesus as the Lord which was: and here we behold him, in the vast ages of eternity past, sharing the full glory of the Godhead in the unity of the ever-blessed Trinity; and as one in this glorious Jehovah planning and ordaining in behalf of men such things as eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the hearts of men. But as God is pleased to reveal them by his Spirit, we see him choosing and embracing our nature in preference to angelic, and taking his people into an everlasting union and covenant with himself, to be eternally blessed in him by being made partakers of the divine nature; and thus brought nigh unto God in fellowship and communion. And for this end we behold him contracting himself to our nature, putting himself in the relation of a son, and subjecting himself to another glorious Person in the Godhead; and that other Person putting himself in the relation of a father, while a third glorious Person puts himself in subjection to both, and stands forth emphatically as the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of his Son. We hear him directing our best attention to himself as thus constituted and set up before the foundations of the world, when he says (Prov. viii. 22), "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old; I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth; while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens I was there, when he set a compass upon the face of the depth; when he established the clouds above, when he strengthened the fountains of the deep; when he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment; when he appointed the foundations of the earth, then I was by him as one brought up with him, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him-rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth, and my delights were with the sons of men." We hear the Holy Ghost declaring by St. John, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; all things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men." Again, we hear him asserting (Col. i. 15), "Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature; for by him were all things created that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him and for him, and he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the Head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence." And oh what a glorious sight is here! our Jesus, our Saviour, our Head, is himself Jehovah, the almighty Creator and Former of all things; able and willing to make good all his covenant engagements, for divinity always implies omnipotence, and includes every idea of unconfined, invariable, and complete supremacy. In him will and power are inseparable and efficacious attributes. Let us then

cast our burden upon the Lord, and he will sustain us; when we are oppressed he will undertake for us, and his own promise shall be fully realized in our experience. "There shall no temptation take you but such as is common to men; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able, but will with the temptation make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Cor. x. 13). What good news! What a ground of security for his people at all times, under all circumstances! but specially when disposed to think "I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul." original purpose stands firm concerning them-"I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me is greater than all, and no creature is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand; I and my Father are one."

His

Again, let us look to Jesus as he was in time, when actually "made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons" (Gal. iv. 4). What a different view is here! a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, despised and rejected of men, bearing our griefs, carrying our sorrows; yet all faces turned away from him, and he esteemed not-stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted; yet wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace upon him, that by his stripes we might be healed. Behold him as the incarnation of excellency, going about doing good, without a fault or a failing to rob him justly of the adoration which is his due; opening the eyes of the blind, healing the sick and raising the dead, restoring strength to the lame, speaking as never man spake; and, above all, restoring and convincing the soul, magnifying the law and making it honourable,. working out and bringing in an everlasting righteousness for our justification-borne witness to by his Father, ministered to by angels, acknowledged by devils; yet disowned by men-charged with madness, possession of Satan, gluttony, wine-bibbing, and treason; yet received, adored, and followed as the Christ of God by a few poor, helpless worms to whom divine grace was given to become the sons of God, even to those who believed on his name. And see him, in the end, exchanged for a murderer and robber, crucified between two thieves; it being expedient in the divine mind, and in the eye of man, that one man should die for the people, and the whole nation perish not. But how different these intentions, and how different the results! this solemn event accomplishing at once the determinate counsel, foreknowledge, and love of God, and sealing the fate of that nation by filling up the measure of their iniquity. What a sad yet joyful sight! Jesus in our nature, standing in our stead in life and in death, bearing our iniquities, carrying our griefs and sorrows under the most depressing circumstances; despised, maligned, persecuted, instead of being encouraged and upheld, assailed by men and devils. And all the time, while the foxes had holes and the birds of the air nests, the Son of man had not where to lay his head; pouring forth strong crying and tears to him who was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared: and thus dealt with, that he might not only save by fulfilling all righteousness, and by his own blood obtain eternal redemption for us, but that he might sympathise and be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.

Let us now look to Jesus as he is. How changed the scene! Surely if we do but rightly estimate his present position, we shall be overwhelmed as the apostle was, who having leant upon his breast at supper, with an affectionate fearlessness when on earth, fell at his feet as dead when he beheld him in his glory; when he saw him as he who liveth and was dead, alive now for evermore. God having loosed the pains of death, because it was impossible that he could be holden of it; triumphant over all his foes

and ours, possessed of the keys of death and hell, sat down in our nature with the Father on his throne, and in that nature having all power given unto him both in heaven and on earth; exalted far above all principalities and powers, and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come. Behold him as the authorised object of all creation's adoration, and be assured that in confessing him to be Lord, we glorify God the Father. Yet this is not all: let us go still deeper, " for the Spirit searcheth all things-yea, the deep things of God;" and having the eyes of our understanding enlightened, may we know, as the apostle prayed for the Ephesian church to know, the exceeding greatness of Jehovah's power to us ward who believe, which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. May we see him as all that he is for us-our Surety, our Representative, our Head, who now appears in the presence of God for us; so that we may be able to maintain with the same apostle in Heb. ii., though we see not yet all things put in subjection to man, as God hath declared they shall be; yet in seeing Jesus in our nature crowned with glory and honour, we have a certain and infallible testimony that by and by all his promises shall be fulfilled; and that man, who is now for a little time inferior to the angels, shall hereafter be set over all the works of God's hands. For he who sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, are all of one; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren. Yea, hath he not said, "The glory which thou gavest me I have given them, that they may be one even as we are one?" What comfort, what joy, what satisfaction does this view of Jesus convey! our Jesus supreme, our nature glorified, our Surety, Representative, and Head accepted, his work approved, and ourselves assured that as he is, so are we even in this world (1 John, iv. 17). If one of old, who sought to curse and destroy the people of God, were constrained to admit "God hath not seen iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he beheld perverseness in Israel," should we be backward to know our own standing-we, who have part and lot in this matter, and who enjoy the fullest proclamation of everlasting love? Oh, far be such supineness from us! there is nothing like an understanding knowledge of pardoned sin, blotted-out transgression, and imputed righteousness to raise us from the dust of the earth to which we cleave by nature, and bring us nigh unto God and into constant communion and fellowship with him. It is a sense of sin and consciousness of guilt unpardoned, which above all things separate between God and man; as we see in our first parents, who when convicted of sin, immediately hid themselves being afraid: and herein is our love made perfect in order that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, that we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming; for, beloved, he which is, and which was, is also yet to come. Yes, he whom our soul desireth, our absent Lord who is gone to prepare a place for us, is to come again and receive us unto himself, that where he is there we may be also. He who was rejected and despised on earth, shall yet on earth triumph most gloriously; the kingdoms of this world now subject to Satan, shall become the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ, who shall reign for ever and ever. Brethren, he sits at the Father's right hand only for a certain and limited period till his purposes are accomplished, and the time comes for his enemies and ours to be made his footstool. For this time he is said to be expecting or waiting; the day of vengeance is in his heart, and the year of his redeemed shall come. He is now taking his rest after his conflict; and ere his coronation takes place and the marriage of the Lamb be come, then he who was our Prophet and is now our Priest, shall come forth as our King. He shall build the temple of the

Lord, and he shall bear the glory; he shall sit upon his throne and be a priest upon his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both (Zech. vi. 13). "Then the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end" (Luke, i. 32); then times of refreshing shall come from his presence, and the times of the restitution of all things spoken of by all the holy prophets which have been since the world began (Acts, iii. 21). All creation shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, and brought into the glorious liberty of the children of God (Rom. viii. 21). "The wilderness and solitary place shall be glad for them, the desert shall rejoice and blossom like a rose" (Isa. xxxv. 1). "The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the seas" (Isa. xi. 9). "The tabernacle of God shall be with men and he will dwell with them; and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away" (Rev. xxi. 3, 4). "He shall cast out of his kingdom all things that offend, and they that work wickedness; and punish with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power, all them that know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thess. i. 8, 9). "When he comes to be glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that believe, then shall we, who have received the firstfruits of the Spirit (and consequently new grace within ourselves), waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption, of our body, (Rom. viii. 23) have our vile_bodies changed and fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the mighty power working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself" (Phil. iii. 21). Then shall the kingdom and dominion, the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom" (Dan. vii. 27). "For he hath redeemed us to God by his blood, and made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign upon the earth" (Rev. v. 9, 10). Doth not such a prospect as this, believer, raise you above all the things of time and sense? Doth it not loosen the cords of your earthly tabernacle? Doth it not enable you to run with patience the race set before you, casting all your care upon him who careth for you," and in looking to Jesus which is, and which was, and which is to come? As" the Spirit says, Come, and the Bride says, Come;" do you not also say, "Even so come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen?"

CORRESPONDENCE.

A LETTER TO A FRIEND.

BY THE REV. R. LUCKIN.

Containing the substance of a Sermon delivered at Woodbridge Chapel, Clerkenwell, London, on Tuesday Evening, Nov. 11th, 1840.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

I felt great pleasure in receiving your kind letter. My not writing earlier I hope you will not attribute to inattention on my part, or want of Christian affection towards you as a member of the church; for I love you

in the bowels of Christ. I have been so very ill, and so exceedingly nervous, that I could not sit down to write till now. I have but one subject to speak of, and but one to write upon. As you were comforted by the substance of the sermon which your dear mamma sent, which the Lord enabled me to preach from (Rom. v. 11), I think I cannot do better than by sending you the outlines of my discourse last evening. If our dear Lord should be pleased to bless it, it will be profitable to your soul. I spoke from these words, "By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, honour, and life" (Prov. xxii. 4). We considered

I. The graces spoken of in the text "humility and the fear of the Lord." These graces not being the production of nature, and which, consequently no person in a natural state possesses, we noticed, first, their Author. The author or producer of all and every grace in the soul is the Holy Spirit: hence our Lord said, “It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (John, vi. 63). "The wicked through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God; God is not in all his thoughts" (Ps. x. 4). But the Lord declares, "The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day” (Isa. ii. 11). Now the Lord the Spirit effects this by quickening the sinner that was before dead in trespasses and sins; by leading him into a discovery of the hidden evils of his corrupt heart, and by bringing him to abhor himself on account of it before God. He brings him to discover the spirituality of God's righteous law, that "the law is holy, and the commandments holy, and just, and good; but that he is carnal, sold under sin" (Rom. vii. 12-14). He now finds That what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom. iii. 17— 20). He is now brought low, his mouth is stopped from boasting. He feels now that he is a lost, ruined, guilty sinner. He cannot say with some in the church of Laodicea, "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing"-but knows that he is wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked" (Rev. iii. 17). Under these circumstances the Holy Spirit leads the poor sinner into a discovery of the love, grace, and mercy of God; the suitability and all-sufficiency of Christ; his ability and willingness to save; the greatness and completeness of his salvation; the suitability and sufficiency of his righteousness to justify; the rich fulness there is in him, and the freeness of it, and works faith in his heart to rely upon Christ and his finished work ; bears witness of his adoption, and seals him unto the day of redemption: all of which tends to humble him-yea more, every fresh discovery which the Holy Spirit gives the child of God, of what he is in and of himself connected with the discovery which he gives him of Christ, tends to humble him more and more, and to exalt the Lord Jesus.

With regard to the fear of the Lord, the other grace mentioned in the text, it is a gracious principle or habit, wrought in the soul by the same divine Author, the Holy Spirit: this is palpable, for unregenerate persons are destitute of it. We have a striking account of what man is in his natural state; in the third chapter to the Romans and in the 18th verse it is said, "There is no fear of God before his eyes." This fear is a new covenant blessing. It is the Lord's treasure (Isa. xxxiii. 6). It is rich, valuable, and rare; possessed by those only to whom it is given, and in whom it is wrought by the Holy Spirit. We noticed, secondly, their seat. Now the seat of these graces is the heart in which they are so deeply rooted as never to be plucked up, and in which cabinet they are so safely deposited as never to be lost. It is the