was that, even after our Saviour had died and risen again, the inquiry of his disciples was

"Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts i. 6.)

There was no lack of intelligence on the subject, on the part of those who made this inquiry; (any who think otherwise are sadly ignorant of God's purposes.) It is evident the Master recognised their true apprehension of God's revealed will, though his reply rebukes their impatience.

"He said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power." (Acts i. 7.)

But it must be noted here, as indeed in every case where the kingdom of God on earth is spoken of, it is the people of Israel who are primarily concerned.

Now, christians are not taught to look for the king dom, but for Christ. To the early Gentile converts it was said

"Ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven." (1 Thess. i. 9, 10.) The difference is of the utmost importance. When the kingdom of God is displayed in power-when the Lord Jesus Christ takes to himself his great power and reigns, we who trust in him during these days of his rejection, are to "reign with him.'

3

"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God; and if children then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with, that we may be also glorified together." (Rom. viii. 16, 17.)

"For if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we suffer we shall also reign with Him." (2 Tim. ii. 11, 12.) These are not vain words, but mean just what they express, though the faith of christians generally is too weak to enter into the wondrous truth they convey.

All this is quite different to and far above, the expectation of the Jews, though theirs was, and will be again, a glorious calling, even to be the first and greatest nation on earth, under the righteous reign of Christ.

The christian's prayer is written at the end of the Revelation. In answer to our Lord's announcement "Surely I come quickly "—our prayer is, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." (Rev. xxii. 20.)

The Lord's coming for his bride, (the assembly of God,) will not bring about the immediate setting up of His kingdom on earth. Read John xiv. 2, 3; also 1 Cor. xv. 51-54, and 1 Thess. iv. 15-18, in proof of what we have stated. The kingdom of God cannot come until all the faithful (i.e. believers in Christ) of the present dispensation have been caught up " to meet the Lord in the air." After that, there will intervene the day of tribulation on earth. Then will come the kingdom of God in power and glory.

“Then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." (Luke xxi. 27.)

That this is the true interpretation of the petition "Thy kingdom come," is proved by that which follows, namely, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." A moment's reflection will show that" God's will" can

only be done on earth as perfectly as it is done in heaven, when the Lord Jesus Christ shall come to reign over it in righteousness, and Satan shall be chained in the bottomless pit.

peat these petitions continually, ever trouble to inquire Beloved,-How many, out of the thousands who rewhat they are asking for? Are not the words repeated over and over again as a mere superstition, without any intelligence as to their import, or any desire of the heart accompanying them? What an awful mockery of God! The Scripture declares that "the letter killeth"; and so it must be in this case. In fact, when the prayer is answered fully, it will be destruction to unbelievers.

"The Son of Man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shali cast them into a furnace of fire: righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." (Matt. xxiii. 41—43.) It is marvellous to find intelligent men holding the foolish thoughts they do about the words we are looking at "Thy kingdom come.' We one day heard a clever man of the world (one who, we understand, goes to church as it is called, very regularly) speaking of the death of some one he had known-his expression was," he has gone to kingdom come"! We believe it is not at all an uncommon thing with many to speak of death by that phrase. What a contradiction of terms! But the worst of it is there must be an utter want of sincerity in offering up the petition while the thought remains that it means death. Who, of the multitudes who repeat the words, have any desire for death? The sorrowful truth is, that the prayer is used without spiritual intelligence; and as respects the multitude, it has become a mere superstition. There is a redeeming consideration, namely, that it is repeated by many out of reverence for Him who dictated it. But the Lord would never have us to use words which do not flow from the heart, even though his own words; and these cannot come from the heart if those who utter them attach no intelligent meaning to what they ask of God. Consider that word to the Corinthians

"God hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life." (2 Cor. iii. 6.)

The mere utterance of words is worse than vanity, if these do not express spiritual desires.

We have another thing to remark in furtherance of what has been advanced-namely, as to the concluding sentences of the Lord's Prayer-"Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory." While the few faithful Jewish disciples of Christ were thus given to confess that "the kingdom, the power, and the glory" belonged to God, the rulers of the nation rejected the Son of God, and declared before Pilate, "We have no king but Cæsar." (John xix. 15.) We see by this striking contrast that there was some value during that day of the ascription to God of "the kingdom, the power, and the glory."

But of what force are such expressions from the lips of those who are very well content with the world under the usurpation of Satan? Soon, however, will

the dominion of Satan cease, and that triumphant sound will be heard

"The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ." (Rev. xi. 15.)

But first it will be, Woe to all such as know not God and who have not obeyed the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We thank God that we are now writing for those who have obeyed the gospel, and who love the name of Jesus. To you, beloved, we address one consideration more-and it ought to have great weight with you. At the close of our Lord's ministry, when the Jewish nation had been tested, and had rejected their king, our Saviour no longer taught his disciples to pray as Jews, nor did he furnish them with any set petitions. No-at that time he gave them very different instructions as to prayer. His words were,

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you!"

In using that which is called the Lord's Prayer, you neither ask what you want, nor with spiritual understanding, nor in the name of Jesus! Do suffer the word of exhortation. Abandon the traditions of men and the misapplication of sacred things; learn what the will of the Lord is, and do it.

"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." (1 Thess. v. 21.)

GLAD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY.

List! sinner, while I speak of HIM who died,
The Just One, for the unjust, such as thou.

When man had sunk in Ruin's direful gulf,
And Death was gathering beneath his pall,
In deepest darkness, all in Gentile lands,

CHRIST came, partook of Flesh and Blood, and died;
Died in our stead; propitiation was

Thus made for all the world, that every one
Through Him eternal life might have, and be
From Sin, and Death, and Hell for ever saved.

Ah! what could'st thou have known of God-thyself-
Or of the future world, if Christ had not
A Light become for thee, and Gentiles all?
What more than they, our fathers, roaming woods
In search of prey? The sunshine and the dew
Did not communicate to them; nor stars,
Which to the pious Jew (possess'd of truth
In part) not silent were, or without voice.
Then great is thy responsibility!

Oh, then, to Jesus turn, the Son divine :-
The Light of this dark world He is; trust thou
In Him, and thou shalt have the Light of Life.
He who by Prophets spake of old, now speaks
To thee and all the world by His own Son.
"This is my well-beloved Son: Hear Him!"
Alas! the many thousands who have liv'd
In disobedience to this word of God,
Which from the glory excellent was given.
No thund'rous threat did this accompany;
But Moses, man of God, of old had said-
"HIM shall ye hear;-who not, shalt be cut off."
Behold the Jews, dispers'd throughout the earth;
Cut off, and cast aside, from favour great.
And why? Not for the blood on Calvary shed.
That fully, freely was forgiven to them.

But for rejection of the preached Word:
Though not till thrice ten summers had been told |
Did Vengeance issue forth and scatter them?
Ah, Gentile sinner, this is now thy day;
But, oh! how like the Jew of old art thou
(And other Gentiles) slighting Mercy's call!
Soon will a like rejection fall on thee,
For similar,-yea, and far more flagrant sin,
If thou refuse to hear and trust the Lord.

Oh, what a word!-That "God so lov'd the World,
That He did give His well-beloved Son,
That whosoever would believe in Him
Might PERISH not, but sav'd for ever be."
Oh, awful fact express'd in this dread word-
Where worm ne'er dies, nor fire is quench'd for aye!
Destruction from the glory and the face

Of God-a never-ending night of death--
A dissolution 'tween the soul and God.
No beaming sun above, nor even star
Of hope in the dark firmament of Hell!
No breezes wafting health across the realms
Of that sad place; nor liquid draught to slake
Unceasing thirst; nor rest for feet that track
The Pit that's bottomless; (oh, mystery
Unveil'd, a myst'ry still); nor sleep to close
The eyes that fain would respite find from woe.
If God but shut thee from His presence out,
Then woe unutterably great is thine.

At present He endures thy sin and thee;
But not for long: sin and the sinner must
Be swept from out the presence of the Lord.

What if the sentence is so long delay'd,
Think not, unsav'd one, thou hast nought to fear.
Behold the LAMB!-Immaculate by birth;
Most holy, harmless, undefiled, and good:
Could He escape the wrath of God 'gainst sin?
Ah, no though in the very sight of God
Wholly unblemish'd, both within, without;
Yet as He took the sinner's place and sin
Upon Himself-He needs must be consum'd.
How, then, shalt thou escape-unholy thou,
Within, without? No door of possible

Retreat was for HIM found, though sought with tears,
And sweat, and agony, and blood, from HIM
Who is the Infinitely Pitiful.

Would tears of thine avail in that dread day

When thou shalt stand before His throne with all

Thy sins upon thee !-thou, who might'st have wash'd

In the appointed flood, and cleansed been?
Ah, no! Then flee; the Cross thy only hope.

Oh, wondrous cleansing power of that shed blood!
Which from the day of Pentecost hath freed
From sin's foul taint so many, and which now
Forgiveness all around is bringing those
Who (mov'd by faith and deep-felt need) to it
Resort! It cleanses all who come, yet keeps
As pure and efficacious as when shed

On Calvary's Cross. Try it, Dear Soul, at once;
And purged be, in God's sight and thine own.

Oh, sin of sins! when Mercy proffer'd is,

And is esteem'd scarce worth a thought! which cost
The greatest gift of God to purchase, even
Messiah's life, who nothing ill had done.
But thus, vain man, doth lightly hold and cheap,
Most other gifts of God, most freely giv'n.
The air we breathe, the food we cat and drink;
The clothes we wear, that health of body, too,
Which much enhances every other gift;
And sleep, that great reviver of our strength:
The sky above, most fair, with clouds begarnish'd;
Sunshine that millions cheerful makes and glad:

And hill and dale, and rain and dew, and things
Beneath, above, and all around the earth;
All, all, enjoy'd by unregen'rate man :
All giv'n and nothing first deserv'd or claim'd.
God knows and gives what's needed ere we ask ;
Nor quick withdraws for base ingratitude.

Thus is Salvation giv'n to Faith; with no Demand for money's worth-for priceless 'tis. Thou hast it as a gift, or not at all.

Think not, Dear Soul, to earn it, then, by aught
That thou canst do, but humbly, gladly take,
As air you breathe, free from the hand of God.

Turn not away from one who lifts in love
Expostulation's voice. The word is Christ's,
And he who turns from it doth turn from HIM.
Oh, then, beware. The precipice of Doom
Exists, the Vortex of Destruction yawns,
And thou it dost approach. When 'tis too late,
Thou mayest view the gulf, with horror, turn,
And shriek,-" Oh, oh! what will become of me ?"
Flee, then, oh, sinner, flce; nor look behind;
Till Calvary thou hast reach'd, and safety found.

them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus which is taken from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." (ver. 10, 11.)

BYSTANDER.-What I understand you to enforce from this is, that the very Jesus who was crucified on Calvary, and who ate and drank with his disciples after his resurrection, and was then taken bodily from earth to heaven, will, at the appointed time, come from heaven to earth again.

EVANGELIST. That is it. More than eighteen hundred years have passed over since that declaration was made, and its fulfilment may be very near at hand. The Lord declared that "the gospel must first be published among all nations," (Mark xiii. 10,) not that all would believe, but that men should be left without excuse. And now I suppose the gospel has been carried everywhere, and mankind are without excuse.

IF YOU HAVE FAITH ABOUT JUDGMENT, HAVE ALSO FAITH ABOUT SALVATION.

(A DIALOGUE.)

BYSTANDER.-Your discourse this evening has, I confess, produced a solemn effect on my mind. It appears very plain from the passages of Scripture you have quoted, that the Lord Jesus Christ, who once came in humiliation, to suffer and die, is soon to come in power and glory, as the one appointed by God to be the judge and ruler of this earth.

EVANGELIST.-Yes. Nothing can be more clearly declared than that. God has fixed upon both the day and the man for the judgment of the world; and this quite independently of, and long before, the final judgment of the dead, as described in the 20th chapter of the Revelation.

BYSTANDER.-Does the New Testament anywhere speak of that solemn event in the precise language you have now used?

EVANGELIST.-Yes. If you will refer to Acts xvii. you will find it at the conclusion of Paul's address to the Athenians on Mars' Hill. The Apostle declares that the times in which God indulgently passed over men's ignorance of himself had then come to an end, and that he now commands ALL MEN everywhere to repent; and for this reason-"Because he hath appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all, in that he hath raised him from the dead."

BYSTANDER.-So, then, the resurrection of Jesus Christ must be accepted as proof of that which is declared in the passage just repeated, as to his coming to judge the nations upon earth?

EVANGELIST.-Certainly. And Acts i. shows how closely the two events are connected in the purposes of God. At the time the Lord Jesus was taken up from the earth "his disciples looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, and behold two men stood by

coming of the Lord Jesus?

EVANGELIST.-There are; but it is not needful to our present purpose to examine them. The question for you to decide is, how it will fare with you if the Lord should appear in your lifetime?

BYSTANDER.-Well, I confess I do not expect that solemn event to occur in my day. I think there will be many signs before the Son of God will be seen coming in the clouds of heaven.

EVANGELIST.-Yet Scripture abounds with warnings as to the suddenness with which judgment will overtake the world at last. "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed." (Luke xvii. 26-30.)

BYSTANDER. That is wonderfully precise language certainly; and I am convinced that it will come to pass, because I know that declaration was made by the Lord Jesus Christ himself. But after all-what would you have me to do? I have heard from time to time a good many sermons, and am quite willing to go to a place of worship, and all that sort of thing; but there seems something wanting which I cannot lay hold of. I fear if the Lord were to come now I should be condemned.

EVANGELIST.-Then let me tell you that you are just in the condition of soul to receive salvation; because, at this present time Jesus has not taken his seat as the Judge of self-condemned sinners; on the contrary, he has ascended into heaven as the Saviour of all such, if they believe in Him.

BYSTANDER. It is this requirement of belief or faith in Him which puzzles me so much. I cannot help thinking that a man must become religious before God will save him; and I think I have heard many minister s say as much.

EVANGELIST.-But, if you consider that to be the way of salvation, why have you not tried it? BYSTANDER.-I have tried it many times, and always break down; so that I have given up in despair. EVANGELIST. Did you ever come to a decision in your own mind as to what amount of religiousness would be necessary to secure salvation?

BYSTANDER.-No, I never thought of proposing such a question as that. I don't think any man could answer it.

EVANGELIST.-So you own, then, that all your efforts, even if you had been able to continue them, never would have delivered you from fear of judgment? BYSTANDER.-Well, I suppose the best of men have to pray for forgiveness, and it seems to me that no one can tell whether he is forgiven or not until he dies. EVANGELIST.-Now see what a labyrinth of difficulties you get into by following your own plans, or rather the traditions of men. Having tried man's way and proved it to be a failure, is it not time to attend to God's way, and put that to the proof?

BYSTANDER.-I would most willingly do so, if I only knew how.

EVANGELIST,-You told me just now that you consider the prophecy, as to the coming judgment for the world, true, because the Son of God has declared it. Why not accept as equally true what he has said about salvation?

BYSTANDER.-Tell me what he said. EVANGELIST." God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

BYSTANDER.-But was that spoken by the Saviour

himself?

1

EVANGELIST. Yes, they are his own words as recorded in John iii.; and the Lord confirmed them after he had suffered on the cross. Before he finally ascended into heaven, he gave this broad commission to his disciples: "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be damned." (Mark xvi. 15, 16.)

BYSTANDER.-But if the way is so plain, how is it that a few only accept it?

EVANGELIST.-Because it is God's way, and men prefer their own. Thousands, alas, disregard altogether the question of eternal life or misery. Other thousands endeavour to find the way of salvation by their own works, as if God had not made his will known; while only the few, comparatively, listen with earnest hearts to what the Son of God has declared, and through faith in Him, obtain everlasting life.

BYSTANDER.-Well, I ought to have understood this before, but thank God it is all clear now. EVANGELIST.-What is it you see so clearly? BYSTANDER.-That Jesus saves believing sinners who can't save themselves.

EVANGELIST.-And do you now believe in Him? BYSTANDER.-1 almost fear to answer. Yet I feel I must fall on my knees, and say, "Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief."

EVANGELIST.-To that I cry Amen-and praise the

Lord.

WORDS OF LOVE TO "THE BRETHREN.” (Commonly known as Plymouth Brethren.) BELOVED,-We ask you to consider well the letter published in No. 17 on the subject of exclusion for doctrinal error. We are not personally acquainted with the writer. Now, of course there are many of you who understand little or nothing of the divisions, bitterness, and strife, which have come in among you from time to time. And we know very well the tendency on the part of the majority to settle down contentedly with what they have attained to. It is hard to think we are in any respect wrong, and harder still to own it. Yet Scripture gives no favour to the thought of "finality" while we are yet down here. We must, in the present condition of things, be ever pressing forward. We ought not to decline the voice of warning and exhortation in the word of God, as though we had attained to perfection.

Well, beloved, there is a stretch of faithfulness to which you have not attained. The progress required of you is towards greater simplicity, and a closer observance of the Lord's mind as revealed in the scriptures. Surely you ought not to object

to this.

Those were bright and happy days that some of you remember in years bygone, when you were really a feeble few. It is in your power, each and all of you, to recover the happiness of the first days-but not while you hold together as a confederacy. Why will you not search the scriptures and see whether any countenance is given there to the banding together of assemblies. In the word of God each assembly is dealt with apart. They are designated simply by locality. An epistle is s:nt to the Church at Ephesus, another to Smyrna, another to Pergamos, and so forth; and all the writings are for those who have ears to hear. But the griefs and troubles of one assembly are never made the basis of judicial action in another. Nay, unless it be gross sin, it is not dealt with coercively even where it occurs. Failure of every character (except sins which law would take account of) is to be treated as amenable only to moral power, That is to say-the Christ-like life and conver sation of those who "cleave to the Lord with purpose of heart" is to bear down the evil. The scripture, faithfully used in rebuke, exhortation and building up, is the only power put by the Lord in the hands of those who in any way consider themselves his servants. He gives no authority to His undershepherds to expel any. Nor does he give such authority to the Church, (except in cases of immorality.) Such a power was given to the Apostle Paul, but there are no apostles now. Yet the Lord gives permission to his faithful ones to withdraw themselves-avoiding those, as to intimate fellowship, "which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine" taught by the apostle to the Gentiles. As to the extent of separation, or the frequency of it, individual souls must seek to be con stantly exercised in "the Word," and in earnest com. munion with God himself.

Look at our Lord's message to Thyatira (Rev. ii. 24); he speaks not only to the assembly there but to others, who, it would seem, had separated themselves

because the church permitted Jezebel's doctrines. "But unto you (the Church) I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine," &c.

We pray God that all his children may understand his Word.

And this brings us to reflect upon the need of dealing with our gracious Head, as the very present Lord of any local church wherever it may be. Present, not only in name but in power, if we in faith own His presence in power, and pray him to deal with unfaithful

ness.

Beloved, It is a joy to us to speak to you as to those who know experimentally, as well as by revelation, the happiness of being gathered in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and seeing in Him,by faith, the object and the leader of true worship. May you all be led in grace a little further, and own Him as the one who alone is able to exercise governmental power in the assembly.

It is a dreadful thing to make difference of doctrine, or anything, in fact, short of gross sin, the ground of exclusion from the Lord's table. When our Saviour first gave the bread and the wine, as the memorials of his body broken, and his blood shed for us-the disciples he had around him were foreknown as those who would afterwards forsake him and flee—and one of them was warned that he would almost immediately, and three times over, deny his gracious Master! And who were those with whom the Lord broke bread immediately after his resurrection? The two weak ones who journeyed to Emmaus, whose faith in Jesus had sunk so low, that they could only own him as a prophet,and one in whom they were disappointed, for they had "trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel!" How does our blessed Lord deal with them? He reproves them, expounds the Scriptures to them, thereby making their hearts burn within them-then he breaks bread with them, and in that act makes himself known to them! Oh, what a lesson of love! May we all learn it. How exactly all this agrees with what is written in the epistles to the Corinthians.

We would remark here with reference to the Lord's institution of " the supper"-that He himself had first spoken a word to the traitor, which caused him to go out. This, we believe, he will ever do if we faithfully wait upon Him. It is seldom that we have discernment enough to detect a Judas (the eleven did not understand the betrayer-but if we can discern such an one, we have no power to expel him. The Lord alone has authority, and will at the proper time, tell traitors to go. We sec this in the word by the apostle John"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." (1 John ii. 19.)

They were not excommunicated--but they went out; surely the Lord caused them to go.

In conclusion,-Let us say again that all we invite you to is, conformity to our Lord's will and ways, and a patient waiting upon Him, in the faithful earnestness of prayer, that he may in his own allwise and gracious way, and in his own time, and from time to time, make manifest his power in the behalf of those who seek to walk

through the wilderness, "as seeing Him who is invisible." Surely the pilgrimage is nearly over. We are, as it were, almost within sight of the everlasting home of glory. Oh, for a heart to be more like Him who was "less than the least of all saints." May the response in our hearts to the Lord's promise-"Surely I come quickly," have the effect of withering up all human pretensions and contrivances.

We desire to think for a moment of any one of the least of your gatherings, and say "Give up the griefs and burdens connected with the judgments upon Plymouth and Bristol, and all such sources of varianceGive up the distinctive use of the term "Brethren," which has become sectional-Be content to be ChristiansOwn no authority but the Lord and His word-Yet submit yourselves to one another in grace and loveLet your fellowship be based upon the mind of Christ as stated in John xiv., Acts ii. 41, 42, and Heb. x. 23-25.

And may the Holy Ghost lead you into all truth, and to a watchful waiting for the coming of the Son of God from heaven.

[The reader is here referred to our answer to W. P.' next page.]

BAPTISM, NOT A MODE OF OFFERING. Commenting on the Baptism of Lydia and her household, Mr ALFRED BARNES, the popular commentator, (having assumed, without any ground for so doing, that there were infants or un(so-called, on the following principle:-"It was the offering of regenerate persons in this household,) justifies Infant Baptism her [Lydia's] family to the Lord....they were baptized on the faith of the parent"!!

Now, it is clear, that a Christian parent is not at liberty to offer his family unto the Lord," except in a manner which is acceptable to the Lord. Of course, parents can pray for their children, and pray always; but it is impossible for them to perform any act of dedication for them. We cannot know what is acceptable to the Lord by guess-work; everything, therefore, of the nature of a sacred act we must look for in the Scriptures. If this so-called "offering" is not to be found appointed by God in the Word, we may be sure that it is not only not "acceptable unto the Lord," but most contrary to his mind and will. Let any Christian parent among our readers who desires to be clear on this subject, peruse the exhortations to parents in the various epistles; he will not find the slightest reference to this "offering of children to the Lord;" nor are the children, to whom exhortations on other subjects are addressed, ever reminded that they were so offered. It is therefore to be branded-A TRADITION OF MAN.

Under the Jewish Dispensation all "offerings unto God were distinctly detailed by Him. How else could man possibly know what was acceptable to God? There we find not only the things to be offered, but the manner, the person, and the place. Under the present dispensation nothing of either kind is provided. As we are called to "walk by faith, not by sight," we see nothing further for the Christian parent than the presentation of children to the Lord in the arms of faith, patiently ministering the Word, and leaving Baptism until there is clearly Faith in the Lord Jesus.

But even under the Law, with all its other offerings, there was no such thing as parents " offering their children unto the Lord." God claimed the firstborn male child; there was therefore no liberty to "offer" or withhold. The only liberty possessed in the matter, was the option of redecming the child by a lamb. If not so redeemed, the child became a priest. With regard to the other children, nothing was directed except that all males were to be circumcised.

In the case of Hannah, the mother of Samuel, devoting her firstborn to the service of God, there is something approaching the nature of an "offering," because she, by her vow, deliberately shut herself out from the privilege of redeeming him. But how different her case to that of any Christian parent! Samuel was the firstborn; God claimed the firstborn.

There was a priesthood then, of which Samuel could become

one.

God makes no such claim now, either of firstborn or others.

There is no priesthood now, to receive and train up children "offered" to the Lord.