Ah, the covenant! the covenant! of how much many a poor tempesttossed sinner is robbed by Satan and self, through his ignorance of or educational prejudice against the covenant! Because so grossly misrepresented, how many a poor convinced and conscience-smitten sinner has little less than a certain horror when the covenant is spoken of, as though it involved doctrines and practices entertaining and encouraging sin and licentiousness, than which there could not be a greater libel against the grand economy of salvation, which economy is embraced and comprehended in that one word-cove nant. Observe again, beloved, that the language implies a waiting-aye, and a watching-time. "The Lord hath appeared." And such is ever the case in the experience of the Lord's dear people. He begets in them, imperceptibly but effectually, a certain restlessness-uneasiness -discomfort. All previous creature-satisfaction and human dependencies fail. There is, in connexion with this failure, a certain looking for and craving after a something as yet not possessed. There is a want which no human hand can supply-a gap which no fleshly power can fill. There is a blank in the heart which only He who made that heart can meet. It is under these circumstances that the Lord Himself appears, and almost invariably in an unexpected and most unlooked-for way, coming over mountains of sin, unbelief, and defilement, that fills the soul of the previously oppressed and guilty and all-but-despairing one with perfect wonder and amazement. It is at such a season that the Lord not only, of a sudden and so graciously, appears, but breaks silence with a "yea," as though by the very salutation He would assure the soul of the genuineness and the reality of the declaration about to be made. The "yea" is to leave no doubt or hesitation even for a moment of the truth and the blessedness of the disclosure which it prefaces. It is the "yea," to be followed by the "amen" of the covenant promise of a covenant Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Brethren beloved, mark the "yea." Next observe the declaration itself. "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love." See, first, the love-not creature love, and even that is the sweetest, the highest, the most sacred of all human themes; human love and creature sympathy (imperfect as it is) may be said to be all that is left of or rescued from the Adam-fall transgression. But even this creature-love must have its creature-attraction. It needs to be drawn out, and, in order to this, there must be a something to allure or to work upon. But, in regard to Divine love, there was nought whatever to attract, unless it was destitution and danger. There was not the veriest iota of anything that was pleasing, agreeable, or worthy. Hence Jehovah loved because He would love, and that perfectly-unaccountable love should, in due time, beget love upon the very ground of its perfectly-marvellous and inexplicable as well as sovereign and gracious character. The more that Divine love is investigated and considered, the more absolutely free from all human attraction or desert will it be discovered to be. Next, there is its exceedingly personal and pointed nature," Yea, I have loved thee." It is so special-so individualizing. So that, when revealed and thus made known to the objects of it, they become the more amazed and astounded at its pointed, special, separating character. And, by contrast and comparison with others, more worthy, as they conceive, on account of amiability of temper and consistency of conduct, but still left in nature's darkness and creature-heathenism, they become the more lost in wonder, love, and praise as they contemplate themselves as the objects of this supernatural and distinguishing love. Who had greater reason to rejoice in this special and separating love than Jeremiah himself, in the opening of whose prophecy we read, "Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations?" This further furnishes a key to the eternal nature of this love. "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love." It originated— if the term originate can be used in regard to an infinite and eternally-existing Being-in eternity, and was to be brought into operation in time, in immediate connexion with that declaration of Jehovah, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." And, as it was an eternal love, how unlikely-seeing whence it was, who its possessor, and what its control-that it should be a defeated or a disappointed love. As it was a love everlasting in its date, it was to be continuous and unintercepted in its operation, and everlasting in its duration. It was to be a love flowing from eternity, through all the time-state, into everlasting glorification. Furthermore, there was to be a blessed fruit or consequence of this love, as expressed in the words before us, "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore"-mark the therefore, dear reader -"therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." So that the love was not to be an inactive-a pent-up-an inoperative love, but a love in action; a love brought forth; a love manifested; a love exhibited in acts of kindness, mercy, condescension. It was to be an everlasting love displaying itself under the new, distinguishing, and still more acceptable form of "lovingkindness." O beautiful blending! O blessed combination! "Lovingkindness!" "With loving kindness have I drawn thee." Beloved, we dare not attempt to enter upon the blessed field of thought and holy comfort and consolation which this expression "therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee" opens up. We should like to indulge the inclination to enlarge upon a subject so great and so glorious, but time and space forbid. Suffice it to say, that it is the Lord Jehovah's drawing, and that with such infinite wisdom, such consummate skill, such almighty power, through mists and mazes— difficulties and dangers-so mystical and marvellous to the creature, yet, in the sequel, to be seen as so merciful, so loving, so gracious, as even in the time-state to draw forth the adoring wonder and amazement of the subject of it; and, if now, amid all the clouds and the obscurity and the antagonism of the flesh, what-what will be the aspect and what the acknowledgment in that better, brighter state of which we read, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him?" (1 Cor. ii. 9.) THE EDITOR. St. Luke's, Bedminster, June 4, 1868. THE PILGRIM'S ETERNAL REST. "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God."-HEB. iv. 9. Camberwell. How vast thy possessions, how blissful thy home; In the rest that remains to the people of God. J. J. SACRAMENTAL EFFICACY.-It is impossible to express the pestilence and fatal nature of it, and especially as it has prevailed over a great part of the world, to the great detriment of the Church for many ages past. Indeed, it is DIABOLICAL; for, by promising justification without faith, it precipitates souls into destruction; in the next place, by representing the sacrament as the cause of justification, it envelopes the minds of men, naturally too much inclined to the earth, in gross superstition, leading them to rest in the exhibition of a coporeal object rather than in God Himself.-John Calvin. Wayside Notes. In Read John xvi. This chapter may be considered as the farewell address of our blessed Lord to His disciples ere He suffered upon the cross. it He affectionately prepares His disciples for what they must expect in an ungodly world, but leaves with them at least four sources of consolation. First. He promises to send them "the Comforter" (verse 7, &c.) Secondly. He tells them His absence will only be for a little while, and that He will come again, &c. (verse 16.) Thirdly. He reminds them that while He is away He will be their Intercessor with the Father, &c. (verse 23.) Fourthly. That they have nothing to fear, for, though in this world. they shall have tribulation, yet He has overcome the world. Oh, beloved, what a precious Saviour is ours! Pray for grace to enable you to suffer for Christ's sake meekly and humbly all you may meet with from an ungodly world. Recollect that Jesus has fulfilled His promise and sent "the Comforter," and pray that His abounding consolations may be yours. Approach boldly a throne of grace under Jesus' assurance that, "He ever liveth to make intercession for you." Live daily looking for the fulfilment of His promise, that He will soon come again and receive you unto Himself, and, whatever tribulation He in His wisdom may see fit you should pass through, remember His own declaration, "I have overcome the world." Thus may you "grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To whom be glory both now and for ever. Amen." Subject. A PECULIAR PEOPLE. "I am as one mocked of his neighbour. A lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease."-JOB xii. 4, 5. Peculiar people! This is an expression which has been of late much used in a way of obloquy by the world, and that not without reason, for there has risen up amidst us a class of persons who, ignoring all "means,' resort only to prayer. A child becomes seriously ill; the parents do not consider it scriptural to call in medical aid; but, anointing the patient with oil, and getting one of the elders to pray over the sufferer, they expect that the child will be restored to perfect health! In acting thus, they believe that they are proceeding in conformity with the word of God, which tells them, "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the Church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick," &c. (James v. 14, 15.) That the view taken by these "peculiar people" of this passage must be incorrect is evident from the fact that the child dies. Now, is it not probable that this passage may rather refer to sickness of soul, and that the prayer of faith shall prevail to remove the chastisement of the Lord, which explanation would seem borne out by the after expressions in verse 15, 16: "The Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." Let it have only reference to the restoration of the body and it would be fraught with difficulties; as for instance, in case of emergency, supposing that "the elder" should not be able to come, and the prayer of faith should not be offered, or if he did go into the chamber of suffering, and faith was not in sufficient exercise, the life or death of the sick would really be in the hands of the elder, rather than in the hands of God. Now, our God is a God of means, and it is singular how emphatically His very apostle dwells upon them; he speaks of "bits in the horses' mouths," that are "to turn the whole body;" of "a very small helm" that is to guide the ship whithersoever the governor listeth; and of the inconsistency of saying to a brother or sister who is naked or destitute of food, "Depart in peace, be you warmed, and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. And the same may be applied to the sickness of the body, where no "means" are employed such as God has promised to bless. Now such peculiar conduct is not merely against common sense, but against the whole tenor of Scripture. Solomon saith, "The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered," implying that the seed must be sown to produce the grass, the grass must be cut and strewn in the sun to make the hay, and the herbs must be gathered and made into medicine, ere the sick soul will get the benefit. And again he says, "The lambs are for thy clothing, and thou shalt have goats' milk enough for food," implying that the lambs must be shorn of their wool, that it may be made into clothing, and that the goats must be milked ere the thirsty one can drink the strengthening draught. And elsewhere he uses this striking figure, "Where there is no wood, the fire goeth out." Now these, and a multitude more proofs might be given us, showing that God is a God of means, and the consistent use thereof, with His blessing upon them, is for the benefit of mankind. And such a view does not lessen the efficacy of prayer. Ah, no! Prayer moves the hand that moves the universe; and we would go further, for we believe that, while we are taught not to despise the means which God hath appointed, yet that there is nothing to indicate that throughout the whole dispensation of the Church of God, He will honour the faith of His saints with direct interpositions of His providence. Surely one's own experience has shown us that deliverance has been wrought when all human means have failed; that man's extremity is God's opportunity. Yet, while this is so, the Lord's usual way is to work by instruments. True, Christ, being God, had but to speak the word, and water was turned into wine, the stormy sea became a calm, the sick were healed, and the dead brought to life: but Moses had to use an instrument; he had to take a rod to smite the rock and divide the waters. Now, while the inconsistencies of some may have brought the scriptural expression "a peculiar people" into disrepute, and one is led to feel with Solomon, "Lo, this have I found that God hath made man upright, but they have sought out many inventions," yet at the same time we must bear in mind that the Lord's family must inevitably be "a peculiar people;" and, as the passage which |