How very naturally St. John (though he and the rest of the apostles saw their blessed Master ascend to His glory afterwards) has chronicled their misgivings, their lack of comprehension at the time! They would not be likely, when first they heard our Saviour's words, on which we are now dwelling, to understand them fully. From their limited experience, men are slow of intelligence, as well as of belief, in spiritual matters. But they and we are better informed now.

And yet it may have been also from pure badness of memory, or want of faith, that Thomas said what he did. For it must be evident to us all, that our blessed Master had distinctly told them that He came forth from the Father, and that if they believed in Him, they should go to the Father. He had said before this: "No man can come unto Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day." He had already said —if we take it for granted that St. John has given us our divine Master's words according to the priority of time in which they were spoken-"I am the Door: by Me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." But had we been in the little apostolic company, when our Saviour said: "Whither I go ye know, and the way ye know," St. Thomas's question would certainly have expressed exactly our own state of hesitation in common with theirs.

Now, however, through God's infinite grace and love to us in Christ Jesus, we are not only allowed, in this vale of tears, to obtain such glimpses of our heavenly home beforehand, as are given us in the Scriptures, but believing, we are one with Him who is the Way thither, and without Whose blessed Presence heaven could be no heaven. All boasting is excluded. The glory of the pardoned sinner's attaining heaven is Christ's, and not his own; and to the Lamb be it ever ascribed by him, before the assembled myriads of millions above! Having Christ now by a genuine faith, all works, that are not the fruits of faith, are excluded; they would only prove impediments in your path homeward. How sweetly secure, my brother, is your portion in Him! Oh should you not be content to feel yourself lost, absorbed in Him? How precious to know that having Him, though you may unwillingly have wrong conceptions on many points, you are united with One Who is the true Safeguard against your ever incurring the danger of God's displeasure on that account, because your life is hid in Him, Who is Himself the Truth! How precious to be reminded, when you are troubled, as every saint is, concerning your coldness and deadness of heart in Divine things, that that coldness and deadness are done away by Christ Who is your Life! You know that His is the only name in which the Father will receive you. But in His name you may

well make your boast. You see all spiritual mysteries through a glass darkly at present, but rejoice to think that you are soon going where the nature of union with Christ will be made plain to you; where you shall learn how it is, that though you were once less than nothing in yourself, you became perfect and complete in Him, when once He had sealed you with that Holy Spirit of promise. And then, when God, according to His promise, has wiped away all tears from your face, you will see, in the bright light of heavenly knowledge, how often you causelessly despaired on earth on account of your felt unworthiness and unfruitfulness, when your persuasion should rather have been: "I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing,” but I am His by faith, Who is Himself through the Spirit, my Way, my Quickener, my Sanctifier, my Hope of Glory, my Title to the prepared mansions.

Prayer.

EVER-ADORABLE Redeemer, we would now draw nigh to Thee with reverence and godly fear, on behalf of this our brother, who is waiting to be released from the burden of the flesh. Oh that Thou wouldest now fill his heart with fervent thankfulness, that the end of all his troubles is so near; that Thou wouldest

cause him to feel assured of Thy presence with him in the dark valley; that in the overflowings of the Jordan he may not be afraid. While the outward man decayeth, may the inward man be renewed day by day! Let not his heart be troubled; let him, to the last, believe in Thee in union with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, and so find peace. Inspire him with many blessed anticipations, through Thyself, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, of a place in the many mansions of his Father's house, when, his last breath spent on earth, he shall have bidden farewell for ever to all the changes of this transitory life.

We would all rejoice in Thee, Oh Lord, in that Thou knowest our cravings for a happiness this world can never bestow upon us, and hast died that heaven might be opened thereby to all believers. "We believe that Thou shalt come to Judge the world we therefore pray Thee, help Thy servants, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious blood. Make them to be numbered with Thy saints in glory everlasting." Keep us watchful and prayerful against the time of Thy promised return, that we may be Thine in the day when Thou makest up Thy jewels. May he who is departing from us, and we who may be left, look to Thee alone for righteousness and peace, and be enabled by Thy Holy Spirit to rest upon Thine own blessed assurance: "He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he

live and whoscever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die." Hear us, Almighty Saviour of sinners, for Thine own precious merit's sake, we beseech Thee; and to Thee with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

XXII.

THE PERFECT OMNIPRESENCE AND OMNISCIENCE OF GOD.

PSALM CXXXix. 1-12.

How gloriously sublime, my brother, are these inspired declarations of the Psalmist as to the perfect omnipresence and omniscience of God! And of what infinite importance it is to us, that, through the Holy Spirit, we should realize and bring home their truth to our hearts! May God grant us this precious gift, that this meditation may be profitable to us!