reveal Christ to you, in all his glory, as "Emmanuel, God with us." 3. It is the office of the Spirit to "shed abroad in the heart the love of Christ," (Rom. v.) thus revealed. He has done so to others-oh! plead that He may do so to you also. For hear the promise-" Ask, and ye shall receive— seek, and ye shall find." (Luke xi.) If then you are sincere in wishing to love Jesus, and yet know not how, oh, be earnest, night and day, in pleading for his Holy Spirit, to renew you in the spirit of your mind;" to reveal Christ to your soul; and to shed abroad the love of him in your heart. This is what is meant by being born again; and remember what Jesus himself says, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a man be born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." (John iii.) II. Another question I would now put to you-and grant, O Almighty God, for the sake of Him with whom thou art ever well pleased, that whosoever readeth these lines, may not pass it by, without laying it to heart!It is this: "Wilt thou go with this man, even with this Jesus? Yea or nay, for there can be no silence, no half-way. Consider with whom I ask you to go. It is with Jesus, the "Lord of glory," the eternal Son of God-"fairer than the sons of men," the chief among ten thousand," and " altogether lovely." He is the "brightness of the Father's glory," the "express image of his person," and therefore, also, he is "Love." It is in vain to say that this earth never saw his like; for the heaven of heavens, every stone of whose pavement is precious and beautiful, with all its glory and joy, is not even mentioned in the songs of the blessed that dwell there. But it is the Lamb of God, the chosen Lamb that was slain, the glorious Lamb now upon the throne, that fills the hearts and souls of ten thousand times ten thousand spirits at this very moment in His immediate presence, who were once as guilty and hell-deserving as you or I. Come up-let us join them-hear that voice which says, "come up hither"--why should we not? They too were asked if they would go with Jesus; and, through his grace given to them and now offered to you, they said, "We will go!" Oh! my dear fellow-mortal, say you, too, "I will go," in sincerity and in dependence on that grace, and we shall yet be happy with that Lamb and with those blessed ones. Do you ask nie, what is it "to go with Jesus?" I answer, it is to "believe in him with the heart," to trust in him, to with give yourself wholly up to him. "Will you then go him?" What is it that troubles you-that makes you hesitate? Is it this, "I know not the way?" Do you sincerely wish to know it? If so, then let me tell you that Jesus is a PROPHET, and that he who sends for you, will teach you. "I am the way, the truth, and the life." He teaches by his word which you have in your hands-search it diligently, with much prayer to him who is the Author of it, for the effectual teaching of that Spirit who is the great Instructor of all who would come to Jesus, and who alone can make the word to become "spirit and life." Take this promise into your mouth, "I will send the Holy Spirit the Comforter, and he shall guide you into all truth." (John xv.) Or, is this your reply, "I am so vile a creature, and have so often rejected Christ, that I am afraid to dare to come to him?" Then let me remind you that Christ is a PRIEST, a great High Priest; and that, by the enduring of those sorrows, and the suffering of that death which we have already been considering, he has so taken away sin, that whosoever comes to him in sincerity, shall find his own individual sins already pardoned. Behold the Man of sorrows on the cross, enduring all those awful agonies for sinners, and can you doubt but he will now receive you? The thief on the cross said to him in the midst of that agony, "Lord, remember me!" and what was the reply?" To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise!" He intercedes for his murderers and is there less hope for you ? "His blood cleanseth from all sin." (1 John i.) Oh! come, then, to this open fountain, with all your sins and wickedness! "He ever liveth to make intercession," (Heb. vii.) therefore, "He will save to the uttermost all that come to him." Take hold of this invitation and promise of his own, and plead it earnestly with God in Christ's name: "Come unto me, all you that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matt. xi.) Or, lastly, do you reply, "Willingly would I go with Jesus; but I feel that I cannot rouse myself from this hardened indifference, nor break myself off from sin to turn to him?" I say, then, Jesus is a KING, and to him is committed all power in heaven and in earth, and this power he employs in saving. Tell me, is not HE that made your heart, able to renew it? Is not HE who has already turned to himself myriads of sinful hearts, able to turn yours? How cheering to hear the Father say to him, "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power." (Psa. cx.) Strive, therefore, to come to Jesus, looking up to him and confidently trusting in him to make you willing by his power, and by the power of his love for thus saith the holy apostle, once a blasphemer, "The Love of Christ constraineth me.' (2 Cor. v.) Remember that "Jesus is exalted as a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance," as well as "forgiveness." (Acts v.) And is not repentance-to be grieved for sin, to hate it, to turn from it to God? Is not this what you wish for? and is it not freely given to them who will receive it? Oh! come, then, to Jesus with that ignorance, that he may instruct you-with that guilt, that he may remove it— with those bonds and chains, with that weakness and helplessness; that once more he may "bind up the broken thearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the pr son to them that are bound!" (Isaiah lxi.) THE ENGLISH MONTHLY TRACT SOCIETY, 27, RED LION SQUARE. J. & W. Rider, Printers, Bartholomew Close, London. THE END OF TIME. A NEW year has commenced; its first morning has dawned upon me; the last year is finished, and gone over my head, in order to make way for the present. I have one year less to travel through this world, and to fulfil the various services of my travelling state. Soon to me the words of the apocalyptic angel will be fulfilled, "Time shall be no longer!" May my diligence in duty be doubled as the number of my years is diminishing! Another birth-day has come and gone over me-the day wherein I was born into this world of sins, frailties, and sorrows. I am hastening hourly to the end of that life which began at my nativity. How have I spent this mortal life? How am I prepared for my dying moment? Let me arouse and inquire, Am I yet born of God? Have I begun the life of a Christian? Am I prepared for that awful day which will determine the number of my months on earth? Am I fit to be born into the world of spirits, through the gate of death? Am I renewed in all the powers of my nature, and made meet to enter that unseen world, where there shall be no more a revolution of days and years, but where one eternal day fills up all the space with ineffable pleasure, or one eternal night, with long and deplorable distress and darkness? Do I observe the apparently slow motion of the shadow upon the sun-dial? It passes over the hour lines with an imperceptible progress, yet soon it will touch the last line of daylight. So my hours and my moments move onward, with a silent pace! So decline the days of life, the hours of labour, and the seasons of grace! They will arrive with certainty at their last limit, how heedless soever I am of their motion, or of the due improvement of them. Do I see the moon gliding along the midnight sky? This |