eousness must be more glorious than that of any, even the highest created being. This righteousness, imputed by the grace of the Father, and received by a faith of the operation of the Spirit, becomes the believer's "garment of salvation, and robe of righteousness," Isa. lxi. 10; and he may adopt the language of the poet, and exultingly exclaim,— "Clad in this robe, how bright I shine! A robe like Jesu's righteousness!" 4. In the ministry of angels to man. They are the servants of the saints. "As the Son of God hath a special relation to man, so the most tender affections for him. To illustrate this by a sensible instance: angels and men are as two different nations in language and customs, but under the same empire; and if a prince that commands two nations should employ one for the safety and prosperity of the other, it were an argument of special favour. Now, the angels are ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation,' Heb. i. 14."-Dr. Bates. "Christ, by taking on him, not the nature of angels, though the more ancient and noble house, but the seed of Abraham (Heb. ii. 16), made the elder serve the younger; even angels themselves minister to the meanest saint as unto their Master's heir."-Gurnall. "God doth communicate by them the effects of his love and care unto the church of Jesus Christ. It is true, the great instance of their ministry was given in and about the person of Christ as head of the church. But by him, and on his account, they perform the offices of their mission towards others also, even all the heirs of salvation; but this still upon the account of Christ. They are sent in an extraordinary manner, to make revelations of the will of God about things tending to the obedience and spiritual advantage of them that do believe; hereof we have many instances in both the Old Testament and the New. God, by them, suggests good motions into the minds of his saints: as the devil sets himself on work to tempt them to evil, by suggestions suited to the principle of sin in them; so God employs his holy angels to provoke them to that which is good, by suggesting that unto them which is suitable to the principle of spiritual life and grace which is in them. God sends forth his angels for the good of believers, to preserve them from many dangers and ruinous casual ties that would otherwise befall them (Psalm xxxiv. 7; xci. 11, 12). They are in their ministry appointed to be witnesses of the obedience, sufferings, and worship of the disciples of Christ, that they may give testimony unto them before God and in the great assembly of the last day; so glorifying God for the grace bestowed upon them, and the assistance afforded unto them (1 Cor. iv. 9, xi. 10; 1 Tim. v. 21). God useth the ministry of angels to avenge his elect of their enemies and persecutors, to render unto them a recompense and vengeance even in this world (Isa. xxxvii. 36; Acts xii. 23). And this ministry of theirs is in a special manner pointed to in several places of the Revelation, where the judg ments of God are foretold to be executed for the persecutions of the world. And this work they wait for in a holy admiration of the patience of God towards many a provoking generation; and are in a continual readiness to discharge it unto the uttermost when they shall receive their commission so to do. At death they do carry the souls of the people of God into Abraham's bosom (Luke xvi. 22). And they do rejoice in such a conveyance, that they may be employed to bring another into the society and communion with themselves in that glory which they by Christ attain unto; for they delight in the filling up of the body of Christ. As when a soul is converted, there is much joy to the angels; how much more when a soul is glorified? As the devil, from a principle of enmity, is ready as an executioner to conduct souls to be tormented in hell, to carry them from the presence of the Lord; so are the blessed angels from a principle of love, as officers for our conduct to enter into our Master's joy and sweet will be the converse of the soul and the angels in that pleasant passage. The ministry of angels respects also the general resurrection and day of judgment. The Lord Christ is everywhere described coming to judgment at the last day, attended with all his holy and glorious angels; and great shall be their work towards the elect in that day, when the Lord Christ shall be admired even by them in all those that do believe. By them also will the Lord Christ gather them together from all parts wherein their redeemed bodies have been reduced into dust; and so also, at length, by them bring all the heirs of salvation triumphantly into the full possession of their inheritance."-Drs. Owen and Strong," On the Covenants." : How honoured, then, are the objects of this angelic ministration! And let it be observed to whom it is restricted: "Them that shall be heirs of salvation." Their adoption into the family of God, and heirship to their future inheritance, bring this great privilege with them, of the especial guardian care of angels. "And thus, in all their employments about the saints, wherein they are sent to minister for their good, they learn much of the wisdom and love of God, and are thereby excited to honour, glorify, and praise him. Somewhat of this they shall see in the least and meanest work towards any believer that is committed unto them. And they eternally rejoice in the overflowings of the love and grace of God, taking care of all the concerns of the poorest and meanest of his seryants"-Dr. Owen. 5. In future blessedness man will be dignified above angels. The bliss of angels is that of pure and perfect creatures, who have contracted no defilement, and incurred no guilt, and who have not forfeited the favour of God. But man is redeemed from a state of transgression, pollution, and guilt; and is, therefore, laid under greater obligations, owing his salvation to a peculiar exercise of the Divine mercy towards him. That perfect and absolute freedom from all evil, and possibility of evil, to which glorified saints will be admitted in heaven, will not be after the pattern of angelic perfection; they will not be its model, but God himself (Psalm xvii. 15), and Christ himself (1 John iii. 2; Rev. xxii. 4). There will also be another peculiar privilege the redeemed will enjoy in distinction from angels—after the resurrection they will be possessed of a glorified body: this body will be immortal and incorruptible, free from every imperfection; but its chief dignity will consist in its being a kind of copy of the glorious body of Christ (Phil. iii. 21). Thus, as Christ has a body, who is infinitely superior to angels, so shall all the saints, in their conformity to him in this particular, have an honour which angels have not. And the redeemed will be for ever above angels the special objects of the love of Christ, inasmuch as he purchased them at so great a price (1 Pet. i. 18, 19). They must be his greatest favourites whose blessedness is bought at so dear a rate: "Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing" (Eph. v. 25, 27). It is peculiarly among them he will dwell for ever (Rev. vii. 15-17); it is over them he will rejoice; in his love to them he will rest (Zeph. iii. 17). Hence, the glorified church is termed his Bride, the Lamb's wife; and, as it is said, Uxor splendat radiis mariti, "the wife shines with the rays of her husband;" so will the church in heaven appear in all the splendid lustre of the Redeemer's righteousness, and the perfection of sanctification; and thus be lovely in his eyes, as the purchase of his humiliation, obedience, and death; and as moulded and prepared for his immediate presence, and for the nearest communion with himself by his Spirit. It is very remarkable, that in Rev. iv. 8-11, and v. 8-14, the angels are represented as surrounding the living creatures and elders. A recent author thus expresses himself on this subject: "The rank of the redeemed sinner is not only raised after his fall, it is raised to a height above all creation; and this elevation is the necessary consequence of the way of his salvation. Redeemed sinners sit on the throne of the Lamb, while angels stand in an outer circle around it. However numerous and glorious are the hosts of angels, in the whole range of creation there cannot be found an equal to redeemed man. If we are the brethren of the Lord of creation, the angels of heaven cannot pretend to be our equals. When Christ married our nature, he raised it, by necessary consequence, from a degradation below brutes, to an elevation above all the principalities of heaven. Even in heaven the redeemed sinner, God excepted, cannot have a superior nor an equal."-Carson's Knowledge of Jesus the most excellent of the Sciences.' in every footstep of his ways, and seen in mysterious characters in the permission of sin; but it is nowhere more strikingly displayed than in the fact that his Son interposed for fallen man, whilst angels that sinned are cast down to hell, and reserved in everlasting chains under darkness" (2 Pet. ii. 4; Jude v. 6): that it was not his will to save both, but to pass by those of the superior nature who transgressed, and to exalt man to a state of greater honour and glory than that from which he fell! It becomes us, with profound admiration and gratitude, to exclaim, on this manifestation of Divine sovereignty, "Even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight" (Matt. xi. 26). How unspeakable, how inconceivable is that distinguishing love thus exercised! "Herein is love. God is love!" "Amazing work of sov'reign grace, That could distinguish rebels so! "To thee, to thee, Almighty love, Our souls, ourselves, our all we pay ; How What is worthy of the pursuit of a rational and immortal man in comparison with this exalted felicity! much is it to be lamented, that with the most part of mankind, who have opportunity of becoming acquainted with the truths and the blessings referred to, trifles unsatisfying in their nature, perishing as to their duration, and which, in innumerable instances, bring guilt and remorse on the conscience, should be preferred to "glory, honour, and eternal life" to a seat on the throne of Christ! (Rev. iii. 21). Candidates for this high and distinguished station, think "what manner of persons you ought to be in all holy conversation and godliness;" how detached from earth; "your affection set on things above;" your "conversation in heaven." Remember that " every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as he is pure.' "Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless." "Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." Coventry. THOUGHTS FOR WORLDLY PROFESSORS. N. R. I. Inconsistencies.-Christ's real people are his servants, his subjects, his friends. But of many of his professed people it may be said, what strange servants!always at work for themselves; doing nothing for their Master! What singular subjects!-taking the reins of government into their own hands, and making their own will a law unto themselves. What heartless friends!-preferring the company of the vain, and the friendship of the world, above communion with God. The most important things are the most neglected. In proportion as subjects deserve attention, it is denied them. The life of man is chiefly taken up with trifles. Compare what men are doing with what they are leaving undone, and you will see, with surprise, how much the latter transcends in importance the former. He that does good without being good, pulls down with one hand what he builds up with the other. He who, by inconsistency, becomes a stumbling-block in the church, is the grief of the church, the jest of the world, and the gazingstock of fallen angels. that II. Conformity to the World. - Ye people of the world! when we speak to those who profess to be "not of the world, as Christ was not of the world," and exhort them to act in a manner becoming their profession, we beg them not to be like you. We tell them that they must serve another Master, and have another standard of duty; they must not conform to your habits, nor pursue your pleasures, and that on the peril of their souls. Yes! we tell them that, as they regard the approbation of God and the honour of Christ, their present peace and their everlasting felicity, they must be very unlike you of the world. Ah! then, what must you be, that a Christian should belie his profession and blast his hopes by being like you? What means the exhortation to Christians" not to be conformed to the world," but that you are going the road to ruin; and Jesus Christ, wishing to save his disciples from going to perdition, bids and beseeches them to separate from you, lest, in their communion with you, they should imbibe the contagion of your principles and practices. This is a most serious matter. We beseech you consider that you belong to a devoted community. What a contradiction is a worldly Christian! He is an earthlyminded minder of heavenly things. When men, in extenuation of their worldly spirit, which leads them into places of great trial, plead that they can be as good in one place as another, they forget that such a remark is only true of those who are not good in any place. III. Heavenly-mindedness. — Few of the secular duties of life, lawfully pursued, require more than the hands and the occasional attention of the mind. One of the most profoundly metaphysical books that ever was written, was all thought out upon a shoemaker's bench: might not that mind have been in heaven? As to those things (for there are such) that cannot properly be attended to without engrossing the whole mind, let the mind for the time be given to them; for, if lawful, they interrupt not the heavenly conversation more than sleep does. It requires more of the spiritual mind to enable one to leave this world without regret, and enter the other without fear. The secret of enjoying this world, is in having the heart fixed upon the next. So strange a thing is this world, that if you look to it for satisfaction it will deceive and disappoint you; but if you look away from it to God, it will pursue you with blessings. The man whose hope riseth to God, hath not only freed himself from its tyranny, but hath gained an absolute dominion over it; so that, whether it smile or frown, whether it gives or withholds, it is all the same to him who lives upon the unfailing promise, that "all things shall work together for good to them that love God." It is ignoble in you to be greatly pleased with the world. You are living below the privileges of your birth while you are satisfied with these paltry things. It is unworthy in you thus to prefer the footstool to the throne, the badge of servitude to the crown of empire. It is doing injustice to that spirit within you, which reckons its descent from God, which drew its first breath from the inspirations of the Almighty and lives in God, to present it with these vanities, and bid it be satisfied with a heap of dust, when it ought to have a cluster of glories; to feed it with the poor applause of men, when it covets the high approbation of its Maker; to reduce it to the lowness of worldly pleasures, when it should be panting after the pleasures which are evermore at God's right hand! W. N. PRAYER A PRIVILEGE. ALTHOUGH God is everywhere present, yet he is invisible. He is an all-pervading Spirit, yet is perceived by none of our senses. We behold his glorious works in the heavens and in the earth, and may learn something, by careful observation, of the general laws by which the material universe is governed; but still the great Architect is concealed. As far as reason can lead us, we seem to be shut out from all intercourse with our Maker; and whether prayer is permitted would remain for ever doubtful, were it not for Divine revelation. We are not surprised, therefore, that some deists have denied that prayer is a duty, or that it can be available to the Deity. Indeed, considering man as a sinner, it would seem presumptuous for such a creature to obtrude himself into the presence of a holy God. Natural religion, as it is called, is not at all suited to the wants of sinners, but Divine revelation teaches us that God may be acceptably approached by sinners only through the mediation of his Son. Prayer is everywhere in the Bible recognised as proper, and inculcated as a duty. But it is also a most precious privilege, one of the richest blessings conferred on man. It opens a method of intercourse and communion with our Father in heaven; it furnishes a refuge for the soul oppressed with sin and sorrow; it affords an opportunity to the heart overwhelmed with an intolerable weight of misery, to unburden itself, to pour its griefs into the ear of one who can pity and help. The moral effect of prayer is important. It humbles the soul, and excites veneration for the august and holy character of God. But, though prayer brings into exercise the noblest acts and emotions of which our nature is capable, yet it would be a grand mistake to confine the efficacy of prayer to their moral effects. Prayer, when offered in faith, for things agreeable to the will of God, actually obtains for the petitioner the blessing which he needs. It has an efficacy to obtain forgiveness of sins, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and deliverance from a thousand evils. Prayer enters into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth; the prayer of faith is the mightiest engine upon earth. The Lord of heaven has given his word to answer prayer. He will be inquired of by his people, that he may bless them. God can make any means effectual; and amongst the instituted means for the government of the world, and the preservation and comfort of his people, prayer holds a high place. The objection that God is immutable and knows what we need, has no more force against prayer than any other means-no more force than if urged against the necessity of cultivating the ground in order to obtain a crop, of receiving food to nourish the body. The Christian life is sustained by prayer. By it every grace is exercised, every blessing is obtained. Without the sincere desires of the heart, prayer is nothing; it is worse-it is a mockery. He is the best Christian who prays most. As God is ever near to us, "for in him we live, and move, and have our being," we are permitted to hold intercourse with him at all times, and in all places. We are commanded to " pray without ceasing" to "be instant in prayer"— to pray everywhere, holding up holy hands." 66 THE EVENING OF LIFE. "O DEATH! how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that liveth at rest in his possessions, to him that hath nothing to vex him, and that hath prosperity in all things; yea, unto him that is yet able to receive meat," saith the son of Sirach. Yes! and by what expedient do such men try to overcome thy bitterness? Oh! when I see them, like some beaten foe, who retreats from fence to fence behind the last entrenchment, driven now from the joyous revelry of youth, and anon from manhood's keen enjoyments, until they are reduced at last to solicit a faint gratification from stimulating, perhaps, a languid palate-oh! when I see them, like the worm which cleaves to the withered leaf, feeding on the wan and shadowy remembrance of days never to return, and trying whether it may do them any good to forget that which they now no more can change-how do I then, with my whole soul, exclaim, Thanks be to Jesus Christ, my Lord, who hath delivered me from the bondage of this corruptible world! The poet says: "Taught by some impulse from on high, men's minds Suspect the coming danger, as we see The waters heave before the approaching storm." But of you it may be said: 66 'They hear the wild winds lash the bursting sails, At every joint the shivering vessel creaks, But strike they will not, and go blindly down." How sweet, O death, is the thought of thee to the man who could never find a satisfying portion here below, but who, even amidst this fleeting life, still lived and leaned upon the promises of that which is everlasting! I do not quail before thy scythe; it can cut off nothing which I am not willing to leave behind, that the wings of my spirit may bear me unencumbered away. Old age, for him who has a Saviour, thy rosy evening changes so insensibly into dawn, that there is scarce a night between! Yes, I will set my house in order; the task will not be difficult. The best of my property I take along with me. I leave my children to the great Father of the fatherless, to whom belong heaven and earth. My body I bequeath to the earth, and my soul to the Lord. He has sued for it longer than my life, and he bought it with his blood. Thus, I lay every weight aside, and am ready for the journey. When the traveller has paid his debts in the city of a foreign land, how does he exult to pass the gate as he bends his steps homeward. I have no more a single creditor upon earth, and I know I shall find none in the place to which I go. Oh! it is a blessed thing to die, when we say with Hezekiah: "Behold, for peace I had great bitterness; but thou hast, in love to my soul, delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back." Yes, old men, the blessed thistle is an herb of precious use. It smoothes the aching of the heart. But beside the cross of Jesus there grows a plant that is fairer still, and has a juster claim to be called Heart's-ease. Nothing like it alleviates the bitter pangs that precede the hour of dissolution! "THE JOY OF THY LORD." SOME of the particulars of this joy may be noticed: 1. It is the joy of rest.-How sweet is rest after the trials and labours of the day! How sweet will the rest of heaven be to the Christian, when life's toils "are o'er!" Delightful rest! What Christian can contemplate it even in the present world without joy? What will its participation be in heaven? It is not the joy the traveller feels when he stops for the night to rest his weary limbs, amid the |