But Gospel-kingdom shall yet fill the whole earth. whether in its incomplete or complete state, the subjects of the kingdom are always of one character. They "serve God without fear." They serve God "in holiness and righteousness." Let us give all diligence to belong to this kingdom. Small as it seem now, it will be great and glorious one day. The men and women who have served God in "holiness and righteousness" shall one day see all things put under them. Every enemy shall be subdued, and they shall reign for ever in that new heaven and earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. We should notice, finally, what clear views of doctrine Zacharias enjoyed. He ends his hymn of praise by addressing his infant son John the Baptist. He foretells that he shall "go before the face" of Messiah, and “give knowledge of the salvation" that He is about to bring in,— a salvation which is all of grace and mercy,-a salvation of which the leading privileges are "remission of sins," "light," and "peace." Let us end the chapter by examining what we know of these three glorious privileges. Do we know anything of pardon? Have we turned from darkness to light? Have we tasted peace with God? These, after all, are the realities of Christianity. These are the things, without which church-membership and sacraments save no one's soul. Let us never rest till we are experimentally acquainted with them.-Mercy and grace have provided them. Mercy and grace will give them to all who call on Christ's name.-Let us never rest till the Spirit witnesses with our spirit that our sins are forgiven us,-that we have passed from darkness to light, and that we are actually walking in the narrow way, the way of peace. NOTES. LUKE I. 67-80. 69.-[An horn of salvation.] Henry Venn remarks, "The horn of an animal is its weapon for defence and vengeance, its ornament and beauty too. It is used therefore in the prophetic style, to denote the power of the strongest empires. In the same sense we are to understand it here. By this image the exceeding greatness of the Redeemer's strength, and the never-ceasing exertion of it in behalf of His church are signified."—Venn on the prophecy of Zacharias. 70.-[He spake by the mouth of his holy prophets.] Let us note that it is expressly said that "God spake" by the prophets. When we read their words, we read the words of God. Burgon gives the following apt quotation from Hooker:-"They neither spake nor wrote any word of their own, but uttered syllable by syllable as the Spirit put it into their mouths; no otherwise than as the harp or the lute doth give a sound according to the discretion of his hands that holdeth and striketh it with skill." 71, 74.-[Our enemies.] We are left to gather from other sources, who are meant by these "enemies." It is highly improbable that the expression is to be taken only in a spiritual sense, and that Zacharias only means that Christ delivers His believing people from the world, the flesh, and the devil. It is far more probable that the prophecy of Zacharias, speaking, as he did, when filled with the Holy Ghost, looks far forward into all time, and includes both the second and the first advents of Jesus Christ. In this view the expression" enemies” includes not only the spiritual enemies from whom Jesus delivers His people now, but the literal enemies from whom He will deliver His redeemed Church, and the scattered tribes of Israel, at His future second appearing. 78.-[Dayspring.] This must mean Christ Himself. He is called in Malachi, "the Sun of righteousness," and in Peter, "the day-star," and in Revelation, "the bright and morning star." (Mal. iv. 2. 2 Peter i. 19. Rev. xxii. 16.) All are figurative expressions, teaching the same grand truth, that "Christ is the light of the world." 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