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The redemption of the soul of fallen man occupied the mind of the Almighty in eternity; and in love, for its sake, God sent forth His only begotten Son into the world in the fulness of time, "to seek and save that which was lost." 1 He "laid on Him the iniquity of us all." 2 For our sins He delivered Him to death, even the death of the cross.' "And He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

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But that we have individually each one somewhat to do, in order through grace to obtain personal interest in Christ, is plainly signified in the gospel. Mark how Christ speaks: "Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life.” 5 "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." 6 A gracious promise unto all that truly seek; but intimating that if sinners will participate in the blessings of His atonement, they must come to Him according to His Word, and only in so doing may hope to be accepted and saved.

See how gracious is this arrangement on the part of God, and how simple for the penitent sinner who asks, "What must I do to be saved ?" "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved," is the gospel direction and promise. "Only believe:" nothing is necessary but faith and trust in Christ; and so coming, to cast the soul, in all its demerit, on His merits and grace.

"A guilty, weak, and helpless worm,

On Thy kind arms I fall:

Be Thou my strength and righteousness;

My Jesus and my all."

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That He might thus be our Saviour was the joy that was set before Him," the joy of saving the perishing, and for which He "endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God;"8" able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.""

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But oh! what a disregard of His suffering sacrifice, His precious blood, His glorious righteousness, and mediatorial offices, His lovingkindness and waiting mercy! Sinners will not come to receive the blessings which, "without money and without price,"1 are freely offered and given unto them that believe.

It is a sad and solemn reflection that the soul should so often be utterly neglected, though at any moment this frail life may end, and then, no retracing our steps, no return to the place where mercy is offered! "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment;"2 therefore the words of the wise man, "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." 3

Beware, reader, of neglecting impressions which may be the crisis in your day of grace, and as the hymn says,

"Lest, slighted once, the season fair
Should never more return."

Cherish them in your heart, and, in dependence on the Holy Spirit, whom God will give to all that ask Him, follow up the same with prayer for grace to enable you with earnest perseverance to attend unto the one thing needful in the interests of your immortal, never-dying soul.

Listen, therefore, to what God's own inspired Word, the Bible, says:

"Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near." 4

"Give diligence to make your calling and election sure."5 "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." And the words of Christ Himself, who says, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I shall not be able.”

" 6

say unto you, will seek to enter in, and

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The opportunity is available now; the throne of grace is now accessible; the door of Divine mercy is yet open. 'Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 1 But it will not always remain so; the way to heaven will not continue open always. The door will by-and-by be shut for ever; and then it will be too late for any to seek to enter-and they will "not be able !"

Have you never yet asked yourself the solemn question, "What am I doing for my soul ?"

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Be aware of the danger you have lived in, all this while, unconcerned and thoughtless about your soul, or perhaps postponing the duty to some more "convenient season," which, alas ! may never come. “Hear, and your soul shall live." Up-up at once-" knowing," as the Scripture says, "that now it is high time to awake out of sleep." 3 And, behold," Christ says, "I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be."" Oh! how will you appear at that awful hour and judgment bar, with the terrible fact in your remembrance, "I have loved the world, but have done nothing for my soul !" and when it will be too late for repentance.

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Reader, ponder the solemn language of Christ, What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" 5 Consider the question-at once propose it unto yourself, and let it never be hushed into silence, "WHAT AM I DOING FOR MY SOUL, AND ITS SALVATION ?"

Light on the Track.

Is the time for the coming of the train approaches, you see far away along the track a beautiful light, round, red, and bright as the rising moon, moving, directly towards you. The nearer it comes the

brighter it shines, as "the path of the just, shining brighter

3 Rom. xiii. II.

1 2 Cor. vi. 2.

2 Isa. lv. 3.

4 Rev. xxii. 12.

5 Mark viii. 36.

and brighter unto the perfect day." The highway is clearly defined, and the iron rails that rest on their wooden beams are all ablaze with its friendly light. By the aid of this wonderful invention, the faithful engineer is enabled to discover any danger along the track, and thereby save many valuable lives and avoid the destruction of a great deal of property.

You will not have failed to observe, however, that it does not throw any light on the broad and beautiful fields that lie quietly asleep, wrapped in the mantle of the night, on each side of the highway, but lights only the narrow way for the rattling car with its precious freight. The reflector was not designed for anything further. The inventor did not attempt to substitute his lamp for the sun or moon, but simply to make the path of the rail-car a way of light after the sun had ceased to illuminate it, and when the storms should hide the moon and stars behind their dark curtains.

But who ever complains of the inventor for not constructing his reflector so that it might light up every highway and bypath and thoroughfare in the whole country? No one, for all know that such was not its purpose. Here is a lesson for us. Our sins have carried us a long way off from God. A great gulf yawns between our souls and the loving heart of our Father; and the Lord in mercy has spanned that chasm by a great highway. This way is for our return, and is called 66 the way of holiness ;" and over it and by it we are permitted and directed to return to our Father's house.

To make this way plain before our minds, our Father in heaven has given us a wonderful reflector, by the aid of which we are able to comprehend something of His holiness and love, and foretaste the bliss that awaits us at the end of the road, and also to foresee the dangers and obstructions that may lie in our path or near it.

This great light is the Bible. It reflects the will of God concerning us; namely, our salvation. It is appointed by the great Author to be a "lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path." It is "a sure word of prophecy, whereunto we

do well to take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place." It does not pretend to reveal everything. It is not designed to supersede the Almighty, but simply to make known just so much of His Divine plans and purposes as would be necessary for the salvation and eternal happiness of His creature man. True enough, it does not light up the deep vaults of mystery in which the purposes of God are concealed from us, but it beams with a clear and steady light on the strait and narrow way. Everything necessary for our happiness is here made known. There is scarcely a duty connected with the work of this life, or projecting into the excellent glory of the life that is to be; not a precept or principle relating to the commencement of life here, or to its interminable extension in the "dim hereafter," that is not sufficiently revealed in the steady glow of this powerful reflector.

The light thus afforded to the traveller "homeward bound" is sufficient to lead the whole world across the gulf, and beyond the swelling flood to the paradise of God. The wayfaring man may comprehend it, and he that runneth may read.

B.

Redemption.

F the goodness of God is so admirably seen in the works of nature and the favours of Providence, with what a noble superiority does it even triumph

in the mystery of redemption! Redemption is the brightest mirror in which to contemplate this most lovely attribute of the Deity. Other gifts are only as mites from the Divine treasury; but redemption opens, I had almost said exhausts, all the glories of His glorious grace. Herein God commendeth His love; not only manifests, but renders it perfectly marvellous; manifests it in so stupendous a manner, that it is beyond parallel, beyond thought, and above all blessing and praise.-Hervey.

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