If I think the law of God would not condemn me what need have I of Christ as a Saviour?

Do I attend to the Gospel of Christ as my only hope, acknowledging that there would be no hope for me were I to stand a trial by the law?

VII. HEADS FOR PRAYER.

1. Pray for a confident expectation of the glory which is to be given to Christ's people when he shall come again ask that the number of those people may soon be completed; and that you may be found amongst them in glory.

2. Pray for a lively feeling of the pleasure of meeting in heaven with those whom you love now; and ask for grace always to order your affections with that view.

3. Pray to be kept in a watchful state respecting the glorious coming of Christ, so that the thought of it may be habitually in your mind.

4. Pray for such a conviction of sin, that you may never indulge a hope of escaping the condemnation of God's law except by hearkening to Christ, and applying his atonement for your sins.

VIII. THE PRAYER.

[1] O God, I beseech thee to give me a sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ; and a confident expectation that he shall change our vile body that it may be like unto his glorious body, according to the mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself. May it please thee of thy gracious goodness shortly to complete the number of thine elect, and to hasten thy kingdom: and grant that, together with all those who are departed in the true faith of thy holy name, I may have that perfect happiness, both in body and soul, which those possess who are admitted into the everlasting glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. [2] Give me a lively sense

of the delight which thy people will enjoy, in meeting together on the day of His glorious coming; and enable me so to order the affections of my heart, that in loving those whom I meet with upon earth, I may look forward with a desire to love them in eternity, and may so conduct myself towards them as to further that object by advancing their spiritual interests. [3] Let me watch and pray always; and especially give me grace ever to keep in mind what thou hast declared in Thy word concerning the glorious day of the Lord's coming; that, being calmly prepared to behold him, I may never be taken unawares, nor be confused or alarmed if it should please thee to bring me nigh unto death. [4] May thy Holy Spirit so convince me of sin, that I may never place myself under the sentence of thy law by any excuses or self-defence; but turn me day by day, I beseech Thee, so entirely to Christ that I may be continually cleansed by His blood; and, following his steps, may find him my Saviour in the day of His Coming. AMEN.

Our Father, &c.

ONE HUNDRED & FIRST PORTION.

I. BEGINNING PRAYER.

MAY GOD, for the sake of JESUS CHRIST, give me the HOLY SPIRIT, that I may understand this portion of his Holy Word, and profit by it. AMEN.

II. THE SCRIPTURES.

Read St. Matthew's Gospel, chap. xvii. v. 9 to 13. St. Mark's Gospel, chapter ix, ver. 9 to 13.

III. THE MEANINGS;

or sense of some words as used in this portion. MATTHEW Xvii. verse

9. the vision means here what they had seen

set to rights
liked

MARK ix. verse

12. set at nought

treated with contempt

IV. THE EXPLANATION.

After the wonderful sight which had been shewn to the three Apostles in the course of the night, they all came down from the mountain in the morning (Luke ix. 37); and as they walked along, our Lord gave them a particular command not to tell what they had seen to any person whatever, until after those things had happened to him of which he had so lately warned them. He had before mentioned the sufferings which were coming upon him, including his death, and also his being "raised again the third day." (Matt. xvi. 21, &c. page 193.) He now referred to that same time, telling them not to speak of his glory, which

they had seen, "until the Son of Man be raised again from the dead." Though this expression alludes to the same event as that before mentioned, it speaks of it in a different manner; and means the time when Jesus was to come to life from amongst those who are dead. In order to understand the Scriptures properly, it is of importance for us to know the true meaning of the expression" risen from the dead," now first used by our Lord. As regards us, it means not only to rise from the grave, but to be one of those who come to life at what is called "the first resurrection;" when true christians shall rise from amongst the rest of the dead, who (being those who must perish) are not to take their bodies again till some time afterwards. St.Paul explains this subject more fully in 1 Cor. xv. 20-24, where he tells us of three different times of resurrection. First, Christ rose from amongst all other dead people, as "the first-fruits" of his own great victory over death, and of the harvest of souls he will gather into his glory. Secondly; afterwards, at Christ's second Coming, all who really belong to Him shall be separated from others that have died, and rise out from amongst them: Thirdly; then, afterwards, comes the end, when "the rest of the dead" shall also be raised; and this is stated in the Revelation to be a thousand years after the time when those who are "blessed and holy" will be raised. (Rev. xx. 4-6.) We have more means of understanding this subject than the Apostles had at the time Jesus said this; for Christ himself, the first-fruits, has actually risen; the Holy Spirit has been given; and, under His guidance, several passages have been written to instruct us. Not

having these advantages, the three Apostles were much surprised and puzzled by what Jesus said. They told nothing of what they had seen and heard; but they each asked one another what Jesus could mean by rising from the dead.

On another point they asked our Lord himself for some explanation. They had just seen Elijah in glory on the mount; and this brought to their remembrance, that the Scribes (who were learned men, and instructed the people out of the Old Testament, see vol. i., page 71) taught them to expect, that the prophet Elijah would appear upon earth before the Messiah's coming. This was according to the last words written by the last of the prophets, and containing this message from God" Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord" &c. (Mal. iv. 5, 6.) They asked Jesus therefore to explain how this was. He told them, that it is true, that Elijah is to come "first," that is, (according to the prophecy of Malachi) just before "the great and dreadful day of the Lord;" and that he will be employed in setting all things to rights in preparation for the glorious state of Christ's kingdom upon earth. From the way in which Jesus mentioned this, we may have reason perhaps to expect that the Prophet Elijah himself will appear in the course of those events by which, according to what has been foretold, the Jews are to be restored to their country, and Jerusalem is to be rebuilt as a Jewish city. (Isaiah xi. 11–16; xviii. 7; xxvii. 12, 13; xlix. 13–26. Jer. iii. 16-18; xii. 14-17; xvi. 14, 15; xxiii. 5-8; xxx. 18-22; xxxi. 10-14, 38-40. Ezek. xxviii. 25, 26. Hosea iii. 4, 5. Amos ix. 14, 15.