most blessed. So if we will be blessed the worship of Jesus, we must not "keep the law," but "draw near" love and joy; we must not only mrship in the use of "stated means," ut also of" means" unstated, at times at set and in places not appointed. me err in praying only when they tre "moved"; many err by the strict e of a kind of devotional Bradshaw, whh wofully checks the natural impase to special entreaty. A deep sorrow od despair should bend the knee in pplication; great gladness and Ligh ope should fill our mouth with agater and our tongue with singing. There is no need of matin chime or reaper ball, but, plying our daily tasks, ating by our firesides, speaking with trends, or rambling in the fields, we End our wants and therein find the all to prayer. Let us not wait till prayer-time," but then and there, le the heart is musing and the fire aras, speak with our tongues. Like a rast between meals to the hungry, the bread we ask for shall be given ad be found exceeding sweet. For, wn Christ leads us out to Bethany He blesses us there. II-In such "special seasons "Christ much of his worthiness, and we retraly worship Him. We honour the good and the great; we canonize the saints and commemoate the heroes. He is most Woriful" who is most saintly and most ne. It is both as "the Lamb slain " and the "Lion of the tribe of Judah " that we worship the Saviour. Christ had been recently showing ach of His goodness to the disciples. Hoving discourses before His passion His tender sympathy after, especito Peter and Thomas, had assured them that having loved His own ch were in the world He loved then to the end." Now, He applied to Himself all that was written in Moss and the Prophets concerning the Messiah, renewed the promise of the Comforter, assumed the tone of command as if the whole world were "Tarry at Jerusalem." Go The teach every creature"-rose slowly from amongst them, spread his pierced hands in benediction, and was received from their sight by the clouds. They “beheld His glory as it had been the glory of the Only-begotten Son of God." Though such "special seasons" may reveal to us more of Christ's love than His power, the result is the same; we gaze steadfastly towards Heaven and worship Him there. The pages of Holy Writ are illumined with a heavenly light, and we thank "the Light which lighteth every man." The sin confessed becomes sin pardoned through the merits of His sacrifice, and we call upon our souls "and all that is within us to bless His holy name." heart's strong desire is satisfied by the gifts of his care, and "we pay our vows unto the Lord, we render unto Him songs of deliverance." The displays of His loving-kindness make us bow in adoration; the nearer He comes to us the farther He seems to be above us; the more He shows His exceeding love the more we perceive His exceeding greatness; and the richer his blessings the more unsearchable are His riches. Verily He hath heard us. "Oh come let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Saviour." III. We should return from such seasons to our common work with great joy. 66 How gladly would the disciples have tarried at Bethany in that holy rapture and bright reverie-steadfastly gazing up into heaven! God's own angels broke the spell, and dismissed them to their anxious work of waiting at Jerusalem. The lark cannot always "sing at heaven's gate," she must drop silent into her lowly nest of withered bents and coarsest spear-grass, to feed her unfledged brood. The clouds that are marshalled in majestic order before the sun, filled with his glory and robed in his light, must be broken up to do their work on earth, feeding flowerets' roots, giving springs to hill-sides, streams to valleys, freshness to the meadow grass, and juice to fruit. "The light of ancient France". "that most wonderful and perhaps most exquisite" maiden, Joan of Arc-said of her visions that they were sent "to teach her to govern herself." So, if the Christian soars on wings of faith, with songs of praise, he must drop back again to homely duties; if he has some foretaste of the excellent glory and Paradisaic bliss, he must be shorn of it for the sake of daily work; and if the "heavenly vision" is granted, he must be obedient to it and learn from it how to govern himself. The disciple must go back from his Bethany of rare or repose to his Jerusalem of tol and fear with great joy. These spre'ul ↑ seasons" remind him of a home above, and promise him a blessing on his sojourn here. They tell hira that presently he shall serve day and night in the temple," and bid him learn that service now. They give him the earnest of the inheritance, and direct him to prepare for its enjoyment by careful use of what he has, and by honest labour where he is. They sing of being "for ever with the Lord," and whisper to the pilgrim, "Lo, He is with you alway.' They speak of "no sorrow," no night, and "no sin," whilst they check the rising sob and wipe away the falling tear. They are eloquent of the Divine perfections, and encourage us to every duty by the love of the Father, the power of Jesus, and the endowment of the Holy Ghost. The curious artistic work of Bezaleel will be easy, and the gates of Gaza will lie lightly on the shoulders of Samson, if the Lord put His Spirit within them. There is not less to do nor less to suffer after such blessings, but we can do more and suffer more when thus "blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus." The reason is very simple and quite valid. "We have no continuing city here, we seek one to come,' not wait for it, nor loiter towards it, nor dawdle near it, but seek it-by the sacrifice of praise and remembering to do good. We are pilgrims, and every glimpse of our far-off home, though but a passing IV. We should return from su seasons to our usual worship with mor zest. They were continually in the temple praising and blessing God.” 66 In our cool and calculating way, w should have been ready rather to o than observe our customary religiou services. These were more noble, sa Christ's special favours did but mak their worship more fervent and mor sincere. Of the many who went up t the temple to pray, none were r dovo:t than the few followers of the cified Nazarene. This should i the rule of all Christian life. It pecial seasons should not only send us to our daily work with gla ness, but to our usual devotions with eagerness and zeal. Such times ar the main checks to a miserable, earthly routine; without them worship becomes mechanical, and emotion sink to mere sentiment, instead of risin close to the heart of the Redeemer The spirit of such seasons spreads lik the dew on Hermon, it falls on Zon too "From Hermon to Mount Zion pouring His tertile rivulets, And all engreening and enflowering Those pleasant mountainets." When Christ leads us out to som Bethany of repos, or rapture, we ar reminded how I called us from and folly to Him: if the Holy and th Wise; how he brought us from th darkness of death to Himself, th Light and the Life; how He lived and suhered, died and rose again for u how He is the same loving Lord to leal disciples: and how when the ba of earth's work is over and th formal service of this life is done, H will receive us to a peaceful, sinies home, where work is always worship and worship is ever of love. memories and hopes we cannot bu In suci go back to Jerusalem with great joy and be continually in the temple praising and blessing God." Kingsbridge, Devon. ZION'S PILGRIMS. BY THE REV. A. TESSIER. "They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God."— 3. ixxiv. 7. Tar reader will at once observe, on reading this psalm, the love that its thad for the tabernacle of God. "How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lolof hosts; my soul longeth, yea even fainteth, for the Courts of the Lord." When Balaam. from the mountain's summit, saw the tents of Israel pitched in the plains of Moab, he said, "How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob;" but Fiat should a believer say of God's own tabernacle-the place where He is shipped and adored, and where His presence abides! The Psalmist loved go up to the sanctuary, for it was there that the smoke of the burntfing for sin went up to heaven, and there believers assembled together— there were the priests in their flowing robes-there the law of God was read and expounded, and there in the holy place was the Shekinah-the glory of od, the visible manifestation of the presence of God among His people. Let Christians learn by this to take an interest in the house of the Lord and in its services, so full of beauty and of consolation. It is supposed by some that reference is made by the Psalmist to various ompanies of the Israelities going up to the solemn feasts held at Jerusalem, hone company meeting with the other, and swelling to a mighty band as they approach the hallowed spot. There from the north from snowy Lebanon, from the west from the fertile plains of Carmel, from districts desolate, from thickly-populated places-all congregate together at Jerusalem to hip God. This is a beautiful illustration of the progress that Christ's Church has made, and will still make, in the world, going on from strength strength, until the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever.”—Rev. xi. 15. ers think it refers to those renewals of strength which the pilgrims got their way as they journeyed on to Zion. We have, then, an exquisite e of the journey of believers to the heavenly Jerusalem, and the grace forded them on their way, by which they renew their strength, until at last they are blessed with the beatific vision. Let us take a glance at ZION'S PILGRIMS. It seems to me that this psalm is just such a song as the pilgrims of Zion old sing as they journeyed along. Singing would make the labour of velling lighter, as in the marching of the soldier to the martial music. I think I hear them singing "Bless'd are they in Thy house that dwell, Bless'd is the man whose strength Thou art, A Christians ought all to be singing birds. Their joys are greater than the sorrows, and they have no night without stars. "Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King." We will now notice some of the peculiariti of these pilgrims. They have to journey through strange places. God leads them by a w that they know not, and in paths they do not understand. Many singul scenes are observed by them, and they are strangely varied. How peculi are the dispensations of Divine Providence! They have their visions wit Jacob, who lay on the plains of Bethel, and beheld glories that night hat not when all her starry train appears. With Elijah they go to the brook, an listen to the music of its flow; and with him, a wilderness is traversed, ar beneath the shade of some tree they could almost sinful y wish to die, as he di A spiritual life is peculiar to the people of God, who can only understand it and when they read the experiences of the saints of old, they feel at once bond of brotherhood with them, for their feelings and experiences accor so much with their own. The ways that Zion's pilgrims tread are known t none but believers whose hearts have been renewed and whose footsteps hav been turned from those forbidden paths in which, as unbelievers, they one walked, and though these are new paths to them, they are common to al who love the Lord Jesus Christ. They do not stop for long at any resting place by the way. There ar arbors of refreshment, choice bowers where they rest, and are sheltered from the hot scorching rays of the sun; where generous fruits hang upon the fruitful trees, and the stream glides along inviting the thirsty traveller to stop and drink. But here they must not step for long. They are pilgrims and can only rest in Zion. They are warriors, and must use the sword and the shield. With the din of battle sounding in their ears, and dire conflict raging, can they rest? No! let all the pilgrims of Zion remember, that this is not their resting place. Did Jesus rest till he had finished His work, and shall we rest before our work is completed? Arise, then, awake, O sleeper the night is dark, the tempest is rising, and the big billows threaten destruc tion. Now is the time for duty! "Be not slothful, but followers of ther who, through faith and patience, inherit the promises." Their minds are not carried away by what they see on their journey. Christ is to them more precious than rubies, and His name more exhilarating than worldly delights. They have the sun, and shall they be attracted by the feeble glimmering of a star? They have in Christ an ocean of bliss, and shall they be taken up with every stream? The power of the world is not so great to attract them now that they have found Christ the pearl of great price. They will not let Him go to gain a hold of a thousand worlds. What are the treasures of earth to heaven's treasures, and its beautiful scene and landscapes to the glories of that place that knows no change from summer to winter? What! shall Zion's pilgrims be attracted by every vai and passing show, and shall their eyes be drawn off celestial visions to vier the transitory scenes of earth? The apostle tells us that he "looked, not st the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen re eternal." They are encouraged by the thought of others who have trodden the same ground before. Their track is not a desolate one, trodden but by themselves lone. They are only walking in "the footsteps of the flock." Old Jacob alled his life a pilgrimage, and acknowledged how few, but sinful, his days had been. Gen. xlvii. 9. The ancient patriarchs confessed that they were bat strangers and pilgrims on the earth." We discover that we are not tone, either in the peculiar sorrow or joy that we experience as believers. The pilgrims now are on the rock with David, who sung when there, high ap above the waves that dashed against it, "And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me"; and they are with him in the valley, when he cried, "Why art thou cast down, O my soul?" They go to the place of battles, where severe conflict hath been, and there, with Deborah, they sing, "O, my soul, thou hast trodden down strength." We then, who are the pilgrims of Zion, are going just the same path that others have trodden; we have passed the place where arrows of conviction are shot, and we have also come to that happy spot where broken hearts are bound up again. We know the place now of holy song, for we have gone from the place of skulls to Tabor and to Olivet; and, like a soul liberated from its clay prison, we have sung with Paul triumphantly, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? " There is but one way for the righteous to enter into Zion, and all who are going that way are companions of the good old saints who have gone before. Let us then be warned by their miscarriages, encouraged by their constancy, taught by their example, Espired by their heroic deeds, and cheered by their triumphant songs as they journeyed on to Zion. II. THEIR RENEWAL OF STRENGTH BY THE WAY. It would be impossible for the pilgrims to hold on their way without a daily renewal of strength, but this is afforded them, for it is said, "They go from strength to strength." They are not overstocked with a supply, but they have it according to their day-they have it for the night with its tempests, and for the day with its clear sky and calm. They have resting ce, as well as fighting grace. Grace for the time when they are in the ark valley of the shadow of death, and for the delightful season when “feast on dying love," on the holy mount of communion. ogress is one of the laws of the new life in the soul. We do not stand stall, but "go from strength to strength." The Apostle John recognizes this when he says, "I write unto you little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. I write unto you young men, because ye ave overcome the wicked one. I write unto you fathers, because ye have own Him who is from the beginning." 1 John ii. 12, 13. Christ shows, at the kingdom of God in the soul, is first as the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. Mark iv. 28. The sapling does not always main such-unable to endure the sharp blasts that sweep over the earth, grows to a strongly rooted tree, whose strength defies the fury of the Whirlwind. The child remains not always an infant in the arms of its nurse, grows to a man of strength. You would scarce think that such a weak and tender babe would grow to such a Hercules! How precious then is promise to the pilgrims of Zion, that "they that wait upon the Lord |