THE

November 9.

THE LORD'S JEWELS ARE WIDELY GATHERED.

THE time was when the Lord's redeemed seem to have been gathered mainly from one land and people; for as yet the middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile had not been broken down. It became entirely otherwise at the coming of our Lord; for then the apostles, by divine command, went forth to all the world to preach the gospel to every creature. Ever since, the ransomed of the Lord have, through the same divine power and saving grace, been gathered from all lands, and with heart and soul have joined in showing forth the praises of Him who called them out of darkness into his marvellous light. Their song, however oft repeated through coming ages, will ever be new, because ever sung with fresh gratitude and joy: "Thou art worthy...for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests."

Meanwhile, those gathered out from year to year may seem few in number-a little band, with little influence; but the day is hastening on when they shall be a multitude which no man can number: and the certainty of this may well cheer and sustain us amid all the conflicts and discouragements of present times.

But it is not only out of every tribe and tongue the redeemed are gathered, but also out of every rank and class. Men of every variety of occupation and profession have been converted by the gospel and savingly won to Christ. Cornelius was a soldier, Dionysius a senator,

Luke a physician, Zenas a lawyer, Lydia a merchant, Matthew a tax-gatherer, Peter a fisherman, Aquila a tent-maker; yet all alike were brought lovingly to the feet of Jesus.

Great practical ends are served by such variety of sphere, social position, and mode of life among the Lord's disciples; and therefore young converts should beware of changing their calling in rash and inconsiderate haste. In the ardour of their first love they sometimes forget that it is not Christian ministers only the Church and the world need, but Christian physicians, lawyers, merchants, and tradesmen as well, and that, however situated, it should be their constant aim to glorify the Lord in their calling, and to let their calling glorify the Lord. Indeed, the Christian ministry is never so powerful for good as when surrounded and supported by consistent witnesses for the truth belonging to every class in the community. Though the Redeemer alone could purchase the jewels— for nothing less than his own precious blood could avail for this yet all his people may share in the joy and honour of helping to gather them. And the more they succeed in this, through faith and prayer and loving self-sacrifice, the brighter will their own crown be, and the nearer will they themselves be to Him who is dearer to them than life itself.

I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.-REV. xiv. 6.

And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.-MATT. xxiv. 31.

After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.-REV. vii. 9.

IT

November 10.

NEEDFUL FIXITY.

would have been but a little thing to the men of Judah to be brought out of Babylon, if they had not, in addition, been brought unto Zion, and seen their Temple restored, with all its attendant service and privilege. Everything needful, however, they fully obtained; for in rich mercy the Lord enabled them to set up anew the house of their God, and repair, in part at least, the desolations thereof and therefore they said, "Now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place."

We are never in the true Holy Place till we are in Christ Jesus, through whom we have access by one Spirit to the Father; and if so privileged, it must be our constant aim to bring our whole spirit and conduct into entire conformity with the divine will, whether as revealed in God's law or embodied in Christ's life. "I want to be like Christ," said the saintly Judson; "I want to follow him only, drink in his spirit, place my feet in his footprints, and measure my shortcomings by these alone."

When Ezra speaks, not only of a holy place, but of a nail in it, his words suggest the thought that, besides holy fervour, there must be fixedness in our religion, as if by a sure nail securely driven. There is no greater blemish in Christian character than instability; yet of how many might it be said, as of Reuben, "Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel." They are always unsettled, and more or less inclined to take out the nails and loosen the fastenings of life, and turn liberty into license.

Whoever may so act, let our resolute purpose be to have fixed principles and fixed affections, and to say as the Psalmist did, even in the midst of enemies, “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise." "One would have thought," says Mr. Spurgeon, "he would have said, 'My heart is fluttered.' But no; he is calm, resolute, established. When the axle is secure, the whole wheel is right. If our great bower anchor holds, the ship cannot drive. O God, my heart is fixed;' I am resolved to trust thee, to serve thee, and to praise thee. Blessed are they whose once roving hearts become firmly fixed on God."

I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.-Ps. xvi. 8.

Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.-Acts xxi. 13.

WHAT

November 11.

THE DAY THAT NONE CAN KNOW.

HAT was said by Isaac may be said by all: “I know not the day of my death." There have been rare occasions, indeed, when the time of their departure has been known by men beforehand. This was the case with King Hezekiah; for not only, in answer to prayer, was his life spared, but a definite number of years was added to it. "I have heard thy prayer," the Lord said to him, "I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years...And this shall be a sign unto thee that the Lord will do this thing that he hath spoken; behold, I will bring again the shadow of

the degrees, which is gone down in the sun-dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down." Hezekiah had thus a secret conveyed to him of a very remarkable kind, for he was told the exact measure of his time-that fifteen

years more would be given him. But in all other cases such knowledge is withheld.

This fact is a practically suggestive one. First of all, it should awaken thankfulness. Sometimes the wish springs up in us that we could lift the veil from the future, and know all that awaits us in our after-pilgrimage; forgetting that if such a wish were granted, instead of ministering to our comfort, it would only intensify our grief. One says, "It is a righteous and tender hand which keeps the next day's page safely folded down.” It is even so; for meanwhile we could not bear a full revelation of the earthly future before us in all its manifold details. It would wholly unfit us for duty. Better for is it for us to get the knowledge little by little as each day comes; all the more, as it is thus the promise runs : "Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be." It is day by day, just as it is needed, that sustaining grace is given.

But, again, this fact should hasten preparedness. No man in his natural state is prepared to die; for being an alien from God, and still in his sins, he is necessarily under condemnation. The express words of our Lord himself are: "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." To believe in the Lord Jesus, therefore, is a first and pressing duty. We may be too late in it, but it