no ordinary one. To those who reject the Son of God it can only be a day of terror and dismay, while to his believing people it will be the completion of all they have ever hoped or longed for.

There are many darkening mists meanwhile, through latent worldliness and lingering unbelief; but as soon as that promised day breaks every cloud and shadow shall vanish away. There will be no more dark mysteries in God's providence, or sore hidings of his face, or seeing through a glass, darkly. Such things shall all have passed away for ever.

Besides being a day of brightness, it will also be one of unbroken peace. Whatever the wars, tumults, and commotions beforehand, there will be none after. Instead of tempest there will be calm, and instead of discord, harmony. 'Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim." "And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."

Moreover, it will in every sense be a day of gladness and joy, for it will be the harvest-day, when those who have sown in tears shall reap in joy; and the resting-day, when work is done and home is reached; and the marriageday, with all its joyous feasting and gladsome song. And it will be a rewarding day-the day when the cross shall be exchanged for the crown; for if we suffer with our Lord, we shall also reign with him.

Best of all, it will be a day followed by no night. Here the brightest and longest day has always its ending; it closes in night. But this day of days is not merely a bright day and a happy day; it is an eternal day. When

the weeping of the night is over, a joy cometh in the morning; and that morning never has an evening again. With all its blessedness and glory, it abideth ever. It is written, "Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."

Now, to all appearance, this is a day not far off. Even were long ages to elapse before it came, it would be well worth waiting for, just because it brings such blessings in its train. But it is not thus distant; for the apostle, in speaking of it, does not say, “The night is just beginning, and the day is far off," but, on the contrary, "The night is far spent, and the day is at hand." "It is certain," said Samuel Rutherford, "that there is not much sand to run now in our Lord's sand-glass. The fair morning is at hand; the day-star is near its rising; and we are not many miles from home. What matters, then, the ill entertainment in the smoky inns of this miserable earth? We are not to stay here, and we shall be dearly welcome to Him to whom we go."-Meanwhile, till that glad day come, let us be daily found praying with more faith, and loving with more ardour, and working with more energy, than ever we have done before.

Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.-SONG OF SOL. ii. 17.

Of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.-1 THESS. v. 1, 2, 4-6.

December 25.

THE MARRIAGE FEAST, AND JESUS THERE.

T is sweet to think that not in our sorrows only can

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we count on the sympathy of Jesus, deep and tender, but also in all our joys. While he ever readily enters the house of mourning to impart peace and comfort to troubled hearts, he enters just as willingly the house of gladness to bless it with his smile. This was touchingly exemplifiea at the marriage feast in Cana of Galilee. There was no declinature on his part of the invitation sent; no staying away because the gathering was to be a festive one, and still less because it was to be a marriage feast. On the contrary, he gave not his presence only, but his blessing also-yea, and a bounteous supply besides.

This is a fact of peculiar interest; for in these days of growing lawlessness there are many who not merely ignore marriage as a divine institution, but resist and resent it as an undue interference with human freedom. With Socialistic license, they would have all men free to form unions, and as absolutely free to dissolve them at pleasure. There are others who, while in words admitting marriage to be a divine institution, yet in reality degrade it by representing it as not pure enough for the saintly, and altogether incompatible with a sacred calling and a consecrated life.

In opposition to all this our blessed Lord, by his presence at the feast, not only gave his solemn sanction to the ordinance of marriage, but imparted to it an honour and dignity even higher far than it before possessed; so that now, more than ever, it stands out as a choice gift of Heaven to men, "a safeguard of society, a nurse of charities,

and the holy home of all the virtues." When comparing it with its opposite, an old divine says: "It hath more care, but less danger; it is more merry and more sad; it is fuller of sorrows and fuller of joys; it lies under more burdens, but is supported by all the strength of love and charity."

In its holiest and happiest form marriage is again and again referred to in Scripture as a blessed type of the union between the Church and her Lord. He is the Bridegroom, and his people are the bride; and their completed hopes and joys will be made gloriously visible at the second advent and the marriage supper of the Lamb. ""Tis thy Church's voice that cries,Rend those long unrended skies; Bridegroom of the Church, arise! Take to thee thy power and reign,

Purify this earth again,

Cleanse it from each curse and stain."

And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him... Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.— GEN. ii. 18, 24.

Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.-HEB. xiii. 4.

Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb... These are the true sayings of God.-REV. xix. 7-9.

IN

December 26.

WORDS TO CHEER FROM KINGLY LIPS.

N ordinary circumstances, it is joy and not fear that is awakened by the sight of a friend; yet in referring to the Redeemer, John said, "When I saw him, I fell at his

feet as dead." The brightness of his unveiled glory was more than feeble nature could bear, and he sank beneath it. This did not long continue, however; for in loving tenderness the Lord perfected strength in weakness, and laying his right hand upon him, he graciously said to the trembling disciple, "Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore." The gentle pressure of that hand could scarcely fail to relieve him, especially accompanied as it was by so gracious a "fear not." From mere human lips such "fear nots" are often but idle breath; but from the lips of the Saviour-King they are not so much words as deeds, and have unfailing efficacy.

Brief as was the utterance, "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore," yet what tongue can tell all that is included in it. We have here the mystery of mysteries-the Lord of life not only assuming our nature, but dying in our stead. If this does not comfort, what can?-for in dying, he not only atoned for sin, but destroyed death, and secured for all his people life and immortality as an eternal possession. To John, in particular, these words, and especially the last clause, "Behold, I am alive for evermore," must have been peculiarly comforting, because at the very time they were uttered a fierce persecution was raging, and many Christians had perished, and many more were in exile, and of the original Twelve almost all save John himself had gone to their rest. In these circumstances, to the eye of sense, it would appear as if all hope were cut off. But no, all was safe, just because die who may, Jesus is alive for everIn the time of the Indian Mutiny, a native Christian martyr said to his wife, who was standing by his side,

more.