pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit."

What promise could well be larger or richer than this. True, it may not necessarily include every individual of our race, but manifestly it includes the race in general, and individuals throughout it of every tribe and tongue, whether Jew or Gentile, Greek or Barbarian, bond or free. It implies, moreover, that in that predicted day alike the lofty and the lowly in position shall not only be taught and blessed of God themselves, but shall also be made helpful blessings to others. "Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy"-"Your servants and handmaids" as well, that is, enlightened and quickened by the Spirit, they shall be able to speak of Jesus and his love for the saving and edifying of others. Indeed, so wide and all-embracing is this promise in Joel, that Peter, when referring to it, said: "The promise is unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."

In connection with this, it is somewhat remarkable that in Joel, immediately after the promise, "I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh," there follow these striking words: "And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come." From such words it may be inferred that, as eighteen centuries ago there was a remarkable outpouring of the Spirit before the terrible day to Jerusalem for its guilty

unbelief, so in all likelihood, towards the close of this dispensation, there will be another remarkable outpouring of the Spirit before the great and terrible day of which Joel speaks. And possibly, as not a few earnest students of the Word think, the marvellous times of blessing which churches and believers in so many lands. have been during the last few years enjoying through the outpoured Spirit, are precursors of those times to which our Lord refers when he says: "There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.”

In his concluding address as Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland, Dr. Andrew Bonar lately said: "Times of trial may be very near: the mystery of iniquity is at work with all skill. We may soon see political convulsions, not in the East only, but over the kingdoms. But all the more let us raise the cry, 'Come from the four winds, O Breath, and breathe upon the slain.' Some of us look for the speedy advent of the Lord Jesus, often remembering that it is when the three unclean spirits, like croaking frogs, are going forth to gather the nations to the battle of Armageddon, that the cry from the throne startles the Earth, Behold, I come quickly!' All the more, on this account, do we labour and earnestly pray for the fuller outpouring of the Spirit before 'that great and terrible day of the Lord.""-Should such a day be near, the true followers of the Lamb at least, who make his all-atoning blood their trust, have no reason for dismay: no plague can come nigh their dwelling; for, like Rahab,

they hang out, as it were, the scarlet thread in the sight of the Lord, and like her shall be delivered.

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?-LUKE xi. 13.

I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring.— ISA. xliv. 3.

W1

December 30.

THE HOME OF HOMES.

HEN, in obedience to the injunction given him, the healed demoniac was going home to his friends, there was more of sadness in his heart than gladness, because, for the time at least, every step he took homeward was a step away from Him who was dearer to him than life. Besides, the home he was going to was but an earthly one, and in earthly homes there are often sad minglings of those who love the Lord and of those who love him not; and sad changes, for sickness enters them, and death, causing joyful voices to become dumb through sorrow, and harps that were once melodious to hang idly on the willows. But it will not be so with the last and greatest home-going of all; for then every step believers take will be at once Christ-ward and heavenward, and that will leave sorrow and sighing for ever behind.

The eye and ear have seen and heard many things, but for purity and beauty, love and peace, brightness and glory, never hath eye seen or mind conceived a home like the promised heavenly one. In it there will be happy

reunions, but no after-partings-joys, but no griefs—and sweet converse and song, as day by day there is revealed some new wonder of providence or some fresh glory of grace. But the joy of joys in it to believers will be, to be for ever with the Lord in endearing fellowship. It will thus be the very home of homes; and Augustine truly said, “Who would not yearn for that city out of which no friend departs, and into which no enemy enters ?"

This is set forth by Bunyan in his matchless Allegory with touching simplicity and beauty: "Now I saw in my dream that these two men went in at the gate; and, lo! as they entered, they were transfigured, and they had raiment put on that shone like gold. There were also that met them with harps and crowns, and gave them to them; the harps to praise withal, and the crowns in token of honour. Then I heard in my dream that all the bells in the city rang again for joy, and that it was said unto them, Enter ye into the joy of your Lord.' I also heard the men themselves, that they sang with a loud voice, saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever.' Now, just as the gates were opened to let in the men, I looked in after them, and, behold, the city shone like the sun; the streets also were paved with gold; and in them walked many men, with crowns on their heads, palms in their hands, and golden harps to sing praises withal. There were also of them that had wings, and they answered one another without intermission, saying, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord!' And after that they shut up the gates; which when I had seen, I wished myself among them."

Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God.-Ps. lxxxvii. 3. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.REV. xxi. 23.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.-REV. xxi. 4.

December 31.

THE LAST PROMISE IN THE WORD, AND THE GRANDEST.

WHEN a valued friend sets out for a distant land,

nothing relieves the sorrow of the parting like an early and loving letter in his own hand. The very sight of it revives us, and makes us feel as old Jacob did when he saw the waggons sent from Egypt: "It is enough," he said, "it is enough: Joseph my son is yet alive; I will go and see him before I die." Now, the blessed announcement of our Lord, "Behold, I come quickly," coming as it did from heaven, serves a similar end: it gives us the sweet assurance that our Joseph, the Brother of brothers, yea, the Saviour-King, is yet alive, and will surely come again at no distant day.

Frequently in Scripture, when special attention is called to any great fact or truth, the word "Behold" is prefixed, as in passages like these: "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world"—"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us"Behold, the