word of God, remember God speaks to you; and you must hear for yourself, not for others. The parent does not hear for the child, or the child for the parent, the brother for the sister, or the sister for the brother; but each for himself. In looking unto Christ, you must look for yourself. Christ is the Saviour of sinners. Is He your Saviour? No minister, no teacher, no priest, or pope, can believe this for you. Your eyes must behold, and not anothers. There must be a personal visit to Calvary a personal belief in the great sacrifice

-a personal act of dedication and of experience, in order to enable you to say "My beloved is mine, and I am His." And in preparing for the judgment, remember you will be judged by yourself. The eye of the king will not be fixed upon churches, nations, and classes, but upon individuals; and you will bear your own burthen, and stand in your own lot at the end of the days. Judas will go to his own place, and Daniel to his own lot.

And lastly: We may learn what is the issue of the religion of the Gospel. It is a happy and a blessed thought. It is a marriage and a marriage supper. We are sometimes told that our views are narrow minded, and that our interpretations of prophecy are carnal. Be it so. Let us only the more strive to demonstrate that the union of the

soul to Christ is a betrothing, and the consummation of that union is the marriage, and the everlasting enjoyment of that union the marriage supper. Oh! if one be more precious than another, one more wise, more tender, more gracious, more holy, more meek, gentle, lovely, generous, sympathizing, and constant, then is Jesus that one; and all that are, or ever were, or will be in the world, are not to be compared to him. Often may we be asked, “What is thy beloved more than another beloved that thou dost so charge us?" Our answer is ready, "Our beloved is the chief among ten thousand, and altogether lovely." And this is our hope, our one aim, to be with Christ, and like Christ, for ever. Gladly do we accept the statement, "Blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb." And more gladly still shall we realize the blessedness of those who shall enter in, and sit down at the feast.

Oh! how dim and dull are all things here below, when once the eye has caught a glimpse within the vail ! When once the soul can say, "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ and be found in

E

Him, not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith."

Now to God, &c.

LECTURE III.

THE CORRUPTION OF THE CHURCH, AND ITS

ISSUE.

BY THE REV. A. R. C. DALLAS, M.A.,

RECTOR OF WONSTON, HANTS.

Parable of the Wheat and Cares.

MATT. XIII., 24-30.

"Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye

root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest; and in the time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn."

It will facilitate our future enquiry if we read in addition our Lord's explanation of this parable, which you will find in the 36th and following verses, "Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house; and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of Man the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be at the end of this world (or dispensation). The Son of Man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."