a little lower than the angels. We read eth that the poor, writhing worm that of the Savior, who is also called the Son cried out in its agony, was just a little of man, that he was made a little lower dust, a body of flesh, unto whom it was than the angels for the suffering of death. said, "Dust thou art, and unto dust thou A wiser one than I can trace these mat-shalt return." Even Absalom felt this ters in a better way, but I can only give when he came to speak and to plead bewhat I have received. I could not re-fore God. He calls himself dust and alize how I ever could in all the existence ashes in the sight of the Lord. Surely I have known, be a little lower than the he hath not dealt with us according to angels-they so holy, so happy, I so ut- our sins, nor rewarded us according to terly miserable, so sinful. The thought our iniquities; and there his greatness followed me, but I could gain little and his mercy is brought to mind; even comfort from it; but as the days went on, his loving-kindness toward them that and sufferings and perplexities increased, fear him. What a great love it is wherecares and even toils laid upon me that I with he hath loved us! As I so cry out had no strength to bear, it seemed that and groan beneath my afflictions, my everything that concerned me, even of sicknesses, I must remember here, "He the least trifle of my affairs, was turned bare our sicknesses." As I so much feel into a torment that utterly overburdened and mourn my own sinfulness, I rememthe heart. Crushed and agonized beyond ber how, "He bare our sins in his own all endurance, I cried out against the body on the tree." Sometimes I have dealings of the Lord with me. How thought, If he could possibly bear more could the great God with all power suffer for one than for another, he has borne me to be so tormented? In former times the most for me. O!"How sad my state I had read of those who gnawed their by nature is." What low places I tongues for pain, and blasphemed the reach! What awful depths of a wicked name of the Lord, neither repented to heart is mine to prove! and yet it give him glory. I was appalled at them may be that here I learn the height, when I read this, but now I have reason the breadth, the depth of the love of God. to fear that I am one of them. And af- When I feel I have no wisdom, that I am ter this dreadful state of mind I felt I so blind that I am devoid of all things, I could never pray, nor rejoice, nor claim love to think he can be all things unto any evidence of grace, nor hope again. me. It has always been with me, How But soon I found my heart relieved. I will I pass the last trial? How will I at would be having sweet emotions, and last meet the monster that we must all precious words would be coming to me, meet? If I have had a comfortable and I wondered how it could be. Surely frame of mind, if I have had a song in it cannot be that the Lord is still mindful my heart, O! I think, it would be easy if of me, that he still visits me. When I could die now. Or if I have felt the these sweet words came to me, "He re-spirit of prayer, I have thought I had membereth that we are dust." He does something that would never fail me. I not remember us as an equal with him- could call upon the name of the Lord, reself, with whom he would contend. Healizing that such should be saved. But does not remember us as anything that is I have learned that I cannot always pray. of great consideration, but he remember-I get too far off, too utterly low, sunk down, and what could I do if I could not Baptist paper, but because the writers remember him who can pray for us when therein have been and are manifest as we cannot pray for ourselves? Remem- having been with Jesus, and learned of ber how he ever liveth to make interces-him. They have declared with joy and sion for us, and how he is at the right gladness that there is but one that is hand of God. He is just suited to my reverend, and that Holy and Reverend is case. He can do all things for me--can his name. Their soul's desire is, "Let be all things for me; I, poor, feeble dust. God be true, but every man a liar." Sometimes I feel I can best meet death How very little of the above grace and at last in utter helplessness, feeling that spirit is manifested in this day of worldthe "eternal God is my refuge, and un-wide profession. I have heard some derneath are the everlasting arms." He awful language in the profane world, but can just carry me through the dark gate- I have heard far worse in the religious way, and in this last conflict I can only world from those who are styled "Revsay, "Thanks be to God who giveth us erends," and who do not hesitate to call the victory through our Lord Jesus us bigoted and other hard names because Christ." It is truly a "given" victory. we cannot go with them. And why, Everything is "given" that concerns us dear brethren, cannot we go with them? most, and all "through our Lord Jesus Is it not because they belie our dearest Christ." Otherwise how could it benefit friend? He is the one of whom our souls those who are but dust? those who are so have been constrained to cry, "Bless the lifeless in themselves? I love this way; it | is all my hope, and all because of the great love wherewith he hath loved us. It must be a great love that can remember me; that can do all things for me. And full well I know, "The land of darkness and of death, Most earnestly I can say, "O may these poor remains of breath WOODSTOCK, Michigan. KINCARDINE, Ont., Jan. 4, 1897. DEAR BRETHREN EDITORS:-It is with feelings of unworthiness that I now attempt to pen you a few lines, and if the dear Lord shall enable me, I will express a few of my thoughts for the year that is past. With what deep emotions, with what comfort of love and sweet sense of oneness have I at times perused the pages of the SIGNS. Not merely because it was the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, our Old School Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name." Is it not because the "lo heres" and "lo theres " declare that he who is mighty to save is only trying to save sinners; that he has done all he can to save men, and that he cannot save them because they will not give their hearts to God, and that others are lost because their hearers do not give money enough, or do not work hard enough in the Sunday Schools? It was through the everlasting goodness and love of God that that word was spoken, "Thus far shalt thou go, and no farther." "We felt the arrows of distress, And found we had no hiding-place.” Then the wonder of wonders was how God could be just and have mercy upon us. It was then that we learned that one jot or tittle should in no wise pass from the law till all should be fulfilled. was then we felt he who is God and man, or the Godman Christ Jesus, could alone fulfill every jot and tittle of that law, It "He drew me, and I followed on, Charmed to confess the voice divine." which we had transgressed, and in due recollect been carried to sea by a press time we were brought by faith to behold gang when a youth. After becoming a the Lamb of God that taketh away the minister of Jesus Christ many years later, sin of the world. Yes, blessings upon he had an appointment to preach in a his name, there was no striving upon his town in Maine, near the ocean. He was part to save me or any one. There was standing upon the green in front of the no begging, no pleading on his part. We meeting-house, conversing with those were ready to perish. We were in a who were gathering, when two sailors waste-howling wilderness, and were tossed drove by at a somewhat reckless speed, with tempest and not comforted. Salva-and as they did so one of them made use tion was what we needed. of a terrible oath. A man standing by said, shudderingly, "What wicked wretches sailors are!” Elder Whitehouse felt O what joy, what unspeakable glad that this demanded notice and rebuke, ness filled our souls when we were given and turning to the man he said, "Sir, to know for ourselves that we had been you do not know anything about sailors. loved with an everlasting love, and were No class of people reverence the power being drawn in everlasting kindness. of God more: they see his wonders in the Here was no boasting and no vaunting deep. I have heard the name of God of ourselves. There was no mind now to blasphemed more in one hour in that pullive after the flesh, no desire now to have pit than I ever heard it by sailors in all our fill of sin, as the self-righteous say the years I sailed the deep; for in that they would. No, instead of this, pulpit I have heard the infinite power of God denied, which no sailor would ever think of doing." We have never forgotten the impression made upon us by this language of Elder Whitehouse, "We longed to find that peaceful bower, Where sin has neither place nor power." We We felt to say, O that we could love him more and more, and show forth his praise in our life, our walk and conversa-have given the incident because it illussation! May the Lord bless you all, and trates the language of brother Case.-Ed.] keep you valiant for the truth, is the prayer of your unworthy brother, if one at all. After reading the above carefully, dear editors, do with it as you deem best, and you will please me. Yours in the love of the truth, RICHARD CASE. LEOTA, Indiana, Dec. 25, 1896. DEAR BRETHREN IN THE LORD:-In presenting to you this epistle of love, I desire to call attention to the subject of "redemption." In writing upon the nature and importance of this subject, we should be guided by no synod nor dogma [Our brother has spoken of the blas-past nor present, but should invoke the phemy of the religious world being guidance of the Holy Spirit and heed the greater than that of the profane world. teachings of the inspired word. And as This has called to our mind an incident a prerequisite to a proper understanding in the life of the late Elder Whitehouse, of the subject, I will offer some remarks of Maine, which we heard him relate many years since. In early life for years he had followed the sea, having as we upon the Being, purposes and attributes of our God, and the condition of man by reason of sin. "God is a Spirit."-John iv. 24. He is infinite in wisdom, power, that God has breathed life from a living holiness and truth, which are the four source, and kindled into existence a world pillars of his throne of love. He is sub- of rational beings! From the time that ject to none of the changes of this natu- Adam fell from his original innocence ral world, and is dependent upon none of and the pleasures of primitive Eden into its transient properties for his eternal ex- the abyss of sin and guilt, and consequent istence, and needs no finite counsel to de- perdition, man has been suffering the termine his works, nor men-devised means sorrow of the world, that worketh death, to fulfill his vast designs. "He speaks, in all the sighs and groans and tears of and it is done; he commands, and it time. He is dead in trespasses and sins, stands fast."-Psalm xxxiii. 9. All the blinded by the god of this world, "Havinhabitants of earth are reputed as noth-ing the understanding darkened, being ing, and he doeth according to his will in alienated from the life of God through the armies of heaven and among the in- the ignorance that is in them, because of habitants of the earth, and none can stay the blindness of their heart; who being his hand, nor say unto him, What doest past feeling have given themselves over thou? He is eternal in Being, immutable unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanin counsel, infallible in his works. "The ness and greediness."-Eph. iv. 18, 19. counsel of the Lord standeth forever; the Such is the condition of man by reason thoughts of his heart to all generations." of sin. All nations before him are as —Psalm xxxiii. 11. The limitations of nothing, and counted to him less than time and the duration of eternity hang nothing, and vanity. Redemption was on his firm decree. essential to justification, just as regeneraHis prescience beheld the expanse and tion is antecedent to faith. But to reall the varied developments of the uni- deem necessarily implies a right of the verse before the inception of time, and Redeemer in the objects redeemed, prior chose from a self-ruined world the heirs of to the redemption. Sin had brought man immutable bliss to the praise of the im- into a state of alienation from God, for measurable heights and depths and glory of which God is just in their condemnation. perfect and eternal justice, mercy and love, Therefore redemption was a work of unall of which are essential attributes of Je- merited grace, given in Christ in behalf hovah. "For God is love."-1 John iv. 8. of his people previously chosen of God, His power spread forth the heavens above, and involved in sin, and consequently in gave to the sea its bounds, established need of redemption. They were forethe foundations of the earth, and saves known of God.-Rom. viii. 29, in the his people through his own chosen means covenant that was confirmed of God in from the woe of a sin-stricken world. Christ, an everlasting covenant.-Isa. lv. His holiness and truth move forward the 3; Gal. iii. 17. "And for this cause he is work of justice, mercy and love. Not to the Mediator of the New Testament, that suit the carnal impatience of degenerate by means of death, for the redemption of man, who is but the creature of a mo- the transgressions that were under the ment, and cannot endure long, but ac- first testament, they which are called cording to that purpose he fulfills the might receive the promise of eternal incounsel of his will. God created man a heritance."-Heb. ix. 15. "According as rational being. How sublime is the truth | he hath chosen us in him before the foun dation of the world, that we should be xlix. 24, 25. And every soul foreknown holy and without blame before him in to God, and predestinated to be conlove; having predestinated us unto the formed to the image of his Son, is irreadoption of children by Jesus Christ to vocably redeemed by the atoning blood himself, according to the good pleasure of the Son of God, our everliving Head, of his will."-Eph. i. 4, 5. It is not by at whose crucifixion the rocks were rent works of righteousness which we have and the all-cheering lamp of day was done, "neither by the blood of goats and effaced. Christ hath redeemed us from calves, but by his own blood he entered the curse of the law. Christ the second in once into the holy place, having ob- Head hath redeemed those chosen in him tained eternal redemption for us."-Heb. before the foundation of the world, from ix. 12. "For by one offering he hath the condemnation of the first head. And perfected forever them that are sancti- the spirit that is given them is the earnest fied." Heb. x. 14. Here is redemption of their inheritance until the redemption full and complete, and never ending, of the purchased possession. Until then needing no addition, admitting of no they wait for the fruition of their hope, diminution, having perfection for its ul- when they shall be crowned with perfectimatum. Let us, my dear brethren, in- tion, and mortality shall be swallowed up quire what it is that is thus redeemed. of life, and death in victory. Is it not We must answer this inquiry by ascer- that Spirit which quickens to eternal life, taining what it was that fell, and conse- that raised up Christ from the dead? It quently was in need of redemption. is not this spirit which we have in us, and "And the Lord God formed man of the which we have of God that is redeemed, dust of the ground, and breathed into his for that is a life principle, imparting eternostrils the breath of life; and man be-nal life. It is a holy spirit flowing out came a living soul."-Gen. ii. 7. "The from a holy God. It was in the beginfirst man is of the earth, earthy."-1 Cor.ning with God, and was God. It then xv. 47. No doubt he was a complete neither has beginning of days nor end of natural man, possessed of all the natural life. This spirit was never involved in endowments essential to him as the head sin, nor subject to death, consequently it of his natural progeny, but he was utter- was not the subject of redemption. It is ly devoid of that spirit which quickens, the power of God unto the regeneration not to natural, but to spiritual life. Now, and resurrection of his people, the reif the living soul that man became cipients of this life. They were by nasinned, and we fell in him as our head, ture the children of wrath; but when he then it is this first or earthly man that is who commanded the light to shine out of involved in sin, and led captive by the darkness had shined in their hearts, by devil at his will. Now, "Shall the prey this light they saw the lightnings of Mt. be taken from the mighty, or the lawful Sinai, and heard the thunderings procaptive delivered? But thus saith the claiming the judgments of Jehovah. Lord, even the captives of the mighty They then beheld the fire kindled in his shall be taken away, and the prey of the anger, that should burn unto the lowest terrible shall be delivered; for I will con- pit. We pale before the withering blast tend with him that contendeth with thee, of retributive justice, and feel ourselves and I will save thy children."-Isaiah lost forever. With a conviction of sin |