48. The nobleman, John iv. 49, 50. The dying thief, Luke xxiii. 43. Thus do the life and ministry of Jesus correspond with God's Word written, and show Him to be the Word incarnate.

Let us take a simple lesson from all this. If Jesus is the Word of God, how ready should we be to receive and to listen to Him! John v. 24, xiv. 24. Then do we receive and listen to God, John xii. 44, vii. 16. Have you received Him as the Word? Ps. cxix. 9-11, lxxxv. 8.

Third Sunday in Advent.

"THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE."

Learn, 2 Tim. iv. 6-8. Passages to be referred to-Ps. 1.; Matt. xxv. 31-46; 2 Cor. v. 10; Jude 14, 15; Rev. xx. 12-15.

ONE of the great events to take place with all mankind at the Lord's coming is the Judgment, 2 Tim. iv. 1; Jude 14, 15; Heb. ix. 27. Our passages of reference are to be carefully noticed about this. Ps. 1. seems to point to the Jews. In Matt. xxv. no dead are spoken of. Rev. xx. tells of no living. The verse in 2 Cor. v. seems to refer to believers. Thus in the great day all shall be judged; and so we are led to consider Jesus as "the Righteous Judge." We shall find this title most appropriate if we study

I. The character of the Judge. If you and I were being put on our trial, we should like to be sure of having a good judge-not vacillating, like Pilate, John xix. 6-not corrupt, as Felix, Acts xxiv. 26. The judge appointed by God must be good, Gen. xviii. 25. God has ap

pointed Jesus, Acts xvii. 31. And why has He appointed Him ?-see John v. 27. An angel would not do, just and holy as he might be. It is right that man should judge his fellow-manone who knows his ways and doings, Heb. ii. 14-18. Besides, He is the only righteous man, 1 Pet. ii. 22, 23; cf. Rom. iii. 5, 6, 10, 23. II. The character of the judgment. If we were going to be tried, we should like to know by what process of law. We read, "the books were opened," Dan. vii. 10; Rev. xx. 12. But what books? On earth we might expect to find three-the law of the land, the calendar of crime, and a book of reprieve or grace. And so there will only be three books before the Throne:1. The Bible. This is God's law, which we have now to guide and direct us, not only into salvation, John v. 39; 2 Tim. iii. 15-but also in our daily walk, Ps. cxix. 105. Neglect it as we may, we shall meet it in judgment! 2. The Book of Remembrance. This is God's calendar for good and bad-the King's chronicle, Esther ii. 23, vi. 1. Everything is therein recorded, Isa. lxv. 6; Ps. lvi. 8-foolish conduct, Matt. xii. 36, 37—good behaviour, Mal. iii. 16. All is being written down! 3. The Book of Life. This is God's book of grace-the names of all His people are inscribed, Ps. cxxxix. 16— all are holy there, Rev. xxi. 27—and so they may be known now, 1 Thess. i. 4. I wonder whether you and I are in that book! 2 Cor.

xii. 5. It is awful to be omitted! Rev. xx. 15. But thus we see that the judgment will be righteous, John xii. 47, 48.

Oh, what a solemn thought!-I shall be judged! Eccles. xii. 14; 2 Cor. v. 10. But, oh, what a happy thought!-Jesus is to be my Judge! John v. 22. It is true my actions condemn me, Rom. iii. 20; Ps. cxxx. 3—but He knows my heart, John xxi. 17. There is no condemnation to His people, Rom. viii. 1, 33, 44. He is the Righteous Judge, John v. 30.

Fourth Sunday in Advent.

"THE LORD FROM HEAVEN.”

Learn, Mal. iii. 1-3. Passages to be referred to— Josh. v. 13, vi. 2; 1 Cor. xv. 3-9; 1 Tim. iii. 16; 2 Cor. xii. 1-10; 1 Thess. iv. 13-18.

ALL our Advent thoughts may be summed up in this one Name, "The Lord from Heaven." It brings before us His coming in humiliation, Gal. iv. 4. It reminds us of His various appearances to His people, 1 Cor. xv. 5-8. It teaches us to look for His coming again, Acts i. 11. Let us, then, think of Jesus as the Lord from heaven:

I. In Old Testament times. For when the Lord appeared to men of old, it was the Second Person of the Trinity. Compare Isa. vi. and John xii. 41; see also John i. 18, iii. 13. He appeared to Abraham, Gen. xviii. 22; to Joshua, chap. v. 14; to Manoah, Judges xiii. 22; with His servants in the furnace, Dan. iii. 25. These show us the Lord from heaven helping His people, Isa. xli. 10.

II. In His incarnation. This was more than an appearance: this was a manifestation! 1 Tim. iii. 16. This was coming in the flesh as man,