life (1 John v. 12), our testimony (1 John iv. 14), our victory over the world (1 John v. 5), all depend upon it. And we shall see that one great end of our Lord's life was to prove that He was the Son of God. Consider the circumstances:

I. Of His birth. At the Annunciation, what was beyond human comprehension was shown to be possible with God, Luke i. 34, 35. Child to be born was to be the Son of God.

The

II. Of His baptism. When in the water of Jordan, He was expressly declared from heaven to be the Beloved Son of God, Matt. iii. 17; Luke iii. 21; and this was the ground of His temptation.

III. Of His ministry. What was the acknowledgment that He drew from His disciples ? Matt. xvi. 16. What was the confession of devils? Luke iv. 41. What of strangers? John iii. 1.

IV. Of His death. The prime cause of His being put to death was because of His claiming this title, John xix. 7; and His death drew forth the acknowledgment, Matt. xxvii. 54.

V. Of His resurrection. Rising as He did, after what He had said of Himself, John ii. 19; Matt. xii. 40, gave clear proof that He was the Son of God, Rom. i. 4.

Let us conclude with a question which He once asked-"Dost thou believe on the Son of God?" John ix. 35. The answer will deter

mine our reception of the gospel (John xx. 31), the character of our life (Gal. ii. 20), and our union with God (1 John iv. 15).

"I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" Acts vili. 37.

Septuagesima Sunday.

"THE SURETY."

Learn, Heb. vii. 19-22. Passages to be referred to,-Lev. i.; Isa. liii.; Rom. v. 12-21; 2 Cor. v. 21; Heb. viii.

LET us thoroughly understand what we mean by a surety. He is a person who undertakes to pay the debt for one of the contracting parties in a covenant, if that party should prove faithless or insolvent. Thus, Paul became surety to Philemon for Onesimus, Phil. 18, 19. So Judah became surety to his father for his brother Benjamin, Gen. xliii. 37; and so Christ became surety to God for us.

Originally, a

But what was the covenant? covenant of works. Do, and live-sin, and die, Gen. ii. 17, iii. 17; Isa. i. 19, 20. This covenant was broken by Adam and Eve sinning against God in eating the forbidden fruit and as it had been made with Adam, as the representative of all mankind, every one of us sinned in him, and fell with him in the first transgression, Rom. v. 12-20. "In Adam all die," 1 Cor. xv. 22.

:

If, then, you and I are to have life and happiness, something must be done for us-and so God, in His love, enters into a better covenant:

He reveals to us the covenant of grace, Heb. viii. 6. What is this? It is the fruit of God's sovereign love, John iii. 16; Col. i. 19, whereby He secures every spiritual blessing to all who believe in Christ, Eph. i. 3-6. It is a better covenant, because Jesus is our Surety.

comes in.

Consider-(1.) The original covenant had said "Sin, and die," Ezek. xviii. 4; and thus, as we have all sinned, and so broken our part in the covenant (Ps. xiv. 2, 3; Rom. iii. 19-23), death is our portion, Rom. v. 12. But here our Surety He bears our sin, Isa. liii. 6; He suffers death upon the cross for us, 1 Pet. ii. 24; He redeems us from the curse of the law, Gal. iii. 13; and thus we are delivered from death, which was due to our sin, Heb. ii. 14, 15. (2.) Again, the original covenant had said, "Do, and live," Rom. x. 3; and thus, as we have all failed in our obedience, none of us can hope for life by the law, Gal. iii. 21, 22; Eph. iv. 18. But here our Surety comes in: what we could not do, Christ has done for us; He hath fulfilled the law, He hath been obedient in everything, John xv. 10; Phil. ii. 5-8; Heb. v. 8; and thus we are made righteous, Rom. v. 19.

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Do you believe this? Gal. ii. 20; if so, thank God for Jesus as your Surety, 2 Cor. v. 21; and remember that, as we are justly punished for offences," so we may be mercifully delivered by the goodness of God, through Jesus Christ our Saviour, Rom. vi. 23.

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Sexagesima Sunday.

"THE REFUGE."

Learn, Ps. cxlii. 4-7. Passages to be referred to,-Num. xxxv. 9-29; Isa. xxviii. 14-17; Ps. xci.; Heb. vi. 13-20.

WE are familiar with the term "refuge" in the present day, in connexion with children-the home where little outcast boys and girls can find a shelter, protection, and resting-place. This is just what Jesus is; He opens His arms for the little ones, Mark x. 13-16; Matt. xviii. 2; He invites all the weary and oppressed to come to Him, Matt. xi. 28-30; He supplies clothing for the naked, Rev. iii. 18; food for the hungry, John vi. 50, 51; drink for the thirsty, John iv. 14; Isa. lv. 1. And so we, as Israel of old, can sing, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble," Ps. xlvi. 1.

God was very careful long ago to teach His people what a refuge they had in Jesus. We find it in one of the types, and we may well take the picture for our instruction, Num. xxxv. 9-15. The cities of refuge were appointed by God, Isa. xxvi. 1. At every cross-road the notice,