God kindles a better hope in the hearts of his children. "They seek a country."

"They seek a country." Oh what wonders faith unfolds to the gaze of the soul which God has quickened! What capacities for enjoyment! The influences of eternity operate upon it. Here were men, and they had the same trials that we have, nay, much greater-"they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword; they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented," theirs was a weary pilgrimage. But the light that fell from the distant promise lit up the gloom for them. They had the attractions of the world; Abraham was a rich man, many of them had crowns, many of them had all that makes earth dear to us; but the light from the distant promise was like the morning star beaming down upon their night, it called their hopes away, their hearts away, and their desire away, and they sought a country.

What a view we have here of the brevity of this life. We are here for a day, for an hour; our life is as a shadow that declineth, a race that is run, a troublesome pilgrimage, and "the night is far spent, the day is at hand."

And, lastly, what a view we have of the comparative insignificancy of the trials and distresses of time, as compared with what is coming at the end. "I reckon," says the Apostle, "that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

May our hearts hear his voice to-day calling us to the better country. May we listen to him while he says to us, "It is a good land of which I have told you." "My oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready.' His heart is ready, the crown is ready, the home is ready, the welcome is ready, and what of a few sighs more? what of a few tears more? what of a few disappointments more? what

if even the fourth watch of the night has yet to be passed, bright will be the morrow, glorious will be the rest. Oh, to hear him say, "Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth, the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land. The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.' It is a country worth seeking.

Beloved friends, may each of you have fellowship with Jesus in the beginning, through the course, and to the end of the year we have entered upon. May you even now have his arms round you, carrying you upwards another day's journey out of this weary, weary wilderness, leaning upon the Beloved. Oh, may your names be written down in heaven to-day with this description, "they seek a country." ΑΜΕΝ.

A SERMON

BY

THE REV. MARCUS RAINSFORD.

"Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say, rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."-PHIL. iv. 4–7.

II. Four commands grounded upon that fact.
III. A most precious promise.

I. You have a fact stated, glorious beyond all thought or expression, to every heart that has learned to know and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. The fact is this, "The Lord is at hand." It may refer either to time or place; either to his return in glory, or to the fact that he is nigh unto his people. Let us take it in both senses. "The Lord is at hand." This is the Believer's hopeHe is coming, and till he comes, in the glory of his Father, to wipe away all our tears, to raise our dead, and

SERM. XVIII.

to fill us with his glory, he is, in the meantime, our solace in trials, in conflicts, in difficulty and in danger, our light in darkness, and our triumph in death. We wrong him greatly if we conceive of him as above the stars! he is very nigh his people, "the Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him," that is to say, he is beside them, they have not to call with a loud voice, as to one at a distance, "he is nigh unto them." He is "a very present help in time of trouble:" we have not to ascend to heights or descend to the depths to find him, "he is a very present help in time of trouble.” We read, "The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand," what a beautiful statement, "the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand," as much as to say, wherever thou goest he goes, wherever thou dost stand thy Lord standeth beside thee. Oh! hallowed and hallowing consideration. If we realized it, what a potent influence it would have upon our thoughts and words, and ways and works; "The Lord is at hand." I am compassed with God, I dwell in God, I walk with God," the Lord is at hand." Let us, therefore, walk circumspectly, let nothing cast us down, let us learn how to triumph at all times in him. If indeed the Lord is at hand, let those that oppose our souls beware, let us boast in the Lord over the world, over self, and over Satan, for "the Lord is at hand." God grant you, beloved, to realize it.

II. Now observe, gathered around this fact, grounded upon it, and flowing from it, are four commands.

The first is, "Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say, rejoice." Oh, how little there is of this amongst us! There is much shrinking from the Lord, much unworthy fear,

and distrust, and unbelief with many of us; alas! too much with all of us. How little rejoicing in the Lord with any of us! Yet here this is a positive command founded upon the fact that "the Lord is at hand." Why else is he at hand, but that we should rejoice in him? He did not come to condemn, he came to save the world; why else is he nigh, within call, a refuge we may run into, a rest we may lean upon, a friend we may have confidence in; why else but that we may rejoice in him? Is he here to mock our hope, is he here to tantalize us, is he here, a proclaimed Saviour to all who come unto God by him, merely to disappoint us? No, but that we may "rejoice in him." "Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say, rejoice."

You observe here is a ground, an all-sufficient ground for rejoicing in him. There is nothing in him that is not ground for rejoicing, will you believe that? There is absolutely nothing in the Christ of God that is not a ground of rejoicing to poor sinners. "He is the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of his person." He is the King-life is in him, righteousness is in him, abounding grace is in him; those whom he loves he loves to the end, those whom he helps he helps eternally, those whom he calls he in nowise refuses, and he calls all: let every one that hath an ear, hear that call, "Come unto me ye weary and heavy laden ones, and I will give you rest," therefore he is at hand. He has met the judgment that would overwhelm our souls, he has paid the penalty that would for ever condemn us, he has rifled the tomb, the tomb cannot hold us, his precious blood cleanseth from all sin, his consummated victory places us upon a pinnacle of liberty, all fulness dwells in him, there

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