heart, made happy by a newly-discovered object. And why insist on this? Simply to answer the pleadings of an indolent heart, which would take refuge behind the claims of official authority, while failing to manifest the energy of divine life. A man may say, "I have no gift, no call, no office." Yes, but have you no life? You may not be called to stand before assembled thousands—often a very slippery place-but can you not find a Nathanael? Is there no one into whose ear you can drop those thrilling words, " I have found him?" Is there no friend, neighbour, or relative, to whom you can say, "come." You do not need to possess the gifts of a Paul, a Luther, a Whitfield, or a Chalmers, in order to say, "come." What you really want, is a heart filled to overflowing with the joy of a newly-found treasure. This is what we all want. If there were more Philips to seek there would be more Nathanaels found. If everyone would just do as Philip did, how blessedly would the work of evangelization go on! This is the way it should be; and this is the way it would be, if persons were able to say, with unclouded confidence, "we have found him." It is the hesitancy as to this-it is the lack of holy confidence in the record of God-the absence of settled assurance as to the fulness and efficacy of the atonement, and its personal application, that produces such unwillingness and incapacity to testify of Christ to others. In a word, before ever Philip can find Nathanael, he must find Christ. The two findings go together. I must find my own way to the feet of the Saviour, before I can conduct my fellow-sinner thither. It is one thing to talk about religion, and another thing to be able to say, "I have found Christ." This latter is the secret of all successful evangelization. For a man to set about preaching Christ to others, ere he has found Him for himself, is a most frightful delusion-yea, it is positive folly and wickedness. There is no one in such an awfully dangerous position as a Christless preacher-a Christless talker about religion. Reader, allow me to make a direct, solemn, personal appeal to your heart and conscience. How is it with your precious soul, at this moment? Can you say, with Philip, "I have found Christ ?" Are you happy in the Saviour's love? Have you found pardon and peace in His atoning blood? If you can answer in the affirmative, if you can say "yes, thank God;" then, I ask, are you searching for "Nathanael ?" Are you doing what you can to spread the knowledge of Jesus? Think, I pray you, of the beauteous moral order of Philip's history. It contains, in its brief compass, a volume of precious instruction. "The day following, Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me...... Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph......COME AND SEE.” (John i. 43-46.) A SPLENDID TRIUMPH. The THE disciples at the sepulchre see the trophies of a recent victory obtained there, and yet a victory gained in all beautiful divine simplicity and power. There was no confusion, no symptom that a struggle had been sustained, but every witness that a victory had been won. sepulchre was empty, and the clothes that had bound the dead body lay there, not in disorder, but wrapped together in their due place, the clothes that had been about the head distinguished above the rest. Death had been conquered and the grave spoiled, but by One who had got an easy victory; for He had already destroyed him that had the power of death at Calvary, "by death destroyed him that had the power of death," (Heb. ii.) and the rifling of the grave was perfect and glorious, but it was accomplished as without a struggle. The angels are there, but they are there in full intelligence of all that had happened. They sit at the place where the body had lain, in worshipping admiration of what Jesus had accomplished. Mary is there, but she is there ignorant of it all, but in deep personal affection to Christ. She knows not of His victory and resurrection, but she feels that He is dearer to her than the whole creation of God. Such ones meet and meet as the best of friends; angels and Mary, the bright intelligences of heaven and the loving heart of an accepted sinner of the earth. Jesus is their common object, and that is enough, though in point of attainment they are so distant from each other; the angels so full of light, Mary too much still in ignorance. But, favoured woman as she was, she is soon called to change her company, and even to improve it, though it was so good. She leaves the angels for the Lord of angels, and on his glorious lips hears her own name in well-known accents; for there is nothing too high, nothing too intimate for that heart that loves Jesus as her's did. Her former companions had kindly soothed her grief. But her Lord cheers her spirit and conducts her to know Him in higher, purer, and more loving scenes than even her heart had ever conceived. He lets her know that He was on His way to heaven, there to be with the God and Father of the Christ and the saints, of Jesus and his brethren. What victory, what spoils of victory, and what prints of victory are here! Death and hell are conquered and made a show of, the very bonds which signified their power made a show of in the place of the warfare; and then, those who had loved Him that had gone down to the battle, are made to share more splendid glorious fruit of His toil than their fondest hearts had ever even desired. With believing minds may we trace this victory of the Son of God, and with happy hearts gather up and feed on the fruit of it! THE TWO MINES. Lines found among the papers of a young man who recently fell asleep in Jesus. He had been to the gold diggings, where he realized a large amount, of which he was afterwards robbed. The hardships he endured, at the mines, brought on an illness, in the progress of which, the Lord revealed himself to his precious soul. I once deemed that contentment was bought with gold, When I saw it shine. Nay, I laughed when I thought of what wealth was mine. But it fled-and it left me diseased and worn; His suff'ring blood-bought one from Satan to claim. Of His love divine, And His word bade its gems round my heart to shine. Oh! how softly He whispered, ""tis mine to roll "Leave earth's gold to shine, "The riches of grace are eternally thine.” REGENERATION: WHAT IS IT? THERE are few subjects which have given rise to more difficulty and perplexity than that of regeneration, or the new birth. Very many who are, themselves, the subjects of this new birth are at a loss to know what it is, and filled with doubt as to whether they have ever really experienced it. Many there are who, were they to clothe their desires in words, would say, "Oh! that I knew for certain, that I had passed from death unto life. If only I were sure that I was born again, I should be happy indeed." Thus are they harassed with doubts and fears, from day to day, and from year to year. Sometimes they are full of hope that the great change has passed upon them; but, anon, something springs up within them which leads them to think their former hopes were a delusion. Judging from feeling and experience, rather than from the plain teaching of the word of God, they are, of necessity, plunged in uncertainty and confusion as to the whole matter. Now, I would desire to enter, in company with my reader, upon an examination, in the light of scripture, of this most interesting subject. It is to be feared that very much of the misapprehension which prevails in reference thereto, arises from the habit of preaching regeneration and its fruits instead of Christ. The effect is put before the cause, and this must always produce derangement of thought. Let us, then, proceed to consider this question. What is regeneration? How is it produced? What are its results? 1. And, first, what is regeneration? Very many look upon it as a change of the old nature, produced, no doubt, by the influence of the Spirit of God. This change is gradual in its operation, and proceeds, from stage to stage, until the old nature is completely brought under. This view of the subject involves two errors, namely, first, an |