away in the blood of Jesus, we are clothed in the righteousness of God. 2 Cor. v. 21, Rom. iii. 19-26.

But this is not all. The Lord is acting in grace, and He blesses like Himself. He makes Joshua a priest before Him. Not only is he cleansed, and clothed, but MITRED. “And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head." Blessed type of Israel, when, as "a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation," they, being delivered out of the hands of their enemies, will serve the Lord in holiness and righteousness, all the days of their life. (Exod. xix. Luke i.) True worship is the overflowing of the heart. When we know that our sins are all forgiven, and that we stand before God in divine righteousness, and are accepted in the beloved, the heart is not only full, but overflowing. In such a condition we can only praise, adore, and worship God in whom are all our springs. Every desire of the heart has been satisfied, and every wish met, so that we can only give thanks to the Lord for all His mercies.

We have now come to the end of the first division of this interesting chapter, including ver. 1-5. It naturally divides itself into three. The first, as we have seen, unfolds God's ways in wondrous grace, with a guilty sinner. He acts from Himself. The second division (ver. 6, 7) shews us the responsibility of those who are the subjects of such grace. "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts: and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by." Grace leads to godliness, and is the only power of a holy walk with God. (Titus ii. 11-15.)

In the third division (verses 8-10) we have the hope of glory. Joshua being brought into the place of blessed nearness to God, and happy fellowship with Him, the bright hope of glory is fully and distinctly set before him. 66 'Behold, I will bring forth my servant, THE BRANCH." Jesus, who was once the lowly rod from

the stem of Jesse, shall, in that long looked-for day of glory, come forth, as the BRANCH of the Lord, beautiful and glorious. "Even he shall build the temple of the Lord, and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne." "And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his Father's house, the offspring and the issue, all the vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons." (Isaiah xxii. 24.) But He is not only the BRANCH on which all the glory hangs; He is the sure foundation on which it all rests. "For, behold, the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes; Behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree." He will be the sure foundation-stone of Israel's blessing in the latter day, and of all blessing and glory throughout the whole millennial scene. The " seven eyes" denote the perfect intelligence of Him who rules over all.

Thus the Lord, in wondrous love, translates the believer in Jesus, from the depths of ruin and misery, to the heights of glory and blessedness. There is no middle ground, no resting place between. He finds him as a brand in the fire, rescues him from it, and sets him in His own presence "in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." O, what an exchange! from the depths of the darksome pit, to the lofty summits of light and glory! from being a child of wrath and an heir of hell, to be a child of God and an heir of heaven! from being black as a smoking brand, to be whiter than the snow, and fitted for the paradise of God! From being in the place of utter distance, to be brought near to the throne of God, as a worshipping high priest; crowned with "a fair mitre," and clothed in "garments of glory and beauty." And what makes all this wondrous blessing so deeply valuable and comforting to the heart, is the assurance that God Himself

does all. Joshua says nothing, and does nothing. He has got to the end of himself, and begun with God, and so leaves all to Him.

It is very instructive to observe that in reading the Gospels, we find presented to us, not a system of doctrines, but a living Person, even the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth." (John i. 14.) In the simple, but vivid and exquisitely beautiful narratives of the

evangelists, He lives and moves before us. We hear His words of grace, and see His acts of love. The disciples were drawn to Himself, and were occupied with Him. They were ignorant of much truth, but they knew Him who is Truth incarnate, and who was then manifested as the living Truth and Grace come down among men. Thus Peter says, for himself and the rest, (John vi. 68, 69,) “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe, and are sure, that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." Even so is it now. True, the Lord Jesus has "died for our sins;" but He is "risen again." "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." The eye of faith fixes itself, not on a dead Christ, but on a risen, living, glorified Saviour.

The constant effort of Satan is, to draw away our thoughts and our hearts from Christ. How easy it is to have the mind engaged about ordinances, doctrines, or even our service for Christ, instead of cultivating direct fellowship with Christ Himself. The casket is thought of, more than the jewel; the drapery is observed, more than the figure. Yet the true blessing of the soul is ever found, in steadily contemplating, with the eye of faith, the glorious Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. "We all, with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Cor. iii. 18.)

About seven years since, a room was opened in the village of C...... for the preaching of the gospel, and exposition of the Scriptures. Among those whom the Lord inclined to attend was J. B. The simple unfolding of the word of God was a new thing to her; but the event proved that the Lord used it to open in her mind a new line of thought, and that she found in it a rich blessing. After a time, she united in fellowship with the Lord's people, at the Lord's table; but, from distance or bodily infirmity, she could not

attend very regularly. Soon, however, her last sickness came upon her; and then it was that she opened her mind more fully, and was enabled to exhibit the grace she had received. On one occasion she said, "Before I heard the word unfolded, I knew doctrine; but then I found THE LORD." There was the secret of her strength. She could delight herself in Him, who died, and rose, and is glorified, and will come again. Her sufferings were very great; but her peace of mind was complete, and her patient submission to the will of God never failed.

More recently, the Lord opened her heart to embrace "that blessed hope," the return of the Lord Jesus Christ in glory, to take the Church to Himself, and to reign over Israel and over the earth. Amidst her suffering, she sought instruction in that cheering and reviving truth concerning Him whom she had found.

Dear reader, dost thou believe on the Son of God? Canst thou look up to Him and say, "My Saviour, my Lord, and my God?" If not, hear Him saying to thee now, "Look and live." Pardon and remission of sins are found in His most precious blood-shedding; and if thou committest thyself wholly to Him, He will be thy living Righteousness and glorious High Priest in the presence of God above.

Dear Christian reader, art thou living by faith on Jesus, the Son of God, the unfailing food and life of thy soul? Art thou seeking daily, constant communion with Him? Is thy heart saying, “Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly, O thou bright and morning star ?" Amen. "Even so come, Lord Jesus."

AN EARNEST APPEAL.

CHRISTIAN reader, I feel constrained to make an earnest appeal to your heart and conscience, in the presence of Him to whom you and I are responsible, and to whom our hearts and ways are fully known. I do not mean to judge you, or