to follow him, as to have the light of life. It is a most remarkable expression, this light of life. He shall have light upon his life, and the experience and enjoyment of that life, which itself is light. Life in Christ, a partaking of his holiness, a quickening sense of his preciousness and presence, an eye single to him, is itself a light upon every thing, and invests every thing with light. Love itself is light, and the light of life is love. When love reigns, faith reigns, and there is no room for doubt or darkness. Even the commencement of such a state in this world is blessed, but what must the perfection of it be in heaven, where every holy soul will love as it is loved, and see as it is seen. A man should aim to live as habitually in this state as possible, here upon earth, for it is the only state of power, usefulness, and happiness.

The case of these disciples of Christ, and especially of Peter, teaches an interesting lesson as to the gradual growth of the Christian graces, and perfection of the Christian character. Take Peter as he was in the Gospels, especially in the early part of his career of discipleship, and compare him with Peter in the Epistles, and what a surprising change! What humility and meekness, what richness of knowledge and love, what calmness, gentleness, and stability of faith, his unbelief all gone, his faith the source of joy unspeakable and full of glory. So may any and every sincere Christian, sincerely striving after Christ, hope that the

dross of unbelief shall at length be purged away. Peter's faith was wavering even till after the crucifixion of his Lord; it would utterly have failed, but for Christ's mercy, in the hour of temptation and suffering. But I have prayed for thee, said the gracious Saviour, that thy faith fail not. He who caught Peter and raised him up when sinking in the sea, raised him up also when he had fallen beneath the temptations of Satan, would have him to sift him as wheat. Had not Christ prayed for him, he would never have been raised up from that fall; he would not even have had faith to cry, Lord, save me !

All depends on Christ; faith, strength, grace, perseverance, success, hope, life, every thing, all depends on Christ. The end of the Word of God, and of all preaching and writing from that Word, is Christ; the object and end of the Sabbath and all its ordinances, is Christ; the purpose of all God's providence and grace, is Christ; the object, end, and soul of every Christian enterprise, is Christ. He is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. A man must be in Christ, and have an interest in Christ's prayers, a portion in Christ's love, or though he have all knowledge, he is nothing; nay, he is a sinful, self-willed possessor of the element of evil, powerful for nothing but evil, and good for nothing but to be burned. He might have power to live a thousand lives in one, or to ward off the stroke of death for a thousand years; he might

walk on a thousand raging seas unharmed, and have power to defy all the elements; he might have at his command the riches of a thousand worlds; but unacquainted with Christ, he is a sinful, miserable, lost soul. The problem of a man's whole existence, therefore, is to find Christ, to come to Christ, to be found in Christ.

Of all the gifts thy hand bestows,
Thou Giver of all good,

Not heaven itself a richer knows,
Than my Redeemer's blood.

Faith, too, the blood-receiving grace,
From the same hand we gain;
Else, sweetly as it suits our case,
That gift had been in vain.

Till Thou thy teaching power apply,
Our hearts refuse to see,
And, weak as a distempered eye,

Shut out the view of Thee.

Blind to the merits of thy Son,

What misery we endure !

Yet fly that hand, from which alone

We could expect a cure.

We praise Thee, and would praise Thee more!

To Thee our all we owe;

The precious Saviour, and the power

That makes him precious too.

COWPER.

VIII.

The Hope of Glory.

IF at any time difficulties and trials increase, the sou that is following Christ and trusting in him knows that every day it is getting nearer to the end of them. It is but a little while. These light afflictions are but for a moment. They are light, in comparison with the exceeding and eternal weight of glory they are appointed to work out. Though ever so heavy, they are light, when the soul is enabled to remember and feel that they are but for a moment.

Let cares like a wild deluge come,
And storms of sorrow fall;
May I but safely reach my home,

My God, my heaven, my all!
There shall I bathe my weary soul
In seas of heavenly rest,

And not a wave of trouble roll

Across my peaceful breast.

A man is saved amidst trials, from the deadly sting of trials, by such hope. And likewise the feeling of the shortness of time and the nearness of eternity diminishes every burden. The soul feels somewhat as Paul did in the near prospect of the heavenly world. I am now ready to be offered. Thy crown is shining near. It seems as if we could see Paul stopping for the first time to take breath amidst his conflicts, and looking back upon them. The end was so near, that all seemed now done, the victory gained, the struggle over. So with every faithful soul, as it nears the New Jerusalem. Christ is with it, and more and more with it, the nearer it comes to the close of its course of humble faithfulness in following him. The promise begins its fulfilment this side of the grave, that where I am there shall my servant be. There is a land Beulah in the Christian pilgrimage, where the faithful soul can sometimes almost see and travel with the white-robed spirits. So the author of the Pilgrim's Progress found it in his own experience. In this country, says he, the sun shineth night and day; wherefore this was beyond the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and also out of the reach of Giant Despair; neither could they from this place so much as see Doubting Castle. Here they were within sight of the City they were going to: also here met them some of the inhabitants thereof; for in this land the shining ones commonly walked, because