That was a faithful wife! looking for her hus- do?" If there be any people wanting a guideband, thinking of her husband's return, faithful I know I have often felt it myself; I have been to her husband's interest, and attending to her engaged in things, questionable things; what is husband's wishes. Now, if any other woman to be my rule and my guide? "If I am engaged came and tried to deter her from acting thus, in that, and the Lord Jesus Christ came, would and she yielded to her, would you admire her? I be ashamed, would I meet Him face to face?" No; neither could I. I like to see a wife faith-There are different ways of meeting a friend. I ful to her husband when he is away; and I like may meet a friend, and yet feel ashamed to look to see the Bride of Christ faithful to our dear Lord Jesus looking down on us here. If you would get circumstances away, and think only of the Lord Jesus Christ, that would set you above circumstances, and above fear. The other day I was talking to a man, and he said, "Such a thing, I admit, is right; but if I do it, that meeting will be closed against me." Thus he was purchasing a liberty to speak at that meeting through disobedience to God! There that man was setting his own wisdom against God's. Well, that is wrong. Dear friends, it is difficult, I know, to get rid of circumstances, to lose sight of advantages and disadvantages, and to stand before God-to stand simply in the mind of God; but if you do that there would be a blessing. I find that when Abraham was standing before God, God went to commune with Abraham face to face; and when he was obedient to him in the offering up of Isaac, when He found he could be trusted, then God said, "In blessing I will bless thee." And God gave Abraham such blessing as has continued ever since, "Because," He said, "you have obeyed my voice." Oh! obedience is a blessed thing! and it brings a blessing to the soul. Oh yes, it is a happy thing to be faithful to God. There was a gentleman the other day who said, "Now, here we are talking of these things, and when we get into the next world, we will think very differently. We do not believe in all these meetings. To be sure, there is this excitement, and there is that excitement; but I doubt if there is a reality in the Revival." "There is a downright reality in the Revival! My brother was converted in Kerry three years ago, and I was converted through what he said. And if you say the Revival is moonshine, I say, It is not true, sir; for I know I am saved, and that I am to live for ever in glory with Christ. And I know the reality for my own soul, and I know the reality in the souls of others." Oh! when we get up there, we will wonder that we were not more faithful to Him; and we will say, "Why did I not follow thee through black and white, through thick and thin; for thou art one worthy to be trusted." May God give us grace to serve that blessed Jesus, and to put out of sight all fear, circumstances, everything, and say, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to him in the face; but when I meet a friend, and know there is nothing between us, I meet him face to face; I look him in the face. Now, dear friends, all I say is, if you want a guide with reference to any personal thing you are engaged in, just consider if the Lord Jesus came, "Lord Jesus, could I meet thee as a faithful bride?" Oh! let us trust God more! Let us confide in God more! Let us get outside man! Let us get outside our friends! and let us walk in charity and love! Not man first, and God second; but God first, and man second! Now, let us sing that hymn: "My God we are thine, Hallelujah! soon the glory!" &c. "He is our Peace." THOU I hear Thy mournful voice, 'twas all for me. Thou art my peace- I lay my trembling hand Thou art my peace-Thy face I cannot see; Thou art my peace-Mine inmost being thrills Thou art my peace-though heart and hand may fail; Tho' earthly storms and angry winds prevail, Thou art my peace-a while, a little while Thou art my peace-Thou wilt not change to me: F. C. A. "What saith the Scriptures ?" "Our conscience is bound down by the Word of God: we can suffer all things, but we dare not overstep the Word of God. The Word of God must reign above all things, and remain the judge of all men."-Luther. the world, and not after Christ." (Col. ii. 8.) "Teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake." (Titus i. 11.) "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because WHEN the tabernacle was pitched in the wil- there is no light in them." (Isa. viii. 20.) "He that is of God heareth God's words." (John viii. 47.) 66 SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES." Notes on the Book of Revelation. derness, what was the authority for its "These were more noble than those of Theslength and breadth? Why was the altar of in-salonica, in that they recieved the word with all cense to be placed here, and the brazen laver readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures there? Why so many lambs or bullocks to be daily whether these things were so." (Acts xvii. offered on a certain day? Why must the pass-11.) over be roasted whole and not sodden? Simply and only because God had shown all these things to Moses in the holy mount; and thus had Jehovah spoken, "Look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount." It is even so in the Church at the present day; true servants of God demand to see for all Church ordinances and doctrines, the express authority of the Church's only Teacher and Lord. They remember that the Lord Jesus bade the apostles to teach believers to observe all things whatsoever He had commanded them, but He neither gave to them nor to any men power to alter his own commands. The Holy Ghost revealed much of precious truth and holy precept by the apostles, and to His teaching we would give earnest heed; but when men cite the authority of fathers, and councils, and bishops, we give place for subjection, no, not for an hour. They may quote Irenæus or Cyprian, Augustine or Chrysostom; they may remind us of the dogmas of Luther or Calvin; they may find authority in Simeon, or Wesley, or Gill-we will listen to the opinions of these great men with the respect which they deserve as men, but having so done, we deny that we have anything to do with these men as authorities in the Church of God, for there nothing has any authority, but "Thus saith the Lord of hosts." Yea, if you shall bring us the concurrent consent of all tradition-if you shall quote precedents venerable with fifteen, sixteen, or seventeen centuries of antiquity, we burn the whole as so much worthless lumber, unless you put your finger upon the passages of Holy Writ which warrants the matter to be of God. You may further plead, in addition to all this venerable authority, the beauty of the ceremony and its usefulness to those who partake therein, but this is all foreign to the point, for to the true Church of God the only question is this, Is there aThus saith the Lord" for it? And if divine authoity be not forthcoming, faithful men thrust forth the intruder as the cunning craftiness of men."-Spurgeon. 66 "Earnestly contend for the faith ONCE delivered unto the saints. (Jude.) "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of WE 66 66 There was, however, another wonder in heaven, which we are told, in the ninth verse, was that old serpent which is called the Devil, and Satan. This terrible being is presented to us as a great red dragon, having seven heads, and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads, and drawing a third part of the stars of heaven with his tail, and casting them on the earth. Thus we see one mighty in person, terrible and fierce as a great devourer in appearance, and followed in the train by those whose proper element was heaven, but who, by his drawing, are cast into a lower region; which may be those who have wandered from their exalted sphere, and become apostates in league with Satan, and to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. The attitude this awful dragon takes, is that of watching for Messiah's birth, and to swallow Him up, if possible. "The dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born." (v. 4.) Now, who can have attentively read the second chapter of Matthew, without seeing how literally this was accomplished! There we see, that directly the birth of Jesus was announced, that "Herod and all Jerusalem were troubled," and that the king, as if imbued fully with the subtilty of the great deceiver, though he professed a desire to worship" Jesus, only had an earnest longing "to destroy Him," (Matt. ii. 8, 13,) and afterwards in great wrath issued a command to put to death all the young children from two years old and under, hoping in this way to include the Son of God-the man child, who should yet have the heathen for His inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for His possession. As we might expect, the entrance of Jesus into this world would be connected 66 with a mighty opposing energy of Satan; so in no period of the Divine record do we find such hosts of Satanic powers working on the earth, and especially in the land of Israel, as during the days of our Lord in His flesh. We know, too, that though Herod's murderous scheme only turned out to his utter confusion-to the complete failure of the roaring lion, yet we see him afterwards as the wily serpent, tempting the blessed Lord with, "If thou be the Son of God," &c. When again, as at all other times, the great red dragon was so utterly confounded, that the "devil left Him, and angels came and ministered unto Him." From these records in the gospel, it is clear that Satan was especially set upon devouring this man child. We are further told, "And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron and her child was caught up unto God, and to His throne." This shows us that, however the hatred of Satan and man might rage, yet the God of resurrection could raise up Jesus from the dead, and seat Him at His own right hand in the heavenlies. And what child was ever born of a woman, that will sway the universal sceptre but Jesus? Who else shall rule the nations with a rod of iron, or break them to shivers as a potter's vessel but Jesus? His death on the Cross, instead of checking the onward course of this man child, only manifested God's love, and man's wickedness; and was so infinitely meritorious to God, that we are told "He humbled himself, and was obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross; wherefore God hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow," &c. So we read, "the child was caught up to God, and His throne." It is ascension that is here brought out; and while the church must always be included when the resurrection and ascension of Christ is brought out, nevertheless, the subject of this chapter is not the church, but the history of those (of Israel especially) who suffer under Satan and his great minister, the man of sin, during the Apocalyptic week. Though at present the people of Israel are virtually cut off, yet they are beloved for the fathers' sakes; and though the ten tribes are scattered to the four winds, God is able to gather them again from the four winds; and, even before that, His eye will be upon a remnant of them for good, and bring them through the fire of unparalleled tribulation and anguish, into their long promised blessing, when there shall be the days of heaven on the earth. (Deut. xi. 21.) Service and Waiting. Luke xix.; John xiv.; Luke v. 23. THESE Scriptures speak to us of service and waiting of the season of separation between Jesus and His saints, and their occupation and watching while He tarries. In John xiv. He tells us of His occupation for us "I go to prepare a place for you." "I am in heaven on your behalf, serving you there: when down here with you, I was your servant through all the varied details of human life; and now that I am going away from you into heaven, I shall be your willing servant there." Yes, beloved, our blessed Lord Jesus has entered on His work for us with free and ready purpose of heart and intense delight, whereas we have to be set at the work: we need the exhortation, "Occupy till I come." And now tell me, what thoughts and desires fill the heart of Christ, while His hand is in service preparing the abode of love for us in the Father's house? Oh! beloved-sweet blessed truth for our souls to drink in, to animate and sustain during His absence-the affections of His heart are reaching forth in anticipation of His joy in coming to receive us to Himself. Yes, though it may surprise us, the absorbing desire of our absent Lord is to have us with Himself, to see us by His side, to gaze upon us with delight. Now, I ask, what should be our attitude towards Him? Are our hearts for Him? How are they affected towards His coming again? In Matt. xxv. we get the divine test whereby to judge. The wise and foolish virgins were to gether in going forth; but the foolish had no heart for Him; the affections were not awakened, as the lack of oil bespeaks. There was religiousness but no reality; and the answer to this we get in Luke v. 33:- Why do John's disciples fast, and thy disciples fast not?.. When the Bridegroom is taken from them, then shall they fast." This is the divine fast, the fast of earnest desire, the fast of the aching heart that has followed Himself up yonder, and yet looks, and waits, and gazes, and watches, to catch the first glimpse of Him when He returns; this is the real fast, the fast of faith. But, oh! the fast of human religiousness how intolerable to faith! Put them, beloved, at an immeasurable distance. How abhorrent, I say again, is the fast of mere profession; but the fast under pressure of sorrow for an absent loved one meets heaven's approval, gets God's sanction and His eternal seal. Oh, beloved, are we in ready service for an absent Lord, and in joyful expectation of our loved Bridegroom. May our hands be active indeed, and our hearts earnestly desiring to see Him, to be with Him, to be met by Himself and brought in to our home, to sit down by His side, through a bright and blessed eternity. Now, one word in conclusion. We see our blessed Lord Jesus surrounded by the glories of heaven, yet undistracted by them from His service for us. He serves faithfully and lovingly, and shall we suffer the wretched fascinations of the scene around to allure us away from any little measure of service we can do for His name. O for increased purpose of heart to glorify His name in our day and generation! Amen. A Word to the Tried and Suffering Saints of God. BELOVED in the Lord Jesus, be well assured that He, whose nature and whose name is love, will mete out to you the greatest possible measure of earthly happiness, and the least possible measure of earthly trial and suffering, compatible with the accomplishment of the gracious purpose of His everlasting love and with your welfare. What can you desire more than this to keep your soul, reposing on your heavenly Father's love, in perfect peace? There is one verse, shining with pre-eminent splendour amidst a nucleus of bright and precious promises, which, more persuasively than ten thousand arguments, ought to rebuke every distrustful suspicion about God's dealings, and silence every unbelieving fear about His love. "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" My brother, my sister, is not that verse worth ten thousand worlds to you? It is to me. What unnecessary Do you doubt His love? suffering will He inflict on you, who, to save you from everlasting sufferings, spared not His own Son? What real good will He withhold from you, who withheld not Him? What real blessing will He not freely give you, who freely gave Him for you? What will He allow you to want, that is not better for you to want, who would not allow you to want everlasting salvation, though, to purchase it for you, He delivered up His own, His only, His well-beloved Son to death, even the death of the Cross? Oh! what a precious promise. How many weary pilgrims has it not already refreshed, comforted, gladdened! and it is, this moment, a never-failing spring of consolation and joy, as fresh, as full as ever. It is that wondrous question, How shall He not?" which makes it so full of Divine comfort. It is the implied impossibility, because the implied insult to the Son of God, involved in the supposition that there is any blessing which He, who loved you well enough to give His own Son for you, does not love you well enough to give; as if there was some blessing dearer to the Father's heart, more precious in the Father's sight, than His own Son! Is there any dearer or more precious in yours, beloved one? Is there any you more highly prize, more earnestly desire, or would more gratefully receive? If you shudder at the thought, will you seem, by discontent, disquietude, or distrust, to tell God that there is such a blessing--one dearer and more precious to you than Christ Himself, the want of which strips that promise of its consolation? Whatever, then, be your trials, your sufferings, cast yourself on this one verse, this one promise, and all will be peace and rest. Whatever your trials-for I say not that trials, deep, agonizing, desolating trials, may not be sent; but I do say, that if they are, they will be sent by the Father, even as le sent His Son, in love-they will come, as Jesus came; "with healing on their wings." The earthly props you have loved to lean upon may be all taken from you-it will only be that you may lean more confidently on the arm of Jesus. The earthly gourds, under whose shadow you so loved to repose, may all be withered-it will be only that you may rest in sweeter peace under the shadow of a Saviour's love. The earthly cisterns, out of which you so delighted to drink, may all be broken-it will only be that you may drink more deeply from the fountain of living waters, the only fountain of satisfying happiness. Say of every dispensation, every trial, "It is well," "My Jesus hath done all things well." Be careful for nothing; for, for every need you have, there is a corresponding grace in Jesus. Be careful for nothing; but in A All must be well!" T. S. H. GENESIS xv. 13, 17. And tread a path that's dark and drear, But Jesus says, "Be of good cheer; Of those who tread the path He trod: For suffering is the will of God; He bids us thus rejoice in Him; That leads where Christ has gone before, Like Enoch, in the days of yore; We will receive no smiles, but scorns, Where our dear Lord was crown'd with thorns. Oh! if we did not see His face, Our walk would be a dreary way; Lord! may we never fail to trace Thy footsteps marked in blood each day, Until has passed this "little while," And Thou shalt greet us with Thy smile! J. W. T. Believers' Meetings in Dublin. IT is always happy when the children of God can meet together as such, to worship the Father, to rejoice in their precious Lord and Saviour, in dependence on the indwelling Comforter-the Holy Ghost; and to exhort, comfort, and edify one another in truth and love. Can anything on earth be more refreshing and profitable to us, or more pleasing to God? How sweet to see believers embracing each other, and meeting together as worshippers, feeling that the world is outside, and that they are shut in with Jesus "in the midst," as gathered together in His name.” 66 Hundreds of saints realized a goodly measure of these blessings at the half-yearly meeting of BELEIVERS lately held in Dublin. There was much earnest and united prayer before the period arrived. Some were so drawn out in supplication, as to spend much of one night in prayer to God for blessing. Many dear saints were invited from almost every part of Ireland, and some also from England and Scotland. The meetings were fixed for Tuesday and Wednesday, January 3rd and 4th. Many arrived on the Monday, and met several of the dear saints in Dublin that evening for prayer, when there was much earnest crying to God our Father in the name of Jesus for His help, guidance, and blessing on the expected meetings. It was delightful to see the joyous faces of the dear believers, and the fervency with which they greeted each other. Many residing in Dublin lovingly opened their houses, with the most cheering hospitality, to welcome those who had come from a distance, and brotherly love and confidence abounded on all sides. TUESDAY MORNING. Our space will only allow us to give a brief notice of the different addresses and other subjects of interest in those meetings. The first meeting was appointed at eight o'clock on Tuesday morning for prayer, in the Pillar-room of the Rotunda. Many were assembled, in spite of the cold wind and frost, soon after half-past seven, and were seen there apparently in quiet waiting upon God, before the light enabled persons to recognize each other distinctly. No man presided at these meetings, and no one was called on to pray. The Lord was recognised "in the midst." With the exception of singing two hymns and reading the first chapter of the first epistle of John, this meeting, which continued to half-past nine, was one continuous out-pouring of heart in fervent prayer to God. The brevity and simplicity of the prayers, and the emphatic way in which many asked in the name of Jesus, were very striking. After this, many breakfasted together, when it was manifest that the intercourse was on the things of God. Prayer, praise, and reading the |