sharpest sufferings, magnifies his love. When the richest sacrifices under the law were insufficient to take away sin, and no lower price than the blood of God could obtain their pardon, upon his entering into the world to execute that wonderful commission which cost him his life, with what ardor of affection did he undertake it! Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. When Peter from carnal affection, looking with a more tender eye on his Master's life than our redemption, deprecated his sufferings, Master, spare thyself; he who was incarnate goodness, and never quenched the smoking flax, expresses the same indignation against him, Get thee behind me, Satan, as he did formerly against the devil tempting to worship him. He esteemed him the worst adversary that would divert him from his sufferings: he longed for the baptism of his blood. And when death was in his view, with all the circumstances of terror, and the supreme Judge stood before him ready to inflict the just punishment of sin; though the apprehension of it was so dreadful that he could scarce live under it, yet he resolved to accomplish his work. Our salvation was amiable to him in his agony. This is specially observed by the evangelist, John xiii. 1. That Jesus having loved his own, he loved them to the end. When the soldiers came to seize upon him, though by one word he could have commanded legions of angels for his rescue, yet he yielded up himself to their cruelty. It was not any defect of power, but the strength of his love that made him to suffer. He was willing to be crucified, that we might be glorified-our redemption was sweeter to him than death was bitter, by which it was to be obtained. It was excellently said by Pherecides, That God transformed himself into love when he made the world. But with greater reason it is said by the apostle, God is love, when he redeemed it. 'Twas love that by a miraculous condescension took our nature, accomplishing the desire of the mystical spouse, Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth :-'twas love that stooped to the form of a servant, and led a poor despised life here below:-'twas love that endured a death, neither easy nor honorable, but most unworthy of the glory of the divine, and the innocency of the human nature. Love chose to die on the cross, that we might live in heaven, rather than to enjoy that blessedness, and leave mankind in misery.

"Then let us sit beneath his cross,

And gladly catch the healing stream;

All things for him account but loss,
And give up all our hearts to him:
Of nothing think or speak beside,-
My Lord, my Love, is crucified."

JULY 7.

LEIGHTON.

Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. -Is. vi. 2-4.

THESE glorious courtiers, flaming spirits, are light and love, whose very feet are too bright for us, as his face is too bright for them; and they cry holy, holy, holy,-thrice holy THREE, one God-Lord of Hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. This they cry one to another, echoing it and returning it incessantly. They that praise him most, come nearest their life. When we are to pray, or offer any worship to the great God in the sanctuary, especially in solemn worship there, let us think of him as thus on his throne above, and the diffusion of his glory there, of his train filling the upper temple, and so stoop low and fall down before him. Holy, holy, holy. This is the main thing wherein he is glorious, and we are to know and adore him in this view, and abhor ourselves as in his sight.

The whole earth. So many creatures and various works and affairs, fruits and plants, and rich commodities, and so many calamities and miseries that kingdoms and people are afflicted with as by turns, and so many disorders, and such wickedness, of men in public and private matters; and yet, in all these varieties and contrarieties of things, this one is the sum of all, and all is taken up in it, The whole earth is full of his glory. In framing and upholding, in ruling and ordering all, what a depth and power of wisdom!

The posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried. How true must that be, that at his voice the earth quakes and the mountains tremble, when, at the voice of an angel crying or proclaiming his name, the very threshold of the temple-the then holiest part of the earth-moves! This in the vision, was in

tended to represent the dreadfulness of his great name, which vile men dare baffle in vain oaths, and can speak thereof without sense; when his name is proclaimed, or when they mention or think of it, the posts will be moved with an awful trembling. And the house was filled with smoke. This was here a symbol of the presence and majesty of God. Clouds and darkness are round about him, righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne; not a signal of displeasure, as some take it. He dwells in light that is inaccessible, and round about is thick darkness, shutting out the weak eyes of men, which were not able to abide the brightness of his glory. Much of our knowledge here, lies in this, to know that we know him not: and much of our praise, to confess that we cannot praise him.

"God is in heaven, and men below:

Be short our tunes; our words be few:
A solemn rev'rence checks our songs,
And praise sits silent on our tongues."

JULY 8.

CHRYSOSTOM.

Afterward came also the other virgins, saying Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.-Matt. xxv. 11, 12.

66

DоTH he not justly turn away from us, and punish us, when he is giving up himself unto us for all things, and we are resisting him? It is surely plain to all. For whether thou art desirous to adorn thyself, "Let it, he saith, be with my ornaments;" or to arm thyself, "with my Arms;" or to clothe thyself," with my Raiment;" or to inherit, "my Inheritance; or to enter into a country," the City of which I am Builder and Maker;" or to build a house, " amongst my Tabernacles." "For I, so far from asking thee for a recompense of the things that I give thee, do even make myself owe thee a recompense for this very thing, if thou be willing to use all I have." What can be equal to this munificence, "I am Father, I am Brother, I am Bridegroom, I am Dwelling Place, I am Food, I am Raiment, I am Root, I am Foundation, all whatsoever thou willest, I am." "Be thou in need of nothing, I will be even a servant, for I came to minister, not to be ministered unto; I am Friend, and Member, and Head, and Brother, and Sister, and Mother;

I am all; only cling thou closely to me. I was poor for thee, and a wanderer for thee, on the Cross for thee, in the tomb for thee, above I intercede for thee to the Father; on earth I am come for thy sake an Ambassador from my Father. Thou art all things to me, brother, and joint heir, and friend, and member." What wouldst thou more? Why dost thou turn away from him, who loveth thee? Why dost thou labor for the world? Why dost thou draw water into a broken cistern? For it is this to labor for the present life. Why dost thou comb wool into the fire? Why dost thou beat the air? Why dost thou run in vain? Why, like the foolish virgins, do you take no oil with you in your vessels? Hath not every art an end? It is surely plain to every one. Do thou also show the end of thy worldly eagerness. But thou canst not; for, Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. Let us go to the tombs; show me thy father; show me thy wife. Where is he that was clad in raiment of gold? he that rode in a chariot? he that had armies, that had the girdle, that had the heralds? he that was slaying these, and casting those into prison? he that put to death whom he would, and set free whom he was minded? I see nothing but bones, and a worm, and a spider's web; all those things are earth, all those a fable, all a dream, and a shadow, and a bare relation, and a picture, or rather not so much as a picture. For in the picture we see at least a likeness, but here not so much as a like

ness.

And would that evils stop with this. For now the honor, and the luxury, and the distinction, end with a shadow, with words; but the consequences of them, are no longer limited to a shadow and to words, but continue, and will pass over with us elsewhere; not in similitude, will our remissness and wickedness reappear, neither in ashes, but written above, both words, and deeds. And then shall they foreclose our entrance into heaven, for though with great earnestness such shall say, Lord, Lord, open to us, he will answer, Verily I say unto you, I know

you not.

With what eyes then shall we behold the Bridegroom when he cometh? For if any one could not bear to see his father, when conscious to himself that he had sinned against him, upon him who infinitely exceeds a father in forbearance how shall we then look? how shall we bear it? For indeed we shall stand at

Christ's judgment seat, and there will be a strict inquiry into all things.

But if any man disbelieve the judgments to come, let him look at the things here, at those in prisons, those in mines, the possessed, the frantic, them that are struggling with incurable diseases, those that are fighting against continual poverty, them that live in famine, them that are pierced with irremediable woes, those in captivity. For these persons would not suffer these things here, unless vengeance and punishments were to await all the others also that have committed such sins. And if the rest have undergone nothing here, you ought to regard this very fact as a sign that there is surely something to follow after our depar ture hence. For the self-same God of all would not take vengeance on some, and leave others unpunished, who have committed the same or more grievous offenses, unless he designed to bring some punishments upon them there.

By these arguments then and these examples let us also humble ourselves; and let them who are obstinate unbelievers of the judgment, believe it henceforth, and become better men; that having lived here in a manner worthy of the kingdom, we may attain unto the good things to come, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.-1 Cor. xv. 24, 25.

CHRIST now governs his church by the ministry of his word and sacraments, and by the effusion of his Spirit in measure and degrees upon his members. By his mighty, though secret power, he contends with his enemies; and so shall do till the resurrection of the dead,-when Death, the last enemy, shall be overcome, and then, in these respects, his kingdom shall cease: for he shall no more exercise the offices of a mediator in compassionating, defending, interceding for his church; but he shall sit and reign for ever as God, co-cqual with his Father, and shall