The Miscellany. GLORIOUS HEAVEN. WHO can tell the meaning of the word heaven? Canst thou, happy child of God, whose cup is overflowing with a rich foretaste of heaven's pure living fountain? Canst thou, O martyr, as thou dost embrace the stake, crying in the midst of the flames, 66 Welcome, cross of Christ; welcome, everlasting life?" Canst thou, O man, who was caught up into the third heaven, and heard unspeakable words? Canst thou, prophet of God, whose lips were touched with a live coal from off God's altar? No; the answer comes back, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." No tongue can tell, its riches, its glory, its blessedness, and its joy. Only the Holy Spirit can reveal the nature, and give to the spirit of man a foretaste of heavenly bliss. But heaven is endeared to us by many beautiful, glorious, and blessed titles. It is glory. The glory of God fills all its courts, tunes all its harps, and floats on its every breeze. Glory, angel voices proclaim. Glory, shout the free of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. Yes, it is the land of glory, of unsullied glory, of unfading glory. "An exceeding and eternal weight of glory" there awaits all God's children who patiently endure the light momentary afflictions of earth. It is the dwelling-place of God. That is what gives it its crowning glory. There is the throne of God, from under which flows the river of life. There is a city, built with the grandeur that becomes Godeven our God, who is King of kings, and Lord of lords; God over all, and blessed for evermore. It is our home. O yes, there we will be at home. There we will feel at home. "Oh, there is no place like home." What an enchantment lingers around the place which, in this world, we call home! The place where dwell those we love. But how often are those loved ones taken from our embrace! How often is the hearthstone made desolate ! "This world is a wilderness of woe, This world is not our home." Here we have no abiding place. Here we have no continuing city. We are "strangers and pilgrims on the earth." But oh! "A home in heaven, what a joyful thought, As the pilgrim toils in his weary lot, With tempest tossed, and with anguish riven, Oblessed thought of a home in heaven!" Ah, yes the Christian turns his eye heavenward, and, as by faith he catches a glimpse of the glory world, with transport he exclaims "There, there is my home all pure and bright, And homeward my spirit still hies; I'm bound for home, for my blissful home, The home and the city above." It is the saint's rest. The earth was not designed for a place of rest, either physical or spiritual. The decree has gone forth," "By the sweat of thy face thou shalt earn thy bread, and in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life." Man may attempt to bid defiance to the decree, but he cannot escape the penalty. As to spiritual rest on earth, Jesus says, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many I say unto you will seek to enter therein, and shall not be able." "Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." Paul says, "Take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand." "Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it." Peter says, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour; whom resist, steadfast in faith." The Christian learns this by experience. Hence he exclaims: "Sure I must fight if I would reign, Methinks I see him toil through many weary days, and fight through many conflicts sore, till at length he lifts his eyes to heaven and cries, "How long, O Lord! O Lord! how long till my toils and conflicts shall be past?" "O land of rest, for thee I sigh: When will the moments come, When we shall lay our armour by, And dwell in peace at home." Courage, Christian! Faint not! It will not be long till the days of toil and conflict will be past. It will not be long till the storms will be over. "There is rest for the weary, There is rest for the soul, On the other side of Jordan, In the sweet fields of Eden, Where the tree of life is blooming, There is rest at home." Yes, "Rest from toil, rest from care, Rest from pain, rest from fear." "There the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are for ever at rest." Oh! how sweet will be the saint's everlasting rest in heaven! O heaven! thou land of undying promise! To thee my heart aspires! Thou wilt satisfy my soul's most enlarged desire. Land of beauty-unfading beauty! Surely thou wilt be beautiful indeed; for God has made thee for His own abode. He has adorned thee with rivers clearer, with gold purer, with gems more precious, with trees more fragrant, than any this earth affords. Land of light! Never shall the sable curtains of night be drawn over thy scenes of beauty. Never shall darkness hide thy glory. Un created light will make thee supremely bright. Thou wilt never need the sun. God himself shall enlighten thee. Jesus is thy light. Happy, thrice happy the family bound together in the bonds of faith and hope and love to Christ-all looking forward, upward their faces all radiant with the glory beaming down from the illuminated spires and turrets of the celestial world, to which they are travelling in each other's company; while they ofttimes refresh themselves together on the way, by pouring out their hearts in prayer, and in sweet songs of the land whither they are going. Reader, is yours such a household? Then the messenger, when he comes, will be one of God's brightest, loveliest seraphs; Death will only gather you and your loved ones together on the 'shining shore," to be more lovely, loving, and happy than ever you could be in the sweetest of earthly homes.— G. W. Leyburn. IS THE MATTER SETTLED? "Is the matter settled between you and God?" I asked solemnly of one whose declining health forewarned us to expect her early removal from this world. "Oh yes, Sir," was her calm reply. "How did you get it settled ?" "Oh, the Lord Jesus Christ settled it for me." when did He do it for you?" I inquired. "When He died on the cross for my sins." "How long is it since you knew this blessed and consoling fact?" The answer was readily given: "About twelve months ago.' "And Anxious, however, to ascertain the grounds of this confidence, I asked, "How did you know that the work which Christ accomplished on the cross for sinners was done for you?" She at once replied, "I read in the Bible, and believed what I read." And now, dear reader, have you read in the Bible and believed what you have read? It is written, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners," 1 Tim. i. 15. Does this bring comfort to your soul? Do you believe this "faithful saying?" Christian Instruction. THE PROUD SINNERS. Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me?"-Exod. x. 3. THIS pointed, solemn, and momentous question was put to a proud king, who refused to acknowledge the claims of the true God. The miracles wrought by Moses ought to have satisfied Pharaoh that the God of the Hebrews was the true God, but he refused to yield to the evidence of the truth clearly placed before him. This obstinacy is one of the great sins of men. God has given to them ample evidence of the truth of the Holy Scriptures, yet many shut their eyes, and refuse to receive them as a divine i revelation. They overlook all the evidence of their truth, and fix their attention upon a few apparent difficulties. God has given to men innumerable proofs of His eternal existence, yet some call His very Being into question. He has given them powerful proofs of the existence of a future state, yet many doubt the testimony, and make no preparation for it. He has given them proof of His ability and willingness to answer prayer, yet they say, "What profit shall we have if we pray unto Him?” The case of Pharaoh the proud king of Egypt should teach us all the danger of trifling with the evidences of truth; the claims of God; the messengers of the eternal. "This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." How sad that men should prefer darkness to light; sin to holiness; Satan to God. "How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me?" This question may be put to all unconverted sinners, for they refuse to humble their proud spirits before God. He sees this, and in mercy expostulates with them on the folly, unreasonableness, and criminality of their conduct. His eye sees all who submit and all who refuse. Let us think of the infinite glory of the Being who puts this question. He is our Creator, Ruler—the eternal, everliving, and blessed God, who will judge us in the last day; and who is able to punish all who refuse to listen to His voice. His Word shows the way in which He requires sinners to humble themselves before Him. He requires sinners to do this by making a full confession of their sins to Him. And is not this reasonable? Are we sinners, or are we not? The Word of God and our own consciences tell us that we are; therefore, the confession of sin must be our duty. God calls upon us to come to His throne, and to make confession of sin to Him. He says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." God requires us to humble ourselves by making His will the rule of our conduct. And is not this reasonable? Is God the supreme Ruler, or is He not? If He is, then it must be our duty to obey Him. Adam was taught this lesson in Paradise. The Jews were taught this by inspired men; and it is taught us in His Word. The Son of God has taught us to pray," Thy will be done on earth, as it is done in heaven." This would be a happy world, if God were thus obeyed. But, alas! many prefer their own will to the will of God; and pursue the broad way to the second death. The proud refuse to submit their stubborn will to the will of God; but the humble yield, and are happy. God requires us to humble ourselves before Him by submitting to the allotments of divine providence. Our times are in His hand, and could they be in better hands? All things are under His control, and if we truly believe this, it will promote submission to the trials of life. Eli is an example of this submission; when Samuel foretold the judgments that would befall the house of Eli, because he did not reprove his sons for their wickedness, he said, "If it is the Lord, let Him do what seemeth Him good." God requires us to humble ourselves before Him by seeking His Spirit as the source of all good. This humbles the pride of man, by teaching him that he is dependent on God for all good; he is naturally self-sufficient, and thinks that he need not ask anything from God. But what is the teaching of the oracle? 'For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Seek and ye shall find. All my springs are in thee." God requires us to humble ourselves by ascribing the whole of our salvation to His grace. His grace justifies us; His grace sanctifies us; His grace glorifies us. By the grace of God, I am what I am." God employs means to promote this humility of mind. He places our true spiritual condition before us in His holy Word, He teaches us His own holiness, majesty, and glory, He places before us the monuments of His judgments on the proud, He makes great promises to the humble, He afflicts us by the visitations of His providence, He admonishes men by the voice of conscience, He sends His ministers to arouse men to a sense of their duty, guilt, and danger. He says to them, "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgressions." He has taught us His views of the sinful condition of human nature; He has taught us by His own Son, "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." He has taught us that our sins are committed against Him, who fills heaven and earth with His presence. He has punished proud sinners, and recorded His visitations for our admonition. Nebuchadnezzar was proud, and He punished him; Sennacherib was proud, and He punished him; Haman was proud, and He punished him. These visitations proclaim, "Verily, there is a God that judgeth in the earth." Then let us humble ourselves before Him, and we shall be interested in vast promises. He giveth grace unto the humble." "How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me?" The question implies that there is a disposition in man to refuse submission to God. He is disposed to cherish his pride rather than to mortify it; he refuses to consider his guilt, his duty, and his danger; and goes on in sin, presuming on the mercy of God. Many have been often warned; often taught their duty, and often urged to cultivate true repentance; but they have refused to take warning, refused to consider their danger, refused to turn to God. Sin is strong in the soul of man, and makes him reckless of the consequences of his rebellion. Are you one of these proud, impenitent, daring sinners? The question that God put to Pharaoh, He now puts to you, and what is your answer? Are you willing now to confess your guilt, to submit to His authority, and to sue for mercy? The Gospel comes to you now to change your mind, to renew your moral nature, and to win your heart to God. Now you have the opportunity of obtaining salvation, and if you are wise you will diligently improve it. Would you humble yourself in the presence of a holy God? Then think of His glorious majesty, the sins you have committed against Him; and ask His Spirit to give you strength to forsake sin, to embrace the Saviour, and to live to His glory. His grace can make the proud humble, the sinner a saint, the unholy meet for heaven. The |