Look at Him at work with a trembling Daniel (Daniel x.), showing Himself to him in a vision, so that there remained no strength in him: for his comeliness was turned into corruption. But this, too, is but a prelude to a blessing, for He says, "O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, Fear not, peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong."

Look at Him at work with a wandering Elijah! He flees from that wicked woman Jezabel; and, hiding himself under the juniper tree, forgets to look to the Strong for strength. But the Almighty troubler lets him not rest in that dangerous position; but, waking him, bids him arise and eat, and speed on his way to glory.

Look at Him at work with a gazing Zacchaeus, calling him down from the sycamore tree, and telling him of the joyful tidings: "Make haste, and come down, for this day is salvation come to thine house."

Look at Him at work with His chosen bride; for she says, "I sleep, but my heart waketh; it is the voice of my Beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled." Though He but shows Himself, then, for a moment, she is rendered so uneasy, and so desirous of more such enjoyment, that she cannot rest upon her bed; but, descending, seeks among the watchmen for her Beloved, nor rests till she has joined the object of her heart's love.

Dear reader, do you know what these exercises of soul mean? Is the Almighty thus stirring you out of the nest of carnal repose? To His name be all the praise, if it is so.

3. What is all this wonderful process for? What else, beloved, but to wean us away from earthly dependencies, and draw us closer and closer to our precious Jesus? Yea, we must be partakers with Him of His sufferings, that we may be made meet to be partakers with Him of His joys. And it is only the fine gold Christian that will pass muster at the pearly gates. Then, reader, here is the criterion is your language,

:

"Tis a point I long to know,

Oft it causes anxious thought;

Do I love the Lord, or no ;
Am I His, or am I not?"

Can you say, "God maketh my heart soft; and the Almighty troubleth me?" If so, all is well! He is but preparing you for the kingdom. The Eternal Breaker is at work among the sheep. What for? Micah tells us, that they may pass through the gate of the Church triumphant (See Micah ii. 13). Oh! then, it is a mercy if you and I can take up this language experimentally, and "God maketh my heart soft; and the Almighty troubleth me." WAYSIDE NOTE WRITER.

say,

"BUT CHRIST IS ALL AND IN ALL."

Comparing Spiritual Things with Spiritual.

"Doubtless thou art our FATHER, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O Lord, art our FATHER, our REDEEMER; thy name is from everlasting."

"These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the FATHER."

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the FATHER will send in my name, He shall teach you all things," &c.

"Believest thou not that I am in the FATHER, and the FATHER in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the FATHER that dwelleth in me, HE DOETH THE WORKS."

"He that hath seen ME hath seen the FATHER." "His disciples said unto Him, Lo, now speakest thou PLAINLY, and speakest no proverb."

"But when the Comforter is come, whom I WILL SEND unto you from the FATHER, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of ME."

"Now are we sure that thou knowest ALL THINGS, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God."

"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will DRAW all men unto me.'

"I and my FATHER are ONE.'

"That He might present it to HIMSELF a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."

"To the ONLY WISE GOD our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen."

"Whose are the Fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is OVER ALL, God blessed for ever. Amen."

"Jesus said unto her, I am the RESUR RECTION and the Life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."

THE BLESSED EFFECTS OF UNION TO JESUS.

"Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh, hath ceased from sin." 1 Pet. iv. i.

THE language contained in the latter part of this text is very ambiguous; and it is more than probable that the ordinary reader might find some difficulty in discovering the right meaning of the The words before us most unquestionably have reference to the Lord's elect people, i.e. the whole Church of God, or every true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and which people are implied in the word, "US:""Christ hath suffered for us.'

same.

"Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh." Now to prove that this must regard the true Church of God, we refer to Hebrews the 2nd chapter, 9 to 14th verses. Christ is here spoken of as the Captain of their salvation, made perfect through sufferings. And for whom did He suffer? Most unquestionably for those for whom He became "the Captain of salvation." And again, it is said, "Both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one." All of one what? We reply, All of one flesh, all of one body, one Church, having one Head. And this union must be strictly regarded, if we would rightly understand the meaning of the text in Peter. But let us look again at the reference we have made to Hebrews, see 14th verse: "Forasmuch then as the children (mark that, the children) are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same." And Peter says, "Christ hath suffered for us (the children, the elect, the chosen of God) in the flesh." Whatever, therefore, may be said about hyper-Calvanism, and the like, by the opponents to these views, I must maintain that, strictly speaking, Christ did not suffer for any but His elect and chosen people, His beloved Bride the Church. They are the sanctified ones spoken of in Hebrews the 2nd chapter; and who are evidently those who were sanctified, or set apart, from all eternity, to be His peculiar people. And it is worthy of remark to observe how the two Apostles harmonise in sentiment and doctrine; for the Apostle Peter declares them to be "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people," &c. And Paul, in writing to the Hebrews, as already referred to, declared, "for both He who sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: "and for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren." Now mark, "for which cause," &c. What cause? Why, because they were sanctified, or set apart, to be redeemed by Christ's sufferings for them in the flesh; and Christ said, in the days of His flesh, "For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth." And you will observe, that, as "the Captain of their salvation," He was made perfect through sufferings. So also all God's elect people, or the entire Church of God, were made perfect through sufferings-through the sufferings of Jesus their representative--long ere they had any visible being in this world. But there is also a portion of suffering in God's divine plan to be endured by the body as well as the Head (not meritoriously), see Col. 1st chapter, 24th verse: "Who now rejoice in my sufferings you, and fill up that which is behind of the sufferings of Christ in my flesh for His body's sake, which is the Church." Now to suppose that the sufferings of Jesus are to be applied universally, i.e. to all mankind indiscriminately, is a great mistake. Can we for one moment suppose that God, who is infinitely wise, infinitely holy, infinitely just and pure, and also omniscient and omnipotent, could

for

make such laws as would be deemed, even by finite man, as the most unjust and cruel; and which could only be enacted by the most arbitrary tyrant? Surely such a thought must be regarded as the most absurd thing possible; and especially as having any reference to the Almighty. And yet, if we look on the sufferings of Christ as universal, or as sufferings for the sins of the whole world, when the plain fact stares us in the face, viz, that the whole world is not saved, we just make out the Divine Being to be this arbitrary character. Such a view places this momentous matter in this position, viz., Here are thousands, tens of thousands, yea, hundreds of thousands of persons for whom (according to their theory) Christ suffered and died, and yet, after all Christ's sufferings and death on their behalf, they are not pardoned and saved; and even though the ransom price (according to their notions) has been fully paid. No! this arbitrary Judge demands something more from them; they are condemned to suffer eternal misery. What! Is it possible, even though Christ suffered for them, paid the price for their redemption, met all the demands of divine justice on their behalf, and even satisfied all those demands most fully! Most dreadful! most devilish! most horrible is such a thought of God's plan of dealing with sinners! It cannot be that God demands payment in the Surety (Jesus), and then of the transgressor. If so, who then can be saved! No! Universal redemption is universal absurdity. It makes out God the greatest Tyrant in the whole universe. No; redemption is particular, and Jesus Christ bore sufferings only for His own elect people, all that God the Father gave to Him in eternity to redeem: "He bear the sin of many," not of all, see 1st of Peter ii. 24: "Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree." Our sins, not the sins of the whole world; but only the whole elect world. It is quite evident that Peter is here speaking of God's elect people only; for it is to them the Epistle is addressed, see 1st chapter, 2nd verse: "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father," &c. If, therefore, we view the text as belonging exclusively to the Lord's chosen people, we may find the remaining part of it more easy of solution. It reads, "arm yourselves likewise with the same mind," &c. Now there may be several ideas given upon this language. And first, it may imply the gospel armour which is provided for every believer in Jesus, to enable him to combat with the world, the flesh, and the devil. Then, secondly, and which I believe is the true meaning here, it may imply the arm of strength, i.e. strength arising out of the contemplation of the great fact, that "Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh;" and doubtless it is the arm of strength to encourage the believer, while he takes into view the mystical union between the Church and Christ, between himself and his Lord.

(To be continued.)

VOL. II.

ZION'S WITNESS.

APRIL, 1860.

No. 19.

THE LORD'S WAY NOT OUR WAY.

"I will work, and who shall let it?"

YES, beloved, He will work, and no power on earth, in hell, or heaven, can frustrate His all-wise purposes. It is true that there are thousands of the grasshoppers of earth (Isaiah xl. 22) who suppose that they have power to resist His will, and prevent His carrying out that that He eternally designed. But how vain and futile are all the puny attempts of man! "I will work," are the words of Jehovah; and "He is not a man that He should lie, nor the son of man that He should repent, and whatsoever His soul desireth, even that He doeth; for none can stay His hand, or say, What doest thou?" No, beloved, we are taught by that infallible Teacher, the blessed Spirit,

No puny arm can e'er prevent

The shalls and wills of God;

And vain's the daily breath that's spent,
In making straight what God hath bent,
By creatures of the sod.

How often the Lord in carrying out the portion, "I will work," upsets and overturns the works of the creature! How frequently we have to witness the complete demolition of our own purblind schemes! And how thankful we have been brought to be that it has been so. Many, many times it has been our privilege to say, though the Lord has taken a way quite contrary to the one nature has suggested, "He hath done all things well;" and, "Not one thing hath failed of all the Lord God hath promised."

Ah! beloved, His way has often been in the sea, and His path in the great waters, and His footsteps, for the time being, have not been known; yet, how blessedly and gloriously He has worked, though mysteriously, in bringing about such a state of things as to call forth every faculty of the inmost soul to praise His great and holy name. How frequently the Lord has appeared to have gone out against us, frustrating every purpose of our mind, and work of our hands, loudly proclaiming, with His "still small voice,"