to "all the ends of the earth "—was not given as an awful experiment to be tried--as too many practically regard it--but as a sure ground of confidence-to fill with immediate joy.

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CONCLUDING CHAPTER.

THE GREAT FOUNDATION.

EVERY human being, in regard to duration of existence, is infallibly declared to be IMMORTAL. His life, therefore, on earth, appears, in the light of his revealed immortality, but as a span a moment- a twinkling of the eye! And yet the Word of God assures us—that on that span that momentary life, depends the character and colouring of his endless existence; that he is kept here by infinite love for an appointed season,-not merely to secure, under grace, a happy admission to heaven at death,--but to obtain also, through faith in the blood of Christ, an increasing conformity to his spiritual image, and thus, a still larger capacity for the enjoyments-enterprises and fellowships in glory.

But not only does all eternity thus take its character and colouring from time, but

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this chequered life carries with it into eternity its ultimate holy or unholy characteras having been derived from the very source from which the soul habitually drew its motives for action,-from the place on which it built all its confidence and hope towards God. Thus, our Lord, in one of his parables, describes every man, who believes in the immortality of the soul, and in the judgment to come,—as engaged in erecting for himself an eternal house,-which he believes or imagines will afford a shelter for his spirit when the coming storms shall have devastated all below, while the character, stability, and perpetuity of every such building is most graphically represented to be altogether dependent on the nature of its foundation-the basis on which the first stone is laid. For as is

the nature of that basis,-so is the nature— the strength-the perpetuity of the building. (Luke vi. 48.)

Here, then, we learn, that those who build their hopes for eternity on THE ROCK—that is, who repose all their confidence on the love of God-the gift and relationship of Christ-shall abide for ever;— that he on whom they trust shall effectually secure the strength-the glory

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SUPERSTRUCTURE OF HOLINESS.

of their superstructures in the hour of trial, --shall cause these noble edifices to endure when all visible nature shall have been overthrown ; while those who have died reposing vain confidence of acceptance with God -either in whole or in part on the imagined intrinsic virtues of their own character, works, or feelings-as if they could stand the searching eye of Infinite Purity, shall be overwhelmed. Their building shall fall,and the ruin of those houses shall be greateternal-irreversible !

Now, in the preceding pages, we have seen substantially the grand foundation principles on which every man, who would be saved, must continually rest his confidence towards God and eternity,-while, reposing on that foundation, he seeks progressively, by strength from above, to build a superstructure of vital holiness. Both are essentially necessary to attest the existence of living Christianity in the soul. If the latter is not habitually going forward,-we may truly fear that the former has not been found. For he who truly understands the Gospel in its practical bearings,-who relies alone for acceptance with God on the revelations of Calvary,-will necessarily

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be led, by the Holy Spirit-be constrained by the love of Christ,--to live not unto himself, but unto him that died for him and rose again. He will manifest the existence in his soul of a new creation a new principle of life. heavenly fountain of motives -- of joy of strength. (2 Cor. v. 16. 17.)

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But how many are there who imagine that they actually began at some former period to build on the true foundation, - and vainly comfort themselves with the dream of what they once did,-once felt or experienced,-as if these cherished items of their past history could atone for subsequent dead formality! Miserable delusion! They forget that the flight of Lot's guilty companion but a little way across the plains of Sodom-in apparent submission to Divine authority - did not shield her when she looked back, from the judgment, which suddenly changed her into a monumental warning for all ages. (Luke xvii. 32.) Neither do such remember that the former convictions and evanescent feelings on which they complacently depend (as if their passing existence had left with them the title deeds for glory) shall only be found to enhance the criminality of drawing back.