glory of God. Sanctification-which is a progressive thingfollows justification. We are free from condemnation, because our Surety has died and satisfied the claims of Divine justice for us. "No condemnation," then (a) We can look back with joy. All that has been wrong in the past has been forgiven; the demands of the law have been met, atonement has been accepted. (b) We can look around. No officer of justice ready to arrest us, no sword of judgment ready to fall upon us. (c) We can look forward and upward. The grave, the judgment-seat, have no terrors for those who realize the blessedness of my text, for God will glorify those whom He justifies. "No condemnation" is but the negative side of salvation. There is a positive side; for we are not only freed from death, but lifted into life; not only saved from punishment, but admitted into perfect and perpetual bliss.

III. THE INFALLIBLE EVIDENCE BY WHICH WE MAY KNOW WHETHER OR NOT SUCH POSITION AND BLESSEDNESS ARE OURS.

"Who walk not," &c. These words have been omitted in Revised Version, but we may take them and use them here as embodying truths frequently expressed elsewhere. Those who are in Christ Jesus walk not after the flesh, they are not under the dominion of their animal appetites and passions; they seek for masterhood over all that is carnal, and to be under sovereign sway of spiritual influences. The mark of a worldling is that he walks after the flesh, lives for the present and self-gratification. The believer is led by the Spirit of God, and thus has evidence that he is the son of God and joint heir with Christ.

CONCLUSION. Have we obeyed the invitation of Christ,-come

Is there a mutual indwelling,-Christ in us, we in Him? Which do we mind more, earthly or heavenly things? Are we under the domination of the flesh or the Spirit? The weakest believer is safe "in Christ Jesus." Our complete salvation does not depend on our frames and feelings, but on vital and abiding union with Him who died for our sins and rose again for our justification. Not to be "in Christ," is to be without pardon, peace, heaven. None need perish, for Christ is able and willing to save to the uttermost.

CLIFTON.

FREDERICK W. BROWN.

H

The Astonishing Love.

"BEHOLD, WHAT MANNER OF LOVE THE FATHER HATH BESTOWED UPON US, THAT WE SHOULD BE CALLED THE SONS OF GOD: THEREFORE THE WORLD KNOWETH US NOT, BECAUSE IT KNEW HIM NOT.' -1 John iii. 1.

THE Love of God is the one theme of the Bible. All other themes are subordinate to and attend on it.

The New Testament utterances upon it are shared principally by Christ, Paul, and John. Each one sets it forth in an aspect most attractive to himself.

Christ, Himself the gift-in manifestation of God's love-lays the emphasis upon the wondrous gift-"God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.”

Paul is astonished at the depth to which it reaches. He sees humankind down on the lowest plane, and exults thus,-" When we were enemies" Christ died for us.

John's eagle eye penetrated to the height to which it raises the fallen race. It lifts from the gate of hell to the family circle of the Everlasting Father,-" called sons of God."

A Danish missionary and a Malabarian convert were translating this passage into the native tongue. The convert said, "It is too much, allow me to render it, 'They shall be permitted to kiss His feet."

There is much in John's astonishment. Judge of John by his incisive philosophical Gospel. His emblem was the eagle, yet he was astonished. The remainder of the chapter suggests that those to whom he wrote were asleep to this exalted honour and blessing. This preparatory "Behold!" is his clarion note, designed to arouse and arrest them. Thousands to-day need just such a startling "Behold!" Given to religion, but know nothing about this surprising honour and blessing experimentally,

I-WHO? II-WHAT?

I-WHO? The answer is "We." (1) The pronouns “we” and "us," bear the weight of the passage. Had the inspiration been "Michael," "Gabriel," "Angels" are sons of God, John might

neither have felt astonishment or grudging. They are worthy, would have been his response-worthy in nature, worthy in service-Such conferment would have been in harmony with the proprieties of earth and Heaven..

(2) The apostle was not limiting the "we" to those faithful, happy souls rejoicing with him in God, but was thinking of himself and them as members of a common humanity. Remembering the hole of the pit from which he, with others, had been digged-" We," what are we at our best? The least said the better. Every honest heart echoes that. We dare only to look upon our best.

As Rowland Hill saw a criminal going to suffer the extreme penalty of the law, he exclaimed, "There goes Rowland Hill but for the grace of God."

"We." To understand the force of that " we' we must look out upon the world of men-men away from churches, men stripped of borrowed morality, in their stark godlessness, sce ourselves closely allied to basest unmitigated debauching, murdering his fellows-sad truth-unpalatable fact-Is he not our brother? We differ not from him by nature. We have one fallen, vitiated flesh. Take in this full, round, unexaggerated aspect of it, and we get into sympathy with John's feeling of astonishment "that we should be called the sons of God." Astonishing love! This is the full stretch of it.

"Deeper than hell, it plucked me thence,
Deeper than inbred sin."

II.-WHAT?

Answer "Called sons of God."

(1) More than was comprehended in heathen verse," Are we not all His offspring?" More than we have reached when we have run up the Evangelist's chronologic line to "Adam, which was the son of God." All men are the sons of God; hence the prodigal is a son though lost, though dead. This is the relation of creature to Creator. John speaks of something far more excellent.

(2) Try it by the world's rule-What is it worth? Is it anything more than empty title. Yes! Yes! There is estate to match it-sons! children! So on. Heirs! "Heirs of God, joint heirs with Jesus Christ."

(3) What the estate? Earth's precious things? (a) Gold? Riches? Lands? These are sometimes given. "Godliness is profitable unto all things," &c.," but these are not scheduled in the conveyance. These are not always good. To some they are replete with danger. (b) What the estate ? The unseen kingdom of Christ-peace, joy, heavenly knowledge, Divine fellowship, eternal life, power,—how much? Royalty! a throne! Glory! (c) But above all this, the relationship. Carnal advantage is often the sole charm of filial relationship. A fig for the natural bond if its significance is not golden. Relationship that can be mortgaged is esteemed. Alas, that it is so ! The tie of nature, the oneness of life should be the charm. My Father! My Mother! is estate sufficient for the filial. "Children of God!"

"It doth

(4) Anything more? Yea, more beyond measure. not yet appear what we shall be." Paul said things seen taught of things unseen-the present of the future. John speaks here as if figures failed him; that nothing on earth, not even Christian experience, assisted him to comprehend the saint's future. Christian stature differs. There are Christian souls little enough, and little enough blessed. Very little inspiration or even pious desire would have started the suggestion of something better awaiting the true, the holy; but John would say the same on the highest reach of Christian life," It doth not yet appear," &c. Something better for even the brightest and best of the "sons of God."

APPLICATION.—The poor, indigent, and godly are not without estate. Earth's estate is small enough, but if this is your rejoicing you have raiment that covers and gold that maketh rich: an inheritance incorruptible, &c., is yours. No damaging influences can assail it, no moral blight touch it, or shadow darken it. In itself sound at the core, and everlasting also by the will of God.

We are sometimes looked upon as commoners, without position, diploma, or rank. Fret not that your blood is not esteemed as purple, or that among men your place is in the back rank. Earthly appendages are only tinsel-they must all be relinquished

at the grave. Commoners are we? Verily "the world knoweth us not." We belong to the aristocracy of Heaven, the nobleblooded of the skies. Believer, make up to this fulness of joy. Sinner on the look out for chances, do not miss this. MORPETH.

JOHN HOGG.

Sin the Great Separator.

"YOUR INIQUITIES HAVE SEPARATED BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR GOD."-Isaiah lix. 2.

It is no less the teaching of the prophet and of the apostle than of the poet, that

"Sin brought death into our world, and all our woe."

But how compute the number of griefs comprised in "all our woe?" The more we know of the sorrows of the world around us, the more we feel how ruinous beyond all words is the influence that sin has exerted. But of all its terrible achievements I know of none worse than its dividing, separating power. It was sin that first caused separation between human beings— Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, &c.

Worse still, sin has divided man from God, "Your iniquities have separated," &c. This is true in several senses.

I. SIN SEPARATES MAN FROM GOD AS TO PLACE. Of course it remains true of every inhabitant of earth, and even of hell, that God is not far from every one of us. But sin has blunted, has even destroyed the sense of His nearness, has led men to feel as though He were far distant. As a man's iniquities increase God seems farther and farther from him, until at last he feels that Heaven is too distant for him to reach, and God too far off to hear his prayers.

II. SIN SEPARATES MAN FROM GOD AS TO CHARACTER. In the image of God we were first created. He is the great Father of Spirits, and all spirits should sustain a family likeness to Him. But it is not so with men. The image of our Father is defaced