we have already in the very gifts of the Spirit, in our union with Christ, in our membership in Christ's Church, a sort of assurance and foretaste of heaven; already the light shines upon us ; already the blessing of God is with us; already we are made God's children by adoption and grace; already by Baptism we cease to be children of wrath; already we are translated from darkness, from hopelessness, from a state of death and corruption into the kingdom of Christ, and have become heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. All then, I say, is changed; now all innocent joy is heightened; the bride in her closet may now say, "He whom I love I hope to dwell with not in this life only, but for ever in the presence of God. Though death will part us for a time, if we serve God in our earthly life we shall be joined together in that better, more blissful world where there is no parting, no sorrow, no death." The mother may now clasp her new-born child to her breast; and while she rejoices in the gift of a child to cheer her upon earth, she may say, may say, "Now I have hope through Christ's death and through Christ's resurrection, of dwelling eternally in peace and bliss with my little one. I know that death must divide us before long; but I trust that we shall live together hereafter in heaven; I trust that we shall be saved; I know now that we can be saved; I know that our Saviour has paid the ransom for our sins and has conquered death and hell by His resurrection from the dead. Henceforth my joy in my child is not checked or chilled by the fearful, dreadful, intolerable thought that we cannot be saved, that we must perish together and be lost together." And then consider the time of trouble, the season of great distress. If we had a sickness unto death, a sickness past cure, could we not then lift up our hearts and console ourselves in the midst of our grievous pains by the blessed prospect of joy, of peace, of rest hereafter with Christ, of a resurrection to everlasting glory, remembering those most comforting words of the Apostle, "I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us." Or if we had to look on the death of some dear friend, some beloved child; if we had to go heavily as one that mourneth for his mother, and had lost one who was as dear to us as ourselves, then indeed we might learn to sorrow not without hope, our grief would be heightened by such blessed hope. We should be able to say, "This my friend who served Christ on earth, who by God's grace laboured earnestly to walk by faith and to do God's will, will at the last day rise from his grave, and by the power of Christ's resurrection will be raised up to the city of God, to that home prepared for God's true children in heaven, where there will be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain."" Now these, I say, are Easter thoughts. If our Saviour's glorious resurrection has worked such a change, has given such glorious hopes, do we not see at once how we ought to keep that holy season in which His resurrection is remembered in the Church? What has Easter got to do with worldly pleasures, worldly gaieties, worldly racket and dissipation? How utterly ill-placed, misplaced, out of place, is worldly mirth and worldly rejoicings at such a time. What are we to fool away our time, to revel and riot, to eat, drink, and be merry, to be pleasure-seekers, to give rein to the spirit of earthly joy, because Christ has risen, because we have hope of escaping hell fire, because, if we walk after the Spirit, we can be raised up into heaven? How monstrous, how unholy, how perilous a thing it were to make the solemn, blessed, mysterious truth of the resur rection of our Lord and Saviour, a reason for breaking out into frivolous pleasures, idle merrymakings, noisy festivities. Surely, my friend, this is not the way to keep Easter; I speak to you as one saved from the certainty of hell. O keep Easter like a Christian, keep it as a very holy time; keep it with reverend and holy joy; keep it as one thankful for the mercies of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Pray more; increase your prayers; go up to the house of God, if possible, every day that it is opened during this season. Partake of that spiritual feast, that blessed Sacrament of Christ's body and blood in which we become one with Christ and Christ one with us. Shew love to all the poor members of Christ; help those who are in need; let your thankfulness break out in acts of pity and compassion. Also, think comfortably of those whom you have lost, of the beloved ones who have fallen asleep in Christ, and are parted from you for a time; think of their present rest and peace, the foretaste and beginning of fuller joy; think of that most blissful day when you may again look upon mother, child, or wife, and pass with them with joy unspeakable into heaven. JOHN HENRY PARKER, OXFORD AND LONDON. MEDITATION ON THE DAY OF JUDGMENT. O FATHER without beginning, O quickening Spirit, Merciful, compassionate, long-suffering, of great pity, of great loving-kindness, who loves the righteous, and hast compassion on the wicked, Pardoning our offences, and granting our petitions; O God of the repentant, O Saviour of sinners, I have sinned against Thee, O Lord, and thus and thus have I done. Alas! Alas! Josh. vii. 20. How have I been enticed by my own lust. James i. 14. How have I hated instruction! Prov. v. 12. I have neither revered nor dreaded Thy incomprehensible splendour, Thy awful presence, Thy terrible power, Thy enduring kindness. I will call therefore if there be any that will answer me : Job v. 1. |