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they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat, for the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." Can human thought add aught to this picture? No. All that we can do is to ponder word by word over the terms of this description, to strive to take in one by one the ideas which they convey the white robe, the branch of palm, the cleansing blood, the posture before the throne, the mighty chorus, the Lamb in the midst of the throne, the absence of hunger and thirst, the feeding in green pastures, the drinking from living fountains, and the wiping away from our eyes all tears, by the very Father's hand, whose chastening rod had caused their flow. Did we dwell more upon these terms, we should realize more than we now do that they are designed to assure us of what will be our state when we pass the vale of tears, and stand upon the Mount Zion above. Yes, every one of these blessings shall be ours, if we have been washed in the blood of the Lamb. If tribulations are the necessary preparative, if there can be no weight of glory unless there has been previously the light affliction, then let us welcome sorrow, welcome suffering which endures but a moment here, but which brings eternal joy hereafter.

And now we have laid side by side seven rich and precious promises, as the seven colours of the rainbow, each lovely in itself, but combined, forming that arch of covenant glory which God has equally "set in the cloud" of sorrow on earth, and around the throne" in heaven. Behold it in its varied but exquisite hues! Is it not beautiful as it springs upward-as it swells heavenward-as it bends downward, curving over our sorrowdrenched hearts, with assurances of present sunshine and of future bliss?

Having thus far looked upon the "cloud" and the "bow in the cloud," let us now cast one glance at the Sun whose refracted and reflected rays make this arch of glory.

Many are the passages in the Bible which represent Christ as the light of the world; and Malachi especially designates him as the "Sun of Righteousness." Striking and appropriate comparison! Christ is a "Sun”— the great light-producing, light-imparting centre of the moral universe. Christ is a "Sun of Righteousness," whether we regard Him as infinitely righteous in Himself, or as shedding abroad righteousness upon a dark and sinful world. Christ is a Sun of Righteousness that casts no shadow. The material sun casts shadows -nay, more, has dark spots and immense maculæ on its bright disc-but the Sun of Righteousness is immaculate unblemished in Himself, and like a vertical sun makes no shadow. Christ is a Sun of Righteousness that cast no shadow and that never sets.

The

earthly sun has its risings, its meridians, its setting, and the light of midday is soon succeeded by the dark of midnight. Not so with Christ; He shines out from the zenith of the spiritual firmament, and there is no going down of His light-no evening to shroud his departed rays. Once shining-for ever shining-without a shadow-without an eclipse-without a sunset.

Such is the Sun whose refracted rays paint the iris of hope on the cloud of sorrow. For though the promises which I have adduced, like the different stripes of the rainbow, are of different hues, yet the light which produces them is the pure and colourless essence of Divine glory.

In this light it is our privilege, as Christians, to dwell. Abiding in this light, we have peace, hope, joy, and prove ourselves to be "the children of light" through faith in Christ Jesus. Hence unrenewed men have no comfort or solace in any of the trials and afflictions of life. The heart must be surrendered to Jesus Christ, it must be washed in His atoning blood, it must be sanctified by His holy Spirit, before we can become "children of light and of the day;" but when through the sovereign grace of God we receive this "adoption of sons," then is it our peculiar privilege to see God's love in every dispensation of His hand, and to see His bow of covenant promise in every cloud of sorrow.

STEVENS.

SCRIPTURAL SELECTIONS.

FEAR not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour.— Is. xliii. 1, 2, 3.

For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee.

In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment: but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.

For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.

For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.-Is. liv. 7-10.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.-Matt. v. 4.

I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.-John xiv. 18. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.--2 Cor. 17, 18.

God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.-Rev. vii. 17.

THE RAINBOW.

WHEN the sun with cheerful beams
Smiles upon a lowering sky,
Soon its aspect softened seems,
And a rainbow meets the eye;
While the sky remains serene,
This bright arch is never seen.

Thus the Lord's supporting power
Brightest to the saints appears,
When affliction's threatening hour

Fills their sky with clouds and fears: He can wonders then perform,

Paint a rainbow on the storm.

All their graces doubly shine,

When their troubles press them sore;

And the promises divine

Give them joys unknown before;

As the colours of the bow

To the cloud their brightness owe.

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