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REVOLUTION BEFORE VICTORY.

The promises and prophecies of God's word announce it, Christ's death insures it, and suitable instruments will be raised up to accomplish it. "Men shall be blessed in him,

and all nations shall call him blessed."

There shall be great revolutions before he gets possession. "I will overturn, overturn, overturn." False systems of religion shall be cast down, such as Paganism, Mohammedanism, and Popery. Religious errors in doctrine and practice shall be swept away. Tyrannical governments, and persecuting statutes, and the whole fabric of slavery, shall be broken up and destroyed, and the wickedness of the wicked in all lands shall come to an end. These changes shall be gradual. One overturn after another, not by miracle, not in a moment, but in the ordinary course of Providence, shall prepare the way for the universal reign of Christ. These changes are certain. A threefold prediction or promise is like a threefold cord, not easily broken. The shaking among the nations has already commenced. The gathering of armies and fleets to battle is the beginning of the end. The elements of destruction are in false systems of religion and wicked governments, and require only to be kindled, in order to burst forth into a flame, when the victory of Christ will be complete.

FEBRUARY 24.

Present Pribilege.

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God."-1 John, iii. 2.

"The sons of God." They

The high rank of Christians. belong to the holy family. They are "born again," and are "new creatures." Their parentage is the highest, their rank is the noblest, and their family the most distinguished on earth. As children, their privileges are great. They

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have divine provision, divine instruction, divine protection, and fatherly chastisement. Though poor, forsaken, and despised, they have a Father that never overlooks, and a friend that never forsakes. Besides, they are heirs to a large and valuable inheritance, have a sure title to it, and will soon get undisputed possession. This high rank they attained by the word and Spirit of God. They were begotten with the truth, and born again by the incorruptible seed of the word. They were born of the Spirit. He breathed upon them, rolled divine truth into the heart, and made all things new. They have asked, and they have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby they cry, Abba, Father." They attain it also through faith. "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." O my soul, art thou ambitious of such rank and such privileges? Amen, for all earthly honours and enjoyments shall be laid in the dust, but these shall reach the infinite realms of everlasting glory. Their present assurance.- "Beloved now are we." have this assurance from the testimony of God's word, and a stronger we cannot get. "I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." "If children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ." We have this assurance in our own hearts, and the experience of divine love there. "He that believeth on the son of God hath the witness in himself." "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." He reveals no new truth, but he excites interest in those already revealed. He does not inspire us as he inspired the apostles, but he renews our hearts, and produces love, joy, and peace there; yea, he sometimes fills our souls with holy love, and kindles in them the joys and raptures of heaven. We

We

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have this assurance from our conduct. "Hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments." Conduct reflects without, the love that we have within, and is the best evidence of assurance, for it is patent to others as well as ourselves. Without holy obedience and good fruits, assurance may turn out to be presumption and a dream.

FEBRUARY 25.

Future Prospects.

"It doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when he shall ppear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."-1 John, iii. 2. LET us think of the imperfection of our knowledge regarding our future state the amount of our knowledge-and the period when it shall be realized.

The imperfection of our knowledge.-"It doth not yet appear what we shall be." This may refer to our intellectual powers. "We know in part, but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." "Now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known." Our mental powers, however grasping and astonishing, will be greatly expanded in heaven, and made equal to the angels'. Then all darkness will be light, and all mysteries plain. It may refer to the grandeur of our glory. There is an eternal weight of glory in heaven, which we could not now carry without being overwhelmed; but our bodies and souls will be so entirely renovated, that we will be able to carry it, and rejoice in it in heaven. It may refer to the extent of our happiness. The half has not been told us. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." Here our happiness comes

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but in drops; there it will come with an ocean-fulness that will leave no void.

The amount of our knowledge. "We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." We shall be like him in body, in holiness, in happiness, in immortality. His glory now possesses a radiance that would dazzle and overwhelm. Peter, James, and John saw a little of it on the mount of transfiguration. Stephen saw it, and Paul saw it, and John saw it when in the isle of Patmos ; yet wonderful as it is, we shall be like him, yea, the feeblest and the poorest believer shall be like him. "I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness." Whenever we shall see the glorified Saviour, the sight shall have a transforming influence. As the planets reflect the glory of the sun, so shall we reflect the glory of Christ.

The period when it shall be realized.-"We know that when he shall appear." He shall come the second time to judge the world. Then he shall cause the last trumpet to sound, which shall resound through creation, and awake the slumbering dust, and the earth shall move, and have its broad surface covered with the harvest of reanimated nature. All his followers beholding his glory shall be changed into his likeness. How great their glory then!

FEBRUARY 26.

Duty in Affliction.

"Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the fires."-Isa. xxiv. 15.

AFFLICTION is the lot of all. Many especially are the afflictions of the righteous. Our afflictions are called "fires," and our duty is to "glorify the Lord" in them. Our afflictions.-They are "fires," because they are numerous. There is the fire of persecution. How many

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brought back again. There Many are scorched by the those whom they hoped to

of God's saints have suffered in this flame, and been ready to die a thousand deaths for their Saviour? There is the fire of personal affliction. Scarcely one exists who has not been at the gates of death, and is the fire of relative distress. misconduct and ingratitude of be their comfort and their stay. They are fires because they are painful. No injury is so painful as one from fire; and no position so intolerable as one in the midst of flame. Were we not comforted and supported by religion in our fiery trials, how desolating, how overwhelming our condition! Our fires are destructive. The grandest works of man soon perish in this devouring element, and the fairest form is soon deprived of its beauty; but though fire destroys the body, it cannot touch the soul. Our fires are purifying. The maker of glass puts his material once, twice, thrice through the furnace, till it become transparent. In like manner the Christian is put into the furnace of affliction, till the fire consume the ties that bind him to earth-till the fires separate the alloy of evil from the good, and brighten him for the golden glories of the better land.

Our duty is to "glorify the Lord." We do so when we discern the hand of God in our afflictions. How many brood over their sorrows, and never think of God? They think of themselves and their distresses, they utter complaints from morning till night; while they are never heard saying, "This is the Lord's doing;" "Lord help me." We do so, when we see that our afflictions are the merited chastisement of a kind Father. What child is he whom the Father chasteneth not? We do so when we are submissive under them. "Thy will be done." "It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth good." We may mourn, but we must not murmur. We may groan, but we must not grumble. We do so when our graces are invigorated.

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