blessedness from the Lamb of God.-To Him they sing their hallelujahs.

We read of " a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the City of God.” (Ps. xlvi. 4.) What river? [Rev. xxii. 1.]

And whence does the "

life" proceed?

pure river of water of

What is in the midst of the street, and on either side of the river?

What is said of the fruits of the Tree of Life?

And what of its leaves? [Read Ezekiel xlvii. 1-12, in connection with Rev. xxii. 1, 2.]

Now read Rev. xxii. 1-5.

Glorious things are indeed spoken of thee, O City of God! The entire signification of these passages will be unfolded in the blessed City itself Let the descriptions be impressed upon your mind.

III.

[FRUITS OF REDEMPTION.]

At the close of our last lesson we read Rev. xxii. 1-5. Read it again.

In what part of the Bible do you first read of the Tree of Life? [Gen. ii. 9.]

And what is said after the fall of man, Gen. iii. 24?

Now look at Rev. xxii; the first sentence of

the 3d verse. ["And there shall be no more curse."]

What is the meaning of these words?

Where do we read of a Curse being inflicted? Gen. iii. 9-19.

Where do we read of its being borne? Read Gal. iii. 13, in connection with John xix. 17, 18; Mark xv. 27, 28, 34; and John xix. 28-30.

In the beginning of the Bible, then, you read of the Sin of Man, of the curse inflicted for his sin of the way to the Tree of Life being guarded by a fiery sword-and in the New Testament you read of the bitter sufferings and death of the Son of God, for the Redemption of Man.

Tell me what you read at the close of the sacred volume? .

You read of the City of God opened to man-of the " pure river of water of Life". of "the Tree of Life" yielding its fruits to man-of its leaves being for "the healing of the nations"-you read that "there shall be

Whence is this great change

All this is the fruit of Redemption, of the sufferings and death of the Son of God. You have heard of Redemption: you now perceive something of its meaning.

For whom did we say the Lamb died and gained the victory?

See then the cause of those joyful songs which the redeemed sing.

And would you be one of these?

May you ever "eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God?" [Rev. ii. 7.]

Shall poor fallen man be raised even to dwell with God? Consider attentively Rev. xxi. 3, 4; and xxii. 3, 4, 5. O what blessedness!

But who shall not enter into the Holy City? Rev. xxi. 27; xxii. 14, 15.

The question for each of us is-how may I abide in the Tabernacle of God? (Ps. xv. I.) How may I dwell in His holy presence?

Seek the Lord Jesus-seek the purifying, life-giving water which proceeds from the throne of the Lamb. Seek the fruits of the Tree of Life, and its healing leaves.-Jesus, the Lamb of God, alone "taketh away the Sin of the world." It is Jesus, who destroys the Curse of sin-Jesus, who makes "all things new." Love this Redeemer. But can you love Him, and love this evil world, at the same time? [Matt. vi. 24; 1 John v. 19.]

Which then must you renounce, Jesus, or the world? The vanities of Time, or a lasting habitation in the City of God?

CONSCIENCE.

Have you a Conscience? How do you know that you have a Conscience?

Does it inwardly speak to you?

Does it ever give you pain? When?
Does it ever warn you not to do a thing?
Do you never resist it?

Do

you

ever listen to it?

Do you follow its dictates?

Do you always follow them?

Are you happy when you do not follow them?

Do you know why you cannot be happy when you do not follow them?

Who gave you a Conscience? Does God speak to you by it?

Should you be very attentive to His voice ? Does God observe when you follow your conscience?

When you read the Scriptures does your conscience tell you what you read is holy and true?

[The Teacher may lead the children to observe the corruption of their nature, which resists their conscience; for children, at an early age, often begin to feel, in their measure, that conflict of which the Apostle speaks, occasioned by a law in their members warring against the law of their minds. He may tell them, that

though their conscience may clearly point out what is right, they are unable to follow it, without the assistance of the Holy Spirit. He may explain that the more we attend to the dictates of our conscience, the more it will be preserved in a tender and impressible state. He may ask such questions as the following.]

If your conscience tells you a thing is wrong, or hurtful to you, or if it tells you a thing is right, and that it is also beneficial to you, why do you not always act accordingly?

Do you ever feel any opposition to your conscience?

What is it that opposes it?

Have you not an evil nature, and a perverse will?

Can you overcome these by your own power?

What power do you need?

Pray then to God to enable you to resist and overcome your evil nature-to give you strength to follow the dictates of your conscience.

If, at any time, your conscience has been peculiarly impressed, what ought you to do?

You ought to beseech God to strengthen and preserve the impression, and to enable you to act upon it. If you resist conscience it will grow hardened; the more you seek to follow it, the more tender it will become.