On one interesting occasion, when the apostles came to our Lord, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" he, to reprove their pride and folly, called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, "Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven," thereby rebuking them in the most touching and emphatic manner (Matt. xviii. 1, 2, &c.) How beautiful, striking, and instructive the scene! A child-the emblem of that humility which is the grand characteristic of the heirs of glory, and the chief element of true greatness ! Who sees not the force and beauty of this emblem? To the young child it is of no moment whatever who fondles him. The humblest menial, provided he will only minister those little attentions by which its infantine powers are delighted and entertained, will be no less acceptable as a companion than the most illustrious prince in the world. The seals of the highest office in the empire placed before a little child would at once be exchanged for the merest toy which might happen to be more glittering, and although born the heir of the noblest kingdom on the face of the earth, it would matter nothing at that tender age, if, at some great entertainment given to all classes of society, the little child was made to occupy the lowest room. Imagine the Lord of glory folding in his arms a helpless babe as a meet emblem of the humility which adorns his kingdom! Surely the disciples could not easily forget the touching sign by which they had been admonished.

When the question of precedence was again submitted to our Lord's consideration, he told his disciples that earthly greatness, wealth, and power were the objects of Gentile ambition, and utterly unworthy of their choice, and that he was the greatest who is the most humble and useful to his brethren, being their servant, and ministering to their necessities with the greatest promptitude and cheerfulness (Matt. xx. 20-28).

Humility, accompanied with the profoundest knowledge of God, the deepest sense of the frailty and unworthiness of the creature, and the most earnest desire to promote the welfare of the faithful, is the most decisive mark of genuine greatness and honour. Christ is set forth in the Scriptures of truth as a perfect pattern of humility, inasmuch as he was, and still is, the servant of all his people-the servant of the meanest as well as the most honourable (Phil. ii. 5, 6, 7, &c.; John xiii. 15, 16). Oh, with what lustre the humility of Jesus shines, in cheerfully placing himself in the capacity of a servant-a servant of servants -and even giving his life to accomplish the redemption of his people, and to raise them to the glories of a bright immortality! None are endowed like the God-man, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col. ii. 3).

It is the Father's good pleasure that all fulness of gifts and graces should dwell in him-even the fulness of the Godhead bodily-and that all the faithful should be complete in him, the head of all principality and power (Col. i. 19; ii. 9, 10). The Holy Spirit was not given by measure unto him, as it is to all his disciples, but dwelt in him in all its fulness, and was accordingly called the Spirit of Christ (John iii, 34;

Gal. iv. 6). To the whole Church, Christ the God-man, is the fount of all spiritual illumination, life, and blessedness (Eph. i. 3; 1 Cor. i. 30). He is the believer's wealth, and the crown of his rejoicing before God, and yet he speaks of himself as a worm, and no man-a reproach of men, and despised of the people (Psalm xxii. 6). His meekness and humility are in exact proportion to his gifts and graces, and as these are boundless, so are they. He is the greatest and most honourable Servant of the everlasting Father, because he was commissioned by him to minister to all his people, by redeeming them from the curse of the law, and preparing them for that exceeding weight of glory, reserved in heaven for them. Accordingly he occupies the first place in the heavenly Jerusalem, and has the pre-eminence in all things. Who shall sit on his right hand and on his left is too high a matter for human decision. It would be great presumption on the part of any man whatever to hazard a conjecture on such a subject as this. All we can possibly know on such a theme is, that God the Father has, with the knowledge, approval, and concurrence of the Son and the Spirit, disposed of these places of honour and dignity, as well as of every other place, in his kingdom of glory from everlasting (Matt. xx. 23; xxv. 34). The foundations of the covenant of grace-the believer's hope and desireremain unalterably firm and sure through all the revolutions of time, having this seal, "The Lord knoweth them that are his" (2 Tim. ii. 19). It is a settled point, as our Lord himself declared to his disciples who shall occupy the seats nearest to his radiant throne in his kingdom of glory (Mark x. 40); and they are equally known to the Father, Son, and Spirit; to the Father, because he hath prepared these seats for them (Matt. xx. 23); to the Son, because he is charged to put them in full possession of their predestinated dignities at the set time (John xiv. 2,3; Matt. xxv. 34; Heb. ii. 10; John xvii. 2); and to the Spirit, because he is appointed to assure them of their adoption, and to make them meet for the inheritance, incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, being reserved in heaven for them (Gal. iv. 6; Rom. viii. 14, 15, 16; Eph. i. 13, 14; 2 Cor. iii. 18; 1 Cor. ii. 10).

Doubtless they who are predestinated of the Father to fill the seats of glory nearest to Immanuel's throne, shall be prepared by the Spirit in the kingdom of grace on earth, for their sublime destiny. They shall receive a larger measure of the gifts and graces of the Spirit, than others do; and these will cause them to flourish like the palm tree, and to grow like the cedar in Lebanon, and they shall abound in the choicest fruits to the praise and glory of God. In them the miud which was in Christ Jesus, will be most strikingly developed, and their lives will be singularly blessed to the saints. Possibly the touching and sublime description given by Paul of his gifts, labours, trials, and usefulness, may be fully realized, if not exceeded, in them (2 Cor. iv. 3, 4, 5, 6, &c.; xi. 21, 22, &c.; xii. 4, 5, 10, 11, &c.)

The Great Head of the Church is charged, in the covenant of grace, to prepare all his ransomed people for their final destiny. Accordingly he sets all the members of his Church in their appointed places, whether of private or public duty, and in their various offices for mutual aid and

sympathy, either in suffering or in joy, so that when one member suffers all suffer with it, or when one rejoices, all rejoice with it-that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care one for another. Although formed out of the same corrupted clay, and cast in the same mould of fallen humanity, yet in cach there is a special difference, a distinct characteristic, by which the individual fits into the place assigned him in the body of Christ, and for which God the Father receives peculiar glory.

On some of his members Christ confers one grace or gift, on others, another; some he fills with holy light, others with sacred love, others with justifying faith, and others with a lamb-like gentleness, thereby making known the riches of his various stores, and magnifying every grace of the Spirit by bringing out one or another prominently in different characters. All gifts and graces are bestowed on the faithful with reference to their future destiny. They are unquestionable proofs of God's love to them, and gratifying earnests of the glory that awaits them at his right hand. The choicest gifts of the Spirit possessed in the largest measure is, without doubt, the distinctive mark of those believers who are appointed to occupy the most honourable places in the kingdom of imperishable glory. Most distinguished are they for faith, love, humility, and zeal, in the cause of their risen and exalted Lord. They earnestly covet the best gifts, burn for them with the most vehement desire, that they may more effectually minister to the necessities of the saints. Like Paul they can say, they count not their lives dear unto them so that they may finish their course with joy, and the ministry which they have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the Gospel of the grace of God. For them to live is Christ, and to die is gain. In labours of love they abound to the glory of him who bath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light. Theirs is no life of inglorious ease and luxury, but of high and honourable usefulness. They aspire not after mere secular dignities and honours, but covet the privilege of ministering to the meanest saints, according to the ability which God giveth, that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ. With Paul, they say, "By the grace of God we are what we are; and his grace which was bestowed upon us was not in vain; we laboured more abundantly than they all; yet not we, but the grace of God which was with us."

Such, we humbly conceive, are the manifested character and lives of those saints who are marked out for special honour in the kingdom of glory. The apostles were men of this privileged order, as we learn from the inspired history, but they were soon followed by men of another stamp, who made merchandise of the flock of God, instead of feeding them, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being Lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

The question of precedence was revived with the greatest acrimony, and the peace of the Churches was henceforth disturbed (1 Pet. v. 2, 3). The question of precedence was revived by these ravenous wolves with the greatest acrimony, and the peace of the Churches was henceforth

disturbed. Nothing can be more instructive and humiliating than the perusal of the early authentic records of the professing Churches, during the first five centuries in which the apostacy from the faith of the saints and the perversion of the ministerial office may be clearly

traced.

(To be continued.)

THE LORD'S PRESENCE SUPPLICATED.

LORD, in thy presence "it is well;
And may my thoughts more frequent dwell,
Whilst in the wilderness I roam,
On heav'n and my eternal home.

If called to leave this much-loved roof,
The home of childhood and of youth,
Through all my unknown path I crave
Thy kind protection to the grave.

In troubles oft my help thou'st been ;
"Tis on thine arm I wish to lean;
Thy kind, supporting, helping hand,
Sustains me in this weary land.

Forsake me not, ob, never leave
To thee alone I'd closely cleave;
In thee confidingly rely;

To thee for inward strength I cry.

Thou art my refuge in distress,
When various forms of trouble press;
In telling thee her secret grief,
My soul oft finds a sweet relief.

No other source can aid afford,
My hope is simply in thee, Lord;
And if my portion be in thee,
I'm safe to all eternity.

January 4th, 1846.

[The following was copied, and forwarded to us, for the perusal of the distressed ELIZABETH EDWARDS; but it will well bear reprinting. It will be a comfort to many, and we shall indeed rejoice if made so to the poor, devil-hunted woman referred to.-ED.]

MERCY MANIFESTED;

Relating to the very remarkable Affliction, Temptation, and Dying Consolation of Mrs. Jane Hall, at Armsley, Leicestershire, as stated in the Gospel Magazine for 1777.

"HEAVINESS and weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." The inviolable promise runs, that Jesus will not "break a bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax." Let the afflicted, the

tempted, the dejected, the despairing, see this realized in God's faithfulness and mercy ultimately revealed to the subject of this letter, Mrs. Jane Hall, wife of the Rev. Robert Hall, aforesaid.

It may be proper to observe, says the respectable messenger of Christ, in the opening of this narrative, that the dear deceased was naturally of a lively cheerful disposition, and remarkably active, in the domestic management of all affairs; and though partly by a fever about thirteen years ago which deprived her of the regular use of reason for several weeks, and partly by bearing fourteen children, eight of whom she followed to the grave, her constitution was much impaired, yet the cheerfulness of her disposition continued. She was also favoured with much of the divine presence in the enjoyment of which she was indulged by a gracious God, for nearly twenty years, to a degree not experienced by many Christians.

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In the beginning of March, 1773, she complained of great darkness of mind, and laboured under many discouragements in her own soul, and frequently said she apprehended some heavy trial was coming upon her. On the 21st of the same month, about one o'clock in the morning, we were awoke by an uncommon noise, and by the cry of murder," the reason of which was, as we quickly found, a person had broken into the house of a very near neighbour, who lived alone; stole his property, and threatened his life; out of whose cruel hands he very narrowly escaped by bursting through a window. This unexpected and dreadful alarm being immediately followed by a view of our injured neighbour, who having wounded himself in making his escape, was in a bloody and shocking condition, affected my dear deceased to such a degree that she could not sleep for near a fortnight; and ever after when she did, generally awoke about the same hour, in a painful tremor. Upon this, she concluded, God was angry with her, that she had never known him savingly; and that all her former spiritual enjoyment, was the delusion of a vain imagination. From this time forward she took no delight in her family; and her domestic concerns, in which before she was remarkably iligent, became her aversion ; bodily disorders also came on of such a nature as greatly added to her