future history of Christians, both in life and death, is foreknown by Christ. The Lord tells Simon Peter, " When thou art old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not." These words, without controversy, were a prediction of the manner of the Apostle's death. They were fulfilled in after days, it is commonly sup- posed, when Peter was crucified as a martyr for Christ's sake. The time, the place, the manner, the painfulnesa to flesh and blood of the disciple's death, were all mat- ters foreseen by the Master.
The truth before us is eminently full of comfort to a true believer. To obtain foreknowledofe of thinors to come would, in most cases, be a sorrowful possession. To know what was going to befall us, and yet not to be able to prevent it, would make us simply miserable. But it is an unspeakable consolation to remember, that our whole future is known and forearranged by Christ. There is no such thing as luck, chance, or accident in the journey of our life. Everything from beginning to end is foreseen, — arranged by One who is too wise to err, and too loving to do us harm.
Let us store up this truth in our minds, and use it diligently in all the days of darkness through which we may yet have to pass. In such days we should lean back on the thought, " Christ knows this, and knew it when He called me to be His disciple." It is foolish to repine and murmur over the troubles of those whom we love. We should rather fall back on the thought that all is well done. It is useless to fret and be rebellious, when we ourselves have bitter cups to drink. We should rather say, "This also is from tlie Lord: He foresaw it, and would have prevented it, if it had not been for my good." Happy are those who can enter into the spirit of that old saint, who said, " I have made