eousness." (2 Tim. iv. 8.) It makes us pillars in the temple of our God. It writes upon us the name of our God, and the name of the city of our God. It gives us " the morning-star." It gives us the white stone, and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it. It makes us to eat of the hidden manna. It leads us back to the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God. It brings us into the bridal chamber ; it sets us down at the marriage table, teaching us to sing, " Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready." It carries us into the midst of that city which has no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it; whose wall is of jasper, whose foundations gems, whose gates pearls, whose streets translucent gold. It gives us to drink of the pure river of the water of life, clear as crystal,
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proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
All these things grace is yet to do for us in that morning which is to dawn when this night of weeping is at an end. All this glory — this exceeding and eternal weight of glory — we shall owe to the exceeding riches of that grace which is then so mar- vellously to unfold itself, heaping honour upon honour, and gift upon gift, and joy upon joy, without end for ever.
In this let us mark the difference be- tween Christ and his church, the Bride- groom and the bride. The same glory in- vests both ; but the way of receiving it is widely different. To him it is a reward of righteousness, to her of grace. Righteous- ness crowTns him, grace crowns her. These marvellous honours are in his case the claim of righteousness, in hers the mere award of grace. Of him it is written, " Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity, therefore God, even thy God, hath b 2
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anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows " (Psa. xlv. 7); while of her ife is said, " Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.9' (2 Tim. i. 9.) What righteousness does for him, grace does for' her. And oh how boundless must that grace be, when it can do for her all that righteousness can do for him I
That coming day of grace sheds light upon the present, by showing us how vast and inexhaustible that grace is which is pouring itself oat from the bosom of the Father through the blood of the Son. If these riches of grace be so exceeding great, then how is it possible for us to entertain the suspicion that so often haunts us now, u Is there grace enough for. the pardon of sins like mine, — grace enough to secure welcome and acceptance to a sinner like me? " What ! is there grace enough to re-
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ceive myriads, washing them clean and presenting them blameless in the day of the Lord with exceeding joy, and is there not enough for one ? Is there grace enough to pour out such wondrous glory upon the multitudes of the undeserving hereafter, and is there not enough to bring forgive- ness to one undeserving soul just now ? So that in thus telling of the grace which the ages to come are to unroll, we are proclaim- ing good news to the chief of sinners, — good news concerning the infinite large- ness of grace,— good news concerning Him out of whom this blessed stream is flowing. Oh, what a rebuke to fear, to doubt, to suspicion, to unbelief, is the truth concern- ing these exceeding riches of grace yet tc be developed ! Is it possible that we can go on, fearing, doubting, suspecting, mis- believing, with the assured knowledge that grace is so free and large, so sufficient to embrace the whole circumstances of our case, so suitable to each special want, each E 3
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special burden, each special sin ? Shall we dare to make more of the sin than of the grace, of the want than of the supply, of the burden than of the relief? Shall we not be ashamed to magnify our sin beyond the grace of God, and to reason as if the grace that can confer on us the kingdom and the crown of Christ were not large enough in compass to cover our sins ? Oh the folly of unbelief! — folly without a name and without an equal, to believe in a grace willing to place us on the throne of the universe by the side of the everlasting Son, yet not willing to pardon us, — a grace large enough to say, " Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world," yet not large enough to say, " Be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee ! "
" It doth not indeed yet appear what we shall be." Yet, as the womb of grace knows no abortions, we know " that he who has begun the good work in us will perform it
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