bee.rt hl\6 been elated, e.nd 1mch words of joyful praise as these In the text have been upon its lips. Even when there a.re no signs of the coming of OhriAt in delivering and rrri dng power, the Church may " take heart of grace" if it be (1) fe.lthful In word e.nd in deed to its Masoor's charge; (2) prayerfnlly and patiently expectant, \vaiting on-him in reverent confidence; mindful of the fact that our ways aro not always his ways, nor our chosen times his times. This holy and rightful attitude will turn the night of 110rrow into the evening of' expectation; and in due time will come the mol'Ding of deliverance; this will include (1) the removal of reproach-" The rebuke of bis people will be take away;" (2) the cessation qf spiritual distress-ha" will wipe away tears," etc, the teRrs of a Christ-like sympathy and regret (see Ps. cxix. 136; Jer. ix. 1; Luka xix. 41); (3) a joyous participation in the exaltation of Ohrist and the establishment of his kingdom-" Rejoice in his salvation." Ill. ITS APPLICATION TO INDIVIDUAL SOULS. Our Christian life presents variou& aspects according to the path by which our Lord leads us home. The life of some may be characterized as that of abounding privilege, of others as that of multiplied mercies, of others as that of honourable and useful activity; in these cases the heavenly ,king- dom may appear to be a coritinued though an exalted experience in another sphere. But in other instances human life is one of unflagging toil, or of unceasing struggle, or of oppre~si ~e care, or of crushing sorrow : the night for which weeping endures (Ps. xxx. 5) is all but lifelong. It is in sucb cases as these that we are "saved by hope." Hope is the morning star which is a blessed promise of an eternal day. It turns the night of weary trouble into the e~ening of holy expectation; it puts a song of joy even into the lips of suffering; it calmly but eagerly" prevents" the approaching morning; it antici- pat.es the hour when the t.ears of sorrow will be wiped away from eyes that'will weep no more for ever, when every burden will fall from every heavy-laden shoulder, when the heart will be "exceeding glad" in the joy of God'~ great salvation. Let the children of affliction comfort themselves with these words of the prophet; but let them (1) be well assured that they are the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ, and that their title is good to the heavenly heritage; (2) wait patiently for Christ's· appearing. Ir they would say," \Ve will be glad . . . in his salvation," they must be able to say," We .have wait.ed for bim."-C. Ver. B.-The supreme victory. "He will swallow up death in victory." The terms of the text are not satisfied by anything less than the gospel of the grace of God; that, and that alone, can be truly said to swallow up death. It is only Jesus Christ who can be said to have "abolished. death" (2 Tim. i. 10). This is the supreme victory. Great conquests have been gained in other fields: in geographical research --discovery of America, penetration of Africa, etc.; in the useful arts-p1inting, telegraphy, steam-power, etc.; in mathematical science; in historical exploration, etc. These things, and such things as these, have conferred dignity on our nature and enlargement on our life. But there is one victory compared with which even these are small-the triumph over death. Deat.h has been thought of and written about every- where as the great conqueror, before whose prevailing arm all human forces go down vanquished to the dust. It has been acknowledged. to be the master of our humanity. :But in the gospel of Jesus Christ death is defied, is met face to face, is overcome, is so utterly subdued and routed that we can truly say that it is "swallowed up in victory." In Christ there is a double defeat of its power; for in him is- I. ABUNDANT SPIRITUAL LIFE HERE. Sin has led man down to moral and spiritual death ; they that live apart from God are "dead while they live," for they move on toward the grave, rnissiag all those things which give nobility, excellency, beauty, real and lasting joy to human life. But to know God in Christ Jesus is life (John xvii. 3). And whoso enters into all the fulness of the life which is in Christ has that life" more abu.,ndantly" (John x. 10). Spiritual death is lost in largeness and fulnese of spiritual life-life in God, with God, for God; it is swallowed up in victory. • II. hUlORTAL LIFE IN THE HEAVENLY WORLD. Here we have the significance of tht words of the text. Other faiths beside that of Jesus Christ have included a. promise of lire in the future; but the hopes they have held out have been uncertain, vague, illusory; the life they have promised has been shadowy, unreal, unattractive. Their , disciples must have felt that in its contest with death the faith has met its match, and, OB. nv. 1-12.] TRE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAtt. 400
if lt has not been actually worsted, it has failed to triumph. In the gospel of Christ we have a decided and delightful contrast to this. There the victory is complete. We pass away, indeed, from earth, from its scenes, its engagements, its friendships, its joys; but we pass into a state nnd a world where everything is immeasurably better than the present. 1. We are unclothed in body, but we are clothed upon with a house which iH ·from heaven (2 Cor. v. 4). 2. The ignorance of earthly twilight we exchange for thP, full knowledgo of the celestial day (1 Cor. xiii. 12). 3. From the broken delights and the fatiguing toils of time we pass to the teit.rless happiness and to the untiring activities of eternity. 4. 'l'he sorrowful separations of the present will make more blessed tbe union where we "clasp inseparable hands" in unfading friendship. 5. The apparent absence of the heavenly Father will be lost in the conscious nearness which will make us to dwell continually in his holy presence, God with us and we with him for ever. Death will be "swallowed up in victory." (1) It will be Ion~ b.efore we shall meet with a faith which will offer us greater things than these. (2) Bow sad, how foolish, how guilty, to remain spiritually, and therefore essentially, a.part fr?m him in the knowledge and service of whom stands eternal life !-C.