IT. THESE WORDB CONTAIN A GREAT PROMISE, TREASURED UP ap;nE FOR THE EN'COU- RAGEMENT OF EAOH DISOIPLE OF CHRIST. "Said I oot unto thee, that, if thou woul<leat believe," eto.? .l!'or this vision of faith of which we have beeo speal<iag does not per- petuate itself. I do not mean that it passes away like a dream in the night, leaving no traces bohind It. The Christian who has seen ought of the Divine glory must desire to see it still, or he would be no Christian at all; but how many things tend to veil it from his view I Sometimes, from the inevitable cares and engagements of li,·e, often from causes which cannc,t be traced, he finds himself in perplexity and gloom. But, weak and changeful as he is, God's promises do not depend on his varying moods of mind; and in view of e·.ich a promise as this, faith bursts into prayer, and evcrrnr.re the prayer of faith shall live. "l beseech thee, show me thy glory;" "Open thon mine eyes, that I mo.y see wondrous things out of thy Law; "" Lord, I believe; help tl,ou mine unbelief." But it is in the greater trials of life that the soul feels most its own intrinsic weakness, and that the promise in the text is "exceeding great and precious." When, for example, hen.Ith is suddenly shattered; or when fair earthly prospects arc dashed to the ground; or when the family circle is broken in upon, and a tenderly loved member is taken away ;-then nature's darkness and nature's sorrow compass us in on every side. 'l'he heart whispers, "Vanity of vanities." Our common life loses its interest-"like a. dream when one swaketh." And perhaps unbelief, no longer lilrn a silent, lifeless weight, but rather like a mocking demon, assails the very foundations of the faith, or tells us that our interest in them has been all a delusion. Thus it was with the Psalmist Asapb, when in sn hour of infirmity be exclaimed (Ps. lxxvii.), "Will the Lord cast off for ever? . . . Doth his promise fa.ii for evermore? . . . Hath Goel forgotten to be gracious?" Poor and cold is the comfort that the world can give in such a case--perhaps telling the sufferer that things might have heen worse; or that misfortune is the common lot of man; or that time will in the long run blunt the edge of his feelings; and that "wild flowers may yet grow among tbe ruins of his happiness," and that meanwhile " to bear is to conquer bis fate." Ah I surely if these are the only lessons that trial has to teach us, we must often come to look upon provi- dence as a necessary evil. How different are the Master's words, "If thou wouldest believe," etc. I This is indeed the sum and substance of many an ancient oracle. In all ages the Spirit of Christ, which breathed in the prophets, had spoken in the same tones. God's children were ever taught to look within the veil and walk by faith. " Who is among you that feareth the Lord, . . . that walketh in darkness, and bath no light? let him trust in the Name of the Lord, let him stay himself on his God" (Isa. I. 10). But here Christ himself adds his "Yea and Amen" to all the promises given by his forerunners; and not only when he raised Lazarus from the grave, but above all when he burst for ever the chaius of death in his own resurrection, he gave assur~ce unto all men that his words are faithful and true. What, then, is the perpetual message of these words of his to his disciples ? Believe that your secret trials are not the shafts of a blind fate, but the decrees of a reconciled Father's will. They are not designed to crush you, inscrutable as they now appear. They bid you "be still, and know that he is God;" but they are never lightly inflicted, never inconsistent with his wisdom and love. Trust him, then, in the dark. Trust him when your heart is aching. Trust him when human sympathy falls short of your need, and your faith shall not be in vain. He has many ways in providence and grace of showing you his glory ; tempering your trials with mercy; perhaps giving them an unexpected i,sue; raisiug you above them, and, as it were, above yourselves; giving you new disco,eries of bh love, a deeper o.ssurnnce than you ever had before that he is your God. Thus those wbo walk by faith and not by sight have this promise of Christ fulfilled to them even here below. Through the checkered experiences of life, whether those be joyous or grievous, God is ever drawing near to them and manifesting himself to them. They shall never, indeed, toke the measure of his perfections, and they adore him for this; but whilst their knowledge of him cannot be full, it may be most real; whilst it cannot be com- prehensive, it may yet be sufficient for their life-journey. 'l'hey may see enough of his glory to make them habitually humble and thankful and bopefu1, to strengthen them for daily work, and support them under daily trio.l. How often ma:, two persons be met with whose lives have been visited with much the same trials and enriched with much the ~au.e outward blessings, and yet as they approach the evening of their da.ye yot\ 12& THE GOSPEL AOOORDIN'G TO ST. JOHN. [ou. xr. l--6'i'.
bear th<> one complaining tbl\t be 'IVIM! born under Bn unluoky sta.r, that his steps have been dogged by an unkind fate, Bnd th&t, all is v&nity l\nd veution of aphit • while the other iF ~a.ying thRt goodneBB Rnd mercy h11ve followed him all the d&ys of hie life, &nd Raking whRt he ~hall render to the Lord for Bll his benefini tow&rde him I Whence the difference hetween the two? Is it not from thie-th&t the one hae lived without God in the world, whilst the oth<>r hRs sought for grace to walk in the light of his counte- nBnce? So muoh for the life tha.t now is. Ilut thel'll is B l&rger fulfilment of this promise that belongs to the life to come. Here the glory of God cRn only be seen 11.mi<lst the clouds RDd d:i.rkncss of thi~ storm-tossed world. 'l'he fl\ith of hie children, too, is not only tried by the long conflict between good and evil whioh rages around them, but by the unbelief of their own hearts and the weakness of their bodies of bumiliat.ion. "Now they see through a glass darkly." But this is not to last for ever. This ,·i~ion is only for an nppointed time. Aud when the mystery of God has been finished, and the children of the resu.rrection open their eyes on the new heavens and the new earth, whel'l!in dwelleth righteousness, then shall each one of them learn the fulnc~s of these words of Christ, ''. Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see tl1c glory of God? "-G. B.