ancient prophecies which told of what literally came true in the life and death of our Lord. The Scriptures were fulfilled in him In no figurative, but in a literal sense. Bo was it, and, therefore, we believe, so will' it l:ie. And when we think of what ia involved in the coming of our Lord to reign-of glory to God, of good to man-how can the Church do otherwise than say, ~ Amea. .Even so," etc.? III. To s'i!:mun us mrro a1111sn:r. For death iB for us practiclllly a coming of the Lord. We ~ to he with him; he comes to receive '!111. And this, at the furthest, will be "quickly." ""Brief life is here'our portion." Few and evil are the day1 of•our pilgrimage. And to this coming the believer &Ments. Not irom any fretful longing to have done with this. lif~ch longing is always more or leas m-Orbid, though explicable and excusable under the· distressi11g circumstances in whioh it ill felt and:· litieroo.-:- but to Christians, as to others,: life is and should be sweet, precious, elung to. But his "Amen " here is that of submission, of cheerf"l assent and acquiescence to' the Lord's will. For him deAth has no terrors, but is the entrance- on eternal joy. Ne'verthelBBS, the ties o( earth, the claims and nteds of those. we lov_e, are many and atrong, and therefore for their sake life is preciOWi. Otherwise •death nas no sting. IV, To .JVDGB '!'-'JIB WORLD. 'l'his is not the same as hie coming to reign. Then he ahall come for his saints, but in this last advent he shall come with them. Then shall ~ great white throne be set up, then shall be gathered all nations, and then the final jndgment take place. And this; too, for each one of DB, comes "quickly." For after death it virtually takeB place. We each go to our "o1'li place." But can we each one say concerning this coming of the Lord, "Amen. Even so," etc. ?-S. C. Ver. 21.-" TM grace of our Lord Jesus (J/irist." The Lord's ministry on earth, ftded with benediction. It is fitting that this revelation, which he gave by his servant St. John, should end in like mn,nnei'. L- THE MEANING OIi' TBll:SB WORDS. 1. To the riJrelen they are but as the playground bell to the 1klhoo\boy, which tells him that he may cease from his -drudgery and go to hie ,g&mes again. 8o, becalll!e these words generally form par\ of the sacred formula with which our Christian wurship is wont to en<l, ~hey are to the O&A1less who may be present . scarce any more than the welcome signal that at• last the dreary service -is alt done, and they may go back to the world again. 2. To the many amongst (J/iristian tD6t'shippers. These have no precise, definite meaning attache<l to the constantly heard words, but they know they mean blessing, and b)eat;itlg -from the Lord Jesus ChiiBt, and therefore they delight in thorn and their heart answers "Amen" to them. 3. Their real mea·ning. No doubt they have primary reference to that "grace of God •which," through the Lord Jesus Christ, "bringeth salvation" to 1lll and to all men. But this is not their exclusive meaning. Yet ·they tell of blessing in which aU can share; which may be asked for and pronounced. upon all. Hence, blessings which onlv some- need, snch as temporal relief from poverty, perplexity, persecution, and tl,e like; or even 1piritual good, such as conversion, or deliverance from l!Ollle special temptation, or the bestowment of some particular form of Christian excellence and· charactcr,-not, even these, ~r any cine good of any kind, are what is comprised in thts-mueb-uwaning• word "grace." But if we go back to the root-meaning of the word, we find it denotes' lkat,which causes joy; thatia grace. Alt the uses and forms of th& word lipriugisfrom: this root. Therefore " the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ" is that gift· from him,' whatever it be, that will minister joy to us. Hence·it may be one thing to one person,' and another to another, and something still different to yet others. '1.'herefore note,.;.. :,_. II. ITS APPLICATION. Consider this: 1. 1-n 'f'ejerenr,e to th086 to whom St. John~. the Churches of Christ in Asia. Amongst them there wore those who needed temporal nlief boc11.use of their poverty; others, to be thoroughly converted to Christ; others, to be endued with a holy courage; all, a higher d~greeof Christian life. Now, according to the need of each would be the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ to them. 2, Toourselues. Varied are our wants, none needing exactly the same gift, none finding the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in what is so to another. Whether it be· Christ's ministry to OUI' present temporal need, or to our spiritual condition. One needs one thing, eother another. Anrl this benediction is for each according to ·the want of eaoh. That. fr0rc Christ which ,dll truly glad.den and give joy to each one i1 the grace of the Lord. Jesus Chru;t to that one. ··· mi:. niI. 1...::.21.J 'l'HE REVELATION ()IP ST. ·.;roBN TRE D1VINE. m
III. lTs APPABNT CONTRADICTIONS. For though "gmce • means that which brings joy, it does 0notahvays appear so. At the time it may Beem not at all "joyOWI, but grievous." . It is often disguised so that we do not know it. Christ's grace in the form of eart4ily·'good comes to us frequently by strange ways; and in strange and often repdling 1!,Spect. And yet more in regard to spiritual good. Newto11t in ODe of hill bjmns, says- - •I aslrnd the Lord tbat I mig'bt grow In faith and love and 1ivery graoe: Might JJ10l8 of hie salvation know, And seek more earnestly his face.
••I boped that in ·some favoured hour, .. At once he'd IUll!Wer my reqnesi.
•Instead of this, he IDl!,de m:~ feel 'I'he hiddeu evil.a ofmy heart: . And let the angry powers of hell .A.8811,ult m7 soul in ev~y pan. .· • • Lord, why is this?' I tn!mblbig crill4L I 'Tis in this way,' the Lord replied. _ 'I au'.iwer prayer for grace and faith.'• _ A~from tlie.mtry, roul son the fairest flowers spring; as the mother's travail pTI!l)lldea ht>r joy; as our Lc>t.i's own bitter sorrows and death went before, and were neodful.to, "the joy ~t before him,"-so is it that grace must often come out of, pass through, aml for a time assume the form of,,grief. · . ._ . IV. ITS BENEDICTION. The blessed Scriptures, and the holy apostle who wrote this clvsiug book, bid us farewell with this blessing pronounced upon us. . Are we wj\ling to receive it? Do we not need H: yon, yet li.n8avcd; you, .weak. feeble, halting in the Christian way; you, tempted and sore beset; you, drawing near io death; yon, weighed down with sorrow and care? Yes, you do need it,; nothing can compensate for it,· though the world and sin and the wicked one are busy with: their .suggestions that· you can do without it. And it waits for you. The apostles who firat. utter!ld it invoke it on us now. Let our hearts respond," Amen."-S. 0.