sympathy. He must tread the winepress alone. He looked, and there was no man; he wondered, but there was no intercessor. His own arm must bring salvation unto Himself, and to the world He was to save. The disciples could have no part in a sorrow like this. Aroused from the stupor, Peter might draw his sword; but that was not a time for demonstrations of violence, he did but add another sorrow to the load his Master bore. It was the atoning work of Christ they witnessed. He was now exceeding sorrowful even unto death. As at the cross they all forsook Him and fled, so now in the garden they all slumbered and slept. It was not merely the greatness of the sufferings they witnessed, it was their peculiarity that repelled them. Stephen's death was horrible, but they stood by him to the last. No circumstances of peculiar atrocity, no unexpected bloodshed or other cruelty, appalled them in the garden. It was quiet, silent, unearthly suffering: but they had no sympathy with the sufferer. Man cannot sympathize in the work of redemption. It is his glory, his boast. It must be his song of triumph in time and in eternity. It was not that their hearts were hardened, though their eyes were heavy. They must needs behold the sufferer in the brief intervals when He woke them from their sleep, that they might testify of His agony; but all His suffering was for them, and "for us men and our salvation;" and neither they nor we are able to commiserate the Man of sorrows. His anguish is our joy. For "the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and by His stripes we are healed." 4. There remains yet to be mentioned another appearance of our Lord; namely, that after He was risen from the dead. Once more He revealed Himself under a new character, and again the effect upon His disciples, and especially on Peter, was different from anything we have yet observed. On the part of all the disciples who saw Him on the morning when "He stood on the shore," we remark a deeper reverence than they had ever yet felt, and on the part of Jesus a tenderness He had never quite expressed so fully. Now, for the first time, He calls them children." Now, for the first time, "none of them durst ask Him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord." The miracle of the miraculous draught of fishes is repeated, and Peter again draws the net. He at least must have been reminded of that other miracle of the same kind, when under a deep and sudden sense of sin he entreated the Lord to depart from him. And was he not a greater sinner now? It was not the first interview he had with Jesus since he denied Him with oaths and curses at the house of the high priest; but it was the first time that the Lord appears to have directed His conversation to him especially. And yet he does not seem to be afraid. He sits down with his Master to that wonderful repast which Jesus had *John xxi. 5. provided; and when the Lord appeals to him and would know from his own confession, not whether he loved Him, but whether he loved Him much, he does not hesitate a moment. There are no misgivings now. "Yea, Lord," he exclaims, and he makes his appeal to one whom he knew to be God incarnate, "thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee." Thus we trace the Spirit of adoption working in the family of God. But not until by faith they are brought into the presence of a risen Saviour. He died for our sins, He rose again for our justification. The Holy Spirit, in His miraculous operations, was not yet bestowed; but still it is evident that as the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba Father, He was even now present in Peter's soul, and in the souls, no doubt, of all that happy company. Peter must have keenly felt, never, perhaps, more keenly than at that moment of his life,-the baseness of his conduct, with all its aggravations. Yet no trace of servile fear is visible. Three times he repeats, and each time, it would seem, with increasing confidence, the declaration of his love to Christ. Why, indeed, should He doubt it? Why should any penitent sinner doubt at all if the Master has condescended to address him as one of the "children," and bid him to the feast? Why, reader, should you doubt His love, even though you had sinned against Him after the likeness of Peter's transgression? Is it because you want the assurance of His presence in your soul? That assurance you may have. It is true that all the children of Christ are not in possession of it, for in many faith at present sheds but a feeble ray. The great family for which the Lord Jesus was contented to be slain, includes the babe in Christ as well as the young men and fathers; but even to the "little children" the beloved John could write, "because" he says, "your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake." If so, the peace of a tranquil hope should be yours, if not yet the joy of But even this it is no presumption to expect. It is to be found, where Peter met with it at last, in the presence of a risen Saviour. True, He has now ascended up on high; true, He is known no more after the flesh; but still He giveth gifts to men, even to the rebellious. And of these the most precious of all is that whereby we are enabled to draw nigh by faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience. Therefore let us earnestly covet the best gifts; and seek the grace which will enable us ever to say, "I know in whom I have believed," and am persuaded that as He is able to "keep that which I have committed unto Him." So He will present me faultless "before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy." a full assurance. V. M. D. * 1 John ii. 12, 13. HYMNS, HYMN-WRITERS, AND HYMN.BOOKS. Many Crowns: a Selection of Scripture Texts and Appropriate Hymns; illustrative of the Names and Titles of the Lord Jesus. With a Preface by the Rev. W. W. Champneys, Canon of St. Paul's, &c. London: Seeley and Co. 1860. The Unsearchable Riches of Christ; illustrated by appropriate texts and hymns. With a Preface by the Rev. J. Stevenson, D.D., author of "Christ on the Cross." London: Seeleys. 1861. Hymns for the Church of God. In two Parts. Leicester: Browne. 1859. THE first two of these three little works are twins. They are evidently by the same compiler, and formed on the same plan. They are groups of flowers from the garden so often alluded to in the book of Canticles. One page gives an idea, in the words of Scripture, and the opposite page presents a hymn, in which the thought is expanded and placed in various lights, in the language of poetry. A single specimen may suffice. At page 74 of the second collection the subject is, "OUR KEEPER. "The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. (Psa. cxxi. 5.) "He that keepeth thy soul, doth not He know it? and shall not He render to every man according to his works? (Prov. xxiv. 12.) "Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling,-to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power. (Jude 24, 25.) "You, who are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation. (1 Pet. i. 5.) "The Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. (2 Thess. iii. 3.) "I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. (Rev. iii. 10.)" On the opposite page stands this hymn : "Near me, O my Saviour, stand, In every trying hour; Guard me with Thine outstretched hand, And hold me by Thy power; Mindful of Thy faithful word, Keep me, keep me, blessed Lord! "Give me, Lord, a holy fear, And fix it in my heart; "Never let me go till I, Upborne on wings of love, Thou hast passed Thy gracious word, In this way are illustrated, in the first volume, all the Names and Titles of the Lord Jesus; and in the second, the particulars of "The Unsearchable Riches of Christ." Each topic is exhibited, first in Scripture language, and then, as depicted in the glowing pages of our best Christian poets. Few pocket volumes contain more valuable or more interesting matter than do these two little books. The third work on our list is also a collection of verses on Scripture subjects, and it has two peculiar features. First, it seems to us to have a flavour of "Plymouth Brethrenism." It is described as being a book "for the church of God;" and, undoubtedly, few will be able to sympathize with the feelings of the compiler, except those who enjoy the blessing of full assurance in a very high degree. Take, for instance, the following beautiful hymn : "I have a heritage of joy, That yet I must not see; The hand that bled to make it mine "I have a certainty of love That sets my heart at rest; "A prayer reposing on His truth, Who hath made all things mine, "My heart is resting, O my God, Vol. 60.-No. 284. 4 F "Thou art my portion, saith my soul; Amen! sweet voices say; The music of that glad Amen But our chief reason for taking notice of this hymn-book is, that it seems to betoken the presence of another Toplady among us. And this is no light matter. A writer who can leave behind him, as his parting legacy, such hymns as "What though my frail eyelids refuse," and "When languor and disease invade," is no trifling gift to the church; and to know that we have one such still amongst us, is a fact of great and abiding interest. We do not speak with decision. We cannot pretend to know every hymn that has ever been given to the church; but we do find, in this collection of " Hymns for the Church of God," some pieces of real value, of which we had previously no knowledge. We will cite two or three of these, as pieces which have met our eyes, at least, first in this unpretending little volume. Here is one on Hebrews xi. 16:-" But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city": "Hope of the coming glory Is balm to the distrest; Is love, and life, and rest. "Oh one abiding city! O kingdom full of joy! And sorrows can't alloy ;- Nor e'en of sunshine bright: God is Himself thy glory, The Lamb Himself thy light. "Beside thy living waters, That pure and crystal river, And serve Him in our home." Here is another, on Malachi iii. 6:-"I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed": |