GRACE AND PEACE.

THE marvellous character of grace is, that God gave His only begotten Son to be the propitiation for our sins -that we might live through Him-to bring us to God.

Through the death of Christ, peace has been madeHe hath made peace through the blood of His cross. God, therefore, preaches peace by Jesus Christ-an already accomplished peace. "The gospel of the grace of God" is, therefore, "the gospel of peace." Faith thus views God, not as imputing trespasses, but proclaiming peace by Jesus, and has rest and assurance, finding peace in God's presence through our Lord Jesus Christ.

O how sweet to view the flowing
Of His soul-redeeming blood,
With Divine assurance knowing

That it made my peace with God.

Every believer in Christ, however weak his faith, has life. "These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name" (John xx. 31); but a believer only has peace in his soul, when he believes, that, by Christ, God justifies him from all things; that however ungodly he has been, he is now made the righteousness of God in Christ. Every believer has this blessed standing of perfection in Christ, however he may fail to apprehend it; for "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." "The righteousness of God by faith of Jesus Christ is unto all and upon all them that believe." (Rom. x. 4, iii. 22.) God hath made Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of

God in Him. (2 Cor. v. 21.) Peace then is the result of Christ's work, and not of our work. "The work of righteousness shall be peace; the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever." (Is. xxxii. 17.)

It is then by believing this grace of God in Christ, that we have peace with God, and therefore communion. Satan tries to interrupt our communion with God by getting us to look into ourselves, our frames, feelings, experience, &c., for satisfaction and comfort. The end of this always must be the discovery of indwelling sin, and evil principles entirely opposed to the holiness of God, the soul therefore finds misery and wretchedness; but when, by the power of faith, we look away from self, to God's estimate of Christ's work, and to all that blessed fulness God has freely given us in Christ risen and glorified, then peace flows again into our souls, and communion with God is restored. Our thoughts of Christ's worth at the best are very low and poor. Our eternal blessing depends upon God's estimate of Christ's work. Our present enjoyment will be just in proportion as we are having communion with God concerning Christ and His work for us. The flesh cannot rise above miserable self. The Spirit testifies of Christ, and leads us away from ourselves to that blessed holiness and grace which hates sin, puts it away, and justifies the ungodly. God commends His love to us.

It is because Christ has borne all the wrath and condemnation that was due to us on account of our sins, that there is now no condemnation to us; and it is because Christ was "forsaken" upon the cross, that we can never be forsaken by God-that nothing can separate us from His love. Nothing can ever prevail

against us, because God has been for us in the cross of His Son, and now is for us in the ever-prevalent intercession of the Great High Priest, as well as in making all things work together for our good. His purpose is, that grace shall so triumph, that, in the ages to come, He may shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

It is because of our new life, righteousness, sanctification, and completeness in Christ risen and glorified, that sin shall not have dominion over us; for we are not under the law, but under grace. If we were under the law, we must die as the consequence of our sin; but, being under grace, if we sin, we have an Advocate with the Father.

The grace that sought and found us,
Alone can keep us clean.

The Great High Priest maintains us in acceptance with God, through the perpetual efficacy of that one offering which He once offered, when "He gave Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour."

It is lamentable to hear Christians say, "If I perish, I perish at His feet." This is an impossibility. There may be a small measure of faith in the soul which so speaks, though mixed with much ignorance and unbelief. When Peter, feeling himself too vile for association with Jesus, fell down at His knees, and cried, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord! the possibility of perishing was never once referred to by our Lord, but quite the reverse; for Jesus not only said to him, "Fear not," but, as He usually did, He exceeded the suppliant's utmost thought, by promising

him honour and success in His service-"From henceforth thou shalt catch men." Again, when a woman who was a notorious sinner fell at the feet of Jesus with tears, the Lord put aside all questioning as to the certainty of her salvation, and said “Go in peace," "Thy faith hath saved thee!" How becoming, then, for the poor sinner lying at the feet of Jesus to say, "I shall never perish," because the Lord says, "Fear not, I am The First and The Last. I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” (Rev. i. 17, 18.)

How blessed it is thus to find God, against whom we so rebelled, reading such lessons of grace and peace to our souls! Surely, there is no room for doubts and fears in the presence of the God of peace, but every thing to inspire us with the truest confidence and quietness. The blood-sprinkled mercy-seat, and merciful and faithful High Priest bear witness to this, and ever invite us to draw near to God.

'O love! thou bottomless abyss!

My sins are swallow'd up in thee;
Cover'd is my unrighteousness,

From condemnation now I'm free;

While Jesu's blood, through earth and skies,
Mercy, free boundless mercy, cries.

By faith I plunge me in this sea;
Here is my hope, my joy, my rest;
Hither, when hell assails, I flee,

And look unto my Saviour's breast;
Away, sad thought, and anxious fear,
Mercy is only written there!

Fix'd on this ground will I remain,

Though my heart fail, and flesh decay;

This anchor shall my soul sustain,
When earth's foundations melt away;
Mercy's full power I then shall prove;
Lov'd with an everlasting love.'

ABRAHAM AND ISAAC, No. 3.

GEN. xxii.

LOOKING at this scene in its typical character, there is much to call forth the profoundest feelings of humility, as well as the highest tone of praise. Prior to this, other scriptures had repeatedly shadowed forth the sufferings, blood-shedding, and death of the promised Seed; but in this chapter, we get strikingly pourtrayed our acceptance with God by the obedience of the Son. The father and the son "went both of them together" to the altar of burnt offering, to accomplish the purpose and counsel of God. Blessing followed the accepted offering.

Abraham had long waited for Isaac, the promised son, through whom God's blessing was to be dispensed to "all families of the earth;" and his being called of God to "offer him for a burnt offering," most plainly intimates, that these blessings could only be brought about by the death of Him, through whom the mercies of God were to flow. We find, therefore, that after Isaac had been laid upon the altar, the Lord said unto Abraham, "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed My voice" (verse 18), that is, in offering up Isaac. It is the seeing that through death alone, blessing can flow from God to us, that so enhances to our souls the value of the cross of Christ, and at once defines the ground of all spiritual fellowship.

Isaac being the only son-"Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac-forcibly reminds us, that God gave His only begotten Son, that we might live through Him, and is full of the deepest utterances of divine grace;