it shall be given you...for if ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your FATHER which is in heaven, give good things to them that ask Him." Our Father, beloved, is "The Father of mercies," "the Father of lights," "the Father of glory," the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, His Father and our Father, His God and our God. May we be more quick to discern the gracious hand of the FATHER, that we may lie more passive in His loving arms! May we, beloved, experimentally know more of "fellowship with the FATHER!"

The Son of God, also, ministers continually on our behalf. He appears in the presence of God for us. As our Advocate, He meets all the accusations of the enemy. He is our High Priest for ever. He continually makes intercession for us. His presence cheers us. His sympathy comforts us. His finished work upon the cross establishes our souls in grace and peace. He is not a hard Master, yet He craves our grateful service. We know He is now preparing a place for us. We prove His shepherdly care, He loves us to lean upon His Almighty arm. We feel His absence, and look for His appearing; and we know full well that His fervent desire is that we may be with Him, to behold His glory. (John xvii. 24.) O for more felt fellowship with the Son of God!

The HOLY GHOST also dwells in us, and will abide with us for ever. It is by Him alone that we can truly call Jesus LORD; by Him the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts. He testifies of Christ to our souls, brings the word of Christ to our remembrance, guides us into all truth, shews us things to come. He

leads our souls back into a knowledge of God's eternal counsels in Christ, and the fulfilment of God's promises in Christ crucified. He leads us up now into the Father's presence, through the blood of the Lamb; and carries our hearts and minds onward to the return of Christ, to take us unto Himself. May the communion of the Holy Ghost be known in our hearts with more living practical power!

An intelligent apprehension of the work of God for us and in us, establishes our souls, and cheers our hearts; and blessed, indeed, it is to know that the Father's love never alters, the Son's matchless grace never declines, and the Holy Spirit, having quickened our souls, will carry on His work till our bodies are changed and fashioned like the glorious body of Jesus. "If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you." (Rom. viii. 10, 11.) For this we now wait. "We," said the apostle, "which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." "Blessed and glorious prospect! JESUS shall come in His own glory, and in the FATHER'S glory, the voice of the SON OF GOD shall awake the saints in their graves, and the bodies of the living saints, as well as the dead in Christ, shall be quickened by the HOLY GHOST, and all shall be caught up to meet Christ in the air, and so be, with Him, and like Him for ever. (1 Thess. iv. 16, 17.)

"THE LORD'S PASSOVER."

"Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." (1 Cor. v. 7,8.)

THOU paschal Lamb, appointed
By God the Father's love;
That we, through His anointed,
Might all His mercy prove:-
Through Thee we have salvation,
Life, pardon, peace, obtain;
And praise with adoration,
The Lamb for sinners slain.
Freedom from condemnation,
Could only come by Thee;
Through Thy humiliation,
And suff'rings on the tree.
Thy weight of sorrow bearing,
From Satan, man, and God;
And love to us declaring,

Through Thy atoning blood.
We praise Thee, Holy Saviour!
That Thou didst suffer thus:
And in Thy loving favour,
Endure the curse for us.
Through everlasting ages,
All glory be to Thee;
While this, each heart engages
Thy love on Calvary.

We, Thy command obeying,
Now meet around the sign;
The emblems here surveying,
Of Living Bread and Wine.
And while each living member,
Rejoices in Thy name;
We also would remember,

The sorrows of the Lamb.

We wait for Thine appearing,
To chase the night away;
The welcome summons hearing,
To call us hence away.
Thy saints will then in glory,
Redeeming love proclaim;
While they rejoice before Thee,
That "Worthy is the Lamb."

CHRIST'S CUP AND OUR CUP.

"The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?" JOHN Xviii. 11.

THIS was a deeply solemn moment. We have here precious lessons of Divine grace set before us. We can only look on, and worship. Jesus was drawing very near the cross. The great testimony of all the prophets was about to be accomplished. The Son of the Highest was about to enter into the lowest depths of humiliation. An eternal victory was to be achieved, and captivity itself led captive. The gate of heaven was to be thrown open by the bleeding hands of the Son of God. The Lord of Glory was drawing near to the shameful tree; and to shew His disciples how willing He was thus to lay down His life, He said, "The which my Father hath given Me, shall I not drink

cup

it ?

We are reminded here of the Father's love. The Father gave us to Christ, and chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. The Father sent forth His Son to redeem His people. The Father gave commandment to Jesus what He should say, and what He should speak. The Father was always with Him; and now the Father presents to Him the bitter cup to drink, that we might not drink it, but be brought into blessed and unchanging nearness to Himself. Well might the apostle John exclaim, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." (1 John iii. 1.) We had no claim whatever upon God. We were by nature dead in sins, whilst practically we were only sinners and ungodly: but the Father's eternal purpose

of blessing us in Christ must be carried out, and though it could only be accomplished by the bloodshedding of His beloved Son, yet He spared not even Him. He gave Him the cup of woe to drink. He laid upon Him our iniquities, and bruised Him; and "He bowed His willing head,

He drank the bitter gall."

The Lord Jesus must have felt that the eternal welfare of unnumbered multitudes was connected with His drinking that cup, as well as the glory of the Father of mercies; and however deep and bitter the cup might be, the intensity of Christ's love knew no reluctance-" Shall I not drink it?" What breadths, and lengths, and depths, and heights of love are here! What unsearchable riches! What abounding grace When He knew that the time was near that He should be received up, He stedfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.

"His love to the utmost was tried,

And immovable stood as a rock."

"He

Long had He anticipated the drinking of that dreadful draught, and now the moment was at hand. had repeatedly said to His disciples, "The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the chief priests, and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day;" and though He "knew all things that should come upon Him," He willingly went forth. "The cup which my Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it?"

"When the blood of a victim must flow,

The Shepherd by kindness was led

To stand between us and the foe;

And willingly died in our stead.”