dyed garments from Bozra? that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength?" the voice that answers is from him who is one with the Father, for he and he alone can reply, "I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save." He has wrought out and brought in everlasting righteousness, a righteousness without blemish and without spot. By his passive obedience unto death, having made reconciliation for the sins of the people, and satisfied the claims of God's broken law, he has redeemed them from its curse by his active obedience to that law, his perfect and voluntary fulfilment of all its moral and ceremonial requisitions; he has merited the reward promised to the righteous, and secured to those whose surety he became, the right and title to the heavenly inheritance; "and without controversy, great is the mystery of Godliness. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory,” (1 Tim. iii. 16;) for he who died for our sins, he who was delivered for our offences, rose again for our justification, and therefore it is written, "If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, for we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." (1 John i. 9.) Great indeed is the mystery whereby those who by nature are children of wrath, even as others, who have also by actual transgression become obnoxious to the just displeasure of the righteous Governor of the universe, being justified by faith, washed in the most precious blood of Christ, and adorned with the glorious covering of his meritorious obedience, may take up the triumphant language of the prophet, and sing, "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God, for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness," (Isaiah Ixi. 10,) and with the apostle, "Who shall lay any

his

the Fr

speaki

ught ou

his pas

ciliation

aims d From it

thing to the charge of God's elect," in life, in death, or in the day of judgment? Who shall condemn those whom God justifies and for whom Christ died, and dying, deprived death of its sting; changing the dark portals of the grave into the gates of glory, the welcome entrance to everlasting bliss; behold the Judge is their Redeemer, the Lord who pleadeth the cause of his people, and who of God is made unto them "wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption."

By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." They are so, however, not only as having his obedience put to their account, and thus bearing the name of the Righteous One-they also partake of his nature with the non-imputation of iniquity is connected "a spirit without guile," (Psalm xxxii. 1, 2.) They have not only the righteousness of Christ imputed to them, but they are also created anew in righteousness; they are the workmanship of God created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before prepared for them to walk in. Wheresoever Christ bestows a title for heaven, he also imparts a meetness for it, and they for whom in all its binding ordinances he fulfilled the law, have that law written in their hearts by his Spirit, and evidenced in their lives and conversation. They are called "trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that HE may be glorified"-a figure which, while it implies life, designates the character of that life, as well as the author and giver of it, and the end for which it is bestowed; the glorifying of him whose sceptre, whose kingdom, whose judgments, statutes, word, works, and ways, are righteousness.

It is asked, "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord, and who shall stand in his holy place?" One there is, and only one of all who ever trod this earth, who can lay claim to it as his right. He it is who, looking up to the God of heaven could make the affirms ation, "I do always those things which please him."

He who when surrounded by his bitterest enemies could challenge their severest scrutiny, and make the appeal, "Which of you convinceth me of sin?" He who ere he resigned up his spirit to his Heavenly Father, could say, "I have finished the work thou gavest me to do.” "Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in." "Who is the King of Glory?" Behold the cross, his name is written there, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." Around that holy sacrifice, behold mercy and truth, righteousness and peace, shedding their united and hallowed radiance. He died, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God-he descended into the grave, but he arose again-he ascended up on high, and we see him who for a little season was made lower than the angels for the suffering of death, now crowned with glory and with honour, being by the right hand of God exalted; we behold him entering into the holy place, but not for himself alone; having obtained eternal redemption for us" thither the fore-runner is for us entered; even Jesus, made an high-priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedec; (Heb. vi. 20,)—(Melchisedec, King of Salem, Priest of the Most High God, first being by interpretation King of Righteousness, and after that, also King of Salem, which is, King of Peace.) He it is who entering in through the gates of the city, enters not alone" Open ye the gates that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.” (Isaiah xxvi. 2,) "I looked, and lo! a Lamb standing upon Mount Sion, and with him the multitude of his redeemed, having their Father's name written in their foreheads;" they shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father, for the Sun of Righteousness is ever shining upon them, and they reflect his glory. "Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in. Who is the King of Glory? Jehovah of Hosts, he is the King of Glory; for this is the name whereby he shall be called, JEHOVAH OUR RIGHT

EOUSNESS;" and in him, that is, in Christ Jesus, his mediatorial works, offices, and kingdom, is manifested the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD.

IOTA.

HYMNS AND POETICAL RECREATIONS.

THE HOPE.

Is it impossible? There grows a tree
Hard by the waters of yon pearly stream,
Where first it issues from the grassy earth;
You'll know it by the smooth and polish'd rind,
And the young freshness of its new-born leaf.
Six months I looked upon that tree, and saw
No chance or change betide its lifeless form.
When the cold snows lay heavy on its boughs,
It did not bend beneath their weight-and when
The blasts of midnight wildly whistling played
Their doleful musick through the twining stems,
They played there all unheeded and unfelt;
There was no leaf to rend, no bud to blight.
It never stooped its bare and barren boughs
To sip the stream that trickled at its feet;
So pure, so clear, that well it might have seen
On that fair front its own unloveliness.
I saw the dews of Heaven bathe its brow

I saw the bright beam of the April sun,

Kiss from its bosom what might seem its tears;

And day by day lie sleeping on its stems

As if it would have wooed them into life.

But still no greenness came-no swelling bud,
Impatient to escape its prison-house,

And revel in the luxuries of day.

All else grew fairer as the season grew.
The gentle fountain dressed itself in flowers-
The neighbour trees put on their best attire-
First one and then another saw I change
The colouring of sadness and of death,
For hues of hope and promise. But no change
Came to my mourn'd and melancholy tree-
Emblem of death mid a new-living world.
Now look for it-It was but seeming dead,

Till the mid-summer's long and brighter day,
Warm'd it again to beauty and to life.

Is it impossible? O Thou to whom
The present and the future's secrecy
Is all alike! Thou who so long

Hast heard the prayer thou hast not seem'd to answer!
Whisper the secret word, so often heard
In that intensest silence when the soul,
Unpledg'd by any human sympathy,
Drinks up its cup of bitterness alone-
So often heard amid the loudest noise
That earth can make to drown it-giving the lie
Alike to its persuasions and its threats,
Its fairy promise and ill-omen'd fears→→→
Whisper one word of promise to my soul,
And let it say to me, "The night is long
In which the soul has slept an awful sleep,
And dreamt delusion mid surrounding truth-~-~-
In vain eternal misery has stood,

And clank'd her heavy chain beside the bed,
Where fancy, busy with her scheme of life,
Lay revelling in the imagery of earth→→→

In vain the minstrelsy of Sion's harp

Has warbled round the chaf'd and throbbing brow,
As it lay rack'd, and writhing, and amaz'd

Amid its spectres of embodied woe

But yet"-Ah! yet, O God, if thou wilt speak,

That slumbering eye shall open to the light,

And see instead of all that it has dreamed,
One lasting vision of eternal truth..

A MARINER Stood once at even-tide,

Hard by the ocean that was erst his homeThe red, round sun was setting in the west, Glaring portentous of the storm to come

The sultry waters slept upon the shore,
Glazed and transparent as some inland lake→→→
Excepting that as far as eye could reach,

There was one narrow, darkly-growing streak