ness. Their hearts could understand the Apostle, when he wrote, "What things were gain to me, I count loss for Christ," etc. His soul had learned that when in Damascus. His sins, thrown on his conscience, so distressed him, that for three days and three nights he did neither eat nor drink. Here he learned the emptiness and goodfor-nothingness of all that he had so zealously contended for. What was the Jewish religion to him? What relief could the blood of bulls and goats furnish? He might have used, once for all, the language of our little hymn

"Not all the blood of beasts,

On Jewish altars slain,

Can give my guilty conscience peace,

Or wash away my stain."

"What things were gain to me, I counted loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss. . . and dung," etc. He himself rejoiced in Christ; and his joy in the Philippians was their fellowship in that. And now, how sweet is that fellowship souls find in the gospel. Our communion is not in sentiments and views, because, on this point, or on that, we see eye to eye, but as the redeemed of the Lord, as those who can unite to sing, "Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood." So whatever mars the gospel, will disturb fellowship. "What communion hath light with darkness?" Harassed as the Apostle had been by trials and failures, his heart found its joy in turning to the Philippians; and it was because of their abiding fellowship in the gospel. This led to that earnest contention for the faith which characterised them. "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye are all partakers with me of grace." That soul that knows most fully the value of the gospel of Jesus Christ, whose only rest is under the shelter of the cross, will be the last to dishonour His precious name; the first to maintain His glory. It was not in the power of persecution to turn

away the Philippians from the gospel, to rob their hearts of the joy they had therein. The feeling the Apostle had-"None of these things move me "--was responded to by them. Was he ready not to be bound only, but to die for the name of the Lord Jesus?-so were they. 'Tis wonderful to see what sympathy this happy company had in all the Apostle was engaged in-their full reception of his gospel at the first, their continuance therein, their service to him in communicating to his wants while bearing that gospel to others, proving the value they set on it, and the love they had to him as the Lord's messenger, and lastly, as the prisoner of the Lord. They realised that it was given to them in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake. The day is coming which will try every man's religion of what sort it is. Indeed, the trial has set in; and only those will stand witnesses for God, and witnesses for Christ, who, by His own blessed Spirit, have had their hearts opened to receive Christ, and are "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation." For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against wicked spirits in heavenly places."

A FRAGMENT.

"When we look up from amid the present confusion and wreck to God—the living God, let us remember, that He who set up at Pentecost, a new arena, in which He proposed to man to have Himself as the One who should reign and rule, is the same GOD, who is leading on believers now home to the scene where all rule flows from the throne of GOD and the Lamb. If the kingdom has failed in its subjects-if in their corporate standing they have not owned Him alone, and have owned another (and He therefore has ceased to own them in that position), still to faith there is but one GOD and one Lord, even as there is but one Spirit; and the kingdom, set up at Pentecost, which failed in the subject, stands in the Head, and in the end will be displayed before all among the faithful. For when we come to the new Jerusalem, the throne is the throne of GoD and the Lamb: and faith owns it to be so now."

THE WARNING.

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them."-1 Thes. v. 3.

SPEAK not of" The good time coming;"
Say not, "Happy times draw nigh."
Lo! the clouds with terror looming,
Darken o'er the future sky!
Undeceive thyself, O mortal!

To the winds such dreamings give!
Think upon the fearful purging
That the earth must first receive!

Rather tell of wrath and vengeance,
Pending o'er this guilty race;
In its shame still glorying-boasting;
Deaf to all the calls of grace-
God forgetting-God dishonouring-
Guilty world, thy doom is nigh!
Fear unknown will seize upon thee,
When He shakes the earth and sky!

Sodom's fall but faintly pictures,

What thy awful lot will be;
It had not so many warnings,
As the Lord hath sent to thee.
Grace refus'd, makes judgment sorer
O what grace hast thou refused!
Guilty world, thy judgments hover,
All escape for thee is closed!

Yet, as in the case of Sodom,
Lot departed ere it fell;

So, the Lord will come from heaven,
Take His Church with Him to dwell,
Ere destruction's work commences,
On this Sodom's guilty ones:
They, the salt, alone preserve it—

They removed-the judgment comes.

To the Ark and from destruction
All who'd be preserved, then, haste!
Christ's alone the Ark of safety-

Come and full salvation taste:
Tarry not for reformation—
(Sinners-Jesus died to save),
Art thou lost? He came to find thee;
Thou, believing, life shalt have.

Then, amid the coming glory,

Which the Church with Christ shall share; Thou shalt have thy happy portion,

Bride of His His image bearThen, His earthly people gathered, Earth made clean, and Satan bound; Thou shalt, with thy Saviour, reigning O'er a happy world be found!

THE HOPE.

"I have waited for thy salvation."

1. Worthy of homage and of praise;
Worthy by all to be adored:
Exhaustless theme of heavenly lays!
Thou, Thou art worthy, Jesus, Lord.

2. Now seated on the Father's throne,

The Lamb once slain, in glory bright;
'Tis thence Thou watchest o'er thine own,
Guarding us thro' the deadly fight.

3. To Thee, the Lord, our song we raise,
Tho' mean the tribute now must prove:
No mortal tongue can tell Thy ways,
So full of life, and light, and love.

4. Yet, Saviour! Thou shalt have full praise,
When we have met Thee on the cloud;

For when we see Thee face to face,

We then shall praise Thee as we would.

[The two following little pieces, though not new, may be welcome to some who have not seen them before.]

1. LAUNCH thy bark, mariner,

Christian, God speed thee,
Let loose the rudder bands,
Good angels lead thee.
Set the sails warily,
Tempests will come,
Steer thy course steadily,
Christian, steer home.

2. Look to the weather-bow,
Breakers are round thee;
Let fall the plummet now,
Shallows may ground thee.
Reef in the foresail there,
Hold the helm fast,
So let the vessel wear;

There swept the blast!

3. What of the night, watchman,
What of the night?
Cloudy, all quiet-

No land yet-all's right.
Be wakeful, be vigilant,

Danger may be

At an hour when all seemeth

Securest to thee.

4. How gains the leak so fast?
Clear out the hold;

Hoist out the merchandise,

Heave out the gold.
There, let the ingots go:

Now the ship rights;

Hurra! the harbour's near,

Lo! the red lights.

5. Slacken not sail yet,
At inlet or island;

Straight for the beacon steer,

Straight for the high land.

Crowd all thy canvass on,

Cut through the foam;

Christian, cast anchor now,

Heaven is thy home.-MRS. SOUTHEY.