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NOW, THE ACCEPTED TIME.

cause to be angry with us for ever, made His anger towards us to cease, and did, in effect, stretch out His hand toward us, saying, “Let us be friends." Jesus is that hand of divine love. He came into our world to live and die for sinners, that thus a hand of reconciliation and friendship might be within our reach, and when, with sorrow for sin, we trust in Jesus for salvation, we take the stretched-out hand, and by faith grasp it, and thus enjoy "peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

925.-GOD IN CHRIST.

2 Cor. v. 19.-" God was in Christ."

Illustrative.-A sick woman said to Mr. Cecil, "Sir, I have no notion of God. I can form no notion of Him. You talk to me about Him, but I cannot get a single idea that seems to contain anything." "But you know how to conceive of Jesus Christ as a man,” replied Mr. Cecil; "God comes down to you in Him, full of kindness and condescension." "Ah! sir, that gives me something to lay hold on. There I can rest. I can understand God in His Son." "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them."

II. CORINTHIANS VI.

926. NOW, THE ACCEPTED TIME.

2 Cor. vi. 2.-" Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

Illustrative.-"A Swiss traveller," says a writer in the Edinburgh Review, "describes a village situated on the slope of a great mountain, of which the strata shelved in the direction of the place. Huge crags directly overhanging the village, and massive enough to sweep the whole of it into the torrent below, have become separated from the main body of the mountain in the course of ages by great fissures, and now scarcely adhere to it. When they give way, the village must perish; it is only a question of time, and the catastrophe may happen any day. For years past engineers have been sent to measure the width of the fissures, and report them constantly increasing. The villagers, for more than one generation, have been aware of their danger; subscriptions have been once or twice opened to enable them to remove; yet they live on in their doomed dwellings from year to year, fortified against the ultimate certainty and daily probability of destruction by the common sentiment,' Things may last their time and longer.'" What a mournful illustration does such disregard of danger furnish of the blindness of impenitent sinners!

NOW, THE ACCEPTED TIME.

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"It was my lot," said a shipmaster, "to fall in with that ill-fated steamer, the Central America. The night was closing in, the sea rolling high, but I hailed the crippled steamer, and asked if they needed help. 'I am in a sinking condition,' cried Captain Herndon. 'Had you not better send your passengers on board directly?' I said.

"Will you not lay by me till morning?' answered Captain Herndon. 'I will try,' I replied; but had you not better send your passengers on board now?' 'Lay by me till morning,' again said Captain Herndon. I tried to lie by him; but at night, such was the heavy roll of the sea, I could not keep my position, and I never saw the steamer more. In an hour and a half after the captain said, 'Lay by me till morning,' the vessel with its living freight went down, and the captain and crew and a great majority of his passengers found a grave in the great deep. But for this delay, all might have been saved."

There is a story told in ancient history of a certain king who lighted a lamp, and had it hung in his palace; he then sent heralds forth to bring every criminal and rebel to his presence, that they might obtain pardon. Those who came while the lamp was burning were set free; but those who delayed till the lamp had gone out, or who altogether neglected the invitation, met with a terrible death.

An artist solicited permission to paint a portrait of the Queen: the favour was granted; and the favour was great; for it would make the fortune of the man. A place was fixed and a time; at the fixed place and time the Queen appeared, but the artist was not there; he was not ready yet. When he did arrive, a message was communicated to him that her Majesty had departed, and would not return. Such is the tale. The King Eternal consented to meet man. He fixed His covenant, and promised in His word the object, place, and time of the meeting; it is for salvation; it is in Christ; it is now. He has been true to His own appointment; but how often is it otherwise with man !-REV. WILLIAM ARNOT.

A minister of the gospel determined on one occasion to preach on the text, "Now is the accepted time: now is the day of salvation." Whilst in his study thinking, he fell asleep. He dreamed. He thought he was carried into hell, and set right down. in the midst of a conclave of the lost spirits. They were assembled to devise means whereby they might get at the souls of men. One rose and said, "I will go to the earth, and tell men that the Bible is all a fable,- that it is not Divinely appointed of God." "No, that will not do."

Another said, "Let me go; I will tell men that there is no God,

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THE UNCLEAN THING.

no Saviour, no heaven, no hell;" and at the last words a fiendish smile lighted upon all their countenances. "No, that will not do; we cannot make men believe that."

Suddenly one arose, and with a wise mien, like the serpent of old, suggested--"No, I will journey to the world of men, and tell them that there is a God, that there is a Saviour, that there is a heaven-yes, and a hell too--but I'll tell them there is no hurry - TO-MORROW will do, it will be even as to-day." And they sent him!

927.-ARMOUR OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

2 Cor. vi. 7.-"The armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left." Expository.-Some have interpreted this passage as meaning that the Christian soldier should be like those warriors who could defend themselves either with the right hand or the left. Such were esteemed the greatest heroes. More probably, however, the reference is to the believer being completely armed, ready always to act on the defensiv e against his foes, prepared to resist on every side the wiles of the devil.

928.-YOKED WITH UNBELIEVERS.

2 Cor. vi. 14.-"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers." Illustrative.-Eliza Embert, a young Parisian lady, resolutely discarded a gentleman, to whom she was to have been married, because he ridiculed religion. Having given him a gentle reproof, he replied, "that a man of the world could not be so old-fashioned as to regard God and religion." Eliza started!-but on recovering herself, said, "From this moment, sir, when I discover that you do not regard religion, I cease to be yours. He who does not love and honour God, can never love his wife constantly and sincerely."

929. THE UNCLEAN THING.

2 Cor. vi. 17.-"Touch not the unclean thing."

Illustrative.-A little girl, between four and five years of age, on her return from hearing a minister preach whom she much loved, said, "Mother, I can tell you a little of Mr. H.'s sermon; he said, 'Touch not the unclean thing.'" Her mother, with a view to try if she understood the meaning of these words, replied, "Then I hope you will take care not to touch things that are dirty, in future." The child smiled, and said, "Oh, mother, I know very well what he meant." "What did he mean?" asked the mother. "He meant sin, to be sure," replied the child; " and it is all the same as if Mr. H. had said, 'You must not tell

FRUITS OF REPENTANCE.

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lies, nor do what your mother forbids you to do, nor play on Sundays, nor be cross, nor do any such things as those." The answer was correct. All sin of every kind is uncleanness; it is the abominable thing which the Lord hates, and it makes those who live in the practice of it utterly unfit to dwell with God, holy angels, and good men in heaven.

II. CORINTHIANS VII.

930.-JOY IN TRIBULATION.

2 Cor. vii. 4.-"I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation."

Illustrative. It is related that in Germany there stood two vast towers, far apart, on the extremes of a castle; and that the old baron to whom this castle belonged stretched huge wires across from one to the other, thus constructing an Æolian harp. Ordinary winds produced no effect upon the mighty instrument; but when fierce storms and wild tempests came rushing down the sides of the mountains and through the valleys, and hurled themselves against those wires, then they began to roll out the most majestic strains of music that can be conceived.

It is thus with many of the deepest and grandest emotions of the human soul. The soft and balmy zephyrs that fan the brows of ease, and cheer the hours of prosperity and repose, give no token of the inward strength and blessing which the tempest's wrath discloses. But when storms and hurricanes assault the soul, the bursting wail of anguish rises with the swells of jubilant grandeur, and sweeps upward to the throne of God as a song of triumph, victory, and praise.

931.-FRUITS OF REPENTANCE.

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2 Cor. vii. 10.-" For godly sorrow worketh repentance." Illustrative-Thomas Olivers was an itinerant cobbler, who spent his time working, carousing, and contracting debts. He congratulated himself on his skill in defrauding his debtors. This reprobate Welshman was at last rescued by Methodism, and became one of Mr. Wesley's itinerant corps. So great had been his wickedness, that his friends thought he must have had some terrible fright. His uncle said to him, "Thou hast been so wicked, thou hast seen the devil." His conscience was awakened. Of his old debts he said, "I felt as great sorrow and confusion as if I had stolen every sum I owed." He resolved to pay the last cent with money due to him from the estate of one of his kindred With part of his money he bought a horse, and started on his memorable journey from town to town, preaching Christ, and paying his debts. He

went to Whithurst to pay a sixpence. Before his strange pilgrimage was ended he payed about seventy debts, principal and interest, and had to sell his horse, saddle, and bridle to finish his payments. Such fruits of repentance were followed by great religious prosperity and usefulness.

II CORINTHIANS VIII.

933.-BENEVOLENCE.

2 Cor. viii. 7.-"See that ye abound in this grace also."

Illustrative. The following example of love and zeal in a blind girl will probably affect every heart. A blind girl brought to a clergyman thirty shillings for a missionary society. The clergyman, surprised tha she should offer him so large a sum, said to her, "You are a poor blind girl; you cannot afford to give thirty shillings to the society." I am indeed, sir," said she, "as you may see, a blind girl; but not so poor, perhaps, as you may suppose me to be; and I can prove to you that I can better afford to give these 'thirty shillings than those girls who have eyes." The clergyman was, of course, very much struck with her answer, and said, "I shall be glad to know how you make that out." "Sir," she answered, "I am a basket-maker; and, being blind, I can make baskets as well in the dark as in the light. Now I am sure, sir, in the last dark winter it must have cost those girls that have eyes more than thirty shillings to buy candles to see to make baskets; and so I think I have proved that I can afford this money, and now I hope that you will take it all for the missionaries."

It is related of the lamented Princess Charlotte, that in one of her walks with Prince Leopold, in November, 1816, she addressed a decentlooking man, who was employed as a day labourer, and said, "My good man, you appear to have seen better days." "I have, your royal highness," he replied; "I have rented a good farm, but the change in the times has ruined me." At this reply she burst into tears, and said to the Prince, "Let us be grateful to Providence for His blessings, and endeavour to fulfil the important duties required of us, to make all our labourers happy." On her return home, she desired the steward to make out a list of all the deserving families in the neighhourhood, with the particulars of their circumstances. Orders were given to the household that the whole of the superfluous food should be carefully distributed according to the wants of the poor; and instead of the usual festivities n the following birthdays of the prince and princess, £150 were spent each occasion in clothing the poor.