Let us also "behold the place," gaze on the consecrated spot and gather in the wonders with which it is haunted. It is the scene of the mightiest prodigy ever known on earth. There the dead stirred itself, the inanimate Being sprung by his own volition into life. Behold, and acknowledge the Divinity of Christ. “Behold the place;" in being emptied, earth and sea may be said to have given up their dead-Christ was the representative of the countless myriads of human kind. Behold the change effected by the Redeemer for his followers-the grave, instead of being the home of all that is hideous and revolting, has an angel for its tenant, rich odors for its perfume. The grave has become a bed and death a sleep to those who put faith in His name. Behold it in your tears and sorrow, not as those who have no hope-in your hopes, that you may look for glorious things from your Forerunner. Behold it, ye who care little for the soul and eternity, and think if Christ can be neglected with impunity-flee to Him as a Saviour before He appears as an Avenger. Patiently inspect the empty sepulcher and learn all its lessons.

II. The commission with which they were charged. These women were abundantly rewarded for their devotion and love. They became apostles to the apostles themselves. Preached first the resurrection to those who were to preach it to the ends of the earth. Christ first showed his love to those who forsook Him and fled, and to Peter especially. These two words, "and Peter," are a Gospel in themselves.

before you into

Galilee was the brethren at once.

III. The promise. "He goeth Galilee, there shall ye see Him, &c." place where he was seen by 500 Galilee was the place where he was likely to be generally known, where He had been brought up, wrought his first

miracle, labored most abundantly. "Galilee of the Gentiles," on the borders of Judea, adjoining heathen territories. His meeting the disciples there might be intended to mark that all men-Gentile as well as Jewhad interest in the fact of the resurrection, or that the blessings of the new dispensation were not to be restricted as were those of the old.

There is always some place of which it may be said to his disciples, "There shall ye see Him," "He goeth before you."

As the Forerunner of His people He has gone within the veil, to prepare a place for them, where they shall see Him face to face and know as they are known. It is to those who love Christ, though yet invisible, that He shall hereafter show Himself in his benignity and majesty. They shall lie down to rest in a grave, hallowed by having once held the body of Christ, they shall wake up "to be like Him, for they shall see Him as He is."

CHRIST'S DESIRE TO HAVE HIS PEOPLE WITH HIM.

J. M'ELROY, D.D.

Father, I will that thou also whom thou hast given me, be with me, &c.-John xvii; 24.

THESE words form part of a prayer the most wonder

ful that ever ascended from this world to the throne of God.

No subject pressed so heavily upon the heart of the Saviour as the safety, stability, and comfort of his disciples. His anxiety for them seems to have increased as he approached the termination of His suffering career. In order to manifest the extent and perpetuity of His

love for them, He prays that they may be with Him where He is, &c. Let us consider:

I. What the glory of Christ is. It includes: 1. The glory of his person. The true glory of his person was in a great measure veiled during his abode on earth. There were indeed many traces of perfection in Him far surpassing those which belong to mere human nature, but it was reserved for the heavenly world to disclose the glorious excellencies of His character. There, He is revealed as "over all, God blessed for ever." 2. The glory of his exaltation. This consists in the dignity to which He is raised, and the adoration which He receives in the heavenly world. The former is referred to in that passage in Ephesians beginning thus, "God hath set Him at his own right hand, &c.," and the latter in that verse in Revelation, beginning with, "I beheld and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, &c." 3. His glory is the communicative source of all the blessedness which the heavenly inhabitants enjoy. What mind can conceive, far less adequately describe, the joy of a soul as it spends an eternity amid blessedness and glory like this? 4. The glory which redounds to Him from the government of the universe. "All things are put under His feet." "Lord of all." What must be their rapture as they behold His glory.

II. The purport of his prayer in relation to it. It intimates 1. That Christ, having performed His covenant engagements for his people, now claims heaven for them. Heaven was due to the Saviour in virtue of his obedience and sacrifice, and in this prayer He unites his people's claim with his own, and requests that they be with him. 2. His strong and unchangeable love for his people. He was neither ashamed nor tired of his connection with them. His heart was wrapt up in the safety and glory of his people. He could no longer

be with them, and He wanted them to be with Him. His love was stronger than death, and will be lasting as Leternity. 3. To be with Christ in His glory is the consummation of salvation to his people. There are other sources of delight to them, but this crowns all-death is but an answer to the prayer of the text.

III. For whom was this prayer offered. They are described as those whom the Father had given Him, whom the Father had selected in eternity from the rest of mankind, and given to Christ to redeem, and to bring to glory as the reward of His humiliation and sufferings. All of these, no matter when or where they have lived, or may yet live, as they are the reward of his sufferings, the purchase of his blood, "the travail of his soul," shall assuredly one day be collected around his throne, and behold his glory or be made partakers of it. In conclusion:

1. What an important and blessed event to the people of God is death when contemplated in the light of this subject. A departure from this world of sin and sorrow, of suffering and dying, to behold for ever the glory of the Saviour in the light and blessedness of heaven-to dwell for ever near the Saviour's glorified person-to enjoy for ever the beatific vision of God, to become the associate of angels, and one of the innumerable multitude of "the spirits of just men made perfect."

2. What solid ground for resignation and comfort on the death of pious relatives and friends does this subject present. Nature will feel and Christianity does not forbid sorrow, but when we think on where and how our loved ones now are, we cannot but bow in peaceful submission to the dispensation that has taken them away.

A PRECIOUS DEATH.

J. M. HOWARD, D.D.

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. Ps. cxvi: 15.

THE

HE same event is differently regarded by different people. The view we take of an occurrence depends on our position, on the relations we sustain, on our strength or weakness, and above all, on our knowledge or lack of knowledge. The child cannot grasp the thoughts of his parents; the private soldier cannot interpret the incidents of a battle as the commander can. In like manner "God's thoughts are not our thoughts, nor his ways our ways." And in no matter is God's view more different from ours, than in the matter of death. Often when we feel that the bereavement is overwhelming, the divine voice is, "It is expedient for you."

The death of a saint, which often wears the aspect of so terrible a calamity to us, is always precious in the sight of the Lord. And, though we cannot enter into God's thoughts, we can conceive of some reasons why this is true :

I. Death is the final transformation; it is the last touch of the chisel of the Divine Sculptor. The discipline of burden bearing, of pain, of disappointment and loss, are all the touches of the divine hand shaping the trusting soul for its spiritual destiny. Death is the final touch, weaning us from earth, opening our eyes to heaven. It is precious, then, as the final transformer.

II. The death of a saint is precious as the climax of usefulness. A good man's words and deeds never have such power as when his features are composed and his