and short-comings,—but having a knowledge of his sorrows, He appears in a way of deliverance. Another, without being tempted of Satan, is yet tried by the Spirit of God. That holy Revealer of secrets has been at work in his soul, has taught him some deep things, has shown him the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and opened up to him some of the foulness of his heart; at the same time that He has revealed, also, some of the grace and glory, sufficiency and dignity of Christ, and his blood and righteousness. The Christian so taught is exercised with sorrow, that he knows so little of that precious Saviour,-that he is so little like him,—that his soul seems so dead and cold, and responds so feebly to the deep and unconquerable love of the Mediator. He "longs" for some fresh manifestation of that love and grace; he "pants" for the knowledge of God, and for his salvation; his heart yearns after communion with that adorable One who is indeed "altogether lovely" to his soul; and while to outward observers he may be growing in grace, and in conformity to Christ, he himself feels a bitterness of soul that he cannot live more to Him, and enjoy more fellowship with Him. The Lord, however, knows his sorrow, and when the "set time" to favour him arrives, visits him with such a flood of light and joy, that he becomes almost like Paul, lifted up to the third heavens. He has so rich an insight into the glory of Christ, and so delightful a taste of the love of Jesus, that his sorrow vanishes, and he sings aloud of the mercy and loving-kindness of God. Thus "many are the afflictions of the righteous:" but he is not left alone in them; "the Lord delivereth him out of them all." Is any reader in sorrow and affliction, tempted or tried? "Fear not," the Lord says, "I know thy sorrows." His hand is not slack; nor his ear heavy, that he cannot hear thee; his eye is not dim that he cannot see thee ; "His love in time past forbids me to think, He will guide thee in the dark way; He still will support and comfort thee in the toilsome and dangerous road; and if thou art in a strait, with mountains of difficulty, on either hand, a sea of doubt and despair in front, and the enemy raging behind; the Lord will find a way of escape which will relieve thee,-exhibit his power, and avenge his honour on his enemies. He will not keep thee there, nor drive thee back, nor remove the mountains into the sea; but he will command thee to "go forward," for he never falters for want of method or power. By his integrity and wisdom he guides and sustains thee; he supplies thy every need, he strengthens thee when weak, encourages thee when faint-hearted, and enriches thee when poor. One word more, dear reader. Did Christ, thy Lord, suffer, and wilt thou repine? "Cold mountains and the midnight air, He was not bound to take upon himself thy sins, but love prompted him to the mighty work of redemption. Love-undying, death-subduing love-sustained him under the mighty load. He bore the curse for wretched men; he fulfilled the law, and justified God in extending mercy to thee; and now his love constrains him to watch over thee, and to keep thee, to bless thee and enrich thee in all spiritual blessings. He knows thy sufferings, for he was tempted in all points like as thou art; he can sympathize with thee, for he endured greater sorrows than thou art enduring, and therefore he bids thee cast all thy cares on him, for he careth for thee. Remember, these light afflictions are but for a moment, and by way of contrast we are told that they work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. For "afflictions" we shall have "far more" glory; for light afflictions, we shall have a weight of glory which shall exceed them; and for light afflictions which last but "for a moment," we shall have an eternity of glory! E. St. B. C., Walworth. H. G. D. JESUS THE PLANT. BY J. W. COLE. "He shall grow up before him as a tender plant."-Isa. liii. 2. IN these two texts of Scripture the Lord Jesus Christ is, in a metaphorical manner, set before us under two aspects; that of humiliation, and of glorification. Jesus may be likened to a plant, inasmuch as he was not a being of spontaneous growth. He was planted in our world by God the Father. He sprang not up like the heath in the desert, the thistle in the field, or the weed in the garden. According to Jehovah's purpose, and by his power, was he placed in this earthly state of ours. Jesus was, in the eyes of men, a "tender," sickly, or despised plant. He was "rejected of men." Nothing in him called for the admiration, or elicited the delight of unrenewed humanity. No earthly grandeur, or carnal pomp, or worldly splendour marked his career. The very fact that he stooped so low, lost men to save, made many despise and reject him. Such would willingly have been redeemed by one of the world's great ones; but to be saved by “the carpenter's son," that they could not brook. To the very letter was Isaiah's prophecy concerning him fulfilled, He shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness: and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him." But notwithstanding the fact that evil men have rejected, and still do, and will reject him, he is, to every enlightened sinner, a plant of renown." "I," saith the Lord, "I will raise up for them [i. e. his own people] a plant of renown." In the sight of God, and that of everyone of his people, Jesus is truly a plant, lovely, and much to be desired. "Let the world deride or pity, Such will glory in his name." As a plant of renown, Jesus is an exotic. He is a foreign plant; not entirely, although partially, is he the production of this world of ours. He came from heaven, and to heaven he has returned. He is now in the presence of his Father and our Father, of his God and our God. The plants of foreign and far off climes are rare; they excite a great deal of admiration, and draw numbers to gaze upon them. So our Jesus is rare, wonderful, and attractive. All who experimentally know him can say, "When I saw him,-gazed on him admiring, Heavenly zephyrs o'er me breathed inspiring, In a vision, I beheld ascending, First a stem, and then a fragrant flower, Feeble in itself, yet earthward bending, Yet upheld by more than earthly power." Jesus is " a plant of renown," for he is a choice plant. great value. Almost fabulous prices, both in ancient and been given for plants of this character. But the price of Nay, he is beyond all price ;— "Solid gold cannot be given for him, Nor silver be weighed for his purchase; Choice plants are of modern times, have Jesus, who can tell? He is "the chief among ten thousand," the "altogether lovely." Again, Jesus is “a plant of renown," inasmuch as he is a prolific plant. All 66 plants have the power of propagation; but when this power is possessed in an extraordinary degree, it is much spoken of. How small was the commencement of his kingdom!-how wide-spread its influence now! We love to anticipate that day, when a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues," shall stand before his throne, in saintly raiment clad. And all these will be the fruit of his passion. From him shall spring plants of God's right-hand planting "so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable." 66 As a plant of renown," Jesus is fragrant. There are some plants very beautiful to look upon, which nevertheless emit an unpleasant odour. Not so is it with Jesus. His name "is as ointment poured forth." It is said that fragrant plants exude most scent when bruised. So has it been with our Saviour. We should not have known half the sweetness of his name, nor half the preciousness of his perfume, had he not been "bruised for our iniquities." "My friend is to me a bundle of myrrh, that lies all night upon my breast." As " a plant of renown," Jesus is also a medicinal plant. Wonderful healing properties are found in plants; but our Redeemer is, in this respect, the most wonderful of all. He is the "balm of Gilead." He cures not only diseased bodies, but sin-sick souls also. Men, covered with guilt's leprosy, have only to apply to him, and they will be made whole. "Jesus, the plant of old renowned, Whose sacred leaves are healing found; Yes, Jesus, we will tell of thee! Thou art the good and the great Physician. To others, thou mayest be "a tender plant;" to us thou art truly "a plant of renown." Braunston, Rugby. THE ENQUIRY. FOR THE YOUNG. Gleanings. "Did you think that you could ever be worthy of heaven ?"— "Nor you, nor I, nor the holiest man that ever lived, (One excepted, who was not only man, but God,) was ever worthy of the kingdom of heaven. "We are all sinners, all polluted with guilt. Not one day passes in which our actions, our words, or our thoughts, would make us lose all title to eternal life. The Bible says, 'There is not one that doeth good; no, not one.' Every living soul is included under sin. "Since Adam, our first parent, sinned and fell, all his children have been born into the world with a nature tainted and full of wickedness. "Even as every object lifted up from the earth, if unsupported, will fall to the ground; so we, without God's grace, naturally fall into sin." "Then can no one go to heaven?" "BLESSED be God, mercy has found a means by which even sinners can be saved! Sin is the burden which weighs us to the dust, which prevents us rising to glory. The Lord Jesus came from heaven that he might free us from sin, take our burden from us, and bear it Himself; and so we have hope of salvation through him." "I went some years ago with a wealthy nobleman to visit a prison at some distance. Many improvements have been made in prisons since then at that time they were indeed most fearful abodes. In one damp dark cell, small and confined, where light scarcely struggled in through the narrow grating to show the horrors of the place, where the moisture tickled down the green stained walls, and the air felt heavy and unwholesome; in this miserable den we found an unhappy prisoner, who had been confined there for many weary years. He had been placed there for debt which he was unable to pay, and he had no prospect of ever getting free. Can you see in this man's case no likeness to your own? Look on sin as a debt that you owe: do you not feel that you have no power to pay it?" No reply. I had the will to help the poor man, but providence had not afforded me the means. I had no more ability to set him free from prison, than I have to rid you of the burden of your sin." "But the wealthy nobleman"-"He had both the power and will. He paid the debt at once, and the prisoner was released. Never shall I forget the poor man's cry of delight as the heavy iron-studded door was thrown open for his passage, and he bounded into the bright sunshine again ?" "And what became of him afterwards ?" "He entered the service of his generous benefactor, and became the most faithful, the most attached of servants. He remained in that place till he died; he seemed to think that he could never do enough for him who had restored him to freedom." "Where is the friend to pay my debt?" "It has been paid already," said the clergyman. "Paid! oh, when and by whom?" "It was paid when the Saviour died upon the cross; it was paid by the eternal Son of God! He entered for us the prison of this world, He paid our debt with His own precious blood, He opened the gates of eternal life; through His merits; for His sake, we are pardoned and saved, if we have faith, true faith, in that Saviour! " Poetry. A. L. O. E. THE COMMUNINGS OF CHRIST AND | Grateful thy conversation is to me, HIS CHURCH: A Poetic Paraphrase, and an occasional Commentary upon the Book of Canticles. No. XXVI. BY J. W. COLE, BRAUNSTON, RUGBY. CHAPTER IV. Verse 11.-"Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb honey and milk are under thy tongue and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon." THY lips, my spouse, drop as the honey-comb, Beneath thy tongue honey and milk are found; Thy raiment hath the smell of Lebanon, And sheds its rich perfume on all around. Sweet, O my spouse, sweet are thy accents kind, Telling the glories of thy risen Lord; Calling to Jesus lame, and halt, and blind, Inviting starvelings to his well-spread board. Pleasant thy counsel to the weary soul, Seeking the peace that comes from on high; Thy praises in mellifluous numbers roll, Thy prayers, like incense, soar towards the sky. As music to the ear of list'ning youth, As cheering odours to the fainting frame, So, unto dying men, thy words of truth, The soundings forth of thy Redeemer's name. [drop; The words are pleasing from thy tongue which Mine shalt thou be throughout eternity, Mine, when I number all my jewels up.❤ Most precious fragrance from thy robes ascend, As perfumed zephyrs from the morning flowers; Love, truth, and holiness, thy steps attend, Thy life with lasting joy Jehovah dowers. Thy garments of salvation, pure and bright, Are sweetly-scented by thy Saviour God; The Lamb's own blood has made thee clean and white; Spread, then, the merits of his death abroad. Within, without, thy comeliness is seen, All over glorious art thou to my sight; I am a King, and thou, my bride, a queen; We twain are one,+ and both are God's delight. Sing, then, the wonders of redeeming love, Laud the rich mercy that to thee is shown, Till songs below are changed for songs above,The anthems of the saved before the throne.‡ Hail, happy period ! when earth's ransomed band, Within the new Jerusalem shall meet; When men of every tribe and every land, Their crowns shall cast before Immanuel's feet. A NEW-MADE MOTHER'S SONG. ALMIGHTY Father, in whose hand Teach us, for each new mercy given, And swell the angels' hymns of praise. Teach us to know that by thy power, Cannot, if thou art near, appal. O Lord, bestow more grateful hearts, We may rejoice in thine employ. O Father, grant that while we live, We may for thee employ our days. May we endeavour to sustain In thine appointed way, O Lord, The honour of thy glorious name, And own thee for our covenant God. MARGARET. VAIN THOUGHTS. "I hate vain thoughts."-Psa. cxix. 113. Rufus. MR. G. HARDY. monger was carried on. Obituary. THE subject of this memoir, the only child of George and Ann Hardy, was born at Ely, on March 29, 1791, and the town in which he was born was the town in which he expired, September 21, 1869, in the 79th year of his age. In 1800 his parents took possession of the house and premises, where the business of a fellHere they lived and died, and here the subject of this sketch lived and died also. His parents belonged to the Church of England, but whether they were communicants or not, there is no evidence. It is evident that, as a real redemption implies a certain salvation, so the wisdom of God has prepared all the instruments and means of a sinner's conversion to God, which are often such as human reason, in the fulness of its pride, would signally disdain. The father of the deceased had in his business a man named Cory, who feared God and knew the truth, having received it probably from the lips of Mr. Huntingdon, who for some years visited those parts in his annual tours. With this Mr. Cory, our departed friend, when about fifteen years of age, held lengthened arguments about the way of salvation, maintaining that salvation depended on man's free will, and the performance of certain duties to which God obliged all mankind, and upon the proper discharge of which future happiness night But it be reasonably expected. These controversies were continued, till one day Cory quoted Eph. ii. 8, 9. This was an arrow shot from God's naked bow, and it pierced a vital part. His condition as a lost, helpless, and guilty offender, dawned upon his mind, and for some time he was filled with darkness, doubts, and soul distress, till a sermon by Mr. Sheppard, an Independent minister, from John iii. 14, 15, greatly enlightened and comforted his mind. was not till Rom. viii. 38, 39, were applied to his mind by "the eternal Spirit," who never fails in his covenant office, that our friend was brought into "the liberty of the children of God." Having heard Mr. Huntington once and again, the ministry of Mr. Sheppard failed to interest him as at former times, and he sought a home under the ministry of Mr. Brittan, who preached at Little Downham, in the Isle of Ely. Here he continued for fourteen years, and was baptized by Mr. Brittan, at Prickwillow,—a somewhat noted place for river baptisms. The exact time of his baptism we know not. But when the late Mr. Orriss, of Somersham, who had been preaching for the Huntingtonians, at Ely, left that people, and formed a Strict Baptist church in that town, the deceased joined himself to this church for better or worse, and through all its vicissitudes, he was its firm, consistent, and honourable advocate. He never deserted it till circumstances compelled him to leave, a few |