: unto the day of redemption. In every breathing of the renewed nature, whether it be of a groan or an hosanna: in every act of homage, and in every hailing of holy joy in the great temple choir of the waiting church militant, who all harmonize in that one ejaculation, "Amen, even so, come, Lord Jesus, come quickly!" there, even there is He, the Lord and his Spirit, present, as the life and inspiration of all, however poorly fitted such persons and things may seem for presence and habitation like his. Such, my brethren, is something of the manner in which His delight is with the sons of men, and such is his rejoicing in the habitable part of God's earth. Happy are the people who have Him, who is the Wisdom of God, Him, who is the Lord of sabaoth, thus always by them, rejoicing always before them, and delighting in them. Let us then not be "wise in our own eyes, or prudent in our own sight," Isa. v. 21; "for it is " also "written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent," 1 Cor. i. 19. Let us, dear brethren, be converted, and become as little children; humble ourselves as a little child, and receive the kingdom of heaven as a little child, Matt. xviii. 3, 4; Luke xviii. 17. The mind of Immanuel, God with us, is only after such; only among such children does he delight to dwell. And wherever he delights to dwell, certainly it is good to be there; it is a foretaste of heaven in this wilderness. O Lord Jesus, appoint over us, as our banner, that love, which associates thy delights with the perishing sons of men, and renders thy rejoicing here with poor sinners sweet to thee, as the joys of a higher and far better world. Amer. THE NIGHT VISION. ZECHARIAH i. 8. I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white. THE prophecies of Zechariah contain some of the most deeply interesting and cheering revelations that ever were disclosed under the Old Testament dispensation. This prophet much resembles Ezekiel in his fervour, and Isaiah in his sublime imagery and mysterious visions. Like the latter, he may truly be styled an evangelical prophet. The Anointed One of God and his kingdom, are the centre and axis about which the fiery wheel of all his revelations and imagery turns. The vision in our text is both beautiful and consoling. Let us consider, I. THE TIME WHEN IT WAS SEEN. II. THE VISION ITSELF, WITH ITS SPIRITUAL IMPORT. I. The time when the vision was seen is expressed in the words of the text. "I saw," saith thing like it is tempestuous as the open sea; and he seems rocked over an abyss. He would gladly charm away the storm within him; he endeavors to rally his day-light thoughts, and to reason with himself, saying, Why should I be troubled there is no real danger. But it is all to no purpose. Consolation has no place within him; his uneasiness only increases the more; till he finds Him who can say, "Peace, be still !” and who spreadeth forth his hands in the midst of us, Isa. xxv. 11. Numberless Christians have at one time or another experienced those awful and terrible, but salutary and beneficial night scenes; and can say after the manner of Eliphaz the Temanite, "In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men, fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake," Job iv. 13, 14. O ye who in the day-time, amidst the noise of this world, neglect to hear the voice of God, may you in such nightly visitations of the Almighty soon be favoured to hear him speaking to you more forcibly and intelligibly! Let this night, rather than that of to-morrow, be preferred for serious meditation; "If thou save not thy life to night, to-morrow thou shalt be slain," 1 Sam. xix. 11. Lay such a thought to heart, when you again lay down to rest. "I saw by night," saith the prophet; and these words may remind us of the circumstances of the time at which the vision was given. Zechariah prophesied about five hundred years before the birth of Christ. He had lived with his parents in the captivity of Babylon ; but after the friendly edict of Cyrus, king of Persia, he returned with the first company under Zerubbabel to the country of his fathers, and assisted at the rebuilding of the holy city and its temple. Then was a time of great joy and jubilant expectation. God, who remembered his covenant with their fathers, had again decidedly appeared for his people Israel; and all seemed raised by the cheering hope of golden days at hand. Then was it not night, but bright day in Israel; nevertheless, the glory was of short duration, for the men of Samaria brought a dark cloud upon it. Hardly had the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple with gladness and great zeal commenced, when these strangers, who were rather heathens than Jews, but who wished to share an equal right to the common worship of the temple, offered to assist them in the work. This offer was necessarily refused; and the refusal stirred up ill blood. The men of Samaria sent an address to the court of Persia, bitterly calumniating the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as a disloyal and seditious race; and gained credit to their misrepresentations. Hence ensued a royal edict, prohibiting the building of the city and temple, and licensing the intruders of Samaria to obstruct the work with fire and sword; so that it was a time of trouble and |