thirsty throat. “My soul thirsteth," is the darkest designation of hell; and, contrariwise, “I beheld a river of water of life, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb;" and "whosoever is atbirst, let him come; and whosoever will, let him come,” and drink of Christ, the water of life, freely, and live for evermore !

THE SYMPATHY OF JESUS.

BY THE REV. W. BURTON. "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."--Heb. iv. 15.

The priesthood of Christ is a great and incense of his intercessions rises in neverglorious subject, embracing much of our ceasing volume, a fragrant cloud, a sweet Lord's work in the plan of redemption, perfumé. When struggling with temptaand ministering to the consolation and en tions, enduring heavy trials, well-nigh couragement of all who believe in him. As crushed beneath the load of sorrow and our High Priest he has made full atone | affliction, fighting with spiritual adversaries, ment for our sins. We are told that the the eye of faith may behold him in his high priest of the old dispensation went into solicitude and affection bending over us, 'the holy place alone once every year, not and the distracted yet loving heart may without blood, which he offered for himself | hear him say as he did to one of old, “ I have and for the errors of the people. But Christ, 1 prayed for thee that thy faith fail not,” “neither by the blood of goats and calves, There is something very animating and but by his own blood, entered in once into cheering in this belief in a living, interthe holy place, having obtained eternal re ceding, sympathizing Saviour. It gives demption for us." When he had made reality to the life of faith, imparts courage atonement for our sins on Calvary, he had to weak and timorous hearts, helps us to still as our High Priest another part of his work cheerfully and hopefully, enables us to office to fulfil. And accordingly he entered bear with patience whatever may be trying into heaven itself, now to appear in the pre

or difficult in our earthly lot. Think not, sence of God for us. A great and impor fellow-Christian, that you are uncared for, tant part of his work was accomplished when unthought of. Let not the falsehood be he cried, “ It is finished,” when he suffered entertained for a moment in your heart, that on the cross and “gave up the ghost; " you are alone in the world, that you are left but his work is not all in the past, he has to fight with your sorrows without sympathy not yet ceased to labour for sinful men, but or succour. You are an object of interest even now in his exaltation and glory he is and sympathy to One infinitely good and engaged on our behalf, making continual tender. The passage at the head of this intercession for us. And we are taught to paper presents us with one aspect of our believe and realize the truth that we have in | Lord's intercessory life, rich in comfort to heaven a living Saviour; One, who though the tried : the capacity of our High Priest in heaven, is not removed to a great distance 1 to sympathize with us. from us; One who knows all that is trans And this appears, first, from the OneNESS acted in his Church below, and who is deeply | OF HIS NATURE with ours. In that beau. interested in all that pertains to his fol tiful passage in the 61st chapter of Isaiah, lowers, their cares and sorrows, their trials where the Saviour's advent is foretold and the and temptations; One

purposes of his mission specified, it is said,

among other blessed things, of him, that he "Who though ascended up on high, Still bends on earth a brother's eye."

should comfort the mourners in Zion, and

give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of While we are passing through the joy for mourning, the garment of praise for changes and vicissitudes of earth, he is the spirit of heaviness. In this sin-stricken pieading for us in heaven. While our little world there are many mourners- those who lives are vexed by a multiplicity of cares mourn with penitential sorrow over their and anxieties, and our prayers and aspi- | own failings and sins; those who mourn on rations heavenward are often interrupted, the account of hardship and suffering that must

be endured-there are many whose hearts , who can compassionate sinful, erring men, are bruised and bleeding, many who have in a way more tender and intimate than if been berett of friends and loved ones by the he had appeared among us otherwise than hand of death. And in our times of sorrow as " partaker of flesh and blood.” there is one thing the heart desires and Strive to believe and realize this truth, longs after above all other things : complete that Jesus has a nature like yours, one with and loving sympathy. We have that in the yours, excepting sin; that he is possessed, not “ Brother born for adversity;" in the of a stern, hard, unimpressible nature ; that “ Friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” his is not a heart that canuot be touched, He stands nearer to us than any earthly but one that feels when his love is slighted, friend. Others may stand by our side, and in or when sorrow fills our souls, one that the dark and cloudy day they may feel for rejoices over repenting simmers, and is made us ; but none is so close as Jesus, none so glad in our joy; that his is a bosom never strong to help, so full of sympathy, as Im closed to the outpouring of a broken and manuel, God with us.

contrite spirit, but one that heaves in the What we want is one who will perfectly fulness of a sympathetic love; that his sympathize with us, who will have a fellow is an eye that looks not coldly or forbiddingly feeling for us, who will willingly aid us and on us, but one ready to weep wit'i those streng:hen us amidst our griefs. He who is that weep, and beaming kindly with tenderfitted to offer perfect sympathy must have a ness and favour. Think of Jesus as one nature like theirs whom he seeks to com capable of deepest emotion, infinite tenfort, a heart that can feel for them, a nature derness, as one whose heart is a fountain of with wants like theirs, and with suscepti sympathy. What can better assure our bilities like theirs. There must be a common hearts of the sympathy of our great High tender bond of affection and brotherhood, so Priest than these words: “ Touched with the that he shall have, not an ideal, imaginary feeling of our infirmities"? What an idea sympathy, but a real and true participation of his tenderness and susceptibility they in the sorrows, and vexations, and tempta- convey! Not only the heavy woes that tions to which they are exposed. The sym crush the spirit, does he feel, but even our pathizer must be capable of feeling pain, lighter cares and sorrows" touch” him. weariness, hunger ; moreover, he must have Every pang of grief that darts through your a nature not only capable of feeling physi heart is felt in his. He feels the weight of the cal suffering, but sensitive to the various burdens that oppress you. And being asmental troubles and annoyances that are sured that "he careth for you,” you may met with in life, the sorrows of the heart, “cast all your care upon him.” “Touched with caused by the neglect, scorn, insult, injury, the feeling of our infirmities;" as if cords of and ingratitude of our fellow-men; he must sympathy, like electric chains, connected have a capacity for friendship and love as every trusting, loving heart on earth with his we have, and be able to feel grief when in heaven; so that the ills that afflict us these emotions are violated by betrayal or afflict him, and the rude shocks of adverwithdrawment, when the cords of affection sity that well-nigh stagger us are conveyed are rudely snapped by the hand of adversity or to him, who is strong as well as feeling; death. If a bond of sympathy is really to “ for he that toucheth you toucheth the exist, and to minister to our comfort, it is apple of his eye." Remember how Jesus not enough that the sympathizer should only lived among men, how he bore their infirknow the infirmities of tried and suffering mities and healed their diseases, ever affordhumanity at a distance from them, outside ing them his effectual, helpful sympathy. and apart from them, with other feelings And he is the same in his essential nature, and another nature from theirs : he must the same in his attributes, the same in the himself be a man of sorrows and acquainted fulness of his love, the same in his over. with grief. And so it was with Jesus, the flowing tenderness. His death upon the cross perfect Sympathizer. Of him it is said, for the sinful did not exhaust the fountain is Wherefore in all things it behoved him to of his love. His ascension to the right hand of be made like unto his brethren, that he the Father has not altered him in his feeling might be a merciful and faithful high priest towards us, has not left us beyond the reach in things pertaining to God, to make recon of his loving-kindness, or turned away the ciliation for the sins of the people.” He is channel of his grace. He is still one with one " who can have compassion on the igno us. He is not less compassionate now than rant, and on them that are out of the way;" | when he saw the multitude, and was moved

with pity for them, and when the love of, they are ignorant of our peculiar circumbis heart flowed forth in practical benevo stances, and have had no personal expelence, miraculously furnishing a table for rience of the trials we have to bear. But them in the wilderness. He is not less no one, on this ground, can take exception touched with the miseries of men now that to the life-experience of Jesus, or deprive he looks down from the heights of heaven, his sympathy of that which is its very than on the day he stood on the brow of the essence that he stooped to our condition, hill and beheld Jerusalem in its impenitence and trod affliction's path, and " was in all and wept over it. He is not less tender points tempted like as we are.” If there is a than when he met the company of mourners, difference, it is not that he had a smoother, pacing slowly and bearing to the place of but a rougher road to traverse ; not smaller, burial the only son of the widow of Nain, but greater discouragements to meet with; and when he made that mother's heart to trials and sorrows not lighter, but infinitely sing for joy because she again beheld the heavier to endure. He walked along no light of her eyes and the solace of her life. royal road of ease and pleasure, but chose Nor is he less sympathizing than when he ! the world's common highway, or a deeper, mingled his tears with the bereaved family darker valley of humiliation and suffering of Bethany. He is “the same yesterday, than ever fell to the lot of man. His expeto-day, and for ever.” Take, therefore, the rience embraced ours, but it went far consolation that springs from this truth. beyond ours. He stood alone in his great He is one with us in nature, therefore he can anguish; and although imparting to others perfectly sympathize with us.

his sympathy in their sorrows, none could And again, THE EXPERIENCE HE OBTAINED descend with him into his own peculiar OF LIFE, ITS SUFFERINGS AND TEMPTATIONS, abyss of woe, or share with him the burdens PECULIARLY QUALIFIES HIM FOR IMPART that oppressed him. He chose poverty that ING SYMPATHY AND HELP. He has a nature he might know the trials of the poor. He that can be touched, capable of responding to became one with the houseless, hoineless wanours ; but more than that, he was placed in derer, that he inight sympathize with such. circumstances similar to ours, and had per. He knew the sorrow of bereavement, what it sonal experience of common every day is to lose a friend, that he might be able to cares-the vicissitudes, trials, and tempta speak soothing words to the mourners. He tions of life. Even if he had taken on him stood alone, forsaken, without a friend, when the seed of Abraham, and become partaker friendship would have been most precious. of flesh and blood, but still subject to He was treated with scorn and contempt; different conditions from us, having im endured the slander of the wicked, the jest munity from those common ills that dis of the profane, the supercilious contempt of tress mankind, and free from all that is the self-righteous, that he might sympathize painful, living at a height above the reach with his own when they are misrepresented of earthly troubles, treading a pathway not and calumniated. And what is more surthorny and rugged, but smooth, and pleasant, prising still than any of the trials of his and flowery, besides being at variance with outward condition, we are told that he was thegreat sacrificial design of his life and death, tempted by the great enemy of God it might have caused us to doubt whether and man. The adversary beheld him toil. he could really sympathize with us in our ing, enduring, obeying in this world, with weakness and degradation ; we might have the design of rescuing man from his control, said, “He has, it is true, our nature, but l and he brought the whole force of his under such different conditions and in such subtlety and malice to bear on the Anointed different circumstances, that he can have no One. “He was tempted in all points like true fellowship with us: he travels along a as we are." This appears one of the most pathway higher and easier than ours." wonderful events in our Lord's history, and There is nothing we are more ready to do than gives us to see the depth of degradation to to account for differences of conduct in men which he descended to enable him to have a by tracing these differences to their different fellow-feeling with us, and to qualify him circumstances; to attribute virtuous, mag for the work he is now fulfilling for us nanimous deeds, patient endurance of suffer above. “Though he was a son, yet learned ing, to the more favourable position they he obedience by the things which he sufoccupy. And when there is lack of sym fered." He came down from heaven, and pathy in our fellow-men, we may sometimes passed through a course of earthly disci. rightly enough set it down to the fact, that I pline ; and now that he has ascended to the ight hand of the Father, he remembers his to the fountain of his blood to be cleansed. course here below—the dark scenes of And as you look to hiin as your Saviour, your sorrow; the days and nights of temptation ; Substitute, does it not give worth and pre

he bitterness of the cup which the Father ciousness to his sufferings and death, that he put into his hand-he remembers all, and was, in his purity, separate from sinners ? can feel for you in all the sad and distress Yea; is it not that which essentially gives

ng circumstances through which you are value to his atonement, that he was “withcalled to pass. Yes, he can bless you with out sin”? It is as being such he can take effectual help, and succour you when up our cause. His purity is requisite to tempted.

make his help avail for us. Your faith goes And lastly, the truth that he is “ WITHOUT out to one who not only possessed tenderSIN” ENHANCES THE VALUE OF HIS HELP ness, gentleness, power, but these combined AND SYMPATHY. In his nature he is alto with perfect purity. And as his holiness gether pure. “For such a high priest became gives value to his sacrifice, so it is this us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, and sepa element which gives worth to his sympathy. rate from sinners, and made higher than the You may have sympathy from your fellowheavens.” He came into this world spot men; it may be real so far as it goes ; but, less, and continued in the midst of a world at the best, it is the sympathy of an imperof sin uncontaminated by the defilement fect creature, one on the same level of moral that surrounded him. He passed through the character as yourself. It cannot raise you fiery ordeal of temptation unscathed. Like much in holiness. It is sympathy flowing the three children of Israel who were cast from a human heart, and cannot even in into the furnace seven times heated, and its fullest exercise make you better than its who came out without so much as the smell source. But Jesus, whilst standing by our of fire on their garments, so our Lord side, and in his fellowship with us taking endured the fierce furnace of temptation, our low level, stands high above us in the and came forth without the slightest trace purity of his nature. And this is our joy ; of sin, without the least stain on his holi for while he helps us he makes us holier ; ness. He lived in a world of sin unsinning ; while he strengthens, he purifies us. engaged in solitary conflict with the wicked And because our High Priest is without one, yet untouched by pollution. A wide sin, we are encouraged to hope for final gulf, an infinite chasm, lay between his deliverance from it. If he were not without purity and all sin. He was “separate from sin, we could never hope to be without it. sinners," " without sin." This last expres. But He with whom we have fellowship is sion in our text has the appearance of a | altogether pure, and we are to be conformed guarding clause, warding off the mind from to his image; and his sympathy, whilst

the barest supposition that he had even the meeting our weakness and helplessness, - remotest contact with sin. It is a blessed soothing us amidst our sorrows, drives from thing to know that " we have not an high us all corrupt desires, and fills our souls priest which cannot be touched with the feel with all holy longings and heavenward deing of our infirmities." It is a consoling sires, All the streams of his grace are pure truth to the tried and tempted, that “ he was and purifying. Every manifestation of his in all points tempted like as we are.” But love and favour tends to this great end : our that is not all. He is all this, and endured sanctification. He is faithful as well as all this, and yet was “ without sin." And merciful, holy as well as tender, righteous as you will perceive that this is a most impor well as loving. The eye that beams with tant truth. You realize that you are one with subdued and softened love cannot look on him; that as the High Priest he made full sin; that heart that bleeds for the sinner canatonement for your sins, suffering in your not endure his sin ; that bosom on which stead. You rejoice that your cause has we may rest the aching head is snow-white been taken up by him, and that the burden in its purity as well as warm in its love. of your guilt he has borne in his own body In your yearning after sympathy, my reader, on the tree, and borne it away. You have see that it be pure, perfect sympathy. There poured out your confessions of sin, trusting are many fountains sending forth other in his merits. You have come again and again' kinds : there is but one that yields this.

Frome.

THE CONFLICT IN THE UNITED STATES.
BY THE REV. ALFRED C. THOMAS.

(Concluded.)* What testimony warrants our belief in the anti-slavery and Constitutional aims of the Republican party? We adduce the testimony of friends and foes. Years before Mr. Lincoln was marked for the leader of this party, he suid, “I have always hated slavery, I think, as much as any Abolitionist.” Referring to the Declaration of Independence, “that all men are equal," and counselling his audience to allow no exceptions to that principle, he asked, “If that declaration is not the truth, let us get the statute-book in which we find it, and tear it out. Who is so bold as to do it? If it is not true, let us tear it out. (Cries of No, no.) Let us stick to it, then ; let us stand firmly by it, then. Let us discard all this quibbling about this race and that race and the other race being inferior, and unite as one people throughout the land, until we shall ouce more stand up declaring that all men are created equal.” On another occasion he said, referring to the negations of this article of their national faith, these negations “would delight a convocation of crowned heads plotting against the people': they are the vanguard, the sappers and miners, of returning despotism. We must repulse them, or they will subjugate us. This is a world of compensations, and he who would be no slave must consent to have no slave. Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not themselves, and under a just God cannot long retain it.” These are sentiments worthy of the first magistrate of a free people.

His Secretary of State, the Hon. W. H. Seward, has said, “The interests of the white race demand the ultimate emancipation of all men. Slavery can be limited to its present bounds. It can be ameliorated. It can be, and it must be, abolished, and you and I can and must do it.” Speaking of “free labour and slave labour as antagonistic systems," he says, “It is an irrepressible conflict between opposing and enduring forces, and it means that the United States must and will, sooner or later, become either entirely a slaveholding nation, or entirely a free-labour nation.” Again, how significant are his words, “Correct your own error, that slavery has apy Consiitutional guarantees which may not be released and ought not to be released.” Hear another member of the Government, the Hon. S. P. Chase, Secretary of the Treasury, who says, “ Slavery and oppression must cease, or American liberty must perish." These are the professions of tried and honourable men, and they have been their unwavering professions since the organization of the Liberty party, to which they belong, more than twenty years ago. This party spoke of itself then as “only new in organization, not new in principle." But hear the other side: what do their foes say? Dr. Thornwell, reputed to be the ablest advocate of slavery, says, “ The general, almost universal attitude of the Northern mind is one of hostility to slavery. It is utterly and absolutely opposed to any further extension of the system. The triumph of the principles which Mr. Lincoln is pledged to carry out is the death-knell of slavery." The Hon. John Bell, of Tennessee, speaking of Mr. Lincoln's election, says, “In form the election was in strict accordance with the regulations prescribed by the Constitution and laws. The objection to it is that it was effected by a purely sectional party, organized upon the principle of hostility to slavery, and having for its prime object the repression of slavery as a permanent administrative policy, with a view to its ultimate extinction.” I have no space to quote