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stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy, what a joyful song will there be when the world of glory is both founded and finished, when the top-stone is laid, and when the holy city is adorned as the bride, the Lamb's wife! Baxter.

THE CROWN OF GLORY.

ND when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory which fadeth not away. Thou shalt lose nothing by all that restraint from base gain, and vain glory, and worldly power. No matter, let them all go for a crown: that weighs them all down; that shall abide for ever. Oh, how far more excellent! A crown of glory, pure, unmixed glory, without any ingrediency of pride or sinful vanity, or any danger of it. And a crown that fadeth not, of such a flower as withers not not a temporary garland of fading flowers, such as all here are. Woe to the crown of pride! says the prophet (Isaiah xxviii. 1). Though it be made of flowers growing in a fat valley, yet their glorious beauty is a fading

flower; but this will remain fresh and in perfect lustre to all eternity. May they not well trample on base gain and vain applause who have this crown to look to? They that will be content with these, let them be; but they have their reward, and it is done and gone when faithful followers are to receive theirs. Joys of royal pomp, marriages and feasts, how soon do they vanish as a dream! That of Ahasuerus lasted about half a year, but then it ended! And how many since that are gone and forgotten! But this day begins a triumph and a feast that shall never either end or weary, affording still fresh, ever new delights. All things here, the choicest pleasures, cloy, but satisfy not: those above shall always satisfy, and never cloy, when the Chief Shepherd shall appear. And that shall shortly be: this moment will shortly be out.

What is to be refused in the way to this crown? All labour is sweet for it. And what is there here to be desired to detain our hearts that we should not most willingly let go, to rest from our labours, and receive our crown? Was ever any king sad to think that the day of his coronation drew nigh? And then there will be no envy nor jealousies: all will be kings,

each with his crown, each rejoicing in the glory of the others, and all in HIS, who that day shall be All in All.

Leighton.

HEAVENLY REWARDS.

HE rewards of heaven are certain. Whether we shall possess them or not may be matter of great uncertainty, because it is possible we may not be of the description of persons to whom they are promised. The heirs of salvation may, at certain seasons, entertain doubts of their finally obtaining them; but they are in themselves certain, since they are secured by the "promise of Him who cannot lie."

On this account they are strikingly contrasted with earthly recompenses. The most passionate votary of the world is never certain he shall possess an adequate recompense for all his toil, and care, and earthly sacrifices. How often does she mock her followers with delusive hopes, entangle them in endless cares, and exhaust them with hopeless and consuming pas

sions, and, after all, assign them no compensation?

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How different it is with heavenly rewards! In relation to them, no well-meant effort is unsuccessful. We lay up as much treasure there as we sincerely and perseveringly endeavour to accumulate; nor is the success of our efforts liable to be defeated by the jealousy of rivals.

Our attempts to promote the benefit of our fellow-creatures are estimated according to their events rather than their intentions; and however sincere and zealous they may have been, unless they are productive of some probable benefit, they are treated with neglect and ingratitude.

How different in regard to the recompenses of heaven! He will reward not only the services we have performed, but those which it was our wish to have performed.

The recompenses of heaven are satisfying. How far this quality is from attaching to the emoluments and pleasures of this world, universal experience can attest. They are so far from satisfying that their effect uniformly is to inflame the desires which they fail to gratify.

Robert Hall.

THE CITY MUST BE TAKEN BY STORM.

HE kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent only take it by force;

so that perfect peace must be won by perpetual war, and the health of the spirit by the death of the flesh. There are, indeed, some who pretend to have discovered a cheaper way of obtaining these things, but I never yet met with one who could show his bargain; so that I have fresh evidence of my old maxim, that religion will cost us something, but the want of it infinitely more. Cecil.

PEACE IN HEAVEN.

EN heaven war ceases between my Creator and me; peace is signed in the palace of "the Highest," and my, transported

heart cries out, Peace in the heavens! That Man who rides to Jerusalem along with the multitude, in humble apparel, is the bearer of tidings; but what tidings! Of a pardon; but what a pardon! He does not say, You shall yet see the sun: He says, You shall see God! He

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