THE RANSOMED MULTITUDE BEFORE THE THRONE. Hide me, O my Saviour, hide, Till the storm of life is past; Safe into the haven guide O receive my soul at last!" And the prayer was graciously answered, else we had not been called to contemplate the blessedness and glory of, II. THEIR PRESENT CONDITION.-It is one of Purity, Joy, and Honour. 1. Of Purity." They have washed their robes and made them white," pure, and spotless. Being made perfect in holiness, they no longer groan, being burdened. Job needs no more to say, "Behold I am vile; I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." No more does Isaiah exclaim, "Woe is me! for I am undone; for I am a man of unclean lips, and dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips." Paul no more cries out in bitterness of soul," I see a law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" All sin and imperfection are for ever done away; not even a sinful thought intrudes on their holy minds. They are spotless as the angels of God. Washed from guilt by Christ's blood, and from sin by Christ's Spirit, they have been presented faultless before the throne; they worship God uninterruptedly in "the beauty of holiness." God beholds them well pleased; and even his eye, pure and all-seeing though it be, beholds in them neither "spot, nor wrinkle, nor any such thing." Each one loves the Lord his God "with all his heart, and soul, and strength, and mind," and all around him as he loves himself. The white robes indicate their purity, and they also show their present condition to be one, 2. Of Joy. They wear no black, no sackcloth now. The days of their mourning are ended. This world has been truly as well as beautifully called "a vale of tears." While sojourning here, we have often to drop the tear of penitence, of sorrow, of sympathy; but the members of the Church above have no sins or failings to deplore, no afflictive dispensations of Providence to mourn, no call to suffering sympathy. In their experience has been fulfilled, in all its extent, the glorious promise, "The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." "There is no night there" of sin, sorrow, suffering, or death. Jeremiah has forgot his plaintive strains now. 471 The pious captives who sat in tears "by Babel's streams" no longer ask "O how the Lord's song shall we sing Within a foreign land ?" Bartimeus is the poor blind beggar no more. The poor widow is no longer crushed to the The dust under the iron hand of poverty. orphan child is no longer homeless or friendless. There is nothing in that happy land to distress or annoy. Pinching penury is unknown; every want is abundantly supplied. There is no disease yonder. No inhabitant of that blessed country ever says, "I am sick." No one is under bondage through fear of death there. There is no death of friends there. Martha and Mary go to no brother's grave to weep. They sing not the sweetly touching, soothing funeral hymn, whose strains are so familiar to us here "Take comfort, Christians, when your friends In that bright world is no cruel enemy, no deceitful tempter, no faithless friend. No aching head yonder, no tearful eye, no heavy heart. "The former things have passed away." They sing, as it were, a new song before the throne a song which none can sing save the redeemed from among men. The celebrated Ralph Erskine thus sweetly sings in his "Believer's Soliloquy”— "Bless'd are the dead: Yea,' saith the word, Thus joyful spend their praising breath- On thrones of triumph now we are; And sought Him there, but find Him here. We are for ever with the Lord; His presence is the heart of heaven." The good man adds "As thus I laid my listening ear Close at the door of heaven to hear- In such unutterable strains As none in fettering flesh attains:"Then said I, 'O to mount away, And leave this clog of heavy clay! Ye wings of time, more swiftly fly, That I may join those songs on high!"" Their present condition is also one, 3. Of Honour.-Where are they? "Before the throne" of the King Eternal, Immortal, and Invisible. And they are not paying a mere passing visit to court; for what is their posture? They "stand" before the throne. They enjoy intimate and uninterrupted fellowship with God as their God. Is it deemed honourable to have intercourse with the potentates of earth? How much greater is the honour of communion with Him who is King of kings and Lord of lords! This blessed multitude have "palms in their hands." This denotes them to be victors. Over sin, Satan, and the world, they have been made more than conquerors through Him that loved them. Having been triumphant, they have received the fulfilment of the great and precious promises made in chapters 2 and 3 "to him that overcometh." They "eat of the tree of life," and of "the hidden manna." Each has received "the white stone" and "the new name." They have been made "pillars in the temple of God, and shall go no more out." They have received an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away"-a crown unfading -a kingdom eternal. But on such a subject where shall we stop? "Eye hath not seen;" but the ear can hear more than the eye can see, yet ❝ear hath not heard;" but the imagi nation can conceive more than eye can see or ear can hear, yet "it hath not entered into the heart of man" fully to apprehend "the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." It was said by one of God's excellent ones, There will be three wonders in heaven. One is, I shall see many there whom I did not expect to see." That is a cheering thought. Another wonder will be, "That many whom I expected to see there, shall not be there." That is a solemn consideration. But the greatest wonder of all will be, "To see myself there." Yes, that will be the greatest wonder of all, to see ourselves there. We can scarcely realize it. Shall these feet of ours stand on the everlasting hills? Shall these very eyes behold the King in his beauty, and all the glories of thy land, O Immanuel? Shall these very ears hear the Saviour's own voice, and listen to the melodies of saint and angel choirs Shall these very hands hold the palm of victory and the harp of praise? Shall these heads wear crowns of endless glory-these tongues take part in the symphonies of heaven? O the wonders of that love, which warrants us to indulge such anticipations ! To crown all, the blessedness of that happy company is eternal. "Thou hast shown them the path of life; in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." The sweetest season of enjoyment while here, soon terminates. The most thrilling sermon is soon brought to a conclusion. The most heavenly communion Sabbath soon passes away. "Delightful hour, how soon will night Cast her dark shadows o'er thy reign? A sun that never sets shall rise; The heavenly Sabbath never dies." We are loath to bid farewell to this blessed company. John Bunyan gives an exquisite description of the admission of Christian and Hopeful to its fellowship. After relating how they crossed the river and reached the Celestial Gate, he says, "Now, I saw in my dream that these two men went in at the gate; and lo! as they entered, they were transfigured; and they had raiment put on that shone like gold. There were also that met them with harps and crowns, and gave them to them; the harps to praise withal, and the crowns in token all the bells in the city rang again for joy, and of honour. Then I heard in my dream that that it was said unto them, Enter ye into the joy of our Lord.' I also heard the men themselves, that they sang with a loud voice, saying, 'Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever.' "Now, just as the gates were opened to let in the men, I looked in after them, and behold the city shone like the sun; the streets also were paved with gold, and in them walked many men, with crowns on their heads, palms in their hands, and golden harps to sing praises withal. "There were also of them that had wings, and they answered one another without intermission, saying, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord,' and after that they shut up the gates; which, when I had seen, I wished myself among them." Where is the reader of these pages who does not wish to be among them? (To be continued.) FAMILY PORTRAITURE. [AMONG the portraits presented in Legh Richmond's Wilberforce, who died before he arrived at the age of manhood. We present a few extracts. The narrative is given by his sister.] Domestic Portraiture, is that of his second son WHY FRIENDS CAN BE LEFT WITHOUT REGRET. Wilberforce sat silent for some time, then looked LOOK FOR A PEACEFUL SPOT. Let me up and said, "Come and sit close to me. lean on you." Then, putting his arms round me, he exclaimed, "God bless you, my dear!" He was agitated, and ceased speaking. Presently he said: "I must leave you-we shall walk no further through this world together-but I hope we shall meet in heaven. Let us now talk of heaven. Do not weep for me, dear F, do not weep, for I am very happy; but think of me, and let the thought make you press forward. I never knew happiness till I knew Christ as a Saviour." He then exhorted and encouraged me to study the Bible with perseverance. "Read the Bible-read the Bible! Let no religious book take its place; through all my perplexities and distresses, I never read any other book, and I never felt the want of any other. It has been my hourly study, and all my knowledge of the doctrines, and all my acquaintance with the experience and realities of religion, have been derived from the Bible only. I think religious people do not read the Bible enough. Books about religion may be useful, but they will not do instead of the simple truth of the Bible." He then spoke of his regret at parting with "Nothing convinces me more of the reality of the change within me, than the feelings with which I can contemplate a separation from my family. I now feel so weaned from the earth, my affections so much in heaven, that I can leave you all without a regret. Yet I do not love you less, but God more." us. FEAR OF DEATH TAKEN AWAY. I had marked the depression of his spirit when the symptoms of his disease appeared more unfavourable, and I asked him if he had any fear of death now. He answered me with great firmness, "No, not any. I have unshaken confidence in Jesus as a Saviour. He has taken away the sting of death, and for his sake the Father will receive me as his child." I replied, "You had, dear Willy, great doubts of your salvation, and many fears of death during some periods of your illness." "Oh yes! indeed I had! I have been on the verge of despair, and have known its agonies. My pain of body was at times very great, but nothing in comparison with the agony of my spirit. 1 struggled on in darkness and in silence. It was known only to myself and God; but I was supported and carried through all, and now I would encourage you, my dearest sister, by telling you what succeeded in my case. I will tell you just what I did. After a season of much doubt and terror, during which I felt as if all was delusion, and I should be cast into hell, I determined to go at once boldly to God in the name of Christ, and plead the promises which were then before me in the Bible. I fell down upon my knees-I groaned-I wept-I prayed most fervently. I said, Here I am, Lord, a poor perishing sinner-my sins are heavy and alarming-I cannot bear them myself-I feel my body decaying I must soon die, and I dare not appear before Thee, the pure God, as I now am. I read of a Saviour thou hast provided for sinners, and I come to him to be saved from eternal death. I come to the cross of Christ-I cling to it as my only hope. If thou, O Christ! wilt not save me, no one else can, and I must perish. Lord, save me-Jesus, have mercy on me! I persevered thus again and againI kept on praying in this way-I took nothing with me but a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and I said, 'Lord, I will not go except thou bless me!' I know I prayed sincerely, and I was heard and answered. I found that promise true, Whosoever cometh unto me, I will in nowise cast out.' God was good to me. My soul required severe discipline, but he comforted me in his own time. I found Christ able and willing to do all I required-I was 473 enabled to receive him as my complete salvation, and I sometimes had such peace in believing on himsuch hours of unspeakable happiness-that the remembrance of it makes up for all this suffering. I never again lost my hope with Christ, though for the moment my disease overpowered me and clouded the past. Now I tell you all this for your encouragement and direction. Seek as I did, and you will find the same pardon for sin, the same peace in death." DYING ADVICE TO A GAY SISTER. He was earnest beyond his strength in conversing with her. He put very plain and close questions, saying, "I must be answered-I must speak plainly -I am afraid, my beloved sister, you do not think enough about religion. I do not see decided proofs of real conversion in you. I have not a sure hope that, if you die as you now are, I shall meet you in heaven. Oh! H, it is my last request-with my dying breath I am entreating you to seek the salvation of your soul. Suppose you were in my placein this chair instead of me waiting for death day by day; could you meet it as I do? Oh do, my dear sister! do think of death while you are in health! If I had not sought Christ before I was brought so low, I should have no strength or sense to seek him now. I went to Jesus as a poor weak sinner, and found sweet rest, and I am happy now amidst all this suffering." He spoke in a very affectionate manner of the subject nearest her heart. "Your merry peal will soon succeed my death-knell. Take care that the good seed is not choked by the pleasures of life! Seek first the kingdom of God. Remember, H-, you have to die. Oh! I cannot leave you in peace unless I have a good hope that I shall meet you in heaven. If I thought there was one amongst you-oh! I cannot bear that thought!" gion, to the mind of Christ, as levity and trifling. It tinued, "H there is nothing so opposed to reliwill keep you back more than any thing. Take my solemn warning-I speak from my own experienceyou will never be a consistent Christian, and you will never grow in grace, if you indulge in habitual trifling conversation. It is not like the mind of Christ. Your temper is very playful and volatile, and Satan may use it as a snare to injure your soul. Piety and levity cannot long dwell in the same heart. One will destroy the other." He con PARTING WORDS WITH HIS LITTLE SISTER. who was then a little child. He spoke very touchingly to his youngest sister, "Would you like to meet poor Willy in heaven, dear C- -? Then you must love God. Pray to God to make you love him, and to make you a good child, Will you promise me one thing, my dear C, that you will never go few verses in the Bible, and prayed to God? If you out of your room in the morning till you have read a do not pray to God, you will not meet poor Willy in heaven. I will give you a verse to think of when I am dead, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.' Say that verse to yourself every night when you lie down." LOOK FOR A PEACEFUL SPOT. BY REV. CÆSAR MALAN, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND. ON the bright lake of Thun, at the entrance to the Oberland of Berne, is a pretty large steamer crossing twice in a day from Thun to Neuhauss. That passage, habitually performed within one hour, is certainly one of the finest scenes of Switzerland. The boat, Visitors and tourists are therefore flocking to that privileged land, and one may suppose how many questions are made to, and answered by, the polite and copiously informed captain of the "Niesen steamer." gliding upon the pure water of the greatest reservoir | bach's-water, near the Rosenlane, there is a pretty | of the Aar, goes along a shore beautifully diversified farm or cottage, backed by a dark forest of fir-trees. by rich fields, old manors, wealthy villages, or bold When we were passing, on that spot there was before and picturesque ranges of hills and rocks; and runs the house a family of peasants, the father, the opposite the extensive and imposing panorama of mother, and perhaps five children, all busy in cutthe Stockhorn, the Niesen, the Blumisalp, the ting out those pretty works of white-wood which are Yungfrau, and all the other needles of the Alps of the industry of those mountains. Nothing appeared Berne. 80 quiet as that family, and I could not but remark it and say, "Indeed, here is peace and rest!" "Ah! sir," said my guide, “seek for another peaceful spot! Peace was still here some months ago, but I fear it is now gone." "How is that?" said I. "Ah!" answered the guide, "because the old father Niklaus, whom I knew very well, has died; and has left a sad blank!" "I understand," I replied: they are mourning for his loss! " "Ah! sir," said the old man, "that is not the worst; and for it, also, peace should not have gone. But I will tell you that old Niklaus .... ah! he was indeed as a saint! was reading the Bible to the whole family every evening once at least, and more than three times on the Sunday. And now I know it is finished. The book of God remains shut and silent. Now, sir, I speak the truth, and believe me, where there is no reading of the Bible there is no peace." It was a mild evening, and the boat had just turned its fore-deck to the west, returning for the second time to Thun, when a young traveller came and sat by my elbow, on the forepart of the ship, and began immediately an interesting account of his just performed excursion among the highest hills of the country. As I was not a stranger to their names and beauties, I could fully understand and partake the vivid admiration of the young narrator, in whom I discerned a mind cultivated, and also an affectionate heart. Then I told him: "Sir, you had a great advantage above me in your visiting those places and addressing their inhabitants; for, as being a foreigner, of course altogether ignorant of their spiritual position, you could always suppose that their souls were in harmony with their beautiful residence, and therefore enjoy, without any secret sadness, both their meeting and the sight of their abode. For instance, look, sir, at that pretty hamlet, so nicely situated above those rocks, and by that little wood. Is not that scenery the very image of a quiet, retired, and peaceful spot; and could we not suppose that the two or three families who live there, being as they are separated from a busy world, and sufficiently surrounded with the comforts of a rural life, enjoy the rest of this earth, and have all opportunity to possess and value the rest of God?" "So it is, indeed, sir," said the young man, and very sensibly," and I would really admit that it is so for the modest tenants of those cottages." Traveller. And yet, I must tell you, that yesterday morning I was told by a sure informer, that one of the three fathers of a family of that very hamlet has been just led to Berne in irons as being convicted of theft. And so in this very hour, that apparently so peaceful spot is as much troubled as a roaring sea. Young man. That makes me sorry indeed, and draws a veil upon splendid nature. And do you know, sir, what could induce the happy mountaineer to part so sadly with his peace ? Traveller. I know not the particulars of that gloomy business; but, sir, this I know, that the most quiet place is never a peaceful spot if the "Prince of peace" is not obeyed there; and most likely such was the case in that lonely hamlet. Young man. Ah! sir, that makes me to understand the remark of an old guide whom I took yesterday from Grindenwald to Meyringen. You know perfectly the road; you remember, therefore, that above the green plain which borders the Reichen .... 66 Traveller. Beautiful indeed! And pray, sir, what did you answer to the guide? Young man. I must confess that I did not answer; but your observation has recalled the fact to my remembrance. I took down immediately in my pocket-book the! answer of the old guide, and I said solemnly to the young man, "Sir, do not forget that saying, it is worthy of consideration; and I feel quite persuaded that if the poor man whom they have taken up to prison the day before yesterday, had been also a reader of the Book of God to his family, his hamlet had never seen the shameful circumstance which now and for a long while is troubling it." The young man answered nothing; he rose, walked among the passengers, and when the steamer stopped at Thun, he bowed to me from a distance and pursued his way. Ah! may the Lord teach him, that indeed there is no real peace where is no love to the Bible! THE CHRISTIAN AND HIS ECHO. Must I my faith and love to Jesus show But if a brother hates and treats me ill, If he my failings watches to reveal, BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH-SIR ANDREW AGNEW, BART. 475 But if my name and character he blast, Whatever usage ill I may receive, Be patient still, and still forgive. Why, Echo, how is this? thou'rt sure a dove; Amen! with all my heart, then be it so; Things being so, whoever me reject, Henceforth I'll roll on him my every care, But after all those duties I have done, Echo, enough! thy counsels to mine ear, BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. SIR ANDREW AGNEW, BART. In the new sphere of action into which Sir Andrew was now cast, it need hardly be said that he leadingly devoted himself, as before, to the Sabbath, and became a centre of influence wherever he pitched his tent. Among the objects of a different kind which attracted his attention, it may be mentioned that in 1837 he was instrumental, along with General M'Douall and Colonel Vans Agnew, in erecting a church in connection with the Establishment, and afterwards another in connection with the Free Church, near Stranraer, ably ministered in by the Rev. Robert Donald; and in 1838, finding that Dr Chalmers had some idea of doing for Scotland what Dr Duff had done for India, and going over the country, "from parish to parish," in behalf of his Church-extension Scheme, Sir Andrew put in his claim for the south of Scotland, and accompanied him every where while establishing associations. Thus began an intimacy with that great man, which never ended but with life. In the same year, going with his family to Edinburgh, he began his labours there by forming young men's associations all over the town for the defence of the Sabbath; and in 1839 a large Sabbath meecting was held, attended by persons of all denominations, including a goodly band of "District visitors," a sort of" Moral Police," which afforded a hopeful sign of the increased attention now drawn to the cause. This movement led to the establishment also of a "Lord's Day Society for Scotland" in Edinburgh, which prospered for a time under his management, but fell into decay on his removal. At this period, while labouring in like manner for the suppression of post-office traffic, he prevailed on all the banking establishments in Edinburgh but one to cease from receiving their letters on the Lord's day. He also succeeded in shutting the leading churchyards of Edinburgh against Sabbath funerals. In In 1841, his own zeal and that of all the friends of the Sabbath over the land was aroused by a new and alarming event, which spread general dismay among the religious classes at large, viz., the attempt to introduce Sunday coaching into Scotland, by running railway passenger-trains on the Lord's day. this work Sir Andrew took a leading part. Among other means, a Sabbath Railway Association was formed in Edinburgh, with large help from Glasgow, and, under the able secretaryship of Mr W. G. Cassels, it speedily shook all Scotland with its agitations. titions poured in to the offending Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Company, where the evil was first perpetrated; and a "declaration " or pledge, not to use the railway while any other practicable conveyance was attainable, was signed by more than a hundred thousand persons, and observed for years by multitudes. Pe The railway company addressed was deaf to remonstrance. The evil was established on one important line, and was likely to spread as new lines were opened. The efforts of the pulpit and of the press also were redoubled; but while these served gradually to indoctrinate the land, the iniquity was being firmly established, the country was being familiarized with it, and it became of importance, not only to meet it by the general pressure of religious principle, but to encounter it within the walls of the offending companies, in the hope of prevailing on them, through moral suasion, to return to right dealing. For this end, Sir Andrew Agnew adopted the scheme suggested to him by friend, of purchasing as much railway stock as gave a voice at the half-yearly meetings, and there maintaining the cause of truth and godliness. Into the detailed history of the struggle which ensued, it would exceed the limits of this memoir to enter, but the narrative would abound with points of interest; and in particular, the history of the scheme of purchasing railway stock, and using the standing thus acquired in the companies for bringing them to right acting, as well as that of the overthrow of the desecration in the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, would present numerous interesting instances of the superintending power of the Lord of the Sabbath in all efforts, however hopeless to sense, made for its protection. The principles on which the whole agitation was conducted were these: First of all, the strength of the position, the foundation on which he rested, the star which was his guide, the stay in defeat, the hope in adversity, the confidence in weakness, the power that made invincible, was the Word of God: "Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy." The divine authority and perpetual obligation of the Fourth Commandment of the Moral Law was his creed and test of the true Sabbatarian. 2. The Sabbath contended for was one natural day in seven, every single portion of which is as sacred as every other portion; and no distinction of canonical, and uncanonical, or of morning and evening hours |