says in words the most affectionate, "Come in, come in, thou blessed of the Lord; stand no more without !"

eye

There is not only the Gate of Conversion, by which the young penitent enters the city, but there is another gate by which he enters heaven. That gate is the Gate of Death. There is a valley through which the young citizen passes, as he approaches the gate. It is called "the valley and shadow of death," Ps. xxiii. 4. To the of nature this valley appears dark and dreary: to the eye of faith it appears bright and glorious. Jesus takes the young saint by the hand as he enters the valley, and says to him, "Death is yours; fear not-fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am thy God." Then he puts into his hand a remarkable staff, a staff of inimitable beauty: He says to him, "Lean on that staff. Hold it fast by the hand of faith. It is the staff of my power, and of my truth. Lean on it; then all your fears will flee away like a cloud before the wind." He takes the staff in the one hand, with the other he leans on Christ's arm, and then begins to sing while he looks along the valley, and sees, at the end of the valley, the Gate of Death:

"While Christ affords his aid

I cannot yield to fear:

Though I should walk through death's dark vale,
My Shepherd's with me there."

At last he comes to the Gate of Death, and sees the King of Terrors standing by. Oh how wonderful, how delightful! he looks the king of terrors full in the face -that king who has struck with terror the hearts of ten thousand kings-and while he looks upon him without fear, he sings the following triumphant song in sounds of joyful praise :

"The world recedes !-it disappears.
Heaven opens on my eyes! my ears
With sounds seraphic ring!

Lend, lend your wings! I mount! I fly !—
O Grave! where is thy victory?

O Death! where is thy sting?"

Then the gate opens, and immediately on the other side is the pearly Gate of Heaven, shining brighter than ten thousand suns. Through that glorious gate the young saint passes. He enters into the palace of the Great King. His Saviour says to him, in the presence of all the inhabitants of heaven, "Well done, good and faithful servant; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!" Matt. xxv. 21.

My young friends, may you by Divine grace thus pass through the valley of death. Thus may you enter through the pearly gate, and obtain the joys of heaven, and the blessedness of immortality.

Secondly, We invite your attention to the Walls of the City. Isa. xxvi. 1, “Salvation will God appoint for walls;" Isa. lx. 18, "Thou shalt call thy walls salvation and thy gates praise." My dear young friends, if you had seen the walls of Babylon, you would have lifted up your hands with astonishment, and you would have said, What wonderful walls! If you had seen the walls of ancient Jerusalem, with the noble towers built upon the walls, you would have lifted up your hands with astonishment and have said, Oh what wonderful walls! A great army came from a far country to besiege Jerusalem. When they came the length of the walls and looked up, they were struck with terror, and

fled, and hasted away. Psal. xlviii. 4, 5.

The walls of Babylon, the walls of Jerusalem, were nothing compared with the Walls of Salvation which surround the church, the strong city, the city of the Great King. Come with me and behold-come with me and admire the walls of the church, the city of God. Oh how lofty! they are as high as the heavens; therefore no enemy can ever climb over or scale these walls. Behold the walls, and see how wonderful for strength. No earthquake can shake them. If all the powers of hell were to attack these walls for a million of years, they would do them no more harm than a fly lighting upon them.

Behold how glorious are these walls. They are far

more glorious than the firmament, with all its stars of glory and of brightness. These walls shine in all the glory of the Divine perfections. These perfections strike the hearts of the enemies of the city with terror. These perfections fill the hearts of the inhabitants of the city with joy unspeakable. The inhabitants see a glorious prospect from these walls. With the telescope of faith, they see the heavenly Canaan, and even obtain glimpses of heaven's glory. Oh, how infinitely safe are the inhabitants of the strong city within these walls, which shall stand for ever! Oh, with what joyful confidence they sing;

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'Bulwarks of mighty grace defend

The city where we dwell;

The walls of strong salvation made,

Defy the assaults of hell."-WATTS, Book I. H. 8.

Thirdly,-Let us consider attentively the TOWERS of the City. Psal. xlviii. 12, “Walk about Zion;" (that is, the church, the strong city,) "and go round about her; tell the towers thereof," that is, number them. Come with me, my young friends, and look at the walls of the city, and we shall see placed upon them six glorious. towers, which have stood there ever since the wonderful walls were built. May God the Spirit bless the sight to all our hearts.

On these noble, glorious walls, I see first, the tower of DIVINE WISDOM. This tower contains all the purposes, and laws of the King of the city. It is so bright, that it sheds its glory over the whole city.

Near this tower is the tower of OMNIPOTENCE. When the enemies of the city rage, and threaten to destroy it, the inhabitants look on this noble tower, and then laugh their enemies to scorn.

The

Near this tower is the tower of HOLINESS. inhabitants of the city are greatly comforted when they look upon the following inscription written on this tower; Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." Isa. vi. 3.

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Near this tower is the tower of JUSTICE. This

tower contains the vials of God's wrath, and the thunderbolts of his vengeance. With these God has awfully punished the enemies of the city.

Near the tower of Justice stands the tower of Love. On the summit of this tower there is an inscription shining brighter than the sun in his strength. It is this, "God is love." John iv. 8.

Near this tower is the tower of DIVINE TRUTH. This tower contains an immense treasure of great and precious promises; and the following inscription encircles this tower with glory : "His truth is thy shield and buckler." Let us unite in praising Jesus, the King of the strong city:

"For ever shall thy throne endure;

Thy promise stands for ever sure;

And everlasting holiness

Becomes the dwellings of thy grace.”—WATTS, Psal. 93. (To be continued.)

ELYMAS STRUCK BLIND.

IN Acts xiii. 4-12, we have an account of the opposition which Elymas the sorcerer made to the preaching of Paul. For this daring opposition to the Gospel of Christ, he was punished with blindness.

The Gospel is the mean which God has appointed for opening the eyes of the blinded understandings of men. Elymas tried to prevent this blessed Gospel from giving men spiritual eyesight. Therefore, God justly punished him by depriving him of his natural eyesight.

Let us look at the particulars of this remarkable story. Paul went from Selucia, a sea-port town on the north of the Holy Land, and, in company with Barnabas, sailed to the island of Cyprus, situated in the eastern portion of the Mediterranean Sea, and not far from Asia Minor, or Lesser Asia. Immediately on entering the island, they commenced preaching the Gospel. They