shall also bear the image of the heavenly." In the context he is speaking of Adam and of Christ. In verse 47, he remarks, "The first man (Adam) is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven." And in his Epistle to the Philippians, he writes thus: "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." The devout Psalmist expresses the same hope in the final resurrection, in Psalm 17: 15-" As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness.” The apostle John is no less confident. His testimony is clear and satisfactory on the subject. His language of Christian affection to the Church, is, 66 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when he (Christ) shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." And then adds: "Every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as he (Christ) is pure." By rising in the image or likeness of Christ we are to understand, that our body shall assume the same pure, spiritual nature with which Christ ascended into heaven. By this it is not meant that every person will look alike any more than they do now. Each one will be known as he now is. The only difference will be in the change from matter to spirit. And in the case of the righteous, they shall be changed morally as well as materially. Like Christ, their bodies will be free from what now tends to corrupt the mind. The avenues of sin will be closed. The carnal appetites will no more lead the soul to taste forbidden fruit. Their whole being will be spotless, pure, innocent, guiltless. They will know nothing but what is calculated to elevate their affections to the throne of God. They will delight to engage in those employments only which shall honor their Savior. They will desire only that enjoyment which pure intelligences can find in uninterrupted praises to God, and the Lamb that sitteth upon the throne of eternal glory. The Christian now enjoys much even while he is merely tasting of the joys which shall be realized in the world to come. His soul at times feasts on Christ-the manna which came down from Heaven -when he reads or thinks of the dying love of his Savior. But it is with us as the apostle affirms, "Now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face." If the dim view of Christ our Savior, through the Gospel, affords us in this life so much pleasure, how great will be our enjoyment when we shall see Him as He is? We shall then realize, as we often do now, the truth of the saying of the proverb, Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." Christ calls his children his friends. And when they behold his countenance in glory, where nothing intervenes to prevent a full view of his smiles, how soul-cheering will be the presence of such a friend! He will be the saints' light. We are informed in the Book of Revelations, chapters 21 and 22, that, in the City of our God, the place where his honor dwelleth, and which is to be the inheritance of his people, "There shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lamb is the light thereof." We shall not only enjoy him in the fullness of his glory, and dwell in the midst of his light. But he will be the everlasting portion of our souls. From the river that flows from the throne of God and the Lamb, we shall drink and be satisfied. He will be the spiritual sustenance of our immortal being. We shall feed on him and never hunger. It is a source of unspeakable satisfaction to the Christian to know, that what the natural man cannot realize, is revealed unto him by the Holy Spirit, through the Gospel of Christ. It is, indeed, impossible for the natural "eye to see, or the ear to hear, or the heart to conceive, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit." Christ assured his disciples, that, "when the Spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth and shew you things to come." But, with all that is revealed, we imperfectly comprehend the things of the world to come. Our spiritual vision is dim. But when this mortal shall put on immortality, and our vile bodies be changed into the image of the glorious body of Christ, then shall we see clearly and comprehend perfectly what is now hid from our view by the mantle of sin and corruption which holds our souls in mortality. The devout poet strikingly expresses the substance of our hope in the following lines: "And must this body die? This mortal frame decay? And must these active limbs of mine LECTURE II. THE EVIDENCES OF POSSESSING THE CHRISTIAN'S HOPE. 1 John 3: 3. "And every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is pure." When the Holy Spirit works in the heart to will and to do according to his good pleasure, and begets within us a lively hope of future glory, he enables us to produce fruit corresponding to that hope. He does not give us so important a treasure to be hid so as not to be able to give a reason for entertaining it. There are certain marks of the Christian character, which will more or less manifest themselves in every one who is born of God. For the Lord puts his Spirit within us, and causes us to observe his statutes. He plants within the sanctified heart the foundation of those heavenly graces which adorn the humble follower of Christ. The true believer in Christ is one who has respect to the commandments of God. Hence, Christ says: "Then are ye my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." Again: "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (See also 1 John 5: 2, 3.) The commandments of God are two-fold, and are summed up in these two injunctions: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength, and thy neighbor as thyself." By this we understand, that |