such dark ideas as those that have been mentioned? Let us disabuse ourselves of them. They are wholly unscriptural. They are in direct opposition to the Scriptures. What do the Scriptures say? "In this was manifested the love of God, that He set forth His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." In this was manifested; not by this was produced. Christ did not come to make God love His creatures. He came because God loved His creatures: "God so loved the world, as to give His only-begotten." It is the uniform doctrine of Scripture that the whole method of redemption originated in God's love; and we should settle this in our minds as a first principle in all our thought upon the subject. Let us magnify the love of Christ in dying for us; but let us also magnify the love of the Father in giving Him to die. Never let us conceive of Christ as extorting salvation from God's reluctant hand, but always as the Sent of God,sent, because in His wonderful mercy God desired our salvation. We have in Christ, not a way of escape from God, but a way of access to God. He died for us, we are told, that we might have "boldness to enter into the Holiest." It was necessary, in the order of the Divine government, for some reasons we can partly understand, probably for others also

too deep for us to fathom, that there should be an atonement for our guilt; but then it was the love of God which provided this atonement, Therefore let us see in Christ the benignity of God. Let us see in His work, not a means of deliverance out of the hands of God, but the strongest of all reasons for casting ourselves into the hands of God, as the very best friend we have in the universe.

There are those who would seem to imagine that the principal reason for worshipping God is the same reason for which some nations worship the Evil One, namely, the harm He may do them-not the good He is doing them daily; not the excellent holiness of His character, nor the exceeding riches of His grace; but the harm He may do them by casting them into hell. Strangely, it is hardly considered by some to be preaching the gospel at all, unless views of God are set forth which have a tendency, to say the least, to leave an impression of this sort upon the mind. Strangely, I say, for gospel means good news-and what is the good news? Not surely that there is a wrath which shall consume the workers of iniquity, but that we may escape this wrath by escaping through God's loving help from those iniquities which bring it down. What is the gospel but just God's good and blessed news to man, that

we need not be afraid of drawing near to Him, notwithstanding all our sins; but may cherish, on the contrary, the sure and certain hope, both that He will grant us forgiveness for the past on our humbly seeking it, and also that He will educate our souls into righteousness and peace by the training of His providence and the grace of His sanctifying Spirit? I do not make little of "the terrors of the Lord." There is a wrath against unrighteousness which is truly fearful. But I protest, at the same time, that our gracious Father in Heaven is not to be represented merely or chiefly as an object of dread. I protest that the gospel is a gospel, a revelation of mercy; and if it warns us of wrath, its uniform purpose is that we may flee to a Saviour who is freely offered to us all.

Teach these things to your children. When you speak to them of a wonderful Being who is present throughout all the world, and knows the very thoughts and intents of their hearts, and when you teach them to remember, "Thou, God, seest me," let your words and your tone be as if you were speaking of One who is indeed to be had in the profoundest reverence, but who is not so much to be dreaded as to be trusted and loved-of One who is more than all to them that you yourself can ever

be, who is seeking their good with more than your own earnestness, and whom to grieve by any disobedience is therefore not only a fault to be punished, but a meanness and a wickedness to be shrunk from. Thus will you implant in their hearts the true and living root of genuine piety.

And let us all consider, as they may be applicable to ourselves, the same great though simple truths.

If by chance these words should reach any one who is living in careless indifference, or in open sin, let him consider how he is grieving the heart of God, and how, at the same time, he is throwing away his own best blessings. How infinitely happier one's life would be if he would only accept God's invitations, and live in fellowship with Him!

If any one is touched with religious convictions, let him look upon them as a voice of the Lord God speaking in his heart, and let him not flee from that voice, but hear it reverently. One may seek escape from his convictions among the vanities and frivolities of the world, and one may find it there for a time. But when the frivolities of the world have all passed away, and the world itself has been burned up, where will the peace be that is found in the shelter of so miserable an asylum? In all the universe, let us be well assured, there is but one place

of security from the wrath of God,-it is in the bosom of God.

If any are timid and hesitant, let them cast aside their fears, and base an humble boldness on the faith of God's great mercy. The Evil One may insinuate distrust. It has been his policy from the beginning to suggest to the heart that there are fatal barriers between us and our Father. He knows that, just as he can keep us at a distance from God, or lead us in any way to restrict or narrow the riches of God's love, just in that proportion he will succeed in hindering our growth in holiness, our progress towards salvation. But why should we believe the father of lies? Why not rather the God of truth and goodness?

Finally, let all of us endeavour to realise more and more the presence of God with us at all times, and in all circumstances. This is godliness-to acknowledge God as our ever-present Friend, with whom we rejoice to hold counsel habitually. This is true religion here on earth, and the best preparation for that future world where we hope to dwell for ever in the light of God's countenance.