out the world is asleep in the still-continuing darkness of night; for indeed the night is far spent, but the world is asleep in the night. The waking soul sees, in the horizon the Morning Star, the dawn along its edge, and waits for day. The heart is in the day, and walks as in the day. As Christians we have done with works of darkness. In conflict we are still, but our armour against evil, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, is the light in which we walk. The power of light, and truth, and godliness, and judgment of evil, which belongs to that day, is in our heart, and the weapons and snares of darkness are foiled and detected, getting no entrance into, no hold on, the soul. We walk honestly as in the day; we put on in our ways and heart the walk and character of Him who is the true light of it, the Lord Jesus Christ. Having the hope of being like Him there, we purify ourselves as He is pure; we walk as He walked. We do not provide for the lusts of the nature which belongs to the darkness to satisfy it, but walk as Christ walked. Such is the Christian in view of Christ's coming, and bringing on this dark and benighted world the light and day of God in His effectual power, and are the two springs and characters of Christian conduct-recognition of, acting up to, every relative duty in love, and knowing the time, the near approach of day to which he belongs. (Compare 1 Thess. v.) "The night is far spent, the day is at hand." J. N. D.

WHILST the eye is gazing with delight on Christ in glory, the Holy Spirit is engraving the Christ we delight in on our hearts.

THE CHIEF CORNER STONE.

"Behold, I lay in Sion a Chief Corner Stone, elect, precious; and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded."

"The Stone which the builders rejected is become the Head of the Corner."

CAN foundation greater be,

Crowned with shouts of victory?
Great in God, prepared above,
Laid in Jesus' quenchless love.
Great in Jordan's judgment-sea,
When He purged iniquity,
When He gave His life and fell,
When He rose His "power" to tell,
Conqu'ring sin, and death, and hell;
Ascending thence to claim His own,
His crown of joy the Father's throne,
Himself the precious Corner Stone.

Can foundation surer be

Than the Lamb on Calvary?
When He bore the wrathful load,
Sin and sentence there from God?
Sacrificed for sin and guilt,

When His precious blood was spilt,
There the Lamb, devoted, dies,
God's redeeming sacrifice;

Sin of ages to atone,

All was laid on Him alone,

Tried and sure Foundation Stone.

Can foundation richer be

Than redemption's treasury?

Vast the 66

sum "therein enrolled,
"Precious thoughts" of priceless gold,
Not the half hath yet been told;
Rich the Father's count of grace,
Reck'ning all the ransomed race;
Promise of prophetic lines,
Bright the ransom-glory shines
(Glory of eternal times),
Ransom found of richest name,
Found in God's provided Lamb.
Called in judgment to the tree,
Nothing spares the penalty;
His elect, anointed Son

Dies, the just for those undone.
There the streams of life must flow,
Blood of One the purchased know,
Blood-remitting sins below.
By His passion on the tree,
By His passion's penalty;
Bondsman He, for debt He dies,
Surety bound in sacrifice;
Richest ransom-payment He,
None so rich, so poor, could be,
Himself the suffering Surety—
Priceless gift of God alone,
Chief and costly Corner Stone.

Can foundation dearer be
Than His priestly sympathy?
Gone within the holy place,
Tender there in needed grace;
Touched with pity, next of kin,
On His breast He bears us in;
In His hands and side we see
Wounds that tell of Calvary;

THE TABERNACLE AND THE ALTAR.

We have seen that faith accepts simply and unquestioningly the position God in His infinite grace has given us. But it does more; looking alone to God, and occupied with Him, it searches into things in which man's mind cannot follow it, and enjoys them really whilst waiting for the day when knowledge will also be made perfect. Now we know only in part, but we believe things we do not yet see, and we can rejoice in them with joy unspeakable and full of glory. (1 Cor. xiii. 12; 1 Peter i. 7-12.)

The same principle appears in the song of victory, sung by the Israelites at the Red Sea; we find used there for the first time two expressions which were full of deep meaning for the children of Israel, and of which they were afterwards called to understand something

practically. The first of these expressions is in verse 13, "Thy holy habitation" It was the response of faith to the work of God already accomplished in the deliverance of His people, as we find in verse 2, “The Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my God, and I will prepare Him an habitation." ** The faith of Moses and of the children of Israel had laid hold of the great fact that redemption had brought them near to God, and that He would dwell in their midst. This word is found again, in connection with the future blessing of the nation, when Zion will be in very truth for Jehovah a “habitation of justice and mountain of holiness." (Jer. xxxi. 23; Ps. ii. 6, &c.)

The second expression, used also for the first time in this song, is "the sanctuary" (v. 17), and it evidently alludes to the holy place which God purposed to have built for Himself-in the midst of His people and in the "mountain of His inheritance,” in the land of promise. But God anticipated this blessing in the wilderness, and gave directions to His people to make Him a sanctuary, that He might dwell among them. This sanctuary was also called the "tabernacle," a word which properly means " a dwelling-place." God said to Moses, "Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them; according to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it." (Exod. xxv. 8, 9.) This earthly tabernacle, “the figure and shadow of heavenly things," served to make known,

* This translation may well be doubted. The thought of dwelling in the midst of His people came from Jehovah Himself. (See below.) -ED.