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dead! And now let it be a call to you, as that trumpet was to John, Rev. iv. 1, Come up hither, about these things.

He will raise it to life again : "Can these dry bones live?" They can. They shall. Mortality will be swallowed up. He will say unto it-live: new make man out of the dust of the ground. Even the sea shall give up the dead and death itself must let go its hold of them. If there had been no Redeemer, probably the soul and body had been for ever separated, and that had been the misery of the soul. But now to the wicked the re-union will be their misery.

He will make it like his own glorious body. It shall not only live, but be happy and glorious, Phil. iii. 21. It will not be such a cloud and clog to the soul as it is now. (See 1 Cor. xv. 42.) It will become even a spiritual body, fitted for a world of spirits.

He will present soul and body together to the Father. He will give a good account of his trust, Heb. ii. 13. What a glorious return will he make with the bodies of the saints-he will be glorified. Use I. This speaks duty to all of us. 1. Let us think highly and honourably of the Lord Jesus. Now consider how great this man is, who is himself the resurrection and the life, John xi. 25. Think of the glories of his undertaking. What a vast undertaking it was. What he undertook to do for them. From first to last 'tis all miracle. What none else could do.

2. Let us by faith set before us the great things of the last day: the glorious transactions of that day, as it is called, 2 Tim. i. 18: that great and terrible day, Acts ii. 20: that day of the Lord, 2 Pet. iii. 10. What days may be on earth when we are gone, perhaps we are not much concerned about,—but the last day we shall each of us be interested in. Every eye shall see him that comes then, Rev. i. 7. The raising of the dead will make it a terrible day.

3. Let frequent, serious, thoughts of that day abate our concern about all the things of this present time. Of what small importance are those days in comparison with that day. Think you hear the sound of the last trumpet,-Arise ye

4. Let this engage us to honour them that fear the Lord. You see what great things are designed for them. Take heed, then, that you despise not any of these little ones. Christ will raise them up. Do not you then trample upon them. But let them be your people.

5. Let us give all diligence to make sure a joyful resurrection. We often press you to prepare for death; will you prepare for the resurrection? Commit your souls to Christ, and his custody. Submit them to his government. Think with what terror and confusion the wicked will rise even those that died very securely, Rev. vi. 15, 16. They will be brought out of their graves as prisoners to be executed.

Use II. This speaks duty to believers that have au interest in this precious promise, that are the children of God, and shall be the children of the resurrection.

1. Own the great obligations you lie under to the Lord Jesus. It is he that hath conquered death for you, and enabled you to triumph over it, and to look with comfort on the other side it. Thanks be to God who gives us such a victory, such a triumph, 1 Cor. xv.

2. Know whom you have trusted: in whose hands you have lodged the great deposition. He is one that is "able" to keep it. (See 2 Tim. i. 12.) Be not ashamed of your confidence, for it will not make you ashamed. Let your faith and hope grow to a full assurance-as Job in distress, Job xix. 25.

3. Let every one that has this hope purify himself, 1 John iii. 3. Keep yourselves unspotted from the world, for your happiness lies in another world: from the flesh, for flesh and blood shall not inherit this. Purify yourselves from all corrupt appetites and passions. Stoop not to do anything unworthy your hopes.

4. Glorify God with your bodies. Do nothing to dishonour God with them. Make your bodies instruments of righteousness to the glory of God, Rom. xii. 1.

Use them as strength in his service, 1 Cor. vi. 20. Let your bodies now be temples of the Holy Ghost; not only pure, but employed in his service, devoted to his honour.

5. Be cheerful in sufferings-under sickness and pain. This poor body that is thus shattered shall be raised, not only for ever free from all its present ailments, but be a glorious body. Especially let this encourage us to suffer for righteousness sake, if called to it: as it did those martyrs, Heb. xi. 35, &c.

6. Despair not of relief in the greatest straits and difficulties. He that will raise you up at the last day, can raise you up from your present dejections as to spirit or estate, be the case never so bad. God can make dry bones to live: as Israel in Babylon; bring up from the depths of the earth, Psa. lxxi. 20, Jonah.

7. Sorrow not, as those that have no hope, for the death of your Christian

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PICTURES FROM LIFE.
No. I.

THE DYING MINISTER.

"Why should we weep for those who die,
Those blessed ones who weep no more?
Jesus hath call'd them to the sky,
And gladly have they gone before."

MANY years have rolled away, and conveyed multitudes of immortal beings to that world where their destiny is sealed for ever, since the writer was called to visit, under peculiarly affecting circumstances, a valued brother in the gospel ministry, to whom he was tenderly attached, and to occupy his pulpit. The mortal career of that servant of Jesus Christ was rapidly coming to a close, and, under the influence of the spirit of a Christian disciple, he was waiting for the salvation of God.

The disorder under which our friend so distressingly laboured was dropsy, and his sufferings at times were intense and agonising. The utmost medical attention was shown him, and the greatest medical skill was brought to bear on his case; but all to no purpose: his hour was come; his labour in the church was ended; his warfare was accomplished; his crown was soon to be worn in glory!

When the writer arrived at his house, he found him exceedingly ill. He had spent a most restless and distressing He had been long ill; during more night, and his energies were nearly exthan twenty weeks; though at intervals, hausted. At our first interview, after an when his pains were alleviated and his absence of some weeks, it was perceivweaknesses were not so sensibly felt, he able at once how busy disease had been was able to leave his chamber, and re- with him, and how rapidly he was sinkcline on a sofa in his adjoining studying under his disorder. His complexion

a room which was very dear to him.

was wan and livid,

his cheek was

sunken, his whole nervous system was shattered, and everything indicated, that "the earthly house" would shortly be dissolved.

When I entered his chamber, he expressed his pleasure as well as he was able in seeing me; he endeavoured to grasp my hand, as he had been wont to do, but could not-the physical power was gone. He looked at me affectionately, and, after a short pause, observed, “You have come to see, and to help, a dying brother; one who will preach no more, who will labour no more, who will soon be numbered with the dead. My brother," he continued, "plan while you can; work for God while you can; seek to win souls to Christ while you can. Opportunities may soon close. Let the time of health be fully employed. Nothing now," he added, "occasions me so much regret as this circumstance, that I have done so little for the Saviour."

He sunk back on his pillow exhausted; and the writer, after presenting prayer for him, retired from his chamber, promising to see him, if he were comparatively free from pain, before he went to the place of worship in the morning. That night, however, was a distressing one; he had several paroxysms, and it was painful, most painful, to hear his groans.

The following day, the day of rest, was ushered in by a lovely sabbath morning. The sun rose in all his glory, and everything in nature wore a smile. Our beloved friend was, however, too ill to be seen, and he merely sent a message, expressing a fervent desire to have special supplication presented by the congregation, on his behalf, that he might be resigned to the will of God; that he might be sustained in prospect of the awful change; and that his illness and death might be useful to others. On returning from the house of prayer, I found my valued friend much easier, and his mind very tranquil and happy. His countenance beamed complacently when he saw me enter his room, "God is kind, very kind," he exclaimed; "gracious,

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very gracious; in the midst of merited wrath, he has remembered mercy. I have had a painful night, indeed, but I have rolled my burden on the Lord, and he has sustained me. I am now comparatively comfortable, though my sense of weakness is hard to bear. I should like this afternoon to see you a little, and have, if I am able, a few words with you. Sit with me as much as you can." His request I cheerfully promised to regard.

In the afternoon, as he felt somewhat better, we met, and a solemn and impressive meeting indeed we had. His first wish was to have a few verses of Scripture read, and then a short prayer presented, after which he expressed himself, with many pauses, but with deep seriousness and pathos, in the following manner:-" My brother," said he, "I am a dying man; I shall soon be in eternity; my spirit will soon be with God, and I want, before I go hence, to bear my testimony, my full and dying testimony. I am not ashamed of the gospel. I am not ashamed of Christ. The more I reflect on the gospel, the more I value it. It is, indeed, the truth of God. The more I dwell on the Saviour, the greater does his beauty appear, and the more ardently do I wish to love him; and now that I am going, I hope to the kingdom above, to dwell with the Lamb for ever, I wish to state to you, that you may mention it to my beloved flock, that, for more than forty years I have been preaching Christ, and want no other subject,-have been exhibiting the doctrine of justification by faith in the merits of the Redeemer, and increasingly feel its value and importance; it is a doctrine to me ever rich and ever precious. For nearly half a century I have been endeavouring to explain and apply the work of the Holy Spirit to the understanding and the heart; and I perceive more clearly than at any former period that, without the agency of the Holy Spirit, means are nothing, ministers are empty vessels, and the gospel itself has no power. Tell my people this to-night.

Tell them that this is my dying testimony. Tell them that in this faith I have lived, and that in this faith I wish to die. Earnestly exhort them, my friend, to see with themselves personally that 'Christ is all.'"

In the evening I communicated his dying wishes to his attached and sorrowing people. Every mind seemed to be impressed. Every heart seemed to feel; while the tear flowed freely from many an eye in the assembly; and many a prayer, we have no doubt, was silently presented to heaven, for the dear and suffering servant of Jesus Christ.

My beloved friend was too ill to see me when I returned. Fresh attacks had recurred, of a very alarming kind. I promised to remain the following day, that, perchance, we might have some little conversation together, which might prove to be our last on earth.

me.

About noon, on the day referred to, he rallied in some degree, and expressed a desire to see me once more. I found him propped up in bed, and his head sustained by pillows. I observed a great change. He smiled as I approached him, and remarked, “My brother, I am in the valley, and hope soon to pass safely through it. My Saviour is with I do not yield to fear: He will be my guide even unto death.' I wanted to see you once more. I thought it might be the last opportunity. I can bear little I wish now I had been more anxious to be useful. I have not heard of an instance of usefulness for some time, and I have been somewhat disturbed."—" Disturb yourself no longer," I replied, "for I heard only the day before I left home of an instance of God blessing your labours in a town, eleven miles distant, twenty years ago."

more.

The countenance of my friend suddenly altered, and he cried out earnestly,

most earnestly, "Do tell me, and God shall have the praise."-"I happened," I rejoined, "to enter a house to inquire after a sick woman, and the person to whom the house belonged was anxious to converse on religious subjects. In the course of conversation, your name, my friend, was mentioned. That dear man of God I shall ever have cause to remember, for it was under a sermon of his, twenty years ago, that I first felt my need of Christ, and cried for mercy.' 'I am going,' I said, 'to see him. He is very ill. Shall I mention this to him; it may, perhaps, encourage him?' 'Do, sir,' she replied, and tell him I shall never forget him, and I hope to meet him in heaven.' Now, my brother," I was going to add, "be comforted;" but I was obliged to stop. His eyes were suffused with tears, and they flowed down his pallid cheeks. I was afraid I had gone too far, and said at once, "I hope I shall not bring on a fresh attack." He immediately observed, "Oh no! thank God! thank God! I shall die in peace, rejoicing that another soul has been won to the Lord, that when the bow was drawn at a venture,' the arrow penetrated the heart. It is enough, Lord; it is enough." I left my beloved friend rejoicing. Being obliged to return after this touching interview, I saw no more of this valued and affectionate brother. Two days subsequently he expired peacefully and happily, reposing on the bosom of his Saviour. I attended his funeral, and the ensuing Lord's-day improved his lamented decease, from these simple yet pathetic words, "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth:"

"And thus, when to the silent tomb,
Your lifeless dust, like his, is given,
May faith still whisper, 'midst the gloom,
That yet again, in youthful bloom,
That dust shall smile in Heaven."

T. W.

CHARACTER AND PIETY OF EBEDMELECH, THE ETHIOPIAN.

THE name by which this excellent man is known to us, appears to denote the situation which he held in the house

hold of Zedekiah, the king of Jerusalem. It means the king's servant, as ebed or obed, in Hebrew, signifies a servunt, and

melech, a king. By nation, he was an Ethiopian, and probably a man of colour, though not a negro. He resided in the palace at Jerusalem, as a eunuch, and probably waited upon the king, both in private and in public, as his valet or page.

The native country of Ebedmelech was a land of idols, of spiritual darkness and superstition. But he had become a proselyte to the law of Moses, and the religion of God's peculiar people Israel. How he became such we have no information, all that we know of him being given us in the form of an anecdote in the history of Jeremiah the prophet. He might have been sold to Zedekiah as a slave; for the Israelites had servants "bought with money of strangers," or foreigners. He might, however, have been one of those who had heard of the name and wonderful works of Jehovah, the God of Israel, and came amongst his people in order to know his will, to seek refuge under the shadow of his wings, and to worship and serve him according to his revealed will. In gospel times, we read of another Ethiopian eunuch who came to Jerusalem to worship the God of Israel, and who, in returning to his own country, was employed in reading Isaiah the prophet. In that inspired book he read of a Saviour, in whose sufferings and death the ceremonial law had been fulfilled. He was enabled to understand what he read, and believe to the saving of his soul, so that he "went on his way rejoicing." Ebedmelech appears to have been a man of the same description, though he lived in a less favoured period of the history of the church. He loved and feared the God of Israel; and in so doing he found that "in every nation he that feareth Jehovah, and worketh righteousness, is accepted of him." He came to seek knowledge more valuable than gold, and he found it. He came to seek peace of mind, and he obtained it; for Jehovah received him, and was gracious to him, in a measure far beyond that experienced by many whose outward privileges were greater

but who were destitute of the same "hunger and thirst for righteousness."

Such was the situation of Ebedmelech, that his piety could not have been occasioned by the example of his royal master, or that of the court of Zedekiah. This court was not like that of Hezekiah; nor did it resemble that of Josiah, whose heart was tender, and who humbled himself, when he heard the word of God. The king, not being religious himself, does not appear to have used any proper means to induce his servants to become religious. Many were the stumblingblocks laid in the way of this inquiring Ethiopian. His master at least sanctioned idolatry, and the princes were devoted to it, as we learn from one of the visions of Ezekiel. The law of Moses was therefore despised and neglected, as this pious stranger could not fail to observe. And although he knew Jeremiah, conversed with him, and probably heard him speak in the name of the Lord, he found that the prophet was hated and persecuted by those who were in authority. This was probably enough to induce many to shun him, and pay no attention whatever to his ministry. The religion of the court, right or wrong, was the religion such persons had determined to follow. Whatever had the favour of royalty, or was sanctioned by the great, commanded the attention of those who never thought for themselves, except so far as their own convenience, or temporal interest, seemed to be in question. But Ebedmelech "had another spirit in him." He loved Jehovah for his own sake, and for the truth's sake. He saw that Jeremiah was a man of God, and that the king and his princes were acting in opposition to the Divine authority, and wronging their own souls. Being, therefore, on the Lord's side, and taking a becoming interest in the cause of truth, he was enabled to show it at the risk of his own tranquillity, liberty, and even life itself. Hence, when he beard that the princes had smitten Jeremiah, and cast him into a loathsome dungeon, he repaired to the king, as he sat in the gate

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