who reject Christ no more sacrifice for sin, but "a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries."

"Driven away." Whither? The body into the dust -the cold damp grave, the soul into the bottomless pit. "Driven away." "God's Word is the lamp to our feet, and a light to our path." Heed not what men and false teachers say.

Is

(2) Secondly, there is implied here an awful and tremendous personal reluctance. It is not written that the wicked goes away, but "is driven away." God knows how unwillingly he goes. He is driven away. Many a day the Spirit of God sought to draw him, but his drawing days are over now, and he is "driven away." It implies, also, that all he cares for is left behind. No wonder death is an awful thing to the worldly man. All before him is unknown, untasted; his plans are all here, his wealth here, his comforts here, his hopes here, his aspirations here. Give him health, time, influence, and power here, and he will not ask God for more. any marvel to hear, when he is to part with all, that he is "driven away"? Oh, that future,-dark, dark, to the ungodly! The man clings to life, and no wonder. I have seen many deathbeds of such men-God forbid I should ever see another !—and I have heard them say, "We know what we have got here, but we know not where we are going." I have heard the cry, "I cannot die-I will not die!" Brother, you must die. Oh, the fearful end of the man who knows not God! It is not like the gathering of the harvest, rich with grain, into the Father's garner; but it is like the uprooting of the oak, shivered by the lightning and prostrated before the

it

storm: not like the well-trimmed ship, bending to the breeze, and entering the harbour of desired rest, but like a wreck on an unknown shore. "The wicked is driven away in his wickedness.”

(3) In the third place, it is implied here that there is a fearful retention of character. The only thing you can take into the next world is your character. The whole discipline of life here is to form character in the future world. You will find an inseparable connection between the man and his character: "The wicked is driven away in his wickedness." Oh, wicked man, thou carriest thy wickedness with thee, and that is all. You leave your wealth, your name, everything, behind; but your character goes with you. Your thoughts, tastes, aspirations, desires, guilt, and enmity to God, like millstones, hang around your neck, and so you go downward, downward, downward! "The wicked is driven away in his wickedness."

We remember that solemn passage in Rev. xxii. 11, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still he which is filthy, let him be filthy still." I ask you, in the name of Scripture and common sense, what is to make the change then? Your time of opportunity is here. they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." Now is the accepted time, when the Spirit strives, and the blood is being sprinkled; but there will be no Spirit-striving or blood-sprinkling in the grave. The man who resists the yearning of the heart of the Father in Heaven; the man who resists the love of Him who came down to earth, and was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our "iniquities," and has gone back to

heaven, having conquered death and hell; the man who can resist or neglect so great salvation, what is to win him when he dies?

"The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death." Oh, the contrast! a rest and relief to one's heart to think of it! Not "driven away," but a glad surrender: "Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit."

The tabernacle not torn off, but put off: "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." Stephen was not the only one who saw Jesus when the shadow of death was upon him. How often have I stood by the side of a death-bed of Christians, and heard them say, "I see Him, I see my Jesus!" Brethren, be wise. God is dealing with our reasons, affections, judgment. Be not fools. The world tries to win you; pleasure tries to win you. "What will it profit a man, if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?"

"The righteous hath hope in his death." What is his hope? Christ is his hope. "The city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God," lies before him. He is anticipating the time when he shall stand among the white-robed multitude, "who have washed. their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb," when they shall "hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." (Rev. vii. 14-17.) "Their sun shall no more go

down, and the days of their mourning shall be ended.”

I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth : Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them." (Rev. xiv. 13.) A glorious home is before them, a Father's arms await them, a Saviour's love is ready to embrace them, the rest of God to rest them, the joy of God to be their portion, and the God of joy to be their crown. The Apostle Paul is not the only man who has been taught to say, "I have a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better." We go where we love to go; and we love to go to Him, because we have learnt to love Him. "The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death."

XXI.

Dialogue between Major D. W. Whittle and Rev. Marcus Rainsford.

MAJOR WHITTLE-A man said to me the other

night that he had been reading infidel works; and that there was a difficulty in his mind as to whether there was a living God. "Prove to me," said he, "that there is a God; make it as plain as that two and two make four." Mr Rainsford, what would you say to such a man?

Mr. Rainsford-I must say a word or two before I answer the question. No fallen sinner can know God, or understand His mind and will, unless he receive the Spirit of God. (See 1 Cor. ii. 9-13.) You might as well talk of colours to a blind man and expect him to understand you, as of spiritual things to a man whose soul is dead in trespasses and sins. "Ye must be born again." God has said: "Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, shall in no wise enter therein." But if we ask the Holy Spirit to take of the things of Christ and show them to us, He will do so; and then the answers I give will be profitable to us. I do not come to answer curious questions. The Lord Jesus never