truth, and another thing to have it with the Lord Himself. And I join in judgment with one who has lately written thus: "The dispensational aspect of truth must be secondary to that which is eternal. The exclusive or disproportionate study of dispensational truth has frequently engendered that knowledge which puffeth up to the weakening of the love which buildeth up. Often may be heard students on this lower form speak slightingly of others much more deeply rooted in Christ than themselves, by reason of their non-acquaintance with theories which were often mere human speculations grafted on the truth of God." And he adds: "there is a possibility of being dazzled in the stead of being illuminated by light."

For myself, I desire thankfully to listen to these words, and to take the admonition and warning they convey to myself. They are seasonable and healthful.

FROM THE GERMAN.

Observe, my soul, thy blessed Lord:
Whither He beckons-Go.

Does He lead on? Then hasten forth:
Does He hold back? Stand thou.

When He commends thee, stoop thou low;
While absent, in Him rest;

When He chastises, then say thou

"I need it, Lord, 'tis best."

When He, His truth, in blessèd grace,
Now here, now there displays,
Rejoice in this, that others learn
His mercy and His ways.

If He thy services demands,
Spring up with glad delight;
Or, if He give thee not a word,
Be still as in His sight.

In short, O Lord, with my whole heart,
From this day to the end,

In scorn, or want, or sorrow deep,

On thee I would attend!

Free Translation.

No. XIV.

THE TRUE DAY OF ATONEMENT.

ZECH. XII. 9-14, xIII. 1-9.

In this brief passage, the Spirit of God has portrayed a scene of surpassing beauty and depth, comprising in a few words what the human pen (could it ever have handled it) would have taken pages to give expression to, and evidencing by every touch that the sketch is wholly divine. It is a scene of no human action or exploit; or even such as we find in other parts of Scripture where man is made an instrument in God's hand for His work.

What we have here presented to us, is a still deeper thing that of souls already renewed, wrought on by God.

Thus, its interest is wholly moral and spiritual; it is the exercise of hearts acted on by the Spirit of God; a picture such as Scripture delights to delineate for us; and to represent the effect produced by such action in all its variety; be it that of joy, gladness, conviction, sorrow, or exercise as the case may be.

Here it is that of mourning and affliction, but affliction of a high order, because not produced by any fear of judgment or retribution; not impaired in its character by any personal anxiety; but in all the depth of that godly sorrow which worketh repentance," that which the Holy Ghost produces, when it ploughs up the heart and conscience to an estimate of sin, in the light not only of holiness, but of love; when personal conviction produces sorrow of that truth and character, which Ehough aware that all judgment is borne, melts the heart n the sense of what it has been toward love, goodness, perfection, which adores that love, that perfection, as in exercise towards itself, and while relieving it from all sense of condemnation, probes it in its deepest afFections, and awakens its fullest adoration.

We know, or should know what this is in individual experience. We know that it is the Lord's way to deal with our hearts about their sin and failure, in the most searching manner, after we are at home with Him, and all sense of judgment or retribution is removed. We know that the purification of the affections is not only a subsequent, but in one sense a deeper and more painful process than that of the conscience. More painful to the heart that loves; though less anxious and personal, because it grieves, not in fear of loss or forfeiture, but in the presence of Love, which "heaps coals of fire on its head."

In order to bear this process, the affections must be prepared by the conscience being previously set at rest; but when all is passed through, then comes the power, the joy, the communion; the renewed bindings, and consecration of the heart to Christ, under a sense of what He is in His intrinsic worth, and what He is and has been to us amid all our sin.

All God's ways preserve such perfect harmony and consistency, that His education of the individual soul is but a miniature of His large dispensational plans. While the variety of His dealings with His people is boundless, the variety is only in means and adaptation; the aim, purpose, bearing and moral order is ever the same; so that be the circle large or small; be it an individual or a class, a company or a nation, the same lines can be traced throughout: the human heart is the same, and God's purpose to bring it near to Himself, never changing.

Here then is a scene of this character. We find a whole nation put into that crucible which God so constantly employs for individuals. It is not a work of conversion; that had all been gone through before. It is the probing and deepening of affections already renewed; the judging of sin in the light of a presence not unknown, but brought into closer proximity.

In view of such a scene, we naturally ask when and where does it take place? What is the subject of itWho are the actors therein?-and the answer to each of these queries, greatly increases the interest of the whole.

As to the first enquiry, we learn by ver. 9, that it will take place when "all nations which come up against Jerusalem shall be destroyed, which event we know will be the winding up of the last week of judgment, when Christ shall come forth for the deliverance of His suffering people, according to the details of Isaiah lxiii. and Rev. xix; so that this passage (ver. 9) at once carries us on beyond that era.

As to the second, we also learn that it takes place in Jerusalem, that centre of Jewish association and blessing. Thirdly-What gives rise to the mourning, is the sight of one who "was wounded in the house of His friends" (Rom. xiii. 6).

Fourth-The mourners consist of a body of peoplea nation; every part, class, and moral element of which is expressed by four individuals, the history and calling of whom represent the different parts of the whole, as well as the implication of each in the perpetration of some great deed of blood, the remembrance of which awakens the feelings and emotions here described.

And what is the character of these feelings? It is "bitterness," such as is felt for an "only one," a "first born," a fit expression for Him, who was at once the first, last, and centre of the hearts of these convicted and sorrowing ones!... In a word, we have here, the whole Jewish nation, already quickened and delivered, but acted on thus by the personal presence, and a nearer view of Christ, their once rejected Messiah, and thus brought to estimate in their hearts and affections, what was the depth of their sin in rejecting and crucifying Him.

It is generally thought, that the action here described, is one of conversion;-that of a heretofore unbelieving people, renewed on the personal appearance of Christ, as their Messiah. But that cannot be. For what is "the nation"—the earthly people, at least what is owned as such by God-but the remnant," the "residue,"-" the third part brought through the fire"-the " shaking of the olive tree," "the new wine in the cluster ?" And this remnant we find in the Revelation, sealed for preservation before the week opens; converted during the week, delivered at the close of it, so that what is here

described, must be subsequent to the above events, and an additional outpouring of the "Spirit of grace and supplication, on the house of David, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem." And still more, we find here the whole nation, not only Judah; but Israel also, uniting in the mourning. Now we know that Israel, the ten tribes will not have returned to the land, as described in Isaiah xi. 11-16, until after the Lord has appeared for the deliverance of Judah, until the 1290 days, which we read of in Dan. xii. 11, have expired. The whole nation is here most completely represented by the four individual houses and their families, which are seen mourning apart. "The family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei (or Simeon) apart, and their wives apart. All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart." Here is an epitome of the nation in its moral standing the king and the prophet, the priest and the people, all mourning individually, each of whom represents an element of the nation, and, taken together, comprise it in its civil, political, and ecclesiastical aspect. What other element could be found in the Jewish nation, besides the king and the people; the prophet and the priest? Each of these a representative of a component part of the whole, and each and all are brought before us here, mourning apart" as God's way of teaching us that the whole redeemed nation, without any exception, will in that day be brought under this searching process.

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But, still more-why, we may ask, are these four particular houses chosen as representatives of their class? Why is David chosen out of the kings, and Nathan out of the prophets, Simeon and Levi out of the tribes? Because the relation of the mourners here to the sin mourned for is not only national, but also personal. It is a case of personal conviction, and, therefore, it not only overrides in its individuality natural relationships (for their families are mourning apart, and their wives apart); but four individuals are introduced as repre