believe in Him is to have forgiveness of sins and the gift of everlasting life.

This, dear reader, is the good part which shall not be taken away. May it be yours. It is offered freely-the word of life.' Oh, it is indeed a vital question which we would ask-"what do you think of the words of Jesus?" Pilate scorned them, and afterwards crucified the Lord of life and glory! Mary received them, believed them, found peace and happiness in them, and will rejoice in the love of Jesus through the countless ages of eternity!

Alas! how slow men are to receive that unspeakable blessing-the word of life! How hard it is to accept God's declarations about us and about His beloved Son! How easy, on the other hand, to treat mere words as very worthless, and to despise Him who uttered them! Men may even admire the spirit of Mary, yet never take her place; and they may condemn the awful guilt of Pilate, yet indulge the same evil heart of pride and unbelief. They suffer Truth to be brought before them a thousand times, but refuse to hear it in their hearts, and consequently die in their sins.

REPORTS OF SCRIPTURE MEETINGS.

'Search the Scriptures.'-(John v. 39.)

At a Scripture Meeting recently held at No. 12, Tabernacle-walk, Finsbury-square, the following observations were made, the passage studied being John vi. 28-40. The Jews said, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Men always ask what they shall do, but God sets us first upon believing and then upon doing. Perverse and proud natural man still tries to reverse God's order; but Jesus says to them, as He said to the Jews, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent. But men want more proof; they say What sign showest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? craving more evidence than they have got in the Holy Word, and think theirs is a hard case if Christians cannot furnish it to their satisfaction. This was just the position of the Jews; they had recently beheld the Lord feed five thousand with five barley loaves and two small fishes, and were actually following the Lord expecting to be fed in the same manner again and again, and yet they wickedly ask for a sign! Besides this miracle, they had others, for we read in the beginning of the chapter that 'a great multitude followed Him, because they saw his miracles.' And yet they wanted a sign! The whole narrative shows the insufficiency of eyesight to produce faith. If, therefore, the words of Jesus are insufficient nothing better can be had, not even the appearance of one from the dead.' (Luke xvi. 31.)

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Jesus is God's sign and evidence of his love; the manna in the desert was a sign to the Israelites that God loved them (ver. 31). Jesus is a sign to us and to all, of God's mercy; 'My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven; for the bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. I am the bread of life; he that cometh to

me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.' The soul of the believer is satisfied by Jesus as the Saviour, and kept satisfied by Him as the Good Shepherd, for he that believeth in me shall go in and out and find pasture.'

How constantly Jesus said He came not to do his own will, but the Father's (ver. 38, 39, 40), and yet his will and the Father's were one; and our blessedness and strength will be in proportion to our conscious oneness of will with the Father and the Son.

In the 40th verse we read 'that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day.' Let the reader have no difficulty about 'seeing' Jesus, for the eve of faith does see Him, as Paul says (Heb. ii. 9), 'We see Jesus, who was made,' &c.

A meeting for study of the Scriptures has been held for some weeks past at No. 2, Old Street Road.* At the last meeting, Saturday, Feb. 4th, the subject proposed for consideration by a friend who came in, was REPENTANCE. Passages were read from Acts ii. and xvii., from which it was seen that God first sent the command by Peter to the Jews, and afterwards by Paul to all men everywhere, to repent. It was also observed that the call thus made by God upon his creatures was not that they should put themselves though a course of penitential sorrow (as many erroneously suppose), but that they should turn from their opposition to, and ignorance of Himself, and accept the Salvation He has provided by and in his only-begotton Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

the call to repentance was but as it were the forerunner of the It was further shown, by reference to various Scriptures, that glad tidings conveyed in the words "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." This is seen in the person and work of John the Baptist. He came preaching repentancethe courses they had been following, which were contrary to the that is, he proclaimed to the people that they must turn from Divine mind, and look to One in their midst who was henceforth to be the Saviour, Teacher, and Guide of all who would regard Him as the Sent-one of God.

The call to repent is a warning voice telling men they are hurrying to destruction, seeking to arrest them in their downward course, and claiming their attention to the voice of God. But even as the ministry of John the Baptist was absorbed into, rather than superseded by, that of the Lord Jesus Christ, so God's command to all men to repent is included in the glad tidings proclaimed by the Lord himself 'That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' Therefore, after the Lord Jesus had suffered the death of the cross, (having finished the work his Father had given him to do-having laid in the grave and risen triumphant over all our enemies,) He issued the world-wide proclamation of Salvation to all who shall believe in Him, Go ye into all the world, and baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned.' (Mark xvi. 15, 16.)

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preach the gospel to every creature; he that believeth and is

Here we have no separate call to repentance; yet in the very act of putting trust in Christ by faith there is of necessity a turning from everything else, and this is the true act of

repentance.

No doubt deep sorrow and contrition for sin are often the first manifestation of the power of the word of God in the soul, but this is not repentance unto life,' according to Scripture. In truth, repentance is not an expression of feeling, but a determined conformity to the command of God.

We are requested to state that the meeting hitherto held as Half-past 7 o'clock, at No. 47, RAWSTORNE-STREET, Goswell-road, above will be continued, if the Lord will, each Saturday evening at at which place is also held a Scripture Meeting each Lord's Day Afternoon at 3 o'clock and Wednesday at 74. All Christians are invited. The unconverted are also welcome to attend-but only believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are permitted to speak. Controversy is carefully avoided.

Read the chapter referred to, and say if the whole present condition of things does not answer to the description of the 'City of Confusion'? Whatever section of men's pursuits you examine-Politics, War, Commerce, Education, Science, Religion-looking at each part of the globe in detail, or taking in, at a glance, the whole scene, a Christian must readily admit the prophet's exact description, and own we are living in the City of Confusion.'

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But this confusion is especially seen in the religious condition of the world, and the reader, perhaps, discerns and mourns over the fact that he is a dweller in the City of Confusion.' Do you not sometimes feel bewildered by the confusion of teaching and ideas which exists around you? Are you not tired of man's inventions and improvements in spiritual things? Is not failure stamped upon all? You may admit this, and, for that very reason, fear to listen to a new adviser. There is no lack of teachers, no lack of monitors-it is emphatically true of our time, that men heap to themselves teachers having itching ears.' Unsought advice, too, pours in on every side. However, amid all the agitation and din, thank God, the voice of Scripture is heard: (oh, that it may rise clearer, and still clearer.) But, alas, as yet, what havoc has been made by the misapplication of parts of the Word of God! How obscured is some of the truth! The Word' is almost made of none effect by men's traditions. We gladly own, however, that Christians do contend for the whole Bible,' and will not suffer it to be mutilated, either by professors or infidels; but how few own practically that emphatic statement in 2 Tim. iii. 16—‘ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works'! It is in the light of this Scripture we would show the Christian reader the way out of the City of Confusion; but it will be in vain for you to attempt to follow us unless willing to abide by ALL that is written in the Word of God. The mere word of man must be held to be absolutely of No account. Are you not exhorted to prove all things, and hold fast that which is good'? and what is the only proof, the only test, the only measure, but the Scriptures? We must prove all things by them. What saith the Scripture ?' must settle every other question.

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First, then, touching the question of SALVATION: What saith the Scripture'? As to

1. Its COMPREHENSIVENESS. 'God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' Do you implicitly believe in this declared love of God, and the way in which he has proved that love?

2. A PRESENT BLESSING. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.' Do you believe that, as a believer, you have got everlasting life through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God? Do you believe that, according to this Scripture, faith in Jesus is the only thing which makes you to differ from those upon whom the wrath of God abideth? 3. ITS CERTAINTY AND SECURITY.-' Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.' Have you been content hitherto with a kind of hope that through faith in Christ you may be saved at last, yet fearing some fatal temptation might cut you off from God's free mercy and love? We

pray you, dismiss all such God-dishonouring fears, and trust(not yourself, but) Jesus. Consider his words-'My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.' Do you believe this clear and precious declaration of your Saviour? It is needful to your present peace-it is needful to a right understanding of the rest of the Word of God-it is needful to your faithful walk, as an adopted son or daughter of God— that you believe these declarations of your absolute security in Christ. Remember it is He who has said you shall never perish. But that you may be sure you ought to have confidence in forgiveness obtained, and eternal life already given, we quote one other Scripture, which leaves no room for further question. "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.'-(1 John v. 13.)

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4. WHO IT IS THAT PRESERVES US UNTO THE END.-We are not only thus blessedly assured of our safety, but our Lord has, in wondrous love, informed us how we are kept secure. To understand this, however, faith must be in exercise. Still the exhortation is-trust 'the Word,' trust in Jesus. 'In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your Salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession.' (Eph. i. 13, 14) This was a new manifestation of the wondrous love of God. Under the Jewish dispensation, and indeed in all ages, the Holy Spirit of God wrought upon and with all who believed God; consequently, a holy man of old could pray Take not thy holy Spirit from me;' and when our blessed Lord Jesus was on earth he said to his disciples-'If ye being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask it?' In the following words Jesus shows the difference of the mode of the Spirit's influence before and after his death:'I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.' (John xiv. 16.) Thus the Spirit indwells all believers. This was altogether an unlookedfor blessing, the unspeakable importance of which was little understood at that time, and has, alas! been forgotten by thousands of Christians in every succeeding generation, though the promise has been strictly fulfilled. When the Lord appeared to the disciples after he had completed the amazing work of atonement by which we have forgiveness of sins, He commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. And so it came to pass: on the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the assembly of believers (about one hundred and twenty persons, according to the above-named scripture), and, as we learn by the continuation of the Sacred Word, the gift is confirmed to all who, in sincerity, own the name of Jesus. It is of unspeakable importance that this truth of the abiding presence of the Holy Ghost IN all believers be fully received. As we have said, faith alone can realise either the fact or the resulting blessing. Reason may ask, with Nicodemus,' How can these things be'? and if we look at what we are in ourselves, we may well be confounded in the presence of this sublime expression of God's love. But we must remember that emphatic declaration, The blood of Jesus Christ, his (God's) Son cleanseth from all sin.' Our heavenly Father has proved to us how absolutely we are cleansed by the precious blood of Christ, for the Holy Ghost could not possibly indwell an impure habitation; and we are declared to be 'temples of the Holy Ghost.' It is a common error among earnest Christians to pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the world for the purpose of conversion; but a little reflection upon that which the word of God teaches ought to convince all that, until belief in Christ has brought the cleansing efficacy of his blood to the soul, it is impossible for the Holy Spirit of God to take up his abode there. Every instance recorded in