cations in the house of God.

Domestic love

embraces too narrow a circle, and social love is too much blended with self love, to be types of that attachment which, like the principle of gravitation linking star to star throughout the universe, however they differ in glory, links spirit to spirit throughout heaven, without partiality and without hypocrisy. There they love each other "for the truth's sake which dwelleth in them, and shall be in them; and because God and the Lamb love them all with a perfect love.

It is only in the church that this principle is acted on, or recognized. And, if it be too little acted on there,—and, alas, it is so! still it has no power nor place in any other form of society. Cordial love to God and the Lamb, is no condition of membership, and no current claim for esteem, in any secular association of men. Neither political nor commercial bodies, as such, judge of men by their conformity to the image of God, nor by their love to the Saviour. Whilst, therefore, I would neither hide nor palliate the sad deficiency of brotherly love which prevails in our churches, I boldly maintain that nowhere else is there any semblance of that love which makes heaven so lovely. Love "for the truth's sake" is dis

.

owned or overlooked in all temporal confederations. Some of these may maintain religious tests; but, in general, real personal religion is no recommendation to office, and no plea for influence in the world. It is impossible, there, to learn the spirit, the motives, or the forms of that love, which will blend and bind all heaven in eternal harmony. Except by contrast, no one was ever led to think of heaven by the aspect or the spirit of any secular assembly. But, in a church, that deserves the name, let any number of new and real converts come forward, or any number of old converts evince a new measure of piety, and both will be welcomed and loved on the single ground of their love to Christ. An accession to the church in heaven could not be more sure of a cordial welcome from saints and angels, than true penitents may be here from all whose love is worth possessing. On all the hills of Zion, as on Mount Sion, there is joy over one sinner that repenteth. Unless, therefore, we exclude from meetness for the inheritance of the saints in light, the love which unites them, we must acknowledge that the house of God is the gate of heaven; for, nowhere else is there any public recognition of the grand principle which unites that general assembly, "Receive one

another, even as Christ hath received you," is a lesson not to be learnt in the world.

Is this, then, a part of the meetness for heaven, that we are cultivating? Or, are we taking our chance of catching the spirit of celestial love at the gates of the New Jerusalem? Why not take our chance of becoming holy there, without following holiness here? We dare not hazard our souls on that experiment. All our ideas and hopes of heaven constrain us to follow holiness. Why? If because it is declared to be necessary, so also is brotherly love. "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God, whom he hath not seen? There is nothing said of holiness, more solemn, or heart-searching, or authoritative than this. And this is the law of the house of God, just because it is the gate of heaven. Love is no more left to

be optional, or to be made nience, than holiness is so.

a matter of conveThe one is as bind

ing as the other; and both equally a part of meetness for heaven.

Now, it is by keeping the eternal love and

fellowship of the saints in light habitually before our minds, that we shall best grow in this grace of the Spirit. Nothing is so effectual in preventing and healing breaches amongst brethren, as the consideration that they will be cordial friends in heaven to all eternity. A moment of this thought makes us look foolish, and feel guilty, whenever we are conscious of an unchristian temper towards a fellow heir of eternal life. Even if he is much in fault, we dare not contemplate meeting him in glory, before we forgive him,

No. VIII.

ETERNITY REALIZED AT THE SACRAMENT.

WHATEVER may be the present state of our views or feelings in regard to the sacramental supper of the Lamb, our first approach to his table was unfeignedly and peculiarly solemn. This was the case, whether that approach was made in much hope, or in much fear; in joy, or in doubt. If hope predominated in our minds, it did so, as it reigns in the mind of a dying Christian, who is departing "in peace;" -as solemnly as sweetly. It was as thoughtful and prayerful, as it was soothing. It was a hope "clothed with humility," and quivering with holy awe. Even if joy predominated, it, too, was emphatically "a holy joy." Tears, rather than words, were the chief expression of it. It was as retiring as it was intense. Solitude, not publicity, was its chosen element.