ibutes therefore to be arrested. Yet we read of knowledge
in that scene, "it shall vanish away." And why? Is it not because of
the perfect light that there shines? Human knowledge is but a candle,
and what worth is candlelight when the noonday sun shines? It is
overwhelmed, swallowed up, by perfect light. It "vanishes away,"--is
not extinguished, any more than is human knowledge, by the shock of
death or change; but perfection of Light has done away with the very
appearance of imperfection. Now is this not equally and exactly true
of that other part of the divine nature--Love? _Here_ we both know in
part and love in part. _There_ the perfection of Love causes that
which is imperfect--the human affection of the soul--to "vanish away."
The greater swallows up the less. The infinite attraction of the Lord
Jesus--that "glory" which He prayed that we might see (John
xvii.)--overwhelms all lower affections with no rough rude shock as of
death, but by the very superabundance of the bliss. His glory! What
is it but the radiant outshining of His infinitely blessed, infinitely
attractive, divine nature,--Love and Light, Light and Love,--each
swallowing up in their respective spheres every inferior imperfect
reflection of them that we have enjoyed here in this scene of
imperfection, leaving nothing to be desired, nothing missed; allowing
perfect play to every human faculty and affection,--crushing,
extinguishing none. Death has not been permitted to annul these
faculties. The perfect love of the Lord Jesus has outstripped them,
swallowed them up in warmer affections, sweeter communion.

The coming of that precious Saviour is close: just as close is the
fulfillment of those words, "together with them." "He maketh the
clouds His chariots," and in those chariots we are taken home
"together."

_Sixth_.--"To meet the Lord in the air." Another word of divine
comfort, again. How bold the assertion! Its very boldness is
assurance of its truth. It becomes God, and God only, so to speak that
His people may both recognize His voice in its majesty and rest on His
word. No speculation; no argument; no deduction; no reasoning; but a
bare, authoritative statement, startling in its boldness. Not a
syllable of past Scripture on which to build and to give color to it;
and yet _when_ revealed, _when_ spoken, in perfect harmony with the
whole of Scripture. How absolutely impossible for any man to have
conceived that the Lord's