or us. By depriving Satan of his power over
death, by expiating that sin which is the sting of death, and so entirely
reversing and counteracting its penal efficacy, Christ hath wrought out
for us a great salvation. And when we commit ourselves to Him, relying
on the efficacy of his atonement, our chains are broken, and our craven
fears are banished. Among the "first words" of newly-converted souls
none are more common or triumphant than these, "I am not afraid to die
now! I have a hope beyond the grave!" It is indeed a mighty
deliverance. What calm, what security, what blessed hope does it
inspire! To lose all fear of the last and greatest of human calamities;
to look into the face of that which was "once an uncouth hideous thing,"
and to find that through our Saviour's death it hath become "most fair
and full of grace;" to see no longer a dark and shrouded fiend arrayed in
mortal terrors, and poising an envenomed dart for the purpose of laying
us low, and compassing our lasting ruin; but a shining and smiling
messenger from the King of kings, bidding us to an everlasting banquet in
his royal palace; is not this true, priceless, boundless liberty,--worth
toiling, striving, suffering, dying for? This flower of immortal hope
blooms for each of us at the foot of the cross. If by the death of Jesus
we gain spiritual life, we shall rejoice in hope of the glory of God, and
shall look forward to the day of our death as the day of our eternal
marriage with the King of glory. Let us not lose this unspeakable
privilege! Let us, by faith in the death of our Lord, secure our freedom
and our birthright! And, as we think of our smitten friends, let us
thank God for their final deliverance from the power of death, and their
admission into everlasting life. Finally, let us more and more glory in
that cross whereby our Saviour Christ "hath abolished death, and hath
brought life and immortality to light."

INCONSIDERATION DEPLORED.
REV. JOSHUA PRIESTLEY.

"And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their
wickedness."--HOSEA vii. 2.

Is it possible for any man to conceive of truths more fitted to arrest
the attention and impress the heart than are those contained in this
volume? It has been said that if a blank book had been put into our
hands, and every one of us had been asked to put into it the promises we
should like to find there, we could not have employed language so
explicit, so exp