But we have LIFE; for we are in Christ, who is our life; we are alive unto God in our Lord Jesus Christ. A risen Christ, who is the other side of death, is our life; we have therefore resurrection-life, a life that lives beyond the region of death. It is not a prolonged natural life, but spiritual life; not life for a time, but for ever—eternal life; for, as we are told here, Christ is our life. It is a life therefore inseparable from a risen Christ, a glorified Saviour, who has triumphed over the grave and Satan and death for us, after having answered in justice and righteousness for all our sin and guilt. This is life indeed, as imperishable as Christ Himself; for He is our life. This could not have been an actual fact till after the death of Jesus; for He tells us so. He said, "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." (John xii. 24.) Thus it is perfectly clear that the death of Christ was actually necessary to be accomplished before others could be associated with Him. Prior to His death He was solitary and alone, loving others intensely, ministering to them unceasingly; but until He died He was alone. Life in Him, union with Him, as precious realities, could not be, then, till after His death, and therefore in resurrection and ascension. Precious truth indeed for our hearts! for we are told now as a positive fact for present joy and strength, not only that we have died, but that we have life: "Your life is hid with Christ in God."

If we remember the gracious words of our adorable Lord, we must be aware that His great object in coming was to give us this life. He said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John x. 10.) Now what could this more

abundant life mean but this spiritual life, risen life, we are now considering? It is life in the Spirit, life in Christ, eternal life, which God now gives to every one that believeth. We find, therefore, in John's first epistle, that one object which he had in writing it was, that they "might know that they have eternal life." "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." It would seem that some believers in the apostle's day did not know that they had the present possession of eternal life: and how few appear to know it and enjoy it in our day! He therefore had it laid on his heart by God the Holy Ghost to write so plainly about it, that all believers might know as a present fact that they have eternal life. He tells them also that it is a free gift of God, and that it is in Christ. He says, "He that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son." This shows the terrible profanity of the unbeliever; for God speaks, and he will not believe what God says. He then tells us what God publishes for men to believe. He says, "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son." (1 John v. 10-13.) Here two things are set before us; first, that eternal life is God's gift in rich and free mercy, as we elsewhere read, "The gift of God is eternal life through (or in) Jesus Christ our Lord;" and secondly, that "this life is in His Son;" that is, in Him who is risen and ascended, as our text sets forth: "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear." It is not merely that He has given us the present possession of eternal life-true, most blessedly true, as it is-but that this life is risen-life, and not separated from

Christ Himself; for Christ is our life. Oh, how blessed this is! while he that believeth on Him hath everlasting life, yet that this life is in His Son; so while we look up into the face of the Lord Jesus in the glory, and know Him as our life, yet that same life being in us, we can assuredly say that Christ liveth in us. Our life is therefore so bound up with the Son of God, that it is further said: "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." No words can more plainly or positively express a truth so eternally solemn and vital.

We have thus seen, from the teaching of Scripture, that the believer has died with Christ, and is risen with Christ; that his present standing is not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, in Christ; that he has life, new life, risen-life, in Christ; that not in the flesh, and not of the world, all his springs and resources are in Him who is his life. Practical Christian life, therefore, consists in drawing all we need from Christ, living upon Him, and looking to Him for every thing; hence the apostle says, "The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." (Gal. ii. 20.)

The hope therefore of such, and we may add certainty too, is glory. "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory." What assurance and confidence this inspired language imparts! Could a more decided mode of expression be used? It reminds us of our blessed Lord's saying, 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;" for it connects the present possession of everlasting life with the certain enjoyment of future glory. And how

could it possibly be otherwise? for if Christ, who is in the glory, be our life, how could He come forth in manifested glory without us? Nor is there such a thought in His loving heart; for we are sure from His own lips that He desires to have us with Him where He is. Oh the unspeakable blessedness of the hope of glory! To see His face, be with Him, and like Him, and then to come forth in manifested glory with Him, when the world will certainly know that the Father has loved us as He has loved Jesus, all to the praise of the glory of His grace, what more could we wish? That the world will see us in glory with the Lord Jesus there can be no doubt; for the sons of God will be manifested. That they will see the Lord Jesus is certain; for "behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him." They will not glorify and admire us, but glorify and admire Him who has so loved us, and brought us to share His glory. They will not say then what a wonderful saint that was, but what a wonderful Christ! what amazing grace God has displayed! for "the Lord will be revealed from heaven, in flaming fire, to execute vengeance," &c., "when He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe." Now He is glorified by His faithful ones; then He will be glorified in them. I need not say this appearing of the Lord, and our manifestation with Him, follows our having been caught up to meet Him in the air. It is public manifestation; and, blessed be God, it is a fact, whether we know its power and comfort or not, that when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory.

ABRAHAM OFFERING UP ISAAC.

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GENESIS xxii.

HIS was a remarkable trial of Abraham's faith.

He had often been tested before, but not in this

way. He had been tried by famine in the land, and failed by going down into Egypt. He had been sorely tried in family rule by being obliged to turn Ishmael out of the house. He had waited for many years in his old age for the fulfilment of the divine promise to give him a son, and, hoping against hope, accounted that God was able to perform what He had promised; so, after he had patiently endured, he received the child Isaac as God's precious and peculiar gift. But time passed on. Isaac grew up. For many years he had been the delight of fond and godly parents, and most unexpectedly the aged patriarch was called upon to give him back to God-to surrender this gift which His own sovereign mercy had bestowed. And, strange to say, in this severest trial his faith and obedience most blessedly shine forth. The reason of this, no doubt, was, that the trial met him when in communion with God. The emergency found him calling on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God, at Beer-sheba, as the concluding verses of the preceding chapter shew; so that when God called he had no question to settle, no errors to set right, no matters for self-judgment to