A BIRTH-DAY MEDITATION.

BY THE REV. JAMES SMITH.

"I am the Lord's."-Isaiah xliv. 5.

I have just passed another mile-stone on the road of human life. When I come to one of these mementos, I always stop, pause, reflect, and take a review of the past, in order to improve by the same in the future. On the morning of the day, soon as I awoke, I felt my soul drawn out to God, and was enabled to put myself afresh into his hands, and consecrate myself anew to his service. For whatever changes may take place, I never feel inclined to change my Master. During the morning, I carefully reviewed, as far as I could, the past fifty-three years, and made a full stop at a very solemn transaction that took place between God and my soul just twenty years before. While looking at that circumstance, and reading over an engagement then entered into, the words, "I AM THE LORD's," came home to my mind with power, savour, and sweetness. They were precious, and the assurance realized was delightful. "THE LORD'S!" I wanted no more. It was all my desire. But when thought is once started, it will pursue, and I found myself sweetly engaged with the subject.

Chosen

"I AM THE LORD'S!" The Lord's creature. His handy work. The production of his power. The proof of his wisdom. Not only a creature, but one of the higher order of his creatures. Possessed of intellect, and bearing the stamp of immortality. More than this, I am the Lord's chosen. Chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. to be holy and useful in life. Chosen to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. Chosen to be happy with God, happy as God, for ever and ever. Unspeakable privilege, to be the Lord's choice, one of his chosen ! "Blessed is the man that thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee; he shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house, and thou shalt make him drink of the river of thy pleasure." I am the Lord's child. Adopted into his family, as an act of sovereign grace; created anew in Christ Jesus, as an act of divine power. I bear his name. I possess his nature. Because he adopted me to be his son, he sent forth the Spirit of his Son into my heart, crying, "Father, Father." He drew me to his throne, shone on my soul, won my affections, and called me his child. He put me among the children, united me to his first-born, and thus constituted me an heir of God, and a joint heir with Jesus Christ. I am the Lord's servant. He saved me gratuitously, and then set me to work. He made me his child, gave me a sweet sense of relationship, and then said, "Son, go work to-day in my vineyard.” I went, and thoroughly enjoyed his service. Since then, I have been tempted, tried, and troubled as much as most, more than many; but I have never deserted his service, and, through grace, I never will. I have several times changed my place, but I never changed my Master. No, no, in every place I felt I was the Lord's servant. A very imperfect and unprofitable servant, but a servant still. I hope to live working, and to die in the field; for I am a field labourer. The sun often makes me feel faint, and the frost at times pinches me keenly; I suffer from cold winds, and am tried by stormy and drizzly days: still I have no wish to change my situation. At times I am tempted to envy others their ease, their honours, and their independence; but I soon see my folly, and call myself a fool for indulging in the wish. I am the Lord's beloved one. Yes, I do believe God loves me, and this persuasion makes up for the want of a thousand things; for I would rather have an interest in God's love, than

be able to call a world my own. I can never trace out the beginning of God's love to me, for it is eternal; I can see no end to God's love to me, for it is everlasting. I can find no cause for God's loving me, except it be that he is God, and finds the cause for all his acts in himself. One thing I am sure of, I love God; and another thing I feel equally sure of, that if God had not first loved me, I should never have loved him. Blessed be God that he ever created me, and gave me a being capable of knowing, loving, enjoying, and adoring his ever blessed self. Blessed be God for choosing me to eternal life in his beloved Son,-for adopting me into his family, and new creating me by his Holy Spirit,-for condescending to employ me in his service, and continuing me in that service so long,-for loving me freely, with an infinite and unchangeable love! Blessed be God that ever I was born, that I ever lived to see the day on which I could say, "I AM THE LORD's, and that after thirty-six years' experience of his special love I can still say, as I enter into the autumn of life, "I AM THE LORD'S."

"I AM THE LORD'S," to be conformed to the image of his Son, an object of his infinite delight, a subject of his gracious government, and a mirror to reflect his glory. "I AM THE LORD'S," to do his righteous will, in the world, the family, and the church, at present on earth, by and bye in heaven. "I AM THE LORD'S," to suffer all he pleases in body and in mind, in public and in private, for the good of his cause and the honour of his great and glorious name. "I AM THE LORD'S," to receive all he has provided in his covenant, promised in his word, and procured by the service and sacrifice of his Son. "I AM THE LORD'S," to expect all his love can give, all his grace can do, all his heaven contains. Glorious, unspeakably glorious privilege, to be the Lord's! But his I ever was in consequence of covenant transactions; his I am, in consequence of the displays of his grace; and his I ever shall be, because he is in one mind, and none can turn him. I never was more the Lord's than I am at this moment; and no period will ever arrive in which I shall be more the Lord's than I am now. Chosen by the grace of the Father, I am his. Redeemed by the blood of the Son, I am his. Quickened, called, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit, I am his. When I surrendered to God, he received me at his throne. When I engaged with God, he took me to be his for ever. When I entered upon the Lord's work, and was employed by him and for him, it was clear to others, and I had the enjoyment of the fact in my own soul, that I was the Lord's.

If I turn within, I find a testimony there, that "I AM THE LORD's." Conscience testifies to the fact, and at times the Holy Spirit beareth witness with my spirit, that "I AM THE LORD'S." If I turn to God's most Holy Word, I find the testimony there. In some of the precious promises, in some of the descriptions of God's children, it is as if God had daguerotyped my portrait. True, I can only see the likeness in one certain light, and for want of looking at the Word in the proper light at some times, I cannot recognise my own features. But at other times I can, and then I bless his holy name. Do the Lord's people hunger and thirst after righteousness? So do I. Is Christ precious to every true believer? He is precious to me. Is a spirit of prayer an evidence of grace? I cannot live without prayer. Is hatred to sin and a love to holiness a proof of regeneration? I do hate sin, and I do long, pant, and pray to be holy. Did John say, We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren"? I know this, if I love any, I love God's people, and the more they resemble Christ, the more I love them. Doubt whether "I AM THE LORD'S!" What, after so many proofs, so many pledges, so many testimonies! Well, I cannot

doubt to-day, but if the Lord leave me, I shall doubt to-morrow. I need constantly the renewing of the Holy Spirit, the love-visits of Jesus, and heart-felt fellowship with my heavenly Father; and if these are withheld for long together, I doubt, fear, and sink into despondency and gloom. But he turns again. He revives again. And we are confident of this very thing, that having begun a good work in us, he will complete it in the day of Jesus Christ. Once the Lord's, I am his for ever. He never revokes his choice, or blots a name out of his family register. There he registers our birth, but there is no entry of any one's death; for Jesus has said: "He that believeth on me shall never die." Never can I believe, that he would die for me, and then leave me. All the children will stand with him at last, when he says with glory beaming in his countenance, and unutterable joy in his heart, "Here I am, Father, and the children which thou hast given me, NOT ONE OF THEM IS LOST." He never neglects, or discharges an old servant; no, no; but as he said, so we shall find it, "Where I am, there shall also my servant be." Precious, precious Lord Jesus, with joy I look forward to the day, when every one that can now, as the result of a full surrender, a solemn engagement, and an entire dedication to thee, say, "I AM THE LORD'S," shall be admitted into thy joy, and appear with thee in glory. My soul, thy cause is in Christ's keeping; thy safety stands in his immutability, and thy name is graven on his hands; sing then, sing with gladness :

"My name from the palms of his hands,
Eternity will not erase;
Impressed on his heart it remains,

In marks of indelible grace.

Yes, I to the end shall endure,

As sure as the earnest is given;
More happy, but not more secure,

The glorified spirits in heaven."

Reader, are you the Lord's? Sure of it? quite sure? You were not sensible of this once, you were not concerned about it. But if you have the true evidence of being the Lord's now, you were convinced that you were a stranger to God, yea, his enemy; and you were led to seek him, and change your mind respecting him. You sought his feet, sighed at his throne, searched in his Word, waited at his gates, and watched at the posts of his doors; your heart was set upon being the Lord's, as though it was the chief good; you came to his terms, submitted to his righteousness, surrendered to his will, gave yourself up into his hands, and then felt within that all opposition to God was destroyed, that you could acquiesce in his will and way, and felt a sweet inward persuasion that you were the Lord's. Some of us can recollect the sorrow, sadness, gloom, doubt, darkness, distress, sighing, crying, fearing, and hoping, that preceded this blessed discovery, and looking back can say,—

"Sweet was the hour I freedom felt,

To call my Jesus mine;

To view his lovely face, and melt
In transports all divine."

If you profess to be the Lord's, carry out your profession. Be honest. Live, work, walk, and do all you do under the impression, "I AM THE LORD'S." He chose me from others, he bought me with his blood, he called me by his grace, he gave himself to me, and in return I gave myself to him. Now, therefore, my time and talents, my person and property, all I have and all I am, are the Lord's. To his glory I consecrate them, for his honour I will use them, and to extend his cause, I will employ them. If I live, I will live to the Lord; if I die, I will die to the Lord: that so, living or dying, I may evidently be the Lord's.

Sinner, you are not the Lord's in this sense. Whose are you then? Who claims you? Satan. Who rules you? Satan. Who is served by you? Satan. Whom can you expect to receive you at last? Satan. Oh, how awful and how degrading! To be claimed by so vile a slave. To be ruled by so cruel a tyrant. To serve such a depraved spirit. To be banished for ever from God, to be the associate of that cursed being, and all who resemble him for ever. And all this of thy own choice! Entirely so! God is willing to receive thee, but thou wilt not go to him. He is willing to pardon thee, but thou wilt not confess to him. He is willing to sanctify and save thee, but thou wilt not ask him. If thou wilt, thou mayest be the Lord's, but if thou wilt not, thou must be the Devil's. Cheltenham.

LUKE AND DEMAS;

OR, THE TEST OF TIME, AND THE TRIUMPH OF SINCERITY.

BY THE REV. JOHN COX.

only Luke is with

"Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you."- Colossians iv. 14. "Demas hath forsaken me, having loved the present world; me."-2 Timothy iv. 10, 11.

Both of these passages introduce us to Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ. But there was a considerable interval between the two, during which many events transpired of great interest and importance. Let us visit this noble prisoner, and seek communion with him in his sorrows and joys. It was for "the hope of Israel that he was bound with the prisoner's chain." "But the Word of God was not bound," and Paul laboured diligently to spread the tidings of salvation, both by tongue and pen, as opportunity was afforded. We are informed in Acts xxviii. 30, 31, that he was a preaching prisoner; and his glorious epistles sent forth from the prison's gloom are witnesses to his strong faith and ardent love. He had his associates also: loved companions and yoke fellows, who laboured with him in the Gospel, and held sweet converse with him respecting "the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ." Of many of these he makes honourable and loving mention (during the first term of his imprisonment); among others, Luke and Demas are introduced as sending affectionate remembrances to the saints at Colosse.

By what means, or exactly at what time, the apostle was liberated, we know not; the Lord had some work for him to do in various places, therefore he was delivered out of the mouth of the lion;" and after having for several years scattered the seed in many places, planted and watered many churches of the saints, we find him once more at Rome. He is now come there to die, and is ready to be offered up. During his first imprisonment, he told the Philippians that he "was in a strait betwixt two;" but now the Lord has revealed to him what He designed for him, and Paul not only acquiesces in the arrangement, but rejoices in hope of his coming discharge. His last letter was addressed to his beloved son Timothy, and is full of tender affection, holy zeal, and believing anxiety. But who are his companions now? Luke is with him still. But where is Demas? He is gone! Has death removed him by some fell disease? or has he received the martyr's crown? Alas, no! Something far worse than death has befallen him. Is he gone to carry out Paul's great design in some other place? Not so! He is gone, indeed, where Paul once laboured, viz., into Thessolonica; but not to labour for Christ. He is gone thither to serve himself: "having loved this present world," he hath forsaken Paul!

The venerable apostle evidently felt this desertion deeply. He was wounded by it, and it would seem as if the wound had been recently inflicted; and it would also seem as if Demas had been of use to him, and that he really missed his company, for he assigns his desertion as a reason why Timothy should come to him speedily. "Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me, for Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world; only Luke is with me." In these few words he sets before us-the crime of Demas,-the cause thereof,-and contrasts him with the faithful Luke.

The crime of Demas was forsaking Paul. There is every reason to conclude that he became an apostate. He did not merely leave Paul's companionship, but deserted the cause for which Paul had laboured so long, and for which he was about to die. His was a fearful crime. A sin against his own soul, a contradiction of his own solemn profession, an announcement to the world that he considered religion a delusion,-in a word, that it was insufficient to make him happy. In thus acting he also gave God the lie, and doubtless became the occasion of stumbling to others. No class of sinners do so much harm as apostates; they are described in more fearful colours than any others, and the doom denounced upon them is most terrible. "Their end is to be burned." "Their punishment is most sure." Christ will deny them when he comes in his glory. They are spoken of as leading the van in that terrible procession to the lake of fire, in which so many wretched sinners must one day be found (Rev. xxi. 7, 8). If we would not forsake Christ wholly, and every Christian's heart trembles at the thought, then let us dread to forsake any thing that is his; "the assembling of ourselves together" (Heb. x. 25), must not be forsaken; neither must the claims and commands of the Saviour be neglected; it is dangerous to trifle with anything that has a divine impress upon it.

But what was the cause of this terrible crime; where could a motive be found strong enough to induce him thus to act? "The love of this present world" was the cause. The apostle merely declares the fact, he does not go into detail, nor tell us what special form of worldliness was the tempting lure employed by Satan on this occasion. Was it fear, or covetousness, or ambition, or sensual love? We cannot say; but this we know that each of these forms of worldliness has "slain its ten thousands," and we know that it is said with regard to them all, “If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." It was this world that Demas loved, and not the world above; he did not "seek the things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God." It was this present world that he loved, and not the world to come with all its glories and blessings. He did not look to Jesus at the Father's right hand; he was not looking for Jesus, as the blessed hope. Alas, what is religion, without a believing connection with the Cross, a loving connection with the Crown, and a hopeful connection with the coming of the Lord Jesus! There Demas failed; had he known really that Christ was ALL, he would not have forsaken him for a shadow. He who has no God, no satisfying good, will seek out an idol, and "follow lying vanities." This, Demas sadly evidenced. There was in him a root of bitterness, and it produced the fruit of death.

Luke the beloved physician stands out in glorious contrast. The historian of his Lord, the writer of the apostles' deeds, the companion of "the ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes" stood firm. He was a believer in his own writings, and was united to that Saviour whose character he so beautifully portrayed. He was therefore identified with' the cause of Jesus, and determined to stand by the servant of Jesus at