neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee." Chapter liv. 9, 10. The covenant of grace is, then, that which is set forth by "the bow in the cloud in the day of rain ;" and the three special views of it by holy men of God, as recorded in the Word, may not be without significance as to the relation of the holy and glorious Trinity to it. First we have the Lord's giving it as a token to Noah, Gen. ix. 13-16. Then there is Ezekiel's vision of it in connection with "the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone;" of which he further says, "And upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it." Chap. i. 26-28. Lastly we have John's testimony as to what he saw of it in the closing days of the inspired record: "Behold a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald." Rev. iv. 2, 3. Thus in the patriarchal, the prophetical, and the apostolic times the rainbow appears, as the testimony of "a faithful and unchanging God" to the verity of His promises and the certainty of their performances: while the rich expository language of Isaiah, which we have quoted above, amply demonstrates that the sacred and everlasting covenant is what it represents. That Divine compact between the Triune Jehovah, Father, Word and Holy Spirit, in which mercy and truth meet together, and righteousness and peace kiss each other. which the seven-fold attributes and perfections of the eternal God blend, like the various colours in the arched bow; and blend, for the salvation of His people. And in that blending is also exquisitely set forth how that God is "just, and yet the Justifier of him that believeth in Jesus." The eternal plan was drawn and every provision made in this covenant by the Father's love; the Son by His work; accomplished all which that plan devised all that was needful to meet the great ends of law and justice; and the Holy Spirit watches over the working out of all its details of experimental grace and providence in and upon the souls of the chosen ones. In It is a beautiful thought, as expressed by Mr. Brown in his Hidden Mystery* (page 79): "The three primary colours into which a ray of light is divisible are red, yellow and blue, which together form a ray of pure white light. I take them to illustrate [*Nisbet and Co.] and exemplify the infinite justice, the unfathomable love, and the boundless mercy of our God-attributes of the Godhead which are all communicable, and which God communicates by His revelation of Himself in Jesus Christ to His people-all harmonizing likewise with His infinite Holiness, itself a communicable attribute. And as these three rays together form but one pure beam of white light, so do they serve all the more powerfully to illustrate the glorious character of the Godhead, which is Trinity in Unity, and Unity in Trinity." But while there are only three primary colours in a ray of solar light, these, as they are separated form seven rays—and only seven, the emblem of perfection. These are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet; all of which appear in the rainbow, portraying the perfections of Jehovah's glory in the purpose and promises of the Father's love; the atonement, obedience and gracefulness of Christ; and the beneficent operations of the eternal Spirit. "Thus the believer, when he views The rainbow in its various hues, May say, 'Those lively colours shine To show that heaven is surely mine. "See in yon cloud what tinctures glow, And gild the smiling vales below! So smiles my cheerful soul to see My God is reconciled to me."" Vers. 7 and 8. Happy is the people that is in such a case! yea, happy is that people whose God is the Lord." Were each child of God, as a believer in Jesus, enabled to attain to this blessed point, to be always mindful of Jehovah's covenant, how would it lighten his load, and smooth his pathway. But only the Holy Comforter can enable him to do this. Yet as "the secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him, and He will SHOW THEM HIS COVENANT," what an encouragement is this for all who do "fear the Lord, and think upon His name," to "give diligence to make their calling and election sure.' The bow succeeds the storm; and appears in the cloud. So the storm, in which law, Satan, conscience and world are busy and threaten to overwhelm the soul, and the cloud, behind which the Lord veils His shining face, His mercy and His kindness, are to be succeeded by the rainbow's rich display. It is afterwards, in the end of the Lord's doings, there is the experience of His covenant faithfulness, and the proof that He is "very pitiful;" nay more, that "He rests in His love, rejoices over His people with joy," and that "He will ever be mindful of His covenant," and of "the word which He commanded to a thousand generations." Thus the believer in every appearance of the bow in the day of rain may truly say, "Those lively colours shine To show that heaven is surely mine." And when the Spirit refreshes his soul with a token for good, he may add with reference to those "lively colours !" "So smiles my cheerful soul to see, My God is reconciled to me." The Lord grant this as the rich portion of all His doubting ones. THE EDITOR. ALWAYS TRIUMPHING IN CHRIST. My dear Brother in the Lord,— S : INCE I received your last welcome letter (for which many thanks), I have several times felt a great desire to write and tell you of some of our dear Lord's kind and gracious dealings with me. Numbers of things I wished to tell you have come to my mind, but hitherto at times when I had not the opportunity of writing. I know you like the old theme, which is ever new, even Jesus and O what a blessing that we should so know Him as to find it our chief delight to be thinking, and speaking, and writing of Him. The last time I addressed you I was full of "joy in the Lord." After I had posted my letter, it came to my mind that I had forgotten to sign my name, as well as having forgotten your post town; however I find the letters reached you in due time. After I had written I felt still more joy springing up from the love of God shed abroad in my heart, and when I was retiring to rest at night I wondered whether Paul's "third heaven" could be anything more blessed than what I then enjoyed. I felt surely I have three heavens in one, while thus enjoying the love of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Then I was led to think, My God is strengthening me for some trial. And not many days afterwards I was led into one of the most painful places I think I have ever been into; but such a blessed one! I never felt nearer to my Jesus, nor found Him more precious. He was pleased in His love and goodness to let me receive a wound in my feelings from one of His Own people who is very dear to me; but no words can tell the kind and tender manner in which our Jesus was present to heal. My dear friend, I must say, and that from deep-felt experience, that it is most blessed to be made entirely willing to suffer in the midst of pain; to feel that we would not if we could alter one single thing; to be brought to see that it is our "God of love" Who has appointed our every cross. O the sweet and blessed fellowship with Jesus that is felt! and the words He spoke with His Own voice to me : "If ye suffer with Him, ye shall also reign with Him;" and "as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye also be of the consolations. And who ever suffered from wounded love as our Emmanuel did? and what but His Mighty power can make us willing to be in the like place? and what but His grace can make us love the hand that gives the wound? Well, every fresh place I am led into makes me more in love with all the ways of our covenant God and Father. I feel as if all prayer might be summed up into one: "Make me willing." O my Jesus, Thou, and only Thou, canst teach us with our hearts to say "Thy will be done." And He did (and does now) teach His disciples thus to pray. My dear brother knows better than I can set forth, the wonderful power that comes with some of the simplest words when He speaks them. think I told you in my last letter what fresh beauty I had seen in words that were very familiar, when Jesus said to me, "Learn of Me." Again and again those words have drawn my heart up in cries for His teachings. O but I can't tell you one half, nor a quarter what I want; but I do sometimes entreat of the Lord Himself to show you the wonders He shows me. Many times within the last few months the Lord has given me earnest cries for you: and you know, and so do I, that He does not put prayers in our hearts and then not answer them. I dear Besides what I have just been telling you of my Lord's dealings with me, He has led in another trying path. In one week my eldest sister and her husband were summoned from this world. The death of my brother-in-law was expected, but there was no anxiety about my sister till the last day of the year, when she was seized with a stroke of apoplexy and died on New Year's day-her husband following on the 8th. I was not with them, as they died in Devonshire. It is impossible I should say what a present help in time of trouble "I found my God; such a refuge, strong support, "never failing Friend." And when I saw others with no God to help or to go to in trouble, O how I was brought low in love and wonder that He had made Himself known to me, so that I could say and feel in full confidence, "The Lord is my God." My dear friend, do stop and say, "We do love and adore Him more than ever!" "O what wonders love has done!" and 66 how grace triumphs over nature. I could not have believed, without proving it, that the Lord could and would hush every rising fear and anxiety; for I had seen nothing to make me hope either of my lost relatives had ever had a desire towards the Lord: but He brought me to rest perfectly satisfied that every one of His chosen would be saved, and He would not let me think I had more love than He had, to desire any but the number given to Christ ought to be saved. "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" But before these awful and striking events took place amongst us, my God had made both Charlotte Maidlow and me sensible that something more than ordinary was coming. He had so prepared us, and kept us watching and waiting, and had led us into so many beautiful verses which speak of "Help," that we several times said we were going into a place where especial help would be required, and truly He was "a Help." "I have laid help on One that is mighty." O dear brother what treasures are laid up in our Jesus! and He often shows me we can only honor Him by receiving out of His fulness. He will, He does keep raising our expectations: we are, and shall be more abundantly satisfied with His goodness. Are you expecting great things? You wrote a great thing to me in the letter before your last, it has many times come to my mind. You said, "I expect to enjoy all this faithful God has promised:" and O what a boundless store is that! what limit can you set? Tell me if there is any limit. Again and again have I been lost when the blessed Spirit has been showing what we may expect, what our precious Jesus has given us the right to expect. I do love to lose sight of self and the creature, and with a single eye to see"none but Jesus,' when we are contemplating how we are to be dealt with. I have a sort of shudder (and I believe you will know why), when the suggestion is put forth, "O but we are so unworthy." Yes, but is Jesus unworthy? and are not we one with Him ? O that I could tell you the things He has told me of the eternal indissoluble union between Christ and His Church ; but He has told you Himself and will tell you, and me too, yet more and more about it. "From everlasting to everlasting," and He has said," What God hath joined together let not man put asunder." And we may say with Paul, “I am persuaded that neither death nor life," &c., &c. I will not say I envy you, but very often I think, What happiness for Mr. Welland, to be called to set forth the wonders of the love of Jesus! O may He draw your heart and affections more and more to Himself, make you willing to be just what He pleases, to go where He leads, to give up all He sees good to take. And I know He takes and withholds nothing but what He makes up more than a hundred fold, as He has promised. O press forward, casting away every weight. We little conceive of the treasures awaiting us. Even the |