back no part of the penalty He had paid. It is to the power of His eternal Godhead alone that He owes His resurrection from the dead. By dying, the Godhead, ineffably united to the manhood, did not expire. And it was by the energy of that Godhead that He arose, and that He now lives. Nor is it possible to imagine a greater contrast than that which the humanity of Christ presents, when comparing its former state of humiliation with its present state of exaltation and glory. The body of Jesus, once wearied with toil, oppressed with hunger and thirst, subject to every sinless infirmity common to our frail nature, requiring sustenance and shelter and repose, and above all liable to the stroke of death, now hungers no more, neither thirsts any more; and being transformed and glorified, is removed beyond the reach of evil or of death. 'He was crucified through weakness; He liveth by the power of God.' 'Death hath no more dominion over Him. For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God." 1

By His ascension into heaven Christ was more fully glorified than in His resurrection. The long concealed Deity burst forth then in its strongest effulgence. He came down to the earth as a man. He went up to heaven as God. He descended in humiliation and sorrow; He ascended in glory and triumph. The celestial convoy who attended Him—perhaps the

1 Chase.

same announced His advent to the earth-demanded a triumphal and royal entrance for their glorified King. "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory" (Ps. xxiv. 7–10).

For our comfort and advantage the manifestation of Christ's glory was not confined to heaven. On earth it was also manifested. By the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, Christ was glorified among men. Our Lord comforted the disciples, when distressed at the thought of His departing from them, by the assurance that it was expedient for Him to go away; "for if I go not away," said He, "the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you."

Scarcely had our Lord crossed the threshold of the heavenly temple, when the promise of the Father was fulfilled, and the orphan Church was baptized with the Spirit from on high. Returning from Olivet, where they had taken their last view of the Saviour, as He was taken up into heaven, the disciples, on reaching Jerusalem, "went up into an upper room," and "all continued in prayer and supplication." And while "they were all with one accord in one place," breath

ing forth their souls in fervent prayer and earnest supplication, "suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit." Since then Jesus has been manifestly and illustriously glorified.

This part of our Lord's intercessory prayer ought to lead us to entertain the most exalted views respecting the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ, both as God's servant and our Saviour.

May we who are believers in Jesus live in such uninterrupted communion with Him, accomplish all our service, and endure whatever suffering may be apportioned us in the same spirit as the apostle, who, with calmness of mind in prospect of his death, could write, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing" (2 Tim. iv. 7, 8).

The glorious truths brought before us in this meditation ought to awaken gratitude in our hearts, seeing that Jesus, who was rich, for our sakes became poor, that we through His poverty might be made rich. In writing to the Church at Ephesus, the apostle assures those in fellowship that, after hearing of their faith in

the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, I " cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints; and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the Head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all" (Eph. i. 16-23). In remembering how highly God has exalted His Son Jesus Christ, let us, my reader, ever seek to honour and glorify Him, by living holy and unblamable lives before Him in love; and thus glorify Him, and glorify the Father in Him, by letting our neighbours see that we have been called to holiness and Christ-likeness, in all circumstances and at all times.

CHAPTER V.

THE DIVINE INSTRUCTOR.

"I have manifested Thy name unto the men which Thou gavest Me out of the world: Thine they were, and Thou gavest them Me; and they have kept Thy word."-JOHN Xvii. 6.

THIS, as we have shown in our first chapter, is the commencement of the prayer which our Saviour specially offered on behalf of His disciples. On examination it will be seen to be based upon a threefold declaration of what they were to Christ. ("I have manifested Thy name unto the men," etc.); in relation to the Father ("Thine they were," etc.); and in themselves ("they have kept Thy word," etc.). Each statement is a plea in favour of the petitions which follow. Together they form a portraiture of true discipleship.

From these words we learn, among other thingsThat a full manifestation of God the Father has been made by Jesus Christ. "I have manifested Thy name." -By "Thy name " we understand not God Himself in so far as His essence is concerned, but His attributes, or God's revealed self. The manifestation of Himself