was fragrant, Ex. 30. 34; pleasant, so when Hannah prayed she was no more sad, I Sam. 1. 18.

The 24 elders are represented, Rev. 5. 8, 8. 3, 4, as having an harp and a cup full of incense, which is the prayers of the saints. Daniel hazarded his life to offer this incense, Dan. 6. 10.

Prayer is compared to knocking, Luke 11. 5-8; to wrestling, Gen. 32. 24; to an importunate widow, Luke

18. 1-8.

Arabic.-Prayer is the pillar of religion. Acts 10. 4. Arabic.-Prayer comes not in answer to the cat's prayer. Afghan.-To say bismillah (in God's name) brings a blessing, but not in jackal hunting.

Begotten to an Unfading Inheritance.-I PET. I. 4.

Heaven is the inheritance of those who, by the new birth, belong to the Church of the first born, who get the blessing of the spiritual birthright. In an inheritance the heirs are (1) heads of the house, the prop of the family; believers are joint heirs with Christ, who is the heir of all things. 2. The heir must be qualified to manage the estate properly, so believers are made partakers of the divine nature, 2 Pet. I. 4; the proud God knoweth afar off, Ps. 138. 6. (3) The estate is in proportion to the wealth of the donor. God is Lord of all. (4) An inheritance is future, but this is kept in heaven, and as certain as money in a good bank; here the heirs have little, but are like the Jews in the wilderness who had no house, yet called God their dwelling place, Ps. 90. 1. God's promises are a heritage, Ps. 119. II.

The Inheritance of the righteous differs from an earthly inheritance in five points :

Earthly inheritances are small, subject to law suits, limited in duration, unsatisfying, common to the wicked

and good, often pillaged or wasted as the prodigal son did his.

Justice.

Pushtu.-The mouth eats the food, and the eyes bear the

shame.

Pushtu. She commits the sin, and blames Satan for it. Pushtu.-The oxen eat up the crops, and they cut off the ear of the donkey.

Christ has the Keys of Death and Hell.-REV. I. 18.

When a person is put into office, he is often intrusted with keys; thus a jailor has the keys of a prison. Ancient keys were often made of wood; and, to be strong, they were made very large, so that they were carried on the shoulder; and, in the east, the carrying of a key on any great occasion was a mark of a person's holding some office of rank and power. Thus it is said of Jesus, "And the government shall be upon his shoulder," Is. 9. 6; that is, he shall have power as one that carries the key to mark his authority.

Silence was represented by the Greeks as a golden key on the tongue. Authority to explain the law and the prophets was given among the Jews by the delivery of a key; in the case of one rabbi after his death they put his key and his tablets into his coffin, because he did not deserve to have a son to whom he might leave the ensigns of his office.

Christ said to Peter I will give unto thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, Mat. 16. 19, as stewards of a great family, especially of the royal household, bore a key, probably a golden one, in token of their office; the phrase of giving a person the key naturally grew into an expression of raising him to great power, Is. 22. 22, Rev. 3. 7. This was with peculiar propriety applicable

to ministers, the stewards of the mysteries of God, I Cor. 4. I. The Bible is the key of knowledge, Luke II. 52. Peter's opening the kingdom of heaven, as being the first that preached it both to the Jews and to the Gentiles, may be considered as an illustration of this promise; as also the power given of binding and loosing.

Jesus Christ declares he who believes on him shall never see death-i.e., Spiritual death. The Danes say "A golden key opens every door except that of heaven."

Talmud. A man knowing law, but without God's fear, is a man having the key of the inner, but not of the outer chamber.

Arabic.-Patience is the key to joy; penitence to pardon; modesty to tranquility.

Atmabodh Prakasika.-Without knowledge resembling fire for cooking, no liberation.

The Righteous are Kings.

The righteous like kings in six points:

Death is called in the Bible the king of terrors, Job 18. 14, as the alligator is called a king, Job 41. 34.

Believers are like kings occupied with high things, Ph. 3. 20; shall rule the kingdoms of this world, when they become the kingdom of God, Rev. II. 15; Dan. 9. 27, highly honoured; high born, Christians born from above, I John 3. 1; well attended, angels their servants, Heb. 1. 14; crowned, 2 Tim. 3. 8.

Chanak says a learned man and a king are not on an equality; the king is honoured only in his own country, the learned everywhere."

Christ is called King of kings, while the church is styled his daughter all glorious within, Ps. 45. 13. Christ is the only begotten son; the treasures of wisdom are hid in him, I Cor. 1. 24; he was proclaimed by a star, and by the angels singing to the shepherds; his palace was the heaven of heavens; angels his attendants.

and ambassadors; all are his subjects, even the winds obey him, while rulers like Cyrus and Nebuchadnezzar, work out his will.

Christ's Kingdom Immovable.—HEB. 12. 28.

Parable of Marriage Feast, Mat. 22. 1-14; Parable of the Great Supper, Luke 14. 16–21.

Christ's friends are heirs of a kingdom, but not of this world, where everything is so uncertain. Christ said his kingdom was not of this world, John 18. 36.

Christ's kingdom differs from earthly kingdoms in five

points :

1. Its throne is stable: a throne is a great object of human ambition, yet like a high tree yields soonest to the storm, Job 12. 21, such are earthly kingdoms, but in heaven "the Lord reigneth." Christ once took the form of a servant, "but he is now highly exalted," ruling with the ancient of days God the Father; he has an everlasting dominion, Dan. 4. 34.

2. Its constitution unalterable-i.e., these fundamental ordinances which determine the form of government. Christ's is an absolute monarchy, but it is the rule of absolute wisdom, goodness, and truth; a change of earthly government upsets men's minds, but Christ's kingdom is stable.

3. Its privileges inviolable "life that never ends," property secure, "an inheritance incorruptible," liberty "from the bondage of corruption," " the son makes free.” Every Englishman's house is his castle, but the believer's abode is more so; he dwells under the shadow of the Almighty. Every Englishman has a right to be tried by his peers; Christians have a divine advocate; "who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect," Rom. 8. 33. All in this kingdom are brethren; all

things are yours-the true equality-all raised to be kings and priests.

4. Its prosperity imperishable; wealth takes wings; all the old empires have perished; weather and disease blast the best expectations; but to the believer all things shall work together for good; the poor of this world are rich in faith.

5. Its duration eternal: Dan. 7. 14; Egypt, Babylon, Greece, Rome, all perished. David's stem buried in the rubbish of a carpenter's shop, but Christ's kingdom is eternal, not supported by human ambition or an arm of flesh. "The kingdom of this world will become the kingdom of our God." Christ will be "King of kings," Ps. 146. 10.

Who knocks at the Door of the Heart?

REV. 3. 20.

The Prodigal Son, Luke 15. 17-19.—The Marriage Supper, Luke 14. 16.

God's ways are not as our ways; with man the inferior waits on the superior, in the text the great God waits on the lukewarm Laodiceans. The door is the heart; this is barred by nature against Christ through vile lusts and passions, and by unbelief.

Christ continues to knock by his word, Heb. 4. 12, by his Spirit, by his Providence.

China.-Men will be no more virtuous without exhortation than a bell sound without being struck. Telugu.-Unless the child cries, even the mother will not give it suck.

Christ the Lamb of God.-JOHN 1. 29.

Christ was like a lamb in four points:

(1) Harmless, Heb. 7. 26, John 21. 15, he was surrounded by wolves, by Satan a roaring lion, and by Herod