Entertainments, and he cannot but drink it: he may cry out sometimes under the feelings of its bitterness, as Christ did himself, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me;" nevertheless, having the blessed end of his race in view, the glorification of his soul at God's right hand,—he submits to his portion, and again joins in with the language of his dear Lord, "O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will

be done."

Is it so, indeed, that the smiles of heaven are upon none but those who thus become the followers of the Lamb? Yes, it is a fact; none taste real heavenly bliss but those who walk in the steps of the Lord, and drink of his cup of bitters here. How this is, we will endeavour to explain: The Lord Jesus Christ took our nature into union with his divine nature, and so became our Immanuel, that he might destroy the works of the devil, delivering his captives from his deadly grasp. Now the devil would of course summons all his powers in opposition; he would dispute every step tending to accomplish his design; and, as he was of gigantic strength, a mighty power, having all the fury of hell at his command, not a little power was needed on the part of our dear Lord to go through this infernal host. O, bitter cup indeed was this of Christ! Could he not accomplish his design without drinking it up? O no; he must take up his cross of self-denial, and object to all the pleasing things of time and sense which the devil could bring before him, “All these kingdoms of the world and their glory will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." He must submit to the revilings and ill-treatment of wicked men; yea, he must meet the devil in ten thousand different forms, all suited to his various situations as a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and in all must he come off without sin. If he hunger, he must not covet bread unlawfully; if he be reviled, he may not revile again; if tribute be demanded of him, he may not refuse the paying of it; if he be smitten, he may not take vengeance upon his enemies; he must give both a spiritual and moral, an inward and outward obedience to the whole law, so that every jot and tittle may be fulfilled, even to the laying down of his life!

We have no need to follow on with this any farther at present,

seeing our object is to show that the followers of Christ have to take up this same cross, and hence drink indeed of his cup. Christ's enemies are their enemies. The same malice and power which opposed Christ in his work on their behalf, is raged against them as they become anxiously concerned about their immortal state, and press forward in the ways of God. The more they become transformed in their spirits to the image of Christ, the more deadly is the opposition from the devil, who in numberless shapes either attempts to allure them from the object of their solicitude, by the pleasant things of time and sense, or to drive them to despair, by misrepresenting the thoughts and ways of God unto them, or by raising deadly hate in the breasts of persecutors against them; so that they often find it needful to take long draughts of gall and wormwood, or turn their backs upon him whom their souls love.

This is the very same feature that was in Christ's garden trial. Satan wants to force a return; "Give up the contest; you will never gain that which you aim at; in this way is nothing but taunts, jeers, scoffs, ridicule, and ill-treatment, hard speeches, slanderings, backbitings, and starvation; go, take such a course and you will gain your ends smoothly and comfortably." But, Satan is a liar, for this cup must be drunk. Every thing that stands in the way to Christ must be overcome, even to the denying of Father, Mother, Brother, Sister, Wife, Children, your own life also, and parting with houses, lands, and all kinds of possessions. O, it is not a pleasant draught to our flesh, this parting with all things! O, how we would that God would spare us this Isaac, or that Ishmael: "O that Ishmael might live before thee." Gen. xvii, 18. But, no; in the Christian's cup there must be no reserve; all must be parted with before God will say unto the soul, "Now know I that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me." Gen. xxii, 12.

Here we must not be misunderstood when we speak of parting with ALL things. There is such a thing as parting with a beloved object in heart, a real submitting it unto God for him to dispose of according to his sovereign pleasure, a genuine acquiescence to the divine will, whether, in appearance, for or against our individual

interests, and yet that same beloved object not to be taken from our possession. Such was the case with Abraham before us. He as much parted with Isaac in his heart as though he had been literally taken from him; and this was all that God required of him, though, till this moment, perhaps, Abraham had never conceived it thus. But, thus it really was, and God told him that in consequence of his having parted with his son, his only son, it evidenced the fear of God as ruling in his heart: "Now know I that thou fearest God." In all ages of the world the Christian has had to take similar draughts with Abraham, and it does not so much argue the literal parting with an object as a heart-parting, not that, in some cases, there may be a literal parting also; but even where this is the case, it is not difficult to trace that this has preceded the heart-parting, as though such a course might be deemed expedient by God to enable him to effect his object. The cases of Jacob parting with his Joseph, and Job with his children, possessions, health, and friends, will illustrate this; for it will be seen, that in each case, the heart did not justify God in the dispensation. Jacob said on parting with his beloved object, "I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning ;" and Job, though at the commencement of his bitter draught, it is written of him, that he sinned not, nor charged God foolishly, yet he presently turns round and curses his day. See 3rd chapter. Truly, their's was a bitter cup; and yet, as soon as there was a genuine acquiescence therein, the cup was taken from their lips, and the draught changed; Joseph was restored with glory, wealth, and honour, in the one case; and in the other case, Job had twice as much as he had before. Jacob's acquiescence was at the time of these words, "And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved." And Job's was at the time of these, "I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the

ear but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."

What we wish to convey, therefore, by the term parting with all things, is, a parting with them in the heart, the affections of the soul being taken off the creature, and the creature committed unto the Creator; that this may be preceded, in some cases, by a literal parting, but not in all. And this we may confidently affirm, that so long as the affections of the heart are not taken off the object, so long will the bitter draught be held to the lips; that is, God will not desist smiting and cheer the heart while there is the least particle of self opposing his will.

us.

This solemn truth, dear Reader, will perhaps be instructive to We know it will if God the blessed Spirit honour it; and it is our feeble prayer that he will do so. Our draughts sometimes continue for months and years almost one succession of bitters. And how is this? Simply because we are wedded to some object, either literal or visionary, which is not God-honouring nor soulprofiting, and in the pursuit of which, it is needful to cross us. Nor can we expect it otherwise till we become sensible to the fact, which will not be while God lets us alone, as he did Ephraim of old, who had joined himself unto Idols. But, blessed be his dear and ever precious name, in his own time, his bowels of mercy will be moved towards us, and he will, in every case, make us to come to ourselves, like the Prodigal, and thoroughly to ponder the path of our feet, and return to him; "I am unworthy to be called thy son; make me as one of thy hired servants." Then is the moment for a draught of sweets from the fountain of life. O, what merrymaking there is then in the soul! What an entrance into the treasuries of the Covenant of Mercy! Who does not know this experimentally that has swallowed his bitter draughts, and fallen into the hands of his God? Will you not say it is a time of mirth, a time of laughter and singing, a time to forget poverty and remember your misery no more? Yea, doubtless you will. And, here, your God gets all the glory of your salvation, having shown you demonstratively, that without your bitters you would never have cared for the sweets. The one has made preparation in the heart for the reception of the other. Christ Jesus and his ways

are prized and esteemed as your own ways and self become disesteemed, which they do through this cup of bitters. So that God is justified in his dealings towards you; you are benefited and God is glorified; and you confess to his praise, with David, "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now have I kept thy word." Wherefore, tried and exercised Reader, take encouragement from these things, that your bitters are but preludes to sweets, if they arise through your entrance upon, or sojourning in, the Narrow Way. Not one of the Bible saints whose literal life was not interwoven with his spiritual, so that the literal was instrumental to bring an assurance of the spiritual. Thus, not one of their literal trials but was a help to an acquaintance with God as their God. Now, if your bitters are through your being in the way to Zion, you will find your case to correspond with those of these Bible saints. There will be similar features throughout; and it must have a similar result. That the world and Satan will hate you is clear, and put all the bitterest things in your cup that they can; and we repeat, you must drink till God shall change the draught when he turns your captivity by enabling you to fall into his hands in genuine submission to his divine will. And this will be the case as assuredly as you are now the subject of the bitters. From all your trials will God deliver you; for, be it remembered, Christ is our elder brother, born for adversity, and knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and stands engaged to do it. Bless his precious name, he is the Refiner, and knows when the metal is fit for his service, and not a single moment will he let it remain in the crucible after it is refined enough. Ah, it is enough when he sees his own image-"As a lamb before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth." "Not my will; but thine be done." This is it, Reader; here is the secret that is with the righteous-a blessed fruit of indwelling grace!

In the Christian's cup sin and death form the bitterest part of the draught; for what bitterness may not be traceable to these things? When first the sinner has a glimpse of his state in the fall by the illuminating power and influence of God the Spirit, O, what a draught of bitters does he have to swallow! And again, when God speaks the pardon of his sins to his soul, and gives him