the consolatory message, "Thy warfare is accomplished." Observe:

I. That the life of a believer in this world is a warfare.

It is often represented in scripture by this form of military phraseology, "Fight the good fight of faith." "War a good warfare," &c.

I. The great principle of the conflict is faith founded and implanted in the mind by a supernatural agency. No man will ever in a Christian sense contend until he is constituted a true believer, united by a living faith to Jesus. Faith puts itself into an attitude of resistance against all that is hostile to itself. It discovers to its possessor many adversaries, both within and without, everywhere, in all conditions.

2. This contention will be continued as long as life lasts. This period constitutes the campaign, the warfare and the appointed time. The conflict must be sustained without interruption, truce or armistice till we come to the vestibule of the tomb.

II. The hour of death witnesses the accomplishment of this warfare.

1. Death is the instrumental means of separating us from our connection with the present evil world. When death comes with its commission signed by the King of Heaven in one hand, comes with a label inscribed with these words in the other, "Thy warfare is accomplished," a separation will now be made between you and the elements of danger, the things that taint the eye, pollute the ear and endanger the heart.

2. Death terminates the strife of sin; puts an end to the contention. What placidity reigns upon the countenance of the departed, what exemption from all that formerly kindled the passions, awakened the evil principles of the heart, and produced a grevious conten

tion, which was conducted with many a groan and pang in the secret chambers of the heart. But it is all over when the stroke of death falls.

Death confesses the believer a conqueror over himself, and yields the palm of victory at the moment when he inflicts the blow. Death's triumph is only iu appearance, not in reality.

"For when pale death has lost his sting,

He wears an angel's face."

Nothing then remains to the believer but one unmixed and everlasting triumph.

III. The consoling and exhilarating qualities of this blessed consummation. "Speak ye comfortably, &c.," for the following reasons:

1. When the warfare ends, the rest begins. "There remaineth a rest, &c." "They shall enter into rest, &c." How delightful is that state of bliss which immediately succeeds to the conflicts of time. What more acceptable than rest to the weary and comfort to the sorrowing!

2. This state of rest is also a state of peculiar and inexpressible delight. It is a joyful rest-in the Father's house-where Christ is; the city of the great King, with all the ransomed spirits of the just made perfect, and all the holy ones before the throne. Their employment as well as their society is joyful.

They keep an

everlasting Sabbath. Contemplate the face of infinite. perfection and beauty, bask in the rays of an uncreated sun, see Christ as He is, and are made perfectly like Him.

3. This felicity is evermore increased. Even the cup of full fruition will be continually enlarged. As the circle of eternal ages shall roll on, the minds of the saved

will be getting nearer and nearer to God and making higher advances in knowledge, perfection and enjoyment.

4. This felicity will be for ever and without end. "So shall we be ever with the Lord." "These shall enter into life eternal." What that eternal life is, what thought can conceive, or tongue can utter. A life with God, a life like God's, a life continually tending to God, a life eternal as the existence of God Himself. "Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads.”

The message implies nothing comfortable to a man. out of Christ.

HOPE FOR THE SLEEPING DEAD.

WILLIAM LANDELS, D.D.

I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others who

How

have no hope.-1 THESS. iv: 13.

OW sweet and beautiful is sleep! falling "like tired eyelids upon tired eyes." How essential to nature! how delightfully refreshing and exhilarating in its influence! Like other common blessings undervalued because always enjoyed. The ancients believed it to be the gift of the gods, and the Bible tells us, "so He giveth His beloved sleep." Poets have taxed their powers of language to utter its culogy. Young's description of it, is "tired nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleep." And Mongomery beautifully says, "night is the time for rest," etc. It is a striking illustration of the transforming power of Christianity that it converts that which is most repulsive to man into a thing so beautiful and grateful as sleep. To the Christian man, death is but sleep. This is the term most frequently employed in the New Testament to describe the condition of the holy

dead. Thus does Christianity strip death of its repulsiveness, presenting under this pleasing image, mingling pleasure with the thoughts of the departed, calming our minds in the prospect of our dissolution and converting our burial grounds into cemeteries, where after life's fitful fever we calmly take our rest.

I. Death may be so called because of the peaceful nature of the Christian's death. He lies down to die calmly as the tired laborer to take his nightly rest, whereby he knows he will gain sweet refreshment; or like the warrior after the hard-fought battle, lays aside his armor, wraps his cloak around him and lays him down to well earned repose.

II. The approach of death is often silent and soft as the approach of sleep. As the weary man when he lays his head on his pillow sinks imperceptibly into a state of sumber, so the Christian oftentimes without a struggle, gradually sinks until his eyes are closed to earthly things and the spirit passes into God's presence. It is like the melting of the morning star. It is like the fading away

of the summer cloud.

III. The Christian's death resembles a sleep because of its attractiveness. The laborer toiling beneath a burning sun sometimes longs for the shades of evening when he may stretch his tired limbs and lose the sense of weariness in the unconsciousness of sleep. So the Christian many a time longs for death, because earth is a place of incessant conflict, is daily losing its charms -and heaven's attractions are continually augmenting, there he will rest, be with loved ones and with Jesus.

The

IV. The Christian's death may be compared to sleep, because it is to be followed by an awakening. heathen might have no hope of a resurrection. The Jew might but dimly see the shadow of the resurrection. But under the Christian dispensation the resur

rection is to the humblest believer an object of sure and certain hope. Death to him is not a night with no morning beyond, but a night which ushers in the morning of an everlasting day. It is impossible to mistake the meaning of the Saviour's words. "Marvel not at this, &c." And the Saviour's own resurrection has broken the dominion of death and is the pledge that those who sleep in the dust shall awake.

V. The Christian's death may be compared to sleep because of the repose which he enjoys. He then enters "the rest which remains for the people of God." Life's fitful fever over, he sleeps well. He enjoys the rest of wearied humanity. He "rests from his labors," no more persecutions from sword or pen, or tongue, no more sorrow or disappointment, no more warfare with sin within or without, with Satan. The struggle is over, the battle ended, and now he rests.

VI. The Christian's death may be compared to sleep, because of its refreshing influences. When those who sleep in Jesus shall wake up on the Resurrection morning they will appear refreshed and changed-but not so changed as to prevent mutual recognition. The wearied. wasted body that sank into the grave, shall come forth on the resurrection morning a renovated body, blooming with immortal youth, exempt from infirmities, and endowed with unknown strength. As the laborer awakes in the morning recovered from the effects of the previous day's labor, so on waking from the sleep of death, the Christian shall be perfectly free from all the consequences of this sinful earthly life. His soul shall be wedded to a body worthy of itself, a body resembling in strength and beauty the glorified body of Christ.

These considerations should lead us :

1. To moderate our grief over the loss of those friends who sleep in Jesus. Christianity does not require us to