shaking state of Christendom until Christ shall come and take all His ransomed ones home to glory.

When was the Jewish economy shaken? All along from Sinai to the Babylonish captivity, and on to the death of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalsm. Mark well Matthew xxvii. 50-54. "Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost; and, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent." In the quaking of the earth we see the tottering state of all earthly things in the experience of those who have found their all, for time and for eternity, in the person, work, love, blood, and righteousness of Jesus. Every spot of earth in which the child of God loves to linger shall be shaken under his feet, and he will sigh and long to leave this sin-defiled earth for that blessed country where he will be free from every sorrow, and saved from every sin. In the rending of the veil of the temple from the top to the bottom we see God's hand shaking and removing the old heaven of Judaism, and declaring the way to Himself and to eternal bliss open to all His elect and redeemed family. "And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city and appeared unto many. Now when the centurion and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God." Yes, you will say the same when you are brought to the same spot, seeing all earthly things shaken, and experiencing the resurrection-life of Jesus, you will say, Truly this Christ that lives in me is the Son of God, and I am a son of God in Him.

Look again at another shaking, as recorded in Acts ii. 1: "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting." This sound was the voice of the LORD shaking every earthly surrounding of His people. This wind was the Spirit of the LORD which came down with sweeping effect, carrying fleshly and sensuous rites from their minds, and bringing them into hallowed union and sweet satisfaction with a risen, exalted, and glorified Christ. Is this our blessed lot? Where do Where do you live? Where is your home? I do not want to tell you that I live at No. 4, Love Walk. I love to know and feel what that means, At home with the Lord." I feel I have no other; my home is not here. O precious thought! It was so to many of us a few Sunday evenings ago, when we sang that blessed hymn with melting hearts, and as the Spirit of God witnessed with our spirits that we were trueborn children :—

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"I have a home above,

From sin and sorrow free!
A mansion which eternal love
Designed and formed for me.
My Father's gracious hand

Hath built this sweet abode;
From everlasting it was planned
My dwelling-place with God."

Cannot some of you sing this morning, though in the minor mode,

"Loved ones are gone before

Whose pilgrim days are done;

I soon shall greet them on that shore
Where partings are unknown ?"

We now come to notice, briefly,

II. UNSHAKEN THINGS REMAINING "That those things which cannot be shaken may remain." After the experience of the shaking of all things out of Christ, it is an inestimable privilege to know that we have an interest in those eternal things which can never be shaken or removed. But what are these unshaken things?

1. The counsel of JEHOVAH. See how the Holy Ghost reiterates the truth of the stability and permanency of JEHOVAH'S counsel. "But He is in one mind, and who can turn Him? and what His soul desireth, even that He doeth" (Job xxiii. 13). Turn with me to Psalm xxxiii. 11: "The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations." Look at Prov. xix. 21: "There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand."

The covenant of JEHOVAH cannot be shaken. Oh! what an unspeakable mercy it is for us to have the testimony of the Spirit that we have our portion in the covenant decrees and gracious determinations of a sovereign and immutable God! That is a glorious covenant in which the everlasting salvation and undisturbed security of an innumerable but definite number of Adam's lost race were eternally fixed and settled. Just think! God the Father gave our Lord Jesus Christ as a Covenant for the people of His choice, who took them all into His kind care and keeping, held Himself responsible for their salvation from sin, death, and hell, and for their presentation in glory, holy in the Father's election, unblameable in the Son's redemption, and unreproveable by the Spirit's gracious work. This covenant is not only unshaken, but "ordered in all things, and sure." You may rest assured of this, it needs a mighty stretch of faith to believe that all things are ordered, and sure; yet of the covenant we can sometimes sing

"Its bonds shall never break,

Though earth's old columns bow;
The strong, the tempted, and the weak,
Are one with Jesus now."

No, it cannot be shaken. Not all the sins and follies that I have committed, or shall commit; not all the corruptions which surround me, nor those which seem to deluge the life of God within me, can for a single moment shake or affect God's everlasting covenant of grace.

The righteousness of JEHOVAH-JESUS can never be shaken. See! "His work is honourable and glorious; and His righteousness endureth for ever" (Psalm cxi. 3). "Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner; but My salvation shall be for ever, and My righteousness shall not he abolished" (Isaiah li. 6). This shall be true in the experience of every sinner to whom it is graciously revealed.

The intercession of Jesus can never be shaken. This is a precious truth to those who, through the assaults of Satan, are driven to the ends of the earth, or tossed to and fro upon a sea of doubts and fears. Drinking deep from the cup in the Lord's hand, I have known what it is to reel to and fro and stagger like a drunken man. I have tried to pray; but prayer has been a perplexity. At that very moment the all-powerful Pleader, the all-prevalent Intercessor, has been revealed the very One who opens His mouth for His poor dumb children, whom the Father hears always. When He asks, the Father is bound by His word, promise, oath, and covenant to answer, and precious seasons of refreshing are vouchsafed. "He ever liveth to make intercession for us."

"Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved" or shaken. This receiving is in each gracious opening of the heart by the inward movement of the Holy Ghost. Sensible sinners receive Jesus in the arms of faith as their only Saviour. He sets up the kingdom of God in their hearts, and reigns over all things in them and for them; teaching them that nothing can happen but in keeping with His Father's unchanging covenant purposes, and that He will bring to a successful issue all things concerning them.

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Let us have-or hold fast-grace, whereby we may serve," not man, not self, not the world, but "God, acceptably with reverence and godly fear." We bow in spirit before Him and own Him Lord. His fear in our hearts preserves us from death, defends us in danger, and causes us to long for that glorious time when He shall be revealed, without a veil between, in the splendours of His glory and in the plenitude of His power. May the Lord add His blessing. Amen.

JUDE.

A Sermon

PREACHED IN GROVE CHAPEL, CAMBERWELL, ON SUNDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 23RD, 1877, BY

THOMAS BRADBURY.

"Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called : “Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.”—Jude 1, 2.

THERE

HERE are some portions of God's most Holy Word more sweet and precious than others to the living children, because the Holy Ghost, in the display of His Divine sovereignty, is pleased to make them life and power to their hearts. Another reason is, because it has pleased Him to concentrate precious truths in certain portions of the blessed Book. Which of us can ever weary or tire in reading and dwelling upon that glorious cluster of new covenant truths in Eph. iv. 5?-"But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved)." Again, in Titus iii. 4-7, after a painful description of poor human nature in the walk and conversation of God's people previous to the manifestation of His regenerating grace in them: "But after that." Look at these two words in the light of that which is stated in the preceding verse: "For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another." After all that foolishness, disobedience, lust, and hateful conduct, "the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." Look again at 1 Tim. i. 14-16: "And the grace of our Lord was exceeding

No. 58-PRICE ONE PENNY,

abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saving, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting." Many such portions might be named. We will just look at that blessed one in 1 Cor. vi. 11. After an awful catalogue of sins almost too filthy to be read in a mixed assembly, the apostle says, "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." Oh, my dear friends, with such a revelation of God's mercy, how can we despair of the salvation of the vilest wretch in all God's creation? The portion I have read as my text is full of spiritual blessing, teeming with precious truth. Gospel grace and discriminating mercy appear at every step. It will be our privilege for a short time, in humble dependence upon His grace and strength (without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy, and · nothing is acceptable to the Father), to endeavour to find a few words of comfort and consolation for our weary and wanting souls. That which presents itself to the mind is,

I. THE WRITER "Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James."

II. THE PERSONS ADDRESSED-"To them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called." III. THE BLESSINGS ENJOYED—" Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied."

I.—THE WRITER "Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James." We will look at this person-1, in his name, "Jude;" 2, in his calling, "the servant of Jesus Christ;" 3, in his relationship, "and brother of James."

1. His name, "Jude." What's in a name? Very much, so far as this world goes. Sometimes a name is the making of persons and places. In all classes of society we see that very insignificant persons have been raised to position and power through their association with great names. In Holy Scriptures, names are very significant, cftentimes giving the character and condition of the persons to whom they are attached. In this we see displayed the discriminating mercy and judgment of God. Here and there in His blessed Book we see the same name given to two different persons. For instance, Saul, king of Israel, the reprobate, and Saul of Tarsus, the chosen vessel of mercy. Mark! The same name, but not the same grace. The same name, but not the same life. One loved with an everlasting love; the other was one against whom the Lord had indignation for ever. In the New Testament we find Simon a broken-hearted sinner (Matt. xxvi. 75), and Simon a baptized deceiver (Acts viii. 9-24). Let us look at the name before us.