'Lamb's bride,' 'To her it was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white,' of which the inspired interpretation is added, ‘The fine linen is the righteousness of saints' (Rev. xix. 8). A command is given us, teaching us the same, 'Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh' (Rom. xiii. 14). This is given also as a test of those who have saving knowledge of Christ, 'as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ' (Gal. iii. 27). All who are thus robed should ever remember that while we have now no sacrifices for sin to bring, yet have we other offerings, which we must present. David teaches us what such are: 'The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise' (Psa. li. 17). St. Paul tells us of other offerings when he exhorts us, 'By Christ therefore let us offer the sacrifices of praise to God continually; that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name;' and still reminds us of another, 'But to do good and to communicate forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased' (Heb. xiii. 15, 16). But above all these there must be necessarily preceding them, from which all the others result, the offering up of ourselves unto God, as the same Apostle again exhorts, 'I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living

sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service' (Rom. xii. 1). As His priests, we have the privilege of drawing near at all times to His mercy-seat, which is ever open. In availing ourselves of this we shall show holy boldness before our God, consecrated life before our fellowmen, and a holy rivalry to see who most can glorify Him who has made us to be His own, and that 'whether living or dying, we are the Lord's.'

CHAPTER III.

THE PURITY OF CHRIST.

'Jesus, in Thee our eyes behold
A thousand glories more

Than the rich gems and polished gold
The sons of Aaron wore.

'They first their own sin-offering brought
To purge themselves from sin;
Thy life was pure without a spot,
And all Thy nature clean.

'Fresh blood, as constant as the day,
Was on the altars spilt;

But Thy one offering took away
For ever all our guilt.'

'His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow.'

WHEREVER perfect whiteness is seen, whether it may be in the lowly snowdrop which hangs its modest head on the ground, or in the snow which clothes the earth with its wintry mantle, it is in most countries associated in the minds of poets and others with the idea of purity. Whiteness is

regarded generally as the emblem of holiness and innocency. We wonder not, therefore, that on the mount of transfiguration, when Christ was manifested to His favoured disciples in His 'excellent glory,' He was seen clothed with raiment 'exceeding white as snow, so as no fuller on earth can white them' (Mark ix. 3). The stainless purity of Christ is thus what may be immediately suggested to us by this part of the vision.

Such is necessarily connected with His divine nature. With God no sin can be found. None can charge Him with iniquity. We find similar language used in an account given us of a vision seen by Daniel, where it is applied not to Christ, but to the Father, who is called 'the Ancient of days,' and of whom it is said, His 'garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like the pure wool' (Dan. vii. 9). Thus was His majesty and purity set forth, as well as His eternity. What is true of the Father is true equally of the Son. It is through Christ only that we have any manifestation of the Father. 'No man hath seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him' (John i. 18). So that we find Christ saying to Philip, 'He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father' (John xiv. 9). Well has it been remarked that 'as light, after it hath passed through various

elements, doth change its pure whiteness into the various colours, both primary and secondary, with which the earth and heavens are diversified, so Godhead, which in itself hath no variations nor diversities, when It hath passed through the medium of humanity in the person of Christ doth assume the various forms of human reason which are expressed in the Holy Scriptures, and which were seen and handled in Christ Jesus, who is the Word of life.'

The same purity is necessarily connected also with Christ's human nature, that He might be seen to be qualified for the work which in the likeness of sinful flesh' He came to accomplish, dying in the stead of the sinner, as the substitute of His people whom He came to redeem. This was declared of Him previous to His birth, when it was foretold by the angel to His virgin mother, That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God' (Luke i. 35). The same was declared of Him subsequent to His incarnation. He was said to be 'holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners' (Heb. vii. 26). He did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth' (1 Pet. ii. 22). Of Him alone could it be declared, 'He knew no sin' (2 Cor. v. 21). But two men have ever trod this earth who were free from sin; viz., the first Adam before his fall, and the second