"He is Faithful that Promised."
"When the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of
glory that fadeth not away."--1 PETER v. 4.
A Crown of Life.
What! is the beggar to be "raised from the dunghill, set among princes,
and made to inherit a throne of glory?" is dust and ashes, a puny rebel,
a guilty traitor, to be pitied, pardoned, loved, exalted from the depths
of despair, raised to the heights of Heaven--gifted with kingly
honour--royally fed--royally clothed--royally attended--and, at last,
royally crowned? O my soul, look forward with joyous emotion to that day
of wonders, when He whose head shall be crowned with many crowns, shall
be the dispenser of royal diadems to His people; and when they shall
begin the joyful ascription of all eternity, "Unto Him that loved us and
washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us KINGS----; to
Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." Wilt thou not be
among the number? Shall the princes and monarchs of the earth wade
through seas of blood for a corruptible crown; and wilt thou permit
thyself to lose the incorruptible, or barter it for some perishable
nothings of earth? Oh! that thou wouldst awake to thy high destiny, and
live up to thy transcendant privileges as the citizen of a Kingly
Commonwealth, a member of the blood-royal of Heaven. What wouldst thou
not sacrifice,--what effort wouldst thou grudge, if thou wert included
at last in the gracious benediction, "Come, ye blessed of My Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world?"
"REMEMBER _THIS_ WORD UNTO THY SERVANT, UPON
WHICH THOU HAST CAUSED ME TO HOPE!"