I. We have a comparison, or parallel, instituted between an earthly

and a heavenly state.

II. We have the apostle's experience as to his interest and access into this heavenly state.

III. We have his condition while upon earth: a groaning, longing, and desiring state.

Lastly. We have the proviso which he puts in, and which forms a sort of way-mark-if so be. And how important is it; for all turns on this if 80 be.

Now we consider,

I. The comparison: "We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." Here we have the earthly and heavenly habitation, the body corrupt and the body incorrupt, the body mortal and the body immortal. We will notice first the corrupt body, and see how the apostle speaks of it. The saint's body, his own, yours, mine, he calls an earthly house. Made of earth it was at first: "Dust thou art." He calls it earthly, because perishable, movable. Every earthly thing shall be done away, that heaven may be all in all. But it is also called "an earthly house of this tabernacle," or of a tabernacle character. And this is a blessed thought, for a tabernacle means a tent, something of a temporary nature. So, if you have for your soul a habitation that is incident to sickness, pain, suffering, affliction, temptation, groaning, sweet it is to think it is only temporary, it cannot last very long. The house you inhabit is but a tent; and what shall follow? Why, I hope some of you know, and by faith have had a little glimpse of. This body of ours is in some respects like our Lord's body, for the same word is made use of in the original. It is said, "He tabernacled in the flesh." Like Israel of old in the wilderness, they dwelt in tents or tabernacles, because they were on their way to the promised land; so Israel now. "Here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come." We have no home here, but one above, "whose Builder and Maker is God.”

Now all those who tabernacle in the wilderness, finding and feeling it such, shall be kept to the end, more than conquerers, brought through and out of all. And for this result brought He them out, "that He might bring them in." He had never taught them to cry for deliverance if deliverance had not been in His purpose. This is great comfort for the saints, and God's servants are charged to comfort His people thereby— "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God." Those who have a standing in grace here below, shall assuredly have a standing in glory above. But some object. They say, "Our Lord's body was a tabernacle, which means a temporary habitation, but is He not in the body now? therefore not a tabernacle, because it abides and remains. Christ's body is now a heavenly body, a glorified body. He took human nature for a time, but, when He rose He rose, as you and I shall, with a glorified body, a spiritual body; which is a contradiction to reason. Spiritual matter we can have no conception of, therefore past all conjecture, but which we receive by faith, because God has said it. But another thought. When Jesus came into this world, He came to suffer-and, oh, what suffering!amidst wicked men and the temptations of Satan. What did He not endure? But it was only for a time. He is now set down at the right hand of God, where there are pleasures for evermore." And to His saints here below He says, "My happiness shall be your happiness in yet a little

while;" and He has given some of you a good hope through grace of being happy with Him for ever.

But of this earthly house. It contains the seeds, not of destruction or annihilation, but of dissolution. The connexion between body and soul shall be dissolved, but neither of them destroyed. It is a loosening of the soul's clog, a separation from that grievous burden, a body of sin and death, a corruptible body. This union now existing is to be dissolved; things are to return to their original state, earth to earth; the body to return to its primitive condition, mix with dust, and the spirit return to God, who gave it.

Now let us consider the other side of the subject. The soul is called a house, also a dwelling-place formed by God. The apostle calls the final felicity of the saints a house. "We have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." And this the saints will inhabit before they get their glorified bodies. Now observe of this state, it is called heavenly, the other is earthly; this is eternal, the other is temporary. This they enter upon as soon as the saints leave the body; "absent from the body, present with the Lord." "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am there ye may be also." All of which is expressive of the joy reserved for the saints when they quit this mortal body. No soul-sleeping here, but immediate introduction into the presence of the Lord when they leave this world.

(To be continued.)

ON THE DEATH OF AN AGED PILGRIM.

AGED saint, who long didst bear

Earthly trial, sorrow, care,

To thy Father's house thou'rt come,

Safely reach'd thy heavenly home (John xiv. 2, 3).

Long hast thou life's pathway trod,

Trusting in a faithful God;

In His promise made to thee,

"As thy days, thy strength shall be" (Deut. xxxiii. 25).

When in nature's darkness, He

Gave the word, "Light let there be,"

Darkness fled before that word,

Nature knew and own'd her Lord (Isa. xlii. 16).

Though thou knew'st it not, yet He (Isa. xlv. 5)

Loved thee from eternity (Jer. xxi. 3),

Conquered death, the cross, the grave;

Gave His life, thy soul to save (John x. 15);

Made thee," Abba, Father," cry;

Fill'd thy heart with faith and joy;

Bid thee from thyself look up (Isa. xlv. 22).

To the God of Jacob's hope (Isa. xliii. 1).

Israel's God, thy Guide and Guard,

"God, thy God; be not dismayed (Psalm 1. 7; Isa. xliii. 5),
I am with thee for thine aid;

And though heaven and earth should shake,

I my sheep will ne'er forsake (Isa. liv. 10).

"In deep waters thou must go;

But the floods shall not o'erflow:

Thou, when out those depths, shalt see

What the Lord hath done for thee (Psalm cxxvi. 3).

"Fiery trial thou must bear,

But thy God will still be near;

Through the fire, through the flood,

He'll ne'er bring thee but for good” (Heb. xii, 11).

Oft though doubts and fears assailed,

Has the promise ever failed (Jos. xxi. 45; Psa. lxxvii. 8) ?
Hast thou not had cause to say,

Strength was equal to thy day ?

Through the floods, when thou didst pass,

Were thy shoes not iron and brass (Deut. xxxiii. 25) ?

Yea; thy God, in calm or storm,

Is a God that doth perform (Isa. lvii. 12, 18).

To its home beyond the skies,

As a dove, thy spirit flies;
There to drink its fill of love,
In that brighter world above.
By degrees, e'en one by one,
Nigh all earthly ties had gone;
Then the cord that tethered thee
Snapped, and set thy spirit free.

THE OPENING YEAR.

RICHARDA.

In the days of "Moses, the man of God," we find God's servant indulging in this reflection, "We bring our years to an end as a tale that is told." This fact remains the same, and will remain until that glorious period shall arrive, when "there shall be no more night," and then there will no longer be divisions of time or ending of years. Let us, for a few moments, occupy our thoughts in calling to mind some of the goodness of the Lord, which is revealed to us in these seasons as they pass.

The prophet frequently exhorts us to "consider" our ways; and a good man has said, "count up your mercies," and here, in truth, is employment, suitable and graceful, honourable and profitable, not merely for the opening hour of the year, but for all its fleeting hours.

If we are engaged in looking back on the months that are past, as they gradually recede from our view, what wondrous scenes do we behold, if we see them in God's light, in the light of heaven, with the light of eternity shining on them. The loving-kindness of our God-the forbearance displayed towards us-our own shortcomings our wanderings—our rebellion and vileness-our coldness, or lukewarmness, in His cause-our comparative deadness to spiritual things-our eagerness after whatever has appeared likely to increase our present comfort and ease; these stand out in strong contrast, and cause the believer, while contemplating his eternal security in Christ Jesus, feelingly to lament his own unworthiness, as one so greatly favoured and so highly privileged.

I am of opinion that the glory of our God will be best served, by our thankfulness for all the changes in ourselves, in our circumstances, our families, or our country; being assured that however adverse any of these may appear, they are among those "all things" which "work together for good to them that love God."

They may be good lessons from the past, to guide us in the future. They may be intended to act as reminders, or admonitions, not to trust in an arm of flesh; nor to give to anything God's place in our hearts; nor to leave to the future what we can do at the present; nor to labour to accomplish any end for which we cannot pray, or have not devoutly prayed; or not to pray for any apparently desirable end or blessing, for which we are not prepared to "strive lawfully" in the use of all the appointed means.

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Let us seek thus, thankfully, to get all the good we can from the remembrance of the year past, while we gird up the loins of our minds," and buckle on our armour to run the Christian race, and “fight the good fight of faith," throughout the coming year. I can quite understand how the times in which their lot is cast have always appeared the most momentous to those who have watched their varied aspects, but I am quite prepared to indorse the sentiment that these are days most remarkable in their character.

The year that has just passed away will have left its mark on the pages of our history as a nation, a professedly Christian nation, in a variety of ways, and in nothing more than in the fact that there has been much real earnest prayer to Him by whom "kings reign, and princes decree justice;" and, if Î am not mistaken, many manifest answers to prayer. To me it appears that men are being compelled to show their colours, and, though the ranks of those who refuse to submit to the plain declarations of God's holy word may be swelled-and the army of the rationalists may be recruited by men who are considered giants in the literary world-deep thinkers, or profound reasoners-one David may, by the blessing of God, scatter the whole host.

I have been perfectly astonished by the revelations made in Mr. Grant's recent publication, and some of the correspondence arising out of that publication, and I for one thank Mr. G. for thus throwing light on the growing conspiracy among the professed friends of true Christianity, to ignore such parts of God's holy word as seem to them irreconcilable with what they consider God ought to be, and thus, in fact, bring Him and His purposes to the bar of human wisdom and prudence.

"Let God be true, and every man a liar," is the language of inspiration, and, whether palatable or nauseous, the declarations of God's word to "the natural man," yet the "spiritual man" bows with humility before the throne, and is satisfied with the declaration, "What thou knowest not now, thou shalt know hereafter."

I have just met with a few words I penned twenty years since: they are as applicable now as then; and with them I will close my observations for the present.

"We stand with another gate opening before us inviting us to enter on another unseen course. The motto over the gate of the new year is HOPE, the mode of entrance is TRUST, the guide promised is LOVE. Who then fears to enter?

"Brought safely by His hand thus far,

Why wilt thou now give place to fear ?"

No; assuredly! let each say, 'I will trust, and not be afraid.' Imagination will depict many a gloomy scene, that will never be beheld-distrust will talk of many a severe fall and trial, which will never be realized,' blind unbelief is sure to err; but look at everything you meet with in the light of God's word, and you shall find, all is well."

ALFRED HEWLETT, D.D.

Passing Events.- Monthly Note.

"Can ye not discern the signs of the times ?"-MATT. xvi. 3.

THE result of the general election has been very favourable to the Liberal cause. The Conservative Ministry has resigned, and Mr. Gladstone has assumed the reins of government with a nominal majority of 114. It is to be hoped that having now attained to the object of his ambition, he will pause in his hazardous career, and not sacrifice the best interests of the country at the shrine of personal aggrandizement or party triumph. One of his first actions, however, in his new course, inspires us with anything but confidence; he has conferred the highest position in Ireland, next to that of the Lord Lieutenant, upon a papist, and not merely upon a papist, but upon one who is well known as an extreme Ultramontane, sitting at the feet of Cardinal Cullen. No wonder that this appointment is said to have excited a "great sensation." It is an insult to the loyal Irish Protestants; for, whilst there are several far abler men, both Protestants and moderate Roman Catholics, upon the Irish bench, who might justly have expected to have been raised to this high position, Mr. O'Hagan has been made Lord Chancellor, apparently for no other reason than that he is well known to be an extreme bigot, and an ardent devotee of Rome. An Irish paper observes that this "is the marked recognition of a secret and exciting sacerdotal influence as the dispenser of the great prizes of Ireland. Lord Chancellor O'Hagan, then, is the outward and visible sign of an ominous betrothal-the union of the principle of English Government with the dogmatic ambition and monastic ardour of Rome."

Serious outbreaks have occurred in Spain, but they have been checked with considerable vigour and wisdom by the Provisional Government. We are glad to hear that the religious freedom, which has resulted from the Revolution, has brought to light a very interesting fact, viz., that a considerable number of native Protestants exist there in spite of the intolerance and persecution which have hitherto impeded their progress. This, it seems, is owing in great measure to the labours of the late Rev. Juan Calderon, a Spaniard by birth, but a clergyman of the Church of England. For many years of his life, and until the day of his death, fourteen years ago, he was the editor and only writer of a Protestant paper printed and published in London in the Spanish language. This paper, the name of which was twice changed for the greater safety of its readers, used to be sent by various routes to Spain, generally reaching its destination, but sometimes, unfortunately, seized and burned at the Custom House. Secret meetings of converts took place, at which the Bible and edifying religious books and papers were read. Its publication necessarily ceased at the death of its sole author, but the gentlemen who had helped to defray the expenses incidental to it redoubled their efforts, and other periodicals continued the work, and thus there are Protestants in Spain at this day.