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Moses the interpreter of Christ. It has been common by professing Christians to look at the New Testament through the spectacles of Moses, and thus to Judaize Christianity. Much in popery, much, alas! in old puritanism, much even in modern theology is but Christianity Judaized: men going back to "the beggarly elements." Secondly: It serves to show the wrongness of going to Moses to support opinions which you cannot get from Christ. You can support war, slavery, capital punishments, sacerdotalism, by going to Moses; but you cannot find the shadow of a foundation for these with Christ. Thirdly: It serves to reveal the immense responsibility of men living in gospel times. "If they who despised Moses' law," &c Fourthly: It serves to indicate the glorious position of a true gospel minister. To show this was the object of the apostle in the text. The position of Moses, David, Isaiah, and all the great teachers under the old administration was glorious, but it is scarcely to be compared with the position of him who preaches that Christ of whom Moses and the prophets did write.

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Analysis of Homily the Four Hundred and Fifty-fourth.

PHYSICAL Consumption is fearfully prevalent in this country. But there is such a thing as spiritual consumption. Notice:

I. ITS SYMPTOMS. They are analagous to those of corporeal consumption. First: Loss of strength. Strength to resist the wrong, and to do the right. Secondly: Loss of appetite. No appetite for holy service, wholesome doctrine. Thirdly Loss of enjoyment. All complaint;-no pleasure in anything.

II. ITS CAUSES. Neglect of proper conditions of health. First: Wholesome food. "As new born babes," &c. Secondly: Suitable exercise. Inaction must lead to disease. "Exercise thyself" rather unto godliness. Thirdly: Pure atmosphere.

III. ITS CURES. Two things necessary. First: Appropriate remedial elements. "Balm in Gilead." "The tree of life whose fruit is for the healing of the nations." Secondly: Suitable applications of these elements. The medicine is of no service unless taken according to truly scientific prescription. Thank God, spiritual consumption is curable!

Theological Notes and Queries.

OPEN

COUNCIL.

[The utmost freedom of independent thought is permitted in this department. The reader must therefore use his own discriminating faculties, and the Editor must be allowed to claim freedom from responsibility.]

WHO

FIRST ENTERED HEAVEN? REPLICANT. In answer to QUER. IST No. 17, p. 317. If by heaven you mean that region of the invisible world where the souls of good men are happy after death, your question need not detain us long. We have simply to ask, who was the first good man to die ? Dismissing the PreAdamite theory as wanting evidence, we ask, who was the first of Adam's children? Some have supposed that Eve had lost some infants between Cain and Abel, and hence called the latter by a name which signifies vanity. This, however, seems likewise to be without foundation, and to be moreover inconsistent with what the record of Gen. iv. 2, naturally implies. We conclude therefore

that "righteous Abel" was the first to enter heaven in this sense. If, however, you mean by heaven the final and highest abode and condition of dignity and felicity, then it seems that Christ was the first man to enter it, and that after His resurrection, since we are informed by Scripture that at death His soul descended into hell.

THE SHEPHERD.

REPLICANT. In answer to QUERIST No. 18, p. 317. The simple meaning is-If Thou art my Shepherd, none can hurt me. Though I be in the midst of the darkness of death, I fear nought. It ap pears to us that his words are to be taken in the broadest way. He did not dread death, however

nearly in contact, because he confided in the Good Shepherd.

THE AUTHOR OF ECCLESIASTES.

REPLICANT. In answer to QUERIST No. 19, p. 317. Solomon was the author of Ecclesiastes. There was no other son of David and King in Jerusalem, who was capable of writing it; the writer speaks of his works and his wealth in a way which identifies him with Solomon (ii. 4—6), and of his wisdom and of his proverbs (xii. 9). The Jewish commentators and the fathers believed this book the work of Solomon, and we believe Grotius was the first of any notoriety by whom it was called in question. He was well answered by Calovius. That Solomon was the author has since been doubted by Hengstenberg and others, but the arguments adduced appear unworthy of consideration. They are chiefly these:- (1) That writers have frequently assumed such names of distinguished men as appeared most appropriate, and affixed them to their works; an argument which if allowed, might invalidate the genuineness of half the works at least of ancient literature. (2) The occurrence of Chaldaisms;-but these are so few and of such a nature as to be inadmissible as evidence. (3) The difference of style from that of Proverbs, an objection on which we will waste no words.

THE CUP.

REPLICANT. In answer to QUERIST No. 20, p 317. As at table each guest has his portion of

wine in his cup, it was natural for this to become a figure of a man's share of good and evil in life. Psa. xi. 6; xvi. 5; xxiii. 5; lxxv. 8. Isaiah li. 17. Matt. XX. 22. As to the passing of the cup, the Saviour may have alluded to the custom which obtained on great occasions, of passing round a cup full of wine, when they who did not wish to drink, excused themselves by saying, Let the cup pass.

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The Pulpit and its Three Handmaids.

HISTORY, SCIENCE, ART.

THE UNSATISFACTORINESS OF RICHES ILLUSTRATED IN MORRISON

THE LONDON MILLIONAIRE.

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Mr. Morrison was one of the richest of men, for he owned property of various kinds to the amount of four millions sterling. Most of us would have to take a little time to form anything like a correct idea of a sum so immense. It is said that a fortune of a thousand pounds is a very inconvenient sum, as it is calculated to render its possessor indisposed to make any effort in business, whilst it is insufficient to provide an income equal to the wants of a household. Perhaps, however, if we had four thousand instead of one, we might manage to provide bread for the table, and coals for the grate, and oats for the pony, and have a little to make glad the hearts of the famishing and the heathen, after all bills at Christmas were paid. This Mr. Morrison aforesaid had sufficient cash to provide for a thousand families. What made his history the more marvellous was, that he began his career of manhood as a light porter, at twenty shillings a week. No doubt many a young man would deliver his parcels with alacrity, if he could suppose that beginning where Mr. M. did, he could end where Mr. M. did. Yet after all, there was nothing very desirable in the termination of the rich man's career. He appears to have only made a lengthy and laborious circuit, bearing with him a burden always increasing, until, when he re-appeared at the spot from which he started, the burden had become

insufferable. We do not stay to enquire whether it would not have been wiser in his case not to scatter prudently, but with both hands. We are merely illustrating the truth, that riches heaped up are in themselves insufficient to secure the happiness of the possessor. Mr. Morrison was accustomed during the latter period of his life to go week by week to his own cashier, to receive from him twenty shillings which he supposed was all his due. To others he might be an object of envy. To himself he was a light porter, who was working hard for a sum scarcely sufficient to support him. The vast accumulation of wealth had already slipped from his grasp. He could no longer employ it, or dispose of it among others, or lay it up in heaven. All that now remained to him was the account to be rendered. SMITH.

RELIGIOUS DRILLING.

"Noltenius and Panzendorf were busy teaching Friedrich religion.' Rather a strange operation this, if we were to look into it. Enlightened Edict-of-Nantes Protestantism, a cross between Bayle and Calvin; that was indifferent baby's-milk to the little creature. Nor could Noltenius's catechism, and ponderous drill exercise in orthodox theology, much inspire a clear soul with pieties, and tendencies to soar heavenward.

Alas! it is a dreary litter indeed, mere waggon load on waggon load of shot-rubbish that is heaped round this new human plant by Noltenius and company, among others. A wonder only that they did not extinguish all

sense of the Highest in the poor young soul, and leave only a sense of the dreariest and stupidest. But a healthy human soul can stand a great deal. The healthy soul shakes off, in an unexpect edly victorious manner, immense masses of dry rubbish that have been shot upon it by its assiduous pedagogues and professors. What would become of any of us otherwise ?

And there is another deeper thing to be remarked: the notion of teaching religion in the way of drill-exercise; which is a very strange notion, though a common one, and not peculiar to Noltenius and Friedrich Wilhelm. Piety to God, the nobleness that inspires a human soul to struggle heavenward, cannot be taught' by the most exquisite catechisms, or the most industrious preachings and drillings. No; alas, no. Only by far other methods,-chiefly by silent continual example, silently waiting for the favorable mood and moment, and aided then by a kind of miracle-well enough named the 'the grace of God 'can that sacred contagion pass from soul into soul. How much

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The sentence of toil and the promise of glory have issued from the same throne. Even our troubles here may make the material of enjoyments above the circumscription of the earth. All are agents in the restorative mercy of the great Disposer, all turn into discipline. The obstacles to knowledge, the struggles of the heart, the thousand roughnesses of the common path of man, are concerted into the muscular force of the mind. We are but sowing in the winter of our nature the seed which shall flourish in immortality. DR. CROLY.

Literary Notices.

[WE hold it to be the duty of an Editor either to give an early notice of the books sent to him for remark, or to return them at once to the Publisher. It is unjust to praise worthless books; it is robbery to retain unnoticed ones.]

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SCRIPTURE PSALMODY. Second Edition. By J. S. PEARSALL. Snow : Paternoster Row.

THIS little work is admirably adapted to improve our psalmody. It is a selection of the brightest gems of Biblical poetry-inspired lyrics-superior to all mere human compositions for devotional pur

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