dience of the Jews. Moreover it should be remarked that the word opposed to ἠπειθήσατε is not πιστεύσατε οι ἐπείσθητε, but note; as if to impress the fact that faith and obedience are by grace. If, too, our translators had preserved the peculiar idea of aπebe, as implying that disobedience, which is the palpable proof of unbelief, there would not have been the necessity there is for insisting on the undoubted truth, that the doctrines of grace are doctrines according to godliness. Thus we might render Heb. iii. 18, 19; To whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest except to them who disobeyed' (Tõis àπeilýσaoi)? Whereupon we see that they were not able to enter in by reason of unbelief, or faithlessness; (amorlar). Heb. iv. 6; They who had the glad tidings before us entered not in because of disobedience.' Heb. iv. 11; Let us be in earnest therefore to enter into that rest, that no one be involved in the same example of disobedience.' The words connected with riots are of wider application; as denoting the principle, the lack of which is the root of disobedience, alike in the untaught heathen, and the imperfectly taught disciple. In 1 Tim. v. 8; àníotov refers to a heathen, to an unbeliever; for those who never heard the word of the gospel often discharge the duty of providing for those of their own house. The rendering' worse than an infidel,' is not only gratuitously harsh but is in this case erroneous. When St. Paul alleges the only mitigating circumstance which could be pleaded for his career as a persecutor, he uses the word amoría, namely, ignorance of the Christian faith. If aπeilea in the New Testament usage of the word could have been laid to his charge, his blasphemy would have amounted to the unpardonable sin. We may translate 1 Tim. i. 13; 'I had mercy shown me, seeing I knew not what I did in my state of unbelief.' In 2 Cor. iv. 4, TV άTIσTV (the faithless ones) seems to mark the state of those who shut their eyes to the light. In Mark ix. 24, ȧioría denotes the conflict between hope and distrust. 'Lord I believe, help me, though I have not the faith I desire to have.' How many there are whose heart is made sad from being conscious that they are in a measure ἄπιστοι, though they are very far from being ἀπειθεῖς (disobedient)! And how many rashly conclude that they are T (faithful), though their life arouses the suspicion that they are given over is anеibelav (to the power of disobedience)! The Preacher's Finger-Post. SELF-FELLOWSHIP. "Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.” -Psalm iv. 4. THREE thoughts are here heart." suggested. I. Man has a spiritual nature. It is here called a "heart." We take the word to mean not merely the emotional part of our nature, but the intellectual as well;-the whole soul with all its varied susceptibilities of feeling and powers of thought. (1) Man has stronger evidence for the existence of his soul than he has for the existence of his body. He is not conscious of the phenomena of matter, but he is conscious of the phenomena of mind. Thought, feeling, volition, &c. are subjects of consciousness. (2) Man has an intuitive belief in the existence of his soul. Man naturally believes in its existence. The ancient heathens did, so do the moderns. (3) The Bible most unmistakably reveals it. It shows that the body is but "the house." But though men believe it, they live not as it becometh this tremendous fact in their existence. VOL. X.. II. Man has a capacity to commune with this spiritual nature. He is here bidden to commune with his " own He has a power to look in upon himself, and observe and study what is going on in the wonderful world within. Brutes have no inner world-it is all outside. Man has an inner world, which is the great world, and he has the power of going into it, making himself thoroughly acquainted with it. (1) He has the power of observing both its mental and moral phenomena. He can do this with the eye of consciousness. This eye does not require a telescope, does not grow dim with age. (2) He has the power of tracing the phenomena to their causative principles. He can generalize better upon the facts of the inner world than he can on those of the outer. There is greater excuse for man being ignorant of any science, than that of the mental and moral. The sphere of observation is always within himeven on his "bed"-and the observing faculty is always clear. He need not travel, nor purchase glasses. 2 D III. Man is required to employ this wonderful power of self-communion. This is important in order to understand his own nature. Mental science is most important for many reasons. (See Dr. Brown.) But it is supremely important for moral purposes. It is most important for us to know ourselves morally; to prove our own works. 2 Cor. xiii. 5. The following reasons may be stated for this. (1) It is probable that we are morally worse than we believe ourselves to be. The millions are bad, and the millions deceive themselves. (2) The correction of all moral wrong is indispensable to our wellbeing; and its correction requires self-detection. (3) The correction can only take place effectually in this world. It must be done. DEATH A DUTY. "Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin."Rom. vi. 11. THE Bible speaks of three kinds of deaths. First: The death that is a necessary event. This is the death of the body. "It is appointed to all men," &c. Secondly: The death that is a moral criminality. This is the death of the carnal mind, the unregenerate soul, the death in trespasses and sins. Thirdly: The death that is a righteous obligation. This is the death spoken of in the text. A death unto sin. This is a death which every man should die ;-though few men do so. It is a death which requires earnest individual effort, and involves the agonies of a self-crucifixion. What is meant by being "dead indeed unto sin" I. Negatively. (1) It does not mean being dead to the existence of sin in the universe. Every soul should realize this. Without a due regard to this we shall be incompetent to appreciate in any degree the history of Providence towards our world. (2) It does not mean being dead to the memory of our own sins. We can never forget the fact that we have sinned. Nor ought we to do so. The memory of the fact will serve to restrain from the wrong, to stimulate to the right; it will heighten our gratitude to pardoning mercy, and swell the joys of eternity. (3) It does not mean being dead to the effects of our sin upon our own history. The pardon of sin does not free us from all the effects of sin. The law of goes on. IDEAL WOMANHOOD. moral causation II. Positively. It may involve three things. (1) (1) The death of all interest in its attractions. Sin in our world has wonderful attraction. The taste, the skill, the genius of ages, have been expended in investing it with all conceivable charms. But the holy soul sees through it, and is disgusted. To it, all its attractions are but as a spangled dress that robes an ugly theatrical. (2) The death of all desire for its pleasures. Sin has "pleasures for a season." The holy soul has higher the pleasures of a purified imagination, an exalted hope, a God-inspiring soul, an approving conscience, a smiling God. (3) The death of all fear about its penalties. Sin has terrible penalties. "That our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace." Psalm cxliv. 12. THIS is part of the prayer of a patriot and godly monarch on behalf of the young women of his country. And what he desired for them includes two things :— "Corner I. Usefulness. stones." Corner stones, next to foundation stones, are the most important parts of the building. The unity and stability of the building depend on them. The actual influence of young women in society is great; the potential is greater, is immense. Woman is not only the common mother of all, but the common moulder of all. She fashions even the rulers of the world; the hearts of kings are in her hand. Female usefulness requires at least three things: -(1) Christian purity in her affections. Love, not logic, is her atmosphere; and it should be pure. (2) Christian wisdom in her speech. She is naturally loquacious. (3) Christian spirituality in her aims. Her aim in all should be the Christian elevation of the souls she influences. II. Beauty. "Polished after the similitude of a palace." The reference is, perhaps, to the beautiful pillars of the temple, or those of David's magnificent palace. There is a deal of polish in the female world; but there is too much of polished inanity, weakness, and corruption: the polish not of mind, but manners; not of spirit, but speech; not of choice marble, but of common clay. Polished pillars we want in the female world, strong and majestic in the temple of virtue and religion. Like David we must look to heaven. God is the great moral Sculptor. He has polished many of the roughest and filthiest stones in the quarry of humanity, and made them pillars; and so He will again. No stone too hidden, too distant, or too unwieldly for Him. Then bears to some great city this adamantine stone. Here skilfully 'tis chiselled, and polished; till at length, Fresh forms of beauty lendeth new graces to its strength. And then the block is tackled, and rais'd into the air, As a crown stone to some monu ment, to honor genius fair. Thus, God our Heavenly Father doth deal with every son. He chisels hearts of granite, that graces may be won. Our troubles are His tools, each stroke in love is given, To polish our rough natures, and perfect them for heaven. CHRIST, THE BIBLE. “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." -Luke xxiv. 27. FROM the remarks which we offered on this passage in our last number, on page 256, we draw the following truths; which require to be urged as well on the attention of the empty evangelical Bible worshipper, as on the irreverent Rationalist. I. That the only true student of the Bible is he who discovers the Christ of the Bible. "Christ is he of whom Moses and the prophets did write." He is the pearl in the field. Theological systems, ethical codes, or ecclesiastical polities, you |